Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solute Carrier Family of the Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptides 1A2– Madin-Darby Canine Kidney II: A Promising In Vitro System to Understand the Role of Organic Anion-Transporting Polypeptide 1A2 in Blood-Brain Barrier Drug Penetration

Organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1A2 has the potential to be a target for central nervous system drug delivery due to its luminal localization at the human blood-brain barrier and broad substrate specificity. We found OATP1A2 mRNA expression in the human brain to be comparable to breast cancer resistance protein and OATP2B1 and much higher than P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and confirmed greater expression in the brain relative to other tissues. The goal of this study was to establish a model system to explore OATP1A2-mediated transcellular transport of substrate drugs and the interplay with P-gp. In vitro (human embryonic kidney 293 cells stably expressing Oatp1a4, the closest murine isoform) and in vivo (naïve and Oatp1a4 knock-out mice) studies with OATP1A2 substrate triptan drugs demonstrated that these drugs were not Oatp1a4 substrates. This species difference demonstrates that the rodent is not a good model to investigate the active brain uptake of potential OATP1A2 substrates. Thus, we constructed a novel OATP1A2 expressing Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) II wild type and an MDCKII-multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) system using BacMam virus transduction. The spatial expression pattern of OATP1A2 after transduction in MDCKII-MDR1 cells was superimposed to P-gp, confirming apical membrane localization. OATP1A2-mediated uptake of zolmitriptan, rosuvastatin, and fexofenadine across monolayers increased with increasing OATP1A2 protein expression. OATP1A2 counteracted P-gp efflux for cosubstrates zolmitriptan and fexofenadine. A three-compartment model incorporating OATP1A2-mediated influx was used to quantitatively describe the time- and concentration-dependent apical-to-basolateral transcellular transport of rosuvastatin across OATP1A2 expressing the MDCKII monolayer. This novel, simple and versatile experimental system is useful for understanding the contribution of OATP1A2-mediated transcellular transport across barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier.
The correlation between biofilm biopolymer composition and membrane fouling in submerged membrane bioreactors

Biofouling, the combined effect of microorganism and biopolymer accumulation, significantly reduces the process efficiency of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). Here, four biofilm components, alpha-polysaccharides, beta-polysaccharides, proteins and microorganisms, were quantified in MBRs. The biomass of each component was positively correlated with the transmembrane pressure increase in MBRs. Proteins were the most abundant biopolymer in biofilms and showed the fastest rate of increase. The spatial distribution and co-localization analysis of the biofouling components indicated at least 60% of the extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) components were associated with the microbial cells when the transmembrane pressure (TMP) entered the jump phase, suggesting that the EPS components were either secreted by the biofilm cells or that the deposition of these components facilitated biofilm formation. It is suggested that biofilm formation and the accumulation of EPS are intrinsically coupled, resulting in biofouling and loss of system performance. Therefore, strategies that control biofilm formation on membranes may result in a significant improvement of MBR performance.
Transnational advocacy networks and information politics: INGOs and the collaboration for free speech in Cuba

Bringing the Transnational Advocacy Network (TAN) theory into the world of digital activism, this project explores how international nongovernmental organizational (INGOs) members of a TAN use social media to interact with local activists in their advocacy for freedom of speech in Cuba. On a more critical level, the research analyzes the INGOs’ role as information gatekeepers, identifying and measuring the extent to which INGOs self-select the information they receive and share through social media. To evaluate the questions, the degree to which information is disseminated through INGO social media advocacy campaigns reflects the informational content and local agenda of Cuban activists—here represented by Yoani Sánchez and her blog Generacíon Y (GenY)—is examined. Although the research provides a statistical summary of INGO social media use, for descriptive depth, the exploration is deeper than a mechanistic assessment of Tweets and posts, analyzing the actual information and content disseminated by INGOs through social media. This study includes a descriptive typology of social media used in today’s INGO advocacy campaigns and a comprehensive, holistic examination of the state of freedom of speech in Cuba. While each of the latter is of secondary importance, they are necessary to provide technological and ideological context for the study. Ideological variations in conceptualizations of freedom of speech and expression are delineated, not only for context, but also to provide a greater transparency in the research, given the potential for latent or implicit biases in cross-cultural studies. The social media content of GenY and the select INGOs provided rich data. Data were collected from multiple sources during three separate bounded time frames to
Rapid and Sensitive Single‐Step Radiochemical Assay for Catechol‐O‐Methyltransferase

Abstract: A simple, rapid and reliable radiometric assay for the determination of catechol‐O‐methyltransferase activity is described. The method is based on the conversion of catechol to [3H]guaiacol by catechol‐O‐methyltransferase in the presence of Mg2+, adenosine deaminase and S‐adenosyl l‐[methyl‐3H]methionine. Incubation and direct extraction of [3H]guaiacol into organic scintillation fluid, as well as counting, are performed in the same standard scintillation vial. The assay is easy to perform and more sensitive than previous analogous procedures. The method has been applied to the assay of catechol‐O‐methyltransferase activity in discrete brain areas and also peripheral organs of rat and in human erythrocytes.
It's the Anxiety: Facilitators and Inhibitors to Nursing Students’ Career Interests in Mental Health Nursing

Increasing the rate of recruitment of nursing students into mental health nursing (MHN) is vital to long-term sustainability of health care system support for people diagnosed with mental illness. However MHN is not a popular career path; this raises questions about what attitudes and beliefs may divert or attract students to this specialisation. The current research involved a survey of undergraduate nursing students at a regional university in Australia to clarify the nature of relationships between attitudes (e.g., the value of mental health nursing, stereotypes of people with mental illness) and how they may be antecedents to considering MHN as a career path. Through a structural equation model, it was ascertained that anxiety surrounding mental illness leads to less interest in MHN as a future career and suggests that anxiety is (a) partly due to negative stereotypes, and (b) countered by preparedness for a MHN role. Beliefs on how MHN can make a valuable contribution to people's well-being did not affect interest in pursuing MHN. These findings reconfirm the need to reduce anxiety about mental illness by educational approaches that effectively prepare students for MHN, combined with challenging negative stereotypes.
Estimating the weight of opportunity costs in housing consumption

People tend to neglect or underweight opportunity costs. Strong empirical evidence for the size of the underweighting appears to be absent. What are the weights people attach to opportunity costs relative to out-of-pocket costs? In this paper I estimate the weight of opportunity costs in probably the largest economic decision that households make: buying a house. I show that homeowners attach approximately twice as much weight to out-of-pocket costs of their housing consumption than to the opportunity costs associated with this. Highlights Housing consumption lends itself well for empirically analyzing opportunity costs. I split up the user costs of housing in out-of-pocket and opportunity costs. Homeowners weigh in their opportunity costs at only 50 to 65 percent. It is unclear whether homeowners underestimate these costs or simply care less about them.
Total Circulatory Capacity in the Rat: Effects of Epinephrine and Vasopressin on Compliance and Unstressed Volume

In thoracic-spinal-cord-transected rats, mean circulatory pressure (PMC) was measured during brief circulatory arrest by inflating an indwelling balloon in the right atrium and total blood volume (VB) was measured with 51Cr. The PMC-VB relationship was determined over the range ± 30% VB by rapid blood infusion or withdrawal. An infusion of 1.5 μg/kg per mln of epinephrine for 20–40 minutes caused the total circulatory compliance (CTC) to decrease 18%, the extrapolated unstressed circulatory volume (V.) and VB to decrease 8.6 and 7.3 ml/kg, respectively, and PMC to increase 41% (2.8 mm Hg). Total circulatory capacity (circulatory volume at a PMC of 8 mm Hg) was decreased 13.7 ml/kg by epinephrine at the above infusion rate. When vasopressin (20 ng/kg per min) and epinephrine (0.3 μg/kg per min) were infused together for 20–40 minutes, compared to a 0.3 μg/kg per min infusion of epinephrine alone, the net effect of vasopressin was a 4.8 ml per kg decrease in VB and a 5.9 ml/kg decrease in total circulatory capacity, with insignificant decreases in CTC and VJ. The results indicate that in rats both epinephrine and vasopressin act to decrease blood volume via transcapillary fluid shifts, and that vasopressin has a relatively small overall venoconstricting action.
Binding of myosin cross-bridges to thin filaments of rabbit skeletal muscle.

Cross-linking of myosin subfragment 1 (S1) with a molar excess of actin in vitro reveals the presence of an actin-S1-actin complex. It is absolutely essential that actin be present in molar excess over S1 so that the decoration of F-actin with S1 be incomplete. However, the excess of actin may not be available in the overlap zone of sarcomeres of skeletal muscle. We therefore found it necessary to test for the presence of the actin-S1-actin complex in vivo. Myofibrils from rabbit skeletal muscle were reacted with zero-length cross-linker, the products were resolved by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analyzed by Western blots using antibodies against actin and against heavy and light chains of myosin. The cross-linking produced the evidence of formation of actin-S1-actin complex.
Additive antinociceptive effects of mixtures of the &kgr;-opioid receptor agonist spiradoline and the cannabinoid receptor agonist CP55940 in rats

Pain is a significant clinical problem, and there is a need for pharmacotherapies that are more effective with fewer adverse effects than currently available medications. Cannabinoid receptor agonists enhance the antinociceptive effects of &mgr;-opioid receptor agonists; it is unclear whether they impact the effects of agonists acting at other opioid receptors. &kgr;-Opioid receptor agonists have antinociceptive effects, but their clinical use is precluded by adverse effects; however, their therapeutic potential might be realized if antinociceptive effects could be selectively enhanced. In this study, the antinociceptive effects of the cannabinoid receptor agonist CP55940 and the &kgr;-opioid receptor agonist spiradoline, alone and in combination, were studied in rats (n=7) using a warm water tail-withdrawal procedure. When administered alone, CP55940 (0.032–1.0 mg/kg) and spiradoline (1.0–32.0 mg/kg) increased tail-withdrawal latency, and mixtures of CP55940 and spiradoline (ratios of 1 : 3, 1 : 1, and 3 : 1) produced additive effects. It remains to be determined whether this additive interaction between a &kgr;-opioid receptor agonist and a cannabinoid receptor agonist is selective for antinociception and whether it can be generalized to other drugs.
Design of compact-efficient array of patch antenna based on metamaterial T-junction

In this paper, a compact size two-element corporate-fed array of patch antenna, which uses a compact metamaterial (MTM) based T-junction is proposed. The MTM based T-junction power divider working at 5.8 GHz is designed for mobile WiMAX applications. The metamaterial unit cell consists of microstrip gaps and via holes whose behaviour is equivalent to the combination of series capacitors and shunt inductors, respectively, which represent a dual TL (high-pass) configuration. By adjusting the parameters of these structures, the characteristics of the Metamaterial-medium can be set to achieve a desired phase shift. A 54.5 % reduction of the length of the impedance transformer, without significant performance degradation of the T-junction and the patch antenna, has been achieved.
Association of a lymphotoxin α gene polymorphism and atopy in Italian families

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is a proinflammatory cytokine that increases human airway tissue responsiveness and is considered a candidate gene for asthma. Two common polymorphisms (LTαNcoI and TNFα-308) in the TNF gene complex were studied in 600 subjects from 131 Italian families with atopic asthmatic children. Skin prick test (SPT), total IgE levels, atopy (defined as increased IgE levels or SPT positivity or both), bronchial hyperresponsiveness, and clinical asthma were investigated. The observed distribution of the identical by descent alleles at the LTαNcoI locus was different from expected for SPT and atopy (p=0.015). The LTαNcoI genotype distribution for increased IgE levels was different between males and females (p=0.0011), and an association of the 2.2 genotype with increased IgE levels was observed in females (p=0.0032). The results indicate that the LTα gene, or a closely linked locus, is associated with atopy, and suggest a sex difference in the effect of the gene.
Building an HIV data mashup using Bio2RDF

We present an update to the Bio2RDF Linked Data Network, which now comprises ∼30 billion statements across 30 data sets. Significant changes to the framework include the accommodation of global mirrors, offline data processing and new search and integration services. The utility of this new network of knowledge is illustrated through a Bio2RDF-based mashup with microarray gene expression results and interaction data obtained from the HIV-1, Human Protein Interaction Database (HHPID) with respect to the infection of human macrophages with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1).
ABCG2 Dysfunction Increases Serum Uric Acid by Decreased Intestinal Urate Excretion

ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2), also known as breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), is identified as a high-capacity urate exporter and its dysfunction has an association with serum uric acid (SUA) levels and gout/hyperuricemia risk. However, pathophysiologically important pathway(s) responsible for the ABCG2-mediated urate excretion were unknown. In this study, we investigated how ABCG2 dysfunction affected the urate excretion pathways. First, we revealed that mouse Abcg2 mediates urate transport using the membrane vesicle system. The export process by mouse Abcg2 was ATP-dependent and not saturable under the physiological concentration of urate. Then, we characterized the excretion of urate into urine, bile, and intestinal lumen using in vivo mouse model. SUA of Abcg2-knockout mice was significantly higher than that of control mice. Under this condition, the renal urate excretion was increased in Abcg2-knockout mice, whereas the urate excretion from the intestine was decreased to less than a half. Biliary urate excretion showed no significant difference regardless of Abcg2 genotype. From these results, we estimated the relative contribution of each pathway to total urate excretion; in wild-type mice, the renal excretion pathway contributes approximately two-thirds, the intestinal excretion pathway contributes one-third of the total urate excretion, and the urate excretion into bile is minor. Decreased intestinal excretion could account for the increased SUA of Abcg2-knockout mice. Thus, ABCG2 is suggested to have an important role in extra-renal urate excretion, especially in intestinal excretion. Accordingly, increased SUA in patients with ABCG2 dysfunction could be explained by the decreased excretion of urate from the intestine.
The Value and Contribution of Qualitative Research to Inform Nurse Education and Policy in Response to the Child’s Experience of Hospital

The aim of this article is to consider the value of qualitative research to inform nurse education and policy for the hospitalized child and young person (CYP). The theoretical issues and tensions inherent in qualitative research with children and young people’s nursing are presented in conjunction with a discussion and analysis of how the epistemological and ontological concepts underpin and guide research. It is then followed by an exploration of their influence on enabling nurses to understand the CYP’s perspective, before finally leading to an analysis of the impact on the development of policy and research.
Evaluation of correlation between vascular pedicle width and intravascular volume status in Thai critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the correlation between vascular pedicle widths (VPW) measured from portable chest roentgenogram (CXR) and intravascular volume status in Thai critically ill patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD A prospective cohort study included the critically ill patients in whom pulmonary artery catheter was placed in the Medical Intensive Care Units of Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University between June 2009 and January 2010. The patient's baseline characteristics, hemodynamic data measured from pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) and CXR parameters were collected. RESULTS From thirty-four patients, thirteen (38.2%) had high pulmonary artery occlusive pressure (PAOP > or =18 mmHg). The patients with high PAOP were older (69.8 +/- 8.8 years vs. 59.2 +/- 15.4 years, p = 0.02), taller (163.2 +/- 5.3 cm vs. 157.0 +/- 10.4 cm, p = 0.03) and higher weight (67.4 +/- 12.9 kg vs. 57.1 +/- 7.8 kg, p = 0.007) than the low PAOP group. The correlations between PAOP and VPW (r = 0.68, p < 0.001) as well as between PAOP and cardiothoracic ratio (CTR) (r = 0.23, p = 0.03) were significant. From the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, VPW > 68 mm is the best parameter to predict PAOP > or =18 mmHg (the area under the curve (AUC) = 0.853, p < 0.001, sensitivity = 92.3%, specificity = 85.7%). The CTR > 0.58 can be used to predict elevated PAOP > or =18 mmHg with acceptable sensitivity = 85.74% and specificity = 76.9% (AUC = 0.727, p = 0.03). The peribronchial cuffing (PBC) was detected at a higher percentage among high PAOP group than in the low PAOP group (76.9% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION The VPW >68 mm, CTR >0.58 and the present of PBC can be used together to predict elevation of PAOP > or =18 mmHg among the Thai critically ill patients. By using these CXR parameters, the PAC insertion may be avoided especially in patients with contraindication.
Audio coding using sinusoidal excitation representation

Most LPC-based audio coders employ simplistic noise-shaping operations to perform psychoacoustic control of quantization noise. In this paper, we report on new approaches to exploiting perceptual masking in the design of adaptive quantization of LPC excitation parameters. Due to its localized spectral sensitivity, sinusoidal excitation representation is preferred to spectrally flat signals for use in excitation modeling. Simulation results indicate that the proposed multisinusoid excited coder can deliver high quality audio reproduction at the rate of 72 kb/s.
Patients Spend More Time With the Physician for Excision of a Malignant Skin Lesion Than for Excision of a Benign Skin Lesion

BACKGROUND Currently, there is a difference in reimbursement between excision of malignant and benign lesions. There is concern that there is not sufficient rationale for differential reimbursement for these two procedures. OBJECTIVE To assess whether there is a difference in physician work involved with excision of benign versus malignant skin tumors. METHOD We searched National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data for visits at which excision of benign and malignant skin lesions was performed. We compared the time spent with the physician at these two types of visits. To exclude confounding issues unrelated to the excision that would affect the time of visit, we excluded visits at which multiple diagnoses were addressed. RESULTS The mean time spent with the physician at visits for excision of benign lesions was 22.9±1.0 minutes. The mean time spent with the physician at visits for excision of malignant lesions was 30.0±1.7, 30% longer (p < 0.001). The longer time for excision of malignant lesions remained significant after controlling for age, gender, and race. CONCLUSION Excision of malignant lesions involves more physician work than does excision of benign lesions. Elimination of differential compensation for benign versus malignant skin lesion procedures would not enhance the accuracy of reimbursement. In the absence of any compelling rationale to change the existing differential reimbursement, the proposals to do so are not warranted.
A contrastive study of indirectness in Spanish: evidence from Peninsular Uruguayan Spanish’

This article examines the results of a contrastive empirical study of conventional indirect requests in Peninsular and Uruguayan Spanish. The results reveal pragmatic similarities at the level of the linguistic encoding of utterances with both, Peninsular and Uruguayan Spanish speakers showing a negative correlation between (in)directness and social distance. The less familiar the interlocutors are with each other, the more likely it is for their requests to be realised indirectly. On the other hand, pragmatic differences were found in the tentativeness conveyed by the requests in these two language varieties. Uruguayan Spanish requests were more tentative than those in Peninsular Spanish. This tentativeness was achieved through a more frequent and more varied use of external modifications and a much higher incidence of internal modificating devices of the downgrading type.