Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Connectivity-Based Brain Network Supports Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder Across Development

Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition. Autistic symptoms can persist into adulthood. Studies have reported that autistic symptoms generally improved in adulthood, especially restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs). We explored brain networks that are related to differences in RRBIs in individuals with ASDs among different ages. Methods We enrolled 147 ASD patients from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange II (ABIDEII) database. The participants were divided into four age groups: children (6–9 years old), younger adolescents (10–14 years old), older adolescents (15–19 years old), and adults (≥20 years old). RRBIs were evaluated using the Repetitive Behaviors Scale-Revised 6. We first explored differences in RRBIs between age groups using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Associations between improvements in RRBIs and age were analyzed using a general linear model. We then analyzed RRBIs associated functional connectivity (FC) links using the network-based statistic method by adjusting covariates. The association of the identified FC with age group, and mediation function of the FC on the association of age-group and RRBI were further analyzed. Results Most subtypes of RRBIs improved with age, especially stereotyped behaviors, ritualistic behaviors, and restricted behaviors (p = 0.012, 0.014, and 0.012, respectively). Results showed that 12 FC links were closely related to overall RRBIs, 17 FC links were related to stereotyped behaviors. Among the identified 29 FC links, 15 were negatively related to age-groups. The mostly reported core brain regions included superior occipital gyrus, insula, rolandic operculum, angular, caudate, and cingulum. The decrease in FC between the left superior occipital lobe and right angular (effect = −0.125 and −0.693, respectively) and between the left insula and left caudate (effect = −0.116 and −0.664, respectively) might contribute to improvements in multiple RRBIs with age. Conclusion We identified improvements in RRBIs with age in ASD patients, especially stereotyped behaviors, ritualistic behaviors, and restricted behaviors. The decrease in FC between left superior occipital lobe and right angular and between left insula and left caudate might contribute to these improvements. Our findings improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of RRBIs and suggest potential intervention targets to improve prognosis in adulthood.
The establishment of strains of human cells in tissue culture.

The establishment of five human cell lines has been described. They were derived from human embryonic intestine, liver, lung, skin and muscle explants, and from a liver biopsy. The early cultures revealed fibroblasts and histiocyte-like cells but after 60 to 92 days of total cultivation new types of cells appeared, which grew rapidly and could be maintained thereafter in serial passage, whereas the earlier types of cells were lost. The cells finally established fall into two groups: (I) epithelial-like cells (intestine 407, liver 407, R and MAF-E lines) which resemble morphologically other cell strains derived from malignant (HeLa, KB) and normal human tissues (Chang's intestine, liver, kidney and conjunctiva); and (II) small, round, or irregularly shaped cells (Lung To) which are indistinguishable from McCulloch's MCN cells obtained from leukemic bone marrow. The implications of these findings have been discussed.
Response of Chromolaena odorata to timber tree densities in an agrisilvicultural system in Cameroon : aboveground biomass , residue decomposition and nutrient release

In low-input land-use systems combining timber trees with shade-tolerant understorey crops, it is essential to establish the effects of tree density upon weeds and the contribution of weeds to competition and nutrient cycling. Adjusting tree density may alter weed competition for light, water and nutrients, the storage of nutrients by weeds through growth and the release of nutrients via decomposition of slashed weed residues. The effects are reported of (1) two timber stand densities (TSDs) and, (2) retention versus burning of slashed vegetation at field preparation, upon Chr molaena odorata(kondengui), the dominant weed, in an agrisilvicultural system in southern Cameroon. The system comprised the timber species, Term nalia ivorensis , and plantain as an understorey crop. Total weed biomass was measured at the first weeding, 3 months after planting (MAP), and total weed biomass and ab oveground biomass, partitioning and nutrient accumulation of C. doratawere measured at the second and third weedings, 7 and 12 MAP. Mass and nutrient loss were measured from stem and leaves placed separately in decomposition bags. Here, burning was not an appropriate weed management tool, as it resulted in greater weed biomass. A high TSD did reduce weed biomass. However, foliar nutrient concentrations were generally higher in high TSDs. Thus, retaining trees in the high TSD did not lead to any reduction in nutrient uptake by the C. odoratastand. Furthermore, in the high TSD, mass loss and nutrient release characteristics had higher coefficients, and a higher percentage of the total nutrients accumulated were released in the early stages of incubation, all increasing the risk of nutrients being lost from the topsoil. Thus, from a weed competition perspective, there were few benefits to retaining a high timber stand density. © 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Factors Influencing Marketing Effectiveness on the Web

Despite the current development of Internet marketing, understanding the effective use of the Internet still poses problems for academic researchers and marketers Kassaye, 1999. This research attempts to empirically explore some of the critical factors influencing commercial Internet and Web development. The key factors considered for company Internet and Web site development are aspects of technology capacity, the use of different Internet developers, the approaches used to evaluate on-line marketing effectiveness and the marketing executives' knowledge of Internet technology. As a result of a cross-sectional comparative study of 'effective' and 'ineffective' companies, the findings indicate that companies with higher on-line marketing effectiveness tend to possess higher levels of technological capabilities for Internet-based marketing. The results also show that their marketing executives have a better knowledge of technical aspects of Web site development. They tend to be early Internet adopters using a multiple approach to evaluate their on-line marketing efforts. These exploratory results indicate how on-line strategies could be made to be more effective.
DoKRe - A Method for Automated Domain Knowledge Recovery from Source Code

A ll software systems contain knowledge about the domain they are used in, but this knowledge is for a great deal latent and therefore not explicitly available. Even if the domain is documented, this documentation is often incomplete or outdated. But having a representation of the domain of a system can be valuable and sometimes even necessary, as e.g. for the design of Domain Speciﬁc Languages (DSL) or the re-engineering of legacy systems. We ﬁrst explore the possibilities of the automation of domain knowledge recovery. Based on these possibilities the DoKRe method is deﬁned as basic approach, which makes use of Formal Concept Analysis. We show with a prototypical implementation of the method and a number of experiments that our approach gives promising results and can be used as starting point for further research on automated domain knowledge recovery.
Isolation and molecular genetic characterization of the Bacillus subtilis gene (infB) encoding protein synthesis initiation factor 2

Western blot (immunoblot) analysis of Bacillus subtilis cell extracts detected two proteins that cross-reacted with monospecific polyclonal antibody raised against Escherichia coli initiation factor 2 alpha (IF2 alpha). Subsequent Southern blot analysis of B. subtilis genomic DNA identified a 1.3-kilobase (kb) HindIII fragment which cross-hybridized with both E. coli and Bacillus stearothermophilus IF2 gene probes. This DNA was cloned from a size-selected B. subtilis plasmid library. The cloned HindIII fragment, which was shown by DNA sequence analysis to encode the N-terminal half of the B. subtilis IF2 protein and 0.2 kb of upstream flanking sequence, was utilized as a homologous probe to clone an overlapping 2.76-kb ClaI chromosomal fragment containing the entire IF2 structural gene. The HindIII fragment was also used as a probe to obtain overlapping clones from a lambda gt11 library which contained additional upstream and downstream flanking sequences. Sequence comparisons between the B. subtilis IF2 gene and the other bacterial homologs from E. coli, B. stearothermophilus, and Streptococcus faecium displayed extensive nucleic acid and protein sequence homologies. The B. subtilis infB gene encodes two proteins, IF2 alpha (78.6 kilodaltons) and IF2 beta (68.2 kilodaltons); both were expressed in B. subtilis and E. coli. These two proteins cross-reacted with antiserum to E. coli IF2 alpha and were able to complement in vivo an E. coli infB gene disruption. Four-factor recombination analysis positioned the infB gene at 145 degrees on the B. subtilis chromosome, between the polC and spcB loci. This location is distinct from those of the other major ribosomal protein and rRNA gene clusters of B. subtilis.
The role of melanin‐concentrating hormone in conditioned reward learning

The orexigenic neuropeptide melanin‐concentrating hormone (MCH) is well positioned to play a key role in connecting brain reward and homeostatic systems due to its synthesis in hypothalamic circuitry and receptor expression throughout the cortico‐striatal reward circuit. Here we examined whether targeted‐deletion of the MCH receptor (MCH‐1R) in gene‐targeted heterozygote and knockout mice (KO), or systemic treatment with pharmacological agents designed to antagonise MCH‐1R in C57BL/6J mice would disrupt two putative consequences of reward learning that rely on different neural circuitries: conditioned reinforcement (CRf) and Pavlovian‐instrumental transfer (PIT). Mice were trained to discriminate between presentations of a reward‐paired cue (CS+) and an unpaired CS−. Following normal acquisition of the Pavlovian discrimination in all mice, we assessed the capacity for the CS+ to act as a reinforcer for new nose‐poke learning (CRf). Pharmacological disruption in control mice and genetic deletion in KO mice impaired CRf test performance, suggesting MCH‐1R is necessary for initiating and maintaining behaviors that are under the control of conditioned reinforcers. To examine a dissociable form of reward learning (PIT), a naïve group of mice were trained in separate Pavlovian and instrumental lever training sessions followed by the PIT test. For all mice the CS+ was capable of augmenting ongoing lever responding relative to CS− periods. These results suggest a role for MCH in guiding behavior based on the conditioned reinforcing value of a cue, but not on its incentive motivational value.
Changes in atmospheric CO2 influence the allergenicity of Aspergillus fumigatus

Increased susceptibility to allergies has been documented in the Western world in recent decades. However, a comprehensive understanding of its causes is not yet available. It is therefore essential to understand trends and mechanisms of allergy‐inducing agents, such as fungal conidia. In this study, we investigated the hypothesis that environmental conditions linked to global atmospheric changes can affect the allergenicity of Aspergillus fumigatus, a common allergenic fungal species in indoor and outdoor environments and in airborne particulate matter. We show that fungi grown under present‐day CO2 levels (392 ppm) exhibit 8.5 and 3.5 fold higher allergenicity compared to fungi grown at preindustrial (280 ppm) and double (560 ppm) CO2 levels, respectively. A corresponding trend is observed in the expression of genes encoding for known allergenic proteins and in the major allergen Asp f1 concentrations, possibly due to physiological changes such as respiration rates and the nitrogen content of the fungus, influenced by the CO2 concentrations. Increased carbon and nitrogen levels in the growth medium also lead to a significant increase in the allergenicity. We propose that climatic changes such as increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and changes in the fungal growth medium may impact the ability of allergenic fungi such as A. fumigatus to induce allergies.
New design of 3–10 GHz low noise amplifier for UWB receivers

In the ultra-wideband (UWB) communication system receiver, the low noise amplifier (LNA) is the critical module. The LNA is used to amplify the received signal with sufficient gain and as little additional noise as possible. This paper presents a new 3.1-10.6 GHz LNA UWB receivers. The UWB LNA was formed by two stages. The first one uses the resistive current reuse and degenerative parallel LC to provide the input matching over a wideband. The proposed UWB LNA uses an inductive-series peaking technique with cascode common-source amplifier to improve the gain, fatness and consume lower power. This LNA is designed using 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Our finding show that, the low noise amplifier LNA using these techniques allowed us to achieve a maximum power gain of 20.62 dB, a good input/output impedance matching, S11 below -10 dB and S22 below -10dB and an excellent noise figure NF between 1.6-2.5 dB.
Working through the end of civilization

This is an account of how a civilization works through the problems it faces when it is threatened with destruction. It focuses on the example of the Crow Nation, an Indian tribe of the northwest plains of North America, and their last great chief Plenty Coups. Psychoanalytic ideas play a crucial role in explaining how a creative response was possible. In particular, their collective use of dream‐visions and dream‐interpretation made possible the creation of a new ego ideal for the tribe. This allowed for the transformation of traditional allocations of shame and humiliation. It also allowed for the possibility of transformation of psychological structure. And it opened up new possibilities for what might count as flourishing as a Crow. Conversely, the threat of civilizational collapse allows us to see new possibilities for the conceptual development of psychoanalysis. In particular, psychoanalysis needs to recognize that destruction can occur at the level of the culture while the individuals are not physically harmed. The psychological states of these individuals can be various and complex and cannot be neatly summed up under the category of trauma. A culture can be devastated, while there is no one‐to‐one relation to the psychological states of the individuals who participate in that culture. It is also true that a collapse of a way of life makes a variety of psychological states impossible. Coming to understand these phenomena is essential to understanding how a culture works through threats to its very existence.
Differences in the Lipid Domain Organization of Erythrocyte Membranes in Patients with Schizophrenia

Gradually accumulating evidence indicates that schizophrenia may be accompanied by alterations of membrane phospholipids, however knowledge about how it affects lipid domain organization of membrane is lacking. We compared the membrane lipid domain organization of red blood cell (RBC) membranes from two groups of patients with schizophrenia selected by their high positive syndrome (PS) or negative syndrome (NS) scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, and control subjects without known psychiatric history. Differences in the surface distribution of the membrane phospholipids were elucidated by: 1) registering the fluorescence excitation spectra of the polarity-sensitive lipid probe Laurdan incorporated into the RBC membrane, 2) measuring the resonance energy transfer (RET) from tryptophan to fluorescent analogs of the main RBC phospholipids phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, and 3) determining the changes in RET from tryptophan to the sphingomyelin probe induced by prostaglandin E1. The data obtained with RBCs from either normal subjects or PS patients were largely similar, but differed significantly from those obtained with RBCs of patients with NS schizophrenia. The results support validity of the clinical distinction of schizophrenia into positive and negative subtypes.
Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in Pediatric Patients From a Chinese Teaching Hospital

Objective: To study the molecular epidemiological characteristics of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SMA) isolated from patients in a pediatric teaching hospital in Shanghai so as to provide data for the prevention and treatment of SMA. Methods: Non-repetitive SMA strains were isolated from patients from January 2013 to December 2014. The cloning characteristics were analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and the drug resistance was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk method. Virulence genes and biofilm genes were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The biofilm forming ability was analyzed using the semi-quantitative biofilm formation test. Results: A total of 104 strains were collected, primarily from the pediatric intensive care unit and thoracic surgery, and these strains were isolated from sputum sources (n = 82). A majority of the patients were male (67/104), and the age range was between 6 days and 12 years old. A total of 95 patients had 1–3 baseline diseases. All of the patients had prior use of 1–4 antimicrobial agents. A total of 59 STs were detected using the MLST analysis, of which 45 were new. The sequence types of the SMA were scattered, with no trend in the clonal spread. The PFGE showed that the 104 strains could be divided into 93 clusters, with no obvious cluster aggregations. All of the strains were susceptible to levofloxacin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and minocycline. The positive rates of the virulence genes stmPr1, stmPr2, smf-1, and smlt3773 locus were 98.1, 86.5, 100, and 91.3%, respectively. All of the strains had biofilm formation, and most of the strains had strong biofilm formation abilities. The positive rates of the three biofilm genes rmlA, spgM, and rpfF were 83.7, 100, and 45.2%, respectively. However, the point mutations of rmlA and spgM with strong biofilm formation abilities were significantly different from those with weak biofilm formation abilities. Conclusion: Most infected patients had prior use of antibiotics and underlying diseases, and the positive rate of the virulence gene was high. The strains were susceptible to three kinds of antibiotics and had strong biofilm formation abilities. The mutations of rmlA and spgM may be related to the biofilm formation ability, and no obvious clonal transmissions were found in the same clinical department.
Multi-Level Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter with Collaborative Communications for Smart Grid

An arc fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) is a device that provides protection from the effects of arc faults by de-energizing a circuit within a specified time after an arc fault is detected. In the United States, AFCI installation in bedroom receptacle outlets has been mandated since 2002. As AFCIs have been widely adapted to real situations, several kinds of AFCIs have been developed including branch/feeder, cord, outlet box, and portable designs. Using various types of AFCIs creates a hierarchy consisting of multi-level AFCIs such as a portable AFCI serially connected to an outlet box AFCI. This multi-level AFCI structure causes a serious problem by enabling an upper level AFCI to detect an arc fault occurring in the surveillance area of lower level AFCIs. This problem results in de-energizing the whole area covered by the upper level AFCI. In this paper, we propose a solution to the multi-level AFCI problem that occurs when several types of AFCIs are used in the same hierarchy. To provide a practical solution, we first present the theoretical background of a multi-level AFCI and suggest a solution that integrates collaborative communication and computing power into a conventional AFCI device. Finally, we introduce a prototype implementation of our approach. Our proposed approach can protect people and facilities against electrical fire hazards, which is one of major challenges that the smart grid aims to overcome using information technology.
Functional and morphological studies on isolated Leydig cells: purification by centrifugal elutriation and metrizamide fractionation.

Rat interstitial cells were fractionated by centrifugal elutriation to facilitate the purification of Leydig cells for analysis of mechanisms of gonadotropin action in vitro. By this procedure, 10(9) collagenase-dispersed interstitial cells from adult rat testes were separated into 12 fractions in about 1 h. Fractions 1-7 (sedimentation velocities, 1.9-12 mm/h.g) comprised 80-85% of the total cells applied, including erythrocytes, lymphocytes, germinal cells, macrophages, endothelial cells, damaged Leydig cells, and contained less than 4% intact Leydig cells. Fractions 8-12 (sedimentation velocities, greater than 12 mm/h.g) comprised 15-20% of the original cells and contained 90-95% intact Leydig cells. Despite their different sedimentation velocities, the Leydig cell-rich fractions were similar in their LH receptor content (mean +/- SD, 36,115 +/- 4,815 sites/cell) and showed similar 5-fold increases above the original cell preparation in testosterone and cAMP responses to hCG. The pooled Leydig cell-rich fractions (8-12) were further resolved on 16-24% Metrizamide gradients into 5 bands. Bands II-V (density range, 1.075-1.110 g/ml) contained pure Leydig cells, and band I (1.048 g/ml) contained pachytene spermatocytes, the contaminating cell type present in the Leydig cell-rich fractions obtained by elutriation. Each of the 4 Leydig cell-rich bands showed similar morphology and functional activity. Essentially similar results were observed using 14-32% Metrizamide gradients. Leydig cells desensitized in vivo by hCG treatment and isolated by elutriation were also resolved by Metrizamide gradients into 4 bands, but showed a redistribution in the gradient, due to the shift of about 50% of the cells originally present in the heaviest bands to lower density fractions. However, in spite of their changes in density, the Leydig cell bands still showed similar degrees of receptor down-regulation and impairment of the steroid responses to hCG in vitro. This study has demonstrated that centrifugal elutriation is a rapid and effective method for obtaining large quantities of purified (greater than 90%) and active Leydig cells. Further resolution of the Leydig cell-rich fractions in Metrizamide gradients has allowed complete Leydig cell purification, which is not achieved by density gradient centrifugation alone. Since less responsive or inactive Leydig cells displayed various degrees of structural damage, such cells should not be considered as a population of physiological significance. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)