Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photoperiodism in Humans and Other Primates: Evidence and Implications

Most of the anatomical and molecular substrates of the system that encodes changes in photoperiod in the duration of melatonin secretion, and the receptor molecules that read this signal, have been shown to be conserved in monkeys and humans, and the functions of this system appear to be intact from the level of the retina to the level of the melatonin-duration signal of change of season. While photoperiodic seasonal breeding has been shown to occur in monkeys, it remains unclear whether photoperiod and mediation of photoperiod's effects by melatonin influence human reproduction. Epidemiological evidence suggests that inhibition of fertility by heat in men in summer contributes to seasonal variation in human reproduction at lower latitudes and that stimulation of fertility by lengthening of the photoperiod in spring contributes to the variation at higher latitudes. Parallels between the seasonality of human reproduction and seasonal affective disorder suggest that they may be governed by common biological processes. Historical and experimental evidence indicates that human responses to seasonal changes in the natural photoperiod may have been more robust prior to the Industrial Revolution and that subsequently they have been increasingly suppressed by alterations of the physical environment.
Inferring the colonization of a mountain range—refugia vs. nunatak survival in high alpine ground beetles

It has long been debated whether high alpine specialists survived ice ages in situ on small ice‐free islands of habitat, so‐called nunataks, or whether glacial survival was restricted to larger massifs de refuge at the periphery. We evaluate these alternative hypotheses in a local radiation of high alpine carabid beetles (genus Trechus) in the Orobian Alps, Northern Italy. While summits along the northern ridge of this mountain range were surrounded by the icesheet as nunataks during the last glacial maximum, southern areas remained unglaciated. We analyse a total of 1366 bp of mitochondrial (Cox1 and Cox2) data sampled from 150 individuals from twelve populations and 530 bp of nuclear (PEPCK) sequence sampled for a subset of 30 individuals. Using Bayesian inference, we estimate ancestral location states in the gene trees, which in turn are used to infer the most likely order of recolonization under a model of sequential founder events from a massif de refuge from the mitochondrial data. We test for the paraphyly expected under this model and for reciprocal monophyly predicted by a contrasting model of prolonged persistence of nunatak populations. We find that (i) only three populations are incompatible with the paraphyly of the massif de refuge model, (ii) both mitochondrial and nuclear data support separate refugial origins for populations on the western and eastern ends of the northern ridge, and (iii) mitochondrial node ages suggest persistence on the northern ridge for part of the last ice age.
Chemical activation with a combination of ionomycin and dehydroleucodine for production of parthenogenetic, ICSI and cloned bovine embryos.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of dehydroleucodine (DhL), a new drug isolated from a medicinal herb used in Argentina, for activation of bovine oocyte. Several DhL concentrations and exposure times after ionomycin (Io) treatment were tested. The optimal DhL treatment, found for parthenogenetic development, was employed to produce bovine embryos by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The best parthenogenic embryo developments were observed with 5 μM Io for 4 min followed by 5 μM DhL concentration and after 3-h exposure time (52.3% cleavage; 17.4% morulae; 7.3% blastocyst; n = 109). This treatment generated no significant differences with standard Io plus 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP) treatment in preimplantation embryo development. In our conditions, the embryo development reached after ICSI and SCNT assisted by the DhL treatment did not differ in terms of cleavage and blastocyst development from activation with standard Io plus DMAP treatment (p > 0.05). In conclusion, DhL utilization to activate oocytes and induce development of parthenogenotes, ICSI-embryos or SCNT-embryos is reported here for first time.
Early Secondary Alveoloplasty in Cleft Lip and Palate

The aims of this study were to present a personal surgical technique throughout the review of international literature concerning surgical techniques, objectives, and outcomes in early secondary alveoloplasty and to describe our personal surgical techniques in alveolar bone defect repair in cleft lip and palate. Throughout a literature analysis, it is now settled that early secondary alveoloplasty could reestablish the continuity of alveolar bone and prevent upper dental arch collapse after presurgical orthopedic upper maxilla expansion; it also might give a good bone support for teeth facing the cleft and allow the eruption of permanent elements with the bone graft and rebalance the symmetry of dental arch, improve facial aesthetic, guarantee an adequate amount of bone tissue for a further prosthetic reconstruction with implant, and finally close the eventual oronasal fistula. The surgical technique we are presenting permitted a total number of 35 early secondary alveoloplasty on which a long-term follow-up is still taking place. We can assess that early secondary alveoloplasty must be performed before permanent canine eruption. Iliac crest is the suggested donor site for bone grafting; orthopedic and orthodontic treatments must be performed in association with surgery, and if there is the dental element agenesia, an implantation treatment must be considered.
Early warning and NHS Direct: a role in community surveillance?

BACKGROUND NHS Direct is a nurse-led telephone help line that covers the whole of England and Wales. NHS Direct derived data are being used for community surveillance, the purpose of which is to detect a local or national increase in symptoms reported by callers. The system has the potential to identify an increase in symptoms reported by callers about people in the prodromal stages of illness caused by the deliberate release of a biological or chemical agent. There are no other community surveillance projects existing on a national scale that utilize electronic daily data. METHODS We describe the surveillance system and calls to NHS Direct between December 2001 and July 2002. Confidence limits have been constructed for 10 key algorithms at each site and control charts devised for five of these algorithms at sites covering the key urban areas. RESULTS Daily reporting has been achieved from NHS Direct sites in England and Wales. High levels of activity in specific algorithms at both national and regional levels have been detected. A sustained national increase in calls about fever occurred in January 2002. CONCLUSION Although the project is still at an early stage, daily analysis of NHS Direct data has the potential to detect symptoms in the community that could be related to deliberate releases of chemical or biological agents or to outbreaks of disease. For this surveillance to act as an 'early warning' of illness resulting from a microbiological or chemical cause, the NHS Direct surveillance needs to be fully integrated into an appropriate public health response (which may require diagnostic samples to be taken from callers).
Assessment of platelet activation in several different anticoagulants by the Advia 120 Hematology System, fluorescence flow cytometry, and electron microscopy

Summary In vivoplatelet activation results are often confounded by activation induced in vitroduring the preparative procedures. We measured ex vivo(basal) and in vitro(thrombin-induced) platelet activation in sodium citrate, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and Citrate Theophylline Dipyridamole Adenosine (CTAD) whole blood specimens. Determinations were made by measurements of platelet density (mean platelet component: MPC concentration) on the Advia 120 Hematology System. The MPC has been previously shown to correlate with a fluorescence flow cytometric method, also determined in this study, using the surface expression of CD62P. Moreover, platelet shape and structure changes in EDTA and CTAD anticoagulated whole blood specimens were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Observations made using the Advia 120 Hematology System platelet density parameter, MPC, in the absence of thrombin were 25.7 ± 0.9 g/dl, 27.9 ± 0.9 g/dl and 24.8 ± 1.2 g/dl in sodium citrate, EDTA and CTAD whole blood specimens, respectively. Addition of thrombin induced a significant change in platelet MPC for sodium citrate (21.9 ± 1.9 g/dl; p<0.0001) and EDTA (23.2 ± 0.9 g/dl; p<0.0001) whole blood specimens. In contrast, thrombin had no effect on MPC measured in whole blood taken into CTAD tubes. In vitrofluorescence flow cytometric platelet activation experiments measuring the percentage of platelets expressing anti-CD62P showed increase in sodium citrate specimens from 9.2 ± 7.0 to 55.5 ± 23.1 % (p<0.0001) and in EDTA specimens from 1.9 ± 1.7 to 64.6 ± 12.4 % (p<0.0001) after addition of thrombin. However, in blood taken into CTAD tubes, there was no significant change. Studies on platelets isolated from whole blood in CTAD showed activation by thrombin indicating that platelets in CTAD, while protected in its presence remained functional upon its removal. When observed by TEM over time, platelets in EDTA appear more activated and contain fewer granules than platelets in CTAD. We conclude that CTAD demonstrates in vitroplatelet activation inhibition and may be useful in stabilizing ex vivoplatelet activation. The novel platelet activation parameter, MPC, measured by an automated routine hematology system, using customized proprietary software, may be used in conjunction with CTAD, a stabilizing anticoagulant, to measure the ex vivoplatelet activation state in whole blood specimens. TEM studies verify shape modifications and simultaneous retention of intracellular granules at early post-venipuncture time periods in CTAD specimens.
Correction of image drift and distortion in a scanning electron microscopy

Continuous research on small‐scale mechanical structures and systems has attracted strong demand for ultrafine deformation and strain measurements. Conventional optical microscope cannot meet such requirements owing to its lower spatial resolution. Therefore, high‐resolution scanning electron microscope has become the preferred system for high spatial resolution imaging and measurements. However, scanning electron microscope usually is contaminated by distortion and drift aberrations which cause serious errors to precise imaging and measurements of tiny structures. This paper develops a new method to correct drift and distortion aberrations of scanning electron microscope images, and evaluates the effect of correction by comparing corrected images with scanning electron microscope image of a standard sample. The drift correction is based on the interpolation scheme, where a series of images are captured at one location of the sample and perform image correlation between the first image and the consequent images to interpolate the drift–time relationship of scanning electron microscope images. The distortion correction employs the axial symmetry model of charged particle imaging theory to two images sharing with the same location of one object under different imaging fields of view. The difference apart from rigid displacement between the mentioned two images will give distortion parameters. Three‐order precision is considered in the model and experiment shows that one pixel maximum correction is obtained for the employed high‐resolution electron microscopic system.
Distribution and Patterns of Industry-Related Payments to Oncologists in 2014.

BACKGROUND Industry-physician collaboration is critical for anticancer therapeutic development, but financial relationships introduce conflicts of interest. We examined the specialty variation and context of physician payments and ownership interest among oncologists. METHODS We performed a population-based multivariable analysis of 2014 Open Payments reports of industry payments to US physicians matched to physician and practice data, including sex, specialty, practice location, and sole proprietor status. Payment data were aggregated per physician and compared by specialty (medical, radiation, surgical, and nononcology), and practice location linked with spending level (low, average, and high). Primary outcomes included likelihood, mean annual amount, and number of general payments. Secondary outcomes included likelihood of holding ownership interests and receipt of royalty/license payments. Estimates for each outcome were determined using multivariable models, including logistic regression for likelihood and linear regression with gamma distribution and log-link for value, adjusted for physician specialty, sex, sole proprietor status, and practice spending. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS In 2014, there were 883 438 physicians, including 22 712 oncologists, licensed to practice in the United States. Among oncology specialties, 52.4% to 63.0% of physicians received a general payment in 2014, totaling $76 million, $4 million, and $5 million to medical, radiation, and surgical oncology, respectively. The median annual per-physician payment to medical oncologists was $632 (IQR = 136-2500), compared with $124 (IQR = 39-323) in radiation oncology and $250 (IQR = 84-1369) in surgical oncology. After controlling for physician and practice characteristics, oncologists were 1.09 to 1.75 times as likely to receive a general payment compared with nononcologists (overall P < 001). There was a 67.6% difference (95% confidence interval [CI] = 63.6 to 71.5, P < .001) in the mean annual value of payments between medical oncology and nononcology specialties (vs -92.7%, 95%CI = -100.2 to -85.0, P < .001] for radiation oncology). Medical and radiation oncologists were more likely to hold ownership interest (adjusted OR = 3.72, 95% CI = 3.22 to 4.27, and 2.27, 95% CI = 1.65 to 3.03, respectively, P < .001 both comparisons). CONCLUSIONS In 2014, industry-oncologist financial relationships were common, and their impact on oncology practice should be further explored.
A prediction rule for disease outcome in patients with recent-onset undifferentiated arthritis: how to guide individual treatment decisions.

OBJECTIVE In patients with undifferentiated arthritis (UA), methotrexate is effective for inhibiting symptoms, structural damage, and progression to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, 40-50% of patients with UA experience spontaneous remission. Thus, adequate decision-making regarding treatment of patients with early UA requires identification of those patients in whom RA will develop. METHODS A prediction rule was developed using data from the Leiden Early Arthritis Clinic, an inception cohort of patients with recent-onset arthritis (n = 1,700). The patients who presented with UA were selected (n = 570), and progression to RA or another diagnosis in this group was monitored for 1 year of followup. The clinical characteristics with independent predictive value for the development of RA were selected using logistic regression analysis. The diagnostic performance of the prediction rule was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). Cross-validation controlled for overfitting of the data (internal validation). An independent cohort of patients with UA was used for external validation. RESULTS The prediction rule consisted of 9 clinical variables: sex, age, localization of symptoms, morning stiffness, the tender joint count, the swollen joint count, the C-reactive protein level, rheumatoid factor positivity, and the presence of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies. Each prediction score varied from 0 to 14 and corresponded to the percent chance of RA developing. For several cutoff values, the positive and negative predictive values were determined. The AUC values for the prediction rule, the prediction model after cross-validation, and the external validation cohort were 0.89, 0.87, and 0.97, respectively. CONCLUSION In patients who present with UA, the risk of developing RA can be predicted, thereby allowing individualized decisions regarding the initiation of treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs in such patients.
Development of an HTS Assay for the Search of Anti-influenza Agents Targeting the Interaction of Viral RNA with the NS1 Protein

The NS1 protein is a nonstructural protein encoded by the influenza A virus. It is responsible for many alterations produced in the cellular metabolism upon infection by the virus and for modulation of virus virulence. The NS1 protein is able to perform a large variety of functions due to its ability to bind various types of RNA molecules, from both viral and nonviral origin, and to interact with several cell factors. With the aim of exploring whether the binding of NS1 protein to viral RNA (vRNA) could constitute a novel target for the search of anti-influenza drugs, a filter-binding assay measuring the specific interaction between the recombinant His-NS1 protein from influenza A virus and a radiolabeled model vRNA ( 32P-vNSZ) was adapted to a format suitable for screening and easy automation. Flashplate® technology (PerkinElmer, Waltham, MA), either in 96- or 384-well plates, was used. The Flashplate® wells were precoated with the recombinant His-NS1 protein, and the binding of His-NS1 to a 35S-vNSZ probe was measured. A pilot screening of a collection of 27,520 mixtures of synthetic chemical compounds was run for inhibitors of NS1 binding to vRNA. We found 3 compounds in which the inhibition of NS1 binding to vRNA, observed at submicromolar concentrations, was correlated with a reduction of the cytopathic effect during the infection of cell cultures with influenza virus. These results support the hypothesis that the binding of NS1 to vRNA could be a novel target for the development of anti-influenza drugs. ( Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2008:581-590)
Der Einfluss der muskulären Ermüdung auf die Kniegelenkstabilität bei Fußball spezifischen Bewegungsabläufen

Jahrlich wird in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland bei 80.000 Burgern das vordere Kreuz-band (VKB) nach einer Ruptur operativ wiederhergestellt. Am haufigsten kommt eine derartige Verletzung im Sport vor. Hierbei ist die Inzidenz fur VKB-Rupturen im Ski-Alpinlauf als Wintersport und im Fusball als ganzjahrige Sportart am hochsten. Wahrend der Verletzungsmechanismus der VKB-Ruptur weitgehend bekannt ist, ist der ursachliche Zusammenhang des Eintretens eines solchen Traumas unbekannt. Eine umfangreiche dreijahrige Studie untersuchte die Art und Haufigkeit von Verletzungen im englischen Profifusball und wies nach, dass die VKB-Ruptur die am haufigsten auftretende Gelenk-verletzung war (Hawkins et al., 2001). Erstaunlicherweise fanden die Autoren, dass in der Mehrzahl der Falle eine VKB – Ruptur ohne gegnerische Einwirkung auftrat. Dieses Phanomen ist von besonderem Interesse und lasst vermuten, dass nicht ein externer mechanischen Impact, sondern moglicherweise eine defizitare Ansteuerung der Knie-sta-bilisierenden Muskulatur zu einer Uberlastung des ligamentaren Knieapparates und letzt-endlich zu einer Ruptur des vorderen Kreuzbandes fuhren kann. Eine Ursache dafur konnte in der muskularen Ermudung liegen. Untersuchungen zum Einfluss muskularer Ermudung auf das VKB-Verletzungsrisiko bei sportlichen Bewegungsablaufen sind in der Literatur kaum vorhanden. Insgesamt finden sich wenige Studien, die sich mit dem Schwerpunkt muskulare Ermudung und Kniestabi-litat beschaftigten. Wikstrom, Powers und Tillman (2004) liesen Probanden aus einem bipedalen Stand in einen monopedalen Stand springen und untersuchten die Kniegelenk-kinematik, die auftretenden Bodenreaktionskrafte und die Dauer der Standstabilisation. Nach einem muskularen Ermudungstraining zeigten sich signifikant hohere Bodenreak-tionskrafte wahrend die Gelenkkinematik und die Dauer der Standstabilisation nicht signi-fikant verandert waren. Skinner et al. (1986) untersuchten den Effekt muskularer Ermudung auf die Kniesensorik im Hinblick auf die Reproduktionsgenauigkeit des Knie-gelenkwinkels. Sie fanden eine signifikante Verschlechterung der Winkelreproduktions-genauigkeit nach Ermudung und schlossen aus ihren Ergebnissen, dass die Mus-
Comparative effectiveness of primary PCI versus fibrinolytic therapy for ST elevation myocardial infarction: a review of the literature.

AIM To compare the effectiveness of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) and fibrinolytic therapy (FL) for the acute management of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS A review of guidelines and PubMed literature comparing clinical outcomes of patients with STEMI treated with pPCI or FL. RESULTS Earlier trials reported reduced mortality and reinfarction with pPCI. Recent randomized data suggest similar outcomes for delayed pPCI compared with FL, especially in geographically remote areas. Guidelines recommend pPCI as the preferred reperfusion strategy for STEMI, if available within 120 mins of first medical contact. CONCLUSION pPCI is the preferred treatment strategy for STEMI. However, FL with subsequent percutaneous coronary intervention remains a viable option for those in rural areas.
Impulse conduction in a sponge.

All-or-none propagated electrical impulses were recorded from the hexactinellid sponge Rhabdocalyptus dawsoni using suction electrodes attached to lumps of aggregated sponge tissue grafted onto the surface of pieces of the same sponge. Impulses were normally evoked by means of externally applied electrical shocks. Recorded externally using an a.c. -coupled amplifier, the electrical event was triphasic and lasted approximately 30 s; integration gave a diphasic waveform. A further integration to give the form of the membrane action potential produced a monophasic signal. Impulses propagated at 0.27+/-0.1 cm s-1 with an absolute refractory period of 29 s and a relative refractory period of approximately 150 s. Concurrent thermistor flow meter recordings confirmed that water flow through the sponge was arrested following the passage of an impulse, presumably as result of the cessation of beating of the flagella in the flagellated chambers. Tactile stimuli also evoked impulses, as did addition of particulate material to the incoming water stream. Impulses continued to propagate through the sponge during arrests, indicating that the conduction and effector systems were independent. Sponges lack nerves, and a variety of evidence indicates that the conducting tissues are the syncytial trabecular reticulum and pinacoderm layers. Na+-deficient solutions had little effect on the action potential, but propagation was blocked by 10 mmol l-1 Co2+, 1 mmol l-1 Mn2+ or 24 micromol l-1 nimodipine. Tetraethylammonium ions at 1-5 mmol l-1 also blocked propagation without prolonging the action potential. Impulse conduction in the sponge is discussed in relation to excitability and conduction in the protozoa and in plants and to non-nervous conduction in more advanced animals.