Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Cultural Worldviews and Message Framing in Shaping Public Opinions Toward the Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Mandate

This research examines the influence of cultural worldviews and message framing on public opinions toward the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination mandate. Consistent with the cultural theory of risk, we found that individuals with a hierarchical (vs. egalitarian) worldview perceived the HPV vaccination mandate as less beneficial and riskier. The hierarchy-egalitarianism dimension of cultural worldview also interacted with message framing to influence support for the mandate. For individuals with a hierarchical worldview, a loss-framed (vs. gain-framed) message resulted in greater support for the mandate and more positive thoughts, whereas the reverse was found for those with an egalitarian worldview. Results concerning the individualism-communitarianism dimension of cultural worldview showed a different pattern, however. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Online gaming and addiction : a psychosocial investigation using mixed methods

Online virtual worlds known as Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) have gained increased popularity over the last decade. MMORPGs provide a sophisticated environment that enables complete immersion within the virtual world to the extent that it may become an alternative reality to its users. Some researchers have suggested that online gaming addiction is growing in prevalence among adolescents and adult gamers. It has been proposed that research is needed to establish the incidence and prevalence of MMORPG addiction. The aim of this body of research was to examine the impact of MMORPGs (psychologically and socially) on peoples' lives for the purpose of providing an empirical research base on which future research in the area can build. Using a mixed methods approach for data collection and analysis, an online scoping study, interview study and two questionnaire studies were conducted. The thesis provides a detailed conceptualisation of the psychological processes involved in MMORPG playing. The thesis was directed by previous research into video games, online gaming and addiction which provided a substantive picture of the psychosocial effects of online gaming. The findings showed that there were both positive and negative effects associated with online gaming; gamers used MMORPGs to alleviate negative feelings and to meet new people, learn about new cultures, and build friendships. Gamers also provided detailed descriptions of personal problems that had arisen due to playing MMORPGs. A small percentage of gamers (3.6%) were classified as addicted to MMORPGs, these gamers may find it difficult to control their game playing behaviour. However, there are still gaps in our knowledge of MMORPGs. Overall, the research has shown that the psychology of MMORPGs is an important topic that requires further in-depth investigation. The present research has revealed valuable information about the impact of MMORPGs on the lives of gamers that can be built upon by other researchers. Implications of the findings regarding excessive playing and addiction to MMORPGs, and social responsibility were discussed, and recommendations for future research studies were proposed.
Early Results of Modified Nonpenetrating Deep Sclerectomy and Phacoemulsification in the Treatment of Open Angle Glaucoma and Cataract

Purpose To study the outcome and control of intraocular pressure (IOP) of a combined modified nonpenetrating deep sclerectomy (NPDS) without use of implants and phacoemulsification in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and cataract. Methods Prospective series of 14 eyes in 14 patients with medically uncontrolled POAG and cataract with significant visual impairment undergoing a modified NPDS and phacoemulsification. The surgery was designed to utilize all four mechanisms of outflow track of aqueous of NPDS without the use of scleral implant and a standardized postoperative management and early Nd:YAG laser goniopuncture at 4 weeks. All patients underwent clinical assessment before and after surgery at day 1, day 7, weeks 2, 3, and 4, and then at 2, 3, and 6 months postoperation. Surgical outcome was assessed in terms of IOP, visual acuity, and the incidence of complications. Results IOP decreased significantly from a preoperative value of 21.71±3.81 mmHg (mean ± SD) to a postoperative value of 13.14±3.73 mmHg (mean ± SD) (p<0.05, paired t test) at 6 months. The number of antiglaucoma eyedrops needed for control of IOP decreased from 3.28±0.91 to zero after operation at 6 months follow-up. The change in IOP pre and post laser goniopuncture was noted with no complication or fluctuation in anterior chamber depth. Visual acuity ranged from finger counting to 6/18 with Snellen chart at 6 meters preoperatively to 6/36 to 6/9 postoperatively. There were no intraoperative complications. There was one recessed conjunctival wound at 1 week. No other postoperative complication was noted. Conclusions Modified NPDS without scleral implant with early Nd:YAG laser goniopuncture and phacoemulsification for treatment of patients with POAG and cataract is a safe and effective procedure with complete success at 6 months.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Improves Executive Dysfunctions in ADHD: Implications for Inhibitory Control, Interference Control, Working Memory, and Cognitive Flexibility

Objective: This study examined effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) on major executive functions (EFs), including response inhibition, executive control, working memory (WM), and cognitive flexibility/task switching in ADHD. Method: ADHD children received (a) left anodal/right cathodal DLPFC tDCS and (b) sham stimulation in Experiment 1 and (a) left anodal DLPFC/right cathodal OFC tDCS, (b) left cathodal DLPFC/right anodal OFC tDCS, and (c) sham stimulation in Experiment 2. The current intensity was 1 mA for 15 min with a 72-hr interval between sessions. Participants underwent Go/No-Go task, N-back test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), and Stroop task after each tDCS condition. Results: Anodal left DLPFC tDCS most clearly affected executive control functions (e.g., WM, interference inhibition), while cathodal left DLPFC tDCS improved inhibitory control. Cognitive flexibility/task switching benefited from combined DLPFC-OFC, but not DLPFC stimulation alone. Conclusion: Task-specific stimulation protocols can improve EFs in ADHD.
A neural network approach for sound event detection in real life audio

This paper presents and compares two algorithms based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) for sound event detection in real life audio. Both systems have been developed and evaluated with the material provided for the third task of the Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE) 2016 challenge. For the first algorithm, we make use of an ANN trained on different features extracted from the down-mixed mono channel audio. Secondly, we analyse a binaural algorithm where the same feature extraction is performed on four different channels: the two binaural channels, the averaged monaural signal and the difference between the binaural channels. The proposed feature set comprehends, along with mel-frequency cepstral coefficients and log-mel energies, also activity information extracted with two different voice activity detection (VAD) algorithms. Moreover, we will present results obtained with two different neural architectures, namely multi-layer perceptrons (MLPs) and recurrent neural networks. The highest scores obtained on the DCASE 2016 evaluation dataset are achieved by a MLP trained on binaural features and adaptive energy VAD; they consist of an averaged error rate of 0.79 and an averaged F1 score of 48.1%, thus marking an improvement over the best score registered in the DCASE 2016 challenge.
Receptor-binding properties in vitro and in vivo of ritanserin: A very potent and long acting serotonin-S2 antagonist.

In vitro and in vivo receptor-binding properties of the new serotonin antagonist, ritanserin, are reported. In in vitro binding assays, ritanserin shows high affinity binding to serotonin-S2 sites in rat frontal cortex tissue: IC50 = 0.9 nM without drug preincubation and 0.3 nM with 30-min drug preincubation; IC50 values for histamine-H1, dopamine-D2, and adrenergic-alpha 1 and -alpha 2 sites were 39-, 77-, 107-, and 166-fold higher, and at up to 1 microM, the drug did not bind to serotonin-S1 sites. In in vitro assays, ritanserin dissociated very slowly from serotonin-S2 (t1/2 = 160 min) and histamine-H1 sites (t1/2 = 77 min) and rapidly from dopamine-D2 sites (t1/2 = 11 min). Half-times of dissociation from adrenergic-alpha 1 and -alpha 2 sites were 18 and 26 min. The inhibition by ritanserin of [3H]ketanserin binding was found to be partially noncompetitive and the inhibitory potency increased with drug preincubation. Due to the slow dissociation of ritanserin from the serotonin-S2 sites, the drug cannot be displaced completely by [3H]ketanserin. In contrast, inhibition by ritanserin of [3H]haloperidol binding to dopamine-D2 sites in rat striatum was fully competitive, in agreement with the rapid dissociation of the drug from the latter sites. In ex vivo binding assays using brain areas of rats and guinea pigs treated subcutaneously with ritanserin, occupation of serotonin-S2 sites was observed at very low dosage (50% occupation at 0.08-0.1 mg/kg) and sites remained occupied during a prolonged time period (greater than 70% occupation up to 48 hr after 2.5 mg/kg ritanserin). Histamine-H1 receptor sites in guinea pig cerebellum became occupied at dosages 25-fold higher than the dosage producing occupation of frontal cortical serotonin-S2 sites. Dopamine-D2 sites in rat striatum and cortical adrenergic-alpha 1 sites became only slightly occupied (less than 20%) at higher dosages and the effect was not dose-dependent. Adrenergic-alpha 2 sites were not occupied up to doses of 160 mg/kg given subcutaneously. In vivo binding assays using [3H]spiperone confirmed the occupation of frontal cortical serotonin-S2 sites following low dosage of ritanserin and a minor occupation of striatal dopamine-D2 sites. Levels of dopamine and serotonin and their metabolites remained unchanged in brain areas of rats orally treated with ritanserin up to dosages of 40 mg/kg. At 160 mg/kg, there seemed to be a slight reduction in dopamine and serotonin content. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
A Topographical Study on the Event-related Potential Correlates of Scrambled Word Order in Japanese Complex Sentences

One of the most fundamental and universal properties of human language is a phenomenon called displacement. In the present study, we used multichannel event-related potentials (ERPs) to identify the nature of this phenomenon with Japanese, a subject-object-verb (SOV) language of relatively free word order. The ERPs of sentences of canonical word order (CC) were compared with those of non-canonical word order in two types of Japanese complex sentences; namely, in those which can be described as being in a middle-scrambled condition (MSC) and in those in a long-scrambled condition (LSC). The sustained anterior negativity (SAN) and the P600 in the pregap position were observed in the LSC, compared to the CC, and they are consistent with previous findings. The SAN, exhibiting a tripartite nature in morphology and scalp distribution, mainly reflected a storage cost of scrambled elements in sentence comprehension. The subsequent P600 had a left fronto-temporal maximum, distinguished from a posterior P600, taken as a reflector of the thematic role assignment in previous related studies. It is argued that the P600 in the present study reflects a cost of structural integration intensively depending on the case marker information. A compositional interpretation of sentence meanings was also observed, reflected in an anterior negativity at the postgap verbal position, which cannot be differentiated at the pregap verbal position in the languages of subject-verb-object (SVO) word order.
Being adolescent : conflict and growth in the teenage years

Perspectives * Paths to Adulthood * The Age of Choice: Opportunities and Obstacles in Adolescence * Charting Adolescent Life Environments * The External Landscape: What the Teenagers World Looks Like * The Internal Landscape: What the Teenagers World Feels Like * Peaks and Valleys: Variability in Daily Experience Interactions * Familiar Aggravations: Relations with Parents and Siblings * The Companionship of Friends * The Self in Solitude: Perils and Possibilities * Coping with Classes Transformations * Conflict and Chaos in Daily Life * Converting Challenges to Enjoyment: The Flow Experience * The Growth of Complexity: Shaping Meaningful Lives
Retroviral‐mediated transfer of the galactocerebrosidase gene in neural progenitor cells

GLOBOID cell leukodystrophy (GCL or Krabbe disease) is a recessive disease caused by mutations of the lysosomal enzyme galactocerebrosidase (GALC) and twitcher is the murine model of GCL. We have prepared retroviral packaging cell lines to transduce the GALC gene. Retroviral transduction restored GALC activity in GCL fibroblasts and increased such activity to very high levels in immortalized neural progenitor cells (ST14A cells). GALC activity was also normalized in twitcher fibroblasts co-cultured with ST14A cells over-expressing GALC, demonstrating that this enzyme is secreted and can be imported efficiently by GALC-deficient cells. These results give the necessary background to evaluate the therapeutic effect in twitcher of brain grafting of neural progenitor cells engineered to release high levels of GALC.
Exploring the factor structure of the constructs of technological, pedagogical, content knowledge (TPACK)

In recent years, several survey instruments have been designed to measure the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. Even though the TPACK framework was conceptualized as having seven constructs, researchers have only successfully validated the constructs of technological knowledge (TK) and content knowledge (CK). Constructs such as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), technological content knowledge (TCK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and TPACK have been found to be difficult to differentiate via factor analysis. This study explored how the contextualization of items in a TPACK to the constructivist-oriented use of ICT for self-directed and collaborative learning improved its construct validity. This survey was administered on 214 Singaporean pre-service teachers. Such an approach for designing this TPACK survey led to the successful identification of the seven theorized constructs through factor analysis. The implications on these findings on the design of TPACK surveys are discussed.
The non-peculiar velocity dispersion profile of the stellar system ω Centauri

We present the results of a survey of radial velocities over a wide region extending from r � 10 out to 80 arcmin (∼1.5 tidal radii) within the massive star cluster ω Centauri (ω Cen). The survey was performed with FLAMES@VLT, to study the velocity dispersion profile in the outer regions of this stellar system. We derived accurate radial velocities for a sample of 2557 newly observed stars, identifying 318 bona fide cluster red giants. Merging our data with those provided by our previous survey, we assembled a final homogeneous sample of 946 cluster members that allowed us to trace the velocity dispersion profile from the centre out to r ∼ 32 arcmin. The velocity dispersion appears to decrease monotonically over this range, from a central value of σ v ∼ 17.2 km s −1 down to a minimum value of σ v ∼ 5.2 km s −1 . The observed surface brightness profile, rotation curve, velocity dispersion profile and ellipticity profile are simultaneously well reproduced by a simple dynamical model in which mass follows light, within the classical Newtonian theory of gravitation. The comparison with an N-body model of the evolution of a system mimicking ω Cen during the last 10 orbits into the Galactic potential suggests that (i) the rotation of stars lying in the inner � 20 arcmin of the clusters is not due to the effects of the tidal field of the Milky Way, as hypothesized by other authors and (ii) the overall observational scenario is still compatible with the possibility that the outer regions of the cluster are subject to some tidal stirring.
Serotonin enhances the excitatory acetylcholine response in the RB cell cluster of Aplysia californica

The RB cells, an identified cluster of serotonergic neurons in the abdominal ganglion of Aplysia californica, are excited by ACh. We have found that serotonin (5-HT) enhances the ACh responses recorded from the RB cells. The locus and specificity of the serotonergic interaction with the ACh response were analyzed using the conventional two- electrode voltage-clamp technique. We compared the current responses evoked in RB cells by constant-current iontophoretic pulses of ACh in control solutions and in solutions containing various concentrations of 5-HT. Serotonin consistently enhances the ACh evoked response in a dose- dependent manner while simultaneously directly activating the RB cells by turning on a small steady-state inward current. The dose-response characteristics for the 5-HT-mediated steady-state current differ, however, from those of the 5-HT-induced ACh response facilitation. The ACh response enhancement appears to be an effect of 5-HT upon RB cell ACh receptors since the enhancement is present under conditions that eliminate presynaptic input, and 5-HT is still capable of enhancing the iontophoretically evoked response when the AChE-resistant agonist carbachol is substituted for ACh. We tested other neurons in the Aplysia CNS exhibiting ACh evoked responses qualitatively similar to the RB cell ACh responses; 5-HT does not enhance the iontophoretically evoked ACh responses of these cells. Also, although the RB cells are responsive to dopamine and histamine, these putative neurotransmitters do not enhance the ACh response.
The effects of exercise-induced muscle damage on the human response to dynamic exercise

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) is a commonly experienced phenomenon, yet its effect on the human response to dynamic exercise is poorly understood. Therefore the intention of this thesis was to provide empirical evidence to advance the scientific knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon of EIMD; principally by investigating the physiological, perceived exertion and metabolic responses to the performance of dynamic exercise with EIMD. The eccentric, muscle-damaging exercise protocol employed for all four studies involved participants completing 100 squats performed as 10 sets of 10 repetitions with the load on the bar corresponding to 70% of the individual’s body mass. Measures of markers of muscle damage were taken before and after the eccentric exercise protocol in each of the four studies. The markers used were plasma creatine kinase activity, isokinetic peak torque and perceived muscle soreness. Cycling rather than running was used as the dynamic exercise mode in studies 1, 2 and 4 in order to avoid the confounding influence of alterations in gait subsequent to EIMD. The dynamic exercise in study 3 was performed inside a whole body scanner and was therefore limited to knee extension and flexion. These four studies have provided novel insights into the influence of eccentric, muscledamaging exercise on the human response to the performance of dynamic exercise. We have demonstrated for the first time that following EIMD, the enhanced ventilatory response to dynamic exercise is provoked by stimuli unrelated to the blood lactate response, and that this enhanced ventilation may provide an important cue to inform the perception of effort. Furthermore, we have shown that the reduced time to exhaustion observed following EIMD is associated with an elevated perception of exertion and increases in [Pi] during dynamic exercise. Finally, we have demonstrated that the 2 O V& kinetic response is unaltered during the transition to high intensity dynamic exercise. Changes in [HHb] kinetics indicate that compensatory mechanisms act to preserve blood-myocyte O2 flux in the face of microvascular dysfunction, resulting in the unaltered 2 O V& observed across the rest-toexercise transition.
Atrial fibrillation and risks of cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and death: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To quantify the association between atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and death. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Medline and Embase. Eligibility criteria Cohort studies examining the association between atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular disease, renal disease, and death. Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics and the relative risk of outcomes associated with atrial fibrillation: specifically, all cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular events, any stroke, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, ischaemic heart disease, sudden cardiac death, congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Estimates were pooled with inverse variance weighted random effects meta-analysis. Results 104 eligible cohort studies involving 9 686 513 participants (587 867 with atrial fibrillation) were identified. Atrial fibrillation was associated with an increased risk of all cause mortality (relative risk 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.39 to 1.54), cardiovascular mortality (2.03, 1.79 to 2.30), major cardiovascular events (1.96, 1.53 to 2.51), stroke (2.42, 2.17 to 2.71), ischaemic stroke (2.33, 1.84 to 2.94), ischaemic heart disease (1.61, 1.38 to 1.87), sudden cardiac death (1.88, 1.36 to 2.60), heart failure (4.99, 3.04 to 8.22), chronic kidney disease (1.64, 1.41 to 1.91), and peripheral arterial disease (1.31, 1.19 to 1.45) but not haemorrhagic stroke (2.00, 0.67 to 5.96). Among the outcomes examined, the highest absolute risk increase was for heart failure. Associations between atrial fibrillation and included outcomes were broadly consistent across subgroups and in sensitivity analyses. Conclusions Atrial fibrillation is associated with an increased risk of death and an increased risk of cardiovascular and renal disease. Interventions aimed at reducing outcomes beyond stroke are warranted in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Analyzing quantitatively and topologically the white matter organization in 22Q11.2 deletion syndrome

At the convergence of neuroimaging, genetic polymorphism and psychiatry, this thesis highlights through two published articles the importance of genes in brain white matter (WM) development and organisation leading to schizophrenic symptoms. We investigate brain structure in a population with a high risk of developing schizophrenia due to a microdeletion in chromosome 22q11.2. We implement analytical tools for enhancing differences in their WM connections compared to typically developing individuals (TD). After exploring the limits of voxel-wise analysis via TBSS (Tract-Based Spatial Statistic), we used the Connectome Mapper (merging Diffusion and T1 images) to reconstruct the WM bundles linking pairs of cortical regions, creating the connectome, therefore the Network of the brain. Compared to TD connectomes, the 22q11.2DS connectivity reveals altered fronto-temporal connections. Network analysis shows specific dysconnected hubs compared to TD and lower efficiency of Broca and Wernike areas in 22q11.2DS with hallucinations compared to those without.