Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitochondrial Genome Supports Sibling Species of Angiostrongylus costaricensis (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae)

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a zoonotic parasitic nematode that causes abdominal or intestinal angiostrongyliasis in humans. It is endemic to the Americas. Although the mitochondrial genome of the Brazil taxon has been published, there is no available mitochondrial genome data on the Costa Rica taxon. We report here the complete mitochondrial genome of the Costa Rica taxon and its genetic differentiation from the Brazil taxon. The whole mitochondrial genome was obtained from next-generation sequencing of genomic DNA. It had a total length of 13,652 bp, comprising 36 genes (12 protein-coding genes—PCGs, 2 rRNA and 22 tRNA genes) and a control region (A + T rich non-coding region). It is longer than that of the Brazil taxon (13,585 bp). The larger mitogenome size of the Costa Rica taxon is due to the size of the control region as the Brazil taxon has a shorter length (265 bp) than the Costa Rica taxon (318 bp). The size of 6 PCGs and the start codon for ATP6, CYTB and NAD5 genes are different between the Costa Rica and Brazil taxa. Additionally, the two taxa differ in the stop codon of 6 PCGs. Molecular phylogeny based on 12 PCGs was concordant with two rRNA, 22 tRNA and 36 mitochondrial genes. The two taxa have a genetic distance of p = 16.2% based on 12 PCGs, p = 15.3% based on 36 mitochondrial genes, p = 13.1% based on 2 rRNA genes and p = 10.7% based on 22 tRNA genes, indicating status of sibling species. The Costa Rica and Brazil taxa of A. costaricensis are proposed to be accorded specific status as members of a species complex.
On the importance of soil moisture in calibration of rainfall–runoff models: two case studies

ABSTRACT Streamflow modelling results from the GR4H and PDM hydrological models were evaluated in two Australian sub-catchments, using (1) calibration to streamflow and (2) joint-calibration to streamflow and soil moisture. Soil moisture storage in the models was evaluated against soil moisture observations from field measurements. The PDM had the best performance in terms of both streamflow and soil moisture estimations during the calibration period, but was outperformed by GR4H during validation. It was also shown that the soil moisture estimation was improved significantly by joint-calibration for the case where streamflow and soil moisture estimations were poor. In other cases, addition of the soil moisture constraint did not degrade the results. Consequently, it is recommended that GR4H be used, in preference to the PDM, in the foothills of the Murrumbidgee catchment or other Australian catchments with semi-arid to sub-humid climate, and that soil moisture data be used in the calibration process.
Lack of association of three common polymorphisms in toll-like receptors (TLRs), TLR2+597T>C, +1350C>T and Arg753Gln with cancer risk: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) occurring in Toll-like receptors (TLRs) may contribute to cancer risk. Many polymorphisms of TLR2 have been studied for associations, but the findings are conflicting. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We performed a meta-analysis of 14 studies to confirm the association between TLR2+597T>C (rs3804099), +1350C>T (rs3804100) and Arg753Gln (rs5743708) polymorphisms and cancer risk. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to assess the strength of associations. There was no significant association between TLR2+597T>C and cancer risk in the codominant models (CC vs. TT: OR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.86-1.17, Pheterogeneity = 0.148; CT vs. TT: OR = 0.92, 95%CI = 0.69-1.23, Pheterogeneity < 0.001), the recessive model (CC vs. CT+TT: OR = 0.86, 95%CI = 0.67-1.10, Pheterogeneity = 0.007) , the dominant model (CC+CT vs. TT: OR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.76-1.15, Pheterogeneity = 0.001) and the allele model (C vs. T: OR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.81-1.08, Pheterogeneity = 0.019). Similarly, no significant associations between TLR2+1350C>T, Arg753Gln polymorphisms and cancer risk were found. However, in the sub-group analysis of ethnicities, the trend of pooled ORs in Asians was opposite to Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS The present meta-analysis suggests that TLR2+597T>C (rs3804099), +1350C>T (rs3804100) and Arg753Gln (rs5743708) polymorphisms are not associated with cancer risk.
Immunotherapy in Cancer: A Combat between Tumors and the Immune System; You Win Some, You Lose Some

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a treatment modality, mainly as the result of discoveries in the immune response regulation, including mechanisms that turn off immune responses. Immunogenic cutaneous melanoma is a canonical model for therapeutic immunotherapy studies. “Passive” immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has outpaced “active” immunotherapy with anti-tumor vaccines, and mAbs that antagonize the off responses have been recently introduced in clinical practice. Despite these recent successes, many unresolved practical and theoretical questions remain. Notably unknown are the identity of the lymphocytes that eliminate tumor cells, which white cells enter into tumors, through which endothelium, in what order, and how they perform their task. The parameters of size and location that could be used to determine in which tumors the immune response may be sufficient to eradicate the tumor are yet unknown. Immunotherapy has been so far more efficient to treat solid and hematologic tumors located outside the central nervous system, than primary brain tumors and brain metastases. In contrast to recent advances with mAbs, anti-tumor vaccine development has been lagging behind. The multiplicity of antigens that must be targeted to achieve significant clinical response is partially responsible for this lag, especially in melanoma, one of the most mutated tumors. Further hampering vaccination results is the fact that tumor elimination by the immune system is the result of a race between tumors with different growth rates and the relatively slow development of the adaptive immune response. The enhancement of the native arm of the immune response or the administration of targeted chemotherapy to slow tumor development, are approaches that should be studied. Finally, criteria used to analyze patient response to immunotherapeutic treatments must be perfected, and the patient populations that could benefit the most from this approach must be better defined.
Course of compulsive hoarding and its relationship to life events

Background: Compulsive hoarding is a common and debilitating, yet poorly understood, condition characterized by excessive acquisition of and failure to discard a large number of objects, resulting in cluttered and often hazardous living conditions. The aim of this study was to examine the onset and course of compulsive hoarding, and the relationships between stressful or traumatic life events and course of illness. Methods: Seven hundred fifty‐one adults with self‐reported hoarding symptoms completed an online survey regarding the severity of hoarding behavior over the lifespan and the incidence of stressful or traumatic life events. Results: Median age of onset was between 11 and 15 years, with most respondents reporting symptom onset before age 20. Late‐onset (e.g., after age 40) hoarding was rare. Most respondents described a chronic course of illness, with a significant minority describing an increasing or relapsing/remitting course. Stressful and traumatic events were common in this sample; changes in relationships and interpersonal violence were disproportionately associated temporally with periods of symptom onset or exacerbation. Conclusions: These results highlight the chronic nature of compulsive hoarding, its associated public health burden, and the potential impact of life stressors on symptom development. Directions for further research are discussed. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Molecular dissection of hippocampal theta-burst pairing potentiation

Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic efficacy in the hippocampus is frequently induced by tetanic stimulation of presynaptic afferents or by pairing low frequency stimulation with postsynaptic depolarization. Adult (P42) GluR-A−/− mice largely lack these forms of LTP. LTP in wt mice can also be induced by coincident pre- and postsynaptic action potentials, where an initial rapid component is expressed but a substantial fraction of the potentiation develops with a delayed time course. We report here that this stimulation protocol, delivered at theta frequency (5 Hz), induces LTP in GluR-A−/− mice in which the initial component is substantially reduced. The remaining GluR-A independent component differs from the initial component in that its expression develops over time after induction and its induction is differentially dependent on postsynaptic intracellular Ca2+ buffering. Thus, in adult mice, theta-burst pairing evokes two forms of synaptic potentiation that are induced simultaneously but whose expression levels vary inversely with time. The two components of synaptic potentiation could be relevant for different forms of information storage that are dependent on hippocampal synaptic transmission such as spatial reference and working memory.
Primates Associated with Crop Raiding Around Borgu Sector of Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria

Crop raiding activities of primates around Kainji Lake National Park (Borgu Sector), Nigeria was investigated with the use of questionnaire complemented with field survey focus group discussion, and in-depth interview. One hundred (100) questionnaires were administered to representative of households in selected four support zones villages. Group discussions were conducted in the villages. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics in form of percentages, frequencies and charts. Crop raiding and animal depredation, were sources of conflict in Kainji Lake National Park (Borgu Sector). The common primates raiding farmlands identified by the farmers comprised of Olive Boboon (Papio anubis), Patas monkey (Erthrocebus patas), green monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops) and others primates that cannot be identify by the farmers. Large percentage of the raids (40%) was perpetrated by Papio anubis, followed by Patas monkey (35%) and the least is Green Monkey (2%). The result showed that maize marked higher rank of crop of seasonal harvest that were lost to primates animals, also 3-5 of 50 kg bags of crops estimated were destroyed, in a plating season. The most effective strategy the local communities used in preventing crop damage was watch guarding (70%) other method were fencing (60%), hunting (45%),scare crow (36%) and toxic chemical (5%). The mitigation measure advocate by nearly all respondents (57%) was killing of destructive wildlife species irrespective of its conservation significance. Measures must put in place to check mate the community and to educate them about wildlife conservation. The community should also be compensated for their lost, maybe this will encourage them to have positive attitude to wildlife conservation. Keyword: Primates, Raiding, Borgu sector, Community and Kainji Lake National Park, Papio anubis, Erthrocebus patas, Chlorocebus aethiops World News of Natural Sciences 18(2) (2018) 223-231
ON01210.Na (Ex-RAD®) Mitigates Radiation Damage through Activation of the AKT Pathway

Development of radio-protective agents that are non-toxic is critical in light of ever increasing threats associated with proliferation of nuclear materials, terrorism and occupational risks associated with medical and space exploration. In this communication, we describe the discovery, characterization and mechanism of action of ON01210.Na, which effectively protects mouse and human bone marrow cells from radiation-induced damage both in vitro and in vivo. Our results show that treatment of normal fibroblasts with ON01210.Na before and after exposure to ionizing radiation provides dose dependent protection against radiation-induced damage. Treatment of mice with ON01210.Na prior to radiation exposure was found to result in a more rapid recovery of their hematopoietic system. The mechanistic studies described here show that ON01210.Na manifests its protective effects through the up-regulation of PI3-Kinase/AKT pathways in cells exposed to radiation. These results suggest that ON 01210.Na is a safe and effective radioprotectant and could be a novel agent for use in radiobiological disasters.
Drug-associated acute lung injury: a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND A number of drugs have been reported as risk factors for acute lung injury (ALI) and ARDS. However, evidence is largely limited to case reports, and there is a paucity of data on the incidence and outcome of drug-associated ALI (DALI). METHODS Using a population-based retrospective cohort study design, critically ill patients with a diagnosis of ALI were studied. These patients were classified as having DALI or non-DALI, based on whether they were exposed to prespecified drugs prior to development of ALI. Outcomes were compared between the two groups and frequencies and incidences reported. RESULTS Among 514 patients with ALI, 49 (9.5%) had DALI with an estimated population-based incidence of 6.6 (95% CI, 4.8-8.5) per 100,000 person-years. Of the 49 patients with DALI,36 received chemotherapeutic/antiinflammatory agents, and 14 received amiodarone. Twelve patients had no additional risk factors for ALI (probable DALI), whereas 37 had alternative risk factors (possible DALI). Patients with and without DALI had similar baseline characteristics. However, the APACHE (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation) III scores (median, 83 vs 70, P 5 .03), ICU mortality (35% vs 20%, P 5 .03), and hospital mortality (63% vs 32%, P , .001)were significantly higher in the DALI group compared with those of the non-DALI group. Hospital mortality remained significantly higher after adjusting for APACHE III score on admission and the presence of malignancy in logistic regression analysis (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3-6.4; P 5 .009). CONCLUSIONS Drugs are important risk factors for ALI, and recognizing them as such may have important implications for early identification of patients at risk, discontinuation of the offending agent, and prognosis.
Speaker recognition using HMM composition in noisy environments

Abstract This paper investigates a speaker recognition method that is robust against background noise. In noisy environments, one important issue is how to create a model for each speaker so as to compensate for noise. The method described here is based on hidden Markov model (HMM) composition, which combines a speaker HMM and a noise-source HMM into a noise-added speaker HMM with a particular signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Since it is difficult to measure the SNR of input speech with non-stationary noise exactly, this method creates several noise-added speaker HMMs with various SNRs. The HMM that has the highest likelihood value for the input speech is selected, and a speaker decision is made using this likelihood value. Experimental application of this method to text-independent speaker identification and verification in various kinds of noisy environments demonstrated considerable improvement in speaker recognition for speech utterances of male speakers.
Estimation of Commercial Fishing Trip Costs Using Sea Sampling Data

When estimating commercial fishing costs, selection bias can impact any model derived from non-census sampling methodologies. In the northeastern United States, commercial fishing operating cost models may suffer from selection bias, as they are often estimated using data collected for biological, rather than economic, purposes. We investigate the effects of sampling bias on trip cost model estimations using weighted/unweighted least squares and Heckman sample selection models. Results suggest that (1) the propensity for a trip to carry an observer is not random with respect to costs and that (2) selection bias exists in the majority of cost models investigated. To gauge the magnitude of selection bias, we compare results of the unweighted least squares and Heckman models. The differences between models can lead to erroneous conclusions at the subfleet level and in estimating trip cost maxima. Results suggest that assessing and correcting for selection bias is necessary when using sampled fishing cost data.
Can a dietary quality score derived from a short-form FFQ assess dietary quality in UK adult population surveys?

Abstract Objective To devise a measure of diet quality from a short-form FFQ (SFFFQ) for population surveys. To validate the SFFFQ against an extensive FFQ and a 24 h diet recall. Design Population-based cross-sectional survey. Setting East Leeds and Bolton in Northern England. Subjects Adults (n 1999) were randomly selected from lists of those registered with a general practitioner in the study areas, contacted by mail and asked to complete the SFFFQ. Responders were sent a longer FFQ to complete and asked if they would take part in a telephone-based 24 h diet recall. Results Results from 826 people completing the SFFFQ, 705 completing the FFQ and forty-seven completing the diet recall were included in the analyses. The dietary quality score (DQS), based on fruit, vegetable, oily fish, non-milk extrinsic sugar and fat intakes, showed significant agreement between the SFFFQ and the FFQ (κ=0·38, P<0·001). The DQS for the SFFFQ and the diet recall did not show significant agreement (κ=0·04, P=0·312). A number of single items on the SFFFQ predicted a ‘healthy’ DQS when calculated from the FFQ. The odds of having a healthy diet were increased by 27 % (95 % CI 9, 49 %, P<0·001) for an increase in fruit of 1 portion/d and decreased by 67 % (95 % CI 47, 79 %, P<0·001) for an increase in crisps of 1 portion/d. Conclusions The SFFFQ has been shown to be an effective method of assessing diet quality. It provides an important method for determining variations in diet quality within and across different populations.
Why do trials for Alzheimer’s disease drugs keep failing? A discontinued drug perspective for 2010-2015

ABSTRACT Introduction: There are dozens of drugs in development for AD with billions of dollars invested. Despite the massive investment in AD drugs and a burgeoning pipeline, there have been more setbacks and failures than treatment successes. Areas covered: The classes of drugs that have failed to date include the monoclonal antibodies, the gamma secretase inhibitors, dimebon, neurochemical enhancers, and one tau drug. Data for these compounds were sought through a PubMed search and a clinicaltrials.gov search. Expert opinion: The obvious question to be posed is: Why are they failing? Is the treatment of symptomatic dementia too late? Are the therapeutic targets incorrect? Are the clinical methodologies imprecise, misleading, or inaccurate? This review summarizes the drugs that have failed during 2010–2015 and offers possible theories as to why they have failed.
Biasing power traces to improve correlation in power analysis attacks

In this paper, we present a selection method of power traces to improve the efficiency of power analysis attacks. The proposed method improves the correlation factor by biasing distribution of power traces. The biasing is to select a subset from many traces. We demonstrate our method through correlation power analysis (CPA) experiments using two different devices. The results clearly show that the selection of power traces has a significant impact on the results of CPAs. Based on the selection method, an evaluation method to detect such biasing in power traces is also proposed. The method can be used to achieve fair comparison of statistical distinguishers for power analysis attacks.
Remission of Maternal Depression: Relations to Family Functioning and Youth Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms

Family functioning and parenting were hypothesized to mediate the relation between remission of maternal depression and children's psychosocial adjustment. Participants were 114 mother–child dyads participating in the Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression Child 3-month follow-up. All mothers had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and were treated initially with citalopram; 33% of mothers experienced remission of depressive symptoms. Youth ranged in age from 7 to 17. Remission of maternal depression was associated with changes in children's reports of their mothers' warmth/acceptance, which in turn partially mediated the relation between maternal depression remission and youth internalizing symptoms, accounting for 22.9% of the variance.
Effect of Epinephrine and Norepinephrine on Coronary Circulation

Studies on the intracoronary administration of epinephrine and norepinephrine in the beating, fibrillating or potassium-arrested dog heart indicate that the primary action of these compounds on the coronary vessels is vasoconstriction. The vasodilation observed with epinephrine and norepinephrine is probably secondary to the increased rate of myocardial metabolism induced by these drugs.
A novel O-linked glycan modulates Campylobacter jejuni major outer membrane protein-mediated adhesion to human histo-blood group antigens and chicken colonization

Campylobacter jejuni is an important cause of human foodborne gastroenteritis; strategies to prevent infection are hampered by a poor understanding of the complex interactions between host and pathogen. Previous work showed that C. jejuni could bind human histo-blood group antigens (BgAgs) in vitro and that BgAgs could inhibit the binding of C. jejuni to human intestinal mucosa ex vivo. Here, the major flagella subunit protein (FlaA) and the major outer membrane protein (MOMP) were identified as BgAg-binding adhesins in C. jejuni NCTC11168. Significantly, the MOMP was shown to be O-glycosylated at Thr268; previously only flagellin proteins were known to be O-glycosylated in C. jejuni. Substitution of MOMP Thr268 led to significantly reduced binding to BgAgs. The O-glycan moiety was characterized as Gal(β1–3)-GalNAc(β1–4)-GalNAc(β1–4)-GalNAcα1-Thr268; modelling suggested that O-glycosylation has a notable effect on the conformation of MOMP and this modulates BgAg-binding capacity. Glycosylation of MOMP at Thr268 promoted cell-to-cell binding, biofilm formation and adhesion to Caco-2 cells, and was required for the optimal colonization of chickens by C. jejuni, confirming the significance of this O-glycosylation in pathogenesis.
Molecular Cloning and Characterization of an ABC Multidrug Efflux Pump, VcaM, in Non-O1 Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT A gene responsible for multidrug resistance was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of non-O1 Vibrio cholerae NCTC 4716 by using as a host drug-hypersensitive Escherichia coli strain KAM32, which lacks major multidrug efflux pumps. E. coli cells transformed with the gene showed elevated levels of resistance to a number of structurally dissimilar drugs, such as tetracycline, norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, doxorubicin, daunomycin, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, and Hoechst 33342. We determined the nucleotide sequence and found one open reading frame. We designated the gene vcaM. The deduced product, VcaM, seems to be a polypeptide with 619 amino acid residues (69 kDa) that has a putative topology of six transmembrane segments in the N-terminal hydrophobic domain, followed by an ATP binding domain in the C-terminal hydrophilic region. The sequence of VcaM was shown to be similar to those of human multidrug resistance proteins P-glycoprotein MDR1 and lactococcal LmrA, which are driven by ATP. The efflux of Hoechst 33342 and doxorubicin from cells possessing VcaM was detected. The efflux activity was inhibited by reserpine and sodium o-vanadate, which are potent inhibitors of MDR1 and LmrA. Thus, we conclude that VcaM is a member of the family of multidrug efflux pumps of the ATP binding cassette type and the first experimentally proven example of a multidrug efflux pump of this family in gram-negative bacteria.