Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association Between Promoter Methylation of Serotonin Transporter Gene and Depressive Symptoms: A Monozygotic Twin Study

Objective Epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. The serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) is a key candidate gene for depression. We examined the association between SLC6A4 promoter methylation variation and depressive symptoms using 84 monozygotic twin pairs. Methods DNA methylation level in the SLC6A4 promoter region was quantified by bisulfite pyrosequencing using genomic DNA isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes. The number of current depressive symptoms was assessed using the Beck Depressive Inventory II (BDI-II). The association between methylation variation and depressive symptoms was examined using matched twin-pair analyses, adjusting for body mass index, smoking, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Multiple testing was controlled by adjusted false discovery rate (q value). Results Intrapair difference in DNA methylation variation at 10 of the 20 studied CpG sites is significantly correlated with intrapair difference in BDI scores. Linear regression using intrapair differences demonstrates that intrapair difference in BDI score was significantly associated with intrapair differences in DNA methylation variation after adjusting for potential confounders and correction for multiple testing. On average, a 10% increase in the difference in mean DNA methylation level was associated with 4.4 increase in the difference in BDI score (95% confidence interval = 0.9–7.9, p = .01). Conclusions This study provides evidence that variation in methylation level within the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene is associated with variation in depressive symptoms in a large sample of monozygotic twin pairs. This relationship is not confounded by genetic and shared environment. The 5-HTTLPR genotype also does not modulate this association.
Web-Streamed Didactic Instruction on Substance Use Disorders Compares Favorably With Live-Lecture Format

ObjectiveEducation about substance use disorders in medical schools and, subsequently, physicians’ identification of and intervention in these diagnoses lag behind that of most other disabling disorders. To reduce barriers and improve access to education about this major public health concern, medical schools are increasingly adopting web-based instruction on substance use and other psychiatric disorders as part of their curricula; however, it is not well known how a web-streamed lecture compares with a traditional one. The authors hypothesized that both these formats would be equally efficacious in terms of knowledge acquisition and student satisfaction.MethodsAuthors conducted a prospective study to test this hypothesis among third-year medical students who received web-streamed lecture on substance use/addiction versus those who received a traditional live lecture.ResultsOf the 243 students, significantly more students completed the on-line lecture series. Of the 216 students in the final study sample, 130 (60%) were assigned to the web-streamed lecture and 86 (40%) to the live lecture. Within-subject comparisons of pre- and post-lecture scores for the entire cohort indicated a significant improvement in the percentage of correct answers (21.0% difference). Although no differences in improved scores between the two groups were found, students in the live-lecture group reported small, but significantly higher levels of satisfaction.ConclusionsThis preliminary work supports the hypothesis that a web-streamed lecture can be at least equally efficacious as a traditional lecture in terms of knowledge acquisition. However, attention needs to be paid to the lower satisfaction levels associated with using the web-streamed format.
10 Altered Gene Expression Pathways in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by the absence of functional dystrophin (Blake et al. 2002). Dystrophin is a cytoskeleton protein normally expressed in the inner face of the plasma membrane (Ahn and Kunkel 1993). In normal skeletal muscle, dystrophin is associated with a complex of glycoproteins known as dystrophin-associated proteins (DAPs), providing a linkage between the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytoskeleton (Batchelor and Winder 2006). Lack of dystrophin in dystrophic muscle results in loss of the complex integrity and allegedly impairs the stability of the plasma membrane causing mechanical stress fragility, and an increase in Ca2+ permeability (Alderton and Steinhardt 2000). But the pathophysiology of muscular dystrophy is not only explained by this increased mechanical fragility and a role for dystrophin and DAPs has been suggested as being part of a protein signaling complex involved in cell survival (Rando 2001). In this chapter we discuss evidence of such a role, which may evidence possible interactions between dystrophin and proteins other than those involved in DAP and possible cell location of dystrophin in regions other than the sarcolemma cytoskeleton.
Models of care in tele-ophthalmology: A scoping review

The objective of this review was to identify and describe telehealth models of care for ophthalmic services. We conducted a scoping review of the literature to identify how ophthalmic care can be delivered by telehealth. We searched the PubMed database to identify relevant articles which were screened based on pre-defined inclusion criteria. For included articles, data were extracted, categorised and analysed. Synthesis of findings was performed narratively. The scoping review included 78 articles describing 62 discrete tele-ophthalmic models of care. Tele-ophthalmic models of care can be used for consultative service, screening, triage and remote supervision. The majority of services were for general eye care and triage (n = 17; 26%) or emergency services (n = 8; 12%). The most common conditions for disease-specific models of care were diabetic retinopathy (n = 14; 21%), and glaucoma (n = 8; 12%). Most models of care involved local clinicians capturing images and transmitting them to an ophthalmologist for assessment. This scoping review demonstrated tele-ophthalmology to be feasible for consultation, screening, triage and remote supervision applications across a broad range of ophthalmic conditions. A large number of models of care have been identified and described in this review. Considerable collaboration between patient-end clinicians and substantial infrastructure is typically required for tele-ophthalmology.
What we remember and what we tell: The effects of culture and self-priming on memory representations and narratives

Two experiments were conducted to explore culture and self-priming effects on memories of Caucasian and Asian American adults (N = 526). In the experimental conditions, either the collective or private self was primed prior to retrieval. Participants then described their earliest childhood memories (Study 1) or recalled a fictional story (Study 2). Systematic cultural differences in memory content were obtained across both memory tasks, independent of priming conditions. Caucasians tended to recall specific, one-moment-in-time events that focused on the individual as the central character. Asians tended to provide memories of general, routine events centring on collective activities and social interactions. Priming effects also emerged: memory content reflected the particular aspect of the self being primed. Findings are discussed in light of the interactive relation between memory representations and memory narratives and the role culture plays in remembering.
Physiological and Behavioral Aspects of Glycemic Control and Hypoglycemia in Diabetes

Homeostatic mechanisms that maintain blood glucose concentration within a narrow physiologic range are complex and redundant. Elaborate feedback loops involving insulin, glucagon, sympathoadrenal mediators, growth hormone, amylin, and incretins normally operate synchronously to keep blood glucose within a narrow set point. Individuals with diabetes have defects in glucose homeostatic pathways, including the counterregulatory pathways that oppose hypoglycemia and ensure sufficient glucose is available to serve the brain’s metabolic needs. Because available interventions to manage hyperglycemia do not precisely mimic physiologic insulin secretion patterns, hypoglycemia can occur any time dosing exceeds demand. Focusing on the practical implications, we review the endocrinological principles underlying normal glucose homeostasis and the defects in regulation and counterregulation, including hypoglycemia unawareness, that occur with diabetes. Iatrogenic and behavioral factors that contribute to hypoglycemia risk and nocturnal hypoglycemia are discussed. A companion manuscript reviews the clinical symptoms and fundamentals of hypoglycemia prevention, recognition, and management.
The Tissue Factor and Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type-1 Response in Pediatric Sepsis-induced Multiple Organ Failure

Summary Study Objective Cytokines increase endothelial tissue factor (TF) and tissue plasminogen activator inhibitor type -1 (PAI-1) expression in vitro. Tissue factor interacts with factor VII to facilitate thrombosis and PAI-1 inhibits fibrinolysis by endogenous plasminogen activators. Because cytokine release is increased in children with sepsisinduced multiple organ failure (MOF), we hypothesized a cytokine associated increase in circulating TF and PAI-1 antigen release, and systemic activity in these patients. Study Design One hundred and seven consecutive children, who met the criteria for sepsis, and 10 critically ill children without sepsis, were enrolled in the study. Plasma TF and PAI-1 antigen and activity levels, Interleukin-6 antigen levels (IL-6), nitrite + nitrate levels (marker of nitric oxide production) and number of organs failing were measured on days 1-3 of sepsis. Results Increased TF and PAI-1 antigen, and PAI-1 activity levels were associated with increasing IL-6 and nitrite + nitrate levels (p <0.05), the development of MOF (p <0.05), and mortality (p <0.05). Increased systemic PAI-1 activity was associated with cardiovascular, renal, and hepatic failure (p <0.05). Increased systemic TF activity was associated with the development of coagulopathy (p <0.05) and tended to be associated with mortality (p =0.06, power .77) Conclusions A shift to an anti-fibrinolytic endothelium phenotype characterizes children who develop sepsis-induced MOF and mortality. Children with coagulopathy have a shift to a pro-coagulant phenotype. These findings support potential therapeutic roles for PAI-1 and TF pathway inhibitors in reversal of this devastating pathophysiologic process.
The Panda3D Graphics Engine

Disney's VR Studio developed Panda3D, a graphics engine and programming environment, to be flexible enough to support everything from real-time graphics applications to the development of high-end virtual reality theme park attractions or video games. The acronym itself lists Panda's primary features as platform-agnostic, networked, display architecture. As a result of its powerful and flexible design, much of the Panda system's architecture reflects the occasionally opposing goals of performance and versatility.
Activation-induced Association of a 145-kDa Tyrosine-phosphorylated Protein with Shc and Syk in B Lymphocytes and Macrophages (*)

Engagement of many cell surface receptors results in tyrosine phosphorylation of an overlapping set of protein substrates. Some proteins, such as the adaptor protein Shc, and a frequently observed Shc-associated protein, p145, are common substrates in a variety of receptor signaling pathways and are thus of special interest. Tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc and p145 coprecipitated with anti-Shc antibodies following B cell antigen receptor (BCR) cross-linking or interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor activation in B cells, and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment or IgG Fc receptor (FcR) cross-linking in macrophages. In the case of BCR stimulation, we have shown that this represented the formation of an inducible complex. Furthermore, in response to LPS activation or FcR cross-linking of macrophages and BCR cross-linking (but not IL-4 treatment) of B cells, we observed a similar tyrosine-phosphorylated p145 protein associated with the tyrosine kinase Syk. We did not detect any Shc associated with Syk, indicating that a trimolecular complex of Shc, Syk, and p145 was not formed in significant amounts. By several criteria, the Syk-associated p145 was very likely the same protein as the previously identified Shc-associated p145. The Syk-associated p145 and the Shc-associated p145 exhibited identical mobility by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and identical patterns of induced tyrosine phosphorylation. The p145 protein that coprecipitated with either Shc or Syk bound to a GST-Shc fusion protein. In addition, a monoclonal antibody developed against Shc-associated p145 also immunoblotted the Syk-associated p145. The observations that p145 associated with both Shc and Syk proteins, in response to stimulation of a variety of receptors, suggest that it plays an important role in coordinating early signaling events.
Impact of Intercore Crosstalk on the Transmission Distance of QAM Formats in Multicore Fibers

We investigate the impact of intercore crosstalk on the achievable transmission distance of three square quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) formats. We show that increasing intercore crosstalk across an 18 dB range starting from -43.4 dB/100 km reduces the achievable transmission distance for all formats, with a greater impact on higher order modulation formats. For a crosstalk level arising from equal signal launch power in each core of a homogeneous 7-core fiber, we measure a reduced transmission distance at BER 1/4 1.5 × 10-2 of 24%, 38% and 54%, for polarization-division-multiplexed-quadrature phase-shift keying (PDM-QPSK), PDM-16QAM, and PDM-64QAM, respectively. Finally, we investigate the potential impact that dynamic crosstalk variation could have in transmission systems based on multicore fiber and estimate the achievable reach for an outage probability of 1 × 10-5 in the presence of dynamically varying intercore crosstalk.
Preclinical and Phase I Clinical Studies with Ckd‐602, a Novel Camptothecin Derivative

Preclinical studies of CKD-602 demonstrated broad antitumor activity against various human tumor cell lines, and the results were equal or superior to those of camptothecin (CPT) and topotecan (TPT), a clinically active antitumor drug.2,3 CKD-602 was less active than CPT against L1210 in vitro; the IC50 value was 0.55 μg/ml and 0.2 μg/ml, respectively. However, it showed superior in vivo antitumor activity to CPT against L1210 (ILS% was 168 and 110, respectively), and superior to TPT against L1210 leukemia (ILS% was 168 and 127, respectively), P388 leukemia, Lewis lung carcinoma, and B16 melanoma. CKD-602 treatment resulted in tumor regression, extensive tumor growth delays even in highly resistant CX-1 colon tumor (the IR% of CKD-602 was 88, whereas that of TPT was 70), and a broader therapeutic dosage range than TPT ([R/E]max value was 1.33 and 3.44, respectively). Preliminary studies showed that the intermittent dosing schedule showed superior antitumor activity to a single dose schedule.4 In studies of CKD-602 against a panel of human tumor xenografts comprised of colon and breast carcinoma, greater activity and higher [R/E]max values were obtained than with TPT.
Impaired SLAM-SLAM Homotypic Interaction between Invariant NKT Cells and Dendritic Cells Affects Differentiation of IL-4/IL-10-Secreting NKT2 Cells in Nonobese Diabetic Mice1

The regulatory function of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells for tolerance induction and prevention of autoimmunity is linked to a specific cytokine profile that comprises the secretion of type 2 cytokines like IL-4 and IL-10 (NKT2 cytokine profile). The mechanism responsible for iNKT cell differentiation toward a type 2 phenotype is unknown. Herein we show that costimulatory signals provided by the surface receptor signaling lymphocytic activation molecule (SLAM) on myeloid dendritic cells (mDC) to iNKT cells is crucial for NKT2 orientation. Additionally, we demonstrate that the impaired acquisition of an NKT2 cytokine phenotype in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice that spontaneously develop autoimmune diabetes is due to defective SLAM-induced signals generated by NOD mDC. Mature mDC of C57BL/6 mice express SLAM and induce C57BL/6 or NOD iNKT cells to acquire a predominant NKT2 cytokine phenotype in response to antigenic stimulation with the iNKT cell-specific Ag, the α-galactosylceramide. In contrast, mature NOD mDC express significantly lower levels of SLAM and are unable to promote GATA-3 (the SLAM-induced intracellular signal) up-regulation and IL-4/IL-10 production in iNKT cells from NOD or C57BL/6 mice. NOD mice carry a genetic defect of the Slamf1 gene that is associated with reduced SLAM expression on double-positive thymocytes and altered iNKT cell development in the thymus. Our data suggest that the genetic Slamf1 defect in NOD mice also affects SLAM expression on other immune cells such as the mDC, thus critically impairing the peripheral differentiation of iNKT cells toward a regulatory NKT2 type.
Issues in Caribbean Food Security: Building Capacity in Local Food Production Systems

In this section I will discuss some key concepts of food security which will frame the discussion of the issue in the Caribbean context. The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) defines food security as a condition where “. all people at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO, 2002). Four broad dimensions of food security are usually identifiedavailability-the supply of food in an area, access-the physical and economic ability of people to obtain food, utilizationthe proper consumption of food and stabilitythe sustainability of food supplies (World Food Program, 2009). Availability speaks to the supply of food and is influenced by factors such as food production, stockpiled food reserves and trade (EC-FAO Food Security Programme, 2008). Aspects of food availability include the agro-climatic essentials of crop and animal production and the sociocultural and economic milieu in which farmers operate (Schmidhuber and Tubiello, 2007). The second dimension access addresses the ability of individuals and households to purchase food. It takes into consideration the availability of financial resources to acquire adequate food both in terms of quantity and quality. Concerns about access take cognizance of the fact that availability of adequate food at the national or international level does not guarantee individual or household food security (EC-FAO Food Security Programme, 2008; Schmidhuber and Tubiello, 2007). The issue of entitlements is therefore critical (Sen, 1981). Entitlements maybe defined as “the set of those commodity bundles over which a person can establish command given the legal political, economic and social arrangements of the community of which he or she is a member” (Schmidhuber and Tubiello, 2008 p.19703). The dimension of utilization is closely related to consumption patterns and behaviour which impact nutritional status and hence health and productivity. It is also related to food safety, preparation, and diversity in diets (EC-FAO Food Security Programme, 2008; Schmidhuber and Tubiello, 2007). The fourth dimension stability refers to long term consistency in the other three dimensions. It accounts for the reality of individual or households losing access and becoming food insecure periodically, seasonally, temporarily or permanently (EC-FAO Food Security Programme, 2008; Schmidhuber and Tubiello, 2007). Food security objectives cannot be genuinely met unless these four dimensions are concurrently fulfilled.
Importance of Fatalism in Understanding Mammography Screening in Rural Elderly Women

ABSTRACT This study examined the relationship between demographic factors and other correlates of fatalism, and assessed the impact of fatalistic beliefs on the participation in breast cancer screening in rural women. The subjects were 220 women aged 50 and over recruited from 6 large rural counties in South Carolina. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and the revised Powe Fatalism Inventory. Results show significant associations between fatalism and increased age (p = 0.005), race (p = 0.0001), doctor recommendation (p =.0034) and decreased educational level (p = 0.001). Fatalism was associated with noncompliance with mammography screening in univariate analysis among African-American women (OR =.362; 95% CI: 1.11, 11.8). After adjusting for possible confounders (age, education, and doctor recommendation), fatalism was not significantly associated with non-compliance with screening. These results illustrate age, race, and education may be important predictors of fatalism and that fatalism may be one barrier that has previously gone unmeasured and unchallenged in understanding screening behavior in older women.
A note on optimal multidimensional companders

An ink-jet color printing apparatus is comprised of a rotary drum that bears the paper or other medium to receive the color printing and rotates in a primary scanning direction. A group of yellow ink-jet heads, a group of magenta ink-jet heads, a group of cyan ink-jet heads and a group of black ink-jet heads are provided, with each group of ink-jet heads arranged in the secondary scanning direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum. These ink-jet heads form simultaneously dot lines of four different colors. Groups of ink-jet heads of respective color are comprised of a plurality of ink-jet heads arranged in the primary scanning direction so as to form a plurality of dot lines constituting a single scanning line. A single picture element is formed by a dot matrix having nxm possible positions on a plurality of dot lines. Intermediate colors and color densities thereof can be achieved by combinations of several kinds of colored inks and dot patterns formed on a single matrix.
Selectively-formed high mobility SiGe-on-Insulator pMOSFETs with Ge-rich strained surface channels using local condensation technique

A new approach to selectively form strained SiGe-on-Insulator (SGOI) channel transistors with very high Ge fraction on an SOI substrate is demonstrated. This method consists of epitaxial growth of SiGe layer with low Ge fraction and local oxidation processes. The obtained SGOI-pMOSFET with a Ge fraction of 93% has exhibited mobility enhancement up to 10 times. The thickness scalability of the SGOI channels was also confirmed down to 5 nm.