Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ADP‐Ribosylation with Pertussis Toxin Modulates the GTP‐Sensitive Opioid Ligand Binding in Digitonin‐Soluble Extracts of Rat Brain Membranes

Pertussis toxin‐catalyzed ADP‐ribosylation of the guanine nucleotide‐binding proteins Gi and Go is shown to proceed in Mg2+‐digitonin extracts from rat brain; the Mr 41,000 and Mr 39,000 peptides are labelled there as in the membranes. The ADP‐ribosylation in detergent solution retains the differential sensitivity to guanine nucleotide analogues. This reaction also removes the partial inhibition by the guanine nucleotides of the binding of opioid agonists, as does the same treatment in the membranes. The partial inhibition of agonist binding by Na+, however, is left unchanged. The binding of the antagonist naloxone is little affected by Na+ or by guanine nucleotides in the treated membranes, but the treated soluble receptors show an enhanced binding in high‐Na+ medium, although still guanine nucleotide insensitive. The data suggest that the toxin reaction in the absence of guanine nucleotides and agonist stabilizes the opioid receptor in a receptor‐G‐protein coupled state which is no longer sensitive to guanine nucleotides but retains its sensitivity to the Na+ ions.
Reprogramming of two somatic nuclei in the same ooplasm leads to pluripotent embryonic stem cells

The conversion of the nuclear program of a somatic cell from a differentiated to an undifferentiated state can be accomplished by transplanting its nucleus to an enucleated oocyte (somatic cell nuclear transfer [SCNT]) in a process termed “reprogramming. ” This process achieves pluripotency and occasionally also totipotency. Exploiting the obstacle of tetraploidy to full development in mammals, we show that mouse ooplasts transplanted with two somatic nuclei simultaneously (double SCNT) support preimplantation development and derivation of novel tetraploid SCNT embryonic stem cells (tNT‐ESCs). Although the double SCNT embryos do not recapitulate the expression pattern of the pluripotency‐associated gene Oct4 in fertilized embryos, derivative tNT‐ESCs have characteristics of genuine pluripotency: in vitro they differentiate into neurons, cardiomyocytes, and endodermal cells; in vivo, tNT‐ESCs form teratomas, albeit at reduced rates compared to diploid counterparts. Global transcriptome analysis revealed only few specific alterations, for example, in the quantitative expression of gastrulation‐associated genes. In conclusion, we have shown that the oocyte's reprogramming capacity is in excess of a single nucleus and that double nucleus‐transplanted embryos and derivative ESCs are very similar to their diploid counterparts. These results have key implications for reprogramming studies based on pluripotency: while reprogramming in the tetraploid state was known from fusion‐mediated reprogramming and from fetal and adult hepatocyte‐derived induced pluripotent stem cells, we have now accomplished it with enucleated oocytes. Stem Cells 2013;31:2343–2353
The diagnostic value of earlier and later components of Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP) in multiple sclerosis.

AIM OF THE STUDY To evaluate the ability of VEMP to disclose spatial dissemination of Multiple Sclerosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-six MS patients with auditory and/or vestibular symptoms were studied. Patients were divided in two groups. Group 1 included 24 patients with brainstem MRI findings, and Group 2 included 22 patients without MRI findings. VEMP and BAEP have been recorded and assessed. RESULTS Abnormal p13n23 wave was observed in 50%, while unilateral absence or bilateral delay of the n34p44 in 43% of the patients. The overall diagnostic value considering abnormal cases suggested by both first and second VEMP waves was increased to 71%. Statistically significant differences revealed between patients and controls for p13 latency (p=0.018). The p13n23 was abnormal in 7 patients, although MRI scanning did not reveal brainstem lesions. In 9 out of 18 MS patients suffering from unilateral hearing loss, n34p44 was present in the unaffected ears and absent in the affected side, although p13n23 was normal. CONCLUSION Abnormal VEMP imply the presence of lesions undetected by MRI neuroimaging, which verifies the diagnostic value of the method. Unilateral absence of n34p44 complex was related with sensorineural hearing loss, supporting the hypothesis that n34p44 is of cochlear origin.
Comparison of the effects of desloratadine 5‐mg daily and placebo on nasal airflow and seasonal allergic rhinitis symptoms induced by grass pollen exposure

Background: Nasal congestion is a chronic symptom of seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) that is often difficult to treat with antihistamines. Desloratadine, a new, potent, H1‐receptor antagonist has been shown to decrease nasal congestion in clinical trials and to maintain nasal airflow in response to grass pollen exposure. We compared the effects of desloratadine 5 mg and placebo on nasal airflow, nasal secretion weights and SAR symptoms, including nasal congestion, in patients exposed to grass pollen in an environmental exposure unit.
Role of Bulk Defect States in Limiting CIGS Device Properties

We have used sustained light-soaking in the near-infrared (780 nm wavelength) to modify the properties of the absorber layer in CIGS solar cells, and thus study the relationship between the absorber electronic properties and the device performance. Through this light-soaking treatment we can increase the hole carrier density in the CIGS absorber, as well as the density of the commonly observed 0.3 eV bulk deep acceptor, by up to a factor of 5. The device performance was periodically recorded under the same 780 nm light, and was found to degrade due to a reduction in fill factor and short circuit current. We demonstrate that these changes can be largely attributed to a reduction in the photogenerated carrier collection, due to a decrease in the depletion width. Based on these data, we estimate the minority carrier diffusion length to be about 0.2 mum. At the same time, no change in open circuit voltage was observed, indicating that the recombination rate through the dominant recombination channel remained nearly constant. This means that it cannot be the 0.3 eV bulk defect. Detailed SCAPS modeling was carried out and reinforces this conclusion
Clinical Perspectives of Lithium’s Neuroprotective Effect

Abstract Evidence for a neuroprotective effect of lithium has accumulated over the last 2 decades, and this phenomenon has been regarded as an important mechanism of lithium action in mood disorders. It has been reflected by an increase in cerebral gray matter volume in lithium-treated subjects and by the favorable influence of lithium on cognitive functions. A neuroprotective effect of lithium also makes this ion a possible candidate for use as a therapeutic drug in neurology, especially in neurodegenerative disorders. In this paper, neurochemical mechanisms of neuroprotective action of lithium will be characterized. A possible association between the effect of lithium on brain structures reflected in neuroimaging studies, as well as on cognitive functions, and its neuroprotective action, will be considered. Data from experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies have also pointed to an antidementia effect of lithium, bringing about some promise of using lithium in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. The results of attempts of employing lithium in other neurodegenerative disorders will also be discussed.
Global Warming and the Green Paradox: A Review of Adverse Effects of Climate Policies

This article examines the possible adverse effects of well-intended climate policies, an outcome known as the Green Paradox. A weak Green Paradox arises if the announcement of a future carbon tax or a sufficiently fast rising carbon tax encourages fossil fuel owners to extract reserves more aggressively, thus exacerbating global warming. We argue that such policies may also encourage more fossil fuel to be locked in the crust of the earth, which can offset the adverse effects of the weak Green Paradox. We show that a subsidy on clean renewables may have similar weak Green Paradox effects. Green welfare (the converse of environmental damages) declines (i.e., the strong Green Paradox) if the beneficial climate effects of locking up more fossil fuel do not outweigh the short-run weak Green Paradox effects. Neither the weak nor the strong Green Paradox occurs for the first-best Pigouvian carbon tax. We also discuss dirty backstops, spatial carbon leakage, and green innovation.
Correlations of Water Quality Parameters with Mutagenicity of Chlorinated Drinking Water Samples

Adverse health effects that may result from chronic exposure to mixtures of disinfection by-products (DBPs) present in drinking waters may be linked to both the types and concentrations of DBPs present. Depending on the characteristics of the source water and treatment processes used, both types and concentrations of DBPs found in drinking waters vary substantially. The composition of a drinking-water mixture also may change during distribution. This study evaluated the relationships between mutagenicity, using the Ames assay, and water quality parameters. The study included information on treatment, mutagenicity data, and water quality data for source waters, finished waters, and distribution samples collected from five full-scale drinking water treatment plants, which used chlorine exclusively for disinfection. Four of the plants used surface water sources and the fifth plant used groundwater. Correlations between mutagenicity and water quality parameters are presented. The highest correlation was observed between mutagenicity and the total organic halide concentrations in the treated samples.
Pollen contamination in seed mixture increases the dominance of resistance to Bt maize in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

BACKGROUND Seed mixture, also called 'RIB', has been used to provide refuge populations for delaying insect resistance. Pollen contamination in RIB could result in refuge kernels of non-Bt maize expressing variable Bt proteins. Data are lacking regarding the impact of pollen contamination on evolution of resistance for ear-feeding insects. Here, we used Spodoptera frugiperda and Cry1F-maize as a model to examine if pollen contamination in RIB increases the dominance of insect resistance. RESULTS Pollen contamination caused >66% refuge kernels in 5:95% (non-Bt:Bt) and 20:80% RIBs to express Cry1F protein. Survival at adult stage on pure non-Bt ears was similar (54.4-63.3%) among Cry1F-susceptible (SS), Cry1F-resistant (RR) and Cry1F-heterozygous (RS) S. frugiperda. On Bt ears, survival was similar between SS and RS (0.0-1.7%), but it was significantly less than that of RR (59.2%). On the two RIB refuge ears, survival at adult stage for RS (42.3% in 5:95% RIB; 50.0% in 20:80% RIB) was significantly higher than for SS (8.7% in 5:95% RIB; 10.0% in 20:80% RIB). CONCLUSION The results suggest that pollen contamination in RIB could increase the dominance of resistance for ear-feeding insects by significantly reducing susceptible refuge populations and supporting higher survival of heterozygotes relative to homozygous susceptible insects. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Essays on human capital and labor market dynamics

This thesis investigates the role of human capital in understanding recent developments in the U.S. labor market. Chapter 1 provides novel empirical evidence suggesting that an increasing importance of on-the-job human capital accumulation is behind the declining dynamism in job turnover. The quantitative results of a theoretical model show that the proposed explanation can account for almost one-third of the decline in job turnover. Chapter 2 shows that population aging and rising educational attainment are two crucial factors behind the downward trend in unemployment flows since mid-1970s. A theoretical model where older and more educated workers posses more job-specific human capital can account for the observed trends. Chapter 3 finds that more educated individuals experience lower and less volatile unemployment due to a lower hazard rate of losing a job. A theoretical model with initial on-the-job training illustrates that accumulation of match-specific human capital can explain this empirical pattern.
PROCEEDINGS of theHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 45th ANNUAL MEETING- 2001 SUPPORTING SITUATION ASSESSMENT THROUGH ATTENTION GUIDANCE: A COST-BENEFIT AND DEPTH OF PROCESSING ANALYSIS

Automated support systems may be useful tools for aiding situation assessment in complex environments such as the military battlefield. These environments are marked by large amounts of information which often must be weighted and integrated into a meaningful judgment or assessment. The present research examines the effects of attention cueing on information integration tasks in static battlefield situations. Sixteen participants completed a resource allocation task for 56 battlefield scenarios (based on perceived threats). For half the trials, an automated system guided their attention to high-threat units. On 2 trials a memory probe was administered to assess the depth of processing of information, and on the final trial an automation failure was presented. Results demonstrated an overall allocation performance advantage for automation but poorer recall for automation-enhanced units. Half of the participants failed to attend to the system failure. Those participants who detected the failure were inferred to have processed the cues more deeply on the memory trials. The costs and benefits of automated cueing are discussed.
Treatment of severe childhood constipation with restorative proctocolectomy: the surgeon's view

The hardest question and the question this paper attempts to tackle is what do you do for the child that fails all medical and surgical options but does not want to be left with a stoma. Both the senior author and I have attended many meetings and been surprised at how this question is so often either ignored or it is stated that this problem “does not exist. ” For this reason, Jaffray should be congratulated for offering a way forward. For those that fail any form of oral/rectal medical regimen and who have a negative rectal biopsy result, the question has always been “what is the next step? ” Like Jaffray, my next step, following Malone's seminal paper,1 is some form of antegrade continence enema (ACE) procedure. There is now enough evidence to show that although the procedure is an excellent therapy for the incontinent child, it also has an important role in the child with intractable constipation.2 In my experience, approximately 10% (24/243) of patients referred with intractable constipation end up undergoing an ACE procedure, and this has been successful in 82%. Thus, the number of children who fail both medical and ACE treatments is small. By this time, these children need a break, and this is best done by formation of a stoma. This procedure is relatively simple with little associated morbidity. It allows bowel decompression, stops the continuous soiling and allows an improved quality of life. For some children, this is all they will want, and I have four patients in whom I have given a stoma, and they have refused any further intervention. There are, however, three problems. First, most children, although enjoying a period of time out, come back asking “what can …
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in children with recurrent wheezing and relation to the phenotypes and frequency of wheezing.

Summary Background. Recurrent wheezing may be related to various reasons. There is a lack of knowledge about the effect of vitamin D status in the children with recurrent wheezing. The aim of this study is to compare the level of vitamin D between recurrent wheezing children and healthy controls, and to investigate the relationship between vitamin D status and the clinical parameters of recurrent wheezing in preschool children. Methods. One hundred-ten children followed up in our hospital with recurrent wheezing were included in the study. The control group included fifty children without wheezing episodes. The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) level was measured. The patients with recurrent wheezing were grouped according to their vitamin D status as "deficient group" and "non-deficient group (Vitamin D level is insufficient and normal)". We investigated the relationship between vitamin D status and the clinical and laboratory parameters of children with recurrent wheezing. Results. Mean 25OHD level was 21.66 ± 8.13 ng/mL (5.6-53) in the study group and 25.36 ± 10.17 ng/mL (6-59) in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.015). When the patients with recurrent wheezing were compared according to their vitamin D status, number of hospitalizations, number of positive sensitivity, percentage of eosinophil, serum IgE levels, Asthma Predictive Index positivity and wheezing phenotypes were not found to be different between groups. However, the duration of wheezing, the number of wheezing episodes and systemic glucocorticoid need in the previous year, and the total number of wheezing episodes were significantly higher in the deficient group (p < 0.05). The serum 25OHD level was negatively correlated with the duration of wheezing (r: -0.238; p: 0.012), total number of wheezing episodes (r: -0.436; p: 0.001), number of wheezing episodes in the previous year (r: -0.395; p: 0.001), and systemic glucocorticoid need in the previous year (r: -0.324; p: 0.001). Conclusions. Mean 25OHD levels were lower in patients with recurrent wheezing than in healthy controls. The duration of illness and number of wheezing episodes were correlated with vitamin D levels. An evaluation of the serum levels of vitamin D and supplementation if needed should be recommended in patients with recurrent wheezing, especially in those with long-term and frequent wheezing episodes.
Relational Mobility Explains Between- and Within-Culture Differences in Self-Disclosure to Close Friends

In the current research, we tested a novel explanation for previously demonstrated findings that East Asians disclose less personal information to other people than do Westerners. We propose that both between- and within-culture differences in self-disclosure to close friends may be explained by the construct of relational mobility, the general degree to which individuals in a society have opportunities to form new relationships and terminate old ones. In Study 1, we found that cross-cultural differences (Japan vs. United States) in self-disclosure to a close friend were mediated by individuals’ perceptions of relational mobility. In Study 2, two separate measures of relational mobility predicted self-disclosure within a single culture (Japan), and this relationship was mediated by the motivation to engage in self-disclosure to strengthen personal relationships. We conclude that societies and social contexts higher in relational mobility (in which relationships can be formed and dissolved relatively easily) produce stronger incentives for self-disclosure as a social-commitment device.
Is Storytelling Therapy Useful for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Severe Mental Retardation

Numerous studies highlight the importance of therapeutic context when learning social skills for young ASD patients. Therapy approaches become more complex when the situation involves young ASD patients with a severe mental disability. Indeed, when working with this population, it is difficult to get their attention and have them mimic actions (through video modeling, for example) or interact with peers on a playground. Nevertheless, our study tried to demonstrate the possibility of working on the social skills of young ASD patients with a severe mental disability using a therapeutic storytelling approach. The study involved 10 children (average age of 10.6 +/- 2 years). All study participants were diagnosed with ASD and severe mental retardation. 62 sessions divided across two years and twenty repeated assessments were taken during this study, and the results obtained show that the children learned, in a significant way, to imitate the story's actions. They also significantly reduced their behavioral issues. A physiological assessment (eye-tracking) was taken both pre and post-test during the storytelling workshop. The results obtained confirmed a significant increase in attention given to the storytelling scene.
Effects of communication mode and polling on cooperation in a commons dilemma

Effects of Communication Mode and Polling on Cooperation in a Commons Dilemma. (August 2004) Kristen Michelle Watrous, B.A., University of Houston Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Charles D. Samuelson This study examined the effects of communication mode, both face-to-face (FTF) and computer-mediated communication (CMC), and polling on cooperation in a commons dilemma. Sixty-seven six-person groups used FISH, a computer program that uses a fishing metaphor to simulate a commons dilemma. Next, groups had a 10-minute discussion period, either FTF or via CMC, in which they devised a strategy for the second FISH session. Groups were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: FTF, no-poll CMC, end-poll CMC, and two-poll CMC. The polls allowed members to determine others’ intended behavior, thus enhancing perceived consensus. Finally, groups used the FISH program again. Results indicated that experimental condition influenced consensus, with end-poll CMC groups reaching consensus most often, followed by FTF, two-poll CMC, and no-poll CMC groups. However, groups did not differ across experimental condition on resource pool sustainability or group profit. FTF groups were more satisfied with group performance than no-poll CMC groups, and two-poll CMC and FTF groups had similar levels of satisfaction. The strategy the group decided to implement in the second FISH session had a significant effect on group profit but not resource pool sustainability. Thus, the harvest strategy implemented by the group may have been a stronger predictor of performance than experimental condition.
Self-renewing epiblast stem cells exhibit continual delineation of germ cells with epigenetic reprogramming in vitro

Pluripotent epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) derived from postimplantation embryos exhibit properties that are characteristically different when compared with pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from mouse blastocysts. However, EpiSCs are relatively less well characterised compared with ESCs. In particular, the relationship between EpiSCs and primordial germ cells (PGCs) is unknown, and is worthy of investigation because PGCs originate from postimplantation epiblast cells in vivo. We show that EpiSCs have an infinite capacity for generating PGCs, under conditions that sustain their pluripotency and self-renewal. These PGCs generated in vitro show appropriate transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming events and are able to develop further into late germ cells. Notably, the PGCs can, in turn, be induced to undergo dedifferentiation into pluripotent embryonic germ cells (EGCs), which resemble ESCs and not the EpiSC from which they are derived. Our observations demonstrate intrinsic reprogramming during specification of PGCs that results in the erasure of epigenetic memory of EpiSCs following reactivation of the X-chromosome, DNA demethylation and re-expression of key pluripotency genes. This study provides novel insights into the nature and properties of EpiSCs, and introduces an in vitro model system that will be useful for investigations on PGC specification and on mechanisms regulating epigenetic reprogramming in germ cells.