Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Long-term quality of life for surgical and nonsurgical treatment of head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE To compare the long-term, health-related quality-of-life outcomes in patients with advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy (SRT) or concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT). DESIGN Matched-pair study comparing patients with advanced HNC treated with SRT or CRT at least 12 months after treatment. Patients completed 2 validated surveys addressing HNC-specific outcomes and depressive symptoms and provided information on employment and tobacco and alcohol use. Results for the 2 groups were compared using paired-sample t test and chi2 analysis. SETTING University-based study. PATIENTS Patients with stage III or IV squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx, hypopharynx, and larynx who underwent SRT or received CRT. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Head and neck cancer-specific health-related quality of life from the Head and Neck Cancer Inventory and level of depressive symptoms from the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS The matching process resulted in 27 patients in each treatment group. The HNC-specific domain scores (with higher scores representing better outcomes) for CRT vs SRT were eating, 37.8 vs 40.8 (P = .69); speech, 65.1 vs 56.0 (P = .23); aesthetics, 80.3 vs 69.2 (P = .14); and social disruption, 69.7 vs 70.6 (P = .90). Overall health-related quality of life was 64.0 with SRT and 55.0 with CRT (P = .142). For the Beck Depression Inventory (with higher scores representing worse outcomes), patients who underwent SRT had a mean score of 9.6 compared with 11.6 for patients who received CRT (P = .42). CONCLUSION As nonsurgical means of treating HNC have become more aggressive and surgical techniques have become more focused on function preservation and rehabilitation, the overall health-related quality of life resulting from these different approaches is similar.
9 FEMINIST INTERVIEWING Experience , Talk , and Knowledge

The simple thing to say is that interview research is research conducted by talking with people. It involves gathering informants’ reports and stories, learning about their perspectives, and giving them voice in academic and other public discourse. Talking with others is a fundamental human activity, and research talk simply systematizes that activity. While true, this simple view neglects the fascinating complexity of human talk—the flexibility and productive powers of language; the subtle shades of meaning conveyed through the nuances of speech, gesture, and expression; issues of translation; the ineluctable locatedness of any moment or stretch of talk; the specialized vocabularies of particular settings and groups; the organizing effects of format and genre; the injuries and uses of silence; the challenges inherent in listening; and so on. The simple view also neglects the dynamics of power involved in any empirical research: the hierarchical, often charged relations between researcher and informants, the politics of interpretation and representation, and the social consequences of making claims on the basis of science. Add to this picture a political commitment to feminism, and one begins to see the terrain of feminist interview research. Much qualitative and feminist research has been based on a relatively straightforward commitment to collecting and representing the perspectives of informants, and those projects have often had powerfully liberatory effects. Drawing on the political traditions of testimony and consciousness-raising and the research traditions of life history and open-ended interviewing, feminists have brought forward a wealth of previously untold stories—those of marginalized peoples, and also those that the more privileged may have kept hidden, awaiting a receptive audience (or a skillful interlocutor). But another essential aspect of feminist interview research interrogates the challenges of communication and the inherent contradictions in the desire to give voice to others. This strand of thinking has produced a variety of feminist studies that use interview data in complex and nuanced ways, often to explore language and discourse itself. Feminist scholars operate reflexively and relationally, so we begin by considering our own intellectual biographies and contexts and our relations with each other and the concerns of this chapter. We are feminist scholars of different generations—Marj coming to feminism and the early days of women’s studies in
Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide Compared With Bevacizumab for the Treatment of Patients With Macular Edema Secondary to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion

Abstract Purpose: To compare 12-month outcomes achieved using intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injections with those achieved using intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections for the treatment of patients with macular edema (ME) secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Materials and Methods: Between 2007 and 2011, 17 patient eyes were administered IVTA(4 mg/0.1 mL) and 30 patient eyes were administered IVB (1.25 mg/0.05 mL) injections for the treatment of ME secondary to CRVO. Patients were retrospectively evaluated within and between treatment groups. Results: Patients in both groups (IVTA and IVB) were similar in terms of demographic characteristics. Improvements in log of the minimum angle of resolution-visual acuity (logMAR-VA) at 3-month follow-up (P = 0.02), and in the logarithmic transformation of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-determined central subfoveal thickness (logOCT) at all visits, were significantly greater in the IVTA-treated group than in the group treated with IVB (P < 0.05). In patient eyes with nonischemic CRVO (n = 21), while no significant difference in improvement in logMAR-VA was seen between the groups, significantly greater improvements in logOCT were observed in the IVTA-treated group for all visits (P < 0.05). Inpatient eyes with ischemic CRVO (n = 26) treated with IVTA (n = 9), improvement in logMAR-VA was significantly greater at months 1 and 3 (P = 0.01), and was significantly greater for logOCT at months 6 and 12 (P < 0.05). A significantly higher percentage (29.4%) of eyes treated with IVTA had an intraocular pressure ≥ 30 mmHg (P = 0.004), 2 eyes (11%) developed glaucoma, and 23.5% of eyes developed cataracts at the 12-month follow-up examination (P = 0.05). Conclusion: Treatment with IVTA injections seems to be more effective in improving best-corrected visual acuity during the early postinjection period in patients with ischemic CRVO, and in decreasing central subfoveal thickness in patients with nonischemic CRVO. However, higher intraocular pressure and development of glaucoma and cataracts must be considered seriously in patients with CRVO who receive IVTA injections. Change in logOCT may be used to monitor patient response to treatments for CRVO-related ME.
Therapeutic factors in partial hospitalization.

In recent years, partial hospitalization programs have become an accepted major component of community-based care for psychiatric patients. Studies have shown that partial hospitalization is at least as effective as inpatient hospitalization in treating a spectrum of psychiatric disorders and is substantially more cost effective than standard inpatient care (Guillette et al. 1978; Herz et al. 1971; Washburn et al. 1976; Wilder et al. 1966). Despite these positive findings, the therapeutic factors that contribute to the effectiveness of partial hospitalization continue to be a subject of speculation (e.g., Goldberg 1982; Vannicelli et al. 1978; Washburn 1983). In a recent review of the literature on the efficacy of partial hospitalization, Mason et al. (1982) emphasize that the "active ingredient" in this treatment modality remains unclear. In an outcome study by Dunn et al. (1982, p. 297), hope was expressed that "future studies might best explore which nonspecific factors are most powerful therapeutically. " The current study is part of a larger effort to develop from an empirical base a comprehensive model of partial hospitalization. The comprehensive model provides a framework for understanding partial hospitalization by examining: 1) the functions of a partial hospital admission, 2) the types of patient changes that occur in these programs, 3) the processes of change, and 4) the therapeutic factors that appear to facilitate change. Findings regarding the first three elements of the model are described in a companion paper. This report focuses on the findings regarding the fourth element of the model, the therapeutic factors that appear to facilitate change in a short-term partial hospitalization program. It also examines how specific program components contribute to these therapeutic factors.
Molecular mechanisms of pancreatic dysfunction induced by protein malnutrition.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Dietary protein deficiency results in diminished capacity of the pancreas to secrete enzymes needed for macronutrient digestion. Previous work has suggested that modulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway by the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) plays an important role in normal digestive enzyme synthesis after feeding. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the role of mTOR in protein deficiency-induced pancreatic dysfunction. METHODS Wild-type and CCK-null mice were fed protein-deficient chow for 4 days and then allowed to recover on control chow in the presence or absence of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. RESULTS The size and secretory capacity of the pancreas rapidly decreased after feeding protein-deficient chow. Refeeding protein-replete chow reversed these changes in both wild-type and CCK-null mice. Changes in the size of the pancreas were paralleled by changes in the content and secretion of digestive enzymes, as well as the phosphorylation of downstream targets of mTOR. Administration of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin decreased regrowth of the pancreas but did not affect digestive enzyme content or secretory capacity. CONCLUSIONS These studies demonstrate that dietary protein modulates pancreatic growth, but not digestive enzyme synthesis, via CCK-independent activation of the mTOR pathway.
MR Imaging of Hallervorden‐Spatz Disease

Hallervorden-Spatz disease (HSD) is a movement disorder with neuropathology including abnormal iron storage, disordered myelination. and loss of brain substance. Cranial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of two patients with HSD provided good quality imaging of these patients' atrophie brain stems and cerebella. regions partially degraded by beam-hardening artifact on X-ray CT. Magnetic resonance also demonstrated signal aberrations in the lentiform nuclei and surrounding white matter consistent with iron storage or disordered myelination. However, quantification of relaxation times of these lesions was not specific for either process. The diagnosis of HSD remains one of exclusion, with MR providing helpful but not definitive information.
Kinematic Analysis of the Golf Swing in Men and Women Experienced Golfers

Golf has become an increasingly popular sport, which is enjoyed by both men and women. This paper addresses the question what differences may exist between men and women golfers. The purpose of this study is to analyze the kinematic pattern of the golf swing in both men and women experienced golfers. Seven male and five female golfers participated in the study. The measurements of kinematic data during swing were obtained with the optoelectronic system VICON (Oxford's Metric, Oxford, UK) with five cameras operating at 50 frames per second. Clubhead speed was measured using a radar system (Bell-Tronics, Ltd, Covington, USA). A Mann-Whitney test (p = 0.05) showed that the women seem to produce a wide swing with larger hip and shoulder joint rotation angles at the top of the backswing. Men flexed their left knee more during the backswing, this may promote a greater weight transfer to the right side. Nevertheless, these two kinematic patterns showed no significant differences in the clubhead speed. Men probably used their increased knee flexion to compensate for their muscular and articular suppleness which is less than that of the women. The results of this study show that there is a specific swing for women.
Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function and corticosterone receptor expression in behaviourally characterized young and aged Long–Evans rats

In the current investigation, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function was examined in young and aged male Long‐Evans rats that were initially assessed on a version of the Morris water maze sensitive to cognitive impairment during ageing. In behaviourally characterized rats, a 1‐h restraint stress paradigm revealed that plasma corticosterone concentrations in aged cognitively impaired rats took significantly longer to return to baseline following the stressor than did those in young or aged cognitively unimpaired rats. No differences in basal or peak plasma corticosterone concentrations, however, were observed between young or aged rats, irrespective of cognitive status. Using ribonuclease protection assays and in situ hybridization, we evaluated mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) mRNA abundance in young and aged rats characterized on the spatial task. Abundance of MR mRNA was decreased as a function of age in stratum granulosum but not hippocampus proper, and the decrease in MR mRNA was largely unrelated to cognitive status. However, GR mRNA was significantly reduced in several hippocampal subfields (i.e. stratum granulosum and temporal hippocampus proper) and other related cortical structures (medial prefrontal and olfactory regions) of aged cognitively impaired rats compared to either young or aged cognitively unimpaired cohorts, and was significantly correlated with spatial learning ability among the aged rats in each of these brain regions. In agreement with previous stereological data from this ageing model, no changes were detected in neuron density in the hippocampus of the rats used in the in situ hybridization analysis. These data are the first to describe a coordinated decrease in GR mRNA in a functional brain system including hippocampus and related cortical areas that occurs in tandem with impairments of the HPA response to stress and cognitive decline in ageing.
Isoforms of Selenoprotein P in Rat Plasma

Several forms of selenoprotein P that share the same N-terminal sequence have been identified in rat plasma, but only one selenoprotein P mRNA has been characterized. The open reading frame of the mRNA contains 10 UGAs that presumably code for selenocysteine residues. Using heparin-Sepharose, we isolated two of the protein forms from immunoaffinity-purified selenoprotein P. One of the forms, Se-P45B, migrates at 45 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the other, Se-P57B, migrates at 57 kDa. These two forms were cleaved with cyanogen bromide, and both yielded 40-kDa fragments that were consistent with those fragments being an inter-methionine peptide near the N terminus of the predicted polypeptide. A 20-kDa fragment present in the cleavage products of Se-P57B was absent from the products of Se-P45B. This result suggested that Se-P45B lacks the C-terminal region of the predicted polypeptide. Carboxypeptidase P digestion of Se-P45B indicated that its C-terminal amino acid is Ser244, the amino acid immediately upstream from the predicted second selenocysteine. C-terminal analysis of Se-P57B indicated that its final residue is Asn366, the last amino acid predicted by the cDNA sequence. Amino acid composition analyses of the two forms were consistent with both arising from the same mRNA. Immunoaffinity-purified selenoprotein P was digested with proteases, and the resulting peptides were separated and sequenced. Only amino acid sequences predicted by the cDNA were found, and 80% of the predicted amino acid sequence was confirmed. These results are compatible with Se-P45B arising from termination of translation at the second in-frame UGA codon and all of the 10 in-frame UGA codons being read through to produce Se-P57B. These findings demonstrate that selenoprotein P isoforms of differing peptide lengths are present in plasma. They raise the possibility that the second UGA codon in selenoprotein P mRNA can have alternative functions: coding for the incorporation of selenocysteine or coding for termination of translation.
DEN1 Is a Dual Function Protease Capable of Processing the C Terminus of Nedd8 and Deconjugating Hyper-neddylated CUL1*

Nedd8 activates ubiquitination by increasing the efficiency of polyubiquitin chain assembly through its covalent conjugation to cullin molecules. Here we report the isolation, cloning, and characterization of a novel human Nedd8-specific protease called DEN1. Human DEN1 is encoded by AAH31411.1, a previously uncharacterized protein of 212 amino acids that shares homology with the Ulp1 cysteinyl SUMO deconjugating enzyme family. Recombinant human DEN1, purified from bacteria, selectively binds to Nedd8 and hydrolyzes C-terminal derivatives of Nedd8. Interestingly, DEN1 deconjugates cullin 1 (CUL1)-Nedd8 in a concentration-dependent manner. At a low concentration, DEN1 processes hyper-neddylated CUL1 to yield a mononeddylated form, which presumably contains the Lys-720CUL1-Nedd8 linkage. At elevated concentrations, DEN1 is able to complete the removal of Nedd8 from CUL1. These activities distinguish DEN1 from the COP9 signalosome, which is capable of efficiently cleaving the Lys-720CUL1-Nedd8 conjugate, but lacks Nedd8 C-terminal hydrolytic activity and poorly processes hyperneddylated CUL1. These results suggest a unique role for DEN1 in regulating the modification of cullins by Nedd8.
Effect of L-carnitine on maturation, cryo-tolerance and embryo developmental competence of bovine oocytes.

In this study, the effects of the addition of L-carnitine in in vitro maturation (IVM) medium for bovine oocytes on their nuclear maturation and cryopreservation were investigated; they were matured in IVM medium supplemented with 0.0, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 mg/mL of L-carnitine (control, 0.3, 0.6 and 1.2 groups, respectively) and some of them were vitrified by Cryotop. Moreover, the effects of L-carnitine during in vitro fertilization (IVF) and in vitro culture (IVC) on the developmental potential and quality of IVF embryos were also examined. A significantly higher maturation rate of oocytes was obtained for 0.3 and 0.6 mg/mL groups compared with the control (P < 0.05). The blastocyst formation rate in the 0.6 group was significantly improved, whereas the rate in the 1.2 group was significantly decreased when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found in embryo development between the control and the L-carnitine group after oocyte vitrification. Supplementation of IVF and IVC media with L-carnitine had no effect on development to the blastocyst stage of IVM oocytes treated with 0.6 mg/mL L-carnitine. In conclusion, the supplementation of L-carnitine during IVM of bovine oocytes improved their nuclear maturation and subsequent embryo development after IVF, but when they were vitrified the improving effects were neutralized.
Clinical feasibility of the Nintendo Wii™ for balance training post-stroke: a phase II randomized controlled trial in an inpatient setting

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and potential efficacy of the Nintendo Wii™ for balance rehabilitation after stroke. Design: Phase II, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation facility. Subjects: Thirty adults (mean age 63.6 (14.7) years) undergoing inpatient rehabilitation who were less than three months post-stroke and able to stand unsupported. Interventions: Participants were allocated to a Balance Group, using the ‘Wii Fit Plus’ in standing, or Upper Limb Group, using the ‘Wii Sports/Sports Resort’ in sitting. Both groups undertook three 45 minute sessions per week over two to four weeks in addition to standard care. Main measures: The primary focus was feasibility, addressed by recruitment, retention, adherence, acceptability and safety. Efficacy was evaluated by balance, mobility and upper limb outcomes. Results: Twenty-one percent of individuals screened were recruited and 86% (n = 30) of eligible people agreed to participate. Study retention and session adherence was 90% and > 99%, respectively, at two weeks; dropping to 70% and 87% at four weeks due to early discharge. All participants reported enjoying the sessions and most felt they were beneficial. No major adverse events occurred. Wii use by the Balance Group was associated with trends for improved balance, with significantly greater improvement in outcomes including the Step Test and Wii Balance Board-derived centre of pressure scores. The Upper Limb Group had larger, non-significant changes in arm function. Conclusions: A Wii-based approach appears feasible and promising for post-stroke balance rehabilitation. A larger randomized controlled trial is recommended to further investigate efficacy.
Evaluation of Trichoderma virens and Burkholderia cepacia for antagonistic activity against root-knot nematode , Meloidogyne incognita

Evaluation of Trichoderma virens and Burkholderia cepacia for antagonistic activity against root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita Susan L.F. MEYER 1;¤, Samia I. MASSOUD 2, David J. CHITWOOD 1 and Daniel P. ROBERTS 3 1 USDA, ARS, Nematology Laboratory, Bldg. 011A, Rm. 165B, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350,USA 2 Faculty of Agriculture, Botany Department, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt 3 USDA, ARS, Biocontrol of Plant Diseases Laboratory, Bldg. 011A, Rm. 275, BARC-West, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350,USA
Effects of melatonin implants in ram lambs.

Sixteen pinealectomized and 19 unoperated ewes were exposed to constant light for about 4 weeks before and 4 weeks after lambing. Six ram lambs born to unoperated ewes were implanted s.c. with melatonin sachets while 8 ram lambs were implanted with empty sachets. The 8 ram lambs born to pinealectomized dams also received empty implants. Ewes and lambs were then returned to the field. Analysis of weekly blood samples indicated that prolactin secretion was significantly decreased in the ram lambs with empty implants between 44-51 weeks of age whereas lambs treated with melatonin failed to show a significant change during development. All 3 groups of rams had elevated LH levels between 7 and 17 weeks of age, and a second period of high LH between 27 and 40 weeks. There were no significant differences between groups in the patterns of FSH secretion; FSH was highest between 7 and 17 weeks of age, and again between 27 and 40 weeks of age. Plasma testosterone levels in all groups increased gradually between 4 and 35 weeks. Between 38 and 48 weeks of age testosterone concentrations were markedly elevated in all groups. Growth was not affected by melatonin treatment. These results indicate that neonatal melatonin treatment has subtle endocrine effects; whether these effects are sufficient to compromise fertility in the ram, however, remains to be established.
EFFECT OF GAMMA IRRADIATION ON THE MICROBIAL LOAD , CHEMICAL AND SENSORY PROPERETIES OF KUBBA : PREPARED CHILLED MEAL

Locally prepared meal Kubba was subjected to gamma irradiation doses of 2, 4 or 6 kGy using gamma Co irradiator facility to prove safer products. Kubba meals were refrigerated (1-4°C). Microbiological, chemical and sensory characteristics of Kubba were evaluated at 0, 1, 2 and 3 weeks of storage. The results indicate that 4 and 6 kGy doses of gamma irradiation decreased the total viable (mesophilic aerobic) plate counts and increased the shelf-life of Kubba. Higher dose of gamma irradiation (6 kGy) decreased the protein and fats constituents of Kubba. The three chemical parameters, total acidity, lipid peroxide and volatile basic nitrogen, which were chosen as the indices of freshness, were all well within the acceptable limit for up to one week for Kubba treated with 0 and 2 kGy, and for up to 3 weeks at 1-4°C for samples treated with 4 and 6 kGy. Sensory evaluation showed no significant differences between irradiated and non-irradiated samples.