Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diagnostic change and the increased prevalence of autism.

BACKGROUND Increased autism prevalence rates have generated considerable concern. However, the contribution of changes in diagnostic practices to increased prevalence rates has not been thoroughly examined. Debates over the role of diagnostic substitution also continue. California has been an important test case in these controversies. The objective of this study was to determine the extent to which the increased prevalence of autism in California has been driven by changes in diagnostic practices, diagnostic substitution and diagnostic accretion. METHODS Retrospective case record examination of 7003 patients born before 1987 with autism who were enrolled with the California Department of Developmental Services between 1992 and 2005 was carried out. Of principal interest were 631 patients with a sole diagnosis of mental retardation (MR) who subsequently acquired a diagnosis of autism. The outcome of interest was the probability of acquiring a diagnosis of autism as a result of changes in diagnostic practices was calculated. The probability of diagnostic change is then used to model the proportion of the autism caseload arising from changing diagnostic practices. RESULTS The odds of a patient acquiring an autism diagnosis were elevated in periods in which the practices for diagnosing autism changed. The odds of change in years in which diagnostic practices changed were 1.68 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-2.54], 1.55 (95% CI 1.03-2.34), 1.58 (95% CI 1.05-2.39), 1.82 (95% CI 1.23-2.7) and 1.61 (95% CI 1.09-2.39). Using the probability of change between 1992 and 2005 to generalize to the population with autism, it is estimated that 26.4% (95% CI 16.25-36.48) of the increased autism caseload in California is uniquely associated with diagnostic change through a single pathway--individuals previously diagnosed with MR. CONCLUSION Changes in practices for diagnosing autism have had a substantial effect on autism caseloads, accounting for one-quarter of the observed increase in prevalence in California between 1992 and 2005.
Significant Pairwise Co-occurrence Patterns Are Not the Rule in the Majority of Biotic Communities

Our aim was to investigate species co-occurrence patterns in a large number of published biotic communities, in order to document to what extent species associations can be found in presence-absence matrices. We also aim to compare and evaluate two metrics that focus on species pairs (the ‘natural’ and the ‘checkerboard’ metric) using also artificial matrices. We applied the two metrics to many data sets from a huge variety of insular systems around the world. Both metrics reliably recover deviating species pairs and provide similar, albeit not identical, results. Nevertheless, only a few matrices exhibit significant deviations from random patterns, mostly vertebrates and higher plants. The benchmark cases cited in literature in favor of such assembly rules are indeed included in these exceptional cases. In conclusion, competitive or cooperative species interactions shaping communities cannot be inferred from patterns exhibited by presence-absence matrices. When such an analysis is attempted though, both the ‘natural’ and the ‘checkerboard’ metric should be set in a proper framework in order to provide useful insights regarding species associations. A large part of the discussion on species co-occurrence had originally been based on a few exceptional data sets that are not indicative of general patterns.
Prospect Theory의 보편성

본 연구의 목적은 여가와 관련된 주제에서의 의사결정과 일과 관련된 주제에서의 의사결정에 있어서 Prospect Theory의 적용 가능성을 살펴보는 데에 목적이 있다. 연구 1과 2의 결과는 사람들이 일과 여가활동에서 다른 의사결정 메카니즘과 심리적 목적을 가질 수 있다는 점을 시사한다.
Epidemiology, diagnostics, and management of tuberculosis in domestic cattle and deer in New Zealand in the face of a wildlife reservoir

Abstract The control of tuberculosis (TB) in cattle and farmed deer in New Zealand has been greatly influenced by the existence of a wildlife reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis infection, principally the Australian brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula). The reduction in possum numbers in areas with endemic M. bovis infection through vigorous vector control operations has been a major contributor to the marked reduction in the number of infected cattle and farmed deer herds in the past two decades. Management of TB in cattle and farmed deer in New Zealand has involved a combination of vector control, regionalisation of diagnostic testing of cattle and deer herds, abattoir surveillance and movement control from vector risk areas. Accurate diagnosis of infected cattle and deer has been a crucial component in the control programme. As the control programme has evolved, test requirements have changed and new tests have been introduced or test interpretations modified. Subspecific strain typing of M. bovis isolates has proved to be a valuable component in the epidemiological investigation of herd breakdowns to identify whether the source of infection was domestic livestock or wildlife. New initiatives will include the use of improved models for analysing diagnostic test data and characterising disease outbreaks leading to faster elimination of infection from herds. The introduction of the National Animal Identification Tracing programme will allow better risk profiling of individual herds and more reliable tracing of animal movements. TB in cattle and farmed deer in New Zealand can only be controlled by eliminating the disease in both domestic livestock and the wildlife reservoir.
Epigenetics: Mechanisms and Implications for Diabetic Complications

Epigenetic modifications regulate critical functions that underlie chromosome metabolism. Understanding the molecular changes to chromatin structure and the functional relationship with altered signaling pathways is now considered to represent an important conceptual challenge to explain diabetes and the phenomenon of metabolic or hyperglycemic memory. Although it remains unknown as to the specific molecular mechanisms whereby hyperglycemic memory leads to the development of diabetic vascular complications, emerging evidence now indicates that critical gene-activating epigenetic changes may confer future cell memories. Chemical modification of the H3 histone tail of lysine 4 and 9 has recently been identified with gene expression conferred by hyperglycemia. The persistence of these key epigenetic determinants in models of glycemic variability and the development of diabetic complications has been associated with these primary findings. Transient hyperglycemia promotes gene-activating epigenetic changes and signaling events critical in the development and progression of vascular complications. As for the role of specific epigenomic changes, it is postulated that further understanding enzymes involved in writing and erasing chemical changes could transform our understanding of the pathways implicated in diabetic vascular injury providing new therapeutic strategies.
Introducción: Acogimiento y Adopción: Retos e Implicaciones para el Futuro Introduction: Adoption and Fostering: Challenges and Implications in Adult Life

In Spain there are about 40,000 children in vulnerable situations. Foster care is one of the resources at their disposal protect these children who are at risk or abuse. This figure is meant for all those children who for various reasons have to leave their families because of situations of vulnerability. When the situation is so serious that prevents biolog - ical parents take care of children indefinitely, they can be adopted by a new family. Both adoption and foster care offer children the opportunity to grow in a safe, responsible and emotionally available environment to the child' s needs.
Identification of the Human Cytochrome P450 Enzymes Involved in the Two Oxidative Steps in the Bioactivation of Clopidogrel to Its Pharmacologically Active Metabolite

The aim of the current study is to identify the human cytochrome P450 (P450) isoforms involved in the two oxidative steps in the bioactivation of clopidogrel to its pharmacologically active metabolite. In the in vitro experiments using cDNA-expressed human P450 isoforms, clopidogrel was metabolized to 2-oxo-clopidogrel, the immediate precursor of its pharmacologically active metabolite. CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP2C19 catalyzed this reaction. In the same system using 2-oxo-clopidogrel as the substrate, detection of the active metabolite of clopidogrel required the addition of glutathione to the system. CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 contributed to the production of the active metabolite. Secondly, the contribution of each P450 involved in both oxidative steps was estimated by using enzyme kinetic parameters. The contribution of CYP1A2, CYP2B6, and CYP2C19 to the formation of 2-oxo-clopidogrel was 35.8, 19.4, and 44.9%, respectively. The contribution of CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 to the formation of the active metabolite was 32.9, 6.76, 20.6, and 39.8%, respectively. In the inhibition studies with antibodies and selective chemical inhibitors to P450s, the outcomes obtained by inhibition studies were consistent with the results of P450 contributions in each oxidative step. These studies showed that CYP2C19 contributed substantially to both oxidative steps required in the formation of clopidogrel active metabolite and that CYP3A4 contributed substantially to the second oxidative step. These results help explain the role of genetic polymorphism of CYP2C19 and also the effect of potent CYP3A inhibitors on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of clopidogrel in humans and on clinical outcomes.
Age, period and cohort influences on beer, wine and spirits consumption trends in the US National Alcohol Surveys.

AIMS To estimate the separate influences of age, period and cohort on the consumption of beer wine and spirits in the United States. DESIGN Linear age-period-cohort models controlling for demographic change with extensive specification testing. Setting US general population 1979-2000. MEASUREMENTS Monthly average of past-year consumption of beer, wine and spirits in five National Alcohol Surveys. Findings The strongest cohort effects are found for spirits; cohorts born before 1940 are found to have significantly higher consumption than those born after 1946, with especially high spirits consumption for men in the pre-1930s cohorts. Significant cohort effects are also found for beer with elevated consumption in the 1946-65 cohorts for men but in the pre-1940 cohorts for women. Significant negative effects of age are found for beer and spirits consumption, although not for wine. Significant period effects are found for men's beer and wine consumption and for women's spirits consumption. Increased educational attainment in the population over time is associated with reduced beer consumption and increased wine consumption. CONCLUSIONS Changing cohort demographics are found to have significant effects on beverage-specific consumption, indicating the importance of controlling for these effects in the evaluation of alcohol policy effectiveness and the potential for substantial improvement in the forecasting of future beverage-specific consumption trends, alcohol dependence treatment demand and morbidity and mortality outcomes.
Inertial vibration control using a shunted electromagnetic transducer

Inertial drives and passive tuned-mass dampers utilize a suspended mass to reduce the vibration experienced by a host structure. Active vibration control systems typically include a voice coil type electromagnetic actuator to develop the required reaction forces. In this paper, the technique of sensorless active shunt control is applied to inertial vibration absorption. An electrical impedance is designed and connected to an electromagnetic coil with a view to minimizing structural vibration. Standard optimal control tools can be applied to design the required shunt impedance. This technique requires no additional feedback sensors. Vibration in an experimental structure is heavily attenuated by the application of an active shunt impedance.
Towards Semantics-Based Instantiation of Services

Nowadays web users have clearly expressed their wishes to receive and interact with personalized services directly. However, existing approaches, largely syntactic content-based, fail to provide robust, accurate and useful personalized services to its users. Towards such an issue, the semantic web provides technologies to annotate and match services' descriptions with users' features, interests and preferences, thus allowing for more efficient access to services and more generally information. The aim of our work, part of service personalization, is on automated instantiation of services which is crucial for advanced usability i.e., how to prepare and present services ready to be executed while limiting useless interactions with users? To this end, we exploit Description Logics reasoning through semantic matching to (i) identify useful parts of a user profile that satisfy services requirements (i.e., input parameters) and (ii) compute the description required by a service to be executed but not provided by the user profile. Our approach, part of the EC-funded project SOA4All, was evaluated on its applicability in real world scenarios with end-users.
Pronounced and extensive microtubule defects in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae DIS3 mutant

Subunits of the RNA processing exosome assemble into structurally distinct protein complexes that function in disparate cellular compartments and RNA metabolic pathways. Here, in a genetic, cell biological and transcriptomic analysis, we examined the role of Dis3, an essential polypeptide with endo‐ and 3′ → 5′ exo‐ribonuclease activity, in cell cycle progression. We present several lines of evidence that perturbation of DIS3 affects microtubule (MT) localization and structure in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Cells with a DIS3 mutant: (a) accumulate anaphase and pre‐anaphase mitotic spindles; (b) exhibit spindles that are misorientated and displaced from the bud neck; (c) harbour elongated spindle‐associated astral MTs; (d) have an increased G1 astral MT length and number; and (e) are hypersensitive to MT poisons. Mutations in the core exosome genes RRP4 and MTR3 and the exosome cofactor gene MTR4, but not other exosome subunit gene mutants, also elicit MT phenotypes. RNA deep sequencing analysis (RNA‐seq) shows broad changes in the levels of cell cycle‐ and MT‐related transcripts in mutant strains. Collectively, the data presented in this study suggest an evolutionarily conserved role for Dis3 in linking RNA metabolism, MTs and cell cycle progression. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effectiveness of nutritional supplements for reducing symptoms in autism-spectrum disorder: a case report.

OBJECTIVE This report presents a case of a 9-year-old boy with autism that responded positively to nutritional supplements. METHODS The supplements were dimethylglycine and a combination of a large dose of vitamin B6 (pyridoxal HCl) and magnesium. The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was used for outcome assessment and administered by 2 of his family members both before the nutritional supplements and 5 months into the supplements, thereby referred to as pretest and post-test, respectively. Two (2) assessors independently performed evaluations. The ATEC evaluates four areas: communication, sociability, sensory/cognitive awareness, and behavior. The lower the scores are, the less severe the symptoms are. RESULTS The ATEC evaluations by 2 independent assessors showed that the changes in total ATEC were from 63 at pretest to 33 at post-test, and from 64 at pretest to 30 at post-test, respectively. These changes represented reductions of 47.6% and 53.1%. A strong inter-rater reliability was demonstrated, with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.988. The school teachers also noticed improvements in various areas consistent with the ATEC evaluations. CONCLUSIONS Although the reported findings cannot be generalized, this case report provides useful preliminary evidence to an accumulating body of literature supporting the theory and efficacies of nutritional supplements in autism-spectrum disorders.
Prognostic significance of semiautomatic quantification of left ventricular long axis shortening in systemic light-chain amyloidosis

Abstract Aims: To assess left ventricular long axis shortening (LAS) in patients with AL amyloidosis as a potential predictor for outcome. Methods and results: We performed a de novo echocardiographic analysis of LAS in 120 patients with biopsy-proven AL amyloidosis evaluated at first presentation before specific treatment. Additionally, 47 control subjects were analyzed retrospectivly. LAS was measured using a semiautomatic tissue motion annular displacement software algorithm (TMAD). LAS was significantly better than ejection fraction (EF) (p < 0.0001) and M-mode-derived mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE) (p < 0.05) discriminating AL patients from control subjects, while being non-inferior compared to tissue Doppler-derived peak systolic mitral annular velocity. One year outcome analysis in patients with AL amyloidosis showed that LAS remained the only significant echocardiographic parameter (HR:0.76; p < 0.005) in a multivariable Cox regression model of echocardiographic values. In a comprehensive clinical model, LAS (HR:0.72, p < 0.0001), cardiac troponin-T (HR:2.86, p < 0.01) and free light chain difference (HR:1.00; p < 0.05) were independently associated with the outcome. Assessment of LAS led to a significant integrated discrimination improvement and offered incremental information compared to EF and biomarkers. The cut-off value for LAS discriminating the endpoint was 5.8%. Conclusion: LAS was an independent predictor of survival within the first year and offers incremental information in patients with AL amyloidosis evaluated prior to specific treatment.
On the Baldwin Effect

In this article the effects of altering the rate and amount of learning on the Baldwin effect are examined. Using a version of the abstract tunable NK model, it is shown that the adaptation process is sensitive to the rate of learning, particularly as the correlation of the underlying fitness landscape varies. Typically a high learning rate proves most beneficial as landscape correlation decreases. It is also shown that the amount of learning can have a significant effect on the adaptation process, where increased amounts of learning prove beneficial under higher learning rates on uncorrelated landscapes.
The Effect of the After-School Reading Education Program for Elementary School on Multicultural Awareness

The purpose of this research is to verify the effectiveness of the influence of an afterschool reading program on changing multicultural perception. The afterschool reading program at the elementary school is composed of 12sessions. The main content was reading a foreign fairy tale and then having a discussion on about it. The total number of subjects was 44 people, 21 in the experiment group and 23 people in the control group. Each group did a preliminary inspection before participating in the program, a post inspection after participating, and a later inspection 5 weeks after finishing the program. Research results showed that the reading-studying program improves the cognitive level of elementary school students’ multicultural perception. Moreover, the analysis results of multicultural awareness levels concerning the cognitive factors and defined factors seemed to be more effective than behavioral factors.
Analysis and Evaluation of Comparable Corpora for Under Resourced Areas of Machine Translation

Lack of sufficient linguistic resources and parallel corpora for many languages and domains currently is one of the major obstacles to further advancement of automated translation. The solution proposed in this paper is to exploit the fact that non-parallel bi- or multilingual text resources are much more widely available than parallel translation data. This position paper presents previous research in this field and research plans of the ACCURAT project. Its goal is to find, analyze and evaluate novel methods that exploit comparable corpora in order to compensate for the shortage of linguistic resources, and ultimately to significantly improve MT quality for under-resourced languages and narrow domains.
Stereo Object Proposals

Object proposal detection is an effective way of accelerating object recognition. Existing proposal methods are mostly based on detecting object boundaries, which may not be effective for cluttered backgrounds. In this paper, we leverage stereopsis as a robust and effective solution for generating object proposals. We first obtain a set of candidate bounding boxes through adaptive transformation, which fits the bounding boxes tightly to object boundaries detected by rough depth and color information. A two-level hierarchy composed of proposal and cluster levels is then constructed to estimate object locations in an efficient and accurate manner. Three stereo-based cues “exactness,” “focus,” and “distribution” are proposed for objectness estimation. Two-level hierarchical ranking is proposed to accurately obtain ranked object proposals. A stereo data set with 400 labeled stereo image pairs is constructed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method in both indoor and outdoor scenes. Extensive experimental evaluations show that the proposed stereo-based approach achieves a better performance than the state of the arts with either a small or a large number of object proposals. As stereopsis can be a complement to the color information, the proposed method can be integrated with existing proposal methods to obtain superior results.
A new approach using the Viterbi algorithm in stereo correspondence problem

This paper presents an approach that uses the Viterbi algorithm in a stereo correspondence problem. We propose a matching process which is visualized as a trellis diagram to the maximum a posterior result. The matching process is divided into two parts: matching the left scene to the right scene and matching the right scene to the left scene. The result of stereo problem is selected by a comparison between the results of two matching processes. This makes the stereo matching possible without explicitly detecting occlusions. Moreover, this stereo matching algorithm can improve the accuracy of the disparity image, and it has an acceptable running time for practical applications since it uses a trellis diagram iteratively and bi-directionally. The complexity of our proposed method is shown approximately as O(6 /spl times/ N /spl times/ P), in which N is the number of disparity, and P is the length of the epipolar line in both the left and right images. Our proposed method has been proved to be robust when applied to several samples of stereo images such as random dot and Tsukuba image. It provides 94.5 percent accuracy for the Tsukuba images.