Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two cAMP‐dependent pathways differentially regulate exocytosis of large dense‐core and small vesicles in mouse β‐cells

It has been reported that cAMP regulates Ca2+‐dependent exocytosis via protein kinase A (PKA) and exchange proteins directly activated by cAMP (Epac) in neurons and secretory cells. It has, however, never been clarified how regulation of Ca2+‐dependent exocytosis by cAMP differs depending on the involvement of PKA and Epac, and depending on two types of secretory vesicles, large dense‐core vesicles (LVs) and small vesicles (SVs). In this study, we have directly visualized Ca2+‐dependent exocytosis of both LVs and SVs with two‐photon imaging in mouse pancreatic β‐cells. We found that marked exocytosis of SVs occurred with a time constant of 0.3 s, more than three times as fast as LV exocytosis, on stimulation by photolysis of a caged‐Ca2+ compound. The diameter of SVs was identified as ∼80 nm with two‐photon imaging, which was confirmed by electron‐microscopic investigation with photoconversion of diaminobenzidine. Calcium‐dependent exocytosis of SVs was potentiated by the cAMP‐elevating agent forskolin, and the potentiating effect was unaffected by antagonists of PKA and was mimicked by the Epac‐selective agonist 8‐(4‐chlorophenylthio)‐2′‐O‐methyl cAMP, unlike that on LVs. Moreover, high‐glucose stimulation induced massive exocytosis of SVs in addition to LVs, and photolysis of caged cAMP during glucose stimulation caused potentiation of exocytosis with little delay for SVs but with a latency of 5 s for LVs. Thus, Epac and PKA selectively regulate exocytosis of SVs and LVs, respectively, in β‐cells, and Epac can regulate exocytosis more rapidly than PKA.
Do Firms Mislead Investors by Overstating Earnings Before Seasoned Equity Offerings?

Rangan (1998) and Teoh, et al. (1998) argue the failure on part of investors to identify pre-offering earnings management as a cause for the post-offering stock underperformance. This paper re-examines their hypothesis. Like Rangan and Teoh et al., I find evidence of earnings overstatements by issuers, but show their conclusions on investor naivete to be influenced by skewness in long-run returns data. Far from being naive, investors appear to infer earnings management and rationally undo its effects at offering announcements. The paper shows this to be consistent with an extension of the Myers-Majluf model, which endogenizes asymmetric information between managers and investors around equity offerings. I conclude that earnings management by issuers may not be intended to mislead investors, but may merely reflect their rational response to anticipated market behavior at offering announcements.
Optokinetic stimuli: motion sickness, visual acuity, and eye movements.

BACKGROUND It is commonly assumed that motion sickness caused by moving visual scenes arises from the illusion of self-motion (i.e., vection). HYPOTHESES Both studies reported here investigated whether sickness and vection were correlated. The first study compared sickness and vection created by real and virtual visual displays. The second study investigated whether visual fixation to suppress eye movements affected motion sickness or vection. METHOD In the first experiment subjects viewed an optokinetic drum and a virtual simulation of the optokinetic drum. The second experiment investigated two conditions on a virtual display: a) moving black and white stripes; and b) moving black and white stripes with a stationary cross on which subjects fixated to reduce eye movements. RESULTS In the first study, ratings of motion sickness were correlated between the conditions (real and the virtual drum), as were ratings of vection. With both conditions, subjects with poor visual acuity experienced greater sickness. There was no correlation between ratings of vection and ratings of sickness in either condition. In the second study, fixation reduced motion sickness but had no affect on vection. Motion sickness was correlated with visual acuity without fixation, but not with fixation. Again, there was no correlation between vection and motion sickness. CONCLUSIONS Vection is not the primary cause of sickness with optokinetic stimuli. Vection appears to be influenced by peripheral vision whereas motion sickness is influenced by central vision. When the eyes are free to track moving stimuli, there is an association between visual acuity and motion sickness. Virtual displays can create vection and may be used to investigate visually induced motion sickness.
"Hot spots" mutation analysis of p53 gene in gastrointestinal cancers by amplification of naturally occurring and artificially created restriction sites.

We developed a rapid, simple method to detect "hot spot" point mutations of the p53 gene. A DNA fragment from cancer tissue of a surgical specimen was selectively amplified with specific oligonucleotide primers and then digested with restriction enzymes that recognized artificial or naturally occurring restriction sites. To detect mutations in codons 273 and 245, we created artificial Bst U1 and BgI I sites by introducing a single nucleotide mismatch into the respective mutagenesis primers. We used the naturally occurring restriction sites of Msp I, Hae III, and Hha I to detect mutations in codons 248, 249, and 175, respectively. In 74 cases of gastrointestinal cancer, 5 of 35 colorectal cancers showed mutations; 1 of 15 cases of gastric cancers showed mutation; and 1 of 24 hepatocellular carcinomas showed mutation. This nonradioactive method is an accurate and clinically useful way to detect hot-spot point mutations of the p53 gene in gastrointestinal cancers.
Intergenerational transmission of attachment for infants raised in a prison nursery

Within a larger intervention study, attachment was assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure for 30 infants who co-resided with their mothers in a prison nursery. Sixty percent of infants were classified secure, 75% who co-resided a year or more and 43% who co-resided less than a year, all within the range of normative community samples. The year-long co-residing group had significantly more secure and fewer disorganized infants than predicted by their mothers' attachment status, measured by the Adult Attachment Interview, and a significantly greater proportion of secure infants than meta-analyzed community samples of mothers with low income, depression, or drug/alcohol abuse. Using intergenerational data collected with rigorous methods, this study provides the first evidence that mothers in a prison nursery setting can raise infants who are securely attached to them at rates comparable to healthy community children, even when the mother's own internal attachment representation has been categorized as insecure.
Colonic carcinoid tumors: a clinicopathologic study of 23 patients from a single institution.

CONTEXT Colonic carcinoids, excluding those arising in the appendix, have proved to be extremely rare. Due to their rarity, the characteristics and behavior of this unusual malignancy remain unclear. OBJECTIVE To review the clinicopathologic features of patients operated on carcinoid tumors of the colon. METHODS Twenty-three patients (12 males and 11 females) were operated on colonic carcinoids. The mean age of the patients was 63.0 +/- 12.9 years (42 to 85 years). The clinical and histopathological data of patients who were pathologically diagnosed as having carcinoid tumors and submitted to surgical treatment over a 30-year period (1977-2007) were gathered. Actuarial patient survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, with carcinoid-specific death as the outcome. RESULTS The mean time elapsed between onset of symptoms and surgical treatment was 8.3 months (1.5 to 20 months). The most frequent symptoms or signs encountered were abdominal pain followed by anorexia or weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal tenderness, palpable abdominal mass, and rectal bleeding. No carcinoid syndrome was noted. The lesion was located in the cecum in 16 (69.6%) patients, in the sigmoid in 3 patients (13.0%), in the ascending colon in 3 patients (13.0%), and in the transverse colon in one patient (4.3%). Twenty-one (91.3%) patients were operated on curative intent. Spreading of the disease to the liver and peritoneum was found in two (8.7%) patients who submitted to intestinal bypass. The mean size of the largest mass was 3.7 +/- 1.2 cm (1.5 to 6.2 cm). There were multiple (two or more) lesions in three cases (13.0%). In the resected cases, the lymph nodes were compromised in 10 patients (47.6%) and disease-free in 11 (52.4%). Venous invasion and neural infiltration were both present in five (23.8%) patients. The tumors had penetrated the muscularis propria in all resected cases. Four (17.4%) patients had a second non-carcinoid primary tumor. Three (13.0%) patients died due to postoperative complications and five (21.7%) patients died from metachronous metastases or local recurrence. Fifteen patients (65.2%) remain alive without evidence of active disease. The mean follow-up period was 12 years (1.2 to 18 years), whereas the mean global survival was 50.7 +/- 34.2 months and the crude survival rate at 5 years was 62.7%. CONCLUSIONS Carcinoid tumors of the colon are frequently right-sided and may be clinically occult until an advanced stage is reached. Based on the relatively poor survival rates reported, it is recommended that, in addition to standard surgical resection, vigorous surveillance for metastatic disease must be performed, particularly during the first 2 years after surgery. In addition, these patients require evaluation of the entire gastrointestinal tract for evidence of coexisting malignancy, along with an extended period of follow-up, because tumor recurrences after 5 years are not uncommon.
Formal and informal care for community‐dwelling frail elderly people over time: A comparison of integrated and usual care in the Netherlands

While integration has become a central tenet of community-based care for frail elderly people, little is known about its impact on formal and informal care and their dynamics over time. The aim of this study was therefore to examine how an integrated care intervention for community-dwelling frail elderly people affects the amount and type of formal and informal care over 12 months as compared to usual care. A quasi-experimental design with a control group was used. Data regarding formal and informal care were collected from frail elderly patients (n = 207) and informal caregivers (n = 74) with pre/post-questionnaires. Within- and between-group comparisons and multiple linear regression analyses were performed. The results showed marginal changes over time in the amount of formal and informal care in both integrated care and usual care. However, different associations between changes in formal and informal care were found in integrated and usual care. Most notably, informal caregivers provided more instrumental assistance over time if formal caregivers provided less personal care (and vice versa) in integrated care but not in usual care. These results suggest that integrated care does not necessarily change the contribution of formal or informal care, but changes the interaction between formal (personal care) and informal (instrumental) activities. Implications and recommendations for research and practice are discussed. TRIAL REGISTRATION Current Controlled Trials ISRNT05748494.
On Optimal Audit Mechanisms

In principle, the effi cient (Pigouvian) tax on emissions produces the effi cient (firstbest) level of emissions where marginal damage of emissions for society equals marginal abatement cost for polluting firms. Firms will comply with the tax when the audit frequency and potential penalties are suffi ciently high. However audits are costly and the auditing budgets of many enforcement agencies are increasingly constrained. Also, penalties tend to be capped, and therefore common auditing strategies may result in higher than effi cient emissions. We derive an optimal audit mechanism for budget constrained enforcement agencies. The proposed audit mechanism uses the information contained in firms taxable emissions reports to increase the effectiveness of audit decisions. Specifically, the suggested audit mechanism induces a contest between the firms in that it determines the probability of winning (not being audited) for each firm depending on costly efforts (taxable emissions reports). In the equilibrium of the game, firms choose first-best emissions, although they under-report their emissions. While the model is presented in the context of environmental taxation, it has wider applicability.
Retrospective Value of Skin Biopsy in Histologically Confirmed Cases of the Perivascular Dermatitis Subgroup of the Inflammatory Dermatoses

Abstract:Skin biopsy is a commonly used and valuable tool in the diagnosis of diseases of the skin. The inflammatory dermatoses are a subgroup that presents diagnostic difficulties from both a clinical and a histopathological perspective. This study examines a particularly challenging subgroup of the inflammatory dermatoses, that is, perivascular dermatitis. The final conclusions of the histological report of 163 biopsies considered to fall into the perivascular dermatitis group were examined, and the value skin biopsy added in the final diagnosis of each case was evaluated. The 2 most valuable potential outcomes of the histopathological report: consistent with clinical diagnosis with strong evidence of a specific diagnosis and new, unexpected, helpful, specific diagnosis, occurred in 40 reports (24.54%).
Absence of transforming growth factor beta 1 in murine platelets reduces neointima formation without affecting arterial thrombosis

Summary Platelet degranulation at the site of vascular injury prevents bleeding and may affect the chronic vascular wound healing response. Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β1 is a major component of platelet α-granules known to accumulating in thrombi. It was our aim to determine the role of TGFβ1 released from activated platelets for neointima formation following arterial injury and thrombosis. Mice with platelet-specific deletion of TGFβ1 (Plt.TGFβ-KO) underwent carotid artery injury. Immunoassays confirmed the absence of active TGFβ1 in platelet releasates and plasma of Plt. TGFβ-KO mice. Whole blood analyses revealed similar haematological parameters, and tail cut assays excluded major bleeding defects. Platelet aggregation and the acute thrombotic response to injury in vivo did not differ between Plt. TGFβ-KO and Plt. TGFβ-WT mice. Morphometric analysis revealed that absence of TGFβ1 in platelets resulted in a significant reduction of neointima formation with lower neointima area, intima-to-media ratio, and lumen stenosis. On the other hand, the media area was enlarged in mice lacking TGFβ1 in platelets and contained increased amounts of proteases involved in latent TGFβ activation, including MMP2, MMP9 and thrombin. Significantly increased numbers of proliferating cells and cells expressing the mesenchymal markers platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β or fibroblast-specific protein-1, and the macrophage antigen F4/80, were observed in the media of Plt. TGFβ-KO mice, whereas the medial smooth muscle-actin-immuno-positive area and collagen content did not differ between genotypes. Our findings support an essential role for platelet-derived TGFβ1 for the vascular remodelling response to arterial injury, apparently independent from the role of platelets in thrombosis or haemostasis. Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
A small OCA on a 1/spl times/0.5-mm/sup 2/ 2.45-GHz RFID Tag-design and integration based on a CMOS-compatible manufacturing technology

This letter reports, for the first time, on the design strategy and process integration for a small on-chip-antenna (OCA) with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag chip-area /spl sim/1/spl times/0.5 mm/sup 2/. It is designed based on a 2.45-GHz RFID tag circuit with an inductive-coupling model. A patterned Al shielding layer is used to improve the consistency of the actual performance obtained from fabricated devices and those predicated from the design. The antenna's inductor coils were fabricated based on a conventional Cu-Damascene process. To achieve the required antenna performance (e.g., Q-factor), a set of thick USG and deep-via etch processes were specifically developed. Our results demonstrate that the dc power converted by the OCA is sufficient to enable the RFID tag chip to communicate with a corresponding 2.45-GHz RFID reader with a 1-mm distance.
In Vivo NMR spectroscopy of lithium‐7 in humans

The pharmacokinetics of lithium uptake was measured by 7Li NMR spectroscopy at 24.83 MHz in vivo in the brain and muscle of a normal subject and a patient suffering from bipolar affective disorder, using a modified General Electric Signa clinical magnetic resonance imaging system. Comparison was made to standard phantoms to estimate Li concentrations. The levels of Li in brain and muscle were similar, were typically less than the level in serum, and generally tracked the level in serum. The Li level at steady state in the brain of a patient suffering from schizoaffective disorder was measured over a 7‐month period. Substantial variation was seen, which showed some correlation with serum level. Serum level peaked about 2 h after a single 300‐mg dose at steady state, and muscle level, immediately thereafter. Brain level peaked considerably later at 4 h. Localized in vivo 7Li NMR spectroscopy was demonstrated by acquisition of a 125‐cm3 DRESS slice from the occipital region in less than 7 min. © 1990 Academic Press, Inc.
alpha -decay properties of neutron-deficient polonium and radon nuclei.

Chemically purified and mass-separated Rn isotopes are used to deduce the [alpha] branching ratios of the Po daughter nuclei. The obtained values are systematically lower than the previously known values. Combined with more accurate measurements of the half-lives of the neutron-deficient Po isotopes, a precise set of partial [alpha]-decay half-lives is obtained. The [alpha]-decay energies of some Po and Rn isotopes have also been remeasured. The [alpha] branching ratios of the Rn nuclei can be deduced from the [alpha] intensity of the At daughter nuclei, provided their branching is known. This makes it possible to present in a coherent way the partial [alpha]-decay half-lives and the [alpha]-reduced widths of a long chain of Po and Rn isotopes and to compare them with theory. Evidence is emerging that, for the very neutron-deficient Po isotopes, mixing of intruder configurations into the ground state is slowing down the [alpha] decay.
The sperm, a neuron with a tail:‘neuronal’receptors in mammalian sperm

A number of plasma membrane receptor types originally thought to be specific to neurons have been found in other somatic cells. More surprisingly, the mammalian sperm and neuron appear to share many of these‘neuronal’receptors. The morphology, chromosome number, genomic activity, and functions of those two cell types are as unlike as any two cells in the body, but they both achieve their highly disparate goals with the aid of a number of the same receptors. Exocytosis in neurons and sperm is essential to the functions of these cells and is strongly influenced by similar receptors. ‘Neuronal’receptor types in sperm may also play a role in the control of sperm motility (a function of course not shared by neurons).
Spatial and Temporal dynamics of Fecal Coliform and Escherichia coli Associated with Suspended Solids and Water within Five Northern California Estuaries

229 Fecal coliform and Escherichia coli associated with suspended solids (SS) and water in five northern California estuaries were studied to document process influences and water quality monitoring biases affecting indicator bacteria concentrations. We collected and analyzed 2371 samples during 10 sampling events for the five studied estuaries. Concentrations during wet-season stormflow conditions were greater than during wet-season base flow and dryseason base flow conditions. Results also document concentration gradients across the length of the studied estuaries and with depth of sample collection. Highest concentrations were associated with shallow samples collected furthest inland. Corresponding decreases occurred the deeper and closer to the estuary mouth a sample was collected. Results also identify direct relationships of wind speed and discharge velocity and indirect relationship of tide stage to indicator bacteria concentrations. Bacteria associated with suspended solids (SS), after conversion to the same units of measurement (mass), were three orders of magnitude greater than in the water fraction. However, the mean proportion contributed by SS to composite water sample concentrations was 8% (SE 0.3) for fecal coliform and 7% (SE 0.3) for E. coli. Bacteria from the SS proportion is related to seasonality, tide stage, and discharge velocity that are consistent with mechanisms for entrainment, transport of SS, and reduced particle settling. These results are important for both managing and monitoring these systems by improving sample spatial and temporal context and corresponding bacteria concentration values across the freshwater–saltwater interface. Spatial and Temporal dynamics of Fecal Coliform and Escherichia coli Associated with Suspended Solids and Water within Five Northern California Estuaries
Analysis of the Impact of Changes in the Prices of Rice and Fuel on Poverty in the Philippines

The study aims to assess the impact of rising prices of rice and fuel on poverty in the Philippines. In particular, the variations in the potential effects among different group of households were analyzed using household level data. Results of the study confirm that the impact of increasing prices of rice and fuel vary across different groups of households depending on the sector of employment, level of urbanity, income group, and geographical location. In fact, there are losers and gainers from the recent increases in the prices of rice and fuel. In response to higher prices, households adopted different coping mechanisms, some of which are damaging and counterproductive in the medium- and long-run. The Philippine government has also responded by implementing programs that would mitigate the negative impact of soaring prices. It is recommended that household level data for all households in the community, such as those being generated by the community-based monitoring system (CBMS) being implemented by local government units, be used to identify eligible beneficiaries through some proxy means test model. This would help reduce leakage of program benefits to the nonpoor as well as ensure that the poor benefit from these programs.
Use of hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Safe and ethical?

Abstract Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women and presently, the breast cancer survivors are an important group of women that faced the several consequences of estrogen deficiency, which is especially common in women after chemotherapy. The most bothersome is the vasomotor symptoms, which are effectively relieved by hormonal therapy (HT). Also, the increased risk of osteoporosis and coronary artery disease is major problem to be resolved in pos of maintaining a good quality of life. Fearing cancer recurrence, most physicians do not offer HT to women with a history of breast cancer. Over this issue reviews the available evidence of the use of HT and tibolone in women treated for breast cancer.