Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Allosteric regulation by cytoplasmic Ca2+ and IP3 of the gating of IP3 receptors in permeabilized guinea‐pig vascular smooth muscle cells

1 The potentiation by Ca2+ of inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3)‐induced Ca2+ release was studied by measuring luminal Ca2+ concentrations of the Ca2+ stores using a fluorescent Ca2+ indicator, furaptra, in permeabilized smooth muscle cells. 2 Ca2+ release at 10 μM IP3 was potentiated by an increase in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration in the presence of 10 mM EGTA. This effect was not due to the pharmacological effect of EGTA, because changes in the EGTA concentration at a constant Ca2+ concentration had no effect on the Ca2+ release rate. 3 With an increase in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration from 30 to 630 nM, the Ca2+ release rate at a saturating IP3 concentration increased 110‐fold and the EC50 for IP3 increased from 0.07 to 1.0 μM. It was also indicated that the relationship between Ca2+ concentration and Ca2+ release rate was shifted towards higher Ca2+ concentrations at higher IP3 concentrations. 4 These results suggest that IP3 and submicromolar concentrations of Ca2+ allosterically lower the affinity of the IP3 receptor for each other and are both required for IP3 receptor activation. These properties enable the IP3 receptors to detect simultaneous increases in IP3 and Ca2+ concentrations.
Design of switched-current wavelet filters using signal flow graph

A novel scheme for the design of switched-current (SI) wavelet filter is proposed. The signal flow graph (SFG) inverse follow-the-leader feedback (IFLF) structure is employed in the filter design. The presented approach is well suited for the wavelet transform since the SFG method can realize arbitrary rational function derived from any approximation technique, with relatively low sensitivity magnitude. Also, due to the characteristics of SI circuits, the dilation constant across different scales of the wavelet transform can be easily realized by controlling the sampling frequency, which facilitates the practical circuit design. The Gaussian wavelet is used as an example in this paper to elaborate design details.
Carcinoma of the Anterior Commissure of the Larynx: II. Proposal of a New Staging System

On the basis of embryology and clinical experience, we have defined here an anterior commissure (AC) subsite of the human larynx and have addressed the issue as to whether the degree of involvement of this subsite is related to the outcome of glottic cancer, in terms of local control within 5 years of therapy. Retrospective analysis of 534 patients included 1) classification of patients according to the TNM, 2) actuarial evaluation of the outcome, 3) reclassification of patients according to the involvement of the AC subsite, and 4) ree valuation of the outcome according to this latter classification. The results showed that the outcome was not well correlated with TNM classification, whereas patients with progressively heavier involvement of the AC subsite had a progressively worse outcome. On the basis of these data, we suggest that TNM classification of cancer involving the AC be implemented by an AC classification, in order to better forecast the prognosis and design specific conservative surgery.
MacCarty Keyhole and Inferior Orbital Fissure in Orbitozygomatic Craniotomy

OBJECTIVE: This study had two objectives. The first was to define the ideal position of the MacCarty keyhole, a commonly used craniotomy entry site into which three of the bone cuts in orbitozygomatic craniotomy extend. The second objective was to examine the relationships in the inferior orbital fissure, a site into which two of the bone cuts in orbitozygomatic craniotomy extend. METHODS: Twenty frontotemporal regions from adult skulls were examined to delineate the relationships between the surface anatomy of the fronto-orbitozygomatic region and the underlying frontal fossa and orbit. Drill holes placed along, above, and below the frontosphenoid suture were made beginning anteriorly at an area referred to as the three-suture junction, located at the junction of the frontozygomatic, sphenozygomatic, and frontosphenoid sutures. The site of the deep end of each hole was recorded to clarify the ideal position of the keyhole. The relationships in the inferior orbital fissure, the site of the lower end of the bone cut that begins in the orbital portion of the keyhole and extends along the lateral orbital wall, were also examined. CONCLUSION: Placing the MacCarty keyhole on the frontosphenoid suture 5 to 6 mm behind the three-suture junction results in greater preservation of the lateral wall and roof of the orbit than when the hole is placed at a more anterior site, as previously recommended. The anterolateral part of the inferior orbital fissure, which faces the temporal fossa and into which the bone cuts in the orbitozygomatic craniotomy extend, has a lower density of vascular and neural structures than the middle and posteromedial parts, which are related to the infratemporal and pterygopalatine fossa.
Data-Driven Stochastic Programming Using Phi-Divergences

Most of classical stochastic programming assumes that the distribution of uncertain parameters are known, and this distribution is an input to the model. In many applications, however, the true distribution is unknown. An ambiguity set of distributions can be used in these cases to hedge against the distributional uncertainty. Phi-divergences (Kullback–Leibler divergence, χ-distance, etc.) provide a measure of distance between two probability distributions. They can be used in data-driven stochastic optimization to create an ambiguity set of distributions that are centered on a nominal distribution. The nominal distribution can be determined by collected observations, expert opinions, simulations, etc. Many phi-divergences are widely used in statistics; therefore they provide a natural way to create an ambiguity set of distributions from available data and expert opinions. In this tutorial, we present two-stage models with distributional uncertainty using phi-divergences and tie them to risk-averse optimization. We examine the value of collecting additional data. We present a classification of phi-divergences to elucidate their use for models with different sources of data and decision makers with different risk preferences. We illustrate these ideas on several examples.
Effect of iron intake on iron status: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND The response of status biomarkers to an increase in iron supply depends on several physiologic and environmental factors, which make it difficult to predict the outcome of an intervention. OBJECTIVE We assessed effects of baseline iron status, sex, menopausal status, duration of intervention, iron form, and daily dose on the change in iron status in response to iron supplementation. DESIGN A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of iron-supplementation and -fortification trials that assessed effects on hemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF), soluble transferrin receptor, or body iron was conducted. Subgrouping and straight-line and curved metaregression were used to describe the magnitude and dose-responsiveness of effect modifiers with respect to changes in status. RESULTS Forty-one RCTs were included; none of the RCTs were judged at low risk of bias. Random-effects meta-analyses showed that iron supplementation significantly improved iron status but with high levels of heterogeneity. Metaregression explained approximately one-quarter of between-study variance in effect size. There were clear effects on SF with study duration (increase in SF concentration/wk: 0.51 μg/L; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.00 μg/L; P = 0.04) and dose (increase in SF concentration/g Fe: 0.10 μg/L; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.20 μg/L; P = 0.036) and on hemoglobin concentrations with baseline iron status [-0.08 g/dL (95% CI: 0.15, 0.00 g/dL) per 10-μg/L increase in baseline SF concentration; P = 0.02]. Insufficient data were available to assess effects on body iron, sex, or menopausal status. CONCLUSION Quantitative relations between baseline iron status, study duration, and iron dose on changes in iron-status biomarkers, which were generated from the meta-analyses, can be used to predict effects of trials of iron supplementation and fortification and to design iron-intervention programs.
State and trait anxiety and depression in patients with primary brain tumors before and after surgery: 1-year longitudinal study.

OBJECT The aim in this study was to assess the state and trait types of anxiety as well as current depression before and after surgery in patients affected by brain tumors. The relationships between these affective disorders and the patient's sex, tumor histology, and laterality of the tumor were also evaluated. METHODS A total of 72 patients affected by a primary brain tumor were enrolled in the study. Histological grades were assigned according to the World Health Organization classification. State and trait anxiety were assessed using the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory; current depression was assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the 10-item Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire. Psychometric evaluation was assessed before surgery and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS Before brain surgery, 62.5% of patients showed state anxiety, 50% of patients showed trait anxiety, and 9.7% of patients showed current depression. During the follow-up period there was no significant variation in the percentage of patients with state anxiety (p=0.416) and trait anxiety (p=0.7), whereas a significant increase in the percentage of those with current depression was found (p<0.0001), in particular at 1 month (p=0.002) and 3 months (p=0.039) after surgical treatment. The tumor's laterality and histology showed no correlation with psychometric variables, whereas a relationship between the presence of trait anxiety at the enrollment and current depression after surgery (p<0.0001) was found. CONCLUSIONS Patients affected by brain tumors frequently experience affective disorders. After brain surgery, a depressive state can develop. The psychometric assessment could be useful in these patients for quick recognition of psychological disorders.
Cold Snaps - children’s health in a cold, damp home : influencing policy and practice

Children living in cold homes experience worse outcomes. This paper considers some of the findings from the Warm Well Families (WWF) study, which aimed to explore factors influencing the abilities of households including children with asthma to keep warm at home in winter. Individual and group interviews with children, families and professionals were conducted and home temperature and humidity measurements were taken. The experience, knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of adults living in households with children with asthma affect the choices they make. The concept of a ‘trade-off’ is used, to describe the complex process by which families in fuel poverty are juggling competing priorities in order to make decisions. The paper explores three participant families in detail, through the use of case studies, to illustrate the trade-offs made and the impact of those trade-offs on a family’s ability to keep warm and well at home. It is argued that policy initiatives and interventions need to engage with the full range of decisions families make, and the constraints on these decisions, in order to reduce the impact of fuel poverty on the wellbeing of families.
Variability of position of the P2 glomerulus within a map of the mouse olfactory bulb

Olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) that express a common odorant receptor molecule target specific glomeruli in the olfactory bulb. We systematically assessed the location of the olfactory glomeruli that receive input from ORNs expressing P2 receptors in the P2‐internal ribosome entry site‐tau‐lacZ mouse. We present a new mapping method that includes an Internet‐accessible computer program for generating two‐ and three‐dimensional maps of the glomerular sheet in the olfactory bulbs of mice. Cylindrical coordinates were used to define glomerular location: The coordinates were given as the anteroposterior (AP) distance parallel to the long axis of the bulb (rostrocaudal; RC) and angular measurements with origin defined by the remnant ependymal layer in the center of the granule cell layer in the bulb. Using this method, we can apply rigorous statistical methods to give objective estimates of position and variability. At the 95% confidence interval, the lateral P2 glomerulus lies at coordinates 1,008 μm ± 306 μm AP × 146° ± 12°, and the medial P2 glomerulus lies at 1,828 μm ± 196 μm AP × 204° ± 8°. We estimate that these coordinates encompass a domain containing 29 and 37 of the 1,800 glomeruli (∼2%) for the lateral and medial glomeruli, respectively. Furthermore, the data reported here demonstrate that the rostrocaudal position of small P2 glomeruli is three times more variable than that of large glomeruli. J. Comp. Neurol. 436:351–362, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dissecting the Roles of Tyrosines 490 and 785 of TrkA Protein in the Induction of Downstream Protein Phosphorylation Using Chimeric Receptors*

Background: TrkA propagates downstream signaling mainly through two known phosphotyrosine-docking sites. Results: Through mutating these tyrosines, it was possible to dissect which phosphorylations are driven through each of these sites. Conclusion: Some signals are transmitted through only one of these sites and some through both, and some are propagated through new, unknown docking site(s). Significance: Evidence is uncovered for additional docking site(s) on TrkA. Receptor tyrosine kinases generally act by forming phosphotyrosine-docking sites on their own endodomains that propagate signals through cascades of post-translational modifications driven by the binding of adaptor/effector proteins. The pathways that are stimulated in any given receptor tyrosine kinase are a function of the initial docking sites that are activated and the availability of downstream participants. In the case of the Trk receptors, which are activated by nerve growth factor, there are only two established phosphotyrosine-docking sites (Tyr-490 and Tyr-785 on TrkA) that are known to be directly involved in signal transduction. Taking advantage of this limited repertoire of docking sites and the availability of PC12 cell lines stably transfected with chimeric receptors composed of the extracellular domain of the PDGF receptor and the transmembrane and intracellular domains of TrkA, the downstream TrkA-induced phosphoproteome was assessed for the “native” receptor and mutants lacking Tyr-490 or both Tyr-490 and Tyr-785. Basal phosphorylation levels were compared with those formed after 20 min of stimulation with PDGF. Several thousand phosphopeptides were identified after TiO2 enrichment, and many were up- or down-regulated by receptor activation. The modified proteins in the native sample contained many of the well established participants in TrkA signaling. The results from the mutant receptors allowed grouping of these downstream targets by their dependence on the two characterized docking site(s). A clear subset that was not dependent on either Tyr-490 or Tyr-785 emerged, providing direct evidence that there are other sites on TrkA that are involved in downstream signaling.
Evaluation of affirm VP Microbial Identification Test for Gardnerella vaginalis and Trichomonas vaginalis

A commercial system (Affirm VP Microbial Identification Test; MicroProbe Corp.) for detection of vaginal pathogens was evaluated with 176 consecutive women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic for genital complaints. Vaginal swab specimens were used for culture of Gardnerella vaginalis and Trichomonas vaginalis, preparation of a vaginal smear for Gram stain interpretation, and wet mount evaluation. An additional swab was used to evaluate the 30-min nonisotopic oligonucleotide probe test. The automated probe system detected G. vaginalis in 69 (95%) of 73 women having > 5 x 10(5) CFU of G. vaginalis per ml by culture, and 20 (43%) of 47 specimens with < or = 5 x 10(5) CFU of G. vaginalis per ml. There were three false positives and four false negatives for the Affirm VP test compared with > 5 x 10(5) CFU of G. vaginalis per ml. The probe system detected G. vaginalis in 57 (90%) of 63 vaginal specimens from women having clue cells on wet mount examination, and in only 3 (3%) of 113 women without clue cells, suggesting that the Affirm probe for G. vaginalis could be used as a surrogate for wet mount examination for clue cells. The T. vaginalis probe was positive for 12 of 12 specimens positive by wet mount and 12 of 15 specimens positive by culture. There were no false positives and three false negatives for the Affirm VP test compared with culture and/or wet mount for T. vaginalis. The Affirm VP Microbial Identification System is a rapid, objective, and automated test for the detection of T. vaginalis and clinically significant levels of G. vaginalis that is comparable to wet mount examination for clue cells and is superior to wet mount examination for the detection of trichomonads.
Enhanced c-Fos in periaqueductal grey GABAergic neurons during opioid withdrawal

The ventrolateral subdivision of periaqueductal grey is crucial for expression of opioid withdrawal signs. Previous investigations suggest that interneurons rather than the medullary projecting output neurons in this midbrain region are hyperexcited during opioid withdrawal. In the present study, transgenic mice with glutamic acid decarboxylase-containing neurons coupled to enhanced green fluorescent protein expression were used as a marker for GABAergic neurons and for studying opioid withdrawal. We found that these transgenic mice exhibited a full range of opioid withdrawal signs on abrupt cessation of chronic opioid action. Consistent with previous studies, c-Fos expression was also robustly enhanced (two-fold) in the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey. Furthermore, about one third (30%) of glutamic acid decarboxylase-containing neurons coupled to enhanced green fluorescent protein in the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey were stained c-Fos positive (i.e. a four-fold increase from control mice). These results indicate hyperexcitation of GABAergic neurons in the ventrolateral periaqueductal grey during opioid withdrawal.
The prevalence and socio‐demographic correlates of khat chewing in Butajira, Ethiopia

A house‐to‐house survey was carried out in a rural Ethiopian community to determine the prevalence and socio‐demographic correlates of khat use. A total of 10 468 adults were interviewed. Of these, 58% were female, and 740/0 were Muslim. More than half of the study population (55.7%) reported lifetime khat chewing experience and the prevalence of current use was 50%. Among current chewers, 17.40/0 reported taking khat on a daily basis; 16.1% of these were male and 3.4% were female. Various reasons were given for chewing khat; 80% of the chewers used it to gain a good level of concentration for prayer. Muslim religion, smoking and high educational level showed strong association with daily khat chewing.
Nursing Grand Rounds: Promoting Excellence in Nursing

Nursing grand rounds (NGR) provide staff nurses a forum to share clinical expertise and the best of nursing practice at their institutions in a setting that recognizes their unique contributions to the nursing profession. This article will describe how NGR were developed, facilitated, and implemented by the Department of Nursing Practice, Education, and Research at an academic healthcare facility.
Fibulin‐5 regulates keloid‐derived fibroblast‐like cells through integrin beta‐1

Keloid scar is pathological tissue that appears after skin injury, and that is more aggressive than hypertrophic scars. Keloid scars are characterized by increased proliferation of fibroblast‐like cells (FLCs) and the accumulation of extracellular matrix, mainly collagen. Fibulin‐5, a glycoprotein secreted by many cell types, is a component of the extracellular matrix. We investigated the effect of fibulin‐5 on the adhesion and proliferation of FLCs derived from keloid scars and the role of integrin beta‐1 in these activities.
Tests for Equivalence Based on Odds Ratio for Matched-Pair Design

ABSTRACT Currently, methods for evaluation of equivalence under a matched-pair design use either difference in proportions or relative risk as measures of risk association. However, these measures of association are only for cross-sectional studies or prospective investigations, such as clinical trials and they cannot be applied to retrospective research such as case-control studies. As a result, under a matched-pair design, we propose the use of the conditional odds ratio for assessment of equivalence in both prospective and retrospective research. We suggest the use of the asymptotic confidence interval of the conditional odds ratio for evaluation of equivalence. In addition, a score test based on the restricted maximum likelihood estimator (RMLE) is derived to test the hypothesis of equivalence under a matched-pair design. On the other hand, a sample size formula is also provided. A simulation study was conducted to empirically investigate the size and power of the proposed procedures. Simulation results show that the score test not only adequately controls the Type I error but it can also provide sufficient power. A numerical example illustrates the proposed methods.
EPIGENETIC VARIATION AT SKA2 PREDICTS SUICIDE PHENOTYPES AND INTERNALIZING PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

DNA methylation of the SKA2 gene has recently been implicated as a biomarker of suicide risk and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To examine the specificity and reliability of these findings, we examined associations between SKA2 DNA methylation, broad dimensions of psychiatric symptoms, and suicide phenotypes in adults with high levels of trauma exposure.
An Estimate of the Prevalence of Dementia among Community-Dwelling Elderly in Israel

The study goal was to identify the prevalence of dementia among elderly people aged 65 and over living in the community in Israel. The target population included 47,834 community-dwelling elderly aged 65 and over in Jerusalem. Of this population, 1,624 elderly were randomly sampled according to ten strata of sex and age groups. The study included initial screening for ‘suspected’ dementia cases followed by in-depth clinical evaluation to determine whether an individual indeed suffered from dementia. One fifth (19.2%) of the elderly aged 65 and over, living in the community in Jerusalem, were found to have dementia at varying levels of severity. When the specific rates of elderly with dementia in the community in Jerusalem by gender and age groups were applied to data on the total elderly population in the community in Israel at the end of 2002, the prevalence of dementia was an estimated 16.7%. The percentage of elderly with dementia in Israel is in the upper range of rates quoted in other studies. The health and social service systems in Israel will have to make provisions to care for a much larger number of dementia sufferers than has been previously estimated.