Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Xenogeneic human anti‐pig cytotoxicity mediated by activated natural killer cells

Abstract: Even if hyperacute rejection, which is mediated by human natural antibodies (nAb) and complement, could be prevented, xenoreactive human anti‐pig cellular responses may lead to delayed and/or chronic xenograft rejection. Among the cell populations participating in such rejection, NK cells have been proposed as an important component. In this study we report the in vitro cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells obtained from healthy human donors against porcine target cells. Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and purified NK cells (CD16+/CD56+, CD3‐, CD20‐, CD33‐) exhibited little or no cytotoxic activity when tested on porcine phytohemagglutinin (PHA)‐stimulated lymphoblasts or bone marrow‐ or aortic‐derived endothelial cell lines in the presence of serum‐free medium. Killing was considerably higher in the presence of human decomplemented plasma, containing xenoreactive nAb, or purified Gal(α1,3)Gal‐reactive antibodies, suggesting that antibody dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) mediated by NK cells is an important mechanism involved in xenogeneic cytotoxicity. After incubation of human PBMC for 6 days in the presence of irradiated xenogeneic porcine or allogeneic stimulator cells, or in the presence of exogenous interleukin 2 (IL‐2), the cytotoxic activity of the bulk cultures as well as that of isolated NK cells (separated from stimulated bulk cultures) against xenogeneic targets increased considerably, and corresponded to an increased NK‐specific lysis of K562 target cells. Cell surface staining and flow cytometry showed that CD16+/CD56+, CD3‐ NK cells composed ca. 25% of short‐term (6 days) xenogeneic, allogeneic, or IL‐2 stimulated bulk cultures. In summary, these data suggest that, in contrast to allogeneic cell‐ mediated killing, xenogeneic human anti‐porcine cytotoxicity includes an important contribution from NK cells.
Incidence and distribution of Citrus tristeza virus in citrus cultivars in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria

A survey was conducted on a 33 year old orchard to determine the incidence and distribution of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), genus Closterovirus in different citrus cultivars at National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan, Nigeria. Compound enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (Compound ELISA) was used to detect the presence of CTV in the citrus leaf samples. The results revealed 100% incidence in all the varieties tested. Of all the sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) budded on Cleopatra mandarin rootstock, Washington Navel had the least plant survival of 2 out of the 12 planted with a canopy spread of 7.91 m and fruit yield of 7.00 kg per tree. It also had the highest mean ELISA reading with an absorbance (A405nm) of 3.4780 while Bende had the least titre of 3.2158 with plant survival of 12 out of the 12 trees planted and fruit yield of 57.70 kg per tree. No signifi cant difference was observed in Agege variety of sweet orange budded on different rootstock types and their ELISA values ranged from 3.283 to 3.384. Among the seedling trees, White grape recorded the highest mean ELISA value of 3.4698 while the average ELISA values of the other seedling trees were not statistically different from each other with their titres ranging between 3.2712 and 3.3615. The results establish the pandemic status of CTV in NIHORT orchard. The use of resistant cultivars and cross protection are recommended as effective, economical and environment-friendly means of preventing the incidence and spread of CTV.
Ecology of parasitism of Brown-headed Cowbirds by haematozoa

We quantified haematozoa infections in 964 Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) sampled over three summers in eastern Ontario. Our objective was to use the cowbird–haematozoa system to assess practical and theoretical aspects of testing Hamilton and Zuk's parasite hypothesis of sexual selection. We found that most individuals resampled within and between years were consistently scored as parasitized or unparasitized, although some individuals changed status, including going from parasitized to unparasitized. Many hatching-year birds were parasitized, which suggests substantial early exposure to parasites. Significant variation within and between years in general parasite prevalence, specific parasite prevalence, and intensity of infections indicated that population estimates of parasitism would be highly dependent on when birds were sampled and on the age and sex composition of the sample. Analysis of body condition and within-season recapture patterns indicated that parasitism did not have a negative e.
An Exploratory Study of the use of Video as an Instructional Tool in an Introductory C# Programming Course

This study examines the background of introductory programming concepts and the use of video as an instructional tool. Thirty-five students in an introductory C# class were administered a survey to report data on demographics, usage on video, and opinions about the video. Students were in online and face to face sections of the class. Data were analyzed to determine how students used the videos and to determine if there were differences between the two groups. Multiple aspects analyzed show no difference in use of the online video between face to face and online students.
The European wintering population of Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri reassessed

Summary Prolonged declines in the number of Steller’s Eider Polysticta stelleri wintering in Europe have raised concerns about the conservation status of the Western Palearctic population. Coordinated helicopter surveys of all known wintering areas in Norway and Russia and ground counts in the Baltic in 2009 found c.27,000 Steller’s Eiders, similar to numbers found during the last such survey in the mid-1990s. However, around 85% of the population now winters in Russia compared to 30–50% then. The reasons for this rapid shift in distribution are unknown but are likely linked to climate change. The continuing small population size, specialist feeding and restricted distribution of Steller’s Eider necessitate continued survey and research to track population changes and provide evidence for conservation management actions to safeguard the species.
Management of Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in Cabbage Using Collard as a Trap Crop

Collard greens (Brassica oleracea var. acephala L.) were planted in the periph- eries of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) fields in the spring growing seasons of 1997 and 1998 to evaluate their effectiveness as a trap crop to manage the diamondback moth (DBM) (Plutella xylostella (L.)). The numbers of DBM never exceeded the action threshold for application of insecticides in any of the fields that were completely sur- rounded by collards, but did exceed the action threshold in three of the fields without collards on four sampling dates in 1998. In both years, the numbers of DBM larvae in the collards exceeded the action threshold of 0.3 total larvae/plant in eight of nine fields. Larval counts in cabbage surrounded with collards were not significantly higher than in the conventionally planted cabbage, even though the number of pesticide applications was reduced in the former. The few pesticide applications in fields surrounded by collards probably targeted the cabbage looper (Trichoplusia ni (Hubner)), which was not impeded by the collards from infesting the interior cabbage. There was no significant reduction in marketability, and damage to cabbage was similar to that in fields where collards were planted and in fields where only conventional pesticides were used. The reduced number of pesticide sprays, as well as the high concentration of host larvae in the collards, may help maintain populations of natural enemies of DBM in the agroecosystem. Planting collards in field peripheries is a potentially effective tactic to manage DBM in cabbage.
RAPID LYMPHOCYTE RECOGNITION OF HISTOINCOMPATIBILITY

The mechanism of growth stimulation in allogeneic lymphocytes mixed in vitro was studied at the cell level by means of cytophotometric techniques. A pronounced increase in fluorescence intensity of fixed and acridine orange (AO) stained lymphocytes was observed as soon as after 1–3 hr in mixed culture. No increase in the amount of DNA took place during this time. The higher fluorescence intensity was due to an increased accessibility of AO binding sites in the deoxyribonucleoprotein (DNP) complex, most probably as a result of weakened bonds between the DNA and the protein moiety in the DNP complex. Similar DNP changes have been found in other systems of growth stimulation and may be one prerequisite for later induction of cellular synthetic processes. Increased AO binding only occurred when the lymphocyte donors were incompatible at the major histocompatibility locus (HL-A); there was no change in AO binding in cases of HL-A identity. The AO binding reaction probably reflects a specific recognition of HL-A antigens, whereas other antigenic discrepancies between the individuals do not seem to cause an analogous response.
Climate and the effectiveness of Psyllaephagus bliteus as a parasitoid of the red gum lerp psyllid

Abstract The encyrtid parasitoid Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek was introduced to California in 2000 to control the red gum lerp psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore. Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of regional summer climate (California coastal vs. interior valleys) on P. bliteus performance. Measurements of parasitoid performance, including reproduction and longevity, showed that P. bliteus was adversely affected by the extreme summer heat in the interior valley sites. The results suggest that regional climatic differences can contribute to the lower parasitism rates observed in California's warmer interior valleys. The results are discussed with respect to biological control of G. brimblecombei and the potential limitations of the parasitoid P. bliteus, as well as the possible impact of climate and intraguild predation as alternative hypotheses for the observed variable geographic performance of P. bliteus.
Nitrate in soil water in three Norway spruce stands in Southwest Sweden as related to N-deposition and soil, stand, and foliage properties

N-cycling was studied at three Norway spruce (Piceaabies (L.) Karst. ) sites located within a distance of 30 km in southwest Sweden. Nitrate concentrations in soil water at 50-cm depth differed substantially between the three sites, annual site means being 0, 1, and 9 mg N•L−1. Using simulated runoff, the leaching of inorganic N from the two sites with the highest concentrations was estimated at, respectively, 7–8 and 19–30 kg•ha−1 during the hydrological year 1991–1992. The N-deposition measured as throughfall was 31 kg•ha−1 on the second site, suggesting that it was close to being N-saturated. The differences in nitrate concentration and estimated leaching across sites were not related to differences in forest growth or suggested symptoms of forest decline, such as canopy defoliation and nutrient deficiency. Nitrate concentrations were unrelated to N-deposition in an open field, but positively related to N-deposition in throughfall. However, the difference in N-leaching between the two main sites was muc.
Seed Burial Physical Environment Explains Departures from Regional Hydrothermal Model of Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) Seedling Emergence in U.S. Midwest

Abstract Robust predictions of weed seedling emergence from the soil seedbank are needed to aid weed management. A common seed accession (Illinois) of giant ragweed was buried in replicate experimental gardens over 18 site years in Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, and South Dakota to examine the importance of site and climate variability by year on seedling emergence. In a nonlinear mixed-effects modeling approach, we used a flexible sigmoidal function (Weibull) to model giant ragweed cumulative seedling emergence in relation to hydrothermal time accumulated in each site-year. An iterative search method across a range of base temperature (Tb) and base and ceiling soil matric potentials (&psgr;b and &psgr;c) for accumulation of hydrothermal time identified optima (Tb = 4.4 C, &psgr;b = −2,500 kPa, &psgr;c = 0 kPa) that resulted in a parsimonious regional model. Deviations between the fits for individual site-years and the fixed effects regional model were characterized by a negative relationship between random effects for the shape parameter lrc (natural log of the rate constant, indicating the speed at which emergence progressed) and thermal time (base 10 C) during the seed burial period October through March (r = −0.51, P = 0.03). One possible implication of this result is that cold winter temperatures are required to break dormancy in giant ragweed seeds. By taking advantage of advances in statistical computing approaches, development of robust regional models now is possible for explaining arable weed seedling emergence progress across wide regions. Nomenclature: Giant ragweed, Ambrosia trifida L.
Viranşehir-Kızıltepe Karayolu Kenarındaki Topraklarda Motorlu Taşıtlardan Kaynaklanan Ağır Metal Kirliliği

Viransehir-Kiziltepe KarayoluKenarindaki Topraklarda Motorlu Tasitlardan Kaynaklanan Agir Metal Kirliligi OZETBu calismanin amaci, Mardin Iline bagli Viransehir-Kiziltepe karayoluguzergâhindaki topraklarda trafik kaynakli agir metal kirliliginin boyutlarinibelirlemek, topraktaki agir metal miktarinin kara yolundan olan mesafe ile degisiminiortaya koyabilmektir.Bu amacla karayolunun sag ve sol tarafindan 2’ ser km’ lik 6 farklinoktadan 0, 15, 30 ve 60 metre uzakliklarla 0-15 cm derinlikten dorttekrarlamali olarak toplam 96 toprak ornegi alinmistir. Sonuc olarak,topraklarin ortalama agir metal icerikleri, Pb 0.64-2.24, Cd 0.26-0.40, Ni27-42, Cr 17-28, Cu 9.9-14.2 ve Zn 0.24-0.30 mg kg-1 arasindabelirlenmistir. Elde edilen sonuclar degerlendirildiginde kursun, kadmiyum,nikel, krom, bakir ve cinko icin tum agir metallerin konsantrasyonlaritopraklarda izin verilebilir sinir degerlerine yaklasamamalarina ragmen, cinkoharic mesafeye bagli olarak karayolundan uzaklastikca agir metalkonsantrasyonlarinin azaldigi gorulmustur. Bu durum calisma alanindakitopraklarda gozlenen agir metal birikiminin trafik kokenli oldugunudusundurmektedir. Ayrica, miktar bakimindan topraklarda agir metaller susirayi; Ni>Cr>Cu>Pb>Cd>Zn izlemislerdir.
Self-similarity in species-area relationship and in species abundance distribution

In an influential paper, Harte et al. highlighted the scaling or 'self-similar' character of the power law species-area relationship (SAR), and used this feature to derive a species abundance distribution (SAD) and an endemics-area relationship. Here I show that their analysis was incorrect and leads to unrealistic results. I develop a different approach and obtain different results, both for SAD and for endemism. In particular, I show that the power law SAR is naturally associated with the power law statistical distribution, which is the only self-similar distribution and closely matches empirical SADs. The results in this paper shed light on some of the main issues that have been discussed with regard to SARs: their relationship with the lognormal and with the neutral theory, the relative importance of sampling effects vs other mechanisms, and ' the deviations from a power law. The equations that I develop are simple and easy to apply to field studies.
IL‐37: An anti‐inflammatory cytokine with antitumor functions

IL‐37 is a newly identified IL‐1 family cytokine. Unlike other members in IL‐1 family, IL‐37 has been demonstrated to be an anti‐inflammatory cytokine in many inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. IL‐37 is regarded as a dual‐function cytokine as both the extracellular and intracellular IL‐37 are biologically functional. Extracellular IL‐37 can bind to IL‐18Rα and IL‐1R8 to form a triple complex, regulating the downstream STAT3 and PTEN signaling. Intracellular IL‐37 can interact with Smad3, translocate into nucleus, and regulate downstream target gene expressions. Recently, the role of IL‐37 in tumor development has been extensively studied.
Estimation of aboveground biomass using in situ hyperspectral measurements in five major grassland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau

Aims There are numerous grassland ecosystem types on the Tibetan Plateau. These include the alpine meadow and steppe and degraded alpine meadow and steppe. This study aimed at developing a method to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB) for these grasslands from hyperspectral data and to explore the feasibility of applying air/satellite-borne remote sensing techniques to AGB estimation at larger scales. Methods We carried out a field survey to collect hyperspectral reflectance and AGB for five major grassland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau and calculated seven narrow-band vegetation indices and the vegetation index based on universal pattern decomposition (VIUPD) from the spectra to estimate AGB. First, we investigated correlations between AGB and each of these vegetation indices to identify the best estimator of AGB for each ecosystem type. Next, we estimated AGB for the five pooled ecosystem types by developing models containing dummy variables. At last, we compared the predictions of simple regression models and the models containing dummy variables to seek an ecosystem type-independent model to improve prediction of AGB for these various grassland ecosystems from hyperspectral measurements. Important findings When we considered each ecosystem type separately, all eight vegetation indices provided good estimates of AGB, with the best predictor of AGB varying among different ecosystems. When AGB of all the five ecosystems was estimated together using a simple linear model, VIUPD showed the lowest prediction error among the eight vegetation indices. The regression models containing dummy variables predicted AGB with higher accuracy than the simple models, which could be attributed to the dummy variables accounting for the effects of ecosystem type on the relationship between AGB and vegetation index (VI). These results suggest that VIUPD is the best predictor of AGB among simple regression models. Moreover, both VIUPD and the soil-adjusted VI could provide accurate estimates of AGB with dummy variables integrated in regression models. Therefore, ground-based hyperspectral measurements are useful for estimating AGB, which indicates the potential of applying satellite/ airborne remote sensing techniques to AGB estimation of these grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau.
Estimating the Unseen

We show that a class of statistical properties of distributions, which includes such practically relevant properties as entropy, the number of distinct elements, and distance metrics between pairs of distributions, can be estimated given a sublinear sized sample. Specifically, given a sample consisting of independent draws from any distribution over at most k distinct elements, these properties can be estimated accurately using a sample of size O(k log k). For these estimation tasks, this performance is optimal, to constant factors. Complementing these theoretical results, we also demonstrate that our estimators perform exceptionally well, in practice, for a variety of estimation tasks, on a variety of natural distributions, for a wide range of parameters. The key step in our approach is to first use the sample to characterize the “unseen” portion of the distribution—effectively reconstructing this portion of the distribution as accurately as if one had a logarithmic factor larger sample. This goes beyond such tools as the Good-Turing frequency estimation scheme, which estimates the total probability mass of the unobserved portion of the distribution: We seek to estimate the shape of the unobserved portion of the distribution. This work can be seen as introducing a robust, general, and theoretically principled framework that, for many practical applications, essentially amplifies the sample size by a logarithmic factor; we expect that it may be fruitfully used as a component within larger machine learning and statistical analysis systems.
The Virus-Vector Relationship of the Jute Leaf Mosaic Virus (JLMV) and its Vector, Bemisia tabaci Gen. (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

The study was conducted at Department of Plant Pathology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to find out virus-vector relationship in JLMV of jute during 2010-2011. So far, 12 different diseases have been recorded on jute in Bangladesh. Among these diseases jute leaf mosaic is considered as the most devastating one. The minimum acquisition feeding period of 30 min was required for whitefly on a JLMV source that resulted in 12.5% transmission and for cent percent transmission 48 h AFP was required. A minimum feeding period of 15 min was required by a viruliferous whitefly to cause infection on jute test plants; this gave 10% transmission. With inoculation access of 48 h on jute test plants, the transmission rose to 100%. Starving the vector for 30 min and 5 h pre-acquisition resulted 10 and 100% transmission of JLMV respectively. Extending the fasting period beyond 5 h resulted in a reduced transmission level. Starving the vector for 30 min and 4 h post-acquisition resulted 30 and 95% transmission of JLMV, respectively. Extending the fasting period beyond 4 h resulted in a reduced transmission level. Higher transmission rates were obtained when the younger leaves on tomato plants were used for acquisition and inoculation. The young seedlings up to the age of 20 days were found to be highly vulnerable to the virus.
Time to establish pillars in point‐of‐care ultrasound

Point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) has evolved rapidly and is used by many medical specialties. We propose five essential pillars of PoCUS that are necessary framework for hospital‐based PoCUS training and credentialing programs. The pillars are: governance, infrastructure, administration, education and quality. It is time to establish these pillars to ensure the best practice in PoCUS use.