Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ferromagnetic superexchange in Cr-based diluted magnetic semiconductors.

A theory of superexchange in Cr-based AIIBVI diluted magnetic semiconductors ~DMS’s ! is presented. The spin interaction between Cr 21 ions, calculated numerically for zinc chalcogenides, exhibits properties unique in DMS’s, it is ferromagnetic, and depends on the relative orientations of the ionic Jahn-Teller distortions. We explain the origin of this unusual behavior and predict a ferromagnetic character of the superexchange in other Cr-based AIIBVI DMS’s. The discovery of diluted magnetic semiconductors ~DMS’s ! has created the possibility to study the magnetic phenomena in crystals with a simple band structure and excellent magneto-optical and transport properties. The welldeveloped technology of these semiconductors allows also for tuning of their magnetic properties not only by an external magnetic field but by varying the band structure and/or carrier, impurity, and magnetic ion concentrations. This makes DMS’s a valuable test ground for various theoretical ideas and opens doors for numerous device applications. The most spectacular feature of DMS’s, i.e., the giant spin splitting of the free-carrier spectrum in a magnetic field, results from the strong spin-dependent interaction of the band carriers with the localized spins of the magnetic ions ( sp - d exchange interactions! . The pursuit after maximum spin splittings in DMS’s runs in two directions: either to increase the concentration of magnetic ions or to look for new materials with larger exchange constants. Still, several years of considerable effort did not bring satisfactory progress. Despite the larger exchange constants found in DMS’s with Fe and Co ions ~see Refs. 1‐3, and the references therein! the spin splittings remain in these materials similar to those in Mn-based DMS’s, since the spin of the Mn 21 ion is larger. On the other hand, the increase of the magnetic-ion content enhances the role of the ion-ion ( d-d) interactions. The latter, being antiferromagnetic in all known AIIBVI DMS’s, reduces the average ionic magnetic moment. They impose, therefore, an upper limit to the increase of the free-carrier spin splitting with the growing number of magnetic ions. There are materials with ferromagnetic ion-ion interactions and very large
A Polybasic Plasma Membrane Binding Motif in the I-II Linker Stabilizes Voltage-gated CaV1.2 Calcium Channel Function

Background: L-type Ca2+ channels (LTCCs) are fine-tuned by different molecular mechanisms. Results: Pore-forming α1-subunits of LTCCs contain a polybasic amino acid sequence within their I-II linkers that binds to the plasma membrane. This polybasic motif is required for normal channel gating and modulation. Conclusion: The polybasic cluster stabilizes normal channel activity. Significance: We discovered a new modulatory domain of LTCCs within their pore-forming α1-subunit. L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (LTCCs) regulate many physiological functions like muscle contraction, hormone secretion, gene expression, and neuronal excitability. Their activity is strictly controlled by various molecular mechanisms. The pore-forming α1-subunit comprises four repeated domains (I–IV), each connected via an intracellular linker. Here we identified a polybasic plasma membrane binding motif, consisting of four arginines, within the I-II linker of all LTCCs. The primary structure of this motif is similar to polybasic clusters known to interact with polyphosphoinositides identified in other ion channels. We used de novo molecular modeling to predict the conformation of this polybasic motif, immunofluorescence microscopy and live cell imaging to investigate the interaction with the plasma membrane, and electrophysiology to study its role for Cav1.2 channel function. According to our models, this polybasic motif of the I-II linker forms a straight α-helix, with the positive charges facing the lipid phosphates of the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. Membrane binding of the I-II linker could be reversed after phospholipase C activation, causing polyphosphoinositide breakdown, and was accelerated by elevated intracellular Ca2+ levels. This indicates the involvement of negatively charged phospholipids in the plasma membrane targeting of the linker. Neutralization of four arginine residues eliminated plasma membrane binding. Patch clamp recordings revealed facilitated opening of Cav1.2 channels containing these mutations, weaker inhibition by phospholipase C activation, and reduced expression of channels (as quantified by ON-gating charge) at the plasma membrane. Our data provide new evidence for a membrane binding motif within the I-II linker of LTCC α1-subunits essential for stabilizing normal Ca2+ channel function.
Inflammatory mechanisms in atherosclerosis

Summary. Atherosclerosis, the cause of myocardial infarction, stroke and ischemic gangrene, is an inflammatory disease. When LDL accumulates in the intima, it activates the endothelium to express leukocyte adhesion molecules and chemokines that promote recruitment of monocytes and T cells. Monocyte‐derived macrophages upregulate pattern recognition receptors, including scavenger receptors that mediate uptake of modified LDL, and Toll‐like receptors, which transmit activating signals leading to release of cytokines, proteases, and vasoactive molecules. T cells in lesions recognize local antigens and mount Th1 responses with secretion of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, thus contributing to local inflammation and growth of the plaque. Intensified inflammatory activation may lead to local proteolysis, plaque rupture, and thrombus formation, triggering ischemia and infarction. Inflammatory markers are already used to monitor the disease process and anti‐inflammatory therapy may be useful to control disease activity.
Communities and Ecosystems

translation yields a style of presentation that is often stilted and awkward. A partially redeeming feature, and perhaps unique in this kind of publication , is a 60-question-and-answer chapter which gives a rapid and practical orientation to the physician prescribing these pills and the patient receiving them. Despite this pleasant surprise, the book in general does not add to what is already known and available in a variety of better written volumes. This book concerns the structure of natural communities, the function of ecosystems, and the problems of man's relations to the biosphere. It is a companion volume to The Ecology of Populations. The biosphere is defined as man's environment, which man is now altering in ways disadvantageous to himself; the study of living systems in relation to environment is the science of ecology. Major subjects of chapters deal with: community structure and composition; communities and environments; production (measurement, on land, marine); cycling and pollution; human ecology. Numerous figures and tables illustrate the text, and there are many valuable references. The auther points out that it may be only realism to judge that the difficult problems of human ecology are not now soluble without population control. There are rapidly intensifying, interlocking factors, with development of restraints on population and technological abuse to be considered in the solution of environmental problems: Such is one of the objectives of ecology. These objectives include knowledge of adaptation and population process, appreciation and understanding of natural communities and the evolution of organisms in them, comprehension of the function of ecosystems and the bio-sphere, and contribution to a wiser and more understanding, long-term management of natural communities and environment in relation to human needs. The authors have presented a synopsis of the present and potential difficulties confronting the health industry, rather than an in-depth study of the conflicts. The scope of material dealt with is broad, the analysis of the various topics cursory. As such, the book may best serve a general professional and lay readership wishing to gain some perspective on the area without being burdened with weighty detail. Several of the points are made repetitively in the essays that comprise this work; the essays themselves suffer from a lack of continuity. It was my hope when I chose to review this book written by the noted economist interested in manpower development that I would encounter a well-documented discussion of several of the economic …
In Vitro and In Vivo Antibacterial Activity of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extracts of Punica granatum Peels against some Burn Infections Bacteria

Infection is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized burn patients (1). In spite of considerable advances in medicine and specific treatment of burn, infection continues to pose the greatest danger to burn patients and approximately 73% of all deaths within the first 5 days post burn are directly or indirectly caused by septic processes (2). The rate of nosocomial infections is higher in burn patients due to various factors like nature of burn injury itself, immunocompromised status of the patient (3), age of the patient, extent of ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 6 (2014) pp. 810-818 http://www.ijcmas. com
Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in salivary gland carcinomas correlates with lymph node metastasis.

BACKGROUND Carcinomas of the salivary glands are uncommon heterogeneous tumors characterized by locoregional invasion and distant metastasis. Angiogenesis is a necessary condition for invasion and metastasis, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered a prime mediator of this process. The relationship between VEGF and clinical outcome in cancers of diverse locations has been examined, yielding inconclusive results. PATIENTS AND METHODS An immunohistochemical study was conducted on the expression of VEGF protein in 66 salivary gland carcinomas and the relation between VEGF and clinicopathological parameters explored. RESULTS VEGF expression was seen in 41 tumors (62%) and was correlated with lymph node metastasis (p<0.005), clinical stage (p<0.02), cause-specific survival (p<0.01) and local failure-free survival (p<0.02). CONCLUSION VEGF can contribute to the progression of salivary gland carcinomas and seems to be associated with neck node metastasis, worse survival and poor local control of the disease.
JC virus and colorectal cancer: a possible trigger in the chromosomal instability pathways

Purpose of review Most colorectal cancers (CRCs) have deletions, duplications, and rearrangements of their chromosomes that reflect a destabilizing process called chromosomal instability (CIN). The cause of CIN is controversial, but no intrinsic mutation in cancer cells has been reported that can reasonably account for this in CRC. This review explores the new hypothesis that JC virus (JCV) may be the cause of CIN. Recent findings A polyomavirus has been found in most colon cancers that encodes a T-antigen gene, which can induce CIN in several laboratory models. This virus, JCV, infects virtually every human population that has been investigated, and evidence for the virus has been found in the gastrointestinal tracts of most healthy adults. It is hypothesized that the virus infects the gut in childhood and remains there in a latent form for most people. In people who develop colorectal neoplasia, it is proposed that the virus is activated, and expression of the oncogene-T-antigen-leads to CIN. This form of genomic instability is necessary to explain the losses of tumor suppressor genes that occur in the context of the multistep carcinogenesis pathway. Furthermore, it is proposed that once neoplastic colonic epithelial cells have experienced biallelic inactivation of a critical number of tissue-specific tumor suppressor genes-including APC and p53-the ongoing effect of the transforming virus may be relatively deleterious to a neoplastic cell, and selective pressure may lead to loss of viral infection. Summary This review summarizes the experimental data that have led to the hypothesis that JCV is a common cause of CIN in CRC.
Web-based analyses of E-journal impact: Approaches, problems, and issues

This study1 assesses the ways in which citation searching of scholarly print journals is and is not analogous to backlink searching of scholarly e‐journal articles on the WWW, and identifies problems and issues related to conducting and interpreting such searches. Backlink searches are defined here as searches for Web pages that link to a given URL. Backlink searches were conducted on a sample of 39 scholarly electronic journals. Search results were processed to determine the number of backlinking pages, total backlinks, and external backlinks made to the e‐journals and to their articles. The results were compared to findings from a citation study performed on the same e‐journals in 1996. A content analysis of a sample of the files backlinked to e‐journal articles was also undertaken. The authors identify a number of reliability issues associated with the use of “raw” search engine data to evaluate the impact of electronic journals and articles. No correlation was found between backlink measures and ISI citation measures of e‐journal impact, suggesting that the two measures may be assessing something quite different. Major differences were found between the types of entities that cite, and those that backlink, e‐journal articles, with scholarly works comprising a very small percentage of backlinking files. These findings call into question the legitimacy of using backlink searches to evaluate the scholarly impact of e‐journals and e‐journal articles (and by extension, e‐journal authors).
Assessing the accuracy of forecasting: Applying standard diagnostic assessment tools to a health technology early warning system

Objectives: Early warning systems are an integral part of many health technology assessment programs. Despite this finding, to date, there have been no quantitative evaluations of the accuracy of predictions made by these systems. We report a study evaluating the accuracy of predictions made by the main United Kingdom early warning system. Methods: As prediction of impact is analogous to diagnosis, a method normally applied to determine the accuracy of diagnostic tests was used. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the National Horizon Scanning Centre's prediction methods were estimated with reference to an (imperfect) gold standard, that is, expert opinion of impact 3 to 5 years after prediction. Results: The sensitivity of predictions was 71 percent (95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.36–0.92), and the specificity was 73 percent (95 percent CI, 0.64–0.8). The negative predictive value was 98 percent (95 percent CI, 0.92–0.99), and the positive predictive value was 14 percent (95 percent CI, 0.06–0.3). Conclusions: Forecasting is difficult, but the results suggest that this early warning system's predictions have an acceptable level of accuracy. However, there are caveats. The first is that early warning systems may themselves reduce the impact of a technology, as helping to control adoption and diffusion is their main purpose. The second is that the use of an imperfect gold standard may bias the results. As early warning systems are viewed as an increasingly important component of health technology assessment and decision making, their outcomes must be evaluated. The method used here should be investigated further and the accuracy of other early warning systems explored.
Considering the Effects of Mobile Phones on Financial Inclusion in Cambodia

This paper examines the effects of mobile phones on financial inclusion in terms of households’ uptake of microcredit in Cambodia, with data from the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey conducted in 2014. The analysis is conducted with a propensity score matching approach to address endogeneity issues of the use of mobile phones and to evaluate the effects. The results suggest that mobile phones are very likely to induce households to take up credit offered by microfinance institutions, in particular for non-agricultural investment purpose, but to discourage households from using credit for non-productive purpose.
Effect of Socio-Demographic Factors on Zinc Status of Infants and Preschool Children in East Gojjam, Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Zinc deficiency is a public health concern and is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. The main objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of zinc deficiency among infants and preschool children. Based on a community, the cross-sectional study was conducted in East Gojjam between October 2011 and April 2012. Two hundred and forty infants and preschool children were randomly selected in the study. Data on potential determinants of zinc deficiency were collected using a structured questionnaire. Serum zinc concentration was measured using atomic absorption spectrometer. Statistical analysis was done using ANOVA, independent sample student’s t-test and linear regression model. The mean serum zinc concentration of infants and preschool children was 62.98 (± 13.03) μg/dL in 95% confidence interval (CI) between 61.32 and 64.63 (i.e., 95% CI: 61.32, 64.63). About 57.1% of the subjects were zinc deficient. The main determinants of low serum zinc status of infants and preschool children were age and number of family members living on the same land. Zinc status of older children was 3.67 μg/dL (95% CI: -5.58, -1.77) lower than children who were aged 6-10 months. Serum zinc status of infants and preschool children is decreased by 0.83 μg/dL (95% CI: -1.36, -0.30) with each additional family member. Food insecurity, dietary diversity, sex, child health, anthropometric indices, maternal education and wealth index were not associated with serum zinc status. Zinc deficiency among infants and preschool children is highly prevalent. Such potential deficiencies require urgent attention, including complementary food preparation education, traditional phytate reduction method and family planning implementation recommended in the study area.
Influence of Beam Energy on the Properties of Pulsed Laser Deposited Al-Doped ZnO Thin Films

The influence of beam energy on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of Al-doped ZnO (Al:ZnO) thin films deposited using the pulsed laser deposition technique is observed systematically. X-ray diffraction analysis shows the crystalline nature of the thin films with preferred orientation (0 0 2) plane and hexagonal wurtzite structures. The impact of beam energy on the lattice strain is examined by Williamson-Hall (W-H) plots. The surface morphology examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy analysis show the increased aspect ratio of grains, particle density, and surface coverage with the beam energy. The elemental composition of the films depends on the beam energy. Optical properties characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy indicate high transparency over 75% in the visible region and a sharp UV absorption. The optical band gap, $E_{g}$ obtained from Tauc's plot indicates a decrease in the energy gap with an increase in laser beam energy. Burstein-Moss (B-M) shift is observed in the band gap due to Al-doping. Photoluminescence (PL) properties of the thin films indicate visible emission peaks, corresponding to deep level defects. The electrical properties analyzed by Four probe technique depict that the thin films possess a resistivity ~10-3 Ω·cm. Al:ZnO films show good optoelectronic properties for their practical applicability in devices such as solar cells and transparent display electrodes.
Phyl geny nd stru ture of the c namyl alcohol dehydroge ase gene family in Brachypodium distachyon

In mammals, cadmium is widely considered as a non-genotoxic carcinogen acting through a methylation-dependent epigenetic mechanism. Here, the effects of Cd treatment on the DNA methylation patten are examined together with its effect on chromatin reconfiguration in Posidonia oceanica. DNA methylation level and pattern were analysed in actively growing organs, under short(6 h) and long(2 d or 4 d) term and low (10 mM) and high (50 mM) doses of Cd, through a Methylation-Sensitive Amplification Polymorphism technique and an immunocytological approach, respectively. The expression of one member of the CHROMOMETHYLASE (CMT) family, a DNA methyltransferase, was also assessed by qRT-PCR. Nuclear chromatin ultrastructure was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Cd treatment induced a DNA hypermethylation, as well as an up-regulation of CMT, indicating that de novo methylation did indeed occur. Moreover, a high dose of Cd led to a progressive heterochromatinization of interphase nuclei and apoptotic figures were also observed after long-term treatment. The data demonstrate that Cd perturbs the DNA methylation status through the involvement of a specific methyltransferase. Such changes are linked to nuclear chromatin reconfiguration likely to establish a new balance of expressed/repressed chromatin. Overall, the data show an epigenetic basis to the mechanism underlying Cd toxicity in plants.
Cigarette smoking among school-going adolescents in Kafue, Zambia.

INTRODUCTION Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality. Interest in developing countries smoking prevalence has been growing since 1999. OBJECTIVES To estimate the prevalence of current cigarette smoking and associated factors among school-age adolescents in Kafue, Zambia. METHODS A cross sectional study was conducted using standard Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) methodology. Frequencies and odds ratios were obtained to assess the association between selected factors and current cigarette smoking. RESULTS Data on current smoking were available for 1872 adolescents, of whom 891 (47.6%) were males and 981 females. Overall 154 (8.2%) adolescents were current cigarette smokers, while 93 (10.4%) males and 61 (6.2%) females were current smokers (p <0.001). The majority of the smokers usually smoked at their own home or at a friend's house. Having some pocket money, having friends or parents who are smokers, and being exposed to pro-tobacco advertisements at social gatherings were associated with being a current cigarette smoker. CONCLUSIONS The traditional factors associated with smoking among adolescents elsewhere are also associated with smoking among adolescents in Kafue, Zambia. Public health interventions aimed to reduce adolescent smoking should be designed with these identified associations in mind.