Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resting State Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Motor Pathway Integrity and Upper-Limb Behavior in Chronic Stroke

Background. Resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) is a developmental priority for stroke recovery. Objective. To determine whether (1) RSFC differs between stroke survivors based on integrity of descending motor pathways; (2) RSFC is associated with upper-limb behavior in chronic stroke; and (3) the relationship between interhemispheric RSFC and upper-limb behavior differs based on descending motor pathway integrity. Methods. A total of 36 people with stroke (aged 64.4 ± 11.1 years, time since stroke 4.0 ± 2.8 years) and 25 healthy adults (aged 67.3 ± 6.7 years) participated in this study. RSFC was estimated from electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. Integrity of descending motor pathways was ascertained using transcranial magnetic stimulation to determine motor-evoked potential (MEP) status and magnetic resonance imaging to determine lesion overlap and fractional anisotropy of the corticospinal tract (CST). For stroke participants, upper-limb motor behavior was assessed using the Fugl-Meyer test, Action Research Arm Test and grip strength. Results. β-Frequency interhemispheric sensorimotor RSFC was greater for MEP+ stroke participants compared with MEP− (P = .020). There was a significant positive correlation between β RSFC and upper-limb behavior (P = .004) that appeared to be primarily driven by the MEP+ group. A hierarchical regression identified that the addition of β RSFC to measures of CST integrity explained greater variance in upper-limb behavior (R2 change = 0.13; P = .01). Conclusions. This study provides insight to understand the role of EEG-based measures of interhemispheric network activity in chronic stroke. Resting state interhemispheric connectivity was positively associated with upper-limb behavior for stroke survivors where residual integrity of descending motor pathways was maintained.
A New Species of Pliocene Prolagus (Lagomorpha: Ochotonidae) from Poland is the Northernmost Record of the Genus

Prolagus Pomel, 1853, was one of the longest-lasting mammalian genera (McKenna and Bell, 1997). This speciose group of large ochotonids originated in the late Oligocene from Piezodus Viret, 1929, and survived until the Holocene (Dawson, 1969; Lopez Martinez, 2001). The distinctive tooth morphology, with p3 showing an isolated anteroconid and m3 coalesced with m2, as well as specialized postcranial morphology (Dawson, 1969), differentiate Prolagus from other ochotonids and warrant its assignment to a separate subfamily, Prolaginae Gureev, 1960, a view recently endorsed by Hoffmann and Smith (2005) but not by others (e.g., Lopez Martinez, 1989, 2001; Angelone, 2007). The area of distribution of this relatively diverse genus spans Europe including the Caucasus, as well as Turkey and North Africa, with the center of differentiation in the Mediterranean (Mazza, 1987; Lopez Martinez, 1989, 2001; Sen, 1990; Averianov and Tesakov, 1998; Angelone, 2007). Prolagus reached its maximum geographic range in the Miocene/Pliocene; at the beginning of the Pliocene its range started fragmenting, which resulted in high species variability due to endemism and insularity effects (Lopez Martinez, 2001). Most species of Prolagus lived in subtropical forest or wetland lacustrine habitats (Lopez Martinez, 2001; Fejfar et al., 2006) and distribution of the genus was associated with even annual temperatures and precipitation rate. However, during the Pliocene some species (P. ibericus Lopez Martinez, 1975, and P. imperialis Mazza, 1987), known from karstic assemblages rich in hypsodont murids and cricetids, probably dwelled in drier habitats of the seasonal subtropical climate (Lopez Martinez, 2001). Here I present the northernmost record of Prolagus, from Pliocene deposits of the Raciszyn 1 locality in Poland. The fossil assemblage forms a filling of karstic fissure within Oxfordian limestones. Preliminary faunal analysis indicates an early Pliocene, late Ruscinian age, MN 15b (Nadachowski, 1990; Sulimski and Szynkiewicz, 1994). The only other lagomorph species found in Raciszyn 1 is Hypolagus beremendensis (Kormos, 1930), represented by a few specimens (FostowiczFrelik, 2007). This discovery of a new species of Prolagus is one of the latest occurrences of the genus in central Europe and the first one from Poland. Institutional Abbreviations SM, Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; ZPAL, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland. Anatomical Abbreviations L, anteroposterior length; W, buccolingual width. Anatomical terminology follows Lopez Martinez and Thaler (1975).
Effect of manual cleaning on health and germination of rice seeds.

All the 20 seed samples of rice collected from Tangail district of Bangladesh, 10 from T. Aman season, July -December and 10 from Boro season, January-May were of extremely poor quality showing germination ranging between 60-77% (average 66%). All samples contained many discoloured and spotted seeds, their frequency ranged from 7-15%. When such seeds were removed manually, the clean seeds showed a remarkable increase in germination to 82-93% (average 87%). Additionally, seedlings developing from such clean seeds showed improved seedling vigour, were greener and appeared much healthier. The discoloured and spotted seeds were infested by fungi such as Alternaria padwickii, Bipolaris oryzae, Fusarium moniliforme, Sarocladium oryzae. In addition, bacterial blight- and bacterial brown stripe-like symptoms were observed in seedlings raised from such seeds. The time taken to remove discoloured and spotted seeds by hand from 50 kg, the amount required for sowing in one hectare in Bangladesh, took about 20 h when four persons were involved in the cleaning process. Removal of spotted and discoloured seeds will help to increase grain yield, improve seed quality and, if practised regularly, reduce entry of disease producing organisms in the soil, resulting in improved sanitary condition and low disease pressure.
Digestibilidade aparente de dietas com níveis crescentes de concentrado em novilhos Brangus e Nelore

The apparent digestibility of diets with 20, 40, 60 or 80% of concentrate fed Brangus and Nellore steers was determined through total fecal collection. Eight animals, four of each breed, were used in two 4 x 4 Latin square design with five days of adaptation to the diets and five days of collection in each period. The initial age and body weight of Brangus and Nellore steers were 13 months and 248 kg, and 30 months and 403kg, respectively. Concentrate levels affected (P<0.01) the digestibility coefficients of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, nitrogen free extract (NFE), organic matter (OM) and total digestible nutrients (TDN). The diet with 80% of concentrate showed higher DM, CP and TDN digestibilities. The digestibility of NFE, OM and the dry matter intake were different according to the breeds (P<0.05). Brangus showed higher DM and TDN intake. The DM and TDN intake showed interaction (P<0.01) breed by concentrate level, with higher intake for the Brangus at higher TDN diets. The Nellore steers were less adapted to diets rich in concentrate than Brangus steers.
Testing the role of biotic stress in the stress gradient hypothesis. Processes and patterns in arid rangelands

Since many arid ecosystems are overstocked with domestic herbivores, biotic stress could have a stronger influence in modulating the balance of species interactions than expected from the stress gradient hypothesis (SGH). Here we tested a priori predictions about the effect of grazing on species interactions and fine scale spatial structure of grasses in water-limited ecosystems. We used detailed vegetation mapping and spatial analysis, and performed a field experiment where the direct and indirect components of positive interactions were disentangled to provide evidence of links between process and pattern. We found associational resistance (biotic refuge) to be the dominant process in grazing situations, while competition, instead of direct facilitation, seemed to govern grass spatial patterns when herbivore pressure was relaxed. These results suggest that facilitation between grasses in arid communities may be related to herbivory rather than nurse plant effects. Associational resistance tends to have the strongest effect on spatial aggregation of species at intermediate grazing pressure. Results suggest that contrary to SGH, this physical clustering of species decreased when grazing pressure reached their maximum levels. Positive associations remained significant only when palatability differences between neighbours is large, suggesting that managing stocking rate is a key factor determining the persistence of herbivory refuges. These refuges are potential foci to initiate population recovery of high quality forage species in arid degraded areas.
Effect of Dietary Barley β-Glucan on Cholesterol and Lipoprotein Fractions in Rat

Abstract The flours of three barley cultivars, namely Dolma (hull-less), DL-88 (hull-less) and BH-331 (hulled), containing 6·23, 4·60, 2·18% total β-glucan and 5·39, 2·06, 1·08% soluble β-glucan contents, respectively, were used in the diets of rats to compare their hypocholesterolaemic effects. Comparison was also made with a standard casein diet. After 40 days of feeding trial, feed intake and weight gain were found to be the highest for the casein diet and differed significantly from those of the barley diets. Dolma (hull-less) based diet, fed to rats caused significant (p
Efflux pump inhibitors as a promising adjunct therapy against drug resistant tuberculosis: a new strategy to revisit mycobacterial targets and repurpose old drugs

ABSTRACT Introduction: In 2018, an estimated 377,000 people developed multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), urging for new effective treatments. In the last years, it has been accepted that efflux pumps play an important role in the evolution of drug resistance. Strategies are required to mitigate the consequences of the activity of efflux pumps. Areas covered: Based upon the literature available in PubMed, up to February 2020, on the diversity of efflux pumps in Mycobacterium tuberculosis and their association with drug resistance, studies that identified efflux inhibitors and their effect on restoring the activity of antimicrobials subjected to efflux are reviewed. These support a new strategy for the development of anti-TB drugs, including efflux inhibitors, using in silico drug repurposing. Expert opinion: The current literature highlights the contribution of efflux pumps in drug resistance in M. tuberculosis and that efflux inhibitors may help to ensure the effectiveness of anti-TB drugs. However, despite the usefulness of efflux inhibitors in in vitro studies, in most cases their application in vivo is restricted due to toxicity. In a time when new drugs are needed to fight MDR-TB and extensively drug-resistant TB, cost-effective strategies to identify safer efflux inhibitors should be implemented in drug discovery programs.
Glucose Variability and Diabetic Complications: Is It Time to Treat?

Increasing evidence is supporting the role of glucose variability (GV) in the development of diabetic complications, particularly cardiovascular (CV) ones (1). Many observational studies (1) and post hoc analyses of trials, such as ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron MR Controlled Evaluation) (2), DEVOTE (Trial Comparing Cardiovascular Safety of Insulin Degludec Versus Insulin Glargine in Subjects With Type 2 Diabetes at High Risk of Cardiovascular Events) (3), VADT (Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial) (4), ALLHAT (Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial) (5), and EMPAREG OUTCOME (BI 10773 [Empagliflozin] Cardiovascular Outcome Event Trial in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients) (6), confirm that in type 2 diabetes long-term GV, in terms of fasting glucose and/or HbA1c variability, is correlated with an increased risk of both CV and microvascular complications. In this issue of Diabetes Care , a post hoc analysis of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial adds a further important piece of evidence on this topic (7). This analysis shows that HbA1c variability is a strong predictor of the total mortality in people with type 2 diabetes and a previous CV event or high risk for CV disease (7). It is worth mentioning that, with abundant measurements in the ACCORD trial, it has been possible for the first time to compare GV effects between the standard and intensive treatment arms. As is well known, increased mortality from all causes was reported in the intensive treatment arm of ACCORD, leading to the premature discontinuation of the study (8). In this post hoc analysis it emerges that HbA1c variability, together with a higher mean HbA1c level, is involved in the increased total mortality, particularly in the intensive treatment arm (7). The authors suggest …
Diversity for virulence in a sexually reproducing population of Puccinia coronata

Diversity for virulence in a sexually reproducing population of Puccinia coronata Cda. was studied among isolates collected at three distances from a buckthorn hedge at six sampling periods during the summer. Among 360 isolates, 155 distinct phenotypes were identified on 28 differential oat cultivars. About 60% of the phenotypes were represented by a single isolate. The number of phenotypes found decreased with time and distance from the hedge. Host responses were classified into low (0 and 0;), intermediate (1 and 2), and high (3 and 4) infection type classes. The Shannon–Wiener index of diversity decreased with distance from the buckthorn hedge from 2.58 at the 1-m site to 1.35 at the 10-m site and decreased with time from 3.42 in the second to 2.71 in the sixth sampling period. The mean number of virulence differences among phenotypes in each collection ranged from 4 to 12 with 28 hosts. Both distance and time contributed significantly to the decrease in Shannon–Wiener index and number of phenotypes in.
The Effect of Age at Weaning and Post-Weaning Environment on the Behaviour of Pigs

Abstract In order to investigate the effect of age at weaning and the post-weaning environment on the behaviour and health of piglets, litters were weaned at 4 or 6 weeks of age and either kept in their farrowing pen or housed in flat decks (2 × 2 factorial design with a total of 24 litters). At 9 weeks of age all litters were moved to standard pens for fattening pigs. Behavioural observations and recording of lesions were undertaken at 8 and 12 weeks of age. At 8 weeks piglets weaned in flat decks spent more time lying than those weaned in the farrowing pen (1080 vs. 1026 min per day, p <0.01), and piglets weaned at 6 weeks spent more time lying than those weaned at 4 weeks (1083 vs. 1026 min per day, p <0.01). Direct observations showed that piglets weaned in flat decks were sniffing/rooting pen mates, pen fittings and the floor, and chewing/nibbling pen mates and tail-biting significantly more than piglets weaned in the farrowing pen. The age at weaning was of minor importance for the frequency of thes.
Lactobacillus GG—a human probiotic strain with thorough clinical documentation

Abstract Probiotic bacteria for human nutrition are generally strains of lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria. The beneficial effects of these strains on human health and well‐being are documented in experimental and clinical studies. Lactobacillus (casei subsp.) rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103) is a probiotic strain of human origin. The strain has most of the characteristics generally proposed for a good probiotic strain, including excellent survival in the stomach and small intestine and transient colonization of the gastrointestinal tract, which is based on its adhesion capacity to intestinal cells. Successful recovery of the strain in stool samples has made dose‐response studies possible and enabled the evaluation of effective dosing using food products. The beneficial effects of the strain have been shown in many types of intestinal disturbances caused by pathogenic bacteria and viruses, as well as in prophylactic use. The latest studies on Lactobacillus GG have shown stabilizing effect on gut permeabilit.
THE PROPERTIES OF GOLGI-ASSOCIATED NUCLEOSIDE DIPHOSPHATASE AND THIAMINE PYROPHOSPHATASE: I. CYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS

The properties of Golgi-associated enzymes dephosphorylating thiamine pyrophosphate and several nucleoside diphosphates have been investigated by cytochemical methods under two different conditions of localization. These conditions were: (A) 33 mM Tris, 15 mM calcium chloride, 4 mM substrate material, pH 9.5 and (B) 80 mM Tris-maleate buffer pH 7.0, 5 mM manganous chloride, 3.6 mM lead nitrate, and 4 mM substrate material. Cryostat sections, 4 to 6 µ, postfixed in acetone for 1 hour at 0°C, were used in most studies. Golgi associated activity demonstrable under condition A hydrolyzed thiamine pyrophosphate at a rapid rate but inosine diphosphate and uridine diphosphate were hydrolyzed slowly. Under condition B, these substrate materials were hydrolyzed at a rapid and equal rate. Several points of difference were noted when adjuvants were included in these reaction systems. Under condition A in the presence of thiamine pyrophosphate, activity was enhanced by 50 mM potassium cyanide, was inhibited by 25 mM sodium fluoride, and was unaffected by 10 mM uranyl nitrate. Under condition B in the presence of either thiamine pyrophosphate or inosine diphosphate, activity was unaffected by 50 mM potassium cyanide and 50 mM sodium fluoride but was totally inhibited by 10 mM uranyl nitrate. Investigation of the distribution of Golgi associated phosphatase activity among cells failed to uncover any clear example of activity demonstrable with one substrate system and not with the other. It was concluded that different enzymes may be demonstrated by the two localizing systems but, in the absence of distribution differences, final evaluation of this point cannot be made. In most cases, these enzymes were associated with the lamellar components of the Golgi complex.
Glyceryl trinitrate in first-episode psychosis unmedicated with antipsychotics: A randomised controlled pilot study

Background: There is a pressing need for new classes of treatment for psychosis. A key therapeutic target for novel compounds is the NMDA receptor, which may be modulated by nitric oxide donors such as sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Recent studies of SNP in patients with psychosis have mixed results, and the drug has to be administered intravenously. Glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) is a well-established cardiovascular medicine that is also a nitric oxide donor, and can be given orally. Aims: We explored the safety and potential effects of GTN in unmedicated patients with a first episode of psychosis. Methods: This was a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial from December 2016 to April 2019 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02906553). Patients received 3 × sprays of GTN or placebo for three consecutive days, and were re-assessed on Days 1, 2, 3 and 7. The primary outcome was cognition (Jumping to Conclusions task), secondary outcomes were symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)), verbal memory (Hopkins Verbal Learning task), and mood (Bond–Lader Visual Analogue Scales). Results: Nineteen patients were randomised, and 13 participants were included in the analyses. Compared with placebo, GTN was well tolerated, but was not associated with significant effects on cognition, symptoms, or mood. Bayesian statistics indicate that our results were 2× more likely under the null hypothesis than the alternative hypothesis, providing anecdotal evidence that GTN does not improve psychotic symptoms. Conclusions: We found no indication of an effect of GTN on symptoms of psychosis or cognition.
A Simple Model for Competition Between Behaviour Patterns

This paper explores the properties of a simple model for the interactions between a number of behaviour patterns competing for a single output pathway. In the model, the level of causal factors for each of five competing acts oscillates between start and stop thresholds, rising during non-performance and falling during performance. A sixth, residual, category is shown when none of the other behaviour patterns has been initiated by its level reaching the start threshold. The characteristics of each of the competing acts were chosen, as far as possible, to be similar to those of behaviour patterns previously studied in zebra finches. Were it not for competition, each of the competing acts would have shown cycles in its occurrence with bouts of fixed length taking place at fixed intervals. Competition led several of them to show no cycle in occurrence and to have bout lengths which followed a random, negative exponential, distribution. Only acts with low intrinsic bout lengths exhibited their natural patterns under conditions of competition, the extent to which they did so depending on the degree of competition. As competition became stronger, bout and gap lengths became shorter and, with intense competition, the output was non-stationary. The influence of competition was, however, more than a disruptive one: under some circumstances behaviour patterns showed clear cycles of a different length from those with which they had been endowed, and the matrix of first-order transitions between acts also diverged from randomness. The output of the simulations is discussed in relation to the behaviour of zebra finches and several points of similarity are noted. For example, feeding and ruffling in the finches, like the two simulated acts based on their characteristics, are the behaviours most likely to show a regular pattern of occurrence. Failure to find this in the other patterns of zebra finch behaviour may be because competition hides their intrinsic pattern rather than because they are not scheduled to occur regularly. While the model used is a very simple one, and there are many ways in which it is unrealistic, it demonstrates the marked influence which competition can have on the output of individual systems, so making it hard to discover any pattern intrinsic to those systems. Simple as it is, the model leads to a complex output and a number of testable predictions : it highlights the point that complexity is bound to arise when several acts compete for expression regardless of how simple are the mechanisms underlying each individual behaviour pattern.
Hysteretic Creep of Elastic Manifolds.

We study the dynamic response of driven systems in the presence of quenched disorder. A simple heuristic model for hysteretic creep of elastic manifolds is proposed and evaluated numerically. It provides a qualitative explanation of the phenomenology observed in experiments on high-temperature superconductors. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society. }