Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Artificial selection in plants and animals

shall be dealing in this paper with the results of selection experiments in plant said animal populations, partly from the point of view of the effectiveness of the selection in actually producing improvement, but rather more in terms of the formation that these experiments give us about the architecture of quantitative genetic variation in different kinds of characters. I shall be dealing almost entirely vith outbreeding species. As I know very little about plants I shall have to restrict myself to those plant species which behave like animals. A theory of the short-term effects of selection has existed for almost thirty years. Fundamental to this is the concept of a basic random outbreeding population; and the theory, in giving a static statistical description of the population at present, allows an immediate prediction of the response of the population to selection pressure. Strictly speaking this prediction is valid only for a single generation and its usefulness over several generations will vary from population to population. In essence this is because the prediction of changes of mean in the population are in |terms of the genetic and phenotypic variance at the time of selection, but the theory cannot predict the change of the variances though these must be expected to change as well as the mean as selection proceeds. Experimental examination of the validity of this theory rests almost entirely on experiments with laboratory animals. I would name particularly the experiments of Mather on Drosophila and of various workers in Edinburgh on both Drosophila and mice. It is a rather odd fact that the group of workers, mostly in the United States, concerned with the development of the theory were in fact primarily concerned experimentally with inbreeding and crossing experiments on animals, and as a result there are very few critical selection experiments in larger animals which were started more than about ten years ago. The notable exception to this is Lerner’s well-documented selection experiment for egg production in poultry. There were of course many statistical analyses of the genetic variation in populations of plants and animals and results of these suggested that the response to selection in many characteristics of economic importance should be fairly rapid. Recent selection experiments have confirmed this and show that the wide extent of potential genetic variation that we know to exist in our laboratory populations and also in wild populations of animals is also found in populations of domestic plants and animals.
Partial characterization of the biosynthesis and integration of the Photosystem II reaction centers in the thylakoid membrane of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Pulse‐labeling of wild‐type and a Photosystem II mutant strain of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was carried out in the presence or absence of inhibitors of either cytoplasmic or chloroplast ribosomes, and their thylakoid membrane polypeptides were analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A pulse‐chase study was also done on the wild‐type strain in the presence of anisomycin, an inhibitor of protein synthesis on cytoplasmic ribosomes. The following results were obtained: the Photosystem II reaction center is mainly composed of integral membrane proteins synthesized within the chloroplast. Several of the proteins of the Photosystem II reaction center are post‐translationally modified, after they have been inserted in the thylakoid membrane.
Patient and health system delays in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis in Southern Taiwan.

SETTING Tainan city, Tainan county and 13 townships of Kaohsiung county, Southern Taiwan. OBJECTIVE To measure delays in the diagnosis and treatment of sputum-positive tuberculosis (TB) and to determine factors associated with delays in seeking health care (patient delay) and in starting anti-tuberculosis treatment (health system delay). DESIGN A population-based patient interview study. RESULTS Median patient delay was 7 days (range 0-730). Median health system delay was 23 days (range 0-489), 13 for smear-positive patients and 37 for smear-negative patients (P < 0.005). Median total delay was 44 days (range 0-730). Age <65 years was associated with longer patient delay. Negative smear, absence of haemoptysis, not having a chest radiograph at the first medical consultation and visiting clinics for first consultation were associated with a longer health system delay. Age <65 years, negative smear and cough as the only presenting symptom were associated with longer total delay. CONCLUSION Patient delay was substantially shorter than health system delay. To reduce health system delay, clinics need to be involved and the referral mechanism must be strengthened. Physicians should maintain high alert for TB and perform prompt sputum smear examinations.
New Novel Approaches for Securing VoIP Applications

SIP message authentication and SRTP key agreement are the important issue in the SIP-based VoIP service. Several secure solutions such as HTTP Digest Authentication, SSL/TLS, and S/MIME, are used for the SIP message authentication and key agreement. When the VoIP is used in the wireless environments, the efficiency of security service is one of the important matters in question. For the such efficiency, WPKI is a better substitution than the traditional PKI, while it still requires the effort on the certificate management. Therefore, we would like to propose efficient ID-based cryptosystem for the VoIP in the wireless environments. In this paper, we present the overview of WPKI and the application of ID-based cryptosystem for the SIP message authentication as well as the authenticated one-way key agreement for SRTP. Our novel design reduces delaying for the key generation and provides the explicit mutual authentication.
Cytapheresis in patients with severe ulcerative colitis after failure of intravenous corticosteroid: a long-term retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Cytapheresis (CAP) is a novel strategy for ulcerative colitis (UC). However, there is insufficient data on the long-term outcome of UC patients who achieve remission by CAP. This study involved patients with severe UC who refracted to intravenous (iv) corticosteroid. METHODS Forty-seven UC patients who had received CAP therapy for the first time within 1 year after UC diagnosis were followed for 36 months. One of the inclusion criteria was a clinical activity index (CAI) of >/=7 points at the end of a 2-week iv course of corticosteroid therapy. CAP therapy consisted of ten sessions over 10 weeks. RESULTS CAP induced clinical remission (CAI</=4) in 70.2% patients (33/47). The number of submissions for colectomy was higher for severe UC at entry (CAI>/=12, n=25) than for moderately severe UC at entry (7</=CAI<12, p=15; p<0.02). The cumulative rates of avoiding surgery and relapse were 54.5% and 24.2%, respectively, at 36 months in patients who responded to CAP therapy. This was similar to that of iv cyclosporine reported recently. CONCLUSIONS This study suggest that CAP is an effective therapy in patients who are refractory to conventional medications including iv corticosteroid. Increased remission rates should be expected in refractory patients with moderately severe UC.
Balamuthia mandrillaris infection of the skin and central nervous system: an emerging disease of concern to many specialties in medicine

Purpose of review Balamuthia mandrillaris infection of the skin and central nervous system has been increasingly reported in the last decade, making this entity a genuine emerging disease. The ability of the clinician in recognizing the skin lesion early in the course of the disease may lead to a successful therapeutic intervention in an otherwise fatal disease. Recent findings In the past years, advances have been made regarding knowledge about the ubiquity of the ameba in the environment, its worldwide distribution (with higher prevalence in South America), the patients at risk (particularly those of Hispanic origin), the diagnostic methods (including those based on molecular biology) and the different therapeutic strategies that have resulted in survival of patients. A recent report dealing with organ transplant transmission of this infection has made it a subject of interest in transplant medicine. Summary The present review will allow readers from different fields (clinician, dermatologist, neurologist, infectious disease and transplant specialist) to become familiar with the clinical aspect of the disease, including diagnosis and therapy.
Is this menopause? Women in midlife--psychosocial issues.

BACKGROUND Psychosocial influences have been found to impact on the symptoms a woman may experience as she moves through the menopause transition. Consequently any assessment of the menopausal woman should include an exploration and understanding of how the many psychosocial factors influence the experience of menopause and midlife. OBJECTIVE This article describes the many psychosocial factors that influence the experience of menopause including midlife issues, role and purpose in life, interpersonal relationships, libido, personality, psychological history and present psychological functioning, body image and sociocultural issues. Case studies are included to illustrate the importance of including psychosocial factors in the assessment and treatment of the menopausal woman. DISCUSSION Any assessment of the menopause experience should include psychosocial influences and the context of women's lives. In a consultation where both the physical and psychosocial issues are explored, we come closer to addressing the true needs of each patient.
Can Foot Orthoses Prevent Hallux Valgus Deformity in Rheumatoid Arthritis? A Randomized Clinical Trial

Hallux valgus deformity is the most commonly observed forefoot deformity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. This 5-year, double-blind, randomized clinical trial compared treatment orthoses with placebo orthoses for the prevention of hallux valgus deformity in the rheumatoid arthritic foot.One hundred and two subjects with active rheumatoid arthritis and with foot pain and minimal radiographic changes of the feet participated in the study. They were recruited from five arthritis clinics in the Chicago metropolitan area that are affiliated with or are teaching clinics of area medical schools. Patients were followed for 3 years.Eighty-one subjects completed the study. In a logistic regression analysis, the treatment group was 73% less likely to develop hallux valgus deformity compared with the control group (adjusted odds ratio 0.27, 95% confidence interval 0.078, 0.916 p = .04). These findings suggest that foot orthoses can prevent or slow the progression of hallux valgus deformity.
Soluble CD14 and CD14 Polymorphisms in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective. Soluble CD14 (sCD14) is involved in innate immune responses and has been implicated to play a pathogenic role in inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). No studies have identified the specific factors that influence sCD14 expression in RA. We used cross-sectional data to evaluate the relationship of sCD14 concentrations in RA with measures of disease activity and severity. We hypothesized that sCD14 concentrations would be elevated in subjects with greater RA disease severity and markers of disease activity, compared to subjects with lower disease activity. We also examined whether well-defined polymorphisms in CD14 are associated with sCD14 expression in RA. Methods. Soluble CD14 concentrations were measured using banked serum from patients with RA (n = 1270) and controls (n = 186). Associations of patient factors including demographics, measures of RA disease activity/severity, and select CD14 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with sCD14 concentration were examined in patients with RA using ordinal logistic regression. Results. Circulating concentrations of sCD14 were higher in patients with RA compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Factors significantly and independently associated with higher sCD14 levels in patients with RA included older age, being white (vs African American), lower body mass index, elevated high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and higher levels of disease activity based on the Disease Activity Score (DAS28). There were no significant associations of CD14 tagging SNP with sCD14 level in either univariate or multivariable analyses. Conclusion. Circulating levels of sCD14 are increased in RA and are highest in patients with increased levels of RA disease activity. In the context of RA, sCD14 concentrations also appear to be strongly influenced by specific patient factors including older age and race but not by genetic variation in CD14.
Observation Period Effects on Estimation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Incidence and Prevalence in Quebec

Objective. To determine how duration of observation affects estimation of incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. SLE incidence and prevalence estimates from data periods as brief as 3 years (2001–2003) were compared to estimates from a 15-year period (1989–2003). Results. The 15-year period incidence was 5.6/100,000 (95% CI 5.0–6.1) and the prevalence was 59.1/100,000 (95% CI 57.4–60.8). When a 3-year period was used, incidence was overestimated by 238.1% and prevalence underestimated by 66.0%. Conclusion. SLE incidence and prevalence estimates vary considerably according to the observation period; more than 5 years of data is likely required.
The Invention Coach: Integrating Data and Theory in the Design of an Exploratory Learning Environment

This design case describes the development of the Invention Coach, an intelligent exploratory learning environment (ELE) for the constructivist activity of Invention. The Invention Coach scaffolds students as they invent mathematical formulas to describe contrasting cases. In this paper, we detail our process and rationale for three key design decisions made with the goal of providing optimal guidance for Invention: (a) engaging in systematic analysis of teachers guiding students as a starting point for development; (b) developing a style of guidance that problematizes students’ work through constraints, contrasts, and prompts for explanation; and (c) structuring the space through a nonlinear, modular set of activities focused on problem subgoals. We revisit the age-old assistance dilemma, discussing the unique difficulties of designing guidance and support in a computer environment for exploratory learning. Throughout, we discuss the tensions between providing adequate guidance and encouraging student exploration. We end by considering the trade-offs and unforeseen challenges that have come out of our design.
Nutrient Adequacy and Associated Factors in a Nationwide Sample of German Toddlers

Objectives: Nutrition in toddlerhood may have short- and long-term impacts on health and nutrition behavior. The objectives of the present article are to describe intake of energy and nutrients from the end of infancy to toddlerhood, and to examine dietary and socioeconomic factors (socioeconomic status [SES]) associated with total nutrient adequacy measured by a nutrient-based index (Nutrient Quality Index [NQI]). Methods: In the German Representative Study of Toddler Alimentation from 2008, 7-day estimated dietary records were collected cross-sectionally from toddlers ages 10 to 36 months (n = 525). The study population was recruited in the TNS access panel. The intakes of energy and 18 nutrients were evaluated and the NQI was determined. Age trends in nutrient intake were tested with analysis of variance. Analysis of the association between SES and the NQI was performed by multiple linear regression analysis. Results: In all of the age groups, energy intake was close to the reference value representing moderate physical activity. The mean intake of most vitamins and minerals reached the respective reference values, but nutrient density decreased with age. Dietary intakes of iron, iodine, and vitamin D are low in our study. The NQI reached approximately 80 points and was lower in older children than in younger children. NQI was not affected by SES but by formula use. Conclusions: Nutritional quality measured by total nutrient intake is altogether high in German toddlers, although NQI decreased with increasing age. The NQI is independent of social class. The positive association with formula intake can be explained by the general enrichment of vitamins and minerals of these products.
Residual sleep disturbances in patients remitted from major depressive disorder: a 4-year naturalistic follow-up study.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To investigate the prevalence and clinical, psychosocial, and functional correlates of residual sleep disturbances in remitted depressed outpatients. DESIGN A 4-yr prospective observational study in a cohort of psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder was conducted with a standardized diagnostic psychiatric interview and a packet of questionnaires, including a sleep questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, NEO personality inventory, and Short Form-12 Health Survey. SETTINGS A university-affiliated psychiatric outpatient clinic. INTERVENTIONS N/A MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Four hundred twenty-one depressed outpatients were recruited at baseline, and 371 patients (mean age 44.6 ± 10.4 yr, female 81.8%; response rate 88.1%) completed the reassessments, in which 41% were classified as remitted cases. One year prevalence of frequent insomnia at baseline and follow-up in remitted patients was 38.0% and 19.3%, respectively. One year prevalence of frequent nightmares at baseline and follow-up was 24.0% and 9.3%, respectively. Remitted patients with residual insomnia were more likely to be divorced (P < 0.05) and scored higher on the anxiety subscale (P < 0.05). Remitted patients with residual nightmares were younger (P < 0.05) and scored higher on neuroticism (P < 0.05) and anxiety subscales (P < 0.01). Residual insomnia and nightmares were associated with various aspects of impaired quality of life. Residual nightmares was associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio = 8.40; 95% confidence interval 1.79-39.33). CONCLUSIONS Residual sleep disturbances, including insomnia and nightmares, were commonly reported in remitted depressed patients with impaired quality of life and suicidal ideation. A constellation of psychosocial and personality factors, baseline sleep disturbances, and comorbid anxiety symptoms may account for the residual sleep disturbances. Routine assessment and management of sleep symptoms are indicated in the integrated management of depression.
Improving Estimates of Numbers of Children With Severe Acute Malnutrition Using Cohort and Survey Data.

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is reported to affect 19 million children worldwide. However, this estimate is based on prevalence data from cross-sectional surveys and can be expected to miss some children affected by an acute condition such as SAM. The burden of acute conditions is more appropriately represented by cumulative incidence data. In the absence of incidence data, a method for burden estimation has been proposed that corrects available prevalence estimates to account for incident cases using an "incidence correction factor. " We used data from 3 West African countries (Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, 2009-2012) to test the hypothesis that a single incidence correction factor may be used for estimation of SAM burden. We estimated the incidence correction factor and performed meta-analysis to calculate summary estimates for each country and for all 3 countries. Heterogeneity between countries and years was assessed using the I2 statistic. We estimated a pooled incidence correction factor of 4.82 (95% confidence interval: 3.15, 7.38), although there was substantial between-country heterogeneity (I2 = 69%). Knowing how many children in a particular area will be malnourished is fundamental to planning an effective operational response. Our results show that the incidence correction factor varies widely and suggest that estimating the burden of SAM with a common incidence correction factor is unlikely to be adequate.
Natural NaAlSi(3)O(8)-hollandite in the shocked sixiangkou meteorite

The hollandite high-pressure polymorph of plagioclase has been identified in shock-induced melt veins of the Sixiangkou L6 chondrite. It is intimately intergrown with feldspathic glass within grains previously thought to be "maskelynite. " The crystallographic nature of the mineral was established by laser micro-Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The mineral is tetragonal with the unit cell parameters a = 9.263 +/- 0.003 angstroms and c = 2.706 +/- 0.003 angstroms. Its occurrence with the liquidus pair majorite-pyrope solid solution plus magnesiowustite sets constraints on the peak pressures that prevailed in the shock-induced melt veins. The absence of a calcium ferrite-structured phase sets an upper bound for the crystallization of the hollandite polymorph near 23 gigapascals.
Structural Basis for the Redox Control of Plant Glutamate Cysteine Ligase*

Glutathione (GSH) plays a crucial role in plant metabolism and stress response. The rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of GSH is catalyzed by glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) the activity of which is tightly regulated. The regulation of plant GCLs is poorly understood. The crystal structure of substrate-bound GCL from Brassica juncea at 2.1-Å resolution reveals a plant-unique regulatory mechanism based on two intramolecular redox-sensitive disulfide bonds. Reduction of one disulfide bond allows a β-hairpin motif to shield the active site of B. juncea GCL, thereby preventing the access of substrates. Reduction of the second disulfide bond reversibly controls dimer to monomer transition of B. juncea GCL that is associated with a significant inactivation of the enzyme. These regulatory events provide a molecular link between high GSH levels in the plant cell and associated down-regulation of its biosynthesis. Furthermore, known mutations in the Arabidopsis GCL gene affect residues in the close proximity of the active site and thus explain the decreased GSH levels in mutant plants. In particular, the mutation in rax1-1 plants causes impaired binding of cysteine.