Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bernoulli Root − n consistent estimation of the marginal density in semiparametric autoregressive time series models

In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating the marginal density in some autoregressive time series models for which the conditional mean and variance have a parametric specification. Under some regularity conditions, we show that a kernel type estimate based on the residuals can be root−n consistent even if the noise density is unknown. Our results substantially extend those existing in the literature. Our assumptions are carefully checked for some standard time series models such as ARMA or GARCH processes. Asymptotic expansion of our estimator is obtained by combining some martingale type arguments and a coupling method for time series which is of independent interest. We also study the uniform convergence of our estimator on compact intervals.
Influence of social network on drug use among clients of methadone maintenance treatment centers in Kunming, China

Aims To examine drug use behavior of clients attending Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT) programs and its relationship with the clients’ social network characteristics. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Four MMT clinics in Kunming, Yunnan province, China. Participants 324 consecutive MMT clients. Measurements A structured, self-completed questionnaire on background characteristics and existing social network. Current drug use was assessed by urine test for opiate metabolites. Analysis The association between client's social network characteristics and their own current drug use behavior is analysed using multiple logistic regression adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) are obtained to give the strength of the associations. Findings MMT clients were more likely to concurrently use heroin while attending MMT if their social network had any of the following characteristics: more than half of the members were older than them (AOR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.00,1.06), any member had a high level of influence on them (AOR = 6.47, 95% CI = 2.86,14.65) and any member joined them in using drugs (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.04,3.63). Having a social network member who could provide emotional support (AOR = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.03,0.35), having a spouse and/or child in their social network (AOR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.24,0.81) and having a social network member with a high level of closeness (AOR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.09,0.90) were associated with a decreased odds of heroin use. Conclusion Social networks who could provide MMT clients with emotional support and a close relationship were significant factors for reducing the risk of concurrent drug use among clients attending MMT clinics in Kunming, China. Behavioral interventions should address the role of family and social network members in providing support to these clients.
Protein Carbonylation and Glycation in Legume Nodules1

In legume nodules, selective carbonylation and glycation of proteins occurs during nodule development and may have a role in the regulation of metabolism and senescence. Nitrogen fixation is an agronomically and environmentally important process catalyzed by bacterial nitrogenase within legume root nodules. These unique symbiotic organs have high metabolic rates and produce large amounts of reactive oxygen species that may modify proteins irreversibly. Here, we examined two types of oxidative posttranslational modifications of nodule proteins: carbonylation, which occurs by direct oxidation of certain amino acids or by interaction with reactive aldehydes arising from cell membrane lipid peroxides; and glycation, which results from the reaction of lysine and arginine residues with reducing sugars or their autooxidation products. We used a strategy based on the enrichment of carbonylated peptides by affinity chromatography followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to identify 369 oxidized proteins in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) nodules. Of these, 238 corresponded to plant proteins and 131 to bacterial proteins. Lipid peroxidation products induced most carbonylation sites. This study also revealed that carbonylation has major effects on two key nodule proteins. Metal-catalyzed oxidation caused the inactivation of malate dehydrogenase and the aggregation of leghemoglobin. In addition, numerous glycated proteins were identified in vivo, including three key nodule proteins: sucrose synthase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamate synthase. Label-free quantification identified 10 plant proteins and 18 bacterial proteins as age-specifically glycated. Overall, our results suggest that the selective carbonylation or glycation of crucial proteins involved in nitrogen metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and signaling may constitute a mechanism to control cell metabolism and nodule senescence.
The role of language proficiency and linguistic distance in cross-linguistic treatment effects in aphasia

ABSTRACT Current findings from intervention in bilingual aphasia are inconclusive regarding the extent to which levels of language proficiency and degree of linguistic distance between treated and non-treated languages influence cross-language generalisation and changes in levels of language activation and inhibition following treatment. In this study, we enrolled a 65-year-old multilingual speaker with aphasia and administered treatment in his L1, Dutch. We assessed pre- and post-treatment performance for seven of his languages, five of high proficiency and two of lower proficiency. We asked whether treatment in L1 would generalise to his other languages or increase interference among them. Forty hours of treatment were completed over the course of five weeks. Each language was tested three times at pretreatment and at post-treatment. Testing included measures of narrative production, answering questions, picture description and question generation. Dependent measures examined language efficiency, defined as Correct Information Units (CIUs)/min, as well as language mixing, defined as proportion of code-mixed whole words. We found that our participant’s improved efficiency in Dutch was mirrored by parallel improvement in the four languages of high proficiency: English, German, Italian and French. In contrast, in his languages of lower proficiency, Norwegian and Spanish, improved efficiency was limited. An increase in code-mixing was noted in Spanish, but not in Norwegian. We interpret the increased code-mixing in Spanish as indication of heightened inhibition following improvement in a language of close linguistic proximity, Italian. We conclude that an interaction of language proficiency and linguistic similarity affects cross-language generalisation following intervention in multilingual aphasia.
An Empirical Study of Visitors' Experience at Kuching Orchid Garden with Mobile Guide Application

This empirical study was conducted to measure visitors’ experiences with a mobile guide application at Kuching Orchid Garden (KOG). A between-group experimental design with 114 participants was conducted to test three groups;(1)a group using the mobile guide application as an information aid,(2)a control group (with no information aid), and(3)a group using pamphlets to explore the KOG. The Museum Experience Scale (MES) was used to evaluate visitors’ experience for all participants, whilst the Multimedia Guide Scale (MMGS) was used to evaluate the visitors’ experience with the mobile guide group. The most notable result from the Museum Experience Scale (MES) showed an impact on the visitors in terms of knowledge and learning when using the mobile guide application. However, the study found that enhancing visitors experience goes beyond simply providing interactive technologies in public settings to aid with information delivery. A limitation was providing relevant information in a timely and seamless manner due to inaccuracies of mapping between physical and digital environments. Future works should consider beacons and other Bluetooth low energy (BLE) technology to address the issues with location based devices. It is also important to highlight that the use of one’s own device had a significant impact on learnability and control of the device, thus suggesting that the BYOD concept should be widely used in informal educational settings implementing mobile guide applications. The use of MES and MMGS informs future researches with an understanding of the different dimensions of visitors’ experiences with mobile guide technology in public spaces to inform mobile application development that may further boost visitors’ engagement, emotional connection, and meaningful experience.
Clinical subcategorization of minimally conscious state according to resting functional connectivity

Patients in minimally conscious state (MCS) have been subcategorized in MCS plus and MCS minus, based on command‐following, intelligible verbalization or intentional communication. We here aimed to better characterize the functional neuroanatomy of MCS based on this clinical subcategorization by means of resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Resting state fMRI was acquired in 292 MCS patients and a seed‐based analysis was conducted on a convenience sample of 10 MCS plus patients, 9 MCS minus patients and 35 healthy subjects. We investigated the left and right frontoparietal networks (FPN), auditory network, default mode network (DMN), thalamocortical connectivity and DMN between‐network anticorrelations. We also employed an analysis based on regions of interest (ROI) to examine interhemispheric connectivity and investigated intergroup differences in gray/white matter volume by means of voxel‐based morphometry. We found a higher connectivity in MCS plus as compared to MCS minus in the left FPN, specifically between the left dorso‐lateral prefrontal cortex and left temporo‐occipital fusiform cortex. No differences between patient groups were observed in the auditory network, right FPN, DMN, thalamocortical and interhemispheric connectivity, between‐network anticorrelations and gray/white matter volume. Our preliminary group‐level results suggest that the clinical subcategorization of MCS may involve functional connectivity differences in a language‐related executive control network. MCS plus and minus patients are seemingly not differentiated by networks associated to auditory processing, perception of surroundings and internal awareness/self‐mentation, nor by interhemispheric integration and structural brain damage.
Dynamic imaging of multiphase flow through porous media using 4D cumulative reconstruction

This paper introduces an original application on reconstruction strategies for X‐ray computed microtomography, enabling the observation of time‐dependent changes that occur during multiphase flow. In general, by sparsely collecting radiographs, the reconstruction of the object is compromised. Optimizations can be achieved by combining specific characteristics of the dynamics with the acquisition. Herein, the proposed method relies on short random intervals in which no drastic changes occur in the sample to acquire as many radiographs as possible that constitute a reconstructible data set. As these intervals are unpredictable, the method tries to guarantee that the collected radiograph data during these specific intervals are enough to recover useful information about the dynamics. Simulations of a percolating fluid in a digital rock are used to replicate an X‐ray computed microtomography experiment to test the proposed method. The results demonstrate the potential of the proposed strategy for imaging multiphase flow in porous media and how data collected during distinct events can be combined to enhance the reconstruction of frames of the percolation process.
A Novel Framework for Ab Initio Coarse Protein Structure Prediction

Hydrophobic-Polar model is a simplified representation of Protein Structure Prediction (PSP) problem. However, even with the HP model, the PSP problem remains NP-complete. This work proposes a systematic and problem specific design for operators of the evolutionary program which hybrids with local search hill climbing, to efficiently explore the search space of PSP and thereby obtain an optimum conformation. The proposed algorithm achieves this by incorporating the following novel features: (i) new initialization method which generates only valid individuals with (rather than random) better fitness values; (ii) use of probability-based selection operators that limit the local convergence; (iii) use of secondary structure based mutation operator that makes the structure more closely to the laboratory determined structure; and (iv) incorporating all the above-mentioned features developed a complete two-tier framework. The developed framework builds the protein conformation on the square and triangular lattice. The test has been performed using benchmark sequences, and a comparative evaluation is done with various state-of-the-art algorithms. Moreover, in addition to hypothetical test sequences, we have tested protein sequences deposited in protein database repository. It has been observed that the proposed framework has shown superior performance regarding accuracy (fitness value) and speed (number of generations needed to attain the final conformation). The concepts used to enhance the performance are generic and can be used with any other population-based search algorithm such as genetic algorithm, ant colony optimization, and immune algorithm.
Cognitive Ability and Games of School Choice

We take school admission mechanisms to the lab to test whether the widely-used manipulable Boston-mechanism disadvantages students of lower cognitive ability and whether this leads to ability segregation across schools. Results show this is the case: lower ability participants receive lower payoffs and are over-represented at the worst school. Under the strategy-proof Deferred Acceptance mechanism, payoff differences are reduced, and ability distributions across schools harmonized. Hence, we find support for the argument that a strategy-proof mechanisms “levels the playing-field”. Finally, we document a trade-off between equity and efficiency in that average payoffs are larger under Boston than under Deferred Acceptance.
Interaction of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 and Zpx in Cronobacter turicensis LMG 23827T mediated infections in the zebrafish model

Bacteria belonging to the genus Cronobacter have been recognized as causative agents of life‐threatening systemic infections primarily in premature and low‐birthweight neonates. Validation of putative bacterial virulence components as well as host factors potentially involved in the response to infection has been hampered in the past by the availability of suitable neonatal animal models. In the current study, the zebrafish embryo model was employed to study the interaction of the zinc metalloproteinase Zpx present in Cronobacter turicensis LMG 23827T, with the eukaryotic MMP‐9, a proteinase that functions to cleave extracellular matrix gelatin and collagen. Cleavage and activation of the human recombinant pro‐MMP‐9 by zpx‐expressing C. turicensis cells were demonstrated in vitro, and the presence and increase of the processed, active form of zebrafish pro‐MMP‐9 were shown in vivo. We provided evidence that Zpx induces the expression of the mmp‐9 but also increases the levels of processed MMP‐9 during infection. The involvement of the MMP‐9 in induction of the expression of the bacterial Zpx was shown in zebrafish mmp‐9 morphant experiments. This study identified MMP‐9 as a substrate of Zpx and demonstrated yet‐undescribed mutual cross‐talk between these two proteases in infections mediated by C. turicensis LMG 23827T.
Effectiveness of Live Attenuated vs Inactivated Influenza Vaccines in Children During the 2012-2013 Through 2015-2016 Influenza Seasons in Alberta, Canada: A Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) Study

Importance Recent observational studies report conflicting results regarding the effectiveness of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), particularly against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. Objective To compare the effectiveness of LAIV and inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) against laboratory-confirmed influenza. Design, Setting, and Participants A test-negative study to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) using population-based, linked, individual-level laboratory, health administrative, and immunization data. Data were obtained from 10 169 children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 years (children) who were tested for influenza in inpatient or outpatient settings during periods when influenza was circulating based on a threshold level of 5% weekly test positivity for the province during the 4 influenza seasons spanning from November 11, 2012, to April 30, 2016, in Alberta, Canada. Logistic regression was used to estimate VE by vaccine type, influenza season, and influenza type and subtype. The relative effectiveness of each vaccine type was assessed by comparing the odds of laboratory-confirmed influenza infection for LAIV recipients with that for IIV recipients. Exposures The primary exposure was receipt of LAIV or IIV before testing for influenza. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was influenza case status as determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction testing. Results A total of 10 779 respiratory specimens (from 10 169 children) collected and tested for influenza during the 4 influenza seasons were included, with 53.4% from males; the mean (SD) age was 7.0 (4.6) years. Across the 4 influenza seasons, 3161 children tested positive for influenza. Combining the 4 influenza seasons, the adjusted VE against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 was 69% (95% CI, 56%-78%) for LAIV compared with 79% (95% CI, 70%-86%) for IIV. Vaccine effectiveness against influenza A(H3N2) was 36% (95% CI, 14%-53%) for LAIV and 43% (95% CI, 22%-59%) for IIV. Against influenza B, VE was 74% (95% CI, 62%-82%) for LAIV and 56% (95% CI, 41%-66%) for IIV. There were no significant differences in the odds of influenza infection for LAIV recipients compared with IIV recipients except for influenza B during the 2015-2016 season, when LAIV recipients had lower odds of infection than IIV recipients (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.17-0.76). Conclusions and Relevance There was no evidence to support the lack of effectiveness of LAIV against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09. These results support administration of either vaccine type in this age group.
Association of Maternal Diabetes With Neonatal Outcomes of Very Preterm and Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants: An International Cohort Study

Importance Diabetes in pregnancy is associated with a 2-times to 3-times higher rate of very preterm birth than in women without diabetes. Very preterm infants are at high risk of death and severe morbidity. The association of maternal diabetes with these risks is unclear. Objective To determine the associations between maternal diabetes and in-hospital mortality, as well as neonatal morbidity in very preterm infants with a birth weight of less than 1500 g. Design, Setting, Participants This retrospective cohort study was conducted at 7 national networks in high-income countries that are part of the International Neonatal Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates and used prospectively collected data on 76 360 very preterm, singleton infants without malformations born between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015, at 24 to 31 weeks’ gestation with birth weights of less than 1500 g, 3280 (4.3%) of whom were born to diabetic mothers. Exposures Any type of diabetes during pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes were severe neonatal morbidities, including intraventricular hemorrhages of grade 3 to 4, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity needing treatment and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and other morbidities, including respiratory distress, treated patent ductus arteriosus, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals were estimated, adjusted for potential confounders, and stratified by gestational age (GA), sex, and network. Results The mean (SD) birth weight of offspring born to mothers with diabetes was significantly higher at 1081 (262) g than in offspring born to mothers without diabetes (mean [SD] birth weight, 1027 [270] g). Mothers with diabetes were older and had more hypertensive disorders, antenatal steroid treatments, and deliveries by cesarean delivery than mothers without diabetes. Infants of mothers with diabetes were born at a later GA than infants of mothers without diabetes. In-hospital mortality (6.6% vs 8.3%) and the composite of mortality and severe morbidity (31.6% vs 40.6%) were lower in infants of mothers with diabetes. However, in adjusted analyses, no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR, 1.16 (95% CI, 0.97-1.39) or the composite of mortality and severe morbidity (adjusted OR, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.88-1.10) were observed. With few exceptions, outcomes of infants born to mothers with and without diabetes were similar regardless of infant sex, GA, or country of birth. Conclusions and Relevance In high-resource settings, maternal diabetes is not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality or severe morbidity in very preterm infants with a birth weight of fewer than 1500 g.
When the media matters for electoral performance

In this article, we analyse the connection between media exposure and opinion polls for political parties or “the media influence”. We compare two parliamentary periods in Sweden: 2006–2010 and 2010–2014. Our results show that the media is important for the anti-immigration party, the Sweden Democrats (SD) in the first period. This is not the case, or at least less so, for the other parliamentary parties. In the second period, media exposure wanes in importance for explaining poll fluctuations as well as shifts from national to regional media for the Sweden Democrats. These findings are in consonance with previous research which underlines that the media´s influence on electoral performance differs before and after the party has crossed the electoral threshold to the national parliament.
Reproductive , maternal , neonatal and child health in the 30 years since the creation of the Unified Health System ( SUS )

This study presents an overview of public sector interventions and progress made on the women’s and child health front in Brazil between 1990 and 2015. We analyzed indicators of antenatal and labor and delivery care and maternal and infant health status using data from the Live Birth Information System and Mortality Information System, national surveys, published articles, and other sources. We also outline the main women’s and child health policies and intersectoral poverty reduction programs. There was a sharp fall in fertility rates; the country achieved universal access to antenatal and labor and delivery care services; access to contraception and breastfeeding improved significantly; there was a reduction in hospital admissions due to abortion and in malnutrition. The rates of congenital syphilis, caesarean sections and preterm births remain excessive. Under-five mortality decreased by more than two-thirds, but less pronounced for the neonatal component. The maternal mortality ratio decreased from 143.2 to 59.7 per 100 000 live births. Despite worsening scores or levelling off across certain health indicators, the large majority improved markedly.