Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CHANGES OF RHO KINASE ACTIVITY AFTER HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK AND ITS ROLE IN SHOCK-INDUCED BIPHASIC RESPONSE OF VASCULAR REACTIVITY AND CALCIUM SENSITIVITY

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study is to investigate the changes of Rho kinase activity and its role in biphasic response of vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity after hemorrhagic shock. The vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) from hemorrhagic shock rats were determined via observing the contraction initiated by norepinephrine (NE) and Ca2+ under depolarizing conditions (120 mmol/L K+) with isolated organ perfusion system. At same time, Rho kinase activity in mesenteric artery was measured, and the effects of Rho kinase activity-regulating agents, angiotensin II (Ang-II), insulin, and Y-27632, on vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity were also observed. The results indicated that the vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity were increased at early shock (immediate and 30 min after shock) and decreased at late shock (1 and 2 h after shock). The maximal contractions of NE and Ca2+ were significantly increased (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) at early shock. But they were significantly decreased at late shock (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Rho kinase activity was significantly increased at early shock (immediate after shock) (P < 0.05) but significantly decreased at 1 and 2 h after shock (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). It was positively correlated with the changes of vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity. Insulin decreased the increased contractile response of SMA to NE and Ca2+at early shock (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Angiotensin II increased the decreased contractile response of SMA to NE and Ca2+ at 2-h shock (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01); Y-27632, Rho kinase-specific antagonist, decreased the contractile response of SMA to NE and Ca2+ at 2-h shock, and abolished Ang-II induced the increase of vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity. The results suggest that Rho kinase may be involved in the biphasic change of vascular reactivity and calcium sensitivity after hemorrhagic shock. Rho kinase may regulate vascular reactivity through the regulation of calcium sensitivity. Rho kinase-regulating agents may have some beneficial effects on shock-induced vascular hyporeactivity.
Sibling adaptation to childhood cancer collaborative study: health outcomes of siblings of children with cancer.

OBJECTIVE This seven-site study examined the overall health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors of siblings of children with cancer compared to these factors in matched controls or normative data. The study also examined whether informants (i.e., siblings, parents, physicians) differed in their assessments of the above health domains. DESIGN Subjects were 254 siblings of children with cancer from seven different pediatric oncology treatment centers that participated in the Sibling Adaptation to Childhood Cancer Collaborative study group. Predictors of the siblings' health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors were identified, and the relationship between these health domains and the siblings' resiliency vs. dysfunctionality were explored via interviews. RESULTS Overall, siblings were found to be moderately healthy, although siblings report significant problems with sleeping and eating. Healthcare utilization appears to be reduced for siblings. Most importantly, the parents of these siblings are less likely to seek medical help for a variety of conditions for which parents of control children would bring their children to a doctor. A pattern emerged of parental underreporting of sibling health variables when compared to what the siblings themselves reported. When the relationship between health outcomes and the siblings' adaptation to their sick sibling's illness was examined, the resilient and dysfunctional groups significantly differed from each other. It appears that health outcomes are related to sibling adaptation to the changes brought about by their sick sibling's cancer diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS The focus of care for families of children with cancer is often limited to the child with cancer. As indicated in this study, the "healthy" siblings may be overlooked in the process. While parents appear to recognize that their "healthy" children are complaining more about aches and pains, they may have little energy or time to attend to the needs of these other family members. It is the intent of this study to document what clinicians may expect and to highlight the need for evaluation of this otherwise neglected group.
Accounting for Successful Control of Implicit Racial Bias

Individuals who are primarily internally motivated to respond without prejudice show less bias on implicit measures than individuals who are externally motivated or unmotivated to respond without prejudice. However, it is not clear why these individuals exhibit less implicit bias than others. We used the Quad model to examine motivation-based individual differences in three processes that have been proposed to account for this effect: activation of associations, overcoming associations, and response monitoring. Participants completed an implicit measure of stereotyping (Study 1) or racial attitudes (Study 2). Modeling of the data revealed that individuals who were internally (but not externally) motivated to respond without prejudice showed enhanced detection and reduced activation of biased associations, suggesting that these processes may be key to achieving unbiased responding.
Thermal Effect Simulation of GaN HFETs under CW and Pulsed Operation

In this paper, the thermal characteristic of the GaN HFETs has been analyzed using the hybrid finite element method (FEM). Both the steady and transient state thermal operations are quantitatively studied with the effects of temperature-dependent thermal conductivities of GaN and the substrate materials properly treated. The temperature distribution and the maximum temperatures of the HFETs operated under excitations of continuous-waves (CW) and pulsed-waves (PW) including double exponential shape PW such as electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and ultra-wideband (UWB) signal are studied and compared. key words: GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs), thermal simulation, maximum temperature, CW, PW
Type 1 diabetes: recent developments

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic childhood illnesses, affecting 18 to 20 per 100 000 children a year in the United Kingdom.1 The American Diabetes Association committee recommends the term type 1A diabetes for immune mediated diabetes with its destruction of the islet β cells of the pancreas.2 Non-immune mediated diabetes with severe insulin deficiency is termed type 1B. In this review, we will use the term type 1 diabetes to refer to immune mediated type 1A diabetes. At present, the development of type 1 diabetes is a life sentence to a difficult therapeutic regimen that is only partially effective in preventing acute and chronic complications. We will concentrate here on recent advances in our understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, prediction, and prevention of type 1 diabetes and new treatments for the disease. This review is based on information obtained from a recent Medline search with type 1 diabetes, pathogenesis, prediction, prevention, and treatment as key words. We also consulted summaries of the literature on type 1 diabetes (available with teaching slides at www.barbaradaviscenter.org/). Although most attention has focused on the increase in type 2 diabetes, a parallel rise in type 1 diabetes has occurred (1). 1 Type 1 diabetes has always been known as a disease of childhood, but more recent epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence is comparable in adults.3 The enormous international variation in incidence is now recognised. A child in Finland is almost 40 times more likely to develop type 1 diabetes than a child in Japan and almost 100 times more likely to get the disease than a child in the Zunyi region of China.1 The EURODIAB collaborative study, a registry involving 44 countries in Europe, indicates an annual rate of increase in incidence …
Strains of the Harmful Cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa Differ in Gene Expression and Activity of Inorganic Carbon Uptake Systems at Elevated CO2 Levels

ABSTRACT Cyanobacteria are generally assumed to be effective competitors at low CO2 levels because of their efficient CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM), and yet how bloom-forming cyanobacteria respond to rising CO2 concentrations is less clear. Here, we investigate changes in CCM gene expression at ambient CO2 (400 ppm) and elevated CO2 (1,100 ppm) in six strains of the harmful cyanobacterium Microcystis. All strains downregulated cmpA encoding the high-affinity bicarbonate uptake system BCT1, whereas both the low- and high-affinity CO2 uptake genes were expressed constitutively. Four strains downregulated the bicarbonate uptake genes bicA and/or sbtA, whereas two strains showed constitutive expression of the bicA-sbtA operon. In one of the latter strains, a transposon insert in bicA caused low bicA and sbtA transcript levels, which made this strain solely dependent on BCT1 for bicarbonate uptake. Activity measurements of the inorganic carbon (Ci) uptake systems confirmed the CCM gene expression results. Interestingly, genes encoding the RuBisCO enzyme, structural carboxysome components, and carbonic anhydrases were not regulated. Hence, Microcystis mainly regulates the initial uptake of inorganic carbon, which might be an effective strategy for a species experiencing strongly fluctuating Ci concentrations. Our results show that CCM gene regulation of Microcystis varies among strains. The observed genetic and phenotypic variation in CCM responses may offer an important template for natural selection, leading to major changes in the genetic composition of harmful cyanobacterial blooms at elevated CO2.
Sphingomyelinase and Ceramide Suppress Insulin-induced Tyrosine Phosphorylation of the Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 (*)

The sphingomyelin pathway is a newly described signal transduction pathway mediating the action of several cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF). TNF was recently shown to interfere with insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). In this work we examined the possible effect of direct activation of the sphingomyelin pathway on insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1. Incubation of the insulin-sensitive rat hepatoma Fao cells with bacterial sphingomyelinase (SMase) that causes membrane hydrolysis of sphingomyelin led to a time- and dose-dependent decrease in insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1. The effect was apparent after 10 min of incubation and with a dose of 10 milliunits/ml SMase. It was not associated with a decrease in insulin receptor autophosphorylation. In addition, SMase treatment interrupted the association of the 85-kDa catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase with IRS-1. A similar impact on IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation was observed after addition of cell-permeable ceramide analogs (C2 and C6). Comparable changes in IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and electrophoretic mobility were found after exposure of cells to either TNF, SMase, or ceramide. Our findings suggest that TNF may utilize the sphingomyelin pathway in its effect on the insulin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1.
Ordeal Mechanisms and Information in the Provision of Subsidized Health Goods in Developing Countries

The cost-effectiveness of policies providing subsidized health goods is often compromised by the fact that many individuals do not use the goods provided. However, charging even nominal prices has been shown to significantly dampen overall take-up and may screen out many who would have used a good if freely provided. Applying an ordeal mechanism to the distribution of subsidized health goods has been proposed as a way to balance the dual goals of improving targeting efficiency and maintaining take-up (i.e. screening out individuals who would not have used a good if directly provided to them while not screening out those who would). In this paper, we report the results of a randomized trial designed to test targeting efficiency in the distribution of a health good through an ordeal mechanism against free distribution. Because the functioning of an ordeal mechanism may depend crucially on perceptions of the benefits and cost of a good at different points in time, we also test how the ordeal mechanism performs with and without health training that emphasizes the benefit of the good, and how targeting efficiency differs according to short and medium term use. Our specific focus is on the provision of eyeglasses (an under utilized health good) to myopic primary school students in rural western China. We emphasize two findings. First, both with and without health training, the ordeal modestly improved targeting efficiency and reduced program costs compared to direct free distribution. Second, in the presence of health training, the ordeal mechanism screened out some individuals who in the short term would have used glasses if freely provided. This occurs because health training has a larger impact on short-term use when glasses are freely provided. The ordeal mechanism selects out individuals whose short-term use decision is most responsive to health training. In the medium term usage rates between these individuals and others converge as individuals learn about costs.
New model for electron-impact ionization cross sections of molecules

A theoretical model for electron‐impact ionization cross sections, which has been developed primarily for atoms and atomic ions, is applied to neutral molecules. The new model combines the binary‐encounter theory and the Bethe theory for electron‐impact ionization, and uses minimal theoretical data for the ground state of the target molecule, which are readily available from public‐domain molecular structure codes such as GAMESS. The theory is called the binary‐encounter Bethe (BEB) model, and does not, in principle, involve any adjustable parameters. Applications to 19 molecules, including H2, NO, CH2, C6H6, and SF6, are presented, demonstrating that the BEB model provides total ionization cross sections by electron impact from threshold to several keV with an average accuracy of 15% or better at the cross section peak, except for SiF3. The BEB model can be applied to stable molecules as well as to transient radicals.
A Series of Studies on the Training of High‐Intensity Muscle Power in Rugby League Football Players

Maximal power (Pmax) levels and the effects of the manipulation of training variables on power output in rugby league football players were investigated in 5 studies. In study 1, players of 3 different ability levels were assessed for Pmax during explosive bench press throws. Pmax levels were a significant descriptor of playing ability within the sport. In study 2, the effect of contrast loading was investigated during jump squats. The result was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in power output in the investigated load. In study 3, the effect of an ascending vs. descending order of loads during explosive bench press throws was investigated. An ascending order resulted in a significantly higher power output for the heaviest load, whereas the descending order resulted in a significantly higher power output for the lightest load. In study 4, the relationship between measures of upper-body strength, power, and speed was investigated in athletes from 3 different levels of playing ability. Strength, power, and speed were significantly correlated overall; however, the relationships were greater in the more experienced training group. In study 5, it was found that stronger athletes utilized a lower percentage of 1 repetition maximum (1RM; 46–51%) to attain Pmax than less strong athletes (58–69%).
Efficacy of caspofungin against invasive Candida or invasive Aspergillus infections in neutropenic patients

Neutropenia is an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with fungal infections. All available clinical trial experience from the caspofungin development program was reviewed to ascertain the efficacy of caspofungin in neutropenic patients with documented invasive aspergillosis (IA) or invasive candidiasis (IC).
MicroRNAs in Mesenteric Lymph and Plasma During Acute Pancreatitis

Objective:To isolate microRNAs (miRNAs) from mesenteric lymph (ML) and peripheral blood and identify those that change with experimental acute pancreatitis (AP). To assess identified AP-associated miRNAs in patient plasma to evaluate them as clinical biomarkers of AP. Background:miRNAs, small non–protein-coding molecules that regulate gene expression, are present in many biological fluids. They are increasingly interesting as biomarkers of disease and as novel signaling molecules in pathogenesis. Methods:Affymetrix miRNA profiling was performed on ML collected from 3 groups of rats with either mild or moderate taurocholate-induced AP and sham controls. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to validate selected miRNAs in matched rat lymph and plasma and then measured in patients with mild or moderate AP and in healthy volunteers. Results:Eighty-five miRNAs were detectable in rat ML, and many were abundant in all animals irrespective of the presence of AP. Seven miRNAs, comprising miR-375, -217, -148a, -216a, -122, -214, and -138, were increased in ML from rats with AP (P < 0.01). Their abundance also altered with disease severity. miRNAs miR-217, -375, -122, and -148a were also increased in matched rat plasma samples by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In the clinical studies, plasma miR-216a was significantly increased in both mild and moderate AP. Conclusions:This study is the first to demonstrate both the presence of circulating miRNAs in lymph and the alteration of specific miRNAs in AP. Furthermore, these miRNAs alter in rat and human AP plasma and have potential to be explored as novel biomarkers of pancreatitis.
The dysfunction of ammonia in heart failure increases with an increase in the intensity of resistance exercise, even with the use of appropriate drug therapy

Background: Hyperammonemia during rest periods is a dysfunction in heart failure (HF). The low formation of ammonia during exercise reflects an inefficiency of purine metabolism. Hyperkalemia in response to physical exercise is common in HF and may contribute to a contractile inefficiency in type II fibers, leading to early fatigue. We tested the hypothesis that during resistance exercise of high intensity and low volume, this disorder of ammonia metabolism would be more intense, due to the hyperkalemia present in HF. Methods: Alternating resistance exercise (RE) of low intensity and high volume, and high intensity and low volume, were applied to 18 patients with an interval of 7 days between them (functional class II-III New York Heart Association, FE = 33.5 ± 4%) and compared with 22 healthy controls matched for age and gender. Ammonia, potassium and lactate levels were assessed before and immediately after the RE. Results: Significant differences: Deltas (control vs. HF) in 40% RE: lactate (mg/dl) 26.3 ± 10 vs. 37.7 ± 7; p < 0,001, ammonia (ug/dl) 92.5 ± 18 vs. 48.9 ± 9; p < 0.001. Deltas (control vs. HF) in 80%RE: lactate(mg/dl) 45.0 ± 12 vs. 54.1 ± 11; p < 0.05, ammonia(ug/dl) 133.5 ± 22 vs. 32.2 ± 7; p < 0.001, potassium (mEq/L) 1.6 ± 0.4 vs. 2.0 ± 0.8; p < 0.05. A negative correlation was found between the deltas of ammonia and potassium (r = −0.74, p < 0.001) in the HF group. Conclusions: We conclude that in HF, there is an inefficiency of purine metabolism that increases with increasing exercise intensity, but not with an increase of total volume. These findings suggest that hyperkalemia may play an important role in the disorders of purine metabolism.
Ameliorative effect of α-tocopherol on monosodium glutamate-induced cardiac histological alterations and oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND Chronic oral intake of high doses of monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of cardiac dysfunction and injury. Supplementation with α-tocopherol protects the body against oxidative stress and its related complications. This study was proposed to examine the protective effect of α-tocopherol against MSG-induced biochemical and histological alterations in blood and cardiac tissue of rats for a period of 180 days. RESULTS Chronic oral administration of MSG (4 g kg(-1)) caused oxidative stress that was manifested by significant increase (P < 0.05) in malondialdehyde, conjugated dienes and by the decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase in cardiac tissue. The significantly increased (P < 0.05) activities of aspartate transaminase, creatine phosphokinase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum suggested a cardiac functional disorder. Moreover, heart muscle fibers showed cloudy swelling, fiber separation and vascular congestion. Administration of α-tocopherol (200 mg kg(-1)) significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated the MSG-induced biochemical alterations in serum and cardiac tissue. α-Tocopherol also prevented the pathological changes in cardiac tissue when compared with the MSG-treated group. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that α-tocopherol may have a protective effect against MSG-induced cardiotoxicity, possibly through its antioxidant activity.
Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte cross-reactivity among different human immunodeficiency virus type 1 clades: implications for vaccine development

Despite recent advances in antiviral therapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, successful global intervention will require an effective vaccine. Expanding evidence suggests that cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) responses will be an important component of such a vaccine. The varying geographic distribution of HIV type 1 (HIV-1) clades, with the relative absence of clade B HIV-1 outside the developed world, is considered a major obstacle to the development of a single efficacious vaccine. An understanding of cross-reactive CTL responses between different HIV-1 clades is crucial in the design of a vaccine which will be broadly immunogenic. In this study, we examined the ability of HIV-1 Gag-, reverse transcriptase-, and Env-specific CTL clones isolated from individuals infected in the United States to recognize non-B clade viral sequences and found that all were cross-reactive with the majority of non-B clade viral sequences tested. We next studied HIV-1-specific CTL responses in African individuals infected with clade A, C, or G virus and evaluated cross-recognition of clade B virus. Of 14 persons evaluated, all demonstrated cross-reactivity with the U.S. clade B viral constructs. We conclude that significant CTL cross-reactivity exists between clade B and non-B epitopes, suggesting that CTL cross-recognition among HIV-1 clades is more widespread than anticipated and that a vaccine based on a single clade may be broadly applicable.
Perinatal Bereavement Grief Scale

The study evaluated the Perinatal Bereavement Grief Scale (PBGS), the first scale designed to measure grief following reproductive loss in terms of yearning for the lost pregnancy and lost baby. Participants included 304 women interviewed by telephone 1 to 3 times within 6 months after miscarriage. The PBGS had high internal consistency and test-retest reliability. It showed convergent validity with measures of attachment and investment in the child and divergent validity against measures of social desirability and depressive symptoms, supporting the conceptual distinction between grief and depression. Cross-cultural validity was acceptable whether tested by language (Spanish vs. English) or ethnicity (Hispanic vs. other). This measure of yearning enables study of the epidemiology and prognostic value of this key feature of mourning.