Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Germline passage of mitochondria: quantitative considerations and possible embryological sequelae.

Using a semi-quantitative review of published electron micrographs, we have explored the passage of mitochondria from one generation to the next through the cytoplasm of the human female germ cell. We propose a testable hypothesis that the mitochondria of the germline are persistently 'haploid' (effectively carrying just one mitochondrial chromosome per organelle). For mitochondria, the passage through germ cell differentiation, oogenesis, follicle formation and loss could constitute a restriction/amplification/constraint event of a type previously demonstrated for asexual purification and refinement of a nonrecombining genome. At the restriction event (or 'bottleneck') in the human primordial germ cell, which differentiates in embryos after gastrulation, there appear to be <10 mitochondria per cell. From approximately 100 or so such cells, a population of > or =7 x 10(6) oogonia and primary oocytes is produced in the fetal ovaries during mid-gestation, with mitochondria numbering up to 10000 per cell, implying a massive amplification of the mitochondrial genome. A further 10-fold or greater increase in mitochondrial numbers per oocyte occurs during adult follicular growth and development, as resting primordial follicles develop to preovulatory maturity. So few are the numbers of oocytes that fertilize and successfully cleave to form an embryo of the new generation, that biologists have long suspected that a competitive constraint lies behind the generational completion of this genetic cycle. I propose that maintaining the integrity of mitochondrial inheritance is such a strong evolutionary imperative that features of ovarian follicular formation, function, and loss could be expected to have been primarily adapted to this special purpose. To extend the hypothesis further, the imperative of maintaining mitochondrial genomic integrity in a population could explain why women normally become sterile a number of years before there is depletion of ovarian follicles and endocrine ovarian failure (i.e. why there is 'an oopause' preceding the menopause). Plausible explanations might also follow for several well-known and puzzling reproductive difficulties, including recurrent miscarriage, unexplained infertility, and persistent failure of IVF embryos to cleave or to implant. Current experimental laboratory manoeuvres that might circumvent mitochondrial shortcomings (such as cytoplasmic transfusion and karyoplast exchange) are examined and possible clinical hazards identified.
Number of Different Purging Behaviors Used Among Women With Eating Disorders: Psychological, Behavioral, Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life Outcomes

The objective of this study was to examine differences between a number of different purging behaviors used and outcome measures among eating disorder patients. Among 211 females who received inpatient or partial hospitalization eating disorder treatment, analyses of covariance and cross-tabulations identified associations among a number of different purging behaviors (vomiting, laxative use, diuretic use) used and psychological, behavioral, self-efficacy and quality of life measures at follow-up. Most patients (80.1%) reported purging for weight control. Use of different purging behaviors was significantly associated at follow-up with lower self-esteem, greater depression, higher state and trait anxiety, higher BMI, poorer self-efficacy for normative eating and body image, compromised quality of life, greater dietary restraint, and eating, shape and weight concerns. Furthermore, a higher percentage of those who used purging behaviors met criteria for a subthreshold or threshold eating disorder at follow-up compared to their non-purging peers. Eating disorder patients who use different purging behaviors are more compromised at follow-up than patients who do not purge. Due to the severe medical complications associated with different purging behaviors, future research should address best practices for clinical intervention and prevention.
Cloning, Gene Sequencing, and Expression of the Small Molecular Mass Ubiquinone-binding Protein of Mitochondrial Ubiquinol-Cytochrome c Reductase (*)

The cDNA encoding QPc-9.5 kDa (subunit VII) of bovine heart mitochondrial ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase was cloned and sequenced. This cDNA is 665 base pairs long with an open reading frame of 246 base pairs that encodes an 81-amino acid mature QPc-9.5 kDa. The insert contains 395 base pairs of a 3′-noncoding sequence with a poly(A) tail. The amino acid sequence of QPc-9.5 kDa deduced from this nucleotide sequence is the same as that obtained by protein sequencing except that residue 61 is tryptophan instead of cysteine. The QPc-9.5 kDa was overexpressed in Escherichia coli JM109 cells as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (GST-QPc) using the expression vector, pGEX/QPc. The yield of soluble active recombinant GST-QPc fusion protein depends on the induction growth time, temperature, and medium. Maximum yield of recombinant fusion protein was obtained from cells harvested 3 h postinduction of growth at 27°C on LB medium containing betaine and sorbitol. QPc-9.5 kDa was released from the fusion protein by proteolytic cleavage with thrombin. Isolated recombinant QPc-9.5 kDa showed one protein band in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophroesis corresponding to subunit VII of mitochondrial ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase. Although the isolated recombinant QPc-9.5 kDa is soluble in aqueous solution, it is in a highly aggregated form, with an apparent molecular mass of over 1 million. Addition of detergent deaggreates the isolated protein to the monomeric state, suggesting that the recombinant protein exists as a hydrophobic aggregation in aqueous solution. The recombinant QPc-9.5 kDa binds ubiquinone and shows a spectral blue shift. Upon titration of the recombinant protein with ubiquinone, a saturation behavior is observed, suggesting that the binding is specific and that the recombinant protein may be in the functionally active state.
Benefit of Repeat Multiple Sleep Latency Testing in Confirming a Possible Narcolepsy Diagnosis

Purpose The clinical diagnosis of narcolepsy is usually uncomplicated in the presence of cataplexy. Objective testing is more important in ambiguous disease. The gold-standard objective test in these cases is the multiple sleep latency test (MSLT). Repeat testing can be burdensome but is reasonable when faced with a diagnostic dilemma. However, there is limited evidence to support this approach. In this study, we assessed the diagnostic utility of a repeat MSLT in patients suspected of narcolepsy whose first MSLT result was nonconfirmatory. Methods Of 125 patients who underwent an MSLT between 2004 and 2009, we identified 10 (9.6%) who had undergone repeat studies. We analyzed changes in MSLT parameters while taking account of other relevant differences between testing. Results Two patients (20%) met narcolepsy criteria during the second MSLT. Nine patients (90%) met sleepiness criteria (mean sleep latency <8 minutes) during the second MSLT while only 5 did during the first (P = 0.05). Conclusions We demonstrate that a repeat MSLT confirmed the diagnosis of narcolepsy in 20% of patients whose results had been nonconfirmatory on a first MSLT. This study provides support for a repeat MSLT in cases where clinical suspicion for narcolepsy is high despite an ambiguous first test.
Situation-Aware Data Mining Service for Ubiquitous Environments

The indisputable dominance of mobile and pervasive computing devices and their typical characteristics require services offered to be rethought and sometimes redesigned in order to better assist users. Considering the importance of data mining services to provide intelligence locally on devices on these environments, we propose a data mining service that adapts the embedded data mining algorithm according to situation. Resource-awareness and context-awareness are the essential features that the proposed service will have to provide. Consequently we present a model in which data mining configuration is determined based on context and resources. We separate control and functionality in order to provide more flexibility and comply with existing data mining standards. An adaptable design is attained through definition of situations and strategies. The mechanism used in definition of strategies is an important factor affecting the performance of the control part which determines the configuration of data mining algorithm. Anticipating the importance of the mechanism selection, the paper also presents comparison with three different mechanisms. We designed a situation-aware data mining service favoring adaptability and efficiency as the important features and assessed the alternative representations of its components.
HIV knowledge, stigma, and illness beliefs among pediatric caregivers in Ghana who have not disclosed their child's HIV status

The majority of HIV-infected children in sub-Saharan Africa have not been informed of their HIV status. Caregivers are reluctant to disclose HIV status to their children because of concern about the child’s ability to understand, parental sense of guilt, and fear of social rejection and isolation. We hypothesized that the low prevalence of pediatric HIV disclosure in Ghana is due to lack of accurate HIV information and high HIV stigma among caregivers. This is a preliminary analysis of baseline data of an HIV pediatric disclosure intervention study in Ghana (“Sankofa”). “Sankofa” – is a two-arm randomized controlled clinical trial comparing disclosure intervention plus usual care (intervention arm) vs usual care (control arm) at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH; control arm) and Komfo-Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH; intervention arm). We enrolled HIV-infected children, ages 7–18 years who do not know their HIV status, and their caregivers. Baseline data of caregivers included demographic characteristics; Brief HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (HIV-KQ-18); Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; and HIV Stigma Scale. Simple and multivariable linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between caregiver characteristics and HIV knowledge, stigma, and illness perception. Two hundred and ninety-eight caregivers were enrolled between January 2013 and July 2014 at the two study sites; KBTH (n = 167) and KATH (n = 131). The median age of caregivers was 41 years; 80.5% of them were female and about 60% of caregivers were HIV-positive. Seventy-eight percent of caregivers were self-employed with low household income. In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, HIV negative status and lower level of education were associated with poor scores on HIV-KQ. HIV positive status remained significant for higher level of stigma in the adjusted analyses. None of the caregiver’s characteristics predicted caregiver’s illness perception. Intensification of HIV education in schools and targeted community campaigns are needed.
P3A-6 Non-Invasive Micro-Vascular Ultrasound Elastography: Comparisons with M-Mode Strain Measurements in Rat Models of Hypertension

Noninvasive micro-vascular ultrasound elastography (MicroNIVE) was recently proposed for <i>in</i> <i>situ</i> phenotyping in rat models of hypertension through the assessment of mechanical properties of carotid arteries. This paper reports comparisons between MicroNIVE and M-Mode strain measurements. Brown Norway male rats (n = 5) were investigated over 24 weeks. The common carotid arteries were imaged with an ultrasound biomicroscope equipped with a 40-MHz central frequency probe and an external workstation to collect radio-frequency (RF) data. Time-sequences of RF and M-mode signals were recorded over several consecutive cardiac cycles. MicroNIVE strain cartographies were computed for each pair of successive RF images with the Lagrangian Speckle Model Estimator. Diastolic strain (s<sub>D</sub>) and systolic strain (s<sub>s</sub>) parameters were estimated. M- mode strain estimations were computed as s<sub>M</sub>(t) = (w(t)-w<sub>max</sub> )/w<sub>max</sub> , with w(t) and w<sub>max</sub> being the wall thicknesses at time "t" and at end-diastole, respectively. MicroNIVE diastolic and systolic strains were consistent with a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.75 (p < 10<sup>-11</sup>). M-mode and MicroNIVE strain measurements were correlated with r = 0.74 (p < 10<sup>-5</sup>) between s<sub>M</sub> and s<sub>D</sub> and r = 0.67 (p < 10<sup>-4</sup>) between s<sub>M</sub> and s<sub>s</sub>. Corroborated by Bland-Altman plots, M-mode and MicroNIVE were found in very good concordance.
On the consistent migration of unsplittable flows: Upper and lower complexity bounds

In consistent flow migration, the task is to change the paths the flows take in the network, but without inducing congestion during the update process. Even though the rise of Software Defined Networks allows for centralized control of path changes, the execution is still performed in an inherently asynchronous system, the switches distributed over the network. To this end, a multitude of scheduling systems have been proposed since the initial papers of Reitblatt et al. (Abstractions for Network Update, SIGCOMM'12) and Hong et al. (SWAN, SIGCOMM'13). While the the complexity of consistently migrating splittable flows is well understood, for the practically more relevant unsplittable flows, few non-heuristic results are known — and upper complexity bounds are missing. We give a dynamic programming algorithm for unsplittable flows, showing the containment in EXPTIME, for both computation time and schedule length. In particular, there are cases where flows must switch between paths back and forth repeatedly: as thus, flow migration is not just an ordering problem. We also study lower bounds and show NP-hardness already for two flows, via reduction from edge-disjoint path problems. Lastly, we also discuss some practical application cases for our dynamic programming algorithm, furthermore showing how it can be extended to min-max load considerations.
Correlates of Same-Sex Sexuality in Heterosexually Identified Young Adults

Currently, little is known about heterosexually identified individuals who nonetheless acknowledge same-sex interests. To address this shortcoming, the prevalence of same-sex attractions, fantasies, and experiences among heterosexually identified college students was examined, as well as differences between those who are exclusively heterosexual in their interests and those who are nonexclusive because they report some same-sex attractions or fantasies. Students (N = 243) at a large, Northeastern university completed an online survey providing information about their sexual orientation identity; same- and other-sex attractions, fantasies, and behaviors; and demographic, sexual history, and sexual attitudes variables. Compared to exclusive heterosexual women, nonexclusive women were more liberal in their political and sexual attitudes and had greater sexual experience. Nonexclusive men were virtually indistinguishable from exclusive heterosexual peers on assessed variables. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the nature and meaning of non-heterosexuality in contemporary Western society.
Role of Gregarine Parasite Ascogregarina culicis (Apicomplexa: Lecudinidae) in the Maintenance of Chikungunya Virus in Vector Mosquito

Abstract Ascogregarina culicis and Ascogregarina taiwanensis are common gregarine parasites of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes, respectively. These mosquito species are also known to transmit dengue and Chikungunya viruses. The sporozoites of these parasites invade the midgut epithelial cells and develop intracellularly and extracellularly in the gut to complete their life cycles. The midgut is also the primary site for virus replication in the vector mosquitoes. Therefore, studies were carried out with a view to determine the possible role of these gregarines in the vertical transmission of dengue and Chikungunya viruses from larval to adult stage. Experiments were performed by exposing first instar mosquito larvae to suspensions containing parasite oocysts and viruses. Since Ascogregarina sporozoites invade the midgut of first instar larvae, the vertical transmission was determined by feeding the uninfected first instar larvae on the freshly prepared homogenates from mosquitoes, which were dually infected with viruses and the parasite oocysts. Similarly, the role of protozoan parasites in the vertical transmission of viruses was determined by exposing fresh first instar larvae to the dried pellets of homogenates prepared from the mosquitoes dually infected with viruses and the parasite oocysts. Direct vertical transmission and the vertical transmission of CHIK virus through the oocyst of the parasites were observed in the case of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes. It is suggested that As. culicis may have an important role in the maintenance of CHIK virus during the inter-epidemic period.
The effects of surgically induced right bundle branch block on left ventricular function after closure of the ventricular septal defect

Abstract Objective To determine the long-term significance of right bundle branch block on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function in children subsequent to surgical closure of ventricular septal defect. Methods We studied 26 children who underwent surgical closure of a ventricular septal defect 11 ± 2 years postoperatively by use of conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography, comparing the findings to those obtained from a control group. Of those having surgical correction 14 had postoperative right bundle branch block. Results Irrespective of the presence of right bundle branch block, the peak systolic velocity of the mitral ring was lower in those undergoing surgical correction, with values of 5.2 ± 1.4 cm/s in those with right bundle branch block, 5.4 ± 1.2 cm/s in those without right bundle branch block after surgical correction, and 6.6 ± 1.0 cm/s in the control subjects (p < 0.01). In terms of diastolic function, the early septal velocity of transmitral inflow divided by the early diastolic mitral annular velocity was significantly higher in children with right bundle branch block, at 12 ± 3.0 cm/s compared to 8.4 ± 1.5 cm/s in the control subjects (p < 0.01), but not significantly higher in the children without right bundle branch block after correction compared to the control group. The fractional shortening percentage was similar in both patients and control subjects. The changes noted in left ventricular function were not significantly related to age at surgery, the period of follow-up, or the surgical method. Conclusions Systolic long axis function is significantly reduced in children after surgical closure of ventricular septal defects, irrespective of the presence of right bundle branch block. Diastolic dysfunction, in contrast, was observed primarily in children with post-operative right bundle branch block.
Effects of oral exposure of pigs to deoxynivalenol (DON) sulfonate (DONS) as the non-toxic derivative of DON on tissue residues of DON and de-epoxy-DON and on DONS blood levels

The Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is of outstanding importance in pig nutrition because of its frequent occurrence in cereal grains at levels high enough to cause adverse effects such as a decrease in feed intake and impairment of the immune system. Thus, simple decontamination procedures would be useful. The present study aimed to examine the effects of wet preservation of triticale contaminated with DON and zearalenone (ZON) with sodium metabisulphite (SBS) on the treatment-related non-toxic derivative of DON (DON-sulfonate, DONS), and on ZON and its metabolites in blood and various physiological specimens of piglets. The uncontaminated control triticale (CON) and the DON-contaminated triticale (FUS) were included in the diets either untreated or SBS treated (CON-SBS, FUS-SBS) and fed to piglets for 28 days starting from weaning. The diet concentrations for DON were 0.156, 0.084, 2.312 and 0.275 mg kg−1, for DONS were <0.05, <0.05, <0.05 and 1.841 mg kg−1, and for ZON were <0.001, 0.006, 0.017, and 0.016 mg kg−1 for each of CON, CON-SBS, FUS and FUS-SBS, respectively. DONS was present in the blood of piglets fed the FUS-SBS at a median concentration of 15.5 ng ml−1 (3–67 ng ml−1), while the median DON concentration amounted to 2 ng ml−1 (0–5 ng ml−1) at the same time. The median DON concentration in the blood of piglets fed the FUS diet reached a median concentration of 10.5 ng ml−1 (5–17 ng ml−1). Moreover, the relative differences between the DON concentrations in other physiological specimens (muscle, liver, kidney, bile and urine) in piglets fed the FUS-SBS and the FUS diet were comparable with the blood DON concentration differences. Although these differences can be taken as an indication for DONS stability after absorption and distribution further studies examining DONS in these other physiological specimens directly are necessary to substantiate this conclusion. Moreover, ZON and α-zearalenol could only be detected in bile and urine where their levels were not influenced by the SBS treatment.
GPR investigations of an island aquifer as a contribution to groundwater modelling

The freshwater resources of the North Sea Islands are fed only by precipitation. In the subsurface of the islands, a freshwater lens floats on the saltwater that fills the pore space in this coastal region. The aim of the GPR investigation was to map the shape of the groundwater table as well as sedimentary structures as input parameters for hydrogeological simulation. In total, 20 km of constant offset (CO) radar profiles were measured with centre frequencies of 80 and 200 MHz. Wave velocities were determined by common midpoint (CMP) measurements and vertical radar profiling (VRP) in a monitoring well. The 80 MHz data show a clear reflection at the groundwater table whereas the reflection is blurry and shifted to lower frequencies for the 200 MHz data. This is caused by the gradual increase of water content above the capillary fringe. The GPR results are in good accordance to the observation wells in the area. In the centre of the island the groundwater table is found to be up to 3.5 m above sea level and it sinks down to sea level towards the coast line. Local depressions are observed in the region of the pumping stations of the local water supplier. A sharp horizontal reflection below the water table can be seen on most of the profiles and was identified as a silt loam layer by hand drillings. However, GPR data indicate some scattered gaps in this layer so that hydraulically it acts as an aquitard with leakage. GPR is useful to map the shape of the groundwater table on large areas of the island as addition to point information at observation wells. It gives valuable complementary information that enables an improved model for hydrogeological simulations. These simulations show that with predicted climate change until the year 2100, the salinity of the freshwater in the deeper aquifer near the pumping wells of the local water supplier will increase and thus a relocation of the pumping wells is recommended.