Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yield Reduction in Brassica napus, B. rapa, B. juncea, and Sinapis alba Caused by Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)) Infestation in Northern Idaho

Abstract Phyllotreta cruciferae is an important insect pest of spring-planted Brassica crops, especially during the seedling stage. To determine the effect of early season P. cruciferae infestation on seed yield, 10 genotypes from each of two canola species (Brassica napus L. and Brassica rapa L.) and two mustard species (Brassica juncea L. and Sinapis alba L.) were grown in 2 yr under three different P. cruciferae treatments: (1) no insecticide control; (2) foliar applications of endosulfan; and (3) carbofuran with seed at planting plus foliar application of carbaryl. Averaged over 10 genotypes, B. rapa showed most visible P. cruciferae injury and showed greatest yield reduction without insecticide application. Mustard species (S. alba and B. juncea) showed least visible injury and higher yield without insecticide compared with canola species (B. napus and B. rapa). Indeed, average seed yield of S. alba without insecticide was higher than either B. napus or B. rapa with most effective P. cruciferae control. Significant variation occurred within each species. A number of lines from B. napus, B. juncea, and S. alba showed less feeding injury and yield reduction as a result of P. cruciferae infestation compared with other lines from the same species examined, thus having potential genetic background for developing resistant cultivars.
Homelessness Interventions in Georgia: Rapid Re-Housing, Transitional Housing, and the Likelihood of Returning to Shelter

Abstract Since 1987, billions of dollars in homeless assistance have been allocated annually by the U.S. federal government. Yet few evaluations of homelessness interventions exist. This study analyzes the likelihood that households in Georgia returned to shelter within two years of leaving one of three interventions: rapid re-housing (RRH), transitional housing (TH), and emergency shelter (ES), with the latter serving as a reference. Using propensity scores, RRH households were matched to comparable TH and ES households. Generalized linear mixed modeling then controlled for household characteristics as well as variation between intervention implementations. We find that the likelihood of returning to shelter did not seem to be affected by whether study households were gradually transitioned or rapidly placed into housing. Additionally, the effect of TH for households without children seems highly dependent on the intervention’s implementation, which deserves further study. Our findings are generalizable to a small, better resourced segment of the general homeless population.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Treatment for Postoperative Pericardial Effusion

BACKGROUND The incidence of asymptomatic pericardial effusion is high after cardiac surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are widely prescribed in this setting, but no study has assessed their efficacy. OBJECTIVE To assess whether the NSAID diclofenac is effective in reducing postoperative pericardial effusion volume. DESIGN Multicenter randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. (Clinical trials.gov registration number: NCT00247052) SETTING 5 postoperative cardiac rehabilitation centers. PATIENTS 196 patients at high risk for tamponade because of moderate to large persistent pericardial effusion (grade 2, 3, or 4 on a scale of 0 to 4, as measured by echocardiography) more than 7 days after cardiac surgery. INTERVENTION Random assignment at each site in blocks of 4 to diclofenac, 50 mg, or placebo twice daily for 14 days. MEASUREMENTS The main end point was change in effusion grade after 14 days of treatment. Secondary end points included frequency of late cardiac tamponade. RESULTS The initial mean pericardial effusion grade was 2.58 (SD, 0.73) for the placebo group and 2.75 (SD, 0.81) for the diclofenac group. The 2 groups showed similar mean decreases from baseline after treatment (-1.08 grades [SD, 1.20] for the placebo group vs. -1.36 (SD, 1.25) for the diclofenac group). The mean difference between groups was -0.28 grade (95% CI, -0.63 to 0.06 grade; P = 0.105). Eleven cases of late cardiac tamponade occurred in the placebo group and 9 in the diclofenac group (P = 0.64). These differences persisted after adjustment for grade of pericardial effusion at baseline, treatment site, and type of surgery. LIMITATION The sample was not large enough to find small beneficial effects of diclofenac or assess the cardiovascular tolerance of diclofenac. CONCLUSION In patients with pericardial effusion after cardiac surgery, diclofenac neither reduced the size of the effusions nor prevented late cardiac tamponade. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE French Society of Cardiology.
A biomechanical comparison evaluating the use of intermediate screws and cross-linkage in lumbar pedicle fixation.

In lumbar fusion, controversy remains regarding the effectiveness of cross-linking and the necessity of placing pedicle screws at the intermediate levels of the segment to be fused. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the stiffness of various rod/screw constructs used to instrument a three-level fusion with specific emphasis on the effect of cross-linking and the intermediate pedicle screws. Nine lumbar calf spines were mounted at L1 and L5. Pedicle screws (TSRH, Danek, Memphis, TN) were then placed bilaterally in the L2, L3, and L4 pedicles. Random sequence testing of the following constructs was then conducted: TSRH rods connected bilaterally to the L2 and L4 pedicles with and without a cross-link, and rods connected bilaterally at the L2, L3, and L4 levels with and without a cross-link. The tests were conducted on a modified MTS testing machine (MTS, Minneapolis, MN) and consisted of cyclic application of axial load, torsion, and flexion and extension. The tests yielded axial, sagittal, and torsional stiffness values. Statistical analysis was performed using log transformation and Fischer's test of least significant difference. In axial testing the use of additional screws in the intermediate pedicles increased stiffness an average of 160% (p = .007). The addition of a cross-link did not increase stiffness with axial loading. In flexion testing the six-screw construct was 84% stiffer when compared with the four-screw construct (p = 0.0001). There was no significant change in flexion stiffness with addition of cross-links. In torsional testing the six-screw construct was 38% stiffer than the four-screw construct (p = 0.042). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Functional finance and intergenerational distribution in neoclassical and Keynesian OLG models

This paper examines the role of fiscal policy in a Keynesian OLG model. We show that (i) dynamic inefficiency in a neoclassical OLG model generates aggregate demand problems in a Keynesian version of the model, (ii) fiscal policy can be used to achieve full-employment growth, (iii) the required debt ratio is inversely related to both the growth rate and government consumption, and (iv) a simple and distributionally neutral tax scheme can maintain full employment in the face of variations in 'household confidence. '
Role of CXCR3 Ligands in IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc–Mediated Antitumor Activity in Lung Cancer

Purpose: We evaluated the utility of chimeric γc homeostatic cytokine, IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc, to restore host APC (antigen presenting cell) and T cell activities in lung cancer. Experimental Design: Utilizing murine lung cancer models we determined the antitumor efficacy of IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc. APC, T cell, cytokine analyses, neutralization of CXCL9, CXCL10, and IFNγ were carried out to evaluate the mechanistic differences in the antitumor activity of IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc in comparison to controls. Results: IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc administration inhibited tumor growth and increased survival in lung cancer. Accompanying the tumor growth inhibition were increases in APC and T cell activities. In comparison to controls, IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc treatment of tumor bearing mice led to increased: (i) levels of CXCL9, CXCL10, IFNγ, IL-12 but reduced IL-10 and TGFβ, (ii) tumor macrophage infiltrates characteristic of M1 phenotype with increased IL-12, iNOS but reduced IL-10 and arginase, (iii) frequencies of T and NK cells, (iv) T cell activation markers CXCR3, CD69 and CD127low, (v) effector memory T cells, and (vi) T cell cytolytic activity against parental tumor cells. IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc treatment abrogated the tumor induced reduction in splenic functional APC activity to T responder cells. The CXCR3 ligands played an important role in IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc–mediated antitumor activity. Neutralization of CXCL9, CXCL10, or IFNγ reduced CXCR3 expressing activated T cells infiltrating the tumor and abrogated IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc–mediated tumor growth inhibition. Conclusions: Our findings show that IL-7/IL-7Rα-Fc promotes afferent and efferent antitumor responses in lung cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 17(11); 3660–72. ©2011 AACR.
Failure of hand disinfection with frequent hand washing: a need for prolonged field studies

SUMMARY In a prolonged field trial a 4% chlorhexidine digluconate detergent scrub (HibiscrubR), that had earlier proved to be an effective hand disinfectant, was studied in hospital wards. Finger tips were found to harbour more bacteria than the hand dorsum and the samples collected from them yielded more information on the bacteriological and dermatological effects of hand disinfectants in practice. In wards with a relatively low hand-washing frequency (less than 20 times in 8 hours) the bacteriological results resembled those obtained by in-use tests with volunteers. In the neonatal unit where the hand washing frequency was remarkably high, even occasionally over 100 times/8 h shift, an increase in the bacterial colony counts of the majority of the staff was recorded both before and after hand washing already after using the preparation for 1 week. Age, occupation and hand-washing frequency all correlated with the bacteriological results. Twenty-seven out of 37 persons complained of side effects such as wounds of finger tips and redness or heavy drying of the skin. Wounds, particularly on finger tips, resulted in the failure of disinfection. An increase in bacterial counts was sometimes noted without any dermatological or subjective changes. Drying of the skin was complained of less often when no increase in skin bacteria occurred. After the changeover of washing practice to a detergent followed by a rinse with spirit solution containing chlorhexidine and glycerol a decrease was recorded in the bacterial counts. It is concluded that more attention should be paid to long-term testing of hand washing and disinfection methods to ensure optimum final results in practice. It is obvious that the knowledge obtained from short time in-use testing cannot be applied to all conditions of use.
Systematic Review: Surveillance for Breast Cancer in Women Treated With Chest Radiation for Childhood, Adolescent, or Young Adult Cancer

BACKGROUND Women treated with therapeutic chest radiation may develop breast cancer. PURPOSE To summarize breast cancer risk and breast cancer surveillance in women after chest radiation for pediatric or young adult cancer. DATA SOURCES Studies from MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CINAHL (1966 to December 2008). STUDY SELECTION Articles were selected to answer any of 3 questions: What is the incidence and excess risk for breast cancer in women after chest radiation for pediatric or young adult cancer? For these women, are the clinical characteristics of breast cancer and the outcomes after therapy different from those of women with sporadic breast cancer in the general population? What are the potential benefits and harms associated with breast cancer surveillance among women exposed to chest radiation? DATA EXTRACTION Three investigators independently extracted data and assessed study quality. DATA SYNTHESIS Standardized incidence ratios ranged from 13.3 to 55.5; cumulative incidence of breast cancer by age 40 to 45 years ranged from 13% to 20%. Risk for breast cancer increased linearly with chest radiation dose. Available limited evidence suggests that the characteristics of breast cancer in these women and the outcomes after diagnosis are similar to those of women in the general population; mammography can detect breast cancer, although sensitivity is limited. LIMITATION The quality of evidence for key questions 2 and 3 is limited by substantial study heterogeneity, variation in study design, and small sample size. CONCLUSION Women treated with chest radiation have a substantially elevated risk for breast cancer at a young age, which does not seem to plateau. In this high-risk population, there seems to be a benefit associated with early detection. Further research is required to better define the harms and benefits of lifelong surveillance.
Expression of estrogen receptor α and β in reactive astrocytes at the male rat hippocampus after status epilepticus

Estrogen is neuroprotective against status epilepticus (SE)‐induced hippocampal damage in female animals. In male animals, estrogen is converted from testosterone via aromatization the activity of which is upregulated by brain damage. However, it is controversial whether estrogen is neuroprotective or neuroinvasive against male hippocampal damage after SE. In order to understand the role of estrogen, it is important to elucidate the distribution manner of estrogen receptor (ER)α and β as the targets of estrogen. In this study, we examined the time course changes of ERs in adult male rat hippocampus after SE using anti‐ERα antibodies (MC‐20 and PA1‐309) and anti‐ERβ antibodies (PA1‐310B and PA1‐311). In control rats, both ERα and β were expressed in the pyramidal cells predominantly at CA1 and CA3. ERα was expressed in the cytoplasm and the nucleus, whereas ERβ was expressed in the cytoplasm of the pyramidal cells. After SE, according to the pyramidal cell loss at CA1, the number of ERα‐ and β‐immunoreactive pyramidal cells decreased up to day 21. On the other hand, reactive astrocytes, which newly appeared after SE and formed gliosis at CA1, were confirmed to express both ERs in the nucleus, cytoplasm, and process. There were no differences in immunoreactivity between antibodies. Our results indicate that endogenous estrogen affects the pyramidal cells through ERα and β under normal circumstances in adult male rats, whereas the targets of estrogen shift to the reactive astrocytes through ERα and β after SE.
ASR Error Management for Improving Spoken Language Understanding

This paper addresses the problem of automatic speech recognition (ASR) error detection and their use for improving spoken language understanding (SLU) systems. In this study, the SLU task consists in automatically extracting, from ASR transcriptions , semantic concepts and concept/values pairs in a e.g touristic information system. An approach is proposed for enriching the set of semantic labels with error specific labels and by using a recently proposed neural approach based on word embeddings to compute well calibrated ASR confidence measures. Experimental results are reported showing that it is possible to decrease significantly the Concept/Value Error Rate with a state of the art system, outperforming previously published results performance on the same experimental data. It also shown that combining an SLU approach based on conditional random fields with a neural encoder/decoder attention based architecture , it is possible to effectively identifying confidence islands and uncertain semantic output segments useful for deciding appropriate error handling actions by the dialogue manager strategy .
Explaining Effective HRM Implementation: A Middle Versus First-Line Management Perspective

In this article, we explore one of the key underlying mechanisms that mediates the human resource management (HRM)–performance link, namely, the (effective) HRM implementation by line managers. In particular, the purpose of our study is to compare middle and first-line managers’ experiences of their human resource (HR) role and the factors explaining effective HRM implementation at each managerial level. By employing survey data of two Belgian federal government organizations, we examine the effect of a number of organizational, individual and interpersonal factors on the effectiveness of line managers in HRM implementation. Results indicate that both middle and first-line managers’ HRM implementation effectiveness is related to organizational support, autonomous motivation, and coworker support. For the group of first-line managers, specifically, age and local office position are important in the execution of their HR tasks. For the group of middle managers, however, personnel red tape, length of service, and supervisory experience contribute to their HRM implementation effectiveness. As a result, an organization’s HR department can create the internal organizational conditions necessary to facilitate successful HRM implementation by the line. At the same time, it is worth adapting the approach according to the different managerial levels.
Choice of the angler

The author proposes a novel application for estimating demand for a single recreation site when data are limited. An aggregated zonal travel cost model is outlined and estimated in a panel setting using a negative binomial estimator with time-specific constants to capture unobserved time-varying quality attributes. The data are based on catch records for the Mörrum river salmon fishery, one of the most popular sport fishing destinations in Northern Europe. These are aggregated to the municipal level for the zonal estimation and give number of visits per municipality per week for the period 1999–2011. The results confirm the expected negative influence of travel cost on visits. Further, the inclusion of time-specific constants does not render all time-varying quality attributes insignificant.
Stem Transcriptome Reveals Mechanisms to Reduce the Energetic Cost of Shade-Avoidance Responses in Tomato1[C][W][OA]

While the most conspicuous response to low red/far-red ratios (R:FR) of shade light perceived by phytochrome is the promotion of stem growth, additional, less obvious effects may be discovered by studying changes in the stem transcriptome. Here, we report rapid and reversible stem transcriptome responses to R:FR in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). As expected, low R:FR promoted the expression of growth-related genes, including those involved in the metabolism of cell wall carbohydrates and in auxin responses. In addition, genes involved in flavonoid synthesis, isoprenoid metabolism, and photosynthesis (dark reactions) were overrepresented in clusters showing reduced expression in the stem of low R:FR-treated plants. Consistent with these responses, low R:FR decreased the levels of flavonoids (anthocyanin, quercetin, kaempferol) and selected isoprenoid derivatives (chlorophyll, carotenoids) in the stem and severely reduced the photosynthetic capacity of this organ. However, lignin contents were unaffected. Low R:FR reduced the stem levels of jasmonate, which is a known inducer of flavonoid synthesis. The rate of stem respiration was also reduced in low R:FR-treated plants, indicating that by downsizing the stem photosynthetic apparatus and the levels of photoprotective pigments under low R:FR, tomato plants reduce the energetic cost of shade-avoidance responses.
Stem cell therapy in pulmonary fibrosis

Purpose of review In the last years, we have witnessed an explosion in preclinical data relating to the isolation, differentiation and application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a treatment option in animal models of lung fibrosis and inflammation. The scope of this review is to summarize current knowledge regarding the roles of MSCs in lung tissue repair and regeneration and to highlight future therapeutic perspectives and clinical applications in safety and efficacy trials. Recent findings Although there have been interesting studies of cell therapy for diseases of many systems, there has been a paucity of preclinical and clinical studies regarding pulmonary fibrosis. Today, we have made progress with respect to the understanding of the mechanisms of action and application of MSCs in animal models of lung fibrosis as regulators of tissue remodeling and immune response. There are only a few ongoing clinical trials involving MSCs in chronic lung diseases and extrapolation of these data to underline future therapeutic applications in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Summary Adult MSCs may prove to be a valuable therapeutic option in lung tissue rescue and repair based on their ready availability, immunomodulatory effects and capacity for cell differentiation.
Current Status of the 1,4‐ and 1,5‐Benzodiazepines in the Treatment of Epilepsy: The Place of Clobazam

Summary: The 1,4‐benzodiazepines have a recognised place in the treatment of epilepsy. Thus, diazepam, clonazepam, and, more recently, lorazepam are used intravenously for status epilepticus. Oral clonazepam has proved useful as adjunctive therapy in generalised absence seizures, myoclonic seizures, and partial seizures. Oral nitrazepam is well known for its use in the treatment of infantile spasms with hypsarrythmia and in the myoclonic epilepsies of childhood. Clobazam, a 1,5‐benzodiazepine, has been shown in controlled studies to be superior to placebo, and in open studies it has produced an overall reduction in seizure frequency of 65%. The main indication for its use is as oral adjunctive therapy in refractory epilepsy. It has a rapid onset of action, is well tolerated, and many studies indicate it has a psychotropic action and produces minimal or no cognitive impairment. The most common side‐effect reported was sedation, while the overall incidence of side‐effects in the open studies was 38%. In all studies reviewed, 4% of patients had to be withdrawn because of adverse reactions. In general, there are no significant interactions with other anticonvulsants, although changes in a few have been described. Withdrawal seizures can occur and require gradual termination of clobazam. The main disadvantage of clobazam is the development of tolerance, which develops in approximately 36% of patients, and there is no way of predicting in which patients or when the phenomenon is likely to occur. A dose of 20 to 30 mg at night is recommended, possibly commencing at 10 mg.
Chemical composition and antifungal activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) oil from Turkey

The essential oil of the aerial parts of Rosmarinus officinalis collected from Konya, Turkey was analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The oil yield of dried plant (volume/dry weight) obtained by hydrodistillation was 1.9%. Twenty compounds representing 99.93% of the oils were identified. The main constituents of the oils were p-cymene (44.02%), linalool (20.5%), γ-terpinene (16.62%), thymol (1.81%), β-pinene (3.61%), α-pinene (2.83%) and eucalyptol (2.64%). The oil consisted of monoterpenic hydrocarbons, oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. Also, the inhibition effect of rosemary oil was investigated against Alternaria alternata, Botrytis cinerea and Fusarium oxysporum. The experiment was carried out in vitro using disc diffusion to investigate the antifungal action of the oil. Oil tested on potato dextrose agar plates exhibited an inhibitory effect. The extent of inhibition of fungal growth varied depending on the levels of essential oil used in experiment.
Rare Ha‐ras and c‐mos alleles in patients with intracranial tumors

The occurrence of rare hypervariable Ha-ras alleles or of a rare c-mos allele in white blood cell DNA is claimed to be associated with susceptibility to cancer. We analyzed a group of patients with intracranial tumors to determine whether the occurrence of rare alleles at the Ha-ras locus and at the c-mos locus was increased in comparison with normal individuals. We found a higher incidence of rare hypervariable Ha-ras alleles (9.5% to 3%) and a 5 kilobase EcoRI c-mos allele (2.5% to 0%) in the patients. These results are consistent with the opinion that such unusual alleles are associated with a predisposition to intracranial tumors.