Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential effect of adenosine on tumor and normal cell growth: Focus on the A3 adenosine receptor

Adenosine is an ubiquitous nucleoside present in all body cells. It is released from metabolically active or stressed cells and subsequently acts as a regulatory molecule through binding to specific A1, A2A, A2B and A3 cell surface receptors. The synthesis of agonists and antagonists to the adenosine receptors and their cloning enabled the exploration of their physiological functions. As nearly all cells express specific adenosine receptors, adenosine serves as a physiological regulator and acts as a cardioprotector, neuroprotector, chemoprotector, and as an immunomodulator. At the cellular level, activation of the receptors by adenosine initiates signal transduction mechanisms through G‐protein associated receptors. Adenosine's unique characteristic is to differentially modulate normal and transformed cell growth, depending upon its extracellular concentration, the expression of adenosine cell surface receptors, and the physiological state of the target cell. Stimulatio n of cell proliferation following incubation with adenosine has been demonstr ated in a variety of normal cells in the range of low micromolar con centrations, including mesangial and thymocyte cells, Swiss mouse 3T3 fibroblasts, and bone marrow cells. Induction of apoptosis in tumor or normal cells was shown at higher adenosine concentrations (<100 μM) such as in leukemia HL‐60, lymphoma U‐937, A431 epidermoid cells, and GH3 tumor pituitary cell lines. It was further noted that the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR) plays a key role in the inhibitory and stimulatory growth activities of adenosine. Modulation of the A3AR was found to affect cell growth either positively or negatively depending on the concentration of the agonist, similar to the effect described for adenosine. At nanomolar concentrations, the A3AR agonists possess dual activity, i.e., anti‐proliferative activity toward tumor cells and stimulator y effect on bone marrow cells. In vivo, these agonists exerted anti‐cancer effects, and when given in combination with chemotherapy, they enhanced the chemotherapeutic index and acted as chemoprotective agents. Taken together, activation of the A3AR, by minute concentrations of its natural ligand or synthetic agonists, may serve as a new approach for cancer therapy. J. Cell. Physiol. 186:19–23, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Who Are the Young Children for Whom Best Practices in Reading Are Ineffective?

The primary purpose of this study was to identify student characteristics that reliably predict responsiveness and nonresponsiveness to generally effective early literacy interventions. Participants were 104 children, including 7 with special needs and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), who were tested in kindergarten and first grade. Responsiveness/nonresponsiveness status was determined after 2 years during which children participated in best practice instruction (a) in kindergarten and first grade, (b) in kindergarten only, (c) in first grade only, or (d) in neither year. This facilitated the study of three groups. Always responsive students met responsiveness criteria in both years. Sometimes responsive students met the criteria in only one year. Nonresponsive students did not meet the criteria in either year. Multivariate analysis of variance and discriminant function analysis indicated that the three groups were reliably different from one another on measures of problem behavior, verbal memory, sentence imitation, syntactic awareness, vocabulary, naming speed, and segmentation. A combination of naming speed, vocabulary, sentence imitation, problem behavior, and amount of intervention correctly predicted 82.1% of nonresponsive students, 30.0% of sometimes responsive students, and 84.1% of always responsive students. Fifty students from kindergarten and first grade were tested again at the end of what should have been their third-grade year. All but 1 of the nonresponsive students who received intervention had been identified as requiring special education and had an IEP with reading goals.
Confronting Suffering and Death at the End of Life: The Impact of Religiosity, Psychosocial Factors, and Life Regret Among Hospice Patients

Although the role of spiritual, psychological, and social factors is receiving increasing attention in the end of life (EOL) context, we know far less than we need to about how these factors shape attitudes toward life and death in the face of looming loss. The present study begins to remedy these limitations by examining the relative impact of demographic characteristics, religious and psychosocial factors, and life regret on death attitudes and psychological well-being for a diverse group of 153 hospice patients. In addition to relying on well-validated quantitative assessments, qualitative interviews were conducted with participants to further illustrate the role of study factors in shaping various dimensions of death anxiety or acceptance and quality of life. In general, results showed that factors assessed in this investigation were significantly correlated with death attitudes and emotional health. When study factors were examined simultaneously, gender, ethnicity, intrinsic religiosity, social support, and future-related regret each were shown to have a unique impact on various aspects of EOL adjustment and distress. The article concludes by offering direction to researchers interested in integrating and extending the empirical study of the attitudes of adults facing serious illness, and underscoring the clinical implications of these findings for professionals offering psychosocial and spiritual care at the end of life.
Change in CD3ζ‐chain expression is an independent predictor of disease status in head and neck cancer patients

CD3ζ has emerged as a clinically important immunological marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with reduced level of expression reported in both tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes. In this prospective study (power = 0.99, α = 0.05), CD3ζ expression was compared in 47 HNSCC patients and 53 controls using standardized flow cytometric method. There was no statistical difference in the percentages of the CD3 ε+ T‐cell subset present in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the HNSCC patients and the healthy controls; however, T cells from the HNSCC patients produced a significantly weaker IFN‐γ response in comparison to the healthy controls, when they were stimulated by the recall viral CEF peptide antigen. All patients were followed up for at least 3 years with a median follow‐up of 45 months. Levels of CD3ζ‐chain expression were measured at 117 follow‐up visits at six‐month intervals. Receiver operating characteristic curve identified the optimal cut off as a 12% increase in post treatment CD3ζ‐chain expression from the baseline levels to confirm absence of HNSCC with the area under curve of 0.81 (95% CI = 0.68–0.94) for predicting absence of HNSCC. The specificity, sensitivity and positive predictive value were 81.25% 79.21% and 97.56%, respectively. Three‐year disease specific survival (DSS) was significantly lower (p = 0.007) at 63.2% for patients who showed <12% increase in CD3ζ‐chain level as compared to 96.2% for patients who had ≥12% increase. Our results indicate that the change in CD3ζ‐chain expression from the baseline is an independent predictor of residual and recurrent HNSCC.
Aging Populations, Globalization and the Labor Market

Paolo Barbieri is an Associate Professor in Economic Sociology at the University of Trento, Italy. His research interests include welfare states and labor markets in a comparative perspective, as well as networks, social capital and status attainment processes. He currently coordinates the PhD program in Sociology at Trento University. Paolo Barbieri has been a member of various national and international research teams and recently directed projects within the network of excellence EQUALSOC. Address: Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Via Verdi 26, 38122 Trento, Italy [e-mail: paolo.barbieri@unitn.it]
The TRIM5α B-Box 2 Domain Promotes Cooperative Binding to the Retroviral Capsid by Mediating Higher-Order Self-Association

ABSTRACT The retroviral restriction factor, TRIM5α, blocks infection of a spectrum of retroviruses soon after virus entry into the cell. TRIM5α consists of RING, B-box 2, coiled-coil, and B30.2(SPRY) domains. The B-box 2 domain is essential for retrovirus restriction by TRIM5α, but its specific function is unknown. We show here that the B-box 2 domain mediates higher-order self-association of TRIM5αrh oligomers. This self-association increases the efficiency of TRIM5α binding to the retroviral capsid, thus potentiating restriction of retroviral infection. The contribution of the B-box 2 domain to cooperative TRIM5α association with the retroviral capsid explains the conditional nature of the restriction phenotype exhibited by some B-box 2 TRIM5α mutants; the potentiation of capsid binding that results from B-box 2-mediated self-association is essential for restriction when B30.2(SPRY) domain-mediated interactions with the retroviral capsid are weak. Thus, B-box 2-dependent higher-order self-association and B30.2(SPRY)-dependent capsid binding represent complementary mechanisms whereby sufficiently dense arrays of capsid-bound TRIM5α proteins can be achieved.
A noninvasive method to collect nasally exhaled air condensate in humans of all ages

Background The analysis of exhaled breath condensate may provide valuable insights into inflammatory and other metabolic processes of the lungs. However, its collection by active exhalation with conventional methods is cumbersome, demands a substantial level of co‐operation with high motivation and is very difficult or impossible in children younger than about 4–6 years or in the elderly. A comfortable, noninvasive and efficient method is desirable.
Which Resources Matter How and Where? A Meta‐Analysis on Firms’ Foreign Establishment Mode Choice

Firm resources play an important role in explaining the foreign establishment mode choice. However, a theoretical framework that simultaneously a) differentiates between heterogeneous types of resources, b) provides a rationale that consistently explains how firms adapt their establishment mode choice to their resource base, and c) reflects on contextual factors that intervene in the consistency of the direct relationships is largely missing. The present paper draws on the resource-based view (RBV) to develop such a framework. More specifically, we study the effect of knowledge-based and experience-based resources on a firm's establishment mode choice and the moderating impact of cultural distance on these relationships. We validate our theoretical framework by a meta-analysis (integrating 31 studies with 13,559 establishment mode choices) and find that knowledge-based resources enhance a firm's propensity for greenfield investments, while experience-based resources more likely lead to acquisitions. Further, cultural distance increases knowledge-intensive firms’ preference for greenfield investments.
HMG box transcription factor gene Hbp1 is expressed in germ cells of the developing mouse testis

HMG box containing protein 1 (HBP1) is a high mobility group domain transcriptional repressor that regulates proliferation in differentiated tissues. We have found mouse Hbp1 to be expressed strongly in the embryonic mouse testis from approximately 12.5 days post coitum, compared with low levels of expression in the embryonic ovary. Expression of Hbp1 is maintained in the developing testis beyond the onset of spermatogenesis after birth. Whole‐mount in situ hybridisation analysis showed that expression of Hbp1 in the XY gonad is localized within the developing testis cords, the precursors of the seminiferous tubules. Expression of Hbp1 is not apparent in testis cords of gonads from homozygous We mutant embryos, which lack germ cells. In situ hybridisation analysis on cryosectioned embryonic testis indicated that Hbp1 expression resembles that of the germ cell marker Oct4. We conclude that Hbp1 is up‐regulated specifically in germ cells of the developing XY gonad. The expression of Hbp1 in XY germ cells appears to correlate with the onset of mitotic arrest in these cells. Developmental Dynamics 230:366–370, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identifying balance and fall risk in community-dwelling older women: the effect of executive function on postural control.

PURPOSE The mechanisms linking cognition, balance function, and fall risk among older adults are not fully understood. An evaluation of the effect of cognition on balance tests commonly used in clinical practice to assess community-dwelling older adults could enhance the identification of at-risk individuals. The study aimed to determine (1) the association between cognition and clinical tests of balance and (2) the relationship between executive function (EF) and balance under single- and dual-task testing. METHODS Participants (24 women, mean age of 76.18 [SD 16.45] years) completed six clinical balance tests, four cognitive tests, and two measures of physical function. RESULTS Poor balance function was associated with poor performance on cognitive testing of EF. In addition, the association with EF was strongest under the dual-task timed up-and-go (TUG) test and the Fullerton Advanced Balance Scale. Measures of global cognition were associated only with the dual-task performance of the TUG. Postural sway measured with the Standing Balance Test, under single- or dual-task test conditions, was not associated with cognition. CONCLUSIONS Decreased EF was associated with worse performance on functional measures of balance. The relationship between EF and balance was more pronounced with dual-task testing using a complex cognitive task combined with the TUG.
Focal localization of the NHE‐1 isoform of the Na+/H+ antiport: assessment of effects on intracellular pH.

Na+/H+ exchange (antiport) is a major pathway for the regulation of intracellular pH. Antiport activity is stimulated when suspended cells adhere to the substratum. In this report, immunofluorescence was used to study the subcellular localization of the ubiquitous NHE‐1 isoform of the antiport. NHE‐1 was not distributed homogeneously on the surface of the cells. Instead, antiports were found to accumulate along the border of lamellipodia and near the edge of finer processes. Dual immunofluorescence experiments demonstrated that vinculin, talin and F‐actin are concentrated at sites of NHE‐1 accumulation. A mutated construct of NHE‐1 lacking residues 566‐635 of the cytosolic domain also accumulated near marginal lamellae. In contrast, the focal distribution observed in adherent cells was not detectable in cells grown in suspension. Fluorescence ratio imaging was used to define the functional consequences of focal accumulation of NHE‐1. In the steady state, the pH was virtually identical throughout the cytosol. Moreover, no pH gradients were found to develop when cells recovered from an acid load by activation of Na+/H+ exchange. This is probably because of the presence of high concentrations of mobile buffers in the cytosol. The focal accumulation of antiporters near the cell margins may be involved in stimulation by adherence and/or generation of local osmotic gradients.
Acceleration of the acrosome reaction and activation of guinea pigs spermatozoa by detergents and other reagents.

In vivo, guinea pig spermatozoa do not begin to undergo the acrosome reaction and to penetrate eggs until 4 to 10 h after they are deposited in the female genital tract. When spermatozoa are incubated in a modified Krebs-Ringer’s solution containing 0.003 percent Hyamine, the majority of them exhibit both the acrosome reaction and activation within 10-15 mm and become capable of penetrating eggs. The acrosome reaction and activation induced by Hyamine are reversibly blocked when calcium ions are omitted from the medium. Other reagents capable of inducing an accelerated acrosome reaction and/or activation include: Triton, Brig, saponin, nonanol, nystatin, mersalyl acid, dibucane, procaine, neotetrazolium chloride, nitro blue tetrazolium, chloroquine, calcium ionophore, unheated sera of the rabbit and guinea pig, rabbit complement and pronase. The study shows that guinea pig spermatozoa are potentially capable of an immediate acrosome reaction and activation upon leaving the epididymis.
Do Hotel Grading Inspections Assess What Customers and Hotel Managers Perceive to Be Important? An Innovative Assertion

The paper presents the findings of a survey of 41 hotel grading scheme inspectors. The inspection of service products is discussed. The methodology is explained and justified and a profile of the inspectorate is presented. The inspectors expressed the assessment specificity of 65 important hotel selection attributes, indicating those which could be assessed by observation, those which could not be assessed and those which could be specifically assessed. For the latter they suggested methods of assessment. The isolation of these previously under-inspected attributes and the proposed method of inspection leads to a discussion of the possible future form and organisation of hotel classification and grading schemes.
Validation of a New Measure of Prospective Memory: The Royal Prince Alfred Prospective Memory Test

Prospective memory problems are common in patients with brain injury, but appropriate measures are limited. The reliability and validity of the newly designed Royal Prince Alfred Prospective Memory Test (RPA-ProMem), which has three alternate versions, was investigated in 20 healthy volunteers and 20 neurological patients with everyday prospective memory problems. The RPA-ProMem was found to be easy to score reliably (inter-rater reliability = .90) and its three versions were well matched (delayed alternate-form reliability = .71). Test validity and sensitivity to patient deficits were also supported. This new measure of prospective memory should be particularly useful in situations that require repeated assessments, such as evaluation of rehabilitation efforts.
ATM Service Analysis Using Predictive Data Mining

— The high utilization rate of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) has inevitably caused the phenomena of waiting for a long time in the queue. This in turn has increased the out of stock situations. The ATM utilization helps to determine the usage level and states the necessity of the ATM based on the utilization of the ATM system. The time in which the ATM used more frequently (peak time) and based on the predicted solution the necessary actions are taken by the bank management. The analysis can be done by using the concept of Data Mining and the major part are analyzed based on the predictive data mining. The results are predicted from the historical data (past data) and track the relevant solution which is required. Weka tool is used for the analysis of data based on predictive data mining.
Preference-weighted health-related quality of life measures and substance use disorder severity.

AIMS Examine the validity of preference-weighted health-related quality of life measures in a sample of substance use disorder (SUD) patients. The implications of cost-utility analyses (CUAs) of SUD interventions are discussed. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of subjects seeking SUD treatment. SETTING Seven SUD treatment centers in a medium-sized Midwestern metropolitan area in the United States. PARTICIPANTS Data from 574 SUD subjects were analyzed from a study to test interventions to improve linkage and engagement with substance abuse treatment. MEASUREMENTS Subjects completed the following preference-weighted measures: self-administered Quality of Well-Being scale (QWB-SA) and Medical Outcomes Study SF-12 (standard gamble weighted or SF-12 SG); and clinical measures: Addiction Severity Index (ASI) and a symptom checklist based on the DSM-IV. FINDINGS In unadjusted analyses, the QWB-SA was correlated significantly with six of seven ASI subscales and the SF-12 SG was correlated with four of seven. In adjusted analyses, both preference-weighted measures were significantly correlated with diagnostic, physical health, mental health and drug use measures, but not with legal or alcohol use measures. The QWB-SA was also correlated with employment problems and the SF-12 SG was correlated with family/social problems. CONCLUSIONS This study generally supports the construct validity of preference-weighted health-related quality of life measures in SUD patients. However, the QWB-SA and SF-12 SG did not correlate with all ASI scales. Cost-benefit analysis may be preferable when policy-makers are interested in evaluating the full range of SUD intervention outcomes.
Pain, Fatigue, and Health-related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Pain

ObjectivesChronic pain and fatigue are common physical complaints among children and adolescents. Both symptoms can interfere considerably with daily life by affecting sleep and eating habits, engagement in physical and social activities, and school participation. The aim of this study was to examine the potential mediational role of fatigue in the relationship between pain and children's school functioning and overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL). MethodsChildren seeking outpatient pain management services at two urban children's hospitals were recruited for this study. The combined sample includes 80 children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 years (M=13.89, SD=2.57), 72.5% female, and their caregivers. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0) was used to assess HRQOL and the related PedsQL Multidimensional Fatigue Scale provided a comprehensive measure of fatigue. ResultsOn the basis of Preacher and Hayes' mediation model (2004), fatigue functioned as a mediator between pain and overall HRQOL on the basis of both self and caregiver proxy reports. Fatigue functioned as a mediator between pain and school functioning on the basis of the caregiver proxy report only. Additionally, moderate relationships were found between self and caregiver proxy reports of HRQOL and fatigue, although children self-reported less fatigue, better school functioning, and greater quality of life than did their caregivers. DiscussionFindings demonstrated that fatigue is a significant problem for many youth with chronic pain and may be an important target for clinical intervention.
Changes in neurotransmitter uptake in the spinal cord following peripheral nerve injury

Changes in neurotransmitter systems of the spinal cord were studied in response to peripheral nerve injury. The uptake and compartmentalization of radiolabeled spinal cord neurotransmitters and transmitter precursors were examined as a function of time following unilateral sciatic nerve crush in adult mice. Accumulation of transmitter was measured within synaptosomally enriched fractions prepared using combinations of differential and density gradient centrifugations. The amount of transmitter substance recovered from these fractions was strongly depedent upon the amount of time following nerve injury and on the specific transmitter or precursor being examined (GABA, glutamate, glycine, and choline chloride). However, for each of these substances, uptake values returned to control levels within nine to twelve days after nerve crush. Localization of GABA changes postcrush revealed reciprocal differences between ipsilateral and contralateral sides of the spinal cord, as well as differences between segmental levels. Altered GABA uptake may reflect changes in the postcrush microchemical environment present during tissue processing, but may also be related to direct changes in the synaptic binding, transport, and compartmentalization of transmitter substance. The time course, magnitude, and direction of these neurochemical changes follow those observed neurophysiologically, and may thus underlie injury‐induced short‐term (days) alterations reported in primary afferent depolarizations, cross cord responses, and other spinal mechanisms.