Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Kv 1.1 is associated with neuronal apoptosis and modulated by protein kinase C in the rat cerebellar granule cell

Previously, we reported that apoptosis of cerebellar granular neurons induced by low‐K+ and serum‐free (LK‐S) was associated with an increase in the A‐type K+ channel current (IA), and an elevated expression of main α‐subunit of the IA channel, which is known as Kv4.2 and Kv4.3. Here, we show, as assessed by quantitative RT‐PCR and whole‐cell recording, that besides Kv4.2 and Kv4.3, Kv1.1 is very important for IA channel. The expression of Kv1.1 was elevated in the apoptotic neurons, while silencing Kv1.1 expression by siRNA reduced the IA amplitude of the apoptotic neuron, and increased neuron viability. Inhibiting Kv1.1 current by dendrotoxin‐K evoked a similar effect of reduction of IA amplitude and protection of neurons. Applying a protein kinase C (PKC) activator, phorbol ester acetate A (PMA) mimicked the LK‐S‐induced neuronal apoptotic effect, enhanced the IA amplitude and reduced the granule cell viability. The PKC inhibitor, bisindolylmaleimide I and Gö6976 protected the cell against apoptosis induced by LK‐S. After silencing the Kv1.1 gene, the effect of PMA on the residual K+ current was reduced significantly. Quantitative RT‐PCR and Western immunoblot techniques revealed that LK‐S treatment and PMA increased the level of the expression of Kv1.1, in contrast, bisindolylmaleimide I inhibited Kv1.1 expression. In addition, the activation of the PKC isoform was identified in apoptotic neurons. We thus conclude that in the rat cerebellar granule cell, the IA channel associated with apoptotic neurons is encoded mainly by the Kv1.1 gene, and that the PKC pathway promotes neuronal apoptosis by a brief modulation of the IA amplitude and a permanent increase in the levels of expression of the Kv1.1 α‐subunit.
Histological evaluation of esophageal mucosa in children with acid gastroesophageal reflux.

AIM histological evaluation of esophageal mucosa in children, with regard to the duration of primary acid gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and acid GER secondary to cow's milk allergy and/or other food allergy (CMA/FA) (prospective study). MATERIAL AND METHODS 264 children of both sexes suspected of GER were enrolled in the study. The age of examined children was 1.5-102 months, mean age 20.78+/-17.23 months. Pathological acid GER was confirmed with pH-monitoring in 138 children (52.3%). Taking into consideration complex differential diagnosis, including oral food challenge test with potentially noxious nutrient (open or blind study), children were assigned into study groups 1 and 2 (primary and secondary GER). Group 1: 76 patients (28.8%) aged 4-102 months (x=25.2+/-27.28 months) with primary GER. Group 2: 62 patients (23.5%) aged 4-74 months (x=21.53+/-17.79 months) with GER secondary to CMA/FA. Children with GERD underwent preliminary and control (after 1 year and 2 years of GERD diagnosis) endoscopic examination of the upper gastroinestinal tract. RESULTS Intensity of esophagitis was assessed initially in 25 children from group 1 (32.9%), in 29 children from group 2 (46.8%), and in 9 children from group 3 - reference group (28.1%). Histological evaluation revealed infiltration of inflammatory cells, mainly neutrophils and intraepithelial lymphocytes, and also eosinophils in 10 children (13.2%) with primary GER. Infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes was found in 5 children (8.1%) with secondary GER. In 8 children (25.0%) with food allergy there were only lymphocytes. Infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes and basal zone hyperplasia or infiltration of eosinophils and lymphocytes with elongation of lamina propria papillae was found in 10 children (13.1%) with primary GER and in 20 children (32.2%) with secondary GER. Differentiation of particular types of inflammatory cells in mucosal infiltration characterized histological picture in the following way: neutrophils in 21 children (27.6%) with primary GER, eosinophils in 22 children (35.5%) with secondary GER, lymphocytes in 15 children (19.7%) in children with primary GER and in 15 children (24.2%) with secondary GER. Histological examination of esophageal mucosa after 1 and 2 years of clinical observation and periodical conservative treatment in children with primary and secondary GER revealed significant alleviation of inflammatory abnormalities (with regard to the type of abnormalities and the number of particular types of inflammatory cells). CONCLUSIONS The value of histological findings obtained in own studies comprises the role of food allergy in pathogenesis of GER and is related to GER's contribution, both direct (primary reflux) and indirect (secondary reflux), to triggering off morphological results and clinical outcomes of esophagitis.
Extraction Efficiency Enhancement of GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes by Microhole Array and Roughened Surface Oxide

The light-output power of GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) was enhanced by microhole array pattern and roughened GaOx film grown on the exposed surface. The GaOx film was grown by photoelectrochemical (PEC) oxidation via H2O and formed a naturally rough oxide surface and GaOx/GaN interface. Compared with that of conventional broad-area LEDs, the output power of the microhole array LED and the surface-oxidized microhole array LED increased by 1.38 and 1.82 times at 20-mA forward current, respectively. The results show that the microhole array pattern with the roughened surface oxide method could significantly enhance light extraction efficiency and be a candidate for manufacturing high-efficient low-cost GaN-based LEDs.
Use Cases for a Substrate Protocol for User Datagrams (SPUD)

This document identifies use cases for explicit cooperation between endpoints and middleboxes in the Internet under endpoint control. These use cases range from relatively low level applications (improving the ability for UDP-based protocols to traverse firewalls) through support for new transport services (in-flow prioritization for graceful in-network degradation of media streams). They are intended to provide background for deriving the requirements for a Substrate Protocol for User Datagrams (SPUD), as discussed at the IAB Stack Evolution in a Middlebox Internet (SEMI) workshop in January 2015 and the SPUD BoF session at IETF 92 in March 2015.
Long-term Overreaction, Regulatory Policies and Stock Market Anomalies: Evidence from Egypt

The main objective of this article is to examine the long-term overreaction for all listed shares in the Egyptian Stock Exchange. I find evidence of long-term overreaction which is not due to size effect. Therefore, a contrarian strategy by buying losers and selling winners is likely to be profitable. The findings also suggest that the overreaction phenomenon in the Egyptian stock market is not sensitive to the length of the formation period. Interestingly, I find a link between the regulatory policies and long-term overreaction as I find no evidence of investor overreaction within the strict price limit regime. On the other hand, the overreaction phenomenon is clear during the circuit-breaker regime. The findings also show that the overreaction phenomenon in the Egyptian Stock Exchange cannot be attributed to the seasonality effect.
Fatigue, depression, and health‐related quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis in Isfahan, Iran

Background and purpose: Quality of life (QoL) of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is worse than that of other chronic diseases. There is a need to examine the impact of fatigue and depression on the QoL independent of level of physical disability in MS. The aim of this study is to explore physical, psychological, and social aspects of health‐related QoL (HRQoL) of MS patients in association with physical disability, fatigue, and depression.
Individual status quo modelling for a rural water service in Rwanda: application of a choice experiment

Abstract In Rwanda, rural water supply is not uniformly distributed. Rural areas are characterized by differences in the distance to the nearest water point and in water quality for domestic water, by watering frequency and water availability for irrigation water, and by the price for both. A household's perception of further improvements in water supply will, therefore, depend heavily on the situation it currently faces. The authors used a choice experiment to model how the individual status quo (SQ) affects preferences. Accounting for individual SQ information improves model significance relative to simply using the generic SQ parameter in the model, and the willingness to pay increases. Not using this information leads to a downward bias – and, in some cases, statistical insignificance – in estimates of households’ valuation of health improvements linked to improved domestic water availability, as well as of increased watering frequency linked to the improved availability of irrigation water.
Developing International Research Partnerships

Developing international partnerships is increasingly important for university researchers in the 21 st century. A qualitative study was conducted to explore factors affecting faculty and student involvement in a collaborative project between Texas A&M University, U.S.A. and the Universidad Autόnoma de Nuevo Leόn, Mexico. Factors were found to cluster under the major themes of (a) research and programmatic opportunities, (b) communication, (c) international experience, and (d) student opportunities. Communication can be a significant barrier to participation in international collaborations, but faculty and students should be encouraged to pursue such experiences because of their many benefits.
Large‐scale population‐based metabolic phenotyping of thirteen genetic polymorphisms related to one‐carbon metabolism

Several polymorphisms of genes involved in one‐carbon metabolism have been identified. The reported metabolic phenotypes are often based on small studies providing inconsistent results. This large‐scale study of 10,601 population‐based samples was carried out to investigate the association between a panel of biochemical parameters and genetics variants related to one‐carbon metabolism. Concentrations of total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, vitamin B12 (cobalamin), methylmalonic acid (MMA), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B6 (PLP), choline, betaine, dimethylglycine (DMG), cystathionine, cysteine, methionine, and creatinine were determined in serum/plasma. All subjects were genotyped for 13 common polymorphisms: methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) c.665C>T (known as 677C>T; p.Ala222Val) and c.1286A>C (known as 1298A>C; p.Glu429Ala); methionine synthase (MTR) c.2756A>G (p.Asp919Gly); methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) c.66A>G (p.Ile22Met); methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD1) c.1958G>A (p.Arg653Gln); betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) c.716G>A (known as 742G>A; p.Arg239Gln); cystathionine β‐synthase (CBS) c. 844_845ins68 and c.699C>T (p.Tyr233Tyr); transcobalamin‐II (TCN2) c.67A>G (p.Ile23Val) and c.776C>G (p.Pro259Arg); reduced folate carrier‐1 (SLC19A1) c.80G>A (p.Arg27His); and paraoxonase‐1 (PON1) c.163T>A (p.Leu55Met) and c.575A>G (p.Gln192Arg). The metabolic profile in terms of the measured vitamins and metabolites were investigated for these 13 polymorphisms. We confirmed the strong associations of MTHFR c.665C>T with tHcy and folate, but also observed significant (P<0.01) changes in metabolite concentrations according to other gene polymorphisms. These include MTHFR c.1286A>C (associations with tHcy, folate and betaine), MTR c.2756A>G (tHcy), BHMT c.716G>A (DMG), CBS c. 844_845ins68 (tHcy, betaine), CBS c.699C>T (tHcy, betaine, cystathionine) and TCN2 c.776C>G (MMA). No associations were observed for the other polymorphisms investigated. Hum Mutat 28(9), 856–865, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A retrospective study of palindrome symmetrical-tip catheters for chronic hemodialysis access in China

Abstract Hemodialysis catheters remain necessary for long-term vascular access in patients for whom arteriovenous access may be problematic or impossible. Developments in catheter design have improved long-term catheter functionality, and reduced the rate of infection and complications associated with their use. This retrospective study of 284 cases of chronic catheterization in 271 patients treated between 2009 and 2011 using Tal Palindrome™ symmetrical-tip (N = 118) or Quinton™ Permcath™ step-tip (N = 166) hemodialysis catheters evaluates the efficacy and the safety of symmetrical-tip dialysis catheters for chronic hemodialysis, compared with a step-tip catheter. Measurements of catheter performance included mean catheter dwell time, incidence of low blood flow, and rates of infection and catheter-related blood stream infection (CRBSI). The symmetrical-tip catheter had a significantly longer mean dwell time compared with the step-tip catheter; 329.4 ± 38.1 versus 273.1 ± 25.4 d (p < 0.05). In addition, the rate of occurrence of low blood flow per 1000 catheter days was lower for the symmetrical-tip compared with the step-tip catheter; 1.13 versus 6.86 (p < 0.01). The symmetrical-tip catheter was also associated with a lower incidence of complications; the rates of infection (0.28 vs. 0.78; p < 0.01) and CRBSI (0.15 vs. 0.44; p < 0.01) were lower compared with those for step-tip catheters, and catheter removal occurred less often for the symmetrical-tip catheter (8% vs. 16%; p < 0.05). The symmetrical-tip hemodialysis catheter was associated with a longer mean dwell time, lower incidence of low blood flow, and lower infection rate compared with the step-tip catheter.
‘The research compass’: An introduction to research in medical education: AMEE Guide No. 56

This AMEE Guide offers an introduction to research in medical education. It is intended for those who are contemplating conducting research in medical education but are new to the field. The Guide is structured around the process of transforming ideas and problems into researchable questions, choosing a research approach that is appropriate to the purpose of the study and considering the individual researcher's preferences and the contextual possibilities and constraints. The first section of the Guide addresses the rationale for research in medical education and some of the challenges posed by the complexity of the field. Next is a section on how to move from an idea or problem to a research question by placing a concrete idea or problem within a conceptual, theoretical framework. The following sections are structured around an overview model of approaches to medical education research, ‘The research compass’. Core to the model is the conceptual, theoretical framework that is the key to any direction. The compass depicts four main categories of research approaches that can be applied when studying medical education phenomena, ‘Explorative studies’; ‘Experimental studies’; ‘Observational studies’; and ‘Translational studies’. Future AMEE Guides in the research series will address these approaches in more detail.
Use of exhaled nitric oxide in predicting response to inhaled corticosteroids for chronic cough.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate our experience with patients who presented with chronic cough and how exhaled nitric oxide predicted response to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective observational study of 114 patients evaluated for chronic cough with measured exhaled nitric oxide and methacholine challenge testing was conducted from December 1, 2004, through November 30, 2005. Clinical records were extracted. Patients with no documented follow-up were contacted by telephone and administered a questionnaire. RESULTS In 64 patients, ICS therapy was started or the current ICS dose increased. Forty-one patients had elevated exhaled nitric oxide levels (defined as >or=35 ppb), 36 (88%) of whom had significant improvement in their chronic cough (likelihood ratio of a positive response, 4.9; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-10.9). Twenty-three patients with exhaled nitric oxide levels in the reference range were also prescribed ICS, and only 2 had cough improvement (likelihood ratio of a negative response, 0.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.25). Patients had documented follow-up that ranged from 4 weeks to 16 months. A cutoff of 38 ppb was found to best differentiate ICS responders and nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of exhaled nitric oxide accurately predicted response to ICS therapy for chronic cough. Patients with a positive exhaled nitric oxide test result had a strong likelihood of response to ICS, whereas a negative exhaled nitric oxide test result indicated an unlikely response to ICS. This finding may potentially have an impact on how patients with chronic cough are evaluated and treated.
Rationalité des comportements et des anticipations dans les blocs réels des modèles macroéconomiques

Les modèles macroéconométriques de grande taille, utilisés par les décideurs publics pour évaluer leur politique économique, reposent, pour la plupart d’entre eux, sur une structure commune qualifiée de néokeynésienne. Plus précisément ils constituent une mise en pratique du schéma IS-LM enrichi par une description de son évolution dynamique: l’accumulation du capital combinée à des mécanismes d’ajustements progressifs et d’anticipations (Cf par exemple Deleau et Al. (1981) pour une formalisation de cette démarche). Toutefois, dans ces modèles, les variables anticipées ne figurent qu’implicitement, n’étant pas directement observables. Les équations dynamiques d’ajustement sont en fait des formes réduites agrégeant les mécanismes d’ajustement proprement dit et ceux de formation des anticipations.Cet état de fait rend impraticable l’analyse isolée de l’influence des anticipations, et pour aborder ce problème il est nécessaire de construire une maquette dans laquelle les comportements des agents soient dérivés le plus rigoureusement possible -optimisation intertemporelle-, faisant par là apparaître les grandeurs futures que ces agents doivent nécessairement anticiper pour les prendre en compte dans leurs calculs.
Social determinants of death among the elderly: a systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVE This study aims at working on a systematic review of articles published on social determinants associated with the elderly mortality. METHODS We searched articles published in Portuguese, English and Spanish language periodicals from January 1st 2007 to December 31st 2009, by means of Lilacs and Pubmed databases. Twenty cohort studies were identified, having most of them been developed in European, North-American and Asian countries. RESULTS The articles analysed provided determinant social factors significantly associated with the elderly mortality: urban/rural and intercontinental variation, be part of ethnic minorities, financial stress, living conditions, schooling, social participation, gender and race discrimination, smoking, alcoholism, physical activities, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure, marital status, equality and healthy lifestyle. CONCLUSION Mortality amongst the elderly is influenced by social determinants in many levels of reach, from determinants linked to lifestyle to socioeconomic macro-determinants. The actions on these determinants must be guided by the intersectorial perspective and regarded as a priority in the health sector, seeking to provide extended longevity with good quality of life for the population.
Variability in amino acid digestibility of triticale grain from diverse genotypes as studied in cecectomized laying hens.

Triticale, an anthropogenic hybrid grain, is increasing in importance as a feed grain for laying hens. However, our limited knowledge of its nutritional qualities and their impact on hen performance prevents optimization of its use. The present study investigated the digestibility of amino acids ( AA: ) in triticale grain in laying hens, and additionally examined relationships between AA digestibility and chemical and physical characteristics of the grain. Twenty genotypes of triticale were grown under standardized agronomic and environmental conditions and were characterized according to their physical properties (thousand-seed weight, test weight, falling number, extract viscoelasticity), chemical composition (proximate nutrients, non-starch polysaccharides, AA, minerals, inositol phosphates) and gross energy concentration. Additionally, the in vitro solubility of nitrogen was determined. The animal trial comprised 4 Latin Squares (6 × 6) distributed among 2 subsequent runs. Twelve cecectomized LSL-Classic hens were individually housed in metabolism cages and either fed a basal diet containing 500 g/kg cornstarch or one of 20 triticale diets, each replacing the cornstarch with one triticale genotype, for 8 d. During the last 4 d, feed intake was recorded and excreta were collected quantitatively. Amino acid digestibility of the triticale genotypes was calculated by linear regression. The digestibility of all AA differed significantly between the 20 genotypes, including Lys (digestibility range 68 to 80%), Met (77 to 86%), Thr (68 to 78%) and Trp (74 to 83%). However, AA digestibility only correlated with characteristics of the grain in few cases, without a consistent pattern among AA. Equations to predict AA digestibility based on the grain's physical and chemical characteristics were calculated by multiple linear regression. The explanatory power (adjusted R2;) of these prediction equations was below 0.7 for most AA and thus not sufficiently precise to be suitable for practical application. In conclusion, AA digestibility of triticale grain is high overall in laying hens but varies significantly between crop genotypes. This variation could not be well explained by physical and chemical characteristics of the grain.
Life Events and Psychosis

Data from the Camberwell Collaborative Psychosis Study were used to examine the proposition that there is an excess of life events preceding the onset of psychoses of all types. Of 97 patients from the study who had episodes within the past year that were datable, 51 had developed psychotic symptoms from an essentially symptom-free state, 29 had been suffering only from neurotic symptoms, and 17 had experienced a marked exacerbation of psychotic symptoms. DSM–III diagnoses were collapsed into three major groups: 51 cases of schizophrenia; 31 cases of mania; and 14 cases of depressive psychosis. Life-event histories were taken for the six months before onset, and when these were compared with equivalent histories from a psychiatrically healthy sample from the local general population, there was a significant excess of life events, particularly in the three months before onset of psychosis. This was apparent in all groups, and remained even when events were restricted to the independent category. The excess of events began rather earlier than has been found in previous studies. In our view, this study provides some of the strongest evidence for a link between life events and the emergence of psychotic symptoms.