Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trait Anxiety and Anticipatory Immune Reactions in Women Receiving Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

We compared peripheral blood cell counts as well as mitogen activity and natural killer-cell activity in women undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer in the hospital prior to chemotherapy with assessment at home 2 days earlier. Patients compared to controls had an increased number of white blood cell counts in the hospital as compared to those at home, mediated by an increased total number of granulocytes. Among patients, those with high compared to low trait anxiety evidenced immune system changes. Total number of monocytes were reduced in patients with high compared to low trait anxiety and natural killer-cell activity tended to be compromised in the high anxiety group. Helper/inducer T-cells isolated from hospital blood samples were lower in patients with high as compared to low trait anxiety, while no difference was observed in samples taken at home. Conditioned nausea was associated with trait anxiety and patients with as compared to without conditioned nausea displayed immune changes similar to changes observed as a function of trait anxiety. State anxiety measured at the hospital did not relate to immune measures. The observed increase in granulocytes is consistent with an interpretation both in terms of conditioning and anticipatory stress. The anticipatory immunosuppression in patients with high compared to low trait anxiety is consistent with the hypothesis that chemotherapy patients may develop conditioned immunosuppression after repeated pairings of treatment-related stimuli with the unconditioned immunosuppressive effect of chemotherapy.
Mechanism of Cellular 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) Reduction

Abstract: 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction is one of the most frequently used methods for measuring cell proliferation and neural cytotoxicity. It is widely assumed that MTT is reduced by active mitochondria in living cells. By using isolated mitochondria from rat brain and B12 cells, we indeed found that malate, glutamate, and succinate support MTT reduction by isolated mitochondria. However, the data presented in this study do not support the exclusive role of mitochondria in MTT reduction by intact cells. Using a variety of approaches, we found that MTT reduction by B12 cells is confined to intracellular vesicles that later give rise to the needle‐like MTT formazan at the cell surface. Some of these vesicles were identified as endosomes or lysosomes. In addition, MTT was found to be membrane impermeable. These and other results suggest that MTT is taken up by cells through endocytosis and that reduced MTT formazan accumulates in the endosomal/lysosomal compartment and is then transported to the cell surface through exocytosis.
Credit, Securitization and Monetary Policy: Watch Out for Unintended Consequences

We show evidence that interest rate hikes slowdown loan growth but lead intermediation to migrate from banks' balance sheets to non-banks via increased securitization activity. As such, higher interest rates have the potential for unintended consequences; raising systemic risk rather than lowering it by pushing more intermediation activity to more weakly regulated sectors. In the past, this increased securitization activity was driven primarily byb private-label securitization. On the other hand, the government sponsored entities like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae appear to react to higher policy rates by cutting back on their securitization activity but expanding loans to the Federal Home Loan Bank system.
A proteomic approach to study pea (Pisum sativum) responses to powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi)

As a global approach to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in pea resistance to Erysiphe pisi, changes in the leaf proteome of two pea genotypes differing in their resistance phenotype were analyzed by a combination of 2‐DE and MALDI‐TOF/TOF MS. Leaf proteins from control non‐inoculated and inoculated susceptible (Messire) and resistant (JI2480) plants were resolved by 2‐DE, with IEF in the 5–8 pH range and SDS‐PAGE on 12% gels. CBB‐stained gels revealed the existence of quantitative and qualitative differences between extracts from: (i) non‐inoculated leaves of both genotypes (77 spots); (ii) inoculated and non‐inoculated Messire leaves (19 spots); and (iii) inoculated and non‐inoculated JI2480 leaves (12 spots). Some of the differential spots have been identified, after MALDI‐TOF/TOF analysis and database searching, as proteins belonging to several functional categories, including photosynthesis and carbon metabolism, energy production, stress and defense, protein synthesis and degradation and signal transduction. Results are discussed in terms of constitutive and induced elements involved in pea resistance against Erysiphe pisi.
Assessing fatigue in multiple sclerosis: Dutch modified fatigue impact scale.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Dutch version of the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale. Fifty-one randomly selected subjects with definite multiple sclerosis (MS) (mean age 51.9 +/- 10.5 years, 25 women) and 20 healthy controls (mean age 50.6 +/- 14.0 years, 13 women) filled in the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the fatigue subscale of Guy's Neurological Disability Scale (GNDS). All tests were repeated with an interval of maximum three days. The hospitalised individuals with MS (n = 20) were assessed at intake and discharge. No significant difference was found between first and second administration of MFIS (z = -.519, p = .603, Wilcoxon signed ranks test), with a good correlation (.729). MFIS was able to distinguish individuals with MS from controls, and subjects with fatigue from the non-fatigued group. MFIS showed no floor or ceiling effect. MFIS correlated moderately with Fatigue Severity Scale (.447) and the fatigue subscale of GNDS (.487). The 20 hospitalised subjects had significant lower MFIS scores (z = -3.401, p = .001) after a four-week rehabilitation programme, whereas the FSS did not change. This study indicates that the Dutch version of the MFIS is a reliable, valid and responsive tool to assess the impact of MS-related fatigue on daily life.
Herpes Simplex Virus gE/gI Must Accumulate in the trans-Golgi Network at Early Times and Then Redistribute to Cell Junctions To Promote Cell-Cell Spread

ABSTRACT Herpes simplex virus (HSV) glycoprotein heterodimer gE/gI is necessary for virus spread in epithelial and neuronal tissues. Deletion of the relatively large gE cytoplasmic (CT) domain abrogates the ability of gE/gI to mediate HSV spread. The gE CT domain is required for the sorting of gE/gI to the trans-Golgi network (TGN) in early stages of virus infection, and there are several recognizable TGN sorting motifs grouped near the center of this domain. Late in HSV infection, gE/gI, other viral glycoproteins, and enveloped virions redistribute from the TGN to epithelial cell junctions, and the gE CT domain is also required for this process. Without the gE CT domain, newly enveloped virions are directed to apical surfaces instead of to cell junctions. We hypothesized that the gE CT domain promotes virus envelopment into TGN subdomains from which nascent enveloped virions are sorted to cell junctions, a process that enhances cell-to-cell spread. To characterize elements of the gE CT domain involved in intracellular trafficking and cell-to-cell spread, we constructed a panel of truncation mutants. Specifically, these mutants were used to address whether sorting to the TGN and redistribution to cell junctions are necessary, and sufficient, for gE/gI to promote cell-to-cell spread. gE-519, lacking 32 C-terminal residues, localized normally to the TGN early in infection and then trafficked to cell junctions at late times and mediated virus spread. By contrast, mutants gE-495 (lacking 56 C-terminal residues) and gE-470 (lacking 81 residues) accumulated in the TGN but did not traffic to cell junctions and did not mediate cell-to-cell spread. A fourth mutant, gE-448 (lacking most of the CT domain), did not localize to cell junctions and did not mediate virus spread. Therefore, the capacity of gE/gI to promote cell-cell spread requires early localization to the TGN, but this is not sufficient for virus spread. Additionally, gE CT sequences between residues 495 and 519, which contain no obvious cell sorting motifs, are required to promote gE/gI traffic to cell junctions and cell-to-cell spread.
Mathematical Model of Dengue Disease Transmission with Severe DHF Compartment

An SIR model for dengue disease transmission is discussed here. It is assumed that two viruses namely strain 1 and strain 2 cause the disease and long lasting immunity from infection caused by one virus may not be valid with respect to a secondary infection by the other virus. Our interest here is to derive and analyse the model taking into account the severe DHF compartment in the transmission model. The aim would be to find a control measure to reduce the DHF patients in the population, or to keep the number of patients at an acceptable level. Analysis of this model reveals that there are four equilibria, one of them is the disease-free, the other three equilibria correspond to the presence of single serotype respectively, and the coexistence of two serotypes. Stability analysis of each equilibria and their relations with type reproductive numbers are shown. We also discuss the ratio between total number of severe DHF compartment with respect to the total number of first infection compartment and the total number of secondary infection compartment, respectively. This ratio is needed for practical control measure in order to predict the “real” intensity of the endemic phenomena since only data of severe DHF compartment is available in the field. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 92D30
Antibodies against membrane antigens of cytomegalovirus infected cells in sera of patients with a cytomegalovirus infection.

The appearance of a new virus specific antigen was demonstrated by an indirect immunofluorescence technique on cell surfaces of CMV infected human fibroblasts, 48–72 hr after inoculation. The development of antibodies to these membrane antigens was followed in thirty-nine serial sera from twelve patients with a virologically and/or serologically confirmed CMV infection. In all patients except one, membrane antibodies could be detected. Sera from four patients collected before infection were negative, as were sera taken 1–13 days after onset of symptoms. From the end of the second week of illness CMV-membrane antibodies as well as CMV macroglobulin antibodies to intracellular antigens were detectable. The membrane antibodies persisted until 335 days after onset of illness. They were mainly of the IgM class. Most positive sera also reacted with non-infected fibroblasts but to a lesser degree. This reaction became negative after prior absorption of the sera with non-infected fibroblasts, whereas the reaction with CMV-infected cells remained positive. Controls consisted of forty-five sera from healthy persons and nine sera from patients suffering from other herpes virus infections with antibodies to herpes simplex, zoster/varicella and Epstein-Barr virus. All but two sera were negative in the membrane immunofluorescence test.
Measuring service quality in pharmaceutical supply chain – distributor’s perspective

Purpose The aim of this paper is to contribute to the services marketing literature by developing a scale based on Parasuraman’s SERVQUAL scale for the measurement of distributor perceived service quality at the distributor–manufacturer interface of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Design/methodology/approach Based on a literature review and discussions with experts, a questionnaire was designed basing on the widely used service quality measurement scale (SERVQUAL). Personal survey was conducted among selected distributors spread over three major cities of the Indian pharmaceutical market. The study used the exploratory factor analysis to identify the critical factors of service quality followed by the confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS 20). Findings A valid scale with four dimensions – (reliability, assurance, responsiveness and communication) and 13 items for measuring the distributor perceived service quality was developed which also satisfied all the reliability and validity tests. The findings of the present study indicate that distributor perceived service quality has an effect on satisfaction. Practical implications The proposed scale is an attempt to explore the less researched area. This study will give further insights to researchers to measure service quality at different phases of the pharmaceutical supply chain. The study is limited to three cities; it can be extended to other regions of the country. This study will be helpful to the practicing managers to measure the service quality and improve the performance in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Social implications Service quality in pharmaceutical supply chain is very important, as it directly effects the health of the people, so the proposed scale can be used to control the quality of service. Originality/value The scale developed in this study can also be used for measuring distributor perceived service quality in other manufacturing sectors. This research provides direction and scope for further research to develop new concepts and models in measuring service quality in the supply chain.
Exploring rural high school learners' experience of mathematics anxiety in academic settings

The purpose of the study was to explore rural high school learners’ experience of mathematics anxiety in academic settings. Mathematics anxiety has been found to have an adverse effect on confidence, motivation and achievement. This quantitative study is exploratory and descriptive in nature. The participants were 403 learners doing mathematics in 18 rural schools in the Free State province of South Africa. Participants completed a 20-item questionnaire and 373 (92.5%) questionnaires were found to contain valid responses and were analysed by a professional statistician at the University of the Free State using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 17.0. The questionnaire was tested for reliability using the Cronbach alpha coefficient and was found to have a reliability score of . 841, indicating an acceptable reliability coefficient. Findings reveal that all learners sometimes, often, or always experience mathematics anxiety in academic settings. It is therefore important for teachers and authorities in education to observe its prevalence and to implement strategies toward the alleviation of the effects of mathematics anxiety. Keywords: academic settings; achievement; confidence; habitus; learners; mathematics anxiety; rural
Working Capital Management and Shareholder Wealth

We provide the first empirical study of the relationship between corporate working capital management and shareholder wealth. Examining U.S. corporations from 1990 through 2006, we find evidence that: the incremental dollar invested in net operating working capital is worth less than the incremental dollar held in cash for the average firm; the valuation of the incremental dollar invested in net operating working capital is significantly influenced by a firm’s future sales expectations, its debt load, its financial constraints, and its bankruptcy risk; and the value of the incremental dollar extended in credit to one’s customers has a greater effect on shareholder wealth than the incremental dollar invested in inventories for the average firm.
Low concentration of formononetin stimulates the proliferation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE2 by upregulating bcl-2 and p-ERK1/2 expression

Abstract Context Formononetin is a typical phytoestrogen, which is a bioactive component found in red clover plants. Previous studies have shown that formononetin inhibits the proliferation of several types of cancer cells, including prostate cancer and osteosarcoma. However, how formononetin affects the proliferation of CNE2 is not clear. Objective The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of formononetin on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro, along with the underlying mechanism. Materials and methods CNE2 cells were incubated with various concentrations of formononetin (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 1 μM) for 48 h. Cell proliferation was measured by [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, while the rate of apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. Bcl-2 and bax mRNA expression levels were determined by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), while p-ERK1/2 and bcl-2 protein expression levels were quantified by Western blotting. Results Formononetin promoted the proliferation of CNE2 cells at low concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 5 μM), OD values increased from 0.27 ± 0.01 to 0.30 ± 0.01, 0.30 ± 0.01,0.36 ± 0.01, 0.35 ± 0.01, 0.34 ± 0.01, 0.34 ± 0.01 and 0.32 ± 0.01, respectively. The percentage of late apoptosis declined from 6.77% ± 0.73% (0 μM group) to 6.2% ± 0.4% (0.1 μM group), 3.83% ± 0.71% (0.3 μM group) and 5.1% ± 0.52% (1M group). The mRNA levels of bax and bcl-2 were down- and upregulated, respectively, by formononetin. Bcl-2 and p-ERK1/2 protein levels were also upregulated. Conclusions Formononetin stimulates CNE2 cell proliferation and has an inhibitory effect on CNE2 cells apoptosis, which is mediated by the activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathways.
Human Resource Professionals’ Effectiveness, Organizational Culture and High Performance Work System Link: Evidence from Pakistan

Human resource professionals’ effectiveness (HRPE) is widely discussed as the most significant factor within the organization to gain sustainable competitive advantage at the present time. Nonetheless, the study investigates the impact of organizational culture (OC) on HRPE in telecom sector of Pakistan. Moreover, it also examines the moderating role of high performance work system (HPWS) in above mentioned correlation. A total of 75 survey questionnaires were distributed to HR managers of telecom firms, out of which 40 HR manager responded which makes 53.3% response rate. The study has used SmartPLS 3 for the assessment of the hypothesized model. The statistical results have established the strong positive effect of OC on HRPE, however, findings reveal HPWS doesn’t moderate this relationship. The study concludes organizations with strong OC can achieve sustainable competitive advantage by augmenting HRPE, moreover, organizations have to align their HR strategies with robust HR system which can enhance HRPE. The findings of the study are of a great value to both theory and practice and have vital implications for academicians, practitioners and policy makers.
Neuropsychological aspects of dementia of motor neuron disease

We describe the neuropsychological data from two cases of dementia of motor neuron disease. In both cases, a gradually progressive presenile dementia began prior to the development of motor neuron disease involving predominantly bulbar musculature. These data, along with the neuropathologic findings available in one case, suggest that dementia of motor neuron disease differs from that of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Both patients displayed major alterations of personality and comportment. Neuropsychological test results revealed marked attention deficits, particularly on tasks requiring sustained effort and on those requiring ability to shift from one line of thinking to another. Confrontation naming, verbal fluency, insight, and judgment also showed extensive impairment. By contrast, verbal and nonverbal memory remained intact after several years of illness. This pattern is quite different from that seen in AD, where memory deficits are salient.
The List of Threatening Experiences: a subset of 12 life event categories with considerable long-term contextual threat

Synopsis In a survey of a random sample of the general population recent life events, collected and rated for long-term contextual threat according to the methods of Brown & Harris (1978), were also recorded where possible on an inventory of life event categories (Tennant & Andrews, 1977). Of the 82·5% of all events collected which were covered by the inventory, 12 of the 67 event categories accounted for 77% of life events with an aetiologicaly significant rating of marked or moderate long-term threat. Where practical and economic constraints oblige research workers to choose the inventory method, a brief list of event categories, such as the List of Threatening Experiences, is recommended in preference to much longer lists.
Augmented production of extracellular superoxide by blood isolates of Enterococcus faecalis.

To assess the frequency of extracellular superoxide (O-2) production by enterococci, multiple species were surveyed in a whole organism assay for their ability to reduce ferricytochrome c in a superoxide dismutase-inhibitable fashion. For stool and clinical enterococcal isolates and 12 type strains, only Enterococcus faecalis (87/91 isolates and ATCC 19433), Enterococcus faecium (5/13 isolates), Enterococcus casseliflavus (ATCC 25778), and Enterococcus gallinarum (ATCC 35038) produced extracellular O-2. Among 106 strains comprising 13 species of enteric gram-negative bacilli and gram-positive cocci, only Lactococcus lactis subspecies lactis produced extracellular O-2. Mean (+/-SE) rates of extracellular O-2 production in vitro by E . faecalis for isolates associated with bacteremia and endocarditis and for isolates from stool were 2.4+/-0.2, 1.9+/-0.2, 1.5+/-0.3 nmol of O-2 min(-1) 10(9) cfu(-1), respectively (P=.025, analysis of variance), suggesting an association between invasiveness and extracellular O-2 production.
ANALYSIS OF INTESTINAL CELL PROLIFERATION AFTER GUANETHIDINE‐INDUCED SYMPATHECTOMY

Neonatal administration of guanethidine‐sulfate results in an alteration of the cell proliferative pattern of the small intestinal epithelium of the young adult rat. Sympathectomy with guanethidine has previously been shown to depress mitotic, labelling, and total cellular migration indices while increasing the generation cycle time (TC) of small intestinal crypt cells as measured by a stathmokinetic method. The present study showed that the G1, S and G2 phases of the crypt cell cycle are altered by sympathectomy, G1 accounting for most of the increase in TC. In addition, the percentage of [3H]‐thymidine labelled crypt cells is reduced and the duration of crypt cell transit is lengthened by guanethidine‐induced sympathectomy.