Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD)

Reliable information on rate of progression of cognitive impairment in probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) is important for evaluating possible beneficial effects of therapeutic agents and in planning long-term care for patients with this chronic illness. However, wide variability exists in published rates of change for psychometric measures of the dementing process, and there is need for an accurate analysis of large numbers of persons with the disorder studied over long periods. Utilizing the large, well-characterized sample of the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease and employing a least squares regression method to adjust for different levels of impairment and periods of observation, we report rates of change on the Short Blessed Test, Mini-Mental State Examination, Blessed Dementia Scale, Clinical Dementia Rating, and other cognitive measures in 430 patients with probable AD (mean age at entry = 70.9 ± 8.0 SD years) studied for up to 4 years. We found that rate-of-change determinations are less reliable when the observation period is 1 year or less, that dementia progression may be nonlinear when described by certain measures, and that simple change scores do not accurately characterize the rate of decline. We also found that rate of progression in AD is determined by the severity of cognitive impairment: the less severe the dementia, the slower the rate of decline.
HRM Practices in Indonesia: the Contributing Power of Embeddedness and Support

This study aims to test the effect of HRM practices on the employees’ task performance and how the correlation is mediated by the variables of job embeddedness and perceived organizational support. The methods of data collection employed observation, questionnaire online and offline, and interview. Sampling uses the survey method, with the number of respondents 480 (response rate 87.27%) academics in Indonesia. The analysis of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with Warp PLS program was used to test the hypothesis. The result of this study shows that the supported HRM practices affect employee performance, job embeddedness and perceived organizational support. Employee performance is also directly affected by job embeddedness and perceived organizational support. Based on the result, there is an effect of HRM practices on the task performance, the better HRM practices are, the more employees’ task performance will improve. Job embeddedness and perceived organizational support are also affected by HRM practices. In addition, this study also proves that job embeddedness and perceived organizational support can also improve employees’ task performance. Besides affecting directly, job embeddedness and perceived organizational support have a role as mediating variables in the HRM practices on performance. The result of this study provides an understanding that good HRM practices are crucial to be applied not only in the profitable organization but also in the universities. This study provides a description of the importance of good HRM practices to be implemented in the universities. Furthermore, it is necessary to continue studying the roles of human resources practices with the larger sample.
Short‐term exposure to particulate matter induces arterial but not venous thrombosis in healthy mice

Summary. Background: Epidemiological findings suggest an association between exposure to particulate matter (PM) and venous thrombo‐embolism. Objectives: To investigate arterial vs. venous thrombosis, inflammation and coagulation in mice, (sub)acutely exposed to two types of PM. Methods: Various doses (25, 100 and 200 μg per animal) of urban particulate matter (UPM) or diesel exhaust particles (DEP) were intratracheally (i.t.) instilled in C57Bl6/n mice and several endpoints measured at 4, 10 and 24 h. Mice were also repeatedly exposed to 100 μg per animal on three consecutive days with endpoints measured 24 h after the last instillation. Results: Exposure to 200 μg per mouse UPM enhanced arterial thrombosis, but neither UPM nor DEP significantly enhanced venous thrombosis. Both types of PM induced dose‐dependent increases in broncho‐alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) total cell numbers (mainly neutrophils) and cytokines (IL‐6, KC, MCP‐1, RANTES, MIP‐1α), with peaks at 4 h and overall higher values for UPM than for DEP. Systemic inflammation was limited to increased serum IL‐6 levels, 4 h after UPM. Both types of PM induced similar and dose‐dependent but modest increases in factor (F)VII, FVIII and fibrinogen. Three repeated instillations did not or only modestly enhance the proinflammatory and procoagulant status. Conclusions: Compared with DEP, UPM induced more pronounced pulmonary inflammation, but both particle types triggered similar and mild short‐term systemic effects. Hence, acute exposure to PM triggers activation of primary hemostasis in the mouse, but no substantial secondary hemostasis activation, resulting in arterial but not venous thrombogenicity.
Stimulation of proximal small intestinal mucosal growth by luminal polyamines.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether luminal polyamines stimulate intestinal mucosal growth in vivo. Rats received 2% alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) added to their drinking water throughout the experiment. The polyamines spermidine and spermine (3 mg each/100 g body wt) were given intragastrically in combined doses once at 9:30 A.M. and again at 5:30 P.M. Duodenal and jejunal mucosal ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in the DFMO-treated rats was inhibited significantly for the duration of the study. DFMO also markedly decreased the rate of [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA of duodenal and jejunal mucosa. The decrease in [3H]thymidine incorporation was significant 4 days and maximal 6 and 8 days after beginning treatment with DFMO. Decreased ODC activity and DNA synthesis were paralleled by decreases in total mucosal DNA, RNA, and protein content. Administration of the polyamines significantly reversed the effects of DFMO except the inhibition of ODC. In fact, there were no significant differences in mucosal growth parameters between the controls (without DFMO) and those treated with DFMO plus polyamines. Oral administration of spermidine and spermine at a dose of 4.5 mg each/100 g body wt for 6 days to rats not treated with DFMO increased the normal rate of mucosal growth in the duodenum and jejunum as well. Polyamine accumulation in IEC-6 cells was measured to determine whether it was altered by DFMO. IEC-6 cells took up [3H]putrescine and [3H]spermidine from their surrounding environment and the uptake was stimulated by serum. DFMO (5 mM) totally inhibited the increase in ODC activity but had no effect on the cellular uptake of polyamines in the presence of putrescine. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Developing a conceptual framework of knowledge management

Purpose Knowledge management is a function of learning orientation, knowledge sharing, organizational memory and knowledge reuse. This paper aims to endeavor to explore a link between knowledge management and value creation which seem to be fragmented in the literature due to various conceptualizations and meanings. The study hypothesized a moderating role of social capital on the relationship between knowledge management and value creation. Design/methodology/approach The study was approached from the theoretical perspective. Study thoroughly reviews and analyzes the literature by developing a link between knowledge management and value creation. The studies were explored from selected databases including “Google scholar”, “Emerald” and “ProQuest” using the keyword search, namely, “Knowledge Sharing”, “Learning Orientation”, “Organizational Memory”, “Knowledge Re-use”, “Knowledge Management”, “Knowledge-based View”, “Competitive Advantage”, “Value Creation” and “Social Capital” to reduce the interpretation bias. Findings Knowledge management is an important predictor of value creation which can be strengthened by developing strong interpersonal relationships with all stakeholders. Organizations can create competitive advantage by managing social capital through knowledge management processes including learning orientation, knowledge sharing, organizational memory and knowledge reuse. Research limitations/implications The study is based on a theoretical model and an apparent limitation is the non-existence here of contributions and discussions that have been based on empirical data. Future study may use other moderating and mediating variables such as industry type, market orientation, human capital and organizational climate to know whether knowledge management directly affects the value creation or indirectly through these variables. The hypotheses emerged from the model can be operationalized by generating the items from the review of the literature. Originality/value The study contributes to the knowledge management literature by developing a theoretical model of knowledge management based on underlying dimensions of learning orientation, knowledge sharing, organizational memory and knowledge re-use.
Plasma melatonin circadian rhythm disturbances during pregnancy and postpartum in depressed women and women with personal or family histories of depression.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that disturbances in levels of plasma melatonin differentiate pregnant and postpartum women with major depression from matched pregnant and postpartum healthy comparison women. METHOD Participants were 25 pregnant women (10 with major depression, 15 healthy) and 24 postpartum women (13 with major depression, 11 healthy). Healthy comparison women were matched on the number of weeks pregnant or postpartum. Plasma melatonin levels for each subject were measured every 30 minutes, in dim light (<30 lux), from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m. The values of plasma melatonin levels were log-transformed, and calculations were determined for the following measures: baseline and synthesis onset and offset times, duration, peak concentration, and area under the curve. Groups were compared by analyses of covariance, with age, number of weeks pregnant or postpartum, breast-feeding status, and body mass index as covariates. RESULTS Morning melatonin levels from 2:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. were significantly lower in pregnant women with major depression relative to healthy pregnant women. However, these levels were significantly higher in postpartum women with major depression across time intervals relative to postpartum healthy women. Pregnant but not postpartum women with a personal or family history of depression, regardless of their current diagnosis, had significantly earlier melatonin synthesis and baseline offset times relative to women without a family history of depression. In pregnant healthy women but not pregnant women with major depression, melatonin levels increased during the course of pregnancy. This association was not found among postpartum women with major depression or postpartum healthy women. CONCLUSIONS Plasma nocturnal melatonin concentrations, particularly during morning hours, were lower in depressed pregnant women but elevated in depressed postpartum women relative to matched healthy comparison women. In addition, melatonin timing measures were advanced in pregnant women with a personal or family history of depression. These findings implicate disturbances in the regulation of the melatonin generating system in pregnancy and postpartum depression.
The health literacy level and eating behaviours of the teachers working at the city center of Eskisehir Turkey

Background: The purpose of this study is to determine the level of Health Literacy of teachers who work at the city center of Eskisehir and to evaluate the relation with eating behaviors and some of possible related variables. Methods: This cross-sectional research study was conducted between 1 st of March and 28 th of April 2017 with the primary, secondary and high school teachers. Study group consists of 825 teachers who agreed to participate to the study. The Questionnaire form includes the socio-demographic variables of teachers, potential factors associated with the health literacy, Turkish Health Literacy Scale 32 (THLS-32) and The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Results: The mean age was 41.91±8.80 years ranging from 22 to 65 years. The median score of the general index of the THLS-32 was found to be as 32.81 and 52.1% of our study population were found to be above the median score. The participants showed a negative correlation between the scores of ‘emotional eating’,‘uncontrolled eating’ scale and THLS-32, positive correlation between ‘cognitive restraint’ eating scale THLS-32. Conclusions: The health literacy level of teachers is important because of effecting both themselves and students. The teachers and the health care providers should collaborate on the topic more and they should be encouraged to participate in health related programmes.
Estimating urban impervious surfaces using LS-SVM with multi-scale texture

Various methodologies have been used to estimate and map percent impervious surface using medium resolution remote sensing imagery. However, there appears to be few study conducted on the use of SVR for estimating ratio of impervious surfaces. The aim of this paper is to compare the effectiveness both of two advanced algorithms and three feature set for estimating and describing impervious surface. Landsat imagery (acquired on Sep. 16, 2000 and Apr. 2, 2006) in Nanjing, China, were used for the analysis. The linear spectral mixture analysis (LSMA) and least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) were employed to extract impervious surface. Accurate assessment was performed against a high-resolution IKONOS image. The results show that LS-SVM was more effective than LSMA in extracting impervious surfaces with high statistical accuracy. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the impervious surface map using LS-SVM model was 0.106 compared with 0.246 using LSMA. Also, the LS-SVM with multi-scale texture was obtained the lowest error than the spectrum and single scale texture. It is demonstrated that the LS-SVM with multi-scale texture is of capability of handling the nonlinear mixing of the image spectrum and the complex distribution of urban objects.
Oral administration of clotrimazole and blockade of human erythrocyte Ca(++)-activated K+ channel: the imidazole ring is not required for inhibitory activity.

The Ca(++)-activated K+ (Gardos) channel of erythrocytes plays a crucial role in K+ loss and dehydration of sickle erythrocytes; a potential therapeutic strategy would be to prevent dehydration by specifically blocking this channel. The authors report here on the activity of the clotrimazole (CLT) metabolite, 2-chlorophenyl-bis-phenyl-methanol, which accounts for a portion of the blockade of the erythrocyte Gardos channel when CLT is given orally to normal volunteers. Administration of a single oral dose of 1 g of CLT to four normal healthy volunteers (approximately 15 mg/kg of body weight) resulted in 51% to 92% peak inhibition of the Gardos channel measured in whole blood 2 to 4 hr later. Inhibition remained detectable for 24 to 34 hr. Inhibition of the Gardos channel correlated best with the summed levels of CLT plus its two major metabolites (P < .002; apparent IC50 = 0.65 +/- 0.19 microM). In vitro experiments with 2-chlorophenyl-bis-phenyl-methanol revealed dose-dependent inhibition of K transport and displacement of specifically bound 125I-charybdotoxin. Thus, the imidazole ring of CLT, which is required for antimycotic activity and associated with most of the historically observed toxicity, is not necessary for inhibition of the Gardos channel.
Adsorption of polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide type surfactants at surfaces of pharmaceutical relevant materials: effect of surface energetics and surfactant structures

Abstract Protein therapeutics are exposed to various surfaces during product development, where their adsorption possibly causes unfolding, denaturation, and aggregation. In this paper, we aim to characterize four types of typical surfaces used in the development of biologics: polycarbonate, polyethersulfone, borosilicate glass, and cellulose. Contact angles of these surfaces were measured using three probing liquids: water, formamide, and diidomethane, from which acid/base (AB) and Lifshitz–van der Waals (LW) interaction components were derived. To explore the interactions of surfactants of Pluronics/Poloxamers (PEO-PPO-PEO copolymers) with these surfaces, the adsorption of three Pluronics (F68, F127, and L44) at these surfaces was determined using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation technique (QCM-D). For hydrophobic surfaces without AB component (polycarbonate and polyethersulfone), these copolymers exhibited significant adsorption with a little dissipation at low concentrations. For hydrophilic surfaces with AB component (cellulose and borosilicate), the adsorption at low-surfactant concentration is low while dissipation is relatively high. Additionally, the chemical properties of Pluronics such as the ratio of PPO to PEO, along with the interaction of PPO with surfaces were observed to play a critical role in adsorption. Furthermore, the interfacial structure of the adsorbed layer was affected by both AB interaction and the presence of PEO block.
Factors Associated with Colorectal Cancer in the Context of the Mediterranean Diet: A Case-Control Study

Recent evidence demonstrates that increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) may prevent colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between health-related characteristics and CRC in the context of the MD. This was a case-control study conducted on a sample of 338 consecutive patients with a first diagnosis of CRC recruited in an urban facility in the city of Catania, southern Italy, and matched with 676 apparently healthy subjects without clinical symptoms or signs of any type of cancer. Data regarding sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle characteristics were collected, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern was assessed using the MedDietScore. A significant association between a greater adherence to the MD and lower odds of having cancer (odds ratio = 0.46, 95% confidence interval: 0.28–0.75) was found. Also, smoking status, family history of CRC, obesity, diabetes, physical activity, and high intake of alcohol were significantly associated with CRC, but only among subjects less adherent to the MD. MD was associated with a less detrimental effects of several health-related characteristics associated with CRC, suggesting potential benefits of adherence to this dietary pattern with regards to CRC risk factors.
Tree ring record of annual runoff for Issyk Lake, Central Asia

Revealing hydrologic variations in the past is helpful to understand the dynamic changes and evolution of a given water body. The widespread long-lived spruce forests growing in the mountainous area around Issyk Lake in Central Asia provide a good opportunity for dendrohydrologic studies about that lake. A regional tree-ring width chronology developed for Picea schrenkiana was used to reconstruct 345-year annual runoff for Issyk Lake. Based on frequency of the wettest/driest years and decades, the 20th century was identified as having the most frequent hydrologic fluctuations among the last three centuries. After applying a 21-year moving average, seven wet and six dry periods were found in the runoff reconstruction. The 10- and 2.1–5.4-year cycles of this reconstruction revealed that annual runoff variability of Issyk Lake may be influenced by solar activity and the atmosphere–ocean system. Spatial correlation proves that the runoff reconstruction contains climatic signals representative of a large area, including the western Tien Shan Mountains and Junggar Basin. A comparison between the annual runoff reconstruction and other hydroclimatic reconstructions reveals similar variations, particularly in the high-frequency domain. The annual runoff reconstruction also accurately captures some flood/drought events noted in the meteorological records and hydroclimatic reconstructions of Central Asia.
Sex Differences in Antidepressant Response in Recent Antidepressant Clinical Trials

Abstract: Some previous reports suggest that women respond differently than men to antidepressant treatment. Much of this literature compares men and women's response to tricyclics to that of newer antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRI), or only examines one particular antidepressant. This study compares men and women's responses to 6 newer antidepressants. A total of 15 randomized, placebo-controlled trials that included 323 depressed patients were examined for sex differences in antidepressant treatment response. Women had a significantly greater response than men to SSRI antidepressants. A similar trend was seen for those assigned to an SNRI antidepressant, although not to the same extent as with SSRI antidepressants. Although these gender differences in treatment response are not large enough to suggest that gender should guide the clinical use of SSRI and SNRI antidepressants, the results do have implications for the design and interpretation of antidepressant clinical trials. These findings also raise the possibility that antidepressants may work somewhat differently in men and women.
A Human Monoclonal Anti-ANG2 Antibody Leads to Broad Antitumor Activity in Combination with VEGF Inhibitors and Chemotherapy Agents in Preclinical Models

Localized angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) expression has been shown to function as a key regulator of blood vessel remodeling and tumor angiogenesis, making it an attractive candidate for antiangiogenic therapy. A fully human monoclonal antibody (3.19.3) was developed, which may have significant pharmaceutical advantages over synthetic peptide-based approaches in terms of reduced immunogenicity and increased half-life to block Ang2 function. The 3.19. 3 antibody potently binds Ang2 with an equilibrium dissociation constant of 86 pmol/L, leading to inhibition of Tie2 receptor phosphorylation in cell-based assays. In preclinical models, 3.19. 3 treatment blocked blood vessel formation in Matrigel plug assays and in human tumor xenografts. In vivo studies with 3.19. 3 consistently showed broad antitumor activity as a single agent across a panel of diverse subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models. Combination studies of 3.19. 3 with cytotoxic drugs or anti–vascular endothelial growth factor agents showed significant improvements in antitumor activity over single-agent treatments alone with no apparent evidence of increased toxicity. Initial pharmacokinetic profiling studies in mice and nonhuman primates suggested that 3.19. 3 has a predicted human half-life of 10 to 14 days. These studies provide preclinical data for 3.19. 3 as a potential new antiangiogenic therapy as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy or vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors for the treatment of cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(1); 145–56
Enacting strategies for graduate employability: How universities can best support students to develop generic skills

The project ‘How universities can best support students to develop generic skills: Enacting strategies for graduate employability’ was led by Curtin University in partnership with the University of Sydney, The University of Melbourne, Flinders University and the Australian Council for Educational Research. The final report was delivered in March 2015. Project resources can be found at http://graduateemployability.curtin. edu.au/