Preconception Health Knowledge among Undergraduate Women

Preconception health is a woman’s health before she becomes pregnant. It means knowing and understanding how preexisting health conditions and risk factors could affect a woman or her unborn child if she becomes pregnant (Office on Women’s Health, 2010). This study examined undergraduate students’ knowledge of recommended preconception health practices. A paper survey was distributed to general education classes in health, sociology, and family consumer science. This 33-item survey assessed demographics, barriers to practicing recommended preconception health behaviors, and knowledge of preconception health practices. Analyses included frequencies, independent t-test, and ANOVA. Respondents had a mean score of 42.85 (2.68) on the knowledge section of the survey; indicating that respondents had a high level of knowledge regarding preconception health practices and information. Respondents’ knowledge scores were statistically correlated with their preconception health practices and behaviors (r=.176, p=.000). As knowledge scores increased, preconception health practice and behaviors scores also increased. When analyzing participants’ current health behaviors as they relate to preconception health, it was found that most students are engaging in healthy behaviors

CNVs in Three Psychiatric Disorders

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the similarities and differences in the roles of genic and regulatory copy number variations (CNVs) in bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Based on high-resolution CNV data from 8708 Japanese samples, we performed to our knowledge the largest cross-disorder analysis of genic and regulatory CNVs in BD, SCZ, and ASD. RESULTS: In genic CNVs, we found an increased burden of smaller (500 kb) exonic CNVs in SCZ/ASD. Pathogenic CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders were significantly associated with the risk for each disorder, but BD and SCZ/ASD differed in terms of the effect size (smaller in BD) and subtype distribution of CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. We identified 3 synaptic genes (DLG2, PCDH15, and ASTN2) as risk factors for BD. Whereas gene set analysis showed that BD-associated pathways were restricted to chromatin biology, SCZ and ASD involved more extensive and similar pathways. Nevertheless, a correlation analysis of gene set results indicated weak but significant pathway similarities between BD and SCZ or ASD (r = 0.25–0.31). In SCZ and ASD, but not BD, CNVs were significantly enriched in enhancers and promoters in brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS: BD and SCZ/ASD differ in terms of CNV burden, characteristics of CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, and regulatory CNVs. On the other hand, they have shared molecular mechanisms, including chromatin biology. The BD risk genes identified here could provide insight into the pathogenesis of BD

カオス ノ ジカンオクレ フィードバック セイギョ ト ソノ ダイナミック モード ゲンシカンリョク ケンビキョウ エ ノ オウヨウ ニ カンスル ケンキュウ

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(工学)甲第13060号工博第2802号新制||工||1407(附属図書館)UT51-2007-H333京都大学大学院工学研究科電気工学専攻(主査)教授 引原 隆士, 教授 北野 正雄, 助教授 山田 啓文学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of EngineeringKyoto UniversityDFA

Boxcar Averaging Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscopy

Scanning nonlinear dielectric microscopy (SNDM) is a near-field microwave-based scanning probe microscopy method with a wide variety of applications, especially in the fields of dielectrics and semiconductors. This microscopy method has often been combined with contact-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) for simultaneous topography imaging and contact force regulation. The combination SNDM with intermittent contact AFM is also beneficial for imaging a sample prone to damage and using a sharp microscopy tip for improving spatial resolution. However, SNDM with intermittent contact AFM can suffer from a lower signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio than that with contact-mode AFM because of the shorter contact time for a given measurement time. In order to improve the S/N ratio, we apply boxcar averaging based signal acquisition suitable for SNDM with intermittent contact AFM. We develop a theory for the S/N ratio of SNDM and experimentally demonstrate the enhancement of the S/N ratio in SNDM combined with peak-force tapping (a trademark of Bruker) AFM. In addition, we apply the proposed method to the carrier concentration distribution imaging of atomically thin van der Waals semiconductors. The proposed method clearly visualizes an anomalous electron doping effect on few-layer Nb-doped MoS2. The proposed method is also applicable to other scanning near-field microwave microscopes combined with peak-force tapping AFM such as scanning microwave impedance microscopy. Our results indicate the possibility of simultaneous nanoscale topographic, electrical, and mechanical imaging even on delicate samples

Controlling chaos in dynamic-mode atomic force microscope

We successfully demonstrated the first experimental stabilization of irregular and non-periodic cantilever oscillation in the amplitude modulation atomic force microscopy using the time-delayed feedback control. A perturbation to cantilever excitation force stabilized an unstable periodic orbit associated with nonlinear cantilever dynamics. Instead of the typical piezoelectric excitation, the magnetic excitation was used for directly applying control force to the cantilever. The control force also suppressed the cantilever's occasional bouncing motions that caused artifacts on a surface image

Sex-dependent effects of the APOE ɛ4 allele on behavioral traits and white matter structures in young adults

The APOE ɛ4 allele is associated with a risk of Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly, with the association being pronounced in females. Conversely, findings of the effects of the APOE ɛ4 allele in young adults are mixed. Here, we investigated the sex–genotype interaction effects of the APOE ɛ4 allele on cognitive functions as well as brain structures among 1258 young adults. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, there were significant effects of the interaction between sex and the number of APOE ɛ4 allele on some speed tasks (e.g., simple processing speed tasks and the reverse Stroop task) as well as on regional white matter volume (rWMV). The observed sex–genotype interaction conferred better cognitive performance and greater rWMV in the anterior frontal and precentral white matter areas in females having more APOE ɛ4 alleles and reduced rWMV in the same areas in male having more APOE ɛ4 alleles. These findings support the long-debated antagonistic pleiotropic effects of the APOE ɛ4 allele in females