Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Asymmetrical competition between aquatic primary producers in a warmer and browner world.

In shallow lakes, pelagic and benthic producers engage in spatially asymmetrical resource competition. Pelagic producers intercept the flux of light to the benthic habitat and benthic producers intercept the flux of sediment-derived nutrients to the pelagic habitat. In boreal and subarctic regions, climate change is affecting this interaction both directly through warming and indirectly through increased loading with colored dissolved organic matter (cDOM) from the catchment ("brownification"). We use a dynamical ecosystem model to explore the consequences of these changing environmental conditions for lake primary production and compare model predictions with the results of an experiment in which we manipulated water temperature and cDOM supply in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The experiment was performed in field mesocosms large enough to harbor reproducing fish populations and was run over an entire growing season. In agreement with model predictions, benthic algal production and biomass declined and pelagic algal production and biomass increased with browning. Pelagic nutrient concentrations diverged over time between low and high cDOM treatments, suggesting that browning alleviated pelagic algal nutrient limitation by shading benthic competitors and preventing them from intercepting the release of nutrients from the sediment. Warming considerably reduced benthic and pelagic algal production as well as pelagic algal biomass and total phosphorus. The warming results are only in partial accordance with model expectations, but can be explained by an indirectly inferred, positive response of macrophyte production (which was not included in the model) to warming. Our study suggests that lake ecosystem responses to climate change are mediated by cross-habitat feedbacks between benthic and pelagic producers.
Is there a chilly climate? An educational environmental mixed method study in a chiropractic training institution.

OBJECTIVE The attitude towards gender in an educational environment has a significant impact on a student's behavior, sense of well-being, and academic performance. Our study aimed to explore the presence and extent of gender-related issues in a chiropractic undergraduate learning environment, which has been a scarcely researched topic in the literature. METHODS The Perceived Chilly Climate Scale (PCCS) was used as the initial tool for screening the gender issues among undergraduates. The issues identified were explored further with a series of focus group interviews. RESULTS The PCCS had an 83% response rate. The PCCS score (105/196) indicated the nonexistence of alarming gender-related issues. However, the PCCS score was significantly higher among female than male subjects, immigrants than nonimmigrants, and minorities than majority ethnic groups. Despite high ratings on the questionnaire quantitative findings, the focus groups indicated a good sense of equality, oppression-free environment, and no obvious signs of discrimination. CONCLUSION The educational environment of the institution concerned was conducive to equality. However, subtle but important gender-, ethnic-, and minority-related issues could be addressed to provide an enhanced educational environment to learners.
Dihydropyrimidinase related protein‐2 as a biomarker for temperature and time dependent post mortem changes in the mouse brain proteome

Proteome analysis in the central nervous system area represents a large and important challenge in drug discovery. One major problem is to obtain representative and well characterized tissues of high quality for analysis. We have used brain tissues from normal mice to study the effect of post mortem time (up to 32 h) and temperature (4°C and room temperature) on protein expression patterns. A number of proteins were identified using mass spectrometry and potential markers were localized. One of the proteins identified, dihydropyrimidinase related protein‐2 (DRP‐2), occurs as multiple spots in two‐dimensional electrophoresis gels. The ratio between the truncated form of DRP‐2 (fDRP‐2) and full length DRP‐2 is suggested as an internal control that can be used as a biomarker of post mortem time and post mortem temperature between unrelated brain protein samples. Results of this study may be useful in future efforts to detect disease specific alterations in proteomic studies of human post mortem brain tissues.
Efficacy of omeprazole versus high-dose famotidine for prevention of exercise-induced gastritis in racing Alaskan sled dogs.

BACKGROUND Omeprazole and famotidine both reduce severity of exercise-induced gastritis, but administering famotidine is easier than administering omeprazole during racing competition. HYPOTHESIS Famotidine is more efficacious than no treatment in reducing severity of exercise-induced gastritis; and high-dose famotidine is more efficacious than omeprazole in reducing severity of exercise-induced gastritis. ANIMALS Experiment 1: Randomized placebo-controlled study, 36 sled dogs (3-8 years); Experiment 2: Randomized positive-control study, 52 sled dogs (2-8 years). METHODS Experiment 1: Equal numbers of dogs randomly assigned to famotidine (20 mg q24h) or no treatment groups. Gastroscopy was performed 24 hours after the dogs ran 330 miles. Mucosal appearance was blindly scored by previously described scoring system. Experiment 2: Equal numbers of dogs randomly assigned to omeprazole (20 mg q24h) or high-dose famotidine (40 mg q12h) groups. Gastroscopy was performed 48 hours before and 24 hours after the dogs ran 300 miles. Mucosal appearance was blindly scored by previously described scoring system. RESULTS Famotidine reduced the prevalence of clinically relevant, exercise-induced gastric lesions compared with no treatment (7/16 versus 11/16, P = .031). Compared with high-dose famotidine, omeprazole significantly decreased the severity (0.4 versus 1.2, P = .0002) and prevalence (2/23 versus 7/21, P = .049) of gastric lesions. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Although famotidine provides some benefit in the prevention of exercise-induced gastric lesions, omeprazole is superior to famotidine in preventing gastritis in dogs running 300 miles. Routine administration of omeprazole is recommended to prevent stress-associated gastric disease in exercising and racing Alaskan sled dogs.
Methodologic Considerations for Quantitative 18F-FDG PET/CT Studies of Hepatic Glucose Metabolism in Healthy Subjects

PET with the glucose analog 18F-FDG is used to measure regional tissue metabolism of glucose. However, 18F-FDG may have affinities different from those of glucose for plasma membrane transporters and intracellular enzymes; the lumped constant (LC) can be used to correct these differences kinetically. The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of measuring human hepatic glucose metabolism with dynamic 18F-FDG PET/CT and to determine an operational LC for 18F-FDG by comparison with 3H-glucose measurements. Methods: Eight healthy human subjects were included. In all studies, 18F-FDG and 3H-glucose were mixed in saline and coadministered. A 60-min dynamic PET recording of the liver was performed for 180 min with blood sampling from catheters in a hepatic vein and a radial artery (concentrations of 18F-FDG and 3H-glucose in blood). Hepatic blood flow was determined by indocyanine green infusion. First, 3 subjects underwent studies comparing bolus administration and constant-infusion administration of tracers during hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamping. Next, 5 subjects underwent studies comparing fasting and hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamping with tracer infusions. Splanchnic extraction fractions of 18F-FDG (E*) and 3H-glucose (E) were calculated from concentrations in blood, and the LC was calculated as ln(1 – E*)/ln(1 – E). Volumes of interest were drawn in the liver tissue, and hepatic metabolic clearance of 18F-FDG (mL of blood/100 mL of liver tissue/min) was estimated. Results: For bolus versus infusion, E* values were always negative when 18F-FDG was administered as a bolus and were always positive when it was administered as an infusion. For fasting versus clamping, E* values were positive in 4 of 5 studies during fasting and were always positive during clamping. Negative extraction fractions were ascribed to the tracer distribution in the large volume of distribution in the prehepatic splanchnic bed. The LC ranged from 0.43 to 2.53, with no significant difference between fasting and clamping. Conclusion: The large volume of distribution of 18F-FDG in the prehepatic splanchnic bed may complicate the analysis of dynamic PET data because it represents the mixed tracer input to the liver via the portal vein. Therefore, dynamic 18F-FDG data for human hepatic glucose metabolism should be interpreted with caution, but constant tracer infusion seems to yield more robust results than bolus injection.
Multiple Fano Resonances Based on Different Waveguide Modes in a Symmetry Breaking Plasmonic System

Multiple Fano resonances are numerically investigated based on different waveguide modes in a nanoscale plasmonic waveguide resonator system, which consists of two grooves coupled with a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide. Simulation results show that by introducing a small structural breaking in the plasmonic resonator, both symmetric and antisymmetric waveguide modes can be excited. Due to the interaction of the symmetric and antisymmetric waveguide modes, the transmission spectra possess a sharp asymmetrical profile. Because of different origins, these Fano resonances exhibit different dependence on the parameters of the structure and can be easily tuned. These characteristics offer flexibility to design the device. This nanosensor yields a sensitivity of ~820 nm/RIU and a figure-of-merit of ~ 3.2× 105. The utilization of the antisymmetric mode in the MIM waveguide provides a new possibility for designing high-performance plasmonic devices.
Occupational stress among Swedish audiologists in clinical practice: Reasons for being stressed

Abstract Objective: The present study reports on the application of a Swedish translation of the audiologist occupational stress questionnaire (AOSQ) on audiologists working in Sweden. The relations between AOSQ scores and perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, demographic variables such as salary, education length, practise length, and practice type were tested. Design: A cross-sectional e-mail survey using the AOSQ, effort-reward imbalance questionnaire, and demographic questions. Study sample: Four-hundred and four Swedish licensed audiologists working with clients. Results: The Swedish AOSQ translation demonstrated high inter-item correlations and high internal consistency. Several stress factors were identified: time spent at work, accountability, leadership at the workplace, paperwork and practice demands, equipment and clinical protocols, own health concerns, and job control. The outcome on the complete AOSQ questionnaire was related to perceived effort, perceived rewards, coping strategies at work, and age. Conclusions: The Swedish AOSQ translation seems to provide a valid measure of occupational stress among audiologists.
Urinary symptoms in the community: how bothersome are they?

OBJECTIVES To measure the level of reported urinary symptoms presumed to be associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) among men aged 40 years and over in the community, and to assess how bothersome these symptoms are perceived to be. SUBJECTS AND METHODS All ambulant men aged 40 years and over who were registered in a general practice (703) were invited to attend the health centre to complete a questionnaire containing the Maine prostatectomy scale and the International Continence Society-BPH questionnaire, and to undergo uroflowmetry. RESULTS The prevalence of symptomatic BPH (as defined by a numerical score > or = 11 on the Maine score, a urinary peak flow of < 15 ml/s, and failure to void > or = 150 ml on three separate occasions) was 284/1000 for men aged 40 years and over. This prevalence increased from 179/1000 in men aged 40-49 to 500/1000 in men aged 70 years and over. The most commonly reported symptoms were those typically associated with BPH (terminal dribble, hesitancy, intermittency, urgency). The symptoms that caused men the greatest degree of bother were frequency, nocturia and those causing incontinence or social embarrassment. CONCLUSION The high prevalence of urinary symptoms assumed to be related to BPH in men in the community does not necessarily suggest that these men will require treatment. Common symptoms, typically associated with BPH, were tolerated. Further research is required to investigate the natural history of urinary symptoms, the relationships between symptoms and bladder outflow obstruction secondary to BPH, and to determine the most appropriate management for men in the community, ranging from 'watchful waiting' (monitoring without treatment) to medical or surgical treatment.
Skewed Invariant Natural Killer T (iNKT) Cells, Impaired iNKT:B Cell Help and Decreased SAP Expression in Blood Lymphocytes from Patients with Common Variable Immunodeficiency

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a syndrome with predominantly defective B cell function. However, abnormalities in the number and function of other lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood (PB) have been described in most patients. We have analysed the distribution of iNKT cell subpopulations in the PB of CVID patients and the ability of these cells to provide in vitro cognate B cell help. The total of iNKT cells was reduced in the PB of CVID patients, especially CD4+, CD4‐/CD8‐ and CCR5+/CXCR3+. These findings were associated with an enrichment of memory‐like and a tendency towards a reduction in TNF‐α‐expressing effector iNKT cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CVID patients. Moreover, an accumulation of follicular helper iNKT cells in the PB of CVID patients was demonstrated. CVID αGalCer‐pulsed iNKT cells are not able to induce autologous B cell proliferation although they do induce proliferation to healthy donor B cells. Interestingly, autologous and heterologous co‐cultures did not differ in the amount of immunoglobulin secreted by B cells in vitro. Finally, reduced intracellular SAP expression in iNKT cells and other lymphocytes in the blood from CVID patients was observed. These results provide further insights into the immunological mechanisms underlying the iNKT cell defects and the potential targets to improve B cell help in CVID.
β-d-Glucan Screening for Detection of Invasive Fungal Disease in Children Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTRACT While the assessment of β-d-glucan (BDG) levels in adults improves the early diagnosis of invasive fungal disease (IFD), data on BDG levels in children are limited. We therefore assessed in a prospective cohort study the value of serial BDG screening for early detection of IFD in children undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). IFD was defined according to the revised European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycosis Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria, with the necessary modification that BDG was not included as a microbiological criterion. For the analysis, a total of 702 serum samples were obtained in 34 pediatric HSCT recipients. Proven IFD occurred in two patients (fusariosis and Candida sepsis, respectively), and probable invasive aspergillosis was diagnosed in four patients. Analyses including different cutoff values for BDG levels and different definitions of the onset of IFD demonstrated that the BDG assay has a relatively high sensitivity and good negative predictive value, whereas the positive predictive value has major limitations (<30%). Receiver operating characteristic analyses suggested an optimal cutoff between 60 and 70 pg/ml for different definitions of the onset of IFD. Our data show that BDG screening in pediatric HSCT recipients has a low positive predictive value and is therefore of limited usefulness.
Path planning for Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems

This paper presents a collection of path planning algorithms for real-time movement of multiple robots across a Robotic Mobile Fulfillment System (RMFS). Robots are assigned to move storage units to pickers at working stations instead of requiring pickers to go to the storage area. Path planning algorithms aim to find paths for the robots to fulfill the requests without collisions or deadlocks. The state-of-the-art path planning algorithms, including WHCA*, FAR, BCP, OD&ID and CBS, were adapted to suit path planning in RMFS and integrated within a simulation tool to guide the robots from their starting points to their destinations during the storage and retrieval processes. Ten different layouts with a variety of numbers of robots, floors, pods, stations and the sizes of storage areas were considered in the simulation study. Performance metrics of throughput, path length and search time were monitored. Simulation results demonstrate the best algorithm based on each performance metric.
An Unexpected Spectrum of p53 Mutations from Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Psoriasis Patients Treated with PUVA

Photochemotherapy employing 8‐methoxypsoralen and long‐wavelength ultraviolet radiation (UVA, 320‐400 nm) is widely used in the treatment of psoriasis. The pho‐toactivation of psoralens in skin cells leads to formation of DNA photoadducts which may be responsible, at least in part, for the efficacy of these photochemotherapies. However, mutations arising from these adducts may also lead to the well‐characterized increased incidence of squamous cell carcinoma. Mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been detected in many human cancers. To determine whether p53 mutations occur in squamous cell carcinomas in PUVA patients, PCR was used to amplify the exons (5‐9) in which other studies have found a high frequency of point mutations. Gel electrophoresis was used to detect single‐strand conformational polymorphisms. Aberrantly migrating bands were excised, reamplined and sequenced. Thirty‐four specimens from 10 patients were examined. Specimens from one patient who had received no phototherapy as well as from normal controls were also analyzed. Five of the 10 patients showed at least one p53 mutation. In contrast to previously reported psoralen‐induced p53 mutations in mice, the expected psoralen type mutations at alternating AT sites were not detected. All but two of the altered sequences occurred at dipyrimidine sites which is typical of solar type mutations. Two C→T mutations and two dipyrimidine mutations (CC→TT) were found. Other mutations included: C→G, G→T, C→A and an 18 bp deletion. A review of therapeutic history of these patients showed that some had also received UVB phototherapy. Furthermore, because sunlight is thought to be beneficial for psoriasis, nontherapeutic, casual UVB exposure cannot be excluded. Our observations suggest that the SCC may have arisen from the solar mutations and that PUVA may enhance tumor progression or immune suppression
The yjdF riboswitch candidate regulates gene expression by binding diverse azaaromatic compounds

The yjdF motif RNA is an orphan riboswitch candidate that almost exclusively associates with the yjdF protein-coding gene in many bacteria. The function of the YjdF protein is unknown, which has made speculation regarding the natural ligand for this putative riboswitch unusually challenging. By using a structure-probing assay for ligand binding, we found that a surprisingly broad diversity of nitrogen-containing aromatic heterocycles, or “azaaromatics,” trigger near-identical changes in the structures adopted by representative yjdF motif RNAs. Regions of the RNA that undergo ligand-induced structural modulation reside primarily in portions of the putative aptamer region that are highly conserved in nucleotide sequence, as is typical for riboswitches. Some azaaromatic molecules are bound by the RNA with nanomolar dissociation constants, and a subset of these ligands activate riboswitch-mediated gene expression in cells. Furthermore, genetic elements most commonly adjacent to the yjdF motif RNA or to the yjdF protein-coding region are homologous to protein regulators implicated in mitigating the toxic effects of diverse phenolic acids or polycyclic compounds. Although the precise type of natural ligand sensed by yjdF motif RNAs remains unknown, our findings suggest that this riboswitch class might serve as part of a genetic response system to toxic or signaling compounds with chemical structures similar to azaaromatics.
Variation in Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Occurrence by Geographic Location and Hospital Characteristics

Abstract A survey of 162 Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) laboratories performing antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed to determine variation in reported rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolation by geographic location and hospital characteristics. Of the 162 VAMC laboratories surveyed, 136 (84%) provided usable data. The percentage of S aureus isolates reported as resistant to methicillin ranged from 0% to 52% with a mean value of 10% among the 136 survey respondents. MRSA were isolated in every VA Medical District and 96% of all respondent laboratories reported isolating at least one MRSA isolate during the preceding year. These data are considered an underestimate of the time MRSA rate in the VA system due to the fact that many laboratories failed to follow key methodologic guidelines for optimal detection of MRSA. A positive correlation was found between MRSA isolation rate and several measures of hospital size and activity including total beds, total admissions, and total antimicrobial susceptibility tests performed. Geographic clustering of MRSA isolation was observed with distinct areas of very high and very low percentages of S aureus isolates reported as MRSA. The data suggest that the geographic distribution of MRSA within the VA system should be monitored closely for evidence of spread from areas with high-MRSA rates to areas of mid- or low-MRSA rates. Evidence of increased MRSA isolation within these areas may necessitate increased caution in patient referral and transfer patterns within the VA system.
Variation in the degree and costs of adaptive phenotypic plasticity among Rana temporaria populations

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity in the form of capacity to accelerate development as a response to pond drying risk is known from many amphibian species. However, very little is known about factors that might constrain the evolution of this type of plasticity, and few studies have explored to what degree plasticity might be constrained by trade‐offs dictated by adaptation to different environmental conditions. We compared the ability of southern and northern Scandinavian common frog (Rana temporaria) larvae originating from 10 different populations to accelerate their development in response to simulated pond drying risk and the resulting costs in metamorphic size in a factorial laboratory experiment. We found that (i) northern larvae developed faster than the southern larvae in all treatments, (ii) a capacity to accelerate the response was present in all five southern and all five northern populations tested, but that the magnitude of the response was much larger (and less variable) in the southern than in the northern populations, and that (iii) significant plasticity costs in metamorphic size were present in the southern populations, the plastic genotypes having smaller metamorphic size in the absence of desiccation risk, but no evidence for plasticity costs was found in the northern populations. We suggest that the weaker response to pond drying risk in the northern populations is due to stronger selection on large metamorphic size as compared with southern populations. In other words, seasonal time constraints that have selected the northern larvae to be fast growing and developing, may also constrain their innate ability for adaptive phenotypic plasticity.