Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Acid-sensing Ion Channel Currents, Acid-induced Increase of Intracellular Ca2+, and Acidosis-mediated Neuronal Injury by Intracellular pH*

Acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs), activated by lowering extracellular pH (pHo), play an important role in normal synaptic transmission in brain and in the pathology of brain ischemia. Like pHo, intracellular pH (pHi) changes dramatically in both physiological and pathological conditions. Although it is known that a drop in pHo activates the ASICs, it is not clear whether alterations of pHi have an effect on these channels. Here we demonstrate that the overall activities of ASICs, including channel activation, inactivation, and recovery from desensitization, are tightly regulated by pHi. In cultured mouse cortical neurons, bath perfusion of the intracellular alkalizing agent quinine increased the amplitude of the ASIC current by ∼50%. In contrast, intracellular acidification by withdrawal of NH4Cl or perfusion of propionate inhibited the current. Increasing pH buffering capacity in the pipette solution with 40 mm HEPES attenuated the effects of quinine and NH4Cl. The effects of intracellular alkalizing/acidifying agents were mimicked by using intracellular solutions with pH directly buffered at high/low values. Increasing pHi induced a shift in H+ dose-response curve toward less acidic pH but a shift in the steady state inactivation curve toward more acidic pH. In addition, alkalizing pHi induced an increase in the recovery rate of ASICs from desensitization. Consistent with its effect on the ASIC current, changing pHi has a significant influence on the acid-induced increase of intracellular Ca2+, membrane depolarization, and acidosis-mediated neuronal injury. Our findings suggest that changes in pHi may play an important role in determining the overall function of ASICs in both physiological and pathological conditions.
Corn Earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Other Insect Associated Resistance in the Maize Inbred Tex6

Abstract A 2-yr field and laboratory study investigated insect resistance of the maize, Zea mays L. , inbred Tex6, which has previously demonstrated resistance to Aspergillus ear rot and aflatoxin production, relative to susceptible inbred B73. Field studies indicated significantly greater resistance to insect feeding of V4–V8 growth stage Tex6 plants compared with B73 plants in both years, primarily to flea beetles (Chaetonema spp.). Field studies of natural (1999) and artificial (2000) infestations of corn earworms, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), indicated much lower levels of kernel damage at milk stage (approximately three-fold) and smaller surviving larvae (approximately three-fold) in Tex6 compared with B73 ears. At harvest similar trends in reduction of numbers of damaged kernels per ear, as well as incidence and numbers of kernels per ear symptomatically infected by Fusarium spp. were noted. Laboratory studies indicated little difference in mortality or survivor weight of caterpillars or sap beetle adults caged with milk stage kernels of the two inbreds. However, assays with silks indicated significantly greater mortality of H. zea in both 1999 and 2000, and European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) in 1999 (only year tested) when fed Tex6 silks compared with B73 silks. Pollinated Tex6 silks were generally darker colored and more toxic than unpollinated silks. Thus, it is possible that commercially usable inbreds with resistance to insects, which also contribute to the mycotoxin problem through vectoring and damage, could be produced using Tex6 as a source.
Incidence and survival of oropharyngeal cancer in Denmark: a nation-wide, population-based study from 1980 to 2014

Abstract Background: Oropharyngeal carcinomas (OPCs) constitute a significant and increasing proportion of head and neck carcinomas and are an important global cause of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to determine trends in incidence and survival in OPC in the Danish population from 1980 to 2014. Methods: This study included all patients registered in the nationwide Danish Cancer Registry over the period 1980–2014. The age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) per 100,000, annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were evaluated. Five-year relative survival (RS) was calculated with Cox regression analyses in relation to gender, anatomical location and histology. Results: A total of 6555 patients (69% male) were included, with a median age at diagnosis of 60 years. The AAIR of patients with OPC increased from 0.815 per 100,000 in 1980 to 4.51 per 100,000 in 2014 with an AAPC of 5.3. The 5-year RS increased significantly from 33.1% over the period 1980–1984 to 58.5% (25.4% points) over the period 2010–2014. With no significant difference stratified for gender. Tumors located at the palatine tonsils (n = 3333) and salivary gland OPC (n = 90) had significantly better survival compared with other sub-locations and histology subtypes. In the APC model the birth cohort effect rate ratio increased until 1925 and then decreased until 1935 from which point it increased in the last cohorts. Conclusions: In this population-based study, we observed a significant increase in the incidence of OPCs and in the RS for OPC. We also identified a profound birth cohort effect on the incidence.
Property rights integrity, tenure security and forestland rental market participation: Evidence from Jiangxi Province, China

The decentralization of property rights is the focus of the forest tenure reforms in several developing countries. In China, it was achieved by the launch of a new round of collective forest tenure reform beginning in 2003, which provided farmers with more integrated and secure forestland rights. Drawing on household data collected in Jiangxi province in 2011 and 2013, this paper examines the impacts of households’ recognition of property rights and improved tenure security on forestland rental activities. Our empirical results show that households with higher perceptions of more complete use rights and mortgage rights have a lower probability and intensity of renting-in land, while households with lower expectations of future forestland redistribution or expropriation are more likely to rent in forestland and more of it. These results imply that the development of a forestland rental market leading to better forest management requires an integrated forestland management approach consisting of decentralization of property rights and village governance. In particular, the central government may further clarify the rights and obligations affiliated to forestland ownership, contractual rights, and management rights; while the village collective may shift from direct intervention in the integrity and security of forestland rights to the supervision and protection of decentralized forestland rights to increase efficiency from the decentralization of property rights.
The profile of inflammatory and metabolic response in children undergoing heart transplantation

Yu X, Larsen B, Urschel S, Cheung P‐Y, Ross DB, Rebeyka I, West L, Li J. The profile of inflammatory and metabolic response in children undergoing heart transplantation. Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2011. 01566.x. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Three functional variants of IFN regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) define risk and protective haplotypes for human lupus

Systematic genome-wide studies to map genomic regions associated with human diseases are becoming more practical. Increasingly, efforts will be focused on the identification of the specific functional variants responsible for the disease. The challenges of identifying causal variants include the need for complete ascertainment of genetic variants and the need to consider the possibility of multiple causal alleles. We recently reported that risk of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is strongly associated with a common SNP in IFN regulatory factor 5 (IRF5), and that this variant altered spicing in a way that might provide a functional explanation for the reproducible association to SLE risk. Here, by resequencing and genotyping in patients with SLE, we find evidence for three functional alleles of IRF5: the previously described exon 1B splice site variant, a 30-bp in-frame insertion/deletion variant of exon 6 that alters a proline-, glutamic acid-, serine- and threonine-rich domain region, and a variant in a conserved polyA+ signal sequence that alters the length of the 3′ UTR and stability of IRF5 mRNAs. Haplotypes of these three variants define at least three distinct levels of risk to SLE. Understanding how combinations of variants influence IRF5 function may offer etiological and therapeutic insights in SLE; more generally, IRF5 and SLE illustrates how multiple common variants of the same gene can together influence risk of common disease.
Kidney Transplantation Alone in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients With Hepatitis B Liver Cirrhosis: A Single-Center Experience

Background Kidney transplantation (KT) alone in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with hepatitis B virus liver cirrhosis (LC) is controversial. This study compared outcomes of KT in hepatitis B surface antigen-positive patients with ESRD with (LC group) and without LC (non-LC group). Methods Outcomes were analyzed in103 hepatitis B surface antigen–positive patients with ESRD who underwent KT alone between 1997 and 2011. Ninety-one were in the non-LC group and 12 were in the LC group. Of the latter, eight were Child-Pugh (CP) class A and four were CP class B. Results Baseline aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels were higher in the LC group. model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scores were similar in patients with CP class A and class B, only serum albumin level was lower in CP class B. After KT, one CP class A patient showed an increase in the CP score from 5 to 10 points, MELD score from 22.3 to 44.1 points. The CP and MELD scores of the other 11 patients in the LC group did not increase. All four pre-KT CP class B patients were reclassified as class A after KT because of elevated serum albumin levels. Four patients in the LC group developed hepatocellular carcinoma at a median of 35 months (range, 20–57 months) after KT. The 5-year patient survival rate was similar in the LC and non-LC groups (100% vs. 94%, P=0.15). The incidence of pre-KT LC did not differ between survivors and nonsurvivors (11% vs. 18%, P=0.61). Occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher in nonsurvivors than in survivors. Conclusion Kidney transplantation alone may be safe in patients with compensated hepatitis B virus LC.
Layer-Aware Interference Mitigation Scheme for Downlink Multi-User SCMA System

Sparse code multiple access system with multiple antennas offers unprecedented massive connectivity and capacity. To reduce the interference in a downlink multiple user SCMA (MU-SCMA) system, we propose a layer-aware interference mitigation scheme (L-AIMS). Firstly, preprocess the codewords of paired users to mitigate the intra-layer interference. Secondly, adopt the generalized singular value decomposition to mitigate the inter-user interference. Then, we obtain the adjusted rate of paired users with L-AIMS. The simulation results show that the proposed L-AIMS can improve the sum rate of paired users and the adjusted rate of the user with bad channel condition compared with the original scheme.
Mathematics teaching anxiety and self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching: A path analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between pre-service primary school teachers' mathematics teaching anxiety and their self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching through path analysis. There were a total of 250 pre-service primary school teachers involved in this study. Of the total, 202 were female and 48 were male pre-service primary school teachers. To collect the data, the researcher employed two types of instruments: the mathematics teaching anxiety scale and self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching scale. For data analysis, Linear Structural Relationship (LISREL) program was used. In the analysis of the data, the researcher used path analyze technique in order to explain the relations. The study revealed that the content knowledge dimension of mathematics teaching anxiety had a negative effect on the efficacy in teaching, motivation and taking on responsibility and effective teaching dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematic teaching. Similarly, self-confidence dimension of mathematics teaching anxiety affected the efficacy in teaching and effective teaching dimensions of self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematic teaching negatively. And also, the teaching knowledge dimension of mathematics teaching anxiety had a negative effect on the effective teaching dimension of self-efficacy beliefs toward mathematics teaching. Key words: Mathematics, teaching anxiety, self-efficacy belief, mathematics teaching.
The Sustainability of Cruise Tourism Onshore: The Impact of Crowding on Visitors’ Satisfaction

The sustainability of cruise tourism has been questioned in relation to its negative effects on ports of call, among which crowding has recently become more pronounced. However, an understanding of how crowdedness influences cruise tourists’ experience onshore is lacking. The study analyzed online reviews on onshore experiences in the main European ports of call through Leximancer, an automated text analytics software. The results revealed that the perceived destination crowding was not always negatively evaluated by tourists, but was also discussed as a factor adding up to the authenticity of the visit under certain circumstances. Nevertheless, the evidence indicates that only human crowding might be positively assessed, while the spatial crowdedness was always reported as detracting from the enjoyment of the visit. The analysis also showed that the crowding phenomenon was represented differently in the accounts of the low, average and high satisfaction cruise tourists’ groups. The role of the guide, as well as the attractiveness of the sightseeing were identified as factors that can ameliorate the negative effect of crowding on the destination visit. The findings yield relevant implications for all actors involved in the cruise tourism activity, which should manage destination crowdedness in a more sustainably innovative way.
Economic Vulnerability, Entrepreneurial Competencies, and Performance of Informal Micro-Enterprises

ABSTRACT This study highlights the effect of economic vulnerability on entrepreneurial competencies and the performance of informal microenterprises in Kelantan, Malaysia. This study adopts a cross-sectional design, and quantitative data is collected through a structured interview of 384 randomly selected informal women microentrepreneurs. Findings confirm that economic vulnerability has a significant negative effect on commitment competency, conceptual competency, organizing competency, opportunity recognition competency, relationship competency, and the performance of informal microenterprises owned and managed by women microentrepreneurs. The government and development organizations should focus on developing supportive programs and policies to reduce economic vulnerability as well as to develop entrepreneurial competencies.
Inverse association between size of the lipid‐rich necrotic core and vascularization in human carotid plaques

To study the relationship between the size of the lipid‐rich necrotic core measured by MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and the level of plaque vascularization measured by contrast‐enhanced ultrasound, in human carotid plaques. Further, to compare the size of lipid‐rich necrotic core from MRI to plaque echogenicity.
Impaired right ventricular functions in metabolic syndrome patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

OBJECTIVES Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been shown to be independently associated with increased risk for incident heart failure and coronary artery disease. We investigated whether there was deterioration in right ventricular functions in MetS patients with preserved left ventricular functions and its association with the number of MetS components. STUDY DESIGN The study included 192 consecutive patients (148 women, 44 men; mean age 54.3 ± 8.5 years) with the diagnosis of MetS based on the NCEP-ATP III criteria and 20 healthy controls (12 women, 8 men; mean age 51.6 ± 8.4 years). All subjects underwent conventional and tissue Doppler (TDI) echocardiography to assess left and right ventricular functions, including right ventricular myocardial performance index (MPI) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). RESULTS The number of MetS components were three in 43.8%, four in 31.3%, and five in 25% of the patients. Right ventricular TDI-derived MPI was higher in patients with MetS compared to controls [median 0.5 (range 0.2-3.3) vs. 0.3 (0.1-0.7), p=0.000]. This was possibly due to significantly shortened right ventricular ejection time in MetS patients (p<0.05). Although TAPSE was within the normal range in MetS patients, it was significantly decreased compared to controls (p=0.000), accompanied by significantly lower TDI-derived S wave, E wave, and E/A ratio (p=0.000). None of the MetS components were significantly correlated with right ventricular TDI-derived MPI. There was no association between the number of MetS components and echocardiographic parameters. CONCLUSION Our findings show that, despite preserved left ventricular systolic functions, both systolic and diastolic functions of the right ventricle deteriorate in MetS patients.
Effect of selective and non-selective beta-blockers on body weight, insulin resistance and leptin concentration in chronic heart failure.

BACKGROUND Chronic heart failure (CHF) is characterized by increased insulin resistance and hyperleptinaemia. We aimed to study effects of selective and non-selective beta-blockers on body weight, insulin resistance, plasma concentrations of leptin and resistin in patients with CHF. METHODS Twenty-six non-cachectic beta-blocker-naive patients with CHF were randomized and treated with either carvedilol or bisoprolol. Body weight, plasma concentrations of leptin, resistin, fasting glucose and insulin were measured at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. Insulin resistance was estimated by homeostasis model assessment- estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). RESULTS Body weight increased significantly in the carvedilol group (mean change + 2.30 kg, p = 0.023) while it did not change in the bisoprolol group (mean change -0.30 kg, p = 0.623) (ns between groups). Plasma leptin concentration increased only in the carvedilol group (mean change + 4.20 ng/ml, p = 0.019) (ns between groups). Fasting glucose and resistin remained unchanged in both groups. After 6 months, mean plasma insulin concentration changed significantly differently (p = 0.015) in the bisoprolol (mean change +3.1 microU/ml) compared to the carvedilol group (mean change -6.3 microU/ml) and HOMA-IR was consequently higher in the bisoprolol compared to the carvedilol group (5.2 +/- 4.2 vs 2.8 +/- 1.6, p = 0.046). CONCLUSION This study found different metabolic effects of carvedilol and bisoprolol in non-cachectic patients with CHF. With unchanged fasting plasma glucose concentration after 6 months of treatment, carvedilol significantly decreased plasma insulin concentration and insulin resistance compared to bisoprolol.
The Effects of Argatroban on Thrombin Generation and Hemostatic Activation In Vitro

We evaluated argatroban, a direct thrombin inhibitor, as a heparin adjunct for anticoagulation. Platelet-poor plasma (PPP) was isolated from blood collected from 12 volunteers. Thrombin generation measurements were performed in donor PPP that was mixed with antithrombin (AT)-poor plasma to yield AT levels of 0%, 20%, 60%, and 100%. Effects of argatroban (0–1.0 &mgr;g/mL), heparin (0.25 U/mL), or the combination of argatroban (0.5 &mgr;g/mL) and heparin were also studied. The addition of increasing concentrations of argatroban, heparin, or both to donor PPP (AT level ∼100%) caused progressive decreases in the lag time and peak formation of thrombin generation. Heparin (0.25 U/mL) at small AT concentrations had a minimal effect on lag time or peak thrombin formation; its effectiveness of inhibiting thrombin was directly correlated with the concentration of AT. Argatroban at 0.5 &mgr;g/mL was effective in decreasing thrombin formation at both low and normal AT levels, but it was most effective when combined with heparin. Additionally, blood samples were obtained from 47 cardiac surgical patients, and the interaction of heparin (>1.5 U/mL) and AT or argatroban on clot formation was evaluated with kaolin activated clotting times (ACTs). Significant increases of ACTs at all heparin levels were observed with the addition of argatroban (0.125 and 0.25 &mgr;g/mL). The addition of AT (0.2 U/mL) to heparinized blood samples further prolonged ACTs. In summary, we showed that argatroban, unlike heparin, could effectively reduce thrombin generation regardless of AT levels and could prolong ACTs in vitro at clinically used concentrations.
Unequal Migration and Urbanisation Gains in China

We assess the role of internal migration and urbanisation in China on the nominal earnings of three groups of workers (rural migrants, low-skilled natives, and high-skilled natives). We estimate the impact of many city and city-industry characteristics that shape agglomeration economies, as well as migrant and human capital externalities and substitution effects. We also account for spatial sorting and reverse causality. Location matters for individual earnings, but urban gains are unequally distributed. High-skilled natives enjoy large gains from agglomeration and migrants at the city level. Both conclusions also hold, to a lesser extent, for low-skilled natives, who are only marginally negatively affected by migrants within their industry. By contrast, rural migrants slightly lose from migrants within their industry while otherwise gaining from migration and agglomeration, although less than natives. The different returns from migration and urbanisation are responsible for a large share of wage disparities in China.
Covering the private parts: the (re-)nationalisation of housing finance

Abstract Is state power or control over financial markets really withering? Most narratives/analyses of financialisation see a growing penetration of private capital into everyday life that runs parallel to the increasing power of private financial capital over state policy. Yet housing finance – mortgages – sits at the centre of banking, and banking sits at the centre of the financial system. Large-scale mortgage markets only function where the state wraps around the banking system to remove maturity risks and to limit excessive credit creation. Partial deregulation in the 1990s and 2000s created a crisis that states resolved by re-nationalising much of mortgage finance. This renewed and overwhelming state presence suggests that financialisation is a state-driven story, and that private financial power, stability and instruments require state support above and beyond contract enforcement and prudential regulation.