Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of immigration on tuberculosis rates in the United Kingdom compared with other European countries.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether trends in tuberculosis (TB) rates across Europe are linked to patterns of migration. DESIGN Descriptive analysis of Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development population statistics and EuroTB data for 21 European countries for 1996-2005. RESULTS TB notification rates increased in only three of the 21 countries: the United Kingdom, Norway and Sweden. In all three countries, approximately three quarters of cases were foreign-born. The UK had the third highest number of foreign nationals overall, but the highest number from a country with a TB incidence > or =250 cases/100000 (219000, 13%). European countries with declining TB rates had varying patterns of migration, but did not generally receive migrants from very high-incidence countries and/or had a smaller proportion of their total TB cases in their migrant population. CONCLUSIONS The increase in the rate of TB in the UK, which contrasts with most other European countries, may, at least in part, be due to the fact that a high proportion of UK cases occur in the foreign-born, coupled with a comparatively large number of foreign nationals from countries with a very high incidence of TB.
Performance Evaluation and Comparison between Iterative DS-CDMA and NDMA

Multipacket Reception (MPR) techniques employing either Direct Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS- CDMA) or Network Diversity Multiple Access (NDMA) have great potential to deal with packet collisions from multiple Mobile Terminals (MTs). However, their performance evaluation in prac- tical systems is difficult because lengthy simulations are needed to obtain the packet error rates for specific channel conditions. This paper considers MPR receivers based on the Iterative Block Decision Feedback Equalization (IB-DFE) concept. An analytical tool that computes the Bit Error Rate (BER) and Packet Error Rate (PER) for DS-CDMA is proposed, where its theoretical results have a good accuracy. This analytical approach, that provides a simple and relatively fast way to compute the BER and PER performance for DS-CDMA, is then employed for a comparison with NDMA.
Long-range acoustic interactions in insect swarms: an adaptive gravity model

The collective motion of groups of animals emerges from the net effect of the interactions between individual members of the group. In many cases, such as birds, fish, or ungulates, these interactions are mediated by sensory stimuli that predominantly arise from nearby neighbors. But not all stimuli in animal groups are short range. Here, we consider mating swarms of midges, which are thought to interact primarily via long-range acoustic stimuli. We exploit the similarity in form between the decay of acoustic and gravitational sources to build a model for swarm behavior. By accounting for the adaptive nature of the midges’ acoustic sensing, we show that our ‘adaptive gravity’ model makes mean-field predictions that agree well with experimental observations of laboratory swarms. Our results highlight the role of sensory mechanisms and interaction range in collective animal behavior. Additionally, the adaptive interactions that we present here open a new class of equations of motion, which may appear in other biological contexts.
Quasi-continuous high order sliding mode controller design for PMSM

This paper deals with the quasi-continuous high order sliding mode controller and arbitrary order robust sliding mode differentiator to drive a permanent magnet synchronous motor. The control objective is to perform accurate tracking the motor position using these kinds of technology. The motor velocity is obtained via robust exact differentiation. The efficiency of the proposed quasi-continuous high order sling mode is illustrated on a Matlab/Simulink simulator.
Archaea box C/D enzymes methylate two distinct substrate rRNA sequences with different efficiency

RNA modifications confer complexity to the 4-nucleotide polymer; nevertheless, their exact function is mostly unknown. rRNA 2′-O-ribose methylation concentrates to ribosome functional sites and is important for ribosome biogenesis. The methyl group is transferred to rRNA by the box C/D RNPs: The rRNA sequence to be methylated is recognized by a complementary sequence on the guide RNA, which is part of the enzyme. In contrast to their eukaryotic homologs, archaeal box C/D enzymes can be assembled in vitro and are used to study the mechanism of 2′-O-ribose methylation. In Archaea, each guide RNA directs methylation to two distinct rRNA sequences, posing the question whether this dual architecture of the enzyme has a regulatory role. Here we use methylation assays and low-resolution structural analysis with small-angle X-ray scattering to study the methylation reaction guided by the sR26 guide RNA from Pyrococcus furiosus. We find that the methylation efficacy at sites D and D′ differ substantially, with substrate D′ turning over more efficiently than substrate D. This observation correlates well with structural data: The scattering profile of the box C/D RNP half-loaded with substrate D′ is similar to that of the holo complex, which has the highest activity. Unexpectedly, the guide RNA secondary structure is not responsible for the functional difference at the D and D′ sites. Instead, this difference is recapitulated by the nature of the first base pair of the guide-substrate duplex. We suggest that substrate turnover may occur through a zip mechanism that initiates at the 5′-end of the product.
Conflict management in 6–8-year-old aggressive Dutch boys: do they reconcile?

[Given the individual and societal impact of aggressive behaviour, major research efforts are made to reveal the causes of aggressive conflicts and develop programs to prevent them from occurring. Yet, it may also be important to study mechanisms that reduce negative effects of aggressive conflicts, such as reconciliation. In the present study, aggressive and typically developing Dutch boys, aged 6–8 years, participated in experimentally induced real-life conflict situations to examine their reconciliatory behaviour. Typically developing and aggressive boys exhibited a similar number of aggressive conflicts, but these conflicts lasted longer and escalated more often in boys with aggressive behaviour problems than in typically developing boys. Typically developing boys showed reconciliation, where children with aggressive behaviour problems refrained from reconciliation. The absence of reconciliation in children with aggressive behaviour problems was not due to a lack of initiation, but to rejection of post-conflict affiliation. Since reconciliation is an important mechanism to reduce the negative consequences of aggression, the lack of reconciliation in children with aggressive behaviour problems may be an important reason why their aggressive behaviour escalates and why it is perceived as disruptive. To understand aggressive behaviour problems in children it is, therefore, crucial to not only address the occurrence and causes of aggressive conflicts, but also examine how these aggressive conflicts are managed. , Given the individual and societal impact of aggressive behaviour, major research efforts are made to reveal the causes of aggressive conflicts and develop programs to prevent them from occurring. Yet, it may also be important to study mechanisms that reduce negative effects of aggressive conflicts, such as reconciliation. In the present study, aggressive and typically developing Dutch boys, aged 6–8 years, participated in experimentally induced real-life conflict situations to examine their reconciliatory behaviour. Typically developing and aggressive boys exhibited a similar number of aggressive conflicts, but these conflicts lasted longer and escalated more often in boys with aggressive behaviour problems than in typically developing boys. Typically developing boys showed reconciliation, where children with aggressive behaviour problems refrained from reconciliation. The absence of reconciliation in children with aggressive behaviour problems was not due to a lack of initiation, but to rejection of post-conflict affiliation. Since reconciliation is an important mechanism to reduce the negative consequences of aggression, the lack of reconciliation in children with aggressive behaviour problems may be an important reason why their aggressive behaviour escalates and why it is perceived as disruptive. To understand aggressive behaviour problems in children it is, therefore, crucial to not only address the occurrence and causes of aggressive conflicts, but also examine how these aggressive conflicts are managed. ]
Human-Guided Ontology Learning

This paper leverages human knowledge and understanding in machine learning algorithms for constructing ontologies. Ontology construction is a highly subjective task where a human user builds a data model which represents a set of concepts within a domain and the relationships between those concepts. Personal preferences have crucial impact on manuallybuilt ontologies, however are inadequately captured by traditional supervised machine learning approach. This paper proposes a human-guided machine learning approach, which incorporates periodical manual guidance into a supervised clustering algorithm, for the task of ontology construction. A user study demonstrates that guided machine learning is able to generate ontologies with manually-built quality and less costs. It also shows that periodical manual guidance successfully directs machine learning towards personal preferences.
Myocardial Loss of IRS1 and IRS2 Causes Heart Failure and Is Controlled by p38α MAPK During Insulin Resistance

Cardiac failure is a major cause of death in patients with type 2 diabetes, but the molecular mechanism that links diabetes to heart failure remains unclear. Insulin resistance is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, and insulin receptor substrates 1 and 2 (IRS1 and IRS2) are the major insulin-signaling components regulating cellular metabolism and survival. To determine the role of IRS1 and IRS2 in the heart and examine whether hyperinsulinemia causes myocardial insulin resistance and cellular dysfunction via IRS1 and IRS2, we generated heart-specific IRS1 and IRS2 gene double-knockout (H-DKO) mice and liver-specific IRS1 and IRS2 double-knockout (L-DKO) mice. H-DKO mice had reduced ventricular mass; developed cardiac apoptosis, fibrosis, and failure; and showed diminished Akt→forkhead box class O-1 signaling that was accompanied by impaired cardiac metabolic gene expression and reduced ATP content. L-DKO mice had decreased cardiac IRS1 and IRS2 proteins and exhibited features of heart failure, with impaired cardiac energy metabolism gene expression and activation of p38α mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38). Using neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes, we further found that chronic insulin exposure reduced IRS1 and IRS2 proteins and prevented insulin action through activation of p38, revealing a fundamental mechanism of cardiac dysfunction during insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
Changes in Hyperactivity and Temperament in Behaviourally Disturbed Preschoolers after Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

Abstract Changes in hyperactivity and temperament in preschool-aged children who underwent a behavioural management program with their mothers were examined. Families of 34 behaviourally disturbed preschool-aged children (aged 3–5) were randomly allocated to either parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT; Eyberg, 1988) or a waiting-list control group (WL). A group of 21 nondisturbed preschoolers was recruited as a social validation comparison condition (SV). Diagnostic status was assessed using a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV disruptive behaviour disorders, with measures of behaviour and temperament obtained via parent report. At posttreatment, PCIT preschoolers were reported by their mothers to have reduced hyperactivity and more flexible temperament, and were less likely to meet criteria for ADHD than the WL group. By 6-month follow-up, children who had received PCIT were comparable to the SV group on ratings of oppositional behaviour and hyperactivity. The finding that a behavioural intervention may influence stable child characteristics is discussed.
A study on antimicrobial, antioxidant and antimutagenic activities of Elaeagnus angustifolia L. leaves.

BACKGROUND [corrected] The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antimutagenic potentials of methanol extracts from E. angustifolia. MATERIALS AND METHODS Methanol extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against different species of 4 Gram positive and 3 Gram negative bacteria and one fungus. These bacteria included food pathogens. The leaf extract was tested using disc diffusion assay. RESULTS The methanol extract of E. angustifolia showed maximum inhibition zone of 16 mm against Yersinia enterocolitica. Whereas, the inhibition zone was not determined by methanol extract against Escherichia coli ATCC 1122 and Candida albicans RSKK 02029. The MIC was evaluated on plant extracts as antimicrobial activity. All of bacterial strains showed the lowest sensitivity to methanol extract of E. angustifolia (3.5 mg/mL), except Yersinia enterocolitica NCTC 11174. In addition, the plant extracts were tested against the stable DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free-radical. Finally, the methanol extract displayed a strong antioxidant activity (Trolox equivalent = 1.49 mM). Also, E. angustifolia methanol extracts were screened for their antimutagenic activity against sodium azide by Ames test in absence of rat microsomal liver enzyme (-S9). The results showed that E. angustifolia methanol extracts can inhibit mutagenic agents of sodium azide. The plant leaf extracts with the inhibition of 36% sodium azide showed moderate potential in decreasing mutagenic agents in Salmonella typhimurium TA100. CONCLUSION E. angustifolia methanol extracts have antimicrobial, antioxidant and antimutagenic potential.
Quality of life in the classic and hypermobility types of Elhers‐Danlos syndrome

highly dynamic within subjects and variable between subjects. Therefore, there is no stable baseline A concentration due to baseline fluctuations. Further, the placebo group’sC13-labeled A production and clearance rates were similar to previous studies, whereas those treated with drug had clearly decreased A production while having no difference in A clearance. This demonstrates that the groups were well matched for A metabolism, and that the effect on A production was due to the drug. The effects of LY450139 on A production are the most accurate and direct measurement in humans to date based on well-established research utilizing isotope tracers. Enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) CSF A concentration measurements are confounded by variability and do not directly assess A production, which is the pharmacodynamic target of gamma-secretase inhibitors. Further, A concentration measured only by ELISA is affected by changes in total A pools due to A kinetics and likely underestimates the pharmacodynamic effect in single-dose drug studies. The magnitude of effect of a gamma secretase inhibitor necessary to produce a clinical effect is currently unknown. Direct measurement of A production using the SILK technique provides a highly quantitative measure that can be compared to the clinical outcomes of the ongoing phase III studies of LY450139. Based on these initial comparisons, this technique can be subsequently applied even more effectively to evaluate future compounds that affect A production.
Validity and reliability of NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) on university students

Introduction: The NEO Personality Inventory short form measures five personality traits (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) with its 60 questions. The present study investigated the reliability and validity of the NEO Personality Inventory short form. Methods: This descriptive correlative study enrolled 630 students at the military corps college with hand sampling, and they completed the Personality Inventory, NEO-FFI and the Adult Eysenck Personality Inventory. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation tests. Results: The results showed that the reliability (internal consistency) of the subscales of conscientiousness and neuroticism were 0.83 and 0.80, respectively, and that the subscales of agreeableness and extraversion were acceptable at 0.60 and 0.58, respectively. However, the subscale of openness to experience was not internally correlated (0.39). In addition, the results of the convergent validity showed that the correlation of neuroticism and extraversion of the NEO-FFI with neuroticism and extraversion of the Eysenck were 0.68 and 0.47, respectively. Conclusion: The four subscales of neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness of the five subscales of NEO-FFI were valid for students of military corps college, and thus, they can be used to assess the personality of students.
The Value of Performing from Memory

Performances of the Preludes from Cello Suites I, II and III by J. S. Bach were recorded on video-tape across five separate conditions, differing with respect to menmorisation and the presence of a music stand. Fifty "musicians" and thirtysix "non-musicians" were asked to watch and rate one video-taped performance of each Prelude on four performance aspects: overall quality, musical understanding, technical proficiency and communicative ability. Ratings indicated that (1) performing from memory was superior to playing from the score, (2) visibility of the performer influenced audiences' ratings of performances in a favourable direction, (3) the extra time spent preparing for the memorised performances was beneficial and (4) musicians seemed biased in favour of performances without a music stand. Results are discussed in relation to possible implications for musical performance and pedagogy.
The Effect of Offenders’ Sex on Reporting Crimes to the Police

This article examines the difference in victims’ reporting behavior regarding crimes committed by males and by females. The authors expect that victims of female offenders are less likely to report to the police than victims of male offenders because of differences in the victim–offender relationship as well as in the victim’s sex. With recent developments in Bayesian statistics, new tools have become available that enable the direct evaluation of researchers’ expectations. All cases of robbery with assault from the National Crime Victimization Survey have been investigated (n = 478). Findings reveal that female offenders are underreported compared with male offenders and that this can be explained by the victim characteristics but only in combination with the offender’s sex.
The Factor Structure of Trait Emotional Intelligence in Hong Kong Adolescents

Background Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) refers to individuals’ emotion-related self-perceptions (Petrides, Furnham, & Mavroveli, 2007). A growing number of studies are looking at cross-cultural differences in the structure of the construct. Aims This study investigates the cross-cultural stability of trait EI in a sample of adolescents from Hong Kong. Sample The Hong Kong sample comprised 357 secondary school students (199 boys and 158 girls), ranging in age from 13 to 16 yrs (M = 14.09 yrs; SD = .86). Method The participants completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Adolescent Full Form (TEIQue-AFF). Additional data on demographics were collected. Results The Hong Kong data only partially replicated the UK four-factor structure (well-being, emotionality, sociability, and self-control). Conclusions There seems to be cross-cultural consistency in the factor structure of trait EI in adolescence with minor variations and a tendency toward a simpler factor structure. The Chinese adaptation of the TEIQue-AFF can be recommended for research applications, but further research is needed to replicate our results.
Coping with intergenerational family conflict: Comparison of Asian American, Hispanic, and European American college students

Using a stress-coping framework, the authors examined indirect and direct coping strategies as potential mediators in the relationship between intergenerational family conflict and psychological distress in Asian American, Hispanic, and European American college students. Asian American college students reported the highest likelihood of family conflict. Students from all cultural groups also used direct coping slightly more often than they did indirect coping. Only indirect coping mediated the effect of family conflict on distress for Asian Americans and European Americans, but it did so in the opposite direction than hypothesized. For these two cultural groups, indirect coping fully accounted for the variance shared between family conflict and psychological distress. For Hispanics, indirect coping partially mediated the effect of family conflict on psychological distress.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Networks: Positron Emission Tomography and Neuropsychology Provide New Insights

Background Deep brain stimulation has shed new light on the central role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We explored this structure from a functional perspective, synchronizing neuroimaging and cognitive measures. Methods and Findings This case-control cross-sectional study compared 15 OCD patients without comorbidities and not currently on serotonin reuptake inhibitors or cognitive behavioural therapy with 15 healthy controls (matched for age, sex and education level) on resting-state 18FDG-PET scans and a neuropsychological battery assessing executive functions. We looked for correlations between metabolic modifications and impaired neuropsychological scores. Modifications in glucose metabolism were found in frontal regions (orbitofrontal cortex and dorsolateral cortices), the cingulate gyrus, insula and parietal gyrus. Neuropsychological differences between patients and controls, which were subtle, were correlated with the metabolism of the prefrontal, parietal, and temporal cortices. Conclusion As expected, we confirmed previous reports of a PFC dysfunction in OCD patients, and established a correlation with cognitive deficits. Other regions outside the prefrontal cortex, including the dorsoparietal cortex and the insula, also appeared to be implicated in the pathophysiology of OCD, providing fresh insights on the complexity of OCD syndromes.