Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Executive functioning skills in preschool-age children with cochlear implants.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine whether deficits in executive functioning (EF) in children with cochlear implants (CIs) emerge as early as the preschool years. METHOD Two groups of children ages 3 to 6 years participated in this cross-sectional study: 24 preschoolers who had CIs prior to 36 months of age and 21 preschoolers with normal hearing (NH). All were tested on normed measures of working memory, inhibition-concentration, and organization-integration. Parents completed a normed rating scale of problem behaviors related to EF. Comparisons of EF skills of children with CIs were made to peers with NH and to published nationally representative norms. RESULTS Preschoolers with CIs showed significantly poorer performance on inhibition-concentration and working memory compared with peers with NH and with national norms. No group differences were found in visual memory or organization-integration. When data were controlled for language, differences in performance measures of EF remained, whereas differences in parent-reported problems with EF were no longer significant. Hearing history was generally unrelated to EF. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to demonstrate that EF deficits found in older children with CIs begin to emerge as early as preschool years. The ability to detect these deficits early has important implications for early intervention and habilitation after cochlear implantation.
PART OF A HIGHLIGHT ON BREEDING STRATEGIES FOR FORAGE AND GRASS IMPROVEMENT Temporal changes in population genetic diversity and structure in red and white clover grown in three contrasting environments in northern Europe

†Backgound and Aims Extending the cultivation of forage legume species into regions where they are close to the margin of their natural distribution requires knowledge of population responses to environmental stresses. This study was conducted at three north European sites (Iceland, Sweden and the UK) using AFLP markers to analyse changes in genetic structure over time in two population types of red and white clover (Trifolium pratense and T. repens, respectively): (1) standard commercial varieties; (2) wide genetic base (WGB) composite populations constructed from many commercial varieties plus unselected material obtained from germplasm collections. †Methods At each site populations were grown in field plots, then randomly sampled after 3‐ 5 years to obtain survivor populations. AFLP markers were used to calculate genetic differentiation within and between original and survivor populations. †Key Results No consistent changes in average genetic diversity were observed between original and survivor populations. In both species the original varieties were always genetically distinct from each other. Significant genetic shift was observed in the white clover ‘Ramona’ grown in Sweden. The WGB original populations were more genetically similar. However, genetic differentiation occurred between original and survivor WGB germplasm in both species, particularly in Sweden. Regression of climatic data with genetic differentiation showed that low autumn temperature was the best predictor. Within the set of cold sites the highest level of genetic shift in populations was observed in Sweden. †Conclusions The results suggest that changes in population structure can occur within a short time span in forage legumes, resulting in the rapid formation of distinct survivor populations in environmentally challenging sites.
Molecular analysis of ovine calpastatin (CAST) and myostatin (MSTN) genes in Synthetic Population Bulgarian Milk sheep using PCR- RFLP

The aim of present study was to investigate the polymorphism of calpastat in and myostatin genes in sheep from Synthetic Population Bulgarian Milk (SPBM) breed because they are considered as candidate genes for meat and growth traits. Blood samples were collected from 121 sheep represented SPBM and genomic DNA was extracted using commercial purification kit. Genotypes were determined by PCR amplification followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. Based on results, calpastatin gene was found to be polymorphic but myostatin gene was monomorphic. The allelic frequencies in CAST gene were 92% for allele M and 8% for N. Genotype frequencies were 84%, 15% and 1% for MM, MN and NN in calpastatin locus, respectively. In thi s population, calpastatin locus did not show Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (P<0.05) . Observed heterozygosity for this locus was 0.148. Established poly morphism of CAST gene in SPBM sheep can be used in future research for detection of possible association between effective genotype and meat tenderness.
Features of educational interventions that lead to compliance with hand hygiene in healthcare professionals within a hospital care setting. A BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No. 22

Background: In the United Kingdom, there are approximately 300,000 healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) annually, costing an estimated £1 billion. Up to 30% of all HCAI are potentially preventable by better application of knowledge and adherence to infection prevention procedures. Implementation of Department of Health guidelines through educational interventions has resulted in significant and sustained improvements in hand hygiene compliance and reductions in HCAI. Aim: To determine the features of structured educational interventions that impact on compliance with hand hygiene in healthcare professionals within a hospital care setting. Methods: Sixteen electronic databases were searched. Outcomes were assessed using Kirkpatrick's hierarchy and included changes in hand hygiene compliance of healthcare professionals, in service delivery and in the clinical welfare of patients involved. Results: A total of 8845 articles were reviewed, of which 30 articles met the inclusion criteria. Delivery of education was separated into six groups. Conclusions: It was not possible to identify individual features of educational interventions due to each study reporting multicomponent interventions. However, multiple, continuous interventions were better than single interventions in terms of eliciting and sustaining behaviour change. Data were not available to determine the time, nature and type of booster sessions with feedback needed for a permanent change in compliance.
Deep imaging of Q2112+059: A bright host galaxy but no DLA absorber

In a ongoing programme aimed at studying galaxy counterparts of Damped Ly-alpha Absorbers (DLAs) we have obtained high resolution deep I-band imaging data of the field around the z_em = 0.457 BAL QSO Q2112+059. In the literature this QSO is listed to have a candidate DLA at z_abs = 0.2039 along the line of sight. After subtraction of the QSO Point Spread Function (PSF) we detect a galaxy centred on the position of Q2112+059. To help answer whether this galaxy is the DLA or the QSO host galaxy we retrieved a GHRS spectrum of Q2112+059 from the HST-archive. This spectrum shows that there is no Ly-alpha absorption line at z_abs = 0.2039. This fact in combination with the perfect alignment on the sky of the galaxy and Q2112+059 lead us to the conclusion that the galaxy must be the host galaxy of Q2112+059. The host galaxy of Q2112+059 is bright (M_I^obs = -23.6), and has a radial profile well fitted by a {\it modified Hubble + de Vaucouleurs} profile with R_c = 0.5 kpc and R_e = 3.6 kpc. Our results are well in line with the conclusion of earlier work done at lower redshifts, that bright low redshift QSOs preferentially reside in luminous, elliptical galaxies. The host of Q2112+059 is however, despite it's brightness, very compact when compared to early type galaxies at lower redshifts.
An ATM Network Simulator to Study Admission Control and Routing Algorithms

We have developed an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) network simulator to study the relationships between switch buffer sizes, admission control schemes and maximum queue length of an experimental network. The simulations are performed at the ATM cell level. Traffic generators, network interfaces, and switching elements are coded as modular building blocks which allow us to evaluate network performance using different traffic models, switch configurations and network topologies. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed admission control scheme based on the concept of effective bandwidth.
Reducing SRAM Power Using Fine-Grained Wordline Pulsewidth Control

Embedded SRAM dominates modern SoCs, and there is a strong demand for SRAM with lower power consumption while achieving high performance and high density. However, the large increase of process variations in advanced CMOS technologies is considered one of the biggest challenges for SRAM designers. In the presence of large process variations, SRAMs are expected to consume larger power to ensure correct read operations and meet yield targets. In this paper, we propose a new architecture that significantly reduces the array switching power for SRAM. The proposed architecture combines built-in self-test and digitally controlled delay elements to reduce the wordline pulsewidth for memories while ensuring correct read operations, hence reducing the switching power. Monte Carlo simulations using a 1-Mb SRAM macro in an industrial 45-nm technology are used to verify the power saving for the proposed architecture. For a 48-Mb memory density, a 27% reduction in array switching power can be achieved for a read access yield target of 95%. In addition, the proposed system can provide larger power saving as process variations increase, which makes it an attractive solution for 45-nm-and-below technologies.
Un co rre cte d Pr oo f Contextual Alignment of Cognitive and Neural Dynamics

■ Effective real-world communication requires the alignment of multiple individuals to a common perspective or mental framework. To study how this alignment occurs at the level of the brain, we measured BOLD response during fMRI while participants (N = 24) listened to a series of vignettes either in the presence or absence of a valid contextual cue. The valid contextual cue was necessary to understand the information in each vignette. We then examined where and to what extent the shared valid context led to greater intersubject similarity of neural processing. Regions of the default mode network including posterior cingulate cortex and medial pFC became more aligned when participants shared a valid contextual framework, whereas other regions, including primary sensory cortices, responded to the stimuli reliably regardless of contextual factors. Taken in conjunction with previous research, the present results suggest that default mode regions help the brain to organize incoming verbal information in the context of previous
Religious Involvement and Spousal Violence: The Canadian Case

This research examined the influence of religious denomination and church attendance on spousal violence, as measured by the Conflict Tactics Scales (Straus 1979). The data came from a representative national probability sample of the Canadian ever-married or cohabiting population, 18 years or older. Religious denomination was not found to be significantly related to spousal abuse. Also, the "religious patriarchy" thesis was not supported: Conservative Christian men do not abuse their partners significantly more often than do affiliates of other denominations, but Conservative Christian women appear to do so. Also, the relationship between church attendance, as an indicator of religious commitment, and spousal violence was weak and curvilinear. These results provided modest support for the Allport and Ross (1967) intrinsic-extrinsic conceptualization. Spousal violence was also examined in conjunction with sociodemographic and spousal interaction factors. When three multivariate models were applied, it was found that religion had little, if any, relationship to spousal abuse. Other variables, mainly spousal interaction factors, were found to be the best overall predictors of such physical abuse.
A general framework for inferring the developmental causes of modularity of morphological variation with applications to the craniomandibular complex in rodents

Modularity is defined as the relative autonomy (i.e., background-independence) of genetic interactions, the developmental processes regulated by these interactions, and the phenotypic traits produced by these processes. In morphological traits, modularity is evinced as strength of covariation (i.e., integration) within anatomical regions, and it is caused by common developmental pathways or genetic factors shared by these regions. Because distinct pathways may interact, share genetic components, and influence overlapping anatomical regions, it is not generally expected for variational (i.e., morphological) modules to display a simple pattern of strong integration within and weak or no integration outside modules. This does not necessarily imply that most morphological variation is integrated and non-modular, because most phenotypic traits are highly multidimensional, so that different sets of dimensions may show distinct patterns of integration. This section elaborates on this idea to propose a geometric framework in which variational modules are defined as subspaces embedded within the space occupied by the entire phenotype. Although this is perhaps an unorthodox idea in that it seeks to re-interpret pervasive integration as complex modularity, it is consistent with developmental and quantitative genetic explanations for the origin of variational modules. A statistical methodology is then proposed to deal with the difficult problem of inferring individual modules from morphometric covariation structure. The proposed approach uses the standard formalism of goodness of fit tests to compare observed and expected covariance matrices, where the latter are obtained by partitioning the original data set into modules as predicted by one or more theories, thus allowing testing hypotheses of modularity of any conceivable complexity. The utility of this approach is confirmed using a simulated data set based on a real anatomical structure (the rodent mandible). The relationship of this approach to current methodologies is also discussed.
The Mathematical Work of S.C.Kleene

§1. The origins of recursion theory. In dedicating a book to Steve Kleene, I referred to him as the person who made recursion theory into a theory. Recursion theory was begun by Kleene's teacher at Princeton, Alonzo Church, who first defined the class of recursive functions; first maintained that this class was the class of computable functions (a claim which has come to be known as Church's Thesis); and first used this fact to solve negatively some classical problems on the existence of algorithms. However, it was Kleene who, in his thesis and in his subsequent attempts to convince himself of Church's Thesis, developed a general theory of the behavior of the recursive functions. He continued to develop this theory and extend it to new situations throughout his mathematical career. Indeed, all of the research which he did had a close relationship to recursive functions. Church's Thesis arose in an accidental way. In his investigations of a system of logic which he had invented, Church became interested in a class of functions which he called the λ-definable functions. Initially, Church knew that the successor function and the addition function were λ-definable, but not much else. During 1932, Kleene gradually showed1 that this class of functions was quite extensive; and these results became an important part of his thesis 1935a (completed in June of 1933).
Affine Invariant Feature Description

In this paper, we present an affine invariant feature descriptor, which is based on the well known Scale Invariant Feature Transform algorithm. The descriptor is a weighted histogram of gradient orientations and invariant against scale, in-plane rotation, stretch and skew. To cover the geometrical distortions introduced by an affine image transformation, we create a suiting, affine transformed coordinate system and perform all mathematical calculations in it. Furthermore, we propose to adapt the shape of the described region in order to gain invariance against affine transformations. We use elliptical respectively quadrangular regions instead of circular or quadratic regions. Based on synthetically transformed images we evaluate the matching performance of our descriptor in the case of available perfect knowledge about the image transformation, as well as for employing estimated transformation matrices. The results demonstrate that the proposed descriptor is capable of describing affine transformed regions well, even in case of strong affine image distortions.
Advances in the spatial theory of voting

Foreword 1. Introduction James M. Enelow and Melvin J. Hinich 2. Multiparty competition, entry, and entry deterrence in spatial models of elections Kenneth A. Shepsle and Ronald N. Cohen 3. Heresthetic and rhetoric in the spatial model William H. Riker 4. Spatial strategies when candidates have policy preferences Donald Wittman 5. A decade of experimental research on spatial models of elections and committees Richard D. McKelvey and Peter C. Ordeshook 6. Candidate uncertainty and electoral equilibria Peter J. Coughlin 7. The theory of predictive mappings James M. Enelow and Melvin J. Hinich 8. Multicandidate spatial competition Gary W. Cox 9. The setter model Howard Rosenthal Author index Subject index.
Automated Physical Storage Provision Using a Peer-to-Peer Distributed File System

The allocation and management of physical storage structures in relational database systems is a timeconsuming manual process undertaken by database administrators. If datafiles, redo logs and control files exceed the available disk space on a volume, then new space will need to physically allocated on a new device. This reduces availability due to downtime, and arbitrary assumptions are often made about sizing requirements in the allocation of new storage media. What is required is an infinitely extensible, logically striped volume that can request and access storage on demand. In this paper, we present a Peer-to-Peer distributed file system that creates a single, virtual striped volume that can be mounted as a normal logical file system through the Common Internet File System (CIFS). New peers contribute unused space as required by the dynamic and growing physical storage requirements of relational databases.
An Approach Based on Structural Segmentation for the Recognition of Arabic Handwriting

In this paper we propose a new segmentation approach applied to Arabic handwriting, which can reconstruct in offline a tracing path similar to that in the case of online. Our approach uses a semi-skeletonization technique for following lines and calculation of the characteristics of characters. With the application of an SVM classifier in the classification phase, we were able to achieve very interesting recognition rates in reduced time. When compared to similar works, this work is very interesting for the Off-line recognition of Arabic handwriting
Inter-rater reliability, standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change of the 12-item WHODAS 2.0 and four performance tests in institutionalized ambulatory older adults

Abstract Purpose: Self-reported and performance-based instruments are both necessary for a comprehensive view of the functioning of institutionalized older adults. Our aim was to assess the reliability and measurement error of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability assessment Schedule and compare these indexes against performance-based tests. Materials and methods: One hundred participants from Nursing Homes and Day Care Centers were assessed twice (two days to one week apart) by two independent assessors. Reliability and measurement error indexes were calculated. Results: Reliability of the World Health Organization Disability assessment Schedule total score, and of three performance tests was appropriate for individual comparisons (ICC ≥ 0.92). Reliability for the five times seat to stand test was appropriate for group comparisons only (ICC = 0.84). The high measurement error of the timed up and go test (SEM = 4.25; MDC = 11.78) and of the five times seat to stand test (SEM = 3.47; MDC = 9.62) and the number of participants unable to perform them (TUG: n = 11; FTSST: n = 41) suggest that these tests are less suitable to monitor individual changes. Conclusions: The 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule total score, the gait speed and hand grip tests could be used to monitor changes at both the individual and group level in a population with decreased functioning. Implications for Rehabilitation The 12-item World Health Organization Disability assessment Schedule, could be used to monitor changes in perceived functioning both at the individual and group level in institutionalized ambulatory older adults. The gait speed and hand grip tests could be used to monitor changes in performance both at the individual and group level in institutionalized ambulatory older adults’ functioning. The utility of the time up and go and of the five times seat to stand test might be of limited value when aiming to monitor changes in institutionalized older adults’ functioning.
Nav1.7 protein and mRNA expression in the dorsal root ganglia of rats with chronic neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain was produced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve in rats. Behavioral tests showed that the thresholds for thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia were significantly reduced in neuropathic pain rats 3–28 days following model induction. The results of immunohistochemistry, western blot assays and reverse transcription-PCR showed that Nav1.7 protein and mRNA expression was significantly increased in the injured dorsal root ganglia. These findings indicated that Nav1.7 might play an important role in the model of chronic neuropathic pain.
Time synchronization of CNC systems based on switched Ethernet

In various CNC systems the MCU, servo controllers and sensors all need to be accurately synchronized for time stamping of data and motion control. This paper presents a time synchronization method for CNC systems based on switched Ehternet in which message delay variation through switches must be minimized or compensated to obtain accurate time synchronization. The method uses the switch as the time reference instead of the usual using the clock of MCU. Also it uses a low-level time-stamping scheme and blocks the time synchronization frames until the actual time is equal to the time in the payload of the frames. A preemptive mechanism is introduced to make sure the time synchronization frame can be transmitted immediately when the actual time is equal to that. Finally, experimental results are shown and discussed.
Correction of positive bias of the Roche Tina-quant II hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) assay at low HbA1c percentages.

Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem in the United States, and much of the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes mellitus can be ameliorated by proper blood glucose control (1). Consequently, serious effort has been put forth to increase the accurate and timely monitoring of blood glucose concentrations. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a biomarker that provides a snapshot of long-term glucose control in diabetes. The Core Laboratory for Clinical Studies at Washington University School of Medicine is a Secondary Reference Laboratory (SRL no. 4) of the National Glycohemoglobin Standardization Program (NGSP) (2). We routinely measure HbA1c percentages from whole blood samples by the HbA1c Tina-quant® II method (Roche Diagnostics Corporation) on a Roche Hitachi 917 Analyzer. The Tina-quant II HbA1c assay is an NGSP-certified method (3) that quantifies the total hemoglobin mass (g/dL) spectrophotometrically and the …