Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In vitro effects of nonylphenol on motility, mitochondrial, acrosomal and chromatin integrity of ram and boar spermatozoa

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of nonylphenol (NP) on viability of ram and boar sperm in vitro. Ram or boar spermatozoa were exposed to 1, 10, 100, 250 and 500 μg NP ml−1 for 1, 2, 3 or 4 h. Computer‐assisted sperm motility analysis (CASA) system was used to evaluate sperm motility characteristics. Flow cytometry was used to determine mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and chromatin integrity, while epifluorescent microscopy was used to determine sperm acrosomal status. Exposure of both species spermatozoa to 250 and 500 μg NP ml−1 was detrimental to progressive motility (P < 0.05), and its adverse effect was significant at lower (100 μg NP ml−1) concentration (P < 0.05). The percentages of ram and boar spermatozoa with high MMP declined drastically after exposures to ≥250 μg ml−1 NP (P < 0.05). Unlike chromatin integrity, which did not appear to be altered by NP exposure, there were dose‐dependent NP effects (P < 0.05) on acrosomal integrity of both species at as low as 1 μg ml−1 NP for boar spermatozoa and 10 μg ml−1 NP for ram spermatozoa. These data show adverse effects of NP on ram and boar spermatozoa and thus its potential harmful effects on male reproduction as NP is found in fruits, vegetables, human milk, fish and livestock products.
Direct evidence for anergy in T lymphocytes tolerized by oral administration of ovalbumin

The present study investigated bystander suppression, specific suppression and anergy as mechanisms for oral tolerance. Oral tolerance was induced in mice by a single gastric intubation of 20 mg ovalbumin (OVA) and was evaluated in vitro by the absence of T lymphocyte proliferative responses to OVA after priming by OVA‐complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). T lymphocyte unresponsiveness was antigen specific, systemic and was not affected by the vehicle used for immunization. T lymphocytes derived from tolerant popliteal lymph nodes (PLN) responded to an acetone precipitate (AP) of mycobacteria present in CFA; this response was not suppressed by co‐culture with OVA, thereby arguing against a mechanism of bystander suppression in our system. Responses of PLN T lymphocytes derived from OVA‐CFA primed, non‐tolerant mice, or those of an OVA‐specific T lymphocyte line, were not suppressed by PLN or spleen cells derived from OVA tolerant mice. These results excluded the possibility that oral tolerance was induced and maintained by a mechanism of specific suppression. At the cellular level, we found that OVA‐tolerant T lymphocytes did not produce interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) nor express IL‐2 receptor in response to OVA stimulation in vitro; both observations are indicative of a state of anergy. Incubation of OVA‐tolerant PLN T lymphocytes together with murine recombinant IL‐2 for 5 days, released anergic T lymphocytes and a concomitant OVA‐specific proliferative response of CD4+ T cells was detected. Taken together, our experimental system excludes the involvement of bystander or specific suppression in the induction of oral tolerance to OVA, and provides direct evidence to show that oral tolerance results from specific T lymphocyte anergy.
Gene delivery to respiratory epithelial cells by magnetofection

For the topical application of DNA vector complexes to the airways, specific extracellular barriers play a major role. In particular, short contact time of complexes with the cell surface caused by the mucociliary clearance hinders cellular uptake of complexes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of magnetofection, a technique based on the principle of magnetic drug targeting, to overcome these barriers in comparison with conventional nonviral gene transfer methods such as lipofection and polyfection.
Quality of life as an outcome measure in alcoholism treatment research.

OBJECTIVE The present article reviews the literature to date dealing with quality of life (QoL) as it relates to drinking behavior, alcohol use disorders and treatment outcome. METHOD Articles using the term "quality of life" to describe a status or outcome construct for individuals diagnosed with or being treated for alcohol use disorders or that used one or more instruments considered to reflect patients' QoL were identified primarily through Psychological Abstracts, MEDLINE and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's ETOH archival database. RESULTS Thirty-six studies, published between 1993 and 2004, met these criteria. Twelve different QoL measures were used. Frequent heavy drinking or episodic heavy drinking (e.g., five or more drinks per occasion) patterns were associated with reduced QoL. Alcoholics had lower levels of QoL compared with general population norms or with other chronic health conditions. This relationship appears to be moderated by a number of sociodemographic and client characteristics, such as age, education, gender and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Alcohol-dependent individuals experience improvements in QoL across treatment and with both short-term and long-term abstinence. Despite these improvements, many alcoholic individuals' QoL is unlikely to equal or exceed that of normative groups. Also, among hazardous and harmful drinkers, achieving and maintaining a marked reduction in drinking, even without complete abstinence, is associated with significant increases in QoL. CONCLUSIONS QoL represents an important area to consider in assessing individuals with alcohol use disorders and in evaluating alcoholism treatment outcome.
Diet and mortality in a cohort of elderly people in a north European community.

BACKGROUND In studies from Italy and Greece a Mediterranean dietary pattern predicts overall survival. Despite an increase in the movement of food around the world, there is still a wide spectrum of dietary patterns and the aim of the present study was to examine the association between a Mediterranean dietary pattern and mortality in a cohort of elderly people living in a North European Community. METHODS Diet and nutritional status was studied among 202 men and women born 1914-1918 and living in a Danish Municipality (Roskilde) in 1988. They were followed for 6 years. RESULTS A diet score, with seven dietary characteristics of the Mediterranean diet, was associated with a significant reduction in overall mortality. A one unit increase in the diet score predicted a 21% (95% confidence interval 2-36%) reduction in mortality. Subjects with high diet scores (> or = 4) had significantly higher plasma carotene levels than those with a low score and plasma carotene was negatively associated with mortality. CONCLUSION A Mediterranean diet score predicts survival in a North European population. Plasma carotene may serve as an intermediate factor in this association.
Is there a governance failure in corporatised Australian Government Business Enterprises? Evidence from their Chief Executive Officers’ compensation.

We acknowledge the helpful comments and encouragement received from Eli Bartov, Jere Francis, Dan Simunic, Gerhard Speckbacher and Mathijs Van Peteghem; as well as the particpants at the following conferences and workshops: the 2018 European Accounting Association annual congress held in Milan, Italy 2018, Vienna University of Economics and Business (Wirtschafts Universitat) 2018, University of Technology Sydney 2017.
Chronic myeloid leukemia: current therapies and the potential role of farnesyltransferase inhibitors.

The treatment of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is evolving rapidly. With conventional chemotherapy the clinical course is characterized by a chronic phase (median duration, 4 to 5 years), followed by an accelerated phase with transition to a terminal blast crisis. Treatment with busulfan or hydroxyurea does not alter the natural history. Interferon alfa (IFN-alpha) prolongs life expectancy by approximately 20 months but is associated with significant toxicity. Evidence indicates that bone marrow transplantation from a related human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-identical donor can be curative in younger patients. However, transplantation is available to only a minority of patients and entails severe toxicity and transplant-related mortality. Dramatic advances in the understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of CML have led to a new era of targeted therapy. The specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate demonstrates a high level of efficacy in CML with acceptable toxicity. Farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) are another important class of targeted agents with the potential to act at multiple sites within dysregulated signal transduction networks. ZARNESTRA (formerly R115777, Ortho Biotech Oncology, Raritan, NJ), an oral FTI, has shown activity and is well tolerated in both chronic- and accelerated-phase patients. With their mechanistic specificity, the new modalities offer the promise of increased antileukemic activity and an improved therapeutic index.
Bupivacaine-induced QRS prolongation is enhanced by lidocaine and by phenytoin in rabbit hearts.

UNLABELLED Lidocaine, phenytoin, and bupivacaine are sodium channel blockers. Lidocaine displaces bupivacaine from its receptor on the sodium channel. However, lidocaine does not seem to decrease bupivacaine toxicity. Phenytoin also has been used to treat bupivacaine cardiotoxicity. To test the hypothesis that lidocaine or phenytoin might be used for the treatment of bupivacaine overdose, we compared the effects of bupivacaine on intraventricular conduction in the isolated heart of rabbits with bupivacaine and with either phenytoin or lidocaine added to bupivacaine. Twenty-four rabbit hearts were retrogradely perfused in a nonrecirculating Langendorff apparatus. The duration of QRS was measured without any drug and 10 min after infusion of 3 microM bupivacaine. Saline (control group) or increasing concentrations of either lidocaine or phenytoin was then added by 10-min-step increments. QRS duration was measured for each concentration at the end of a 10-min step. It was also determined 10 min after discontinuation of bupivacaine and after a period of washout for all drugs. QRS duration was significantly increased by adding phenytoin or lidocaine to bupivacaine. These drugs should not be used to treat the manifestations of bupivacaine toxicity. IMPLICATIONS The effects of lidocaine and phenytoin on bupivacaine-related increases in cardiac conduction time have been studied in an isolated heart preparation. Both drugs increased the QRS widening induced by bupivacaine. We conclude that none of these drugs should be used for treating bupivacaine intoxication.
Copeptin is associated with mortality in patients with traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND High serum copeptin levels are associated with injury severity after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, not much is known regarding its relation with mortality. Thus, we sought to evaluate its relation with disease mortality. METHODS Fifty healthy controls and 94 patients with acute severe TBI were included. Plasma samples were obtained on admission and at days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. Its concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Twenty-six patients (27.7%) died from TBI in a month. After brain injury, plasma copeptin level in patients increased during the 6-hour period immediately, peaked in 24 hours, plateaued at day 2, decreased gradually thereafter, and was substantially higher than that in healthy controls during the 7-day period. A forward stepwise logistic regression selected plasma copeptin level (odds ratio, 1.008; 95% confidence interval, 1.002-1.014; p = 0.010) as an independent predictor for 1-month mortality of patients. A multivariate linear regression showed that plasma copeptin level was negatively associated with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (t = -7.161; p < 0.001). A receiver operating characteristic curve identified plasma copeptin cutoff level (451.8 pg/mL) that predicted 1-month mortality with the optimal sensitivity (88.5%) and specificity (75.0%) values (area under curve, 0.874; 95% confidence interval, 0.789-0.933; p < 0.001). The area under curve of plasma copeptin level was similar to that of GCS score (p = 0.299). However, copeptin did not statistically significantly improve the area under curve of GCS score (p = 0.413). CONCLUSIONS Increased plasma copeptin levels are associated with mortality after TBI.
Adopting Organizational Structuring for ICT-enabled Government Transformation: Perspectives of City Government Employees in Indonesia and the Philippines

e-government or the use of ICT and its application by the government for the provision of information and public services to the people is now the norm. Local governments, being at the frontline of public service delivery, have to keep up with e-government practice and development in order to satisfy the imperatives of good governance. A framework of transformational government identifies elements which are interrelated and are consequential to the utilization of new ICT systems: process redesign; organizational structuring; and, cultural and behavioral change. Using variables fetched from various technology acceptance models, this study investigates the factors for the adoption of organizational structuring by city government employees in the city governments of Surabaya, Indonesia and Davao, Philippines. Survey data gathered from 78 Surabaya and 82 Davao purposively-sampled employee respondents was quantitatively analyzed through structural equation modeling. It was found out that performance expectancy and attitude are the pivotal factors in influencing the intention of adopting organizational structuring. Moreover, age and length of work experience of the city government employees appear to have limited relevance as moderating variables.
Evaluation of conventional and radiometric fecal culture and a commercial DNA probe for diagnosis of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis infections in cattle.

Radiometric (RCM) and conventional fecal culture (HEY) and a commercial polymerase chain reaction/DNA probe were evaluated as diagnostic tests for subclinical paratuberculosis in dairy cattle using fecal specimens from a repository of paratuberculosis specimens. The case definition of subclinical bovine paratuberculosis was isolation of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis, by conventional or radiometric culture, from fecal samples or internal organs of dairy cattle without diarrhea or chronic weight loss. Animals designated as free of the disease originated exclusively from certified paratuberculosis-free herds in Wisconsin. Among 182 infected cattle, RCM and HEY fecal culture and the DNA probe had test sensitivities of 54.4%, 45.1% and 33.5%, respectively. Fecal samples from only 111 of the M. paratuberculosis-infected cows tested positive by at least one of the three tests and these cows were designated as fecal shedders; the remaining 71 were considered to have prepatent infections. Among the 111 M. paratuberculosis fecal shedders, RCM, HEY and the probe detected the organism in 89.2%, 73.8% and 55.0% of the fecal specimens, respectively. Herd prevalence significantly affected the sensitivity of all three diagnostic tests (p less than 0.05) but only affected the fecal shedder detection efficiency of the DNA probe (p less than 0.01). No positive DNA probe results were found on 100 randomly selected fecal samples from cows in four certified paratuberculosis-free herds, thus the DNA probe was 100% specific. Probe analyses could be performed in 24 h or less. Time to complete the culture-based tests was 12 wk for HEY and 7 wk for RCM. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Neuropsychological deficits in sober alcoholics: influences of chronicity and recent alcohol consumption.

BACKGROUND The relationships between severity of neuropsychological (NP) deficits and quantity and duration of alcoholic drinking remain controversial. Eckardt et al. (1998) proposed that NP deficits can be observed only if chronicity of alcohol abuse equals or exceeds 10 years. In this study we tested the hypothesis of Eckardt et al. and reexamined the relationship of NP performance and alcohol consumption. METHODS One hundred sixty-two alcoholics and 165 controls completed a NP test battery at least 3 weeks after the alcoholics attained sobriety. Chronicity varied from 4 to 9 years for 55 alcoholics and from 10 to 33 years for the remaining 107. RESULTS Compared to controls, both groups of alcoholics were impaired on the Shipley Vocabulary and Abstraction tests and on two versions of the Digit Symbol test, but there was no difference between the two alcoholic groups on any measure. Regression analyses that controlled for age and education showed that chronicity predicted less than 0.5% of the variance on NP measures. By contrast, a measure of recent alcohol consumption, the Quantity-Frequency Index, contributed significantly (approximately 5% of the variance) to the prediction of alcoholics' NP performance. CONCLUSIONS These data provide weak support for a dose effect relationship between degree of NP impairment and level of alcoholic drinking in the past 6 months but no evidence for an influence of chronicity.
Thiamin intake, erythrocyte transketolase (EC 2.2.1.1) activity and total erythrocyte thiamin in adolescents

The relationships between thiamin intake, erythrocyte transketolase (EC 2.2.1.1) activity coefficient (ETK-AC) and total erythrocyte thiamin were investigated in a group of adolescents (13 to 14 years old; nineteen boys, thirty-five girls). Thiamin intakes were calculated from 7 d weighed records, using food composition tables, and compared with those obtained by direct analysis of duplicate diets. Average 7 d calculated thiamin intakes were significantly lower than analysed intakes for both sexes. On an individual basis, calculated intakes ranged from 30 to 143 % of corresponding analysed values. Analysed and calculated intakes were significantly correlated when expressed as mg/d; however, when expressed in terms of energy intake, the correlation was significant for males only. Thiamin intake appeared largely adequate when compared with current UK dietary recommendations (Department of Health, 1991), but the limitations of such comparisons are considered. The major food groups contributing to thiamin intake were examined and showed breakfast cereals to contribute more than 25% of dietary thiamin. A proportion of the subjects had ETK-AC values in ranges usually associated with marginal or severe thiamin deficiency. There was, however, no statistically significant relationship between erythrocyte thiamin and basal or stimulated transketolase activity, or between thiamin intake and either of the methods used to assess status. The need to re-evaluate indices of thiamin status is discussed.
Prognostic factors after resection of ampullary carcinoma: Multivariate survival analysis in comparison with ductal cancer of the pancreatic head

Resection was performed in 85 patients with ampullary and in 150 with ductal pancreatic head carcinoma. Curative resection was achieved in 98 and 87 per cent respectively. Patient survival at 5 years after exclusion of hospital deaths was 38 versus 16 per cent respectively. The patients were compared retrospectively in a multivariate survival analysis. For patients with pancreatic carcinoma, residual tumour stage, tumour size and grading were independent prognostic factors, but for those with ampullary carcinoma only tumour size was a prognostic factor. Lymph node metastasis impaired prognosis, but this effect was demonstrable for both groups only after univariate analysis. The Union Internacional Contra la Cancrum classification system was not a reliable parameter of prognosis after resection of ampullary carcinoma. Patients with ampullary cancer appear to have a better prognosis intrinsically than those with pancreatic head tumours, and not simply because they present at an earlier stage. The difference in prognosis cannot be explained sufficiently by a differential importance of the various survival variables.
Association of Bystander Interventions With Neurologically Intact Survival Among Patients With Bystander-Witnessed Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest in Japan.

IMPORTANCE Neurologically intact survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been increasing in Japan. However, associations between increased prehospital care, including bystander interventions and increases in survival, have not been well estimated. OBJECTIVE To estimate the associations between bystander interventions and changes in neurologically intact survival among patients with OHCA in Japan. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective descriptive study using data from Japan's nationwide OHCA registry, which started in January 2005. The registry includes all patients with OHCA transported to the hospital by emergency medical services (EMS) and recorded patients' characteristics, prehospital interventions, and outcomes. Participants were 167,912 patients with bystander-witnessed OHCA of presumed cardiac origin in the registry between January 2005 and December 2012. EXPOSURES Prehospital interventions by bystander, including defibrillation using public-access automated external defibrillators and chest compression. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Neurologically intact survival was defined as Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category score 1 or 2 and overall performance category scores 1 or 2 at 1 month or at discharge. The association between the interventions and neurologically intact survival was evaluated. RESULTS From 2005 to 2012, the number of bystander-witnessed OHCAs of presumed cardiac origin increased from 17,882 (14.0 per 100,000 persons [95% CI, 13.8-14.2]) to 23,797 (18.7 per 100,000 persons [95% CI, 18.4-18.9]), and neurologically intact survival increased from 587 cases (age-adjusted proportion, 3.3% [95% CI, 3.0%-3.5%]) to 1710 cases (8.2% [95% CI, 7.8%-8.6%]). The rates of bystander chest compression increased from 38.6% to 50.9%, bystander-only defibrillation increased from 0.1% to 2.3%, bystander defibrillation combined with EMS defibrillation increased from 0.1% to 1.4%, and EMS-only defibrillation decreased from 26.6% to 23.5%. Performance of bystander chest compression, compared with no bystander chest compression, was associated with increased neurologically intact survival (8.4% [6594 survivors/78,592 cases] vs 4.1% [3595 survivors/88,720 cases]; odds ratio [OR], 1.52 [95% CI, 1.45-1.60]). Compared with EMS-only defibrillation (15.0% [6445 survivors/42,916 cases]), bystander-only defibrillation (40.7% [931 survivors/2287 cases]) was associated with increased neurologically intact survival (OR, 2.24 [95% CI, 1.93-2.61]), as was combined bystander and EMS defibrillation (30.5% [444 survivors/1456 cases]; OR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.31-1.71]), whereas no defibrillation (2.0% [2369 survivors/120,653 cases]) was associated with reduced survival (OR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.39-0.48]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In Japan, between 2005 and 2012, the rates of bystander chest compression and bystander defibrillation increased and were associated with increased odds of neurologically intact survival.