Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early detection of communication delays with the PEDS tools in at-risk South African infants

Background Prevalence of communication delays or disorders is increasing, possibly because of various environmental risk factors. Selection and implementation of effective screening tools are important to detect at-risk infants as early as possible. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS), PEDS-Developmental Milestones and PEDS tools to detect communication delays in infants (6–12 months) in a South African primary healthcare context. Method A comparative study design evaluated the accuracy of the PEDS tools to detect communication delays, using an internationally accepted diagnostic assessment tool, the Rossetti Infant-Toddler Language Scale (RITLS). A convenience sample of 201 infants was selected at primary healthcare clinics. Results Expressive and receptive language sensitivity scores were low across all three screens (ranging between 14% and 44%). The PEDS tools had high sensitivity (71%) and specificity (73%) ratings for the receptive and expressive language and socio-emotional domain in combination. Conclusion In the sample population, the PEDS tools did not accurately detect receptive and expressive language delays; however, communication delays in general were identified. Future research determining accuracy of the PEDS, PEDS-Developmental Milestones and PEDS tools for children aged 2–5 years in detecting communication delays should be prioritised.
HIF1α deficiency reduces inflammation in a mouse model of proximal colon cancer

ABSTRACT Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) is a transcription factor that regulates the adaptation of cells to hypoxic microenvironments, for example inside solid tumours. Stabilisation of HIF1α can also occur in normoxic conditions in inflamed tissue or as a result of inactivating mutations in negative regulators of HIF1α. Aberrant overexpression of HIF1α in many different cancers has led to intensive efforts to develop HIF1α-targeted therapies. However, the role of HIF1α is still poorly understood in chronic inflammation that predisposes the colon to carcinogenesis. We have previously reported that the transcription of HIF1α is upregulated and that the protein is stabilised in inflammatory lesions that are caused by the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) sulindac in the mouse proximal colon. Here, we exploited this side effect of long-term sulindac administration to analyse the role of HIF1α in colon inflammation using mice with a Villin-Cre-induced deletion of Hif1α exon 2 in the intestinal epithelium (Hif1αΔIEC). We also analysed the effect of sulindac sulfide on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) pathway in vitro in colon cancer cells. Most sulindac-treated mice developed visible lesions, resembling the appearance of flat adenomas in the human colon, surrounded by macroscopically normal mucosa. Hif1αΔIEC mice still developed lesions but they were smaller than in the Hif1α-floxed siblings (Hif1αF/F). Microscopically, Hif1αΔIEC mice had significantly less severe colon inflammation than Hif1αF/F mice. Molecular analysis showed reduced MIF expression and increased E-cadherin mRNA expression in the colon of sulindac-treated Hif1αΔIEC mice. However, immunohistochemistry analysis revealed a defect of E-cadherin protein expression in sulindac-treated Hif1αΔIEC mice. Sulindac sulfide treatment in vitro upregulated Hif1α, c-JUN and IL8 expression through the AHR pathway. Taken together, HIF1α expression augments inflammation in the proximal colon of sulindac-treated mice, and AHR activation by sulindac might lead to the reduction of E-cadherin protein levels through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Summary: HIF1α deficiency reduces inflammation in the mouse proximal colon but is associated with defective E-cadherin expression in colon epithelial cells when mice lacking intestinal epithelium expression of Hif1α are challenged with sulindac.
Feature Selection Evaluation for Light Human Motion Identification in Frailty Monitoring System

In order to plan and deliver health care in a world with increasing number of older people, human motion monitoring is a must in their surveillance, since the related information is crucial for understanding their physical status. In this article, we focus on the physiological function and motor performance thus we present a light human motion identification scheme together with preliminary evaluation results, which will be further exploited within the FrailSafe Project. For this purpose, a large number of time and frequency domain features extracted from the sensor signals (accelerometer and gyroscope) and concatenated to a single feature vector are evaluated in a subject dependent cross-validation setting using SVMs. The mean classification accuracy reaches 96%. In a further step, feature ranking and selection is preformed prior to subject independent classification using the ReliefF ranking algorithm. The classification model using feature subsets of different size is evaluated in order to reveal the best dimensionality of the feature vector. The achieved accuracy is 97% which is a slight improvement compared to previous approaches evaluated on the same dataset. However, such an improvement can be considered significant given the fact that it is achieved with lighter processing using a smaller number of features.
Nifedipine Induces Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-&ggr; Activation in Macrophages and Suppresses the Progression of Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice

Objective—Nifedipine, an L-type calcium channel blocker, protects against the progression of atherosclerosis. We investigated the molecular basis of the antiatherosclerotic effect of nifedipine in macrophages and apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Methods and Results—In macrophages, nifedipine increased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-&ggr; (PPAR&ggr;) activity without increasing PPAR&ggr;-binding activity. Amlodipine, another L-type calcium channel blocker, and 1,2-bis-(o-aminophenoxy)-ethane-N,N,-N′,N′-tetraacetic acid tetraacetoxy-methyl ester (BAPTA-AM), a calcium chelator, decreased PPAR&ggr; activity, suggesting that nifedipine does not activate PPAR&ggr; via calcium channel blocker activity. Inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 suppressed PPAR&ggr;2-Ser112 phosphorylation and induced PPAR&ggr; activation. Nifedipine suppressed extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activation and PPAR&ggr;2-Ser112 phosphorylation, and mutating PPAR&ggr;2-Ser112 to Ala abrogated nifedipine-mediated PPAR&ggr; activation. These results suggested that nifedipine inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activity and PPAR&ggr;2-Ser112 phosphorylation, leading to PPAR&ggr; activation. Nifedipine inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression and induced ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 mRNA expression, and these effects were abrogated by small interfering RNA for PPAR&ggr;. Furthermore, in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, nifedipine treatment decreased atherosclerotic lesion size, phosphorylation of PPAR&ggr;2-Ser112 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA expression and increased ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 expression in the aorta. Conclusion—Nifedipine unlike amlodipine inhibits PPAR&ggr;-Ser phosphorylation and activates PPAR&ggr; to suppress monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression and induce ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 expression in macrophages. These effects may induce antiatherogenic effects in hypertensive patients.
Plateau in a Polar Variable Complex-valued Neuron

In this paper, the characteristics of the complex-valued neuron model with parameters represented by polar coordinates (called polar variable complex-valued neuron) are investigated. The main results are as reported below. The polar variable complex-valued neuron is unidentifiable. The plateau phenomenon can occur during learning of the polar variable complex-valued neuron. Furthermore, it is suggested by computer simulations that a single polar variable complex-valued neuron has the following characteristics: (a) Unidentifiable parameters (singular points) degrade the learning speed. (b) A plateau can occur during learning. When the weight is attracted to the singular point, the learning tends to be stuck.
Detection of Ehrlichia risticii from feces of infected horses by immunomagnetic separation and PCR

Potomac horse fever, caused by Ehrlichia risticii, is an important disease of equines. The major features of the disease are fever, leukopenia, and diarrhea. The organism has been detected from the blood mononuclear cells of infected horses, but its presence in the feces has not been known. A method for immunomagnetic separation of E. risticii from the feces of infected horses was developed, and the separated organisms were detected by PCR. Coating immunomagnetic beads (Dynabeads) with a 1:5 dilution of rabbit anti-E. risticii serum and incubating the Dynabeads with fecal samples for 25 min at room temperature gave optimum results. E. risticii was detected from the feces during the course of diarrhea from two experimentally infected horses. In horse 1, watery diarrhea occurred from days 11 to 16 postinfection (p.i.), after which the feces became soft on day 17 p.i. and then returned to normal. The organisms were first detected from the feces on day 11 p.i. , peaked on day 13 p.i. , and then gradually decreased until day 16 p.i. , after which they became undetectable. In horse 2, first, on day 12 p.i. , there was soft feces which continued and progressed to diarrhea on day 17 p.i. The feces became normal after day 18 p.i. The organisms in the feces of this horse were first detected on day 12 p.i. and peaked on day 14 p.i. , after which they declined until day 16 p.i. and then became undetectable. In both horses, the number of organisms in the mononuclear cells peaked on days 10 and 11 p.i. , respectively, 3 days prior to the respective peaks in the feces. E. risticii was not detected from the plasma samples obtained from these horses. There was a drastic reduction in PCR amplification of E. risticii DNA for fecal samples stored frozen at -20 degrees C in comparison with those stored at 4 degrees C. The presence of the organism in the feces only during the soft- or diarrheal-feces phase supports the previous hypothesis that the diarrhea is caused by the organisms replicating in cells lining the intestines. This rapid simple method of detection of the organisms from the feces will be helpful in diagnostic and epidemiologic studies of Potomac horse fever.
Experienced Turkish Nurses' Attitudes towards Mental Illness and the Predictor Variables of their Attitudes

General attitudes towards mental illness, attitudes towards two vignettes, and possible predictor variables of these attitudes were investigated among experi enced Turkish nurses. The analyses showed that the nurses accepted both organic and psychological causation and had rather positive views on drug treatment, psychotherapy, and prognosis. However, they were more favourably disposed towards psychological causation and psychotherapy; the paranoid schizophrenia description was more readily perceived as mental illness and more 'negative' ratings were recorded for this than was the case in the description of neurosis. In terms of predictors, university education was related to lower acceptance of psychotherapy and chances of recovery; older respondents showed higher social distance to the neurosis vignette. The findings were discussed within the context of previous findings from Turkey and other countries.
Regularization Techniques in Realistic Laplacian Computation

This paper explores regularization options for the ill-posed spline coefficient equations in the realistic Laplacian computation. We investigate the use of the Tikhonov regularization, truncated singular value decomposition, and the so-called lambda-correction with the regularization parameter chosen by the L-curve, generalized cross-validation, quasi-optimality, and the discrepancy principle criteria. The provided range of regularization techniques is much wider than in the previous works. The improvement of the realistic Laplacian is investigated by simulations on the three-shell spherical head model. The conclusion is that the best performance is provided by the combination of the Tikhonov regularization and the generalized cross-validation criterion-a combination that has never been suggested for this task before.
Application of soft start in charging storage battery of PV system

Soft start circuit offers guarantee for the normal start of DC-DC converter, and prevents the damage to components. On the basis of introducing principle of soft start circuit, this paper analyses several ways for realizing soft start. Due to the existence of load voltage in bidirectional DC-DC circuit, the ways that mentioned are useless. So an improved method is presented in this paper. We get the simulation result through the use of MATLAB simulation software, and achieve the soft start which controlled by MCU on the existing experimental platform combining with upper computer monitor. All the results indicate the feasibility of this method.
Influenza as a Proportion of Pneumonia Mortality: United States, 1959–2009

As causes of death, influenza and pneumonia are typically analyzed together. We quantify influenza's contribution to the combined pneumonia and influenza mortality time series for the United States, 1959–2009. A key statistic is I/(P + I), the proportion of pneumonia and influenza mortality accounted for by influenza. Year-to-year, I/(P + I) is highly variable and shows long-term decline. Extreme values of I/(P + I) are associated with extreme P + I death rates and vice versa, but I/(P + I) is a weak predictor of P + I mortality overall. Prominence of influenza in the medical news is associated with high I/(P + I). Influenza and pneumonia should be analyzed as a combined cause.
Modified Iterative Sphere Decoding Algorithm in LTE System

In the long-term evolution (LTE) system, channel equalization makes compensation to restore the original signal, the paper puts forward iteration sphere decoding algorithm which combines traditional sphere decoding and the improved QR based on the conventional QR decomposition detection algorithm. It can effectively reduce the system complexity. At the same time, in QPSK and 16QAM, the simulation results show that the improved QR iterative sphere decoding algorithm performance is better with higher SNR in AWGN channel.
SNAP predicts effect of mutations on protein function

Summary: Many non-synonymous single nucleotide polymor-phisms (nsSNPs) in humans are suspected to impact protein function. Here, we present a publicly available server implementation of the method SNAP (screening for non-acceptable polymorphisms) that predicts the functional effects of single amino acid substitutions. SNAP identifies over 80% of the non-neutral mutations at 77% accuracy and over 76% of the neutral mutations at 80% accuracy at its default threshold. Each prediction is associated with a reliability index that correlates with accuracy and thereby enables experimentalists to zoom into the most promising predictions. Availability: Web-server: http://www.rostlab.org/services/SNAP; downloadable program available upon request. Contact: bromberg@rostlab.org Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Quantification of neutrophil chemotaxis: A comparison of stereological and 51Cr‐labelling methods

A stereological method has been used to estimate the number of migrated polymorphonuclear leukocytes in a multipore filter assay. The estimates have been compared to those obtained with conventional 51Cr‐labelling methods. The precision of the estimates in individual subjects with the two methods was similar, and in both cases the contribution to the interindividual variance made by the methods was small compared to the biological variance. However, the 51Cr‐labelling method resulted in a significant reduction in the fraction of neutrophils that migrated as well as a delay in the chemo‐tactic response. Optimal assay conditions with regard to sample size, cell concentration, incubation time and chemoattractant fMLP concentration have been established for the stereological method and the virtues of the two techniques discussed.
Nonlinear joint state-parameter observer for VAV damper position estimation

Variable Air Volume (VAV) based Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are common in large non-residential buildings. The dynamic model of a VAV system along with the Air Handling Unit (AHU) and the zones has a nonlinear characteristic. In this paper, a nonlinear model based joint state and parameter observer is proposed to estimate the VAV damper position in such systems. First, a Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) equivalent model for the AHU-VAV-Zone model is obtained using sector nonlinearity approach. The damper position estimation problem is then posed as a time varying parameter estimation problem. A procedure based on existing literature results on T-S joint state and parameter estimation is implemented. Simulation results show the effectiveness of this approach. A bank of observers based approach is then described that can help in detecting and isolating VAV damper faults in the system using the state and parameter estimates.
The mutant erythrocyte band 3 protein in Southeast Asian ovalocytosis does not bind eosin‐5‐maleimide

Sir, Southeast Asian ovalocytosis (SAO), previously referred to as stomatocytic or Melanesian elliptocytosis, is associated with oblong red cells with central slits across the cell (Figure 1, panel A). The affected individuals are often asymptomatic and a majority have little evidence of haemolysis. The rigidity of SAO red cells is attributed to the mutant band 3 SAO protein (Liu et al., 1990) which lacks amino acids 400–408 located at the interface of the N-terminal cytoplasmic peptide leading into the first transmembrane domain (Schofield et al., 1992) (panel B). This SAO-specific nine amino acid-deletion is linked with a second mutation (Lys56Glu) known as Band 3 Memphis (Mueller & Morrison, 1977). Individuals with SAO are always heterozygotes, and their red cells carry both normal band 3 and mutant band 3 SAO. LETTER TO THE EDITOR INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LABORATORY HEMATOLOGY
The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake

Since its first publication in 1965, this edition has been widely hailed as the best available text of Blake's poetry and prose. Now revised, if includes up-to-date work on variants, chronology of poems and critical commentary by Harold Bloom. An "Approved Edition" of the Center for Scholarly Editions of the Modern Language Association.
CYCLODIATHERMYPUNCTURE IN CASES OF GLAUCOMA *

(c) Injury by striking the eye on some object, as in the present case. The chief points of interest are: 1. The mechanism of the injury, and non-rupture of the ocular muscles. 2. The anaemia of the fundus, presumably due to stretching of the optic nerve and contained artery, and complete recovery of vision after three quiarters of an hour's luxation. 3. Comparative lack of pain throughout. 4. Absence of signs in the fundus. 5. Response of the inflammation of Tenon's capsule to M. and B. 693 and diathermy.
Vagal Reactivity and Compassionate Responses to the Suffering of Others

Theoretical and empirical work suggest that the vagus nerve supports social behavior, promoting communication, social engagement, coping or self-soothing in social situations, and the initiation of socially supportive behavior (e.g. Porges, 2003). Guided by this thinking, I predict that the experience of compassion in response to the suffering of others is associated with greater vagus nerve activation. I test this hypothesis across four studies in which participants witnessed others suffer while I recorded physiological measures including a non-invasive index of vagal activity called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), heart rate, respiration, and skin conductance. Participants exhibited greater RSA activity during the compassion induction compared to a neutral control (Study 1), another positive emotion (Study 2), and a prosocial emotion that lacked the presence of suffering (Study 3). Increases in RSA activity during the experience of compassion were accompanied by decreases in heart rate and occasionally by increases in respiration, but not changes in skin conductance. In Study 4, RSA activity during the compassion induction correlated positively with continuous self-reports of compassion and perceptions of participants' compassion by coders. This work suggests that compassion engages the vagus nerve, facilitating this prosocial response to others' suffering.
Validation of a Noninvasive Maturity Estimate Relative to Skeletal Age in Youth Football Players

Objective:To validate a non-invasive measure of biological maturity (percentage of predicted mature height at a given age) with an established indicator of maturity [skeletal age (SA)] in youth American football players. Design:Cross-sectional. Setting:Two communities in central Michigan. Participants:143 youth football players 9.27 to 14.24 years. Methods:Height and weight were measured, and hand-wrist radiographs were taken. SA assessed with the Fels method was the criterion measure of maturity status. Chronological age (CA), height, and weight of the player and midparent height were used to predict mature height; current height of the player was expressed as a percentage of his predicted mature height as a noninvasive estimate of biological maturity status. Main Outcome Measure:Boys' maturation was classified as late, on time, or early maturing on the basis of the difference between SA and CA and of present height expressed as a percentage of predicted mature height. Kappa coefficients and Spearman rank-order correlations were calculated. Characteristics of players concordant and discordant for maturity classification with SA and percentage of predicted mature height were compared with MANCOVA. Results:Concordance between methods of maturity classification was 62%. The Kappa coefficient, 0.46 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.59) and Spearman rank-order correlation, rs = 0.52 (P < 0.001) were moderate. Players discordant for maturity status varied in midparent height and percentage of predicted mature height, but not in predicted mature height. Conclusion:Percentage of predicted mature height is a reasonably valid estimate of biological maturity status in this sample of youth football players.
Reviews of FolkLore Scholarship: “Whyler Pystry”: A Breviate of the Life and Folklore-collecting Practices of William Henry Paynter (1901–76) of Callington, Cornwall

William Henry Paynter (1901–76) was active as a folklore collector in Cornwall during the 1920s and 193076s. He specialised in collecting witch beliefs at a time when folk concepts of illness as arising from ill-wishing and of its cure by cunning-folk were fast disappearing. Today, he is largely forgotten as a folklore collector and his publications are little known or read. This paper focuses on his folklore collecting and related activities and on his attitudes to witch beliefs and charmers. An annotated bibliography of his writings on Cornish folklore is also presented.
Effects of Vertical Resolution in Plane-Parallel Atmospheric Model on Brightness Temperature

Currently, various radiative transfer (RT) schemes use their own number of layers in a plane-parallel atmospheric model to simulate the brightness temperature (TB) without considering the effect. The purpose of this letter is to understand numerically and analytically the TB uncertainty due to the layer number of the plane-parallel atmospheric model in RT schemes. Methodically, a plane-parallel atmospheric model in light rainfall and two RT schemes are used. The simulated TBs show a dependence on the number of layers in a plane-parallel atmosphere, which is due to the optical thickness. This letter suggests that the vertical resolution should be considered as a parameter in the forward model of RT schemes.