Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is not involved in base excision repair but PARP inhibition traps a single-strand intermediate

Base excision repair (BER) represents the most important repair pathway of endogenous DNA lesions. Initially, a base damage is recognized, excised and a DNA single-strand break (SSB) intermediate forms. The SSB is then ligated, a process that employs proteins also involved in SSB repair, e.g. XRCC1, Ligase III and possibly PARP1. Here, we confirm the role of XRCC1 and PARP in direct SSB repair. Interestingly, we uncover a synthetic lethality between XRCC1 deficiency and PARP inhibition. We also treated cells with alkylating agent dimethyl sulfate (DMS) and monitored the SSB intermediates formed during BER. DMS-induced SSBs were quickly repaired in wild-type cells; while a rapid accumulation of SSBs was observed in cells where post-incision repair was blocked by a PARP inhibitor or by XRCC1 deficiency (EM9 cells). Interestingly, DMS-induced SSBs did not accumulate in PARP1 siRNA depleted cells, demonstrating that PARP1 is not required for efficient completion of BER. Based on these results we suggest no immediate role for PARP1 in BER, but that PARP inhibitors trap PARP on the SSB intermediate formed during BER. Unexpectedly, addition of PARP inhibitor 2 h after DMS treatment still increased SSB levels indicating ongoing repair even at this late time point.
Retentiveness of implant-supported metal copings using different luting agents

BACKGROUND With regard to potential retrievability of cement-retained implant restorations, the retentive strength of the luting agents is critical. The aim of this study was to evaluate the retention values of implant-supported metal copings using different luting agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty ITI implant analogs and solid abutments of 5.5-mm height were embedded vertically in autopolymerizing acrylic resin blocks. Metal copings with a loop on the occlusal surface were fabricated using base metal alloy (Rexillium III). The copings were luted using eight cements with different retention mechanisms (Panavia F2.0, Fuji Plus, Fleck's, Poly F, Fuji I, Temp Bond, GC-free eugenol, and TempSpan) under static load of 5 kg (n=10). All specimens were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours, conditioned in artificial saliva for 7 days and thermocycled for 5000 cycles (5-55°C). The dislodging force was measured using a universal testing machine at a crosshead speed of 5 mm/min. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis (α=0.05) and Mann-Whitney tests with Bonferroni correction (α=0.001). RESULTS Fuji Plus and TempSpan had the highest and the least mean retentive strength, respectively (320.97±161.47, 3.39±2.33). There was no significant difference between Fuji Plus, Fleck's, Ploy F, and Panavia F2.0. These cements were superior to provisional cements and Fuji I (P<0.001) which showed statistically same retentive strength. CONCLUSION Within the conditions of this study, the resin modified glass ionomer, zinc phosphate, zinc polycarboxylate, and Panavia F2.0 had statistically the same retentive quality and are recommended for definitive cementation of single implant-supported restorations. The provisional cements and glass ionomer may allow retrievability of these restorations.
Further insights into the antinociceptive potential of a peptide disrupting the N-type calcium channel–CRMP-2 signaling complex

The N-type voltage-gated calcium channel ( Cav2.2) has gained immense prominence in the treatment of chronic pain. While decreased channel function is ultimately anti-nociceptive, directly targeting the channel can lead to multiple adverse side effects. Targeting modulators of channel activity may facilitate improved analgesic properties associated with channel block and a broader therapeutic window. A novel interaction between Cav2.2 and collapsin response mediator protein 2 (CRMP-2) positively regulates channel function by increasing surface trafficking. We recently identified a CRMP-2 peptide (TAT-CBD3), which effectively blocks this interaction, reduces or completely reverses pain behavior in a number of inflammatory and neuropathic models. Importantly, TAT-CBD3 did not produce many of the typical side effects often observed with Cav2.2 inhibitors. Notably chronic pain mechanisms offer unique challenges as they often encompass a mix of both neuropathic and inflammatory elements, whereby inflammation likely causes damage to the neuron leading to neuropathic pain, and neuronal injury may produce inflammatory reactions. To this end, we sought to further disseminate the ability of TAT-CBD3 to alter behavioral outcomes in two additional rodent pain models. While we observed that TAT-CBD3 reversed mechanical hypersensitivity associated with a model of chronic inflammatory pain due to lysophosphotidylcholine-induced sciatic nerve focal demyelination (LPC), injury to the tibial nerve (TNI) failed to respond to drug treatment. Moreover, a single amino acid mutation within the CBD3 sequence demonstrated amplified Cav2.2 binding and dramatically increased efficacy in an animal model of migraine. Taken together, TAT-CBD3 potentially represents a novel class of therapeutics targeting channel regulation as opposed to the channel itself.
Development of the Coaching Issues Survey (CIS)

The Coaching Issues Survey (CIS) was developed to measure sport/coaching-specific issues that may produce stress within the coaching role and situation. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure with a sample of collegiate basketball coaches. The four separate, but related subscales of Win-Loss, Time-Role, Program-Success, and Athlete-Concerns demonstrated high internal consistency and good stability over time. The CIS was sensitive to gender differences and paralleled differences noted with stress and burnout measures. The CIS was quite predictive of stress appraisal and slightly predictive of burnout, providing evidence for construct validity as a personal/situational variable within the current theoretical conceptualizations of the stress and burnout process. The initial reliability and validity evidence suggests that the CIS can be a valuable measure of potentially problematic issues for coaches, facilitating the investigation of stress and burnout in coaching.
Testing for Differential Item Functioning within the EQ-5D

We test for the presence of differential item functioning (DIF) in the EQ-5D health-related quality-of-life instrument, using data from a large clinical trial in acute stroke (ISRCTN 99414122). DIF occurs when subjects in different subsets of a sample respond differently to items in a measurement instrument, despite possessing the same latent traits. The data comprised 1462 patient records. We analyzed DIF specifically with respect to responses obtained from different geographical regions and responses obtained from proxies as opposed to the patients themselves. We mapped clinical outcome measures (scores from the modified Rankin Scale, the Barthel Index, and the Zung Depression scale) onto EQ-5D index scores and included dummy variables for proxy responses and for region of treatment (United Kingdom, Asia, rest of world). We predicted the level of problem severity reported on each of the EQ-5D’s five constituent dimensions from the clinical measures and the dummy variables. For given clinical characteristics, proxies were more likely to report health problems than were the patients themselves, although the divergences were not sufficiently large to result in any significant difference in mean index scores between patient and proxy reports. However, the distributions of reported levels of problems for similar clinical states diverged significantly by region, and these translated into different index scores. The mean index score for UK responses was significantly higher than the mean index scores from Asia and the rest of the world.
Effect of Lycra Extension Percent on Single Jersey Knitted Fabric Properties

This research studies the effect of extension increase percent of bare Lycra yarns during loop formation on the geometrical, physical and mechanical properties of plain jersey fabrics. Samples with 100% cotton yarns, Lycra yarns in alternating courses (half plating) and Lycra yarns in every course (full plating) were produced on a circular knitting machine. The two latter cases were produced at five different levels of Lycra extension. Thermal setting was carried out without any traverse tension during finishing, thus evaluating the full effect of Lycra extension. Results show a sharp increase in the courses density rather than the wales density. Fabric thickness and weight per unit area also increased, and air permeability in the case of the half and full plating fabrics decreased considerably. The breaking load and extension also increased, while the initial elasticity modulus decreased with an increase in abrasion resistance in the case of full plating. A comparison between half and full plating methods contributes to improving fabric quality by determining optimal Lycra percentage.
Variable patterns of neuropsychological performance in HIV-1 infection

Based upon prior findings with group means, a “prototypical pattern” of neuropsychological results with HIV infection has emerged: impaired executive functioning, motor skills, speed of information processing, and learning, with intact memory retention, most language skills, and visuospatial functioning. We examined neuropsychological results from 553 HIV+ adults to determine the number of patterns seen among individuals with HIV infection. Factor analysis of a relatively comprehensive neuropsychological battery identified 6 component factors: verbal memory (VeM), visual memory (ViM), processing speed (PS), attention/working memory (A/WM), executive function (EF), and motor (M). These factor scores were submitted to hierarchical cluster analysis, to determine the appropriate number of clusters or patterns in the cohort. Final cluster membership was then determined by K-means analysis, based on the Lange, Iverson, Senior, and Chelune (2002) method. A 6-cluster solution was found to be most appropriate. The definitions of the clusters were based upon ipsative scoring of factor scores to indicate relative strengths and weaknesses (independent of overall level of performance): Cluster 1: strong EF; Cluster 2: strong M, weak VeM and EF; Cluster 3: strong PS, weak ViM and EF; Cluster 4: strong VeM, weak M; Cluster 5: strong A/WM; Cluster 6: strong VeM, weak EF. Neuropsychological-impairment rates differed across clusters, but all 6 clusters contained substantial numbers of impaired and unimpaired individuals. Cluster membership was not explained by demographic variables or psychiatric or neuromedical confounds. Thus, there does not appear to be a single, prototypical pattern of neuropsychological impairment associated with HIV infection for this battery of representative neuropsychological tests.
Reply to Chien et al.

To the Editor—We are thankful for the comments made by Chien et al, which enrich the discussion on the important issue of vascular complications caused by nontyphoid Salmonella (NTS) isolates [1]. We do agree that it is a limitation of the present study addressed by Chien et al that only 42.2% of the patients underwent imaging studies to exclude the presence of vascular infections [2]. As mentioned, we had recognized that the prevalence of vascular infections was likely to be underestimated, especially among those without imaging studies. However, the prediction capabilities of the scores derived from the selected 151 patients and that of the initial study population were comparable (the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.80 and 0.83, respectively). The increment of the number of cases with imaging studies may increase the predictive power and applicability of the clinical score. Chien et al also raised the issue of symptom duration before medical care [1]. Our previous studies showed that vascular infections were less frequently found in patients with malignancy and connective diseases if they were affected by NTS bacteremia [3, 4], and such a finding was supported by other reports in Taiwan [5]. A multicenter prospective study enrolling adults with NTS bacteremia to undergo computed tomography (CT) scanning is ongoing. The study will include more potential risk factors, such as the duration of symptoms and the severity of arterial atherosclerosis, into consideration. In addition, with clinical experience of an infected aortic aneurysm developing 3 months later even with 3 weeks of antimicrobial therapy [6], 6 months of follow-up is considered appropriate to exclude the likelihood of infected aortitis after the onset of NTS bacteremia. Clinical courses of patients with NTS bacteremia may vary greatly. The decision of undergoing CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to screen the vascular infection should be individualized. Our results could help clinicians to recognize a high-risk population of infected vascular lesions among adults with NTS bacteremia, and justify comprehensive radiological surveys, but did not argue against the necessity of clinical alertness for vascular infections among immunosuppressed individuals aged >50 with NTS bacteremia, for whom it seems to be unreasonable to recommend imaging studies due to economic concerns and contrast medium–related adverse effects. In our study cohort, if the NTSVI score were <0 (ie, −1 or −2), all 43 patients with imaging studies had no vascular infections. This negative finding would certainly question the need of imaging surveys to exclude the existence of vascular lesions. Moreover, it was noteworthy that half of the patients with a risk of vascular infection were not surveyed by CT or MRI scans in our study population. Therefore, it is prudent to recommend that the patients identified as being at a risk of vascular infections by the scoring algorithm need further imaging studies.
Experience, intention and practice in the teaching of 5-14 primary science

This research used quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine the experience, intentions and practice of pre-service primary students in order to determine the nature of student teachers’ paradigms of science. The research identified a dissonance between the students’ aspirational rhetoric and the actuality of the experiences they provide for learners. This research framed the discourse of teaching and learning in terms of objectivist and constructivist paradigms. It was argued that the objectivist paradigm of science teaching has historically been dominant in science classrooms; however, it is the constructivist paradigm which is linked to an effective pedagogy in science education. This research examined the students’ school qualifications in science, stated confidence levels in teaching the 5-14 science curriculum and the students’ views on how best to take forward teaching and learning in primary science. The students were fond to be poorly qualified in science; however, it was shown that this has not had any adverse effect upon the pre-service students’ self-rated confidence levels in teaching primary science. Confidence indices were found to be consistently high, albeit slightly lower with respect to Physics. This research has also shown that there is a consistent pattern of increasing confidence with progression through the BEd course, and consistently low levels of confidence with respect to the PGCE students. This study identified a dissonance between the pre-service students’ experience of science and how they propose to teach science. It was shown that the pre-service students’ experience was negatively orientated, and firmly rooted within the objectivist paradigm. However, it was found that the students’ stated intentions are framed in terms of the constructivist paradigm. The research also determined that the students are confident that they possess the professional skills necessary to take forward teaching and learning in primary science.
Comparative evaluation of slot versus dovetail design in class III composite restorations in primary anterior teeth

The esthetic restorations of primary anterior teeth have always occupied an important part of the pediatric dentist's armamentarium. Various materials have been tried for this purpose and ample materials have been researched in an attempt to fulfill the prerequisites for an ideal esthetic restorative material. Composite resins have been traditionally noted to have decreased bonding ability to primary teeth and the use of secondary retentive features has been advocated to increase bonding. Fifty pairs of anterior class III carious teeth were selected having mirror image lesions on their contralateral proximal surfaces. These teeth were prepared with either a slot or a modified dovetail type of cavity preparation. The patients were then kept on recall to check the clinical characteristics of the restorations at 3, 6, and 12 months. The criteria for evaluation included marginal adaptation, anatomic form, surface discoloration and secondary caries. It was concluded from the results that the both slot and dovetail types of cavity preparations were equally effacious when clinically reviewed for a period of 12 months. Hence the use of slot type of cavity preparation with reduced loss of the tooth structure is indicated for class III cavities in primary anterior teeth.
[Phantom pain after eye enucleation].

BACKGROUND Phantom pain is a well known and extensively documented complication after limb amputation. Nearly all surgical disciplines have to deal with phantom symptoms related to different anatomical regions and organs but limited data is available about phantom eye pain (PEP) after enucleation. Only one pilot study is present in literature. It was the aim of this study to analyze a group of patients with a standardized surgical procedure of enucleation concerning the incidence of PEP and its relation to further preoperative and postoperative data. PATIENTS AND METHODS A standardized questionnaire was sent to all enucleation patients with primary orbital implant performed between 1/1/1986 and 12/31/1995 at Münster University. Data of 94 patients could be analyzed with regard to PEP, perioperative pain symptoms and further ophthalmological and surgical data. RESULTS 24 of 94 patients reported PEP after enucleation. The frequency of PEP was less than once per month in the majority of patients (71%). 2 of 24 patients suffered from PEP on more than 4 days/month. Perioperative pain symptoms (ocular pain [OP], preoperative and postoperative headache) were reported with a higher proportion (each p<0.0025) in patients with PEP compared to those not affected by PEP. All patients with a preoperative history of OP longer than 5 years and 75% of patients with OP longer than 12 months of pre-enucleation OP were affected by PEP. CONCLUSIONS Phantom eye pain is present in nearly 1/4 of patients after enucleation and is significantly related to other perioperative pain symptoms.
Convergence Rate of Quantization Error in Networked Control Systems

In this paper, we investigate the problem of convergence rate of the quantization error in networked control systems. Given bit rate R, we derive the best convergence rate of the quantization error together with a corresponding rate allocation strategy. Specifically, using a min-max eigenvalue problem (MMEP) formulation, it is shown that the error convergence rate is determined by the ratio between |detA| and R where A is the state matrix. It is also shown that the bit rate R can be optimized through a dynamic quantization policy among the unstable modes of the system, such that the convergence rate of the quantization error approaches the optimal solution to the MMEP problem
A phenomenology of academic support in culturally and linguistically diverse homes of at-risk students

I examined the home environment and the amount of academic support non-English speaking parents are able to provide for their English Language Learner (ELL) children in the United States school system. In particular, the focus is on the families of children who struggle academically in the state of Georgia, where non-English speaking children are mainstreamed into regular education classrooms with limited support. Although there has been a great deal of research on how ELLs learn and what type of program can be used to best facilitate mastery of academics as they are learning the English language, the focal point of this study is the ELL parents’ perspective on what the staff of the school system can do in order to assist them as they seek to help their children succeed in school. The parents interviewed in this study had children who attended a Title I Distinguished School in a small, rural town in Georgia. Selection was based on the academic status of the children, specifically targeting students who: (a) did not read on grade level, (b) struggled in mathematics and language arts, and (c) generally did not experience success in school. Through the use of focus groups, interviews were conducted with individual parents and teachers, and students’ academic records were examined. From the collected data, five major themes were identified, which addressed the key issue of the study: how to assist non-English speaking parents help their children achieve academic success in school. Descriptors: Hispanic parental involvement, culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners, CLD achievement gap, Second Language Acquisition Theory, English language learners (ELL)
Predicting Community Opposition to Inclusion in Schools: The Role of Social Dominance, Contact, Intergroup Anxiety, and Economic Conservatism

ABSTRACT This study addresses community members’ attitudes toward inclusion, the practice of including students with disabilities in regular education classroom settings. Participants in Study 1 were 271 community adults, completing measures of prior contact with people with disabilities, social dominance orientation (SDO), economic conservatism, intergroup anxiety, prejudice, and opposition to inclusion. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that amount of intergroup anxiety predicted opposition to inclusion via the mediator, prejudice toward people with disabilities, and that amount of prior contact indirectly predicted prejudice toward people with disabilities through intergroup anxiety. SDO positively predicted both intergroup anxiety and prejudice in the model, with prejudice also mediating between SDO and opposition to inclusion. Both SDO and economic conservatism failed to exhibit direct predictive relationships with opposition to inclusion. Participants in Study 2 were 161 community adults. Contact was shown to exert an indirect effect on prejudice via intergroup anxiety, whereas intergroup anxiety impacted inclusive attitudes via prejudice. SDO exerted both direct and indirect (via prejudice) effects on opposition to inclusion.
Student Attitudes Towards Self And Peer Assessment In Japanese University First Year EFL Classes

本研究は自己およびピア評価という新しい評価法に対する学習者の考えを理解する目的で 行われた。 調査に参加したのは、日本の大学で外国語としての英語を学ぶ 1年生405名である。 英語コミュニケーションコースを履修する調査参加者は、一学期中、個人やピアで様々な評 価法を経験した。 このコース終了後、オンライン質問紙で履修者の意識調査を行った。 質問 紙では、学習者が 1)自己・ピア評価に対してどのような考えを持っているのか、 2)自分 やピアの英語能力を評価する者として自身をどのように感じているか、そして 3)自己・ピ ア評価法を言語学習に有効な方法だと感じているかの 3点を調べた。 調査の結果、この新し い評価法をほとんど経験したことがなかった学習者たちも、自己・ピア評価に対しておおむ ね肯定的な考えを持っていることがわかった。 また彼らはピア評価を快く思い、言語学習の 手段として評価している一方、自らの言語能力を評価する能力については懐疑的であること もわかった。