Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability of nursing process records for patients with schizophrenia.

AIMS This study explored the inter-rater and intra-rater reliability to evaluate the consistency of nursing process records for patients with schizophrenia. BACKGROUND By writing accurate and complete nursing process records, nurses can quickly communicate the care that has been delivered. However, little is known about the accuracy of nursing records to reflect the patients' problems, especially in psychiatry. DESIGN A prospective observational study. METHODS Two nurses with similar work experience in psychiatric wards assessed patient records produced by 14 psychiatric nurses to compute inter-rater reliability of nursing diagnoses and their defining characteristics. Collecting the records and the time spans between the first and the second data collection took one month to compute the intra-reliability of the nursing diagnoses by the same nurse. RESULTS The greatest intra-rater consistency was in identifying 'disturbed thought processes' (kappa = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.56-0.98). A moderate level of inter-rater agreement among nurses was observed for the nursing diagnoses of 'disturbed thought process' and 'disturbed sleep pattern' from 0.41-0.53. Furthermore, the inter-rater agreement of among nurses with less work experience (less than four years) showed greater higher consistency on 'disturbed thought process' (kappa = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.23-0.89) and 'disturbed sleep pattern' (kappa = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.07-0.73) than that observed among nurses with more work experience (more than four years). CONCLUSIONS Overall, intra-rater reliability was greater than inter-rater reliability for psychiatric nursing process records. Furthermore, more inter-rater and intra-rater agreement were observed among records from less experienced nurses than among records produced by more experienced ones. To evaluate the consistency of nursing process records, both the intra-rater reliability and the inter-rater reliability show the importance of using standardised terms and more detailed nursing records. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Our results clearly indicate that using standardised terms to describe patient symptoms and more detailed descriptions of the nursing process could improve the accuracy of nursing records.
A Potent In Vivo Antitumor Efficacy of Novel Recombinant Type I Interferon

Purpose: Antiproliferative, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities of endogenous type I IFNs (IFN1) prompt the design of recombinant IFN1 for therapeutic purposes. However, most of the designed IFNs exhibited suboptimal therapeutic efficacies against solid tumors. Here, we report evaluation of the in vitro and in vivo antitumorigenic activities of a novel recombinant IFN termed sIFN-I. Experimental Design: We compared primary and tertiary structures of sIFN-I with its parental human IFNα-2b, as well as affinities of these ligands for IFN1 receptor chains and pharmacokinetics. These IFN1 species were also compared for their ability to induce JAK–STAT signaling and expression of the IFN1-stimulated genes and to elicit antitumorigenic effects. Effects of sIFN-I on tumor angiogenesis and immune infiltration were also tested in transplanted and genetically engineered immunocompetent mouse models. Results: sIFN-I displayed greater affinity for IFNAR1 (over IFNAR2) chain of the IFN1 receptor and elicited a greater extent of IFN1 signaling and expression of IFN-inducible genes in human cells. Unlike IFNα-2b, sIFN-I induced JAK–STAT signaling in mouse cells and exhibited an extended half-life in mice. Treatment with sIFN-I inhibited intratumoral angiogenesis, increased CD8+ T-cell infiltration, and robustly suppressed growth of transplantable and genetically engineered tumors in immunodeficient and immunocompetent mice. Conclusions: These findings define sIFN-I as a novel recombinant IFN1 with potent preclinical antitumorigenic effects against solid tumor, thereby prompting the assessment of sIFN-I clinical efficacy in humans. Clin Cancer Res; 23(8); 2038–49. ©2016 AACR.
Predictive regression equations and clinical uses of peripheral pulse timing characteristics in children

Studies have shown that increased arterial stiffening can be an indication of cardiovascular diseases like hypertension. In clinical practice, this can be detected by measuring the blood pressure (BP) using a sphygmomanometer but it cannot be used for prolonged monitoring. It has been established that pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a direct measure of arterial stiffening but its usefulness is hampered by the absence of non-invasive techniques to estimate it. Pulse transit time (PTT) is a simple and non-invasive method derived from PWV. However, limited knowledge of PTT in children is found in the present literature. The aims of this study are to identify independent variables that confound PTT measure and describe PTT regression equations for healthy children. Therefore, PTT reference values are formulated for future pathological studies. Fifty-five Caucasian children (39 male) aged 8.4 ± 2.3 yr (range 5–12 yr) were recruited. Predictive equations for PTT were obtained by multiple regressions with age, vascular path length, BP indexes and heart rate. These derived equations were compared in their PWV equivalent against two previously reported equations and significant agreement was obtained (p < 0.05). Findings herein also suggested that PTT can be useful as a continuous surrogate BP monitor in children.
Fluosol DA-20 in the treatment of severe anemia: randomized, controlled study of 46 patients.

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of Fluosol DA-20% (FDA) as a blood substitute in the treatment of severe anemia. Thirty-six patients received either FDA (n = 21) or crystalloid/hydroxyethyl starch (CHS) (n = 15) as part of a randomized, controlled trial. Ten patients received FDA as part of a humanitarian protocol. All were Jehovah's Witnesses who refused transfusion, had bled recently, and had average Hgb levels of 4.3 g/dl. After pulmonary artery catheter insertion, each patient was infused with CHS to attain a pulmonary artery wedge pressure (WP) of 10 to 18 mm Hg. FDA was given as a one-time dose of 30 ml/kg. Data were collected at baseline, 12, 24, and 48 h. None of the patients with negative reactions to a 0.5-ml test dose of FDA had adverse reactions to the subsequent infusion. The plasma or dissolved component of oxygen content was significantly higher in the FDA group at 12 h (FDA group 1.58 +/- 0.47 ml/dl, control group 1.01 +/- 0.31 ml/dl, p less than .02, t-test). Nineteen patients died: 12 (37.5%) FDA, seven (46.6%) control. The difference was not significant. We conclude the following: a) FDA can be given safely to severely anemic patients in doses of 30 ml/kg; b) FDA significantly increased the dissolved component of oxygen content after 12 h but the effect did not persist; c) severely anemic patients can survive without transfusion although mortality is high. In this study, inability of FDA to sustain increased oxygen content was due in part to the rapid elimination of FDA and also to the limited amount given. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Acinus-S′ Represses Retinoic Acid Receptor (RAR)-Regulated Gene Expression through Interaction with the B Domains of RARs

ABSTRACT The diverse biological actions of retinoic acid (RA) are mediated by RA receptors (RARs) and retinoid X receptors (RXRs). Modulation of transcription by RARs/RXRs is achieved through two activation functions, ligand-independent AF-1 and ligand-dependent AF-2, located in the A/B and E domains, respectively. While the coregulatory proteins that interact with the E domain are well studied, the A/B domain-interacting partners and their influence(s) on the function of RARs are poorly understood. Acinus-S′ is an ubiquitous nuclear protein that has been implicated in inducing apoptotic chromatin condensation and regulating mRNA processing. Our data demonstrate that Acinus-S′ can specifically repress ligand-independent and ligand-dependent expression of a DR5 RA response element(RARE)-dependent reporter gene and several endogenous RAR-regulated genes in a dose-dependent and gene-specific manner. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays show that Acinus-S′ associates with RAREs within the promoters of endogenous genes independent of RA treatment. Furthermore, the C-terminal end of Acinus-S′ and the B domain of RARβ interact independently of ligand, and the C-terminal end of Acinus-S′ is sufficient for the repression of RAR-regulated gene expression. Finally, histone deacetylase activity only partially accounts for the repressive effect of Acinus-S′ on RAR-dependent gene expression. These findings identify Acinus-S′ as a novel RAR-interacting protein that regulates the expression of a subset of RAR-regulated genes through direct binding to the N-terminal B domains of RARs.
2016). Snus use and risk of schizophrenia and non-affective psychosis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 164, 179-182

Background: Recent studies suggest a possible causal role for smoking in schizophrenia and psychosis. Most studies have focused on cigarette smoking, the most common form of tobacco use, but other forms of tobacco exist, including smokeless products such as Swedish snuff (or “snus”). Methods: We explored whether snus use is associated with schizophrenia and non-affective psychotic illness in a large Swedish registry data set. The majority of participants were aged 18 or 19 at the time of assessment. Results: We observed a positive association between snus use and odds of schizophrenia in all analyses, but the magnitude of the association was small and the conﬁdence interval wide, consistent with no association (fully adjusted HR 1.03, 95% 0.70–1.54). A similar pattern was observed for non-affective psychosis, but the magnitude of the association was somewhat greater and the conﬁdence intervals narrower, so that these analyses provided stronger statistical evidence for this association (fully adjusted HR 1.22, 95% CI, 1.00–1.48). Conclusions: Our results therefore provide modest evidence for an association between snus use and risk for non-affective psychosis. This is consistent with emerging evidence from a range of studies and methodologies that tobacco use may be a risk factor for psychotic illness. However, our results provide some evidence against the hypothesis that it is the burnt products of cigarette smoke that are psychotogenic. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Calreticulin chaperones regulate functional expression of vomeronasal type 2 pheromone receptors

A variety of social behaviors like intermale aggression, fear, and mating rituals are important for sustenance of a species. In mice, these behaviors have been implicated to be mediated by peptide pheromones that are sensed by a class of G protein-coupled receptors, vomeronasal receptor type 2 (V2Rs), expressed in the pheromone detecting vomeronasal organ. Matching V2Rs with their cognate ligands is required to learn what receptors the biologically relevant pheromones are acting on. However, this feat has been greatly limited by the unavailability of appropriate heterologous tools commonly used to study ligand receptor specificity, because this family of receptors fails to traffic to the surface of heterologous cells. Here we show that calreticulin, a housekeeping chaperone commonly expressed in most eukaryotic cells, is sparsely expressed in the vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs). Correspondingly, knockdown of calreticulin in commonly available cell lines enables V2Rs to efficiently target to the cell membrane. Using this knowledge, we have now been able to successfully surface express receptors and functionally identify cognate ligands. Additionally, calreticulin4, a homolog of calreticulin shows restricted and enriched expression in the VSNs. Interestingly, in heterologous cells, calreticulin4 does not inhibit surface expression of V2Rs and can in part carry out functions of calreticulin. On the basis of our data, we postulate that V2Rs may use a unique trafficking mechanism whereby an important and more commonly expressed chaperone is deleterious for membrane export and is replaced by a functionally equivalent homolog that does not inhibit export while carrying out its functions.
α1‐Adrenergic Receptor Stimulation of Cell Motility Requires Phospholipase D‐Mediated Extracellular Signal‐Regulated Kinase Activation

Phospholipase D is suspected to play a role in tumorigenesis, and the inhibition of phospholipase D has been associated with changes in several cellular events including invasion and migration. We report here that the specific α1‐adrenergic receptor agonist, phenylepherine, signals to a growth factor pathway in a manner that requires phospholipase D activity in CCL39 fibroblasts. Phenylepherine increased extracellular signal‐regulated kinase phosphorylation eightfold and promoted stress fiber formation threefold. Stress fiber formation was blocked when extracellular signal‐regulated kinase activation was inhibited. Stimulation of CCL39 fibroblasts by phenylepherine increased the rate of wound healing fourfold in a wounding assay, while treatment with the MEK inhibitor, PD98059 reduced the closure of phenylepherine‐induced wound healing to control levels. Addition of 1‐butanol but not 2‐butanol inhibited extracellular signal‐regulated kinase activation by phenylepherine, presumably by blocking the formation of phosphatidic acid. Exogenously added cell permeable phosphatidic acid increased extracellular signal‐regulated kinase activation in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner as well as stimulated the formation of stress fibers. 1‐butanol also significantly inhibited the ability of phenylepherine to stimulate stress fiber formation and wound healing. Taken together, these results indicate a novel role for phospholipase D in the activation of the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase growth factor pathway to stimulate early cellular events induced by phenylepherine.
Detection of Neoparamoeba perurans by duplex quantitative Taqman real-time PCR in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded Atlantic salmonid gill tissues.

The development and the application of a quantitative duplex real-time PCR for the detection of Neoparamoeba perurans and the elongation factor α 1 gene (ELF) of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. , and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), are described. A set of primers and probe was designed to amplify a 139-bp fragment specific to the N. perurans 18S rRNA gene. The test was shown to be very sensitive, being able to detect as little as 13.4 DNA copies per μL corresponding to 0.15 fg of template DNA. In addition, the reaction that detected N. perurans was found to have a high degree of repeatability and reproducibility, to have a linear dynamic range (R(2 ) = 0.999) extending over 5 log(10) dilutions and to have a high efficiency (104%). The assay was applied to DNA samples extracted from 48 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) salmon gill tissues showing varying degrees of gill histopathology and amoebic gill disease (AGD)-type histopathology ranging from absent to severe (each scored 0-3). Neoparamoeba perurans DNA was detected in all the blocks where AGD-type histopathology was diagnosed microscopically and in 43.6% of the blocks showing signs of gill pathology. The association between parasitic load and gill histopathology and AGD-type histopathology severity was also investigated. This study also describes the development and the application of a second real-time PCR for the generic detection of Neoparamoeba spp. , Page, 1987. A set of primers and probe conserved among the Neoparamoeba spp. was designed to amplify a 150-bp fragment within the 18S rRNA gene. Applied to N. perurans-negative gill tissues, the method was used to exclude the presence of other Neoparamoeba spp. in those blocks where gill pathology was observed microscopically.
Behind the Sony scandal : the role of talent agencies in perpetuating inequality

Hollywood talent agencies are powerful organizations that act as gatekeepers to the industry and structure the labor market for actors, directors, and writers. This thesis applies Rosabeth Moss Kanter’s work on tokenization, Joan Acker’s theory of gendered organizations, and R.W. Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity to understand the organizational structures and narratives of success that privilege white men in talent agencies. Through interviews conducted with talent agents, I found that these organizations are defined by men’s monopoly of powerful positions, professional networks exclusive to men, a patrimonial system of mentorship, and discourses that prize certain masculine performances and disparage femininity. This thesis illuminates the exclusionary organizational structures and discourses operating within talent agencies that may help explain the white male domination of these spaces.
Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes

Since bacteria which survive within phagocytes may produce serious infection, antibiotics which inactivate these intracellular organisms are needed. To establish those factors which mediate entry of antimicrobial agents into human phagocytes, we studied the uptake of 13 radiolabeled antibiotics by peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). At intervals during a 2-h incubation period, antibiotic uptake by PMN was determined by means of velocity gradient centrifugation, which separates the cell-associated antibiotic from the extracellular antibiotic. Penicillin G and three cephalosporin antibiotics penetrated PMN poorly. The ratio of cellular concentration to extracellular concentration (C/E) of these drugs was <0.01 to 0.5. For gentamicin and isoniazid, the C/E values were approximately 0.8 to 1.0. Chloramphenicol, rifampin, and lincomycin, antibiotics with good lipid solubility, were concentrated twofold (C/E = 2) in PMN. Ethambutol (C/E = 5), clindamycin (C/E = 11), and two erythromycin preparations (C/E = 10 to 13) were markedly concentrated within PMN. Clindamycin uptake was rapid: >70%o of the total drug entry occurred within the first minute. Accumulation of clindamycin and erythromycin was an active, energy-requiring process, dependent at least in part upon glycolysis. Clindamycin entered PMN by means of an active membrane transport system which was saturable and had a high binding affinity (Km = 2 mM) and maximum velocity of uptake (Vma,x = 5 nmol/45 s per 10 cells). These observations, together with studies of the biological consequences of intracellular antibiotics, should lead to more effective therapy for infections due to intracellular pathogens.
Synthesis of the l-Alanyl-l-alanine Cross-bridge of Enterococcus faecalis Peptidoglycan*

The enzymatic synthesis of the completel-alanyl1-l-alanine2side chain of the peptidoglycan precursors of Enterococcus faecalis was obtained in vitro using purified enzymes. The pathway involved alanyl-tRNA synthetase and two ligases, BppA1 and BppA2, that specifically transfer alanine from Ala-tRNA to the first and second positions of the side chain, respectively. The structure of the UDP-N-acetylmuramoyl-l-Ala-γ-d-Glu-l-Lys(N ε-l-Ala1-l-Ala2)-d-Ala-d-Ala product of BppA1 and BppA2 was confirmed by mass spectrometry (MS) and MS/MS analyses. The peptidoglycan structure of the wild-type E. faecalis strain JH2-2 was determined by tandem reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography-MS revealing that most muropeptides contained two l-alanyl residues in the cross-bridges and in the free N-terminal ends. Deletion of the bppA2 gene was associated with production of muropeptides containing a single alanyl residue at these positions. The relative abundance of monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers in the peptidoglycan of the bppA2mutant indicated that precursors containing an incomplete side chain were efficiently used by the dd-transpeptidases in the cross-linking reaction. However, the bppA2 deletion impaired expression of intrinsic β-lactam resistance suggesting that the low affinity penicillin-binding protein 5 did not function optimally with precursors substituted by a single alanine.
The impact of transcriptional cycling on gene regulation

Research of the past decade showed that transcriptional regulation could be a highly dynamic and cyclical process. Many transcription factors and their co-regulators cyclically associate with a periodicity of 30-75 min with regulatory chromatin regions resulting in dynamically changing chromatin marks and cyclical activities of RNA polymerase II in mRNA synthesis.
Heterozygosity for a protein truncation mutation of sodium channel SCN8A in a patient with cerebellar atrophy, ataxia, and mental retardation

Background: The SCN8A gene on chromosome 12q13 encodes the voltage gated sodium channel Nav1.6, which is widely expressed in neurons of the CNS and PNS. Mutations in the mouse ortholog of SCN8A result in ataxia and other movement disorders. Methods: We screened the 26 coding exons of SCN8A in 151 patients with inherited or sporadic ataxia. Results: A 2 bp deletion in exon 24 was identified in a 9 year old boy with mental retardation, pancerebellar atrophy, and ataxia. This mutation, Pro1719ArgfsX6, introduces a translation termination codon into the pore loop of domain 4, resulting in removal of the C-terminal cytoplasmic domain and predicted loss of channel function. Three additional heterozygotes in the family exhibit milder cognitive and behavioural deficits including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). No additional occurrences of this mutation were observed in 625 unrelated DNA samples (1250 chromosomes). Conclusions: The phenotypes of the heterozygous individuals suggest that mutations in SCN8A may result in motor and cognitive deficits of variable expressivity, but the study was limited by lack of segregation in the small pedigree and incomplete information about family members. Identification of additional families will be required to confirm the contribution of the SCN8A mutation to the clinical features in ataxia, cognition and behaviour disorders.
Domestic surveillance and the Troubled Families Programme: understanding relationality and constraint in the homes of multiply disadvantaged families

This article explores the experiences of families within the Troubled Families Programme in responding to professional concerns about the condition and maintenance of the family home. Drawing upon care ethicists’ development of relational autonomy perspectives, neoliberal assumptions about personal agency and responsibility are challenged, and the complexity of the constraints upon families highlighted. Within this framework, family interventions can be repositioned, not as an intrusive form of domestic surveillance levied at working class women, but as an opportunity to support families (and especially mothers) to overcome oppressive conditions which constrain their capacity to act.