Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical efficacy of erlotinib, a salvage treatment for non-small cell lung cancer patients following gefitinib failure

Background/Aims: The purpose of this study was to identify predictive factors for erlotinib treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients following gefitinib failure. Methods: Forty-five patients with NSCLC who were treated with erlotinib following gefitinib failure at Seoul National University Hospital between August 2005 and November 2011 were enrolled. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation status, pathologic findings and other clinical factors, including response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and progression-free survival (PFS), were evaluated. Results: Of the 45 patients, 40 patients (88.8%) had adenocarcinoma. The following EGFR mutations were observed: five patients with a deletion of exon 19, six patients with an L858R mutation, three patients with wild-type EGFR, and 31 patients with unknown mutations. The response rate of erlotinib was 4.4%, and stable disease was 42.2%. The median PFS for erlotinib was 2.6 months (95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 3.7). Patients with a PFS ≥ 4 months during previous gefitinib treatment had a significantly longer PFS with erlotinib (3.3 months vs. 1.6 months, respectively; p < 0.01) than patients with PFS < 4 months with gefitinib. According to multivariate analyses, PFS ≥ 4 months for previous gefitinib treatment was significantly associated with prolonged PFS with erlotinib (p = 0.04). However, the response rate of gefitinib and treatment sequence were not associated with prolonged PFS with erlotinib (p = 0.28 and p = 0.67, respectively). Conclusions: Following rechallenge with the EGFR TKI erlotinib following gefitinib failure, patients who showed prolonged PFS with gefitinib benefit from erlotinib. However, further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Girl Power, Mainstreaming and Critical Mass: Women's Leadership and Policy Paradigm Shift in Germany's Red-Green Coalition, 1998–20021

SUMMARY Women's increased presence in German government since 1998 testifies to generational change, as well as to the completion of a gender-specific “long march through the institutions. ” Securing more than 30% of the Bundestag seats, female lawmakers also reached critical mass in the Red-Green Cabinet, a coalition of the Social Democratic and Green Parties formed in 1998. This study of ministerial feminism, 1998–2002, shows that women are making a difference in Germany; these leaders have initiated paradigm shifts “bigger than the sum of the parts” insofar as national equality policies are reinforced at the European Union level, thanks to gender mainstreaming. Bolstered by new anti-discrimination articles in the Amsterdam Treaty, these women have undertaken strategic reforms in areas of gender and justice; research and technology; family and career; health, welfare and consumer protection; sustainable development, foreign aid, migration and human rights. Women have profited from supranational integration, in part because European Union decision-making builds on an inclusive concept of “power with,” in contrast to the traditional national exercise of “power over. ”
The aims of personal therapy in training

Given the requirement of most, if not all, psychoanalytic/psychodynamic trainings that students should be in personal therapy, it might be forgotten that such was not initially seen as compulsory, and that it was only gradually that it became a sine qua non of analytic training. The author briefly considers the early historical evidence, and tracks the debate in the literature on the differences and difficulties of personal therapy contrasted with therapy for patients/clients, and asks, without proposing answers, some of the questions which students, training therapists and educators might want to consider.
On Downside Risk Predictability through Predetermined Variables: A Quantile Regression

In this paper, we analyze the role played by market liquidity and trading-related variables in forecasting downside risk. In particular, we analyze the empirical relevance of spreads and volume variables to forecast one-day ahead Value-at-Risk (VaR) of the value-weighted market portfolio in the US market using the Quantile Regression. This methodology allows us to appraise directly and in a natural way the e¤ects of these predictive variables on the tail distribution of returns. The usual backtesting VaR analysis, based on unconditional and conditional coverage tests, reveals that liquidity and trading variables seem to considerably enhance the VaR performance.
Enforcing Consensus While Monitoring the Environment in Wireless Sensor Networks

In many environmental monitoring applications of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), safe information retrieval from any subset of sensors, at an arbitrary instant of time, should be guaranteed. Accordingly, we study the behavior of a WSN that continuously senses the surrounding environment, while consensus among its nodes is simultaneously enforced. For this running consensus scheme, analytical bounds in terms of consensus degree and comparison with an ideal centralized system are provided, and example of applications are presented.
Self-regulated learning, students' understanding and performance in engineering statics

Findings from previous researches on engineering students showed that students understanding of fundamental engineering concepts are not necessarily reflected by their good academic performance. Many students find Statics a difficult to understand fundamental engineering course. This difficulty has often affected their performance in the course and other follow on courses, which consequently disheartened them from pursuing engineering as a career. Apart from the universal issues such as the hard to learn concepts, the local culture and students' work habit contribute to this continual problem. In an earlier survey and interviews conducted by the first author most students' attributed their performance in Statics to their own effort in learning and self-efficacy. This supports Bandura's claim in suggesting that students' motivation, including their self-efficacy, is related to the use of learning strategies that influence their academic achievement. This is consistent with the shift from behaviourism to cognitivism in educational psychology, where students are perceived to have more responsibility for their own learning. Therefore, this study investigates through statistical data analysis how Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) affects students' understanding of Statics concepts and performance in the course. SRL is described as a constructive process, where students are active participants in the learning process. The findings of this research will provide a useful insight into students' learning of this fundamental engineering course. A curriculum that could enhance understanding and performance of engineering students and retain them in the programme could be designed. Suggestions for future research are also offered.
Electrical and adaptive properties of rod photoreceptors in bufo marinus. II. Effects of cyclic nucleotides and protaglandins

Substances known to alter cyclic nucleotide levels in cells were applied to the isolated toad retina and effects on rod electrical and adaptive behavior were studied. The retina was continually superfused in control ringer’s or ringer’s containing one or a combination of drugs, and rod activity was recorded intracellularly. Superfusion with cGMP, Bu(2)GMP, isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX; a phosphodiesterase inhibitor), or PGF(2α) (a prostaglandin) caused effects in rods that closely match those observed when extracellular Ca(2+) levels were lowered. For example, short exposures (up to 6 min) of the retina to these substances caused depolarization of the membrane potential, increase in response amplitudes, and some changes in waveform; but under dark-adapted or partially light-adapted conditions receptor sensitivity was virtually unaffected. That is, the position of the V-log I curve on the intensity axis was determined by the prevailing light level, not by drug level. These drugs, like lowered extracellular Ca(2+), also decreased the period of receptor saturation after a bright-adapting flash, resulting in an acceleration of the onset of membrane and sensitivity recovery during dark adaptation. Long-term (6-15 min) exposure of a dark-adapted retina to 5 mM IBMX or a combination of IBMX and cGMP caused a loss of response amplitude and a desensitization of the rods that was similar to that observed in rods after a long-term low Ca(2+) (10(-9)M) treatment. Application of high (3.2 mM) Ca(2+) to the retina blocked the effects of applied Bu(2)cGMP. PGE(1) superfusion mimicked the effects of increasing extracellular Ca(2+). The results show that increased cGMP and lowered Ca(2+) produce similar alterations in the electrical activity of rods. These findings suggest that Ca(2+) and cGMP are interrelated messengers. We speculate that low Ca(2+) may lead to increased intracellular cGMP, and/or that applied cGMP, and/or that applied cGMP may lower cytosol Ca(2+), perhaps by stimulating Ca(2+)- ATPase pumps in the outer segment.
The antecedents and consequences of psychological empowerment among Singaporean IT employees

Purpose – The aim of this study is to examine some of the antecedents and consequences of psychological empowerment among Singaporean IT employees.Design/methodology/approach – Ninety‐nine employees from the Singaporean subsidiary of an American multinational organisation participated in this study. An ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis was used to investigate the role of access to information, employee participation, supervisory social support and job security on predicting psychological empowerment. OLS regression was used also to examine the role of psychological empowerment on organisational commitment and job satisfaction. Moderated multiple regression was used to assess the moderating effect of supervisory social support on the relationship between job satisfaction and psychological empowerment.Findings – The findings of this study have shown that several factors are antecedents of psychological empowerment and that empowerment can increase organisational commitment and job satisfaction.
Self-plagiarism and unfortunate publication: an essay on academic values

Recent years have seen a steady stream of journal editorials condemning self-plagiarism and other questionable publishing practices. Whilst in the biomedical sciences, redundant publication is condemned for its potential to exaggerate the efficacy of clinical trials, the potential negative consequences of textual recycling are less obvious in the humanities and social sciences. The perceived evils of self-plagiarism vary widely across the academic disciplines, undermining the claim that self-plagiarism constitutes an academic integrity issue in all cases. The article argues that questions surrounding self-plagiarism should be replaced with pronouncements around the notions of ‘fortunate’ and ‘unfortunate’ academic publication. Some examples of such judgements are given.
Overcoming the Drawbacks of the Large Lecture Class

class time. Also, instructors in large lec tures tend to be remote? inaccessible authority figures at the front of the class. Finally, the seating arrangement em phasizes the student position as a spec tator, producing a passive audience that expects to be entertained and informed by the performer. These five drawbacks all point to a lack of involvement and a feeling of remoteness in the large lecture classroom. Other studies point out that testing is another special problem associated with the large lecture. Although writing across the curriculum is a worthy goal, correcting 250 essay exams is difficult.
Neurophysiological indices of free recall memory biases in major depression: The impact of stimulus arousal and valence

This study examined differential impact of the valence and arousal characteristics of stimuli on memory biases and brain activity in major depressive disorder (MDD) and non-depressed control participants. P300 and slow wave (SW) components of the event-related brain potential (ERP) were recorded in 18 MDD and 18 control individuals during the encoding of positive and negative, high and low arousal words in a free recall task. Control participants demonstrated expected enhanced memory for positive stimuli that was accompanied by a corresponding increase in SW ERP components. These effects were not seen in the MDD participants. Rather, memory biases for negative information in MDD were only observed for low arousal words and were not reflected in ERP amplitudes. This study suggests that the inconsistency in the MDD memory bias literature may be related to the arousing nature of the stimuli incorporated in the study.
Racism and Patriarchy in the Meaning of Motherhood

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law. upenn.edu/faculty_scholarship Part of the African American Studies Commons, Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Inequality and Stratification Commons, Law and Gender Commons, Law and Society Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, United States History Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons
Toxoplasma gondii triggers Gi-dependent PI 3-kinase signaling required for inhibition of host cell apoptosis

Infection with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii renders cells resistant to multiple pro-apoptotic signals, but underlying mechanisms have not been delineated. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) pathway and the immediate downstream effector protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) play important roles in cell survival and apoptosis inhibition. Here, we show that Toxoplasma infection of mouse macrophages activates PKB/Akt in vivo and in vitro. In a mixed population of infected and non-infected macrophages, activation is only observed in parasite-infected cells. The PI 3-kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY294002 block parasite-induced PKB phosphorylation. PKB activation occurs independently of Toll-like receptor adaptor protein MyD88 but uncoupling of Gi-protein-mediated signaling with pertussis toxin prevents PKB phosphorylation. Moreover, in the presence of PI 3-kinase inhibitors or pertussis toxin, not only PKB activation but also ERK1/2 activation during T. gondii infection is defective. Most importantly, the parasite's ability to induce macrophage resistance to pro-apoptotic signaling is prevented by incubation with PI 3-kinase inhibitors. This study demonstrates that T. gondii exploits host Gi-protein-dependent PI 3-kinase signaling to prevent induction of apoptosis in infected macrophages.
Extremes of self‐esteem and narcissism and the experience and expression of anger and aggression

This study examined the level of self-esteem and narcissism as personality variables involved in the disposition to experience and express anger. Three hundred thirty-eight subjects were sampled across two higher education centres and one student teaching programme in the United Kingdom. It was reasoned that individuals with both high self-esteem and narcissism would report especially high tendencies to experience and express anger and aggression and that those with high self-esteem and low narcissism would report the lowest. These predictions were influenced by theories that emphasise the role of threats to high self-esteem in the production of aggression and violence. Results indicate that groups defined by their extreme scores on self-esteem and narcissism scales produced levels of anger expression in the predicted direction. The importance of considering extreme levels of self-esteem and narcissism (in conjunction with other factors) in an analysis of anger is discussed with reference to currently influential theories in the field. Aggr. Behav. 24:421–438, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Create a Specialized Search Engine - The Case of an RSS Search Engine

Several approaches are possible for creating specialized search engines. For example, you can use the API of existing commercial search engines or create engine from scratch with reusable components such as open source indexer. RSS format is used for spreading information from websites, creating new applications (mashups), or collecting information for competitive or technical watch. In this paper, we focus on the study case of an RSS search engine development. We identify issues and propose ways to address them.
EAP Referral Training and Supervisor's Beliefs About Troubled Workers

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between EAP referral training and supervisors' interactions with troubled workers. Using a field survey, self-report, retrospective methodology, 224 industrial supervisors' beliefs about impaired employees were examined in connection with the former group's participation in constructive confrontation training and their attitudes toward EAPs. In general, based on Bayer and Gerstein's (1988a) Bystander-Equity Model of Supervisory Helping Behavior, it was predicted that supervisors who had attended training and/or held positive attitudes toward their EAP would report more welldeveloped beliefs about troubled workers than persons who had not received training and/or held negative attitudes toward their EAP. Overall, our results provided support for the idea that constructive confrontation training enhances supervisors' recognition of impaired employees. While we anticipated this finding, we did not expect supervisors to report that their attitudes toward.
N6-(3-Iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5′-N-methylcarboxamide Confers Cardioprotection at Reperfusion by Inhibiting Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening via Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β

Although the adenosine A3 receptor agonist N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-adenosine-5′-N-methylcarboxamide (IB-MECA) has been reported to be cardioprotective at reperfusion, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the protection. We hypothesized that IB-MECA may protect the heart at reperfusion by preventing the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) through inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK) 3β. IB-MECA (1 μM) applied during reperfusion reduced infarct size in isolated rat hearts, an effect that was abrogated by the selective A3 receptor antagonist 1,4-dihydro-2-methyl-6-phenyl-4-(phenylethynyl)-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid 3-ethyl-5-[(3-nitrophenyl)-methyl]ester (MRS1334) (100 nM). The effect of IB-MECA was abrogated by the mPTP opener atractyloside (20 μM), implying that the action of IB-MECA may be mediated by inhibition of the mPTP opening. In cardiomyocytes, IB-MECA attenuated oxidant-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), which was reversed by MRS1334. IB-MECA also reduced Ca2+-induced mitochondrial swelling. IB-MECA enhanced phosphorylation of GSK-3β (Ser9) upon reperfusion, and the GSK-3 inhibitor 3-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-(1-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione (SB216763) (3 μM) mimicked the protective effect of IB-MECA by attenuating both infarction and the loss of ΔΨm. In addition, the effect of IB-MECA on GSK-3β was reversed by wortmannin (100 nM), and IB-MECA was shown to enhance Akt phosphorylation upon reperfusion. In contrast, rapamycin (2 nM) failed to affect GSK-3β phosphorylation by IB-MECA, and IB-MECA did not alter phosphorylation of either mTOR (Ser2448) or 70s6K (Thr389). Taken together, these data suggest that IB-MECA prevents myocardial reperfusion injury by inhibiting the mPTP opening through the inactivation of GSK-3β at reperfusion. IB-MECA-induced GSK-3β inhibition is mediated by the PI3-kinase/Akt signal pathway but not by the mTOR/p70s6K pathway.
An Overview on Wounds Their Issues and Natural Remedies for Wound Healing

In the present review, new and necessary information about wounds, their healing stages and concerned issues; hydrogel wound dressing and their cross linking systems which affect the wound healing are discussed. However, concerns associated with the overuse of synthetic drugs and the consequent emergence of bacterial resistance is being raised. So, there is need of some alternatives to inhibit growth of bacteria on wounds. Since ancient time, plants are already proved to be a natural remedy for various ailments. J. regia and S. alba are two potent plants having antimicrobial properties and the literature has indicated that clinical properties of J. regia and S. alba and their use will help in healing of wounds in a natural and cost effective way.
PHOTOSYNTHETIC ACTION SPECTRA OF MARINE ALGAE

A polarographic oxygen determination, with tissue in direct contact with a stationary platinum electrode, has been used to measure the photosynthetic response of marine algae. These were exposed to monochromatic light, of equal energy, at some 35 points through the visible spectrum (derived from a monochromator). Ulva and Monostroma (green algae) show action spectra which correspond very closely to their absorption spectra. Coilodesme (a brown alga) shows almost as good correspondence, including the spectral region absorbed by the carotenoid, fucoxanthin. In green and brown algae, light absorbed by both chlorophyll and carotenoids seems photosynthetically effective, although some inactive absorption by carotenoids is indicated. Action spectra for a wide variety of red algae, however, show marked deviations from their corresponding absorption spectra. The photosynthetic rates are high in the spectral regions absorbed by the water-soluble "phycobilin" pigments (phycoerythrin and phycocyanin), while the light absorbed by chlorophyll and carotenoids is poorly utilized for oxygen production. In red algae containing chiefly phycoerythrin, the action spectrum closely resembles that of the water-extracted pigment, with peaks corresponding to its absorption maxima (495, 540, and 565 mµ). Such algae include Delesseria, Schizymenia, and Porphyrella. In the genus Porphyra, there is a series P. nereocystis, P. naiadum, and P. perforata, with increasingly more phycocyanin and less phycoerythrin: the action spectra reflect this, with increasing activity in the orange-red region (600 to 640 mµ) where phycocyanin absorbs. In all these red algae, photosynthesis is almost minimal at 435 mµ and 675 mµ, where chlorophyll shows maximum absorption. Although the chlorophylls (and carotenoids) are present in quantities comparable to the green algae, their function is apparently not that of a primary light absorber; this role is taken over by the phycobilins. In this respect the red algae (Rhodophyta) appear unique among photosynthetic plants.
Perceived Stepparent–Child Relationship Quality: A Systematic Review of Stepchildren's Perspectives

Stepfamily scholars have emphasized the importance of including stepchildren in the analysis and discussion of stepfamily life. This systematic review synthesized recent research examining predictors/correlates of stepparent–child relationship quality from the viewpoint of stepchildren in the United States. Five bibliographic databases were searched, resulting in 631 potentially relevant studies for review. Manual searches of three prominent family studies journals were also conducted. Screening and eligibility assessment based on a priori inclusion criteria yielded a final sample of 23 studies, including published studies and reports found in the “gray” literature. Significant predictors/correlates associated with stepchildren's perceptions of stepparent–child relationship quality were grouped into the following conceptual domains: individual characteristics, family characteristics, features of (step)parent–child interactions, and stepcouple dynamics. Limitations, implications, and future research directions are discussed.