Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative use of magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiologic investigation for the prognosis of head injury.

BACKGROUND To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiologic investigation as prognostic methods in acute head injury. METHODS Fifty-seven patients suffering moderate to mild (Glasgow Coma Scale score > 8) or severe (Glasgow Coma Scale score < 8) head injury were included. Both groups were analyzed as a total and separately for outcome as assessed by Glasgow Outcome Score. Two outcome groups were separated (Glasgow Outcome Score 1-3: unfavorable vs. Glasgow Outcome Score 4-5: favorable). MRI scans (T1-, T2-, T2*-sequences; transverse, coronal, and sagittal slices) were obtained 1 to 39 days after trauma (mean, 14 days). Electrophysiologic investigations consisted of median nerve-evoked somatosensory responses to assess corticosubcortical function and brain stem auditory-evoked potentials and brain stem reflexes for brain stem function. Recordings were performed 24 to 72 hours after trauma and repeated every 3 to 5 days. RESULTS Evaluation of all patients revealed a prognostic significance of MRI lesions within the corpus callosum, the basal ganglia, the hippocampus, the midbrain, and the pons. In the severe head injury subgroup, significance was limited to lesions within the corpus callosum, the basal ganglia, and the midbrain. Among the electrophysiologic findings, dysfunction of the corticosubcortical region as well as of the midbrain were linked to an unfavorable outcome. In severe head injury, prognostic significance was restricted to bilateral corticosubcortical dysfunction. A statistical test for diagnostic convergence of both methods indicated a distinct convergence only for lesions of the midbrain and the pons. CONCLUSION MRI scans performed early after head injury provide several indicators for unfavorable outcome. Electrophysiologic investigations add to this prognostic evidence. Both methods have comparably high specificity. However, because of the higher density of prognostic information obtained, MRI seems superior to electrophysiologic testing.
Nitric oxide synthase activity reveals an asymmetrical organization of the frog habenulae during development: A histochemical and cytoarchitectonic study from tadpoles to the mature Rana esculenta, with notes on the pineal complex

In the adult frog, structural asymmetry of the left dorsal habenula in respect to the right counterpart has been repeatedly documented in previous studies. In the present investigation, histochemical expression of β‐nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)‐diaphorase activity was examined in the habenulae of the developing and adult Rana esculenta. In tadpoles and during metamorphosis, selective neuropil staining was consistently found within a lateral compartment of the medial subnucleus of the left dorsal habenula. The staining was still present in the same location, but much less intense, in the mature frog, indicating that the neurochemical pattern observed during development was at least in part transient. Thus, the present data point out a peculiar neurochemical pattern of the habenular asymmetry in the frog, suggesting that nitric oxide may be involved in the developmental shaping which leads to an asymmetrical configuration of the habenulae. In addition, NADPH‐diaphorase–positive cells were detected in the frontal organ (the extracranial component of the pineal complex in strict relationship with the habenulae in the frog), and labeled fibers were found in the frontal nerve, which arises from the frontal organ. This latter finding supports the postulated relationship of the habenular asymmetry with the occurrence of the frontal organ. The finding of NADPH‐diaphorase histochemical reactivity confined to a distinct portion of the medial subnucleus of the left dorsal habenula prompted a reexamination of the cytoarchitecture of the developing and mature habenular complex in the frog. The bicompartmentalization detected with histochemistry in the medial subnucleus of the left dorsal habenula of the developing and adult frog was fully supported by the study of Nissl‐stained epithalamic sections. These data point out that the left‐right structural differences of the frog habenular complex are more complex than previously believed, and may be subserved by chemically regulated developmental processes. J. Comp. Neurol. 411:441–454, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Recovery of Damaged Skeletal Muscle in mdx Mice through Low-intensity Endurance Exercise

Abstract The lack of dystrophin in mdx mice leads to cycles of muscle degeneration and regeneration processes. Various strategies have been proposed in order to reduce the muscle-wasting component of muscular dystrophy, including implementation of an exercise programme. The aim of this study was to examine how low-intensity endurance exercise affects the degeneration-regeneration process in dystrophic muscle of male mdx mice. Mice were subjected to low-intensity endurance exercise by running on a motorized Rota-Rod for 5 days/week for 6 weeks. Histomorphological analysis showed a significant reduction of measured inflammatory-necrotic areas in both gastrocnemius and quadriceps muscle of exercised mdx mice as compared to matched sedentary mdx mice. The degenerative-regenerative process was also evaluated by examining the protein levels of connexin 39 (Cx39), a specific gene expressed in injured muscles. Cx39 was not detected in sedentary wild type mice, whereas it was found markedly increased in sedentary mdx mice, revealing active muscle degeneration-regeneration process. These Cx39 protein levels were significantly reduced in muscles of mdx mice exercised for 30 and 40 days, revealing together with histomorphological analysis a strong reduction of degeneration process in mice subjected to low-intensity endurance exercise. Muscles of exercised mdx mice did not show significant changes in force and fatigue resistance as compared to sedentary mdx mice. Overall in this study we found that specific low-intensity endurance exercise induces a beneficial effect probably by reducing the degeneration of dystrophic muscle.
Making Space for Space Traders

Abstract Should a focus on empowering education for a socially just world stretch across schooling generally? Is it really the responsibility of science educators to focus on such a struggle? We believe the answer to both questions is an enthusiastic “yes” and in this article report on the planning and execution of a 6th grade science unit designed to spark classroom dialogue around issues of bias in science and in society. We begin with a brief grounding in the relevant literature of culturally relevant science teaching before introducing the context of the unit and the methods of study. We then describe the planning and execution of the unit. We close with lessons that we feel important to carry forward into later replications and recommendations for future research.
Measuring Political Sophistication

ion A second and generally preferable approach capitalizes on the relationship between constraint and abstraction. Constraint, in large degree, is abstraction. Hence by gauging a person's use of abstractions-either how abstract they are or how heavily used-we can gauge his or her This content downloaded from 207.46. 13.172 on Tue, 23 Aug 2016 06:12:09 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor. org/terms MEASURING POLITICAL SOPHISTICATION 877 constraint. Size and range, through correlation with constraint, follow
IP3 receptor in the hair cells of frog semicircular canal and its possible functional role

The presence and functional role of inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP3R) was investigated by electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry in hair cells from the frog semicircular canal. Intracellular recordings were performed from single fibres of the posterior canal in the isolated, intact frog labyrinth, at rest and during rotation, in the presence of IP3 receptor inhibitors and drugs known to produce Ca2+ release from the internal stores or to increase IP3 production. Hair cell immunolabelling for IP3 receptor was performed by standard procedures. The drug 2‐aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2APB), an IP3 receptor inhibitor, produced a marked decrease of mEPSP and spike frequency at low concentration (0.1 mm), without affecting mEPSP size or time course. At high concentration (1 mm), 2APB is reported to block the sarcoplasmic‐endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐ATPase (SERCA pump) and increase [Ca2+]i; at the labyrinthine cytoneural junction, it greatly enhanced the resting and mechanically evoked sensory discharge frequency. The selective agonist of group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (RS)‐3,5‐dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG, 0.6 mm), produced a transient increase in resting mEPSP and spike frequency at the cytoneural junction, with no effects on mEPSP shape or amplitude. Pretreatment with cyclopiazonic acid (CPA, 0.1 mm), a SERCA pump inhibitor, prevented the facilitatory effect of both 2APB and DHPG, suggesting a link between Ca2+ release from intracellular stores and quantal emission. Consistently, diffuse immunoreactivity for IP3 receptors was observed in posterior canal hair cells. Our results indicate the presence and a possibly relevant functional role of IP3‐sensitive stores in controlling [Ca2+]i and modulating the vestibular discharge.
3′-Processed mRNA Is Preferentially Translated in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Chloroplasts

ABSTRACT 3′-end processing of nucleus-encoded mRNAs includes the addition of a poly(A) tail that is important for translation initiation. Since the vast majority of chloroplast mRNAs acquire their 3′ termini by processing yet are not polyadenylated, we asked whether 3′ end maturation plays a role in chloroplast translation. A general characteristic of the 3′ untranslated regions of chloroplast mRNAs is an inverted repeat (IR) sequence that can fold into a stem-loop structure. These stem-loops and their flanking sequences serve as RNA 3′-end formation signals. Deletion of theChlamydomonas chloroplast atpB 3′ IR in strain Δ26 results in reduced accumulation of atpB transcripts and the chloroplast ATPase β-subunit, leading to weakly photosynthetic growth. Of the residualatpB mRNA in Δ26, approximately 1% accumulates as a discrete RNA of wild-type size, while the remainder is heterogeneous in length due to the lack of normal 3′ end maturation. In this work, we have analyzed whether these unprocessed atpBtranscripts are actively translated in vivo. We found that only the minority population of discrete transcripts of wild-type size is associated with polysomes and thus accounts for the ATPase β-subunit which accumulates in Δ26. Analysis of chloroplast rbcLmRNA revealed that transcripts extending beyond the mature 3′ end were not polysome associated. These results suggest that 3′-end processing of chloroplast mRNA is required for or strongly stimulates its translation.
The Rotary Club and the Promotion of the Social Responsibilities of Business in the Early 20th Century

The separation thesis states that business and moral decision making should and can be differentiated clearly. This study provides empirical support for the competing view that the separation thesis is impossible through a case study of the Rotary Club, which fosters an ethical orientation among its global business and professional membership. The study focuses attention on the Club in the early to middle 20th century. Based on a reading of their service doctrine, the four objects of Rotary and the Four Way Test, the author argues that the example of the Rotary Club undermines the separation thesis. The Rotary message was conceptually ambiguous: it did not clearly differentiate business roles from social activities; rather both fed into each other, with the business tools developed by members and disseminated by Rotary, utilized in nonbusiness contexts with a view to enhancing societal well-being.
The relationship between socio‐economic status and physical activity patterns in South African children

Aim: To examine: (1) the associations between socio‐economic status, physical activity, anthropometric and body composition variables in South African children; (2) the influence maternal characteristics have on children's physical activity levels; and (3) associations between television watching, activity level and body composition. Methods: In 381 South African children, physical activity and socio‐economic status were assessed via structured retrospective interview using validated questionnaires. An asset indicator score was calculated as a proxy measure of socio‐economic status and used to divide children into quartiles. Results: Children falling into the highest socio‐economic status quartile had mothers with the highest educational levels, generally came from dual parent homes, were highly physically active, watched less television, weighed more and had greater lean tissue than children in lower quartiles. A greater percentage of children living in dual parent homes and with mothers of a higher educational status were highly active compared with children living in single parent homes and with mothers of a lower educational status. We found greater levels of lean mass with increased activity level after controlling for television watching time and fat mass. There were high levels of low activity and high television watching time among lower socio‐economic status groups. There were significant racial differences in patterns of activity. White children were found to be more active than black children, more likely to participate in physical education classes at school and watched less television than black children.
Mouse strain differences determine severity of iron accumulation in Hfe knockout model of hereditary hemochromatosis

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common disorder of iron metabolism caused by mutation in HFE, a gene encoding an MHC class I-like protein. Clinical studies demonstrate that the severity of iron loading is highly variable among individuals with identical HFE genotypes. To determine whether genetic factors other than Hfe genotype influence the severity of iron loading in the murine model of HH, we bred the disrupted murine Hfe allele onto three different genetically defined mouse strains (AKR, C57BL/6, and C3H), which differ in basal iron status and sensitivity to dietary iron loading. Serum transferrin saturations (percent saturation of serum transferrin with iron), hepatic and splenic iron concentrations, and hepatocellular iron distribution patterns were compared for wild-type (Hfe +/+), heterozygote (Hfe +/−), and knockout (Hfe −/−) mice from each strain. Although the Hfe −/− mice from all three strains demonstrated increased transferrin saturations and liver iron concentrations compared with Hfe +/+ mice, strain differences in severity of iron accumulation were striking. Targeted disruption of the Hfe gene led to hepatic iron levels in Hfe −/− AKR mice that were 2.5 or 3.6 times higher than those of Hfe −/− C3H or Hfe −/− C57BL/6 mice, respectively. The Hfe −/− mice also demonstrated strain-dependent differences in transferrin saturation, with the highest values in AKR mice and the lowest values in C3H mice. These observations demonstrate that heritable factors markedly influence iron homeostasis in response to Hfe disruption. Analysis of mice from crosses between C57BL/6 and AKR mice should allow the mapping and subsequent identification of genes modifying the severity of iron loading in this murine model of HH.
Recent trends in corporate and household finances in Spain: Macroeconomic implications

This paper analyses the trends in corporate and household wealth in Spain over the past decade. It is found that the non-financial private sector has increased its exposure to changes in interest rates and in financial asset prices, which suggests significant changes in the monetary policy transmission mechanism. Nonetheless, it is documented that these effects are insufflciently reflected in the conventional macroeconometric modeis used by central banks and public- and private-sector analysts. This starting point is taken to reflect on the role to be played, in general, by the analysis of financial develo pments in evaluating the macroeconomic situation underpinning monetary policy decisions and the implications of financial imbalances for the conduct of economic authorities in the euro area countries.
Surfactant therapy failure identifies infants at risk for pulmonary mortality.

OBJECTIVE To characterize the clinical features of infants who do not respond to surfactant therapy. DESIGN Patient series, chart review. SETTING Academic referral neonatal intensive care unit. PATIENTS/SELECTION: Ninety-nine consecutive infants with respiratory distress syndrome who received surfactant therapy and 107 infants from the 2 years prior to initiation of surfactant therapy matched for birth weight, race, sex, gestational age, chronological age, and disease severity. MEASUREMENTS/RESULTS Oxygen index was used to quantitate response to surfactant therapy. A 25% decrease in oxygen index 6 hours after the first surfactant dose was significantly different from that of the matched historical cohort (P = .04). Oxygen index decreased 25% or more in 49 infants, the response group, while oxygen index decreased less than 25% or increased following therapy in the remaining 50 infants, the nonresponse group. Pulmonary interstitial emphysema occurred more frequently in the nonresponse group. The only deaths from pulmonary causes at 10 days of age or younger occurred in the nonresponse group (n = 11). CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary processes unresponsive to surfactant therapy contribute to morbidity and mortality in newborn respiratory distress syndrome. Classifying respiratory distress syndrome as "surfactant responsive" or "surfactant unresponsive" offers a scheme by which to investigate alternative explanations and interventions for newborn respiratory distress syndrome.
Development of a sensitive rRNA‐targeted reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction for detection of Vibrio cholerae/mimicus, V. parahaemolyticus/alginolyticus and Campylobacter jejuni/coli

A sensitive rRNA‐targeted reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) method was developed for detection of Vibrio cholerae/mimicus, V. parahaemolyticus/alginolyticus and Campylobacter jejuni/coli by using specific primers. Counts of the enteric pathogens spiked in human stools were quantified at the lower detection limit of 103 cells/g stool by RT‐qPCR, in marked contrast with conventional quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) at the detection limit of 105 to 106 cells/g stool. The bacterial counts determined by RT‐qPCR were almost equivalent to those determined by the culture method and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) during the course of in vitro culture. Bacterial rRNA in the stools was stable for at least 4 weeks when the stools were kept as the suspensions in RNA‐stabilizing agent, RNAlater®, even at 37oC. These data suggested that the rapid and high sensitive rRNA‐targeted RT‐qPCR was applicable for the accurate quantification of viable enteric pathogens, such as V. cholerae/mimicus, V. parahaemolyticus/alginolyticus and C. jejuni/coli.
Same Work, Lower Grade? Student Ethnicity and Teachers' Subjective Assessments

Previous research shows that ethnic minority students perform poorer in school when they are taught by ethnic majority teachers. Why this is the case was unclear. This paper focuses on one important potential explanation: I examine whether ethnic majority teachers grade minority and majority students differently for the same work. Using an experiment, I rule out the existence of such a direct grading bias. I do find indirect evidence for alternative explanations: teachers report lower expectations and unfavorable attitudes that both likely affect their behavior towards minority students, potentially inducing them to perform below their ability level. Effects of having majority teachers on minority students’ grades hence seem more likely to be indirect than direct.
Trends in HIV testing, serial HIV prevalence and HIV incidence among people attending a Center for AIDS Prevention from 1988 to 2003

Aim: To analyse trends in HIV testing, serial HIV prevalence and HIV incidence among people who underwent voluntary testing in a Center for AIDS Prevention in Valencia, Spain. Methods: Open cohort study including all subjects who went to the Center for AIDS Prevention from 1988 to 2003. Information on sociodemographic variables and HIV test results was collected. Serial prevalence and incidence rates were calculated, and joinpoint regression was used to identify changes in trends over time. Results: 21 241 subjects were analysed; 67% men, 27% injecting drug users (IDUs), 43% heterosexuals and 13% men who have sex with men (MSM). From 1988 to 1990, IDUs accounted for 57% of clinic attenders, decreasing to 14% by 1997–2003, accompanied by an increase in heterosexuals. Overall, HIV prevalence for the whole period was 15%, dropping from 35% to <10% after 1999 and to 3% by 2003, when HIV prevalence was 26% in IDUs, 6% in MSM and 2% in heterosexuals. Total HIV incidence was 2.5%. From 1988 to 1990, HIV incidence ranged from 6% to 8%, and a gradual and progressive decline observed from 1990 onwards. From 1995 onwards, HIV incidence was <2%. The highest incidence rate is seen in IDUs, 7–12% in the first period and 4–5% at the end. Among MSM, a change in the decreasing trend is seen by 1998, and increases in incidence are detected by 2002–3. Conclusions: Serial HIV prevalence has markedly decreased from 1988 in all transmission categories, although it is still high. With regard to HIV incidence, the drop has been marked too, although a worrying increase, that requires further follow-up, has been detected in MSM in the past 2 years.
Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B: a new target for the treatment of obesity and associated co‐morbidities

Abstract. Ukkola O, Santaniemi M (University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland). Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B: a new target for the treatment of obesity and associated co‐morbidities (Review). J Intern Med 2002; 251: 467–475.