Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of the BDNF val66met polymorphism on prefrontal brain function in a population at high genetic risk of schizophrenia

A single nucleotide polymorphism (val66met) in the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene has been shown to be a risk factor for a number of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. This polymorphism has also been shown to have effects on prefrontal brain morphology and function. This study aims to clarify the effects of the val66met polymorphism on prefrontal brain function in a population at high genetic risk for schizophrenia. The Edinburgh High Risk Study has followed young individuals who had one first‐ or second‐degree relative with schizophrenia and a minimum of one further genetic relative with the illness. A sample of 62 individuals provided both genetic and functional imaging data using the Hayling sentence completion task. Individuals with the BDNF ValVal (presumed risk) genotype (n = 41) showed relatively increased activation of the anterior cingulate cortex in relation to Met carrier individuals (n = 21) during sentence completion conditions versus baseline, against a background of similar levels of task performance. It appeared from further investigation that this relatively increased activation was attributable to a failure to disengage or suppress activation in the high risk ValVal group during the task condition, suggesting that BDNF may contribute to the abnormal default network reported in schizophrenia. These results suggest that this gene affects prefrontal brain function in those at high genetic risk for the disorder, unconfounded by medication effects. BDNF may therefore be one of the heritable factors involved in the development of abnormal prefrontal function in schizophrenia. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Incidence of neonatal hypothermia at birth in hospitals of Islamic Republic of Iran: A review

Article type: Review Article Hypothermia is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality especially in low-income settings. To control this problem in countries such as Iran a full knowledge of the situation is of great importance. A review was performed both in Persian and English, including international databases. Totally 934 articles were reviewed and finally five articles were selected. The incidence of neonatal hypothermia in different parts of Iran was reported between 7.48 to 53.3 percent. The prevalence of neonatal hypothermia is a matter of concern and further studies are needed to determine this prevalence in all parts of Iran. Furthermore, performing more etiological investigations are recommended. Article history: Received: 26 Fab 2014 Revised: 27 Apr 2014 Accepted: 3 Jun 2014
Comparison of Three Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) Varieties on Nutritional and Anti-nutritional Factors

In this study the nutritional and anti-nutritional status of yellow, white and orange fleshed sweet potato varieties (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) in their raw roots unpeeled and peeled were determined. The nutritional and anti-nutritional values of three sweet potato varieties were significantly (p<0.05) varied due to cultivar variation, processing conditions and their interaction. Orange sweet potato variety contains the highest level of moisture, fat, ash, carbohydrate, energy, calcium and iron in unpeeled condition and fiber, moisture, fat, ash, calcium, iron and zinc in peeled condition. On the other hand, yellow sweet potato variety contains the highest level of protein, phytate, phytate: calcium, phytate: iron and phytate: zinc molar ratios in both unpeeled and peeled conditions while the highest value of fiber, oxalate and tannin in unpeeled condition.
Matching motivation enhancement treatment to client motivation: re-examining the Project MATCH motivation matching hypothesis.

AIMS The current study was designed to re-examine the motivation matching hypothesis from Project MATCH using growth mixture modeling, an analytical technique that models variation in individual drinking patterns. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Secondary data analyses of data from Project MATCH (n = 1726), a large multi-site alcoholism treatment-matching study. MEASUREMENTS Percentage of drinking days was the primary outcome measure, assessed from 1 month to 12 months following treatment. Treatment assignment, alcohol dependence symptoms and baseline percentage of drinking days were included as covariates. FINDINGS The results provided support for the motivation matching hypothesis in the out-patient sample and among females in the aftercare sample: the majority of individuals with lower baseline motivation had better outcomes if assigned to motivation enhancement treatment (MET) compared to those assigned to cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT). In the aftercare sample there was a moderating effect of gender and alcohol dependence severity, whereby males with lower baseline motivation and greater alcohol dependence drank more frequently if assigned to MET compared to those assigned to CBT. CONCLUSIONS Results from the current study lend partial support to the motivation-matching hypothesis and also demonstrated the importance of moderating influences on treatment matching effectiveness. Based upon these findings, individuals with low baseline motivation in out-patient settings and males with low levels of alcohol dependence or females in aftercare settings may benefit more from motivational enhancement techniques than from cognitive-behavioral techniques.
Activated FVII levels in factor VII Padua (Arg304Gln) coagulation disorder and in true factor VII deficiency: a study in homozygotes and heterozygotes

Abstract Congenital FVII deficiency is usually subdivided into two forms: type I and type II. Type I is characterized by a concomitant deficiency of FVII activity and FVII antigen (true deficiency). Type II is characterized by a discrepancy between FVII activity which is always low and FVII antigen which may be normal, near normal, or reduced. Thromboplastins of different origins may show a discrepant behaviour towards type II FVII deficiencies. The abnormal factor VII present in these forms may, in fact show, different levels of activity, according to the thromboplastin used in the assay system. Typical of these variants is the Arg304Gln mutation (know as FVII Padua). In this variant, FVII level is low when rabbit brain thromboplastin is used, whereas the level is perfectly normal when ox-brain thromboplastin is employed. Intermediate levels are obtained if human placenta or human recombinant is used. Since ox-brain thromboplastin is very sensitive to activated FVII, the normal FVII levels obtained in FVII Padua could be due to abnormally high circulating levels of activated FVII. The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the level of activated FVII present in homozygotes and heterozygotes with FVII Padua. For comparison, a group of patients with type I or ‘true’ deficiency was also investigated. A group of 21 normal patients served as controls. The activated FVII level found in FVII Padua was 8·4 and 41·0 mU/ml for homozygotes and heterozygotes, respectively. The level found in homozygous true deficiency was unassayable, whereas that found in heterozygotes was 36·2 mU/ml. The level found in the control population was 64·9 mU/ml in agreement with other reports. The low levels of activated FVIIa found in homozygotes with FVII Padua indicate that the normal FVII activity found with ox-brain thromboplastin cannot be attributed to higher than normal circulating levels of FVIIa.
General Video Game AI: Competition, Challenges and Opportunities

The General Video Game AI framework and competition pose the problem of creating artificial intelligence that can play a wide, and in principle unlimited, range of games. Concretely, it tackles the problem of devising an algorithm that is able to play any game it is given, even if the game is not known a priori. This area of study can be seen as an approximation of General Artificial Intelligence, with very little room for game-dependent heuristics. This short paper summarizes the motivation, infrastructure, results and future plans of General Video Game AI, stressing the findings and first conclusions drawn after two editions of our competition, and outlining our future plans.
Dietary flavonoids as cancer-preventive and therapeutic

Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University, Kobe 650-0017, Japan, Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030-3101, USA, Department of Bioscience, Fukui Prefectural University, Fukui 910-1195, Japan, Division of Food Science and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan, Department of Food Science, Institute of Health Biosciences, the University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan, 6 Department of Agrobioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
Use and Abuse of Alcohol and Illicit Drugs in US Adolescents

Main Outcome Measures: Lifetime estimates of alcohol and illicit substance use and DSM-IV diagnoses of abuse, with or without dependence. Results: By late adolescence, 78.2% of US adolescents had consumed alcohol, 47.1% had reached regular drinking levels defined by at least 12 drinks within a given year, and 15.1% met criteria for lifetime abuse. The opportunity to use illicit drugs was reported by 81.4% of the oldest adolescents, drug use by 42.5%, and drug abuse by 16.4%. The median age at onset was 14 years for alcohol abuse with or without dependence, 14 years for drug abuse with dependence, and 15 years for drug abuse without dependence. The associations observed by age, sex, and race/ ethnicity often varied significantly by previous stage of use.
Functional neuroinflammatory- and serotonergic imaging in Alzheimer's disease: validation and preliminary clinical findings

The peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) is found in highest concentrations in kidneys and heart. In addition, it was reported to reflect neuro-inflammatory damage by a colocalisation with activated microglia. PK 11195 is a high affinity ligand for the PBR. The aim of the present study was to investigate in humans the biodistribution and dosimetry of [I]iodo-PK 11195, a potential SPET tracer for the PBR. Five healthy volunteers were injected with 112 MBq of I labelled iodo-PK 11195. Sequential whole body scans were performed up to 72 hours post-injection. Multiple blood samples were taken, and urine was collected to measure the fraction voided by the renal system. Decay corrected ROIs of the whole-body images were analysed, and geometric mean count rates were used to determine organ activity. Organ absorbed doses and effective dose were calculated using the MIRD method. [I]iodo-PK 11195 was rapidly cleared from the blood, mainly by the hepatobiliary system. Approximately 22% was voided in urine after 48 hours. Average organ residence times were 0.74, 0.44, and 0.29 hrs for the liver, upper large intestine, and lower large intestine respectively. The testes received the highest dose, 109.4 μGy/MBq. All other organs investigated received doses of less than 50 μGy/MBq. The effective dose was 40.3 μSv/MBq. In conclusion, I labelled iodo-PK 11195 can be used for the visualisation of the PBR and indirectly for the imaging of neuroinflammatory lesions. Taking into account the radiation burden of 7.46 mSv following an administration of 185 MBq, a I labelled iodo-PK 11195 investigation has to be considered as an ICRP risk category IIb investigation.
Objective evaluation of dextromethorphan and glaucine as antitussive agents.

Twenty-four inpatients affected by chronic cough completed a single-dose double-blind cross-over study of placebo, glaucine 30 mg and dextromethorphan 30 mg. The study was carried out using a balanced incomplete block design, each patient receiving two of the three experimental treatments. Objective evaluation of cough was ensured by means of a writing cough recorder. Coughs after dextromethorphan and glaucine were fewer than coughs after placebo: however only glaucine was significantly different from placebo in reducing coughs. Treatments were well tolerated: clinical results included a reduction in pulse rate after both dextromethorphan and glaucine , and a large number of patients reporting side effects after dextromethorphan administration.
An Integrated Permanent-Magnet Microturbogenerator Supported on Microball Bearings

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of an integrated microturbogenerator utilizing permanent magnets and microball bearings. The key components of this generator are the following: 1) a silicon microturbine rotor housing thick magnetic components; 2) encapsulated microball bearings providing a simple actuation scheme and a robust support structure; and 3) wafer-thick stator coils. The microturbogenerator was designed and fabricated to have a ten-pole rotor and a ten-pole three-turns-per-pole stator. The impedance of the stator coils was shown to be a purely resistive 220 Ω up to 10 kHz. The spin-down characterization of the rotor revealed a dynamic friction torque of 33 μN·m at a rotational speed of 16 kilo rotations per minute (krpm), corresponding to 6% turbine efficiency. The maximum per-phase ac open-circuit voltage and power were measured to be 0.1 V and 5.6 μW on a matched load at 23 krpm, respectively, in full agreement with theoretical analysis and performance estimations. The microturbogenerator presented in this paper provides a flexible design platform for further improvement and will lead to the development of next-generation integrated microturbogenerators offering high power, simple operation, and robust mechanics.
Origin and Migration of Olfactory Cajal-Retzius Cells

Early telencephalic development involves the migration of diverse cell types that can be identified by specific molecular markers. Most prominent among them are Cajal-Retzius (CR) cells that emanate mainly from the cortical hem and to a lesser extent from rostrolateral, septal and caudo-medial regions. One additional territory proposed to give rise to CR cells that migrate dorsally into the neocortex lies at the ventral pallium, although contradictory results question this notion. With the use of a cell-permeable fluorescent tracer in cultured embryos, we identified novel migratory paths of putative CR cells and other populations that originate from the rostrolateral telencephalon at its olfactory region. Moreover, extensive labeling on the lateral telencephalon along its rostro-caudal extent failed to reveal a dorsally-migrating CR cell population from the ventral pallium at the stages analyzed. Hence, this work reveals a novel olfactory CR cell migration and supports the idea that the ventral pallium, where diverse types of neurons converge, does not actually generate CR cells.
The Rise of Early Christian Studies

Elizabeth Clark, in a recent article written in the Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies (2008:8-41), point to the phenomenon of the decline of Patristics as a field in theology. She also refers to Charles Kannengiesser's presidential address to the North American Patristics Society entitled 'Bye, Bye Patristics,' in which he states that there is a new generation of scholars emerging in the field of 'early Christian studies,' who are giving more attention to the social dimension of the field than the previous generation. Acta Patristica et Byzantina, as an accredited academic journal, represents an awareness of this shift in the discipline. The point of a scholarly journal is not merely to publish articles from researchers, but a journal, in the words of my colleague Gerhard van den Heever, gives shape to a discipline and needs to guide and mediate scholarly discourse in a given field.
Continuance in Expertise-Sharing Networks : A Social Perspective

As engineering firms, R&D groups, and technical organizations recognize the centrality of their engineers’ expertise to their performance, they are widely investing in knowledge management (KM) initiatives. Contemporary KM initiatives increasingly include expertise-sharing networks that help answer questions about who knows what. These systems allow organizations to locate and leverage the specialized engineering and technical expertise that is held in the minds of dispersed individuals. However, stories of such expertise-sharing networks that languish from under-use and abandonment abound and the issue of continuance has received very little attention in prior research. In this paper, we explore this understudied issue. We develop a model of expertise-sharing network system continuance through a four-year observational study of 418 users of two such systems and then empirically test it using multiperiod data collected from 122 users of four such systems. The concept of irretrievable investments was used to guide theoretical development in the initial observational phase of the study. The study makes several unique theoretical contributions. First, it develops a model that illustrates how irretrievable postadoption investments (sunk costs) by individual users of expertise-network systems increase continuance. We empirically show that the model explains approximately half of the total variance in continuance intention. This model advances continuance beyond the traditional expectation-satisfaction model of initial adoption to more advanced postadoption stages of use and theoretically incorporates the network-specificity aspect of postadoption investments in explaining continuance. Specifically, we show that individual users’: 1) reputation among peer users of a system increases continuance; 2) system-mediated relationships with other users of the system increase continuance; and 3) investments in personalization of a system initially diminish continuance. Another notable contribution is the development and validation of several new measures for expertise-sharing network constructs.
A large kindred with autosomal dominant Parkinson's disease

We report two large kindreds with Parkinson's disease (PD) apparently inherited in autosomal dominant fashion. Forty‐one persons in four generations have been affected; we have examined 7 of them. The two kindreds originated in a single small town in southern Italy and therefore are probably related. The illness was typical for PD except for early onset at a mean age of 46.5 years and a rapid course that averaged 9.7 years from onset to death. Clinical appearance and response to levodopa were typical for PD. Only one instance of difinite nonpenetrance is known. Autopsy of 2 patients in one kindred showed the pathological changes typical of PD with Lewy bodies. Disease duration among affected persons who spent most of their lives in Italy was longer than for their affected US relatives, suggesting that exogenous agents may influence the course of this genetic illness. We conclude that what is probably a single gene without an additional environmental insult can cause the pathological changes typical of PD. Our findings therefore enhance the likelihood of significant genetic component in the cause of sporadic PD. By identifying a toxic gene product, future molecular genetic studies in our kindred(s) may provide insight into the pathogenesis of sporadic PD.
A paternally transmitted complex chromosomal rearrangement (CCR) involving chromosomes 2, 6, and 18 includes eight breakpoints and five insertional translocations (ITs) through three generations

Complex chromosomal rearrangements (CCRs) are uncommon and mainly occur de novo. We report here on a familial CCR involving chromosomes 2, 6, and 18. The propositus is a boy first referred because of growth delays, hypotonia, and facial anomalies, suggestive of deletion 18q syndrome. However, a cytogenetic family study disclosed a balanced CCR in three generations, which was detailed by FISH using BAC clones, and consisted of eight breakpoints with five insertional translocations (ITs). The propositus had a cryptic 18q deletion and a 6p duplication. Paternal transmission of this CCR was observed through three generations without meiotic recombination. Our investigation allowed us to provide porosities counseling and management of prenatal diagnosis for propositus cousin who carries this particular CCR. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effectiveness of Hindfoot Arthrodesis by Stable Internal Fixation in Various Eichenholtz Stages of Neuropathic Ankle Arthropathy

Abstract The optimal time to treat neuropathic (Charcot) arthropathy of the ankle and peritalar joint is controversial because of the various treatment options available and the variable results reported in published studies. We sought to determine the outcome of hind foot arthrodesis with stable internal fixation in patients with different Eichenholtz stages of arthropathy. We prospectively studied patients with substantial disabilities caused by neuropathic arthropathy in deformed, unstable ankle and peritalar joints, with or without ulcerations, who had undergone treatment from July 2007 to December 2012. All patients underwent ankle arthrodesis, autologous iliac crest bone grafting, and subtalar joint arthrodesis, with or without talonavicular joint arthrodesis, fixed internally with an intramedullary hindfoot nail, with or without an additional plate or cancellous screws. Of the 33 enrolled patients, 9 (27.3%) had stage I, 13 (39.4%) had stage II, and 11 (33.3%) had stage III Charcot arthropathy. The cause of arthropathy was diabetes mellitus in 25 (75.8%) patients. The duration of symptoms ranged from 1 to 120 (median 7) months. The mean follow‐up period was 40 (range 12 to 76) months and did not differ markedly among the groups. The hindfoot scores, rate of salvage or amputation, or complication rates did not differ significantly across Eichenholtz stage. For the patients with stage I, II, and III, the preoperative hindfoot score was 50, 49, and 48, respectively (p = .9). The corresponding postoperative scores were 68, 68, and 70 (p = .5). We found no evidence that the effectiveness of hindfoot arthrodesis by stable fixation varied across the Eichenholtz stage of Charcot arthropathy involving ankle and peritalar joint. Furthermore, we found that stable internal fixation and bone grafting using a hindfoot nail results in an 84.84% union rate and salvages the unstable and disabled foot in 90.9% of patients with ankle and peritalar Charcot arthropathy. &NA; Level of Clinical Evidence: 3
Cortical Activation during Reading Letter String in Normal and Reverse Directions: An fMRI Study

In order to investigate the difference of cortical activation between reading letter string in normal direction and reverse direction, an fMRI study was conducted. In this study, the cortical activations responsible for Japanese string and Chinese string reading were investigated. The subjects performed normal direction reading task (read strings from left to right), and reverse direction reading task (read strings from right to left). According to the experimental results, the activated brain regions during normal direction reading task and reverse direction reading task were almost the same, besides, we found visuospatial transformation was involved in the reverse direction reading task, while this function was not significant during normal direction reading task