Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Protons Trap NR1/NR2B NMDA Receptors in a Nonconducting State

NMDA receptors are highly expressed in the CNS and are involved in excitatory synaptic transmission, as well as synaptic plasticity. Given that overstimulation of NMDA receptors can cause cell death, it is not surprising that these channels are under tight control by a series of inhibitory extracellular ions, including zinc, magnesium, and H+. We studied the inhibition by extracellular protons of recombinant NMDA receptor NR1/NR2B single-channel and macroscopic responses in transiently transfected human embryonic kidney HEK 293 cells using patch-clamp techniques. We report that proton inhibition proceeds identically in the absence or presence of agonist, which rules out the possibility that protonation inhibits receptors by altering coagonist binding. The response of macroscopic currents in excised patches to rapid jumps in pH was used to estimate the microscopic association and dissociation rates for protons, which were 1.4 × 109 m-1 sec-1 and 110-196 sec-1, respectively (Kd corresponds to pH 7.2). Protons reduce the open probability without altering the time course of desensitization or deactivation. Protons appear to slow at least one time constant describing the intra-activation shut-time histogram and modestly reduce channel open time, which we interpret to reflect a reduction in the overall channel activation rate and possible proton-induced termination of openings. This is consistent with a modest proton-dependent slowing of the macroscopic response rise time. From these data, we propose a physical model of proton inhibition that can describe macroscopic and single-channel properties of NMDA receptor function over a range of pH values.
Review of Robotic Surgery in Gynecology—The Future Is Here

The authors present a systematic review of randomized and observational, retrospective and prospective studies to compare between robotic surgery as opposed to laparoscopic, abdominal, and vaginal surgery for the treatment of both benign and malignant gynecologic indications. The comparison focuses on operative times, surgical outcomes, and surgical complications associated with the various surgical techniques. PubMed was the main search engine utilized in search of study data. The review included studies of various designs that included at least 25 women who had undergone robotic gynecologic surgery. Fifty-five studies (42 comparative and 13 non-comparative) met eligibility criteria. After careful analysis, we found that robotic surgery was consistently connected to shorter post-surgical hospitalization when compared to open surgery, a difference less significant when compared to laparoscopic surgery. Also, it seems that robotic surgery is highly feasible in gynecology. There are quite a few inconsistencies regarding operative times and estimated blood loss between the different approaches, though in the majority of studies estimated blood loss was lower in the robotic surgery group. The high variance in operative times resulted from the difference in surgeon’s experience. The decision whether robotic surgery should become mainstream in gynecological surgery or remain another surgical technique in the gynecological surgeon’s toolbox requires quite a few more randomized controlled clinical trials. In any case, in order to bring robotic surgery down to the front row of surgery, training surgeons is by far the most important goal for the next few years.
Cytoprotection by electromagnetic field‐induced hsp70: A model for clinical application

A unique approach to clinical application of cytoprotection is offered by electromagnetic (EM) field induction of stress proteins. EM fields are noninvasive and easily applied, as compared with the current hyperthermia protocols. Fertilized dipteran eggs and cultured rodent cardiomyocytes (H9c2 cells) were used as models to test EM fields for their ability to induce increased hsp70 levels for effective cytoprotection. Eggs preconditioned with an 8μT 60Hz EM field for 30 min had 114% increase in hsp70 levels, and an average 82% increase in survival, following a lethal temperature of 36.5°C. Thermal preconditioning at 32°C was not nearly as effective in dipteran eggs, inducing only a 44% increase in survival. Preconditioning of cultured murine cardiomyocytes (H9c2 cells) with an 8μT 60 Hz field induced a 77% average increase in hsp70 levels. J. Cell. Biochem. 79:453–459, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Subclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis in Elderly Patients with Primary Sjögren Syndrome: A Duplex Doppler Sonographic Study

A growing body of evidence presents a link between chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases and atherosclerosis. To evaluate subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in an elderly group of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome compared with a control group matched for age, sex, ethnicity and cardiovascular risk factors, we enrolled 18 patients with Primary Sjögren Syndrome (mean age 65±5.93 SD) and 18 mild Ostheoarthritic patients (mean age 66±5.94 SD) from the outpatient department of Rheumatology, University “Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, Italy, matched for age, sex, ethnicity and cardiovascular risk factors. A duplex Doppler sonographic study of carotids was performed in order to evaluate intima-media thickness (IMT), stiffness and haemodynamic parameters [resistivity and pulsatility indices (RI and PI, respectively)]. No significant difference was found between primary Sjögren syndrome and control patients in IMT, stiffness and haemodynamic parameters. The lack of significant difference in subclinical atherosclerosis between elderly primary Sjögren syndrome and control matched patients, indicates that traditional cardiovascular risk factors, immunologic alterations and chronic inflammation do not influence the progression of vascular damage in the carotid circulation of patients with median disease duration of 6.5 years.
Optimal Taxation of Robots

I study the optimal taxation of robots, other capital, and labor income. I show that it is optimal to distort robot adoption. The robot tax (or subsidy) exploits general-equilibrium effects to compress wages, which reduces income-tax distortions of labor supply, thereby raising welfare. In the calibrated model, when robots are expensive, a robot subsidy is optimal. As robots get cheaper, it becomes optimal to tax them. Yet, when reforming the status-quo tax system, most welfare gains can be achieved by adjusting the income tax. The additional gains from taxing robots differently than other equipment capital are close to zero.
Uncertainty analysis of the CISPR/a radiated emission round-robin test results

A large round-robin test (RRT) was carried out to obtain quantitative information about the uncertainties that play a role in an International Electrotechnical Commission/International Special Committee on Radio Interference (IEC/CISPR) radiated emission test in the frequency range 30 to 300 MHz. Two different equipment under tests (EUTs) allowed us to distinguish between the measurement instrumentation and the EUT-induced uncertainties, a subset of the standards compliance uncertainties. This paper presents the rationale behind the various RRT-measurements, the way the ancillary equipment was continuously checked, the measurement results and the results of their statistical analysis. The test sites included open-area test-sites, semi-anechoic rooms and fully anechoic rooms. A major conclusion is that measurement instrumentation uncertainty considerations alone cannot explain the uncertainty relevant in an actual CISPR radiated emission compliance test.
Urbanisation and child health in resource poor settings with special reference to under-five mortality in Africa

The health of children improved dramatically worldwide during the 20th century, although with major contrasts between developed and developing countries, and urban and rural areas. The quantitative evidence on urban child health from a broad historical and comparative perspective is briefly reviewed here. Before the sanitary revolution, urban mortality tended to be higher than rural mortality. However, after World War I, improvements in water, sanitation, hygiene, nutrition and child care resulted in lower urban child mortality in Europe. Despite a similar mortality decline, urban mortality in developing countries since World War II has been generally lower than rural mortality, probably because of better medical care, higher socio-economic status and better nutrition in urban areas. However, higher urban mortality has recently been seen in the slums of large cities in developing countries as a result of extreme poverty, family disintegration, lack of hygiene, sanitation and medical care, low nutritional status, emerging diseases (HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis) and other health hazards (environmental hazards, accidents, violence). These emerging threats need to be addressed by appropriate policies and programmes.
Robot-assisted radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava tumor thrombectomy: technique and initial outcomes.

INTRODUCTION To describe our technique for robot-assisted radical nephrectomy (RARN) with inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor thrombectomy and to present initial results for our first two patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two patients with renal masses with infrahepatic IVC extension underwent RARN with IVC tumor thrombectomy using a four-arm configuration. Both cases were right-sided tumors. Vascular control was obtained with complete cross-clamping of the vena cava with robotic bulldog clamps. Intraoperative ultrasound was used to delineate extent of tumor extension. Specimens were removed en-bloc, and the IVC was closed with 2-layers of 4-0 Prolene. The specimen is extracted through a lower midline incision. RESULTS Two robotic IVC thrombectomies were successfully completed. There were no conversions, intraoperative or postoperative complications. Median operative time was 243 minutes with a median estimated blood loss of 150 mL. Both patients were able to ambulate independently free of intravenous opioids on postoperate day 1. Median length of stay was 4.5 (range 3-6) days. Final pathology revealed clear cell RCC in both cases with negative surgical margins. CONCLUSIONS Robotic technology may facilitate RN and IVC thrombectomy in the well selected patient and appears to be a safe and feasible approach.
Phosphorylation of Syk Activation Loop Tyrosines Is Essential for Syk Function

Syk is an important protein-tyrosine kinase in immunoreceptor signaling. FcεRI aggregation in mast cells induces tyrosine phosphorylation and increased enzymatic activity of Syk. The two adjacent tyrosines in the Syk activation loop are thought to be important for the propagation of FcεRI signaling. To evaluate the phosphorylation of these tyrosines in vivo and further understand the relationship of Syk tyrosine phosphorylation with its function, an antibody was developed specific for phosphorylated tyrosines in the activation loop of Syk. FcεRI aggregation on mast cells induced the phosphorylation of both tyrosine residues of the activation loop. The kinase activity of Syk played the major role in phosphorylating its activation loop tyrosines both in vivoand in vitro. In FcεRI-stimulated mast cells, the total Syk tyrosine phosphorylation paralleled the phosphorylation of its activation loop tyrosines and downstream propagation of signals for histamine release. In contrast, the cell surface binding of anti-ganglioside monoclonal antibody AA4 induced only strong general tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk and minimal histamine release and weak phosphorylation of activation loop tyrosines. These results demonstrate that phosphorylation of the activation loop tyrosines is important for mediating receptor signaling and is a better marker of Syk function than is total Syk tyrosine phosphorylation.
Sex Differences in Adult Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A 10-Year Experience

Background: Sex differences in the risk factors, presentation and outcome of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) are poorly defined, despite a discrepant prevalence between males and females. The proportion of patients on hormonal therapy who develop CVST varies widely. We describe the clinical features, risk factors and outcome by sex and by hormone-related risk factors among a large cohort of patients. Methods: We reviewed records of 108 consecutive patients with CVST at a tertiary hospital in Calgary between 1999 and 2009. Descriptive statistics were used for between group comparisons (men, women with hormone-related risk factors and women without hormone-related risk factors). Results: Females made up 62% of patients, half of whom were on systemic hormonal therapy. Men and women without hormonal risk factors were older at onset. Oral contraceptive use was the major risk factor in women (45%) while concurrent mastoiditis was the most common predisposing factor in men (27%). Complications were frequent and overall mortality was 6%. Persisting deficits at discharge were more common in men (54% vs. 35% and 32%, p = 0.036). There was a trend for women with hormone-related risk factors to have less residual focal neurologic deficit than the other groups (5% vs. 15% and 17%, p=0.051). Conclusions: There are differences between sexes in the presentation, risk factors and outcome of patients with CVST.
Prevalence of Urolithiasis in Kaizuka City, Japan—An Epidemiologic Study of Urinary Stones

Background: According to the results of nationwide surveys, the prevalence of urolithiasis has been steadily increasing in Japan. However, these surveys relied on hospital statistics, and there has been no survey of the prevalence of urolithiasis in Japan utilizing postal questionnaires. We surveyed the prevalence of urolithiasis among the inhabitants of Kaizuka City.
Molecular hyperdiversity and evolution in very large populations

The genomic density of sequence polymorphisms critically affects the sensitivity of inferences about ongoing sequence evolution, function and demographic history. Most animal and plant genomes have relatively low densities of polymorphisms, but some species are hyperdiverse with neutral nucleotide heterozygosity exceeding 5%. Eukaryotes with extremely large populations, mimicking bacterial and viral populations, present novel opportunities for studying molecular evolution in sexually reproducing taxa with complex development. In particular, hyperdiverse species can help answer controversial questions about the evolution of genome complexity, the limits of natural selection, modes of adaptation and subtleties of the mutation process. However, such systems have some inherent complications and here we identify topics in need of theoretical developments. Close relatives of the model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster provide known examples of hyperdiverse eukaryotes, encouraging functional dissection of resulting molecular evolutionary patterns. We recommend how best to exploit hyperdiverse populations for analysis, for example, in quantifying the impact of noncrossover recombination in genomes and for determining the identity and micro‐evolutionary selective pressures on noncoding regulatory elements.
Management of Left Ventricular Free Wall Rupture under Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support

This is a case report of a patient with left ventricular free wall rupture after acute myocardial infarction that was managed successfully with the use of an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit for resuscitation, surgical repair and postoperative circulatory support. Conversion to conventional cardiopulmonary bypass for surgical repair was avoided. Decompression of the left ventricle during the postoperative period promotes myocardial recovery and leads to improved fixation of surgical repair.
Exports and governance: the role of private voluntary standards

The empirical evidence that institutional diﬀerences across countries aﬀect bilateral trade is robust. The crucial question remains how countries can enhance trade amid these differences. In this paper, we measure the degree to which governance and institutions diﬀer between countries as “governance distance”. Using a sample of EU/EFTA imports, we examine how the adoption of private food standards and certiﬁcations modify the eﬀect of governance distance on exports within a structural gravity framework. Our results show that while increasing governance distance hinders bilateral trade, the interaction of standards and the governance distance is positively associated with exports, hence partially oﬀsetting their direct trade–inhibiting eﬀects. GlobalGAP certiﬁed countries see the trade-inhibiting eﬀects of governance distance on their exports reduced by about 50%, ceteris paribus.
Coordinate suppression of Sdpr and Fhl1 expression in tumors of the breast, kidney, and prostate

The Src tyrosine kinase associates with the focal adhesion adaptor protein Cas (Crk‐associated substrate) to suppress the expression of potential tumor suppressor genes. For example, Src utilizes Cas to suppress the expression of the LIM‐only protein Fhl1 (four and a half LIM domains 1), in order to promote non‐anchored tumor‐cell growth and migration. Here, we report that the promoter region of the Fhl1 gene was methylated more in Src‐transformed cells than non‐transformed cells. In addition, global expression analysis indicates that Fhl1 induced expression of serum deprivation response factor (Sdpr) in Src‐transformed cells. Moreover, Fhl1 and Sdpr was expressed in approximately 87% and 40% of samples obtained from non‐transformed breast, 100% of samples obtained from non‐transformed kidney, and over 60% of samples obtained from non‐transformed prostate. In contrast, Fhl1 and Sdpr was detected in approximately 40% and 7% of matched samples from mammary carcinoma, less than 11% of matched samples from kidney carcinoma, and in less than 22% of matched samples from prostate carcinoma. These data indicate that Fhl1 and Sdpr expression was significantly reduced in tumors of the breast (P < 0.02 and P < 0.001), kidney (P < 0.01), and prostate (P < 0.05). In addition, although Src can activate mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) to promote tumor‐cell growth, our data indicate that Src did not rely on MAPK activity to suppress the expression of Fhl1 and Sdpr in transformed cells. Thus, Src induced methylation of the promoter region of the Fhl1 gene; Src suppressed Fhl1 and Sdpr expression independent of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity; Fhl1 induced the expression of Sdpr in Src‐transformed cells; and Fhl1 and Sdpr expression was suppressed in tumors of the breast, kidney, and prostate. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1326–1333)
Tax Revenue and Economic Growth in Nigeria

The study examined the relationship between tax revenue and economic growth in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive and historical research design; secondary data for twenty-two years (1994 -2015) were collected from various issues of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletin and annual reports. Tax revenue as an independent variable was measured with Value Added Tax (VAT); Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT); Company Income Tax (CIT) and Custom and Excise Duties (CED) while the dependent variable was Economic Growth (EG) proxied by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Analysis was performed on data collected using Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Regression and other post estimations (Jarque-Bera test; Breusch-Godfrey LM and Ramsey Reset Test) to determine the existence of relationship between the variables. The results of the study showed that VAT and CED had a significant relationships with economic growth (p<0.05), while CIT has negative significant relationship with economic growth (P<0.05). However, PPT had no significant relationship with economic growth. The study concluded that the role of taxation in nation’s building is irreplaceable. Taxation remains a strong socio political and economic tool for economic prosperity. It is therefore recommended that government should engage in a complete re-organization of tax administrative machinery to reduce incidence of tax evasion and avoidance to the barest minimum in order to improve tax revenue and bring more people and establishments into the tax net. Also, tax revenue should be judiciously utilized to provide enabling environment for business survival and economic growth in Nigeria.
Cerebral blood flow and metabolism in fulminant liver failure

Fulminant liver failure is a syndrome that is frequently complicated by cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure. Cerebral blood flow has been reported as high in some studies but low in others. This study undertook to measure cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen in 30 patients with fulminant liver failure in grade 4 encephalopathy and to assess these parameters after intervention with hyperventilation and infusions of mannitol, epoprostenol and acetylcysteine. Cerebral blood flow varied widely, from 14 to 71 ml/100 gm/min (normal range, 41 to 66), whereas the cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen was low in all patients, 0.16 to 2.03 ml/100 gm/min (normal range, 3.12 to 3.96). Twenty‐one of the 30 patients had evidence of anaerobic metabolism with cerebral lactate production. Hyperventilation resulted in a significant decrease in both cerebral blood flow (median, 36 to 28 ml/100 gm/min) and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (median, 0.92 to 0.65 ml/100 gm/min); mannitol and acetylcysteine infusions resulted in significant increases in both of these parameters. Prostaglandin I2 infusion did not significantly alter cerebral blood flow, but there was a significant increase in cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen. The depressed cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen in patients with fulminant liver failure is inappropriate to metabolic requirements, as demonstrated by both cerebral lactate production and the increase in cerebral oxygen consumption after improvement in cerebral blood flow. Mannitol infusion should remain the main treatment of the cerebral complications of fulminant liver failure. Acetylcysteine has a beneficial effect that is not restricted to fulminant liver failure after acetaminophen overdose and has a role in the management of patients, regardless of cause of illness. The use of prostaglandin I2 appears to be safe and may be beneficial. Acute hyperventilation causes decreases in both cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen and has the potential to worsen cerebral ischemia. (HEPATOLOGY 1994;19:1407–1413.)