Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delusion-proneness displays comorbidity with traits of autistic-spectrum disorders and ADHD

There is an increasing body of evidence suggesting a significant comorbidity between psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism-spectrum disorders (ASD). Recently, research on psychosis-proneness in otherwise healthy individuals has been a promising way to better understand the mechanisms underlying psychosis. As both ADHD and ASD symptoms show a normal distribution in the general population, such trait comorbidity may confound studies on psychosis-proneness. Thus, understanding the extent to which psychosis-proneness relates to ADHD and ASD symptoms in healthy subjects is crucial for studies focusing on at-risk or psychosis-prone populations. In the present paper we tested the robustness of overlap between psychosis-proneness and ADHD/ASD symptoms, by studying correlations between the scores of three commonly-used questionnaires assessing delusion-proneness (Peters’ Delusion Inventory), ADHD tendencies (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) and ASD tendencies (Autism Quotient), on a large sample of healthy individuals (n = 925) using raw scores, prototypical questions and a factor analysis. The results showed consistently positive correlations between psychosis-proneness and ADHD-, as well as ASD-symptoms. While the effect was weak for ASD, it was moderate for ADHD. The findings support the idea that when investigating psychosis-proneness it is crucial to also take ADHD- and ASD-tendencies into account, in order to conclude that the reported results in a given study are specific to psychosis-proneness. The observed trait correlations also suggest a common pathway in the underlying information processing of these states.
Comparison of cardiac troponin T and I and CK-MB for the detection of minor myocardial damage during interventional cardiac procedures

A number of cardiac interventional procedures are available for the treatment of angina, including percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), stent insertion and rotational atherectomy (RA). Variable degrees of myocardial cell injury during PTCA and stent insertion have been observed, based on rises in creatine kinase MB isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT) 6-24 h post-procedure. As there are many variations in technique within each procedure it would be helpful to be able to determine objectively the degree of myocardial damage in order to optimize technique. We measured CK-MB, cTnT and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) to ascertain which is the most sensitive marker for minor myocardial damage in this setting. Blood samples were taken both before and 6, 14 and 24 h after the procedure in 109 patients (77 men) with angina, 42 of whom had unstable angina. Of the 109 patients, 86 had a stent inserted (21 as a primary stent), nine had PTCA, eight had RA and six intracoronary brachytherapy. Using the manufacturers' recommended cut-offs - CK-MB 4 µg/L, cTnI and cTnT 0·1 µg/L - five patients were excluded from further analysis as all three markers were raised pre-procedure. Post procedure all three markers were in agreement for 68 patients (44 all normal, 24 all raised). Overall, CKMB was raised in 28 patients, cTnT in 38 and cTnI in 58. In 19 patients CK-MB and cTnT were normal, but cTnI was raised (15 between 0·11 and 0·30 µg/L). cTnI was the most sensitive indicator of minor myocardial damage, but at the recommended cut-off of 0·1 µg/L may be overly sensitive. We await the results of our follow-up study to determine the clinical implications of these small rises in cTnI.
Complications and Removal Rates of Miniplates and Screws Used for Maxillofacial Fractures

Complications of miniplates and screws used for maxillofacial fractures were analyzed, and complications were evaluated in relation to fracture site. Motor vehicle accidents were the cause of all fractures in this study. During the last 7 years (1994–2001), noncompressive titanium miniplates and screws were used for stabilization of maxillofacial fractures. In 66 patients, 87 fracture sites were stabilized using 296 miniplates and 1,184 screws. The mean age of the patients was 31 years (age range, 6–64 years). The percentage of male patients was 77% and the percentage of female patients was 23%. Miniplates and screws were used in 6 patients (10%) who were younger than 15 years of age at the time of the surgery. The follow-up period ranged between 3 months and 7 years. The overall miniplate and screw removal rate was 7%. The rates of removal according to the fracture site are as follows: mandible, 4.4%; zygomaticofrontal junction, 1.4%; inferior orbital rim, 0.7%; maxilla, 0.3%; and frontal sinus wall, 0.3%. Removal causes were infection, 2%; extrusion, 1.7%; visibility, 1.4%; pain, 1%; malunion, 0.7%; and miniplate fracture, 0.3%. The minimum time period between insertion and removal was 3 months and the maximum period was 14 months. Infection and extrusion were the main complications for removal of miniplates and screws from the mandible, whereas miniplates and screws were removed from the zygoma because of visibility (zygomaticofrontal region) under the skin in the vast majority of the patients. The maxilla was the least operated region for miniplate and screw removal. In all patients in this study, the preoperative physical symptoms were relieved after miniplate and screw removal. Miniplates and screws are very useful tools in maxillofacial fracture management, but sometimes they have to be removed. In the authors’ series, the removal rate was 7%, and this rate can vary with the severity of the trauma and location of the fracture.Islamoglu K, Coskunfirat OK, Tetik G, Ozgentas HE. Complications and removal rates of miniplates and screws used for maxillofacial fractures.
Effect of chloral hydrate on arterial oxygen saturation in wheezy infants

Chloral hydrate is commonly used to sedate infants for pulmonary function tests and other investigations. However, sedation is generally not recommended for infants with acute wheezing illnesses. The commonly used dose range exceeds the maximum recommended dose; however, the effects of this dosage regimen during pulmonary function testing have not been studied. The present study shows that 70–100 mg/kg of chloral hydrate, a dose commonly used to sedate infants for pulmonary function testing, causes a fall in arterial oxygen saturation and a decrease in clinical score of infants recovering from acute viral bronchiolitis, but not in infants with clinically stable cystic fibrosis. These findings suggest that wheezy infants with baseline SaO2 ≤94% are more susceptible to central respiratory depression following sedation with chloral hydrate. The results of the present study raise serious doubts about the advisability of sedation with chloral hydrate, in the currently used doses, in wheezy infants.
Evaluation of the meat quality Yankasa rams fed graded levels of biscuit waste

Twenty Yankasa rams aged between 10 and 12 months with average weight of 12.15kg were used to evaluate the effect of different levels of biscuit waste and Leucaena leucocephala meal inclusion in diets on the quality of their meat samples. The rams were randomly assigned to five treatment diets of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% an d100% of combined biscuit waste and Leucaena leucocephala in replacement for combined maize and wheat offals or B , B , B , B and B diets with four rams per diet for 91 days. Data were collected 0 1 2 3 4 on physical, chemical and sensory variables of meat samples. The results showed that there were significant (P<0.05) differences in the cooking loss, water holding capacity, crude protein and overall acceptability of meat samples from the rams. All the parameters measured were better in meat samples from rams fed treatment diets B (25%) and B (50%) 1 2 inclusion of biscuit waste and Leucaena leucocephala meal. The results revealed that feeding biscuit waste to Yankasa rams can improve the quality as well as the consumer acceptability of Yankasa rams meat (mutton). Keywords: Yankasa rams, physicochemical, sensory, biscuit waste, meat.
Kasugamycin-dependent mutants of Escherichia coli

Kasugamycin-dependent mutants have been isolated from Escherichia coli B. They were obtained through mutagenesis with ethyl methane sulfonate or nitrosoguanidine in conjunction with an antibiotic underlay technique. In the case of nitrosoguanidine, dependent mutants were obtained at a frequency of about 3% of survivors growing up in the selection. In the case of ethyl methane sulfonate, the corresponding value was 1%. Nineteen mutants showing a kasugamycin-dependent phenotype were studied. In terms of response to various temperatures and antibiotic concentrations, they were very heterogeneous, although most fell into two general classes. Genetic analysis indicated that in at least some cases, the kasugamycin-dependent phenotype was the product of two mutations. Two-dimensional gel electropherograms revealed alterations in the ribosomal proteins of seven mutants. One mutant had an alteration in protein S13, and one had an alteration in protein L14. Three showed changes in protein S9. Each of two mutants had changes in two proteins, S18 and L11. Three of these mutants additionally had protein S18 occurring in a partly altered, partly unaltered form.
Weight concerns influence the development of eating disorders: a 4-year prospective study.

The authors examined factors prospectively associated with age of onset of partial syndrome eating disorders over a 4-year interval in a community sample (N = 877) of high school-age adolescent girls. Four percent developed a partial syndrome eating disorder over the interval. A measure of weight concerns was significantly associated with onset in a multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis (p < .001). Girls scoring in the highest quartile on the measure of weight concerns had the highest incidence (10%) of partial syndrome onset, whereas none of the girls in the lowest quartile developed eating disorder symptoms. This finding is consistent with both theoretical and clinical perspectives and may represent a useful step toward the establishment of a rational basis for the choice of a prevention intervention target.
GMM Unit Root Inference in Generally Trending and Cross-Correlated Dynamic Panels

This paper proposes a new panel unit root test based on the generalized method of moments approach for panels with a small number of time periods and a large number of cross-section units, N. In the model that we consider the deterministic trend function is essentially unrestricted and the errors are cross-sectionally correlated in a very general fashion. In spite of these allowances, the GMM-statistic is shown to be asymptotically unbiased, square root N-consistent and asymptotically normal for all values of the autoregressive (AR) coefficient, ρ, including unity, making it an ideal candidate for unit root inference. Results from both simulated and real data are provided to suggest that the asymptotic properties are borne out well in small samples.
Power, Conflict, and Satisfaction in Distribution Channels—An Empirical Study

Drawing from the literature on channels of distribution, four hypotheses concerning the relationships between power, satisfaction and conflict are developed. These hypotheses are tested using data from the channel of distribution for bulk beer. Finally, the causal model underlying the hypotheses is tested, using causal path analysis and an alternative causal model is presented which provides a better fit with the data and which also helps to explain some troublesome findings from previous research.
Unfurling Fern Biology in the Genomics Age

Twenty-first century technology is addressing many of the questions posed by 20th-century biology. Although the new approaches, especially those involving genomic data and bioinformatic tools, were first applied to model organisms, they are now stretching across the tree of life. Here, we review some recent revelations in the ferns. We first examine how DNA sequence data have contributed to our understanding of fern phylogeny. We then address evolution of the fern plastid genome, including reports of high levels of RNA editing. Recent studies are also shedding light on the evolution of fern nuclear genomes. Initial analyses of genomic data suggest that despite their very high chromosome numbers homosporous ferns may have experienced relatively few rounds of genome duplication. Genomic data are enabling researchers to examine speciation rates and the mechanisms underlying the formation of new fern species. We also describe genetic tools that have been used to study gene function and development in ferns. Recent findings in fern biology are providing insights that are not only pertinent to this major component of the land flora but can also help to provide an improved evolutionary context for research on flowering plants.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase seven in absentia homolog 1 may be a potential new therapeutic target for Parkinson's disease

In this study, we investigated the effect of an antibody against E3 ubiquitin ligase seven in absentia homolog 1 (SIAH-1) in PC12 cells. 1-Methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP + ) treatment increased α-synuclein, E1 and SIAH-1 protein levels in PC12 cells, and it reduced cell viability; however, there was no significant change in light chain 3 expression. Treatment with an SIAH-1 antibody decreased mRNA expression levels of α-synuclein, light chain 3 and SIAH-1, but increased E1 mRNA expression. It also increased cell viability. Combined treatment with MPP + and rapamycin reduced SIAH-1 and α-synuclein levels. Treatment with SIAH-1 antibody alone diminished α-synuclein immunoreactivity in PC12 cells, and reduced the colocalization of α-synuclein and light chain 3. These findings suggest that the SIAH-1 antibody reduces the monoubiquitination and aggregation of α-synuclein, promoting its degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Consequently, SIAH-1 may be a potential new therapeutic target for Parkinson′s disease.
From Research Subgroup to Clinical Syndrome: Modifying the PANDAS Criteria to Describe PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric

Despite continued debates about the role of Group A streptococcal infections in the etiopathogenesis of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections), experts on both sides of the controversy agree that a subgroup of children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have an unusually abrupt onset of symptoms, accompanied by a variety of comparably severe and acute neuropsychiatric symptoms. The acuity of symptom onset is the hallmark feature of their clinical presentation and the basis for the name proposed for an expanded clinical entity: Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS). Modifying the PANDAS criteria to eliminate etiologic factors and to clarify the initial clinical presentation produced three potential diagnostic criteria for PANS. These three criteria are discussed in detail. The article also proposes strategies for applying the PANS criteria in clinical settings and evaluating their validity and reliability through prospective research investigations.
Visual Acuity and Stereopsis with Night Vision Goggles

Abstract : Measurements of visual performance (stereopsis and visual resolution) were acquired to compare results achieved using unaided monocular and binocular viewing, monocular and binocular viewing with the AN/PVS-5A night vision goggles, and models A and B of the AN/PVS-7 biocular night vision goggles. All of the goggles were equipped with 2nd generation tubes. Using a modified Howard- Dolman apparatus to assess stereopsis, all of the goggle-assisted thresholds were very much larger than stereoscopic thresholds achieved with unaided binocular vision. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that stereopsis through night vision goggles, regardless of the model or viewing condition, is essentially eliminated and equivalent to the threshold obtained with unaided monocular viewing. In comparison, spatial resolution capability with all of the goggle systems is superior to performance with unaided vision. In agreement with previously published data, visual acuity with the goggles is approximately 20/ 50, but only for high contrast targets and simulated full moon ambient light levels. As light levels decrease to quarter moon conditions or target contrasts are reduced to more realistic values, visual spatial resolution with the goggles is much poorer. For infantry use, any differences in visual performance between monocular, biocular, and binocular designs probably are not operationally meaningful.
Strategic Brand Concept-Image Management

Conveying a brand image to a target market is a fundamental marketing activity. The authors present a normative framework, termed brand concept management (BCM), for selecting, implementing, and controlling a brand image over time. The framework consists of a sequential process of selecting, introducing, elaborating, and fortifying a brand concept. The concept guides positioning strategies, and hence the brand image, at each of these stages. The method for maintaining this concept-image linkage depends on whether the brand concept is functional, symbolic, or experiential. Maintaining this linkage should significantly enhance the brand's market performance.
SCFSkp2 Complex Targeted by Epstein-Barr Virus Essential Nuclear Antigen

ABSTRACT The stability of cell cycle checkpoint and regulatory proteins is controlled by the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation machinery. A critical regulator of cell cycle molecules is the E3 ubiquitin ligase SCFSkp2, known to facilitate the polyubiquitination and degradation of p27, E2F, and c-myc. SCFSkp2 is frequently deregulated in human cancers. In this study, we have revealed a novel link between the essential Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen EBNA3C and the SCFSkp2 complex, providing a mechanism for cell cycle regulation by EBV. EBNA3C associates with cyclin A/cdk2 complexes, disrupting the kinase inhibitor p27 and enhancing kinase activity. The recruitment of SCFSkp2 activity to cyclin A complexes by EBNA3C results in ubiquitination and SCFSkp2-dependent degradation of p27. This is the first report of a viral protein usurping the function of the SCFSkp2 cell cycle regulatory machinery to regulate p27 stability, establishing the foundation for a mechanism by which EBV regulates cyclin/cdk activity in human cancers.
Aesthetics, Ideologies and the Limits of the Marketing Concept

It is proposed that the marketing concept, as a normative framework, is not applicable to two broad classes of producers because of the personal values and social norms that characterize the production process. These two classes of producers are artists and ideologists. Artists are those who create primarily to express their subjective conceptions of beauty, emotion or some other aesthetic ideal. Ideologists are those who put forward an integrated set of positive and normative statements that describe what the world is and what it should be.
Employer and Employee Opinions of Thematic Deficiencies in New Athletic Training Graduates

Context: Anecdotal information has been shared for several years that employers do not feel that new athletic training graduates are ready for the workforce. To date there have been no studies of employers and employees to determine deficiencies in order to confirm or refute this position. Objective: To explore the opinions of employers and employees (recent graduates within the last 3–5 years) about the level of preparation and readiness for the work force of new athletic training graduates. Specifically, the purpose was to examine the themes emerging from interviews with employers and employees about the employee's abilities. Design and Setting: A mixed methods quantitative/qualitative design involving in-depth focus group interviews. Interviews were conducted in a controlled environment during the National Athletic Trainers' Association Annual Symposium in June of 2010. Participants: Eleven employers and five employees were available at scheduled times during the symposium. Extensive networking efforts.
Addressing sustainable development through public procurement: the case of local government

Purpose: While the contribution of supply chain management to sustainability is receiving increasing attention in the private sector, there is still a scarcity of parallel studies of public procurement. Hence the purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which local government authorities in England use their procurement function to foster sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses an exploratory approach. Based on a review of the existing literature, qualitative research into leading local government authorities is undertaken to draw out the multiple ways in which public procurement can support sustainable development. Findings: At an aggregate level, local government procurers have adopted a wide range of initiatives to address all three aspects of sustainability. These are condensed into a typology of sustainable supply chain management for the public sector. Research limitations/implications: The study highlights the importance of supporting factors, like transparency, organisational culture and strategy as well as leeway in public policy, for sustainable supply chain management in the public sector. Practical implications: The experience of the best practice local authorities deserves wider recognition among practitioners, policy makers and academic researchers, not least given the objective of the UK government to be among the leaders in the European Union on sustainable procurement by 2009. Originality/value: The proposed typology of sustainable supply chain management for the public sector can serve as a basis for future research in this area.
Conflict Management and Outcomes in Franchise Relationships: The Role of Regulation

Franchise relationships are prone to conflict. To safeguard the rights of individual franchisees, several states have legislated greater franchisor disclosure (registration law) ex ante and/or franchisor “termination for good cause” (relationship law) ex post. The impact of regulatory oversight on franchisor–franchisee conflict, however, remains unclear. Relying on agency theory arguments, the authors first assess the influence of the regulatory context, both by itself and in combination with the franchise ownership structure, on the incidence of litigated conflict. Conditional on litigation, they also predict the impact of franchise regulation on both the parties’ litigation initiation and resolution choices and the resulting outcomes. The authors test the hypotheses using a unique multisource archival database of 411 instances of litigation across 75 franchise systems observed over 17 years. The results indicate that the regulatory context, by itself as well as in combination with the franchise ownership structure, significantly shapes parties’ conflict management choices. The authors also find evidence of a trade-off between prevailing in the particular conflict and achieving franchise system growth objectives.