Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seed Germination and Production of Erythrina mulungu and Erythrina velutina Plantlets

Species of the genus Erythrina are frequently used as ornamental plants and in projects to restore degraded areas. Also, extracts from its shoots and stems are popularly used as a herbal medicine with validated activity on the central nervous system. The objective of this study was to evaluate E. mulungu and E. velutina seed germination and seedling development potential aiming commercial scale production of those species. Seeds stored for one or twelve months at 10°C ± 2°C were sown in sand, soil or Plantmax? substrates and evaluated for germination and seedling development. Subsequently, seedlings sprouted in Plantmax? were transferred to polyethylene bags and kept in greenhouse, under direct sunlight for plant development (plant height, stem diameter and root length pivoting) evaluations. Four-month-old plantlets were transplanted to the field and after a period of one year the collar diameter and shoot height (of each plant were measured. Seed germination rates of both species grown in soil and in Plantmax? were significantly high (over 80%). Storing seeds for 1 month did not inhibit germination. However, seeds stored for twelve months had germination reduced by more than a quarter. The development of plants in greenhouse and in the field was satisfactory, indicating the viability of producing E. mulungu and E. velutina on a commercial scale, in order to meet the expanding market demand for herbal medicines.
Correlation between symptoms and radiological findings in patients of chronic rhinosinusitis: a modified radiological typing system.

BACKGROUND CT scan and nasal endoscopy are increasingly being used in diagnosing and treating patients of chronic rhinosinusitis. Though CT scan accurately depicts the sinus pathology its use as a proxy in assessing the symptom severity of patients is debatable. In this study the symptom severity of chronic rhinosinusitis was correlated with the author's modified CT scan score. METHODS The study involved the examination of symptom severity and CT scan scores of a series of 240 adult patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. The CT scans were evaluated and scored as per author's modified CT scan staging. The pathology at ostiomeatal complex was analysed for its association with severity of symptoms. RESULTS The mean CT score of group B patients (8.35) was found to be significantly higher than patients of group A (3.22). In maxillary and frontal sinus there was a statistically significant association of group B patients (moderately severe and severe symptoms) with stage IV of CT scan stage. Although the symptom score of patients with pathology at the ostiomeatal complex on CT scan was found to be higher in group B there was no correlation with anatomical variations at the ostiomeatal complex. CONCLUSIONS The study group showed a statistically significant increase in the sinus involvement and CT scan scores with increasing symptom severity. The study indicates a strong association between the symptom severity of chronic rhinosinusitis patients with CT scan scores, with the scores calculated using modified CT scoring criteria. These criteria would help the clinician to accurately predict symptom severity by CT scan scores.
Detecting Target-Driven Earnings Management Based on the Distribution of Digits

We present a novel research design to detect target-driven earnings management in accounting data. As a particular concern in this line of research, information about the exact earnings target value of a given firm is often not available. We therefore develop an empirical strategy that does not require such information. To this end, we rely on the concept of the distribution of digits rather than the distribution of the earnings metric itself. We then theoretically derive that the mean of the distribution of digits, in particular, exhibits a specific pattern around the earnings target that can be exploited to investigate target-driven earnings management. This pattern arises regardless of the distribution of digits that obtains in unmanaged data. We extensively test our theoretical predictions using both simulative and archival data.
Investigation of diabetes mellitus in Burmese cats as an inherited trait: a preliminary study

AIM: To investigate, in a pilot study, a possible genetic component to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in Burmese cats in New Zealand by analysing pedigree data. METHODS: Pedigrees were obtained for 305 Burmese cats living in New Zealand; diabetes was diagnosed in 19 of these due to presence of polyuria and polydipsia, persistent concentrations of glucose in plasma >16 mmol/L and glucosuria prior to insulin treatment. Pedigrees were also submitted for 16 cats with no clinical signs of T2D. The remaining 270 cats were unobserved relatives of these individuals. Inbreeding coefficients and heritability were calculated, and a single major locus model segregation analysis was conducted using pedigree analysis software. RESULTS: Nineteen cats were diagnosed with T2D. Males (n = 14) and females (n = 5) were both affected, suggesting that the gene or genes causing diabetes are autosomal rather than sex-linked. Examination of the pedigree revealed few signs of fully penetrant dominant gene action: diabetes was ostensibly rarely seen in sequential generations and nearly always skipped at least one and often more generations; apparently unaffected offspring of apparently unaffected parents sometimes produced affected progeny. The mean relatedness of the affected animals within the core pedigree (16 diabetic cats) was 0.049, and mean inbreeding 0.033. Based on 100,000 permutations of the trait values, the expected relatedness of a random sample of 16 animals taken from the phenotyped animals would be 0.013 (SD 0.007) (permutation p = 0.0009). The observed inbreeding was also significant (permutation p= 0.02). Heritability was estimated to be 9 (95% CI = 0–57)% assuming all animals with unknown status were unaffected. The best fitting genetic model was a major gene model with dominant expression with the risk allele frequency at 15% with 60% penetrance. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study the increased inbreeding in the cases, lack of likely sampling bias, the increased frequency of T2D in Burmese, and small number of breed founders are consistent with the involvement of a major locus in diabetes in Burmese cats with a significant risk allele prevalence. However, low case numbers meant this could not be unambiguously confirmed. A genome-wide association study may be useful for investigating the genetic cause of T2D.
Eavesdropping on Insects Hidden in Soil and Interior Structures of Plants

Abstract Accelerometer, electret microphone, and piezoelectric disk acoustic systems were evaluated for their potential to detect hidden insect infestations in soil and interior structures of plants. Coleopteran grubs (the scarabaeids Phyllophaga spp. and Cyclocephala spp.) and the curculionids Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.) and Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.) weighing 50–300 mg were detected easily in the laboratory and in the field except under extremely windy or noisy conditions. Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae) larvae weighing 1–12 mg could be detected in small pots of wheat in the laboratory by taking moderate precautions to eliminate background noise. Insect sounds could be distinguished from background noises by differences in frequency and temporal patterns, but insects of similarly sized species could not be distinguished easily from each other. Insect activity was highly variable among individuals and species, although D. abbreviatus grubs tended to be more active than those of O. sulcatus. Tests were done to compare acoustically predicted infestations with the contents of soil samples taken at recording sites. Under laboratory or ideal field conditions, active insects within ≈30 cm were identified with nearly 100% reliability. In field tests under adverse conditions, the reliability decreased to ≈75%. These results indicate that acoustic systems with vibration sensors have considerable potential as activity monitors in the laboratory and as field tools for rapid, nondestructive scouting and mapping of soil insect populations.
Psychrotrophic Brocothrix thermosphacta bacteriophages isolated from beef

A total of 15 wild-type Brocothrix thermosphacta strains isolated from beef and the type strain, B. thermosphacta ATCC 11509, were used as hosts for the isolation of bacteriophages under psychrotrophic conditions (7 degrees C). A total of 21 virulent, psychrotrophic phages were successfully isolated and purified from aqueous extracts of spoiled rib steaks. Phage plaque size and plating efficiency significantly increased as incubation temperature was reduced from 25 to 1 degree C. Electron microscopy of two homologous B. thermosphacta phages showed the virions to consist of hexagonal heads and tails, with terminal appendages clearly visible on one of the phages. On the basis of culture and biochemical data, the wild-type B. thermosphacta strains had characteristics identical to those of strain ATCC 11509. However, specific differences in the pattern of susceptibilities to the phages revealed the presence of 14 distinct phage lysotypes. Phage typing may provide a rapid and sensitive means of differentiating B. thermosphacta strains.
Cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 Participate in 5,6-Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acid-Induced Contraction of Rabbit Intralobar Pulmonary Arteries

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have been reported to contract intralobar pulmonary arteries (PA) of the rabbit in a cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent manner. In the present study, we observed that COX-1 and COX-2 isoforms were expressed in freshly isolated PA of healthy rabbits. We examined the hypothesis that both COX isoforms participate in 5,6-EET-induced contraction of rabbit intralobar PA. Selective inhibition of COX-1 with 300 nM 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole (SC-560) prevented 5,6-EET (1 × 10–8–1 × 10–5 M)-induced contractions of isolated intralobar rabbit PA rings in a manner similar to that observed with the nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin at 10 μM. Selective inhibition of COX-2 with either 100 nM 5-bromo-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-3-(4-methylsulfonyl) thiophene (DUP-697) or 3 μM N-(2-cyclohexyloxy-4-nitrophenyl) methanesulfonamide (NS-398) shifted the EC50 value of 5,6-EET-induced PA contraction to the right but with considerably lower efficacy than SC-560. In rabbit PA, 5,6-EET-induced contraction was primarily dependent on COX-1 activity. Differential metabolism of 5,6-EET by COX-1 and COX-2 does not explain the primary dependence of PA contraction on COX-1 activity because 5,6-EET was metabolized similarly by both COX isoforms. COX-1 and -2 were expressed primarily in PA endothelium where COX-1 expression was dense and uniform, whereas COX-2 expression was sparse and nonuniform. 5,6-EET-induced PA contraction was endothelium-dependent. These results suggest that 5,6-EET-induced contraction is primarily dependent on COX-1 activity.
Revaccination of Neonatal Calves with Mycobacterium bovis BCG Reduces the Level of Protection against Bovine Tuberculosis Induced by a Single Vaccination

ABSTRACT Cattle may provide a suitable model for testing ways of improving tuberculosis vaccine efficacy in human infants. A vaccination and challenge study was undertaken in calves to determine the optimal time to vaccinate neonatal animals with Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) for protection against tuberculosis and to determine whether revaccination with BCG was beneficial. Calves (10 per group) were vaccinated with BCG within 8 h of birth or at 6 weeks of age, when immune responses to antigens of environmental mycobacteria were detectable, or vaccinated at birth and revaccinated at 6 weeks. A control group was not vaccinated. BCG vaccination at birth induced strong antigen-specific gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) responses and antigen-specific activation in CD4+, CD8+, and WC1+ γδ T-cell subsets from blood. The proportions of animals per group with macroscopic tuberculous lesions after challenge were 0/10 for BCG at birth, 1/9 for BCG at 6 weeks, 4/10 for the revaccinated group, and 10/10 for the nonvaccinated group. There was no significant difference in the levels of protection between groups vaccinated at birth or at 6 weeks, while animals vaccinated both at birth and at 6 weeks had significantly less protection than those vaccinated only at birth. The revaccinated calves that subsequently developed tuberculous lesions had significantly stronger IFN-γ and IL-2 responses to bovine purified protein derivative after the BCG booster than those in the same group that did not develop lesions. The results indicated that BCG vaccination at birth induced a high level of immunity and that the sensitization of very young animals to antigens of environmental mycobacteria by 6 weeks of age did not affect the effectiveness of BCG. However, BCG revaccination of these young animals was contraindicated.
A randomized phase-III study of the efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in children with high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Study Group.

Overall chemotherapeutic treatment results in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are good, with event-free survival (EFS) rates over 70%. However, for a subset of patients characterized by high-risk (HR) features the outcome is less favorable, with EFS rates below 50%. Intensification of chemotherapy may improve the outcome for those patients, but increased toxicity, particularly myelosuppression, limits the escalation of dose intensity. Recombinant methionyl human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (r-metHuG-CSF) is known to reduce myelosuppression after cancer chemotherapy in adults. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of r-metHuG-CSF on myelosuppression in HR pediatric ALL patients and on the overall response rate to chemotherapy. Patients with HR pediatric ALL were randomized to receive nine alternating cycles of chemotherapy according to the German ALL-Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster 90 protocol either alone or followed by r-metHuG-CSF administered prophylactically at a dose of 5 microg/kg/d subcutaneously. In both groups, the planned interval between chemotherapy courses was a minimum of 21 days. We report here interim results of 34 patients. The incidence of febrile neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count <0.5 x 10(9)/L and oral temperature > or = 38.5 degrees C) was 17% in children receiving r-metHuG-CSF, as compared with 40% in the control group (P = .007). In addition, the median total duration of febrile neutropenia was reduced from 20.3 to 6.2 days per patient (P = .02). Culture-confirmed infections occurred less frequently in the r-metHuG-CSF group (8% v 15%; P = .04), and the total duration of intravenous antibiotic use was significantly reduced from 32.2 days to 18.2 days per patient (P = .02). A tighter adherence to the planned treatment schedule was also facilitated by r-metHuG-CSF (P = .007). With a median follow-up of 3.3 years, the estimated EFS of 4 years is 41% +/- 12%. In conclusion, r-metHuG-CSF administered prophylactically in the interval between chemotherapy courses significantly reduced febrile neutropenia, culture-confirmed infections, and duration of intravenous antibiotic administration and allowed for tighter adherence to the treatment schedule.
Safety, efficacy and long-term durability of endovascular therapy for carotid artery disease: the tailored-Carotid Artery Stenting Experience of a single high-volume centre (tailored-CASE Registry).

AIMS We aimed to determine the success, safety and long-term durability of carotid artery stenting (CAS) in stroke prevention for all-comers managed with mandatory neuroprotection and a tailored-approach to intervention. METHODS AND RESULTS From our CAS registry (beginning July 1997) all procedures up to September 2007 with intention-to-treat by stenting under distal filter or proximal occlusion neuroprotection devices were analysed (N=1523; mean age 72 years [237 >or=80 years, 15.5%]). Indications included symptomatic stenoses >or=50% (366, 24.1%) and asymptomatic stenoses >or=80% (1157, 75.9%). CAS success was 99.6% and the 30-day all-stroke/death rate was 1.5% (minor stroke 11 [0.7%], major stroke 8 [0.5%], death 5 [0.3%]). The risk was 1.2% for asymptomatic patients and 2.7% for symptomatic patients (p=0.042). Regarding octogenarians this risk was 2.1% versus 1.5% for patients <or=79 years (p=0.47). Symptomatic octogenarians had a higher risk than other groups (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.06 to 14.0): asymptomatic <or=79 1.2%, asymptomatic >or=80 1.2%, symptomatic <or=79 2.3% and symptomatic >or=80 4.5%. The event free survival rates from all strokes or stroke-related deaths at eight years were 96% for asymptomatic and 92% for symptomatic patients. CONCLUSIONS Results from this large cohort show that carotid stenting in a real-world setting is safe and efficacious, and durable in the long-term prevention of stroke.
Celtic Phoenix or Leprechaun Economics? The Politics of an FDI-led Growth Model in Europe

ABSTRACT In this paper, we argue that Ireland’s post-crisis economic recovery in Europe was driven by foreign direct investment (FDI) from Silicon Valley, and while this growth model was made possible by Ireland’s low-corporate tax rates, it was also a result of these firms using Ireland to directly access the European labour market. We evidence this contention via sectoral and geographic analyses while simultaneously showing that Irish fiscal policies have not redistributed gains from the recovery to the broader population. As a result, the economic recovery has been most actively felt by those in the FDI sectors, including workers from the EU and beyond. Building on theories from the study of comparative capitalism, we suggest that this experience indicates that Ireland’s FDI-led growth model has created clear winners and losers, with significant distributional implications. The FDI growth regime been made possible by inward migration and European integration, but given the unequal distribution of the economic benefits that this generates, it is unlikely to be politically, or electorally, sustainable.
Career Interruptions and Current Earnings: The Role of Interruption Type, Compensation Component, and Gender

This study examines how career interruptions and subsequent wages of employees are related. Using individual panel data of middle managers from the German chemical sector, we are able to differentiate between different reasons for interruptions as well as between various compensation components. We show that career interruptions are more related to lower subsequent bonus payments than they are to fixed salaries and that interruptions caused by unemployment are associated with higher interruption pay gaps than those resulting from other reasons. In addition, the pay gap after career interruptions is more pronounced for male employees than it is for females.
Targeted Disruption of JCAD (Junctional Protein Associated With Coronary Artery Disease)/KIAA1462, a Coronary Artery Disease–Associated Gene Product, Inhibits Angiogenic Processes In Vitro and In Vivo

Objective— Recent genome-wide association studies newly identified the human KIAA1462 gene as a new locus for coronary artery disease. However, the function of the gene product, named JCAD (junctional protein associated with coronary artery disease), is unknown. Because JCAD is expressed at cell–cell junctions in endothelial cells, we hypothesized and tested whether JCAD regulates angiogenic processes in vitro and in vivo. Approach and Results— Cell culture experiments revealed impaired angiogenic ability (proliferation, migration, and cord formation) by the knockdown of JCAD with siRNA (P<0.05 versus control siRNA). We have generated mice lacking JCAD (mKIAA1462−/−) by gene-targeted deletion of JCAD to address in vivo angiogenic function. mKIAA1462−/− mice did not show morphological differences in development of retinal vasculature. Ex vivo aortic ring model demonstrated impaired neovascularization in aorta from mKIAA1462−/− mice than control wild-type mice (P<0.05). Tumor growth was assessed by monitoring tumor volume after the subcutaneous injection of melanoma, LLC (Lewis lung carcinoma), and E0771 cells into the mice. mKIAA1462−/− mice exhibited significantly smaller tumor volume compared with wild-type mice (P<0.001). Histological assessment of the tumor exhibited less smooth muscle actin–positive neovascularization determined by CD31-positive vascular structure in tumor of mKIAA1462−/− mice than wild-type mice, indicating that knockdown of JCAD inhibited the vascular maturation in pathological angiogenic process. Conclusions— These in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that JCAD has a redundant functional role in physiological angiogenesis but serves a pivotal role in pathological angiogenic process after birth.
Hypoxia Selection of Death-resistant Cells

Under hypoxia, some cells are irreversibly injured and die, whereas others can adapt to the stress and survive. The molecular and genetic basis underlying cellular sensitivity to hypoxic injury is unclear. Here we have selected death-resistant cells by repeated episodes of hypoxia. The selected cells are cross-resistant to apoptosis induced by staurosporine, azide, and cisplatin. These cells up-regulate Bcl-XL, an anti-apoptotic protein. Bcl-XL interacts with the pro-apoptotic molecule Bax and abrogates its toxicity in mitochondria, resulting in the preservation of mitochondrial integrity, cytochrome c, and cell viability. Down-regulation of Bcl-XL by antisense oligonucleotides or the newly identified Bcl-XL inhibitor chelerythrine restores cellular sensitivity to injury and death. Thus, Bcl-XL is a key molecule for hypoxia selection of death resistance. These findings may have important implications for the development of solid tumors where hypoxia selects for death-resistant cells that are inert to cancer therapy.
Donor‐specific antibodies after pediatric liver transplantation: a cross‐sectional study of 50 patients

The role of donor‐specific HLA antibodies (DSAs) after pediatric liver transplantation (LT) is inadequately established. We conducted a cross‐sectional study on the prevalence of DSAs and their association with liver histology and biochemical variables after pediatric LT. Serum samples were drawn for HLA antibody analyses from 50 patients (76% of 66 eligible patients) operated on at age <18 years between 1987 and 2007 with a median of 10.0 (interquartile range 4.0–16.4) years after deceased donor LT. Mixed and single‐antigen beads with Luminex were used for HLA antibody screening and detection. A mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) value of 1000 was used for positive cutoff. Twenty‐six patients (52%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 39% to 65%) had DSAs. In 22 (85%) patients, DSAs were against class II HLA antigens with a mean (standard deviation) MFI of 13 481 (4727). The unadjusted prevalence ratio for portal inflammation in DSA‐positive compared to DSA‐negative patients (n = 47; 9/24 vs. 1/23) was 8.6 (95% CI 1.6 to 50.9). Laboratory values at the time of study were comparable between DSA‐positive and DSA‐negative patients. In conclusion, approximately half of patients studied had DSAs after pediatric LT. Portal inflammation was associated with DSA positivity although the wide confidence interval around the ratio estimate warrants cautious interpretation.