Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GENE REGULATION OF BRAIN NATRIURETIC PEPTIDE IN CARDIOCYTE HYPERTROPHY BY α1‐ADRENERGIC STIMULATION

1. We previously demonstrated that brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a cardiac hormone mainly produced in the ventricle, while the major production site of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is the atrium. The production and secretion of BNP and ANP in the hypertrophied ventricles were markedly augmented, serving as a compensation mechanism against ventricular overload by their natriuretic, diuretic and vasodilatory actions.
Culture of early mobility in mechanically ventilated patients

Physical deconditioning and prolonged motor weakness accompanying critical illness have profound and lasting consequences for both patients and their informal caregivers. The etiology is multifactorial and the effects may be mitigated by an early mobility process. Early mobility is facilitated by change in intensive care unit culture that requires clinicians to: 1) reorganize and manage current practices that have the potential to interfere with mobility; 2) create a strategy to improve the level of teamwork; and 3) link effective practice intervention and teamwork with short- and long-term patient-centered outcomes.
Defining and Classifying Learning Disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

This paper provides an overview of current conceptualizations of learning disabilities and ADHD, a conceptual framework critical for defining and classifying each disorder and for distinguishing each disorder from the other and from other, less common problems of childhood. At a most basic level, reading disability or dyslexia (the most common and best defined of the learning disabilities) and ADHD represent two distinct disorders that may frequently cooccur in the same unfortunate child but that can be clearly distinguished from one another. Reading disability represents a disorder of cognitive functioning. In contrast, ADHD is defined by the child's behavior as perceived by the child's parents and teachers; ADHD thus refers to a disorder affecting primarily the behavioral domain. Within the last decade, considerable progress has been made in our understanding of reading and reading disability. Converging evidence from several lines of investigation now indicates that reading ability conforms to a normal distribution model, so that there is a continuum of reading ability and reading disability. Children along this continuum differ by degree but not in kind. Cutoff points may be instituted to segment this continuous distribution, but these will be arbitrary and will not reflect any natural joints in nature; there is no second mode or "hump" in the distribution of reading ability. The normal model of reading and reading disability indicates that reading disability is related to normal reading ability, that there is a seamless transition from good to poor reading ability. Awareness of this relationship is critical to our approach to understanding the basis of reading disability. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Bazedoxifene, a selective estrogen receptor modulator: effects on the endometrium, ovaries, and breast from a randomized controlled trial in osteoporotic postmenopausal women

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the endometrial, ovarian, and breast safety of bazedoxifene used as a treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Methods: Healthy women (aged 55-85 y) with osteoporosis were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Participants were randomized to treatment with bazedoxifene 20 or 40 mg, raloxifene 60 mg, or placebo daily for 3 years. Endometrial and ovarian safety was assessed by periodic transvaginal ultrasonography and endometrial biopsy through 24 months. Gynecologic and breast-related adverse events were recorded throughout the study. Results: Among 753 participants with available transvaginal ultrasonography data, there were no significant between-group differences in overall endometrial thickness or in the percentage of participants with endometrial thickness greater than 5 mm at 12 or 24 months. Changes in the mean endometrial thickness (±SE) from baseline were −0.07 ± 0.11 mm (bazedoxifene 20 mg), 0.10 ± 0.11 mm (bazedoxifene 40 mg), 0.16 ± 0.12 mm (raloxifene 60 mg), and −0.08 ± 0.11 mm (placebo) at 24 months. There was one report of endometrial hyperplasia in each group, and there were zero, two, two, and three reports of endometrial carcinoma with bazedoxifene 20 and 40 mg, raloxifene 60 mg, and placebo, respectively. There were no clinically important changes from baseline in the number or size of ovarian cysts among groups. There was a significantly lower incidence of fibrocystic breast disease (P ≤ 0.05) with bazedoxifene compared with raloxifene 60 mg. Conclusion: Bazedoxifene was associated with a favorable endometrial, ovarian, and breast safety profile in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
The Self-Report Psychopathy Scale and Passive Avoidance Learning

The reliability and validity of the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (SRPS) was examined in a noninstitutionalized offender sample of mixed gender and race. Adequate alpha coefficients were obtained for the total sample and across gender and race. The SRPS was compared to measures of trait anxiety and passive avoidance errors. SRPS total, primary, and secondary scores were positively and significantly correlated with trait anxiety and passive avoidance (commission) errors, but not omission errors. Employing hierarchical regression models, no anxiety, gender, or ethnic effects were found. Intelligence confounded the relationship between psychopathic traits and passive avoidance errors. Findings provide tentative support of the SRPS as a valid measure of psychopathy.
Dental Decay Phenotype in Nonsyndromic Orofacial Clefting

Although children with oral clefts have a higher risk for dental anomalies when compared with the general population, prior studies have shown conflicting results regarding their dental decay risk. Also, few studies have assessed dental decay risk in unaffected relatives of children with clefts. Thus, the question of increased risk of dental decay in individuals with oral clefts or their unaffected relatives is still open for empirical investigation. This study characterizes dental decay in the largest international cohort to date of children with nonsyndromic clefts and their relatives, as compared with controls, and it addresses whether families with oral clefts have a significantly increased risk for dental decay versus the general population. A total of 3,326 subjects were included: 639 case probands, 1,549 unaffected relatives, and 1,138 controls. Decay was identified from in-person dental examinations or intraoral photographs. Case-control differences were tested with regression analysis. No significant differences were shown in percentage decayed and filled teeth and decayed teeth in the primary dentition (dft, dt) and permanent dentition (DFT, DT) in cases versus controls. In the cleft region, no significant differences were seen in primary or permanent decay (dt, DT) when compared with controls. No difference was found with regard to cleft type and percentage dft, dt, DFT, and DT in case probands. Nonsignificant differences were found in unaffected siblings and parents versus controls (primary and permanent dentitions). Collectively, these findings indicate that individuals with nonsyndromic oral clefts and their families do not have a higher dental decay risk as compared with the general population. These results suggest that either genetic or environmental factors underlying a higher susceptibility for dental anomalies do not increase caries risk or that the seemingly higher risk for dental decay associated with increased dental anomalies in case probands may be superseded by possible greater access to dental care.
Regulation of podocalyxin trafficking by Rab small GTPases in epithelial cells

ABSTRACT The characteristic feature of polarity establishment in MDCK II cells is transcytosis of apical glycoprotein podocalyxin (PCX) from the outer plasma membrane to the newly formed apical domain. This transcytotic event consists of multiple steps, including internalization from the plasma membrane, transport through early endosomes and Rab11-positive recycling endosomes, and delivery to the apical membrane. These steps are known to be tightly coordinated by Rab small GTPases, which act as molecular switches cycling between active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound states. However, our knowledge regarding which sets of Rabs regulate particular steps of PCX trafficking was rather limited. Recently, we have performed a comprehensive analysis of Rab GTPase engagement in the transcytotic pathway of PCX during polarity establishment in 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) MDCK II cell cultures. In this Commentary we summarize our findings and set them in the context of previous reports.
Instructor perspectives on open textbooks in higher education

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . iv TABLE OF CONTENTS . vi LIST OF TABLES . viii LIST OF FIGURES . ix LIST OF APPENDICES . x INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER ONE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK . 8 Cultural Capital Theory . 8 CHAPTER TWO: HIGHER EDUCATION OVERVIEW . 12 College Degrees and Social Mobility . 12 Rising costs . 14 Money Equals Access . 16 CHAPTER THREE: DEMOGRAPHICS . 20 Demographics and Access . 20 CHAPTER FOUR: OPEN TEXTBOOK MARKET . 24 Open Textbooks . 24 Students care about cost . 26 Actors in the Open Textbook Market . 27 Open textbook financial sustainability. 30 CHAPTER FIVE: THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF PAPER . 35 vii Environmental Impact . 35 Outsourcing pollution . 36 Global Warming and the Paper Industry. 38 Dematerialization via open textbooks. 40 CHAPTER SIX: MATERIALS AND METHODS . 43 Research Site . 44 Instructor survey . 48 Measures . 49 Data analyses. 55 CHAPTER SEVEN: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . 56 CHAPTER EIGHT: CONCLUSIONS . 90 Ocean View University Recommendations . 91 Limitations . 92 Suggestions for Future Research . 92 REFERENCES . 94 Appendix A: E-mail Invitation . 101 Appendix B: Survey . 102
Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance in liquid‐based cytologic specimens

Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for high‐risk types after Papanicolaou (Pap) smear interpretations of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) is a sensitive method for identifying women who harbor underlying high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). To the authors' knowledge, the application of HPV testing to ASCUS smears in routine practice with comparison of probabilistic and interpretive models of cytologic reporting has not been reported.
Usefulness of transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy in investigating infertile women with Chlamydia trachomatis infection.

BACKGROUND A new technique called transvaginal hydrolaparoscopy (THL) was recently developed for the exploration of the tubo-ovarian structures in infertile patients without obvious pelvic pathology. This study was performed to investigate the usefulness of THL to evaluate Chlamydia trachomatis tubal infertility. METHODS Forty-one women with primary and secondary infertility participated in this study. Fourteen had past C. trachomatis infection. In 38 (92.7%) of the 41, access to the pouch of Douglas was obtained. In total, 71 (93.4%) out of 76 adnexa were clearly visualized. Thirty-seven patients were analysed and compared their tubal passages and peritubal adhesions using both hysterosalpingography (HSG) and THL. Twenty-four tubes from 14 patients with past C. trachomatis infection and 44 tubes from 23 patients without a history of C. trachomatis infection were compared. RESULTS For the diagnosis of the tubal passage, there were no significant differences in the discrepancy rates between HSG and THL, in patients with and without past C. trachomatis infection. In 14 (58.3%) of the 24 tubes from patients with past C. trachomatis infection and in eight (18.2%) of the 44 tubes from patients without infection, peritubal adhesion was diagnosed only by THL. There was a significant difference in the discrepancy rates of the diagnosis of peritubal adhesion between HSG and THL in the two groups (P = 0.0007 ). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that C. trachomatis infection is highly associated with peritubal adhesion which is difficult to diagnose by HSG. Therefore, in C. trachomatis antibody-positive patients, exclusion of tubal pathology by THL or standard laparoscopy should be carried out to consider appropriate treatments. Although THL is not a substitute for laparoscopy, it can be proposed as a first line procedure in the early stages of the infertility investigation.
ldne: a program for estimating effective population size from data on linkage disequilibrium

ldne is a program with a Visual Basic interface that implements a recently developed bias correction for estimates of effective population size (Ne) based on linkage disequilibrium data. The program reads genotypic data in standard formats and can accommodate an arbitrary number of samples, individuals, loci, and alleles, as well as two mating systems: random and lifetime monogamy. ldne calculates separate estimates using different criteria for excluding rare alleles, which facilitates evaluation of data for highly polymorphic markers such as microsatellites. The program also introduces a jackknife method for obtaining confidence intervals that appears to perform better than parametric methods currently in use.
Advanced 3D visualization in student-centred medical education

Background: Healthcare students have difficulties achieving a conceptual understanding of 3D anatomy and misconceptions about physiological phenomena are persistent and hard to address. 3D visualization has improved the possibilities of facilitating understanding of complex phenomena. A project was carried out in which high quality 3D visualizations using high-resolution CT and MR images from clinical research were developed for educational use. Instead of standard stacks of slices (original or multiplanar reformatted) volume-rendering images in the quicktime VR format that enables students to interact intuitively were included. Based on learning theories underpinning problem based learning, 3D visualizations were implemented in the existing curricula of the medical and physiotherapy programs. The images/films were used in lectures, demonstrations and tutorial sessions. Self-study material was also developed. Aims: To support learning efficacy by developing and using 3D datasets in regular health care curricula and enhancing the knowledge about possible educational value of 3D visualizations in learning anatomy and physiology. Method: Questionnaires were used to investigate the medical and physiotherapy students’ opinions about the different formats of visualizations and their learning experiences. Results: The 3D images/films stimulated the students will to understand more and helped them to get insights about biological variations and different organs size, space extent and relation to each other. The virtual dissections gave a clearer picture than ordinary dissections and the possibility to turn structures around was instructive. Conclusions: 3D visualizations based on authentic, viable material point out a new dimension of learning material in anatomy, physiology and probably also pathophysiology. It was successful to implement 3D images in already existing themes in the educational programs. The results show that deeper knowledge is required about students’ interpretation of images/films in relation to learning outcomes. There is also a need for preparations and facilitation principles connected to the use of 3D visualizations.
Do Mortgage Loans Respond Perversely to Monetary Policy

We investigate the response of loan growth to monetary policy shocks while controlling for loan securitization. Our major finding is that while commercial and industrial (C&I) loans and consumer loans respond to monetary policy asymmetrically according to theoretical predictions, mortgage loans show a reverse asymmetric response. In other words, while other loans are more responsive to contractionary than to expansionary shifts in monetary policy of the same magnitude, mortgage loans tend to respond inversely. Contrary to the bank lending channel predictions, expansionary monetary policy increases mortgage loan growth more than contractionary monetary policy of the same magnitude reduces this growth. We find that this reverse asymmetric response of mortgage loans is mainly driven by the securitization of these loans. Further, we show that this result is most pronounced for single-family home mortgages.
The opportunity model of organizational commitment: Evidence from white-collar employees in Turkey

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationships between promotion, development, and recognition opportunities at work and organizational commitment, and whether these relationships are moderated by the job opportunities employees have in other organizations. Design/methodology/approach An opportunity model of organizational commitment is developed based on social exchange theory and several streams of opportunity research. Factor analyses and hierarchical multiple regression analyses are carried out to test the hypotheses using data from 550 white-collar employees. Findings The results of the analyses show that opportunities for development and recognition are predictors of organizational commitment, that job opportunities employees have in other organizations negatively moderate the relationship between recognition opportunity at work and organizational commitment, and that promotion opportunity does not predict organizational commitment. Research limitations/implications Future researchers could study the issue in the context of other cultures using data from multiple sources. Practical implications Employers who seek to increase their employees’ organizational commitment are advised to divert their energies from struggling to create promotion opportunities for their employees to creating opportunities for development and recognition. Originality/value The study explores the under-researched concept of opportunity at work and connects several streams of opportunity research by drawing on social exchange theory as a theoretical framework. The model is the first to address the effects of opportunity and alternative opportunities on organizational commitment.
Ca2+ and Calmodulin Regulate the Binding of Filamin A to Actin Filaments*

Filamin A (FLNa) cross-links actin filaments (F-actin) into three-dimensional gels in cells, attaches F-actin to membrane proteins, and is a scaffold that collects numerous and diverse proteins. We report that Ca2+-calmodulin binds the actin-binding domain (ABD) of FLNa and dissociates FLNa from F-actin, thereby dissolving FLNa·F-actin gels. The FLNa ABD has two calponin homology domains (CH1 and CH2) separated by a linker. Recombinant CH1 but neither FLNa nor its ABD binds Ca2+-calmodulin in the absence of F-actin. Extending recombinant CH1 to include the negatively charged region linker domain makes it, like full-length FLNa, unable to bind Ca2+-calmodulin. Ca2+-calmodulin does, however, dissociate the FLNa ABD from F-actin provided that the CH2 domain is present. These findings identify the first evidence for direct regulation of FLNa, implicating a mechanism whereby Ca2+-calmodulin selectively targets the FLNa·F-actin complex.
Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in the treatment of hip osteoarthritis

Abstract This study was performed to investigate the safety and efficacy of the intra-articular infusion of ex vivo expanded autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) to a cohort of patients with articular cartilage defects in the hip. The above rationale is sustained by the notion that MSCs express a chondrocyte differential potential and produce extracellular matrix molecules as well as regulatory signals, that may well contribute to cure the function of the damaged hip joint. A cohort of 10 patients with functional and radiological evidences of hip osteoarthritis, either in one or both legs, was included in the study. BM-MSC (the cell product) were prepared and infused into the damaged articulation(s) of each patient (60 × 106 cells in 3 weekly/doses). Before and after completion of the cell infusion scheme, patients were evaluated (hip scores for pain, stiffness, physical function, range of motion), to assess whether the infusion of the respective cell product was beneficial. The intra-articular injection of three consecutive weekly doses of ex vivo expanded autologous BM-MSC to patients with articular cartilage defects in the hip and proved to be a safe and clinically effective treatment in the restoration of hip function and range of motion. In addition, the statistical significance of the above data is in line with the observation that the radiographic scores (Tönnis Classification of Osteoarthritis) of the damaged leg(s) remained without variation in 9 out of 10 patients, after the administration of the cell product.
Distinct intragraft response pattern in relation to graft size in liver transplantation

Background. The molecular mechanism of small-for-size graft injury remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the gene expression pattern of acute phase response in relation to graft size in a rat-liver transplantation model. Methods. A rat orthotopic liver transplantation model using 30%, 50%, and whole grafts was used. The graft survival rates and liver morphology were compared among the three groups. Two transcription factors, nuclear factor (NF)-&kgr;B (p65) and early growth response (Egr-1), and their downstream genes were compared. Results. According to the graft size, the rats were grouped as follows: group 1 (n=20), 32% (24–47%); group 2 (n=10), 56% (50–65%); and group 3 (n=10), 104% (89–120%). The 7-day survival rates were 20% (P =0.039 vs. group 2, P =0.000 vs. group 3), 60%, and 100% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Dilation of hepatic sinusoids and vacuolization of hepatocytes were observed in group 1. Up-regulation of Egr-1 and endothelin (ET)-1 and over-expression of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was found in group 1, but heme oxygenase (HO)-1 and A20 were down-regulated. At 24 hours after reperfusion, the intragraft protein level of heat-shock protein (Hsp)-70 was significantly lower in group 1 than that in group 3 (12.4 vs. 17.0 ng/mL, P =0.04). More apoptotic nuclei were found in group 1. Conclusions. Small-for-size graft injury was related to early over-expression of Egr-1 associated with up-regulation of ET-1 and deterioration of intracellular homeostasis reflected by down-regulation of Hsps and A20.