Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cannabis use in early adolescence: Evidence of amygdala hypersensitivity to signals of threat

Cannabis use in adolescence may be characterized by differences in the neural basis of affective processing. In this study, we used an fMRI affective face processing task to compare a large group ( n = 70) of 14-year olds with a history of cannabis use to a group ( n = 70) of never-using controls matched on numerous characteristics including IQ, SES, alcohol and cigarette use. The task contained short movies displaying angry and neutral faces. Results indicated that cannabis users had greater reactivity in the bilateral amygdalae to angry faces than neutral faces, an effect that was not observed in their abstinent peers. In contrast, activity levels in the cannabis users in cortical areas including the right temporal- parietal junction and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex did not discriminate between the two face conditions, but did differ in controls. Results did not change after excluding subjects with any psychiatric symptomology. Given the high density of cannabinoid receptors in the amygdala, our ﬁndings suggest cannabis use in early adolescence is associated with hypersensitivity to signals of threat.
annabis use in early adolescence : Evidence of amygdala ypersensitivity to signals of threat hilip

Cannabis use in adolescence may be characterized by differences in the neural basis of affective processing. In this study, we used an fMRI affective face processing task to compare a large group (n = 70) of 14-year olds with a history of cannabis use to a group (n = 70) of never-using controls matched on numerous characteristics including IQ, SES, alcohol and cigarette use. The task contained short movies displaying angry and neutral faces. Results indicated that cannabis users had greater reactivity in the bilateral amygdalae to angry faces than neutral faces, an effect that was not observed in their abstinent peers. In contrast, activity levels in the cannabis users in cortical areas including the right temporal-
Sex differences in associations between insulin resistance , heart rate variability and 1 arterial stiffness in healthy women and men : a physiology study 2 3

1 arterial stiffness in healthy women and men: a physiology study 2 3 Luke Anthony Rannelli MD MSc 1 , Jennifer M. MacRae MD MSc 1,2,3 , Michelle C. Mann 4 PhD 1,3 , Sharanya Ramesh BSc 1,3 , Brenda R. Hemmelgarn MD PhD 1,2,3,4 , Doreen Rabi 5 MD MSc 1,3,4 , Darlene Y. Sola BScN 2,3 , Sofia B. Ahmed MD MMSc 1,2,3 6 7 1 Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 8 2 Alberta Kidney Disease Network 9 3 Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta 10 4 Institute for Public Health, University of Calgary 11 12 13 14 15 Word Count (text only): 3170, Tables: 2, Figures: 2, References: 45 16 17 Corresponding author and person to whom reprint requests should be addressed: 18 Sofia B. Ahmed MD MMSc FRCPC 19 1403-29 th St. NW, C210, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 2T9 20 Telephone: (403) 944-2745 21 Fax: (403) 944-2876 22 Email: sofia.ahmed@albertahealthservices.ca 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Nondestructive Collection of Natural Snow Specimens for Use With CT Scan Analysis

Recently, CT (CAT) scanning technology has been utilized to analyze snow and ice samples. To facilitate applying this technology to natural snow, a procedure has been developed that allows snow specimens to be transported from an outdoor location to the laboratory for the purpose of CT imaging. A snow sample is first obtained in a tubular container. A screen is placed beneath the container, and dimethyl phthalate cooled to a temperature just below O°C is slowly poured in the top of the snow. The wetting front moves downward, filling the pore space and expelling air out the base of the specimen. Packing the sample in dry ice freezes the substance in the pore space, protecting the snow microstructure and prohibiting metamorphism during transportation. The methodology presented is intended for CT imaging, which offers a nondestructive means to investigate grain structure and intergranular bonding, but is also applicable to surface sectioning. CT scans demonstrate that this technique provides adequate penetration of the dimethyl phthalate into the interstitial pores to prevent structural damage or metamorphism of the snow. Differences in X-ray absorption provide distinction between the ice grains and the dimethyl phthalate filled pore space.
Approximation of insurance liability contracts using radial basis functions

ABSTRACT We introduce the Option Interpolation Model (OIM) for accurate approximation of embedded option values in insurance liabilities. Accurate approximation is required for ex-ante risk management applications. The OIM is based on interpolation with radial basis functions, which can interpolate scattered data, and does not suffer from the curse of dimensionality. To reduce computation time we present an inversion method to determine the interpolation function weights. The robustness, accuracy and efficiency of the OIM are investigated in several numerical experiments. We show that the OIM results in highly accurate approximations.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Effect of alendronic acid on fracture healing: A multi-centre randomised placebo-controlled trial

There is a concern that bisphosphonates may impair fracture healing due to their inhibitory effects on bone turnover. Here we evaluated the effects of early bisphosphonate therapy on fracture healing and functional outcome following a fracture of the distal radius. The fracture and bisphosphonates (FAB) trial was a double blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial involving 15 trauma centres in the UK. We enrolled 421 bisphosphonate naïve patients aged ≥50 years with a radiographically confirmed fracture of the distal radius and randomised them in a 1:1 ratio to receive alendronic acid 70mg once weekly (n=215) or placebo (n=206) within 14 days. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of fractures that had radiologically united at 4-weeks as assessed by an observer, blinded to treatment allocation. Secondary outcomes included the Disability Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, range of wrist movement and grip strength, pain and analgesia requirements and the rate of malunion. The mean (±SD) age of participants was 63 ± 8.5 years and 362 (86%) were female. At 4 weeks, 48/202 (23.8%) of fractures had united in the alendronic acid group compared with 52/187 (27.8%) in the placebo group (observed mean difference 4.0%; 95% CI -4.7% to 12.8%; p=0.36). The mean difference between groups based on imputed data was 4.5% (95% CI -4.7% to 13.8%; p=0.30). There was no significant difference in the proportion of fractures that had united at any other timepoint and no differences in the DASH score, pain at the fracture site, grip strength or any other clinical outcome. We conclude that among patients aged 50 and above with a distal radius fracture, early administration of alendronic acid does not adversely affect fracture union or clinical outcome. These findings suggest bisphosphonate therapy can be safely commenced early after fracture if clinically indicated.
Genetic variation underlying cognition and its relation with neurological outcomes and brain imaging

Cognition in adults shows variation due to developmental and degenerative components. A recent genome-wide association study identified genetic variants for general cognitive function in 148 independent loci. Here, we aimed to elucidate possible developmental and neurodegenerative pathways underlying these genetic variants by relating them to functional, clinical and neuroimaging outcomes. This study was conducted within the population-based Rotterdam Study (N=11,496, mean age 65.3±9.9 years, 58.0% female). We used lead variants for general cognitive function to construct a polygenic score (PGS), and additionally excluded developmental variants at multiple significance thresholds. A higher PGS was related to more years of education (β=0.29, p=4.3x10-7) and a larger intracranial volume (β=0.05, p=7.5x10-4). To a smaller extent, the PGS was associated with less cognitive decline (βΔG-factor=0.03, p=1.3x10-3), which became non-significant after adjusting for education (p=1.6x10-2). No associations were found with daily functioning, dementia, parkinsonism, stroke or microstructural white matter integrity. Excluding developmental variants attenuated nearly all associations. In conclusion, this study suggests that the genetic variants identified for general cognitive function are acting mainly through the developmental pathway of cognition. Therefore, cognition, assessed cross-sectionally, seems to have limited value as a biomarker for neurodegeneration.
Mitogen‐activated protein kinase dependency in BRAF/RAS wild‐type melanoma: A rationale for combination inhibitors

Inhibitors targeting the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and immune checkpoint molecules have dramatically improved the survival of patients with BRAFV600‐mutant melanoma. For BRAF/RAS wild‐type (WT) melanoma patients, however, immune checkpoint inhibitors remain the only effective therapeutic option with 40% of patients responding to PD‐1 inhibition. In the present study, a large panel of 10 BRAFV600‐mutant and 13 BRAF/RAS WT melanoma cell lines was analyzed to examine MAPK dependency and explore the potential utility of MAPK inhibitors in this melanoma subtype. We now show that the majority of BRAF/RAS WT melanoma cell lines (8/13) display some degree of sensitivity to trametinib treatment and resistance to trametinib in this melanoma subtype is associated with, but not mediated by NF1 suppression. Although knockdown of NF1 stimulates RAS and CRAF activity, the activation of CRAF by NF1 knockdown is limited by ERK‐dependent feedback in BRAF‐mutant cells, but not in BRAF/RAS WT melanoma cells. Thus, NF1 is not a dominant regulator of MAPK signaling in BRAF/RAS WT melanoma, and co‐targeting multiple MAP kinase nodes provides a therapeutic opportunity for this melanoma subtype.
Data-Driven Prediction of Mechanical Properties in Support of Rapid Certification of Additively Manufactured Alloys

Predicting the mechanical properties of additively manufactured parts is often a tedious process, requiring integration of multiple stand-alone and expensive simulations. Furthermore, as properties are highly location-dependent due to repeated heating and cooling cycles, the properties prediction models must be run for all locations, thus compounding the computational expense, before the part-level performance can be analyzed for certification. This work has proposed a rapid prediction framework that replaces the physics-based mechanistic models with Gaussian process (GP) metamodels, a type of machine learning model for limited data and statistical inference, that can predict the varying properties in an entire part in a fraction of the time. The framework was demonstrated with the prediction of the tensile yield strength of Ferrium® PH48S maraging stainless steel fabricated by additive manufacturing processes. An impressive agreement was found between the metamodels and the mechanistic models, while the computation was sped up dramatically from hours of physics-based simulations to less than a second with GP metamodels. This method can be extended to predict various materials properties in different alloy systems whose process-structure-property-performance interrelationships are linked by mechanistic models, which can then be replaced by GP metamodels, providing fast and accurate estimations with uncertainty quantification. This approach is powerful for rapid identification of spatially-variant properties within a part where compositional and processing parameter variations are present, and can support part certification by providing a fast interface between materials models with part-level thermal and performance simulations.
Paraphilias, Sociodemographic and Forensic Profiles of Men Convicted of Sexual Offenses in Turkey

This study investigated the psychiatric, paraphilic, and forensic profiles of men who were convicted of sexual offenses. It also examined childhood trauma exposure in the group with potential paraphilia. The study was performed in the closed prison located in the Istanbul Silivri Penal Institutions Campus. The interview data of 100 men convicted of sexual offenses were obtained from the psychiatric interview notes based on the DSM-5 criteria, the results of the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire administered to the participants with paraphilia, and the forensic profiles from examination files. It was found that 39% of individuals were drug users and 36% were alcohol users. Considering the crime scenes, 42% of men convicted of sexual offenses committed the offense in their own house. Pedophilia was the most common among men with paraphilia (59%). The victim age was significantly lower (p < .001), and the male victim ratio was higher (p < .05) in the group with paraphilia than in the group without paraphilia. Sexual offenses against children aged 10 years and below and against males may be suggestive of paraphilia and an increased risk of recidivism.
Comparison of Biofilm Media in Reciprocating Biofilters Treating Dairy Flushwater

Reciprocating biofilters known as ReCip is a viable technology to manage nutrients, mainly nitrogen, problems at livestock operations such as swine farms and dairies. Past studies have demonstrated that ReCip is more adept at total nitrogen (TN) removal than traditional subsurface flow wetland systems. The traditional substrate used to attach biomass was rock aggregate; this media may be hard to obtain for some agricultural projects, so alternate substrates are tested and compared with the rock aggregate. The purpose of the study was twofold: first, different biofilm media were tested and compared in terms of treatment performance and, second, the long-term performance of a ReCip in continuous operation for 3 years was characterized. Four, 2.67 square meter ReCip systems with different treatment media – rock aggregate, recycled concrete aggregate (RCA), vertical-flow plastic media, and walnut shells – were operated at a 2-day THRT over the course of a 16 week study. The TN removal efficiencies for rock aggregate, RCA, plastic media, and walnut shell media were 43%, 53%, 25%, and 69% respectively. Surface based mass TN removal rates for the same media were 103, 128, 172, and 276 kg/ha-d respectively. A 134.2 square meter ReCip with rock aggregate media was running concurrently with the smaller ReCip systems. This ReCip was constructed ant operated since January 2010. TN removal efficiency and mass removal rate were 44% and 105 kg/ha-day. These values were close to results from the smaller rock media system.
tRNA queuosine modification is involved in biofilm formation and virulence in bacteria

Abstract tRNA modifications are crucial for fine-tuning of protein translation. Queuosine (Q) modification of tRNAs is thought to modulate the translation rate of NAU codons, but its physiological role remains elusive. Therefore, we hypothesize that Q-tRNAs control those physiological processes involving NAU codon-enriched genes (Q-genes). Here, we report a novel bioinformatic strategy to predict Q-genes, revealing a widespread enrichment in functions, especially those related to biofilm formation and virulence in bacteria, and particularly in human pathogens. Indeed, we experimentally verified that these processes were significantly affected by altering the degree of tRNA Q-modification in different model bacteria, representing the first report of a general mechanism controlling biofilm formation and virulence in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria possibly through the coordination of the expression of functionally related genes. Furthermore, we propose that changes in Q availability in a microbiome would affect its functionality. Our findings open the door to the control of bacterial infections and biofilm formation by inhibition of tRNA Q-modification.
Interpreters as Translation Machines: Telephone Interpreting Challenges as Awareness Problems

Telehealth has been widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this article examines challenges faced by telephone interpreters in working with healthcare providers in the context of the Australian healthcare system. Based on one-on-one interviews with 67 healthcare interpreters in Australia, it explores various elements which affect communication processes in telephone interpreting and interpreters’ views on healthcare providers’ abilities to collaborate with interpreters. Data analysis indicates that telephone interpreting is often affected by a lack of briefing, poor acoustics and the absence of visual cues. While these factors pose significant challenges to telephone interpreters, a provider’s tendency to see interpreters as ‘translation machines’ was perceived as a deeper underlying problem by the interpreters. The mechanistic approaches to interpreting among healthcare providers pose barriers to interpreter–provider collaboration and exacerbate communication problems caused by the external elements in telephone-interpreted encounters. The article calls for urgent need to raise awareness of interpreting among healthcare providers as a key to ensuring desirable health outcomes for patients from minority backgrounds.
IL‐17A is involved in the hyperplasia of blood vessels in local lesions of psoriasis by inhibiting autophagy

Increased angiogenesis is a pathological feature of psoriasis, but the pathomechanisms of angiogenesis in psoriasis are not clear. Interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) is the major effect factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Our results showed that IL‐17A can promote angiogenesis and cause endothelial cell inflammation. Autophagy plays an important role not only in regulating inflammation, but also in regulating angiogenesis. Whether angiogenesis in psoriasis is related to autophagy remains unclear. In this study, we treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with IL‐17A to simulate increased angiogenesis to study whether increased angiogenesis in psoriasis is related to autophagy.
Mpox risk perception and associated factors among Chinese young men who have sex with men: Results from a large cross‐sectional survey

The mpox outbreak since 2022 had attacked the community of men who have sex with men (MSM) heavily. This large cross‐sectional study investigated the levels and associated factors of mpox risk perception among young MSM (YMSM) aged 18–29 years in six provincial regions of China in September 2022. The participants were recruited via facility‐based sampling. Mpox risk perception was measured by perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of mpox. Geodetector was used to measure stratified heterogeneity of mpox risk perception. Univariate and multivariable linear regressions were used to examine the factors associated with mpox risk perception. A total of 2493 participants were included with a mean age of 24.6 years. The proportion of perceiving a susceptibility of mpox under different scenarios ranged 3.7%–17.0% and that of perceiving a severity of mpox ranged 81.6%–83.2%. Stratified heterogeneity of perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and overall perceived risk of mpox were observed in several characteristics such as study sites, monthly income, risk behaviors, and psychosocial factors. Multivariable regression showed the level of mpox risk perception was positively associated with having in‐person gathering activities (ba = 0.457, 95% CI: 0.208, 0.705), history of HIV infection (ba = 0.431, 95% CI: 0.028, 0.834), depressive symptoms (ba = 0.069, 95% CI: 0.049, 0.090), and self‐stigma to MSM identity (ba = 0.047, 95% CI: 0.024, 0.071). The Chinese YMSM showed a high level of perceived severity of mpox but a low level of perceived susceptibility. It is warranted to strengthen targeted risk communication of mpox, develop comprehensive and unstigmatized health messages, and provide mental health support for YMSM.
Trends in cognitive function before and after myocardial infarction: findings from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study

Objectives: Incident stroke was associated with cognitive dysfunction after stroke and even before stroke. However, cognitive trends prior to myocardial infarction (MI) and the timeline of cognitive decline in a few years following incident MI remain unclear, especially among the Chinese population. We aimed to evaluate whether MI was associated with cognitive change both before and after MI in China. Methods: This cohort study included 11287 participants without baseline heart problems or stroke from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. The exposure was self-reported MI. The outcomes were scores of cognitive function in five domains, which reflected abilities of episodic memory, visuospatial abilities, orientation, attention and calculation, and global cognition as a summary measure. Linear mixed models explored cognitive function before and after incident MI among the MI participants and the cognitive trends of participants free of MI. Results: During the 7-year follow-up, 421 individuals (3.7% of 11287, mean [SD] age, 60.0 [9.0] years; 59.1% female) experienced MI events. The cognitive scores of participants of both the MI group and the control group without MI declined gradually due to aging. The annual decline rate of the MI group before incident MI was similar to that of the control group during the whole follow-up period. Incident MI was not associated with acute cognitive decline in all five cognitive domains. Moreover, MI did not accelerate the cognitive decline rate after MI compared with the pre-MI cognitive trends. The decline rate of cognitive function after MI was similar to the rate before MI. Conclusions: Different from stroke, participants who had an MI did not show steeper cognitive decline before MI. MI was not associated with acute cognitive decline and accelerated long-term decline after MI. Future studies are needed to learn the mechanisms behind the different patterns of cognitive decline between MI and stroke.
The Effect of Iron Overload on the Mobilization of Peripheral Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Pediatric Patients with Thalassemia Major

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of iron overload on the mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in pediatric patients with β-thalassemia major (TM). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 226 patients with TM from whom PBSCs were collected. Iron overload was based on serum ferritin level, and liver and cardiac iron overload was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2*. Results: The mean age of the TM patients was 7.35 ± 3.41 years. Of the patients, only 171 received MRI. Of the 171 patients, 35 had normal liver iron levels, 39 mild liver iron overload, 90 intermediate liver iron overload, and 7 severe liver iron overload. The intermediate + severe group was associated with significantly higher age and BMI and lower leukapheresis product white blood cell count and CD34+ cell levels (all, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Leukapheresis indices were similar between patients with different degrees of iron overload according to the ferritin level and cardiac iron overload, in which the later might be due to the small number of patients with cardiac overload. In patients with TM, the intermediate and severe liver iron overload was associated with poorer mobilization of PBSCs.