Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retrograde slow pathway conduction in patients with atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia.

AIMS To study retrograde slow pathway conduction by means of right- and left-sided septal mapping. METHODS AND RESULTS Nineteen patients with slow-fast atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT) were studied before and after slow pathway ablation. Simultaneous His bundle recordings from right and left sides of the septum, using trans-aortic and trans-septal electrodes, were made during right ventricular pacing. Pre-ablation, decremental retrograde ventriculo-atrial (VA) conduction without jumps or discontinuities was recorded in eight patients (group 1). In six patients, retrograde conduction jumps were demonstrated (group 2) and in the remaining four patients, there was minimal prolongation of stimulus to atrium (St-A) intervals (group 3). The maximal difference (Delta St-A) between St-A intervals obtained with pacing at a constant cycle length of 500 ms and at the cycle length with maximal retrograde VA prolongation was significantly longer measured from the right His compared with the left His (122 +/- 25 vs. 110 +/- 33 ms, P = 0.02, respectively) in group 1 and group 2 (140 +/- 23 vs. 110 +/- 35 ms, P = 0.03), but not in group 3 (10 +/- 4 vs. 13 +/- 8 ms, P = 0.35). Post-ablation, Delta St-A intervals were similar between right and left His recordings (77 +/- 37 vs. 76 +/- 33 ms, P = 0.53, respectively) in group 1, (100 +/- 24 vs. 103 +/- 21 ms, P = 0.35) group 2, and (63 +/- 32 vs. 66 +/- 33 ms, P = 0.35) group 3. CONCLUSION In patients with typical AVNRT, retrograde conduction through the slow pathway results in earliest retrograde atrial activation on the left side of the septum and catheter ablation in the right inferoparaseptal area abolishes this pattern. These findings are compatible with the concept of slow pathway conduction by means of the inferior AV nodal extensions.
Uncoupling protein 1 binds one nucleotide per monomer and is stabilized by tightly bound cardiolipin

Significance Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is a mitochondrial carrier protein responsible for thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue, and a putative therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and related diseases. It is widely accepted that the protein is dimeric and regulated by binding one nucleotide per dimer, and unlike other mitochondrial carriers, functions independently of the lipid cardiolipin. Here, we have developed novel methods to purify UCP1 from native sources, and demonstrate that the protein is in fact monomeric, binding nucleotide in a 1:1 stoichiometry. Each protein also binds three cardiolipin molecules, which confer stability. These findings put in place the true composition of UCP1, overturning a paradigm, which is crucial to resolve the controversial mechanism of this important membrane protein. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) catalyzes fatty acid-activated, purine nucleotide-sensitive proton leak across the mitochondrial inner membrane of brown adipose tissue to produce heat, and could help combat obesity and metabolic disease in humans. Studies over the last 30 years conclude that the protein is a dimer, binding one nucleotide molecule per two proteins, and unlike the related mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier, does not bind cardiolipin. Here, we have developed novel methods to purify milligram amounts of UCP1 from native sources by using covalent chromatography that, unlike past methods, allows the protein to be prepared in defined conditions, free of excess detergent and lipid. Assessment of purified preparations by TLC reveal that UCP1 retains tightly bound cardiolipin, with a lipid phosphorus content equating to three molecules per protein, like the ADP/ATP carrier. Cardiolipin stabilizes UCP1, as demonstrated by reconstitution experiments and thermostability assays, indicating that the lipid has an integral role in the functioning of the protein, similar to other mitochondrial carriers. Furthermore, we find that UCP1 is not dimeric but monomeric, as indicated by size exclusion analysis, and has a ligand titration profile in isothermal calorimetric measurements that clearly shows that one nucleotide binds per monomer. These findings reveal the fundamental composition of UCP1, which is essential for understanding the mechanism of the protein. Our assessment of the properties of UCP1 indicate that it is not unique among mitochondrial carriers and so is likely to use a common exchange mechanism in its primary function in brown adipose tissue mitochondria.
Regulation of Malonyl-CoA Metabolism by Acyl-Acyl Carrier Protein and β-Ketoacyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Synthases in Escherichia coli(*)

The cessation of phospholipid biosynthesis by the in-hibition of the sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase using a plsB mutant led to an accumulation of long chain acyl-acyl carrier proteins (acyl-ACP) and the concomitant inhibition of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli. Malonyl-CoA did not accumulate when phospholipid and fatty acid synthesis was blocked. However, the inactivation of β-ketoacyl-ACP synthases I and II with the antibiotic cerulenin triggered a large increase in the accumulation of malonyl-CoA following the cessation of phospholipid synthesis, illustrating that the β-ketoacyl-ACP synthases were responsible for the degradation of malonyl-CoA in the presence of long chain acyl-ACP. The acyl-ACP requirement for malonyl-CoA degradation activity was confirmed by shifting enoyl-ACP reductase mutants (fabI(Ts)) to the non-permissive temperature, leading to the abrupt cessation of fatty acid synthesis and the accumulation of malonyl-CoA in the absence of cerulenin. Analysis of the ACP pool composition before and after the temperature shift showed that the fabI block did not result in the accumulation of long chain acyl-ACP. These data indicate a feedback regulatory loop that functions to recycle malonyl-CoA to acetyl-CoA following the down-regulation of fatty acid and phospholipid formation and provides a physiological rationale for the acyl-ACP-dependent, malonyl-ACP decarboxylase reaction catalyzed by β-ketoacyl-ACP synthases I and II.
An Artificial Transmembrane Segment Directs SecA, SecB, and Electrochemical Potential-dependent Translocation of a Long Amino-terminal Tail*

Many integral membrane proteins contain an amino-terminal segment, often referred to as an N-tail, that is translocated across a membrane. In many cases, translocation of the N-tail is initiated by a cleavable, amino-terminal signal peptide. For N-tail proteins lacking a signal peptide, translocation is initiated by a transmembrane segment that is carboxyl to the translocated segment. The mechanism of membrane translocation of these segments, although poorly understood, has been reported to be independent of the protein secretion machinery. In contrast, here we describe alkaline phosphatase mutants containing artificial transmembrane segments that demonstrate that translocation of a long N-tail across the membrane is dependent upon SecA, SecB, and the electrochemical potential in the absence of a signal peptide. The corresponding mutants containing signal peptides also use the secretion machinery but are less sensitive to inhibition of its components. We present evidence that inhibition of SecA by sodium azide is incomplete even at high concentrations of inhibitor, which suggests why SecA-dependent translocation may not have been detected in other systems. Furthermore, by varying the charge around the transmembrane segment, we find that in the absence of a signal peptide, the orientation of the membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase is dictated by the positive inside rule. However, the presence of a signal peptide is an overriding factor in membrane orientation and renders all mutants in an Nout-Cin orientation.
Changing Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance and Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates in Asian Countries: an Asian Network for Surveillance of Resistant Pathogens (ANSORP) Study

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae remains a serious concern worldwide, particularly in Asian countries, despite the introduction of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). The Asian Network for Surveillance of Resistant Pathogens (ANSORP) performed a prospective surveillance study of 2,184 S. pneumoniae isolates collected from patients with pneumococcal infections from 60 hospitals in 11 Asian countries from 2008 to 2009. Among nonmeningeal isolates, the prevalence rate of penicillin-nonsusceptible pneumococci (MIC, ≥4 μg/ml) was 4.6% and penicillin resistance (MIC, ≥8 μg/ml) was extremely rare (0.7%). Resistance to erythromycin was very prevalent in the region (72.7%); the highest rates were in China (96.4%), Taiwan (84.9%), and Vietnam (80.7%). Multidrug resistance (MDR) was observed in 59.3% of isolates from Asian countries. Major serotypes were 19F (23.5%), 23F (10.0%), 19A (8.2%), 14 (7.3%), and 6B (7.3%). Overall, 52.5% of isolates showed PCV7 serotypes, ranging from 16.1% in Philippines to 75.1% in Vietnam. Serotypes 19A (8.2%), 3 (6.2%), and 6A (4.2%) were the most prominent non-PCV7 serotypes in the Asian region. Among isolates with serotype 19A, 86.0% and 79.8% showed erythromycin resistance and MDR, respectively. The most remarkable findings about the epidemiology of S. pneumoniae in Asian countries after the introduction of PCV7 were the high prevalence of macrolide resistance and MDR and distinctive increases in serotype 19A.
Comparison between OTCP and C-V extraction methods for radiation-induced traps in MOSFET devices

The OTCP extraction method is compared to C-V one for two radiation doses, 500 Krad and 1Mrad. It is shown that the radiation induced oxide-trap (DeltaNot) obtained by OTCP are in excellent agreement with DeltaNot extracted using C-V. However, for interface-trap density (DeltaNit), most DeltaNit values extracted by C-V method in MOS capacitors are 70% less than those measured using OTCP in P- and N-MOS transistors. This underestimation is probably due to the fact that C-V scans interface-trap less than C-P in forbidden band energy. In addition, the OTCP method can give the radiation induced border-trap (DeltaNbt). Hence, we have confirmed that OTCP is more precise, direct and reliable method than C-V to predict radiation-induced interface-, oxide-, and border-trap in MOS transistors in order to evaluate their impact on devices intended for space and medical applications.
The School Work Culture Profile: A Statistical Analysis and Strategy.

School culture has recently emerged as a framework for the study and interpretation of the structure and development of schools. A work culture productivity model is described, and the development of a culture instrument is reported. The concept of school work culture, a subset of systems culture, refers to the collective work patterns of a system. The School Oork Culture Profile (SWCP) was designed to obtain a quantitative measure of a school's (or system's) work patterns. The SWCP was developed using primary and second-order principal components analysis. It is a staff perceptions survey, on which school work culture is operationalized with 60 statements pertaining to existing work practices in a school organization. A 5-point Likert scale is used to rate each item in the following 4 subscales with 15 items each: (1) planning; (2) staff development; (3) program development; and (4) school assessment. The SWCP was administered to 416 subjects from 100 Florida elementary schools. The ratio of teachers to principals in the sample was approximately three to one. The Statistical Analysis System principal components program was used to examine the factorial validity of the questions. This second-order factor analysis helps clarify a strategy for school production. Three tables present data from the study, and an appendix conteins the school work culture profile. (SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** THE SCHOOL WORK CULTURE PROFILE: A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERICI his document has been reproduced as received from the person Or organization ongmating it C Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality Points of view or °Demons stated I n this docu. menl do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy BY "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
DETERMINANTS OF ACCESS TO SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMES IN INDONESIA: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM THE INDONESIAN FAMILY LIFE SURVEY EAST 2012

In the past 15 years, the Government of Indonesia has implemented a variety of social assistance programmes intended to improve the lives of the poor and help them escape poverty. Many of these programmes are now operating at a national scale and cover millions of Indonesians. Using a new household survey dataset that covers the eastern areas of Indonesia (Indonesian Family Life Survey East 2012), this paper investigates the household-level determinants of access to social assistance programmes. The analysis reveals that social assistance programmes are relatively more available in poorer provinces and that poorer households—all things being equal—are more likely to access social assistance programmes than nonpoor households, which suggests that social assistance programmes in eastern Indonesia are successful in their efforts to target the poor (poverty targeting), both across regions and households. However, poverty targeting still has scope for improvement in terms of accuracy. Besides the poverty status (as measured in per capita consumption expenditures), the authors found that several other factors infl uence programme access. Having a disabled household member or having a household head who is a widow(er) appears to increase the likelihood of receiving social assistance programmes. Likewise, the level of trust and confl ict in a community affects access to social assistance programmes. Particularly in the case of Raskin, we found that the programme is distributed more widely among those communities that are characterized by higher levels of confl ict and lower levels of trust. The authors did not fi nd that poor access to infrastructure and remoteness infl uences household access to social assistance programmes once they controlled for province fi xed effects in the regression framework. Furthermore, the fi ndings suggest that possession of a local ‘poverty letter’ strongly improves household access to social assistance programmes, even after controlling for a wide set of socioeconomic characteristics. In general, determinants of programme access differ signifi cantly among provinces and between rural and urban areas.
Effect of pH, Mg, CO(2) and Mercurials on the Circular Dichroism, Thermal Stability and Light Scattering of Ribulose 1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylases from Alfalfa, Spinach and Tobacco.

Circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry and light-scattering measurements of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (E.C. 4.1.1.39) from alfalfa, spinach and tobacco show: a) The conformation and thermal stability of the native carboxylases are sensitive to changes in pH and to activation of the enzyme with Mg(2+) and CO(2). The helical content, denaturation temperature (T(d)) and specific enthalpy of denaturation (Deltaq) decreased with increase in pH. Addition of Mg(2+) and CO(2) at pH 9 increased T(d) by 4 to 5 C; at pH 7.5 the changes in T(d) were smaller. b) Addition of mercurials produced changes in conformation and thermal stability. The decrease in helical content of the enzymes with increase in pH was enhanced by the addition of p-chloromercuribenzoate. At pH 9, addition of p-chloromercuribenzoate or of 1-(3-(chloromercuri)-2-methoxypropyl)urea decreased T(d) by 11.4 to 20.2 C and Deltaq by 2.1 to 2.8 calories per gram. c) The spinach carboxylase undergoes the largest and the tobacco the smallest changes in conformation and thermal stability upon change in pH or treatment with mercurials. d) The calorimetric data suggest that the large and small subunits are heat denatured independently but at the same temperature. e) Light scattering measurements at pH 9 of p-chloromercuribenzoate treated tobacco enzyme showed that there is no dissociation into subunits upon heating to temperatures greater than T(d). A ;ball and string' model for the carboxylase molecule is proposed to reconcile independence of subunit denaturation with apparent strong interactions between subunits.
G-Protein beta(3)-subunit 825T allele is associated with enhanced human atrial inward rectifier potassium currents.

BACKGROUND A C825T polymorphism was recently identified in the human gene encoding for the beta(3)-subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins. The 825T allele is associated with a splice variant of Gbeta(3) and enhanced signal transduction. We hypothesized that patients carrying the 825T allele exhibit the modified Gbeta(3) phenotype. The resulting enhancement of signal transduction should be detectable in the Gbetagamma-dimer-mediated acetylcholine-stimulated K(+) current (I(K,ACh)). METHODS AND RESULTS Seventy patients undergoing cardiac surgery were genotyped for the C825T polymorphism. In right atrial myocytes from these patients, the inward rectifier K(+) currents (I(K1), I(K,ACh)) were studied with the whole-cell patch-clamp technique. Background current I(K1) was measured with depolarizing ramp pulses and quantified as inward current at -100 mV; mean amplitudes were (pA/pF) 4.98+/-0.49 (n=30/93 patients/cells) in patients with CC genotype, 4.25+/-0.36 (n=31/121 patients/cells) with TC, and 7. 46+/-1.14 (n=9/32 patients/cells; P<0.05) with TT. Conversely, mean I(K,ACh), which is maximally activated by carbachol (2 micromol/L), was reduced in patients with TT genotype (pA/pF, 4.30+/-1.33, n=9/27 patients/cells; P<0.05) compared with the other 2 groups (6.56+/-0. 54, n=30/80 and 6.16+/-0.45, n=31/117 patients/cells, for CC and TC genotype, respectively). Essentially similar results were obtained with adenosine (1 mmol/L). CONCLUSIONS We found an association between the Gbeta(3) 825T allele and amplitude of human atrial I(K1) and I(K,ACh). Increased background current density in TT carriers could shorten action potential duration and may be due to I(K,ACh) being constitutively active in this genotype.
A data integration approach for smart cities: The case of natal

Making cities smarter is usually achieved through Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-intensive solutions, which can be employed to collect and analyze large amounts of information generated by several sources, such as sensor networks, traffic systems, and citizens' devices. However, integrating different technologies and information to build smart city applications and services remain a challenge as different sources of heterogeneous data need to be considered. These data can be also enriched with geospatial information, thereby generating cross-sector value-added information while contributing to better planning actions in the urban space. In this context, we introduce a data integration approach upon Smart Geo Layers, a geospatial-based data middleware aimed to unify data provided by several sources in smart city environments. Along with geo-graphical information regarding the city physical space, Smart Geo Layers provides aggregation, visualization, and data analysis functionalities. In this paper, we describe the Smart Geo Layers middleware, its implementation, and its application through an urban planning application within the smart city initiative of Natal, Brazil.
Estimation of mean quality adjusted survival time.

In clinical studies, we often consider not only patients' survival time, but also their quality of life. Quality adjusted life years (QALY) is an integrated measure of medical outcome that combines a patient's quantity and quality of life. Estimation of mean QALY for a group of patients is complicated by the fact that some patients are censored. The conventional approach is to obtain the Kaplan-Meier estimate of the survival function associated with individual QALYs and then use the area under the Kaplan-Meier curve as an estimate of mean QALY. Glasziou, Simes and Gelber showed that this method is biased because censoring at the nominal time scale is informative for predicting unobserved QALYs. In this paper, we propose a methodology for consistent estimation of mean QALY. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the relative performance of the new method and the conventional method.
EKONOMİK BÜYÜME İLE CARİ İŞLEMLER DENGESİ ARASINDAKİ İLİŞKİ: BRICS VE MINT (1992-2013)

Bilindigi uzere cari islemler dengesi aciklari, gecen yuzyilda oldugu gibi kuresellesme kavraminin hiz kazandigi icinde bulundugumuz 21. yuzyilda da ozellikle gelismekte olan ulkelerin karsi karsiya olduklari en temel ekonomik sorunlardan birisi olarak one cikmakta ve giderek artan bir sekilde onemini korumaktadir. Bu dogrultuda, Turkiye gibi gelismekte olan ulke ekonomilerinin gelisimlerini surdurebilmek icin ihtiyac duyduklari teknoloji, ara ve yatirim mallarini ithal etme gereksinimleri surekli olarak artmasina karsilik, bu ulkelerin petrol ihrac eden ulkeler disinda, mevcut ihracat gelirleri ile ithalatlarini gerceklestirmeleri mumkun olmamaktadir. Dolayisiyla bu gibi ulkelerde, cari islemler aciklari bir yandan ulusal ekonomileri onemli derecede sermaye cikisi riskine maruz birakarak ekonomik kirilganligi artirirken, diger yandan da surdurulebilir ekonomik buyumenin en onemli kaynaklarindan birisi haline gelmektedir. Bu baglamda, son yillarda ozellikle Turkiye gibi hizla gelisme egiliminde olan ulke ekonomilerinde, cari islemler acigi vererek buyuyen ulke sayisinin giderek arttigi, cari islemler aciklarinin ekonomik buyumenin en onemli kaynaklarindan birisi haline geldigi ve bu aciklarin da sureklilik kazandigi gorulmektedir. Bu dogrultuda hazirlanan bu calismada, BRICS ve MINT gibi yukselen piyasa ekonomilerinde, ekonomik buyume ve cari islemler dengesi arasindaki iliskilerin varligi/nasilligi ve bu iliskilerin yonu, 1992-2013 donemi icin panel veri cercevesinde ayri ayri incelenmeye calisilmistir. Calisma sonucunda, hem BRICS hem de MINT ulkelerinde, ekonomik buyumenin kisa ve uzun donemde cari islemler dengesi uzerinde onemli derecede etkili oldugu, ekonomik buyume hizi degistikce cari islemler dengesinin de ulkelere gore acik ya da fazla verecek sekilde degistigi tespit edilmistir. Calismada ayrica, MINT ulkelerinde cari islemler aciginin BRICS ulkelerine kiyasla uzun vadede surdurulebilir buyume hizlarinin istikrarliligi uzerinde daha onemli bir sorun oldugu sonucuna ulasilmistir
Social Cognition, Negative Symptoms and Psychosocial Functioning in Schizophrenia.

Although functional recovery could be advocated as an achievable treatment goal, many effective interventions for the treatment of psychotic symptoms, such as antipsychotic drugs, may not improve functioning. The last two decades of cognitive and clinical research on schizophrenia were a turning point for the firm acknowledgment of how relevant social cognitive deficits and negative symptoms could be in predicting psychosocial functioning. The relevance of so cial cognition dysfunction in schizophrenia patients’ daily living is now unabated. In fact, social cognition deficits could be the most significant predictor of functionality in patients with schizophrenia, non-redundantly with neurocogni tion. Emerging evidence suggests that negative symptoms appear to play an indirect role, mediating the relationship between neurocognition and social cognition with functional outcomes. Further explorations of this mediating role of negative symptoms have revealed that motivational deficits appear to be particularly important in explaining the relationship between both neurocognitive and social cognitive dysfunction and functional outcomes in schizophrenia. In this paper we will address the relative contribution of two key constructs—social cognitive deficits and negative symptoms, namely how intertwined they could be in daily life functioning of patients with schizophrenia.