Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carbachol regulation of rabbit ileal brush border Na+–H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) occurs through changes in NHE3 trafficking and complex formation and is Src dependent

The epithelial brush border membrane (BBM) Na+–H+ exchanger 3 (NHE3) is the major transport protein responsible for ileal electroneutral Na+ absorption. We have previously shown that ileal BBM NHE3 activity is rapidly inhibited by carbachol, an agonist that mimics cholinergic activation in digestion. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms involved in this NHE3 inhibition. Carbachol decreased the amount of ileal Na+ absorptive cell BBM NHE3 within 10 min of exposure. Based on OptiPrep gradient centrifugation, carbachol increased the amount of NHE3 in early endosomes and decreased the amount of NHE3 in BBM, consistent with effects on NHE3 trafficking. The decrease in BBM NHE3 occurred in the detergent‐soluble BBM fraction with no change in the amount of NHE3 in the BBM detergent‐resistant membranes. The size of BBM NHE3 complexes increased in carbachol‐exposed ileum, as studied with sucrose gradient centrifugation. The NHE3 complex size increased in the total BBM, but did not change in the detergent‐soluble fraction. This suggests that carbachol treatment enhanced the association of proteins with NHE3 complexes specifically in the detergent‐resistant fraction of ileal BBM. NHERF2, α‐actinin‐4 and protein kinase C were among those NHE3‐associated proteins because they were more efficiently coimmunoprecipitated from total BBM after carbachol treatment. Moreover, Src was involved in the carbachol‐mediated inhibition since: (1) c‐Src was rapidly activated in the detergent‐resistant membranes by carbachol; and (2) carbachol inhibition of ileal Na+ absorption was completely abolished by the Src family inhibitor 4‐amino‐5‐(4‐chlorophenyl)‐7‐(t‐butyl)pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine (PP2). Moreover, the carbachol‐induced increase in the size of NHE3‐containing complexes was reversed by PP2. These data demonstrate that regulation of NHE3 activity by carbachol can be achieved at several interrelated levels: (1) the subcellular level, at which NHE3 is rapidly endocytosed from BBM to endocytic vesicles upon treatment with carbachol; (2) multiple BBM pools, in which carbachol selectively decreases the amount of NHE3 in the BBM detergent‐soluble fraction but not the detergent‐resistant membrane; and (3) the molecular level, at which NHE3 complex‐associated proteins can be changed upon carbachol treatment, with carbachol leading to larger BBM NHE3 complexes and increased co‐IP of NHERF2 with α‐actinin‐4 and activated PKC. The study further describes NHE3 presence simultaneously in multiple dynamic BBM pools in which NHE3 distribution and associated proteins are altered as part of carbachol‐induced and Src‐mediated rapid signal transduction, which decreases the amount of BBM NHE3 and thus inhibits NHE3 activity.
Has complementarity between employer-sponsored training and education in the U.S. changed during the 2000s?

ABSTRACT The study reveals that the positive correlation between formal education and job training (complementarity) has weakened during the 2000s. Using U.S. Census Bureau data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the study finds that although workers in all categories of educational attainment felt the decline, the effects were strongest among workers in the middle of the educational spectrum. Decomposition analysis indicates that workers’ education profiles in 2009 were more conducive to training than in 2001, which implies that policies focusing on individual characteristics to elicit additional job training will likely not be effective.
Examination of Genetic Relatedness of Marine Synechococcus spp. by Using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms

The relatedness of several marine Synechococcus spp. was estimated by DNA hybridization. Strains isolated from various geographical locations and representing a diversity of DNA base compositions and phycobiliprotein profiles were compared by restriction fragment length polymorphisms for a number of genes. DNAs from two marine red algae and a cryptomonad alga (which exhibit a phycobiliprotein composition similar to that of the marine Synechococcus spp.) and Synechococcus strain PCC6301 (Anacystis nidulans) were also included in the comparison. Strains WH8008, WH8018, and WH7805 were shown to be very similar to one another, as were strains WH7802 and WH7803. Strains WH8110 and WH5701 were clearly unrelated to any of the other strains, and no marine Synechococcus isolate showed any similarity to the freshwater Synechococcus strain PCC6301 or the eucaryotic algae. The method is relatively straightforward and sensitive and uses a variety of basic molecular biology techniques. Its utility in ascertaining the genetic relatedness and diversity of marine Synechococcus spp. and possible extension to field studies are discussed.
Robustness of pole assignment of an interval polynomial using like λ-degree feedback gain based on the Kharitonov theorem

This work presents a robust scheme for a pole assignment of an interval polynomial in a damping-cone based on the Kharitonov theorem. Introducing a binomial coefficients (Like λ-degree) feedback gain, the robust stability is transformed into determining the condition under which all function values of the four families of the stability condition polynomials (SCP) are positive. The condition is that all of the leading coefficients of these SCP are positive. Moreover, a general formula for the generated entries of the Routh-Table of binomial coefficients (RTBC) is derived, verifying that all entries of the RTBC are positive. Finally, the problem of robustness of a pole assignment in a damping-cone is considered. Illustrative examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Chemoprophylaxis with isoniazid in liver transplant recipients

A patient receiving a liver graft needs to be treated with immunosuppressive drugs to avoid rejection. These kinds of drugs predispose the patient to the reactivation of latent infections such as tuberculosis (TB). Therefore, it is necessary to establish treatment regimens to prevent this. We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) at our center between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2010. Latent tuberculosis infections (LTBIs) were diagnosed with positive tuberculin skin test results. After LT, infected patients were treated with isoniazid for 6 months; the treatment began soon after transplantation, and the patients were followed until the end of the study. During this period, 53 patients had LTBI data. All these patients were treated with isoniazid after LT. The median observation period after LT was 52 months (range = 12‐129 months). No cases of TB reactivation were reported during follow‐up. Only 4 patients presented alterations in liver enzymes related to this treatment, and they showed clear improvement after the treatment was stopped. None of these patients showed severe graft dysfunction. In conclusion, preventive isoniazid appears to be a safe drug for use in LTBI patients after LT. The treatment may be established just after LT without important graft dysfunction or severe consequences for the patient. Liver Transpl, 2012. © 2012 AASLD.
Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the spine: report of two cases and review of the literature

We report two patients with spinal epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EH), an uncommon vascular, potentially malignant tumour. Neurological signs, diagnostic images, surgical techniques and complications, histology and the role of adjuvant therapy are discussed. Primary manifestation of EH of the vertebral column is rare. Thorough preoperative clinical and radiological workup, radical surgical excision, and close postoperative follow-up are recommended.
Identification, Development, and Regional Distribution of Ribonucleotide Reductase in Adult Rat Brain

The development and regional distribution of ribonucleotide reductase (EC 1.17.4.1) were determined in rat brain. Ribonucleotide reductase was partially purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation (20‐40% saturation). Enzyme activity was measured by a specific radiochemical assay. This method involved the reduction of [14C]cytidine diphosphate (CDP) to [14C]deoxy‐cytidine diphosphate with subsequent hydrolysis and separation of the product ([14C]deoxycytidine) from substrate ([14C]cytidine) by Dowex‐1‐borate ion‐exchange chro‐matography. The specific activity of ribonucleotide reductase in whole brain of newborn rats was 3.78 ± 0.55 units (pmol/h)/mg protein (SEM; n = 6) and declined to 0.17 ± 0.01 units/mg protein (n = 7) at 10‐12 weeks of age, with a further decline to 0.11 ± 0.01 units/mg protein (n = 3) at 1 year. Ribonucleotide reductase activity in rat liver decreased from 4.58 ± 0.62 units/mg protein (n = 3) in newborn animals to 0.06 ± 0.01 units/mg protein (n = 7) at 10‐12 weeks and was present at trace levels at 6 months of age. The decline in specific activity with age was not due to a change in the Km for CDP. The Km for CDP in brain of newborn and adult rats was 80‐90 μM. In 10‐ to 12‐week‐old rats, the specific activity of ribonucleotide reductase was similar in the various regions of the brain tested except for the brainstem, which had 50% lower specific activity than the whole brain. These results indicate that ribonucleotide reductase activity is present and widely distributed in adult rat brain.
Three Distinct Rice Cellulose Synthase Catalytic Subunit Genes Required for Cellulose Synthesis in the Secondary Wall1

Several brittle culm mutations of rice (Oryza sativa) causing fragility of plant tissues have been identified genetically but not characterized at a molecular level. We show here that the genes responsible for three distinct brittle mutations of rice, induced by the insertion of the endogenous retrotransposon Tos17, correspond to CesA (cellulose synthase catalytic subunit) genes, OsCesA4, OsCesA7 and OsCesA9. Three CesA genes were expressed in seedlings, culms, premature panicles, and roots but not in mature leaves, and the expression profiles were almost identical among the three genes. Cellulose contents were dramatically decreased (8.9%-25.5% of the wild-type level) in the culms of null mutants of the three genes, indicating that these genes are not functionally redundant. Consistent with these results, cell walls in the cortical fiber cells were shown to be thinner in all the mutants than in wild-type plants. Based on these observations, the structure of a cellulose-synthesizing complex involved in the synthesis of the secondary cell wall is discussed.
Lyme disease in Poland in 2014

INTRODUCTION Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease, caused by spirochetes of the Borrelia genus transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes genus. Infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi occur throughout Poland and therefore, according also to ECDC description, the whole country should be considered as an endemic area. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological situation of Lyme disease in Poland in 2014 in comparison to the previous years. MATERIALS AND METHODS The descriptive analysis was based on data retrieved from routine mandatory surveillance system and published in the annual bulletin “Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2014” (MP Czarkowski et al., Warsaw 2015, NIZP-PZH, GIS). RESULTS The number of cases of Lyme disease in recent years is steadily increasing. In total, 13.870 cases of Lyme disease registered in Poland in 2014, i.e. 8% more cases than in the previous year. The overall incidence in the country was 36.0 per 100,000 population. The highest incidence rate was recorded in Podlaskie voivodeship – 106.8 per 100,000. In 2014, 2.236 people were hospitalized due to Lyme disease. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS In 2014, the growth rate of incidence decreased significantly. 8% more cases were registered compared with the previous year. There is still a need for bringing awareness of the need for diagnostic laboratory testing according to recommendations.
Influence of corneal shape on limbal light focusing.

PURPOSE Light incident at the temporal cornea is focused by the peripheral anterior eye to the nasal limbus, the usual site of pterygium formation. Parameters that may contribute to observed individual variations in the degree of limbal light focusing were assessed. METHODS Computer-assisted optical ray tracing techniques were applied to a human anterior segment model. The angle of incident light (theta, 95 degrees to 108 degrees posterior to the sagittal plane), corneal central radius of curvature (ro, 7.2 to 8.4 mm), and shape factor (p) were varied, and the effect on distal limbal intensity (I) was calculated. RESULTS The magnitude of intensity peaks (Ipeak) is dependent on theta and ro. Steeper corneas have higher intensity peaks (Ipeak approximately 21.5X at ro = 7.2 mm, p = 0.75), and flatter corneas have lower intensity peaks (Ipeak approximately 8X at ro = 8.4 mm, p = 0.75) (cf Ipeak approximately 14X for a standard cornea, ro = 7.8 mm, p = 0.75). Anteroposterior location of intensity peaks is dependent on theta and ro. Steeper corneas have intensity peaks situated more anteriorly, whereas flatter corneas have more posteriorly placed peaks. Distal light distribution profiles demonstrate that intensity peaks are not always centrally located. At lower angles of incidence (theta = 100 degrees, ro = 7.8 mm, p = 0.75), peak intensity is located approximately 1 mm above and below the horizontal plane. The overall distribution (envelope) of light at the distal limbus is apparently independent of corneal shape. CONCLUSIONS Differences in corneal topography can account for the clinical observation of individual variation in the degree of limbal light focusing. Whether individuals with corneas capable of developing intense limbal foci may be more predisposed to developing pterygium requires further study.
The impact of leaders' passion at work on leader effectiveness: The mediating role of transformational leadership

Focusing on the “passion at work” specific to leaders, this study examined the relationships among leaders' passion at work, transformational leadership and leader effectiveness using structural equation modeling. Specifically, we developed and tested the ideas that mediated effects of transformational leadership. Using a sample of managers in China, results supported the direct and indirect effects of leaders' passion at work on leader effectiveness. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications and limitations are discussed.
Surgeon characteristics and receipt of adjuvant radiotherapy in women with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Adjuvant radiotherapy following breast conservation surgery (BCS) is considered to be an indicator of quality of care for the majority of women with breast cancer, but many women do not receive adjuvant radiotherapy. We investigated the association of surgeon-related factors with receipt of adjuvant radiotherapy after BCS. METHODS We used the linked Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database to identify women aged 65 years or older with stage I/II breast cancer who were diagnosed between 1991 and 2002 and underwent BCS. We collected demographic and clinical data from SEER and treatment information from Medicare claims data. The American Medical Association Masterfile was used to obtain information on surgeons' characteristics, including sex, medical school location (United States or elsewhere), and type of degree (MD or Doctorate in Osteopathic Medicine [DO]). The associations of patient (age, race, rural vs urban residence, comorbidities, marital status), tumor (hormone receptor status, grade, stage), and surgeon-related factors with receipt of adjuvant radiotherapy were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations to control for clustering. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS Of 29,760 women in our sample, 22,207 (75%) received radiotherapy. Patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy were younger, had fewer comorbidities, and were more likely to be white, married, from an urban area, and diagnosed in a later year compared with those who did not. They were also more likely to have a surgeon who was female (79% vs 73%), had an MD degree (75% vs 68%), or was US trained (75% vs 70%). The multivariable analysis confirmed the association of radiotherapy with having a surgeon who was female (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.06 to 1.27), had an MD degree (OR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.24 to 1.91), was US trained (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.25), or had more than 15 patients (OR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.10 to 1.28). CONCLUSIONS Surgeon characteristics were associated with patients' receipt of adjuvant radiotherapy after BCS after controlling for patient and tumor characteristics, although the individual effect sizes were small for surgeon sex, location of training, and type of medical degree. More research is warranted to confirm the associations to determine whether they reflect surgeon behavior, patient response, or physician-patient interactions.
Concordance between Subjective and Objective Memory Impairment in Volunteer Subjects.

BACKGROUND Subjective memory impairment (SMI) refers to subjective awareness of initial memory decline undetectable with existing standardized cognitive tests. The Face Name Associative Memory Exam (FNAME) was created to detect memory deficits in individuals with preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD). We reported normative data of a Spanish version of FNAME (S-FNAME) in cognitively normal (CN) Spanish-speaking subjects >49. OBJECTIVE To determine whether higher SMI [a modification of Memory Failures Everyday (MFE-30)] was related to worse memory performance (S-FNAME) or associated with greater affective symptoms in subjects >49; and whether MFE-30 and FNAME were able to discriminate between CN and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects. METHODS 317 subjects (CN = 196, MCI = 121) were included in the analysis because they attended the annual "Open House Initiative" at Memory Clinic Fundació ACE, were >49 years, literate, received S-FNAME, MFE-30, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, had Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≥27, and returned to complete a comprehensive diagnostic assessment. RESULTS MFE-30 scores were associated with affective symptoms but not with S-FNAME performance. S-FNAME scores were related to performance on memory variables of NBACE (neuropsychological battery used in Fundació ACE). Although the MCI group showed significantly higher MFE-30 and worse S-FNAME scores than the CN group, their discriminability values were similar (Sensitivity: 49.6 versus 52.9; Specificity: 85.1 versus 83.6, respectively). CONCLUSIONS SMI was more related to depressive symptoms than to S-FNAME memory performance; and S-FNAME scores were related to other episodic memory test performances, but neither to affective symptoms nor to SMI. MFE-30 and S-FNAME are not optimal for discriminating between CN and MCI groups. Longitudinal follow-up will determine if lower S-FNAME and higher SMI are related to increased risk of AD.
Fatigue, sleep disturbance, disability, and indices of progression of HIV infection.

OBJECTIVE The authors' objective was to test the hypothesis that fatigue affects the activities and employment of subjects with HIV infection and that indices of immunosuppression and inflammation may have statistical utility in predicting fatigue and sleep disturbance. METHOD The authors prospectively asked 112 homosexual men (62 HIV-seropositive subjects and 50 HIV-seronegative comparison subjects) to complete a questionnaire on fatigue and sleep disturbance. In addition, hematocrit, WBC count, CD4+ cell number, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, and total globulin were measured. RESULTS For HIV-seropositive patients fatigue was significantly more of a problem and interfered more with important activities such as employment and driving than with seronegative comparison subjects. The HIV-infected patients were significantly more likely to be unemployed, to feel fatigued through more hours of the day, to sleep more, to nap more, and to have diminished midmorning alertness. The medical variables could be used to statistically predict fatigue, its interference with daily activities, and employment. CONCLUSIONS Fatigue and sleep disturbances contribute to morbidity and disability in HIV-infected homosexual men, especially those in CDC stage IV (AIDS-related complex or AIDS). Correlation with measures of immunosuppression and inflammation and comparison between fatigued versus nonfatigued groups suggest the possibility of statistical prediction of fatigue by using these measures. Further study is needed to examine the possibility of eventual specific intervention to clinically treat HIV-related fatigue, sleepiness, and sleep disturbance.
Comparison of the Various Methods Employed in the Determination of the Recruitment Phenomenon

MANY methods of investigation of the loudness function have been developed since the significance of the recruitment phenomenon for the differential diagnosis of deafness has been established. These _methods jnay be divided into two groups. The first group is based on a direct determination of loudness, and the second group on an indirect investigation of the behaviour of loudness. To the first group belongs Fowler's method of the binaural loudness balance, in which the loudness of two tones of identical frequency are compared with one another, and the monaural loudness balance, in which the loudness of two tones of different frequencies is compared (Reger). To the jsecond group belong the masking test of de Bruine-Altes, the determination of short duration fatigue (Gardner), the determination of adaptation (Liischer and Zwislocki), and the various determinations of the intensity difference limen (Bekesy, Liischer and Zwislocki, Denes and Naunton).
Activation of Lipoprotein Lipase by Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide in Adipocytes

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) has been mainly studied because of its glucose-dependent insulinotropic action and its ability to regulate β-cell proliferation and survival. Considerably less is known about the effects of GIP on fat metabolism, and the present study was directed at identifying the mechanisms underlying its stimulatory action on lipoprotein lipase (LPL). In differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, GIP, in the presence of insulin, increased LPL activity and triglyceride accumulation through a pathway involving increased phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB) and reductions in phosphorylated LKB1 and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Knockdown of AMPK using RNA interference and application of the AMPK inhibitor, Compound C, supported this conclusion. In contrast, the other major incretin hormone, glucagon-like peptide-1, exhibited no significant effects on LPL activity or PKB, LKB1, or AMPK phosphorylation. Cultured subcutaneous human adipocytes showed similar responses to GIP but with greater sensitivity. Chronic elevation of circulating GIP levels in the Vancouver diabetic fatty Zucker rat in vivo resulted in increased LPL activity and elevated triglyceride accumulation in epidydimal fat tissue, combined with a modulation of PKB, LKB1, and AMPK phosphorylation similar to that observed in vitro. This appears to be the first demonstration of a GIP-stimulated signal transduction pathway involved in increasing fat storage in adipocytes.