Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aluminum inhibits both initiation and progression of mineralization of osteoid nodules formed in differentiating rat calvaria cell cultures

Osteoid nodules form in cultures of fetal rat calvaria (RC) cells grown in medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 50 μg/ml of ascorbic acid. When 10 mM β‐glycerophosphate (β‐GP) is added, the nodules mineralize in two phases: an initiation phase that is dependent upon alkaline phosphatase activity for cleavage of β‐GP to inorganic phosphate (P1) and a progression phase that proceeds independently of the activity of alkaline phosphatase and does not require exogenous phosphate. We have used this system to investigate the effects of aluminum (Al3+) on mineralization. When AlCl3 was added to culture medium at concentrations of 0, 3, 10, 30, 100, and 300 μM, the total concentrations of aluminum were 0.98, 6.07, 16.82, 40.19, 88.45, and 284.52 μM, respectively. The corresponding free Al3+ concentrations, assessed after ultrafiltration, were found to be 1.11, 1.75, 3.40, 6.22, 5.38, and 12.11 μM. In cultures in which osteoid was formed and mineralization initiated in the presence of added Al3+ (3–300 μM), a dose‐dependent inhibition of mineralization occurred. Osteoid formed in the presence of added Al3+ mineralized normally when Al3+ was removed from cultures at the time of initiation of mineralization with β‐GP. In osteoid nodules grown in the absence of Al3+, addition of Al3+ (3–300 μM) at the start of the initiation phase of mineralization resulted in a dose‐dependent inhibition of mineralization. Addition of Al3+ to cultures after mineralization had been initiated in the absence of Al3+ inhibited progression of mineralization at added Al3+ concentrations of 10 μM and above. Al3+ did not decrease the conversion of β‐GP to Pi and caused a small but significant increase in alkaline phosphatase activity at added concentrations of 100 μM or greater. The data show that Al3+ inhibits both the initiation and progression phases of mineralization starting at added concentrations of 3–10 μM (∼1.7–3.4 μM free Al3+) and that mineralization of osteoid formed in the presence of Al3+ is unaffected if Al3+ is removed prior to the initiation of mineralization.
On the negotiation of the 'issue' in discussions among young children and their parents

When analyzing argumentative discussions between young children and adults, it emerged that in some cases, adults and children do not share the same issue at the beginning of an interaction. The present contribution makes a first step in investigating how issues are negotiated among the discussants so that this diverging understanding can be overcome. To do so, an example from a corpus of everyday discussions in a family is analyzed. For the reconstruction of the argumentation, the pragma-dialectical model of a critical discussion will be used. Furthermore, the analysis of the implicit contextual-material premises on which the discussants base their reasoning will contribute to a better understanding of the interaction.
Overview of the Policies for Attracting Foreign Direct Investment Inflows into Lao PDR

This paper examines foreign investment policies for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) to Lao People Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). The first regulatory in Lao PDR aimed at shifting the country’s foreign economic relation was the enactment of the foreign investment laws. The policies and regulations have been revise recently to create a more favorable investment climate. The government has provided a wide range of tax rationality especially of tax and non-tax incentives for corporation projects within the Specific Economic Zones (SEZs), reduction on import taxes and tax on foreign corporate profit that is lower than for domestic enterprises. FDI laws are relatively liberal, allowing 100 percent foreign ownership across a wide range of sectors. At present, the Lao government is working towards improving the trade and investment laws to encourage FDI and trade in the country. Laos is exploring the laws of a variety of market-oriented countries around the world. Keywords: Foreign direct investment, Policies, Regulation, Special Economic Zones, Government of Lao PDR
Grade of chronic renal failure, and acute and long-term outcome after percutaneous coronary interventions.

BACKGROUND Patients with moderate chronic renal failure have recently been identified to suffer from a markedly higher mortality after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We focused on the outcome of PCI patients with just mildly elevated creatinine levels of 1.1 to 1.5 mg/dL. METHODS Data of all PCI patients of the years 1998 to 1999 were analyzed. Follow-up was performed by a questionnaire sent to all patients. RESULTS During this period, PCI was performed in 1049 patients. Long-term follow-up (1184 +/- 10 days) was 99.6% complete. Total mortality increased continuously by each creatinine increment of 0.1 mg/dL above 1.0 mg/dL, with a significant difference at 1.3 mg/dL compared to patients with <or=1.0 mg/dL (12.4 vs. 5.5%, P < 0.05). In a Kaplan-Meier model, patients with a creatinine of 1.3 to 1.4 mg/dL had a significantly lower cumulative survival after three years (87%) than controls (96%, P = 0.0108, log rank test). Higher serum creatinine levels were found to be significantly associated with death in univariate analysis (1.1 +/- 0.4 vs. 1.5 +/- 1.0 mg/dL, P < 0.00001), and in multivariate analysis by stepwise logistic regression (OR 2.122, 95% CI 1.585 to 2.841). CONCLUSIONS In this retrospective cross-sectional study, even patients with slightly elevated serum creatinine levels of 1.3 to 1.4 mg/dL had a significantly reduced long-term outcome after PCI. Thus, even mild chronic renal failure appears to be associated with markedly increased risk after a PCI, with implications to the high number of patients concerned.
The structural GDP/GTP cycle of human Arf6

The small GTP‐binding protein Arf6 coordinates membrane traffic at the plasma membrane with aspects of cytoskeleton organization. This function does not overlap with that of other members of the ADP‐ribosylation factor (Arf) family, although their switch regions, which are their major sites of interaction with regulators and effectors, have virtually identical sequences. Here we report the crystal structure of full‐length, non‐myristoylated human Arf6 bound to GTPγS. Unlike their GDP‐bound forms, the active forms of Arf6 and Arf1 are very similar. Thus, the switch regions are discriminatory elements between Arf isoforms in their inactive but not in their active forms, a property that may generalize to other families of small G proteins. This suggests that GTP‐bound Arfs may establish specific interactions outside the switch regions and/or be recognized in their cellular context rather than as isolated proteins. The structure also allows further insight into the lack of spontaneous GTPase activity of Arf proteins.
Developments in clinical neuropsychology: implications for school psychological services.

BACKGROUND According to the 2000 Report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Children's Mental Health, a significant percentage of children and adolescents have emotional or behavioral problems serious enough to merit a mental health diagnosis. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 reemphasized the schools' importance in supporting cognitive and behavioral development in students, particularly those identified with learning problems. In this article, we examine the growing specialty of clinical neuropsychology and provide suggestions for integrating this field into school-based psychological services. METHODS This article provides a review of the neuropsychological bases for many childhood learning disorders and addresses how school psychologists can work with clinical neuropsychologists to better address the needs of exceptional children through neuropsychological testing. RESULTS There is substantial neurological evidence for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as well as disorders of reading, language, and mathematics. Close collaborative partnerships between clinical neuropsychologists and school psychologists will help develop assessment protocols that are likely to result in more effective intervention services for students with neuropsychological conditions. CONCLUSIONS Schools are being asked to support the physical, cognitive, and emotional development in students, particularly those identified with chronic physical and mental health challenges. Dissatisfaction with minimal screenings, the growing awareness of the neurology of learning disorders, and the passage of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 obliges all school-based mental health providers to consider how to fully integrate the tools of clinical neuropsychology into school-based psychological services.
Hematopoietic stem/precursor cells as HIV reservoirs

Purpose of reviewAlthough latent HIV-1 infection in CD4+ T cells contributes to HIV persistence, there is mounting evidence that other viral reservoirs exist. Here, we review recent data suggesting that the infection of hematopoietic progenitor cells creates additional reservoirs for HIV in vivo. Recent findingsNew studies suggest that some types of hematopoietic progenitor cells have the potential to generate reservoirs for HIV. This review focuses on two types that can be infected by HIV in vitro and in vivo: multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells in the bone marrow and circulating mast cell progenitors. Of these two types, only CD34+ bone marrow cells have been shown to harbor latent provirus in HIV-positive individuals with undetectable viral loads on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Latent infection of these long-lived cell types may create a significant barrier to HIV eradication; the infection of hematopoietic stem cells in particular could lead to an HIV reservoir that does not appreciably decay over the lifespan of the host. SummaryTo eradicate HIV infection, it will be necessary to purge all viral reservoirs in the host. The findings highlighted here suggest that multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cells and possibly tissue mast cells may constitute significant reservoirs for HIV that must be addressed in order to eliminate HIV infection. Future studies are needed to determine which types of CD34+ cells are infected in vivo and whether infected CD34+ cells contribute to residual viremia in people with undetectable viral loads on HAART.
α4 Integrin-Dependent Leukocyte Recruitment Does Not Require VCAM-1 in a Chronic Model of Inflammation1

Rats immunized with Mycobacterium butyricum in Freund’s adjuvant develop a chronic vasculitis, with large increases in leukocyte rolling and adhesion in mesenteric postcapillary venules that are significantly inhibited with an α4 integrin Ab. Using intravital microscopy to visualize chronically inflamed microvessels, we demonstrated that α4 integrin-dependent leukocyte rolling and adhesion was inhibited with a β1 integrin, but not a β7 integrin Ab. To date, VCAM-1 has been presumed to be the primary ligand for α4β1 integrin in the vasculature. However, α4β1 integrin-dependent interactions were not reduced by monoclonal or polyclonal VCAM-1 Abs or a VCAM-1 antisense oligonucleotide despite increased VCAM-1 expression in the mesenteric vasculature. To ensure that the VCAM-1 Abs were functional and used at saturating concentrations, blood from Ab-treated rats was perfused over monolayers of CHO cells transfected with rat VCAM-1. Sufficient α4 integrin or VCAM-1 Ab was present to inhibit leukocyte interactions with rat VCAM-1 by 95–100%. Under in vitro flow conditions, only mononuclear leukocytes were recruited from blood of control rats onto purified VCAM-1. However, neutrophils were also recruited onto VCAM-1 from whole blood of adjuvant-immunized animals via α4 integrin. Another ligand for α4β1 integrin is the connecting segment-1 (CS-1) region of fibronectin. An Ab to the CS-1 portion of fibronectin, which did not reduce rolling and adhesion in adjuvant arthritis animals, completely inhibited leukocyte adhesion to CS-1 under static conditions. These findings provide the first evidence that α4β1 integrin-dependent leukocyte rolling and adhesion can occur in vivo via a mechanism other than VCAM-1.
Progressive Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Children With Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathies

Objective Mitochondrial disorders are responsible for a variety of neurological syndromes. Specific mitochondrial DNA mutations have been identified recently in some of these rare disorders. Clinical symptoms may occur in different organs to various extent; often they are associated with progressive hearing loss. The aims of this study were to determine incidence, onset, and characteristics of hearing loss in children with mitochondrial encephalomyopathies and to investigate a possible correlation between the degree of hearing loss and neurological symptoms. In addition, we investigated the prognostic value of hearing loss as a predictor of the disease.
The Athlete’s Heart: Remodeling, Electrocardiogram And Preparticipation Screening

Highly trained athletes show morphologic cardiac changes (ie, athlete’s heart) that are the consequence of several determinants, including type of sport, gender, and, possibly, inherited genetic factors. The extent of physiologic cardiac remodeling may occasionally be substantial in highly trained athletes and may raise a differential diagnosis with structural cardiac disease, such as cardiomyopathies.In addition, athletes demonstrate a spectrum of alterations in the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern, including marked increase in precordial R-wave or S-wave voltages, ST segment or T-wave changes, and deep Q waves suggestive of left ventricular hypertrophy, that may raise the possibility of pathologic heart condition, but have also been viewed as a consequence of the cardiac morphologic remodeling induced by athletic conditioning. To evaluate the clinical significance of these abnormal ECGs, the authors compared ECG patterns to cardiac morphology and function (assessed by two-dimensional echocardiography in individual athlete) in a large population of 1005 elite athletes engaged in a variety of sporting disciplines. Forty percent of the athletes had abnormal ECGs, and a subgroup of about 15% showed distinctly abnormal and often bizarre patterns highly suggestive of cardiomyopathies, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, in the absence of pathologic cardiac changes. Such alterations are likely the consequence of athletic conditioning itself and represent another potential component of athlete’s heart syndrome. However, such false-positive ECGs represent a potential limitation to the efficacy of routine ECG testing in the preparticipation cardiovascular screening of large athletic populations.
NFC Technology in Mobile Phone Next-Generation Services

This paper presents a mobile phone application which brings two new features into social networks: an advertising service and a location based service. With this application, mobile operators will play a central role in an advertising chain comprising businesses, mobile operators and online communities. Thus, the mobile phone becomes a powerful tool to share consumer and travelers experiences. This application relies on leveraging new technologies as NFC (Near Field Communication) and SCWS (Smart Card Web Server).
Explaining institutional amnesia in government

This article explains why different government agencies experience variations in organizational memory loss. It first explains institutional amnesia theoretically by expanding the formal-institutional view of organizational memory to include agential and structural-contextual properties, revealing a broader range of novel explanations for amnesia. Institutional amnesia is then explained empirically through an international analysis of memory loss in four Westminster systems (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom). This analysis, which principally relies on 100 interviews with ministers, policy officials, and public-sector leaders across the four countries, leads to the introduction of four explanations for amnesia, relating to: organizational churn, absorptive capacity, strategic-instrumental decision making, and historical storytelling.
Association of Picky Eating and Food Neophobia with Weight: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND Picky eating and food neophobia are common during childhood. Childhood eating behaviors are often predictive of adult eating behaviors. OBJECTIVES Determine if childhood picky eating or food neophobia is associated with childhood weight status, or with becoming underweight, overweight, or obese later in childhood. DATA SOURCES We identified relevant studies from searches of PubMed, PsycINFO, and NEOHAL, as well as citations from identified studies. Study Eligibility Criteria and Participants: Inclusion criteria were original research articles examining a relationship between picky eating and/or food neophobia with childhood weight status. We summarized definitions and prevalence of picky eating or food neophobia and association with weight status. STUDY APPRAISAL Two independent investigators assessed bias and confounding using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's RTI Item Bank. RESULTS Forty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Picky eating was defined inconsistently, and a large variation in prevalence was found (5.8%-59%). Food neophobia was consistently defined as an unwillingness to try new foods, with a prevalence between 40% and 60%. No association existed between childhood weight status and food neophobia, and results were unclear for picky eating. LIMITATIONS Risk of bias and confounding were moderate. Parental report was commonly used to assess picky eating, height, and weight and parental weight, feeding styles, and community characteristics were infrequently considered. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Heterogeneous definitions used for picky eating led to a wide range of reported prevalence and an unclear relationship with weight. Consistent definitions and an improved understanding of such a relationship could help clinicians provide appropriate anticipatory guidance.
EutR Is a Direct Regulator of Genes That Contribute to Metabolism and Virulence in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

ABSTRACT Ethanolamine (EA) metabolism is a trait associated with enteric pathogens, including enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EHEC). EHEC causes severe bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome. EHEC encodes the ethanolamine utilization (eut) operon that allows EHEC to metabolize EA and gain a competitive advantage when colonizing the gastrointestinal tract. The eut operon encodes the transcriptional regulator EutR. Genetic studies indicated that EutR expression is induced by EA and vitamin B12 and that EutR promotes expression of the eut operon; however, biochemical evidence for these interactions has been lacking. We performed EA-binding assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) to elucidate a mechanism for EutR gene regulation. These studies confirmed EutR interaction with EA, as well as direct binding to the eutS promoter. EutR also contributes to expression of the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) in an EA-dependent manner. We performed EMSAs to examine EutR activation of the LEE. The results demonstrated that EutR directly binds the regulatory region of the ler promoter. These results present the first mechanistic description of EutR gene regulation and reveal a novel role for EutR in EHEC pathogenesis.
The Association Between Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Respiratory Health in Elderly With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: We investigated the association between respiratory health and particulate matter (PM) air pollution in elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pre-, during, and post-the Chinese Lunar New Year (CLNY) holiday in Shanghai, China. Methods: We conducted repeated measurements of lung function and inflammation biomarker in a cohort consisted of 60 participants with T2DM. Results: Decreased PM2.5 exposure had an effect on respiratory health by increasing in forced expiratory flow in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Positive associations between PM exposure and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) were observed. Conclusions: Our observations indicated that PM air pollution exposure would exert adverse effect on respiratory health in elderly T2DM population.
Energy Harvesting from Medium Voltage Electric Fields using pulsed flyback conversion

Electric Field Energy Harvesting (EFEH) systems use the high voltage power lines of an electrical grid to provide power for the low cost distributed electronic measurement systems that are needed to monitor these lines for Smart Grid operation. However, the challenge with EFEH is to extract useful amounts of energy while avoiding close proximity to (or even galvanic contact with) the power line. The primary constraint is the weak parasitic capacitive coupling that interfaces between the power line and the power supply system, which severely limits the amount of continuous power that can be extracted. This paper addresses this challenge, by rectifying the weakly coupled AC into a high voltage DC source, and then using a flyback converter operating in discontinuous mode to transform this voltage down to levels that are useful for electronic systems. The investigation has identified that up to 17 mW of continuous power from a 12.7kV MV line can be extracted using this approach. Matching simulation and experimental results are presented in the paper to validate this performance.
External Supporters and Negotiated Settlement: Political Bargaining in Solving Governmental Incompatibility

External supporters have heterogeneous preferences over civil war outcomes depending on the issues at stake. In this article, the bargaining model and empirical study show that such preferences of external supporters need to be considered not only when analyzing the causes of support but also when analyzing how they affect a conflict. By adding an external supporter to a traditional conflict bargaining model as a strategic actor who receives a payoff from the political division, this article investigates how the preferences of external supporters influence the likelihood of a peace agreement in civil wars over a government. I demonstrate that a peace agreement is more likely to happen when the external supporters of the government side are not satisfied with the current political status quo of the supported state. The empirical analysis of political civil wars from 1976 to 2009 supports the implications of the bargaining model.
Temporal variations of the statistical properties of an underwater acoustic channel measured at a shallow water in 2009

Complicated and time-varying environment of the ocean makes it difficult to describe properties of underwater acoustic channels. Therefore, many researchers have tried to characterize underwater channels using a statistical approach. Although theoretical analysis shows that the probability density function (PDF) of the propagation channel may have Rayleigh or Rician distribution, we still do not know how the statistical properties change for different time and conditions. Recently, Kim et al. and Borowski confirmed again experimentally that PDFs can be fitted to Rayleigh or Rician distributions. However, the results are based on limited data of very short time. In this paper the change of statistical properties are examined using long time observation. Not only magnitude and phase but also phase change rate is analyzed. The results show that the statistical parameters are changing continuously with a certain amount.