Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Surface Area, but not Cortical Thickness, in a Subset of Young Boys With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Autism Phenome Project is the largest, single site, longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous analyses from this cohort have shown that the children with autism have a total brain volume at time 1 (∼3 years of age) that is 6% larger than typically developing (TD) children. This finding is driven primarily by 15% of the boys with ASD that have disproportionate megalencephaly (ASD‐DM) or brain size that is 1.5 standard deviations above what would be expected for the child's height. In the current study, cerebral cortical grey matter volume, thickness, and surface area were assayed from MRI scans of 112, 3‐year‐old boys with ASD and 50 age‐matched TD boys. The boys with ASD‐DM (n = 17) were analyzed separately from the boys with normal brain size (ASD‐N, n = 95). Previous studies of cortical thickness and surface area for ASD children in this age range have come to diametrically different conclusions concerning the significance of cortical thickness vs. surface area. Current analyses indicate that cortical thickness was comparable across the ASD and TD groups. However, surface area was significantly greater in the ASD group compared to the TD group. This result was driven largely by the children with ASD‐DM. Even in the ASD‐DM group, not all cortical regions demonstrated increased surface area. These results provide strong evidence that the early cortical overgrowth associated with ASD is due primarily to increased surface area and not to increased cortical thickness. Autism Res 2016, 9: 232–248. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
To be or not to be: How ethnic/racial stereotypes influence ethnic/racial disidentification and psychological mood.

OBJECTIVES The current study explores disidentification. Ethnic/racial disidentification is defined as psychological distancing from a threatened social identity to preserve a positive sense of self. The first study goal was to explore how daily ethnic/racial stereotype appraisal is related to ethnic/racial disidentification. The second goal was explore the association between disidentification and psychological mood. In both cases, centrality and private regard were considered individual differences that might moderate daily associations. METHOD Ethnic/racial minority young adults (Mage = 20.63 years, SD = 1.49; N = 129) completed a 21-day daily diary, including ethnic/racial stereotype appraisal, ethnic/racial disidentification, and mood. At the end of the study, participants completed measures of ethnic/racial centrality and private regard. RESULTS The effect of daily stereotype appraisal on disidentification depended on feelings of centrality and private regard. Young adults reporting high centrality and high private regard reported higher disidentification on days on which they reported more stereotype appraisal. These same young adults also reported higher negative mood on days on which they reported disidentification. Young adults reporting high private regard reported less positive mood on days on which they reported disidentification, whereas those reporting low private regard reported more positive mood. CONCLUSION This article discusses the role of ethnic/racial disidentification as a normative negotiation of threats to ethnic/racial identity development. For young adults who report high levels of centrality and private regard, daily encounters with ethnic/racial stereotypes are associated with more disidentification, but that disidentification comes at a cost in the form of more negative daily mood.
Synchronization, Slippage, and Unbundling of Driven Helical Flagella

Peritrichous bacteria exploit bundles of helical flagella for propulsion and chemotaxis. Here, changes in the swimming direction (tumbling) are induced by a change of the rotational frequency of some flagella. Employing coarse-grained modeling and simulations, we investigate the dynamical properties of helical flagella bundles driven by mismatched motor torques. Over a broad range of distances between the flagella anchors and applied torque differences, we find a stable bundled state, which is important for a robust directional motion of a bacterium. With increasing torque difference, a phase lag in the flagellar rotations develops, followed by slippage and ultimately unbundling, which sensitively depends on the anchoring distance of neighboring flagella. In the slippage and drift states, the different rotation frequencies of the flagella generate a tilting torque on the bacterial body, which implies a change of the swimming direction as observed experimentally.
CloudPick: a framework for QoS‐aware and ontology‐based service deployment across clouds

The cloud computing paradigm allows on‐demand access to computing and storage services over the Internet. Multiple providers are offering a variety of software solutions in the form of virtual appliances and computing units in the form of virtual machines with different pricing and QoS in the market. Thus, it is important to exploit the benefit of hosting virtual appliances on multiple providers to not only reduce the cost and provide better QoS but also achieve failure‐resistant deployment. This paper presents a framework called CloudPick to simplify cross‐cloud deployment and particularly focuses on QoS modeling and deployment optimization. For QoS modeling, cloud services have been automatically enriched with semantic descriptions using our translator component to increase precision and recall in discovery and benefit from descriptive QoS from multiple domains. In addition, an optimization approach for deploying networks of appliances is required to guarantee minimum cost, low latency, and high reliability. We propose and compare two different deployment optimization approaches: genetic‐based and forward‐checking‐based backtracking. They take into account QoS criteria such as reliability, data communication cost, and latency between multiple clouds to select the most appropriate combination of virtual machines and appliances. We evaluate our approach using a real case study and different request types. Experimental results suggest that both algorithms reach near‐optimal solution. Further, we investigate the effects of factors such as latency, reliability requirements, and data communication between appliances on the performance of the algorithms and placement of appliances across multiple clouds. The results show the efficiency of optimization algorithms depends on the data transfer rate between appliances. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chinese and Australian conversational styles : a comparative sociolinguistic study of overlap and listener response

This study compares the use of overlap and listener response by Chinese and Australian speakers in their respective intracultural conversations, that is, in conversations between Chinese interlocutors in Mandarin Chinese and between Australians in Australian English. The main purpose of this study is to locate similarities and differences between these two groups of speakers in their use of the two conversational strategies. Another major theme of the thesis is to examine the role of gender in the use of overlap and listener response in conversations of the two languages. The study is based upon the theoretical premise of interactional sociolinguistics that different cultural groups may have different rules for participation in and interpretation of conversation and that conflicts related to these rules are a major source of cross-cultural (and crossgender) miscommunication. It is also a response to lack of evidence for this claim from languages other than English, especially from Chinese. The data for the study are from 30 dyadic conversations between friends of similar age and similar social status: 15 Chinese conversations in Mandarin Chinese and 15 Australian ones in Australian English. Both the Australian and the Chinese conversations come from 5 female-female dyads, 5 male-male dyads and 5 male-female dyads. Both the qualitative and the quantitative aspects of the use of overlap and listener response are compared. With respect to the use of overlap, the qualitative part of the study examines the various phenomena that the
Cardiovascular Effects of Pancuronium and Vecuronium during High‐Dose Fentanyl Anesthesia

To define the role of muscle relaxants in hemodynamic responses to high-dose (75 μg/kg) fentanyl anesthesia, we compared the circulatory effects of pancuronium (Pc) with those of vecuronium (Vc) in patients about to undergo coronary artery bypass surgery. The first measurements were made while the patients were awake. Thereafter the patients were anesthetized with fentanyl, intubated under succinylcholine relaxation and mechanically ventilated with a mixture of oxygen in air (Flo2 0.50). Ten minutes after completion of the fentanyl injection, the second set of measurements was made. Immediately thereafter, 0.1 mg/kg of either Pc (n = 10) or Vc (n = 10) was given, and no relaxant was administered to 10 control patients. Heart rate (HR) and cardiac index (CI), which had decreased significantly after fentanyl induction, decreased further after Vc, the latter decreases being significantly greater than the decreases in HR and CI observed in control patients. After Pc, HR and CI increased to control a wake levels; rate-pressure product also increased and stroke index decreased. Five of ten patients receiving Vc had a HR below 45 beats/min; HRs this low were not seen in patients given Pc. Neither Pc nor Vc affected systemic vascular resistance, but filling pressures of the heart decreased abruptly after both relax-ants. We conclude that if maintenance of preanesthetic hemodynamic status is the objective of anesthetic management of patients having coronary artery bypass surgery, Pc helps to achieve this objective during high-dose fentanyl anesthesia. On the other hand, many patients with limited coronary vascular reserve may well benefit from the negative chronotropic effect of Vc.
Decreasing STD incidence and increasing condom use among Chinese sex workers following a short term intervention: a prospective cohort study

Objective: To describe the impact of a repeating behavioural intervention focused on preventive education and provision of STD testing and treatment services to female sex workers. Methods: A prospective cohort study of 966 sex workers (first of its kind in China) was conducted in Guangzhou from March 1998 to October 1999. At each visit information was collected on sexual behaviour, condom use and knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use, education was given, STD were diagnosed, and treatment was provided free of charge. We evaluated trends in condom use, knowledge about HIV transmission and condom use, and STD incidences. Generalised estimating equations were applied to control for repeated measurements. Results: The proportion of consistent condom use increased from the intake through the third follow up visit (from 30% to 81%), as well as the proportion of having good knowledge on HIV transmission (4.3% to 98.6%) and condom use (23.6% to 79.3%). The incidence of gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia decreased over each follow up visit; from 17.5/100 person years (PY), 22.4/100PY, 65.9/100PY at the first follow up visit to 5.1/100PY, 3.0/100PY, 16.1/100PY at the third follow up visit, for each STD respectively. Conclusions: STD care and prevention programmes targeting sex workers are feasible in China and, more importantly, intervention consisting of prevention education and STD care is likely to reduce unprotected sexual behaviour and STD incidence in this group at high risk for HIV and other STD infection.
A NGS approach to the encrusting Mediterranean sponge Crella elegans (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida): transcriptome sequencing, characterization and overview of the gene expression along three life cycle stages

Sponges can be dominant organisms in many marine and freshwater habitats where they play essential ecological roles. They also represent a key group to address important questions in early metazoan evolution. Recent approaches for improving knowledge on sponge biological and ecological functions as well as on animal evolution have focused on the genetic toolkits involved in ecological responses to environmental changes (biotic and abiotic), development and reproduction. These approaches are possible thanks to newly available, massive sequencing technologies–such as the Illumina platform, which facilitate genome and transcriptome sequencing in a cost‐effective manner. Here we present the first NGS (next‐generation sequencing) approach to understanding the life cycle of an encrusting marine sponge. For this we sequenced libraries of three different life cycle stages of the Mediterranean sponge Crella elegans and generated de novo transcriptome assemblies. Three assemblies were based on sponge tissue of a particular life cycle stage, including non‐reproductive tissue, tissue with sperm cysts and tissue with larvae. The fourth assembly pooled the data from all three stages. By aggregating data from all the different life cycle stages we obtained a higher total number of contigs, contigs with blast hit and annotated contigs than from one stage‐based assemblies. In that multi‐stage assembly we obtained a larger number of the developmental regulatory genes known for metazoans than in any other assembly. We also advance the differential expression of selected genes in the three life cycle stages to explore the potential of RNA‐seq for improving knowledge on functional processes along the sponge life cycle.
The NADPH Oxidase Nox3 Constitutively Produces Superoxide in a p22phox-dependent Manner

Nox3, a member of the superoxide-producing NADPH oxidase (Nox) family, participates in otoconia formation in mouse inner ears, which is required for perception of balance and gravity. The activity of other Nox enzymes such as gp91phox/Nox2 and Nox1 is known to absolutely require both an organizer protein (p47phox or Noxo1) andanactivatorprotein (p67phox or Noxa1); for the p47phox-dependent activation of these oxidases, treatment of cells with stimulants such as phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate is also indispensable. Here we show that ectopic expression of Nox3 in various types of cells leads to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-independent constitutive production of a substantial amount of superoxide under the conditions where gp91phox and Nox1 fail to generate superoxide, i.e. in the absence of the oxidase organizers and activators. Nox3 likely forms a functional complex with p22phox; Nox3 physically interacts with and stabilizes p22phox, and the Nox3-dependent superoxide production is totally dependent on p22phox. The organizers p47phox and Noxo1 are capable of enhancing the superoxide production by Nox3 in the absence of the activators, and the enhancement requires the interaction of the organizers with p22phox, further indicating a link between Nox3 and p22phox. The p47phox-enhanced Nox3 activity is further facilitated by p67phox or Noxa1, whereas the activators cancel the Noxo1-induced enhancement. On the other hand, the small GTPase Rac, essential for the gp91phox activity, is likely dispensable to the Nox3 system. Thus Nox3 functions together with p22phox as an enzyme constitutively producing superoxide, which can be distinctly regulated by combinatorial use of the organizers and activators.
Experimental and numerical study of jet mixing from a shock-containing nozzle

The compressible jet plume emerging from a planar convergent-divergent nozzle containing a separation shock is investigated experimentally and numerically. The investigation encompasses exit-to-throat area ratios (Ae=At) from 1.0 to 1.8 and nozzle pressure ratios from 1.2 to 1.8. Experiments were conducted in a variable-geometry nozzle facility, and computations solved the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with several turbulence models. The computed mean velocity field outside the nozzle compares reasonably well with the experimental data. Among the different turbulence models tested, the two-equation shear stress transport model is found to provide the best agreement with the experiments. Jet mixing is governed by Ae=At and, to a lesser extent, by nozzle pressure ratios. Increasing Ae=At results in an increased growth rate and faster axial decay of the peak velocity. The experimental trends of jet mixing versus Ae=At and nozzle pressure ratios are captured well by the computations. Computations of turbulent kinetic energy show that, with increasing Ae=At , the peak turbulent kinetic energy in the plume rises and moves toward the nozzle exit. The significant increase of turbulent kinetic energy inside the nozzle is associated with asymmetric flow separation.
The Case for Recombinant Computing

Interoperability among a group of devices, applications, and services is typically pred icated on those entities having some degree of prior knowledge of one another. In particular, they must be written to understand the type of thing with which they will interact, including the details of communication as well as semantic knowledge such as when and how to communicate. This paper presents a case for "recombinant computing"—a set of common interaction patterns that leverage mobile code to allow rich interactions among computational entities with only limited a priori knowledge of one another. We have been experimenting with a particular embodiment of these ideas, which we call Speakeasy. It is designed to support ad hoc, end user configurati ons of hardware and software, and provides patterns for data exchange, user control, and contextual awareness.
Associations between sleep duration patterns and behavioral/cognitive functioning at school entry.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between longitudinal sleep duration patterns and behavioral/cognitive functioning at school entry. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI), inattention, and daytime sleepiness scores were measured by questionnaire at 6 years of age in a sample of births from 1997 to 1998 in a Canadian province (N=1492). The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised (PPVT-R) was administered at 5 years of age and the Block Design subtest (WISC-III) was administered at 6 years of age. Sleep duration was reported yearly by the children's mothers from age 2.5 to 6 years. A group-based semi-parametric mixture model was used to estimate developmental patterns of sleep duration. The relationships between sleep duration patterns and both behavioral items and neurodevelopmental tasks were tested using weighted multivariate logistic regression models to control for potentially confounding psychosocial factors. RESULTS Four sleep duration patterns were identified: short persistent (6.0%), short increasing (4.8%),10-hour persistent (50.3%), and 11-hour persistent (38.9%). The association of short sleep duration patterns with high HI scores (P=0.001), low PPVT-R performance (P=0.002), and low Block Design subtest performance (P=0.004) remained significant after adjusting for potentially confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS Shortened sleep duration, especially before the age of 41 months, is associated with externalizing problems such as HI and lower cognitive performance on neurodevelopmental tests. Results highlight the importance of giving a child the opportunity to sleep at least 10 hours per night throughout early childhood.
The Enhanced Restricted Focus Viewer

The Enhanced Restricted Focus Viewer (ERFV) is a unique software tool for tracking the visual attention of users in hyperlinked environments, such as Web sites. The software collects data, such as mouse clicks along with the path of users' visual attention, as they browse a site. Unlike traditional eye-tracking procedures, the ERFV requires no hardware to operate other than a personal computer. In addition to time and cost savings, the ERFV allows the administration of usability testing to groups of participants simultaneously. A laboratory test comparing the ERFV to a hardware-based eye-tracking system showed that the two methods compared favorably in terms of how well they track a user's visual attention. The value of the ERFV as a usability testing tool was demonstrated through an experiment that evaluated two Web sites that were equivalent in content but that differed in terms of design. Although several open issues concerning the ERFV still remain, some of these issues are being addressed through ongoing research efforts.
Functional Analysis of Retinitis Pigmentosa 2 (RP2) Protein Reveals Variable Pathogenic Potential of Disease-Associated Missense Variants

Genetic mutations are frequently associated with diverse phenotypic consequences, which limits the interpretation of the consequence of a variation in patients. Mutations in the retinitis pigmentosa 2 (RP2) gene are associated with X-linked RP, which is a phenotypically heterogenic form of retinal degeneration. The purpose of this study was to assess the functional consequence of disease-associated mutations in the RP2 gene using an in vivo assay. Morpholino-mediated depletion of rp2 in zebrafish resulted in perturbations in photoreceptor development and microphthalmia (small eye). Ultrastructural and immunofluorescence analyses revealed defective photoreceptor outer segment development and lack of expression of photoreceptor-specific proteins. The retinopathy phenotype could be rescued by expressing the wild-type human RP2 protein. Notably, the tested RP2 mutants exhibited variable degrees of rescue of rod versus cone photoreceptor development as well as microphthalmia. Our results suggest that RP2 plays a key role in photoreceptor development and maintenance in zebrafish and that the clinical heterogeneity associated with RP2 mutations may, in part, result from its potentially distinct functional relevance in rod versus cone photoreceptors.
Diagnosis and Management of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients With Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

OBJECTIVE:Our aim was to report our experience with treating GI bleeding in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). METHODS:Consecutive patients with GI bleeding referred to the Yale University Vascular Malformation Center underwent clinical evaluation and endoscopy. Hb and blood transfusion requirements for 1 yr before and after evaluation were documented. Patients with a mean Hb ≤ 8 mg/dl or blood transfusion requirements ≥ 12 units packed red blood cells (PRBC)/yr were defined as patients with significant bleeding. Drug therapies, including ethinyl estradiol/norethindrone, danazol, and aminocaproic acid, were prescribed on an individual patient basis.RESULTS:The study included 43 HHT patients with a mean age of 57 yr. Endoscopy revealed telangiectases in the esophagus (1/41), stomach (33/41), duodenum (33/41), jejunum (5/9), and colon (10/32). Patients with > 20 telangiectases visualized on esophagogastroduodenoscopy had a significantly lower mean Hb of 7.9, compared with 9.4 (P = 0.007), and a trend toward higher blood transfusion requirements. Non–HHT-related causes of GI bleeding were diagnosed in four patients. During a mean follow up of 18.9 months, the group of 40 patients with HHT-related bleeding had improvements in their mean Hb and blood transfusion requirements.CONCLUSIONS:Some HHT patients with GI bleeding improve on drug therapies, but others fail. Transfusion-dependent GI bleeding is difficult to manage, and optimal management may include both medical and endoscopic treatments.