Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of language on prosocial behaviors in preschool children

The present study investigated how linguistic group membership influences prosocial behaviors, namely helpfulness and cooperation, in preschool children. Whilst research indicates that children preferentially direct their prosocial behavior towards members of their own groups, the influence of perceived linguistic group membership on actual helpfulness and cooperation has not been investigated. We presented an experimenter to 4- and 5-year-olds either as a foreigner, who did not speak the local language or as a native person. Children were then given the opportunity to help or cooperate with this experimenter in a series of nonverbal playful tasks. Whilst 4-year-olds helped and cooperated equally with the foreign and the native experimenter, 5-year-olds required significantly more cues and prompts in order to help or cooperate in the foreign condition. We also found that children were overall more reluctant to respond prosocially in the cooperation tasks than in the helping tasks. We tested children in two European countries (France and Hungary) and found the same pattern of responses in the two locations, suggesting that our findings are not specific to the local culture. Our results extend the findings of earlier research that showed selectivity according to the language spoken by the partner for sharing and imitation. Studies that looked at helpfulness or cooperation used the minimal group paradigm to induce group membership (based on arbitrary cues) and used indirect measures of prosociality, such as different forms of reasoning about the partner. In our study, we used language, a natural cue for group membership (versus arbitrary cues or cues based on social conventions) and directly observed children’s helpful and cooperative behaviors toward the experimenter. Our results also confirm previous results indicating that with age, children become selective in their prosocial behaviors as they acquire new means of social evaluation and categorization. We conclude that the language associated with a potential social partner is not only a cue for affiliation and shared knowledge but also a cue mediating children’s prosocial acts.
Fast Agreement in Networks with Byzantine Nodes

We study Consensus in synchronous networks with arbitrary connected topologies. Nodes may be faulty, in the sense of either Byzantine or proneness to crashing. Let t denote a known upper bound on the number of faulty nodes, and D s denote a maximum diameter of a network obtained by removing up to s nodes, assuming the network is ( s + 1)-connected. We give an algorithm for Consensus running in time t + D 2 t with nodes subject to Byzantine faults. We show that, for any algorithm solving Consensus for Byzantine nodes, there is a network G and an execution of the algorithm on this network that takes Ω( t + D 2 t ) rounds. We give an algorithm solving Consensus in t + D t communication rounds with Byzantine nodes using authenticated messages of polynomial size. We show that for any numbers t and d > 4, there exists a network G and an algorithm solving Consensus with Byzantine nodes using authenticated messages in fewer than t + 3 rounds on G , but all algorithms solving Consensus without message authentication require at least t + d rounds on G . This separates Consensus with Byzantine nodes from Consensus with Byzantine nodes using message authentication, with respect to asymptotic time performance in networks of arbitrary connected topologies, which is unlike complete networks. Let f denote the number of failures actually occurring in an execution and unknown to the nodes. We develop an algorithm solving Consensus against crash failures and running in time O ( f + D f ), assuming only that nodes know their names and can diﬀerentiate among ports; this algorithm is also communication-eﬃcient, by using messages of size O ( m log n ), where n is the number of nodes and m is the number of edges. We give a lower bound t + D t − 2 on the running time of any deterministic solution to Consensus in ( t + 1)-connected networks, if t nodes may crash.
EFFECT OF SOME LOCAL BOTANICAL MATERIALS FOR THE SUPPRESSION OFTHE MAIZE WEEVIL SITOPHILUS ZEAMAIS (MOTSCHULSKY) (COLEOPTERA:CURCULIONIDAE) POPULATIONS

The commonest method of traditional storage pest’s management among small scale maize farmers in Ghana is the use of botanicals. Earlier studies on the use of plant extract showed that some minimized insect pests’ damage to acceptable levels. The objectives of this study were to identify the potency of some local botanical materials: Piper nigrum L. (black pepper seed powder), Cymbopogon nardus (citronella shoot powder), Carica papaya (pawpaw seed powder), Allium sativum (garlic bulbs paste) and Cymbopogon citrates (lemon grass shoot powder) for the treatment of stored maize and determine their minimum effective dosage for application. In a completely randomized design in olfactometer and potency test of the botanical materials, black pepper, lemon grass, pawpaw seed powder, citronella and garlic showed varying degrees of repellency decreasing in that order as well as their potency. Fifty grammes of black pepper powder in a bag (100kg) of maize were determined as the mimnimum effective concentration. Black pepper seed powder was therefore recommended at a rate of 50g/100kg maize to farmers. It was also recommended that the active ingredient of black pepper be formulated into insecticide against/ for the management of the maize storage weevil.
Frequency of thrombolytic targets in stroke patients presenting in an extended time window

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of stroke patients presenting in an extended time window who have a thrombolytic treatment target. BACKGROUND: Patients presenting up to 24 h after stroke onset have been found to have penumbral tissue on multimodal imaging. Stroke patients presenting in this extended time window without a large vessel occlusion (LVO) may benefit from reperfusion therapy using thrombolysis. METHODS: Patients seen at our institutions from 2011 through 2015 were reviewed to identify those who presented >4 h and <24 h from last seen normal (LSN) and did not receive acute treatment. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were used to dichotomize patients using a diffusion–perfusion mismatch ratio of 1.2. RESULTS: During the study period, 3469 patients were evaluated by our stroke service, with 893 seen 4–24 h from LSN who were not treated. MRI was performed with diffusion and perfusion imaging in 439 patients, of whom 26 were excluded due to hemorrhage and 37 were excluded due to LVO. This left 376 patients who potentially could have been treated with thrombolysis in an extended time window and were included in the analysis. Of these, 156 (42%) demonstrated a mismatch ratio >1.2. Patients with a mismatch presented earlier (P = 0.012), were more likely to be female (P = 0.03), and had higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Almost half of the patients presenting 4–24 h from LSN had a target for thrombolysis in our study. Multimodal imaging may be able to expand the population of treatable stroke patients given the results of recent clinical trials.
Neural Stem Cells and Cannabinoids in the Spotlight as Potential Therapy for Epilepsy

Epilepsy is one of the most common brain diseases worldwide, having a huge burden in society. The main hallmark of epilepsy is the occurrence of spontaneous recurrent seizures, having a tremendous impact on the lives of the patients and of their relatives. Currently, the therapeutic strategies are mostly based on the use of antiepileptic drugs, and because several types of epilepsies are of unknown origin, a high percentage of patients are resistant to the available pharmacotherapy, continuing to experience seizures overtime. Therefore, the search for new drugs and therapeutic targets is highly important. One key aspect to be targeted is the aberrant adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) derived from Neural Stem Cells (NSCs). Indeed, targeting seizure-induced AHN may reduce recurrent seizures and shed some light on the mechanisms of disease. The endocannabinoid system is a known modulator of AHN, and due to the known endogenous antiepileptic properties, it is an interesting candidate for the generation of new antiepileptic drugs. However, further studies and clinical trials are required to investigate the putative mechanisms by which cannabinoids can be used to treat epilepsy. In this manuscript, we will review how cannabinoid-induced modulation of NSCs may promote neural plasticity and whether these drugs can be used as putative antiepileptic treatment.
’ Reply to Anonymous Referee # 1 “ Suitability of 17 rainfall and temperature gridded datasets for largescale hydrological modelling in West Africa ” by Dembélé

Response: We thank the referee#1 for the positive overall appreciation of our work. As it can be read from the title, our study focuses on the poorly studied region of West Africa, when it comes to hydrological modelling in general and hydrological evaluation of meteorological datasets in particular. Accordingly, our contribution clearly represents added-value, in terms of regional hydrology as well as in terms of hydrological modelling of semi-arid areas. In fact, independent regional evaluation of globally and regionally available datasets are of key importance for hydrology as they can provide new insights that might not be fully highlighted in global studies.
Current update and future directions on gut microbiome and nephrolithiasis

The incidence of nephrolithiasis is increasing worldwide. Understanding how gut microbiome influences oxalate homeostasis has the potential to offer new strategies to prevent nephrolithiasis. The literature was reviewed to gather the evidence on the association between gut microbiome, hyperoxaluria and nephrolithiasis, and to identify the therapeutic interventions focused on the gut microbiome that could decrease hyperoxaluria and prevent nephrolithiasis. Gut microbiome is constituted by a plethora of microbiota including Oxalobacter formigenes (Oxf) and lactobacilli. Oxf can degrade dietary oxalate and induce enteral oxalate secretion. Animal studies suggested an association between oral Oxf supplementation and a decrease in hyperoxaluria. However, human studies have showed inconsistent results. Oral supplementation of lactobacilli did not show benefit in decreasing the hyperoxaluria. Antibiotic exposure, by affecting the gut microbiome, has been associated with an increase in nephrolithiasis. In vivo studies suggest fecal transplantation as a potential treatment option for reducing nephrolithiasis, but needs further evaluation in clinical studies. The current evidence suggests an association between gut microbiome and nephrolithiasis. However, the strategies focused on modulating gut microbiome for decreasing hyperoxaluria and preventing nephrolithiasis need further research. Judicious use of antibiotics in those predisposed to nephrolithiasis offers a preventative strategy for decreasing nephrolithiasis.
Next-generation sequencing of the whole MEFV gene in Japanese patients with familial Mediterranean fever: a case-control association study.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify the whole nucleotide sequence of the Mediterranean fever (MEFV) gene in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) and reveal novel single nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with the susceptibility of FMF. METHODS SeqCap capturing technique followed by Illumina next-generation sequencing have been used to assess two hundred SNVs in the whole region of MEFV in 266 Japanese patients with FMF and 288 ethnically matched controls. We performed an association analysis using these SNVs to identify genetic variants that predispose to FMF. RESULTS We identified the two most significant SNVs [rs28940578; M694I in exon 10, odds ratio (OR) = 153, p=2.47×10-21 and rs3743930; E148Q in exon 2, OR = 1.65, p<0.0005]. Stratified analysis identified rs28940578 as a risk allele in typical FMF. Haplotype AG, defined by rs401298 and rs28940578, was the most significant and prevalent among patients with typical FMF compared with controls (22.4% vs. 0%, respectively; OR = 137, p=1.44×10-31). Haplotype GTC, defined by rs11466018, rs224231, and rs401877, was the most significant among patients with typical FMF without the rs28940578 mutation compared with controls (15.9% vs. 6%, respectively; OR = 12.4, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS rs28940578 is associated with the highest risk in typical FMF cases. This is consistent with results from previous studies in Japan. We found a novel MEFV gene haplotype that confers susceptibility of FMF among typical FMF without the rs28940578 mutation. There were no relevant SNVs identified in MEFV among the atypical FMF group.
A Global and Integrated Analysis of CINSARC-Associated Genetic Defects

These findings demonstrate that CINSARC is associated with a variety of genomic aberrations that contribute to higher risk for metastasis and may serve as a prognostic factor in sarcomas and beyond. The Complexity Index in Sarcomas (CINSARC) signature is a transcriptomic marker that identifies high-risk soft-tissue sarcomas and is associated with high metastatic potential. During the last decade, CINSARC has been successfully developed and validated and is currently being assessed in two prospective phase III clinical trials for stratification of therapy. Although the link between CINSARC expression and tumor aggressiveness is well established, questions remain about how CINSARC genes are regulated. In this study, we leveraged a The Cancer Genome Atlas multiomics study on sarcomas with complex genetics to appraise the association between CINSARC profile, genomic features, and two potential regulation mechanisms, DNA methylation and miRNA expression. CINSARC expression was associated with an increase of ploidy, intratumor heterogeneity, copy-number alteration, altered expression of 37 miRNAs, and a decrease of DNA methylation. These genetic changes are not independent, but rather act together to promote or repress CINSARC expression. These findings depict new insights into CINSARC regulation. Significance: These findings demonstrate that CINSARC is associated with a variety of genomic aberrations that contribute to higher risk for metastasis and may serve as a prognostic factor in sarcomas and beyond.
Ethnicity/race and economics in COVID-19: meta-regression of data from counties in the New York metropolitan area

‘NYC residents from low-income communities have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies at a higher-than-average rate, underscoring the disproportionate impact of the disease on people of colour, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Wednesday’(20 May 2020) (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-new-york/new-york-citys-low-income-minority-areas-hit-hardest-by-COVID-19-cuomo-says-idUSKBN22W2IG). Ethnicity/race and economics may affect prevalence/case fatality of COVID-19. To determine whether COVID-19 prevalence/fatality is modulated by ethnicity/race and economics, meta-regression of data from the counties in the New York (NY) metropolitan area was conducted. We selected 31 counties in the NY metropolitan area (New York–Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area). (1) Prevalence/case-fatality rates of confirmed COVID-19 cases (20 May 2020) and (2) ethnicity/race and income/poverty estimates were obtained in each county. We performed random-effects meta-regression using OpenMetaAnalyst (http://www.cebm.brown.edu/openmeta/index.html). The covariates were listed in online supplemental table S1. Statistically significant (p=0.05) covariates in the univariable model were together entered into the multivariable model. ### Supplementary data [jech-2020-214820supp001.pdf] Results of the meta-regression are summarised …
Role of Neuroendocrine, Immune, and Autonomic Nervous System in Anorexia Nervosa-Linked Cardiovascular Diseases

Anorexia nervosa represents a severe mental disorder associated with food avoidance and malnutrition. In patients suffering from anorexia nervosa, cardiovascular complications are the main reason leading to morbidity and mortality. However, the origin and pathological mechanisms leading to higher cardiovascular risk in anorexia nervosa are still unclear. In this aspect, the issue of exact pathological mechanisms as well as sensitive biomarkers for detection of anorexia nervosa-linked cardiovascular risk are discussed. Therefore, this review synthesised recent evidence of dysfunction in multiple neuroendocrine axes and alterations in the immune system that may represent anorexia nervosa-linked pathological mechanisms contributing to complex cardiovascular dysregulation. Further, this review is focused on identification of non-invasive biomarkers for the assessment of increased cardiovascular risk in anorexia nervosa that can be linked to a clinical application. Complex non-invasive assessment of cardiovascular autonomic regulation—cardiac vagal control (heart rate variability), sympathetic vascular activity (blood pressure variability), and cardiovascular reflex control (baroreflex sensitivity)—could represent a promising tool for early diagnosis, personalized therapy, and monitoring of therapeutic interventions in anorexia nervosa particularly at a vulnerable adolescent age.
Targeting and Efficacy of Novel mAb806-Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Malignant Mesothelioma

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is highly overexpressed in malignant mesothelioma (MM). MAb806 is a novel anti-EGFR antibody that selectively targets a tumor-selective epitope. MAb806-derived antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), ABT-414, ABBV-221 and ABBV-322, may represent a novel therapeutic strategy in MM. EGFR and mAb806 epitope expressions in mesothelioma cell lines were evaluated using an array of binding assays, and the in vitro cell effects of ABT-414 and ABBV-322 were determined. In vivo therapy studies were conducted in mesothelioma xenograft and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models. We also performed biodistribution and imaging studies to allow the quantitative targeting of MM by mAb806 using a 89Zr-labeled immunoconjugate—ch806. A high EGFR expression was present in all mesothelioma cell lines evaluated and mAb806 binding present in all cell lines, except NCIH-2452. ABT-414 and ABBV-322 resulted in significant tumor growth inhibition in MM models with high EGFR and mAb806 epitope expressions. In contrast, in an EGFR-expressing PDX model that was negative for the mAb806 epitope, no growth inhibition was observed. We demonstrated the specific targeting of the mAb806 epitope expressing MM tumors using 89Zr-based PET imaging. Our data suggest that targeting EGFR in MM using specific ADCs is a valid therapeutic strategy and supports further investigation of the mAb806 epitope expression as a predictive biomarker.
The Nature of Immunity against Scrub Typhus in Mice. I. The Resistance of Mice, Surviving Subcutaneous Infection of Scrub Typhus Rickettsia, to Intraperitoneal Reinfection of the Same Agent.

The agent of scrub typhus, Rickettsia orientalis, can be detected from the tissues of mice, rats, guinea pigs, and other experimental animals for a period of months after the acute manifestation of the infection had disappeared. On the other hand, it has already been proved that those animals once survived the infec tion of Rickettsia orientalis acquire a marked resistance to reinfection of the agent (Kohls et al., 1945; Fox, 1948; Smadel et al., 1949; Kouwenaar & Esseveld, 1949; Kuwata, 1952). The resistance of these animals to reinfection may be directly or indirectly caused by the persistence of rickettsia in the tissues of those animals, namely, infection immunity or premunition (Parrot and Parrot, 1949). Smadel et al. (1952) have shown that Rickettsia orientalis persists in the tissues of patients who recovered from scrub typhus for a considerable time, and found a certain correlation between the resistance of the individuals and the persistence of rickettsia in their tissues. Furthermore, this resistance manifests itself not only against homologous strain but also against heterologous strain for a long time, and he described that the resistance of an occasional individual to reinfection with a pre sumed heterologous strain after several years may depend upon the persistence in that person's body of viable rickettsiae and a resulting constant stimulation of his immune state. In this paper, the authors present the results of their analysis of the resistance of mice, acquired from primary subcutaneous infection of Rickettsia orientalis (Kato strain) and manifesting against reinfection of the same agent by intraperitoneal route, and discuss the scrub typhus immunity in mice. The immunological dif ferences in mice among many strains of Rickettsia orientalis newly isolated in Japan will be discussed in the following (Shishido et al., 1959).
Capacitive Field-Effect EIS Chemical Sensors and Biosensors: A Status Report

Electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field-effect sensors belong to a new generation of electronic chips for biochemical sensing, enabling a direct electronic readout. The review gives an overview on recent advances and current trends in the research and development of chemical sensors and biosensors based on the capacitive field-effect EIS structure—the simplest field-effect device, which represents a biochemically sensitive capacitor. Fundamental concepts, physicochemical phenomena underlying the transduction mechanism and application of capacitive EIS sensors for the detection of pH, ion concentrations, and enzymatic reactions, as well as the label-free detection of charged molecules (nucleic acids, proteins, and polyelectrolytes) and nanoparticles, are presented and discussed.
Hippocampal 2-Arachidonoyl Glycerol Signaling Regulates Time-of-Day- and Stress-Dependent Effects on Rat Short-Term Memory

Background: Cannabinoids induce biphasic effects on memory depending on stress levels. We previously demonstrated that different stress intensities, experienced soon after encoding, impaired rat short-term recognition memory in a time-of-day-dependent manner, and that boosting endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) levels restored memory performance. Here, we examined if two different stress intensities and time-of-day alter hippocampal endocannabinoid tone, and whether these changes modulate short-term memory. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to an object recognition task and exposed, at two different times of the day (i.e., morning or afternoon), to low or high stress conditions, immediately after encoding. Memory retention was assessed 1 hr later. Hippocampal AEA and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) content and the activity of their primary degrading enzymes, fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), were measured soon after testing. Results: Consistent with our previous findings, low stress impaired 1-hr memory performance only in the morning, whereas exposure to high stress impaired memory independently of testing time. Stress exposure decreased AEA levels independently of memory alterations. Interestingly, exposure to high stress decreased 2-AG content and, accordingly, increased MAGL activity, selectively in the afternoon. Thus, to further evaluate 2-AG’s role in the modulation of short-term recognition memory, rats were given bilateral intra-hippocampal injections of the 2-AG hydrolysis inhibitor KML29 immediately after training, then subjected to low or high stress conditions and tested 1 hr later. Conclusions: KML29 abolished the time-of-day-dependent impairing effects of stress on short-term memory, ameliorating short-term recognition memory performance.