Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic variability of natural populations of trematodes of the genus Lecithochirium parasites of eels

Allozyme variation within and among populations of 3 species of the genus Lecithochirium (Trematoda: Hemiuridae) was studied by starch gel electrophoresis. In total, 19 loci were analysed in 7 populations. The level of genetic variability was relatively high in all populations. The percentage of polymorphic loci (0·95 criterion) observed per population varied from 21·0% to 55·5%, and expected heterozygosity levels varied from 0·082 to 0·197. All populations showed significant heterozygote deficiencies. In Lecithochirium fusiforme most of the deviations from Hardy–Weinberg proportions were within the populations and this species showed moderate population structuring (FIS=0·486, FST=0·142, Nm=1·51) and accordingly low intraspecific genetic distances (D=0·003 to 0·027). A significant lack of heterozygotes for several polymorphic loci was revealed in Lecithochirium rufoviride and Lecithochirium musculus. The most probable cause of the population genetic subdivision in L. rufoviride is the presence of at least 1 cryptic species in the populations studied. Although the lowest percentage of fixed genetic differences was that between L. fusiforme and L. musculus, two different algorithms for the construction of evolutionary trees on a matrix of genetic distances confirmed that L. fusiforme and L. rufoviride are phenetically the most closely related species.
Modifications to Standard Guidelines and Changes in Blood Pressure Readings: Use of an Automatic Blood Pressure Device

The purpose of the study was to determine what effect modifications to American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines produce when taking blood pressures with an automatic device. Eight blood pressure measurements were taken at least 2 minutes apart; two with standard AHA guidelines and six with modifications. Findings of this study suggest that elevation of the arm can have a significant effect on both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Two modifications, talking and placing the arm beside the trunk, raised the diastolic pressure. However, some modifications did not have a statistically significant effect. Techniques used to take blood pressures with an automatic device can have a significant effect on the readings.
Donor‐Specific Alloantibody Upregulation After Influenza Vaccination in Transplant Recipients

We read with interest the article by Katerinis et al. They evaluated influenza vaccination and HLA alloantibody upregulation and report that 17.3 and 11.9% of kidney transplant recipients in two cohorts had a rise in HLA alloantibody levels after receiving two doses of influenza vaccine (1). We believe that there are two major limitations with this study: (i) It was performed during an influenza pandemic where high rates of natural infection were observed in the community. Therefore, it is possible (and in fact likely) that many of these patients were exposed to and/or had infection with natural (pandemic H1N1) influenza. This may be a major confounder and was not adequately addressed in the study. (ii) The vaccine utilized in this study contained an adjuvant (ASO3) that may partially explain why such significant alloupregulation was observed. In North America, marketed seasonal influenza vaccines do not typically contain adjuvants. Adjuvanted vaccines in general have not been well evaluated in transplant patients.
Epstein-Barr-virus immunity and tissue distribution in a fatal case of infectious mononucleosis.

INFECTIOUS mononucleosis is usually a self-limited lymphoproliferative disease caused by the Epstein–Barr virus.1 However, fatal cases do occur. Up until 1970 only 20 deaths due to infectious mononucleosis had been reported in which both hematologic and serologic (heterophil-antibody) diagnostic requirements were met.2 By far the most common cause of death was found to be neurologic complications, splenic rupture only accounting for 15 per cent of the deaths.2 It is clear that very efficient regulatory mechanisms must be operative during infectious mononucleosis, since the formidable lymphoid proliferation seen in this disease is almost invariably terminated and lymphoid tissue returns to its .
A second-order accurate lattice Boltzmann non-Newtonian flow model

A second-order accurate lattice Boltzmann model is presented for non- Newtonian flow. The non-Newtonian nature of the flow is implemented using a power law model. This is used to enable the accuracy of the model to be assessed and is not a limitation of the model. The second-order accuracy is demonstrated for a range of power law model parameter values representing shear thinning and shear thickening fluids. These results are compared with those of Gabbanelli et al (2006 Phys. Rev. E 72 046312) and it is noted that a higher order of accuracy and greater computational efficiency are achieved. These results demonstrate the suitability of the LBM for shear-dependent non- Newtonian flow simulations.
Size constraints and the evolution of display complexity: why do large lizards have simple displays?

Social, environmental, and perceptual factors have been suggested to account for the evolution of visual signal diversity in lizards. Previous investigations have inferred that signal complexity may also be related to body size. In this study, we use three complementary comparative analyses to investigate whether body size has influenced macroevolutionary trends in display modifier repertoire size for 110 species of iguanian lizards. We found evidence that signal complexity, as measured by repertoire size, is negatively associated with body size. However, this relationship was not strictly linear. Rather, body size seems to impose a threshold on signal evolution. Specifically, the evolution of large repertoire size appears to be less likely above a particular size threshold, which results in large-bodied lizards having a significantly lower probability of evolving elaborate displays. This relationship may reflect the influence of body size on resource use and the emergent social dynamics it promotes. Large lizards tend to be herbivorous and typically do not defend foraging patches. Consistent with this hypothesis is the previously reported finding of a similar size threshold dividing herbivorous from insectivorous lizards. We suggest to fully understand the evolutionary processes acting on communicative systems, it is important that we identify both the selective forces involved and the nature of their influence. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 76, 145‐161.
EXTREME FEEDBACK AND THE EPOCH OF REIONIZATION: CLUES IN THE LOCAL UNIVERSE

The source responsible for reionizing the universe at z>6 remains uncertain. While an energetically adequate population of star-forming galaxies may be in place, it is unknown whether a large enough fraction of their ionizing radiation can escape into the intergalactic medium. Attempts to measure this escape fraction in intensely star-forming galaxies at lower redshifts have largely yielded upper limits. In this paper, we present new Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and archival Far-Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) far-UV spectroscopy of a sample of 11 Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs), a rare population of local galaxies that strongly resemble the high-z Lyman Break galaxies. We combine these data with Sloan Digital Sky Survey optical spectra and Spitzer photometry. We also analyze archival FUSE observations of 15 typical UV-bright local starbursts. We find evidence of small covering factors for optically thick neutral gas in three cases. This is based on two independent pieces of evidence: a significant residual intensity in the cores of the strongest interstellar absorption-lines tracing neutral gas and a small ratio of extinction-corrected Hα to UV plus far-IR luminosities. These objects represent three of the four LBAs that contain a young, very compact (∼102 pc), and highly massive (∼109 M☉) dominant central object (DCO). These three objects also differ from the other galaxies in showing a significant amount of blueshifted Lyα emission, which may be related to the low covering factor of neutral gas. All four LBAs with DCOs in our sample show extremely high velocity outflows of interstellar gas, with line centroids blueshifted by about 700 km s−1 and maximum outflow velocities reaching at least 1500 km s−1. We show that these properties are consistent with an outflow driven by a powerful starburst that is exceptionally compact. We speculate that such extreme feedback may be required to enable the escape of ionizing radiation from star-forming galaxies.
Getting connected: Both associative and semantic links structure semantic memory for newly learned persons

The present study examined whether semantic memory for newly learned people is structured by visual co-occurrence, shared semantics, or both. Participants were trained with pairs of simultaneously presented (i.e., co-occurring) preexperimentally unfamiliar faces, which either did or did not share additionally provided semantic information (occupation, place of living, etc.). Semantic information could also be shared between faces that did not co-occur. A subsequent priming experiment revealed faster responses for both co-occurrence/no shared semantics and no co-occurrence/shared semantics conditions, than for an unrelated condition. Strikingly, priming was strongest in the co-occurrence/shared semantics condition, suggesting additive effects of these factors. Additional analysis of event-related brain potentials yielded priming in the N400 component only for combined effects of visual co-occurrence and shared semantics, with more positive amplitudes in this than in the unrelated condition. Overall, these findings suggest that both semantic relatedness and visual co-occurrence are important when novel information is integrated into person-related semantic memory.
Acupuncture and chronic pain management.

INTRODUCTION Although acupuncture has been widely used to treat a variety of pain conditions, convincing scientific evidence for its efficacy is lacking. Earlier randomised controlled trials attempted to follow a double-blind, placebo-controlled model. This approach has encountered many problems such as the virtual impossibility of blinding the acupuncturist and the uncertainties inherent in choosing control acupuncture points. The objective of this review is to assess if acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic pain. In addition, a number of key methodological issues that arise in the controlled evaluation of acupuncture will be discussed. METHODS This review is based on the result of previous reviews, meta-analyses and consensus conference. The search was performed with MEDLINE (from 1966), EMBASE (from 1980) and Cochrane library (1999, volume 1). Only randomised trials of acupuncture (involved needling) for subjects with chronic pain published in English were included. RESULTS Basic science research has demonstrated convincingly that at least in the context of acute pain, acupuncture's effects are related to the release of a variety of natural opioids. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for postoperative dental pain. There are reasonable studies showing relief of pain with acupuncture on diverse pain conditions such as menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, low back pain and fibromyalgia. This suggests that acupuncture may have a more general effect on pain. However, there are also studies which provide equivocal results because of design, sample size and other factors. The issue is further complicated by inherent difficulties in the use of appropriate controls, such as placebo and sham acupuncture groups. CONCLUSION As most of the studies were of poor methodological quality, there is a need for further high quality randomised controlled trials. Future studies should also have larger sample sizes, use a valid acupuncture treatment, and have both a short-term and long-term follow-up.
2004 SIVB Congress Symposium Proceedings “Thinking Outside the Cell”: Plant Protoplast Technology: Status and Applications

SummaryPlant protoplasts provide an enabling technology to underpin aspects of development, physiology, and genetics. Reliable procedures are available to isolate and culture protoplasts from monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Several parameters influence the topipotency of protoplasts and their derived cells, particularly the source tissue, culture medium, and environmental factors. Novel approaches to maximize the efficiency of protoplast-to-plant systems include techniques already established for animal and microbial cells, such as electrostimulation and exposure of protoplasts to surfactants and artificial respiratory gas carriers, especially perfluorochemicals and hemoglobin. Somatic hybridization by protoplast fusion is undergoing a resurgence of interest, since it enables nuclear and cytoplasmic genomes to be combined at the interspecific and intergeneric levels without prior knowledge of gene location, or involvement of recombinant DNA technology. DNA uptake into protoplasts has applications in transient and stable transformation, including the generation of transplastomic plants of commercial importance in molecular pharming. Other applications of isolated protoplasts are in studies of membrane function, cell structure, and longer-term toxicological assessments. Despite the century that has elased since protoplasts were first isolated, they still make a significant contribution to many aspects of modern plant biotechnology.
A Lifetime Oncogenicity Study in Rats with Acrylamide

Abstract A lifetime oncogenicity study in Fischer 344 rats was conducted to accurately characterize the carcinogenic potency of acrylamide. Acrylamide was administered in drinking water throughout the 106-week study at concentrations required to provide a dose of 0, 0.1, 0.5, or 2.0 mg/kg/day to males or 0, 1.0, or 3.0 mg/kg/day to females. Complete necropsy and gross pathology examinations were performed on all study animals. Histopathology examinations were conducted on selected tissues of all high-dose and control animals. Selected tissues from intermediate and low-dose groups were subjected to histopathological examinations as required to clarify high- and controldose group observations. There was no visual observation of neurotoxicity in any study animal but sciatic nerve degeneration was observed in the male and female high-dose groups. Increased mortality related to acrylamide was observed in the high- dose male group from Month 17 to the end of the study and in the high-dose females during Month 24. Mesotheliomas of the testicular tunic were significantly increased in the high-dose male group. The combined incidence of mammary gland adenocarcinomas and fibroadenomas was significantly increased in both acrylamide-dosed female groups. Males and females in the high-dose groups as well as females of the low-dose group had significantly (p<0.001) increased thyroid follicular cell adenomas and adenocarcinomas. A variety of other tumor types observed with increased incidence in a previous acrylamide onco genicity study (i.e., combined CNS glial neoplasms, papillomas of the oral cavity, adenomas of the clitoral gland, and uterine adenocarcinomas) were not observed to be present at increased incidence in this study. This study confirms previously described acrylamide induction of benign tumors of the thyroid and mammary glands as well as mesotheliomas of the testis. By using a larger number of animals with an unbalanced study design, this study showed that acrylamide did not induce glial tumors and demonstrated that the no-observable-effect level for scrotal mesotheliomas is 0.5 mg/kg. It also demonstrated that the in creased incidence of mammary tumors was again within historical control ranges.
Orchestrating interdependence in an international online learning community

This paper focuses on research into the student experience as participants in the development of an international online community. The background context for this is an international master’s programme and the specific context for the research is a module on Digital Media Applications (DMA), which are outlined. The programme design emphasises peer and formative assessment practices and the pedagogical approach aims to foster group collaboration in international teams. Following an overview of the research methods adopted, a number of emergent themes from the data analysis of student diaries are discussed, including issues of language, culture and identity. In conclusion, we offer some reflections on these issues and discuss the underpinning assumptions (in relation to assessment practices in particular) that have given direction to our subsequent ongoing research and development.
Mutational analysis of human papillomavirus type 11 E5a oncoprotein

In this study, we investigated the structural basis of human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV-11) E5a transforming activity at the amino acid level. The effects of insertion, deletion , and substitution mutations on teh E5a transforming activity were determined by the assay of anchorage-independent growth. In the conserved Cys-X-Cys structure, substitution of Ser for Cys-73 resulted in indistinguishable transforming activity, whereas substitution of Ser for Cys-75 or Ser for both Cys-73 and Cys-75 retained 50 and 42% transformation, respectively. This suggests that Cys at position 75 may be important for transformation. Charge and structural changes at teh COOH termini of several mutants impaired transformation significantly, but those at the middle region did so only mildly. In addition, the 16,000-molecular-weight pore-forming protein (16K protein) is known to associate with BPV-1, HPV-6, and HPV-16 E5 proteins. In this study, we investigated the correlation between E5a-16K binding affinity and the transforming activity of E5a by the use of 11 E5a mutants. Results show that E5a and these 11 E5a mutants could bind to the 16K protein when these proteins were coexpressed in COS cells, suggesting that simple binding of the 16K protein by E5a may not be sufficient for cell transformation.
Reliability of corticomotor excitability in leg and thigh musculature at 14 and 28 days.

CONTEXT Alterations in corticomotor excitability are observed in a variety of patient populations, including the musculature surrounding the knee and ankle after joint injury. Active motor threshold (AMT) and motor-evoked-potential (MEP) amplitudes elicited through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are outcome measures used to assess corticomotor excitability and have been deemed reliable in upper-extremity musculature. However, there are few studies assessing the reliability of TMS measures in lower-extremity musculature. OBJECTIVE To determine the intersession reliability of AMT and MEP amplitudes over 14 and 28 d in the quadriceps and fibularis longus (FL). DESIGN Descriptive laboratory study. SETTING University laboratory PARTICIPANTS 20 able-bodied volunteers (10 men, 10 women; 22.35 ± 2.3 y, 1.71 ± 0.11 m, 73.61 ± 16.77 kg). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES AMT and MEP amplitudes were evaluated at 95%, 100%, 105%, 110%, 120%, 130%, and 140% of AMT in the dominant and nondominant quadriceps and FL. Interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to assess reliability for absolute agreement and internal consistency between baseline and 2 follow-up sessions at 14 and 28 d postbaseline. Each ICC was fit with the best-fit straight line or parabola to smooth out noise in the observations and best determine if a pattern existed in determining the most reliable MEP value. RESULTS All muscles yielded strong ICCs between baseline and both time points for AMT. MEPs in both the quadriceps and FL produced varying degrees of reliability, with the greatest reliability demonstrated on day 28 at 130% and 140% of AMT in the quadriceps and FL, respectively. The dominant FL muscle showed a significant pattern; as TMS intensity increased, MEP reliability increased. CONCLUSION TMS can be used to reliably identify corticomotor alterations after therapeutic interventions, as well as monitor disease progression.
Comorbidity Indices Versus Function as Potential Predictors of 30-Day Readmission in Older Patients Following Postacute Rehabilitation

Background: Information regarding the association of comorbidity indices with readmission risk for older adults receiving postacute care is limited. The purpose of this study was to compare the discriminatory ability of five comorbidity indices in predicting 30-day all-cause hospital readmission following discharge to the community from postacute inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF). Methods: The sample included Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with stroke, lower extremity joint replacement, and fracture, discharged from IRF in 2011 (N = 75,582). Logistic regression models were used to predict 30-day all-cause readmission. Impairment-specific base models included demographic characteristics and length of stay. Subsequent models included individual comorbidity indices: Tier, Charlson, Elixhauser, functional comorbidity index (FCI), and the hierarchical condition category (HCC). We then added discharge functional status to each model. Results were compared using C-statistics. Results: Thirty-day readmission rates following discharge from an IRF ranged from 6.5% (joint replacement) to 14% (stroke). The C-statistics were 0.53, 0.56, and 0.55 for the base models in the stroke, joint replacement, and fracture groups, respectively. Adding the Tier, Charlson, FCI, or Elixhauser variables increased the C-statistics by 0.03–0.07 across the three impairment categories. Adding the HCC increased the C-statistics by 0.06–0.09. With the addition of discharge functional status in the model, the C-statistics further increased by 0.06–0.09. Conclusions: Comorbidity indices were weakly associated with 30-day readmission in older adults discharged from postacute inpatient rehabilitation. Adding patient-level functional status to the comorbidity indices further improved the discriminatory ability to predict readmission in our sample.
Genome guardian p53 and viral infections

Because virus infections elicit various cellular responses that inhibit viral replication and growth, viruses must intervene to attenuate antiviral measures in order to thrive. The genome guardian p53 plays a central part not only in DNA damage responses, inducing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis, but also in the innate host immune control of viral infections by orchestrating diverse signaling pathways originating from many different cellular receptors and sensors. Many viruses have acquired sophisticated mechanisms to regulate p53 functions by deploying subversive proteins and modulating its post‐transcriptional status. In this review, we overview the mechanisms by which DNA and RNA viruses manage p53 signaling in favor of their continued survival. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.