Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
It gets better or does it? Peer victimization and internalizing problems in the transition to young adulthood

Abstract Consistent research shows that peer victimization predicts internalizing symptoms in childhood and adolescence, but the extent to which peer victimization and its harmful effects on mental health persists into young adulthood is unclear. The current study describes patterns of physical and relational victimization during and after high school, and examines concurrent and prospective associations between internalizing symptoms (depressive and anxious symptoms) and peer victimization (physical and relational) from adolescence to young adulthood (ages 12–27). Data were collected from the Victoria Healthy Youth Survey, a five-wave multicohort study conducted biennially between 2003 and 2011 (N = 662). Physical victimization was consistently low and stable over time. Relational victimization increased for males after high school. Both types of victimization were associated concurrently with internalizing symptoms across young adulthood for males and for females. Although sex differences were important, victimization in high school also predicted increases in internalizing problems over time.
Developmental transitions in presentations of externalizing problems among boys and girls at risk for child maltreatment

Abstract The present study examined the impact of children's maltreatment experiences on the emergence of externalizing problem presentations among children during different developmental periods. The sample included 788 youth and their caregivers who participated in a multisite, prospective study of youth at-risk for maltreatment. Externalizing problems were assessed at ages 4, 8, and 12, and symptoms and diagnoses of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder were assessed at age 14, during interviews with youth and caregivers. Information about maltreatment allegations was coded from official records. Latent transition analysis identified three groups of youth with similar presentations of externalizing problems (“well adjusted,” “hyperactive/oppositional,” and “aggressive/rule-breaking”) and transitions between groups from ages 4, 8, and 12. A “defiant/deceitful” group also emerged at age 12. Girls were generally more likely to present as well adjusted than boys. Children with recent physical abuse allegations had an increased risk for aggressive/rule-breaking presentations during the preschool and preadolescent years, while children with sexual abuse or neglect allegations had lower probabilities of having well-adjusted presentations during middle childhood. These findings indicate that persistently severe aggressive conduct problems, which are related to the most concerning outcomes, can be identified early, particularly among neglected and physically and sexually abused children.
Differential promoter methylation of DAZL gene in bulls with varying seminal parameters

In India, cross-breeding of indigenous cattle with exotic cattle such as Holstein Friesian and Jersey has been going on since last four decades to improve milk production. Although it has led to increased milk yield, the subfertility in male cross-bred progeny has remained a significant problem. Epigenetic modifications (DNA methylation, histone modifications and chromatin remodelling) are regarded as key players influencing gene expression. DAZL gene plays an important role in germline development and gametogenesis. The methylation and mRNA expression level of this gene have been significantly negatively correlated in the testes of cattle-yak hybrids and their parents. This study analysed the methylation profile of DAZL gene promoter in bull spermatozoa in an attempt to speculate its role in cross-bred cattle subfertility. Semen samples from Sahiwal, Holstein Friesian and Frieswal bulls (Sahiwal X Holstein Friesian) with varying semen motility parameters were collected, and DNA was isolated. Methylation-specific primers were used to amplify part of promoter and exon 1 of DAZL gene using bisulphite-converted DNA. The amplified products were sequenced after cloning in pTZ57R/T vector. Sequence analysis revealed significantly higher DNA methylation of DAZL gene in Frieswal bulls with poor motility (28.26%) as compared to medium (15.21%) and high motility phenotype (6.52%). In pure-bred counterparts, Sahiwal and Holstein Friesian, epigenetic marks were more in the former (15.21%) than the latter (4.34%), but in both cases, the values were lower as compared to the poor motility Frieswal bulls. This suggests that differential hypermethylation of the CpG islands could possibly influence reproductive parameters in bovines.
Critical periods for the neurodevelopmental processes of externalizing and internalizing

Abstract Research on neurobiological development is providing insight into the nature and mechanisms of human neural plasticity. These mechanisms appear to support two different forms of developmental learning. One form of learning could be described as externalizing, in which neural representations are highly responsive to environmental influences, as the child typically operates under a mode of hedonic approach. A second form of learning supports internalizing, in which motive control separates attention and self-regulation from the immediate influences of the context, particularly when the child faces conditions of avoidance and threat. The dorsal cortical networks of externalizing are organized around dorsal limbic (cingulate, septal, lateral hypothalamic, hippocampal, and ventral striatal) circuits. In contrast, the ventral cortical networks of internalizing are organized around ventral limbic (anterior temporal and orbital cortex, extended amygdala, dorsal striatal, and mediodorsal thalamic) circuits. These dual divisions of the limbic system in turn self-regulate their arousal levels through different brain stem and forebrain neuromodulator projection systems, with dorsal corticolimbic networks regulated strongly by locus coeruleus norepinephrine and brain stem raphe nucleus serotonin projection systems, and ventral corticolimbic networks regulated by ventral tegmental dopamine and forebrain acetylcholine projections. Because the arousal control systems appear to regulate specific properties of neural plasticity in development, an analysis of these systems explains differences between externalizing and internalizing at multiple levels of neural and psychological self-regulation. In neuroscience, the concept of critical periods has been applied to times when experience is essential for the maturation of sensory systems. In a more general neuropsychological analysis, certain periods of the child's development require successful self-regulation through the differential capacities for externalizing and internalizing.
Psychopathic personality development from ages 9 to 18: Genes and environment

Abstract The genetic and environmental etiology of individual differences was examined in initial level and change in psychopathic personality from ages 9 to 18 years. A piecewise growth curve model, in which the first change score (G1) influenced all ages (9–10, 11–13, 14–15, and 16–18 years) and the second change score (G2) only influenced ages 14–15 and 16–18 years, fit the data better did than the standard single slope model, suggesting a turning point from childhood to adolescence. The results indicated that variations in levels and both change scores were mainly due to genetic (A) and nonshared environmental (E) influences (i.e., AE structure for G0, G1, and G2). No sex differences were found except on the mean values of level and change scores. Based on caregiver ratings, about 81% of variance in G0, 89% of variance in G1, and 94% of variance in G2 were explained by genetic factors, whereas for youth self-reports, these three proportions were 94%, 71%, and 66%, respectively. The larger contribution of genetic variance and covariance in caregiver ratings than in youth self-reports may suggest that caregivers considered the changes in their children to be more similar as compared to how the children viewed themselves.
Kinetics of neuromuscular changes during low‐frequency electrical stimulation

The purpose of the study was to examine the time course of neuromuscular fatigue components during a low‐frequency electrostimulation (ES) session. Three bouts of 17 trains of stimulation at 30 HZ (4 s on, 6 s off) were used to electrically induce fatigue in the plantar flexor muscles. Before and after every 17‐train bout, torque, electromyographic activity [expressed as root mean square (RMS) and median frequency (MF) values], evoked potentials (M‐wave and H‐reflex), and the level of voluntary activation (LOA, using twitch interpolation technique) were assessed. Torque during maximal voluntary contraction decreased significantly from the very first stimulation bout (−6.6 ± 1.11%, P < 0.001) and throughout the session (−10.32 ± 1.68% and −11.53 ± 1.27%, for the second and third bouts, respectively). The LOA and RMS/Mmax values were significantly decreased during the ES session (−2.9 ± 1.07% and −17.5 ± 6.14%, P < 0.01 and P< 0.001, respectively, at the end of the protocol), while MF showed no changes. The Hmax/Mmax ratio and Mmax were not significantly modified during the session. All twitch parameters were significantly potentiated after the first bout and throughout the session (P < 0.001). The maximal torque decrease was evident from the early phase of a low‐frequency ES protocol, with no concomitant inhibition of motoneuron excitability or depression of muscle contractile properties. These results are consistent with an early failure of the central drive to the muscle. Muscle Nerve, 2010
Maternal abuse history and reduced fetal heart rate variability: Abuse-related sleep disturbance is a mediator

Abstract The consequences of childhood maltreatment are profound and long lasting. Not only does the victim of abuse suffer as a child, but there is mounting evidence that a history of maltreatment places the next generation at risk for significant psychopathology. Research identifies postnatal factors as affecting this intergenerational transmission of trauma. However, emerging evidence suggests that part of this risk may be transmitted before birth, passed on via abuse-related alterations in the in utero environment that are as yet largely unidentified. To date, no study has directly assessed the influence of pregnant women's abuse history on fetal neurobehavioral development, nor considered trauma-associated poor sleep quality as a mediator reflecting established physiological dysregulation. Using data from 262 pregnant adolescents (ages 14–19), a population at elevated risk for childhood maltreatment, the current study examined maternal emotional abuse history and sleep quality in relation to third-trimester fetal resting heart rate variability, an index of parasympathetic nervous system functioning. The results indicate that maternal emotional abuse history is indirectly associated with lower fetal heart rate variability via abuse-related sleep disturbances. These data demonstrate an association between maternal abuse histories and fetal development, showing that at least part of the intergenerational transmission of risk occurs during pregnancy.
Pupillary and affective responses to maternal feedback and the development of borderline personality disorder symptoms

Abstract Etiological models propose that a biological vulnerability to emotional reactivity plays an important role in the development of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, the physiological and phenomenological components of emotional reactivity that predict the course of BPD symptoms in adolescence are poorly understood. This prospective study examines pupillary and affective responses to maternal feedback as predictors of BPD symptom development in adolescent girls over 18 months. Fifty-seven 16-year-old girls completed a laboratory task in which they heard recorded clips of their own mothers making critical or praising statements about them, as well as neutral statements that did not pertain to them. Changes in girls’ pupil dilation and subjective affect were assessed throughout the task. The results demonstrated that greater pupillary response to maternal criticism predicted increases in BPD symptoms over time. In addition, greater pupillary and positive affective responses to maternal praise were associated with higher BPD symptoms at age 16 and faster decreases in BPD symptoms over time, but only among girls who heard clips that were rated by independent observers as less praising. The results suggest that emotional reactivity can serve as either a risk or a protective factor depending on context, with differential effects of reactivity to criticism versus praise.
Megadoses of Sodium Ascorbate Efficiently Kill HL60 Cells in Vitro: Comparison with Arsenic Trioxide

Arsenic Trioxide (ATO) is widely acknowledged as the treatment of choice for Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL). It is a “two-sided” drug since it can induce differentiation or kill APL and other tumor cells according to the dosage. Part of the cytotoxic effects of ATO on APL cells is due to its pro-oxidant activity, a characteristic which ATO shares with a number of other compounds, including high doses of ascorbate (ASC). In a comparative investigation on the cytotoxic effects of both ATO and ASC on HL60 (APL) cell lines, in Vitro, we have been able to confirm the known cytotoxic effects of ATO, but, more importantly, we have demonstrated that ASC is significantly more effective than ATO, in killing these cancer cells in Vitro, when the concentrations are maintained within the millimolar (mM) range, i.e. the range of plasma concentrations at which ASC induces oxidative damage to tumor cells. Since these plasma levels can be reached only by the intravenous administration of high doses of ASC, we propose that intravenous high doses of ASC may represent a potentially revolutionary new approach in the management of APL.
Altered ventral striatal–medial prefrontal cortex resting-state connectivity mediates adolescent social problems after early institutional care

Abstract Early caregiving adversity is associated with increased risk for social difficulties. The ventral striatum and associated corticostriatal circuitry, which have demonstrated vulnerability to early exposures to adversity, are implicated in many aspects of social behavior, including social play, aggression, and valuation of social stimuli across development. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess the degree to which early caregiving adversity was associated with altered coritocostriatal resting connectivity in previously institutionalized youth (n = 41) relative to youth who were raised with their biological families from birth (n = 47), and the degree to which this connectivity was associated with parent-reported social problems. Using a seed-based approach, we observed increased positive coupling between the ventral striatum and anterior regions of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in previously institutionalized youth. Stronger ventral striatum–mPFC coupling was associated with parent reports of social problems. A moderated-mediation analysis showed that ventral striatal–mPFC connectivity mediated group differences in social problems, and more so with increasing age. These findings show that early institutional care is associated with differences in resting-state connectivity between the ventral striatum and the mPFC, and this connectivity seems to play an increasingly important role in social behaviors as youth enter adolescence.
Correcting for the bias caused by exposure measurement error in epidemiological studies

An important goal of many epidemiological studies is to estimate the magnitude of association between an exposure and an outcome. Exposure measurement error causes bias in such estimates of association and can be substantial. In this article, we describe the problem of exposure measurement error and its effects. We show how a simple hand calculation, in conjunction with validation study data and a calibration equation, can be used to correct estimates for the bias caused by exposure measurement error. Correcting estimates of association for measurement error helps researchers appropriately assess effect size.
Functional programming for business students

Abstract A functional language, Miranda, is being used on an introductory programming course for business students. This paper describes the rationale for such a course and choice of language. An application in the area of operations management, which is used in teaching, is given as an example of the benefits of using a functional language in this area. The reaction of the students and staff to this (for them) new paradigm of programming is described. Some conclusions are drawn for computing education for non-specialists.
A positive supercompiler

Abstract We introduce a positive supercompiler, a version of Turchin's supercompiler maintaining only positive information during transformation, and using folding without generalization. The positive supercompiler can also be regarded as a variant of Wadler's deforestation maintaining an increased amount of information. We compare our algorithm to deforestation and, in less detail, to partial evaluation, Turchin's supercompiler, Generalized Partial Computation (GPC), and partial deduction by classifying these transformers by the amount of information they maintain during transformation. This factor is significant, as a differentiating example reveals: positive supercompilation, Turchin's supercompiler, GPC and partial deduction can specialize a general pattern matcher with respect to a fixed pattern to obtain an efficient matcher very similar to the Knuth–Morris–Pratt algorithm. Deforestation and traditional partial evaluation achieve this effect only after a non-trivial hand rewriting of the general matcher.
Digital gene expression profiling analysis of DNA repair pathways in colon cancer stem population of HT29 cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) contribute to the relapse and development of new neoplasm lesions. While most available clinical approaches, such as chemical and radiation therapies, will kill the majority of cancer cells, they do not kill them all. Some resisting cells, like CSCs, are able to survive due to their excellent self-maintaining capabilities, even in challenging environments. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA level of DNA repair genes of colon CSCs from the HT29 cell line in response to single-strand damage and double-strand breaks, as well as the evident upregulation of key genes in base excision repair, mismatch repair, non-homologous end-joining, and homologous recombination pathways in these cells. Digital gene expression analysis identified upregulated genes in CD44+ HT29 cells that may play important roles in DNA repair. Our results reveal that colon CSCs bear efficient DNA repair abilities, which might explain the survival of colon CSCs after repeated chemical and radiation therapy.
Withdrawal Symptoms Hindering Harm-Minimization and Drug Detoxification Efforts: Experiences of Injecting Drug Users in Nepal

In this study, the authors explored the perception and strategies used by 20 injecting drug users (IDUs) as they regularly confront life-threatening complications stemming from their drug use. The 20 IDUs were from four urban centers of Nepal: Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Narayanghaat, and Hetauda. The phenomenological study was conducted, using individual in-depth interviews ranging from 1 to 2 hours in length. All data were analyzed using the analytical approaches of grounded theory. It was found that the urgency and severity of withdrawal symptoms are the major precursors, leading drug users to share unsterile syringes and needles and thereby increasing the risks of HIV transmission and other health risks. The study also found that IDUs seemed aware and worried about HIV and other health risks, prompting them to devise their own seemingly suitable strategies for harm minimization. Understanding these high-risk strategies should inform public health and intensive harm-reduction services to be considered and implemented in Nepal. Attempts should be made to keep the IDUs in touch with suitable medication-assisted therapies to overcome the withdrawal symptoms, thus minimizing the chance of sharing syringes/needles with other IDUs.
CUFP 2011 Workshop Report

Commercial Users of Functional Programming (CUFP) is a yearly workshop that is aimed at the community of software developers who use functional programming in real-world settings. This scribe report covers the talks that were delivered at the 2011 workshop, which was held in association with ICFP in Tokyo. The goal of the report is to give the reader a sense of what went on, rather than to reproduce the full details of the talks. Videos and slides from all the talks are available online at http://cufp.org.
Click here Terms of use : Click here Language practice with multimedia supported web-based grammar revision material

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary-level English language learners towards web-based, multimedia-annotated grammar learning. WEBGRAM, a system designed to provide supplementary web-based grammar revision material, uses audio-visual aids to enrich the contextual presentation of grammar and allows learners to revise target grammatical structures using interactive exercises such as gap-filling, combo-box and dragand-drop exercises. This study gathered quantitative data on learner satisfaction, attention and participation and qualitative data with regard to the material’s content, visual and instructional design, usability, practicality and effectiveness. The findings indicate that learners enjoyed using the material and developed a positive attitude towards the system.
First Searches for Axions and Axionlike Particles with the LUX Experiment.

The first searches for axions and axionlike particles with the Large Underground Xenon experiment are presented. Under the assumption of an axioelectric interaction in xenon, the coupling constant between axions and electrons g_{Ae} is tested using data collected in 2013 with an exposure totaling 95 live days ×118 kg. A double-sided, profile likelihood ratio statistic test excludes g_{Ae} larger than 3.5×10^{-12} (90% C.L.) for solar axions. Assuming the Dine-Fischler-Srednicki-Zhitnitsky theoretical description, the upper limit in coupling corresponds to an upper limit on axion mass of 0.12 eV/c^{2}, while for the Kim-Shifman-Vainshtein-Zhakharov description masses above 36.6 eV/c^{2} are excluded. For galactic axionlike particles, values of g_{Ae} larger than 4.2×10^{-13} are excluded for particle masses in the range 1-16 keV/c^{2}. These are the most stringent constraints to date for these interactions.
Semantics of the second order lambda calculus

In the literature ther are two main notins of model for the second order λ-calculus: one by Bruce, Meyer and Mitchell (the BMM-model, for short) in set-theoretical formulation and one category-theoretical by Seely. Here we generalise Seely's notion, using semifunctors and semi-adjunctions from Hayashi, and introduce λ2-algebras, λη2-algebras, λ2-models and λη-models, similarly to the untyped λ-calculus. Non-extensional abstraction of both term and type variables is described by semi-adjunctions (essentially as in Martini's thesis). We show that also for second order sume, the β-(and commutation! ) conversions correspond to semi-functoriality and that the (additional) η-conversion corresponds to ordinary fuctioriality. In the above framework various examples – well known ones and variations – are described. Also, we determine the place of the BMM-models; an earlier version of the latter has been reported by Jacobs.