Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use of a dietary exposure system for screening of insecticidal compounds for their toxicity to the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus

We developed a dietary exposure assay for screening insecticidal compounds for their toxicity and for assessing the side effects of insecticidal proteins produced by genetically engineered (GE) plants on the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus Fallén. The fitness bioassay confirmed that the diet fulfills the requirements to be used in the dietary exposure system. To validate the efficacy of the dietary exposure system, nymphs of L. striatellus were fed diets treated with different concentrations of an inorganic stomach poison, potassium arsenate (PA), or a cysteine protease inhibitor, E‐64. The results showed that with increasing concentrations of E‐64, the larval development time was prolonged, the adult weight was reduced and the survival rate of L. striatellus was decreased. Similarly the survival rates of L. striatellus consistently decreased with increasing PA content in the diet. The data indicate that the dietary exposure assay is able to detect the effects of insecticidal compounds on L. striatellus. Subsequently, this assay was successfully used for assessing the potential toxicity of Cry2Aa. The results showed that L. striatellus larvae were not negatively affected when fed the artificial diet containing purified Cry2Aa at 300 μg/g diet. In the assay, the stability and bioactivity of crystal (Cry) proteins in the food sources were confirmed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and sensitive‐insect bioassays. These results show that L. striatellus is not sensitive to Cry2Aa. We conclude that the dietary exposure system is valid and useful for assessing the toxicity of insecticidal compounds produced by GE plants on planthoppers.
Rapid prototyping of information visualizations using VANISH

Discusses a software tool called VANISH (Visualizing And Navigating Information Structured Hierarchically), which supports the rapid prototyping of interactive 2D and 3D information visualizations. VANISH supports rapid prototyping through a special-purpose visual language called VaPL (VANISH Programming Language) tailored for visualizations, through a software architecture that insulates visualization-specific code from changes in both the domain being visualized and the presentation toolkit used, and through the reuse of visualization techniques between application domains. The generality of VANISH is established by showing how it is able to re-create a wide variety of "standard" visualization techniques. VANISH's support for prototyping is shown through an extended example, where we build a C++ class browser, exploring many visualization alternatives in the process.
Detailed model for the mobility of arsenic in lacustrine sediments based on measurements in Lake Ohakuri.

The mobility of arsenic in sediments in Lake Ohakuri, a hydroelectric storage lake on the Waikato River in New Zealand, has been monitored between 1980 and 1982 and the release of arsenic to the overlying water related to seasonal changes in both lake water and sediment has been measured. In shallow areas of the lake the release of arsenic contributes to the continuous seasonal variation in the arsenic concentration in the lake water. In areas that become stratified in summer the arsenic released from the sediments accumulates in the hypolimnion until turnover when it is mixed with epilimnetic water. It has been estimated that the turnover effect results in a temporary increase in the arsenic concentration of between 10 and 20%. Important chemical transformations have been identified, and a model for the system has been compared with previous theoretical models for lacustrine systems.
Nordic MCL3 study: 90Y-ibritumomab-tiuxetan added to BEAM/C in non-CR patients before transplant in mantle cell lymphoma.

The main objective of the MCL3 study was to improve outcome for patients not in complete remission (CR) before transplant by adding (90)Y-ibritumomab-tiuxetan (Zevalin) to the high-dose regimen. One hundred sixty untreated, stage II-IV mantle cell lymphoma patients <66 years received rituximab (R)-maxi-CHOP (cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) alternating with R-high-dose cytarabine (6 cycles total), followed by high-dose BEAM/C (bis-chloroethylnitrosourea, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan or cyclophosphamide) and autologous stem cell transplantation from 2005 to 2009. Zevalin (0.4 mCi/kg) was given to responders not in CR before transplant. Overall response rate pretransplant was 97%. The outcome did not differ from that of the historic control: the MCL2 trial with similar treatment except for Zevalin. Overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and progression-free survival (PFS) at 4 years were 78%, 62%, and 71%, respectively. For responding non-CR patients who received Zevalin, duration of response was shorter than for the CR group. Inferior PFS, EFS, and OS were predicted by positron emission tomography (PET) positivity pretransplant and detectable minimal residual disease (MRD) after transplant. In conclusion, positive PET and MRD were strong predictors of outcome. Intensification with Zevalin may be too late to improve the outcome of patients not in CR before transplant. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT00514475.
How to interpret meta-analysis models: fixed effect and random effects meta-analyses

This section of the journal is aimed at providing the essential information readers should know about the topics that are addressed in the ‘Statistics in practice’ paper published in the same issue of the journal. This stand-alone section has to be seen as an articulated summary of the main notions clinicians have to know about some basic concepts in statistics, which may be useful for their evidence-based practice. After going through these notes, readers are encouraged to read the ‘Statistics in practice’ articles. Of course, we welcome any feedback from you (via email or Twitter) about this! The EBMH Editors Relative treatment effects studied in trials are typically measured using an effect size. The observed effect sizes are synthesised to obtain a summary treatment effect via meta-analysis.
Increasing nurse staffing levels and a higher proportion with bachelor’s degrees could decrease patient mortality risk

Implications for practice and research: Hospital efforts to save costs by reducing nursing staff may contribute to 30-day in-hospital mortality, while more nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level may help prevent adverse outcomes. Policymakers need nurse staffing level recommendations based on scientific, business, social and political evidence in order to act.
Soil application of Beauveria bassiana GHA against apple sawfly, Hoplocampa testudinea (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae): Field mortality and fungal persistence

Low impact alternatives to synthetic insecticides for the control of apple sawfly (Hoplocampa testudinea Klug) are scarce encumbering pest management in organic apple orchards. We investigated the soil persistence and field efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (BotaniGard) against apple sawfly under common organic orchard practices. We also assessed the efficacy of B. bassiana GHA and Metarhizium brunneum Petch (indigenous strain) against sawfly in the laboratory. Larvae treated with either fungus in the laboratory died faster than control larvae and displayed 49.4%–68.4% mycosis. In the field, B. bassiana density remained high in the week after application, during larval descent to the soil. Fungal density decreased to 25% at 49 d after application and to 0.4% after 55 weeks. Molecular markers revealed that the majority of fungal isolates recovered comprised the applied B. bassiana strain GHA. Larvae pupating in soil cages in the orchard for 49 d displayed 17% mycosis. The high efficacy under laboratory conditions was not seen in the field. B. bassiana application resulted in densities above the upper natural background level during the growing season, but reversion to background levels occurred within a year. It remains to be investigated whether this has a detrimental effect on nontarget organisms. Additional work is needed to bridge the knowledge gap between laboratory and field efficacy in orchards.
Distribution and variability of deformed wing virus of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in the Middle East and North Africa

Three hundred and eleven honeybee samples from 12 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, Palestine, and Sudan) were analyzed for the presence of deformed wing virus (DWV). The prevalence of DWV throughout the MENA region was pervasive, but variable. The highest prevalence was found in Lebanon and Syria, with prevalence dropping in Palestine, Jordan, and Egypt before increasing slightly moving westwards to Algeria and Morocco Phylogenetic analysis of a 194 nucleotide section of the DWV Lp gene did not identify any significant phylogenetic resolution among the samples, although the sequences did show consistent regional clustering, including an interesting geographic gradient from Morocco through North Africa to Jordan and Syria. The sequences revealed several clear variability hotspots in the deduced amino acid sequence, which furthermore showed some patterns of regional identity. Furthermore, the sequence variants from the Middle East and North Africa appear more numerous and diverse than those from Europe.
CONHECIMENTOS DA EQUIPE DE ENFERMAGEM SOBRE TERAPIA TRANSFUSIONAL

This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge level of nursing staff on nursing care to be adopted in transfusion therapy. This is a qualitative study which posed one open question the nursing staff of inpatient units. The study showed the need for more knowledge about the practice of transfusion therapy, the restructuring of education proposals and redefinition of the nursing staff work process. This study allowed a better understanding of the specificity of nursing care in transfusion therapy. It reveals that the professional practice and the delivery of skilled care are linked to the ongoing construction of knowledge and hence to the use of the precepts of continuing education at work.
Diversity, frequency, and geographic distribution of facultative bacterial endosymbionts in introduced aphid pests

Facultative bacterial endosymbionts in insects have been under intense study during the last years. Endosymbionts can modify the insect's phenotype, conferring adaptive advantages under environmental stress. This seems particularly relevant for a group of worldwide agricultural aphid pests, because endosymbionts modify key fitness‐related traits, including host plant use, protection against natural enemies and heat tolerance. Aimed to understand the role of facultative endosymbionts on the success of introduced aphid pests, the distribution and abundance of 5 facultative endosymbionts (Hamiltonella defensa, Regiella insecticola, Serratia symbiotica, Rickettsia and Spiroplasma) were studied and compared in 4 cereal aphids (Sitobion avenae, Diuraphis noxia, Metopolophium dirhodum and Schizaphis graminium) and in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum complex from 2 agroclimatic zones in Chile. Overall, infections with facultative endosymbionts exhibited a highly variable and characteristic pattern depending on the aphid species/host race and geographic zone, which could explain the success of aphid pest populations after their introduction. While S. symbiotica and H. defensa were the most frequent endosymbionts carried by the A. pisum pea‐race and A. pisum alfalfa‐race aphids, respectively, the most frequent facultative endosymbiont carried by all cereal aphids was R. insecticola. Interestingly, a highly variable composition of endosymbionts carried by S. avenae was also observed between agroclimatic zones, suggesting that endosymbionts are responding differentially to abiotic variables (temperature and precipitations). In addition, our findings constitute the first report of bacterial endosymbionts in cereal aphid species not screened before, and also the first report of aphid endosymbionts in Chile.
A range of personality traits and health beliefs influence mental health help-seeking behaviour in young people

Commentary on : O'Connor PJ, Martin B, Weeks CS, et al. Factors that influence young people's mental health help-seeking behaviour: a study based on the Health Belief Model. J Adv Nurs 2014;70:2577–87. [OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] Young people have high levels of mental health problems, yet many of these young people do not seek professional help. Previous research on perceived factors influencing help-seeking in young people has focused on the barriers to help seeking, rather than identifying the facilitators … [1]: {openurl}? query=rft.jtitle%253DJ%2BAdv%2BNurs%26rft.volume%253D70%26rft.spage%253D2577%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fjan.12423%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F24720449%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=10.1111/jan.12423&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref? access_num=24720449&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febnurs%2F18%2F4%2F117.atom
Notch and human hematopoietic stem cells.

In this issue of Blood , Benveniste et al report contrasting effects of canonical Notch signaling on human hematopoietic stem cells ex vivo and in vivo. Notch enhanced stem cell expansion in culture, but not in xenogeneic recipients. [1][1] ! [Figure][2] Canonical Notch signaling is required
CD8-predominant T-cell CNS infiltration accompanies GVHD in primates and is improved with immunoprophylaxis.

To the editor: A recently published article in Blood showed that, in mice, the central nervous system (CNS) is a target of graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD). [1][1] However, diagnosing CNS GVHD in the clinic is challenging,[2][2][⇓][3]-[4][4] and until now, evidence in a large-animal model has been
LYMPHOID NEOPLASIA A TCR-mimic antibody to WT1 bypasses tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance in human BCR-ABL 1 leukemias

Acute and chronic leukemias, including CD34 1 CML cells, demonstrate increased expression of the Wilms tumor gene 1 product (WT1), making WT1 an attractive therapeutic target. However, WT1 is a currently undruggable, intracellular protein. ESKM is a human IgG1 T-cell receptor mimic monoclonal antibody directed to a 9–amino acid sequence of WT1 in the context of cell surface HLA-A*02. ESKM was therapeutically effective, alone and in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), against Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute leukemia in murine models, including a leukemia with the mostcommon,pan-TKI,gatekeeperresistancemutation,T315I.ESKMwassuperiortothe first-generation TKI, imatinib. Combination therapy with ESKM and TKIs was superior to eitherdrugalone,capableofcuringmice.ESKMshowednotoxicitytohumanHLA-A*02:01 1 stem cells under the conditions of this murine model. These features of ESKM make it a promising nontoxic therapeutic agent for sensitive and resistant Ph 1 leukemias. ( Blood . 2014;123(21):3296-3304)
Cognitive impairment in depression and its (non-)response to antidepressant treatment

ABSTRACT FROM: Shilyansky C, Williams LM, Gyurak A, et al . Effect of antidepressant treatment on cognitive impairments associated with depression: a randomised longitudinal study. Lancet Psychiatry 2016;3:425–35. Cognitive impairment is a reliable feature of major depressive disorder. Depressed individuals perform more poorly than never-depressed healthy volunteers across a range of neuropsychological tests. Cognitive impairments predict poor response to antidepressant drugs, persist after successful treatment1 and are associated with poor psychosocial functioning.2 Remediation of cognitive function in depression, for example by using cognitive training strategies3 or cognitive-enhancing drugs such as modafinil,4 have been shown to boost recovery from depression. The current study aimed to test whether standard antidepressant treatment improves cognitive function in depression. This was a longitudinal, randomised, open-label trial assessing the effects of three antidepressant drugs on cognitive function in depressed individuals. There were three treatment arms (one for each drug) as well as an untreated healthy control group. Cognitive performance in depressed patients was assessed at baseline and following 8 weeks of treatment; testing was completed in the control group at the same intervals. The raters who carried out clinical …
Inhibition of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα) Activity in Rat Brain is Associated with Cerebroprotection after Closed Head Injury

We recently demonstrated that closed head injury (CHI) in the rat triggers the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in the contused hemisphere. Other investigations have shown that this cytokine plays a role in the inflammatory response following trauma. The present study was designed to determine whether inhibition of TNFα production or activity affects the development of cerebral edema as well as neurological dysfunction and hippocampal cell loss after CHI. To this end, we used two pharmacological agents, each acting via a different mechanism: pentoxifylline (PTX), which attenuates the production of TNFα, and tumor necrosis factor binding protein (TBP), a physiological inhibitor of TNFα activity. Both agents significantly lessened peak edema formation at 24 h and facilitated the recovery of motor function for ≤14 days postinjury. In addition, TBP attenuated disruption of the blood-brain barrier and protected hippocampal cells. PTX significantly lowered the brain TNFα level (by ∼80%), and TBP completely abolished the activity of recombinant human TNF when they were added at the same time in the in vitro bioassay. We suggest, therefore, that a decrease in TNFα level or the inhibition of its activity is accompanied by reduced brain damage.
Long-term outcome after haploidentical stem cell transplant and infusion of T cells expressing the inducible caspase 9 safety transgene.

Adoptive transfer of donor-derived T lymphocytes expressing a safety switch may promote immune reconstitution in patients undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplant (haplo-HSCT) without the risk for uncontrolled graft versus host disease (GvHD). Thus, patients who develop GvHD after infusion of allodepleted donor-derived T cells expressing an inducible human caspase 9 (iC9) had their disease effectively controlled by a single administration of a small-molecule drug (AP1903) that dimerizes and activates the iC9 transgene. We now report the long-term follow-up of 10 patients infused with such safety switch-modified T cells. We find long-term persistence of iC9-modified (iC9-T) T cells in vivo in the absence of emerging oligoclonality and a robust immunologic benefit, mediated initially by the infused cells themselves and subsequently by an apparently accelerated reconstitution of endogenous naive T lymphocytes. As a consequence, these patients have immediate and sustained protection from major pathogens, including cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, BK virus, and Epstein-Barr virus in the absence of acute or chronic GvHD, supporting the beneficial effects of this approach to immune reconstitution after haplo-HSCT. This study was registered at www.clinicaltrials. gov as #NCT00710892.
Epidemiological study of scorpion stings in Saudi Arabia between 1993 and 1997

This investigation evaluated the epidemiological aspects of scorpion stings in different areas of Saudi Arabia. A total of 72,168 cases of scorpion stings recorded in Ministry of Health Medical Centers in 11 selected areas of Saudi Arabia were analyzed based on area, age, sex, time of sting, sting site, treatment outcome, time of year, and scorpion species. Stings occurred throughout the year; the highest frequency was in June (15.08%), the lowest in February (2.52%). Most patients were male (61.8%); the majority of which were more than 15 years old (65.4%). Nocturnal envenomation (47.74%) was more common than diurnal (43.91%); most stings were in exposed limbs (90.95%), mainly in the lower limbs (63%). Most envenomings were mild (74.48%) and all evolved to cure, except for one death. Envenomation was characterized by local pain, erythema, headache, vomiting, and anxiety. This study found that the Leiurus quinquestriatus (Ehrenberg 1828), Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier 1807), and Apistobuthus pterygocercus (Finnegan 1807) were responsible for most of the stings, indicating their medical importance in Saudi Arabia. The study shows low threat to life despite the high number of stings; this is a result of the availability of medical facilities and the multi-center antivenom use in different areas of Saudi Arabia.
Did maize domestication and early spread mediate the population genetics of corn leafhopper?

Investigating how crop domestication and early farming mediated crop attributes, distributions, and interactions with antagonists may shed light on today's agricultural pest problems. Crop domestication generally involved artificial selection for traits desirable to early farmers, for example, increased productivity or yield, and enhanced qualities, though invariably it altered the interactions between crops and insects, and expanded the geographical ranges of crops. Thus, some studies suggest that with crop domestication and spread, insect populations on wild crop ancestors gave rise to pestiferous insect populations on crops. Here, we addressed whether the emergence of corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) as an agricultural pest may be associated with domestication and early spread of maize (Zea mays mays). We used AFLP markers and mitochondrial COI sequences to assess population genetic structuring and haplotype relationships among corn leafhopper samples from maize and its wild relative Zea diploperennis from multiple locations in Mexico and Argentina. We uncovered seven corn leafhopper haplotypes contained within two haplogroups, one haplogroup containing haplotypes associated with maize and the other containing haplotypes associated with Z. diploperennis in a mountainous habitat. Within the first haplogroup, one haplotype was predominant across Mexican locations, and another across Argentinean locations; both were considered pestiferous. We suggested that the divergence times of the maize‐associated haplogroup and of the “pestiferous” haplotypes are correlated with the chronology of maize spread following its domestication. Overall, our results support a hypothesis positing that maize domestication favored corn leafhopper genotypes preadapted for exploiting maize so that they became pestiferous, and that with the geographical expansion of maize farming, corn leafhopper colonized Z. diploperennis, a host exclusive to secluded habitats that serves as a refuge for archaic corn leafhopper genotypic diversity. Broadly, our results help explain the extents to which crop domestication and early spread may have mediated the emergence of today's agricultural pests.