Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synaptic proteins are tonotopically graded in postnatal and adult type I and type II spiral ganglion neurons

Inherent in the design of the mammalian auditory system is the precision necessary to transduce complex sounds and transmit the resulting electrical signals to higher neural centers. Unique specializations in the organ of Corti are required to make this conversion, such that mechanical and electrical properties of hair cell receptors are tailored to their specific role in signal coding. Electrophysiological and immunocytochemical characterizations have shown that this principle also applies to neurons of the spiral ganglion, as evidenced by distinctly different firing features and synaptic protein distributions of neurons that innervate high‐ and low‐frequency regions of the cochlea. However, understanding the fine structure of how these properties are distributed along the cochlear partition and within the type I and type II classes of spiral ganglion neurons is necessary to appreciate their functional significance fully. To address this issue, we assessed the localization of the postsynaptic AMPA receptor subunits GluR2 and GluR3 and the presynaptic protein synaptophysin by using immunocytochemical labeling in both postnatal and adult tissue. We report that these presynaptic and postsynaptic proteins are distributed oppositely in relation to the tonotopic map and that they are equally distributed in each neuronal class, thus having an overall gradation from one end of the cochlea to the other. For synaptophysin, an additional layer of heterogeneity was superimposed orthogonal to the tonotopic axis. The highest anti‐synaptophysin antibody levels were observed within neurons located close to the scala tympani compared with those located close to the scala vestibuli. Furthermore, we noted that the protein distribution patterns observed in postnatal preparations were largely retained in adult tissue sections, indicating that these features characterize spiral ganglion neurons in the fully developed ear. J. Comp. Neurol. 519:1455–1475, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dileucine‐based sorting signals bind to the β chain of AP‐1 at a site distinct and regulated differently from the tyrosine‐based motif‐binding site

In previous work, we showed that peptides from endocytosed proteins containing the tyrosine YXXφ sorting motif are recognized by the μ2 subunit of AP‐2, the plasma membrane clathrin adaptor protein complex. This interaction is activated by phosphoinositide lipids that are phosphorylated at the D‐3 position of the inositol ring, and is also enhanced by the formation of clathrin–AP‐2 coats. Here, we describe the detection of a specific interaction between peptides containing a second sorting motif, the dileucine motif, and AP‐1, the clathrin adaptor complex responsible for sorting proteins at the trans‐Golgi network (TGN). Surprisingly, the site of dileucine binding is the β1 subunit, not μ1. A YXXφ‐containing peptide from a protein trafficked within the TGN does bind to μ1, however. Phosphatidylinositol 3,4‐diphosphate and 3,4,5‐triphosphate did not activate the interaction between dileucine‐containing peptides and AP‐1 but instead inhibited it, and clathrin–AP‐1 coat formation did not alter the interaction. Thus, there are at least two physically separate binding sites for sorting signals on APs, which are also regulated independently.
English as a Lingua Franca : Learners' Views on Pronunciation

This paper aimed to investigate whether pronunciation norms based on native speakers of English still dominate English language teaching in Thailand in an era when English has acquired the status of a global lingua franca. The study examined non-native English majors’ attitudes toward various pronunciation issues that relate to the notion of English as a lingua franca by means of indirect (verbal guise test) and direct (questionnaire and semi-structured interview) attitudinal elicitation methods. Findings showed that the construct of the idealised native speaker is still anchored to the field of ELT and pronunciation teaching as it was nominated by the majority of participants as the end goal in pronunciation learning. However, to a certain extent, the participants’ perceptions were consistent with the notion of English as a lingua franca as they seemed to see non-native varieties as intelligible Englishes and consider them as important when classroom learning is involved. The paper ends by proposing pedagogical implications for pronunciation learning and teaching that are believed to be realistic, applicable and attainable for the English language classroom in Thailand and nonnative contexts.
Formulary status of drugs in Ontario after Health Canada has issued a serious safety warning: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND Drugs are approved for formulary listing based on limited knowledge of their safety. Serious safety issues are often identified after a drug is marketed. OBJECTIVE To determine whether the listing status of drugs on the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Formulary changes following the identification of safety concerns by Health Canada and whether the results of reviews by people responsible for the ODB Formulary are made public. METHODS All new active substances (NAS) approved by Health Canada from January 1, 2002 to March 31, 2012 that subsequently had a warning issued about a serious safety concern were identified. Editions of the ODB Formulary were searched to find which of these drugs were listed on the Formulary before the safety warning was issued. RESULTS A total of 263 NAS were approved of which 42 subsequently acquired one or more serious safety warnings and 15 of these were listed on the ODB Formulary before the safety warning was issued. The listing status of 14 of the 15 drugs was unchanged after the release of the safety warning. No information is available about whether the listing status of these 14 drugs was reassessed. CONCLUSIONS The ODB Formulary should develop a set of criteria to determine whether the listing status of drugs should be reviewed after Health Canada issues a serious safety warning. The results of any reconsiderations should made public so that prescribers and patients alike know that the ODB Formulary officials still regard the drugs as having a positive benefit to harm ratio.
Motives as a factor in acculturation among Asian international students

Although the number of international students in the United States continues to increase annually, especially from Asian countries, little research has investigated the relationships between their motives for study abroad and acculturation levels in the United States. This research examined the relationships between international students' acculturation levels and their motives for study abroad, residency intention in the United States, English proficiency and length of residency in the United States. A total of 110 Asian international students participated in this study. Results of the study found significant relationships between international students' motives and acculturation levels-. ’ Asian international students having Permanent resident motives (economic, political, personal, and permanent residency) were more acculturated than those students indicated Temporary resident motives (obligation to return, prestige and academic). Results also revealed international students who intend to stay in the United States were more acculturated than those who intend to return home when their academics are completed. Implications are discussed including how the understanding of or knowledge of
Sudden stoppage of rotor in a thermally driven rotary motor made from double-walled carbon nanotubes

In a thermally driven rotary motor made from double-walled carbon nanotubes, the rotor (inner tube) can be actuated to rotate within the stator (outer tube) when the environmental temperature is high enough. A sudden stoppage of the rotor can occur when the inner tube has been actuated to rotate at a stable high speed. To find the mechanisms of such sudden stoppages, eight motor models with the same rotor but different stators are built and simulated in the canonical NVT ensembles. Numerical results demonstrate that the sudden stoppage of the rotor occurs when the difference between radii is near 0.34 nm at a high environmental temperature. A smaller difference between radii does not imply easier activation of the sudden rotor stoppage. During rotation, the positions and electron density distribution of atoms at the ends of the motor show that a sp1 bonded atom on the rotor is attracted by the sp1 atom with the biggest deviation of radial position on the stator, after which they become two sp2 atoms. The strong bond interaction between the two atoms leads to the loss of rotational speed of the rotor within 1 ps. Hence, the sudden stoppage is attributed to two factors: the deviation of radial position of atoms at the stator’s ends and the drastic thermal vibration of atoms on the rotor in rotation. For a stable motor, sudden stoppage could be avoided by reducing deviation of the radial position of atoms at the stator’s ends. A nanobrake can be, thus, achieved by adjusting a sp1 atom at the ends of stator to stop the rotation of rotor quickly.
Wideband Circular-Polarization Reconfigurable Antenna With L-Shaped Feeding Probes

A wideband circularly polarized reconfigurable patch antenna with L-shaped feeding probes is presented, which can generate unidirectional radiation performance that is switchable between left-hand circular polarization (LHCP) and right-hand circular polarization (RHCP). To realize this property, an L-probe fed square patch antenna is chosen as the radiator. A compact reconfigurable feeding network is implemented to excite the patch and generate either LHCP or RHCP over a wide operating bandwidth. The proposed antenna achieves the desired radiation patterns and has excellent characteristics, including a wide bandwidth, a compact structure, and a low profile. Measured results exhibit approximately identical performance for both polarization modes. Wide impedance, 31.6% from 1.2 to 1.65 GHz, and axial-ratio, 20.8% from 1.29 to 1.59 GHz, bandwidths are obtained. The gain is very stable across the entire bandwidth with a 6.9-dBic peak value. The reported circular-polarization reconfigurable antenna can mitigate the polarization mismatching problem in multipath wireless environments, increase the channel capacity of the system, and enable polarization coding.
Biopsy results of new calcifications in the postirradiated breast

A breast biopsy was performed in 19 patients for the finding of new mammographic calcifications without an associated palpable or mammographic mass after breast‐conserving surgery and definitive irradiation for early stage breast cancer. The interval postradiotherapy was 9 to 96 months with a median of 34 months. Eleven of the biopsy specimens (58%) were positive for recurrent breast cancer and eight (42%) were negative. The pathologic results from the positive biopsy specimens showed four with invasive ductal carcinoma, two with microinvasive ductal carcinoma, four with intraductal carcinoma, and one with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). Treatment consisted of mastectomy in eight patients, mastectomy plus chemotherapy in one patient, and biopsy for the patient with LCIS. One patient refused a recommended mastectomy. All 11 patients with recurrent carcinoma are alive with no evidence of disease after salvage therapy, although follow‐up is short (median, 14 months; range, 0‐48 months). Calcifications which developed in a quadrant different from the initial tumor tended to be malignant with four of five having a positive biopsy result. Microcalcifications were not commonly associated with the initial tumor with only five of 19 having microcalcifications. These results show that the development of new calcifications in the postirradiated breast is associated with a positive biopsy rate of 58% and that the tumors which are found tend to be early and potentially salvageable. The positive biopsy rate of 58% in the postirradiated breast is in marked contrast to the lower positive biopsy rate for microcalcifications in the nonirradiated breast as reported in the literature.
The preventative analgesic effect of preincisional peritonsillar infiltration of two low doses of ketamine for postoperative pain relief in children following adenotonsillectomy. A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study

Background: In literature, the use of ketamine for the preventative analgesia in the management of postoperative pain is controversial. The purpose of the present study was the clinical assessment of the efficacy of preincisional peritonsillar infiltration of two doses of ketamine on postoperative pain relief compared with peritonsillar saline in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.
Effects of hospital volume of primary percutaneous coronary interventions on angiographic results and in-hospital outcomes for acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND Several clinical studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between hospital volume of primary percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and in-hospital mortality. However, the relationships among hospital primary PCI volume, angiographic results, and in-hospital prognosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have not been fully investigated in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS Using the AMI-Kyoto Multi-Center Risk Study database between January 2000 and December 2005, hospitals were classified into quintiles based on their annual volume of primary PCI. The fifth quintile of hospitals was labeled as high-volume, and the other quintiles were combined and defined as low-volume. Although patients undergoing primary PCI in high-volume hospitals (high-volume group, n=764) had a larger number of diseased vessels at initial coronary angiography and lower Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) flow grade in the infarct-related artery before PCI, compared with those in low-volume hospitals (low-volume group, n=1,021), the rates of achieving TIMI flow grade 3 just after PCI in the high-volume group was significantly higher than that in the low-volume group. The overall in-hospital mortality did not differ between the 2 groups. On multivariate analysis, in AMI patients undergoing primary PCI, Killip class >or=3 at admission, multivessel disease or left main trunk (LMT) as culprit lesion, number of diseased vessels >or=2 or diseased LMT, and age were the independent positive predictors of in-hospital mortality, whereas the TIMI flow grade 3 after primary PCI and elapsed time <24 h were the negative ones, but not low-volume hospital. CONCLUSIONS Angiographic results of primary PCI in high-volume hospitals were superior to those in low-volume hospitals, but there was no significant difference in the in-hospital mortality between AMI patients in high-volume hospitals and those in low-volume hospitals.
Secretory cell outgrowth, PAX2 and serous carcinogenesis in the Fallopian tube

The ‘p53 signature’ is a benign secretory cell outgrowth in the distal Fallopian tube that shares properties with ovarian serous cancer—including p53 mutations—and is a putative serous cancer precursor. We expanded the precursor definition to all secretory cell outgrowths (SCOUTs) of 30 or more cells and scored normal (N) and altered (A) expression of both p53 and PAX2, a gene down‐regulated in ovarian and endometrial cancer. SCOUTs were identified by BCL2/p73 staining in tubes from women with serous carcinoma, inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 and controls. SCOUTs were prevalent in both proximal and distal tube and significantly associated with serous carcinoma versus the others (p < 0.001); 89% were PAX2 (A) and 26% were PAX2 (A)/p53 (A) (p53 signatures). PAX2 (A)/p53 (N) SCOUTs were free of p53 mutations; however, 12 of 13 p53 signatures were PAX2 (A). A tubal carcinoma and contiguous SCOUT were p53 (A)/PAX2 (A) and shared the same p53 mutation. SCOUTs are discretely localized alterations commonly containing altered expression of multiple genes within histologically benign tubal epithelium. Geographic distribution in the tube varies by genotype and immunophenotype, from regionally unrestricted (PAX2) to greater likelihood specific area (fimbria) of shared prevalence (PAX2 and p53). This study reveals, for the first time, an entity (SCOUT) that is associated with serous cancer, expands the topography of altered PAX2 expression in the female genital tract mucosa and highlights another potential pathway disturbance involved in early serous carcinogenesis in the Fallopian tube. Copyright © 2010 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seasonal Stochastic Volatility and the Samuelson Effect in Agricultural Futures Markets

We introduce a multi-factor stochastic volatility model for commodities that incorporates seasonality and the Samuelson effect. Conditions on the seasonal term under which the corresponding volatility factor is well-defined are given, and five different specifications of the seasonality pattern are proposed. We calculate the joint characteristic function of two futures prices for different maturities in the risk-neutral measure. The model is then presented under the physical measure, and its state-space representation is derived, in order to estimate the parameters with the Kalman filter for time series of corn, cotton, soybean, sugar and wheat futures from 2007 to 2017. The seasonal model significantly outperforms the nested non-seasonal model in all five markets, and we show which seasonality patterns are particularly well-suited in each case. We also confirm the importance of correctly modelling the Samuelson effect in order to account for futures with different maturities. Our results are clearly confirmed in a robustness check carried out with an alternative dataset of constant maturity futures for the same agricultural markets.
Perceived organisational politics, political behaviour and employee commitment in the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, Ghana

This study assesses the extent to which employee perceptions of organisational politics influence their commitment in the public sector of Ghana. Three standard scales were adopted for generating data for the study namely; perceptions of organisational politics scale, employee commitment questionnaire and the political behaviour scale. Data were processed using the IBM Statistical Product and Service Solution’s Version 19.0. The partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to measure the relationship between organisational politics and employee commitment. The mediating effect of political behaviour on this relationship was also measured using the same partial least squares structural equation modeling. A sample of 120 employees was selected from the Wenchi Municipal Assembly for the study. The results of the study indicate that employee perceptions of organisational politics have a positively significant relationship with their commitment in the public sector in Ghana. It was therefore recommended for management to reconsider the individual, group and organisational circumstances that generate perceived organisational politics in order to curtail any unwanted political behaviour in the Assembly. Keywords: Perceptions, Organisational Politics, Political Behaviour, Employee Commitment
Effect of type and level of fish oil supplementation on yolk fat composition and n-3 fatty acids retention efficiency in laying hens

1. Laying hen performance and yolk fat fatty acid (FA) concentrations were evaluated with respect to the inclusion in the diet of different sources and levels of marine fish oil (MFO). 2. Twelve diets were arranged factorially, with three sources (MFO1, MFO2_EPA, MFO3_DHA) and four levels of inclusion (15, 30, 45 and 60 g/kg) of MFO. 3. Type of diet had little effect on egg production traits, although laying rate and shell thickness slightly decreased at the highest level of MFO supplementation. 4. An increase in level of inclusion of MFO from 15 to 60 g/kg linearly increased concentrations of C20:5 n-3, C22:5 n-3, C22:6 n-3 and total n-3 FA in yolk fat, but greatly impaired their efficiencies of deposition (g retained/g ingested). 5. An interaction between type and dietary concentration of MFO was found, as the reduction in efficiency of retention of n-3 FA in egg fat with level of MFO was less when the proportion of n-3 in total FA decreased or when that of DHA in total n-3 FA increased. 6. MFO3_ DHA was more efficiently used for total n-3 FA yolk deposition than MFO2_EPA at a similar total n-3 FA intake. 7. Dietary inclusion of MFO reduced LC n-6 FA yolk fat content, which additionally decreased the ratio between total n-6 and total n-3 FA in egg fat. 8. Regression equations were calculated in order to predict efficiency of retention and n-3 FA concentration of yolk fat in the range of diets studied.
Activity of Dasatinib, a Dual SRC/ABL Kinase Inhibitor, and IPI-504, a Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor, against Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor–Associated PDGFRAD842V Mutation

Purpose: Activating mutations in platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRA) have been reported in ∼5% to 10% of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). Imatinib efficiently inhibits the juxtamembrane PDGFRA mutations, whereas many tyrosine kinase domain activation loop PDGFRA mutations confer primary resistance to imatinib. In this study, we compared the efficacy of second-line tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as dasatinib, sorafenib, and nilotinib against two GIST-related PDGFRA mutants, PDGFRAD842V and PDGFRAΔDIM842-844. In addition, we sought to investigate the inhibitory effect of the heat shock protein 90 inhibitor, IPI-504, on these mutants. Experimental Design: Primary imatinib-resistant tumor cells and cell lines expressing imatinib-resistant PDGFRAD842V or imatinib-sensitive PDGFRAΔDIM842-844 mutants were treated with different concentrations of dasatinib, sorafenib, nilotinib, and IPI-504. The effect of treatment on proliferation, survival, and signaling was determined. Results: All inhibitors tested exhibited a high efficacy toward the PDGFRAΔDIM842-844 mutant. In contrast, ex vivo and in vitro assays revealed that only dasatinib potently inhibited the PDGFRAD842V isoform with an IC50 value of 62 nmol/L. Sorafenib and nilotinib were significantly less efficacious against this mutation, inhibiting the PDGFRA kinase activity at >1,000 and >5,000 nmol/L, and suppressing the proliferation of the cells expressing the PDGFRAD842V mutant with an IC50 value of 239 and 1,310 nmol/L, respectively. IPI-504 treatment potently inhibited PDGFRA kinase activity by inducing the degradation of PDGFRAD842V and PDGFRAΔDIM842-844 at 256 and 182 nmol/L, respectively. Conclusions: Treatment with dasatinib or the heat shock protein 90 inhibitor IPI-504 may provide a therapeutic alternative for GIST patients whose tumors carry the imatinib-resistant PDGFRAD842V mutant isoform.
Federalism and the politics of the Canada and Quebec Pension Plans

ABSTRACT Drawing on the literature on federalism and public policy, the present article explores the recent politics of two highly-similar and closely integrated Canadian public pension programs created in the mid-1960s: the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP). This article argues that the parallel evolution of CPP/QPP can be understood by examining how the unique jurisdictional arrangements for the CPP/QPP interacted with other factors to generate by these linked programs have led to the emergence of specific federalism policy dynamics, while muting or foreclosing other potential policy dynamics. As shown, governments have engaged in a process of ‘collusive benchmarking’ that has limited the scope of the available policy options. Differing demographic trends in Quebec and the ‘Rest of Canada’ have strained but also reinforced this policymaking dynamic in recent years. Simultaneously, intergovernmental race to the top dynamics have facilitated the recent push for both CPP and, later, QPP expansion.