Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CASRdb: calcium‐sensing receptor locus‐specific database for mutations causing familial (benign) hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism, and autosomal dominant hypocalcemia

Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) is caused by heterozygous loss‐of‐function mutations in the calcium‐sensing receptor (CASR), in which the lifelong hypercalcemia is generally asymptomatic. Homozygous loss‐of‐function CASR mutations manifest as neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT), a rare disorder characterized by extreme hypercalcemia and the bony changes of hyperparathyroidism, which occur in infancy. Activating mutations in the CASR gene have been identified in several families with autosomal dominant hypocalcemia (ADH), autosomal dominant hypoparathyroidism, or hypocalcemic hypercalciuria. Individuals with ADH may have mild hypocalcemia and relatively few symptoms. However, in some cases seizures can occur, especially in younger patients, and these often happen during febrile episodes due to intercurrent infection. Thus far, 112 naturally‐occurring mutations in the human CASR gene have been reported, of which 80 are unique and 32 are recurrent. To better understand the mutations causing defects in the CASR gene and to define specific regions relevant for ligand‐receptor interaction and other receptor functions, the data on mutations were collected and the information was centralized in the CASRdb (www.casrdb.mcgill.ca), which is easily and quickly accessible by search engines for retrieval of specific information. The information can be searched by mutation, genotype–phenotype, clinical data, in vitro analyses, and authors of publications describing the mutations. CASRdb is regularly updated for new mutations and it also provides a mutation submission form to ensure up‐to‐date information. The home page of this database provides links to different web pages that are relevant to the CASR, as well as disease clinical pages, sequence of the CASR gene exons, and position of mutations in the CASR. The CASRdb will help researchers to better understand and analyze the mutations, and aid in structure–function analyses. Hum Mutat 24:107–111, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Identification of a Plasmodium falciparum Phospholipid Transfer Protein*

Background: PFA0210c is an exported Plasmodium falciparum protein. Results: PFA0210c is a phospholipid transfer protein with similarities to proteins of the family of START domain-containing proteins and can transfer various phospholipids between membranes in vitro. Conclusion: PFA0210c and its orthologs are phospholipid transfer proteins with a broad specificity. Significance: Identification of the function of conserved Plasmodium proteins allows deeper insight into the basis of pathogenesis. Infection of erythrocytes by the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum results in dramatic modifications to the host cell, including changes to its antigenic and transport properties and the de novo formation of membranous compartments within the erythrocyte cytosol. These parasite-induced structures are implicated in the transport of nutrients, metabolic products, and parasite proteins, as well as in parasite virulence. However, very few of the parasite effector proteins that underlie remodeling of the host erythrocyte are functionally characterized. Using bioinformatic examination and modeling, we have found that the exported P. falciparum protein PFA0210c belongs to the START domain family, members of which mediate transfer of phospholipids, ceramide, or fatty acids between membranes. In vitro phospholipid transfer assays using recombinant PFA0210 confirmed that it can transfer phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and sphingomyelin between phospholipid vesicles. Furthermore, assays using HL60 cells containing radiolabeled phospholipids indicated that orthologs of PFA0210c can also transfer phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylethanolamine. Biochemical and immunochemical analysis showed that PFA0210c associates with membranes in infected erythrocytes at mature stages of intracellular parasite growth. Localization studies in live parasites revealed that the protein is present in the parasitophorous vacuole during growth and is later recruited to organelles in the parasite. Together these data suggest that PFA0210c plays a role in the formation of the membranous structures and nutrient phospholipid transfer in the malaria-parasitized erythrocyte.
Planning Theory's Emerging Paradigm: Communicative Action and Interactive Practice

The long-bemoaned gap between theory and practice in planning is closing as a new type of planning theorist is beginning to dominate the field. These theorists make the gap complaint moot because they take practice as the raw material of their inquiry. In this they differ from their predecessors, who did primarily armchair theorizing and systematic thinking about planning. These new theorists pursue the questions and puzzles that arise in their study of practice, rather than those which emerge from thinking about how planning could or should be. These new
CORRELATION BETWEEN VESTIBULAR AND COCHLEAR FUNCTION IN NEWBORNS 2

This paper examines the correlation between vestibular and cochlear responses, obtained in newborns immediately after birth, for the purpose of improving procedures of early detection of possible hearing and vestibular impairment. A group of reflexes which indicate whether the vestibular apparatus is already realizing its function were tested in 100 healthy, full-term newborns from regular pregnancies, on the third day upon birth. At the same time, hearing ability in all newborns was examined by transient otoacoustic emission (TEOAE). Testing each reflex in newborns, was carried out in three attempts by trained medical staff, whereas the examiner performed instructing, observation and data recording. The obtained data were recorded by means of a digital camera, then scored and statistically and descriptively processed. For each examinee in the sample, data on gender and body size on birth, body weigh (BW), body length (BL) and head circumference (HC), were recorded. Research results indicate that 91% of babies have normal TEOAE finding bilaterally, whereas in 9% of newborns TEOAE was absent on both sides or just on one ear (bilaterally 3%, on the left presence of reflexes in total (MOR+ATRV+VOR+LRIG) was established in 7% of newborns, while minimal presence was recorded just in 1%. Absence of these four reflexes together, was not established in any of the newborns. Reflexes in total were significantly more developed in babies with normal TEOAE results bilaterally, then in babies whose TEOAE findings were bilaterally or unilaterally absent (p<0.01). It was also confirmed that a significant part of variance (13.8%) about presence of reflexes in total, can be established on the basis of TEOAE results. Absence of these four reflexes together, was not established in any of the newborns. BW, BL, HC and gender of infants, do not have significant influence on the presence of reflexes in total, regardless of the fact whether it is an isolated influence of the mentioned variables, their reciprocal interaction, or their interaction with TEOAE results. Giving instructions for recognition and further monitoring of newborns with delayed maturation of vestibular pathways is of special significance in practice. This is particularly important because of the possible associated disturbance of vestibular and cochlear function.
Robotics courses for children as a motivation tool: the Chilean experience

Encouraging children's interest in science and technology, as well as increasing their technological literacy, may be regarded as one of the educational paradigms of this century. The authors of this paper, affiliated with the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Chile, Santiago, have designed schemes to contribute to both goals and set guidelines for curricular and extracurricular school activities related to technology. In this context, this paper reviews their experience concerning practical robotics courses for children developed since 2000. More than 700 children and 90 school teachers have already attended these robotics courses, and the model is now being implemented in several schools and institutions in Chile. The robotics courses evolved to their present form from ideas developed during the late 1990s, mostly in the United States. Some preliminary assessment data is presented to support this approach. Current projects are also outlined. It is believed that the authors' experience might be of interest to engineering schools elsewhere.
Marriage Market Mismatches in Japan: An Alternative View of the Relationship between Women's Education and Marriage

In Japan, unlike in most other industrialized societies, the decline in marriage rates has been most pronounced among highly educated women. Theoretical interpretations of this distinctive pattern of change have typically emphasized increasing economic independence for women and reductions in the gains to marriage. In this paper, the authors develop and evaluate an alternative explanation that emphasizes women's continued dependence on men's economic resources and decline in the relative supply of highly educated men. Using data from four rounds of the Japanese National Fertility Survey, the authors decompose the observed decline in marriage rates into changes in the propensity to marry and changes in the educational composition of the marriage market. Results indicate that change in the availability of potential spouses accounts for one-fourth of the decline in marriage among university-educated women and explains a substantial proportion of the growing educational differences in marriage. The conclusion is that the relatively large decline in marriage among highly educated Japanese women likely reflects both increasing economic independence and continued economic dependence on men.
Metaplastic LTP inhibition after LTD induction in CA1 hippocampal slices involves NMDA Receptor-mediated Neurosteroidogenesis

Long‐term depression (LTD) induced by low‐frequency electrical stimulation (LFS) in the CA1 region of the hippocampus is a form of synaptic plasticity thought to contribute to learning and memory and to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. In naïve hippocampal slices from juvenile rats, we previously found that LTD induction can impair subsequent induction of long‐term potentiation (LTP) via a form of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR)‐dependent metaplasticity, and have recently observed that pharmacologically induced NMDAR‐dependent LTP inhibition involves 5α‐reduced neurosteroids that augment the actions of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA). In this study, we found that both LFS‐induced LTD and subsequent inhibition of LTP induction involve neurosteroid synthesis via NMDAR activation. Furthermore, the timing of 5α‐reductase inhibition relative to LFS can dissociate effects on LTD and metaplastic LTP inhibition. These findings indicate that 5α‐reduced neurosteroids play an important role in synaptic plasticity and synaptic modulation in the hippocampus.
Material hardship and children’s behavior across early childhood : examining the differential associations of maternal versus paternal parenting behaviors as mediators of material hardship on children’s social and behavioral outcomes

Previous research has established the adverse associations between material and economic hardship on mothers’ parenting behavior and, in turn, on children’s behavior, yet relatively few studies have examined the differential associations of material hardship with mothers’ and fathers’ parenting simultaneously. Using a sample from the Fragile Families and Well-Being Study (FFCW), the present study examined the differential associations of material hardship with maternal versus paternal stress and parenting behaviors and, ultimately, with children’s social and behavioral outcomes. The sample was limited to families who remained living together across the first five years of their child’s lives (N = 1326) to get a better understanding of the differential associations of material hardship between mothers and fathers among resident families. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), material hardship was found to be linked with mothers’ and fathers’ stress and parenting behavior in distinct ways. Direct and significant paths were also found between material hardship and child outcomes for both mothers and fathers.
Behavioral/systems/cognitive Substance P-mediated Modulation of Pacemaker Properties in the Mammalian Respiratory Network

Neuromodulators are integral parts of a neuronal network, and unraveling how these substances alter neuronal activity is critical for understanding how networks generate patterned activity and, ultimately, behavior. In this study, we examined the cellular mechanisms underlying the excitatory action of substance P (SP) on the respiratory network isolated in spontaneously active transverse slice preparation of mice. SP produced a slow depolarization in all recorded inspiratory pacemaker and non-pacemaker neurons. Ion exchange experiments and blockers for different ion channels suggest that the slow depolarization is caused by the activation of a low-threshold TTX-insensitive cationic current that carries mostly Na ϩ. The SP-induced slow depolarization increased tonic discharge in non-pacemaker neurons and primarily enhanced the frequency of bursting in Cd 2ϩ-insensitive pacemaker neurons. In the Cd 2ϩ-sensitive pacemaker neuron, the burst frequency was not significantly affected, whereas burst duration and amplitude were more enhanced than in Cd 2ϩ-insensitive pacemaker neurons. In a subset of non-pacemaker neurons that produced NMDA-dependent subthreshold oscillations , SP caused the production of bursts of action potentials. We conclude that the degree of pacemaker activity in the respiratory network is not fixed but dynamically regulated by neuromodulators such as SP. This finding may have clinical implications for Rett syndrome in which SP levels along with other neuromodulators are decreased in the brainstem.
Employee Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions: A Test of the Main and Moderating Effects of Individualism-Collectivism Orientations

In this study, we examine whether individualism/collectivism (I/C) orientations predict employee attitudes and behavioral intentions, and also consider whether I/C orientation moderates the relationship between equity perceptions and these variables. Four hundred and two employees from 11 high technology and financial services companies participated in this study. Results indicated that the competitiveness dimension of I/C moderated the relationships between equity perceptions and effort, and equity perceptions and obligations towards teamwork. Similarly, the solitary work preference dimension of I/C moderated the relationships between equity perceptions and career intent, and equity perceptions and obligations towards teamwork. The interactions between equity perceptions and I/C dimensions produced interesting effects. The results suggest that varying levels of equity perceptions are associated with different effects on employee attitudes and behavioral intentions depending on the level of employee individualism or collectivism orientations. Also, the solitary work preference dimension of I/C was positively related to organizational commitment contrary to the hypothesized direction. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Characterization of Error Diffusion Halftone Images based on Subband Decompostion

Digital halftoning creates the illusion of continuous tone output for a binary device. Halftoning using error diffusion reduces local quantization error by filtering the quantization error in a feedback loop. In this paper, we present a new scheme to evaluate error diffusion halftoning. An integer-coefficient filter bank is applied to an error diffusion halftone image to obtain frequency subbands. Based on these subband images, statistical distribution measurements and the correlations between the original image and the residual image are defined to evaluate the qualities of several error diffusion algorithms. Experimental results show that the rank of several error diffusion algorithms based on our gauges is consistent with the results of previous research works
Regulation of Norepinephrine Release from Cardiac Sympathetic Fibers in the Dog by Presynaptic a- and /?-Receptors

SUMMARY The effect of pbenoxybenzamine (PBA), desmethylimipramine (DMI), donidine (CLND), sotalol (STL), and isoproterenol (ISPR) on the release of endogenous norepinephrine (NE) from the heart on right cardioaccelerator nerve stimulation was studied in anesthetized dogs. Under control conditions, the catecholamine levels in coronary sinus blood increased linearly with increasing frequencies of stimulation up to 10 Hz and did not increase further at 30 Hz. The release of NE was markedly enhanced after PBA (1 mg/kg, iv) and OMI (1 mg/kg, iv). The enhanced release of NE after DMI, bat not after PBA, was associated with a prolonged response in heart rate. In contrast, NE release was reduced after CLND (15 /xg/kg, iv) at stimulation frequencies of 1 and 2 Hz and this was associated with reduced responses in heart rate and left ventricular dP/dt. STL (5 mg/kg, iv) reduced significantly the release of NE at stimulation frequencies of 1-5 Hz, whereas ISPR enhanced NE outflow at frequencies of 1-4 Hz. These results support the existence of both negative and positive feedback mechanisms on the release of norepinephrine by cardiac sympathetic fibers mediated through presynaptic a- and /3-adrenoreceptors, respectively. The functional significance of these mechanisms is also suggested by the correlation found between changes in NE release and variations in cardiac responses under the various drug treatments. SUMMARY Experiments were performed on strips dissected from toad ventricles driven at a constant frequency of 12 beats/min. After equilibration, the Pco 2 of the medium was altered from 25 to 95 mm Hg or from 95 to 25 mm Hg. Developed tension (DT) and maximal rate of tension development (dT/dt^,,) were recorded during a 30-minute period after the change in Pco 2 . In the first experimental series at 30°C, increasing Pco, resulted in a decrease in DT and dT/dtmax, followed by a recovery of contractility that reached levels higher than controls. In the second and third series, performed after the addition to the bath of practolol (1 x 10"" M) or after reserpinization, high Pco, depressed contractility but the recovery did not surpass control values after 30 minutes of hypercapnia. In this series, when high Pco, was replaced by low Pco, there was an increase in DT and dT/dtma* followed by a decrease that reached control levels within a 30-minute period. In the fourth series, at 22°C the significant decreases in DT and dT/dt^x observed after increasing Pco, were followed by a recovery that surpassed control values. These results define the existence in toad cardiac muscle of a mechanism that tends to return contractility to control levels after a change in Pco,. Within 30 minutes this mechanism, present even after inhibition of catecholamine action, completely counteracts the primary negative inotropic effect of high Pco, and the positive inotropic action of hypocapnia.
Azimuth moveout for 3-D prestack imaging

We introduce a new partial prestack‐migration operator called “azimuth moveout” (AMO) that rotates the azimuth and modifies the offset of 3-D prestack data. Followed by partial stacking, AMO can reduce the computational cost of 3-D prestack imaging. We have successfully applied AMO to the partial stacking of a 3-D marine data set over a range of offsets and azimuths. When AMO is included in the partial‐stacking procedure, high‐frequency steeply dipping energy is better preserved than when conventional partial‐stacking methodologies are used. Because the test data set requires 3-D prestack depth migration to handle strong lateral variations in velocity, the results of our tests support the applicability of AMO to prestack depth‐imaging problems. AMO is a partial prestack‐migration operator defined by chaining a 3-D prestack imaging operator with a 3-D prestack modeling operator. The analytical expression for the AMO impulse response is derived by chaining constant‐velocity DMO with its inverse. Equivalentl.
Embryonic Stem–Derived Versus Somatic Neural Stem Cells: A Comparative Analysis of Their Developmental Potential and Molecular Phenotype

Reliable procedures to induce neural commitment of totipotent undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells have provided new tools for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate choices. We extensively characterized the developmental potential of ES‐induced neural cells obtained using an adaptation of the multistep induction protocol. We provided evidence that ES‐derived neural proliferating cells are endowed with stem cell properties such as extensive self‐renewal capacity and single‐cell multipotency. In differentiating conditions, cells matured exclusively into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. All these features have been previously described in only somatic neural stem cells (NSCs). Therefore, we consider it more appropriate to rename our cells ES‐derived NSCs. These similarities between the two NSC populations induced us to carefully compare their proliferation ability and differentiation potential. Although they were very similar in overall behavior, we scored specific differences. For instance, ES‐derived NSCs proliferated at higher rate and consistently generated a higher number of neurons compared with somatic NSCs. To further investigate their relationships, we carried out a molecular analysis comparing their transcriptional profiles during proliferation. We observed a large fraction of shared expressed transcripts, including genes previously described to be critical in defining somatic NSC traits. Among the genes differently expressed, candidate genes possibly responsible for divergences between the two cell types were selected and further investigated. In particular, we showed that an enhanced MAPK (mitogen‐activated protein kinase) signaling is acting in ES‐induced NSCs, probably triggered by insulin‐like growth factor–II. This may contribute to the high proliferation rate exhibited by these cells in culture.
Cross-subject Dialogue About Language: Attitudes and Perceptions of PGCE Students of English and Modern Languages

This paper reports the initial findings of a small, local study of student teachers' attitudes and perceptions in the area of knowledge about language. It is part of an attempt to generate cross-subject dialogue about language between student teachers training to teach either English or Modern Languages in the mainstream curriculum in England and Wales in order to provide greater consistency and communication in the school curriculum. The study identifies some causes of tension in this dialogue. A key finding is a high level of anxiety among student teachers of English concerning their explicit knowledge of language structure. This was inhibiting their participation in the dialogue. The anxiety was not so apparent among student teachers of Modern Languages and seemed to be related to the difficulty of making implicit knowledge about language explicit when the language was closely related to the student's personal and social identity. The paper considers the causes of this anxiety and how to develop better.