Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protein restriction in early life is associated with changes in insulin sensitivity and pancreatic β-cell function during pregnancy

Malnutrition in early life impairs glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in adulthood. Conversely, pregnancy is associated with a significant increase in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion under conditions of normoglycaemia. A failure in β-cell adaptive changes may contribute to the onset of diabetes. Thus, glucose homeostasis and β-cell function were evaluated in control-fed pregnant (CP) and non-pregnant (CNP) or protein-restricted pregnant (LPP) and non-pregnant (LPNP) rats, from fetal to adult life, and in protein-restricted rats that were recovered after weaning (RP and RNP). The typical insulin resistance of pregnancy was not observed in the RP rats, nor did pregnancy increase the insulin content/islet in the LPP group. The glucose dose–response curves from pregnant rats were shifted to the left in relation to the non-pregnant rats, except in the recovered group. Glucose utilisation but not oxidation in islets from the RP and LPP groups was reduced at a concentration of 8·3 mm-glucose compared with islets from the CP group. Cyclic AMP content and the potentiation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion by isobutylmethylxanthine at a concentration of 2·8 mm-glucose indicated increased adenylyl cyclase 3 activity but reduced protein kinase A-α activity in islets from the RP and LPP rats. Protein kinase C (PKC)-α but not phospholipase C (PLC)-β1 expression was reduced in islets from the RP group. Phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate produced a less potent stimulation of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in the RP group. Thus, the alterations exhibited by islets from the LPP group appeared to be due to reduced islet mass and/or insulin biosynthesis. In the RP group the loss of the adaptive capacity apparently resulted from uncoupling between glucose metabolism and the amplifying signals of the secretory process, as well as a severe attenuation of the PLC/PKC pathway.
Multiprofessional Collaboration Between Teachers and Other Educational Staff at German All-day Schools as a Characteristic of Today’s Professionalism

Extract ----- Abstract The present article uses two empirical studies to look at multiprofessional collaboration between teachers and other educational staff at German all-day schools. A quantitative study is used both to develop an instrument for the measurement of multiprofessional collaboration and to analyse the connections between collaborative action and characteristic features of the teaching staff. Additionally, a qualitative study throws light on the extent, challenges and evaluation of multiprofessional collaboration at all-day schools. The two studies point to the fact that multiprofessional collaboration is underdeveloped at German all-day schools as well as to future challenges for closer collaboration between teachers and other educational staff. Keywords: collaboration, professionalism, teachers, all-day staff, all-day school ----- Bibl iography: Bohm-Kasper, Oliver/Dizinger, Vanessa/Gausling, Pia: Multiprofessional Collaboration Between Teachers and Other Educational Staff at German All-day Schools as a Characteristic of Today’s Professionalism, IJREE, Vol. 4, Issue 1-2016, pp. 29-51. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v4i1. 24774
Influence of parental health literacy and dosing responsibility on pediatric glaucoma medication adherence.

OBJECTIVE To assess glaucoma medication adherence in children, hypothesizing that poor parental health literacy and eye drop instillation by the child are associated with worse adherence. METHODS This prospective, observational study enrolled pediatric patients with glaucoma who were prescribed eye drops. Parent(s) reported who was responsible for eye drop instillation (parent vs child), took the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine, and were instructed on the use and purpose of the Medication Event Monitoring System. Calculations included average adherence (proportion of prescribed doses taken), dosing errors (number of overdosing or underdosing events in 24 hours), and proportion of doses taken on schedule (doses taken within 2 hours of prescribed dosing interval). Results are reported as mean (SD) or median. RESULTS The study included 46 of the 50 enrolled children who used the Medication Event Monitoring System for 30 days or more. Adherence ranged from 43% to 107% (93% [12%]) and was not associated with age (slope, 0.09 [0.52]; P = .86) but decreased with the parent's lower health literacy (slope, 0.62 [0.24]; P = .01). The mean number of dosing errors for medications prescribed daily vs twice daily was similar (3.3 vs 2.9; P = .66). The proportion of doses taken on schedule (within 2 hours of prescribed dosing interval) ranged from 3% to 97% (median, 34%; mean, 41% [24%]) and was better when the parent vs the child instilled eye drops (46% [26%] vs 23% [19%]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Time-dependent glaucoma medication adherence was better when the parent was responsible for eye drop instillation. Overall decreased adherence was associated with decreased parental health literacy. Children of parents with poor health literacy are vulnerable to poor medication adherence; efforts to address poor health literacy may improve outcomes.
Rejection of insulin therapy among patients with type 2 diabetes in China: reasons and recommendations

Background Insulin injection therapy is one of the most effective treatments for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Many people with T2DM in western countries resist starting insulin therapy; whether the same is true in China is unknown. This survey‐based study assessed acceptance and rejection of insulin therapy among individuals with T2DM in China and self‐reported reasons for these therapy choices. It also examined what methods may be useful for increasing the rate of insulin acceptance. Methods A multi‐center, cross‐sectional survey was conducted between April and July 2010 to a convenience sample of inpatients and outpatients at 50 medical centers across 29 administrative divisions in China. Data were collected on sociodemographic and T2DM characteristics, therapy regime, and attitudes toward insulin therapy. Results A total of 6 043 patients were surveyed, and 5 961 complete questionnaires (98.6%) were used in the analysis. Just over half the respondents (3 460, 58.0%) reported negative attitudes to insulin therapy, including 2 508 of the 4 469 patients (56.1%) whose physicians had recommended it to them. Of the patients counseled to use insulin, 800 (17.9%) were unwilling to start therapy and cited the following reasons: inconvenience (64.3%); concerns over addiction (24.6%); pain (14.3%); side effects (14.1%); and high cost (13.6%). Logistic regression suggested that respondents would be more willing to undertake insulin therapy if they had received diabetes education, had positive attitudes to the treatment, had higher glycosylated hemoglobin level, or had suffered diabetes for a longer period or with more complications. Conclusions Patients with T2DM in China are often resistant to insulin therapy if they have been diagnosed with the disease for a relatively short time or if the disease has been relatively mild. Educating patients on the benefits of insulin therapy, not only at the initial diagnosis with T2DM but also when insulin therapy becomes necessary, will likely increase their willingness to undertake it.
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Human Visual Cortex during Face Matching: A Comparison with Positron Emission Tomography

Cortical areas associated with the perception of faces were identified using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). T2*-weighted gradient echo, echo-planar MR images were obtained using a modified 1.5-T GE Signa MRI. In all nine subjects studied, performance of a face-matching task was associated with a region of significantly increased MR signal in the ventral occipitotemporal cortex, extending from the inferior occipital sulcus to the lateral occipitotemporal sulcus and fusiform gyrus. Smaller and more variable signal increases were found in dorsolateral occipitoparietal cortex near the intraparietal sulcus. Signal decreases were found in the angular gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex. Single-subject fMRI analyses revealed discrete areas of activation with well-defined borders. Group analyses of spatially smoothed fMRI data produced results that replicated most aspects of previous studies of face processing using positron emission tomography (PET). These results show that PET and fMRI identify functional areas with similar anatomical locations. In addition, fMRI reveals interindividual variation in the anatomical location of higher-level processing areas with greater anatomical precision.
Measurement of serum acetaminophen-protein adducts in patients with acute liver failure.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Acetaminophen toxicity is the most common cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States and Great Britain, but may be underrecognized in certain settings. Acetaminophen-protein adducts are specific biomarkers of drug-related toxicity in animal models and can be measured in tissue or blood samples. Measurement of serum adducts might improve diagnostic accuracy in acute liver failure (ALF) patients. METHODS We measured serum acetaminophen-protein adducts using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection in coded sera of 66 patients with ALF collected prospectively at 24 US tertiary referral centers. Samples were included from 20 patients with well-characterized acetaminophen-related acute liver failure, 10 patients with ALF owing to other well-defined causes, 36 patients with ALF of indeterminate etiology, and 15 additional patients without ALF but with known acetaminophen overdose and minimal or no biochemical liver injury. RESULTS Acetaminophen-protein adducts were detected in serum in 100% of known acetaminophen ALF patients and in none of the ALF patients with other defined causes, yielding a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. In daily serial samples, serum adducts decreased in parallel with aminotransferase levels. Seven of 36 (19%) indeterminate cases demonstrated adducts in serum suggesting that acetaminophen toxicity caused or contributed to ALF in these patients. Low adduct levels were present in 2 of 15 patients with acetaminophen overdose without significant liver injury. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of serum acetaminophen-protein adducts reliably identified acetaminophen toxicity, and may be a useful diagnostic test for cases lacking historical data or other clinical information.
Anatomical study of the vertebral artery in japanese adults

The aim of the present study was to examine the vertebral arteries. The origins of the right and left vertebral arteries and their entrance points into the cervical transverse foramen were examined in dissections of 515 Japanese cadavers (303 males, 212 females) at Kurume University School of Medicine from 1990 to 2003. There were 515 right vertebral arteries and 514 left vertebral arteries. The right vertebral artery originated from the right subclavian artery in 514 of 515 arteries and one of the arteries arose from the bifurcation of the brachiocephalic trunk. The mean distance between the origin of the right subclavian artery and the right vertebral artery was 20.9 mm. The left vertebral artery originated from the left subclavian artery in 484 of 514 arteries and the mean distance between the origin of the left subclavian artery and the left vertebral artery was 32.1 mm. The remaining 30 arteries (5.8%) originated from the aortic arch between the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery and this frequency is similar to previously published data. There was no right-left difference for the entrance point of the vertebral arteries into the cervical transverse foramen and the 6th cervical vertebra (C6) was the most common entrance point. Seventy-eight percent of our cases had right and left vertebral arteries that originated in the subclavian arteries and entered the cervical transverse foramen at C6. Among the 30 left vertebral arteries that originated from the aortic arch, 20 arteries (66.7%) entered a cervical transverse foramen at a level higher than C6. This frequency was higher than that for the left vertebral artery that originated from the subclavian artery.
Stability of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance and their relationships with the five-factor model and the psychobiological model of personality.

OBJECTIVES The stability of attachment-related anxiety and avoidance and their relationship with influential personality models are issues worth further investigation. Studying discriminant validity with respect to aspects of personality deemed as prevalently heritable, such as temperament, is particularly important. Our aims were to examine the stability of attachment dimensions and to study their relationship with psychological distress, the Big Five factors, and temperament and character dimensions. METHODS The Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Zung depression scale (ZDS), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125), and the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) were administered to 222 undergraduate and graduate students. After 1 month, 115 participants completed again the ECR, the STAI, and the ZDS. RESULTS Attachment-related anxiety was modestly correlated with depression and anxiety, while attachment-related avoidance was modestly correlated with depression. The test-retest reliability of ECR scores was high. Changes in attachment-related anxiety were not related to changes in depression or anxiety, and changes in attachment-related avoidance were modestly correlated with changes in depression. In separate multiple regression models also including gender and age, attachment-related anxiety was correlated with harm avoidance, reward dependence, low novelty seeking, low self-directedness and low cooperativeness; low energy/extraversion and low emotional stability; attachment-related avoidance was correlated with low reward dependence and tended to be correlated with low self-directedness. CONCLUSIONS These findings corroborate the reliability and the convergent and discriminant validity of the ECR, and support the notion that the attachment dimensions are only modestly related to psychological distress and are not redundant with constructs developed within influential personality models such as the five-factor model and the psychobiological model.
Exchange Rate Pass Through: The Case of The Gambia

This paper used unrestricted Vector autoregression model to study the exchange rate pass-through to consumer prices in the Gambia. We found that exchange rate pass through is not complete, consistent with other studies on sub-Saharan Africa. Exchange rate depreciation (positive exchange rate shock) results in an increase in domestic prices by 0.2 percentage points in the second quarter. The effect of the shock on CPI peaks at about 0.4 percentage points at the end of the fourth quarter. Furthermore, we also found a declining pass-through consistent with other studies. For robustness, we employed the ARDL method just to ensure that the results are not dictated by the choice of methodology.
Impact of PET Staging in Limited-Stage Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Introduction: Although positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) has been widely used for small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) staging, no study has examined the clinical impact of PET staging in limited-stage (LS) SCLC. Methods: We identified patients with LS-SCLC treated definitively with concurrent chemoradiation. Outcomes were assessed using the Kaplan–Meier approach, Cox regression, and competing risks method. Results: We treated 54 consecutive LS-SCLC patients with concurrent chemoradiation from January 2002 to August 2010. Forty underwent PET, 14 did not, and all underwent thoracoabdominopelvic CT and magnetic resonance imaging neuroimaging. Most patient characteristics were balanced between the comparison groups, including age, race, sex, bone scanning, median dosage, and performance status. More number of PET-staged patients presented with nodal metastases (p = 0.05). Median follow-up was similar for PET-staged and non–PET-staged patients (p = 0.59). Median overall survival from diagnosis in PET-staged patients was 32 versus 17 months in patients staged without PET (p = 0.03), and 3-year survival was 47% versus 19%. Median time-to-distant failure was 29 versus 12 months (p = 0.04); median time-to-local failure was not reached versus 16 months (p = 0.04). On multivariable analysis, PET staging (odds ratio [OR] = 0.24; p = 0.04), performance status (OR = 1.89; p = 0.05), and N-stage (OR = 4.94; p < 0.01) were associated with survival. Conclusion: LS-SCLC patients staged with PET exhibited improved disease control and survival when compared with non–PET-staged LS-SCLC patients. Improved staging accuracy and better identification of intrathoracic disease may explain these findings, underscoring the value of PET-CT in these patients.
Estrogen in the male: a historical perspective†

Abstract Estrogens have traditionally been considered female hormones. Nevertheless, the presence of estrogen in males has been known for over 90 years. Initial studies suggested that estrogen was deleterious to male reproduction because exogenous treatments induced developmental abnormalities. However, demonstrations of estrogen synthesis in the testis and high concentrations of 17β-estradiol in rete testis fluid suggested that the female hormone might have a function in normal male reproduction. Identification of estrogen receptors and development of biological radioisotope methods to assess estradiol binding revealed that the male reproductive tract expresses estrogen receptor extensively from the neonatal period to adulthood. This indicated a role for estrogens in normal development, especially in efferent ductules, whose epithelium is the first in the male reproductive tract to express estrogen receptor during development and a site of exceedingly high expression. In the 1990s, a paradigm shift occurred in our understanding of estrogen function in the male, ushered in by knockout mousemodels where estrogen production or expression of its receptors was not present. These knockout animals revealed that estrogen's main receptor (estrogen receptor 1 [ESR1]) is essential for male fertility and development of efferent ductules, epididymis, and prostate, and that loss of only the membrane fraction of ESR1 was sufficient to induce extensive male reproductive abnormalities and infertility. This review provides perspectives on the major discoveries and developments that led to our current knowledge of estrogen's importance in the male reproductive tract and shaped our evolving concept of estrogen's physiological role in the male. Summary Sentence Estrogenic activity, which was first thought to be harmful to males, has now been shown to be produced locally in significant quantities and to be essential for male reproductive tract development and fertility.
Credit Card Blues: The Middle Class and the Hidden Costs of Easy Credit

In an era of increased access to credit, it becomes increasingly important to understand the consequences of taking on unsecured consumer debt. We argue that credit can have both positive and negative consequences resulting from its ability to smooth life transitions and difficulties but that this occurs simultaneously with increased financial risks and stress resulting from carrying unsecured debt. We find that those in the middle of the income distribution suffer the greatest disruptions to mental health from carrying debt. Affluent borrowers are relatively unmoved by debt, suggesting the use of short-term debt as a convenience strategy for the financially well heeled. The least advantaged borrowers also suffer emotionally less from debt, possibly because securing spendable funds for necessities remains their most pressing concern. The onset of the Great Recession, however, produced increased emotional distress for all classes.
Novel Speed Test for Evaluation of Badminton-Specific Movements

Abstract Madsen, CM, Karlsen, A, and Nybo, L. Novel speed test for evaluation of badminton-specific movements. J Strength Cond Res 29(5): 1203–1210, 2015—In this study, we developed a novel badminton-specific speed test (BST). The test was designed to mimic match play. The test starts in the center of the court and consists of 5 maximal actions to sensors located in each of the 4 corners of the court. The 20 actions are performed in randomized order as dictated by computer screen shots displayed 1 second after completion of the previous action. We assessed day-to-day variation in elite players, and specificity of the test was evaluated by comparing 30-m sprint performance and time to complete the BST in 20 elite players, 21 skilled players, and 20 age-matched physical active subjects (non-badminton players). Sprint performance was similar across groups, whereas the elite players were significantly (p ⩽ 0.05) faster in the BST (total test time: 32.3 ± 1.1 seconds; average: 1.6 seconds per action) than the skilled (34.1 ± 2.0 seconds) and non-badminton players (35.7 ± 1.7 seconds). Day-to-day coefficient of variation (CV) of the BST was 0.7% for the elite players, whereas CV for repeated tests on the same day was 1.7% for elite, 2.6% for skilled, and 2.5% for non-badminton players. On this basis, we suggest that the BST may be valuable for evaluation of short-term maximal movement speed in badminton players. Thus, the BST seems to be sport specific, as it may discriminate between groups (elite, less trained players, and non-badminton players) with similar sprinting performance, and the low test-retest variation may allow for using the BST to evaluate longitudinal changes, for example, training effects or seasonal variations.
[Quantitative detection of plasma level of human telomerase reverse transcriptase mRNA in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE To quantitatively measure plasma level of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and explore its implications for NPC diagnosis and treatment. METHODS With 24 healthy volunteers serving as controls, the plasma level of hTERT mRNA was detected in 33 NPC patients by real-time PCR before and after treatments with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and its association with the clinicopathological parameters of the patients were analyzed. RESULTS The NPC patients showed a significantly higher mean plasma level of hTERT mRNA than the healthy volunteers (10.75 ± 4.29 vs 0.95 ± 0.37, P<0.05). The plasma hTERT mRNA level in the NPC patients was significantly correlated with clinical staging, tumor size, and degree of nodal metastasis (P<0.05) but with gender or age (P>0.05). In patients with stage I and II NPC, the plasma hTERT mRNA level decreased significantly after radiotherapy (5.60 ± 2.33 vs 3.43 ± 1.42); in patients in advanced stages (III and IV), plasma hTERT mRNA level decreased significantly from 12.68 ± 3.08 to 10.68 ± 2.48 (P<0.05) after chemotherapy and to 3.13 ± 1.69 (P<0.05) after radiotherapy. CONCLUSION Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can effectively suppress elevated plasma hTERT mRNA levels in NPC patients. Plasma hTERT mRNA level is closely related to the clinicopathological factors and provides important information for early diagnosis and therapeutic effect evaluation of NPC.