Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First environmental isolation of Cryptococcus gattii serotype B, from Cúcuta, Colombia.

INTRODUCTION In Cúcuta, Cryptococcus gattii serotype B is commonly recovered from immunocompetent patients with cryptococcosis, but it has not been recovered from the environment in spite of its high incidence which is 77% out of reported cases. OBJECTIVE The aim of this work was to carry out an extensive environmental sampling in Cúcuta, in an attempt to isolate C. gattii serotype B and to expand our knowledge about the ecology and epidemiology of this important yeast. MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples associated with 3,634 trees from 40 zones of Cúcuta were collected and processed with 28 samples collected near the houses of four patients with cryptococcosis caused by C. gattii serotype B. The serotype of the recovered isolates was done using multiplex PCR, molecular patterns were determined by RFLP of the URA5 gene and mating type was determined using the primers MfÎ±U, MfÎ±L, MFa2U and MFa2L. RESULTS In total, 4,389 samples were processed and one isolate of C. gattii serotype B (VGI/a), two isolates of C. gattii serotype C (VGIII/Î±) and three isolates of C. neoformans var. grubii, serotype A (VNI/Î±), were recovered. The density of the recovered isolates varied from 50 to 350 cfu/g of soil. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report on the environmental isolation of C. gattii serotype B from Cúcuta. However, because of the low rate of recovery of isolates from soil only, the environmental niche of C. gattii has not been established and further environmental studies in Cúcuta are necessary, owing that this serotype is not only causing cryptococcosis but also has shown a higher virulence after the Vancouver outbreak.
New role for spinal Stargazin in α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid receptor‐mediated pain sensitization after inflammation

Considerable evidence has demonstrated that α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor blockade has an antinociceptive effect on inflammatory pain. Stargazin (STG) is the first transmembrane protein known to associate with AMPA receptors and regulate their synaptic targeting. However, it is not known whether STG is involved in inflammatory pain processing by regulating AMPA receptor function. In the present study, we investigated the effect of knockdown of spinal STG on AMPA receptor‐mediated pain sensitization after inflammation. Antisense technology was employed to knock down STG expression in the spinal cord. We show that STG was expressed and interacted with AMPA receptor subunit GluR2 in the spinal cord. Intrathecally injected STG antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide (ODN) specifically decreased STG expression in the lumbar spinal cord and dose dependently inhibited formalin‐induced inflammatory pain in the second phase. More important was our finding for the first time that this specific STG antisense ODN diminished AMPA (0.1 μg)‐enhanced formalin pain and lost its effect if pretreated with AMPA receptor antagonist CNQX. Our results demonstrate a new role for STG in central sensitization of inflammatory pain by interacting with AMPA receptors in the spinal cord. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Social Costs of Gender Nonconformity for Transgender Adults: Implications for Discrimination and Health

Research suggests that transgender people face high levels of discrimination in society, which may contribute to their disproportionate risk for poor health. However, little is known about whether gender nonconformity, as a visible marker of one's stigmatized status as a transgender individual, heightens trans people's experiences with discrimination and, in turn, their health. Using data from the largest survey of transgender adults in the United States, the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (N = 4,115), we examine the associations among gender nonconformity, transphobic discrimination, and health‐harming behaviors (i.e., attempted suicide, drug/alcohol abuse, and smoking). The results suggest that gender nonconforming trans people face more discrimination and, in turn, are more likely to engage in health‐harming behaviors than trans people who are gender conforming. Our findings highlight the important role of gender nonconformity in the social experiences and well‐being of transgender people.
Longitudinal analysis of corneal topography in suspected keratoconus

Aims: To examine the incidence of progression of suspected keratoconus to true keratoconus and compare quantitative descriptors of corneal topography between eyes with and without progression. Methods: 34 eyes with suspected keratoconus were retrospectively reviewed in 34 patients. Their age at the initial examination was 13 to 40 years (24.1 (7.5), mean (SD)), and the follow-up periods ranged from 3 to 10 years (6.0 (2.2) years). Suspected keratoconus was defined as the fellow eye of a clinically apparent keratoconus but that had no slit-lamp signs of keratoconus (Fleischer ring, Vogt striae and Munson sign) with a best spectacle-corrected visual acuity of 20/20 or better. Eyes were monitored for the progression of apparent slit-lamp findings of keratoconus during the follow-up period. Using a Fourier analysis of the corneal topography data, regular astigmatism, asymmetry component and higher-order irregularity component were calculated in the central 3 mm zone. Quantitative descriptors of corneal topography were compared between eyes which progressed to true keratoconus and those which did not. Results: Five eyes (14.7%) progressed to apparent keratoconus from suspected keratoconus (progression group), and 29 eyes did not (non-progression group). On average, it took 5.2 years for the eyes to develop apparent slit-lamp findings of keratoconus. The cumulative incidence of progression by Kaplan–Meier analysis was 21.5% in 6 years. The asymmetry component and regular astigmatism by Fourier analysis at the initial examination were significantly larger in the progression group than in the non-progression group. Conclusion: In our retrospective study, approximately 20% of eyes with suspected keratoconus progressed to true keratoconus in 6 years, and these eyes had presented greater asymmetry and regular astigmatism at the initial examination.
Embodiment and self in reorientation to everyday life following severe traumatic brain injury

Abstract People with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) are often young and need long-term follow-up as many suffer complex motor, sensory, perceptual and cognitive impairments. This paper aims to introduce phenomenological notions of embodiment and self as a framework to help understand how people with sTBI experience reorientation to everyday life, and to inform clinical practice in neurological physiotherapy. The impairments caused by the sTBI may lead to a sense of alienation of one's own body and changes in operative intentionality and in turn disrupt the reorganization of self, identity, everyday life and integration/co-construction of meaning with others. Applying a first-person conception of the body may extend insights into the importance of an adapted and individualized approach to strengthen the sensory, perceptual and motor body functions, which underpin the pre-reflective and reflective aspects of the self. It seems important to integrate these aspects, while also paying attention to optimizing co-construction of meaning for the person with sTBI in the treatment context. This requires understanding the patient as an experiencing and expressive body, a lived body (body-as-subject) and not just the body-as-object as is favored in more traditional frameworks of physiotherapy.
WATER AND PETROL USE EFFICIENCIES OF CABBAGES AND KALES UNDER SUPPLEMENTAL IRRIGATION IN KIMUMU FARM IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY, KENYA

Cabbages and Kales grown in Kimumu Scheme in Uasin Gishu County were monitored between November, 2017 and February, 2018 for a period of 90 days. Water was pumped from ponds to the vegetables after transplanting. The amount of petrol, rainfall and water applied together with the yields were measured. The water stress for cabbages during the entire period was 91%. During the head formation stage, the water stress 81%. For kales the water stress started from day 53 to day 90 except for days 55, 60, and 64 after transplanting. The water stress for kales during the entire period was 97%. From mid- season stage, the water stress was 88%. The yield of cabbages and kales were 4.25 tons/ha and 11.8 tons/ha, respectively. The water use efficiencies were 1.4 Kg/ m3 and 3.8 Kg/ m3 for cabbages and kales, respectively. The petrol use efficiencies were 7727 Kg/ m3 and 23 529 Kg/ m3 for cabbages and kales, respectively. The water use efficiency for kales was approximately three times that of cabbages while the petrol efficiency was also around three times. Since kales are more tolerant to water stress, the farmer was advised to grow kales as they perform better in both water and petrol use efficiencies.
Documentation of ethnoveterinary practices used for treatment of different ailments in a selected hilly area of Pakistan.

In the present study, the in vogue ethnoveterinary practices in the Mansehra District of Pakistan were documented. Results revealed that 35 plant species representing 25 families were used in the area to treat the ailing animals. Most frequently used plants were from the families Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Compositae, Pinaceae, Poaceae and Verbenaceae families. Other commonly used ingredients of ethnoveterinary prescriptions were; used engine oil, butter, mineral salt, lasi, kafor, yogurt, milk and buffalo’s urine. The most frequent ethnoveterinary practices were recorded for the treatment of gastrointestinal helminthiasis, tick and lice infestation, myiasis, mange and pneumonia. © 2010 Friends Science Publishers
Activation of p21-activated Kinase 2 and Its Association with Nef Are Conserved in Murine Cells but Are Not Sufficient to Induce an AIDS-like Disease in CD4C/HIV Transgenic Mice*

A well conserved feature of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) Nef is the interaction with and activation of the human p21-activated kinase 2 (PAK2). The conservation of this interaction in other species and its significance for Nef pathogenesis in vivo are poorly documented. In the present study, we measured these parameters in Nef-expressing thymocytes, macrophages, and dendritic cells of a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of AIDS (CD4C/HIV). We found that Nef binds to and activates PAK2, but not PAK1 and -3, in these three cell subsets. Nef associates with only a small fraction of PAK2. The Nef-PAK2 complex also comprises β-PIX-COOL. The impact of the Nef-PAK2 association on disease development was also analyzed in Tg mice expressing 10 different Nef mutant alleles. CD4C/HIV Tg mice expressing Nef alleles defective in Nef-PAK2 association (P69A, P72A/P75A, R105A/R106A, Δ56–66, or G2A (myristoylation site)) failed to develop disease of the non-lymphoid organs (kidneys and lungs). Among these, only Tg mice expressing NefP69A and NefG2A showed some depletion of CD4+ T cells, although a down-regulation of the CD4 surface protein was documented in all these Tg lines, except those expressing NefΔ56–66. Among other Tg mice expressing Nef mutants having conserved the Nef-PAK2 association (RD35AA, D174K, P147A/P150A, Δ8–17, and Δ25–65), only Tg mice expressing NefΔ8–17 develop kidney and lung diseases, but all showed partial CD4+ T cell depletion despite some being defective for CD4 down-regulation (RD35AA and D174K). Therefore, Nef can activate murine PAK2 and associate with a small fraction of it, as in human cells. Such activation and binding of PAK2 is clearly not sufficient but may be required to induce a multiorgan AIDS-like disease in Tg mice.
The Bicolored White-Toothed Shrew Crocidura leucodon (HERMANN 1780) Is an Indigenous Host of Mammalian Borna Disease Virus

Borna disease (BD) is a sporadic neurologic disease of horses and sheep caused by mammalian Borna disease virus (BDV). Its unique epidemiological features include: limited occurrence in certain endemic regions of central Europe, yearly varying disease peaks, and a seasonal pattern with higher disease frequencies in spring and a disease nadir in autumn. It is most probably not directly transmitted between horses and sheep. All these features led to the assumption that an indigenous virus reservoir of BDV other than horses and sheep may exist. The search for such a reservoir had been unsuccessful until a few years ago five BDV-infected shrews were found in a BD-endemic area in Switzerland. So far, these data lacked further confirmation. We therefore initiated a study in shrews in endemic areas of Germany. Within five years 107 shrews of five different species were collected. BDV infections were identified in 14 individuals of the species bicolored white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon, HERMANN 1780), all originating from BD-endemic territories. Immunohistological analysis showed widespread distribution of BDV antigen both in the nervous system and in epithelial and mesenchymal tissues without pathological alterations. Large amounts of virus, demonstrated by presence of viral antigen in epithelial cells of the oral cavity and in keratinocytes of the skin, may be a source of infection for natural and spill-over hosts. Genetic analyses reflected a close relationship of the BDV sequences obtained from the shrews with the regional BDV cluster. At one location a high percentage of BDV-positive shrews was identified in four consecutive years, which points towards a self-sustaining infection cycle in bicolored white-toothed shrews. Analyses of behavioral and population features of this shrew species revealed that the bicolored white-toothed shrew may indeed play an important role as an indigenous host of BDV.
When North and South don’t mix: genetic connectivity of a recently endangered oceanic cycad, Cycas micronesica, in Guam using EST‐microsatellites

Subject to environmental changes and recurrent isolation in the last ca. 250 Ma, cycads are often described as relicts of a previously common lineage, with populations characterized by low genetic variation and restricted gene flow. We found that on the island of Guam, the endemic Cycas micronesica has most of the genetic variation of 14 EST‐microsatellites distributed within each of 18 genetic populations, from 24 original sampling sites. There were high levels of genetic variation in terms of total number of alleles and private alleles, and moderate levels of inbreeding. Restricted but ongoing gene flow among populations within Guam reveals a genetic mosaic, probably more typical of cycads than previously assumed. Contiguous cycad populations in the north of Guam had higher self‐recruitment rates compared to fragmented populations in the south, with no substantial connection between them except for one population. Guam’s genetic mosaic may be explained by the influence of forest continuity, seed size, edaphic differences, and human transport of cycads. Also important are the extent of synchrony among flushes of reproductive female seed‐bearing sporophylls and restricted pollen movement by an obligate mutualist and generalist insects. An NADH EST‐locus under positive selection may reflect pressure from edaphic differences across Guam. This and three other loci are ideal candidates for ecological genomic studies. Given this species’ vulnerability due to the recent introduction of the cycad aulacaspis scale, we also identify priority populations for ex situ conservation, and provide a genetic baseline for understanding the effects of invasive species on cycads in the Western Pacific, and islands in general.
Correlates of Nocturia and Relationships of Nocturia With Sleep Quality and Glycemic Control in Women With Type 2 Diabetes

PURPOSES To explore correlates of nocturia, compare sleep quality and glycemic control for women with and without nocturia, and examine relationships of nocturia with sleep quality and glycemic control in women with diabetes. DESIGN This study was a cross-sectional, correlational study with data collected from 275 women with type 2 diabetes. METHODS Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify correlates. Chi-squared tests were used to identify candidate variables for the first logistic regression model. A one-way analysis of variance was used to compare sleep quality and glycemic control for women with and those without nocturia. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationships of nocturia with sleep quality and glycemic control. FINDINGS Of the 275 participants, 124 (45.1%) had experienced nocturia (at least two voids per night). Waist circumference, parity, time since diagnosis of diabetes, sleep quality, and increased daytime urinary frequency were correlated with nocturia after adjusting for age. Compared to women without nocturia, women who had nocturia reported poorer sleep quality. A significant correlation was found between the number of nocturnal episodes and sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS Nocturia and poor sleep are common among women with diabetes. The multifactorial nature of nocturia supports the delivered management and treatments being targeted to underlying etiologies in order to optimize women's symptom management. Interventions aimed at modifiable correlates may include maintaining a normal body weight and regular physical exercise for maintaining a normal waist circumference, and decreasing caffeine consumption, implementing feasible modifications in sleeping environments and maintaining sleep hygiene to improve sleep quality. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Healthcare professionals should screen for nocturia and poor sleep and offer appropriate nonpharmacological lifestyle management, behavioral interventions, or pharmacotherapy for women with diabetes.
Joint Effects of the Epigenetic Alteration of Neurotrophins and Cytokine Signaling: A Possible Exploratory Model of Affective Symptoms in Alcohol-Dependent Patients?

AIMS Neurotrophins have been linked to the symptomatology of alcohol dependence. We aimed to investigate a possible association between the methylation of the promoters of both neurotrophins, the serum levels of the cytokines and core symptoms of alcohol dependence as withdrawal severity and anxiety. METHODS In this study we investigated a possible association between alterations in the methylation of the BDNF IV/NGF I gene promoter and the cytokines tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in 55 male alcohol-dependent patients. RESULTS Mean methylation of the promoter of the BDNF gene was significantly associated with the TNF-α serum levels and the CIWA-score during withdrawal (P < 0.001). Moreover, mean methylation of the NGF I promoter was significantly associated with the IL-6 serum levels and STAI-I score during withdrawal (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Our results suggest an association between the epigenetic regulation of both neurotrophins, BDNF and NGF, cytokine release and the symptomatology of alcohol dependence. They imply that changes in the methylation of neurotrophins may contribute to the symptomatology of alcohol dependence by affecting relevant downstream signaling cascades.
Reprimo, a Potential p53-Dependent Tumor Suppressor Gene, Is Frequently Hypermethylated in Estrogen Receptor α-Positive Breast Cancer

Aberrant DNA methylation is a hallmark of many cancers. Currently, there are four intrinsic molecular subtypes in breast cancer (BC): Luminal A, B, Her2-positive, and triple negative (TNBC). Recently, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project has revealed that Luminal subtypes have higher levels of genome-wide methylation that may be a result of Estrogen/Estrogen receptor α (E2/ERα) signaling pathway activation. In this study, we analyze promoter CpG-island (CGIs) of the Reprimo (RPRM) gene in breast cancers (n = 77), cell lines (n = 38), and normal breast tissue (n = 10) using a MBDCap-seq database. Then, a validation cohort (n = 26) was used to confirm the results found in the MBDCap-seq platform. A differential methylation pattern was found between BC and cell lines compared to normal breast tissue. In BC, a higher DNA methylation was observed in tissues that were ERα-positive than in ERα-negative ones; more precisely, subtypes Luminal A compared to TNBC. Also, significant reverse correlation was observed between DNA methylation and RPRM mRNA expression in BC. Our data suggest that ERα expression in BC may affect the DNA methylation of CGIs in the RPRM gene. This approach suggests that DNA methylation status in CGIs of some tumor suppressor genes could be driven by E2 availability, subsequently inducing the activation of the ERα pathway.
Value of MR Venography for Detection of Internal Jugular Vein Anomalies in Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Longitudinal Study

The role of chronic venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis is controversial. The diagnosis is generally made with Doppler sonography and/or invasive catheter venography. Here, the authors assessed the role of MR venography in this situation. Ten patients with MS were assessed and compared with controls. Six patients with MS were treated with angioplasty and evaluated 6 months thereafter; similarly 6 controls were re-assessed at 6 months. Two different MRV methods were used. Although the agreement between Doppler and both MRV studies was high, there was a 60-70% lack of agreement between both MRV studies and catheter venography. Therefore, both pre- and posttreatment, MRV was of little value in the diagnosis of chronic venous insufficiency. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CCSVI was recently described in patients with MS. CCSVI is diagnosed noninvasively by Doppler sonography and invasively by catheter venography. We assessed the role of conventional MRV for the detection of IJV anomalies in patients with MS diagnosed with CCSVI and in healthy controls who underwent MRV and Doppler sonography examinations during 6 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with MS underwent TOF, TRICKS, Doppler sonography, and catheter venography at baseline. They were treated at baseline with percutaneous angioplasty and re-evaluated 6 months' posttreatment with MRV and Doppler sonography. In addition, 6 healthy controls underwent a baseline and a 6-month follow-up evaluation by Doppler sonography and MRV. RESULTS: At baseline, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of Doppler sonography for detecting IJV abnormalities relative to catheter venography in patients with MS were calculated, respectively, at 82%, 100%, 99%, and 95%. The figures were 99%, 33%, 33%, 99% for TOF and 99%, 39%, 35%, and 99% for TRICKS. Venous anomalies included the annulus, septum, membrane, and malformed valve. No agreement was found between TOF and catheter venography in 70% of patients with MS and between TRICKS and catheter venography in 60% of patients with MS. At follow-up, 50% of the patients with MS presented with abnormalities on Doppler sonography but only 30% were diagnosed with restenosis. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional MRV has limited value for assessing IJV anomalies for both diagnostic and posttreatment purposes.