Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials exploring the role of fecal microbiota transplantation in recurrent Clostridium difficile infection

Background Recurrence remains a challenge in Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and in this field fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has attracted significant interest. Network meta-analysis (NWM) has been established as an evidence-synthesis tool that incorporates direct and indirect evidence in a collection of randomized controlled trials. So far no NWM exists concerning therapeutic interventions for recurrent CDI (rCDI). Objective In this NWM we assessed the comparative effectiveness of various therapies for rCDI to examine the efficacy rank order and determine the optimum therapeutic approach. Methods A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed to investigate the efficacy rank order of rCDI interventions. Results Six eligible RCTs were entered into an NWM. They included 348 rCDI patients, in whom seven therapeutic interventions were used, i.e. donor fecal microbiota transplantation (DFMT), vancomycin, fidaxomicin, vancomycin + DFMT, vancomycin + bowel lavage, autologous FMT and placebo. DFMT showed the highest efficacy in comparison with vancomycin [odds ratio (95% credible interval), 20.02 (7.05–70.03)] and fidaxomicin (22.01 (4.38–109.63)). Conclusion This NWM showed that DFMT is the optimum therapeutic approach for rCDI, as it was the most efficacious among various therapeutic interventions, particularly in comparison with commonly used antibiotics such as vancomycin or fidaxomicin.
On The Role of Myelin and Lymphocyte Protein (MAL) In Cancer: A Puzzle With Two Faces

Myelin and lymphocyte protein (MAL) is an integral membrane protein constituent of lipid rafts, and it is implicated in apical transport of proteins in polarized epithelial cells. However, beyond the involvement of MAL in apical sorting and as its function as a raft stabilizer, it is still not totally clear how MAL participates in cell proliferating processes. More controversial and interesting is the fact that MAL has been implicated in carcinogenesis in two opposite ways. First, this protein is overexpressed in ovarian cancer and some kinds of lymphomas where it seems to favor cancer progression. Conversely, it has been reported that downregulation of the MAL gene by promoter hypermethylation is a hallmark of several adenocarcinomas. So far, there is not enough experimental evidence to help us understand this phenomenon, and no MAL mutations or MAL isoforms have been associated with these opposite functions. This review provides an updated summary of the structure and functions of MAL, and we will discuss the possible mechanisms underlying its roles as a tumor suppressor and a tumor progression factor.
Effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound and kinesio tape in treatment of tennis elbow

Objective: To investigate the effect of kinesio tape and therapeutic ultrasound on pain and hand grip strength associated with tennis elbow. Material and Methods: Twenty male and female patients with age from 20-50 years suffering from lateral epicondylitis were participated in this study. All patients were randomly selected from orthopaedic surgeon. They were dividing into two groups. Group (A) (ultrasound and exercises group). Group (B) (kinesio tape and exercises group). The hand-held dynamometer was used to provide a detailed and objective measurement of wrist joint strength throughout its range of motion, the pressure being registered in kilogram (Kg) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to record the degree of pain intensity. Result: The result shows no signifi cant difference between group A and B in their ages, weights, heights, and BMI where their t and P-values were (0.8, 0.43), (0.03, 0.97), (0.98, 0.33), and (0.9, 0.37) respectively. In Group A the signifi cant differences in hand grip strength between pre and post-test which shows 31.59), compared to the pre-test (27.35), while in group B (33.17) compared to the pre-test (23.88). According the pain scale for group A and group B there are signifi cant differences where the results were (2.50), compared to the pre-test (5.90) and (2.00), compared to the pre-test (7.30), retrospectively. Conclusion: The treatment was improvement between both groups. However, the kinesio tape is better than therapeutic ultrasound. Research Article Effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound and kinesio tape in treatment of tennis elbow Hamza Shaheen1, Azzam Alarab1* and Muntaser S Ahmad1,2 1Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Health, Palestine Ahlyia University, Dheisha, Bethlehem, Palestine 2Department of Medical Physics and Radiation Science, School of Physics, Univirsti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia *Address for Correspondence: Azzam Alarab, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Health, Palestine Ahlyia University, Dheisha, Bethlehem, Palestine, Tel: +009702751566; Ext: 213; Email: azzam@paluniv.edu. ps Submitted: 01 April 2019 Approved: 22 April 2019 Published: 23 April 2019 Copyright: © 2019 Falso M, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Relative Frequencies of Odontogenic Cysts and their Protein and Glucose Content

Background: Odontogenic cysts are derived from remnants of odontogenic apparatus entrapped within jawbones. The diagnosis of cysts is based on histology features; however, these features are not clear-cut in many cases, except for a few like OKC and Calcifying Odontogenic cyst. The knowledge of the content of these cysts may assist in the differentiation and diagnosis of the cysts. This study reviewed the pattern of jaw cysts presentation and further analyzed the glucose and protein contents of some odontogenic cysts among them. The findings from our local environment were compared with findings globally as regards jaw cysts. Methods: Aretrospective search of the departmental records of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology of the University College Hospital Ibadan was done from the year 2010 to 2017 for jaw cysts. The cystic content of odontogenic cysts was analyzed prospectively from 2016 to 2017 for total protein, albumin and glucose. Some cases of unicystic ameloblastoma were included because as at the time of obtaining the aspirate the working diagnosis was jaw cyst. Total protein, albumin and glucose estimations of the cysts were done by Biuret, Bromocresol Green and Glucose Oxidase methods respectively. The literature search was done on PubMed, using the keywords cysts, jaw cysts, odontogenic cysts, protein, albumin, glucose content. Results: 1,156 lesions were diagnosed within the study period of 7 years, among which 45 lesions (3.9%) were jaw cysts of odontogenic origin. Collectively the mean age at presentation was 30.8 (SD± 17.2) years while it was 32.7 (SD±14.4), 21.6 (SD±14.6) and 40.1 (SD±24.0) years for radicular cyst, dentigerous cyst and OKC respectively. The mean concentration of total protein was highest in radicular cysts (6.2g/dL) compared with the dentigerous cysts. Conclusion: Radicular cyst is the most common odontogenic cyst followed by the dentigerous cyst. The radicular cyst favours the anterior maxilla while the dentigerous cyst favours the posterior mandible. Caution should be exercised when interpreting the results of protein estimation of odontogenic cystic fluids.
A fitness cost resulting from Hamiltonella defensa infection is associated with altered probing and feeding behaviour in Rhopalosiphum padi

ABSTRACT Many herbivorous arthropods, including aphids, frequently associate with facultative endosymbiotic bacteria, which influence arthropod physiology and fitness. In aphids, endosymbionts can increase resistance against natural enemies, enhance aphid virulence and alter aphid fitness. Here, we used the electrical penetration graph technique to uncover physiological processes at the insect–plant interface affected by endosymbiont infection. We monitored the feeding and probing behaviour of four independent clonal lines of the cereal-feeding aphid Rhopalosiphum padi derived from the same multilocus genotype containing differential infection (+/−) with a common facultative endosymbiont, Hamiltonella defensa. Aphid feeding was examined on a partially resistant wild relative of barley known to impair aphid fitness and a susceptible commercial barley cultivar. Compared with uninfected aphids, endosymbiont-infected aphids on both plant species exhibited a twofold increase in the number of plant cell punctures, a 50% reduction in the duration of each cellular puncture and a twofold higher probability of achieving sustained phloem ingestion. Feeding behaviour was also altered by host plant identity: endosymbiont-infected aphids spent less time probing plant tissue, required twice as many probes to reach the phloem and showed a 44% reduction in phloem ingestion when feeding on the wild barley relative compared with the susceptible commercial cultivar. Reduced feeding success could explain the 22% reduction in growth of H. defensa-infected aphids measured on the wild barley relative. This study provides the first demonstration of mechanisms at the aphid–plant interface contributing to physiological effects of endosymbiont infection on aphid fitness, through altered feeding processes on different quality host plants. Summary: Reduced performance of aphids infected with a common facultative endosymbiont on poor quality plants may be explained by changes in aphid probing behaviour and decreased phloem sap ingestion.
Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature

In the 1980s, a sea change occurred in comics. Fueled by Art Spiegel- man and Francoise Mouly's avant-garde anthology Raw and the launch of the Love & Rockets series by Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario Hernandez, the decade saw a deluge of comics that were more autobiographical, emotionally realistic, and experimental than anything seen before. These alternative comics were not the scatological satires of the 1960s underground, nor were they brightly colored newspaper strips or superhero comic books. In Alternative Comics: An Emerging Literature, Charles Hatfield establishes the parameters of alternative comics by closely examining long-form comics, in particular the graphic novel. He argues that these are fundamentally a literary form and offers an extensive critical study of them both as a literary genre and as a cultural phenomenon. Combining sharp-eyed readings and illustrations from particular texts with a larger understanding of the comics as an art form, this book discusses the development of specific genres, such as autobiography and history. Alternative Comics analyzes such seminal works as Spiegelman's Maus, Gilbert Hernandez's Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories, and Justin Green's Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary. Hatfield explores how issues outside of cartooning-the marketplace, production demands, work schedules-can affect the final work. Using Hernandez's Palomar as an example, he shows how serialization may determine the way a cartoonist structures a narrative. In a close look at Maus, Binky Brown, and Harvey Pekar's American Splendor, Hatfield teases out the complications of creating biography and autobiography in a substantially visual medium, and shows how creators approach these issues in radically different ways. Charles Hatfield, Canyon Country, California, is an assistant professor of English at California State University, Northridge. His work has been published in ImageTexT, Inks: Cartoon and Comic Art Studies, Children's Literature Association Quarterly, the Comics Journal, and other periodicals. See the author's Web site at www.csun. edu/~ch76854/.
GAS1 Deficient Enhances UPR Activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Beta-1,3-glucanosyltransferase (Gas1p) plays important roles in cell wall biosynthesis and morphogenesis and has been implicated in DNA damage responses and cell cycle regulation in fungi. Yeast Gas1p has also been reported to participate in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress responses. However, the precise roles and molecular mechanisms through which Gas1p affects these responses have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we constructed GAS1-deficient (gas1Δ) and GAS1-overexpressing (GAS1 OE) yeast strains and observed that the gas1Δ strain exhibited a decreased proliferation ability and a shorter replicative lifespan (RLS), as well as enhanced activity of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the absence of stress. However, under the high-tunicamycin-concentration (an ER stress-inducing agent; 1.0 μg/mL) stress, the gas1Δ yeast cells exhibited an increased proliferation ability compared with the wild-type yeast strain. In addition, our findings demonstrated that IRE1 and HAC1 (two upstream modulators of the UPR) are required for the survival of gas1Δ yeast cells under the tunicamycin stress. On the other hand, we provided evidence that the GAS1 overexpression caused an obvious sensitivity to the low-tunicamycin-concentration (0.25 μg/mL). Collectively, our results indicate that Gas1p plays an important role in the ageing and ER stress responses in yeast.
Readings in Zoosemiotics

This volume is the first reader dedicated to the discipline of zoosemiotics- the study of signification, communication and representation within and across animal species. The book features a variety of selected texts accompanied by editorial introductions which explore topics such as semiotic constitution of nature, continuity of communication in humans and other animals, as well as animals' place in human culture.
Improving the Supply Distribution and Use of Antimalarial Drugs by the Private Sector in Tanzania. Report prepared for the National Malaria Control Programme, United Republic of Tanzania

Private pharmacies or shops are the source of 60% of the drugs bought to treat suspected cases of malaria. At the same time 59% of children fail to be treated within 24 hours of onset. The private sector is the primary source for antimalarials, but parents and carers are failing to administer those drugs sufficiently early to minimise morbidity and mortality. This review focused on the way in which antimalarial drugs reach the patient. It also examined ways in which the delivery system could be improved and how the private facilities can become more effective sources of both drugs and advice. It has found that there are many problems with the way that drugs are distributed. Many unregistered drugs are readily available, and poor storage conditions are likely to reduce the efficacy of drugs even if they were of good quality at the time of manufacture. For many people the cost of even the cheapest antimalarial is an issue and purchase of part doses is common. The knowledge of the staff in pharmacies is poor and in shops woefully inadequate. Nonetheless most people use shops and private pharmacies as their source for drugs. There are two overarching requirements: • First of all the needs and capabilities of the private sector must always be taken into account before any decision is made about how to make antimalarials more available. • Secondly, educating the staff and public will only be achieved through a subtle communications package regularly repeated and brought up to date. For example we found that many workers in Part II pharmacies remain in post for no more than one year. Unlike their counterparts in the public sector, staff in the private sector do not find incentives in attending training courses. Staff in the public sector spend so much time on courses that their time to actually implement what they have learned is limited. To reach the private sector staff will require subtler and more cost effective methods. The report is full of detailed recommendations for the improvement of the supply systems and for educating both staff and public.
Autotransplantation of teeth with complete rhizogenesis: a literature review

Objective: The objective of the present literature review tis o verify the success rates, as well as the predisposing factors, associated to success rates of dental autotransplant treatments in teeth with complete rhizogenesis. Methods: An electronic search was performed on PubMed database using MeSH terms and free terms. Initially, a total of 115 titles and abstracts. An additional study was identified as relevant after a search of reference lists. After eligibility criteria appliance, only 8 articles were selected. Results: In general, the included studies show high success rates, based on established parameters such as periodontal ligament maintenance, periapical healing and periodontal health. In addition, the selected studies pointed out that factors such as extraction and reimplantation protocols, the time of follow-up used in the study and the time in which the endodontic treatment of the transplanted element was performed, can affect the success rate of dental transplant therapy. Conclusion: According to the present literature review, it can be concluded that although there are still few studies of autotransplantation performed in patients with complete rhizogenesis, the technique has proven itself as a viable option with moderate success rate for replacement of lost dental elements.
Medium-firm mattresses reduced pain-related disability more than firm mattresses in chronic, nonspecific low-back pain

313 adults who were ≥ 18 years of age (73%women), had ≥ 3 months of chronic low-back pain, and had pain while lying in bed oron rising. Exclusion criteria were referredpain; habitual prostration; possible systemicdisease, inflammatory disease, or cancer;diagnosis or suspicion of fibromyalgia; preg-nancy; habitually sleeping in a different bed ≥2 nights/wk; use of antiinflammatory med-ication with a 24-hour effect; or use of hyp-notic analgesic, antiinflammatory, or relaxantmedication from 1700 hours to the time atwhich pain on rising was assessed. 310patients (99%) completed follow-up.
Some Comments on the Assessment of Joint Action in Herbicide Mixtures

Methods of assessing and describing the joint action of materials as herbicides are reviewed, and the shortcomings of the terms synergism and antagonism are discussed. Some of the lack of agreement on their meaning and evaluation is attributed to failure to define or recognize appropriate models to represent absence of synergism (and antagonism). General analytical and graphical procedures are presented, and for two simple models, the additive-dose model (ADM) and the multiplicative-survival model (MSM), the dose-response curves and isobols are compared. Three examples from recent literature are reworked.
Lethal Use of Force: Insights into Mental Illness

Fatal use of force incidents involving police officers in the United States have recently seen widespread media attention, emotionally charged rhetoric, and calls for reform. The present study examines police use of force encounters with the mentally ill given the significant proportion of incidents and wanting body of literature. The objective of this study is to examine fatal police interactions to test whether those displaying signs of mental illness in encounters with law enforcement are more dangerous than those not displaying signs of mental illness. Open source data from the Washington Post were used from 2015 to 2018 (n=3942) due to the lack of a government sponsored national, incident-level database. Data were analyzed to describe these shootings, in addition to statewide mental health resilience and risk factors from 2015 to 2017. The results suggest those displaying signs of mental illness are less likely to attack or flee police, but were more likely to possess a weapon and present an imminent threat to law enforcement. Furthermore, linear regression identified significant, positive state level risk factors such as firearm mortality rates and suicide rates, that when analyzed with fatal use of force rates, hold limited predictive validity to the overall prevalence of shootings. Future research should better capture prevalence of mental illness across the United States and continue to expand on the microenvironmental factors of shootings rather than the sociodemographic variables.
Membrane domains and phosphatase exclusion produce robust signaling responses in B cells engaged with natural ligands and artificial cross-linkers presented on lipid bilayers

B cells respond to a wide variety of antigens with varying valiancy and mode of presentation to the highly expressed B cell receptor (BCR). We previously demonstrated that clustering the IgM isotype of BCR with an artificial soluble cross-linker led to the stabilization of an ordered phase-like domain. This domain sorted minimal peptides and full-length proteins to generate local hot-spots for tyrosine phosphorylation at receptor clusters, facilitating receptor activation. BCR can also be activated through interactions with natural ligands or artificial cross-linkers presented at bilayer surfaces, where it is proposed that alternate mechanisms play important roles in receptor clustering and activation, including one mechanism involving the exclusion phosphatases due to their bulky extracellular domains. The goals of the current study are to determine if markers of membrane phases are sorted by BCR clusters formed through engagement with bilayer-presented natural ligands or cross-linkers, and to estimate the contribution that membrane phase partitioning plays in organizing regulatory proteins with respect to BCR clusters under these stimulation conditions. We use super-resolution fluorescence localization microscopy to find that BCR engagement with either a bilayer-presented natural ligand or artificial cross-linker generates ordered phase-like domains that are more robust than those observed with soluble cross-linkers. In addition, we provide evidence that interactions between regulatory proteins and BCR are partially determined through their preference for ordered membrane domains and present a minimal model of receptor activation that incorporates both ordered domains and steric exclusion mechanisms to produce a more sensitive response. Overall, this work highlights that cells are capable of integrating multiple interaction modalities to give rise to cellular functions, likely conferring flexibility and robustness to cellular responses.
Structural Characterization of Covalently Stabilized Human Cystatin C Oligomers

Human cystatin C (HCC), a cysteine-protease inhibitor, exists as a folded monomer under physiological conditions but has the ability to self-assemble via domain swapping into multimeric states, including oligomers with a doughnut-like structure. The structure of the monomeric HCC has been solved by X-ray crystallography, and a covalently linked version of HCC (stab-1 HCC) is able to form stable oligomeric species containing 10-12 monomeric subunits. We have performed molecular modeling, and in conjunction with experimental parameters obtained from AFM, TEM and SAXS measurements, we observe that the structures are essentially flat, with a height of about 2 nm, and the distance between the outer edge of the ring and the edge of the central cavity is ~5.1 nm. These dimensions correspond to the height and diameter of one stab-1 HCC subunit and we present a dodecamer model for stabilized cystatin C oligomers using molecular dynamics simulations and experimentally measured parameters. Given that oligomeric species in protein aggregation reactions are often transient and very highly heterogeneous, the structural information presented here on these isolated stab-1 HCC oligomers may provide useful to further explore the physiological relevance of different structural species of cystatin C in relationship to protein misfolding disease