Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcriptomic and Phenotypic Responses of Listeria monocytogenes Strains Possessing Different Growth Efficiencies under Acidic Conditions

ABSTRACT In an experiment delineating aciduric strains, food and clinical Listeria monocytogenes isolates tended to produce the most biomass whereas ovine and avian strains produced comparatively less biomass when exposed to high levels of sodium diacetate (SD) and potassium sorbate. Compared to reference strains that exhibited greater acid sensitivity, representative food isolates with comparatively good growth capacities in the presence of 21 mM SD at pH 5.0 accumulated reduced levels of acetate anion and K+ ion. The aciduric nature of SD-resistant strains was also reflected by comparatively high tolerance to pH 2.4 (HCl) acid challenges, a property boosted by the presence of SD. Exposure to elevated levels of SD (21 mM SD at pH 5.0) was found to have broad effects on gene expression, as differentiated from effects caused by mildly acidic conditions (pH 5.0). SD-resistant strain FW04/0025 was more responsive to elevated SD, increasing the expression of 222 genes (>2-fold change [P < 0.05]), compared to the more sensitive EGD reference strain, which exhibited increases in expression of 112 genes. Key differences between the strains in relation to SD-enhanced transcripts were notably associated with the cell envelope, oxidative stress management, and intermediary metabolism. SD thus appears to differentially influence growth efficiency and survival of strains, under conditions relevant to acidic foods, that could be due to altered cell wall and metabolic phenotypes.
Emerging Neuropsychiatric Toxicities of Opioids

Pain is a common complication of cancer. As a result of educational efforts, there has been an appropriate increase in the use of opioids. The increase has resulted in a greater detection of a spectrum of neuro-psychiatric adverse effects that include cognitive failure, hallucinations, delirium, severe sedation, generalized myoclonus, hyperalgesia, allodynia and seizures. Various putative mechanisms have been postulated including the neuro-sensitizing effects of opioid metabolites. Numerous metabolites including morphine-3-glu-curonide, morphine-6-glucuronide, hydromorphone 3-glucuronide, and normeperidine have been implicated. Morphine-3-glucuronide appears to cause hyperexcitability via non-opioid receptor mechanisms which are not yet well defined. Renal impairment, high opioid doses, prolonged opioid administration, borderline cognition, dehydration, neuropathic pain and the presence of other psycho-active drugs have consistently been reported to be correlates of opioid associated CNS irritability. Var.
Prospective and Retrospective Second Reviews and Audits in Anatomic Pathology: Issues in Implementation and Interpretation

Internal reviews of anatomic material, either prospective or retrospective, are becoming increasingly common in pathology laboratories. Not surprisingly, questions about how to implement these reviews and interpret the results are also becoming increasingly common. Although there currently is insufficient standardization or data available to establish firm expectations about acceptable levels of performance, this review attempts to provide the best currently available guidelines for performing and interpreting these studies.
Engineering of Bacteriophages Y2::dpoL1-C and Y2::luxAB for Efficient Control and Rapid Detection of the Fire Blight Pathogen, Erwinia amylovora

ABSTRACT Erwinia amylovora is the causative agent of fire blight, a devastating plant disease affecting members of the Rosaceae. Alternatives to antibiotics for control of fire blight symptoms and outbreaks are highly desirable, due to increasing drug resistance and tight regulatory restrictions. Moreover, the available diagnostic methods either lack sensitivity, lack speed, or are unable to discriminate between live and dead bacteria. Owing to their extreme biological specificity, bacteriophages are promising alternatives for both aims. In this study, the virulent broad-host-range E. amylovora virus Y2 was engineered to enhance its killing activity and for use as a luciferase reporter phage, respectively. Toward these aims, a depolymerase gene of E. amylovora virus L1 (dpoL1-C) or a bacterial luxAB fusion was introduced into the genome of Y2 by homologous recombination. The genes were placed downstream of the major capsid protein orf68, under the control of the native promoter. The modifications did not affect viability of infectivity of the recombinant viruses. Phage Y2::dpoL1-C demonstrated synergistic activity between the depolymerase degrading the exopolysaccharide capsule and phage infection, which greatly enhanced bacterial killing. It also significantly reduced the ability of E. amylovora to colonize the surface of detached flowers. The reporter phage Y2::luxAB transduced bacterial luciferase into host cells and induced synthesis of large amounts of a LuxAB luciferase fusion. After the addition of aldehyde substrate, bioluminescence could be readily monitored, and this enabled rapid and specific detection of low numbers of viable bacteria, without enrichment, both in vitro and in plant material. IMPORTANCE Fire blight, caused by Erwinia amylovora, is the major threat to global pome fruit production, with high economic losses every year. Bacteriophages represent promising alternatives to not only control the disease, but also for rapid diagnostics. To enhance biocontrol efficacy, we combined the desired properties of two phages, Y2 (broad host range) and L1 (depolymerase for capsule degradation) in a single recombinant phage. This phage showed enhanced biocontrol and could reduce E. amylovora on flowers. Phage Y2 was also genetically engineered into a luciferase reporter phage, which transduces bacterial bioluminescence into infected cells and allows detection of low numbers of viable target bacteria. The combination of speed, sensitivity, and specificity is superior to previously used diagnostic methods. In conclusion, genetic engineering could improve the properties of phage Y2 toward better killing efficacy and sensitive detection of E. amylovora cells.
Exploring a Possible Link between the Intestinal Microbiota and Feed Efficiency in Pigs

ABSTRACT Feed efficiency (FE) is critical in pig production for both economic and environmental reasons. As the intestinal microbiota plays an important role in energy harvest, it is likely to influence FE. Therefore, our aim was to characterize the intestinal microbiota of pigs ranked as low, medium, and high residual feed intake ([RFI] a metric for FE), where genetic, nutritional, and management effects were minimized, to explore a possible link between the intestinal microbiota and FE. Eighty-one pigs were ranked according to RFI between weaning and day 126 postweaning, and 32 were selected as the extremes in RFI (12 low, 10 medium, and 10 high). Intestinal microbiota diversity, composition, and predicted functionality were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Although no differences in microbial diversity were found, some RFI-associated compositional differences were revealed, principally among members of Firmicutes, predominantly in feces at slaughter (albeit mainly for low-abundance taxa). In particular, microbes associated with a leaner and healthier host (e.g., Christensenellaceae, Oscillibacter, and Cellulosilyticum) were enriched in low RFI (more feed-efficient) pigs. Differences were also observed in the ileum of low RFI pigs; most notably, Nocardiaceae (Rhodococcus) were less abundant. Predictive functional analysis suggested improved metabolic capabilities in these animals, especially within the ileal microbiota. Higher ileal isobutyric acid concentrations were also found in low RFI pigs. Overall, the differences observed within the intestinal microbiota of low RFI pigs compared with that of their high RFI counterparts, albeit relatively subtle, suggest a possible link between the intestinal microbiota and FE in pigs. IMPORTANCE This study is one of the first to show that differences in intestinal microbiota composition, albeit subtle, may partly explain improved feed efficiency (FE) in low residual feed intake (RFI) pigs. One of the main findings is that, although microbial diversity did not differ among animals of varying FE, specific intestinal microbes could potentially be linked with porcine FE. However, as the factors impacting FE are still not fully understood, intestinal microbiota composition may not be a major factor determining differences in FE. Nonetheless, this work has provided a potential set of microbial biomarkers for FE in pigs. Although culturability could be a limiting factor and intervention studies are required, these taxa could potentially be targeted in the future to manipulate the intestinal microbiome so as to improve FE in pigs. If successful, this has the potential to reduce both production costs and the environmental impact of pig production.
Depression and chronic physical illness: its prevalence and diagnosis, and implications for therapeutic practice

Background:This article explores the prevalence of depression comorbid with physical illness, issues in recognition of depression, and the implications for health professionals’ practice. The authors are British physiotherapists, but the issues raised will be relevant to other clinicians in other countries too. Content:Prevalence of depression in the UK and worldwide is examined and the implications for this on health policy are considered. Prevalence rates for depression in people with chronic physical illnesses are explored, and some of the possible reasons for the wide range in these figures are discussed, including difficulties that arise in the recognition and diagnosis of depression in this group. Implications for therapeutic practice are considered including some suggestions for practice. Conclusion:The prevalence of depression in people with chronic physical conditions is high, so clinicians working in diverse settings will be involved in the management of people with this condition. It is vital t.
When I Know Who “We” Are, I Can Be “Me”: The Primary Role of Cultural Identity Clarity for Psychological Well-Being

Collective trauma, be it through colonization (e.g., Aboriginal Peoples), slavery (e.g., African Americans) or war, has a dramatic impact on the psychological well-being of each and every individual member of the collective. Thus, interventions are often conceptualized and delivered at the individual level with a view to minimizing the psychological disequilibrium of each individual. In contrast, we propose a theory of self that emphasizes the primacy of cultural identity for psychological well-being. We present a series of studies that illustrate the importance of cultural identity clarity for personal identity and for psychological well-being. Our theoretical model proposes that interventions aimed at clarifying cultural identity may play a constructive role in the promotion of the well-being of group members exposed to collective trauma.
The Dark Night of the Soul: Causes and Resolution of Emotional Distress Among Contemplative Nuns

An ethnographic study was conducted in the Spanish Monastery of Santa Mónica whose community consists of ten contemplative Augustinian nuns. Through participant observation and interviews the stresses encountered by the nuns and the coping strategies they deployed are explored in depth. It was found that symptoms that otherwise might have been described as evidence of a depressive episode were understood by the nuns within the framework of the so-called Dark Night of the Soul narrative: an active process of transforming emotional distress into a process of self-reflection, attribution of religious meaning and spiritual growth. We conclude by discussing the clinical implications of this religious narrative, highlighting the importance of incorporating existential issues into clinical practice.
Development of an Artificial Placenta: Endocrine Responses of Goat Fetuses during Long-Term Extrauterine Incubation with Umbilical Arteriovenous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

To investigate endocrine responses of isolated premature goat fetuses during long-term extrauterine incubation with umbilical arteriovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (A-V ECMO), we conducted experiments in seven goat fetuses (95-134 days gestation). The fetuses were cannulated from the umbilical vessels, and their blood-gas exchange was totally supported by A-V ECMO, while they were maintained in an isothermal incubator containing artificial amniotic fluid. The survival period was between 84 and 190 h. At 24-h intervals, fetal blood samples were collected, and plasma concentrations of catecholamines, ACTH, and cortisol were determined. After 24 h of incubation, fetal circulatory and respiratory variables remained stable, until evident circulatory failure occurred before their deaths. A similar pattern was observed in temporal changes in plasma concentrations of catecholamines, ACTH, and cortisol. Plasma levels were high during the initial 24 h of incubation, subsequently decreased, and then increased before death. Hormone levels during stable periods were equivalent to or slightly higher than values for fetuses in utero. These results suggest that conditions during the stable period of long-term extracorporeal fetal incubation are not highly stressful for the isolated fetuses.
Assessment of the efficacy of Cationorm® in patients with moderate dry eye compared with Optive® and Emustil® eye drops

Purpose Dry eye disease (DED), the result of an insufficient tear film, is manifest by symptoms of ocular discomfort and ocular surface damage. An ideal DED therapy would regenerate each deficient tear film layer. Cationorm®, a preservative‐free cationic emulsion, augments the aqueous‐mucous and lipid layers of the tear film and reduces evaporation. The efficacy of Cationorm® was evaluated.
Characterizing Triphasic, Biphasic, and Monophasic Doppler Waveforms

Doppler waveform analysis is a fundamental part of evaluating peripheral arterial disease. Waveform characteristics are traditionally defined as multiphasic (triphasic, biphasic) and monophasic. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate whether sonography professionals correctly classify waveforms into these three categories. Thirty Doppler waveforms (15 continuous-wave [CW] and 15 pulsed-wave [PW] Doppler) were obtained from patients with previous noninvasive peripheral arterial evaluations. Participating readers were asked to interpret waveforms as triphasic, biphasic, or monophasic using standard definitions. “Other” was used to classify waveforms whose morphology could not be determined or accurately classified as triphasic, biphasic, or monophasic. Because multiphasic waveforms with pandiastolic flow have been associated with biphasic and monophasic waveform terminology, answer key responses were based on waveform descriptors used by interpreters of the originating noninvasive evaluation. There were a total of 97 participants, and of all Doppler waveforms, 73% were correctly identified (75% CW and 71% PW). Participants training or specializing in medical sonography misidentified an average of 27% triphasic, biphasic, or monophasic CW and PW Doppler waveforms and correctly interpreted more CW than PW waveforms. Because there is considerable variability among sonography professionals and educators in defining and classifying peripheral arterial waveforms, this issue deserves higher priority.
Health-related quality of life and sense of coherence among Polish immigrants in Germany and indigenous Poles

Immigrants are faced with several impediments in the host country that may affect their quality of life (QoL), but little is known about the impact of these stressors as well as about the protective role of sense of coherence (SoC) in the context of Polish immigration to Germany. Health Related QoL (Short Form Health Survey SF-36) and SoC (Sense of Coherence Scale SOC-29) were assessed in a total sample consisting of 511 participants aged between 18 and 84 years (260 Polish immigrants in Germany and 251 indigenous Poles). Polish immigrants reported a significantly lower mental and physical health-related QoL than the German norm population, but they were comparable to native Poles. This result remained the same when the model was adjusted for age but physical health status was better for immigrants compared with indigenous Poles. Both groups scored significantly lower for SoC than Germans, but did not differ from each other. The main differences concerning the examined variables were with respect to the German norm population and are putatively shaped by culture.
An exploration of the adaptation and development after persecution and trauma (ADAPT) model with resettled refugee adolescents in Australia: A qualitative study

Refugee adolescents endure high rates of traumatic exposure, as well as subsequent resettlement and adaptational stressors. Research on the effects of trauma in refugee populations has focussed on psychopathological outcomes, in particular posttraumatic stress disorder. However this approach does not address the psychosocial and adaptive dimensions of refugee experience. The ADAPT model proposes an alternate conceptualization of the refugee experience, theorizing that refugee trauma challenges five core psychosocial adaptive systems, and that the impact on these systems leads to psychological difficulties. This study investigated the application of the ADAPT model to adolescents’ accounts of their refugee and resettlement experiences. Deductive thematic analysis was used to analyse responses of 43 adolescent refugees to a semistructured interview. The ADAPT model was found to be a useful paradigm to conceptualize the impact of adolescents’ refugee and resettlement journeys in terms of individual variation in the salience of particular adaptive systems to individuals’ experiences. Findings are discussed in light of current understandings of the psychological impact of the refugee experience on adolescents.
A Histochemical Study

SINCE Spitz (lU-18) described the juvenile melanoma and showed it to be benign and elearly distinct from malignant melanoma, it has been widely recognized as an important lesion of childhood and occasionally of the adult. Large series of cases have been reviewed with clinioal and histological details by Allen (1963) and by Scliumachers-Breiidler (1H63). Winkelmann (1961) reported hiatochemieal features of juvenile melanoma with emphasis on the strong reaction for non-specific eholinesterases {ChE) and on the negative dopa reaction. He used this finding as evidence against the cells of the juvenile melanoma being related to melanocytes, and in favour of tlieir being related to " neural structures " and to the naevus cells of the common mole. Winkelmann (19B0) had previously found an extraordinary accumulation of ChK in certain kinds of cellular naevi. By examination of a large number of moles we have amply confirmed this finding (unpublished observations). Generally speaking the more mature and the less pigmented the mole, the more ChE is found to be present. In growing junctional naevi and malignant melanomas we fijid no ChE, though the dopa reaction is strong. This study is mainly concerned with the cholinesterases and dopa reaction in juvenile melanoma. We have made histological and histochemical studies on nine juvenile melanomas with particular reference to reactions for do]>a oxidase and cholinesterases. Two of the specimens were used for a manometric study of nonspecific cholinesterases. One case of growing compound cellular naevus with clinical similarity to juvenile melanoma is included (Case 10) in this study for comparison of the histochemical findings.
Can we really use available scales for child and adolescent psychopathology across cultures? A systematic review of cross-cultural measurement invariance data

In this systematic review, we assessed available evidence for cross-cultural measurement invariance of assessment scales for child and adolescent psychopathology as an indicator of cross-cultural validity. A literature search was conducted using the Medline, PsychInfo, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Cross-cultural measurement invariance data was available for 26 scales. Based on the aggregation of the evidence from the studies under review, none of the evaluated scales have strong evidence for cross-cultural validity and suitability for cross-cultural comparison. A few of the studies showed a moderate level of measurement invariance for some scales (such as the Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale, Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, and Disruptive Behavior Rating Scale), which may make them suitable in cross-cultural comparative studies. The remainder of the scales either showed weak or outright lack of measurement invariance. This review showed only limited testing for measurement invariance across cultural groups of scales for pediatric psychopathology, with evidence of cross-cultural validity for only a few scales. This study also revealed a need to improve practices of statistical analysis reporting in testing measurement invariance. Implications for future research are discussed.
Increased Mutation Frequency in Redox-Impaired Escherichia coli Due to RelA- and RpoS-Mediated Repression of DNA Repair

ABSTRACT Balancing of reducing equivalents is a fundamental issue in bacterial metabolism and metabolic engineering. Mutations in the key metabolic genes ldhA and pflB of Escherichia coli are known to stall anaerobic growth and fermentation due to a buildup of intracellular NADH. We observed that the rate of spontaneous mutation in E. coli BW25113 (ΔldhA ΔpflB) was an order of magnitude higher than that in wild-type (WT) E. coli BW25113. We hypothesized that the increased mutation frequency was due to an increased NADH/NAD+ ratio in this strain. Using several redox-impaired strains of E. coli and different redox conditions, we confirmed a significant correlation (P < 0.01) between intracellular-NADH/NAD+ ratio and mutation frequency. To identify the genetic basis for this relationship, whole-genome transcriptional profiles were compared between BW25113 WT and BW25113 (ΔldhA ΔpflB). This analysis revealed that the genes involved in DNA repair were expressed at significantly lower levels in BW25113 (ΔldhA ΔpflB). Direct measurements of the extent of DNA repair in BW25113 (ΔldhA ΔpflB) subjected to UV exposure confirmed that DNA repair was inhibited. To identify a direct link between DNA repair and intracellular-redox ratio, the stringent-response-regulatory gene relA and the global-stress-response-regulatory gene rpoS were deleted. In both cases, the mutation frequencies were restored to BW25113 WT levels.