Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Doubt in the Insula: Risk Processing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Extensive cleaning or checking of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often interpreted as strategies to avoid harm and as an expression of the widespread belief that OCD patients are more risk-averse. However, despite its clinical significance, the neural basis of risk attitude in OCD is unknown. Here, we investigated neural activity during risk processing using functional magnetic resonance imaging and simultaneously assessed risk attitude using a separate behavioral paradigm in OCD patients with different symptoms versus healthy controls (HCs). We found opposite insula responses to high versus low risk in OCD patients compared to HCs: a positive correlation between insula activity and risk-aversion in patients versus a negative correlation in controls. Although OCD patients overall were not more risk-averse than controls, there were differences between subgroups of OCD patients: patients with doubt/checking symptoms were more risk-averse than other patients. Taken together, OCD patients show a reversed pattern of risk processing by the insula compared to HCs. Moreover, the data suggest that increased activation of the insula signals an abnormal urge to avoid risks in the subpopulation of OCD patients with doubt and checking symptoms. These results indicate a role for the insula in excessive risk-avoidance relevant to OCD.
Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research

Part 1: Social Analysis, Discourse Analysis, Text Analysis 1. Introduction 2. Texts, Social Events, and Social Practices 3. Intertextuality and Assumptions Part 2: Genres and Action 4. Genres 5. Meaning Relations between Sentences and Clauses 6. Types of Exchange, Speech Functions, and Grammatical Mood Part 3: Discourses and Representations 7. Discourses 8. Representations of Social Events Part 4: Styles and Identities 9. Styles 10. Modality and Evaluation 11. Conclusion
Role for Cohesin in the Formation of a Heterochromatic Domain at Fission Yeast Subtelomeres

ABSTRACT Increasing evidence implicates cohesin in the control of gene expression. Here we report the first analysis of cohesin-dependent gene regulation in fission yeast. Global expression profiling of the mis4-367 cohesin loader mutant identified a small number of upregulated and downregulated genes within subtelomeric domains (SD). These 20- to 40-kb regions between chromosome arm euchromatin and telomere-proximal heterochromatin are characterized by a combination of euchromatin (methylated lysine 4 on histone H3/methylated Tysine 9 on histone H3 [H3K4me]) and heterochromatin (H3K9me) marks. We focused our analysis on the chromosome 1 right SD, which contains several upregulated genes and is bordered on the telomere-distal side by a pair of downregulated genes. We find that the expression changes in the SD also occur in a mutant of the cohesin core component Rad21. Remarkably, mutation of Rad21 results in the depletion of Swi6 binding in the SD. In fact, the Rad21 mutation phenocopied Swi6 loss of function: both mutations led to reduced cohesin binding, reduced H3K9me, and similar gene expression changes in the SD. In particular, expression of the gene pair bordering the SD was dependent both on cohesin and on Swi6. Our data indicate that cohesin participates in the setup of a subtelomeric heterochromatin domain and controls the expression of the genes residing in that domain.
Open Set Speech Perception with Auditory Brainstem Implant?

Objective: Only a small percentage of auditory brainstem implant (ABI) recipients treated for neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) have proved capable of identifying words using only the sound from the ABI. Recently, the ABI was applied to a series of patients with no cochlear nerve or with cochlear disorders that could not benefit from a cochlear implant (i.e., cochlear nerve aplasia or posttraumatic avulsion) or whose benefit was or would be severely compromised. A significant number of these patients have proven capable of understanding speech, including effortless telephone use. In the present study, a series of psychophysical tests were administered to determine the cause of the difference in performance between tumor (T) and nontumor (NT) ABI patients.
Preparation, characterization and evaluation of novel elastic nano-sized niosomes (ethoniosomes) for ocular delivery of prednisolone

Abstract Niosomes embodying ethanol and minimum amount of cholesterol (ethoniosomes) could be promising ocular delivery systems for water soluble and insoluble drugs. This manuscript reports on novel nano-sized elastic niosomes (ethoniosomes) composed of Span 60: cholesterol (7:3 mol/mol) and ethanol, for ocular delivery of prednisolone acetate (Pred A) and prednisolone sodium phosphate (Pred P). These ethoniosomes were prepared with the thin film hydration (TFH) and ethanol injection (EI) methods, characterized for percentage entrapment efficiency (% EE), size, zeta potential, morphology, elasticity, in vitro release and physical stability. Ocular irritation, bioavailability and anti-inflammatory effects were evaluated and compared with the conventional suspension and solution eye drops. The prepared ethoniosomal vesicles (EV) had a Z-average diameter of 267 nm, zeta potential of approximately −40 mV and % change in size after extrusion of 4%. They were physically stable for at least 2 months at 4 °C. The prepared EV showed good ocular tolerability using the modified Draize’s test and the estimated relative ocular bioavailability for Pred A EV and Pred P EV was 1.54 and 1.75 times greater than that for the suspension and solution eye drops, respectively. The time required for complete healing from the clove oil-induced severe ocular inflammation was reduced to half with Pred A and Pred P EV. More interestingly, the intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation side effect recorded for Pred A and Pred P EV was significantly less than that for the conventional suspension and solution eye drops.
INFLAMMATION AND INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE Protective role of appendicectomy on onset and severity of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

Background and aims: Recent studies on appendicectomy rates in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease have generally not addressed the effect of appendicectomy on disease characteristics. The aims of this study were to compare appendicectomy rates in Australian inflammatory bowel disease patients and matched controls, and to evaluate the effect of prior appendicectomy on disease characteristics. Methods: Patients were ascertained from the Brisbane Inflammatory Bowel Disease database. Controls matched for age and sex were randomly selected from the Australian Twin Registry. Disease characteristics included age at diagnosis, disease site, need for immunosuppression, and intestinal resection. Results: The study confirmed the significant negative association between appendicectomy and ulcerative colitis (odds ratio (OR) 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14–0.38; p<0.0001) and found a similar result for Crohn’s disease once the bias of appendicectomy at diagnosis was addressed (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.23–0.51; p<0.0001). Prior appendicectomy delayed age of presentation for both diseases and was statistically significant for Crohn’s disease (p=0.02). In ulcerative colitis, patients with prior appendicectomy had clinically milder disease with reduced requirement for immunosuppression (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.02–1.15; p=0.04) and proctocolectomy (p=0.02). Conclusions: Compared with patients without prior appendicectomy, appendicectomy before diagnosis delays disease onset in ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease and gives rise to a milder disease phenotype in ulcerative colitis.
Hispanic and Immigrant Paradoxes in U.S. Breast Cancer Mortality: Impact of Neighborhood Poverty and Hispanic Density

To test the Hispanic and Immigrant Paradoxes—i.e., survival advantages despite a worse risk factor profile—and the modifying role of neighborhood context, we examined associations between patient ethnicity, birthplace, neighborhood Hispanic density and neighborhood poverty among 166,254 female breast cancer patients diagnosed 1995–2009 in Texas, U.S. Of all, 79.9% were non-Hispanic White, 15.8% Hispanic U.S.-born, and 4.2% Hispanic foreign-born. We imputed birthplace for the 60.7% of Hispanics missing birthplace data using multiple imputation. Shared frailty Cox proportional hazard models (patients nested within census tracts) adjusted for age, diagnosis year, stage, grade, histology, urban/rural residence, and local mammography capacity. Whites (vs. U.S.-born Hispanics) had increased all-cause and breast cancer mortality. Foreign-born (vs. U.S.-born) Hispanics had increased all-cause and breast cancer mortality. Living in higher Hispanic density neighborhoods was generally associated with increased mortality, although associations differed slightly in magnitude and significance by ethnicity, birthplace, and neighborhood poverty. We found no evidence of an Immigrant Paradox and some evidence of a Hispanic Paradox where protective effects were limited to U.S.-born Hispanics. Contrary to prior studies, foreign birthplace and residence in higher Hispanic density neighborhoods were associated with increased mortality. More research on intersections between ethnicity, birthplace and neighborhood context are needed.
GUIDE MANAGEMENT OF HIGH GRADE GLIOMA Principles of surgical treatment in high-grade glioma 1

1. Surgery is commonly the initial therapeutic approach. The surgical procedures are: stereotactic biopsy, open biopsy, partial resection, and complete gross resection. 2. The largest possible surgical removal is recommended; while preserving neurological function. This is to achieve: 1st an accurate histological diagnosis, avoiding underestimates of histology that sometimes can occur with stereotactic biopsy; 2nd to tumour debulking, this improve symptoms caused by mass effect (oedema, hydrocephalus, etc.) and allow chemo-radiotherapy treatment be more effective and 4th a modest but significant impact on survival, so that the extent of resection is part of the classification of RPA prognosis. [1,2] Evidence level II C. 3. In tumours involving eloquent areas or near them (patients improve symptoms with corticosteroids), using operative techniques of monitoring (with patients who are awake or not awake) decreases the risk of postoperative complications and increases the degree of resection. [3-4] 4. An increase in the complete resection rate and improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) have been shown when surgery is carried out under blue light with the use of fluorescent marking of the tumour by 5-amino-laevulinic acid (5-ALA) [5] Evidence Level IIA. This advantage is only shown with fluorescence obtained with 5-ALA in a speciallytrained team with operating limitations stated in data sheet equipment. [6] 5. In case of complete or partial resection, an MRI assessment should be performed within 72 hours after surgery in order to distinguish post-surgical contrast enhancement from residual tumour. It is very important to assess post surgical residual tumour before star chemo-radiotherapy treatments because according to this baseline image is going to take many subsequent treatment decisions. Evidence Level IVB
Basics of digital photography in Dermatology

1 Ph.D. Professor of Dermatology Department and Radiation therapy of the Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu FMB-Unesp Botucatu (SP), Brasil. 2 Dermatologist of the discipline of Telemedicine of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sáo Paulo USP São Paulo (SP). Ph.D. student of the discipline of Telemedicine of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sáo Paulo USP São Paulo (SP). Specialist in Dermatological Surgery from the Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André (SP), Brazil. 3 Ph.D. Assistant Professor of the Faculdade de Medicina do ABC Santo André (SP), Brazil.
Political Ecology: A Critical Introduction

Paul Robbins. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. xxi and 242 pp., diags. , notes, biblio. , and index. $34.95 cloth (ISBN 1-4051-0266-7). Will the real political ecologists please step forward?
Single-Kernel Ionomic Profiles Are Highly Heritable Indicators of Genetic and Environmental Influences on Elemental Accumulation in Maize Grain (Zea mays)

The ionome, or elemental profile, of a maize kernel can be viewed in at least two distinct ways. First, the collection of elements within the kernel are food and feed for people and animals. Second, the ionome of the kernel represents a developmental end point that can summarize the life history of a plant, combining genetic programs and environmental interactions. We assert that single-kernel-based phenotyping of the ionome is an effective method of analysis, as it represents a reasonable compromise between precision, efficiency, and power. Here, we evaluate potential pitfalls of this sampling strategy using several field-grown maize sample sets. We demonstrate that there is enough genetically determined diversity in accumulation of many of the elements assayed to overcome potential artifacts. Further, we demonstrate that environmental signals are detectable through their influence on the kernel ionome. We conclude that using single kernels as the sampling unit is a valid approach for understanding genetic and environmental effects on the maize kernel ionome.
Cultural historical activity theory and Dewey’s idea-based social constructivism: Consequences for Educational Research

Background: Our theoretical perspectives direct ourresearch processes. The article contributes to the debateon Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) andDewey’s idea-based social constructivism, and to thedebate on methodology and how the researcher’s theoreticalstance guides the researcher in his or her work.Purpose: The article presents fundamental ideaswithin CHAT and Dewey’s idea-based social constructivism.The purpose of the text is to discuss and examinehow ideas in these two theories guide educationalresearch conducted within the framework of these twoapproaches. Furthermore, the article aims to contributeto the discussion on CHAT and Dewey’s theory.Sources of evidence: Ideas based on Vygotsky’stheories, represented mainly by James Wertsch, MichaelCole, Barbara Rogoff and Yrjö Engeström, andDewey’s ideas, are examined and discussed in relationto educational research. Furthermore, statements madeby Mietinnen, Garrison and Rorty are taken into accountin the discussion on the two outlined theories.Main argument: When CHAT and Dewey’s theoryguide researchers in their work, they have to take thecontext or situation into consideration. Artefacts aretreated as part of this context, and therefore have to bea focal point of the research. In educational research theclassroom and the teacher are also central parts of thelearning environment or context. The teacher is the oneto form the learning environment in which the pupilsthink and act, and therefore, the teacher’s role in theclassroom is important. If researchers are to manage tofocus on pupils’ learning, they must direct their researchfocus both on the teacher as an organizer of the activitiesand on the collaborating and supporting processes between the teacher and the pupils, and between thepupils. This means that the research focus has to includeboth activity and dialogue, which includes processes inall their complexity.Conclusions: Mediating artefacts play a central roleboth in CHAT and Dewey’s theory. If the researcher isto ascertain what the pupils learn when using specificartefacts, he or she will have to study the activities orprocesses within which these learning aids are used.This indicates that the researcher has to study learningprocesses in progress. Garrison states that Dewey’s approachis a philosophy of cultural development. Miettinenfinds that Dewey’s theory does not serve as thefoundation for both historical and cultural analyses ofaction. I disagree with Rorty and Mietinnen, and ratherfollow Garrison’s lead. In both theories, social, culturaland historical factors are, in my opinion, viewed asdecisive factors intertwined in what happens here andnow. Therefore the setting that frames the activity withits social, cultural and historical aspects also has to bebrought into focus in one’s research activity.
The Subtypes of Psychopathy and Their Relationship to Hostile and Instrumental Aggression

Psychopathy is not a diagnostic category, however theories of psychopathy have been discussed throughout psychological history. While the construct of psychopathy is associated with important psychological outcomes, there are inconsistencies in the literature with regard to correlates, etiology and treatment. These inconsistencies suggest that there may be several subtypes of psychopathy. This paper discusses the heterogeneity of psychopathy and considers the existence of psychopathic traits in nonclinical populations. Measures of etiology (Behavioral Activation System and Behavioral Inhibition System; Gray, 1985), psychopathy (Levenson’s psychopathy measure; Levenson, Keihl, & Fitzpatrick, 1995) and anxiety (State Trait Anxiety Inventory; Speilberger, Gorsuch & Lushene, 1970) were used in Model based cluster analysis to investigate the existence of subtypes analogous to primary and secondary psychopathy in college students. Four clusters emerged with cluster profiles differing in theoretically coherent ways. Two of the clusters were representative of subclinical primary and secondary psychopathy and the other two represented non-psychopathic groups. Research (Buss, 1961, Dodge, 1991) regarding aggression discriminates between two types of aggression: instrumental and
Problems with Model-based Predictions of Extinctions

Introduction According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ―new evidence suggests that climatedriven extinctions and range retractions are already widespread‖ and the ―projected impacts on biodiversity are significant and of key relevance, since global losses in biodiversity are irreversible (very high confidence)‖ (IPCC-II, 2007, p. 213). The IPCC claims that ―globally about 20% to 30% of species (global uncertainty range from 10% to 40%, but varying among regional biota from as low as 1% to as high as 80%) will be at increasingly high risk of extinction, possibly by 2100, as global mean temperatures exceed 2 to 3°C above pre-industrial levels‖ (ibid.). The Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC) disagreed. According to Idso and Singer (2009), ―These claims and predictions are not based on what is known about the phenomenon of extinction or on real-world data about how species have endured the warming of the twentieth century, which the IPCC claims was unprecedented in the past two millennia‖ (p. 579). The basis of the IPCC‘s forecasts is an assumption that the increase in temperature predicted to result from the ongoing rise in the atmosphere‘s CO2 concentration will be so fast and of such great magnitude that many animal species will not be able to migrate poleward in latitude or upward in elevation rapidly enough to avoid extinction. In this chapter we review new research that contradicts this assumption as well as extensive observational data that contradict the claim of impending species extinctions.
Temporary Blockade of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Signaling Pathway Impedes the Spread of Scrapie to the Brain

ABSTRACT Although the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are neurodegenerative diseases, their agents usually replicate and accumulate in lymphoid tissues long before infection spreads to the central nervous system (CNS). Studies of a mouse scrapie model have shown that mature follicular dendritic cells (FDCs), which express the host prion protein (PrPc), are critical for replication of infection in lymphoid tissues. In the absence of mature FDCs, the spread of infection to the CNS is significantly impaired. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) secretion by lymphocytes is important for maintaining FDC networks, and signaling is mediated through TNF receptor 1 (TNFR-1) expressed on FDCs and/or their precursors. A treatment that blocks TNFR signaling leads to the temporary dedifferentiation of mature FDCs, raising the hypothesis that a similar treatment would significantly delay the peripheral pathogenesis of scrapie. Here, specific neutralization of the TNFR signaling pathway was achieved through treatment with a fusion protein consisting of two soluble human TNFR (huTNFR) (p80) domains linked to the Fc portion of human immunoglobulin G1 (huTNFR:Fc). A single treatment of mice with huTNFR:Fc before or shortly after intraperitoneal injection with the ME7 scrapie strain significantly delayed the onset of disease in the CNS and reduced the early accumulation of disease-specific PrP in the spleen. These effects coincided with a temporary dedifferentiation of mature FDCs within 5 days of huTNFR:Fc treatment. We conclude that treatments that specifically inhibit the TNFR signaling pathway may present an opportunity for early intervention in peripherally transmitted TSEs.
Adaptive fault tolerance mechanisms for opportunistic environments: a mobile agent approach

The mobile agent paradigm has emerged as a promising alternative to overcome the construction challenges of opportunistic grid environments. This model can be used to implement mechanisms that enable application execution progress even in the presence of failures such as the mechanisms provided by the MAG middleware (Mobile Agents for Grids). MAG includes retrying, replication, and checkpointing as fault tolerance techniques; they operate independently from each other and they are not capable of detecting changes on resource availability. In this paper, we describe a MAG extension that is capable of migrating agents when nodes fail, which optimizes application progress by keeping only the most advanced checkpoint, and also migrates slow replicas. The proposed approach was evaluated via simulations and experiments, which showed significant improvements. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Can interest and enjoyment help to increase use of Internet-delivered interventions?

Objective: Internet-delivered interventions have proven efficacious in changing people’s behaviours and related determinants, but the actual use of these interventions by the target group is often very low. This article investigates whether arousing interest and enjoyment results in increased intervention use in an online context. Design: Invitations to visit a website about Hepatitis A, B and C virus infections (Studies 1 and 3) and the website itself (Studies 2 and 3) were manipulated to arouse interest and enjoyment. Main Outcome Measures: Intention to visit the website (Study 1), clicking on the link to visit the website (Studies 2 and 3) and the number of pages visited on the website (Study 3). Results: Arousing interest through an invitation resulted in a higher intention to visit the website (Study 1) and a higher likelihood of clicking on the link to visit the website in comparison with arousing enjoyment (Study 2). The number of pages visited increased when interest was aroused on the website itself (Study 3). Conclusion: Arousing interest is a promising strategy to increase use of Internet-delivered interventions and potentially increase the public health impact of these interventions.