Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of T cell lineages in rat lacrimal glands

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine T cell development in rat lacrimal glands, determine whether the thymus is the source of immature T cells in this tissue and compare lacrimal gland T lymphocytes with other T cell subpopulations. Methods. Mononuclear cells were isolated from lacrimal glands of normal or thymectomized female Fischer 344 rats and stained for flow cytometric analysis. Results. The lacrimal gland T lymphocyte population included large percentages of cells with an activated phenotype and also subpopulations of immature, naive and memory T cells. The numbers of immature (Thy-1 +) lacrimal gland T cells were unchanged following short-term adult thymectomy. In comparison, spleen had large percentages of naive T cells, only a small subpopulation of activated T cells, and similar percentages of immature (Thy-1 +) T cells, which were nearly eliminated after thymectomy. Lacrimal gland T cells had small subpopulations of TCR? d + and CD8aa + T cells, a large subpopulation of NKT cells and many integrin aEß7 + T cells. Conclusions. Lacrimal gland T cells are composed of a variety of subpopulations whose composition is distinct from splenocytes. The marked reduction of immature splenic T cell percentages eleven days after adult thymectomy indicates that these cells were mostly derived from thymic precursors. In contrast, the unchanged percentages of immature lacrimal gland T cells following thymectomy indicate that they may have an extrathymic source. These studies provide a foundation for further investigation into the cellular basis of lacrimal gland immunobiology.
Composition and Properties of a Group A Streptococcal Teichoic Acid

Teichoic acid-like material extracted by cold trichloroacetic acid from lyophilized whole cells of streptococci from groups A,D,E,O, and T was shown to give a positive precipitin reaction with group antisera. Similar material from cells of groups B,C,F,G,H,K,L,M,N,P,Q,R, and S did not give a positive reaction with group antisera. The group A material also reacted with anti-E serum; however, the opposite did not occur. A similar result was also obtained on the group T material and anti-O serum. The group A teichoic acid was purified by Sephadex column chromatography, and was shown to be free of cell wall peptidoglycan and polysaccharide, and ribitol teichoic acid. It was composed of glycerol, phosphate, alanine, and glucosamine. Alkaline hydrolysis showed the presence of ester-linked alanine and glucosaminylglycerol. Phosphorus was released from ester linkage by alkaline phosphatase. N-acetylglucosamine produced a 72% inhibition of the precipitin test at a level of 10 μmoles, and d-alanine methyl ester was significantly stronger than the l-alanine ester. A single precipitin band was seen with group A serum. The data indicate that teichoic acid of group A streptococci is a polymer composed of glycerol phosphate and containing N-acetylglucosamine and alanine. Antisera to these streptococci contain antibodies specific for the alanine and the glucosamine linkages. The use of serum containing antibodies to alanine-polyglycerophosphate shows that the occurrence of this type of teichoic acid is widespread among the streptococci.
Investigation of motion sickness and inertial stability on a moving couch for intra-fraction motion compensation

Background. Respiration-induced tumor motion compensation using a treatment couch requires moving the patient at non-trivial speeds. The purpose of this work was to investigate motion sickness and stability of the patient's external surface due to a moving couch with respiration-comparable velocities and accelerations. Material and methods. A couch was designed to move with a peak-peak displacement of 5 cm and 1 cm in the S-I and A-P directions, respectively, and a period of 3.6 s. Fifty patients completed a 16-question motion sickness assessment questionnaire (MSAQ) prior to, during, and after the study. Seven optical reflectors affixed to the abdomen of each patient were monitored by infrared cameras. The relationship between reflector positions under stationary and moving conditions was evaluated to assess the stability of the patient's external surface. Results and discussion. Among the 4800 responses, 95% were 1 (no discomfort) of 9, and there were no scores of 6 or higher. Mild discomfort (scores of 4–5) was similar during couch motion and before couch motion (p = 0.39). Mild discomfort was less common after couch motion (p = 0.039) than before or during couch movement. There was a near 1:1 correspondence between marker-pair regression coefficients and phase offset values during couch-stationary and couch-moving conditions. Our results show that patients do not suffer motion sickness or external surface instability on a moving couch.
Infantile Hemangiomas Involving the Neuraxis: Clinical and Imaging Findings

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The neuroradiology and neurosurgery literature is replete with references to “hemangioma” involving the central nervous system (CNS). However, the number of cases of true infantile hemangiomas in the CNS reported to date is 15. Our purpose was to delineate the definition of infantile hemangiomas, determine their prevalence in the neuraxis, and describe their imaging characteristics and associations in this location. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed our Vascular Anomalies Center data base from 1999 through May 2008 to assess the prevalence of intracranial or intraspinal involvement within the total cohort of infantile hemangiomas. Fifteen patients were identified with infantile hemangiomas that involved the neuraxis. Two board-certified neuroradiologists reviewed the available imaging of these 15 patients, and a board-certified pathologist reviewed the available histopathology. Clinical records of all 15 patients were reviewed to identify the type of treatment and the treatment response. RESULTS: Of the 1454 patients listed with infantile hemangioma, 15 (∼1.0%) had involvement of the CNS. Eight patients had intracranial infantile hemangioma, 6 had intraspinal hemangioma, and 1 had both. In most instances, there was continuous extension into the neuraxis from an extracranial or extraspinal lesion. There were no cases of a CNS hemangioma without an accompanying extra-CNS tumor. Two patients had findings consistent with posterior fossa anomalies, cervicofacial hemangioma, arterial anomalies, cardiac defects, ocular abnormalities, and associated sternal or ventral defect. Of note, there were no brain or spinal parenchymal signal-intensity abnormalities, and there was no evidence of parenchymal invasion. CONCLUSIONS: CNS involvement by infantile hemangiomas is an unusual occurrence, which, when recognized, can help optimize patient management.
Classification of Rallidae

HE family Rallidae, containing over 150 living or recently extinct species and having one of the widest distributions of any family of terrestrial vertebrates, has, in proportion to its size and interest, received less study than perhaps any other major group of birds. The only two attempts at a classification of all of the recent rallid genera are those of Sharpe (1894) and Peters (1934). Although each of these lists has some merit, neither is satisfactory in reflecting relationships between the genera and both often separate closely related groups. In the past, no attempt has been made to identify the more primitive members of the Rallidae or to illuminate evolutionary trends in the family. Lists almost invariably begin with the genus Rdus which is actually one of the most specialized genera of the family and does not represent an ancestral or primitive stock. One of the difficulties of rallid taxonomy arises from the relative homogeneity of the family, rails for the most part being rather generalized birds with few groups having morphological modifications that clearly define them. As a consequence, particularly well-marked genera have been elevated to subfamily rank on the basis of characters that in more diverse families would not be considered as significant. Another weakness of former classifications of the family arose from what Mayr (194933) referred to as the “instability of the morphology of rails. ” This “instability of morphology,” while seeming to belie what I have just said about homogeneity, refers only to the characteristics associated with flightlessness-a condition that appears with great regularity in island rails and which has evolved many times. I have elsewhere (Olson, 1973) argued that flightlessness in rails is a neotenic condition that is evolved very rapidly, involves little genetic modification, and is without major phylogenetic significance. Flightlessness and its associated morphology can be used as a taxonomic character in the Rallidae only at the specific or subspecific levels. When this is done, the result is the elimination of much fragmenting of genera that had previously obscured the origins and relationships of many species. Whenever possible in determining relationships I have tried to examine skeletons of each genus, but in many cases anatomical material was not available and often I have had to rely solely on skins. Consequently the classification of certain groups remains tentative. The skeletal material examined for this study is the same as that used in Olson (1973). Publication of this paper was subsidized in part by a gift from the Smithsonian Institution.
Muscle activity in the classical singer's shoulder and neck region

The objective of this study is to characterize the level of use of the trapezius (TR) and the sternocleidomastoideus (STM) muscles by singing students. We further try to lower the activity in both muscles by use of biofeedback (BF) from electromyographic recordings (EMG). We finally examine whether the experiences from the BF session can be transferred into regular singing by maintaining a mental focus on the experiences made in the BF session. Two groups, each consisting of eight conservatory singing students, all in their first or second year of study, volunteered as subjects. Two singing procedures were used, a song and a sustained tone of maximum possible duration. EMG activity was recorded bilaterally from the TR and STM by use of an ambulatory monitoring system. EMG BF appeared to lower muscle activity in the two muscles, thus the experiences made in the BF session could be transferred into regular singing. We conclude that singers, although having an enhanced awareness of posture, still may have overuse of especially the TR muscle, but probably also the STM muscle.
Acanthamoeba Interaction with Extracellular Matrix Glycoproteins: Biological and Biochemical Characterization and Role in Cytotoxicity and Invasiveness

ABSTRACT. Acanthamoeba are free‐living amoebae that are dispersed in most environments. Occasionally, Acanthamoeba cause serious human infections, such as keratitis and encephalitis. During the infection process, amoebic adhesion to, and degradation of, host cells and their extracellular matrix (ECM) appear to be important requirements. We examined the interaction of Acanthamoeba with the ECM, and related this event to host cell destruction and tissue invasion. Pathogenic Acanthamoeba culbertsoni differentially attached on the ECM glycoproteins laminin‐1, collagen‐I, and fibronectin, as compared with non‐pathogenic Acanthamoeba astronyxis. Binding to collagen‐I and laminin‐1 induced A. culbertsoni to become flattened and elongated. Because attachment on laminin‐1 was higher in A. culbertsoni, laminin‐1 was chosen for further analysis. A 55‐kDa laminin‐binding protein was identified in pathogenic amoebae, but it was not found in non‐pathogenic amoebae. No differential cytotoxicity against distinct cell types was observed between A. culbertsoni incubated with or without ECM. On the other hand, binding on collagen‐I or matrigel scaffolds induced a differential effect where A. culbertsoni invaded collagen‐I matrices more rapidly. These results indicate that ECM recognition, as an antecedent to tissue invasion, may be a trait characteristic of pathogenic Acanthamoeba.
Hábitos de alimentación e ingestión de calorías en un grupo de niños y adolescentes obesos

Introduccion. Objetivo: comparar los habitos alimentarios y consumo de energia en ninos y adolescentes obesos y no obesos. Material y metodos. Estudio transversal analitico en 71 sujetos obesos (indice de masa corporal [IMC] > centila 95) y 75 no obesos (IMC centilas 5 a 85) de 5 a 15 anos de edad (promedio 9.8). Se realizaron encuestas alimentarias por recordatorio de 24 horas. Se calcularon: consumo de energia, macronutrimentos y alimentos de consumo comun. Resultados. El consumo de energia y grasas fue mayor en ninos obesos (P < 0.001). Los 5 alimentos referidos mas frecuentemente fueron: leche, tortillas, frijoles, refrescos y agua de frutas. Los productos chatarra fueron referidos mas frecuentemente que frutas y verduras. Conclusiones. El consumo de energia en ninos obesos fue superior al de no obesos, lo que puede explicar la presencia de obesidad. Es preocupante el consumo frecuente de refrescos y productos chatarra. La obesidad se debe prevenir a traves de la educacion y fomento de habitos de alimentacion y estilos de vida saludables
The Performance of Agricultural Market Advisory Services in Marketing Wheat

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of agricultural market advisory services in marketing wheat. Two key performance questions are addressed: 1) Do market advisory services, on average, outperform an appropriate wheat market benchmark? and 2) Do market advisory services exhibit persistence in their wheat performance from year-to-year? Market advisory service recommendations for wheat are available from the AgMAS Project for the 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 marketing years. At least 20 advisory programs are included for each year. Tests of pricing performance relative to a market benchmark are based on the proportion of programs exceeding the benchmark price and the average percentage difference between the net price of advisory programs and the benchmark price. In statistical terms, the pricing performance test results are clear. Not only do market advisory programs in wheat consistently fail to "beat the market," their performance is significantly worse than the market. The level of under-performance is striking and consistent, with the proportion of programs above market benchmarks for the four-year period ranging from 0.34 to 0.38. Estimates of the four-year average return relative to market benchmarks range from -9.61 to -10.48 percent. Tests of predictability are based on the correlation of performance measures for overlapping and non-overlapping adjacent marketing years. In general, the predictability results provide little evidence that future advisory program pricing performance can be usefully predicted from past performance. On average, correlations are positive for overlapping years (e.g. 1995 vs. 1996). However, correlations tend to be negative for non-overlapping years (e.g. 1995 vs. 1997), which implies that producers selecting top-performing programs based on a given year, and expecting them to continue to be top-performing funds, would actually experience just the opposite result.
The influence of media coverage of a celebrity suicide on subsequent suicide attempts.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of media reporting of a celebrity suicide on subsequent suicide attempts. METHOD A Poisson time series autoregression analysis was conducted to examine whether there was a significant increase in suicide attempts during the 3-week period after the start of extensive media reporting of a celebrity suicide. The reporting began on May 2, 2005, and lasted about 17 days. To investigate the influence of media reporting on suicide attempts, a structured interview was conducted with 124 suicide attempters identified from 2 counties in Mid Taiwan who had exposure to the media reporting. RESULTS After controlling for seasonal variation, calendar year, temperature, and humidity, there was a marked increase in the number of suicide attempts during the 3-week period after media reporting began (adjusted relative risk = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.26 to 1.91). Among 124 suicide attempters exposed to the media reports, 23.4% reported an influence from them. There was no relationship between the attempters' ages and the age of the celebrity or the method, but male attempters had a significantly higher risk for such influence. A considerably higher risk for such influence was found among subjects with a history of suicide attempt(s) in the previous year (odds ratio = 52.3, 95% CI = 5.96 to 459.1). CONCLUSIONS The extensive media reporting of the suicide of a celebrity was followed by an increase in suicide attempts. The effect was particularly marked in individuals with a recent history of a suicide attempt. The results provide further support for the need for more restrained reporting of suicides as part of suicide prevention strategies and for special vigilance for contagious effects of such reporting on people who have carried out recent suicidal acts.
Studies on the absorption and retention of calcium and phosphorus by young and mature Ca-deficient sheep

1. A combination of a mineral balance and a radioactive technique has been used to study the effects of increased levels of dietary calcium and phosphorus on the Ca and P metabolism of young and mature wether sheep previously made Ca-deficient. 2. Ca absorption was directly related to Ca intake until an absorption maximum was reached. Young animals absorbed dietary Ca more efficiently than mature animals and had a much higher maximum rate of absorption. Apparent P absorption was directly related to P intake and maximum P absorption was also higher for the young animals. 3. Excretion of Ca in the urine and into the intestine was not altered by changes in Ca intake. Excretion of P in the urine, however, varied considerably and it is suggested that this process may be largely responsible for P homoeostasis. 4. Ca retention was directly related to Ca absorption. Maximum retention was considerably higher for the young animals than for the mature animals and occurred for each group of animals at exactly the same dietary intake as maximum Ca absorption. 5. Ca and P were retained in a constant ratio of 1.25:1 and the results suggested that P retention was controlled by the rate of Ca retention. 6. Bone turnover was higher for the young than for the mature animals. Animals mobilized skeletal Ca when receiving the Ca-deficient diet and replaced their Ca losses when the dietary Ca was plentiful by changing the relative rates of bone resorption and bone accretion. Although bone resorption was mainly responsible for Ca homoeostasis, bone accretion appeared to play some part in the young animals. 7. Maximum retention of Ca occurred just as the rate of bone resorption become zero and was equal to the rate of bone accretion. The lower maximum retention of Ca for mature animals was due to a lower rate of bone accretion. 8. Results suggested that when bone resorption ceased, Ca absorption was regulated by homoeostatic mechanisms at a level just sufficient to maintain maximum retention, and that the maximum rates of absorption measured may not have been true maximum rates. 9. The consequences of a relationship between bone accretion and maximum Ca retention are discussed with reference to older, pregnant and lactating animals.
Nitroalkenes confer acute cardioprotection via adenine nucleotide translocase 1.

Background: Nitroalkenes are cardioprotective. We investigated the role of ANT1 in this process. Results: Nitro-linoleate modifies Cys57 on ANT1. Knockdown of ANT1 inhibits cytoprotection by nitro-linoleate. Conclusion: ANT1 is required for nitro-linoleate cytoprotection and possibly for its cardioprotection. Significance:This is the first evidence formodification of a specific cysteine in amitochondrial protein by a physiologically (and clinically) relevant electrophile.
Physiological correlates of mental activity: eye movements, alpha, and heart rate during imagining, suppression, concentration, search, and choice.

Rapid eye movements (REMs), EEG alpha, and tonic heart rate (HR) were measured during 6 types of cognitive tasks—imagining a liked person, suppressing thoughts of the person, searching one's mind for alternative solutions, arithmetic involving little concentration, problems involving high concentration, and choosing a preferred activity. The latter 3 required verbalization, the former 3 did not. Only suppression and search did not differ significantly from each other on at least one physiological variable. Imagining, suppression, and search yielded few REMs, high alpha, and low HR. High concentration yielded many REMs, low alpha, and high HR. Choice yielded many REMs, low alpha, and intermediate HR. Low concentration yielded few REMs, low alpha, and high HR. Suppression produced somewhat less alpha than imagining but did not differ significantly in REMs.
Asymmetrical Hybrid Optical OFDM for Visible Light Communications With Dimming Control

This letter proposes an asymmetrical hybrid optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (AHO-OFDM) scheme for dimmable visible light communication systems. In the proposed scheme, either asymmetrically clipped optical OFDM (ACO-OFDM) or pulse-amplitude-modulated discrete multitone (PAM-DMT) signal is inverted and then both the signals are combined for transmission, where pulsewidth modulation is no longer required for dimming control. The power of ACO-OFDM and PAM-DMT signals is adjusted so that the amplitude of the combined AHO-OFDM signal is asymmetrical, which could utilize all the available subcarriers as well as the entire dynamic range of light-emitting diodes with various dimming levels. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme could achieve a wide dimming range with a small throughput fluctuation.
The drug-consuming patient and his drugs. II. The drugs.

The drug consumption pattern and patients' knowledge about their drugs have been studied in 506 patients, acutely admitted to hospital. The patients took a mean of 3.2 drugs before hospitalization, the majority of them being used for more than one year. Calculated on all 506 interviewed patients, women took more drugs than men, but among the 406 users there was no significant difference in the number of drugs taken by men or women. The number of drugs increases markedly with age. The drugs most commonly used were digoxin (30% of the patients), nitrazepam (19%), furosemide (18%), potassium (17%) and nitroglycerin (14%). Dosage reduction with advancing age was registered i.a. for digoxin. Judging from the number of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and subjective side-effects, the dosage reduction should probably have been even greater. Twenty-six patients (5%) were admitted because of an ADR, another 10 (2%) with an ADR. For the majority of drugs (84%) the patients had some understanding of the expected effect, but knowledge about possible side-effects was reported for 26% of the drugs only.