Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The purposes of cultural supervision

If you are working in the social services sector, over 40 and Maori, chances are that you will have been asked to provide cultural supervision for a younger Maori worker. However, when you ask what do they mean by cultural supervision, after a slightly panicked look, you can get a variety of different answers. They all know that it is supposed to be done, that it is considered important, in fact some are required by their employers or contracts to have it, but until very recently few seem to know what they actually wanted. This article reports on a brief research project as part of a Masters in Social Welfare programme that interviewed Maori social workers and Maori and Pakeha social work managers about their expectations and experiences of cultural supervision. The participants were asked four questions about the purpose of cultural supervision, who should get cultural supervision, the qualities of a cultural supervisor and problems they had encountered in cultural supervision.
Impact of abutment microstructure and insertion depth on crestal bone changes at nonsubmerged titanium implants with platform switch.

OBJECTIVES To assess the impact of microgrooved abutments and the insertion depth on crestal bone changes at titanium implants with platform switch. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of n = 3 titanium implants (conical abutment connection) were inserted in each hemimandible of n = 6 foxhounds with the implant shoulder (IS) located at either epicrestal, supracrestal (+1 mm), or subcrestal (-1 mm) positions and randomly (split-mouth design) connected with machined or partially microgrooved healing abutments. At 20 weeks, tissue biopsies were processed for histological (primary outcome: net bone loss - NET) analyses. RESULTS Subcrestal positioning of IS tended to be associated with higher mean NET values (mm) at both machined (subcrestal [-0.72 ± 0.32] > epicrestal [-0.34 ± 0.21] > supracrestal [+0.20 ± 0.64]) and microgrooved (subcrestal [-0.48 ± 0.25] > epicrestal [-0.13 ± 0.54] > supracrestal [+0.33 ± 0.58]) abutments. However, these differences failed to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS The insertion depth may have a direct influence on crestal bone-level changes at both types of abutments investigated.
Complementary approaches to diagnosing marine diseases: a union of the modern and the classic

Linking marine epizootics to a specific aetiology is notoriously difficult. Recent diagnostic successes show that marine disease diagnosis requires both modern, cutting-edge technology (e.g. metagenomics, quantitative real-time PCR) and more classic methods (e.g. transect surveys, histopathology and cell culture). Here, we discuss how this combination of traditional and modern approaches is necessary for rapid and accurate identification of marine diseases, and emphasize how sole reliance on any one technology or technique may lead disease investigations astray. We present diagnostic approaches at different scales, from the macro (environment, community, population and organismal scales) to the micro (tissue, organ, cell and genomic scales). We use disease case studies from a broad range of taxa to illustrate diagnostic successes from combining traditional and modern diagnostic methods. Finally, we recognize the need for increased capacity of centralized databases, networks, data repositories and contingency plans for diagnosis and management of marine disease.
High incidence of T-cell tumors in E2A-null mice and E2A/Id1 double-knockout mice

The basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins encoded by the E2A gene are broadly expressed transcription regulators which function through binding to the E-box enhancer sequences. The DNA binding activities of E2A proteins are directly inhibited upon dimerization with the Id1 gene product. It has been shown that disruption of the E2A gene leads to a complete block in B-lymphocyte development and a high frequency of neonatal death. We report here that nearly half of the surviving E2A-null mice develop acute T-cell lymphoma between 3 to 10 months of age. We further show that disruption of the Id1 gene improves the chance of postnatal survival of E2A-null mice, indicating that Id1 is a canonical negative regulator of E2A and that the unbalanced ratio of E2A to Id1 may contribute to the postnatal death of the E2A-null mice. However, the E2A/Id1 double-knockout mice still develop T-cell tumors once they reach the age of 3 months. This result suggests that E2A may be essential for maintaining the homeostasis of T lymphocytes during their constant renewal in adult life.
Calcium Entry, Calcium Redistribution, and Exocytosis

Abstract: At a given cytosolic domain of a chromaffin cell, the rate and amplitude of the Ca2+ concentration, [Ca2+]c, depend on at least three efficient regulatory mechanisms: (1) the plasmalemmal Ca2+ channels; (2) the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); and (3) the mitochondria. High‐voltage activated Ca2+ channels of the L, N, P/Q, and R subtypes are expressed with different densities in various mammalian species; they are regulated by G proteins coupled to purinergic and opiate receptors, as well as by voltage and the local changes of [Ca2+]c. Targeted aequorin and confocal microscopy show that Ca2+ entry through Ca2+ channels can refill the ER to near millimolar concentrations and causes the release of ER Ca2+ (CICR). We have also seen that, depending on its degree of filling, the ER may act as a sink or source of Ca2+ that modulates the release of catecholamine. Targeted aequorins with different Ca2+ affinities show that mitochondria undergo surprisingly rapid millimolar Ca2+ transients ([Ca2+]M) upon stimulation of chromaffin cells with ACh, high K+, or caffeine. Physiological stimuli generate [Ca2+]c microdomains at these functional complexes in which the local subplasmalemmal [Ca2+]c rises abruptly from 0.1 μM to about 50 μM. This triggers CICR, mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake, and exocytosis in nearby secretory active sites. That this is true is shown by the observation that protonophores abolish mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake and drastically increase catecholamine release by 3‐ to 5‐fold. This increase is likely due to acceleration of vesicle transport from a reserve pool to a ready‐release vesicle pool; such transport might be controlled by Ca2+ redistribution to the cytoskeleton, through CICR and/or mitochondrial Ca2+ release.
New enveloped dsRNA phage from freshwater habitat.

Cystoviridae is a family of bacteriophages with a tri-segmented dsRNA genome enclosed in a tri-layered virion structure. Here, we present a new putative member of the Cystoviridae family, bacteriophage ϕNN. ϕNN was isolated from a Finnish lake in contrast to the previously identified cystoviruses, which originate from various legume samples collected in the USA. The nucleotide sequence of the virus reveals a strong genetic similarity (~80 % for the L-segments, ~55 % for the M-segments and ~84 % for the S-segments) to Pseudomonas phage ϕ6, the type member of the virus family. However, the relationship between ϕNN and other cystoviruses is more distant. In general, proteins located in the internal parts of the virion were more conserved than those exposed on the virion surface, a phenomenon previously reported among eukaryotic dsRNA viruses. Structural models of several putative ϕNN proteins propose that cystoviral structures are highly conserved.
Source modeling sleep slow waves

Slow waves are the most prominent electroencephalographic (EEG) feature of sleep. These waves arise from the synchronization of slow oscillations in the membrane potentials of millions of neurons. Scalp-level studies have indicated that slow waves are not instantaneous events, but rather they travel across the brain. Previous studies of EEG slow waves were limited by the poor spatial resolution of EEGs and by the difficulty of relating scalp potentials to the activity of the underlying cortex. Here we use high-density EEG (hd-EEG) source modeling to show that individual spontaneous slow waves have distinct cortical origins, propagate uniquely across the cortex, and involve unique subsets of cortical structures. However, when the waves are examined en masse, we find that there are diffuse hot spots of slow wave origins centered on the lateral sulci. Furthermore, slow wave propagation along the anterior−posterior axis of the brain is largely mediated by a cingulate highway. As a group, slow waves are associated with large currents in the medial frontal gyrus, the middle frontal gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, the anterior cingulate, the precuneus, and the posterior cingulate. These areas overlap with the major connectional backbone of the cortex and with many parts of the default network.
Caveolin-1 Expression is Variably Displayed in Astroglial-derived Tumors and Absent in Oligodendrogliomas: Concrete Premises for a New Reliable Diagnostic Marker in Gliomas

Caveolins are basic constituents of flask-shaped cell membrane microdomains (caveolae), which are involved in many cell functions, including signalling, trafficking, and cellular growth control. The distribution of caveolae within the normal brain and in brain tumors is controversial. In the present study, we describe the expression of caveolin-1 (cav-1) in 64 brain tumors of different grade, of either astroglial or oligodendroglial origin. All studied astrocitomas of any grade (from II to IV) were cav-1 positive, displaying staining patterns and intensity specifically associated to the different tumor grades. In all glioblastomas and gliosarcomas, cav-1 staining was extremely intense, typically localized at the cell membrane and recognized a variable percentage of cells, including the majority of spindle cells and palisade-oriented perinecrotic cells. In anaplastic astrocytomas, a less intense membrane staining or a cytoplasmic dotlike immunoreactivity were present, the latter being almost the exclusive pattern observed in diffuse astrocitomas grade II. In contrast to astroglial tumors, the striking totality of grade II oligodendrogliomas and the large majority of grade III were lacking cav-1 expression. Interestingly, a cav-1 distribution overlapping the pattern described in tissues was observed also in primary cell cultures of human glioblastomas and astrocytomas, and also in one established glioblastoma cell line (U251 MG), analyzed by means of confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. In conclusion, among astroglial tumors cav-1 expression varies in distribution, pattern, and intensity specifically according to tumor types and grades. The association between tumor progression and a more structured membranous pattern of cav-1 expression could suggest the hypothesis of a neoplastic shift towards a mesenchymal phenotype, whose behavioral and biologic significance worth further studies. Finally, the lack of cav-1 immunoreactivity in oligodendrogliomas suggests its concrete application as a useful diagnostic marker.
Effect of Parathyroid Hormone on Renin Secretion 1

Abstract The ability of parathyroid hormone (PTH) to increase renin secretion was investigated in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. An intravenous infusion of bovine PTH 1-34, at the dose of 0.028 μg kg-1 min-1 increased renin secretion by 149% (501 ± 105 to 1249 ± 309 ng hr-1 min-1); renin secretion returned to control values during the recovery period. In order to determine whether PTH acted directly on the kidney to increase renin secretion, PTH was infused into the right renal artery at doses of 0.0014 to 0.0028 μg kg-1 min-1 and renin secretion from the right kidney was compared to that from the left (control) kidney. Renin secretion from the right (PTH-infused) kidney was not greater than control values for that kidney or different from the renin secretory rate of the left (control) kidney. In contrast, the excretion rates of both phosphate and sodium from the right kidney were greater than control values and from the excretion rates of the left kidney. These data suggest that PTH, while acting directly on the kidney to increase phosphate and sodium excretion, does not elevate renin secretion by a direct renal action.
Specific DNA replication mutations affect telomere length in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To investigate the relationship between the DNA replication apparatus and the control of telomere length, we examined the effects of several DNA replication mutations on telomere length in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We report that a mutation in the structural gene for the large subunit of DNA replication factor C (cdc44/rfc1) causes striking increases in telomere length. A similar effect is seen with mutations in only one other DNA replication gene: the structural gene for DNA polymerase alpha (cdc17/pol1) (M.J. Carson and L. Hartwell, Cell 42:249-257, 1985). For both genes, the telomere elongation phenotype is allele specific and appears to correlate with the penetrance of the mutations. Furthermore, fluorescence-activated cell sorter analysis reveals that those alleles that cause elongation also exhibit a slowing of DNA replication. To determine whether elongation is mediated by telomerase or by slippage of the DNA polymerase, we created cdc17-1 mutants carrying deletions of the gene encoding the RNA component of telomerase (TLC1). cdc17-1 strains that would normally undergo telomere elongation failed to do so in the absence of telomerase activity. This result implies that telomere elongation in cdc17-1 mutants is mediated by the action of telomerase. Since DNA replication involves transfer of the nascent strand from polymerase alpha to replication factor C (T. Tsurimoto and B. Stillman, J. Biol. Chem. 266:1950-1960, 1991; T. Tsurimoto and B. Stillman, J. Biol. Chem. 266:1961-1968, 1991; S. Waga and B. Stillman, Nature [London] 369:207-212, 1994), one possibility is that this step affects the regulation of telomere length.
Effects of Resistance Training on Ventricular Function and Hypertrophy in a Rat Model

Objective: The purpose of this study was to follow the ventricular function and cardiac hypertrophy in rats undergoing a resistance-training program for a period of 3 months. Design: Forty animals were divided into two major groups: control (n=16) and resistance trained (n=24). From the resistance-trained group, 12 animals were resistance trained for 1 month and another 12 for 3 months. The resistance-training protocol was performed with 4 sets of 12 repetitions using 65% to 75% of one repetition maximum (maximum lifted weight with the exercise apparatus). Methods: Echocardiographic analysis was performed at the beginning of the resistance-training period and at the end of each month. The repetition maximum was measured every 2 weeks. Cardiac hypertrophy was determined by echocardiography, by the absolute weight of the cardiac chambers and by histology of the left ventricle. Results: Before resistance training, both groups had similar repetition maximums, ranging from 1.8-fold to 2-fold the body weight; however, at the end of the resistance-training period, the repetition maximum of the resistance-trained group was 6-fold greater than the body weight. The left ventricular mass as assessed by echocardiography was 8%, 12% and 16% larger in the resistance-trained group than in the control group in the first, second and third months, respectively. This hypertrophy showed a similar increase in the interventricular septum and in the free posterior wall mass. There was no reduction in the end-diastolic left ventricular internal diameter during the 3-month resistance-training period. Systolic function did not differ between the groups throughout the resistance-training period. Conclusion: Resistance training induces the development of concentric cardiac hypertrophy without ventricular dysfunction or cavity reduction. Although diastolic function was not completely investigated, we cannot exclude the possibility that resistance training results in diastolic dysfunction.
The Neural Tube Is Required to Maintain Primary Segmentation in the Sclerotome

Primary segmentation in vertebrates is considered to be an intrinsic property of the presomitic paraxial mesoderm controlled by a number of interconnected oscillating signals. Resegmentation, in contrast, has been shown to depend on signals from the axial structures. Here we report the requirement of the neural tube for maintenance but not formation of primary segmentation in chick embryos. Unilateral removal of the neural tube, next to the anterior presomitic mesoderm, caused disturbed development of the neural arches and the spinous processes. But already 24 h postsurgery, the sclerotome showed loss of primary segmentation in the craniocaudal axis. Cells strongly expressing twist and not showing any segmentation were located dorsomedially between the remaining left half of the neural tube and the right side dermomyotome, which frequently was truncated medially.
Factors affecting health-care costs and hospitalizations among diabetic patients in Thai public hospitals.

OBJECTIVE The study investigated the factors affecting health-care costs and hospitalizations among diabetic patients in Thai public hospitals. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted by using administrative claims data obtained from diabetic patients during October 1, 2002 and September 30, 2003. Dependent variables were total health-care costs and the occurrence of hospitalizations. Independent variables included demographic factors, health-care utilisation, complications, comorbidities, and payment methods. Multivariate statistical analyses were applied. RESULTS The results of this study suggested that demographic factors of patients (i.e., age and male sex), payment methods (i.e., capitation, fee-for-service, and out-of-pocket) were significantly associated with higher health-care costs and probability of hospitalization. Patients receiving treatment from teaching hospitals significantly consumed higher health-care costs. In addition, the more health-care utilisation (i.e., occurrence of hospitalization, number of outpatient visit, and insulin utilization), the higher health-care costs the patients significantly had. Diabetic patients taking insulin had significantly higher health-care costs and risk of hospitalization. Furthermore, comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and cancer) and diabetes-related complications (e.g., nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease, and peripheral vascular disease) were significantly associated with an increase in health-care costs and hospitalization. CONCLUSION Factors affecting health-care costs and hospitalizations may help health-care providers intervene to improve patient management and possibly reduce health-care costs in the future.
Quantitative Analysis of Indian Mutual Funds: Equity Schemes

Mutual funds are an integral part of the stock market, which have become an investment avenue for a large number of investors in recent years. There are a number of investment opportunities available to an investor. Each of these investments has its own risk and return features. The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare the performance of equity mutual fund schemes of selected companies (HDFC, ICICI, and Franklin Templeton).
Translational Upregulation of the X‐Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis

Abstract: The X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is the most potent and best studied intrinsic regulator of programmed cell death. The critical role XIAP plays in the control of apoptosis is also reflected in the complex ways the activity of XIAP is regulated. In addition to regulating the function of the protein, the synthesis of XIAP is also selectively regulated. XIAP is translated by a cap‐independent mechanism of translation initiation that is mediated by a unique internal ribosome entry site (IRES) sequence element located in its 5′ untranslated region. This allows XIAP mRNA to be actively translated during conditions of cellular stress when the majority of cellular protein synthesis is inhibited. The IRES regulation of XIAP translation points to an important mechanism in the control and regulation of apoptosis.
Inflammatory Regulators in Parkinson's Disease: iNOS, Lipocortin-1, and Cyclooxygenases-1 and -2

Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and focal gliosis are pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease and although the brain is described as immune-privileged focal immune reactions surround failing nigral neurons. We examined the cellular distribution of pro- and anti-inflammatory molecules in human parkinsonian and neurologically normal substantia nigra and caudate-putamen postmortem. An up-regulation of nitric oxide synthase- and cyclo-oxygenase-1- and -2-containing amoeboid microglia was found in parkinsonian but not control nigra. Astroglia contained low levels of these molecules in both groups. Lipocortin-1-immunoreactive amoeboid microglia were present within the astrocytic envelope of neurons adjacent to or within glial scars in parkinsonian nigra only. Lipocortin-1 is known to have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Up-regulation of nitric oxide synthase is generally associated with neurodestruction whereas prostaglandin synthesis may be either neurodestructive or protective. The balance of these molecules is likely to be decisive in determining neuronal survival or demise.
Children (but Not Adults) Can Inhibit False Memories

The role of inhibition in children's (5-, 7-, and 11-year-olds') false memory illusions in the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm was examined using a list-wise directed-forgetting procedure. Children studied either a single DRM list (control) or two DRM lists in succession with a directed-remembering instruction or a directed-forgetting instruction between list presentations. The findings indicated that, like adults, children effectively suppressed the output of true memories when given a directed-forgetting instruction. Unlike adults, whose false memories are not attenuated in directed-forgetting conditions, children suppressed false memories at recall in the directed-forgetting condition. Because recognition data indicated that the children did generate false memories regardless of instruction, it appears that although adults' false memories are generated automatically and do not become part of their conscious experience, children's false memories are produced with greater effort and conscious processing, and as a result are easier to suppress at output.
Near‐infrared bone densitometry: A feasibility study on distal radius measurement

Osteoporosis, defined as decreased bone mineral density (BMD), poses patients in dangers for fracture risk and has become a major public health problem worldwide because of is associated morbidity, mortality and costs. Without doubt, early detection and timely intervention are important to successfully manage osteoporosis and its associated complications. The dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the most popular and standard method to measure BMD. However, limitations including radiation exposure and availability restrict its application for osteoporosis screening among general population. In this study, we developed a simple method to detect human distal radius bone density based on near infrared (NIR) image system. Among 10 volunteers (including 5 young and 5 elderly participants) receiving bone density measurement using our NIR image system at the ultradistal part of bilateral distal radius, we demonstrated a strong correlation between the optical attenuation and BMD measured with DXA, which may facilitate predicting bone density status. We hope our potential NIR image system may open a new avenue for development of osteoporosis screening facilities and help in prevention of osteoporosis related fracture and its associated complications in the near future. Pearson's correlations between BMD values from the DXA and light intensity of NIR system.