Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feeling and feelings: Affective and perceptual dimensions of touched materials and their connection

Participants explored a representative set of 47 solid, fluid and granular materials and rated them according to a list of 32 perceptual and 20 affective attributes. In a principal component analysis (PCA) of the perceptual ratings, we extracted six dimensions: Fluidity, Roughness, Deformability, Fibrousness, Heaviness, and Granularity explained 88% variance. A PCA on affective ratings revealed the dimensions: Valence, Arousal, and Dominance, explaining 92% variance. Greater Valence was significantly associated with reduced Roughness, greater Arousal with more Fluidity and greater Dominance with decreasing Deformability and decreasing Heaviness. Overall, the present study demonstrates that the range of affective responses to touched material is broader than previously assumed, and that these affective responses are systematically associated with certain perceptual dimensions.
A novel purification procedure for keratin-associated proteins and keratin from human hair

The proteins in human hair consist primarily of microfibrillar keratins with a molecular mass of 40–65 kDa and keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) with a molecular mass of 6–30 kDa, according to the results obtained from sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Because an effective purification procedure of KAPs has not been established, little is known about the protein chemistry of KAPs as compared with that of keratin. When hair samples were incubated in the Shindai solution containing alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, and 2-methyl-1-propanol, the extraction of KAPs was enhanced, while extraction of keratin was suppressed. Using ethanol, we established a selective purification procedure for KAPs and keratin. According to Tricine/SDS-PAGE, the KAPs fraction contained six polypeptides with molecular masses of 3.5, 4.4, 5.2, 7.8, 15, and 28 kDa. The keratin fraction contained two polypeptides with molecular masses of 45 and 67 kDa and was free of low-molecular-weight components. The amino acid compositions of the KAPs and keratin fractions were mostly in agreement with the values found in the literature. The recoveries of the KAPs and keratin fractions from the hair samples were approximately 10 and 50%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that hair samples retained fine fibrous structures in the cortex after extracting the KAPs and that the additional extraction of keratin caused the fibrous structures to disappear. These results indicated that KAPs may function by surrounding the fibrous structures and supporting the keratin fibers in the cortex. In this study, we propose a novel and convenient isolation procedure for KAPs and keratin from human hair.
Mitochondrial Alternative Oxidase Is Not a Critical Component of Plant Viral Resistance But May Play a Role in the Hypersensitive Response1

Transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) with altered levels of mitochondrial alternative oxidase (AOX) were used to examine the potential role of this electron transport chain protein in resistance to tobacco mosaic virus. We examined the effect of AOX expression on the salicylic acid-induced resistance in susceptible plants and the resistance responses of plants harboring the N-gene. A lack of AOX did not compromise the ability of salicylic acid treatment to heighten the resistance of susceptible plants. In plants with the N-gene, a lack of AOX did not compromise the ability of the hypersensitive response to restrict the virus or the ability of the plant to develop systemic acquired resistance. Overexpression of AOX did not heighten the resistance of susceptible plants, but did result in smaller hypersensitive response lesions, suggesting a link between mitochondrial function and this programmed cell death event. We conclude that AOX is not a critical component of the previously characterized salicylhydroxamic acid-sensitive pathway important in viral resistance.
Evaluation of BMP‐2 gene‐activated muscle grafts for cranial defect repair

Large, osseous, segmental defects heal poorly. Muscle has a propensity to form bone when exposed to an osteogenic stimulus such as that provided by transfer and expression of cDNA encoding bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2). The present study evaluated the ability of genetically modified, autologous muscle to heal large cranial defects in rats. Autologous grafts (8 mm × 2 mm) were punched from the biceps femoris muscle and transduced intraoperatively with recombinant adenovirus vector containing human BMP‐2 or green fluorescent protein cDNA. While the muscle biopsies were incubating with the vector, a central parietal 8 mm defect was surgically created in the calvarium of the same animal. The gene‐activated muscle graft was then implanted into the cranial defect. After 8 weeks, crania were examined radiographically, histologically, and by micro‐computed tomography and dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Although none of the defects were completely healed in this time, muscle grafts expressing BMP‐2 deposited more than twice as much new bone as controls. Histology confirmed the anatomical integrity of the newly formed bone, which was comparable in thickness and mineral density to the original cranial bone. This study confirms the in vivo osteogenic properties of genetically modified muscle and suggests novel strategies for healing bone. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:1095–1102, 2012
The development of a rating scale to screen social and emotional detachment in children and adolescents

Rating scales to assess psychopathic characteristics in children and adolescents show a considerable item overlap with rating scales to assess attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional‐defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms. The aim of this study is to preliminary test a short questionnaire clinicians can use to screen the unique characteristics of psychopathy. Parental ratings of psychopathic characteristics and symptoms of ADHD, ODD and CD were gathered in a community sample of 2535 4–18‐year‐old Dutch children. The dimensionality of the ratings was determined by factor analysis and related to ADHD, ODD and CD. Two factors emerged covering egocentric‐narcissistic and callous‐unemotional characteristics. To avoid unnecessary stigmatization of youngsters the first factor is referred to as the “social detachment dimension” and the second as the “emotional detachment dimension”. Parental ratings were reliable across all age and gender groups, and correlated moderately with ODD and CD, but not with ADHD. Preliminary findings support a two‐dimensional syndrome depicting respectively narcissistic and unemotional characteristics. The syndrome is associated with ODD and CD symptoms and possibly depicts a subtype of the ODD/CD childhood disorder. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cytogenetic and molecular evidence of marrow involvement in extramedullary acute myeloid leukaemia

A diagnosis of granulocytic sarcoma was made in a 2‐year‐old child based on the detection of myelomonocytic blasts in tissue obtained from a subcutaneous nodule with no evidence of concomitant disease in the bone marrow. The child responded to systemic chemotherapy and is in remission 3 years later. An identical clone with an in frame fusion of the MLL and AF10 genes was identified from both tissue and bone marrow samples. The generation of an in frame MLL–AF10 fusion requires complex intra‐ and interchromosomal exchanges between chromosomes 10 and 11. In this case, an intrachromosomal rearrangement of chromosome 5 was also observed. This case illustrates the presence of systemic disease in extramedullary leukaemia, its response to systemic rather than topical therapy and suggests that the events leading to chromosomal translocations in leukaemia may be part of a generalized intracellular event.
A DYNAMIC DETERMINATION OF THE RESIDUAL PRODUCT VALUE : EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY [ 004-0144

Traditional management thinking and research has generally regarded the new and used durable goods markets as independent, addressing analytical issues in each in isolation. This static perspective however is limited, as in fact the new and used markets for durable goods should be linked in a dynamic fashion, and the actions in the market for new goods will have repercussions in the used goods market. These dynamic effects which have largely been ignored in the management literature, will be illustrated by quantifying the impact that sales incentives employed in the new market have on the residual values in the used market. We present estimates of the dynamic effect on the residual value of passenger cars; of sales incentives, as well as of model life cycles and product commonality. Our findings illustrate how incentivebased sales strategies may have little adverse impact on the residual values in the short term, but have a significant detrimental long-term effect, leading to a ‘mortgage’ on the future earnings of the manufacturer’s captive leasing operations.
Meta-analysis of ascorbic acid for prevention of postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery.

PURPOSE Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data on use of ascorbic acid to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery are presented. METHODS MEDLINE and other sources were searched for reports on trials evaluating the effects of preoperative and/or postoperative use of ascorbic acid in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. For each study selected for meta-analysis, an assessment for risks of methodological bias was performed. Data on POAF frequency and length of stay (LOS) outcomes were pooled and analyzed via random-effects modeling. RESULTS The 11 identified studies involved patients receiving coronary artery bypass grafts with or without valve replacement; both i.v. and oral ascorbic acid formulations were used. Analysis of pooled outcomes data on treatment and control groups indicated that ascorbic acid prophylaxis was associated with reductions in POAF frequency (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32 to 0.61), intensive care unit (ICU) LOS (difference in means, -0.24 day; 95% CI, -0.45 to -0.03 day), and total hospital LOS (difference in means, -0.94 day; 95% CI, -1.65 to -0.23 day). Significant statistical, methodological, and clinical heterogeneity were observed. CONCLUSION A meta-analysis revealed that, compared with use of a placebo or a nonplacebo control, perioperative administration of ascorbic acid to patients undergoing cardiac surgery was associated with a reduced frequency of POAF and a shorter ICU LOS and total hospital LOS.
Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c and Lack of Association With Symptom Severity in Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Solid Tumors.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of high blood sugar at the levels of diabetic or prediabetic states during cancer treatment because patients undergoing chemotherapy (CTX) experience multiple symptoms that vary among individuals and may be affected by glucose levels. DESIGN Descriptive, cross-sectional. SETTING Two comprehensive cancer centers, one Veterans Affairs hospital, and four community-based oncology programs. SAMPLE 244 outpatients with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, and lung cancers. METHODS Patients completed demographic and symptom questionnaires. Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was evaluated to determine diabetic state. Descriptive statistics and one-way analyses of variance were used in the analyses. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES HbA1c, symptom severity scores, patient and clinical characteristics (e.g., age, gender, comorbidities, sociodemographic information, body mass index [BMI], lifestyle factors). FINDINGS HbA1c results showed 9% of the sample in the diabetic and 26% in the prediabetic state. Patients in the diabetic state reported a higher number of comorbid conditions and were more likely to be African American. Patients in the prediabetic state were older aged. Patients in the diabetic and prediabetic states had a higher BMI compared to nondiabetic patients. No differences in symptom severity or quality-of-life (QOL) scores were found among the three diabetic states. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to evaluate for associations between diabetic states and symptom severity and QOL scores in patients receiving CTX. This study confirmed that older age, as well as having higher BMI and having multiple comorbidities, were associated with increased mean glycemic levels. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING Clinicians should assess and identify patients with diabetes or prediabetes undergoing treatment for cancer. Patients who are older aged, those with a high BMI, and those with multiple comorbid conditions may be at increased risk for higher glycemic states.
Interpreting the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 scores: A pilot study of latent class factor analysis

Abstract The present study examined the extent to which scores on the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) could differentiate individuals who frequently experience flow characteristics in physical activity from those who do not. A total of 993 participants completed the Japanese version of the DFS-2. Latent class factor analysis (LCFA), which combines the strengths of both latent class analysis and factor analysis, was conducted on the DFS-2 responses. Six classes were identified through a series of LCFAs and the patterns of the item-average scores for the nine flow attributes were found to be parallel among these classes. The top two and bottom two classes (19.3% and 13.4% of the whole sample) were considered the groups who experience flow characteristics frequently and seldom, respectively. These results indicated that individuals who often experience flow attributes in physical activity could be differentiated from those who do not based on their DFS-2 scores.
Effectiveness of Communication-specific Coping Intervention for adults with traumatic brain injury: preliminary results

ABSTRACT People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) describe everyday interactions as a long-term challenge frequently associated with ongoing stress. Communication-specific Coping Intervention (CommCope-I) is a new treatment developed to target coping in the context of communication breakdown. The intervention incorporates principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, self-coaching and context-sensitive social communication therapy. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of CommCope-I in a group of adults with severe TBI and ongoing functional communication difficulties. Participants were 13 adults with severe TBI (GCS = 3–8; mean age = 35.2 years; mean time post-injury = 7.6 years). The project involved three phases: (1) Control/pre-intervention wait phase (multiple assessments), (2) Treatment (6 weeks), and (3) Follow-up (12 weeks). Repeated measures ANOVA with planned pairwise comparisons were used to test the significance of change. Intervention elicited statistically significant improvements in communication-specific coping, functional communication and stress that were maintained for three months. Improved use of communication-specific coping strategies was evident in clinician blind ratings. Clients reported significant reduction in stress at the end of treatment and one and three months later. This intervention provides a promising means of improving communication-specific coping and reducing communication dysfunction and its negative consequences for people with TBI.
Cloning and Characterization of thePseudomonas fluorescens ATP-Binding Cassette Exporter, HasDEF, for the Heme Acquisition Protein HasA

ABSTRACT Two ATP-binding cassette (ABC) exporters are present inPseudomonas fluorescens no. 33; one is the recently reported AprDEF system and the other is HasDEF, which exports a heme acquisition protein, HasA. The hasDEF genes were cloned by DNA hybridization with a DNA probe coding for the LipB protein, one of the components of the Serratia marcescens ABC exporter Lip system. P. fluorescens HasA showed sequence identity of 40 to 49% with HasA proteins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa andSerratia marcescens. The P. fluorescens Has exporter secreted HasA proteins from P. fluorescens andP. aeruginosa but not S. marcescens HasA inEscherichia coli, whereas the Has exporter from S. marcescens allowed secretion of all three HasA proteins. TheP. fluorescens HasDEF system also promoted the secretion of the lipase and alkaline protease of P. fluorescens. Hybrid exporter analysis demonstrated that the HasD proteins, which are ABC proteins, are involved in the discrimination of export substrates. Chimeric HasA proteins containing both P. fluorescens andS. marcescens sequences were produced and tested for secretion through the Has exporters. The C-terminal region of HasA was shown to be involved in the secretion specificity of the P. fluorescens Has exporter.
Prognostic factors in surgically resected limited-stage, nonsmall cell carcinoma of the lung

The gross pathological, microscopic, and clinical features of 173 Stage I and Stage II primary nonsmall cell carcinomas resected for cure by segmental resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy at the Johns Hopkins Hospital were analyzed to determine which provided useful independent prognostic information. The tumors studied included 79 squamous carcinomas (56%); 74 adenocarcinomas (44%), including 15 undifferentiated tumors which contained intracellular mucin; 18 large-cell undifferentiated carcinomas (10%); one giant cell carcinoma (<1%); and one adenosquamous carcinoma (<1%). Clinical features evaluated for each case included age, sex, race, and history of previous or subsequent malignancy; and pathologic features evaluated included tumor size, lymph node metastases, tumor location, cellular anaplasia, desmoplastic response, inflammatory response, preexisting scar, tumor necrosis, and degree of tumor differentiation. Multivariate analysis using the Cox life table regression model indicated that five features had a significant (p < 0.05) independent association with subsequent death due to the tumor, and that the final set was highly significant (p = 0.0001). These features were the following: 1) large-cell undifferentiated histology, 2) lymph node metastases expressed as N classification, 3) tumor size expressed as T classification, 4) tumor giant cells in any histologic type, and 5) absent or minimal plasma cell infiltration. No additional prognostic information was obtained from any of the other features analyzed.
Molecular Epidemiology of HIV-1 Infection in a Small Brazilian County: Usefulness of Envelope and Polymerase Sequences to Epidemiologic Studies

Objective: The AIDS epidemic in Brazil is spreading from the large urban centers to small counties and the innermost parts of the country; however, data on the features of HIV-1 infection in these places are scarce. To study the routes of HIV-1 spread and assess the existence of transmission networks in such a setting, we performed a genetic analysis of viral sequences from the small county of Miracema, Rio de Janeiro State. Methods: HIV-1 envelope and polymerase sequences recovered from 63 adult patients (from a cohort of 78 patients) were phylogenetically analyzed. Results: A polyphyletic pattern ensued. Six clusters of sequences sharing close genetic relatedness were also recovered from 29 (46%) patients. Envelope and polymerase phylogenies yielded essentially the same results. Conclusions: The polyphyletic pattern suggests multiple viral introductions in the region. Intracluster cases, including those with no known direct epidemiologic link, probably took part in the same chain of viral transmission. Such a pattern suggests the existence of'sexual networks and the emergence of multiple new infections within a relatively short period, a potential molecular marker of high incidence.
Health Effects of Depleted Uranium on Exposed Gulf War Veterans: A 10-Year Follow-Up

Medical surveillance of a group of U.S. Gulf War veterans who were victims of depleted uranium (DU) “friendly fire” has been carried out since the early 1990s. Findings to date reveal a persistent elevation of urine uranium, more than 10 yr after exposure, in those veterans with retained shrapnel fragments. The excretion is presumably from ongoing mobilization of DU from fragments oxidizing in situ. Other clinical outcomes related to urine uranium measures have revealed few abnormalities. Renal function is normal despite the kidney's expected involvement as the “critical” target organ of uranium toxicity. Subtle perturbations in some proximal tubular parameters may suggest early although not clinically significant effects of uranium exposure. A mixed picture of genotoxic outcomes is also observed, including an association of hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mutation frequency with high urine uranium levels. Findings observed in this chronically exposed cohort offer guidance for predicting future health effects in other potentially exposed populations and provide helpful data for hazard communication for future deployed personnel.
Involvement of lipids in solute transport in yeasts

Membrane lipids consist of polar lipids (such as phospholipids and glycolipids) and sterols. Phospholipids are the major lipid components in all biological membranes, while sterols represent another prominent component of plasma membranes in eukaryotic cells. For some time, scientists have focused attention on delineating the reasons for the existence of great variety of lipids in biological membranes. The best defined function of membrane lipids is that they form the bilayer structure of membranes. The fact, however, remains that a single phospholipid (such as dioleylphosphatidylcholine) can alone form bilayer structures. The existence of different phospholipids (differing in the nature of the polar head group as well as in fattyacyl composition) suggests that membrane lipids also have some other structural and functional roles. ". 35 Results obtained over the past few decades have indeed revealed that membrane lipids are involved in several cellular functions such as in
The effects of isolated hip abductor and external rotator muscle strengthening on pain, health status, and hip strength in females with patellofemoral pain: a randomized controlled trial.

STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. OBJECTIVES To examine the effectiveness of isolated hip abductor and external rotator strengthening on pain, health status, and hip strength in females with patellofemoral pain (PFP). BACKGROUND Altered hip kinematics resulting from hip muscle weakness has been proposed as a contributing factor in the development of PFP. To date, no study has examined clinical outcomes associated with isolated hip muscle strengthening in those with PFP. METHODS Twenty-eight females with PFP were sequentially assigned to an exercise (n = 14) or a no-exercise control group (n = 14). The exercise group completed bilateral hip abductor and external rotator strengthening 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Pain (visual analog scale), health status (WOMAC), and hip strength (handheld dynamometer) were assessed at baseline and postintervention. Pain and health status were also evaluated at 6 months postintervention in the exercise group. Two-factor mixed-model analyses of variance were used to determine the effects of the intervention on each outcome variable. RESULTS Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for each variable of interest. Post hoc testing revealed that pain, health status, and bilateral hip strength improved in the exercise group following the 8-week intervention but did not change in the control group. Improvements in pain and health status were sustained at 6-month follow-up in the exercise group. CONCLUSION A program of isolated hip abductor and external rotator strengthening was effective in improving pain and health status in females with PFP compared to a no-exercise control group. The incorporation of hip-strengthening exercises should be considered when designing a rehabilitation program for females with PFP. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapy, level 2b.