Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regional‐Scale Variation in Litter Production and Seasonality in Tropical Dry Forests of Southern Mexico 1

Highly seasonal rainfall creates a pulse of litterfall in the southern Yucatan peninsula region, with cascading effects on the timing of essential nutrient fluxes, microbial dynamics, and vegetation growth. I investigated whether forest age or a regional environmental gradient related to rainfall has a greater effect on patterns of litterfall in this increasingly human‐dominated landscape. Litterfall was sampled in 10–13 stands in each of three locations spanning a rainfall gradient of ca 900–1400 mm/yr. Litter was collected monthly from November 1998 through January 2000 in mature forests and in secondary forests aged 2–25 yr. Despite a substantial precipitation gradient, age was the only significant predictor of annual litter mass. Two‐ to five‐yr‐old forests produced significantly less litter than 12–25‐yr‐old secondary forests (4.6 vs. 6.2 Mg/ha/yr), but the difference between older secondary forests and mature forests (9 percent) was not significant. Litter production increased with rainfall, but not significantly so. The pattern of litterfall was similar across locations and age classes, with a peak during late March or early April. However, litterfall seasonality was most pronounced in the old secondary and mature forests. Litterfall was more evenly distributed throughout the year in forests under 10 yr old. Seasonality of litterfall was also less pronounced at the wettest site, with less disparity between peak litterfall and off‐peak months. Seasonality was not related to soil texture. Forest age and rainfall are important drivers of litterfall dynamics; however, both litter mass and degree of seasonality depended more strongly on forest age. Thus, the impact of land‐use change on litter nutrient cycling is as great, if not greater, than the constraint imposed by the major natural environmental factor affecting tropical dry forests.
The recollection of parental rearing styles in patients with panic disorder

Studies of the mental image of parents assessed by means of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) in patients with panic disorder (according to DSM‐III‐R) have shown conflicting results. We examined 45 patients with panic disorder with and without agoraphobia and 116 controls using the PBI. As a group, patients with panic disorder reported significantly less care and more protection from parents than the controls. This difference was shown by the patients who had panic disorder with major agoraphobia, while those with minor agoraphobia did not differ from the controls. The present study supports the findings that low levels of care and high levels of protection, rather than affectionate constraint, were the predominant mental image reported by patients with panic disorder, using the PBI.
Identifying the elusive link between amino acid sequence and charge selectivity in pentameric ligand-gated ion channels

Significance The cation-versus-anion selectivity of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels cannot always be predicted on the basis of their amino acid sequences alone. Indeed, the relationship between amino acid sequence and function contains subtle elements that have eluded prior investigation. Here, we found that ion–ion interactions between the passing ions and ionized side chains in the first turn of the M2 α-helices dominate the permeation free-energy landscape, but we also found that the mere presence of an ionized residue in the first turn of M2 does not ensure that its charge is “felt” by permeating ions. Instead, there seems to be a requirement for a proper conformation for a charged side chain to exert its effect on selectivity. Among neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, the superfamily of pentameric ligand-gated ion channels (pLGICs) is unique in that its members display opposite permeant-ion charge selectivities despite sharing the same structural fold. Although much effort has been devoted to the identification of the mechanism underlying the cation-versus-anion selectivity of these channels, a careful analysis of past work reveals that discrepancies exist, that different explanations for the same phenomenon have often been put forth, and that no consensus view has yet been reached. To elucidate the molecular basis of charge selectivity for the superfamily as a whole, we performed extensive mutagenesis and electrophysiological recordings on six different cation-selective and anion-selective homologs from vertebrate, invertebrate, and bacterial origin. We present compelling evidence for the critical involvement of ionized side chains—whether pore-facing or buried—rather than backbone atoms and propose a mechanism whereby not only their charge sign but also their conformation determines charge selectivity. Insertions, deletions, and residue-to-residue mutations involving nonionizable residues in the intracellular end of the pore seem to affect charge selectivity by changing the rotamer preferences of the ionized side chains in the first turn of the M2 α-helices. We also found that, upon neutralization of the charged residues in the first turn of M2, the control of charge selectivity is handed over to the many other ionized side chains that decorate the pore. This explains the long-standing puzzle as to why the neutralization of the intracellular-mouth glutamates affects charge selectivity to markedly different extents in different cation-selective pLGICs.
GASTRIC FUNCTION IN PREGNANCY

DURING pregnancy many women complain of heartburn. The precise mechanisms responsible for this symptom are unknown but Clayton and Oram (1951) believe that it may be due to a combination of factors such as an alteration of the position of the stomach, prolongation of the emptying time and possibly reversed peristalsis which combine to allow the gastric contents to regurgitate into the lower oesophagus and so produce heartburn. In support of the idea that gastric emptying is delayed, Hansen (1937), using radio-opaque meals, stated that the duration of gastric emptying was increased by 30 to 90 minutes during pregnancy. He attributed this in part to gastric hypotonia and also to an alteration in the position of the stomach due to elevation by the gravid uterus. Whatever the merits of this hypothesis the further study of gastric emptying during pregnancy may be regarded as a logical step towards a better understanding of indigestion during pregnancy. In the present studies we have been unable to demonstrate any slowing of gastric emptying during pregnancy before the onset of labour and have noted some slight increase in the rate of emptying. On the other hand it is well known from clinical observations of the vomitus that the stomach may empty slowly during labour but this slowness of emptying does not appear to be the culmination of a slowing of emptying during pregnancy. Observations on the gastric secretory responses to test meals during pregnancy and lactation have shown a considerable increase in gastric secretion during lactation.
Is the CES-D a Measure of Happiness?

60 reviews, the number of references involving ‘repressed memory’ for 2004 has shrunk to only 20 – and most of these are commentaries or reviews, many of which are critical of the concept of repressed memory. Only 5 of the 20 references appear to be actual studies, and among these, only a single patient, in one study [4] , consistently reported amnesia for an abuse experience and hence might qualify for a diagnosis of dissociative amnesia. Thus scientific acceptance and reporting of dissociative amnesia appears to continue on its downslide.
Genes Similar to the Vibrio parahaemolyticus Virulence-Related Genes tdh, tlh, and vscC2 Occur in Other Vibrionaceae Species Isolated from a Pristine Estuary

ABSTRACT Detection of the human pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus often relies on molecular biological analysis of species-specific virulence factor genes. These genes have been employed in determinations of V. parahaemolyticus population numbers and the prevalence of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus strains. Strains of the Vibrionaceae species Photobacterium damselae, Vibrio diabolicus, Vibrio harveyi, and Vibrio natriegens, as well as strains similar to Vibrio tubiashii, were isolated from a pristine salt marsh estuary. These strains were examined for the V. parahaemolyticus hemolysin genes tdh, trh, and tlh and for the V. parahaemolyticus type III secretion system 2α gene vscC2 using established PCR primers and protocols. Virulence-related genes occurred at high frequencies in non-V. parahaemolyticus Vibrionaceae species. V. diabolicus was of particular interest, as several strains were recovered, and the large majority (>83%) contained virulence-related genes. It is clear that detection of these genes does not ensure correct identification of virulent V. parahaemolyticus. Further, the occurrence of V. parahaemolyticus-like virulence factors in other vibrios potentially complicates tracking of outbreaks of V. parahaemolyticus infections.
Putting and Taking Events in Mandarin Chinese

This paper investigates the lexical semantics of Mandarin placement predicates from the perspective of event encoding and event categorization. The data explored in this study are the verbs used in elicited descriptions of 63 Put&Take video clips (Bowerman, Gullberg, Majid, and Narasimhan, 2004) plus three warm-up items, depicting a wide range of caused putting and taking events by 10 adult native speakers of Mandarin (mean age 28 years).
Making the lame walk?

The acronym POEMS, coined by Bardwick et al. in 1980,1 summarizes the features of a rare peripheral nerve syndrome characterized by polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathies, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin lesions. Although there is debate about precise limits of the syndrome, most now agree that the defining features of POEMS are polyneuropathy and a monoclonal plasma cell dyscrasia, and that two or more other features (e.g., sclerotic bone lesions, hyperpigmentation or hypertrichosis, endocrine dysfunction) are necessary to confidently distinguish POEMS from related conditions such as monoclonal protein-associated (MGUS) neuropathy.2 Although rare, POEMS has features that are of interest to all neurologists. POEMS is fundamentally a paraneoplastic syndrome, but its pathophysiology is distinctive. Unlike most paraneoplastic neurologic syndromes (e.g., Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, sensory neuronopathy), which are accidental consequences of a host’s immune response to a neoplasm, the manifestations of POEMS appear to be caused by overproduction of a cytokine, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), by the neoplastic plasma cells themselves.3 Most patients with POEMS …
Cytochrome P450 Inactivation by Pharmaceuticals and Phytochemicals: Therapeutic Relevance

One of the major clinical concerns is possible drug interactions that can be the result of abrogation of the P450 pathway(s) of metabolism causing toxicity due to elevated exposures of other drugs metabolized by these pathways. When the P450 substrate is catalytically activated to a reactive intermediate, this transient molecule may react with available nucleophilic residues from the enzyme – thereby resulting in the inactivation of the P450. The effects of CYP inactivation on the pharmacokinetics of co-administered drugs or on the inactivator itself depend on complex factors involving the molecular entities, the kinetics of inactivation (KI, kinact), the partition ratio, the zero-order synthesis rate of new enzyme, multiple pathways of metabolism (competing pathways), the dose or exposure, and specific patient characteristics. This review summarizes the catalytic efficiencies of many inactivator drugs along with any consequent clinical relevance. The chemical agents described have been ranked for the kinetic efficiency of inactivation and contrasted with the known clinically relevant drug interactions. This will allow judicious consideration of the many factors that influence the importance of CYP inactivation and their relative contribution to systemic clearance of co-administered drugs. This study allows an improved characterization and dissection of potential physiological interactions with various drugs and nutrients. Knowing more about selective inactivation of cytochrome P450 by common xenobiotics, drugs and phytochemicals allows better understanding of expected interactions with chemotherapeutics and other xenobiotics.
Hearing Outcomes After Surgical Plugging of the Superior Semicircular Canal by a Middle Cranial Fossa Approach

Objective To determine postoperative hearing outcomes after surgical plugging via middle cranial fossa approach for superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS). Study Design Clinical review. Setting Tertiary care medical center. Patients Forty-three cases of SCDS based on history, physical examination, vestibular function testing, and computed tomography imaging confirming the presence of a dehiscence. All patients underwent surgical plugging of the superior semicircular canal via middle cranial fossa approach. Intervention Pure tone audiometry was performed preoperatively and at 7 days and at least 1 month postoperatively. Main Outcome Measures Change in air-bone gap (ABG) and pure tone average (PTA). Results Preoperative average ABG across 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz was 16.0 dB (standard deviation [SD], 7.5 dB). At 7 days postoperatively, average ABG was 16.5 dB (SD, 11.1; p = 0.42), and at greater than 1 month was 8.1 dB (SD, 8.4; p < 0.001). 53% (95% confidence interval, 33–69) of affected ears had greater than 10 dB increase in their 4-frequency (0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz) PTA measured by bone-conduction (BC) threshold 7 days postoperatively and 25% (95% confidence interval, 8–39) at greater than 1 month postoperatively. Mean BC PTA of affected ears was 8.4 dB hearing loss (HL) (SD, 10.4) preoperatively. Compared with baseline, this declined to 19.2 dB HL (SD, 12.6; p < 0.001) at 7 days postoperatively and 16.4 dB HL (SD, 18.8; p = 0.01) at greater than 1 month. No significant differences in speech discrimination score were noted (F = 0.17). Conclusion Low-frequency air-bone gap decreases after surgical plugging and seems to be due to both increased BC thresholds and decreased AC thresholds. Surgical plugging via a middle cranial fossa approach in SCDS is associated with mild high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss that persists in 25% but no change in speech discrimination.
Evaluation of possibilities of genotyping of Candida glabrata clinical isolates with RAPD-PCR method and microsatellite analysis

The aim of the study was to compare the discriminatory power of RAPD-PCR method using RSD10 primer and microsatellite (GACA) 4 analysis for genotyping clinical isolates of C. glabrata . Isolates were received from patients of two Polish hospitals: Children's Memorial Health Institute in Warsaw (n=17) and Medical University of Gdansk (n=37). Species identification was confirmed by two phenotypic methods: growth on chromagar plates (Biocorp) and Candida API ID 32C test (bioMerieux), as well as by PCR reaction. For both tested methods for genotyping, the size of amplified DNA fragments varied mainly between 200 and about 3000 bp. The sets of 9 and 8 different products of amplification were obtained in the case of microsatellite and RAPD-PCR method, respectively. The amplicon arrays were analyzed and dendrograms were constructed using a matrix generated by UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Means) in MVSP program (Multi Variate Statistical Package) version 3.22. As a result 20 different genotypes were distinguished in the case of microsatellite analysis and the collection of strains was divided into 26 genotypes in the case of RAPD-PCR analysis with RSD10 primer. Additionally, an evident correlation between genotype classification and geographical origin of the isolates was observed in the case of RADP-PCR method. The performed investigation revealed that RAPD-PCR amplification with RSD10 primer represents high discriminatory power in molecular differentiation of C. glabrata clinical isolates and can be recommended for at least preliminary analysis of possible route of transmission of this pathogen in hospitals and community.
Injuries and Death as a Consequence of Seizures in People with Epilepsy

People with epilepsy should be encouraged to live as normal a life as possible. However, many persons with seizure disorders must take special precautions because of seizure-related injuries. The literature on the morbidity and mortality that occurs as a result of accidents in people with epilepsy is reviewed, and a set of guidelines based on these data is presented. Although driving is a specific risk in people with epilepsy, it has already been studied extensively (1-3) and is not covered in this article.
Effects of halothane and isoflurane on the contraction, relaxation and energetics of rat diaphragmatic muscle.

BACKGROUND The inotropic effects of halogenated anaesthetics on diaphragmatic muscle remain a matter of debate. Their effects on its relaxation are poorly understood, although diaphragmatic relaxation is recognized as an important physiological process that may interfere with diaphragmatic performance, fatigue and arterial blood flow. METHODS The effects of halothane and isoflurane (1 or 2 x minimum alveolar concentration [1 or 2 MAC]) on contraction and relaxation of rat diaphragm muscle strips (n = 40) were studied in vitro from force-velocity curves obtained at various loads from isotonic to isometric conditions. From these curves we determined the peak power output and the curvature. Data are mean (SD) percentage of baseline values. RESULTS At I MAC, isoflurane and halothane induced no significant inotropic and lusitropic effects. At 2 MAC, isoflurane induced a negative inotropic effect (active force, 93(5)% of baseline). Halothane and isoflurane induced a significant decrease in the peak power output at 2 MAC (88(8) and 86(9)% of baseline; P < 0.05), without significant changes in the curvature of the force-velocity curve. At 2 MAC isoflurane under high loads and halothane under low loads induced moderate negative lusitropic effects. CONCLUSION Halothane and isoflurane induced very moderate inotropic and lusitropic effects, suggesting that the decrease in diaphragm function observed in vivo is not related to a direct effect on diaphragmatic contractility.
Supporting family caregivers to identify their own needs in end-of-life care: Qualitative findings from a stepped wedge cluster trial

Introduction: The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool encompasses the physical, psychological, social, practical, financial, and spiritual support needs that government policies in many countries emphasize should be assessed and addressed for family caregivers during end-of-life care. Aim: To describe the experience of family caregivers of terminally ill people of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention in home-based palliative care. Methods: This study was conducted during 2012–2014 in Silver Chain Hospice Care Service in Western Australia. This article reports on one part of a three-part evaluation of a stepped wedge cluster trial. All 233 family caregivers receiving the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention provided feedback on their experiences via brief end-of-trial semi-structured telephone interviews. Data were subjected to a thematic analysis. Results: The overwhelming majority reported finding the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool assessment process straightforward and easy. Four key themes were identified: (1) the practicality and usefulness of the systematic assessment; (2) emotional responses to caregiver reflection; (3) validation, reassurance, and empowerment; and (4) accessing support and how this was experienced. Conclusion: Family caregivers appreciated the value of the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool intervention in engaging them in conversations about their needs, priorities, and solutions. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool presented a simple, yet potentially effective intervention to help palliative care providers systematically assess and address family caregivers’ needs. The Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool provided a formal structure to facilitate discussions with family caregivers to enable needs to be addressed. Such discussions can also inform an evidence base for the ongoing development of services for family caregivers, ensuring that new or improved services are designed to meet the explicit needs of family caregivers.
Polyphenols, glucosinolates, dietary fibre and colon cancer: Understanding the potential of specific types of fruit and vegetables to reduce bowel cancer progression

Colorectal cancer is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide and the most common diet-related cancer, influenced by diets rich in red meat, low in plant foods and high in saturated fats. Observational studies have shown that fruit and vegetable intake may reduce colorectal cancer risks, although the precise bioactive components remain unclear. This review will outline the evidence for the role of polyphenols, glucosinolates and fibres against cancer progression in the gastrointestinal tract. Those bioactive compounds are considered protective agents against colon cancer, with evidence taken from epidemiological, human clinical, animal and in vitro studies. Various mechanisms of action have been postulated, such as the potential of polyphenols and glucosinolates to inhibit cancer cell growth and the actions of insoluble fibres as prebiotics and the evidence for these actions are detailed within. In addition, recent evidence suggests that polyphenols also have the potential to shift the gut ecology in a beneficial manner. Such actions of both fibre and polyphenols in the gastrointestinal tract and through interaction with gut epithelial cells may act in an additive manner to help explain why certain fruits and vegetables, but not all, act to differing extents to inhibit cancer incidence and progression. Indeed, a focus on the individual actions of such fruit and vegetable components, in particular polyphenols, glucosinolates and fibres is necessary to help explain which components are active in reducing gastrointestinal cancer risk.
Lipogranulomas in human liver biopsies with fatty change. A morphological, biochemical and clinical investigation.

The material comprises 67 percutaneous liver biopsies all with fatty change as the chief morphological diagnosis. Among others biopsies with cirrhosis and Mallory bodies have been excluded. Lipogranulomas have been found in 43 out of 67 biopsies. A description of lipogranulomas is given, and three types are described according to size and age. Steatosis is a conditio sine qua non for the development of lipogranulomas. Biopsies with lipogranulomas show higher histologic activity (lytic liver cell necrosis, acidophilic bodies and rnesenchymal reaction) and more parenchymal fibrosis than biopsies without. The patients with lipogranulomas have higher S. G. O. T. values. Whereas lipogranulomas type 1 and 2 can disappear without sequelae there is good reason to believe that lipogranulomas type 3 may give rise to development of connective tissue in the parenchyma.
Adaptation of the Z-cone model to the estimation of the energy of a bcc foam

The Z-cone model, which provides an analytic approach to the estimation of the energy of a foam for simple crystal structures, has been adapted to the important case of the body-centred cubic foam. This involves defining two types of cones, corresponding to the two sets of neighbouring bubbles that come into contact. We obtain results which compare favourably with accurate computations using the Surface Evolver. The precise dependence of energy on liquid fraction close to the loss of the contacts remains to be resolved.