Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active spermiophagy in the initial part of the proximal efferent duct of the epididymis of normal domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus).

In a study of the absorptive activities of the excurrent ducts of the testis of birds, six adult cocks of the Ovambo breed of domestic fowl were deeply anaesthetised and intravascularly perfused with buffered 3 per cent glutaraldehyde. Epididymal tissue was prepared conventionally for electron microscopy. In favourable sections in three of these birds avid ingestion of spermatozoa was revealed in the non-ciliated (Type I) cells of the epithelial lining of the initial part of the proximal efferent duct, at and a little beyond its junction with the rete testis. No obvious defects were detected in luminal spermatozoa. The testicular excurrent ducts were neither distended nor obstructed, and mononuclear cell mobilisation was absent in both the ductal and periductal tissue. The significance of this observation with regard to the specific segment of the efferent duct system involved and how certain spermatozoa are identified for elimination from the duct lumen, must await precise studies.
REPEATED EVOLUTION OF MALE SACRIFICE BEHAVIOR IN SPIDERS CORRELATED WITH GENITAL MUTILATION

Abstract According to sexual cannibalism theory, male complicity in terminal mating can be adaptive when the male's future reproductive value is low relative to the benefits of self sacrifice. Spiders and insects that exhibit male sacrifice behavior (either complicity in cannibalism or spontaneous death associated with copulation) often also have male genitalia that stereotypically become broken or disfigured the first time they are used for copulation, potentially lowering his future reproductive value. Theoretical work on monogamy has identified male bias in the effective sex ratio as a precursor to the evolution of monogamy (including male sacrifice) as an adaptive form of paternity protection. Using phylogeny-based statistics and drawing on several phylogenetic studies of araneoid spiders, I investigate relationships between male sacrifice behavior, genital mutilation, extreme sexual size dimorphism, and the accumulation of multiple males in the female web (as an indicator of a male-based effective sex ratio). This investigation focuses on araneoid spiders because several independent origins of sacrifice behavior are known for this group and the phylogenetic structure of the lineage is relatively well studied. I report that male genital mutilation is significantly correlated with sacrifice behavior and argue that this finding is consistent with sexual cannibalism theory. Male sacrifice behavior is also correlated with male accumulation, a result that is consistent with theoretical work on the evolution of monogamy. Male accumulation and extreme sexual size dimorphism are correlated suggesting that sex-based differences in maturation time can lead to a male biased effective sex ratio. Similar patterns of correlated characters may hold for some insect taxa. Studying traits that have appeared independently in multiple lineages is a powerful method for developing general theories about the evolution of biological phenomena.
Treatment of chronic hepatitis C in injecting drug users – A 5-year follow-up Le enje hroni nog hepatitisa C kod intravenskih zavisnika – 5-godišnje pra enje

Background/Aim. Hepatitic C infection (HCV) is a systemic, generalised disease with the prevalence of inflammation in the liver. The aim of this study was to determine the success of treatment for chronic hepatitis C with pegilated interferon alfa 2a and ribavirin in injecting drug users. Methods. This a 5-year follow-up study included 30 patients [63.3% men and 36.7% women, average age 30.2 years (SD 7.1 years)] injecting drug users in one-year abstinence, with chronic hepatitis C, treated with the pegilated interferon 2a and ribavirin. Complete history with possible route of infection, the standard biochemical tests, liver biopsy, quantification of the viral genome in sera and HCV genotyping and subtyping were done prior to the therapy initiation. Depending on the HCV genotype, the therapy was conducted over a period of 48 weeks for genotype 1 and 24 weeks for genotype non 1. Five years later all 30 patients were invited on control examination; 22 of them appeared at the check-up and quantification of the viral genome in their sera were analized. Results. The established degree of liver fibrosis was: F0 in 40%, F1 in 23.33%, F2 in 26.67%, F3 in 3.33% and F4 in 6.67% of the patients. Genotype 3a was dominant (50.0%), 1b was registered in 40.0%, 1a in 6.66% and 2b in 3.33% of the patients. Sustained virologic response (SVR) was achieved in 86.7% of the patients, 10.0% of the patients were non-responders, while 3.33% of them revealed recurrence of HCV. Opiate abuse recurrence during antiviral therapy happened in 6.7% of the patients. Five years after the antiviral therapy 73.3% of the patients appeared at the check-up and all of them were in stable abstinence from opiate abuse. All of those, with a sustained viral response of five–year duration, had the negative PCR HCV RNA test (< 50 IU ml-1). In the patients showing unsatisfactory therapy response 5 years before, antiviral therapy was repeated by the same therapeutic regimen, but without adequate therapeutic response. A total of 26.7% of the patients were lost from the records. Conclusion. In a 5-year follow-up period 73.3% of the patients used to come regularly to check-ups and among them neither the opiate abuse recurrence nor HCV infection recurrence were registered.
Sleep in seasonal affective disorder patients in forced desynchrony: an explorative study

The majority of winter‐type seasonal affective disorder (SAD) patients complain of hypersomnia and daytime drowsiness. As human sleep is regulated by the interaction of circadian, ultradian and homeostatic processes, sleep disturbances may be caused by either one of these factors. The present study focuses on homeostatic and ultradian aspects of sleep regulation in SAD. Sleep was recorded polysomnographically in seven SAD patients and matched controls subjected to a 120‐h forced desynchrony protocol. In time isolation, subjects were exposed to six 20‐h days, each comprising a 6.5‐h period for sleep. Patients participated while being depressed, while remitted after light therapy and in summer. Controls were studied in winter and in summer. In each condition, the data of each subject were averaged across all recordings. Thus, the influence of the effects of the circadian pacemaker on sleep was excluded mathematically. The comparison of patients with controls and with themselves in the various conditions revealed no abnormalities in homeostatic parameters: sleep stage variables, relative power spectra and time courses of power in various frequency bands across the first three non‐rapid eye movement–rapid eye movement (NREM–REM) cycles showed no differences. The data suggest that homeostatic processes are not involved in the disturbance of sleep in SAD.
Whole Earth Telescope observations of the pulsating hot white dwarf PG 1707+427

We report on the analysis of multisite time-series photometry of the pulsating pre-white dwarf (GW Vir star) PG 1707+427, obtained by the Whole Earth Telescope collaboration. This is the last of the known GW Vir stars without surrounding nebulae to be resolved by multisite data. Successful resolution of the pulsation spectrum resulted from the com- bination of high signal-to-noise observations with a large telescope and wide coverage in longitude with smaller telescopes. We find a series of 8 pulsation frequencies (along with two nonlinear combination frequencies), and identify 7 of them as part of a sequence of � = 1 modes, with a common period spacing of 23.0 s. This spacing implies that the mass of PG 1707+427 is 0.57 M� . Preliminary model fits suggest that the mass determined via asteroseismology is consistent with the mass determined from spectroscopy combined with evolutionary tracks.
[Cardiac protection in heart surgery interventions by preventive drug administration before extracorporeal circulation. Studies with troponin T as a parameter for perioperative myocardial damage].

The present study was designed to test if prophylactic intravenous nifedipine or nitroglycerine could reduce myocardial damage after cardiopulmonary bypass. 45 patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting were divided at random into three groups: Group 1: control; group 2: nifedipine (0.25 microgram/kg/min); group 3: nitroglycerine (1.5 micrograms/kg/min). Infusion period reached from the beginning of anaesthesia until crossclamp of the aorta. Myocardial damage was estimated by troponin T (TnT), CK-MB and ST-segment analysis of the ECG. TnT is a cardiospecific protein from the contractile apparatus of striated muscle cells. TnT-levels might provide a very sensitive marker of small amounts of cardiac muscle necrosis. It was tested with an ELISA/one-step sandwich-assay with streptavidin-technology [9]. Criteria for ischemia in the ST-segment analysis were (according to Smith et al. [19]): ST-depression > 1 mm from baseline or ST-elevation > 2 mm from baseline at J-point + 60 ms. Statistical interpretation was done by one- and two-factorial analyses of variance (including multivariate analyses of variance). Correlation between two variables was tested by regression analysis. A level of p < 0.05 was taken for indicating statistical significance. Biometrical data, circulation data and data from cardiopulmonary bypass were without significant differences among all groups (Tables 1 and 2). Starting from normal values (< 0.05 ng/ml) TnT significantly rose in all groups immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass and remained elevated until the forth day after operation (values between 0.4 and 0.6 microgram/ml) (Figure 1). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Toward a Pragmatic Taxonomy of Knowledge Maps: Classification Principles, Sample Typologies, and Application Examples

This paper discusses pragmatic ways of classifying knowledge maps to give an overview of their application formats and contexts. We show where and how the term knowledge map has been previously used and what criteria must be met in a sound and useful knowledge map classification. Various possible classification principles are presented. A table matches map formats to purposes and contents to serve as a selection framework in knowledge management processes. Examples of some of the main types of knowledge maps are presented to illustrate the varieties of knowledge mapping present in the classifications. The article concludes by discussing its limitations and future research questions
Perceiving Penn State

We examine the role of interpersonal discussion in an attempt to better understand talk’s contribution to perceived media impacts related to the sexual abuse scandal at Penn State University. Through the use of a survey conducted both in the state of Pennsylvania and nationally, we analyze how interpersonal discussion, issue involvement, media exposure, and affinity for the Penn State football team influence third-person perceptions (TPPs) related to the Penn State case. By examining a dynamic and polarizing social issue involving a previously well-regarded athletic program facing intense social and criminal scrutiny, we are able to better understand how TPPs are formed in the midst of an ongoing scandal. Results reveal the influence of interpersonal discussion—and especially interpersonal disagreement—as a key moderating variable in forming these perceptions of media influence.
An ancient Pygo-dependent Wnt enhanceosome integrated by Chip/LDB-SSDP

TCF/LEF factors are ancient context-dependent enhancer-binding proteins that are activated by β-catenin following Wnt signaling. They control embryonic development and adult stem cell compartments, and their dysregulation often causes cancer. β-catenin-dependent transcription relies on the NPF motif of Pygo proteins. Here, we use a proteomics approach to discover the Chip/LDB-SSDP (ChiLS) complex as the ligand specifically binding to NPF. ChiLS also recognizes NPF motifs in other nuclear factors including Runt/RUNX2 and Drosophila ARID1, and binds to Groucho/TLE. Studies of Wnt-responsive dTCF enhancers in the Drosophila embryonic midgut indicate how these factors interact to form the Wnt enhanceosome, primed for Wnt responses by Pygo. Together with previous evidence, our study indicates that ChiLS confers context-dependence on TCF/LEF by integrating multiple inputs from lineage and signal-responsive factors, including enhanceosome switch-off by Notch. Its pivotal function in embryos and stem cells explain why its integrity is crucial in the avoidance of cancer. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.09073. 001
Cortisol-binding globulin is important in the interpretation of dynamic tests of the hypothalamic--pituitary--adrenal axis.

OBJECTIVE Assessment of the hypothalamic--pituitary--adrenal (HPA) axis relies on the interpretation of serum (total) cortisol in response to dynamic tests of the HPA axis. Most cortisol is bound to cortisol-binding globulin (CBG) and serum total cortisol levels are significantly affected by variation in CBG. We hypothesised that CBG variation significantly affects interpretation of dynamic tests of the HPA axis. DESIGN We investigated the effect of CBG variation on the outcome of the 250 microg short Synacthen test (SST) in 30 healthy adults. METHODS Blood was sampled at time -30, 0 (at which point Synacthen was given) and +30 min. CBG and total cortisol were measured at each time-point. Integrity of the HPA axis was confirmed by measurement of urine cortisol. RESULTS We found that CBG varied significantly within individuals, falling from 51+/-3.4 to 43 +/-3.2 microg/ml (P<0.0001) on changing from standing to lying. Total cortisol levels strongly correlated with CBG (r=0.88, P<0.0001). Thirteen subjects had a +30 min total cortisol <550 nmol/l. In these subjects, the CBG levels at each time-point were significantly lower compared with subjects who had a +30 min total cortisol of >550 nmol/l (P<0.05). To correct for variation in CBG we calculated the total cortisol:CBG ratio and found no significant difference in the +30 min ratio between these two groups. CONCLUSION CBG varies significantly within and between individuals. This is accompanied by changes in serum total cortisol large enough to affect the outcome of an SST and, by implication, other tests of the HPA axis.
Effective treatment of herpes simplex labialis with penciclovir cream: combined results of two trials.

BACKGROUND Two randomized, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trials were conducted in Europe and North America to compare the efficacy and safety of topical 1 percent penciclovir cream with a placebo cream. METHODS A total of 4,573 immunocompetent people with a history of recurrent herpes simplex labialis, or HSL, with three or more episodes a year that typically manifested as classical lesions, were enrolled and prospectively dispensed medication-either 1 percent penciclovir in a cetomacrogol cream base or a matching placebo. Patients self-initiated treatment and were required to apply study medication six times per day for the first day and every two hours while awake for four consecutive days. RESULTS Of 4,573 enrolled patients, 3,057 initiated treatment (1,516 with penciclovir and 1,541 with placebo). Combined data from two trials revealed that penciclovir recipients lost classical lesions 31 percent faster than did placebo recipients (hazard ratio, or HR, = 1.31; 95 percent confidence interval, or CI, 1.20 to 1.42; P = .0001) and experienced 28 percent faster resolution of lesion pain (HR = 1.28; 95 percent CI, 1.17 to 1.39; P = .0001). Significant benefits were achieved with penciclovir use whether treatment was initiated in the early stages (P = .001) or later stages (P = .0055). CONCLUSIONS The largest data set currently available on the treatment of recurrent HSL revealed that penciclovir cream significantly outperformed the placebo in healing classical lesions and resolution of pain. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The authors found that penciclovir cream positively affects recurrent HSL, and dose frequency is vital to topical treatment. Even when penciclovir was applied late, it was effective in favorably altering the course of recurrent HSL.
Conical Tomography of a Ribbon Synapse: Structural Evidence for Vesicle Fusion

To characterize the sites of synaptic vesicle fusion in photoreceptors, we evaluated the three-dimensional structure of rod spherules from mice exposed to steady bright light or dark-adapted for periods ranging from 3 to 180 minutes using conical electron tomography. Conical tilt series from mice retinas were reconstructed using the weighted back projection algorithm, refined by projection matching and analyzed using semiautomatic density segmentation. In the light, rod spherules contained ∼470 vesicles that were hemi-fused and ∼187 vesicles that were fully fused (omega figures) with the plasma membrane. Active zones, defined by the presence of fully fused vesicles, extended along the entire area of contact between the rod spherule and the horizontal cell ending, and included the base of the ribbon, the slope of the synaptic ridge and ribbon-free regions apposed to horizontal cell axonal endings. There were transient changes of the rod spherules during dark adaptation. At early periods in the dark (3–15 minutes), there was a) an increase in the number of fully fused synaptic vesicles, b) a decrease in rod spherule volume, and c) an increase in the surface area of the contact between the rod spherule and horizontal cell endings. These changes partially compensate for the increase in the rod spherule plasma membrane following vesicle fusion. After 30 minutes of dark-adaptation, the rod spherules returned to dimensions similar to those measured in the light. These findings show that vesicle fusion occurs at both ribbon-associated and ribbon-free regions, and that transient changes in rod spherules and horizontal cell endings occur shortly after dark onset.
The influence of carbohydrate quality on cardiovascular disease, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and obesity – an overview

Abstract There is compelling evidence that carbohydrate quality has important influences on cardiovascular disease, the metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Cohort and interventional studies indicate that dietary fiber is an important determinant of satiation, satiety, and weight gain, and also protects against cardiovascular disease. Cohort studies have shown that vegetables and fruits protect against coronary heart disease, whereas whole grains provide protection against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain. Dietary glycemia within the range eaten by most of the population seems not to have a significant influence on body weight, although it may influence waist circumference. There is strong evidence from interventional trials that dietary glycemia does influence insulin resistance and diabetes control. Moreover, replacing saturated fat with high-glycemic carbohydrate may increase cardiovascular risk. Soft drink consumption is a proven cause of weight gain, which may relate to the lack of satiation provided by these drinks. In large amounts, dietary fructose leads to greater adverse metabolic changes than equivalent amounts of glucose, although the extent to which fructose per se is contributing to many of the metabolic changes found in the obese, as distinct from the calories it provides, is still a matter of debate.
Controlled Trial of 3-Day Quinine-Clindamycin Treatment versus 7-Day Quinine Treatment for Adult Travelers with Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria Imported from the Tropics

ABSTRACT We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to compare a 3-day quinine-clindamycin regimen (group QC) with a 7-day quinine regimen (group Q) for the treatment of uncomplicatedPlasmodium falciparum malaria in travelers returning from the tropics. A total of 55 and 53 patients in groups Q and QC were analyzed, respectively. Adverse effects were similar in both groups, although two patients in group Q had severe adverse reactions, leading to the cessation of treatment. The 28-day cure rate for the evaluated patients (per-protocol analysis) was 100% for group QC, whereas it was 96.3% for group Q (P = 0.5). The 28-day cure rate in the intention-to-treat analysis was 96.2% for group QC, whereas it was 94.6% for group Q (P = 1). There were no significant differences between the two regimens with regard to parasite and fever clearance times. Our study shows that the 3-day quinine-clindamycin regimen is well tolerated and compares favorably with a 7-day quinine treatment. This short-term regimen had previously been evaluated only in areas of endemicity. According to our results, the 3-day quinine-clindamycin regimen may be an alternative for the treatment of imported uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in travelers returning from the tropics.
When You're Only a Phone Call Away: A Comparison of the Information in Telephone and Face‐to-Face Interviews

Telephone interviews offer an economical method of obtaining information, but little published experience addresses the use of telephone interviews for the sometimes lengthy questionnaires composed of scales with multiple-category items often required in developmental and behavioral research. In a study of the outcomes of very low birth weight infants, circumstances required that we administer a questionnaire, including seven scales composed of several Likert-type items each, to a substantial portion of the study population. Those contacted by telephone (n = 1067) differed from those responding face-to-face (n = 822) in being less likely to have a very low birth weight child and more likely to be white and of higher maternal education. The length of the interview was only slightly shorter by telephone (60.7 ± 27.9 vs 66.4 ± 21.0 minutes,p < .001), but respondent fatigue, as indicated by lower completion rates for scales at the end of the interview (92.5%) compared with those near the beginning (99.5%) did not differ by mode. Internal consistency of parental response (Cronbach's α) was high for most scales and did not differ by mode. Because assignment to mode was not random, other factors may influence our findings. However, high completion rates and comparable consistency of response supports the use of telephone interviews.J Dev Behav Pediatr 14:250–255, 1993. Index terms:health survey, child health status.
Pitch angle estimation using a Vehicle-Mounted monocular camera for range measurement

To achieve a usable range measurement feature using a Vehicle-Mounted monocular camera for ADAS (Advantage Drive Assist System), a pitch angle estimation with high accuracy is required. We propose a method for estimating pitch angle with a non-occurrence of cumulative error, and the initial pitch angle can be estimated simultaneously with only a Vehicle-Mounted monocular camera. We use the Harris-corner algorithm and the pyramid Lucas-Kanade method to detect the optical flow of feature points between adjacent frames from the monocular camera. With the result of the optical flow detection using Structure from Motion method to estimate the camera ego-motion parameters, including the rotation matrix and the translation vector, and to optimize the estimated ego-motion parameters using the Gauss-Newton method. In addition, we propose a method of estimating pitch angle relative to the road surface from the translation vector. The pitch angle and the pitch angle rate decomposed from the rotation matrix of the adjacent frames are composed using an average transfer method, to achieve the high accuracy pitch estimation. Further, the effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by experiment.