Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactions of metals and Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, which is characterized by the neuropathological accumulation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Clinically, patients will endure a gradual erosion of memory and other higher order cognitive functions. Whilst the underlying etiology of the disease remains to be definitively identified, a body of work has developed over the last two decades demonstrating that AD plasma/serum and brain are characterized by a dyshomeostasis in a number of metal ions. Furthermore, these metals (such as zinc, copper and iron) play roles in the regulation of the levels of AD-related proteins, including the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and tau. It is becoming apparent that metals also interact with other proteins, including apolipoprotein E (ApoE). The Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is critically associated with AD, with APOE4 representing the strongest genetic risk factor for the development of late-onset AD. In this review we will summarize the evidence supporting a role for metals in the function of ApoE and its consequent role in the pathogenesis of AD.
Vascular Oxidative Stress Precedes High Blood Pressure in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

This study examines whether longitudinal antioxidant treatment initiated in prehypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) can attenuate vascular oxidant stress and prevent blood pressure elevation during development. Male SHR and age-matched Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were treated from 6 and 11 weeks of age with Tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinoxyl) (1 mmol/l in drinking water), a membrane-permeable superoxide dismutase mimetic. Mean systolic blood pressures (SBPs) were measured by tail-cuff. Agonist-induced and basal O2− production was measured in thoracic aortas of 6- and 11-week-old SHR and WKY by lucigenin-derived chemiluminescence and oxidative fluorescent microscopy, respectively. SBP of 6-week-old SHR (131 ± 5 mmHg) and WKY (130 ± 4 mmHg) were not different; however, 11-week-old SHR SBP (171 ± 4 mmHg) was significantly greater (p = .0001) than 11-week-old WKY SBP (143 ± 5 mmHg). Tempol treatment completely, but reversibly, prevented this age-related rise in SHR SBP (SHR + Tempol: 137 ± 4 mmHg; p < .0001 versus untreated SHR). Agonist-induced vascular O2− was increased in 6- (p = .03) and 11-week-old SHR (p < .0001) and 11-week-old WKY (p = .03) but not in 6-week-old WKY. Long-term Tempol treatment significantly lowered O2− production in both strains. Basal O2− measurements in both 6- and 11-week-old SHR were qualitatively increased compared with age-matched WKY; this increase in SHR was inhibited with in vitro Tempol treatment. These data show that antioxidant treatment to reduce oxidative stress prevents the age-related development of high blood pressure in an animal model of genetic hypertension.
Integrin Activation and Matrix Binding Mediate Cellular Responses to Mechanical Stretch*

Mechanical tension is a critical determinant of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and development. Integrins have been implicated in sensing force but little is known about how forces are transduced to biochemical signals. We now show that mechanical strain stimulates conformational activation of integrin αvβ3 in NIH3T3 cells. Integrin activation is mediated by phosphoinositol 3-kinase and is followed by an increase in integrin binding to extracellular matrix proteins. Mechanical stretch stimulation of JNK was dependent on new integrin binding to extracellular matrix. These data define a molecular mechanism for the role of integrins in mechanotransduction.
Roots of the Recent Recoveries: Labor Reforms or Private Sector Forces?

It is widely agreed that the natural unemployment rate recovered strongly in several OECD economies in the 1990s while not yet in the others. This paper draws on models by the authors endogenizing the path of the natural rate in order to trace the causes and apportion the credit. The results suggest that the five structural reforms of the labor market urged by the OECD Secretariat were effective and account for some of the recovery where adopted. However, the paper sees most of the recoveries as largely the emergence from structural slump to a structural boom--a boom brought by revived investment in employees, customers and fixed capital. Behind this revival is a recovery of business-asset valuations resulting from improved expectations for productivity growth and, judging by the stock market, hopes for a future lift in business earnings that exceeds extrapolations of the past--both driven by the "new economy. "
Impact of DNA damage on the frequency of sperm chromosomal aneuploidy in normal and subfertile men.

BACKGROUND Various frequencies of sperm aneuploidy are reported in sperms of subfertile patients compared to normal individuals. Moreover, sperm DNA damage is shown to be associated with male infertility. In this study, the rate of DNA damage and frequencies of aneuploidy in sperms of subfertile patients was investigated. METHODS Semen samples were obtained from healthy normal and subfertile (oligozoospermia, asthenozoospermia, and oligoasthenozoospermia) men. The frequency of aneuploidy was assessed using primed in situ labeling (PRINS) analysis with specific primers for chromosomes 18, 21, X, and Y. Sperm DNA damage was assessed using alkaline comet assay. RESULTS The mean frequencies of disomy for the patients were significantly higher than normal for all chromosomes (P < 0.01). The extent of DNA damage in sperms of subfertiles was significantly higher than in normal individuals (P < 0.001). The obtained results indicated that higher rate of DNA damages led to higher frequency of chromosomal disomy except for asthenozoospermia samples which exhibited higher rate of DNA damage and lower frequency of chromosomal disomy. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that men with oligozoospermia and oligoasthenozoospermia have an elevated risk for chromosome abnormalities in their sperm, particularly sex chromosomes. DNA damage might be involved in the process of malsegregation of chromosomes.
Profession of Medicine: A Study of the Sociology of Applied Knowledge

"Must be judged as a landmark in medical sociology. "-Norman Denzin, "Journal of Health and Social Behavior" ""Profession of Medicine" is a challenging monograph; the ideas presented are stimulating and thought provoking. Given the expanding domain of what illness is and the contentions of physicians about their rights as professionals, Freidson wonders aloud whether expertise is becoming a mask for privilege and power. "Profession of Medicine" is a landmark in the sociological analysis of the professions in modern society. "-Ron Miller, "Sociological Quarterly" "This is the first book that I know of to go to the root of the matter by laying open to view the fundamental nature of the professional claim, and the structure of professional institutions. "-Everett C. Hughes, "Science"
(De)constructing ADHD : critical guidance for teachers and teacher educators

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has achieved celebrity status in many Western countries, yet despite considerable effort to prove its existence as a “real” disorder, ADHD still suffers from a crisis of legitimacy. Nonetheless, diagnosis and prescription of medication has grown at a phenomenal rate since the late 1980s, particularly in Western culture. Numerous accounts exist explaining how the ADHD diagnosis functions as a convenient administrative loophole, providing schools with a medical explanation for school failure, medication to sedate the “problem” into submission, or the means to eject children from mainstream classrooms. This book provides a more holistic interpretation of how to respond to children who might otherwise be diagnosed with and medicated for “ADHD”—a diagnosis which, whether scientifically valid or not, is unhelpful within the confine of the school. Training teachers to recognise and identify “ADHD symptoms” or to understand the functions of restricted pharmaceuticals will only serve to increase the number of children diagnosed and the sale of psychoactive medications. Research has shown that such activities will not help those children learn, nor will it empower their classroom teachers to take responsibility for teaching such children well. This book seeks to provide school practitioners with knowledge that is useful within the educational context to improve the educational experiences and outcomes for children who might otherwise receive a diagnosis of ADHD.
Social hedonic capacity is associated with the A118G polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) in adult healthy volunteers and psychiatric patients

A large body of evidence links altered opioid signaling with changes in social behavior in animals. However, few studies have attempted to determine whether similar links exist in humans. Here we investigate whether a common polymorphism (A118G) in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) is associated with alterations in personality traits linked to affiliative behavior and attachment. In a mixed sample (N = 214) of adult healthy volunteers and psychiatric patients, we analyzed the association between the A118G polymorphism of the OPRM1 and two different psychological constructs reflecting individual differences in the capacity to experience social reward. Compared to individuals expressing only the major allele (A) of the A118G polymorphism, subjects expressing the minor allele (G) had an increased tendency to become engaged in affectionate relationships, as indicated by lower scores on a self-report measure of avoidant attachment, and experienced more pleasure in social situations, as indicated by lower scores on a self-report measure of social anhedonia. The OPRM1 variation accounted for about 3.5% of the variance in the two measures. The significant association between the A118G polymorphism and social hedonic capacity was independent of the participants' mental health status. The results reported here are in agreement with the brain opioid hypothesis of social attachment and the established role of opioid transmission in mediating affiliative behavior.
New York State primary care physicians' attitudes to community pharmacists' clinical services.

BACKGROUND Recent changes in education law and regulations governing the practice of pharmacy in New York State have extended the clinical responsibilities of pharmacists. There is limited information in the United States about physicians' opinions of these potential activities by pharmacists. OBJECTIVE To determine the attitudes of New York State primary care physicians, who practice in a community setting, of community pharmacists as providers of these services, as well as further extended services. METHODS Questionnaires were mailed to a randomly selected sample of 1400 board-certified internists and family practitioners chosen from New York State counties with populations of less than 251,000. Questions were structured to determine perceptions toward specific extended roles, pharmacists' dispensing of particular drugs without a prescription, the current role of pharmacists, and the relationship between the professions. RESULTS There were 630 (47.4%) responses, of which 594 (44.7%) were analyzed. Most physicians (93%) agreed that pharmacists should report adverse drug reactions and advise them on cost-effective prescribing (75.6%). Few (23%) believed that pharmacists should initiate a community pharmacy and therapeutics committee. Most responders (64%) agreed that pharmacists could provide, without a prescription, a 3-day course of a vaginal cream containing 2% butoconazole for vaginal candidiasis in nonpregnant women and a rectal suppository containing steroids for hemorrhoid sufferers (61%). However, few (5%) agreed with dispensing antibiotics for sore throats or a 4- to 6-week supply of ranitidine for nightly "point" abdominal tenderness that is relieved by food (5%). Most physicians agreed that pharmacists should provide their patients with information concerning the drug's dose and administration (92%), possible adverse drug reactions (89%), and possible food and drug interactions (97%). Few believed that pharmacists should provide screening services for their patients. CONCLUSIONS This survey suggests that most physicians support the current patient-counseling activities of community pharmacists. However, there was little support for limited prescribing by pharmacists, even within specific protocols. Increased information to patients was deemed desirable, but few physicians believed that pharmacists should provide health screening services.
Spectrally shaped generalized multitone direct-sequence spread spectrum

We propose a new modulation scheme called spectrally shaped generalized multitone direct-sequence spread spectrum (S-MT-DS-SS), with adjustable parameters on each subcarrier. The parameters we adjust are each subcarrier signal's amplitude, data rate, chip rate, and the frequency separation between subcarriers. By appropriate selection of these parameters, we can obtain moderate shaping of the transmitted signal spectrum, including sidelobe reduction, without pulse shape filtering. The spectral shaping is attained by concentrating energy in the spectral mainlobe, without significantly increasing sidelobe levels. Analysis and simulation results show that by properly choosing signal parameters, we can reduce the level of the spectral sidelobes, while slightly changing the width of mainlobe and simultaneously obtaining error probability performance comparable to that of the conventional MT-DS-SS approach.
Incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in a rural community in India

Objective: To determine overall and age-specific incidence rates of AD in a rural, population-based cohort in Ballabgarh, India, and to compare them with those of a reference US population in the Monongahela Valley of Pennsylvania. Methods: A 2-year, prospective, epidemiologic study of subjects aged ≥55 years utilizing repeated cognitive and functional ability screening, followed by standardized clinical evaluation using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, and the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke–Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria for the diagnosis, and the Clinical Dementia Rating scale for the staging, of dementia and AD. Results: Incidence rates per 1000 person–years for AD with CDR ≥0.5 were 3.24 (95% CI: 1.48–6.14) for those aged ≥65 years and 1.74 (95% CI: 0.84–3.20) for those aged ≥55 years. Standardized against the age distribution of the 1990 US Census, the overall incidence rate in those aged ≥65 years was 4.7 per 1000 person–years, substantially lower than the corresponding rate of 17.5 per 1000 person–years in the Monongahela Valley. Conclusion: These are the first AD incidence rates to be reported from the Indian subcontinent, and they appear to be among the lowest ever reported. However, the relatively short duration of follow-up, cultural factors, and other potential confounders suggest caution in interpreting this finding.
The Relative Roles of Syntax and Prosody in the Perception of the /š/ -/č/ Distinction

A silent interval that cues the /š/-/č/ distinction in many contexts is less likely to do so when it coincides with certain boundaries. In natural speech these boundaries are generally marked by both prosody and syntax. We independently varied syntax and prosody to assess their contributions to the phonetic interpretation of silences occurring at these boundaries. We used a set of four sentences, four durations of silence, and two prosodic patterns (Experiment I). We constructed sentences using three techniques that differed in the amount of prosodic control and in naturalness: synthesis by rule, concatenation of naturally produced syllables, and cross-splicing of naturally produced utterances. Silence duration had a strong effect on the perception of the /š/-/č/ contrast in all conditions. For the Synthetic Condition, we also found a strong effect of the prosodic pattern. We found no evidence of any purely syntactic effect. In Experiment II, the two syllables surrounding the silence were excised from the sentences of Experiment I and presented to listeners for labeling. Prosody had a significant effect in the Synthetic Condition and in the Natural Condition. The results indicate that the local prosodic pattern (one syllable with a pitch fall and a greater length) can be sufficient to influence listeners' perception of the /š/-/č/ contrast. There is also evidence that the prosodic information may be subject to context effects.
The context of return migration: challenges of mixed-status families in Mexico's schools

As a result of US immigration and enforcement policies, Mexico has experienced the arrival of mixed-status families coming from the USA. We examine these families’ experiences of return to central Mexico through the lens of a ‘context of return’, by focusing on how the Mexican government, particularly schools, has received returned migrants. Based on in-depth interviews with thirteen mixed-status families who returned to Mexico in 2005–2010, we show how the citizenship and legal status of the various family members determine their incorporation in Mexico. As these legal statuses are shaped by both the US context of reception and the Mexican context of return, we argue that the two contexts are intimately related and shape the contours of the families and their incorporation upon their return.
Survey of Ambient Air Pollution Health Risk Assessment Tools

Designing air quality policies that improve public health can benefit from information about air pollution health risks and impacts, which include respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and premature death. Several computer‐based tools help automate air pollution health impact assessments and are being used for a variety of contexts. Expanding information gathered for a May 2014 World Health Organization expert meeting, we survey 12 multinational air pollution health impact assessment tools, categorize them according to key technical and operational characteristics, and identify limitations and challenges. Key characteristics include spatial resolution, pollutants and health effect outcomes evaluated, and method for characterizing population exposure, as well as tool format, accessibility, complexity, and degree of peer review and application in policy contexts. While many of the tools use common data sources for concentration‐response associations, population, and baseline mortality rates, they vary in the exposure information source, format, and degree of technical complexity. We find that there is an important tradeoff between technical refinement and accessibility for a broad range of applications. Analysts should apply tools that provide the appropriate geographic scope, resolution, and maximum degree of technical rigor for the intended assessment, within resources constraints. A systematic intercomparison of the tools’ inputs, assumptions, calculations, and results would be helpful to determine the appropriateness of each for different types of assessment. Future work would benefit from accounting for multiple uncertainty sources and integrating ambient air pollution health impact assessment tools with those addressing other related health risks (e.g., smoking, indoor pollution, climate change, vehicle accidents, physical activity).
Bibliometric research evaluations, Web of Science and the Social Sciences and Humanities: a problematic relationship?

800x600 This paper presents results from a study on two main issues in many bibliometric studies, namely language of publications and coverage issues. While these two phenomena are hardly considered as probelmatic in most bibliometric analyses in the life sciences, the natural sciences and biomedicine, these two topics do play a role while discussing the application of bibliometrics in the assessment of research and scholarly activity in the social sciences, humanities, and law. From a wider international perspective, we will further focus on German research performance in the social sciences, humanities, and law, over a period of nearly 30 years how coverage issues and language of publication have influenced scholarly activity and the international visibility of research output in these domains when written in German. Similar studies in other European languages will show the same pattern: given the current coverage of the well-known bibliometric databases and an increasing focus of English as Lingua France of modern day scholarly activity, the current bibliometric tools are insufficient to support the actual research assessment of scholars in the social sciences, humanities, and law. This asks for a broader focus on a wider variety of publication types, which are not always intended for a purely academic audience. Normal 0 21 false false false DE X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Non-unity permeability in InP-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer with metamaterial

An InP-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer combined with a metamaterial layer consisting of a split-ring resonator array was realized for observing phase shift due to the metamaterial effect. At 1.5-μm wavelength, the metamaterial showed non-unity relative permeability induced by magnetic interaction with propagating light in the device.
Effective Treatment of Folliculitis Decalvans Using Selected Antimicrobial Agents

Folliculitis Decalvans (FD) is a rare neutrophilic infammation of the scalp characterized by painful, recurrent purulent follicular exudation resulting in primary cicatricial alopecia. However, unclear etiology makes FD treatment a difficult task. A wide variety of topical and systemic agents have been tried previously, with varied results. We present here a case series report of a set of 13 patients with FD on antimicrobial therapy.
Preload Induces Troponin I Degradation Independently of Myocardial Ischemia

BackgroundAlthough global ischemia induces troponin I (TnI) degradation, regional ischemia does not. We hypothesized that this disparity is related to preload-induced proteolysis, which varies as a function of the amount of myocardium at risk of ischemia. Methods and ResultsIsolated rat hearts were buffer-perfused at controlled levels of preload. Increasing preload to 25 mmHg in the absence of ischemia produced pronounced TnI degradation (27 kDa versus 31 kDa bands: 16.4±3.6% versus 4.7±1.9% in immediately excised controls, P <0.05). TnI degradation could be blocked by preventing the activation of endogenous calpains with 25 &mgr;mol/L calpeptin (4.3±0.6%). This improved function, with left ventricular systolic pressure increasing from 103±4 mmHg to 137±7 mmHg (P <0.05). Eliminating elevations in preload after global ischemia-induced stunning also prevented TnI degradation. ConclusionsCalpain-mediated TnI proteolysis can be dissociated from stunning and arises from elevations in preload rather than ischemia. This raises the possibility that ongoing preload-induced TnI degradation could impair myocardial function long-term.