Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism in Latino and Non-Latino White Families

This study assesses disparities in diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder among non-Latino white and Latino families with English proficiency or limited English proficiency. OBJECTIVES: To compare barriers to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and current ASD-related service use among non-Latino white (NLW) families and Latino families with English proficiency (L-EP) or limited English proficiency (L-LEP). METHODS: We conducted a mixed-mode survey of families of children with confirmed ASD seen at specialty clinics in 3 United States cities. Bivariate and multivariate analyses compared barriers to ASD diagnosis, current service use, and unmet therapy need among NLW, L-EP, and L-LEP families. RESULTS: Overall, barriers to ASD diagnosis were prevalent: families (n = 352) experienced a mean of 8 of 15 barriers to ASD diagnosis. The most prevalent barriers overall were “stress of diagnostic process,” “parent knowledge about ASD,” and “understanding medical system. ” Compared with NLW families, L-LEP families were more likely to experience barriers related to knowledge about ASD and trust in providers. Children in L-LEP families also had fewer current therapy hours and more unmet therapy needs than children in NLW families. L-EP families’ barriers and treatment services use profile was more similar to NLW than to L-LEP families. CONCLUSIONS: English proficiency was an important marker for barriers to ASD diagnosis and treatment in Latinos. Increasing ASD-related knowledge and provider trust may decrease disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of ASD among US Latinos.
Approximate Solutions to Ordinary Differential Equations Using Least Squares Support Vector Machines

In this paper, a new approach based on least squares support vector machines (LS-SVMs) is proposed for solving linear and nonlinear ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The approximate solution is presented in closed form by means of LS-SVMs, whose parameters are adjusted to minimize an appropriate error function. For the linear and nonlinear cases, these parameters are obtained by solving a system of linear and nonlinear equations, respectively. The method is well suited to solving mildly stiff, nonstiff, and singular ODEs with initial and boundary conditions. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method over existing methods.
Longevity GWAS Using the Drosophila Genetic Reference Panel

We used 197 Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) lines to perform a genome-wide association analysis for virgin female lifespan, using ~2M common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We found considerable genetic variation in lifespan in the DGRP, with a broad-sense heritability of 0.413. There was little power to detect signals at a genome-wide level in single-SNP and gene-based analyses. Polygenic score analysis revealed that a small proportion of the variation in lifespan (~4.7%) was explicable in terms of additive effects of common SNPs (≥2% minor allele frequency). However, several of the top associated genes are involved in the processes previously shown to impact ageing (eg, carbohydrate-related metabolism, regulation of cell death, proteolysis). Other top-ranked genes are of unknown function and provide promising candidates for experimental examination. Genes in the target of rapamycin pathway (TOR; Chrb, slif, mipp2, dredd, RpS9, dm) contributed to the significant enrichment of this pathway among the top-ranked 100 genes (p = 4.79×10−06). Gene Ontology analysis suggested that genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism are important for lifespan; including the InterPro term DUF227, which has been previously associated with lifespan determination. This analysis suggests that our understanding of the genetic basis of natural variation in lifespan from induced mutations is incomplete.
Potential Relationship between Phenotypic and Molecular Characteristics in Revealing Livestock-Associated Staphylococcus aureus in Chinese Humans without Occupational Livestock Contact

While some studies have defined Staphylococcus aureus based on its clonal complex and resistance pattern, few have explored the relations between the genetic lineages and antibiotic resistance patterns and immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes. Our aim was to investigate the potential relationship between phenotypic and molecular characteristics so as to reveal livestock-associated S. aureus in humans. The study participants were interviewed, and they provided two nasal swabs for S. aureus analysis. All S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were tested for antibiotic susceptibility, multilocus sequence type and IEC genes. Of the 1162 participants, 9.3% carried S. aureus, including MRSA (1.4%) and multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA, 2.8%). The predominant multidrug-resistant pattern among MDRSA isolates was non-susceptibility to erythromycin, clindamycin and tetracycline. The most common S. aureus genotypes were ST7, ST6, ST188, and ST59, and the predominant MRSA genotype was ST7. Notably, the livestock-associated S. aureus isolates (IEC-negative CC9, IEC-negative tetracycline-resistant CC398, and IEC-negative tetracycline-resistant CC5) were found in people with no occupational livestock contact. These findings reveal a potential relationship between S. aureus CCs and IEC genes and antibiotic resistance patterns in defining livestock-associated S. aureus in humans and support growing concern about the potential livestock-to-human transmission of livestock-associated S. aureus by non-occupational livestock contact.
Delineating the maladaptive pathways of child maltreatment: A mediated moderation analysis of the roles of self-perception and social support

Abstract The current study investigated concurrent and longitudinal mediated and mediated moderation pathways among maltreatment, self-perception (i.e., loneliness and self-esteem), social support, and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. For both genders, early childhood maltreatment (i.e., ages 0–6) was related directly to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at age 6, and later maltreatment (i.e., ages 6–8) was directly related to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at age 8. Results of concurrent mediation and mediated moderation indicated that early maltreatment was significantly related to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems at age 6 indirectly both through age 6 loneliness and self-esteem for boys and through age 6 loneliness for girls. Significant moderation of the pathway from early maltreatment to self-esteem, and for boys, significant mediated moderation to emotional and behavioral problems were found, such that the mediated effect through self-esteem varied across levels of social support, though in an unexpected direction. No significant longitudinal mediation or mediated moderation was found, however, between the age 6 mediators and moderator and internalizing or externalizing problems at age 8. The roles of the hypothesized mediating and moderating mechanisms are discussed, with implications for designing intervention and prevention programs.
Use of Short Tandem Repeat Sequences to Study Mycobacterium leprae in Leprosy Patients in Malawi and India

Background Inadequate understanding of the transmission of Mycobacterium leprae makes it difficult to predict the impact of leprosy control interventions. Genotypic tests that allow tracking of individual bacterial strains would strengthen epidemiological studies and contribute to our understanding of the disease. Methodology/Principal Findings Genotyping assays based on variation in the copy number of short tandem repeat sequences were applied to biopsies collected in population-based epidemiological studies of leprosy in northern Malawi, and from members of multi-case households in Hyderabad, India. In the Malawi series, considerable genotypic variability was observed between patients, and also within patients, when isolates were collected at different times or from different tissues. Less within-patient variability was observed when isolates were collected from similar tissues at the same time. Less genotypic variability was noted amongst the closely related Indian patients than in the Malawi series. Conclusions/Significance Lineages of M. leprae undergo changes in their pattern of short tandem repeat sequences over time. Genetic divergence is particularly likely between bacilli inhabiting different (e.g., skin and nerve) tissues. Such variability makes short tandem repeat sequences unsuitable as a general tool for population-based strain typing of M. leprae, or for distinguishing relapse from reinfection. Careful use of these markers may provide insights into the development of disease within individuals and for tracking of short transmission chains.
Taking it to the classroom: Number board games as a small group learning activity

We examined whether a theoretically based number board game could be translated into a practical classroom activity that improves Head Start children’s numerical knowledge. Playing the number board game as a small group learning activity promoted low-income children’s number line estimation, magnitude comparison, numeral identification, and counting. Improvements were also found when a paraprofessional from the children’s classroom played the game with the children. Observations of the game-playing sessions revealed that paraprofessionals adapted the feedback they provided to individual children’s improving numerical knowledge over the game-playing sessions and that children remained engaged in the board game play after multiple sessions. These findings suggest that the linear number board game can be used effectively in the classroom context.
A comparative study of ICA algorithms for ECG signal processing

Electro Cardiogram (ECG) signals are affected by various kinds of noise and artifacts that may hide important information of interest. Independent component analysis is a new technique suitable for separating independent component from ECG complexes. This paper compares the various Independent Component Analysis (ICA) algorithms with respect to their capability to remove noise from ECG. The data bases of ECG samples attributing to different beat types were sampled from MIT-BIH arrhythmia database for experiment. We compare the signal to noise ratio (SNR) improvement in the real ECG data with different ICA algorithms also we compare the SNR for simulated ECG signal on matlab; giving the selection choice of various ICA algorithms for different database.
Specificity of Experiential Effects in Neurocognitive Development

Here, we report research on the neuroplasticity of different subsystems within vision, audition, sensory integration, language, and attention. In each section, we note different profiles of plasticity observed in different subsystems within the domain, situations in which enhancements versus deficits are observed, and likely mechanisms contributing to these different profiles of plasticity. A final section describes our studies that test the hypothesis, raised by this basic research on human neuroplasticity, that interventions that target the most plastic, and thus potentially vulnerable, neurocognitive systems can protect and enhance children with, or at risk for, developmental deficits. For several years we have employed psychophysics, electrophysiological (ERP), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to study the development and neuroplasticity of the human brain. We have studied deaf and blind individuals, people who learned their first or second spoken or signed language at different ages, and children of different ages and stages of cognitive development. Here, we review our research on the neuroplasticity of different brain systems and subsystems. As detailed in the sections that follow, in each of the domains examined in this research we observe the following characteristics: • Different brain systems and subsystems and related sensory and cognitive abilities display different degrees and time periods (“profiles”) of neuroplasticity. • Neuroplasticity within a system acts as a double-edged sword, conferring the possibility for either enhancement or deficit. • Multiple mechanisms both support and constrain the ability to modify different brain systems and subsystems, with the most malleable systems generally displaying longer developmental trajectories, higher levels of redundant connectivity, and a greater concentration of neurochemicals, including CAT301 and BDNF important in neuroplasticity. In the sections that follow, we describe our research on neuroplasticity within visual, auditory, sensory integration, language, and attention systems. In each section, we note different profiles of plasticity that are system and context dependent and in which enhancements versus deficits are observed. We also propose likely mechanisms contributing to these different profiles of plasticity. A final section describes our studies that test the hypothesis, raised by this basic research on human neuroplasticity, that interventions that target the most plastic, and thus potentially most vulnerable, neurocognitive systems can protect and enhance children with, or at risk for, developmental deficits. I. Vision The primate visual system contains multiple distinct visual areas, with a gross segregation of cortical visual processing into dorsal and ventral streams that project respectively from V1 toward posterior parietal cortex and ventrally toward the temporal cortex (Grill-Spector & Malach, 2004; Ungerleider & Haxby, 1994). In our research, we observe that aspects of vision
Least-Squares Finite-Element Solution of the Neutron Transport Equation in Diffusive Regimes

A systematic solution approach for the neutron transport equation, based on a least-squares finite-element discretization, is presented. This approach includes the theory for the existence and uniqueness of the analytical as well as of the discrete solution, bounds for the discretization error, and guidance for the development of an efficient multigrid solver for the resulting discrete problem. To guarantee the accuracy of the discrete solution for diffusive regimes, a scaling transformation is applied to the transport operator prior to the discretization. The key result is the proof of the V-ellipticity and continuity of the scaled least-squares bilinear form with constants that are independent of the total cross section and the absorption cross section. For a variety of least-squares finite-element discretizations this leads to error bounds that remain valid in diffusive regimes. Moreover, for problems in slab geometry a full multigrid solver is presented with V(1,1)-cycle convergence factors approximately equal to 0.1 independent of the size of the total cross section and the absorption cross section.
The Role of Human Orbitofrontal Cortex in Value Comparison for Incommensurable Objects

The human orbitofrontal cortex is strongly implicated in appetitive valuation. Whether its role extends to support comparative valuation necessary to explain probabilistic choice patterns for incommensurable goods is unknown. Using a binary choice paradigm, we derived the subjective values of different bundles of goods, under conditions of both gain and loss. We demonstrate that orbitofrontal activation reflects the difference in subjective value between available options, an effect evident across valuation for both gains and losses. In contrast, activation in dorsal striatum and supplementary motor areas reflects subjects' choice probabilities. These findings indicate that orbitofrontal cortex plays a pivotal role in valuation for incommensurable goods, a critical component process in human decision making.
Social Buffering of Stress in Development: A Career Perspective

This review provides a broad overview of my research group’s work on social buffering in human development in the context of the field. Much of the focus is on social buffering of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) system, one of the two major arms of the mammalian stress system. This focus reflects the centrality of the HPA system in research on social buffering in the fields of developmental psychobiology and developmental science. However, buffering of the cardiovascular and autonomic nervous system is also discussed. The central developmental question in this area derives from attachment theory, which argues that the infant’s experience of stress and arousal regulation in the context of her early attachment relationships is not an immature form of social buffering experienced in adulthood but rather the foundation out of which individual differences in the capacity to gain stress relief from social partners emerges. The emergence of social buffering in infancy, changes in social buffering throughout childhood and adolescence, the influence of early experience on later individual differences in social buffering, and critical gaps in our knowledge are described.
Progression From Compensated Hypertrophy to Failure in the Pressure-Overloaded Human Heart: Structural Deterioration and Compensatory Mechanisms

Background—The progression of compensated hypertrophy to heart failure (HF) is still debated. We investigated patients with isolated valvular aortic stenosis and differing degrees of left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction to test the hypothesis that structural remodeling, as well as cell death, contributes to the transition to HF. Methods and Results—Structural alterations were studied in LV myectomies from 3 groups of patients (group 1: ejection fraction [EF] >50%, n=12; group 2: EF 30% to 50%, n=12; group 3: EF <30%, n=10) undergoing aortic valve replacement. Control patients were patients with mitral valve stenosis but normal LV (n=6). Myocyte hypertrophy was accompanied by increased nuclear DNA and Sc-35 (splicing factor) content. ACE and TGF-&bgr;1 were upregulated correlating with fibrosis, which increased 2.3-, 2.2-, and 3.2-fold over control in the 3 groups. Myocyte degeneration increased 10, 22, and 32 times over control. A significant correlation exists between EF and myocyte degeneration or fibrosis. Ubiquitin-related autophagic cell death was 0.5‰ in control and group 1, 1.05 in group 2, and 6.05‰ in group 3. Death by oncosis was 0‰ in control, 3‰ in group 1, and increased to 5‰ (groups 2 and 3). Apoptosis was not detectable in control and group 3, but it was present at 0.02‰ in group 1 and 0.01‰ in group 2. Cardiomyocyte mitosis was never observed. Conclusions—These structure-function correlations confirm the hypothesis that transition to HF occurs by fibrosis and myocyte degeneration partially compensated by hypertrophy involving DNA synthesis and transcription. Cell loss, mainly by autophagy and oncosis, contributes significantly to the progression of LV systolic dysfunction.
Colective Electronic Properties of Gapped Bilayer Graphene

The unique mechanical and electronic properties of graphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice, make it a promising material for applications in a number of new technologies including ultra capacitors, photvoltaic cells, and sensors. Single layer graphene by itself is a gapless semiconductor, however when two layers of graphene are brought together to form AB-stacked bilayer graphene and an electric field is applied perpendicular to the graphene plane the band structure develops a gap proportional to the magnitude of the electric field. This tunable band gap could have a number of applications in electronics. We have studied the static and dynamic screening of gapped AB-stacked bilayer graphene. Unlike previous works we use the full 4-band model instead of the simplified 2-band model. We find that there are important qualitative differences between the dielectric screening function obtained using the simplified 2-band model and the 4-band model. In particular, within the 4-band model, in the presence of a band-gap, the static screening exhibits Kohn anomalies that are absent within the simplified 2-band model. Moreover, using the 4-band model, we examine the effect of trigonal warping on the screening properties of bilayer graphene. We also find that the plasmon modes have qualitatively different character in the 4-band model compared to the ones obtained using the simplified 2-band model. The work presented here is based on work that has been published in Physical Review B [1].
A study of the 15‐μm quasars in the ELAIS N1 and N2 fields

This paper discusses the properties of the European Large Area ISO Survey (ELAIS) 15-μm quasars and tries to establish a robust method of quasar selection for future use within the Spitzer Wide-Area Infrared Extragalactic Survey (SWIRE) framework. The importance of good-quality ground-based optical data is stressed, both for the selection of candidates and for the estimation of photometric redshifts. Colour-colour plots and template fitting are used for these purposes. The properties of the 15-μm quasar sample, including variability and black hole masses, are studied and compared to the properties of other quasars that lie within the same fields but have no mid-infrared counterparts. The two subsamples do not present substantial differences and are believed to come from the same parent population.
Deep Convolutional Denoising of Low-Light Images

Poisson distribution is used for modeling noise in photon-limited imaging. While canonical examples include relatively exotic types of sensing like spectral imaging or astronomy, the problem is relevant to regular photography now more than ever due to the booming market for mobile cameras. Restricted form factor limits the amount of absorbed light, thus computational post-processing is called for. In this paper, we make use of the powerful framework of deep convolutional neural networks for Poisson denoising. We demonstrate how by training the same network with images having a specific peak value, our denoiser outperforms previous state-of-the-art by a large margin both visually and quantitatively. Being flexible and data-driven, our solution resolves the heavy ad hoc engineering used in previous methods and is an order of magnitude faster. We further show that by adding a reasonable prior on the class of the image being processed, another significant boost in performance is achieved.
Adaptive Variable Step Algorithm for Missing Samples Recovery in Sparse Signals

Recovery of arbitrarily positioned samples that are missing in sparse signals recently attracted significant research interest. Sparse signals with heavily corrupted arbitrary positioned samples could be analysed in the same way as compressive sensed signals by omitting the corrupted samples and considering them as unavailable during the recovery process. The reconstruction of the missing samples is done by using one of the well-known reconstruction algorithms. In this study, the authors will propose a very simple and efficient algorithm, applied directly to the concentration measures, without reformulating the reconstruction problem within the standard linear programming form. Direct application of the gradient approach to the non-differentiable forms of measures lead us to introduce a variable step size algorithm. A criterion for changing the adaptive algorithm parameters is presented. The results are illustrated on the examples with sparse signals, including approximately sparse signals and noisy sparse signals.