Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Composition of Perineuronal Net Extracellular Matrix in Rat Brain

We developed a method to extract differentially chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) that are diffusely present in the central nervous system (CNS) matrix and CSPGs that are present in the condensed matrix of perineuronal nets (PNNs). Adult rat brain was sequentially extracted with Tris-buffered saline (TBS), TBS-containing detergent, 1 m NaCl, and 6 m urea. Extracting tissue sections with these buffers showed that the diffuse and membrane-bound CSPGs were extracted in the first three buffers, but PNN-associated CSPGs remained and were only removed by 6 m urea. Most of the CSPGs were extracted to some degree with all the buffers, with neurocan, brevican, aggrecan, and versican particularly associated with the stable urea-extractable PNNs. The CSPGs in stable complexes only extractable in urea buffer are found from postnatal day 7–14 coinciding with PNN formation. Disaccharide composition analysis indicated a different glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composition for PGs strongly associated with extracellular matrix (ECM). For CS/dermatan sulfate (DS)-GAG the content of nonsulfated, 6-O-sulfated, 2,6-O-disulfated, and 4,6-O-disulfated disaccharides were higher and for heparan sulfate (HS)-GAG, the content of 6-O-sulfated, 2-N-, 6-O-disulfated, 2-O-, 2-N-disulfated, and 2-O-, 2-N-, 6-O-trisulfated disaccharides were higher in urea extract compared with other buffer extracts. Digestions with chondroitinase ABC and hyaluronidase indicated that aggrecan, versican, neurocan, brevican, and phosphacan are retained in PNNs through binding to hyaluronan (HA). A comparison of the brain and spinal cord ECM with respect to CSPGs indicated that the PNNs in both parts of the CNS have the same composition.
Toward an Appropriate Typology for the Study of the Participation of Older Persons in Voluntary Associations

To what extent are older persons involved in the fabric of voluntary associations which characterizes American society? And to what extent is the study of older persons in this context inhibited or distorted by the uninformed application of general models and definitions to the elderly? In response to these kinds of questions, the purpose of this paper is to design and empirically demonstrate an appropriate typology of &dquo;voluntary association membership&dquo; to be used in the analysis of age variations in membership patterns.
Understanding the Potential Long-term Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Early Experiences of Victimization

Victimization in the USA is a substantial concern, despite a trend of decreasing crime rates. Victims of crime face a number of short-term consequences such as physical injury, fear and anxiety, and/or loss of property. Long-term consequences of victimization, however, may often be overlooked. Using the first six waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Youth, the current study examines the relationship between early experiences of victimization and long-term physical and mental health outcomes, including general health, access to and use of health care, and health risk behaviors. Results find that individuals who are victimized before the age of 12, especially those who experienced repeated bullying, are more susceptible to a number of physical and mental health issues such as negative perceptions of physical and mental health, smoking, subsequent victimization experiences, and homelessness. Public health concerns and policy implications of these findings are also discussed.
Estimates of US children exposed to alcohol abuse and dependence in the family.

OBJECTIVES This study sought to provide direct estimates of the number of US children younger than 18 years who are exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family. METHODS Data were derived from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. RESULTS Approximately 1 in 4 children younger than 18 years in the United States is exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family. CONCLUSIONS There is a need for approaches that integrate systems of services to enhance the lives of these children.
Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Susceptibility to Ventricular Fibrillation: Lack of Protection and a Proarrhythmic Effect

Background—Recent clinical studies that evaluated the effects of supplemental omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) on sudden cardiac death have yielded conflicting results. Our aim was to clarify this issue using an established and clinical relevant canine model of sudden cardiac death. Methods and Results—Susceptibility to ventricular fibrillation (VF) was evaluated using a 2-minute left circumflex artery occlusion during the last minute of an exercise test in 76 dogs (from 2 independent studies) with healed myocardial infarctions (MI); 44 developed VF (susceptible, VF+), whereas 32 did not (resistant, VF–). These dogs were then randomly assigned to either placebo (1 g/d, corn oil; 15 VF+, 11 VF–) or n-3 PUFA (1–4 g/d, docosahexaenoic acid+eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl esters, 29 VF+, 21 VF–) groups. Seven sham (no-MI) dogs were also treated with n-3 PUFA (4 g/d). After treatment (3 months), the exercise+ischemia test was repeated. Dietary n-3 PUFAs produced significant (P<0.01) increases in red blood cell and left ventricular n-3 PUFA levels. Nine post-MI (5 placebo versus 4 n-3 PUFA) and 2 sham dogs died suddenly during the 3-month treatment period. The n-3 PUFA treatment failed to prevent arrhythmias in VF+ dogs (decreased in 27% placebo versus 24% n-3 PUFA, P=0.5646) but induced VT/VF in VF– animals (n-3 PUFA 33% versus placebo 0%, P=0.0442). Conclusions—Despite large increases in cardiac tissue n-3 PUFA content, dietary n-3 PUFAs did not prevent ischemiainduced VF and actually increased arrhythmia susceptibility in both noninfarcted and low-risk post-MI dogs.
To Message or Browse? Exploring the Impact of Phone Use Patterns on Male Adolescents’ Consumption of Palatable Snacks

Surveys of mobile phone usage suggest that adolescents habitually use their phones while eating. In this study, we explored whether the manner in which one uses a mobile phone – to engage in a social or non-social activity – can affect appetite regulation. Participants were fifty male adolescents randomly assigned to engage in one of the following phone-based activities: (1) sending and receiving messages (social activity), or (2) reading a neutral article (non-social activity). When given the opportunity to snack, participants in the messaging group consumed more snacks that those who read the article. Our findings correspond to a large literature emphasizing social influences on food intake, and suggest that phone use patterns may predispose an individual to overeating.
Other Domains of Democratic Theory: Space, Power, and the Politics of Democratization

Located in the analysis of spatial power and democratic politics, this paper brings together three guiding questions. First, given the fact that inside the West much theorization of power and social relations has assumed a geohistorical context that is intrinsically Western, to what extent and in what ways does this particularity constrain the conceptual and thematic effectiveness of the perspectives employed and especially in relation to the politics of democratization? Second, as it is most appropriate to argue that power shapes social identities, and that democratic politics cannot dispense with power, a key question becomes how to generate relations of power that are compatible with democratic values and opposed to ethnocentric privilege. Third, how can we open up a discussion of democratic politics so that the geographies of democratization can be explored in a way that might broaden our vision of power and geopolitics? These questions are pursued in the context of the coloniality of power and an exploration of the territoriality of democratization in the Peruvian and Bolivian cases. The overall objective is to go beyond the limits of a Euro—Americanist frame and open up the analysis of the complex and dynamic geographies of democracy.
Homophobic Violence as Hate Crime

Homophobic violence, which I define widely to include physical violence, threats, harassment and verbal abuse, is ordinary everyday violence. Many victim surveys confirm this state of affairs (Stanko et al 2002). While the time frame and the sample size of these studies may vary, the experiences reported fall into a common pattern. 70-80% of respondents report experiences of homophobic harassment and abuse. Experiences of serious physical assault are reported by 20-30% of respondents. The surveys indicate that the majority of these incidents take place in public places and involve acts of violence by persons unknown to those who are the targets of violence. Also there is ample (but often overlooked) evidence that significant amounts of homophobic violence takes place in and near the home, in the immediate neighbourhood and in the place of work (including schools and colleges). This is not homophobic violence as stranger danger but homophobic violence performed by those intimate with and known to the one who is targeted (Stanko 2001). The same surveys record that few of these incidents are reported to the crime. The guide is a statement of 'agreed strategies and tactics' and 'good practice' for policing hate crime. It is intended for 'front line police staff, their line managers and also senior managers' (ACPO, 2000). While the administrative and bureaucratic impact of naming homophobic violence as hate crime varies across police services, some changes are slowly taking place. Posts with responsibility for lesbian gay bisexual transgender (LGBT) liaison are being established. Other developments include enhanced training, new recording practices, new protocols for investigation, changes in victim support services and new or extended mechanisms for closer LGBT community relations and advice. Various major challenges to taking homophobic violence seriously still loom large. One is that there is still little research on the current policing and criminal justice response to homophobic violence. Little is known about how administrative changes are impacting upon the police response to homophobic violence. More generally, little is known of lesbian and gay experiences of the provision of police services. One source of
Adult Daughter-Parent Relationships and Their Associations with Daughters' Subjective Well-Being and Psychological Distress.

The relationship between the quality of adult daughters' (N = 350) experiences in their current relationships with their mothers and fathers and the daughters' mental health (i.e., subjective wellbeing and psychological distress) was examined. The daughters are a subsample drawn from a larger, disproportionate, random, stratified sample of 403 women aged 25 to 55, who were practicing social workers or licensed practical nurses, and who resided within a 25-mile radius of Boston. The sample varies in race, social class, family-role pattern (i.e., partnership and parental status), and number of parents still alive. Quality of experience in the daughter role was assessed separately for the daughter-mother and daughterfather roles. Overall, daughters reported positive experiences with each parent. Having a positive relationship with a parent was associated with daughters' reports of high well-being and low distress. The association between the quality of a daughter's relationship with her mother or her father and her psychological distress was conditioned by the daughter's family-role pattern. For example, having a poor relationship with one's mother was associated with reports of psychological distress (i.e., symptoms of anxiety and depression), particularly among daughters who were single or childless. The relationships between both indices of daughter's mental health and daughterrole quality did not differ by race or social class.
MRI findings and clinical outcome in 45 divers with spinal cord decompression sickness.

BACKGROUND Decompression sickness (DCS) affecting the spinal cord is the most dangerous form of diving-related injury with potential sequelae. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between spinal cord lesions on MRI and clinical findings in divers with spinal DCS. METHODS We studied 45 cases of DCS that were referred to our hyperbaric facility with clinical evidence of spinal involvement during the period 2002-2007. The study included only patients who underwent MRI within 10 d of injury. The severity of spinal DCS for each patient was rated numerically for both the acute event and 1 mo later. The presence or absence of back pain was also noted. RESULTS Spinal cord lesions were significantly more frequent in divers with severe DCS, and did not occur in any diver who experienced a favorable outcome (sensitivity = 67%, specificity = 100%, negative predictive value = 77%, positive predictive value = 100%). The presence of vertebral degenerative changes that impinged on the spinal cord was strongly associated with MRI abnormalities, but not with a negative outcome. Acute back pain was associated with hyperintense lesions and persistence of neurological sequelae [OR = 14 (95% CI, 3.1 to 63.5)]. CONCLUSION The results show that MRI could be helpful in predicting clinical outcome in divers with spinal cord DCS. The presence of medullary compressive factors and vertebral back pain after surfacing indicate increased likelihood of severe myelopathy with incomplete recovery.
Educational games as stand-alone learning tools and their motivational effect on L2 vocabulary acquisition and perceived learning gains

According to different authors, computer games not only teach contents and skills, but also do so in a more efficient manner, allowing long-lasting learning. However, there is still little consensus on this matter as different studies put their educational benefits into question, especially when used without instructional support. An empirical study was conducted to measure the effect of the educational game T he C onference I nterpreter on L2 vocabulary acquisition and perceived learning gains, as compared with a non-gaming tool which replicated its contents. The results of pre-, post- and delayed tests showed that students that had access to the contents via the video game performed statistically better in the short run, found the materials more appealing and believed their vocabulary skills had developed further than those in the control group. However, the regression model showed that the actual enjoyment of the game seemed to have no effect on the students' learning outcomes, neither according to their own estimation nor as determined by testing. Of greater importance seemed to be extrinsic motivation, ie, their desire to play based upon expected learning gains, prior knowledge of tested L2 vocabulary and perceived difficulty of the educational contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Interviewing People with a Learning Disability About Their Residential Service

Thirty-six people with a moderate to severe learning disability were interviewed concerning their accommodation service. The interview consisted of 49 items, grouped in five categories: material, physical, developmental, social and emotional well-being. Three question techniques were used: open questions, closed questions and requests for opinions, augmented by line drawings depicting facial expressions (happy, sad, etc). The findings demonstrate that consumers can make an important contribution to the review of services they receive, but that the interview process is by no means easy. Implications for involving service users in the development of individual plans (IPs) are discussed. Based on the respondents' comments, suggestions are made for the development of accommodation services. It is concluded that the design of effective service planning and evaluation strategies, is dependent upon the refinement of augmentative communication technologies and consumer education.
A new approach to robust transportation over networks

We consider transporting a mass on a given directed graph. The mass is initially concentrated on certain nodes and needs to be transported in a certain time period to another set of nodes, typically disjoint from the first. We seek a transport plan which is robust with respect to links and nodes failure. In order to achieve that, we need our mass to spread over time on all available routes between source and sink nodes as much as the topology of the graph allows. The scheduling consists in selecting transition probabilities for a Markovian evolution which is designed to be consistent with given initial and final marginal distributions. In order to construct such a transportation plan, we set up a maximum entropy problem (Schrödinger bridge problem) for probability laws on paths which can be viewed as an atypical stochastic control problem. To achieve robustness, we employ a prior distribution on paths which allocates equal probability to paths of equal length connecting any two nodes namely the Ruelle-Bowen random walker (MRB). The latter is also shown to be itself the time-homogeneous solution of a maximum entropy problem for (unnormalized) measures on paths. Since the optimal transport plan is computed via a Schrödinger bridge like problem, for which an efficient iterative algorithm is available [1], our approach appears also computationally attractive. We provide a few examples which illustrate the effectiveness of this method. While in this paper, we only consider strongly connected graphs, in a forthcoming journal paper [2], we show that our approach can be readily extended to not strongly connected graphs and weighted graphs. In the latter case, this strategy may be used to design a transportation plan which effectively compromises between robustness and other criteria such as cost.
Learning task-specific models for reach to grasp movements: Towards EMG-based teleoperation of robotic arm-hand systems

A learning scheme based on Random Forests is used to decode the EMG activity of 16 muscles of the human arm-hand system to a continuous representation of kinematics in reach-to-grasp movements in 3D space. Classification methods are used to discriminate between significantly different reach to grasp strategies, formulating a switching mechanism that may trigger the use of position and object-specific decoding models (task-specificity). These task-specific models can achieve better estimation results than the general models for the kinematics of different reach-to-grasp movements. The efficacy of the proposed methodology is assessed through a strict validation procedure, based on everyday life reach-to-grasp scenarios and data not previously seen during training. Finally, for demonstration purposes, the authors teleoperate an arm-hand model in the OpenRave simulation environment using the estimated from the EMG signals human motion.
The Differences in Career-Related Variables Between Temporary and Permanent Employees in Information Technology Companies in Korea

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in career-related variables, such as career commitment and career satisfaction, based on employment status (temporary vs. permanent employees) and job type (professional vs. nonprofessional employees). With a sample of 302 employees working in information technology companies in Korea, it was hypothesized that among the professional employees there would be no significant differences in career-related variables between temporary and permanent employees, whereas among the nonprofessional employees temporary employees would have lower scores of the career-related variables than permanent employees. The hypothesis on career commitment was supported, whereas the hypothesis for career satisfaction was only supported for the nonprofessional employees. These findings suggest that professionalism can increase career commitment for temporary employees. The implications, limitations of the study, and the need for future studies are discussed.
ALDH2 Deficiency Promotes Ethanol-Induced Gut Barrier Dysfunction and Fatty Liver in Mice.

BACKGROUND Acetaldehyde, the toxic ethanol (EtOH) metabolite, disrupts intestinal epithelial barrier function. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) detoxifies acetaldehyde into acetate. Subpopulations of Asians and Native Americans show polymorphism with loss-of-function mutations in ALDH2. We evaluated the effect of ALDH2 deficiency on EtOH-induced disruption of intestinal epithelial tight junctions and adherens junctions, gut barrier dysfunction, and liver injury. METHODS Wild-type and ALDH2-deficient mice were fed EtOH (1 to 6%) in Lieber-DeCarli diet for 4 weeks. Gut permeability in vivo was measured by plasma-to-luminal flux of FITC-inulin, tight junction and adherens junction integrity was analyzed by confocal microscopy, and liver injury was assessed by the analysis of plasma transaminase activity, histopathology, and liver triglyceride. RESULTS EtOH feeding elevated colonic mucosal acetaldehyde, which was significantly greater in ALDH2-deficient mice. ALDH2(-/-) mice showed a drastic reduction in the EtOH diet intake. Therefore, this study was continued only in wild-type and ALDH2(+/-) mice. EtOH feeding elevated mucosal inulin permeability in distal colon, but not in proximal colon, ileum, or jejunum of wild-type mice. In ALDH2(+/-) mice, EtOH-induced inulin permeability in distal colon was not only higher than that in wild-type mice, but inulin permeability was also elevated in the proximal colon, ileum, and jejunum. Greater inulin permeability in distal colon of ALDH2(+/-) mice was associated with a more severe redistribution of tight junction and adherens junction proteins from the intercellular junctions. In ALDH2(+/-) mice, but not in wild-type mice, EtOH feeding caused a loss of junctional distribution of tight junction and adherens junction proteins in the ileum. Histopathology, plasma transaminases, and liver triglyceride analyses showed that EtOH-induced liver damage was significantly greater in ALDH2(+/-) mice compared to wild-type mice. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that ALDH2 deficiency enhances EtOH-induced disruption of intestinal epithelial tight junctions, barrier dysfunction, and liver damage.
Hyperleptinaemia rather than fasting hyperinsulinaemia is associated with obesity following hypothalamic damage in children.

BACKGROUND Obesity following hypothalamic damage is often severe and resistant to lifestyle changes. Disruption of hypothalamic feedback mechanisms that maintain energy homeostasis may be responsible for this intractable obesity. Adipocytokines including insulin and leptin are also known to be important regulators of appetite and weight. OBJECTIVE To investigate the role of insulin, leptin, adiponectin and resistin in the aetiology of hypothalamic obesity (HO). DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study of three groups of children, those with HO, congenital hypopituitarism (CH) and simple obesity (SO). RESULTS A total of 69 children (HO=28, CH=18, SO=23) had leptin, resistin, adiponectin and insulin measured. Although fasting hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance were demonstrated, no differences in insulin or insulin resistance were seen between the groups. The HO group, however, had higher levels of leptin, adiponectin and resistin, which persisted even after adjusting for fat mass, compared with the other groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION No differences in fasting hyperinsulinaemia or insulin resistance were seen between the groups; however, leptin levels are elevated, even after adjusting for fat mass, suggesting that an element of leptin resistance is associated with HO. This is consistent with the inability of leptin to act on the hypothalamus, either due to transport across the blood-brain barrier or dysfunctional receptors. The lack of response to leptin may be more important in the development of obesity in these individuals, and the fasting hyperinsulinaemia is a result of the increased adipose tissue rather than the cause of the weight gain.