Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Action-based touch observation in adults with high functioning autism: Can compromised self-other distinction abilities link social and sensory everyday problems?

Abstract Next to social problems, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often report severe sensory difficulties. Altered processing of touch is however a stronger mediator of social symptoms’ severity than altered processing of for instance vision or audition. Why is this the case? We reasoned that sensory difficulties may be linked to social problems in ASD through insufficient self-other distinction centred on touch. We investigated by means of EEG whether the brain of adults with ASD adequately signals when a tactile consequence of an observed action does not match own touch, as compared to the brain of matched controls. We employed the action-based somatosensory congruency paradigm. Participants observed a human or wooden hand touching a surface, combined with a tap-like tactile sensation that either matched or mismatched the tactile consequence of the observed movement. The ASD group showed a diminished congruency effect for human hands only in the P3-complex, suggesting difficulties with signalling observed action-based touch of others that does not match own touch experiences. Crucially, this effect reliably correlated with self-reported social and sensory everyday difficulties in ASD. The findings might denote a novel theoretical link between sensory and social impairments in the autism spectrum.
Scene Text Recognition Using Part-Based Tree-Structured Character Detection

Scene text recognition has inspired great interests from the computer vision community in recent years. In this paper, we propose a novel scene text recognition method using part-based tree-structured character detection. Different from conventional multi-scale sliding window character detection strategy, which does not make use of the character-specific structure information, we use part-based tree-structure to model each type of character so as to detect and recognize the characters at the same time. While for word recognition, we build a Conditional Random Field model on the potential character locations to incorporate the detection scores, spatial constraints and linguistic knowledge into one framework. The final word recognition result is obtained by minimizing the cost function defined on the random field. Experimental results on a range of challenging public datasets (ICDAR 2003, ICDAR 2011, SVT) demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods significantly both for character detection and word recognition.
Defining the extended substrate specificity of kallikrein 1-related peptidases

Abstract Human kallikrein 1-related peptidases (KLKs) form a subfamily of 15 extracellular (chymo)tryptic-like serine proteases. KLKs 4, 5, 13 and 14 display altered expression/activity in diverse pathological conditions, including cancer. However, their distinct (patho)physiological roles remain largely uncharacterized. As a step toward distinguishing their proteolytic functions, we attempt to define their primary and extended substrate specificities and identify candidate biological targets. Heterologously expressed KLKs 4, 5, 13 and 14 were screened against fluorogenic 7-amino-4-carbamoylmethylcoumarin positional scanning-synthetic combinatorial libraries with amino acid diversity at the P1–P4 positions. Our results indicate that these KLKs share a P1 preference for Arg. However, each KLK exhibited distinct P2–P4 specificities, attributable to structural variations in their surface loops. The preferred P4–P1 substrate recognition motifs based on optimal subsite occupancy were as follows: VI-QSAV-QL-R for KLK4; YFWGPV-RK-NSFAM-R for KLK5; VY-R-LFM-R for KLK13; and YW-KRSAM-HNSPA-R for KLK14. Protein database queries using these motifs yielded many extracellular targets, some of which represent plausible KLK substrates. For instance, cathelicidin, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, laminin and transmembrane protease serine 3 were retrieved as novel putative substrates for KLK4, 5, 13 and 14, respectively. Our findings may facilitate studies on the role of KLKs in (patho)physiology and can be used in the development of selective KLK inhibitors.
Universal-Diverse Orientation

ABSTRACT The current study focused on examining the relationships of positive social attitudes with aspects of well-functioning. Universal-diverse orientation(UDO), a social attitude characterized by awareness and acceptance of both the similarities and differences among people, was measured with the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale, Short Form (MGUDS-S; Miville et al., 1999; Fuertes et al., 2000). The MGUDS-S contains three subscales: Diversity of Contact, Relativistic Appreciation, and Comfort with Differences. The MGUDS-S was administered with measures of well-functioning. In the first condition, 183 undergraduates completed the MGUDS-S and scales measuring coping skills, positive thinking, self-efficacy, and optimism. In the second condition, 107 undergraduates completed the MGUDS-S and scales measuring social connectedness, personal self-esteem, and collective self-esteem. Multivariate multiple regression analyses revealed the MGUDS-S subscales were significantly predicted by social self-efficacy, general selfefficacy, problem-focused coping, collective self-esteem, and gender. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
EVOLUTION OF A COST-UTILITY MODEL OF DONEPEZIL FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe the evolution of a cost-utility model used to inform the UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) most recent decisions on the cost-utility of drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and to explore the impact of structural assumptions on the cost-utility results. Methods: Changes informed by noted limitations of the decision model used in NICE's previous decisions (in 2006) were made cumulatively to the original decision model for donepezil compared with best supportive care (for patients with mild to moderate AD). Deterministic and probabilistic analyses were undertaken for each cumulative change of the model. The expected value of perfect information (EVPI) of parameter estimates and structural assumptions was also calculated. Results: Cumulative changes to the decision model highlighted how the results of the original model (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of £81,000 per quality-adjusted life-year gained) related to those of the new model (where donepezil was estimated to be cost-saving), mainly due to uncertainty in the incremental cost of donepezil treatment over best supportive care (ranging from -£600 to £3,000 per patient). The partial EVPI analysis reflected this finding where further information on treatment discontinuations and cost parameter estimates were shown to be valuable in terms of reducing decision uncertainty. Conclusions: Assessing the evolution of the cost-utility model helped to identify and explore structural differences between cohort-based models and is likely to be useful for decision models in other disease areas. This approach makes the structural uncertainty explicit, forcing decision makers to address structural uncertainty in addition to parameter uncertainty.
Empirical Study on the Influence of E-shopping Prejudice to E-customer Satisfaction

Based on Kotler's theory of customer delivered value (CDV) (P. Kotler, 1994), this paper builds up the structural model on the relationship among e-shopping prejudice, CDV of e-customers (e-CDV) and e-customer satisfaction. E-CDV includes 6 dimensionalities, which are product value, personnel value, service value, price cost, time cost, energy and physical cost, while the 3 of last cost dimensionality are valued. The empirical result of 316 samples displays that e-shopping prejudice has prominently negative influence on e-customer satisfaction, while it has no pertinent relationship with E-CDV. E-CDV has prominent influence on e-customer satisfaction, in which the time cost of non-difference-group and the group with high e-shopping prejudice has prominent influence on e-customer satisfaction. It is different from entity shopping, product value and personnel value has weak influence on delivered value of network customers.
No Contagion, Only Interdependence: Measuring Stock Market Co-Movements

This paper examines stock market co-movements. It begins with a discussion of several conceptual issues involved in measuring these movements and how to test for contagion. Standard tests examine if cross-market correlation in stock market returns increase during a period of crisis. The measure of cross-market correlations central to this standard analysis, however, is biased. The unadjusted correlation coefficient is conditional on market movements over the time period under consideration, so that during a period of turmoil when stock market volatility increases, standard estimates of cross-market correlations will be biased upward. It is straightforward to adjust the correlation coefficient to correct for this bias. The remainder of the paper applies these concepts to test for stock market contagion during the 1997 East Asian crises, the 1994 Mexican peso collapse, and the 1987 U.S. stock market crash. In each of these cases, tests based on the unadjusted correlation coefficients find evidence of contagion in several countries, while tests based on the adjusted coefficients find virtually no contagion. This suggests that high market co-movements during these periods were a continuation of strong cross-market linkages. In other words, during these three crises there was no contagion, only interdependence.
Build to sustain: collaborative partnerships between university researchers and criminal justice practitioners

Sustainable, collaborative partnerships provide a dynamic and fluid environment for studying and implementing policy and practice in justice agencies. However, these relationships take work to develop, grow, maintain, and sustain. Bridging the gap between academics and criminal justice practitioners requires solid partnerships built on access, agreement, goal setting, feedback, and relationship maintenance. When these components merge, both groups benefit from a resilient partnership with the potential for dramatically improving outcomes. A researcher–practitioner partnership is a challenging and complex process requiring careful attention to detail and an endless supply of energy and determination. This paper highlights some of the many successful researcher–practitioner partnerships our research team at the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE! ) has with criminal justice agencies. We detail four specific partnerships with federal, state, and county criminal justice organizations spanning from probation and parole to problem-solving courts.
On the Generalization Ability of Online Learning Algorithms for Pairwise Loss Functions

In this paper, we study the generalization properties of online learning based stochastic methods for supervised learning problems where the loss function is dependent on more than one training sample (e.g., metric learning, ranking). We present a generic decoupling technique that enables us to provide Rademacher complexity-based generalization error bounds. Our bounds are in general tighter than those obtained by Wang et al. (2012) for the same problem. Using our decoupling technique, we are further able to obtain fast convergence rates for strongly convex pairwise loss functions. We are also able to analyze a class of memory efficient online learning algorithms for pairwise learning problems that use only a bounded subset of past training samples to update the hypothesis at each step. Finally, in order to complement our generalization bounds, we propose a novel memory efficient online learning algorithm for higher order learning problems with bounded regret guarantees.
Antigenic Changes of L 1210 Leukemia in Mice Treated with 5-( 3 , 3-Dimethy 1-1-triazeno ) imidazole-4-carboxamidel

Strong antigenic changes were induced in two LI 210 leukemia lines (L1210 Cr and L1210 Ha) after several passages in CDF, and BDF, mice treated with 5-(3,3-dimethyl-l-triazeno)imidazole-4-carboxamide (DIG). The leukemic cells of both lines originally compatible with DBA/2 and related hybrid hosts elicited a pronounced allograft reaction in the same animals. The LI 210 Cr line was sensitive to the antitumor activity of DIG while L1210 Ha was not. Since no specific relationship could be found between the origin of drug resistance and the appearance of antigenic changes, any hypothesis based on selection of spontaneous mutants by DIG would appear to be excluded. In addition the possibility that DIG might play a direct role as a hapten on tumor cells was ruled out. DIG was found to exert a strong inhibition of the allograft reaction. However, the origin of antigenic lines could not be attributed to the immunosuppressive activity of DIG. It would appear that DIG acts in some way on tumor cells, changing their antigenic properties and preventing the immunoselection of the transformed cells by the host. It was suggested that DIG could activate a latent virus of LI 210 leukemic cells or induce somatic mutation at the level of histocompatibility antigens.
A free-boundary model of diffusive valley growth: theory and observation

Valleys that form around a stream head often develop characteristic finger-like elevation contours. We study the processes involved in the formation of these valleys and introduce a theoretical model that indicates how shape may inform the underlying processes. We consider valley growth as the advance of a moving boundary travelling forward purely through linearly diffusive erosion, and we obtain a solution for the valley shape in three dimensions. Our solution compares well to the shape of slowly growing groundwater-fed valleys found in Bristol, Florida. Our results identify a new feature in the formation of groundwater-fed valleys: a spatially variable diffusivity that can be modelled by a fixed-height moving boundary.
Outcomes of a conservative approach to management in amoebic liver abscess

Context: Unfortunately, there is confusion among the medical community regarding the management of amoebic liver abscess (ALA). Therapeutic options range from simple pharmacotherapy to use of interventions like a needle or catheter aspiration under ultrasound guidance to surgical intervention. There is a plethora of thresholds for parameters such as the maximum diameter of the abscess and volume on ultrasound examination suggested by various authors to serve as a criterion to help to decide when to use which modality in these cases. Aims: To assess the outcome of patients with uncomplicated ALA treated using a conservative approach. Moreover, to identify factors associated with its failure. Settings and Design: A prospective, observational study was carried out at a large municipal urban health care center over a period of 3-year (2011-2014) in India. Materials and Methods: Patients with uncomplicated ALA were recruited. All patients were managed with pharmacotherapy initially for a period of 72 h. Response to treatment was assessed by resolution of symptoms within the given time frame. Failure to respond was considered an indication for intervention. Needle aspiration was offered to these patients and response assessed within 72 h. Failure to respond to aspiration was considered an indication for catheter drainage. Statistical Analysis Used: Data recorded were entered in a Microsoft Office Excel Sheet and analyzed using the SPSS version 16.0 (IBM). Results: Sixty patients with ALA were included in the study over its duration. Forty-nine (81.67%) patients were managed conservatively, while 11 (18.33%) patients needed an intervention for relief. Patients who required intervention had deranged liver function at presentation, a larger abscess diameter (10.09 ± 2.23 vs. 6.33 ± 1.69 cm P < 0.001) and volume (399.73 ± 244.46 vs. 138.34 ± 117.85 ml, P < 0.001) compared to those who did not need it. Patients that required intervention had a longer length of hospital stay (7.1 ± 2.4 vs. 4.8 ± 0.9 days, P < 0.001). On post hoc analysis, a maximum diameter of >7.7 cm was found to be the optimal criterion to predict the need of intervention in cases of ALA. Conclusions: A conservative approach is effective in the management of ALA for a majority of patients. Failure of conservative management was predicted by the size of the abscess (maximum diameter >7.7 cm). Even in the cases of failure, a gradual step-up with interventions was found to be safe and effective.
Prescribing patterns among paediatric inpatients in a teaching hospital in western Nepal.

INTRODUCTION Infants and children constitute a large proportion of the population in developing countries. In Nepal, studies on drug use patterns in the paediatric age group are lacking in hospitals in the western region. The present study was carried out to obtain demographical information and information on the prescribing patterns of drugs. The antibiotic sensitivity patterns of commonly-isolated micro-organisms and the mean cost of drugs were obtained. METHODS The study was carried out over a four-month period (December 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004) at the Manipal Teaching Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Pokhara, western Nepal. The case records of patients discharged from the paediatrics ward during the study period were analysed. Mean number of drugs prescribed was calculated. The percentage of admissions that were prescribed antibiotics was determined. RESULTS 356 patients were admitted during the study period, of which 228 were male. The median duration of hospitalisation was four days. The mean number of drugs prescribed per admission was 4.5. 789 drugs (48.9 percent) were prescribed by the parenteral route. Antibiotics were prescribed in 249 admissions (69.9 percent). Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter species were the common organisms isolated, and were resistant in some cases to the commonly-used antibiotics. The mean (+/- standard deviation) cost of drugs per admission was 5.4 (+/-1.6) US dollars. CONCLUSION Prescribing by generic name should be encouraged. Use of parenteral antibiotics was high and route conversion programmes should be instituted. Use of antibiotics for predominantly viral infections should be reduced. Treatment guidelines for common conditions should be formulated.
Work Engagement as a Predictor of Onset of Major Depressive Episode (MDE) among Workers, Independent of Psychological Distress: A 3-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Objective This study investigated work engagement as a baseline predictor of onset of major depressive episode (MDE). Methods The study used a prospective cohort design, conforming to the STROBE checklist. Participants were recruited from the employee population of a private think tank company (N = 4,270), and 1,058 (24.8%) of them completed a baseline survey, of whom 929 were included in this study. Work engagement and psychological distress at baseline were assessed as predictor variables. MDE was measured at baseline and at each of the follow-ups as the outcome, using the web-based, self-administered version of the Japanese WHO-CIDI 3.0 depression section based upon DSM-IV-TR/DSM-5 criteria. Cox discrete-time hazards analyses were conducted to estimate hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals CIs). Results Follow-up rates of participants (N = 929) were 78.4%, 67.2%, and 51.6% at 1-, 2-, and 3-year follow-ups, respectively. The association between work engagement at baseline and the onset of MDE was U-shaped. Compared with a group with low work engagement scores, groups with the middle and high scores showed significantly (HR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.64; p = 0.007) and marginally significantly (HR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.20 to 1.15, p = 0.099) lower risks of MDE, respectively, over the follow-ups, after adjusting for covariates. The pattern remained the same after additionally adjusting for psychological distress. Conclusions The present study first demonstrated work engagement as an important predictor of the onset of MDE diagnosed according to an internationally standard diagnostic criteria of mental disorders.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOBBING PERCEPTION AND EMOTIONAL EXHAUSTION OF SECONDARY TEACHERS

Main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between mobbing perception of the secondary school teachers and their emotional exhaustion. For this purpose, data were obtained from 256 teachers working at secondary schools located in the city center of Elazig by Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). According to data derived from the research, teachers’ mobbing perception and emotional exhaustions were not significantly different in respect of gender variable. On the other hand, young teachers are less exposed to mobbing compared to middle aged and elderly teachers and go through emotional exhaustion to a lesser degree. As a result of correlation and regression analysis, a high level of relationship has been identified between teachers’ perception of mobbing and their emotional exhaustion.
CHD7 Deficiency in “Looper”, a New Mouse Model of CHARGE Syndrome, Results in Ossicle Malformation, Otosclerosis and Hearing Impairment

CHARGE syndrome is a rare human disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 7 (CHD7). Characteristics of CHARGE are varied and include developmental ear and hearing anomalies. Here we report a novel mouse model of CHD7 dysfunction, termed Looper. The Looper strain harbours a nonsense mutation (c.5690C>A, p.S1897X) within the Chd7 gene. Looper mice exhibit many of the clinical features of the human syndrome, consistent with previously reported CHARGE models, including growth retardation, facial asymmetry, vestibular defects, eye anomalies, hyperactivity, ossicle malformation, hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction. Looper mice display an otosclerosis-like fusion of the stapes footplate to the cochlear oval window and blepharoconjunctivitis but not coloboma. Looper mice are hyperactive and have vestibular dysfunction but do not display motor impairment.
A NOVEL INTERCONNECT STRUCTURE FOR ELMORE DELAY MODEL WITH RESISTANCE- CAPACITANCE-CONDUCTANCE SCHEME

In this brief, we present a simple close-form delay estimate, based on first and second order moments that handle arbitrary voltages and conductance effects f or a lumped and distributed line. This proposed mod el introduces a simple tractable delay formula by inco rporating conductance (G) into Resistance, Capacita nce (RC) network by preserving the characteristics of t he Elmore delay model. The RCG model attains quick steady state condition and the accuracy of the inte rconnect delay estimates can be improved by deployi ng the conductance effect. The simulation results show s the proposed interconnect scheme performance is better than the existing in terms of delay, power a nd the figure of merit. The performance analysis de picts that the proposed scheme has improved its figure of merit with minimum and maximum of 21.12% and 49.13%. The analysis is validated through extensive simulations on a 250 nm CMOS technology.