Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Actual Air Pollution, Environmental Transparency, and the Perception of Air Pollution in China

Using data from the China Social Survey 2013 and statistics from the Ministry of Environment Protection of China and the Institute of Public & Environment Affairs, this study empirically examines the relationship between actual and perceived air pollution and the moderating effect of environmental transparency on that relationship with a multilevel ordered logistic strategy. Estimations indicate a significant congruence of actual (both particulate matter less than 10 µm in diameter and sulfur dioxide) and perceived air pollution. More importantly, environmental transparency of local government is found to moderate the relationship between actual and perceived air pollution by neutralizing the halo effects and building more alert perceptions when local air quality deteriorates. Our findings not only challenge the work of identifying a mismatch of actual–perceived air pollution in some developed countries but also suggest that, apart from abating actual air pollution, environmental transparency should be emphasized and strengthened in institutional buildings to help address pollution challenges in developing countries.
Bile Salt Export Pump Gene Mutations in Two Japanese Patients With Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis

BackgroundIn recent years, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis has been classified into at least three types by genetic analysis: PFIC1, PFIC2, and MDR3. Liver transplantation is effective for treating patients with this intractable syndrome. Confirming the correct diagnosis is of paramount importance because prognosis after transplantation differs with the genetic type of the disease. MethodsSynthesis of cDNA was accomplished using RNA extracted from liver tissue of two Japanese patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis. Polymerase chain reaction was performed using 13 primer sets designed for amplification of the bile salt export pump cDNA. Direct sequencing was undertaken, and identified sequences were compared with the sequence for bile salt export pump gene registered with GenBank. In addition, gene sequences for nonprogressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis patients were analyzed. ResultsGenetic analysis of patient 1 revealed that substitutions in bile salt export pump protein sequences, namely R575X and E636G, might be the cause of the disease. In patient 2, V330X and R487H might fulfill the same role. Results of gene analysis in parents and cholestatic controls supported these conclusions. ConclusionsAbsence or presence of bile salt export protein gene mutations was confirmed as representing a useful prognostic marker for clinical course after liver transplantation.
Pharmacological and Signaling Properties of Endogenous P2Y1 Receptors in Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator-Expressing Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

The cystic fibrosis (CF) transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP-dependent Cl- channel that is defective in CF disease. CFTR activity has been shown to be regulated by the Gq/phospholipase C-linked P2Y2 subtype of P2Y nucleotide receptors (P2YR) in various systems. Here, we tested whether other P2YR may exert a regulation on CFTR activity and whether CFTR may in turn exert a regulation on P2YR signaling. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions, antisense oligodeoxynucleotide knockdown, and measurements of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i), we showed that, in addition to P2Y2R, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells also express functional P2Y1R. P2Y1R were activated by 2-methylthioadenosine 5′-diphosphate > 2-methylthioadenosine-5′-triphosphate > ADP with an EC50 of 30 nM, 0.2 μM, and 0.8 μM, respectively. Activation of P2Y1R increased [Ca2+]i, which was prevented by the P2Y1R antagonists pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulfonic acid (PPADS) (10 μM) and N6-methyl 2′-deoxyadenosine 3′,5′-bisphosphate (MRS2179) (10 μM) and by pretreatment with P2Y1R antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. In CHO-K1 and CHO-KNUT (mock-transfected) cells lacking CFTR, both P2Y1R and P2Y2R caused [Ca2+]i mobilization via pertussis toxin (PTX)-insensitive Gq/11-proteins. In contrast, in CFTR-expressing CHO cells (CHO-BQ1), the P2Y1R response was completely PTX-sensitive, indicating that P2Y1R couples to Gi/o-proteins, whereas the P2Y2R response remained PTX-insensitive. In CHO-BQ1 cells, P2Y1R activation by ADP (100 μM) failed to inhibit both forskolin (1 μM)-induced CFTR activation, measured using iodide (125I) efflux, and forskolin (0.1-10 μM)-evoked cAMP increase. Together, our results indicate that, in contrast to P2Y2R, P2Y1R does not modulate CFTR activity in CHO cells and that CFTR expression may alter the G-protein-coupling selectivity of P2Y1R.
Is multifocal ERG a reliable index of macular function after triamcinolone acetonide injection in diffuse diabetic macular edema?

Purpose To investigate the changes and the reliability of multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) after intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) injection in diffuse diabetic macular edema (DDME). Methods Twenty-four eyes with DDME were treated with an intravitreal injection of 4 mg of triamcinolone acetonide. Visual acuity (VA), central macular thickness (CMT), mfERG, and intraocular pressures (IOP) were evaluated in the preinjection period and the 15th day, third month, and sixth month after IVTA injection. Results Age and gender of the patients were not significantly correlated to logMAR VA (p=0.888 for age, p=0.192 for gender), CMT (p=0.282 for age, p=0.625 for gender), or P1/N1 amplitudes/implicit times in mfERG at baseline (p>0.05 for age and gender). The correlation between logMAR VA and CMT at baseline also was not significant (r=0.069, p=0.750). The VA increased significantly at the 15th day (p<0.001). The VA increase persisted until the third month and decreased to preinjection values at the sixth month (p=0.324). CMT decrease was significant at the 15th day (p=0.012) but insignificant at the third and sixth months (p=1.000 for both). Correlations between logMAR VA change/CMT change at the 15th day were not significant (r=–0.043, p=0.843). Moreover, the correlation of CMT change with P1/N1 amplitude/implicit time changes was not significant (p>0.05 for all). Conclusions The positive effect of IVTA injection in DDME is reversible until the sixth month. Monitoring of the improvement in visual function by mfERG is violated possibly by irreversible macular dysfunction due to long duration of macular edema and primary neurophysiologic effects of diabetes on the retina.
Non-Ototoxic Local Delivery of Bisphosphonate to the Mammalian Cochlea

Hypothesis Local delivery of bisphosphonates results in superior localization of these compounds for the treatment of cochlear otosclerosis, without ototoxicity. Background Otosclerosis is a common disorder of abnormal bone remodeling within the human otic capsule. It is a frequent cause of conductive hearing loss from stapes fixation. Large lesions that penetrate the cochlear endosteum and injure the spiral ligament result in sensorineural hearing loss. Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (e.g., zoledronate) are potent inhibitors of bone remodeling with proven efficacy in the treatment of metabolic bone diseases, including otosclerosis. Local delivery to the cochlea may allow for improved drug targeting, higher local concentrations, and the avoidance of systemic complications. In this study, we use a fluorescently labeled bisphosphonate compound (6-FAM-ZOL) to determine drug localization and concentration within the otic capsule. Various methods for delivery are compared. Ototoxicity is evaluated by auditory brainstem responses and distortion product otoacoustic emissions. Methods 6-FAM-ZOL was administered to guinea pigs via intraperitoneal injection, placement of alginate beads onto the round window membrane, or microfluidic pump infusion via a cochleostomy. Hearing was evaluated. Specimens were embedded into resin blocks, ground to a mid-modiolar section, and quantitatively imaged using fluorescence microscopy. Results There was a dose-dependent increase in fluorescent signal after systemic 6-FAM-ZOL treatment. Local delivery via the round window membrane or a cochleostomy increased delivery efficiency. No significant ototoxicity was observed after either systemic or local 6-FAM-ZOL delivery. Conclusion These findings establish important preclinical parameters for the treatment of cochlear otosclerosis in humans.
Temporal Patterns of Novel Circulating Biomarkers in IL-2-mediated Vascular Injury in the Rat

Recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) administration in oncology indications is hampered by vascular toxicity, which presents as a vascular leak syndrome. We used this aspect of the toxicity of rIL-2 to evaluate candidate biomarkers of drug-induced vascular injury (DIVI) in rats given 0.36 mg/kg rIL-2 daily. Groups of rats were given either 2 or 5 doses of rIL-2 or 5 doses of rIL-2 followed by a 7-day recovery. The histomorphologic lexicon and grading scheme developed by the Vascular Injury Working Group of the Predictive Safety Testing Consortium of the Critical Path Institute were utilized to enable semiquantitative integration with circulating biomarker levels. The administration of rIL-2 was associated with time-dependent endothelial cell hyperplasia and hypertrophy and perivascular inflammation that correlated with increases in circulating angiopoietin-2, lipocalin-2, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, vascular endothelial growth factor A, E-selectin, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand-1, and the microRNAs miR-21, miR-132, and miR-155. The dose groups were differentially identified by panels comprising novel candidate biomarkers and traditional hematologic parameters. These results identify biomarkers of the early stages of DIVI prior to the onset of vascular smooth muscle necrosis.
Maternal input to children with specific language impairment during shared book reading: is mothers' language in tune with their children's production?

BACKGROUND The literature on input addressed to children with specific language impairment (SLI) has shown contrasting results on the role that parents assume during conversational interactions. Some studies have shown that parents compensate for the child's linguistic limitations. In contrast, other studies have indicated that mothers are able to adjust their communication in response to their children's language characteristics. AIMS To assess the 'closeness of fit' between maternal input and child language profiles in children with SLI during shared book reading. To achieve this aim, the individual linguistic features of a group of children with SLI and their mothers were compared with those of two typically developing (TD) groups and the 'distances' (i.e., the differences between the mother's and her child's linguistic indices) within each dyad were compared. METHOD & PROCEDURES Three groups of children with their mothers participated in the study: 14 children with expressive SLI, 14 language age-matched TD children (LA-matched group), and 14 chronological age-matched TD children (CA-matched group). Each mother-child dyad was videotaped during two weekly sessions of shared book reading, at home. All sessions were entirely transcribed. For each session, the following indices were then considered: whole-word phonological indices, grammatical categories and lexical indices for types and tokens, and the distance between the mother's and the child's linguistic indices within individual dyads. OUTCOMES & RESULTS Analysis of the differences between phonological, lexical and morphosyntactic characteristics of the mothers' and children's language indicated that both children with SLI and their mothers produced adjectives and adverbs with lower phonological complexity and with higher frequency of use compared with the CA-matched group, and nouns with lower frequency of use and higher age of acquisition compared with the LA-matched group. In addition, individual dyads within the SLI group displayed reduced distances between linguistic indices produced by the mother and child compared with dyads within the CA-matched group. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS On the whole these findings suggest that mothers of children with SLI are able to tune their language to their children's linguistic limitations. These findings may contribute to improving early intervention programmes with children with SLI by focusing on the mother-child interaction during shared book reading.
Cross-sectional study on bovine mastitis and its associated risk factors in Ambo district of West Shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

Aim: A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and associated risk factors of mastitis in dairy cows. Materials and Methods: A total of 302 dairy cows were selected from all volunteer dairy farms in Ambo district of West Shewa Zone, Oromia region. Thorough clinical examination was made on all lactating cows for evidence of signs of clinical mastitis followed by collection of milk sample for examination of gross changes of milk secretion and California mastitis test. Result: About 126 (41.7%) cows had mastitis, of which 9.9% (30/302) were clinical and 32.8% (96/302) were subclinical mastitis cases. The quarter level prevalence was 44.4% (536/1208), comprising 9.3% (112/1208), clinical and 32.8% (396/1208) subclinical forms of mastitis. In addition, 5.5% (66/1208) of teats were found to be blind on the clinical examination of udder and teat. The Chi-square analysis of intrinsic risk factors revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence of mastitis in crossbred cattle (47.2%) than indigenous (15.4%), in cattle above 7 years (75%) than less than 2-6 years of age (28%) and cows given more than 4 calves (81.3%) than those with less than 4 calves (31.1%) irrespective to their lactation stage. There was also significantly (p<0.05) higher mastitis prevalence in larger (46.6%) than smaller herds (24.2%) and among the farming systems in semi-intensive (47.1%) and intensive (42.3%) than extensive (8.1%) management system. Conclusion: This study indicated a higher prevalence of mastitis linked with several risk factors. Thus, early diagnosis and regular screening of cows for subclinical mastitis together with proper therapeutic management of clinical cases are of paramount importance. Moreover, control and prevention strategies should be designed and implemented with great emphasis given to risk factors to reduce bovine mastitis and its impact on milk production and food security.
Enzyme immunoassay for detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae was developed. The EIA was evaluated on the basis of results in the M. pneumoniae complement fixation (MPCF) test and the cold agglutinin test. Serum samples from 430 patients with respiratory infections of known or unknown etiology, from 91 healthy children and adults and from 20 patients with rheumatoid factor, were investigated. By the criteria chosen for positive diagnostic EIA values, we found that the combined measurement of specific IgM and IgG gave a specificity of 99.7% and a sensitivity of 97.8%. If only IgM antibodies were measured, the specificity was 100% and the sensitivity was 88%. For IgG alone the specificity was 99.7%, but the sensitivity was only 46% because of the high EIA cutoff value chosen for IgG. We found no false positives among serum samples from patients with non-M. pneumoniae respiratory infection of known etiology, and there were no false IgM positives due to rheumatoid factor. In some cases the IgM EIA results became positive earlier in the course of illness than the MPCF titer. While children and teenagers responded predominantly with IgM antibodies, patients older than 40 years often had an IgG response only (56% of cases), probably because of reinfection. We conclude that this EIA is a good alternative to the combined MPCF and cold agglutinin tests in the diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection.
GDP-Mannose 3′,5′-Epimerase Forms GDP-L-gulose, a Putative Intermediate for the de Novo Biosynthesis of Vitamin C in Plants*

Despite its importance for agriculture, bioindustry, and nutrition, the fundamental process of l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) biosynthesis in plants is not completely elucidated, and little is known about its regulation. The recently identified GDP-Man 3′,5′-epimerase catalyzes a reversible epimerization of GDP-d-mannose that precedes the committed step in the biosynthesis of vitamin C, resulting in the hydrolysis of the highly energetic glycosyl-pyrophosphoryl linkage. Here, we characterize the native and recombinant GDP-Man 3′,5′-epimerase of Arabidopsis thaliana. GDP and GDP-d-glucose are potent competitive inhibitors of the enzyme, whereas GDP-l-fucose gives a complex type of inhibition. The epimerase contains a modified version of the NAD binding motif and is inhibited by NAD(P)H and stimulated by NAD(P)+. A feedback inhibition of vitamin C biosynthesis is observed apparently at the level of GDP-Man 3′,5′-epimerase. The epimerase catalyzes at least two distinct epimerization reactions and releases, besides the well known GDP-l-galactose, a novel intermediate: GDP-l-gulose. The yield of the epimerization varies and seems to depend on the molecular form of the enzyme. Both recombinant and native enzymes co-purified with a Hsp70 heat-shock protein (Escherichia coli DnaK and A. thaliana Hsc70.3, respectively). We speculate, therefore, that the Hsp70 molecular chaperones might be involved in folding and/or regulation of the epimerase. In summary, the plant epimerase undergoes a complex regulation and could control the carbon flux into the vitamin C pathway in response to the redox state of the cell, stress conditions, and GDP-sugar demand for the cell wall/glycoprotein biosynthesis. Exogenous l-gulose and l-gulono-1,4-lactone serve as direct precursors of l-ascorbic acid in plant cells. We propose an l-gulose pathway for the de novo biosynthesis of vitamin C in plants.
The Effect of Sevoflurane and Isoflurane on the Neuromuscular Block Produced by Vecuronium Continuous Infusion

Volatile anesthetics enhance the action of neuromuscular blockade to various degrees, although the influence of sevoflurane on the neuromuscular block has not yet been characterized.The purpose of this investigation is to determine the vecuronium infusion rate requirement under sevoflurane anesthesia and to compare it to that of isoflurane anesthesia. Twenty patients scheduled for otorhinolaryngologic surgery were randomly assigned to receive either sevoflurane (SEV) or isoflurane (ISO) at 1 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC) (1.7% and 1.2%, respectively) in combination with 67% nitrous oxide. Anesthesia was induced with 5 mg/kg thiopental and muscle relaxation was obtained by a bolus of vecuronium 0.1 mg/kg followed by a continuous vecuronium infusion to achieve 90% muscle relaxation. The plasma concentrations of vecuronium (CVEC) and 3-desacetylvecuronium (CDES) at steady state were measured with a gas chromatographic assay. There was no difference between SEV and ISO in the following variables: the vecuronium infusion rate requirement to achieve 90% muscle relaxation (0.42 +/- 0.11 [SEV] vs 0.40 +/- 0.10 [ISO] micro gram centered dot kg-1 centered dot min-1), CVEC (144.4 +/- 38.1 [SEV] vs 149.7 +/- 69.2 [ISO] ng/mL), CDES (57.2 +/- 20.3 [SEV] vs 65.3 +/- 26.1 [ISO], ng/mL), and plasma vecuronium clearance (2.85 +/- 0.86 [SEV] vs 3.19 +/- 1.24 [ISO] mL centered dot kg-1 centered dot min-1). This study indicates that SEV at 1 MAC requires a vecuronium infusion rate similar to that of ISO at 1 MAC to achieve 90% muscle relaxation. (Anesth Analg 1996;82:942-7)
Home-Based Behavioral Treatments for chronic Benign Headache

Controlled clinical trials have consistently demonstrated that behavioral treatments for chronic benign headache produce clinically beneficial outcomes both post-treatment and at follow-up. Given these results there is interest in cost-reduction and redesign of these treatments to improve their accessibility. One promising approach in this regard is home-based headache treatment. These treatments seek to provide the same amount of treatment as clinic-based treatments; however, some of the material typically presented to the patient by a clinician is presented through home-study materials (e.g., manuals, audiotapes). To date, the published literature contains 20 controlled clinical trials which have examined the outcomes produced by home-based treatments. This article presents the first comprehensive meta-analysis of these clinical outcome studies. Results of the quantitative analyses suggest that home-based treatments produce comparable, or with certain outcome measures, superior results to clinic-based treatments. Moreover, cost-effectiveness scores of home-based treatments were found to be more than five times larger than those of clinic-based therapies. Methodological analyses are also presented along with suggestions for future research.
Towards a collaborative approach to Web Service monitoring: In appreciation of connectivity challenges in Africa

Current approaches to Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring using Service Level Agreements (SLAs) fall short of appreciating the many possible causes of breaching these digital contracts. These approaches are mainly concerned with the enforcement of these contracts without paying attention to what aspects of the service oriented environment the service provider has no control over and which have direct impact on his ability to meet the contracted QoS. Paying attention to these aspects is very crucial in the African context with intermittent connectivity issues, including limited Internet speed and electricity outages among others. It is very likely therefore that most of the advertised QoS parameter, especially those with obvious dependency on connectivity, will be breached. Current approaches to Web Service monitoring do not consider this at all. This paper proposes a collaborative QoS monitoring approach that allows for mid-way renegotiation of contracted QoS/SLAs based on consumer's initial service experience.