Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Annual Changes of Abundance and Biomass of Planktonic Ciliates in the Gdańsk Basin, Southern Baltic

Seasonal changes in the species composition, abundance and biomass of planktonic ciliates were determined every 2-3 weeks at two sites of 30 m depth and one location of l05 m depth in the south-western Gdans Basin between January 1987 and January 1988. A total of 40 ciliate taxa were observed during this period. Autotrophic Mesodinium rubrum dominated ciliate abundance and biomass; maximal values of 50 . 10 3 ind. I -1 and 65 μg C l -1 were recorded. The annual mean biomass of M. rubrum comprised 6 to 9% of the annual mean phytoplankton biomass. The highest abundances and biomasses of heterotrophic ciliates were noted at all stations in the spring and summer in the euphotic zone with maximum values of 28. 10 3 ind. l -1 and 23 μg C l -1 . Three ciliates assemblages were distinguished in the epipelagic layer: large and medium-size non-predatory ciliates, achieving peak abundance in spring and autumn: small-size microphagous ciliates and epibiotic ciliates which were abundant in summer, and large-size predacious ciliates dominating in spring. Below 60 m, a separate deep-water ciliate community composed of Prorodon-like ciliates and Metacystis spp. was found. The ciliate biomass in the 60-105 m layer was similar to the ciliate biomass in the euphotic zone. The heterotrophic ciliate community contributed 10 to 13% to the annual mean zooplankton biomass. The potential annual production of M. rubrum comprised 6 to 9u of the total primary production. Carbon demand of non-predatory ciliates, calculated on the basis of their potential production, was estimated to be equivalent to 12-15% of the gross primary production.
Post-glacial re-colonization of European biota

Abstract Population structure is the result of both present processes and past history. Molecular markers are proving of great value in describing the former, and it is important to similarly determine the latter in order to understand their respective contributions. The study of palaeo-climates has also advanced significantly, and in particular that of the Pleistocene ice ages, which modified species ranges considerably. The last ice age and rapid post-glacial colonization of Europe is summarized. Possible population genetic consequences of expansion northward from southern refugia, and those of remaining in these mountainous regions are discussed. A series of recent case studies are detailed where DNA sequence information has been used to describe species genetic variation and subdivision across Europe. These include a grasshopper, the hedgehog, oak trees, the common beech, the black alder, the brown bear, newts, shrews, water vole, silver fir and house mice. These molecular data confirm southern peninsulas of Europe as major ice age refugia, and in most cases demonstrate that genetically distinct taxa emerged from them. They can thus define genomic differences and so greatly augment previous fossil data. The refugial genomes contributed differently in various species to the re-colonization of Europe, with three broad patterns described as paradigms—«grasshopper», «hedgehog» and «bear». These different expansion patterns produced clusters of hybrid zones where they made contact, and it is argued that many species genomes may be further cryptically subdivided. A reduction in diversity from southern to northern Europe in the extent of allelic variation and species subdivision is seen; this is attributed to rapid expansion northward and the varied topography of southern refugia allowing populations to diverge through several ice ages. The differences in DNA sequence indicate that some species have been diverging in refugial regions for a few ice ages at most, whilst distinct lineages in other species suggest much more ancient separation.
An investigation of fish community and water quality compositions in an isolated side channel of the upper Mississippi River

Varying degrees of connectivity between side channels and the main river channel are vital for sustainable ecological processes and functions for both aquatic and terrestrial communities. Within the Mississippi River, restoring side channel functional diversity is a top priority for many natural resource agencies. Buffalo Chute, located at river kilometer 41, is one of the several side channels, island complexes that becomes isolated from the main channel during low river stages leading to thermal and chemical stratifications and anoxic conditions. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impacts of side-channel isolation in the middle Mississippi River (MMR) by measuring fish community and water quality characteristics within an isolated waterbody. Therefore, we selected Buffalo Chute a representative side channel of the MMR to document water quality and fish community characteristics. Water quality measurements were summarized for the 2-year study. Thermal and chemical stratifications coupled with high water temperatures and anoxic conditions were observed in both years during summer. Oxygen reduction potential was lower in summer than winter, which could be attributed to excessive growth of microorganisms and increased biological oxygen demand. Specific conductivity, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and chlorophyll a were higher in summer compared to winter. Differences in water quality characteristics may have resulted in lower mean fish species richness, diversity, and evenness observed during the following winter. We surveyed 45 sites over 2 years using multiple gears to assess fish assemblage characteristics. The data collected in Buffalo Chute provide some insight into how isolated side channels function during low flow periods.
Cochlear Implantation of Danish Prelingually Deaf Children

The aim of the study was to review the indications, techniques and results of cochlear implant (CI) treatment with the Nucleus CI multi-channel electrode for the first children operated on in Denmark. The study material comprised 16 children (5 girls, 11 boys). Their median age at the time of CI operation was 27 months. Anacusis was caused by pneumococcal meningitis in 31% of the children in this relatively young prelingual material. Obliteration of the cochlea was found in two children, indicating the need for surgery as soon as possible after the verification of post-meningitis, total deafness. There were no technical difficulties with operating on the youngest children in the congenital group and the age of 2 years is optimal for implantation. These preliminary results have contributed definitively to an increase in the number of cochlear implantations being carried out in young prelingually deaf Danish children.
Relative increase in areas of muscle fibre types in horses during growth

Summary The relative growth of muscle fibre types as distinguished by the myosin ATPase reaction at pH 9.5 in m. semitendinosus, m. diaphragma and m. pectoralis transversus of growing Thoroughbreds and other horses ranging in age from perinatal life to adulthood was investigated. The growth rate of the area of myosin ATPase high-reacting fibres in m. semitendinosus of both types of horse and in m. pectoralis transversus of Thoroughbreds was greater than that of low reacting fibres. Myosin ATPase low reacting fibres increased in area faster than high reacting fibres in the diaphragm of both types of horse and m. pectoralis transversus of other horses. These differential growth rates result in myosin ATPase high reacting fibres being larger than myosin ATPase low reacting fibres in m. semitendinosus and m. pectoralis transversus in adults of both types however, low-reacting fibres are larger than high reacting fibres in m. diaphragma of adults of both types. These results suggest that the greater relative muscle mass of the proximal limbs of Thoroughbreds and associated greater mean fibre area associated are with relatively faster growing high reacting fibres in their muscles than those of other horses.
The Role of Immunotoxic Environmental Contaminants in Facilitating the Emergence of Infectious Diseases in Marine Mammals

A series of high profile outbreaks of newly described diseases in humans, domestic animals and wildlife has attracted widespread interest in the topic of Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs). Marine mammals are no exception: since 1987 several mass mortalities have been observed following infection with viruses previously undescribed in the populations or species in question. As with terrestrial examples, some of these outbreaks have followed either migrations associated with large-scale ecological changes or the introduction of virus from domestic animals. However, marine mammals warrant special concern in the context of emerging infectious diseases: they typically occupy high trophic levels and can therefore be highly contaminated with immunotoxic chemicals. Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), including polychlorinated -biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), -dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and related compounds, are demonstrated immunotoxicants in laboratory animals, as well as marine mammals. Immunotoxic contaminants may represent a factor that facilitates disease emergence, and may lead to the creation of susceptible “reservoirs” for new pathogens in contaminated marine mammal populations. The factors underlying the emergence and exchange of pathogens among marine mammals, domestic animals, and humans demand multidisciplinary study and invite regulatory and conservation scrutiny. The complexity of this issue may be best addressed through an integrated human and ecological risk assessment framework.
Molecular cloning and characterization of a Candida albicans gene (EFB1) coding for the elongation factor EF-1β

A Candida albicans gene homologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae elongation factor 1β was isolated by screening a genomic DNA library using a C. albicans cDNA as a probe. This cDNA was previously obtained by immunoscreening of an expression library with polyclonal antibodies raised against candidal cell wall components. Sequence analysis of the cDNA and the whole C. albicans gene (EMBL accession number X96517) revealed an intron-interrupted open reading frame of 639 base pairs that encodes a 213 amino acid protein. Exon sequences are highly homologous (74%) to S. cerevisiae EFB1, whereas intron sequence is less conserved (34% identity), and the predicted amino acid sequence shares about 73% identity.
Helminths, Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Tuberculosis

Helminth infections affect over a quarter of the world's population, especially in the developing countries. These long-lasting parasitic infections cause widespread immune activation and dysregulation, a dominant Th2 cytokine immune profile and an immune hyporesponsiveness state. Considering these profound immune changes and the similar geographic distributions of helminthic infections, HIV and tuberculosis (TB), we suggest that helminthic infections play a major role in the pathogenesis of AIDS and TB. They apparently make the host more susceptible to infection by HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and impair his/her ability to generate protective immunity against both infections. The implication of these ideas is that without eradication of helminth infections and/or modulation of the immune changes that they cause, HIV and TB vaccines may fail to confer protection against their respective infections in helminth-endemic areas.
Research Note: Comparison of Three Methods of Collecting Semen from Ganders

Abstract The effect of three collection methods for semen on the volume and quality of semen were studied, using 48 ganders, 24 each of a Chinese and a Synthetic strain, kept under 10 h of light daily. During 9 wk (March 6 to May 5, 1986), semen was obtained twice each wk by passive collection into a conical glass tube or into an artificial vagina, or by aspiration into a vial. Semen traits were measured for each ejaculate that was greater than . 05 mL. The aspiration and artificial-vagina procedures facilitated more successful collections than the conical glass tube for the Chinese strain, but not for the Synthetic ganders. Strain differences were not detected for volume, but Chinese ganders had a higher (P≤.05) spermatozoal concentration and spermatozoa per ejaculate as well as percentage of mature spermatozoa. There were differences (P≤.05) among methods for semen volume, the artificial vagina ranked highest, and for spermatozoal concentration, the aspiration procedure ranked highest. Significant interactions between the strain and method of collection indicated that collections from Chinese ganders using the aspiration procedure ranked higher than all other combinations of strain and method of collection for spermatozoal concentrations and for percentage of mature spermatozoa in an ejaculate. These results do not indicate a clear advantage for one method over another regarding the most important trait, the amount of spermatozoa per ejaculate.
Optimizing Sequences of Probabilistic Manipulation Skills Learned from Demonstration

: While manipulation skills such as picking, inserting and placing were hard coded in classical setups, it is now widely understood that this leads to poor ﬂexibility and that more general skill formulations are required to ensure re-usability in new scenarios. We thus adopt a skill-centric approach where each skill is learned independently under various scenarios but not attached to any spe-ciﬁc task. Afterwards, complex manipulation tasks can be achieved by composing these skills in sequence or parallel. One essential challenge there is to optimize the parameters of each skill such that the success rate of the whole task is maximized. Common approaches require ﬁrst a discretization of the state or action space to generate such parameters and second a precise simulator to evaluate the performances under different parameters. Instead, we propose to learn task-parameterized models of each skill directly from few human demonstrations. Such models allow us to infer the success rate of executing a skill within a new scenario conveniently, via computing a novel measure of execution conﬁdence. This measure encapsulates both the robot state and the workspace conﬁguration. Furthermore, we introduce task-parameterized transition skills that change the object poses of interest via translation and rotation. We show that such skills can be extremely useful for changing skill parameters and thus potentially improving the success rate of a given task. The proposed scheme optimizes skill parameters in the continuous domain without the need for simulators. We demonstrate the proposed approach on a 7 DoF robot arm solving various manipulation tasks.
The Impact of Environmental Pseudomonas aeruginosa Genotypes on Skin Infections in Occupational Saturation Diving Systems

Skin infection caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most frequent health problem associated with occupational saturation diving on the Norwegian continental shelf. In the course of 14-y surveillance of infection and environmental control in occupational offshore saturation diving systems, a collection of :1000 P. aeruginosa isolates has been amassed. Retrospective genomic analyses using restriction enzyme fragmentation and pulsed- eld gel electrophoresis have identi ed 24 of 76 environmental P. aeruginosa genotypes as being of signi cance for single infections, outbreaks of infections and recurrent skin infections in occupational diving systems. In addition, these genomic analyses have made it possible to separate outbreaks of infection into outbreaks with 1 single genotype and clusters of infections where different genotypes are involved. We conclude that the established, assumed diver-to-diver contagion vector ought to be replaced by a environmental contagion vector as the most likely vector within these speci c occupational environments. Furthermore, consecutive presence of the frequent environmental/ infectious genotypes demands speci c improvement of infection prevention and control in these systems. C. Ahlén, MD, SINTEF Unimed, EAM, NO-7465 Trondheim, Norway
Invasive Pneumococcal Infections in Southwestern Sweden: A Second Follow-up Period of 15 Years

In a retrospective study, the incidence, clinical manifestations, concomitant conditions and case fatality rate were studied in patients with invasive pneumococcal infections in the Göteborg area of Sweden during 1981–95, when the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine was available but little used. Patients were identi ed from the records of the Departments of Clinical Bacteriology and from the computer-based hospital discharge registers of the relevant departments. Individual case records were found for 876 patients with invasive pneumococcal infections veri ed by cultures from blood, cerebrospinal  uid or other sterile body  uids. A study from the same area with the same design covering the years 1964–80 has previously been published. There was an increase in total incidence from 5.3 to 10.3 cases/ 100,000/ y from the previous to the present study. This increase was due to an increase in patients with non-meningitic infections aged ] 60 y. The incidence of meningitis was virtually unchanged (1.4/ 100,000/ y), as was the incidence of non-meningitic infections in individuals B 60 y. There were no other important changes between the 2 studies, which con rm that invasive pneumococcal infections have the highest incidence rates in children B 2 y and in the elderly, that a wide variety of underlying conditions are seen in the patients and that the case fatality rate, 15% in the present study, is still high.
Development of the Middle Ear in Neonatal Chinchillas. I. Birth to 14 Days

Measures of middle-ear function in humans show large differences among neonates, infants, and adults. In contrast, hearing sensitivity is essentially mature at birth. Hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the developmental changes in middle-ear function include: (i) contaminating effects of the immature neonatal ear-canal wall and (ii) persistent fetal tissue in the ear canal, tympanic membrane (TM), and middle-ear space. To better understand the relationships between middle-ear function, hearing sensitivity and the structure of the middle ear, 30 chinchillas, aged 1-14 days, were studied. Middle-ear function was assessed by multifrequency tympanometry with probe tones ranging from 226 to 2,000 Hz. Hearing sensitivity was measured by auditory brainstem response using clicks and 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz tone bursts. Structural characteristics were analyzed from temporal bone histologic preparations. At all frequencies, the acoustic admittance of the neonatal car is very low and tympanometric patterns are complex and irregular, compared to adult animals. The admittance is essentially constant from 1 to 14 days, indicating that developmental changes occur over a much wider age span than that investigated here. Hearing sensitivity of the chinchilla appears to be mature at birth. Histologic analysis indicated that there were no age-related changes in TM thickness, TM diameter, distance from TM to promontory, and stapes footplate diameter. There were small increases in bone thickness, middle-ear area, mastoid bulla area, and in the perimeters of the middle ear and mastoid bulla. There were no significant amounts of loose mesenchyme or other fetal tissue in the middle-ear space.
Electron Microscopic Demonstration of a Suberised Layer in the Tylosis Wall of Beech and Oak

The tylosis wall consists of three layers in the discoloured heartwood of Fagus sylvatica and of two layers in non-traumatic heartwood of Quercus robur. The central zone of one of these layers reveals suberised lamellae, particularly after KMnO4/uranyl acetate staining. The presence of suberin may impede the penetration of gases or liquids.
Macrocytosis in Patients on Stavudine

We retrospectively reviewed the effects on the erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) of the use of stavudine - including antiretroviral regimens in both zidovudine-naive and zidovudine-experienced HIV-infected patients. Macrocytosis was commonly observed among patients on stavudine-based regimens although the MCV usually stabilized at a lower level than that observed with zidovudine.
Inflammation markers in the serum of salt miners

The inflammation markers alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), Clara cell protein (CC-16), soluble interleukin-2-receptor (IL-R) and the soluble adhesion molecule E-selectin, the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM-1) and the vascular adhesion molecule (VCAM-1) were determined in the serum of 195 salt-exposed miners to analyse dose-response relationships between markers and potash dust. Alpha-1-antitrypsin, Clara-cell protein, IL2-R, E-selectin and VCAM-1 were not changed by salt exposure, however the ICAM-1 level in the serum fell slightly as the salt exposure increased. This effect was strongest in the group of smokers, still visible in the group of ex-smokers, no effect was seen in non-smokers. Markers, with the exception of VCAM-1, were influenced by tobacco exposure. Since markers were not elevated in relation to salt dust exposure, the results do not support an inflammatory effect of potash dust on the respiratory system.
Herpesvirus DNA Detection in Cerebral Spinal Fluid: Differences in Clinical Presentation between Alpha-, Beta-, and Gamma-Herpesviruses

To evaluate the role of 6 human herpesviruses (cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 and varicella zoster virus (VZV)) in infections of the nervous system, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 662 patients with suspected viral aetiology to neurological symptoms were investigated for presence of herpesviral DNA in a PCR-based study. Of the 69 patients (2 patients had 2 herpesvirus DNA detected in CSF) who had herpesvirus DNA detected in the CSF, 60 (87%) were non-immunocompromised (CMV 7; HHV-6 6; EBV 16; HSV-1 18; HSV-2 9 and VZV 6) and 9 (13%) were immunocompromised (CMV 3; HHV-6 0; EBV 5; HSV-1 0; HSV-2 1 and VZV 0). The study was performed in a retrospective/prospective manner. The HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV and CMV DNA-positive patients usually had typical clinical syndromes, such as encephalitis/myelitis and meningitis, but also other neurological conditions were associated with findings of these viruses. HHV-6 and EBV DNA were detected in patients presenting with a variety of neurological symptoms, and in some of the cases, concurrent with diagnosis of other infections of the central nervous system. Despite the overall variability of clinical conditions seen, a pattern associated with each investigated herpesvirus was discernable as regards clinical presentation.
Recurrent Septicemia Caused by Streptococcus canis after a Dog Bite

Human infection with Streptococcus canis is extremely rare. We describe herein a case of septicemia with cellulitis caused by S. canis in a 75-y-old woman, which developed 2 weeks after a dog bite. Macrorestriction analysis with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the organism had been transmitted by means of a dog bite to her hand.