Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of epidural bupivacaine, morphine, and their combination on thermal nociception with different stimulus intensity in rats.

UNLABELLED The analgesic effect of drugs depends on the stimulus intensity as well as the potency of the drugs. We investigated the effects of stimulus intensity on antinociceptive potencies of epidural bupivacaine + morphine. Sprague-Dawley rats implanted with chronic lumbar epidural catheters were tested for paw withdrawal response to thermal stimulation after the epidural injection of bupivacaine, morphine, or bupivacaine + morphine. Two stimulation currents were used, 5.1 and 4.6 A, to provide baseline response latency of approximately 5.0 s (high intensity) and 10.0 s (low intensity), respectively. Increasing the dose of epidural morphine in a dose range that had a maximum effect on low-intensity stimulation was not effective for high-intensity stimulation. Bupivacaine, which alone had no effect, potentiated the antinociceptive effect of epidural morphine at both high- and low-intensity stimuli similarly. We concluded that bupivacaine potentiated the analgesic effect of epidural morphine at both weak and strong nociceptive stimuli similarly, whereas increasing the dose of epidural morphine was not as effective for strong nociceptive stimulation. Therefore, adding bupivacaine might be more effective than increasing the dose of epidural morphine for intense nociception. IMPLICATIONS When patients have severe pain even when receiving epidural morphine, adding bupivacaine might be more effective than increasing the dose of epidural morphine.
Extreme Fluctuations in Wnt/beta-Catenin Signaling as an Approach for Colon Cancer Prevention and Therapy

Mutations in the Wnt/beta-catenin (Wnt) signaling pathway initiate most cases of sporadic colon cancers (CC); therefore one approach for CC prevention and therapy is to suppress Wnt activity. However, the prolonged suppression of the signaling pathway is detrimental to the intestinal stem cells that rely on Wnt signaling for survival. Furthermore, CC cells exposed for an extended period of time to a single Wnt signaling - modulating agent may develop resistance to it. A possible solution is suggested by our findings that: (a) butyrate, a colonic metabolite of dietary fiber, and synthetic histone deacetylase inhibitors that mimic the effects of butyrate, hyper- activate Wnt transcriptional activity in CC cells with mutations in the pathway, and (b) high fold changes of Wnt signaling induce high apoptotic levels in the mutated cells. Therefore, diet- and drug-based regimens that result in alternating periods of suppressed and hyper-activated Wnt signalling may become powerful anti-CC preventive and therapeutic approaches. The hypothesis can be tested by (1) evaluating the effects of drug- and diet- based regimens, which induce maximal fluctuations in Wnt signaling, on the adenoma burden of Apc/min mice, an established in vivo model of intestinal cancer, (2) epidemiological studies analyzing the dietary habits, such as daily fasting hours and fiber intake, of healthy individuals and patients with positive colonoscopies, and
An extended version of the theory of planned behavour: Prediction of intentions to quit smoking using past behaviour as moderator

It was hypothesised that: (i) intentions to quit smoking were predictable from group identity, self-identity, moral norms and past quit attempts, beyond the components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and (ii) that past experiences with the behaviour (quit attempts) would increase the predictive utility of the extended TPB model on intentions. The data was collected among 357 daily smoking students (M = 24 years). The TPB components accounted for 12.3% of the variance in quitting intentions, while the extension variables added 16.5% to the explained variance in intentions beyond the impact of the TPB. Past behaviour had the strongest impact on intentions (α = 0.30), followed by moral norms (α = 0.25), perceived behavioural control (PBC, α = 0.20), attitude (α = 0.18) and group commitment (α = −0.11). By splitting the sample into three categories of past quit attempts the picture changed, revealing that the predictive utility of the TPB increased with the number of quit attempts (no past quit attempt, R2 = 1%, ns and several past quit attempts, R2 = 12.3%, p < 0.001). Moreover, PBC and group commitment were significantly stronger predictors of intention among those who had several previous quit attempts compared with those who never had tried to quit smoking. The extended TPB model explained 1% and 28% of the variance in intentions among those with no and several previous quit attempts, respectively. The practical implications of these results for the development of interventions to encourage smokers to quit smoking are outlined.
Children’s scientific reasoning in the context of bilingualism

Aims and objectives: A number of studies revealed effects of bilingualism on the cognitive development of both children and adults. Executive functions in particular seem to be enhanced due to the constant use of two language systems. In the present study, we explored whether effects of enhanced executive functioning are also related to bilinguals’ performance on a scientific reasoning task. Methodology: In a quasi-experimental design we compared monolingual and bilingual elementary school students on a variety of measures including language proficiency, cognitive ability, executive functions, and a modified reasoning task adapted from Kuhn and Pease (2006). Data and analysis: The data of 57 elementary school students were analyzed using multiple regression analysis and group comparisons via multivariate ANOVAs. Findings: Results revealed specific group differences on the measures of executive functions. On the measure of inhibition, the bilingual group showed superior performance, while no differences on the measure of attentional control were found. Moreover, regression analyses revealed that students’ performance on the reasoning task was best explained by the measures of cognitive ability and attentional control. However, the total amount of variance explained by our measures was less than 20%. Since there were no group differences on these variables, an advantage of bilingualism on the reasoning task was not detected. Originality: The results of the study contribute to the body of research on the cognitive effects of bilingualism and its specifics. Moreover, they extend research on the positive effects of bilingualism to more applied contexts. Implications: The results emphasize the necessity to specify the role of executive functions in reasoning tasks in order to reliably test for a possible transfer of bilingual advantages to academic learning contexts.
Heterologously Expressed Staphylococcus aureusFibronectin-Binding Proteins Are Sufficient for Invasion of Host Cells

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus invasion of mammalian cells, including epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblastic cells, critically depends on fibronectin bridging between S. aureusfibronectin-binding proteins (FnBPs) and the host fibronectin receptor integrin α5β1 (B. Sinha et al., Cell. Microbiol. 1:101–117, 1999). However, it is unknown whether this mechanism is sufficient for S. aureus invasion. To address this question, various S. aureus adhesins (FnBPA, FnBPB, and clumping factor [ClfA]) were expressed in Staphylococcus carnosus and Lactococcus lactis subsp.cremoris. Both noninvasive gram-positive microorganisms are genetically distinct from S. aureus, lack any knownS. aureus surface protein, and do not bind fibronectin. Transformants of S. carnosus and L. lactisharboring plasmids coding for various S. aureus surface proteins (FnBPA, FnBPB, and ClfA) functionally expressed adhesins (as determined by bacterial clumping in plasma, specific latex agglutination, Western ligand blotting, and binding to immobilized and soluble fibronectin). FnBPA or FnBPB but not of ClfA conferred invasiveness to S. carnosus and L. lactis. Invasion of 293 cells by transformants was comparable to that of strongly invasive S. aureus strain Cowan 1. Binding of soluble and immobilized fibronectin paralleled invasiveness, demonstrating that the amount of accessible surface FnBPs is rate limiting. Thus, S. aureus FnBPs confer invasiveness to noninvasive, apathogenic gram-positive cocci. Furthermore, FnBP-coated polystyrene beads were internalized by 293 cells, demonstrating that FnBPs are sufficient for invasion of host cells without the need for (S. aureus-specific) coreceptors.
Moral Education and the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile.

This article analyses elements of moral education in the educational programmes offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB). Particular reference is made to the IB learner profile, a list of 10 virtues which, the IB claims, are fostered through its educational programmes. This approach is evaluated in the light of existing ideas concerning moral and character education. It is argued that the learner profile is firmly grounded in the character education approach to moral education. An alternative perspective is sketched, focusing on student autonomy and personal sense making, allowing students to develop a personal sense of the good life through interaction with others.
A psychometric evaluation of form C of the Multi-dimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC-C) Scale during early pregnancy

The concept of locus of control (LOC) is an important psychological dimension within health research and the issue of personal control has become of increasing salience within the clinical domain of pregnancy, both psychologically and in relation to government policy. The current study sought to establish the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale form C (MHLC-C) in early pregnancy to assess the potential usefulness of this measure within this clinical population. Contrary to previous research, confirmatory factor analysis revealed the MHLC-C to be comprised of three distinct and correlated factors of “internal”, “chance” and “powerful others” LOC. A fourth sub-scale “doctors” was observed to be sensitive to the non-depressed/depressed status of participants. However, the “doctors” sub-scale lacked acceptable internal reliability in this clinical group. Further research is recommended to determine if developing the “doctors” sub-scale into a longer measure could enhance the potential utility of this measure.
Equality Matters

This article explores relationships between procedural justice (PJ) in the negotiation process, distributive justice (DJ) in the terms of negotiated agreements, and their durability in cases of civil war. Adherence to PJ principles was found to correlate strongly with agreements based specifically on the DJ principle of equality. Agreements were also found to be more durable when based on equality, but not when based on other DJ principles. The equality principle accounted for the relationship between PJ and durability irrespective of differences between the parties in power. Further examination suggested that two types of equality in particular—equal treatment and equal shares—were associated with forward-looking agreements and high durability. The findings suggest that durability is served by including equality in the terms of agreements, and that PJ helps (but does not guarantee) achieving such agreements.
Asymmetry of Operation and Energy Trapping in a Superradiant Laser.

On working beyond the slowly varying envelope approximation, the instability of superfluorescent decay is investigated for the case in which the sample size is greater than or comparable to the resonant wavelength. The instability is associated with coupling between counterpropagating waves and can inhibit emission in the direction of the pump pulse. In particular, it is shown that tiny changes of the sample length can cause the forward emission to be switched off, suggesting that the optical analog of a directing antenna may be experimentally accessible.
On Seeing Oneself as Less Self-Serving than Others: The Ultimate Self-Serving Bias?

A common form of self-serving bias in judgment is the tendency for people to see themselves as being better than average in terms of socially desirable qualities, particularly those that are defined subjectively and that have ethical or moral overtones. A logical implication of this tendency is that people should also see themselves as being less likely than others to exhibit such a self-serving bias (Myers, 1990). This article describes two forms of a classroom demonstration designed to illustrate this effect. In both studies, students who had been informed of the research on self-serving biases in judgment nevertheless saw themselves as engaging in such distortions less often than the average person. Several contexts in which the demonstration may be useful are discussed.
Proteomic Profiling of Secreted Proteins for the Hematopoietic Support of Interleukin-Stimulated Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) secrete a number of factors that greatly impact the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). These factors remain largely unknown. Here, we report on the most comprehensive proteomic profiling of the HUVEC secretome and identified 827 different secreted proteins. Two hundred and thirty-one proteins were found in all conditions, whereas 369 proteins were identified only under proinflammatory conditions following IL-1β, IL-3, and IL-6 stimulation. Thirteen proteins including complement factor b (CFb) were identified only under IL-1β and IL-3 conditions and may potentially represent HSPC proliferation factors. The combination of bioinformatics and gene ontology annotations indicates the role of the complement system and its activation. Furthermore, CFb was found to be transcriptionally strongly upregulated. Addition of complement component 5b-9 (C5b-9) monoclonal antibody to the stem cell expansion assay was capable of significantly reducing their proliferation. This study suggests a complement-mediated cross-talk between endothelial cells and HSPCs under proinflammatory conditions.
Stereotype Threat and Women's Performance in Physics

Stereotype threat (ST), which involves confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, is a factor thought to contribute to the gender gap in science achievement and participation. This study involved a quasi-experiment in which 312 US high school physics students were randomly assigned, via their classroom cluster, to one of three ST conditions. The conditions included an explicit ST condition, an implicit ST condition, and a nullified condition. Results indicated that males in all three conditions performed similarly on a set of physics problems. Females in the nullified condition outperformed females in the explicit ST condition and females in the implicit and explicit conditions performed similarly. Males performed better than females in the implicit and explicit ST conditions, but male and female performance on the physics problems was not significantly different in the nullified condition. The implications of these findings for physics instruction and future research on gender differences in physics and ST in science are discussed.
What have We Learned from Functional Imaging Studies in Schizophrenia? the Role of Frontal, Striatal and Temporal Areas

Objectives: Functional imaging technologies allow assessment of cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolism, cellular metabolic processes, cerebral receptor density and occupancy. This review examines the contribution of such studies to our understanding of schizophrenia. The role of the frontal lobes, the basal ganglia, the temporal lobes and the neuronal circuits which connect them is examined with respect to this literature. Method: All studies in schizophrenia using positron emission tomography, single photon emission computerised tomography, xenon studies, functional and spectroscopic magnetic resonance imaging formed the basis of this review. Only those studies published in English were reviewed. Results: The most consistent finding in schizophrenia has been that of hypofrontality, while the results of studies examining subcortical structures provide preliminary support for the concept of fronto-striatal dysfunction. Functional imaging has not yet provided consistent results in the study of temporal lobe function. Although receptor studies have shed light on the actions of antipsychotic medications, the findings for dopamine receptor numbers remain controversial. Spectroscopic and functional MRI remain in their infancy as research tools in schizophrenia. Conclusions: Although there are significant methodological issues to be addressed, functional imaging technology is providing increasing insights into schizophrenia and its treatment. Future research will be truly multidisciplinary as it will require the collaboration of psychiatrists, imaging physicians, neuropsychologists and neuroscientists.
Externally Growing Cell Structures for Pattern Classification

Based on B. Fritzke’s GCS (Growing Cell Structures) we present here a new incremental self-organizing neural network, the Externally Growing Cell Structures (EGCS). Our goals are to speed up the convergence and to improve the generalization performance. The mechanism of internally growing cells in EGCS is the same as in GCS. However, when the Maximum Resource Vertex (MRV) or the Maximum Error Vertex (MEV) is a boundary node, the new cell is grown externally. Simulation results on some neural network benchmarks (two-spiral problem, sonar mine/rock separation problem, Wisconsin breast cancer study) indicate that EGCS performs better than the original GCS, measured by classification rate, the required number of cells and epochs.
The Differentiation Between Depression and Dementia in the Very Old

ABSTRACT Key questions in the psychiatric understanding of elderly people are the development of psychiatric morbidity, its phenomenology in old age, the differentiation between ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’ ageing, the interrelatedness of different types of mental disorders, their relation to somatic morbidity, and their consequences in daily life. Under the hypothesis of the de-differentiation of psychopathological features in old age, the relation between depression and dementia is studied. Contrary to most gerontopsychiatric research, the Berlin Aging Study (BASE) permits an analysis of these questions in a heterogeneous and primarily non-clinical community population. Initial data from the first 360 intake assessments and the first 156 intensively studied participants of BASE are presented. Results show that, even in very old individuals, depression and dementia still exhibit clearly distinctive psychopathological features. Prevalence rates in consecutive age groups show an age-related increase for dementia but not for depression. Nevertheless dementia and depression do not seem to be fully independent, because our data indicate a masking or extinction of depressive symptoms by dementia. Finally, both disorders have a similarly significant negative impact on independence, comparable to that of somatic morbidity.
Transferring Juveniles to Adult Court in Wisconsin: Practitioners Voice Their Views

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s jurisdictions modified their waiver laws to make it easier to transfer juveniles to adult court. Waiver decisions, however, continue to be poorly understood. This article provides a presentation of the views and concerns of practitioners who work on a day‐to‐day basis with juvenile offenders. Judges, prosecutors, and public defenders (N = 128) throughout Wisconsin’s 72 counties were given the opportunity to participate vis‐à‐vis a mailed questionnaire, face‐to‐face interview or telephone interview. The ultimate goal is to better understand the complex waiver process, and gain information that will guide policy makers in making necessary policy modifications that will reduce ramifications, while increasing community safety. Indeed, both the benefits and consequences appear to be significant and substantial – a trend that is not likely to change in the future unless the legislature, practitioners and society are willing to approach waiver cases by the totality of circumstances.
PRACTICE, AGENCY, & SOCIALITY: AN ORTHOGONAL READING OF CLASSICAL PRAGMATISM

The author offers an orthogonal reading of American pragmatism to that put forth in Norbert Wiley's "Pragmatism and the Dialogical Self. " He stresses practice, agency, and sociality in different ways than does Wiley as well as characterizes pragmatism in terms of its opposition to intuitionism, foundationalism, theoreticism, and dualism. This reading provides a thicker recontextualization than does Wiley in his article, allowing us to see how pragmatism might be of even greater use to social theorists. The points on which Norbert Wiley focuses in his innovative appropriation of the pragmatic outlook are, in my judgment, among the most important ones to discuss. Moreover, he does much to embed a definitive trajectory of classical pragmatism - that culminating in the nuanced articulation of the notion of the dialogical self - in a thick history (cf. Wiley, 1994; Halton, 1986; Archer, 2003). Even so, I have reservations about his explication of the theory - or theories - of meaning he attributes to the various pragmatists, especially Charles Peirce (Colapietro, 2004; cf. Smith, 1984; Fisch, 1986). In addition, I sense the need for an even thicker contextualization than the one he provides. But these reservations and this need are expressed in the context of appreciation and admiration. In his role as a social scientist, Wiley has made creative use of central figures in the pragmatic movement. Indeed, he has made a compelling case for the direct relevance of American pragmatism to some of the central concerns of social science (Joas, 1993; Halton, 1997). Wiley's interest in these figures is, at once, historical and theoretical. But the historical reconstruction of American pragmatism is in the end undertaken for the sake of theoretical illumination - the light such a reconstruction can cast on a tangled cluster of central questions confronting the social theorist, above all, questions concerning meaning, subjectivity, symbolic mediation, and everyday life Halton, 1986). My aim in this response to "Pragmatism and the Dialogical Self" is mainly to make a handful of suggestions for how to sketch a thicker context in which to place Wiley's own detailed contextualization of the dialogical self (a contextualization beginning with James, running through Peirce, Mead, Dewey, and Cooley, then culminating with Blumer). In making these suggestions, I hope to supplement his achievement, since "Pragmatism and the Dialogical Self" unquestionably makes an invaluable contribution to providing a thick context for understanding classical pragmatism.
A proactive response to the mobbing problem: A guide for HR managers

This paper introduces the concept of workplace mobbing as a destructive organizational behaviour of psychological assaults perpetrated against the target causing them harm and loss of employment. The discussion is drawn from a three year Australian study of 212 self identified targets of workplace mobbing behaviours. The behaviours are typically covert with informal networks and friendship loyalties providing effective mechanisms for emotional abuse, including those arising from human resource management practices. This paper discusses the manipulation of informal sources of power, with the use of gossip, rumour, hearsay, and innuendo to discredit and demonise those targeted. The study explores some of the systemic reasons for these behaviours and identifies some of the contributing risk factors and suggests management practices that can minimise the harm caused.