Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serology, PCR and culture of Ehrlichia/Anaplasma species in asymptomatic and symptomatic cats from central Spain.

Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum have been reported to cause disease in animals and humans. In cats, the first evidence for naturally occurring ehrlichiosis was reported in France in 1986. Since then, several clinical cases of feline ehrlichiosis have been described worldwide and there is molecular and serological evidence of exposure to these agents in cats. However, no Ehrlichia species. has been cultured from the blood of these animals and information available about attempts to isolate these agents in cats is limited. In Spain, different studies on feline ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis have shown seroprevalences ranging from 1.8% to 4.9% for A. phagocytophilum [1,2], and from 10.6% to 17.9% for E. canis [2,3]. Although Ehrlichia ⁄Anaplasma spp. sequence has not been obtained yet from cats, DNA from these species has been amplified from a sample from a cat from the Barcelona area [4]. To date, E. canis and A. phagocytophilum isolates from cats have not been characterised in the geographic area of Madrid (central Spain).
Relational Distance: Sociocultural and Time–Spatial Tensions in Innovation Practices

The author discusses and explores empirically how far the notion of relational distance might improve understanding of the geography of innovation processes. Relational distance is regarded (1) as a multidimensional concept which becomes fruitful when used in a heuristic way; (2) as an interactional effect; and (3) as being enacted in practice. The author illustrates this understanding empirically by presenting an ethnographic case study: the development biography of an analytical device. In this case, relational distance emerged between science and business. The author scrutinizes how relational distance not only induces cultural tensions but also intertwines divergent practical activities unfolding differently in space. Thereby it generates dynamic time–spatial ambiguities: namely, effects of dislocation, ambiguities of knowledge allocation, and opportunity costs.
An evaluation of 2D SLAM techniques available in Robot Operating System

In this work, a study of several laser-based 2D Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques available in Robot Operating System (ROS) is conducted. All the approaches have been evaluated and compared in 2D simulations and real world experiments. In order to draw conclusions on the performance of the tested techniques, the experimental results were collected under the same conditions and a generalized performance metric based on the k-nearest neighbors concept was applied. Moreover, the CPU load of each technique is examined. This work provides insight on the weaknesses and strengths of each solution. Such analysis is fundamental to decide which solution to adopt according to the properties of the intended final application.
Autism spectrum conditions among children and adolescents: A new profiling tool

Abstract There is considerable debate about the sociocognitive features of autism spectrum conditions (ASC), and a tool for profiling the sociocognitive profiles of children and adolescents with ASC is needed. The aim of this research was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new questionnaire—The Australian Scale for Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASASC). Three hundred twenty‐two parents of children on the ASC spectrum, including autistic disorder (n = 76), Asperger's disorder (n = 188), and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (n = 21), and a clinical group of children with subclinical ASC features and no ASC diagnosis (n = 37). Measures include an initial scale measuring eight potential dimensions of ASC, a related screening tool for autism, and two previously validated social skills questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered online. The ASASC was factor‐analysed, internal and test–retest reliabilities (for a randomly selected 84 parents) were calculated, and preliminary tests of convergent and divergent validity were conducted. The resulting measure (44 items) contained five coherent and reliable dimensions: understand and express emotion, fact orientation, sensory sensitivity, social communication, and rigidity. The questionnaire had good test–retest reliability and convergent/divergent validity. The ASASC enables profiles of ASC symptomatology that should be useful in adjusting interventions to individual needs.
A realism for Reid: mediated but direct

It is commonly said of modern philosophy that it introduced a representative theory of perception, a theory that places representative mental items between perceivers and ordinary physical objects. Such a theory, it has been thought, would be a form of indirect realism: we perceive objects only by means of apprehending mental entities that represent them. The moral of the story is that what began with Descartes’s revolution of basing objective truth on subjective certainty ends with Hume’s paroxysms of ambivalence and skepticism in the conclusion of the first book of the Treatise of Human Nature . 2
Educational and Occupational Aspirations of Latino Youth and Their Parents

In-depth interviews of 10 rural Latino family triads (mother, father, and adolescent) investigated the educational and occupational aspirations of parents and youth, and factors affecting those aspirations. Using a content analysis of the interview scripts, several themes emerged that described these families’ experiences. In some instances, Latino parent aspirations were found to transfer to their youth. However, only one half of the parents were aware of their youth’s aspirations, and most had not discussed them with their youth. Youth and parents articulated several barriers to achieving higher educational or occupational aspirations. Implications for programmatic initiatives and research are delineated.
Under the Radar: Parental Traffic Safeguarding and Automobility

Abstract Research shows that parental mobility care of children has become a growing feature in many western cities, but parental traffic safeguarding has rarely been examined. Based on an ethnographic, comparative case study of two elementary (primary) schools located in Vancouver, Canada, this paper explores how auto-dominated urban environments intertwine with gender and other social inequalities to produce highly charged, variegated and contested parental safeguarding practices in the school journey. The paper also examines how parental traffic safeguarding is discursively and materially organized in relation to automobility and the social denial of its inherent dangers. Two themes (risky traffic spaces and parental traffic safeguarding strategies) illustrate the ways in which parents practice traffic safeguarding in specific contexts and how as part of domestic labour, their practices contribute to automobility and its illusion of safety.
A Simplex-Based Tabu Search Method for Capacitated Network Design

The fixed charge capacitated multicommodity network design problem is a well-known problem, of both practical and theoretical significance. This paper presents an efficient procedure to determine tight upper bounds on the optimal solution of realistically sized problem instances. Feasible solutions are obtained by using a tabu search framework that explores the space of the continuous flow variables by combining pivot moves with column generation, while evaluating the actual mixed integer objective. Computational experiments on a large set of randomly generated test problems show that this procedure outperforms the other available methods and is particularly suited to large problem instances with many commodities.
Communities and commons: The role of community development support in sustaining the commons

The commons literature tends to treat community development as one of the independent variables that can explain variation in commons governance outcomes. The community development literature treats community development as its primary dependent variable, and studies how it can be achieved. We feel that the obvious complementarity between both traditions has up till now not been taken full advantage of. The purpose of this paper is to begin defining a common ground where both literatures can work together. We identify a big potential and an urgent need for complementary research on questions related with community development efforts that target collective action potential and self-governance capacity of commoners.
On Scale-out Deep Learning Training for Cloud and HPC

The exponential growth in use of large deep neural networks has accelerated the need for training these deep neural networks in hours or even minutes. This can only be achieved through scalable and efficient distributed training, since a single node/card cannot satisfy the compute, memory, and I/O requirements of today's state-of-the-art deep neural networks. However, scaling synchronous Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) is still a challenging problem and requires continued research/development. This entails innovations spanning algorithms, frameworks, communication libraries, and system design. In this paper, we describe the philosophy, design, and implementation of Intel Machine Learning Scalability Library (MLSL) and present proof-points demonstrating scaling DL training on 100s to 1000s of nodes across Cloud and HPC systems.
NONCONSUMPTIVE PREDATOR‐DRIVEN MORTALITY CAUSES NATURAL SELECTION ON PREY

Predators frequently exert natural selection through differential consumption of their prey. However, predators may also cause prey mortality through nonconsumptive effects, which could cause selection if different prey phenotypes are differentially susceptible to this nonconsumptive mortality. Here we present an experimental test of this hypothesis, which reveals that nonconsumptive mortality imposed by predatory dragonflies causes selection on their damselfly prey favoring increased activity levels. These results are consistent with other studies of predator‐driven selection, however, they reveal that consumption alone is not the only mechanism by which predators can exert selection on prey. Uncovering this mechanism also suggests that prey defensive traits may represent adaptations to not only avoid being consumed, but also for dealing with other sources of mortality caused by predators. Demonstrating selection through both consumptive and nonconsumptive predator mortality provides us with insight into the diverse effects of predators as an evolutionary force.
Distinctive nuclear organisation of centromeres and regions involved in pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells

Nuclear organisation is thought to be important in regulating gene expression. Here we investigate whether human embryonic stem cells (hES) have a particular nuclear organisation, which could be important for maintaining their pluripotent state. We found that whereas the nuclei of hES cells have a general gene-density-related radial organisation of chromosomes, as is seen in differentiated cells, there are also distinctive localisations for chromosome regions and gene loci with a role in pluripotency. Chromosome 12p, a region of the human genome that contains clustered pluripotency genes including NANOG, has a more central nuclear localisation in ES cells than in differentiated cells. On chromosome 6p we find no overall change in nuclear chromosome position, but instead we detect a relocalisation of the OCT4 locus, to a position outside its chromosome territory. There is also a smaller proportion of centromeres located close to the nuclear periphery in hES cells compared to differentiated cells. We conclude that hES cell nuclei have a distinct nuclear architecture, especially at loci involved in maintaining pluripotency. Understanding this level of hES cell biology provides a framework within which other large-scale chromatin changes that may accompany differentiation can be considered.
Breaking the sequential mold: Answering ‘more than the question’ during comprehensive history taking

Abstract This article uses conversation analysis focusing largely on a single unremarkable primary care doctor–patient encounter. In the relatively restrictive context of comprehensive medical history taking, this article investigates some of the ways in which a patient expands her answers—volunteering more information than was asked for. This article draws on previous work to establish that comprehensive history taking is designedly a restrictive environment for patients' responses, and is oriented to by patients as such. In this context, patient expansions are accountable in various ways, and are built to implement specific projects. We review a range of examples of these expansions, and examine their design and import for the interaction. The implication of this research is that while doctors may not routinely as liate with patients' lifeworld narratives as interactants in ordinary conversation might, these narratives can nonetheless be treated as resources for learning more about patients and ultimately facilitating their care and education.
Authoritarianism and Corporatism in Latin America

Since the mid-1960s it has been apparent that authoritarian regimes are not necessarily doomed to extinction as societies modernize and develop, but are potentially viable (if unpleasant) modes of organizing a society s developmental efforts. This realization has spurred new interest among social scientists in the phenomenon of authoritarianism and one of its variants, corporatism. The sixteen previously unpublished essays in this volume provide a focus for the discussion of authoritarianism and corporatism by clarifying various concepts, and by pointing to directions for future research utilizing them. The book is organized in four parts: a theoretical introduction; discussions of authoritarianism, corporatism, and the state; comparative and case studies; and conclusions and implications. The essays discuss authoritarianism and corporatism in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. "
Developmental changes of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism in children.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Normal values for cerebral blood flow (CBF) and metabolism in adults are well established, but not for children. Our goal, therefore, was to clarify functional developmental changes of the brain in children in relation to CBF and oxygen metabolism. METHODS We measured regional CBF (rCBF), regional cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (rCMRO2), and regional oxygen extraction fraction (rOEF), using positron emission tomography (PET). We performed 30 PET studies in 24 children ages 10 days to 16 years (nine boys, 15 girls), using a steady inhalation method with C(15)O2, (15)O2, and 15CO in order to measure rCBF, rCMRO2, and rOEF, respectively. Regions of interest were set in the primary cerebral areas (sensorimotor, visual, temporal, and parietal cortex), cerebral association areas (frontal and visual association), basal ganglia (lenticular and thalamus), and posterior fossa (brain stem and cerebellar cortex). Subjects were grouped by age (< 1, 1 to < 3, 3 to < 8, and > or = 8 years), and the absolute values of the parameters were compared with those obtained from 10 healthy adults. RESULTS rCBF and rCMRO2 were lower in the neonatal period than in older children and adults, and increased significantly during early childhood. rCBF was higher as compared with adults, peaking around age 7, whereas rCMRO2 was relatively high, with the last area to increase being the frontal association cortex. Both rCBF and rCMRO2 reached adult values during adolescence. No difference in rCBF was observed between the basal ganglia and the primary cerebral cortex; however, it was prominent in the occipital lobe in every age bracket. No significant changes in rOEF were found during childhood. CONCLUSION The dynamic changes of rCBF and rCMRO2 observed in children probably reflect the physiologic developmental state within anatomic areas of the brain.
Value-Added Models of Assessment: Implications for Motivation and Accountability

In this article, we examine the relations of value-added models of measuring academic achievement to student motivation. Using an achievement goal orientation theory perspective, we argue that value-added models, which focus on the progress of individual students over time, are more closely aligned with research on student motivation than are more traditional approaches to measuring achievement in a high-stakes testing environment. Although differing approaches to value-added assessment have been proposed, the core elements of the models are similar. We propose that the assessment data provided by value-added models has the potential to positively affect academic motivation, particularly when viewed through the lens of goal orientation theory.
Acculturation and SES Effects on Mexican-American Parents' Concepts of Development.

GUTIERREZ, JEANNIE; SAMEROFF, ARNOLD J.; and KARRER, BETTY M. Acculturation and SES Effects on Mexican-American Parents' Concepts of Development. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1988, 59, 250255. Differences in the complexity of parental reasoning about child development along a dimension ranging from categorical to perspectivistic were examined in a group of Mexican-American and of Anglo-American mothers of comparable SES. A within-culture comparison was provided by subdividing mothers of Mexican descent into 3 groups varying in acculturation. More acculturated Mexican-American mothers were more perspectivistic than less acculturated mothers in higher SES groups. No differences were found between lower SES acculturation groups. A between-culture comparison between the highly acculturated Mexican-American and the Anglo-American groups of mothers at the same SES level showed that the former used more complex developmental explanations than the latter. These results emphasize the importance and usefulness of examining withinculture diversity in developmental research.
Playfulness and the Environmental Support of Play in Children with and without Developmental Disabilities

The primary purposes of this study were to examine the reliability and validity of the Test of Playfulness (ToP) and the Test of Environmental Supportiveness (TOES), to compare playfulness and environmental support of play in children with and without developmental disabilities, and to examine the correlation between the ToP and the TOES. Participants included 20 children with various developmental disabilities and 20 children without developmental disabilities between 6 and 38 months old. Results revealed the ToP and the TOES to be reliable and valid. Furthermore, children with developmental disabilities were less playful than children without developmental disabilities. The ToP and the TOES were found to be highly correlated for both groups; however, the magnitude of this correlation was greater for children with disabilities.
The politics of pleasure: an ethnographic examination exploring the dominance of the multi-activity sport-based physical education model

Kirk warns that physical education (PE) exists in a precarious situation as the dominance of the multi-activity sport-techniques model, and its associated problems, threatens the long-term educational survival of PE. Yet he also notes that although the model is problematic it is highly resistant to change. In this paper, we draw on the results of a year-long visual ethnography at an all-boys secondary school in Aotearoa New Zealand to examine the workings of power that legitimate this model of PE. Our findings illustrate that the school conflates PE and sport, to position PE as an appropriate masculine endeavour and valued source of enjoyment, as it articulates with good health, social development and competitiveness. We argue that student experiences of pleasure within PE—as co-constitutive with discourses of fitness, health, sport and masculinity—(re)produce the multi-activity sport-based form of PE as educationally appropriate and socioculturally relevant, thus making the model somewhat resistant to change. We stress that our study should not be read as a vindication of this PE model.
Intra- or inter-specific difference in genotypes of Caligus elongatus Nordmann 1832?

Two mitochondrial and one nuclear genetic marker were used to study the phylogenetic position of the two reported CO1-genotypes of Caligus elongatus in a group of closely related caligid parasites. Molecular analysis of the two mitochondrial genes (CO1 and 16S), indicate genetic distances of the two C. elongatus genotypes in the lower range of distances previously reported between other crustacean species, but higher than comparable reported within-species differences. Analyses of nuclear 18S sequences indicate no detectable differentiation between these genotypes, but may be due to expected differences in the resolution of these genetic markers. Investigation of two of three selected morphological characters reveals phenotypes supporting the division based on the molecular division. The species status on the two C. elongatus genotypes cannot be drawn conclusively, although the molecular and morphological data presented here suggests the presence of sibling species.
Music Education at the Tipping Point

erous and thoughtful editing of this paper n his classic comedy Annie Hall, filmmaker Woody Allen remarks that relationships are like sharks: they have to keep moving forward or they die. The same could be said of a number of things, including music education. History shows that American music educators have been most successful and their positions most secure when they satisfied the prevailing musical desires of the public. Singing schools in the late nineteenth century and the band movement in the mid-twentieth century are unmistakable examples of music education fulfilling changing societal needs. Conversely, music education has suffered when it has been perceived as culturally irrelevant and unnecessary. History also tells us that the public’s experience of music does not stand still: it keeps moving forward. For music education to remain relevant and provide value, it too must change with the times
Interleukin 17A Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis via NF-kB Induced Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 and 9 Expression

Background IL-17A is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays important role in inflammatory disease pathology and tumor microenvironment. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of IL-17A on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methodology and Principal Finding Expression pattern of IL-17A in clinical HCC samples (n = 43) was determined by immunohistochemistry staining. Transcript levels of MMP2, MMP9 and IL-17A were measured in another 50 pairs (including tumor and related non-tumor tissues) HCC samples. Cell growth, focus formation, cell migration, invasion and western blot assays were used to characterize the functional and signaling mechanisms in IL-17A-treated HCC. Association study was used to identify clinical significance of IL-17A in HCC. Compared with paired non-tumor tissue, higher frequency of IL-17A-positive cells was detected in tumor tissues in HCCs with metastasis, and the frequency of IL-17A-positive cells was also significantly associated with poor prognosis of HCC (P = 0.01). Functional study found that IL-17A could promote HCC cell migration and invasion. Further molecular analysis also showed that IL-17A could upregulate MMP2 and MMP9 expression via NF-κB signaling activation. Conclusions IL-17A could promote HCC metastasis by the upregulation of MMP2 and MMP9 expression via activating NF-κB signaling pathway.