Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structure and Function of the Chloride Cell of Fundulus heteroclitus and Other Teleosts 1

SYNOPSIS. Teleosts, the bony fishes, inhabit both freshwater and seawater environments. Some euryhaline fish, such as Fundulus heteroclitus, alternate between the two milieux several times daily. Regardless of adaptation, the gills of these animals possess a highly specialized cell type called the chloride cell. This cell contains numerous mitochondria and exhibits a greatly amplified basolateral cell surface richly endowed with Na,K-ATPase. Recent studies on isolated opercular epithelia containing chloride cells have demonstrated active chloride secretion and passive transepithelial sodium movements, and have estab- lished the chloride secretory role of this cell type in seawater-adapted teleosts. Current models suggest that chloride transport occurs via a transcellular route. Seawater chloride cells exist in multicellular units and share simple, shallow tight junctions which are thought to be the route for passive sodium movement. Freshwater chloride cells, whose function remains to be elucidated, are generally described as existing in a unicellular configuration. However, recent observations in Fundulus heteroclitus adapted to salinities as low as 1% sea water reveal that chloride cells persist in multicellular complexes with apical crypts. Strikingly, tight junctions between chloride cells in this freshwater environment are deep.
Microbiology of the a playground for testing ecological concepts.

Many concepts and theories in ecology are highly debated, because it is often difﬁcult to design decisive tests with sufﬁcient replicates. Examples include biodiversity theories, succession concepts, invasion theories, coexistence theories, and concepts of life history strategies. Microbiological tests of ecological concepts are rapidly accumulating, but have yet to tap into their full potential to complement traditional macroecological theories. Taking the example of microbial communities on leaf surfaces (i.e. the phyllosphere), we show that most explo-rations of ecological concepts in this ﬁeld of microbiology focus on autecology and population ecology, while community ecology remains understudied. Notable exceptions are ﬁrst tests of the island biogeography theory and of biodiversity theories. Here, the phyllosphere provides the unique opportunity to set up replicated experiments, potentially moving ﬁelds such as biogeography, macroecology, and landscape ecology beyond theoretical and observational evidence. Future approaches should take advantage of the great range of spatial scales offered by the leaf surface by iteratively linking laboratory experiments with spatial simulation models.
Spin partners of the Z b ( 10610 ) and Z b ( 10650 ) revisited

We study the implications of the heavy-quark spin symmetry for the possible spin partners of the exotic states Zb(10610) and Zb(10650) in the spectrum of bottomonium. We formulate and solve numerically the coupled-channel equations for the Zb states that allow for a dynamical generation of these states as hadronic molecules. The force includes short-range contact terms and the one-pion exchange potential, both treated fully nonperturbatively. The strength of the potential at leading order is fixed completely by the pole positions of the Zb states so that the mass and the most prominent contributions to the width of the isovector heavy-quark spin partner states WbJ with the quantum numbers J++ (J = 0, 1, 2) come out as predictions. In particular, we predict the existence of an isovector 2++ tensor state lying a few MeV below the B∗B̄∗ threshold which should be detectable in the experiment. Since the accuracy of the present experimental data does not allow one to fix the pole positions of the Zb’s reliably enough, we also study the pole trajectories of their spin partner states as functions of the Zb binding energies. It is shown that, once the heavy-quark spin symmetry is broken by the physical B and B∗ mass difference, especially the pion tensor force has a significant impact on the location of the partner states clearly demonstrating the need of a coupled-channel treatment of pion dynamics to understand the spin multiplet pattern of hadronic molecules.
Synthesis Fe-Cr-Ti-(Al2O3) Nano Composite Pigment

The present work relates to a process for the production of nano particles pigment and relates particularly to the production of nano composite powders consisting of individual particles with sizes in the range of 10 nm to 100 nm. This process involves the mechanically activated chemical reduction of reducible metal compounds during milling, to refine and manufacture nano composite powder. Nano particle pigment for ceramic glazes was obtained by mechanochemical insertion of Fe-Cr-Ti in an α-Al2O3 host matrix. Iron, chromium and titanium oxides were reduced by milling with metallic aluminium with subsequent formation of additional Al2O3 by oxidation of aluminium. XRD (X-ray diffraction) and BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) have been used for investigation of phases and particle size of powder.
Convergence, Adaptation, and Constraint The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters

Convergent evolution of similar phenotypic features in similar environmental contexts has long been taken as evidence of adaptation. Nonetheless, recent conceptual and empirical developments in many fields have led to a proliferation of ideas about the relationship between convergence and adaptation. Despite criticism from some systematically-minded biologists, I reaffirm that convergence in taxa occupying similar selective environments often is the result of natural selection. However, convergent evolution of a trait in a particular environment can occur for reasons other than selection on that trait in that environment, and species can respond to similar selective pressures by evolving non-convergent adaptations. For these reasons, studies of convergence should be coupled with other methods—such as direct measurements of selection or investigations of the functional correlates of trait evolution—to test hypotheses of adaptation. The independent acquisition of similar phenotypes by the same genetic or developmental pathway has been suggested as evidence of constraints on adaptation, a view widely repeated as genomic studies have documented phenotypic convergenc resulting from change in the same genes, sometimes even by the same mutation. Contrary to some claims, convergence by changes in the same genes is not necessarily evidence of constraint, but rather suggests hypotheses that can test the relative roles of constraint and selection in directing phenotypic evolution.
The impact of sepsis on hepatic drug metabolism in critically ill patients: a narrative review

ABSTRACT Introduction Hepatic drug metabolism is important in improving drug dosing strategies in sepsis. Pharmacokinetics in the critically ill population are severely altered due to changes in absorption, distribution, excretion and metabolization. Hepatic drug metabolism might be altered due to changes in hepatic blood flow, drug metabolizing protein availability, and protein binding. The purpose of this review is to examine evidence on whether hepatic drug metabolism is significantly affected in septic patients, and to provide insights in the need for future research. Areas covered This review describes the effect of sepsis on hepatic drug metabolism in humans. Clinical trials, pathophysiological background information and example drug groups are further discussed. The literature search has been conducted in Embase, Medline ALL Ovid, and Cochrane CENTRAL register of trials. Expert opinion Limited research has been conducted on drug metabolism in the sepsis population, with some trials having researched healthy individuals using endotoxin injections. Notwithstanding this limitation, hepatic drug metabolism seems to be decreased for certain drugs in sepsis. More research on the pharmacokinetic behavior of hepatic metabolized drugs in sepsis is warranted, using inflammatory biomarkers, hemodynamic changes, mechanical ventilation, organ support, and catecholamine infusion as possible confounders.
The impact of politics, religion, and rurality on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Oregon: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION Vaccine hesitancy has been a major barrier to mitigating the effects of COVID-19, especially in rural Oregon, USA. This study assessed the influence of political affiliation, religious identity, and rurality on vaccine hesitancy in counties across Oregon. METHODS Cross-sectional association analysis was performed using public data on US President Trump votership in the 2020 election, White Christian identity, population density, and COVID-19 vaccination data for adults as of 29 August 2021. RESULTS By 29 August 2021, 68.0% of adults had been fully vaccinated in Oregon. Trump votership was the strongest independent association with vaccination status in Oregon (r=0.90, p<0.01), followed by White Christian identity (r= -0.69, p<0.01), and population density (r=0.55, p<0.01). In multivariate analysis, White Christian identity and political affiliation with Trump in the 2020 election explained 84.1% of the variability in COVID-19 vaccination status in Oregon counties. CONCLUSION White Christian identity, Trump affiliation, and rurality were identified as factors in vaccine hesitancy among counties in Oregon. Without addressing these factors in public health outreach, vaccine hesitancy is likely to continue unabated.
Divergences in spinfoam quantum gravity

In this thesis we study the flat model, the main buidling block for the spinfoam approach to quantum gravity, with an emphasis on its divergences. Besides a personal introduction to the problem of quantum gravity, the manuscript consists in two part. In the first one, we establish an exact powercounting formula for the bubble divergences of the flat model, using tools from discrete gauge theory and twisted cohomology. In the second one, we address the issue of spinfoam continuum limit, both from the lattice field theory and the group field theory perspectives. In particular, we put forward a new proof of the Borel summability of the Boulatov-Freidel-Louapre model, with an improved control over the large-spin scaling behaviour. We conclude with an outlook of the renormalization program in spinfoam quantum gravity.
Impact of ultrasound enhancing agents on clinical management

Purpose of review Ultrasound enhancing agents (UEAs), microbubbles which are composed of lipid or albumin shells containing high molecular weight gases with nonlinear acoustic properties in the ultrasound field, are important components of the diagnostic armamentarium in echocardiography. This review highlights the substantial value of UEAs in delineating endocardial border definition and influencing downstream decision-making in cardiovascular ultrasound. Recent findings In this article, we review recent updates to the clinical applications of UEAs, special circumstances regarding use, the impact of use on downstream testing and cost-effectiveness, and recommended approaches for optimizing workflow in the echocardiography laboratory with UEAs. Summary In multiple studies, UEAs have been identified as a useful tool in echocardiography, improving study accuracy and reader confidence, while reducing downstream testing and procedures and resulting in significant changes in clinical management. Despite their proven efficacy and cost-effectiveness, recent studies have suggested utilization remains low, in part due to perceived concerns and workflow issues that impair uptake. With an increasingly broader list of indications for echocardiography, UEAs will continue to play an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with cardiovascular and noncardiovascular diseases.
Virtual Research with Urban Native Young Women: Cautionary Tales in the Time of a Pandemic

Abstract:Background: Community-based participatory research is a particularly powerful approach to research with American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities who have been subject to a history of mistreatment and unethical research. In person meetings, discussion, and engagement with tribal members and the community have become an essential component of community-based participatory research in AIAN communities. With the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, AIAN communities have moved to close or sharply curtail in-person activities, precluding in-person research methods. Current best practices for research with AIAN communities assumes in-person engagement; little guidance exists on engaging AIAN communities in research using virtual technologies. Our study, Native Women, Young, Strong, Empowered Changing High-risk alcohOl use and Increasing Contraception Effectiveness Study (Native WYSE CHOICES), was intentionally designed before the pandemic to be virtual, including recruitment, enrollment, intervention, and assessment with urban AIAN young women.Objectives: We present our perspectives on virtual research with AIAN communities, including the critical role of our advisory partners to inform the virtual intervention design and recruitment methods in the formative stages of our project.Methods: Experiential reflection among research team and community partners.Conclusions: Virtual technologies, such as videoconferencing, social media, and mobile health apps, offer many tools to reach communities, especially in a pandemic. The virtualization of research with AIAN communities requires a significant investment in time, resources and planning to mitigate disadvantages; it cannot fully replace in-person-based community-based participatory research approaches, but may offer many strengths and unique advantages for research, especially in a pandemic.
Fathers’ help seeking behavior and attitudes during their transition to parenthood

Abstract New fathers face multiple changes as they take on this complex, demanding, and continually shifting role. The current study aimed to understand these experiences, especially the ways fathers seek help and information while facing stressful situations. Eleven fathers completed a semi‐structured interview about their transition to fatherhood and whether and how they sought help and advice through that process. Results were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. Fathers viewed themselves as supportive figures and sources of financial and emotional stability for their families. Fathers experienced anxiety and uncertainty in their transition to parenthood, and utilized a variety of ways to cope with their stress; these were categorized into individual and interpersonal coping strategies. Most relied on their partner for emotional support, but some felt uncomfortable relying on her and using her for support while she was coping with pregnancy and new parenting. This study found that fathers tended to see themselves in a rather traditional role of provider and supporter of their partners and children, and this created some stresses for work‐life balance, and, for some, created a dilemma where they felt unable to seek emotional support from the person—their partner—on whom they would typically rely. These findings have important implications for fathers’ wellbeing and providing support programs for new fathers.
The Unsteady Variable – Viscosity Free Convection Flow on a Porous Plate

The unsteady variable-viscosity free convection flow of a viscous incompressible fluid near an infinite vertical plate (or wall) is investigated under an arbitrary timedependent heating of the plates, and the governing equations of motion and energy transformed into ordinary differential equations. Employing asymptotic techniques, the resulting equations are solved numerically. It is shown that the velocity decreases as the ratio of the kinematic viscosity to the initial temperature increases. Journal of the Nigerian Association of Mathematical Physics , Volume 19 (November, 2011), pp 229 – 232
Responses after Skin Antigen Node: A Novel Tool for the Monitoring of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy of the Lymph

Assessment of immune responses in lymph nodes (LNs) is routine in animals, but rarely done in humans. We have applied minimally invasive ultrasound-guided ﬁne-needle aspiration of the LN to a before-and-after study of the immune response to intradermally delivered Ag in healthy volunteers ( n = 25). By comparison with PBMCs from the same individual, LN cells (LNCs) were characterized by reduced numbers of effector memory cells, especially CD8 + T EMRA cells (3.37 6 1.93 in LNCs versus 22.53 6 7.65 in PBMCs; p = 0.01) and a marked increased in CD69 expression (27.67 6 7.49 versus 3.49 6 2.62%, LNCs and PBMCs, respectively; p < 0.0001). At baseline, there was a striking absence of IFN- g ELISPOT responses to recall Ags (puriﬁed protein derivative, Tetanus toxoid, or ﬂu/EBV/CMV viral mix) in LN, despite strong responses in the peripheral blood. However, 48 h after tuberculin puriﬁed protein derivative administration in the ipsilateral forearm resulting in a positive skin reaction, a clear increase in IFN- g ELISPOT counts was seen in the draining LN but not in PBMCs. This response was lost by 5 d. These data suggest that the low levels of effector memory cells in the LN may explain the low background of baseline ELISPOT responses in LNs as compared with PBMCs, and the appearance of a response after 48 h is likely to represent migration of effector memory cells from the skin to the LN. Hence, it appears that the combination of intradermal Ag administration and draining LN sampling can be used as a sensitive method to probe the effector memory T cell repertoire in the skin. The Journal of Immunology ,
Kupffer Cells Promote Hepatic Steatosis Via Interleukin-1 (cid:1) –Dependent Suppression of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (cid:2) Activity

Kupffer cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases. However, their in-volvement in metabolic disorders of the liver, including fatty liver disease, remains unclear. The present study sought to determine the impact of Kupffer cells on hepatic triglyceride storage and to explorethepossiblemechanismsinvolved.Tothatend,C57Bl/6micerenderedobeseandsteatoticbychronichigh-fatfeedingweretreatedfor1weekwithclodronateliposomes,whichcausedepletionofKupffercells.LossofexpressionofmarkergenesCd68,F4/80,andClec4f,andlossofCd68immu-nostainingveriﬁedalmostcompleteremovalofKupffercellsfromtheliver. Also,expressionofcom-plementcomponentsC1,thechemokine(C-Cmotif)ligand6(Ccl6),andcytokinesinterleukin-15(IL-15)andIL-1 (cid:1) weremarkedlyreduced.Importantly,Kupffercelldepletionsigniﬁcantlydecreased liver triglyceride and glucosylceramide levels concurrent with increased expression of genes involved infattyacidoxidationincludingperoxisomeproliferator-activatedreceptoralpha(PPAR (cid:2) ),carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (Cpt1 (cid:2) ), and fatty acid transport protein 2 (Fatp2). Treatment of mice with IL-1 (cid:1) decreased
IONIZING RADIATION AND VOLUMETRIC MAMMOGRAPHIC DENSITY

Objectives: Mammographic density (MD) refers to the percentage of dense tissue of an entire breast and was proposed to be used as a surrogate marker for breast cancer. High-dose ionizing radiation (IR) has been recognized as a breast cancer risk factor. The aim of our study was to investigate association between lifetime low dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) and MD. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study included 467 women aged 40–60 years who underwent screening mammography in Łódź, Poland. The digital mammography examination of the breasts included both craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique views. The volumetric breast density (VBD) (%) and fibrograndular tissue volume (FG) (cm3) were determined based on the analysis of mammographic image (“for processing”) using Volpara Imaging Software. The exposure to IR was estimated for each individual, based on the data from interviews about diagnostic or therapeutic medical procedures performed in the area of the neck, chest, abdomen and spine, which involved X-rays and γ rays and the data about the doses derived from literature. Linear and logistic regression were fitted with VBD and FG as the outcomes and organ breast dose, effective dose and number of mammographies as the determinants, adjusted for major confounders. Results: The analyses showed no association between VBD or FG and the breast organ dose or the effective dose. The only significant finding observed concerned the association between the number of mammographies and the FG volume with β coefficient: 0.028 (95% CI: 0.012–0.043), and predicted mean FG volume >13.4 cm3 among the women with >3 mammographies when compared to those with none. Conclusions: This study does not, in general, provide support for the positive association between LDIR and MD. The weak association of the FG volume with the number of mammographies warrants further verification in larger independent studies. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2022;35(5):635 – 49
Reinstatement and phylogenetic allocation of the palm rust genus Cerradoa in the Pucciniaceae, and establishment of Pseudocerradoa, gen. nov.

ABSTRACT The genus Cerradoa (type species Cerradoa palmaea) was established in 1978 by Hennen and Ono and named after the Brazilian Cerrado biome. The holotype collected in Planaltina, Federal District, Brazil, belonged to the first rust fungus reported on palms (Arecaceae). For decades, the status of Cerradoa as a distinct genus has been regarded as doubtful, representing a synonym of Edythea (Uropyxidaceae) starting with the second edition of the Illustrated Genera of Rust Fungi in 1983. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses, as well as our morphological investigations, allowed us to reject this synonymy, leading to the reinstatement of Cerradoa within the Pucciniaceae. Cerradoa, together with morphologically similar genera such as the newly established Pseudocerradoa with two species (Ps. paullula and Ps. rhaphidophorae) infecting araceous hosts, the fern rust Desmella, and also P. engleriana, could not be assigned to any of the seven identified major lineages within the Pucciniaceae. Edythea, instead of being maintained as a member of the Uropyxidaceae, was herein placed in Pucciniaceae, shown phylogenetically in close relationship to Cumminsiella mirabilissima, both infecting the Berberidaceae. Additionally, our extensive phylogenetic analyses add guidance for future taxonomic revisions in the highly polyphyletic genus Puccinia and other established taxa within the family Pucciniaceae.