Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potassium Salts Inhibit Growth of the Cyanobacteria Microcystis spp. in Pond Water and Defined Media: Implications for Control of Microcystin-Producing Aquatic Blooms

Ten metals were assayed in 21 Indian ponds which comprised three groups: (i) eutrophic alkaline ponds containing <2.5 mM potassium and thick growths of Microcystis aeruginosa or Microcystis flos-aquae during most of the year, (ii) equally eutrophic alkaline ponds containing >2.8 mM potassium and no detectable Microcystis growth, and (iii) oligo- or mesotrophic ponds with various potassium and hydrogen ion concentrations and no persistent Microcystis blooms. The effects of potassium on Microcystis growth were examined in filter-sterilized pond water and in defined culture media. A 50% reduction in the 10-day yield of cultured M. aeruginosa was observed in DP medium and pond water supplemented with 1 and 3 mM KCl, respectively. In contrast, the addition of 2 to 30 mM NaCl did not suppress the growth of M. aeruginosa in either DP medium or pond water. Both 5 mM KCl and 20 mM KHCO(inf3) in J medium strongly inhibited the growth of M. flos-aquae C3-9, whereas 5 to 30 mM NaCl had no effect and 20 mM NaHCO(inf3) was stimulatory. For pond water cultured with a mixture of M. aeruginosa and the duckweed Wolffia arrhiza, M. aeruginosa dominated in unsupplemented water and W. arrhiza dominated in water supplemented with 4.8 mM KCl. Implications for the ecology and control of Microcystis blooms are discussed.
HBV DNA persistence 10 years after liver transplantation despite successful anti‐HBS passive immunoprophylaxis

Long‐term immunoprophylaxis with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) is widely accepted for the prevention of recurrent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection after liver transplantation in HBV‐infected patients without viral replication. We report long‐term results of HBIG administration in 284 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)‐positive transplant patients. In protocol 1, 259 patients were given HBIG with the goal of maintaining the anti‐HBs antibody (Ab) titer over 100 IU/L. After December 1993, 25 HBV DNA‐positive patients received HBIG, with a target anti‐HBs Ab titer over 500 IU/L, combined with posttransplantation antiviral therapy (protocol 2). At 10 years, 44 patients without recurrence were tested for the presence of HBV DNA in serum using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR); 28 were also tested in liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The overall 5‐ and 10‐year posttransplantation actuarial rates of HBV recurrence were 24.2% and 25.4%, respectively. The 5‐year recurrence rate in protocol 2 patients was 11.8%. On multivariate analysis, predictors of lower HBV recurrence risk were absence of serum HBV DNA before transplantation (P < .0001), acute liver disease (P = .0037), HDV superinfection (P = .012), and protocol 2 therapy (P < .0001). Low‐level HBV DNA was detected by PCR in 45.4% of patients without HBV recurrence at 10 years. Overall actuarial 10‐year survival was 74.4%. In conclusion, we confirm the efficacy of long‐term HBIG immunoprophylaxis. Combination prophylaxis with HBIG and antiviral therapy is effective in patients with viral replication. Although there were only a few cases of HBV recurrence after 5 years, HBV DNA remained present in 45% of patients at 10 years.
Frame-of-Reference and Hierarchical-Organisation Effects in the Rod-and-Frame Illusion

Two hypotheses proposed as alternatives by Rock—frame of reference and hierarchical organisation of perception—were tested in a series of experiments with the use of the rod-and-frame illusion. This illusion produces errors in the apparent vertical due to the presence of a tilted frame surrounding the test rod. The apparent vertical is shifted in the direction of the frame tilt. When an upright square was added inside the tilted frame, rod-setting errors varied according to the visual characteristics of the display. In the case of a large display presented in the dark (experiment 1), there continued to be large errors in the direction of the outer-square tilt. This finding supports the frame-of-reference hypothesis, which proposes that the orientation of all objects in the visual field is dominated by the most peripheral reference. In the case of a small display presented in a lit environment (experiments 2 and 3), the direction of errors was the opposite. This latter finding was taken to indicate that the rod was set with reference to the perceived tilt of the inner upright square. Thus, according to a hierarchical-organisation hypothesis, the orientation of an object in the visual field is influenced by objects in the immediate surroundings not by outermost reference. Overall, the results confirm the presence of two qualitatively different classes of orientational phenomena: one is concerned with the definition of egocentric coordinates and one with an object-centred visual representation.
Quantitative evaluation of Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection in simian immunodeficiency virus‐infected rhesus monkeys

Abstract: The association of the microsporidia Enterocytozoon bieneusi with chronic diarrhea and wasting in individuals with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been demonstrated. The disease caused by E. bieneusi has been linked to decreased levels of circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the extent of excretion of E. bieneusi in feces of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)‐infected juvenile macaques and the CD4+ T lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood. Twelve juvenile rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were intravenously inoculated with the pathogenic molecular clone SIVmac239. Numbers of CD4+ T lymphocytes were assessed by three‐color flow cytometry. The presence of E. bieneusi DNA in feces was assessed by nested PCR. In addition, selected samples of feces were examined by competitive quantitative PCR to assess the level of E. bieneusi infection. Low (n = 5) to undetectable (n = 7) quantities of E. bieneusi were present in feces of the twelve animals in prior to inoculation with SIV. After SIV inoculation the number of animals shedding E. bieneusi increased (n = 10) as did the quantity of E. bieneusi shedding in the feces. Of the twelve juvenile animals, five animals died within 8 months post‐SIV inoculation with symptoms of AIDS. Four of the five deceased animals showed shedding of E. bieneusi DNA in feces (≥100 spores/g) for at least three consecutive months. Increased number of E. bieneusi in feces was accompanied by decreased counts of circulating CD4+ T lymphocytes and increased SIV plasma viral load.
Influence of cigarette smoking on coronary artery and aortic calcium among random samples from populations of middle-aged Japanese and Korean men

Background Cigarette smoking is a risk factor of coronary heart disease. Vascular calcification such as coronary artery calcium (CAC) and aortic calcium (AC) is associated with coronary heart disease. The authors hypothesised that cigarette smoking is associated with coronary artery and aortic calcifications in Japanese and Koreans with high smoking prevalence. Methods Random samples from populations of 313 Japanese and 302 Korean men aged 40–49 years were examined for calcification of the coronary artery and aorta using electron beam CT. CAC and AC were quantified using the Agatston score. The authors examined the associations of cigarette smoking with CAC and AC after adjusting for conventional risk factors and alcohol consumption. Current and past smokers were combined and categorised into two groups using median pack-years as a cut-off point in each of Japanese and Koreans. The never-smoker group was used as a reference for the multiple logistic regression analyses. Results The ORs of CAC (score ≥10) for smokers with higher pack-years were 2.9 in Japanese (p<0.05) and 1.3 in Koreans (non-significant) compared with never-smokers. The ORs of AC (score ≥100) for smokers with higher pack-years were 10.4 in Japanese (p<0.05) and 3.6 in Koreans (p<0.05). Conclusion Cigarette smoking with higher pack-years is significantly associated with CAC and AC in Japanese men, while cigarette smoking with higher pack-years is significantly associated with AC but not significantly with CAC in Korean men.
Bifurcation Control via State Feedback for Systems with a Single Uncontrollable Mode

The state feedback control of bifurcations with quadratic or cubic degeneracy is addressed for systems with a single uncontrollable mode. Based on normal forms and invariants, the classification of bifurcations for systems with a single uncontrollable mode is obtained (Table 1). Using invariants, stability characterizations are derived for a family of bifurcations, including saddle-node bifurcations, transcritical bifurcations, pitchfork bifurcations, and bifurcations with a cusp or hysteresis phenomenon. Bifurcations in systems under perturbed feedbacks are also addressed. In the case of a saddle-node bifurcation, continuous but not differentiable feedbacks are introduced to locally remove the bifurcation and to achieve the stability.
Characterization of apoptosis in intestinal ischaemia‐reperfusion injury — a light and electron microscopic study.

Intestinal ischaemia‐reperfusion (IR) injury has largely been attributed to cellular necrosis. Apoptosis, a distinct form of cell death has been observed following IR to the brain, heart, adrenals and the kidneys. In order to characterize the role of apoptosis in intestinal IR, small bowel grafts were stored in saline (n = 6) or modified University of Wisconsin solution (n = 6) at 4 °C for 12 h and reperfused for 6 h in syngeneic rats. Samples of normal, stored and reperfused intestines at 1, 3 and 6 h were analysed by light and electron microscopy. Following reperfusion, there was crypt and villous epithelial apoptosis, loss of crypt and villous structures, and an increase in mucosal inflammatory cell infiltration. Ongoing apoptosis was maximum at 1 h, its degree decreasing with increasing reperfusion intervals. Large numbers of apoptotic bodies dominated the picture from 3 h of reperfusion. This study has demonstrated the induction of apoptosis by intestinal IR injury, which begins within an hour of reperfusion and is probably responsible for the observed crypt and villous loss. This has potential therapeutic implications as, opposed to necrosis, apoptosis is an active process with genetic regulators and biochemical effectors, which can be specifically targeted to prevent or alleviate IR injury.
PATHOGENESIS OF RABIES VIRUS INFECTION IN DOGS : DO DOGS RECOVER FROM CLINICAL RABIES ?

Dogs are the principal transmitter of rabies to man and animals in most countries of Africa, Asia and South America, where they are responsible for over 95% of the human rabies cases reported world-wide (WHO, 1989). The clinical course of rabies in dogs and that it could be transmitted by bite has been known for over 4000 years (Tierkel, 1975). After the virus is introduced to the body by bite or inoculation, it is assumed to remain at the site of entry for a long time (Baer and Cleary, 1972). The virus has been shown to replicate locally, prior to its centripetal transport to the brain (Baer and Cleary, 1972; Murphy and Bauer, 1974; Baer et al., 1968). During the transport period, specific rabies antibody is not detected before signs of illness appear, apparently because insufficient viral antigen is presented to key organs to trigger the immune system.
Re‐use of case–control data for analysis of new outcome variables

Case–control studies are usually defined to investigate risk factors for a single disease of interest. However, subsequent to data collection, investigators may wish to examine as an ‘outcome’ a variable that was an exposure in the original study. A naive analysis that disregards the sampling strategy that gave rise to the data is clearly prone to bias. We present here a simple approach to the analysis of such data using an appropriately weighted regression model. Viewing the problem as a two‐stage design provides a unified framework for recognizing and defining the necessary weights when confronted with a variety of real data problems that at first seem unrelated. We provide illustrations that highlight the generality of the approach and demonstrate that the method gives essentially the same results as more specialized methods that require non‐standard tools for analysis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Automated partial premature infant pain profile scoring using big data analytics

Lack of valid and reliable pain assessment in the neonatal population has become a significant challenge in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). In an attempt to forego the manual pain scoring system, this paper presents an initial framework to automate a partial pain score for newborn infants using big data analytics that automates the analysis of high speed physiological data. An ethically approved retrospective clinical research study was performed to calculate Artemis Premature Infant Pain Profile (APIPP) scores from premature infant data collected from the Artemis platform. Using the Premature Infant Pain Profile (PIPP) as the gold standard scale, scoring techniques were automated to create data abstractions from gestational age and the physiological streams of Heart Rate (HR) and Oxygen Saturation (SpO2). These were then brought together to compute an automated partial pain score. APIPP was retrospectively compared with the PIPP which was manually scored by nursing staff at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. Differences within both the scales were evaluated and analysed by creating a data model. Future research will focus on the clinical validation of this work by implementing this work into a clinical decision support system (CDSS) named Artemis.
Predictors of parenting stress among Vietnamese mothers of young children with and without cognitive delay

Abstract Background The study examined whether Vietnamese mothers of children with cognitive delay experienced more parenting stress compared to mothers of children without delay, and the factors that contribute to the parenting stress. Method The study sample included 225 mothers of children with and without cognitive delays from Hue City in Vietnam. The study protocol included mothers reporting on the scales of parenting stress and perceived social support, and on demographic questions. Results Mothers of children with cognitive delay experienced more stress. They were poorer and less educated, and perceived less social support. More mothers of these children had health issues. Having a child with cognitive delay was the strongest predictor of stress after controlling other demographic and psychosocial variables. Conclusion Special education and early intervention services should be developed and available to educate the children with cognitive delay and support their mothers in Vietnam. Effective services also need to address their poverty and health care needs.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY OF EATING DISORDERS

Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are disorders characterized by aberrant patterns of feeding behavior and weight regulation, and disturbances in attitudes toward weight and shape and the perception of body shape. In AN, there is an inexplicable fear of weight gain and unrelenting obsession with fatness even in the face of increasing cachexia. BN usually emerges after a period of dieting, which may or may not have been associated with weight loss. Either self-induced vomiting, or some other means of inappropriate compensation for the excess of food ingested follows binge eating. The majority of people with BN have irregular feeding patterns and satiety may be impaired. Although current AN is an exclusion for the diagnosis of BN, some 25% to 30% of individuals with BN presenting to treatment centers have a prior history of AN; however, all BN subjects have pathologic concern with weight and shape. Common to individuals with AN or BN are low selfesteem, depression, and anxiety. In certain respects, both diagnostic labels are misleading. Individuals affected with AN rarely have complete suppression of appetite, but rather exhibit a volitional and often an ego syntonic resistance to feeding drives, eventually becoming preoccupied with food and eating rituals to the point of obsession. Similarly, BN may not be associated with a primary pathologic drive to overeat; rather, individuals with BN, like those with AN, have a seemingly relentless drive to restrain their food intake, an extreme fear of weight gain, and often a distorted view of their actual body shape. Loss of control with overeating usually occurs intermittently and typically only some time after the onset of dieting behavior. Episodes of binge eating ultimately develop in a significant proportion of people with AN (1), whereas 5% of those with BN eventually develop AN (2). Considering that restrained eating behavior and dysfunctional cognitions
Effects of hot, humid weather on milk temperature, dry matter intake, and milk yield of lactating dairy cows.

Lactating cows were exposed to moderate and hot, humid weather to determine the effect of increasing ambient temperature, relative humidity, or temperature-humidity index (THI) on intake, milk yield, and milk temperature. Minimum and maximum temperatures averaged 17.9 and 29.5 degrees C (cool period) and 22.5 and 34.4 degrees C (hot period), and minimum and maximum THI averaged 63.8 and 76.6 (cool period) and 72.1 and 83.6 (hot period). Environmental conditions had minor effects on intake and milk yield during the cool period. During the hot period, the THI 2 d earlier and mean air temperature 2 d earlier had the greatest impact on milk yield and DMI, respectively. Both breeds maintained milk temperature within normal ranges during the cool period, but Holstein and Jersey p.m. milk temperatures averaged 39.6 and 39.2 degrees C during the hot period. Current day mean air temperature during the hot period had the greatest impact on cow p.m. milk temperature, and minimum air temperature had the greatest influence on a.m. milk temperature. Dry matter intake and milk yield declined linearly with respective increases in air temperature or THI during the hot period and milk temperature increased linearly with increasing air temperature. Dry matter intake and milk yield both exhibited a curvilinear relationship with milk temperature. Environmental modifications should target the effects of high temperatures on cow body temperature and should modify the environment at critical times during the day when cows are stressed, including morning hours when ambient temperatures are typically cooler and cows are not assumed to be stressed.
Comparisons of fast repetition rate fluorescence estimated primary production and 14C uptake by phytoplankton

Comparisons of primary productivity measured by 14 C uptake and fast repetition rate fluorescence (FRRF) for samples taken from Massachusetts Bay and Narragansett Bay demonstrated a linear relationship between the 2 techniques. The slope of the regression for different phytoplank- ton samples ranged between 0.23 and 1.04, with most between 0.4 and 0. The r 2 was usually high and >0.9 in the best cases. The results indicated that the FRRF usually underestimated primary produc- tivity relative to 14 C. The variability in the relationship between 14 C uptake and the FRRF productiv- ity estimates indicates that FRRF field measurements should be calibrated against other productivity measurement techniques such as 14 C uptake or oxygen production if they are to be compared to his- torical productivity estimates. The Kolber & Falkowski (1993; Limnol Oceanogr 38:1646-1665) and the Smyth et al. (2004; J Plankton Res 19:1637-1670) models for estimating productivity by variable fluorescence were compared, and agreed very well with an r 2 of 0.99 for the linear relationship between the 2 techniques.
Measurements of Alkali-Labile DNA Damage and Protein–DNA Crosslinks after 2450 MHz Microwave and Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation In Vitro

Abstract Lagroye, I. , Hook, G. J., Wettring, B. A. , Baty, J. D. , Moros, E. G. , Straube, W. L. and Roti Roti, J. L. Measurements of Alkali-Labile DNA Damage and Protein–DNA Crosslinks after 2450 MHz Microwave and Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation In Vitro. Radiat. Res. 161, 201–214 (2004). In vitro experiments were performed to determine whether 2450 MHz microwave radiation induces alkali-labile DNA damage and/or DNA–protein or DNA–DNA crosslinks in C3H 10T½ cells. After a 2-h exposure to either 2450 MHz continuous-wave (CW) microwaves at an SAR of 1.9 W/kg or 1 mM cisplatinum (CDDP, a positive control for DNA crosslinks), C3H 10T½ cells were irradiated with 4 Gy of γ rays (137Cs). Immediately after γ irradiation, the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay was performed to detect DNA damage. For each exposure condition, one set of samples was treated with proteinase K (1 mg/ml) to remove any possible DNA–protein crosslinks. To measure DNA–protein crosslinks independent of DNA–DNA crosslinks, we quantified the proteins that were recovered with DNA after microwave exposure, using CDDP and γ irradiation, positive controls for DNA–protein crosslinks. Ionizing radiation (4 Gy) induced significant DNA damage. However, no DNA damage could be detected after exposure to 2450 MHz CW microwaves alone. The crosslinking agent CDDP significantly reduced both the comet length and the normalized comet moment in C3H 10T½ cells irradiated with 4 Gy γ rays. In contrast, 2450 MHz microwaves did not impede the DNA migration induced by γ rays. When control cells were treated with proteinase K, both parameters increased in the absence of any DNA damage. However, no additional effect of proteinase K was seen in samples exposed to 2450 MHz microwaves or in samples treated with the combination of microwaves and radiation. On the other hand, proteinase K treatment was ineffective in restoring any migration of the DNA in cells pretreated with CDDP and irradiated with γ rays. When DNA–protein crosslinks were specifically measured, we found no evidence for the induction of DNA–protein crosslinks or changes in amount of the protein associated with DNA by 2450 MHz CW microwave exposure. Thus 2-h exposures to 1.9 W/ kg of 2450 MHz CW microwaves did not induce measurable alkali-labile DNA damage or DNA–DNA or DNA–protein crosslinks.