Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dentine biomarkers of prenatal and early childhood manganese, zinc and lead and childhood behavior

Background: Metal exposure alters neurodevelopmental outcomes; little is known about critical windows of susceptibility when exposure exerts the strongest effect. Objective: To examine associations between dentine biomarkers of manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) and later childhood behaviors. Methods: Subjects enrolled in a longitudinal birth cohort study in Mexico City provided naturally shed deciduous teeth. We estimated weekly prenatal and postnatal dentine Mn, Zn and Pb concentrations in teeth using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and measured behavior at ages 8–11 years of age using the Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2). We used distributed lag models and quantile sum regression to identify the role of individual and combined dentine biomarkers of Mn, Zn and Pb on behavioral outcomes controlling for maternal education and gestational age. Results: Among the 133 subjects included in this study, prenatal and early postnatal dentine Mn appeared protective against childhood behavioral problems, specifically hyperactivity and attention. Postnatal dentine Mn was associated with increased reporting of internalizing problems, specifically anxiety. At 6 months, a 1-unit increase (unit = 1 SD of log concentration) in Mn was associated with a 0.18-unit (unit =1 SD of BASC-2 score) increase in internalizing symptoms score and a 0.25-unit increase in anxiety. Postnatal Pb was associated with increasing anxiety symptoms; at 12 months, a 1-unit increase in Pb was associated with a 0.4 unit increase in anxiety symptoms. When examined as a metal mixture, we observed two potential windows of susceptibility to increased anxiety symptoms: the first window (0–8 months) appeared driven by Mn, the second window (8–12 months) was driven by the metal mixture and dominated by Pb. A 1-unit increase in the mixture index was associated with a 0.7-unit increase in SD of anxiety symtoms. Conclusions: Childhood behaviors may demonstrate postnatal windows of susceptibility to individual and mixed metal concentrations measured in deciduous teeth. Prenatal dentine Mn may be protective, while excessive early postnatal Mn may increase risk for adverse behaviors. In combination, higher concentrations of Mn, Zn and Pb may have an adverse impact on behavior.
Design of Passive Viscous Fluid Control Systems for Nonlinear Structures Based on Active Control

ABSTARCT A practical procedure is developed for the design of passive control systems using viscous fluid dampers for nonlinear structures. The design methodology takes advantage of the modification of the damping, strength, and stiffness properties of the structure to achieve the desired relative displacement and absolute acceleration response. For this purpose, a study of poles in the complex plane is used to determine the required changes in the dynamic properties of nonlinear structures. Furthermore, a relatively simple relation between the ductility demands of highly damped single- and multiple-degree-of-freedom (SDF and MDF respectively) systems is established to reduce the computational burden of the proposed design method.
Breastfeeding and Complementary Feeding— Recommendations on Infant Nutrition

Preventive Effect for Mother and Child This is an important topic. The meta-analyses published in December 2015 in Acta Paediatrica and in January 2016 in The Lancet confirmed the prophylactic effect of breastfeeding for both mother and child. Human breast milk contains much less protein than the milk of many other mammals. It is therefore important that any product used as a substitute for breast milk also has a low protein content. The authors write that breast milk substitutes fulfilling this requirement are on the market. However, this is incorrect; in fact, human breast milk contains only 0.9 g/100 mL protein (1), not, as stated, 1.2 g/100 mL (2). Moreover, the protein is composed partly of immune substances that are not available for digestion. With regard to allergy prevention, the first 4 months of life seem crucial. A recently published meta-analysis casts doubt on whether the various hypoallergenic (HA) formulae actually have a hypoallergenic effect. Introduction of complementary feeding at the beginning of the 5th month of life is usually too early and unnecessary. Most infants first start showing interest in food after the age of 5 months (3), so—in contrast to the authors’ recommendation—there is no need to offer them supplements in the form of semisolid foods any earlier than that. Owing to misinterpretation of the S3 guideline on allergy prevention, German pediatricians unfortunately often urge parents to start complementary feeding too early. More training courses not sponsored by producers of complementary foods would be desirable. A postulated “window of opportunity” could not be confirmed. If babies continue to be breastfed on demand after introduction of complementary feeding, there are no nutritional/physiological objections to the complementary food being given in appropriately sized chunks (“baby-led weaning”) and the infants less frequently become overweight (4). DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.2017. 0061a 4. Townsend E, Pitchford NJ: Baby knows best? The impact of weaning style on food preferences and body mass index in early childhood in a case–controlled sample. BMJ Open 2012; 2: e000298
Treatments for reliability improvement in thick oxides diffusion and gate replacement I/O transistors

In this work, the negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) performance for HKMG and diffusion and gate replacement (D&GR) input/output (I/O) devices is investigated. Even though NBTI performances of D&GR transistors are aligned with conventional HKMG (high-k/metal gate) integration with thin oxide devices, it is not the case for thick oxide I/O devices. In particular, it is shown that strong lifetime degradation is observed as soon as high-k layers are deposited on top of the thick interfacial layer. The NBTI degradation is correlated to a diffusion of Ti/Hf (potentially Al) elements from the HKMG gate stack down to the interfacial layer. Directions for reliability improvement treatments are then defined. It is shown that decoupled plasma nitridation (DPN) and fluorine implant could greatly improve NBTI performance, through an improvement of interface and bulk (inside SiO2 interfacial layer) defect density. Device trade-offs are also investigated for the DPN treatments and fluorine implants cases.
Rescue of compromised lysosomes enhances degradation of photoreceptor outer segments and reduce lipofuscin-like autofluorescence

Healthful cell maintenance requires the efficient degradative processing and removal of waste material. Retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells have the onerous task of degrading both internal cellular debris generated through autophagy as well as phagocytosed photoreceptor outer segments. We propose that the inadequate processing material with the resulting accumulation of cellular waste contributes to the downstream pathologies characterized as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The lysosomal enzymes responsible for clearance function optimally over a narrow range of acidic pH values; elevation of lysosomal pH by compounds like chloroquine or A2E can impair degradative enzyme activity and lead to a lipofuscin-like autofluorescence. Restoring acidity to the lysosomes of RPE cells can enhance activity of multiple degradative enzymes and is therefore a logical target in early AMD. We have identified several approaches to reacidify lysosomes of compromised RPE cells; stimulation of beta-adrenergic, A 2A adenosine and D5 dopamine receptors each lowers lysosomal pH and improves degradation of photoreceptor outer segments. Activation of the CFTR chloride channel also reacidifies lysosomes and increases degradation. These approaches also restore the lysosomal pH of RPE cells from aged ABCA4 −/− mice with chronically high levels of A2E, suggesting that functional signaling pathways to reacidify lysosomes are retained in aged cells like those in patients with AMD. Acidic nanoparticles transported to RPE lysosomes also lower pH and improve degradation of outer segments. In summary, the ability of diverse approaches to lower lysosomal pH and enhance outer segment degradation support the proposal that lysosomal acidification can prevent the accumulation of lipofuscin-like material in RPE cells.
EFFECTS OF d-AMPHETAMINE AND PENTOBARBITAL UNDER CONCURRENT FIXED-RATIO SCHEDULES

Pigeons were studied under a two-key concurrent fixed-ratio schedule of food presentation. During the first five sessions, the fixed-ratio requirements were 30 responses on one key (major key) and 120 responses on the other key (minor key): responding occurred almost exclusively on the major key. When the fixed-ratio requirements were then made equal at 30 responses on both keys, responding continued to predominate on the major key. The asymmetric distribution of responses persisted when the concurrent fixed-ratio fixed-ratio schedule was interrupted with periods during which the major key was associated with extinction while the other key remained associated with a fixed-ratio schedule. Additionally, in some subjects the fixed-ratio requirements were increased. These schedule modifications decreased the asymmetry in responding but did not eliminate it. d-Amphetamine decreased rates on both keys and slightly increased the asymmetric distribution of responses, while pentobarbital reversed the distribution of responses by increasing low rates and decreasing high rates. The pigeons maintained their original asymmetric distribution of responses dur- ing the l-year-long study, despite schedule alterations and drug administrations.
a-Locus Hexosaminidase Genetic Compound with Juvenile Gangliosidosis Phenotype: Clinical, Genetic, and Biochemical Studies

A 3-year-old boy developed progressive neurological deterioration in his third year, characterized by dementia, ataxia, myoclonic jerks, and bilateral macular cherry-red spots. Hexosaminidase A (HEX A) was partially decreased in the patient's serum, leukocytes, and cultured skin fibroblasts. Hexosaminidase was studied in serum and leukocytes from family members. Four members of the paternal branch appeared to be carriers of classical infantile Tay-Sachs allele, HEXa2, probably receiving the gene from one great-grandparent of Ashkenazi origin. In the maternal branch, no one was a carrier of classical infantile Tay-Sachs disease, but five individuals were carriers of a milder a-locus defect. The patient, therefore, was a genetic compound of two different a-locus hexosaminidase mutations. At least 21 families with late-infantile or juvenile GM2 gangliosidosis have been reported, 18 of them with a-locus mutations, and three with /3-locus mutations. Genetic compounds of hexosaminidase have been reported in at least seven families, five with a-locus mutations and two with ,8-locus mutations. The compound had the phenotype of infantile Tay-Sachs disease in one family, infantile Sandhoff disease in another, and the normal phenotype in the rest.
Novel Benzimidazole Acetamide Derivatives as Antibacterial and Anti-Tubercular Agents: Synthesis and Characterization

The current study focused on the development of novel potentially active anti-microbial agents based on the benzimidazole-acetamide system. A novel series of various substituted benzimidazole- N- phenyl acetamides was synthesized through a feasible scheme characterized by IR, Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1 HNMR), and MASS spectral methods. All the synthesized compounds were screened for antibacterial activity against two gram-positive strains: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis; four gramnegative strains: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumonia; and anti-tubercular activity against mycobacterial strain: Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Among the 15 compounds (6a–6o) tested, three compounds, 6e, 6f, 6l, and 6m demonstrated high potency with MIC values ranging from 6.25–12. 5μg/mL against both gram-positive and gram-negative strains. In addition, compounds 6e, 6f, and 6l displayed the highest anti-tubercular activity with a MIC value of 25μg/mL.
L1 and L2 vocabulary and word combinations of preschool children from migrant families in Italy

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the L1 and L2 linguistic profiles of preschool bilingual children of migrants, to compare the evaluations of their parents and teachers, and to identify the children with low L2 lexical skills. Method: The expressive vocabulary and word combinations of these bilingual children were assessed with the MacArthur Bates Communicative Development Inventories (MB-CDI) short-form questionnaire, by both parents, to evaluate L1 and L2-Italian, and teachers, to evaluate L2. Interviews were carried out with the parents to collect the demographic and linguistic variables. Data and analysis: The sample comprised 60 preschool bilingual children of migrants (chronological age: 37–62 months) with 15 first language (L1) minority backgrounds, and exposed to L2-Italian. A total of 60 families and 44 nursery school teachers also participated. Conclusion: Almost two-thirds (61.4%) of these preschool bilingual children of migrants showed greater expressive vocabulary in L2 than L1. The children’s word combinations were advanced in L2 in 84.8%, and in L1 in 27.1%. Parents attributed higher language skills in L2-Italian to their children than teachers, although assessments of parents and teachers were correlated. Almost a quarter of the children (24.6%) showed low lexical skills in L2, which is explained by shorter exposure time to L2 at school. Originality: The characteristics of the L1 and L2 linguistic profiles of preschool bilingual children have been little studied to date, although these children are increasingly present in school contexts. There is the need to identify children who are slow in acquisition of L2, along with the contextual-linguistic factors that explain this slowed language acquisition. Implications: The availability of a relevant and rapid tool (MB-CDI questionnaire) to estimate knowledge in L1 and L2 that is suitable for migrant parents and teachers provides important information for assessment of the L2 skills of such bilingual children of migrants.
A Compassion-Focused Therapy approach for hoarding disorder

Hoarding Disorder (HD) was formally recognized as a mental health diagnosis in 2013. A number of therapeutic methods have been developed and tailored for HD, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). The aims of this article are threefold: First, to provide a description of the rationale of developing a group CFT protocol for HD (CFT-HD); Second, to introduce the theoretical framework, treatment targets, and techniques of CFT-HD; Third and finally, to share existing empirical evidence of CFT-HD, and an ongoing study on CFT-HD conducted in a private practice setting. Implications of the development of and research findings on CFT-HD, as well as future directions, are discussed.
A Catalytic Effectiveness Factor for a Microbial Electrolysis Cell Biofilm Model

The aim of this work is to propose a methodology to obtain an effectiveness factor for biofilm in a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) system and use it to reduce a partial differential equation (PDE) biofilm MEC model to an ordinary differential equation (ODE) MEC model. The biofilm mass balances of the different species are considered. In addition, it is considered that all the involved microorganisms are attached to the anodic biological film. Three effectiveness factors are obtained from partial differential equations describing the spatial distributions of potential and substrate in the biofilm. Then, a model reduction is carried out using the global mass balances of the different species in the system. The reduced model with three uncertain but bounded effectiveness factors is evaluated numerically and analyzed in the sense of stability and parametric sensibility to demonstrate its applicability. The reduced ODE model is compared with a validated model taken from the literature, and the results are in good agreement. The biofilm effectiveness factor in MEC systems can be extended to the reduction of PDE models to obtain ODE models that are commonly used in optimization and control problems.
Empirical Evaluations On Real And Synthetic Datasets State Of The Art Utility Mining Algorithms

We have considered the issue of best k high utility itemsets mining, where k is the coveted number of high utility itemsets to be mined. Two effective calculations TKU (mining Top-K Utility itemsets) and TKO (mining Top-K utility itemsets in One stage) are proposed for mining such itemsets without setting least utility limits. TKU is the initial two-stage calculation for mining top-k high utility itemsets, which joins five techniques PE, NU, MD, MC and SE to adequately raise the fringe least utility edges and further prune the hunt space. Then again, TKO is the first stage algorithm produced for top-k HUI mining, which incorporates the novel methodologies RUC, RUZ and EPB to extraordinarily enhance its execution. The proposed calculations have great versatility on extensive datasets and the execution of the proposed algorithms is near the ideal instance of the cutting edge two-stage and one-stage utility mining algorithms.
Adherence to Insulin Therapy Among Children with Type 1 Diabetes: Reliability and Validity of the Arabic Version of the 4-Item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale

Background Inadequate adherence to insulin is a major concern, necessitating the use of reliable and valid metrics for assessing adherence. Up to date, there are no Arabic validated tools assessing adherence to insulin therapy among children with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of an Arabic version of the four-item Morisky Green Levine Medication Adherence Scale (MGLS-4) as a self-reported measure of adherence to insulin among a cohort of Egyptian children with T1DM. Methods The MGLS-4 was translated using forward and backward translation. The Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess reliability. Criterion validity of the scale was tested by examining the correlation coefficients between the compliance score (level of adherence) and the HbA1c levels. Results A total of 400 patients completed the Arabic version of MGLS-4. 26.25% of the studied cohort was found to be non-adherent to insulin therapy; non-adherent patients were significantly older (P=0.001). Decreased maternal education level, decreased frequency of blood glucose monitoring and prolonged disease duration best predicted the occurrence of non-adherence among the studied cohort. The internal consistency of the current version showed good reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.857). The adherence score and adherence level showed very strong correlation with HbA1c level (rho = 0.830, P < 0.001 and rho = 0.808, P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion The Arabic version of MGLS-4 showed good reliability and validity as a self-administered tool for assessing adherence to insulin in pediatric patients with T1DM.
Locating potential historical fire‐maintained grasslands of the eastern United States based on topography and wind speed

Historically, grasslands with limited tree presence were embedded in a matrix of predominantly open oak and pine forests in the eastern United States. These open ecosystems mostly have been lost to other land uses, particularly agriculture, and also to closed forests under fire exclusion because frequent surface fire prevents tree encroachment. We located the potential extent of eastern fire-maintained grasslands by applying the random forests and C5.0 classifiers to determine the relationship between mapped areas of historical grasslands and topography and wind speed, which are proxies for surface fire frequency. A generalized ruleset was that fire-maintained grasslands occurred at roughness values of less than 95, or flatter sites, and wind speeds ≥ 3.4 m s (cid:1) 1 , which created large fire compartments. Potential grasslands covered 27 million ha, or 14% of the 200 million ha of the eastern United States, although these fire-maintained locations also may have been savannas or open woodlands historically. Currently, potential grassland locations are 40% crops, 25% pasture, 18% forests, and 13% developed land, with about 1.5% each of herbaceous upland vegetation, herbaceous wetlands, and shrublands. According to historical accounts, fire-maintained grasslands generally transitioned to dense young tree growth within a 20-year interval after fire exclusion; in Kentucky, the transition transpired during the periods 1790 – 1810 or 1810 – 1830, but dates vary with Euro-American settlement time. Finding the forgotten grasslands of the eastern United States, with this mechanistic approach to estimate fire disturbance, is an important first step for recovering and managing eastern grassland biodiversity.
Propuesta para la optimización de portafolios de los fondos de pensiones

La apertura del mercado de capitales colombiano ha permitido incrementar el régimen de inversiones de los Fondos de Pensiones Obligatorias (FPO) y, por lo tanto, da más responsabilidad a los administradores de los fondos al gestionar de manera eficiente los recursos de los cotizantes. Debido a la creación de nuevos instrumentos de inversión, la Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia (SFC), en su calidad de ente regulatorio, ha determinado el universo de activos admisibles de dichos portafolios y ha impuesto límites de inversión a ciertos instrumentos, emisores y emisiones. Respecto al proceso de optimización de los portafolios de los FPO, los estudios han utilizado la metodología clásica de media-varianza y algunas alternativas como el criterio retorno total-máximo drawdown. En razón de lo anterior, es importante seguir evaluando la eficiencia de los portafolios teniendo en cuenta nuevos enfoques alternativos a fin de establecer la mejor estrategia estructural para este tipo de portafolios, cuyo objetivo es asegurar el ingreso al momento del retiro de los afiliados del sistema general de pensiones. Este documento considera el método Most Diversified Portfolio (MDP) para la selección de activos dentro de un portafolio de pensiones, como una guía para el establecimiento de la estrategia de inversión de las Administradoras de Fondos de Pensiones (AFP), basado en el concepto de diversificación y explorando un enfoque alternativo a la teoría clásica de media-varianza.
Cheat-Detection Mechanisms for Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is becoming more and more important for commercial purposes. With the growth of crowdsourcing platforms like MTurk, Microworkers or Inno- centive, a huge work force and a large knowledge base can be easily accessed and utilized. But due to the anonymity of the workers, they are encouraged to cheat the employers in order to maximize their income. Thus, this paper presents two crowd- based approaches to detect cheating workers. Both approaches are evaluated with regard to their detection quality, their costs and their applicability to different types of typical crowdsourcing tasks.