Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel clues on abiotic stress tolerance emerge from embryo proteome analyses of rice varieties with contrasting stress adaptation

Cereal embryos sustain severe water deficit at the final stage of seed maturation. The molecular mechanisms underlying the acquisition of desiccation tolerance in seed embryos are similar to those displayed during water deficit in vegetative tissues. The genetic variation among six rice genotypes adapted to diverse environmental conditions was analysed at the proteome level to get further clues on the mechanisms leading to water‐stress tolerance. MS analysis allowed the identification of 28 proteins involved in stress tolerance (late embryogenesis abundant proteins), nutrient reservoir activity, among other proteins implicated in diverse cellular processes potentially related to the stress response (e.g., mitochondrial import translocase). Hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling analyses revealed a close relationship between the stress‐sensitive genotypes, whereas the stress‐tolerant varieties were more distantly related. Besides qualitative and significant quantitative changes in embryo proteins across the distinct varieties, we also found differences at post‐translational level. The results indicated that late embryogenesis abundant Rab21 was more strongly phosphorylated in the embryos of the sensitive varieties than in the embryos of the tolerant ones. We propose that the differences found in the phosphorylation status of Rab21 are related to stress tolerance.
[Mortality associated with physical activity in leisure time, at work, in sports and cycling to work].

INTRODUCTION Previous studies have shown that high levels of physical activity are associated with lower mortality in middle-aged men. Few studies have investigated this association in women and the independent effects of cycling to work and participation in sports. MATERIAL AND METHODS The participants were 13,445 women and 17,441 men aged 20 to 93 years. Self-reported physical activity included general questions about leisure time physical activity and physical activity at work, sports participation, and cycling to work. Adjustment was made for blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, body mass index, smoking, and educational level. RESULTS During 433,000 person-years of observation, 2738 women and 4672 men died. Physical inactivity during leisure time predicted mortality in both men and women in all age groups. In women and men, the most physically active in leisure time experienced only half the mortality of the sedentary. Even in the moderately and highly active persons, sports participants experienced only half the mortality of non-participants. Physical activity at work predicted mortality in women only. The men and women who rode a bicycle to work had a 39% lower risk of mortality after multivariate adjustment including leisure time physical activity. DISCUSSION Leisure time physical activity was inversely associated with all-cause mortality in both men and women in all age groups. Benefit was found from moderate leisure time physical activity with further benefit from sports activity and bicycling as transportation. Benefit from physical activity at work was found in women only.
Modeling Multiple Interacting Nutrient Stocks:Application to the Baltic Sea

Eutrophication of water bodies is a worldwide ecological problem caused by excessive amounts of nutrients. This paper develops an accounting method for modeling multiple interacting stocks of nutrients, which applies the dynamic nutrient balance approach to calculate empirical nutrient budgets. The proposed model of multiple interacting stocks draws an explicit connection between nutrient stocks on land and nutrient stocks in the sea, which in turn links estimated marine nutrient stocks with the empirical data of nutrient concentrations. The model is applied to the Baltic Sea, where stocks of nitrogen and phosphorus are calculated for six basins, drawing distinction between surface, middle and deep water layers of the basins, and taking into account spatial interactions of nutrients within the water layers and between the basins. The model is calibrated using empirical data on nutrient loads and concentrations. Finally, we apply the model to forecast future development of nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations under different abatement scenarios. Keywords: Dynamic Nutrient Model; Multiple Interacting Stocks; Nitrogen; Phosphorus; Eutrophication; Baltic Sea
Exercise for the treatment and management of overweight women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a review of the literature

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by the presence of polycystic ovaries, menstrual dysfunction, infertility and biochemical and clinical hyperandrogenism and is associated with an increased prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors and psychological problems. Despite the well‐established benefits of exercise training and its recommendation as a cornerstone of PCOS management, few well‐controlled randomized studies have been conducted evaluating the benefits of exercise training and specific exercise regimes in women with PCOS. From the limited studies there appears to be a beneficial effect of exercise either alone or in combination with energy restriction has shown to improve fitness, cardiovascular, hormonal, reproductive and psychological outcomes. While the addition of regular exercise to energy restriction appears to only have additional benefits for improving body composition, these greater improvements are likely to have long‐term implications. While lifestyle modification including regular exercise appears to be an effective strategy for the management of overweight PCOS women, methodological limitations in the studies limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research with rigorous study designs is needed to determine specific exercise guidelines that will provide the greatest benefit for these women.
Die hard: Are cancer stem cells the Bruce Willises of tumor biology?

In recent years, an exponentially growing number of studies have focused on identifying cancer stem cells (CSC) in human malignancies. The rare CSCs could be crucial in controlling and curing cancer: through asymmetric division CSCs supposedly drive tumor growth and evade therapy with the help of traits shared with normal stem cells such as quiescence, self‐renewal ability, and multidrug resistance pump activity. Here, we give a brief overview of techniques used to confirm the stem cell‐like behavior of putative CSCs and discuss markers and methods for identifying, isolating, and culturing them. We touch on the limitations of each marker and why the combined use of CSC markers, in vitro and in vivo assays may still fail to identify all relevant CSC populations. Finally, the various experimental findings supporting and contradicting the CSC hypothesis are summarized. The large number of tumor types thus far with a subpopulation of uniquely tumorigenic and therapy resistant cells suggests that despite the unanswered questions and inconsistencies, the CSC hypothesis has a legitimate role to play in tumor biology. At the same time, experimental evidence supporting the established alternative theory of clonal evolution can be found as well. Therefore, a model that describes cancer initiation and progression should combine elements of clonal evolution and CSC theory. © 2008 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Risk of gastrointestinal bleeding during anticoagulant treatment

ABSTRACT Introduction: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a major problem in patients on oral anticoagulation therapy. This issue has become even more pressing since the introduction of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in 2009. Areas covered: Here we review current evidence related to GIB associated with oral anticoagulants, focusing on randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and post-marketing observational studies. Dabigatran 150 mg twice daily and rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily increase the risk of GIB compared to warfarin. The risk increase with edoxaban is dose-dependent, while apixaban shows apparently, no increased risk. We summarize what is known about GIB risk factors for individual anticoagulants, the location of GIB in patients taking these compounds, and prevention strategies that lower the risk of GIB. Expert opinion: Recently there has been an important shift in the clinical presentation of GIB. Specifically, upper GIB has decreased with the decreased incidence of peptic ulcers due to the broad use of proton pump inhibitors and the decreased prevalence of H. pylori infections. In contrast, the incidence of lower GIB has increased, due in part to colonic diverticular bleeding and angiodysplasia in the elderly. In this population, the addition of oral anticoagulation therapy, especially DOACs, seems to increase the risk of lower GIB.
Rolling with the flow: bumblebees flying in unsteady wakes

SUMMARY Our understanding of how variable wind in natural environments affects flying insects is limited because most studies of insect flight are conducted in either smooth flow or still air conditions. Here, we investigate the effects of structured, unsteady flow (the von Karman vortex street behind a cylinder) on the flight performance of bumblebees (Bombus impatiens). Bumblebees are ‘all-weather’ foragers and thus frequently experience variable aerial conditions, ranging from fully mixed, turbulent flow to unsteady, structured vortices near objects such as branches and stems. We examined how bumblebee flight performance differs in unsteady versus smooth flow, as well as how the orientation of unsteady flow structures affects their flight performance, by filming bumblebees flying in a wind tunnel under various flow conditions. The three-dimensional flight trajectories and orientations of bumblebees were quantified in each of three flow conditions: (1) smooth flow, (2) the unsteady wake of a vertical cylinder (inducing strong lateral disturbances) and (3) the unsteady wake of a horizontal cylinder (inducing strong vertical disturbances). In both unsteady conditions, bumblebees attenuated the disturbances induced by the wind quite effectively, but still experienced significant translational and rotational fluctuations as compared with flight in smooth flow. Bees appeared to be most sensitive to disturbance along the lateral axis, displaying large lateral accelerations, translations and rolling motions in response to both unsteady flow conditions, regardless of orientation. Bees also displayed the greatest agility around the roll axis, initiating voluntary casting maneuvers and correcting for lateral disturbances mainly through roll in all flow conditions. Both unsteady flow conditions reduced the upstream flight speed of bees, suggesting an increased cost of flight in unsteady flow, with potential implications for foraging patterns and colony energetics in natural, variable wind environments.
Expression of human leucocyte antigens and co‐stimulatory molecules on blasts of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia

Summary. Recently, leukaemia‐associated antigens (LAA) recognized by T lymphocytes, such as Wilm's tumour‐1 (WT‐1) or pathogenesis‐related protein‐1 (PR‐1), have been identified. For immunotherapies that employ antigen peptides, either alone or pulsed on dendritic cells (DC), the expression of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) molecules on the targeted leukaemic blasts (LB) is crucial. The co‐stimulatory molecules CD80 and CD86 give the secondary signal to T lymphocytes that is necessary for the lysis of leukaemia cells, and CD40 enhances the efficacy of antigen presentation. Here, the expression of HLA‐ABC, HLA‐A2, HLA‐DR, CD40, CD80 and CD86 was flow cytometrically examined in blood samples from 24 healthy volunteers (HV), 24 patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and five patients with relapsed AML. The expression of HLA‐ABC, CD40, CD80 and CD86 was significantly reduced on LB in comparison with monocytes of HV. HLA‐A2 and HLA‐DR expression was similar on LB and on monocytes of HV. In AML patients, the expression of HLA and CD86 molecules was significantly higher on LB than on CD33/CD34‐negative monocytes. CD40 and CD80 molecules were deficient on AML blasts. The preservation of HLA molecules and CD86 on LB of the majority of AML patients at the time of diagnosis and even at relapse of the disease are prerequisites for LAA‐targeted immunotherapies in these patients.
Catquest questionnaire: re‐validation in an Australian cataract population

Background: The Catquest questionnaire was developed using traditional methodology to enable cataract surgery outcomes assessment in European countries. Recently, it has been validated using Rasch analysis in a Swedish population resulting in the Catquest‐9SF. The aim of the present study was to assess the performance of the Catquest and the Catquest‐9SF questionnaires using Rasch analysis in Australian cataract patients.
The Thanatophoric Dysplasia Type II Mutation Hampers Complete Maturation of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 (FGFR3), Which Activates Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT1) from the Endoplasmic Reticulum*

The K650E substitution in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) causes constitutive tyrosine kinase activity of the receptor and is associated to the lethal skeletal disorder, thanatophoric dysplasia type II (TDII). The underlying mechanisms of how the activated FGFR3 causes TDII remains to be elucidated. FGFR3 is a transmembrane glycoprotein, which is synthesized through three isoforms, with various degrees of N-glycosylation. We have studied whether immature FGFR3 isoforms mediate the abnormal signaling in TDII. We show that synthesis of TDII-FGFR3 presents two phosphorylated forms: the immature non-glycosylated 98-kDa peptides and the intermediate 120-kDa glycomers. The mature, fully glycosylated 130-kDa forms, detected in wild type FGFR3, are not present in TDII. Endoglycosidase H cleaves the sugars on TDII intermediates thus indicating their intracellular localization in the endoplasmic reticulum. Accordingly, TDII-FGFR3-GFP co-localizes with calreticulin in the endoplasmic reticulum. Furthermore, following TDII transfection, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) is phosphorylated in the absence of FGFR3 ligand and brefeldin A does not inhibit its activation. On the contrary, the cell membrane-anchored FRS2α protein is not activated in TDII cells. The opposite situation is observed in stable TDII cell clones where, despite the presence of phosphorylated mature receptor, STAT1 is not activated whereas FRS2α is phosphorylated. We speculate that the selection process favors cells defective in STAT1 activation through the 120-kDa TDII-FGFR3, thus allowing growth of the TDII cell clones. Accordingly, apoptosis is observed following TDII-FGFR3 transfection. These observations highlight the importance of the immature TDII-FGFR3 proteins as mediators of an abnormal signaling in TDII.
Girls’ education and child marriage in West and Central Africa : key findings ahead of the October 2017 high level meeting on ending child marriage in West and Central Africa

This note provides a rapid summary of a first set of eight notes on girls’ education and child marriage in West and Central Africa. The eight notes were prepared ahead of the High level meeting on ending child marriage in West and Central Africa held in Dakar on October 23 to 25, 2017. Despite substantial progress over the last two decades, girls still have on average lower levels of educational attainment than boys in West and Central Africa. This is in part because many girls in the region are married while still children, often before they may be physically and emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. Educating girls and ending child marriage is essential for girls and young women to have agency, not only as wives and mothers, but also beyond those roles. It is also essential to enable countries to reach their full development potential. Low educational attainment and child marriage both affect girls’ life trajectories in profound ways. Girls marrying or dropping out of school early are more likely to experience poor health, have children at younger ages and more children over their lifetime, and earn less in adulthood.
Catalytic Subunit of Protein Kinase A Is an Interacting Partner of the Inflammation-Responsive Transcription Factor Serum Amyloid A-Activating Factor-11

Serum amyloid A-activating factor-1 (SAF-1) is a zinc finger transcription factor that is activated by many mediators of inflammation including IL-1, IL-6, and bacterial LPS. However, the mechanism of activation is not fully understood. To identify possible activation partners for SAF-1, we used a yeast two-hybrid system that detected interaction between the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA-Cα) and SAF-1. Immunofluorescence and combined immunoprecipitation-Western blot analyses revealed colocalization and interaction between SAF-1 and PKA-Cα. In vivo evidence of SAF-1 and PKA-Cα interaction was further revealed by coimmunoprecipitation of these two proteins in cAMP-activated liver cells. We further show that SAF-1 is phosphorylated in vitro by PKA-Cα and that addition of cAMP markedly induces in vivo phosphorylation of SAF-1 and transcription of SAF-regulated reporter genes. These results showed that SAF1-PKA-Cα interaction is involved in functional activation of SAF-1.
Essays on food demand analysis

Heavy consumption of carbonated soft drinks may contribute to obesity, strokes, and cardiac problems. From a health perspective, the distribution of the consumption is at least as important as the mean. Censored as well as ordinary quantile regression techniques were used to estimate the demand for sugary soda based on household data from 1989 to 1999. It was found that heavy drinkers are more priceand expenditure-responsive than are light drinkers. The study shows that increasing the taxes on carbonated soft drinks will lead to a small reduction in consumption for small and moderate consumers and a huge reduction for heavy consumers.
DOSE3D: EGS4 Monte Carlo code-based software for internal radionuclide dosimetry.

UNLABELLED MIRDOSE3 software is currently the main tool available in clinical practice to evaluate absorbed dose in nuclear medicine. Because MIRDOSE3 provides dosimetric parameters for specific anatomic models that cannot be modified by the user, it cannot be used to obtain information concerning metastases or to consider patients whose anatomy differs significantly from that of the standard models. METHODS To address some of these inconveniences, we developed an original program based on the EGS4 Monte Carlo code, DOSE3D, which calculates dosimetric parameters for anthropomorphic phantoms defined with combinatorial geometry. DOSE3D allows the user to add spheres within the phantom for simulating tumors, to change the shape of one or more organs and, for organs defined by pair, to calculate individual dosimetric parameters for each organ. The program was validated for 131I and 99mTc by calculating S values for the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) adult male phantom and comparing these results with data provided by MIRDOSE3. Moreover, two studies were performed to illustrate DOSE3D features. The first one concerned the evaluation of the individual influence of two bone metastases (located in the pelvis and in the lower spine and containing 131I) on testes in terms of S values compared with the influence on testes of other source organs (kidneys, liver, lungs, spleen, thyroid gland and urinary bladder contents). The second study determined the differences of S values between right and left lungs and right and left kidneys when 131I is contained in the liver. RESULTS The DOSE3D S values were on average within 20% of the MIRDOSE3 results for both radionuclides. Regarding the bone metastases study, S(testes<--metastases) and S(testes<--any source organs) were of the same order of magnitude. In the second study, the S values ratio between right and left organs was 7.7 for the lungs and 5.2 for the kidneys. CONCLUSION The agreement between DOSE3D and MIRDOSE3 results for most organs shows the validity of DOSE3D. The presented examples of calculation show that DOSE3D could provide additional data to dosimetric parameters given by MIRDOSE3 for a more patient-specific dosimetric approach.
Verbal self-monitoring in deaf subjects using cochlear implants

Abstract Cortical activation during vocalization was studied in an attempt to elucidate verbal self-monitoring mechanisms in cochlear implant users. Six post-lingually deafened subjects using cochlear implants were included in this study. Significant activation was observed in the bilateral temporal cortices during reading sentences aloud, which was not found in normal subjects in our previous study. The activation patterns in the temporal cortex were similar for reading aloud and for listening to the examiner's speech, and the activation foci in the middle temporal gyri for the two tasks were almost identical. Cochlear implant users may monitor their own speech during speech production, and their verbal self-monitoring mechanisms are thought to depend on similar mechanisms that are used to monitor externally generated speech.
Changes in Intracranial Arterial Blood Flow Velocities during Surgical Ligation of the Patent Ductus Arteriosus

ABSTRACT. A combined continuous and range‐gated Doppler instrument was used to assess intracranial arterial blood flow velocity changes in infants and neonates undergoing surgical ligation of the Ductus Arteriosus (DA). Continuous recordings during DA closure in six infants (3.5‐10 months old), showed an abrupt increase in diastolic blood flow velocity simultaneous with an increase in systolic and diastolic arterial blood pressure. In five infants, these changes were followed by a rapid fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure without a concomitant change in blood flow velocity, which may be secondary to a rapid fall in intracranial vascular resistance. The mean blood flow velocity increase following DA closure was 27 % (8‐43 %) and the changes in diastolic and mean blood flow velocity were significant (p<0.01). In seven preterm neonates (24‐28 weeks) studied before and after surgery, a mean blood flow velocity increase of 50 % (14‐115 %) (p<0.01), mainly due to an increase in diastolic blood flow velocity (p<0.01), was recorded. These rapid intracranial hemodynamic changes during surgical DA closure should be taken into consideration when selecting techniques for DA closure.
ON IRON CAGES AND SUBOPTIMAL CHOICES: AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF THE MICRO-FOUNDATIONS OF ISOMORPHISM IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR

ABSTRACT This study integrates experimental and qualitative data from a sample of public employees to investigate the micro-foundations of the isomorphic pressures that may lead to suboptimal decision making in the context of public administration. When asked to choose between two equally performing systems, subjects in our sample were inclined to favor the alternative that was encouraged by either a coercive, a mimetic, or a normative pressure. Participants tended to give in to isomorphic pressures, even when informed that the encouraged option was inferior. However, letting subjects autonomously infer the inferiority of the encouraged option from numerical data—rather than through an explicit textual prompt—proved effective in neutralizing the risk of sub-optimal decisions under isomorphic pressures. A consequent qualitative inquiry revealed that trust in the recommending institution or group, speculation about alternative performance dimensions, and compatibility with existing standards were the main drivers of suboptimal decision making.