Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unique Effects of Acute Aripiprazole Treatment on the Dopamine D2 Receptor Downstream cAMP-PKA and Akt-GSK3β Signalling Pathways in Rats

Aripiprazole is a wide-used antipsychotic drug with therapeutic effects on both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and reduced side-effects. Although aripiprazole was developed as a dopamine D2 receptor (D2R) partial agonist, all other D2R partial agonists that aimed to mimic aripiprazole failed to exert therapeutic effects in clinic. The present in vivo study aimed to investigate the effects of aripiprazole on the D2R downstream cAMP-PKA and Akt-GSK3β signalling pathways in comparison with a D2R antagonist – haloperidol and a D2R partial agonist – bifeprunox. Rats were injected once with aripiprazole (0.75mg/kg, i.p.), bifeprunox (0.8mg/kg, i.p.), haloperidol (0.1mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle. Five brain regions – the prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate putamen (CPu), ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN) were collected. The protein levels of PKA, Akt and GSK3β were measured by Western Blotting; the cAMP levels were examined by ELISA tests. The results showed that aripiprazole presented similar acute effects on PKA expression to haloperidol, but not bifeprunox, in the CPU and VTA. Additionally, aripiprazole was able to increase the phosphorylation of GSK3β in the PFC, NAc, CPu and SN, respectively, which cannot be achieved by bifeprunox and haloperidol. These results suggested that acute treatment of aripiprazole had differential effects on the cAMP-PKA and Akt-GSK3β signalling pathways from haloperidol and bifeprunox in these brain areas. This study further indicated that, by comparison with bifeprunox, the unique pharmacological profile of aripiprazole may be attributed to the relatively lower intrinsic activity at D2R.
Applications of Genetically Manipulated Mice in Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics

Gene knockout mice have proven to be very useful in understanding the role of xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes in chemical toxicity and carcinogenesis. The combination of gene knockout technology with transgenic mouse technology should provide more versatile and suitable animal models to study the risks of chemical exposures in humans in terms of toxicity and carcinogenesis, as well as development and design of new therapeutic drugs. Recent studies using genetically manipulated mice are summarized.
Mentoring in the workplace

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer practical tips and guidance to organisations considering setting up a workplace mentoring programme. Design/methodology/approach – The paper shares insights and practical tips based on the experience of St Mungo's Homelessness charity. Findings – Mentoring is an effective low-cost means of making the most of your in-house experience and developing the potential of your workforce. Originality/value – Based on the experience of St Mungo's Homelessness charity, the paper shares insights and offers practical tips for organisations that are considering setting up a mentoring programme.
"I traveled alone, but never felt alone": an exploration of the benefits of an older women's group tour experience.

Older women�s group travel is a neglected research topic in tourism studies. Furthermore, research into the sociopsychological benefits of travel is in its infancy. The purpose of this study was to explore the benefits of a group tour leisure experience for older women. Using self-directed photography, 30 members of the Red Hat Society, an all-women�s social leisure group, took photographs during their vacation. Later, they expanded on their photographic selections through personal narratives. Findings suggested that the group tour afforded �Red Hattishness,� a multidimensional context to have fun, to be self-expressive, and to develop social relationships. Participants articulated that Red Hattishness fostered positive emotions, which in turn led to expressions of well-being. Results are discussed by extending current conceptualizations of group travel for older women and the role of positive emotions in the travel experience, and by exploring possible links between older women�s group travel and their well-being.
Ceramic Style Change and Neutral Evolution: A Case Study from Neolithic Europe

Following on the work of Dunnell, the evolutionary archaeology school has made a sharp distinction between functional and stylistic variation in archaeological artifacts. Variation is defined as functional if it is affected by selection processes and as stylistic if it is a result of processes of random drift. The argument has been further developed by Neiman (1995), who showed by simulation that processes of cultural mutation and drift could produce the kinds of "battleship curves" that generally characterize artifact-style frequency distributions through time, and also demonstrated that they could account for patterns of stylistic variation through time in Woodland-period ceramic assemblages from Illinois. In this paper we present a case study of change in the decoration of pottery from early Neolithic Central Europe. We show that the actual diachronic frequency distributions and those expected under the neutral model do not coincide and conclude that in this case the neutral model does not provide an adequate description of change in ceramic decoration. A model involving selection, in the form of a bias in favor of novelty in the later phases of the period studied, seems likely to be more appropriate, and we note the social interpretation of the original investigator of the data. In conclusion, it is suggested that neutral models provide an important heuristic tool but that there is not a radical break between functional and stylistic variation.
Inhibitory Control is Slowed in Patients with Right Superior Medial Frontal Damage

Inhibitory control is an essential part of behavior. Comprehensive knowledge of the neural underpinnings will shed light on complex behavior, its breakdown in neurological and psychological disorders, and current and future techniques for the pharmacological or structural remediation of disinhibition. This study investigated the neural mechanisms involved in rapid response inhibition. The stop signal task was used to estimate inhibitory speed in a group of neurologically normal control subjects and patients with discrete frontal lobe lesions. Task procedures were controlled to rule out probable confounds related to strategic changes in task effort. The findings indicate that the frontal lobes are necessary for inhibitory control and, furthermore, that the integrity of the right superior medial frontal region is key for rapid inhibitory control under conditions controlling for strategically slow responses, forcing reliance more on a rapid, kill-switch inhibitory system. These results are interpreted within an anatomical framework of corticospinal motor control.
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY and CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL LEARNING DEPARTMENT OF BRAIN AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES

One of the di culties of object recognition stems from the need to overcome the variability in object appearance caused by factors such as illumination and pose. The in uence of these factors can be countered by learning to interpolate between stored views of the target object, taken under representative combinations of viewing conditions. Di culties of another kind arise in daily life situations that require categorization, rather than recognition, of objects. We show that, although categorization cannot rely on interpolation between stored examples, knowledge of several representative members, or prototypes, of each of the categories of interest can still provide the necessary computational substrate for the categorization of new instances. The resulting representational scheme based on similarities to prototypes is computationally viable, and is readily mapped onto the mechanisms of biological vision revealed by recent psychophysical and physiological studies. Copyright c Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1997 Some of the results described here appeared in a preliminary form in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 352B(1358), pp.1191-1202 (1997). This report describes research done at the Center for Biological and Computational Learning in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. S. Duvdevani-Bar is at the Department of Applied Mathematics & Computer Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
Uncertainty, Time-Varying Fear, and Asset Prices

I construct an equilibrium model that captures salient properties of index option prices, equity returns, variance, and the risk-free rate. A representative investor makes consumption and portfolio choice decisions that are robust to his uncertainty about the true economic model. He pays a large premium for index options because they hedge important model misspecification concerns, particularly concerning jump shocks to cash flow growth and volatility. A calibration shows that empirically-consistent fundamentals and a reasonable level of model uncertainty explain option prices and the variance premium. Time variation in investor uncertainty generates variance premium fluctuations and helps explain their power to predict stock returns.
A Study of Music Students’ Tempo Changes of a Soloist’s Performance of Mozart’s 1st Horn Concerto

The purpose of the present investigation was to investigate music students’ tempo changes of a soloist’s performance in an excerpt from Mozart’s Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Horn and Orchestra. We then compared the composite rubato pattern to tendencies found in a previous investigation using Mozart’s Concerto No. 2 in E ♭ Major for Horn and Orchestra. Data were collected directly from listeners’ Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI) dial movements, which controlled the instantaneous tempo of the solo horn performance. Some tendencies from previous rubato performances were replicated; however, overall performances more closely reflected the previous performances of the lowest rated horn performers than those judged as the highest caliber performers.
Systematic assessment of 50 children with selective mutism.

OBJECTIVE To clarify the diagnostic significance of selective mutism (elective mutism in DSM-III-R). METHOD Fifty children with selective mutism were evaluated systematically by means of semistructured clinical interviews and rating scales to obtain detailed diagnostic information. RESULTS All 50 children met DSM-III-R criteria for social phobia or avoidant disorder and 24 (48%) had additional anxiety disorders. Clinical measures of anxiety and behavioral symptoms supported the presence of anxiety disorders as a characteristic of selectivity mute children. Only one case each of oppositional defiant disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder was found. CONCLUSIONS Persistent selective mutism typically presents in the context of anxiety disorders.
Ultrasound Imaging to Estimate Risk of Esophageal and Vascular Puncture After Conventional Stellate Ganglion Block

Background and Objectives The most common techniques to perform stellate ganglion blocks (SGBs) are the blind C6 approach and the fluoroscopic-controlled paratracheal C7 approach, both after manual dislocation of the large vessels. Complications due to vascular or esophageal puncture have been reported. The goal of this ultrasound imaging study was to determine how frequently hazardous structures are located along the needle path of conventional SGB and to determine the influence of the dislocation maneuver on their position. Methods Sixty volunteers were examined on both sides. The presence of the esophagus, vertebral artery, and other arteries located within the needle path of an SGB at the C6 and C7 levels was determined before and during the dislocation maneuver. Results On the left side, the esophagus was located along the needle path in 22 and 39 of 60 cases at the C6 and C7 levels, respectively, and remained there in 10 and 22 of 60 cases during dislocation. The esophagus appeared in the needle path during dislocation from a previously safe location in 5 and 8 of these cases at the C6 and C7 locations, respectively. The vertebral artery was located in the needle path in a range of 2 to 8 of 60 cases without impact of dislocation on its position. Other arteries were located in the needle path in the range of 10 to 17 of 60 cases with a slight decrease during dislocation. Conclusions The esophagus and relevant arteries were frequently located in the needle path of conventional SGBs. The dislocation maneuver had a partial impact on moving these structures away from the target and may increase left-sided esophageal puncture risk in certain individuals. Ultrasound (US) imaging is expected to improve the safety of SGB, but it will require clinical trials to confirm this expectation.
Suspended particulate matter transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the lower Columbia River and its estuary

Analysis of suspended particulate material (SPM) collected from the Columbia River and its estuary in 2007–2008 revealed the ubiquitous presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from several distinct sources. The two dominant ones were: (1) a suite of non‐alkylated, three to five‐ringed compounds derived from high temperature combustion and (2) perylene, a compound of diagenetic origin. A particle‐selective, hydrodynamic trapping process explains how both PAH types become concentrated on both a particle weight and organic carbon basis in the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) by as much as 10 times relative to the riverborne particle source. The ETM is a transient sedimentary feature at the land‐to‐sea interface of river‐dominated estuarine systems which, in the case of our study region, is located remotely from the likely site of initial PAH input. Particle normalized concentrations for PAH of notable environmental concern, such as fluoranthene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene, exceeded the EPA‐defined threshold effects level in all cases and were typically at, or above, the probable effects level. Comparison with results from studies for other waterways around the world indicates PAH concentrations in ETM‐trapped particles from the Columbia River estuary are higher than those documented for SPM in waters of many far more industrialized and populated regions. Our refined understanding of PAH behavior in the Columbia River and its estuary should prove valuable for reliably modeling the transport and dispersal mechanism that is characteristic of other hydrophobic, particle associated persistent organic pollutants prevalent in this system, and for other river‐dominated estuarine systems.
Organizational Participation: Myth and Reality

Introduction 1. An Overview 2. Organizational Participation: A View from Psychology 3. Organization Theory and Participation 4. Collective Bargaining, Unions, and Participation 5. Playing the Devil's Advocate: Limits to Influence Sharing in Theory and Practice 6. Participation Works - If Conditions are Appropriate 7. Myth and Reality: Valediction
Quorum sensing inhibitory activity of sub-inhibitory concentrations of β-lactams.

INTRODUCTION The virulence factors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa are under the control of quorum sensing (QS) signals. Hence, interference with QS prevents its pathogenesis. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present research is to assess the influence of some β-lactam antibiotics on cell communication and the release of different virulence factors. METHODS The minimal inhibitory concentrations of ceftazidime, cefepime and imipenem were evaluated by microbroth dilution method. The effect of sub-inhibitory concentration of the tested antibiotics on QS signals was investigated using reporter strain assay. In addition, different virulence factors (elastase, protease, pyocyanin and hemolysin) were estimated in the presence of their sub-inhibitory concentrations. RESULTS Low concentrations of ceftazidime, cefepime and imipenem caused significant elimination of the QS signals 3OH-C12-HSL and C4-HSL up to 1/20 MIC. Furthermore, low concentrations of the tested antimicrobials suppressed virulence factors elastase and hemolysin. Moreover, 1/20 of their MICs reduced elastase, protease, pyocyanin and hemolysin. CONCLUSION Utilization of β-lactam antibiotics at low concentrations could be an effective approach for prevention and treatment of P. aeruginosa infection.
A comparison of techniques for measuring sensemaking and learning within participant-generated summaries

While it is easy to identify whether someone has found a piece of information during a search task, it is much harder to measure how much someone has learned during the search process. Searchers who are learning often exhibit exploratory behaviors, and so current research is often focused on improving support for exploratory search. Consequently, we need effective measures of learning to demonstrate better support for exploratory search. Some approaches, such as quizzes, measure recall when learning from a fixed source of information. This research, however, focuses on techniques for measuring open-ended learning, which often involve analyzing handwritten summaries produced by participants after a task. There are two common techniques for analyzing such summaries: a counting facts and statements and b judging topic coverage. Both of these techniques, however, can be easily confounded by simple variables such as summary length. This article presents a new technique that measures depth of learning within written summaries based on Bloom's taxonomy B.S. Bloom &M.D. Engelhart, 1956. This technique was generated using grounded theory and is designed to be less susceptible to such confounding variables. Together, these three categories of measure were compared by applying them to a large collection of written summaries produced in a task-based study, and our results provide insights into each of their strengths and weaknesses. Both fact-to-statement ratio and our own measure of depth of learning were effective while being less affected by confounding variables. Recommendations and clear areas of future work are provided to help continued research into supporting sensemaking and learning.
Eradication of endemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections from a neonatal intensive care unit.

To control infections with endemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), triple dye was applied to the umbilical cords of infants in the intermediate-care but not the intensive-care area. The rate of MRSA infection, adjusted for time and intensity of care, decreased in the intermediate-care area (rate ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.87; P < .01) but not in the intensive-care area (rate ratio, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.41-2.24; P = .48). After 22 months, the rate increased in both areas (Mantel-Haenszel rate ratio, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.8; P < .05) after overcrowding and understaffing increased. After temporary reduction of overcrowding and understaffing, extension of triple dye use to the intensive-care area and dedication of an infection control nurse to the NICU, MRSA colonization and infection rates decreased to near zero in both areas (infection rate ratios, 0.09 and 0.11, respectively; P < .005). The endemic MRSA strain, identified by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, was eradicated.
Long-Term Protective Effects of Methamphetamine Preconditioning Against Single-Day Methamphetamine Toxic Challenges

Methamphetamine (METH) use is associated with neurotoxic effects which include decreased levels of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT) and their metabolites in the brain. We have shown that escalating METH dosing can protect against METH induced neurotoxicity in rats sacrificed within 24 hours after a toxic METH challenge. The purpose of the current study was to investigate if the protective effects of METH persisted for a long period of time. We also tested if a second challenge with a toxic dose of METH would cause further damage to monoaminergic terminals. Saline-pretreated rats showed significant METH-induced decreases in striatal DA and 5-HT levels in rats sacrificed 2 weeks after the challenge. Rats that received two METH challenges showed no further decreases in striatal DA or 5-HT levels in comparison to the single METH challenge. In contrast, METH-pretreated rats showed significant protection against METH-induced striatal DA and 5-HT depletion. In addition, the METH challenge causes substantial decreases in cortical 5-HT levels which were not further potentiated by a second drug challenge. METH preconditioning provided almost complete protection against METH –induced 5-HT depletion. These results are consistent with the idea that METH pretreatment renders the brain refractory to METH-induced degeneration of brain monoaminergic systems.
Krieg im Zuhause – ein Überblick zum Zusammenhang zwischen Kriegstraumatisierung und familiärer Gewalt

Die traditionelle Annahme eines «Zyklus der Gewalt» legt einen Zusammenhang zwischen Misshandlungserfahrungen im Kindesalter und der späteren Ausübung von Gewalt nahe. Die vorliegende narrative Übersicht beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, inwieweit die Erfahrung kriegerischer Gewalt mit einer Zunahme von Gewalt in Familien und insbesondere von Kindesmisshandlung einhergeht. Dabei werden zum einen Erkenntnisse herangezogen, die aus der Forschung mit Kriegsveteranen und noch aktiven Rekruten resultieren, und zum anderen Studien, die mit zivilen Populationen, Erwachsenen und Kindern in von Krieg betroffenen Ländern durchgeführt wurden. Verschiedene Untersuchungen legen eine Häufung von Beziehungsgewalt bei Männern, die aus militärischen Einsätzen zurückgekehrt sind, nahe und machen darüber hinaus deutlich, dass nicht die erlebten Kämpfe allein, sondern vor allem daraus resultierende psychische Störungen mit einer Zunahme von Gewalt in der Partnerschaft zusammenhängen. Zur Situation der Kinder in Familien mit Kriegsveteranen ist die derzeitige Studienlage unzureichend. Es ist unklar, ob die berichteten Verhaltensauffälligkeiten bei diesen Kindern eine Sekundärtraumatisierung darstellen, die mit der väterlichen Kriegstraumatisierung zusammenhängt, oder mit der vermehrten Gewaltanwendung durch den traumatisierten Vater zusammenhängt. Zu berücksichtigen sind hier auch Arbeiten, die zeigen, dass – häufiger als die Veteranen selbst – auch die zu Hause verbleibenden Mütter emotionale und körperliche Gewalt gegen ihre Kinder ausüben. Befunde zu Familien, die in Kriegsgebieten leben, stützen die Annahme, dass sich kriegerische Gewalt auf die familiäre Ebene überträgt; sie zeigen, dass der Krieg mitsamt seinen sozialen Begleitumständen Familien besonders vulnerabel für eine häufigere Anwendung von Gewalt gegen Kinder macht. Aus den zusammengetragenen Befunden resultieren wichtige Implikationen für die Behandlung kriegstraumatisierter Familien und für die Prävention weiterer Gewalt bei den Betroffenen.
‘Democratising’ expertise, ‘expertising’ democracy: What does this mean, and why bother?

What is the role of participatory processes in decision-making related to science and technology and in any other area where knowledge and expert advice play an important role? Can expert advice to policy makers be more transparent and accountable? This introduction discusses these and other connected questions under the provocative label of ‘democratising expertise’. It highlights and explores the variety of linkages between governance and knowledge that are presented by the authors of this special issue. The result is a complex landscape of still unresolved issues of coexistence and conflict. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.