Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bloat in cattle grazing alfalfa cultivars selected for a low initial rate of digestion: A review

and Cheng, K. -J. 2000. Bloat in cattle grazing alfalfa cultivars selected for a low initial rate of digestion: A review. Can. J. Plant. Sci. 80: 493‐502. The occurrence of frothy bloat limits the practice of alfalfa grazing in spite of the availability of strains bred specifically for pasture. Bloat is a chronic condition, endemic to cattle. Prophylactics and management techniques are ava ilable to reduce its incidence but they are expensive, difficult to administer, conflict with traditional grazing management regi mens and do not eliminate bloat in all circumstances. A program to breed and evaluate a bloat-reduced strain of alfalfa was initiate d in 1980 to overcome some of these limitations. A review of the results of grazing and feeding trials using alfalfas with low initi al rates of digestion (LIRD) shows that this new strain reduces the incidence and severity of frothy bloat on pasture. Their effec tiveness in controlling bloat was related to feeding or grazing management practices, the maturity of the plants and the season of use. Graziers may reduce the risk of occasional livestock losses from bloat by using LIRD cultivars, like AC Grazeland, or managing species/cultivar mixtures in ways that reduce the initial rate of digestion. Other bloat preventive strategies, including coseeding with bloat-free legumes and using bloat-controlling prophylactics in combination with a LIRD alfalfa, are being investigated.
Comparison of escitalopram and citalopram in outpatients with severe major depressive disorder: a prospective, naturalistic, 8-week study

Objective. Escitalopram is a new selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). The objective of this study is to examine its efficacy in the treatment of severe MDD compared with that of citalopram in daily practice. Method. A prospective, naturalistic, 8-week study was conducted involving 127 patients fulfilling DSM-IV criteria for severe MDD and having a baseline Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) score of at least 30. A full non-parsimonious logistic model, called the propensity score, was first defined to reduce bias associated with non-randomization. The primary efficacy analysis was the mean change from baseline to week 8 in MADRS score between the escitalopram and citalopram groups, after stratification on the propensity score. Other efficacy measurements consisted of the Clinical Global Impression of Severity and Improvement scales (CGI-S and CGI-I, respectively), response (defined as a reduction of at least 50% on MADRS from baseline to week 8) and remission rates (defined as MADRS ≤ 12 at week 8), after adjustment on propensity score for escitalopram use. Results. A total of 67 escitalopram-treated patients and 60 citalopram-treated patients were enrolled in this study. Escitalopram reduced mean MADRS total score at week 8 compared with citalopram (−23.5 vs. −17.5; P<0.001). The effect of escitalopram was consistently greater than that of citalopram on the CGI scales. Escitalopram-treated patients were also more likely to respond to treatment (79.4 vs. 44.0%; P<0.001), and remission rates were also in favour of escitalopram (56.9 vs. 11.2%, P<0.001). Analysis of safety data showed better tolerability of escitalopram than that of citalopram. Conclusion. Using adequate methodology to reduce biases due to non-randomization, this study indicates better efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram versus citalopram in severe MDD outpatients.
The Eating Attitudes Test: psychometric features and clinical correlates

Synopsis Psychometric and clinical correlates of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) are described for a large sample of female anorexia nervosa (N = 160) and female comparison (N = 140) subjects. An abbreviated 26-item version of the EAT (EAT-26) is proposed, based on a factor analysis of the original scale (EAT-40). The EAT-26 is highly correlated with the EAT-40 (r = 0·98) and three factors form subscales which are meaningfully related to bulimia, weight, body-image variables and psychological symptoms. Whereas there are no differces between bulimic and restricter anorexia nervosa patients on the total EAT-26 and EAT-40 scores, these groups do indicate significant differences on EAT-26 fractors. Norms for the anorexia nervosa and female comparison subjects are presented for the EAT-26, EAT-40 and the EAT-26 factors. It is concluded that the EAT-26 is a reliable, valid and economical instrument which may be useful as an objective measure of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa.
Structure-activity relationships of N-acylarylhydroxylamines in the rat.

In extension of previous work, several noncarcinogenic or weakly active arylamides have been converted by synthetic N -hydroxylation to N -acylarylhydroxylamines which were highly oncogenic for the rat. The carcinogens produced in this manner included N -hydroxy-3-fluorenylacetamide, N -hydroxy-2-fluorenylbenzenesulfon amide, and N -hydroxy-4-biphenylylbenzamide. The findings support the view that metabolic N -hydroxylation is obligatory for the activation of arylamides. Structural features which appear to determine the oncogenicity of N -acylarylhydroxylamines are the size of the aryl moiety, which must exceed a limiting size, and the position of the nitrogen (and therefore of the acyl group) relative to the aromatic system. The oncogenicity of N -hydroxy-2-fluorenylbenzamide for local sites has been confirmed by gastric intubation. Under these conditions, this carcinogenic hydroxamic acid induced predominantly neoplastic lesions of the forestomach of the rat. The oncogenic potential of N -acetoxy-2-fluorenylbenzamide, an analog of the carcinogen, N -acetoxy-2-fluorenylacetamide, has been assessed by the p.o. route in a preliminary test of the role of the esterification of N -disubstituted hydroxylamines in carcinogenesis.
‘Training’ friends and family to provide positive social support in diabetes self‐management: experience of ethnically diverse patients

tes. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2011; 20: 161–168. 5 Wong JM, Jenkins DJ. Carbohydrates digestibility and metabolic effects. J Nutr 2007; 137: S2539–2546. 6 Ma J, Stevens JE, Cukier K, Maddox AF, Wishart JM, Jones KL et al. Effects of a protein preload on gastric emptying, glycemia, and gut hormones after a carbohydrate meal in diet-controlled type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2009; 32: 1600–1602. 7 Ceriello A. Acute hyperglycaemia and oxidative stress generation. Diabet Med 1997; 14: S45–49. 8 Ceriello A. The emerging role of postprandial hyperglycemic spikes in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Diabet Med 1998; 15: 188–193. 9 Succurro E, Marini MA, Arturi F, Grembiale A, Lugar a M, Andreozzi F et al. Elevated 1-h post-load plasma glucose levels identifies subjects with normal glucose tolerance but early carotid atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis 2009; 207: 245–249. 10 Mori Y, Shiozaki M, Matsuura K, Tanaka T, Yokoyama J, Utsunomiya K. Evaluation of efficacy of acarbose on glucose fluctuation and postprandial glucose using continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Technol Ther 2011; 13: 467–470.
Update on the antibacterial resistance crisis.

This nation--and in fact the world--is currently facing a crisis in the form of a growing antibacterial drug resistance. In the 60 or so years since the discovery of penicillin, physicians and pharmaceutical companies have been constantly challenged to stay a step ahead of the bacteria that constantly adapt to the drugs used to control them. These magic bullets were at one time expected to eliminate the concern over infectious disease and have been relied upon heavily. But their effectiveness has been steadily waning in recent years as, more and more, strains of bacteria emerge that are resistant to multiple drugs and, in some cases, have become nearly "panresistant. " Nosocomial infections with these resistant strains were once confined to hospitals but new community-acquired infections are an ominous portent. Meanwhile, perhaps equally as distressing, many pharmaceutical companies are discontinuing efforts to develop new antimicrobial drugs for a variety of reasons and few new agents are currently in the pipeline. The selective pressure triggering these bacterial mutations are complex, but they can be shared by healthcare workers, hospitals, long-term care facilities, the agriculture industry, and even healthcare consumers themselves. In this paper, these topics are discussed, in turn, and the paper concludes with an apologia for change that can and should be equally shared by these stakeholders.
Prevalence of anemia among unselected adults with diabetes mellitus and normal serum creatinine levels.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of anemia in a cohort of patients with diabetes and normal serum creatinine concentration in a primary care clinic. METHODS We undertook a retrospective cohort study, comparing adult patients who had diabetes, with or without anemia. Patients older than 18 years who had diabetes were identified by using the computerized database for the years 2006 and 2007 in a primary care clinic. Patients with hemoglobin levels <13.7 g/dL (men <60 years old), < or =13.2 g/dL (men > or =60 years old), or <12.2 g/dL (women) with no known cause of anemia were identified and compared with patients who had diabetes but not anemia. All patients had normal serum creatinine levels (men < or =1.5 mg/dL and women < or =1.4 mg/dL). RESULTS Of 594 eligible patients with diabetes, 192 (32%) had anemia. Older age, higher serum urea and creatinine levels, lower estimated glomerular filtration rates, and reduced serum iron levels were more common in the patients with diabetes who had anemia than in those without anemia. The prevalence of anemia was higher in patients treated with "glitazones," insulin, and angiotensin receptor blockers in comparison with those receiving other orally administered hypoglycemic medications. In stepwise logistic regression analysis, only serum creatinine, age, and use of glitazones retained statistical significance. CONCLUSION In a community clinic, the prevalence of anemia in unselected patients with diabetes and normal serum creatinine levels was 32%. Factors associated with anemia were older age, higher serum creatinine levels, and use of glitazone therapy.
Tissue Transglutaminase Mediates Activation of RhoA and MAP Kinase Pathways during Retinoic Acid-induced Neuronal Differentiation of SH-SY5Y Cells*

All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) plays a crucial role in survival and differentiation of neurons. For elucidating signaling mechanisms involved in RA-induced neuronal differentiation, we have selected SH-SY5Y cells, which are an established in vitro cell model for studying RA signaling. Here we report that RA-induced neuronal differentiation of SH-SY5Y cells is coupled with increased expression/activation of TGase andin vivo transamidation and activation of RhoA. In addition, RA promotes formation of stress fibers and focal adhesion complexes, and activation of ERK1/2, JNK1, and p38α/β/γ MAP kinases. Using C-3 exoenzyme (RhoA inhibitor) or monodansylcadaverine (TGase inhibitor), we show that transamidated RhoA regulates cytoskeletal rearrangement and activation of ERK1/2 and p38γ MAP kinases. Further, by using stable SH-SY5Y cell lines (overexpressing wild-type, C277S mutant, and antisense TGase), we demonstrate that transglutaminase activity is required for activation of RhoA, ERK1/2, JNK1, and p38γ MAP kinases. Activated MAP kinases differentially regulate RA-induced neurite outgrowth and neuronal marker expression. The results of our studies suggest a novel mechanism of RA signaling, which involves activation of TGase and transamidation of RhoA. RA-induced activation of TGase is proposed to induce multiple signaling pathways that regulate neuronal differentiation.
Employers' perceptions and expectation toward engineering graduates: a study case

Rapid and drastic changes in economic growth nowadays are creating higher demands for employability skills in the workforce. Labour market becoming more competitive and depends on quality of knowledge and skills as the globalization come across in all industry. The employers have high expectations on fresh engineering graduates to perform in their organisation as soon as they are hired. Engineering employability skills are therefore necessary for Malaysia to remain competitive in global market. The study identified the perception and the expectation of employers on skills owned by engineering graduates in their work place. The finding indicates that the majority of those companies employing graduates have been satisfy with the knowledge and skills of the graduates they recruit. They expected for new engineers are very important to be equipped with relevant employability skills and abilities. Employers' expectation and perception play an important role in determining the employability skills needed.
Bimakalim, an ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener, mimics the effects of ischemic preconditioning to reduce infarct size, adenosine release, and neutrophil function in dogs.

BACKGROUND The primary goal of the present study was to determine whether the infarct size-reducing effect of preconditioning is associated with an increase in adenosine release from the ischemic myocardium during a prolonged occlusion period or the subsequent reperfusion period and by a decrease in neutrophil infiltration. A second objective was to determine whether bimakalim, a KATP channel opener, mimics the effects of ischemic preconditioning. METHODS AND RESULTS Barbital-anesthetized open-chest dogs were subjected to 60 minutes of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) occlusion followed by 3 hours of reperfusion. In the preconditioning group, 5 minutes of LAD occlusion followed by 10 minutes of reperfusion was elicited before the 60-minute occlusion period. In two other groups, bimakalim 1 microgram/kg bolus followed by a 0.05 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 infusion or an equivalent volume of saline was administered intravenously 15 minutes before occlusion and continued until the time of reperfusion. In a final group, bimakalim was administered 10 minutes before reperfusion and continued until the end of the experiment. To measure the release of adenosine from the ischemic region, coronary venous blood samples were collected at various times during ischemia and after reperfusion, and the concentration of adenosine was measured. Myocardial infarct size was determined by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride; transmural myocardial blood flow, by radioactive microspheres. Transmural myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, an index of neutrophil infiltration in the area at risk, was also measured. Preconditioning produced a marked reduction in infarct size (9.8 +/- 3.0% versus 28.6 +/- 5.2% in the control group, mean +/- SEM); adenosine release at 5, 10, 15, and 30 minutes of the 3-hour reperfusion period; and transmural MPO activity in the risk area. Similarly, pretreatment with bimakalim resulted in reductions in infarct size, adenosine release, and transmural MPO activity to an extent almost identical to that of preconditioning. When bimakalim was administered 10 minutes before reperfusion, the drug also produced a significant reduction in infarct size and transmural MPO activity; however, no significant reduction in coronary venous adenosine concentrations was observed. There were no significant differences in collateral blood flow between groups. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that myocardial preconditioning in the canine heart produced by a short period of ischemia or a KATP channel opener is not mediated by an increase in adenosine release, as measured by coronary venous adenosine concentrations, during 60 minutes of occlusion or the initial 30 minutes of reperfusion. A significant reduction in transmural MPO activity in the ischemic area also appears to result from KATP channel activation and may play a role, at least in part, in the reduction in infarct size observed, particularly when a KATP channel opener is administered just before reperfusion.
The use of waste materials in asphalt concrete mixtures

The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the effects of rubber and plastic concentrations and rubber particle sizes on properties of asphalt cement, (b) on properties of asphalt concrete specimens and (c) the effects of fly ash, marble powder, rubber powder and petroleum contaminated soil as filler materials instead of stone powder in the asphalt concrete specimens. One type of limestone aggregate and one penetration-graded asphalt cement (75-100) were used. Three concentrations of rubber and plastic (i.e. 5%, 10% and 20% of the total weight of asphalt cement), three rubber particle sizes (i.e. No. 4 [4.75mm] - 20 [0.85 mm], No. 20 [0.85mm] - 200 [0.075mm] and No. 4 [4.75mm] - 200 [0.075mm]) and one plastic particle size (i.e. No. 4 [4.75mm] - 10 [2.00mm]) were also used. It was found that while the addition of plastic significantly increased the strength of specimens, the addition of rubber decreased it. No. 4 [4.75mm] - 200 [0.075mm] rubber particles showed the best results with respect to the indirect tensile test. The Marshall stability and indirect tensile strength properties of plastic modified specimens increased. Marble powder and fly ash could be used as filler materials instead of stone powder in the asphalt concrete pavement specimens.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF THE METABOLITES OF DIMETHYL SULFOXIDE *

In summary, the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and its metabolites, dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2) and dimethyl sulfide (DMS), were studied in five selected systems in rats and mice. DMSO enhanced the taurine excretion and the lethality produced by such aromatic hydrocarbons as benzene and chlorobenzene in rats. In mice, DMSO decreased the toxicity such cholinesterase inhibitors as paraoxon and octamethyl pyrophosphoramide. DMSO also lowered the body temperture of rats and reduced the motor activity of mice. Although DMSO2, the major metabolite of DMSO, was not effective in increasing the lethality of solvent hydrocarbons, it seemed to be quite as effective with respect to the other effects. DMS, although quite potent with respect to lowering body temperature and reducing motor activity, was relatively ineffective otherwise. Thus each of the metabolites has a spectrum of activity different from the parent compound; DMSO has the widest spectrum and DMS the narrowest. It remains to be determined whether the therapeutic effects of DMSO are related to the experimental effects reported above in animals, and whether DMSO2 and DMS may share any of the therapeutic effects of DMSO.
Thinking globally to meet local needs: autism spectrum disorders in Africa and other low-resource environments.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Most people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) live in low and middle-income countries, yet almost everything we know about ASD comes from high-income countries. Here we review recent research from Africa, with some references to research in other low-resource environments. We examine publications on screening and diagnosis, intervention, clinical presentation of ASD, cultural perspectives, and neuroscience and technology. RECENT FINDINGS Open-access screening and diagnostic tools represent a positive, but nontrivial, future goal. Recent efforts at 'low intensity' community-based interventions are encouraging, but many significant scalability challenges remain. Proposals that ASD in Africa is more severe and overrepresented in high socioeconomic families are likely to be attributable to ascertainment biases and the absence of standardized phenotyping tools. Cultural perspectives and innovative use of technology and neuroscience have the potential to generate novel strategies of global relevance, but research priorities have to be determined by local needs. SUMMARY To have a real impact on clinical services, training, and research in local communities, clinician-scientists should start by thinking globally. ASD research in Africa and other low-resource environments remains limited and of questionable quality and highlights the need to build high-quality research capacity in these low-resource environments.
Effect of anxiety on behavioural pattern separation in humans

ABSTRACT Behavioural pattern separation (BPS), the ability to distinguish among similar stimuli based on subtle physical differences, has been used to study the mechanism underlying stimulus generalisation. Fear overgeneralisation is often observed in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders. However, the relationship between anxiety and BPS remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of anxiety (threat of shock) on BPS, which was assessed across separate encoding and retrieval sessions. Images were encoded/retrieved during blocks of threat or safety in a 2 × 2 factorial design. During retrieval, participants indicated whether images were new, old, or altered. Better accuracy was observed for altered images encoded during periods of threat compared to safety, but only if those images were also retrieved during periods of safety. These results suggest that overgeneralisation in anxiety may be due to altered pattern separation.
Commonalities of several modulation techniques

We study commonalities of new bandwidth efficient and power efficient quadrature-quadrature phase shift keying (Q/sup 2/PSK), constant envelope Q/sup 2/PSK (CEQ/sup 2/PSK), rotative QPSK (RQPSK), frequency and phase shift keying (FPSK), expurgated FPSK (E-FPSK), and the well-known orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (or multicarrier modulation) and L-orthogonal (LO) signaling on AWGN channels. "Identical" systems are defined as systems that have the same bit error rate (BER) versus the bit energy to noise ratio function and the same power spectral density. The results show that: (a) Q/sup 2/PSK, FPSK, and OFDM are "identical", and (b) CEQ/sup 2/PSK, E/sub 4/-FPSK and LO are "identical". Also, a mistake in an article by Fleisher and Qu (see IEEE J. Select. Areas Commun., vol.10, no.8, p.1243-1253, 1992) is corrected.
Adoption of Telemedicine Technology by Health Care Organizations: An Exploratory Study

Recent advances in information and biomedicine technology have significantly increased the technical feasibility, clinical viability, and economic affordability of telemedicine-enabled service collaboration and delivery. Health care organizations around the world have become increasingly interested in acquiring and implementing telemedicine technology to improve or extend existing patient care and services. The ultimate success of telemedicine in an adopting organization requires adequate attention to both technological and managerial issues. This study examined organizational technology adoption, an essential management issue facing many health care organizations interested in or currently evaluating telemedicine. On the basis of a framework proposed by Tornatzky and Fleischer [1], we developed a research model for targeted technology adoption and empirically evaluated it in a survey study that involved most of the public health care organizations in Hong Kong. Results from our exploratory study suggest that the model exhibits reasonable significance and explanatory utility to differentiate between adopting and nonadopting organizations. Specifically, the collective attitude of medical staff and perceived service risks were found to be significant determinants of targeted technology adoption. Several research and management implications that emerged from our study findings are also discussed.