Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyses of factors influencing the birth weight and neonatal growth rate of Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) cubs

Birth weight and the neonatal growth rate are reliable indicators of neonatal survival prospects. Data on weight at birth and consecutive weights until 40 days of age were recorded for cheetah cubs in 16 litters. Growth was found to be linear during the first 40 days of life. Weight data were used to evaluate the influence of several factors on birth weight and neonatal growth. The factors used in these analyses were sex, litter identity, litter size, average litter size over the first 40 days, birth weight, parents, gestation length, parity of the dam, and inbreeding. For birth weight and neonatal growth, litter identity was the major explanatory factor (81.8 and 85.3%). For birth weight, a significant influence of gestation length was found (p < 0.05), whereas inbreeding coefficient tended to decrease the birth weight (p = 0.09). Together, gestation length and inbreeding coefficient account for 57.5% of the between-litter variation for birth weight. Factors with significant influences on neonatal growth are gestation length and parity (p < 0.05). The average litter size over the first 40 days tended to influence neonatal growth (p = 0.07). These three variables together account for 99.9% of the between-litter variation for neonatal growth during the first 40 days of life. A comparison of neonatal growth between mother-raised and hand-raised cubs revealed a lower growth rate in hand-raised cubs (45 vs. 27 g/day). Zoo Biol 18:129–139, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Melanocytes: a new potential tool to study and monitoring Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Dystrophin is a subsarcolemmal protein critical for the integrity of muscle fibers by linking the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix via the dystroglycan complex. It is reported that dystroglycans are also localized in the skin, at dermal-epidermal junction. Here we show that epidermal melanocytes express dystrophin at the interface with the basement membrane. The full-length muscle isoform mDp427 was clearly detectable in epidermis and in melanocyte cultures as assessed by RNA and western blot analysis. Dystrophin was absent in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) patients melanocytes, and the ultrastructural analysis revealed mitochondrial alterations, similar to those occurring in myoblasts from the same patients. Interestingly, mitochondrial dysfunction of DMD melanocytes reflected the alterations identified in dystrophin-deficient muscle cells. In fact, mitochondria of melanocytes from DMD patients accumulated tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester but, on the contrary of control donor, mitochondria of DMD patients readily depolarized upon the addition of oligomycin, suggesting either that they are maintaining the membrane potential at the expense of glycolytic ATP, or that they are affected by a latent dysfunction unmasked by inhibition of the ATP synthase. Melanocyte cultures can be easily obtained by conventional skin biopsies, less invasive procedure than muscular biopsy, so that they may represent an alternative cellular model to myoblast for studying and monitoring dystrophinopathies also in response to pharmacological treatments.
ULTRASTRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF INSECT THERMO-AND HYGRORECEPTORS

Recordings from a single sensillum containing a cold receptor were fIrst reported by Lacher (40) twenty years ago. Their source was the antenna of Apis mellifica. The same sensillum also yielded the fIrst recordings from a moist air receptor. That a third physiological type was also present in the sensillum went unrecognized for several years, however. It, the dry air receptor, was discov­ ered by Waldow (73) on the antenna of Locusta migratoria. Since then this sensory triad has been examined on four other species of as many orders. It represents just one combination of thermoand hygroreceptors that has caught the attention of investigators curious as to the structure of those "chinks" in an insect's armor plating through which information on basic properties of a biotope gains access to the animal's interior. For animals as small as insects, sunlit biotopes may be quite unmanagable if not quickly lethal in the absence of instant clues about their temperature and humidity. To have shown that a cold-receptive cell is present in several sensilla does not constitute automatic proof that the receptor type is up to the task of eliciting meaningful behavior for escape. The number of thermoand hygroreceptors of any antenna never appears large, and to establish their relevance in a biotope may require determination not only of their differential sensitivity but also of
Comparative study between full-endoscopic laminectomy and microendoscopic laminectomy for the treatment of lumbar spinal canal stenosis.

Background Lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) is a common disease in the elderly. Although surgical decompression using a posterior approach is commonly used to treat LSCS, there are several different strategies. We compared the outcomes of uniportal full-endoscopic laminectomy (FEL) and microendoscopic laminectomy (MEL) for treating LSCS. Methods FEL was performed using a 6.4-mm working channel endoscope and MEL was performed using a 16-mm diameter tubular retractor and endoscope. Patients with LSCS treated with FEL (n=60) and MEL (n=54) in our hospital during the same period were retrospectively reviewed. Patient background information and operative data were collected. The satisfaction score was also recorded at discharge and 3 months postoperatively. Results The mean operation time for FEL and MEL was 77.8 min and 54.6 min, respectively. The mean hospital stay after FEL and MEL surgery was 2.1 days and 4.7 days, respectively. These outcomes were significantly different between the two approaches. The satisfaction scores at both stages were not significantly different between the two groups. A dural tear occurred in one patient who underwent FEL and three patients who underwent MEL, but no symptoms resulted from the tear. Although postoperative hematoma occurred in seven who underwent FEL and two who underwent MEL, only one patient who underwent FEL required operative evacuation of the hematoma. Conclusions FEL using a 6.4-mm working channel endoscope can be used to treat patients with LSCS. Shortening of the operation time and prevention of postoperative hematoma are essential for this approach to be completely superior to MEL.
Effector Protein NleE Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Human Dendritic Cells by the Inhibition of NF-{kappa}B Signaling

doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1000500 online Sep 10, 2010; 2010;185;4118-4127; originally published J. Immunol. Sandhia Naik, Gad Frankel and Thomas T. MacDonald Lindsay, Paul C. Evans, Le A. Luong, Nicholas M. Croft, Fairclough, Gary Warnes, Andrew J. Stagg, James O. Anna Vossenkamper, Olivier Marches, Peter D. Effector Protein NleE Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Human Dendritic Cells by the Inhibition of NF-{kappa}B Signaling
Simplified calculation of seismic displacements on tailings storage facilities

Even though the pseudo-static procedure for seismic slope stability analysis of tailings storage facilities (TSF) is very common in practice, new methodologies have been studied regarding the calculation of seismic induced permanent displacements of earth structures, which is considered a more reliable parameter for evaluating the seismic stability of a geotechnical structure compared to the calculation of a factor of safety. In general, there are three approaches for calculating the seismic response analysis of earth structures: (1) rigid-block, (2) decoupled and (3) coupled procedures. The Houston et al. modification of the Newmark procedure is the most recommended rigid-block procedure. The Makdisi and Seed decoupled simplified procedure is one of the most popular among practitioners and is also based on the Newmark method. Recently, Bray and Travasarou updated the Makdisi and Seed method, analyzed new information by using a numerical coupled analysis and developed a simplified coupled procedure that may be used more consistently. As for coupled procedures, software such as PLAXIS and FLAC have been used as the most accurate tools in geotechnical engineering for estimating seismic induced permanent displacements. The authors have studied the application of these approaches to assess the seismic stability of TSF based on a case study. 1D nonlinear seismic response and slope stability analyses were performed as part of these applications. Dynamic laboratory tests on tailings and the dynamic curves derived were compared to current state-of-practice literature curves. The resulting displacements showed, in general, a good correlation between these procedures. This research suggests that the analysis should be less focused on the pseudo-static factor of safety as a parameter to predict the seismic stability of a TSF, unless a rational criterion has been chosen for the determination of the seismic coefficient. Finally, the Bray and Travasarou procedure is suggested as a rational method to properly estimate seismic induced permanent displacements for TSF as a better index to establish the seismic stability of these facilities.
Ameliorative Efficiency of Coriandrum sativum Seed Extract on Atherosclerosis and Oxidative Stress in Male Albino Hyperlipidemic Rabbits.

Coriandrum sativum is widely distributed and mainly cultivated for the seeds. The present study was aimed to evaluate the serum lipid parameters, faecal biochemistry, antioxidant parameters and histopathological study of aorta in the high fat diet induced atherosclerotic rabbits after administrating the methanolic extract of the Coriandrum sativum seeds at the dose level of 250 mg/kg.b. wt/day. The animals were divided into Control group, High fat diet group for 60 days, High fat diet group for 120 days, High fat diet for 60 days then no treatment for next 60 days, High fat diet for 60 days then treated with 70% methanolic extract of C. sativum (250mg/kg.b.wt/day) for next 60 days, High fat diet + C. sativum seed extract for 120 days treated groups. Administration of the C. sativum seed extract significantly reduced the serum lipid parameters like Total cholesterol, triglycerides, Phospholipids, LDL and VLDL-Cholesterol along with increase in HDL ratio after treatment. Oral administration of C. sativum resulted in a significant increase in excretion of cholesterol and phospholipids when compared with atherodiet fed rabbits. It is also observed that there was drastic reduction in level of lipid peroxidation whereas GSH content and catalase activity were elevated after the treatment with 70% methanolic extract of C. sativum. The Plant extracts also significantly prevented the atheromatic changes and plaque formation in the aorta and favored increased fecal cholesterol and phospholipids output. All the above parameters indicting that seeds of this plant may contain the active constituents that may be effective in treatment of hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis.
Chromosomal insertion and excision of a 30 kb unstable genetic element is responsible for phase variation of lipopolysaccharide and other virulence determinants in Legionella pneumophila

We recently described the phase‐variable expression of a virulence‐associated lipopolysaccharide (LPS) epitope in Legionella pneumophila. In this study, the molecular mechanism for phase variation was investigated. We identified a 30 kb unstable genetic element as the molecular origin for LPS phase variation. Thirty putative genes were encoded on the 30 kb sequence, organized in two putative opposite transcription units. Some of the open reading frames (ORFs) shared homologies with bacteriophage genes, suggesting that the 30 kb element was of phage origin. In the virulent wild‐type strain, the 30 kb element was located on the chromosome, whereas excision from the chromosome and replication as a high‐copy plasmid resulted in the mutant phenotype, which is characterized by alteration of an LPS epitope and loss of virulence. Mapping and sequencing of the insertion site in the genome revealed that the chromosomal attachment site was located in an intergenic region flanked by genes of unknown function. As phage release could not be induced by mitomycin C, it is conceivable that the 30 kb element is a non‐functional phage remnant. The protein encoded by ORF T on the 30 kb plasmid could be isolated by an outer membrane preparation, indicating that the genes encoded on the 30 kb element are expressed in the mutant phenotype. Therefore, it is conceivable that the phenotypic alterations seen in the mutant depend on high‐copy replication of the 30 kb element and expression of the encoded genes. Excision of the 30 kb element from the chromosome was found to occur in a RecA‐independent pathway, presumably by the involvement of RecE, RecT and RusA homologues that are encoded on the 30 kb element.
What can a heavy boson do to the muon anomaly and to a new Higgs boson mass?

The minimal extension of the Standard Model (B-L-SM) offers an explanation for neutrino mass generation via a seesaw mechanism; it also offers two new physics states, namely an extra Higgs boson and a new gauge boson. The emergence of a second Higgs particle as well as a new gauge boson, both linked to the breaking of a local symmetry, makes the B-L-SM rather constrained by direct searches in Large Hadron Collider (LHC) experiments. We investigate the phenomenological status of the B-L-SM by confronting the new physics predictions with the LHC and electroweak precision data. Taking into account the current bounds from direct LHC searches, we demonstrate that the prediction for the muon anomaly in the B-L-SM yields at most a contribution of approximately , which represents a tension of standard deviations, with the current uncertainty, by means of a boson if its mass is in the range of to , within the reach of future LHC runs. This means that the B-L-SM, with heavy yet allowed boson mass range, in practice, does not resolve the tension between the observed anomaly in the muon and the theoretical prediction in the Standard Model. Such a heavy boson also implies that the minimal value for the new Higgs mass is of the order of 400 GeV.
Modern humans' paleogenomics and the new evidences on the European prehistory

Abstract The modern human settlement of Europe is a complex process with overimposed migrations and regionalisation episodes, as well as adaptive processes that shaped the genome of modern populations. New developments in massive sequencing techniques allow now the generation of an unprecedented amount of genomic data, including the genotyping of a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the generation of complete ancient genomes. These paleogenomic data will have much more resolution for studying the past than genomic data from present-day individuals because migration, admixture and population replacement can confound the interpretation of current genetic diversity. However, their interpretation will require a real multidisciplinary effort, involving population geneticists, archaeologists and anthropologists. Here, we explain how paleogenomics is providing new insights into a wide range of topics such as demography, undetected migrations, mating strategies or adaptive processes of prehistoric European populations. Statement of significance The study of the prehistoric modern humans' settlement of Europe has been until recently restricted to fields such as archaeology and physical anthropology. However, with the advent of the new sequencing technologies in the last few years, it is increasingly possible to retrieve massive genomic data from these past populations, and to directly test previous hypothesis on human population movements and affinities. We provide here a guideline of the main areas of study of the past that will likely be impacted by paleogenomic studies in the next years. Data availability The authors confirm that all data underlying the findings are fully available without restriction. All relevant data are contained within the paper.
Genetic Identity and Herbivory Drive the Invasion of a Common Aquatic Microbial Invader

Despite the increasing number of species invasions, the factors driving invasiveness are still under debate. This is particularly the case for “invisible” invasions by aquatic microbial species. Since in many cases only a few individuals or propagules enter a new habitat, their genetic variation is low and might limit their invasion success, known as the genetic bottleneck. Thus, a key question is, how genetic identity and diversity of invading species influences their invasion success and, subsequently, affect the resident community. We conducted invader-addition experiments using genetically different strains of the globally invasive, aquatic cyanobacterium Raphidiopsis raciborskii (formerly: Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii) to determine the role of invader identity and genetic diversity (strain richness) at four levels of herbivory. We tested the invasion success of solitary single strain invasions against the invader genetic diversity, which was experimentally increased up to ten strains (multi-strain populations). By using amplicon sequencing we determined the strain-specific invasion success in the multi-strain treatments and compared those with the success of these strains in the single-strain treatments. Furthermore, we tested for the invasion success under different herbivore pressures. We showed that high grazing pressure by a generalist herbivore prevented invasion, whereas a specialist herbivore enabled coexistence of consumer and invader. We found a weak effect of diversity on invasion success only under highly competitive conditions. When invasions were successful, the magnitude of this success was strain-specific and consistent among invasions performed with single-strain or multi-strain populations. A strain-specific effect was also observed on the resident phytoplankton community composition, highlighting the strong role of invader genetic identity. Our results point to a strong effect of the genetic identity on the invasion success under low predation pressure. The genetic diversity of the invader population, however, had little effect on invasion success in our study, in contrast to most previous findings. Instead, it is the interaction between the consumer abundance and type together with the strain identity of the invader that defined invasion success. This study underlines the importance of strain choice in invasion research and in ecological studies in general.
Genome-wide patterns of divergence and introgression after secondary contact between Pungitius sticklebacks

Speciation is a continuous process. Although it is known that differential adaptation can initiate divergence even in the face of gene flow, we know relatively little about the mechanisms driving complete reproductive isolation and the genomic patterns of divergence and introgression at the later stages of speciation. Sticklebacks contain many pairs of sympatric species differing in levels of reproductive isolation and divergence history. Nevertheless, most previous studies have focused on young species pairs. Here, we investigated two sympatric stickleback species, Pungitius pungitius and P. sinensis, whose habitats overlap in eastern Hokkaido; these species show hybrid male sterility, suggesting that they may be at a late stage of speciation. Our demographic analysis using whole-genome sequence data showed that these species split 1.73 Ma and came into secondary contact 37 200 years ago after a period of allopatry. This long period of allopatry might have promoted the evolution of intrinsic incompatibility. Although we detected on-going gene flow and signatures of introgression, overall genomic divergence was high, with considerable heterogeneity across the genome. The heterogeneity was significantly associated with variation in recombination rate. This sympatric pair provides new avenues to investigate the late stages of the stickleback speciation continuum. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Towards the completion of speciation: the evolution of reproductive isolation beyond the first barriers’.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Delirium in Older Patients Following Intensive Care Unit Admission: A Prospective Observational Study

ABSTRACT Background Both high prevalence and incidence rates of delirium occur frequently among patients aged 65 years or older in intensive care units (ICUs) and are accompanied by adverse outcomes. Because of lack of nursing staff resources and imperfect humanistic care, delirium is easily overlooked by both physicians and nurses in the ICU in Mainland China. Purpose This study aimed to explore the incidence rate of delirium and to determine the risk factors among critically ill older patients. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted on patients aged 65 years and older who were admitted consecutively to two ICUs of a university-affiliated hospital in China. The Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit and the Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale were used to assess delirium status twice daily. Patient demographic, laboratory, medical, therapeutic, and prognostic data were collected. Results One hundred fifteen patients were included as participants, with a median age of 70 years (range 65–93 years). Seventy-six (66.1%) patients presented with delirium. Half of the sample had a hypoactive subtype. Patients who developed delirium had a longer mean length of ICU stay, greater chance of physical restraints use, greater use of fentanyl, and poorer sleep quality. A logistic regression analysis revealed that poor sleep quality (OR = 10.74, 95% CI [1.59, 72.47]) and physical restraints (OR = 13.04, 95% CI [1.57, 107.94]) were significantly associated with delirium. Conclusions/Implications for Practice Delirium is a common aggravation in older patients following ICU admission. The factors found in this study to be independently associated with delirium include poor sleep quality and physical restraints. Both critical care physicians and nurses should pay greater attention to the quality of the ICU stay experienced by their older patients.
Distributed sensory intelligence architecture for human centered ITS

In ITS (intelligent transport systems), driving support systems for a driver is very important. The paper aims at providing the driver with blind spot information, in advance, taking his intention into consideration in a commuter system considered as one realization form of ITS. For such a system. we propose a "distributed sensory-intelligence architecture," which is an architecture that interconnects multiple sensory-intelligence agents. These sensory-intelligence agents are arranged in an "intelligent space" and interact to provide support for drivers. Through experiments we showed that the proposed "distributed sensory-intelligence architecture" enables valuable driving-support information to be provided to the driver by combining re-composition of environmental information with recognition of the driver's intention.