Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of Humans vs. Exploration Algorithms on the Tower of London Test

The Tower of London Test (TOL) used to assess executive functions was inspired in Artificial Intelligence tasks used to test problem-solving algorithms. In this study, we compare the performance of humans and of exploration algorithms. Instead of absolute execution times, we focus on how the execution time varies with the tasks and/or the number of moves. This approach used in Algorithmic Complexity provides a fair comparison between humans and computers, although humans are several orders of magnitude slower. On easy tasks (1 to 5 moves), healthy elderly persons performed like exploration algorithms using bounded memory resources, i.e., the execution time grew exponentially with the number of moves. This result was replicated with a group of healthy young participants. However, for difficult tasks (5 to 8 moves) the execution time of young participants did not increase significantly, whereas for exploration algorithms, the execution time keeps on increasing exponentially. A pre-and post-test control task showed a 25% improvement of visuo-motor skills but this was insufficient to explain this result. The findings suggest that naive participants used systematic exploration to solve the problem but under the effect of practice, they developed markedly more efficient strategies using the information acquired during the test.
SD‐3212, a new class I and IV antiarrhythmic drug: a potent inhibitor of the muscarinic acetylcholine‐receptor‐operated potassium current in guinea‐pig atrial cells

1 By use of patch‐clamp techniques, the effects of SD‐3212, a novel antiarrhythmic drug, on the calcium current (Ica), the sodium current (INa) and the muscarinic acetylcholine‐receptor‐operated potassium current (IK.ACh) were examined and compared with those of bepridil in guinea‐pig single atrial cells. 2 SD‐3212 inhibited Ica and INa in a concentration‐dependent manner. The IC50 values of SD‐3212 for inhibition of Ica and INa were 1.29 μm and 3.92 μm, respectively. The steady state inactivation curves of Ica and INa were shifted in the hyperpolarizing direction in the presence of 1μm SD‐3212. Similar inhibition of Ica and INa was also observed with bepridil. The IC50 values of bepridil for depression of Ica and INa were 1.55 μm and 4.43 μm, respectively. 3 The muscarinic acetylcholine‐receptor‐operated potassium current (IK.ACh) was activated by the extracellular application of 1 μm carbachol in the GTP‐loaded cells or by the intracellular loading of GTPγS, a nonhydrolysable GTP analogue. SD‐3212 potently inhibited the carbachol‐ and GTPγS‐induced IKAch and the IC50 values were 0.38 μm and 0.20 μm, respectively. These IC50 values were very close and about 10 times lower than those for inhibiting Ica and INa. Bepridil also suppressed the carbachol‐ and GTPγS‐induced IK.ACh with the IC50 values of 0.69 μm and 0.84 μm, respectively. 4 In guinea‐pig atrial cells stimulated at 0.2 Hz, carbachol at a concentration of 1 μm markedly shortened action potential duration. Both SD‐3212 (0.1−1 μm) and bepridil (1–10 μm) reversed the action potential shortening in a concentration‐dependent manner. The antagonizing effect of SD‐3212 on the carbachol‐induced action potential shortening was more potent than that of bepridil. 5 These results suggest that SD‐3212 inhibits IKAch by depressing the function of the potassium channel itself and/or associated GTP‐binding proteins. SD‐3212 is a unique antiarrhythmic drug, which potently inhibits IKAch in addition to its class I and IV effects. SD‐3212 and bepridil may be useful for the termination and prevention of vagally‐induced atrial flutter and fibrillation.
Identification of Aminoglycoside and β-Lactam Resistance Genes from within an Infant Gut Functional Metagenomic Library

The infant gut microbiota develops rapidly during the first 2 years of life, acquiring microorganisms from diverse sources. During this time, significant opportunities exist for the infant to acquire antibiotic resistant bacteria, which can become established and constitute the infant gut resistome. With increased antibiotic resistance limiting our ability to treat bacterial infections, investigations into resistance reservoirs are highly pertinent. This study aimed to explore the nascent resistome in antibiotically-naïve infant gut microbiomes, using a combination of metagenomic approaches. Faecal samples from 22 six-month-old infants without previous antibiotic exposure were used to construct a pooled metagenomic library, which was functionally screened for ampicillin and gentamicin resistance. Our library of ∼220Mb contained 0.45 ampicillin resistant hits/Mb and 0.059 gentamicin resistant hits/Mb. PCR-based analysis of fosmid clones and uncloned metagenomic DNA, revealed a diverse and abundant aminoglycoside and β-lactam resistance reservoir within the infant gut, with resistance determinants exhibiting homology to those found in common gut inhabitants, including Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp. , and Clostridium difficile, as well as to genes from cryptic environmental bacteria. Notably, the genes identified differed from those revealed when a sequence-driven PCR-based screen of metagenomic DNA was employed. Carriage of these antibiotic resistance determinants conferred substantial, but varied (2–512x), increases in antibiotic resistance to their bacterial host. These data provide insights into the infant gut resistome, revealing the presence of a varied aminoglycoside and β-lactam resistance reservoir even in the absence of selective pressure, confirming the infant resistome establishes early in life, perhaps even at birth.
THE Mnet method for variable selection

By JIAN HUANG Departments of Statistics & Actuarial Science and Biostatistics, University of Iowa, 221 Schaeffer Hall, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, U.S.A. jian-huang@uiowa.edu PATRICK BREHENY Departments of Statistics and Biostatistics, University of Kentucky, 817 Patterson Office Tower, Lexington, KY 40506, U.S.A. patrick.breheny@uky.edu SHUANGGE MA School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, U.S.A. shuangge.ma@yale.edu CUN-HUI ZHANG Department of Statistics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854, U.S.A. cunhui@stat.rutgers. edu
Long memory in the Ukranian stock market

This paper examines the dynamics of stock prices in Ukraine by estimating the degree of persistence of the PFTS stock market index. Using long memory techniques we show that the log prices series is I(d) with d slightly above 1, implying that returns are characterised by a small degree of long memory and thus are predictable using historical data. Moreover, their volatility, measured as the absolute and squared returns, also displays long memory. Finally, we examine if the time dependence is affected by the day of the week; the results indicate that Mondays and Fridays are characterised by higher dependency, consistently with the literature on anomalies in stock market prices.
Multi-examiner reliability of automated radio frequency-based ultrasound measurements of common carotid intima-media thickness in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES To assess the reliability of the automated radio frequency (RF)-based US measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) performed by rheumatologists and to evaluate the variability between this method and the conventional B-mode US measurement of carotid IMT in RA patients. METHODS Twelve rheumatologists measured in two blinded rounds the IMT of both common carotid arteries (CCAs) of seven RA patients with an automated RF-based method. At each round, a cardiologist measured both CCA-IMTs of the patients using an automated B-mode method. Inter-observer reliability for RF-based IMT measurements was evaluated by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Intra-observer reliability for RF-based IMT measurements was assessed using the root mean square coefficient of variation (RMS-CV), Bland-Altman method and ICC. Agreement between the two US methods was evaluated by the Bland-Altman method, ICC and RMS-CV. RESULTS Inter-observer ICCs for the RF-based CCA-IMT measurements were 0.85 (95% CI 0.69, 0.94) for the first round, and 0.77 (95% CI 0.55, 0.91) for the second round. RMS-CVs for the RF-based CCA-IMT measurements varied from 5.6 to 11.7%. The mean intra-observer ICC for the RF-based CCA-IMT measurements was 0.61 (95% CI 0.46, 0.71). In the Bland-Altman analysis for agreement between RF-based and B-mode CCA-IMT measurements, the mean difference varied from -0.6 to -19.7 μm. Inter-method ICCs varied from 0.57 to 0.83 for 11 rheumatologists. Inter-method RMS-CVs varied from 11.3 to 13.7%. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that automated RF-based CCA-IMT measurement performed by rheumatologists can be a reliable method for assessing cardiovascular risk in RA patients.
Characterization of the Impact of Wheat Stem Sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, on Pigment Composition and Photosystem II Photochemistry of Wheat Heads

Abstract Impact of the wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), feeding injury on chlorophyll content and photosystem II (PSII) photochemistry in heads of wheat, Triticum aestivum L. , at the grain-filling developmental stage was evaluated by biochemically assessing the total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a (Chla), chlorophyll b (Chlb), chlorophyll a/b ratio (Chla/b), and carotenoid concentrations in the glumes in combination with a chlorophyll a fluorescence test. C. cinctus–infested stems had altered head glume pigment composition and photochemistry. Chlorophyll content, Chla, Chlb, Chla/b, and total chlorophyll, and the photochemical efficiency of PSII were greater for glumes of heads developing on infested stems. Chlorophyll a fluorescence was also affected by C. cinctus. In this study, wheat plants in a controlled environment were able to compensate for injury imposed by C. cinctus. The mechanism underlying the compensatory processes seems to involve the alteration of wheat head physiology. Based on our results, either the photochemical efficiency of heads on infested stems was greatly improved or their senescence was delayed.
Serum albumin enhances polyethylenimine‐mediated gene delivery to human respiratory epithelial cells

The interaction of polyethylenimine (PEI) polyplexes with proteins in cystic fibrosis (CF) airway secretions poses a significant hurdle to this nonviral delivery system. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether albumin may increase the efficiency of PEI complexes in mediating gene transfer into respiratory epithelial cells in the presence of CF mucus.
Effects of Assistive Technology on Functional Decline in People Aging With a Disability

ABSTRACT This study used a randomized control group design to investigate the impact of an assistive technology and home modification intervention on function for individuals who are aging with a disability. There were 91 participants with polio, rheumatoid arthritis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, stroke, and other impairments. Outcome data were collected at 12 and 24 months through in-home interviews using the Older Americans Resources and Services Instrument (OARS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and through monthly telephone contact on the hours of in-home care, hospitalizations, and acquisition of AT. The treatment group received an in-home evaluation of their equipment and home modification needs. All recommended AT and home modifications were provided and paid for in full or in part by the study. The control group received the standard community-available health care. A significant “group by time” interaction for the FIM suggested a slower decline in function for the treatment group over 2 years. Further analyses found that the treatment group was more likely to use equipment to maintain independence vs. personal assistance. This study supports the value of assistive technology for adults aging with a disability and suggests that it be provided earlier in the aging process.
Interpersonal Skills and Occupational Therapy

Carkhuff has been instrumental in defining and operationalising the core dimensions in the helping relationship. Research has shown that the level of the helper's interpersonal skills bears a direct relationship to the outcome of therapy. The interpersonal skills required in occupational therapy services are examined and suggestions are made concerning how to increase the level of interpersonal skills functioning of therapists.
Expression of social skills of a child with autism spectrum disorder. Case analysis

Profound deficit in social reciprocity skills is the core, underlying feature of the autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is not doubted that social skills condition the quality of person’s social functioning and management of social situations and has enormous impact on individual’s personal and social life. Thus, social skills are behaviors that must be taught, learned, however, in planning the development of social skills at first it is important to identify individual powers of a child with autism spectrum disorder and problematic fields in the system child-family-school. In the present research the expression of social skills of a child with autism spectrum disorder is revealed through the following structural components: 1) interaction skills; 2) communication skills 3) participation skills 4) emotional skills 5) social cognition skills with the method of case analysis, combining content analysis of interview and observation data. The research data have been collected with the method of observation and purposeful semi-structured interview; methods of data analysis: interpretative content analysis of the texts of observation and interview.
Nationality, Gender, Age, and Body Mass Index Influences on Vitamin D Concentration among Elderly Patients and Young Iraqi and Jordanian in Jordan

Vitamin D is necessary for maintaining and regulating calcium levels; thus, insufficiency of vitamin D increases the risk of many chronic diseases. This study aimed to examine vitamin D levels among Jordanian and Iraqi volunteers and find the relation between vitamin D level and lipid profile patients. Vitamin D levels were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For young healthy group subjects, vitamin D levels were 20.60 ± 5.94 ng/mL for Jordanian and 27.59 ± 7.74 ng/mL for Iraqi. Vitamin D concentrations for young males and females were 25.82 ± 8.33 ng/mL and 21.95 ± 6.39 ng/mL, respectively. Females wearing hijab were 20.87 ± 6.45 ng/mL, while uncovered females were 23.55 ± 6.04 ng/mL. For >40 years Iraqi subjects, vitamin D level for healthy was 29.78 ± 9.49 ng/mL and 23.88 ± 7.93 ng/mL for hyperlipidemic subjects. Vitamin D levels for overweight and obese healthy groups were significantly higher (P < 0.050) than those for the hyperlipidemic patients groups. Vitamin D levels for males were significantly higher than females and were significantly higher for healthy than those hyperlipidemic Iraqi patients. These findings showed that vitamin D levels are affected by age, nationality, gender, and health statues and highlight the importance of vitamin D supplementation for groups with low levels particularly old, hijab wearing females, and hyperlipidemic groups.
Finding Regular Simple Paths in Graph Databases

We consider the following problem: given a labelled directed graph G and a regular expression R, find all pairs of nodes connected by a simple path such that the concatenation of the labels along the path satisfies R. The problem is motivated by the observation that many recursive queries can be expressed in this form, and by the implementation of a query language, G+, based on this observation. We show that the problem is in general intractable, but present an algorithm than runs in polynomial time in the size of the graph when the regular expression and the graph are free of conflicts. We also present a class of languages whose expressions can always be evaluated in time polynomial in the size of both the database and the expression, and characterize syntactically the expressions for such languages.
Adaptive Submodular Influence Maximization with Myopic Feedback

This paper examines the problem of adaptive influence maximization in social networks. As adaptive decision making is a time-critical task, a realistic feedback model has been considered, called myopic. In this direction, we propose the myopic adaptive greedy policy that is guaranteed to provide a (1 - 1/e) -approximation of the optimal policy under a variant of the independent cascade diffusion model. This strategy maximizes an alternative utility function that has been proven to be adaptive monotone and adaptive submodular. The proposed utility function considers the cumulative number of active nodes through the time, instead of the total number of the active nodes at the end of the diffusion. Our empirical analysis on real-world social networks reveals the benefits of the proposed myopic strategy, validating our theoretical results.
Integrating Knowledge Activities for Team Innovation: Effects of Transformational Leadership

We conducted two studies to explore integrative, knowledge-centered team mechanisms through which transformational leadership affects team innovative performance. In the first study, using temporarily assembled project teams working on knowledge-intensive tasks, we found that transformational leadership promoted within-team knowledge sharing and team innovative performance through an integration mechanism manifest as team cooperative norms, and such a mediation process was significant even after controlling for another mediation process of team autonomy. In the second study, using permanent work teams in various functional areas, we replicated the integrative mechanism and associated transformational leadership with external team knowledge acquisition, which further moderated the relationship between knowledge sharing and innovation. Our findings point to the importance of the integration function of transformational leadership in enhancing collective innovation.
Relationship between Resource Availability and Performance in French Subject in Public Secondary Schools in Vihiga County-Kenya

French subject was the first foreign language to be taught and examined in Kenya. This subject however, has continued to register low enrolment, as well as poor performance in the national examination. This study examined the role of resource availability on student’s performance in French language in secondary schools. The study adopted correlational designs. The target population included all the schools teaching French subject, in Vihiga County. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to select 10 schools out of 14. The schools were grouped into National, County and Sub-County schools. One-way ANOVA technique was used as the main analysis method. The findings from the study revealed that human resources, school physical resources and financial resources have the most significant relationship with the performance of students in French subject. However, the study also found that teachers were not exposed to teacher professional development activities and a handful had attended in-service (seminar) on French language pedagogy. The study concludes that most teachers had not attended any refresher courses as well as inexperienced, explained why the performance of French was dismal. More than two thirds of the schools did not have libraries, meaning that learners were denied the opportunity to interact meaningfully with books. Some teachers confessed that the funds allocated to their departments were inadequate. Therefore, the study recommends that efforts should be made by school authorities, the Ministry of Education, county authorities and other stakeholder to provide enough physical resources like teaching/learning resources, class rooms and libraries.
Children and Young Adults – Hospital Patients, Prisoners, and with Developmental Disorders – Who Cannot Come to Slovenian Public Libraries: A National Survey

Abstract The paper presents the first national survey of public library services to three user groups in the context of children and young adults: hospital patients, prisoners, and persons with developmental disorders. The study was two-part: first the data on potential users and their characteristics was gathered. This was used to prepare the main survey of the existing public library services in Slovenia, undertaken in 2012 and 2013. The results show that of the three user groups in question, two (hospital patients and prisoners) are more localised, being the focus of individual public libraries working in the area where hospitals or prisons are located, while persons with developmental disorders are spread throughout the country and as such relevant to a larger number of libraries. The first two groups also have more potential for development, because Slovenian public libraries offer much richer services for users with developmental disorders. Nevertheless, positive trends were observed in most areas.
Targeting Angiogenesis in Childhood Sarcomas

Angiogenesis and vasculogenesis constitute two processes in the formation of new blood vessels and are essential for progression of solid tumors. Consequently, targeting angiogenesis, and to a lesser extent vasculogenesis, has become a major focus in cancer drug development. Angiogenesis inhibitors are now being tested in pediatric populations whereas inhibitors of vasculogenesis are in an earlier stage of development. Despite the initial enthusiasm for targeting angiogenesis for treatment of cancer, clinical trials have shown only incremental increases in survival, and agents have been largely cytostatic rather than inducing tumor regressions. Consequently, the role of such therapeutic approaches in the context of curative intent for childhood sarcomas is less clear. Here we review the literature on blood vessel formation in sarcomas with a focus on pediatric sarcomas and developments in targeting angiogenesis for treatment of these rare cancers.
GATA1 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells through PAK5 oncogenic signaling

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key process in tumor metastatic cascade that is characterized by the loss of cell-cell junctions, resulting in the acquisition of migratory and invasive properties. E-cadherin is a major component of intercellular junctions and the reduction or loss of its expression is a hallmark of EMT. Transcription factor GATA1 has a critical anti-apoptotic role in breast cancer, but its function for metastasis has not been investigated. Here, we found that GATA1, as a novel E-cadherin repressor, promotes EMT in breast cancer cells. GATA1 binds to E-cadherin promoter, down-regulates E-cadherin expression, disrupts intercellular junction and promotes metastasis of breast cancer cell in vivo. Moreover, GATA1 is a new substrate of p21-activated kinase 5 (PAK5), which is phosphorylated on serine 161 and 187 (S161 and S187). GATA1 recruits HDAC3/4 to E-cadherin promoter, which is reduced by GATA1 S161A S187A mutant. These data indicate that phosphorylated GATA1 recruits more HDAC3/4 to promote transcriptional repression of E-cadherin, leading to the EMT of breast cancer cells. Our findings provide insights into the novel function of GATA1, contributing to a better understanding of the EMT, indicating that GATA1 and its phosphorylation may play an important role in the metastasis of breast cancer.