Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real‐World Effectiveness of Obeticholic Acid in Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with incomplete response to ursodeoxycholic acid are at risk of disease progression and need additional therapy. Obeticholic acid (OCA) was approved in Canada in May 2017, but its effectiveness in a real‐world setting has not been described. We sought to describe our experience with OCA in a Canadian cohort. OCA‐naive patients treated at two Canadian centers were included. Clinical and biochemical data were collected at OCA initiation and during follow‐up. Primary outcomes were changes in serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT), and total bilirubin (TB) over the duration of therapy. Secondary outcomes were changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), immunoglobulin M (IgM), platelets, and albumin; and achievement of the primary endpoint of the original phase 3 study that led to OCA approval (A Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Obeticholic Acid in Primary Biliary Cholangitis [POISE]), dose reductions, discontinuations, and tolerability. Repeated‐measures models were used to assess changes in biochemistry over time. Sixty‐four patients were included; 4 carried a diagnosis of overlap with autoimmune hepatitis. Mean age was 54.6 years, median ALP was 250 U/L, TB was 13 µmol/L, platelet count was 225 × 109/L, and 24% had liver stiffness measurements ≥16.9 kPa. There was a significant reduction in mean ALP of 55 U/L (P < 0.001), GGT of 138 U/L (P < 0.001), ALT of 11.9 U/L (P < 0.001), AST of 5.7 U/L (P < 0.05), and IgM of 0.70 g/L (P < 0.001) over 12 months; TB remained stable (P = 0.98). Forty‐four patients met POISE‐inclusion criteria, 39% (n = 17) of whom had 12‐month biochemical measurements. In this subset, 18% (n = 3/17) met the 12‐month POISE primary endpoint, but considering follow‐up to 19 months, 43% achieved this target (n = 9/21). Pruritus was the most commonly reported complaint. Conclusion: Use of OCA was associated with improvement in biochemical surrogates of outcome in PBC in a real‐world setting.
FEEDING ECOLOGY OF GREAT TITS (PARUS MAJOR) AND BLUE TITS (PARUS CAERULEUS), BREEDING IN SUBURBAN GARDENS

SUMMARY (1) The nestling diet of great tits, Parus major L. (ten pairs), and blue tits, Parus caeruleus L. (eight pairs), breeding in suburban gardens, was recorded using camera nestboxes. (2) Birds breeding in gardens fed their nestlings at a similar rate, and with similar sized prey, to birds breeding in woodland. (3) There was no difference in the type of prey brought by males and females in either species. However, there were significant differences between the species: great tits brought more spiders (Araneae) and Diptera; blue tits more aphids (Hemiptera). Both species brought approximately 15% of the nestlings' food from bird tables (artificial food), although great tits brought significantly more peanuts than blue tits. (4) There was no relationship between the amount of artificial food in the diet, and nestling survival, in either species. (5) The diet of nestljing blue tits changed over a 13-day period. Proportionately more spiders were fed to young nestlings (3-9 days), whilst older nestlings (14-15 days) received more artificial food and aphids. (6) The diet of nestling great tits also varied with age: young nestlings (3-9 days) being fed greater than expected numbers of spiders, earwigs (Dermaptera), and Diptera. (7) In both species, nestling diet was not independent of time of day. Blue tits brought fewer Lepidopteran larvae than expected from 07.00 to 16.00 h, and more aphids. Great tits brought more spiders than expected from 08.00 to 13.00 h, and more Diptera from
Effect of potassium nutrition on mineral composition of mango leaf and ripe fruit

Application of different levels of potassium significantly increased the N, P, K, Zn and Mn contents of mango leaf, but decreased level of Fe. Among different levels of potassium, K1500 g/plant/year showed maximum content of N, P, K, Zn and Mn in mango leaf. The content of N, P, K, Zn and Mn of mango fruit were also increased with the application of K whereas Ca and Fe contents significantly decreased. Higher doses of K showed maximum content of Zn, Mn, P and K in mango fruit, whereas application of K250 g/plant/year showed maximum content of N in mango fruits.
Current and future trends in non–small cell lung cancer biomarker testing: The American experience

Biomarker testing in patients with advanced stage non–small cell lung cancer provides essential information that can be used to select the most appropriate therapy. The regular updates of guideline recommendations reflect the growing number of biomarkers that must be assessed, and as such signal the shift from single‐gene assays to more comprehensive genomic profiling using next‐generation sequencing modalities. Cytology and small biopsy specimens have proven to be more than adequate substrates for these types of ancillary molecular testing; however, other alternative testing substrates are beginning to emerge. These include so‐called liquid biopsies as well the supernatant fluid from cytology specimens, both of which have demonstrated promise for use in the clinical realm. This review will briefly cover the current state of non–small cell lung cancer biomarker testing in the United States, with a focus on these novel nonconventional substrates that are increasingly being incorporated into testing paradigms.
Silverside Diets and Potential Competition in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway: The Invasive Menidia audens versus the Native Labidesthes sicculus.

Silverside Diets and Potential Competition in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway: The Invasive Menidia audens versus the Native Labidesthes sicculus. (May 2009) Kyle Ruby Strongin, B.S., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. William H. Neill I investigated dietary differences, overlap and shifts for two atherinid fish species inhabiting the highly modified Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (TTW) in Mississippi, U.S.A. The Mississippi silverside (Menidia audens) is now common throughout the waterway and apparently invaded from the Tennessee River after man-made connection with the Tombigbee River in the mid 1980s. A subsequent decline in the distribution and abundance of the native brook silverside (Labidesthes sicculus) led to speculation that dietary competition might be involved. I used extant data to test the null hypotheses that diets are not different between the two silverside species in TTW, that dietary overlap between them is random and that no dietary niche shift occurs for either species in the presence or absence of its putative competitor. I accomplished this by quantifying the diet of both species from sympatric and allopatric collections, then using multivariate statistics and null models to test for significant dietary differences, overlap, and niche shifts. The analysis indicated that diets differed significantly between the two species. However, dietary overlap at sites of co-occurrence was greater than expected under conditions of
Interval from rupture of the membranes to delivery and neonatal respiratory adaptation

Summary. The influence of the time interval from rupture of the membranes to delivery on neonatal respiratory adaptation was analysed in a prospective study of all infants born in Goteborg, Sweden in one year. The correlation between the incidence of respiratory disorders and the rupture‐delivery interval was analysed in all preterm infants (≤36 weeks, n=240) and in all term infants born by caesarean section (n=452). A uniform pattern was found for all preterm infants, irrespective of mode of delivery, and for the term infants born by caesarean section. The curve was ‘U‐shape’ with higher incidence of respiratory diseases in infants born immediately after rupture of the membranes than in those born 3–36 h after membrane. rupture. The incidence increased again in infants born >36 h after membrane rupture. The same pattern was found for all kinds of respiratory diseases including idiopatic respiratory distress syndrome. Therefore, there seems to be no advantage in postponing delivery >36h after rupture of the membranes.
Ability of the marine diatoms Pseudo-nitzschia multiseries and P. pungens to inhibit the growth of co-occurring phytoplankton via allelopathy

Diatoms within the genus Pseudo-nitzschia can form near-monospecific blooms in both natural and iron-fertilized high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll (HNLC) regions and can have detrimental impacts on marine ecosystems. Here, we demonstrate the ability of P. pungens isolated from the South China Sea and 2 strains of P. multiseries isolated from the Bay of Fundy, Canada, to produce extracellular compounds capable of lysing and/or inhibiting the growth of multiple phytoplankton species. Since the allelopathic activity was found in both P. multiseries, which produces domoic acid (DA), and P. pungens, which produces little if any DA, the allelopathic effects of Pseudo-nitzschia spp. seem to be unrelated to this compound. Allelopathic inhibition of other phytoplankton was documented during exponential and stationary growth phases of Pseudonitzschia, and the strongest allelopathic effects were obtained from sonicated cultures, suggesting that the sudden release of allelochemicals via processes such as cell lysis or zooplankton grazing may have the strongest effect in an ecosystem setting. Differences in the responses of target species to Pseudo-nitzschia spp. suggest these algae may produce multiple compounds that vary in their allelopathic potency and composition as a function of species, strain, growth stage, and perhaps other factors. Collectively, these results suggest that the allelopathy may affect competition between Pseudo-nitzschia spp. and other phytoplankton and may play an important role in the formation and persistence of natural and iron-fertilized blooms.
Non‐random correlation of species dynamics in tropical tree communities

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Non-random correlation of species dynamics in tropical tree communities F. Jabot, T. Lohier
Endocrine late effects after bone marrow transplant

Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has increased significantly in the last decade and encompasses allogeneic and autologous transplantation of stem cells from bone marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord blood. Bone marrow transplantation is mainly used to treat patients with poor prognosis leukaemia but also other advanced or relapsed cancers and non-malignant disorders, so that now between 30 000 and 40 000 transplants are performed world-wide per year (Horowitz, 1998). The success story in transplantation medicine, however, has resulted in significant endocrine late effects both in children and adults including thyroid, pituitary and gonadal dysfunction, with adverse effects on the growth of children. The relative risk of these adverse events is influenced by the underlying pathological condition, previous treatment for that condition, the use of total body irradiation (TBI) and the irradiation schedule, and the nature and quantity of the cytotoxic drugs used in the BMT preparative regimen.
Aerosol influences on low-level clouds in the West African monsoon

Abstract. Low-level clouds (LLCs) cover a wide area of southern West Africa (SWA) during the summer monsoon months and have an important cooling effect on the regional climate. Previous studies of these clouds have focused on modelling and remote sensing via satellite. We present the first comprehensive set of in situ measurements of cloud microphysics from the region, taken during June–July 2016, as part of the DACCIWA (Dynamics–aerosol–chemistry–cloud interactions in West Africa) campaign. This novel dataset allows us to assess spatial, diurnal, and day-to-day variation in the properties of these clouds over the region. LLCs developed overnight and mean cloud cover peaked a few hundred kilometres inland around 10:00 local solar time (LST), before clouds began to dissipate and convection intensified in the afternoon. Regional variation in LLC cover was largely orographic, and no lasting impacts in cloud cover related to pollution plumes were observed downwind of major population centres. The boundary layer cloud drop number concentration (CDNC) was locally variable inland, ranging from 200 to 840 cm−3 (10th and 90th percentiles at standard temperature and pressure), but showed no systematic regional variations. Enhancements were seen in pollution plumes from the coastal cities but were not statistically significant across the region. A significant fraction of accumulation mode aerosols, and therefore cloud condensation nuclei, were from ubiquitous biomass burning smoke transported from the Southern Hemisphere. To assess the relative importance of local and transported aerosol on the cloud field, we isolated the local contribution to the aerosol population by comparing inland and offshore size and composition measurements. A parcel model sensitivity analysis showed that doubling or halving local emissions only changed the calculated cloud drop number concentration by 13 %–22 %, as the high background meant local emissions were a small fraction of total aerosol. As the population of SWA grows, local emissions are expected to rise. Biomass burning smoke transported from the Southern Hemisphere is likely to dampen any effect of these increased local emissions on cloud–aerosol interactions. An integrative analysis between local pollution and Central African biomass burning emissions must be considered when predicting anthropogenic impacts on the regional cloud field during the West African summer monsoon.
Sexual activity in girls under 16 years of age

Summary. Data on pregnancy, abortion, sexually transmitted disease and cervical dysplasia in girls under the age of 16 years were collected from British and American publications. Over half the pregnancies in girls under 16 ended in induced abortion, and those that continued had increased maternal and perinatal mortality, partly due to failure to attend for care. A prospective study in young teenagers found a high rate of fetal loss in pregnancies that followed abortions. Apart from an increased risk of cervical injury, abortion in girls under 20 carried the same risk of complications as for the American population as a whole. The risk of developing carcinoma of the cervix was doubled in women who began sexual activity before the age of 17 and a large survey found that 1.9% of the girls aged between 15 and 19 years had abnormal cervical cytology. Discouraging sexual activity before the age of consent seems to have a medical as well as a moral basis.
A charge-conversional intracellular-activated polymeric prodrug for tumor therapy

Stimuli-responsive drug-delivery systems have attracted great attention for controlled drug release. The pH value is relatively low in the tumor tissues and the concentration of glutathione is significantly high in the cells. According to these features, a charge-conversional polymeric prodrug that is sensitive to pH and redox is designed. 3,3′-Dithiodipropionic acid modified paclitaxel (DTPA-PTX) and 2,3-dimethylmalefic anhydride (DMMA) are conjugated to the amino groups of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lysine) (mPEG-b-PLL). The surface charge of the obtained mPEG-b-(PLL-co-(PLL-DMMA)-co-(PLL-DTPA-PTX)) nanoparticles (DMMA-NPs) can change from negative at blood pH to positive at tumor extracellular pH, implying that the DMMA-NPs will have a prolonged blood circulation time through avoiding rapid clearance by the reticuloendothelial system and an enhanced cell uptake at the tumor site. Compared to the control group, the in vitro studies show that the DMMA-NPs exhibit effective cellular uptake, rapid intracellular drug release, and significantly enhanced cytotoxicity against MCF-7 tumor cells, owing to the tumor-relevant pH and reductive conditions. These indicate that the charge-conversional DMMA-NPs provide an excellent platform for potential tumor therapy.
Morphological variation and ecological interactions of Australia's apex predator - the dingo (Canis dingo)

VI TABLE OF CONTENTS VIII List of Tables xii List of Figures xiii CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Project overview 2 1.2 Part one: Morphology of the Dingo 3 1.2. 1 Geographical Variation 3 1.2. 2 Geographic variation and the dingo 3 1.2. 3 Hybridisation 4 1.2. 4 Hybridisation and the dingo 4 1.2. 5 Morphological change over time 5 1.3 Part two: ecology of the dingo 7 1.3. 1 Apex predators 7 1.3. 2 Trophic cascade theory 8 1.3. 3 Mesopredator release hypothesis 9 1.3. 4 Ecology of the dingo, Canis dingo, Australia’s apex predator 9 1.3. 5 Dingo induced trophic cascades within the arid region 10 1.3. 6 Dingo induced trophic cascades within the forest region 11 1.3. 7 Dingo induced mesopredator release within the forest region 12 1.4 Dingo legislation and management 13 1.5 Thesis objectives 14 1.6 References 16
Effects of dietary transgenic Bt corn pollen on larvae of Apis mellifera and Galleria mellonella

SUMMARY The effects of dietary transgenic Bt corn pollen on 4–5–day-old honey bee worker larvae were examined. We measured larval and pupal mortalities, pupal weight, and haemolymph protein concentration of newly emerged adults after they were fed (as larvae) various pollens (mixed bee pollen, non-transgenic corn pollen, Cry1A(b) or Cry1F corn pollen). There were no significant differences in all the parameters tested between larvae fed transgenic Bt corn pollen Cry1 A(b) or Cry1 F and non-transgenic corn pollen. We also evaluated Bt corn pollen as a potential control for wax moth larvae in a laboratory study. We fed first instar wax moth larvae three types of pollen: non-transgenic corn pollen, Cry1 A(b) corn pollen, and Cry1F corn pollen. We found that the mortality of larvae fed Cry1 F corn pollen was significantly greater than the mortality of larvae fed Cry1 A(b) corn pollen or non-transgenic corn pollen (P < 0.05). In each trial Cry1 F fed larvae showed 100% mortality. Our studies suggest that transgenic Bt corn pollen does not pose a threat to honey bee larval development and has the potential to serve as an alternative control for wax moth.
Pollen morphology and its taxonomic significance in the genus Bomarea Mirb. (Alstroemeriaceae) - I. Subgenera Baccata, Sphaerine, and Wichuraea

Pollen morphology of 24 of the 33 species of three Bomareasubgenera, Baccata, Sphaerine, andWichuraea, was examined by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), or SEM alone. The studied species ofBomarea were stenopalynous, characterized by large, monosulcate monads with reticulate exine sculpture in most species. Opercula-like structures were present on the sulcus in B.huanucoand B.involucrosa. Differences in pollen size, exine thickness, and exine sculpture were observed. The studied taxa were divided into four major groups based on exine ornamentation observed under SEM: microreticulate, reticulate, coarsely rugulate, or finely rugulate-perforate. Pollen characters alone did not appear to correlate clearly with the current subgeneric classification of Bomarea, but they may have some taxonomic utility below the subgeneric level. The most reliable infrageneric classification of Bomarea can be achieved through combined analyses of morphological, palynological, and molecular data from larger samples of specimens of all the species.
Role of &bgr;-catenin in pathogenesis of basal and squamous cell carcinomas: an immunohistochemical study

Background Approximately 60% of nonmelanoma skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and 20 percent are squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Despite the increasing incidence of both BCCs and SCCs, its pathogenesis has remained largely unknown. Recently, there is evidence that the Wnt-mediated signalling pathway may be involved in the pathogenesis. One of the important signal transducers involved in the Wnt pathway is &bgr;-catenin. We aimed to determine the immunohistochemical expression and role of &bgr;-catenin in the pathogenesis of BCCs and SCCs. Materials and methods This study included 20 cases of BCC (16 solid type, two morphea type and two adenoid basal types), 15 cases of SCC and five cases of normal skin as a control group. BCC cases were divided into 12 cases with microscopic infiltrative base and nine cases with a well-circumscribed base. The localization of &bgr;-catenin in the tumour and normal cells was determined in each case. Results Positive &bgr;-catenin staining was identified as brown nuclear or nucleocytoplasmic staining. In SCC, 10 cases (66.6%) showed strong nuclear expression of &bgr;-catenin and five cases (33.3%) showed weak nucleocytoplasmic expression of &bgr;-catenin, whereas in BCC, 10 cases (50%) showed strong nuclear expression of &bgr;-catenin. The strong expression of &bgr;-catenin was correlated with higher tumour grade and stage. Conclusion The presence of nuclear expression of &bgr;-catenin in most cases of BCC and SCC and its correlation with the higher grade and stage indicate that &bgr;-catenin plays a role in the pathogenesis of both BCC and SCC.
Testing Video Playback to Lizards in the Field

Video and computer technology have emerged as a powerful tool for controlling visual stimuli and investigating questions about perception in a variety of animal taxa, including spiders (Clark and Uetz, 1990, 1992, 1994), birds (Evans and Marler, 1991; Evans et al., 1993a, 1993b), lizards (Macedonia et al., 1994; Macedonia and Stamps, 1994), anuran amphibians (Roster et al. 1995), and teleost fishes (Rosenthal et al., 1996; Rowland et al., 1995a, 1995b). Video playback and computer animation of test stimuli afford several benefits over