Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Levels of Superoxide in Brains from Old Female Rats

Hypertension, aging and a range of neurodegenerative diseases are associated with increased oxidative damage. The present study examined whether superoxide (O2•-) levels in brain are increased during aging in female rats, and the role of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and oestrogen in regulating O2•- levels. Young adult (3 month) and old (11 month) female spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rats (SHRSP) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were studied. O2•- levels were measured in brain homogenates by lucigenin chemiluminescence and SOD expression by Western blotting. Ageing significantly increased brain O2•- levels in WKY (cortex +216%, hippocampus +320%, striatum +225%) and to a greater extent in SHRSP (cortex +540%, hippocampus +580%, striatum +533%). Older SHRSP showed a decline in cortical Cu/Zn SOD expression compared to young adult SHRSP. Oestrogen did not attenuate O2•- levels. The results show a significant age-dependent increase in brain O2•- levels which is exaggerated in SHRSP. The excess cortical O2•- levels in the SHRSP may be associated with a down-regulation of Cu/Zn SOD but are not related to a decrease in oestrogen.
Single neuron binding properties and the magical number 7

When we observe a scene, we can almost instantly recognize a familiar object or can quickly distinguish among objects differing by apparently minor details. Individual neurons in the medial temporal lobe of humans have been shown to be crucial for the recognition process, and they are selectively activated by different views of known individuals or objects. However, how single neurons could implement such a sparse and explicit code is unknown and almost impossible to investigate experimentally. Hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons could be instrumental in this process. Here, in an extensive series of simulations with realistic morphologies and active properties, we demonstrate how n radial (oblique) dendrites of these neurons may be used to bind n inputs to generate an output signal. The results suggest a possible neural code as the most effective n‐ple of dendrites that can be used for short‐term memory recollection of persons, objects, or places. Our analysis predicts a straightforward physiological explanation for the observed puzzling limit of about 7 short‐term memory items that can be stored by humans. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Reprogramming of the Human Atrial Transcriptome in Permanent Atrial Fibrillation: Expression of a Ventricular-Like Genomic Signature

Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased expression of ventricular myosin isoforms in atrial myocardium, regarded as part of a dedifferentiation process. Whether reexpression of ventricular isoforms in atrial fibrillation is restricted to transcripts encoding for contractile proteins is unknown. Therefore, this study compares atrial mRNA expression in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation to atrial mRNA expression in patients with sinus rhythm and to ventricular gene expression using Affymetrix U133 arrays. In atrial myocardium, we identified 1434 genes deregulated in atrial fibrillation, the majority of which, including key elements of calcium-dependent signaling pathways, displayed downregulation. Functional classification based on Gene Ontology provided the specific gene sets of the interdependent processes of structural, contractile, and electrophysiological remodeling. In addition, we demonstrate for the first time a prominent upregulation of transcripts involved in metabolic activities, suggesting an adaptive response to increased metabolic demand in fibrillating atrial myocardium. Ventricular-predominant genes were 5 times more likely to be upregulated in atrial fibrillation (174 genes upregulated, 35 genes downregulated), whereas atrial-specific transcripts were predominantly downregulated (56 genes upregulated, 564 genes downregulated). Overall, in fibrillating atrial myocardium, functional classes of genes characteristic of ventricular myocardium were found to be upregulated (eg, metabolic processes), whereas functional classes predominantly expressed in atrial myocardium were downregulated (eg, signal transduction and cell communication). Therefore, dedifferentiation with adoption of a ventricular-like signature is a general feature of the fibrillating atrium.
Brachial Plexus Examination and Localization Using Ultrasound and Electrical Stimulation: A Volunteer Study

Background Current techniques of brachial plexus block are “blind,” and nerve localization can be frustrating and time consuming. Previous studies on ultrasound-assisted brachial plexus blocks are mostly performed with scanning probes of 10 MHz or less. The authors tested the usefulness of a state-of-the-art, high-resolution ultrasound probe (up to 12 MHz) in identifying the brachial plexus in five locations of the upper extremity and in guiding needle advancement to target before nerve stimulation. Methods In this prospective observational study, 15 volunteers underwent brachial plexus examination using an L12–L5 MHz probe and a Philips-ATL 5000 ultrasound unit in the interscalene, supraclavicular, infraclavicular, axillary, and midhumeral regions. Thereafter, an insulated block needle was advanced under direct ultrasound guidance to target nerves before confirmation by electrical nerve stimulation in five volunteers in each of the interscalene, supraclavicular, and axillary regions. The quality of brachial plexus images, anatomic variations, and the technique of needle advancement for nerve localization were recorded. Results The brachial plexus components were successfully identified in the transverse view as round to oval hypoechoic structures with small internal punctuate echos in all regions examined except the infraclavicular area (visualized in 27% of the cases). The authors’ technique of advancing the needle in-line with the ultrasound beam allowed moment-by-moment observation of the needle shaft and tip movement at the time of nerve localization. Hypoechoic structures were stimulated electrically and confirmed to be nerves. Conclusions These preliminary data show that the high-resolution L12–L5 probe provides good quality brachial plexus ultrasound images in the superficial locations i.e., the interscalene, supraclavicular, axillary, and midhumeral regions. The needle technique described here for ultrasound-assisted nerve localization provides real-time guidance and is potentially valuable for brachial plexus blocks.
Academic stress, self-efficacy, social support, and health behaviours in female Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students

Abstract This study examined academic stress in female Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) students in terms of somatic symptoms and mood disturbance before, during, and after the midyear examination period and also examined the role of self-efficacy, number of social supports, social support satisfaction, and health behaviours in mediating the effects of stress on symptoms and mood disturbance. It was hypothesised that (a) student would report increased somatic symptoms and mood disturbance during the examination period and that (b) self-efficacy, social support (number and satisfaction), and health behaviours would account for a significant proportion of variance for somatic symptoms and mood disturbance before, during, and after the exam period. The participants were 51 VCE students from a large Catholic girls’secondary college in Melbourne. Four weeks before the exam period, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Reported Health Behaviours Checklist, Short Form Social Support Questionnaire, Symptoms Checklist, and Profile of Mood States were administered.The Symptoms Checklist and Profile of Mood States were administered again during the exam week and four weeks after the exam period. Statistical analyses showed that the VCE examination period was associated with significantly increased self-reports of somatic symptoms and mood disturbances that were strongly indicative of high levels of stress. Self-efficacy was found to have a weak role in mediating the stress response during the exam week. Social support did not account for any of the variation in academic stress. Health behaviours accounted for a small but significant proportion of the variance in stress after the exam period. It was concluded that there is a need to study other factors that may attenuate the academic stress response in adolescent secondary school students. The perceptual and cognitive appraisal of academic stressors is suggested as an area that may be worthy of examination.The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of the impact that academic stress may have on adolescents’ health during this critical period of development.
Clinical and immunological changes in patients with active moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy treated with very low-dose rituximab.

INTRODUCTION Glucocorticoids represent the therapy of choice for active and moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy (GO). In some patients, rituximab, a monoclonal antibody against the cluster of differentiation (CD) 20 receptor of B-lymphocytes, can serve as a second-line or an alternative treatment. The effect of very low-dose of rituximab on the clinical activity of GO and corresponding clinical or laboratory changes is reported. MATERIAL AND METHODS Changes of Clinical Activity Score (CAS) for GO, proptosis, levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies, and depletion of CD19+ and CD20+ B-lymphocytes were determined in ten patients (two men and eight women) with active moderate-to-severe GO treated with a single 100-mg dose of rituximab. Correlations between differences of clinical and laboratory parameters were performed. RESULTS A significant decrease of CAS was found during subsequent examinations compared to the baseline values. A significant depletion of CD19+ and CD20+ B-lymphocytes was detected after rituximab administration. Differences between follow-up and baseline levels of CD20+ positively correlated with differences in CAS after six (p < 0.05) and 12 months (p < 0.01). Differences in CD19+ levels correlated with differences in CAS after 12 months (p < 0.05) of the treatment. Two patients developed dysthyroid optic neuropathy (DON) requiring orbital decompression. No other rituximab side effects were reported during the whole study duration. CONCLUSIONS A single very low-dose of rituximab appears to be very well tolerated and effective enough to reduce clinical activity in active moderate-to-severe GO patients without impending DON.
Eysenck Personality Inventory and Choice of Psychiatry as a Career

Various investigations have explored motivations behind the choice of the profession of psychiatry. The presence of factors of cultural, social, economic, and psychological origin has been noted, but it is not yet clear which or how factors contribute to the choice in the most determining way. In relation to the psychological factors, emphasis has been placed on neuroticism, extraversion, emotional instability, intolerance of ambiguity, degree of reflectiveness and psychological mindedness (2, 4, 5, 6, 7). It should be noted chat these personality characteristics are assessed in different and sometimes conflicting ways by the various authors. To clarify this problem the Eysenck Personality Inventory (1) was administered to 47 applicants to the School of Specialization in Psychiatry (M age 28.5 + 2.8 yr.; 34 men, 13 women) and to a control group of 60 applicants (48 men, 12 women) to the School of Dentistry at the same university (M age 29.2 2 3.2 yr.). Groups were similar for age and sex. As shown below, applicants to psychiatry scored significantly lower on Neuroticism than applicants to dentistry, a result which conflicts with other findings (3, 6). The dentistry applicants, however, presented a significantly lower index of Psychoticism. No significant difference between the two groups were found for Extraversion. Although the scores on the inventory indicate differences between the groups, these fall within the normal ranges reported by Eysenck This consideration, together with the relatively low levels of statistical significance, suggests that other variables probably play a more incisive role in the choice of psychiatry as a career.
A signal transduction system in Streptomyces coelicolor that activates the expression of a putative cell wall glycan operon in response to vancomycin and other cell wall‐specific antibiotics

We have investigated a signal transduction system proposed to allow Streptomyces coelicolor to sense and respond to changes in the integrity of its cell envelope. The system consists of four proteins, encoded in an operon: σE, an RNA polymerase σ factor; CseA (formerly ORF202), a protein of unknown function; CseB, a response regulator; and CseC, a sensor histidine protein kinase with two predicted transmembrane helices (Cse stands for control of sigma E). To develop a sensitive bioassay for in‐ducers of the sigE system, the promoter of the sigE operon (sigEp) was fused to a reporter gene conferring resistance to kanamycin. Antibiotics that acted as inducers of the sigE signal transduction system were all inhibitors of intermediate and late steps in peptidoglycan biosynthesis, including ramoplanin, moenomycin A, bacitracin, several glycopeptides and some β‐lactams. The cell wall hydrolytic enzyme lysozyme also acted as an inducer. These data suggest that the CseB–CseC signal transduction system may be activated by the accumulation of an intermediate in peptidoglycan biosynthesis or degradationa. A computer‐based searching method was used to identify a σE target operon of 12 genes (the cwg operon), predicted to specify the biosynthesis of a cell wall glycan. In low‐Mg2+ medium, transcription of the cwg operon was induced by vancomycin in a sigE‐dependent manner but, in high‐Mg2+ medium, there was substantial cwg transcription in a sigE null mutant, and this sigE‐independent activity was also induced by vancomycin. Based on these data, we propose a model for the regulation and function of the σE signal transduction system.
Effect of crossbreeding on genetic improvement of growth and reproduction in pigs.

Nine-year data from 3426 pigs were analyzed to present a retrospective evaluation of purebred, 2-breed crossing, and 3-breed rotational crossbreeding in the sixties and seventies. No significant heterosis effect was observed for litter size and the average number of pigs per litter (10) remained constant as crossbreeding intensified and the management system improved. Parental crossing did not influence sex ratios and no significant deviation from the 50:50 sex ratio occurred throughout the study. Among purebreds, Hampshire pigs were heavier (P less than .05) at birth and weaning than Duroc pigs. Crossbred dams sired by Duroc or Yorkshire boars produced offspring which were comparable in birth and weaning weights, but weighed less (P less than .05) than those sired by Landrace boars. Effect of birth weight on weaning weight of crossbred and purebred pigs was consistently positive whereas litter size influenced weaning weight negatively. Survival of the pigs was not dependent on parental crossing and did not change over the years when crossbreeding intensified. Yearly environmental variation influenced birth weight and weaning weight, but not litter traits. Male pigs were heavier (P less than .01) at birth than females, but the two groups were comparable at weaning.
A Survey of Acute Pain Services in Germany And A Discussion of International Survey Data

Background and Objectives Acute pain services (APS) have been introduced worldwide to improve postoperative pain management. However, data are lacking on organization and quality of these services in Germany. Methods A questionnaire on postoperative pain management was mailed to 773 departments of anesthesiology. Practice was compared between hospitals with and without APS and between services that did or did not meet basic quality criteria (QC): personnel assigned for APS, policies during nights and weekends, written protocols of pain management, and regular assessment and documentation of pain scores at least once a day. Results With 446 responding hospitals, 161 operated an APS. Large hospitals organized an APS more frequently than smaller hospitals (P < .001). Staff being assigned for the APS comprised anesthesiologists in 68.3% and nurses in 23.6% of the departments. In total, only half of the APS complied with basic QC. Regular assessment and documentation of pain scores were the QC most often missing (46.6%). Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) was performed in 93.8%, 74.1%, and 69.8% of the departments providing APS with QC, APS without QC, and no APS. Epidural analgesia (EA) was available in nearly all departments (96.9%). A total of 75.6% of the departments performed EA on general wards (with QC: 93.8%, without QC: 82.7%, and no APS: 68.4%, P < .001). Frequency of PCA and EA use was highest in hospitals providing an APS with QC. Conclusions As 50% of German APS do not comply with QC, we believe structured policies, as well as quality assurance measures, should be emphasized in the future. A comparison to international survey data showed that APS, in general, often do not consider QC.
The association between BMI and cervical cancer risk: a meta-analysis

The association between BMI and cervical cancer risk is not clear. This meta-analysis was carried out to estimate the association between overweight and obesity and cervical cancer risk. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, LILACS, and SciELO for observational studies addressing the association between BMI and cervical cancer until February 2015. Data were independently extracted and analyzed using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), on the basis of random-effects models. We identified a total of 3543 references and included nine studies with 128 233 participants. On the basis of the results of case–control and cohort studies, the association between cervical cancer and overweight was estimated to be 1.03 (95% CI: 0.81, 1.25) and 1.10 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.17), respectively. According to the results of case–control and cohort studies, the association between cervical cancer and obesity was estimated to be 1.40 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.71) and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.60, 1.52), respectively. No evidence of heterogeneity and publication bias was observed. The findings from this meta-analysis indicate that overweight is not associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer, but obesity is weakly associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer. However, more evidence, based on large prospective cohort studies, is required to provide conclusive evidence on whether or not BMI is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer.
Experimental relationships between levels of corticosterone in plasma and feathers in a free-living bird

SUMMARY Integrated measures of corticosterone (CORT), such as from feathers (CORTf), have intuitive appeal because they incorporate both the duration and amplitude of glucocorticoid secretion. An association between CORTf and plasma CORT has never been shown in wild birds, and it is unclear as to when and whether these measures should be correlated, given that they are fundamentally different yet related measures of physiology. We hypothesized that CORTf should correlate with instantaneous measurements of plasma CORT when the latter reflect sustained changes in the activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. To test this, we experimentally manipulated levels of plasma CORT in wild nestling tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) using 5 day time-release CORT pellets, and measured plasma CORT and growth parameters before, during and at the end of hormone manipulation (days 7, 9 and 11 post-hatch, respectively). CORTf and plasma CORT were significantly positively related only when the latter was at its highest and most variable among individuals (day 9). A similar relationship was expected at day 11, but plasma CORT had returned to near-original levels. Nestlings with higher CORTf were smaller, lighter and less likely to fledge, but we did not detect seasonal effects on CORTf. Our results clearly demonstrate that CORTf from free-living birds can reflect plasma CORT, but correlations may not always be expected, especially if elevations in plasma CORT are relatively modest and of short duration. Our work suggests that CORTf is best used to study the activity of the HPA axis over relatively long time frames and can be used effectively to advance avian ecology.
Person organization fit, job satisfaction and turnover intention: An empirical study in the context of Pakistan

Person Organization Fit is the congruence of the values between the employees and the organization. A number of researches have already been made on the Person Organization fit. In our study we have studied the relationship between person organization fit, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention. Although there have been researchers made which have determined these relationships but our study is held in the context of Pakistan, which is a developing country and we have checked the relationship between Person Organization Fit, Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention. Data was collected from 4different organizations and our findings indicate that there is a positive relationship between Person Organization Fit and Job Satisfaction and although the relationship between PO fit and Turnover Intention is not significant but it is not negative in the context of Pakistan. Research limitations and directions for future research are also included.
The relationship between clinical dental status and oral impacts in an elderly population.

PURPOSE To investigate the relationship between oral health-related quality of life and clinical dental measures in an elderly Greek population. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey was carried out of adults aged 65 years or older living independently in Athens. Data were collected through clinical examination and interviews. Oral health-related quality of life was assessed through the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) indicator. The sample consisted of 681 participants. Data analysis used non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and multiple logistic regressions). RESULTS The response rate was 87.8%. Dentate participants with 1-10 teeth were 2.05 (1.25, 3.35) times and those with 11-20 teeth were 1.81 (1.11, 2.95) times more likely to report oral impacts than subjects with 21 or more teeth. Participants with anterior tooth spaces were 2.86 (1.70, 4.80) times more likely to report oral impacts than those without anterior spaces. Participants with 0-8 natural occluding pairs (NOPs) were 1.72 (1.14, 2.58) times and those with 0-3 posterior occluding pairs (POPs) were 1.57 (1.04, 2.36) times more likely to experience oral impacts than subjects with 9-16 NOPs and 4-10 POPs respectively. Decayed teeth were not significantly related to the presence of oral impacts. Edentulous participants with inadequate denture adaptation were 2.59 (1.46, 4.59) times, those with inadequate denture retention 2.41 (1.39, 4.17) times and those with denture overextension 2.51 (1.10, 5.74) times more likely to report oral impacts than subjects without the respective denture deficiencies. CONCLUSION Clinical indicators of oral health status were significantly related to measures of oral health-related quality of life.