Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular determinants of emerging excitability in rat embryonic motoneurons

Molecular determinants of excitability were studied in pure cultures of rat embryonic motoneurons. Using RT‐PCR, we have shown here that the spike‐generating Na+ current is supported by Nav1.2 and/or Nav1.3 α‐subunits. Nav1.1 and Nav1.6 transcripts were also identified. We have demonstrated that alternatively spliced isoforms of Nav1.1 and Nav1.6, resulting in truncated proteins, were predominant during the first week in culture. However, Nav1.6 protein could be detected after 12 days in vitro. The Navβ2.1 transcript was not detected, whereas the Nav β1. 1 transcript was present. Even in the absence of Navβ2.1, α‐subunits were correctly inserted into the initial segment. RT‐PCR (at semi‐quantitative and single‐cell levels) and immunocytochemistry showed that transient K+ currents result from the expression of Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 subunits. This is the first identification of subunits responsible for a transient K+ current in spinal motoneurons. The blockage of Kv4.2/Kv4.3 using a specific toxin modified the shape of the action potential demonstrating the involvement of these conductance channels in regulating spike repolarization and the discharge frequency. Among the other Kv α‐subunits (Kv1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.1, 3.1 and 3.3), we showed that the Kv1.6 subunit was partly responsible for the sustained K+ current. In conclusion, this study has established the first correlation between the molecular nature of voltage‐dependent Na+ and K+ channels expressed in embryonic rat motoneurons in culture and their electrophysiological characteristics in the period when excitability appears.
Genotype–phenotype heterogeneity of ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer deficit in autosomal‐dominant optic atrophy

To describe the thickness of the combined ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers (GC‐IPL) and the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in patients with OPA1 c.983A>G or c. 2708_2711delTTAG autosomal‐dominant optic atrophy (ADOA).
Development and validation of a sandwich ELISA for use in measuring concentrations of canine surfactant protein A in serum of dogs.

OBJECTIVE To develop and evaluate a sandwich ELISA incorporating rabbit antiserum specific for canine surfactant protein A (SP-A) for use in measuring concentrations of SP-A in serum of dogs. SAMPLE Serum samples obtained from 6 healthy dogs and 3 dogs with pulmonary disease. PROCEDURES Rabbit antiserum was prepared against purified canine SP-A. The IgG fraction was isolated via protein G affinity chromatography and was then biotinylated. The sandwich ELISA was performed by use of anti-SP-A antibody (IgG) preabsorbed with sera from healthy dogs. Validity of the ELISA was confirmed by determination of the detection limit, precision, reproducibility, and accuracy. Serum SP-A concentrations were measured in 6 healthy dogs and 3 dogs with pulmonary disease. RESULTS Detection limit of the ELISA was 2.0 ng/mL. Within- and between-assay coefficients of variation ranged from 3.8% to 14.1% and from 15.5% to 35.6%, respectively. The observed-to-expected recovery ratio ranged from 77.1% to 89.9%. Serum SP-A concentrations measured by use of the ELISA were ≤ 2.3 ng/mL in the 6 healthy dogs, 25.6 ng/mL in a dog with severe cardiac pulmonary edema, 8.3 ng/mL in a dog with pneumonia, and 10.1 ng/mL in a dog with lung lobe torsion. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The sandwich ELISA was found to be useful for measuring purified canine SP-A concentrations and canine SP-A concentrations in serum samples. The ELISA was precise, reproducible, and accurate. The ELISA may be beneficial in assessing serum concentrations of canine SP-A as a potential biomarker of pulmonary diseases in dogs.
ICAM-1-Coupled Cytoskeletal Rearrangements and Transendothelial Lymphocyte Migration Involve Intracellular Calcium Signaling in Brain Endothelial Cell Lines1

Endothelium of the cerebral blood vessels, which constitutes the blood-brain barrier, controls adhesion and trafficking of leukocytes into the brain. Investigating signaling pathways triggered by the engagement of adhesion molecules expressed on brain endothelial cells using two rat brain endothelial cell lines (RBE4 and GP8), we report in this paper that ICAM-1 cross-linking induces a sustained tyrosine phosphorylation of the phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C (PLC)γ1, with a concomitant increase in both inositol phosphate production and intracellular calcium concentration. Our results suggest that PLC are responsible, via a calcium- and protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway, for p60Src activation and tyrosine phosphorylation of the p60Src substrate, cortactin. PKCs are also required for tyrosine phosphorylation of the cytoskeleton-associated proteins, focal adhesion kinase and paxillin, but not for ICAM-1-coupled p130Cas phosphorylation. PKC’s activation is also necessary for stress fiber formation induced by ICAM-1 cross-linking. Finally, cell pretreatment with intracellular calcium chelator or PKC inhibitors significantly diminishes transmonolayer migration of activated T lymphocytes, without affecting their adhesion to brain endothelial cells. In summary, our data demonstrate that ICAM-1 cross-linking induces calcium signaling which, via PKCs, mediates phosphorylation of actin-associated proteins and cytoskeletal rearrangement in brain endothelial cell lines. Our results also indicate that these calcium-mediated intracellular events are essential for lymphocyte migration through the blood-brain barrier.
Knowledge Market Design: A Field Experiment at Google Answers

In a field experiment at Google Answers, we investigate the performance of price-based online knowledge markets by systematically manipulating prices. Specifically, we study the effects of price, tip, and a reputation system on both an answerer's effort and answer quality by posting real reference questions from the Internet Public Library on Google Answers under different pricing schemes. We find that a higher price leads to a significantly longer, but not better, answer, while an answerer with a higher reputation provides significantly better answers. Our results highlight the limitation of monetary incentives and the importance of reputation systems in knowledge market design. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A DNA‐promoted amyloid proteinopathy in Escherichia coli

Protein amyloids arise from the conformational conversion and assembly of a soluble protein into fibrilar aggregates with a crossed β‐sheet backbone. Amyloid aggregates are able to replicate by acting as a template for the structural transformation and accretion of further protein molecules. In physicochemical terms, amyloids arguably constitute the simplest self‐replicative macromolecular assemblies. Similarly to the mammalian proteins PrP and α‐synuclein, the winged‐helix dimerization (WH1) domain of the bacterial, plasmid‐encoded protein RepA can assemble into amyloid fibres upon binding to DNA in vitro. Here we report that a hyper‐amyloidogenic functional variant (A31V) of RepA, fused to a red fluorescent protein, causes an amyloid proteinopathy in Escherichia coli with the following features: (i) in the presence of multiple copies of the specific DNA sequence opsp, WH1(A31V) accumulates as cytoplasmatic inclusions segregated from the nucleoid; (ii) such aggregates are amyloid in nature; (iii) bacteria carrying the amyloid inclusions age, exhibiting a fivefold expanded generation time; (iv) before cytokinesis, small inclusions are assembled de novo and transferred to the daughter cells, in which transmission failures cure amyloidosis; and (v) in the absence of inducer DNA, purified cellular WH1(A31V) inclusions seed amyloid fibre growth in vitro from the soluble protein. RepA‐WH1 is a suitable bacterial model system for amyloid proteinopathies.
Evolutionary trace analysis of the Kunitz/BPTI family of proteins: functional divergence may have been based on conformational adjustment.

The structural and functional evolution of the Kunitz/bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) family of proteins, which includes serine proteinase inhibitors and potassium channel blockers, was analysed with the evolutionary trace method. This method highlights sites in aligned primary sequences whose side-chain variation can be strongly linked with the past development of different functional classes or subgroups within the family. A total of 16 such "class-specific" positions distributed throughout the molecular fold were identified. On average, the side-chain chemistry at these positions had been more conserved and made greater contribution to molecular stability than the side-chain chemistry at remaining sites of variation. It was possible to use these 16 positions to describe the division of the Kunitz/BPTI family into general functional classes. According to known complexes of inhibitor variants with serine proteinases, only two of the 16 class-specific positions appear to be directly involved in intermolecular recognition via the "antiproteinase site". Instead, from various critical locations in the fold, the remainder seem to have been associated with various degrees of intramolecular conformational adjustment to the underlying framework of the antiproteinase site. It is, therefore, implied that functional diversification in this family has been founded upon both sustained evolutionary selection and conformational adjustment. The findings are important for protein engineers wishing to alter the binding selectivity of these molecules, because it appears that the issue of target recognition is dependent on the conformation of the chain segment to which the interactive side-chains are attached. To retarget members of this family towards potentially novel peptide binding sites, substitutions at certain structurally significant class-specific positions could be a good starting point.
Application of the DPSIR framework to environmental degradation assessment in northern Ghana

In many communities in northern Ghana, the environment has been altered by complex natural and human driven forces with significant impact on the lives of their inhabitants. The need to formulate an improved, holistic and consistent methodological approach to assess the problem is critical for sustainable natural resource management. This paper examines the potential of the DPSIR environmental assessment framework utilizing GIS-based participatory methodology in the assessment of environmental degradation in northern Ghana. Community truthing tools such as key informant interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and participatory Geographical Information Systems (GIS) were employed as a means of soliciting societal responses integrated to conventional GIS spatial analysis to measure the indicators of the Driving force-Pressure-State-Impacts-Response (DPSIR) assessment framework. Post classification GIS imagery results show a marked natural vegetation decrease of 634 km 2 (42%) of the study area with a corresponding increase of 600 km 2 (39%) of grasses and built-up and barren environment in the period of 14 years from 1990 to 2004. This is attributed to extreme climatic conditions and human driven causes such as poverty, population growth, migration and land tenure system. Poverty reduction strategies, amendment of the Mining and Mineral Law (PNDC law 153), improvement of the existing land tenure system and the control of migrants and Fulani herdsmen from neighbouring Burkina Faso were some of the solutions selected by the research participants, to he emphasized in the National Environmental Action Plan (EPA Act 490). This paper concludes that the DPSIR environmental assessment framework is an effective means of organizing complex environmental information to facilitate policy decision making.
The Effect of Active Movement of the Foot on Venous Blood Flow after Total Hip Replacement*

Surgeons often encourage patients to move their feet in an attempt to prevent venous stasis, but there is little evidence that this measure is beneficial. We investigated the effect of active movement of one foot on the venous blood flow four days after total hip replacement. The actual venous outflow at rest was measured with use of venous occlusion strain-gauge plethysmography in thirty-eight patients. The patients were randomly allocated to the control group (eighteen patients) or the exercise group (twenty patients). A baseline measurement was followed by a one-minute period of rest (control group) or of maximum plantar flexion and dorsiflexion of the foot, ankle, and toes at a rate of thirty cycles per minute (exercise group). The venous outflow was measured again at two, seven, twelve, and thirty minutes in both groups. Movement of the foot for one minute produced a significant and sustained increase (p < 0.002) in the venous outflow (mean maximum increase, 22 per cent). The value remained greater than the baseline level for thirty minutes (mean increase, 6.5 per cent) (p < 0.2). The increase was gradual, reaching a maximum twelve minutes after the completion of exercise. Our results confirm the beneficial hemodynamic effects of active movement of the foot in the postoperative period and suggest that patients should move the feet and ankles postoperatively as part of a prophylactic regimen directed at decreasing the risk of venous thrombosis.
Flexural plate wave sensors with buried IDT for sensing in liquids

Aluminum nitride (AlN) based flexural plate wave (FPW) sensors with buried interdigital transducers (IDTs) were designed, fabricated, and characterized with respect to their application as sensors operating in liquids. In the proposed device, the IDTs are designed as a buried electrode, and thus, are electrically shielded, enabling full immersion of the sensor into the liquid. The functionality of the proof-of-concept sensors was demonstrated by means of laser Doppler vibrometry and network analyzer measurements in air and water. The fabricated devices showed a mass sensitivity of 240 cm2/g for loading with de-ionized water which is in good agreement with the theoretically determined mass sensitivity.
Iterative transceiver beamformer design for multi-pair two-way distributed relay networks

In this paper the transceiver beamforming design problem for multipair two-way distributed relay networks is studied, where each multi-antenna user in one user group communicate with its partner in the other user group via distributed single-antenna relay nodes. To achieve a satisfactory performance while relieving relay nodes of the usual computation task, two iteration-based transceiver beamforming schemes are proposed to coordinate the operation of the users from the two user groups, where the beamforming vectors are determined at the user nodes through an iterative process. Simulation results indicate that both schemes can achieve considerable SINR improvement after only a few iterations compared to the existing zero-forcing scheme.
Association of metabolic factors with dengue viral infection on admission triage which predict its clinical course during Lahore dengue epidemic.

OBJECTIVE The study was done to identify metabolic factors which were associated with an increased risk of dengue haemorrhagic fever in clinically diagnosed patients of dengue viral infection. METHODS 563 patients with dengue viral infection that presented to 3 tertiary care hospitals of Lahore were included in this study, out of which approximately half of the patients were diagnosed as dengue haemorrhagic fever. RESULTS A total of 563 patients with 263(46.7%) dengue fever and 300(53.3%) dengue haemorrhagic fever patients were studied. The mean age of patients was 48.48 ± 20.07 years. In patients younger than 60 (n=355), 171 patients had DF and 184 had DHF, while 116 patients above 60 years had DHF and 92 had DF (n=208). The presence of metabolic risk factors such as diabetes (OR = 2.146), hypertension (OR =1.65), diabetes and hypertension (OR =3.56), abnormal liver function tests (OR = 2.27), abnormal renal function tests (OR = 2.282) all increased the risk of DHF relative to DF. CONCLUSIONS The study showed that metabolic factors especially diabetes with and without hypertension are important risk factors for the development of DHF.
Assessing interrater agreement on binary measurements via intraclass odds ratio

Interrater agreement on binary measurements is usually assessed via Scott's π or Cohen's κ, which are known to be difficult to interpret. One reason for this difficulty is that these coefficients can be defined as a correlation between two exchangeable measurements made on the same subject, that is as an “intraclass correlation”, a concept originally defined for continuous measurements. To measure an association between two binary variables, it is however more common to calculate an odds ratio rather than a correlation. For assessing interrater agreement on binary measurements, we suggest thus to calculate the odds ratio between two exchangeable measurements made on the same subject, yielding the concept of “intraclass odds ratio”. Since it is interpretable as a ratio of probabilities of (strict) concordance and discordance (between two raters rating two subjects), an intraclass odds ratio might be easier to understand for researchers and clinicians than an intraclass correlation. It might thus be a valuable descriptive measure (summary index) to evaluate the agreement among a set of raters, without having to refer to arbitrary benchmark values. To facilitate its use, an explicit formula to calculate a confidence interval for the intraclass odds ratio is also provided.
The effects of early auditory-based intervention on adult bilateral cochlear implant outcomes

Objectives: The goal of this exploratory study was to determine the types of improvement that sequentially implanted auditory-verbal and auditory-oral adults with prelingual and childhood hearing loss received in bilateral listening conditions, compared to their best unilateral listening condition. Methods: Five auditory-verbal adults and five auditory-oral adults were recruited for this study. Participants were seated in the center of a 6-loudspeaker array. BKB-SIN sentences were presented from 0° azimuth, while multi-talker babble was presented from various loudspeakers. BKB-SIN scores in bilateral and the best unilateral listening conditions were compared to determine the amount of improvement gained. Results: As a group, the participants had improved speech understanding scores in the bilateral listening condition. Although not statistically significant, the auditory-verbal group tended to have greater speech understanding with greater levels of competing background noise, compared to the auditory-oral participants. Discussion: Bilateral cochlear implantation provides individuals with prelingual and childhood hearing loss with improved speech understanding in noise. A higher emphasis on auditory development during the critical language development years may add to increased speech understanding in adulthood. However, other demographic factors such as age or device characteristics must also be considered. Conclusion: Although both auditory-verbal and auditory-oral approaches emphasize spoken language development, they emphasize auditory development to different degrees. This may affect cochlear implant (CI) outcomes. Further consideration should be made in future auditory research to determine whether these differences contribute to performance outcomes. Additional investigation with a larger participant pool, controlled for effects of age and CI devices and processing strategies, would be necessary to determine whether language learning approaches are associated with different levels of speech understanding performance.
Influence of Strength, Sprint Running, and Combined Strength and Sprint Running Training on Short Sprint Performance in Young Adults

Abstract The purpose of this study was to assess the degree of transference of 6 weeks of full squat vs. full squat plus sprint running training to short (ranged from 0–10 to 0–30 m) sprint running performance in non-athletes. We hypothesized that a speed-full-squat training regimen could enhance squat strength and power with simultaneous improvements in short sprint performance. 122 physically active adults (age: 20.5±2.5 years; body mass: 65.8±6.1 kg; height: 1.71±0.08 m) were randomly divided into 4 groups: full squat training (n=36), combined full squat and sprint training (n=32), speed training only (n=34) and non-training control group (n=20). Each training group completed 2 sessions per week over 6 weeks, while the control group performed only their normal physical activity. Sprint performance was improved after sprint running or full squat training alone (1.7% and 1.8% P<0.05, respectively), however larger enhancements (2.3%; P<0.01) were observed after the combined full squat plus sprint training intervention. These results suggest that in recreationally active adults, combined full squat and sprint training provides a greater stimulus for improving sprint performance than either modality alone.
Malignant transformation of hepatocellular adenomas into hepatocellular carcinomas: a systematic review including more than 1600 adenoma cases.

BACKGROUND Malignant transformation of hepatocellular adenomas (HCAs) into hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) has been reported repeatedly and is considered to be one of the main reasons for surgical treatment. However, its actual risk is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE To provide an estimation of the frequency of malignant transformation of HCAs and to discuss its clinical implications. METHODS A systematic literature search was conducted using the following databases: The Cochrane Hepatobiliary Group Controlled Trials Register, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE. RESULTS One hundred and fifty-seven relevant series and 17 case reports (a total of 1635 HCAs) were retrieved, reporting an overall frequency of malignant transformation of 4.2%. Only three cases (4.4%) of malignant alteration were reported in a tumour smaller than 5 cm in diameter. DISCUSSION Malignant transformation of HCAs into HCCs remains a rare phenomenon with a reported frequency of 4.2%. A better selection of exactly those patients presenting with an HCA with an amplified risk of malignant degeneration is advocated in order to reduce the number of liver resections and thus reducing the operative risk for these predominantly young patients. The Bordeaux adenoma tumour markers are a promising method of identifying these high-risk adenomas.
Increase in cancer detection and recall rates with independent double interpretation of screening mammography.

OBJECTIVE This study reports the increase in cancer detection that resulted from independent double interpretation of screening mammography. Although screening mammography is used to detect occult breast cancer, its sensitivity and specificity are limited. Double interpretation of screening mammograms is one proven method used to improve detection, with studies reporting a 5-15% increase in cancer detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two radiologists independently double-interpreted 25,369 screening mammograms performed from November 1998 to April 2000. The second reviewer could add but could not delete recalls. The subsequent additional diagnostic imaging was performed in the same way whether generated from the first or the second reviewer. The outcome of each case was determined. The cancer detection rate and sensitivity are reported. RESULTS Double interpretation of screening mammograms detected 143 breast malignancies. The second reviewer found nine (6.3%) of 143 cancers and all except one were stage 0 or I. The sensitivity increased from 74.4% to 79.4% with double interpretation. The second reviewer contributed 371 of the 3591 total recalls, increasing the absolute rate of recalls by 1.5% (371/25,369) and the relative rate by 11.5% (371/3220). Six hundred seventy-two total biopsies were performed; 38 were generated by the second interpretation. CONCLUSION The relative increase in cancer detection as a result of the second reviewer is 6.3%, similar to the 5-15% reported in the literature. All but one of the nine additional cancers detected were in the early stages.