Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sleep Problem of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Assessed by Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire-Abbreviated in Indonesia and Japan.

BACKGROUND Sleep problems are associated with problems of cognitive functioning, learning, attention and school performance. It has been found that sleep problems are highly prevalent in children with Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), with rates ranging from 40% to 80%. We aimed to identify the prevalence of sleep problems on children with ASD in Indonesia and Japan. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in Surabaya, Indonesia and Kobe, Japan. Children aged 4 -10 years old were enrolled using stratified cluster sampling. Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire-Abbreviated (CSHQ-A) was used in this research to assess the sleep problems, consisted of 22 questions (NICHD SECCYD-Wisconsin). Data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U test to compare the CSHQ-A scores between Indonesian and Japanese children, while the proportion of sleep problems was evaluated by chi-square test with 95% confidence interval. RESULTS Fifty children with ASD were included in this study, 25 children from Kobe, Japan and 25 children from Surabaya, Indonesia. The prevalence of sleep problems on children with ASD was 60% (15 children) in Indonesia and 16% (4 children) in Japan respectively. There were significant differences in total waking during the night and in morning wake for the CSHQ-A between children from Indonesia and Japan (p<0.005). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of sleep problems on children with ASD was higher in children from Indonesia than from Japan.
Sequential Alterations in Catabolic and Anabolic Gene Expression Parallel Pathological Changes during Progression of Monoiodoacetate-Induced Arthritis

Chronic inflammation is one of the major causes of cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis. Here, we systematically analyzed the changes in gene expression associated with the progression of cartilage destruction in monoiodoacetate-induced arthritis (MIA) of the rat knee. Sprague Dawley female rats were given intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate in the knee. The progression of MIA was monitored macroscopically, microscopically and by micro-computed tomography. Grade 1 damage was observed by day 5 post-monoiodoacetate injection, progressively increasing to Grade 2 by day 9, and to Grade 3–3.5 by day 21. Affymetrix GeneChip was utilized to analyze the transcriptome-wide changes in gene expression, and the expression of salient genes was confirmed by real-time-PCR. Functional networks generated by Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA) from the microarray data correlated the macroscopic/histologic findings with molecular interactions of genes/gene products. Temporal changes in gene expression during the progression of MIA were categorized into five major gene clusters. IPA revealed that Grade 1 damage was associated with upregulation of acute/innate inflammatory responsive genes (Cluster I) and suppression of genes associated with musculoskeletal development and function (Cluster IV). Grade 2 damage was associated with upregulation of chronic inflammatory and immune trafficking genes (Cluster II) and downregulation of genes associated with musculoskeletal disorders (Cluster IV). The Grade 3 to 3.5 cartilage damage was associated with chronic inflammatory and immune adaptation genes (Cluster III). These findings suggest that temporal regulation of discrete gene clusters involving inflammatory mediators, receptors, and proteases may control the progression of cartilage destruction. In this process, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-15, IL-12, chemokines, and NF-κB act as central nodes of the inflammatory networks, regulating catabolic processes. Simultaneously, upregulation of asporin, and downregulation of TGF-β complex, SOX-9, IGF and CTGF may be central to suppress matrix synthesis and chondrocytic anabolic activities, collectively contributing to the progression of cartilage destruction in MIA.
Coloniality and migration are related to selection on MHC genes in birds

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays a key role in pathogen recognition as a part of the vertebrate adaptive immune system. The great diversity of MHC genes in natural populations is maintained by different forms of balancing selection and its strength should correlate with the diversity of pathogens to which a population is exposed and the rate of exposure. Despite this prediction, little is known about how life‐history characteristics affect selection at the MHC. Here, we examined whether the strength of balancing selection on MHC class II genes in birds (as measured with nonsynonymous nucleotide substitutions, dN) was related to their social or migratory behavior, two life‐history characteristics correlated with pathogen exposure. Our comparative analysis indicated that the rate of nonsynonymous substitutions was higher in colonial and migratory species than solitary and resident species, suggesting that the strength of balancing selection increases with coloniality and migratory status. These patterns could be attributed to: (1) elevated transmission rates of pathogens in species that breed in dense aggregations, or (2) exposure to a more diverse fauna of pathogens and parasites in migratory species. Our study suggests that differences in social structure and basic ecological traits influence MHC diversity in natural vertebrate populations.
In fl uence of Enteric Infections on Response to Oral Poliovirus Vaccine : A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background. The impaired immunogenicity of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in low-income countries has been apparent since the early field trials of this vaccine. Infection with enteropathogens at the time of vaccination may contribute to this phenomenon. However, the relative influence of these infections on OPV performance remains uncertain. Methods. We conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of concurrent enteric infections on OPV response. Using random-effects models, we assessed the effects of nonpolio enteroviruses (NPEVs) and diarrhea on the odds of seroconversion and/or vaccine virus shedding. Results. We identified 25 trials in which OPV outcomes were compared according to the presence or absence of enteric infections, the majority of which (n = 17) reported only on NPEVs. Concurrent NPEVs significantly reduced the odds of per-dose seroconversion for type 1 poliovirus (odds ratio [OR] 0.44, 95% confidence interval 0.23−0.84), but not type 2 (OR 0.53 [0.19−1.46]) or type 3 (OR 0.56 [0.27−1.12]). A similar reduction, significant for type 1 poliovirus (OR 0.50 [0.28−0.89]), was observed in the odds of vaccine virus shedding among NPEV-infected individuals. Concurrent diarrhea significantly inhibited per-dose seroconversion overall (OR 0.61 [0.38−0.87]). Conclusions. Our findings are consistent with an inhibitory effect of concurrent enteric infections on OPV response.
Variability of total, back and side scattering to mass concentration of marine particles

We investigate the relationship between various scattering properties (total, back and side scattering) and Total Suspended Matter (TSM), the dry mass concentration of marine particles in suspension, for coastal and offshore waters in various regions (Coastal Atlantic, Southern North Sea, Mediterranean Sea and French Guyana waters). We quantify the uncertainty on TSM concentration estimation from each scattering property. We further quantify the variability of the total (bp), side (bs) and back scattering (bbp) to mass concentration ratio and explain this variability in terms of the physical (size) and chemical (apparent density, refractive index) properties of the particles. We show that bbp, bp and bs correlate well with TSM (correlation coefficients higher than 0.92), though with considerable scatter along the regression line. We find that 75% of the predicted TSM concentrations from a model based on bs are within 29% of the measured TSM concentration and within 38% and 48% for bbp and bp based models, respectively. The variability of mass specific total scattering (bp*) is mainly explained by total geometric cross section (PSA) and backscattering ratio ( bbp ~ ), with observations above (below) the regression line having significantly higher (lower) bbp ~ and lower (higher) PSA. Variability of mass specific backscattering (bbp*) was smaller and could not be explained by a single parameter. We do find that points below the regression line have significantly lower densities (ρa), PSA, refractive index (n), bbp ~ and chlorophyll a:TSM ratio than points near or above the line. After classification of observations in Case 1 and 2 water types, we find that Case 2 waters (N=149) show significantly higher values of bbp*, ρa, n, bbp ~ and PSA and significantly lower values for bp* and chla:TSM than for Case 1 waters (N=123).
To what extent have sweetened beverages contributed to the obesity epidemic?

Abstract Objective A systematic literature review was conducted to determine whether sweetened beverage intake increases the risk for obesity, and the extent to which it has contributed to recent increases in energy intake and adiposity in the USA. Design The search included studies published between 1970 and 2010 that examined secular trends, mechanisms, observational associations and intervention outcomes. Observational and intervention studies were abstracted and systematically evaluated for quality. Setting Trends in obesity prevalence in the USA and studies from industrialized (developed) countries were included. Subjects Studies were included for all ages, genders, ethnic and socio-economic groups for which data were available. Results Obesity rates and sweetened beverage intake have increased in tandem in the USA. Studies consistently show that higher intake of sweetened beverages is associated with higher energy intake. Energy in liquid form is not well compensated for by reductions in the intake of other sources of energy. Well-designed observational studies consistently show a significant positive relationship between sweetened beverage intake and adiposity. More importantly, several well-conducted randomized controlled trials have shown statistically significant changes in adiposity as a result of corresponding changes in sweetened beverage intake. Conclusions All lines of evidence consistently support the conclusion that the consumption of sweetened beverages has contributed to the obesity epidemic. It is estimated that sweetened beverages account for at least one-fifth of the weight gained between 1977 and 2007 in the US population. Actions that are successful in reducing sweetened beverage consumption are likely to have a measurable impact on obesity.
Frontoparietal Activity Interacts With Task-Evoked Changes in Functional Connectivity

Flexible interactions between brain regions enable neural systems to adaptively transfer and process information. However, the neural substrates that regulate adaptive communications between brain regions are understudied. In this human fMRI study, we investigated this issue by tracking time-varying, task-evoked changes in functional connectivity between localized occipitotemporal regions while participants performed different tasks on the same visually presented stimuli. We found that functional connectivity between ventral temporal and the primary visual regions selectively increased during the processing of task-relevant information. Further, additional task demands selectively strengthen these targeted connectivity patterns. To identify candidate regions that contribute to this increase in inter-regional coupling, we regressed the task-specific time-varying connectivity strength between primary visual and occipitotemporal regions against voxel-wise activity patterns elsewhere in the brain. This allowed us to identify a set of frontal and parietal regions whose activity increased as a function of task-evoked functional connectivity. These results suggest that frontoparietal regions may provide top-down biasing signals to influence task-specific interactions between brain regions.
Stabilization of Fragments to Enhance Asexual Recruitment in Acropora Palmata, a Threatened Caribbean Coral

Historically, fragmentation has been a successful life history strategy in Acropora palmata. However, in areas where the population is sparse and degraded, the survivorship of fragments is now compromised. This study aimed to determine whether stabilization of A. palmata fragments could increase their overall performance. Naturally occurring fragments were found and assigned to one of three treatments: stabilized to the natural substrate (1) using cable ties, (2) using epoxy or (3) tethered to the substrate as an unstabilized control. After 44 weeks, the general “performance” of the fragments was ranked based on their change in live tissue cover and formation of tissue connections with the substrate. Stabilized fragments lost less tissue cover and ranked higher in performance than the unstabilized control fragments. Stabilization using cable ties and epoxy were similarly effective. The results indicate that stabilizing fragments will preserve live tissue and enhance growth of fragments and can thus improve the survivorship of fragments.
Stochastic Delay Lotka-Volterra Model

This paper examines the asymptotic behaviour of the stochastic extension of a fundamentally important population process, namely the delay Lotka-Volterra model. The stochastic version of this process appears to have some intriguing properties such as pathwise estimation and asymptotic moment estimation. Indeed, their solutions will be stochastically ultimately bounded.
Patients’ attitudes to the use of modern technologies in the treatment of diabetes

Background The incidence of diabetes is rising across the world. This global problem significantly affects the economic and social development in the 21st century. If the disease is diagnosed in time, the number of complications as well as the costs of therapy will be lower. Modern technologies permeate all spheres of medicine, and diabetes treatment is no exception. Therefore, the aim of this article is to analyze patients’ attitudes to the use of modern technologies in the treatment of diabetes (type 1 diabetes mellitus [T1DM] and type 2 diabetes mellitus [T2DM]). Methods A total of 313 respondents from the Czech Republic in the period from June 24, 2015, to July 24, 2015, participated in a questionnaire survey. The target group was diabetics regardless of the type of illness. Collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods, Z-test, and test of independence (Pearson’s chi-squared test). Results Although in other areas mobile applications are used to monitor patients’ health condition in ~30% of cases, in the case of diabetes they are used by only 4% of respondents. Approximately 8% of participants use an application, but they do not like it. The rest of the respondents have never used any mobile application. These low figures are due to a lack of knowledge about the availability and possibilities of mobile applications. A positive correlation was proven between technical skills and methods of entering data. Gender and age show only a weak dependency of the method of writing data on their own health condition. Furthermore, the monitored parameters show that patients with T1DM control and know more about their health condition than patients with T2DM, which is reflected, for example, by more frequent blood glucose measurements or larger track of their physical activity. Conversely, the relationship between the associated complications and self-care activities has not been demonstrated. Conclusion Despite the current fast development of modern technologies, these technologies are not frequently used in treating patients. The principal problem lies in patients’ low technological knowledge and their higher age, which makes learning new skills, including the use of modern technologies, more difficult.
3 D PSF Measurement for a Soft X-ray Microscope and Comparison to Theory

The transmission X-ray microscope’s 3D PSF exhibits an axial asymmetry that cannot be explained by an incoherent imaging model for either a lens or zone plate, with or without spherical aberration. OCIS codes: (340.7460) X-ray microscopy; (180.6900) Three-dimensional microscopy; (110.2990) Image Formation Theory
Response to Referee # 3

This is a well-written paper with an interesting experimental approach that fits perfectly well into the journal Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. The authors describe an instrument for quantifying heterogeneous ice nucleation: the InfraRed-Nucleation by Immersed Particles Instrument (IR-NIPI). They use multiwell plates and an infrared camera for detection of the freezing process. For comparison, they have investigated homogeneous ice nucleation of ultrapure water, and the heterogeneous freezing of two mineral dust samples. The manuscript should be published in AMT after major revisions.
Towards Individual QoE for Multiparty Videoconferencing

Videoconferencing is becoming an essential part in everyday life. The visual channel allows us for interactions that were not possible over audio-only communication systems, such as the telephone. However, being a de-facto over-the-top service, the quality of the delivered videoconferencing experience is subject to variations, depending on network conditions. Videoconferencing systems adapt to network conditions by changing, for example, encoding bit rate of the video. For this adaptation not to hamper the benefits related to the presence of a video channel in the communication, it needs to be optimized according to a measure of the quality of experience (QoE) as perceived by the user. The latter is highly dependent on the ongoing interaction and individual preferences, which have hardly been investigated so far. In this paper, we focus on the impact that video quality has on conversations that revolve around objects that are presented over the video channel. To this end, we conducted an empirical study where groups of four people collaboratively build a Lego model over a videoconferencing system. We examine the requirements for such a task by showing when the interaction, measured by visual and auditory cues, changes depending on the encoding bit rate and loss. We then explore the impact that prior experience with the technology and affective state have on QoE of participants. We use these factors to construct predictive models that double the accuracy compared to a model based on the system factors alone. We conclude with a discussion of how these factors could be applied in real-world scenarios.
Nutritive and photosynthetic ecology of subsurface chlorophyll maxima in Canadian Arctic waters

Abstract. Assessments of carbon and nitrogen (N) assimilation in Canadian Arctic waters confirmed the large contribution of subsurface chlorophyll maxima (SCM) to total water-column production from spring to late fall. Although SCM communities showed acclimation to low irradiance and greater nitrate (NO3−) availability, their productivity was generally constrained by light and temperature. During spring–early summer, most of the primary production at the SCM was sustained by NO3−, with an average f-ratio (i.e., relative contribution of NO3− uptake to total N uptake) of 0.74 ± 0.26. The seasonal decrease in NO3− availability and irradiance, coupled to the build up of ammonium (NH4+), favoured a transition toward a predominantly regenerative system (f-ratio = 0.37 ± 0.20) during late summer and fall. Results emphasize the need to adequately consider SCM when estimating primary production and to revisit ecosystem model parameters in highly stratified Arctic waters.
Prevalence, risk factors, and health-related quality of life of osteoporosis in patients with COPD at a community hospital in Taiwan

Background Data regarding osteoporosis in COPD patients in Taiwan remain limited. The primary end point of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis in COPD patients in Taiwan. The secondary end point was to examine the association between osteoporosis and health-related quality of life (HRQL) in COPD patients. Materials and methods This prospective cross-sectional study enrolled 125 COPD patients (mean age 73.6 years, forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] 1.19±0.43 L) who had bone mineral-density measurements performed consecutively. Demographic data, lung function, and HRQL including modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, oxygen-cost diagram, Center for Epidemiologic Studies – depression scale, and COPD Assessment Test scores were recorded. Results A total of 50 (40%) participants were diagnosed as having osteoporosis. In a multivariate logistic regression model including age, smoking amount (pack-year), body mass index (BMI), and FEV1, only BMI (odds ratio 0.824, 95% confidence interval 0.73–0.93; P=0.002) and FEV1 (odds ratio 0.360, 95% confidence interval 0.13–0.98; P=0.046) were negatively associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis in COPD patients. In addition, COPD patients with osteoporosis had significantly higher modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale scores (1.7±0.8 vs 1.4±0.8, P=0.046), St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire scores (36.6 vs 28.0, P=0.01), and COPD Assessment Test scores (14.7±8 vs 11.5±7, P=0.019), and lower oxygen-cost diagram score (4.8±1.8 vs 5.4±1.6, P=0.045) than patients without osteoporosis. Conclusion The prevalence of osteoporosis in COPD patients was high at a community hospital in Taiwan. BMI and FEV1 were the independent risk factors for osteoporosis in COPD. In addition, COPD patients with osteoporosis had worse HRQL than those without osteoporosis.
SPIDERS (ARANEAE) AND OTHER INVERTEBRATE GROUPS AS ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS IN WETLAND AREAS

Spiders (Araneae) and other invertebrate groups have successfully been used as ecological indicators of grassland management practices (ERHARDT,1985; EYRE et al. 1989; GIBSON et al., 1992; RUSHTON et al., 1987, 1989, RUSHTON, 1991; VAN WINGERDEN et al., 1992). DOBEL et al. (1990) have shown that the composition of spider communities in natural marsh areas is dependent on flooding intensity and vegetation structure. The species composition of spiders and other invertebrate groups in this investigation were related to a set of environmental variables from 21 wet grassland areas in southwestern Denmark (Fig. 1). The relationships between species composition and environmental variables were analysed with CANOCO (TER BRAAK, 1990), using forward selection and the Monte Carlo permutation technique. Before the analysis in CANOCO, groups of closely correlated variables were synthesised using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Use of this procedure reduces the problem of closely correlated environmental variables. Ekologia (Bratislava) Vol. 19, Supplement 4, 39-42, 2000
Characterization of G10P[11] Rotaviruses Causing Acute Gastroenteritis in Neonates and Infants in Vellore, India

ABSTRACT Rotavirus G10P[11] strains, which are commonly found in cattle, have frequently been associated with asymptomatic neonatal infections in India. We report the finding of G10P[11] strains associated with severe disease in neonates in Vellore, southern India. Rotavirus strains from 43 fecal samples collected from neonates with or without gastrointestinal symptoms between 1999 and 2000 were genotyped by reverse transcription-PCR. Forty-one neonates (95%) were infected with G10P[11] rotavirus strains, and 63% of the infections were in children who had gastrointestinal symptoms, including acute watery diarrhea. G10P[11] strains were also seen infecting older children with dehydrating gastroenteritis in Vellore. Characterization of the genes encoding VP7, VP4, VP6, and NSP4 of these strains revealed high sequence homology with the corresponding genes of the asymptomatic neonatal strain I321, which in turn is very closely related to bovine G10P[11] strains circulating in India. No significant differences were seen in the sequences obtained from strains infecting symptomatic neonates or children and asymptomatic neonates.