Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the Language Phenotype in Children With Typical Development, Specific Language Impairment, and Fragile X Syndrome.

Purpose One aspect of morphosyntax, finiteness marking, was compared in children with fragile X syndrome (FXS), specific language impairment (SLI), and typical development matched on mean length of utterance (MLU). Method Nineteen children with typical development (mean age = 3.3 years), 20 children with SLI (mean age = 4.9 years), and 17 boys with FXS (mean age = 11.9 years) completed the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (TEGI; Rice & Wexler, 2001), and other cognitive and language assessments. Quantitative comparisons on finiteness marking and qualitative comparisons of unscorable (i.e., nontarget) TEGI responses were conducted. Results Children with typical development and FXS performed better on finiteness marking than children with SLI. Although unscorable responses were infrequent, boys with FXS produced more unscorable responses than children with typical development and SLI. Conclusions Although boys with FXS have language deficits, they performed similarly to MLU-matched typically developing children on finiteness marking. This language profile differs from children with SLI, who present with a delay-within-a-delay profile with finiteness marking delays that exceed delays in MLU. Unscorable responses produced by the boys with FXS may reflect pragmatic deficits, which are prominent in this population. Assessment procedures should be carefully considered when examining language in boys with FXS.
Multiplex conductance and gossip based information spreading in multiplex networks

In this work, we study the information spreading time in multiplex networks, adopting the gossip (random-walk) based information spreading model. A new metric called multiplex conductance is defined based on the multiplex network structure and used to quantify the information spreading time in a general multiplex network in the idealized setting. Multiplex conductance is then evaluated for some interesting multiplex networks to facilitate understanding in this new area. Finally, the tradeoff between the information spreading efficiency improvement and the layer cost is examined to explain the user's social behavior and motivate effective multiplex network designs.
Knowledge workers' ambidexterity: conceptual separation of competencies and behavioural dispositions

While previous literature on organisational ambidexterity research has largely focused on the organisational or top management level, research on individual ambidexterity is in the early stage. The present study expands research in this area by proposing conceptual separation of core competencies for individuals' ambidexterity and their relations to behavioural ambidexterity. Drawing from the literature on organisational ambidexterity and knowledge management, the authors coined the term knowledge workers' integrated ambidexterity competency, a multidimensional construct that consists of cognitive, information, and social skills. Hypotheses are developed to test the multidimensionality and causal relationships among constructs. Empirical analysis with survey data from 293 knowledge workers in South Korea supports the validity of the multidimensional construct and indicates that integrated ambidexterity competency, involving an interaction of cognitive, information, and social skills, drives behavioural ambidexterity. The contribution of the study lies in advancing the theory of organisational ambidexterity by conceptual separation of competencies from behaviour as well as the development of the multifaceted perspectives of the competencies, and the development of measurement items.
Trading Better Versus Making More: Evidence from an Emerging Market

ABSTRACT Using transaction data from Egypt, we examined the controversy over which investor—domestic or foreign—has superior trading performance in emerging markets. We account for informational and behavioral differences across investors by classifying them by origin and type and comparing their performance in trade execution versus profitability. Domestic institutions execute trades at the best prices with the greatest advantage against foreign institutions. This advantage is reduced when foreign institutions focus on large firms and trades. Profitability analysis revealed, however, that domestic investors accrue significant losses against foreign investors, suggesting that trading better does not necessarily translate into making more money.
The Effect of Content and Physical Properties of Affective Pictures on Emotional Responses

The aim of this research was to study the influence of both the emotional content and the physical characteristics of affective stimuli on the psychophysiological, behavioral and cognitive indexes of the emotional response. We selected 54 pictures from the IAPS, depicting unpleasant, neutral, and pleasant contents, and used two picture sizes as experimental conditions (120 × 90 cm and 52 × 42 cm). Sixty-one subjects were randomly assigned to each experimental condition. We recorded the startle blink reflex, skin conductance response, heart rate, free viewing time, and picture valence and arousal ratings. In line with previous research (e.g., Bradley, Codispoti, Cuthbert, & Lang, 2001), our data showed an effect of the affective content on all the measurements recorded. Importantly, effects of the size of the affective pictures on emotional responses were not found, indicating that the emotional content is more important than the formal properties of the stimuli in evoking the emotional response. El objetivo de esta investigación fue estudiar la influencia del contenido emocional y de las características físicas de los estímulos afectivos sobre los índices psicofisiológicos, conductuales y cognitivos de la respuesta emocional. Seleccionamos 54 imágenes del IAPS, representando contenidos desagradables, neutros y agradables y usamos dos tamaños de imagen como condiciones experimentales (120 × 90 cm y 52 × 42 cm). Los 61 sujetos que conformaban la muestra experimental se asignaron de forma aleatoria a cada condición experimental. Registramos el parpadeo reflejo de sobresalto, la respuesta de conductancia de la piel, la frecuencia cardiaca, el tiempo de visión y las estimaciones de valencia afectiva y arousal de las imágenes. De acuerdo con la investigación previa (p. ej., Bradley, Codispoti, Cuthbert y Lang, 2001), nuestros datos mostraron un efecto del contenido afectivo en todas las medidas registradas. Nuestros resultados no mostraron, sin embargo, efectos del tamaño de las imágenes afectivas sobre ninguna de las medidas registradas, lo que indica que el contenido afectivo es más importante que las propiedades formales de los estímulos para provocar respuestas emocionales.
Evidence for Proinflammatory β-1,6 Glucans in the Pneumocystis carinii Cell Wall

ABSTRACT Inflammation is a major cause of respiratory impairment during Pneumocystis pneumonia. Studies support a significant role for cell wall β-glucans in stimulating inflammatory responses. Fungal β-glucans are comprised of d-glucose homopolymers containing β-1,3-linked glucose backbones with β-1,6-linked glucose side chains. Prior studies in Pneumocystis carinii have characterized β-1,3 glucan components of the organism. However, recent investigations in other organisms support important roles for β-1,6 glucans, predominantly in mediating host cellular activation. Accordingly, we sought to characterize β-1,6 glucans in the cell wall of Pneumocystis and to establish their activity in lung cell inflammation. Immune staining revealed specific β-1,6 localization in P. carinii cyst walls. Homology-based cloning facilitated characterization of a functional P. carinii kre6 (Pckre6) β-1,6 glucan synthase in Pneumocystis that, when expressed in kre6-deficient Saccharomyces cerevisiae, restored cell wall stability. Recently synthesized β-1,6 glucan synthase inhibitors decreased the ability of isolated P. carinii preparations to generate β-1,6 carbohydrate. In addition, isolated β-1,6 glucan fractions from Pneumocystis elicited vigorous tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) responses from macrophages. These inflammatory responses were significantly dampened by inhibition of host cell plasma membrane microdomain function. Together, these studies indicate that β-1,6 glucans are present in the P. carinii cell wall and contribute to lung cell inflammatory activation during infection.
Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Have Cardiac Repolarization Disturbances when Travelling to Altitude: Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Acetazolamide.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) promotes myocardial electrical instability and may predispose to nocturnal sudden cardiac death. We evaluated whether hypobaric hypoxia during altitude travel further impairs cardiac repolarization in patients with OSA, and whether this is prevented by acetazolamide, a drug known to improve oxygenation and central sleep apnea at altitude. METHODS Thirty-nine OSA patients living < 600 m, discontinued continuous positive airway pressure therapy during studies at 490 m and during two sojourns of 3 days at altitude (2 days at 1860 m, 1 day at 2590 m). During one altitude sojourn, patients took acetazolamide, during the other placebo, or vice versa, according to a randomized, double-blind crossover design. Twelve-lead electrocardiography and pulse oximetry (SpO2) were recorded during nocturnal polysomnography. Heart rate corrected mean QT intervals during the entire night (meanQTc) and during 1 min of the night with the longest meanQTc (maxQTc) were determined. RESULTS At 490 m the median nocturnal SpO2 was 93%, medians of meanQTc and maxQTc were 420 ms and 478 ms. At 2590 m, on placebo, SpO2 was lower (85%), and meanQTc and maxQTc were prolonged to 430 ms and 510 ms (P < 0.02 vs. 490 m, all corresponding comparisons). At 2590 m on acetazolamide, median SpO2 was increased to 88% (P < 0.05 vs. placebo), meanQTc was reduced to 427 ms (P < 0.05 vs. placebo), whereas maxQTc remained increased at 502 ms (P = ns vs. placebo). CONCLUSIONS At 2590 m OSA patients experienced cardiac repolarization disturbances in association with hypoxemia. Prolongation of meanQTc at altitude was prevented and hypoxemia was improved by acetazolamide, whereas maxQTc remained increased suggesting imperfect protection from repolarization disturbances. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NTC-00714740. URL: www.clinicaltrials. gov.
Sentiment and the Performance of Technical Indicators

This article studies the effectiveness of technical trading approaches in market environments of varying sentiment. Because of short-sale constraints, overpricing with high sentiment (i.e., relatively optimistic sentiment) is more prevalent compared to underpricing with low sentiment (i.e., relatively pessimistic sentiment), and this effect is stronger on difficult-to-arbitrage securities. The authors find consistent evidence over the period from 1993 to 2010 that the examined set of technical indicators perform better during periods of high sentiment than during periods of low sentiment. Moreover, this sentiment effect is relatively more pronounced for small stocks. These findings hold after a number of robustness checks are applied, and they highlight the importance of incorporating the sentiment effect when using technical indicators.
The Impact of Policy Restrictions on Services Trade

Measures of services trade policy currently available provide information on the average level of regulations restricting entry into an importing country. This prevents the implementation of standard estimation techniques that rely on bilateral variation to identify the effect of trade barriers on bilateral trade flows. To address this problem, I build on Redding and Venables (2004) and Helpman, Melitz and Rubinstein (2008) to develop a method that consistently estimates the effects of country-level variables on trade between countries, a natural extension of existing empirical models of international trade. The method relies on the theoretical structure of a model of international trade to generate empirical measures of multilateral resistance and fixed production costs for each country. Applying my method, I find that policy barriers are statistically significant and quantitatively important in predicting services trade flows. Further, consistent with the theoretical model, I find that increases in measured importer and exporter fixed costs reduce bilateral trade.
Seasonal Expression of Bt Proteins in Transgenic Rice Lines and the Resistance Against Asiatic Rice Borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker)

ABSTRACT Laboratory bioassays and field surveys were carried out to compare the resistance of three transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.) lines including Bt-DL expressing a single gene cry1Ab, Bt-KF6 expressing stacked genes cry1Ab and CpTI genes and Bt-SY63 expressing a fusion gene cry1Ab/cry1Ac, respectively, to an important rice pest Chilo suppressalis (Walker). In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) were conducted to monitor the Bt protein expressions in rice leaves and stems at different rice growth stages. Results showed that all the transgenic rice lines exhibited significantly high resistance to the pest compared with their corresponding nontransformed isolines. Among the transgenic rice lines, Bt-SY63 and Bt-KF6 had higher resistance to C. suppressalis at early growth stage, but lower resistance at late stages, while the pest resistance of Bt-DL was relatively stable throughout the growing season. The results were consistent with ELISA results showing that Bt protein levels in Bt-SY63 or Bt-KF6 leaves decreased in late growth stages, but were relatively stable in Bt-DL at all growth stages. This demonstrates that the resistance to a pest by Bt plants is positively correlated with Cry protein expression levels in plant tissues. Compared with Bt-SY63 and Bt-KF6, the Bt protein expression levels were significantly lower in Bt-DL, while its resistance to C. suppressalis was the highest. This may suggest that C. suppressalis is more susceptible to Cry1Ab than to Cry1Ac. The data from the current study are valuable for decision-making for commercial use of Bt rice lines and development of appropriate pest control and resistance management strategies for the transgenic rice lines.
Cloning and Expression of a cDNA for a Mammalian Type III Iodothyronine Deiodinase (*)

The type III iodothyronine deiodinase metabolizes the active thyroid hormones thyroxine and 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine to inactive compounds. Recently, we have characterized a Xenopus laevis cDNA (XL-15) that encodes a selenoprotein with type III deiodinase activity (St. Germain, D. L., Schwartzman, R., Croteau, W., Kanamori, A., Wang, Z., Brown, D. D., and Galton, V. A.(1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 91, 7767-7771). Using the XL-15 as a probe, we screened a rat neonatal skin cDNA library. Among the clones isolated was one (rNS43-1) which contained a 2.1-kilobase pair cDNA insert that manifested significant homology to both the XL-15 and the G21 rat type I deiodinase cDNAs, including the presence of an in-frame TGA codon. Expression studies demonstrated that the rNS43-1 cDNA encodes a protein with 5-, but not 5′-, deiodinase activity that is resistant to inhibition by propylthiouracil and aurothioglucose. Northern analysis demonstrated a pattern of tissue expression in the rat consistent with that of the type III deiodinase and site directed mutagenesis confirmed that the TGA triplet codes for selenocysteine. We conclude that the rNS43-1 cDNA encodes the rat type III deiodinase and that the types I and III deiodinases present in amphibians and mammals constitute a family of conserved selenoproteins important in the metabolism of thyroid hormones.
Characterization of Sec-Translocon-Dependent Extracytoplasmic Proteins of Rickettsia typhi

ABSTRACT As obligate intracellular, vector-borne bacteria, rickettsiae must adapt to both mammalian and arthropod host cell environments. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of the interactions between rickettsiae and their host cells has largely been hindered by the genetic intractability of these organisms; however, research in other gram-negative pathogens has demonstrated that many bacterial determinants of attachment, entry, and pathogenesis are extracytoplasmic proteins. The annotations of several rickettsial genomes indicate the presence of homologs of the Sec translocon, the major route for bacterial protein secretion from the cytoplasm. For Rickettsia typhi, the etiologic agent of murine typhus, homologs of the Sec-translocon-associated proteins LepB, SecA, and LspA have been functionally characterized; therefore, the R. typhi Sec apparatus represents a mechanism for the secretion of rickettsial proteins, including virulence factors, into the extracytoplasmic environment. Our objective was to characterize such Sec-dependent R. typhi proteins in the context of a mammalian host cell infection. By using the web-based programs LipoP, SignalP, and Phobius, a total of 191 R. typhi proteins were predicted to contain signal peptides targeting them to the Sec translocon. Of these putative signal peptides, 102 were tested in an Escherichia coli-based alkaline phosphatase (PhoA) gene fusion system. Eighty-four of these candidates exhibited signal peptide activity in E. coli, and transcriptional analysis indicated that at least 54 of the R. typhi extracytoplasmic proteins undergo active gene expression during infections of HeLa cells. This work highlights a number of interesting proteins possibly involved in rickettsial growth and virulence in mammalian cells.
The ecological validity of laboratory cycling: Does body size explain the difference between laboratory- and field-based cycling performance?

Abstract Previous researchers have identified significant differences between laboratory and road cycling performances. To establish the ecological validity of laboratory time-trial cycling performances, the causes of such differences should be understood. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to quantify differences between laboratory- and road-based time-trial cycling and to establish to what extent body size [mass (m) and height (h)] may help to explain such differences. Twenty-three male competitive, but non-elite, cyclists completed two 25 mile time-trials, one in the laboratory using an air-braked ergometer (Kingcycle) and the other outdoors on a local road course over relatively flat terrain. Although laboratory speed was a reasonably strong predictor of road speed (R 2=69.3%), a significant 4% difference (P < 0.001) in cycling speed was identified (laboratory vs. road speed: 40.4 ± 3.02 vs. 38.7 ± 3.55 km · h−1; mean ± s). When linear regression was used to predict these differences (Diff) in cycling speeds, the following equation was obtained: Diff (km · h−1)=24.9 − 0.0969 · m − 10.7 · h, R 2=52.1% and the standard deviation of residuals about the fitted regression line=1.428 (km · h−1). The difference between road and laboratory cycling speeds (km · h−1) was found to be minimal for small individuals (mass=65 kg and height=1.738 m) but larger riders would appear to benefit from the fixed resistance in the laboratory compared with the progressively increasing drag due to increased body size that would be experienced in the field. This difference was found to be proportional to the cyclists' body surface area that we speculate might be associated with the cyclists' frontal surface area.
The reliability measurements of lateral scapular slide test at three different degrees of shoulder joint abduction

Background Lateral scapular slide test (LSST) quantitatively measures the distance between thoracic spine (T7) and inferior angle of scapula. Objective In this study, the intra-rater reliability, inter-rater reliability and diagnostic accuracy of LSST were measured using a caliper. Methods Three measurements of each test position were obtained bilaterally. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (2.1), 95% CI and 2 SEMs were calculated for intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the absolute scapular distance. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios were determined. Results 27 people with and 30 people without shoulder pain participated. The mean age (SD) for the participant was 47.7 (11.6) years and 33.5 (11.7) years, respectively. The ICCs for intra-rater reliability were high. A range of poor to good ICCs was found for inter-rater reliability. The 2 SEMs ranged from 4.6 to 7.9 mm for intra-rater reliability and from 6.8 to 13.4 mm for inter-rater reliability for people with shoulder pain. Positive and negative likelihood ratios from 0.94 to 1.22 and from 0.21 to 2.5, respectively, were demonstrated. Conclusion SST did not show a consistent high reliability. The diagnostic accuracy of the LSST was low, which questions the clinical importance of the tests outcomes.
Hepatitis B virus infection and risk of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma: A cohort study of parous women in Taiwan

Few studies have evaluated the risk of cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study aimed to estimate incidence rates of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and its major subtypes in a nationwide cohort of parous women and to assess their associations with chronic HBV infection. We conducted a cohort study including 1,782,401 pregnant Taiwanese women whose HBV serostatus was obtained from the National Hepatitis B Vaccination Registry. Newly diagnosed ICCs and NHLs were ascertained through data linkage with the National Cancer Registry. Risks of ICC and NHL were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression models. After a mean of 6.91 years of follow‐up, there were 18 cases of ICC and 192 cases of NHL, including 99 cases of diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Incidence rates of ICC were 0.09 and 0.43 per 100,000 person‐years, respectively, among women who were hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐seronegative and HBsAg‐seropositive, showing an age‐adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 4.80 (1.88‐12.20). The incidence rates of NHL overall for HBsAg‐seronegative and HBsAg‐seropositive women were 1.23 and 3.18 per 100,000 person‐years, respectively, with an HRadj (95% CI) of 2.63 (1.95‐3.54). Among NHL subtypes, HBsAg‐seropositive women had an increased risk of DLBCL compared with those who were HBsAg‐seronegative (incidence rates: 1.81 and 0.60 per 100,000 person‐years, respectively; HRadj [95% CI]: 3.09 [2.06‐4.64]). The significantly increased risk was not observed for other specific subtypes of NHL. Conclusions: Chronic HBV infection was associated with an increased risk of ICC and DLBCL in women. Our data suggested a possible etiological role of HBV in the development of ICC and specific subtypes of NHL. (HEPATOLOGY 2011;)