Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanism of bacterial attachment on textile fibrous media

Abstract A mechanism to remove the Pseudomonas bacteria from contaminated water by using textile fibrous media has been proposed in this article. The attachment of Pseudomonas bacteria on different media material was studied in laboratory column experiment. Two types of textiles media made of polyester and nylon fibers were selected for the experiment. The experimental design included the various level of salt concentration of calcium chloride (i.e. 1 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, and 150 mM). The maximum removal efficiency of nylon fibrous media is 77% and that of polyester is 58.33% for the same ionic strength. The colloidal filtration and Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory was used to investigate the effect of media material on bacteria attachment at various level of salt concentration. Bacteria attachment on nylon fibrous media is found to be greater as compared to the polyester fibrous media. The DLVO profile of the bacteria attachment on polyester shows the existence of a high energy barrier (710) as compared to the nylon fibrous media (398) at an ionic strength 1 mM. These high energy barriers resist the deposition of the bacteria in the primary minimum resulted in lower removal efficiency of the polyester media material.
The epidemiology of eosinophilic esophagitis: an ongoing enigma.

e osinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a relatively new diagnosis. Although considered a rare disease in the past, EoE has gained increasing attention in the last 15 years due to rising prevalence and interest. However, data on the epidemiology of the disorder are scarce. Eosinophilic esophagitis is characterized by upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms associated with esophageal eosinophilia and basal cell hyperplasia [2]. Landres et al. [1] initially described EoE in 1978. Current data indicate that its prevalence is increasing. A recent study suggests that it may affect up to 3.8% of symptomatic patients who had a biopsy taken during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) [3]. The most common presenting symptoms among teenage and adult patients are solid-food dysphagia (33–70%), chest pain (25%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)-like symptoms (23–27%), and abdominal pain (~25%). Food impaction requiring endoscopic removal occurs in 33–54% of adult EoE patients. Studies have shown that up to 15% of all patients undergoing upper endoscopy for dysphagia are found to have EoE [4-8]. Although not pathognomonic for EoE and not part of the diagnostic criteria, some endoscopic features such as fixed or transient esophageal rings, longitudinal furrows, esophageal strictures, and mucosal edema or fragility are common findings that may support the diagnosis of EoE in the appropriate clinical and histologic setting [9]. According to recent guidelines, the diagnosis of EoE requires symptoms suggestive of esophageal dysfunction, ≥ 15 eosinophils per high power field (eos/hpf) in at least one esophageal biopsy sample and exclusion of esophageal eosinophilia secondary to GERD [10]. In the past decade, epidemiologic data on eosinophilic esophagitis increased notably. While some reports and case series suggest a rising prevalence, others contend that this observation is related to better recognition and an increase in histological diagnosis [11]. Sealock and co-authors [12] indicate that the disease’s prevalence is low in the general population and higher in young adults with suggestive symptoms. In this article we review the current data pertaining to the epidemiology of EoE, including the number of patients, gender distribution, prevalence and associated risk factors. Of the 22 articles reviewed, 2 represented community-based studies, 14 were institution-based [Table 1], 3 described an association with climate, and 3 explored whether there was an association with celiac disease [Figure 1].
Sex Hormones, Insulin Resistance, and Diabetes Mellitus Among Men With or at Risk for HIV Infection

Objective: To examine the relationship of free testosterone (FT) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) with insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus (DM) in HIV disease. Design: Cross-sectional analysis from 322 HIV-uninfected and 534 HIV-infected men in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study. Methods: The main outcomes were DM and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). DM was defined as fasting serum glucose ≥126 or self-reported DM and use of DM medications. HOMA-IR was calculated from fasting serum glucose and fasting insulin. Results: Compared with HIV-uninfected men in our sample, HIV-infected men were younger, with lower body mass index, and more often black. HIV-infected men had lower FT (P < 0.001) and higher SHBG (P < 0.0001). The adjusted odds ratio for DM was 1.98 (95% confidence interval: 1.04 to 3.78); mean adjusted log HOMA-IR was 0.21 units higher in HIV-infected men (P < 0.0001). Log SHBG, but not log FT, was associated with DM (odds ratio = 0.44, 95% confidence interval: 0.25 to 0.80) in both groups. Log FT and log SHBG were inversely related to insulin resistance (P < 0.05 for both) independent of HIV. Conclusions: Compared with HIV-uninfected men, HIV-infected men had lower FT, higher SHBG, and more insulin resistance and DM. Lower FT and lower SHBG were associated with insulin resistance regardless of HIV serostatus. This suggests that sex hormones play a role in the pathogenesis of glucose abnormalities among HIV-infected men.
Rubus idaeus L Inhibits Invasion Potential of Human A549 Lung Cancer Cells by Suppression Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Akt Pathway In Vitro and Reduces Tumor Growth In Vivo

The metastasis of lung cancer is the most prevalent cause of patient death. Various treatment strategies have targeted the prevention of the occurrence of metastasis. The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer cells is considered a prerequisite to acquire the invasive/migratory phenotype and to subsequently achieve metastasis. However, the effects of Rubus idaeus on cancer invasion and the EMT of the human lung carcinoma remain unclear. In this article, we test the hypothesis that R idaeus ethyl acetate (RIAE) possesses an antimetastatic effect and reverses the EMT potential of human lung A549 cells. We extract the raspberry R idaeus with methanol (RIME), chloroform (RICE), ethyl acetate (RIAE), n-butanol (RIBE), and water (RIWE). The RIAE treatment obviously inhibits the invasive (P < .001), motility (P < .001), spreading, and migratory potential (P < .001) of highly metastatic human lung cancer A549 cells. The zymography and promoter luciferase analysis reveals that RIAE decreases the proteinase and transcription activities of MMP-2 and u-PA. Molecular analyses show that RIAE increases the E-cadherin level that is mainly localized at the cellular membrane. This result was also verified through confocal analyses. RIAE also induces the upregulation of an epithelial marker, such as α-catenin, and decreases mesenchymal markers, such as snail-1 and N-cadherin, that promote cell invasion and metastasis. RIAE inhibits MMP-2 and u-PA by attenuating the NF-κB and p-Akt expression. The inhibition of RIAE on the growth of A549 cells in vivo was also verified using a cancer cell xenograft nude mice model. Our results show the anti-invasive/antitumor effects of RIAE and associated mechanisms, which suggest that RIAE should be further tested in clinically relevant models to exploit its potential benefits against metastatic lung cancer cells.
icaR Encodes a Transcriptional Repressor Involved in Environmental Regulation of ica Operon Expression and Biofilm Formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis

ABSTRACT Biofilm formation in Staphylococcus epidermidis is dependent upon the ica operon-encoded polysaccharide intercellular adhesin, which is subject to phase-variable and environmental regulation. The icaR gene, located adjacent to the ica operon, appears to be a member of the tetR family of transcriptional regulators. In the reference strain RP62A, reversible inactivation of the ica operon by IS256 accounts for 25 to 33% of phase variants. In this study, icaA and icaR regulation were compared in RP62A and a biofilm-forming clinical isolate, CSF41498, in which IS256 is absent. Predictably, ica operon expression was detected only in wild-type CSF41498 and RP62A but not in non-IS256-generated phase variants. In contrast, the icaR gene was not expressed in RP62A phase variants but was expressed in CSF41498 variants. An icaR::Emr insertion mutation in CSF41498 resulted in an at least a 5.8-fold increase in ica operon expression but did not significantly alter regulation of the icaR gene itself. Activation of ica operon transcription by ethanol in CSF41498 was icaR dependent. In contrast, a small but significant induction of ica by NaCl and glucose (NaCl-glucose) was observed in the icaR::Emr mutant. In addition, transcription of the icaR gene itself was not significantly affected by NaCl-glucose but was repressed by ethanol. Expression of the ica operon was induced by ethanol or NaCl-glucose in phase variants of CSF41498 (icaR+) but not in RP62A variants (icaR deficient). These data indicate that icaR encodes a repressor of ica operon transcription required for ethanol but not NaCl-glucose activation of ica operon expression and biofilm formation.
Astrobiology as a framework for investigating antibiotic susceptibility: a study of Halomonas hydrothermalis

Physical and chemical boundaries for microbial multiplication on Earth are strongly influenced by interactions between environmental extremes. However, little is known about how interactions between multiple stress parameters affect the sensitivity of microorganisms to antibiotics. Here, we assessed how 12 distinct permutations of salinity, availability of an essential nutrient (iron) and atmospheric composition (aerobic or microaerobic) affect the susceptibility of a polyextremotolerant bacterium, Halomonas hydrothermalis, to ampicillin, kanamycin and ofloxacin. While salinity had a significant impact on sensitivity to all three antibiotics (as shown by turbidimetric analyses), the nature of this impact was modified by iron availability and the ambient gas composition, with differing effects observed for each compound. These two parameters were found to be of particular importance when considered in combination and, in the case of ampicillin, had a stronger combined influence on antibiotic tolerance than salinity. Our data show how investigating microbial responses to multiple extremes, which are more representative of natural habitats than single extremes, can improve our understanding of the effects of antimicrobial compounds and suggest how studies of habitability, motivated by the desire to map the limits of life, can be used to systematically assess the effectiveness of antibiotics.
Synthesis of hydroxyapatite from cockle shell wastes

Cockle shell wastes are abundant and easily available. It rich in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) that can be converted into hydroxyapatite. HAP has numerous benefits especially in biomedical applications. The overall objective of this study is to determine the effect of reaction time on producing HAP derived from cockle (Anadara granosa) shells waste. There are two reaction times used in this study which are 3 h and 5 h. The processes involved in synthesizing the HAP were pre-treatment of the cockle shells, formation of CaCO3 in aragonite form, calcination of the CaCO3 to form CaO, production of Ca(OH)2 and finally reaction of the Ca(OH)2 solution with the phosphate source to obtain HAP. All samples have undergone physicochemical analyses to determine their crystallinity, purity, functional group, surface morphology and elemental compounds using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Electron Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX). This study found that 5 h reaction time produced powder is better HAP compared to the 3 h powder. Overall, this study proved that reaction time plays a vital role in the quality of producing HAP. Longer the reaction time has enhanced the quality of the HAP formed.
Non-divergence Elliptic Equations of Second Order with Unbounded Drift

We consider uniformly elliptic equations and inequalities of second order in the nondivergence form Lu = aijDiju + biDiu = 0 (≤ 0, ≥ 0), in a domain Ω ⊂ Rn. We derive an interior Harnack inequality, a boundary Harnack inequalities and a comparison theorem for Lipschitz boundaries in the case bi ∈ Ln, and a Hopf-Oleinik type estimate near flat boundary in the case when the normal component of the vector (b1, . . . , bn) belongs to Lq , q > n. Our main tools are special Landis-type growth lemmas.
Structural Behaviour of Circular High Strength Concrete (HSC) Columns Reinforced with Glass Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Bars and Helices under Different Loading Conditions

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Phytosterols Synergize With Endotoxin to Augment Inflammation in Kupffer Cells but Alone Have Limited Direct Effect on Hepatocytes

INTRODUCTION Phytosterols are implicated in the development of parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease. A newly proposed mechanism for phytosterol-mediated parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease is through phytosterol-facilitated hepatic proinflammatory cytokine release following exposure to intestinally derived bacteria. Whether the proinflammatory effects are liver cell specific is not known. AIM To determine if phytosterols cause inflammation in hepatocytes or Kupffer cells independently or require costimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). METHODS In an in vivo study, neonatal piglets on parenteral nutrition for 11 days received an 8-hour infusion of LPS. In the in vitro studies, neonatal piglet Kupffer cells and hepatocytes were treated with media, media + 1% soy oil, or media + 1% soy oil + 100µM phytosterols. After 24-hour incubation, cells were treated with farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist obeticholic acid or liver X receptor (LXR) agonist GW3965 and challenged with LPS or interleukin 1β. RESULTS LPS administration in piglets led to transient increases in proinflammatory cytokines and suppression of the transporters bile salt export pump and ATP-binding cassette transporter G5. In hepatocytes, phytosterols did not activate inflammation. Phytosterol treatment alone did not activate inflammation in Kupffer cells but, combined with LPS, synergistically increased interleukin 1β production. FXR and LXR agonists increased transporter expression in hepatocytes. GW3965 suppressed proinflammatory cytokine production in Kupffer cells, but obeticholic acid did not. CONCLUSIONS LPS suppresses transporters that control bile acid and phytosterol clearance. Phytosterols alone do not cause inflammatory response. However, with costimulation by LPS, phytosterols synergistically maximize the inflammatory response in Kupffer cells.
Features of Memory-Like and PD-1+ Human NK Cell Subsets

Human NK cells are distinguished into CD56brightCD16− cells and CD56dimCD16+ cells. These two subsets are conventionally associated with differential functional outcomes and are heterogeneous with respect to the expression of KIR and CD94/NKG2 heterodimers that represent the two major types of HLA-class I-specific receptors. Recent studies indicated that immature CD56bright NK cells, homogeneously expressing the inhibitory CD94/NKG2A receptor, are precursors of CD56dim NK cells that, in turn, during their process of differentiation, lose expression of CD94/NKG2A and subsequentially acquire inhibitory KIRs and LIR-1. The terminally differentiated phenotype of CD56dim cells is marked by the expression of the CD57 molecule that is associated with poor responsiveness to cytokine stimulation, but retained cytolytic capacity. Remarkably, this NKG2A−KIR+LIR-1+CD57+CD56dim NK cell subset when derived from individuals previously exposed to pathogens, such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), may contain “memory-like” NK cells. These cells are generally characterized by an upregulation of the activating receptor CD94/NKG2C and a downregulation of the inhibitory receptor Siglec-7. The “memory-like” NK cells are persistent over time and display some hallmarks of adaptive immunity, i.e., clonal expansion, more effective antitumor and antiviral immune responses, longevity, as well as given epigenetic modifications. Interestingly, unknown cofactors associated with HCMV infection may induce the onset of a recently identified fully mature NK cell subset, characterized by marked downregulation of the activating receptors NKp30 and NKp46 and by the unexpected expression of the inhibitory PD-1 receptor. This phenotype correlates with an impaired antitumor NK cell activity that can be partially restored by antibody-mediated disruption of PD-1/PD-L interaction.
Biotech-Who Wins? Economic Benefits and Costs of Biotechnology Innovations in Agriculture

The conceptual model necessary for an assessment of biotechnology's economic benefits and costs is outlined, emphasizing the need to account for the proprietary nature of biotechnology innovations. The model is illustrated with an application to Roundup Ready soybeans. The estimated value of this innovation is sizeable, with consumers and innovators claiming the largest shares of net benefits. Also, disparities in intellectual property rights protection across countries affect the distribution of benefits. Consumer resistance toward GMOs and the issue of labelling and market segregation complicate the economic evaluation of biotechnology innovations; a number of related regulation and public policy issues are discussed. Emerging output-trait GMOs are potentially less controversial than some earlier GMOs and may bring more benefits to all participants in the agri-food sector, but this outcome depends crucially on the development of an effective, credible, and internationally harmonized regulatory system. (This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
Posterior endoscopic discectomy: Results in 300 patients

Background: Posterior endoscopic discectomy is an established method for treatment of lumbar disc herniation. Many studies have not been reported in literature for lumbar discectomy by Destandau Endospine System. We report a series of 300 patients operated for lumbar dissectomy by Destandau Endospine system. Materials and Methods: A total of 300 patients suffering from lumbar disc herniations were operated between January 2002 and December 2008. All patients were operated as day care procedure. Technique comprised localization of symptomatic level followed by insertion of an endospine system devise through a 15 mm skin and fascial incision. Endoscopic discectomy is then carried out by conventional micro disc surgery instruments by minimal invasive route. The results were evaluated by Macnab’s criteria after a minimum followup of 12 months and maximum up to 24 months. Results: Based on modified Macnab’s criteria, 90% patients had excellent to good, 8% had fair, and 2% had poor results. The complications observed were discitis and dural tear in five patients each and nerve root injury in two patients. 90% patients were able to return to light and sedentary work with an average delay of 3 weeks and normal physical activities after 2 months. Conclusion: Edoscopic discectomy provides a safe and minimal access corridor for lumbar discectomy. The technique also allows early postoperative mobilization and faster return to work.
Identification and use of biomarkers in treatment strategies for triple‐negative breast cancer subtypes

Triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with distinct molecular subtypes that respond differentially to chemotherapy and targeted agents. The absence of high‐frequency molecular alterations and a limited number of known biomarkers have limited the development of therapeutic strategies for the disease. Herein, we summarize the results of the first round of targeted therapy approaches in TNBC and discuss new preclinical strategies. Common themes emerge from the proposed strategies, such as the use of biomarkers to identify tumours with genomic instability, targeting adapted molecular states resulting from tumour suppressor loss, and targeting altered metabolic pathways. Copyright © 2013 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolic Flux Ratio Analysis of Genetic and Environmental Modulations of Escherichia coli Central Carbon Metabolism

ABSTRACT The response of Escherichia coli central carbon metabolism to genetic and environmental manipulation has been studied by use of a recently developed methodology for metabolic flux ratio (METAFoR) analysis; this methodology can also directly reveal active metabolic pathways. Generation of fluxome data arrays by use of the METAFoR approach is based on two-dimensional13C-1H correlation nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with fractionally labeled biomass and, in contrast to metabolic flux analysis, does not require measurements of extracellular substrate and metabolite concentrations. METAFoR analyses of E. coli strains that moderately overexpress phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase, pyruvate decarboxylase, or alcohol dehydrogenase revealed that only a few flux ratios change in concert with the overexpression of these enzymes. Disruption of both pyruvate kinase isoenzymes resulted in altered flux ratios for reactions connecting the phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and pyruvate pools but did not significantly alter central metabolism. These data indicate remarkable robustness and rigidity in central carbon metabolism in the presence of genetic variation. More significant physiological changes and flux ratio differences were seen in response to altered environmental conditions. For example, in ammonia-limited chemostat cultures, compared to glucose-limited chemostat cultures, a reduced fraction of PEP molecules was derived through at least one transketolase reaction, and there was a higher relative contribution of anaplerotic PEP carboxylation than of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle for oxaloacetate synthesis. These two parameters also showed significant variation between aerobic and anaerobic batch cultures. Finally, two reactions catalyzed by PEP carboxykinase and malic enzyme were identified by METAFoR analysis; these had previously been considered absent in E. colicells grown in glucose-containing media. Backward flux from the TCA cycle to glycolysis, as indicated by significant activity of PEP carboxykinase, was found only in glucose-limited chemostat culture, demonstrating that control of this futile cycle activity is relaxed under severe glucose limitation.