Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Voltage clamp analysis of cholinergic action in the hippocampus

A slow muscarinic EPSP, accompanied by an increase in membrane input resistance, can be elicited in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells in vitro by electrical stimulation of cholinergic afferents in the slice preparation. Associated with the slow EPSP is a blockade of calcium- activated potassium afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs) (Cole and Nicoll, 1984a). In this study a single-electrode voltage clamp was used to examine the currents affected by activation of muscarinic receptors, using either bath application of carbachol or electrical stimulation of the cholinergic afferents. The 3 main findings of this study are that (1) of the 2 calcium-activated potassium currents (termed IAHP and IC) in hippocampal pyramidal cells, only IAHP is sensitive to carbachol; (2) IAHP is approximately 10-fold more sensitive to carbachol than is another muscarine-sensitive current, IM; and (3) neither blockade of IAHP nor of IM can account for the production of the slow EPSP. Rather, the slow EPSP appears to be generated by the blockade of a nonvoltage- dependent, resting potassium current. We propose that the muscarinic blockade of IAHP, which largely accounts for spike frequency adaptation, is primarily involved in enhancing action potential discharge to depolarizing stimuli, while the slow EPSP acts directly to cause action potential discharge.
Identification of molecular markers altered during transformation of differentiated into anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.

HYPOTHESIS A change in tumor expression profile will be observed during the transformation of differentiated into anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. DESIGN Cohort study. SETTING Population-based sample (British Columbia). PATIENTS Sequential archival cases of anaplastic thyroid cancer with an adjacent associated differentiated thyroid cancer focus, and with available paraffin blocks, that had been diagnosed and treated in British Columbia during a 20-year period (12 cases; January 1, 1984, through December 31, 2004) were identified through the provincial tumor registry for tissue microarray construction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Significant associations between marker staining and tumor pathologic diagnosis (differentiated vs anaplastic) were determined with contingency table and marginal homogeneity tests. A classifier algorithm was also used to identify useful and important molecular classifiers. RESULTS Overall, there were 3 up-regulated and 5 down-regulated markers when comparing the anaplastic carcinoma with associated differentiated thyroid cancers. Contingency table statistics identified 5 markers (thyroglobulin, Bcl-2, MIB-1, E-cadherin, and p53) to be significantly differentially expressed by the anaplastic and differentiated tumor foci. These 5 markers and 3 others (beta-catenin, topoisomerase II-alpha, and vascular endothelial growth factor) were significant when evaluated using the marginal homogeneity test. Clustering and classification analysis based on these same 8 markers readily separated differentiated and anaplastic thyroid tumors with a high degree of accuracy. CONCLUSION The markers we observed to change during thyroid tumor progression may not only show promise as molecular diagnostic or prognostic tools but also warrant further study as potential targets for treatment of disease.
The Impact of Digital Technology on Consumer Purchase Behavior

The retail industry is going through a transformation, according to a study by Synchrony Financial. The transformation is largely driven by the influence of digital technology on the shopping experience. According to the third annual Digital Consumer Study, almost 50% of consumers say they have performed shopping-related tasks on their mobile phones in the past three months. Consumers state they are using digital technology to research, browse and purchase, sometimes all on one website. As a result, retailers have implemented new strategies to attract and retain this omni-channel shopper. Some strategies include responsive website design, free shipping offers, mobile alerts and content marketing. The imperative to implement these digital tools has gone from spotty and isolated, to mainstream and necessary. In this article, we summarize the results of the Digital Study and outline strategies retailers use to proactively engage this new shopper.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Susceptibility Testing by an Automated System, Autobac I

The Autobac I system was used to evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates. The results of the Autobac I were compared with the results of the disk diffusion method. The disk diffusion susceptibility pattern showed resistance to methicillin/oxacillin, penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, and kanamycin. All isolates were susceptible to cephalothin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and gentamicin. There was at least 96% agreement using the Autobac I system with all antibiotics except methicillin and clindamycin. Seventy percent of 57 isolates were recorded as susceptible to methicillin, whereas 9% had an intermediate susceptibility. With clindamycin, 14% were recorded as susceptible and 7% were recorded as intermediate. Upon prolonged incubation of the Autobac I cuvette, the agreement between the two methods was 44% for methicillin and 93% for clindamycin. Changes in the environmental conditions, such as use of 5% sodium chloride broth and a 32°C incubation temperature, did not increase the detection of methicillin-resistant isolates by the Autobac I system.
Peer Reviewed Title: Impaired GABAB receptor signaling dramatically up-regulates Kiss1 expression selectively in nonhypothalamic brain regions of adult but not prepubertal mice

Kisspeptin, encoded by Kiss1, stimulates reproduction and is synthesized in the hypothalamic anteroventral periventricularandarcuate nuclei. Kiss1 is also expressed at lower levels in the medial amygdala (MeA) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), but the regulation
THE EFFECT ON GROWTH OF CHILDHOOD ASTHMA

ABSTRACT. Martin, A. J., Landau, L. I. and Phelan, P. D. (Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia). The effect on growth of childhood asthma. Acta Paediatr Scand, 70:683,. –The effect on growth of asthma has been documented in a prospective study from age 7 to 21 years in a randomly selected group of 342 subjects. These subjects covered the whole spectrum of childhood wheezing. Growth suppression was first noted at 10 years of age in the more severely affected groups and was most marked at 14 years of age. By 21 years of age, all groups had achieved a height and weight not significantly different from control subjects. Growth delay occurred in children with more persistent asthma even if they had never received oral corticosteroid therapy but growth was more delayed in those receiving oral steroids. The effect of steroids was most significant in those with frequent episodic asthma whose asthma alone was probably not sufficiently severe to retard growth.
Taurine status and response to intravenous taurine supplementation in adults with short-bowel syndrome undergoing long-term parenteral nutrition: a pilot study

Taurine deficiency in patients on long-term parenteral nutrition may be involved in cholestasis. We aimed to assess plasma taurine and tauro-conjugated bile acids in adults with short-bowel syndrome and their response to intravenous taurine. Thirty-two adult patients, who had been on taurine-free parenteral nutrition for a mean of 59(SE14) months for short-bowel syndrome, were studied retrospectively. In a second study, a subgroup of ten patients with chronic cholestasis received taurine-enriched (6·0(SE0·6)mg/kg per d) parenteral nutrition for 55(SE13) months. Post-absorptive plasma taurine and bile acid concentrations were measured and liver function tests routinely sampled. At baseline, plasma taurine was lower in patients with a jejunal length of less than 35cm (group A, n 16) than in those with a jejunal length of 35cm or more (group B, n 16): 43(SE3) v. 58(SE4)μmol/l (P=0·01). The groups were no different in terms of chronic cholestasis (1/6v.1/6 patients), total bile acids (26(SE13)v.14(SE5)μmol/l) or the ratio of tauro-conjugated:glyco-conjugated bile acids (5(SE2)v.8(SE 4)%, usual range 30–60%). After supplementation, there was an increase in plasma taurine level (63(SE8)v. 43(SE4), P=0·007) but was no change in either total bile acids or the ratio of tauro-conjugated: glyco-conjugated bile acids. There was a significant decrease in aspartate aminotransferase level. Long-term parenteral nutrition for short-bowel syndrome is associated with an impaired tauro-conjugation of bile acids (enterohepatic pool), irrespective of plasma taurine level (systemic pool) and despite long-term taurine intravenous supplementation.
Fine structure of the bovine parotid gland.

成熟したウシの耳下腺の腺胞・介在部および線条部について, 光学顕微鏡ならびに透過・走査電子顕微鏡で観察した. 耳下腺の腺腔は広く明瞭で, 腺胞細胞は微酸好性で, PASに弱く反応し, ABに染まらない漿液細胞であった. 電顕的に, 腺胞細胞は明調・暗調細胞, さらに, 細胞小器官の少ない明るい特殊細胞からなり, 前二者の細胞は種々の分泌顆粒を有していた. 腺腔は広く, 細胞間隙ならびに細胞間分泌細管がよく発達し, これらに面する細胞自由面には, よく発達した微絨毛やアポクリン突起がみられた. また, 明調細胞の核上部には, 多くのミトコンドリアが認められたが, 粗面小胞体は短桿状を呈し, その分布は疎であった. 介在部は, 丈の低いPAS陽性で, ABに染まらない立方上皮細胞からなり, 電顕的には, 明調細胞のみからなり, 明らかな分泌顆粒は認められなかった. 線条部は, PAS陽性で, ABに染まらない丈の高い円柱上皮細胞からなり, 明調・暗調細胞と, さらに明るい特殊細胞がみられた. これらの細胞には, いずれにも明らかな分泌顆粒は認められなかった. 管腔面の構造は, さまざまな形状を示し, 大きく2つの型がみられた. 一つは, 短かい微絨毛が比較的少ないものから多数存在するもの, 他は, 前者と形態的に全く異なり, 細胞の項部が膨隆していた. さらに, 線条部の底部には, 酸好性で電子密度の異なる種々の顆粒をもつ特殊基底細胞が認められた。
First time mothers' pregnancy and birth experiences varying by age.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive picture of the young to the old first time mother as she presents to the clinician in terms of background, expectations, experiences and outcome of labour. METHODS A longitudinal cohort study was conducted, including 1,302 primiparous women recruited at their first booking visit, at 593 antenatal clinics in Sweden (97% of all clinics), during three 1-week periods, evenly spread over 1 year in 1999 and 2000. Two questionnaires were posted and completed: in the second trimester and 2 months after the birth. Women were divided into 5 age groups, with women aged 26-29 as reference. RESULTS The very young women, aged 15-20 years, had the most negative expectations of the upcoming birth. During pregnancy they were more worried and a depressive mood was more common than in the reference group, as were social problems such as unemployment and lack of support. After the birth, they remembered being more afraid and experiencing more pain and lack of control during labour. In spite of this, their overall experience of childbirth did not differ from the reference group. In contrast, the oldest women, aged 35-43 years, did not have negative feelings about the upcoming birth during pregnancy, and did not remember being afraid or experiencing more pain than the reference group, but experienced childbirth overall as more difficult. Only 57% of the oldest women had a normal vaginal delivery compared with 77% of the youngest women. In addition, 7% of the newborns in the oldest group were transferred to the neonatal clinic after the birth, which was almost 3 times as often as in the reference group. CONCLUSION This study showed that expectations and experiences of childbirth vary by maternal age. Whereas the youngest women were more exposed to social and psychological problems, which may have affected their expectations and experiences during labour, the oldest women may have suffered from the biological disadvantage of high maternal age, which is associated with a more complicated delivery. When looking back at labour and birth, the youngest women probably felt that the total experience was better than expected, whereas the opposite may have been the case for the oldest group.
Dosimetric evaluation of conventional radiotherapy, 3‐D conformal radiotherapy and direct machine parameter optimisation intensity‐modulated radiotherapy for breast cancer after conservative surgery

Introduction: The use of conservative surgery combined with whole‐breast irradiation (WBI) has been established as a valid alternative to mastectomy for the management of early‐stage breast cancer. The aim of this study was to compare dosimetric parameters of the planning target volume(PTV) and organs at risk (OARs) between conventional radiation therapy (CR), 3‐D conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT), and direct machine parameter optimisation intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (DMPO‐IMRT) after breast‐conserving surgery.
A two-component tetrachlorohydroquinone reductive dehalogenase system from the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Tetrachloro-1,4-hydroquinone (TClHQ) is an intermediate in the degradation of pentachlorophenol by the lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Two enzymes required for the reductive dehalogenation of TClHQ to trichlorohydroquinone (TrClHQ) were identified in cell-free extracts of P. chrysosporium. In the presence of GSH, a membrane-bound enzyme converted TClHQ to the glutathionyl conjugate of TrClHQ (GS-TrClHQ). This membrane-bound glutathione transferase was specific for GSH as a cosubstrate. In the second step of the reductive dehalogenation reaction, a soluble enzyme fraction converted GS-TrClHQ to TrClHQ in the presence of GSH, cysteine, or dithiothreitol. Thus, this second enzyme appears to be a GS-conjugate reductase. These two enzyme fractions, working in tandem, also reductively dehalogenated TrClHQ and 2,6-dichlorohydroquinone, which are intermediates in the degradation of chlorophenols by this organism.
Expansion of coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and primary care utilization.

CONTEXT Provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) expand Medicaid to all individuals in families earning less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) and make available subsidies to uninsured lower-income Americans (133 to 400 percent of FPL) without access to employer-based coverage to purchase insurance in new exchanges. Since primary care physicians typically serve as the point of entry into the health care delivery system, an adequate supply of them is critical to meeting the anticipated increase in demand for medical care resulting from the expansion of coverage. This article provides state-level estimates of the anticipated increases in primary care utilization given the PPACA's provisions for expanded coverage. METHODS Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, this article estimates a multivariate regression model of annual primary care utilization. Using the model estimates and state-level information regarding the number of uninsured, it predicts, by state, the change in primary care visits expected from the expanded coverage. Finally, the article predicts the number of primary care physicians needed to accommodate this change in utilization. FINDINGS This expanded coverage is predicted to increase by 2019 the number of annual primary care visits between 15.07 million and 24.26 million. Assuming stable levels of physicians' productivity, between 4,307 and 6,940 additional primary care physicians would be needed to accommodate this increase. CONCLUSIONS The PPACA's health insurance expansion parameters are expected to significantly increase the use of primary care. Two strategies that policymakers may consider are creating stronger financial incentives to attract medical school students to primary care and changing the delivery of care in ways that lead to operational improvements, higher throughput, and better quality of care.
Differential involvement of 5-HT 1 A and 5-HT 1 B / 1 D receptor in human interferon-induced immobility

Although Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is a powerful drug in treating several viral infections and certain tumors, a considerable amount of neuropsychiatry side-effects such as depression and anxiety are unavoidable consequence. Combination with selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine significantly improved the situation. However, the potential 5-HT1A receptorand 5-HT1B receptor-signals, involved in the antidepressant effects are still unclear. Here we analyzed the effects of 5-HT1A receptorand 5-HT1B receptorsignals by using mouse forced swimming test (FST), a predictive test of antidepressant-like action. The present results indicate that: (1) fluoxetine (administrated intragastrically, 30 mg/kg; not subactive dose: 15 mg/kg) significantly reduced IFN-α-induced increase of the immobility time in the forced swimming test; (2) 5-HT1A receptorand 5-HT1B receptor-ligands along or combination have no effects on IFN-α-induced increase of the immobility time in the FST; (3) surprisingly, WAY 100635 (5-HT1A receptor antagonist) and 8-OH DPAT(5-HT1A receptor agonists) markedly enhanced the antidepressant effect of fluoxetine at subactive dose (15 mg/kg, i.g.) on the IFN-α-treated mice in the FST respectively; Further investigations showed that fluoxetine combined with WAY 100635 and 8-OH DPAT failed to produce antidepressant effects in the FST. (4) Co-application of CGS 12066A or GR 127935 with fluoxetine has no synergistic effects on the IFN-α induced increase of immobility time in FST. (5) Interestingly, co-administration of GR 127935, WAY 100635 and fluoxetine significantly reduced the IFN-α induced increase in immobility time of FST, which is more effective than that produced by the coadministration of WAY 100635 and fluoxetine. All results suggest that: (1) compared to 5-HT1B receptor, 5-HT1A receptor signal plays the dominant role in improving the anti-immobility effect of fluoxetine in the IFN-α-induced depression; (2) synergistic effect of 5-HT1B receptor with 5-HT1A receptor depends on fluoxetine-elevated basal level of serotonin in IFN-α-treated mice.
A New Current Phasor-Controlled ZVS Twin Half-Bridge High-Frequency Resonant Inverter for Induction Heating

A novel soft-switching high-frequency (HF) resonant (HF-R) inverter for induction heating (IH) applications is presented in this paper. By adopting the current phasor control of changing a phase shift (PS) angle between two half-bridge inverter units, the IH load resonant current can be regulated continuously under the condition of wide-range soft-switching operations. In addition to this, the dual-mode power regulation scheme-based PS angle control and asymmetrical pulsewidth modulation in one inverter unit is proposed for improving the efficiency in low output power settings. The essential performances on the output power regulation and soft-switching operations are demonstrated in an experiment using its 1-kW 60-kHz HF-R inverter prototype, and then, the topological validity is evaluated from a practical point of view.
Assessment of the immune and nutritional status of the host in childhood diarrhoea due to cryptosporidium.

Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected microscopically in the concentrated faecal smears (stained by modified kinyoun's acid fast stain) in 13 out of 100 (13 per cent) cases of acute diarrhoea (AD < 2 weeks duration), 7 out of 50 (14 per cent) cases of chronic diarrhoea (CD > 2 weeks duration) and none in 50 age matched controls. The grades of malnutrition of the cases and controls were calculated by the weight for age criteria and the immune status assessed by the levels of serum immunoglobulins and SIgA in duodenal fluids. Malnutrition was observed in 6 out of 13 cases (46.1 per cent) in acute and 6 out of 7 cases (85.71 per cent) in chronic cryptosporidial diarrhoeas. There was no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05) in serum immunoglobulins and SIgA levels in chronic cryptosporidiosis. SIgA was significantly reduced (P > 0.05) in cases of acute cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium is an important cause of symptomatic infection in apparently immunocompetent children not having been detected in a single non-diarrhoeal control. Further a low SIgA could contribute to acute symptomatic cryptosporidiosis by favouring colonization with the parasite.
Corporate Control and Governance in Banking

Banking firms face an industry specific set of agency problems. The heavily regulated nature of the industry alters the shareholder/manger relationship. The scope of market discipline in the industry is severely limited due to regulatory oversight. This article surveys the state of the corporate governance literature with an emphasis on reviewing the agency problems unique to the banking industry.
Urinary bile acids in population screening for inapparent liver disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS We performed this study in order to evaluate the diagnostic potential of bile acids in random samples of urine for detection of latent liver disease and to compare a radioimmunoassay for urine bile acids with an enzymatic method that detects bile acid sulfates. This was a prospective cohort study carried out at the VA Medical Center involving 151 adults who attended a Community Health Fair at the hospital and wanted to know if they had liver disease. METHODOLOGY Urinary bile acids in random specimens of 5-10 ml urine were measured. Radioimmunoassay for primary bile acids and an enzymatic assay with or without sulfated bile acids, all corrected with creatinine for urine flow were performed. Serum primary bile acids were determined by radioimmunoassay. In addition, routine liver profile and clinical examination were carried out. RESULTS In 78 of 151 subjects there was at least one recent liver profile to match with the urine bile acids. Of these 78, 52 subjects with normal urine bile acids had a normal liver profile. In 11 subjects abnormal urine bile acids were associated with an abnormal liver profile. Nine of these 11 subjects were anti HCV positive, one was HIV positive. Urine bile acids correctly predicted the outcome of routine liver tests in 89% of 78 subjects. In nine cases there was a discordance between urinary bile acids and the liver profile. Failure to correctly predict the liver profile using urine, was reduced from nine subjects to three when urine bile acids were obtained twice at separate intervals. Urine bile acids predicted the outcome of anti HCV testing in 37 subjects with similar accuracy as serum ALT or AST. Urine bile acids correlated with serum bile acids at r=0.96, 0.88 and 0.76 for the radioimmunoassay, enzymatic assay that included sulfated bile acids and enzymatic assay without the sulfates, respectively. CONCLUSION Bile acids in a random sample of urine are useful for population screening for latent liver disease. Prediction of sub-clinical hepatitis C is comparable to that of serum ALT or AST. Inclusion of bile acid sulfates mildly increases the predictive value of urine. Urine bile acids highly correlate with serum bile acids, indicating their surrogate diagnostic value.