Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychological factors related to delay in consultation for cancer symptoms

This research investigated psychological characteristics associated with delay in seeking help for symptoms of rectal cancer. Sixty nine subjects reconstructed pivotal events beginning with symptom onset and ending with medical consultation, and completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The mean delay time was around 6 months, with about 1 out of 6 subjects waiting one year or more. Subjects estimated the lengths of two sequential segments of total time to consultation: (1) Symptom Appraisal time (from symptom onset to recognition of possible seriousness), and (2) Action Appraisal time (from recognition of seriousness to medical consultation). Symptom Appraisal time accounted for over two‐thirds of total time and was associated with low scores on the TCI Harm Avoidance scale (TCI‐HA), indicating dispositional insensitivity to threat, and marginally associated with less education and younger age. Action Appraisal time was not associated with any demographic or psychological variables. Low TCI‐HA scores were also associated with lower likelihood of previous cancer screening, and with better judgments of premorbid health. Low STAI Trait scores were associated with better judgments of premorbid health and fewer doctor visits. Results are discussed regarding the importance of understanding dispositional characteristics related to health behavior. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When drug inactivation renders the target irrelevant to antibiotic resistance: a case story with β‐lactams

By challenging the efficiency of some of our most useful antimicrobial weapons, bacterial antibiotic resistance is becoming an increasingly worrying clinical problem. A good antibiotic is expected to exhibit a high affinity for its target and to reach it rapidly, while escaping chemical modification by inactivating enzymes and elimination by efflux mechanisms. A study of the behaviour of a β‐lactamase‐overproducing mutant of Enterobacter cloacae in the presence of several penicillins and cephalosporins showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for several compounds were practically independent of the sensitivity of the target penicillin binding protein (PBP), even for poor β‐lactamase substrates. This apparent paradox was explained by analysing the equation that relates the antibiotic concentration in the periplasm to that in the external medium. Indeed, under conditions that are encountered frequently in clinical isolates, the factor characterizing the PBP sensitivity became negligible. The conclusions can be extended to all antibiotics that are sensitive to enzymatic inactivation and efflux mechanisms and must overcome permeability barriers. It would be a grave mistake to neglect these considerations in the design of future antibacterial chemotherapeutic agents.
Behavioral Contract Design Under Asymmetric Forecast Information

We investigate the capacity investment decision of a supplier who produces a critical component for a buyer. An incentive conflict is present, because the buyer possesses private forecast information about end customer demand. We use laboratory experiments to test the performance of nonlinear capacity reservation contracts offered by the supplier. We show that both bounded rationality and fairness preferences consistently lead to buyer contract choices that harm supplier performance and overall supply chain performance. We therefore examine several capacity reservation contracts that take into account the buyer’s inability to maximize utility (bounded rationality) and/or the buyer’s motives (inequity aversion). We find that considering these behavioral aspects in contract design enhances supply chain performance. [Submitted: January 17, 2018. Revised: November 7, 2018. Accepted: November 10, 2018. ] Subject Areas: Asymmetric Information, Behavioral Operations Management, and Capacity Reservation.
Dexmedetomidine in Attenuation of Haemodynamic Response and Dose Sparing Effect on Opioid and Anaesthetic Agents in Patients undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy- A Randomized Study.

INTRODUCTION Perioperative procedures are stressful and lead to haemodynamic instability with potentially devastating consequences. Dexmedetomidine is found to have many of the desired characteristics that are required in perioperative period. AIM To evaluate the ability of pre and intraoperative dexmedetomidine to attenuate stress induced haemodynamic responses, quantifying the anaesthetic agents sparing as well as its cost-effectiveness in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present single blind randomized study was conducted with 120 ASA I and II consented patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups (i.e., group D and group N). Prior to induction, group D received 1 μg/kg of Dexmedetomidine and group N received Normal saline infusion over 20 minutes. Group D also received maintenance Dexmedetomidine intraoperatively. Bispectral index and minimum alveolar concentration monitoring was done in both the groups. Haemodynamic parameters were noted till 100 minutes post laryngoscopy. Opioid and anaesthetic agent consumptions were also noted and cost analysis was done. Medcalc-Version 12.5. 0.0 software was used for statistics and p <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS Dexmedetomidine attenuated the stress induced haemodynamics responses and produced stable, relatively non fluctuating haemodynamics throughout. The Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) requirement and the consumptions of Fentanyl and Isoflurane were significantly less in the Dexmedetomidine group (p<0.0001). However, despite anaesthetic dose sparing effect the anaesthetic technique was not cost-effective. CONCLUSION Dexmedetomidine is effective in attenuating haemodynamic responses in laparoscopic surgery and having dose sparing effect on Fentanyl, Propofol and Isoflurane. However, overall this technique is not cost-effective.
Suppressing immature house and stable flies in outdoor calf hutches with sand, gravel, and sawdust bedding.

Sand, gravel, sawdust, and pine shavings were used as bedding in outdoor calf hutches and compared with straw relative to the density of immature (maggot) house flies, Musca domestica, and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans. In 6-wk field trials, average densities of house and stable fly maggots in concrete mix sand ranged from only . 3 to 1.6 and 0 to . 1 maggots/L, respectively; pea size gravel bedding also strongly suppressed densities from less than . 1 to . 3 and less than . 1 to . 1 maggots/L, respectively. These densities represent reductions of 76 to greater than 99% relative to straw bedding, but both sand and gravel compacted and became soiled with calf feces, which resulted in unacceptable bedding sanitation and foul odors. Densities of house and stable fly maggots in pine shavings did not differ from those in straw bedding. Nevertheless, in sawdust bedding, maggot density was limited to averages of 1.4 to 8.3 house and 9.8 to 11.8 stable fly maggots/L; this represented reductions of 45 to 91% relative to straw. In a follow-up trial, house and stable fly maggot densities in sawdust averaged 11.3 and 43.9 maggots/L, respectively, reductions of 77 and 46%. These findings suggest that bedding calf hutches with sawdust during warm weather can be useful as an ecologically sound approach to controlling muscoid fly populations on dairy farms.
Home-based versus hospital-based care for serious mental illness

Background The Daily Living Programme (DLP) offered intensive home-based care with problem-centred case management for seriously mentally ill people facing crisis admission to the Maudsley Hospital, London. The cost-effectiveness of the DLP was examined over four years. Method A randomised controlled study examined cost-effectiveness of DLP versus standard in/out-patient hospital care over 20 months, followed by a randomised controlled withdrawal of half the DLP patients into standard care. Three patient groups were compared over 45 months: DLP throughout the period, DLP for 20 months followed by standard care, and standard care throughout. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted (the latter to standardise for possible inter-sample differences stemming from sample attrition and to explore sources of within-sample variation). Results The DLP was more cost-effective than control care over months 1–20, and also over the full 45-month period, but the difference between groups may have disappeared by the end of month 45. Conclusions The reduction of the cost-effectiveness advantage for home-based care was perhaps partly due to the attenuation of DLP care, although sample attrition left some comparisons under-powered.
Neuroprotective effect of N‐acetylcysteine on neuronal apoptosis induced by a synthetic gingerdione compound: Involvement of ERK and p38 phosphorylation

Besides being used as a spice, ginger has been applied in oriental medicine to ameliorate symptoms such as inflammatory, rheumatic disorders, and gastrointestinal discomforts. The effects of ginger on neuronal cells, however, have not been explored. We investigate the effect of 1‐(3,4‐dimethoxyphenyl)‐3,5‐dodecenedione (I6), a derivative of gingerdione, on cultured cortical neurons. After a 5‐day maturation period in vitro, cortical neurons were treated with I6 for 24 hr and cell viability was assessed using MTT assay. I6 induced neuronal death in a concentration‐dependent manner. Hoechst 33342, propidium iodide (PI), and TUNEL staining confirmed that the reduced cell viability by I6 was due to apoptosis. Pre‐treatment of cell with N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) prevented cell death in a concentration‐dependent manner. N‐acetylcysteine increased phosphorylated levels of p42 and p44 extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs). In parallel, farnesyltransferase and MEK inhibitors blocked ERK phosphorylation and neuroprotective effect of NAC. Unexpectedly, NAC also increased phosphorylated level of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and p38 specific inhibitors dose‐dependently attenuated the effect of NAC. Farnesyltransferase and MEK inhibitors completely abolished NAC‐induced p38 phosphorylation whereas p38 inhibitor did not influence NAC‐induced ERK phosphorylation. These results show that NAC serially activates ERKs and p38 MAPK, and ERKs and p38 work together to mediate the neuroprotective effect of NAC. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Effects of Semantic Category and Knowledge Type on Lexical-Semantic Access: A PET Study

Neuropsychological studies of patients with category-specific recognition disorders, as well as PET investigations of semantic category effects in visual recognition tasks, have led some authors to the hypothesis that visual-perceptual knowledge plays a crucial role in the recognition of natural items, such as animals, while functional-associative information is more important for the recognition of man-made tools. To study the cerebral correlates of the retrieval of different types of semantic knowledge about living and nonliving entities, we performed a PET experiment in which normal subjects were required to access visual- and functional-associative information related to visually presented words corresponding to animals and tools. The experimental conditions were the following: (1) Rest. (2) Baseline: letter detection in pseudo-words. (3) Animal, visual knowledge: decide whether the animal has a long or short tail with respect to the body. (4) Animal, associative knowledge: decide whether the animal is typically found in Italy. (5) Tool, visual knowledge: decide whether the object is longer than wider or vice versa. (6) Tool, functional knowledge: decide whether the object is typically used as a kitchen tool. Lexical-semantic access (all lexical conditions pooled) activated the prefrontal cortex on the left and the parietal-occipital junction and posterior cingulate cortex bilaterally. An analysis of the individual experimental conditions in comparison with the nonword baseline showed that accessing visual versus associative knowledge was associated with different activation patterns: predominantly frontal in the case of visual features, temporoparietal for associative knowledge. While the activation patterns involved similar areas for living and nonliving entities, in the case of the latter they were restricted to the left hemisphere. The analysis of main effects confirmed these findings: there were several significant differences in the visual-associative comparison, while category-related differences were less prominent. These findings indicate that the retrieval of different types of knowledge is associated with distinct patterns of brain activation; on the other hand, category-related differences were less evident than in picture matching and naming tasks.
Comparison of Accuracy in Calculation of Absorbed Dose to Patients Following Bone Scan with 99mTc-Marked Diphosphonates by Two Different Background Correction Methods

To improve the accuracy of the activity quantification and the image quality in scintigraphy, scatter correction is a vital procedure. The aim of this study is to compare the accuracy in calculation of absorbed dose to patients following bone scan with 99mTc-marked diphosphonates (99mTc-MDP) by two different methods of background correction in conjugate view method. This study involved 22 patients referring to the Nuclear Medicine Center of Shahid Chamran Hospital, Isfahan, Iran. After the injection of 99mTc-MDP, whole-body images from patients were acquired at 10, 60, 90, and 180 min. Organ activities were calculated using the conjugate view method by Buijs and conventional background correction. Finally, the absorbed dose was calculated using the Medical Internal Radiation Dosimetry (MIRD) technique. The results of this study showed that the absorbed dose per unit of injected activity (rad/mCi) ± standard deviation for pelvis bone, bladder, and kidneys by Buijs method was 0.19 ± 0.05, 0.08 ± 0.01, and 0.03 ± 0.01 and by conventional method was 0.13 ± 0.04, 0.08 ± 0.01, and 0.024 ± 0.01, respectively. This showed that Buijs background correction method had a high accuracy compared to conventional method for the estimated absorbed dose of bone and kidneys whereas, for the bladder, its accuracy was low.
The Effect of Corruption on Foreign Direct Investment in West African Sub-Region

The debate bothering on impact of corruption on foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows has been on the rise since the past century. Is corruption a hurting hand – raising uncertainty and transaction costs for foreign investors – or a helping hand – lubricating the wheels of commerce in the presence of pre-existing government or bureaucratic failures, which would attract FDI? As theoretical thoughts and empirical evidence show that the nexus between corruption and FDI is unsettled, this paper tries to take another step. It examines the link between corruption and FDI flows to the West African subregion. Using several econometric models on a strongly balanced panel of 16 West African countries spanning from 2003 to 2014, we find evidence that corruption is an insignificant determinant of FDI. Furthermore, we found that FDI in West Africa responds positively to both civil liberties and level of democracy. Corruption in West Africa does not necessarily hinder foreign investments. Hence, corruption should be handled based on logical legal proceedings that neither threaten the security of international investors nor encroach on their freedom and rights which are the real stimulants of FDI in West Africa rather than low corruption.
Monoclonal Antibodies Directed Against the T-Cell Activation Molecule CD137 (Interleukin-A or 4-1BB) Block Human Lymphocyte-Mediated Suppression of Tumor Xenografts in Severe Combined Immunodeficient Mice

A monoclonal antibody specific for the human analog of the murine T-cell activation molecule 4-1BB was generated and is shown here to react selectively with activated human CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. Treatment of these T cells in a one-way mixed lymphocyte culture with the anti–h4-1BB antibody enhanced the cell proliferation of the allostimulated lymphocytes. Previous studies in the mouse have shown that treatment of tumor-bearing mice with antibodies to 4-1BB augments anti-tumor immunity that is mediated by both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The authors consider the possibility that a similar approach may be efficacious for human cancer immunotherapy. This question was addressed by evaluating the effect of an anti–h4-1BB monoclonal antibody on human lymphocyte-mediated suppression of a human tumor xenograft in SCID mice. Mice treated with a control antibody and co-injected with the tumor and peripheral blood lymphocytes exhibited a lymphocyte dose-dependent suppression of tumor growth. In mice treated with the anti–h4-1BB antibody, the lymphocyte-mediated tumor suppression was completely eliminated and tumors grew progressively (as was observed in mice inoculated with tumors without lymphocytes). This monoclonal antibody specific for anti–h4-1BB, which augments the proliferation of allostimulated cells in vitro, blocks T-cell anti-tumor activity in vivo. These results suggest that although 4-1BB plays a role in the human peripheral blood lymphocyte–mediated suppression of tumor growth, antibodies to this molecule on human cells fail to stimulate anti-tumor activity, as was observed in tumor-bearing mice treated with an antibody to murine 4-1BB.
Cervical necrotizing fasciitis due to bacterial tonsillitis.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe and potentially fatal soft tissue infection, but involvement of the head and neck is rare. We report on 4 cases of cervical necrotizing fasciitis arising from tonsillitis. One patient was diabetic and one had received steroids before disease development. One patient developed acute respiratory failure and died of septic shock. Three patients recovered, helped by early recognition, aggressive surgical intervention, appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotics, and supportive therapy. The common bacteria found in all abscess samples were Streptococcus sp. , but mixed flora with anaerobic organisms was seen in all but 1 case. Tonsillitis and peritonsillar abscess must be suspected as a cause of cervical necrotizing fasciitis and a successful result can be achieved with immediate aggressive treatment.
Medical radiation workers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice to protect themselves against ionizing radiation in Tehran Province, Iran

BACKGROUND: Medical radiation workers are potentially at a risk of unwanted ionizing radiation exposures. This study assessed the radiation protection knowledge, attitude, and practice (RP-KAP) of health-care workers who are occupationally exposed to radiation regarding protecting themselves from radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was cross-sectional in design and was carried out in 16 hospitals affiliated to the Tehran University of Medical Sciences between May and September 2014. Total health-care workers who were occupationally exposed to radiation comprising 670 individuals were included in the study based on census sampling method. In total, 413 individuals consented to complete an anonymous 32-item questionnaire comprising single best choice questions with a numerical value assigned to each correct answer. Each set of RP-KAP questions was scored and categorized as poor, medium, and good. The effect of independent variables for prediction of RP-KAP was explored using linear regression analyses. RESULTS: A significant number of participants had poor RP-knowledge (78.9%), RP-attitude (70.7%), and RP-practice (32.4%). Based on linear regression analyses, it was found that field of study (β = 0.1, P = 0.001), marital status (β = −0.14, P = 0.01), and level of education (β = 0.2, P < 0.001) were the predictors of higher RP-knowledge. In-service RP-training (β = 0.1, P = 0.04) was associated with an increased RP-attitude. Being a woman (β = 0.2, P < 0.001) and longer years of experience with radiation (β = 0.2, P < 0.001) were significantly related to better practice. CONCLUSION: In-service training with appropriate qualified and up-to-date materials based on radiation workers’ educational needs and approved protocols and guidelines is recommended.
Supermassive Black Holes in Active Galactic Nuclei. II. Calibration of the Black Hole Mass-Velocity Dispersion Relationship for Active Galactic Nuclei

We calibrate reverberation-based black hole (BH) masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the correlation between BH mass, MBH, and bulge/spheroid stellar velocity dispersion, σ*. We use new measurements of σ* for six AGNs and published velocity dispersions for 10 others, in conjunction with improved reverberation-mapping results, to determine the scaling factor required to bring reverberation-based BH masses into agreement with the quiescent galaxy MBH-σ* relationship. The scatter in the AGN BH masses is found to be less than a factor of 3. The current observational uncertainties preclude the use of the scaling factor to discriminate between broad-line region models.
HemK, a class of protein methyl transferase with similarity to DNA methyl transferases, methylates polypeptide chain release factors, and hemK knockout induces defects in translational termination

HemK, a universally conserved protein of unknown function, has high amino acid similarity with DNA-(adenine-N6) methyl transferases (MTases). A certain mutation in hemK gene rescues the photosensitive phenotype of a ferrochelatase-deficient (hemH) mutant in Escherichia coli. A hemK knockout strain of E. coli not only suffered severe growth defects, but also showed a global shift in gene expression to anaerobic respiration, as determined by microarray analysis, and this shift may lead to the abrogation of photosensitivity by reducing the oxidative stress. Suppressor mutations that abrogated the growth defects of the hemK knockout strain were isolated and shown to be caused by a threonine to alanine change at codon 246 of polypeptide chain release factor (RF) 2, indicating that hemK plays a role in translational termination. Consistent with such a role, the hemK knockout strain showed an enhanced rate of read-through of nonsense codons and induction of transfer-mRNA-mediated tagging of proteins within the cell. By analysis of the methylation of RF1 and RF2 in vivo and in vitro, we showed that HemK methylates RF1 and RF2 in vitro within the tryptic fragment containing the conserved GGQ motif, and that hemK is required for the methylation within the same fragment of, at least, RF1 in vivo. This is an example of a protein MTase containing the DNA MTase motif and also a protein-(glutamine-N5) MTase.