Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“Hooked on” Prescription-Type Opiates Prior to Using Heroin: Results from a Survey of Syringe Exchange Clients

Abstract The availability and diversion of prescription-type opioids increased dramatically in the first decade of the twenty-first century. One possible consequence of increased prescription opioid use and accessibility is the associated rise in opioid dependence, potentially resulting in heroin addiction. This study aimed to determine how common initial dependence on prescription-type opioids is among heroin injectors; associations with demographic and drug-using characteristics were also examined. Interview data were collected at syringe exchanges in King County, Washington in 2009. Among the respondents who had used heroin in the prior four months, 39% reported being “hooked on” prescription-type opioids first. Regression analysis indicated that younger age, sedative use and no recent crack use were independently associated with self-report of being hooked on prescription-type opioids prior to using heroin. These data quantify the phenomenon of being hooked on prescription-type opioids prior to initiating heroin use. Further research is needed to characterize the epidemiology, etiology and trajectory of prescription-type opioid and heroin use in the context of continuing widespread availability of prescription-type opioids.
Self-Reported Reasons for Smoking: Predicting Abstinence and Implications for Smoking Cessation Treatments Among Those With a Psychotic Disorder

ABSTRACT Objectives: People living with a psychotic illness have higher rates of cigarette smoking and face unique barriers to quitting compared to the general population. We examined whether self-reported reasons for smoking are useful predictors of successful quit attempts among people with psychosis. Methods: As part of a randomized controlled trial addressing smoking and cardiovascular disease risk behaviors among people with psychosis, self-reported reasons for smoking were assessed at baseline (n = 235), 15 weeks (n = 151), and 12 months (n = 139). Three factors from the Reasons for Smoking Questionnaire (Coping, Physiological, and Stimulation/Activation) were entered into a model to predict short- and long-term abstinence. The relationship between these factors and mental health symptoms were also assessed. Results: Participants scoring higher on the Stimulation/Activation factor (control of weight, enjoyment, concentration, and “peps me up”) at baseline were just less than half as likely to be abstinent at 15 weeks. Female participants were five times more likely to abstinent at 15 weeks, and those with a higher global functioning at baseline were 5% more likely to be abstinent. There was a positive correlation between changes over time in the Stimulation/Activation factor from baseline to 12-month follow-up and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale total score at 12-month follow-up. This indicates that increasingly higher endorsement of the factor was associated with more psychological symptoms. There was also a negative correlation between the change over time in the Stimulation/Activation factor and global functioning at 12 months, indicating that increasingly higher endorsement of the factor led to lower global assessment of functioning. Conclusions: The Stimulation/Activation factor may be particularly important to assess and address among smokers with psychosis. It is recommended that further research use the Reasons for Smoking Questionnaire among smokers with psychosis as a clinical tool to identify specific quit barriers. Further research into why females have higher smoking cessation rates in the short term and relapse prevention interventions seem worthy of further investigation.
Inducible protein degradation in Bacillus subtilis using heterologous peptide tags and adaptor proteins to target substrates to the protease ClpXP

The ability to manipulate protein levels is useful for dissecting regulatory pathways, elucidating gene function and constructing synthetic biological circuits. We engineered an inducible protein degradation system for use in Bacillus subtilis based on Escherichia coli and Caulobacter crescentusssrA tags and SspB adaptors that deliver proteins to ClpXP for proteolysis. In this system, modified ssrA degradation tags are fused onto the 3′ end of the genes of interest. Unlike wild‐type ssrA, these modified tags require the adaptor protein SspB to target tagged proteins for proteolysis. In the absence of SspB, the tagged proteins accumulate to near physiological levels. By inducing SspB expression from a regulated promoter, the tagged substrates are rapidly delivered to the B. subtilis ClpXP protease for degradation. We used this system to degrade the reporter GFP and several native B. subtilis proteins, including, the transcription factor ComA, two sporulation kinases (KinA, KinB) and the sporulation and chromosome partitioning protein Spo0J. We also used modified E. coli and C. crescentus ssrA tags to independently control the degradation of two different proteins in the same cell. These tools will be useful for studying biological processes in B. subtilis and can potentially be modified for use in other bacteria.
Evidence for polymorphonuclear leukocyte collagenase and 92-kilodalton gelatinase in gingival crevicular fluid

Analysis of inflammatory exudate collected from sites of experimental periodontitis in cynomolgus monkeys has revealed the presence of collagenase and a 92-kDa gelatinase that comigrated after electrophoresis with the 92-kDa gelatinase released from polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Since neutralizing antibodies to fibroblast collagenase had no effect on the collagenase activity and bacterial collagenases could not be detected, polymorphonuclear leukocytes appear to be the major source of collagenolytic proteinases in inflammatory fluid from gingiva.
An actin–ribonucleoprotein interaction is involved in transcription by RNA polymerase II

To determine the function of actin in the cell nucleus, we sought to identify nuclear actin-binding proteins in the dipteran Chironomus tentans using DNase I-affinity chromatography. We identified the RNA-binding protein hrp65 as an actin-binding protein and showed that the C-terminal sequence of the hrp65-2 isoform is able to interact directly with actin in vitro. In vivo crosslinking and coimmunoprecipitation experiments indicated that hrp65 and actin are also associated in the living cell. Moreover, in vivo administration of a competing peptide corresponding to the C-terminal sequence of hrp65-2 disrupted the actin–hrp65-2 interaction and caused a specific and drastic reduction of transcription as judged by puff regression and diminished bromo-UTP incorporation. Our results indicate that an actin-based mechanism is implicated in the transcription of most if not all RNA polymerase II genes and suggest that an actin–hrp65-2 interaction is required to maintain the normal transcriptional activity of the cell. Furthermore, immunoelectron microscopy experiments and nuclear run-on assays suggest that the actin–hrp65-2 complex plays a role in transcription elongation.
Notes on lossy transmission lines

The purpose of this article is to explain common errors that arise when widely accepted, simplified formulas describing lossy transmission lines are used. These formulas describing lossy transmission lines are expanded in series with respect to the inverse of frequency, under the assumption that the resistance-per-unit-length and conductance-per-unit-length are frequency independent. The source of errors is identified. Commonly used simplifications are Taylor series of various orders. Consequently, the order of the result is a minimal order of simplified formulas used. Correctness of the methodology is illustrated by measurements of coaxial-cable losses.
Initial Concentration of Staphylococcus epidermidis in Simulated Pediatric Blood Cultures Correlates with Time to Positive Results with the Automated, Continuously Monitored BACTEC Blood Culture System

ABSTRACT The relationship of initial concentration of Staphylococcus epidermidis in blood cultures and time to positivity (TTP) in an automated, continuously monitored blood culture system was assessed. Blood and 1 to 1,000 CFU of S. epidermidis per ml in stationary or exponential phase were inoculated in BACTEC Pediatric Plus F bottles and incubated. The TTP was inversely proportional to the initial inoculated concentration. Blood culture bottles with initial bacterial densities of <10 CFU/ml had a TTP of >20 h (upper limit of 95% prediction interval, 20.7 h) and bottles with initial bacterial densities of ≥50 CFU/ml had a TTP of ≤15 h (lower limit of 95% prediction interval, 13.4 h).
Predictive value of expression of P53, Bcl‐2 and lung resistance‐related protein for response to chemotherapy in non‐small cell lung cancers

Chemoresistance is a major problem in the chemotherapy of non‐small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Several mechanisms are thought to be involved in drug resistance, including those associated with apoptosis, drug transport and detoxification. Here, we investigated the predictive value of P53, Bcl‐2 and lung resistance‐related protein (LRP) expression for response to platinum‐based chemotherapy, using transbronchial biopsy (TBB) specimens from patients with NSCLC. We evaluated TBB specimens from 57 patients with NSCLC who had not previously been treated with either chemotherapy or radiotherapy before TBB, and who were treated with systemic platinum‐based chemotherapy. The specimens included 33 adenocarcinomas, 22 squamous cell carcinomas and two large cell carcinomas. One to 6 courses of chemotherapy were administered. Expression of P53, Bcl‐2 and LRP was analyzed by immunohistochemistry using TBB specimens. Positive expression of P53, Bcl‐2 and LRP was observed in 28 (49%), 41 (71%) and 42 (73%) of the 57 NSCLCs, respectively. P53 expression correlated significantly with response to chemotherapy in nonsquamous cell carcinomas, including adenocarcinomas and large cell carcinomas (response rates, 38% and 6% for patients with P53‐positive and P53‐negative tumors, respectively, P=0.03). LRP expression significantly correlated inversely with response to chemotherapy in squamous cell carcinomas (response rates, 33% and 100% for patients with LRP‐positive and LRP‐negative tumors, respectively, P=0.02). Bcl‐2 expression did not correlate with response to chemotherapy. These findings indicate that im‐munostaining for P53 and LRP using TBB specimens may be useful for dividing patients with NSCLC into chemoresponsive and chemoresistant groups. (Cancer Sci 2003; 94: 394–399)
Predicting High School Minority Adolescents’ Drinking from Their Exposure to White Schoolmates: Differences and Similarities among Hispanic, Black, and Asian U.S. Adolescents

White students’ drinking may constitute a risk factor for drinking among same-school minority adolescents. Our study examined data from 14,986 ethnic minority American high school students (56% female, mean age = 15.6). Models examined associations between school-level White student drinking and same-school Black, Hispanic, and Asian adolescents’ drinking, as well as whether schools’ proportions of White students and friendships with White schoolmates moderated these associations. Both school-level White students’ drinking and minority students’ friendships with White schoolmates were associated with levels of minority student drinking. But these associations were dependent upon levels of other study variables. In particular, there were higher associations between school-level risk factors and minorities’ drinking when minority adolescents had high proportions of Whites among their friends.
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 Vpx Protein Usurps the CUL4A-DDB1DCAF1 Ubiquitin Ligase To Overcome a Postentry Block in Macrophage Infection

ABSTRACT The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) genomes encode several auxiliary proteins that have increasingly shown their importance in the virus-host relationship. One of these proteins, Vpx, is unique to the HIV-2/SIVsm lineage and is critical for viral replication in macrophages. The functional basis for this requirement, as well as the Vpx mode of action, has remained unexplained, and it is all the more enigmatic that HIV type 1 (HIV-1), which has no Vpx counterpart, can infect macrophages. Here, we underscore DCAF1 as a critical host effector of Vpx in its ability to mediate infection and long-term replication of HIV-2 in human macrophages. Vpx assembles with the CUL4A-DDB1 ubiquitin ligase through DCAF1 recruitment. Precluding Vpx present in the incoming virions from recruiting DCAF1 in target macrophages leads to a postentry block characterized by defective accumulation of HIV-2 reverse transcripts. In addition, Vpx from SIVsm functionally complements Vpx-defective HIV-2 in a DCAF1-binding-dependent manner. Altogether, our data point to a mechanism in which Vpx diverts the Cul4A-DDB1DCAF1 ligase to inactivate an evolutionarily conserved factor, which restricts macrophage infection by HIV-2 and closely related simian viruses.
Pedagogical Considerations that May Encourage Character Development in a Distance Education Course

The aims espoused by institutions of higher education often entail the development of students’ character. Rarely, however, are these character development aims connected to the unique design and delivery of distance education programs, and the research literature that explores the moral and character development aspects of distance education is sparse. This case study examines instructor and student perceptions of approaches, instructional methods, and other factors that contributed to perceived character development in a fantasy literature distance education course. Findings indicate the instructor and students perceived myriad kinds of character development and corresponding approaches and methods for bringing about such development in the context of the course. This paper considers possible implications for character development in the context of distance education and directions for future research.
The New Pulpit: Museums, Authority, and the Cultural Reproduction of Young-Earth Creationism

THE NEW PULPIT: MUSEUMS, AUTHORITY, AND THE CULTURAL REPRODUCTION OF YOUNG-EARTH CREATIONISM by Lindsay M. Barone The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2015 Under the Supervision of Professor Benjamin Campbell Since the mid-twentieth century there has been increasing concern among evangelical Christians over the depiction of human origins in American education. For young-Earth creationists, it has been a priority to replace scientific information which contradicts the six-day origin story reported in Genesis 1 with evidence they claim scientifically reinforces their narrative. As this has failed in public education, creationists have switched tactics, moving from “teach creationism” to “teach the controversy”. The struggle over evolution education in the classroom is well-documented, but less attention has been paid to how young-Earth creationists push their agenda in informal educational venues such as museums. Given the authoritative nature of museums and the ubiquity of these institutions in American life, museums have become targets for the creation message. This project was undertaken to critically analyze the use of the museum form as an authoritative source which facilitates the cultural reproduction of young-Earth creationism. I propose a tripartite model of authority and museums is the best way to understand the relationship between young-Earth creationism and American museums, with the creation, contestation, and subversion of authority all acting as critical components of the bid for cultural reproduction. Assessing the utility of this model requires visiting both creation museums alongside mainstream natural history, science,
Factors Influencing Manometric Pressure During Pressure-Controlled Discography

Study Design. In vitro laboratory study. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of injection speed, contrast viscosity, and needle profile on manometric pressures during discography. Summary of Background Data. As the degree of the response in a provocation test depends on the intensity of the stimulus, the precise measurement of intradiscal pressure during discography is crucial. Although manometric pressure measurement is safe and easy, manometric pressures may be affected by potential confounding factors, including injection speed, contrast viscosity, and needle profile. Methods. Pressure-controlled discography was performed using an automated pressure-controlled discography system in a total of 60 intervertebral discs in 2 porcine cadavers. Dynamic pressures were measured while changing the following parameters: injection speed (0.01 mL/s vs. 0.08 mL/s), media viscosity (Visipaque vs. normal saline), needle diameter (18G vs. 22G), and needle length (7 inch vs. 3.5 inch). The unit change in manometric pressure per fractional change in injected volume (dP/dV) was used for statistical analysis. Results. The mean dP/dV increased from 137.9 ± 11.3 at 0.08 mL/s to 160.3 ± 12.5 at 0.01 mL/s. Visipaque injection resulted in a higher mean dP/dV than the normal saline injection (160.3 ± 12.5 vs. 97.8 ± 34.1). A 7.5 inch needle had a higher mean dP/dV than a 3.5 inch needle (137.9 ± 11.3 vs. 92.5 ± 48.6). The mean dP/dV of the 22G needle was higher than the 18G needle (137.9 ± 11.3 vs. 84.7 ± 28.3). Conclusion. High injection speed, high viscosity, small diameter, and a long needle increase the dynamic pressure. To minimize the differences among examiners, we recommend standardization of injection speed, the viscosity of the injected material, and the diameter and length of the needle.
A Comparison Between the Pectoralis Major Myocutaneous Flap and the Free Anterolateral Thigh Perforator Flap for Reconstruction in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Assessment of the Quality of Life

AbstractOur study investigated the quality of life (QoL) of Chinese patients after immediate reconstruction surgery on individuals with head and neck cancer. In addition, we compared the differences between pectoralis major myocutaneous flap (PMMF) and anterolateral thigh free flap (ALTFF). The University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire, version 4, was used to assess the QoL. Assessments were performed at least 24 months postoperatively. A total of 110 patients’ records were obtained. Among them, 86 patients completed a QoL questionnaire (78.2%). No significant differences could be found in age, primary site, T stage, N stage, and postoperative radiotherapy between PMMF and ALTFF groups. However, there were significant differences between both groups in sex, operation time, and complication. A matched analysis was performed to compare the differences in QoL between patients with head and neck cancers reconstructed with PMMF or ALTFF. Patients reconstructed with ALTFF had better shoulder but worse speech functions. There was a significant effect on the QoL of head and neck cancer patients who had undergone either PMMF or ALTFF reconstruction. The result of this study provide useful information for physicians and patients during their discussion of treatment modalities for head and neck cancers.
The Impact of Teacher-Student Relationships and Achievement Motivation on Students＇ Intentions to Dropout According to Socio-economic Status

The main goal was to test if teacher-student relationships and achievement motivation are predicting dropout intention equally for low and high socio-economic status students. A questionnaire measuring teacher-student relationships and achievement motivation was administered to 2,360 French Canadian secondary students between 12 and 15 years old during the spring of 2005. A hierarchical multiple regressions model with interactions predicted their dropout intention. The moderator variable was SES (socio-economic status). Results showed that most predictors of dropout intention acted similarly for both SES. However, strong competence beliefs in mathematics predicted low dropout intention for students from high SES. Knowing that low SES students dropout more than others, our homogeneous predictors do not explain entirely the dropout phenomenon.
New and Fast Method To Quantify Respiration Rates of Bacterial and Plankton Communities in Freshwater Ecosystems by Using Optical Oxygen Sensor Spots

ABSTRACT A new method of respiration rate measurement based on oxygen luminescence quenching in sensor spots was evaluated for the first time for aquatic bacterial communities. The commonly used Winkler and Clark electrode methods to quantify oxygen concentration both require long incubation times, and the latter additionally causes signal drift due to oxygen consumption at the cathode. The sensor spots proved to be advantageous over those methods in terms of precise and quick oxygen measurements in natural bacterial communities, guaranteeing a respiration rate estimate during a time interval short enough to neglect variations in organism composition, abundance, and activity. Furthermore, no signal drift occurs during measurements, and respiration rate measurements are reliable even at low temperatures and low oxygen consumption rates. Both a natural bacterioplankton sample and a bacterial isolate from a eutrophic river were evaluated in order to optimize the new method for aquatic microorganisms. A minimum abundance of 2.2 × 106 respiring cells ml−1 of a bacterial isolate was sufficient to obtain a distinct oxygen depletion signal within 20 min at 20°C with the new oxygen sensor spot method. Thus, a culture of a bacterial isolate from a eutrophic river (OW 144; 20 × 106 respiring bacteria ml−1) decreased the oxygen saturation about 8% within 20 min. The natural bacterioplankton sample respired 2.8% from initially 94% oxygen-saturated water in 30 min. During the growth season in 2005, the planktonic community of a eutrophic river consumed between 0.7 and 15.6 μmol O2 liter−1 h−1. The contribution of bacterial respiration to the total plankton community oxygen consumption varied seasonally between 11 and 100%.
Prognostic Communication of Critical Care Nurses and Physicians at End of Life

Many critical care nurses express reluctance to communicate prognostic information to patients and family members, especially prior to physician communication of this information. Yet, the findings from this study indicate that critical care nurses play a crucial, complementary role to physicians in prognostic communication. Nurses’ contributions result in a broader picture of prognosis to patients and family members and facilitate end-of-life discussions.
The Cost of Trust in the Dynamics of Best Attachment

The need of trust is growing in several contexts as e-commerce, virtual communities, distributed on-line services and many others as an essential precautionary component for users during interactions with strangers, either other people or virtual agents. Generally trust metrics endorse the principle "the higher the trust, the more legitimate that user will be''; a consequence is that getting trusted must require some effort, otherwise all participants would easily achieve high trustworthiness. In this work we study how a user can achieve and preserve a good trust and what costs it requires over time; we also investigate some heuristics that allow reducing the complexity in exploring the rank-effort space especially for large networks.