Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
GSH Inhibits Trypsinization of the C-terminal Half of Human MRP1*

MRP1 is a 190-kDa membrane glycoprotein that confers multidrug resistance to tumor cells. The accumulated evidence has proved that GSH interacts with MRP1 and stimulates drug transport. However, the mechanism of GSH-dependent drug transport by MRP1 remains unclear. In this study, we used limited tryptic digestion of MRP1 in isolated membrane vesicles, in the presence and absence of GSH, to investigate the influence of GSH on MRP1 conformation. We found that GSH inhibited the generation of an ∼35-kDa C-terminal tryptic fragment (including a C-terminal His tag) termed C2 from MRP1. This effect of GSH was not because of direct inhibition of trypsin activity, and agosterol A enhanced the inhibitory effect of GSH. The main cleavage site in MRP1 for the generation of the C2 fragment by trypsin resided between TMD2 and NBD2 of MRP1. Limited tryptic digestion of membrane vesicles expressing various truncated and co-expressed MRP1 fragments in the presence and absence of GSH revealed that GSH inhibited the production of the C2 fragment only in the presence of the L0 region of MRP1. Thus the L0 region is required for the inhibition of trypsinization of the C-terminal half of MRP1 by GSH. These findings, together with previous reports, suggest that GSH induces a conformational change at a site within the MRP1 that is indispensable for the interaction of MRP1 with its substrates.
Epileptic activity influences the lateralization of mesiotemporal fMRI activity

Objective: To identify clinical factors contributing to the lateralization of mesiotemporal memory functions in epilepsy by using memory-activated fMRI. Methods: Sixty patients aged 16 to 63 years with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and 20 patients aged 16 to 60 years with extratemporal epilepsy (ETE) due to circumscribed epileptogenic lesions who consecutively underwent presurgical evaluation including continuous video-EEG monitoring and structural MRI examinations were examined. During memory fMRI, the activation condition consisted of retrieval from long-term memory induced by self-paced performance of an imaginative walk through the patient’s hometown. On the basis of a previous study, memory lateralization was defined as typical if larger fMRI activation was in the mesiotemporal structures contralateral to the epileptic focus. Results: There were 45 patients with MTLE who had typical memory lateralization (75%), whereas only 9 patients (45%) with ETE exhibited typical memory lateralization (p = 0.013). In MTLE patients, bilateral independent epileptiform discharges occurred more often in the atypical group than in patients with typical memory lateralization (p = 0.015). Conclusions: The fMRI lateralization of mesiotemporal visuospatial memory functions in patients with mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is asymmetric: The larger activation usually appears contralateral to the side of the epileptogenic region. These findings occur more often in MTLE; in patients with extratemporal epilepsy, such type of asymmetry is not characteristic. In MTLE patients with bilateral independent epileptiform discharges, this type of asymmetry is also less frequent.
Incorporation of Screening Echocardiography in the Preparticipation Exam

We sought to evaluate the economic aspects and benefits of adding a limited screening echocardiogram to our annual athletic preparticipation examinations. It was our belief that this screening echocardiogram would add valuable information beyond the history and physical exam alone and could be included in our station-by-station format with little increase in time or cost. Controversy exists concerning the best method of detecting cardiovascular conditions that may predispose the athlete to sudden death. During our 1992 preparticipation examinations, we included a single-view parasternal long- and short-axis two-dimensional screening echocardiogram. This screening can detect four potentially fatal congenital heart defects. We performed a total of 2,997 echocardiograms at an average cost of $7.34 per examination. Overall 64 echocardiographic abnormalities were found. Mitral valve prolapse and bicuspid aortic valve were the two most common abnormalities. The sensitivity of the history and physical examination in detecting cardiovascular abnormalities was extremely low. Incorporating the echocardiogram into our station-to-station format did not add a significant amount of time to the overall process. We conclude that a screening echocardiogram provides important information and can be used efficiently and economically in the athletic preparticipation examination.
A randomized trial of parenteral methotrexate comparing an intermediate dose with a higher dose in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis who failed to respond to standard doses of methotrexate.

OBJECTIVE To compare the safety and efficacy of parenteral methotrexate (MTX) at an intermediate dosage (15 mg/m(2)/week) versus a higher dosage (30 mg/m(2)/week) in patients with polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who failed to improve while receiving standard dosages of MTX (8-12.5 mg/m(2)/week). METHODS In the screening phase, 595 patients who were newly started on a standard dose of MTX were followed up for 6 months. Subsequently, the nonresponders, defined according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) pediatric 30% improvement criteria (pediatric 30), were randomized to receive an intermediate dose or higher dose of parenteral MTX for an additional 6 months. Improvement in the screening and randomization phase was defined by the ACR pediatric 30 response, as well as by the 50% and 70% response levels (ACR pediatric 50 and ACR pediatric 70, respectively). RESULTS In the screening phase, after receiving standard doses of MTX, 430 patients (72%) improved according to the ACR pediatric 30, while 360 (61%) met the ACR pediatric 50 and 225 (38%) met the ACR pediatric 70; among these patients, 69 (12%) also met the definition of complete disease control. Of the 133 nonresponders, 80 were randomized to receive an intermediate dose or higher dose of MTX. In the randomization phase, the ACR pediatric 30 response rate was 25 of 40 children (62.5%) in the intermediate-dose group versus 23 of 40 children (57.5%) in the higher-dose group. An ACR pediatric 50 response rate was attained by 23 patients (57.5%) receiving an intermediate dose versus 22 (55%) in the higher-dose group. An ACR pediatric 70 response rate was seen in 18 children (45%) receiving an intermediate dose versus 19 (47.5%) receiving a higher dose. Five children (12.5%) in the intermediate-dose group versus 4 (10%) receiving the higher dose of MTX also met the definition of complete disease control. None of the intergroup differences in response rate were significant. There were no significant differences in the frequency of adverse events or laboratory abnormalities between the 2 randomized groups. CONCLUSION This study shows that the plateau of efficacy of MTX in JIA is reached with parenteral administration of 15 mg/m(2)/week and that a further increase in dosage is not associated with any additional therapeutic benefit. MTX should be administered for up to 9-12 months to appreciate its full therapeutic effect.
An Exploration of the Relation Between Expectations and User Experience

Before using an interactive product, people form expectations about what the experience of use will be like. These expectations may affect both the use of the product and users’ attitudes toward it. This article briefly reviews existing theories of expectations to design and perform two crowdsourced experiments that investigate how expectations affect user experience measures. In the experiments, participants saw a primed or neutral review of a simple online game, played it, and rated it on various user experience measures. Results suggest that when expectations are confirmed, users tend to assimilate their ratings with their expectations; conversely, if the product quality is inconsistent with expectations, users tend to contrast their ratings with expectations and give ratings correlated with the level of disconfirmation. Results also suggest that expectation disconfirmation can be used more widely in analyses of user experience, even when the analyses are not specifically concerned with expectation disconfirmation.
The Preholiday Corporate Announcement Effect

We find that investors react more favorably to corporate announcements of share repurchases, SEOs, earnings, dividend changes, and acquisitions if the announcement is made immediately prior to or on holidays. These announcements are associated with more positive reactions for favorable events and less negative reactions for unfavorable events. This effect is robust to controls for market conditions and a selection bias, is accompanied by subsequent reversals, and is present in several international markets. Our findings suggest that predictable individual mood changes can cause biases in market reactions to firm-specific news.
Repellency of Formosan Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) to Dead Termites and Attraction to 2-Phenoxyethanol With and Without Nonrepellent Insecticides 1

The response of the Formosan subterranean termite to both dead termites and 2-phenoxyethanol with and without nonrepellent insecticide residues was examined using three commercially available pesticide formula- tions (acetamiprid, fipronil, and imidacloprid). Results indicated that signifi- cantly more search tunnels were constructed in the 2-phenoxyethanol-treated sand with three different insecticides compared with the control sand on the first day. The total tunnel network length remained higher on the 2-phenoxy- ethanol and insecticide-treated sides through the duration of the experiment. Formosan subterranean termites exposed to imidacloprid or fipronil had greater rates of mortality than those exposed to acetamiprid in the study. The increased search activity caused by 2-phenoxyethanol to nearby sites treated with insecticides can reduce the time for termites to contact a toxicant and potentially increases the transfer of the toxicant among termites. Dead ter- mites prevented forager passage regardless of whether the dead individuals were treated with a toxicant or not, therefore decreasing the total tunnel network. Compared with the control, significantly greater rates of mortality occurred in treatments with dead termite barriers. Dead termite barriers that had been treated with any of the three insecticides generally caused greater rates of mortality than those without an insecticide treatment. Dead termites lead to the avoidance of the area by Formosan subterranean termites. One way to overcome this repellency in the field may be to add an attractant like 2-phe- noxyethanol.
Squeeze me, but don't tease me: Human and mechanical touch enhance visual attention and emotion discrimination

Being touched by another person influences our readiness to empathize with and support that person. We asked whether this influence arises from somatosensory experience, the proximity to the person and/or an attribution of the somatosensory experience to the person. Moreover, we were interested in whether and how touch affects the processing of ensuing events. To this end, we presented neutral and negative pictures with or without gentle pressure to the participants' forearm. In Experiment 1, pressure was applied by a friend, applied by a tactile device and attributed to the friend, or applied by a tactile device and attributed to a computer. Across these conditions, touch enhanced event-related potential (ERP) correlates of picture processing. Pictures elicited a larger posterior N100 and a late positivity discriminated more strongly between pictures of neutral and negative content when participants were touched. Experiment 2 replicated these findings while controlling for the predictive quality of touch. Experiment 3 replaced tactile contact with a tone, which failed to enhance N100 amplitude and emotion discrimination reflected by the late positivity. This indicates that touch sensitizes ongoing cognitive and emotional processes and that this sensitization is mediated by bottom-up somatosensory processing. Moreover, touch seems to be a special sensory signal that influences recipients in the absence of conscious reflection and that promotes prosocial behavior.
Sorafenib Activates CD95 and Promotes Autophagy and Cell Death via Src Family Kinases in Gastrointestinal Tumor Cells

Sorafenib and vorinostat interact in a synergistic fashion to kill carcinoma cells by activating CD95; the present studies have determined how sorafenib and vorinostat individually contribute to CD95 activation. Sorafenib (3–6 μmol/L) promoted a dose-dependent increase in Src Y416, ERBB1 Y845 and CD95 Y232/Y291 phosphorylation, and Src Y527 dephosphorylation. Low levels of sorafenib-induced (3 μmol/L) CD95 tyrosine phosphorylation did not promote surface localization whereas sorafenib (6 μmol/L), or sorafenib (3 μmol/L) and vorinostat (500 nmol/L) treatment promoted higher levels of CD95 phosphorylation which correlated with DISC formation, receptor surface localization, and autophagy. CD95 (Y232F, Y291F) was not tyrosine phosphorylated and was unable to localize plasma membrane or induce autophagy. Knockdown/knockout of Src family kinases abolished sorafenib-induced CD95 tyrosine phosphorylation, DISC formation, and the induction of cell death and autophagy. Knockdown of platelet-ived growth factor receptor-β enhanced Src Y416 and CD95 tyrosine phosphorylation, which correlated with elevated CD95 plasma membrane levels and autophagy, and with a reduced ability of sorafenib to promote CD95 membrane localization. Vorinostat increased reactive oxygen species levels, and in a delayed NFκB-dependent fashion, those of FAS ligand and CD95. Neutralization of FAS-L did not alter the initial rapid drug-induced activation of CD95; however, neutralization of FAS-L reduced sorafenib + vorinostat toxicity by ∼50%. Thus, sorafenib contributes to CD95 activation by promoting receptor tyrosine phosphorylation, whereas vorinostat contributes to CD95 activation via the initial facilitation of reactive oxygen species generation and subsequently of FAS-L expression. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(8); 2220–31. ©2010 AACR.
Development of calretinin immunoreactivity in the brainstem auditory nuclei of the barn owl (Tyto alba)

The early development of calretinin immunoreactivity (CR‐IR) was described in the auditory nuclei of the brainstem of the barn owl. CR‐IR was first observed in the auditory hindbrain at embryonic day (E17) and a day later (E18) in the inferior colliculus. In each of the auditory nuclei studied, CR‐IR did not develop homogeneously, but began in the regions that map high best frequencies in the adult barn owl. In the hindbrain, CR‐IR was first observed in the rostromedial regions of the cochlear nucleus magnocellularis and the nucleus laminaris, and in the dorsal regions of the nucleus angularis and in the nucleus of the lateral lemniscus. In the inferior colliculus, CR‐IR began in the ventral region of the central core. The edge of these gradients moved along the future tonotopic axes during the development of all nuclei studied, until adult patterns of CR‐IR were achieved about a week after hatching. J. Comp. Neurol. 415:189–203, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Second Order Spread Spectrum Watermarking Scheme Using Multi-Threshold Wavelet Codec

A second order error resistant watermarking approach based on spread spectrum is presented in this research. At the heart of the proposed solution lies the concept of twice modulation of the watermark sequence and the selection of the host image coef- ficients based on the Multi-Threshold Wavelet Codec (MTWC). DSSS approach has been widely used in the communications to cover the message signal (narrow band) over the large noise signal (wide band). The resulting signal provides excellent low error probability and is hard to detect the message signal. DSSS used with error correcting codes makes it possible to recover the mes- sage even after severe signal distortions. MTW technique helps in determining the actual wavelet coefficients that need to be water- marked so that the watermark sequence is robust.
Practicing exorcism in schizophrenia

Historically, many cases of demonic possession have masked major psychiatric disorder. Our aim is to increase awareness that symptoms of schizophrenia are still being classified as demonic possession by priests today. We report the case of a 28-year-old patient who had been diagnosed 5 years previously with paranoid schizophrenia (treated with clozapine, risperidone, ziprasidone and onlanzapine without a complete response) and was also receiving treatment in a first episode psychosis unit in Spain. The patient was led to believe by priests that her psychotic symptoms were due to the presence of a demon. This was surprising because some of the priests were from the Madrid archdiocese and knew the clinical situation of the patient; however, they believed that she was suffering from demonic possession, and she underwent multiple exorcisms, disrupting response to clinical treatment. Patient insight is an important factor in response to treatment, so religious professionals should encourage appropriate psychiatric treatment and learn about mental illnesses.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Rather Than Testosterone Shows Saliva Androgen Responses to Exercise in Elite Female Handball Players

The aim of the investigation was to evaluate in fourteen elite female handball players the resting values of saliva levels of testosterone -- T -- and dehydroepiandrosterone -- DHEA -- in comparison with ten sedentary women and the response to exercise of the same hormones in handball players. Saliva samples were taken from the handball players upon wakening (resting values) (8 a. m.), 5 minutes before and after a simulated handball match (6 p. m.; 8 p. m.) and upon wakening the following morning (8 a. m. + 24 h). The samples of saliva from the sedentary controls were taken at the same time of day but the controls did not perform any exercise. Resting hormonal levels were lower in handball players than in controls (P < 0.01). The exercise did not induce significant changes in T and DHEA salivary concentrations in handball players. Positive correlations between testosterone concentrations and DHEA were observed at all the time points studied. These findings showed that the T and DHEA concentrations followed a remarkably similar pattern. Considering the very low concentrations of testosterone in women, in particular in saliva, and its biosynthetic pathway, we suggest that measurements of DHEA could serve as a substitute for testosterone measurements to study training responses in elite sportswomen.
Radical trachelectomy in early stage carcinoma of the cervix: outcome as judged by recurrence and fertility rates

The recurrence and fertility rates in 30 women undergoing radical trachelectomy for early stage invasive cervical cancer at St Bartholomew's and Royal Marsden Hospital were reviewed. There were no recurrences, and the mean follow up was 23 months (range 1–64 months). Of 13 women trying to have a baby, eight had conceived with a total of 14 pregnancies and nine live births. Two were still trying and three were experiencing sub‐fertility. There were seven premature deliveries and one late miscarriage. Six of the preterm births and the late miscarriage were associated with prelabour spontaneous rupture of membranes. This conservative yet locally radical procedure for a highly selected group of women who wished to preserve their fertility appears to offer a safe alternative to radical hysterectomy in early invasive cervical cancer.
Impact of Supply Chain Collaboration on Logistics Performance: Evidence from a Sub-Saharan Nation’s petroleum downstream

The need for firms to collaborate effectively with supply chain partners is a subject of interest to researchers. We conduct an extension study to explore the impact of supply chain collaboration on the logistics performance using firms in Ghana’s petroleum downstream. The results showed relatively higher levels of external collaboration than internal collaboration among surveyed firms, even though internal collaboration had a stronger impact on a firm’s logistics performance. The study also revealed a positive impact of internal collaboration on external collaboration. The study identifies internal collaboration as an important variable deserving great attention by firms in the petroleum downstream.
Alexithymia and emotional empathy following traumatic brain injury

The frequency of alexithymia and the proportion of cases reporting low emotional empathy after traumatic brain injury (TBI) were compared with a control group. The study also examined the relationship between alexithymia and emotional empathy, controlling for the influence of cognitive ability, severity of head injury, and time since injury. A total of 64 TBI patients and matched controls completed the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES). The TBI group exhibited a significantly higher frequency of alexithymia (60.9%) and low emotional empathy (64.4%) than did the control group (10.9% and 34.4%). Significant moderate negative correlations were found between TAS-20 and BEES scores, with TAS-20 total scores accounting for a significant amount of variance in BEES scores. However, no significant correlation was obtained between Subscale 1 of the TAS-20 (difficulty identifying feelings) and BEES scores in the TBI group. Additionally, there were no significant relationships between alexithymia, emotional empathy, injury severity, and time since injury. The results suggest an inverse relationship between alexithymia and emotional empathy.
Cultural and molecular detection of zoonotic tuberculosis and its public health impacts in selected districts of Tigray region, Ethiopia

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB) is a chronic infectious disease of animals characterized by the formation of granulomas in tissues and its detection is carried out most commonly on the basis of tuberculin skin testing, abattoir meat inspection and rarely on bacteriological techniques. A study was conducted to assess the epidemiology and zoonotic implication of bovine tuberculosis in three selected districts of Tigray region between September 2012 and June 2013 using Comparative Intradermal Tuberculin (CIDT) test, abattoir surveillance, bacteriology and molecular typing. Besides, livestock owners were interviewed for the evaluation of the zoonotic potential of BTB. On the basis of the CIDT test, animal and herd prevalence were 2.7% (14/524) and 9.3% (13/140), respectively, while in abattoir-based study the prevalence was 22% (117/531). Male animals were more likely (OR= 1.7; P=0.012; 95% CI: 1.12- 2.55) to exhibit tuberculous lesions as compared to female animals. The proportion of culture positivity was 32% (40/125) in tissue samples. Only nine isolates were typed and out of which seven isolates were positive for the genus Mycobacterium of which two were identified as M. tuberculosis. The two M. tuberculosis species had the same spoligotype pattern. Awareness of cattle owners about BTB was poor and detection of BTB both in live and slaughtered animals. The isolation of M. tuberculosis from animal tissues indicates the existence of transmission of this agent from humans to animals. Therefore, there should be practical and sound control methods such as strict meat inspection, boiling of milk and cooking of meat, and public education to raise the awareness on the transmission of the disease. Keywords: Abattoir , Ethiopia, Mycobacterium , Tuberculosis, Zoonosis