Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproduction and social organization of the black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapillus) in southeastern Peru

-A color-banded population of Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapillus) on a Peruvian oxbow lake was studied during one breeding season and censused for 3 yr thereafter. Eighteen territories along a marshy shoreline were occupied by groups of 24 donacobius. Each group contained a mated pair and 0-2 helpers, apparently offspring produced during 1-2 preceding breeding seasons. Helpers participated in nest surveillance, territorial displays, and feeding nestlings. Displays occurred at territory boundaries and consisted of loud duetting by the pair or group. Breeding coincided with the rainy months, October through April, and peaked in November-January. Clutch size was always two. Egg and nestling periods each lasted 17-18 days. No correlation was demonstrable between group size and overall fledging success. Trios, however, accounted for all cases in which both young successfully fledged, whereas pairs never fledged more than one young. Annual survivorship of breeding adults averaged 71%. Cooperative breeding in donacobius is associated with limited opportunities for acquiring breeding territories, as in many other cooperative breeders. The relatively short period during which young serve as helpers (and the resulting small family sizes), however, suggests that at other times or places breeding territories are more readily available to young. Received 9 November 1983, accepted 19 April 1984. THE Black-capped Donacobius (Donacobius atricapillus) is distributed widely in lowland tropical South America (Meyer de Schauensee 1970). Little has been published on the behavior and ecology of this aberrant monotypic species, which was recently reclassified as a wren (Troglodytidae) rather than as a mimid (Clench et al. 1982, A.O.U. 1983). Only Skutch (1968) has briefly described the nesting of donacobius in Venezuela. In this paper, we describe the social organization and reproductive attributes of a population of donacobius living along the shore of an oxbow lake in southeastern Peru. With this report, the species joins the ever-growing list of birds exhibiting cooperative breeding. METHODS AND STUDY SITE All observations were made on Cocha Cashu (Fig. 1), an oxbow lake about 1 km from the Manu River in the Manu National Park, Dept. Madre de Dios, Peru (71? 19'W, 11051'S), at about 400 m elevation. The lake is surrounded by tall tropical moist forest (Holdridge 1967, see Terborgh et al. 1984 for detailed habitat descriptions and a complete checklist of birds at the site). On the shallower (western) side of the lake, most of the margin is lined with marsh grass and sedge (primarily Panicum grande and Scleria microcarpa) up to 2 m tall. Other vegetation on this shore includes scattered patches of Heliconia marginata up to 5 m tall, occasional figs (Ficus trigona and two unidentified species), and, at the extreme northern end, some overhanging limbs of other forest trees. The opposite (eastern) shore has little marsh but, instead, is lined with overhanging limbs of forest trees and
A phase and electron microscopic study of vasculogenesis and erythropoiesis in the yolk sac of the mouse

By seven days of gestation, the yolk sac of the mouse has a sheet of mesoderm adjacent to the basement membrane separating it from the endodermal epithelium. Localized proliferations of this mesoderm produces thickened cellular regions which transform into the angioblastic cords; all of these developmental cells are attached by tight junctions and desmosomes. By eight and onehalf days, lumina appear within the angioblastic cords; the peripheral cells become attenuated and form endothelial cells which will line the primitive vessels while the more central cells become the primitive erythroblasts of the blood island.
Harumi Glucose-induced Insulin Secretion Determines the Biphasic Response of Protein ( N-WASP ) and Cofilin Activities of Neuronal Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Actin Dynamics Regulated by the Balance Signal Transduction :

10.1074/jbc.M113. 464420 Access the most updated version of this article at doi: . JBC Affinity Sites Find articles, minireviews, Reflections and Classics on similar topics on the Alerts: When a correction for this article is posted • When this article is cited • to choose from all of JBC's e-mail alerts Click here http://www.jbc. org/content/288/36/25851.full. html#ref-list-1 This article cites 60 references, 35 of which can be accessed free at
Physiological risk factors for falls in older people with lower limb arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate physiological risk factors for falls in people with self-reported lower limb arthritis. METHODS Six hundred eighty-four community-dwelling men and women aged 75-98 years (mean 80.0, SD 4.4), categorized with and without lower limb arthritis, underwent quantitative tests of strength, peripheral sensation, vision, reaction time, balance, and pain. A 12-month history of falls was also obtained. RESULTS Subjects with self-reported lower extremity arthritis performed significantly worse in tests of knee and ankle muscular strength, lower limb proprioception, postural sway, and leaning balance than subjects without lower extremity arthritis, while being comparable in vision, tactile sensitivity, and reaction time. This pattern of specific impairments was also evident when group results for the arthritis subjects were compared with community normative values and presented as a physiological profile. The arthritis group suffered significantly more falls [relative risk (RR) 1.22, 95% CI 1.03-1.46] and injurious falls (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.01-1.60) in the previous 12 months than the nonarthritis group. Within the arthritis group, reduced knee extension strength and increased sway were identified as significant predictors of falls. CONCLUSION Older people with lower limb arthritis are at increased risk of falling due to deficits in neuromuscular systems. A physiological falls-risk profile based on mean test scores for the arthritis group highlights deficits in muscular strength, knee proprioception, and standing balance, indicating the need for targeted falls prevention interventions for this population.
Costimulation of human CD28– T cells by 4‐1BB ligand

The T cell surface protein CD28 provides a critical costimulatory signal for T cell activation. With age, humans accumulate increasing numbers of CD28– T cells, and this loss of CD28 expression is exacerbated certain disease states, such as HIV infection, autoimmune conditions or cancer. It is unclear whether CD28– T cells represent terminally differentiated effector cells or whether they remain sensitive to costimulation by CD28‐independent pathways. Here, we demonstrate that 4–1BB ligand can costimulate human CD28– T cells, resulting in cell division, inflammatory cytokine production, increased perforin levels, enhancement of cytolytic effector function, as well as the up‐regulation of the anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐XL. Thus, human CD28– T cells can respond to costimulatory signals and as such become attractive targets for therapeutic intervention, particularly in chronic infectious and inflammatory diseases where large numbers of these cells accumulate.
Estimation of three-dimensional motion parameters in interferometric ISAR imaging

In most interferometric inverse synthetic aperture radar (InISAR) systems, the pixels between two ISAR images derived from corresponding antennas usually do not register properly. As such, correct phase difference between two ISAR images could not be obtained. A three-dimensional (3-D) motion compensation method, or 3-D focusing, is put forward in this paper. With a multiple antenna pair configuration, the angular motion parameters both in the azimuth and pitching directions are accurately estimated without the usual phase-unwrapping processing. As such, there is no phase ambiguity in the inteferometric systems. The angle motion trajectory measurement here is based on the range profiles (or spatial spectrum) so that the "angle scintillation" phenomenon can be effectively suppressed. The angular motion trajectory is then obtained by curve fitting of the spatial spectrum (range profile in the cross-range direction). The compensated ISAR images are registered accurately. Finally, the simulation data are used to illustrate the accuracy of the proposed method.
An automated calibration system for in vivo neural network study

A feedback control system promises improvements in neuroprosthetic performance and clinical therapies. As the experiments move to chronic, and require longer monitoring time, manual control would be difficult. The calibration process must continuously be repeated due to the variation of the electrophysiological state of the neural network in space and time. To increase the efficiency of these processes, we have developed an automated calibration system. The system is validated in vivo in the hippocampus region. The stimulation voltage threshold is determined through an automatic process. The effects of pulse repetition are observed and realized in ‘real-time’.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Morphological Features in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders : A Matched Case-Control

This study was designed to examine morphological features in a large group of children with autism spectrum disorder versus normal controls. Amongst 421 patients and 1,007 controls, 224 matched pairs were created. Prevalence rates and odds ratios were analyzed by conditional regression analysis, McNemar test or paired t-test matched pairs. Morphological abnormalities were significantly more prevalent in patients with autism than in the normal control group and 48 morphological features distinguished patients from controls. Our findings show that morphological features are associated with autism. Exploring potential underlying genetic mechanisms of this association might lead to a better understanding of autism.
Enhanced endothelial differentiation of adipose‐derived stem cells by substrate nanotopography

Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) have great potential as a cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because they are easier to obtain, have lower donor‐site morbidity and are available in larger numbers than stem cells harvested using bone marrow aspiration. Until now, little has been known about how nanotopography affects the proliferation and endothelial differentiation of ADSCs. In the present study, two nanograting substrates with a period (ridge and groove) of about 250 and 500 nm, respectively, were fabricated on quartz and their effect on ADSC fate was investigated. The results showed that proliferation of ADSCs on nanograting substrates decreased while cell attachment was not significantly affected compared to a flat substrate. Endothelial differentiation of ADSCs on both flat and nanograting substrates can be induced with vascular endothelial growth factor, as shown by immunofluorescent staining. Quantitative real‐time PCR analysis showed significantly enhanced upregulation of vWF, PECAM‐1 and VE‐cadherin at the gene level by ADSCs on the nanograting substrates. In vitro angiogenesis assay on Matrigel showed that nanograting substrates enhanced capillary tube formation. This study highlights the beneficial influence of nanotopography on the differentiation of ADSC into endothelial cells which play an important role in vascularization. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fnr-, NarP- and NarL-Dependent Regulation of Transcription Initiation from the Haemophilus influenzae Rd napF (Periplasmic Nitrate Reductase) Promoter in Escherichia coli K-12

ABSTRACT Periplasmic nitrate reductase (napFDAGHBC operon product) functions in anaerobic respiration. Transcription initiation from the Escherichia coli napF operon control region is activated by the Fnr protein in response to anaerobiosis and by the NarQ-NarP two-component regulatory system in response to nitrate or nitrite. The binding sites for the Fnr and phospho-NarP proteins are centered at positions −64.5 and −44.5, respectively, with respect to the major transcription initiation point. The E. coli napF operon is a rare example of a class I Fnr-activated transcriptional control region, in which the Fnr protein binding site is located upstream of position −60. To broaden our understanding of napF operon transcriptional control, we studied the Haemophilus influenzae Rd napF operon control region, expressed as a napF-lacZ operon fusion in the surrogate host E. coli. Mutational analysis demonstrated that expression required binding sites for the Fnr and phospho-NarP proteins centered at positions −81.5 and −42.5, respectively. Transcription from the E. coli napF operon control region is activated by phospho-NarP but antagonized by the orthologous protein, phospho-NarL. By contrast, expression from the H. influenzae napF-lacZ operon fusion in E. coli was stimulated equally well by nitrate in both narP and narL null mutants, indicating that phospho-NarL and -NarP are equally effective regulators of this promoter. Overall, the H. influenzae napF operon control region provides a relatively simple model for studying synergistic transcription by the Fnr and phospho-NarP proteins acting from class I and class II locations, respectively.
Prostanoid Receptors in the Human Vascular Wall

The mechanisms involved in vascular homeostasis and disease are mostly dependent on the interactions between blood, vascular smooth muscle, and endothelial cells. There is an accumulation of evidence for the involvement of prostanoids, the arachidonic acid metabolites derived from the cyclooxygenase enzymatic pathway, in physiological and/or pathophysiological conditions. In humans, the prostanoids activate different receptors. The classical prostanoid receptors (DP, EP1–4, FP, IP, and TP) are localized at the cell plasma or nuclear membrane. In addition, CRTH2 and the nuclear PPAR receptors are two other targets for prostanoids, namely, prostacyclin (PGI2) or the natural derivatives of prostaglandin D2. While there is little information on the role of CRTH2, there are many reports on PPAR activation and the consecutive expression of genes involved in the human vascular system. The role of the classical prostanoid receptors stimulated by PGI2 and thromboxane in the control of the vascular tone has been largely documented, whereas the other receptor subtypes have been overlooked. There is now increasing evidence that suggests a role of PGE2 and the EP receptor subtypes in the control of the human vascular tone and remodeling of the vascular wall. These receptors are also present on leukocytes and platelets, and they are implicated in most of the inflammatory processes within the vascular wall. Consequently, the EP receptor subtypes or isoforms would provide a novel and specific cardiovascular therapeutic approach in the near future.
VoIP and IPTV distribution over wireless mesh networks in indoor environment

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) will play an important role in the next-generation wireless communication systems because it can support broadband services with ubiquitous coverage by low power consumption. In this article, we will discuss and evaluate the possibility of distributing triple play (Voice-over-IP (VoIP), Internet and Internet Protocol TV (IPTV)) services over a wireless meshed network established in an indoor environment. We are using modified and reconfigured IEEE 802.11b/g access points in the experimental setup. The achieved results from both simulation and experimental setup show that it is possible to run three (3) standard definition (SD) IPTV channels simultaneously and also have VoIP connected over at least two hops with satisfied quality.
Adeno‐associated virus–delivered short hairpin‐structured RNA for androgen receptor gene silencing induces tumor eradication of prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice: A preclinical study

The androgen receptor (AR) is the most critical factor in prostate cancer progression. We previously demonstrated that silencing the AR using 2 unique small interfering RNAs (no. 8 and no. 31 AR siRNA) induces apoptotic cell death in AR‐positive prostate cancer cells. To develop this AR siRNA technique into a therapy for prostate cancers, we generated an adeno‐associated virus (AAV) vector to stably express a short hairpin‐structured RNA (shRNA) against the AR gene in vivo. In addition to the no. 8 AR shRNA (ARHP8), we also screened a group of AR shRNAs with different sequences and identified a less effective AR shRNA (ARHP4) that was used as an shRNA control. An empty AAV vector (AAV‐GFP) was used as a negative control. Intratumoral injection of AAV‐ARHP8 viruses significantly suppressed tumor growth of xenografts derived from either androgen‐responsive or castration‐resistant prostate cancer cells. Most interestingly, systemic delivery of the AAV‐ARHP8 but not AAV‐ARHP4 or AAV‐GFP viruses via tail vein injection eliminated xenografts within 10 days. Further analysis revealed that AAV‐ARHP8 viruses dramatically reduced the expression of AR‐regulated cellular survival genes and caused a dramatic apoptotic response. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that AAV‐ARHP8 viruses induced a strong AR gene silencing in vivo and that systemic delivery of ARHP8 siRNA via an AAV vector or any other means might be considered as novel gene therapy for prostate cancers.
Prolonged Hypercapnia-Evoked Cerebral Hyperemia via K+ Channel– and Prostaglandin E2–Dependent Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Induction

Abstract— Mechanisms for secondary sustained increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) during prolonged hypercapnia are unknown. We show that induction of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) by an increase in prostaglandins (PGs) contributes to the secondary CBF increase during hypercapnic acidosis. Ventilation of pigs with 6% CO2 (Paco2≈65 mm Hg; pH ≈7.2) caused a ≈2.5-fold increase in CBF at 30 minutes, which declined to basal values at 3 hours and gradually rose again at 6 and 8 hours; the latter increase was associated with PG elevation, nitrite formation, eNOS mRNA expression, and in situ NO synthase (NOS) reactivity (NADPH-diaphorase staining). Subjecting free-floating brain sections to acidotic conditions increased eNOS expression, the time course of which was similar to that of CBF increase. Treatment of pigs with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor diclofenac or the NOS inhibitor N&ohgr;-nitro-l-arginine blunted the initial rise and prevented the secondary CBF increase during hypercapnic acidosis; neuronal NOS blockers 1-(2-trifluoromethylphenyl) imidazole and 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole were ineffective. Diclofenac abolished the hypercapnia-induced rise in cerebrovascular nitrite production, eNOS mRNA expression, and NADPH-diaphorase reactivity. Acidosis (pH ≈7.15, Pco2≈40 mm Hg; 6 hours) produced similar increases in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and eNOS mRNA levels in isolated brain microvessels and in NADPH-diaphorase reactivity of brain microvasculature; these changes were prevented by diclofenac, by the receptor-operated Ca2+ channel blocker SK&F96365, and by the KATP channel blocker glybenclamide. Acidosis increased Ca2+ transients in brain endothelial cells, which were blocked by glybenclamide and SK&F96365 but not by diclofenac. Increased PG-related eNOS mRNA and NO-dependent vasorelaxation to substance P was detected as well in rat brain exposed to 6 hours of hypercapnia. PGE2 was the only major prostanoid that modulated brain eNOS expression during acidosis. Thus, in prolonged hypercapnic acidosis, the secondary CBF rise is closely associated with induction of eNOS expression; this seems to be mediated by PGE2 generated by a KATP and Ca2+ channel–dependent process.
Using element and document profile for information clustering

The tremendous growth in the amount of information available and the number of visitors to Web sites in the recent years poses some key challenges for information filtering and retrieval. Web visitors not only expect high quality and relevant information, but also wish that the information be presented in an as efficient way as possible. The traditional filtering methods, however, only consider the relevant values of document. These conventional methods fail to consider the efficiency of documents retrieval. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to calculate an index called document similarity score based on elements of the document. Using the index, document profile will be derived. Any documents with the similarity score above a given threshold are clustered. Using these pre-clustered documents, information filtering and retrieval can be made more efficient.
Insulin, glucose, insulin resistance, and pancreatic cancer in male smokers.

CONTEXT Obesity, diabetes mellitus, and glucose intolerance have been associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk; however, prediagnostic serum insulin concentration has not been evaluated as a predictor of this malignancy. OBJECTIVE To investigate whether prediagnostic fasting glucose and insulin concentrations and insulin resistance are associated with subsequent incidence of exocrine pancreatic cancer in a cohort of male smokers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A case-cohort prospective study within the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (1985-1988) cohort of 29,133 male Finnish smokers ages 50 to 69 years. The study included 400 randomly sampled subcohort control participants and 169 incident pancreatic cancer cases that occurred after the fifth year of follow-up. All participants were followed up through December 2001 (up to 16.7 years of follow-up). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incident exocrine pancreatic cancer identified from the Finnish Cancer Registry. RESULTS After adjusting for age, smoking, and body mass index, higher baseline fasting serum concentrations of glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance were positively associated with pancreatic cancer. The presence of biochemically defined diabetes mellitus (glucose, > or =126 mg/dL [> or =6.99 mmol/L]) and insulin concentration in the highest vs lowest quartile both showed a significant 2-fold increased risk (hazard ratio [HR], 2.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-4.35; and HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.03-3.93; respectively). There were significant interactions for all the biomarker exposures by follow-up time, such that the positive associations were stronger among the cases that occurred more than 10 years after baseline (highest vs lowest quartile: glucose, HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.05-4.42; P for trend = .02; insulin, HR, 2.90; 95% CI, 1.22-6.92; P for trend = .005; and insulin resistance, HR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.19-6.18; P for trend = .006). CONCLUSIONS These results support the hypothesis that exposure to higher insulin concentrations and insulin resistance predicts the risk of exocrine pancreatic cancer.
Primary Aortoduodenal Fistula in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Primer aortoduodenal fistul (PADF), aort ve duodenum arasinda anevrizma varliginda gelisir. Nadir bir durumdur, fakat yasami tehdit edici durumlara neden olur. Yaygin klinik sunumu gastrointestinal kanamadir. Ele gelen abdominal kitle ve abdominal agri diger klinik semptomlardir. Gunumuzde tanida yaygin olarak intravenoz kontrastli bilgisayarli tomografi ve endoskopi kullanilmaktadir. Gastrointestinal kanamanin yaygin olmayan lokalizasyonu nedeniyle tani koymak zor olabilir. Bu calismada, romatoid artritli hastada, akut mesenter iskemi ve morgagni hernisi kombinasyonunda PADF olgusu sunulmustur.