Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infections of the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus L., with the plerocercoid larvae of Schistocephalus solidus (Müller, 1776), with special reference to pathological effects

Infections are described of Gasterosteus aculeatus in a pond at Leeds with the plerocercoid larvae of Schistocephalus solidus. Very heavy infections were found in the summer of 1962 and early 1963; many fish harboured over 50 worms and the maximum was 130. For each individual host the relative percentage parasite-weight to host-weight has been determined (parasitization index). In more than 50% of the fish the P.I. exceeded 25; the maximum value was 68·5. The relationship between P.I. , numbers of worms and weight of worms is described. Some effects of parasitization on the host are described; they include gross distension of the body, reduction of liver weight, reduction of packed cell volume of erythrocytes and delay in oocyte maturation. In some heavily parasitized individuals spawning is apparently inhibited. Concurrent infections with the microsporidian Glugea anomala are described. Our thanks are due to Mr A. Rennie, B.Sc., of the Yorkshire Ouse and Hull River Authority for drawing our attention to the source of infected sticklebacks, to Mr A. O. Holliday for the preparation of photographs and to Mr G. R. Standley for assistance in the preparation of the slide shown in PI. 1, fig. 3. We also wish to thank Dr J. N. Ball, Department of Zoology, University of Sheffield, for his helpful comments on the gonads of infected fish, and Professor J. M. Dodd, Department of Zoology, University of Leeds, for providing facilities and much helpful discussion. One of us (C. A.) gratefully acknowledges the receipt of a Science Research Council Research Studentship and Fellowship.
Developmental Expression of the Homeodomain Protein IDX-1 in Mice Transgenic for an IDX-1 Promoter/lacZ Transcriptional Reporter1.

Expression of the homeodomain transcription factor IDX-1 (also known as IPF-1, STF-1, and PDX-1) is required for pancreas development, because disruption of the gene in mice and humans results in pancreatic agenesis. During embryonic development the idx-1 gene is first expressed in a localized region of foregut endoderm from which the duodenum and pancreas later develop. To more fully understand the role of IDX-1 in pancreas development, transgenic mice expressing the Escherichia coli lacZ gene under control of the 5′-proximal 4.6 kb of the idx-1 promoter were created as a reporter for the developmental expression of IDX-1. Here we show that the determinants for the developmental and tissue-specific expression of the endogenous idx-1 gene are faithfully reproduced by the 4.6-kb region of the idx-1 promoter. Expression of lacZ is detected in the development of the exocrine and endocrine pancreas in pancreatic ducts, common bile and cystic ducts, pyloric glands of the distal stomach, Brunner’s glands, the i.
Assay of metabolic superoxide production in Escherichia coli.

Superoxide production has been measured in subcellular fractions of SOD-deficient Escherichia coli provided with physiological reductants. Although cytosolic enzyme(s) do generate O2-. , the larger portion is produced by autoxidation of components of the respiratory electron-transport chain. At 37 degrees C and with pO2, NADH, and NAD+ levels matching those in vivo, respiring membrane vesicles generate 3 O2-. /10,000 electrons transferred. This corresponds to intracellular O2-. production, in glucose-fed cells, of 5 microM/s. The high SOD content of normal cells restricts O2-. accumulation to 2.10(-10) M, with a moderate gradient from the membrane to the center of the cell. SOD-deficient mutants achieve a much higher steady-state content of O2-. Rates of superoxide-mediated inactivation of certain enzymes are sufficiently rapid that even 10(-10) M O2-. imposes a significant oxidative stress.
The 103I variant of the melanocortin 4 receptor is associated with low serum triglyceride levels.

CONTEXT The melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is an essential regulator of energy intake and body weight. Recently, the V103I polymorphism of MC4R has been shown to be negatively associated with body mass index. This suggests that serum lipids and blood pressure in individuals carrying the 103I allele might be influenced as well. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether the most common polymorphism of the MC4R, V103I, affects serum lipid levels and/or blood pressure. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS The study participants were 1173 consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization; they were genotyped for the rs2229616 G-->A substitution at codon 103 (V103I polymorphism) of the MC4R gene. Patients had strictly fasted for at least 12 h before blood samples were drawn. The average age of the patients was 60.9 yr; 72% were males. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures were body mass index, serum lipids, aortic and systolic blood pressure, and MC4R polymorphism V103I. RESULTS Heterozygous carriers of the 103I allele had significantly lower triglyceride levels than individuals homozygous for the wild-type allele (127 vs. 168 mg/dl mean total triglyceride; P = 0.001 or 0.009 after Bonferroni adjustment for seven tests). No homozygous carriers of the 103I allele were present in the study population. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests an influence of MC4R activity on triglyceride levels in cardiovascular patients.
Low-Cost MEMS-Based Pedestrian Navigation Technique for GPS-Denied Areas

The progress in the micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) sensors technology in size, cost, weight, and power consumption allows for new research opportunities in the navigation field. Today, most of smartphones, tablets, and other handheld devices are fully packed with the required sensors for any navigation system such as GPS, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer, and pressure sensors. For seamless navigation, the sensors’ signal quality and the sensors availability are major challenges. Heading estimation is a fundamental challenge in the GPS-denied environments; therefore, targeting accurate attitude estimation is considered significant contribution to the overall navigation error. For that end, this research targets an improved pedestrian navigation by developing sensors fusion technique to exploit the gyroscope, magnetometer, and accelerometer data for device attitude estimation in the different environments based on quaternion mechanization. Results indicate that the improvement in the traveled distance and the heading estimations is capable of reducing the overall position error to be less than 15 m in the harsh environments.
GaN Substrates—Progress, Status, and Prospects

Recent advances in the research, development, and commercial production of native GaN substrates with low defect density and high structural and optical quality have attracted a renewed interest in development of nitride devices based on native substrates. The still low yet rapidly increasing availability of native GaN substrates opens the full potential of GaN devices and has accelerated progress in the development of several electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this paper, progress in the primary competing growth techniques for producing native GaN substrates will be reviewed. The technological issues pertaining to faster scalability of GaN substrate production will be discussed. The current state-of-the-art substrate material properties and the future prospects for the growth approaches and substrate quality will be presented.
The effect on tumor response of adding sequential preoperative docetaxel to preoperative doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide: preliminary results from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol B-27.

PURPOSE The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project Protocol B-27 was designed to determine the effect of adding docetaxel after four cycles of preoperative doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) on clinical and pathological response rates and on disease-free and overall survival of women with operable breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women (N = 2,411) with operable primary breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive either four cycles of preoperative AC followed by surgery (group I), or four cycles of AC followed by four cycles of docetaxel, followed by surgery (group II), or four cycles of AC followed by surgery and then four cycles of docetaxel (group III). Clinical and pathologic tumor responses to preoperative therapy were assessed. RESULTS Mean tumor size (4.5 cm) and other key characteristics were evenly balanced among the three treatment arms. Grade 4 toxicity was observed in 10.3% of 2,400 patients during AC treatment, and in 23.4% of 1584 patients during docetaxel treatment. Compared to preoperative AC alone, preoperative AC followed by docetaxel increased the clinical complete response rate (40.1% v 63.6%; P <.001), the overall clinical response rate (85.5% v 90.7%; P <.001), the pathologic complete response rate (13.7% v 26.1%; P <.001), and the proportion of patients with negative nodes (50.8% v 58.2%; P <.001). Pathologic primary breast tumor response was a significant predictor of pathologic nodal status (P <.001). CONCLUSION The addition of four cycles of preoperative docetaxel after four cycles of preoperative AC significantly increased clinical and pathologic response rates for operable breast cancer.
Test for carcinogenicity of food additives and chemotherapeutic agents by the pulmonary tumor response in strain A mice.

Summary Forty-one food additives and 20 chemotherapeutic agents were examined for their ability to induce primary lung tumors in A mice. The animals received i.p. injections of each compound for 8 weeks and were killed at 24 weeks after the first injection. With some of the more toxic compounds, fewer injections were administered. Two or three dose levels were used for each chemical. Cinnamyl anthranilate was the only positive of the 41 food additives tested. Safrole and sodium saccharin were negative for pulmonary tumor response under the conditions used. Of the 20 chemotherapeutic agents, including alkylating chemicals, 12 were found to be positive in inducing pulmonary tumors. Uracil mustard was the most active compound. Myleran was inactive at the dose levels used.
Brain biopsy in Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease: evolution of pathological changes by prion protein immunohistochemistry

The formation of protease‐resistant prion protein (PrPsc) is considered to be an early event in the pathogenesis of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) and hence its demonstration in brain biopsies by immunohistochemistry is considered diagnostic. We analysed eight brain biopsies from the frontal cortex collected from different parts of India from cases diagnosed as CJD on clinical and pathological grounds for the expression of prion protein (PrP). The duration of illness in these cases varied from 2 months to 1 year. Immunohistochemistry was carried out on paraffin sections using two different clones (KG9 and 3F4) of monoclonal antibodies to PrP. Although all eight cases showed classical features of spongiform encephalopathy of varying severity, only five of the eight cases revealed PrPsc in the brain tissue. The immunolabelling was focal and all areas with spongiform change were not labelled. A temporal evolution in the staining pattern was evident – particulate diffuse labelling (synaptic type) in early stages (2 months), perivacuolar deposits in intermediate stages (5–6 months), and dense plaques in late stages (12 months).
The Measurement of Place Attachment: Validity and Generalizability of a Psychometric Approach

To enhance land managers’ ability to address deeper landscape meanings and place-specific symbolic values in natural resource decision making, this study evaluated the psychometric properties of a place attachment measure designed to capture the extent of emotions and feelings people have for places. Building on previous measurement efforts, this study examined the validity and generalizability of place attachment across measurement items, places, and dimensions (place dependence and place identity) of attachment. Colorado State University students (n = 65) rated four forest-based recreation sites on two dimensions of place attachment. In addition, data from a sample of University of Illinois students (n = 380) and visitors to Shenandoah National Park (n = 2005) and Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area (n = 369) were analyzed and compared to the Colorado sample. Confirmatory factor analysis of these four data sets demonstrated that subjects distinguish between two dimensions of attachment and assign different levels of attachment to the different areas. Generalizability analysis of the Colorado data provided additional evidence for the two-dimensional structure and suggested that each attachment dimension can be reliably measured with as few as four questionnaire items. Convergent validity was supported through analyses of the relationships between the place attachment measures and both behavioral and psychological variables predicted to be related to place attachment.
Enhancement by somatostatin of experimental gastric carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in Wistar rats.

The effects of somatostatin on the incidence, number, and histological type of gastric cancers induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine were investigated in Wistar rats. Rats received alternate-day s.c. injections of 100 or 200 micrograms/kg body weight of somatostatin in depot form after 25 weeks of p.o. treatment with the carcinogen. Prolonged administration of somatostatin at both dosages significantly increased the incidence and number of gastric cancers of the glandular stomach in Week 52. Furthermore, somatostatin at 200 micrograms/kg caused a significant increase in the incidence of gastric cancers penetrating the muscle layer or deeper layers. However, somatostatin at both dosages did not influence their histological appearance. Histologically, somatostatin at both dosages significantly elevated the labeling index of gastric cancers but not of the antral mucosa and significantly reduced the gastrin levels. These findings indicate that somatostatin enhances gastric carcinogenesis after N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine treatment and that this effect may be related to its effect in increasing proliferation of gastric cancers and decreasing serum gastrin level.
Ready, willing and capable How can SMEs gain competitive advantage from using Internet-based technologies? Ready, willing and capable How can SMEs gain competitive advantage from using Internet-based technologies?

SMEs can potentially gain competitive advantage from Internet-based technologies, because these require less investment and are more flexible than traditional Information Technologies. However, availability of IT resources is not enough. Organisations need particular competencies in order to deploy their resources effectively. Strategic application of these competencies can than lead to distinct organisational capabilities which provide competitive advantages. This paper presents a case study of a small organisation that was keen to exploit the potential of Internet-based technologies to help them compete in a very tough environment. It was found that Internet-based technologies enabled tactical quick-wins and hold the promise of potential strategic benefits through the creation of distinctive IT resources. However, it was shown that there was a need to develop competencies, particularly around capturing business needs as well as vendor management, before strategic capabilities could be realised. As SMEs have to be responsive to dynamic environments, these competencies and capabilities need to be enhanced and maintained by embedding IS management in overall management processes.
Determination of gene dosage at the PMP22 and androgen receptor loci by quantitative PCR.

UNLABELLED Although many genetic diseases are caused by the presence of point mutations in respective genes, an increasing number of diseases are known to be caused by gene copy number changes. We report the development of a rapid and reliable PCR-based method for quantitation of gene copy number with sufficient sensitivity to detect single copy changes without the use of radioactive or fluorescent labeling. The sensitivity of this technique has been demonstrated by the detection of the DNA duplication or deletion occurring in two inherited peripheral neuropathies, Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A) and hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies (HNPP), that are caused by a reciprocal duplication or deletion event on chromosome 17p11.2-12. This method relies on the comparison of the amount of PCR product generated from a potentially duplicated or deleted target sequence with the amount of product generated from a disomic reference gene. The value of this ratio (target PCR product:reference PCR product) indicates whether the target sequence is duplicated, deleted, or unchanged. Using primers from within a duplicated or deleted region (PMP22 gene and EW401) and from within a reference region (NF1 gene), we tested 50 CMT1A, 30 HNPP, and 50 unaffected individuals for the presence of a DNA duplication or deletion. TARGET reference ratios of 1.58, 1.02, and 0.56 were detected for the CMT1A, unaffected, and HNPP groups, respectively. Thus, differentiation of the three groups of individuals was on the basis of gene copy number. This technique was successfully used to detect the difference in the X chromosome copy number between males and females (target:reference ratios of 1.1 and 2.3, respectively). This approach to the detection of DNA duplications and deletions is sensitive, accurate, and has potential applications in the quantitation of changes in gene copy number associated with diseases characterized by such chromosomal alterations.
On using time-frequency binary masking for dereverberation

The paper presents some aspects regarding the recent introduced time-frequency (T-F) binary mask for speech dereverberation. First of all, a theoretical analysis of the binary mask is presented. It is compared with another T-F binary mask which was used in speech separation, to find some common aspects but also the differences. By using the results of this comparative analysis, we demonstrate the existence of the T-F binary mask for speech dereverberation. To prove our results, relevant experiments are presented.
LIPOSOME (LIPODINE™)-MEDIATED DNA VACCINATION BY THE ORAL ROUTE

ABSTRACT Plasmid DNA pRc/CMV HBS encoding the S (small) region of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was incorporated by the dehydration–rehydration method into Lipodine™ liposomes composed of 16 µmoles phosphatidylcholine (PC) or distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC), 8 µmoles of (dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) or cholesterol and 4 µmoles of the cationic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-3-(trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP) (molar ratios 1 : 0.5 : 0.25). Incorporation efficiency was high (89–93% of the amount of DNA used) in all four formulations tested and incorporated DNA was shown to be resistant to displacement in the presence of the competing anionic sodium dodecyl sulphate molecules. This is consistent with the notion that most of the DNA is incorporated within the multilamellar vesicles structure rather than being vesicle surface-complexed. Stability studies performed in simulated intestinal media also demonstrated that dehydration–rehydration vesicles (DRV) incorporating DNA (DRV(DNA)) were able to retain significantly more of their DNA content compared to DNA complexed with preformed small unilamellar vesicles (SUV–DNA) of the same composition. Moreover, after 4h incubation in the media, DNA loss for DSPC DRV(DNA) was only minimal, suggesting this to be the most stable formulation. Oral (intragastric) liposome-mediated DNA immunisation studies employing a variety of DRV(DNA) formulations as well as naked DNA revealed that secreted IgA responses against the encoded HBsAg were (as early as three weeks after the first dose) substantially higher after dosing with 100 µg liposome-entrapped DNA compared to naked DNA. Throughout the fourteen week investigation, IgA responses in mice were consistently higher with the DSPC DRV(DNA) liposomes compared to naked DNA and correlated well with their improved DNA retention when exposed to model intestinal fluids. To investigate gene expression after oral (intragastric) administration, mice were given 100 µg of naked or DSPC DRV liposome-entrapped plasmid DNA expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (pCMV.EGFP). Expression of the gene, in terms of fluorescence intensity in the draining mesenteric lymph nodes, was much greater in mice dosed with liposomal DNA than in animals dosed with the naked DNA. These results suggest that DSPC DRV liposomes containing DNA (Lipodine™) may be a useful system for the oral delivery of DNA vaccines.
Ethnicity and Long-term Prognosis After Myocardial Infarction: A Population-based Cohort Study

Background:Health disparities are systematic differences in health, favoring members of advantaged over disadvantaged groups in the society. This study examines the contribution of multiple socioeconomic status (SES) measures to ethnic differences in after myocardial infarction (MI) prognosis. Methods:Patients aged 65 years and younger (n=1040) belonging to Ashkenazi and Mizrahi advantaged and disadvantaged ethnic groups discharged from 8 hospitals in central Israel after incident MI in 1992–1993, were followed up through 2005 for all-cause mortality, recurrent MI, heart failure, and ischemic stroke. Results:Advantaged Ashkenazi had higher education, income, employment, and neighborhood SES compared with disadvantaged Mizrahi. Cardiovascular risk factors varied among the different ethnic groups. Results showed that the association between ethnic group and all outcomes differed substantially between models that included a single SES measure and those that included multiple measures. For example, the hazard ratio for mortality in disadvantaged Mizrahi compared with advantaged Ashkenazi was 1.87 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.40–2.48] in a model adjusting only for demographic variables; 1.58 (95% CI, 1.18–2.12) in a model adjusting also for income; and 1.03 (95% CI, 0.74–2.04) in a model adjusting for all measured SES indicators. Further adjustment for clinical variables did not appreciably change the results. Conclusions:Findings show that a wide array of modifiable social factors shaped by income, education, and neighborhood socioeconomic conditions can explain ethnic health differences and highlight the importance of using multivariable models of SES.
The cloud computing for a dynamic agro-geoinformation processing

How to evaluate all sorts of heterogeneously online geospatial web resources (e.g., OGC web services, online geospatial data) as a top-to end operational unit is a main geospatial research topic in this period. The cloud computing technology is the infrastructure to use internet and central remote servers to organize all kind of computational Web resources as a service. This technology allows for much more efficient computing by centralizing storage, memory, processing and bandwidth. This paper presents the prospect of cloud computing technology's application in the agriculture geospatial information research field. In this paper, a Web Processing services (WPS) based geospatial processing framework is deployed in the Amazon cloud computing platform, then the cloud WPS environment is applied to calculate the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) value, which can be used to monitoring the crop condition.