Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
P2RX7: A bipolar and unipolar disorder candidate susceptibility gene?

The chromosomal region 12q24 has been previously implicated by linkage studies of both bipolar disorder and unipolar mood disorder and we have reported two pedigrees segregating both bipolar disorder and Darier's disease that show linkage across this region. The gene P2RX7 is located in this chromosomal region and has been recently reported as a susceptibility gene for bipolar disorder and unipolar depression. The non‐synonymous SNP rs2230912 (resulting in amino‐acid polymorphism Q460R) showed the strongest association and has been postulated to be pathogenically relevant. We have investigated this gene in a large UK case‐control sample (bipolar I disorder N = 687, unipolar recurrent major depression N = 1,036, controls N = 1,204). Neither rs2230912 nor any of 8 other SNPs genotyped across P2RX7 was found to be associated with mood disorder in general, nor specifically with bipolar or unipolar disorder. Further, sequencing of our two chromosome 12‐linked bipolar‐Darier families showed no evidence of rare variants at P2RX7 that could explain the linkage. Our data do not provide support for rs2230912 or the other polymorphisms studied within the P2RX7 locus, being involved in susceptibility to mood disorders. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Childhood trauma and perceived parental dysfunction in the etiology of dissociative symptoms in psychiatric inpatients.

OBJECTIVE Research on the etiology of dissociation in adults has focused primarily on childhood sexual abuse. The role of co-occurring childhood stressors and of more chronic adverse conditions such as neglect is less clear. This study examined the level of dissociation in relation to childhood trauma (sexual/physical abuse, witnessing interparental violence), early separation from a parent, and perceived parental dysfunction. METHOD One hundred sixty inpatients consecutively admitted to a general psychiatric hospital were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Structured Trauma Interview. RESULTS The mean Dissociative Experiences Scale score was 17.4; 18.0% of the patients scored beyond 30. Early separation was reported by 26.4% of the patients; 30.1% had witnessed interparental violence; 23.6% reported physical abuse; 34.6% reported sexual abuse; 11.7% reported rape before age 16; and 42.1% reported sexual and/or physical abuse. The level of dissociation was primarily related to reported overwhelming childhood experiences (sexual and physical abuse). When sexual abuse was severe (involving penetration, several perpetrators, lasting more than 1 year), dissociative symptoms were even more prominent. Highest dissociation levels were found in patients reporting cumulative sexual trauma (intrafamilial and extrafamilial) or both sexual and physical abuse. In particular, maternal dysfunction was related to the level of dissociation. With control for gender and age, stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that the severity of dissociative symptoms was best predicted by reported sexual abuse, physical abuse, and maternal dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that dissociation, although trauma-related, is neglect-related as well. This implies the importance of object relations and attachment in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with dissociative disorders.
Identity and the Management Project

The paper discusses the concept of identity in relation to management. We take our starting point in Wittgenstein’s concept language games . We argue that identity is a question of using linguistic tools to construct reality. Two elements of the language game metaphor are central here: rules and family resemblance . We argue that rules and family resemblance are central for the construction of identity because they are the link between individual and social realities. We use the concept of narrating to emphasize how individuals construct themselves as meaningful individuals in the world. Narrating is the process by which individuals seek to bridge the gap between the “ought” and the “is”: a process of integration. It seeks to integrate past, present and future; it seeks to integrate logic and values; and it seeks to integrate individual and social worlds. Narrating is conditioned on rules and family resemblance. As such, managing identity in organizations is closely linked to rules and family resemblance. Organizations manage identity through the definition of norms and values for right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, to name but a few. Norms and values are important as reference points for constructing identities. Managing identity has become more important because the rules-of-the-game have become more unstable. Managing identity is important if the bonds between individuals and organizations are to be sustained. But this task is contradictory and paradoxical of its very nature because the conditioning factors of these bonds, rules and family resemblances may be eroded by change.
Feasibility and Application of 3-Dimensional Ultrasound for Measurement of Gastric Volumes in Healthy Adults and Adolescents

Objectives:Abnormal gastric accommodation to a meal results in dyspepsia. Current methods to measure gastric volume (GV) are invasive or involve ionizing radiation. The aims of this study were to compare fasting and postprandial (PP) GVs measured by 99mTc-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and 3-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) in adults, to assess the performance characteristics of 3D-US measurement of GV during fasting and postprandially, and to develop normative data of GVs in 24 healthy adolescents. Patients and Methods:Eleven adults underwent SPECT and 3D-US simultaneously to measure GV, and a second 3D-US alone within 1 week of the first study. Twenty-four adolescents underwent 1 3D-US measurement. Each study included fasting, a 300-mL Ensure meal, and 0 to 30-minute PP GV measurements. Results:3D-US identifies GV accommodation to 300 mL Ensure. Delta (0–30 minutes average PP fasting) GV was 444 mL (median, interquartile range [IQR] = 422, 534) for 3D-US and 543 mL (median, IQR = 486, 564) for SPECT (P = 0.15). There were larger interindividual coefficients of variation for GV by 3D-US (60.3% fasting and 21.3% average PP) compared with 19% fasting and 9.2% PP for SPECT. Intraindividual coefficients of variation for the 2 3D-US measurements in adults were 84% fasting and 44% average PP. The estimated GVs for the adolescent group (median [25th–75th IQR]) were 33 (18–53) mL fasting, 330 (284–357) mL 30 minutes PP, and 281 (240–324) mL for delta GV. Conclusions:3D-US is a promising method to measure GV accommodation to a meal. Large coefficients of variation reflect the learning stage in development of this promising technique.
Essential elements of high quality professional development for teachers of two elementary school districts

Professional development for teachers is critical. Often, professional deve lopment sessions lack essential elements needed to assist in the development of high quality teachers. This study looked at such elements in a model of professional development already in existence. The purpose of this study was to investigate various profes ional development models in the literature and to gather professional development data r elating to the Teaching American History grants in the Lawndale Elementary and W iseburn School Districts to determine what elements are common to high quality professiona l development. The importance of this study was to make available to education the critical elements necessary to design, plan, and implement high quality profess ional development. “If we don’t have great teachers, we won’t have great students” (H as el, 1999, p. 2). The study was descriptive in nature. Surveys were given to fifty teachers, fift en principals, ten scholars, and eighteen coaches from both school districts. Inter views were held with the superintendent of each school district. Individuals selected were involve d with the Teaching American History Grant. The surveys and interviews were int nded to elicit data regarding the frequency of identified critical elements in the Teaching American History grant as well as prioritizing elements that are esse ntial to high quality professional development. The study concluded with an examination of the critical elements that led to the success of the Teaching American History Grant as well as identifyi ng critical elements that are essential to high quality professional development. Professional development 1 Chapter 1: The Problem
New Horizons Mapping of Europa and Ganymede

The New Horizons spacecraft observed Jupiter's icy satellites Europa and Ganymede during its flyby in February and March 2007 at visible and infrared wavelengths. Infrared spectral images map H2O ice absorption and hydrated contaminants, bolstering the case for an exogenous source of Europa's “non-ice” surface material and filling large gaps in compositional maps of Ganymede's Jupiter-facing hemisphere. Visual wavelength images of Europa extend knowledge of its global pattern of arcuate troughs and show that its surface scatters light more isotropically than other icy satellites.
Nonlinearities in Industrial motion stages - detection and classification

Detection and classification of nonlinearities in motion systems becomes of increasing importance with high demands on (closed loop) performance. In this paper two methods are compared that aim to measure both the linearized dynamics and the influence of nonlinearities. First, a broadband signal is used to measure a linear approximation of the systems dynamics. This method uses multisine signals with identical amplitude spectrum, but randomly distributed phases. Averaging over multiple periodic responses to the same signal and over multiple realizations of the random phase multisine allows the computation of the level of nonlinearities and external disturbances separately. This yields both a linear approximation of the systems dynamics and the amount of nonlinear `disturbance' as a function of frequency. Second, single sine based measurements are used to measure the Higher Order Sinusoidal Input Describing Functions (HOSIDF) of the system under test. HOSIDFs describe the response of the system by describing not only the `direct' response (gain and phase shift) of the system at the input frequency, but by describing the response at higher harmonics of the input frequency as well. This yields a quantitative measure of the power generated by nonlinearities at harmonics of the input frequency as a function of this frequency and the signal amplitude. In the paper these methods are utilized to acquire a non-parametric model for an industrial high precision stage. The effects of and sources for nonlinear influences are discussed for this particular case as well.
Ligustrazine Attenuates Myocardial Injury Induced by Coronary Microembolization in Rats by Activating the PI3K/Akt Pathway

Background/Aims Coronary microembolization- (CME-) induced myocardial injury and progressive cardiac dysfunction are mainly caused due to CME-induced myocardial local inflammatory response and myocardial apoptosis. Ligustrazine plays an important protective role in multiple cardiovascular diseases, but its role and the protection mechanism in CME is unclear. This study hypothesized that ligustrazine attenuates CME-induced myocardial injury in rats. This study also explored the mechanism underlying this attenuation. Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into CME group, ligustrazine group, ligustrazine+LY294002 (ligustrazine+LY) group, and sham group (ten rats in each). In each group, the cardiac function, apoptotic index, serum c-troponin I (cTnI) level, inflammation [interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α)], and oxidative stress [nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA)] were determined. Western blotting was used to detect the proteins which are present in the PI3K/Akt pathway. Results Ligustrazine improved cardiac dysfunction induced by CME, increased serum NO and SOD activities, and decreased the serum level in IL-1β, MDA, cTnI, and TNF-α. Moreover, ligustrazine inhibited myocardial apoptosis, which is perhaps caused by the upregulated Bcl-2, the downregulated cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, and the increased protein level in endothelial nitric oxide synthase and phosphorylated Akt. These effects, however, were reduced if ligustrazine was coadministered with LY294002. Conclusions Ligustrazine attenuates CME-induced myocardial injury. The effects associated with this attenuation may be achieved by activating the myocardium PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Separating Candidate Valence and Proximity Voting: Determinants of Competitors’ Non-Policy Appeal*

Previous scholarship has provided ample evidence that non-spatial considerations can trump voters’ policy preferences in candidate selections. The literature has been less successful, however, in providing a sense of the factors that raise candidates’ non-policy appeal. Faced with the challenging task of separating policy and non-policy aspects of individual vote choices, empirical research has frequently relied on shorthand measures like candidate incumbency. This paper separates the valence component from policy-based candidate selections by explicitly supplying voters with information on the policy agreement between themselves and their district candidates. Relying on the distinction between campaign valence and character valence by Stone and Simas, it is shown that candidate valence is driven by candidate visibility in a party-dominated political system.
Assessment of Low-Density Lipoprotein Targets

The clinical importance of lowering of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) to decrease cardiovascular (CV) risk has been verified over many years starting with significant support in 1984 of the then previous lipid hypothesis. Significant support of this hypothesis began that year with publication of the Lipid Research Clinic study. Since then, multiple other studies including outcomes studies have established the value of LDL-C reduction in decreasing CV risk. In addition, multiple other factors such as inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, nitric oxide, antioxidant properties, and plaque stabilization appear important for modifying CV risk and possible favorable alterations by medications such as statins must be considered. Nevertheless, reduction of LDL-C has well-established value and is being accepted by clinicians as a major guideline for CV disease prevention. However, there are still problems with adherence by many clinicians to CV risk modification. Therefore, abandoning LDL-C reduction as a target, as has been advocated by some, appears premature and contraindicated. A strategy of LDL-C reduction in no way interferes with increased understanding of the complexities of atherosclerosis and new approaches to CV disease prevention as they become supported by outcomes studies.
Contrôle optimal des écoulements par des modèles d'ordre réduit basés sur la POD et la PGD

In order to reduce drastically the CPU time and storage memory required in optimal control of flow problems, it is possible to use model reduction methods such as POD (Proper Orthogonal Decomposition). The major disadvantage of the POD approach is that the basis is only valid for the neighborhood of the parameter for which it was built. The interest in this communication is turned to the adaptation of these bases respectivly to control parameter variations. Two adaptation approaches are considered. The first one uses an interpolation method based on calculus of geodesic paths on the Grassmann manifold. The second approach uses the Proper Generalized Decomposition (PGD) considered here as a correction method. This method consists in enriching a basis by reducing the error of the approximated solution. These different approaches are applied to control the lid-driven cavity flow in which sources coexist. Mots clefs : Modèle d’ordre réduit, POD, PGD, Contrôle optimal, Interpolation de bases, Grassmann 23ème Congrès Français de Mécanique Lille, 28 au 1er Septembre 2017
Integrating Landsat TM/ETM+ and Numerical Modeling to Estimate Water Temperature in the Tigris River under Future Climate and Management Scenarios

Modeling the water quality of rivers and assessing the effects of changing conditions is often hindered by a lack of in situ measurements for calibration. Here, we use a combination of satellite measurements, statistical models, and numerical modeling with CE-QUAL-W2 to overcome in situ data limitations and evaluate the effect of changing hydrologic and climate conditions on water temperature (Tw) in the Tigris River, one of the largest rivers in the Middle East. Because few in situ estimates of Tw were available, remotely-sensed estimates of Tw were obtained from Landsat satellite images at roughly 2 week intervals for the year 2009 at the upstream model boundary (Mosul Dam) and two locations further downstream, Baeji and Baghdad. A regression was then developed between air temperature and Landsat Tw in order to estimate daily Tw. These daily Tw were then used for the upstream model boundary condition and for model calibration downstream. Modeled Tw at downstream locations agreed well with Landsat-based statistical estimates with an absolute mean error of <1 °C. A model sensitivity analysis suggested that altering upstream river discharge had little impact on downstream Tw. By contrast, a climate change scenario in which air temperatures were increased by 2 °C resulted in a 0.9 °C and 1.5 °C increase in Tw at Baeji and Baghdad, respectively. Since Tw is a fundamental state variable in water quality models, our approach can be used to improve water quality models when in situ data are scarce.
Brushite cement additives inhibit attachment to cell culture beads

Brushite‐forming calcium phosphate cements are of great interest as bone replacement materials because they are resorbable in physiological conditions. Cell‐attached culture beads formed from this material could be of great use for cell therapy. Despite a significant amount of work on optimizing the physicochemical properties of these materials, there are very few studies that have evaluated the capacity of the materials to facilitate cell adhesion. In this study, we have formed resorbable calcium phosphate (brushite) culture beads and for the first time we showed that cell attachment to the surface of the brushite cement (BC) could be inhibited by the presence of an intermediate dicalcium phosphate–citrate complex, formed in the cement as a result of using citric acid, a retardant and viscosity modifier used in many cement formulations. The BC beads formed from the mixture of β‐TCP/orthophosphoric acid using citric acid did not allow cell attachment without further treatment. Ageing of BC beads in serum‐free Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) solution at 37°C for 1 week greatly enhanced the cell adhesion capacity of the material. Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and confocal Raman microspectrometry indicated the increased capacity for cell adhesion was due to the changes in phase composition of BC. XRD patterns collected before and after ageing in aqueous solution and a high initial mass loss, suggest the formation of a dicalcium phosphate–citrate complex within the matrix. Since compacts formed from brushite powder supported cell attachment, it was hypothesized that the dicalcium phosphate–citrate complex prevented attachment to the cement surface. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1487–1494. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Working Through Conflict: Two Examples of Agreement in Community Forestry

Supervisory Committee Dr. James C.B. Lawson, Political Science Supervisor Dr. Patricia Mackenzie, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, Social Work Departmental Member Dr. Karena Shaw, Environmental Studies Outside Member Developing a community forest in British Columbia involves multiple stakeholder agreements; negotiating agreement within diverse communities can be especially complicated. In this study I use the constant comparative method from grounded theory to compare data from two case studies and examine the conflict resolution techniques used by community forest developers throughout their development initiatives. Data were collected through interviews with community forest developers with a focus on the process of development, the conflict resolution strategies used, and the successes and failures throughout the process. The findings from this thesis indicate that community forest developers engage in a process that I call Developing a Community Forest. This process includes five categories of action: Building an Idea of Community Forestry, Being Aware of the Box, Coming Toward Conflict, Using Dispute Resolution Strategies, and Practicing Community Forestry. By articulating this process future community forest developers can access the methods of conflict resolution described in this thesis in their attempts to successfully develop community forestry in other local forest areas.
You Cannot Give What You Do Not Have: Assessing the Association between the Financial Concerns and the Competence of Ghanaian Senior High School Teachers to Teach Personal Finance

A survey of practicing Senior High School teachers in Ghana was conducted to determine teachers’ personal finance concerns and how that is associated with their competence to teach personal finance. A non-parametric statistical analysis was employed because the required sample of the population (Senior High School teachers in Ghana) could not be obtained. The results indicate that personal finance concerns correlates positively with ability to teach personal finance. Therefore, it was recommended that financial planners and institutions where these teachers seek practical financial solutions to their financial challenges should be incorporated in the financial literacy initiatives of second cycle schools.
Short Term Interest Rates Have a Negative Impact on Stock Returns; A Panel Data Analysis for Many European Economies

In the present paper the negative impact of interest rates on stock returns will be estimated for the European economies. Data are monthly during the year 2008 and cover the following countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The elaboration of data is made feasible by using Eviews software package.
Are Crop Yields Normally Distributed?

The evidence for nonnormality of crop yields is reassessed. Three methodological problems are identified in typical yield distribution analyses: (i) misspecification of the nonrandom components of yield distributions, (ii) misreporting of statistical significance, and (iii) use of aggregate time-series (ATS) data to represent farm-level yield distributions. One or more of these problems infect virtually all evidence against normality to date. The positive contribution of the article is a set of principles that must be followed in any valid investigation of yield normality.