LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Anion and cation modulation of the guinea-pig ventricular action potential during β-adrenoceptor stimulation

Modulation of the ventricular action potential by β-adrenergic activation of Ca2+, K+ and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent Cl− channels was assessed in enzymatically isolated guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. The effectiveness and relative selectivity of 9-anthracene carboxylic acid (9-AC), as an antagonist of cAMP-dependent Cl− channels was also tested. Membrane currents and action potentials were recorded using the conventional whole-cell variant of the patch-clamp technique or with the amphotericin B perforated-patch technique. The β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol either increased or decreased action potential duration depending on whether the dominant effect was on inward Ca2+ currents or on outward K+ or Cl− currents. When Ca2+ and K+ channel modulation was prevented by nisoldipine and low temperature respectively, β-adrenergic activation of Cl− channels caused a significant reduction in action potential duration and a slight depolarization of the membrane potential. The β-adrenergic-mediated effects were reversed by the Cl− channel blocker, 9-AC. In the absence of β-adrenergic stimulation, 9-AC had no detectable effects on action potentials or Ca2+ currents. These results suggest that β-adrenergic activation of Cl− channels is a potent mechanism for regulation of action potential duration and that 9-AC may be a useful, relatively specific, pharmacological tool for evaluating the physiological role of cAMP-activated Cl− channels in heart. 9-AC also reversed the ability of isoproterenol to antagonize prolongation of action potential duration by the class III antiarrhythmic agent E-4031.
Lip tracking using pattern matching snakes

Lip reading is an important tool used by hearing impaired people to increase their understanding of spoken language. Linguistics experiments show that the features of speech that are degraded by noise in audio systems are the features of speech that are most distinct visually. An automatic visual speech recognition system should therefore be a beneficial complement to an audio speech recognition system when the audio system is used in a noisy environment. An automatic lipreading system requires a robust method to track lips from the image sequence, regardless of the variations of lip shapes, colours and movement amongst speakers. One of the most common lip tracking methods is the use of active contour models or snakes to detect outer lip contours. This paper proposes a robust and adaptable lip tracking method that uses a combination of snakes and a 2D template matching technique. The snake, an energy minimising spline, is driven by 2D template matching techniques to find the expected lip contour of a specific speaker. Our experiments show that the technique can track the unadorned lips in various colours and shapes of speakers, including the lips of a bearded speaker.
Regional specificity of sex effects on subcortical volumes across the lifespan in healthy aging.

When conceptualizing age-specific onsets and sex-specific characteristics of neuropsychiatric diseases in a neurobiological context, it may be crucially important to consider differential trajectories of aging. Here, we investigated effects of age, sex, and their interactions on absolute and relative volumes of subcortical structures with known involvement in psychiatric disorders, including the basal ganglia, thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala. Structural MRI data of 76 healthy subjects (38 males, 19-70 years) from the ICBM database were analyzed. Age-related absolute atrophy was generally found in the basal ganglia and thalamus, while in the hippocampus decline was only observed in males, and was generally absent in the amygdala. Disproportionate degeneration in the basal ganglia and thalamus, exceeding cortical decline was specific for females. When allowing higher-order models, a quadratic model could better describe the negative relation of absolute volume and age in the basal ganglia in males, and generally in the hippocampus and amygdala. We could show that negative age-relations are highly specific for certain subcortical structures in either gender. Importantly these findings also emphasize the significant impact of analytical strategies when deciding for correction of subcortical volumes to the whole-brain decline. Specifically, in the basal ganglia disproportionate shrinkage in females was suggested by the relative analysis while absolute volume analysis rather stressed an accelerating decline in older males. Given strong involvement of the basal ganglia in both cognitive aging and emotional regulation, our findings may be crucial for studies investigating the onset and prevalence of dementia and depressive symptoms in male and female aging.
Meta-analysis of quantitative sleep parameters from childhood to old age in healthy individuals: developing normative sleep values across the human lifespan.

OBJECTIVES
The purposes of this study were to identify age-related changes in objectively recorded sleep patterns across the human life span in healthy individuals and to clarify whether sleep latency and percentages of stage 1, stage 2, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep significantly change with age.


DESIGN
Review of literature of articles published between 1960 and 2003 in peer-reviewed journals and meta-analysis.


PARTICIPANTS
65 studies representing 3,577 subjects aged 5 years to 102 years.


MEASUREMENT
The research reports included in this meta-analysis met the following criteria: (1) included nonclinical participants aged 5 years or older; (2) included measures of sleep characteristics by "all night" polysomnography or actigraphy on sleep latency, sleep efficiency, total sleep time, stage 1 sleep, stage 2 sleep, slow-wave sleep, REM sleep, REM latency, or minutes awake after sleep onset; (3) included numeric presentation of the data; and (4) were published between 1960 and 2003 in peer-reviewed journals.


RESULTS
In children and adolescents, total sleep time decreased with age only in studies performed on school days. Percentage of slow-wave sleep was significantly negatively correlated with age. Percentages of stage 2 and REM sleep significantly changed with age. In adults, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, percentage of slow-wave sleep, percentage of REM sleep, and REM latency all significantly decreased with age, while sleep latency, percentage of stage 1 sleep, percentage of stage 2 sleep, and wake after sleep onset significantly increased with age. However, only sleep efficiency continued to significantly decrease after 60 years of age. The magnitudes of the effect sizes noted changed depending on whether or not studied participants were screened for mental disorders, organic diseases, use of drug or alcohol, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, or other sleep disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
In adults, it appeared that sleep latency, percentages of stage 1 and stage 2 significantly increased with age while percentage of REM sleep decreased. However, effect sizes for the different sleep parameters were greatly modified by the quality of subject screening, diminishing or even masking age associations with different sleep parameters. The number of studies that examined the evolution of sleep parameters with age are scant among school-aged children, adolescents, and middle-aged adults. There are also very few studies that examined the effect of race on polysomnographic sleep parameters.
Bayesian Spatial Survival Models for Political Event Processes

Research in political science is increasingly, but independently, modeling heterogeneity and spatial dependence in political processes. This paper draws together these two research agendas via spatial random effects survival models. In contrast to existing survival models in political science, which assume spatial independence, spatial survival models allow for spatial autocorrelation in random effects at neighboring locations, which will occur if we are unable to model fully the sources of spatial autocorrelation in our data. I examine spatially dependent random effects in both semiparametric Cox and parametric Weibull models, and examine these random effects in both individual and hierarchical frailty models. I employ a Bayesian approach in which spatial autocorrelation in unmeasured risk factors across neighboring units is incorporated into the model via a conditionally autoregressive (CAR) prior. I apply the Bayesian spatial survival modeling approach to the timing of U.S. House members’ position announcements on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). I find that spatial shared frailty models outperform standard non-frailty models and non-spatial frailty models in both the semiparametric and parametric analyses. The modeling of the spatial dependence in the random effects also produces changes in the effects of substantive covariates. ∗A previous version of this paper was presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association. I thank Sudipto Banerjee, Katherine Barbieri, Neal Beck, Janet Box-Steffensmeier, Brad Carlin, Rob Franzese, Darren Greenwood, Jude Hays, Andrew Lawson, Lyndsey Young Stanfill, Tracy Sulkin, and Chris Zorn for helpful conversations on this project.
Teacher's Professional Identity in the field of tension between tradition, neo liberalism and plurality

Teacher's Professional Identity in the field of tension between tradition, neo liberalism and plurality
Effects of aerobic and resistance training on hemoglobin A1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT
Exercise guidelines for individuals with diabetes include both aerobic and resistance training although few studies have directly examined this exercise combination.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the benefits of aerobic training alone, resistance training alone, and a combination of both on hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) in individuals with type 2 diabetes.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
A randomized controlled trial in which 262 sedentary men and women in Louisiana with type 2 diabetes and HbA(1c) levels of 6.5% or higher were enrolled in the 9-month exercise program between April 2007 and August 2009.


INTERVENTION
Forty-one participants were assigned to the nonexercise control group, 73 to resistance training 3 days a week, 72 to aerobic exercise in which they expended 12 kcal/kg per week; and 76 to combined aerobic and resistance training in which they expended 10 kcal/kg per week and engaged in resistance training twice a week. Main Outcome Change in HbA(1c) level. Secondary outcomes included measures of anthropometry and fitness.


RESULTS
The study included 63.0% women and 47.3% nonwhite participants who were a mean (SD) age of 55.8 years (8.7 years) with a baseline HbA(1c) level of 7.7% (1.0%). Compared with the control group, the absolute mean change in HbA(1c) in the combination training exercise group was -0.34% (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.64% to -0.03%; P = .03). The mean changes in HbA(1c) were not statistically significant in either the resistance training (-0.16%; 95% CI, -0.46% to 0.15%; P = .32) or the aerobic (-0.24%; 95% CI, -0.55% to 0.07%; P = .14) groups compared with the control group. Only the combination exercise group improved maximum oxygen consumption (mean, 1.0 mL/kg per min; 95% CI, 0.5-1.5, P < .05) compared with the control group. All exercise groups reduced waist circumference from -1.9 to -2.8 cm compared with the control group. The resistance training group lost a mean of -1.4 kg fat mass (95% CI, -2.0 to -0.7 kg; P < .05) and combination training group lost a mean of -1.7 (-2.3 to -1.1 kg; P < .05) compared with the control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a combination of aerobic and resistance training compared with the nonexercise control group improved HbA(1c) levels. This was not achieved by aerobic or resistance training alone.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00458133.
Breast reduction in adolescents: indication, timing, and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND
Adolescent breast hypertrophy can have long-term negative medical and psychological impacts. In select patients, breast reduction surgery is the best treatment. Unfortunately, many in the general and medical communities hold certain misconceptions regarding the indications and timing of this procedure. Several etiologies of adolescent breast hypertrophy, including juvenile gigantomastia, adolescent macromastia, and obesity-related breast hypertrophy, complicate the issue. It is our hope that this paper will clarify these misconceptions through a combined retrospective and literature review.


METHODS
A retrospective review was conducted looking at adolescent females (≤18 years old) who had undergone bilateral breast reduction surgery. Their preoperative comorbidities, BMI, reduction volume, postoperative complications, and subjective satisfaction were recorded. In addition, a literature review was completed.


RESULTS
34 patients underwent bilateral breast reduction surgery. The average BMI was 29.5 kg/m(2). The average volume resected during bilateral breast reductions was 1820.9 g. Postoperative complications include dehiscence (9%), infection (3%), and poor scarring (6%). There were no cases of recurrence or need for repeat operation. Self-reported patient satisfaction was 97%. All patients described significant improvements in self body-image and participation in social activities. The literature review yielded 25 relevant reported articles, 24 of which are case studies.


CONCLUSION
Reduction mammaplasty is safe and effective. It is the preferred treatment method for breast hypertrophy in the adolescent female and may be the only way to alleviate the increased social, psychological, and physical strain caused by this condition.
Knowledge Transfer Social Media as Social Lubricant : How Ambient Awareness Eases

Knowledge stickiness often impedes knowledge transfer. When knowledge is complex and the knowledge seeker lacks intimacy with the knowledge source, knowledge sticks in its point of origin because the knowledge seeker faces ambiguity about the best way to acquire the needed knowledge. We theorize that, given the extent of that ambiguity, knowledge seekers will make a choice to either ask for needed knowledge immediately after deciding it is needed, or wait and ask for it at a later date. We hypothesize that when knowledge is sticky, knowledge seekers will delay asking for knowledge and, in the interim period, use an enterprise social networking site to gather information that can lubricate stuck knowledge, such as how, when, and in what way to ask for the desired knowledge. We propose that by doing this, knowledge seekers can increase their ultimate satisfaction with the knowledge once they ask for it. Data describing specific instances of knowledge transfer occurring in a large telecommunications firm supported these hypotheses, showing that knowledge transfer is made easier by the fact that enterprise social networking sites make other peoples’ communications visible to casual observers such that knowledge seekers can gather information about the knowledge and its source simply by watching his or her actions through the technology, even if they never interacted with the source directly themselves. The findings show that simple awareness of others’ communications (what we call ambient awareness) played a pivotal role in helping knowledge seekers to obtain interpersonal and knowledge-related material with which to lubricate their interactions with knowledge sources. 1University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA 2Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA Corresponding Author: Paul M. Leonardi, Phelps Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA, 93106-5129. Email: Leonardi@tmp.ucsb.edu 540509 ABSXXX10.1177/0002764214540509American Behavioral ScientistLeonardi and Meyer research-article2014 at UNIV CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA on December 9, 2014 abs.sagepub.com Downloaded from Leonardi and Meyer 11
Molecular Epidemiology of Rotavirus Strains Circulating among Children with Gastroenteritis in Iran

OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of rotavirus disease and to investigate the genotypes of rotavirus strains causing acute gastroenteritis among children aged <5 years old in Marvdasht, Iran.


METHODS
One hundred and forty-one children, aged 1 month to 5 years, afflicted with severe diarrhea were enrolled during January 2007 to December 2008. Their stool samples were studied with enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for group A rotaviruses. Rotavirus-positive specimens were genotyped by the Nested RT-PCR using different types of specific primers.


FINDINGS
Out of total collected samples rotavirus infection was detected in 40 (28.37%). Of the rotavirus episodes, 72.91% occurred during the first 2 years of life (P=0.038). The highest prevalence of infection was identified in summer (52.50%) and the lowest in winter (7.50%). The most common clinical features included diarrhea (96.25%), vomiting (82.50%) and fever (45.0%). Mixed genotypes were the predominant G type (60.0%), followed by non-typeable (12.50%), G2 (12.50%), G4 (10.0%) and G1 (5.0%) genotypes. G3/G8 mixed infection is the first of these rotavirus genotypes to be reported in Iran.


CONCLUSION
Regarding high frequency of rotavirus infection, continuous surveillance is needed to inform diarrhea prevention programs as well as to provide information about the occurrence of new rotavirus strains. This will assist policy makers in decision making on rotavirus vaccine introduction.
Myeloperoxidase is increased in human cerebral aneurysms and increases formation and rupture of cerebral aneurysms in mice.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Cerebral aneurysm (CA) affects 3% of the population and is associated with hemodynamic stress and inflammation. Myeloperoxidase, a major oxidative enzyme associated with inflammation, is increased in patients with CA, but whether myeloperoxidase contributes to CA is not known. We tested the hypotheses that myeloperoxidase is increased within human CA and is critical for formation and rupture of CA in mice.


METHODS
Blood was drawn from the lumen of CAs and femoral arteries of 25 patients who underwent endovascular coiling of CA, and plasma myeloperoxidase concentrations were measured with ELISA. Effects of endogenous myeloperoxidase on CA formation and rupture were studied in myeloperoxidase knockout mice and wild-type (WT) mice using an angiotensin II-elastase induction model of CA. In addition, effects of myeloperoxidase on inflammatory gene expression in endothelial cells were analyzed.


RESULTS
Plasma concentrations of myeloperoxidase were 2.7-fold higher within CA than in femoral arterial blood in patients with CA. myeloperoxidase-positive cells were increased in aneurysm tissue compared with superficial temporal artery of patients with CA. Incidence of aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhage was significantly lower in myeloperoxidase knockout than in WT mice. In cerebral arteries, proinflammatory molecules, including tumor necrosis factor-α, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2), chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), chemokine (C motif) ligand (XCL1), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 8, cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68), and matrix metalloproteinase 13, and leukocytes were increased, and α-smooth muscle actin was decreased, in WT but not in myeloperoxidase knockout mice after induction of CA. Myeloperoxidase per se increased expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in endothelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that myeloperoxidase may contribute importantly to formation and rupture of CA.
Importance of cardiac troponins I and T in risk stratification of patients with acute pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND
Assessment of risk and appropriate management of patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a challenge. Cardiac troponins I (cTnI) and T (cTnT) are reliable indicators of myocardial injury and may be associated with right ventricular dysfunction in PE.


METHODS AND RESULTS
The present prospective study included 106 consecutive patients with confirmed acute PE. cTnI was elevated (> or =0.07 ng/mL) in 43 patients (41%), and cTnT (> or =0.04 ng/mL) was elevated in 39 (37%). Elevation of cTnI or cTnT was significantly associated with echocardiographically detected right ventricular dysfunction (P=0.001 and P<0.05, respectively). Moreover, a significant correlation was found between elevation of cTnI or cTnT and the two major end points overall mortality and complicated in-hospital course. The negative predictive value of cardiac troponins for major clinical events was 92% to 93%. Importantly, there was obvious escalation of in-hospital mortality, the rate of complications, and the incidence of recurrent PE, when patients with high troponin concentrations (cTnI >1.5; cTnT >0.1 ng/mL) were compared with those with only moderately elevated levels (cTnI, 0.07 to 1.5; cTnT, 0.04 to 0.1 ng/mL). Logistic regression analysis confirmed that the mortality risk (OR) was significantly elevated only in patients with high cTnI (P=0.019) or cTnT (P=0.038) levels. Furthermore, the risk of a complicated in-hospital course was almost 5 times higher (15.47 versus 3.16) in the high-cTnI group compared with patients with moderate cTnI elevation.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that cTnI and cTnT may be a novel, particularly useful tool for optimizing the management strategy in patients with acute PE.