Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fungal Community Shifts in Structure and Function across a Boreal Forest Fire Chronosequence

ABSTRACT Forest fires are a common natural disturbance in forested ecosystems and have a large impact on the microbial communities in forest soils. The response of soil fungal communities to forest fire is poorly documented. Here, we investigated fungal community structure and function across a 152-year boreal forest fire chronosequence using high-throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region and a functional gene array (GeoChip). Our results demonstrate that the boreal forest soil fungal community was most diverse soon after a fire disturbance and declined over time. The differences in the fungal communities were explained by changes in the abundance of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi contributed to the increase in basidiomycete abundance over time, with the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing the genera Cortinarius and Piloderma dominating in abundance. Hierarchical cluster analysis by using gene signal intensity revealed that the sites with different fire histories formed separate clusters, suggesting differences in the potential to maintain essential biogeochemical soil processes. The site with the greatest biological diversity had also the most diverse genes. The genes involved in organic matter degradation in the mature forest, in which ECM fungi were the most abundant, were as common in the youngest site, in which saprotrophic fungi had a relatively higher abundance. This study provides insight into the impact of fire disturbance on soil fungal community dynamics.
Rectal Temperature Reflects Tympanic Temperature During Mild Induced Hypothermia in Nonintubated Subjects

Introduction: Mild induced hypothermia holds promise as an effective neuroprotective strategy following acute stroke and cardiac arrest. Dependable noninvasive measurements of brain temperature are imperative for the investigation and clinical application of therapeutic hypothermia. Although the tympanic membrane temperature correlates best with brain temperature, it is a cumbersome location to record from continuously in the clinical setting. Data are lacking regarding the relationship between rectal and tympanic temperatures in nonintubated humans undergoing induced hypothermia via surface cooling. Methods: We induced mild hypothermia in healthy volunteers using a novel surface cooling method (Arctic Sun Temperature Management System, Medivance, Inc., Louisville, CO). Core temperatures were recorded at the tympanic membrane (Ttym) and rectum (Trec). The gradient was defined as (Ttym − Trec). Controlled hypothermia was maintained for up to 300 minutes with a target Ttym of 34°C to 35°C; subjects were then actively rewarmed to a target Ttym of 36°C over 1.5 to 3 hours. Results: Twenty-two volunteers (10 males and 12 females) 31 ± 8 years of age were studied. Subjects showed a triphasic temperature response: induction, maintenance, and rewarming. The mean gradient at baseline was −0.1 ± 0.3°C and the maximum gradient increased to −0.6 ± 0.4°C at 105 minutes. During maintenance of hypothermia (from 150 to 300 minutes), the mean gradient was −0.3 ± 0.5°C (95% confidence limits, −1.2°C to 0.6°C). Conclusions: Our data suggest that Ttym and Trec are not related during the induction of hypothermia via surface cooling but correlate during the maintenance phase, with a −0.3°C gradient. These findings support the use of rectal temperature as a measure of tympanic and, therefore, brain temperature during maintenance of induced hypothermia in nonintubated humans.
Long‐Term Outcome of Leads and Patients Following Robotic Epicardial Left Ventricular Lead Placement for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

Introduction: In cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), positive clinical response and reverse remodeling have been reported using robotically assisted left ventricular (LV) epicardial lead placement. However, the long‐term performance of epicardial leads and long‐term outcome of patients who undergo CRT via robotic assistance are unknown. In addition, since the LV lead placement is more invasive than a transvenous procedure, it is important to identify patients at higher risk of complications.
Mouse oocyte maturation is affected by lithium via the polyphosphoinositide metabolism and the microtubule network

The incubation of mechanically denuded mouse oocytes in medium containing LiCl delayed both germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and polar body extrusion in a dose‐dependent and reversible manner. When myo‐inositol alone was added to the culture medium, we observed that it accelerated GVBD and increased the rate of polar body extrusion, whereas, when combined with LiCl, the normal timing of GVBD was recovered. In the same way, when inositol trisphosphate (InsP3) was microinjected into the ooplasma, we observed an important improvement of the rate of GVBD, as compared to control oocytes, and prevention of lithium inhibition. However, neither myo‐inositol nor InsP3 were able to rescue totally the oocytes from the negative effect of lithium on polar body extrusion. Moreover, lithium induced some important changes in microtubule and chromosome organizations. Before extrusion of the first polar body, the reduction of the spindle size or the appearance of short individualized chromosomes dispersed around a large aster of microtubules were often observed, whereas, after polar body extrusion, the spindle appeared smaller and chromosomes were often trapped in the midbody. Thus lithium affects mouse oocyte maturation at two different levels: GVBD and polar body extrusion. Whereas the former seems to be affected via polyphosphoinositide turnover, the latter is InsP3‐independent and seems to be influenced negatively via underdevelopment of microtubular structures. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of fat emulsion (Fabuless) on orocecal transit time in healthy men

Background. Given the growing prevalence of overweight and related health consequences, there is increased interest in the search for novel dietary strategies for weight control. A food ingredient, an emulsion based on palm and oat oil (Fabuless, previously known as Olibra), has been associated with short-term reductions of food intake, induction of satiety, alternation in the satiety hormones, as well as long-term effects on weight control. The mechanism by which it can exert these effects is so far unclear, though it has been suggested that the “ileal break” may play a role in increasing gastrointestinal transit time. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of this stable fat emulsion on orocecal transit time in healthy men. Material and methods. In a controlled, double-blind, cross-over-designed study, 15 healthy men (aged 20–59 years, body mass index (BMI) 22–28), randomly allocated to two treatments, consumed the stable fat emulsion or a milk fat in yoghurt during two days of investigation, with an interval of 1 week. Orocecal transit time was determined by following blood sulfapyridine levels, which is a metabolite of salazopyrine in the colon. Results. A statistically significant delay in the appearance of sulfapyridine in serum was obtained after active treatment versus control treatment, corresponding to a 45-min longer orocecal transit time due to fat emulsion consumption. Conclusions. This study provides the first evidence to suggest that this stable fat emulsion may affect the ileal brake mechanism by slowing down the gastrointestinal transit time, which might explain the weight control and appetite suppression previously observed in association with this emulsion.
Systolic [Ca2+]i regulates diastolic levels in rat ventricular myocytes

For the heart to function as a pump, intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) must increase during systole to activate contraction and then fall, during diastole, to allow the myofilaments to relax and the heart to refill with blood. The present study investigates the control of diastolic [Ca2+]i in rat ventricular myocytes. We show that diastolic [Ca2+]i is increased by manoeuvres that decrease sarcoplasmic reticulum function. This is accompanied by a decrease of systolic [Ca2+]i such that the time‐averaged [Ca2+]i remains constant. We report that diastolic [Ca2+]i is controlled by the balance between Ca2+ entry and Ca2+ efflux during systole. The results of the present study identify a novel mechanism by which changes of the amplitude of the systolic Ca transient control diastolic [Ca2+]i.
Ultralow Capacitance Transient Voltage Suppressor Design

A novel transient voltage suppressor (TVS) that features ultralow capacitance is proposed. This structure is able to reduce the input capacitance by 21.1%, and is designed to protect against electrostatic discharge (ESD) issues for highspeed ports. The device is also able to withstand IEC 61000-4-2 contact testing at ±14 kV and transmission line pulse (TLP) testing at 20 A. The device is fabricated using a typical planar Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process. By slotting the doping well to decrease the concentration of diodes, a TVS with an ultralow Cj is obtained without the need to add to the process procedures or without damaging the ESD capability.
Patient perceptions of glucocorticoid side effects: a cross-sectional survey of users in an online health community

Objectives To identify the side effects most important to glucocorticoid (GC) users through a survey of a UK online health community (Healthunlocked.com). Design Online cross-sectional survey. Setting Participants were recruited through Healthunlocked.com, an online social network for health. Participants Adults who were currently taking GCs, or had taken GCs in the past month. Method Responders scored the importance of listed side effects from 1 to 10, with 10 being of high importance to them. For each side effect, histograms were plotted, and the median rating and IQR were determined. Side effects were ranked by median ranking (largest to smallest) and then IQR (smallest to largest). The scores were categorised as low (scores 1–3), medium (scores 4–7) and high (scores 8–10) importance. Results 604 responders completed the survey. Histograms of side effect scores showed a skew towards high importance for weight gain, a U-shaped distribution for cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, eye disease and infections, and a skew towards low importance for acne. When ranked, the side effect of most importance to responders was weight gain (median score=9, IQR 6–10) followed by insomnia and moon face with equal median score (8) and IQR (5–10). Three serious side effects, CVD, diabetes and infections, were ranked of lower importance overall but had wide ranging scores (median score=8, IQR 1–10). Conclusions The three most highly rated side effects were not clinically serious but remained important to patients, perhaps reflecting their impact on quality of life and high prevalence. This should be taken into consideration when discussing treatment options and planning future GC safety studies.
“You teach!” beginning teachers’ challenges to teacher educators

Abstract This research describes three beginning teachers and the development of their literacy instruction. Research questions addressed included a) what characterized their instruction throughout their beginning years of teaching and b) were they using the content from their literacy methods coursework? Additionally, as their former teacher for literacy methods courses, I wanted to reflect on and improve my own instruction in these methods courses. The three teachers’ approach to instruction developed in similar patterns. First, they all relied on mandated and suggested curricula and neglected integration of ideas not listed in the curricula. Second, they each went through periods of abandoning the curricula in favor of creating their own plans. Third, they all asked me to teach for them, while they watched. This development was not linear; rather, their development occurred in a recursive pattern. Implications are described for teacher educators regarding how we might better facilitate beginning teachers’ learning.
Octreotide in insulinoma patients: efficacy on hypoglycemia, relationships with Octreoscan scintigraphy and immunostaining with anti-sst2A and anti-sst5 antibodies.

OBJECTIVE We studied the efficacy of octreotide treatment on hypoglycaemia in patients with insulinoma and its relationships with Octreoscan scintigraphy and the presence of tumoral somatostatin receptors sst2A and sst5. DESIGN AND METHODS 17 patients with insulinoma were evaluated using (i) evaluation of blood glucose, insulin and C-peptide during a short 100 mug octreotide test in fasting patients and/or treatment over 8 days-8 months with octreotide, (ii) Octreoscan scintigraphy and (iii) immunostaining of the tumor with anti-sst2A and anti-sst5. RESULTS Octreotide was effective on hypoglycaemia in 10/17 patients. Octreoscan scintigraphy detected 4/17 insulinomas. sst2A receptor was detected in 7/17 insulinomas and sst5 in 15/17 insulinomas. Octreotide was effective on hypoglycaemia in those seven patients with sst2A receptor-expressing insulinoma, and in three patients with undetectable sst2A receptor and detectable sst5; it was ineffective in six patients whose tumor expressed the sst5 receptor with undetectable sst2A and in one patient with undetectable sst2A and sst5 receptor. CONCLUSIONS Octreotide is an effective treatment of hypoglycaemia in more than 50% of patients with insulinoma. Detection of responsive patients was better based on a positive short test with subcutaneous octreotide than on the results of Octreoscan scintigraphy. Positive anti-sst2 receptor immunostaining is associated with efficacy of octreotide treatment, but does not account for all cases of responsiveness to octreotide. Expression of sst5 receptor does not appear to explain per se the efficacy of octreotide on sst2A-negative insulinomas.
Antenatal smoking and substance‐misuse, infant and newborn response to hypoxia

To determine at the peak age for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) the ventilatory response to hypoxia of infants whose mothers substance misused in pregnancy (SM infants), or smoked during pregnancy (S mothers) and controls whose mothers neither substance misused or smoked. In addition, we compared the ventilatory response to hypoxia during the neonatal period and peak age of SIDS.
Natural killer cells are required for accelerated type 1 diabetes driven by interferon‐β

The destruction of β cells by the islet infiltrating lymphocytes causes type 1 diabetes. Transgenic mice models expressing interferon (IFN)‐β in β cells, in the non‐obese diabetic (NOD) strain and in a diabetes‐free, major histocompatibility complex‐matched, homologous strain, the non‐obese resistant (NOR) mice, developed accelerated type 1 diabetes after 3 weeks of age. Our aim was to determine if natural killer (NK) cells could affect the acceleration of the disease. We determined the amount of NK cells in the pancreas, spleen and lymph nodes from NOD rat insulin promoter (RIP)‐IFN‐β mice. Pancreatic cytokines were assessed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and protein arrays. To confirm the relevance of NK cells in the acceleration of autoimmune diabetes this subset was depleted with anti‐asialo GM1 antibodies. An increase of intrapancreatic NK cells characterized the accelerated onset of diabetes both in NOD and NOR RIP‐IFN‐β transgenic models. Cytokines involved in NK function and migration were found to be hyperexpressed in the pancreas from accelerated diabetic mice. Interestingly, the depletion of NK cells in vivo abolished completely the acceleration of diabetes. NK cells connect innate to adaptive immunity and might play a role in autoimmunity. We report here that NK cells are required critically in the pancreas for accelerated diabetes. This model links inflammation to acceleration of β cell‐specific autoimmunity mediated by NK cells.
Long‐term establishment, characterization and manipulation of cell lines from mouse basal cell carcinoma tumors

Abstract: There have been few reports of successful long‐term culture of cells established from cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (BCC) tumors. Here, we describe techniques that have enabled us to establish three long‐term cultures of BCC cells isolated from BCC tumors that arose in irradiated Patched 1 (Ptch1)+/− mice. All three cell lines showed cellular morphology similar to that of BCC tumors and could be propagated for at least 20 passages. In addition, similar to BCC tumors, all cell lines had lost the wildtype Ptch1 allele, expressed BCC molecular markers, and responded similarly to cyclopamine, a small molecule inhibitor of Hedgehog signaling. Finally, we describe an efficient electroporation technique for DNA transfection into the BCC cell lines and show that they have activated Hedgehog signaling activity, albeit at a level lower than that of murine BCCs in vivo. These data indicate that the cell lines are bona fide long‐term cultures of BCC cells and that DNA plasmids can be introduced into the BCC cell lines with relatively high transfection efficiency using a modified electroporation technique.
Variegated yet non-random rod and cone photoreceptor disease patterns in RPGR-ORF15-associated retinal degeneration.

Mutations in the ORF15 exon of the RPGR gene cause a common form of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, which often results in severe loss of vision. In dogs and mice, gene augmentation therapy has been shown to arrest the progressive degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptors. However, the distribution of potentially treatable photoreceptors across the human retinas and the rate of degeneration are not known. Here, we have defined structural and functional features of the disease in 70 individuals with ORF15 mutations. We also correlated the features observed in patients with those of three Rpgr-mutant (Rpgr-ko, Rd9, and Rpgr-cko) mice. In patients, there was pronounced macular disease. Across the retina, rod and cone dysfunction showed a range of patterns and a spectrum of severity between individuals, but a high symmetry was observed between eyes of each individual. Genotype was not related to disease expression. In the Rpgr-ko mice, there were intraretinal differences in rhodopsin and cone opsin trafficking. In Rd9 and Rpgr-cko mice, retinal degeneration showed interocular symmetry. Longitudinal results in patients revealed localized rod and cone dysfunction with progression rates of 1.3 to 2.5 log per decade in sensitivity loss. Relatively retained rod and cone photoreceptors in midand far-peripheral temporal-inferior and nasal-inferior visual field regions should be good targets for future localized gene therapies in patients. † J.C. and A.V. C. contributed equally to this study. Received: August 5, 2016. Revised: October 16, 2016. Accepted: October 18, 2016 VC The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com 5444 Human Molecular Genetics, 2016, Vol. 25, No. 24 5444–5459 doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddw361 Advance Access Publication Date: 25 October 2016
The cytoarchitecture of the dorsal cochlear nucleus in the 3‐month‐ and 26‐month‐old C57BL/6 mouse: A golgi impregnation study

The cytoarchitecture of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) was compared in 3‐ and 26‐month‐old C57BL/6 mice. The effects of genetically controlled progressive hearing loss present in the CNS in this mouse strain were analyzed with Nissl‐stained and Golgi‐impregnated material. The DCN was divided into the superficial molecular, an intermediate fusiform‐granule, and the deep polymorphic layers. The molecular layer (ML) consisted of many fibers and a few small ovoid to spherical, fusiform, and granule cells. The fusiform‐granule layer (FL) contained large fusiform and many granule cells. Most FL fusiform cells were oriented with their long axes perpendicular to the DCN surface and were present as small aggregations or individually. Cartwheel cells were adjacent to the FL fusiform cells. The deep polymorphic layer (PL) contained spherical, fusiform, granule, and multipolar neurons. The granule cells formed a dorsal cap of the DCN. From this cap, sheets of granule cells separated the DCN from the posterior ventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN) and from the brainstem.
Actualizing children’s participation in the development of outdoor play areas at an early childhood institution

This study examined how children’s participation can be actualized, and their perspectives respected, through an action research project that engaged them in the development of an outdoor play area in a child care center in South Korea. An educator devised a broad plan and invited children to participate and take the initiative in leading the project. Young children were capable of expressing their points of view and could contribute directly to issues that mattered to them if they worked in accordance with “child-centered” methods and were appropriately supported by adults. Communication with children was also identified as an important means of clarifying their true perspectives, also allowed for the formation of shared meanings. The children perceived themselves as confident learners, developed the ability to communicate and negotiate with other children and adults, showed initiative and enthusiasm, and acquired democratic attitudes and skills. The educator also changed her perspectives and attitudes toward children’s rights and capacities as well as toward outdoor play and learning and maintained these changes in her pedagogy and management of the classroom. An inclusive context and sustainable implementation of child participation are recommended for the purpose of realizing children’s rights and transforming education and child care practices.
A longitudinal study of substance use and violent victimization in adulthood among a cohort of urban African Americans.

AIMS This paper examines the effects of experiencing violent victimization in young adulthood on pathways of substance use from adolescence to mid-adulthood. DESIGN Data come from four assessments of an African American community cohort followed longitudinally from age 6 to 42 years. SETTING The cohort lived in the urban, disadvantaged Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago in 1966. PARTICIPANTS All first graders from the public and parochial schools were asked to participate (n = 1242). MEASUREMENT Dependent variables-alcohol, marijuana and cocaine use-came from self-reports at age 42. Young adult violent victimization was reported at age 32, as were acts of violence, substance use, social integration and socio-economic resources. First grade risk factors came from mothers' and teachers' reports; adolescent substance use was self-reported. FINDINGS Structural equation models indicate a pathway from adolescent substance use to young adult violent victimization for females and those who did not grow up in extreme poverty (betas ranging from 0.15 to 0.20, P < 0.05). In turn, experiencing violent victimization in young adulthood increased alcohol, marijuana and cocaine use, yet results varied by gender and early poverty status (betas ranging from 0.12 to 0.15, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Violent victimization appears to play an important role in perpetuating substance use among the African American population. However, within-group variations are evident, identifying those who are not raised in extreme poverty as the most negatively affected by violence.