Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evidence for Competitive Displacement of Ceratitis cosyra by the Invasive Fruit Fly Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Mango and Mechanisms Contributing to the Displacement

ABSTRACT Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White (Diptera: Tephritidae) invaded Kenya in 2003. Before the arrival of B. invadens, the indigenous fruit fly species Ceratitis cosyra (Walker) was the predominant fruit fly pest of mango (Mangifera indica L.). Within 4 yr of invasion, B. invadens has displaced C. cosyra and has become the predominant fruit fly pest of mango, constituting 98 and 88% of the total population in traps and mango fruit at Nguruman, respectively. We tested two possible mechanisms responsible for the displacement namely; resource competition by larvae within mango fruit and aggression between adult flies. Under interspecific competition, larval duration in B. invadens was significantly shorter (6.2 ± 0.6-7.3 ± 0.3 d) compared with C. cosyra (8.0 ± 1.2-9.4 ± 0.4 d). Pupal mass in C. cosyra was affected by competition and was significantly reduced (7.4 ± 0.3-9.6 ± 0.6 mg) under competitive interaction compared with the controls (12.1 ± 1.5-12.8 ± 1.1 mg). Interspecific competition also had a significant adverse effect on C. cosyra eclosion, with fewer adults emerging under co-infestation compared with the controls. Interference competition through aggressive behavior showed that fewer C. cosyra (3.1 ± 0.8) landed on mango dome compared with the controls (14.2 ± 1.5) when adults were mixed with B. invadens adults in Plexiglas cages. Similarly the number of times C. cosyra was observed ovipositing was significantly lower (0.2 ± 0.2) under competitive interaction compared with the controls (6.1 ± 1.8). Aggressive encounters in the form of lunging/head-butting and chasing off other species from the mango dome was higher for B. invadens compared with C. cosyra. Our results suggest that exploitative competition through larval scrambling for resources and interference competition through aggressive behaviors of the invader are important mechanisms contributing to the displacement of C. cosyra by B. invadens in mango agroecosystems.
Accountability & Transparency in Nonprofit Campaigns: A Case Study on the Museum of Science Boston

In 2004 the Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts launched a $280 million dollar fundraising initiative, “The Campaign for the Museum of Science: Creating the Science & Technology Center of the 21 Century”. On June 15 of this year (2015), the Museum will celebrate the successful completion of a $250 million dollar campaign, “Imagine, Innovate, Inspire”. The following research explores this unique tale of two campaign case statements in order to answer questions related to donor accountability and public transparency. During a concentrated fund raising effort like a campaign, an organization will produce written collateral that embodies the new vision they seek to obtain. As a result of heightened visibility and public awareness, campaigns are often covered in media and press. This thesis poses the following questions; Do museums deliver on the promises made in their case statements? How do they account for success in a campaign? How is that success shared or celebrated, and with who?
Selectivity and self-assembly in the control of a bacterial toxin by an antitoxic noncoding RNA pseudoknot

Bacterial small RNAs perform numerous regulatory roles, including acting as antitoxic components in toxin–antitoxin systems. In type III toxin–antitoxin systems, small processed RNAs directly antagonize their toxin protein partners, and in the systems characterized the toxin and antitoxin components together form a trimeric assembly. In the present study, we sought to define how the RNA antitoxin, ToxI, inhibits its potentially lethal protein partner, ToxN. We show through cross-inhibition experiments with the ToxIN systems from Pectobacterium atrosepticum (ToxINPa) and Bacillus thuringiensis (ToxINBt) that ToxI RNAs are highly selective enzyme inhibitors. Both systems have an “addictive” plasmid maintenance phenotype. We demonstrate that ToxIPa can inhibit ToxNPa in vitro both in its processed form and as a repetitive precursor RNA, and this inhibition is linked to the self-assembly of the trimeric complex. Inhibition and self-assembly are both mediated entirely by the ToxIPa RNA, with no requirement for cellular factors or exogenous energy. Finally, we explain the origins of ToxI antitoxin selectivity through our crystal structure of the ToxINBt complex. Our results show how a processed RNA pseudoknot can inhibit a deleterious protein with exquisite molecular specificity and how these self-contained and addictive RNA-protein pairs can confer different adaptive benefits in their bacterial hosts.
Laboratory settings as built anticipations – prototype scenarios as negotiation arenas between the present and imagined futures

ABSTRACTAs opposed to the recent tendency in Responsible Research and Innovation and in some approaches of Technology Assessment (like Vision Assessment) to reduce the role of socio-technical visions and scenarios to their impact on present debates, our contribution argues that a specific type of future concepts – situational scenarios, and especially their manifestation as prototype scenarios – should be conceptualised as hybrid realities and as negotiation arenas between the present and imagined futures. Based on empirical evidence from the field of ubiquitous computing we apply this concept for analysing three major functions and uses of situational scenarios in the process of technology development: specification, evaluation, and demonstration. We argue that recalibrating the relation between the present and imagined futures is an important aspect of all these functions and uses of situational scenarios, especially when they occur as prototype scenarios.
Augmented hyperventilation via normoxic helium breathing does not prevent exercise-induced hypoxemia.

The purpose of this study was to determine if augmented hyperventilation produced via normoxic helium breathing would reduce exercise-induced hypoxemia (EIH). Seven highly trained endurance athletes with a mean maximum oxygen uptake of 65 ml.kg-1.min-1, performed two cycle ergometer tests to volitional exhaustion. During one of the tests the subjects breathed ambient air, while during the other they breathed normoxic helium (21% O2, 79% He). Mean maximum expired ventilation significantly (p < .05) increased from 139 L.min-1 during the ambient trial to 168 L.min-1 while breathing normoxic helium. Mean arterial oxygen saturation obtained at maximum exercise, however, was not significantly different for the two trials (ambient = 90%, helium = 89%). These results suggest that significantly augmenting exercise hyperventilation by 21% essentially had no effect on EIH in endurance athletes. Thus, the data do not support the hypothesis that inadequate hyperventilation is an important mechanism for arterial oxygen desaturation during graded exercise to exhaustion in highly trained individuals.
Is outpatient cognitive remediation therapy feasible to use in randomized clinical trials for anorexia nervosa?

OBJECTIVE There are limited data supporting specific treatments for adults with anorexia nervosa (AN). Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for adults with AN are characterized by high attrition limiting the feasibility of conducting and interpreting existing studies. High dropout rates may be related to the inflexible and obsessional cognitive style of patients with AN. This study evaluated the feasibility of using cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) to reduce attrition in RCTs for AN. METHOD Forty-six participants (mean age of 22.7 years and mean duration of AN of 6.4 years) were randomized to receive eight sessions of either CRT or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) over 2 months followed by 16 sessions of CBT for 4 months. RESULTS During the 2-month CRT vs. CBT treatment, rates of attrition were lower in CRT (13%) compared with that of CBT (33%). There were greater improvements in cognitive inefficiencies in the CRT compared with that of the CBT group at the end of 2 months. There were no differences in other outcomes. DISCUSSION These results suggest that CRT is acceptable and feasible for use in RCTs for outpatient treatment of AN. CRT may reduce attrition in the short term. Adequately powered future studies are needed to examine CRT as an outpatient treatment for AN.
Monopoly and Micro-irrigation in Smallholder Water Markets: Using exploratory modeling to consider interactions between market structure and agricultural technology subsidies

Many rural agricultural areas around the world are facing severely depleted groundwater resources, which farmers rely on to increase agricultural productivity through irrigation. If groundwater in these areas is to be sustainably utilized, total withdrawals must be diminished from their current levels, which may cause a welfare loss on the part of farmers and their communities. The level of welfare loss (if any) and its distribution will depend which of a wide array of policies are implemented to curtail water use. In theory, the policies may take many forms, including direct and indirect rationing, direct and indirect marginal pricing, tradable water rights, and subsidizing water efficient technologies such as microirrigation. Depending on the environment in which they are implemented, these policies vary widely in terms of cost, effectiveness, and political feasibility, and may lead to many non-obvious interactions when multiple policies are implemented simultaneously. This research contributes to a policy debate motivated by the situation in North Gujarat, India, where a mix of recently enacted policies has somewhat helped to improve the groundwater situation, but in an inefficient manner. Specifically, this research is aimed at understanding the changes water market participants may experience should there be a move to formalize water markets and establish tradable water rights – a costly and politically challenging proposition, but one with ostensibly significant advantages. It considers the situation in which fragmented private groundwater markets already exist as a collection of monopolies, and a policy is needed to reduce village-level water use to sustainable levels,
Performance evaluation of balanced pension plans

This paper examines the ability of balanced pension plan managers to successfully time the equity and bond market and select the appropriate assets within these markets. In order to evaluate both market timing abilities in these balanced pension plans, we extend the traditional equity market timing models to also account for bond market timing. As far as we know, we are among the first to apply this multifactor timing model to investigate equity and bond market timing simultaneously. This performance evaluation has been conducted on two samples of Spanish balanced pension plans, one with Euro Zone and one with World investment focus. This allows us to decompose managers’ skills into three components: selectivity, equity market timing, and bond market timing. Our findings suggest that the average stock-picking ability of pension plans is positive. World schemes tend to have positive bond timing skills, while Euro Zone pension plans are on average not able to time equity or bond markets.
Hepatoprotective Potential of Chestnut Bee Pollen on Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Hepatic Damages in Rats

Bee pollen has been used as an apitherapy agent for several centuries to treat burns, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, and various other diseases. The aim of our study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of chestnut bee pollen against carbon tetrachloride (CCI4)-induced liver damage. Total phenolic content, flavonoid, ferric reducing/antioxidant power, and DPPH radical activity measurements were used as antioxidant capacity determinants of the pollen. The study was conducted in rats as seven groups. Two different concentrations of chestnut bee pollens (200 and 400 mg/kg/day) were given orally and one group was administered with silibinin (50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for seven days to the rats following the CCI4 treatment. The protective effect of the bee pollen was monitored by aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (AST) activities, histopathological imaging, and antioxidant parameters from the blood and liver samples of the rats. The results were compared with the silibinin-treated and untreated groups. We detected that CCI4 treatment induced liver damage and both the bee pollen and silibinin-treated groups reversed the damage; however, silibinin caused significant weight loss and mortality due, severe diarrhea in the rats. The chestnut pollen had showed 28.87 mg GAE/g DW of total phenolic substance, 8.07 mg QUE/g DW of total flavonoid, 92.71 mg Cyn-3-glu/kg DW of total anthocyanins, and 9 mg β-carotene/100 g DW of total carotenoid and substantial amount of antioxidant power according to FRAP and DPPH activity. The results demonstrated that the chestnut bee pollen protects the hepatocytes from the oxidative stress and promotes the healing of the liver damage induced by CCI4 toxicity. Our findings suggest that chestnut bee pollen can be used as a safe alternative to the silibinin in the treatment of liver injuries.
Dentists' decisions as to mode of preventive treatment in adolescents and young adults in Finland.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate dentists' real-life decisions as to mode of preventive treatment in adolescents and young adults, in relation to these patients' oral-health status, and to the dentists' characteristics. DESIGN A random sample of 206 adolescents and 239 young adults (mean ages 13 and 27 years) produced 411 (92%) individual oral health records providing data on actual clinical examinations and treatment courses carried out by 56 dentists in one administrative unit of the Finnish public oral health service during 1994-1996. OUTCOME MEASURES Preventive measures were defined as active and passive, active including any kind of motivation or instructions given to a patient concerning home self-care, and passive prevention being topical application of fluoride. RESULTS More adolescents had received both active and passive prevention than had young adults (active: 27% vs. 20%; passive: 85% vs. 70%). Of adolescents, 7% and of young adults 25% were given no preventive treatment. The mean number of active preventive measures per adolescent during the treatment course was 0.3 and of passive measures 1.0; for young adults 0.2 and 0.8, respectively. A subject's oral health status made no significant difference in active prevention given. Active measures were more frequently given to all patients by male dentists, 35% vs. 22% (P < 0.02), and passive measures by females, 82% vs. 52% (P < 0.001). The odds of active prevention for adolescents were 7.4 comparing male dentists to female; of passive 13.8 comparing female to male. CONCLUSIONS Dentists should be motivated to make considered treatment decisions on preventive treatment.
Utility of arterial stiffness assessment in children

Abstract Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and the atherosclerotic process begins in childhood. Prevention or containment of risk factors that accelerate atherosclerosis can delay the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Although current recommendations are to periodically screen for commonly prevailing risk factors for atherosclerosis in children, a single test that could quantify the cumulative effect of all risk factors on the vasculature, thus assessing arterial health, would be helpful in further stratifying risk. Measurement of pulse wave velocity and assessment of augmentation index – measures of arterial stiffness – are easy-to-use, non-invasive methods of examining arterial health. Various studies have assessed pulse wave velocity and augmentation index in children with commonly occurring conditions including obesity, hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, physical inactivity, chronic kidney disease, CHD and acquired heart diseases, and in children who were born premature or small for gestational age. This article summarises pulse wave velocity and augmentation index assessments and the effects of commonly prevailing chronic conditions on arterial health in children. In addition, currently available reference values for pulse wave velocity and augmentation index in healthy children are included. Further research to establish widely applicable normative values and the effect of lifestyle and pharmacological interventions on arterial health in children is needed.
Carcinogenicity of “Non-Dioxinlike” Polychlorinated Biphenyls

Complex technical mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) cause liver and thyroid neoplasms in rodents, whereas very few data are available on the carcinogenic potency of single non-dioxinlike (NDL) PCB congeners. In most genotoxicity assays technical PCB mixtures and individual congeners were inactive, suggesting that PCBs act as indirect, nongenotoxic carcinogens. Various mechanisms, including suppression of apoptosis in preneoplastic cells or inhibition of intercellular communication, have been suggested to be active in liver tumor promotion by PCBs. A decrease in thyroid hormone levels after PCB treatment has been suggested to play a role in the development of thyroid neoplasms in rats; however, other mechanisms may also be involved. Results from a chronic carcinogenicity study in rats indicate that not the dose of total PCBs but the total TCDD or toxic equivalents (TEQs) associated with “dioxinlike” (DL) constituents within a technical mixture are mainly if not exclusively responsible for the development of liver neoplasms in female rats. Quantitative comparison reveals almost identical dose-response curves for the total TEQs in various technical PCB mixtures and for TCDD as inducers of hepatic neoplasms in female rats. Tumor promotion experiments have shown, however, that, after initiation with a genotoxic carcinogen, technical PCB mixtures and individual DL-and NDL-PCBs act as liver tumor promoters in rodents. Based on these data, a weak carcinogenic potency of individual NDL-PCB congeners cannot be excluded. In epidemiological studies, increased mortality from cancers of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract, gastrointestinal tract, and from brain cancer and malignant melanoma were observed in workers exposed to a series of technical PCB mixtures. A significant association between PCB concentrations in adipose tissue and non-Hodgkins lymphoma was found in another study. While in all human studies mixed exposure to DL-and NDL-PCBs occurred, no comprehensive data are available on the relative contribution of NDL-PCBs to the overall external and/or internal PCB exposure in those cohorts.
Differential body weight, blood pressure and placental inflammatory responses to normal versus high-fat diet in melanocortin-4 receptor-deficient pregnant rats

Objectives: Although obesity increases the risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, the mechanisms remain unclear. Neural melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) deficiency causes hyperphagia and obesity. Effects of MC4R deficiency on body weight, blood pressure (BP) and placental inflammatory responses to high-fat diet (HFD) are unknown. We tested two hypotheses: MC4R deficiency results in higher body weight, BP and placental inflammation under normal-fat diet (NFD) conditions and HFD exaggerates these responses in MC4R-deficient pregnant rats. Methods: MC4R+/+ and MC4R+/− rats were maintained on NFD (13% kcal fat) or HFD (40% kcal fat) for ∼15 weeks, then measurements made on gestational day 19. Results: MC4R+/− pregnant rats had greater body mass and total body fat and visceral adipose tissue weights along with greater circulating total cholesterol (TC) and leptin levels than MC4R+/+ rats regardless of diet. On NFD, circulating adiponectin levels were lower and placental TNF&agr; levels and BP (conscious with carotid catheter) were higher in these heavier rats. Circulating adiponectin levels were lower and placental TNF&agr; levels and BP were higher in MC4R+/+ rats compared with NFD controls. These parameters were not affected by HFD in the already heavier and hypertensive MC4R+/− pregnant rats. Conclusion: Obesity in MC4R deficiency and HFD in MC4R+/+ rats result in higher BP and placental inflammation during pregnancy. However, HFD did not exaggerate these responses in already obese MC4R+/− pregnant rats. These data suggest that obesity and HFD are independently related to hypertension and placental inflammation in pregnancy.
Infection of Newborn Piglets with Bordetella pertussis: a New Model for Pertussis

ABSTRACT Bordetella pertussis is the causative agent of pertussis or whooping cough. This bacterium is a human pathogen that under experimental conditions also infects selected rodents and primates. Here, we show for the first time that newborn piglets can be infected with B. pertussis when it is delivered intrapulmonarily. Infected piglets displayed fever and respiratory symptoms, such as nasal discharge, nonparoxysmal coughing, and breathing difficulties. Eventually, all infected animals developed severe bronchopneumonia, which in some cases was combined with a fibrinous pleuritits. Immunohistochemical staining revealed the presence of large numbers of B. pertussis cells within airways, adhering to the epithelial lining or phagocytosed by macrophages and neutrophils. Viable bacteria were reisolated from bronchoalveolar lavages and lung lesions for more than 10 days postinfection. The systemic presence of pertussis toxin was shown by hypoglycemia, lymphocytosis, and induction of a clustered pattern of CHO cells by serum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples. Thus, a large-animal model for pertussis was developed, which should complement existing rodent models for identifying the immune responses relevant to the design of new vaccines. In particular, this model should help researchers analyze the roles of both maternal and mucosal immunity in disease protection against pertussis and should ultimately assist in the design of new vaccines for early life protection.