Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterophyllous Shoots of Japanese Larch Trees: The Seasonal and Yearly Variation in CO2 Assimilation Capacity of the Canopy Top with Changing Environment

Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi = L. leptolepis) is often characterized by its high growth rate with heterophyllous shoots, but the functional differences of heterophyllous shoots still remain unclear. Recently, abrupt high temperature and drought during spring induced high photosynthetic rate via change in leaf morphology of the deciduous habit. In order to reveal the photosynthetic characteristics of both short and long-shoot needles of sunny canopy of the larch trees using a canopy tower, we calculated the seasonal change of gas exchange characters and leaf mass per area (LMA) and foliar nitrogen content (N) of heterophyllous needles: short and long-shoot needles over 3 years. No marked difference in light-saturated photosynthetic rates (Psat) was observed between short and long shoots after leaf maturation to yellowing, although the difference was obvious in a specific year, which only shows that seasonal change in temperature and soil moisture determines the in situ photosynthetic capacity of needles. The large annual and seasonal variations in Psat in both shoots were found to be mainly determined by climatic variations, while shoot types determined the strategy of their photosynthetic N utilization as well as the stomatal regulation.
Fumaria parviflora regulates oxidative stress and apoptosis gene expression in the rat model of varicocele induction

Varicocele is one of the leading causes of male infertility in which oxidative stress induces DNA damages in spermatozoa of patients with varicocele. Recent studies indicated that the treatment with antioxidant agents has protective effects against the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Our research aimed to evaluate the impact of Fumaria Parviflora (FP) on the varicocele‐induced testicular injury. For this purpose, 32 adult male Wistar rats (n = 8 per group) were randomly assigned to four groups as follows: sham group, varicocele group, varicocele treatment group and the control treatment group. The experimental groups daily received FP (250 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. The induction of varicocele was conducted by partial occlusion on the left renal vein. The diameter of seminiferous tubules, Johnsen's score and the epithelium thickness improved in the treated‐varicocele group as compared to the varicocele group. FP extract could increase the biochemical parameters including superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, and also decrease malondialdehyde level in the varicocele group. Furthermore, varicocele markedly increased both mRNA and intensity of Bax, while treatment with FP could alleviate them. We concluded that FP could alleviate varicocele, possibly by lowering oxidative stress and testicular damage.
Comparison of Freshly Isolated Adipose Tissue-derived Stromal Vascular Fraction and Bone Marrow Cells in a Posterolateral Lumbar Spinal Fusion Model

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Study Design. Rat posterolateral lumbar fusion model. Objective. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of freshly isolated adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction (A-SVF) and bone marrow cells (BMCs) cells in achieving spinal fusion in a rat model. Summary of Background Data. Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) offer advantages as a clinical cell source compared to bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs), including larger available tissue volumes and reduced donor site morbidity. While pre-clinical studies have shown that ex vivo expanded ASCs can be successfully used in spinal fusion, the use of A-SVF cells better allows for clinical translation. Methods. A-SVF cells were isolated from the inguinal fat pads, whereas BMCs were isolated from the long bones of syngeneic 6- to 8-week-old Lewis rats and combined with Vitoss (Stryker) bone graft substitute for subsequent transplantation. Posterolateral spinal fusion surgery at L4-L5 was performed on 36 female Lewis rats divided into three experimental groups: Vitoss bone graft substitute only (VO group); Vitoss + 2.5 × 106 A-SVF cells/side; and, Vitoss + 2.5 × 106 BMCs/side. Fusion was assessed 8 weeks post-surgery via manual palpation, micro-computed tomography (μCT) imaging, and histology. Results. μCT imaging analyses revealed that fusion volumes and μCT fusion scores in the A-SVF group were significantly higher than in the VO group; however, they were not significantly different between the A-SVF group and the BMC group. The average manual palpation score was highest in the A-SVF group compared with the BMC and VO groups. Fusion masses arising from cell-seeded implants yielded better bone quality than nonseeded bone graft substitute. Conclusion. In a rat model, A-SVF cells yielded a comparable fusion mass volume and radiographic rate of fusion to BMCs when combined with a clinical-grade bone graft substitute. These results suggest the feasibility of using freshly isolated A-SVF cells in spinal fusion procedures. Level of Evidence: N/A
Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers in Cancer Immunotherapy

Simple Summary Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small particles found throughout the body. EVs are released by living cells and contain cargo representing the cell of origin. In recent years, EVs have gained attention in cancer research. Since the cargo found inside EVs can be traced back to the cell of origin, EVs shed from cancer cells, in particular, may be used to better describe and characterize a patient’s tumor. EVs have been found and isolated from a variety of bodily fluids, including blood, saliva, and amniotic fluid, and therefore offer a non-invasive way of also diagnosing and monitoring patients before, during, and after cancer immunotherapy. The aim of this review article was to summarize some of the recent work conducted in this field and the challenges we face moving forward in utilizing EVs for cancer diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in cancer immunotherapy in the clinical setting. Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs), including exosomes and microvesicles, are membrane-bound vesicles secreted by most cell types during both physiologic conditions as well in response to cellular stress. EVs play an important role in intercellular communication and are emerging as key players in tumor immunology. Tumor-derived EVs (TDEs) harbor a diverse array of tumor neoantigens and contain unique molecular signature that is reflective of tumor’s underlying genetic complexity. As such they offer a glimpse into the immune tumor microenvironment (TME) and have the potential to be a novel, minimally invasive biomarker for cancer immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), such as anti- programmed death-1(PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) antibodies, have revolutionized the treatment of a wide variety of solid tumors including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and others. Typically, an invasive tissue biopsy is required both for histologic diagnosis and next-generation sequencing efforts; the latter have become more widespread in daily clinical practice. There is an unmet need for noninvasive or minimally invasive (e.g., plasma-based) biomarkers both for diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Targeted analysis of EVs in biospecimens, such as plasma and saliva could serve this purpose by potentially obviating the need for tissue sample. In this review, we describe the current challenges of biomarkers in cancer immunotherapy as well as the mechanistic role of TDEs in modulating antitumor immune response.
[Nutrition impact on insomnia treatment].

INTRODUCTION insomnia represents a growing and important health problem. If it persists, it could have a negative impact in people's welfare. Nowadays we have a wide range of techniques to measure and analyze sleep quality and quantity. OBJECTIVES to demonstrate the impact of nutrition in sleep disorders. METHODS bibliographic review selecting the most relevant papers related to nutrition and its impact on sleep. RESULTS there is a direct correlation between some food or supplements and sleep quality and quantity. In addition, there exist some nutritional maneuvers that can help to prevent or solve some sleep disorders. The relationship between tryptophan and melatonin with the induction and maintenance of the sleep is clear, but vitamins, minerals, macronutrients and some dietetic habits can also have an impact. CONCLUSIONS nutrition can have a relevant effect in the prevention and resolution of sleep disorders. Further studies are necessary to assess the real impact of nutritional treatments in insomnia.
Pair-bond and bonding behaviour in three species of Grassfinches of the genus Poephila (Gould)

The pair-bonds of pairs of recently caught P. a. acuticauda, P. a. hecki, P. c. cincta, P. c. atropygialis and P. p. personata were investigated; P. c. atropygialis was also studied in the field. All pairs studied except those of P.p. personata had extremely tight bonds and may mate for life. Partners maintained close and continuous proximity in space and defended an area about the mate from other conspecifics; mates rarely fought one another but continuously exchanged appeasement displays; all serious sexual activities were restricted to the partner. Pair-formation was studied in forty aviary-reared virgins of which only sixteen were successful in forming pair-bonds during the period of detailed observation although another 20 birds displayed some indication of a unilateral bond towards another bird of the opposite sex. Early stages of courtship, nest-site solicitations and defensive reactions towards rivals characterized pair-formation behaviour. Most preferences between birds of opposite sex were unilateral and most pair-bonds were formed after protracted efforts to develop reciprocal attachments. Eleven P. p. personata attempted to pair but no pairs were formed during the period of detailed study and for one month afterwards.
EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS OF NORTH AMERICAN TOADS OF THE GENUS BUFO: A PROGRESS REPORT

This paper is based on the marshalling of a wide variety of evidence in an effort to understand the origins and evolutionary deployment of a faunal unit, namely the species of toads of the genus Bujo that occur in North America. Another purpose is to learn the mechanisms of speciation in this group. Toads are typically xericor subxericadapted anurans, and this is reflected in the external morphology. They are typically thick-skinned and often spiny because of the presence of keratinized tubercles. Bony and keratinized ridges (crests) are often present on the head. The inner metatarsal tubercle is sometimes modified into a trenchant digging organ or "spade. " Venom-secreting parotoid glands are slightly to highly developed. Toads retain the primitive habit of laying eggs in water. They are typically opportunistic breeders (dependent on adequate rains), although some have become semi-aquatic and independent of rainfall in adaptation to harsh
Views of Farmers and Industrial Entrepreneurs on the Iberian Pig Quality Standard: An In-Depth Interview Research Study

Simple Summary This paper aims to assess the main opinions of farmers and industrial entrepreneurs on the implementation of the current Spanish Iberian Pig Quality Standards regulation as well as on the processing technologies of Iberian cured products. The study is based on a qualitative research process through in-depth interviews, and has allowed the identification of aspects that can be improved both at the level of the Iberian meat industry and in the administrative processes in the view of the main actors of the Iberian pork sector in Spain. The aspects of the Quality Standard related to the protection of the base of the Iberian breed, the conditions of production in the traditional system (the montanera), as well as the ripening time of the products were mostly supported by the farmers and industrial entrepreneurs. However, they showed certain inconformity with the requirements established by the Quality Standard for other production systems such as the non-free-range fodder-fed and free-range fodder-fed, therefore they demanded changes in these aspects. Abstract Since 2014, the Quality Standard for Iberian meat, leg ham, shoulder ham and dry-cured loin has regulated production factors and processes involved in the raw material and manufactured products from Iberian pigs, the most important pig breed in both population size and economic importance of the southwest Iberian Peninsula. Regarding the changes to the Quality Standard that industrial entrepreneurs and farmers are currently demanding, a qualitative research study has been developed through 14 in-depth interviews with the purpose of understanding the perception of Iberian pig farmers and industrial entrepreneurs of the requirements of the currently-effective Quality Standard, as well as the conditions under which this is being applied. The results showed a consensus amongst the majority of the participants in aspects such as the maintenance of the breed base as 100% Iberian for reproductive females, weight and age requirements at the time of slaughter for the montanera category and the manufacturing lengths for dry-cured products. On the other hand, there were discrepancies between the requirements defined by the Quality Standard and those requested by the respondents for the non-free-range fodder-fed and free-range fodder-fed categories, with the industrial entrepreneurs and farmers being inclined towards the reduction in the age of slaughter of the former and the distinction in the production conditions of the latter.
Microbiome Management by Biological and Chemical Treatments in Maize Is Linked to Plant Health

The targeted application of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) provides the key for a future sustainable agriculture with reduced pesticide application. PGPR interaction with the indigenous microbiota is poorly understood, but essential to develop reliable applications. Therefore, Stenotrophomonas rhizophila SPA-P69 was applied as a seed coating and in combination with a fungicide based on the active ingredients fludioxonil, metalaxyl-M, captan and ziram. The plant performances and rhizosphere compositions of treated and non-treated maize plants of two field trials were analyzed. Plant health was significantly increased by treatment; however, overall corn yield was not changed. By applying high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA and the ITS genes, the bacterial and fungal changes in the rhizosphere due to different treatments were determined. Despite the fact that treatments had a significant impact on the rhizosphere microbiota (9–12%), the field site was identified as the main driver (27–37%). The soil microbiota composition from each site was significantly different, which explains the site-specific effects. In this study we were able to show the first indications how PGPR treatments increase plant health via microbiome shifts in a site-specific manner. This way, first steps towards a detailed understanding of PGPRs and developments of consistently efficient applications in diverse environments are made.
Iron Metabolism in Oligodendrocytes and Astrocytes, Implications for Myelination and Remyelination

Iron is a key nutrient for normal central nervous system (CNS) development and function; thus, iron deficiency as well as iron excess may result in harmful effects in the CNS. Oligodendrocytes and astrocytes are crucial players in brain iron equilibrium. However, the mechanisms of iron uptake, storage, and efflux in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes during CNS development or under pathological situations such as demyelination are not completely understood. In the CNS, iron is directly required for myelin production as a cofactor for enzymes involved in ATP, cholesterol and lipid synthesis, and oligodendrocytes are the cells with the highest iron levels in the brain which is linked to their elevated metabolic needs associated with the process of myelination. Unlike oligodendrocytes, astrocytes do not have a high metabolic requirement for iron. However, these cells are in close contact with blood vessel and have a strong iron transport capacity. In several pathological situations, changes in iron homoeostasis result in altered cellular iron distribution and accumulation and oxidative stress. In inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis, reactive astrocytes accumulate iron and upregulate iron efflux and influx molecules, which suggest that they are outfitted to take up and safely recycle iron. In this review, we will discuss the participation of oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in CNS iron homeostasis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of iron uptake, storage, and efflux in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes is necessary for planning effective strategies for iron management during CNS development as well as for the treatment of demyelinating diseases.
Identifying key factors for improving ICA-based decomposition of EEG data in mobile and stationary experiments

Recent developments in EEG hardware and analyses approaches allow for recordings in both stationary and mobile settings. Irrespective of the experimental setting, EEG recordings are contaminated with noise that has to be removed before the data can be functionally interpreted. Independent component analysis (ICA) is a commonly used tool to remove artifacts such as eye movement, muscle activity, and external noise from the data and to analyze activity on the level of EEG effective brain sources. While the effectiveness of filtering the data as one key preprocessing step to improve the decomposition has been investigated previously, no study thus far compared the different requirements of mobile and stationary experiments regarding the preprocessing for ICA decomposition. We thus evaluated how movement in EEG experiments, the number of channels, and the high-pass filter cutoff during preprocessing influence the ICA decomposition. We found that for commonly used settings (stationary experiment, 64 channels, 0.5 Hz filter), the ICA results are acceptable. However, high-pass filters of up to 2 Hz cutoff frequency should be used in mobile experiments, and more channels require a higher filter to reach an optimal decomposition. Fewer brain ICs were found in mobile experiments, but cleaning the data with ICA proved to be important and functional even with 16 channels. Based on the results, we provide guidelines for different experimental settings that improve the ICA decomposition.
Clinical management of uveal melanoma: a comprehensive review with a treatment algorithm

Uveal melanoma (UM), the most frequently occurring non-cutaneous melanoma and most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, arises from the melanocytes of the choroid in approximately 95% of cases. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is vital as primary tumor size is one of the key factors associated with survival. Despite recent advances in management, more than half of the patients develop metastatic disease which portends poor survival. Currently, treatment options for UM include local resection, enucleation, plaque brachytherapy, and/or particle beam radiotherapy (RT). Enucleation was initially the standard of care in the management of UM, but a shift towards eye-preserving therapeutic choices such as RT and local resection has been noted in recent decades. Plaque brachytherapy, a form of localized RT, is the most popular option and is now the preferred treatment modality for a majority of UM cases. In this review we discuss the etiopathogenesis, clinical presentation and diagnosis of UM and place a special emphasis on its therapeutic options. Furthermore, we review the current literature on UM management and propose a functional treatment algorithm for non-metastatic disease.
Ohio Pheasant Nesting Surveys Based on Farmer Interviews

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The perinatal autopsy and long term outcomes (International Paediatric Pathology Association)

perhaps the best known being the Western Sweden CP Register established by Hagberg in 1954. Other registers include the Californian Cerebral Palsy Project of Grether and Nelson and the Mersey Region CP Register of Pharaoh. In Australia, the West Australian Cerebral Palsy Register was established in 1956 with the current principal investigators being Professor Fiona Stanley and Dr Eve Blair. The other states of Australia also have registers apart from Queensland which is in the process of establishing one under the auspices of the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland. A purpose of CP registers is to establish the prevalence of the condition and how changes have occurred over time. The rate of CP, however, has, in general, remained remarkably constant being around 2–2.5 per 1000 live births. The data suggest that the rates decreased slightly in the 1970s rising again throughout the 1980s. The rise in the 1980s seems to have been due to an increased survival of very low birth weight and very preterm infants in which the rates of CP are higher. Some recent evidence, however, would indicate that the rate for low birth weight infants has fallen in the 1990s. Birth weight can be easily measured and has been used as a surrogate for maturity, but is dependent on the rate of intrauterine growth as well as the gestational age. While low birth weight is associated with an increased risk of CP, the influence of intrauterine growth restriction is unknown in many instances. There are 3 areas in relation to the epidemiology of CP that have been examined in detail in recent times. 1. The role of birth asphyxia. 2. The role of multiple pregnancy. 3. The role of prematurity and low birth weight. Traditionally, teaching has been that birth asphyxia is an important cause of CP for term infants and that it was potentially preventable. Indeed, the title of Little’s paper published in 1862, ‘On the Influence of Abnormal Parturition, Difficult Labour, Premature Birth and Asphyxia Neonatorum on the Mental and Physical Condition of the Child’ implied the problems at around the time of delivery had a major influence in the development of CP. It has only been as a result of studies during the past 10 to 15 years that it has been appreciated Pathology International 2004; 54 (Suppl. 1): S428–S438