Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INVERSION LENGTH AND BREAKPOINT DISTRIBUTION IN THE DROSOPHILA BUZZATII SPECIES COMPLEX: IS INVERSION LENGTH A SELECTED TRAIT?

Length and position of breakpoints are characteristics of inversions that can be precisely determined on the polytene chromosomes of Drosophila species, and they provide crucial information about the processes that govern the origin and evolution of inversions. Eighty‐six paracentric inversions described in the Drosophila buzzatii species complex and 18 inversions induced by introgressive hybridization in D. buzzatii were analyzed. In contrast to previous studies, inversion length and breakpoint distribution have been considered simultaneously. We conclude that: (1) inversion length is a selected trait; rare inversions are predominantly small while evolutionarily successful inversions, polymorphic and fixed, are predominantly intermediate in length; a nearly continuous variation in length, from small to medium sized, is found between less and more successful inversions; (2) there exists a significant negative correlation between length and number of polymorphic inversions per species which explains 39% of the inversion length variance; (3) natural selection on inversion length seems the main factor determining the relative position of breakpoints along the chromosomes; (4) the distribution of breakpoints according to their band location is non‐random, with chromosomal segments that accumulate up to eight breakpoints.
Outcome of children with hypodiploid ALL treated with risk-directed therapy based on MRD levels.

To the editor: Hypodiploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) with <45 chromosomes has been associated with a dismal prognosis. [1][1][⇓][2][⇓][3]-[4][4] Near-haploid (24-31 chromosomes) and low-hypodiploid (32-39 chromosomes) ALL have particularly poor outcomes[5][5],[6][6] and are distinct
Fundamental Tradeoffs for Sparsity Pattern Recovery

Recovery of the sparsity pattern (or support) of an unknown sparse vector from a limited number of noisy linear measurements is an important problem in compressed sensing. In the high-dimensional setting, it is known that recovery with a vanishing fraction of errors is impossible if the measurement rate and the per-sample signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are finite constants, independent of the vector length. In this paper, it is shown that recovery with an arbitrarily small but constant fraction of errors is, however, possible, and that in some cases computationally simple estimators are near-optimal. Bounds on the measurement rate needed to attain a desired fraction of errors are given in terms of the SNR and various key parameters of the unknown vector for several different recovery algorithms. The tightness of the bounds, in a scaling sense, as a function of the SNR and the fraction of errors, is established by comparison with existing information-theoretic necessary bounds. Near optimality is shown for a wide variety of practically motivated signal models.
Energy-scaling approach to phase-ordering growth laws.

We present a simple, unified approach to determining the growth law for the characteristic length scale L(t) in the phase ordering kinetics of a system quenched from a disordered phase to within an ordered phase. This approach, based on a scaling assumption for pair correlations, determines L(t) self-consistently for purely dissipative dynamics by computig the time dependence of the energy in two ways. We derive growth laws for conserved and nonconserved O(n) models, including two-dimensional XY models and systems with textures. We demonstrate that the growth laws for other systems, such as liquid crystals and Potts models, are determined by the type of topological defect in the order parameter field that dominates the energy. We also obtain generalized Porod laws for systems with topological textures.
Equivalence of linear approaches in bioelectromagnetic inverse solutions

Several different techniques have appeared in the magnetoencephalography (MEG) literature for solving the ambiguous inverse problem. We show that if the same second order statistics are uniformly applied in each case, then the resulting solutions are the same. Additionally, for the common assumption of independent sources, then the "noise significance " measure emphasises the need to select the data and noise covariance statistics, not the specific values of source statistics. Thus such algorithms as "dynamic SPM" and "synthetic aperture magnetoencephalography " are theoretically equivalent and differ in practice by practical matters of specification or estimation of data covariances.
Effects of plant extracts on growth, yield and protein content of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

Aqueous plant extracts of Malva parviflora L. and Artemisia ludia L. were tested in the field on cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ) plants. The extracts were added alone and in combination. The treatments were applied just one day before irrigation. Data obtained revealed that the growth, yield and protein content of cowpea were stimulated by 10% aqueous extract of M. parviflora and the mixture of 10% Malva with 20% Artemisia. The data also showed that the soil fertility was improved. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjb.v42i1. 15870 Bangladesh J. Bot. 42 (1): 99-104, 2013 (June)
Proton irradiation of e 2 v technologies L 3 Vision devices

This paper describes the proton irradiation and subsequent analysis of 8 e2v technologies CCD65 L3Vision devices with the intention of assessing the suitability of L3Vision technology to applications in space. In particular the use of L3Vision charge coupled devices (CCDs) on the Radial Velocity Spectrometer (RVS) instrument of the planned European Space Agency GAIA mission is discussed. The operational properties of the devices were characterised before irradiation with protons to a 10MeV equivalent fluence of 2:5 10 protons cm . The devices were then characterised again before undergoing a second proton irradiation which increased the total 10MeV equivalent proton fluence received by each device to 2:1 10 protons cm . All 8 devices functioned as expected after each irradiation, with no catastrophic failures occurring even after the second irradiation which increased the total proton fluence to approximately 10 times the expected 6 year RVS fluence. r 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 07.89; 85.60. Gz
Early clearance of circulating hepatitis C virus enhanced by induction therapy with twice-a-day intravenous injection of IFN-beta.

To improve the long-term efficacy of interferon (IFN) for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, we proposed induction therapy with twice-a-day IFN-beta injection. This study was intended to clarify the antiviral mechanism. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to two groups: group A (twice-a-day therapy) received 3 MU IFN-beta intravenously (i.v.) twice a day for 2 weeks; group B (once-a-day therapy) received 6 MU of IFN-beta daily. HCV RNA, IFN-beta, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), 2'5'-oligoadenylate synthetase (2'5'-AS) activity, and beta2-microglobulin in serum were compared between the two groups during the first 2 weeks of IFN therapy. The clearance rate of serum HCV RNA in group A (86.7%) was significantly higher than that in group B (13.3%) at day 3 (p = 0.0006). No accumulation of IFN-beta was shown in serum throughout the therapy. The ratio (day 3/day 1) of 2'5'-AS activity was significantly higher in group A. Multivariate analysis indicated twice-a-day IFN-beta injection therapy led to significantly early clearance of circulating HCV. Twice-a-day IFN-beta injection therapy could induce biologically enhanced antiviral activities and be an efficient induction therapy for eradication of HCV.
Effects of substitution of Cx43 by Cx32 on myocardial energy metabolism, tolerance to ischaemia and preconditioning protection

Connexin 43 (Cx43) plays an important role in cardioprotective signalling by mechanisms at least in part independent of gap junctional communication. To investigate whether this role is related to specific properties of this connexin isoform, we used a knock‐in mouse model in which the coding region of Cx43 is replaced by that of Cx32. Homozygous Cx43KI32 mice showed reduced cell‐to‐cell Lucifer Yellow transfer (P < 0.01), but QRS duration and left ventricular fractional shortening (echocardiography) were similar to those in wild‐type animals. NMR spectroscopy detected reduced ATP and increased lactate content in myocardium from homozygous Cx43KI32 animals (P < 0.05). Despite this, isolated homozygous Cx43KI32 hearts showed smaller infarcts after ischaemia–reperfusion (40 min/60 min) as compared to hearts from heterozygous and wild‐type animals (13 and 31% reduction, respectively, P < 0.05). Cardiac myocytes isolated from Cx43KI32 mouse hearts also showed a reduced rate of cell death after simulated ischaemia–reperfusion. In a separate series of experiments, both ischaemic (4 cycles of 3.5 min of ischaemia and 5 min of reperfusion) and pharmacological (50 μmol l−1 diazoxide, 10 min) preconditioning reduced infarct size in hearts from wild‐type mice (by 24.84 and 26.63%, respectively, P < 0.05), but only ischaemic preconditioning was effective in hearts from heterozygous animals and both preconditioning strategies failed to protect Cx43KI32 homozygous hearts. These results demonstrate that Cx43 has an important and previously unknown modulatory effect in myocardial energy metabolism and tolerance to ischaemia, and plays a critical role in preconditioning protection, by mechanisms that are specific for this connexin isoform.
Sample Size Calculation and Blinded Sample Size Recalculation in Clinical Trials Where the Treatment Effect is Measured by the Relative Risk

In clinical trials with binary endpoints, the required sample size does not depend only on the specified type I error rate, the desired power and the treatment effect but also on the overall event rate which, however, is usually uncertain. The internal pilot study design has been proposed to overcome this difficulty. Here, nuisance parameters required for sample size calculation are re-estimated during the ongoing trial and the sample size is recalculated accordingly. We performed extensive simulation studies to investigate the characteristics of the internal pilot study design for two-group superiority trials where the treatment effect is captured by the relative risk. As the performance of the sample size recalculation procedure crucially depends on the accuracy of the applied sample size formula, we firstly explored the precision of three approximate sample size formulae proposed in the literature for this situation. It turned out that the unequal variance asymptotic normal formula outperforms the other two, especially in case of unbalanced sample size allocation. Using this formula for sample size recalculation in the internal pilot study design assures that the desired power is achieved even if the overall rate is mis-specified in the planning phase. The maximum inflation of the type I error rate observed for the internal pilot study design is small and lies below the maximum excess that occurred for the fixed sample size design.
Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: The Potential Impact of Social Support

Pregnant and postpartum women have reported a number of barriers that prevent them from being sufficiently physically active. Overcoming these barriers is critical to ensure the health benefits of physical activity to both mother and fetus. The primary focus of this review centers on the potential impact social support may have in overcoming each of the primary barriers to physical activity experienced during pregnancy and the postpartum period. A reasonable body of research exists regarding the relationships between social support and these barriers; however, few investigations have specifically attempted to mitigate the effects of these barriers via social support interventions. Within this review, the enabling influence of social support as it pertains to pregnant and postpartum women's physical activity is discussed. Recommendations are suggested for the application of social support in future research investigations involving physical activity during pregnancy and postpartum.
On the electrical intestine turbulence induced by temperature changes

Paralytic ileus is a temporary syndrome with impairment of peristalsis and no passage of food through the intestine. Although improvements in supportive measures have been achieved, no therapy useful to specifically reduce or eliminate the motility disorder underlying postoperative ileus has been developed yet. In this paper, we draw a plausible, physiologically fine-tuned scenario, which explains a possible cause of paralytic ileus. To this aim we extend the existing 1D intestinal electrophysiological Aliev–Richards–Wikswo ionic model based on a double-layered structure in two and three dimensions. Thermal coupling is introduced here to study the influence of temperature gradients on intestine tissue which is an important external factor during surgery. Numerical simulations present electrical spiral waves similar to those experimentally observed already in the heart, brain and many other excitable tissues. This fact seems to suggest that such peculiar patterns, here electrically and thermally induced, may play an important role in clinically experienced disorders of the intestine, then requiring future experimental analyses in the search for possible implications for medical and physiological practice and bioengineering.
Localized cooling of stems induces latewood formation and cambial dormancy during seasons of active cambium in conifers.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS In temperate regions, trees undergo annual cycles of cambial growth, with periods of cambial activity and dormancy. Environmental factors might regulate the cambial growth, as well as the development of cambial derivatives. We investigated the effects of low temperature by localized cooling on cambial activity and latewood formation in two conifers, Chamaecyparis obtusa and Cryptomeria japonica. METHODS A plastic rubber tube that contained cooled water was wrapped around a 30-cm-wide portion of the main stem of Chamaecyparis obtusa and Cryptomeria japonica trees during seasons of active cambium. Small blocks were collected from both cooled and non-cooled control portions of the stems for sequential observations of cambial activity and for anatomical measurements of cell morphology by light microscopy and image analysis. KEY RESULTS The effect of localized cooling was first observed on differentiating tracheids. Tracheids narrow in diameter and with significantly decreased cambial activity were evident 5 weeks after the start of cooling in these stems. Eight weeks after the start of cooling, tracheids with clearly diminished diameters and thickened cell walls were observed in these stems. Thus, localized low temperature induced narrow diameters and obvious thickening of secondary cell walls of tracheids, which were identified as latewood tracheids. Two months after the cessation of cooling, a false annual ring was observed and cambium became active again and produced new tracheids. In Cryptomeria japonica, cambial activity ceased earlier in locally cooled portions of stems than in non-cooled stems, indicating that the cambium had entered dormancy sooner in the cooled stems. CONCLUSIONS Artificial cooling of stems induced latewood formation and cessation of cambial activity, indicating that cambium and its derivatives can respond directly to changes in temperature. A decrease in the temperature of the stem is a critical factor in the control of cambial activity and xylem differentiation in trees.
Epidemiology and transmission of cytomegalovirus.

Although a great deal has been learned about cytomegalovirus (CMV), it remains the most important cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, a significant cause of transfusion-acquired infection (especially in small premature newborns), and a frequent cause of morbidity among organtransplant recipients and other immunocompromised patients. Continued development of antiviral drugs may eventually allow effective treatment of some CMV infections, but chemotherapy cannot be expected to be of much help in treating congenital CMV infections. Of primary maternal gestational infections, >90% are asymptomatic and therefore clinically undetectable [1-3]. Antiviral treatment of the newborn with congenital infection is not likely to reverse the damage done in utero. Prevention of CMV infections, especially in pregnant women, should be our ultimate goal. Immunization has been spectacularly successful against other viral infections, e.g., smallpox, measles, mumps, polio, and rubella. Congenital infection with rubella is now a rarity in the United States [4]. In addition, it appears that we will be able to reduce greatly the carriage of hepatitis B virus and attendant long-term sequelae by combined use of active and passive immunization of the newborn to prevent perinatal transmission of virus [5, 6]. Successful preventive strategies against these viral infections were employed by using immunization, and in each case knowledge of the epidemiology and transmission of the virus was a key element. Although multiple factors, including the need for a safe, effective vaccine, hinder application of previously successful approaches directly to CMV, the lack of information on CMV transmis-
Diffuse Pulmonary Ossification

Diffuse pulmonary ossification (DPO) is an uncommon condition that is characterized by metaplastic bone formation in the lung parenchyma. It is usually not diagnosed clinically and may be apparent radiographically only when extensive. However, it is occasionally encountered at autopsy or on pathologic evaluation of surgical specimens. This article will review the clinical, histologic, and radiographic manifestations of DPO, focusing primarily on the chest radiograph and CT findings, both of which may be underappreciated, for even experienced radiologists may confuse DPO with other entities such as metastatic calcification as seen in chronic renal failure or chronic granulomatous disease.
Nonpharmacologic treatment of periodic leg movements in sleep.

The effects of a 30-minute stimulation of the dorsiflexors of the feet and toes before bedtime were investigated in eight patients with periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS). None were taking medications at the time of the investigation. All subjects were treated with the EMS-250 Neuromuscular Stimulator, which has a maximum output per channel of 1.5mA and a frequency of 47Hz. Stimuli were delivered via a pulse train (on for 1.5sec and off for 1.8sec). A single all-night polysomnogram after this stimulation showed that all patients responded to stimulation, with reduction of leg movements from an average pretreatment PLMS index of 44.6 per hour to a posttreatment PLMS index of 14 per hour (p less than .01). Nocturnal leg movements were primarily reduced during the non-REM sleep. Multiple indices of sleep continuity did not change significantly, although there was a trend toward better sleep consolidation.
Introducing patients' and the public's perspectives to health technology assessment: A systematic review of international experiences

Objectives: The aim of this study was to review international experiences of patient or public involvement in the field of health technology assessment (HTA). Methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted. A literature search was performed across nine databases. Other literature was identified through citation tracking, government websites (HTA agencies), and Internet search engines. Characteristics of the studies, description of the activities related to patient or public involvement, impact of these activities on the HTA process, and factors facilitating or limiting involvement were abstracted independently by two reviewers. Results: A total of 1,441 potentially relevant papers were identified by the main search strategy. Among these, seventeen papers met the inclusion criteria; other search strategies identified seven additional documents. The findings reveal that patient or public involvement in HTA activities was reported in two domains, research and HTA process. In the research domain, patients are consulted to gather evidence about their perspectives, experiences, or preferences about a health technology. These perspectives could add key dimensions to the evaluation of health technologies that might otherwise be overlooked. In the domain of the HTA process, patients or public representatives participate in different stages of this process: prioritization, evidence assessment, or dissemination of findings. Conclusions: There are few published examples of experiences involving patients and the public in HTA. These examples show that patients' or the public's perspectives could add important dimensions to the evaluation of health technologies. However, there is a need to develop more systematic approaches to considering patients' and the public's perspectives in HTA.
Six of 12 Relapsed or Refractory Indolent Lymphoma Patients Treated 10 Years Ago with 131I-Tositumomab Remain in Complete Remission

The purpose of our study was to update the safety and efficacy results of radioimmunotherapy in relapsed or resistant indolent or transformed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Methods: More than 9 y ago, we treated 12 indolent and 4 transformed, relapsed or refractory lymphoma patients with a single administration of nonmyeloablative therapy with tositumomab and 131I-tositumomab. The 16 patients had a mean of 3.1 (range, 1–6) previous chemotherapy and antibody treatments. Results: Six of 12 relapsed indolent lymphoma patients remain disease-free a mean of 9.8 y (range, 8.6–10.7 y) after radioimmunotherapy. Three of 4 transformed lymphoma patients progressed after radioimmunotherapy, and 1 patient had a partial response of 10 mo. Conclusion: Optimal patient benefit might be obtained in indolent lymphoma when administering radioimmunotherapy up-front in combination with chemotherapy and rituximab treatment. However, these results show that radioimmunotherapy alone achieved long-lasting remissions in 6 of 12 (50%) indolent lymphoma patients in relapse after 1 or multiple chemotherapies.
Cell Number Quantification of USPIO-labeled Stem Cells by MRI: An In Vitro Study

MRI plays an expanding role in stem cell therapies. The non-invasive nature and high spatial resolution of MR imaging make MR imaging a powerful tool to investigate biologic processes at the molecular and cellular level in vivo longitudinally. Quantitative detection of stem cells after transplantation may allow assessment of stem cell localization and migration, and monitoring of the therapeutic effectiveness of stem cell therapy. In this study, we present a technique for MR quantification of magnetically labeled mouse embryonic stem cells distributed or injected in agarose gel phantoms. Apparent transverse relaxation rate enhancements (DeltaR2*) were measured by gradient echo sequences. The linear relationship between DeltaR2* and the concentration of USPIO-labeled mouse embryonic stem cells was observed and used for quantifying cell density and cell number after injection or transplantation. The MRI acquisition and analysis protocol were validated by good agreement between actual cell numbers and MRI-estimated cell numbers over a wide range of cell numbers. This MR technique for cell number and cell density quantification is applicable to future in vivo studies