Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Activity of Brainstem Respiratory Neurones just before the Expiration‐Inspiration Transition in the Rat

Inspiratory activity of the hypoglossal nerve (XIIn) often precedes that of the phrenic nerve (PHRn). By manipulating artificial respiration, this preceding activity (pre‐I XIIn activity) can be lengthened or isolated prematurely (decoupled XIIn activity) without developing into overt PHRn‐associated inspiratory bursts. We hypothesized that these pre‐I and decoupled XIIn activities, collectively termed ‘XIIn‐w/o‐PHRn activity’, reflect certain internal states of the respiratory centre at the period just prior to the transition from the expiratory phase to the inspiratory phase. In decerebrate, neuromuscularly blocked and artificially ventilated rats, the firing properties of medullary respiratory neurones were examined during the period of the XIIn‐w/o‐PHRn activity. The majority of the inspiratory neurones examined could be classified into two types: one was active (XIIn‐type) and the other was inactive (PHRn‐type) during the XIIn‐w/o‐PHRn period. On the other hand, augmenting expiratory (E‐AUG) neurones of the Bötzinger complex (BOT) and the caudal ventral respiratory group (VRG) fired intensively during this period. Their firing stopped at the onset of the overt inspiratory bursts in the XIIn and PHRn, suggesting that BOT E‐AUG neurones inhibit PHRn‐type, but not XIIn‐type, inspiratory neurones. We hypothesize that XIIn‐type inspiratory activity facilitates the phase change from expiration to inspiration, through activation of certain inspiratory neurones that inhibit the firing of BOT E‐AUG neurones and generation of the overt inspiratory bursts in XIIn‐type and PHRn‐type inspiratory neurones.
Hormonal regulation of albumin gene expression in primary cultures of rat hepatocytes.

When primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were placed in a chemically defined serum-free medium containing a combination of insulin, glucagon, and dexamethasone, the synthesis of albumin and total protein and the cellular content of RNA and DNA were maintained at constant values for 8 days. Despite the constant rate of albumin synthesis, secretion of the protein increased more than twofold during the initial 4 days in culture and was then maintained at a value similar to that observed in vivo through day 8. This observation suggested an initial defect in albumin secretion that was corrected with time in culture. Deprivation of insulin between days 2 and 5 resulted in a decline in albumin secretion to approximately 40% of the control value. The decline in albumin secretion was accompanied by proportional decreases in albumin synthesis, albumin mRNA, and albumin gene transcription. Return of insulin-deprived cells to complete medium on day 5 restored albumin synthesis and secretion as well as albumin mRNA to control values by day 8. Deprivation of either glucagon or dexamethasone also resulted in reduced albumin synthesis and secretion accompanied by proportional decreases in albumin mRNA and gene transcription. However, the magnitude of the changes in these parameters was less with glucagon or dexamethasone deprivation compared with insulin deprivation. Return of glucagon- or dexamethasone-deprived cells to complete medium on day 5 restored albumin synthesis and secretion as well as albumin mRNA to control values by day 8. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Reliability of in vivo measurements of the dielectric properties of anisotropic tissue: a simulative study

A simulative study was performed to measure the dielectric properties of anisotropic tissue using several in vivo and in vitro probes. COMSOL Multiphysics was selected to carry out the simulation. Five traditional probes and a newly designed probe were used in this study. One of these probes was an in vitro measurement probe and the other five were in vivo. The simulations were performed in terms of the minimal tissue volume for in vivo measurements, the calibration of a probe constant, the measurement performed on isotropic tissue and the measurement performed on anisotropic tissue. Results showed that the in vitro probe can be used to measure the in-cell dielectric properties of isotropic and anisotropic tissues. When measured with the five in vivo probes, the dielectric properties of isotropic tissue were all measured accurately. For the measurements performed on anisotropic tissue, large errors were observed when the four traditional in vivo probes were used, but only a small error was observed when the new in vivo probe was used. This newly designed five-electrode in vivo probe may indicate the dielectric properties of anisotropic tissue more accurately than these four traditional in vivo probes.
Two Separate Tracks? A National Multivariate Analysis of Differences Between Public and Private Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Objective: This study describes differences between public and private substance abuse treatment programs. Method: Data from the National Drug and Alcoholism Treatment Unit Survey (NDATUS) were analyzed with regression models that evaluated the association between ownership and program characteristics. Results: Programs operated by state and local government and nonprofit agencies had more staff, but federal and for-profit programs employed more psychologists and medical doctors. We found that, in most treatment settings, for-profit programs were smaller and more likely to specialize in providing treatment in a single setting. Methadone maintenance programs were larger when operated under for-profit ownership, however. For-profit programs received more funding from private insurance and client fees. Conclusions: We found substantial differences between public and private programs, but this division was not strictly dichotomous. Federal programs differed from public programs operated by state and local governments. Programs operated by nonprofit agencies had characteristics that placed them between private for-profit and public programs. State and local agencies are contracting with private managed behavioral health care organizations to provide substance abuse treatment and other mental health care. The characteristics of for-profit programs may represent the future direction of substance abuse treatment.
6.1 A 1/1.7-inch 20Mpixel Back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensor for new imaging applications

The demand for low-noise (for capturing a clear image in low-light conditions), high-speed (for slow-motion applications and reducing rolling shutter distortion) and high-resolution (for formats beyond 4K) CMOS image sensors is still increasing. In addition, the emerging camcorder market typified by handsfree devices requires the simultaneous capture of still and moving images. To improve noise performance, a method of pseudo-multiple sampling has been proposed [1]. However, the noise reduction effect is insufficient due to the non-uniformity of the CDS period. For high frame rates, multichannel and high-data-rate interfaces have been reported [2-4]. For simultaneous capture of still and moving images, a seamless mode change has been shown [5], but it is necessary to convert a still image (full pixel data) to a moving image (2×2 binning data) by an external DSP.
Genes coding for enterotoxins and verotoxins in porcine Escherichia coli strains belonging to different O:K:H serotypes: relationship with toxic phenotypes

Seventy-four E. coli strains isolated from piglets with diarrhea or edema disease in Spain were serotyped and examined for production of heat-labile (LT) and heat-stable (ST) enterotoxins (LT-I, LT-II, STaH, STaP, and STb) and verotoxins (VT1, VT2, and VT2v = VTe) by phenotypic (Vero cell assay and infant mouse test) and genotypic (colony hybridization and PCR) methods. In general, an excellent correlation was found between the results obtained with a PCR approach and those determined with biological assays. DNA probes used in the hybridization also showed a very good agreement with phenotypic results, with the exception of a VT1 probe that initially produced 10 false-positive reactions. The gene coding for STb (58 strains) was the most prevalent gene detected by PCR, followed by those coding for STa (46 strains), LT (19 strains), VT2v (11 strains), and VT1 (1 strain). Apparently, in Spain three seropathotypes are predominant: (i) O149:K91:H10 K88+ LT-I+ STb+, (ii) O141:K85ab:H- P987+ STaP+, and (iii) O138:K81:H14 or H- STaP+ VT2v+. We conclude that PCR is a fast, specific, and practical method for the identification of enterotoxin and VT genes in clinical and epidemiological studies.
Membrane Topology of the Acyl-Lipid Desaturase from Bacillus subtilis * 210

The Bacillus subtilisacyl-lipid desaturase (Δ5-Des) is an iron-dependent integral membrane protein, able to selectively introduce double bonds into long chain fatty acids. Structural information on membrane-bound desaturases is still limited, and the present topological information is restricted to hydropathy plots or sequence comparison with the evolutionary related alkane hydroxylase. The topology of Δ5-Des was determined experimentally in Escherichia coli using a set of nine different fusions of N-terminal fragments of Δ5-Des with the reporter alkaline phosphatase (Δ5-Des-PhoA). The alkaline phosphatase activities of cells expressing the Δ5-Des-PhoA fusions, combined with site-directed mutagenesis of His residues identified in most desaturases, suggest that a tripartite motif of His essential for catalysis is located on the cytoplasmic phase of the membrane. These data, together with surface Lys biotinylation experiments, support a model for Δ5-Des as a polytopic membrane protein with six transmembrane- and one membrane-associated domain, which likely represents a substrate-binding motif. This study provides the first experimental evidence for the topology of a plasma membrane fatty acid desaturase. On the basis of our results and the presently available hydrophobicity profile of many acyl-lipid desaturases, we propose that these enzymes contain a new transmembrane domain that might play a critical role in the desaturation of fatty acids esterified in glycerolipids.
In good as well as in bad times – The effect of household stability on entrepreneurial activity among older individuals

The self-employed are often seen as unmarried, childless, workaholics; however, empirical studies show the contrary. Based on longitudinal data of the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS), it is examined whether the probability of being self-employed as well as the probability of an entrepreneurial exit among individuals aged 51-65 is influenced by the presence of a partner, and the underlying mechanisms of this possible influence. The main findings indeed reveal that the presence of a partner positively influences the probability of being self-employed. The positive presence of a partner through paid-employment or self-employment as opposed to unemployment, and very good health as opposed to poor health, increases the likelihood of being self-employed. It is also found that having a partner who works for pay, having a self-employed partner or having a depressed partner, decreases the probability of an entrepreneurial exit. The self-employed are an important class of workers, and these findings contribute to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of being and remaining self-employed.
Individual recognition and memory in lobster dominance

American lobsters, Homarus americanus, form stable dominance relationships in captivity. Size, sex and stage in the moult cycle are important determinants for dominance. Other factors, such as recent agonistic experience play a role. This paper investigates how lobsters maintain their stable dominance relationships: they may recognize individuals or alternatively, recognize overall dominance status. We paired lobsters in two consecutive 'boxing matches'. Results indicate that lobsters remember familiar opponents when kept either in isolation or in communal tanks for 24 h between their first and second fights. Subordinates immediately backed away from familiar dominants, avoiding a second fight. In some animals, this memory lasted between 1-2 weeks if pairs were kept separate between the first and second fights. When paired for the second fight against unfamiliar dominant lobsters, subordinate lobsters from first fights actively fought and won the encounter. These results suggest that lobsters are capable of 'individual recognition'. In nature, the observed social organization of lobsters may be maintained by individual recognition of a small number of residents inhabiting separate, nearby shelters. (c) 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
Risk assessment, prediction and prevention of type 1 diabetes

Abstract: Circulating antibodies to pancreatic β‐cell antigens are markers of islet autoimmunity. In first‐degree relatives of persons with type 1 diabetes, the levels and range of antigen specificities of these islet antibodies reflect the risk for clinical diabetes. However, in the general population, in which the disease prevalence is up to 30‐fold lower, the predictive value of islet antibodies is correspondingly less. Islet antibody assays are primarily research tools to identify ‘prediabetic’ individuals for secondary prevention trials, but can also discriminate type 1 diabetes in several clinical situations. Loss of first‐phase insulin response (FPIR) to intravenous glucose signifies imminent diabetes, but FPIR is normal in most islet‐antibody‐positive individuals. The contribution of a single FPIR measurement to risk assessment is therefore limited, but rate of fall of FPIR may be a useful predictor. Although β cells are destroyed by autoreactive T cells, the assay of islet antigen‐reactive T cells is not routine. Genetically, the major histocompatibility complex encoding human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles accounts for about 50% of familial clustering of type 1 diabetes. HLA typing is not diagnostic, but can be used to differentiate high‐ from low‐risk individuals, e.g. at birth. While ‘preclinical’ diagnosis raises important medical and ethical questions, an optimized screening strategy provides a basis for counselling and follow‐up. Recent knowledge of disease mechanisms and ‘proof‐of‐principle’ in the non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mouse model justify expectations that type 1 diabetes is preventable, and even intervention that only delays onset of clinical diabetes is likely to be cost‐effective.
Oral health behaviour of Iranian mothers and their 9-year-old children.

PURPOSE The present study examined associations between the oral health behaviour (OHB) of Iranian mothers and the OHB and oral health status of their children. MATERIALS AND METHODS In 2005, two self-administered questionnaires provided data on the OHB of a random sample of 9-year-old children (n = 459) and their mothers in Tehran, Iran. Brushing frequency, use of fluoridated toothpaste and number of sugary snacks between meals served as oral self-care (OSC) assessment criteria for both. A clinical examination was performed for children at school. DMFT/dmft values, the restoration index (RI) and the unmet treatment needs index (UTN) facilitated an assessment of children's dental status and treatment. Chi-square test, bivariate correlation, and binary logistic regression model were employed in these analyses. RESULTS Mother's OSC correlated with child's OSC (r = 0.18; p < 0.01). The reported children's brushing frequency correlated with mothers' brushing frequency (r = 0.2; p < 0.01). High maternal OSC levels were associated with lower dental treatment (DT) values in children (p < 0.01). Children's RI was positively and UTN negatively associated with mothers' OSC (p < 0.01). In the model, mothers' OSC (OR = 2.1) and female gender (OR = 2.1) were associated with children's OSC, while mothers' OSC was strongly associated with DT (OR = 11.0) and RI (OR = 34.0) in children. CONCLUSIONS Higher OSC levels of the surveyed mothers were reflected positively in the oral health status and behaviour of their offspring. The potential of mothers to play a significant role in the oral health of their children should be kept in mind when developing oral health promotion programmes.
Impacts of transboundary air pollution and local emissions on PM2.5 pollution in the Pearl River Delta region of China and the public health, and the policy implications

Despite a downward trend in pollutant levels because of a series of emission control policies, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region continues to suffer from a high number of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) events and the resultant public health impacts. To effectively control PM2.5 in the region, a comprehensive understanding of source contribution and PM2.5 responses to various emission species is critical. We applied the Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling System together with the high-order decoupled direct method, to simulate air quality and PM2.5 sensitivity and examined PM2.5 responses to emission species in the PRD region in the four seasons of 2010. We employed a concentration-response function to quantify the resultant number of premature mortalities attributable to outdoor PM2.5. We estimated that local and transboundary air pollution (TAP) contributed 27% and 73%, respectively, of the region’s PM2.5. In absolute terms, the largest impacts from local and TAP occurred in winter. With respect to relative contributions among the different sources, regional TAP (between cities in the region) (R-TAP) and local contributions had the largest effect in summer, whereas superregional TAP (from outside of the region) contributed the most in fall and winter. Outdoor PM2.5 pollution caused 20 160 (95% confidence interval: 5100–39 310) premature mortalities every year in the PRD region. Averaging among cities, 50%, 20%, and 30% of these deaths were attributable to S-TAP, R-TAP, and local contributions, respectively. Precursor gas emissions (i.e. NH3, volatile organic compounds, SO2, and NOx) affect PM2.5 level in a nonlinear manner; thus, individual pollutant control strategies are less effective for improving PM2.5 pollution than an integrated strategy. On the basis of our findings, we recommend that controls for multiple emission species should be implemented to control PM2.5 pollution in the region.
Direct Selection of EGF Mutants Displayed on Filamentous Phage Using Cells Overexpressing EGF Receptor

Abstract Understanding receptor-ligand interactions, and the signal transduction pathways they activate, is of great interest for the discovery of novel antagonists and agonists. In this report we describe a rapid and efficient procedure to evaluate the importance of several different epidermal growth factor (EGF) residues for the binding and activation of its receptor (EGFR). We constructed an EGF mutant library randomized at positions 13, 15 and 16 and expressed them on filamentous phages. Phage display is a powerful system, allowing rapid isolation of binding mutants. Since many of the most pharmacologically interesting receptors cannot be produced in a soluble form, we developed a technique to rapidly select receptor-binding molecules directly on cells. A luciferase assay, simple to perform, was then used to test their biological transduction activity and to rapidly detect mutants of interest. Analysis of the resulting sequences revealed that the wild-type amino acids at positions 13, 15 and 16 are optimized for binding and activity. EGF mutants with agonist properties were also isolated and tolerated substitutions were identified.
A Probabilistic Reformulation of Memory-Based Collaborative Filtering: Implications on Popularity Biases

We develop a probabilistic formulation giving rise to a formal version of heuristic k nearest-neighbor (kNN) collaborative filtering. Different independence assumptions in our scheme lead to user-based, item-based, normalized and non-normalized variants that match in structure the traditional formulations, while showing equivalent empirical effectiveness. The probabilistic formulation provides a principled explanation why kNN is an effective recommendation strategy, and identifies a key condition for this to be the case. Moreover, a natural explanation arises for the bias of kNN towards recommending popular items. Thereupon the kNN variants are shown to fall into two groups with similar trends in behavior, corresponding to two different notions of item popularity. We show experiments where the comparative performance of the two groups of algorithms changes substantially, which suggests that the performance measurements and comparison may heavily depend on statistical properties of the input data sample.
A common variant in the glucokinase regulatory gene rs780094 and risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A meta‐analysis

Although studies have suggested that rs780094, a common variant in the glucokinase regulatory (GCKR) gene to be associated with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and their related traits, the genetic basis of the association between GCKR rs780094 and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is still being examined. This meta‐analysis was performed to evaluate the effect strength caused by GCKR rs780094 on NAFLD.
Inflammation and Parkinson's disease pathogenesis

Inflammation is a neuropathological feature of parkinsonian brains and also in experimental models of the disease. It is believed that activated glial cells, which compose the majority of this inflammatory response contribute to the neurodegenerative process through the production of toxic molecules. Therapeutic strategies geared toward reducing inflammation and inhibiting the production of these glial‐derived toxic molecules may be a promising neuroprotective strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and related conditions. © 2010 Movement Disorder Society
Possible neurogenic factor in muscular dystrophy: its similarity to denervation atrophy1

Muscle biopsy specimens from 179 cases of muscular dystrophies and from 140 cases of anterior horn cell disorders (from a total of 1,348 biopsied patients) were examined histologically. There were 72 cases of Duchenne type muscular dystrophy (DMD), five of Becker type MD, four girls with myopathy resembling DMD, 40 with limb-girdle, 10 with facioscapulohumeral, seven with late onset, 13 with congenital, and 28 with unclassifiable muscular dystrophies. Groups of small atrophied muscle fibres were encountered in 42 (23%) of the cases in this group, most frequently in patients with limb-girdle, facioscapulohumeral, and least frequently with DM dystrophy. In the second group there were 25 cases of infantile, 38 of juvenile, and 39 of adult spinal muscular atrophy (SMA); there were 21 patients with motor neurone disease (MND), six with poliomyelitis, and 11 with an unclassifiable type of anterior horn cell disorder. Pseudomyopathic changes were encountered in 43 (30%) of all cases in this group. They were most frequently present among patients with juvenile and adult SMA and in those with MND. The presence of group atrophy in muscular dystrophy is considered significant myopathological evidence of a denervation process. On the other hand, pseudomyopathic changes, variation in fibre size, rounding, central nuclei, and increase in connective tissue occurring in various anterior horn cell disorders are seen not to be specific `myopathic' changes. Thus there was an overlap of pathological reactions in muscles from the dystrophies and the neurogenic atrophies. Comparably atrophied fibres (much less than 2 SDs below the normal mean diameter) and hypertrophied fibres (much more than 2 SDs above the normal mean diameter) were encountered in both dystrophy and neurogenic atrophy, considering the large muscles of the limb. Likewise, the mean fibre diameters were comparable in DMD and in juvenile SMA. The fourth evidence of a neurogenic factor in muscular dystrophy was derived from an examination of SDH preparations of muscle. There was a preponderance of type I muscle fibres in dystrophic muscles compared with specimens from controls, suggesting depletion of type II fibres. It appears that the concept of muscular dystrophy as a primary muscle disease needs to be re-examined.