Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herd Size in Large Herbivores: Encoded in the Individual or Emergent?

In large mammalian herbivores, the increase of group size with habitat openness was first assumed to be an adaptive response, encoded in the individual. However, it could, alternatively, be an emergent property: if groups were nonpermanent units, often fusing and splitting up, then any increase of the distance at which animals perceive one another could increase the rate of group fusion and thus mean group size. Dynamical models and empirical data support this second hypothesis. This is not to say that adaptive modifications of mean herd size cannot occur. However, this changes the way in which we can envisage the history of gregariousness in large herbivores during the Tertiary.
Regulation and consequences of monocytosis

Monocytes are part of the vertebrate innate immune system. Blood monocytes are produced by bone marrow and splenic progenitors that derive from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). In cardiovascular disease, such as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, HSCs proliferate at higher levels that in turn increase production of hematopoietic cells, including monocytes. Once produced in hematopoietic niches, monocytes intravasate blood vessels, circulate, and migrate to sites of inflammation. Monocyte recruitment to atherosclerotic plaque and the ischemic heart depends on various chemokines, such as CCL2, CX3CL1, and CCL5. Once in tissue, monocytes can differentiate into macrophages and dendritic cells. Macrophages are end effector cells that regulate the steady state and tissue healing, but they can also promote disease. At sites of inflammation, monocytes and macrophages produce inflammatory cytokines, which can exacerbate disease progression. Macrophages can also phagocytose tissue debris and produce pro‐healing cytokines. Additionally, macrophages are antigen‐presenting cells and can prime T cells. The tissue environment, including cytokines and types of inflammation, instructs macrophage specialization. Understanding monocytosis and its consequences in disease will reveal new therapeutic opportunities without compromising steady state functions.
[Prevalence of glaucoma and normal intraocular pressure among adults aged 50 years or above in Shunyi county of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of glaucoma and normal intraocular pressure among older adults aged 50 years or above in Shunyi county of Beijing. METHODS Cluster sampling was used in randomly selecting 5 555 individuals aged 50 years or above in Shunyi county in fall, 1996. The examines received the visual acuity and general eye examination, and in the mean time attention was paid to rule out glaucoma, including inquiry of family and personal history of glaucoma, measurement of anterior chamber depth and intraocular pressure, examination of the optic disc. RESULTS The examinations about glaucoma were finished in 4 880 individuals. The response rate was 87.85%. In this population, the prevalence of glaucoma was 2.07%. The prevalence of the primary angle closure glaucoma, primary open angle glaucoma and secondary glaucoma was 1.66%, 0.29% and 0.12% respectively. The prevalence of the variety of glaucoma was increasing by aging. The visual function in 64.00% of glaucoma patients was damaged in certain degree. The rate of the bilateral blindness among glaucoma patients was 16.00%. These patients were all 60 years old or above. The rates of unilateral blindness, bilateral allow vision and unilateral low vision were 17.00%, 23.00% and 8.00%, respectively. The mean and standard deviation of the intraocular pressure among the normal eyes were (13.53 +/- 2.20)mm Hg(1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa). The tendency of the mean normal intraocular pressure is decreasing by aging. CONCLUSIONS Glaucoma is a serious eye disease leading to blindness according to the prevalence and the visual function of the glaucoma patients. The mean intraocular pressure among the normal eyes is lower than the expected value. The lower value (18 mm Hg) of the upper limited normal intraocular pressure should be used in screening glaucoma patients among the older adults.
Long-term follow-up of physical activity behavior in older adults.

OBJECTIVE To examine the contribution of social-cognitive factors (self-efficacy and affect) in predicting long-term physical activity in a sample of older adults (N=174). DESIGN A prospective design assessed physical activity and psychosocial variables at 2 and 5 years following a 6-month randomized, controlled exercise trial. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome variable was self-reported physical activity, with previous behavior, self-efficacy, and affect assessed as determinants of physical activity. RESULTS Covariance modeling analyses indicated that physical activity at Year 2 was the strongest predictor of physical activity at 5-year follow-up. Both self-efficacy and affect at Year 2 were also associated with physical activity at Year 5, as was original treatment condition. Variables accounted for 35% of the variance in Year 5 activity. CONCLUSION Older adults with higher levels of physical activity, more positive affect, and higher self-efficacy at Year 2 were more likely to continue to be active at Year 5. This study is one of the longest follow-ups of exercise behavior in older adults and has implications for structuring environments to maximize the maintenance of physical activity.
CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE Original Studies Angiographic Predictors of Femoral Access Site Complications: Implication for Planned Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

This study examined the relationship between the femoral arteriotomy location and the risk of femoral access site complications after diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization procedures. One of the most common complication of cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) involves the vascular access site. The femoral approach is the most frequent site of vascular access during invasive cardiac procedures. This approach is associated with vascular complications, such as retroperitoneal bleeding, which can be life-threatening. If angiographic predictors of retroperitoneal bleeding can be identified, this complication could be avoided. A prospective cohort of 33 patients with femoral access site complications was subgrouped based on the angiographic arteriotomy site. Concurrent patients without complications were randomly selected to form a control group. Study and control patients were compared on presenting risk factors and outcomes. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors for femoral access site complications. Arteriotomy location above the most inferior border of the inferior epigastric artery in patients undergoing PCI was associated with 100% of all retroperitoneal bleeds (P < 0.001). Low, high middle, and high femoral arteriotomy sites were associated with 71% of all vascular access complications. The combination of these locations for the femoral arteriotomy was an independent predictor of adverse vascular access site complications beyond traditional risk factors (odds ratio = 28.7; CI = 6.73–122.40; P < 0.0001). Vascular complications occurred more frequently in patients who were of older age (72 vs. 66 years; P < 0.001). The location of the femoral arteriotomy site assessed by a femoral angiogram is predictive of life-threatening complications. Patients undergoing PCI with an arteriotomy above the most inferior border of the inferior epigastric artery are at an increased risk for retroperitoneal bleeding. This complication may be avoided by risk-stratifying patients prior to intervention with a femoral angiogram. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Looking at the Forest Instead of Counting the Trees: An Alternative Method for Measuring Faculty's Clinical Education Efforts

Purpose To present an alternative approach to mission-based management (MBM) for assessing the clinical teaching efforts of the faculty in the third and fourth years of medical students' education. Method In fiscal years 2000 and 2001, interviews were conducted with department chairs and faculty members with major responsibilities in education at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Using a standard worksheet, each rotation was categorized according to the amounts of time students spent in five teaching modes. After each department described its rotation and maximum teaching time, the department team and the MBM team negotiated the final credit received for its course. This final determination of departmental clinical teaching was used in subsequent calculations. Adjustments were made to the department clinical education time based on the teaching mode. Groups of medical students were surveyed to determine the relative value of each teaching mode. These relative values were then used to modify the clinical education times credited to the department. The last step was to distribute the effort of the faculty between clinical and educational missions. Results The data analysis showed approximately 57,000 credited faculty hours in one year for direct education of medical students in each curriculum year. These hours equal the annual workload of 28 full-time faculty members. Conclusions A powerful use of MBM data is to move from thinking about resource allocation to thinking about the effective management of a complex organization with interlaced missions. Reliable data on faculty's contributions to medical students' education across departments enhances other MBM information and contributes to a picture of the dynamic interconnectedness of missions and departments.
Climate change is predicted to alter the current pest status of Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis in the United Kingdom

The potato cyst nematodes Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis are economically important plant pathogens causing losses to UK potato harvests estimated at £50 m/ year. Implications of climate change on their future pest status have not been fully considered. Here, we report growth of female G. pallida and G. rostochiensis over the range 15 to 25°C. Females per plant and their fecundity declined progressively with temperatures above 17.5°C for G. pallida, whilst females per plant were optimal between 17.5 and 22.5°C for G. rostochiensis. Relative reproductive success with temperature was confirmed on two potato cultivars infected with either species at 15, 22.5 and 25°C. The reduced reproductive success of G. pallida at 22.5°C relative to 15°C was also recorded for a further seven host cultivars studied. The differences in optimal temperatures for reproductive success may relate to known differences in the altitude of their regions of origin in the Andes. Exposure of G. pallida to a diurnal temperature stress for one week during female growth significantly suppressed subsequent growth for one week at 17.5°C but had no effect on G. rostochiensis. However, after two weeks of recovery, female size was not significantly different from that for the control treatment. Future soil temperatures were simulated for medium‐ and high‐emission scenarios and combined with nematode growth data to project future implications of climate change for the two species. Increased soil temperatures associated with climate change may reduce the pest status of G. pallida but benefit G. rostochiensis especially in the southern United Kingdom. We conclude that plant breeders may be able to exploit the thermal limits of G. pallida by developing potato cultivars able to grow under future warm summer conditions. Existing widely deployed resistance to G. rostochiensis is an important characteristic to retain for new potato cultivars.
Aerosol Measurement: The Use of Optical Light Scattering for the Determination of Particulate Size Distribution, and Particulate Mass, Including the Semi-Volatile Fraction

Abstract The GRIMM model 1.107 monitor is designed to measure particle size distribution and particulate mass based on a light scattering measurement of individual particles in the sampled air. The design and operation of the instrument are described. Protocols used to convert the measured size number distribution to a mass concentration consistent with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency protocols for measuring particulate matter (PM) less than 10 μm (PM10) and less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) in aerodynamic diameter are described. The performance of the resulting continuous monitor has been evaluated by comparing GRIMM monitor PM2.5 measurements with results obtained by the Rupprecht and Patashnick Co. (R&P) filter dynamic measurement system (FDMS). Data were obtained during month-long studies in Rubidoux, CA, in July 2003 and in Fresno, CA, in December 2003. The results indicate that the GRIMM monitor does respond to total PM2.5 mass, including the semi-volatile components, giving results comparable to the FDMS. The data also indicate that the monitor can be used to estimate water content of the fine particles. However, if the inlet to the monitor is heated, then the instrument measures only the nonvolatile material, more comparable to results obtained with a conventional heated filter tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) monitor. A recent modification of the model 180, with a Nafion dryer at the inlet, measures total PM2.5 including the nonvolatile and semi-volatile components, but excluding fine particulate water. Model 180 was in agreement with FDMS data obtained in Lindon, UT, during January through February 2007
SRank: Shortest paths as distance between nodes of a graph with application to RDF clustering

Similarity estimation between interconnected objects appears in many real-world applications and many domain-related measures have been proposed. This work proposes a new perspective on specifying the similarity between resources in linked data, and in general for vertices of a directed graph. More specifically, we compute a measure that says ‘two objects are similar if they are connected by multiple small-length shortest path’. This general similarity measure, called SRank, is based on simple and intuitive shortest paths. For a given domain, SRank can be combined with other domain-specific similarity measures. The suggested model is evaluated in a clustering procedure on a sample data from DBPedia knowledge-base, where the class label of each resource is estimated and compared with the ground-truth class label. Experimental results show that SRank outperforms other similarity measures in terms of precision and recall rate.
Tissue-Expressed B7x Affects the Immune Response to and Outcome of Lethal Pulmonary Infection

B7x (B7-H4 or B7S1), a member of the B7 family, inhibits in vitro T cell proliferation and cytokine production by binding to an unidentified receptor on activated T cells, but its in vivo function remains largely unclear. We show that B7x protein was expressed in epithelial cells of the lung, but not in lymphoid tissues. To investigate the role of B7x in the lung, we determined the susceptibility of B7x-deficient (B7x−/−) mice to a lethal pulmonary infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. B7x−/−, but not B7-H3–deficient, mice were significantly more resistant to S. pneumoniae pulmonary infection than their wild-type (Wt) counterparts. B7x−/− mice had significantly lower bacterial burdens and levels of inflammatory cytokines in lungs as early as 12 h postinfection. They also had milder immunopathology that was localized in alveolar spaces, whereas Wt mice had severe inflammation that was perivascular. Control of infection in B7x−/− mice was associated with a marked increase in activated CD4 and CD8 T cells and fewer neutrophils in lungs, whereas the susceptible Wt mice had the opposite cellular profile. In B7x−/−Rag1−/− mice that lack T cells, reduction in bacterial burden was no longer observed. Control of S. pneumoniae and the increased survival observed was specific to the lung, because systemically infected B7x−/− mice were not resistant to infection. These data indicate that lung-expressed B7x negatively regulates T cells, and that in its absence, in B7x−/− mice, an enhanced T cell response contributed to reduced lethality in a pulmonary infection model with S. pneumoniae.
POLYGYNY AND EXTRA-PAIR PATERNITY IN A POPULATION OF SOUTHWESTERN WILLOW FLYCATCHERS

Abstract Although polygyny can potentially increase male reproductive success, the benefits of this strategy could be offset by losses to extra-pair paternity or reduced offspring survival. We developed microsatellite markers to assess the influence of extra-pair offspring (EPO) on reproductive success and paternity in monogamous and polygynous pairs of the facultatively polygynous Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus). Based on genotypes of 140 offspring from 56 clutches over six years, 14% of nestlings in our study population were extra-pair offspring, with 23% of all successful nests containing at least one EPO. We found that polygynous males produced 2.11 ± 0.35 offspring per season, compared to 1.15 ± 0.18 for monogamous males. This increased reproductive success was due primarily to the increased number of nests of polygynous males, as the number of offspring per pair did not differ between monogamous and polygynous males. Twenty of the 140 genotyped nestlings were extra-pair offspring. Sires could be assigned to 16 of these; one polygynous male sired two EPO in one nest, two monogamous males sired eight EPO in two nests, and four nonterritorial males sired six EPO in four nests. Overall, these results indicate that in this population, females of polygynous males did not raise a disproportionate number of EPO as a result of the polygynous mating strategy of their mate, and that both territorial and nonterritorial males sired EPO.
Enhanced Performance of Nanoporous Titanium Dioxide Solar Cells Using Cadmium Sulfide and Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Co-Sensitizers

This work reports the effect of co-sensitization of nanoporous titanium dioxide using Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) on the performance of hybrid solar cells. CdS nanolayer with different thicknesses was grown on Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles by chemical bath deposition technique with varying deposition times. Both atomic force microscopy (AFM) and UV–Vis–NIR spectroscopy measurements of TiO2 electrode sensitized with and without CdS layer confirm that the existence of CdS layer on TiO2 nanoparticles. AFM images of CdS-coated TiO2 nanoparticles show that the surface roughness of the TiO2 nanoparticle samples decreases with increasing CdS deposition times. Current density–voltage and external quantum efficiency (EQE) measurements were carried out for corresponding solar cells. Both short circuit current density (JSC) and fill factor were optimized at the CdS deposition time of 12 min. On the other hand, a steady and continuous increment in the open circuit voltage (VOC) was observed with increasing CdS deposition time and increased up to 0.81 V when the deposition time was 24 min. This may be attributed to the increased gradual separation of P3HT and TiO2 phases and their isolation at the interfaces. The higher VOC of 0.81 V was due to the higher built-in voltage at the CdS–P3HT interface when compared to that at the TiO2–P3HT interface. Optimized nanoporous TiO2 solar cells with CdS and P3HT co-sensitizers showed external quantum efficiency (EQE) of over 40% and 80% at the wavelengths corresponding to strong absorption of the polymer and CdS, respectively. The cells showed an overall average efficiency of over 2.4% under the illumination of 70 mW/cm2 at AM 1.5 condition.
Gain‐of‐function mutant p53 but not p53 deletion promotes head and neck cancer progression in response to oncogenic K‐ras

Mutations in p53 occur in over 50% of the human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCCHN). The majority of these mutations result in the expression of mutant forms of p53, rather than deletions in the p53 gene. Some p53 mutants are associated with poor prognosis in SCCHN patients. However, the molecular mechanisms that determine the poor outcome of cancers carrying p53 mutations are unknown. Here, we generated a mouse model for SCCHN and found that activation of the endogenous p53 gain‐of‐function mutation p53$^{\rm{R172H}}$, but not deletion of p53, cooperates with oncogenic K‐ras during SCCHN initiation, accelerates oral tumour growth, and promotes progression to carcinoma. Mechanistically, expression profiling of the tumours that developed in these mice and studies using cell lines derived from these tumours determined that mutant p53 induces the expression of genes involved in mitosis, including cyclin B1 and cyclin A, and accelerates entry in mitosis. Additionally, we discovered that this oncogenic function of mutant p53 was dependent on K‐ras because the expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin A decreased, and entry in mitosis was delayed, after suppressing K‐ras expression in oral tumour cells that express p53$^{\rm{R172H}}$. The presence of double‐strand breaks in the tumours suggests that oncogene‐dependent DNA damage resulting from K‐ras activation promotes the oncogenic function of mutant p53. Accordingly, DNA damage induced by doxorubicin also induced increased expression of cyclin B1 and cyclin A in cells that express p53$^{\rm{R172H}}$. These findings represent strong in vivo evidence for an oncogenic function of endogenous p53 gain‐of‐function mutations in SCCHN and provide a mechanistic explanation for the genetic interaction between oncogenic K‐ras and mutant p53. Copyright © 2011 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of multidrug resistance markers ABCB 1 ( MDR-1 / Pgp ) and ABCC 1 ( MRP-1 ) in renal cell carcinoma

Background: Renal cell carcinoma patients respond poorly to conventional chemotherapy, this unresponsiveness may be attributable to multidrug resistance (MDR). The mechanisms of MDR in renal cancer are not fully understood and the specific contribution of ABC transporter proteins which have been implicated in the chemoresistance of various cancers has not been fully defined in this disease. Methods: In this retrospective study the expression of two of these transporter efflux pumps, namely MDR-1 P-gp (ABCB1) and MRP-1 (ABCC1) were studied by immunohistochemistry in archival material from 95 renal cell carcinoma patients. Results: In the first study investigating MDR-1 P-gp and MRP-1 protein expression patterns in renal cell carcinoma patients, high levels of expression of both efflux pumps are observed with 100% of tumours studied showing MDR-1 P-gp and MRP-1 positivity. Conclusion: Although these findings do not prove a causal role, the high frequency of tumours expressing these efflux pumps suggests that they may be important contributors to the chemoresistance of this tumour type. Background Kidney cancer accounts for approximately 2% of all adult cancers. It is the 7th leading cause of cancer in the US with an estimated incidence of approximately 51,000 new cancer cases per year in 2007 [1]. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common tumour arising from the cells in the lining of tubules in the kidney [2]. At the time of diagnosis, 30% of patients will have metastatic or unresectable disease, and the 2-year overall survival of this cohort is <10% [3]. The incidence of kidney cancer is rising; it is 2 times more common in men than women. Risk factors include obesity [4], smoking [5] and hypertension [6]. Published: 24 June 2009 BMC Urology 2009, 9:6 doi:10.1186/1471-2490-9-6 Received: 13 March 2009 Accepted: 24 June 2009 This article is available from: http://www.biomedcentral. com/1471-2490/9/6 © 2009 Walsh et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.