Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global review of forest fires

Fires are a natural phenomenon. However, over 90% of all wildland fires today are due to human action causing significant forest loss between 6-14 million hectares of forest per annum. This leads to enormous economic losses, damage to environmental, recreational and amenity values, and loss of life. There is strong recognition that action is needed to catalyse a strategic international response to forest fires. This report by WWF and IUCN reviews the global situation following the 1997-98 fires and suggests recommendations for action.
Domain motions in actin.

Previous crystallographic investigations have shown that actin can undergo large conformational changes, even when complexed to the same actin binding protein. We have conducted a formal analysis of domain motions in actin, using the four available crystal structures, to classify the mechanism as either hinge or shear and to quantify the magnitude of these changes. We demonstrate that actin consists of two rigid cores, a semi-rigid domain and three conformationally variable extended loops. Confirming predictions about the nature of the domain rotation in actin based on its structural similarity to hexokinase, we show, using an algorithm previously used only to identify protein hinges, that residues at the interface between the two rigid cores undergo a shear between alternative conformations of actin. Rotations of less than 7 degrees in the torsion angles of five residues in the polypeptides that connect the rigid cores enable one actin conformation to be transformed into another. Because these torsion angle changes are small, the interface between the domains is maintained. In addition, we show that actin secondary structure elements, including those outside the rigid cores, are conformationally invariant among the four crystal structures, even when actin is complexed to different actin binding proteins. Finally, we demonstrate that the current F-actin models are inconsistent with the principles of actin conformational change identified here.
Primary Visual Cortex Activity along the Apparent-Motion Trace Reflects Illusory Perception

The illusion of apparent motion can be induced when visual stimuli are successively presented at different locations. It has been shown in previous studies that motion-sensitive regions in extrastriate cortex are relevant for the processing of apparent motion, but it is unclear whether primary visual cortex (V1) is also involved in the representation of the illusory motion path. We investigated, in human subjects, apparent-motion-related activity in patches of V1 representing locations along the path of illusory stimulus motion using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Here we show that apparent motion caused a blood-oxygenation-level-dependent response along the V1 representations of the apparent-motion path, including regions that were not directly activated by the apparent-motion-inducing stimuli. This response was unaltered when participants had to perform an attention-demanding task that diverted their attention away from the stimulus. With a bistable motion quartet, we confirmed that the activity was related to the conscious perception of movement. Our data suggest that V1 is part of the network that represents the illusory path of apparent motion. The activation in V1 can be explained either by lateral interactions within V1 or by feedback mechanisms from higher visual areas, especially the motion-sensitive human MT/V5 complex.
Mental health status after living donor hepatectomy

Abstract Donor safety and preservation of donor health after living liver donation are of paramount importance. In addition, the preoperative mental state of a donor is an important factor in determining the psychological impact of donor hepatectomy. Thus, we aimed to explore the mental health status of living liver donors after hepatectomy. We enrolled 60 donors who were scheduled to undergo living donor hepatectomy during the period January 2014 to March 2015 at a single medical center. Mental health status was measured before and 3 months after surgery using 3 self-report questionnaires, namely the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) to assess depressive symptoms, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire to measure quality of life, and the Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ) to screen for minor psychiatric disorders. A comparison of the pre- and postdonation CES-D scores revealed a significant reduction in depressive symptoms after surgery (P = .031). There were significant improvements in the physical health domain (P = .031), the psychological health domain (P = .005), the social relationships domain (P = .005), and the environmental health domain (P = .010) of the WHOQOL-BREF. There were no significant changes in CHQ scores after donor hepatectomy (P = .136). All donors reported that they would donate again if required. Approximately one-third (33.3%) of donors experienced more pain than they had anticipated in the immediate postoperative period, and 20.0% of donors had complications after donor hepatectomy. Donor mental health status tended to improve as donors regained physical function during the 1st 3 months of recovery. Long-term monitoring of living donors’ mental health is needed to minimize the adverse psychological outcomes of living liver donation.
Inhibiting activin‐A signaling stimulates bone formation and prevents cancer‐induced bone destruction in vivo

Cancers that grow in bone, such as myeloma and breast cancer metastases, cause devastating osteolytic bone destruction. These cancers hijack bone remodeling by stimulating osteoclastic bone resorption and suppressing bone formation. Currently, treatment is targeted primarily at blocking bone resorption, but this approach has achieved only limited success. Stimulating osteoblastic bone formation to promote repair is a novel alternative approach. We show that a soluble activin receptor type IIA fusion protein (ActRIIA.muFc) stimulates osteoblastogenesis (p < .01), promotes bone formation (p < .01) and increases bone mass in vivo (p < .001). We show that the development of osteolytic bone lesions in mice bearing murine myeloma cells is caused by both increased resorption (p < .05) and suppression of bone formation (p < .01). ActRIIA.muFc treatment stimulates osteoblastogenesis (p < .01), prevents myeloma‐induced suppression of bone formation (p < .05), blocks the development of osteolytic bone lesions (p < .05), and increases survival (p < .05). We also show, in a murine model of breast cancer bone metastasis, that ActRIIA.muFc again prevents bone destruction (p < .001) and inhibits bone metastases (p < .05). These findings show that stimulating osteoblastic bone formation with ActRIIA.muFc blocks the formation of osteolytic bone lesions and bone metastases in models of myeloma and breast cancer and paves the way for new approaches to treating this debilitating aspect of cancer. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Family planning and reproductive health in urban Nigeria: levels trends and differentials.

This report presents the findings from an analysis of the urban samples of the 1990 1999 2003 and 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). The report is part of the baseline information needed for the Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) which was designed to achieve a 20 percentage point increase in modern contraceptive prevalence rate in selected urban areas during its five-year period of implementation.
Relative Bioavailability of Lisdexamfetamine 70‐mg Capsules in Fasted and Fed Healthy Adult Volunteers and in Solution: A Single‐Dose, Crossover Pharmacokinetic Study

The relative bioavailability of oral lisdexamfetamine dimesylate, a prodrug of d‐amphetamine, and active d‐amphetamine was assessed in an open‐label, single‐dose, 3‐treatment, 3‐period, randomized, crossover study in 18 healthy adult volunteers. Following a fast of at least 10 hours, subjects were administered an intact capsule of 70 mg lisdexamfetamine, a solution containing the capsule contents, or an intact capsule with a high‐fat meal. Standard meals started 4 hours following lisdexamfetamine administration. Blood samples were taken predose (0 hours) and 0.5 to 72 hours postdose, and the concentrations of d‐amphetamine and lisdexamfetamine were measured. AUC and Cmax for d‐amphetamine were similar when lisdexamfetamine 70 mg was administered to healthy adults in the fed or fasted state. The AUC of intact lisdexamfetamine was similar when the latter was taken without food or in solution, but Cmax was lower when lisdexamfetamine was administered with food. The tmax of d‐amphetamine and intact lisdexamfetamine was similar when taken in solution or in the fasted state but was about 1 hour longer when taken with food. Adverse events were typical for amphetamine products. These findings indicate that food does not have a significant effect on d‐amphetamine or lisdexamfetamine bioavailability in healthy adults and that lisdexamfetamine was well tolerated.
PHYLOGENY OF THE ASCARIDOIDEA (NEMATODA: ASCARIDIDA) BASED ON THREE GENES AND MORPHOLOGY: HYPOTHESES OF STRUCTURAL AND SEQUENCE EVOLUTION

Ascaridoid nematodes parasitize the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrate definitive hosts and are represented by more than 50 described genera. We used 582 nucleotides (83% of the coding sequence) of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase subunit 2, in combination with published small- and large-subunit nuclear rDNA sequences (2,557 characters) and morphological data (20 characters), to produce a phylogenetic hypothesis for representatives of this superfamily. This combined evidence phylogeny strongly supported clades that, with 1 exception, were consistent with Fagerholm's 1991 classification. Parsimony mapping of character states on the combined evidence tree was used to develop hypotheses for the evolution of morphological, life history, and amino acid characters. This analysis of character evolution revealed that certain key features that have been used by previous workers for developing taxonomic and evolutionary hypotheses represent plesiomorphic states. Cytochrome oxidase subunit 2 nucleotides show a strong compositional bias to A+T and a substitution bias to thymine. These biases are most apparent at third positions of codons and 4-fold degenerate sites, which is consistent with the nonrandom substitution pattern of A+T pressure. Despite nucleotide bias, cytochrome oxidase amino acid sequences show conservation and retention of critical functional residues, as inferred from comparisons to other organisms.
My approach to oncocytic tumours of the thyroid

The traditional approach to oncocytic thyroid lesions classified these as a separate entity, and applied criteria that are somewhat similar to those used for follicular lesions of the thyroid. In general, the guidelines to distinguish hyperplasia from neoplasia, and benign from malignant were crude and unsubstantiated by scientific evidence. In fact, there is no basis to separate oncocytic lesions from other classifications of thyroid pathology. The factors that result in mitochondrial accumulation are largely unrelated to the genetic events that result in proliferation and neoplastic transformation of thyroid follicular epithelial cells. The concept of classifying oncocytic lesions, including follicular variant papillary carcinomas, based on nuclear morphology, immunohistochemical profiles, and molecular markers may pave the way for a better understanding of the biology of oncocytic lesions of the thyroid.
Sensitivity of selected chemical and biological soil quality parameters to tillage and rotational cover cropping at the Zanyokwe Irrigation Scheme, South Africa

Sustainable management of soils requires knowledge of the impact of agronomic practices such as tillage and crop rotation on soil quality. The objective of this study was to identify soil chemical and biological soil attributes with high sensitivity to tillage and rotational cover cropping practices on two sandy clay loam soils, a Bonheim at Burnshill and a Shortlands at Lenye, in the Zanyokwe Irrigation Scheme, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Treatments were no tillage, conventional tillage and three crop rotations involving maize–fallow–maize, maize–wheat–maize and maize–oat–maize. Principal component analysis was used to isolate the soil chemical and biological parameters that were most altered by tillage and crop rotations, while hierarchical cluster analysis was used to discriminate the crop rotation effects. Results showed that soil microbial biomass nitrogen, mineralisable nitrogen, and extractable phosphorus were the properties most altered by tillage and crop rotations. The soil properties that were most sensitive to tillage and crop rotations were those most influenced by organic matter inputs. The maize–wheat–maize and maize–oat– maize rotations were clustered together, indicating the similarity of their positive impact on soil quality.
Three Different Polygalacturonases Are Expressed in Tomato Leaf and Flower Abscission, Each with a Different Temporal Expression Pattern

Abscission, or organ separation, is accompanied by a marked increase in hydrolases, which are responsible for the degradation of the middle lamella and the loosening of the primary cell wall surrounding cells in the separation layer. We recently reported on the cloning of a tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) polygalacturonase (PG) cDNA, TAPG1, expressed during leaf and flower abscission. In addition to TAPG1, we have cloned two more PG cDNAs (TAPG2 and TAPG4) that are also expressed during leaf and flower abscission. The peptide sequences for the three abscission PGs are relatively similar (76–93% identity) yet different from the those of tomato fruit PG (38-–41% identity). None of the three abscission PG mRNAs are expressed in fruit, stems, petioles, or anthers of fully open flowers. An RNase protection assay revealed that all three PGs are expressed in leaf and flower abscission zones and in pistils of fully open flowers. TAPG4 mRNA is detected much earlier than TAPG1 and TAPG2 mRNA during both leaf and flower abscission.
A stoichiometric model of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans ATCC 23270 for metabolic flux analysis

A stoichiometric model of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans based on the sequenced genome from strain ATCC 23270 is derived and parameterized using genome/pathway databases. The model describes the main aspects of catabolism and anabolism. By the construction and utilization of the mathematical determination of the network, metabolic flux analysis is performed for such a bacterium for the first time and results are successfully verified by comparison to literature values. This first metabolic model of A. ferrooxidans is able to simulate the main aspects of metabolism and will be useful for further investigation and improvement of bioleaching procedures. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1448–1459. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Regional Myocardial Blood Flow during Graded Treadmill Exercise following Circumflex Coronary Artery Occlusion in the Dog

We evaluated the functional capacity of the intercoronary collateral vasculature in response to graded exercise 2 weeks after acute circumflex coronary artery occlusion. Acute myocardial infarction was produced in 11 chronically instrumented awake dogs by abrupt occlusion of the left circumflex coronary artery. Two weeks later regional myocardial blood flow was measured at rest and during three levels of graded treadmill exercise by injection of radionuclide-labeled microspheres, 7-10 jim in diameter, into the left atrium. The region of collateral-dependent myocardium was determined by injection of Evans blue dye into the coronary artery distal to the occluder, and the extent of infarction by histological examination. At rest, blood flow to collateral-dependent regions was directly proportional to the amount of viable myocardium present. In regions containing <25% infarcted myocardium, blood flow increased progressively with exercise as in normally perfused control areas from the anterior left ventricular wall. In regions containing >75% infarcted myocardium, blood flow did not increase significantly during exercise, and in over one-half flow, during exercise, actually fell below the resting level. In areas containing 26-75% infarcted myocardium, blood flow demonstrated an intermediate ability to increase in response to exercise. Thus, the capacity of the coronary collateral circulation to deliver blood to its dependent myocardium was compromised progressively in proportion to the degree of infarcted myocardium. Collateral-dependent areas containing relatively small propor-tions of infarcted myocardium had normal blood flow response to exercise, whereas regions containing extensive infarction had little or no functional reserve so that increasing hypoperfusion commonly occurred during exercise. Circ Res 47: 59-68, 1980
Hemorheological parameters in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome.

AIM To evaluate hemorheological parameters in patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) in order to elucidate the etiology of the disease. METHODS Twenty-three adult FMS patients and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Diabetics, hypertensives and those with any rheumatological disorder or use drugs or smoking cigarette were excluded from the study. Following parameters were analyzed in each subject; erythrocyte deformability, erythrocyte aggregation, plasma viscosity, complete blood count, fasting blood glucose, fibrinogen, albumin, globulin and lipid profile. RESULTS Erythrocyte elongation indices indicating deformability of erythrocytes were higher in FMS patients (0.564±0.002 at 16.87 mPa and 0.605±0.002 at 30 mPa shear rate) than controls (0.558±0.001 at 16.87 mPa and 0.600±0.003 at 30 mPa shear rate). Erythrocyte aggregation speed was higher in FMS patients (2.1±0.1 s) than controls (2.3±0.2 s). Erythrocyte aggregation index was also higher in FMS patients (65.5±1.3) than controls (62.9±1.5). Erythrocyte aggregation amplitude and plasma viscosity values were similar in both groups (both p > 0.05). Among the complete blood count and biochemical parameters, only albumin levels were lower in the FM patients than controls (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Our results indicate higher erythrocyte deformability and quicker erythrocyte aggregation in FM patients.
Beat that Word: How Listeners Integrate Beat Gesture and Focus in Multimodal Speech Discourse

Communication is facilitated when listeners allocate their attention to important information (focus) in the message, a process called “information structure. ” Linguistic cues like the preceding context and pitch accent help listeners to identify focused information. In multimodal communication, relevant information can be emphasized by nonverbal cues like beat gestures, which represent rhythmic nonmeaningful hand movements. Recent studies have found that linguistic and nonverbal attention cues are integrated independently in single sentences. However, it is possible that these two cues interact when information is embedded in context, because context allows listeners to predict what information is important. In an ERP study, we tested this hypothesis and asked listeners to view videos capturing a dialogue. In the critical sentence, focused and nonfocused words were accompanied by beat gestures, grooming hand movements, or no gestures. ERP results showed that focused words are processed more attentively than nonfocused words as reflected in an N1 and P300 component. Hand movements also captured attention and elicited a P300 component. Importantly, beat gesture and focus interacted in a late time window of 600–900 msec relative to target word onset, giving rise to a late positivity when nonfocused words were accompanied by beat gestures. Our results show that listeners integrate beat gesture with the focus of the message and that integration costs arise when beat gesture falls on nonfocused information. This suggests that beat gestures fulfill a unique focusing function in multimodal discourse processing and that they have to be integrated with the information structure of the message.
The prevention of fragility fractures in patients with non-metastatic prostate cancer: a position statement by the international osteoporosis foundation

Androgen deprivation therapy is commonly employed for the treatment of non-metastatic prostate cancer as primary or adjuvant treatment. The skeleton is greatly compromised in men with prostate cancer during androgen deprivation therapy because of the lack of androgens and estrogens, which are trophic factors for bone. Men receiving androgen deprivation therapy sustain variable degrees of bone loss with an increased risk of fragility fractures. Several bone antiresorptive agents have been tested in randomized controlled trials in these patients. Oral bisphosphonates, such as alendronate and risedronate, and intravenous bisphosphonates, such as pamidronate and zoledronic acid, have been shown to increase bone density and decrease the risk of fractures in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy. Denosumab, a fully monoclonal antibody that inhibits osteoclastic-mediated bone resorption, is also effective in increasing bone mineral density and reducing fracture rates in these patients. The assessment of fracture risk, T-score and/or the evaluation of prevalent fragility fractures are mandatory for the selection of patients who will benefit from antiresorptive therapy. In the future, new agents modulating bone turnover and skeletal muscle metabolism will be available for testing in these subjects.
THE EFFECT OF INSULIN, ALLOXAN DIABETES, AND ANOXIA ON THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE RAT HEART

Hearts from normal and alloxan diabetic rats were perfused in vitro with a bicarbonate-buffered medium containing glucose. Transport of glucose through the cell membrane was stimulated with insulin or by induction of anaerobiosis. The organs were rapidly fixed and examined by electron microscopy. Transport stimulation was not associated with any increase in the number of sarcolemmal invaginations or subsarcolemmal cytoplasmic vesicles. It was concluded that glucose transport and the effects of insulin or anoxia do not involve pinocytosis. The relationship of pinocytosis to glucose transport is discussed. The appearance of numerous lipid inclusions at the Z line level of the sarcomeres in the diabetic and anoxic myocardia is described.
Testing the ‘free radical theory of aging’ hypothesis: physiological differences in long‐lived and short‐lived colubrid snakes

We test the ‘free radical theory of aging’ using six species of colubrid snakes (numerous, widely distributed, non‐venomous snakes of the family Colubridae) that exhibit long (> 15 years) or short (< 10 years) lifespans. Because the ‘rate of living theory’ predicts metabolic rates to be correlated with rates of aging and oxidative damage results from normal metabolic processes we sought to answer whether physiological parameters and locomotor performance (which is a good predictor of survival in juvenile snakes) mirrored the evolution of lifespans in these colubrid snakes. We measured whole animal metabolic rate (oxygen consumption ), locomotor performance, cellular metabolic rate (mitochondrial oxygen consumption), and oxidative stress potential (hydrogen peroxide production by mitochondria). Longer‐lived colubrid snakes have greater locomotor performance and reduced hydrogen peroxide production than short‐lived species, while whole animal metabolic rates and mitochondrial efficiency did not differ with lifespan. We present the first measures testing the ‘free radical theory of aging’ using reptilian species as model organisms. Using reptiles with different lifespans as model organisms should provide greater insight into mechanisms of aging.