Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reduced [3H]Cyclic AMP Binding in Postmortem Brain from Subjects with Bipolar Affective Disorder

Abstract: Findings of increased Gsα levels and forskolin‐stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity in selective cerebral cortical postmortem brain regions in bipolar affective disorder (BD) implicate increased cyclic AMP (cAMP)‐mediated signaling in this illness. Accumulating evidence suggests that intracellular levels of cAMP modulate the abundance and disposition of the regulatory subunits of cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (cAMP‐dPK). Thus, in the present study, we tested further whether hyperfunctional Gsα‐linked cAMP signaling occurs in BD by determining [3H]cAMP binding, a measure of the levels of regulatory subunits of cAMP‐dPK, in cytosolic and membrane fractions from discrete brain regions of postmortem BD brain. Specific [3H]cAMP (5 nM) binding was determined in autopsied brain obtained from 10 patients with DSM‐III‐R diagnoses of BD compared with age‐ and postmortem delay‐matched controls. [3H]cAMP binding was significantly reduced across all brain regions in cytosolic fractions of BD frontal (−22%), temporal (−23%), occipital (−22%) and parietal (−15%) cortex, cerebellum (−36%), and thalamus (−13%) compared with controls, but there were no differences in [3H]cAMP binding in the membrane fractions from these same regions. These results suggest that changes occur in the cAMP‐dPK regulatory subunits in BD brain, possibly resulting from increased cAMP signaling. The possibility that antemortem lithium and/or other mood stabilizer treatment may contribute to the above changes, however, cannot be ruled out.
Effective Behavioral Coaching: What's It All About?

A number of experiments have demonstrated the considerable potential of behavior modification techniques for improving performance of beginners in sport and physical education. Several books have presented a consistent behavioral analysis of factors that influence the development and maintenance of athletic behavior. From these sources, an approach is beginning to emerge that might be called "effective behavioral coaching. " This paper discusses six characteristics that appear to make this approach distinctive and potentially valuable for coaches.
Conceptualizing anxiety and depression : The Japanese American older adult perspective

The current study is a qualitative investigation of the conceptualization of anxiety and depression among Japanese American older adults. Twenty-nine older adults were interviewed at a senior center where they were members. Results of the interviews suggest that their conceptualization of these disorders is similar to the conceptualization used by most mental health practitioners. However, several participants conceptualized anxiety and depression differently, and at times defined each disorder using symptoms of the other disorder. Most participants believed that both anxiety and depression were preventable, situational, and treatable, and were able to identify possible risk and protective factors. There was some evidence that some of the participants believed that sex, age, and ethnic group differences existed in the severity of anxiety and depression. Implications of the results and methodological considerations of the study are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Measuring Communication Styles in the Malaysian Workplace: Instrument Development and Validation

The aim of the present study is to access communication style in the Malaysian workplace through the development and validation of a communication scale appropriate to the Malaysian workplace. The analysis involved data from 200 state development employees, and construct and criterion-related validation using data from 510 employees, representing three organizations in Malaysia. The results provided support for the use of language (pekerti) and communication and interaction (bicara) as crucial communication dimensions for the Malaysian workplace, which are identified from the item-generation procedure.
Inhibition of iNOS with 1400W improves contractile function and alters nos gene and protein expression in reperfused skeletal muscle

This study examined the effects of 1400W, an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide (iNOS), on contractile function and iNOS expression in reperfused skeletal muscle. The right extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle of 104 rats underwent a sham operation or 3‐h ischemia followed by 3‐h or 24‐h reperfusion (I/R). Rats received 3 mg/kg 1400W, 10 mg/kg 1400W, or water subcutaneously. Results showed that EDL contractile function in both 1400W‐treated groups significantly outperformed the controls at 24‐h but not at 3‐h reperfusion. Although iNOS expression increased in all three I/R groups during reperfusion, a significantly smaller increase was found in 1400W‐treated muscles after 3‐h reperfusion, and more dramatically so after 24‐h reperfusion. Our results indicate that inhibition of iNOS preserved the contractile function in reperfused skeletal muscle, perhaps via downregulating iNOS expression. Protection by 1400W at 24‐h reperfusion suggests that the role of iNOS in exaggerating reperfusion injury is more prominent in the later stages of injury. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ocular Pathology: Role of Emerging Viruses in the Asia-Pacific Region—A Review

AbstractThe role of viral infections in ocular pathology varies greatly, involving all the components of the eye. Some viruses like herpes simplex, herpes zoster, adenovirus, enterovirus 70, influenza virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and cytomegalovirus are well-known for their role in ocular pathology. In recent years, emerging and resurging viral infections represent an important public health problem. The Asia-Pacific region has witnessed a number of pandemic and epidemic outbreaks caused by these viruses during the last 2 decades. The number of ocular complications being reported in patients of these viral infections has also increased significantly during this period. Ophthalmologists and physicians should be aware of ocular manifestations of newly emerging or resurging viral diseases. We conducted a review of the literature published during the last 20 years with the objectives of finding out outbreaks of emerging and reemerging viruses in the Asia-Pacific region and finding out any ocular involvement in these viral infections. An iterative search of the MEDLINE and the Google databases was made using the search terms emerging virus, ocular manifestations, ocular complications, Chikungunya, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile fever, Kyasanur forest disease, Rift valley fever, Hantavirus, Henipavirus, Influenza virus, Enterovirus 71, and Asia-Pacific region, separately and with reported ocular involvement in combination. This review article discusses the epidemiology and the systemic and ocular manifestations of all emerging viral infections with reported ocular involvement in the Asia-Pacific region.
Service Quality Evaluation in the Higher Education Sector: An Empirical Investigation of Students' Perceptions

This paper investigates the conceptualisation and measurement of service quality within the higher education sector in Western Australia (WA). It addresses the prominence of the service quality issue within this sector and the move toward high value service delivery as a means of ensuring sustainable competitive advantage. It reports the findings from an exploratory study of student perceptions of service quality as they relate to an on-line library service offered by a public sector university in WA. The study makes use of the importance-performance disconfirmation technique. The results reveal both the core service quality dimensions of significance to students in using this service and demonstrate the usefulness and relative simplicity of disconfirmation models generally, for evaluating the service quality construct in the higher education context.
E2F1 and c-Myc in Cell Growth and Death

Cell cycle machinery controls not only cell growth but also cell survival and death. For example, overexpression of c-Myc or E2F1, which are involved in G1/S transition, causes apoptosis under certain conditions. Furthermore, endogenous E2F1 also participates in apoptosis, as evidenced by the defect of apoptosis in E2F1-deficient mice. Candidate molecules that mediate c-Myc- and E2F1-enhanced apoptosis include p14/p19ARF, ornithine decarboxylase and lactate degydrogenase-A (for c-Myc) as well as p14/p19ARF, p73, Apaf-1 and caspase-3 (for E2F1). c-Myc also activates the CD95/Fas-FADD-mediated death signal. c-Myc and E2F1 inhibit NF-kB activities induced by TNFa or reactive oxygen species. Therefore, c-Myc and E2F1 regulate cell growth and death not only by inducing transcription but also by modulating signal transduction pathways.
Involvement of the Ca2+ signaling pathway in osteoprotegerin inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and maturation

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Ca2+ signaling pathway is involved in the ability of osteoprotegerin (OPG) to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and maturation. RAW264.7 cells were incubated with macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) + receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) to stimulate osteoclastogenesis and then treated with different concentrations of OPG, an inhibitor of osteoclast differentiation. The intracellular Ca2+ concentration [Ca2+]i and phosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in the different treatment groups were measured by flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. The results confirmed that M-CSF + RANKL significantly increased [Ca2+]i and CaMKII phosphorylation in osteoclasts (p < 0.01), and that these effects were subsequently decreased by OPG treatment. Exposure to specific inhibitors of the Ca2+ signaling pathway revealed that these changes varied between the different OPG treatment groups. Findings from the present study indicated that the Ca2+ signaling pathway is involved in both the regulation of osteoclastogenesis as well as inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and activation by OPG.
Leaching Behavior of Heavy Metals and Transformation of Their Speciation in Polluted Soil Receiving Simulated Acid Rain

Heavy metals that leach from contaminated soils under acid rain are of increasing concern. In this study, simulated acid rain (SAR) was pumped through columns of artificially contaminated purple soil. Column leaching tests and sequential extraction were conducted for the heavy metals Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn to determine the extent of their leaching as well as to examine the transformation of their speciation in the artificially contaminated soil columns. Results showed that the maximum leachate concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn were less than those specified in the Chinese Quality Standards for Groundwater (Grade IV), thereby suggesting that the heavy metals that leached from the polluted purple soil receiving acid rain may not pose as risks to water quality. Most of the Pb and Cd leachate concentrations were below their detection limits. By contrast, higher Cu and Zn leachate concentrations were found because they were released by the soil in larger amounts as compared with those of Pb and Cd. The differences in the Cu and Zn leachate concentrations between the controls (SAR at pH 5.6) and the treatments (SAR at pH 3.0 and 4.5) were significant. Similar trends were observed in the total leached amounts of Cu and Zn. The proportions of Cu, Pb, Cd, and Zn in the EXC and OX fractions were generally increased after the leaching experiment at three pH levels, whereas those of the RES, OM, and CAR fractions were slightly decreased. Acid rain favors the leaching of heavy metals from the contaminated purple soil and makes the heavy metal fractions become more labile. Moreover, a pH decrease from 5.6 to 3.0 significantly enhanced such effects.
Human alpha rhythms during visual delayed choice reaction time tasks: A magnetoencephalography study

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) includes fast and comfortable recording procedures very suitable for the neurophysiological study of cognitive functions in aged people. In this exploratory MEG study in normal young adults, we tested whether very simple short‐term memory (STM) demands induce visible changes in amplitude and latency of surface α rhythms. Two delayed response tasks were used. In the STM condition, a simple cue stimulus (one bit) was memorized along a brief delay period (3.5–5.5 s). In the control (no short‐term memory; NSTM) condition, the cue stimulus remained available along the delay period. To make extremely simple the tasks, the explicit demand was visuospatial but the retention could be also based on phonological and somatomotor coding. Compared to the control condition, the amplitude of the α 1 (6–8 Hz) ERD decreased in the left hemisphere, whereas the amplitude of the α 2 (8–10 Hz) and α 3 (10–12 Hz) event‐related desynchronization (ERD) increased in right and left parietal areas, respectively. Furthermore, the latency of the α ERD peak was slightly but significantly (P < 0.05) later in STM compared to control condition. In conclusion, whole‐head MEG technology and very simple STM demands revealed significant changes of human neuromagnetic α rhythms in normal young adults. Hum. Brain Mapp 24:184–192, 2005. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Ohitorisama, Singlehood and Agency in Japan

Abstract: Postwar Japanese society has experienced significant demographic shifts. Of particular note are trends in marriage delay, increased divorce, increased rates of lifelong singlehood and an increased proportion of life spent unmarried. In this context, singlehood is increasingly experienced by women, for at least some period in their adult lives. Nonetheless, while greater numbers of Japanese are living as singles for a greater portion of their lives, marriage and childbearing remain key markers of contemporary Japanese womanhood. Living outside marriage – as a single, divorced or widowed person – suggests divergence from the ideal, even if it is just an unavoidable temporary state. This paper explores singlehood as a contested space of ideals and practices, and presents the notion of ohitorisama as one model of contemporary female singlehood.
Face inversion disproportionately impairs the perception of vertical but not horizontal relations between features

Upside-down inversion disrupts the processing of spatial relations between the features of a face, while largely preserving local feature analysis. However, recent studies on face inversion failed to observe a clear dissociation between relational and featural processing. To resolve these discrepancies and clarify how inversion affects face perception, the authors monitored inversion effects separately for vertical and horizontal distances between features. Inversion dramatically declined performance in the vertical-relational condition, but it impaired featural and horizontal-relational performance only moderately. Identical observations were made whether upright and inverted trials were blocked or randomly interleaved. The largest performance decrement was found for vertical relations even when faces were rotated by 90 degrees. Evidence that inversion dramatically disrupts the ability to extract vertical but not horizontal feature relations supports the view that inversion qualitatively changes face perception by rendering some of the processes activated by upright faces largely ineffective.
Age-Related Differences in Dynamic Interactions Among Default Mode, Frontoparietal Control, and Dorsal Attention Networks during Resting-State and Interference Resolution

Resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) can identify large-scale brain networks, including the default mode (DMN), frontoparietal control (FPN) and dorsal attention (DAN) networks. Interactions among these networks are critical for supporting complex cognitive functions, yet the way in which they are modulated across states is not well understood. Moreover, it remains unclear whether these interactions are similarly affected in aging regardless of cognitive state. In this study, we investigated age-related differences in functional interactions among the DMN, FPN and DAN during rest and the Multi-Source Interference task (MSIT). Networks were identified using independent component analysis (ICA), and functional connectivity was measured during rest and task. We found that the FPN was more coupled with the DMN during rest and with the DAN during the MSIT. The degree of FPN-DMN connectivity was lower in older compared to younger adults, whereas no age-related differences were observed in FPN-DAN connectivity in either state. This suggests that dynamic interactions of the FPN are stable across cognitive states. The DMN and DAN were anti correlated and age-sensitive during the MSIT only, indicating variation in a task-dependent manner. Increased levels of anticorrelation from rest to task also predicted successful interference resolution. Additional analyses revealed that the degree of DMN-DAN anticorrelation during the MSIT was associated to resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) within the DMN. This suggests that reduced DMN neural activity during rest underlies an impaired ability to achieve higher levels of anticorrelation during a task. Taken together, our results suggest that only parts of age-related differences in connectivity are uncovered at rest and thus, should be studied in the functional connectome across multiple states for a more comprehensive picture.
Notes on static cylindrical shells

Static cylindrical shells made of various types of matter are studied as sources of the vacuum Levi-Civita metrics. Their internal physical properties are related to the two essential parameters of the metrics outside. The total mass per unit length of the cylinders is always less than ¼. The results are illustrated by a number of figures.
Association Between Second Metatarsal Length and Forefoot Loading Under the Second Metatarsophalangeal Joint

Background: Metatarsal length is believed to play a role in plantar plate dysfunction, although the mechanism through which progressive injury occurs is still uncertain. We aimed to clarify whether length of the second metatarsal was associated with increased plantar pressure measurements in the forefoot while walking. Methods: Weightbearing radiographs and corresponding pedobarographic data from 100 patients in our practice walking without a limp were retrospectively reviewed. Radiographs were assessed for several anatomic relationships, including metatarsal length, by a single rater. Pearson correlation analyses and multiple linear regression models were used to determine whether metatarsal length was associated with forefoot loading parameters. Results: The relative length of the second to first metatarsal was positively associated with the ratio of peak pressure beneath the respective metatarsophalangeal joints (r = 0.243, P = .015). The relative length of the second to third metatarsal was positively associated with the ratios of peak pressure (r = 0.292, P = .003), pressure-time integral (r = 0.249, P = .013), and force-time integral (r = 0.221, P = .028) beneath the respective metatarsophalangeal joints. Although the variability in loading predicted by the various regression analyses was not large (4%-14%), the relative length of the second metatarsal (to the first and to the third) was maintained in each of the multiple regression models and remained the strongest predictor (highest standardized β-coefficient) in each of the models. Conclusions: Patients with longer second metatarsals exhibited relatively higher loads beneath the second metatarsophalangeal joint during barefoot walking. These findings provide a mechanism through which elongated second metatarsals may contribute to plantar plate injuries. Level of Evidence: Level III, comparative study.
Hot Pants at the Border Sorting Sex Work from Trafficking

The role of borders in managing sex work is a valuable site for analysing the relationship between criminal justice and migration administration functions. For the purposes of this article, we are concerned with how generalised concerns around trafficking manifest in specific interactions between immigration officials and women travellers. To this end, this article contributes to a greater understanding of the micro-politics of border control and the various contradictions at work in the everyday performance of the border. It uses an intersectional analysis of the decision-making of immigration officers at the border to understand how social differences become conflated with risk, how different social locations amplify what is read as risky sexuality, and how sexuality is constructed in migration. What the interviews in our research have demonstrated is that while the border is a poor site for identifying cases of trafficking into the sex industry, it is a site of significant social sorting where various intersections of intelligence-led profiling and everyday stereotyping of women, sex work and vulnerability play out.
Job autonomy, well-being, and health : a study among Dutch health care workers

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Improved storage of erythrocytes by prior leukodepletion: flow cytometric evaluation of stored erythrocytes.

In vivo phagocytosis of senescent red blood cells (RBCs) by macrophages occurs 120 days after their release into the circulation. It depends on two sequential signals that trigger phagocytosis: (1) desialylation of membrane glycoconjugates with the exposure of the penultimate beta-galactosyl residues and (2) exposure of phosphatidylserine in the membrane outer leaflet. Leukodepleted and nonleukodepleted RBCs were compared using flow cytometric procedures to determine whether the in vitro deterioration of RBCs during storage might be attributable to an identical mechanism of desialylation induced by leukocyte neuraminidases, resulting in exposure of beta-galactosyl and subsequently phosphatidylserine residues - signals of senescent RBCs. Without prior leukodepletion, stored RBCs showed an increased population of senescent RBCs (using light scatter measurements), extensive desialylation with the exposure of beta-galactosyl residues (using specific fluorescein isothiocyanate [FITC]-lectins), significant exposure of phosphatidylserine in the outer leaflet of the RBC membrane (using FITC-annexin V), and extensive in vitro phagocytosis (using PKH-26-labeled RBCs). There were minimal changes observed with the leukodepleted RBCs. These results lead to the conclusion that leukocyte enzymes, including neuraminidases, are definitive contributers to the desialylation of RBCs during storage and to the exposure of phosphatidylserine residues. These deleterious effects resulting from highly active leukocyte enzymes are preventable by prior leukodepletion of the stored RBCs. Previously developed flow cytometric procedures to detect in vivo "RBC senescence" have been applied and proved to be reliable criteria to monitor the viability of stored RBCs.
Does phase 1 trial enrollment preclude quality end‐of‐life care? Phase 1 trial enrollment and end‐of‐life care characteristics in children with cancer

End‐of‐life care (EOLC) discussions and treatment‐related decisions, including phase 1 trial enrollment, in patients with incurable disease are complex and can influence the quality of EOLC received. The current study was conducted in pediatric oncology patients to determine whether end‐of‐life characteristics differed between those who were and were not enrolled in a phase 1 trial.