Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recurrent axon collaterals underlie facilitating synapses between cerebellar Purkinje cells

Morphological studies have provided ample evidence for synaptic connections between cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs), but the functional properties of these synapses remain elusive. We report on direct recordings of synaptically connected PCs in mice cerebellar slices. In PCs filled with a fluorescent dye to aid axon visualization and postsynaptic target identification, presynaptic action potentials elicited unitary inhibitory postsynaptic currents in neighboring PCs in 10% of potential connections tested. In 11 pairs, postsynaptic currents had a delay onset of 1.62 ± 0.16 ms with respect to the presynaptic spike, a 10–90% rise time of 2.20 ± 0.33 ms, and a monoexponential decay with a time constant of 13.3 ± 1.7 ms. Average values for peak current and variance-to-mean ratio were 55 ± 14 and 30 ± 3 pA, respectively. In contrast to the depressing nature of the synapse between PCs and deep cerebellar nuclei neurons, PC–PC synapses exhibited strong facilitation operating within a time window of a few milliseconds; paired-pulse ratios for 3- and 20-ms intervals were 1.79 ± 0.18 and 1.01 ± 0.14, respectively (n = 6). The facilitation is of presynaptic nature because it is accompanied by a decrease in failure rate. Trains of action potentials evoked in presynaptic varicosities volume-averaged calcium transients whose peak increased 1.7-fold as the frequency increased from 50 to 166 Hz. We suggest that PC–PC synapses are tuned for high fidelity of transmission during bursts of PC activity and that their operation in the cerebellar circuit modulates synchronized PC firing.
Full donor chimerism using stem-cell transplantation for tolerance induction in the human leukocyte antigen-matched liver transplant setting.

the kidney exchange rate within Eurotransplant between 2001 and 2004 had shown that from 1409 Dutch donor kidneys, only 58 (4%) were nonmandatory exchanged. By using the simulated system, this percentage would increase to 13%. In conclusion, a kidney allocation system based on full HLA-DR compatibility cannot be implemented in a region or a small country without disturbing the import or export balance or allocating kidneys over an HLA-DR mismatch. Martin B. A. Heemskerk Bernadette J. J. M. Haase-Kromwijk Dutch Transplant Foundation Leiden, The Netherlands
[Job satisfaction among primary care physicians at the IMSS].

OBJECTIVE To know factors related to job satisfaction among primary care Physicians from the Mexican Social Security Institute. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cross-sectional survey applied to physicians of outpatient visit areas in four Family Medicine Units in Leon, Guanajuato, from February to May 2007. The survey explored six areas. We used 95% confidence intervals and One-Way ANOVA to compare means among clinics and Chi square and OR'95% confidence intervals to compare proportions. RESULTS One hundred sixty physicians participated (response rate 88.9%), three were excluded. Most physicians were satisfied with their work (86%). Half of the doctors feel satisfied with their economic benefits (48%), non-economic benefits (52%), and those from the collective bargaining agreement (53%), as well as with the labor union (46%) and their actual insurances (45%). Only one third or less of participants refer to receive incentives (31%) or recognitions for their work (33%), were satisfied with the opportunities for training (31%), the economic incentives (29%), or the salary (24%). The satisfaction's means of work, benefits, insurances, labor union and collective bargaining agreement were significantly higher than the means of salary and economic incentives. Satisfaction means were significantly higher in Clinic #53 than in Clinic #51 for job satisfaction and opportunities for training, as well as percentages of response in institutional support, incentives and recognitions for their work, were higher in Clinic 53 compared to all other clinics; however, it's the smallest clinic in this study. CONCLUSIONS Family doctors find satisfaction in their practice, and factors such as institutional support, recognition and incentives may improve their general job satisfaction.
Detection of Antibody-Dependent Complement-Mediated Inactivation of both Autologous and Heterologous Virus in Primary Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Infection

ABSTRACT Specific CD8 T-cell responses to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are induced in primary infection and make an important contribution to the control of early viral replication. The importance of neutralizing antibodies in containing primary viremia is questioned because they usually arise much later. Nevertheless antienvelope antibodies develop simultaneously with, or even before, peak viremia. We determined whether such antibodies might control viremia by complement-mediated inactivation (CMI). In each of seven patients studied, antibodies capable of CMI appeared at or shortly after the peak in viremia, concomitantly with detection of virus-specific T-cell responses. The CMI was effective on both autologous and heterologous HIV-1 isolates. Activation of the classical pathway and direct viral lysis were at least partly responsible. Since immunoglobulin G (IgG)-antibodies triggered the CMI, specific memory B cells could also be induced by vaccination. Thus, consideration should be given to vaccination strategies that induce IgG antibodies capable of CMI.
A comparative theoretical analysis of distributed ladder converters for sub-module PV energy optimization

This paper presents a theoretical framework to compare DC-DC ladder converter topologies applied to series stacked configurations of DC `cells. ' In a range of applications including photovoltaics and battery management, the practice of stacking cells in series is common, but leads to limitations in performance and reliability due to mismatch among series stacked units. Ladder converters operate in parallel with series-stacked cells to balance power flow and can achieve low insertion loss and high efficiency. A general theory and implementation details of different ladder converters is presented. Figures of merit relevant to ladder converters are derived and tabulated.
GSNO attenuates EAE disease by S‐nitrosylation‐mediated modulation of endothelial‐monocyte interactions

S‐Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is an endogenous nitric oxide carrier and recently, has been documented for its anti‐inflammatory effects in rat model of cerebral ischemia (Khan et al. (2005) J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 25:177–192). Here, we explored the neuroprotective effects mediated by GSNO in Lewis rat model of EAE and its mechanism of action using in vitro model of monocyte‐endothelial cell interaction. Oral administration of GSNO attenuated the clinical disease course in EAE animals by inhibiting the infiltration of vascular immune cells in the CNS that subsequently led to the reduction in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and consequently limited demyelination. Based on the inhibition in infiltration of immune cells, we hypothesized that GSNO modulated endothelial cell activation that led to reduce cellular infiltration in the CNS. Using an in vitro model, we established that GSNO inhibited monocyte adhesion to the activated endothelial cell, which was mediated by down regulation of endothelial cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The mechanism by which GSNO modulated CAMs expression appeared to be via S‐nitrosylation of p65, which consequently inhibited nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) activation in endothelial cells. These observations suggest that GSNO exerts its protective effects in EAE by inhibition of cellular infiltration into the CNS by S‐nitrosylation of p65, thereby modulating NF‐κB‐CAMs pathway in endothelial cells. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Characterization of a Novel Acid Phosphatase from Embryonic Axes of Kidney Bean Exhibiting Vanadate-dependent Chloroperoxidase Activity*

A novel colorless acid phosphatase (KeACP), which was distinct from the kidney bean purple acid phosphatase, was purified to apparent homogeneity and cloned from embryonic axes of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. Ohfuku) during germination. When orthovanadate (\batchmode \documentclass[fleqn,10pt,legalpaper]{article} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amsmath} \pagestyle{empty} \begin{document} \(\mathrm{VO}_{4}^{-3}\) \end{document}) is added to the apo form of the enzyme, KeACP uniquely exhibits the chloroperoxidase activity with loss of phosphatase activity. This is the first demonstration that KeACP is a vanadate-dependent chloroperoxidase in plants to be characterized and suggests that KeACP may play a role in modifying a wide variety of chlorinated compounds that are present in higher plants. The enzyme is a dimer that presents three forms made up of the combination of the dominant 56-kDa and the minor 45-kDa subunits, and both subunits contain carbohydrate. The full-length cDNA of the KeACP gene is 1641 nucleotides, and this sequence is predicted to encode a protein having 457 amino acid residues (52,865 Da), including a signal peptide. The complete nucleotide sequence of the genomic DNA (3228 bp) of KeACP consists of seven exons and six introns. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the KeACP gene was expressed specifically in embryonic axes of the kidney bean, and its expression coincided with elongation of the embryonic axis during germination.
Therapeutic mechanisms of vagus nerve stimulation

Article abstractExperiments in acute and chronic animal models of epilepsy provide mechanistic insight into the acute abortive, acute prophylactic, and chronic progressive prophylactic, anti-seizure effects of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) observed in human epilepsies, and demonstrate antiepileptogenic effects of VNS in the kindling model. Anatomic-physiologic studies, experimental epilepsy studies, and human imaging, EEG, and CSF studies suggest that multiple mechanisms underlie the antiseizure effects of VNS and that alterations of vagal parasympathetic efferent activities do not underlie these antiseizure effects. Putative antiseizure mechanisms are mediated by altered vagal afferent activities, and probably include altered activities in the reticular activating system, the central autonomic network, the limbic system, and the diffuse noradrenergic projection system. Anatomic-physiologic studies fully account for the common and rare adverse effects of VNS. Current understandings of antiepileptic drug (AED) and VNS therapeutic mechanisms strongly support the “common sense” interpretation of the clinical studies: i.e., adjunctive VNS can add antiseizure effect to any AED regimen, with no interactive toxicity and no effect on drug distribution and elimination.
Motion estimation using higher order statistics

The objective of this paper is to introduce a fourth-order cost function of the displaced frame difference (DFD) capable of estimating motion even for small regions or blocks. Using higher than second-order statistics is appropriate in case the image sequence is severely corrupted by additive Gaussian noise. Some results are presented and compared to those obtained from the mean kurtosis and the mean square error of the DFD.
Jump Spillover in Energy Futures Markets: The Bayesian Viewpoint

In this paper, we investigate jump spillover effects between five energy (petroleum) futures. In order to identify the latent historical jumps of each energy futures, we use a Bayesian MCMC approach to estimate a jump-diffusion model on each energy futures. We examine the simultaneous jump intensities of pairs of energy futures and the probabilities that jumps in crude oil (and natural gas) cause jumps or usually large returns in other energy futures. In all cases, we find significant evidence of jump spillover.
Interrelationships among performance, circulating concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline, glucose, and the free fatty acids in men performing a monitoring task.

This investigation was to determine the interrelationships among circulating concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline, glucose, and “free” fatty acids ([A], [NA], [G], and [FFA], respectively) in 11 men at rest and while performing “mental” work, i.e., a visual monitoring task. They performed the task and on another occasion served in a control condition where they merely watched slide projections. Basal levels of both [A] and [NA] were inversely related to [G]. [A] increased initially during the task but later returned to its basal level. The decline in [A] paralleled performance in the task. [A] declined to below its basal level in the control condition. [NA] was not related to performance in the task. [G] and [FFA] were elevated with respect to corresponding basal levels in both the task and the control condition. The bearing of the results upon current theories of human vigilance and psychophysiological mobilization during mental work was discussed.
Memory Attestation of Wireless Sensor Nodes by Trusted Local Agents

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have been deployed for a wide variety of commercial, scientific, or military applications for the purposes of surveillance and critical data collection. Malicious code injection is a serious threat to the sensor nodes which enable fake data delivery or private data disclosure. The technique of memory attestation used to verify the integrity of a device's firmware is a potential solution against the aforementioned threat, and among which low cost software-based schemes are particularly suitable for protecting the resource-constraint sensor nodes. Unfortunately, the software-based attestation usually requires additional mechanisms to provide a reliable protection when the sensor nodes communicate with the verifier via multi-hop. Alternative hardware-based attestation (e.g., TPM) guarantees a reliable integrity measurement while it is impractical for the WSN applications primary due to the high computational overhead and hardware cost. This paper proposes a lightweight hardware-based memory attestation scheme by employing a simple tamper-resistant trusted local agent which is free from any cryptographic computation and is particularly suitable for the sensor nodes. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
BPI–ANCA in transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP) deficiency: possible role in susceptibility to Gram‐negative bacterial infections

Although HLA class I expression is diminished in patients with defects in the transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP), recurrent Gram‐negative bacterial lung infections are found from childhood onwards. As MHC class II‐mediated responses are normal, other mechanisms that contribute to susceptibility to infections are presumed. The bactericidal/permeability‐increasing protein (BPI) is a potent neutrophil antibiotic that neutralizes endotoxin efficiently. As antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibodies (ANCA) against BPI were found in the majority of cystic fibrosis patients and correlate with disease severity we examined the prevalence of BPI–ANCA and their contribution to susceptibility to bacterial infections in six TAP‐deficient patients. Although only two patients showed ANCA in indirect immunofluorescence, BPI–ANCA occurred in five of six patients in ELISA. Purified IgG from BPI–ANCA‐positive sera (five of six) inhibited the antimicrobial function of BPI in vitro. Epitope mapping revealed binding sites not only on the C‐terminal but also on the antibiotic N‐terminal portion of BPI, indicating that short linear BPI peptide fragments may be long‐lived enough to become immunogens. In conclusion, BPI–ANCA are associated strongly with TAP deficiency. Inhibition of the antimicrobial BPI function by BPI–ANCA demonstrates a possible mechanism of how autoantibodies may contribute to increased susceptibility for pulmonary Gram‐negative bacterial infections by diminished bacterial clearance.
C-Reactive Protein Is a Predictor for Developing Proteinuria in a Screened Cohort

Background: The relationship between C-reactive protein (CRP) and proteinuria is not known. Methods: We examined 20,077 screenees (men: 52.4%) of the Okinawa General Health Maintenance Association (OGHMA) registry who were examined between 2004 and 2006. Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between CRP and dipstick proteinuria were examined. The OGHMA central laboratory measured creatinine and CRP levels using an autoanalyzer (normal: <0.30 mg/dl). The glomerular filtration rate was estimated using the Japanese formula. Results: The prevalence of dipstick-positive proteinuria increased from 5.2% in screenees with a low CRP level of <0.10 mg/dl to 12.3% in those with high CRP levels (0.30–0.90 mg/dl). The CRP values did not affect the mean (SD) estimated glomerular filtration rate: 76.9 (13.7) with low CRP and 76.4 (15.1) with high CRP levels. We examined the relationship between baseline CRP and the development of proteinuria among subjects screened in 2004. Of 8,315 subjects without proteinuria examined again by 2006, 370 (4.4%) had developed proteinuria. The odds ratio (95% CI) for high CRP levels (0.30–0.90 mg/dl; reference CRP: <0.10 mg/dl) was 1.433 (1.013–2.028; p = 0.0422) after adjusting for multivariate variables, suggesting that CRP is closely associated with the prevalence and incidence of proteinuria. Conclusion: A prospective study on the development of proteinuria among those with high CRP levels is warranted. Screenees with high CRP levels may need to be followed up carefully despite the absence of traditional risk factors for proteinuria.
Comparison of careHPV and Hybrid Capture 2 Assays for Detection of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus DNA in Cervical Samples from HIV-1-Infected African Women

ABSTRACT The careHPV and HC2 assays were compared for high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) DNA detection in cervical samples from 149 HIV-1-infected African women. The HR-HPV DNA detection rates were 37.6% and 34.9% for careHPV and HC2, respectively. Agreement between the two tests was 94.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89.7% to 97.7%) with a kappa value of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.81 to 0.96), indicating an excellent agreement. careHPV may be considered as suitable as HC2 for cervical cancer screening among HIV-infected African women.
Induction of apoptosis in the murine liver with recombinant human activin a

Recombinant human activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor‐β superfamily, induced significant cell loss in rodent livers and in primary hepatocyte cultures. Histologically and biochemically the hepatocyte death was mediated by apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death. Male mice were treated with 200 or 500 μg recombinant human activin A/kg body wt/day for up to 3 days by means of a subcutaneously implanted minipump. Livers were taken for light and electron microscopy, DNA isolation and in situ nick end‐labeling. Primary cultures of rat hepatocytes were treated with 10 ng/ml recombinant human activin A for 24 hr before being harvested for electron microscopy and DNA isolation. Infusion of activin A evoked dose‐dependent loss of liver mass due to the atrophy and death of hepatocytes around the central vein. Morphologically, the dying cells demonstrated all the characteristic nuclear and cytoplasmic features of apoptosis. Low molecular weight DNA isolated activin A—treated intact livers and primary cultures exhibited the typical oligosomal ladder. Nick end‐labeling of DNA in situ confirmed that virtually all topographical apoptotic hepatocytes had fragmented DNA. The currently accepted criteria for apoptosis (i.e., specific morphological alterations and internucleosomal clipping of DNA) were evident in activin A—treated hepatocytes both in vitro and in vivo, leading to the conclusion that cell loss occurs mainly through apoptosis. These observations suggest that activin A may be important in hepatic homeostasis. (Hepatology 1994;20:854–861).
Microalbuminuria: Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications in Diabetes Mellitus

Thirty years following the development of the first radioimmunoassay for albumin, microalbuminuria is widely acknowledged as an important predictor of overt nephropathy in patients with Type 1 diabetes and of cardiovascular mortality in Type 2 diabetes. In addition, there is accumulating evidence to suggest that diabetic patients with microalbuminuria may have more advanced retinopathy, higher blood pressure, and worse dyslipidaemia than patients with normal albumin excretion rates. Recent studies have focused on the role of intervention, principally with antihypertensive therapy and intensive glycaemic control, in reducing microalbuminuria. While successful in reducing urinary albumin excretion it remains to be established whether such therapies will be translated into a reduction in renal failure and decreased cardiovascular mobidity and mortality.
Combinatorial Histone Readout by the Dual Plant Homeodomain (PHD) Fingers of Rco1 Mediates Rpd3S Chromatin Recruitment and the Maintenance of Transcriptional Fidelity*

The plant homeodomain (PHD) finger is found in many chromatin-associated proteins and functions to recruit effector proteins to chromatin through its ability to bind both methylated and unmethylated histone residues. Here, we show that the dual PHD fingers of Rco1, a member of the Rpd3S histone deacetylase complex recruited to transcribing genes, operate in a combinatorial manner in targeting the Rpd3S complex to histone H3 in chromatin. Although mutations in either the first or second PHD finger allow for Rpd3S complex formation, the assembled complexes from these mutants cannot recognize nucleosomes or function to maintain chromatin structure and prevent cryptic transcriptional initiation from within transcribed regions. Taken together, our findings establish a critical role of combinatorial readout in maintaining chromatin organization and in enforcing the transcriptional fidelity of genes.
Parent binge eating and depressive symptoms as predictors of attrition in a family-based treatment for pediatric obesity.

BACKGROUND Attrition is a significant problem in family-based treatment (FBT) for childhood obesity. Despite this, very few studies have examined factors associated with attrition. The current study examined parent symptoms of depression and binge eating as predictors of attrition in FBT. METHODS Participants included 77 parents of overweight children enrolled in FBT for childhood obesity. Data were collected at baseline and post-treatment. Binary logistic regression was used to assess associations between parent binge eating symptoms, depressive symptoms, and attrition. RESULTS Results showed that parent binge eating symptoms (p=0.02), but not depressive symptoms (p=0.07), were significantly associated with attrition, after controlling for parent BMI, treatment group assignment, and family income. CONCLUSIONS Higher reported parent binge eating symptoms were significantly related to attrition in FBT. Assessment of parent binge eating may be important in identifying families at risk for dropping out of FBT. Further, FBT may need to be adapted for families with parents who have a high level of psychopathology.
Quantification of External Heat Load on HEV Integrated IPMs Using the Air-Gap Shear Stress

State-of-the-art design methods for electric machines use published correlations of either power or torque with electromagnetic and current loading, available for different cooling approaches. However, the applicability of these correlations for electric machines used within hybrid electric vehicles, with their different degrees of integration into the overall system, is limited. Using an integrated starter generator and an electric rear axle drive as example case applications, we study the influences of the thermal environment within the hybrid electric vehicle application, i.e., heat sinks and sources external to the machine on the thermal design of the machines. We quantify these influences by scaling factors for the air-gap shear stress of the machine.