Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
De Novo Biosynthesis of Volatiles Induced by Insect Herbivory in Cotton Plants

In response to insect feeding on the leaves, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) plants release elevated levels of volatiles, which can serve as a chemical signal that attracts natural enemies of the herbivore to the damaged plant. Pulse-labeling experiments with [13C]CO2 demonstrated that many of the volatiles released, including the acyclic terpenes (E,E)-[alpha]-farnesene, (E)-[beta]-farnesene, (E)-[beta]-ocimene, linalool, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, and (E/E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene, as well as the shikimate pathway product indole, are biosynthesized de novo following insect damage. However, other volatile constituents, including several cyclic terpenes, butyrates, and green leaf volatiles of the lipoxygenase pathway are released from storage or synthesized from stored intermediates. Analysis of volatiles from artificially damaged plants, with and without beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua Hubner) oral secretions exogenously applied to the leaves, as well as volatiles from beet armyworm-damaged and -undamaged control plants, demonstrated that the application of caterpillar oral secretions increased both the production and release of several volatiles that are synthesized de novo in response to insect feeding. These results establish that the plant plays an active and dynamic role in mediating the interaction between herbivores and natural enemies of herbivores.
Modulation of apoptosis in the mouse brain after morphine treatments and morphine withdrawal

We have examined the effects of acute or chronic morphine and naltrexone‐precipitated withdrawal on mouse brain apoptotic cell death. The associated changes in the expression of apoptosis regulatory proteins were also analyzed. After a single dose of morphine, no apoptotic cells were detected by TUNEL or active caspase‐3 immunocytochemistry. Concurrently, a down‐regulation of the proapoptotic proteins FasL and Bad was detected in cortical lysates. On the other hand, the brains of chronic‐morphine‐treated mice and abstinent mice exhibited scattered apoptotic neurons and astrocytes throughout the brain. This neurotoxic effect was accompanied by up‐regulation of the proapoptotic proteins FasL, Fas, and Bad and the active fragments of caspases‐8 and ‐3 in cortical and hippocampal lysates. Abstinent mice also displayed a reduced expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl‐2. No changes on t‐Bid expression were detected under any experimental condition. These results suggest a neurotoxic effect exerted by chronic, but not acute, morphine and its withdrawal by activating both the intrinsic and the extrinsic apoptotic pathways. The possible clinical implications of our findings are discussed. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Gamma probe and ultrasonographically-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer patients.

AIM The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the usefulness of gamma probe and ultrasonographically-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in the pre-operative detection of sentinel node (SN) metastasis in breast cancer patients. METHODS Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) was performed in patients with stage I or II breast cancer with clinically negative nodes using dye and radio-isotope. Axillas of 60 patients in whom a hot spot was detected by gamma probe were examined by ultrasonography. Pre-operative diagnosis of SN metastasis by gamma probe and ultrasonographically-guided FNAB was compared with the histological results of SN. RESULTS The sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of SN metastasis were 50.0%, 92.1% and 76.7%, respectively. SNs were visualized by ultrasonography in 29 of 60 patients. Of 14 patients with positive results by ultrasonography, four had positive and two had negative cytology. The combination of ultrasonography and ultrasonographically-guided FNAB for visualized nodes had a sensitivity of 78.5%, specificity of 93.3% and overall accuracy of 86.2%. Blind FNAB in the hot spot was not useful in the detection of SN metastasis in patients whose SNs failed to be detected by ultrasonography. CONCLUSIONS Gamma probe and ultrasonographically-guided FNAB is a potentially useful method for pre-operative detection of SN metastasis. In patients with positive SNs, SNB is not indicated and complete axillary lymph-node dissection can be performed as a primary procedure.
Seroprevalencia de anticuerpos contra virus herpes simples 1-2 en Brasil

OBJETIVO: Estimar la seroprevalencia de anticuerpos por virus herpes simples (HSV-1 y HSV-2) en diferentes areas geograficas en Brasil y analizar factores asociados. METODOS: Estudio transversal realizado entre 1996 y 1997 con individuos de la poblacion en general en cuatro diferentes areas geograficas en Brasil y estratificados por edad (de uno a 40 anos) y sexo, de los cuales 1.090 fueron incluidos en el analisis final. Fueron analizadas muestras de sangre para deteccion de anticuerpos para HSV-1 y HSV-2 con prueba tipo-especifica ELISA gG1-gG2. Fueron descritas frecuencias y proporciones y comparadas entre grupos utilizando la prueba de Fisher bilateral exacta. Fue realizado analisis de regresion logistica para evaluar influencia de las variables edad, sexo, geografia, grupo economico, historico de DST, seropositividad para anti-HSV-1 o anti-HSV-2 e interacciones de cualquiera de esos factores sobre la seroprevalencia de HSV-1 y/o HSV-2. RESULTADOS: La tasa de seroprevalencia de anticuerpos para HSV-1 ajustada por edad fue de 67,2%, sin diferencia con relacion al sexo, siendo mayor en la Region Norte. Las seroprevalencias aumentaron con la edad, y para HSV-2, hube un aumento significativo en la adolescencia y entre adultos jovenes. Individuos seropositivos para HSV-1 presentaron mayor riesgo de ser positivos para HSV-2 (15,7%) cuando se compararon con los negativos para HSV-1 (4,7%). En el analisis multivariado, el historico de DST aumento significativamente (OR=3,2) la probabilidad de seropositividad para HSV-2. CONCLUSIONES: Las seroprevalencias para HSV-1 y para HSV-2 varian con la edad y presentan diferencias significativas entre las regiones de Brasil. Historia anterior de DST es importante factor de riesgo para adquisicion de infeccion por HSV-2.
Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor: Two Case Reports and an Analysis of Adult Cases with Implications for Pathophysiology and Treatment

We present the first quantitative analysis of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRT) in adults, including two patients from our own institutions. These are of interest as one occurred during pregnancy and one is a long-term survivor. Our review of pathological findings of 50 reported cases of adult ATRT leads us to propose a solely ectodermal origin for the tumor and that epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a defining feature. Thus, the term ATRT may be misleading. Our review of clinical findings shows that ATRT tends to originate in mid-line structures adjacent to the CSF, leading to a high rate of leptomeningeal dissemination. Thus, we hypothesize that residual undifferentiated ectoderm in the circumventricular organs, particularly the pituitary and pineal glands, is the most common origin for these tumors. We note that if growth is not arrested soon after diagnosis, or after the first relapse/progression, death is almost universal. While typically rapidly fatal (as in our first case), long-term remission is possible (as in our second). Significant predictors of prognosis were the extent of resection and the use of chemotherapy. Glial differentiation (GFAP staining) was strongly associated with leptomeningeal metastases (chi-squared p = 0.02) and both predicted markedly worse outcomes. Clinical trials including adults are rare. ATRT is primarily a disease of infancy and radiotherapy is generally avoided in those aged less than 3 years old. Treatment options in adults differ from infants in that cranio-spinal irradiation is a viable adjunct to systemic chemotherapy in the adult population. Given the grave prognosis, this combined approach appears reasonable. As effective chemotherapy is likely to cause myelosuppression, we recommend that stem-cell rescue be available locally.
Association of transforming growth factor beta-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with radiation-induced damage to normal tissues in breast cancer patients

Purpose : To investigate whether transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF β1) single nucleotide polymorphisms were associated with the susceptibility of breast cancer patients to severe radiationinduced normal tissue damage. Materials and methods : PCR-RFLP assays were performed for TGF β1 gene polymorphisms on DNA obtained from 103 breast cancer patients who received radiotherapy. The G −800A, C −509T, T+869C and G+915C polymorphic sites were examined, and genotype and allele frequencies of two subgroups of patients were calculated and compared. Results : The less prevalent −509T and +869C alleles were significantly associated with a subgroup of patients who developed severe radiation-induced normal tissue fibrosis (n =15) when compared with those who did not (n =88) (odds ratio=3.4, p =0.0036, and 2.37, p =0.035, respectively). Furthermore, patients with the −509TT or +869CC genotypes were between seven and 15 times more likely to develop severe fibrosis. Conclusions : These findings imply a role for the −509T and +869C alleles in the pathobiological mechanisms underlying susceptibility to radiation-induced fibrosis. Their predictive value would be limited to patients who are −509TT or +869CC, but if 'fibrosis-associated' polymorphic sites in other genes could be identified, it may be possible to detect fibrosis prone individuals before radiotherapy with greater certainty.
Contributions à la modélisation et à l'analyse statistique des données de dénombrement.

Le modele de Poisson est un modele repere pour l'analyse statistique des donnees de denombrement. Quelquefois, les donnees de denombrement presentent une surdispersion ou une sousdispersion resultant du manque d'adequation du modele de Poisson. L'objet principal de ce travail est de presenter une vue d'ensemble des modeles probabilistes qui peuvent fournir un cadre unifie pour l'analyse statistique des donnees de denombrement, parmi lesquels, les modeles de Katz et de Poisson pondere. Certains modeles de Poisson ponderes seront ajustes a des donnees collectees en Republique du Congo et relatives a un echantillon d'aleurodes Aleurodicus dispersus Russell (Homoptera : Aleyrodidae) decrit par les variables : duree de developpement preimaginal (de l'oeuf a l'adulte) mesuree en nombre de jours, longevite (mesuree en nombre de jours) et nombre de jours de ponte. Le probleme de la regression lineaire entre ces variables fera aussi l'objet d'une discussion. Nous allons par la suite evaluer les performances de quelques procedures de tests statistiques destinees a valider l'adequation de la loi de Poisson avec les donnees de denombrement contre des alternatives generales de surdispersion ou de sousdispersion. Ainsi, nous comparons le test du Chideux de Pearson a des tests construits a partir des statistiques obtenues par l'application d'une transformation de BoxCox a l'indice de dispersion de Fisher ou de son inverse.
TGFβ/activin signaling pathway activation in intimal hyperplasia and atherosclerosis.

PURPOSE Intimal hyperplasia and atherosclerosis are the Achilles' heels of vascular interventions. Many cytokines and growth factors have been shown to mediate these pathological processes. There are conflicting data concerning the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) antigen in human intimal hyperplasia and atherosclerotic lesions and conflicting views about whether TGFβ1 is pro- or anti-atherogenic. The presence of TGFβ1 is not sufficient to infer activation of its signaling pathway because TGFβ1 may be present in inactive complexes. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sensitive immuno-fluorescence assay (cyanine-3 tyramide signal amplification system) was used on human coronary artery and aorta sections with early or advanced stage lesions to detect TGFβ1, activin, Smad2-P, a marker of the activated TGFβ1/activin pathway and components of latent TGFβ complexes. RESULTS All antigens were readily detected in the media and neointima of early stage lesions. The levels were either reduced or undetectable in the media of advanced lesions but were increased in the neointima in areas of high cell density. In marked contrast to activin, TGFβ1 and LAP1 expression levels were closely correlated with Smad2-P throughout the artery wall. CONCLUSION Discrepancies in previous data for TGFβ1 expression are probably due to assay sensitivity. TGFβ1, but not activin, expression is consistently correlated with Smad pathway activation in the artery wall. The pattern of Smad2 activation supports a model in which TGFβ/activin signaling is anti-atherogenic in the media of normal artery walls but is equally compatible with an anti-atherogenic or pro-atherogenic response to TGFβ/activin in the neointima of lesions.
Real-Time Piano Music Transcription Based on Computer Vision

One important problem in musical information retrieval is automatic music transcription, which is an automated conversion process from played music to a symbolic notation such as MIDI file. Since the accuracy of previous audio-based transcription systems is not satisfactory, we propose an innovative computer vision-based automatic music transcription system named claVision to perform piano music transcription. Instead of processing the music audio, the system performs the transcription only from the video performance captured by a camera mounted over the piano keyboard. In this paper, we describe the architecture and the algorithms used in claVision. The claVision system has a high accuracy ( F1 score over 0.95) and a very low latency (about 7.0 ms) in real-time music transcription, even under different illumination conditions. This technology can also be used for other musical keyboard instruments.
EFFECT OF VITAMIN A AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURE ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF WHITE LEGHORN PULLETS.

Abstract WARD and Schaible (1963) reported that numerous dietary ingredients failed to affect the incidence of blood spots in chicken eggs, but vitamin A was not included. Bearse et al. (1960) associated a high incidence of blood spotting of egg yolks with vitamin A deficiency in hens. Hill et al. (1961) reported that the minimum vitamin A requirement of laying hens for maintenance of body weight and maximum egg production and the minimum incidence of blood spots was 1,200–1,600 U.S.P. units of vitamin A per pound of diet. Heywang (1952) noted that feed consumption of laying and breeding hens decreased during hot weather but the actual vitamin A requirement of the hen did not increase during prolonged periods of high ambient temperature. He also reported that 2,480 U.S.P. units of vitamin A per pound of diet was not adequate for maximum egg production and maintenance of life during hot weather…
Partial reactivation of chlorine-treated echovirus

After treatment of a dispersed suspension of echovirus with HOCl, much of the lost plaque titer was restored if the treated virus was induced to aggregate by adjustment of the suspending medium to pH 4.5. This did not appear to be a repair of individual virions but rather a special kind of multiplicity-related increase in plaquing efficiency which occurred when the host cell received several of the damaged virions in a clump.
Urinary proteomics in cardiovascular disease: Achievements, limits and hopes

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Diagnosis of CVD and risk stratification of patients with CVD remains challenging despite the availability of a wealth of non‐invasive and invasive tests. Clinical proteomics analyses a large number of peptides and proteins in biofluids. For clinical applications, the urinary proteome appears particularly attractive due to the relative low complexity compared with the plasma proteome and the noninvasive collection of urine. In this article, we review the results from pilot studies into urinary proteomics of coronary artery disease and discuss the potential of urinary proteomics in the context of pathogenesis of CVD.
Self management of arthritis in primary care: randomised controlled trial

Abstract Objective To evaluate clinical effectiveness of a self management programme for arthritis in patients in primary care with osteoarthritis. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting 74 general practices in the United Kingdom. Participants 812 patients aged 50 and over with osteoarthritis of hips or knees (or both) and pain or disability (or both). Intervention Participants were randomised to six sessions of self management of arthritis and an education booklet (intervention group) or the education booklet alone (control group). Main outcome measures Primary outcome was quality of life, as assessed by the short form health survey (SF-36). Several other physical and psychosocial secondary outcomes were assessed. Data were collected at baseline, four months, and 12 months. Results Response rates were 80% and 76% at four and 12 months. The two groups showed significant differences at 12 months on the anxiety subscore of the hospital anxiety and depression scale (mean difference −0.62, 95% confidence interval −1.08 to −0.16), arthritis self efficacy scale for pain (0.98, 0.07 to 1.89), and self efficacy for other aspects of management (1.58, 0.25 to 2.90). Results were similar for intention to treat and per protocol analyses. No significant difference was seen in number of visits to the general practitioner at 12 months. Conclusions The self management of arthritis programme reduced anxiety and improved participants' perceived self efficacy to manage symptoms, but it had no significant effect on pain, physical functioning, or contact with primary care. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN79115352 [controlled-trials.com].
Ovarian developmental variation in the primitively eusocial wasp Ropalidia marginata suggests a gateway to worker ontogeny and the evolution of sociality

SUMMARY Social insects are characterized by reproductive caste differentiation of colony members into one or a small number of fertile queens and a large number of sterile workers. The evolutionary origin and maintenance of such sterile workers remains an enduring puzzle in insect sociobiology. Here, we studied ovarian development in over 600 freshly eclosed, isolated, virgin female Ropalidia marginata wasps, maintained in the laboratory. The wasps differed greatly both in the time taken to develop their ovaries and in the magnitude of ovarian development despite having similar access to resources. All females started with no ovarian development at day zero, and the percentage of individuals with at least one oocyte at any stage of development increased gradually across age, reached 100% at 100 days and decreased slightly thereafter. Approximately 40% of the females failed to develop ovaries within the average ecological lifespan of the species. Age, body size and adult feeding rate, when considered together, were the most important factors governing ovarian development. We suggest that such flexibility and variation in the potential and timing of reproductive development may physiologically predispose females to accept worker roles and thus provide a gateway to worker ontogeny and the evolution of sociality.
Hydroxyapatite-coated Femoral Components: 15-Year Minimum Followup

Hydroxyapatite-coated femoral components were introduced to enhance fixation, but concerns were raised about whether the coating would be maintained over time. We therefore determined the long-term clinical and radiographic results of a proximally hydroxyapatite-coated femoral component and compared the mechanical failure rate to other fixation methods at similar lengths of followup. The study group, culled from a large, multicenter prospective study population, consisted of 146 patients (166 hips) with followup of 15 to 18 years. Average age at time of the index procedure was 51 years, and the most common diagnoses were osteoarthritis (71%) and osteonecrosis (11%). Average Harris hip scores were 42.7 preoperatively and 91.5 at most recent followup. Radiographically, one stem showed stable fibrous fixation, and all other unrevised stems were bony stable. Of 13 stem revisions in the study population, only one stem has been revised for aseptic loosening. Forty-nine percent of hips have an osteolytic lesion in proximal areas of Gruen Zones 1, 7, 8, or 14 only. Both the femoral aseptic revision and mechanical failure rates are 0.6% at 15-year minimum followup. The data demonstrate excellent long-term survivorship of this hydroxyapatite-coated femoral component used in a relatively young patient group.Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Immunohistochemical Visualization of Brain‐derived Neurotrophic Factor in the Rat Brain

A purified polyclonal antibody preparation was made against recombinant human brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in guinea pig and characterized for use in immunoassays and immunohistochemistry. The anti‐BDNF antibodies specifically recognized BDNF in Western blots and immunoprecipitation. There was no cross‐reactivity with the other known mammalian members of the neurotrophin family, nerve growth factor, neurotrophin‐3 and neurotrophin‐4/5. In immunohistochemical analysis, the anti‐BDNF recognized exogenous BDNF injected into the brain of rats, whereas no signal was obtained with the other neurotrophins. Preabsorption with native BDNF abolished the immunoreactivity in brain sections. These studies identify the anti‐BDNF as a tool for immunocytochemistry and the development of an immunoassay. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed widespread neuronal localization of BDNF in many brain areas. BDNF was localized in all subpopulations of hippocampal neurons. The distribution in the hippocampus suggests localization in the cytoplasm of cell bodies and dendrites.
Rethinking language: How probabilities shape the words we use

If you think about the classes you expect to take when studying linguistics in graduate school, probability theory is unlikely to be on the list. However, recent work in linguistics and cognitive science has begun to show that probability theory, combined with the methods of computer science and statistics, is surprisingly effective in explaining aspects of how people produce and interpret sentences (1–3), how language might be learned (4–6), and how words change over time (7, 8). The paper by Piantadosi et al. (9) that appears in PNAS adds to this literature, using probabilistic models estimated from large databases to update a classic result about the length of words.
Mouse Brain c‐fos mRNA Distribution Following a Single Electroconvulsive Shock

Abstract: The regional distribution of c‐fos mRNA in the mouse brain has been investigated by in situ hybridization autoradiography after seizures induced by an acute electroconvulsive shock (ECS). ECS led to a widespread induction of the proto‐oncogene c‐fos in the brain, with highest concentrations in discrete areas within the limbic system and also in the hypothalamus and cerebellum. The mild stress of sham treatment in earclipped animals induced a weaker and qualitatively different pattern of c‐fos mRNA expression involving the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. These data suggest the usefulness of c‐fos in situ hybridization as a marker of neuronal stimulation and in mapping a range of effects from a mild stress to the robust changes of an electroconvulsive seizure.