Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can the Children's Communication Checklist differentiate autism spectrum subtypes?

The study explored whether children with high functioning autism (HFA), Asperger syndrome (AS), and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) can be differentiated on the Children's Communication Checklist (CCC). The study also investigated whether empirically derived autistic subgroups can be identified with a cluster analytic method based on the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised. Fifty-seven children with HFA, 47 with AS, 31 with PDD-NOS, and a normal control group of 47 children between 6 and 13 years participated. Children with HFA,AS, and PDDNOS showed pragmatic communication deficits in comparison to the controls. Little difference was found between the three subtypes with respect to their CCC profile.A three-cluster solution explained the data best.The HFA cluster showed most autism characteristics, followed by the combined HFA + AS cluster, and then the PDD-NOS cluster. The findings support the autism spectrum concept based on severity of symptom impairment rather than distinct categories.
Slowing effects of dopamine and calcium‐channel blockers on frequency of sodium spikes in rat pars intermedia cells

1. Spontaneous discharge of action potentials (Na spikes) in cells isolated from rat pars intermedia was slowed or arrested by Co2+, Ni2+ or Mn2+, which block voltage‐dependent Ca channels in these cells. The amplitude of persisting spikes was undiminished. The effects resembled those of dopamine.
Serum Diamine Oxidase Activity in Acute Gastroenteritis in Children

ABSTRACT: Serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activities were measured in 20 control patients and in 24 patients with gastroenteritis. Results (mean ± SE) were as follows: 1) control patients (n = 20), 36.2 ± 5.7 pmol h-1 ml-1; 2) gastroenteritis (acute phase) (n = 11), 31 ± 4.9 pmol h-1 ml-1; 3) gastroenteritis (healing phase) (n = 21), 18 ± 1.9 pmol h-1 ml-1. Patients with gastroenteritis in the healing phase had significantly lower DAO values when compared to control patients (p < 0.001) and to gastroenteritis patients in the acute phase (p < 0.05). In eight patients where both acute and healing phase values could be measured, a significant decrease between acute and healing phase was found (p < 0.001). Patients with severe gastroenteritis tended to have lower DAO activity values than patients with moderate gastroenteritis (p = 0.10). Our results support the hypothesis that serum DAO activity is a marker of the total mass of functional enterocytes, the decrease of which during gastroenteritis is reflected in a decrease of serum DAO activity values.
Incentives, social learning and economic development : Experimental and quasi-experimental evidence from Uganda

Informational constraints hinder successful adoption and scaling of potentially beneficial agricultural technologies. Social learning in the form of farmer-to-farmer technology transfer can help to address informational constraints. Without incentives, however, the first individuals in the target population to receive the technology may not “automatically” share the knowledge with their neighbours. This thesis examined the effect of private material rewards and social recognition on the diffusion of agricultural technologies through social learning. Secondly, it assessed the role of social distance in influencing information exchange, and the subsequent impacts on knowledge exposure and technology adoption. Thirdly, the mechanisms through which social networks influence technology diffusion were examined. Fourthly, the thesis quantified the impacts of adopting climate smart agricultural (CSA) technologies on productivity, downside risk, food security, and resilience of livelihoods in the post-conflict northern Uganda. The main results are summarized as follows: (1) rewarding disseminating farmers (DFs) with social recognition increased their effort to train their covillagers; (2) social distance influenced information exchange between DFs and their covillagers, but the direction of influence was inconclusive; (3) information exchange links increased awareness, knowledge, and adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties by covillagers; (4) incentives changed both the DFs and neighbours’ networks subsequently increasing knowledge diffusion and adoption by co-villagers; (5) Adoption of CSA technologies boosted productivity, reduced production risk, and increased food security, but did not reduce downside risks. The thesis discusses policy implications of the findings and provides recommendations for future research.
The transcriptional coregulator NAB2 is a target gene for the Wilms' tumor gene 1 protein (WT1) in leukemic cells

The Wilms’ tumor gene 1 (WT1) is recurrently mutated in acute myeloid leukemia. Mutations and high expression of WT1 associate with a poor prognosis. In mice, WT1 cooperates with the RUNX1/RUNX1T1 (AML1/ETO) fusion gene in the induction of acute leukemia, further emphasizing a role for WT1 in leukemia development. Molecular mechanisms for WT1 are, however, incompletely understood. Here, we identify the transcriptional coregulator NAB2 as a target gene of WT1. Analysis of gene expression profiles of leukemic samples revealed a positive correlation between the expression of WT1 and NAB2, as well as a non-zero partial correlation. Overexpression of WT1 in hematopoietic cells resulted in increased NAB2 levels, while suppression of WT1 decreased NAB2 expression. WT1 bound and transactivated the proximal NAB2 promoter, as shown by ChIP and reporter experiments, respectively. ChIP experiments also revealed that WT1 can recruit NAB2 to the IRF8 promoter, thus modulating the transcriptional activity of WT1, as shown by reporter experiments. Our results implicate NAB2 as a previously unreported target gene of WT1 and that NAB2 acts as a transcriptional cofactor of WT1.
Co‐ordinate synthesis and protein localization in a bacterial organelle by the action of a penicillin‐binding‐protein

Organelles with specialized form and function occur in diverse bacteria. Within the Alphaproteobacteria, several species extrude thin cellular appendages known as stalks, which function in nutrient uptake, buoyancy and reproduction. Consistent with their specialization, stalks maintain a unique molecular composition compared with the cell body, but how this is achieved remains to be fully elucidated. Here we dissect the mechanism of localization of StpX, a stalk‐specific protein in Caulobacter crescentus. Using a forward genetics approach, we identify a penicillin‐binding‐protein, PbpC, which is required for the localization of StpX in the stalk. We show that PbpC acts at the stalked cell pole to anchor StpX to rigid components of the outer membrane of the elongating stalk, concurrent with stalk synthesis. Stalk‐localized StpX in turn functions in cellular responses to copper and zinc, suggesting that the stalk may contribute to metal homeostasis in Caulobacter. Together, these results identify a novel role for a penicillin‐binding‐protein in compartmentalizing a bacterial organelle it itself helps create, raising the possibility that cell wall‐synthetic enzymes may broadly serve not only to synthesize the diverse shapes of bacteria, but also to functionalize them at the molecular level.
Initial Evidence of U.S. Audit Partner Identification in Form AP Shows Limited Impact on Audit Quality

This article summarizes a study (Cunningham, Li, Stein, and Wright 2019) in which we examine the initial impact of Form AP partner disclosure on audit quality. One difficulty with studying the effect of Form AP is that general time trends likely occurred even in the absence of partner disclosure. Our study addresses this concern by comparing two groups of audits: those experiencing partner name disclosure for the first time (treatment) and those not subject to the same shock (control). If Form AP was effective at driving immediate improvement in audit quality, any change for the treatment group should be greater than the control group. We conclude that audit quality appears to improve year-over-year; however, significant differences do not exist between these two groups in most of our tests, suggesting that partner disclosure does not explain these general trends. Further research is necessary to evaluate other potential impacts of Form AP.
Histocompatibility antigens in primary and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx

A series of 38 primary laryngeal and hypopharyngeal tumours, 15 lymph‐node metastases and normal tissue were evaluated in frozen sections for the expression of MHC class I and II antigens, using monomorphic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) to HLA‐ABC, β2‐microglobulin, DR, DP, DQ, HLA‐B and polymorphic HLA‐ABC antigens. Normal distant mucosa of larynx reacted to anti‐class I antibodies but not to anti‐class II. In 9 primary tumours (23.7%) HLA class I antigens were not observed. The remaining 29 showed a strong reaction to anti‐HLA‐ABC (heavy chain) and anti‐β2‐microglobulin, although in 3 cases out of 29 no staining was observed with anti‐HLA‐B locus‐specific MAbs. These selective losses were confirmed using the corresponding anti‐HLA polymorphic MAbs. For HLA class II molecules, only DR was observed in 3 of 38 cases. Defective HLA class I expression statistically correlates with high scores according to Jakobsson's criteria for histopathological tumour grading. Loss of HLA‐ABC antigens was most frequent among the cases with poor differentiation (6/8 cases). On the contrary, class II antigen expression was correlated with a well differentiated pattern and a more favourable prognosis (p < 0.001). We have found differences in HLA class I expression when comparing primary tumours and autologous metastases (3/9 cases). Immunoprecipitation and SDS‐PAGE of class I antigens, Northern and Southern blot analyses of MHC class I genes were performed. We have not detected class I gene rearrangement using HLA coding and locus‐specific non‐coding probes. However, we have found a class I transcription defect that corresponds with a class‐I‐negative phenotype.
A Practical View of the State-of-the-Art of Lattice-Based Cryptanalysis

This paper describes the lattice problems that are key in the study of lattice-based cryptography, identifies and categorizes methods for solving these problems, analyzes existing implementations of these algorithms, and extrapolates on the future of lattice-based cryptanalysis, based on the foreseeable advances in computer architecture. Some future lines of work are given, considering the existence of parallel architectures that seem adequate for current attacks.
Spatial distribution of livestock concentration areas and soil nutrients in pastures

Livestock concentration areas can be significant point sources of nutrient pollution. Our objective was to determine the spatial distribution of livestock concentration areas in pastures at the farm scale, along with the distribution of soil nutrients at the individual livestock concentration area scale. We georeferenced and measured the size of all livestock concentration areas in cool-season grass-legume pastures on five farms (four grazing dairies and a beef cattle farm) in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York during two years. Soil of selected concentration areas on each of the farms was sampled to 0 to 5 and 0 to 15 cm (0 to 2 and 0 to 6 in) depths to compare nutrient levels with paired unaffected areas of the pasture. On one farm, we sampled two concentration areas more densely (20 to 25 samples, 0 to 5 cm depth along each of five 100 m [328 ft] transects) to measure spatial distribution of soil nutrients. The transects were arranged radially to encompass variation both up and downslope. We installed runoff plots at three locations on and near the two concentration areas to measure nutrients in surface water runoff from simulated rainfall. On the five farms, concentration areas occurred most frequently at paddock gates (38% of sites). Although fewer in number, concentration areas at feeding sites were often larger than those at gates or other locations and accounted for most (48%) of the area affected by livestock congregation. Most concentration areas were small (median area 100 m2 [1,076 ft2]), isolated (median distance, 61 m [200 ft] from a water body), and surrounded by vegetation. Intensive sampling on one farm showed that soil within 20 to 40 m (66 to 132 ft) of concentration areas was enriched in phosphorus, which contributed to higher phosphorus concentration in the runoff from simulated rainfall compared with the rest of the pasture. Pastures used as holding and feeding areas with highly elevated soil nutrients and no surrounding vegetation to filter runoff represented a direct threat to surface water quality. Many concentration areas, however, were surrounded by vegetation, which would mitigate this risk.
Hemodynamic Effects of Negative Emotional Pictures – A Test-Retest Analysis

We investigated subjective and hemodynamic responses towards disgust-inducing, fear-inducing, and neutral pictures in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Within an interval of 1 week, 24 male subjects underwent the same block design twice in order to analyze possible response changes to the repeated picture presentation. The results showed that disgust-inducing and fear-inducing scenes provoked a similar activation pattern in comparison to neutral scenes. This included the thalamus, primary and secondary visual fields, the amygdala, the hippocampus, and various regions of the prefrontal cortex. During the retest, the affective ratings hardly changed. In contrast, most of the previously observed brain activations disappeared, with the exception of the temporo-occipital activation. An additional analysis, which compared the emotion-related activation patterns during the two presentations, showed that the responses to the fear-inducing pictures were more stable than the responses to the disgust-inducing ones.
Enzymatic and structural analysis of the I47A mutation contributing to the reduced susceptibility to HIV protease inhibitor lopinavir

Lopinavir (LPV) is a second‐generation HIV protease inhibitor (PI) designed to overcome resistance development in patients undergoing long‐term antiviral therapy. The mutation of isoleucine at position 47 of the HIV protease (PR) to alanine is associated with a high level of resistance to LPV. In this study, we show that recombinant PR containing a single I47A substitution has the inhibition constant (Ki) value for lopinavir by two orders of magnitude higher than for the wild‐type PR. The addition of the I47A substitution to the background of a multiply mutated PR species from an AIDS patient showed a three‐order‐of‐magnitude increase in Ki in vitro relative to the patient PR without the I47A mutation. The crystal structure of I47A PR in complex with LPV showed the loss of van der Waals interactions in the S2/S2′ subsites. This is caused by the loss of three side‐chain methyl groups due to the I47A substitution and by structural changes in the A47 main chain that lead to structural changes in the flap antiparallel β‐strand. Furthermore, we analyzed possible interaction of the I47A mutation with secondary mutations V32I and I54V. We show that both mutations in combination with I47A synergistically increase the relative resistance to LPV in vitro. The crystal structure of the I47A/I54V PR double mutant in complex with LPV shows that the I54V mutation leads to a compaction of the flap, and molecular modeling suggests that the introduction of the I54V mutation indirectly affects the strain of the bound inhibitor in the PR binding cleft.
The clinical pain acceptance Q-sort: A tool for assessment and facilitation of pain acceptance

The topic of pain acceptance can be clinically difficult to raise in a respectful way. This article introduces a method of managing the topic of pain acceptance in daily clinical practice: The clinical pain acceptance Q-sort. The Q-sort procedure comprises 13 small cards with printed statements concerning pain acceptance on the one side, score numbers on the other side. The procedure involves the patient handling and prioritizing the statements in a personally meaningful order. Both quantitative and qualitative use of the tool is possible. The method has a three-fold outcome: (1) topics of pain acceptance are presented in a multi-faceted way for the chronic pain patient, (2) an approximate assessment of the level of pain acceptance issues is offered to the clinician, and (3) good opportunities for a therapeutic discussion on pain acceptance are made available. The clinical pain acceptance Q-sort procedure may positively contribute to daily clinical work with pain acceptance in a straightforward way. The method provides options for assessment of pain acceptance, for better understanding of the patient, and for clinical training in psychological pain management.
DIFFERENT SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF AEDES AEGYPTI AND AEDES ALBOPICTUS ALONG AN URBAN–RURAL GRADIENT AND THE RELATING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS EXAMINED IN THREE VILLAGES IN NORTHERN THAILAND

ABSTRACT A larval survey of dengue vectors was conducted from July to November 1996 and from May to November 1997 in Chiangmai Province, Thailand. Three villages in urban, transition, and rural areas were selected for the survey to clarify the spatial distribution of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus along an urban–rural ecological gradient. The average number of Ae. aegypti larvae in larvitraps was higher in the urban area than in the rural area, as we expected, whereas the opposite was found for Ae. albopictus, rural area > urban area. A house survey of larvae-inhabiting containers showed significant differences in the number and composition of these containers among the study areas. Significant differences also were found in the average distance between houses, average tree height, and average percentage of vegetation cover for each house. The seasonal pattern of rainfall recorded in each study area did not show great differences among the study areas. The response of Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus to the urban–rural gradient is discussed in relation to the possibility of applying geographic information system techniques to plan the control strategy and surveillance of dengue vectors.
Pilot Study on the Influence of Nutritional Counselling and Implant Therapy on the Nutritional Status in Dentally Compromised Patients

Objectives To investigate the impact of implant-prosthetic rehabilitation combined with nutritional counseling on the nutritional status of patients with severely reduced dentitions. Design An explorative intervention study including an intra-individual comparison of 20 patients with severely reduced dentitions in terms of nutrition- and quality of life-related parameters recorded at baseline and at six and twelve months after implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. Participants Twenty patients from the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry of Justus-Liebig University of Giessen, with an mean age of 63 years, who had fewer than ten pairs of antagonists. Measurements The baseline data collection included dental status, a chewing ability test, laboratory parameters, anthropometric data (body mass index), energy supply, a 3-day dietary record, an analysis of the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with the OHIP-G14, the Mini-Mental Status (MMS) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Six months after implantation and prosthetic rehabilitation, individual nutritional counseling was performed by a dietician. Data were again collected and analyzed. A final follow-up was conducted 12 months after prosthetic rehabilitation. Results Despite the highly significant improvement in masticatory ability and OHRQoL after implant-prosthetic rehabilitation, no significant changes were observed regarding MNA, anthropometric data or energy supply. Except for cholinesterase (p = 0.012), ferritin (p = 0.003), folic acid (p = 0.019) and vitamin A (p = 0.004), no laboratory parameter changed significantly during the investigation period. In addition, no general significant differences were observed for nutrient intake or food choice. Conclusion The present study does not confirm the assumption that the implant-prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with severely reduced residual dentitions with or without an individual nutritional counseling influences nutritional status.
Nox‐2 Is a Modulator of Fibrogenesis in Kidney Allografts

We studied the role of classical phagocytic NADPH oxidase (Nox) in the pathogenesis of kidney allograft tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Immunofluorescence studies showed that Nox‐2 and p22phox (electron transfer subunits of Nox) colocalized in the tubulointerstitium of human kidney allografts. Tubular Nox‐2 also colocalized with α‐SMA in areas of injury, suggestive of epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT). Interstitial macrophages (CD68+) and myofibroblasts (α‐SMA+) expressed Nox‐2 while graft infiltrating T cells (CD3+) and mature fibroblasts (S100A4+) were Nox‐2−. These results were confirmed in the Fisher‐to‐Lewis rat kidney transplant model. Areas of tubulitis were associated with Nox‐2 and α‐SMA, suggestive of EMT. Immunoblot analyses showed that Nox‐2 upregulation was associated with oxidative stress (nitrotyrosine) and fibrogenesis (α‐SMA and phospho‐Smad2) at 3 weeks and 6 months. Allografts treated with Nox inhibitors (DPI or apocynin) for 1 week showed reduced fibronectin and phospho‐Smad2 and increased E‐cadherin levels. Cyclosporine A, TGF‐β1 and angiotensin II increased Nox‐2 mRNA levels 2‐ to 7‐fold in vitro (NRK52E cells). Treatment with specific Nox inhibitors (DPI or apocynin) prevented the downregulation of E‐cadherin and upregulation of fibronectin transcripts. In aggregate, these studies suggest that Nox‐2 is involved in the pathogenesis of allograft tubulointerstitial fibrosis via activation transcription factor Smad2, EMT and myofibroblasts.
SUPPRESSED INCREASE IN BLOOD ENDOTHELIAL PROGENITOR CELL CONTENT AS RESULT OF SINGLE EXHAUSTIVE EXERCISE BOUT IN MALE REVASCULARISED CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE PATIENTS

Abstract Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) significantly affect endothelial repair capacity and, hence, cardiovascular disease incidence. In healthy subjects, blood EPC content increases significantly as result of a single maximal exercise test, hereby stimulating endothelial repair capacity. It remains to be shown whether a single exercise positively affects blood EPCs in revascularised coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. From male revascularised CAD patients (n = 60) and healthy volunteers (n = 25) blood samples were collected before and immediately after a maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test. Blood samples were analyzed by optimised flow cytometry methodology for EPC content (CD34+, CD34+ CD133+, CD34+VEGFR2+, CD34+CD133+VEGFR2+, and CD34+CD133-VEGFR2+ cells) and compared between groups. CFU-Hill colonies were additionally assessed. As a result of a maximal exercise test, blood CD34+, CD34+VEGFR2+ (all EPCs), CD34+CD133+, and CD34+ CD133-VEGFR2+ (mature EPCs) cells increased significantly in CAD patients (p < 0.05), but less than in healthy subjects (p < 0.05, and p = 0.06 for CD34+VEGFR2+). CD34+CD133+VEGFR2+ cells (immature EPCs) did not change as result of exercise (p > 0.05). No changes in CFUHill colonies as result of exercise were observed. This study shows that blood mature EPCs (CD34+CD133- VEGFR2+) increase significantly as result of a single exercise bout in revascularised CAD patients, but with smaller magnitude compared to healthy subjects. Blood immature EPCs (CD34+CD133+VEGFR2+) did not change significantly as result of exercise.