Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple Auditory Steady-State Responses in Children and Adults with Normal Hearing, Sensorineural Hearing Loss, or Auditory Neuropathy

Objectives: We tested the clinical effectiveness of multiple auditory steady-state responses (ASSRs) for the objective assessment of hearing thresholds in patients with and without hearing loss, candidates for cochlear implants, and children with auditory neuropathy. Methods: The study sample included 29 subjects with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), 18 candidates for cochlear implants, 11 subjects with auditory neuropathy, and 18 subjects with normal hearing thresholds. Behavioral hearing thresholds and ASSRs to carrier frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz were obtained. Special care was taken to minimize possible aliasing and high-intensity multiple stimulation effects. Differences and correlations between the ASSRs and the behavioral thresholds were determined. Results: The ASSR estimation of behavioral thresholds in the normal-hearing group was elevated, whereas very close predictions were found for the SNHL group. The correlations between the Two measures ranged from 0.86 at 0.5 kHz carrier frequency to 0.94 at 2 kHz. In the cochlear implant candidates and the auditory neuropathy group, the ASSR thresholds generally overestimated the behavioral audiogram. In these groups the number of detected ASSRs was higher than the number of behavioral responses, especially for the high-frequency carrier stimuli. Conclusions: Multiple ASSRs may reliably predict the behavioral threshold in subjects with SNHL and may serve as a valuable objective measure for assessing the hearing threshold across different frequencies in candidates for cochlear implants and children with auditory neuropathy.
Neurological Soft Signs in Schizophrenia

A standardised clinical examination which focused on neurological soft signs (NSS) was used by a neurologist blind to diagnosis to assess the presence of neurological soft signs. A comparison of NSS score was made among three groups of subjects consisting of 58 DSM–III schizophrenics, 31 of their healthy first-degree relatives and 38 normal controls. The schizophrenic group had significantly higher NSS total scores than normal controls but did not differ significantly from their first-degree relatives' group. The relatives' group showed higher NSS total scores than did normal controls although to a lesser extent than schizophrenics.
Project-based faculty development by international health professions educators: Practical strategies

Background: Project design and implementation, applied to real life situations, is emerging as an educational strategy for application of health professions faculty development learning within a supportive environment. Aim: We conducted a retrospective analysis of project evolution to identify common experiences, challenges, and successful strategies of 54 mid-career faculty members from 18 developing countries who attended the Foundation for the Advancement of International Medical Education and Research Institute between 2001 and 2006 and designed, conducted, and evaluated education innovations at their home institutions. Methods: Chronological analysis of the evolution of 54 projects over the initial 16–18 months of the 2-year Fellowship was based on an iterative qualitative analysis of 324 reports and individual interview transcripts collected over 6 years. Results: Useful skill areas for project implementation included educational methods, leadership and management, and relationships/collaboration. Common challenges included competing responsibilities, lack of protected time, and limited resources. Themes identified with the evolution and success of education innovation projects included leadership and organization, collaboration, personal professional growth, and awareness of the relevant societal context. Conclusions: Common challenges and success factors in project-based faculty development were identified. Twelve practical strategies to promote successful project-based faculty development emerged that can be generalized for faculty development.
Changes in choroidal thickness after intravitreal dexamethasone implant injection in retinal vein occlusion

Aims To investigate the choroidal thickness changes in eyes with retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and to determine the effect of an intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex) on choroidal thickness. Methods This study comprised 47 patients diagnosed with unilateral, RVO-associated macular oedema (MO) and treated with Ozurdex. Baseline subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and central macular thickness (CMT) of the RVO eyes were compared with those of the normal contralateral eyes; serial changes in this parameter were evaluated at 1, 3 and 5 months after Ozurdex injection. The correlation between SFCT and CMT and between visual acuity change and SFCT or CMT changes were also investigated. Results The mean SFCT was significantly higher in RVO eyes at baseline (260.3±71.2 μm) than it was in contralateral eyes (217.6±55.3 μm; p<0.001). While the mean SFCT decreased at 1 and 3 months after Ozurdex injection, it slightly increased at month 5. The change in SFCT was significantly associated with the change in CMT at 3 months (r=0.5073; p=0.0006) and 5 months after Ozurdex injection (r=0.3489; p=0.0274). The improvement in visual acuity was significantly correlated with the decrease in SFCT (r=0.3241; p=0.0413). Conclusions SFCT in eyes with RVO was significantly greater than it was in normal contralateral eyes. After Ozurdex injection, SFCT decreased significantly. Improvement in visual acuity was correlated with the decrease in SFCT after Ozurdex injection.
Reciprocal interactions of human C10orf12 and C17orf96 with PRC2 revealed by BioTAP-XL cross-linking and affinity purification

Significance The fidelity of gene expression is regulated by chromosome-associated protein complexes. A traditional approach to characterizing complexes bound to chromosomes requires their release from the DNA to solubilize them. Here we develop an alternative approach, BioTAP-XL, that allows identification of protein–protein interactions while complexes remain linked to the DNA. We focus on protein interactions and genome localization of human EZH2 and two of its relatively uncharacterized interactors, C10orf12 and C17orf96. Our results provide strong evidence for diversity in human Polycomb repressive complexes, which are composed of factors essential for gene silencing during development in higher organisms. We propose that BioTAP-XL is an effective general approach for investigating the composition and subunit diversity of chromosome-associated complexes. Understanding the composition of epigenetic regulators remains an important challenge in chromatin biology. Traditional biochemical analysis of chromatin-associated complexes requires their release from DNA under conditions that can also disrupt key interactions. Here we develop a complementary approach (BioTAP-XL), in which cross-linking (XL) enhances the preservation of protein interactions and also allows the analysis of DNA targets under the same tandem affinity purification (BioTAP) regimen. We demonstrate the power of BioTAP-XL through analysis of human EZH2, a core subunit of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). We identify and validate two strong interactors, C10orf12 and C17orf96, which display enrichment with EZH2-BioTAP at levels similar to canonical PRC2 components (SUZ12, EED, MTF2, JARID2, PHF1, and AEBP2). ChIP-seq analysis of BioTAP-tagged C10orf12 or C17orf96 revealed the similarity of each binding pattern with the location of EZH2 and the H3K27me3-silencing mark, validating their physical interaction with PRC2 components. Interestingly, analysis by mass spectrometry of C10orf12 and C17orf96 interactions revealed that these proteins may be mutually exclusive PRC2 subunits that fail to interact with each other or with JARID2 and AEBP2. C10orf12, in addition, shows a strong and unexpected association with components of the EHMT1/2 complex, thus potentially connecting PRC2 to another histone methyltransferase. Similarly, results from CBX4-BioTAP protein pulldowns are consistent with reports of a diversity of PRC1 complexes. Our results highlight the importance of reciprocal analyses of multiple subunits and suggest that iterative use of BioTAP-XL has strong potential to reveal networks of chromatin-based interactions in higher organisms.
Efficacy of Targeted Medical Therapy in Chronic Rhinosinusitis, and Predictors of Failure

Background No standardized medical therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is universally accepted. Success of medical therapy is reportedly 50% to 88%, but studies differ in inclusion criteria, medications, duration of therapy, and defining “success. ” The objectives of this study were to determine efficacy of a standardized targeted medical therapy (TMT) regimen in CRS and to analyze factors associated with failure of therapy. Methods Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed. CRS was diagnosed based on CRS Taskforce guidelines. TMT was defined as a minimum 4-week treatment with oral antibiotics, oral steroids, topical nasal steroids, topical nasal decongestant rotation, and saline nasal douching. “Failure” was defined as relapse/persistence of signs/symptoms or need for surgery. One hundred forty-five patients that received TMT, with a minimum 2-month follow-up, were identified. The results of therapy were reviewed to determine efficacy and analyze factors associated with failure. Results Seventy-four patients (51.03%) were successfully treated. Failures included 26 patients (17.8%) with only partial improvement and 45 (31.03%) who underwent surgery. Only history of facial pressure/pain (p = 0.049), presence of mucosal inflammation (p = 0.013), and higher endoscopic severity grade (p = 0.011) were associated with failure of TMT. Conclusions TMT was unequivocally successful in 51% of patients. Failures included 31% who underwent surgery and 18% with partial benefit. Surgery was avoided in 69%. Facial pressure/pain, mucosal inflammation, and higher endoscopic severity grade were associated with failure of medical therapy.
Cancer vaccines entering Phase III clinical trials

The last 10 years have seen a growth in the number of tumour antigens identified from immune responses raised in patients. The discovery that tumours can be recognised by the immune system stimulated a great deal of work characterising the molecular mechanisms underlying immune recognition. This in turn has led to an impressive array of immunological approaches to the generation of cancer vaccines; these range from molecularly defined T cell epitopes, antibody-based vaccines, cytokine therapies, immune modulators and DNA vaccines, to whole cell vaccines and, more recently, combinations of these methods. Many of these approaches have entered Phase I/II trials and have shown interesting clinical results. Moreover, they have extended our knowledge of the immune system and our understanding of the mechanisms required to design a successful cancer vaccine. This review outlines some of the approaches that have led to some of these vaccines entering Phase III clinical trials, discusses their modes of action and reports on their current status in trial.
The Inhibitory Effect of Recombinant Human Soluble Thrombomodulin on Initiation and Extension of Coagulation

Summary Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhsTM) was compared with various anticoagulants for in vitro anticoagulant effects on thrombin generation, clotting time, and thromboelastography. rhsTM as well as APC reduced the level of the peak of the thrombin generation curve, but we did not observe any time-delay to reach the peak. This effect of rhsTM was diminished in PC-deficient plasma and was closely associated with the inhibitory effect on prothrombinase and factor Va. On the other hand, hirudin and argatroban delayed the time to reach the level of the peak, without reducing it. rhsTM and other anticoagulants except for activated protein C (APC) were found to have concentration-dependent anticoagulant activity by conventional clotting tests. However, the concentration of rhsTM for clotting time was slightly affected by anti-protein C antibody. Moreover, the concentration of rhsTM required to inhibit thrombin activity directly was 50 times higher than that needed to inhibit thrombin generation. The effect of rhsTM on clot development was compared with that of other anticoagulants by thromboelastography; rhsTM reduced the growth of the clot but had little effect on the time to activate clotting, while the other anticoagulants had the opposite effect. This effect of rhsTM was completely abolished by the addition of anti-protein C or anti-protein S antibody. These findings suggest that rhsTM attenuates blood clotting by reducing the level of generated thrombin through protein C activation and subsequent factor Va inactivation and prothrombinase inhibition.
Electrochemical gate-controlled electron transport of redox-active single perylene bisimide molecular junctions

We report a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiment in an electrochemical environment which studies a prototype molecular switch. The target molecules were perylene tetracarboxylic acid bisimides modified with pyridine (P-PBI) and methylthiol (T-PBI) linker groups and with bulky tert-butyl-phenoxy substituents in the bay area. At a fixed bias voltage, we can control the transport current through a symmetric molecular wire Au|P-PBI(T-PBI)|Au by variation of the electrochemical ‘gate’ potential. The current increases by up to two orders of magnitude. The conductances of the P-PBI junctions are typically a factor 3 larger than those of T-PBI. A theoretical analysis explains this effect as a consequence of shifting the lowest unoccupied perylene level (LUMO) in or out of the bias window when tuning the electrochemical gate potential VG. The difference in on/off ratios reflects the variation of hybridization of the LUMO with the electrode states with the anchor groups. IT–ES(T) curves of asymmetric molecular junctions formed between a bare Au STM tip and a T-PBI (P-PBI) modified Au(111) electrode in an aqueous electrolyte exhibit a pronounced maximum in the tunneling current at −0.740, which is close to the formal potential of the surface-confined molecules. The experimental data were explained by a sequential two-step electron transfer process.
Reappraisal of serum starvation, the restriction point, G0, and G1 phase arrest points

The restriction point in the G1 phase of the mammalian cell cycle is the oldest, best‐known, and widely accepted control point regulating division cycle in mammalian cells. Origins of the restriction point and its subsequent history are reanalyzed here. The initial proposal of the restriction point has an alternative explanation, which is that cells arrested with a G1 phase amount of DNA can arise from the inhibition of a process or processes occurring throughout the cell cycle and are not restricted to any particular phase of the cell cycle or specifically related to any event in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. The initial evidence and subsequent analyses require reexamination. It is proposed that the arrest of cells with a particular DNA content equivalent to that in cells in the G1 phase of the division cycle does not mean there is any particular G1 phase control point. —Cooper, S. Reappraisal of serum starvation, the restriction point, G0, and G1 phase arrest points. FASEB J. 17, 333–340 (2003)
Lack of Association of Vitamin D Receptor FokI (rs10735810) (C/T) and BsmI (rs1544410) (A/G) Genetic Variations with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Risk: a Case-control Study from Iranian Azeri Turkish Women.

UNLABELLED INTRODUCTION In this study we evaluate the involvement of Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) FokI (rs10735810) Exon 2 (C/T) and BsmI (rs1544410) Intron 8 (A/G) gene variations in genetic susceptibility to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in Iranian Azeri Turkish women. MATERIALS AND METHODS The RFLP-PCR method was performed on peripheral blood lymphocyte for a total of 46 females with PCOS and 46 controls. OUTCOMES VDR FokI (rs10735810) CC,CT,TT,C and T genotypic/allelic frequencies were 22(47.83), 20(43.48), 4(8.696), 64(69.57) and 28(30.43) in cases and 29(63.04), 15(32.61), 2(4.348), 73(79.35) and 19(20.65) in controls, respectively. The frequencies of VDR FokI C and T alleles were 0.7 and 0.3 in cases, and 0.79 and 0.21 in controls, respectively. VDR BsmI (rs1544410) Intron 8 (A/G) AA,AG,GG,A and G genotypic/allelic frequencies were 15(32.6), 27(58.7), 4(8.7), 57(62), and 35(38) in cases and 20(43.5), 24(52.2), 2(4.35), 64(69.6), and 28(30.4) in controls, respectively. The frequencies of VDR BsmI (rs1544410) Intron 8 A and G alleles were 0.7 and 0.3 in cases, and 0.62 and 0.38 in controls, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the differences in genotypic/allelic frequencies between the cases and controls were not statistically significant regarding of VDR FokI(rs10735810) Exon 2 (C/T) and VDR BsmI (rs1544410) Intron 8 (A>G) (p >0.05). CONCLUSIONS It can be concluded that FokI (rs10735810) Exon 2 (C/T) and VDR BsmI (rs1544410) Intron 8 (A>G) were not associated with PCOS susceptibility in studied group. Present investigation is the first study in its own kind in Iranian Azeri Turkish women.
General Models for the Spectra of Surface Area Scaling Strategies of Cells and Organisms: Fractality, Geometric Dissimilitude, and Internalization

Surface areas and volumes of biological systems—from molecules to organelles, cells, and organisms—affect their biological rates and kinetics. Therefore, surface area–to-volume ratios and the scaling of surface area with volume profoundly influence ecology, physiology, and evolution. The zeroth-order geometric expectation is that surface area scales with body mass or volume as a power law with an exponent of two-thirds, with consequences for surface area–to-volume (SA∶V) ratios and constraints on size; however, organisms have adaptations for altering the surface area scaling and SA∶V ratios of their bodies and structures. The strategies fall into three groups: (1) fractal-like surface convolutions and crinkles; (2) classic geometric dissimilitude through elongating, flattening, fattening, and hollowing; and (3) internalization of surfaces. Here I develop general quantitative theory to model the spectra of effects of these strategies on SA∶V ratios and surface area scaling, from exponents of less than two-thirds to superlinear scaling and mixed-power laws. Applying the theory to cells helps quantitatively evaluate the effects of membrane fractality, shape-shifting, vacuoles, vesicles, and mitochondria on surface area scaling, informing understanding of cell allometry, morphology, and evolution. Analysis of compiled data indicates that through hollowness and surface internalization, eukaryotic phytoplankton increase their effective surface area scaling, attaining near-linear scaling in larger cells. This unifying theory highlights the fundamental role of biological surfaces in metabolism and morphological evolution.
Dynamic window with fuzzy controller in wireless sensor networks for elliptic curve cryptography

Elliptic curve cryptosystem (ECC) was proposed by Miller [10] and Koblitz [9] which relies on the difficulty of elliptic curve discrete logarithmic problem (ECDLP). It is gaining wide acceptance as an alternative to the conventional public key cryptosystem such as RSA [24], DSA [25], DH [26]. Also it is noted that the wireless sensor networks (WSN) based on the rapid progress of wireless communications and embedded micro electro mechanical systems technologies are becoming important part in our daily life. The security of the WSN becomes one of the major concerns in its applications. Even ECC prominently offers great potential benefits for WSN security there is still a lot of work needs to be done due to WSN has very restraint running conditions such as limited energy source, capability of computing, etc. It is well known that scalar multiplication operation in ECC accounts for about 80% of key calculation time on wireless sensor network motes. In this paper we present an optimized dynamic window based on our previous research works. The whole quality of service (QoS) has been improved under this algorism in particularly the power consuming is more efficiently. The simulation results showed that the average calculation time, due to fuzzy conditions decreased from previous 26 to current 9 as a whole the calculation time, decreased by approximately 18% in comparison to our previous algorithms in an ECC wireless sensor network [23].
Excess Liquidity and Effectiveness of Monetary Policy: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper examines the pattern of excess liquidity in sub-Saharan Africa and its consequences for the effectiveness of monetary policy. The paper argues that understanding the consequences of excess liquidity requires quantifying the extent to which commercial bank holdings of excess liquidity exceed levels required for precautionary purposes. It proposes a methodology for measuring this quantity and uses it to estimate a nonlinear structural VAR model for the CEMAC region, Nigeria and Uganda. The study suggests that excess liquidity weakens the monetary policy transmission mechanism and thus the ability of monetary authorities to influence demand conditions in the economy.
Debt and ownership structure: evidence from Italy

Purpose: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between the debt and ownership structure of a sample of Italian listed companies in order to measure the role assumed in the control and monitoring of agency costs.Design/methodology/approach: This study examines a balanced panel data using both a Random Effects Model and a Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model in order to better capture any problems related to the endogeneity of the variables in the model.Findings: The results provide evidence of a positive relationship between debt and ownership concentration on the one hand, and a negative relationship between debt and institutional investors on the other hand. The debt seems to assume both functions, i.e., the disciplinary role of substitute at low levels of ownership concentration and a complementary role at high levels of ownership concentration.Practical Implications: This study provides three practical implications. The first is that the complementary between debt and ownership concentration provides evidence of the entrenchment effect and tends to weaken the company financially. Second, the results also provide useful prompts to policy makers who should encourage the presence of institutional investors.Third, the policy makers should also encourage the expansion of the stock market in order to enhance the protection of shareholders, reduce private control benefits and provide Italy the same opportunities as other common and civil law countries to collect risk capital, avoiding the abuse of debt.Originality/Value: The empirical results suggest that ownership concentration increases the degree of corporate debt, whereas institutional investors assume the disciplinary role of monitoring and controlling agency costs. The results provide evidence of both the entrenchment effect and the alignment-of-interests hypothesis and that the expropriation theory seems to prevail over the control and monitoring role.