Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MECANISMOS DE TOXICIDAD DE FUMONISINA B 1 EN CÉLULAS ANIMALES Y VEGETALES TOXICITY MECHANISMS OF FUMONISIN B 1 IN ANIMAL AND PLANT CELLS

Toxicological risk associated with mycotoxins has become a central aspect of the fungal invasion in crops or stored grains, as it leads to losses of several million dollars, not only because of the problems caused in human population and animal health but also by the devaluation of agricultural products. Within mycotoxins, the fumonisins are mainly produced by the Fusarium verticillioides fungus which most frequently contaminates maize around the world. Given the high frequency of contamination with Fumonisin B1 it is possible for these toxins to play a role in virulence in maize; however, the mechanisms involved in such issue have not been completely clarified to date. From the point of view of the plant as a host, genetic resistance seems to be the best preventive action against pollution with fumonisins. From the point of view of the microorganism, pathogens employ a number of strategies aimed to weaken or kill the plant in order to obtain access to nutrients, where several “effectors” could be involved in the process of infection. So far in the complex interaction between F. verticillioides and corn, research on the potential role of production of fumonisins in the development of the disease has produced controversial results. On one hand the international agency on research on cancer classified the fumonisins as probably carcinogenic compounds for humans (group 2B). Epidemiological data suggest an association between daily intake of fumonisins and the high incidence of liver and esophagus cancer. The most recognized mechanism of toxicity for Fumonisin B1 is the inhibition of cellular enzyme ceramide synthase and the consequent disruption of lipid metabolism with accumulation of natural substrates for this enzyme, sphinganine and sphingosine, and their forms of balance. These sphingoid bases are bioactive and they are involved in signaling pathways. On the other hand, the fumonisins are also linked to genotoxic activity, allowing the production of reactive oxygen species, secondary to exposure to Fumonisin B1, like an indirect way of genotoxicity caused by toxin induction. The oxidation of cellular components can produce many effects such as: changes in permeability and fluidity of membranes, loss of organelles function, alteration of the formation and/or activity of proteins, cell metabolism by proteolysis, immunogenicity alteration, mutations and/or chromosomal instability, compromising cell viability and/or lead to death. In addition the reactive oxygen species are involved in different signaling pathways, and they can alter the cell cycle.
Coronagraphic Imager with Adaptive Optics (CIAO) for the SUBARU Telescope

CIAO is a stellar Coronagraph Imager with Adaptive Optics for use on the Subaru 8.2-m telescope, whose aim is to obtain diffraction limited images of faint objects in close vicinity of bright objects at infrared wavelengths. The instrument is a near-infrared camera with a sophisticated coronagraph capability optimized for use between 1 and 5 micron and is used in conjunction with the adaptive optics system. A number of occulting masks and pupil masks with various sizes and shapes are selectable, all cooled down to below 80 K. Care is taken to minimize the diffraction and scattering effects both in the telescope and in the instrument. Great care is also taken to design the tension-strap supported cryostat which minimizes the flexure within the cryostat. The camera will utilize an SBRC 1024×1024 InSb detector array. Facilities are also provided for polarimetry and grism spectroscopy. CIAO will be a very powerful instrument to study circumstellar disks around both young stellar objects and main-sequence stars, companion brown dwarfs and other kinds of companions, extra-solar planets, jets and outflows from both young stars and evolved stars, circumnuclear regions around AGNs, and host galaxies of QSOs.
Interaction of the N-AcAβ(13–23)NH2 segment of the beta amyloid peptide with beta-sheet-blocking peptides: site and edge specificity

The region encompassing residues 13–23 of the amyloid beta peptide (Aβ(13–23)) of Alzheimer’s disease is the self-recognition site that initiates toxic oligomerization and fibrillization and also is the site of interaction of Aβ with many other proteins. We describe herein a study by molecular dynamics of the complexes formed by R (= N-AcAβ(13–23)NH2(N-CH3C(O)HHQKLVFFAEDNH2)) with several pseudopeptides designed to form β-sheets with Aβ(1-40,42) and prevent oligomer and fibril formation. Adhesion to both edges of the R β-strand is examined by structure analysis. Umbrella sampling along a dissociation pathway reveals approximate free energies of binding in the submicromolar range. One of the three pseudopeptides binds strongly to one edge of the R β-strand and another to the opposite edge, while the third displays strong binding to both edges. It is desirable to block both edges of the self-recognition site of Aβ to prevent oligomer formation. The study reveals that this may be accomplished by a single pse.
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT VITAMIN A LEVELS IN DIETS ON ANTIOXIDANT ABILITY OF BEEF CATTLE

A trail was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary vitamin A levels on antioxidant activity of beef cattle.Thirty crossbred beef-cattle(Simmental × Lu-xi)were randomly divided into control group and tested groups(adding 1100,2200,3300,4400,5500IU/kg VA to the basal diet respectively). The results showed that the activities of GSH-Px and CuZn-SOD and T-AOC were increasing evidently(P0.05) as we added 3300～4400IU/kg VA into the diet.As adding 4400～5500IU/kg vitamin A to the diet,the content of MDA decreased remarkably.The T-AOC,the content of MDA and the activities of GSH-Px and CuZn-SOD,all are the proper index to estimated the nutritioal status of VA,but the T-SOD wasn't the proper index to test the antioxidant of VA.In the trial,the basal level of VA was 3300IU/kg and the adding 4400IU/kg of vitamin A could more effectively reduce the degree of lipid peroxidation,but all the items showed that the level of VA 5500IU/kg was against the antioxidation for the beef cattle.
New forms of social interaction: virtual communication and health

espanolSe examina si la relacion demostrada empiricamente entre salud e interacciones sociales presenciales se confirma cuando esta es virtual. El objetivo es conocer si la percepcion de bienestar psicologico y de recibir apoyo social explicaria la frecuencia de participacion en redes sociales virtuales (RSV). Se aplica un diseno ex-post-facto sobre una muestra de 510 internautas universitarios (edad; M =22,89; DT= 5,67; 78,9% mujeres). Se evalua el nivel de bienestar psicologico (adaptacion espanola de la Escala de Bienestar Psicologico de Ryff), de apoyo social (cuestionario Apoyo Social Familiar y Amigos - AFA) y la frecuencia de uso de las RSV. Para determinar las relaciones entre las variables se realizaron analisis de correlacion y de regresion jerarquica Se confirma la contribucion relativa de la percepcion de bienestar psicologico y de obtencion de apoyo social en la frecuencia de uso de RSV, controlando las influencias de la edad y el genero. Concretamente, la percepcion de poseer menor capacidad de dominar el ambiente social y la de obtener apoyo social por las amistades a traves de las RSV, explica y permite predecir el incremento en la frecuencia de uso de dichas redes. EnglishIt is examined if the relationship empirically demonstrated between health and face-to-face social interactions is confirmed when it is virtual. The objective is to know if the perception of psychological well-being and receiving social support would explain the frequency of participation in virtual social networks (VSN). An ex-post-facto design was applied to a sample of 510 university Internet users (age, M = 22.89, SD = 5.67, 78.9% women). The level of psychological well-being (Spanish adaptation of the Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scale), social support (Family Social Support and Friends questionnaire - AFA) and the frequency of use of VSN are evaluated. To determine the relationships between the variables, correlation and hierarchical regression analyzes were carried out. The relative contribution of the perception of psychological well-being and of obtaining social support in the frequency of VSN use is confirmed, controlling the influences of age and gender. Specifically, the perception of having less ability to dominate the social environment and to obtain social support for friendships through VSN explains and allows predicting the increase in the frequency of use of such networks.
Prevention of coronary artery disease is a pediatric problem.

The report by Bao et al 1 underscores the importance of primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) beginning in childhood. Specifically, their findings suggest that the most effective strategy for prevention of CAD in adulthood may be prevention of obesity in childhood. Data from the Bogalusa Heart Study show consistently increased incidence of overweight children whose parents have early CAD. These individuals were identified as being overweight in childhood and developed an adverse cardiovascular risk profile in adulthood that was predictive of premature CAD. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III) compared with previous NHANES data document an increasing obesity epidemic in this country, especially in children. 2 Given the universally acknowledged failure of most weight-loss treatment programs, obese children are likely to become obese adults, thereby increasing their risks of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease. 3 On a
Brown barcoded as red but reality is green! How epiphytic green algae confuse phycologists?

Promises and perils of DNA barcoding are now well-known, but no studies have revealed the extent of taxonomic misidentification of algal specimens available in primary DNA sequence repositories. Our original objective was to assess the molecular identity of the ubiquitous brown alga Turbinaria ornata (Sargassaceae:, Fucales) from the southeast Indian coast. We extracted total genomic DNA from freshly collected algal thalli and sequenced the nuclear ribosomal DNA Internal Transcribed Spacer-1 (nrDNA ITS1) barcode locus. Following a BLASTn DNA sequence similarity search, the identity of our alga was Laurencia thyrsifera, a Pacific red alga that has never been reported in India, which came as a big surprise. Further analyses of BLAST hits using a robust phylogenetic framework of Bayesian Inference led to the conclusion that our sequence belonged to an epiphytic Ulvellacean green algal genus Ulvella, which might have been extracted and amplified with our universal ITS primers. This is the first report for Ulvella from India, and detection of this alga growing on Turbinaria. Our Bayesian analyses revealed that a number of GenBank accessions of this epiphyte are misidentified as red algae, which are published in some of the reputed phycological and botanical journals. This finding could have a profound impact on several of the fallacious phylogenetic conclusions arrived at in these publications.
γ-Interferon Production in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes From Kaposi's Sarcoma Patients: Correlation With the Presence of Human Herpesvirus-8 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and Lesional Macrophages

Evidence indicates that, at least in the early stage, Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a cytokine-mediated disease and that it is consistently associated with a novel herpesvirus termed human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). To gain insights into the mechanisms by which cytokines and HHV-8 may cooperate in disease pathogenesis, we examined the phenotype, the Th1 (γ-interferon [γIFN]) and Th2 (interleukin-4 [IL-4]) cytokine profile and the presence of HHV-8 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL), and spindle cell cultures derived from skin lesions of patients affected by classical KS (C-KS) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated KS (AIDS-KS). TIL and spindle cell cultures were examined at day 0 or after culture in conditioned media from activated T cells (TCM) that contain the same cytokines increased in KS tissues. No differences were found in the immunophenotype of PBMC from C-KS patients versus controls, except for AIDS-KS patients who showed a T-CD8+ expansion. However, a preferential infiltration of T-CD8+ cells was found in all KS lesions examined, which was maintained after culture of TIL in TCM. γIFN production was found in both PBMC and cultures derived from all KS examined; some IL-4 positive supernatants were found only in three AIDS-KS cases. Uninvolved skin did not show appreciable lymphocyte infiltration or cytokine production. The culture conditions of the lesional skin allowed also the appearance of adherent, spindle-like cells bearing markers of tissue macrophages. Finally, most or all of the PBMC, lesions, and macrophagic cell cultures from the skin lesions were found to be positive for HHV-8 infection by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). These findings indicate that patients with KS express a Th1 phenotype with a prevalent γIFN production, likely accounted for by the local T-CD8+ infiltration. By analogy with other viral infections (ie, Epstein-Barr virus), this suggests that in loco recruitment of lymphoid cells and the subsequent γIFN production may be in response to or elicited by HHV-8 that was found in both PBMC and macrophagic cell cultures from the lesions of the same patients.
The Berlin aging study : aging from 70 to 100

Introduction Part I. Theoretical Orientations and Methods: 1. The Berlin Aging Study: sample, design, and overview of measures Paul Baltes, Karl Ulrich Mayer, Hanfried Helmchen and Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen 2. Sample selectivity and generalizability of the results from the Berlin Aging Study Ulman Lindenberger, Reiner Gilberg, Todd D. Little, Reinhard Nuthmann, Ulrich Potter and Paul Baltes 3. Generational experiences of old people in Berlin Ineke Maas, Markus Borchelt and Karl Ulrich Mayer 4. Six individual biographies from the Berlin Aging Study Yvonne Schutze, Clemens Tesch-Romer and Cornelia Borchers Part II. Major Results from the Four Research Units: 5. Morbidity, medication, and functional limitations in old age Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen and Markus Borchelt 6. Psychiatric illnesses in old age Hanfried Helmchen, Margret M. Baltes, Bernhard Geiselmann, Siegfried Kanowski, Michael Linden, Friedel M. Reischies, Michael Wagner, Thomas Wernicke and Hans-Ulrich Wilms 7. Trends and profiles of psychological functioning in very old age Jacqui Smith and Paul Baltes 8. Socioeconomic conditions and social inequalities in old age Karl Ulrich Mayer, Ineke Maas and Michael Wagner Part III. Interdisciplinary Findings: 9. Men and women in the Berlin Aging Study Margret M. Baltes, Alexandra M. Freund and Ann L. Horgas 10. Social relationships in old age Michael Wagner, Yvonne Schutze and Frieder R. Lang 11. Self, personality, and life regulation: facets of psychological resilience in old age Ursula M. Staudinger, Alexandra M. Freund, Michael Linden and Ineke Maas 12. Limits and potentials of intellectual functioning in old age Ulman Lindenberger and Friedel M. Reischies 13. Sensory systems in old age Michael Marsiske, Julia Delius, Ineke Maas, Ulman Lindenberger, Hans Scherer and Clemens Tesch-Romer 14. Everyday competence in old and very old age: theoretical considerations and empirical findings Margret M. Baltes, Ineke Maas, Hans-Ulrich Wilms, Markus Borchelt and Todd D. Little 15. On the significance of morbidity and disability in old age Markus Borchelt, Reiner Gilberg, Ann L. Horgas and Bernhard Geiselmann 16. Utilization of medical and nursing care in old age Michael Linden, Reiner Gilberg, Ann L. Horgas and Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen 17. Sources of well-being in very old age Jacqui Smith, William Fleeson, Bernhard Geiselmann, Richard A. Settersten Jr and Ute Kunzmann Part IV. Overview and Outlook: 18. What do we know about old age and aging? Conclusions from the Berlin Aging Study Karl U. Mayer, Paul Baltes, Margret M. Baltes, Markus Borchelt, Julia Delius, Hanfried Helmchen, Michael Linden, Jacqui Smith, Ursula M. Staudinger, Elisabeth Steinhagen-Thiessen and Michael Wagner.
Interactions of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, critical loads of nitrogen deposition, and shifts from native to invasive species in a southern California shrubland

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition and invasive species are causing declines in global biodiversity, and both factors impact the diversity and functioning of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Shifts in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities can generate feedback to native plants and affect their success, as was observed in California’s coastal sage scrub, which is a Mediterranean-type shrubland threatened by invasive grasses. As vegetation-type conversion from native shrubland to exotic annual grassland increased along a gradient of increasing N deposition, the richness of native plant species and of spore morphotypes decreased. Rapid declines in all plant and fungal values occurred at the critical load (CL) of 10–11 kg N·ha−1·year−1, indicating that AM fungi respond to the same environmental signals as the plants, and can be used to assess CL. Shrub root colonization also decreased along the N gradient, but colonization of the invasive grass was dominated by a fine AMF endophyte that was unr.
Investigation of deadtime characteristics for simultaneous emission-transmission data acquisition in PET

Modern PET systems generally utilize rotating rod sources and sinogram windowing for transmission scan and are also usually capable of simultaneous emission-transmission data acquisition. The count rate capability of a PET system using BGO is primarily limited by the deadtime of the block detectors. This deadtime is directly related to the singles event rate of the system. In a simultaneous emission-transmission acquisition, the moving rod sources generate a spatially varying singles distribution which rotates synchronously with the rods. The emission activities tend to create a nearly uniform singles distribution which is static or varies slowly depending on the half life of the radioisotope. In this study, the system deadtime is characterized for different sources of activity in a simultaneous acquisition. Typically, there are 60 to 150 MBq Ge-68 in each of the three rods causing a 26% peak-to-peak variation in the instantaneous detector deadtime. The time-averaged deadtime in a transmission sinogram has a variation of 30% peak-to-peak. Rod activities create a 4 to 10% peak-to-peak variation in the time-averaged deadtime in the emission sinogram of a simultaneous scan. The current deadtime correction method results in a 10% error in a simultaneously acquired emission sinogram with 60 MBq in each rod and 74 MBq in a plane source. A spatially variant deadtime correction technique was developed for simultaneous scans. The error was reduced to 4% for the same study.
ACCEPTANCE OF THE EXPEDITED SITE CHARACTERIZATION (ESC) APPROACH IN ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUPS

It has been several years since the Department of Energy (DOE) first started promoting a new characterization approach for CERCLA/RCRA activities at DOE contaminated sites. This approach, referred to as Expedited Site Characterization (ESC), has been demonstrated, reviewed and observed by DOE and other agency program managers, and used in actual regulated site activities at DOE’s Pantex Site, Savannah River Site, and the Nevada Test Site to confirm its cost and schedule savings and, more importantly, its effectiveness. Since then, on a national level, many new EPA policies and initiatives have been introduced for environmental activities in general to speed up the cleanup process. State regulatory agencies are closely cooperating under new programs to reduce the barriers for use of innovative approaches and technologies in remediation programs. And several programs have emerged from federal agencies such as Departments of Commerce and Defense and Energy, to assist the acceptance of new concepts and approaches to environmental problems. The combination of these many changes and trends in environmental policy and activities has an influence on the future use of ESC for site characterization programs. The issues facing ESC acceptance are very similar to the issues facing innovative technology acceptance. This paper will describe: the reason for DOE’s original push to introduce ESC into environmental management programs, what ESC means, what is its acceptance today in particular with respect to the changes occurring nationally in the environmental business, and expected future use of this approach in both the private sector and DOE. The emphasis in this paper is NOT so much on what ESC is but on how ESC gains acceptance.
Environmental change in South-East Asia: people, politics and sustainable development.

Environmental Change in South-East Asia brings together scholars, journalists, consultants and NGO activists to explore the interaction of people, politics and ecology. Ostensibly "green" activities - plantation forestry, eco-tourism, hydro-electricity - are revealed as guises used by elites to promote their own political and economic interests. Highlighting fatal flaws in presently exclusive economic and ecological approaches, the authors stress that neither the quest for sustainable development nor the process of environmental change itself can be understood without reference to political processes.
Trade and Investment in China : The European Experience

China is under close scrutiny both as a market that could provide massive returns to investors and because of its potential to become the most powerful economy in Asia. This new study examines the economic relationship between China and Europe, its importance and how it is likely to evolve. The book considers the flow of trade, direct investment and technology transfer and contains case studies of manufacturing industries (automobiles, toys, watches, telecommunications) banking and insurance. The trade relationship between Europe and China is being re-evaluated by both sides and this is a valuable contribution to that process.
Effects of policy change on wildland fire management strategies: evidence for a paradigm shift in the western US?

In 2009, new guidance for wildland fire management in the United States expanded the range of strategic options for managers working to reduce the threat of high-severity wildland fire, improve forest health and respond to a changing climate. Markedly, the new guidance provided greater flexibility to manage wildland fires to meet multiple resource objectives. We use Incident Status Summary reports to understand how wildland fire management strategies have differed across the western US in recent years and how management has changed since the 2009 Guidance for Implementation of Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy. When controlling for confounding variation, we found the 2009 Policy Guidance along with other concurrent advances in fire management motivated an estimated 27 to 73% increase in the number of fires managed with expanded strategic options, with only limited evidence of an increase in size or annual area burned. Fire weather captured a manager’s intent and allocation of fire management resources relative to burning conditions, where a manager’s desire and ability to suppress is either complemented by fire weather, at odds with fire weather, or put aside due to other priorities. We highlight opportunities to expand the use of strategic options in fire-adapted forests to improve fuel heterogeneity.