Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studying plant–pollinator interactions in a changing climate: A review of approaches

Plant–pollinator interactions are potentially at risk due to climate change. Because of the spatial and temporal variation associated with the effects of climate change and the responses of both actors, research to assess this interaction requires creative approaches. This review focuses on assessments of plants' and pollinators' altered phenology in response to environmental changes, as phenology is one of the key responses. I reviewed research methods with the goal of presenting the wide diversity of available techniques for addressing changes in these interactions. Approaches ranged from use of historical specimens to multisite experimental community studies; while differing in depth of historical information and community interactions, all contribute to assessment of phenology changes. Particularly insightful were those studies that directly assessed the environmental changes across spatial and temporal scales and the responses of plants and pollinators at these scales. Longer-term studies across environmental gradients, potentially with reciprocal transplants, enable an assessment of climate impacts at both scales. While changes in phenology are well studied, the impacts of phenology changes are not. Future research should include approaches to address this gap.
Expression of CD70 in nasal natural killer/T cell lymphoma cell lines and patients; its role for cell proliferation through binding to soluble CD27

Nasal natural killer (NK)/T cell lymphoma (NNKTL) is associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). The present study analysed gene expression patterns of the NNKTL cell lines SNK6, SNK1 and SNT8, which are positive for EBV and latent membrane protein (LMP)‐1, using a complementary DNA array analysis. We found that CD70 was specifically expressed in SNK6 and SNT8. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometric analyses confirmed that CD70 was expressed in all 3 NNKTL cell lines, but not in the other EBV‐positive NK‐cell lines. In vitro studies showed that NNKTL cell lines proliferated, in a dose‐dependent fashion, in response to exogenous soluble CD27, which is the ligand for CD70. In NNKTL patients, we confirmed that the CD70 was expressed on the lymphoma cells in NNKTL tissues and that soluble CD27 was present in sera at higher levels as compared to healthy individuals. Finally, complement‐dependent cytotoxicity assay showed that anti‐CD70 antibody mediated effective complement‐dependent killing of NNKTL cells and the affected target CD70 expression on the cells. These results suggest that CD70 acts as a functional receptor binding to soluble CD27, resulting in lymphoma progression and that immunotherapy using anti‐CD70 antibody may be a potential candidate for treatment for NNKTL.
A digital photographic method for 3D reconstruction of standing tree shape

A digital photographic method is presented which is able to reconstruct the profile of the stem on standing trees up to a height of 12 m and to provide a fine level of detail. The method uses two digital photographs taken at 90° to each other and does not require special illumination conditions. A method is proposed to perform the data acquisition process from the two photographs and to transform the stem dimensions and 3-D position from pixels to units of length. The accuracy of this method for measuring tree shape was tested by comparing the results with those obtained from a laser system. The comparison showed that the photographic method provides a good assessment of standing tree shape. RésuméLa méthode photographique présentée dans cet article permet la reconstruction en 3D du profil du tronc d’arbres sur pied jusqu’à une hauteur de 12 m. On utilise un appareil photo numérique pour faire deux prises de vue orientées à 90° l’une de l’autre. Il n’y a pas de contrainte particulière d’éclairage. Le traitement des images conduit à la représentation tridimensionnelle des tiges et à la mesure des indicateurs de forme. La précision de la méthode proposée est évaluée par référence à des mesures réalisées avec un théodolite à visée laser. Les résultats montrent que la méthode photographique permet des mesures précises de la forme des arbres.
T cells are necessary and critical for xenograft rejection in new concordant cardiac xenotransplant model.

BACKGROUND A new vascularized concordant xenotransplant model using the Chinese hamster as donor and mouse as recipient species is reported. This model takes advantage of the wealth of informative immune reagents and knockout and transgenic backgrounds available for the mouse. METHODS Heterotopic auxillary cardiac transplantation was performed. The mean survival time was assessed by daily palpation. Xenoreactive antibody production was measured by flow cytometry, and cardiac xenografts were examined by light microscopy. RESULTS The tempo of xenograft rejection in this model is consistent with concordant species combination. IgM and IgG3 responses were not critical for the concordant xenograft rejection. Long-term survival (>100 days) of the concordant cardiac xenografts was observed without any immunosuppression in nude mice. Reconstitution of nude mice with CD3+ T cells induced the xenograft rejection in 5.7 days (P<0.01). CONCLUSION This new concordant cardiac xenotransplant model demonstrates that T-dependent xenogeneic immune response is necessary and critical for the xenograft rejection.
Mineralocorticoid receptor modulators: a patent review (2007 – 2012)

Introduction: Considered for years as a ‘renal hormone’ leading to the control of renal excretion of minerals (explaining the term ‘mineralocorticoid’ used to describe this hormone), aldosterone is now recognized as a key factor in several diseases including hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmia, metabolic and kidney diseases, to cite only a few of them. Areas covered: In this review article, the authors aim to cover information provided by patents of the years 2007 through 2012. The rationale of writing this article is to cover the most important patents that can progress the field with new important discoveries. Expert opinion: The recognition of its proinflammatory and fibrogenic effects and the discovery of extrarenal sites of expression of its receptor (the mineralocorticoid receptor or MR) support a broader implication in diseases of MR activation than previously anticipated and the possible novel therapeutic indications of MR antagonists.
Selective Modulation of Paracortical Dendritic Cells and T‐Lymphocytes in Breast Cancer Sentinel Lymph Nodes

Abstract: Sentinel nodes (SNs), the nodes nearest a primary tumor on the direct lymphatic drainage path, are the site of earliest metastases, and in melanoma show striking immune modulation. We evaluated SNs from breast cancer patients for evidence of similar immune perturbation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether SNs from patients with breast cancer show the alterations in the histology and cytology of the paracortical areas seen in SNs from patients with melanoma. Formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded sections from 32 SNs and 32 nonsentinel nodes (NSNs) from patients with breast cancer were evaluated. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and with antibodies to S‐100 protein and HLA‐DR, DQ, and DP to identify interdigitating dendritic cells (IDCs), and by an antibody to CD43RA to delineate T lymphocytes. By computerized image analysis we evaluated the distribution, frequency, immunophenotype, and activation status of IDCs and associated T lymphocytes in SNs and NSNs. Average areas occupied by S‐100‐positive dendritic cells (DCs) in SNs and NSNs were 0.13% and 19.98%, respectively, of total nodal area (p < 0.0001). The average density of S‐100‐positive IDCs in SNs was 11.00/mm2 and in NSNs was 257.88/mm2 (p < 0.0001). In SNs 43.55% of DCs (4.93/mm2) were nondendritic, 51.92% (5.69/mm2) had short dendrites, and 5.2% were mature with long dendrites (0.62/mm2). In SNs the ratio of immature to mature IDCs was 7.95:1. In NSNs, 8.09% of DCs (8.5/mm2) were nondendritic, 28.22% (67.46/mm2) had short dendrites, and 63.07% (145.96/mm2) were mature DCs with long dendrites. The ratio of immature to mature DCs in NSNs was 1:6.66. The average areas occupied by HLA class II‐positive DCs in SNs and NSNs were 4.21% and 31.82%, respectively, of total nodal area. The frequency of coexpression of S‐100 and HLA class II by immature IDCs without dendrites was 11.27% in SNs and 15.00% in NSNs. In both SNs and NSNs (p < 0.001) all mature S‐100‐positive IDCs with long dendrites expressed HLA class II. CD43RA‐positive T lymphocytes occupied 20.06% of total nodal area in SNs and 63.57% in NSNs (p < 0.0001). The SNs from breast cancer patients are profoundly immune modulated with, by comparison to NSNs, markedly reduced paracortical areas, densities of paracortical DCs, frequency of S‐100‐positive IDCs coexpressing HLA class II, and a predominance of immature nondendritic and poorly dendritic DCs.
The Relationship Among Demographic Variables, Professionalism, and Level of Involvement in a State Occupational Therapy Association

Research on professional occupations has defined varying criteria that an occupation must meet to be considered a profession. Involvement by the members in their professional organization is a recurrent theme. A questionnaire consisting of Hall's Occupational Inventory, an involvement scale, and a demographic survey was used to determine the relationship among three factors of the Indiana Occupational Therapy Association members: (a) demographics, (b) professional attributes, and (c) involvement in a state occupational therapy organization. Determining these relationships is significant for understanding membership and involvement in a state occupational therapy association. Findings indicated significant differences in terms of hourly involvement in a state occupational therapy association between respondents with entry-level and post-professional degrees and respondents who were married and those who were not married.
A first step towards translating evidence into practice: heart failure in a community practice-based research network.

OBJECTIVE To determine the validity of an electronic health record (EHR) in the identification of patients with left ventricular dysfunction in a primary care setting. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SETTING Nine clinics participating from the Providence Research Network (PRN) comprising 75 physicians serving approximately 200,000 patients. All clinics utilise the Logician EHR for all patient care activities. PATIENTS The study included all PRN patients with an active chart. INTERVENTIONS All patients with a heart failure diagnosis in the problem list were identified by database query. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data were identified through query of local cardiology and hospital echocardiography databases. Additional LVEF data were sought in a manual search of paper charts. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS To determine the problem list coding accuracy for a heart failure (HF) diagnosis we evaluated sensitivity, positive predictive value and related derived statistical measures using documented LVEF as the 'gold standard'. Of 205 755 active PRN patients, 1731 were identified with a problem list entry of HF. Based on comparison with documented LVEF, the sensitivity for problem list entry was 43.9% and 54.4% when HF was defined as an LVEF < or = 55% and < or = 40%, respectively. CONCLUSION The validity of an EHR problem list entry of HF was poor. The problem list validity could be enhanced through reconciliation with other data sources. Inaccurate EHR problem lists may have clinical consequences, including underprescribing of beneficial therapies.
Successful Goal-Directed Memory Suppression is Associated With Increased Inter-Hemispheric Coordination Between Right and Left Frontoparietal Control Networks

The neural basis of suppressing conscious access to one’s own memories has recently received considerable attention, with several studies suggesting this process engages frontal-parietal cognitive control regions. However, researchers to date have not examined the way right and left hemisphere cognitive control networks coordinate with one another to accomplish this. We had 48 participants (25 female) complete a Think/No Think (T/NT) task for memories of emotionally unpleasant visual scenes while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used generalized psychophysiologic interaction analyses to examine functional connectivity between right and left hemisphere frontal-parietal regions during memory suppression. Participants who were better at memory suppression, as assessed by greater numbers of forgotten memories in the NT than T conditions, also showed greater functional connectivity between multiple right and left hemisphere control regions. This suggests that individual differences in memory suppression ability may be partially explained by differences in task-specific inter-hemispheric coordination.
Human beta-defensin-2 production in keratinocytes is regulated by interleukin-1, bacteria, and the state of differentiation.

Intact human epidermis resists invasion by pathogenic microbes but the biochemical basis of its resistance is not well understood. Recently, an antimicrobial peptide, human beta-defensin-2, was discovered in inflamed epidermis. We used a recombinant baculovirus/insect cell system to produce human beta-defensin-2 and confirmed that at micromolar concentrations it has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity, with the striking exception of Staphylococcus aureus. Immunostaining with a polyclonal antibody to human beta-defensin-2 showed that the expression of human beta-defensin-2 peptide by human keratinocytes required differentiation of the cells (either by increased calcium concentration or by growth and maturation in epidermal organotypic culture) as well as a cytokine or bacterial stimulus. Interleukin-1alpha, interleukin-1beta, or live Pseudomonas aeruginosa proved to be the most effective stimuli whereas other bacteria and cytokines had little or no ability to induce human beta-defensin-2 synthesis. In interleukin-1alpha-stimulated epidermal cultures, human beta-defensin-2 first appeared in the cytoplasm in differentiated suprabasal layers of skin, next in a more peripheral web-like distribution in the upper layers of the epidermis, and then over a few days migrated to the stratum corneum. By semiquantitative Western blot analysis of epidermal lysates, the average concentration of human beta-defensin-2 in stimulated organotypic epidermal culture reached 15--70 microg per gram of tissue, i.e., 3.5-16 microM, well within the range required for antimicrobial activity. Because of the restricted pattern of human beta-defensin-2 distribution in the epidermis, its local concentration must be much higher. Defensins and other antimicrobial peptides of inflamed epidermis are likely to play an important antimicrobial role in host defense against cutaneous pathogens.
Sorbitol‐fermenting bifidobacteria as indicators of diffuse human faecal pollution in estuarine watersheds

Sorbitol fermenting bifidobacteria were evaluated as indicators of non‐point source human faecal pollution to three sub‐estuaries with elevated faecal coliform densities. Human‐specific bifidobacteria correlated with identifiable human sanitary deficiencies in feeder streams to estuarine creeks in two of three watersheds examined, one rural and one moderately developed. Sorbitol‐fermenting bifidobacteria were recovered at densities ranging from 1 to 90 colony‐forming‐units 100 ml−1 in 11 of 258 water samples but were undetected in sediment (n = 68) and scat from resident wildlife (deer, muskrat and raccoon, n = 20). Failure to detect sorbitol‐fermenting bifidobacteria in water samples during the summer months was consistent with laboratory microcosm results showing non‐recoverability of Bifidobacterium adolescentis after 5–9 d in membrane‐filtered estuarine water at 23 and 30 °C, but persistence for 4 weeks at 10 °C. Persistence of sewage‐derived bifidobacteria in membrane‐filtered freshwater at 15 °C was also observed. Recovery of sorbitol‐fermenting bifidobacteria was complicated by high background levels of Gram‐positive rods and cocci. Use of propionic acid and reduced pH (pH = 5·0), or use of a two‐step resuscitation protocol using non‐selective and selective media, did not improve recovery. Although human specific bifidobacteria hold promise as indicators of diffuse faecal contamination, methodological constraints now limit its application to situations of gross contamination, or sampling potential sources during environmental conditions conducive to bifid persistence.
Insulin resistance after abdominal surgery

A study was carried out to determine the time course and degree of postoperative insulin resistance in patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery. Mean(s.e.m.) insulin sensitivity was determined before and on the first (n = 10), fifth, ninth and 20th (n = 5) days after elective open cholecystectomy using the normoglycaemic (4·7(0·1) mmol/1), hyperinsulinaemic (402(12) pmol/1) glucose clamp technique. Preoperative insulin sensitivity expressed as the M value varied from 2·3 to 8·2 mg per kg per min. The relative reduction in insulin sensitivity was most pronounced on the first day after surgery, at a mean(s.e.m.) of 54(2) per cent. Thereafter, a large variation between individuals was found during the course of recovery, and insulin sensitivity returned to normal 20 days after operation. On the first day after surgery, plasma concentrations of glucose, C peptide, noradrenaline and glucagon were slightly but significantly higher than before operation (P < 0·05), whereas insulin, growth hormone, cortisol and adrenaline levels were unaltered. Marked insulin resistance thus develops after elective upper abdominal surgery and persists for at least 5 days after operation. Factors other than simultaneous changes in levels of the hormones studied seem to regulate the maintenance of postoperative insulin resistance.
MRI evaluation of axonal reorganization after bone marrow stromal cell treatment of traumatic brain injury

We treated traumatic brain injury (TBI) with human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) and evaluated the effect of treatment on white matter reorganization using MRI. We subjected male Wistar rats (n = 17) to controlled cortical impact and either withheld treatment (controls; n = 9) or inserted collagen scaffolds containing hMSCs (n = 8). Six weeks later, the rats were sacrificed and MRI revealed selective migration of grafted neural progenitor cells towards the white matter reorganized boundary of the TBI‐induced lesion. Histology confirmed that the white matter had been reorganized, associated with increased fractional anisotropy (FA; p < 0.01) in the recovery regions relative to the injured core region in both treated and control groups. Treatment with hMSCs increased FA in the recovery regions, lowered T2 in the core region, decreased lesion volume and improved functional recovery relative to untreated controls. Immunoreactive staining showed axonal projections emanating from neurons and extruding from the corpus callosum into the ipsilateral cortex at the boundary of the lesion. Fiber tracking (FT) maps derived from diffusion tensor imaging confirmed the immunohistological data and provided information on axonal rewiring. The apparent kurtosis coefficient (AKC) detected additional axonal remodeling regions with crossing axons, confirmed by immunohistological staining, compared with FA. Our data demonstrate that AKC, FA, FT and T2 can be used to evaluate treatment‐induced white matter recovery, which may facilitate restorative therapy in patients with TBI. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel non-linear equivalent circuit extraction scheme for microwave field-effect transistors

Non-linear equivalent circuits of microwave field-effect transistors (MESFET's, HEMT's) are now recognised to be of prime importance for the accurate design of microwave circuits, especially in monolithic technology. Many topologies have been proposed so far, together with extraction techniques [1-8]; recently, also some fundamental problems of physical consistency have been recognised and addressed [9, 10]. In the present work we propose an extended topology of the equivalent circuit that correctly represents the physical structure of the transistor and allows the fulfilment of the mentioned consistency constraints. For this circuit a practical extraction method is proposed, for the accurate and non-destructive evaluation of parasitic and intrinsic elements of the equivalent circuit. In addition, an altemative extraction method is introduced, that allows the simultaneous identification of both the bias dependent intrinsic elements and the reactive parasitic elements, at standard full-bias operating conditions.
Multi-modal Biomarkers to Discriminate Cognitive State

Multimodal biomarkers based on behavorial, neurophysiolgical, and cognitive measurements have recently obtained increasing popularity in the detection of cognitive stressand neurological-based disorders. Such conditions are significantly and adversely affecting human performance and quality of life for a large fraction of the world’s population. Example modalities used in detection of these conditions include voice, facial expression, physiology, eye tracking, gait, and EEG analysis. Toward the goal of finding simple, noninvasive means to detect, predict and monitor cognitive stress and neurological conditions, MIT Lincoln Laboratory is developing biomarkers that satisfy three criteria. First, we seek biomarkers that reflect core components of cognitive status such as working memory capacity, processing speed, attention, and arousal. Second, and as importantly, we seek biomarkers that reflect timing and coordination relations both within components of each modality and across different modalities. This is based on the hypothesis that neural coordination across different parts of the brain is essential in cognition (Figure 1). An example of timing and coordination within a modality is the set of finely timed and synchronized physiological components of speech production, while an example of coordination across modalities is the timing and synchrony that occurs across speech and facial expression while speaking. Third, we seek multimodal biomarkers that contribute in a complementary fashion under various channel and background conditions. In this chapter, as an illustration of this biomarker approach we focus on cognitive stress and the particular case of detecting different cognitive load levels. We also briefly show how similar feature-extraction principles can be applied to a neurological condition through the example of major depression disorder (MDD). MDD is one of several neurological disorders where multi-modal biomarkers based on principles of timing and coordination are important for detection [11]-[22]. In our cognitive load experiments, we use two easily obtained noninvasive modalities, voice and face, and show how these two modalities can be fused to produce results on par with more invasive, “gold-standard” EEG measurements. Vocal and facial biomarkers will also be used in our MDD case study. In both application areas we focus on timing and coordination relations within the components of each modality.