Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ROBO1 polymorphisms, callosal connectivity, and reading skills

The genetic effects on specific behavioral phenotypes are putatively mediated by specific neural functions. It remains unexplored how the axon‐guidance‐receptor gene ROBO1 influences reading performance through the neural system despite the identification of ROBO1 as a susceptibility gene for dyslexia. To address this issue, the present study recruited a group of children with a wide range of reading abilities. Two previously identified reading‐related ROBO1 polymorphisms were genotyped, and diffusion and structural MRI were acquired to measure the fiber microstructure of the corpus callosum (CC), the major white‐matter tract that connects inter‐hemispheric cortical regions. The results confirmed the significant influence of the ROBO1 polymorphisms on reading scores. The fiber microstructures of the midline‐CC segments around the genu and splenium were also affected by the ROBO1 polymorphisms. Moreover, a mediation analysis further revealed that the genu could significantly mediate the effects of the ROBO1 polymorphisms on word‐list reading performance, which suggests a ROBO1‐to‐genu‐to‐reading pathway. The genu‐linked cortical morphology, however, was not associated with either the ROBO1 polymorphisms or reading performance. These findings offer direct evidence supporting ROBO1‐callosum association in humans and also provide valuable insight into the functions of ROBO1 and the gene‐to‐brain mechanisms that underlie human reading. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2616–2626, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Alterations in oral microbial flora induced by waterpipe tobacco smoking

Background Waterpipe smoking is a global health problem and a serious public concern. Little is known about the effects of waterpipe smoking on oral health. In the current study, we examined the alterations of oral microbial flora by waterpipe smoking. Methods One hundred adult healthy subjects (59 waterpipe smokers and 41 non-smokers) were recruited into the study. Swabs were taken from the oral cavity and subgingival regions. Standard culturing techniques were used to identify types, frequency, and mean number of microorganisms in cultures obtained from the subjects. Results It was notable that waterpipe smokers were significantly associated with a history of oral infections. In subgingiva, Acinetobacter and Moraxella species were present only in waterpipe smokers. In addition, the frequency of Candida albicans was higher in the subgingiva of waterpipe smokers (p = 0.023) while the frequency of Fusobacterium nucleatum was significantly lower in the subgingiva of waterpipe smokers (p = 0.036). However, no change was observed in other tested bacteria, such as Campylobacter species; Viridans group streptococci, Enterobacteriaceae, and Staphylococcus aureus. In oral cavity and when colony-forming units were considered, the only bacterial species that showed significant difference were the black-pigmented bacteria (p < 0.001). Conclusion This study provides evidence indicating that some of the oral microflora is significantly altered by waterpipe smoking.
Time-resolved neurite mechanics by thermal fluctuation assessments

In the absence of simple noninvasive measurements, the knowledge of temporal and spatial variations of axons mechanics remains scarce. By extending thermal fluctuation spectroscopy (TFS) to long protrusions, we determine the transverse amplitude thermal fluctuation spectra that allow direct and simultaneous access to three key mechanics parameters: axial tension, bending flexural rigidity and plasma membrane tension. To test our model, we use PC12 cell protrusions—a well-know biophysical model of axons—in order to simplify the biological system under scope. For instance, axial and plasma membrane tension are found in the range of nano Newton and tens of pico Newtons per micron respectively. Furthermore, our results shows that the TFS technique is capable to distinguish quasi-identical protrusions. Another advantage of our approach is the time resolved nature of the measurements. Indeed, in the case of long term experiments on PC12 protrusions, TFS has revealed large temporal, correlated variations of the protrusion mechanics, displaying extraordinary feedback control over the axial tension in order to maintain a constant tension value.
The Shifts in Lead‐Lag Properties of the U.S. Business Cycle

We document shifts in the lead-lag properties of the U.S. business cycle since the mid-1980s. Specifically, (1) the well-known inverted leading indicator property of real interest rates has completely vanished; (2) labor productivity switched from positively leading to negatively lagging output and labor inputs over the cycle; and (3) the unemployment rate shifted from lagging productivity negatively to leading positively. Many contemporary business cycle models produce counterfactual cross-correlations revealing that popular frictions and shocks provide an incomplete account of business cycle comovement. Determining the underlying sources of these shifts in the lead-lag properties and their consequences for macroeconomic forecasts is therefore a promising direction for future research. (JEL E24, E32, E43).
Sperm morphological normality under high magnification is correlated to male infertility and predicts embryo development

Human sperm morphology has been described as an essential parameter for the diagnosis of male infertility and a prognostic indicator of natural or assisted pregnancies. Nevertheless, standard morphological assessment remains a subjective analysis and its impact on intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is also of limited value. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to investigate whether motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME) can improve semen analysis by better defining male infertility and providing a better prognosis for ICSI up to a year later. Data were obtained from 483 patients undergoing conventional semen analysis from June 2015 to June 2017 in a private university‐affiliated in vitro fertilization (IVF) center. The correlation of MSOME with seminal parameters was evaluated. One hundred and thirty patients underwent ICSI up to a year later, and the correlation between MSOME and ICSI outcomes was established. Except for volume, all seminal parameters were positively correlated with MSOME I+II. MSOME was also distinct between World Health Organization (WHO) classification groups, with normozoospermic and oligoasthenoteratozoospermic presenting the higher and the lower proportion of MSOME I+II, respectively. MSOME I+II was prognostic for fertilization rate, high‐quality cleavage‐stage embryos rate, and blastocyst rate. The normality cutoff value based on blastocyst rate was MSOME I+II≥ 5.5%. MSOME could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of infertility severity as it is correlated with sperm morphology, motility, and concentration. Men who had higher MSOME I+II had better ICSI outcomes. The future use of MSOME as a routine method for semen analysis may be a reliable form of assessing male infertility.
Imaging and machine learning techniques for diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common health problem in elderly people. There has been considerable research toward the diagnosis and early detection of this disease in the past decade. The sensitivity of biomarkers and the accuracy of the detection techniques have been defined to be the key to an accurate diagnosis. This paper presents a state-of-the-art review of the research performed on the diagnosis of AD based on imaging and machine learning techniques. Different segmentation and machine learning techniques used for the diagnosis of AD are reviewed including thresholding, supervised and unsupervised learning, probabilistic techniques, Atlas-based approaches, and fusion of different image modalities. More recent and powerful classification techniques such as the enhanced probabilistic neural network of Ahmadlou and Adeli should be investigated with the goal of improving the diagnosis accuracy. A combination of different image modalities can help improve the diagnosis accuracy rate. Research is needed on the combination of modalities to discover multi-modal biomarkers.
‘If I went to my mom with that information, I’m dead’: sexual health knowledge barriers among immigrant and refugee Somali young adults in Ohio

ABSTRACT Objectives: Adequate knowledge of sexual health among young adults is a critical step in prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and maintenance of adult sexual health. Knowledge of specific barriers to accessing sexual health knowledge can help tailor approaches appropriately. The purpose of this paper was to identify sexual health knowledge barriers among Somali young adults in Ohio. Design: In-depth interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 27 Somali young adults aged 18–25 years. Using a grounded theory approach, a semi-structured interview guide comprising open-ended questions and probes was utilized to collect data. Data were analyzed and coded using constant comparative analysis. Results: Findings revealed sexual health knowledge barriers in the following broad categories: religion, culture and stigma. Cultural and religious norms were deemed an important influence on the community norms largely impacting sexual health knowledge due to stigma and fear of judgment. Participants overcame barriers by seeking information from external sources such as doctors, Internet and peers. Conclusion: Study findings support an approach that will address sexual health barriers in the Somali immigrant young community at multiple levels: individual, interpersonal and community levels. A collaborative effort across religious, cultural and educational setting is necessary to tailor approaches that meet the needs of the priority group.
Cytologic Evaluation of Prognostic Markers in Breast Carcinoma

UNLABELLED To type breast carcinomaon on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) material and correlate the results with histologic typing, to grade breast carcinoma on FNAC material and correlate the findings with Bloom-Richardson histologic grading, and to determine the estrogen receptor (ER) status in cases of breast carcinoma by immunocytochemical (ICC) staining of FNA cytologic material and correlate the findings with ER status, as determined by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of tissue sections. STUDY DESIGN Seventy-seven cases of breast carcinoma diagnosed on FNAC formed the basis of this study. Typing was done in all cases on the basis of cytologic features and grading in 62. (Fifteen cases were special types of breast carcinoma). In all cases, ER status was determined by immunostaining of cytologic smears. Results of tumor typing, grading and ER status on cytologic material were compared with the results of histologic typing, grading and immunostaining of histologic material obtained from mastectomy or wide excision specimens. RESULTS Tumor typing was accurate in 73 of 77 cases (94.8%). Fifteen of 18 cases that were cytologically grade 3 were confirmed on histology, while 3 proved to be grade 2. Of 40 cytologic grade 2 cases, 26 were confirmed on histology, while 14 cases were grade 3. Three of 4 cytologically grade 1 cases were confirmed on histology while 1 was grade 2. The overall accuracy for cytologic grading was 71% (44 of 62 cases). Thirty-seven of 40 ER-positive cases (92.5%) were labeled ER positive on ICC. One case was ER negative on cytology, while in 2 cases the cellularity of the cytologic smear was insufficient to assess ER expression. Thirty-seven cases were negativefor ER on IHC. Nine of these showed ER positivity on ICC, 26 were negative, and 2 had cellularity that was inadequate for assessment of ER. Sensitivity and specificity rates for ER detection on ICC were 97.4% and 74.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION Tumor typing, grading and evaluation of ER status on FNA C material in breast carcinomas are simple, quick and moderately reliable techniques that compare and correlate favorably with histologic typing, grading and ER status on IHC.
Phyllodes Tumor of the Breast

OBJECTIVE To study the cytologic features of phyllodes tumor (PT) of the breast and determine the accuracy of their subclassification in fine needle aspirates. STUDY DESIGN Eighty cases of histologically diagnosed PT between 1982 and 1997 with a previous fine needle aspiration (FNA) were evaluated. The FNA smears of each case were reviewed without knowledge of the initial cytologic diagnosis and subclassified into benign, borderline or malignant PT. RESULTS Benign PTs were characterized by a dimorphic mixture of stromal and epithelial cells. The stromal fragments showed mild to moderate cellularity with absent to minimal pleomorphism and no mitosis. There were occasional, if any, single stromal cells. Borderline PTs had stromal fragments with moderately cellular stroma exhibiting moderate pleomorphism. Two additional features were the presence of single stromal cells and an occasional mitosis in the stromal fragments/single cells. Aspirates from malignant PT were very cellular, with a high stromal/epithelial ratio and marked stromal cellularity. The stromal cells were highly pleomorphic, with frequent mitosis and atypical single stromal cells in the background. Fifty-seven of the 80 histologically documented cases (71.3%) were diagnosed as PT on FNA (40 benign, 10 borderline and 7 malignant). In 81% (46 of 57 PTs), good cytohistologic correlation (32 benign, 8 borderline and 6 malignant) was observed. In another eight cases, one grade differentiation between cytologic and histologic grade was observed. Six of the nine malignant PTs on histology were correctly subclassified on cytology. There were one false positive and two false negative cases. CONCLUSION Cytologic diagnosis and grading of PT on FNA is possible. Special care should be undertaken in interpreting phyllodes fragments, cellularity of stroma, pleomorphism and mitosis. Single stromal cells are also important morphologic criteria for subclassification. Multiple-site aspiration is advisable to avoid diagnostic errors.
Cytologic evaluation of primary malignant vascular tumors of the liver. One case each of angiosarcoma and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

OBJECTIVE To describe and compare the cytologic features of angiosarcoma (AS) and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH) of the liver. STUDY DESIGN Fine needle aspirates and succeeding tissue biopsies from one case each of hepatic AS and EH were obtained. Both aspirates were compared for differences in cytologic features. RESULTS In the case of EH, the tumor cells were dispersed almost singly but occasionally assumed an acinuslike shape. They were polymorphic and had a folded nuclear outline with lacy and hematoxyphilic cytoplasm. Occasional intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions and frequent binucleated or multinucleated giant cells were also characteristic. The tumor cells of AS showed tightly cohesive clusters forming syncytium in the bloody background with heavy aggregates of polymorphonuclear cells. The tumor cells were larger and more atypical but less polymorphic than those of EH. Each tumor cell of AS had a very distinct, huge, eosinophilic nucleolus and abundant cytoplasm of honeycombing micro/macrovesicular features. Frequently, huge intracytoplasmic vacuoles similar to those in signet-ring cells were present. CONCLUSION Preoperative diagnosis of malignant hepatic vascular tumor is possible by aspiration cytology provided that one is aware of these entities and some distinctive cytologic findings.
Network Interaction and Self-Development among Adolescents

With the popularity of computer and network among adolescent, the influences of web on adolescents aroused the attention of society and educators. Network creates another world of interpersonal interaction for adolescents. Web brought the convenience for adolescents’ interaction, but it might also lead to negative effects on the development of adolescents. Based on the conception of network interaction, the current paper explored the modes of network interaction, including instant communication, e-mail, bulletin board system (BBS), blog and social networking services (SNS). Then the features of network interaction were discussed, that is, virtuality, openness, weak ties, and equality. At last, the influences of network interaction on adolescents were analyzed, including self-expression, self-disclosure and real ego.
Food Addiction is Associated with Higher Neuroticism, Lower Conscientiousness, Higher Impulsivity, but Lower Extraversion in Obese Patient Candidates for Bariatric Surgery

ABSTRACT Background: The “food addiction” phenotype identifies a subpopulation of individuals experiencing substance-dependence symptoms toward specific foods. In the current debate on whether the “food addiction” phenotype should be considered as an addictive disorder, assessment of the personality traits associated with this phenotype would provide arguments for or against the “food addiction” phenotype and its inclusion in the “substance-related and addictive disorder” category. Objectives: To assess the personality characteristics associated with the “food addiction” phenotype in obesity surgery candidates (i.e., big five personality dimensions, alexithymia and impulsivity). Methods: We assessed food addiction (Yale Food Addiction Scale), personality dimensions (Big Fig Inventory), impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11th version) and alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 items) in 188 bariatric surgery candidates recruited between July 2013 and November 2015 in the Nutrition Department of the University Hospital of Tours. We used chi-squared tests and Student's tests or Mann-Whitney-U-tests to determine the factors associated with food addiction. Results: Prevalence of current food addiction was 16.5%. Patients with (vs. without) food addiction had lower conscientiousness (p = .047), higher neuroticism and lower extraversion (ps < 0.001), but there was no difference in terms of agreeableness (p = 0.42) or openness (p = 0.16). They were more frequently single (p = .021) and reported higher alexithymia (ps < .001) and higher impulsivity sub-scores (ps<.05). Conclusions/Importance: Food addiction shares personality traits with substance-related disorders (regarding neuroticism, conscientiousness, impulsivity, alexithymia), and one distinctive trait (low extraversion). This study provides additional data that enrich the discussion on whether the “food addiction” phenotype should be included or not in the “substance-related and addictive disorder” category.
Pentraxin 3 plasma levels at graft-versus-host disease onset predict disease severity and response to therapy in children given haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD) remains a major complication of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with a significant proportion of patients failing to respond to first-line systemic corticosteroids. Reliable biomarkers predicting disease severity and response to treatment are warranted to improve its management. Thus, we sought to determine whether pentraxin 3 (PTX3), an acute-phase protein produced locally at the site of inflammation, could represent a novel acute GvHD biomarker. Using a murine model of the disease, we found increased PTX3 plasma levels after irradiation and at GvHD onset. Similarly, plasma PTX3 was enhanced in 115 pediatric patients on day of transplantation, likely due to conditioning, and at GvHD onset in patients experiencing clinical symptoms of the disease. PTX3 was also found increased in skin and colon biopsies from patients with active disease. Furthermore, PTX3 plasma levels at GvHD onset were predictive of disease outcome since they resulted significantly higher in both severe and therapy-unresponsive patients. Multiple injections of rhPTX3 in the murine model of GvHD did not influence the disease course. Taken together, our results indicate that PTX3 constitutes a biomarker of GvHD severity and therapy response useful to tailor treatment intensity according to early risk-stratification of GvHD patients.
Geppetto: Versatile Verifiable Computation

Cloud computing sparked interest in Verifiable Computation protocols, which allow a weak client to securely outsource computations to remote parties. Recent work has dramatically reduced the client's cost to verify the correctness of their results, but the overhead to produce proofs remains largely impractical. Geppetto introduces complementary techniques for reducing prover overhead and increasing prover flexibility. With Multi QAPs, Geppetto reduces the cost of sharing state between computations (e.g, For MapReduce) or within a single computation by up to two orders of magnitude. Via a careful choice of cryptographic primitives, Geppetto's instantiation of bounded proof bootstrapping improves on prior bootstrapped systems by up to five orders of magnitude, albeit at some cost in universality. Geppetto also efficiently verifies the correct execution of proprietary (i.e, Secret) algorithms. Finally, Geppetto's use of energy-saving circuits brings the prover's costs more in line with the program's actual (rather than worst-case) execution time. Geppetto is implemented in a full-fledged, scalable compiler and runtime that consume LLVM code generated from a variety of source C programs and cryptographic libraries.
Supervised versus Uncontrolled Rehabilitation of Patients after Rotator Cuff Repair-Clinical and Neurophysiological Comparative Study

Purpose The purpose of this study was the evaluation of the effectiveness of supervised rehabilitation in comparison to uncontrolled exercise therapy after surgical reconstruction of rotator cuff interrupted tendons. Methods Twenty two patients with comparable level of disability after the same type of surgery were randomly divided into two equal groups. The first group took part in a supervised therapy and the second one performed simple exercises without supervision. Clinical and neurophysiological examinations were performed prior to rehabilitation and after 20 and 40 days of treatment. The evaluation included the assessment of the pain level with visual analog scale, active range of motion with goniometer, activity of muscle's motor units at rest and during maximal effort with electromyography and transmission of motor fibers in brachial plexus with electroneurography (M-wave stimulation studies). Results In the group of supervised patients the active range of movement changed significantly from 26.4° to 101.5° on average for flexion with adduction while flexion with abduction improved from 21° to 95.5°. Pain sensation changed from 6.4 to 3.2. The mean resting electromyogram amplitude decreased to the greatest degree from 80. 9μV to 36. 8μV in trapezius muscle while maximal effort electromyogram amplitude increased in this muscle from 381. 8μV to 790. 9μV. The mean values of amplitudes in electroneurographical suprascapular nerve examinations increased from 536.4μV to 1691μV. No significant differences at P=0.05 were found in these parameters recorded in the patients performing uncontrolled exercises. Conclusion The supervised exercise therapy is more effective than uncontrolled one after the rotator cuff surgical reconstruction.