Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring children's physical activity and sleep: a study of surveillance and information disclosure

Children and parents build mutual trust through voluntary disclosure, but at the same time parents are guardians who monitor and guide children as they grow up. Emerging technologies offer new opportunities for parents to monitor children while being separated. We investigated how sleep and physical activity data from a Fitbit Flex wristband worn by children (aged 9--12 years) were shared in families over a five-week period. We discovered that the children would optimize their data as they learned more about their own activities, and then started pleasing their parents as a result of being under surveillance. Interestingly, we also saw that parents used the physical activity and sleep data to question children about specific activities, and while this increased parental control, it reduced spontaneous and voluntary information disclosure from the children about their daily activities. This appeared to negatively influence the trust between the children and their parents.
Gene regulation in the frontal cortex of rats exposed to the chronic mild stress paradigm, an animal model of human depression

In the present study, we have coupled the chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol with Affymetrix microarray technology to screen the rat genome for gene changes in the frontal cortex. The aim of our work was to assess whether the CMS protocol could be a useful experimental model to provide insights into the molecular basis of depression. Under our experimental conditions, 59 transcripts changed by more than ±1.5‐fold between naïve and anhedonic rats and showed significantly altered expression levels (P < 0.05). Among these, 18 were upregulated (fold change range +1.509 to +3.161) and 41 were downregulated (fold change range −1.505 to −2.659). To confirm the data obtained with microarrays, we used real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The results confirmed the downregulation of Itga6, Camk2a, Plcb1, Cart, Gad1, Homer1 and Th and the upregulation of Egr2 and Ptgs2 observed in the DNA microarray analysis. Moreover, the fold change data of the nine validated transcripts from microarray analysis and real‐time polymerase chain reaction showed a good correlation (r = 0.863, 7 d.f., P < 0.01; slope = 0.976). It is of great interest that prostaglandin‐endoperoxide synthase 2, tyrosine hydroxylase, Cart, Homer1 and glutamate decarboxylase have already been implicated in affective disorders by different approaches in previous reports. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the CMS paradigm is a useful preclinical model with which to investigate the molecular basis of anhedonia and to help in the discovery of novel targets for antidepressant drugs.
Modulation by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation of the intensity of the interannual seesaw between the Somali and Australian cross-equatorial flows

Abstract The decadal variation of the intensity of the interannual opposite connection (seesaw) between the Somali and Australian cross-equatorial flows (CEFs) is investigated. During the period prior to the mid-1960s, and after the early-2000s, the intensity of the interannual seesaw connection is significantly weaker relative to the period between. Such interdecadal shifts in the interannual seesaw intensity bear a resemblance to the decadal shift in ENSO’s strength, and can be further attributed to the phase transition of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). When the AMO is in a positive phase, the ENSO amplitude reduces and the seesaw strength becomes weakened, and vice versa. The historical simulation outputs of the CMIP5 models are used to verify the connection, and a similar result was obtained. Thus, the notion that the intensity of the interannual opposite connection (seesaw) between the CEFs is modulated by the AMO is robust.
Holocene vegetation record of upland northern Calabria, Italy: Environmental change and human impact

Earlier studies on Holocene fills of upland lakes (Lago Forano and Fontana Manca) in northern Calabria, Italy, showed that these hold important palaeoecological archives, which however remained poorly dated. Their time frame is improved by new 14C dates on plant remains from new cores. Existing pollen data are reinterpreted, using this new time frame. Two early forest decline phases are distinguished. The earliest is linked to the 4.2 kyr BP climatic event, when climate became distinctly drier, other than at Lago Trifoglietti on the wetter Tyrrhenian side, where this event is less prominent. The second is attributed to human impacts and is linked to middle-Bronze Age mobile pastoralism. At Fontana Manca (c. 1000 m a.s.l.), it started around 1700 BC, in the higher uplands a few centuries later (Lago Forano, c. 1500 m a.s.l.). In the Fontana Manca fill, a thin tephra layer occurs, which appears to result from the AP2 event (Vesuvius, c. 1700 BC). A third, major degradation phase dates from the Roman period. Land use and its impacts, as inferred from the regional archaeological record for the Raganello catchment, are confronted with the impacts deduced from the palaeoarchives.
Product Differentiation, Search Costs, and Competition in the Mutual Fund Industry: A Case Study of S&P 500 Index Funds

We investigate the role that nonportfolio fund differentiation and information/search frictions play in creating two salient features of the mutual fund industry: the large number of funds and the sizable dispersion in fund fees. In a case study, we find that despite the financial homogeneity of S&P 500 index funds, this sector exhibits the fund proliferation and fee dispersion observed in the broader industry. We show how extra-portfolio mechanisms explain these features. These mechanisms also suggest an explanation for the puzzling late-1990s shift in sector assets to more expensive (and often newly entered) funds: an influx of high-information-cost novice investors.
Phenotypic differences between African and white patients with motor neuron disease: a case-control study

There is increasing evidence that race may affect the phenotype in some neurodegenerative diseases. To investigate this in motor neuron disease a retrospective case-control study has been carried out on 15 negroid African and 45 white patients with the disease seen over 8 years. Each African was compared with three age and sex matched white patients with motor neuron disease. There were no statistically significant differences in age of onset or the mean duration of disease in the two groups. The chance of presenting with the “flail arm” variant of motor neuron disease was four times as high in the African group than the white group (odds ratio 4.33, p=0.05, 95% confidence interval 0.99–18.92). Although no overall differences in survival were seen between the two groups, in those with the flail arm variant, four out of the six African patients had died whereas all six white arm patients were alive at the censoring date of 1 January 1999 (median follow up 38.5 months). It is concluded that race may influence the phenotype and progression of motor neuron disease.
The impact of endovascular stents types on perioperative outcomes of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms: a single-center experience

Introduction Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) represents a critically urgent vascular surgical condition, and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is a clinically effective treatment option. This study aims to investigate whether the type of intravascular graft used for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms has an impact on perioperative outcomes of EVAR. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent EVAR for ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm at a single medical center from 2019 to 2022. Patients who required simultaneous stent implantation in the renal arteries or visceral arteries, as well as those with ruptured aneurysms located in the para-renal, supra-renal, or thoracoabdominal regions, were excluded from the analysis. Additionally, patients who underwent open surgery during the initial procedure or converted to open repair were excluded. The primary endpoint was perioperative mortality rate. Other study outcomes included perioperative complications, reoperation rates, and length of hospital stay. Characteristics and corresponding outcomes of patients receiving different endovascular stent treatments were compared using SPSS software. Results A total of 58 patients received treatment with two types of endovascular stents: Gore Excluder (n = 29) and Microport Hercules (n = 29). The number of other endografts was too small for statistical analysis. Compared to patients treated with Hercules, those treated with Excluder had a significantly increased likelihood of concomitant coronary atherosclerosis (P = 0.009) and potentially higher creatinine levels (P = 0.014). Additionally, Excluder was more commonly used in patients with shorter aneurysm necks (P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in overall mortality between the two groups (Hercules 27.6%, Excluder 6.9%, P = 0.037). Furthermore, patients who received Excluder treatment had lower mortality rates in subgroups of non-alcohol users (P = 0.028), non-diabetic patients (P = 0.027), and patients with dispersed thrombosis at the proximal neck (P = 0.046). In the multivariate analysis, the type of stent used (OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.00–1.31) and the occurrence of intraoperative complications (OR 20.70, 95% CI 1.14–76.70) in patients with rAAA was identified as an independent risk factor for perioperative mortality. Conclusion Our study suggests that the management of intraoperative complications may be a modifiable factor that can improve outcomes. Patients receiving Excluder treatment demonstrated better performance in EVAR for single-center rAAA patients compared to other endovascular stents, and this difference warrants further investigation.
Visualization of a neurotropic flavivirus infection in mouse reveals unique viscerotropism controlled by host type I interferon signaling

Flavivirus includes a large group of human pathogens with medical importance. Especially, neurotropic flaviviruses capable of invading central and peripheral nervous system, e.g. Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Zika virus (ZIKV), are highly pathogenic to human and constitute major global health problems. However, the dynamic dissemination and pathogenesis of neurotropic flavivirus infections remain largely unknown. Here, using JEV as a model, we rationally designed and constructed a recombinant reporter virus that stably expressed Renilla luciferase (Rluc). The resulting JEV reporter virus (named Rluc-JEV) and parental JEV exhibited similar replication and infection characteristics, and the magnitude of Rluc activity correlated well with progeny viral production in vitro and in vivo. By using in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) technology, we dissected the replication and dissemination dynamics of JEV infection in mice upon different inoculation routes. Interestingly, besides replicating in mouse brain, Rluc-JEV predominantly invaded the abdominal organs in mice with typical viscerotropism. Further tests in mice deficient in type I interferon (IFN) receptors demonstrated robust and prolonged viral replication in the intestine, spleen, liver, kidney and other abdominal organs. Combined with histopathological and immunohistochemical results, the host type I IFN signaling was evidenced as the major barrier to the viscerotropism and pathogenicity of this neurotropic flavivirus. Additionally, the Rluc-JEV platform was readily adapted for efficacy assay of known antiviral compounds and a live JE vaccine. Collectively, our study revealed abdominal organs as important targets of JEV infection in mice and profiled the unique viscerotropism trait controlled by the host type I IFN signaling. This in vivo visualization technology described here provides a powerful tool for testing antiviral agents and vaccine candidates for flaviviral infection.
Social Interactions , Thresholds , and Unemployment in Neighborhoods

This paper nds that the predicted unemployment rate in a community increases dramatically when the fraction of neighborhood residents with college degrees drops below twenty percent. This threshold behavior provides empirical support for \epidemic" theories of innercity unemployment. Using a structural model with unobserved neighborhood heterogeneity in productivity due to sorting, I show that sorting alone cannot generate the observed thresholds without also implying an implausible shape for the wage distribution. This provides further evidence that true social interaction e ects are driving the earlier results. I have received helpful commentary from William A. Brock, Kim-Sau Chung, Steven Durlauf, Giorgio Fagiolo, Peter Norman, Jonathan Parker, and Krishna Pendakur, as well as seminar participants at Simon Fraser University, SUNY at Albany, University of California San Diego, University of Wisconsin, and the NBER Summer Workshop. An earlier draft of this paper was called \Social Interactions and Aggregate Neighborhood Outcomes. " Revisions of this paper are available at the address above.
Secrecy Performance Analysis for TAS-MRC System With Imperfect Feedback

In this paper, we investigate the secrecy performance for a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wiretap channel in the presence of a multiantenna eavesdropper. In particular, the legitimate transmitter uses transmit antenna selection (TAS) to transmit on a single antenna with the largest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) while both the legitimate receiver and the eavesdropper adopt maximal ratio combining (MRC) for reception. We derive exact closed-form expressions for the probabilities of achieving positive secrecy rate and secrecy outage in the case of imperfect feedback due to feedback delay and/or feedback error. Furthermore, we derive the asymptotic secrecy outage probability at high SNR, which accurately reveals the secrecy diversity loss due to imperfect feedback. Simulation results are provided to verify our analytical results and illustrate the impact of imperfect feedback on the secrecy performance of such a wiretap system.
The Critical Exponent is Computable for Automatic Sequences

The critical exponent of an infinite word is defined to be the supremum of the exponent of each of its factors. For k-automatic sequences, we show that this critical exponent is always either a rational number or infinite, and its value is computable. Our results also apply to variants of the critical exponent, such as the initial critical exponent of Berthe, Holton, and Zamboni and the Diophantine exponent of Adamczewski and Bugeaud. Our work generalizes or recovers previous results of Krieger and others, and is applicable to other situations; e.g., the computation of the optimal recurrence constant for a linearly recurrent k-automatic sequence.
Intake of whole grains in Scandinavia is associated with healthy lifestyle, socio-economic and dietary factors

Abstract Objective To identify the dietary, lifestyle and socio-economic factors associated with the intake of whole grains (WG) in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Subsample of the Scandinavian cohort ‘HELGA’ consisting of three prospective cohorts: The Norwegian Women and Cancer Study; The Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study; and the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study. Subjects A total of 8702 men and women aged 30–65 years. Dietary data are from one 24 h dietary recall and data on socio-economic status and lifestyle factors including anthropometric values are from the baseline collection of data. Results Vegetables, fruits, dairy products, fish and shellfish, coffee, tea and margarine were directly associated with the intake of WG, whereas red meat, white bread, alcohol and cakes and biscuits were inversely associated. Smoking and BMI were consistently inversely associated with the intake of WG. Furthermore, length of education was directly associated with the intake of WG among women. Conclusions The intake of WG was found to be directly associated with healthy diet, lifestyle and socio-economic factors and inversely associated with less healthy factors, suggesting that these factors are important for consideration as potential confounders when studying WG intake and disease associations.
Comparative Genotyping of Candida albicans Bloodstream and Nonbloodstream Isolates at a Polymorphic Microsatellite Locus

ABSTRACT Molecular typing studies have shown that the predominant form of reproduction of Candida albicans is clonal and that, in a majority of situations, persistent or recurrent infections are due to a unique strain. Characterization of distinct subpopulations and correlation with clinical features may thus be important to understanding the pathogenesis of candidiasis. In a clonal model, a unique polymorphic marker may identify populations with different biological properties. We therefore compared 48 bloodstream isolates and 48 nonbloodstream matched strains of C. albicans at the elongation factor 3-encoding gene (CEF3) polymorphic microsatellite locus of C. albicans. Sizing of the alleles was performed by automated capillary electrophoresis. A new, 137-bp allele was characterized, and seven nondescribed combinations were observed, resulting in 15 and 11 distinct CEF3 profiles in bloodstream and control strains, respectively. Genotypes 126-135, 130-136, and 131-131 accounted for 60.4% of both bloodstream and control strains. Four bloodstream isolates but no control strains displayed the 135-135 combination. None of the other genotypes was present at an increased frequency in bloodstream isolates. Bloodstream and nonbloodstream strains of C. albicans thus have a heterogeneous structure at the CEF3 locus, with three major and multiple minor allelic combinations.
The Timing and Returns of Mergers and Acquisitions in Oligopolistic Industries

This paper develops a real options model to study the interaction between industry structure and takeover activity. In an asymmetric industry equilibrium, firms have an endogenous incentive to merge when restructuring decisions are motivated by operating and strategic benefits. The model predicts that (i) the likelihood of restructuring activities is greater in more concentrated industries or in industries that are more exposed to industry shocks, (ii) the magnitude of returns arising from restructuring to both merger firms and rival firms is higher in more concentrated industries, (iii) increased product market competition delays the timing of mergers, (iv) when the industry is sufficiently concentrated, bidder competition induces a bid premium, and this premium decreases with product market competition.
Nature, origine et évolution d'un segment de croûte continentale archéenne : contraintes chimiques et isotopiques. Exemple de la Finlande orientale.

Le but de ce memoire est d'aborder le probleme de la genese et de l'evolution de la croate continentale. Le support de terrain ayant servi de base a cette etude est le socle de Finlande orientale dont l'histoire archeenne se deroule sur plus de 500 m.a. L'analyse a ete menee en 4 etapes successives : a) une etude de terrain permet de caracteriser les materiaux et d'etablir leur chronologie relative. b) la radiochronologie (Rb-Sr) precise l'enchainement et la duree des evenements geologiques. c) les differents aspects de la genese de chaque unite lithologique sont envisages a l'aide de la geochimie des elements majeurs et en traces. d) les cootraintes geologiques, petrographiques, geochronologiques, isotopiques et geochimiques servent a etablir un modele d'evolution geodynamique de la croOte archeenne. Parmi les principaux resultats on peut retenir : 1) que la croate continentale archaique se differencie verticalement par recyclages successifs et acquiert progressivement des caracteres modernes. 2) que si la tectonique des plaques existait bien a 1 ~ Archeen, les modalites de detail etaient differentes de celles connues de nos jours. Par exemple lors de la formation d'un rift l'evolution de celui-ci pouvait se faire soit, comme aujourd' hui par oceanisation, puis subduction, soit par subsidence (sans oceanisation). 3) la composition des granitoides formes dans les zones de convergence de plaques s'est modi fiee au cours du temps. Ceci est explique par le refroidissement. progressi f de la Terre; a l'Archeen les gradients geothermiques eleves permettaient la fusion de la croate oceanique subductee. Aujourd'hui a l'inverse, cette croate subductee est "froide" et se deshydrate avant d'atteindre les conditions de la fusion, favorisant ainsi la fusion partielle du coin de manteau, ou de la base de la croute continentale sus-jacents.
Teaching Mathematics: Using research-informed strategies

AER 59 reviews research into aspects of mathematics teaching, focusing on issues relevant to Australian mathematics teachers, to those who support them, and also to those who make policy decisions about mathematics teaching. It was motivated by and draws on the proceedings of the well-attended and highly successful ACER Research Conference Teaching mathematics? Make it count: What research tells us about effective mathematics teaching and learning, held in Melbourne in August 2010.
Investigaton of the neuronal efficacy and EEG source power under steady-state visual stimulation

Understanding the nature of the link between neuronal activity and BOLD signal plays a crucial role i) for improving the interpretability of BOLD images and ii) on the design of more realistic models for the integration of EEG and fMRI. The aim of this study is to investigate the neural mechanism underlying hemodynamic behavior in a series of visual stimulation frequencies and explore possible implications for the neurovascular coupling. We studied the relationship between electrophysiological and hemodynamic measures by performing simultaneous steady state electroencephalography (EEG) and fMRI recordings in a healthy human subject during a series of visual stimulation frequencies (6 Hz, 8 Hz, 10 Hz, 12 Hz). BOLD amplitudes were computed for voxels within an anatomical mask which was obtained by mapping the significantly active voxels using general linear modelling (GLM) on fMRI data. On the same anatomical map, EEG power time series belonging to the fundamental frequency and its harmonics due to the stimulation are estimated using a distributed source imaging technique. The neuronal efficacies which represent the vascular inputs driving the BOLD response are estimated by use of an extended version of Balloon model. A nonlinear relationship is demonstrated between the mean EEG source powers and the neuronal efficacies driving the BOLD response. The result suggests that BOLD signal which is an indicator of the metabolic demand of both synchronized and non-synchronized neuronal activities; changes independent of EEG activity which is a measure sensitive to the synchronicity of neuronal activity.