Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autism

Autism is a set of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions, characterised by early-onset difficulties in social communication and unusually restricted, repetitive behaviour and interests. The worldwide population prevalence is about 1%. Autism affects more male than female individuals, and comorbidity is common (>70% have concurrent conditions). Individuals with autism have atypical cognitive profiles, such as impaired social cognition and social perception, executive dysfunction, and atypical perceptual and information processing. These profiles are underpinned by atypical neural development at the systems level. Genetics has a key role in the aetiology of autism, in conjunction with developmentally early environmental factors. Large-effect rare mutations and small-effect common variants contribute to risk. Assessment needs to be multidisciplinary and developmental, and early detection is essential for early intervention. Early comprehensive and targeted behavioural interventions can improve social communication and reduce anxiety and aggression. Drugs can reduce comorbid symptoms, but do not directly improve social communication. Creation of a supportive environment that accepts and respects that the individual is different is crucial.
CORRECTIONS

CELL BIOLOGY. For the article ‘‘p600, a unique protein required for membrane morphogenesis and cell survival,’’ by Yoshihiro Nakatani, Hiroaki Konishi, Alex Vassilev, Hisanori Kurooka, Keiichiro Ishiguro, Jun-ichi Sawada, Tsuyoshi Ikura, Stanley J. Korsmeyer, Jun Qin, and Anna M. Herlitz, which appeared in issue 42, October 18, 2005, of Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (102, 15093–15098; first published October 7, 2005; 10.1073 pnas.0507458102), the caption for the issue cover on page iii appeared incorrectly. The online version has been corrected. The corrected cover caption appears below.
Regulation of apoptosis by arachidonic acid and the adenovirus 14.7K protein.

MAIA, RITA CARVALHO. Regulation of Apoptosis by Arachidonic Acid and the Adenovirus 14.7 K Protein. (Under the direction of Scott M. Laster) In this study we explored several aspects of the apoptotic response induced by the cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF). One set of experiments addressed the role played by arachidonic acid in the apoptotic signaling pathway. The release of this fatty acid during TNF-induced apoptosis was reported over twenty years ago, however, its role in the apoptotic process has remained enigmatic. The results of our experiments suggest that arachidonic acid is critical during apoptosis for inactivation of mitochondria. Arachidonic acid caused loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and inhibited mitochondrial respiration at complexes I and II. Arachidonic acid was also found to elevate levels of intracellular calcium; however, it is unlikely that this response is related to its pro-apoptotic activity since inhibition of the calcium response did not inhibit apoptosis. In a second set of experiments we investigated the anti-apoptotic activity of the adenovirus 14.7K gene product. Our experiments revealed that the 14.7 K protein inhibits the TNF-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This effect was selective for TNF; the 14.7K protein did not block ROS production following treatment with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), arachidonic acid, melphalan, or menadione. Since ROS are produced early in the apoptotic signaling pathway, our results suggest that the 14.7K protein inhibits apoptosis by interfering with TNF-dependent apoptotic signaling. REGULATION OF APOPTOSIS BY ARACHIDONIC ACID AND THE ADENOVIRUS 14.7K PROTEIN By, RITA DE CASSIA CARVALHO MAIA A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY Raleigh, North Carolina 2005
Teacher stress factors in the Metropole North, Circuit 6 of the Western Cape, South Africa

The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences of stress by teachers in the Metropole North, Circuit 6 of the Western Cape, South Africa, The study investigated factors causing teachers to experience stress as well as the levels or extent of their stress, to determine whether teacher stress due to learners, conditions of service, workload, resources for teaching and school-community relations could explain the variance in total stress experienced by teachers and to determine if there is no statistically significant difference in sources of stress based on the biographical variables (age, gender, marital status and tenure) amongst educators in primary schools. A quantitative approach was utilized. Non-probability random sample of 79 teachers was employed based on their marital status, gender, and age. Biographical and Occupational Stress Inventory Revised (OSI-R) Questionnaire were administered to teachers in schools in the Metropole North region of the Western Cape. The results indicate that there are significant differences in the factors that cause teachers to experience stress based on age, gender, marital status, and tenure. While there are limitations with respect to the size of the sample involved in this study, some useful insights, which necessitate attention, have been highlighted. Recommendation for teachers to cope with their stress in this study entails that the selection and recruitment of teachers must be improved, the development of staff must take place, conflicts within schools must be managed and stress amongst teachers must be controlled. September 2013
An Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak?

SIR—Friedman et al. [1] describe an outbreak of hemolytic uremic syndrome and bloody diarrhea, which they ascribe to an inadequately maintained swimming pool. They consider the causative pathogen to be enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 on the basis of isolating the organism from 1 case only and some serological evidence from 17 (59%) of 29 cases. In only 2 cases was E. coli O157: H7 sought by use of the Sorbitol Maconkey (SMAC) agar. We consider that for an outbreak of infection in at least 29 people, a single isolation of the pathogen is inadequate to ascribe the whole outbreak to it. An inadequately maintained swimming pool in a rural area, such as the one Freidman et al. describe, is likely to contain many E. coli, including a variety of serotypes of EHEC, which would not be detected by SMAC agar. The prevalence of antibodies to the O157 antigen of E. coli in healthy individuals in rural communities in Canada has been found to be as high as 12.5% [2]. Unless serological tests and/or cultures for other EHEC are performed, we consider it inappropriate to ascribe an outbreak to a single EHEC serotype, such as O157: H7. We have shown that if SMAC agar alone had been used to test patients infected in a recent outbreak that was due predominantly to EHEC O111:H2, the outbreak could have been erroneously ascribed to EHEC O157:H7 [3].
Caregiver Perception, Self-efficacy, and Knowledge of Methadone Tapers for Children With Iatrogenic Opioid Abstinence Syndrome

Background: There are no definitive guidelines regarding the management of iatrogenic opioid abstinence syndrome (IOAS), but methadone tapers are one common approach. Methadone tapers can be complex for caregivers to manage, and there is a paucity of data about caregiver experiences administering medication tapers postdischarge. Objective: The primary objective was to describe caregiver perception, self-efficacy, and knowledge of administering methadone tapers. Secondary objectives included an assessment of the change in self-efficacy and knowledge of methadone and IOAS before and after discharge as well as clinical outcomes occurring postdischarge. Methods: This was an exploratory, descriptive, institutional review board–approved study surveying caregivers of children receiving methadone tapers for IOAS. Caregivers were included if they had a child ≤12 years of age discharged to home on a methadone taper. The study consisted of 2 phases: a questionnaire and observation/counseling session predischarge and a telephone interview after taper completion. Univariate descriptive statistics were utilized for data analysis. Results: Phase 1 of the study was completed by 12 caregivers, and only 5 completed phase 2. The majority of caregivers were completely confident predischarge (83.3%) and postdischarge (80%) in administering methadone as prescribed. However, some caregivers were confused about the purpose of the taper and experienced difficulty in measuring oral solutions. Conclusions: Despite high self-efficacy, caregivers experienced difficulties in understanding taper management and during the observation session. The results of this study suggest presenting information to caregivers utilizing minimal medical jargon, conducting a counseling/observation session predischarge, and utilizing the teach-back method with caregivers to assess for understanding.
Integrated Pattern Matching Algorithm for Quality Testing Of Sheet-Metal Using Digital Image Processing PagarAshwini

The quality testing and assurance has over the last decades increasingly gained importance and is one of the most important tasks in all areas of industrial production. Today industries produce more than thousand products at a time, testing of each and every product manually becomes difficult which ultimately decreases the speed, accuracy and leads to humans error. Thus manual inspection needs to be replaced by automated visual inspection. As it is the key factor behind all the industrial application of digital image processing. Automated visual inspection uses digital camera that captures image which is coming out of product line. The captured image is then fed to computer for further processing. The typical image processing task is to find the faulty piece by comparing the user requirements and manufactured product image. Digital image processing is mainly used in industry to find faulty materials and missing parts of the product. Digital Image Processing is a technique for analyzing and manipulation of the digital images using computers . This System will employ verification of measurements of all the pieces that are coming out poof product line. Based on the error rate modification in the design can be pursued. Edge detection is one of the most commonly used operations in image processing and pattern recognition, the reason for this is that edges form the outline of an object Keywords— Edge detection, Template matching, Digital image processing.
PERIODONTAL CONDITIONS IN PREGNANT AND NON - PREGNANT WOMEN IN KARACHI

The objective of the study was to compare the effectiveness of clinical plaque treatment removal in pregnant and non-pregnant females in Karachi, Pakistan. A quasi experimental study was designed with a sample size of 108 women, both pregnant and non-pregnant. Three antenatal clinics from different areas of Karachi were selected. Total duration of study was two and a half years. A total of 86 pregnant females were selected along with 22 non-pregnant females by random sampling. Pregnant females in the first trimester were placed in group-A while from second trimester in group-B. A control group of non-pregnant females were placed in group-C. Groups A and B were given half mouth treatment for the first month. They were retreated with complete mouth therapy in the second month. Groups C were given a full mouth treatment. CPI (Community Periodontal Index) and PLI (Plaque Index) were recorded. All subjects were put on a maintenance regimen of Triclosan containing tooth paste. Significant changes in Plaque Index (PLI) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) were recorded after plaque removal. Half mouth plaque removal resulted in a better outcome regarding gingival health and plaque severity in Group A and B as compared to Group C (p<0.05). Intervention (in terms of plaque removal and triclosan dentifrice) resulted in a significant reduction in PLI and CPI scores in all groups. The intervention by plaque removal at early stage of pregnancy along with maintenance with triclosan had resulted in a more favorable outcome regarding gingival diseases and plaque.
Efeitos da plataforma vibratória no equilíbrio em idosos

O envelhecimento determina uma série de alterações fisiológicas, dentre elas, perda da massa muscular, diminuição do equilíbrio e dos reflexos posturais. Como conseqüência destas transformações, o risco de quedas aumenta, o que é um evento marcante, podendo instituir início do declínio da saúde no idoso. Diversas abordagens têm sido utilizadas na prevenção das quedas, sendo que, mais recentemente, a plataforma vibratória, tem sido avaliada para aumentar o equilíbrio e controle postural nos idosos, portanto reduzindo os riscos de quedas e suas conseqüências. Esta revisão bibliográfica tem como foco os artigos mais relevantes sobre o tema. Os resultados obtidos indicaram melhora do equilíbrio e controle postural nesta população quando comparada com exercícios, fisioterapia ou sedentarismo. No entanto, há inúmeros protocolos de treinamento diferentes, o que dificulta a comparação de resultados. Esta revisão demonstra que a plataforma vibratória é uma promissora intervenção na prevenção de quedas em idosos, porém são necessários mais estudos para determinar o protocolo mais adequado de tratamento para melhorar o equilíbrio.
A Flexible EM-like Clustering Algorithm for High-Dimensional Noisy Data

Though very popular, it is well known that the EM algorithm suffers from non-Gaussian distribution shapes, outliers and high-dimensionality. In this paper, we design a new robust clustering algorithm that can efficiently deal with high-dimen-sionality, noise and outliers in diverse data sets. As an EM-like algorithm, it is based on both estimations of clusters centers and covariances. In addition, using a semi-parametric paradigm, the method estimates an unknown scale parameter per datapoint. This allows the algorithm to leverage high-dimensionality and to accommodate for heavier tails distributions and outliers without significantly loosing efficiency in various classical scenarios. After deriving and analyzing the proposed algorithm, we study the convergence and accuracy of the algorithm by considering first synthetic data. Then, we show that the proposed algorithm outperforms other classical unsupervised methods of the literature such as k-means, the EM algorithm and its recent modifications or spectral clustering when applied to real data sets as MNIST, NORB and 20newsgroups.
CORRECTIONS

ECOLOGY Correction for “More closely related species are more ecologically similar in an experimental test,” by Jean H. Burns and Sharon Y. Strauss, which appeared in issue 13, March 29, 2011, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (108:5302–5307; first published March 14, 2011; 10.1073/pnas.1013003108). The authors note that Table 1 appeared incorrectly. Table 1 now includes rows for germination and survival to the last census as functions of species (random), phylogenetic distance to the species at the planting site, and the species × phylogenetic distance (random) interaction. The corrected table appears below. This error does not affect the conclusions of the article.
Effect of Water Repellent Coatings on the Corrosion Rate of Reinforcement in Carbonated Concrete Facade Panels in a Nordic Climate

Carbonation induced reinforcement corrosion is a widespread and important problem affecting many kinds of outdoor concrete structures which are not exposed to saline environment, for example concrete facades and balconies. In these structures, a water repellent treatment may lower the rate of already initiated corrosion remarkably, which will be favourable from the viewpoint of durability. However, the effect of these treatments can not be easily evaluated theoretically because of the complex moisture behaviour of outdoor concrete structures. In the author’s laboratory, an apparatus has been developed which is capable for automated continuous multi-channel field monitoring of corrosion rate of steel reinforcement in concrete. This device is used to evaluate the long-term efficiency of water repellent coating to decrease the corrosion rate of reinforcement in carbonated concrete facades panels. According to the results, the average rates of corrosion decreased roughly by 80 % in the surfaces treated with water repellent coatings compared to “open” surfaces coated with a permeable silicate paint. The corrosion rates in the surfaces treated with water repellent coatings were equal to the one of the surfaces treated with the protective coatings with higher water vapour resistance. From the instantaneous corrosion rates around freezing temperature it can also be concluded that the moisture content of coated concrete has been well below the critical level needed for the development of frost damage.
Survey of Current Curriculum Practices within Australian Postgraduate Clinical Training Programmes: Students' and Programme Directors' Perspectives

The aim of the study described was to capture student experiences in postgraduate clinical programmes across Australian universities. The data collected from the Directors of clinical programmes was used to further illustrate the training practices and constraints within the current Australian context. The data were collected through two survey instruments and were analysed by deriving themes via Leximancer as well as quantitative content analysis of percentage response to direct questions. The results indicate that while many students are happy with the training received, there are also many areas open to significant improvement both in the teaching and assessment of clinical skills and course content more generally. Students overwhelmingly prefer practical, interactive, and competency‐based teaching and assessment to didactic, written and exam‐based alternatives that are still used in most programmes. The responses from programme Directors further illustrate the concerns currently faced by clinical staff engaged in training programmes, with insufficient training places available in the community, fewer clients accessing training clinics, and concerns related to adequate supervision and the competency of students exited from programmes. The findings are discussed in light of limitations to the study and suggestions for future research directions.
Communication and traceability game: a way to improve requirements elicitation process teaching

Requirements elicitation process is important to guarantee the quality of software applications. In software engineering, requirements elicitation process has been taught by means of traditional methods. Games have been used to improve teaching of some issues in software engineering, but elicitation has not been the center of this way of teaching. As a way to deal with problems in requirements elicitation process teaching, we create in this paper "Communication and Traceability Game" and we summarize the results of applying this game to several groups of students.
Direct power control in grid-tied photovoltaic systems

This paper presents an analysis about the use of the direct power control in grid-tied photovoltaic systems. This technique is used to directly regulate the injection of instantaneous active and reactive power to the three-phase distribution network, avoiding current control loops used by traditional control strategies. The direct power control performance in photovoltaic systems is evaluated by PSIM simulation, which shows its good operation for this kind of applications. Finally, a comparative analysis is made between this controller and a traditional technique used in photovoltaic systems called voltage oriented control.
‘I can spot them a mile off’: Community shopkeepers’ experience of alcohol test-purchasing

Aims: Test-purchasing (using volunteers to attempt an apparent under-age purchase) can be used as an enforcement intervention against retailers who sell alcohol to minors. This article will investigate whether community shopkeepers, familiar with alcohol test-purchasing protocols, are able to distinguish volunteers from genuine under-age customers. Methods: Thirty-six qualitative interviews were conducted with community shopkeepers, the retailers most often associated with under-age sales, working in convenience stores located in socially-contrasting areas of Glasgow, Scotland, 24 of which were licensed to sell alcohol. Findings: Interviewees provided details of the strategies they used to prevent under-age sales. Robust age-verification, set 7.5 above legal-age of purchase, was felt to be particularly effective. Although, they were apprehensive of test-purchases, experienced retailers reported that they always knew when one was taking place in their shop, because volunteers were not sourced locally and, in contrast to real under-age customers, they were honest and compliant. Conclusions: Although making retailers more aware of their responsibilities, increased familiarity with the protocols of test-purchasing can allow vendors to be certain who real under-age customers are, potentially making low-risk sales to minors possible. Test-purchasing protocols (e.g. volunteers ages) should be re-oriented to keep pace with more robust age-verification checks.
Large core needle biopsy of nonpalpable breast lesions

I n t r o d u c t i o n. An increasing number of nonpalpable abnormalities requiring breast biopsy are being identified due to the widespread use of screening mammography. The advantage of large-core needle biopsy (LCNB) is that it allows histologic examination. The aim of the study was to present our own experience with LCNB and to determine the value of LCNB in the diagnosis of nonpalpable breast lesions. M a t e r i a l a n d m e t h o d s. A total of 443 LCNB were done during the study period from December 1994 to June 1999. Biopsy were performed with 14-gauge needle with stereotactic or ultrasound guidance. Microcalcifications constitued 90% of all lesions. From each lesion 1-11 (mean 5) cores were taken. Radiography of core specimens was performed in cases in which the target lesion contained microcalcifications. Re s u l t s. 84 malignancies were identified. Surgical intervention was performed in 146 cases. Concordance between histologic findings in the core and surgical sample was 86%. Specimen radiography of breast microcalcifications should be routinely performed to ensure appropriate histological tissue. LCNB achieved good diagnostic yield with 5 specimens or more. One cancer was found among 295 women with benign lesions in LCNB in whom follow-up examinations were performed. C o n c l u s i o n. With sufficient experience, LCNB may prove to be an acceptable alternative to surgical biopsy in women with breast lesions suspected at mammography.
What is New in Venous Surgery

The aim of this article is to discuss recent developments in the management of venous disease. A literature search was done of English language journals from 1995 to 2000 to identify articles that discussed new innovations. In addition, the proceedings of specialist meetings were reviewed to include opinions of experts leading the field of venous practice. The article discusses the use of non-invasive investigations, thermal ablation of varicose veins, the economics of superficial and deep venous disease and the possible changes that might occur in the future management of patients with venous disease.