Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of gestational age on social attention and language in the second year of life

Premature birth is common worldwide and does not show signs of decreasing. In rich countries, assisted reproductive techniques contribute to maintain the rate high. Infants born prematurely are more at risk for a series of complications that could affect their cognitive and emotional performances well into teenage years and adulthood. Research on premature delivery is complicated by a series of methodological difficulties and is still largely based on data collected decades ago, when medical procedures in the neonatal units were different. Moreover, the development of socio-cognitive abilities in infants born preterm, in particular concerning moderate to late prematurity, is still understudied. The Special Delivery study was set up to address these gaps in the literature,through a short-term longitudinal study. A multi-method approach provided tools to explore different cognitive and social abilities from birth up to 24 months of age. Infants born at extremely low gestational ages and with complicated medical situations were excluded, in order to better explore the influence of prematurity alone. This thesis focuses on social attention and language between 13 and 24 months. Infants born preterm showed a delay in language abilities at 18 and 24 months and gestational age correlated positively with both receptive and expressive vocabulary size at both ages. Also some social attention behaviours were affected by prematurity. In particular, responding to joint attention and initiating behavioural request had lower scores in the preterm born sample, while initiating joint attention had no relation with the participants� birth status. With regard to the relation between social attention and language, the effect of gestational age on receptive vocabulary at 24 months was completely mediated by responding to joint attention skills at 13 months. It was concluded that prematurity in a healthy sample affects mainly responding to joint attention, which in return has a negative impact on subsequent language development.
Effect of Supplementing Organic Selenium on Performance, Carcass Traits, Oxidative Parameters and Immune Responses in Commercial Broiler Chickens

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of supplementing various concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300, or 400 μg/kg diet) of organic Se on growth performance, carcass traits, oxidative stress, and immune responses in commercial broiler chickens reared in open-sided poultry house under tropical climatic conditions. Each diet was fed ad libitum to eight replicates consisting of six birds in each pen from 1 to 42 d of age. Body weight gain and feed efficiency, and relative weight of liver, abdominal fat and ready to cook yields were not affected (p>0.05) by organic Se supplementation to broiler diets. Lipid peroxidation in plasma decreased, while activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in plasma increased (p<0.01) linearly with Se concentration in diet. The ratios between heterophyls and lymphocytes and relative weight of lymphoid organs (bursa, spleen, and thymus), and antibody production to Newcastle disease vaccination were not affected (p>0.05) by Se supplementation to broiler diets. However, the cell-mediated immunity (lymphocyte proliferation ratio) increased (p<0.01) linearly with dietary Se concentration. The results of the present study indicate that the supplementation of Se did not influence body weight and feed efficiency. However, supplementation of Se increased antioxidant status and lymphocyte proliferation in broiler chickens.
Design, synthesis, and evaluation of cisplatin-containing EGFR targeting bioconjugates as potential therapeutic agents for brain tumors

The aim of this study was to evaluate four different platinated bioconjugates containing a cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum [cis-DDP]) fragment and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting moieties as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of brain tumors using a human EGFR-expressing transfectant of the F98 rat glioma (F98EGFR) to assess their efficacy. The first two bioconjugates employed the monoclonal antibody cetuximab (C225 or Erbitux®) as the targeting moiety, and the second two used genetically engineered EGF peptides. C225-G5-Pt was produced by reacting cis-DDP with a fifth-generation polyamidoamine dendrimer (G5) and then linking it to C225 by means of two heterobifunctional reagents. The second bioconjugate (C225-PG-Pt) employed the same methodology except that polyglutamic acid was used as the carrier. The third and fourth bioconjugates used two different EGF peptides, PEP382 and PEP455, with direct coordination to the Pt center of the cis-DDP fragment. In vivo studies with C225-G5-Pt failed to demonstrate therapeutic activity following intracerebral (ic) convection-enhanced delivery (CED) to F98EGFR glioma-bearing rats. The second bioconjugate, C225-PG-Pt, failed to show in vitro cytotoxicity. Furthermore, because of its high molecular weight, we decided that lower molecular weight peptides might provide better targeting and microdistribution within the tumor. Both PEP382-Pt and PEP455-Pt bioconjugates were cytotoxic in vitro and, based on this, a pilot study was initiated using PEP455-Pt. The end point for this study was tumor size at 6 weeks following tumor cell implantation and 4 weeks following ic CED of PEP455-Pt to F98 glioma-bearing rats. Neuropathologic examination revealed that five of seven rats were either tumor-free or only had microscopic tumors at 42 days following tumor implantation compared to a mean survival time of 20.5 and 26.3 days for untreated controls. In conclusion, we have succeeded in reformatting the toxicity profile of cis-DDP and demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of the PEP455-Pt bioconjugate in F98 glioma-bearing rats.
The Effects of Aerobic Versus Anaerobic Exercise on Anxiety Sensitivity

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders. Research has demonstrated that regular physical exercise can have salubrious effects on a variety of physical and mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety; however, little is known regarding whether alternative forms of exercise may impact AS. The present study examined the comparative effects of anaerobic exercise and aerobic exercise on AS among individuals with elevated AS. Twenty-four college students with elevated AS were randomly assigned to complete 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, or no exercise condition. Results indicated that AS scores generally declined over time, with scores decreasing from baseline to session three, p = . 02, d = . 9. The results suggest that anaerobic exercise significantly decreased AS scores over time, p = . 03, d = . 85, whereas aerobic exercise did not display significant reduction in AS over time, p = . 22, d =. 81. Although change scores for the aerobic condition did not significantly differ from the control condition, the observed effect sizes were comparable to those noted in previous research. The implications of these results and potential directions for further research are discussed.
The Impact of Visual Perceptual Learning on Sleep and Local Slow-Wave Initiation

During non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, a global decrease in synaptic strength associated with slow waves (SWs) would enhance signal-to-noise ratio of neural responses during subsequent wakefulness. To test this prediction, 32 human volunteers were trained to a coarse orientation discrimination task, in either the morning or evening. They were retested after 8 h of wakefulness or sleep, respectively. Performance was enhanced only after a night of sleep, in the absence of any change in the abundance of NREM SWs but in proportion to the number of SWs “initiated” in lateral occipital areas during posttraining NREM sleep. The sources of these waves overlapped with the lateral occipital complex, in which responses to the learned stimulus, as assessed by fMRI, were selectively increased the next morning. This response enhancement was proportional to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep duration. These results provide an example of local sleep in which local initiation of SWs during NREM sleep predicts later skill improvement and foreshadows locally enhanced neural signals the next day. In addition, REM sleep also promotes local learning-dependent activity, possibly by promoting synaptic plasticity.
An X-Ray Detection Possibility of Star-Formation-Bursting Proto-Elliptical Galaxies

A possibility to detect X-rays from star-formation burst activities in proto-elliptical galaxies is considered. The X-ray flux of an emission due to inverse-Compton scattering of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) by high energy electrons accelerated in SNRs is shown to increase as z increases far beyond unity, since the local CMB flux largely increases in association with a z-increase. The flux is estimated for the case of a very high rate of type II supernovae at an initial star formation burst of a proto-elliptical galaxy and is found to be detectable with a future large X-ray telescope such as intended in the XEUS mission.
Contribution of BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations to imatinib mesylate resistance in Philadelphia chromosome positive Malaysian chronic myeloid leukemia patients

Development of resistance to imatinib mesylate (IM) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients is mediated by different mechanisms that can be classified as BCR-ABL dependent or BCR-ABL independent pathways. BCR-ABL dependent mechanisms are most frequently associated with point mutations in tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) of BCR-ABL1 and also with BCR-ABL gene amplification. Many different types and frequencies of mutations have been reported in different studies, probably due to the different composition of study cohorts. Since no reports are available from Malaysia, this study was undertaken to investigate the frequency and pattern of BCR-ABL kinase domain mutations using dHPLC followed by sequencing, and also status of BCR-ABL gene amplification using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) on 40 IM resistant Malaysian CML patients. Mutations were detected in 13 patients (32.5%). Five different types of mutations (T315I, E255K, Y253H, M351T, V289F) were identified in these patients. In the remaining 27 IM resistant CML patients, we investigated the contribution made by BCR-ABL gene amplification, but none of these patients showed amplification. It is presumed that the mechanisms of resistance in these 27 patients might be due to BCR-ABL independent pathways. Different mutations confer different levels of resistance and, therefore, detection and characterization of TKD mutations is highly important in order to guide therapy in CML patients.
Neural Correlates of Anticipation Risk Reflect Risk Preferences

Individual risk preferences have a large influence on decisions, such as financial investments, career and health choices, or gambling. Decision making under risk has been studied both behaviorally and on a neural level. It remains unclear, however, how risk attitudes are encoded and integrated with choice. Here, we investigate how risk preferences are reflected in neural regions known to process risk. We collected functional magnetic resonance images of 56 human subjects during a gambling task (Preuschoff et al., 2006). Subjects were grouped into risk averters and risk seekers according to the risk preferences they revealed in a separate lottery task. We found that during the anticipation of high-risk gambles, risk averters show stronger responses in ventral striatum and anterior insula compared to risk seekers. In addition, risk prediction error signals in anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate indicate that risk averters do not dissociate properly between gambles that are more or less risky than expected. We suggest this may result in a general overestimation of prospective risk and lead to risk avoidance behavior. This is the first study to show that behavioral risk preferences are reflected in the passive evaluation of risky situations. The results have implications on public policies in the financial and health domain.
Driving risk in a stroke patient with mild cognitive deficit could not be predicted by neuropsychological testing: a case report

Neuropsychological, off-road, and on-road testing were used to assess the driving skill of a stroke patient to determine whether he could drive safely. Driving risk could not be detected by neuropsychological testing, but was detected with the Useful Field of View (UFOV) test and a driving simulator and confirmed with on-road testing. Although it may be more effective to use on-road testing or a driving simulator to assess whether a stroke patient is competent to drive, our results suggest that UFOV may be more a more accessible and cost-effective method for detecting driving risk due to mild cognitive dysfunction.
Behavioural and psychophysical responses to magnetic and visual stimuli in homing pigeons

It has been demonstrated repeatedly, over a period of many years that some animals can perceive magnetic field parameters and use this sensory information to their advantage. The sensory mechanisms involved are, however, still poorly understood. Due to a general lack of understanding of magnetoreception and its properties, experiments to date have been somewhat disjointed with many, often very different, investigative approaches being employed. As a result, direct corroboration of results is uncommon and progress is often slow. Advancement of this field is important for numerous reasons, such as improving knowledge of factors affecting animal migration in a time of concern over climate change and the possible imminent change in earth’s magnetic field parameters. Perhaps most significantly, such studies might provide a potential keystone in the study of the function of quantum mechanical processes in biological systems. The current study utilises a novel approach, designed to ensure improved reproducibility. Reported here for the first time, prepulse inhibition of a startle response is used to investigate magnetoreception in the homing pigeon (Columba livia). This powerful, well-characterised paradigm relies on reflexive behaviours and therefore ensures an objective method for demonstrating the perception of a stimulus. Visual psychophysics and polarised light vision are also explored. Proof of concept is provided for the use of prepulse inhibition to investigate magnetoreception. The value of using liquid crystal displays in an investigation of pigeon head movements, in magnetoreception and more generally, is demonstrated. A new, low invasiveness technique for tracking head movements is described. The need to eliminate anthropogenic electromagnetic signals in order to carry out reliable magnetoreception experiments is highlighted. Suggestions are also made regarding possible future directions of research in this area.
Fundamental design limitations of the general control configuration

The theory of fundamental design limitations is well understood for the case that the performance variable is measured for feedback. In the present paper, we extend the theory to systems for which the performance variable is not measured. We consider only the special case for which the performance and measured outputs and the control and exogenous inputs are all scalar signals. The results of the paper depend on the control architecture, specifically, on the location of the sensor relative to the performance output, and the actuator relative to the exogenous input. We show that there may exist a tradeoff between disturbance attenuation and stability robustness that is in addition to the tradeoffs that exist when the performance output is measured. We also develop a set of interpolation constraints that must be satisfied by the disturbance response at certain closed right half plane poles and zeros, and translate these constraints into generalizations of the Bode and Poisson sensitivity integrals. In the absence of problematic interpolation constraints we show that there exists a stabilizing control law that achieves arbitrarily small disturbance response. Depending on the system architecture, this control law will either be high gain feedback or a finite gain controller that depends explicitly on the plant model. We illustrate the results of this paper with the problem of active noise control in an acoustic duct.
Path planning of 3-D objects using a new workspace model

This paper proposes a collision avoidance algorithm to solve the problem of (local) path planning for a 3D object moving among polyhedral obstacles. The algorithm is based on a generalized potential model of workspace which assumes that the boundary of every 3D object is uniformly charged. According to the proposed approach, the repulsive force and torque between the moving object and the obstacles due to the above model is used to adjust the position and orientation of the object so as to keep it away from the obstacles while passing through a bottleneck in the free space. Simulation results demonstrate that the path of a 3D object thus obtained is indeed safe and spatially smooth. The adopted potential field is analytically tractable which makes the path planning efficient.
Relating streamflow characteristics to specialized insectivores in the Tennessee River Valley: a regional approach

Analysis of hydrologic time series and fish community data across the Tennessee River Valley identified three hydrologic metrics essential to habitat suitability and food availability for insectivorous fish communities in streams of the Tennessee River Valley: constancy (flow stability or temporal invariance), frequency of moderate flooding (frequency of habitat disturbance), and rate of streamflow recession. Initial datasets included 1100 fish community sites and 300 streamgages. Reduction of these datasets to sites with coexisting data yielded 33 sites with streamflow and fish community data for analysis. Identification of critical hydrologic metrics was completed using a multivariate correlation procedure that maximizes the rank correlation between the hydrologic metrics and fish community resemblance matrices. Quantile regression was used to define thresholds of potential ranges of insectivore scores for given values of the hydrologic metrics. Increased values of constancy and insectivore scores were positively correlated. Constancy of streamflow maintains wetted perimeter, which is important for providing habitat for fish spawning and increased surface area for invertebrate colonization and reproduction. Site scores for insectivorous fish increased as the frequency of moderate flooding (3 times the median annual streamflow) decreased, suggesting that insectivorous fish communities respond positively to less frequent disturbance and a more stable habitat. Increased streamflow recession rates were associated with decreased insectivore scores. Increased streamflow recession can strand fish in pools and other areas that are disconnected from flowing water and remove invertebrates as food sources that were suspended during high‐streamflow events. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Linking Employees’ Extra-Role Efforts to Customer Satisfaction: Presence Versus Absence of Complaints

Our main goal was to test the moderating role of customer complaints (“presence” vs. “absence”) in the links from extra-role customer service (ERCS) to customer satisfaction. To this end, we conducted two independent survey studies in two service settings: hotels and service-centers for individuals with intellectual disability. A total of 571 hotel customers and 876 legal guardians of individuals with intellectual disability participated in the studies. We found that the magnitude of the relationship between ERCS and customer satisfaction was higher for presence of complaints than for absence in both service settings. Results are discussed in terms of compensation-seeking, reciprocity, generous behavior, and characteristics of service encounters between employees and customers.
Assistive devices in context: cross-sectional association between challenges in the home environment and use of assistive devices for mobility.

PURPOSE A primary goal for aging policy is to optimize independence in later life. We estimate the cross-sectional association between physical and social challenge in the home environment and use of assistive devices (AD) for mobility in the home, controlling for lower extremity physical performance (short physical performance battery [SPPB]) and other factors. DESIGN AND METHODS Data are from the Women's Health and Aging Study I, a prospective study of the factors related to physical disability in a sample of moderately to severely disabled older women. We describe these associations in the baseline sample overall and also within subsets who do and do not have both a baseline and a 3-year follow-up observation. RESULTS On average, physical challenge in the home environment is inversely associated with level of AD use (p < .05) in the overall sample, independent of SPPB, living alone, and other factors. We do not find a significant (p < .05) association between social challenge and the level of AD use in the overall sample. Findings by follow-up responder status were similar (with minor variability). IMPLICATIONS Future cohorts who are better educated and more receptive to technology may confront challenges in the home environment that limit their ability to age in place. Our findings suggest that the physical challenges of the home are significantly related to AD use. Future analyses that explore the mechanisms of the home environment as a source of challenges to independent functioning could help in the design of future interventions for these cohorts as they age.
Treatment Evaluation in the Presence of Sample Selection

Sample selection and attrition are inherent in a range of treatment evaluation problems such as the estimation of the returns to schooling or training. Conventional estimators tackling selection bias typically rely on restrictive functional form assumptions that are unlikely to hold in reality. This paper shows identification of average and quantile treatment effects in the presence of the double selection problem into (i) a selective subpopulation (e.g., working—selection on unobservables) and (ii) a binary treatment (e.g., training—selection on observables) based on weighting observations by the inverse of a nested propensity score that characterizes either selection probability. Weighting estimators based on parametric propensity score models are applied to female labor market data to estimate the returns to education.
Entrepreneurship from Scratch: Lessons on the Entry Decision into Self-Employment from Transition Economies

This paper exploits the rapid rise in self-employment rates in post-communist Eastern Europe as a valuable "quasi-experiment" for understanding the sources of entrepreneurship. A relative demand-supply model and an individual sectoral choice model are used to analyze a 1993 survey of 27,000 adults in six transition economies. Estimated self-employment earnings premia are positive, and the data imply positive selection into both employee and self-employment status. Structural probit estimates show the probability of self-employment entry is unassociated with former Communist Party affiliation but positively related to schooling, pre-transition family income, receipt of property in restitution, pre-communist family business-holding, and predicted earnings differential. Cross-country variation in predicted self-employment entry rates and relative earnings provide evidence on the demand and supply factors affecting the decision to become an entrepreneur.