Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Approaches to learning: psychometric testing of a study process questionnaire.

BACKGROUND One method of evaluating students' learning is to measure surface, deep and achieving approaches to learning using a questionnaire. In comparison with research on student nurses' learning styles, there has been little examination of their 'approaches to learning'. Much of the 'approaches to learning' research has been conducted with higher education students in Australia and Hong Kong and this kind of measurement is viewed as a valid and reliable way to assess learning. AIM The aim of study reported here was to establish the validity of an 'approaches to learning' questionnaire, the study process questionnaire, for use with student nurses by undertaking psychometrical testing, including exploratory factor analysis. METHOD The study process questionnaire is a 42-item questionnaire measuring surface, deep and achieving approaches to learning. It was distributed to 300 student nurses attending a common foundation programme in a higher education establishment in the United Kingdom (UK) in July 2000. Principal components analysis was conducted to determine the validity of the deep, surface and achievement scales in the questionnaire. RESULTS A new factor structure was identified comprising three main scales which were similar in content but not identical to the original questionnaire. The deep factor correlated positively and significantly with grade performance average and sociology examination results. CONCLUSION The study process questionnaire is a valid and useful tool for nurse teachers to gain knowledge about student nurses' approaches to learning. Deep learning appears to influence academic performance. More work is required to elucidate the complex nature of deep learning.
Fast neutron and mixed (neutron/photon) beam teletherapy for grades III and IV astrocytomas

A study was performed in order to assess the efficacy of using fast neutron irradiation, either alone or in conjunction with megavoltage photons, in treating Grades III and IV astrocytomas. The study encompasses fifteen patients with Grade III lesions and twenty‐two patients with Grade IV lesions. Various fractionation schemes are described. Only one patient is still alive at the present time. Regarding the other patients, the mean survival after completing therapy was 10.8 months for those patients with Grade III lesions and 7.5 months for those patients with Grade IV lesions. Particularly for Grade III lesions, the average survival was appreciably less than that of patients treated with photons alone. The treated patients also had no noticeable improvement in quality of survival when compared with the results of conventional photon irradiation. There was no appreciable difference in survival between the group treated with neutrons alone or with mixed (neutron/photon) irradiation. Autopsy data on fifteen patients showed gross tumor progression in only one instance, and this patient also had liver metastases. In the other fourteen cases, the gross tumor volume was replaced by coagulation necrosis. In general, there were some abnormal cells intermixed with the regions of coagulation. These cells are currently felt to be reactive astrocytes. Both a diffuse gliosis and a white matter demyelination were found in regions far from the tumor volume and this presumably is related to the ultimate cause of death.
Initial experience with fenoldopam after cardiac surgery in neonates with an insufficient response to conventional diuretics*

Objective: Fenoldopam, a selective dopamine-1 receptor agonist, causes systemic vasodilation and increased renal blood flow and tubular sodium excretion. We hypothesized that urine output would improve when fenoldopam was added to conventional diuretic therapy after neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass. Design: Retrospective cohort study using a time-series design. Setting: Pediatric cardiac intensive care unit. Patients: All neonates who received fenoldopam to promote diuresis after cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass from February 2002 through December 2004. Interventions: Fenoldopam infusion for inadequate urine output despite conventional diuretics. Measurements: Demographics, diagnostic information, and surgical procedures were recorded. Urine output, fluid balance, inotrope scores, diuretic doses, and other clinical variables that may influence diuresis were recorded for the 24-hr period immediately preceding fenoldopam initiation and during the initial 24 hrs of drug administration. Main Results: A total of 25 neonates received fenoldopam to promote diuresis after the modified Norwood (n = 14), arterial switch (n = 4), or other operations (n = 7). Heart rate, conventional diuretic dosing, and fluid intake were similar during the 24-hr periods of conventional therapy and fenoldopam use (p = not significant for all), whereas inotrope scores decreased during the study (p = .021). There was a small but statistically significant increase in blood pressure during the 48-hr study period. Median urine output was 3.6 mL·kg−1·hr−1 (range, 0.2–7.2 mL·kg−1·hr−1) during the 24-hr period of conventional therapy and 5.8 mL·kg−1·hr−1 (range, 1.6–11.7 mL·kg−1·hr−1) during the initial 24 hrs of fenoldopam administration (Wilcoxon's signed-rank test, p = .001). Conclusions: Fenoldopam may improve urine output in neonates who are failing to achieve an adequate negative fluid balance despite conventional diuretic therapy after cardiac surgery and cardiopulmonary bypass. This study is limited by its retrospective design and the possibility that urine output improved spontaneously during the treatment period. A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial will be required to confirm these findings.
Novel synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles for free radical scavenging.

AIMS The aim of this article is to present a novel synthetic route to form CeO(2) nanoparticles that protects against the detrimental influence of oxidative stress in mammalian cells. METHODS The noncytotoxic surfactant lecithin was used to synthesize CeO(2) nanoparticles and the products were colloidally stabilized in a biocompatible tri-sodium citrate buffer. These nanoparticles were delivered into murine insulinoma betaTC-tet cells, and intracellular free radical concentrations responding to exposure to hydroquinone were measured in a variety of extracellular CeO(2) concentrations. RESULTS Well-dispersed, highly crystallized CeO(2) nanoparticles of 3.7 nm in size were achieved that are chemically and colloidally stable in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium for extended periods of time. Treating betaTC-tet cells with these nanoparticles alleviated detrimental intracellular free radical levels down to the primary level. CONCLUSION CeO(2) nanoparticles synthesized from this route are demonstrated to be effective free radical scavengers within betaTC-tet cells. Furthermore, it is shown that CeO(2) nanoparticles provide an effective means to improve cellular survival in settings wherein cell loss due to oxidative stress limits native function.
Factors affecting the practice of circumcision.

In 1975, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) stated that there is "no medical indication for routine circumcision of the newborn. " A survey was conducted among Chicago-area pediatricians, obstetricians, and family practitioners to determine what impact this statement had on their approach to circumcision. Hospitals were also surveyed to determine whether the AAP's statement had caused a change in the frequency of circumcision in area hospitals. Only 49% of the physicians were aware of the AAP's position. Forty-one percent recommended routine circumcision; 15% recommended against the practice. Age, medical specialty, religious customs, and concerns about hygiene and cancer all appeared to influence the physicians' approach to circumcision. The frequency of routine circumcision. The frequency of routine circumcision was 70% to 90% and remained unchanged in the three years following the AAP's statement.
In Vivo Discrimination of Type 3 Secretion System-Positive and -Negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa via a Caspase-1-Dependent Pathway

ABSTRACT Microbe-associated molecular patterns are recognized by Toll-like receptors of the innate immune system. This recognition enables a rapid response to potential pathogens but does not clearly provide a way for the innate immune system to discriminate between virulent and avirulent microbes. We find that pulmonary infection of mice with type 3 translocation-competent Pseudomonas aeruginosa triggers a rapid inflammatory response, while infection with isogenic translocation-deficient mutants does not. Discrimination between translocon-positive and -negative bacteria requires caspase-1 activity in bone marrow-derived cells and interleukin-1 receptor signaling. Thus, the activation of caspase-1 by bacteria expressing type 3 secretion systems allows for rapid recognition of bacteria expressing conserved functions associated with virulence.
Secondary ion mass spectrometry as a tool for investigating radiopharmaceutical distribution at the cellular level: the example of I-BZA and (14)C-I-BZA.

UNLABELLED Further development of nuclear medicine for imaging and internal radiotherapy demands a precise knowledge of the tissue and cellular distribution of radiopharmaceuticals. Ion microscopy (secondary ion mass spectrometry [SIMS]) may be particularly useful in this respect. We used SIMS to study the biodistribution of the melanoma-targeting molecule N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-4-iodobenzamide (I-BZA), both in its native state and radiolabeled with (14)C. METHODS C57BL6/J1/co mice bearing pulmonary colonies of B16 melanoma cells were injected with I-BZA or (14)C-I-BZA. Appropriate tissues were fixed and included in epoxy embedding resin for SIMS studies. The distribution of unlabeled I-BZA was studied by detecting its stable iodine atom ((127)I). (14)C-I-BZA distribution was studied by dual detection of (127)I and (14)C. The time course of I-BZA concentrations at sites of tissue fixation was studied by measuring the signal ratio of (14)C and the naturally occurring isotope (13)C. RESULTS SIMS showed that I-BZA concentrated in the cytoplasm of tumoral melanocytes (melanoma cells) and in the cytoplasm of tumor-infiltrating macrophages (melanophages). I-BZA was also detected in the cytoplasm of normal melanocytes in the pigmented structures of skin and eye. Interpretation of I-BZA distribution by using electron micrographs of adjacent sections showed that the intracytoplasmic melanin-rich organelles (melanosomes) were responsible for I-BZA retention. The distributions of (127)I and (14)C after (14)C-I-BZA injection were identical, even when I-BZA was separately labeled with (14)C at 2 different positions, indicating the stability of the amide bond of I-BZA. The time course of the (14)C/(13)C ratio in the melanosomes of melanoma cells suggested a retention half-life of about 38 h. CONCLUSION Contrary to previous suggestions that I-BZA fixes principally to sigma-1 membrane receptors, our results strongly indicate that I-BZA associates with intracytoplasmic melanin pigments. Early I-BZA accumulation, in both melanocytes and melanophages, suggests that this compound fixes to preformed melanin rather than being incorporated during de novo melanin synthesis. These quantitative and qualitative data obtained with I-BZA illustrate the excellent potential of SIMS for studying the biologic fate of radiopharmaceuticals.
Interference with Performance of a Response Selection Task that has no Working Memory Component: An rTMS Comparison of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal and Medial Frontal Cortex

It has been suggested that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is involved in free selection (FS), the process by which subjects themselves decide what action to perform. Evidence for this proposal has been provided by imaging studies showing activation of the DLPFC when subjects randomly generate responses. However, these response selection tasks have a hidden working memory element and it has been widely reported that the DLPFC is activated when subjects perform tasks which involve working memory. The primary aim of this experiment was to establish if the DLPFC is genuinely involved in response selection. We used repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to investigate whether temporary interference of the DLPFC could disrupt performance of a response selection task that had no working memory component. Subjects performed tasks in which they made bimanual sequences of eight nonrepeating finger movements. In the FS task, subjects chose their movements at random while a computer monitor displayed these moves. This visual feedback obviated the need for subjects to maintain their previous moves on-line. No selection was required for the two control tasks as responses were cued by the visual display. The attentional demands of the control tasks varied. In the high load (HL) version, subjects had to maintain their attention throughout the sequence, but this requirement was absent in the low load (LL) task. rTMS over the DLPFC slowed response times on the FS task and at the end of the sequence on the HL task, but had no effect on the LL task. rTMS over the medial frontal cortex (MFC) slowed response times on the FS task but had no effect on the HL task. This suggests that a response selection task without a working memory load will depend on the DLPFC and the MFC. The difference appears to be that the DLPFC is important when selecting between competing responses or when concentrating if there is a high attentional demand, but that the MFC is only important during the response selection task.
Cystic fibrosis patients from the black sea region: The 1677delTA mutation

A 2 bp deletion in exon 10 of the CFTR gene, 1677delTA, which is very rare among CF chromosomes worldwide, was found to be a relatively common cause of cystic fibrosis in countries located in the region of the Black Sea. The frequency of the mutation was compared among cystic fibrosis patients from several populations, namely Bulgarians, Turks, Greek‐Cypriots, Georgians, and Russians. The deletion is most common among Georgian CF patients and gradually declines in frequency in neighbouring populations. It is invariably related to a common polymorphic haplotype which is rare among normal chromosomes in Bulgaria but was found to be common in Turkey. The geographic gradient in the frequency of the mutation, along with findings on polymorphic haplotype distribution, suggest that the mutation is relatively young in evolutionary terms and spread as the result of west and south‐bound migrations originating from Georgia. The 1677delTA mutation is related to a severe clinical phenotype with a high early mortality rate among homozygotes and possibly to an increased risk of meconium ileus. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Region specific contribution of ASIC2 to acidosis-and ischemia-induced neuronal injury

Acidosis in the brain plays a critical role in neuronal injury in neurological diseases, including brain ischemia. One key mediator of acidosis-induced neuronal injury is the acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs). Current literature has focused on ASIC1a when studying acid signaling. The importance of ASIC2, which is also widely expressed in the brain, has not been appreciated. We found here a region-specific effect of ASIC2 on acid-mediated responses. Deleting ASIC2 reduced acid-activated current in cortical and striatal neurons, but had no significant effect in cerebellar granule neurons. In addition, we demonstrated that ASIC2 was important for ASIC1a expression, and that ASIC2a but not 2b facilitated ASIC1a surface trafficking in the brain. Further, we showed that ASIC2 deletion attenuated acidosis/ischemia-induced neuronal injury in organotypic hippocampal slices but had no effect in organotypic cerebellar slices. Consistent with an injurious role of ASIC2, we showed that ASIC2 deletion significantly protected the mouse brain from ischemic damage in vivo. These data suggest a critical region-specific contribution of ASIC2 to neuronal injury and reveal an important functional difference between ASIC2a and 2b in the brain.
N‐glycosylation‐dependent block is a novel mechanism for drug‐induced cardiac arrhythmia

Voltage‐gated potassium channels formed with the cardiac subunit HERG and a polymorphic variant of MinK‐related peptide (MiRP1) exhibit increased susceptibility to the antibiotic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) compared with channels formed with wild‐type (WT) subunits. Here the molecular bases for SMX high‐affinity block are investigated. The polymorphism causes a benign T to A amino acid mutation at position 8 (T8A) that destroys an N‐glycosylation site of MiRP1. In vitro disruption of glycosylation by mutagenesis or in vivo by treatment with neuraminidase is associated with increased susceptibility to SMX and to other elementary agents such as divalent cations. Defective glycosylation does not affect the ability of T8A to form stable complexes with HERG, but rather it increases drug susceptibility through structural modifications in the channel complex. We conclude that N‐glycosylation may play a key role in the etiology of life‐threatening arrhythmia.
An Investigation of Early Socialization and Socio-Interactions in Higher Teacher Education Institutions

This study investigated the influence of early socialization of pre-service teachers and their tendency for interactions towards racial unity in Malaysian higher teacher education institutions. Early socialization in this study refers to the influences of family, school, peers and the mass media. Meanwhile, the interaction aspects refer to the tendency for interaction in different institutional environments among multi-ethnic pre-service teachers during their involvement in curricular activities, co-curricular activities, campus environment and daily in-campus activities. The unity in this study focuses on the appreciation of the values for unity and how it affects the tendency for interaction with multi-ethnic pre-service teachers. The current study utilized a survey research design where a number of 299 pre-service teachers from Higher Teacher Education Institutions (TEI) in the East Malaysia were randomly selected. A set of adapted questionnaires were used as the instruments. The pilot test using Cronbach alpha analysis showed all the items of the constructs are at a high value level between 0.775 and 0.957. This informs that the instruments are valid and reliable to be used. Descriptive statistics involved means and percentages whereas inferential statistics used a structural equation model (SEM). The mean score of the tendency for interaction and unity among multi-ethnic preservice teachers is between 4.17 and 4.7. Meanwhile, the mean scores for unity appreciation aspects among multi-ethics are also at a higher level with the mean scores between 4.19 and 4.41. This indicates that there is a higher level of interaction for unity as well as unity appreciation. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis showed the following sub-constructs i.e. family, school and peer pressure are significantly contributed to the tendency of interaction and appreciation towards the values for unity among multiethnic preservice teachers, where the coefficients paths are 8.712, beta 0.504 (family variable); 5.441, beta 0.288 (school mi-lieu variable); and 3.407, beta 0.183 (peer pressure variable) respectively. These data suggest that those three factors mentioned are supposed to be taken into account in designing and implementing activities for unity in multi-ethnic higher teacher education community.
Caffeine Induced Psychotic Exacerbation

Caffeine is a very widely consumed psychoactive substance that is implicated in multiple psychiatric manifestations ranging from anxiety to psychosis [1]. It is also known to worsen psychosis in patients with preexisting schizophrenia [2]. Excessive coffee consumption in psychiatric patients is not uncommon. We present an interesting case of chronic schizophrenia with psychotic exacerbation following excessive coffee consumption. A 52-year-old man lives in a supported residential facility (SRF). He has a long-standing history of paranoid schizophrenia that has been relatively stable with mild residual positive symptoms over the last few years. He was being managed with parenteral risperidone 100 mg intramuscular injection fortnightly. He presented with two weeks ’ history of psychotic relapse characterized by predominant delusions of persecution and reference of people following him in order to rape him. He acted on his delusions by scratching his face to disguise himself from these rapists. His sleep was disturbed and he was noted to be markedly agitated on admission. This acute psychotic episode was preceded by excessive coffee consumption daily of 20 to 25 cups for the last few weeks. The SRF staff corroborated this information. He was admitted to our inpatient unit and was started on olanzapine 20 mg/day to control his agitation and psychotic symptoms. Parenteral risperidone was continued as before. Four weeks of inpatient stay in the open ward did not ameliorate his acute symptoms. His coffee intake was signifi cant but diffi cult to monitor and control in the open ward. He was subsequently transferred to the closed ward with strict monitoring and restriction of his coffee intake. His acute psychotic symptoms settled within ten days of closed ward admission without any changes to his regular psychotropic prescription. He was discharged to his SRF with recommendations to monitor and manage his coffee intake. The patient represented after two months with similar acute psychotic symptoms in the background of increasing coffee consumption. There was no evidence
Adaptation of Influenza A Viruses to Cells Expressing Low Levels of Sialic Acid Leads to Loss of Neuraminidase Activity

ABSTRACT Influenza A viruses possess two virion surface proteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The HA binds to sialyloligosaccharide viral receptors, while the NA removes sialic acids from the host cell and viral sialyloligosaccarides. Alterations of the HA occur during adaptation of influenza viruses to new host species, as in the 1957 and 1968 influenza pandemics. To gain a better understanding of the contributions of the HA and possibly the NA to this process, we generated cell lines expressing reduced levels of the influenza virus receptor determinant, sialic acid, by selecting Madin-Darby canine kidney cells resistant to a lectin specific for sialic acid linked to galactose by α(2-3) or α(2-6) linkages. One of these cell lines had less than 1/10 as muchN-acetylneuraminic acid as its parent cell line. When serially passaged in this cell line, human H3N2 viruses lost sialidase activity due to a large internal deletion in the NA gene, without alteration of the HA gene. These findings indicate that NA mutations can contribute to the adaptation of influenza A virus to new host environments and hence may play a role in the transmission of virus across species.