Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Charged amino acids required for signal transduction by the m3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor.

The five muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes, termed m1‐m5, transduce agonist signals across the plasma membrane by activating guanine nucleotide binding (G) proteins. The large cytoplasmic domain joining the fifth and sixth transmembrane segments of mAChRs plays a critical role in controlling the specificity of G protein coupling. In this study, we determined which sequences within this domain are required for activation of signaling by the m3 mAChR. By measuring the ability of normal and mutant m3 mAChRs to couple to the G protein pathway leading to activation of phospholipase C and Ca(2+)‐dependent chloride currents in RNA‐injected Xenopus oocytes, we found that two clusters of charged residues near the fifth and sixth transmembrane segments were required for normal signaling; furthermore, the position of these sequences was critical for their function. Finally, analysis of deletion mutant m3 mAChRs confirmed the importance of these sequences; receptors containing as few as 22 out of 239 amino acids of the cytoplasmic domain were fully active in signaling if they included the critical charged residues. Sequence comparisons suggest that similar charged sequences may be required for signal transduction by many G protein‐coupled receptors.
Social Relationships and Internet Use among Adolescents in Israel

Objective. This study examined the relationship between youth leisure activities, peer relations, and prosocial attitudes and the frequency of Internet use among adolescents in Israel. Methods. Hypotheses were tested using data from a face‐to‐face survey of a representative sample of the Israeli youth population (n= 927) conducted in February 1998. Results. It was found that the lower an individual's level of attachment to close friends and the less prosocial attitudes he/she expressed, the higher was the likelihood of his/her being a frequent Internet user. However, Internet users were more likely than nonusers to participate in social activities such as parties, singers' performances, and sports activities. Conclusions. Contrary to public perceptions it appears that among the adolescent population of Israel, Internet use is not displacing other social activities. However, adolescents who are more socially isolated are more likely to be frequent Internet users. Future research should explore whether for this group, the Internet is being used to overcome individuals' barriers to the formation of social relationships.
Studies on a Novel Serine Protease of a ΔhapAΔprtV Vibrio cholerae O1 Strain and Its Role in Hemorrhagic Response in the Rabbit Ileal Loop Model

Background Two well-characterized proteases secreted by Vibrio cholerae O1 strains are hemagglutinin protease (HAP) and V. cholerae protease (PrtV). The hapA and prtV knock out mutant, V. cholerae O1 strain CHA6.8ΔprtV, still retains residual protease activity. We initiated this study to characterize the protease present in CHA6.8ΔprtV strain and study its role in pathogenesis in rabbit ileal loop model (RIL). Methodology/Principal Findings We partially purified the residual protease secreted by strain CHA6.8ΔprtV from culture supernatant by anion-exchange chromatography. The major protein band in native PAGE was identified by MS peptide mapping and sequence analysis showed homology with a 59-kDa trypsin-like serine protease encoded by VC1649. The protease activity was partially inhibited by 25 mM PMSF and 10 mM EDTA and completely inhibited by EDTA and PMSF together. RIL assay with culture supernatants of strains C6709 (FA ratio 1.1+/−0.3 n = 3), CHA6.8 (FA ratio 1.08+/−0.2 n = 3), CHA6.8ΔprtV (FA ratio 1.02+/−0.2 n = 3) and partially purified serine protease from CHA6.8ΔprtV (FA ratio 1.2+/−0.3 n = 3) induced fluid accumulation and histopathological studies on rabbit ileum showed destruction of the villus structure with hemorrhage in all layers of the mucosa. RIL assay with culture supernatant of CHA6.8ΔprtVΔVC1649 strain (FA ratio 0.11+/−0.005 n = 3) and with protease incubated with PMSF and EDTA (FA ratio 0.3+/−0.05 n = 3) induced a significantly reduced FA ratio with almost complete normal villus structure. Conclusion Our results show the presence of a novel 59-kDa serine protease in a ΔhapAΔprtV V. cholerae O1 strain and its role in hemorrhagic response in RIL model.
The Ethereal Hand: Organizational Economics and Management Theory

Organizational economics, as a newer theory, has the potential to make a constructive contribution to management theory. Nevertheless, there are several inherent problems regarding its narrow model of human motivation and behavior, its negative moral characterization of managers, and its methodological individualist bias. One solution is to embrace the positive approach of the original economic formulations. The potentialities and pitfalls of organizational economics are illustrated by reference to matrix organization structures, vertical disintegration in insurance organizations, and corporate governance.
Initial Adjustment of Taiwanese Students to the United States

Few studies of international student adjustment to the United States are longitudinal in nature. As part of a broader investigation of 172 Taiwanese students over time, the current report examines the adjustment of these students during their first months in the United States. A multidimensional model postulated adjustment to be mediated by demographics, personality, number and severity of problems experienced, extent of decline in level of control from pre- to postarrival, adequacy of prearrival preparation, size of the Chinese community surrounding the student, social support, language competence, and financial resources. This model accounted for 39% of the variance in adjustment. Implications of the findings are discussed.
The length, width and volume of isolated rat and ferret ventricular myocytes during twitch contractions and changes in osmotic strength

The length and width of rat and ferret ventricular myocytes have been measured using a linear photodiode array; the volume of the myocytes has been calculated based on the assumption that the cells were elliptical cylinders. During a twitch contraction, there was a decrease in cell length, but no significant change in the calculated cell volume, because the cells increased in width. Inotropic interventions not only resulted in a greater shortening of the cell during each contraction, but also a greater increase in cell width. Changes in cell length, width and volume on changing the osmotic strength of the bathing solution have also been investigated. The increase in volume in hypotonic solution, and the decrease in hypertonic solution, were the result of changes in the cell width; there were no significant changes in the cell length. It is concluded from the latter experiment that the lateral compliance of a cell is greater than its longitudinal compliance, and, therefore, during a twitch contraction, when the cell shortens, the displacement of the cell contents from the two ends of the cell and the expansion of the cell laterally will not act as a large force to oppose shortening.
Automatic detection of ECG ventricular activity waves using continuous spline wavelet transform

In this study, we present detection algorithms of characteristic points of the QRS and T waves based on the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) with splines. This technique can handle any integer scale and the analysis is not restricted to scales that are powers of two, which allows to use a wide range of scales and to more efficiently reduce noise and artifacts. Evaluation of the QRS detection algorithm performance has been done in eight ECG data files of the MIT-BIH database, and the accuracy has been of 99.5%. Evaluation of the detection algorithms of the QRS wave onset and offsets of QRS and T waves has been done in the CSE multi-lead measurement database, and the measurements were within the tolerance limits for deviations with respect of the manual measurements determined by the CSE experts. Therefore, the proposed algorithms to detect characteristic points of the QRS and T waves based on this technique allow the evaluation of the CWT in more scales, are robust to noise and artifacts and have the accuracy of a human expert.
Cervical spondylotic myelopathy: surgical results and factors affecting prognosis.

OBJECTIVE A variety of factors may affect surgical outcome in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy. The aim of this study is to determine these factors on the basis of preoperative radiological and clinical data. METHODS To assess the factors affecting postoperative outcome after surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, the clinical and radiological data of 27 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were reviewed. Functional and neurological statuses were assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scale modified by Benzel. In all patients, the effect of age, symptom duration, cervical curvature, presence or absence of preoperative high signal intensity within the spinal cord as revealed by T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and diameters of the spinal canal and vertebral body on pre- and postoperative neurological statuses were investigated. Plain radiographs were obtained for all patients, magnetic resonance images for 21 patients (77.8%), computed tomographic scans for 13 patients (48.1%), myelograms for 6 patients (22.2%), and computed tomographic myelograms for 4 patients (14.8%). There were five patients with a JOA score of 10, six patients with a JOA score of 11, six patients with a JOA score of 12, four patients with a JOA score of 13, four patients with a JOA score of 14, one patient with a JOA score of 15, and one patient with a JOA score of 16. All patients underwent cervical laminectomies. The mean follow-up period was 54.1 months. The final neurological examinations revealed improvement in the JOA scores of 85.1 % of the patients. RESULTS Statistical analysis of all patients revealed mean JOA scores of 12.185 +/- 1.618 and 14.370 +/- 2.15 before surgery and at final examination, respectively. The difference between the preoperative JOA score and the final JOA score was determined to be statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Statistical analyses also showed better neurological improvement in patients younger than 60 years and in patients with normal preoperative cervical lordosis. Although patients without preoperative high signal intensity of the spinal cord showed a better improvement rate than did patients with preoperative high signal intensity, the determined difference was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION It can be concluded that age and abnormal cervical curvature predict less postoperative neurological improvement. The presence of preoperative high signal intensity within the spinal cord may also reflect less neurological improvement.
H19 acts as a trans regulator of the imprinted gene network controlling growth in mice

The imprinted H19 gene produces a non-coding RNA of unknown function. Mice lacking H19 show an overgrowth phenotype, due to a cis effect of the H19 locus on the adjacent Igf2 gene. To explore the function of the RNA itself, we produced transgenic mice overexpressing H19. We observed postnatal growth reduction in two independent transgenic lines and detected a decrease of Igf2 expression in embryos. An extensive analysis of several other genes from the newly described imprinted gene network (IGN) was performed in both loss- and gain-of-function animals. We found that H19 deletion leads to the upregulation of several genes of the IGN. This overexpression is restored to the wild-type level by transgenic expression of H19. We therefore propose that the H19 gene participates as a trans regulator in the fine-tuning of this IGN in the mouse embryo. This is the first in vivo evidence of a functional role for the H19 RNA. Our results also bring further experimental evidence for the existence of the IGN and open new perspectives in the comprehension of the role of genomic imprinting in embryonic growth and in human imprinting pathologies.
Pacific migration and transnationalism : historical perspectives.

Introduction: Mobility Within and Beyond the Pacific Islands The area now known as the Pacific was settled from west to east in surges of movement between island groups over hundreds of years, eventually taking people as far as Hawai’i in the north, Rapanui/Easter Island in the east and Aotearoa/New Zealand in the south. Throughout this process people maintained networks of contact between some of the islands, travelling in various kinds of seagoing vessels. Epeli Hau’ofa (1993a) has described the pre-colonial Pacific, the area he prefers to call Oceania, as a ‘sea of islands’ within which people moved freely and frequently, created social networks, traded and exchanged goods, and at times engaged in conflict and attempted to exert dominance over one another. His depiction of the Pacific is constructed in opposition to the ‘Western’ perspective which emerged during the colonial period and emphasises the vastness of the Pacific Ocean and the small size and isolation of the areas of land dotted across it. The worldview Hau’ofa describes suggests a Pacific model of migration and transnationalism in which the ocean connects migrants to their homelands and is not regarded as a hindrance to their ongoing, enduring ties.
X‐ray, ESR, and quantum mechanics studies unravel a spin well in the cofactor‐less urate oxidase

Urate oxidase (EC 1.7.3.3 or UOX) catalyzes the conversion of uric acid using gaseous molecular oxygen to 5‐hydroxyisourate and hydrogen peroxide in absence of any cofactor or transition metal. The catalytic mechanism was investigated using X‐ray diffraction, electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR), and quantum mechanics calculations. The X‐ray structure of the anaerobic enzyme–substrate complex gives credit to substrate activation before the dioxygen fixation in the peroxo hole, where incoming and outgoing reagents (dioxygen, water, and hydrogen peroxide molecules) are handled. ESR spectroscopy establishes the initial monoelectron activation of the substrate without the participation of dioxygen. In addition, both X‐ray structure and quantum mechanic calculations promote a conserved base oxidative system as the main structural features in UOX that protonates/deprotonates and activate the substrate into the doublet state now able to satisfy the Wigner's spin selection rule for reaction with molecular oxygen in its triplet ground state. Proteins 2011; © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional genetic mouse models: promising tools for investigation of the proteolytic internet

Abstract Knockout mice are the gold standard to probe for the role of a specific protease within the interacting network of proteases, substrates, and inhibitors. This proteolytic network, or protease web, determines cell signaling and organ homeostasis. Therefore, protease deficiency or inhibition is intrinsically tied to alterations within this network, always leading to new molecular phenotypes, which define susceptibility of an organ to disease. Furthermore, recent hints, mainly from research on matrix metalloproteinases, about the impact of the protease web on inter-organ signaling molecules suggest the existence of a proteolytic internet of communicating local organ- or molecular polymorphism-specific networks, thereby defining homeostasis and disease susceptibility in the whole organism.
Estimating overidentied, non-recursive, time varying coe¢ cients structural VARs

This paper provides a general procedure to estimate structural VARs. The algorithm can be used in constant or time varying coe¢ cient models, and in the latter case, the law of motion of the coe¢ cients can be linear or non-linear. It can deal in a uni ed way with just-identi ed (recursive or non-recursive) or overidenti ed systems where identi cation restrictions are of linear or of nonlinear form. We study the transmission of monetary policy shocks in models with time varying and time invariant parameters. JEL Classi cation: C11, E51, E52 Key words: Time-varying coe¢ cient structural VAR models, Metropolis algorithm, Identi cation restrictions, Monetary transmission mechanism. EUI and CEPR; and BCRP. Corresponding address: Department of Economics, European University Institute, Via della Piazzuola 43, 50133 Firenze, Italy; Research Department, Banco Central de Reserva del Perú (BCRP), Jr. Miró Quesada 441, Lima, Perú. We would like to thank F. Schorfheide, G. Primiceri, R. Casarin, H. Van Dijk and three anonymous referees for comments and suggestions. The nancial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, through the grants ECO2009-08556, and ECO2012-33247, of the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics and of the European University Institute is gratefully acknowledged. A version of the paper has circulated with the title A general algorithm for estimating structural VARs.
The Transcultural Journey

Ready or not, a “transcultural” era is upon us. The dramatic expansion of airline travel and telecommunications technologies, tourism and student exchanges, immigration policies and trade agreements have served to connect vastly different peoples and places into increasingly complex relationships. Local, regional, and national economies are now largely integrated into a single interdependent economy, working in real time on a global scale. Buyers and sellers increasingly connect, not through physical proximity, but through electronic networks. At the same time, everything and everyone appears to be on the move. Capital and commodities, products and services, businesspersons and migrants, tourists and terrorists — all move across borders with relative freedom. These global transformations are being felt at an intensely local level. Travel writer Pico Iyer documents a typical day in this new intermingled world:
Application of Vertical Electrodes in Microfluidic Channels for Impedance Analysis

This paper presents a microfluidic device with electroplated vertical electrodes in the side walls for impedance measurement. Based on the proposed device, the impedance of NaCl solutions with different concentrations and polystyrene microspheres with different sizes was measured and analyzed. The electroplating and SU-8-PDMS (SU-8-poly(dimethylsiloxane)) bonding technologies were firstly integrated for the fabrication of the proposed microfluidic device, resulting in a tightly three-dimensional structure for practical application. The magnitude of impedance of the tested solutions in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 100 kHz was analyzed by the Zennium electrochemical workstation. The results show that the newly designed microfluidic device has potential for impedance analysis with the advantages of ease of fabrication and the integration of 3D electrodes in the side walls. The newly designed impedance sensor can distinguish different concentrations of polystyrene microspheres and may have potential for cell counting in biological areas. By integrating with other techniques such as dielectrophoresis (DEP) and biological recognition technology, the proposed device may have potential for the assay to identify foodborne pathogen bacteria.
A Positive Psychology Perspective on Mate Preferences in the United States and Russia

The authors collected and compared preference data on characteristics desired in long-term romantic partners between college students in two diverse countries, the United States and Russia. Based on evolutionary perspectives,the authors predicted that participants representing different cultures would retain certain adaptive gender differences. In addition, the authors included other attributes as potentially desirable in a long-term partner from studies within the field of positive psychology and predicted that these character strengths and virtues would feature prominently. Results suggested that the positive internal states of love, happiness, and kindness were among the most important qualities desired in a long-term romantic partner by both Russians and Americans. Gender differences were revealed for preferences in partner age and physique in both cultures as well as positive psychology’s traits of gratitude for Russians and forgiveness in the American sample. Overall, positive internal attributes were rated as highly important and the authors recommend these should be more fully considered in future studies on mate preferences.
Assessment of salivary calcium, phosphate, magnesium, pH, and flow rate in healthy subjects, periodontitis, and dental caries

Aim: This study was conducted to estimate and compare inorganic salivary calcium, phosphate, magnesium, salivary flow rate, and pH of unstimulated saliva and oral hygiene status of healthy subjects, subjects with periodontitis and dental caries, and to correlate salivary calcium level with number of intact teeth. Materials and Methods: The study population consisted of 48 systemically healthy subjects in the age group of 18-55 years, which was further divided into three groups: healthy, periodontitis, and dental caries. Oral hygiene index-simplified, probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, the number of intact teeth, and active carious lesions were recorded. Estimation of inorganic salivary calcium, phosphate, and magnesium was performed spectrophotometrically using Vitros 5.1 FS. Statistical analysis was performed using the one-way analysis of variance test at 5% significance level. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in inorganic salivary calcium, phosphate, pH, flow rate, and poor oral hygiene status in periodontitis group compared to dental caries and healthy group. Conclusion: Subjects with increased inorganic salivary calcium, phosphate, pH, flow rate, and poor oral hygiene are at a higher risk of developing periodontitis. Since there is increased remineralization potential, these subjects have more number of intact teeth compared to the dental caries group.
Myeloperoxidase, modified lipoproteins, and atherogenesis Published, JLR Papers in Press, December 16, 2008.

Numerous lines of evidence implicate a role for myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Enriched within vulnerable plaque, MPO serves as an enzymatic source of eicosanoids and bioactive lipids and generates atherogenic forms of both low- and high-density lipoproteins. These factors likely contribute to clinical studies demonstrating that increased systemic levels of MPO and its oxidation products predict increased cardiovascular risk. As a result, interest has focused on the potential to target MPO for the development of new risk markers, imaging, and therapies to prevent cardiovascular events.