Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Psychobiology of Authentic and Simulated Dissociative Personality States: The Full Monty

Abstract The etiology of dissociative identity disorder (DID) remains a topic of debate. Proponents of the fantasy model and the trauma model of DID have both called for more empirical research. To this end, the current study presents new and extended data analyses of a previously published H215O positron emission tomography imaging study. This study included 29 subjects: 11 patients with DID and 10 high- and 8 low-fantasy-prone DID-simulating mentally healthy control subjects. All subjects underwent an autobiographical memory script–driven (neutral and trauma related) imagery paradigm in 2 (simulated) dissociative personality states (neutral and trauma related). Psychobiological and psychophysiological data were obtained. Results of the new post-hoc tests on the psychophysiological responses support the trauma model. New results of the brain imaging data did not support the fantasy model. This study extends previously published results by offering important new supporting data for the trauma model of DID.
Quality of Publicly Available Physical Activity Apps: Review and Content Analysis

Background Within the new digital health landscape, the rise of health apps creates novel prospects for health promotion. The market is saturated with apps that aim to increase physical activity (PA). Despite the wide distribution and popularity of PA apps, there are limited data on their effectiveness, user experience, and safety of personal data. Objective The purpose of this review and content analysis was to evaluate the quality of the most popular PA apps on the market using health care quality indicators. Methods The top-ranked 400 free and paid apps from iTunes and Google Play stores were screened. Apps were included if the primary behavior targeted was PA, targeted users were adults, and the apps had stand-alone functionality. The apps were downloaded on mobile phones and assessed by 2 reviewers against the following quality assessment criteria: (1) users’ data privacy and security, (2) presence of behavior change techniques (BCTs) and quality of the development and evaluation processes, and (3) user ratings and usability. Results Out of 400 apps, 156 met the inclusion criteria, of which 65 apps were randomly selected to be downloaded and assessed. Almost 30% apps (19/65) did not have privacy policy. Every app contained at least one BCT, with an average number of 7 and a maximum of 13 BCTs. All but one app had commercial affiliation, 12 consulted an expert, and none reported involving users in the app development. Only 12 of 65 apps had a peer-reviewed study connected to the app. User ratings were high, with only a quarter of the ratings falling below 4 stars. The median usability score was excellent—86.3 out of 100. Conclusions Despite the popularity of PA apps available on the commercial market, there were substantial shortcomings in the areas of data safety and likelihood of effectiveness of the apps assessed. The limited quality of the apps may represent a missed opportunity for PA promotion.
Study on Emulsifying Diesel Oil from Mixing Emulsifying Agent

This paper reports the experiment of water in diesel emulsifying diesel oil by mixed emulsifying agent by HLB value.The factors effecting the stability of the emulsifying diesel oil and diesel emulusion principle have been concretely analyzed. The stability of the emulsifying diesel oil is improved evidently by proper emulsification technology and appropriate mixing emulsifying agent.The experimental results showed the blend system Span60/Tween80 has better solubilization effect than other blend emulsifying agents.It is optimal that the amount of solubilized water is maximized and consequently the cost can be significantly reduced.At the weight ratio Span60/Tween80 of 81:19,the solubilized water content achieves 22%.
Association Between Alcohol Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome in a Community-Based Cohort of Korean Adults

Background The relationship between alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains controversial. This study investigated the relationship between alcohol consumption and MetS components and prevalence. Material/Methods We analyzed 10 037 subjects (3076 MetS and 6961 non-MetS) in a community-based cohort. MetS was defined according to the ATP III Guidelines. Subjects were divided according to amount of alcohol consumption; non-drinker, very light (0.1–5.0 g/day), light (5.1–15.0 g/day), moderate (15.1–30.0 g/day), and heavy drinker (>30 g/day). Multiple logistic regression models were performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs). The analyses were performed in men and women separately. SPSS statistical software was used for analyses. Results The prevalence of MetS in both males and females was associated with alcohol drinking status (p<0.0001). Amount of alcohol consumption (0.1–5.0 g/day) was significantly associated with lower prevalence of MetS in both genders compared to non-drinkers. Amount of alcohol consumption (>30.0 g/day) did not show a significant association with prevalence of MetS. However, alcohol consumption (>30.0 g/day) showed an association with glucose and HDL cholesterol among the components of MetS. Conclusions Our results indicate that alcohol drinking (0.1–5.0 g/day) contributed to decrease prevalence of MetS and components, including triglyceride and HDL cholesterol.
Complex-Tone Pitch Discrimination in Listeners With Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Physiological studies have shown that noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) enhances the amplitude of envelope coding in auditory-nerve fibers. As pitch coding of unresolved complex tones is assumed to rely on temporal envelope coding mechanisms, this study investigated pitch-discrimination performance in listeners with SNHL. Pitch-discrimination thresholds were obtained for 14 normal-hearing (NH) and 10 hearing-impaired (HI) listeners for sine-phase (SP) and random-phase (RP) complex tones. When all harmonics were unresolved, the HI listeners performed, on average, worse than NH listeners in the RP condition but similarly to NH listeners in the SP condition. The increase in pitch-discrimination performance for the SP relative to the RP condition (F0DL ratio) was significantly larger in the HI as compared with the NH listeners. Cochlear compression and auditory-filter bandwidths were estimated in the same listeners. The estimated reduction of cochlear compression was significantly correlated with the increase in the F0DL ratio, while no correlation was found with filter bandwidth. The effects of degraded frequency selectivity and loss of compression were considered in a simplified peripheral model as potential factors in envelope enhancement. The model revealed that reducing cochlear compression significantly enhanced the envelope of an unresolved SP complex tone, while not affecting the envelope of a RP complex tone. This envelope enhancement in the SP condition was significantly correlated with the increased pitch-discrimination performance for the SP relative to the RP condition in the HI listeners.
Study of the Effect of Substitution on Phtalocyanine Based Compounds for Photovoltaic Application

The research inorganic solar cell has been developed especially in the last decade and has attracted scientific and economic interest triggered by a rapid increase in power conversion efficiencies. In this work, computational study on the geometries and electronic properties of structures composed of phthalocyanine and zinc phthalocyanine which are substituted by different group PcR and PcZn-R. We presented a theoretical study by using DFT method at B3LYP level with 6-31G (d) basis set. The theoretical knowledge of the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of the components is basic in studying organic solar cells, so, the HOMO, LUMO, Gap energy and the photovoltaic properties of the studied compounds have been calculated. These properties suggest these materials as a good candidate for organic solar cells.
Using Trained Pixel Classifiers to Select Images of Interest

no 1 We present a machine-learning-based approach to ranking images based on learned priorities. Unlike previous methods for image evaluation, which typically assess the value of each image based on the presence of predetermined specific features, this method involves using two levels of machine-learning classifiers: one level is used to classify each pixel as belonging to one of a group of rather generic classes, and another level is used to rank the images based on these pixel classifications, given some example rankings from a scientist as a guide. Initial results indicate that the technique works well, producing new rankings that match the scientist’s rankings significantly better than would be expected by chance. The method is demonstrated for a set of images collected by a Mars field-test rover.
Continuum Theory of Ductile Rupture by Void Nucleation and Growth: Part I—Yield Criteria and Flow Rules for Porous Ductile Media

Widely used constitutive laws for engineering materials assume plastic incompressibility, and no effect on yield of the hydrostatic component of stress. However, void nucleation and growth (and thus bulk dilatancy) are commonly observed in some processes which are characterized by large local plastic flow, such as ductile fracture. The purpose of this work is to develop approximate yield criteria and flow rules for porous (dilatant) ductile materials, showing the role of hydrostatic stress in plastic yield and void growth. Other elements of a constitutive theory for porous ductile materials, such as void nucleation, plastic flow and hardening behavior, and a criterion for ductile fracture will be discussed in Part II of this series. The yield criteria are approximated through an upper bound approach. Simplified physical models for ductile porous materials 6ggregates of voids and ductile matrix) are employed, with the matrix material idealized as rigid-perfectly plastic and obeying the von Mises yield criterion. Velocity fields are developed for the matrix which conform to the macroscopic flow behavior of the bulk 4 DISTRIBUTION 0£ :LHIS DOCUMENT IS UNUrv#TE n material. Using a distribution of macroscopic flow fields and working through a dissipation integral, upper bounds to the macroscdpic stress fields required for yield are calculated. Their locus in stress space forms the yield locus. It is shown that normality holds for this yield locus, so a flow rule results. Approximate functional forms for the yield loci are developed.
Optimal Keyword Auctions for Optimal User Experiences

Poor user experiences with search advertisements can lead to ad avoidance thus reduce search engine's long-term revenue. We capture the effect of negative user experiences on search engine's future revenue in a new variable called "shadow costs" and examine the optimal keyword auction mechanisms (KAMs) in a general model that takes into account advertiser-specific and position-specific shadow costs. We show that the optimal KAMs can be implemented in an ex-post equilibrium with a "progressive second price" payment rule. Furthermore, under a few special but practically relevant cases, the optimal KAM takes the form of relatively simple scoring auctions. We show that minimum bids in these scoring auctions may be advertiser- or position-specific and the allocation rule may or may not be greedy. Our results highlight impact of shadow costs on keyword auction designs and hold implications for search engines, advertisers, and internet users.
Current Development of Extraction, Characterization and Evaluation of Properties of Chitosan and Its Use in Medicine and Pharmaceutical Industry

Chitin and chitosan are waste products of sea shells, shrimps and prawns when the internal mollusks have been eaten or are dead and these sea shells are mostly scattered along many of the sea coasts constituting a nuisance. This review from various literatures explains the methods of extraction, evaluation of properties of chitosan obtained from sea shells for use in the pharmaceutical industries. Chitosan is obtained from chitin by deacetylation to a higher greater degree of 70 – 90% taking advantage of their biocompartibility and biodegradability. Advance research works of chitosan are also discussed. Biopolymer like chitosan is commanding a new research initiative partly due to its biodegradability, biocompartibility and their biological and physicochemical properties. Researchers take advantage of these properties in its potential application in medicine, pharmaceutics and biotechnology.
The creep of polycrystalline ice

Polycrystalline blocks of ice have been tested under compressive stresses in the range from 1 to 10 bars at temperatures from —13°C to the melting-point. Under these conditions ice creeps in a manner similar to that shown by metals at high temperatures; there is a transient creep component and also a continuing or quasi-viscous component. The relation between the minimum observed flow rate έ, the applied stress σ and the absolute temperature T is έ = B exp ( -Q/RT) σn, where R is the gas constant, and B, n and Q are constants; the value of n is about 3.2, that of Q is 32 kcal/mole, and that of B is 7 x 1024 if the stress is measured in bars and the strain rate in years-1. At the higher stresses a third, accelerating stage of creep was observed; on the basis of the appearance and behaviour of sections cut from the specimens, this acceleration was attributed to recrystallization. The effect of changing the load during a test has also been studied; for large reductions creep recovery was observed. The results of these tests are discussed in connexion with previous work on metals and ice, and also with measurements of glacier flow.
Toward a Diagnostic Test for Hidden Hearing Loss

Cochlear synaptopathy (or hidden hearing loss), due to noise exposure or aging, has been demonstrated in animal models using histological techniques. However, diagnosis of the condition in individual humans is problematic because of (a) test reliability and (b) lack of a gold standard validation measure. Wave I of the transient-evoked auditory brainstem response is a noninvasive electrophysiological measure of auditory nerve function and has been validated in the animal models. However, in humans, Wave I amplitude shows high variability both between and within individuals. The frequency-following response, a sustained evoked potential reflecting synchronous neural activity in the rostral brainstem, is potentially more robust than auditory brainstem response Wave I. However, the frequency-following response is a measure of central activity and may be dependent on individual differences in central processing. Psychophysical measures are also affected by intersubject variability in central processing. Differential measures may help to reduce intersubject variability due to unrelated factors. A measure can be compared, within an individual, between conditions that are affected differently by cochlear synaptopathy. Validation of the metrics is also an issue. Comparisons with animal models, computational modeling, auditory nerve imaging, and human temporal bone histology are all potential options for validation, but there are technical and practical hurdles and difficulties in interpretation. Despite the obstacles, a diagnostic test for hidden hearing loss is a worthwhile goal, with important implications for clinical practice and health surveillance.
O R I G I N a L C O N T R I B U T I O N Open Access

In-hospital mortality among patients injured in motor vehicle crashes in a Saudi Arabian hospital relative to large U.S. trauma centers Abstract Background: Traffic-related fatalities are a leading cause of premature death worldwide. According to the 2012 report the Global Burden of Disease 2010, traffic injuries ranked 8th as a cause of death in 2010, compared to 10th in 1990. Saudi Arabia is estimated to have an overall traffic fatality rate more than double that of the U.S., but it is unknown whether mortality differences also exist for injured patients seeking medical care. We aim to compare in-hospital mortality between Saudi Arabia and the United States, adjusting for severity and demographic variables. Methods: The analysis included 485,611 patients from the U.S. National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) and 5,290 patients from a trauma registry at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For comparability, we restricted our sample to NTDB data from level-I public trauma centers (≥400 beds) in the U.S. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of setting (KAMC vs. NTDB) on in-hospital mortality after adjusting for age, sex, Triage-Revised Scale (T-RTS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), mechanism of injury, hypotension, surgery and head injuries. Interactions between setting and ISS, and predictors were also evaluated. Results: Injured patients in the Saudi registry were more likely to be males, and younger than those from the NTDB. Patients at the Saudi hospital were at higher risk of in-hospital death than their U.S. counterparts. In the highest severity group (ISSs, 25–75), the odds ratio of in-hospital death in KAMC versus NTDB was 5.0 (95% CI 4.3-5.8). There were no differences in mortality between KAMC and NTDB among patients from lower ISS groups (ISSs, 1–8, 9–15, and 16–24).
Rheological, moisture and ash content analyses of a gum resin from Commiphora Africana

A gum resin was isolated from Commiphora africana. In order to assess its application to industry, it was subjected to rheological, moisture and ash content studies. For rheological studies, a rotational viscometer which had the ability to characterize both Newtonian and non-Newtonian systems was used. The gum resins from C. africana exhibited low shear stress even at high concentration of the gum resins. The change in shear stress with temperatures produced almost a linear graph with a gradient of 0.06. In addition, the gum resin from this plant species was affected by the addition of salts and would have little application in formulations that contain salts. The moisture content obtained was 10.6±0.04%. The low level of moisture in this gum resin appeared to be desirable since it will attract little bacterial or fungal growth in the formulation. The ash content was 3.64±0.01%. The present study has demonstrated that this gum has potential as a product for the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries provided further studies are carried out to identify the phytoconstituents in the gum as well as toxicity studies. Key words: Commiphora Africana, gum, rheology, moisture, shear stress, ash content, pharmaceuticals, food industry.
Connexin43 Mutant Patient‐Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Exhibit Altered Differentiation Potential

We present for the first time the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with a connexin‐linked disease. The importance of gap junctional intercellular communication in bone homeostasis is exemplified by the autosomal dominant developmental disorder oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD), which is linked to mutations in the GJA1 (Cx43) gene. ODDD is characterized by craniofacial malformations, ophthalmic deficits, enamel hypoplasia, and syndactyly. In addition to harboring a Cx43 p.V216L mutation, ODDD iPSCs exhibit reduced Cx43 mRNA and protein abundance when compared to control iPSCs and display impaired channel function. Osteogenic differentiation involved an early, and dramatic downregulation of Cx43 followed by a slight upregulation during the final stages of differentiation. Interestingly, osteoblast differentiation was delayed in ODDD iPSCs. Moreover, Cx43 subcellular localization was altered during chondrogenic differentiation of ODDD iPSCs compared to controls and this may have contributed to the more compact cartilage pellet morphology found in differentiated ODDD iPSCs. These studies highlight the importance of Cx43 expression and function during osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation, and establish a potential mechanism for how ODDD‐associated Cx43 mutations may have altered cell lineages involved in bone and cartilage development. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Sero-prevalence and Molecular Detection of Brucella Species in Pig Producers of Punjab, India

The current study was carried out to determine the sero-prevalence and molecular detection of Brucella species in persons involved in pork production in Punjab state of India. The sample size was selected using survey toolbox and a total of 123 blood samples were collected from pig farmers and slaughter house workers. The serum samples were tested using Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Standard Tube Agglutination test (STAT) and indirect ELISA. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on blood samples using B4 and B5 primers was carried out on all sero-positive and 20 randomly selected sero-negative samples. The Bruce ladder Multiplex PCR technique was further used for confirming the species of Brucella positive samples. The results observed that 1 (0.81%) and 4 (3.25%) subjects were positive in RBPT/STAT and ELISA, respectively. Polymerase Chain Reaction confirmed the presence Brucella species in blood of one of the sero-positive samples and Bruce ladder multiplex PCR confirmed the species to be B. abortus. Chi-square test was applied on the results to determine the significant difference among various groups. A significant difference was found in the prevalence rates in different districts in Punjab. The results indicate that B. abortus is circulating in the persons involved in pork production in Punjab state of India. The preventive and control measures need to be enforced to prevent the occupational exposure of brucellosis to pig producers in Punjab (India).
Brood parasitism is associated with increased bacterial contamination of host eggs: bacterial loads of host and parasitic eggs

Factors related to bacterial environment of nests are of primary interest for understanding the causes of embryo infection and the evolution of antimicrobial defensive traits in birds. Nest visitors such as parasites could act as vectors for bacteria and/or affect the hygienic conditions of nests and hence influence the nest bacterial environment. In the present study, we explored some predictions of this hypothetical scenario in the great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius)–magpie (Pica pica) system of brood parasitism. Great spotted cuckoos visit the nests of their magpie hosts and frequently damage some of the host eggs when laying eggs or on subsequent visits. Therefore, it represents a good system for testing the effect of nest visitors on the bacterial environment of nests. In accordance with this hypothesis, we found that the bacterial load of magpie eggshells was greater in parasitized nests, which may suggest that brood parasitism increases the probability of bacterial infection of magpie eggs. Moreover, comparisons of bacterial loads of cuckoo and magpie eggs revealed that: (1) cuckoo eggshells harboured lower bacterial densities than those of their magpie hosts in the same nests and (2) the prevalence of bacteria inside unhatched eggs was higher for magpies than for great spotted cuckoos. These interspecific differences were predicted because brood parasitic eggs (but not host eggs) always experience the bacterial environments of parasitized nests. Therefore, the results obtained in the present study suggest that parasitic eggs are better adapted to environments with a high risk of bacterial contamination than those of their magpie hosts. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 103, 836–848.