Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autism Spectrum Disorder Related Functional Connectivity Changes in the Language Network in Children, Adolescents and Adults

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability with global implication. Altered brain connectivity in the language network has frequently been reported in ASD patients using task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) compared to typically developing (TD) participants. Most of these studies have focused on a specific age group or mixed age groups with ASD. In the current study, we investigated age-related changes in functional connectivity related measure, degree centrality (DC), in the language network across three age groups with ASD (113 children, 113 adolescents and 103 adults) using resting-state fMRI data collected from the autism brain imaging data exchange repository. We identified regions with significant group-wise differences between ASD and TD groups for three age cohorts using DC based on graph theory. We found that both children and adolescents with ASD showed decreased DC in Broca’s area compared to age-matched TD groups. Adults with ASD showed decreased DC in Wernicke’s area compared to TD adults. We also observed increased DC in the left inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) for children with ASD compared to TD children and for adults with ASD compared to TD adults, respectively. Overall, functional differences occurred in key language processing regions such as the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) related to language production and comprehension across three age cohorts. We explored correlations between DC values of our findings with autism diagnostic observation schedule (ADOS) scores related to severity of ASD symptoms in the ASD group. We found that DC values of the left IFG demonstrated negative correlations with ADOS scores in children and adolescents with ASD. The left STG showed significant negative correlations with ADOS scores in adults with ASD. These results might shed light on the language network regions that should be further explored for prognosis, diagnosis, and monitoring of ASD in three age groups.
Dosimetry of the gastrointestinal tract.

Abstract This paper briefly reviews the dosimetry of the GI tract given in ICRP Publication 2 and comments on certain aspects of it. New equations are derived for calculations of (MPC) w for the four sections of the GI tract. Values for (MPC) W are calculated from these equations using values for the parameters obtained from Eve. These (MPC) w values are compared with the appropriate values from the current recommendations.
Lexical semantics as a basis for argument structure frequency biases

In language comprehension, the in uence of the frequency of various elements has long been recognized, with more frequent elements typically being processed more quickly or easily than less frequent ones. This has been most obvious for words (e.g., Just & Carpenter, 1980; Morton, 1969; Rayner & Du y, 1986), but the frequency of a range of elements which must be accessed and combined to interpret sentences has recently been argued to play an important role in comprehension (e.g., Jurafsky, 1996; MacDonald, Pearlmutter, & Seidenberg, 1994; Mitchell & Cuetos, 1991; Tabor, Juliano, & Tanenhaus, 1997; Trueswell & Tanenhaus, 1994; cf. Traxler, Pickering, & Clifton, 1998). Even in models where the frequency of elements is not one of the primary sources of information used during sentence processing, it still comes into play during later stages (e.g., Ferreira & Henderson, 1990; Frazier, 1995; Mitchell, 1989). These claims have been supported primarily by ambiguity resolution studies, where the relative frequencies of all of the following have been shown to in uence preferences for di erent interpretations of temporarily ambiguous phrases: (1) a word's alternative grammatical categories (Juliano & Tanenhaus, 1994; MacDonald, 1993; Tabor et al., 1997), (2) a verb's alternative morphological tense markings (Trueswell, 1996), and (3) alternative argument structures for verbs and nouns (e.g., Boland, Tanenhaus, Garnsey, & Carlson, 1995; Ferreira & Henderson, 1990; Garnsey, Pearlmutter, Myers, & Lotocky, 1997; MacDonald, 1994; Pearlmutter & Mendelsohn, 1998; Spivey-Knowlton & Sedivy, 1995; Taraban & McClelland, 1988; Trueswell, Tanenhaus, & Kello, 1993). These results are analogous to earlier ndings in lexical ambiguity resolution, where the relative frequency of the di erent possible meanings of a word (e.g., bank as a nancial institution vs. as the edge of a river) in part determines which meaning is preferred during comprehension (e.g., Rayner & Du y, 1986; Simpson, 1984; Tabossi, Colombo,
A general framework for the execution of heterogenous programs in workflow management systems

Application programs are a substantial asset of an organization. The introduction of workflow management technology must provide means and mechanisms to integrate existing application programs which are not aware of workflow management systems in the same seamless manner as newly written, workflow-aware applications. The paper presents a general approach for integrating workflow-unaware application programs into workflow management systems. Their concepts enable the integration of application programs which are implemented on top of heterogeneous operating systems or base services into our prototype workflow management system MOBILE. Furthermore, they support the execution of several transactional application programs within a single transaction controlled by the workflow management system.
Partnership Research: A Practical Trial Design for Evaluation of a Natural Experiment to Improve Depression Care

Background:Translational research is increasingly important as academic health centers transform themselves to meet new requirements of National Institutes of Health funding. Most attention has focused on T1 translation studies (bench to bedside) with considerable uncertainty about how to enhance T2 (effectiveness trials) and especially T3 (implementation studies). Objective:To describe an innovative example of a T3 study, conducted as partnership research with the leaders of a major natural experiment in Minnesota to improve the primary care of depression. Methods:All health plans in the state have agreed on a new payment model to support clinics that implement the well-evidenced collaborative care model for depression in the Depression Improvement Across Minnesota: Offering a New Direction initiative. The Depression Improvement Across Minnesota: Offering a New Direction study was developed in an ongoing partnership with the Initiative leaders from 7 health plans, 85 clinics, and a regional quality improvement collaborative to evaluate the implementation and its impacts on patients and other stakeholders. We agreed on a staggered implementation, multiple baseline research design, using the concepts of practical clinical trials and engaged scholarship and have collaborated on all aspects of conducting the study, including joint identification of patient and clinic survey recipients. Results:Complex study methods have worked well through 20 months because of the commitment of all stakeholders to both the Initiative and the Study. Over 1500 subjects have been recruited from health plan information delivered weekly, and 99.7% of 316 physicians and administrators from all participating clinical organizations have completed the Study surveys. Conclusions:Partnership research can greatly facilitate translational research studies.
Therapeutic immunomodulators from nematode parasites

There has been an alarming increase in the incidence of autoimmune and allergic diseases in Western countries in the past few decades. However, in countries endemic for parasitic helminth infections, such diseases remain relatively rare. Hence, it has been hypothesised that helminths may protect against the development of autoimmunity and allergy. This article reviews the evidence supporting this idea with respect to helminths of the phylum Nematoda (nematodes), considering data from human studies and animal models of inflammatory disease. The nature and mode of action of nematode-derived molecules with immunomodulatory properties are considered, and their therapeutic efficacy in models of autoimmunity and allergy described. The recent and future use of nematodes and their products in treating human disease are also discussed.
Eggerthella lenta as a cause of anaerobic

Anaerobic organisms are a rare cause of spondylodiscitis . Egger thella lenta is an organism that is not commonly associated with spondylodiscitis. We describe a case of spondylodiscitis due to Eggerthella lenta in an 82-year-old Chinese woman presenting with back pain. The organism was isolated from tissue cultures obtained via radiology-guided biopsy.
Topical anti-inflammatory phytomedicine based on Sphagneticola trilobata dried extracts

Abstract Context: The aerial parts of Sphagneticola trilobata (L.) Pruski (Asteraceae) are popularly used to treat topical inflammation, but have not been fully investigated. Objective: To identify polar compounds in S. trilobata extracts and develop a new topical phytomedicine based on the kaurenoic acid (KA) content while monitoring and demonstrating its topical anti-inflammatory activity. Materials and methods: Ethanol spray-dried extract of S. trilobata was analysed by LC-MS while the KA content from semisolid was analysed by LC-UV. The extent of ear edema induced by applying 20 μL of croton oil (2.5%), arachidonic acid (AA; 2 mg/ear) and decanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA; 2.5 mg/ear) in mice was used to evaluate the biological activity of the semisolids, which were applied 30 min before the phlogistic agents. Results: Eight phenylpropanoids and four oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins were identified, majority of them reported for the first time in this species, in addition to KA. The semisolid containing 1.0% of dried extract reduced the ear edema induced by croton oil [77.2 ± 4.5%; ID50 = 0.49 (0.28–0.87%)], TPA (81.5 ± 2.4%) and AA (39.1 ± 6.9%), with decreasing effect at higher KA concentrations. This was accompanied by neutrophil migration inhibition as investigated by biochemical and histological assays. Discussion and conclusion: The anti-inflammatory effects were (at least in part) due to the interference in protein kinase C (PKC) activation, AA-cascade products and neutrophil migration inhibition, demonstrating the efficacy of the folk topical usage of this plant. The results support the development of a novel topical anti-inflammatory phytomedicine properly standardized to treat inflammatory dermatological diseases.
Brain norepinephrine and metabolites after treadmill training and wheel running in rats.

Regional changes in concentrations of brain norepinephrine [NE] and its metabolites after chronic exercise have not been described for exercise protocols not confounded by other stressors. We examined levels of [NE], 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol [MHPG], and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol [DHPG] in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, pons-medulla, and spinal cord after 8 wk of exercise. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (N = 36) were randomly assigned to three conditions: 1) 24-h access to activity wheel running (WR), 2) treadmill running (TR) at 0 degrees incline for 1 h.d-1 at 25-30 m.min-1, or 3) a sedentary control group (C). Levels (nmol.g-1) of [NE], [MHPG], and [DHPG] were assayed by high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. Planned contrasts (P < 0.05) indicated that exercise training increased succinate dehydrogenase activity (mmol cytochrome C reduced.min-1.g-1 wet weight) in soleus muscle for TR compared with WR or C. [NE] was higher in the pons-medulla and spinal cord for both TR and WR compared with C. [DHPG] was higher in the pons-medulla for TR compared with C, and [MHPG] was higher in the frontal cortex and in the hippocampus for TR compared with C. Our results suggest that treadmill exercise training is accompanied by brain noradrenergic adaptations consistent with increased metabolism of NE in areas containing NE cell bodies and ascending terminals, whereas treadmill running and wheel running are accompanied by increases in levels of NE in the areas of NE cell bodies and the spinal cord, independently of an exercise training effect.
Infection in the Neuroischemic Foot

Infection in the neuroischemic foot can lead to cellulitis, which often progresses to necrosis as a result of septic vasculitis. Therefore, it is important to diagnose infection early. However, the signs and symptoms of infection are diminished in the neuroischemic foot. Microbiological investigation is essential. Severe infection needs intravenous antibiotic therapy and urgent assessment of the need for surgical drainage and debridement. Infected neuroischemic feet need vascular assessment and intervention where appropriate. It is important to maintain strict metabolic control and optimize cardiovascular function. Recent modern approaches based on multi-disciplinary clinics have resulted in improved results in the management of infection in the ischemic diabetic foot.
The degree of response to increased predation risk corresponds to male secondary sexual traits

Secondary sexual traits are expected to reflect a balance between sexual selection and natural selection. We test the hypothesis that plasticity in sexual advertisement behaviors can influence this trade-off, allowing showier traits than expected for a given level of predation risk. Specifically, we tested whether the degree of behavioral plasticity exhibited in response to chemical cues of a co-occurring predatory wolf spider corresponds to courtship rate and the degree of ornamentation in male wolf spiders. Both ornamented (brush-legged) males and non-ornamented males decreased locomotion, decreased their likelihood to court, and increased their time to initiate courtship in response to predator cues. However, brush-legged males increased their time to initiate courtship more than did non-ornamented males, demonstrating a greater response to the risk of predation for the more ornamented males. Similarly, within brush-legged males, individuals with the highest courtship rates also showed the greatest degree of plasticity in time to initiate courtship across predation contexts, whereas behavioral plasticity was independent of courtship rate for non-ornamented males. We found no correlation between ornament size and plasticity in response to predator cues within brush-legged males. Ultimately, we suggest that our data provide support for the hypothesis that behavioral plasticity in response to predator cues may alter the trade-off between predation risk and sexual advertisement and may be more important for males with higher degrees of conspicuousness in ornamentation and courtship. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.
Phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate 5‐kinase is required for the cellular response to nutritional starvation and mating pheromone signals in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

Background: Phosphatidylinositol (3,5) bisphosphate, which is converted from phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate by phosphatidylinositol 3‐phosphate 5‐kinase, is implicated in vacuolar functions and the sorting of cell surface proteins within endosomes in the endocytic pathway of budding yeast. A homologous protein, SpFab1p, has been found in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, but its role is not known.
Lung clearance index as an outcome measure for clinical trials in young children with cystic fibrosis. A pilot study using inhaled hypertonic saline.

RATIONALE Lung clearance index (LCI), measured by multiple breath washout (MBW), is a noninvasive measure of ventilation inhomogeneity that holds promise as an objective physiologic endpoint for clinical trials in infants and preschool children with cystic fibrosis (CF). OBJECTIVES To study the feasibility of using LCI to assess treatment effect outcomes in CF trials of infants and preschoolers. METHODS The Infant Study of Inhaled Saline trial was a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of hypertonic (7%) versus isotonic (0.9%) saline inhaled twice daily for 48 weeks in children with CF under 6 years of age. LCI measurements were performed in a single-center pilot substudy at baseline and 48 weeks using a respiratory mass spectrometer and sulfur hexafluoride as the tracer gas. LCI measurements were standardized using published normative data (zLCI) to account for height-related changes in LCI during early childhood. A generalized estimating equation model with an interaction between treatment group and test occasion was used to estimate a treatment effect. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A total of 27 participants were randomized; 25 participants, aged (median [range]) 2.6 (0.34-4.95) years, had acceptable baseline and follow-up LCI measures. On average, LCI decreased in the hypertonic saline group (n = 12) by 1.19 z-scores units (95% confidence interval [CI] = -2.46 to 0.06), and remained stable in the isotonic saline group (n = 13) at 0.81 (95% CI = -0.40 to 2.02). A significant treatment effect was observed for zLCI (2.01; 95% CI = 0.26 to 3.76; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS MBW testing is feasible in an interventional study in infants and preschool children with CF. These pilot findings support the development of MBW and LCI as an objective outcome measure in interventional trials in young children with CF, and provide estimates for sample size calculations for future studies.
Cancer chemo- and immunopharmacology. 1. Chemopharmacology.

Introducing a new hobby for other people may inspire them to join with you. Reading, as one of mutual hobby, is considered as the very easy hobby to do. But, many people are not interested in this hobby. Why? Boring is the reason of why. However, this feel actually can deal with the book and time of you reading. Yeah, one that we will refer to break the boredom in reading is choosing cancer chemo and immunopharmacology chemopharmacology as the reading material.
Socioemotional Problems in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Mediating Effects of Attachment and Family Supports

Given the high likelihood of women remaining with their partner when intimate partner violence (IPV) is present, it is important to work with existing family strengths and social supports to minimize emotional harm to the children of these couples. The current study involved interviews with mothers of young children in the child welfare system across a state in the northeast (n = 336). Roughly one third of these women reported IPV in the past year. The relationship between IPV and child socioemotional problems was explored, along with supports that might mediate this relationship. Study results showed that child exposure to IPV was directly related to socioemotional problems. This was mediated by three family and social factors: strength of mother–child attachment, overall family functioning, and level of mothers’ emotional support. Findings revealed the heterogeneity among families with IPV and highlight the need for interventions focused on the ecological context in which women are parenting.
Convergence results for the agreement problem on Markovian random topologies

Abstract We study the linear distributed asymptotic agreement(consensus) problem for a network of dynamic agents whose communication network is modeled by a randomly switching graph. The switching is determined by a finite state, Markov process, each topology corresponding to a state of the process. We address both the cases where the dynamics of the agents is expressed in continuous and discrete time. We show that, if the consensus matrices are doubly stochastic, convergence to average consensus is achieved in the mean square and almost sure sense, if and only if the graph resulted from the union of graphs corresponding to the states of the Markov process is strongly connected. The aim of this paper is to show how techniques from the theory of Markovian jump linear systems, in conjunction with results inspired by matrix and graph theory, can be used to prove convergence results for stochastic consensus problems.
Effects of Dam‐Induced Landscape Fragmentation on Amazonian Ant–Plant Mutualistic Networks

Mutualistic networks are critical to biological diversity maintenance; however, their structures and functionality may be threatened by a swiftly changing world. In the Amazon, the increasing number of dams poses a large threat to biological diversity because they greatly alter and fragment the surrounding landscape. Tight coevolutionary interactions typical of tropical forests, such as the ant–myrmecophyte mutualism, where the myrmecophyte plants provide domatia nesting space to their symbiotic ants, may be jeopardized by the landscape changes caused by dams. We analyzed 31 ant–myrmecophyte mutualistic networks in undisturbed and disturbed sites surrounding Balbina, the largest Central Amazonian dam. We tested how ant–myrmecophyte networks differ among dam‐induced islands, lake edges, and undisturbed forests in terms of species richness, composition, structure, and robustness (number of species remaining in the network after partner extinctions). We also tested how landscape configuration in terms of area, isolation, shape, and neighborhood alters the structure of the ant–myrmecophyte networks on islands. Ant–myrmecophytic networks were highly compartmentalized in undisturbed forests, and the compartments had few strongly connected mutualistic partners. In contrast, networks at lake edges and on islands were not compartmentalized and were negatively affected by island area and isolation in terms of species richness, density, and composition. Habitat loss and fragmentation led to coextinction cascades that contributed to the elimination of entire ant–plant compartments. Furthermore, many myrmecophytic plants in disturbed sites lost their mutualistic ant partners or were colonized by opportunistic, nonspecialized ants. Robustness of ant–myrmecophyte networks on islands was lower than robustness near lake edges and in undisturbed forest and was particularly susceptible to the extinction of plants. Beyond the immediate habitat loss caused by the building of large dams in Amazonia, persistent edge effects and habitat fragmentation associated with dams had large negative effects on animal–plant mutualistic networks.
Dual Inhibition of AChE and BChE with the C-5 Substituted Derivative of Meldrum’s Acid: Synthesis, Structure Elucidation, and Molecular Docking Studies

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) lies in the category of those diseases which are still posing challenges to medicinal chemists, and the search for super-effective drugs for the treatment of AD is a work in progress. The inhibition of cholinesterase is considered a viable strategy to enhance the level of acetylcholine in the brain. The C-5 substituted derivative of Meldrum’s acid was synthesized and screened against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) enzyme inhibition activity. The simple and unique structure of synthesized derivative 3 was found to be good for the dual inhibition of both enzymes (AChE and BChE). 2,2-Dimethyl-5-(([2-(trifluoromethyl) phenyl]amino)methylidene)-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione (3) showed significant inhibition against AChE, with an IC50 value of 1.13 ± 0.03 µ M (Standard Neostigmine 22.2 ± 3.2 µM), and moderate inhibition against BChE, with an IC50 value of 2.12 ± 1.22 µM (Standard Neostigmine 49.6 ± 6.11 µM). The structural insights reveal that compound 3 possesses intriguing reactive groups, which can potentially evoke the non-covalent interactions and possibly assist by binding in the active site of the target protein. Docking simulations revealed that the compound 3 showed binding inside the active site gorges of both AChE and BChE. An excellent agreement was obtained, as the best docked poses showed important binding features mostly based on interactions due to oxygen atoms and the aromatic moieties of the compound. The docking computations coupled with the experimental findings ascertained that the compound 3 can serve as a scaffold for the dual inhibitors of the human acetylcholine esterases.