Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
‘Jumping around’: exploring young women's behaviour and knowledge in relation to sexual health in a remote Aboriginal Australian community

Sexual health indicators for young remote-living Aboriginal women are the worst of all of Australian women. This study aimed to describe and explore young women's behaviour and knowledge in relation to sexual health, as well as to provide health professionals with cross-cultural insights to assist with health practice. A descriptive ethnographic study was conducted, which included: extended ethnographic field work in one remote community over a six-year period; community observation and participation; field notes; semi-structured interviews; group reproductive ethno-physiology drawing and language sessions; focus-group sessions; training and employment of Aboriginal research assistants; and consultation and advice from a local reference group and a Cultural Mentor. Findings reveal that young women in this remote community have a very poor biomedical understanding of sexually transmitted infections and contraception. This is further compounded by not speaking English as a first language, low literacy levels and different beliefs in relation to body functions. In their sexual relationships, young women often report experiences involving multiple casual partners, marijuana use and violence. Together, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors underlying sexual health inequity among young Aboriginal women in Australia.
A Little Uncertainty Goes a Long Way: State and Trait Differences in Uncertainty Interact to Increase Information Seeking but Also Increase Worry

This study examines the effect of an interaction between intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and situational uncertainty (SU) on worry due to uncertainty and on information seeking. Health providers may benefit from knowing when communicating uncertain information is beneficial. The study was a 2 (IU condition: high vs. low) × 2 (SU condition: high vs. low) experimental design resulting in four conditions to which university students (N = 153) were randomly assigned. IU was manipulated through a linguistic manipulation of responses to an IU questionnaire coupled with written false feedback. SU was manipulated by modifying the information participants read about a fictitious infection. Individuals in the high IU and high SU condition sought the most information and worried most due to uncertainty compared to people in the low IU and low SU condition, who sought the least information and worried least. Findings suggest that high IU may increase positive health behaviors such as screening intentions when individuals are faced with an uncertain health threat, but that it also increases worries due to that uncertainty. Providing opportunities for discussing one's emotional response to uncertainty and providing instrumental support for managing uncertainty (e.g., booking the follow-up appointment) is essential when communicating uncertain information.
Acetohydroxy Acid Synthetase with a pH Optimum of 7.5 from Neurospora crassa Mitochondria: Characterization and Partial Purification

An acetohydroxy acid synthetase (AAS) has been found associated with the mitochondrial fraction of wild-type Neurospora crassa. It has a pH optimum of 7.5 and is presumed to be homologous to the pH 8.0 AAS that synthesizes the valine and isoleucine precursors in bacteria and yeast. The enzyme was characterized and purified 30- to 60-fold. The AAS activity of intact mitochondria requires thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), Mn2+ or Mg2+, and flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and is sensitive to end product inhibition by l-valine. This inhibition is pH-dependent and noncompetitive with respect to pyruvate. Activity is slightly repressed during exponential growth in the presence of valine, isoleucine, and leucine. Extraction of the AAS from the mitochondria has a profound influence on the following properties: pH optimum, sensitivity to l-valine, response to FAD, binding of TPP, apparent Km, and stability at 0 to 4 C. The catalytic properties of the partially purified enzyme are described. Two forms of the partially purified AAS can be isolated from preparative Sephadex G-200 chromatographic columns. Both forms are electrophoretically and antigenically similar but one form has an estimated molecular weight of 110,000 to 120,000 whereas the predominant form is a much larger and more buoyant molecule.
Corneal changes in diabetic patients after manual small incision cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND Diabetics have abnormal corneal morphology along with higher rate of corneal endothelial cell loss and decreased corneal endothelial cell density and early onset of cataract. AIM To evaluate the changes in corneal endothelium and corneal thickness in patients with diabetes mellitus after Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS) in eyes with brunescent Cataract. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty eyes of 60 patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and 60 eyes of 60 age matched healthy patients of advanced brunescent cataract underwent MSICS were evaluated. All the patients underwent specular microscopy for the corneal endothelial cell count of cornea and central corneal thickness pre-operatively, at one week, six weeks and 12 weeks post-operatively. The morphology, variation in the endothelial size and shape and percentage of hexagonal cells were assessed. RESULTS The mean pre-operative endothelial count in the control was higher than the diabetic group (p<0.001). The post-operative endothelial count loss in both the groups were statistically significant (one-way ANOVA p<0.001). On comparing post-operative endothelial loss in non diabetics (8.05%) to diabetic group, the diabetic group had significantly higher endothelial loss (14.19% p<0.001). There was also a significant increase in central corneal thickness in diabetics as compared to control (p = 0.004). The change in percentage hexagon cells in diabetic group was significantly higher than in non diabetic group (p = 0.005). Inter group change in coefficient of variance was not statistically significant (p=0.144). CONCLUSION Compared to non-diabetic patients, diabetic patients have more endothelial cells damage after MSICS. Corneal endothelial evaluation of diabetic patients is recommended before any intraocular surgery.
Mesenchymal stromal cells: properties and role in management of cutaneous diseases

This review describes the current understanding and the potential use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in cell‐based therapies for clinical management of difficult wounds and other dermatoses. MSCs have been shown to possess many advantageous properties that make them a promising therapeutic modality in dermatology still under investigation. In fact, MSCs' ability to promote wound healing through its paracrine function and pro‐angiogenic properties have generated increasing interest for treating acute and chronic wounds. There is also great interest in utilizing MSCs' immunological characteristics for therapeutic use especially for patients with debilitating systemic autoimmune and inflammatory skin conditions who have failed other therapies. Its role in aesthetics has also been explored with clinical data showing improvement of acne scars and wrinkles from photoaging. Clinical trials are underway investigating the safety and efficacy of MSCs in the treatment of different skin conditions such as acute burns, diabetic and venous stasis ulcers, epidermolysis bullosa and systemic sclerosis, among others. We anticipate that as our understanding of the characteristics and function of MSCs grow, so will its role in cell‐based treatments of dermatological conditions.
Preliminary Investigation on the Development of Diltiazem Resin Complex Loaded Carboxymethyl Xanthan Beads

The objective of this study was to develop a multiunit sustained release dosage form of diltiazem using a natural polymer from a completely aqueous environment. Diltiazem was complexed with resin and the resinate-loaded carboxymethyl xanthan (RCMX) beads were prepared by interacting sodium carboxymethyl xanthan (SCMX), a derivatized xanthan gum, with Al+3 ions. The beads were evaluated for drug entrapment efficiency (DEE) and release characteristics in enzyme free simulated gastric fluid (SGF, HCl solution, pH 1.2) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF, USP phosphate buffer solution, pH 6.8). Increase in gelation time from 5 to 20 min and AlCl3 concentration from 1 to 3% decreased the DEE respectively from 95 to 79% and 88.5 to 84.6%. However, increase in gum concentration from 1.5 to 2.5% increased the DEE from 86.5 to 90.7%. The variation in DEE was related to displacement of drug from the resinate by the gel forming Al+3 ions. While 75–82% drug was released in 2 h in SGF from various beads, 75 to 98% drug was released in 5 hour in SIF indicating the dependence of drug release on pH of dissolution media. Although the beads maintained their initial integrity throughout the dissolution process in both media, as evident from scanning electron microscopic studies, the faster release in SGF was accounted for higher swelling of the beads in SGF than in SIF. When release data (up to 60%) was fitted in power law expression, the drug release was found to be controlled by diffusion with simultaneous relaxation phenomena.
Estimating Oligopsony Power in the United States Market for Slaughter Hogs: An Error Correction Approach

Agricultural industrialization, the application of modern production methods to agriculture, has fundamentally altered the structure of the U.S. pork industry. While consumers have benefitted, more extensive vertical integration and higher industry concentration raise questions about the competitiveness of first-handler markets for slaughter hogs. In this study we estimate the market power of pork processing firms by adapting to the oligopsony case the New Empirical Industrial Organization (NEIO) model of Steen and Salvanes (1999). They estimate oligopoly power by reformulating within an error correction framework the model developed by Just and Chern (1980), Bresnahan (1982), and Lau (1982). This approach, by accounting for short-run deviations from long-run equilibrium, makes more complete use of the information in the data to yield shortand long-run estimates of market power. The results of our model provide no statistically or economically significant evidence that pork processing firms engaged in anticompetitive conduct during the period from 1988 to 2000.
Specific immunotherapy in grass pollen allergy

Since its description by Noon in 1911, desensitization, or allergen specific immunotherapy (SIT), has been largely used in respiratory allergic diseases treatment. It remains the only etiologic treatment for allergic diseases. The development of the sublingual route and new forms of medication, as an alternative to subcutaneous injection, has led to large scale clinical trials. Many of them had been performed with allergen tablets, particularly in the field of pollen allergy. These studies have confirmed that SIT is efficient in reducing all respiratory allergic symptoms. Data on long-term benefits and sustained efficacy after stopping treatment have also been published. These show an impact on natural history of allergic disease, in particular, a reduction in the risk of asthma in desensitized rhinitic subjects and in the acquisition of new sensitivities. The basic mechanisms of immunotherapy are becoming better understood and allow us to envisage improvements in this therapeutic method in the future. The sublingual route appears to be safer with a better safety profile. This may lead to an extension of allergen specific immunotherapy indications in patients with respiratory allergic diseases.
T cell specificity and cross reactivity towards enterobacteria,Bacteroides,Bifidobacterium, and antigens from resident intestinal flora in humans

BACKGROUND T cell responses to normal intestinal bacteria or their products may be important in the immunopathogenesis of chronic enterocolitis. AIMS To investigate the T cell specificity and cross reactivity towards intestinal bacteria. PATIENTS/METHODS T cell clones were isolated with phytohaemagglutinin from peripheral blood and biopsy specimens of inflamed and non-inflamed colon from five patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and two controls. T cell clones were restimulated with anaerobicBacteroides andBifidobacteria species, enterobacteria, and direct isolates of aerobic intestinal flora. T cell phenotype was analysed by single-cell immunocyte assay. RESULTS Analysis of 96 T cell clones isolated from peripheral blood and biopsy specimens from two patients with IBD showed that bothBifidobacterium andBacteroides species specifically stimulate proliferation of CD4+TCRαβ+ T cell clones from both sites and that cross reactivity exists between these anaerobic bacteria and different enterobacteria. Analysis of 210 T cell clones isolated from three patients with IBD and two controls showed that indigenous aerobic flora specifically stimulate T cell clones from peripheral blood and biopsy specimens from a foreign subject. Some of these flora specific T cell clones were cross reactive with defined enterobacteria. In addition, T cell clones stimulated by their own indigenous aerobic flora were identified in patients with IBD. CONCLUSION Immune responses to antigens from the intestinal microflora involve a complex network of T cell specificities.
Pre-service Teachers' Classroom Management Self-efficacy Beliefs

Maintaining classroom order is one of the skills and responsibilities teachers are required to develop. Likewise, teachers are expected to design a proper classroom environment where instructional goals are reached effectively. Self-efficacy is a concept frequently debated among scholars of educational realms, albeit exploration of teachers’ self-efficacy specifically in terms of classroom management is quite rare, especially for pre-service teachers. Hence, the present research was conducted to reveal pre-service teachers’ beliefs about their own capabilities in classroom management. The survey was carried out by utilizing “Classroom Management Self-efficacy Scale” with respect to quantitative research methodology, collecting data from senior (fourth grade) pre-service teachers enrolled in a primary education program during 2014-2015 academic year. Data analyses demonstrated participants’ high degree of self-efficacy beliefs in classroom management, implying the effectiveness of classroom management courses taught at the programs. The evidences further suggested higher self-efficacy levels in maintaining classroom order for female prospective teachers. The outcomes also revealed pre-service teachers with higher academic achievement tended to perceive themselves more efficacious in terms of classroom management. Pre-service teachers enrolled at departments of elementary school teaching and pre-school teaching were found to be more confident in their classroom management capabilities compared to those studying at science teaching. The results of the study lastly indicated a positive correlation between classroom management efficacies and outcome expectancies of the subjects. © 2015 IOJES. All rights reserved
WHEN TRUE MEMORIES SUPPRESS FALSE MEMORIES: EFFECTS OF AGEING

After studying a list of words that are all associated to a nonpresented target word, people often falsely recall or recognise the nonpresented target. Previous studies have shown that such false memories are greatly reduced when study lists are presented and tested several times compared to a single study/test trial. We report that older adults, who are sometimes more susceptible to memory distortions than are young adults, failed to exhibit any reduction in false recall or false recognition after five study/test trials compared to a single trial. By contrast, younger adults showed robust suppression of false memories after five study/test trials compared to a single trial. These results are consistent with the idea that older adults rely on memory for the general features or gist of studied materials, but tend not to encode or to retrieve specific details of individual items.
Prostatic carcinoma metastatic to bone: Sensitivity and specificity of prostate‐specific antigen and prostatic acid phosphatase in decalcified material

Decalcified bone marrow biopsies containing metastatic tumor from 36 patients were stained for prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) using the avidin biotin complex (ABC) immunoperoxidase technique. Of these patients, 22 had known prostate primaries, ten had known nonprostatic, and four female patients had unknown primaries. Prostate‐specific antigen was identified in 86% (19/22) of the metastatic prostatic carcinomas. Prostatic acid phosphatase was present in only 36% (8/22). None of the patients with nonprostatic primaries or unknown primaries showed positive staining for either antigen (0/14). This study indicates that immunoperoxidase staining for PSA is very sensitive and specific in the diagnosis of metastatic prostate carcinoma, while PAP was less sensitive using decalcified bone marrow specimens. We believe that immunostaining with PSA should be of great value in diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma metastatic to the bone.
Accommodation to Changes in Bolus Viscosity in Normal Deglutition: A Videofluoroscopic Study

Videofluoroscopic swallow studies were performed on 60 normal adult volunteers. Swallowing variables were measured during swallows of a 3-cm3 paste bolus and a 3-mL liquid bolus and were compared to identify changes in swallow gesture displacement and timing, as well as changes in bolus movement timing. The study revealed that some differences measured by videofluoroscopy appear to be the result of the inherent bolus characteristics, while others likely represent changes in swallow gestures needed to accommodate variations in bolus viscosity. The overall timing of pharyngeal transit did not vary between bolus types. Oropharyngeal transit trended toward being faster for a liquid bolus with a concurrent early elevation of the aryepiglottic folds. The hyoid bone elevated at the same time, at the same rate, and to the same extent irrespective of bolus viscosity. During a liquid bolus swallow, the hyoid bone trended toward a more prolonged elevation, corresponding to prolonged pharyngoesophageal sphincter opening. The pharyngoesophageal sphincter, however, opened to a greater extent with a paste bolus.
Hydrogen Recycling by Rhizobium leguminosarum Isolates and Growth and Nitrogen Contents of Pea Plants (Pisum sativum L.)

The ability to recycle H2 evolved by nitrogenase is thought to be of importance in increasing the efficiency of N2 fixation and to be a factor in increasing plant yield in symbiotic systems. To determine whether this ability is a significant factor in the Rhizobium leguminosarum-Pisum sativum L. system, plants were inoculated with R. leguminosarum isolates which differed in their ability to oxidize H2 and in their relative efficiency of N2 fixation. These plants were grown at three levels of irradiance and harvested after 3, 4, and 5 weeks of growth for determination of C2H2 reduction, H2 evolution and uptake, plant dry weight, and N content. Plants inoculated with uptake hydrogenase-positive (Hup+) isolates did not exhibit higher dry weight or N content than those inoculated with Hup− isolates under any of the growth conditions studied. The efficiency of the nitrogenase system of Hup− isolates increased at a low irradiance, a factor which may allow them to compete successfully with Hup+ isolates. In some Hup+R. leguminosarum isolates, H2 oxidation is coupled to ATP formation, whereas in others, it is not. There were no differences in plant dry weight and N content in plants inoculated with the two types and grown for 5 weeks at three irradiance levels. The addition of H2 to Hup+ nodules whose supply of photosynthate had been removed by stem excision did not increase C2H2 reduction in either coupled or uncoupled types.
Skull base chondrosarcoma radiosurgery: report of the North American Gamma Knife Consortium.

OBJECT Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is a potentially important option for patients with skull base chondrosarcomas. The object of this study was to analyze the outcomes of SRS for chondrosarcoma patients who underwent this treatment as a part of multimodality management. METHODS Seven participating centers of the North American Gamma Knife Consortium (NAGKC) identified 46 patients who underwent SRS for skull base chondrosarcomas. Thirty-six patients had previously undergone tumor resections and 5 had been treated with fractionated radiation therapy (RT). The median tumor volume was 8.0 cm3 (range 0.9-28.2 cm3), and the median margin dose was 15 Gy (range 10.5-20 Gy). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate progression-free and overall survival rates. RESULTS At a median follow-up of 75 months after SRS, 8 patients were dead. The actuarial overall survival after SRS was 89% at 3 years, 86% at 5 years, and 76% at 10 years. Local tumor progression occurred in 10 patients. The rate of progression-free survival (PFS) after SRS was 88% at 3 years, 85% at 5 years, and 70% at 10 years. Prior RT was significantly associated with shorter PFS. Eight patients required salvage resection, and 3 patients (7%) developed adverse radiation effects. Cranial nerve deficits improved in 22 (56%) of the 39 patients who deficits before SRS. Clinical improvement after SRS was noted in patients with abducens nerve paralysis (61%), oculomotor nerve paralysis (50%), lower cranial nerve dysfunction (50%), optic neuropathy (43%), facial neuropathy (38%), trochlear nerve paralysis (33%), trigeminal neuropathy (12%), and hearing loss (10%). CONCLUSIONS Stereotactic radiosurgery for skull base chondrosarcomas is an important adjuvant option for the treatment of these rare tumors, as part of a team approach that includes initial surgical removal of symptomatic larger tumors.
Inhibitory Effects of the Antiestrogen Agent Clomiphene on Cardiac Sarcolemmal Anionic and Cationic Currents

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the antiestrogen agent clomiphene on cardiac anionic and cationic sarcolemmal ion channels. Whole-cell recordings were made from rat and guinea pig ventricular myocytes. Clomiphene inhibited the volume-regulated chloride current [I Cl,vol, activated by cell swelling after hypotonic shock (∼145 mOsM)] with an IC50 value of ∼9.4 μM. In contrast, at concentrations up to 100 μM, clomiphene failed to inhibit both the chloride current activated by cyclic AMP (I Cl,cAMP) and the anionic background current (I AB). At 10 μM, clomiphene blocked the voltage-gated fast sodium current and the L-type calcium current (I Ca,L) in both species. The voltage-independent fractional block ofI Ca,L induced by clomiphene (10 μM) was ∼82%, this concentration also inhibited the inwardly rectifying K+ current with a fractional current block of ∼26% at −90 mV. Fractional block of outward current at +70 mV in rat was ∼25%, implying that delayed rectifying K+ channels were also affected by clomiphene. We conclude that clomiphene shows selectivity for I Cl,vol overI Cl,cAMP and I ABand therefore represents a useful tool for studying chloride conductances in isolated ventricular myocytes with interfering currents blocked. However, due to its effects on cation conductances it would be of little value in this regard for other types of in vitro or in vivo experiments.