Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation of KCNQ channels by manipulation of phosphoinositides

Activation of phospholipase C (PLC) through G‐protein‐coupled receptors produces a large number of second messengers and regulates many physiological processes. Many membrane proteins including ion channels require the phosphoinositide phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2) to function. Activation of PLC can shut down their activity if it depletes the PIP2 pool strongly. Such a mechanism accounts for the muscarinic suppression of current in KCNQ channels. We describe a variety of methods used to show that these channels require PIP2 and that current in the channels is suppressed when receptor‐activated PLC depletes PIP2. The methods include observing translocation of lipid‐sensitive protein domains, overexpression of enzymes of phosphoinositide metabolism, engineering these enzymes to move to the plasma membrane in response to a chemical signal, and direct chemical analysis of phospholipids. These approaches are general and can be used to test for PIP2 requirements of other membrane proteins.
Screening, isolation and characterization of cellulose biotransformation bacteria from specific soils

The objective of this study was to isolate the indigenous cellulose-degrading bacteria for bioethanol production. Additionally, the characteristics of these bacteria were investigated after isolation by culture enrichment and strains acclimation. For this study, three soil samples were gathered and which were from hot spring, Yang-ming-shan soil and gas station drainage soil. The strains were isolated through ten subcultures and separation using washed cellulose as the sole carbon source. The 16S rDNA sequence of the strains were identified and shown those five degrading bacteria were Sphingomonas sp. , Pseudomonas sp.M1, Achromobacter sp. , Pseudomonas sp. M2, and Stenotrophomonas sp. The morphological observation found the strains were all gram's negative. The μ max of the Pseudomonas sp. M1 was 0.439hr -1 , which was the optimal rate among those five strains with the saturation coefficient K s of 776 mg/L. The highest concentration of the reduction sugar produced per gram of CMC is by Pseudomonas sp. M1 in 8 g/L of CMC and produce 51.36 mg of reduction sugar.
The effect of helium and oxygen on exercise performance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomized crossover trial.

RATIONALE Breathing supplemental oxygen reduces breathlessness during exercise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Replacing nitrogen with helium reduces expiratory flow resistance and may improve lung emptying. Combining these treatments should be independently effective. OBJECTIVES Study the effect of changing oxygen or helium concentration in inspired gas during exercise in patients with stable COPD. METHODS In 82 patients (mean age, 69.7 yr; mean FEV(1), 42.6% predicted), we measured endurance shuttle walking distance, resting and exercise oxygen saturation, and end-exercise dyspnea (Borg scale) while patients breathed Heliox28 (72% He/28% O(2)), Heliox21 (79% He/21% O(2)), Oxygen28 (72% N(2)/28% O(2)), or medical air (79% N(2)/21% O(2)). Gases were administered using a randomized, blinded, crossover design via a face mask and an inspiratory demand valve. RESULTS Breathing Heliox28 increased walking distance (mean+/-SD, 147+/-150 m) and reduced Borg score (-1.28+/-1.30) more than any other gas mixture. Heliox21 significantly increased walking distance (99+/-101 m) and reduced dyspnea (Borg score, -0.76+/-0.77) compared with medical air. These changes were similar to those breathing Oxygen28. The effects of helium and oxygen in Heliox28 were independent. The increase in walking distance while breathing Heliox28 was inversely related to baseline FEV(1) breathing air. CONCLUSION Reducing inspired gas density can improve exercise performance in COPD as much as increasing inspired oxygen. These effects can be combined as Heliox28 and are most evident in patients with more severe airflow obstruction.
Understanding the Role and Value of Interaction: First Steps

Visual Analytics strongly emphasizes the importance of interaction. However, until now, interaction is only sparingly treated as subject matter on its own. How and why interactivity is beneficial to gain insight and make decisions is mostly left in the dark. Due to this lack of initial direction, it seems important to make further attempts in facilitating a deeper understanding of the concept of interactivity. Therefore, different perspectives towards interactivity are discussed and cognitive theories and models are investigated. The main aim of this paper is to broaden the view on interaction and spark further discussion towards a sound theoretical grounding for the field.
Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery in residency training

Purpose of review To examine the current state of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) with a focus on its incorporation into resident surgical education. Recent findings To date, there are no published data on FLACS in residency training programs. Teaching FLACS concurrently with manual cataract surgery can theoretically allow a trainee to become proficient in both domains and to navigate the complexities and complications of both procedures in a dedicated learning environment. Summary Early reports from completed projects at our institution suggest that incorporating FLACS into residency education is successful and well tolerated. The procedure appears to have a similar safety profile and delivers similar refractive results compared with conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery, even during the initial surgical learning curve. More research needs to be carried out on the safety profile and outcomes of resident performed FLACS and its ultimate role in trainee education.
Health-related quality of life in perinatally HIV-infected children in the Netherlands

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) can alter HIV infection in children into a chronic condition. Studies investigating health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in HIV-infected children are scarce, and lacking from Western Europe. This study aimed to compare the HRQoL of clinically stable perinatally HIV-infected children to healthy, socioeconomically (SES)-matched controls as well as the Dutch norm population, and to explore associations between HIV and cART-related factors with HRQoL. HIV-infected and healthy children aged 8–18 years completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ 4.0 (PedsQL™). We determined differences between groups on PedsQL™ mean scores, and the proportion of children with an impaired HRQoL per group (≥1 SD lower than the Dutch norm population). Logistic regression models were used to explore associations between disease-related factors and HRQoL impairment. In total, 33 HIV-infected and 37 healthy children were included. There were no differences in the mean PedsQL™ subscales between HIV-infected children and both control groups. The proportion of children with an impaired HRQoL was higher in the HIV-infected group (27%) as compared to the healthy control group (22%) and the Dutch norm (14%) on the school functioning subscale (HIV vs. Dutch norm: P = .045). Mean scores of HRQoL of perinatally HIV-infected children in the Netherlands were not different from a SES-matched control group, or from the Dutch norm population. However, the HIV-infected group did contain more children with HRQoL impairment, suggesting that HIV-infected children in the Netherlands are still more vulnerable to a compromised HRQoL.
Partition coefficient as a guide to the development of radiosensitizers which are less toxic than misonidazole.

Ten 2-nitroimidazole radiosensitizers of electron affinity equal to that of misonidazole, but differing in their octanol:water partition coefficient over a 100-fold range, were chosen to examine the effect of lipophilicity on the pharmacokinetics of these drugs in BALB/c mice bearing EMT6 tumors. Plasma, tumor, and brain concentrations were assayed, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), as a function of time after a single ip injection of each drug. It was found that peak concentrations in the tumor declined with decreasing lipophilicity (decreasing partition coefficient), but that this was due to declining peak plasma concentrations resulting from slower drug absorption and could be overcome by iv injection. The tumor/plasma ratio, once sufficient time had elapsed for it to reach its equilibrium value, was independent of partition coefficient (P) over the range 0.026 to 1.5 but showed a 50% reduction in this ratio for the most hydrophilic compound studied (P = 0.014). (This compound was also the one drug in the series which was significantly poorer than misonidazole in its radiosensitization as a function of drug concentration.) The brain/ plasma ratio, on the other hand, showed a marked dependence on lipophilicity. For misonidazole and more lipophilic compounds, the brain/plasma ratio was 1.0, but as the lipophilicity decreased below that of misonidazole, the compounds showed an increasing difficulty in penetration into the brain, and brain/plasma levels of less than 0.1 were found for the most hydrophilic drugs. These low brain/plasma ratios correlated with an increased acute LDs0 of the drugs. Bilateral nephrectomy was used to increase the apparent plasma half-life of SR-2508 from 0.8 to 15 hr. This change, however, did not affect the tumor/brain ratio of approximately 10 for this drug. The significance of these pharmacokinetic data is discussed in terms of the development of a radiosensitizer superior to misonidazole for clinical use.
Mental Disorders in Obese Children and Adolescents

Objective: To evaluate the type and frequency of psychiatric disorders in obese children and adolescents; to assess the correlation between psychopathology and severity of obesity; to explore the relationship between psychiatric disorders in obese children and obesity and psychopathology in their parents. Methods: One hundred fifty-five children referred and followed for obesity were evaluated (98 girls and 57 boys; age, 5 to 17 years). Psychiatric disorders were assessed through a standardized diagnostic interview schedule (K-SADS R) and self-report questionnaires completed by the child (STAIC Trait-anxiety and CDI for depression) or his (her) parents (CBCL or GHQ). These obese children were compared with insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) outpatient children (N = 171) on questionnaire data. Results: Eighty-eight obese children obtained a DSM-IV diagnosis, most often an anxiety disorder (N = 63). Psychological disorders were particularly pronounced in those obese children whose parents were disturbed. There was no correlation between severity of obesity in the child or his (her) parents and frequency of psychiatric disorders. Compared with diabetic children, they displayed significantly higher internalized and externalized questionnaire scores and poorer social skills. Conclusion: These results highlight the importance of including a child psychiatric component in the treatment of obesity, which must engage the whole family.
The Altitude Effect and Correction of Audible Noise for HVdc Transmission Lines

Audible noise (AN) is very important for the construction of transmission lines for the sake of the environment. Especially, at high-altitude areas, it has become a key technical factor deciding conductor types and tower structures. In order to determine the altitude effect and the correction of AN for HVdc transmission lines, four reduced-scale test lines with the same parameters were built up at elevations of 50, 1700, 3400, and 4300 m in China, respectively. Simultaneously, two full-scale test lines were set up in Beijing and Tibet, whose altitudes were 50 m and 4300 m, respectively. Using the test facilities, the AN of HVdc transmission lines had been measured for a four-year period, from January 2010 to July 2014. Through a statistical analysis of a large amount of data, AN characteristics of HVdc transmission lines at different altitudes are obtained. By comparing the statistical results from different altitude areas, it is found that AN of HVdc transmission lines is nonlinearly dependent on altitude. Finally, an AN altitude correction formula of HVdc transmission lines is proposed. It shows that from 0 to 4300 m, the AN correction value of HVdc lines is far less than the predicted value by an HVac method.
Synthetic small molecule furin inhibitors derived from 2,5-dideoxystreptamine

Furin plays a crucial role in embryogenesis and homeostasis and in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and viral and bacterial infections. Thus, inhibition of furin may provide a feasible and promising approach for therapeutic intervention of furin-mediated disease mechanisms. Here, we report on a class of small molecule furin inhibitors based on 2,5-dideoxystreptamine. Derivatization of 2,5-dideoxystreptamine by the addition of guanidinylated aryl groups yielded a set of furin inhibitors with nanomolar range potency against furin when assayed in a biochemical cleavage assay. Moreover, a subset of these furin inhibitors protected RAW 264.7 macrophage cells from toxicity caused by furin-dependent processing of anthrax protective antigen. These inhibitors were found to behave as competitive inhibitors of furin and to be relatively specific for furin. Molecular modeling revealed that these inhibitors may target the active site of furin as they showed site occupancy similar to the alkylating inhibitor decanoyl-Arg-Val-Lys-Arg-CH2Cl. The compounds presented here are bona fide synthetic small molecule furin inhibitors that exhibit potency in the nanomolar range, suggesting that they may serve as valuable tools for studying furin action and potential therapeutics agents for furin-dependent diseases.
A comparison of postoperative morphometric and hemodynamic changes between saphenous vein and left internal mammary artery grafts

There is higher long‐term failure of the saphenous vein graft (SVG) compared with the left internal mammary artery (LIMA) graft, which is affected by the hemodynamic environment. A comprehensive analysis of postoperative structure‐function changes is important to study the atherogenesis in the SVG. A comparison of morphometric and hemodynamic parameters was carried out between LIMA grafts and SVGs and between different time points postoperatively. Various parameters were obtained from the image reconstruction and flow simulation in patients, who underwent CT exams for ~1 year, 5 and 10 years after revascularization. Morphometric data showed a decrease in lumen size in the entire SVG and anastomosis of different patients in a sequence of ~1 year, 5 and 10 years postoperatively despite negligible changes of LIMA size. Computational results indicated the fourfold increased surface area ratio (SAR) of low time‐averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) in the SVG and anastomosis at postoperative 10 years than that at postoperative ~1 year. The SAR of high TAWSS gradient (TAWSSG) at the distal anastomosis between SVG and coronary arteries was significantly higher (14 ± 9% vs. 6 ± 8%) than that in the LIMA group at postoperative ~1 year. There were strong correlations between morphometric and hemodynamic parameters in the SVG and distal anastomosis at various time points postoperatively, which showed deterioration relevant to persistent diffuse diseases at postoperative ~10 years.
“It Helps Me Transform in My Life From the Past to the New”

Although former child soldiers face considerable challenges after their return from the warring faction to the war-affected society, the presence of resources enables many to maintain well-being in the wake of child soldiering. Academic research has recently engaged with identifying these salient resources, but has left the question why they are helpful to former child soldiers largely unaddressed. This study therefore focuses on the meaning underlying certain phenomena that causes them to become resources. Semistructured in-depth interviews and a free-listing task on resources were conducted with 48 northern Ugandan former child soldiers. The phenomenological hermeneutical method is applied to analyze their lived experiences and the meaning they assign to resources. Four essential themes emerge from this study, representing the fourfold meaning of resources for former child soldiers in helping them (a) to break with their former existence as child soldiers, (b) to be able to overcome the challenges in their current life, (c) to belong to others and the environment to which they have returned, and (d) to become the person they aspire to be. Considering these research themes in the context of former child soldiers’ return process, parallels with theories on transition are recognized and further explored so as to contextualize this emerging meaning. As such, this research delivers empirical evidence illustrating how resources help to pilot former child soldiers through transition in the wake of child soldiering.
Trust and Purchasing Intention in E-Commerce: Lazada Indonesia

The development of e-commerce has increased quite sharply. Evidenced from customer who likes online transaction than offline payments. Lazada Indonesia as a potential e-commerce company with 21.2 million visitors a month lead, has its own phenomenon to be investigated more deeply. This is related to what variables affect consumers and e-commerce. This study aims to identify the belief in purchasing intention on e-commerce as well as to analyze the relationship between other variables likes perceived risk (PR), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and perceived trusthiworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity) to purchasing intention with trust as intermediaries variable in Lazada Indonesia by using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as the theoretical basis. Quantitative methods are used in this paper. The total sample is 120 respondents with the purposive sampling method is used and conducted by spreading questionnaires through online information media by Google. Data collectin is measured on five point likert type scale and used WrapPLS version 6.0 software to analyze structural equations model-partial least squares (SEM-PLS). The finding of this research indicates that perceived ease of use (PEOU), Ability, Benevolence, and Integrity have significant positively influence relationship to trust. It is different with perceived risk (PR) is rejected because there are policies to protect consumers. Overall trust also has a significant positively influence relationship to purchasing intentions. This study suggests that can add more variants of variables related to consumer behavior, especially on purchasing intention in e-commerce. Then, the retailers can develop consumer positively with customer satisfaction through increasing trust that directly affect to purchasing intention in e-commerce as one of the media business transactions in the future.
A new species of the genus Kurixalus from Yunnan, China (Anura, Rhacophoridae)

Abstract A new species of the genus Kurixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) is described from Yunnan, China based on morphological and molecular evidence. The new species, Kurixalus lenquanensis sp. n. , is distinguished from other congeneric species by a combination of (1) smaller body size (SVL in males ranges from 25.0 to 28.9 mm), (2) obtusely pointed snout with no prominence on tip, (3) rough and brown dorsum with darker mark, (4) absence of large dark spots on ventral surface, (5) brownish clouded chin, (6) granular throat, chest, and belly, (7) presence of vomerine teeth, (8) serrated dermal fringes along outer edge of limbs, (9) slight nuptial pad, (10) golden brown iris, and (11) single internal vocal sac. The new species is known only from montane scrub vegetation at the type locality (Lenquan Village, Mengzi City, Yunnan Province) and Yangjiatian Village, Gejiu City, Yunnan Province. Genetically, the new species is nested within a clade of Taiwanese Kurixalus and recovered as the sister taxon to Kurixalus idiootocus with strong support values, indicating that the ancestor of this new species might have come from Taiwan Island or the ancestor of this new species may have been widespread in southern China and the descendent species in between Taiwan and Yunnan has become extinct.
Role of Complements and Immunoglobulins in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the role of complements and immunoglobulins in normal healthy population and patients having Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Methods: A total of 26 patients with T1DM and 20 healthy controls were included in the study. The sample was collected from OPD of Department of Endocrinology, SS Hospital, IMS, BHU, Varanasi. Immunoglobulins and complements estimation was done by turbidometry method. Result: A total of 26 patients with T1DM between 8 yrs to 33 yrs age were studied. Out of 26 cases, 19.2% cases had low C4 and 3.9% had elevated serum C4 value. Mean value of serum C4 was significantly reduced in T1DM. The patients having low C4 value belonged to the age group less than 18 years. About 23.1% DM patient had increased serum IgM levels and 7.7% had increased serum IgA levels. But only rise of IgM was statistically significant. C3 and IgG in DM patients were within normal range. There was significant positive correlation of serum C4 with increase BMI. IgA was significantly correlated with rising of BMI and low age of onset of T1DM. Conclusion: Our study concludes that C4 deficiency associated with Type I DM. The study also showed that increased IgM which may be due to recent infection.
Therapeutic and anti-metastatic effect of CIKs on cervical cancer enhanced by modified HPV 16 E 7-pulsed DCs with SOCS 1-knockdown

Cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer and the second most common cause of cancerrelated deaths among women worldwide. In this study, a modified HPV16 E7 (HPV16mE7) with reduced transformation activity and enhanced antigenicity was employed to load DCs with silenced suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) gene. The prepared DCs were co-cultured with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)-derived CIKs. The resulted DCCIKs were then transfused into mouse models bearing tumor of HPV16 E6/E7 expressing SiHa cells for the in vitro/in vivo antitumor activity assay. The expression levels of IL-12, IL-6, TNF-α and IFN-γ were also evaluated. The survival days and the tumor volume from different treatment groups were measured as well as the in vivo heterotopic tumor metastasis rate from the liver to the lung established in the mouse models. The data demonstrated that the xenografted tumor mice treated with Ad-shSOCS1-DCCIKs exhibited better immunotherapeutic and antimetastatic effect. This method may provide a new strategy for the development of safe and effective immunotherapy for cervical cancer.
Productivity Performance in The Manufacture Sector of Cameroon : How Does Family and non-Family Firm Perform

This research provides insights on factors affecting performance of family firms in comparison with the non-family firms making use of data from Cameroon. We estimated total factor productivity via a Cobb–Douglas production function while accounting for the correlation between input levels and productivity. As concerns the management and control of firms, family members are heavily involved in family firms than those of non-family firms which are mostly managed externally. It is observed that non family firms employ more labour and invests more in capital compared to family owned and managed firms. Based on the two-staged least-squares technique, results show that family firms and even those managed by families are, on average less productive than externally managed family firms and non-family owned firms after controlling for sector as well as other characteristics. The findings are important for both policy makers and practitioners.