Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatically Evaluating Atypical Language in Narratives by Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

We conducted an automatic analysis of transcribed narratives by children with autistic spectrum disorder. Compared to previous work, we use a much larger dataset with control groups that allow for the distinction between delayed language development and autism-specific difficulties, and that allows differentiation between episodic and generalized narratives. We show differences related to expression of sentiment, topic coherence and general language level. Some features thought to be autism-specific present as delayed language development.
Home healthcare via wireless biomedical sensor network

Fast information retrieval is pivot of medical breakthrough to provide quality medical services. There were a number of attempts to develop clinical information system (CIS) which is reliable, affordable and accessible over the entire hospital and beyond. Today's home healthcare progression is becoming a predominant form of healthcare delivery. Although there have been many recent advances in biomedical sensors, low-power radio communication and embedded computation, there does not yet exist a flexible, robust communication infrastructure to integrate these devices into an emergency care setting. An efficient wireless communication substrate for medical devices that addresses ad hoc or fixed network formation, naming and discovery, security and authentication, as well as filtration and aggregation of vital sign data need to be studied. The potential applications will save lives, create valuable data for medical research, and cut the cost of medical services. In this paper, we focus on home healthcare via wireless sensor network (WSN) platform. WSN composed of a large number of sensor nodes and multi-hop networking capability that are densely deployed for a wide variety of applicants such as smart buildings, interactive user interfaces, environment control and highly suitable for monitoring in military and biomedical applications. We describe our experiences in developing and implement both hardware and software platform for medical sensor network, provides protocol for device discovery and multi-hop routing, as well as a simple query interface that is tailored for medical monitoring.
Keeping the lights on and the information flowing

We proposed a new framework for analyzing the impact that failures in the information infrastructure can have on the quality and reliability of the electricity supply. An analysis of major incidents using the proposed framework shows that information failures are quite often a significant contributing factor in their development and severity. We identified some of the challenges posed by the increasing reliance on information flow in the course of power system operation. We also identified some mitigating measures which could reduce the risks associated with failures in the power system information infrastructure.
Does European-Style Welfare Generosity Discourage Single-Mother Employment?

Purpose – Although many have expressed concern over whether generous welfare policies discourage the employment of single mothers, scholars have rarely exploited cross-national variation in the generosity of social policies to assess this question. This is the case even though much previous scholarship has examined the effects of social policy on women's and mothers' labor force engagement. This chapter evaluates whether generous social policies have a disincentive effect on single-mother employment. Methodology/approach – Using the Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), we conduct a cross-national, multilevel analysis of the effects of social policy generosity on single-mother employment in 17 affluent democracies. Findings – We find high rates of single-mother employment – above 60 percent in 15 of the 17 countries and above 70 percent in 5 countries. We find little effect of social policy for employment, as our two measures of social policy are insignificant in almost all models. If there are welfare disincentives, they only appear significant for young single mothers, and this evidence is limited as well. We find contradictory evidence for the employment incentive for low-educated single mothers. We determine that single-mother employment is largely driven by the same individual characteristics – educational attainment, age, and household composition – that drive employment in the general population, and among women and mothers. Originality/value of chapter – To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few cross-national, multilevel tests of the welfare disincentive thesis for single-mother employment. We provide evidence that welfare generosity does not discourage single-mother employment.
Stimulated Release of Endothelin-converting Enzyme is Simultaneous with Tissue-type Plasminogen Activator and Decrease in Coronary Heart Disease

Objective : During the process of atherosclerosis the endothelium changes both structurally and functionally. We examined whether shedding of endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE), a metalloprotease responsible for endothelin production, is concomitant with tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA), and how atherosclerosis affects ECE release. Design : Fourteen healthy volunteers and 24 patients with angiographically verified coronary heart disease (CHD) were investigated. ECE and t-PA releases were measured by a provocation test (20-min venous occlusion). Results : Serum ECE activities were comparable in both groups before the venous occlusion test (in CHD patients 205 - 24 vs in healthy controls 204 - 40 pmol/ml/h, p = NS). However, delta-ECE (= the difference between, after, and before the venous occlusion test) was significantly lower in CHD patients than in controls (203 - 36 vs 338 - 43 pmol/ml/h, p = 0.02, respectively). Delta-t-PA was similar in both groups (22.3 - 4.4 vs 14.5 - 4.6 ng/ml, p = NS, respectively). Furthermore, t-PA and ECE values correlated in the CHD group in all pre-, post-venous occlusion test, and delta-venous occlusion test values ( r = 0.56, p = 0.009; r = 0.62, p = 0.003; r = 0.54, p = 0.01, respectively). Conclusion : Vascular ECE release can be stimulated, and it is concomitant with t-PA release. A common location in endothelium may explain this simultaneous shedding. However, ECE levels do not rise in patients with CHD as markedly as in healthy patients. Atherosclerosis may explain reduced shedding of ECE.
Exercise‐induced muscle chemoreflex modulation of spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity in man

1 The goal of this study was to determine the effect of exercise‐induced muscle chemoreflex activation on baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). This is a retrospective study using data obtained during two prior studies. 2 Twenty‐three subjects with a mean (s.e.m.) age of 28 (1.5) years took part in the study. Sequence analysis was performed on the systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses, measured by a Finapres, and R‐R intervals, measured from the ECG. 3 Electrically evoked isometric exercise (Stim) of the triceps surae was performed for 2 min at 30 % maximum voluntary contraction force. During exercise and for a further 2 min thereafter, circulation to the lower leg was occluded by inflation of a thigh cuff to above 200 mmHg. 4 Prior to exercise mean (±s.e.m.) BRS was 10.92 ± 6.3 ms mmHg−1, and BRS remained at this level during evoked exercise (10.90 ± 7.1 ms mmHg−1). BRS increased to 12.34 ± 6.0 ms mmHg−1 during post‐exercise circulatory occlusion (PECO) (P < 0.05, MANOVA, post hoc Student's paired t test vs. Stim) and fell to 9.27 ± 4.4 ms mmHg−1 during recovery (P < 0.01vs. PECO value, P= 0.059vs. resting value). 5 These data indicate that during PECO following electrically evoked plantar flexion, where only muscle chemosensitive afferents were likely to be stimulated, BRS was increased.
The asymmetric effects of financing deficits and surpluses on the pecking order theory in sub-Saharan Africa

ABSTRACT This paper is the first to examine the asymmetric effects of financing deficits and surpluses on the pecking order financing strategies in sub-Saharan Africa. Panel data estimation techniques are carried out on a sample of 564 non-financial firms for the years 2006 to 2014. Overall, the individual country analysis reveals that equity tracks the financing deficit better than debt for firms with financing deficits. However, the categorical analysis shows that firms operating in the weakest legal environments appear to follow pecking order financing strategies. A steady decline in the magnitude of the pecking order coefficient is observed as we progress from the weakest to the strongest legal systems. In addition, significant differences in the pecking order behaviour for firms with surpluses and deficits are observed in the upper and lower categories of banking and stock market development.
Glutathione-S-transferase M1, obesity, statins, and autonomic effects of particles: gene-by-drug-by-environment interaction.

RATIONALE Air pollution by particulate matter (PM) has been associated with cardiovascular deaths, although the mechanism of action is unclear. One proposed pathway is through disturbances of the autonomic control of the heart. OBJECTIVES We tested the hypothesis that such disturbances are mediated by PM increasing oxidative stress by examining the association between PM and the high-frequency (HF) component of heart rate variability as modified by the presence or absence of the allele for glutathione-S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) and the use of statins, obesity, high neutrophil counts, higher blood pressure, and older age. METHODS We examined the association between particles less than 2.5 microM in aerodiameter (PM2.5) and HF in 497 participants in the Normative Aging Study, using linear regression controlling for covariates. MAIN RESULTS A 10-microg/m3 increase in PM2.5 during the 48 h before HF measurement was associated with a 34% decrease in HF, 95% confidence interval (-9%, -52%), in subjects without the allele, but had no effect in subjects with GSTM1 present. Among GSTM1-null subjects, the use of statins eliminated the effect of PM2.5. Obesity and high neutrophil counts also worsened the PM effects with or without GSTM1. CONCLUSION The effects of PM2.5 on HF appear to be mediated by reactive oxygen species. This may be a key pathway for the adverse effects of combustion particles.
Modeling Financial Losses Resulting from Tornadoes in European Countries

AbstractTornadoes are a notorious, common threat to human life and property in the United States. Although less common, violent tornadoes are also reported in Europe. The authors aim for an estimation of the average annual loss ratio of European buildings due to tornadoes. An aggregated loss model is used that takes as input the tornado intensity distribution over the Fujita scale (F scale), the distribution of tornado footprint sizes per F class, the vulnerability of European buildings, and the average occurrence rate of tornadoes. Information about these variables is taken from the European Severe Weather Database and, where needed, from the U.S. Storm Prediction Center tornado database, which contains about 16 times more records. However, both databases are biased. Weak tornadoes are underrepresented. Therefore a bias-corrected tornado intensity distribution is used, with its uncertainty taken from the literature. Individual tornadoes are modeled as moving Rankine vortices creating elliptic footprints .
Mechanism of formation and nanostructure of Stöber silica particles

The formation of silica nano- and microparticles has been studied during growth by the modified Stöber–Fink–Bohn (SFB) method. It has been experimentally found that the density and fractal structure of particles vary with size as they grow from 70 to 2200 nm. We propose a model of particle structure which is a dense primary particle core and is composed of concentric secondary particle shells terminating in dense primary particle layers.
Disrupted Frontoparietal Network Mediates White Matter Structure Dysfunction Associated with Cognitive Decline in Hypertension Patients

Some previous reports have suggested that hypertension is a risk factor for dementia and cognitive impairments. Using behavioral data from 1007 elderly human subjects (405 hypertensive patients) of Han ethnicity from Beijing, China, the present study aimed to assess the effects of hypertension on cognitive performance and explore related neuronal changes via advanced resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging data from 84 of these subjects (44 hypertensive patients). Cognitively, we found that patients with hypertension showed decreased executive functions and attention compared with those with normotension in the large sample. In magnetic resonance imaging scan sample, using independent component analysis to examine the functional connectivity difference between the two groups, we found that the frontoparietal networks in the hypertensive group exhibited altered patterns compared with the control group, mainly in the inferior parietal lobe, left inferior frontal lobe, and precuneus. Using tract-based spatial statistics to investigate the between-group structural difference, we found that the hypertensive group showed significantly reduced integrity of white matter in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus. Importantly, using the mediation analysis, we found that the functional connectivity of the frontoparietal networks mediates the impact of white matter on executive function in the hypertensive group. The results demonstrate that hypertension targets a specific pattern of cognitive decline, possibly due to deficits in the white matter and functional connectivity in frontal and parietal lobes. Our findings highlight the importance of brain protection in hypertension. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hypertension is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. However, the neural mechanism underlying cognitive decline in hypertension is largely unknown. We studied the relationship among cognitive decline, brain functional, and structural changes in hypertensive patients via advanced resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging data in a Chinese cohort. Hypertensive patients showed executive dysfunction, along with disrupted functional connectivity in frontoparietal (FP) networks and reduced integrity of white matter in the bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus. Importantly, the functional connectivity changes mediate the impact of white matter alterations on cognitive decline in the hypertensive group. Our findings provide a better understanding of the mechanism of cognitive decline in hypertension and highlight the importance of brain protection in hypertension.
A Low-Voltage 30-GHz CMOS Divide-by-Three ILFD With Injection-Switched Cross-Coupled Pair Technique

This paper presents the design of a divide-by-three frequency divider operating at 30 GHz with an injection-switched cross-coupled pair topology. A wider locking range as well as a lower operation voltage can be achieved because of this newly proposed topology. The divider is implemented in a 90-nm standard CMOS process. The total locking range of the divider core is 4.5 GHz with a power consumption of 2.85 mW from a supply voltage of 0.5 V. The total power consumption of the buffers is 2.65 mW from a supply voltage of 1.0 V. The measured output phase noise is −141 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset when the input referred signal has a phase noise of −131 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset from 30 GHz. The phase-noise difference of 10 dB is close to the theoretical value of 9.5 dB for division-by-three. The total chip size is 0.48 mm2, and the divider core size is only about 0.14 mm2.
Effects of 16-week spinning and bicycle exercise on body composition, physical fitness and blood variables of middle school students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 16 weeks of spinning and bicycling exercises on body composition, physical fitness and blood variables in female adolescents. Subjects participated in this study were 24 female middle school students (12 spinning cycles, 12 general bicycles) attending to Seoul Yeoksam middle school. Each group was trained for 16 weeks, 3 times a week, and 1 hr per day after school. Body composition, physical fitness (1,200 running, sit-ups, back strength, sit and reach, side-steps) and blood variables (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde) were examined before and after 16 weeks of training. As the results, body weight did not show any significant difference; however, body mass index, and % body fat were significantly difference in spinning group. The enhancement in physical fitness factors were recognized in both groups, which was greater in spinning group in sit-ups, back strength, and side steps. Blood parameters were significantly difference between groups, but between group and time interactions were significantly difference in glucose and reactive oxygen species. In conclusion, this study suggests that 16 weeks of bicycle exercises were positive changes in body composition, physical fitness and blood constituents, indicating that spinning cycle is more beneficial as compared to ordinary bicycle.
Identification of molecular defects in Italian Sanfilippo A patients including 13 novel mutations

Sanfilippo syndrome type A or mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA (MPS IIIA) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of the enzyme heparin sulfamidase (EC 3.10.1.1), required for the degradation of the mucopolysaccharide heparan sulfate. Patients develop central nervous system degeneration resulting in progressive dementia, developmental delay, hyperactivity, and aggressive behaviour; subjects may present a wide spectrum of clinical severity. Here, we report the results from molecular analysis of 24 Italian MPS IIIA patients diagnosed over the last 15 years in our laboratory. Altogether, we were able to characterize 38 out of the 48 (79%) pathogenic alleles. We identified 16 molecular defects, 13 novel. The majority of alterations were missense mutations: on exon two (Y40N; A44T; S66W; R74C), on exon four (G122R; P128L; L146P; R150Q), on exon five (D179N; R182C), on exon six (P227R) and on exon eight (E369K; R377C). Single base pair deletions: on exon two (A52nt‐1) and on exon eight (T360nt‐1) and one base pair insertion on exon eight (V361nt + 1) were also identified. Restriction enzyme or ARMS analyses were used to confirm each alteration. S66W represents the most common alteration in our patients population accounting for 33% of the total alleles. Interestingly, all six patients from Sardinia present this mutation, and five of them are homozygous for this change, suggesting that these subjects may have been derived from a common founder. Hum Mutat 11:313–320, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Significance of 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine levels in patients with chronic renal failure

SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to determine the significance of 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG), which is known as a marker of oxidative stress in vivo, in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF). Fifty‐one non‐dialysed CRF patients (29 men and 22 women; mean ± SD age, 57.8 ± 12.8 years) who were under dietary therapy for at least 6 months were enrolled in the study. Both serum and urinary 8‐OHdG levels were measured by using high‐sensitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. We examined the relationship between 8‐OHdG levels and clinical indices in patients with CRF. As a result, the serum 8‐OHdG level was strongly correlated with serum levels of urea nitrogen (UN; r = 0.58; P < 0.0001), creatinine (Cr; r = 0.53; P < 0.0001), and β2‐microglobulin (β2‐MG; r = 0.54; P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the serum 8‐OHdG level was inversely correlated with creatinine clearance (Ccr; r = −0.54; P < 0.0001). In contrast, urinary 8‐OHdG level was not correlated with any of the clinical parameters. This is the first report of 8‐OHdG level determination in patients with CRF. It is suggested that serum 8‐OHdG level is not sufficient as a marker of oxidative damage in patients with CRF, and it should be corrected according to the residual renal function to estimate the accurate degree of oxidative stress.
Multifunctional Angular Bandpass Filter SIW Leaky-Wave Antenna

The synthesis of broad-beam radiation patterns with increased angular rejection and bandpass filtering functionalities from a rectilinear leaky-wave antenna (LWA) is proposed. A sharpened angular filter response is obtained with shorter antennas by introducing radiation nulls adjacent to a synthesized broad beam. Moreover, exploiting the inherent dispersive properties of LWAs, aforementioned features can be combined with bandpass frequency filtering characteristics. These angular and bandpass filtering functionalities are validated with experiments performed on fabricated prototypes in a modulated substrate-integrated waveguide technology. An enhancement in the angular rejection from 1 to 2.5 dB/<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> is demonstrated for a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$20\lambda _0$</tex-math></inline-formula>-long antenna with a broad main beam covering the range [20<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math> </inline-formula>, 40<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>] at 15 GHz and with a simultaneous bandpass in the [14 GHz, 19 GHz] band.
Large-scale Video Classification guided by Batch Normalized LSTM Translator

Youtube-8M dataset enhances the development of large-scale video recognition technology as ImageNet dataset has encouraged image classification, recognition and detection of artificial intelligence fields. For this large video dataset, it is a challenging task to classify a huge amount of multi-labels. By change of perspective, we propose a novel method by regarding labels as words. In details, we describe online learning approaches to multi-label video classification that are guided by deep recurrent neural networks for video to sentence translator. We designed the translator based on LSTMs and found out that a stochastic gating before the input of each LSTM cell can help us to design the structural details. In addition, we adopted batch normalizations into our models to improve our LSTM models. Since our models are feature extractors, they can be used with other classifiers. Finally we report improved validation results of our models on large-scale Youtube-8M datasets and discussions for the further improvement.