Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serial passage of hepatitis delta virus in chronic hepatitis B virus carrier chimpanzees

Five consecutive passages of hepatitis delta virus in hepatitis B virus carrier chimpanzees were performed in order to further characterize the infectious and pathogenic nature of this naturally occurring defective virus. Three animals received identical inocula at fourth passage in order to assess individual animal variation as a factor in the course of infection and disease. Acute hepatitis delta virus infection occurred in all hepatitis B virus carrier chimpanzees as demonstrated by coincident intrahepatic hepatitis delta antigen, serum hepatitis delta antigen and serum hepatitis delta virus RNA followed by seroconversion to antibody to hepatitis delta antigen. In all animals, acute hepatitis was temporally associated with hepatitis delta virus infection and was self‐limited. The incubation period to hepatitis shortened with passage, whereas biochemical and histologic evidence of liver diseases increased. The marked increase in liver disease with passage was not associated with increasing markers of hepatitis delta virus replication or expression, thus indicating that adaptation to the chimpanzee by serial passage resulted in increased hepatitis delta virus virulence. The duration of hepatitis due to hepatitis delta virus infection in three chimpanzees which received the same inoculum varied from 1 to 8 months. The observations of passage adaptation and individual host variation in this experimental model of hepatitis delta virus disease parallel known pathogenic variations in human hepatitis delta virus infection.
Cognitive functioning in young and middle-aged unmedicated out-patients with major depression: testing the effort and cognitive speed hypotheses

Background. Cognitive deficits are common in major depressive disorder, but their nature is unclear. The effort hypothesis states that performance on effortful tasks is disproportionately impaired compared with the performance on automatic tasks. The cognitive speed hypothesis states that depression is characterized by cognitive slowness, which is a source of cognitive dysfunctioning. The present study investigated both theories in unmedicated adult depressive patients. It was also investigated whether the cognitive deficits can be attributed to more general physical illness-related factors or specifically to depressive disorder. Methods. Thirty non-psychotic depressive out-patients were compared with 38 healthy control subjects and 25 patients with severe allergic rhinitis. The effects of group on more automatic and more effortful aspects of cognitive tasks measuring cognitive speed (Concept Shifting Task, Stroop Colour Word Test, Memory Scanning Test) and memory retrieval (Visual Verbal Learning Task, Verbal Fluency Test) were evaluated by MANCOVA. Age, sex, education and pre-morbid intelligence were treated as covariates. Results. The depressive group had cognitive deficits in the automatic processing subtask of the Stroop, memory scanning and memory span. Performance on more effortful tasks was not impaired. Conclusions. Our results are more consistent with the cognitive speed hypothesis. Cognitive functioning in depressive disorder seems to be characterized by a reduced speed of information processing in automatic subtasks.
A G326E substitution in the glutamate-gated chloride channel 3 (GluCl3) of the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae abolishes the agonistic activity of macrocyclic lactones.

BACKGROUND The macrocyclic lactones abamectin and milbemectin are frequently used to control phytophagous mites such as Tetranychus urticae. Consequently, resistance has developed and was genetically linked with substitutions in the glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) subunits TuGluCl1 and TuGluCl3. Here, we functionally validated a G326E substitution in TuGluCl3 by functional expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes followed by two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology. RESULTS Homomeric wild-type and mutated GluCl3 were successfully expressed. l-glutamic-acid-induced currents exhibited a rapid onset equal in both channels and EC50 for l-glutamic-acid was in the micromolar range (384.2 μm and 292.7 μm, respectively). Abamectin and milbemycin A4 elicited sustained currents in wild-type GluCl3, but the G326E substitution completely abolished the agonistic activity of macrocyclic lactones. CONCLUSION A target-site mutation in Tu GluCl3 contributes to avermectin resistance in T. urticae. However, given the multitude of channel genes and the potential additive or synergistic effects of mutations, to what extent mutations determine the often extremely strong resistance phenotype in the field deserves further study. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
In Vivo Ablation of CD11c-Positive Dendritic Cells Increases Susceptibility to Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Infection and Diminishes NK and T-Cell Responses

ABSTRACT The precise role of each of the seven individual CD11c+ dendritic cell subsets (DCs) identified to date in the response to viral infections is not known. DCs serve as critical links between the innate and adaptive immune responses against many pathogens, including herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). The role of DCs as mediators of resistance to HSV-1 infection was investigated using CD11c-diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor-green fluorescent protein transgenic mice, in which DCs can be transiently depleted in vivo by treatment with low doses of DT. We show that ablation of DCs led to enhanced susceptibility to HSV-1 infection in the highly resistant C57BL/6 mouse strain. Specifically, we showed that the depletion of DCs led to increased viral spread into the nervous system, resulting in an increased rate of morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, we showed that ablation of DCs impaired the optimal activation of NK cells and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in response to HSV-1. These data demonstrated that DCs were essential not only in the optimal activation of the acquired T-cell response to HSV-1 but also that DCs were crucial for innate resistance to HSV-1 infection.
Effectiveness of Various Sensory Input Methods in Dental Health Education Among Blind Children- A Comparative Study.

AIM The aim of the study is to evaluate effectiveness of various sensory input methods in dental health education among blind children. Oral hygiene status was assessed through visible plaque index and oral hygiene knowledge was assessed through questionnaire before and after oral health education. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study involved of 200 blind children with the age range of 8 to 14 years of both genders from two blind schools similar in standard of teaching. The total study population (n=200) was randomized and divided into five Groups, comprising of 40 children in each Group. The first four were the experimental Groups who received dental health education through different modes, while the fifth Group served as control. Oral health related knowledge and plaque scores were assessed in all the study Groups before and after dental health education. RESULTS After intervention, the mean knowledge scores and plaque scores were statistically significant in all the study Groups when compared to the baseline scores. CONCLUSION The present study proved that blind children can maintain an acceptable level of oral hygiene when taught with special customized methods like multisensory approach with creative use of other senses which was found to be effective than unisensory method.
Use of computerized tomography and chest X‐rays in evaluating efficacy of aerosolized recombinant human DNase in cystic fibrosis patients younger than age 5 years: A preliminary study *

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of high‐resolution computerized tomography (HRCT) of the chest and chest x‐rays (CXR) to determine efficacy of inhaled recombinant human DNase (rhDNase) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients younger than 5 years of age. A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled pilot study of 12 patients with CF younger than 5 years of age, attending the University of Michigan Cystic Fibrosis Center (Ann Arbor, MI) was conducted. The changes in the HRCT and CXR score from baseline to day 100 of therapy were assessed using a previously validated scoring system.
Cotyledon assay as a rapid and reliable method of screening for resistance against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica napus genotypes

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a major pathogen of many crops, including oilseed rape (Brassica napus), and there is keen interest worldwide to identify Brassica genotypes with resistance to this pathogen. However, field testing to identify resistance in B. napus germplasm is expensive, time-consuming and at times unreliable due to variability in field environmental conditions and plant architecture. To address this, we aimed to examine the feasibility of utilising for B. napus a cotyledon test already developed for Sclerotinia disease on legumes. Initially, cotyledons of 32 B. napus genotypes were drop-inoculated using macerated mycelium (104 mycelial fragments/mL) under controlled environmental conditions. Significant differences were recorded between B. napus genotypes, and the experiment was repeated twice using genotypes selected from the first experiment. Certain genotypes responded with a distinct hypersensitive reaction (lesions <1 mm diameter), either always (cv. Mystic) or frequently (cv. Charlton), which is the first report of this phenomenon in the B. napus-S. sclerotiorum pathosystem. Responses of genotypes between the three screening experiments were significantly and positively correlated. Results obtained in the first experiment were compared with those from our earlier field screening for stem rot that utilised the same strain of S. sclerotiorum and the same B. napus genotypes. In particular, there was a significant positive correlation (r=0.62, P < 0.01) between published field data for stem rot and our cotyledon test results across genotypes in common. This indicates the usefulness of this cotyledon assay to provide a relatively reliable indication of field performance of genotypes. We believe that this is the first report demonstrating that a cotyledon assay can be successfully applied to rapidly differentiate the reactions of B. napus genotypes against S. sclerotiorum.
Mineralization of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate by a Four-Member Aerobic Bacterial Consortium

A bacterial consortium capable of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) mineralization under aerobic conditions was isolated from a chemostat inoculated with activated sludge. The consortium, designated KJB, consisted of four members, all of which were gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that grew in pairs and short chains. Three isolates had biochemical properties characteristic of Pseudomonas spp. ; the fourth showed characteristics of the Aeromonas spp. Cell suspensions were grown together in minimal medium with [14C]LAS as the only carbon source. After 13 days of incubation, more than 25% of the [14C]LAS was mineralized to 14CO2 by the consortium. Pure bacterial cultures and combinations lacking any one member of the KJB bacterial consortium did not mineralize LAS. Three isolates carried out primary biodegradation of the surfactant, and one did not. This study shows that the four bacteria complemented each other and synergistically mineralized LAS, indicating catabolic cooperation among the four consortium members.
Demographic Variation in SF‐12 Scores: True Differences or Differential Item Functioning?

Background. Demographic differences have been reported in summary measures of physical and mental health based on the SF‐12 instrument. Objectives. This study examines the extent to which differential item functioning (DIF) contributes to observed subgroup differences in health status. DIF refers to situations in which the psychometric properties of items are not invariant across different groups. The presence of DIF confounds interpretation of subgroup differences. Subjects. A national sample of 11,626 adult respondents in the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey who completed a self‐administered questionnaire. Measures. In addition to the SF‐12, we collected data on demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, and race/ethnicity) and whether the person had ever been diagnosed with six chronic medical conditions. Results. Multiple‐indicator multiple‐cause latent variable models showed significant differences in physical health by gender, age, and education. Adjusting for DIF reduced but did not eliminate age and education differences. However, for mental health, adjusting for DIF resulted in Black‐White differences becoming nonsignificant, and the effect for the oldest age group switched from positive to negative. Race/ethnicity was not associated with physical health status. Conclusions. Age group comparisons of mental health may be particularly affected by DIF. Differences in education, as well as age and gender, need to be controlled when making group comparisons. Additional work is needed to understand factors that give rise to demographic differences in reported health status.
Effects of Ionization Velocity and Dead Space on Avalanche Photodiode Bit Error Rate

A model is presented for the bit error rate (BER) contributed by the receiver in an optical telecommunications system that includes the effects of ionizing carrier velocity and dead space in the avalanche photodiode (APD) and of additive circuit noise. The probability distribution functions of bit charge used to calculate BER are not, as is commonly assumed, Gaussian, confirming the need to directly compute the receiver statistics. Integrating the current over the central section of the bit period can minimize intersymbol interference. The assumption that carriers travel to ionization with infinite velocity underestimates BER in InP APDs with short avalanche region widths, and overestimates BER when . Models assuming constant carrier velocity or allowing for velocity enhancement predict distinctly different BER over a wide range of avalanche width and multiplication because of the manner in which the current evolves during the bit period.
Purinergic substances promote murine keratinocyte proliferation and enhance impaired wound healing in mice

As membrane‐bound receptors for adenosine, purines, and pyrimidines, purinoceptors are expressed in nearly all cell types throughout the mammalian organism. Previous studies showed that purinoceptors are involved in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation of most target cells. The present study was performed to elucidate their role in keratinocyte proliferation and wound healing. The expression of the mRNA of several adenosine and P2Y receptors was shown in the immortalized murine keratinocyte cell line MSC‐P5 and primary cultured keratinocytes of four different mouse strains. The nonselective adenosine receptor agonist 5′‐(N‐ethyl)‐carboxamidoadenosine enhanced the growth of MSC‐P5 cells in vitro via the A2B receptor. The proliferative stimulus of adenosine triphosphate and uridine triphosphate on this cell line was mediated by the P2Y2 receptor. The mitogenic effect of the purinergic substances was inhibited by simultaneous treatment with respective antagonists. Studies in a mouse model of dexamethasone‐induced impaired wound healing showed the in vivo efficacy of the purinoceptor agonists. These studies confirm that pharmacological actions via purinoceptors offer an intriguing possibility in the treatment of impaired wound healing. Nevertheless, further investigations are needed to elucidate fully the role of purinergic mechanisms involved in wound healing.
Measuring the effectiveness of protected area networks in reducing deforestation

Global efforts to reduce tropical deforestation rely heavily on the establishment of protected areas. Measuring the effectiveness of these areas is difficult because the amount of deforestation that would have occurred in the absence of legal protection cannot be directly observed. Conventional methods of evaluating the effectiveness of protected areas can be biased because protection is not randomly assigned and because protection can induce deforestation spillovers (displacement) to neighboring forests. We demonstrate that estimates of effectiveness can be substantially improved by controlling for biases along dimensions that are observable, measuring spatial spillovers, and testing the sensitivity of estimates to potential hidden biases. We apply matching methods to evaluate the impact on deforestation of Costa Rica's renowned protected-area system between 1960 and 1997. We find that protection reduced deforestation: approximately 10% of the protected forests would have been deforested had they not been protected. Conventional approaches to evaluating conservation impact, which fail to control for observable covariates correlated with both protection and deforestation, substantially overestimate avoided deforestation (by over 65%, based on our estimates). We also find that deforestation spillovers from protected to unprotected forests are negligible. Our conclusions are robust to potential hidden bias, as well as to changes in modeling assumptions. Our results show that, with appropriate empirical methods, conservation scientists and policy makers can better understand the relationships between human and natural systems and can use this to guide their attempts to protect critical ecosystem services.
Changes in the amount of kidney pigmented macrophage aggregates throughout the breeding cycle of female Ohrid trout, Salmo letnica Kar. (Teleostei, Salmonidae)

Changes in fish macrophages (Macs) are useful indicators of environmental pressures, but responses due to chemical and nonchemical stresses may be confounded by natural sources of variability. These may include sex and gonadal stage. In this study, we start addressing the following question: is the seasonally dependent ovary stage a factor to consider when using kidney Macs as biomarkers? To tackle this problem, the relative amount of pigmented Macs in kidney (head, trunk, and tail portions) was stereologically estimated in Ohrid trout, and related with the breeding status. The amount of Macs significantly increased from pre vitellogenesis to late vitellogenesis and showed a decreasing trend then after, with lower values noted after spawning in the head (1.9% versus 7.5% versus 2.0%), trunk (1.8% versus 7.5% versus 2.5%), and tail (2.5% versus 6.7% versus 2.9%) kidney. The decrease seen at spawning was significant in head and trunk kidney, and at post spawning it was significant for all kidney portions. The amounts of Macs were positively correlated with the ovary relative weights and plasma estradiol levels. We proved for the first time that fish kidney pigmented Macs can vary in amount during the breeding cycle. Our data, combined with literature, strongly support that the sex‐steroid profile and kidney status‐seasonal remodeling both influence the Macs pool; likely not only in female trout. So, while increases in Macs may warn of ecosystem problems, we show that using kidney Macs for biomonitoring should also take into account seasonally, particularly that related with ovary maturation. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fire fatality and alcohol intake: analysis of key risk factors.

OBJECTIVE After a brief review of the literature on the role of alcohol in residential fire deaths, a comparison of different risk factors for residential fire fatality was undertaken by closely analyzing the circumstances of fire victims as a function of alcohol intake. METHOD Analyses were based on Australian coroners' fire fatality records for the state of Victoria (1998-2006) and considered demographic, behavioral, and environmental factors for the 95 adult fire victims who were tested for alcohol (64 male, 31 female). RESULTS Most (58%) had a positive blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test, with 31% of the total sample having a BAC of more than 0.20 gm per 100 ml. Odds ratio analyses showed that four variables were significantly more associated with victims who had consumed alcohol compared with sober victims. In descending odds ratio order, these variables were as follows: (a) being aged 18-60 years, (b) involving smoking materials (e.g. cigarettes, pipes), (c) having no conditions preventing escape, and (d) being male. An important new finding is that fire fatalities with positive BAC levels were more than three times less likely to have their clothing alight or exits blocked than sober fire victims. CONCLUSIONS The risk of dying in a fire for alcohol-affected people who are capable of being alerted and escaping may be reduced if they can be alerted more quickly and effectively. Suitable measures for improving smoke alarms via interlinking and the use of an alarm signal demonstrated to be more effective at waking sleepers, including those who are alcohol affected, are discussed.
A COMPARISON OF BRILLIANT BLUE G, TRYPAN BLUE, AND INDOCYANINE GREEN DYES TO ASSIST INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE PEELING DURING MACULAR HOLE SURGERY

Purpose: To compare surgical outcomes with three dyes, brilliant blue G (BBG), trypan blue (TB) and indocyanine green (ICG), used to facilitate internal limiting membrane peeling during macular hole surgery. Methods: This comparative, interventional cases series consisted of 50 eyes of 50 patients with senile idiopathic macular holes, who underwent vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling using BBG (n = 15), TB (n = 20), or ICG (n = 15). The cases involving use of BBG and TB were enrolled prospectively and concurrently, and the cases using ICG were selected through chart reviews. We compared the intraoperative surgical facilitation with the 3 dyes and the surgical outcomes in terms of macular hole closure and visual improvement at 6 months. Results: The 3 groups were similar in mean age, sex distribution, preoperative best-corrected visual acuity, and duration of follow-up (P = 0.957, 0.974, 0.939, and 0.5524, respectively). Of the 3 dyes, BBG appeared to provide greatest intraoperative facilitation: most convenient to use and remove, and similar to ICG in terms of internal limiting membrane staining. Six months postoperatively, macular hole closed in 100%, 95%, and 86% eyes (P = 0.48) and visual improvement occurred in 80%, 85%, and 33% eyes (P = 0.005) in BBG, TB, and ICG groups, respectively. The BBG and TB groups also had a better final best-corrected visual acuity than ICG group (P = 0.05) and smaller percentage of visual decline (5% and 6.7% vs. 40% respectively; P = 0.049). Conclusion: Brilliant blue G was comparable with TB in optimizing visual and functional outcomes, while it was similar to ICG in ease of internal limiting membrane peeling.
Identification of a novel gene, Mblk‐1, that encodes a putative transcription factor expressed preferentially in the large‐type Kenyon cells of the honeybee brain

Mushroom bodies (MBs) are considered to be involved in higher‐order sensory processing in the insect brain. To identify the genes involved in the intrinsic function of the honeybee MBs, we searched for genes preferentially expressed therein, using the differential display method. Here we report a novel gene encoding a putative transcription factor (Mblk‐1) expressed preferentially in one of two types of intrinsic MB neurones, the large‐type Kenyon cells, which makes Mblk‐1 a candidate gene involved in the advanced behaviours of honeybees. A putative DNA binding motif of Mblk‐1 had significant sequence homology with those encoded by genes from various animal species, suggesting that the functions of these proteins in neural cells are conserved among the animal kingdom.