Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heteromeric TASK‐1/TASK‐3 is the major oxygen‐sensitive background K+ channel in rat carotid body glomus cells

Carotid body (CB) glomus cells from rat express a TASK‐like background K+ channel that is believed to play a critical role in the regulation of excitability and hypoxia‐induced increase in respiration. Here we studied the kinetic behaviour of single channel openings from rat CB cells to determine the molecular identity of the ‘TASK‐like’ K+ channels. In outside‐out patches, the TASK‐like background K+ channel in CB cells was inhibited >90% by a reduction of pHo from 7.3 to 5.8. In cell‐attached patches with 140 mm KCl and 1 mm Mg2+ in the bath and pipette solutions, two main open levels with conductance levels of ∼14 pS and ∼32 pS were recorded at a membrane potential of −60 mV. The K+ channels showed kinetic properties similar to TASK‐1 (∼14 pS), TASK‐3 (∼32 pS) and TASK‐1/3 heteromer (∼32 pS). The presence of three TASK isoforms was tested by reducing [Mg2+]o to ∼0 mm, which had no effect on the conductance of TASK‐1, but increased those of TASK‐1/3 and TASK‐3 to 42 pS and 74 pS, respectively. In CB cells, the reduction of [Mg2+]o to ∼0 mm also caused the appearance of ∼42 pS (TASK‐1/3‐like) and ∼74 pS (TASK‐3‐like) channels, in addition to the ∼14 pS (TASK‐1‐like) channel. The 42 pS channel was the most abundant, contributing ∼75% of the current produced by TASK‐like channels. Ruthenium red (5 μm) had no effect on TASK‐1 and TASK‐1/3, but inhibited TASK‐3 by 87%. In CB cells, ruthenium red caused ∼12% inhibition of TASK‐like activity. Methanandamide reduced the activity of all three TASKs by 80–90%, and that of TASK‐like channels in CB cell also by ∼80%. In CB cells, hypoxia caused inhibition of TASK‐like channels, including TASK‐1/3‐like channels. These results show that TASK‐1, TASK‐1/3 and TASK‐3 are all functionally expressed in isolated CB cells, and that the TASK‐1/3 heteromer provides the major part of the oxygen‐sensitive TASK‐like background K+ conductance.
The impact of revenue diversification on municipal debts: comparing short-term and long-term debt levels

ABSTRACT The extant literature has offered two competitive implications of revenue diversification: revenue stabilisation and fiscal illusion. Stabilisation helps governments have less revenue volatility, while fiscal illusion expands tax burdens through the increase in expenditure. The competitive views on revenue diversification leave a niche to explore the association between revenue diversification and debt levels in local governments. We estimate the static and dynamic effects of revenue diversification on both short-term and long-term debt levels in 150 fiscally standardised cities. Our findings show that local governments with greater revenue diversification are more likely to reduce short-term debts while expanding long-term debts. The findings imply that a stabilised revenue structure helps local governments better manage operational budgets but also invest in capital projects with greater debt capacity.
Growth Strategies for Law Firms

Law firms that grow intensively can experience problems maintaining strategic focus, structural alignment and personnel balance. This article proposes a process through which management can plan a law firm´s future, by defining a strategy and choosing a growth avenue. We describe four growth strategies and use benchmarks of a sample of 150 law firms stemming from all Latin America to describe the typical leverage and growth levels found in the region.
Optimal Dose of Succinylcholine Revisited

Background The authors reappraised the conventional wisdom that the intubating dose of succinylcholine must be 1.0 mg/kg and attempted to define the lower range of succinylcholine doses that provide acceptable intubation conditions in 95% of patients within 60 s. Methods This prospective, randomized, double-blind study involved 200 patients. Anesthesia was induced with 2 &mgr;g/kg fentanyl and 2 mg/kg propofol. After loss of consciousness, patients were randomly allocated to receive 0.3, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg succinylcholine or saline (control group). Tracheal intubation was performed 60 s later. A blinded investigator performed all laryngoscopies and also graded intubating conditions. Results Intubating conditions were acceptable (excellent plus good grade combined) in 30%, 92%, 94%, and 98% of patients after 0.0, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg succinylcholine, respectively. The incidence of acceptable intubating conditions was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in patients receiving succinylcholine compared with those in the control group but was not different among the different succinylcholine dose groups. The calculated doses of succinylcholine (and their 95% confidence intervals) that were required to achieve acceptable intubating conditions in 90% and 95% of patients at 60 s were 0.24 (0.19–0.31) mg/kg and 0.56 (0.43–0.73) mg/kg, respectively. Conclusions The use of 1.0 mg/kg of succinylcholine may be excessive if the goal is to achieve acceptable intubating conditions within 60 s. Comparable intubating conditions were achieved after 0.3, 0.5, or 1.0 mg/kg succinylcholine. In a rapid-sequence induction, 95% of patients with normal airway anatomy anesthetized with 2 &mgr;g/kg fentanyl and 2 mg/kg propofol should have acceptable intubating conditions at 60 s after 0.56 mg/kg succinylcholine. Reducing the dose of succinylcholine should allow a more rapid return of spontaneous respiration and airway reflexes.
Simultaneous Dispersion Flattening for Both Transverse Electric and Magnetic Modes

A novel silicon waveguide structure is proposed to simultaneous dispersion engineering of orthogonal modes. Ultraflat dispersion profiles are achieved for both the fundamental quasi-transverse-electric (TE) and transverse-magnetic (TM) modes by utilizing mode transition and anticrossing effects. Dispersion tailoring is carried out for both modes by tuning the structural parameters of the waveguide. There is only a low dispersion of <; ± 3.8 ps/(nm·km) over a 576-nm and a 817-nm bandwidth for the fundamental quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes, respectively. The reduced dispersion of the modes prevents pulse broadening and intensity reduction in each of the modes. The nonlinear parameters of the modes, the group velocity mismatch, and the characteristic lengths of walk-off and dispersion for both modes are also studied. It is discussed that mode coupling is feasible before the temporal separation of the modes can take place. Therefore, the proposed waveguide can provide highly efficient implementation of photonic applications based on polarization effects.
Broadband optical beam power splitter for wavelength dependent light circuits on silicon substrates

A broadband optical splitter based on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) is proposed for uniform beam power splitting in the wavelength from 1450 nm to 1650 nm, which has low wavelength dependence of less than 0.2dB in the arrange of about 100 nm. The novel types of splitters are predicted to have a great potential in the field of broadband light circuits for wavelength-divided multiplexing (WDM).
Brief Vibrotactile Stimulation Does Not Increase Cortical Oxygen Consumption When Measured by Single Inhalation of Positron Emitting Oxygen

Vibrotactile stimulation of the hand elicits no increase in oxygen consumption commensurate with the increase in blood flow measured in human sensory cortex. To test the hypothesis that previous failures to detect a proportionate increase in oxygen consumption could be an artefact of the sequential bolus, or three-step, method used to measure this parameter in the human brain in vivo, the authors compared the measurements with the results of a novel single bolus, or one-step, method of measuring oxygen consumption. The time of completion of the three-step method was 40 to 50 minutes, whereas the one-step method lasted only 3 minutes. The baseline whole-brain oxygen consumption averaged 185 ± 32 μmol hg−1 min−1 by the three-step method and 153 ± 15 μmol hg−1 min−1 by the one-step method. Vibrotactile stimulation did not elicit a significant increase in oxygen consumption measured by either method. This finding rejects the hypothesis that failure to detect an increase of oxygen consumption could be an artefact caused by limitations of the method used previously. Conversely, it also rejects the hypothesis that observations of an increase of oxygen consumption by the new method are artefacts caused by limitations of the one-step method.
Immersive Collaborative Storytelling: Time2Play in Second Life

This paper presents a collaborative educational game, Time2Play, developed in the 3D virtual environment of Second Life, which enables the creation and enact stories collaboratively, contributing to a new form of expression between the different languages used in education. This game is designed to enable children aged 9 to 12 years to express their creativity and imagination to “create enacting” a story in groups. Thus, the Time2Play becomes a resource to be used in school activities whose purpose is to carry out collaborative projects in which participants are able to act in different roles as creator of the story, director, set designer, costume designer, actor, narrator and spectator. In this paper we present a case study that investigates how the 3 dimensions of collaboration - communication, coordination and cooperation - are performed by groups of children during play Time2Play.
A fast passive phase shift keying modulator for inductively coupled implanted medical devices

This paper presents an integrated modulator for inductively coupled biomedical telemetry. The circuit implements passive phase shift keying (PPSK) modulation and is designed to work at 13.56 MHz with a single pair of coils for both data transmission and power delivery. The data link can reach data rates up to 1/16 of the carrier frequency, i.e., 847.5 kbps in this case. To our knowledge, it is the fastest data rate achieved by a single wireless link used simultaneously for power delivery and communication in implanted medical devices. The circuit was fabricated in a 0.6-μm CMOS technology, occupies a silicon area of 0.7 mm2 and dissipates about 2 mW from a 5 V power supply at full speed of operation.
Linking the scientific and clinical data with KI2NA-LHC — An outline

We introduce KI2NA-LHC (Linked Health Care) a system for data and knowledge integration in life sciences. In particular, we focus on linking clinical resources (electronic patient records) with scientific documents and data (research articles, biomedical ontologies and databases). Our motivation is two-fold. Firstly, we aim to instantly provide scientific context of particular patient cases for clinicians in order for them to propose treatments in a more informed way. Secondly, we want to build a technical infrastructure for researchers that will allow them to semi-automatically formulate and evaluate their hypothesis against longitudinal patient data. This paper outlines the proposed system and its services in a broader context of KI2NA, an ongoing collaboration between the DERI research institute and Fujitsu Laboratories.
Molecular Chlorine Generated by the Myeloperoxidase-Hydrogen Peroxide-Chloride System of Phagocytes Converts Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol into a Family of Chlorinated Sterols*

Oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) may be of critical importance in triggering the pathological events of atherosclerosis. Myeloperoxidase, a heme protein secreted by phagocytes, is a potent catalyst for LDL oxidation in vitro, and active enzyme is present in human atherosclerotic lesions. We have explored the possibility that reactive intermediates generated by myeloperoxidase target LDL cholesterol for oxidation. LDL exposed to the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-Cl− system at acidic pH yielded a family of chlorinated sterols. The products were identified by mass spectrometry as a novel dichlorinated sterol, cholesterol α-chlorohydrin (6β-chlorocholestane-(3β,5α)-diol), cholesterol β-chlorohydrin (5α-chlorocholestane-(3β,6β)-diol), and a structurally related cholesterol chlorohydrin. Oxidation of LDL cholesterol by myeloperoxidase required H2O2 and Cl−, suggesting that hypochlorous acid (HOCl) was an intermediate in the reaction. However, HOCl failed to generate chlorinated sterols under chloride-free conditions. Since HOCl is in equilibrium with molecular chlorine (Cl2) through a reaction which requires Cl− and H+, this raised the possibility that Cl2 was the actual chlorinating intermediate. Consonant with this hypothesis, HOCl oxidized LDL cholesterol in the presence of Cl− and at acidic pH. Moreover, in the absence of Cl− and at neutral pH, Cl2 generated the same family of chlorinated sterols as the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-Cl− system. Finally, direct addition of Cl2 to the double bond of cholesterol accounts for dichlorinated sterol formation by myeloperoxidase. Collectively, these results indicate that Cl2 derived from HOCl is the chlorinating intermediate in the oxidation of cholesterol by myeloperoxidase. Our observations suggest that Cl2 generation in acidic compartments may constitute one pathway for oxidation of LDL cholesterol in the artery wall.
Staff burnout and patient satisfaction with the quality of dialysis care.

BACKGROUND Although there has been increasing interest in assessing patient satisfaction with health care during the past year, relatively few studies investigated hemodialyzed patient satisfaction. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study of the relationship between burnout in nephrologists and nurses and patient satisfaction with their care. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS Nephrologists (n = 68), nurses (n = 334), and hemodialyzed patients (n = 695) from 10 dialysis centers across northern Italy. PREDICTOR Staff burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Three staff burnout subscales were developed by using factor analysis: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. OUTCOMES Patient satisfaction was assessed by means of a multichoice questionnaire that incorporated 4 patient satisfaction dimensions: (1) completeness of medical information, (2) emotional relationship with health care staff, (3) performance of dialysis center staff, and (4) organizational aspects of health care service. Each item was scored on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 4 (very satisfied). Spearman rank-order correlation was used to examine relationships between patient satisfaction and each of the 3 staff burnout subscales for each dialysis center. RESULTS Overall, burnout scores were lower than the Italian normative sample, with no significant differences between physicians and nurses. However, considering each dialysis center separately, in 2 centers, nurses registered higher emotional exhaustion levels compared with physicians, with statistically significant differences (P = 0.004 and P = 0.003, respectively). Analysis of patient overall satisfaction assessments showed general appreciation for the "courtesy" and "kindness" of staff, but evidence of problems regarding organizational aspects and structural factors. However, the most critical dimension was for "information. " There was a significant positive correlation between staff personal accomplishment and client satisfaction (P < 0.01) and a significant negative correlation between staff emotional exhaustion and patient satisfaction (P < 0.01). No significant correlation was found between staff depersonalization and patient satisfaction level. LIMITATIONS Factor analysis should be considered exploratory and confirmed in future use of the questionnaire. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that high levels of burnout in physicians and nurses are associated with poor patient satisfaction in dialysis units. Identifying and preventing staff burnout may increase patient satisfaction with health care.
Inhibition of norepinephrine uptake in patients with major depression treated with paroxetine.

OBJECTIVE The study examined whether paroxetine inhibits the human norepinephrine transporter in addition to the human serotonin (5-HT) transporter in patients with major depressive disorder. METHOD In an open-label, parallel-group, forced-titration study, 52 outpatients with DSM-IV major depressive disorder and a baseline Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale score > or =20 were randomly assigned to treatment with paroxetine (to 60 mg/day) or desipramine (to 30 mg/day) in a 3-to-1 ratio, respectively. Norepinephrine and 5-HT transporter function were assayed by using human transporter transfected cells in the presence of serum collected at baseline and the end of each treatment week. Data from 36 patients were analyzed. RESULTS Paroxetine decreased norepinephrine uptake to 73% of control (27% inhibition) at an average serum concentration of 100 ng/ml and 57% of control (43% inhibition) at 200 ng/ml. Uptake of 5-HT was decreased to less than 15% (greater than 85% inhibition) of control at these paroxetine concentrations. Desipramine decreased norepinephrine uptake to near maximal 15% of control (85% inhibition) at 100 ng/ml. Uptake of 5-HT was decreased to 82% of control (18% inhibition) at 100 ng/ml and 49% of control (51% inhibition) at 500 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS Paroxetine, currently classified as a selective 5-HT reuptake inhibitor, can act as a 5-HT/norepinephrine uptake inhibitor in vivo. The clinical significance of this action on norepinephrine uptake is currently unknown, but this action may contribute to the broad therapeutic efficacy of paroxetine in the treatment of depression, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.
Reducing intentions to resist future change: Combined effects of commitment‐based HR practices and ethical leadership

Change management, and particularly the human side of change, is a central tenet of the strategy of contemporary organizations. However, there is little evidence concerning how strategic HR practices influence how individuals anticipate and react to the implementation of a major change and how direct supervisors influence that process. With a sample of 191 employees from multiple organizations, who completed two surveys with a four-week lag, we examined the role of commitment-based HR practices on employees’ intentions to resist future change. We found that commitment-based HR practices contribute to a decrease in intentions to resist future change, measured four weeks later, via increased affective commitment to change. Moreover, we found that this relationship is conditional on ethical leadership, in that it is significant when ethical leadership is high but not when it is low. Building on social exchange and uncertainty reduction theories, our findings contribute to the literature by examining how and under what boundary conditions HR practices are an effective means for organizations to anticipate and manage change.
Towards Scientific Literacy: A Teachers' Guide to the History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science

This book is a guide for teachers, student teachers, teacher educators, science education researchers and curriculum developers who wish to get to grips with the vast and complex literature encompassing the history of science, philosophy of science and sociology of science (HPS). A number of books cover essentially the same ground, but what makes this book unique is that it is written from the perspective of science education. The author’s purpose is twofold. First, to identify, clarify and critique elements in the HPS literature that are of key importance in developing students’ scientific and technological literacy, as defined in the opening chapter of the book. Second, to enhance teachers’ capacity to build and present curricula that afford a much higher profile to HPS than has been traditional. The significance of the book can be judged from the prominence given to nature of science understanding in much recent international debate and writing in science education and in the plethora of influential reports on science and technology education published around the world that identify HPS knowledge and understanding as central components of 21st century science education.
Evidence of free and bound leptin in human circulation. Studies in lean and obese subjects and during short-term fasting.

Little is known about leptin's interaction with other circulating proteins which could be important for its biological effects. Sephadex G-100 gel filtration elution profiles of 125I-leptin-serum complex demonstrated 125I-leptin eluting in significant proportion associated with macromolecules. The 125I-leptin binding to circulating macromolecules was specific, reversible, and displaceable with unlabeled leptin (ED50: 0.73 +/- 0.09 nM, mean +/- SEM, n = 3). Several putative leptin binding proteins were detected by leptin-affinity chromatography of which either 80- or 100-kD proteins could be the soluble leptin receptor as approximately 10% of the bound 125I-leptin was immunoprecipitable with leptin receptor antibodies. Significantly higher (P < 0.001) proportions of total leptin circulate in the bound form in lean (46.5 +/- 6.6%) compared with obese (21.4 +/- 3.4%) subjects. In lean subjects with 21% or less body fat, 60-98% of the total leptin was in the bound form. Short-term fasting significantly decreased basal leptin levels in three lean (P < 0.0005) and three obese (P < 0.005) subjects while refeeding restored it to basal levels. The effects of fasting on free leptin levels were more pronounced in lean subjects (basal vs. 24-h fasting: 19.6 +/- 1.9 vs. 1.3 +/- 0.4 ng/ml) compared with those in obese subjects (28.3 +/- 9.8 vs. 14.7 +/- 5.3). No significant (P > 0.05) decrease was observed in bound leptin in either group. These studies suggest that in obese individuals the majority of leptin circulates in free form, presumably bioactive protein, and thus obese subjects are resistant to free leptin. In lean subjects with relatively low adipose tissue, the majority of circulating leptin is in the bound form and thus may not be available to brain receptors for its inhibitory effects on food intake both under normal and food deprivation states.
Laboratory-based surveillance of influenza virus in the United States during the winter of 1977-1978. I. Periods of prevalence of H1N1 and H3N2 influenza A strains, their relative rates of isolation in different age groups, and detection of antigenic variants.

Influenza A (H3N2) viruses were isolated from outbreaks and epidemics of disease during the period December 1977 to March 1978. For the last two months of this period, H1N1 strains of influenza A were also responsible for epidemics. In some regions (e.g., Hawaii) co-circulation of H1N1 AND H3N2 strains occurred, whereas in other regions (e.g., Wisconsin) isolation of H3N2 strains had almost ceased prior to isolation of H1N1 strains. Few influenza B isolates were reported. Analysis of the ages of patients from whom specimens were submitted for influenza virus isolation confirmed that, whereas H3N2 strains were isolated from persons of all ages, greater than 97 per cent of H1N1 isolates in six states analyzed were recovered from patients less than 26 years old, although specimens were tested from older persons who were ill during the period of prevalence of H1N1 influenza. The majority of H3N2 isolates tested by hemagglutinin-inhibition reaction were similar to A/Texas/1/77, and the majority of H1N1 isolates were similar to A/USSR/90/77. Antigenic analysis of isolates, however, identified a small number of variants of H3N2 and H1N1 strains.