Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gating characteristics of a steeply voltage-dependent gap junction channel in rat Schwann cells

The gating properties of macroscopic and microscopic gap junctional currents were compared by applying the dual whole cell patch clamp technique to pairs of neonatal rat Schwann cells. In response to transjunctional voltage pulses (Vj), macroscopic gap junctional currents decayed exponentially with time constants ranging from < 1 to < 10 s before reaching steady-state levels. The relationship between normalized steady-state junctional conductance (Gss) and (Vj) was well described by a Boltzmann relationship with e-fold decay per 10.4 mV, representing an equivalent gating charge of 2.4. At Vj > 60 mV, Gss was virtually zero, a property that is unique among the gap junctions characterized to date. Determination of opening and closing rate constants for this process indicated that the voltage dependence of macroscopic conductance was governed predominantly by the closing rate constant. In 78% of the experiments, a single population of unitary junctional currents was detected corresponding to an unitary channel conductance of approximately 40 pS. The presence of only a limited number of junctional channels with identical unitary conductances made it possible to analyze their kinetics at the single channel level. Gating at the single channel level was further studied using a stochastic model to determine the open probability (Po) of individual channels in a multiple channel preparation. Po decreased with increasing Vj following a Boltzmann relationship similar to that describing the macroscopic Gss voltage dependence. These results indicate that, for Vj of a single polarity, the gating of the 40 pS gap junction channels expressed by Schwann cells can be described by a first order kinetic model of channel transitions between open and closed states.
The Phanerozoic Record of Global Sea-Level Change

We review Phanerozoic sea-level changes [543 million years ago (Ma) to the present] on various time scales and present a new sea-level record for the past 100 million years (My). Long-term sea level peaked at 100 ± 50 meters during the Cretaceous, implying that ocean-crust production rates were much lower than previously inferred. Sea level mirrors oxygen isotope variations, reflecting ice-volume change on the 104- to 106-year scale, but a link between oxygen isotope and sea level on the 107-year scale must be due to temperature changes that we attribute to tectonically controlled carbon dioxide variations. Sea-level change has influenced phytoplankton evolution, ocean chemistry, and the loci of carbonate, organic carbon, and siliciclastic sediment burial. Over the past 100 My, sea-level changes reflect global climate evolution from a time of ephemeral Antarctic ice sheets (100 to 33 Ma), through a time of large ice sheets primarily in Antarctica (33 to 2.5 Ma), to a world with large Antarctic and large, variable Northern Hemisphere ice sheets (2.5 Ma to the present).
Practical Recommendations on Crawling Online Social Networks

Our goal in this paper is to develop a practical framework for obtaining a uniform sample of users in an online social network (OSN) by crawling its social graph. Such a sample allows to estimate any user property and some topological properties as well. To this end, first, we consider and compare several candidate crawling techniques. Two approaches that can produce approximately uniform samples are the Metropolis-Hasting random walk (MHRW) and a re-weighted random walk (RWRW). Both have pros and cons, which we demonstrate through a comparison to each other as well as to the "ground truth. " In contrast, using Breadth-First-Search (BFS) or an unadjusted Random Walk (RW) leads to substantially biased results. Second, and in addition to offline performance assessment, we introduce online formal convergence diagnostics to assess sample quality during the data collection process. We show how these diagnostics can be used to effectively determine when a random walk sample is of adequate size and quality. Third, as a case study, we apply the above methods to Facebook and we collect the first, to the best of our knowledge, representative sample of Facebook users. We make it publicly available and employ it to characterize several key properties of Facebook.
Give Me That Online Religion

From the Publisher: "No one can deny the stunning impact of Internet technology upon culture - driving the growth of commerce and spurring communications to a frantic speed. Inevitably, consumers demanding faster, cheaper, more have begun to seek encounters with the otherworldly, thus launching religion into cyberspace. Tracking this movement in her compelling book, Give Me That Online Religion, Brenda Brasher explores the meaning of electronic faith and the future of traditional religion. " "As the Internet overcomes barriers of time and space, religion enjoys an ever-increasing accessibility on a global scale. Operating online allows long-established religious communities to reach the unaffiliated as never before. More startling is the ease by which anyone with Internet access can create new circles of faith. Bringing religion online also has the effect of closing the gap between pop culture and the sacred. Electronic shrines and kitschy personal Web "altars" express adoration for living celebrities, just as they honor the memory of long-departed martyrs. Looking to the future, Brasher braves a new world in which cyber-concepts and technologies challenge conventional ideas about the human condition - all the while attempting to realize age-old religious ideals of transcendence and eternal life. " "As the Internet continues its rapid absorption of culture, Give Me That Online Religion offers pause for thought about spirituality in the cyber-age. Religion's move to the online world does not mean technology's triumph over faith. Rather, Brasher argues, it assures religion's place in the wired universe, along with commerce and communications - meeting the spiritual demands of Internet generations to come. "--BOOK JACKET.
An interesting case of undiagnosed pleural effusion

Pleural effusions are commonly encountered in the clinical practise of both respiratory and nonrespiratory specialists. An estimated 1–1.5 million new cases in the USA and 200 000–250 000 new cases of pleural effusions are reported from the UK each year [1]. Analysis of the relevant clinical history, physical examination, chest radiography and diagnostic thoracentesis is useful in identifying the cause of pleural effusion in majority of the cases [2]. In a few cases, the aetiology may be unclear after the initial assessment. The list of diseases that may account for a persistent undiagnosed pleural effusion is long [3]. We present an interesting case of undiagnosed pleural effusion that was encountered in our hospital. Pulmonary embolism is an important cause of undiagnosed pleural effusion http://ow.ly/HDLx30bVVa7
Validation of Static and Dynamic Balance Assessment Using Microsoft Kinect for Young and Elderly Populations

Reduction in balance is an indicator of fall risk, and therefore, an accurate and cost-effective balance assessment tool is essential for prescribing effective postural control strategies. This study established the validity of the Kinect v2 sensor in assessing center of mass (CoM) excursion and velocity during single-leg balance and voluntary ankle sway tasks among young and elderly subjects. We compared balance outcome measures (anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) CoM excursion and velocity and average sway length) to a traditional three-dimensional motion analysis system. Twenty subjects (10 young: age = <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$20.5\pm 2.3$ </tex-math></inline-formula> y, height <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$= \,{\text{171.8}}\,\pm\, {\text{7.2}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> cm, weight <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$= \,{\text{70.7}}\,\pm\, {\text{11.6}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> kg; 10 elderly: age <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$= \,{\text{70.6}}\,\pm\, {\text{9.5}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> y, height <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$= \,{\text{169.1}}\,\pm\, {\text{8.7}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> cm, weight <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$= \,{\text{74.0}}\,\pm\, {\text{17.8}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> kg), with no history of lower extremity injury, participated in this study. Subjects performed six randomized trials; four single-leg stand (SLS) and two ankle sway trials. SLS and voluntary ankle sway trials showed that consistency (ICC(2, k)) and agreement (ICC(3, k)) for all variables when all subjects were considered, as well as when the elderly and young groups were analyzed separately. Concordance between systems ranged from poor to nearly perfect depending on the group, task, and variable assessed.
The Penultimate Arginine of the Carboxyl Terminus Determines Slow Desensitization in a P2X Receptor from the Cattle Tick Boophilus microplus

P2X ion channels have been functionally characterized from a range of eukaryotes. Although these receptors can be broadly classified into fast and slow desensitizing, the molecular mechanisms underlying current desensitization are not fully understood. Here, we describe the characterization of a P2X receptor from the cattle tick Boophilus microplus (BmP2X) displaying extremely slow current kinetics, little desensitization during ATP application, and marked rundown in current amplitude between sequential responses. ATP (EC50, 67.1 μM) evoked concentration-dependent currents at BmP2X that were antagonized by suramin (IC50, 4.8 μM) and potentiated by the antiparasitic drug amitraz. Ivermectin did not potentiate BmP2X currents, but the mutation M362L conferred ivermectin sensitivity. To investigate the mechanisms underlying slow desensitization we generated intracellular domain chimeras between BmP2X and the rapidly desensitizing P2X receptor from Hypsibius dujardini. Exchange of N or C termini between these fast- and slow-desensitizing receptors altered the rate of current desensitization toward that of the donor channel. Truncation of the BmP2X C terminus identified the penultimate residue (Arg413) as important for slow desensitization. Removal of positive charge at this position in the mutant R413A resulted in significantly faster desensitization, which was further accentuated by the negatively charged substitution R413D. R413A and R413D, however, still displayed current rundown to sequential ATP application. Mutation to a positive charge (R413K) reconstituted the wild-type phenotype. This study identifies a new determinant of P2X desensitization where positive charge at the end of the C terminal regulates current flow and further demonstrates that rundown and desensitization are governed by distinct mechanisms.
Iron requirement in normal pregnancy as assessed by serum ferritin, serum transferrin saturation and erythrocyte protoporphyrin determinations

Summary. Serum iron, serum iron‐binding capacity, serum ferritin and erythrocyte protoporphyrin were determined during uncomplicated pregnancy in 45 healthy women; 22 were given oral iron while the others were given a placebo. When iron was not given, 15 out of 23 women had exhausted iron stores and iron deficiency at term, as judged from low serum ferritin, low serum transferrin saturation and high erythrocyte protoporphyrin values. Only seven of them had a haemoglobin concentration between 10 and 11 g/dl at term but none had values < 10 g/dl. In the iron‐treated group (n=22) none of the women developed iron deficiency. Serum ferritin was the most sensitive and specific test of iron deficiency. A practical procedure to detect iron deficiency and to control iron supplementation in pregnancy is suggested.
Randomised controlled trial of site specific advice on school travel patterns

Aims: To evaluate the effect of site specific advice from a school travel coordinator on school travel patterns. Methods: Cluster randomised controlled trial of children attending 21 primary schools in the London boroughs of Camden and Islington. A post-intervention survey measured the proportion of children walking, cycling, or using public transport for travel to school, and the proportion of parents/carers very or quite worried about traffic and abduction. The proportion of schools that developed and implemented travel plans was assessed. Results: One year post-intervention, nine of 11 intervention schools and none of 10 control schools had travel plans. Proportions of children walking, cycling, or using public transport on the school journey were similar in intervention and control schools. The proportion of parents who were very or quite worried about traffic danger was similar in the intervention (85%) and control groups (87%). However, after adjusting for baseline and other potential confounding factors we could not exclude the possibility of a modest reduction in parental concern about traffic danger as a result of the intervention. Conclusions: Having a school travel coordinator increased the production of school travel plans but there was no evidence that this changed travel patterns or reduced parental fears. Given the uncertainty about effectiveness, the policy of providing school travel coordinators should only be implemented within the context of a randomised controlled trial.
A hypothesis‐driven physical examination learning and assessment procedure for medical students: initial validity evidence

Context Diagnostic accuracy is maximised by having clinical signs and diagnostic hypotheses in mind during the physical examination (PE). This diagnostic reasoning approach contrasts with the rote, hypothesis‐free screening PE learned by many medical students. A hypothesis‐driven PE (HDPE) learning and assessment procedure was developed to provide targeted practice and assessment in anticipating, eliciting and interpreting critical aspects of the PE in the context of diagnostic challenges.
Stool Microbiota and Vaccine Responses of Infants

OBJECTIVE: Oral vaccine efficacy is low in less-developed countries, perhaps due to intestinal dysbiosis. This study determined if stool microbiota composition predicted infant oral and parenteral vaccine responses. METHODS: The stool microbiota of 48 Bangladeshi infants was characterized at 6, 11, and 15 weeks of age by amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene V4 region and by Bifidobacterium-specific, quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Responses to oral polio virus (OPV), bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), tetanus toxoid (TT), and hepatitis B virus vaccines were measured at 15 weeks by using vaccine-specific T-cell proliferation for all vaccines, the delayed-type hypersensitivity skin-test response for BCG, and immunoglobulin G responses using the antibody in lymphocyte supernatant method for OPV, TT, and hepatitis B virus. Thymic index (TI) was measured by ultrasound. RESULTS: Actinobacteria (predominantly Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis) dominated the stool microbiota, with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes increasing by 15 weeks. Actinobacteria abundance was positively associated with T-cell responses to BCG, OPV, and TT; with the delayed-type hypersensitivity response; with immunoglobulin G responses; and with TI. B longum subspecies infantis correlated positively with TI and several vaccine responses. Bacterial diversity and abundance of Enterobacteriales, Pseudomonadales, and Clostridiales were associated with neutrophilia and lower vaccine responses. CONCLUSIONS: Bifidobacterium predominance may enhance thymic development and responses to both oral and parenteral vaccines early in infancy, whereas deviation from this pattern, resulting in greater bacterial diversity, may cause systemic inflammation (neutrophilia) and lower vaccine responses. Vaccine responsiveness may be improved by promoting intestinal bifidobacteria and minimizing dysbiosis early in infancy.
High Glucose–Induced Oxidative Stress Increases Transient Receptor Potential Channel Expression in Human Monocytes

OBJECTIVE Transient receptor potential (TRP) channel–induced cation influx activates human monocytes, which play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of high glucose–induced oxidative stress on TRP channel expression in human monocytes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Human monocytes were exposed to control conditions (5.6 mmol/l d-glucose), high glucose (30 mmol/l d-glucose or l-glucose), 100 μmol/l peroxynitrite, or high glucose in the presence of the superoxide dismutase mimetic tempol (100 μmol/l). TRP mRNA and TRP protein expression was measured using quantitative real-time RT-PCR and quantitative in-cell Western assay, respectively. Calcium influx and intracellular reactive oxygen species were measured using fluorescent dyes. RESULTS Administration of high d-glucose significantly increased reactive oxygen species. High d-glucose or peroxynitrite significantly increased the expression of TRP canonical type 1 (TRPC1), TRPC3, TRPC5, TRPC6, TRP melastatin type 6 (TRPM6), and TRPM7 mRNA and TRPC3 and TRPC6 proteins. High d-glucose plus tempol or high l-glucose did not affect TRP expression. Increased oxidative stress by lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor-α increased TRP mRNA expression, whereas the reduction of superoxide radicals using diphenylene iodonium significantly reduced TRP mRNA expression. Increased TRPC3 and TRPC6 protein expression was accompanied by increased 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol–induced calcium influx, which was blocked by the TRPC inhibitor 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane. TRPC6 mRNA was significantly higher in monocytes from 18 patients with type 2 diabetes compared with 28 control subjects (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS High d-glucose–induced oxidative stress increases TRP expression and calcium influx in human monocytes, pointing to a novel pathway for increased activation of monocytes and hence atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes.
Unit costs for house spraying and bednet impregnation with residual insecticides in Colombia: a management tool for the control of vector-borne disease

Abstract A study of unit costs and cost components of two malaria-control strategies (house spraying and bednet impregnation with residual insecticides) was undertaken in 11 malaria-endemic states (departamentos) of Colombia, using data provided by control staff on self-administered questionnaires. The accuracy of the data was verified by personal visits, telephone conversations and complementary information from 10 other states. Allthe financial-cost components of the malaria-control operations carried out in the previous 6 months and the results of the control operations themselves (including the numbers of houses sprayed and numbers of bednets impregnated/day) were recorded. The information was stratified according to whether the target communities were 'near' or 'far away' from an operational base, the far-away communities being those that needed overnight stays by the control staff. The main variables analysed were unit costs/house treated, and annual cost/person protected. The results show that house spraying was generally more expensive for the health services than bednet impregnation. This is particularly the case in 'nearby' communities, where most of those at-risk live. In such communities, spraying one house was 7.2 times more expensive than impregnating one bednet. Even if only those sleeping under an impregnated net were assumed to be protected, the unit costs/person protected in a 'nearby' community were twice as high for house spraying than for bednet impregnation. In 'nearby' communities, where technicians could return to the operational base each evening, insecticides made up 80% of the total spraying costs and 42% of the costs of bednet impregnation. In 'far-away' communities, however, salaries and 'per diems' were the most important cost components, representing, respectively, 23% and 22% of the costs of spraying, and 34% plus 27% of the costs of impregnation. Insecticide wastage and non-use of discounts on insecticide prices (available through the national Ministry of Health) increased the overall costs considerably. The multiple uses of these cost calculations for district health managers are presented.
Role for glia in synaptogenesis

Nearly one‐half of the cells in a human brain are astrocytes, but the function of these little cells remains a great mystery. Astrocytes form an intimate association with synapses throughout the adult CNS, where they help regulate ion and neurotransmitter concentrations. Recent in vitro studies, however, have found that astrocytes also exert powerful control over the number of CNS synapses that form, are essential for postsynaptic function, and are required for synaptic stability and maintenance. Moreover, recent studies increasingly implicate astrocytes in vivo as participants in activity‐dependent structural and functional synaptic changes throughout the nervous system. Taken together, these data force us to rethink the role of glia. We propose that astrocytes should not be viewed primarily as support cells, but rather as cells that actively control the structural and functional plasticity of synapses in developing and adult organisms. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Windows into Science Classrooms: Problems Associated with Higher-Level Cognitive Learning.

Learning science with understanding: in search of the Holy Grail methods and background teacher mind frames and science learning real students take chemistry and physics: gender issues the cognitive level of curriculum and instruction: teaching the four r's student participation and motivational orientations: what students do in science student's perceptions of their classroom environments conclusion.
Dietary N-nitroso compounds and risk of colorectal cancer: a case–control study in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario, Canada

Several N-nitroso compounds (NOC) have been shown to be carcinogenic in a variety of laboratory animals, but evidence of their carcinogenicity in humans is lacking. We aimed to examine the association between NOC intake and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and possible effect modification by vitamins C and E and protein in a large case–control study carried out in Newfoundland and Labrador and Ontario, Canada. A total of 1760 case patients with pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma and 2481 population controls were asked to complete a self-administered FFQ to evaluate their dietary intakes 1 year before diagnosis (for cases) or interview (for controls). Adjusted OR and 95 % CI were calculated across the quintiles of NOC (measured by N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)) intake and relevant food items using unconditional logistic regression. NDMA intake was found to be associated with a higher risk of CRC (highest v. lowest quintiles: OR 1·42, 95 % CI 1·03, 1·96; P for trend = 0·005), specifically for rectal carcinoma (OR 1·61, 95 % CI 1·11, 2·35; P for trend = 0·01). CRC risk also increased with the consumption of NDMA-containing meats when the highest tertile was compared with the lowest tertile (OR 1·47, 95 % CI 1·03, 2·10; P for trend = 0·20). There was evidence of effect modification between dietary vitamin E and NDMA. Individuals with high NDMA and low vitamin E intakes had a significantly increased risk than those with both low NDMA and low vitamin E intakes (OR 3·01, 95 % CI 1·43, 6·51; P for interaction = 0·017). The present results support the hypothesis that NOC intake may be positively associated with CRC risk in humans. Vitamin E, which inhibits nitrosation, could modify the effect of NDMA on CRC risk.