Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Air breathing in the Arctic: influence of temperature, hypoxia, activity and restricted air access on respiratory physiology of the Alaska blackfish Dallia pectoralis

The Alaska blackfish (Dallia pectoralis) is an air-breathing fish native to Alaska and the Bering Sea islands, where it inhabits lakes that are ice-covered in the winter, but enters warm and hypoxic waters in the summer to forage and reproduce. To understand the respiratory physiology of this species under these conditions and the selective pressures that maintain the ability to breathe air, we acclimated fish to 5°C and 15°C and used respirometry to measure: standard oxygen uptake () in normoxia (19.8 kPa PO2) and hypoxia (2.5 kPa), with and without access to air; partitioning of standard in normoxia and hypoxia; maximum and partitioning after exercise; and critical oxygen tension (Pcrit). Additionally, the effects of temperature acclimation on haematocrit, haemoglobin oxygen affinity and gill morphology were assessed. Standard was higher, but air breathing was not increased, at 15°C or after exercise at both temperatures. Fish acclimated to 5°C or 15°C increased air breathing to compensate and fully maintain standard in hypoxia. Fish were able to maintain through aquatic respiration when air was denied in normoxia, but when air was denied in hypoxia, standard was reduced by ∼30–50%. Pcrit was relatively high (5 kPa) and there were no differences in Pcrit, gill morphology, haematocrit or haemoglobin oxygen affinity at the two temperatures. Therefore, Alaska blackfish depends on air breathing in hypoxia and additional mechanisms must thus be utilised to survive hypoxic submergence during the winter, such as hypoxia-induced enhancement in the capacities for carrying and binding blood oxygen, behavioural avoidance of hypoxia and suppression of metabolic rate.
Review of research on the factors associated with choice and duration of infant feeding in less-developed countries.

Research on factors associated with infant-feeding choice and duration has the following objectives: to describe the associated factors; to determine the degree of association; and to determine factors that are amenable to intervention in order to plan and implement infant nutrition programs. Underlying these objectives are a series of questions including: (1) What are the factors associated with the decision to breast-feed and/or bottle-feed at birth? (2) Among less-developed groups, in particular, what are the factors associated with use of prelacteal feeds before or in combination with breast-feeding or feeding by breast and bottle? (3) What are the factors associated with duration of exclusive breast-feeding, time of introduction of liquid breast milk substitutes, time of introduction of solids, and duration of partial breast-feeding? These questions are addressed in this review. This review encompasses research from a variety of disciplines—anthropology, epidemiology, nutrition, economics, and demography, for example. This is because infant feeding can be considered a behavior, a perception, a nutritional pattern, and a risk factor in infant growth and development. When infant feeding is classified as a behavior, the objective is to describe the infant's actions as he/she feeds at the breast or from the container for the breast milk substitute. The focus is on measuring the sucking action; the ability of the infant to latch onto the breast; and the frequency of, interval between, and duration of feeds. To examine a mother's perception of her infant-feeding practice requires answers to the following: Does the mother consider herself an exclusive breast-feeder, a breast-feeder and bottle-feeder, or an exclusive bottle-feeder? Does she feed on demand or on schedule? The focus of this research is on the mother's perception of her infant-feeding status rather than on the actual practice of infant feeding; the correlation between perception and practice may be examined but is commonly assumed.
Study of care for patients with cleft lip/palate (CLP) in Lao People's Democratic Republic.

OBJECTIVE The objectives of the study were to determine basic information, understand health-related problems and examine problem-solving strategies among patients with cleft lip/palate (CLP) residing in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR). MATERIAL AND METHOD This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study. The research team interviewed 24 patients with CLP who underwent surgery at the Khammouan Hospital between October 16-20, 2010 and their caregivers. A questionnaire was developed by the research team to collect information on demographics, health-related problems and problem-solving strategies. Content validity was reviewed by five experts. RESULTS Sixty-two percent (15/24) of the patients were boys with an average age of 6.3 years. Fifty percent of the patients had both a cleft lip and cleft palate. Heredity played a major role in causing the CLP among the majority of patients (58%). Most of caregivers resided in either Khammouan (33%) and Bolikhamxai Province (33%). With respect to the caregivers, their average age was 36 years, 50% were fathers and mothers, 87% had a family income lower than one million Kip/month (124 USD); all were satisfied with the treatment provided, 96% had sufficient knowledge for helping or publicizing the proper treatment to other patients and 87% knew of the healthcare resources for patients with CLP (i.e., Khammouan Hospital provides free-of-charge surgery). The caregivers also understood the need for regular, life-long follow-up care of cleft lip. However, 87% of the caregivers did not know the causes of CLP, 75% did not know that the patients with ridges cleft must have a ridges bone graft surgery, while 66% did not know about post operative care, wound care, audiometry and speech therapy. CONCLUSION Although timely receipt of primary cleft surgery is essential to the physical and psychosocial well-being of patients with CLP, those residing in Lao PDR did not receive surgery until the age of 6 years. The main reasons for this are the lack of awareness regarding diagnosis and treatment, limited availability of health services, and insufficient financial resources; therefore, both technical and financial support from external stakeholders is crucial. The establishment of a local medical infrastructure, training local surgeons and free access are also critical for the development of a sustainable and effective multidisciplinary management program for patients with CLP and their families.
Visual Commonsense for Scene Understanding Using Perception, Semantic Parsing and Reasoning

In this paper we explore the use of visual commonsense knowledge and other kinds of knowledge (such as domain knowledge, background knowledge, linguistic knowledge) for scene understanding. In particular, we combine visual processing with techniques from natural language understanding (especially semantic parsing), common-sense reasoning and knowledge representation and reasoning to improve visual perception to reason about finer aspects of activities.
Siderophore Purification via Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography

Siderophores are low-molecular weight compounds that are produced by organisms to assimilate vital Fe3+ out of iron-deficient environments. They are of interest for several (bio-) technological applications because of their high selectivity for several metal ions. Unfortunately, the concentration in supernatants is often low and thus it is challenging to purify or even enrich these compounds. We applied different types of siderophores onto an immobilized metal-resin that was loaded with either Ni2+, Co2+ or Fe3+. Elution was done with ethanol to reduce salt load and facilitate downstream processing. Thus, it is possible to enrich as well as desalt a sample within one-step from culture supernatant, which allows faster characterization and application of siderophores.
Hairpin ribozymes in combination with siRNAs against highly conserved hepatitis C virus sequence inhibit RNA replication and protein translation from hepatitis C virus subgenomic replicons

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a clinically important liver disease with limited therapeutic options in a significant proportion of patients. Therefore, novel efficient therapeutic agents are needed. Because the 5′‐ and 3′‐untranslated regions (UTRs) of HCV are highly conserved and functionally important for HCV replication, they are attractive targets for RNA‐cleaving ribozymes or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). In this study hairpin ribozymes (Rz) targeting HCV 5′‐ and 3′‐UTR sequences were expressed from a retroviral vector transcript under control of two different RNA polIII promoters (tRNAVal, U6). Ribozymes were evaluated in monocistronic, subgenomic I389/hyg‐ubi/NS3‐3′/5.1 HCV replicon cells as single agents or in combination with siRNAs against HCV 5′‐ or 3′‐UTR recently demonstrated to inhibit HCV replicons. Additionally, ribozyme constructs were generated with the 3′‐terminus of the ribozyme flanked by constitutive transport element (CTE) sequences, an RNA motif that has previously been shown to enhance cleavage activity of hammerhead ribozymes. In our study, tRNAVal as well as U6 promoter‐driven Rzs markedly reduced HCV replicon RNA expression and HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES)‐mediated HCV NS5B protein translation from monocistronic subgenomic replicons. However, attachment of CTE sequences to the 3′‐terminus did not significantly enhance activity of Rzs tested in this study. Interestingly, we detected additive HCV inhibitory effects for combinations of tRNAVal‐driven Rzs and U6‐derived siRNAs both directed against highly conserved 5′‐ and 3′‐UTR sequence, suggesting that a dual strategy of ribozymes and siRNAs might become a powerful molecular tool to specifically silence HCV RNA replication.
Supply chain product co-development, product modularity and product performance: Empirical evidence from Hong Kong manufacturers

Purpose – This paper aims to examine how an organization can achieve higher performance through integrating supply chain product co‐development (SCPC) and modular product design.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a comprehensive review of literature on product development, supply chain management and system theory, the four proposed hypotheses concerning the relationships among SCPC, product modularity (PM), manufacturing capabilities and product performance (PP) were tested empirically through a sample of 251 Hong Kong manufacturers.Findings – SCPC is found to have a direct and positive relationship with PM and PP. PM improves flexibility and customer service and in turn PP.Research limitations/implications – Given the cross‐sectional nature of the study and the focus on manufacturing industry, future research should replicate this study in different industries with more longitudinal studies.Practical implications – The study provides solid evidence that managers should involve their suppliers, inter.
Psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Experiencing of Self Scale (EOSS) for assessment in Functional Analytic Psychotherapy.

BACKGROUND The Experiencing of Self Scale (EOSS) was created to evaluate the experience of the personal self, within the field of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy. This paper presents a study of the reliability and validity of the EOSS in a Spanish sample. METHOD The study sample, chosen from 24 different centres, comprised 1,040 participants aged between 18-75, of whom 32% were men and 68% women. The clinical sample was made up of 32.7%, whereas 67.3% had no known problem. To obtain evidence of convergent validity, other questionnaires related to the self (EPQ-R, DES, RSES) were used for comparison. RESULTS The EOSS showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .941) and significantly high correlations with the EPQ-R Neuroticism scale and the DES Dissociation scale, while showing negative correlations with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). The EOSS revealed 4 principal factors: a self in close relationships, a self with casual social relationships, a self in general and a positive self-concept. Significant statistical differences were found between the clinical and standard sample, the former showing a higher average. CONCLUSIONS The EOSS had high internal consistency, showing evidence of convergent validity with similar scales and proving useful for the assessment of people with psychological problems related to the self.
High-Throughput Analysis of HGF-Stimulated Cell Scattering

Historically, only relatively low-throughput or expensive methods have been available to measure cell migration. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a ligand for the tyrosine kinase receptor Met that, in addition to mediating proliferation and survival, increases cell motility and metastasis. The authors have developed a high-throughput imaging assay for measuring inhibition of HGF-induced scattering in human HPAF-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Following treatment with test compounds and HGF for 24 h, cells are labeled with a nuclear stain and imaged at 10× magnification. The proximity of neighboring nuclei is measured, and the distribution of internuclear distances across each field of view is used to calculate the fraction of scattered cells. This method of analysis can be extended to other cell types and signaling pathways and, compared with other membrane-based migration assays currently available, the assay is significantly lower in cost, is less labor intensive, and provides higher throughput. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2008:847-854)
Valganciclovir: A New Oral Alternative for Cytomegalovirus Retinitis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus‐Seropositive Individuals

Oral valganciclovir recently was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis. We performed MEDLINE (June 1998–May 2002) and AIDSLINE (June 1998–December 2000) searches of available information on valganciclovir, and the drug's prescribing information was used to identify relevant articles. Additional studies, case reports, reviews, and abstracts were identified from references in the reviewed literature. Most of the information was obtained from abstracts or product labeling, since few trials have been published in the medical literature. Valganciclovir is a prodrug of ganciclovir and has been shown to have significantly higher oral absorption than ganciclovir capsules. One short‐term study found valganciclovir to be as effective as intravenous ganciclovir in treating CMV retinitis. Recommended dosages for patients with normal renal function are valganciclovir 900 mg twice/day for induction and 900 mg once/day for maintenance. Side effects are similar to those of intravenous ganciclovir and require periodic monitoring of complete blood count and renal function. Given the need for lifelong therapy for CMV retinitis in some human immunodeficiency virus‐positive patients, valganciclovir is a welcome alternative to long‐term administration of intravenous antivirals.
CD169+ macrophages are sufficient for priming of CTLs with specificities left out by cross-priming dendritic cells

Significance Although we know much about the molecular mechanisms of cross-presentation, its actual contribution to cytotoxic T cell (CTL) immunity under physiological conditions in vivo is still unclear. Cross-presentation is based on the idea that dendritic cells (DCs) are the only professional antigen-presenting cells able to prime naïve T cells. If DCs are not directly infected, they must take up antigen and present it indirectly. However, recent evidence suggests that other cells also may be involved in T cell priming, which probably makes cross-presentation less central. This study shows that cross-priming DCs generate highly restricted CTL repertoires, biased to strong MHC I binding epitopes only. Furthermore, the presence of antigen in CD169+ macrophages is sufficient for generation of CTLs with broader repertoires. Dendritic cells (DCs) are considered the most potent antigen-presenting cells (APCs), which directly prime or cross-prime MHC I-restricted cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). However, recent evidence suggests the existence of other, as-yet unidentified APCs also able to prime T cells. To identify those APCs, we used adenoviral (rAd) vectors, which do not infect DCs but selectively accumulate in CD169+ macrophages (MPs). In mice that lack DCs, infection of CD169+ MPs was sufficient to prime CTLs specific for all epitopes tested. In contrast, CTL responses relying exclusively on cross-presenting DCs were biased to selected strong MHC I-binding peptides only. When both DCs and MPs were absent, no CTL responses could be elicited. Therefore, CD169+ MPs can be considered APCs that significantly contribute to CTL responses.
LINEs between Species: Evolutionary Dynamics of LINE-1 Retrotransposons across the Eukaryotic Tree of Life

LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons are dynamic elements. They have the potential to cause great genomic change due to their ability to ‘jump’ around the genome and amplify themselves, resulting in the duplication and rearrangement of regulatory DNA. Active L1, in particular, are often thought of as tightly constrained, homologous and ubiquitous elements with well-characterised domain organisation. For the past 30 years, model organisms have been used to define L1s as 6-8kb sequences containing a 5’-UTR, two open reading frames working harmoniously in cis, and a 3’-UTR with a polyA tail. In this study, we demonstrate the remarkable and overlooked diversity of L1s via a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of over 500 species from widely divergent branches of the tree of life. The rapid and recent growth of L1 elements in mammalian species is juxtaposed against their decline in plant species and complete extinction in most reptiles and insects. In fact, some of these previously unexplored mammalian species (e.g. snub-nosed monkey, minke whale) exhibit L1 retrotranspositional ‘hyperactivity’ far surpassing that of human or mouse. In contrast, non-mammalian L1s have become so varied that the current classification system seems to inadequately capture their structural characteristics. Our findings illustrate how both long-term inherited evolutionary patterns and random bursts of activity in individual species can significantly alter genomes, highlighting the importance of L1 dynamics in eukaryotes.
Intestinal metaplasia is age related in Barrett's esophagus.

The correlation among cellular characteristics of Barrett's esophagus, patient age, and malignant neoplasm is not well documented. This study, which describes a population of 66 patients with Barrett's esophagus spanning 1 to 80 years of age, analyzes the cellular constituents of their lesional tissues by endoscopic biopsy and histochemical and morphometric studies. Goblet cell metaplasia, identified in 50% (n = 14) of pediatric patients, increased significantly to involve 84% (n = 32) of biopsy specimens from adult patients with Barrett's esophagus. This increase was exponential by linear regression analysis (R2 = .64) between the ages of 5 and 29 years. Pediatric patients usually had 25 or less goblet cells per square millimeter of Barrett mucosa with no identifiable epithelial dysplasia or cancer; Nissen fundoplication lessened esophageal inflammation, but the Barrett mucosa persisted. Goblet cell metaplasia maintained a plateau (mean of 57 cells per square millimeter of Barrett mucosa) between the ages of 41 and 80 years. Dysplasia, in situ carcinoma, or invasive carcinoma was found in patients with Barrett's esophagus who were aged 41 years or older. This study demonstrates persistence of Barrett mucosa, increased incidence of goblet cell metaplasia, and predictable changes in goblet cell number with advancing patient age. The relationship between Barrett mucosa and malignant neoplasm remains uncertain, but the goblet cell may serve as a marker of disease chronicity in which setting neoplasia evolves.
Conditional Prediction Intervals for Linear Regression

We construct prediction intervals for the linear regression model with IID errors with a known distribution, not necessarily Gaussian. The coverage probability of our prediction intervals is equal to the nominal confidence level not only unconditionally but also conditionally given a natural sigma-algebra of invariant events. This implies, in particular, the perfect calibration of our prediction intervals in the on-line mode of prediction.
Impaired CO2 sensitivity of astrocytes in a mouse model of Rett syndrome

Rett syndrome is a prototypical neurological disorder characterised by abnormal breathing pattern and reduced ventilatory CO2 sensitivity. Medullary astrocytes are a crucial component of central CO2/pH chemosensitivity. This study tested the hypotheses that methyl‐CpG‐binding protein 2 (MeCP2) deficient medullary astrocytes are (i) unable to produce/release appropriate amounts of lactate, and/or (ii) unable to sense changes in PCO2 /[H+]. We found no differences in tonic or hypoxia‐induced release of lactate from the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata or cerebral cortex between MeCP2‐knockout and wild‐type mice. Respiratory acidosis triggered robust [Ca2+]i responses in wild‐type astrocytes residing near the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata. CO2‐induced [Ca2+]i responses in astrocytes were dramatically reduced in conditions of MeCP2 deficiency. These data suggest that (i) ‘metabolic’ function of astrocytes in releasing lactate into the extracellular space is not affected by MeCP2 deficiency, and (ii) MeCP2 deficiency impairs the ability of medullary astrocytes to sense changes in PCO2 /[H+].
Improvement in the tribological properties of polyamide 6

Improvement in the tribological properties of the polyamide 6 (PA6) with various fillers, for example, talc, glass fiber (GF), combined solid lubricants such as graphite, and ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene was systematically studied. The results revealed that GF could reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate of pure PA6 more efficiently than talc, and the optimum content was 15 wt%. The COF and wear rate increased with the increase of load, except the wear rate of the composite with 20 and 25 wt% GF, which decreased with the increase of load. The incorporation of combined solid lubricants to PA6 contributed to increases in COF and wear rate. Further addition of 15 wt% GF enhanced the tribological properties remarkably. To further understand the wear mechanism, the worn surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscopy.
Outcomes of Disconnective Surgery in Intractable Pediatric Hemispheric and Subhemispheric Epilepsy

Objectives: To study the outcome of disconnective epilepsy surgery for intractable hemispheric and sub-hemispheric pediatric epilepsy. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the epilepsy surgery database was done in all children (age <18 years) who underwent a peri-insular hemispherotomy (PIH) or a peri-insular posterior quadrantectomy (PIPQ) from April 2000 to March 2011. All patients underwent a detailed pre surgical evaluation. Seizure outcome was assessed by the Engel's classification and cognitive skills by appropriate measures of intelligence that were repeated annually. Results: There were 34 patients in all. Epilepsy was due to Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE), Infantile hemiplegia seizure syndrome (IHSS), Hemimegalencephaly (HM), Sturge Weber syndrome (SWS) and due to post encephalitic sequelae (PES). Twenty seven (79.4%) patients underwent PIH and seven (20.6%) underwent PIPQ. The mean follow up was 30.5 months. At the last follow up, 31 (91.1%) were seizure free. The age of seizure onset and etiology of the disease causing epilepsy were predictors of a Class I seizure outcome. Conclusions: There is an excellent seizure outcome following disconnective epilepsy surgery for intractable hemispheric and subhemispheric pediatric epilepsy. An older age of seizure onset, RE, SWS and PES were good predictors of a Class I seizure outcome.