Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Control of L‐type calcium current during the action potential of guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes

1 During an action potential the L‐type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) activates rapidly, then partially declines leading to a sustained inward current during the plateau phase. The reason for the sustained part of ICa,L has been investigated here. 2 In the present study the mechanisms controlling the ICa,L during an action potential were investigated quantitatively in isolated guinea‐pig ventricular myocytes by whole‐cell patch clamp. To measure the actual time courses of ICa,L and the corresponding L‐type channel inactivation (fAP) during an action potential, action potential‐clamp protocols combined with square pulses were applied. 3 Within the first 10 ms of the action potential the ICa,L rapidly inactivated by about 50 %; during the plateau phase inactivation proceeded to 95 %. Later, during repolarization, the L‐type channels recovered up to 25 %. 4 The voltage‐dependent component of inactivation during an action potential was determined from measurements of L‐type current carried by monovalent cations. This component of inactivation proceeded rather slowly and contributed only a little to fAP. ICa,L during an action potential is thus mainly controlled by Ca2+‐dependent inactivation. 5 In order to investigate the source of the Ca2+ controlling fAP, internal Ca2+ homeostasis was manipulated by the use of Ca2+ buffers (EGTA, BAPTA), by blocking Na+−Ca2+ exchange, or by blocking Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Internal BAPTA markedly reduced the L‐type channel inactivation during the entire action potential, whereas EGTA affected fAP only during the middle and late plateau phases. Inhibition of Na+−Ca2+ exchange markedly increased inactivation of L‐type channels. Although blocking SR Ca2+ release decreased the fura‐2‐measured cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) transient by about 90 %, it reduced L‐type channel inactivation only during the initial 50 ms of the action potential. Thus, it is Ca2+ entering the cell through the L‐type channels that controls the inactivation process for the majority of the action potential. Nevertheless, SR Ca2+‐release contributes 40–50 % to L‐type channel inactivation during the initial period of the action potential. However, the maximum extent of inactivation reached during the plateau is independent of Ca2+ released from the SR. 6 For the first time, the actual time course of L‐type channel inactivation has been directly determined during an action potential under various defined [Ca2+]i conditions. Thereby, the relative contribution to ICa,L inactivation of voltage, Ca2+ entering through L‐type channels, and Ca2+ being released from the SR could be directly demonstrated.
Pulsed Focused Ultrasound-Induced Displacements in Confined In Vitro Blood Clots

Ultrasound has been shown to potentiate the effects of tissue plasminogen activator to improve clot lysis in a range of in vitro and in vivo studies as well as in clinical trials. One possible mechanism of action is acoustic radiation force-induced clot displacements. In this study, we investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics of clot displacements and strain initiated by focused ultrasound pulses. Displacements were produced by a 1.51 MHz f-number 1 transducer over a range of acoustic powers (1-85 W) in clots constrained within an agar vessel phantom channel. Displacements were tracked during and after a 5.45 ms therapy pulse using a 20 MHz high-frequency ultrasound imaging probe. Peak thrombus displacements were found to be linear as a function of acoustic power up to 60 W before leveling off near 128 μm for the highest transmit powers. The time to peak displacement and recovery time of blood clots was largely independent of acoustic powers with measured values near 2 ms. A linear relationship between peak axial strain and transmit power was observed, reaching a peak value of 11% at 35 W. The peak strain occurred ~0.75 mm from the focal zone for all powers investigated in both lateral and axial directions. These results indicate that substantial displacements can be induced by focused ultrasound in confined blood clots, and that the spatial and temporal displacement patterns are complex and highly dependent on exposure conditions, which has implications for future work investigating their link to clot lysis and for developing approaches to exploit these effects.
Reliability of the Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire as a postal questionnaire.

BACKGROUND The Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire is a new scale designed to assess respiratory disability in elderly outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, it has not been examined for its reliability as a postal questionnaire. OBJECTIVE To investigate test-retest reliability of the Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living as a postal questionnaire and to compare face-to-face administration by a physiotherapist with postal completion. DESIGN Two single-blind studies were performed to investigate test-retest reliability of the Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Study 1 comprised 51 subjects (27 men) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, aged 61-87 (mean 74) years. They completed the Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire twice mailed to them at home (second questionnaire after two weeks). Study 2 comprised a separate and previously unstudied group of 36 subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (24 men), aged 60-82 (mean 71) years who also completed the Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire twice, first face-to-face by a physiotherapist and then two weeks later at home. RESULTS Mean (SD) one second forced expiratory volume (FEV1) were: Study 1=0.93 (0.30) litres; Study 2=1.01 (0.43) litres. Mean [SEM] difference between two periods Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire score (Study 1) was 0.07 [0.3] and (Study 2) was 0.17 [0.5]. The 95% limits of agreement were -0.69 to +0.54 and -1.21 to +0.87 and standard error of measurement of 'repeatability' square root 1.55 and 1.71 respectively for Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire. Intraclass correlation coefficients were Study 1, ICC (1,1)=0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 95; Study 2, ICC (1,1)=0.86, 95% confidence interval (0.79 to 94). CONCLUSION The Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living Questionnaire scale is acceptable and repeatable as a postal questionnaire in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Graphene based scaffolds on bone tissue engineering

ABSTRACT Tissue engineering has been emerging as a valid approach to the current therapies for bone regeneration/substitution. Tissue-engineered bone constructs have the potential to alleviate the demand arising from the shortage of suitable autograft and allograft materials for augmenting bone healing. Scaffolds play a central role in tissue engineering research, they not only provide as structural support for specific cells but also provide as the templates to guide new tissue growth and construction. In this survey we describe application of graphene based nano-biomaterials for bone tissue engineering. In this article, application of different graphene based materials on construction of manufacture scaffolds for bone tissue engineering was discussed. It begins by giving the reader a brief background on tissue engineering, followed by a comprehensive description of all the relevant components of graphene based materials, going from materials to scaffolds and from cells to tissue engineering strategies that will lead to “engineered” bone. In this survey, more recent studies on the effects of graphene on surface modifications of scaffold materials was discused. The ability of graphene to improve the biological properties of scaffold materials, and its ability to promote the adhesion, proliferation, and osteoblasts have been demonstrated in several studies which we discuss in this survey article. We further highlight how the properties of graphene are being exploited for scaffolds in bone tissue engineering, comprehensively surveying recent experimental works featuring graphene and graphene derivatives. Bone tissue engineering, for the purpose of this survey, is the use of a scaffolding material to either induce formation of bone from the surrounding tissue or to act as a carrier or template for implanted bone cells or other agents. Materials used as bone tissue-engineered scaffolds may be injectable or rigid, the latter requiring an operative implantation procedure.
Prospective Validation of Rapid Plasma Genotyping for the Detection of EGFR and KRAS Mutations in Advanced Lung Cancer.

IMPORTANCE Plasma genotyping of cell-free DNA has the potential to allow for rapid noninvasive genotyping while avoiding the inherent shortcomings of tissue genotyping and repeat biopsies. OBJECTIVE To prospectively validate plasma droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) for the rapid detection of common epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and KRAS mutations, as well as the EGFR T790M acquired resistance mutation. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who either (1) had a new diagnosis and were planned for initial therapy or (2) had developed acquired resistance to an EGFR kinase inhibitor and were planned for rebiopsy underwent initial blood sampling and immediate plasma ddPCR for EGFR exon 19 del, L858R, T790M, and/or KRAS G12X between July 3, 2014, and June 30, 2015, at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. All patients underwent biopsy for tissue genotyping, which was used as the reference standard for comparison; rebiopsy was required for patients with acquired resistance to EGFR kinase inhibitors. Test turnaround time (TAT) was measured in business days from blood sampling until test reporting. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Plasma ddPCR assay sensitivity, specificity, and TAT. RESULTS Of 180 patients with advanced NSCLC (62% female; median [range] age, 62 [37-93] years), 120 cases were newly diagnosed; 60 had acquired resistance. Tumor genotype included 80 EGFR exon 19/L858R mutants, 35 EGFR T790M, and 25 KRAS G12X mutants. Median (range) TAT for plasma ddPCR was 3 (1-7) days. Tissue genotyping median (range) TAT was 12 (1-54) days for patients with newly diagnosed NSCLC and 27 (1-146) days for patients with acquired resistance. Plasma ddPCR exhibited a positive predictive value of 100% (95% CI, 91%-100%) for EGFR 19 del, 100% (95% CI, 85%-100%) for L858R, and 100% (95% CI, 79%-100%) for KRAS, but lower for T790M at 79% (95% CI, 62%-91%). The sensitivity of plasma ddPCR was 82% (95% CI, 69%-91%) for EGFR 19 del, 74% (95% CI, 55%-88%) for L858R, and 77% (95% CI, 60%-90%) for T790M, but lower for KRAS at 64% (95% CI, 43%-82%). Sensitivity for EGFR or KRAS was higher in patients with multiple metastatic sites and those with hepatic or bone metastases, specifically. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Plasma ddPCR detected EGFR and KRAS mutations rapidly with the high specificity needed to select therapy and avoid repeat biopsies. This assay may also detect EGFR T790M missed by tissue genotyping due to tumor heterogeneity in resistant disease.
Economic Growth and Convergence across the Seven Colonies of Australasia: 1861-1991

Have the poor economies of Australasia grown faster than the rich ones? This question is analyzed for the seven colonies of Australasia for the period 1861-1991 and it is found that the levels of per-capita income across the colonies are converging to one another: the initially poor colonies have indeed grown faster. The cross-sectional dispersion of per-capita incomes also declined between 1861-1991, but most of this decline occurred in the prefederation 1861-1901 period as the extent of dispersion in 1991 is very close to that attained in 1901. Copyright 1995 by The Economic Society of Australia.
Enhancement of pneumococcal transfection by protamine sulfate

Protamine sulfate enhanced transfection of Streptococcus pneumoniae by DNA of omega 3 phage by factors as large as 10(5)-fold, provided it was present at the time the cells were added to the DNA. For DNA concentrations well below 1 microgram/ml, the optimum amount of protamine sulfate was near 1 microgram/ml of cells. Higher DNA concentrations required more protamine for maximum effect, and in all cases transfection fell when protamine was in excess. Transformation was not enhanced by low protamine levels and was inhibited by higher levels. A recipient strain with low but finite endonuclease activity and normal transformability showed higher transfection than did the wild type at low DNA concentrations but less than did the wild type at high DNA concentrations. Protamine sulfate enhanced its transfection at low, but not high, DNA concentrations. The behavior of this strain and the enhancement of transfection by protamine sulfate of wild-type cells were each consistent with less cutting of the donor DNA at the cell surface, which is part of the normal entry process in naturally competent gram-positive bacteria. Less cutting would lead to entry of fewer but longer strands that would be more efficient in reconstruction of the 33-megadalton phage replicon. We suggest that in this system protamine enhances transfection by inhibition of the surface nuclease action that is part of the normal entry process.
Efficiency–equity tradeoffs and the scope for resource reallocation in agricultural research: evidence from Nigeria

On the basis of projected economic and poverty impacts of alternative commodity research programs, this article assessed efficiency and equity tradeoffs and the scope for research resource reallocation in Nigeria. Given the importance of major food staples to both poor and nonpoor households in production and consumption, introducing a poverty dimension revealed no significant shift in priorities compared with those implied by efficiency. The results showed that neither the additional benefits to the poor nor the foregone benefits to society are significant from prioritizing research according to equity—relative to efficiency—criteria. As current priorities are supported by neither efficiency nor equity criteria, however, there is considerable scope for maximizing research benefits to the poor through informed reallocation of research resources. The article concludes with a discussion of the patterns of resource reallocations implied by efficiency and equity criteria.
Mobile number portability on customer switching behavior: in the case of the Korean mobile market

Purpose – This study seeks to investigate the effect of mobile number portability (MNP) on mobile subscribers in Korea by focusing on subscribers' perception and behavior related to MNP.Design/methodology/approach – The study collected data on subscribers who had changed mobile carriers between the beginning of MNP (July 2003) and December 2005. The data were analyzed by statistical analyses such as ANOVA and logistic regression.Findings – Statistical analyses in this study reveal that subscribers perceive the switching barrier still as high, discouraging subscribers from switching carriers. While MNP lowered switching costs considerably, a significant level of switching costs still remains despite MNP. Carriers develop new subscriber lock‐in strategies that make them stay with current carriers. In addition, there are hidden costs other than MNP that should burden subscribers with number portaling.Research limitations/implications – The findings imply that the MNP has directly affected the industries to a.
Equity Effects of Entrepreneurial Community College Revenues

This study conceptualizes entrepreneurial forms of community college revenues as undermining finance equity and examines their distribution through a single-state case study. The hypothesis that colleges serving wealthier communities will be more successful in obtaining revenues from performance funding and private fundraising is tested. Based on a Spearman's correlation analysis of college rankings of community wealth and revenues received from governmental and private sources, the findings show that wealthier colleges in Massachusetts are not more or less successful in garnering funds from performance incentive programs or fundraising. The potential effect of these forms of revenues on finance equity is considered. The study provides a model for replication in other states.
Property valuation with artificial neural network: the case of Athens

The purpose of this article is to examine the application of an artificial neural network (ANN) approach in property valuation. The approach has been enhanced by the use of a geographic information system (GIS) to enrich the explanatory variables and model the spatial dimension of the problem. The sample data used contain information of 3150 properties in the broader area of Athens. Various internal physical (structure quality and quantity) and external environmental characteristics (neighbourhood characteristics and transportation access) of the properties are available. In order to incorporate these environmental variables, the GIS was used to employ location-based characteristics. In our approach, the multilayer perception network has been employed and the results have been compared with the traditional approach of the spatial lag model. The comparison demonstrates that ANN gives more consistent predictions in the area of Athens. Our results reveal the non-linear relationships of the value of a property with respect to floor space and age. Finally, spatial variation of the values of the properties in broader area of Athens is illustrated.
Marked difference in pathophysiology between tissue factor- and lipopolysaccharide-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation models in rats

Objective Tissue factor and lipopolysaccharide frequently have been used to induce disseminated intravascular coagulation in experimental animal models. Although the pathophysiology of disseminated intravascular coagulation may differ according to the agents used to induce it, these previous models have not distinguished between the use of different disseminated intravascular coagulation-inducing agents. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the characteristic features of these agents in two types of disseminated intravascular coagulation models, with special reference to selected hemostatic parameters and pathologic findings in the kidney. Design Prospective, comparative, experimental study. Setting Laboratory at a university hospital. Subjects Twenty-seven male Wistar rats, age 6–7 wks, weighing 160–170 g. Interventions Three groups of animals were studied: a control group (n = 8) receiving physiologic saline, a tissue factor-treated group (n = 11) receiving tissue factor 3.75 units/kg, and a lipopolysaccharide-treated group (n = 8) receiving lipopolysaccharide 30 mg/kg; each group sustained infusion for 4 hrs via the tail vein. Measurements and Main Results The degree of hemostatic activation in both types of experimental disseminated intravascular coagulation was identical, based on the results of thrombin-antithrombin III complex levels. Markedly elevated D-dimer concentrations were observed without organ dysfunction or fibrin deposition in the kidney on administration of tissue factor, whereas markedly elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor activity, decreased antithrombin III activity, severe organ failure, and marked fibrin deposition in the kidney were observed for lipopolysaccharide administration. Conclusion Because pathophysiology differed remarkably between the tissue factor- and lipopolysaccharide-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation models in rats, we recommend that they be assessed carefully as distinct entities to determine implications of their experimental and clinical use.
All Change? Men, Women and Reproductive Work in the Global Economy

Gender analysis of globalisation has focused exclusively on women and production – that is the impact of changes in the global economy on women's labour force participation. There is little analysis until now either on the implications of globalisation on the gender division of labour in reproductive work either in the monetised economy or the household in spite of extensive research on the impacts of economic reforms and structural adjustment policies on public provision of social services, such as health and education. This study argues that a focus on men's roles is essential in order to capture the wider dimensions of the gendered processes of globalisation and inform the current debate on global social policies in the context of labour flexibility and welfare reform.
Strategic cost allocation

Negative externalities or 'congestion'costs in the utilization of common resources introduce strategic considerations that tie cost allocation rules to competitiveness in external markets. The equilibrium rule for allocating common costs consists of 'profitability'and 'strategic' components. The profitability component dictates that the share of common costs imposed on a product should be inversely related to its relative profitability vis-a-vis other products. The strategic component dictates that the share of common costs should be modified to favor products sold in markets where strategic considerations are of relatively greater importance (i.e., oligopolistic vis-a-vis perfectly competitive markets). Copyright 1993 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Farm Consumption Behavior in the Presence of Uncertainty and Restrictions on Credit

Farm consumption behavior has an important indirect role in determining the ability of farms to invest and grow. In this paper I examine the effect on farm consumption behavior of the presence of quantitative restrictions on farm borrowing. Using a form of the life cycle model which allows for both consumption and production by the household, the effect of borrowing restrictions on consumption behavior is tested econometrically for a sample of Dutch farm households. The results suggest that the life cycle model without borrowing restrictions is rejected by the data.
The influence of platelet‐rich plasma on myogenic differentiation

The ability to expand and direct both precursor and stem cells towards a differential fate is considered extremely advantageous in tissue engineering. Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) possesses a milieu of growth factors and cytokines, which have the potential to have either a differentiative or proliferative influence on the cell type tested. Here, we investigated the effect of PRP on C2C12 myoblasts. A range of PRP concentrations in differentiation media was used to determine whether a concentration dependence existed, while PRP embedded in fibres of aligned electrospun polydioxanone and polycaprolactone was used to determine whether this presence of fibres would cause any differences in response. In both cases, it was found that late myogenic markers were suppressed after 7 days in culture. However, an early differentiation marker, MyoD, was upregulated during this same time period. The results from this study represent the ability of PRP to have an influence over both myogenic proliferation and differentiation, a factor which could prove useful in future studies involved with skeletal muscle tissue engineering. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.