Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Social Communication Questionnaire for adults with intellectual disability: SCQ‐AID

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently co‐occurs with intellectual disability (ID) and often remains undiagnosed until adulthood. The Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) is a widely used measure to screen for ASD. To improve the utility of the SCQ for adults with ID, the aim of this study was to develop an ID‐specific and adult appropriate algorithm for the SCQ using a core set of valid items. These items were identified in one sample (N = 226) and further cross‐validated in a second, independent sample (N = 225) from Germany, England and the U.S. The newly developed algorithm has 24 items compared with the 40 items in the original instrument. The reduced item core set yielded similar diagnostic validity as the original algorithm with good sensitivity values (0.81–0.89) and low specificity values (0.62–0.72). Overall, these results suggest that the removed items may not carry diagnostically relevant information in adults with ID; thus, excluding these items may result in a more efficient and age‐appropriate screening measure for this population. However, due to the low specificity values, a comprehensive assessment is essential for a final diagnostic assignment. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1481–1490. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improved Media for Growth and Aerotolerance of Campylobacter fetus

The microaerophilic nature of Campylobacter fetus has complicated its recovery from human and animal sources. In this study, modifications of brucella agar and broth were tested for enhancement of growth and aerotolerance of 64 strains of C. fetus, representing each subspecies. Brucella agar supplemented with 0.025% each FeSO4 7H2O, sodium metabisulfite, and sodium pyruvate, supported growth of 98, 77, and 63% of the strains at 6% O2, 17% O2, and 21% O2, respectively. Unsupplemented brucella agar supported growth of 94, 48, and 20% of the strains. Brucella broth supplemented with 0.2% FeSO4.7H2O, 0.025% sodium metabisulfite, and 0.05% sodium pyruvate supported growth of 98% of the strains at 21% O2, compared to 75% with unsupplemented brucella broth. With both the supplemented agar and broth, growth responses occurred 1 to 2 days earlier than usual. Growth and aerotolerance of three strains of Campylobacter sputorum subsp. bubulus were not enhanced by the supplements.
A hierarchical approach to mood classification in blogs

Abstract In this article, we explore the task of mood classification for blog postings. We propose a novel approach that uses the hierarchy of possible moods to achieve better results than a standard machine learning approach. We also show that using sentiment orientation features improves the performance of classification. We used the Livejournal blog corpus as a data set to train and evaluate our method. We present extensive error analysis and discuss the difficulty of the task.
Characterizing non-linear microwave behavior of semiconductor materials with Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy

As semiconductor technology advances, it can benefit from characterization of more complex materials with smaller geometries. Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy, sMIM, provides such with its measurements of the real and imaginary components of a sample's microwave impedance as seen by the tip of an atomic force microscope. sMIM can image capacitance C and its variation with bias, C-V, a non-linear property. With such images to navigate, sMIM can measure C as a function of bias at chosen locations. Images and measurements can be made for a broad range materials, from un-doped to highly doped. C-V curves from two microelectronic samples are shown below.
Additional RNA polymerase I initiation site within the nontranscribed spacer region of the rat rRNA gene

We identified and characterized an additional promoter within the nontranscribed spacer (NTS) of the rat ribosomal gene repeat that is capable of supporting initiation of transcription by RNA polymerase I in vitro. Within this promoter there is a sequence of 13 nucleotides which is 100% homologous to nucleotides -18 to -6 (+1 being the first nucleotide of 45S rRNA) of the major promoter of 45S pre-rRNA and is located between nucleotides -731 and -719. To identify the exact location of the upstream initiation site, the RNA synthesized in vitro from this new promoter was gel isolated and subjected to fingerprint analysis, Southern hybridization, and reverse transcriptase elongation. Based on these analyses, the in vitro-synthesized RNA initiates with an A at nucleotide -713. When compared individually, the upstream promoter was transcribed ninefold less efficiently than the major promoter. When templates which contain both promoters on the same piece of DNA were transcribed, the major promoter was at least 50-fold more efficient.
An Examination of Social Anxiety in Marijuana and Cigarette Use Motives Among Adolescents

ABSTRACT Marijuana and nicotine are two of the most widely used substances among adolescents in the United States. Symptoms of social anxiety (SA) typically emerge during early adolescence, and elevated levels are associated with increased substance-related problems despite inconsistent links to frequency of use. Substance use motives, and in particular coping motives, have been found to play an important role in understanding the heightened risk for use problems among those with elevated SA. Importantly, work to date has been conducted almost exclusively with adult samples; thus the current study examined whether similar patterns would emerge among adolescents. The current project included 56 community-recruited adolescents (ages 12–17 years; 41% girls) with a positive history of lifetime marijuana and cigarette use. Consistent with the adult literature, SA was not positively associated with frequency of use across either substance. Further, SA was positively associated with conformity use motives and unrelated to social or enhancement motives for both substances. Unexpectedly, SA was unrelated to coping use motives for either marijuana or cigarettes. These preliminary data highlight the need for future research designed to forward developmentally sensitive models of substance use behaviors and etiology.
Comparison of linear, nonlinear and feature selection methods for EEG signal classification

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Linear distributed source modeling of local field potentials recorded with intra-cortical electrode arrays

Planar intra-cortical electrode (Utah) arrays provide a unique window into the spatial organization of cortical activity. Reconstruction of the current source density (CSD) underlying such recordings, however, requires “inverting” Poisson’s equation. For inter-laminar recordings, this is commonly done by the CSD method, which consists in taking the second-order spatial derivative of the recorded local field potentials (LFPs). Although the CSD method has been tremendously successful in mapping the current generators underlying inter-laminar LFPs, its application to planar recordings is more challenging. While for inter-laminar recordings the CSD method seems reasonably robust against violations of its assumptions, is it unclear as to what extent this holds for planar recordings. One of the objectives of this study is to characterize the conditions under which the CSD method can be successfully applied to Utah array data. Using forward modeling, we find that for spatially coherent CSDs, the CSD method yields inaccurate reconstructions due to volume-conducted contamination from currents in deeper cortical layers. An alternative approach is to “invert” a constructed forward model. The advantage of this approach is that any a priori knowledge about the geometrical and electrical properties of the tissue can be taken into account. Although several inverse methods have been proposed for LFP data, the applicability of existing electroencephalographic (EEG) and magnetoencephalographic (MEG) inverse methods to LFP data is largely unexplored. Another objective of our study therefore, is to assess the applicability of the most commonly used EEG/MEG inverse methods to Utah array data. Our main conclusion is that these inverse methods provide more accurate CSD reconstructions than the CSD method. We illustrate the inverse methods using event-related potentials recorded from primary visual cortex of a macaque monkey during a motion discrimination task.
Differential regulation of type‐II and type‐X collagen synthesis by parathyroid hormone‐related protein in chick growth‐plate chondrocytes

Parathyroid hormone‐related protein is a critical autocrine regulator of endochondral ossification in the growth plate, as demonstrated by the severe disruption of growth‐plate structure and function in parathyroid hormone‐related protein‐deficient transgenic mice. In the present study, the effects of parathyroid hormonerelated protein on the synthesis of collagen mRNA and protein were studied in short‐term cultures of isolated chick growth‐plate chondrocytes. Parathyroid hormone‐related protein selectively inhibits type‐X collagen protein synthesis with no significant effect on type‐II collagen protein synthesis. These effects were present in all maturationally distinct populations of chondrocytes separated by countercurrent centrifugal elutriation. In cultures of resting chondrocytes, the onset of type‐X collagen expression was inhibited, while the synthesis of type‐X collagen was decreased in cultures of hypertrophic chondrocytes. Synthesis of type‐II and type‐X collagen mRNA was examined by nonradioactive in situ hybridization with synthetic oligonucleotide cDNA probes, and the level of expression was quantified using digital image analysis. Dose‐dependent suppression of type‐X collagen gene expression by parathyroid hormone‐related protein was observed, with no significant effect on type‐II collagen mRNA detected. The results were confirmed by analysis of Northern blots of total chondrocyte mRNA. These experiments demonstrated differential transcriptional regulation of type‐II and type‐X collagen, with selective suppression of type‐X collagen expression, by parathyroid hormone‐related protein in growth‐plate chondrocytes, In addition. Excellent agreement was found between traditional protein and mRNA analyses and microscopic digitial image analysis techniques, supporting the use of this convenient and sensitive assay method. Parathyroid hormone‐related protein inhibits chondrocyte maturation and is known to stimulate proliferation, suggesting that this autocrine factor may function to regulate premature hypertrophy in the growth plate.
Towards a dynamic and polarity-aware social user profile modeling

The emergence of social networks and the communication facilities they offer have generated an enormous informational mass. This social content is used in several research and industrial works and has had a great impact in different processes. In this paper, we present an overview of social information use in Information Retrieval (IR) and Recommendation systems. We first describe several user profile models using social information. A special attention is given to the following points: the analysis of the different user profiling models incorporating social content in Information Retrieval (IR) and in social recommendation methods. We distinguish between the models using social signals and relations, and the models using temporal information. We also present current and future challenges and research directions to enhance IR and recommendation process. We then describe our proposed model of social polarized and temporal user profile building and use in social recommendation context. Our proposal tries to address open challenges and establish a new model of user profile that fits information needs in recommender systems.
Control of photon emission by scanning tunneling microscopy in air.

A photon emission experiment has been done by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy in air. The emitted photons from a gold surface are collected in order to print side by side the STM topography and the corresponding photoemission mapping. Significant correlations can be observed between both images. The emission spectra are also collected while scanning the surface, thus yielding simultaneously a third piece of information. The results are markedly different from those obtained in ultra high vacuum.
Direct interactions of early and late assembling division proteins in Escherichia coli cells resolved by FRET

The bacterial cell division machinery is organized in the so‐called divisome composed of highly dynamic but low abundant interacting (membrane‐bound) proteins. In order to elucidate the molecular interactions between these proteins, we developed a robust background‐insensitive quantitative spectral unmixing method for estimating FRET efficiencies at near endogenous protein levels using fluorescent protein fusions. The assembly of the division machinery of Escherichia coli occurs in two steps that are discrete in time: first the FtsZ‐ring and the so‐called early localizing proteins that together seem to prepare the division assembly at midcell. Subsequently, the late localizing protein complexes that contain the peptidoglycan‐synthesizing proteins PBP1B and FtsI (PBP3) are recruited to the division site, which initiates septation. Physical interactions were observed between members within each group but also between the early and late localizing proteins strongly suggesting that these proteins despite their differential localization in time are linked at the molecular and functional level. Interestingly, we find FtsN, one of the latest proteins in the divisome assembly, interacting with late assembling proteins FtsI and FtsW, but also with early (proto‐ring) protein ZapA. This is in line with the recently described role of FtsN in divisome stabilization including the proto‐ring elements.
The second phase activation of protein kinase C δ at late G1 is required for DNA synthesis in serum‐induced cell cycle progression

Background: Cell lines that stably over‐express protein kinase C (PKC) δ frequently show a decrease in growth rate and saturation density, leading to the hypothesis that PKCδ has a negative effect on cell proliferation. However, the mode of PKCδ activation, the cell cycle stage requiring PKCδ activity, and the exact role of PKCδ at that stage remains unknown.
Identifiers suggestive of clinical cervical spine instability: a Delphi study of physical therapists.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Clinical cervical spine instability (CCSI) is controversial and difficult to diagnose. Within the literature, no clinical or diagnostic tests that yield valid and reliable results have been described to differentially diagnose this condition. The purpose of this study was to attempt to obtain consensus on symptoms and physical examination findings that are associated with CCSI. SUBJECTS One hundred seventy-two physical therapists who were Orthopaedic Certified Specialists (OCS) or Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT) participated in the survey. METHODS This study was a 3-round Delphi survey designed to obtain consensual symptoms and physical examination findings for CCSI. RESULTS The symptoms that reached the highest consensus among respondents were "intolerance to prolonged static postures," "fatigue and inability to hold head up," "better with external support, including hands or collar," "frequent need for self-manipulation," "feeling of instability, shaking, or lack of control," "frequent episodes of acute attacks," and "sharp pain, possibly with sudden movements. " The physical examination findings related to cervical instability that reached the highest consensus among respondents included "poor coordination/neuromuscular control, including poor recruitment and dissociation of cervical segments with movement," "abnormal joint play," "motion that is not smooth throughout range (of motion), including segmental hinging, pivoting, or fulcruming," and "aberrant movement. " DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION The Delphi method is useful in situations where clinical judgments are encountered but empirical evidence to provide evidence-based decision making does not exist. Findings of this study may provide beneficial clinical information, specifically when the identifiers are clustered together, because no set of clinical examination and symptom standards for CCSI currently exists. Diagnosis of CCSI is challenging; therefore, appropriate clinical reasoning is required for distinctive physical therapy assessment using pertinent symptoms and physical examination findings.
Anterior cruciate ligament injury and knee braces – perspectives for prevention and treatment

4 Introduction . 4 Background . 6 Knee joint . 7 Anterior Cruciate Ligament reconstruction. 8 Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries . 9 Overview . 10 Discussion . 12 Prevention . 12 Treatment . 13 Conclusion . 14 Literature . 15 Aalborg University Department of Health Science and Technology Sports Technology 4 Anterior cruciate ligament injury and knee braces – perspectives for prevention and treatment. A review Abstract This paper reviews the research of bracing, rehabilitation braces, functional knee braces (FKB) and prophylactic knee braces (PKB) within the last 15 years in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. The primary focus will be on the role of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and ACL reconstruction and braces, both before and after an injury occurs. The classifications of the braces made by the American Association of Orthopaedics Surgeons were the rehabilitation braces, designed to protect ROM postsurgery. The functional knee braces (FKB) are custom-made and designed to provide stability in an unstable knee joint. The prophylactic knee braces (PKB) which are “off-the-shelf” (OTS) braces are designed to reduce the severity and prevent knee injuries (Rishiraj, Taunton, Lloyd-Smith, Woollard, & Regan, 2009). ACL injuries are costly and have devastating consequences for the patients’ activity level and life quality. In the US approximately 200.000 ACL reconstructions are done annually at a total cost of $4 billion for the surgeries alone (Liu, et al., 2014). The use of PKB has increased in sports thereby trying to decrease the severity of the knee injuries and reduce the number of knee injuries (Greene, Hamson, Bay, & Bryce, 2000). In spite of the fact that the use of PKB in sports to prevent or reduce knee injury has been evaluated the conclusions differ and the topic remains controversial (Sanders, Cates, Baker, Barber-Westin, Gladin, & Levy, 2011). Conclusion: Rehabilitation braces does what it is made to do which is to prevent flexion during the early healing phases and can be beneficial in the early phases of recovery but have no long term effect on the outcome. Both in non weight-bearing and weight-bearing situations a FKB reduces the anterior-posterior laxity and shear loading which is positive for athletes with ACL and PCL problems to avoid further injuries. PKB have an overall positive effect by reducing the rate of knee injuries. Some PBK’s reduce forward speed and agility so which brace should be used depends on the specific sport.
The roles of toxin A and toxin B in Clostridium difficile infection

We recently published our findings indicating that anti-TcdB antibodies were effective as treatment for C. difficile infection, but that anti-TcdA actually worsened prognosis in the gnotobiotic piglet model. To further investigate the roles of the two toxins, we administered purified toxins separately or together, systemically, to piglets and found that both toxins, either alone or together, are able to elicit severe lesions systemically and are also able to cross into the gut lumen and cause large intestinal lesions typical of infection. We also found that anti-TcdA administered before systemic challenge with TcdA again did not protect from development of disease, but, in this case, did not appear to worsen prognosis. Further work is still needed, but these findings add to the growing knowledge regarding the roles of the C. difficile toxins.
Ion Collection Current Diagnostic for Exploring Plasma Opening Switch Performance

A study of the triggered plasma opening switch characteristics is in progress via an ion current collection diagnostic (ICCD) in addition to an offline apparatus. The ICCD will be used to explore the opening profile of the plasma opening switch. The design and fabrication of the diagnostic, as well as theoretical work to understand its functioning, and the initial measurements are presented. The ICCD utilizes 12 biased charge collectors that are positioned perpendicularly to the main switch in order to collect radially traveling ions emitted from the switch plasma. The maximum possible gap is 5 cm, and the radius of the cathode is 18 cm. As long as gap variations are small compared to the gap, it has been shown that this cylindrical geometry can be treated as a planar case of the Child-Langmuir law with only a 6% error. Additionally, electrostatic simulations with self-consistent space charge have been done using a static two-dimensional finite-element solver. It is hoped that the ICCD experimental data will provide insight into the operation of this plasma opening switch
Influence of probe tip calibration on measurement accuracy of small-signal parameters of advanced BiCMOS HBTs

This paper presents investigation results of the probe-tip calibration impact on the BiCMOS HBT small-signal parameter measurement accuracy. Popular calibration procedures were applied on the same data set and followed by the two-step de-embedding from the device dedicated Compete-Open and Complete-Short dummy elements. Experimental results showed that the observed difference in cold HBT parameters and parameters of passive devices was minimized by the de-embedding step. The ƒT and ƒMAX demonstrated higher sensitivity to the probe-tip calibration residual errors.
Effect of illumination intensity and temperature on open circuit voltage in organic solar cells

The effect of illumination intensity and temperature on open circuit voltage (Voc) in organic photovoltaic devices has been investigated. Voc is observed to saturate at high illumination intensities. The illuminated J-V characteristics at different intensities intersect the dark characteristic at a single point. This intersection point is shown to be equal to the built-in voltage (Vbi) in the sample. A reduction in temperature shows increment in saturated Voc. This increment in saturated Voc is attributed to the variation of Vbi with temperature. A model has been presented that explains the observed behavior of Vbi at different temperatures.
A test of hypotheses derived from self‐determination theory among public sector employees

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between intrinsic motivation and work performance among individuals from a broad cross‐section of job types among public employees with the objectives of contributing to self‐determination theory and assisting public management practice and research.Design/methodology/approach – Respondents were drawn from three municipalities located in Norway. A questionnaire was distributed to 2,015 employees through a web‐based tool (Questback), which resulted in complete data from 779 workers, representing a response rate of approximately 39 per cent.Findings – The findings suggest that the relationships between job autonomy and work performance and task interdependence and work performance are partly mediated by intrinsic motivation, while the relationship between supervisor support for autonomy, competence, and development and work performance is fully mediated by intrinsic motivation.Research limitations/implications – The two most important limitati.