Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent speciation of Capsella rubella from Capsella grandiflora, associated with loss of self-incompatibility and an extreme bottleneck

Flowering plants often prevent selfing through mechanisms of self-incompatibility (S.I.). The loss of S.I. has occurred many times independently, because it provides short-term advantages in situations where pollinators or mates are rare. The genus Capsella, which is closely related to Arabidopsis, contains a pair of closely related diploid species, the self-incompatible Capsella grandiflora and the self-compatible Capsella rubella. To elucidate the transition to selfing and its relationship to speciation of C. rubella, we have made use of comparative sequence information. Our analyses indicate that C. rubella separated from C. grandiflora recently (≈30,000–50,000 years ago) and that breakdown of S.I. occurred at approximately the same time. Contrasting the nucleotide diversity patterns of the 2 species, we found that C. rubella has only 1 or 2 alleles at most loci, suggesting that it originated through an extreme population bottleneck. Our data are consistent with diploid speciation by a single, selfing individual, most likely living in Greece. The new species subsequently colonized the Mediterranean by Northern and Southern routes, at a time that also saw the spread of agriculture. The presence of phenotypic diversity within modern C. rubella suggests that this species will be an interesting model to understand divergence and adaptation, starting from very limited standing genetic variation.
Persistent and progressive pulmonary fibrotic changes in a model of fat embolism

BACKGROUND: Fat embolism (FE) after trauma and some orthopedic procedures is known to cause acute lung injury, including acute respiratory distress syndrome. However, its potential long-term effects on the lung are unknown. A previous study using a rat model of FE found significant histopathologic changes in the lungs after intravenous injection of triolein for up to 11 days. This study detailed the persistence of the lung damage and investigated the input of the renin-angiotensin system in its pathology. METHODS: Unanesthetized rats were injected via the tail vein with 0.2 mL saline or triolein. After euthanasia, at 3 weeks or 6 weeks, lung sections were stained to highlight cellular structure, presence of collagen and fat, or immunolabeled for smooth muscle actin or angiotensin peptides. RESULTS: At 3 weeks or 6 weeks after triolein injection, there was no dilatation of the heart or inferior vena cava, no congestion of the liver or spleen, no adventitial edema, nor was fluid present in alveoli or pleural cavity as reported in animals at earlier time points. Persisting pathology included reduced lumen patency, thickening of the media of small arteries and arterioles, and vascular and septal inflammation. Although the fat content of the lung decreased from week 3 to week 6, there was a progressive increase in collagen, smooth muscle actin, and angiotensin peptides. CONCLUSIONS: This model extends the effect of FE on pulmonary pathology to 6 weeks, revealing persistent vasculitis, septal inflammation, and progressive fibrotic changes which are associated with increased presence of angiotensin peptides.
Weight and length at birth of infants of diabetic mothers.

Birth weight and length of 122 surviving babies of diabetics, born in Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen 1926\p=n-\1947,was compared to a control group of 122 infants of non-diabetics (matched controls). The groups were comparable, especially as to foetal age and parity of the mother, severe complications in the mothers, etc. The average foetal age was 261 days (range 237\p=n-\301). The average weight and length for the infants of non-diab. controls was 3045 gm. and 49.5 cm. , for infants of diabetics 3600 gm. and 51.0 cm. Thus on average infants of diabetics weigh 550 gm. more and are 1.5 cm. longer than are infants of non-diab. Differences of the same magnitude were found in primiparae and in multiparae with and without obesity. The frequency distribution curves for weight and length are nearly normal, but placed at higher levels than are those of non-diab. infants. Diabetics get big and small infants as others, but the whole population is bigger than that of non-diabetics' infants. There is an actual overgrowth. In a personal series from 1946\p=n-\195375 infants of long-term treated (1. t.)
Banking in sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and opportunities

In der Studie werden die makrookonomischen Bedingungen in afrikanischen Landern sudlich der Sahara erlautert und die aktuellen Entwicklungen und Trends im Bankensektor der Region im Uberblick erortert. Dabei gehen die Autoren auf die Herausforderungen und Chancen ein, die sich fur den Bankensektor in diesen Landern ergeben. Im Mittelpunkt stehen unter anderem der Zugang zu Finanzierungsmitteln und die Finanzierung von Infrastrukturvorhaben.
A Real-Time Voltage Instability Identification Algorithm Based on Local Phasor Measurements

This paper proposes a new voltage instability risk indicator based on local phasor measurements at fast sampling rate. The effectiveness of the indicator is analyzed at EHV load and ldquotransitrdquo buses. The risk criterion is based on the real-time computation of the Thevenin equivalent impedance of the classic electrical circuit given by an equivalent generator connected to an equivalent load impedance through an equivalent connecting impedance. The main contribution of the paper is the innovating algorithm utilized on the real-time adaptive identification of the Thevenin voltage and impedance equivalents. The algorithm performance is shown through a detailed sensitivity analysis. The paper presents important numerical results from the actual Italian EHV network.
Interactions of DB75, a Novel Antimalarial Agent, with Other Antimalarial Drugs In Vitro

ABSTRACT Pafuramidine is a novel orally active antimalarial. To identify a combination partner, we measured the in vitro antimalarial activities of the active metabolite, DB75, with amodiaquine, artemisinin, atovaquone, azithromycin, chloroquine, clindamycin, mefloquine, piperaquine, pyronaridine, tafenoquine, and tetracycline. None of the drugs tested demonstrated antagonistic or synergistic activity in combination with pafuramidine.
From the cradle to the grave: how fast can we run?

I model average running speed on distances from 5000 m to the marathon as a function of age, distance and sex. Using data on US age-dependent road-racing records, I simulate optimal performance for ages ranging from 3 to 95 years. The results of the correlation between running speed and age are in line with medical results on the relation between age and maximal oxygen uptake. The results show that official track and field age-grading overestimates human performance at older ages.
Conceptualization of Management of Comorbid Diabetes and Hypertension Conditions in Kenya : A Focused Ethnographic Study

Background: Chronic Comorbid conditions are emerging to be a global concern; while management interventions remain being medical oriented and fragmented, with diminutive regard to the cultural aspects of people especially at the primary health care levels. Aim and settings: To understand how management of comorbid diabetes and hypertension is conceptualized in primary health care settings in Nandi County in the Kenyan from the patients and health care providers’ perspectives. Methods: Qualitative focused ethnography was used an approach of data collection within the community and grounded theory method was used for data analysis using the paradigm model. Purposeful sampling was used to select informants based experience and expertise related to management of comorbid diabetes and hypertension. Data was collected through triangulation of participant observation, interviews, focus group discussion and document analysis. Interviews were tape recorded, later transcribed verbatim, a series of coding was conducted leading to emergence of categories and core phenomenon of study. Results: The core phenomenon of management of chronic comorbid conditions was conceptualized in different variations; these included: being collaborative in nature involving multidisciplinary, multisectoral and community collaborations and patient being involved as a team member. Comorbid condition management requires coordination of care and timely service provision across care setting. Management of comorbid diabetes and hypertension requires culturally sensitive care. Self-management of chronic comorbid conditions is patient centred rather than problem focused with support family or minimally from health providers. Conclusion: Comprehensive management of chronic comorbid conditions has direct influence on the individual patients, community, health organization and health systems. This leads to improved health service provision and quality of life for people with comorbid conditions.
Magnetic resonance imaging visualization of targeted cells by the internalization of supramolecular adducts formed between avidin and biotinylated Gd 3 + chelates

The high binding affinity between avidin and biotin has been exploited to develop a procedure for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualization of target cells. SHIN3 and PANC1 tumor cell lines have been used as target cells because they possess on their membranes galactosyl receptors able to bind avidin molecules. Avidin–Gd chelate adducts have been built by using two Gd complexes containing one (Gd-I) and two (Gd-II) biotin residues, respectively. The relaxivities of such supramolecular adducts are significantly higher than those shown by free Gd-I and Gd-II. There is evidence of the occurrence of multilayered adducts in which the bis-biotinylated Gd complex acts as a bridge between adjacent avidin molecules. MRI differentiation of labeled versus unlabeled cells has been attained when approximately 6·10 Gd units were internalized in each cell. Furthermore, there is a marked decrease in the measured intracellular T1 relaxivity as the number of internalized Gd complexes increases, probably owing to too short relaxation times of endosomic water protons with respect to their diffusion lifetime.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ANTIBIOTIC PROPHYLAXIS BEFORE ERCP: CAN WE COME TO WORKABLE CONCLUSIONS AFTER REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE?

Abstract Infectious complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) are rare and can mainly be divided into endocarditis and sepsis/cholangitis. There still remains uncertainty about the indications, antibiotic regimens, and timing for antibiotic prophylaxis. Several guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis have been published. It is the purpose of the present paper to make an extensive review of the literature and to yield general recommendations on antibiotic prophylaxis before ERCP. Antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended for patients at high risk for endocarditis, as well as for patients with a vascular graft less than 1 year old. For sepsis/cholangitis, prophylaxis is mostly recommended for patients with a bile duct obstruction or with a pancreatic pseudocyst. For other conditions, a case-by-case evaluation by the physician/endoscopist is still inevitable.
Full Random Coefficients Multilevel Modeling of the Relationship between Land Use and Trip Time on Weekdays and Weekends

Interests in weekend trips are increasing, but few have studied how they are affected by land use. In this study, we analyze the relationship between compact land use characteristics and trip time in Seoul, Korea by comparing two research models, each of which uses the weekday and weekend data of the same travelers. To secure sufficient numbers of subjects and groups, full random coefficients multilevel models define the trip as level one and the neighborhood as level two, and find that level-two land use characteristics account for less variation in trip time than level-one individual characteristics. At level one, weekday trip time is found to be reduced by the choice of the automobile as a travel mode, but not by its ownership per se. In addition, it becomes reduced if made by high income travelers and extended to travel to quality jobs. Among four land use characteristics at level two, population density, road connectivity, and subway availability are shown to be significant in the weekday model. Only subway availability has a positive relationship with trip time and this finding is consistent with the level-one result that the choice of automobile alternatives increases trip time. The other land use characteristic, land use balance, turns out to be a single significant land use variable in the weekend model, implying that it is concerned mainly with non-work, non-mandatory travel.
Acute effects of sildenafil on flow mediated dilatation and cardiovascular autonomic nerve function in type 2 diabetic patients

Background Sildenafil, frequently used as on demand medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED), has been suggested to improve endothelial function but also to alter blood pressure (BP) and induce sympathetic activation. In people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a high‐risk population, the safety profile and the effects on endothelial function of a maximal sildenafil dose (100 mg) have not been investigated and therefore constituted the aim of our study.
Facilitation of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate receptor transmission in the suprachiasmatic nucleus by aniracetam enhances photic responses of the biological clock in rodents

This study was designed to test whether the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionate (AMPA) receptor‐facilitating drug, aniracetam, could potentiate photic responses of the biological clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of rodents. Using the whole‐cell patch technique, we first demonstrated that AMPA currents elicited by either local AMPA application or optic chiasm stimulation were augmented by aniracetam in the neurons of the SCN. The AMPA application‐elicited increase of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in SCN slices was also enhanced by aniracetam treatment. The systemic injection of aniracetam dose‐dependently (10–100 mg/kg) potentiated the phase delay in behavioral rhythm induced by brief light exposure of low intensity (3 lux) but not high intensity (10 or 60 lux) during early subjective night. Under the blockade of NMDA receptors by (+) MK801, aniracetam failed to potentiate a light (3 lux)‐induced phase delay in behavioral rhythm. Aniracetam increased the photic induction of c‐Fos protein in the SCN that was elicited by low intensity light exposure (3 lux). These results suggest that AMPA receptor‐mediated responses facilitated by aniracetam can explain enhanced photic responses of the biological clock in the SCN of rodents.
A new method for separating lymphocytes and granulocytes from human peripheral blood using programmed gradient sedimentation in an isokinetic gradient.

Isopycnic sedimentation and programmed rate-zonal sedimentation in an isokinetic gradient of Ficoll (polysucrose) in tissue culture medium were used for the purification of individual kinds of cells from human peripheral blood. Following centrifugation in the isokinetic gradient, lymphocytes were 99.9±0.1 per cent and granulocytes 90.1±3.8 per cent of nucleated cells in their respective fractions. While monocytes were concentrated in one zone of the gradient, they were not as highly purified as monocytes prepared using established methods. Purification of lymphocytes and granulocytes using the isokinetic gradient offers one of the most effective and rapid means for obtaining purified sterile lymphocytes and granulocytes for in vitro or biochemical studies.
Immunoneutralization of inhibin modifies hormone secretion and sperm production in bulls.

The objective of this study was to examine the role of endogenous inhibin in the regulation of FSH, LH, and testosterone secretion and sperm production in bulls. Bulls were actively immunized against bovine inhibin alpha 1-26 gly-tyr (bINH) conjugated to human alpha globulin (HAG) or HAG alone (controls) and emulsified in Freund's complete adjuvant. Primary immunization was at 14 wk of age, followed by booster immunizations in Freund's incomplete adjuvant at 28, 30, and 34 wk of age. Ten days after each booster immunization, scrotal circumferences and body weights were measured, and blood was sampled for determination of bINH antibody titer. Ten days after the third booster, blood was sampled at 1-h intervals for 8 h to quantify serum concentrations of FSH, LH, and testosterone. After this blood sampling period, bulls were castrated and testicular sperm production was determined. Serum diluted 1:4,000 from bINH-immunized bulls bound 36%, 52%, and 53% of radioiodinated bINH after the first, second, and third boosters, respectively. Serum from controls bound less than 1% radioiodinated bINH. After the third booster, serum concentrations of FSH and testosterone were increased (p less than 0.05) and LH concentrations were decreased (p less than 0.001) in bINH-immunized bulls compared with controls. After the third booster, daily sperm production per gram of testicular parenchyma was increased (p less than 0.05) in bINH-immunized bulls compared with controls. Scrotal circumferences and body weights were similar between treatment groups throughout the experiment. We concluded that inhibin has a role in regulation of secretion of gonadotrophins and testosterone and testicular sperm production, but not testicular growth, in bulls. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Caliber of quality-of-life assessments in congenital heart disease: a plea for more conceptual and methodological rigor.

BACKGROUND Interest in quality-of-life issues in children, adolescents, and adults with congenital heart disease has increased significantly during the past decades. In general, quality-of-life research is stimulated by an overall interest in outcomes. More specifically, quality-of-life studies add to mortality and morbidity data by taking reported physical, psychological, and social problems into consideration. However, quality of life can be an ambiguous concept that is hindered by methodological weaknesses, a situation that can prevent the drawing of firm conclusions. OBJECTIVE To appraise the conceptual and methodological rigor of published quality-of-life assessments in patients with congenital heart disease. DESIGN A review of 70 articles published in the medical literature, using the 10 criteria previously developed by Gill and Feinstein. For each criterion, the number of articles complying with that criterion was counted, and the percentage was calculated. To indicate how well individual articles performed on the respective criteria, a summary score was calculated by summing the number of criteria an article fulfilled and dividing this sum by the number of criteria for which the article was eligible to be evaluated; the resulting value was then multiplied by 100. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Summary scores ranging from 0, for articles complying with none of the criteria, to 100, for articles complying with all of the criteria. RESULTS We found that quality-of-life assessments in patients with congenital heart disease showed major conceptual and methodological drawbacks (median summary score, 0). Moreover, we found that the term quality of life was often used inappropriately, an observation supported by several articles in which the authors drew conclusions about patients' quality of life, even though quality of life was not specifically measured. CONCLUSIONS A poor conceptual and methodological basis for quality of life implies that many results from quality-of-life studies performed in patients with congenital heart disease contribute little to the scientific knowledge base of quality of life in this patient population. Future quality-of-life studies need to invest in a rigorous conceptualization, an adequate operational definition, and a sound measurement of quality of life.
The effect of antibiotic therapy on the incidence of Staphylococcus aureus infections in orthopaedic patients.

BACKGROUND This paper reports on aetiological factors, including mostly S. aureus infections, and antibiotic use in the pretreatment and treatment of complicating infections in patients hospitalised at the Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Traumatology, Gdańsk Medical University, between 1995 and 2004. The analysis sought to establish a correlation, via statistical analysis, between the usage of specific antibiotic classes, with special regard to lincosamides, and S. aureus infection rates. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population included 22,686 patients admitted for elective surgery (accounting for 86.9% to 75.1% of the sample in different years) or with acute injuries. RESULTS The rate of infections ranged from 2.79% to 1%, decreasing in a statistically significant manner over time. S. aureus was the dominant pathogen, accounting for 67.3% to 27.6% of the total number of bacterial strains. During the time frame of the study, the incidence of osteitis fell considerably, from 0.8% to 0.05% of the total number of patients. This was paralleled by a major increase in the use of lincosamides, mostly clindamycin. The increase in lincosamide use correlated with the decreasing incidence of S. aureus infections. CONCLUSIONS The statistical outcome of this 10-year study has been used to develop schemes of antibiotic therapy in the Department, a necessary component of the Hospital's economic policy at the moment.A major fall in the incidence of nosocomial infections can be achieved by focussing on adequate antibiotic prophylaxis, pretreatment and appropriate treatment of acute infections.
Nutritional and Proteomic Profiles in Developing Olive Inflorescence

Plant nutrient status and especially nitrogen is determinant for flowering and completion of the plant life cycle. Tree nutrient status, as well as its seasonal nutrient fluctuations have been based almost exclusively on leaf analysis. Flower analysis has been used for the study of the distribution of different nutrients through the various parts of the fruit tree (Drossopoulos et al., 1996, Sanchez et al., 1992), as well as for the detection and handling of deficiencies during this early stage of growth (Sanz and Montanes, 1995).
Allogeneic marrow transplantation and the use of hematopoietic growth factors

Three hematopoietic growth factors, recombinant human granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor and erythropoietin, which are commonly used in other clinical situations are being increasingly studied in the setting of allogeneic marrow transplantation. Major questions being addressed are: 1) can administration of growth factors post‐transplant accelerate hematopoietic recovery, 2) are growth factors of use in the treatment of patients with poor graft function or graft failure, 3) can growth factor mobilized peripheral blood stem cells be used as a substitute for allogeneic marrow and 4) is there a role for the use of growth factors in the treatment of patients with specific types of infection post‐transplant? This review will discuss where we are in answering these four questions.