Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of speech delay in 6-year-old children and comorbidity with language impairment.

We estimate the prevalence of speech delay (L.D. Shriberg, D. Austin, B. A. Lewis, J. L. McSweeny, & D. L. Wilson, 1997b) in the United States on the basis of findings from a demographically representative population subsample of 1,328 monolingual English-speaking 6-year-old children. All children's speech and language had been previously assessed in the "Epidemiology of Specific Language Impairment" project (see J. B. Tomblin et al., 1997), which screened 7,218 children in stratified cluster samples within 3 population centers in the upper Midwest. To assess articulation, the Word Articulation subtest of the Test of Language Development-2: Primary (Newcomer & Hammill, 1988) was administered to each of the 1,328 children, and conversational speech samples were obtained for a subsample of 303 (23%) children. The 6 primary findings are as follows: (a) The prevalence of speech delay in 6-year-old children was 3.8%; (b) speech delay was approximately 1.5 times more prevalent in boys (4.5%) than girls (3.1%); (c) cross-tabulations by sex, residential strata, and racial/cultural backgrounds yielded prevalence rates for speech delay ranging from 0% to approximately 9%; (d) comorbidity of speech delay and language impairment was 1.3%, 0.51% with Specific Language Impairment (SLI); (e) approximately 11-15% of children with persisting speech delay had SLI; and (f) approximately 5-8% of children with persisting SLI had speech delay. Discussion includes implications of findings for speech-language phenotyping in genetics studies.
Volatility Modeling and Forecasting of the Egyptian Stock Market Index Using Arch Models

This paper estimates and evaluates the forecasting performance of four alternative ARCH-type Models for predicting stock price index volatility using daily Egyptian data. The competing Models include GARCH, EGARCH, GJR and APAPCH used with four different distributions, Gaussian normal, Student-t, Generalized Error Distribution and skewed Student-t. The estimation results show that the forecasting performance of asymmetric GARCH Models (GJR and APARCH), especially when fat-tailed asymmetric densities are taken into account in the conditional volatility, is better than symmetric GARCH. Moreover, it is found that the APAPCH (1,1) Model Provides the best out-of-sample forecasts among all the candidate Models and the skewed Student-t density is more appropriate for modeling the Egyptian stock market index volatility.
CHALLENGES AND METHODOLOGIES IN USING PROGRESSION FREE SURVIVAL AS A SURROGATE FOR OVERALL SURVIVAL IN ONCOLOGY

Objectives: A primary outcome in oncology trials is overall survival (OS). However, to estimate OS accurately requires a sufficient number of patients to have died, which may take a long time. If an alternative end point is sufficiently highly correlated with OS, it can be used as a surrogate. Progression-free survival (PFS) is the surrogate most often used in oncology, but does not always satisfy the correlation conditions for surrogacy. We analyze the methodologies used when extrapolating from PFS to OS. Methods: Davis et al. previously reviewed the use of surrogate end points in oncology, using papers published between 2001 and 2011. We extend this, reviewing papers published between 2012 and 2016. We also examine the reporting of statistical methods to assess the strength of surrogacy. Results: The findings from 2012 to 2016 do not differ substantially from those of 2001 to 2011: the same factors are shown to affect the relationship between PFS and OS. The proportion of papers reporting individual patient data (IPD), strongly recommended for full assessment of surrogacy, remains low: 33 percent. A wide range of methods has been used to determine the appropriateness of surrogates. While usually adhering to reporting standards, the standard of scholarship appears sometimes to be questionable and the reporting of results often haphazard. Conclusions: Standards of analysis and reporting PFS to OS surrogate studies should be improved by increasing the rigor of statistical reporting and by agreeing to a minimum set of reporting guidelines. Moreover, the use of IPD to assess surrogacy should increase.
An investigation of trust in e-banking: Evidence from Taiwan and New Zealand empirical studies

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to understand the connection among trust’s antecedents, dimensions and consequences in the context of e-banking. Design/methodology/approach - – A survey of 510 and 122 respondents in Taiwan and New Zealand (NZ), respectively, was conducted. Findings - – The empirical results indicate that, first, not all trusts’ precursors the authors considered have significant influence on generating consumers’ trust and, second, that influential weights of these precursors on building consumer trust vary across consumers and cultures. Meanwhile, all factors on the e-banking side hold greatly significant influence on consumers’ trust in both NZ and Taiwan cases. Research limitations/implications - – Practical and academic implications culled from the empirical results are discussed, and these implications may also be applicable to other information and communication technology (ICT) solutions and innovation banking services. Practical implications - – Before banks shift their focus on to trust resources of consumer side, banks are advised to create clients’ trust from e-banking side, such as situational normality and structural assurance. Originality/value - – This paper takes a holistic view to investigate the links between trust’s dimensions, antecedents and consequences in a single research structure, and the implications may also be applicable to other ICT solutions and innovative banking services.
Characterization of P-Glycoprotein Humanized Mice Generated by Chromosome Engineering Technology: Its Utility for Prediction of Drug Distribution to the Brain in Humans

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), encoded by the MDR1 gene in humans and by the Mdr1a/1b genes in rodents, is expressed in numerous tissues and performs as an efflux pump to limit the distribution and absorption of many drugs. Owing to species differences of P-gp between humans and rodents, it is difficult to predict the impact of P-gp on pharmacokinetics and the tissue distribution of P-gp substrates in humans from the results of animal experiments. Therefore, we generated a novel P-gp humanized mouse model by using a mouse artificial chromosome (MAC) vector [designated human MDR1-MAC (hMDR1-MAC) mice]. The results showed that hMDR1 mRNA was expressed in various tissues of hMDR1-MAC mice. Furthermore, the expression of human P-gp was detected in the brain capillary fraction and plasma membrane fraction of intestinal epithelial cells isolated from hMDR1-MAC mice, although the expression levels of intestinal P-gp were extremely low. Thus, we evaluated the function of human P-gp at the blood-brain barrier of hMDR1-MAC mice. The brain-to-plasma ratios of P-gp substrates in hMDR1-MAC mice were much lower than those in Mdr1a/1b-knockout mice, and the brain-to-plasma ratio of paclitaxel was significantly increased by pretreatment with a P-gp inhibitor in hMDR1-MAC mice. These results indicated that the hMDR1-MAC mice are the first P-gp humanized mice expressing functional human P-gp at the blood-brain barrier. This mouse is a promising model with which to evaluate species differences of P-gp between humans and mice in vivo and to estimate the brain distribution of drugs in humans while taking into account species differences of P-gp.
More complex than expected: Cold hardiness and the concentration of cryoprotectants in overwintering larvae of five Erebia butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Understanding the factors restricting the distribution of some insect species to high altitudes is hindered by poor knowledge of temporal changes in their cold hardiness during overwintering. We studied overwintering larvae of fi ve species of Erebia butterfl ies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) differing in altitudinal distribution: lowland E. medusa, submountain E. aethiops, subalpine E. pronoe, alpine E. cassioides, and subnivean E. pluto. We subjected them to three treatments, AutumnWarm (13/8°C), imitating conditions prior to overwintering; AutumnCold (5/0°C), imitating late autumn conditions; and WinterCold (5/0°C), differing from AutumnCold by a shorter photoperiod and longer exposure to zero temperatures. Supercooling points (SCP) did not differ between species in the AutumnWarm treatment, despite large differences in the concentrations of cryoprotectants (CrPC; lowest in E. medusa and E. aethiops). Lowland E. medusa was freeze-tolerant, the subalpine, alpine and subnivean species were freezeavoidant, whereas submountain E. aethiops displayed a mixed strategy. SCPs diverged in the AutumnCold treatment: it increased in the lowland E. medusa (from –16.5 to –10.8°C) and reached the lowest value in E. cassioides (–21.7°C). In WinterCold, SCP increased in subalpine E. pronoe (from –16.1°C in AutumnWarm and –18.7°C in AutumnCold to –12.6°C). E. medusa decreased and E. aethiops increased their CrPCs between autumn and winter; the highest CrPC was recorded in subnivean E. pluto. CrPC did not correlate with SCP across species and treatments. Cryoprotectant profi les corroborated the difference between lowland and freeze-tolerant E. medusa and the three high altitude freeze-avoidant species, with E. aethiops in an intermediate position. Glycerol was surprisingly rare, trehalose was important in all species, and such rare compounds as monopalmitin and monostearin were abundantly present in E. pronoe, E. cassioides and E. pluto.
Predicting Defective Engines using Convolutional Neural Networks on Temporal Vibration Signals

This paper addresses for the first time the problem of engines’ damage prediction using huge amounts of imbalanced data from ”structure borne noise” signals related to the internal engine excitation. We propose the usage of a convolutional neural network on our temporal input signals, subsequently combined with additional static features. Using informative mini batches during training we take the imbalance of the data into account. The experimental results indicate good performance in detecting the minority class on our large real-world use case.
Projected changes of rainfall event characteristics for the Czech Republic

Abstract Projected changes of warm season (May–September) rainfall events in an ensemble of 30 regional climate model (RCM) simulations are assessed for the Czech Republic. Individual rainfall events are identified using the concept of minimum inter-event time and only heavy events are considered. The changes of rainfall event characteristics are evaluated between the control (1981–2000) and two scenario (2020–2049 and 2070–2099) periods. Despite a consistent decrease in the number of heavy rainfall events, there is a large uncertainty in projected changes in seasonal precipitation total due to heavy events. Most considered characteristics (rainfall event depth, mean rainfall rate, maximum 60-min rainfall intensity and indicators of rainfall event erosivity) are projected to increase and larger increases appear for more extreme values. Only rainfall event duration slightly decreases in the more distant scenario period according to the RCM simulations. As a consequence, the number of less extreme heavy rainfall events as well as the number of long events decreases in majority of the RCM simulations. Changes in most event characteristics (and especially in characteristics related to the rainfall intensity) depend on changes in radiative forcing and temperature for the future periods. Only changes in the number of events and seasonal total due to heavy events depend significantly on altitude.
Attention and Interpretation Biases and Attention Control in Youth with Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is associated with threat-related attention and interpretation biases. Recent research suggests that attention control abilities moderate these associations. The current study examines threat-related attentional engagement and disengagement biases, negative interpretation bias, and attention control among youth with SAD (n=71) and non-anxious youth (n=42). We further explore interactions between cognitive biases, and between these biases and attention control, in predicting SAD. Relative to non-anxious youth, youth with SAD had poorer attention control, p=. 001, greater difficulty disengaging from angry faces, p=. 05, and a negative biased interpretation of ambiguous social scenarios, p =. 01. However, no interactions were found among these factors in relation to SAD diagnosis or symptoms. The present results add to research on cognitive biases in anxious children, emphasizing a distinct contribution of each of these cognitive mechanisms, rather than their interactional influences. Findings are discussed in relation to cognitive developmental models of anxiety.
Automatic Stitching Method for Spherical Panoramic Video

Panoramic video has become a hot research topic in the field of virtual reality in recent years. Existing research suggests that panoramic video cannot automatically be stitched yet. In addition, stitching accuracy and time consumption are not satisfactory. After analyzing the relationship among the several coordinate systems involved in shooting and images, this research puts forward a manual method and steps for stitching a panoramic video. Then a matching point searching algorithm based on Harris corner detection, empirical position and HSV matching is posited. With this algorithm, matching points are searched and found automatically, and panoramic videos are automatically stitched. Comparison experiments were carried out. The test results proved that the described automatic stitching algorithm for panoramic videos performs better than the alternatives in both accuracy and time consumption.
Membrane fluctuations and acidosis regulate cooperative binding of ‘marker of self’ protein CD47 with the macrophage checkpoint receptor SIRPα

ABSTRACT Cell-cell interactions that result from membrane proteins binding weakly in trans can cause accumulations in cis that suggest cooperativity and thereby an acute sensitivity to environmental factors. The ubiquitous ‘marker of self’ protein CD47 binds weakly to SIRPα on macrophages, which leads to accumulation of SIRPα (also known as SHPS-1, CD172A and SIRPA) at phagocytic synapses and ultimately to inhibition of engulfment of ‘self’ cells – including cancer cells. We reconstituted this macrophage checkpoint with GFP-tagged CD47 on giant vesicles generated from plasma membranes and then imaged vesicles adhering to SIRPα immobilized on a surface. CD47 diffusion is impeded near the surface, and the binding-unbinding events reveal cooperative interactions as a concentration-dependent two-dimensional affinity. Membrane fluctuations out-of-plane link cooperativity to membrane flexibility with suppressed fluctuations in the vicinity of bound complexes. Slight acidity (pH 6) stiffens membranes, diminishes cooperative interactions and also reduces ‘self’ signaling of cancer cells in phagocytosis. Sensitivity of cell-cell interactions to microenvironmental factors – such as the acidity of tumors and other diseased or inflamed sites – can thus arise from the collective cooperative properties of flexible membranes. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Binding of membrane proteins smooths the fluctuating membrane and facilitates more binding, which can be very important for weak immunological interactions such as the interaction of macrophage SIRPα with CD47 on cancer cells.
An Empirical Study of Accounting Methods and Stock Prices

This study constitutes an attempt to determine from empirical data the effects of one set of specific alternative accounting methods on security prices by means of multivariate statistical techniques. After a brief introduction dealing with the accounting process and resource allocation, literature relevant to the study is discussed. The setting of the study is then presented, followed by the conceptual framework, the research design, the results, and the conclusions drawn.
What businesses can learn from sports analytics

In professional sports, some teams are becoming sophisticated in using data to measure team and player performance, sports business and health and injury prevention. Sports teams' use of analytics has much to teach other managers about alignment, performance improvement and business ecosystems. For instance, teams are beginning to assess performance in context, seeing how teams do with or without a particular player. This plus/minus analysis could be a valuable technique for many businesses as well.
Odor Transmission and Olfaction: the Tuft of the Uropygial Gland and Olfactory Ability in Birds

Abstract. The role of olfaction in birds is poorly understood, in part because of our limited knowledge of signal-transmission mechanisms. Here we evaluate the hypothesis that the secretions of the uropygial gland serve as olfactory signals in birds by testing the prediction that size of the olfactory bulb, a proxy for olfactory ability, covaries positively with the size of the uropygial gland's tuft, a circlet of feathers whose size varies extraordinarily from species to species. The function of this tuft has remained a mystery, but mechanical or protective roles are unlikely on the basis that these feathers are downy and always saturated with gland secretion. These observations instead suggest that the tuft may be involved in trapping the compounds produced by the gland's secretions to facilitate conspecifics' perception of odor. We therefore predicted that the uropygial gland's tuft should be more developed in birds with better capacity to smell. Using a dataset of 29 species of birds of 20 families of nonpasserines, we show that the sizes of the tuft (relative to the uropygial gland) and olfactory bulb (relative to the cerebral hemisphere and body mass) are positively correlated after the confounding effects of colonial breeding and phylogeny are controlled for. This suggests that the tuft may have evolved because of the adaptive benefits of enhancing the transmission of body odors. Additionally, colonial species have tufts larger than those of solitary species, as expected because sociality increases encounter rates and the prevalence of odor-producing bacteria.
Later life financial security: Examining the meaning attributed to goals when coping with long term care

This study examined the meaning attributed to later life financial security goals from the perspective of involved family members. Interviews with 45 families coping with the demands of long term care provided insight into six goal patterns potentially important to later life financial security: selfsufficiency; spouse’s financial security; control; leaving an inheritance; qualifying for public assistance; and privacy. Evidence of different definitions of goals among participants reinforced the importance of exploring the specific meaning of goals as well as determining overall importance for an individual. Implications for assessing client goals as part of financial planning and education are The changing demographic portrait reinforces the reality that more and more family systems will be facing later life financial security issues. What drives the financial decisions of older family members as they face later life and the remaining years? What is it that family members coping with the challenges of later life are trying to accomplish financially? Failure to understand the answers to these questions puts family decision making processes at risk for either being poorly made or being imposed on the elder by family members or outside professionals.
Preventive effects of cannabis on neurotoxic and hepatotoxic activities of malathion in rat

Objective: To investigate the effect of Cannabis sativa extract on the development of neuro- and hepato-toxicity caused by malathion injection in rats. Methods: The extract of Cannabis sativa was obtained from the plant resin by chloroform treatment. Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol content of the extract (20%) was quantified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The doses of cannabis extract were expressed as Δ -tetrahydrocannabinol content of 10 or 20 mg/kg. Malathion (150 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered followed after 30 min by the cannabis extract (10 or 20 mg/kg, subcutaneously). Rats were euthanized 4 h later. Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) activity were determined in brain and liver. Brain 5-lipoxygenase and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity were measured as well. Histopathological examination of brain and liver tissue was also performed. Results: Compared to controls, malathion resulted in increased oxidative stress in brain and liver. MDA and nitric oxide concentrations were significantly increased (P<0.05) and GSH significantly decreased with respect to control levels (P<0.05). Malathion also significantly inhibited PON-1 and BChE activities but had no effect on brain 5-lipoxygenase. Brain MDA concentrations were not altered by cannabis treatment. Cannabis at 20 mg/kg, however, caused significant increase in nitric oxide and restored the GSH and PON-1 activity. Brain BChE activity significantly decreased by 26.1% (P<0.05) after treatment with 10 mg/kg cannabis. Cannabis showed no effect on brain 5-lipoxygenase. On the other hand, rats treated with cannabis exhibited significantly higher levels of liver MDA, nitric oxide and PON-1 activity compared with the malathion control group. Rats treated with only malathion exhibited spongiform changes, neuronal damage in the cerebral cortex and degeneration of some Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. There were also hepatic vacuolar degeneration and dilated and congested portal vein. These histopthological changes induced by malathion in brain and liver were reduced to great extent by cannabis administration at 20 mg/kg. Conclusions: Our data suggest that acute treatment with cannabis alleviates the malathion-induced brain and hepatic injury in rats possibly by maintaining the levels of GSH and PON-1 activity.
A Novel Strain Sensor with Large Measurement Range Based on All Fiber Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

We have proposed a high sensitive photonic crystal fiber (PCF) strain sensor based on the Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI). The sensing head is formed by all-fiber in-line single mode-multimode-photonic-crystal-single mode fiber (SMPS) structure, using only the splicing method. Such a strain sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of −2.21 pm/με within a large measurement range of up to 5000 με and a large fringe visibility of up to 24 dB. Moreover, it was found that the strain sensitivity was weekly dependent of the length of PCF or MMF. In addition, the sensor exhibited the advantages of simplicity of fabrication, high sensitivity and larger fringe visibility.