Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of salivary polypeptides associated with parotid hypertrophy by gallotannins administered topically into the mouse mouth

Isoproterenol‐induced salivary polypeptides (IISP), a group of proline‐rich proteins synthesized by mouse parotids, have been considered as markers for isoproterenol‐induced parotid hypertrophy. Rodents fed diets containing high‐tannin cereals (sorghum), also develop parotid hypertrophy. To test whether tannins are directly involved in provoking sialotrophic growth, we studied the effect of intraperitoneal and topical oral administrations of tannic acid (TA) on the induction of IISP polypeptides in endogamic mice (A/Snell). TA was characterized by HPLC chromatography and spectral analysis and shown to be composed solely of gallotannins, a complex family of glucose and gallic acid esters. IISP polypeptides were monitored in saliva by SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis during 36 h after ending TA stimulation. Single daily intraperitoneal administrations of TA for 3 consecutive days (0.033 mg/g bw/day), at variance of parallel administrations of isoproterenol (0.042 mg/g bw/day) failed to induce IISP polypeptides. However, repeated topical applications of TA into the mouse mouths (1.21 mg/g bw divided into three equal doses given at 4‐h intervals within a single day) resulted in unequivocal induction of IISP polypeptides. That response was clearly intensified by increasing the stimulation frequency to eight equivalent doses given at 1.5‐h intervals within a single day (corresponding to 3.23 mg/g bw) and even further by repeating this protocol for 3 days. Under these productive schemes of stimulations by TA, electrophoretic fractionation of parotid homogenates showed new polypeptide bands migrating in parallel to salivary IISP. These results suggest that topically administered gallotannins are effective inducers of trophic growth in mouse parotids. J. Cell. Biochem. 100: 487–498, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Case Study of the Teacher Advancement Program on a Native American Reservation

A Case Study of the Teacher Advancement Program on a Native American Reservation by Shing Chang Aruguete EDS, Walden University, 2011 MS, University of Oregon, 1991 BS, Chun-Yuan Christian University, 1987 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Patients’ Satisfaction with Flexible Bronchoscopy in a Hospital-Based Community Practice

Background: There are no data about patients’ satisfaction with a first bronchoscopy in community practice. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the satisfaction with flexible bronchoscopy and the willingness to return for the procedure if needed in hospital-based community practice. Methods: Prospective administration of a questionnaire before and after flexible bronchoscopy with inclusion of 126 patients in the analysis. Results: The reliability analysis demonstrated a good internal consistency of the questionnaire with a mean Cronbach α of 0.7 (range 0.63–0.76). Health status and overall satisfaction with bronchoscopy were reported as poor by 31 (25%) and 0 (0%) patients, fair by 34 (27%) and 3 (2%) patients, good by 47 (37%) and 51 (40%) patients and very good by 9 (7%) and 70 (56%) patients, respectively. Overall willingness to return for a flexible bronchoscopy if necessary was 98% (123/126). Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) was the most often performed diagnostic procedure (74/126, 59%). Mean duration of the bronchoscopy in patients with and without TBNA was 30 and 19 min, respectively (p < 0.001). However, TBNA did not influence patient’s satisfaction. Preprocedure anxiety was reported by 26 of 51 patients (51%) and 24 of these patients (92%) rated their anxiety as unjustified after the procedure. Conclusions: Overall satisfaction and willingness to return for a flexible bronchoscopy in community practice are extremely high and these are independent of whether TBNA is undertaken or not.
Phase I dose-escalation study of recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL, a dual proapoptotic receptor agonist, in patients with advanced cancer.

PURPOSE Apoptosis ligand 2/tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL)-a member of the tumor necrosis factor cytokine family-induces apoptosis by activating the extrinsic pathway through the proapoptotic death receptors DR4 and DR5. Recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL (rhApo2L/TRAIL) has broad potential as a cancer therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-human clinical trial to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of multiple intravenous doses of rhApo2L/TRAIL in patients with advanced cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS This phase I, open-label, dose-escalation study treated patients with advanced cancer with rhApo2L/TRAIL doses ranging from 0.5 to 30 mg/kg/d, with parallel dose escalation for patients without liver metastases and with normal liver function (cohort 1) and for patients with liver metastases and normal or mildly abnormal liver function (cohort 2). Doses were given daily for 5 days, with cycles repeating every 3 weeks. Assessments included adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests, pharmacokinetics, and imaging to evaluate antitumor activity. RESULTS Seventy-one patients received a mean of 18.3 doses; seven patients completed all eight treatment cycles. The AE profile of rhApo2L/TRAIL was similar in cohorts 1 and 2. The most common AEs were fatigue (38%), nausea (28%), vomiting (23%), fever (23%), anemia (18%), and constipation (18%). Liver enzyme elevations were concurrent with progressive metastatic liver disease. Two patients with sarcoma (synovial and undifferentiated) experienced serious AEs associated with rapid tumor necrosis. Two patients with chondrosarcoma experienced durable partial responses to rhApo2L/TRAIL. CONCLUSION At the tested schedule and dose range, rhApo2L/TRAIL was safe and well tolerated. Dose escalation achieved peak rhApo2L/TRAIL serum concentrations equivalent to those associated with preclinical antitumor efficacy.
Response of C3 and C4 grasses to supplemental summer precipitation.

Rangeland plant productivity and species composition are affected by moisture availability and grazing intensity. We examined warm- and cool-season grass productivity and relative distribution on grazed and ungrazed sites, receiving either natural precipitation or precipitation plus limited supplemental irrigation. The amount of additional water varied depending on rainfall during the previous week and was intended to shorten the interval between precipitation events and provide a more uniform seasonal moisture distribution. Irrigation treatments were superimposed in 1997 and 1998 on paddocks that had not been grazed for about 55 years or continuously stocked during the growing season for 15 years. Cool-season grasses dominated the ungrazed plots, comprising about 90% of the total biomass. In the grazed plots, the proportion of C3 grasses ranged from 30 to 81%. The proportion of C3 grasses in the grazed treatment decreased from spring to fall and decreased with supplemental irrigation. Root biomass was greater and more concentrated near the soil surface in the grazed compared with the ungrazed plots. Irrigation had no effect on root biomass in the grazed plots while irrigation reduced total root biomass and root biomass in the top 5 cm of the soil profile in the ungrazed plots. Irrigation increased total aboveground biomass only at the August 1997 harvest. Aboveground biomass of warm-season grasses, however, increased under irrigation in the grazed plots in August and November 1997 and August 1998. These increases, however, were offset by a reduction in cool-season grasses in November 1997 and August 1998. Warm-season grasses were particularly responsive to the supplemental irrigation treatments and tended to increase under irrigation at the expense of cool-season grasses. Because of the increased proportion of warm-season grasses, grazed plots were more responsive to irrigation than ungrazed plots. DOI:10.2458/azu_jrm_v55i5_skinner
Human platelets bind and degrade 2-arachidonoylglycerol, which activates these cells through a cannabinoid receptor.

The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro) activates human platelets in platelet-rich plasma at physiological concentrations. The activation was inhibited by selective antagonists of CB(1) and CB(2) cannabinoid receptors, but not by acetylsalicylic acid. Human platelets can metabolize 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro by internalization through a high affinity transporter (K(m) = 300 +/- 30 nM, V(max) = 10 +/- 1 pmol.min(-1). mg protein(-1)), followed by hydrolysis by a fatty acid amide hydrolase (K(m) = 8 +/- 1 microM, V(max) = 400 +/- 50 pmol.min(-1). mg protein(-1)). The anandamide transport inhibitor AM404, and anandamide itself, were ineffective on 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro uptake by platelets, whereas anandamide competitively inhibited 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro hydrolysis (inhibition constant = 10 +/- 1 microM). Platelet activation by 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro was paralleled by an increase of intracellular calcium and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate, and by a decrease of cyclic AMP. Moreover, treatment of preloaded platelet-rich plasma with 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro induced an approximately threefold increase in [(3)H]2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro release, according to a CB receptor-dependent mechanism. On the other hand, ADP and collagen counteracted the activation of platelets by 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro, whereas 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) enhanced and extended its effects. Remarkably, ADP and collagen also reduced [(3)H]2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro release from 2-Delta(4)Ach-Gro-activated platelets, whereas 5-hydroxytryptamine further increased it. These findings suggest a so far unnoticed interplay between the peripheral endocannabinoid system and physiological platelet agonists.
Characterizing prefrontal cortical activity during inhibition task in methamphetamine‐associated psychosis versus schizophrenia: a multi‐channel near‐infrared spectroscopy study

Methamphetamine abuse and dependence, frequently accompanied by schizophrenia‐like psychotic symptoms [methamphetamine‐associated psychosis (MAP)], is a serious public health problem worldwide. Few studies, however, have characterized brain dysfunction associated with MAP, nor investigated similarities and differences in brain dysfunction between MAP and schizophrenia. We compared prefrontal cortical activity associated with stop‐signal inhibitory task in 21 patients with MAP, 14 patients with schizophrenia and 21 age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls using a 52‐channel near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system. Both the MAP and the schizophrenia groups showed significantly reduced activation in the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex compared with controls; however, only the MAP group showed reduced activation in the frontopolar prefrontal cortex. The MAP group demonstrated significant positive correlations between task performance and hemodynamic responses in the bilateral ventrolateral, polar and left dorsolateral regions of the prefrontal cortex. The MAP and schizophrenia groups demonstrated a significant difference in the relationship of impulsivity to hemodynamic changes in the bilateral premotor cortex. These findings characterize similarities and differences in prefrontal cortical dysfunction between psychosis associated with methamphetamine and schizophrenia. The reduced hemodynamic changes in the bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex suggest a common underlying pathophysiology of MAP and schizophrenia, whereas those in the frontopolar prefrontal cortex point to an impaired state that is either inherent or caused specifically by methamphetamine use.
Distinct cellular responses induced by saporin and a transferrin–saporin conjugate in two different human glioblastoma cell lines

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary brain tumour in adults, with a median survival of ∼12–18 months post‐diagnosis. GBM usually recurs within 12 months post‐resection, with poor prognosis. Thus, novel therapeutic strategies to target and kill GBM cells are urgently needed. The marked difference of tumour cells with respect to normal brain cells renders glioblastoma a good candidate for selective targeted therapies. Recent experimental strategies focus on over expressed cell surface receptors. Targeted toxins represent a new class of selective molecules composed by a potent protein toxin and a carrier ligand. Targeted toxins approaches against glioblastoma were under investigation in phase I and II clinical trials with several immunotoxins (IT)/ligand toxins such as IL4‐Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (IL4‐PE, NBI‐3001), tumour growth factor fused to PE38, a shorter PE variant, (TGF)alpha‐TP‐38, IL13‐PE38, and a transferrin‐C diphtheriae toxin mutant (Tf‐CRM107). In this work, we studied the effects of the plant ribosome‐inactivating saporin and of its chimera transferrin–saporin against two different GBM cell lines. The data obtained here indicate that cell proliferation is affected by the toxin treatments but that different mechanisms are used, directly linked to the presence of an active or inactive p53. A model is proposed for these alternative intracellular pathways. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 939–951, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cannabis use and risk of psychosis: an etiological link?*

Summary Objective – The nature of the link between cannabis use and psychosis remains to be clarified. Method – The paper reviews the evidence suggesting that cannabis may be a risk factor for psychosis onset. Results – Cross-sectional and retro- spective epidemiological studies show that individuals with psychosis use cannabis more often than other individuals in the gener- al population. It has long been considered that this association is explained by the self-medication hypothesis, postulating that cannabis is used to self-medicate psychotic symptoms. This hypothesis has been recently challenged by several prospective stud- ies carried out in population-based samples, showing that cannabis exposure is associated with an increased risk of psychosis, pos- sibly by interacting with a pre-existing vulnerability for these disorders. A dose-response relationship was found between cannabis exposure and risk of psychosis, and this association was independent from potential confounding factors such as exposure to other drugs and pre-existence of psychotic symptoms. However, the diagnostic specificity is weak, as cannabis exposure may be a risk factor for the occurrence of a large spectrum of psychiatric disorders, ranging from schizophrenia to mood and anxiety disorders. Conclusion – Considering the growing number of adolescents exposed to cannabis, the impact of this substance on the population mental health should be further explored.
Convergence or Divergence? Evaluation of Human Resource Practices in Turkey

This study investigates human resource (HR) management (HRM) practices in Turkey vis-a-vis history, religion, culture, and economic systems. It hopes to contribute discussion on convergence and divergence by assessing traditional values’ impact on shaping HR practices. The study reviews the journal articles, thesis and conference proceedings addressing major human resource functions, namely job analysis, training, performance-management, recruitment and selection in Turkey. Review suggests directional convergence’s presence, meaning companies in Turkey follow the same trends prevailing in the USA or Europe, yet the patterns differ with respect to Turkish firms’ understanding and implementation of these trends. Collectivism, paternalism, and uncertainty avoidance seem to profoundly impact HRM practices in Turkey, decreasing the possibility of full convergence. HR literature is dominated by U.S. and European-oriented research. As this study provides a detailed, though not comprehensive literature review concerning HR practices in Turkey, its conclusions also may be extrapolated to countries with a similar socio-cultural dynamic, in addition to suggesting avenues for future research.
Recorded quality of primary care for patients with diabetes in England before and after the introduction of a financial incentive scheme: a longitudinal observational study

Background The UK's Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) was introduced in 2004/5, linking remuneration for general practices to recorded quality of care for chronic conditions, including diabetes mellitus. We assessed the effect of the incentives on recorded quality of care for diabetes patients and its variation by patient and practice characteristics. Methods Using the General Practice Research Database we selected a stratified sample of 148 English general practices in England, contributing data from 2000/1 to 2006/7, and obtained a random sample of 653 500 patients in which 23 920 diabetes patients identified. We quantified annually recorded quality of care at the patient-level, as measured by the 17 QOF diabetes indicators, in a composite score and analysed it longitudinally using an Interrupted Time Series design. Results Recorded quality of care improved for all subgroups in the pre-incentive period. In the first year of the incentives, composite quality improved over-and-above this pre-incentive trend by 14.2% (13.7–14.6%). By the third year the improvement above trend was smaller, but still statistically significant, at 7.3% (6.7–8.0%). After 3 years of the incentives, recorded levels of care varied significantly for patient gender, age, years of previous care, number of co-morbid conditions and practice diabetes prevalence. Conclusions The introduction of financial incentives was associated with improvements in the recorded quality of diabetes care in the first year. These improvements included some measures of disease control, but most captured only documentation of recommended aspects of clinical assessment, not patient management or outcomes of care. Improvements in subsequent years were more modest. Variation in care between population groups diminished under the incentives, but remained substantial in some cases.
Thermospheric winds and temperatures above Mawson, Antarctica,observed with an all-sky imaging, Fabry-Perot spectrometer

A new all-sky imaging Fabry-Perot spectrometer has been installed at Mawson station (67 36 0 S, 62 52 0 E), Antarctica. This instrument is capable of recording indepen- dent spectra from many tens of locations across the sky si- multaneously. Useful operation began in March 2007, with spectra recorded on a total of 186 nights. Initial analysis has focused on the large-scale daily and average behavior of winds and temperatures derived from observations of the 630.0 nm airglow line of atomic oxygen, originating from a broad layer centered around 240 km altitude, in the iono- spheric F-region. The 1993 Horizontal Wind Model (HWM93), NRLMSISE-00 atmospheric model, and the Coupled Thermosphere/Ionosphere Plasmasphere (CTIP) model were used for comparison. During the geomagnetically quiet period studied, observed winds and temperatures were generally well modelled, although temperatures were consis- tently higher than NRLMSISE-00 predicted, by up to 100 K. CTIP temperatures better matched our data, particularly later in the night, but predicted zonal winds which were offset from those observed by 70-180 ms 1 westward. During periods of increased activity both winds and temperatures showed much greater variability over time-scales of less than an hour. For the active night presented here, a period of 45 min saw wind speeds decrease by around 180 ms 1 , and temperatures increase by approximately 100 K. Active- period winds were poorly modelled by HWM93 and CTIP, although observed median temperatures were in better agreement with NRLMSISE-00 during such periods. Average behavior was found to be generally consistent with previous studies of thermospheric winds above Maw- son. The collected data set was representative of quiet geo- magnetic and solar conditions. Geographic eastward winds in the afternoon/evening generally continued until around lo- cal midnight, when winds turned equatorward. Geographic meridional and zonal winds in the afternoon were approxi- mately 50 ms 1 weaker than expected from HWM93, as was the transition to equatorward flow around midnight. There was also a negligible geographic zonal component to the post-midnight wind where HWM93 predicted strong west- ward flow. Average temperatures between 19:00 and 04:00 local solar time were around 60 K higher than predicted by NRLMSISE-00.
Predictive factors for development of severe tinnitus suffering-further characterisation

The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for Severe Tinnitus Suffering (STS) and to describe the results from psychiatric diagnostic interviews of STS positive and STS negative patients. Consecutive tinnitus patients (n = 127) completed the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and the Tinnitus Severity Questionnaire (TSQ) and answered general health questions at the first visit to the clinic and at eighteen months follow-up. Twenty-four months after the first tinnitus consultation, standardized diagnostic interviews (SCID-P), according to DSM-IIIR, were performed by an experienced psychiatrist. The calculated probability for STS was 93%, if three items from the NHP (18,32,33) were positive. STS positive patients had more anxiety disorders with more psychosocial stress and lower global assessment of function scores. Results suggest that the NHP may be a useful tool in the clinical management of tinnitus patients and emphasises the importance of identifying depressive and anxiety disorders in this population.
Alcohol Consumption Impairs Detection of Performance Errors in Mediofrontal Cortex

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a critical component of the human mediofrontal neural circuit that monitors ongoing processing in the cognitive system for signs of erroneous outcomes. Here, we show that the consumption of alcohol in moderate doses induces a significant deterioration of the ability to detect the activation of erroneous responses as reflected in the amplitude of brain electrical activity associated with the ACC. This impairment was accompanied by failures to instigate performance adjustments after these errors. These findings offer insights into how the effects of alcohol on mediofrontal brain function may result in compromised performance.
Ease of insertion of the laryngeal mask airway in pediatric surgical patients: Predictors of failure and outcome

Background: Laryngeal mask airway (LMA) is an useful alternative to endotracheal tube for airway management. The risk of life-threatening adverse respiratory events during its use is rare, but we need to know about the risk-adjusted prediction of its insertion failure requiring rescue tracheal intubation and its impact on patient outcome. Materials and Methods: Five hundred patients; 6 months to 12-year-old, American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II scheduled to undergo elective surgical procedures that require general anesthesia were included in this study. LMA was inserted after induction of anesthesia. The insertion conditions, intra, and postoperative events were recorded. Our primary outcome variable was trial success from the first time. Results: We recorded 426 cases (85.2%) of first trial success with clear airway compared to 46 case (9.2%) of second trial success (P ≤ 0.001). Predictors of failure of first attempt of LMA insertion include abnormal airway anatomy (91%), body weight <16 kg and age below 5 years (44%), the use of LMA size of 1 and 1.5 (3.8%), the intraoperative lateral position (3.8%). Conclusion: The data obtained from this study support the use of the LMA as a reliable pediatric supraglottic airway device, demonstrating relatively low failure rates. Predictors of LMA failure in the pediatric surgical population should be independently considered. Trial Registration: The study is registered in the Australian and New Zealand clinical trial registry with the allocated trial number: ACTRN12614000994684. Web address of trial: http://www.ANZCTR. org.au/A CTRN12614000994684.aspx.