Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Creosote toxicity to photosynthesis and plant growth in aquatic microcosms

Measurement of contaminant effects becomes progressively more difficult at higher levels of ecological organization [ 1 ]. Bioindicators are rapid physiological or biochemical assays that provide a convenient means for detecting the exposure or effects of environmental contaminants to organisms, even if the toxicant is unknown. Many potential bioindicator assays are available, but the primary impediment to their widespread use in risk assessment is the lack of a demonstrated link between effects at the suborganism level with effects at the individual level and with higher levels of biological organization, such as populations or communities [ 2 ]. A bioindicator with a defined link to effects on growth or reproduction can be used in a predictive manner to assess potential impacts of a contaminant on populations of organisms. Effects of a stressor on bioindicator endpoints, which are easily measurable under controlled conditions, can then be extrapolated to the environment if the effects at the suborganism level are consistent with, and can be related to, effects at the whole‐organism and population levels.
Nonequilibrium thermodynamics in the strong coupling and non-Markovian regime based on a reaction coordinate mapping

We propose a method to study the thermodynamic behaviour of small systems beyond the weak coupling and Markovian approximation, which is different in spirit from conventional approaches. The idea is to redefine the system and environment such that the effective, redefined system is again coupled weakly to Markovian residual baths and thus, allows to derive a consistent thermodynamic framework for this new system–environment partition. To achieve this goal we make use of the reaction coordinate (RC) mapping, which is a general method in the sense that it can be applied to an arbitrary (quantum or classical and even time-dependent) system coupled linearly to an arbitrary number of harmonic oscillator reservoirs. The core of the method relies on an appropriate identification of a part of the environment (the RC), which is subsequently included as a part of the system. We demonstrate the power of this concept by showing that non-Markovian effects can significantly enhance the steady state efficiency of a three-level-maser heat engine, even in the regime of weak system–bath coupling. Furthermore, we show for a single electron transistor coupled to vibrations that our method allows one to justify master equations derived in a polaron transformed reference frame.
Dalteparin in the management of recent onset central retinal vein occlusion: a comparison with acetylsalicylic acid.

BACKGROUND The present study assessed the therapeutic effects of dalteparin in patients who had recent onset central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) as compared with those of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). METHODS Patients with recent onset of CRVO were randomly assigned to receive dalteparin subcutaneously every day for 20 days or ASA daily for the same period. Complete ophthalmic examinations were conducted at baseline and at each follow-up interval: 1 week and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months later. Best-corrected visual acuity was assessed by an investigator blind to the treatment group. RESULTS The mean 6-month change in logMAR visual acuity for dalteparin-treated patients was an increase of 5.5 letters (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart) (-0.11 [SD 0.71] logMAR) and for ASA-treated patients was a decrease of 14 letters (+0.28 [SD 0.79] logMAR), representing a significant difference between the 2 groups (p = 0.016). One patient in the dalteparin group and 14 in the ASA group showed iris neovascularization (NVI) (2.1% vs. 30.4%, p = 0.0001). INTERPRETATION Dalteparin was found to be superior to ASA in terms of improving visual acuity and preventing NVI over the first 6 months of treatment. Similar studies are recommended of other newer types of anticoagulants, especially those that could be used orally.
Function of Disintegrin-like/Cysteine-rich Domains of Atrolysin A

Snake venom hemorrhagic metalloproteinase toxins that have metalloproteinase, disintegrin-like and cysteine-rich domains are significantly more potent than toxins with only a metalloproteinase domain. The disintegrin-like domains of these toxins differ from the disintegrin peptides found in crotalid and viperid venoms by the nature of their different disulfide bond structure and, in lieu of the disintegrins’ signature Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) integrin binding sequence, there is an XXCD disulfide-bonded cysteinyl sequence in that region. Due to these apparent differences, the contribution to the overall function of the hemorrhagic metalloproteinases by the disintegrin-like domain has been unknown. In this investigation we have expressed in insect cells the disintegrin-like/cysteine-rich (DC) domains of the Crotalus atrox hemorrhagic metalloproteinase atrolysin A and demonstrated that the recombinant protein (A/DC) can inhibit collagen- and ADP-stimulated platelet aggregation. Using synthetic peptides, we have evidence that the region of the disintegrin-like domain that is positionally analogous to the RGD loop of the disintegrins is the site responsible for inhibition of platelet aggregation. For these synthetic peptides to have significant inhibitory activity, the -RSECD- cysteinyl residue must be constrained by participation in a disulfide bond with another cysteinyl residue. The two acidic amino acids adjacent to the middle cysteinyl residue in these peptides are also important for biological activity. These studies emphasize a functional role for the disintegrin-like domain in toxins and suggest structural possibilities for the design of antagonists of platelet aggregation.
Effects of dissolved inorganic carbon on competition of the bloom-forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa with the green alga Chlamydomonas microsphaera

The availability of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) may have a considerable impact on species competition in phytoplankton communities. The growth, photosynthetic characteristics and competition of three strains, the toxic Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB 912, nontoxic M. aeruginosa FACHB 469 and Chlamydomonas microsphaera FACHB 52, were investigated under two different DIC concentrations (0.365 and 7.658 mmol l−1 KHCO3). In monoculture, DIC concentration did not affect the specific growth rates of any of the three strains. However, when grown in mixed culture with C. microsphaera, both toxic and nontoxic Microcystis strains showed increased percentages under low DIC concentration but decreased percentages under high DIC concentration. After 12 days’ mixed culture, the percentage of M. aeruginosa FACHB 912 or FACHB 469 decreased by 9−22% in high DIC medium, but increased by 6–11% in low DIC medium. Low DIC concentration decreased the cell size, cellular chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic capacity of C. microsphaera, but it had little effect on those of M. aeruginosa FACHB 912 and FACHB 469. The apparent photosynthetic affinities for DIC were significantly higher in the two M. aeruginosa strains than in C. microsphaera. From the higher DIC affinity, more efficient photosynthetic capacity and increased percentages in competition experiments under low DIC concentration, it can be concluded that the bloom-forming M. aeruginosa possesses a competitive advantage in DIC-limited conditions.
Consideration of family history of cancer in medical routine: a survey in the primary care setting in Germany

Family history of cancer (FHC) is important in the context of cancer prevention and risk counselling, but there is a lack of information about its consideration in medical routine. We aimed to characterize how FHC is assessed and taken into account in the primary care setting in Germany. We conducted a mail survey among 285 office-based physicians in south-west Germany. We sent a questionnaire to randomly selected general practitioners, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, gynaecologists, urologists and pulmonologists, asking about collection of information on FHC and implications for preventive counselling. A total of 207 physicians returned the questionnaire (response rate 73%), of whom 71% reported asking for FHC routinely, 17% reported using a standardized tool to collect the information and 35% reported regularly updating it. Implications of a positive FHC for counselling were heterogeneous, with priority on recommendations for screening. Referral to genetic counselling was considered by 34% of physicians, mainly gastroenterologists and gynaecologists. In the primary care setting in Germany, FHC is considered an important topic, but there is a lack of standardization in collecting the information and heterogeneity on the implications for counselling. Options to improve this situation, such as the implementation of standardized tools or centralized counselling systems, are needed.
Attentional Capture by Change in Direct Gaze

In three experiments, we examined whether change in direct gaze was better at capturing visuospatial attention than non-direct gaze change. Also, change in direct gaze can be categorised into two types: ‘look toward’, which means gaze changing to look toward observers, and ‘look away’, which means gaze changing to look away from observers. Thus, we also investigated which type of change in direct gaze was more effective in capturing visuospatial attention. Each experiment employed a change-detection task, and we compared detection accuracy between ‘look away’, ‘look toward’, and non-direct gaze-change conditions. In experiment 1, we found detection advantage for change in direct gaze relative to non-direct gaze change, and for ‘look toward’ compared with ‘look away’. In experiment 2, we conducted control experiments to exclude possibilities of simple motion detection and geometrical factors of eyes, and confirm detection advantage in experiment 1 only occurred when the stimuli were processed as faces and gazes. In experiment 3, we manipulated the head deviation, but the results in experiment 1 persisted despite changes in head orientation. The findings establish that individuals are sensitive to change in direct relative to non-direct gaze change, and ‘look toward’ compared with ‘look away’.
On the Robustness of Stochastic Bayesian Machines

This paper revisits the stochastic computing paradigm as a way to implement architectures dedicated to probabilistic inference. In general, it is assumed the operation over stochastic bit streams is robust with respect to radiation transient events effects. Moreover, it can be expected that leveraging the stochastic computing paradigm to implement probabilistic computations such as Bayesian inference implemented in hardware could yield an increased resilience to radiation effects comparatively to deterministic procedures. However, the practical assessment of the robustness against radiation is mandatory before considering stochastic Bayesian machines (SBMs) in hazardous environments. Results of fault injection campaigns at register transfer level provide the first evidences of the intrinsic robustness of SBMs with respect to single event upsets and single event transients.
Cuidado(!) na prevenção do câncer: ética, danos e equívocos

O artigo Principios Eticos y Prevencion Cuaternaria: ? es posible no proteger el ejercicio del principio de autonomia? e preciso em criticar a medicalizacao social que tem avancado na direcao da prevencao. A prevencao e uma ideia apelativa, popular e medicamente defensavel. O envelhecimento populacional, o sedentarismo progressivo, a epidemia de obesidade e a proliferacao de doencas cronicas, bem como as limitacoes terapeuticas da biomedicina do seculo XX e XXI, reforcam essa ideia. Quase todos preferem ou apoiam o dito popular “antes prevenir que remediar”. O problema e que tal senso comum e perigoso e por vezes deve ser restrito, evitado ou mesmo combatido e reorientado, particularmente quando estao envolvidas intervencoes (diagnosticas e terapeuticas) com alto potencial de dano, especialmente quando se chega ao extremo de impor procedimentos preventivos em situacoes em que o fundamento e precario, como na prevencao do câncer por meio da mamografia periodica no Uruguai. Alem disso, as pessoas podem nao querer realizar os procedimentos preventivos, pelo que nao devem ser penalizadas de modo algum. Mesmo diante da mais consensual evidencia, o que cabe ao profissional e ao Sistema de Saude e aconselhar e informar; nao deve haver imposicao de condutas preventivas, especialmente se nao houver consequencias para a coletividade, como e o caso. Alguns pontos merecem destaque para compreensao da situacao. Primeiro: na prevencao, as implicacoes eticas sao - e devem ser - diferentes em relacao as intervencoes em pessoas adoecidas clinicamente. Na prevencao, exige-se maior rigor quanto a garantia de beneficios e evitacao de danos, pois a intervencao ocorrera em pessoas de baixo risco (assintomaticas) em que deve imperar mais fortemente o primum non nocere. Essa garantia e seguranca exigem solidos criterios cientificos que somente podem ser obtidos por meio de evidencias atualizadas, resultantes de metaanalises e de ensaios clinicos de alta qualidade denominados como ensaios clinicos controlados e aleatorizados. Portanto, a opiniao pessoal ou coletiva de especialistas - quaisquer que sejam, medicos de familia ou especialistas focais - nao deve vigorar quanto aos rastreamentos. Contudo, e compreensivel que mastologistas e ginecologistas tenham opinioes favoraveis ao rastreamento do câncer de mama mais cedo, porque eles entendem e tratam os “cânceres de mama clinicamente relevantes” e os “cânceres produzidos pelo rastreamento” como fenomenos identicos, dada a impossibilidade tecnica atual em diferenciar “os cânceres clinicamente relevantes” dos sobrediagnosticos resultantes do rastreamento. Tal pressao situacional e emocional, porem, nao deve definir recomendacoes de rastreamento. Ao contrario, essa opiniao deve ser informada e continuamente reformulada por evidencias atualizadas de boa qualidade, que estao alem da experiencia pessoal e sao contraintuitivas, mas hoje acessiveis facilmente.
Determinants of Peritoneal Solute Transport Rates in Newly Started Nondiabetic Peritoneal Dialysis Patients

Objective An overrepresentation of a fast peritoneal transport status in new peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients with extensive comorbidity has been reported in some studies. High mass transfer area coefficients (MTACs) of low MW solutes suggest the presence of a large effective peritoneal surface area. The mechanism is unknown. It might include comorbidity, chronic inflammation, or an effect of mesothelial cell mass on peritoneal transport by the production of vasoactive substances. To investigate their relative importance in early PD, peritoneal permeability characteristics in incident PD patients were analyzed for relationships with comorbidity, serum concentrations of inflammatory markers, and products of the mesothelial cells that can be detected in dialysate. Design A cross-sectional study. Setting A university hospital. Methods 46 patients who fulfilled the following inclusion criteria were analyzed: a standard peritoneal permeability analysis (SPA) within 6 months after the start of PD, no peritonitis prior to the SPA, older than 18 years, and without diabetes mellitus as a primary renal disease. The patients were divided into tertiles based on the MTAC creatinine: slow, medium, and fast transport groups. The Davies comorbidity score was used to assess comorbidity. Serum and dialysate samples obtained during the SPA were used to determine hyaluronan, interleukin (IL)-6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and cancer antigen 125 (CA125). The dialysate concentrations of these substances were expressed as their dialysate appearance rates. Results No significant differences were present in the three transport groups for comorbidity, serum concentrations of inflammatory markers, or serum VEGF. Interleukin-6 and VEGF concentration attributed to local VEGF production were not different between the tertiles. Levels of VEGF were higher in the medium transport group compared to the slow transport group (p = 0.02); CA125 was higher in the fast transport group compared to the medium transport group (p = 0.01). When analyzed as continuous variables, MTAC creatinine was related to VEGF (r = 0.33, p < 0.05) and CA125 (r = 0.41, p = 0.03). In linear regression analysis, VEGF influenced the association between CA125 and MTAC creatinine; IL-6 weakened this association only marginally. Conclusion A fast peritoneal transport status in incident nondiabetic PD patients was not related to comorbidity. The relationships found between VEGF, CA125, and MTAC creatinine may suggest a role of VEGF in the regulation of the vascular peritoneal surface area, possibly already before structural abnormalities have developed. Our analyses are consistent with the hypothesis that mesothelial cell mass is an important determinant of the peritoneal transport status in incident nondiabetic PD patients without previous peritonitis. Of the many potential mediators produced by mesothelial cells, VEGF was more important than the inflammation marker IL-6.
Abruptness of axial Si-Ge heterojunctions in nanowires

The process of Si-Ge heterostructures formation in nanowhiskers (NWs) grown by the vapor-liquid-solid mechanism was investigated using Monte Carlo simulation. It was demonstrated that it is impossible to grow atomically abrupt axial heterojunctions via classical vapor-liquid-solid mechanism due to gradual change of catalyst drop composition when switching the fluxes. Dependences of GexSi1–x composition in transition region on the ratio of germanium and silicon fluxes and deposition duration were investigated. The width of Si-Ge axial heterojunction was found to be dependent on NW diameter d. In adsorption-induced growth mode the width has linear dependence on d and in diffusion-induced growth mode it is either constant (when growth rate ∼1/d) or proportional to 1/d (when growth rate ∼1/d2).
Mixed Virtual Element Methods for general second order elliptic problems on polygonal meshes

We consider the discretization of a boundary value problem for a general linear second-order elliptic operator with smooth coefficients using the Virtual Element approach. As in [59] the problem is supposed to have a unique solution, but the associated bilinear form is not supposed to be coercive. Contrary to what was previously done for Virtual Element Methods (as for instance in [9]), we use here, in a systematic way, the L^2-projection operators as designed in [1]. In particular, the present method does not reduce to the original Virtual Element Method of [9] for simpler problems as the classical Laplace operator (apart from the lowest order cases). Numerical experiments show the accuracy and the robustness of the method, and they show as well that a simple-minded extension of the method in [9] to the case of variable coefficients produces, in general, sub-optimal results.
Activation of mucin exocytosis and upregulation of MUC genes in polarized human intestinal mucin‐secreting cells by the thiol‐activated exotoxin listeriolysin O

The secreted thiol‐activated cytolysin listeriolysin O (LLO) was responsible for L. monocytogenes‐induced high‐molecular glycoproteins (HMGs) exocytosis in cultured human mucosecreting HT29‐MTX cells. By biochemical analysis we demonstrate that the majority of secreted HMGs in LLO‐stimulated cells are of mucin origin. In parallel, analysis of the expression of MUCs genes showed that the transcription of the MUC3, MUC4 and MUC12 genes encoding for membrane‐bound mucins was increased in LLO‐stimulated cells. Upregulation of the MUC3 gene correlates with an increased expression of the membrane‐bound MUC3 mucin. In contrast, increase in secretion of the gel‐forming MUC5AC mucin develops without upregulation of the MUC5AC gene. Finally, results showed that NF‐κB and AP‐1 transcription factors were not involved in LLO‐induced upregulation of MUCs genes in HT29‐MTX cells, whereas L. monocytogenes infection was able to promote the degradation of IκB proteins in the cells.
Association of tumor necrosis factor receptor type II polymorphism 196R with Systemic lupus erythematosus in the Japanese: molecular and functional analysis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether a polymorphism(s) or mutation(s) in the tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFRII) gene is involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS All 10 exons of the TNFRII gene were analyzed by exon-specific polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism, followed by nucleotide sequencing of exons that displayed aberrant bands. To analyze the function of the TNFRII polymorphisms, the full-length TNFRII complementary DNA of each allele was transfected in HeLa cells and then studied for specific binding of 125I-TNFalpha, as well as interleukin-6 (IL-6) production and cytotoxic activity after treatment with recombinant human TNFalpha. RESULTS We identified 4 polymorphisms, at codons 56, 181, 196, and 232. The latter 2 had amino acid substitutions M196R and E232K, respectively. Only the 196R allele was significantly associated with SLE in our 105 Japanese SLE patients, with an allele frequency of 20.5%, compared with 12.6% in 99 healthy controls (P = 0.0335). More importantly, using TNFRII-transfected HeLa cells, we demonstrated significantly increased IL-6 production by 196R TNFRII compared with 196M TNFRII. The cytotoxic activity induced by 196R TNFRII was also increased compared with that of 196M TNFRII. This increase was achieved without affecting the binding affinity of TNFalpha to TNF-RII, as demonstrated by the finding that specific TNFalpha binding to the HeLa transfectants of 196R and 196M TNFRII was similar, with Kd values of 3.12 x 10(-10)M and 4.34 x 10(-10)M, respectively. CONCLUSION These results suggest that 196R TNFRII, which transduces the signals of TNFalpha more effectively than does 196M TNFRII, is involved in the pathogenesis of SLE.