Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Anomalous, extreme weather disrupts obligate seed dispersal mutualism: snow in a subtropical forest ecosystem

Ongoing global climate change is predicted to increase the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events, impacting population dynamics and community structure. There is, however, a critical lack of case studies considering how climatic perturbations affect biotic interactions. Here, we document how an obligate seed dispersal mutualism was disrupted by a temporally anomalous and meteorologically extreme interlude of unseasonably frigid weather, with accompanying snowstorms, in subtropical China, during January–February 2008. Based on the analysis of 5892 fecal samples (representing six mammalian seed dispersers), this event caused a substantial disruption to the relative seed dispersal function for the raisin tree Hovenia dulcis from prestorm 6.29 (2006) and 11.47 (2007), down to 0.35 during the storm (2008). Crucially, this was due to impacts on mammalian seed dispersers and not due to a paucity of fruit, where 4.63 fruit per branch were available in January 2008, vs. 3.73 in 2006 and 3.58 in 2007. An induced dietary shift occurred among omnivorous carnivores during this event, from the consumption fruit to small mammals and birds, reducing their role in seed dispersal substantially. Induced range shift extinguished the functionality of herbivorous mammals completely, however, seed dispersal function was compensated in part by three omnivorous carnivores during poststorm years, and thus while the mutualism remained intact it was enacted by a narrower assemblage of species, rendering the system more vulnerable to extrinsic perturbations. The storm's extended effects also had anthropogenic corollaries – migrating ungulates becoming exposed to heightened levels of illegal hunting – causing long‐term modification to the seed dispersal community and mutualism dynamics. Furthermore, degraded forests proved especially vulnerable to the storm's effects. Considering increasing climate variability and anthropogenic disturbance, the impacts of such massive, aberrant events warrant conservation concern, while affording unique insights into the stability of mutualisms and the processes that structure biodiversity and mediate ecosystem dynamics.
Co-culture of cord blood CD34(+) cells with human BM mesenchymal stromal cells enhances short-term engraftment of cord blood cells in NOD/SCID mice.

BACKGROUND The major challenge for cord blood transplantation (CBT) is higher rates of delayed and failed engraftment. In an attempt to broaden the application of CBT to more candidates, ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in CB is a major area of investigation. The purpose of this study was to employ human BM mesenchymal stromal cells (hBM-MSC) as the feeding-layer to expand CB cells ex vivo. METHODS In this study, hBM-MSC were isolated and characterized by morphologic, mmunophenotypic and RT-PCR analysis. The hBM-MSC at passage 3 were employed as the feeding-layer to expand CB CD34(+) cells in vivo in the presence of thrombopoietin, flt3/flk2 ligand, stem cell factor and G-CSF. The repopulating capacity of the ex vivo-expanded CB cells was also evaluated in a NOD/SCID mice transplant experiment. RESULTS After 1 or 2 weeks of in vitro expansion, hBM-MSC supported more increasing folds of CB in total nucleated cells, CD34(+) cells and colony-forming units (CFU) compared with CB without hBM-MSC. Furthermore, although NOD/SCID mice transplanted with CB cells expanded only in the presence of cytokines showed a higher percentage of human cell engraftment in BM than those with unexpanded CB CD34(+) cells, expanded CB cells co-cultured with hBM-MSC were revealed to enhance short-term engraftment further in recipient mice. DISCUSSION Our study suggests that hBM-MSC enhance in vitro expansion of CB CD34(+) cells and short-term engraftment of expanded CB cells in NOD/SCID mice, which may be valuable in a clinical setting.
Development of a SiPM-based detection module for prompt gamma imaging in proton therapy

We describe here a new SiPM-based prototype of detection module for prompt gamma imaging (PGI) in proton therapy, illustrating the preliminary experimental results in terms of energy resolution. Treatments delivered by proton therapy are affected by uncertainties on the range of the beam within the patient. To reduce these margins and deliver safer treatments, different projects are currently investigating real-time range control by imaging prompt gammas emitted along the proton tracks in the patient. The potential of this concept for real-time range monitoring has recently been confirmed, also with Silicon PhotoMultiplier (SiPM-based) gamma cameras. The prototype here presented is based on a 2-dimensional projection of the beam on a pixelated detection module to improve count rate capability thanks to the detector segmentation. The photodetector is produced with a new High-Density (HD) SiPMs technology available at Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK, Italy) and designed to improve the detection of high-energy gamma rays. The detector is composed by an array of 8 × 8 SiPMs: a single SiPM has an active area of 4 mm × 4 mm, 15 μm × 15 μm microcells, for a total of 70000 microcells. Each SiPM is coupled to a 4 mm × 4 mm × 22 mm LYSO crystal. Signals are processed by two ASICs, improving the compactness of the system, and acquired by an external Data Acquisition System (DAQ). The module also implements an automatic temperature control strategy based on a SiPMs gain stabilization loop. The module was characterized in term of energy resolution up to 1.33 MeV. Preliminay results showed an estimated energy resolution of about 13%, 11% and 9% at 662 keV, 1.17 MeV and 1.33 MeV respectively.
Deafness Gene Variations in a 1120 Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss Cohort

Objectives: To elucidate the molecular epidemiology of hearing loss in a large number of Japanese patients analyzed using massively parallel DNA sequencing (MPS) of target genes. Methods: We performed MPS of target genes using the Ion PGM system with the Ion AmpliSeq and HiSeq 2000 systems using SureSelect in 1389 samples (1120 nonsyndromic hearing loss cases and 269 normal hearing controls). We filtered the variants identified using allele frequencies in a large number of controls and 12 predication program scores. Results: We identified 8376 kinds of variants in the 1389 samples, and 409 835 total variants were detected. After filtering the variants, we selected 2631 kinds of candidate variants. The number of GJB2 mutations was exceptionally high among these variants, followed by those in CDH23, SLC26A4, MYO15A, COL11A2, MYO7A, and OTOF. Conclusions: We performed a large number of MPS analyses and clarified the genetic background of Japanese patients with hearing loss. This data set will be a powerful tool to discover rare causative gene mutations in highly heterogeneous monogenic diseases and reveal the genetic epidemiology of deafness.
Oxidative stress, d-ROMs test, and ceruloplasmin

ABSTRACT Human serum samples were evaluated for oxidative stress with the d-ROMs test. The ceruloplasmin (CP) and copper contents of the samples was independently measured and compared to those calculated on the basis of the d-ROMs test results for pure CP solutions. The d-ROMs readings did not show any significant correlation with either the CP or copper contents of the samples. Critical interference of CP on the d-ROMs test was therefore excluded and the usefulness of the test in the evaluation of global oxidative status of a biological sample could be reassessed.
Predictive Strategies in Diagnostic Tasks

A concept attainment model of diagnosis was used to study the influence of inferential ability and restricted-unrestricted information conditions on 60 nurses' hypothesis-scanning strategies, diagnostic accuracy, and confidence in two diagnostic tasks. A selection paradigm, similar to the game of Twenty Questions, was employed, and it was assumed that verbal reports of how information was being utilized were reliable indicators of scanning procedures. Analysis of variance, t tests, chi-square analyses, and the Cochrane Q test were used in data analyses. Subjects' behavior approximated a model strategy of predictive hypothesis testing in diagnostic concept attainment tasks involving surgical complications. Neither the interaction between inferential ability and information conditions nor the effect of inferential ability alone influenced the dependent variables, although prolonged predictive hypothesis testing and unrestricted information conditions were associated with greater inaccuracies. Implications for nursing history taking and diagnosis are discussed.
Caffeine dose-dependently potentiates the antitumor effect of cisplatin on osteosarcomas.

BACKGROUND Caffeine-assisted chemotherapy has been used in the treatment of osteosarcomas. However, there is little in vivo evidence for this treatment, and thus we sought to verify the dose and effect of caffeine in combination with cisplatin in osteosarcoma-bearing rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Seven-week-old male Fischer rats were transplanted with chemical carcinogen-induced osteosarcoma, selected lung metastatic lesions tumor block. The osteosarcoma-bearing rats were treated with saline, caffeine, cisplatin or cisplatin and caffeine. RESULTS The most growth inhibition was observed in the co-administration group. When three different dosing schedules of caffeine were given, the extent of tumor inhibition was closely correlated with the average plasma concentration of caffeine. The cisplatin concentration in the tumor was significantly increased when caffeine was co-administered. CONCLUSION This study confirms that a high concentration of caffeine (about 0.4 mM) is effective in enhancing the antitumor effects of cisplatin.
Insertion of several different DNAs in reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T suppresses transformation by reducing the amount of subgenomic mRNA

The highly oncogenic retrovirus reticuloendotheliosis virus (Rev) strain T (Rev-T) has, relative to its helper virus Rev strain A, a substitution of the oncogene v-rel for most of the env gene and a large deletion of gag and pol sequences. When the helper virus sequences that are deleted in Rev-T are replaced, the recombinant virus is nontransforming (I. S. Y. Chen and H. M. Temin, Cell 31: 111-120, 1982). We show that suppression of transformation occurs when several different DNA sequences are inserted in Rev-T and that suppression is correlated with a reduction in the amount of v-rel mRNA and v-rel protein in infected cells. The reduced amount of v-rel protein is insufficient for transformation.
Mild temperature hyperthermia and radiation therapy: Role of tumour vascular thermotolerance and relevant physiological factors

Here we review the significance of changes in vascular thermotolerance on tumour physiology and the effects of multiple clinically relevant mild temperature hyperthermia (MTH) treatments on tumour oxygenation and corresponding radiation response. Thus far vascular thermotolerance referred to the observation of significantly greater blood flow response by the tumour to a second hyperthermia exposure than in response to a single thermal dose, even at temperatures that would normally cause vascular damage. New information suggests that although hyperthermia is a powerful modifier of tumour blood flow and oxygenation, sequencing and frequency are central parameters in the success of MTH enhancement of radiation therapy. We hypothesise that heat treatments every 2 to 3 days combined with traditional or accelerated radiation fractionation may be maximally effective in exploiting the improved perfusion and oxygenation induced by typical thermal doses given in the clinic.
On Peace Capital: The Case of Academic Cultural Capital Inside the United Nations and its Universities

The United Nations (UN) is often questioned about its ongoing involvement in matters of peace and security, but its involvement in higher education for peace in the 21st century is rarely examined. This paper investigates the use of higher education as a peacebuilding tool within the UN apparatus. First, I describe the work in which UN universities are engaged. Second, I examine the academic cultural capital that UN officials possess that enable their admission into the UN. I investigate this across UN agencies generally and then in regard to faculty specifically at one United Nations university. Third, I share commentary from scholars I interviewed at this university, and from scholars in Ethiopia and Somaliland, to corroborate and challenge the results of the qualifications review, and to elaborate on the education that the UN promotes. Data was analyzed through a Bourdieusian cultural capital framework. The findings point toward social reproduction through academic peace capital in the UN and its university.
Treatment of colorectal liver metastases by cryotherapy.

One hundred fifty-eight procedures were performed on 136 patients with unresectable hepatic metastases using hepatic cryotherapy to ablate the tumors. The median age was 62 years. Patients included 90 males and 46 females. Fifty-eight patients had synchronous metastases, 55 had bilobar lesions, and 90 had precryo chemotherapy. Median preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level was 14.4 ng/dl. The numbers of lesions treated, frozen, and resected were two and one. Median survival of all patients was 30 months. Survival for 39 patients was 37 months. Patients with a CEA level > 100 ng/dl had a statistically worse survival rate than those with a level < 100 ng/dl (P < .001). Twenty patients underwent recryotherapy with median survival of 34 months. Recurrent disease developed in 78% of patients--82% of the patients developed liver recurrence. Complication rates were comparable to liver resection. Operative mortality was 3.7%. Hepatic cryotherapy is effective and safe in treating colorectal hepatic metastases under ultrasound guidance.
Capital accumulation when consumers are tempted by others’ consumption experience

We analyse how the influence of peer effects on self-control affects capital accumulation. We consider an overlapping generations model where individuals are tempted to take the economy-wide average consumption as an aspiration. Consumers exhibit a preference for self-control. They face a self-control problem, and observing each other’s consumption determines the individual’s capacity to deal with this problem. We show that temptation and self-control may either increase or decrease the accumulation of capital. The crucial point would be whether or not consumers take the consumption of the individuals belonging to the other living generations as a reference in forming their aspirations. This point also crucially determines the stability properties of the equilibrium paths.
Traumatic subluxation of the hip resulting in aseptic necrosis and chondrolysis in a professional football player

was injured when he was tackled during a scrimmage. The injury was witnessed by one of the authors (RFW), who is the team physician. At the moment the knee struck the ground, the left hip was in a flexed and adducted position. The player was able to get up and walk immediately, although he did complain of groin soreness. The injury was initially thought to be only a muscle strain, but because of persistent pain with weightbearing, further evaluation was pursued. Radiographic examination revealed a fracture fragment at the posterior aspect of the hip, which appeared to be from the posterior wall of the acetabulum (Fig. 1). This was confirmed by computed tomography, which clearly demonstrated a posterior acetabular wall fragment (Fig. 2). This appeared to be analogous to the Bankart lesion seen in anterior glenohumeral dislocations. The patient was treated with rest and activity modification, including nonweightbearing on crutches. Full motion
During epithelial differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells, expression of zonula occludens protein-1 is induced by a combination of retinoic acid, activin-A and bone morphogenetic protein-7.

BACKGROUND AIMS Adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (ASC) possess a multilineage differentiation potential, can be used from an autologous origin, and are, therefore, attractive candidates for clinical applications to repair or regenerate damaged tissues and organs. Beside their well-known differentiation into cells of mesodermal origin, ASC are able to differentiate into cells of ecto- and endodermal origin. METHODS Previous studies have shown that all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) induces the expression of cytokeratin 18 (CK18), indicating the beginning of differentiation into the epithelial lineage. Nevertheless, ATRA does not induce the expression of other epithelial markers. Therefore, we tested the additional influence of two growth factors on the onset of epithelial differentiation of ASC. The cells were cultured with ATRA, Activin A (ActA) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7), either alone or in combination. Differentiation into the epithelial lineage was assessed by the expression of the characteristic epithelial markers CK18 and zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO-1) using Western blot, immunofluorescence staining and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. RESULTS The mixture of all three factors induced epithelial differentiation of ASC without enhancing cell proliferation. Upon induction, the ASC showed phenotypic changes consistent with an epithelial phenotype. The addition of the growth factors ActA and BMP-7 enhanced the inductive effect of ATRA, as shown by the de novo expression of ZO-1 in addition to CK18 expression. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the onset of the epithelial differentiation of ASC induced by culture with a combination of ATRA, ActA and BMP-7.
Impaired recruitment of the small GTPase rab7 correlates with the inhibition of phagosome maturation by Leishmania donovani promastigotes

We have shown recently that one of the survival strategies used by Leishmania donovani promastigotes during the establishment of infection in macrophages consists in inhibiting phagosome–endosome fusion. This inhibition requires the expression of lipophosphoglycan (LPG), the predominant surface glycoconjugate of promastigotes, as parasites expressing truncated forms of LPG reside in phagosomes that fuse extensively with endocytic organelles. In the present study, we developed a single‐organelle fluorescence analysis approach to study and analyse the intracellular trafficking of ‘fusogenic’ and ‘low‐fusogenic’ phagosomes induced by an LPG repeating unit‐defective mutant (lpg2 KO) or by wild‐type L. donovani promastigotes respectively. The results obtained indicate that phagosomes containing mutant parasites fuse extensively with endocytic organelles and transform into phagolysosomes by losing the early endosome markers EEA1 and transferrin receptor, and acquiring the late endocytic and lysosomal markers rab7 and LAMP1. In contrast, a majority of ‘low‐fusogenic’ phagosomes containing wild‐type L. donovani promastigotes do not acquire rab7, wheres they acquire LAMP1 with slower kinetics. These results suggest that L. donovani parasites use LPG to restrict phagosome–endosome fusion at the onset of infection in order to prevent phagosome maturation. This is likely to permit the transformation of hydrolase‐sensitive promastigotes into hydrolase‐resistant amastigotes within a hospitable vacuole not displaying the harsh environment of phagolysosomes.
Comparison of activated clotting times obtained using Hemochron and Medtronic analysers in patients receiving anti-thrombin therapy during cardiac catheterisation

Summary Accurate monitoring of anti-thrombin therapy with activated clotting time (ACT) is important to prevent thrombotic and haemorrhagic complications during cardiac catheterisation. Significant variability in ACT tests exists when different analysers are used. Our objective was to compare ACT results obtained using Hemochron→ and Medtronic ACT PLUS→ devices and anti-Xa activity in patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation. Thirty-two patients who received unfractionated heparin or argatroban therapy during cardiac catheterisation were enrolled. Blood sampling was performed to determine ACT values using Hemochron and Medtronic (with high-range cartridges) devices in all patients (n=130 pairs), and anti-Xa activity following heparin administration. In the heparin group, ACT tests (n=95 pairs) showed very good correlation (r=0.84, y=1.31x–0.81; p<0.001). However, Hemochron values were consistently higher and the difference more pronounced with increasing ACT (for ACT>150 sec, mean difference 65 ± 48 sec; p<0.001). Both Hemochron and Medtronic ACT tests correlated well with plasma anti-Xa levels (r=0.85, r=0.81, respectively; p<0.001); Hemochron ACT>300 sec corresponded to anti-Xa>1.48 IU/ml. With concomitant eptifibatide therapy, the divergence in ACT was greater compared to heparin alone. In the argatroban group, ACT tests (n=35 pairs) demonstrated excellent correlation (r=0.94, y=0.61x+79.9; p<0.001). In contrast to the heparin group, ACT values were higher with Medtronic compared to Hemochron. Therefore, despite good correlation between Hemochron and Medtronic ACT results, and strong association with anti-Xa activity, Medtronic ACT values were consistently lower compared to Hemochron following heparin anticoagulation. Paradoxically, Medtronic ACT results were higher after argatroban therapy. Understanding this discrepancy is crucial when using ACT to guide invasive cardiac procedures.
Polymorphisms in the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene influence plasma total homocysteine levels

Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is a risk factor for various disorders. We investigated whether functional polymorphisms in catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) influence tHcy, since COMT activity produces S‐adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), a homocysteine precursor. We hypothesized that high activity COMT variants would be associated with high tHcy, since they presumably result in increased formation of SAH. We genotyped 780 community‐dwelling elderly individuals for functional COMT (Val158Met and A−287G) and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR; C677T) polymorphisms, and measured plasma tHcy. As predicted, COMT Val158 carriers had significantly higher tHcy than Met158 homozygotes. The effect was limited to individuals homozygous for the MTHFR T677 allele. In addition, individuals homozygous for the COMT G−287 allele tended to have lower tHcy levels. High activity variants of COMT interact with the low activity variant of MTHFR to increase tHcy levels. The effect on tHcy may contribute to the reported associations of COMT genotype with psychiatric and neurobiological phenotypes. The results also indicate that COMT activity may influence a broader range of biochemical pathways than hitherto appreciated. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.