Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What is the impact of shift work on the psychological functioning and resilience of nurses? An integrative review

AIM To synthesize existing research to determine if nurses who work shifts have poorer psychological functioning and resilience than nurses who do not work shifts. BACKGROUND Research exploring the impact of shift work on the psychological functioning and resilience of nurses is limited compared with research investigating the impact of shifts on physical outcomes. DESIGN Integrative literature review. DATA SOURCES Relevant databases were searched from January 1995-August 2016 using the combination of keywords: nurse, shift work; rotating roster; night shift; resilient; hardiness; coping; well-being; burnout; mental health; occupational stress; compassion fatigue; compassion satisfaction; stress; anxiety; depression. REVIEW METHODS Two authors independently performed the integrative review processes proposed by Whittemore and Knafl and a quality assessment using the mixed-methods appraisal tool by Pluye et al. RESULTS A total of 37 articles were included in the review (32 quantitative, 4 qualitative and 1 mixed-methods). Approximately half of the studies directly compared nurse shift workers with non-shift workers. Findings were grouped according to the following main outcomes: (1) general psychological well-being/quality of life; (2) Job satisfaction/burnout; (3) Depression, anxiety and stress; and (4) Resilience/coping. We did not find definitive evidence that shift work is associated with poorer psychological functioning in nurses. Overall, the findings suggest that the impact of shift work on nurse psychological functioning is dependent on several contextual and individual factors. CONCLUSION More studies are required which directly compare the psychological outcomes and resilience of nurse shift workers with non-shift workers.
Ultra low power 5.4-GHz current-reused VCO with internal LC series resonance in 0.18-µm CMOS technology

A novel circuit topology suitable for the implementation of CMOS voltage-controlled-oscillator (VCO) fabricated in TSMC 0.18-µm has been presented in this paper. While current-reused structure can save dc power consumption dynamically, and measured dc power consumption at 1.2 V is about 0.9 mW. The measurement results exhibit a frequency tuning range of 140 MHz in the vicinity of 5.4 GHz. For high output level, we utilize the cascode structure to increase output swing and excite output power to ࢤ2. 06 dBm at buffer. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz and DC current are ࢤ112. 7 dBc/Hz and 0.75 mA, respectively. The result evaluated by means of a figure of merit is aboutࢤ188 dBc/Hz.
Alterations in Proteins and Amino Acids of the Nile Cyanobacteria Pseudanabaena limnetica and Anabaena wisconsinense in Response to Industrial Wastewater Pollution

The effect of industrial wastewater on the Nile cyanobacteria Pseudanabaena limnetica and Anabaena wisconsinense was investigated. The data showed that P. limnetica was more sensitive to pollution than A. wisconsinense. The treatments with different levels of wastewater exerted pronounced reductions in protein and amino acids content. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the cyanobacteria grown in the industrial wastewater showed induction in the synthesis of certain polypeptides and repression of others. The treatments of P. limnetica with wastewater stimulated the appearance of six protein bands with molecular masses of 28, 30, 31, 32, 58 and 97 kDa. The same treatments caused the disappearance of 20, 38 and 56 kDa. The structural protein pattern of the treated A. wisconsinense showed appearance of 16, 30, 170 and 230 kDa and disappearance of 56 kDa. The treatment of the two investigated cyanobacteria with different levels of wastewater stimulated the biosyntheses of different amino acids and inhibited others.
Lepidopteran Ortholog of Drosophila Breathless Is a Receptor for the Baculovirus Fibroblast Growth Factor

ABSTRACT The Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) encodes a gene homologous to the mammalian fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. We report the cloning of B. mori and Spodoptera frugiperda orthologous genes (Bmbtl and Sfbtl, respectively) of Drosophila melanogaster breathless (btl) encoding a receptor for Branchless/FGF and show that these genes encode the receptor for a baculovirus-encoded FGF (vFGF). Sequence analysis showed that BmBtl is composed of 856 amino acid residues, which potentially encodes a 97.3-kDa polypeptide and shares structural features and sequence similarities with the FGF receptor family. Reverse transcription-PCR experiments showed that Bmbtl was abundantly expressed in the trachea and midgut in B. mori larvae, with moderate expression observed in the hemocytes and the B. mori cultured cell line BmN. We generated Sf-9 cells that stably expressed His-tagged BmBtl. Western blot analysis revealed that BmBtl was an ∼110-kDa protein. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that BmNPV vFGF markedly phosphorylated BmBtl in Sf-9 cells. In addition, we found that BmBtl overexpression enhanced the migration activity for BmNPV vFGF. Furthermore, we generated Sf-9 cells in which Sfbtl was knocked down by transfection with double-strand RNA-expressing plasmids. In these cells, cell motility triggered by vFGF was markedly reduced. These results strongly suggest that the Btl orthologs, BmBtl and SfBtl, are the receptors for vFGF, which mediate vFGF-induced host cell chemotaxis.
Analytical Derivation of Electrical-Side Maximum Power Line for Wind Generators

In order to enhance the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) speed of solar generators, offline calculated maximum power line (MPL) is often used as a feed-forward signal added to the output of MPPT controller. MPL is nonlinear static electrical characteristic of renewable energy generators connecting all the maximum power points for given temperature. In this letter, electrical side MPL is derived for a typical wind turbine generator (WTG). It is shown that MPLs of solar and wind generators possess similar structure, supporting the similarity between the two energy conversion processes.
Indoor and outdoor air pollution and lung cancer in New Hampshire and Vermont

Indoor and outdoor air pollution is known to contribute to increased lung cancer incidence. This study is the first to address the contribution of home heating fuel and geographical course particulate matter (PM10) concentrations to lung cancer rates in New Hampshire, USA. First, Pearson correlation analysis and geographically weighted regression were used to investigate spatial relationships between outdoor PM10 and lung cancer rates. While the aforementioned analyses did not indicate a significant contribution of PM10 to lung cancer in the state, there was a trend towards a significant association in the northern and southwestern regions of the state. Second, case-control data were used to estimate the contributions of indoor pollution and secondhand smoke to the risk of lung cancer with adjustment for confounders. Increased risk was found among those who used wood or coal to heat their homes for more than 10 winters before the age of 18, with a significant increase in risk per winter. Resulting data suggest that further investigation of the relationship between heating-related air pollution levels and lung cancer risk is needed.
Ab initio study of graphite --> diamondlike transitions in BN.

We have investigated the variation of the structural energy along two transition paths from the layered to the highly condensed phases of BN using the first-principles total-energy pseudopotential method. Along the structural paths considered, the symmetries of the initial layered phases have been maintained, leading from the rhombohedral and hexagonal graphitic phases, which differ in their stacking sequences, into the zinc-blende and wurtzite phases, respectively. Constraining the interlayer distances, the total energies were minimized by allowing the hexagonal rings to stretch and buckle into chair conformation. The paths obtained in this way have activation energy barriers approximately 40% smaller than those in graphite. -->. diamond transitions of C, and approximately equal to 0.38 eV/pair for both processes considered when the zero-point motion energy contribution is neglected. The charge densities indicate that strong bonding between the hexagonal layers occurs only in the final stage of the transitions, after the barriers have been crossed, and the structures collapse into the tetrahedrally coordinated phases. From the point of view of electronic structure, at all stages along the transitions, BN displays gaps (calculated within the local-density approximation) larger than 3.5 eV, a minimum which is reached when the activation energy barrier is near a maximum.
Microwave Response of Coaxial Cavities Made of Bulk Magnesium Diboride

We report on the microwave properties of coaxial cavities built by using bulk MgB2 superconductor prepared by reactive liquid Mg infiltration technology. We have assembled a homogeneous cavity by using an outer MgB2 cylinder and an inner MgB2 rod and a hybrid cavity by using an outer copper cylinder and the same MgB2 rod as inner conductor. By the analysis of the resonance curves, in the different resonant modes, we have determined the microwave surface resistance Rs of the MgB2 materials as a function of the temperature and the frequency, in the absence of dc magnetic fields. At T=4.2 K and f ≈ 2.5 GHz, by an mw pulsed technique, we have determined the quality factor of the homogeneous cavity as a function of the input power up to a maximum level of about 40 dBm (corresponding to a maximum peak magnetic field of about 100 Oe). Contrary to what occurs in many films, Rs of the MgB2 material used does not exhibit visible variations up to an input power level of about 10 dBm and varies less than a factor of 2 on further increasing the input power of 30 dB.
The vitamin D receptor gene BsmI polymorphism is not associated with anthropometric and biochemical parameters describing metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women

Aim. Vitamin D could have a direct effect on adipocyte differentiation and metabolism and might be involved in glucose regulation of insulin secretion. In recent years several polymorphisms in the gene encoding the vitamin D receptor (VDR), which are potent to alter the activity of VDR protein, have been described. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the VDR BsmI polymorphism and its association with anthropometric and biochemical features of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. Materials and methods. We studied 351 randomly selected healthy postmenopausal women, with mean age of 55.43 ± 2.75 years and mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.5 ± 4.78 kg/m2, to evaluate the frequency of BsmI polymorphism (by restriction fragment length polymorphism–polymerase chain reaction) in the VDR gene and to find out whether there is an association between this polymorphism and BMI, total fat volume and visceral fat (as determined by total body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), blood pressure, lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides) glucose and fasting insulin in the whole group, as well as subgroups of obese and non-obese women. Results. The prevalence of BsmI genotypes in the study group was 51.0% Bb, 37.3% bb and 11.7% BB. Genotype distribution did not differ from that expected under Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium conditions (χ2 = 2.95, p = 0.22). Apart from LDL-C levels (F = 3.46, p = 0.032), there were no significant differences in anthropometric or metabolic parameters between genotypes. Conclusions. The BsmI polymorphism in the VDR gene does not seem to predispose to obesity and insulin resistance, but the BB genotype is connected with an unfavorable lipid profile.
Microneedle arrays delivery of the conventional vaccines based on nonvirulent viruses

Abstract Recently, microneedle arrays (MAs) have been developed for painless inoculation of vaccines and possess many prominent advantages, including convenience for inoculation, and exact delivery of vaccine to the exact epidermal and dermal or mucosal compartments which teem with antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Among different types of MAs, while the micro-environmental stimulus-responsive MAs represent one of the developmental trends in the field, the MAs combined with the conventional vaccines that are based on nonvirulent viruses, such as live attenuated or whole inactivated viruses, and antigen-encoding DNA viral vectors, have developed rapidly into the advanced stages, with certain products already on clinical trials. The pre- and clinical research outcomes showed that the painless MA delivery of the conventional vaccines through mammalian skin or mucosa can not only elicit robust systemic and even mucosal immunity to pathogens but also, in certain circumstances, redirect the immune response toward a specific Th1 pathway, resulting in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to erase the cell-hidden pathogens, thanks to the robust adjuvant function of MAs exerted through damaging the contacted cells to release dangerous signals. This paper focuses on reviewing the latest research and advancements in MA delivery of the conventional vaccines that are based on nonvirulent viruses, underlining MA enhancement of the overall vaccine performance and the most advanced MA vaccine products that are relatively close to markets.
Wrist-independent energy expenditure prediction models from raw accelerometer data

Purposes: (1) Develop artificial neural network (ANN) models for wrist accelerometer data which can predict energy expenditure (EE) using data collected from either wrist. (2) Develop ANNs for detecting the wrist on which the accelerometer was worn. Forty-four adults wore GENEActiv accelerometers on the left and right wrists and a portable metabolic analyzer while participating in a 90 min semi-structured activity protocol. Participants performed 14 sedentary, lifestyle, exercise, and ambulatory activities and were allowed to choose activity order, duration, and intensity. ANNs were created to predict EE and wrist detection using a leave-one-out cross-validation. In total, 12 combinations of feature sets (mean and variance of raw, vector magnitude, and absolute value data), training methods (left- and right- wrist), and testing methods (left- and right-wrist data) were used to develop EE prediction ANNs. Accuracy of the ANNs was evaluated using correlations, root mean square error (RMSE), and bias, using metabolic analyzer data as the criterion for EE. ANNs using raw data from the same wrist (e.g. EE predicted from right wrist ANNs using accelerometer data from right wrist) had the highest accuracy for EE prediction (r = 0.84, RMSE = 1.25–1.26 METs); conversely, opposite-wrist prediction accuracy (e.g. EE predicted from right wrist ANNs using accelerometer data from left wrist) was lower (r = 0.60–0.64, RMSE = 1.93–2.01 METs). Preprocessing into absolute values prior to ANN development allowed for, high EE prediction accuracy, with no difference in accuracy for same- versus opposite-wrist prediction (r = 0.80–0.83, RMSE = 1.30–1.49 METs). Wrist detection ANNs correctly determined wrist placement 100% of the time. Highly accurate, wrist-independent EE prediction ANNs were developed by computing absolute values of raw acceleration data prior to ANN development. This method provides a potential approach for advancing predictive accuracy of wrist-worn accelerometers.
Differential Determinants of Cancer Cell Insensitivity to Antimitotic Drugs Discriminated by a One-Step Cell Imaging Assay

Cancer cells can be drug resistant due to genetic variation at multiple steps in the drug response pathway, including drug efflux pumping, target mutation, and blunted apoptotic response. These are not discriminated by conventional cell survival assays. Here, we report a rapid and convenient high-content cell-imaging assay that measures multiple physiological changes in cells responding to antimitotic small-molecule drugs. Our one-step, no-wash assay uses three dyes to stain living cells and is much more accurate for scoring weakly adherent mitotic and apoptotic cells than conventional antibody-based assays. We profiled responses of 33 cell lines to 8 antimitotic drugs at multiple concentrations and time points using this assay and deposited our data and assay protocols into a public database (http://lincs.hms.harvard.edu/). Our data discriminated between alternative mechanisms that compromise drug sensitivity to paclitaxel and revealed an unexpected bell-shaped dose-response curve for BI2536, a highly selective inhibitor of Polo-like kinases. Our approach can be generalized, is scalable, and should therefore facilitate identification of molecular biomarkers for mechanisms of drug insensitivity in high-throughput screens and other assays.
The structure of peritraumatic dissociation: a cross validation in clinical and nonclinical samples.

Empirical data have challenged the unidimensionality of the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ), a widely used measure for peritraumatic dissociation. The aim of this study was to assess the factor structure of the PDEQ in 3 trauma-exposed samples: (a) trauma-exposed police officers (N = 219); (b) trauma-exposed civilians (N = 158); and (c) treatment-seeking trauma-exposed civilians (N = 185). Confirmatory factor analyses using measurement invariance testing supported a 2-factor structure (CFIs .96-.98; RMSEAs .07-.09), but excluded 2 of the original items. Factor 1 was termed Altered Awareness; Factor 2 was termed Derealization. Altered Awareness reflected disturbances in information processing during the traumatic event, whereas Derealization reflected distortions in perception. Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that Derealization predicted posttraumatic stress severity at 26.5 weeks follow-up only in the sample of police officers (R(2) = . 45). Future longitudinal research shortly following trauma is required to elucidate causality and underlying mechanisms of peritraumatic dissociation, which may contribute to the development of more accurate screening strategies, as well as more effective strategies for prevention and early intervention.
Nitric oxide mediates interferon-gamma-induced hyperpermeability in cultured human intestinal epithelial monolayers.

OBJECTIVE Incubation with interferon-gamma has been shown to increase the permeability of cultured monolayers of intestinal epithelial cells. We sought to determine whether this phenomenon is mediated, at least in part, by increased production of nitric oxide. DESIGN Prospective, controlled, laboratory study. Human intestinal epithelial (Caco-2BBe) cells were grown as monolayers on permeable supports mounted in bicameral chambers. Permeability was assessed by adding fluorescein sulfonic acid (molecular weight = 478 daltons) to the apical compartment and determining the apical-to-basolateral clearance of the probe over a 24-hr period of incubation. SETTING Basic science laboratory. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The permeability of monolayers to fluorescein sulfonic acid was significantly increased after incubation in the presence of interferon-gamma (250 to 1000 U/mL). The effect of interferon-gamma on permeability was dependent on both the concentration of the cytokine and the duration of exposure to it. Concentrations of nitric oxide oxidation products, nitrite and nitrate, in incubation media were increased after exposure of cells to interferon-gamma. When intestinal epithelial (Caco-2BBe) monolayers were incubated with interferon-gamma in the presence of inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase (NG-monomethyl-L-arginine NG-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester, or NG-nitro-L-arginine), both of the effects of the cytokine (i.e., increased epithelial permeability and increased production of nitrite/nitrate) were attenuated. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that upregulation of nitric oxide biosynthesis plays a pivotal role in the increase in permeability of intestinal epithelial (Caco-2BBe) monolayers induced by interferon-gamma. Increased production of nitric oxide induced by proinflammatory cytokines, such as interferon-gamma, may be an important factor contributing to gut mucosal hyperpermeability in sepsis.
[Experimental studies on the formation of the ST segment and T wave in the electrocardiogram].

We have performed a clinical observation on ar-teriosclerosis for the recent several years, analyz-ing the serum lipids and classifying lipemia into several categories according to the serum choles-terol and triglyceride levels. Examining the dis-tributions of ischemic heart patients and non-ischemic control subjects in every category, it was found that the classification by both the cho-lesterol and triglyceride levels was more signifi-cant than that by either cholesterol or triglyceride level. This time, on the basis of such findings, classified lipemia depending on both the levels, and the characteristics of the lipemia were studied from some aspects in the category where the distribution of ischemic heart patients was distinctly higher than that of non-ischemic control subjects. Material and Methods Male and female subjects with various diseases, aged 40 years or more, hospitalized in our medical ward and selected at random, were employed in the present study, excluding the subjects with such diseases to be apt to accompany serum lipid disorder as renal diseases, diabetes mellitus, endo-crinological and hepatobiliary disorders. The subjects were kept on the diet containing 80g of proteins, 45g of fats, 400g of carbohydrates, and total calories of 2300-2500 Cal. per day. The fasting blood samples were collected in the early morning 12 hours or more after the last meal. No drugs which significantly influence on serum lipids were administered during the experiments. The diagnosis of ischemic heart disease was made by the observation on the ST segments and T waves on electrocardiogram following the Minnesota code. 1. In 173 subjects with ischemic heart and 337 non-ischemic control subjects, total 510 subjects, the serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were measured and, depending on the levels, these subjects were divided into the following four categories: Serum cholesterol concentration was estimated by ZURKOWSKI's method with little modification, and serum triglyceride concentration by LAURELL's method.