Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interneurons in the Honeybee Primary Auditory Center Responding to Waggle Dance-Like Vibration Pulses

Female honeybees use the “waggle dance” to communicate the location of nectar sources to their hive mates. Distance information is encoded in the duration of the waggle phase (von Frisch, 1967). During the waggle phase, the dancer produces trains of vibration pulses, which are detected by the follower bees via Johnston's organ located on the antennae. To uncover the neural mechanisms underlying the encoding of distance information in the waggle dance follower, we investigated morphology, physiology, and immunohistochemistry of interneurons arborizing in the primary auditory center of the honeybee (Apis mellifera). We identified major interneuron types, named DL-Int-1, DL-Int-2, and bilateral DL-dSEG-LP, that responded with different spiking patterns to vibration pulses applied to the antennae. Experimental and computational analyses suggest that inhibitory connection plays a role in encoding and processing the duration of vibration pulse trains in the primary auditory center of the honeybee. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The waggle dance represents a form of symbolic communication used by honeybees to convey the location of food sources via species-specific sound. The brain mechanisms used to decipher this symbolic information are unknown. We examined interneurons in the honeybee primary auditory center and identified different neuron types with specific properties. The results of our computational analyses suggest that inhibitory connection plays a role in encoding waggle dance signals. Our results are critical for understanding how the honeybee deciphers information from the sound produced by the waggle dance and provide new insights regarding how common neural mechanisms are used by different species to achieve communication.
Impact of a Hospitalist System on Length of Stay and Cost for Children With Common Conditions

OBJECTIVE. This study examined mechanisms of efficiency in a managed care hospitalist system on length of stay and total costs for common pediatric conditions. PATIENTS AND METHODS. We conducted a retrospective cohort study (October 1993 to July 1998) of patients in a not-for-profit staff model (HMO 1) and a non–staff-model (HMO 2) managed care organization at a freestanding children's hospital. HMO 1 introduced a hospitalist system for patients in October 1996. Patients were included if they had 1 of 3 common diagnoses: asthma, dehydration, or viral illness. Linear regression models examining length-of-stay–specific costs for prehospitalist and posthospitalist systems were built. Distribution of length of stay for each diagnosis before and after the system change in both study groups was calculated. Interrupted time series analysis tested whether changes in the trends of length of stay and total costs occurred after implementation of the hospitalist system by HMO1 (HMO 2 as comparison group) for all 3 diagnoses combined. RESULTS. A total of 1970 patients with 1 of the 3 study conditions were cared for in HMO 1, and 1001 in HMO 2. After the hospitalist system was introduced in HMO 1, length of stay was reduced by 0.23 days (13%) for asthma and 0.19 days (11%) for dehydration; there was no difference for patients with viral illness. The largest relative reduction in length of stay occurred in patients with a shorter length of stay whose hospitalizations were reduced from 2 days to 1 day. This shift resulted in an average cost-per-case reduction of $105.51 (9.3%) for patients with asthma and $86.22 (7.8%) for patients with dehydration. During the same period, length of stay and total cost rose in HMO 2. CONCLUSIONS. Introduction of a hospitalist system in one health maintenance organization resulted in earlier discharges and reduced costs for children with asthma and dehydration compared with another one, with the largest reductions occurring in reducing some 2-day hospitalizations to 1 day. These findings suggest that hospitalists can increase efficiency and reduce costs for children with common pediatric conditions.
Simplifying Probabilistic Expressions in Causal Inference

Obtaining a non-parametric expression for an interventional distribution is one of the most fundamental tasks in causal inference. Such an expression can be obtained for an identifiable causal effect by an algorithm or by manual application of do-calculus. Often we are left with a complicated expression which can lead to biased or inefficient estimates when missing data or measurement errors are involved. We present an automatic simplification algorithm that seeks to eliminate symbolically unnecessary variables from these expressions by taking advantage of the structure of the underlying graphical model. Our method is applicable to all causal effect formulas and is readily available in the R package causaleffect.
High Diversity and Abundance of Legionella spp. in a Pristine River and Impact of Seasonal and Anthropogenic Effects

ABSTRACT The diversity and dynamics of Legionella species along a French river watershed subject to different thermal and wastewater discharges during an annual cycle were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and by a fingerprint technique, single-strand conformation polymorphism. A high diversity of Legionella spp. was observed at all the sampling sites, and the dominant Legionella clusters identified were most closely related to uncultured bacteria. The monthly monitoring revealed that Legionella sp. diversity changes were linked only to season at the wastewater site whereas there was some evidence for anthropogenic effects on Legionella sp. diversity downstream of the thermal bath. Quantification of Legionella pneumophila and Legionella spp. by culture and quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed. Whereas only L. pneumophila was quantified on culture media, the qPCR assay revealed that Legionella spp. were ubiquitous and abundant from the pristine source of the river to the downstream sampling sites. These results suggest that Legionella spp. may be present at significant concentrations in many more freshwater environments than previously thought, highlighting the need for further ecological studies and culturing efforts.
Proteomics of ischemia and reperfusion injuries in rabbit myocardium with and without intervention by an oxygen‐free radical scavenger

A brief period of ischemia followed by timely reperfusion may lead to prolonged, yet reversible, contractile dysfunction (myocardial stunning). Damage to the myocardium occurs not only during ischemia, but also during reperfusion, where a massive release of oxygen‐free radicals (OFR) occurs. We have previously utilized 2‐DE and MS to define 57 protein spot changes during brief ischemia/reperfusion (15 min ischemia, 60 min reperfusion; 15I/60R) injury in a rabbit model (White, M. Y., Cordwell, S. J., McCarron, H. C. K., Prasan, A. M. et al., Proteomics 2005, 5, 1395–1410) and shown that the majority of these occur because of physical and/or chemical PTMs. In this study, we subjected rabbit myocardium to 15I/60R in the presence of the OFR scavenger N‐(2‐mercaptopropionyl) glycine (MPG). Thirty‐seven of 57 protein spots altered during 15I/60R remained at control levels in the presence of MPG (15I/60R + MPG). Changes to contractile proteins, including myosin light chain 2 (MLC‐2) and troponin C (TnC), were prevented by the addition of MPG. To further investigate the individual effects of ischemia and reperfusion, we generated 2‐DE gels from rabbit myocardium subjected to brief ischemia alone (15I/0R), and observed alterations of 33 protein spots, including 18/20 seen in both 15I/60R‐treated and 15I/60R + MPG‐treated tissue. The tissue was also subjected to ischemia in the presence of MPG (15I/0R + MPG), and 21 spot changes, representing 14 protein variants, remained altered despite the presence of the OFR scavenger. These ischemia‐specific proteins comprised those involved in energy metabolism (lactate dehydrogenase and ATP synthase α), redox regulation (NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase 51 kDa and GST Mu), and stress response (Hsp27 and 70, and deamidated α B‐crystallin). We conclude that contractile dysfunction associated with myocardial stunning is predominantly caused by OFR damage at the onset of reperfusion, but that OFR‐independent damage also occurs during ischemia. These ischemia‐specific protein modifications may be indicative of early myocardial injury.
Prospective study of circulating factor XI and incident venous thromboembolism: The Longitudinal Investigation of Thromboembolism Etiology (LITE)

Elevated plasma concentrations of coagulation factor XI may increase risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), but prospective data are limited. We studied prospectively the associations of plasma factor XI and a key F11 genetic variant with incident VTE in whites and African‐Americans. We measured factor XI in 16,299 participants, initially free of VTE, in two prospective population cohorts. We also measured the F11 single nucleotide polymorphism rs4241824, which a genome‐wide association study had linked to factor XI concentration. During follow‐up, we identified 606 VTEs. The age, race, sex, and study‐adjusted hazard ratio of VTE increased across factor XI quintiles (P < 0.001 for trend), and the hazard ratio was 1.51 (95% CI 1.16, 1.97) for the highest versus lowest quintile overall, and was 1.42 (95% CI 1.03, 1.95) in whites and 1.72 (95% CI 1.08, 2.73) in African‐Americans. In whites, the F11 variant was associated with both factor XI concentration and VTE incidence (1.15‐fold greater incidence of VTE per risk allele). In African‐Americans, these associations were absent. In conclusion, this cohort study documented that an elevated plasma factor XI concentration is a risk factor for VTE over extended follow‐up, not only in whites but also in African‐Americans. In whites, the association of the F11 genetic variant with VTE suggests a causal relation, but we did not observe this genetic relation in African‐Americans. Am. J. Hematol. 90:1047–1051, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
First‐trimester maternal serum ADAM12‐s and PAPP‐A levels are altered in pregnancies conceived after assisted reproduction techniques (ART)

The objective of this article is to estimate whether the maternal serum levels of A disintegrin and metalloprotease domain 12 (ADAM12‐s), pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A), and free beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (fβ‐hCG) are altered in assisted reproduction techniques (ART) pregnancies.
Ocular surface disease and glaucoma: how to evaluate impact on quality of life.

PURPOSE To record signs and symptoms of ocular surface disease (OSD) in patients treated with Intra Ocular Pressure (IOP)-lowering medications; to evaluate the relationship between signs and symptoms; and to identify how to diagnose and follow OSD and its impact on the quality of life in such patients. METHODS A prospective observational study of enrolled consecutive topically treated open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension patients: patients presenting systemic or ocular conditions that could interfere with ocular surface status were excluded. Enrolled patients underwent a complete ophthalmic examination comprehensive of evaluation of tear film break-up time (TF-BUT) and fluorescein corneal staining (keratitis punctatae) and who completed the Italian version of both the National Eye Institute-Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) 25 and the Glaucoma Symptom Scale (GSS) questionnaires. RESULTS 233 patients adhered to a study protocol. Punctatae keratitis was detected in 70 (30%) eyes; abnormal TF-BUT in 67 (28.8%) patients: 97 patients (42.1%) presented an OSD. The abnormal values were gender-independent, keratitis was statistically related to age (P=0.01) and number of instillations/die (P=0.0007). TF-BUT was related to the IOP value (P<0.0001). The NEI ocular pain subscale was statistically related to TF-BUT (P=0.017); GSS was both related to TF-BUT and punctatae keratitis (P<0.00001). CONCLUSIONS Many patients present an OSD related to therapy, and this affects their quality of life. The use of fixed combinations to reduce surface exposition and of benzalkonium chloride-free formulations should be encouraged to reduce and contain the onset or worsening of this secondary condition in glaucoma patients. The GSS has shown a good relation to signs and should be routinely used to evaluate the impact of OSD on the quality of life.
Mechanisms Underlying Anti-hyperalgesic Properties of Kaempferol-3,7- di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside Isolated from Dryopteris cycadina.

BACKGROUND The present study was designed to evaluate the anti-hyperalgesic effect of kaempferol-3,7-di-O-α-L-rhamnopyranoside isolated from the ethyl acetate soluble part of Dryopteris cycadina. Pretreatment of the compound at the doses of 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg caused a significant reduction in abdominal constrictions in acetic acid-induced writhing test with maximum effect of 63.03% (P < 0.001) at 10 mg/kg i.p. When subjected in formalin test, it evoked a marked antinociceptive effect in both phases in a dose-dependent manner. The maximum (p < 0.01) pain-inhibiting effects were 61.36% and 65.89% in 1st and 2nd phases at 10 mg/kg i.p., respectively. Administration of atropine (non-selective cholinergic receptor antagonist) significantly (p < 0.05) antagonized the antihyperalgesic effect of the compound, while glibenclamide and naloxone did not alter the induced antinociceptive effect and thus, antinociceptive activity of the compound is mediated, at least in part, through cholinergic system antagonism; independent of calcium channel and opioidergic receptor participation. Furthermore, docking studies underlined strong COX-2 inhibitory activity of the compound. RESULT Our data concluded that overall analgesic activity of the compound seems to involve COX-2 inhibition and activation of cholinergic receptors. However, further detailed studies are required in this direction to confirm the analgesic effect of the compound for its possible clinical utility.
Characterization of the Human Transcription Elongation Factor Rtf1: Evidence for Nonoverlapping Functions of Rtf1 and the Paf1 Complex

ABSTRACT Restores TBP function 1 (Rtf1) is generally considered to be a subunit of the Paf1 complex (PAF1C), a multifunctional protein complex involved in histone modification and transcriptional or posttranscriptional regulation. Rtf1, however, is not stably associated with the PAF1C in most species except Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and its biochemical functions are not well understood. Here, we show that human Rtf1 is a transcription elongation factor that may function independently of the PAF1C. Rtf1 requires “Rtf1 coactivator” activity, which is most likely unrelated to the PAF1C or DSIF, for transcriptional activation in vitro. A mutational study revealed that the Plus3 domain of human Rtf1 is critical for its coactivator-dependent function. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies in HeLa cells showed that Rtf1 and the PAF1C play distinct roles in regulating the expression of a subset of genes. Moreover, contrary to the finding in S. cerevisiae, the PAF1C was apparently recruited to the genes examined in an Rtf1-independent manner. The present study establishes a role for human Rtf1 as a transcription elongation factor and highlights the similarities and differences between the S. cerevisiae and human Rtf1 proteins.
Carry me if you can: A utility based forwarding scheme for content sharing in tourist destinations

Message forwarding is an integral part of the decentralized content sharing process as the content delivery success highly depends on it. Existing literature employs spatio-temporal regularity of human movement pattern and pre-existing social relationship to take message forwarding decisions. However, such approaches are ineffectual in environments where those information are unavailable such as a tourist spot or camping site. In this study, we explore the message forwarding techniques in such environments considering the information that are readily available and can be gathered on the fly. We propose a utility based forwarding scheme to select the appropriate forwarder node based on co-location stay time, connectivity and available resources. A higher co-location stay time reflects that the forwarder and the destination node is likely to have more opportunistic contacts, while the connectivity and available resource ensure that the selected forwarder has sufficient neighbours and resources to carry the message forward. Simulation results suggest that the proposed approach attains high hit and success rate and low latency for successful content delivery, which is comparable to those proposed for work-place type scenarios with regular movement pattern and pre-existing relationships.
El utillaje de piedra tallada en la Prehistoria reciente valenciana: aspectos tipológicos, estilísticos y evolutivos

Aquest treball de Tesi Doctoral s'inscriu dins el corrent de revitalitzacio dels estudis d'industria litica tallada per a les etapes mes recents de la Prehistoria (Neolitic, Eneolitic i Edat del Bronze). Fins la decada de 1980, i per a les etapes indicades, la ceramica, un nou element de la cultura material sorgit amb el Neolitic, havia acaparat practicament tota l'atencio com a subjecte i objecte d'estudi, atesa l'alta potencialitat analitica que revestia feta servir, sobretot, per a la caracteritzacio d'horitzons o fases culturals arqueologiques i la seua successio en el temps (establiment de les sequencies cronoculturals). Aquest era el paper tradicional que la pedra tallada havia tingut per als periodes anteriors al Neolitic (Epipaleolitic, Paleolitic), i el que aci se li ha mirat de tornar en part aplicat a la Prehistoria recent valenciana, davall la premissa que la pedra tallada pot introduir matisos a la sequencia cronocultural establida mitjancant la ceramica o, si mes no, completar-la en el sentit d'omplir de major contingut qualitatiu cadascuna de les fases internes. La tipologia estratigrafica es la ferramenta basica per a la definicio o concrecio de sequencies arqueologiques. Aleshores, una atencio especial s'ha posat en l'elaboracio d'una tipologia litica especifica per al Neolitic i les etapes posteriors, que en mancaven d'una definitiva i d'aplicacio generalitzada (ambit mediterrani peninsular). Entre els diferents models a l'abast, s'ha optat -conforme s'exposa al Capitol I de la tesi- per una tipologia morfodescriptiva convencional, inspirada en les del mateix signe existents per al Paleolitic i l'Epipaleolitic, pero adaptada al Neolitic. En aquest proces, s'ha mirat de veure les millores que poden introduir en una tipologia morfodescriptiva les aportacions dels estudis litics d'estil i els tecnofuncionals, a l'hora sobretot de seleccionar els caracters de major significacio tipologica. Els
Superresolution imaging of ribosomes and RNA polymerase in live Escherichia coli cells

Quantitative spatial distributions of ribosomes (S2‐YFP) and RNA polymerase (RNAP; β′‐yGFP) in live Escherichia coli are measured by superresolution fluorescence microscopy. In moderate growth conditions, nucleoid–ribosome segregation is strong, and RNAP localizes to the nucleoid lobes. The mean copy numbers per cell are 4600 RNAPs and 55 000 ribosomes. Only 10–15% of the ribosomes lie within the densest part of the nucleoid lobes, and at most 4% of the RNAPs lie in the two ribosome‐rich endcaps. The predominant observed diffusion coefficient of ribosomes is Dribo = 0.04 µm2 s−1, attributed to free mRNA being translated by one or more 70S ribosomes. We find no clear evidence of subdiffusion, as would arise from tethering of ribosomes to the DNA. The degree of DNA–ribosome segregation strongly suggests that in E. coli most translation occurs on free mRNA transcripts that have diffused into the ribosome‐rich regions. Both RNAP and ribosome radial distributions extend to the cytoplasmic membrane, consistent with the transertion hypothesis. However, few if any RNAP copies lie near the membrane of the endcaps. This suggests that if transertion occurs, it exerts a direct radially expanding force on the nucleoid, but not a direct axially expanding force.
Foot and Ankle Surgery: Considerations for the Geriatric Patient

The growing number of lower-extremity abnormalities that are seen in inpatient and outpatient settings has paralleled the increased number of elderly in the population. Foot and ankle deformities, disorders, and arthritis, which are not manifested until late in life, have become more common as more individuals attain longer lifespans. Although conservative therapies are a priority when addressing the geriatric population, surgical options may be overlooked secondary to a misunderstanding of their ability to overcome perioperative management. Advanced minimally invasive surgical procedures for the foot and ankle have decreased the complications associated with foot surgery, making surgical intervention a viable option for many of the elderly. The newer procedures do not, however, minimize strict perioperative management, including pharmacological and nutritional assessment, and cardiopulmonary precautions. Outpatient surgical intervention may effectively address many ongoing problems associated with pain, decreased ambulation, and decreased quality of life. Current techniques in joint reconstruction in the forefoot and midfoot allow weight bearing from the day of surgery. Most hindfoot and ankle surgeries now permit minimal bone resection and incision through arthroscopy, resulting in improved muscle and tendon repair and early weight bearing. The changes in surgical approaches for the geriatric foot have permitted more effective and rapid intervention in problems affecting ambulation and quality of life in our aged population.
Risk Analysis of Prostate Cancer in PRACTICAL, a Multinational Consortium, Using 25 Known Prostate Cancer Susceptibility Loci

Background: Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic variants associated with prostate cancer risk which explain a substantial proportion of familial relative risk. These variants can be used to stratify individuals by their risk of prostate cancer. Methods: We genotyped 25 prostate cancer susceptibility loci in 40,414 individuals and derived a polygenic risk score (PRS). We estimated empirical odds ratios (OR) for prostate cancer associated with different risk strata defined by PRS and derived age-specific absolute risks of developing prostate cancer by PRS stratum and family history. Results: The prostate cancer risk for men in the top 1% of the PRS distribution was 30.6 (95% CI, 16.4–57.3) fold compared with men in the bottom 1%, and 4.2 (95% CI, 3.2–5.5) fold compared with the median risk. The absolute risk of prostate cancer by age of 85 years was 65.8% for a man with family history in the top 1% of the PRS distribution, compared with 3.7% for a man in the bottom 1%. The PRS was only weakly correlated with serum PSA level (correlation = 0.09). Conclusions: Risk profiling can identify men at substantially increased or reduced risk of prostate cancer. The effect size, measured by OR per unit PRS, was higher in men at younger ages and in men with family history of prostate cancer. Incorporating additional newly identified loci into a PRS should improve the predictive value of risk profiles. Impact: We demonstrate that the risk profiling based on SNPs can identify men at substantially increased or reduced risk that could have useful implications for targeted prevention and screening programs. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(7); 1121–9. ©2015 AACR.