Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of Peltigera rufescens (Weis) Humb. (a lichen) on imazalil-induced genotoxicity: analysis of micronucleus and chromosome aberrations in vitro

Imazalil (IMA), a commonly used fungicide in both agricultural and clinical domains, is suspected to produce very serious toxic effects on vertebrates. On the other hand, in recent years, a number of studies have suggested that lichens might be easily accessible sources of natural drugs that could be used as a possible food supplement. Extensive research is being carried out to explore the importance of lichen species, which are known to contain a variety of pharmacological active compounds. In this context, the anti-genotoxic effects of aqueous Peltigera rufescens (Weis) Humb. extracts (PREs) were studied against the genotoxic damage induced by IMA on cultured human lymphocytes using chromosomal aberrations (CAs) and micronucleus (MN) as cytogenetic parameters. Human peripheral lymphocytes were treated in vitro with varying concentrations of PREs (0, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 mg/L), tested in combination with IMA (336 mg/L). PREs alone were not genotoxic and when combined with IMA treatment, reduced the frequency of CAs and the rates of MNs. A clear dose-dependent decrease in the genotoxic damage of IMA was observed, suggesting a genoprotective role of P. rufescens extract. The results of the present study indicate that this plant extract per se do not have genotoxic potential but can minimize the genotoxicity of IMA on human lymphocytes in vitro. In conclusion our findings may have an important application for the protection of human lymphocyte from the genetic damage and side effects induced by agricultural and medical chemicals hazardous in people.
Control of mastitis in the dairy herd by hygiene and management.

Abstract An examination has been made of the value of hygiene systems in the control of mastitis and how this control can be improved by changes in hygiene and milking machines and by better use of therapy. A comprehensive hygiene scheme for controlling mastitis has two objectives: prevention of intramammary infection during milking and prevention of infection between one milking and the next. Indirect evidence suggests that the latter objective is the more important. However, the complete prevention of the transfer of mastitis pathogens from cow to cow has not been found possible, even with a comprehensive hygiene system. Nevertheless, hygiene systems designed to prevent the transfer of pathogens and more particularly to eliminate residual contamination at the completion of milking have been shown to reduce the number of new infections by about half. The combination of such hygiene systems with effective antibiotic therapy, which reduces the duration of infection, generally resulted in a decrease of more than 50% in the incidence of infection within a year. It is probable that further reduction in the incidence of infection can be made by improving management techniques. But it is more likely that this will be achieved by improved methods of mechanical milking designed to prevent infection occurring during milking and by the use of better teat dips than by the development of more comprehensive hygiene systems.
Clinical questions raised by clinicians at the point of care: a systematic review.

IMPORTANCE In making decisions about patient care, clinicians raise questions and are unable to pursue or find answers to most of them. Unanswered questions may lead to suboptimal patient care decisions. OBJECTIVE To systematically review studies that examined the questions clinicians raise in the context of patient care decision making. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE (from 1966), CINAHL (from 1982), and Scopus (from 1947), all through May 26, 2011. STUDY SELECTION Studies that examined questions raised and observed by clinicians (physicians, medical residents, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, dentists, and care managers) in the context of patient care were independently screened and abstracted by 2 investigators. Of 21,710 citations, 72 met the selection criteria. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Question frequency was estimated by pooling data from studies with similar methods. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Frequency of questions raised, pursued, and answered and questions by type according to a taxonomy of clinical questions. Thematic analysis of barriers to information seeking and the effects of information seeking on decision making. RESULTS In 11 studies, 7012 questions were elicited through short interviews with clinicians after each patient visit. The mean frequency of questions raised was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.38-0.77) per patient seen, and clinicians pursued 51% (36%-66%) of questions and found answers to 78% (67%-88%) of those they pursued. Overall, 34% of questions concerned drug treatment, and 24% concerned potential causes of a symptom, physical finding, or diagnostic test finding. Clinicians' lack of time and doubt that a useful answer exists were the main barriers to information seeking. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Clinicians frequently raise questions about patient care in their practice. Although they are effective at finding answers to questions they pursue, roughly half of the questions are never pursued. This picture has been fairly stable over time despite the broad availability of online evidence resources that can answer these questions. Technology-based solutions should enable clinicians to track their questions and provide just-in-time access to high-quality evidence in the context of patient care decision making. Opportunities for improvement include the recent adoption of electronic health record systems and maintenance of certification requirements.
Complex Organization and Evolution of the Tomato Pericentromeric Region at the FER Gene Locus1[w]

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is a model species for molecular biology research and a candidate for large-scale genome sequencing. Pericentromeric heterochromatin constitutes a large portion of the tomato chromosomes. However, the knowledge of the structure, organization, and evolution of such regions remains very limited. Here, we report the analysis of a 198-kb sequence near the FER gene, located in a distal part of pericentromeric heterochromatin on the long arm of tomato chromosome 6. Nine genes, one pseudogene, and 55 transposable elements (TEs) were identified, showing a low gene density (19.8 kb/gene) and a high content of transposable elements (>45% of the sequence). Six genes (56B23_g3, g5, g7, g8, g9, and g10) have perfect matches (>98% identity) with tomato expressed sequence tags. Two genes (56B23_g1 and g6), which share <98% sequence identity with expressed sequence tags, were confirmed for transcriptional activity by reverse transcription-PCR. The genes were not uniformly distributed along the sequence and grouped into gene islands separated by stretches of retrotransposons, forming a pattern similar to that found in the gene-rich regions of the large genomes of maize (Zea mays) and Triticeae. Long terminal repeat retrotransposons account for 60% of the TE sequence length. Sixteen of 55 TEs were completely new and remain unclassified. Surprisingly, five of the seven identified DNA transposons were closely associated with coding regions. The action of transposable elements and DNA rearrangements form the molecular basis of the dynamic genome evolution at the FER locus. Multiple rounds of genome duplication in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and subsequent gene loss have generated a mosaic pattern of conservation between tomato and Arabidopsis orthologous sequences. Our data show that the distal parts of pericentromeric heterochromatin may contain many valuable genes and that these regions form an evolutionary active part of the tomato genome.
The dependence of the response of cat spindle Ia afferents to sinusoidal stretch on the velocity of concomitant movement.

1. The responses of de‐efferented soleus muscle spindle primary afferents to 1 Hz sinusoidal stretches, which were superimposed on triangular background movements of intermediate amplitude (1.2 mm, half peak‐to‐peak) and widely varying speed, were recorded in anaesthetized cats. 2. Compared with control responses to the same sinusoids applied at fixed mean muscle length, the sensitivity to small (50 and 100 microns, half peak‐to‐peak), but not to large (1000 microns), sinusoidal movements was dramatically reduced during concomitant stretching, unless the background movements were extremely slow (well below 0.005 resting lengths per second). 3. For small stretches (50 and 100 microns) the reduction of sensitivity caused by background movement depended on the speed of this movement. For the highest velocity studied (1.6 mm s‐1, corresponding to about 0.03 resting lengths per second) sensitivity dropped to below 10% of the control values. 4. The functional implication is that the sensitivity of spindle Ia afferents to small irregularities of voluntary movements (of any but the slowest speeds) may well be very much lower than it has hitherto been inferred from the striking sensitivity to minute disturbances at fixed mean muscle length. The present finding clearly puts extra demands on the gain of any spinal or central reflex actions of the sensory feedback from spindle afferents. 5. The effect is interpreted in terms of the widely accepted cross‐bridge hypothesis of spindle small‐movement sensitivity. The result suggests that in de‐efferented intrafusal muscle fibres, which are subjected to imposed stretches, connected cross‐bridges (conveying a friction‐like property to the contractile fibre poles) may exist not only in a state of permanent attachment, but also in a dynamic equilibrium between stretch‐induced detachment and reattachment. Indirect evidence further suggests that the duration of this disruption and reattachment cycle is of the order of 1 s.
Evaluation of Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Pediatric Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Previous studies of pediatric intracerebral hemorrhage have investigated isolated intraparenchymal hemorrhage. The authors investigated whether detailed assessment of intraventricular hemorrhage enhanced outcome prediction after intracerebral hemorrhage. They prospectively enrolled 46 children, full-term to 17 years, median age 2.7 years, with spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage and/or intraventricular hemorrhage. Outcome was assessed with the King’s Outcome Scale for Childhood Head Injury. Twenty-six (57%) had intraparenchymal hemorrhage, 10 (22%) had pure intraventricular hemorrhage, and 10 (22%) had both. There were 2 deaths, both with intraparenchymal hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhage volume ≥4% of total brain volume. Presence of intraventricular hemorrhage was not associated with poor outcome, but hydrocephalus showed a trend (P = .09) toward poor outcome. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, combined intraparenchymal hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhage volume also showed a trend toward better outcome prediction than intraparenchymal hemorrhage volume alone. Although not an independent outcome predictor, future studies should assess intraventricular hemorrhage qualitatively and quantitatively.
Chemical strategies to understand the language of ubiquitin signaling

Ubiquitin (Ub) is a small 76 amino acid long protein that is highly conserved in all eukaryotes studied to date. In humans, more than 600 ligases are involved in the reversible modification of specific lysine side‐chain amines in substrate proteins by conjugation with the C‐terminal carboxylate of Ub. Initially monoubiquitylated proteins can undergo repetitive ubiquitylation starting from one of seven lysine residues or the α‐amine in the first Ub to generate a variety of polyUb chains with different topologies and functions. The most well known role for protein ubiquitylation is in targeting substrates for proteolytic destruction by 26S proteasomes. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that both mono‐ and polyubiquitylation play proteasome‐independent roles in modulating the structure, function, and localization of protein substrates. Understanding the complexity of Ub‐mediated functions in our cells is a major challenge for modern biology. In addition to well‐established in vivo genetic methods, biochemical and biophysical investigations of ubiquitylated proteins in vitro can shed light on the direct mechanistic roles for Ub in different contexts. Such studies have traditionally been limited by the ability to obtain sufficient quantities of homogenously ubiquitylated proteins with precisely defined linkages. This review focuses on recent advances in both synthetic and recombinant protein‐based methods that have yielded access to homogenously site‐specifically ubiquitylated proteins. Mechanistic studies of the roles for protein ubiquitylation and of the enzymes involved in protein deubiquitylation that are enabled by these chemical tools are highlighted. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 101: 144–155, 2014.
Detection of Leishmania infantum in the smegma of infected dogs

Considering the venereal transmission of visceral leishmaniasis from dogs to bitches, the aim of this study was to verify if the penile surface and smegma from infected dogs can be the source of parasites in bitches. Twelve Leishmania infantum infected dogs had semen and smegma samples collected for submission to PCR identification of the DNA of the parasite. Semen (41.7%) and smegma (50.0%) have similar positive incidence (P>0.05; Fisher’s exact test), with 58.3% of the dogs positive for semen and/or smegma samples. The proportion of positivity for both semen and smegma was 33.3%, but 8.3% was positive only for semen, and 16.7% only for smegma, revealing a moderate agreement between tests (K=0.5; Kappa index). It was concluded that Leishmania infantum is present in the smegma of contaminated dogs and it can be a source of parasites for the semen and the bitch.
Prevalence of breastfeeding and acculturation in Hispanics: results from NHANES 1999-2000 study.

BACKGROUND A more current estimate to evaluate ethnic and acculturation differences in breastfeeding is warranted, given the rapid growth of the Hispanic population in the United States and the proliferation of breastfeeding promotion programs. The study objective was to describe current national estimates of the prevalence of breastfeeding and evaluate differences in reasons not to breastfeed by acculturation status. METHODS Secondary data analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000 was performed on a nationally representative sample of non-Hispanic white women born in the U.S. and Hispanic women with at least one live birth. Acculturation status among Hispanics was assessed using a validated language scale, and prevalence of breastfeeding was based on maternal self-report. RESULTS Prevalence of breastfeeding was higher in less acculturated Hispanic women (59.2%) than high acculturated Hispanic women (33.1%) and white women (45.1%). Less acculturated Hispanic women were more likely to cite their child's physical/medical condition as a reason not to breastfeed (53.1%), whereas whites and more acculturated Hispanics were more likely to cite their child preferred the bottle (57.5% and 49.8%, respectively). A logistic regression analysis revealed no significant differences in likelihood to breastfeed between non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics after controlling for education, age, and income. Higher acculturated women were less likely to breastfeed their children than low acculturated women (95% CI: 0.14-0.40) even after education, age, and income were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS Acculturation differences in prevalence of breastfeeding and reasons not to breastfeed may be the result of attitudinal changes that occur due to acculturation. Further research into the acculturation process and its impact on breastfeeding may help to prevent the decline in breastfeeding that occurs as mothers become more acculturated. Meanwhile, patient education that addresses women's perceptions of the child's health condition and benefits of breastfeeding would be helpful.
Nutrient Metabolism Chronic Protein Undernutrition and an Acute Inflammatory Stimulus Elicit Different Protein Kinetic Responses in Plasma but Not in Muscle of Piglets 1 , 2

The changes in protein metabolism of severe childhood malnutrition are generally perceived as a metabolic adaptation to chronic protein undernutrition. However, severe malnutrition is invariably accompanied by infections which also have profound effects on protein metabolism. This study aimed to distinguish the effect of protein undernutrition from that of an inflammatory stimulus on muscle and plasma protein synthesis rates. Two groups of five piglets consumed diets containing either 23% or 3% protein for 4 wk. They then were infused intravenously with H3-leucine before and 48 h after subcutaneous injections of turpentine to measure the fractional synthesis rates (FSR) of muscle protein and both the FSR and the absolute synthesis rates (ASR) of albumin and fibrinogen. Prior to turpentine injection, compared to control piglets, protein-deficient piglets had significantly lower muscle FSR and plasma concentrations of both albumin and fibrinogen, although only albumin had lower FSR and ASR. Turpentine injection decreased muscle FSR but increased the FSR, ASR and plasma concentrations of both albumin and fibrinogen in control piglets. In protein-deficient piglets, the inflammatory stress caused a further decrease in muscle protein FSR and in plasma albumin concentration despite marked increases in albumin FSR and ASR. Fibrinogen FSR, ASR and plasma concentration were increased. We conclude that protein undernutrition and inflammation elicit the same kinetic response in muscle protein but different kinetic responses in plasma proteins. Furthermore, whereas protein deficiency reduces the plasma albumin pool via a reduction in albumin synthesis, inflammation reduces it through a stimulation of catabolism and/or loss from the intravascular space. J. Nutr. 129: 693–699, 1999.
Impairments in spatial generalization of visual skills after V4 and TEO lesions in macaques (Macaca mulatta).

The authors tested the spatial generalization of shape and color discriminations in 2 monkeys, in which 3 visual field quadrants were affected, respectively, by lesions in area V4, TEO, or both areas combined. The fourth quadrant served as a normal control. The monkeys were trained to discriminate stimuli presented in a standard location in each quadrant, followed by tests of discrimination performance in new locations in the same quadrant. In the quadrant affected by the V4 + TEO lesion, the authors found temporary but striking deficits in spatial generalization of shape and color discriminations over small distances, suggesting a contribution of areas V4 and TEO to short-range spatial generalization of visual skills.
Identification and partial characterization of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi major protein immunogens

Strains of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi so far examined have either three or four quantitatively predominant proteins, which apparently are surface proteins and which range in size between 50 and 63 kilodaltons. These polypeptides also were the major immunogens detected by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of extracted rickettsial proteins which had been precipitated by hyperimmune rabbit sera. The major proteins from different rickettsial strains share some epitopes, as evidenced by the lack of strain specificity of the rabbit sera in the immunoprecipitation tests. However, similar experiments with a limited number of monoclonal antibodies showed that strain-specific determinants also are associated with at least the 58/60-kilodalton polypeptide. A lack of strain-specific epitopes on the rickettsial surface was indicated by our inability to detect binding of heterologous antisera to the rickettsial surface by immunoferritin labeling. Because the three major proteins of the Karp and Gilliam strains are accessible to antibody in unextracted organisms, it is possible that the exteriorly exposed epitopes of these three polypeptides are strain specific and that their common determinants are normally buried in the membrane or otherwise inaccessible. Attempts to absorb out specific antibody with intact rickettsiae gave equivocal results; however, when immune complexes formed before rickettsial extraction were examined by electrophoresis, antibody appeared to have bound strain specifically with at least the 60-kilodalton protein.
A Large Entropic Term Due to Water Rearrangement is Concomitant with the Photoproduction of Anionic Free‐Base Porphyrin Triplet States in Aqueous Solutions †

The enthalpy change, ΔTH, and volume change, ΔTV, associated with triplet state formation upon excitation of free‐base meso‐tetra‐(4‐sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin, TSPP4−, its Zn derivative, ZnTSPP4−, and meso‐tetra‐(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrin, TCPP4−, were obtained in aqueous solutions by the application of laser‐induced optoacoustics spectroscopy in the presence of phosphate salts of various monovalent cations (Li+, Na+, K+, NH4+ and Cs+). A linear correlation was found between ΔTH and ΔTV at different phosphate concentrations for the free‐base porphyrins. The intercepts (132 ± 8 kJ mol−1 for TSPP4− and 164 ± 23 kJ mol−1 for TCPP4−) of these plots correspond to the respective value of the triplet energy content obtained from phosphorescence at 77 K (140 and 149 kJ mol−1). This suggests that ΔTG for the triplet state formation is independent of the medium and an enthalpy–entropy compensation is responsible for the much smaller and salt‐dependent ΔTH values obtained at room temperature. The Gibbs energy for triplet state formation of the free‐base porphyrins at room temperature is thus mainly determined by the entropic term due to solvent rearrangement. The ΔTH values for 3ZnTSPP4− at different buffer concentrations and different cations are all between 130 and 150 kJ mol−1, close to the triplet energy obtained from phosphorescence (ET = 155 kJ mol−1). The solvent structure and the nature of the counterion have a negligible influence on the 3ZnTSPP4− formation due to the blockage of the electron pairs on the central N atoms. Thus, the small ΔTV value should be due to intrinsic bond changes upon 3ZnTSPP4− formation and no correlation between ΔTH and ΔTV should be expected in this case. The enthalpy change determines the Gibbs energy for 3ZnTSPP4− formation at room temperature.
Are two-stage hepatectomies associated with more complications than one-stage procedures?

BACKGROUND Two-stage liver resections with portal vein occlusion have become standard in patients with low volume future liver remnants. Whether they are associated with more complications is unclear. The aim of this study was to compare complications of one- and two-stage resections in a retrospective study. METHODS Patients with two-stage right liver resections with a previous portal vein occlusion were compared with patients with one-stage right liver resections between 2002 and 2010. Primary endpoints were the incidence of complications by severity. Secondary endpoints were mortality, post-operative liver- and kidney function tests, length of hospitalization and transfusion events. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to adjust for confounders. RESULTS The groups were comparable except for right trisectionectomies, pre-operative chemotherapy and underlying liver disease. Overall complications occurred in 25 out of 35 patients with two-stage and 106 out of 163 in one-stage procedures. Severe complications were observed in 47 out of 163 patients versus 9 out of 35 patients, respectively. Two-stage procedures had no increased adjusted risk for complications [relative risk (RR) 0.9, P = 0.79]. Mortality (5.7% versus 3.7%) and post-operative liver failure rates (2.9% versus 3.1%) were low. Secondary endpoints showed no adjusted differences in risk. CONCLUSION This study suggests that liver resections in two stages are not associated with more post-operative complications than one-stage resections. These results should support the adoption of two-stage liver resections in selected patients.