Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Consumption in People With Obesity

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and the kind of psychoactive substances consumed by people with obesity. Methods: Patients were included at their first visit for bariatric surgery. Socio-demographic characteristics, anxiety, depressive disorders and psychoactive substance consumption were assessed. The prevalence of psychoactive substance consumption was compared to that of the general population reported by the French National Institute of Prevention and Health Education. Results: One hundred (100) patients were consecutively recruited: 60 women (mean age 41 ± 14 years) and 40 men (mean age 46 ± 13 years). Sixty-seven percent of subjects consumed alcohol. Consumption rates of cannabis (21% vs. 10%), cocaine (7.0% vs. 0.8%) and amphetamine (6.0% vs. 0.3%) were significantly (p < .0001) higher in people with obesity than in the general population. Conclusions: People with obesity have an excess risk of amphetamine, cocaine and cannabis consumption. This consumption may increase the risk of cardiovascular and psychiatric morbidity and should therefore be detected before surgery.
Nurses' Reflections on Benefits and Challenges of Implementing Family‐Centered Care in Pediatric Intensive Care Units

Background Family‐centered care is a proposed way of supporting family involvement with a child's care and decreasing distress associated with a child's critical illness by improving communication, helping manage stress and coping, and decreasing conflicts. Nurses are critical to successful implementation of family‐centered care. Objectives To describe nurses' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of providing family‐centered care in pediatric intensive care units. Methods Semistructured interviews of 10 bedside and charge nurses in pediatric, cardiac, and neonatal intensive care units. Questions were related to 4 domains: the intensive care unit environment and its relationship to the structure and delivery of critical care, stressors for nurses and families, communication challenges and strategies, and involvement of families in care and decision‐making. Results The main thematic finding was the nurses' descriptions of a “balancing act” to provide quality family‐centered care. The balancing act was characterized by the interaction between 2 types of changes: (1) intensive care unit policies related to visitation hours and family presence at the bedside and (2) physical transformations in the intensive care unit from shared open space to individual private rooms. Conclusions All of the nurses viewed the transition to family‐centered care as having benefits for families. They also described how changes had created new challenges for the delivery of nursing care in intensive care units, particularly regarding mentorship and the safety of patients and staff.
Precise spike timing dynamics of hippocampal place cell activity sensitive to cholinergic disruption

New memory formation depends on both the hippocampus and modulatory effects of acetylcholine. The mechanism by which acetylcholine levels in the hippocampus enable new encoding remains poorly understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that cholinergic modulation supports memory formation by leading to structured spike timing in the hippocampus. Specifically, we tested if phase precession in dorsal CA1 was reduced under the influence of a systemic cholinergic antagonist. Unit and field potential were recorded from the dorsal CA1 of rats as they completed laps on a circular track for food rewards before and during the influence of the systemically administered acetylcholine muscarinic receptor antagonist scopolamine. We found that scopolamine significantly reduced phase precession of spiking relative to the field theta, and that this was due to a decrease in the frequency of the spiking rhythmicity. We also found that the correlation between position and theta phase was significantly reduced. This effect was not due to changes in spatial tuning as tuning remained stable for those cells analyzed. Similarly, it was not due to changes in lap‐to‐lap reliability of spiking onset or offset relative to either position or phase as the reliability did not decrease following scopolamine administration. These findings support the hypothesis that memory impairments that follow muscarinic blockade are the result of degraded spike timing in the hippocampus.
Evaluating the importance of social motor synchronization and motor skill for understanding autism

Impairments in social interaction and communicating with others are core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the specific processes underlying such social competence impairments are not well understood. An important key for increasing our understanding of ASD‐specific social deficits may lie with the social motor synchronization that takes place when we implicitly coordinate our bodies with others. Here, we tested whether dynamical measures of synchronization differentiate children with ASD from controls and further explored the relationships between synchronization ability and motor control problems. We found (a) that children with ASD exhibited different and less stable patterns of social synchronization ability than controls; (b) children with ASD performed motor movements that were slower and more variable in both spacing and timing; and (c) some social synchronization that involved motor timing was related to motor ability but less rhythmic synchronization was not. These findings raise the possibility that objective dynamical measures of synchronization ability and motor skill could provide new insights into understanding the social deficits in ASD that could ultimately aid clinical diagnosis and prognosis. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1687–1699. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Detection of Vt1 and Vt2 Genes in E. Coli O157:H7 Isolated from Soft Cheese in Basrah, Iraq Using Duplex Pcr

During the period extended from November 2010 to March 2011, One hundred fifty soft cheese samples were collected from three different markets in Basrah city. All samples were cultured in selective media to detect the presence of non-sorbitol fermenting colonies (NSF). 94 (62.66%) isolates were found non-sorbitol fermenting E. coli. Latex agglutination test was used to detect serotype O157:H7 in non- sorbitol fermenting isolates for 15 (33.34%) isolates. Duplex PCR were done to all E. coli O157:H7 isolates and the result showed 5/150 (3.34%) were positive to this test. All the E. coli O157:H7 isolates were positive to vt1 gene which was observed in 100% of isolates but none of the isolates were detected to having a vt2 gene.
Contracting Without a Plan: A Theory of Informal Justice

This paper develops a positive model of informal justice in which rewards and punishments are not determined by an ex ante optimal contract but instead express the ex post moral sentiments of the arbitrating party. In our model, a third party arbitrator mediates a one-shot relationship between two players, one of whom can exert an externality on the other. Importantly, formal contracts are not available and the arbitrator chooses transfers to maximize her ex post social preferences. We characterize the implicit incentive schemes induced by the arbitrator? s preferences, contrast them with ex ante optimal contracts, and identify novel qualitative predictions about the way externalities are internalized in informal settings.
Income Distributions: A New Model

This paper endeavours to present a simple model to explain the frequency distribution of income by adding "birth and death" considerations to the more usual random shock system type of model. The form of this model turns out to be a Gram-Charlier distribution subject to a linear logarithmic transformation, the parameters of which are meaningful and significant. A tentative method of fitting such curves is suggested and the values of the parameters discussed.
Meta-analyses of the associations of respiratory health effects with dampness and mold in homes.

UNLABELLED The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences recently completed a critical review of the scientific literature pertaining to the association of indoor dampness and mold contamination with adverse health effects. In this paper, we report the results of quantitative meta-analyses of the studies reviewed in the IOM report plus other related studies. We developed point estimates and confidence intervals (CIs) of odds ratios (ORs) that summarize the association of several respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes with the presence of dampness and mold in homes. The ORs and CIs from the original studies were transformed to the log scale and random effect models were applied to the log ORs and their variance. Models accounted for the correlation between multiple results within the studies analyzed. Central estimates of ORs for the health outcomes ranged from 1.34 to 1.75. CIs (95%) excluded unity in nine of 10 instances, and in most cases the lower bound of the CI exceeded 1.2. Based on the results of the meta-analyses, building dampness and mold are associated with approximately 30-50% increases in a variety of respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The results of these meta-analyses reinforce the IOM's recommendation that actions be taken to prevent and reduce building dampness problems, and also allow estimation of the magnitude of adverse public health impacts associated with failure to do so.
Prolonged isolation as a predictor of mental health for waived juveniles

Abstract Prior research has shown that solitary confinement (i.e., restricted housing, isolation, or segregation) exacerbates mental illness and individuals with no prior record of mental illness begin to show signs of psychiatric symptoms. These effects may be even greater for younger offenders incarcerated in adult prisons. The current study examines the relationship between mental health and segregation among 92 waived juveniles in or released from the New Jersey Department of Corrections. The results suggest a statistically significant, positive association between time spent in segregation and number of mental illness diagnoses. Policy implications are discussed regarding the potential damaging effect of isolation.
RNA editing in nascent RNA affects pre-mRNA splicing

In eukaryotes, nascent RNA transcripts undergo an intricate series of RNA processing steps to achieve mRNA maturation. RNA editing and alternative splicing are two major RNA processing steps that can introduce significant modifications to the final gene products. By tackling these processes in isolation, recent studies have enabled substantial progress in understanding their global RNA targets and regulatory pathways. However, the interplay between individual steps of RNA processing, an essential aspect of gene regulation, remains poorly understood. By sequencing the RNA of different subcellular fractions, we examined the timing of adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing and its impact on alternative splicing. We observed that >95% A-to-I RNA editing events occurred in the chromatin-associated RNA prior to polyadenylation. We report about 500 editing sites in the 3′ acceptor sequences that can alter splicing of the associated exons. These exons are highly conserved during evolution and reside in genes with important cellular function. Furthermore, we identified a second class of exons whose splicing is likely modulated by RNA secondary structures that are recognized by the RNA editing machinery. The genome-wide analyses, supported by experimental validations, revealed remarkable interplay between RNA editing and splicing and expanded the repertoire of functional RNA editing sites.
Expression of the Long Intergenic Non-Protein Coding RNA 665 (LINC00665) Gene and the Cell Cycle in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using The Cancer Genome Atlas, the Gene Expression Omnibus, and Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a role in physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 665 (LINC00665) gene and the cell cycle in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using database analysis including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Material/Methods Expression levels of LINC00665 were compared between human tissue samples of HCC and adjacent normal liver, clinicopathological correlations were made using TCGA and the GEO, and qPCR was performed to validate the findings. Other public databases were searched for other genes associated with LINC00665 expression, including The Atlas of Noncoding RNAs in Cancer (TANRIC), the Multi Experiment Matrix (MEM), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Results Overexpression of LINC00665 in patients with HCC was significantly associated with gender, tumor grade, stage, and tumor cell type. Overexpression of LINC00665 in patients with HCC was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (HR=1.47795%; CI: 1.046–2.086). Bioinformatics analysis identified 469 related genes and further analysis supported a hypothesis that LINC00665 regulates pathways in the cell cycle to facilitate the development and progression of HCC through ten identified core genes: CDK1, BUB1B, BUB1, PLK1, CCNB2, CCNB1, CDC20, ESPL1, MAD2L1, and CCNA2. Conclusions Overexpression of the lncRNA, LINC00665 may be involved in the regulation of cell cycle pathways in HCC through ten identified hub genes.
Working Paper: Understanding Rural Teacher Recruitment and the Role of Community Amenities

I am tremendously grateful to the research team of Don Boyd, Hamilton Lankford, Susanna Loeb, and James Wyckoff for providing me access to the New York teacher data and to Sean Reardon for his help improving the specification of the job search model. Daphna Bassok, Pam Grossman, Eric Hanushek, and Susanna Loeb provided useful feedback on earlier versions. All errors are attributable to the author.
Effect of epidermal growth factor receptor gene polymorphisms on prognosis in glioma patients

Previous studies suggested that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are associated with risk of glioma. However, the associations between these SNPs and glioma patient prognosis have not yet been fully investigated. Therefore, the present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of EGFR polymorphisms on the glioma patient prognosis. We retrospectively evaluated 269 glioma patients and investigated associations between EGFR SNPs and patient prognosis using Cox proportional hazard models and Kaplan-Meier curves. Univariate analysis revealed that age, gross-total resection and chemotherapy were associated with the prognosis of glioma patients (p < 0.05). In addition, four EGFR SNPs (rs11506105, rs3752651, rs1468727 and rs845552) correlated with overall survival (OS) (Log-rank p = 0.011, 0.020, 0.008, and 0.009, respectively) and progression-free survival PFS (Log-rank p = 0.026, 0.024, 0.019 and 0.009, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated that the rs11506105 G/G genotype, the rs3752651 and rs1468727 C/C genotype and the rs845552 A/A genotype correlated inversely with OS and PFS. In addition, OS among patients with the rs730437 C/C genotype (p = 0.030) was significantly lower OS than among patients with A/A genotype. These data suggest that five EGFR SNPs (rs11506105, rs3752651, rs1468727, rs845552 and rs730437) correlated with glioma patient prognosis, and should be furthered validated in studies of ethnically diverse patients.
Construction and Functionality of a Ceramic Resonant Pressure Sensor for Operation at Elevated Temperatures

Piezoelectric ceramic resonant pressure sensors have shown potential as sensing elements for harsh environments, such as elevated temperatures. For operating temperatures exceeding ~250 °C, conventional and widely used Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) piezoelectrics should be replaced. Here, a ceramic pressure sensor from low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC) was constructed by integrating a piezoelectric actuator made from bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) on a diaphragm. This ferroelectric material was selected because of its high Curie temperature (TC = 825 °C) and as a lead-free piezoelectric extensively investigated for high-temperature applications. In order to construct a sensor with suitable pressure sensitivity, numerical simulations were used to define the optimum construction dimensions. The functionality of the pressure sensor was tested up to 201 °C. The measurements confirmed a pressure sensitivity, i.e., resonance frequency shift of the sensor per unit of pressure, of −8.7 Hz/kPa up to 171 °C. It was suggested that the main reason for the hindered operation at the elevated temperatures could lie in the thermo-mechanical properties of the diaphragm and the adhesive bonding at the actuator-diaphragm interconnection.
Australia's Ex Gratia Redress

The Australian States of Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland have introduced redress programs providing monetary payments 'ex gratia' for the abuse of children who were in institutional care or who were 'wards of the State'. Tasmania also instituted a unique redress program of 'ex gratia' payments that acknowledged the State's involvement in the 'Stolen Generations. The article examines the 'ex-gratia' characterisation of Australian State, arguing that it is at variance with the requirements for appropriate redress.
Gender differences in depression and smoking among youth in Cape Town, South Africa.

OBJECTIVE Gender differences in the association between depression and smoking has received inconsistent support among youth in national samples in the United States and other countries. However, the examination of depression and smoking among South African male and female youth has not been sufficiently studied. This paper examines gender differences in the association between depression, racially classified social group (RCSG) status, social amenities, and grade level with smoking among South African youth in Cape Town. DESIGN Six-hundred twenty students completed a questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, smoking, and depression. Separate logistic regression procedures were conducted by gender to assess significant variations in correlates of ever smoker versus never smoker status and current smoker versus nonsmoker status. Variables included in the models were Beck Depression Inventory scores, RCSG, social amenities, and grade level. RESULTS Primary analyses revealed that among girls, mild and severe depression were significant predictors of ever smoking status. In addition, girls who suffered from mild, moderate, and severe forms of depression were more likely to be current smokers than nonsmokers. Among boys, depression was not a significant predictor of smoking status. CONCLUSIONS The results support the need to incorporate mental health education strategies into smoking intervention programs, especially among school girls in Cape Town, South Africa.
Genomics of speciation and introgression in Princess cichlid fishes from Lake Tanganyika

How variation in the genome translates into biological diversity and new species originate has endured as the mystery of mysteries in evolutionary biology. African cichlid fishes are prime model systems to address speciation‐related questions for their remarkable taxonomic and phenotypic diversity, and the possible role of gene flow in this process. Here, we capitalize on genome sequencing and phylogenomic analyses to address the relative impacts of incomplete lineage sorting, introgression and hybrid speciation in the Neolamprologus savoryi‐complex (the ‘Princess cichlids’) from Lake Tanganyika. We present a time‐calibrated species tree based on whole‐genome sequences and provide strong evidence for incomplete lineage sorting in the early phases of diversification and multiple introgression events affecting different stages. Importantly, we find that the Neolamprologus chromosomes show centre‐to‐periphery biases in nucleotide diversity, sequence divergence, GC content, incomplete lineage sorting and rates of introgression, which are likely modulated by recombination density and linked selection. The detection of heterogeneous genomic landscapes has strong implications on the genomic mechanisms involved in speciation. Collinear chromosomal regions can be protected from gene flow and harbour incompatibility genes if they reside in lowly recombining regions, and coupling can evolve between nonphysically linked genomic regions (chromosome centres in particular). Simultaneously, higher recombination towards chromosome peripheries makes these more dynamic, evolvable regions where adaptation polymorphisms have a fertile ground. Hence, differences in genome architecture could explain the levels of taxonomic and phenotypic diversity seen in taxa with collinear genomes and might have contributed to the spectacular cichlid diversity observed today.
Modulatory Effects of Pomegranate Juice on Nucleic Acids Alterations and Oxidative Stress in Experimentaly Hepatitis Rats

The present study was designed to test whether the pre-treatment with pomegranate juice could attenuate the nucleic acids alterations and oxidative stress that produced in D-Galactosamine /lipopolysaccharide induced hepatitis in rats. Animals were dosed with D-Galactosamine / lipopolysaccharide (300 mg kg b.wt , i.p / 30 μg kg b.wt , i.p) with or without pretreatment of pomegranate juice. The protective role of pomegranate juice was evaluated on the aspects of the release of hepatic enzymes into serum, the nucleic acids alterations, the formation of malondialdehyde, and the histopathological changes in hepatic tissues. Obtained results revealed that DGalactosamine / lipopolysaccharide led to increase in the activities of serum marker enzymes such as aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase and alkaline phosphatase, while there was a significant inhibition in deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid and protein contents in liver tissues. Oxidative stress was also increased in hepatic tissue represented by increased malondialdehyde and decrease of antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione). which accompanied with histopathological changes in the hepatic tissue.In addition; pretreatment with pomegranate juice (20 ml kg b. w. day for 14 days) effectively hindered the adverse effect of D-Galactosamine / lipopolysaccharide and protect against hepatic damage via suppression of oxidative stress. Histopathological studies of the liver of different groups also support the protective effects exhibited by pomegranate juice through restoring the normal hepatic architecture. In conclusion, pomegranate extract could afford a significant protection in the alleviation of D-Galactosamine / lipopolysaccharide –induced hepatiis. [Amal, A. Fyiad; Monira, A. Abd El-Kader and Abeer, H. Abd El-Haleem. Modulatory Effects of Pomegranate Juice on Nucleic Acids Alterations and Oxidative Stress in Experimentaly Hepatitis Rats. Life Sci J 2012;9(3):676-682] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 94