Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Truth about Self-Esteem.

Consider the question of whether schools should try to help students feel better about themselves. By now this topic has become sufficiently polarized that the vast majority of people who address themselves to it stand in one of two camps: the pro-self-esteemers, mostly educators, who can scarcely believe that anyone would question the importance of trying to improve children’s perceptions of their own worth; and the critics, who dismiss such efforts as ineffective and nonsensical distractions from academics.
Volumetric Brain MRI Study in Fetuses with Congenital Heart Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: It is well-established that a high prevalence of infants with congenital heart defects surviving to childhood have neurodevelopmental abnormalities. The etiology is not clear. In this study, we aimed to find prenatal neuroanatomic changes in fetuses with congenital heart disease to better understand the pathophysiology behind these sequelae. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 46 fetal brain MR imaging scans was performed at a tertiary medical center during a 4-year period. Clinical data were collected from electronic medical charts. Volumes of the supratentorial brain, right hemisphere, left hemisphere, and cerebellum were measured using a semiautomated method and were compared with the normal growth percentiles. RESULTS: We found that cerebellar volume and the cerebellar-supratentorial volume ratio were significantly lower among fetuses with congenital heart disease. Supratentorial and hemisphere volumes showed no difference between groups. This difference was not observed in fetuses with septation defects. CONCLUSIONS: Fetuses with congenital heart disease have smaller cerebellar volumes than healthy fetuses. Additional research is needed to assess this finding as a radiologic marker for long-term outcome.
Reconsidering the income‐health relationship using distributional regression

We reconsider the relationship between income and health taking a distributional perspective rather than one centered on conditional expectation. Using structured additive distributional regression, we find that the association between income and health is larger than generally estimated because aspects of the conditional health distribution that go beyond the expectation imply worse outcomes for those with lower incomes. Looking at German data from the Socio-Economic Panel, we find that the risk of bad health is roughly halved when doubling the net equivalent income from 15,000 to 30,000€. This is more than tenfold of the magnitude of change found when considering expected health measures. A distributional perspective thus highlights another dimension of the income-health relation-that the poor are in particular faced with greater health risk at the lower end of the health distribution. We therefore argue that when studying health outcomes, a distributional approach that considers stochastic variation among observationally equivalent individuals is warranted.
When Rett syndrome is due to genes other than MECP2

Two individuals meeting diagnostic criteria for Rett syndrome (RTT) but lacking a mutation in MECP2, the gene predominantly associated with this disorder, were provided additional genetic testing. This testing revealed pathogenic mutations in a gene not previously associated with RTT, CTNNB1, mutations in which lead to an autosomal dominant neurodevelopmental disorder affecting cell signaling and transcription factors as well as a likely pathogenic mutation in the WDR45 gene, which is associated with developmental delay in early childhood and progressive neurodegeneration in adolescence or adulthood related to iron accumulation in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. These two individuals are described in relation to previous reports linking multiple other genes with RTT failing to show an MECP2 mutation. These individuals underscore the need to pursue additional molecular testing in RTT when a mutation in MECP2 is not detected.
The features of peritoneal metastases from gastric cancer

Peritoneal Carcinomatosis (PC) from metastasization of Gastric Cancer (GC), either present at first diagnosis of GC or as recurrence, is considered a fatal disease with no hope of definitive cure. Although newer agents like S1 and docetaxel have shown some promise, the median overall survival with the current first line chemotherapy is only 8 to 14 months, and is not greatly improved by adding targeted therapy. A multi-modal approach with cytoreductive surgery (CRS) associated with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has been developed along the last two decades in order to tackle this problem. It’s an aggressive, combined treatment still under investigation. Studies coming from Europe and Far East reported long-term survival with 5-year survival rates up to nearly 25% in case of complete cytoreduction. Prophylactic/adjuvant setting is the most evidence-based indication for HIPEC in advanced-stage GC patients without PC, in order to prevent peritoneal recurrence and to improve overall survival. The rationale for immuno treatment in patients with gastric PC is strong. A randomized phase II study, combining complete CRS with intraperitoneal catumaxomab is on-going. The detection of free peritoneal cancer cells is the more realistic and practical way for the identification of patients at risk of carcinomatosis after surgery. The routine use of techniques of molecular detection in peritoneal washing appears to be the more sensitive method. Such patients are potential candidate for multimodal and locoregional treatments in order to prevent the peritoneal recurrence.
The relationship between PTSD, hypervigilance and disordered sleep

Our research focused on the link between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disordered sleep. Specifically, our research investigated hypervigilance, one of the three symptom clusters in a PTSD diagnosis, as the prominent underlying mechanism in this link. Furthermore, our research investigated whether hypervigilance affects dream content and themes in individuals with PTSD. We recruited three groups of participants: individuals diagnosed with PTSD with prominent hypervigilance symptoms (n = 7); individuals diagnosed with PTSD without prominent hypervigilance symptoms (n = 7); and healthy controls (n = 8). Each individual spent 1 night in our sleep laboratory, and we measured sleep latency, awakenings, time spent awake after sleep onset, and sleep efficiency. We also obtained self-reports of sleep quality, as well as two dream reports. Our hypotheses regarding disordered sleep in PTSD with hypervigilance were confirmed: Objective measures of sleep quality tended toward between-groups significance, while subjective measures revealed statistically significant between-group differences. Our hypotheses regarding dream content and theme were not confirmed, however. Possible factors influencing the results are
First record of the egg cannibalism in tadpoles of Bufotes viridis complex ( Anura : Bufonidae ) from Croatia

In the present paper we recorded the first observation of egg cannibalism of high developed tadpoles of Bufotes viridis complex from the island of Krk, Croatia. The main point of the food interests of observed tadpoles were the newly laid strings of eggs. As a main reason of the observed cannibalistic oophagy we discuss the type of the habitat and the high density of tadpoles.
4-27-2012 AUTOMATED DIAGNOSES OF ATTENTION DEFICIT HYPERACTIVE DISORDER USING MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING

Successful automated diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) using imaging and functional biomarkers would have fundamental consequences on the public health impact of the disease. In this work, we show results on the predictability of ADHD using imaging biomarkers and discuss the scientific and diagnostic impacts of the research. We created a prediction model using the landmark ADHD 200 data set focusing on resting state functional connectivity (rs-fc) and structural brain imaging. We predicted ADHD status and subtype, obtained by behavioral examination, using imaging data, intelligence quotients and other covariates. The novel contributions of this manuscript include a thorough exploration of prediction and image feature extraction methodology on this form of data, including the use of singular value decompositions, CUR decompositions, random forest, gradient boosting, bagging, voxel-based morphometry and support vector machines as well as important insights into the value, and potentially lack thereof, of imaging biomarkers of disease. The key results include the CUR-based decomposition of the rs-fc-fMRI along with gradient boosting and the prediction algorithm based on a motor network parcellation and random forest algorithm. We conjecture that the CUR decomposition is largely diagnosing common population directions of head motion. Of note, a byproduct of this research is a potential automated method for detecting subtle in-scanner motion. The final prediction algorithm, a weighted combination of several algorithms, had an external test set specificity of 94% with sensitivity of 21%. The most promising imaging biomarker was a correlation graph from a motor network parcellation. In summary, we have undertaken a large-scale statistical exploratory prediction exercise on the unique ADHD 200 data set. The exercise produced several potential leads for future scientific exploration of the neurological basis of ADHD. 2 http://biostats.bepress. com/jhubiostat/paper241
Foot Disorders, Foot Posture, and Foot Function: The Framingham Foot Study

Introduction Foot disorders are common among older adults and may lead to outcomes such as falls and functional limitation. However, the associations of foot posture and foot function to specific foot disorders at the population level remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to assess the relation between specific foot disorders, foot posture, and foot function. Methods Participants were from the population-based Framingham Foot Study. Quintiles of the modified arch index and center of pressure excursion index from plantar pressure scans were used to create foot posture and function subgroups. Adjusted odds ratios of having each specific disorder were calculated for foot posture and function subgroups relative to a referent 3 quintiles. Results Pes planus foot posture was associated with increased odds of hammer toes and overlapping toes. Cavus foot posture was not associated with the foot disorders evaluated. Odds of having hallux valgus and overlapping toes were significantly increased in those with pronated foot function, while odds of hallux valgus and hallux rigidus were significantly decreased in those with supinated function. Conclusions Foot posture and foot function were associated with the presence of specific foot disorders.
Reduction of Ischemic Depolarization by the Calcium Channel Blocker Diltiazem: Correlation with Improvement of Ventricular Conduction and Early Arrhythmias in the Dog

Calcium channel blockers suppress early ischemic arrhythmias, possibly by diminishing intracellular calcium overload and its effects on the ventricular action potential. To explore this, we compared the effects of diltiazem on ischemic injury potentials and ventricular fibrillation during serial coronary artery occlusions in dogs. Injury potentials and ventricular fibrillation were elicited every 15–25 minutes by simultaneous occlusion of the left anterior descending and circumflex arteries during rapid atrial pacing. DC epicardial electrograms were recorded differentially between the ischemic region and a small nonischemic region supplied by a proximal branch of the left anterior descending artery. Injury potentials developed with a uniform time course during five control occlusions, but were reduced by diltiazem infusion (0.5 mg/kg over 25 minutes) in each of eight dogs. The mean diastolic injury potential (T-Q depression) at 150 seconds of ischemia was 9.1 ± 2.7 mV before diltiazem and 6.1 ± 1.6 mV afterward (P ± 0.001). Diltiazem increased the mean time between coronary occlusion and ventricular fibrillation from 186 to 366 seconds (P ± 10–5), but did not change the magnitude of the diastolic injury potential at onset of ventricular fibrillation. Diltiazem also delayed ischemia-induced conduction impairment to the same extent that it delayed injury potential development. In five dogs, the effect of diltiazem on regional blood flow near the epicardial electrodes was measured by infusion of radionuclide-labeled microspheres. Coronary occlusion reduced flow to the ischemic zone from 0.86 to 0.05 ml/min per g (P = 0.001). Diltiazem increased preocdusion flow by 11% (P = 0.03), but did not significantly alter flow during occlusion. Hemodynamic measurements show that diltiazem did not diminish cardiac work. Diltiazem therefore produced a flow-independent reduction of cellular depolarization during ischemia, which may be due to relief of calcium overload, and which may explain the antifibrillatory effect.
Aquaporin-4 Inhibition Mediates Piroxicam-Induced Neuroprotection against Focal Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rodents

Background and Purpose Aquaporin-4(AQP4) is an abundant water channel protein in brain that regulates water transport to maintain homeostasis. Cerebral edema resulting from AQP4 over expression is considered to be one of the major determinants for progressive neuronal insult during cerebral ischemia. Although, both upregulation and downregulation of AQP4 expression is associated with brain pathology, over expression of AQP4 is one of the chief contributors of water imbalance in brain during ischemic pathology. We have found that Piroxicam binds to AQP4 with optimal binding energy value. Thus, we hypothesized that Piroxicam is neuroprotective in the rodent cerebral ischemic model by mitigating cerebral edema via AQP4 regulation. Methods Rats were treated with Piroxicam OR placebo at 30 min prior, 2 h post and 4 h post 60 minutes of MCAO followed by 24 hour reperfusion. Rats were evaluated for neurological deficits and motor function just before sacrifice. Brains were harvested for infarct size estimation, water content measurement, biochemical analysis, RT-PCR and western blot experiments. Results Piroxicam pretreatment thirty minutes prior to ischemia and four hour post reperfusion afforded neuroprotection as evident through significant reduction in cerebral infarct volume, improvement in motor behavior, neurological deficit and reduction in brain edema. Furthermore, ischemia induced surge in levels of nitrite and malondialdehyde were also found to be significantly reduced in ischemic brain regions in treated animals. This neuroprotection was found to be associated with inhibition of acid mediated rise in intracellular calcium levels and also downregulated AQP4 expression. Conclusions Findings of the present study provide significant evidence that Piroxicam acts as a potent AQP4 regulator and renders neuroprotection in focal cerebral ischemia. Piroxicam could be clinically exploited for the treatment of brain stroke along with other anti-stroke therapeutics in future.
Role of iron supplementation in promoting maternal and fetal outcome

Background The data comparing daily versus intermittent iron supplementation during pregnancy remain controversial. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of daily versus two different intermittent iron supplementation regimes on hematologic markers and birth outcomes in nonanemic pregnant women. Methods Two hundred and ten women with singleton pregnancies, no known disease, and hemoglobin levels >11.0 g/dL were randomly assigned to one of three groups, ie, Group A consuming two iron supplementation tablets once weekly (100 mg iron per week, n = 70), Group B consuming one tablet twice weekly (100 mg iron per week, n = 70) and Group C, consuming one tablet daily (50 mg iron per day, n = 70). No additional micronutrients were supplied. Hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels were measured at 20, 28, and 38 weeks. Pregnancy and birth outcomes (pregnancy termination, method of delivery, birth weight, stillbirth) were analyzed. Results In total, 201 women completed the protocol. There was a significant difference in mean hemoglobin and ferritin levels in Group B at 38 weeks (P = 0.018 and P = 0.035, respectively) but this difference was not clinically significant (hemoglobin >12 g/dL, ferritin >19 μg/L). There was a significant increase in ferritin in Group C (P = 0.03) at 28 weeks. No significant difference was observed with respect to pregnancy or birth outcome across the groups. All regimens prevented the occurrence of hemoglobin <10.5 g/dL, but weekly supplementation was associated with development of a hemoglobin level <11.0 g/dL (risk ratio 0.044). Conclusion Twice-weekly supplementation is as effective as daily supplementation, and may represent an acceptable compromise in iron supplementation regimens for nonanemic pregnant women.
Self-Harm, Suicidal Behaviours, and Cyberbullying in Children and Young People: Systematic Review

Background Given the concerns about bullying via electronic communication in children and young people and its possible contribution to self-harm, we have reviewed the evidence for associations between cyberbullying involvement and self-harm or suicidal behaviors (such as suicidal ideation, suicide plans, and suicide attempts) in children and young people. Objective The aim of this study was to systematically review the current evidence examining the association between cyberbullying involvement as victim or perpetrator and self-harm and suicidal behaviors in children and young people (younger than 25 years), and where possible, to meta-analyze data on the associations. Methods An electronic literature search was conducted for all studies published between January 1, 1996, and February 3, 2017, across sources, including MEDLINE, Cochrane, and PsycINFO. Articles were included if the study examined any association between cyberbullying involvement and self-harm or suicidal behaviors and reported empirical data in a sample aged under 25 years. Quality of included papers was assessed and data were extracted. Meta-analyses of data were conducted. Results A total of 33 eligible articles from 26 independent studies were included, covering a population of 156,384 children and young people. A total of 25 articles (20 independent studies, n=115,056) identified associations (negative influences) between cybervictimization and self-harm or suicidal behaviors or between perpetrating cyberbullying and suicidal behaviors. Three additional studies, in which the cyberbullying, self-harm, or suicidal behaviors measures had been combined with other measures (such as traditional bullying and mental health problems), also showed negative influences (n=44,526). A total of 5 studies showed no significant associations (n=5646). Meta-analyses, producing odds ratios (ORs) as a summary measure of effect size (eg, ratio of the odds of cyber victims who have experienced SH vs nonvictims who have experienced SH), showed that, compared with nonvictims, those who have experienced cybervictimization were OR 2.35 (95% CI 1.65-3.34) times as likely to self-harm, OR 2.10 (95% CI 1.73-2.55) times as likely to exhibit suicidal behaviors, OR 2.57 (95% CI 1.69-3.90) times more likely to attempt suicide, and OR 2.15 (95% CI 1.70-2.71) times more likely to have suicidal thoughts. Cyberbullying perpetrators were OR 1.21 (95% CI 1.02-1.44) times more likely to exhibit suicidal behaviors and OR 1.23 (95% CI 1.10-1.37) times more likely to experience suicidal ideation than nonperpetrators. Conclusions Victims of cyberbullying are at a greater risk than nonvictims of both self-harm and suicidal behaviors. To a lesser extent, perpetrators of cyberbullying are at risk of suicidal behaviors and suicidal ideation when compared with nonperpetrators. Policy makers and schools should prioritize the inclusion of cyberbullying involvement in programs to prevent traditional bullying. Type of cyberbullying involvement, frequency, and gender should be assessed in future studies.
Out‐of‐Africa origin and dispersal‐mediated diversification of the butterfly genus Junonia (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae)

The relative importance of dispersal and vicariance in the diversification of taxa has been much debated. Within butterflies, a few studies published so far have demonstrated vicariant patterns at the global level. We studied the historical biogeography of the genus Junonia (Nymphalidae: Nymphalinae) at the intercontinental level based on a molecular phylogeny. The genus is distributed over all major biogeographical regions of the world except the Palaearctic. We found dispersal to be the dominant process in the diversification of the genus. The genus originated and started diversifying in Africa about 20 Ma and soon after dispersed into Asia possibly through the Arabian Peninsula. From Asia, there were dispersals into Africa and Australasia, all around 5 Ma. The origin of the New World species is ambiguous; the ancestral may have dispersed from Asia via the Beringian Strait or from Africa over the Atlantic, about 3 Ma. We found no evidence for vicariance at the intercontinental scale. We argue that dispersal is as important as vicariance, if not more, in the global diversification of butterflies.
Phytochemical Study of the Ecuadorian Species Lepechinia mutica (Benth.) Epling and High Antifungal Activity of Carnosol against Pyricularia oryzae

The plant Lepechinia mutica (Benth.) Epling (family Lamiaceae) is endemic to Ecuador. In the present study, we report some major non-volatile secondary metabolites from the leaves and the chemistry of the essential oil distilled from the flowers. The main identified compounds were carnosol, viridiflorol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, chrysothol, and 5-hydroxy-4′,7-dimethoxy flavone. Their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction and NMR and MS techniques. The essential oil showed a chemical composition similar to that distilled from the leaves, but with some qualitative and quantitative differences regarding several minor compounds. The main constituents (>4%) were: δ-3-carene (24.23%), eudesm-7(11)-en-4-ol (13.02%), thujopsan-2-α-ol (11.90%), β-pinene (7.96%), valerianol (5.19%), and co-eluting limonene and β-phellandrene (4.47%). The volatile fraction was also submitted to enantioselective analysis on a β-cyclodextrin column, obtaining the separation and identification of the enantiomers for α-thujene, β-pinene, sabinene, α-phellandrene, limonene and β-phellandrene. Furthermore, the anti-fungal activity of non-volatile secondary metabolites was tested in vitro, with carnosol resulting in being very active against the “blast disease” caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae.