Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mood-incongruent psychosis in bipolar disorder: conditional linkage analysis shows genome-wide suggestive linkage at 1q32.3, 7p13 and 20q13.31.

OBJECTIVE The majority of research into functional psychosis has proceeded under the assumption that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are distinct entities with separate underlying disease processes and treatments. This view has been increasingly challenged in both clinical and genetic studies. Findings in recent association studies at two specific genes suggest that the occurrence of mood-incongruent psychotic features may indicate a relatively homogeneous subset of the bipolar phenotype. We examined this hypothesis. METHODS Caucasian affected individuals were ascertained from Europe (the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Italy and Andalusia). Consensus best-estimate diagnoses were assigned by two independent raters according to all available information. There was no cross-site evaluation of inter-rater reliability. Families multiply affected by bipolar spectrum mood disorder were selected, comprising 383 affected relative pairs. Individuals were considered to be affected if they were diagnosed with DSM-IV bipolar I disorder or schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. Multipoint, affected relative pair covariate linkage analysis was performed. RESULTS Significant familiality of incongruent psychosis was observed [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.309; p = 0.001, one-tail]. Covariate linkage analysis provided three regions with genome-wide suggestive evidence for linkage on chromosomes 1q32.3 (LOD = 4.15, expected 0.12 times per genome scan), 7p13 (LOD = 3.32) and 20q13.31 (LOD = 2.98). No region in our analysis met criteria for genome-wide significance. CONCLUSION Our results provide molecular support for the hypothesis that genes may exist for specific forms of bipolar illness, dependent on the presence or absence of incongruent psychosis. Our findings suggest that researchers should take account of mood-congruence/incongruence of psychotic features in studies of bipolar disorder.
Automated counting of mammalian cell colonies by means of a flat bed scanner and image processing

Clonogenic assays are used frequently to measure the cell killing and mutagenic effects of radiation and other agents. Clonogenic assays carried out manually are tedious and time‐consuming and involve a significant element of subjectivity. However, several commercial automatic colony counters are available. Based on CCD video imaging and image analysis they are relatively expensive and can analyze only one petri dish at a time.
Normalized Quantification of Human Cytomegalovirus DNA by Competitive Real-Time PCR on the LightCycler Instrument

ABSTRACT The development of a novel normalized quantitative competitive real-time PCR on the LightCycler instrument (NQC-LC-PCR) and its application to the quantification of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in clinical samples are described. A heterologous competitor DNA was spiked into test samples and served as an internal amplification control. The internal control (IC) DNA in the test samples was coamplified with the CMV DNA and was tested against a calibrator sample that contained equal amounts of IC DNA and CMV reference standard DNA. An algorithm was developed to normalize possible varying amplification efficiencies between the standard and the samples. After normalization, CMV DNA copy numbers were determined in absolute terms. In a routine clinical setting, normalized quantification by NQC-LC-PCR using a single IC concentration led to results ranging from 500 to 50,000 CMV DNA copies/ml. The results obtained with conventional real-time quantification on the LightCycler instrument were almost identical to those obtained with the NQC-LC-PCR-based quantification. This was the case only for samples in which the PCR was not inhibited. With partially inhibited samples, NQC-LC-PCR was still able to correctly quantify CMV DNA copy numbers even when the PCR was inhibited by about 70%. By analyzing 80 undefined clinical samples, we found that NQC-LC-PCR was suitable for the routine assessment of CMV DNA in clinical plasma samples. Since the ICs were already added to the samples during the DNA purification, almost the entire assay was controlled for sample adequacy. Thus, false negative results were precluded. The NQC-LC-PCR approach developed should be adaptable for additional microbiological applications.
Guest Editorial: Open Educational Resources in Engineering Education: Various Perspectives Opening the Education of Engineers

Open Educational Resources (OER) provide a strategic opportunity to improve the quality of education as well as facilitate policy dialog, knowledge sharing, and capacity building. One of the fundamental concepts of OER is “the ability to freely adapt and reuse existing pieces of knowledge. ” Reuse of educational resources by both individuals and organizations may have significant creative and economic benefit for the educational environment. This Special Issue editorial introduces six interesting experiences, representative of the use of OER in engineering education in important areas such as the production of open content at various scales, reuse of contents, institutional open Web site initiatives, and technological applications to support the exploitation of OER, all at different degrees of maturity. Since some readers will be unfamiliar with prior work on OER, this Special Issue also outlines the hot topics in OER and the critical factors for success when joining the Open Educational Movement. Finally, the editorial provides a set of recommendations and examples offered by the Special Issue editors from their over 6 years of experience leading a research group in semantic Web technologies applied to Open Education. A key requirement, in their opinion, is to improve the metadata interoperability between various collections of open material, so as to facilitate the discoverability and subsequent combining, remixing, or adapting OER; that is, OER data should be easily accessible to any user.
Perception of smoke-free policies among workers in an Italian Local Health Agency: survey of opinions, knowledge and behaviours.

AIM This study evaluated the opinions and knowledge of the Health-Care-Workers and other employees about smoking in the workplace and investigated their perceptions about the implementation and strengthening of smoke-free policies and their views of proposed smoking cessation course. METHODS This cross-sectional study analyzed data resulting from a questionnaire administered in the Local Health Agency of Rieti (Italy). Comparisons have been made according to smoking status of participants: Ever Smokers (ES) or Never Smokers (NS). RESULTS The study was conducted on a sample of 300 workers, the majority of whom think that the smoking ban is not observed in the workplace due to lack of respect for colleagues (59.2% of NS vs 40% of ES, p=0.022). Exposure to Secondhand smoke (SHS) is reported by 15.2% of ES and 30.3% of NS (p=0.006). About 50% of the participants think that the smoking ban has led to an improvement in the quality of interpersonal relationships. Strengthening the smoking ban through frequent inspections would be very effective according to 78% of ES and 88% of NS (p=0.043); having smoking cessation courses within the agency would be considered useful by 56% of ES and 68% of NS (p= 0.064). Relatively few respondents knew of the association between smoking and bladder cancer (35.2% of ES and 47.2% of NS, p=0.061), and asthma exacerbation (66% of ES and 77% of NS, p=0.040). Logistic regression models adjusted for age, gender, work categories and smoking status show that ES report that they are less likely to be exposed to SHS (OR= 0.42, 95% CI 0.22-0.78, p=0.006) and to think that people smoke because of lack of respect (OR= 0.46, 95% CI 0.24-0.87, p=0.018). More frequent inspections (OR= 0.50, 95% CI 0.26-0.95, p=0.037) and smoking cessation courses (OR= 0.61, 95% CI 0.37-1.00, p=0.053) are considered less effective by ES. ES are less likely to know that smoking is a cause of bladder cancer (OR= 0.54, 95% CI 0.32-0.90, p=0.019) and asthma exacerbation (OR= 0.53, 95% CI 0.31-0.92, p=0.023). Fifty-seven percent of current smokers would like to quit, but only 41% would join a cessation course in the agency. CONCLUSION The results obtained may be used to analyze the effectiveness of tobacco control policy and programs aimed at freeing companies from smoke. Policy makers should provide the best possible protection for workers against exposure to SHS, in particular with enforcement of the smoking ban and smoking cessation courses tailored to maximize potential benefits for both workers and employers.
Research on turnover parts optimization based on improved spares fill rate

As the main part of armored equipment spares support, the optimized deployment of turnover parts stocks always is primarily considered by support department. Aiming at current problem about turnover parts stock management and shortage of theory research of armored equipment, this paper analyzes current turnover parts optimization model based on fill rate, and related problem is presented in practical application. Based on the analysis mentioned, the notion and practical optimization model of turnover parts deployment based on improved fill rate is presented. The model restraint trait is analyzed by marginal optimization theory, and the optimization arithmetic is researched. Finally, an example is presented to validate the applicability and superiority of improved model to the former model.
Life Stage Influences on U.S. South Asian Women's Physical Activity

Purpose. South Asian (SA) women in the United States report extremely low rates of leisure time physical activity (PA) compared with women in other ethnic minority groups. This study explored SA women's perspectives on PA during different life stages. Design. This is a community-based participatory research study that used focus groups. Setting. The study setting was a community-based organization that provides social services to SA immigrants in Chicago, Illinois. Participants. The study team conducted six focus groups (in English and Hindi) with 42 SA women, ages 18 to 71 years. Method. A semistructured interview guide was used to foster discussion about perceptions of, barriers to/facilitators of, and suggestions for PA programs. Discussions were transcribed and independently coded by two reviewers using thematic content analysis and guided by a coding scheme that was developed a priori. Results. Participants said that different life stages strongly influenced their PA. PA decreased after marriage and having children. Chronic diseases constrained older women from more vigorous PA. Barriers to PA among younger women were family disapproval and perceptions that PA is unnecessary if you are “skinny. ” Women agreed that PA is not a priority within the culture, and that interventions must take into account cultural, religious, and family context. Conclusion. Sociocultural norms, family constraints, and lack of awareness about the benefits of PA strongly influenced PA among SA women. Culturally salient intervention strategies might include programs in trusted community settings where women can exercise in women-only classes with their children, and targeted education campaigns to increase awareness about the benefits of PA across life stages.
Lifestyle and resulting body composition in young athletes.

BACKGROUND Key aspects in a lifestyle analysis are physical activity level and eating habits. An unhealthy lifestyle results in fat mass increase and in a predisposition to non communicable chronic diseases even in young age. The purpose of this study was to investigate the lifestyle and body composition in young athletes. METHODS The subjects underwent to an assessment of body composition and they completed two questionnaires, one concerning the level of physical activity and the other regarding eating habits. RESULTS 152 young athletes (63 females and 89 males) aged 8 to 18 years (13.4±2.5 years, height 159±14 cm) were enrolled in this study. 80.3% of subjects were normal weight (13.4±2.6 yrs) and 19.7% subjects (13.5±2.5 yrs) were overweight or obese. Greater sedentary behaviors were found in the overweight or obese participants compared to normal weight (618±125 vs 523±89 min; p<0.001) and a lower consumption of milk and yoghurt (5.0±3.2 vs 6.9±4.1 times/week; p=0.031). CONCLUSIONS Although competitive sports often increases physical activity levels in young people, this activity does not seem to reach the daily recommended amount of physical activity during youth. Therefore, it is necessary to have a comprehensive approach to create a primary prevention strategy from even a young age.
Converting Skin Fibroblasts into Hepatic‐like Cells by Transient Programming

Transplantation of hepatocytes is a promising therapy for end‐stage liver disease, but the availability of functional cells currently precludes its clinical application. We now report a simple transient reprogramming approach to convert fibroblasts into hepatic‐like cells. Human skin fibroblasts were treated with fish egg extracts to become the transiently remodeled cells (TRCs). After infected with retroviral EGFP, they were directly injected into the fetal monkey liver, where they underwent in situ differentiation in the hepatic niche. The hepatic‐like cells were functional as shown by the synthesis of hepatic markers in vivo, including albumin, cytokeratin‐18, and hepatic serum antigen. Similarly, when implanted in the mouse liver, the TRCs were differentiated into hepatic‐like cells that synthesize albumin and CK18 and became completely integrated into the liver parenchyma. The potency of TRCs was mechanistically related to the activation of several signal pathways, which reactivate endogenous genes related to cell potency. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a simple and inexpensive epigenetic remodeling approach to convert human fibroblasts into therapeutic hepatic‐like cells for the treatment of end‐stage liver disease. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 589–598, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism-based assay for high-resolution epidemiological analysis of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus hospital clone EMRSA-15.

The EMRSA-15 clone is a major cause of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the UK and elsewhere but existing typing methodologies have limited capacity to discriminate closely related strains, and are often poorly reproducible between laboratories. Here, we report the design, development and validation of a genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing method and compare it to established methods for typing of EMRSA-15. In order to identify discriminatory SNPs, the genomes of 17 EMRSA-15 strains, selected to represent the breadth of genotypic and phenotypic diversity of EMRSA-15 isolates in Scotland, were determined and phylogenetic reconstruction was carried out. In addition to 17 phylogenetically informative SNPs, five binary markers were included to form the basis of an EMRSA-15 genotyping assay. The SNP-based typing assay was as discriminatory as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and significantly more discriminatory than staphylococcal protein A (spa) typing for typing of a representative panel of diverse EMRSA-15 strains, isolates from two EMRSA-15 hospital outbreak investigations, and a panel of bacteraemia isolates obtained in healthcare facilities in the east of Scotland during a 12-month period. The assay is a rapid, and reproducible approach for epidemiological analysis of EMRSA-15 clinical isolates in Scotland. Unlike established methods the DNA sequence-based method is ideally suited for inter-laboratory comparison of identified genotypes, and its flexibility lends itself to supplementation with additional SNPs or markers for the identification of novel S. aureus strains in other regions of the world.
Structured Literature Review of disruptive innovation theory within the digital domain

: The area of interest is disruption is the digital domain. The research questions are: How has the disruption and digital disruption literature developed over time? What is the research focus into disruption regarding the digital domain and how has this changed over time? Which methods are being utilized in research regarding disruption and digital disruption? Where are the key contributors to disruption in general and in digital disruption? Is there a future for digital disruption research? The method is a Structured Literature Review (SLR). The contribution is the results of an analysis of 95 publications within the field of disruption in the digital domain and disruptive innovation theory in general. Works of twelve practitioners and 83 academics are investigated.
Free Fatty Acid as a Link in the Regulation of Hepatic Glucose Output by Peripheral Insulin

Overproduction of glucose by the liver in the face of insulin resistance is a primary cause of hyperglycemia in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). However, mechanisms involved in control of hepatic glucose output (HGO) remain less than clear, even in normal individuals. Recent results have supported an indirect extrahepatic effect of insulin as the primary locus of insulin action to restrain HGO. One suggested extrahepatic site is the pancreatic ɑ-cell. To examine whether insulin's extrahepatic site is independent of the ɑ-cells, HGO suppression was examined independent of changes in glucagon secretion or insulin antagonism of glucagon action. Euglycemic glucose clamps (n = 40) with somatostatin infusion were performed in conscious dogs (n = 5). Paired experiments were conducted in which insulin was infused either portally (1.2, 3.0, 6.0 pmol · min−1 · kg−1) or peripherally at half the portal infusion rate (0.6, 1.5, 3.0 pmol · min−1 · kg−1). Additional zero and saturating portal-dose experiments (100 pmol · min−1 · kg−1) were also performed. For the paired experiments, portal insulin infusion resulted in portal insulin concentrations approximately two to three times higher than in the corresponding peripheral insulin infusion experiments, while at the same time peripheral insulin concentrations were approximately matched. Equal peripheral insulin concentration resulted in equivalent HGO suppression irrespective of the portal concentrations. Thus, insulin affects a signal at a peripheral site, other than ɑ-cell, that in turn suppresses hepatic glucose production. To investigate the nature of this signal, we measured alanine, lactate, and free fatty acids (FFAs). There was no clear relationship between alanine or lactate and HGO suppression; however, there was an extremely strong relationship between plasma FFAs and HGO both at steady state and during dynamic changes in insulin. These data suggest, but do not prove, that insulin acts to suppress HGO as follows: Insulin slowly traverses the capillary endothelium in adipose tissue; elevated insulin in adipose tissue interstdtium inhibits lipolysis, thus decreasing FFA levels; and decreased FFAs act as a signal to the liver to suppress endogenous glucose production.
The role of growth hormone in T‐cell development and reconstitution

Growth hormone (GH), directly or through GH‐induction of insulin‐like growth factor (IGF)‐1, has been implicated in lymphocyte development and function. Recent studies have questioned the role of GH and IGF‐1 in immune responses. This review examines experimental data describing the immunoregulatory function of GH and attempts to reconcile the literature.
Director-Generals’ Human and Social Capital, and Management Performance of Farmers’ Cooperatives: Evidence from China’s Fujian

Abstract Purpose – This study aimed to assess the impact of director-generals’ human and social capitals on the organizational performance of farmers’ cooperatives in Fujian Province. Design/Methodology/Approach – Questionnaire survey data of 303 standard cooperatives in nine cities of Fujian Province were statistically analyzed. Findings – We identified that director-generals’ human and social capitals affect all four dimensions of cooperative performance, through the mediating role of management effectiveness. Practical Implications – We offer suggestions and measures for improving cooperatives’ performance by enhancing the human and social capitals of director-generals. Based on China’s national conditions, we propose measures to improve director-generals’ human and social capitals by the Internal trust, Government policy support, and Business network (IGB) model, which emphasizes establishing a social network of cooperatives’ director-generals, accumulating social capital, and promoting cooperative development through internal members, government departments, and commercial organizations.
Developing Occupational Programs : A Case Study of Community Colleges

A progressively more technological and competitive employment environment in today’s world economy requires employees to have a firm understanding of critical technical skills to build on when they arrive at the workplace. This study examines how differences in the environ­ mental conditions and organizational factors fac­ ing four community colleges contributed to the development of occupational and technical edu­ cation programs. This study was driven by one primary research question: What environmental condi­ tions and organizational factors influence the nature of the strategic response in the form of technical education program development within community colleges? To answer this question, a qualitative study of both stakeholders in higher education (which included individuals at four community colleges in the state of Arkansas) and individuals at the Arkansas Department of Higher Education was conducted. The institu­ tions selected represented the widest possible range of organizations. A conceptual framework was developed that included previous research on normative, regula­ tive, and cultural-cognitive environments and organizational response processes. The frame­ work served as a guide to identify how external conditions in these processes influence the nature of the development of occupational and technical education programs at community col­ leges in Arkansas.