Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COMPARISON OF FUSARIUM CULMORUM ISOLATES ASSOCIATED WITH VIRULENCE ON WHEAT

Fusarium culmorum is one of the most important causal agents of Fusarium head blight (FHB), results in yield and quality reductions and mycotoxin accumulation. It predominates on cereals in North-West of Turkey in cereal growing fields. In this research the aggressiveness among the F. culmorum isolates and reduction on yield was evaluated. Two wheat varieties (Golia and Ceyhan) and 16 isolates of the fungus were enclosed in the research. In addition, the mycotoxin content of zearalenone (ZEA) in the infected kernels was also compared. The wheat heads were inoculated by a syringe at mid-anthesis. Head blight severity was assessed 3 times and the data was used to calculate the area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). Significant variation in aggressiveness of isolates of F. culmorum was observed in both wheat varieties tested. The isolates of F. culmorum reduced significantly thousand kernel weights (TKW) at different levels in both varieties. No interaction was found between ZEA accumulation and isolates or wheat varieties. There was a positive correlation between head weight and TKW, but negative correlation between AUDPC and head weight or TKW. No correlation was found between ZEA and any other parameters assessed. We conclude that the enclosed isolates of F. culmorum differed in aggressiveness and reduced yield at different levels; ZEA accumulation was, however, not correlated with the disease severity. This result suggests that ZEA is not required for pathogenicity; therefore, selection in wheat for reduced visible disease symptoms does not reduce the risk of ZEA contamination.
Programmable threshold voltage using quantum dot transistors for low-power mobile computing

Advances in semiconductor technology has fueled the proliferation of a diversity of hand-held mobile computing devices. However, power consumption has become one of the fundamental barriers for deploying research systems in realistic situations. In particular, leakage power is projected to increase exponentially in future process nodes. This requires power-performance optimization at all levels of design hierarchy. In this paper, we propose to exploit the programmable threshold voltage using quantum dot (QD) transistors for addressing the challenge of energy efficiency in mobile computing systems. The unique programmability of QD transistors enhances design optimization for power-performance trade-off. Simulation results demonstrate significant leakage reduction over conventional techniques.
How to become a parasite without sex chromosomes: a hypothesis for the evolution of Strongyloides spp. and related nematodes

SUMMARY Parasitic lifestyles evolved many times independently. Just within the phylum Nematoda animal parasitism must have arisen at least four times. Switching to a parasitic lifestyle is expected to lead to changes in various life history traits including reproductive strategies. Parasitic nematode worms of the genus Strongyloides represent an interesting example to study these processes because they are still capable of forming facultative free-living generations in between parasitic ones. The parasitic generation consists of females only, which reproduce parthenogenetically. The sex in the progeny of the parasitic worms is determined by environmental cues, which control a, presumably ancestral, XX/XO chromosomal sex determining system. In some species the X chromosome is fused with an autosome and one copy of the X-derived sequences is removed by sex-specific chromatin diminution in males. Here I propose a hypothesis for how today's Strongyloides sp. might have evolved from a sexual free-living ancestor through dauer larvae forming free-living and facultative parasitic intermediate stages.
Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Neisseria meningitidis, Delhi, India

Decreased susceptibility of Neisseria meningitidis isolates to ciprofloxacin emerged from an outbreak in Delhi, India. Results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the meningococcal isolates to ciprofloxacin and further sequencing of DNA gyrase A quinolone-resistance–determining region confirmed the emergence of ciprofloxacin resistance in the outbreak.
The Palliative Performance Scale Predicts Three- and Six-Month Survival in Older Adult Patients Admitted to the Hospital through the Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND There is often little information on long-term prognosis available for Emergency Medicine physicians when decisions on admission, treatment, or consultations are being made for patients. There is a new focus to understand if palliative support should be offered in the emergency department (ED) and the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS), a screening tool used in other settings in palliative care, has been little used in the ED. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to assess the prognostic value of the PPS in predicting three- and six-month survival in patients admitted through the ED. DESIGN A prospective cohort study. SETTING/SUBJECTS We evaluated 123 patients over the age of 55 years admitted through the ED of a tertiary care hospital in New England in November and December of 2013. MEASUREMENTS Each patient's PPS score was evaluated initially in the ED, with follow-up assessments of PPS and survival at three and six months. RESULTS Baseline PPS for the 123 patients was 72 ± 22. Information on 72 subjects (58.5%) at three months was 60 assessed and 12 deaths. Information on 47 subjects (38.2%) at six months was 26 assessed and 21 deaths (nine further deaths from three months). There were no significant differences in the demographics or PPS score in those evaluated and those lost to follow-up at three or six months. Patients with an initial PPS score of 30 or less had 14% survival at six months. CONCLUSION In this small preliminary study, The PPS score may predict survival in patients admitted to the hospital through the ED. The ease of use holds promise that use of the PPS in the ED may help ED physicians predict survival and plan for better disposition, advocate for patient wishes, and initiate palliative care consultation.
Stability of IAA and IBA in Nutrient Medium to Several Tissue Culture Procedures

The relative stabilities of IAA and IBA under various tissue culture pro- cedures were determined. IBA was significantly more stable than IAA to autoclaving. IBA was also found to be more stable than IAA in liquid Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) under growth chamber conditions. The stabilities of IBA and IAA were similar in agar-solidifi ed MS. Light provided by cool-white fluorescent bulbs promoted deg- radation of IAA and IBA in both liquid and agar media. Activated charcoal in con- centrations as high as 5% was found to adsorb more than 97% of IAA and IBA in liquid MS. These results have important implications for the preparation, storage, and handling of IBA and IAA in plant tissue culture. Chemical names used: indole-3-acetic acid (IAA); indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Natural and synthetic auxins have been used
The process of becoming a user of an osseointegrated prosthesis following transfemoral amputation: a qualitative study

Abstract Purpose: To investigate what characterizes the process of becoming a user of an osseointegrated prosthesis following transfemoral amputation. Method: The study is based on the descriptive phenomenological framework Reflective Lifeworld Research. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with seven participants who had undergone transfemoral implant surgery and currently used their osseointegrated prosthesis. Data were analyzed according to the guidelines given in Reflective Lifeworld Research. Results: The essential meaning of becoming a user of an osseointegrated prosthesis is characterized by determination to achieve rehabilitation results as well as a struggle to get familiar with the new prosthesis. When familiar with the prosthesis, participants begin to experience radical improvements in their everyday life, compared to their life with the socket suspended prosthesis. The essential meaning is elaborated on in four constituents: Determination to achieve rehabilitation results with the short training prosthesis, struggling to get familiar with the osseointegrated prosthesis, experiencing improvements in everyday life and reconnecting with one’s prior self-perception. Conclusion: All the participants experienced increased action space and a more positive outlook on life. However, it took determination and stamina to become a user of an osseointegrated prosthesis, and participants faced several challenges throughout this process. Consequently, it remains important to raise awareness of the difficulties faced during this process. Implications for Rehabilitation The findings from this study suggest an increased healthcare support to users of an transfemoral osseointegrated prosthesis in the period of rehabilitation and adjustment, as the results of being able to use the osseointegrated prosthesis may outweigh the obstacles of getting there. Implementation of long-term follow-up and psychosocial support initiatives may improve the adjustment process following osseointegration. Support of patients with an osseointegrated prosthesis may be facilitated through formation of specific rehabilitation groups together with increased use of information technology such as social media and relevant online communities which provide forums for interaction and dialog with people in similar situations.
Serotonin transporter and BDNF polymorphisms interact to predict trait worry

Background and Objectives: Excessive worry is associated with a range of psychological disorders. While previous studies have examined genes associated with a range of different anxiety phenotypes, none have explored genes specifically associated with the general tendency to worry. Design: The present study tested associations between trait worry and functional polymorphisms of three candidate genes: the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) of the SLC6A4 gene, the Val66Met region of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, and the Val158Met region of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene. Methods: A heterogeneous sample of adult participants (n = 173) completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and provided DNA samples for genotyping. Results: Results revealed a significant interaction between 5-HTTLPR and BDNF genotypes predicting levels of worry. Specifically, there was a significant positive association between 5-HTTLPR short alleles and PSWQ scores, but only in BDNF met allele carriers. COMT genotype was not significantly associated levels of worry, nor did COMT interact with 5-HTTLPR or BDNF genotypes to predict PSWQ scores. Conclusions: These findings provide preliminary evidence about the putative genetic etiology of worrying. Key limitations of the present study and corresponding directions for future research on this topic are discussed.
Growth and colony formation of the phytoflagellate Prymnesium parvum Carter on solid media.

SYNOPSIS. Colonies of Prymnesium parvum from single cells were obtained in an atmosphere of high humidity, in soft-agar overlayers on solid medium. Light intensity above 60 foot candles at the surface of the agar plates inhibited colonial development. Such colonies were used to obtain pure lines of the phytoflagellate. A method for direct demonstration of hemolysin formation on agar plates was developed. The occurrence of hemolytic activity by P. parvum colonies was light-dependent.
Overall and cause-specific mortality in a cohort of homo-/bisexual men, injecting drug users, and female partners of HIV-infected men. Pulmonary Complications of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Study Group.

OBJECTIVE To study the overall and cause-specific HIV-related mortality in a cohort of HIV-seropositive subjects according to transmission category, race/ethnicity, sex and severity of immunosuppression. DESIGN A cohort of 1129 HIV-seropositive homo-/bisexual men, injecting drug users, and female partners of HIV-infected men were enrolled at six centers in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Newark, Detroit and New York between 1 November 1988 and 1 November 1989. Subjects were evaluated every 6 months at least until 31 March 1994. METHODS The analyses of overall mortality for the subgroups of interest were performed with Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards models. Cause-specific analyses were performed on the primary cause of death using rates per 100 person-years of exposure. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Baseline severity of immunosuppression is the strongest predictor of mortality. There were no statistically significant differences in overall HIV-related mortality among transmission categories, race/ethnicity groups or sexes. There were differences, however, in cause-specific mortality among the different risk groups.
Patterns of Uveitis in Patients Admitted to a University Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Purpose: To analyze clinical patterns, causes, and systemic disease associations among patients with uveitis admitted to King Abdulaziz University Hospital. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 351 patients (600 eyes). Results: The study subjects consisted of 183 (52.1%) males and 168 (47.9%) females, with a mean age of 39.9 ± 14.2 years at presentation. The most common anatomic diagnosis was panuveitis (68.6%), followed by posterior uveitis (12.7%), anterior uveitis (12.7%), and intermediate uveitis (6.0%). The most common identifiable specific diagnoses were presumed tuberculous uveitis (PTU) (28.2%), Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease (19.4%), Behçet disease (BD) (12.5%), and toxoplasmosis (8.2%). After a mean follow-up period of 29.5 ± 22.1 months, 63.5% of the eyes achieved visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Eyes from patients with PTU had the worst final visual outcome. Conclusions: The most common anatomic diagnosis was panuveitis. PTU, VKH disease, BD, and toxoplasmosis were the most frequent specific diagnoses.
Transglutaminase IgA Antibodies in a Celiac Disease Mass Screening and the Role of HLA-DQ Genotyping and Endomysial Antibodies in Sequential Testing

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate hypothetical screening strategies in a Swedish celiac disease (CD) mass screening. Methods: Of 10,041 Swedish sixth graders born in 1993 invited to a population-based CD mass screening, 7208 participated. Anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) immunoglobulin (Ig) A were analyzed in all children and total serum IgA (s-IgA) in 7161 children. Additional analyses of tTG-IgG, endomysial antibodies (EMA) IgA and IgG, and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles were performed according to a standardized protocol. Children with elevated levels of serological markers were recommended to undergo a small intestinal biopsy to verify diagnosis, and 153 children with CD were thus identified. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values (PPVs) and negative predictive values (NPVs) were calculated and receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted. Results: By lowering the cutoff for tTG-IgA, 17 additional cases of CD were identified at the cost of 32 biopsies. All children with tTG-IgA >50 U/mL (10 times the recommended upper limit of normal) had gluten enteropathy. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for tTG-IgA was 0.988. All cases carried HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8, as did 53% of the controls. For different hypothetical screening strategies, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV ranged between 87.6% and 100%, 99.5% and 99.9%, 79.7% and 89.7%, and 99.7% and 100%, respectively. Efforts to increase sensitivity by lowering tTG-IgA cutoff would result in increased number of small intestinal biopsies and lower PPV. Sequential testing for both EMA and HLA-DQ genotyping would reduce the number of negative small intestinal biopsies. Conclusions: tTG-IgA is a robust marker when used in CD mass screening and its performance can be enhanced by sequential testing for EMA or HLA-DQ genotyping.
Reproducibility of Serum Leptin, Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I, and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein-3 Measurements

Background: Many epidemiologic studies examine the effects of single measurements of hormones, including those related to obesity such as insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) or leptin, on disease associations; however, few studies have determined whether these single values accurately reflect measurements over time. Methods: We examined the reproducibility of hormones associated with obesity, specifically leptin, IGF-I, and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3). Two fasting blood samples, approximately four months apart, were collected from 38 participants from the Seattle metropolitan area; leptin, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 concentrations were measured in previously unthawed serum samples. Unadjusted and adjusted intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated to assess reproducibility. Results: Adjusting for age and sex, the ICCs for leptin, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3 were 0.73, 0.83 and 0.60, respectively. Weighted kappas yielded similar results. Conclusion: These data suggest that for leptin, IGF-I, and IGFBP-3, a single fasting serum measurement can fairly reliably reflect the hormonal milieu over periods of months.
Sentence Alignment Methods for Improving Text Simplification Systems

We provide several methods for sentence-alignment of texts with different complexity levels. Using the best of them, we sentence-align the Newsela corpora, thus providing large training materials for automatic text simplification (ATS) systems. We show that using this dataset, even the standard phrase-based statistical machine translation models for ATS can outperform the state-of-the-art ATS systems.
Craniopharyngiomas in children and adults.

✓ The records of 51 patients with craniopharyngiomas were reviewed to compare the clinical features of the tumor in children and adults, to weigh the results of radical removal of the neoplasm, and to evaluate the benefit of postoperative radiation therapy. Signs and symptoms in the two age groups differed modestly. Endocrine abnormalities and visual field deficits were recognized more often in adults, whereas skull films were more likely to be abnormal in children. Six patients underwent radical removal of tumor. All have returned to normal life and remain free of recurrence. When tumor removal was incomplete, recurrence was common, appearing earlier in the younger patients. The administration of postoperative radiotherapy following partial removal of tumor appeared to delay recurrence in both age groups.
INFLUENCE OF POTASSIUM AND BORON ON SOME TRAITS IN WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM CV. DARAB2)

The boron element is unique among the essential elements in that a narrow range in concentration can mean the difference between plant deficiency and plant toxicity. Effect of potassium on boron toxicity reduction in wheat was evaluated at Agriculture Research Station located in Jahrom, Iran, during 2009. An experiment was conducted in a factorial experiment based on Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in three replications. The treatments were four levels of B (0, 20, 40 and 60 mg) and four levels of K (0, 25, 50 and 75 mg). The studied traits were number of spikes plant -1, number of kernels spike-1, 1000 seed weight, biological yield, harvest index and seed yield. The results demonstrated that all of traits except biological yield were increased when K element was applied. On the other hand, all of traits were decreased when B levels were increased. It seems to be that soils containing higher boron concentration were considered to probably cause B toxicity. B1 × K4 and B4 × K1 interaction effects had the highest and lowest seed yield (8.92 and 1.15 ton ha-1, respectively), indicating that K promotes photosynthesis and transport assimilates of carbohydrates to the storages organs. In this research, 1000 seed weight had the highest correlation with seed yield.
Cutting Edge: IL-36 Receptor Promotes Resolution of Intestinal Damage

IL-1 family members are central mediators of host defense. In this article, we show that the novel IL-1 family member IL-36γ was expressed during experimental colitis and human inflammatory bowel disease. Germ-free mice failed to induce IL-36γ in response to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced damage, suggesting that gut microbiota are involved in its induction. Surprisingly, IL-36R–deficient (Il1rl2−/−) mice exhibited defective recovery following DSS-induced damage and impaired closure of colonic mucosal biopsy wounds, which coincided with impaired neutrophil accumulation in the wound bed. Failure of Il1rl2−/− mice to recover from DSS-induced damage was associated with a profound reduction in IL-22 expression, particularly by colonic neutrophils. Defective recovery of Il1rl2−/− mice could be rescued by an aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist, which was sufficient to restore IL-22 expression and promote full recovery from DSS-induced damage. These findings implicate the IL-36/IL-36R axis in the resolution of intestinal mucosal wounds.
Risk and incidence of dementia in a cohort of older subjects with Parkinson's disease in the United Kingdom

To determine the incidence and possible risk factors for dementia in patients with clinically probable Parkinson's disease (PD), a cohort (n = 86) of nondemented patients over 65 years of age with PD fulfilling the PD Brain Bank clinical diagnostic criteria were determined from community records. A similarly aged group of control subjects (n = 102) were recruited from the same area. Both groups were assessed at baseline and approximately 4 years later for cognition, mood, and motor function (PD patients only). The presence and severity of cognitive impairments was based on subject and informant interview, neuropsychological assessment based on the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) and the application of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM‐IV). At 4 years, 51 (59%) of the PD and 72 (71%) of the control cohort were available for reassessment. Of the PD cohort, 18 (35.3%) had developed dementia and 5 (9.4%) had evidence of mild cognitive impairments. In the control group, 5 (7%) had developed dementia. The incidence of dementia per 1,000 person‐years in the PD cohort was 107.1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 59.9–159.8) and in the control group was 17.9 (95% CI, 5.8–31.9). The relative risk of patients developing dementia was 5.1 times that of the controls (95% CI, 2.1–12.5). Increasing age, later age of onset of PD, longer duration of PD symptoms, the presence of hallucinations, and impairment of memory and language function were all predictive factors for the development of dementia (P < 0.05). Dementia was also found to be a significant predictor for institutional placement in the PD group. Compared with similarly aged controls, patients with clinically probable PD have a fivefold‐increased risk of developing dementia. This finding has significant implications for successful clinical management of this condition. © 2004 Movement Disorder Society
Preference for Vibrational over Translational Energy in a Gas-Surface Reaction

State-resolved gas-surface reactivity measurements revealed that vibrational excitation of ν3 (the antisymmetric C-H stretch) activates methane dissociation more efficiently than does translational energy. Methane molecules in the vibrational ground state require 45 kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol) of translational energy to attain the same reactivity enhancement provided by 36 kJ/mol of ν3 excitation. This result contradicts a key assumption underlying statistical theories of gas-surface reactivity and provides direct experimental evidence of the central role that vibrational energy can play in activating gas-surface reactions.