Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Normal Mouse Intestinal Epithelial Cells as a Model for the in vitro Invasion of Trichinella spiralis Infective Larvae

It has been known for many years that Trichinella spiralis initiates infection by penetrating the columnar epithelium of the small intestine; however, the mechanisms used by the parasite in the establishment of its intramulticellular niche in the intestine are unknown. Although the previous observations indicated that invasion also occurs in vitro when the infective larvae are inoculated onto cultures of intestinal epithelial cells (e.g., human colonic carcinoma cell line Caco-2, HCT-8), a normal readily manipulated in vitro model has not been established because of difficulties in the culture of primary intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). In this study, we described a normal intestinal epithelial model in which T. spiralis infective larvae were shown to invade the monolayers of normal mouse IECs in vitro. The IECs derived from intestinal crypts of fetal mouse small intestine had the ability to proliferate continuously and express specific cytokeratins as well as intestinal functional cell markers. Furthermore, they were susceptible to invasion by T. spiralis. When inoculated onto the IEC monolayer, infective larvae penetrated cells and migrated through them, leaving trails of damaged cells heavily loaded with T. spiralis larval excretory-secretory (ES) antigens which were recognized by rabbit immune sera on immunofluorescence test. The normal intestinal epithelial model of invasion mimicking the natural environment in vivo will help us to further investigate the process as well as the mechanisms by which T. spiralis establishes its intestinal niche.
On the Origin of the H I Holes in the Interstellar Medium of Dwarf Irregular Galaxies

We suggest that large H I holes observed in the interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies such as the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), and Holmberg II (Ho II, DDO 50, UGC 4305) can form as the combined result of turbulence coupled with thermal and gravitational instabilities. We investigate this problem with three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations, taking into account cooling and heating processes and the action of the self-gravity of the gas. We construct an algorithm for radiative transfer to postprocess the simulated data and build emission maps in the 21 cm neutral hydrogen line. With this approach, we are able to reproduce the structure of the shells and holes as observed in regions of the ISM where no stellar activity is detected. In order to quantify the comparison of our synthetic maps to the observations, we calculate the physical scale-autocorrelation length relation (L-Lcr relation) both on the synthetic H I maps and the H I map of Ho II. The L-Lcr relation shows a linear increase of the autocorrelation length with the physical scale up to the scale of energy injection and flattens for larger scales. The comparison of the L-Lcr relation between the observations and the synthetic maps suggests that turbulence is driven in the ISM of Ho II on large scales (~6 kpc). The slope of the L-Lcr relation in the linear regime in Ho II is better reproduced by models where turbulence is coupled with a low-efficiency cooling of the gas. These results demonstrate the importance of the interplay between turbulence and the thermodynamics of the gas for structure formation in the ISM. Our analysis can be used to determine the scale on which kinetic energy is injected into the ISM of dwarf irregular galaxies and to derive, in a first approximation, the cooling rate of the gas.
Radiofrequency ablation of unresectable pancreatic carcinoma: feasibility, efficacy and safety.

CONTEXT Unresectable pancreatic cancer has a dismal prognosis. Palliative surgery and chemo-radiotherapy have not produced significant improvement in survival. We evaluated the safety and the efficacy of radiofrequency ablation for cytoreduction of unresectable tumors of the pancreas. CASE REPORT Radiofrequency ablation was performed in three patients with histologically proven unresectable cancer of the pancreas: two females and one male; 48, 60, and 66 years of age (mean 58 years). The sizes of the pancreatic tumors were 5.0, 6.5, and 8.0 cm (mean 6.5 cm), respectively. Two patients underwent radiofrequency ablation during an open operation while one patient had percutaneous CT guided radiofrequency ablation. All had endobiliary stenting for obstructive jaundice. Partial necrosis (up to 3 cm) of the tumor was achieved in all cases. There was no major morbidity or mortality. Self-limiting minor complications occurred in two patients. CONCLUSION Radiofrequency ablation is a local ablative method used with increasing frequency and may be used safely for cytoreduction in locally advanced inoperable pancreatic malignancies. Further studies are required to ascertain whether this can improve survival/quality of life alone or in combination with other therapies.
Neuromagnetic evidence for early semantic access in word recognition

Magnetic brain responses recorded in the human magnetoencephalogram (MEG) distinguished between words with different semantics but carefully matched for frequency and length. Multiple recordings from a single subject showed that 100 ms following stimulus onset, significantly stronger neuromagnetic responses were elicited by words with strong multimodal semantic associations than by other word material. At this early processing step, there was a highly significant correlation (0.80) between the magnitude of brain responses to individual words recorded over parieto‐occipital areas and their semantic association strengths. Subsequent to this early difference related to word meaning, additional differences in MEG responses emerged for words from different grammatical categories. Together, these results suggest that word meaning can be reflected by early neuromagnetic brain responses and before the grammatical information about the word is encoded.
Lateral inferior prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex are engaged at different stages in the solution of insight problems

Two studies used puzzles that required participants to find a word that satisfied a set of constraints. The first study used a remote-association task, where participants had to find a word that would form compound words with 3 other words. The second study required participants to complete a word fragment with an associate of another word. Both studies produced distinct patterns of activity in the lateral inferior prefrontal cortex (LIPFC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Activation in the LIPFC rose only as long as the participants were trying to retrieve the solution and dropped off as soon as the solution was obtained. However, activation in the ACC increased upon the retrieval of a solution, reflecting the need to process that solution. The data of the second experiment are fit by an information-processing model that interprets the activity in the LIPFC as reflecting retrieval operations and the activity in the ACC as reflecting subgoal setting.
Climatology and Variability of Tropical Cyclones Affecting Charleston, South Carolina, from 1670 to 1850

ABSTRACT Lindner, B.L. , Climatology and variability of tropical cyclones affecting Charleston, South Carolina, from 1670 to 1850. Journal of Coastal Research, 35(2), 397–409. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. An improved understanding of the climatology of tropical cyclones helps communities plan for their consequences. Many industries and governmental agencies base risk assessment analysis and cost–benefit analysis upon the frequency of tropical cyclones of varying intensity. The inclusion of earlier periods lengthens the baseline of the climatological data and thus improves frequency estimates, but it also increases the uncertainty therein. To reduce this uncertainty, a limited meta-analysis combined seven previous historical studies to infer the properties of the 78 tropical cyclones that affected Charleston, South Carolina, during the period 1670–1850. Return rates for hurricanes are estimated at 5.2 and 3.8 years for the periods 1670–1850 and 1778–1850, respectively (the latter period is better documented), although uncertainties in the historical record result in large uncertainties in the return rates. Key observations for significant tropical cyclones were used to distinguish those that were likely to have been major hurricanes. The estimated return rate of 12 years for major hurricanes is likely inconsistent with prior studies that show an increasing number of major hurricanes in the modern era in the broader Atlantic Ocean, potentially because of climate change. The period 1778–1850 likely had a return rate of 9 to 10 years for major hurricanes in Charleston, which implies this may have been a particularly active period. The seasonality of tropical cyclones for the period 1670–1850 in Charleston is similar to the seasonality of tropical cyclones in the modern era, except that the median date for major hurricanes is likely significantly earlier during the period 1670–1850. Finally, the apparent lack of a change in the length of the tropical cyclone season over the past three centuries may be inconsistent with prior studies that show climate change may be inducing a seasonal broadening in the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
Limitations of C2 monitoring in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND Recent developments have proposed the cyclosporin (CsA) concentration at 2 h post-dose (C(2)) as the best single time-point predictor of the extent of CsA exposure and as the optimal basis for monitoring immunosuppressive therapy in renal transplant patients. The present study sought to validate the cornerstones of the current concept of C(2) monitoring. METHODS We assessed the predictive value, dose proportionality and intrapatient variability of C(2) levels in 41 de novo renal transplant recipients treated with CsA microemulsion, steroids, mycophenolate sodium and basiliximab. RESULTS Patients with rejection and patients with CsA nephrotoxicity had lower C(2) (P = NS) and absorption (P<0.05 for toxicity), while C(0) did not show any significant difference. Receiver operating characteristic analysis did not detect discriminative C(2) values as a predictor of rejection or toxicity. In a substantial number of patients (29%) we observed poor and/or slow absorption, with C(0) >300 ng/ml and C(2) levels <800 ng/ml during the first month and a high rate of complications in these patients (18% rejection, 64% toxicity). Absorption increased over the first month post-transplant. Analysis of dose changes indicated that C(2) levels are not dose-proportional. Intrapatient variability of C(2) was as high as that of C(0). CONCLUSIONS C(2) levels do not predict rejection or toxicity. C(2) monitoring alone does not detect toxicity in poor and/or slow absorbers, who constitute a significant proportion of patients. Changes in absorption over time, high intrapatient variability and lack of dose proportionality constitute further limitations of the C(2) monitoring concept in the early post-transplant phase.
Chronic Exposure to Arsenic in the Drinking Water Alters the Expression of Immune Response Genes in Mouse Lung

Background Chronic exposure to drinking water arsenic is a significant worldwide environmental health concern. Exposure to As is associated with an increased risk of lung disease, which may make it a unique toxicant, because lung toxicity is usually associated with inhalation rather than ingestion. Objectives The goal of this study was to examine mRNA and protein expression changes in the lungs of mice exposed chronically to environmentally relevant concentrations of As in the food or drinking water, specifically examining the hypothesis that As may preferentially affect gene and protein expression related to immune function as part of its mechanism of toxicant action. Methods C57BL/6J mice fed a casein-based AIN-76A defined diet were exposed to 10 or 100 ppb As in drinking water or food for 5–6 weeks. Results Whole genome transcriptome profiling of animal lungs revealed significant alterations in the expression of many genes with functions in cell adhesion and migration, channels, receptors, differentiation and proliferation, and, most strikingly, aspects of the innate immune response. Confirmation of mRNA and protein expression changes in key genes of this response revealed that genes for interleukin 1β, interleukin 1 receptor, a number of toll-like receptors, and several cytokines and cytokine receptors were significantly altered in the lungs of As-exposed mice. Conclusions These findings indicate that chronic low-dose As exposure at the current U.S. drinking-water standard can elicit effects on the regulation of innate immunity, which may contribute to altered disease risk, particularly in lung.
Activity of entomopathogenic nematodes (Rhabditida) against cereal leaf beetle (Oulema melanopus [L.], Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) adults under laboratory conditions

In 2009, three Slovenian strains of entomopathogenic nematodes) and commercial product Entonem (active ingredient S. feltiae), were tested under laboratory conditions for their activity against adult cereal leaf beetles (Oulema melanopus). The nematode strains were tested at four different doses (250, 500, 1000, and 2000 infective juveniles/adult) and at three temperatures (15, 20, and 25 ? C). Steinernema carpocapsae strain C101 was the most effective and showed itself to be a good alternative to chemical insecticides, and appears to have the highest potential for controlling overwintered cereal leaf beetles under field conditions. In our bioassay the temperature had the greatest influence on the efficacy of the entomopathogenic nematode strains; both S. feltiae treatments (strain B30 and Entonem) proved to work better at the lowest temperature, however the strain H. bacteriophora D54 had its best efficacy at the highest temperature in the experiment. Several species (S. feltiae and S. carpocapsae) have been efficient at lower suspension concentrations, which enables their economical usage against the cereal leaf beetle in integrated cereal production in the future.
Predicting protein structure using hidden Markov models

We discuss how methods based on hidden Markov models performed in the fold‐recognition section of the CASP2 experiment. Hidden Markov models were built for a representative set of just over 1,000 structures from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Each CASP2 target sequence was scored against this library of HMMs. In addition, an HMM was built for each of the target sequences and all of the sequences in PDB were scored against that target model, with a good score on both methods indicating a high probability that the target sequence is homologous to the structure. The method worked well in comparison to other methods used at CASP2 for targets of moderate difficulty, where the closest structure in PDB could be aligned to the target with at least 15% residue identity. Proteins, Suppl. 1:134–139, 1997. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gene Expression Signatures Differentiate Ovarian/Peritoneal Serous Carcinoma from Diffuse Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Purpose: Ovarian/primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (OC/PPC) and diffuse peritoneal malignant mesothelioma (DMPM) are highly aggressive tumors that are closely related morphologically and histogenetically. It remains unclear whether both tumors are molecularly distinct neoplasms. The current study compared global gene expression patterns in OC/PPC and DMPM. Experimental Design: Ten OC/PPC and five DMPM effusions were analyzed for gene expression profiles using the Affymetrix U133 Plus 2 arrays and the dCHIP analysis program. Differentially expressed candidate genes were validated using quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results: Unsupervised hierarchical clustering using all 54,675 genes in the array classified the samples into two groups: DMPM specimens versus OC/PPC specimens. A total of 189 genes that were differentially expressed in these two groups were selected based on statistical significance. Genes overexpressed in DMPM (n = 68) included calretinin, vitronectin, claudin 15, α4 laminin, hyaluronan synthase 1, cadherin 11, RAB7, v-maf, and the epidermal growth factor–containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1. Genes overexpressed in OC/PPC (n = 121) included insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II); IGF-II binding protein 3; cyclin E1; folate receptors 1 and 3; RAB25; MUC4; endothelin-1; CD24; kallikreins 6, 7, and 8; claudins 3, 4, and 6; Notch3; and MMP-7. Quantitative real-time PCR validated the differential expression of 13 genes, and immunohistochemistry confirmed the differences for four gene products. Conclusions: Expression profiling separates OC/PPC from DMPM and identifies a number of genes that are differentially expressed in these tumors. The molecular signatures unique to OC/PPC and DMPM should provide a molecular basis to study both tumors and new potential markers for facilitating their differential diagnosis.
Impact of Two Adjustable-Autonomy Models on the Scalability of Single-Human/Multiple-Robot Teams for Exploration Missions

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate two models for adjusting autonomy in mobile robots to find out the best way for the operator to interact with the system with as many robots as possible. The first model is the most used in mobile robots; the second proposes a flexible autonomy management. Background: There are different ways of adjusting the autonomy level in man-machine systems: adjustable autonomy, in which the operator has the initiative over the autonomy level; adaptive autonomy, in which the autonomy level is adjusted depending on the task and context; and mixed initiatives. One of the drawbacks of using adjustable autonomy is that it is claimed not to be flexible enough, resulting in a high operator workload. We propose and evaluate a flexible adjustable autonomy model for robot-team supervision. Method: Two experiments were designed to test the scalability and performance of the man-machine system with two alternative configurations for the autonomy management. The independent variable is the number of robots, and the measured variable is the man-machine system performance. The experiments are between subjects. We have used ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analysis for analyzing the results. Results: On the basis of these analyses, we conclude that a flexible adjustable autonomy model results in better performance than the classic, rigid one, in which the operator directly chooses the autonomy level. Conclusion: Flexible autonomy adjustment permits one operator to control a team of robots with better results in terms of performance and robot use, as he or she can directly act at the error level, leaving the responsibility of readjusting and resuming the task to the system and hence reducing the operator’s workload. Application: The results can be applied to exploration robotics, mainly, in which one operator controls a team of robots. In general, these principles can be extended to other single-man/multiple-machine systems.
Dopamine Genetic Risk Score Predicts Depressive Symptoms in Healthy Adults and Adults with Depression

Background Depression is a common source of human disability for which etiologic insights remain limited. Although abnormalities of monoamine neurotransmission, including dopamine, are theorized to contribute to the pathophysiology of depression, evidence linking dopamine-related genes to depression has been mixed. The current study sought to address this knowledge-gap by examining whether the combined effect of dopamine polymorphisms was associated with depressive symptomatology in both healthy individuals and individuals with depression. Methods Data were drawn from three independent samples: (1) a discovery sample of healthy adult participants (n = 273); (2) a replication sample of adults with depression (n = 1,267); and (3) a replication sample of healthy adult participants (n = 382). A genetic risk score was created by combining functional polymorphisms from five genes involved in synaptic dopamine availability (COMT and DAT) and dopamine receptor binding (DRD1, DRD2, DRD3). Results In the discovery sample, the genetic risk score was associated with depressive symptomatology (β = −0.80, p = 0.003), with lower dopamine genetic risk scores (indicating lower dopaminergic neurotransmission) predicting higher levels of depression. This result was replicated with a similar genetic risk score based on imputed genetic data from adults with depression (β = −0.51, p = 0.04). Results were of similar magnitude and in the expected direction in a cohort of healthy adult participants (β = −0.86, p = 0.15). Conclusions Sequence variation in multiple genes regulating dopamine neurotransmission may influence depressive symptoms, in a manner that appears to be additive. Further studies are required to confirm the role of genetic variation in dopamine metabolism and depression.
The Quest for Ash Resistance to EAB: Towards a Mechanistic Understanding

Since emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, was discovered in North America in 2002, it has killed many millions of ash trees in North America, and ash mortality now exceeds 99% near the epicenter of the invasion in southeast Michigan (Klooster et al. 2014). The development of EAB-resistant ash trees will be critical for restoration of ash in natural and urban forests. Goals of our collaboration are to identify, breed and screen ash germplasm for EAB resistance and silvicultural traits; and identify mechanisms of EAB resistance to facilitate breeding and screening. In Asia, EAB does not devastate its endemic hosts, which suggests that Asian ashes are inherently resistant by virtue of their coevolutionary history with EAB. In a common garden study, patterns of ash decline and mortality were largely consistent with this hypothesis. Manchurian ash had the highest rate of survival and little canopy decline. The high EAB resistance of this Manchurian ash population of seedling origin is consistent with that observed previously for the clonal Manchurian ash cultivar ‘Mancana’ (Rebek et al. 2008), which suggests that EAB resistance is a species-level trait. Fraxinus x ‘Northern Treasure’ ash, which is a Manchurian (Asian) x black ash (North American) hybrid, had similarly high survival and low canopy decline, suggesting introgression of Manchurian ash resistance genes into the hybrid. However, this pattern contrasts sharply with that observed by Rebek et al. (2008), who found ‘Northern Treasure’ ash to be highly susceptible to EAB. One potential explanation for these divergent conclusions is that there may be taxonomic confusion surrounding this cultivar that needs to be resolved. Most North American species and cultivars in the common gardens study experienced complete or nearly complete mortality, with green ash cultivars, black ash, and Oregon ash declining more rapidly than white ash cultivars. Blue ash has survived at a higher rate in the common garden than other North American species, but by 2014 had lower survival and greater canopy decline than Manchurian ash. Decline and mortality of blue ash has increased over time, suggesting that surviving trees in the plot may ultimately succumb to EAB. The European species and cultivars evaluated in the common garden also experienced high decline and mortality, including F. ornus, F. excelsior ‘Aureafolia’, and F. angustifolia subsp. oxycarpa ‘Raywood,’ which suggests that EAB has the potential to cause widespread economic and ecological impacts in Europe as it continues to spread in Russia and beyond.