Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
cAMP-activated apical membrane chloride channels in Necturus gallbladder epithelium. Conductance, selectivity, and block

Elevation of intracellular cAMP levels in Necturus gallbladder epithelium (NGB) induces an apical membrane Cl- conductance (GaCl). Its characteristics (i.e., magnitude, anion selectivity, and block) were studied with intracellular microelectrode techniques. Under control conditions, the apical membrane conductance (Ga) was 0.17 mS.cm-2, primarily ascribable to GaK. With elevation of cell cAMP to maximum levels, Ga increased to 6.7 mS.cm-2 and became anion selective, with the permeability sequence SCN- > NO3- > I- > Br- > Cl- >> SO4(2-) approximately gluconate approximately cyclamate. GaCl was not affected by the putative Cl- channel blockers Cu2+, DIDS, DNDS, DPC, furosemide, IAA-94, MK-196, NPPB, SITS, verapamil, and glibenclamide. To characterize the cAMP-activated Cl- channels, patch-clamp studies were conducted on the apical membrane of enzyme-treated gallbladders or on dissociated cells from tissues exposed to both theophylline and forskolin. Two kinds of Cl- channels were found. With approximately 100 mM Cl- in both bath and pipette, the most frequent channel had a linear current-voltage relationship with a slope conductance of approximately 10 pS. The less frequent channel was outward rectifying with slope conductances of approximately 10 and 20 pS at -40 and 40 mV, respectively. The Cl- channels colocalized with apical maxi-K+ channels in 70% of the patches. The open probability (Po) of both kinds of Cl- channels was variable from patch to patch (0.3 on average) and insensitive to [Ca2+], membrane voltage, and pH. The channel density (approximately 0.3/patch) was one to two orders of magnitude less than that required to account for GaCl. However, addition of 250 U/ml protein kinase A plus 1 mM ATP to the cytosolic side of excised patches increased the density of the linear 10-pS Cl- channels more than 10- fold to four per patch and the mean Po to 0.5, close to expectations from GaCl. The permeability sequence and blocker insensitivity of the PKA-activated channels were identical to those of the apical membrane. These data strongly suggest that 10-pS Cl- channels are responsible for the cAMP-induced increase in apical membrane conductance of NGB epithelium.
Development of a non-settling gel formulation of 0.5% loteprednol etabonate for anti-inflammatory use as an ophthalmic drop

The eye has protective barriers (ie, the conjunctival and corneal membranes) and defense mechanisms (ie, reflex tearing, blinking, lacrimal drainage) which present challenges to topical drug delivery. Topical ocular corticosteroids are commonly used in the treatment of anterior segment diseases and inflammation associated with ocular surgery, and manufacturers continually strive to improve their characteristics. We describe the development of a novel ophthalmic gel formulation of loteprednol etabonate (LE), a C-20 ester-based corticosteroid with an established safety profile, in the treatment of ocular inflammatory conditions. The new LE gel formulation is non-settling, eliminating the need to shake the product to resuspend the drug, has a pH close to that of tears, and a low preservative concentration. The rheological characteristics of LE gel are such that the formulation is instilled as a drop and transitions to a fluid upon instillation in the eye, yet retains sufficient viscosity to prolong ocular surface retention. The new formulation provides consistent, uniform dosing as evidenced by dose extrusion studies, while pharmacokinetic studies in rabbits demonstrated rapid and sustained exposure to LE in ocular tissues following instillation of LE gel. Finally, results from two clinical studies of LE gel in the treatment of postoperative inflammation and pain following cataract surgery indicate that it was safe and effective. Most patients reported no unpleasant drop sensation upon instillation, and reports of blurred vision were rare.
The distribution, diversity and function of predominant Thermoproteales in high-temperature environments of Yellowstone National Park.

High-temperature environments (> 70°C) contain diverse and abundant members of the crenarchaeal order Thermoproteales. However, a comprehensive study of the distribution and function of diverse members of this group across different habitat types has not been conducted. Consequently, the goals of this study were to determine the distribution of different Thermoproteales genera across geochemically distinct geothermal habitats of Yellowstone National Park, and to identify key functional attributes of major genera that correlate with environmental parameters. Curated sequence assemblies belonging to five genera were characterized in replicate samples of 11 high-temperature communities ranging in pH from 3 to 9. Thermocladium, Vulcanisaeta and Caldivirga spp. were the primary Thermoproteales populations present in low pH (pH < 5) habitats, whereas Thermoproteus populations were found in mildly-acidic (pH 5-6) sulfur sediments, and Pyrobaculum populations were confined to higher pH (pH > 6) sulfur sediments and/or filamentous 'streamer' communities. Metabolic reconstruction and comparative genomics among assemblies show that these populations are primarily chemoorganotrophs that utilize different electron acceptors depending on geochemical conditions. The presence of potential CO2 fixation pathways in some Thermoproteales populations appears to be linked with NiFe hydrogenases, which combined with high levels of H2 in many sulfidic systems, may provide the energy required to fix inorganic C.
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BACKGROUND: Trichoscopy is becoming increasingly popular in diagnosing hair and scalp diseases. Scalp involvement in pemphigus is common. The scalp may be the first or only site of clinical manifestation of the disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze whether trichoscopy may be useful in aiding differential diagnosis of scalp lesions in patients with pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus. METHODS: Trichoscopy was performed in 19 patients with scalp lesions in the course of pemphigus (9 patients with pemphigus vulgaris and 10 with pemphigus foliaceus). In all patients, the diagnosis of scalp pemphigus was confirmed by histopathology. The working magnification was 20-fold and 70-fold. RESULTS: The most frequently observed trichoscopy features of pemphigus lesions were: extravasations (18/19; 94.7%) and yellow hemorrhagic crusts (11/19; 57.9%). Yellow dots with whitish halo were observed in 6/19 (31.6%) patients with pemphigus. White polygonal structures were observed in pemphigus foliaceus (6/10; 60%), but not in pemphigus vulgaris. Vascular abnormalities were more frequent in pemphigus vulgaris, when compared to pemphigus foliaceus, and were associated with a severe course of disease. Linear serpentine vessels were the most frequent vascular abnormality in patients with pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus (77.8% and 30%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Trichoscopy may serve as a useful supplementary method in the differential diagnosis of pemphigus, especially in cases of desquamative or exudative lesions limited to the scalp. Extravasations, yellow hemorrhagic crusts, yellow dots with whitish halo, white polygonal structures and linear serpentine vessels are trichoscopy features which may suggest the diagnosis of pemphigus.
Investigation on Fusion Bridge of Au Electrical Contacts Material under Different Voltage

The fusion bridge phenomenon caused by Au contacts was investigated with the high speed vedio-electrical contact testing system built by ourselves. The microscopic topography of Au contacts surface was observed after the survey of fusion bridge size. The results in this paper revealed some novel phenomena and rules. The size of fusion bridges which generated during electrical contact process of Au contacts is micron scale when the load is DC 10 A (6 V to 15 V); The shape of fusion bridges has three types which are the cylindrical, dumbbell and frustum; With the increase of the voltage, the size of the diameter exhibit the characteristic of S type, and the change in length also has such a rule; the molten bridge behaviour can erode the Au contact surface and present the erosion surface with the characteristics of the molten pool, spray particles and convex hill, the droplet spray is the main form of the loss of Au contact material in the process of electrical contact.
Facilitators and Barriers to Uptake of an Extended Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Programme in Ghana: A Qualitative Study of Caregivers and Community Health Workers

Background Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is currently recommended for children under five in areas where malaria transmission is highly seasonal. We explored children’s caregivers’ and community health workers’ (CHWs) responses to an extended 5-month SMC programme. Methods Thirteen in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions explored optimal and suboptimal ‘uptake’ of SMC to examine facilitators and barriers to caregivers’ uptake. Results There did not appear to be major differences between caregivers of children with optimal and sub-optimal SMC uptake in terms of their knowledge of malaria, their perceptions of the effect of SMC on a child’s health, nor their understanding of chemoprevention. Caregivers experienced difficulty in prioritising SMC for well children, perceiving medication being for treatment rather than prevention. Prior to the study, caregivers had become accustomed to rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) for malaria, and therefore blood testing for malaria during the baseline survey at the start of the SMC programme may have positively influenced uptake. Facilitators of uptake included caregivers’ trust in and respect for administrators of SMC (including CHWs), access to medication and supportive (family) networks. Barriers to uptake related to poor communication of timings of community gatherings, travel distances, absence during SMC home deliveries, and limited demand for SMC due to lack of previous experience. Future delivery of SMC by trained CHWs would be acceptable to caregivers. Conclusion A combination of caregivers’ physical access to SMC medication, the drug regimen, trust in the medical profession and perceived norms around malaria prevention all likely influenced caregivers’ level of uptake. SMC programmes need to consider: 1) developing supportive, accessible and flexible modes of drug administration including home delivery and village community kiosks; 2) improving demand for preventive medication including the harnessing of learnt trust; and 3) developing community-based networks for users to support optimal uptake of SMC.
Heuristics for Scientific Experimentation: A Developmental Study

Scientific discovery involves search in a space of hypotheses and a space of experiments. We describe an investigation of developmental differences in the search constraint heuristics used in scientific reasoning. Sixty-four subjects (technically trained college students, community college students with little technical training, 6th graders, and 3rd graders) were taught how to use a programmable robot. Then they were presented with a new operation, provided with a hypothesis about how it might work, and asked to conduct experiments to discover how the new operation really did work. The suggested hypothesis was always incorrect, as subjects could discover if they wrote informative experiments, and it was either plausible or implausible. The rule for how the unknown operation actually worked was either very similar or very dissimilar to the given hypothesis. Children focused primarily on plausible hypotheses, conducted a limited set of experiments, designed experiments that were difficult to interpret, and were unable to induce implausible (but correct) hypotheses from data. Adults were much better than children in discovering implausible rules. The performance deficits we found were not simply the result of children's inadequate encoding or mnemonic skills. Instead, the adults appear to use domain-general skills that go beyond the logic of confirmation and disconfirmation and deal with the coordination of search in two spaces: a space of hypotheses and a space of experiments.
Two-year-olds use primary sentence accent to learn new words*

ABSTRACT German children aged 2 ; 1 heard a sentence containing a nonce noun and a nonce verb (Der Feks miekt). Either the noun or the verb was prosodically highlighted by increased pitch, duration and loudness. Independently, either the object or the action in the ongoing referential scene was the new element in the situation. Children learned the nonce noun only when it was both highlighted prosodically and the object in the scene was referentially new. They did not learn the nonce verb in any condition. These results suggest that from early in linguistic development, young children understand that prosodic salience in a sentence indicates referential newness.
Emergence of Usutu Virus in Hungary

ABSTRACT In 2001, Usutu virus (USUV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus of the Japanese encephalitis virus serogroup related to West Nile virus and previously restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, emerged in wild and zoo birds in and around Vienna, Austria. In order to monitor the spread of the infection, a dead bird surveillance program was established in Austria and in neighboring Hungary. In Hungary, 332 dead birds belonging to 52 species were tested for USUV infection between 2003 and 2006. In the first 2 years, all birds investigated were negative. In August 2005, however, USUV was detected in organ samples of a blackbird (Turdus merula), which was found dead in Budapest, Hungary, by reverse transcription-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and in situ hybridization. In July and August 2006, a further six dead blackbirds tested positive for USUV, and the virus was isolated from organ samples of one bird. These birds were also found in urban areas of Budapest. The nearly complete genomic sequence of one Hungarian USUV strain was determined; it was found to share 99.9% identity with the strain that has been circulating in Austria since 2001. This result indicates that the USUV strain responsible for the blackbird die-off in Budapest most likely spread from Austria to Hungary instead of being independently introduced from Africa.
Reversible circuit synthesis using a cycle-based approach

Reversible logic has applications in various research areas, including signal processing, cryptography and quantum computation. In this article, direct NCT-based synthesis of a given k-cycle in a cycle-based synthesis scenario is examined. To this end, a set of seven building blocks is proposed that reveals the potential of direct synthesis of a given permutation to reduce both quantum cost and average runtime. To synthesize a given large cycle, we propose a decomposition algorithm to extract the suggested building blocks from the input specification. Then, a synthesis method is introduced that uses the building blocks and the decomposition algorithm. Finally, a hybrid synthesis framework is suggested that uses the proposed cycle-based synthesis method in conjunction with one of the recent NCT-based synthesis approaches which is based on Reed-Muller (RM) spectra. The time complexity and the effectiveness of the proposed synthesis approach are analyzed in detail. Our analyses show that the proposed hybrid framework leads to a better quantum cost in the worst-case scenario compared to the previously presented methods. The proposed framework always converges and typically synthesizes a given specification very fast compared to the available synthesis algorithms. Besides, the quantum costs of benchmark functions are improved about 20% on average (55% in the best case).
Consequences of the psychological contract for the employment relationship: a large scale survey

The renewed interest in the concept of the psychological contract has come to the fore in attempts to describe, understand and predict the consequences of changes occurring in the employment relationship. Recognizing that the employment relationship includes two parties to the exchange process, we set out to examine the content and state of the psychological contract from both the employee and employer perspective. The two perspectives permit an examination of the mutuality of obligations, which has not received much empirical attention to date. The research methodology consists of two surveys conducted in a large local authority directly responsible and accountable for a range of public services including education, environmental health and social care to the local population. The key findings suggest that the majority of employees have experienced contract breach. This view is also supported by managers, as representatives of the employer, who further indicate that the organization, given its external pressures, is not fulfilling its obligations to employees to the extent that it could. Overall, the results indicate that employees are redressing the balance in the relationship through reducing their commitment and their willingness to engage in organizational citizenship behaviour when they perceive their employer as not having fulfilled its part in the exchange process.
EGG ALBUMEN QUALITY AS AFFECTED BY BIRD ORIGIN

The purpose of study was to assess the effect of bird genome on egg albumen quality. Egg albumen harvested from seven local strains of laying hens: S-55, K-44, K-66, A-88, A-22, M-55 and V-44 were taken as experimental material. The main physical and chemical quality traits of egg albumen were determined. The percentage concentration and hydrolytic activity of egg albumen lysozyme was also examined. The study was conducted on eggs laid by hens at 36 weeks of age. Eggs produced by M-55 layers demonstrated the highest percentage content of albumen (60.87%), the highest albumen height (9.01mm) and Haugh unit (92.80) as well as relatively high pH value (7.85). Egg albumen from A-22 layers was found to have not only the highest crude protein (10.58%0 and ash (0.97%) content but also the highest values of lysozyme concentration (5.14μg/ml) and hydrolytic activity (108746U/ml). Statistically significant differences (p≤0.05) were noted in the physicochemical traits of albumen from the eggs produced by the examined Polish strains of laying hens. The experimental findings revealed that bird origin is an important factor affecting egg albumen quality.
Network utility maximisation framework with multiclass traffic

The concave utilities in the basic network utility maximisation (NUM) problem are only suitable for elastic flows. In networks with both elastic and inelastic traffic, the utilities of inelastic traffic are usually modelled by the sigmoidal functions which are non-concave functions. Hence, the basic NUM problem becomes a non-convex optimisation problem. To address the non-convex NUM, the authors approximate the problem which is equivalent to the original one to a strictly convex problem. The approximation problem is solved efficiently via its dual by the gradient algorithm. After a series of approximations, the sequence of solutions to the approximation problems converges to a local optimal solution satisfying the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions of the original problem. The proposed algorithm converges with any value of link capacity. The authors also extend their work to jointly allocate the rate and the power in a multihop wireless network with elastic and inelastic traffic. Their framework can be used for any log-concave utilities.
Microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor in melanoma development and MAP‐kinase pathway targeted therapy

Malignant melanoma is a neoplasm of melanocytes, and the microphthalmia‐associated transcription factor (MITF) is essential for the existence of melanocytes. MITF's relevance for this cell lineage is maintained in melanoma, where it is an important regulator of survival and balances melanoma cell proliferation with terminal differentiation (pigmentation). The MITF gene is amplified in ~20% of melanomas and MITF mutation can predispose to melanoma development. Furthermore, the regulation of MITF expression and function is strongly linked to the BRAF/MEK/ERK/MAP‐kinase (MAPK) pathway, which is deregulated in >90% of melanomas and central target of current therapies. MITF expression in melanoma is heterogeneous, and recent findings highlight the relevance of this heterogeneity for the response of melanoma to MAPK pathway targeting drugs, as well as for MITF's role in melanoma progression. This review aims to provide an updated overview on the regulation of MITF function and plasticity in melanoma with a focus on its link to MAPK signaling.
Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Serum Concentration of Apelin, TNFα and Insulin in Obese Women

Objective(s) Apelin is novel adipokine acting on APJ receptor, regulated by insulin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Plasma apelin levels are increased in obese subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the aerobic exercise modifies the elevated plasma apelin levels in obese women. Materials and Methods Twenty obese women (BMI 32.2 ± 6.4 kg/m2) were selected by random sampling method among obese women. Twelve healthy women with a BMI of 31.7 ± 0.6 kg/m2 served as control group. The aerobic exercise was performed during 8 weeks, 3 sessions per week. The intensity of the training program proceeded form 50% to 70% in 8 weeks. Results Results showed that plasma levels of apelin and TNFα were higher in obese individuals compared with the control group. The exercise resulted in significant decrease (P<0.05) of BMI to 29.8± 6.3 kg/m2 , plasma insulin (8.16 ± 0.73 to 6.58 ± 0.66 µmol/l), apelin (369 ± 25 pg/ml vs 257 ± 12 pg/ml) and TNFα levels (0.66 ± 0.04 pg/ml vs 0.56 ± 0.04 pg/ml). P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Conclusion Exercise can decrease plasma apelin, insulin and TNFα levels in obese women. Regular physical activity causes a decrease in plasma levels of apelin if body mass index and body fat mass simultaneously decreased.