Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ectomycorrhizae as biological deterrents to pathogenic root infections.

The infection of feeder roots of most flowering plants by symbiotic fungi and the transformation of these roots into unique morphological structures called mycorrhizae (fungus-roots) undoubtedly constitute one of nature's most widespread, persistent, and interesting examples of parasitism. Most plants of economic importance to man are actually dual organisms-part plant and part symbiotic root-inhabiting fungi. Two major classes of mycorrhizae are recognized-ectomycorrhizae and endomycorrhizae.1 A third class, ectendomycorrhizae, an intermediate type, is present on roots of certain tree species under specific ecological situations. The fungal symbionts of ectomycorrhizae penetrate intercellularly and par­ tially replace the middle lamellae between cortical cells of the feeder roots. This hyphal arrangement around the cortical cells is called the Hartig net. Ectomycorrhizal fungi also form a dense, usually continuous, hyphal network --called the fungal mantle-over the feeder root surface. Thickness of the fungal mantle varies from 1-2 hyphal diameters to as many as 30-40, de­ pending on fungal associate, host, and environmental conditions. Most tree species in the Pinaceae, Salicaceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, and certain other families, normally form ectomycorrhizae. The majority of ectomycorrhizal fungi are Basidiomycetes, primarily in the Amanitaceae, Boletaceae, Corti­ nariceae, Russulaceae, Tricholomataceae, Rhizopogonaceae, and Scleroder­ mataceae. Several orders of ascomycetes, primarily Eurotiales, Tuberales, Pezizales, and Helotiales, contain species suspected of being ectomycorrhizal with trees. The fungal symbiont in endomycorrhizae intracellularly penetrates corti­ cal cells of the feeder root. Endomycorrhizal fungi may form large vesicules and arbuscules in cortical tissues, called vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhi­ zae. The endomycorrhizal fungi do not form a dense fungal mantle, but de­ velop on the root surface a loose, intermittent arrangement of mycelium,
Stable nanoparticle aggregates/agglomerates of different sizes and the effect of their size on hemolytic cytotoxicity

Abstract To study the toxicity of nanoparticles under relevant conditions, it is critical to disperse nanoparticles reproducibly in different agglomeration states in aqueous solutions compatible with cell-based assays. Here, we disperse gold, silver, cerium oxide, and positively-charged polystyrene nanoparticles in cell culture media, using the timing between mixing steps to control agglomerate size in otherwise identical media. These protein-stabilized dispersions are generally stable for at least two days, with mean agglomerate sizes of ∼23 nm silver nanoparticles ranging from 43–1400 nm and average relative standard deviations of less than 10%. Mixing rate, timing between mixing steps and nanoparticle concentration are shown to be critical for achieving reproducible dispersions. We characterize the size distributions of agglomerated nanoparticles by further developing dynamic light scattering theory and diffusion limited colloidal aggregation theory. These theories frequently affect the estimated size by a factor of two or more. Finally, we demonstrate the importance of controlling agglomeration by showing that large agglomerates of silver nanoparticles cause significantly less hemolytic toxicity than small agglomerates.
Comparison of the replication and transmissibility of two infectious laryngotracheitis virus chicken embryo origin vaccines delivered via drinking water

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is an acute infectious viral disease that affects chickens, causing respiratory disease, loss of production and mortality in severe cases. Biosecurity measures and administration of attenuated viral vaccine strains are commonly used to prevent ILT. It is notable that most recent ILT outbreaks affecting the intensive poultry industry have been caused by vaccine-related virus strains. The purpose of this study was to characterize and compare viral replication and transmission patterns of two attenuated chicken embryo origin ILT vaccines delivered via the drinking water. Two groups of specific pathogen free chickens were each inoculated with SA-2 ILT or Serva ILT vaccine strains. Unvaccinated birds were then placed in contact with vaccinated birds at regular intervals. Tracheal swabs were collected every 4 days over a period of 60 days and examined for the presence and amount of virus using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A rapid increase in viral genome copy numbers was observed shortly after inoculation with SA-2 ILT virus. In contrast, a comparatively delayed virus replication was observed after vaccination with Serva ILT virus. Transmission to in-contact birds occurred soon after exposure to Serva ILT virus but only several days after exposure to SA-2 ILT virus. Results from this study demonstrate in vivo differences between ILT vaccine strains in virus replication and transmission patterns.
Water adsorption on metal surfaces: A general picture from density functional theory studies

We present a density functional theory study of water adsorption on metal surfaces. Prototype water structures including monomers, clusters, one-dimensional chains, and overlayers have been investigated in detail on a model system-a Pt(111) surface. The structure, energetics, and vibrational spectra are all obtained and compared with available experimental data. This study is further extended to other metal surfaces including Ru(0001), Rh(111), Pd(111), and Au(111), where adsorption of monomers and bilayers has been investigated. From these studies, a general picture has emerged regarding the water-surface interaction, the interwater hydrogen bonding, and the wetting order of the metal surfaces. The water-surface interaction is dominated by the lone pair-d band coupling through the surface states. It is rather localized in the contacting layer. A simultaneous enhancement of hydrogen bonding is generally observed in many adsorbed structures. Some special issues such as the partial dissociation of water on Ru(0001) and in the RT39 bilayer phase, the H-up and H-down conversion, and the quantum-mechanical motions of H atoms are also discussed.
CASTE AND CLASS IN HISTORICAL NORTH-WEST ETHIOPIA: THE BETA ISRAEL (FALASHA) AND KEMANT, 1300–1900

Peoples create their own histories by making choices within a framework of opportunities and constraints. In the historical interaction of small groups within a larger state and social formation, the context of constraints and opportunities changes over time, as do the choices and actions of the smaller groups. Such socio-ethnic historical processes must thus be analyzed both diachronically and dialectically. This comparative study examines the actions of two small groups, the Beta Israel and Kemant, during three phases of Ethiopian history: the centralizing state to 1632; the urban-centered state, 1632–1755; and the regionalized but re-centralizing state, 1755–1900. In contrast to the assumptions of traditional Ethiopian historiography in which small groups were only objects of conquest and inevitable assimilation, this paper demonstrates the construction and reconstruction of group identities during several hundred years extending into the twentieth century.
The WD 40-Repeat Proteins NFC 101 and NFC 102 Regulate Different Aspects of Maize Development through Chromatin Modi fi cation

The maize (Zea mays) nucleosome remodeling factor complex component101 (nfc101) and nfc102 are putative paralogs encoding WD-repeat proteins with homology to plant and mammalian components of various chromatin modifying complexes. In this study, we generated transgenic lines with simultaneous nfc101 and nfc102 downregulation and analyzed phenotypic alterations, along with effects on RNA levels, the binding of NFC101/NFC102, and Rpd3-type histone deacetylases (HDACs), and histone modifications at selected targets. Direct NFC101/NFC102 binding and negative correlation with mRNA levels were observed for indeterminate1 (id1) and the florigen Zea mays CENTRORADIALIS8 (ZCN8), key activators of the floral transition. In addition, the abolition of NFC101/NFC102 association with repetitive sequences of different transposable elements (TEs) resulted in tissue-specific upregulation of nonpolyadenylated RNAs produced by these regions. All direct nfc101/nfc102 targets showed histone modification patterns linked to active chromatin in nfc101/nfc102 downregulation lines. However, different mechanisms may be involved because NFC101/NFC102 proteins mediate HDAC recruitment at id1 and TE repeats but not at ZCN8. These results, along with the pleiotropic effects observed in nfc101/nfc102 downregulation lines, suggest that NFC101 and NFC102 are components of distinct chromatin modifying complexes, which operate in different pathways and influence diverse aspects of maize development.
La convention belgo-marocaine du 17 février 1964 relative à l'occupation de travailleurs marocains en Belgique

L'immigration marocaine a contribue a faconner de maniere durable le visage de la Belgique sur le plan demographique, economique, social et culturel. Deux exemples sont particulierement significatifs : les Marocains constituent a l'heure actuelle la deuxieme communaute etrangere en Belgique apres les Italiens ; la loi du 19 juillet 1974 reconnait le culte islamique parmi ceux qui doivent beneficier d'un financement public. Il y a d'ailleurs concordance de date entre la reconnaissance de l'islam et l'arret de l'immigration. Le regroupement familial reste cependant autorise, ce qui va permettre l'installation durable des immigres marocains dans le pays et l'augmentation du nombre des fideles de confession musulmane. D'ou l'interet de revenir sur la convention belgo-marocaine relative a l'occupation de travailleurs marocains en Belgique, signee le 17 fevrier 1964 et passee presque totalement inapercue a l'epoque. Certaines entreprises comme Caterpillar, par exemple, apprennent l'existence de la convention en 1974, l'annee meme ou l'immigration est arretee. Le citoyen belge moyen ignore jusqu'a son existence. Certains ouvrages specialises lui accordent une ligne. Anne Frennet-De Keyser consacre son etude aux conditions dans lesquelles la convention belgo-marocaine a ete negociee, signee puis mise en œuvre, ainsi qu'au role qu'elle a joue dans la regulation du flux migratoire en provenance du Maroc. Elle met en lumiere le role determinant joue par le patronat charbonnier aux cotes des instances diplomatiques dans la preparation et la signature de la convention. Elle montre egalement que la convention officialise des pratiques preexistantes mais ne parvient pas a lutter contre l'emigration spontanee. L'auteur a eu acces a des sources inedites. En effet, outre les references bibliographiques citees, elle se base sur le depouillement des archives du Ministere des Affaires etrangeres, du Ministere de l'Emploi et du Travail, de la Federation charbonniere a Hasselt et de l'Institut E. Vandervelde a Bruxelles.
Dexamethasone promotes tolerance in vivo by enriching CD11cloCD40lo tolerogenic macrophages

We previously showed that antigen immunization in the presence of the immunosuppressant dexamethasone (a strategy we termed “suppressed immunization”) could tolerize established recall responses of T cells. However, the mechanism by which dexamethasone acts as a tolerogenic adjuvant has remained unclear. In the present study, we show that dexamethasone enriches CD11cloCD40lo macrophages in a dose‐dependent manner in the spleen and peripheral lymph nodes of mice by depleting all other CD11c+CD40+ cells including dendritic cells. The enriched macrophages display a distinct MHC class II (MHC II)loCD86hi phenotype. Upon activation by antigen in vivo, CD11cloCD40lo macrophages upregulate IL‐10, a classic marker for tolerogenic antigen‐presenting cells, and elicit a serum IL‐10 response. When presenting antigen in vivo, these cells do not elicit recall responses from memory T cells, but rather stimulate the expansion of antigen‐specific regulatory T cells. Moreover, the depletion of CD11cloCD40lo macrophages during suppressed immunization diminishes the tolerogenic efficacy of the treatment. These results indicate that dexamethasone acts as a tolerogenic adjuvant partly by enriching the CD11cloCD40lo tolerogenic macrophages.
Robust stabilization of large space structures via displacement feedback

It has been known that static feedback of velocity and displacement can stabilize large space structures with collocated sensors and actuators robustly against "any" uncertainty in mass, damping, and stiffness. This paper presents a class of dynamic displacement feedback which can achieve such robust stabilization as well. The proposed control law can be implemented in a decentralized scheme.
Non-fragile guaranteed cost fuzzy control for nonlinear first-order hyperbolic partial differential equation systems

This paper concerns the non-fragile guaranteed cost control for nonlinear first-order hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs), and the case of hyperbolic PDE systems with parameter uncertainties is also addressed. A Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy hyperbolic PDE model is presented to exactly represent the nonlinear hyperbolic PDE system. Then, the state-feedback non-fragile controller distributed in space is designed by the parallel distributed compensation (PDC) method, and some sufficient conditions are derived in terms of spatial differential linear matrix inequalities (SDLMIs) such that the T–S fuzzy hyperbolic PDE system is asymptotically stable and the cost function keeps an upper bound. Moreover, for the nonlinear hyperbolic PDE system with parameter uncertainties, using the above-design approach, the robust non-fragile guaranteed cost control scheme is obtained. Furthermore, the finite-difference method is employed to solve the SDLMIs. Finally, a nonlinear hyperbolic PDE system is presented to illustrate the effectiveness and advantage of the developed design methodology.
Plasma Glucose and Insulin Responses to Orally Administered Simple and Complex Carbohydrates

We have studied the effects of glucose, sucrose, and various starches on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin responses in 19 subjects. All carbohydrate loads were calculated to contain 50 gm. of glucose, and the response to each carbohydrate was tested twice: when given alone in a drink or when given in combination with other nutrients as a meal. The data demonstrate: (1) Glucose and sucrose elicited similar plasma glucose response curves, but sucrose elicited a somewhat greater (20 per cent) plasma insulin response. (2) Raw starch ingestion resulted in a 44 per cent lower glucose response and a 35–65 per cent lower insulin response than did either glucose or sucrose ingestion. (3) When carbohydrate was given as a meal the plasma glucose responses were 40–60 per cent lower than when the same carbohydrate was given as a drink, while the insulin responses were generally similar, and (4) when different cooked starches were compared, the plasma glucose and insulin responses to rice were significantly lower (50 per cent) than to potato. In conclusion, the size of the carbohydrate molecule appears to influence the postprandial glucose and insulin responses such that more complex carbohydrates (starches) elicit lower responses. This effect may be related to differences in digestion rather than to differences in absorption.
Hyperexpression of the high-affinity IgE receptor-beta chain in chronic allergic keratoconjunctivitis.

PURPOSE Although the existence of Fc(epsilon)RI-alphabetagamma(2) and Fc(epsilon)RI-alphagamma(2) receptor subtypes was reported, there has been no direct evidence of these two subtypes of Fc(epsilon)RI in vivo. To investigate the existence of these two subtypes of Fc(epsilon)RI in vivo, the authors evaluated the expression of Fc(epsilon)RI-beta in the giant papillae of chronic allergic conjunctivitis and compared the expression level of Fc(epsilon)RI-beta with control conjunctivae using the anti-human Fc(epsilon)RI-beta antibody. METHODS Fc(epsilon)RI-beta expression in giant papillae obtained from patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis in control conjunctivae was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using anti-Fc(epsilon)RI-beta, -alpha, -gamma, and anti-human mast cell tryptase, anti-chymase, anti-basophil, and anti-CD1a antibodies. RESULTS Statistical analyses revealed that the densities of Fc(epsilon)RI-beta(+) cells, Fc(epsilon)RI-alpha(+) cells, tryptase(+) cells, and Fc(epsilon)RI-beta(+)/tryptase(+) cells were significantly increased in giant papillae compared with controls. There were two types of Fc(epsilon)RI (alphabetagamma(2) and alphagamma(2)) on the mast cells of the giant papillae. The ratio of the Fc(epsilon)RI-beta(+) cell number/Fc(epsilon)RI-alpha(+) cell number in the giant papillae (0.69 +/- 0.08 [mean +/- SD]) was significantly higher than that of the controls (0.07 +/- 0.16). Fc(epsilon)RI-beta/tryptase double immunostaining revealed that 81% +/- 13% of tryptase(+) cells expressed Fc(epsilon)RI-beta. Fc(epsilon)RI-beta(+) cells were preferentially localized within and around epithelial tissue. The authors also found that Fc(epsilon)RI-beta was expressed by basophils but not by Fc(epsilon)RI-alphagamma(2)-positive Langerhans cells in the giant papillae samples. CONCLUSIONS Preferential Fc(epsilon)RI-beta expression observed in the mast cells and basophils of giant papillae suggests important roles of Fc(epsilon)RI-beta in the pathophysiology of atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis.
Isoflurane Anesthesia Causes a Transient Alteration in Nocturnal Sleep

Nocturnal sleep was studied in eight healthy young volunteers before and after isoflurane anesthesia. All night polysomnographic recordings were obtained for seven consecutive nights from approximately 2300 to 0700 h. On the morning after the third night each subject was anesthetized with isoflurane 1,1 MAC for approximately 3 h. The stages and indices of nocturnal sleep were calculated for each night of study according to standard criteria. The effects of anesthesia on nocturnal sleep were confined to the first postanesthetic night. Slow wave sleep (Stages 3 and 4) was moderately suppressed from 16 ± 1% to 6 ± 1%, and Stage 2 sleep reciprocally increased from 52 ± 2% to 60 ± 2% (mean · SEM, P < 0.05). There were no detectable changes in the sleep onset latency, the total quantity of sleep, or the proportion of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Anesthesia was followed by daytime napping in six of the eight volunteers. Nocturnal sleep was similar in the subjects who napped and those who did not. It is concluded that anesthesia with isoflurane leads to a modest and a transient change in the architecture of nocturnal sleep.
Traditional Chinese Medicine in Cancer Care: A Review of Case Reports Published in Chinese Literature

Background: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is widely used for cancer treatment in China. Many support its use in treatment for cancer, yet scientific evidence for the effect of TCM needs to be established. Material and Methods: In this review case reports on cancer patients treated by TCM therapies are included. Search runs were conducted in 4 main Chinese databases till December 2009. Results: A total of 716 reports involving 1,198 cancer patients were identified and summarized. Top 5 of the reported cancers treated with TCM were lung cancer (14.44%; 173 patients), leukemia (14.11%; 169 patients), stomach cancer (10.85%; 130 patients), liver cancer (10.18%; 122 patients) and esophageal cancer (7.35%; 88 patients). In the majority of cases (66.44%; 772) combined treatments of Chinese and conventional medicine were applied. The use of herbal medicine was highly prevalent (98.50%; 1,168 patients), and the typical administration was an individually tailored treatment according to the pattern differentiation of symptoms (74.21%; 889 patients); the use of acupuncture was relatively rare (1.8%; 22 patients). Symptom improvement was the most frequently reported outcome (84.72%; 1,015 patients). Only 15 studies (2.1%) were structurally reported. Detailed information on patients’ demography, pathologically confirmed diagnosis and safety was given in 275 (22.95%), 692 (57.76%) and 10 (0.83%) reports, respectively. Conclusion: The amount of information from case reports of TCM therapies in cancer is rich and can be valuable for the preliminary evaluation of TCM and for the planning of further clinical trials in cancer treatment. However, the quality of the reports was generally poor and we recommend that case reports should be published in a structured manner.
Tet1 and 5-hydroxymethylation

Inner cell mass (ICM) cells of a blastocyst, the source of embryonic stem (ES) cells, are characterized by their unique ability to give rise to all cell types in adult organisms. The epigenomes of germ cells and developing zygotes undergo extensive reprogramming to acquire such a pluripotent state. A major reprogramming event during early embryonic development is the erasure and subsequent re-establishment of patterns of methylation at the 5-position of cytosine (5mC). The recent demonstration that Ten-eleven translocation family proteins, Tet1-3 have the capacity to convert 5mC to 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) raises the possibility that 5hmC may act as an distinct epigenetic state contributing to dynamic changes in DNA methylation and transcriptional regulation during embryonic development. In ES cells, Tet1 is highly expressed and 5hmC is present at relatively high levels compared to most differentiated cells, but the functional significance of Tet1 and 5hmC in these pluripotent cells are not clear. Recently, a flurry of papers that profile the distribution of Tet1 and/or 5hmC across the genome of mouse ES cells provide new insights into the role of Tet proteins and 5hmC in regulating expression of genes related to pluripotency and cellular differentiation. Through integrative analyses of datasets from different groups, we reveal the common Tet1 and 5hmC targets in undifferentiated mouse ES cells, which suggest that Tet1 may play a key role in orchestrating the balance between pluripotent and lineage committed states.