Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The L‐type Ca2+ channel facilitates abnormal metabolic activity in the cTnI‐G203S mouse model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Genetic mutations in cardiac troponin I (cTnI) are associated with development of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy characterized by myocyte remodelling, disorganization of cytoskeletal proteins and altered energy metabolism. The L‐type Ca2+ channel is the main route for calcium influx and is crucial to cardiac excitation and contraction. The channel also regulates mitochondrial function in the heart by a functional communication between the channel and mitochondria via the cytoskeletal network. We find that L‐type Ca2+ channel kinetics are altered in cTnI‐G203S cardiac myocytes and that activation of the channel causes a significantly greater increase in mitochondrial membrane potential and metabolic activity in cTnI‐G203S cardiac myocytes. These responses occur as a result of impaired communication between the L‐type Ca2+ channel and cytoskeletal protein F‐actin, involving decreased movement of actin–myosin and block of the mitochondrial voltage‐dependent anion channel, resulting in a ‘hypermetabolic’ mitochondrial state. We propose that L‐type Ca2+ channel antagonists, such as diltiazem, might be effective in reducing the cardiomyopathy by normalizing mitochondrial metabolic activity.
Awareness of Age-Related Change and Depressive Symptoms in Middle and Late Adulthood: Longitudinal Associations and the Role of Self-Regulation and Calendar Age

Objectives Studies that examine bidirectional relations between subjective aging and depressive symptoms have remained rare. We addressed this issue by investigating longitudinal linkages between awareness of age-related change (AARC) and depressive symptomatology in midlife and old age. Assimilative and accommodative self-regulation strategies and calendar age were studied as moderators. Method Analyses were based on two measurements (Time 1: 2012, N = 423 (40-98 years); Time 2: 2015, N = 356). AARC was operationalized as perceived age-related gains and losses. Data were analyzed by means of a cross-lagged panel model and multiple regression. Results Perceived losses but not gains had an effect on change in depressive symptoms over time. The reverse effect with depressive symptoms predicting change in AARC was not significant. The association between perceived gains but not losses and change in depressive symptoms was moderated by self-regulation; when perceived gains were low, less increase in depressive symptoms was reported when accommodation was high. The association between AARC and change in depressive symptoms was stable across the entire second half of the life span. Discussion Results suggest that a better integration of research on subjective aging with clinically relevant developmental outcomes is a promising future pathway.
Co-localization of 1 , 4-dihydropyridine receptor α 2 / δ subunit and N-CAM during early myogenesis in vitro

The surface distribution of the α2/δ subunit of the 1,4-dihydropyridine receptor and its topographical relationship with the neural cell adhesion molecule (N-CAM) were investigated during early myogenesis in vitro, by double immunocytochemical labeling with the monoclonal antibody 3007 and an anti-N-CAM polyclonal antiserum. The monoclonal antibody 3007 has been previously shown to immunoprecipitate dihydropyridine receptor from skeletal muscle T-tubules. In further immunoprecipitation experiments on such preparations and muscle cell cultures, it was demonstrated here that the monoclonal antibody 3007 exclusively recognizes the α2/δ subunit of the 1,4-dihydropyridine receptor. In rabbit muscle cell cultures, the labeling for both α2/δ and N-CAM was first detected on myoblasts, in the form of spots on the membrane and perinuclear patches. Spots of various sizes organized in aggregates were then found on the membrane of myotubes. At fusion (T0), aggregates of N-CAM spots alone were found at the junction between fusing cells. At T6 and later stages, all α2/δ aggregates present on myotubes co-localized with N-CAM, while less than 3% of N-CAM aggregates did not co-localize with α2/δ. A uniform N-CAM staining also made its appearance. At T12, when myotubes showed prominent contractility, α2/δ–N-CAM aggregates diminished in size. Dispersed α2/δ spots of a small regular size spread over the whole surface of the myotubes and alignments of these spots became visible. Corresponding N-CAM spots were now occasionally seen, and uniform N-CAM staining was prominent. These results show that α2/δ and N-CAM are co-localized and that their distributions undergo concomitant changes during early myogenesis until the T-tubule network starts to be organized. This suggest that these two proteins might jointly participate in morphogenetic events preceding the formation of T-tubules.
Screening for biotinidase deficiency in newborns: worldwide experience.

Between January 24, 1984, and December 31, 1988, 29 screening programs for biotinidase deficiency in newborns were established in 12 countries, and 4,396,834 newborns were screened. The worldwide incidence is based on screening programs in Australia, Austria, Canada, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, The United States, and West Germany. Biotinidase deficiency was detected in 72 newborns; 32 had profound biotinidase deficiency (less than 10% of mean normal activity level) and 40 had partial deficiency (10% to 30% of mean normal activity level). The combined incidence of profound and partial deficiency was 1 case per 61,067 live births (1:49 500 to 1:79 544; 95% confidence interval), the estimated frequency of the recessive allele was 0.0040, and the frequency of heterozygosity was estimated to be 1:123. Profound deficiency occurred in 1 per 137,401 live births (1:109,300 to 1:211,200), and partial deficiency in 1 per 109,921 live births (1:86,600 to 1:159,700). Most available parents of children with profound and partial deficiency had biotinidase activity levels intermediate between zero and mean normal activity levels. Six children with profound deficiency were symptomatic at, or soon after, the time of diagnosis; no infant with partial deficiency has become symptomatic, but little is known about the natural history of infants with partial deficiency. Most children whose biotinidase deficiency was detected by newborn screening were white, one was black, and one Hispanic; biotinidase deficiency has not been detected in Oriental children. Although 8 pilot programs have terminated, 21 will continue either indefinitely or until predetermined targets are reached, and 3 new programs were scheduled to begin in January 1989. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Effectiveness of Short Message Service for Communication With Concerns of Privacy Protection and Conflict Avoidance

Why would people use Short Message Service (SMS) to say something they would not say in person? There is a trend that SMS is becoming more and more popular because it facilitates more extended modes of communications. Using technology acceptance model, we hypothesize the attitude of SMS would be influenced by its perceived effectiveness for communications, perceived ease of use, and subjective norm. Besides the special aspects of communications, conflict avoidance and privacy protection will enforce the impact of perceived effectiveness of SMS for communication. We investigated 953 SMS users and the results support most of our hypotheses. Furthermore, our analyses also show there are differences between females and males on the influence mechanism behind their attitude towards SMS.
Understanding Residents’ Work: Moving Beyond Counting Hours to Assessing Educational Value

Purpose To begin to understand how residents’ work affects their own educations and the hospitals in which most of their training takes place, the authors undertook a systematic review of the literature analyzing residents’ activities. This review sought to analyze resident physicians’ activities to assess the educational value of residents’ work. Method The published literature was searched in 2001 using the Medline and Science Citation Index databases, and the unpublished literature was searched using bibliographies and key informants. One hundred six studies were rated for methodological rigor using the Cochrane Collaboration protocol, as modified by Bland et al. for nonclinical trials. Only those studies undertaken following the Bell Commission’s report in 1987 and whose methodological rigor score fell at or above the median for all studies rated were included in the data synthesis. Results data from 16 studies that included over 1,000 residents in six different specialties, were combined under the definitions of types of residents’ activities: marginal, patient care, teaching and learning, and other. Results This preliminary analysis found that residents devoted approximately 36% of their effort to direct patient care necessary to achieve specialty-specific learning objectives, 15% to the residency program’s organized teaching activities, and potentially as much as 35% to delivering patient care of marginal or no educational value. An additional 16% of residents’ waking time on duty was spent in other, unspecified activities. Conclusion It is possible and potentially valuable to consider not only the number of hours worked by residents, but the educational content of their work when considering residency work and hour reforms
The rules of Facebook friendship

The present study examined friendship rules on the online social networking site Facebook. Study 1 used focus group data to inductively create a list of 36 Facebook friendship rules. Study 2 utilized survey data to examine college students’ endorsement of the various rules in close, casual, and acquaintance friendships. Results indicated five categories of Facebook friendship rules, which included rules regarding communication channels, deception and control, relational maintenance, negative consequences for the self, and negative consequences for a friend. Additionally, close friends, casual friends, and acquaintances significantly differed in their endorsement of four of the five rules categories. Results suggested that interaction rules provide a useful framework for the study of online social networking sites.
Cochleovestibular Symptoms Related to the Site of Vestibular Schwannoma

The purpose of the investigation was to study the symptoms that may provide clues to the early diagnosis of vestibular schwannoma (VS). The symptoms associated with VS in 41 patients were compared with the tumour locations detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There were 9 (22%) mainly intracanalicular and 32 (78%) mainly extracanalicular tumours. MRI visualized the enhancement of the intracanalicular nerve in 27 of 32 extracanalicular schwannomas. Hearing impairment was found as an initial symptom equally frequently in patients with intra- or extracanalicular VS. Tinnitus was reported as the first symptom more often in patients with extracanalicular VS and dizziness more often in patients with intracanalicular tumours. At the time of diagnosis, unilateral hearing loss was present in 98% of patients, independent of tumour location. Likewise, dizziness was found equally frequently in both patient groups. Instead, tinnitus was found almost significantly more frequently in patients with intracanalicular VS ( p =0.07). Although statistically insignificantly so, neurological symptoms were more common in patients with extracanalicular VS ( p =0.45).
SCREENING OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF FOUR MEDICINAL PLANTS OF BALOCHISTAN-PAKISTAN

The Balochistan province possesses rich medicinal herbal resources, but has not been evaluated scientifically. Different plants of province or its parts are generally used to treat different ailments of animals as well as human being. In the present study, Crude Methanol Extracts (CME) of four plants of Balochistan (Berberis baluchistanica, Seriphidium quettense, Iphiona aucheri, Ferula costata) have been tested for a wide array of antimicrobial activity against three gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes) and four gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Zones of inhibition of CMEs were determined by disc diffusion method and MIC was tested by agar dilution method and agar well diffusion method. All the plant extracts were found to be effective against all the tested bacteria. Berberis baluchistanica was the most effective one showing higher zones of inhibition and lowest MIC values whereas Ferula costata performed comparatively least activity. Salmonella typhimurium and Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited resistance with the highest rate. These and other medicinal plants of the province have got great potential to be used in research area for the production of different goods in the future.
BASP1 Is a Transcriptional Cosuppressor for the Wilms' Tumor Suppressor Protein WT1

ABSTRACT The Wilms' tumor suppressor protein WT1 is a transcriptional regulator that plays a key role in the development of the kidneys. The transcriptional activation domain of WT1 is subject to regulation by a suppression region within the N terminus of WT1. Using a functional assay, we provide direct evidence that this requires a transcriptional cosuppressor, which we identify as brain acid soluble protein 1 (BASP1). WT1 and BASP1 associate within the nuclei of cells that naturally express both proteins. BASP1 can confer WT1 cosuppressor activity in transfection assays, and elimination of endogenous BASP1 expression augments transcriptional activation by WT1. BASP1 is present in the developing nephron structures of the embryonic kidney and, coincident with that of WT1, its expression is restricted to the highly specialized podocyte cells of the adult kidney. Taken together, our results show that BASP1 is a WT1-associated factor that can regulate WT1 transcriptional activity.
Antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic bacteria: lessons learned from host-specific pathogens

Abstract The relative contribution of veterinary and human clinical treatments to the selection of antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic pathogens remains controversial. In this review, we consider bacterial pathogens that differ in host specificity and address their resistance profiles: pathogens that only occur in the human host, pathogens that are specific to particular food-producing animals and pathogens that occur in both host types. Compared with those pathogens restricted to a single animal host, pathogens found in both human and animal hosts appear to have higher incidences of resistance. However, the most urgent and severe resistance problems occur with pathogens exclusively infecting humans. Differences exist in the available genetic repertoire of a bacterial species and these are reflected in the observed resistance patterns; it is important to note that different bacterial species do not automatically result in similarly resistant populations when they undergo comparable selection in different host species. Thus, within a bacterial species, prevalence of resistance can differ between populations isolated from different hosts. For some species, fluctuations in dominant subpopulations, for instance particular serotypes, can be the most important factor determining resistance. The frequently expressed opinion that veterinary use of antimicrobials is at the heart of many resistance problems may be an oversimplification of the complex forces at play.
ENGLISH AND GERMAN LEARNERS’ LEVEL OF COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE IN WRITING AND SPEAKING

Novija istraživanja komunikacijske kompetencije ucenika stranoga jezika upozorila su kako ucenici razlicitih stranih jezika ne postižu istu razinu komunikacijske kompetencije u pojedinim jezicima nakon istog broja godina ucenja tih jezika. Glavna svrha istraživanja prikazanog u ovom radu jest usporedba razine komunikacijske kompetencije hrvatskih ucenika engleskog i njemackog jezika u pisanju i govorenju. Na A2 razini nisu utvrđene znacajne razlike između te dvije skupine ucenika (4-5 godina ucenja, osnovna skola) u razini njihove opce komunikacijske kompetencije u tim jezicima u pisanju i govorenju. Na toj razini gotovo da se nisu ispoljile znacajne razlike niti u razini ovladanosti pojedinim komponentama komunikacijske kompetencije. Međutim, na B1 razini ucenici engleskoga i njemackog kao stranih jezika (8-9 godina ucenja jezika, srednja skola) ne postižu niti istu razinu ovladanosti opcom komunikacijskom kompetencijom u pisanju i govorenju niti istu razinu ovladanosti vecinom komponenata komunikacijske kompetencije. U diskusiji se razmatraju razlozi koji su mogli dovesti do tih nalaza kao i njihova relevantnost za ucenje i poucavanje engleskoga i njemackoga jezika u hrvatskom obrazovnom kontekstu.
Three Dimensional Visual Display Systems for Virtual Environments

This paper surveys three-dimensional (3D) visual display technology as it relates to realtime, interactive systems—or virtual environment systems. Five major 3D display types are examined: stereoscopic, lenticular, parallax barrier, slice-stacking, and holographic displays. The major characteristics of each display type are examined, i.e. spatial resolution, depth resolution, field of view, viewing zone, bandwidth, etc. In addition, the corresponding parameters of the human visual systems are described. The different display systems, as well as the human visual system, are compared in tabular form.
Toward a Sustainability Label for Food Products: An Analysis of Experts' and Consumers' Acceptance

The recent proliferation of standards and labels for organic, fair-trade, locally produced, and healthy food products risks creating confusion among consumers. This study presents a standardized approach to developing a comprehensive sustainability label that incorporates ecological, economic, and social values. The methodology is based on an extension of modular life-cycle assessment to non-environmental sustainability criteria. Interviews with a wide range of experts (n = 65) and a consumer survey (n = 233) were conducted to analyze the feasibility and potential effectiveness of the approach. Responses indicated that a comprehensive sustainability label could considerably influence consumption patterns and facilitate cross-product comparisons.
Organization and transcriptional analysis of the Listeria phage A511 late gene region comprising the major capsid and tail sheath protein genes cps and tsh

A511 is a broad-host-range, virulent myovirus for Listeria monocytogenes. The genes encoding major structural proteins of the capsid (cps) and tail sheath (tsh) were mapped to a 10.15-kb late gene fragment. We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of this region and confirmed the identities of Cps (48.7 kDa) and Tsh (61.3 kDa) by N-terminal amino acid sequencing of both proteins. In addition, nine other open reading frames were identified. On the basis of amino acid sequence homologies to known phage-encoded proteins, some putative functions and locations could be assigned to some of the deduced gene products. We present evidence that the cps product is proteolytically cleaved between Lys-23 and Ser-24 to yield the 444-residue polypeptide found in the mature viral capsid. We also found that the N-terminal methionine is absent from the mature tail sheath protein. cps and tsh are late genes; mRNAs first appear 15 to 20 min after infection of L. monocytogenes. Northern (RNA) hybridizations of total late mRNA with specific oligonucleotide probes were used to determine the sizes of respective transcripts. Primer extension analyses enabled the positive identification of six late promoters, which were found to differ from those identified in the chromosome of Listeria spp. The bulk of transcripts from cps and tsh arise from two phage promoters with identical 13-nucleotide sequences (TGCTAGATTATAG [core region underlined]) in the -10 region which we speculate determines specific and timed expression of these genes. A 123-nucleotide leader sequence at the 5' end of the cps transcript was predicted to form a strong secondary structure (deltaG=-40.7 kcal [-170.3 kJ]/mol). Out results show that the strongly expressed A511 cps and tsh genes are included in two separate gene clusters and are independently regulated at the transcriptional level.
The number of authors of scientific publications

As in most other scientific journals, the number of authors per paper published in Acta Paediatrica is gradually increasing. In the 2003 volume, the number of authors was six or more in about one‐third of the Regular papers and Clinical observations. The editorial board has handled several conflicts of interest due to disputes about authorship.
A novel resolver-to-DC converter based on OTA-based inverse-sine function circuit

A new technique for realizing the resolver-to-DC converter using the OTA-based inverse-sine function circuit is presented. The proposed converter comprises the demodulator, absolute detector, minimum detector, plusmn unity-gain amplifier, controlled signal logic circuit, and OTA-based inverse-sine function circuit. The output voltage is linearly proportional to the resolver angle with maximum absolute error of about 0.195%, which is less than the error from the conventional resolver-to-DC converter based on the similar OTA-based inverse-sine function circuit. PSPICE simulation and experimental results verifying the performances of the proposed circuit are in close agreement with the expected values.
Structural origin of the pinpoint-composition effect on the glass-forming ability in the NiNb alloy system

Great research efforts to investigate the glass-forming ability (GFA) in alloys have been made, leading to an observation that a pinpoint composition produces the best glass-forming characteristics. The reason for this observation is still unknown, limiting the development of bulk metallic glasses (MGs) with a relatively large size. In this work, systematic experimental measurements coupled with calculations were performed to address this issue using the NiNb binary alloy system. It is found that the atomic-level packing efficiency and the clusters-level regularity parameters strongly contribute to their GFA. In particular, the best glass former found in a pinpoint composition possesses the local maximum of the atomic-packing efficiency and the highest degree of the cluster regularity. This work provides an understanding of GFA from atomic and cluster levels and will shed light on the development of more MGs with relatively large critical casting sizes.