Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response of EMIT Amphetamine Immunoassays to Urinary Desoxyephedrine Following Vicks Inhaler Use

The cross-reactivity of l-methamphetamine (l-desoxyephedrine) to the EMIT-d.a. u. class (EC) and EMIT-d.a. u. monoclonal amphetamine/ methamphetamine (EM) assays was evaluated in urine specimens collected from six subjects using Vicks inhalers. The subjects were five men and a woman ranging from 27 to 47 years old. Four subjects used the inhaler as recommended by the manufacturer for five consecutive days; two subjects used double this dosage for three consecutive days. All urine voids were collected, totaling 132 specimens. All specimens were analyzed by the EC and EM assays. Specimens yielding a positive response were then analyzed by chiral and achiral gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). No specimen was positive by the EM assay, whereas 17 specimens yielded positive EC results. One subject for form the “as recommended” group had six positive specimens with maximum /-desoxyephedrine of 872 ng/ml. Both subjects using twice the recommended dosage had positive specimens, maximum l-desoxyephedrine of 1,560 ng/ml. No positive specimen contained >200 ng/ml l-amphetamine.
SNAREs and control of synaptic release probabilities

Since quantal release was first described, it has been clear that release of neurotransmitters is a stochastic process. Modulation of neurotransmitter release probability by regulatory factors likely affects the transfer of information within the nervous system. Although many rules governing release probabilities at the synapse have been discovered, their molecular basis is still under investigation. Here we analyze stimulus‐evoked probabilistic assembly of the SNARE fusion machinery and show that a simple SNARE‐based mechanism can account quantitatively for the classical binomial behavior of stochastic neurotransmitter release. Our analysis highlights for the first time how the fusion machinery, which is directly responsible for neurotrans‐mitter release, may also contribute to the rich variety of synaptic responses. —Hu, K. , Davletov, B. SNAREs and control of synaptic release probabilities. FASEB J. 17, 130‐135 (2003)
Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: A Case Study of Post Saddam-Hussein Iraq

Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: Case Study of Post-Saddam Hussein Iraq by Kellie S. Rourke MPA, Troy University, 2004 BS, Austin Peay State University, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University March 2017 Abstract Democracy building operations in foreign nations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been met with resistance and at great cost in terms of dollars and lives. Reducing these costs requires understanding why individuals choose to resist the transition to democracy, yet current research in the field does not address the issues of a previously nonviolentDemocracy building operations in foreign nations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been met with resistance and at great cost in terms of dollars and lives. Reducing these costs requires understanding why individuals choose to resist the transition to democracy, yet current research in the field does not address the issues of a previously nonviolent population turning to terrorism to resist transition to democracy. The purpose of this single case study was to use rational choice theory and Crenshaw’s 3 levels of causation to understand what factors influenced members of the Sunni sect to resist democratic transition following the 2003 invasion of U.S. forces. Data for this study consisted of secondary data, including transcripts of interviews with 15 Sunni Iraqis who once supported or showed neutrality for a democratic government but then resisted transition through terrorism. Data were deductively coded according to Crenshaw’s 3 levels of causation and then subjected to thematic analysis. Findings revealed that the primary factor that led individuals to support terrorism against the transitioning government was political, in that Sunni participants felt that after the democratic transition, the government excluded them from participation in the development of the new government to include constitutional development and elections. Findings also showed that religion, specifically being Sunni, impacted the decision to resort to resistance through terrorism. The study concluded with recommendations to the U.S. government and military forces that highlight planning and execution considerations to address during similar democracy building operations for success in the future. Resisting Democratic Transition Through Terrorism: Case Study of Post-Saddam Hussein Iraq by Kellie S. Rourke MPA, Troy University, 2004 BS, Austin Peay State University, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy and Administration Walden University March 2017
Positron Emission Mammography Image Interpretation for Reduced Image Count Levels

We studied the effects of reduced 18F-FDG injection activity on interpretation of positron emission mammography (PEM) images and compared image interpretation between 2 postinjection imaging times. Methods: We performed a receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) study using PEM images reconstructed with different count levels expected from injected activities between 23 and 185 MBq. Thirty patients received 2 PEM scans at postinjection times of 60 and 120 min. Half of the patients were scanned with a standard protocol; the others received one-half of the standard activity. Images were reconstructed using 100%, 50%, and 25% of the total counts acquired. Eight radiologists used a 5-point confidence scale to score 232 PEM images for the presence of up to 3 malignant lesions. Paired images were analyzed with conditional logistic regression and ROC analysis to investigate changes in interpretation. Results: There was a trend for increasing lesion detection sensitivity with increased image counts: odds ratios were 2.2 (P = 0.01) and 1.9 (P = 0.04) per doubling of image counts for 60- and 120-min uptake images, respectively, without significant difference between time points (P = 0.7). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was highest for the 100%-count, 60-min images (0.83 vs. 0.75 for 50%-counts, P = 0.02). The 120-min images had a similar trend but did not reach statistical significance (AUC = 0.79 vs. 0.73, P = 0.1). Our data did not yield significant trends between specificity and image counts. Lesion-to-background ratios increased between 60- and 120-min scans (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Reducing the image counts relative to the standard protocol decreased diagnostic accuracy. The increase in lesion-to-background ratio between 60- and 120-min uptake times was not enough to improve detection sensitivity in this study, perhaps in part due to fewer counts in the later scan.
Role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibition with inflixiMAB in cancer therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is a central cytotoxic and proinflammatory cytokine. Research on the benefits of TNF-alpha inhibition as a form of therapy has focused almost exclusively on autoimmune, inflammatory disorders. InflixiMAB, a chimeric antibody to human TNF-alpha, was recently approved for the management of Crohn disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The potential applications of inflixiMAB in the management of cancer are just beginning to be explored. This article reviews the biology, mechanism of action, pharmacology, and toxicity of inflixiMAB. Existing clinical experience and inflixiMAB’s potential role as an immunosuppressant and antitumor agent in the management of cancer are also discussed.
Generation of physically consistent interpolant motion from key frames for human-like multibody systems in flight

This paper proposes an approach for generating a physically consistent trajectory from a few key frames of flight motion of a human-like multibody system. Systems in flight are subject to angular momentum conservation, a nonholonomic constraint, and linear momentum conservation. In the proposed approach, motion of one of the links is first generated independently. The motion of all other links is planned appropriately to satisfy the constraints of motion. This work has potential applications ranging from designing dynamic animations to planning free flight motion for humanoid robots.
Pre-exposure to Low Doses: Modulation of X-Ray-Induced DNA Damage and Repair?

Abstract Cramers, P., Atanasova, P., Vrolijk, H. , Darroudi, F. , van Zeeland, A. A. , Huiskamp, R. , Mullenders, L. H. F. and Kleinjans, J. C. S. Pre-exposure to Low Doses: Modulation of X-Ray-Induced DNA Damage and Repair? Radiat. Res. 164, 383–390 (2005). The adaptive response to ionizing radiation may be mediated by the induction of antioxidant defense mechanisms, accelerated repair or altered cell cycle progression after the conditioning dose. To gain new insight into the mechanism of the adaptive response, nondividing lymphocytes and fibroblasts were used to eliminate possible contributions of cell cycle effects. The effect of conditioning doses of 0.05 or 0.1 Gy followed by challenging doses up to 8 Gy (with a 4-h interval between exposures) on induction and repair of DNA damage was determined by single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay), premature chromosome condensation, and immunofluorescence labeling for γ-H2AX. The conditioning dose reduced the induction of DNA strand breaks, but the kinetics of strand break rejoining was not influenced by the conditioning dose in nondividing cells of either cell type. We conclude that adaptation in nondividing cells is not mediated by enhanced strand break rejoining and that protection against the induction of DNA damage is rather small. Therefore, the adaptive response is most likely a reflection of perturbation of cell cycle progression.
Role of the subchondral vascular system in endochondral ossification: endothelial cells specifically derepress late differentiation in resting chondrocytes in vitro.

Endochondral ossification in growth plates proceeds through several consecutive steps of late cartilage differentiation leading to chondrocyte hypertrophy, vascular invasion, and, eventually, to replacement of the tissue by bone. It is well established that the subchondral vascular system is pivotal in the regulation of this process. Cells of subchondral blood vessels act as a source of vascular invasion and, in addition, release factors influencing growth and differentiation of chondrocytes in the avascular growth plate. To elucidate the paracrine contribution of endothelial cells we studied the hypertrophic development of resting chondrocytes from the caudal third of chick embryo sterna in co-culture with endothelial cells. The design of the experiments prevented cell-to-cell contact but allowed paracrine communication between endothelial cells and chondrocytes. Under these conditions, chondrocytes rapidly became hypertrophied in vitro and expressed the stage-specific markers collagen X and alkaline phosphatase. This development also required signaling by thyroid hormone in synergy. Conditioned media could replace the endothelial cells, indicating that diffusible factors mediated this process. By contrast, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, or hypertrophic chondrocytes did not secrete this activity, suggesting that the factors were specific for endothelial cells. We conclude that endochondral ossification is under the control of a mutual communication between chondrocytes and endothelial cells. A finely tuned balance between chondrocyte-derived signals repressing cartilage maturation and endothelial signals promoting late differentiation of chondrocytes is essential for normal endochondral ossification during development, growth, and repair of bone. A dysregulation of this balance in permanent joint cartilage also may be responsible for the initiation of pathological cartilage degeneration in joint diseases.
Small Vascular and Alzheimer Disease-Related Pathologic Determinants of Dementia in the Oldest-Old

The relative contributions of Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular lesion burden to the occurrence of cognitive decline are more difficult to define in the oldest-old than they are in younger cohorts. To address this issue, we examined 93 prospectively documented autopsy cases from 90 to 103 years with various degrees of AD lesions, lacunes, and microvascular pathology. Cognitive assessment was performed prospectively using the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Neuropathologic evaluation included the Braak neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) and &bgr;-amyloid (A&bgr;) protein deposition staging and bilateral semiquantitative assessment of vascular lesions. Statistics included regression models and receiver operating characteristic analyses. Braak NFTs, A&bgr; deposition, and cortical microinfarcts (CMIs) predicted 30% of Clinical Dementia Rating variability and 49% of the presence of dementia. Braak NFT and CMI thresholds yielded 0.82 sensitivity, 0.91 specificity, and 0.84 correct classification rates for dementia. Using these threshold values, we could distinguish 3 groups of demented cases and propose criteria for neuropathologic definition of mixed dementia, pure vascular dementia, and AD in very old age. Braak NFT staging and severity of CMI allow for defining most of demented cases in the oldest-old. Most importantly, single cutoff scores for these variables that could be used in the future to formulate neuropathologic criteria for mixed dementia in this age group were identified.
T7 Single Strand DNA Binding Protein but Not T7 Helicase Is Required for DNA Double Strand Break Repair

ABSTRACT An in vitro system based on Escherichia coliinfected with bacteriophage T7 was used to test for involvement of host and phage recombination proteins in the repair of double strand breaks in the T7 genome. Double strand breaks were placed in a uniqueXhoI site located approximately 17% from the left end of the T7 genome. In one assay, repair of these breaks was followed by packaging DNA recovered from repair reactions and determining the yield of infective phage. In a second assay, the product of the reactions was visualized after electrophoresis to estimate the extent to which the double strand breaks had been closed. Earlier work demonstrated that in this system double strand break repair takes place via incorporation of a patch of DNA into a gap formed at the break site. In the present study, it was found that extracts prepared from uninfected E. coli were unable to repair broken T7 genomes in this in vitro system, thus implying that phage rather than host enzymes are the primary participants in the predominant repair mechanism. Extracts prepared from an E. coli recA mutant were as capable of double strand break repair as extracts from a wild-type host, arguing that the E. coli recombinase is not essential to the recombinational events required for double strand break repair. In T7 strand exchange during recombination is mediated by the combined action of the helicase encoded by gene 4 and the annealing function of the gene 2.5 single strand binding protein. Although a deficiency in the gene 2.5 protein blocked double strand break repair, a gene 4 deficiency had no effect. This argues that a strand transfer step is not required during recombinational repair of double strand breaks in T7 but that the ability of the gene 2.5 protein to facilitate annealing of complementary single strands of DNA is critical to repair of double strand breaks in T7.
Efficacy Comparison of Multiple-Antigen Subcutaneous Injection Immunotherapy and Multiple-Antigen Sublingual Immunotherapy

We performed an observational study to determine whether allergen-specific sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is as effective as allergen-specific subcutaneous injection immunotherapy (SCIT). Our study population was comprised of 66 patients who had been taking SLIT. Of this group, 36 patients had switched to SLIT after having been treated with SCIT (group I), while the remaining 30 patients had received SLIT only (group II). A questionnaire was used to evaluate the results of treatment. In group I, 33 patients (92%) gave SLIT a favorable rating; 27 of these patients (75%) said it was just as effective as SCIT, and 6 (17%) said it was actually superior (the remaining 3 patients [8%] said that SCIT was better). In group II, 27 of 30 patients (90%) said they had attained symptom relief with SLIT; 21 (70%) said that the relief had been very significant. Overall, 60 of the 66 patients (91 %) expressed various degrees of satisfaction with SLIT. We believe that our SLIT protocol, which is based on established guidelines for SCIT administration, is an effective, safe, well-tolerated, and easy-to-use regimen. Future prospective studies of larger groups are clearly indicated.
Parent distress in childhood cancer: A comparative evaluation of posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression and anxiety

The aim was to assess symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress (PTS; cognitive intrusions, avoidance, arousal) related to the child's illness, and generic distress (anxiety, depression) in parents of childhood cancer patients. Outcomes were compared to normative and relevant reference data, and analysed for their dependence on time passed since diagnosis. Swedish parents (266 mothers, 208 fathers) were recruited at two centres. Data from a clinical sample of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients and parents of healthy children were used for comparison. The Impact of Events Scale (IES-R) was used for assessing PTS symptoms, and self-report scales for anxiety and depression. Elevated stress and generic distress varied as a function of time from diagnosis. Up to 12% of parents for whom >5 years had passed since diagnosis still reported equally, or more intrusive thoughts, avoidance and arousal when contrasted to patients suffering from PTSD. Parents of recently diagnosed children had more cancer-related intrusive thoughts than those of long-term survivors. Heightened anxiety and depression was most prominent in mothers and fathers up to 2.5 years after diagnosis. In conclusion, severe generic distress characterises the first years after diagnosis, and initially common PTS symptoms are found in a considerable portion of parents years after diagnosis. Clinically, attention should be paid to continuous parent support needs. Individual variation vis-à-vis distress vulnerability should be acknowledged, and presupposed gender differences avoided. When treatment situation asks the most of parents’ collaboration, many are under pressure of severe stress.
U2 snRNA-Protein Contacts in Purified Human 17S U2 snRNPs and in Spliceosomal A and B Complexes

ABSTRACT The 17S U2 snRNP plays an essential role in branch point selection and catalysis during pre-mRNA splicing. Much remains to be learned about the molecular architecture of the U2 snRNP, including which proteins contact the functionally important 5′ end of the U2 snRNA. Here, RNA-protein interactions within immunoaffinity-purified human 17S U2 snRNPs were analyzed by lead(II)-induced RNA cleavage and UV cross-linking. Contacts between the U2 snRNA and SF3a60, SF3b49, SF3b14a/p14 and SmG and SmB were detected. SF3b49 appears to make multiple contacts, interacting with the 5′ end of U2 and nucleotides in loops I and IIb. SF3a60 also contacted different regions of the U2 snRNA, including the base of stem-loop I and a bulge in stem-loop III. Consistent with it contacting the pre-mRNA branch point adenosine, SF3b14a/p14 interacted with the U2 snRNA near the region that base pairs with the branch point sequence. A comparison of U2 cross-linking patterns obtained with 17S U2 snRNP versus purified spliceosomal A and B complexes revealed that RNA-protein interactions with stem-loop I and the branch site-interacting region of U2 are dynamic. These studies provide important insights into the molecular architecture of 17S U2 snRNPs and reveal U2 snRNP remodeling events during spliceosome assembly.
Protein kinase C in cultured adult human oligodendrocytes: A potential role for isoform α as a mediator of process outgrowth

The extension of cellular processes from the oligodendrocyte soma is an early and critical event in myelin formation. Previous reports from this laboratory have implicated a role for protein kinase C (PKC) as an important intracellular mediator of this critical step in myelinogenesis. In the current study, the regrowth of fibers by adult human oligodendrocytes was examined and was found to be significantly enhanced by the PKC stimulator, 4β‐phorbol‐12,13‐didecanoate (PDB); this was accompanied by a 400–500% increase in oligodendroglial PKC activity. In contrast to other cell types, the increased PKC activity in oligodendrocytes was not followed by subsequent down‐regulation of the enzyme. The role of PKC in oligodendroglial process formation was further demonstrated by the ability of inhibitors of PKC to block the basal‐ or PDB‐enhanced fiber outgrowth. As well, studies employing isoform‐specific agonists implicated PKCα as the major determinant of fiber outgrowth by oligodendrocytes. The potential significance of PKC in myelin formation was further underscored by the observation that the synthesis of myelin basic protein, a prerequisite component for myelinogenesis, was increased by 2‐fold in PDB‐treated oligodendrocytes. Collectively, these observations suggest that PKC, in particular the α isoform, constitutes an important mediator in the initiation of myelin formation. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Research Reactions Following Participation in Intimate Partner Violence Research

There has been increased attention in recent years related to the research reactions of individuals who participate in intimate partner violence (IPV) research. Existing studies demonstrate that participating in IPV research is not emotionally upsetting for the vast majority of participants and that many participants perceive benefit from their research participation. However, almost all of the existing research has utilized non-clinical samples or battered women, failing to examine the research reactions of a clinical sample of men. Thus, the present study examined the research reactions of men in substance use treatment (N = 138) who completed a self-report measure of IPV perpetration and victimization. We also examined whether distress tolerance moderated the relationship between reports of IPV and negative emotional research reactions. Consistent with previous research, after accounting for distress tolerance, substance use, and demographic control variables, IPV was unrelated to negative emotional research reactions. Distress tolerance did not moderate the association between IPV and research reactions. Findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting that IPV research meets Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements for minimal risk research.