Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AMPA Receptor Trafficking in Natural and Pathological Aging

α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs) enable most excitatory transmission in the brain and are crucial for mediating basal synaptic strength and plasticity. Because of the importance of their function, AMPAR dynamics, activity and subunit composition undergo a tight regulation which begins as early as prenatal development and continues through adulthood. Accumulating evidence suggests that the precise regulatory mechanisms involved in orchestrating AMPAR trafficking are challenged in the aging brain. In turn dysregulation of AMPARs can be linked to most neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding the mechanisms that govern AMPAR signaling during natural and pathological cognitive decline will guide the efforts to develop most effective ways to tackle neurodegenerative diseases which are one of the primary burdens afflicting an increasingly aging population. In this review, I provide a brief overview of the molecular mechanisms involved in AMPAR trafficking highlighting what is currently known about how these processes change with age and disease. As a particularly well-studied example of AMPAR dysfunction in pathological aging I focus in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with special emphasis in how the production of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and amyloid-β plaques may contribute to disruption in AMPAR function.
Stroke in young adults who abuse amphetamines or cocaine: a population-based study of hospitalized patients.

CONTEXT The abuse of stimulant drugs is increasing in the western United States. Although numerous case reports and animal studies suggest a link with stroke, epidemiologic studies have yielded conflicting results. OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that young adults who abuse amphetamines or cocaine are at a higher risk of stroke. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Using a cross-sectional design and from a quality indicators' database of 3 148 165 discharges from Texas hospitals, we estimated the secular trends from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2003, in the abuse of various drugs and of strokes. We developed separate logistic regression models of risk factors for hemorrhagic (n = 937) and ischemic (n = 998) stroke discharges of persons aged 18 to 44 years in 2003, and for mortality risk in patients with stroke. Main Outcome Measure Incidence of stroke using definitions from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's stroke mortality Inpatient Quality Indicator. RESULTS From 2000 to 2003, the rate of increase was greatest for abuse of amphetamines, followed by cannabis and cocaine. The rate of strokes also increased, particularly among amphetamine abusers. In 812 247 discharges in 2003, amphetamine abuse was associated with hemorrhagic stroke (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.24-7.55), but not with ischemic stroke; cocaine abuse was associated with hemorrhagic (OR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.74-3.11) and ischemic (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.48-2.79) stroke. Amphetamine, but not cocaine, abuse was associated with a higher risk of death after hemorrhagic stroke (OR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.07-6.50). CONCLUSION Increases in stimulant drug abuse may increase the rate of hospital admissions for strokes and stroke-related mortality.
Food Poisoning: The Rise Continues

Food‐borne infections due to campylobacter, shigella, salmonella and E. coli 0157 have shown a real increase three to four fold. Argues that between the mid‐1980s and 1992 the reasons are multifactorial and include unsafe farming methods, possibly a deterioration in water quality, problems associated with moist food processing and changes in social habitats.
Pitfalls in the clinical use of central venous pressure.

WHILE treating patients with large fluid imbalances, we have been impressed with the sometimes misleading nature of central venous pressure determinations in assessing the relationship between blood volume and cardiac competence. In addition to the standard parameters of hourly urine output, central venous pressure, heart rate, hematocrit, arterial blood pressure, and skin perfusion, we have found blood volume determinations to be highly useful in certain patients with difficult fluid management problems. Such problems are hypervolemia without a rising venous pressure, and hypovolemia with a rising venous pressure. Methods and Materials Twenty patients with difficult fluid management problems were studied (July to December 1966). The hemodynamic state was evaluated by hourly urine output, hematocrit, heart rate, arterial blood pressure, skin perfusion, and response to subsequent therapy. Central venous pressure and blood volume determinations were performed on each patient and were correlated with the hemodynamic state (Table). Central venous pressure was recorded
Effect of Maternal Heart Disease on Fetal Growth

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of maternal heart disease on fetal growth and neonatal outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of all women with congenital and acquired heart disease admitted at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital between 1994 and 2010 was performed. The women who delivered immediately before and immediately after each index pregnancy were used as controls. Data were obtained from medical and obstetric notes. Birth weight percentiles were calculated using a customized birth weight percentile program, and neonatal complications (preterm birth, perinatal mortality, and recurrence of congenital heart disease) were noted. RESULTS: Median birth weight percentile was significantly lower in the heart disease group (n=31) compared with the control group (n=49; P<.001 Mann-Whitney U test). The rate of neonatal complications was significantly higher in the heart disease group (34% compared with 15%). Preterm birth occurred in 42 (13%) pregnancies, of which 67% were iatrogenic. Eighty-one (25%) newborns in the heart disease group were small for gestational age, and there were four stillbirths and four neonatal deaths (perinatal mortality rate 20 per 1,000). CONCLUSION: This cohort study suggests a significant reduction in fetal growth rates associated with maternal heart disease, which is also associated with preterm delivery and reduced birth weight. The presence of maternal cyanosis and a reduced cardiac output are the most significant predictors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Determinants of hospitalisation rates: does primary health care play a role?

Scand J Prim Health Care 2003;21:15-20. ISSN 0218-3432 Objective - To analyse the influence of rates of general practitioner visits on rates of hospitalisations. Design - Ecological cross-sectional study of factors influencing hospitalisation rates. Aggregated data on primary care centre area level. Setting - The county of ÖstergÖtland, Sweden, with 3 hospital districts and 41 primary health care centres, and the hospital district of JÖnkÖping in the county of JÖnkÖping, Sweden, with 11 primary health care centres. Outcome measure - Hospitalisation rates. Results - Age and rates of outpatient hospital visits were the most important factors explaining the variation in rates of hospitalisations between the primary health care centre areas. Hospital districts, socioeconomic factors and rates of GP visits also influenced the rates of hospitalisations. Conclusion - When evaluating the influence of primary health care on the rates of hospitalisations, both socioeconomic factors and health care structure must be taken into consideration. Doing this, the rates of GP visits correlated negatively with the rates of hospitalisations.
A clinical safety trial of stroma‐free hemoglobin

A stroma‐free hemoglobin (SFH) solution was prepared which was sterile, pyrogen free, and contained only 1.2% of the stromal lipid present in unpurijied hemolysate, 250 ml of which was administered slowly intravenously to 8 healthy men. Two control subjects received 250 ml of serum albumin. The SFH infusions were generally well tolerated by 7 of the 8 men. One subject developed abdominal pain and costovertebral angle tenderness after infusion, which disappeared within 48 hr. Bradycardia and a mild increase in blood pressure was present during the SFH Infusions and for 4 to 5 hr thereafter. A decrease in urine output and endogenaus creatinine clearance appeared during the SFH infusions and for 2 to 4 hr after infusion. A mild prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time developed immediately after infusion. Gross hemoglobinuria appeared as expected during the SFH infusions and completely disappeared by 6 to 10 hr after infusion. All the cardiovascular, renal, and clotting changes were present for only a few hours after the SFH infusion, during the hemoglobinemia (free Hb in plasma). At 24 hr and 7 days after infusion all measurements were normal, and 6 mo follow‐up showed no abnormalities or hepatitis.
Factors Influencing Employees' Participation in Non-Malicious, Information Systems Security Deviant Behavior: Focus on Formal Control Mechanisms and Sanctions

This study examined factors influencing employees’ participation in non-malicious, information systems security deviant behavior (N-ISSDB) (e.g., e.g., connecting computers to the Internet through an insecure wireless network, not disposing and destroying all unneeded sensitive documents and information on computer in a timely manner, and opening emails from unverified senders) from the theoretical lens of formal control mechanisms and formal sanctions. Empirical data was collected from 338 professionals based in the United States of America. Relevant hypotheses were formulated and tested using the partial least squares technique. The results indicate that detection control mechanism (i.e., evaluation/monitoring) and deterrence countermeasures or factors (i.e., punishment certainty and punishment severity) have negative association with employees’ participation in N-ISSDB. The data did not show that control mechanism related to reward and specifications have meaningful roles in dissuading employees’ engagement in N-ISSDB.
Shari'ah Supervisory Board Composition Effects On Islamic Banks' Risk-Taking Behavior

Islamic banks underlie the fundamental principles of the Shari’ah, which encompass all business activities, financial contracts, and transactions. The Shari’ah Supervisory Board (SSB) monitors and certifies compliancy and is unique to the governance structure of Islamic banks compared to their Western counterparts. This study addresses the question of how the compositional characteristics of the SSB influence the loan portfolio risk-taking of Islamic banks. As such, we analyze to which degree the legal supervisory functions of a SSB affect the banks’ risk-taking behavior. Over the period from 2000 to 2010, we regard cross-country bank-level data from the Middle East and Northern Africa as well as from Southeast Asia. Our results reveal evidence that the loan portfolio risk-taking of Islamic banks is positively influenced by increasing size of the SSB, as well as when top ranked Shari’ah scholars with multiple memberships have board mandates and when annual changes occur in the composition of a SSB, regarding particularly previous period variables with second lags. We find that supervisory effectiveness and disciplining power of individual bank SSBs towards the risk-taking in the loan portfolio of Islamic banks decreases in a decentralized Shari’ah-compliant governance structure. The reverse causality analysis shows strongly that SSB factors affect primarily loan portfolio risk-taking, not the other way around.
In Depth Analysis of AVCOAT TPS Response to a Reentry Flow

Modeling of the high altitude portion of reentry vehicle trajectories with DSMC or statistical BGK solvers requires accurate evaluation of the boundary conditions at the ablating TPS surface. Presented in this article is a model which takes into account the complex ablation physics including the production of pyrolysis gases, and chemistry at the TPS surface. Since the ablation process is time dependent the modeling of the material response to the high energy reentry flow starts with the solution of the rarefied flow over the vehicle and then loosely couples with the material response. The objective of the present work is to carry out conjugate thermal analysis by weakly coupling a flow solver to a material thermal response model. The latter model solves the one dimensional heat conduction equation accounting for the pyrolysis process that takes place in the reaction zone of an ablative thermal protection system (TPS) material. An estimate of the temperature range within which the pyrolysis reaction (decomposition and volatilization) takes place is obtained from Ref. [1]. The pyrolysis reaction results in the formation of char and the release of gases through the porous charred material. These gases remove additional amount of heat as they pass through the material, thus cooling the material (the process known as transpiration cooling). In the present work, we incorporate the transpiration cooling model in the material thermal response code in addition to the pyrolysis model. The flow in the boundary layer and in the vicinity of the TPS material is in the transitional flow regime. Therefore, we use a previously validated statistical BGK method [2] to model the flow physics in the vicinity of the micro‐cracks, since the BGK method allows simulations of flow at pressures higher than can be computed using DSMC.Modeling of the high altitude portion of reentry vehicle trajectories with DSMC or statistical BGK solvers requires accurate evaluation of the boundary conditions at the ablating TPS surface. Presented in this article is a model which takes into account the complex ablation physics including the production of pyrolysis gases, and chemistry at the TPS surface. Since the ablation process is time dependent the modeling of the material response to the high energy reentry flow starts with the solution of the rarefied flow over the vehicle and then loosely couples with the material response. The objective of the present work is to carry out conjugate thermal analysis by weakly coupling a flow solver to a material thermal response model. The latter model solves the one dimensional heat conduction equation accounting for the pyrolysis process that takes place in the reaction zone of an ablative thermal protection system (TPS) material. An estimate of the temperature range within which the pyrolysis reaction (deco.
Predictors of Blood Lead Levels in Agricultural Villages Practicing Wastewater Irrigation in Central Mexico

Abstract To investigate whether the agricultural use of untreated wastewater (i.e. crop irrigation) was associated with elevated blood lead levels in a farming population in the Mezquital Valley and which risk factors, other than exposure to untreated wastewater, were associated with elevated blood lead levels, lead levels were measured in venous blood obtained from 735 individuals. Blood samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Food habits and dietary intake were gathered by interview, using a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. The average blood lead level was 7.8 μg/ dL (SD 4.66 μg/dL; range 1.2–36.7 μg/dL). 23% of the study population hadbloodlead levels exceeding 10 μLg/ dL. The use of lead-glazed ceramics (LGC) was significantly associated with elevated lead levels (p = < 0.001). Other significant variables included age, gender (males), and non-farming-related occupations (e.g., technicians, factory workers). p = 0.005, 0.08, and 0.001, respectively. When the analysis was stratified by the use of LGC for food preparation, an inverse relationship between higher daily calcium intake and blood lead level was detected (β = −0.040, p = < 0.05). Thus, blood lead levels were positively associated with the use of LGC. Calcium intake showed a protective effect, maybe by decreasing absorption of lead in the gastrointestinal tract. No association between occupational exposure to untreated wastewater or crop consumption and blood lead levels was detected. Further environmental and health surveillance is recommended.
Treatment of hypertension in adults with diabetes.

H ypertension (defined as a blood pressure 140/90 mmHg) is an extremely common comorbid condition in diabetes, affecting 20–60% of patients with diabetes, depending on obesity, ethnicity, and age. In type 2 diabetes, hypertension is often present as part of the metabolic syndrome of insulin resistance also including central obesity and dyslipidemia. In type 1 diabetes, hypertension may reflect the onset of diabetic nephropathy. Hypertension substantially increases the risk of both macrovascular and microvascular complications, including stroke, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, and possibly neuropathy. In recent years, adequate data from welldesigned randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of aggressive treatment of hypertension in reducing both types of diabetes complications.
Green consumer behavior in an emerging economy: confusion, credibility, and compatibility

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of deeper motivations and inhibitors of green consumer behavior in the context of emerging economies. Based on the findings, it aims to provide implications for marketers and policy making.Design/methodology/approach – Based on an ethnographic approach, in‐depth interviews and observational data were used to study 15 Mexican families from four urban regions of Mexico with different incomes. Thematic analysis was used to develop and validate themes and codes.Findings – The findings highlight three dominant themes related to uncertainty in the adoption of environmentally‐friendly behaviors: consumer confusion, trust and credibility, and compatibility. Overall, green behaviors seem to be ingrained in the traditional heritage of savings and frugality rather than based on strong environmental values. It is suggested that the factors that drive consumers from positive attitudes and intentions to the actual adoption of green behavi.
Illiquidity and Stock Returns: Empirical Evidence from the Stockholm Stock Exchange

In this paper we use a quantitative method to study if illiquidity contributes to explaining variations in stock returns across stocks and across time on the Stockholm Stock Exchange during the period 1990-2010. We find support for the hypothesis that excess stock market returns increase with the expected illiquidity of the stock market. In addition, we find that unexpected increases in stock market illiquidity have a negative effect on contemporaneous stock prices. We find limited support for a cross-sectional relationship between illiquidity and cross-sectional risk-adjusted returns. The relationship appears to be stronger for stocks of smaller firms than for larger firms and also appears to have become weaker over the time period of our sample. The linkage between stock illiquidity and returns is well documented in the asset pricing literature, but research has primarily been conducted on American stock exchanges. The idea behind an illiquidity factor in asset pricing is that investors should not only require compensation for the risk of holding capital assets but also for the costs of trading capital assets.
Self-pacing as a protective mechanism against the effects of heat stress.

OBJECTIVE Self-pacing or avoidance of physiological strain by adjustment of work rate may be an important protective behaviour for manual workers in severe thermal conditions. Data were gathered at a number of industrial sites in the United Arab Emirates to assess whether self-pacing takes place in these workers. METHODS Heart rate and aural temperature were monitored in 150 subjects for 12 h daily over 2 consecutive days. Environmental parameters were measured for quantification of heat stress by the thermal work limit. RESULTS There was no evidence of an effect of variation in environmental thermal stress on either average working heart rate or aural temperature. CONCLUSION These studies provide evidence that self-pacing is a protective response to working in heat which does not require a highly informed workforce; recognition of this should form part of a holistic approach to management of heat stress in hot climates.
Beyond Destinations—Special Interest Tourism

ABSTRACT This paper explores the contention that the next frontier in the tourism development process lies beyond the highly packaged destination-based tourism product within the realms of Special Interest Tourism (SIT). It focuses on the underlying conceptual foundations for this contention and initiates the process of differentiating between ‘general’ and ‘special’ interest tourism and tourists by proposing both a general ‘Tourism Continuum’ and a new typology of special interest tourists. Finally, it also contains the results from an exploratory survey on UK Outbound special interest tourists which was designed to empirically explore many of the basic ideas and propositions developed from the earlier conceptual work.
Impact of Six-week Viral Load on Mortality in HIV-infected Zimbabwean Infants

Among 453 untreated HIV-infected Zimbabwean infants, 6-week viral load was the only infant factor that independently predicted mortality. Infants with viral load ≥ 1.59 million copies/mL (cohort median) had 3-fold increased mortality through 6 months (hazard ratio 3.07 [95% confidence interval: 2.16, 4.38]; P < 0.001) and 2-fold increased mortality through 12 months (hazard ratio 2.03 [95% confidence interval: 1.41, 2.91]; P < 0.001], compared with infants with viral load below the median.
Molecular regulation of postsynaptic differentiation at the neuromuscular junction

The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse that develops between a motor neuron and a muscle fiber. A defining feature of NMJ development in vertebrates is the re‐distribution of muscle acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (AChRs) following innervation, which generates high‐density AChR clusters at the postsynaptic membrane and disperses aneural AChR clusters formed in muscle before innervation. This process in vivo requires MuSK, a muscle‐specific receptor tyrosine kinase that triggers AChR re‐distribution when activated; rapsyn, a muscle protein that binds and clusters AChRs; agrin, a nerve‐secreted heparan‐sulfate proteoglycan that activates MuSK; and ACh, a neurotransmitter that stimulates muscle and also disperses aneural AChR clusters. Moreover, in cultured muscle cells, several additional muscle‐ and nerve‐derived molecules induce, mediate or participate in AChR clustering and dispersal. In this review we discuss how regulation of AChR re‐distribution by multiple factors ensures aggregation of AChRs exclusively at NMJs. IUBMB Life, 57: 719‐730, 2005
The Relationships Between Perceptions Of Supervisor, Trust In Supervisor And Job Performance: A Study In The Banking Industry

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the perceptions a front line employee has of their immediate supervisor, the trust the front line employee has in this supervisor, and an employee’s job performance. Data were collected from 457 employees holding customer contact positions at community and regional banks located in several states in the southern part of the United States. The findings of the study indicate that there is strong correlation between the perceptions an employee has of their supervisor and the trust the employee has in their supervisor for Customer Service Representatives. Furthermore, it was found that there was, at best, a weak correlation between perceptions of supervisor and job performance.