Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blockade of presynaptic adenosine A1 receptor responses by nitric oxide and superoxide in rat hippocampus

Activation of N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors prevents the neuronal responses to adenosine in hippocampal slices. As NMDA receptor activation leads to the generation of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide, we have examined whether these can modify neuronal responses to adenosine and mediate the actions of NMDA. Field excitatory postsynaptic potentials were recorded in the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. Paired‐pulse interactions were studied to localize the observed interactions to presynaptic terminals. The NO donors S‐nitroso‐N‐acetylpenicillamine and diethylamine NONOate induced a long‐lasting potentiation (NO‐induced potentiation) of field excitatory postsynaptic potential slope and significantly prevented the presynaptic inhibitory effect of adenosine or the A1 receptor agonist N6‐cyclopentyladenosine selectively with no effect on responses to baclofen. The superoxide‐generating system of xanthine/xanthine oxidase also prevented presynaptic responses to adenosine and this effect was prevented by superoxide dismutase (SOD). The guanylate cyclase inhibitor 1H‐[1,2,4]‐oxadiazolo[4,3a]quinoxalin‐1‐one (10 µm) prevented NO‐induced potentiation and the inhibitory effects of S‐nitroso‐N‐acetylpenicillamine and xanthine/xanthine oxidase on adenosine responses. The inhibitory effect of NMDA on adenosine responses was unchanged by 1H‐[1,2,4]‐oxadiazolo[4,3a]quinoxalin‐1‐one, indicating that guanosine‐3′,5‐cyclic monophosphate does not mediate this interaction, although it was partially reduced by SOD, suggesting that superoxide might contribute. The reduction of adenosine responses by electrically‐induced long‐term potentiation was prevented by NO synthase inhibition or SOD. The results indicate that the presynaptic effects of adenosine at presynaptic sites can be prevented by NO or superoxide but that neither of these individually can fully account for the prevention of adenosine responses by NMDA.
Waking Up from the American Dream: On the Experience of Young Americans During the Housing Boom of the 2000s

We exploit regional variations in house price fluctuations in the United States during the early to mid-2000s to study the impact of the housing boom on young Americans' choices related to home ownership, household formation, and fertility. We also introduce a novel instrument for changes in house prices based on the predetermined industrial structure of the local economy. We find that in MSAs which experienced large increases in house prices between 2001 and 2006, the youngest households were substantially less likely to purchase residential property, to be married, and to have a child, both in 2006 and in 2011. JEL Classification: E32, G21, J10, R21
Mode of Action of Lactococcin B, a Thiol-Activated Bacteriocin from Lactococcus lactis

Lactococcin B (LcnB) is a small, hydrophobic, positively charged bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris 9B4. Purified LcnB has a bactericidal effect on sensitive L. lactis cells by dissipating the proton motive force and causing leakage of intracellular substrates. The activity of LcnB depends on the reduced state of the Cys-24 residue. Uptake and efflux studies of different solutes suggest that LcnB forms pores in the cytoplasmic membrane of sensitive L. lactis cells in the absence of a proton motive force. At low concentrations of LcnB, efflux of those ions and amino acids which are taken up by proton motive force-driven systems was observed. However, a 150-fold higher LcnB concentration was required for efflux of glutamate, previously taken up via a unidirectional ATP-driven transport system. Strains carrying the genetic information for the immunity protein against LcnB were not affected by LcnB. The proton motive force of immune cells was not dissipated, and no leakage of intracellular substrates could be detected.
The Impact of Content Delivery Networks on the Internet Ecosystem

Are Tier 1 ISPs and “hyper-giant” content providers using preferential interconnection agreements to create Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) that allow them to provide an improved Quality of User Experience inconsistent with network neutrality principles? Yes, say the authors, and they recommend that regulators address these possibly oligopolistic and anti-competitive practices. The effects arising from these CDNs, the authors show, are the same as those of regulated traffic prioritization. Using innovative models, original data, and analysis based on the experience of the Internet ecosystem in Spain, the authors conclude that lesser long tail content providers without significant market power are being cannibalized into such CDNs.
Robust Fingerprint Verification Using M-Triplets

Fingerprint verification has become one of the most active research areas nowadays. A key component of an accurate fingerprint verification system is the fingerprint matching algorithm. An accurate matching algorithm uses a robust fingerprint representation. In this paper, we introduce m-triplets, a new minutiae triplet representation and similarity for fingerprint verification. The proposed similarity shifts the triplets to find the best minutiae correspondence and it uses rules that discard not matching minutiae triplets without comparing the whole representation; hence, achieving high matching speed. To test the quality of the introduced representation and similarity, we modify a popular fingerprint verification algorithm. The modified algorithm achieves the best accuracy and speed in all the databases of FVC2004 compared with four accurate verification algorithms.
Propagation and Negative Refraction

In this article, we present a new theory to explain the phenomenon of negative refraction in bulk metamaterials. Unlike earlier theories, it does not rely on the existence of a single mode of propagation in materials with negative constitutive parameters. It is based on the interaction and phase reversal effects caused by the existence of two simultaneous electromagnetic (EM) modes in uniform inhomogeneous metamaterial structures. The theory is general in the sense that it may be applied with equal validity to quasilumped circuit-based microwave metamaterials and to optical negative refraction in bulk nanowire metamaterials. Validity of the theory is demonstrated with EM simulations of microwave and optical metamaterials.
Re‐imagining Alzheimer's disease – the diminishing importance of amyloid and a glimpse of what lies ahead

Many have criticized the amyloid cascade hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease for its inconsistencies and failures to either accurately predict disease symptoms or guide the development of productive therapies. In addition to criticisms, however, we believe that the field would benefit from having alternative narratives and disease models that can either replace or function alongside of an amyloid‐centric view of Alzheimer's. This review is an attempt to meet that need. We offer three experimentally verified amyloid‐independent mechanisms, each of which plausibly contributes substantially to the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease: loss of DNA integrity, faulty cell cycle regulation, regression of myelination. We outline the ways in which the failure of each can contribute to AD initiation and progression, and review how, acting alone or in combination with each other, they are sufficient for explaining the full range of AD pathologies. Yet, these three alternatives represent only a few of the many non‐amyloid mechanisms that can explain AD pathogenesis. Therefore instead of proposing a single ‘alternative hypothesis’ to the amyloid cascade theory, sporadic AD is pictured as the result of independent yet intersecting age‐related pathologies that afflict the ageing human brain.
Influences on Women's Participation in Cardiac Rehabilitation

&NA; The purpose of this study was to compare the cardiac rehabilitation referral and enrollment rates of men and women eligible for cardiac rehabilitation. A review of 202 hospital charts found that men and women were equally likely to be referred for cardiac rehabilitation, but women were significantly less likely to enroll (p > 0.05). Ten women who did not enroll and 20 women who did enroll were interviewed to determine factors that influenced their participation in the program. Major motives for enrolling included a desire to improve one's health and the strength of the physician's recommendation. Barriers to enrollment included concern for family members, transportation problems, physical limitations, and expense. Surprisingly, all of the women who did not enroll showed an interest when contacted after they were discharged from the hospital. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that cardiac rehabilitation staff telephone women after they are discharged to answer questions, clarify misconceptions, and encourage enrollment in a cardiac rehabilitation program.
Identifying early pathways of risk and resilience: The codevelopment of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and the role of harsh parenting

Abstract Psychological disorders co-occur often in children, but little has been done to document the types of conjoint pathways internalizing and externalizing symptoms may take from the crucial early period of toddlerhood or how harsh parenting may overlap with early symptom codevelopment. To examine symptom codevelopment trajectories, we identified latent classes of individuals based on internalizing and externalizing symptoms across ages 3–9 and found three symptom codevelopment classes: normative symptoms (low), severe-decreasing symptoms (initially high but rapidly declining), and severe symptoms (high) trajectories. Next, joint models examined how parenting trajectories overlapped with internalizing and externalizing symptom trajectories. These trajectory classes demonstrated that, normatively, harsh parenting increased after toddlerhood, but the severe symptoms class was characterized by a higher level and a steeper increase in harsh parenting and the severe-decreasing class by high, stable harsh parenting. In addition, a transactional model examined the bidirectional relationships among internalizing and externalizing symptoms and harsh parenting because they may cascade over time in this early period. Harsh parenting uniquely contributed to externalizing symptoms, controlling for internalizing symptoms, but not vice versa. In addition, internalizing symptoms appeared to be a mechanism by which externalizing symptoms increase. Results highlight the importance of accounting for both internalizing and externalizing symptoms from an early age to understand risk for developing psychopathology and the role harsh parenting plays in influencing these trajectories.
An hypothesis for the development of atopic allergy in man

Atopic allergy has long been recognized as a disease of immunologic origin. Most immunologists and allergists would now agree that the symptom complex seen in uncomplicated allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma is in large part attributable to the activity of pharmacologic intermediates either released from mast cells or formed in vivo as a consequence of specific antigen-antibody interactions. These interactions involve a highly specialized and extraordinarily active antibody of a newly defined immunoglobulin class (IgE) (Ishizaka & Ishizaka, 1966,1968; W.H.O., 1968) which has the capacity to sensitize cells for long periods of time for the subsequent triggering action of antigens. Immunoglobulin E is a normal constituent of human serum which is present at 1/40,000th the concentration of immunoglobulin G (Johansson, 1967). Recent studies suggest that IgE may be significantly increased in patients with atopic allergy (Johansson, 1967; Berg & Johannson, 1969; Schwartz & Buckley, 1971a; Kumar, Newcomb & Hornbrook, 1971; Yunginer & Gleich, 1971; HogarthScott et al., 1971) and that IgE levels rise with seasonal allergen exposure. It may be elevated as well in many other diseases, among which are severe liver disease, hypersensitivity aspergillosis, coehac disease, visceral larva migrans, ascariasis, pulmonary haemosiderosis and rare forms of infectious disease (Buckley, Wray & Belmaker, 1971; Heiner & Rose, 1970; Johansson, Mellkin & Vahlquist, 1968). However, it has never been clearly understood why the specific antibodies of this class, which react with air-borne antigens and are responsible for the symptoms of hay fever and asthma, appear in only certain individuals exposed to these antigens. The present article advances a general hypothesis to explain one underlying basic abnormality leading to the development of IgE-mediated human atopic allergy.
Wide-field digital retinal imaging versus binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy for retinopathy of prematurity screening: a two-observer prospective, randomised comparison

Aim: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of wide-field digital retinal imaging (WFDRI) with the current “gold standard” of binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy (BIO) for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening examinations. Methods: A consecutive series of premature infants undergoing ROP screening at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary were eligible for recruitment into this prospective, randomised, comparative study. Infants were screened using both WFDRI (Retcam II with neonatal lens) and BIO by two paediatric ophthalmologists who were randomised to the examination technique. Both examiners documented their clinical findings and management plans in a masked fashion. WFDRI eye findings were compared with those of BIO. Results: A total of 81 infants were recruited, and information from 245 eye examinations was analysed. The sensitivity of WFDRI in detecting any stage of ROP, stage 3 ROP and “plus” disease was 60%, 57% and 80%, respectively, and specificity 91%, 98% and 98%, respectively. The proportional agreement between WFDRI and BIO was 0.96 for detecting stage 3 disease and 0.97 for detecting “plus” disease. There was very good agreement on management decisions (kappa 0.85). Conclusion: When used in a routine ROP screening setting, a randomised comparison of WFDRI and BIO, WFDRI showed relatively poor sensitivity in detecting mild forms of ROP in the retinal periphery. This resulted in difficulty in making decisions to discharge infants from the screening programme. Sensitivity was better for more severe forms of ROP, but at present WFDRI should be regarded as an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, BIO in routine ROP screening.
Mutation within TARDBP leads to Frontotemporal Dementia without motor neuron disease

It has been recently demonstrated that the 43‐kDa transactive response (TAR)‐DNA‐binding protein (TARDBP) is the neuropathological hallmark of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) with ubiquitin‐positive and tau‐negative inclusions. Large series of FTD patients without motor neuron disease have been previously analysed, but no TARDBP mutation was identified. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether TARDBP gene mutations may be associated with FTD. We report that a pathogenetic TARDBP mutation is causative of behavioural variant FTD (bvFTD). An aged woman in her seventies initially started to present apathy and depression associated with impairment in executive functions. The diagnosis of bvFTD (apathetic syndrome) was accomplished by three‐year follow‐up, and structural and functional neuroimaging. By five‐years after onset, extensive electrophysiological investigations excluded subclinical motor neuron disease. In this patient, a single base substitution c.800A>G of TARDBP gene was identified. This mutation, already described as causative of ALS, predicted the amino acidic change arginine to serine at position 267 (N267S). In silico analysis demonstrated that this substitution generates a new phosphorylation site, and western blot analysis on lymphoblastoid cells reported a decrease of protein expression in N267S mutation carrier. Our study suggests that TARDBP mutations can be pathogenetic of bvFTD without motor neuron disease. TARDBP screening needs to be considered in FTD cases. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of using social network services on workplace ostracism, job satisfaction, and innovative behaviour

ABSTRACT Research has found workplace ostracism to negatively impact workplace attitudes and behaviours such as job satisfaction, organisational citizenship behaviour, and job performance. However, research investigating beyond the direct effects of workplace ostracism and findings about boundary conditions for mitigating the negative effects of workplace ostracism are limited in organisational studies. In this regard, this study explored the mediating effects of job satisfaction on the relationship between workplace ostracism and innovative behaviour and the moderating effects of social networking services for work-related purposes for the relationship between workplace ostracism and job satisfaction. The two-wave study consisted of 237 full-time employees in large organisations in South Korea. The hierarchical regression analyses resulted in job satisfaction to mediate the relationship between workplace ostracism and innovative behaviour and social network service to significantly moderate the relationship between workplace ostracism and job satisfaction. Moreover, mediated moderation was found for the study model, which further suggests that using social network services for work-related purposes had indirect effects on innovative behaviour.
Reading through a noisy channel: why there's nothing special about the perception of orthography.

The goal of research on how letter identity and order are perceived during reading is often characterized as one of "cracking the orthographic code. " Here, we suggest that there is no orthographic code to crack: Words are perceived and represented as sequences of letters, just as in a dictionary. Indeed, words are perceived and represented in exactly the same way as other visual objects. The phenomena that have been taken as evidence for specialized orthographic representations can be explained by assuming that perception involves recovering information that has passed through a noisy channel: the early stages of visual perception. The noisy channel introduces uncertainty into letter identity, letter order, and even whether letters are present or absent. We develop a computational model based on this simple principle and show that it can accurately simulate lexical decision data from the lexicon projects in English, French, and Dutch, along with masked priming data that have been taken as evidence for specialized orthographic representations.
Scheduling Groups of Jobs on a Single Machine

Economies of scale are fundamental to manufacturing operations. With respect to scheduling, this phenomenon manifests itself in efficiencies gained from grouping similar jobs together. This paper reviews the rapidly growing literature on single-machine scheduling models that incorporate benefits from job grouping. We focus on three basic models known as family scheduling with item availability, family scheduling with batch availability, and batch processing. We present known results and introduce new results, and we pay special attention to key theoretical properties and the use of these properties in optimization procedures.
Neural representation of abstract and concrete concepts: A meta‐analysis of neuroimaging studies

A number of studies have investigated differences in neural correlates of abstract and concrete concepts with disagreement across results. A quantitative, coordinate‐based meta‐analysis combined data from 303 participants across 19 functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) studies to identify the differences in neural representation of abstract and concrete concepts. Studies that reported peak activations in standard space in contrast of abstract > concrete or concrete > abstract concepts at a whole brain level in healthy adults were included in this meta‐analysis. Multilevel kernel density analysis (MKDA) was performed to identify the proportion of activated contrasts weighted by sample size and analysis type (fixed or random effects). Meta‐analysis results indicated consistent and meaningful differences in neural representation for abstract and concrete concepts. Abstract concepts elicit greater activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus compared to concrete concepts, while concrete concepts elicit greater activity in the posterior cingulate, precuneus, fusiform gyrus, and parahippocampal gyrus compared to abstract concepts. These results suggest greater engagement of the verbal system for processing of abstract concepts and greater engagement of the perceptual system for processing of concrete concepts, likely via mental imagery. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid in bipolar depression: report of a small open-label study.

INTRODUCTION Epidemiologic studies have suggested that consumption of cold water fish oils may have some protective function against depression. This proposition is supported by a series of biochemical and pharmacologic studies that have suggested that fatty acids may modulate neurotransmitter metabolism and cell signal trans-duction in humans and that abnormalities in fatty acid and eicosanoid metabolism may play a causal role in depression. Aware of the critical need for antidepression treatments that might not carry the risk of precipitating a manic episode in bipolar patients, we decided to conduct an open-label add-on trial of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in bipolar depression. METHOD Twelve bipolar I outpatients with depressive symptoms diagnosed by DSM-IV were treated with 1.5 to 2 g/day of the omega-3 fatty acid EPA for up to 6 months. The study was conducted between September 2001 and January 2003. RESULTS Eight of the 10 patients who completed at least 1 month of follow-up achieved a 50% or greater reduction in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores within 1 month. No patients developed hypomania or manic symptoms. No significant side effects were reported. LIMITATIONS This study is limited both by the open-label design and by the small sample size. As in all previous reported studies, patients in this study were treated in an outpatient setting, so that the most severely depressed bipolar patients (requiring hospitalization) are not represented. CONCLUSIONS Although the ultimate utility of omega-3 fatty acids in bipolar depression is still an open question, we believe that these initial results are encouraging, especially for mild to moderate bipolar depression, and justify the continuing exploration of its use.
Home urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio (UCPCR) testing can identify type 2 and MODY in pediatric diabetes

Making the correct diabetes diagnosis in children is crucial for lifelong management. Type 2 diabetes and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY) are seen in the pediatric setting, and can be difficult to discriminate from type 1 diabetes. Postprandial urinary C‐peptide creatinine ratio (UCPCR) is a non‐invasive measure of endogenous insulin secretion that has not been tested as a diagnostic tool in children or in patients with diabetes duration <5 yr. We aimed to assess whether UCPCR can discriminate type 1 diabetes from MODY and type 2 in pediatric diabetes.