Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visceral Leishmaniasis in a Captive Crab-Eating Fox Cerdocyon thous

Abstract: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution. The crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) is considered a wild reservoir of many zoonotical diseases, particularly VL. This study reported the presence of Leishmania infantum amastigotes in different organs of one captive C. thous found dead in a zoo. This animal was positive by the indirect fluorescence antibody test and had many clinical signs of VL. Intracellular amastigote forms of L. infantum were seen in neutrophils and macrophages in sample tissues from skin, lymph nodes (popliteal, submandibular, prescapular, and mesenteric), spleen, and liver. The numbers of positive cells and intracellular parasites were higher in macrophages than in neutrophils. In addition, polymerase chain reaction demonstrated extensive distribution of Leishmania DNA in C. thous tissues from multiple organs. The presence of intracellular amastigotes in neutrophils and macrophages as well as DNA of the parasite in tissues, specifically skin demonstrate that this crab-eating fox is an adequate host for L. infantum and reinforce the importance of VL for symptomatic wild canids kept in captivity in endemic areas.
Maternal serum activin A and follistatin levels in pregnancies with Down syndrome

Inhibin A is now an established second‐trimester maternal serum marker of Down syndrome. Since activin A has a common β‐subunit to inhibin A we evaluated this substance and its binding protein, follistatin, as potential markers. We studied 30 affected and 199 unaffected pregnancies at 13–16 weeks' gestation. There was a statistically significant increase in activin A level among the cases with 8 (27 per cent) exceeding the 90th centile in the controls, and 6 (20 per cent) above the 95th centile. However, the extent of overlap was too great to be of value in screening. There was a small decrease in follistatin levels among cases but it did not reach statistical significance. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Navigating the Anthropocene: Improving Earth System Governance

The United Nations conference in Rio de Janeiro in June is an important opportunity to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development. Science assessments indicate that human activities are moving several of Earth's sub-systems outside the range of natural variability typical for the previous 500,000 years (1, 2). Human societies must now change course and steer away from critical tipping points in the Earth system that might lead to rapid and irreversible change (3). This requires fundamental reorientation and restructuring of national and international institutions toward more effective Earth system governance and planetary stewardship.
Metformin-Induced Stimulation of Adenosine 5′ Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (PRKA) Impairs Progesterone Secretion in Rat Granulosa Cells1

Abstract Metformin is an anti-diabetic drug commonly used to treat cycle disorders and anovulation in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. However, the effects and molecular mechanism of metformin in the ovary are not entirely understood. We investigated the effects of this drug on steroidogenesis and proliferation in rat granulosa cells. Metformin (10 mM) treatment for 48 h reduced progesterone and estradiol (E2) production in both basal conditions and under FSH stimulation. It also decreased the levels of the HSD3B, CYP11A1, STAR, and CYP19A1 proteins in response to FSH (10−8 M) and of HSD3B in the basal state only. Metformin treatment (10 mM, 24 h) also reduced cell proliferation and the levels of CCND2 and CCNE proteins without affecting cell viability, both in the basal state and in response to FSH. Furthermore, metformin treatment for 1 h simultaneously increased the Thr172 phosphorylation of PRKAA (adenosine 5′ monophosphate-activated protein kinase alpha) and the Ser79 phosphorylation of ACACA (acetyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase alpha). The adenovirus-mediated production of dominant-negative PRKAA totally abolished the effects of metformin on progesterone secretion, HSD3B and STAR protein production, and MAPK3/1 phosphorylation. Conversely, total inhibition of PRKAA Thr172 phosphorylation with the dominant-negative PRKAA adenovirus did not restore the decrease in E2 production and cell proliferation induced by metformin. Our results therefore strongly suggest that metformin reduces progesterone production via a PRKAA-dependent mechanism, whereas PRKAA activation is not essential for the decrease in E2 production and cell growth induced by metformin in rat granulosa cells.
VESSEL GROUPING IN DICOTYLEDON WOOD : SIGNIFICANCE AND RELATIONSHIP TO IMPERFORATE TRACHEARY ELEMENTS

-A hitherto unappreciated correlation exists between nature of vessel grouping and nature of imperforate tracheary elements in wood of dicotyledons at large: families and genera with true tracheids (large fully bordered pits common on both radial and tangential walls) have solitary vessels. Presence of true tracheids as a subsidiary conductive system is hypothesized to render vessel grouping a superfluous adaptation. Vessel grouping does occur to various degrees in taxa with fiber-tracheids or libriform fibers; the degree of grouping is related to likelihood or seriousness of vessel failure by air embolisms because of either drought or frost. Grouping of vessels is regarded as a way of providing alternate conduits whereby water can be carried in the same pathways in case one or several vessels in a group are incapacitated by air embolisms. Presence of vascular tracheids, if sufficiently abundant, is held to be correlated with smaller degree of vessel grouping because vascular tracheids can form a subsidiary conductive system; small numbers of vascular tracheids do not affect vessel grouping patterns. Species which possess vasicentric tracheids possess a subsidiary conductive system ideally located around vessels and have solitary vessels or else (ifvasicentric tracheids are less common) a low degree of vessel grouping. Species with very large vessels at the beginning of growth rings tend to have little grouping in the earlywood vessels but more grouping in latewood vessels; this dimorphism is held to relate to enhanced safety oflatewood vessels, since earlywood vessels have little safety and the latewood is thereby the wood portion where safety mechanisms are concentrated. Fiber-tracheids do not have sufficient conductive capabilities to form a subsidiary conductive system; borders on pits of fiber-tracheids are rapidly lost during evolution, and such loss generally pr~cedes appearance of septate or nucleated conditions or is simultaneous with it. Relative selective value of the various vessel grouping types (clusters, radial multiples, diagonal bands, tangential bands) as well as of larger aggregations remains a topic for more investigation, as does significance of grouping of primary xylem vessels.
A Spontaneous Point Mutation Produces Monoamine Oxidase A/B Knock-out Mice with Greatly Elevated Monoamines and Anxiety-like Behavior*♦

A spontaneous monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) mutation (A863T) in exon 8 introduced a premature stop codon, which produced MAO A/B double knock-out (KO) mice in a MAO B KO mouse colony. This mutation caused a nonsense-mediated mRNA decay and resulted in the absence of MAO A transcript, protein, and catalytic activity and abrogates a DraI restriction site. The MAO A/B KO mice showed reduced body weight compared with wild type mice. Brain levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and phenylethylamine increased, and serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid levels decreased, to a much greater degree than in either MAO A or B single KO mice. Observed chase/escape and anxiety-like behavior in the MAO A/B KO mice, different from MAO A or B single KO mice, suggest that varying monoamine levels result in both a unique biochemical and behavioral phenotype. These mice will be useful models for studying the molecular basis of disorders associated with abnormal monoamine neurotransmitters.
Public health benefit of over-the-counter nicotine medications.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the impact of allowing non-prescription sales of nicotine medications in the United States on increasing the numbers of smokers quitting. DESIGN: Sales and marketing data were used to compare the use of nicotine medications before and after non-prescription sales, and to estimate the impact of non-prescription sales on quit rates. SETTING: United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of quit attempts using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products, number of smokers who quit smoking with over-the-counter (OTC) NRT or with NRT still sold by prescription, and incremental quits attributable to OTC NRT. RESULTS: Since the US Food and Drug Administration approved nicotine medications for OTC sale in 1996, use of the medications has increased by 152% compared with prior prescription use. With increased use of an efficacious treatment, OTC nicotine medications are estimated to yield from 114,000-304,000 new former smokers annually in the United States. CONCLUSIONS: The broader availability and promotion of effective treatments for tobacco dependence, specifically nicotine gum and patch, increase the number of smokers availing themselves of the medications. This increased use is estimated to contribute substantially to the number of former smokers in the United States.
Big Time Is Not Always Long

To reproduce the duration of an event precisely, one needs to represent the temporal information without being influenced by other magnitude attributes (e.g., size) of the event. In the present study, however, task-irrelevant numerical magnitude automatically affected participants’ reproduction of the duration of a stimulus. In Experiment 1, participants made key-press responses to reproduce the duration of numbers. Reproduced durations were shorter for small numbers (e.g., 1) than for large numbers (e.g., 9). In contrast, in Experiment 2, participants’ reproductions of a standard duration were longer when their key-press response was accompanied by visual presentation of a small number than when it was accompanied by presentation of a large number. These results clearly demonstrate that number-time interference extends beyond simple mapping between stimulus categories and response alternatives. The findings support the notion that either a common magnitude representation or closely connected magnitude representations underlie numerical and temporal processing.
Supplier Asset Allocation in a Pool-Based Electricity Market

A power supplier in a pool-based market needs to allocate his generation capacities to participate in contract and spot markets. In this paper, the optimal portfolio selection theory is introduced for this purpose. A model applying this theory is proposed to solve the supplier asset allocation problem. Real market data are used in a numerical study to test the proposed model. The results show that different asset allocation solutions can yield very different risk-return tradeoffs for a supplier, and the proposed method can be potentially useful in suppliers' decision making.
Inhibition of Osteoclast Function by Adenovirus Expressing Antisense Protein-tyrosine Kinase 2*

Osteoclast activation is initiated by adhesion to bone, cytoskeletal rearrangement, formation of the sealing zone, and formation of the polarized ruffled membrane. Previous findings suggest that protein-tyrosine kinase 2 (PYK2), a cytoplasmic kinase related to focal adhesion kinase, participates in these events. This study examines the role of PYK2 in adhesion-mediated signaling and osteoclast function, using PYK2 antisense. We produced a recombinant adenovirus containing a 300-base pair reversed 5′-coding region of PYK2 and used full-length PYK2 as a control. Murine osteoclast-like cells or their mononuclear precursors were generated in a co-culture of bone marrow and osteoblasts. Infection with antisense adenovirus significantly reduced the expression of endogenous PYK2 protein relative to uninfected cells or to cells infected with sense PYK2 and caused: 1) a reduction in osteoclast formation in vitro; 2) inhibition of cell spreading and of actin ring formation in osteoclasts plated on glass or bone and of attachment and spreading of osteoclast precursors plated on vitronectin; 3) inhibition of bone resorptionin vitro; 4) marked reduction in p130Castyrosine phosphorylation; and 5) no change in αvβ3 integrin expression or c-Src tyrosine phosphorylation. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that PYK2 plays a central role in the adhesion-dependent cytoskeletal organization and sealing zone formation required for osteoclastic bone resorption.
Vasodilative Effects of Urocortin II via Protein Kinase A and a Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in Rat Thoracic Aorta

Four corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)–related peptides have been found in mammals and are known as CRF, urocortin, urocortin II, and urocortin III (also known as stresscopin). The three urocortins have considerably higher affinities for CRF receptor type 2 (CRF R2) than CRF, and urocortin II and urocortin III are highly selective for CRF R2. In the present study, the authors examined the hypothesis that urocortin II or urocortin III, in addition to urocortin, produces vasodilation as a candidate for natural ligands of CRF R2&bgr; in rat thoracic aorta. Involvement of protein kinases on urocortin-induced vasodilation was also explored. The vasodilative effects of urocortin II and urocortin III were more potent than that of CRF, but less potent than that of urocortin. Urocortin II–induced vasodilation was significantly attenuated by a CRF R2–selective antagonist, antisauvagine-30. Both SQ22536, an adenylate cyclase inhibitor, and Rp-8-Br-cAMPS, a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor, were found to attenuate the urocortin II–induced vasodilation. SB203580, a p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase inhibitor, also inhibited the effects of urocortin and urocortin II on vasodilation. Thus, urocortins contribute to vasodilation via p38 MAP kinase as well as PKA pathways.
Systems analysis of salivary gland development and disease

Branching morphogenesis is a crucial developmental process in which vertebrate organs generate extensive epithelial surface area while retaining a compact size. In the vertebrate submandibular salivary gland, branching morphogenesis is crucial for the generation of the large surface area necessary to produce sufficient saliva. However, in many salivary gland diseases, saliva‐producing acinar cells are destroyed, resulting in dry mouth and secondary health conditions. Systems‐based approaches can provide insights into understanding salivary gland development, function, and disease. The traditional approach to understanding these processes is the identification of molecular signals using reductionist approaches; we review current progress with such methods in understanding salivary gland development. Taking a more global approach, multiple groups are currently profiling the transcriptome, the proteome, and other ‘omes’ in both developing mouse tissues and in human patient samples. Computational methods have been successful in deciphering large data sets, and mathematical models are starting to make predictions regarding the contribution of molecules to the physical processes of morphogenesis and cellular function. A challenge for the future will be to establish comprehensive, publicly accessible salivary gland databases spanning the full range of genes and proteins; plans are underway to provide these resources to researchers in centralized repositories. The greatest challenge for the future will be to develop realistic models that integrate multiple types of data to both describe and predict embryonic development and disease pathogenesis. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2010 2 670–682
Investigating the Moderators of the Group Support Systems Use with Meta-Analysis

This paper presents a meta-analysis that investigates five moderators (task, tool, the type of group, the size of the group, and facilitation) and their influences on the overall effects of group support systems (GSS). Results show that process satisfaction is higher for idea-generation tasks than for decision-making tasks. The GSS tool (that is, the use of level 1 or level 2 GSS) influences decision quality. Level 1 tools support the exchange of information, whereas, level 2 tools are designed to aid in decision-making. Decision quality is higher when using level 2 tools, however, there is no difference in the number of ideas generated when using level 1 or level 2 tools. Decision quality is lower for virtual teams, but there is no difference in the number of ideas generated between virtual teams and face-to-face teams using GSS. Group size is an important moderator when measuring decision time and satisfaction with process. The former is shorter for larger groups, and the latter is higher for larger groups. Process facilitation leads to higher decision quality and higher satisfaction with the process. These results illustrate the importance of examining the moderators of GSS use and the viability of conducting a meta-analysis to investigate a large body of research with seemingly conflicting or equivocal results.
Correlation and path coefficient analysis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.).

Correlation analysis in tomato revealed that per cent fruit set, number of primary branches, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, total soluble solids, fruit length, fruit firmness, number of flower trusses per plant and pericarp thickness were positively and significantly associated with yield per plant. Path analysis revealed that average fruit weight had the high positive direct effect on yield per plant followed by number of fruits per plant. Traits viz., fruit diameter and fruit shape, fruit index had negative direct effect on fruit yield per plant. Most of the other traits had indirect effect via fruit weight, fruits per plant, fruit diameter and fruit shape index. Hence, these characters should be given more weightage in selection programme of high yielding genotypes in tomato.
The Prevalence and Pattern of Depression in Patients with Tuberculosis on Follow up at Jimma University Specialized Hospital and Jimma Health Center

Depression is an important public-health problem and is one of the leading causes of disease burden affecting 121 million people worldwide. The life time risk of depression in the general population is higher in women than men. However, the prevalence of depression in those with chronic illnesses is much higher. Depression and chronic illnesses co-exist because of physical changes from the illness trigger the depression resulting in vicious cycle. The prevalence of depression in tuberculosis patients is about 49%. It increases in prevalence with older age, duration of illness, disease severity and HIV Co infection. Aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression in the tuberculosis patients and its relationship with regard to socio demographic factors, disease characteristics, treatment factors and HIV infection. Institution based cross sectional survey was conducted by a face to face interview using standardized questioner, the Kessler, which has scores for classifying the patients having depression. It was conducted at Jimma University Specialized Hospital and Jimma Health Center Tuberculosis follow up clinics on 248 patients from January 1 to 29, 2010. In addition, reviewing of records of the patients was done. The study showed that 19.82% of tuberculosis patients were cases of depression from a total of 222 patients that were interviewed. Depression cases were 100% in older age group. From the total female population, depression cases were 25%. In widowed, it was 36.36%. Most of them (32.20%) were those who had attended secondary school. Farmers had higher depressive rate being 61.11%. Regarding disease characteristics, 21.86% of the depressed had pulmonary TB. Those who had illness lasting greater than 1.5 year had higher percentage being 71.43%. Majority of the depressed (26.75%) were in category I and 63.64% in initiation phase. Significant proportions (65.12%) of the depressed were HIV positive (x2=8.08, p-value = 0.001). There was significant percentage of depressed TB patients. The treatment of psychiatric co morbidities should be incorporate in the treatment of TB patients in order to achieve the goal of the Directly Observed Therapy strategy.
In vitro amplification and detection of variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease PrPSc

Variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD) poses a serious risk of secondary transmission and the need to detect infectivity in asymptomatic individuals is therefore of major importance. Following infection, it is assumed that minute amounts of disease‐associated prion protein (PrPSc) replicate by conversion of the host cellular prion protein (PrPC). Therefore, methods of rapidly reproducing this conversion process in vitro would be valuable tools in the development of such tests. We show that one such technique, protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), can amplify vCJD PrPSc from human brain tissue, and that the degree of amplification is dependent upon the substrate PRNP codon 129 polymorphism. Both human platelets and transgenic mouse brain are shown to be suitable alternative substrate sources, and amplified PrPSc can be detected using a conformation‐dependent immunoassay (CDI), allowing the detection of putative proteinase K sensitive forms of PrPSc. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustained Benefit From a Long-Term Antiretroviral Adherence Intervention: Results of a Large Randomized Clinical Trial

Objective:To assess the efficacy of 2 adherence interventions, medication managers (MM) and medication alarms (ALR), among antiretroviral (ARV)-naive persons with HIV initiating ARV therapy. Methods:A multicenter, randomized, adherence intervention clinical trial was conducted among participants coenrolled in an HIV ARV strategy study for ARV-naive individuals. Sites were assigned by cluster randomization using a 2 × 2 factorial design to administer MM, ALR, MM + ALR, or neither (control). MM participants received individualized, structured, long-term adherence support from trained MMs. ALR participants received individually programmed ALR alarms for use throughout the study. Results:The 928 participants, followed a median of 30 months, included 22% women and 75% nonwhites; the median baseline CD4 count was 155 cells/mm3. First virologic failure was 13% lower in all MM versus no-MM groups (P = 0.13) and 28% lower in MM versus no-MM subgroups randomized to 2-class ARV arms in the parent ARV study (P = 0.01). MM (vs. no-MM) participants had significantly better CD4 cells count (P = 0.01) and adherence (P < 0.001) outcomes. ALR (vs. no-ALR) participants had worse virologic outcomes. Conclusion:This large randomized clinical trial demonstrated that interpersonal structured adherence support was associated with improved long-term medication adherence and virologic and immunologic HIV outcomes.
Cancer Stem Cell Markers Are Associated With Distant Hematogenous Liver Metastases But Not With Peritoneal Carcinomatosis in Colorectal Cancer

Although peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) displays advanced stage in colorectal cancer (CRC), most patients present without distant metastases. To analyze the expression of cancer stem cell markers immunohistochemistry for CD133, CD44 and β-catenin was applied to CRC with exclusive PC, exclusive hepatic metastasis and CRC with combined spread. Expression of cancer stem cell markers correlated with hematogeneous metastases to the liver and was absent in patients with exclusive PC. Thus, expression of cancer stem cell markers correlates with different patterns of metastatic spread in CRC. These data indicate that CRC with exclusive PC lack stem cell features needed for distant dissemination.