Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Is oxidative status influenced by dietary carotenoid and physical activity after moult in the great tit (Parus major)?

ABSTRACT In the context of sexual and natural selection, an allocation trade-off for carotenoid pigments may exist because of their obligate dietary origin and their role both in the antioxidant and immune systems and in the production of coloured signals in various taxa, particularly birds. When birds have expended large amounts of carotenoids to feather growth such as after autumn moult, bird health and oxidative status might be more constrained. We tested this hypothesis in a bird species with carotenoid-based plumage colour, by manipulating dietary carotenoids and physical activity, which can decrease antioxidant capacity and increase reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) concentration. Great tits were captured after moult and kept in aviaries, under three treatments: physical handicap and dietary supplementation with carotenoids, physical handicap and control diet, and no handicap and control diet. We measured plasma composition (antioxidant capacity, ROM concentration, and vitamin A, vitamin E and total carotenoid concentrations), immune system activation (blood sedimentation) and stress response (heterophil/lymphocyte ratio) and predicted that handicap treatment should influence these negatively and carotenoid supplementation positively. Coloration of yellow feathers was also measured. Carotenoid supplementation increased total plasma carotenoid concentration, decreased feather carotenoid chroma and marginally increased ROM concentration. Handicap increased blood sedimentation only in males but had no clear influence on oxidative stress, which contradicted previous studies. Further studies are needed to investigate how physical activity and carotenoid availability might interact and influence oxidative stress outside the moult period, and their combined potential influence on attractiveness and reproductive investment later during the breeding season. Summary: Dietary carotenoid availability affects great tit yellow plumage coloration not only during but also outside moult, and flight activity decreases UV brightness after moult.
Competitive Fitness During Feast and Famine: How SOS DNA Polymerases Influence Physiology and Evolution in Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli DNA polymerases (Pol) II, IV, and V serve dual roles by facilitating efficient translesion DNA synthesis while simultaneously introducing genetic variation that can promote adaptive evolution. Here we show that these alternative polymerases are induced as cells transition from exponential to long-term stationary-phase growth in the absence of induction of the SOS regulon by external agents that damage DNA. By monitoring the relative fitness of isogenic mutant strains expressing only one alternative polymerase over time, spanning hours to weeks, we establish distinct growth phase-dependent hierarchies of polymerase mutant strain competitiveness. Pol II confers a significant physiological advantage by facilitating efficient replication and creating genetic diversity during periods of rapid growth. Pol IV and Pol V make the largest contributions to evolutionary fitness during long-term stationary phase. Consistent with their roles providing both a physiological and an adaptive advantage during stationary phase, the expression patterns of all three SOS polymerases change during the transition from log phase to long-term stationary phase. Compared to the alternative polymerases, Pol III transcription dominates during mid-exponential phase; however, its abundance decreases to <20% during long-term stationary phase. Pol IV transcription dominates as cells transition out of exponential phase into stationary phase and a burst of Pol V transcription is observed as cells transition from death phase to long-term stationary phase. These changes in alternative DNA polymerase transcription occur in the absence of SOS induction by exogenous agents and indicate that cell populations require appropriate expression of all three alternative DNA polymerases during exponential, stationary, and long-term stationary phases to attain optimal fitness and undergo adaptive evolution.
Three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography vs two-dimensional digital subtraction angiography for detection of ruptured intracranial aneurysms: a study of 86 aneurysms.

AIMS Three-dimensional reconstruction of intracranial vessels is of interest for evaluation of aneurysms. This study determined diagnostic difference of three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (3D-DSA, volume-rendering image) versus 2D-DSA for evaluating ruptured intracranial aneurysms, particularly focusing on the size of aneurysms as depicted in both images. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Sixty-nine patients underwent 3D-DSA and 2D-DSA. The relative size of an aneurysm, which is the ratio of the maximal diameter of an aneurysm to the diameter of a major vessel, was compared between imaging techniques. In addition, relative sizes of smaller aneurysms (< 5 mm) were compared with those of larger aneurysms (>10 mm). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED For comparison of aneurysm size and location of aneurysm, statistical analysis was performed with the Yates chi square test; statistical significance was set with a P value of less than 0.05. RESULTS Sixty-three (73.3%) of the 86 total aneurysms were bigger when measured with 3D-DSA versus 2D-DSA. When measured with 3D-DSA, 28 (84.8%) of the 33 smaller aneurysms were bigger, and 50% of the larger aneurysms were bigger versus measurements of 2D-DSA images (P < 0.05). In ACA and ICA territories, which tended to have smaller mean aneurysmal size, relative size of the aneurysm was bigger when measured with 3D-DSA (81.5% and 81.0%, respectively). In MCA, where the mean aneurysmal size was the largest, relative size of aneurysms was bigger when measured with 3D-DSA in 15 cases (53.6%, P < 0.05). In the posterior circulation, aneurysm size was similar between 3D-DSA and 2D-DSA measurements. CONCLUSIONS 3D-DSA, especially volume-rendering images, tends to depict ruptured intracranial aneurysms bigger than 2D-DSA. This is particularly true with cerebral aneurysms that are < 5 mm in size and are located in the anterior circulation, especially ICA and ACA territories.
An exploratory approach to a Twitter-based community centered on a political goal in South Korea: Who organized it, what they shared, and how they acted

This study provides an empirical account of how an online community has employed social media to mobilize people for a political goal. The case explored is a Twitter-based community in South Korea that calls for the elimination of a conservative national daily newspaper and whose activism is contextualized in the political history of Korea. Based on the mixed-method approach, the research results suggest that the role of the group organizer as an information provider and coordinator contributed to the sustainability of the group, and that group members formed a collective identity through the framing process of discourse. In addition, massive “retweeting” and “culture jamming” tactics were found to be strategically employed to enhance group solidarity, to broaden the base of support, and to crystallize involvement into political acts with other offline actions. Rather than decaying to an echo chamber or “slacktivism”, the online community seemed to demonstrate a new form of collective activism through the mediation of technology in everyday life.
Bacillus endoradicis sp. nov., an endophytic bacterium isolated from soybean root.

A gram-positive, aerobic, motile rod, designated strain CCBAU 05776(T), was isolated from the inner tissues of a healthy soybean (Glycine max L.) root collected from an agricultural field in the countryside of Shijiazhuang city, Hebei Province, China. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that this strain was most closely related to Bacillus muralis LMG 20238(T) and Bacillus simplex NBRC 15720(T) with similarity of 96.5 % and 96.3 %, respectively, lower than the suggested threshold (97.0 %) for separating bacterial species. In phenotypic characterization, the novel strain differed from the two most related species in that it did not hydrolyse casein or starch but could grow on MacConkey agar. It grew between 15 and 45 °C and tolerated up to 7 % NaCl (w/v). Strain CCBAU 05776(T) grew in media with pH 5.5 to 10 (optimal growth at pH 7.0-8.0). The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (40.81 %) and C(16 : 1)ω7c alcohol (10.61 %). The predominant isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone 7 (MK-7). The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C was 40.8 mol% (T(m)). DNA-DNA relatedness of the novel isolate with B. muralis and B. simplex was 42.4 % and 32.7 %, respectively. Based upon the consensus of phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses, strain CCBAU 05776(T) represents a novel species within the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus endoradicis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CCBAU 05776(T) ( = LMG 25492(T) = HAMBI 3097(T)).
The role of endoscopic ultrasound and cyst fluid analysis in the initial evaluation and follow-up of incidental pancreatic cystic lesions.

PURPOSE To assess the role of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in the initial evaluation and follow-up of incidental pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL). METHODS Retrospective analysis of patients with incidental PCL on imaging who were evaluated by EUS and had a minimal follow-up of 1 year. RESULTS There were 62 patients (40 females and 22 males). The mean patient age was 67.7 years (range, 30-89). The Median follow-up was 24 months (range, 12-72). The mean PCL size was 21.6 mm. In all, 13 patients underwent surgery (20.9%). Diagnosis included a mucinous cystic tumour (7), mucinous adenocarcinoma (2), intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (1) and a cystic neuroendocrine tumour (1). The overall malignancy rate among patients who underwent surgery was 15.3% (two patients). The mean carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level from PCL fluid analysis was also significantly higher in surgically treated group (7760) vs. the stable group (184.7) vs. the enlarging PCL group (361.1). A CEA level above 192 ng/ml predicted mucinous PCL with a sensitivity of 90%. CONCLUSIONS EUS with cystic fluid analysis can be successfully used to rule out pancreatic neoplasms and to follow-up incidentally discovered PCL.
Assessment of two tests for the diagnosis of canine hyperadrenocorticism

The low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and the urinary corticoid/creatinine ratio were assessed in 166 and 150 dogs, respectively, for their value in the diagnosis of hyperadrenocorticism. The diagnostic accuracy of the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test was 0.83, with a 95 per cent confidence interval from 0.76 to 0.88. The urinary corticoid/creatinine ratio had a diagnostic accuracy of 0.91 with a 95 per cent confidence interval from 0.85 to 0.95. The high predictive value of a negative corticoid/creatinine ratio (0.98; confidence interval 0.80 to 1.00) and the low cost of this test makes it preferable for screening purposes to the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test for which the predictive value of a negative test was calculated as 0.5g (confidence interval 0.43 to 0.73).
Purposiveness, physical activity, and perceived health in cardiac patients

Purpose. This study examined the relationship of purposiveness, defined as maintaining purpose in life and a sense of personal growth, with physical activity and perceived health in a sample of cardiac outpatients. Method. Participants were 130 outpatients recruited through medical settings serving cardiac patients in a southwestern US community. Participants had an average age of 60 years (SD 12.37). Participants responded to a structured questionnaire at the medical setting. The hypothesized mediational model was tested using Latent Variable Structural Equations Analysis (LISREL) 8. Results. As hypothesized, the results of a LISREL analysis showed that a sense of purposiveness predicted more positive perceived health. Further, as predicted, this relation was mediated by physical activity. Purposiveness was linked to more physical activity, and a high level of physical activity, in turn, predicted better perceived health. A two-group LISREL analysis indicated that the model was equally valid for both sexes. Conclusions. The present results underscore the importance in cardiac rehabilitation of the continued study of factors that foster meaning in life, including a sense of purpose and individual growth, and of their potential to promote recovery of cardiac patients.
Synapse restructuring associated with the maintenance phase of hippocampal long‐term potentiation

Synapses in the middle molecular layer of the rat dentate gyrus were analyzed by electron microscopy during the maintenance phase of long‐term potentiation (LTP). LTP was induced by high‐frequency stimulation of the medial perforant path carried out on each of 4 consecutive days. The dentate gyrus was examined electron microscopically 13 days following the fourth stimulation. At this time point, synaptic responses were still significantly enhanced relative to baseline, although the extent of their potentiation was lower than 1 hour after the last high‐frequency stimulation. Stimulated, but not potentiated, rats served as controls. Using the stereological double disector method, estimates of the number of different morphological types of synapses per postsynaptic neuron were obtained. The number of asymmetrical axodendritic synapses increased (by 28%) during LTP maintenance, whereas the number of other synaptic types was not significantly altered. Our previous work demonstrated that the induction of LTP is followed by a selective increase in the number of axospinous perforated synapses with multiple, completely partitioned, transmission zones. Thus, the induction and maintenance phases of LTP are characterized by different structural synaptic alterations. These alterations may be related to each other as indicated by another finding of the present study regarding the existence of perforated synapses that appear to be transitional between axospinous and axodendritic junctions. This suggests a model of structural synaptic plasticity associated with LTP in which some axospinous perforated synapses increase in numbers shortly after the induction of LTP and are then converted into axodendritic ones during LTP maintenance. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cerebral Ventricular Changes Associated With Transitions Between Normal Cognitive Function, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia

Expansion of the cerebral ventricles may occur at an accelerated rate in subjects with dementia, but the time course of expansion during transitions between normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia is not well understood. Furthermore, the effects of cardiovascular risk factors on rate of ventricular expansion are unclear. We used a fully automated segmentation technique to measure change rate in lateral ventricle-to-brain ratio (VBR) on 145 longitudinal pairs of magnetic resonance images of subjects in the Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study from the Pittsburgh Center. A multivariate model analyzed VBR change rate, accounting for dementia statuses at both imaging times (normal, MCI, or dementia), age, sex, education, race, magnetic resonance-defined infarcts, Center for Epidemiology Studies Depression Scale, baseline ventricular volume, and cardiovascular risk factors. VBR change was faster in subjects who were demented or transitioned from MCI to dementia, compared with subjects normal at both images and subjects who transitioned from normal to MCI or dementia. Patients with diabetes had faster VBR change. Ventricular expansion may accelerate late in the progression from normal cognitive function to dementia, and may be modulated by diabetes.
Management and outcome of cats with ureteral calculi: 153 cases (1984-2002).

OBJECTIVE To determine outcome of medical and surgical treatment in cats with ureteral calculi. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 153 cats. PROCEDURE Medical records were reviewed. Owners and referring veterinarians were contacted for follow-up information. RESULTS All cats were initially treated medically before a decision was made to perform surgery. Medical treatment included parenteral administration of fluids and diuretics to promote urine production and passage of the ureteral calculus and supportive treatment for renal failure. Ureteral calculi in the proximal portion of the ureter were typically removed by ureterotomy, whereas ureteral calculi in the distal portion of the ureter were more likely to be removed by partial ureterectomy and ureteroneocystostomy. Ureterotomy could be performed without placement of a nephrostomy tube for postoperative urine diversion. Postoperative complication rate and perioperative mortality rate were 31% and 18%, respectively. The most common postoperative complications were urine leakage and persistent ureteral obstruction after surgery. Chronic renal failure was common at the time of diagnosis and continued after treatment, with serum creatinine concentration remaining greater than the upper reference limit in approximately half the cats. Twelve-month survival rates after medical and surgical treatment were 66% and 91%, respectively, with a number of cats dying of causes related to urinary tract disorders, including ureteral calculus recurrence and worsening of chronic renal failure. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that medical and surgical management of ureteral calculi in cats are associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Treatment can stabilize renal function, although many surviving cats will continue to have impaired renal function.
Gastric emptying tests in man.

The present understanding of the normal control and regulation of gastric emptying has been established by investigations spanning more than 100 yearsl2. Alterations in the normal physiology have been implicated in the aetiology of gastroduodenal disease3'4 whilst a number of studies attribute some of the unpleasant sequelae following gastric surgery to changes in emptying5e6 7. Over this time a variety of methods have been developed to measure the rate of gastric emptying. These tests are reviewed, with particular emphasis on their clinical application and on the possible explanations for the conflicting results obtained before and after surgery for peptic ulceration. The mechanisms and regulation of gastric emptying have been the subject of previous extensive reviews2'8'9, and a brief outline is given below to provide a background to the subsequent discussion on gastric emptying tests.
D–Q Impedance Based Stability Analysis and Parameter Design of Three-Phase Inverter-Based AC Power Systems

Small-signal stability is an important concern in three-phase inverter-based ac power systems. The impedance-based approach based on the generalized Nyquist stability criterion (GNC) can analyze the stability related with the medium and high-frequency modes of the systems. However,. the GNC involves the right-half-plane (RHP) pole calculation of return-ratio transfer function matrices, which cannot be avoided for stability analysis of complicated ac power systems. Therefore, it necessitates the detailed internal control information of the inverters, which is not normally available for commercial inverters. To address this issue, this paper introduces the component connection method (CCM) in the frequency domain for stability analysis in the synchronous d–q frame, by proposing a method of deriving the impedance matrix of the connection networks of inverter-based ac power systems. Demonstration on a two-area system and a microgrid shows that: The CCM-enabled approach can avoid the RHP pole calculation of return-ratio matrices and enables the stability analysis by using only the impedances of system components, which could be measured without the need for the internal information. A stability analysis method based on d–q impedances, the CCM, and the determinant-based GNC is also proposed to further simplify the analysis process. Inverter controller parameters can be designed as stability regions in parameter spaces, by repetitively applying the proposed stability analysis method. Simulation and experimental results verify the validity of the proposed stability analysis method and the parameter design approach.
Trehalose protects corneal epithelial cells from death by drying

AIM This study was designed to examine whether trehalose could protect corneal epithelial cells in culture from death by desiccation in order to test trehalose as a potential new eye drop for dry eye syndrome. METHODS Human corneal epithelial cells in near confluent culture in wells of a 96 well multidish were preincubated for 15 minutes with 2, 20, 50, 100, or 200 mM trehalose or maltose in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), PBS alone, or three kinds of commercially available artificial tear substitutes (one with borate buffered saline and the other two containing either hydroxyethylcellulose or hyaluronan). The medium was aspirated completely and cells were left dry for 30 minutes at room temperature in room humidity. Live cells and dead cells were visualised by fluorescent dyes and counted for statistical analysis. RESULTS The percentage of dead corneal epithelial cells after desiccation was significantly lower in preincubation with 50, 100, and 200 mM trehalose, compared with preincubation with PBS alone (p<0.0001, Kruskal-Wallis test, and p<0.05, Tukey-Kramer test). Trehalose at the concentration of 20 mM or lower, maltose at any concentrations, and commercially available artificial tear substitutes did not protect corneal epithelial cells from death by desiccation. CONCLUSIONS Trehalose at 50, 100, and 200 mM protected corneal epithelial cells in culture from death by desiccation. Trehalose could be used as a potential new eye drop for dry eye syndrome.
[Comparison of therapeutic results between combination therapy of peginterferon alpha-2a plus ribavirin and interferon alpha-2b plus ribavirin according to treatment duration in patients with chronic hepatitis C].

BACKGROUND/AIMS This study compared the efficacy and safety of combined peginterferon alfa (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin with that of combined interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) and ribavirin, according to the treatment duration in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis C. METHODS Medical records of 86 patients treated with PEG-IFN and ribavirin (mean age, 50.7 years; males/females, 57/29; genotypes 1/2, 59/27) and 134 patients treated with IFN-alpha and ribavirin (mean age, 50.9 years; males/females 74/60; genotypes 1/2, 79/55) were reviewed. Ribavirin was administered at doses of 600-1,200 mg and 600-800 mg in patients with genotypes 1 and 2, respectively. RESULTS Sustained virological responses (SVRs) were evident in 68.4% and 41.7% of genotype 1 patients treated for 48 weeks in the PEG-IFN and IFN-alpha groups, respectively (P=0.021), and in 94.1% and 64.9% of genotype 2 patients treated for 24 weeks (P=0.026). Some genotype 1 patients treated for 24 weeks in the PEG-IFN group, who all exhibited negative HCV PCR results at week 12, showed an SVR of 87.5% (7/8). CONCLUSIONS The rate of SVRs in Korean patients with chronic hepatitis C was higher for combined PEG-IFN and ribavirin than for combined IFN-alpha and ribavirin. Further study is needed to clarify the outcome of short-term therapy in patients with a rapid or early virological response.