Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depressive Symptoms among Fourth Form Students in St. Kitts and Nevis High Schools

There has been limited research on depressive symptoms among high school students in St. Kitts and Nevis. This project examines levels of depressive symptoms among fourth form (grade 10) students attending all high schools in St. Kitts and Nevis. Students enrolled in the fourth form during the 2006/2007 academic year in all high schools were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). A near census of the students was conducted (n = 744 students; 50.4% females, 47.6% males, and 2% no gender reported; age 13–19 years, mean = 15.5 ± 0.8 years). Six in every ten students (62.1%) reported some symptoms of depression, with 14.8% reporting moderate to severe and 9.7% reporting severe symptoms of depression. Females reported significantly higher BDI-II scores (t(727) = 7.11, p < 0.01) with 70% of females reporting some level of depressive symptoms compared with 52% of their male counterparts (X2(1) = 24.6, p < 0.05). Additionally, 34% of females were in the moderate to severe or severe range of depressive symptoms, while 15% of males were in the same range. Students who were older than expected for their grade (i.e., 17 years or older) reported significantly higher BDI-II scores (F(2,740) = 2.88, p < 0.05) than students who were younger or at the expected age (i.e., 14–16 years). Students whose mothers had a high school or postsecondary education reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms than students whose mothers had less than a high school education (F(3, 637), = 4.23, p < 0.05). Symptoms of depression among fourth form students in St. Kitts and Nevis are a prevalent problem that is influenced by students’ age, gender, and social class as indicated by maternal education.
Improvement in the cloud mask for Terra MODIS mitigated by electronic crosstalk correction in the 6.7 μm and 8.5 μm channels

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a remarkable heritage sensor in the fleet of Earth Observing System for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in space orbit on two spacecrafts. They are the Terra (T) and Aqua (A) platforms which tracks the Earth in the morning and afternoon orbits. T-MODIS has continued to operate over 15 years easily surpassing the 6 year design life time on orbit. Of the several science products derived from MODIS, one of the primary derivatives is the MODIS Cloud Mask (MOD035). The cloud mask algorithm incorporates several of the MODIS channels in both reflective and thermal infrared wavelengths to identify cloud pixels from clear sky. Two of the thermal infrared channels used in detecting clouds are the 6.7 μm and 8.5 μm. Based on a difference threshold with the 11 μm channel, the 6.7 μm channel helps in identifying thick high clouds while the 8.5 μm channel being useful for identifying thin clouds. Starting 2010, it had been observed in the cloud mask products that several pixels have been misclassified due to the change in the thermal band radiometry. The long-term radiometric changes in these thermal channels have been attributed to the electronic crosstalk contamination. In this paper, the improvement in cloud detection using the 6.7 μm and 8.5 μm channels are demonstrated using the electronic crosstalk correction. The electronic crosstalk phenomena analysis and characterization were developed using the regular moon observation of MODIS and reported in several works. The results presented in this paper should significantly help in improving the MOD035 product, maintaining the long term dataset from T-MODIS which is important for global change monitoring.
Interdependent Tripartite Efficacy Perceptions and Individual Performance: Case Study of a Boys’ Basketball Team

Tripartite efficacy refers to the beliefs of the individuals within a dyad regarding personal abilities (self-efficacy), the partner’s abilities (other-efficacy), or relation-inferred self-efficacy. This efficacy model has recently gained popularity in sports research (Jackson, Whipp, & Beauchamp, 2013), although there has not been any longitudinal research on efficacy beliefs and performance within this complex intra-dyad tripartite efficacy model. In a case study, we examined six individual players on a high school basketball team to explore any longitudinal changes in these tripartite efficacy beliefs through a season of play. On seven data collection periods, players completed the Basketball-Tripartite Efficacy Measure, and their game performance statistics were analyzed with an objective basketball individual performance formula. We found similar variations between participants’ other-efficacy beliefs and the dyad partner’s basketball performance score as well as between self-efficacy and individual performance score. Observational data from this case study lend some support to spiraling of self-efficacy and performance from repeated successes or failures and to perceived efficacy-performance plateaus that have been previously demonstrated in controlled experimental research. Importantly, this study suggests the presence of other-efficacy beliefs in their relationship to other-performance and to spiraling relationships between other-efficacy beliefs and other-performance, which have not been demonstrated previously.
The Impact of Burden Sharing Rules on the Voluntary Provision of Public Goods

We investigate how burden sharing rules may impact the voluntary provision of a public good which generates heterogeneous benefits to agents. We compare different rule-based contribution schemes that are based on the principle of the smallest common denominator: all agents can suggest a minimum provision level of the public good that is allocated across agents according to some predetermined rule. We find that rule-based contribution schemes significantly increase payoff levels relative to the VCM. Important differences exist between the rules. Contrary to theory predictions, the equal-payoff rule Pareto-dominates all other rules. This also holds relative to a scheme where different types of players separately can determine their minimum contribution levels. Our results lend insights into the efficient institutional design for voluntary private provision of public goods, and how burden sharing rules interact with efficiency when agents are heterogeneous.
OncomiR-17-5p: alarm signal in cancer?

Soon after microRNAs entered the stage as novel regulators of gene expression, they were found to regulate -and to be regulated by- the development, progression and aggressiveness of virtually all human types of cancer. Therefore, miRNAs in general harbor a huge potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as potential therapeutic targets in cancer. The miR-17-92 cluster was found to be overexpressed in many human cancers and to promote unrestrained cell growth, and has therefore been termed onco-miR-1. In addition, its expression is often dysregulated in many other diseases. MiR-17-5p, its most prominent member, is an essential regulator of fundamental cellular processes like proliferation, autophagy and apoptosis, and its deficiency is neonatally lethal in the mouse. Many cancer types are associated with elevated miR-17-5p expression, and the degree of overexpression might correlate with cancer aggressiveness and responsiveness to chemotherapeutics – suggesting miR-17-5p to be an alarm signal. Liver, gastric or colorectal cancers are examples where miR-17-5p has been observed exclusively as an oncogene, while, in other cancer types, like breast, prostate and lung cancer, the role of miR-17-5p is not as clear-cut, and it might also act as tumor-suppressor. However, in all cancer types studied so far, miR-17-5p has been found at elevated levels in the circulation. In this review, we therefore recapitulate the current state of knowledge about miR-17-5p in the context of cancer, and suggest that elevated miR-17-5p levels in the plasma might be a sensitive and early alarm signal for cancer (‘alarmiR’), albeit not a specific alarm for a specific type of tumor.
Na + / Ca 2 + exchange current ( I Na / Ca ) and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2 + release in catecholamine-induced cardiac hypertrophy

Objective: Catecholamines that accompany acute physiological stress are also involved in mediating the development of hypertrophy and failure. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in catecholamine-induced cardiac hypertrophy, particularly Ca + handling, are largely unknown. We therefore investigated the effects of cardiac hypertrophy, produced by isoprenaline, on INa/Ca and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function in isolated myocytes. Methods: INa/Ca was studied in myocytes from Wistar rats, using descending ( + 80 to 110 mV) voltage ramps under steady state conditions. Myocytes were also loaded with fura-2 and either field stimulated or voltage clamped to assess [Ca ]i and SR Ca + content. Results: Ca -dependent, steady state INa/Ca density was increased in hypertrophied myocytes (P< 0.05). Ca 2 + release from the SR was also increased, whereas resting [Ca ]i and the rate of decline of [Ca 2 ]i to control levels were unchanged. SR Ca 2 + content, estimated by using 10.0 mmol/l caffeine, was also significantly increased in hypertrophied myocytes, but only when myocytes were held and stimulated from their normal resting potential ( 80 mV) but not from 40 mV. However, the rate of decline of caffeine-induced Ca + transients or INa/Ca was not significantly different between control and hypertrophied myocytes. Ca 2 -dependence of INa/Ca, examined by comparing the slope of the descending phase of the hysteresis plots of INa/Ca vs. [Ca 2 ]i, was also similar in the two groups of cells. Conclusion: Data show that SR Ca + release and SR Ca + content were increased in hypertrophied myocytes, despite an increase in the steady state INa/Ca density. The observation that increased SR function occurred only when myocytes were stimulated from 80 mV suggests that Na influx may play a role in altering Ca + homeostasis in hypertrophied cardiac muscle, possibly through increased reverse Na/Ca + exchange, particularly at low stimulation frequencies. D 2003 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Sunlight Effects on the Osmotrophic Uptake of DMSP-Sulfur and Leucine by Polar Phytoplankton

Even though the uptake and assimilation of organic compounds by phytoplankton has been long recognized, very little is still known about its potential ecological role in natural marine communities and whether it varies depending on the light regimes the algae experience. We combined measurements of size-fractionated assimilation of trace additions of 3H-leucine and 35S-dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) with microautoradiography to assess the extent and relevance of osmoheterotrophy in summer phytoplankton assemblages from Arctic and Antarctic waters, and the role of solar radiation on it was further investigated by exposing samples to different radiation spectra. Significant assimilation of both substrates occurred in the size fraction containing most phytoplankton (>5 µm), sunlight exposure generally increasing 35S-DMSP-sulfur assimilation and decreasing 3H-leucine assimilation. Microautoradiography revealed that the capacity to take up both organic substrates seemed widespread among different polar algal phyla, particularly in pennate and centric diatoms, and photosynthetic dinoflagellates. Image analysis of the microautoradiograms showed for the first time interspecific variability in the uptakes of 35S-DMSP and 3H-leucine by phytoplankton depending on the solar spectrum. Overall, these results suggest that the role of polar phytoplankton in the utilization of labile dissolved organic matter may be significant under certain conditions and further confirm the relevance of solar radiation in regulating heterotrophy in the pelagic ocean.
Drivers behind widespread informal payments in the Romanian public health care system: From tolerance to corruption to socio‐economic and spatial patterns

In order to explain informal payments in public health care services in Romania, this paper evaluates the relationship between extra payments or valuable gifts (apart from official fees) and the level of tolerance to corruption, as well as the socio-economic and spatial patterns across those individuals offering informal payments. To evaluate this, a survey undertaken in 2013 is reported. Using logistic regression analysis, the findings are that patients with a high tolerance to corruption, high socio-economic risk (those divorced, separated, or with other form of marital status, and those not working), and located in rural or less affluent areas are more likely to offer (apart from official fees) extra payments or valuable gifts for health care services. The paper concludes by discussing the health policy implications.
Vulnerability of DHCR7+/− mutation carriers to aripiprazole and trazodone exposure[S]

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is a recessive disorder caused by mutations in 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR)7 with a heterozygous (HET) carrier frequency of 1–3%. A defective DHCR7 causes accumulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol (DHC), which is a highly oxidizable and toxic compound. Recent studies suggest that several antipsychotics, including the highly prescribed pharmaceuticals, aripiprazole (ARI) and trazodone (TRZ), increase 7-DHC levels in vitro and in humans. Our investigation was designed to compare the effects of ARI and TRZ on cholesterol (Chol) synthesis in fibroblasts from DHCR7+/− human carriers and controls (CTRs). Six matched pairs of fibroblasts were treated and their sterol profile analyzed by LC-MS. Significantly, upon treatment with ARI and TRZ, the total accumulation of 7-DHC was higher in DHCR7-HET cells than in CTR fibroblasts. The same set of experiments was repeated in the presence of 13C-lanosterol to determine residual Chol synthesis, revealing that ARI and TRZ strongly inhibit de novo Chol biosynthesis. The results suggest that DHCR7 carriers have increased vulnerability to both ARI and TRZ exposure compared with CTRs. Thus, the 1–3% of the population who are DHCR7 carriers may be more likely to sustain deleterious health consequences on exposure to compounds like ARI and TRZ that increase levels of 7-DHC, especially during brain development.
Energy Flux and Dissipation in Luzon Strait: Two Tales of Two Ridges

AbstractInternal tide generation, propagation, and dissipation are investigated in Luzon Strait, a system of two quasi-parallel ridges situated between Taiwan and the Philippines. Two profiling moorings deployed for about 20 days and a set of nineteen 36-h lowered ADCP–CTD time series stations allowed separate measurement of diurnal and semidiurnal internal tide signals. Measurements were concentrated on a northern line, where the ridge spacing was approximately equal to the mode-1 wavelength for semidiurnal motions, and a southern line, where the spacing was approximately two-thirds that. The authors contrast the two sites to emphasize the potential importance of resonance between generation sites. Throughout Luzon Strait, baroclinic energy, energy fluxes, and turbulent dissipation were some of the strongest ever measured. Peak-to-peak baroclinic velocity and vertical displacements often exceeded 2 m s−1 and 300 m, respectively. Energy fluxes exceeding 60 kW m−1 were measured at spring tide at the wester.
Experimental and numerical determination of compressive mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube reinforced polymer

Abstract In this paper, experimental and numerical methods were used to determine compressive mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) reinforced epoxy. Standard samples with varying weight fractions of MWCNTs were prepared and were tested in compression. Nanocomposite modulus of elasticity, yield strength and compressive strength were determined experimentally. Experimental results show that incorporation of CNTs improves yield and compressive strengths of the epoxy resin to a large extent. Also, numerical simulation of nanocomposites was conducted in ABAQUS finite element (FE) software. In these simulations, the effects of the interface strength between individual nanotubes and between the outer nanotube and matrix were also investigated. Two different mechanisms were used to model these interfaces. In one set of the models, connector constraints were used as the interface. In the second set, an interface consisting of thin shells surrounding the nanotubes was used. The results of this investigation suggest that nanocomposite longitudinal modulus increases with increasing interface strength. Also, numerical results suggest that the connector model predicts values lower than the thin shell interphase model. Finally, experimental and numerical results were compared and a good correlation is observed between the results.
The Inducible CXCR3 Ligands Control Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Responsiveness to the Constitutive Chemokine Stromal Cell–derived Factor 1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12

The recruitment of selected dendritic cell (DC) subtypes conditions the class of the immune response. Here we show that the migration of human plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs), the blood natural interferon α–producing cells, is induced upon the collective action of inducible and constitutive chemokines. Despite expression of very high levels of CXCR3, pDCs do not respond efficiently to CXCR3 ligands. However, they migrate in response to the constitutive chemokine stromal cell–derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12 and CXCR3 ligands synergize with SDF-1/CXCL12 to induce pDC migration. This synergy reflects a sensitizing effect of CXCR3 ligands, which, independently of a gradient and chemoattraction, decrease by 20–50-fold the threshold of sensitivity to SDF-1/CXCL12. Thus, the ability of the constitutive chemokine SDF-1/CXCL12 to induce pDC recruitment might be controlled by CXCR3 ligands released during inflammation such as in virus infection. SDF-1/CXCL12 and the CXCR3 ligands Mig/CXCL9 and ITAC/CXCL1 display adjacent expression both in secondary lymphoid organs and in inflamed epithelium from virus-induced pathologic lesions. Because pDCs express both the lymph node homing molecule l-selectin and the cutaneous homing molecule cutaneous lymphocyte antigen, the cooperation between inducible CXCR3 ligands and constitutive SDF-1/CXCL12 may regulate recruitment of pDCs either in lymph nodes or at peripheral sites of inflammation.
Drop-on-Demand Single Cell Isolation and Total RNA Analysis

Technologies that rapidly isolate viable single cells from heterogeneous solutions have significantly contributed to the field of medical genomics. Challenges remain both to enable efficient extraction, isolation and patterning of single cells from heterogeneous solutions as well as to keep them alive during the process due to a limited degree of control over single cell manipulation. Here, we present a microdroplet based method to isolate and pattern single cells from heterogeneous cell suspensions (10% target cell mixture), preserve viability of the extracted cells (97.0±0.8%), and obtain genomic information from isolated cells compared to the non-patterned controls. The cell encapsulation process is both experimentally and theoretically analyzed. Using the isolated cells, we identified 11 stem cell markers among 1000 genes and compare to the controls. This automated platform enabling high-throughput cell manipulation for subsequent genomic analysis employs fewer handling steps compared to existing methods.
Automated driving: Safe motion planning using positively invariant sets

This paper develops a method for safe lane changes. We leverage feedback control and constraint-admissible positively invariant sets to guarantee collision-free closed-loop trajectory tracking. Starting from an initial state of the vehicle and obstacles in the region of interest, our method steers the vehicle to the desired lane while satisfying constraints associated with the future motion of the obstacles with respect to the vehicle. We connect the initial state with the desired lane using equilibrium points and associated positively invariant sets of the vehicle dynamics, where the positively invariant sets are used to guarantee safe transitions between the equilibrium points. An autonomous highway-driving example with a receding-horizon implementation shows that our method is capable of generating safe dynamically feasible trajectories in real-time while accounting for obstacles in the environment and modeling errors.
Eff ects of Exercise Interventions on Depressive Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the United States A Systematic

ects of Exercise Interventions on Depressive Symptoms Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the United States A Systematic Review Mental health is a major public health concern. Depression is the most prevalent mental health problem among older adults. It is estimated that 15.7% of adults 50 or older have experienced depression at some time in their life and 7.7% reported that they currently experience depression (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). Some individuals may have depressive symptoms due to environmental and personal circumstances without meeting the criteria of clinical depression (Ayuso-Mateos, Nuevo, Verdes, Naidoo, & Chatterji, 2010). However, depressive symptoms often precede clinical depression (Conn, 2010). Depression is underrecognized and under-diagnosed in older adults because the infl uence of somatic and psychiatric comorbidity. Older adults with depression tend to have more chronic pain, psychomotor retardation, and cognitive impairment or weight loss than younger adults with depression (Lavretsky et al., 2011). Distress and depression can cause physical, mental, and social functioning impairment (AyusoMateos et al., 2010). Depression also aff ects quality of life and increases health care costs in the United States (CDC, 2013).
Visual and Refractive Outcomes following Bilateral Implantation of Extended Range of Vision Intraocular Lens with Micromonovision

Purpose To evaluate the outcomes following bilateral ERV intraocular lens implantation with micromonovision. Methods 25 subjects underwent bilateral Tecnis Symfony IOL implantation with micromonovision. The dominant eye was targeted for emmetropia and the nondominant eye for myopia of −0.75 D. Uncorrected and corrected distance (UDVA, CDVA), intermediate (UIVA, CIVA), and near visual acuity (UNVA, DCNVA); reading performance; defocus curve; and contrast sensitivity were studied. Follow-ups were conducted at 1 week and 1 and 6 months postoperatively. Results At 6 months postoperatively, the mean binocular UDVA, CDVA, UNVA, and DCNVA were −0.036 ± 0.09, −0.108 ± 0.07, 0.152 ± 0.11, and 0.216 ± 0.10 logMAR, respectively. Binocular UIVA and DCIVA were 0.048 ± 0.09 and 0.104 ± 0.08 logMAR, respectively, at 60 cm and −0.044 ± 0.09 and 0.012 ± 0.09 logMAR, respectively, at 80 cm. All patients had ≥0.2 logMAR UDVA and UNVA. Reading acuity and reading speeds showed improvement over time. Between defocus range of −2.50 and +1.00 D, the visual acuity remained ≥0.2 logMAR. Contrast sensitivity scores were within the normal range. 4 patients used reading glasses for very fine print. Conclusion Bilateral ERV IOL implantation leads to excellent outcomes for far and intermediate vision, satisfactory outcomes for near vision, and good tolerance to micromonovision at the end of the 6 months. This trial is registered with CTRI/2015/10/006246.