Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Communities” in Community Engagement: Lessons Learned From Autism Research in South Korea and South Africa

Little research has been conducted on behavioral characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from diverse cultures within the US, or from countries outside of the US or Europe, with little reliable information yet reported from developing countries. We describe the process used to engage diverse communities in ASD research in two community‐based research projects—an epidemiologic investigation of 7‐ to 12‐year olds in South Korea and the Early Autism Project, an ASD detection program for 18‐ to 36‐month‐old Zulu‐speaking children in South Africa. Despite the differences in wealth between these communities, ASD is underdiagnosed in both settings, and generally not reported in clinical or educational records. Moreover, in both countries, there is low availability of services. In both cases, local knowledge helped researchers to address both ethnographic as well as practical problems. Researchers identified the ways in which these communities generate and negotiate the cultural meanings of developmental disorders. Researchers incorporated that knowledge, as they engaged communities in a research protocol, adapted and translated screening and diagnostic tools, and developed methods for screening, evaluating, and diagnosing children with ASD. Autism Res 2012, 5: 201–210. © 2012 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Phenotypic analysis of spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood cells in aged C57B1/6 mice following long-term exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

A mouse model was used to identify potential biomarkers of exposure to the environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Female C57B1/6 mice were treated weekly with 0.2 microgram TCDD/kg body weight or vehicle for 14-15 months. Phenotypic analysis by flow cytometry identified the major cell subpopulations in the spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood as defined by the expression of CD4, CD8, B220, and Mac-1 molecules. These subpopulations were further characterized for the expression of I-A, Pgp-1, CD45RB, and/or T cell receptor antigens (CD3, alpha beta, gamma delta). A group of young (4 months old) mice was evaluated concurrently to document immunophenotype alterations associated with aging. Results showed several age-related changes in phenotype distribution in the spleen and blood, but not in the thymus, despite significant age-dependent thymic involution. The age-dependent changes in splenic phenotypes included a decreased frequency of CD4+ cells and a major shift in the frequency distribution from naive T cells to effector and memory T cells as defined by Pgp-1 and CD45RB expression. These phenotypic changes in the spleen due to aging correlated with similar changes in the blood, providing preliminary support for the use of spleen cells as surrogates for blood in the development of biomarkers of immunotoxicity. In comparison to the effects of aging, TCDD treatment produced relatively subtle changes in immunophenotypes. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Labial salivary gland tumors

A study was conducted on labial salivary gland tumors from four oral pathology laboratories. Of the 103 identified tumors, 87 (84.5%) were from the upper lip, whereas 16 (15.5%) were from the lower lip. Of the 87 upper lip tumors, 80 (92.0%) were benign. Forty‐three of these were monomorphic adenomas and 37 were pleomorphic adenomas. Seven malignant tumors of the upper lip were as follows: four adenoid cystic carcinomas, two acinic cell carcinomas, and one adenocarcinoma. Of the 16 lower lip tumors, 15 (93.8%) were malignant. Thirteen of these were mucoepidermoid carcinomas and two were acinic cell carcinomas. The only benign lower lip tumor was an intraductal papilloma. These results confirm the findings of previous investigations, showing that minor salivary gland tumors are much more common in the upper lip than the lower lip, but that lower lip tumors are more likely to be malignant.
Roles of two allelic variants (Arg144Cys and Ile359Leu) of cytochrome P4502C9 in the oxidation of tolbutamide and warfarin by human liver microsomes.

1. Tolbutamide methyl hydroxylation and racemic warfarin 7-hydroxylation activities were determined in liver microsomes of 39 Japanese and 45 Caucasians genotyped for the cytochrome P450 (P450 or CYP) 2C9 gene into three groups, namely the wild-type (Arg144.Ile359), and two heterozygous Cys allele (Cys144.Ile359) and Leu allele (Arg144.Leu359) variants. 2. Good correlations were found between tolbutamide methyl hydroxylation and racemic warfarin 7-hydroxylation activities in liver microsomes of Japanese and Caucasians. Humans with the Cys allele CYP2C9 variant, which was detected in 22% of Caucasians, were found to have similar catalytic rates to those of the wild-type in the oxidations of tolbutamide and racemic warfarin, whereas humans with the Leu allele, which was detected in 8% Japanese and 7% Caucasian samples, had lower catalytic rates than those of other two groups. 3. The rates of 6- and 7-hydroxylation of racemic warfarin were correlated well with those of S-warfarin, but not R-warfarin, in human liver microsomes. 4. Both human liver microsomes and recombinant CYP2C9 catalysed 7-hydroxylation of S-warfarin more extensively than those of R-warfarin. K(m)'s for the 7-hydroxylation of S-warfarin were not very different in liver microsomes of humans with these three genotypes. Anti-CYP2C9 antibodies and sulphaphenazole inhibited the 6- and 7-hydroxylation of S-warfarin, but not R-warfarin, by > 90% and the methyl hydroxylation of tolbutamide by about 50%. 5. These results suggest that humans with Leu allele of CYP2C9 have lower Vmax's for S-warfarin 7-hydroxylation and tolbutamide methyl hydroxylation than those with wild-type and Cys allele CYP2C9, although the K(m)'s are not very different in liver microsomes of these three groups of humans. R-warfarin hydroxylation may be catalysed by P450 enzymes other than CYP2C9 in man.
Efficient Query Processing in 3D Motion Capture Gesture Databases

One of the most fundamental challenges when accessing gestural patterns in 3D motion capture databases is the definition of spatiotemporal similarity. While distance-based similarity models such as the Gesture Matching Distance on gesture signatures are able to leverage the spatial and temporal characteristics of gestural patterns, their applicability to large 3D motion capture databases is limited due to their high computational complexity. To this end, we present a lower bound approximation of the Gesture Matching Distance that can be utilized in an optimal multi-step query processing architecture in order to support efficient query processing. We investigate the performance in terms of accuracy and efficiency based on 3D motion capture databases and show that our approach is able to achieve an increase in efficiency of more than one order of magnitude with a negligible loss in accuracy. In addition, we discuss different applications in the digital humanities in order to highlight the significance of si.
Effect of Chloroquine on the Urinary Excretion of Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is an inexpensive antibacterial, whereas chloroquine is an inexpensive antimalarial. The coadministration of chloroquine and ciprofloxacin is easily encountered because both drugs are commonly prescribed to patients in the tropics. Five healthy male volunteers aged 19 to 31 years who were not taking any of the prescribed medications and who had no sensitivity to either ciprofloxacin or chloroquine each received 500 mg ciprofloxacin orally with 250 mL of water, and after a 2-week washout period, 500 mg ciprofloxacin plus 600 mg chloroquine was administered orally with 250 mL of water after providing informed consent. A urine sample (7 mL) was collected just before taking the drug at 8:00 am representing 0 hour and continued afterward at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours the next day. The samples were stored at −20°C until analyzed. The minimum inhibitory concentrations by diffusion through agar technique were used for the assay of urine ciprofloxacin. The rate of ciprofloxacin excretion and cumulative urine ciprofloxacin were significantly increased. The coadministration of chloroquine increased the cumulative urinary concentration and excretion rate of ciprofloxacin.
In-task and post-task affective response to exercise: translating exercise intentions into behaviour.

OBJECTIVES To test whether affective response to an acute bout of exercise can predict regular voluntary exercise, and specifically whether a positive affective response helps translate intentions into behaviour. DESIGN A prospective correlational design. METHODS Participants (N=127) recruited from the community reported intentions to engage in voluntary exercise and frequency of participation in voluntary exercise both at baseline and at a 3-month follow-up. Self-reported positive affect, negative affect, tranquillity, and fatigue were assessed during a bout of moderate intensity exercise. RESULTS Within subject slopes for increases in positive affect and decreases in fatigue during exercise, and increased tranquillity and decreased fatigue post-exercise were associated with more frequent participation in exercise at follow-up. Changes in negative affect did not predict exercise at follow-up; however, this was likely due to floor effects leading to lack of baseline variability in negative affect. Importantly, a positive affective response to exercise moderated the intention-behaviour relationship, such that those who responded to exercise more favourably exhibited stronger relationships between intentions and future exercise behaviour Conclusions: We conclude that exercise-related increases in positive affect and tranquillity and decreases in feelings of fatigue can aid in the successful translation of exercise intentions into behaviour.
Factors Affecting IT Adoption within Indonesian SMEs: Manager's Perspectives

This paper presents some findings from an ongoing doctoral research project investigating the adoption of Information Technology (IT) within Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The aim of this research is to compare the actual factors influencing Indonesian SME managers in IT adoption decisions with those factors suggested in the literature, which is drawn mainly from research in developed countries. An initial model of factors affecting managers' decisions regarding the adoption of IT was developed from the literature. This model includes external and internal factors and was used to develop semi-structured interviews with 35 managers of Indonesian SMEs in the area of furniture and handicraft. Factors influencing Indonesian SME managers in IT adoption decisions were extracted from the interviews and compared to the literature.
THE HISTORY OF THE WORD FOR CACAO IN ANCIENT MESOAMERICA

Abstract The word *kakaw(a) (‘cacao’, Theobroma cacao) was widely diffused among Mesoamerican languages, and from there to much of lower Central America. This study provides evidence establishing beyond reasonable doubt that this word originated in the Mije-Sokean family; that it spread from the Mije-Sokean languages in or around the Olmec heartland into southeastern Mesoamerican languages; that its diffusion into Mayan languages took place between about 200 B.C. and A.D. 400; and that it spread from a Mije-Sokean language in or near the Basin of Mexico into languages in the region. It shows that each of the arguments presented by Dakin and Wichmann (2000) against a Mije-Sokean origin is either unworkable, is based upon false premises, or is not relevant; and that their proposed alternative — that it originated in and spread from Nawa into other Mesoamerican languages — conflicts with the mass of evidence relevant to the issue. This study also discusses the linguistic details of vocabulary for drinks made from cacao; shows that no proposed etymology for the word chocolate is correct, but agrees with Dakin and Wichmann that its proximate source is a Nawa form chikola:tl; and discusses the history of words for Theobroma bicolor (‘Nicaragua chocolate tree; pataxte’) and their use. The linguistic data are pertinent to issues of intergroup interaction in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, but do not shed light on the nature or the cultural context of the diffusion of cacao in Mesoamerica, nor on its uses.
Administration of Corticosteroids for Acute Spinal Cord Injury: The Current Practice of Trauma Medical Directors and Emergency Medical System Physician Advisors

Objective. In 1997, the results from the Third National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study (NASCIS 3) were published. We undertook the present study to determine the treatment protocols for patients with spinal cord injuries in Colorado and assess whether there were any barriers to the administration of corticosteroids. Study Design. Cross-sectional. Methods. In May 1999, surveys were mailed to every trauma facility medical director and emergency medical system physician advisor in the state. Physicians were asked to provide information about their facilities’ or agencies’ current practice(s) for administering steroids to patients with spinal cord injuries. They were also asked about their opinion on whether the data on corticosteroid treatment for spinal cord injury support its use. Results. Ninety-eight percent (39 out of 41) of the medical directors who responded and treat patients with spinal cord injuries said that their facilities do administer steroids to those patients. Fourteen percent reported following the NASCIS 3 protocol; 75%, the NASCIS 2 protocol. About half of the medical directors were either uncertain or did not believe that the data regarding the corticosteroid treatment for spinal cord injury supported its use. The majority of physician advisors responded that they do not authorize the administration of corticosteroids to patients with spinal cord injuries in the field, primarily because of short transport times. Conclusions. Our study demonstrated relatively poor compliance with the NASCIS 3 protocol, but good compliance with the NASCIS 2 protocol. There was skepticism about the efficacy of corticosteroid treatment among some Colorado physicians that treat patients with spinal cord injuries acutely; however, this does not completely explain the findings.
Bacterial flora of the jejunum following peptic ulcer surgery.

Bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel has been demonstrated in the blind loop syndrome and implicated in various postgastrectomy states. Vagotomy and antrectomy was performed in 20 patients with duodenal ulcer requiring elective surgery, gastroduodenostomy reconstruction being used in 16 patients and gastrojejunostomy in four patients. Quantitative aerobic and anaerobic bacteriology of the jejunum demonstrated a consistent and marked increase in the number of microorganisms comprising the microbial flora. Correlation of basal and stimulated gastric secretory output with postoperative bacterial overgrowth failed to demonstrate any definite control exerted by gastric acid over bacterial proliferation in the jejunum. The presence of large numbers of microorganisms in the small bowel might relate to several of the postgastrectomy syndromes.
Prevalence and risk factors of MRSA, ESBL and MDR bacterial colonization upon admission to an Egyptian medical ICU.

INTRODUCTION Bacterial colonization of the skin and mucous membranes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients with virulent organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) frequently results in life-threatening infections. Universal screening of ICU patients upon admission has been suggested. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence and pattern of MRSA, ESBL, and MDR-GNB colonization in patients upon admission to an Egyptian medical ICU, along with the related demographic and clinical risk factors. METHODOLOGY Throat, axillary, and groin swabs were obtained from all study participants in addition to rectal swabs from consenting patients. These swabs were screened for MRSA, ESBL, and MDR-GNB. RESULTS Of the patients included in the study, 33%, 13%, and 63% were colonized with ESBL, MDR-GNB, and MRSA organisms, respectively. Those suffering from a more severe disease with a simplified acute physiology score II (SAPS II) > 29 demonstrated higher levels of MDR-GNB colonization upon admission, while MDR-GNB or ESBL colonization upon admission was associated with higher ICU mortality. CONCLUSIONS Colonization of ICU patients with superbugs upon admission has an impact on outcome and mortality. In this Egyptian example, colonization rates were higher than in other literature reports, demonstrating the need for routine screening and decolonization, if applicable.
Development and Validation of the Coping With Terror Scale

Terrorism creates lingering anxiety about future attacks. In prior terror research, the conceptualization and measurement of coping behaviors were constrained by the use of existing coping scales that index reactions to daily hassles and demands. The authors created and validated the Coping with Terror Scale to fill the measurement gap. The authors emphasized content validity, leveraging the knowledge of terror experts and groups of Israelis. A multistep approach involved construct definition and item generation, trimming and refining the measure, exploring the factor structure underlying item responses, and garnering evidence for reliability and validity. The final scale comprised six factors that were generally consistent with the authors’ original construct specifications. Scores on items linked to these factors demonstrate good reliability and validity. Future studies using the Coping with Terror Scale with other populations facing terrorist threats are needed to test its ability to predict resilience, functional impairment, and psychological distress.
EFFECT OF MEDICINAL HERB EXTRACTS ON ORODENTAL INFECTION CAUSING BACTERIA

The orodental infection is frequently underestimated in terms of its morbidity and mortality. The risk of potential serious consequences arising from the spread of a dental infection is still relevant today with many hospital admissions for dental sepsis. The present study focuses on the study of the different microbial flora associated with the orodental infection. The research comprised both the control and study group consisting of patients with dental caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. All the samples were collected, processed aseptically and the predominant microbial flora was isolated. Nowadays, instead of chemotherapeutic agents, herbal extracts have received special attention because of being non-chemical and non-synthetic and their importance in traditional medicine. Hence different herbs were collected, processed and extracted using following method. Seven Live and healthy herbal plant were collected from different ayurvedic shops in and around Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The antibacterial activities of the selected herbal extracts were tested against the isolated dental pathogens by disc diffusion method.
Classifying driver's uncertainty for developing trustworthy assistance systems

This paper presents the results of a first step in a longer - term research approach to investigate the influence of uncertainty on drivers' trust in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The first step is to classify driver's uncertainty in lane changing situations. In a pilot study(n=5), the effect of distance gap on driver's uncertainty was studied using a driving simulator. The results indicated a U shaped relationship between distance gaps, reaction times and uncertainty scores.
Extending the Linearity Range of Eddy-Current Displacement Sensor With Magnetoplated Wire

The ratio of the linearity range Lo to the coil diameter D of the ordinary eddy-current (EC) displacement sensor, Lo/D, is approximately 0.48. In conventional technology, the coil diameter needs to be increased to extend the measuring range of the EC displacement sensor. In this paper, we propose the use of magnetoplated wire (MPW) for the coil winding to improve the Lo /D ratio. An MPW is a copper wire whose circumference is plated with a magnetic thin film. We discuss the physical phenomena and impedance characteristics of the MPW coil and compare them with those of a coil that uses a conventional copper wire (COW). The Lo/D values of an EC sensor with an MPW coil and with a COW coil are 1.0 and 0.48, respectively. These results demonstrate the ability of the MPW coil to double Lo/D value over that of the COW coil
Risk Factors for Disseminated Candidiasis in Children with Candidemia

Objective: To determine the risk factors for disseminated infection in hospitalized children with candidemia. Methods: We performed a nested case-control study within a cohort of hospitalized children with candidemia. The cohort was defined by all patients with positive blood cultures for Candida species in a large, urban, academic, tertiary care children's hospital from 1998 to 2001. Cases were patients with clinical, microbiologic or radiographic evidence of disseminated candidiasis. Controls were patients with no evidence of disseminated candidiasis. Results: Among 168 total children with candidemia, the median age was 3.5 years (interquartile range, 0.6–14.3). There were 189 episodes of candidemia. Candida species included:Candida albicans (41%), Candida parapsilosis (24%), Candida glabrata (13%) and Candida tropicalis (9%). The most common underlying diagnoses were oncologic (24%), gastrointestinal (15%) and cardiac (10%) diseases. Eighty-nine patients (53%) were admitted to an intensive care unit, 46 (27%) to a general pediatric or surgical ward and 33 (20%) to the oncology ward. Of the 168 patients with candidemia, 153 were included in the analysis of risk factors for disseminated candidiasis. Of 153 (17%) patients, 26 had evidence of organ dissemination. Organ involvement was most commonly identified in the lung (58%), followed by the liver (23%), kidney (16%), brain (12%), spleen (8%), eye (8%) and heart (8%). Eight of the 26 patients had evidence of dissemination to more than 1 organ. Independent risk factors for disseminated candidiasis were persistently positive blood cultures for Candida (>3 days) with a central venous catheter in place (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.2, 7.8; P = 0.02) and immunosuppression (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.2, 7.0; P = 0.02). Conclusions: Prolonged duration of candidemia with a central venous catheter in place and immunosuppression were independent risk factors for disseminated candidiasis in children with candidemia. Furthermore review of the epidemiology of candidemia at our institution revealed a heterogeneous population of children at risk for candidemia and a predominance of non-albicans species as the cause of these infections. Future studies are needed to determine the extent of evaluation needed for detecting dissemination among children with candidemia and to explore interventions for its prevention.
Low fertilization rates in a pelagic copepod caused by sexual selection

We studied female fertilization status in North Sea summer populations and laboratory cultures of the marine copepod Temora longicornis and found fractions of fertilized females in both field and laboratory populations that were much smaller (,50%) than predicted by a theoretical model that assumes random mating. Such low fertilization rates are normally related to environmental factors such as poor food or low densities, which we could not confirm in our experiment. Male density was negatively related to fertilization rate, and a large fraction of males did not mate in laboratory incubations. We therefore suggest that sexual selection, through mate choice or male–male competition could account for low fertilization rates of females in populations of pelagic copepods during some periods of the year.