Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Testing the Generality of Patch and Landscape-Level Predictors of Tree Squirrel Occurrence at a Regional Scale

Abstract Few investigators have considered whether predictors of species occurrence from 1 locality are useful predictors in others, or how regional factors may constrain occurrence. We used landowner questionnaires over 6 regions in Indiana to test the performance of predictors from prior studies of more limited spatial extent. Logistic regression and classification tree models were constructed using data on 577 forest patches supplied by 362 landowners. Consistent with predictions, probability of occurrence of eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) was related positively to forest patch size and percent of forest in the surrounding landscape. Also, probability of occurrence of North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) was related positively to the presence of black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) and conifers in forest patches, and negatively to the presence of gray squirrels. Occurrence rates of S. carolinensis increased from north to south, whereas occurrence rates of T. hudsonicus increased from south to north and from west to east. Based on landowner perceptions, abundance of T. hudsonicus was more likely to increase in north and central regions, and to decline in patches with walnuts and at sites with longer periods of observation by landowners. Although less detailed than studies restricted to a particular locality, questionnaire data permit ecologists to test the generality of local findings and to further formulate and refine hypotheses about processes underlying large-scale patterns.
A multi-instrument non-parametric reconstruction of the electron pressure profile in the galaxy cluster CLJ1226.9+3332

Context. In the past decade, sensitive, resolved Sunyaev-Zel’dovich (SZ) studies of galaxy clusters have become common. Whereas many previous SZ studies have parameterized the pressure profiles of galaxy clusters, non-parametric reconstructions will provide insights into the thermodynamic state of the intracluster medium.Aim. We seek to recover the non-parametric pressure profiles of the high redshift (z = 0.89) galaxy cluster CLJ 1226.9+3332 as inferred from SZ data from the MUSTANG, NIKA, Bolocam, and Planck instruments, which all probe different angular scales.Methods. Our non-parametric algorithm makes use of logarithmic interpolation, which under the assumption of ellipsoidal symmetry is analytically integrable. For MUSTANG, NIKA, and Bolocam we derive a non-parametric pressure profile independently and find good agreement among the instruments. In particular, we find that the non-parametric profiles are consistent with a fitted generalized Navaro-Frenk-White (gNFW) profile. Given the ability of Planck to constrain the total signal, we include a prior on the integrated Compton Y parameter as determined by Planck.Results. For a given instrument, constraints on the pressure profile diminish rapidly beyond the field of view. The overlap in spatial scales probed by these four datasets is therefore critical in checking for consistency between instruments. By using multiple instruments, our analysis of CLJ 1226.9+3332 covers a large radial range, from the central regions to the cluster outskirts: 0.05 R500 < r < 1.1 R500. This is a wider range of spatial scales than is typically recovered by SZ instruments. Similar analyses will be possible with the new generation of SZ instruments such as NIKA2 and MUSTANG2.Key words: galaxies: clusters: individual: CLJ 1226.9+3332
Prediction models of health-related quality of life in different neck pain conditions: a cross-sectional study

Purpose The main aim of the study was to predict the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) based on physical, functional, and psychological measures in patients with different types of neck pain (NP). Materials and methods This cross-sectional study included 202 patients from a primary health center and the physiotherapy outpatient department of a hospital. Patients were divided into four groups according to their NP characteristics: chronic (CNP), acute whiplash (WHIP), chronic NP associated with temporomandibular dysfunction (NP-TMD), or chronic NP associated with chronic primary headache (NP-PH). The following measures were performed: Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12), Neck Disability Index (NDI), visual analog scale (VAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BECK), and cervical range of movement (CROM). Results The regression models based on the SF-12 total HRQoL for CNP and NP-TMD groups showed that only NDI was a significant predictor of the worst HRQoL (48.9% and 48.4% of the variance, respectively). In the WHIP group, the regression model showed that BECK was the only significant predictor variable for the worst HRQoL (31.7% of the variance). Finally, in the NP-PH group, the regression showed that the BECK, STAI, and VAS model predicted the worst HRQoL (75.1% of the variance). Conclusion Chronic nonspecific NP and chronic NP associated with temporomandibular dysfunction were the main predictors of neck disability. In addition, depression, anxiety, and pain were the main predictors of WHIP or primary headache associated with CNP.
Primary Varicella Zoster Infection Presented With Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Adult.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is well known to produce a benign self-limiting exanthematous illness in pediatric population with fewer neurological complications. Adult patients with chicken pox however can have more severe manifestations including neurological one. We hereby report a case of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) as a part of primary VZV infection in an adult male, which is a rare association. The temporal relationship of VZV rash and CVST as well as detection of VZV antibody in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and reduced ratios of the concentration of anti-VZV IgG in serum to that in CSF, as compared to normal ratios for total IgG and albumin, corroborated with the viral etiology of the illness. Moreover, he was also found to have moderate hyperhomocysteinemia as a pre-existing hypercoagulable state, which made him prone for the development of VZV induced vasculopathy.
1 TLR 3 / TICAM-1 signaling converts tumor-supporting myeloid cells to tumoricidal effectors

Title Toll-like receptor 3 signaling converts tumor-supporting myeloid cells to tumoricidal effectors Author(s) Shime, Hiroaki; Matsumoto, Misako; Oshiumi, Hiroyuki; Tanaka, Shinya; Nakane, Akio; Iwakura, Yoichiro; Tahara, Hideaki; Inoue, Norimitsu; Seya, Tsukasa Citation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(6): 2066-2071 Issue Date 2012-02-07 Doc URL http://hdl.handle. net/2115/49731 Type article (author version) File Information PNAS109-6_2066-2071.pdf
Improving GAN Training via Binarized Representation Entropy (BRE) Regularization

We propose a novel regularizer to improve the training of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). The motivation is that when the discriminator D spreads out its model capacity in the right way, the learning signals given to the generator G are more informative and diverse. These in turn help G to explore better and discover the real data manifold while avoiding large unstable jumps due to the erroneous extrapolation made by D. Our regularizer guides the rectifier discriminator D to better allocate its model capacity, by encouraging the binary activation patterns on selected internal layers of D to have a high joint entropy. Experimental results on both synthetic data and real datasets demonstrate improvements in stability and convergence speed of the GAN training, as well as higher sample quality. The approach also leads to higher classification accuracies in semi-supervised learning.
The Effect of Exogenous Applications of Salicylic Acid and Molybdenum on the Tolerance of Drought in Wheat

This study investigated the effect of drought on the growth and yield components of two Iraqi wheat varieties (Tamooz 2 and Adana 99) and the effect of different concentrations of salicylic acid and molybdenum. Drought significantly decreased the growth rate and had a negative impact on the yield components in both varieties and it was confirmed that the yield and growth of Tamooz 2 variety was significantly better than Adana 99. It was demonstrated that salicylic acid and molybdenum improved the performance of both varieties of Iraqi wheat under both well-watered and drought conditions. However, salicylic acid had a better general effect than molybdenum, although the difference was not significant in some of the studied parameters. The application of salicylic acid at a relatively low concentration was shown to have the most positive impact on the physiological, yield and growth parameters. We believe that the current study could have an important practical application in the field of
Rendaku and Identity Avoidance: Consonantal Identity and moraic Identity

Recent experimental studies of rendaku show that when rendaku results in adjacent identical CV moras, rendaku is inhibited. However, these experiments have only tested the Identity Avoidance effect at the CV moraic level. The current study tests whether Identity Avoidance at the consonantal level affects the applicability of rendaku. This paper shows that Japanese speakers avoid creating identical consonants in adjacent moras, although this effect is weaker than moraic Identity Avoidance. In addition to this new discovery, this paper has several theoretical implications: (1) a restriction that is operative in many other languages is also operative in Japanese, revealing an intriguing cross-linguistic parallel, (2) Identity Avoidance at different phonological levels can coexist within a single language, and (3) the strength of the avoidance effect positively correlates with the degree of similarity.
The Immunoregulation of Th17 in Host against Intracellular Bacterial Infection

T helper 17 cells (Th17) constitute a distinct subset of helper T cells with a unique transcriptional profile (STAT3, RORγ, and RORα), cytokine production pattern (IL17 family), and requirement of specific cytokines for their differentiation (TGF-β, IL6, IL21, and IL23). Recent studies involving experimental animals and humans have shown that Th17/IL17 plays a crucial role in host defense against a variety of pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. The underlying mechanisms by which Th17 performs include dendritic cell (DC) regulation, neutrophil recruitment, Th1 modulation, and T regulatory cell (Treg) balance. In recent years, researchers have generated an accumulating wealth of evidence on the role of Th17/IL17 in protective immunity to intracellular bacterial pathogens, such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Chlamydia trachomatis, which are one of the most important pathogens that inflict significant socioeconomic burden across the globe. In this article, we reviewed the current literature on the functions and mechanisms by which Th17/IL17 responds to intracellular bacterial infections. A better understanding of Th17/IL17 immunity to pathogens would be crucial for developing effective prophylactics and therapeutics.
ALDH1-High Ovarian Cancer Stem-Like Cells Can Be Isolated from Serous and Clear Cell Adenocarcinoma Cells, and ALDH1 High Expression Is Associated with Poor Prognosis

Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs)/cancer-initiating cells (CICs) are defined as a small population of cancer cells that have high tumorigenicity. Furthermore, CSCs/CICs are resistant to several cancer therapies, and CSCs/CICs are therefore thought to be responsible for cancer recurrence after treatment and distant metastasis. In epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cases, disease recurrence after chemotherapy is frequently observed, suggesting ovarian CSCs/CICs are involved. There are four major histological subtypes in EOC, and serous adenocarcinoma and clear cell adenocarcinoma are high-grade malignancies. We therefore analyzed ovarian CSCs/CICs from ovarian carcinoma cell lines (serous adenocarcinoma and clear cell adenocarcinoma) and primary ovarian cancer cells in this study. We isolated ovarian CSCs/CICs as an aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 high (ALDH1high) population from 6 EOC cell lines (3 serous adenocarcinomas and 3 clear cell adenocarcinomas) by the ALDEFLUOR assay. ALDH1high cells showed greater sphere-forming ability, higher tumorigenicity and greater invasive capability, indicating that ovarian CSCs/CICs are enriched in ALDH1high cells. ALDH1high cells could also be isolated from 8 of 11 primary ovarian carcinoma samples. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that higher ALDH1 expression levels in ovary cancer cases are related to poorer prognosis in both serous adenocarcinoma cases and clear cell adenocarcinoma cases. Taken together, the results indicate that ALDH1 is a marker for ovarian CSCs/CICs and that the expression level of ALDH1 might be a novel biomarker for prediction of poor prognosis.
Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Variation by Age, Sex, and Race. The Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Rationale: The association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) is complex, bidirectional, and may vary across groups. Understanding which cardiovascular risk factors vary in their relationship to OSA across population groups may improve knowledge of OSA‐related CVD susceptibility. Objectives: To better understand the heterogeneity of associations, we assessed whether associations of OSA with cardiovascular risk factors vary by age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Methods: We performed cross‐sectional analyses of 1,344 Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis participants who underwent overnight full polysomnography, assays of fasting blood, and assessments of cardiovascular risk factors. Risk factors considered were blood pressure, glucose/lipid concentrations, white blood cell (WBC) total and subset counts, and cystatin C. The outcome was the apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI). Linear regression analyses with tests for interactions were conducted. Results: The sample had a mean age of 68 ± 9 years. Forty‐seven percent of the sample was male, and 32% had moderate or severe OSA (AHI, ≥15). Multivariable adjusted analysis showed significant associations between higher AHI with lower high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher diastolic blood pressure and neutrophil counts. Significant interactions with demographic factors were observed. Stronger associations were shown between AHI and higher total WBC count (Pint = 0.006) and glucose concentrations (Pint = 0.006) in younger (<65 yr) than in older individuals, higher triglyceride concentrations in men than in women (Pint = 0.006), and higher total WBC (Pint = 0.07) and monocyte counts (Pint = 0.03) in African American individuals than in other racial groups. Conclusions: In a multiethnic cohort, we found increased levels of cardiovascular risk factors in association with OSA, including elevated neutrophil counts, a marker of inflammation. Furthermore, several associations were stronger in men, younger individuals, and African American individuals, highlighting pathways for CVD risk that may explain heterogeneity in the associations between CVD and OSA across population groups.
The kinetochore proteins CENP-E and CENP-F directly and specifically interact with distinct BUB mitotic checkpoint Ser/Thr kinases

The segregation of chromosomes during cell division relies on the function of the kinetochores, protein complexes that physically connect chromosomes with microtubules of the spindle. The metazoan proteins, centromere protein E (CENP-E) and CENP-F, are components of a fibrous layer of mitotic kinetochores named the corona. Several of their features suggest that CENP-E and CENP-F are paralogs: they are very large (comprising ∼2700 and 3200 residues, respectively), contain abundant predicted coiled-coil structures, are C-terminally prenylated, and are endowed with microtubule-binding sites at their termini. Moreover, CENP-E contains an ATP-hydrolyzing motor domain that promotes microtubule plus end–directed motion. Here, we show that both CENP-E and CENP-F are recruited to mitotic kinetochores independently of the main corona constituent, the Rod/Zwilch/ZW10 (RZZ) complex. We identified specific interactions of CENP-F and CENP-E with budding uninhibited by benzimidazole 1 (BUB1) and BUB1-related (BUBR1) mitotic checkpoint Ser/Thr kinases, respectively, paralogous proteins involved in mitotic checkpoint control and chromosome alignment. Whereas BUBR1 was dispensable for kinetochore localization of CENP-E, BUB1 was stringently required for CENP-F localization. Through biochemical reconstitution, we demonstrated that the CENP-E/BUBR1 and CENP-F/BUB1 interactions are direct and require similar determinants, a dimeric coiled-coil in CENP-E or CENP-F and a kinase domain in BUBR1 or BUB1. Our findings are consistent with the existence of structurally similar BUB1/CENP-F and BUBR1/CENP-E complexes, supporting the notion that CENP-E and CENP-F are evolutionarily related.
The plasma levels of 12 cytokines and growth factors in patients with gastric cancer

Abstract To assess the association of plasma cytokines and growth factor levels with clinical characteristics and inflammatory indices in patients with gastric cancer. Plasma samples derived from 99 gastric cancer patients were used for analysis. Levels of interferon (IFN)-&ggr;, tumor growth factor (TGF)-&bgr;1, tumor necrosis factor-&agr; (TNF-&agr;), interleukin (IL)-1&bgr;, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by Luminex suspension array technology. The association between cytokine/growth factor levels and demographic/clinical characteristics was assessed. Correlation between cytokines and growth factor levels was assessed by Pearson's correlation analysis. Male patients had significant higher levels of plasma TNF-&agr;, IL-12p70, IL-4, IL-10, and VEGF as compared with those in women (P < .05). Plasma levels of TNF-&agr; in older patients with gastric cancer (≥60 years) were higher than those in young patients (P < .05). Elevated plasma levels of IL-8 and IL-10 were identified as risk factors for increased tumor size (diameter ≥5 cm). Higher plasma levels of TGF-&bgr;1 were associated with increased risk of vascular or nerve invasion and advanced tumor stage. The levels of systemic inflammatory markers, including white blood cell counts, neutrophil/lymphocyte proportion, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), C-reactive protein and modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) were closely associated with a series of plasma cytokines. A prominent correlation was observed between the plasma IL-12p70 and IFN-&ggr; levels (r = 0.729, P < .01). Our findings suggest that plasma cytokines and growth factor levels may help predict the development and progression of gastric cancer. Our findings need to be validated by larger studies.
Insights From Pre-Clinical and Clinical Studies on the Role of Innate Inflammation in Atherosclerosis Regression

Atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of coronary artery (CAD) and other cardiovascular diseases, is initiated by macrophage-mediated immune responses to lipoprotein and cholesterol accumulation in artery walls, which result in the formation of plaques. Unlike at other sites of inflammation, the immune response becomes maladaptive and inflammation fails to resolve. The most common treatment for reducing the risk from atherosclerosis is low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) lowering. Studies have shown, however, that while significant lowering of LDL-C reduces the risk of heart attacks to some degree, there is still residual risk for the majority of the population. We and others have observed “residual inflammatory risk” of atherosclerosis after plasma cholesterol lowering in pre-clinical studies, and that this phenomenon is clinically relevant has been dramatically reinforced by the recent Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study (CANTOS) trial. This review will summarize the role of the innate immune system, specifically macrophages, in atherosclerosis progression and regression, as well as the pre-clinical and clinical models that have provided significant insights into molecular pathways involved in the resolution of plaque inflammation and plaque regression. Partnered with clinical studies that can be envisioned in the post-CANTOS period, including progress in developing targeted plaque therapies, we expect that pre-clinical studies advancing on the path summarized in this review, already revealing key mechanisms, will continue to be essential contributors to achieve the goals of dampening plaque inflammation and inducing its resolution in order to maximize the therapeutic benefits of conventional risk factor modifications, such as LDL-C lowering.
Minimally Invasive Lumbar Spinal Fusion Is More Effective Than Open Fusion: A Meta-Analysis

Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of minimally invasive spinal fusion in comparison to open fusion for adult lumbar spondylolisthesis or spondylosis. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted as a meta-analysis of all estimates from studies that were selected after comprehensive literature search by two independent reviewers. Results Of 745 articles, nine prospective cohort studies were identifed. The quality of evidence was downgraded because of study design, inconsistency, imprecision, and publication bias. Greater Oswestry Disability Index score improvement [weighted mean difference (WMD), 3.2; 95% confdence interval (CI), 1.5 to 5.0; p=0.0003] and a lower infection rate (odds ratio, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1 to 0.9; p=0.02) were observed in the minimally invasive group (low-quality evidence). The minimally invasive group had less blood loss (WMD, 269.5 mL; 95% CI, 246.2 to 292.9 mL; p<0.0001), a shorter hospital stay (WMD, 1.3 days; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.5 days, p<0.0001), and longer operation time (WMD, 21.0 minutes; 95% CI, 15.9 to 26.2 minutes; p<0.0001) and radiation exposure time(WMD, 25.4 seconds; 95% CI, 22.0 to 28.8 seconds, p<0.0001) than the open group (low-quality evidence). There were no significant differences in pain improvement, fusion rate, complications, or subsequent surgeries between the two treatment groups (low-quality evidence). Conclusion Although present findings are limited by insufficient evidence and there is a lack of adequately powered high-quality randomized controlled trials to address this gap in evidence, our results support that minimally invasive lumbar fusion is more effective than open fusion for adult spondylolisthesis and other spondylosis in terms of functional improvement, reducing infection rate, and decreasing blood loss and hospital stay.
Intellectual and academic outcomes after pediatric liver transplantation: Relationship with transplant‐related factors

As survival rates for pediatric liver transplant continue to increase, research attention is turning toward long‐term functional consequences, with particular interest in whether medical and transplant‐related factors are implicated in neurocognitive outcomes. The relative importance of different factors is unclear, due to a lack of methodological uniformity, inclusion of differing primary diagnoses, varying transplant policies, and organ availability in different jurisdictions. This cross‐sectional, single‐site study sought to address various methodological limitations in the literature and the paucity of studies conducted outside of North America and Western Europe by examining the intellectual and academic outcomes of Australian pediatric liver transplant recipients (N = 40). Participants displayed significantly poorer intellectual and mathematical abilities compared with the normative population. Greater time on the transplant waitlist was a significant predictor of poorer verbal intelligence, working memory, mathematical abilities, and reading but only when considering the subgroup of children with biliary atresia. These findings support reducing the time children wait for a transplant as a priority.