Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Video game addiction, ADHD symptomatology, and video game reinforcement

ABSTRACT Background: Up to 23% of people who play video games report symptoms of addiction. Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be at increased risk for video game addiction, especially when playing games with more reinforcing properties. Objectives: The current study tested whether level of video game reinforcement (type of game) places individuals with greater ADHD symptom severity at higher risk for developing video game addiction. Methods: Adult video game players (N = 2,801; Mean age = 22.43, SD = 4.70; 93.30% male; 82.80% Caucasian) completed an online survey. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses were used to test type of game, ADHD symptom severity, and the interaction between type of game and ADHD symptomatology as predictors of video game addiction severity, after controlling for age, gender, and weekly time spent playing video games. Results: ADHD symptom severity was positively associated with increased addiction severity (b = .73 and .68, ps < 0.001). Type of game played or preferred the most was not associated with addiction severity, ps > . 05. The relationship between ADHD symptom severity and addiction severity did not depend on the type of video game played or preferred most, ps > . 05. Conclusion: Gamers who have greater ADHD symptom severity may be at greater risk for developing symptoms of video game addiction and its negative consequences, regardless of type of video game played or preferred most. Individuals who report ADHD symptomatology and also identify as gamers may benefit from psychoeducation about the potential risk for problematic play.
The Effect of Undifferentiated Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Stem Cells on the Healing of Fresh Extraction Bony Sockets

Background: Mesenchymal Bone marrow stem cells (MBM SCs) have been shown to repair bone defects in various animals. Porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering play an important role in both cell targeting and transplantation. They serve as carriers to transfer cells and bioactive materials to defect sites. The present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of polymer scaffolds seeded with mesenchymal bone marrow stem cells (MBM SCs) on the quantity and quality of bone formation in recently extracted bony socket. Methods: The present study was carried on 10 dogs divided according to the follow up period into two groups with 5 dogs in each group. Group (A) was followed for 1.5 months, while group (B) was followed for 3 months. MBM SCs from the femur's cortex were cultured and seeded on polymer scaffolds. After extraction of the lateral incisors, seeded polymer scaffolds were inserted in the left sockets which served as the experimental sites, while unseeded scaffolds were inserted in the right sockets which served as the control sites. At the end of the follow up period, the animals were sacrificed and sections stained for histological evaluation. Results: Polymer scaffolds seeded with MBM-SCs resulted in a significantly greater mean bone area percentage and showed more prevalence of mature lamellar newly formed bone than unseeded scaffolds after insertion in fresh extracted bony sockets at all evaluation intervals. Conclusion: Bone marrow stem cells provide an effective therapeutic approach for the regeneration of alveolar bone defects. (Khaled A. Abdel Ghaffar, Hazem Ata, Sherine A. Nasry, Amani H. Nemat and Mahmoud K. el Ashiry The Effect of Undifferentiated Mesenchymal Bone Marrow Stem Cells on the Healing of Fresh Extraction Bony Sockets) Life Sci J 2012;9(3):1266-1275. (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 181
Machine Learning-based Virtual Screening and Its Applications to Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery: A Review

Background: Virtual Screening (VS) has emerged as an important tool in the drug development process, as it conducts efficient in silico searches over millions of compounds, ultimately increas-ing yields of potential drug leads. As a subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) is a powerful way of conducting VS for drug leads. ML for VS generally involves assembling a filtered train-ing set of compounds, comprised of known actives and inactives. After training the model, it is validated and, if sufficiently accurate, used on previously unseen databases to screen for novel compounds with desired drug target binding activity. Objective: The study aims to review ML-based methods used for VS and applications to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) drug discovery. Methods: To update the current knowledge on ML for VS, we review thorough backgrounds, explana-tions, and VS applications of the following ML techniques: Naïve Bayes (NB), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forests (RF), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). Results: All techniques have found success in VS, but the future of VS is likely to lean more largely toward the use of neural networks – and more specifically, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), which are a subset of ANN that utilize convolution. We additionally conceptualize a work flow for con-ducting ML-based VS for potential therapeutics for AD, a complex neurodegenerative disease with no known cure and prevention. This both serves as an example of how to apply the concepts introduced earlier in the review and as a potential workflow for future implementation. Conclusion: Different ML techniques are powerful tools for VS, and they have advantages and disad-vantages albeit. ML-based VS can be applied to AD drug development.
Dimer‐specific immunoprecipitation of active caspase‐2 identifies TRAF proteins as novel activators

Caspase‐2 has been shown to initiate apoptotic cell death in response to specific intracellular stressors such as DNA damage. However, the molecular mechanisms immediately upstream of its activation are still poorly understood. We combined a caspase‐2 bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) system with fluorophore‐specific immunoprecipitation to isolate and study the active caspase‐2 dimer and its interactome. Using this technique, we found that tumor necrosis factor receptor‐associated factor 2 (TRAF2), as well as TRAF1 and 3, directly binds to the active caspase‐2 dimer. TRAF2 in particular is necessary for caspase‐2 activation in response to apoptotic cell death stimuli. Furthermore, we found that dimerized caspase‐2 is ubiquitylated in a TRAF2‐dependent manner at K15, K152, and K153, which in turn stabilizes the active caspase‐2 dimer complex, promotes its association with an insoluble cellular fraction, and enhances its activity to fully commit the cell to apoptosis. Together, these data indicate that TRAF2 positively regulates caspase‐2 activation and consequent cell death by driving its activation through dimer‐stabilizing ubiquitylation.
Greenness and job-related chronic stress in young adults: a prospective cohort study in Germany

Objectives We aimed to prospectively study the association between normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a measure of greenness around homes and occupational stress. Setting A population-based cohort in Munich and Dresden cities was followed from age 16–18 years to age 20–23 years (n=1632). Participants At baseline, all participants attended high-school while at follow-up some had started working and others studying at university. At baseline and in each follow-up, we assigned NDVI based on participants’ residential geocoded addresses and categorised it by quartiles. Outcome measures School-related, university-related or job-related self-reported chronic stress was assessed at the two follow-ups by the Trier Scale for Assessment of Chronic Stress using work discontent and work overload as outcomes. We modelled the association employing ordinal generalised estimating equations model accounting for changes in sociodemographics, non-job-related stress, job history and environmental covariates. Stratified analysis by each city was performed. Results NVDI at baseline was higher for participants from Dresden (median=0.36; IQR 0.31–0.41) than Munich (0.31; 0.26–0.34). At follow-up, it decreased only for participants in Dresden (0.34; 0.30–0.40). Higher greenness (quartile 4 vs quartile 1) was associated with less work discontent (OR 0.89; 95% CI 0.80 to 0.99) and less work overload (OR 0.87; 95% CI 0.78 to 0.96). In stratified analyses, results were more consistent for Munich than for Dresden. Conclusions Our results suggest that residential green spaces, using the vegetation index as a proxy for exposure, are inversely associated with two types of job-related chronic stress in German young adults transitioning from school to university or working life.
Influence of TriU-B, ovsynch and heatsynch protocols on estrus induction response, conception and biochemical and minerals profile in anoestrus crossbred cows

This study was planned to evaluate the fertility response and plasma profile of biochemical and mineral constituents in 46 postpartum anoestrus crossbred cows (>90 days) treated with different standard hormonal protocols (TriU-B/PRID, Ovsynch and Heatsynch, n=12 each), keeping untreated anoestrus control (n=10) and normal cyclic control (n=10) groups. All the cows (100%) under TriU-B, Ovsynch and Heatsynch protocols exhibited induced estrus within mean intervals of 67.00±1.74, 69.83±0.87 and 68.17±1.24 h, respectively, from PGF2α injection, with prominent to moderate estrus signs. The conception rates obtained at induced estrus in cows under TriU-B, Ovsynch and Heatsynch protocols were 33.33, 41.66 and 33.33 per cent, respectively. The corresponding overall conception rates of three cycles were 50.00, 58.33 and 41.66 per cent, respectively. In anoestrus animals under TriU-B, Ovsynch and Heatsynch protocols, and in normal cyclic control group, the overall pooled mean plasma total cholesterol concentrations found were 218.32±5.81, 218.65±6.04, 202.44 ±5.73 and 225.87±9.09 mg/dl (P<0.05), respectively. The corresponding values for total protein were 7.95±0.06, 7.57 ± 0.05, 7.94 ± 0.14 and 8.69 ± 0.16 g/dl (P<0.05), plasma calcium 9.15 ± 0.06, 9.18 ± 0.09, 10.01 ± 0.08 and 10.15 ± 0.09 mg/dl (P<0.05) and inorganic phosphorus 4.33±0.10, 4.02 ± 016, 5.00 ± 0.18 and 4.90 ± 0.10 mg/dl (P<0.05). The influence of treatment days (0, 7, 9/AI or day 21 post-AI) was not significant for any of the traits in any of the groups, except for protein in Heatsynch protocol. The levels of all four constituents were significantly higher in normal cyclic control group than the values found in most treatment groups, which were at par. The conceived cows had insignificantly higher values of total cholesterol and protein as compared to non-conceived ones in most treatment protocols and even in cyclic control groups. In general, Ovsynch protocol followed by TriU-B appeared the best for induction of estrus and improvement of fertility without influencing the blood biochemical and mineral profiles in anoestrus crossbred cows.
An F-Score-Weighted Indoor Positioning Algorithm Integrating WiFi and Magnetic Field Fingerprints

Indoor positioning systems have attracted much attention with the recent development of location-based services. Although global positioning system (GPS) is a widely accepted and accurate outdoor localization system, there is no such a solution for indoor areas. Therefore, various systems are proposed for the indoor positioning problem. Fingerprint-based positioning is one of the widely used methods in this area. WiFi-received signal strength (RSS) is a frequently used signal type for the fingerprint-based positioning system. Since WiFi signal distribution is nonstationary, accuracy is insufficient. Therefore, the performance of indoor positioning systems can be enhanced using multiple signal types. However, the positioning performance of each signal type varies depending on the characteristics of the environment. Considering the variability of the performances of different signal types, an F-score-weighted indoor positioning algorithm, which integrates WiFi-RSS and MF fingerprints, is proposed in this study. In the proposed approach, the positioning is first performed by maximum likelihood estimation for both WiFi-RSS and magnetic field signal values to calculate the F-score of each signal type. Then, each signal type is combined using F-score values as a weight to estimate a position. The experiments are performed using a publicly available dataset that contains real-world data. Experimental results reveal that the proposed algorithm is efficient in achieving accurate indoor positioning and consolidates the system performance compared to using a single type of signal.
Micropropagation of Selected Trees of Arbutus unedo L. through Axillary Shoot Proliferation and Somatic Embryogenesis

Arbutus unedo (Strawberry tree) grows spontaneously in several countries of the Mediterranean basin. Fruits can be consumed fresh or can be processed to make a spirit. A project to clone selected trees of this species based on their fruit production was initiated a few years ago. In this work the role of BA on shoot proliferation and the effect of IBA on root formation are evaluated. Preliminary results about somatic embryogenesis induction are also presented. Best shoot proliferation was achieved when 8.9 μM BA were used. In this situation, an average of 1.34 shoots and 1.75 nodes per explant were obtained. Rooting was achieved on a Knop medium containing different IBA concentrations (1 week) followed by subculture (5 weeks) on the same medium without auxin and containing charcoal (1.5%). On these conditions, best rooting frequencies (100%) were obtained with IBA at concentrations of 49.2 μM. For somatic embryogenesis induction, leaves from in vitro propagated material were used. Results showed that a combination of BA (8.8 μM) and NAA (10.7; 26.8 μM) gave the highest frequencies of induction (94.4%). Somatic embryo conversion was achieved when somatic embryos were transferred to a medium without plant growth regulators. Plant acclimatization was successfully accomplished for both types of in vitro propagated material and some of the produced plants are now in the field to be evaluated.
Fluoride Binding to Dental Biofilm Bacteria: Synergistic Effect with Calcium Questioned

It has been suggested that fluoride binding to dental biofilm is enhanced when more bacterial calcium binding sites are available. However, this was only observed at high calcium and fluoride concentrations (i.e., when CaF2 precipitation may have occurred). We assessed fluoride binding to Streptococcus mutans pellets treated with calcium and fluoride at concentrations allowing CaF2 precipitation or not. Increasing calcium concentration resulted in a linear increase (p < 0.01) in fluoride concentration only in the pellets in which CaF2 precipitated. The results suggest that CaF2 precipitation, rather than bacterially bound fluoride, is responsible for the increase in fluoride binding to dental biofilm with the increase in calcium availability.
Alteration of Diffusion-Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging Measures in Brain Regions Involved in Early Stages of Parkinson's Disease

Many nonmotor symptoms (e.g., hyposmia) appear years before the cardinal motor features of Parkinson's disease (PD). It is thus desirable to be able to use noninvasive brain imaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to detect brain abnormalities in early PD stages. Among the MRI modalities, diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) is suitable for detecting changes in brain tissue structure due to neurological diseases. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether DTI signals measured from brain regions involved in early stages of PD differ from those of healthy controls. To answer this question, we analyzed whole-brain DTI data of 30 early-stage PD patients and 30 controls using improved region of interest-based analysis methods. Results showed that (i) the fractional anisotropy (FA) values in the olfactory tract (connected with the olfactory bulb: one of the first structures affected by PD) are lower in PD patients than healthy controls; (ii) FA values are higher in PD patients than healthy controls in the following brain regions: corticospinal tract, cingulum (near hippocampus), and superior longitudinal fasciculus (temporal part). Experimental results suggest that the tissue property, measured by FA, in olfactory regions is structurally modulated by PD with a mechanism that is different from other brain regions.
Prognostic Value of Transferrin Receptor-1 (CD71) Expression in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

BACKGROUND Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the commonest childhood cancer. Transferrin receptor 1 (CD71) is a trans-membrane glycoprotein which has important role in iron homeostasis by acting as a gatekeeper regulating iron uptake from transferrin and is an attractive target for anti-cancer agents, particularly those that aim to induce lethal iron deprivation in malignant hematopoietic cells. AIM OF THE WORK To assess the prognostic value of Transferrin receptor -1 (CD71) in children with newly diagnosed ALL. PATIENTS AND METHODS This study was carried out on 75 patients with newly diagnosed ALL. Transferrin receptor-1 expression was analyzed on the bone marrow blasts by flow cytometry at time of diagnosis with positive CD71 expression is considered when ≥20% of malignant cells express this marker while negative expression is considered when <20% of malignant cells express this marker. RESULTS Transferrin receptor-1 positive expression was detected in 45 patients (60%) while negative expression was found in the remaining 30 patients (40%). CD71 expression was significantly higher on T- ALL patients compared with B-ALL patients. Positive CD71 expression at diagnosis was significantly associated with bad clinical and laboratory prognostic factors as lymphadenopathy, higher white blood cell count, higher hemoglobin level, lower platelets count, and higher blast cells in peripheral blood and bone marrow and higher lactate dehydrogenase levels'. There were significant differences in disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between positive and negative CD71 expression groups with significantly shorter DFS and OS in positive CD71 expression group compared to negative group. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 'Positive Transferrin receptor -1 (CD71) expression in patients with ALL is adverse prognostic factor and should be taken in consideration in designing future therapeutic strategies based on patient- specific risk factors'.
Optimal control of complex irrigation systems via decomposition-coordination and the use of augmented Lagrangian

In this paper, we consider the optimal control problem for complex irrigation systems, using a receding horizon. The idea of decomposition is introduced for the goal of both reducing the computational complexity, to comply with the system topology and the monitoring architecture. A decomposition-coordination algorithm based on the use of both an augmented Lagrangian and the duplication of variables is developed which is suitable for the optimal control of complex irrigation systems, composed of water retention systems, water supply/distribution systems using canals and pipe networks. In some conventional decomposition-coordination approaches, such as the price decomposition-coordination algorithm, the coupling constraints between subsystems or the associated Lagrange multipliers are used as coordination variables. In our case, some physical variables, such as water flow rates, are duplicated in each subsystem, where they appear. Some compatibility constraints are then introduced and their associated Lagrange multipliers are used as coordination variables. In this paper, we present the application of this approach to to the Canal de la Bourne irrigation network, which irrigates the agricultural plain of Valence (south-east of France).
Tobacco and electronic cigarette products: awareness, cessation attitudes, and behaviours among general practitioners

Abstract Background Little is known around how general practitioners (GP) approach tobacco products beyond traditional cigarettes. Aim To examine GP perceptions of tobacco and electronic cigarette (EC) products, and their attitudes and behaviours towards product cessation. Method A 13-item self-completed anonymous questionnaire measured awareness of waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS) and smokeless tobacco (ST). Cessation advice provision, referral to cessation services, and the harm perception of these products were asked using five-point Likert scales that were dichotomised on analysis. Correlates of cessation advice were analysed using regression models. Findings We analysed 312 responses, of whom 63% were aware of WTS and between 5–32% were aware of ST products. WTS and ST were considered less harmful than cigarettes by 82 and 68% of GPs, respectively. WTS, ST, and EC users were less advised (P<0.001) and referred (P<0.001) to cessation services compared to cigarette users. Ethnic minority and senior GPs were more likely to provide cessation advice for WTS and ST users compared to younger white GPs. GPs who were recent tobacco users were less likely to give cessation advice to cigarette users (adjusted odds ratios 0.17, 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.99, P<0.049). Conclusions (implications for practice and research) GPs had lower harm perception, gave less cessation advice, and made less referrals for WTS and ST users compared to cigarettes. Our findings highlight the need for targeted tobacco education in general practice. More research is needed to explore GP perceptions in depth as well as patient perspectives.
Social Risk and the Dimensionality of Intentions

Previous research has documented a behavioral distinction between “social risk,” or risk caused by human factors, and natural risk. In particular, people tend to demand a premium on the probability of a favorable outcome in order to expose themselves to a social source of risk rather than a natural source of risk. Several explanations for what drives this social risk premium have been offered—most prominently, (i)an aversion to a counterparty’s potentially malign intentions and (ii) a more general aversion to ceding control to someone with conflicting interests. We propose that a fundamental determinant of the social risk premium may relate to a counterparty’s capacity to engage in intentional action. We employ a between-subjects experimental design in which we manipulate subjects’ capacity for intentional action. Our design allows us to identify the component of the social risk premium related to an aversion to betrayal, independent of any aversion to ceding control. Furthermore, our results show that in.
AI-Based Two-Stage Intrusion Detection for Software Defined IoT Networks

Software defined Internet of Things (SD-IoT) networks profit from centralized management and interactive resource sharing, which enhances the efficiency and scalability of Internet of Things applications. But with the rapid growth in services and applications, they are vulnerable to possible attacks and face severe security challenges. Intrusion detection has been widely used to ensure network security, but classical detection methods are usually signature-based or explicit-behavior-based and fail to detect unknown attacks intelligently, which makes it hard to satisfy the requirements of SD-IoT networks. In this paper, we propose an artificial intelligence-based two-stage intrusion detection empowered by software defined technology. It flexibly captures network flows with a global view and detects attacks intelligently. We first leverage Bat algorithm with swarm division and binary differential mutation to select typical features. Then, we exploit Random Forest through adaptively altering the weights of samples using the weighted voting mechanism to classify flows. Evaluation results prove that the modified intelligent algorithms select more important features and achieve superior performance in flow classification. It is also verified that our solution shows better accuracy with lower overhead compared with existing solutions.