Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Posthodiplostomum cuticola (Digenea: Diplostomatidae) in intermediate fish hosts: factors contributing to the parasite infection and prey selection by the definitive bird host

Infection parameters of Posthodiplostomum cuticola, a digenean parasite with a complex life-cycle, were investigated in fish (the second intermediate host) from 6 floodplain water bodies over 2 years. A broad range of factors related to abiotic characteristics of localities, density of the first intermediate (planorbid snails) and definitive (wading birds) hosts and fish community structure were tested for their effects on P. cuticola infection in juvenile and adult fish. Characters of the littoral zone and flood duration were found to be important factors for the presence of the first intermediate and definitive hosts. Visitation time of definitive bird hosts was also related to adult fish host density. Localities with P. cuticola infected fish were visited by a higher number of bird species. Infection of P. cuticola in fish and similarities in infection among fish host assemblages were correlated with fish host density and fish species composition. Parasite infection in both adult and juvenile fishes was associated with the slope of the bank and the bottom type, in particular in juvenile fish assemblages with snail host density. We conclude that habitat characteristics, snail host density and fish community structure contribute significantly to P. cuticola infection in fish hosts.
Faster‐X evolution of gene expression is driven by recessive adaptive cis‐regulatory variation in Drosophila

The hemizygosity of the X (Z) chromosome fully exposes the fitness effects of mutations on that chromosome and has evolutionary consequences on the relative rates of evolution of X and autosomes. Specifically, several population genetics models predict increased rates of evolution in X‐linked loci relative to autosomal loci. This prediction of faster‐X evolution has been evaluated and confirmed for both protein coding sequences and gene expression. In the case of faster‐X evolution for gene expression divergence, it is often assumed that variation in 5′ noncoding sequences is associated with variation in transcript abundance between species but a formal, genomewide test of this hypothesis is still missing. Here, I use whole genome sequence data in Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea to evaluate this hypothesis and report positive correlations between sequence divergence at 5′ noncoding sequences and gene expression divergence. I also examine polymorphism and divergence in 9,279 noncoding sequences located at the 5′ end of annotated genes and detected multiple signals of positive selection. Notably, I used the traditional synonymous sites as neutral reference to test for adaptive evolution, but I also used bases 8–30 of introns <65 bp, which have been proposed to be a better neutral choice. X‐linked genes with high degree of male‐biased expression show the most extreme adaptive pattern at 5′ noncoding regions, in agreement with faster‐X evolution for gene expression divergence and a higher incidence of positively selected recessive mutations.
A Phase‐by‐Phase Review of Migraine Pathophysiology

Migraine is a common, disabling neurological disorder characterized by multiple phases: premonitory, aura, headache, postdrome, and interictal. Our understanding of the pathophysiology of each phase of migraine has evolved over recent years. The premonitory phase begins as early as 3 days before the headache phase, and involves a complex interplay between various cortical and subcortical brain regions, including the hypothalamus and brainstem nuclei that modulate nociceptive signaling. The headache phase involves activation of the trigeminovascular system, a pathway that is well characterized. In one‐third of patients, an aura phase may occur during some attacks and likely correlates with a cortical spreading depression‐like event; a slowly propagating wave of neuronal and glial cell depolarization and hyperpolarization. Improved characterization of the pathophysiological processes involved at each stage of the migraine attack will aid the identification of new therapeutic targets for migraine prevention. This review provides an update on prevailing concepts of migraine pathophysiology.
Assessing the influence of consumer perceived value, trust and attitude on purchase intention of online shopping

The acceptance and usage of online shopping is influenced by numerous factors such as perceived value, trust, buyer's uncertainty which has constituted key hindrances to online transactions [22] This study investigates the effect of consumer perceived value dimensions (utilitarian and hedonic value) on attitude, trust and how these affect perceived risk and purchase intention in online shopping. Survey data were obtained from a randomly selected sample of 650 online shoppers. A total of 558 valid questionnaires was analysed for this study. The hypotheses raised in this study were tested using structural equation modelling method. The result revealed that perceived value dimensions (utilitarian and hedonic value) have significant positive effect on attitude towards online purchase while perceived hedonic value have the strongest positive effect on trust and attitude towards online purchase. However, there is no significant effect of perceived utilitarian value on attitude towards online purchase. Trust has a significant influence on attitude towards online purchase and on intention to use online purchase. Also, attitude towards online purchase has a significant positive effect on intention to use online purchase. Trust is negatively related to perceived risk, while perceived risk have significant negative effect on intention to use online purchase. Findings from this study provided insights for managerial suggestions relevant for enhancing online shoppers trust and use of online shopping.
Effect of Pyridoxal 5′‐Phosphate on the Oxygen Affinity of Human Erythrocytes

Summary. Pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate (PLP), an allosteric effector for the oxygenation of haemoglobin, was incorporated readily into erythrocytes and disappeared from them by simple passive diffusion. The disappearance of PLP from the cells was accelerated by the generation of 2,3‐DPG in a medium of inosine, pyruvate and phosphate. The oxygen dissociation curve measured at an extracellular pH of 7.4 demonstrated that PLP incorporated into the cells also lowered the oxygen affinity and that PLP functionally compensated for a metabolically reduced 2,3‐DPG. However, the dependency of the oxygen affinity on the intracellular PLP concentration showed a different pattern from that observed for 2,3‐DPG. On the other hand, the lowering of intracellular pH by organic phosphates accumulated in the cells was much larger with PLP than with 2,3‐DPG. The peculiar relationship between the oxygen affinity of erythrocytes and the intracellular PLP concentration is discussed in detail. The present study may offer a new prospect for the preservation of blood with a normal function.
Antibacterial activity of Thymus vulgaris essential oil alone and in combination with cefotaxime against blaESBL producing multidrug resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates

Abstract The aim was to evaluate the susceptibility of blaESBL producing Enterobacteriaceae to Slovakian Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TVEO) alone and in combination with cefotaxime (CTX). TVEO composition was determined by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC/MS). Susceptibility to 21 antibiotics was determined by disc diffusion assay. Genes characterization for resistance to β-lactams was accomplished by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The antibacterial activity was investigated by standard methods. The synergistic interaction was determined by checkerboard test. Thymol (34.5%), p-cymene (22.27%) and linalool (5.35%) were the major components present in the TVEO. The identified strains were multi-drug resistant (MDR). TVEO showed high activity against all MDR strains, including blaESBL producing isolates, with inhibition zones and MIC values in the range of 24–40 mm/10μL and 2.87–11.5 μg/mL, respectively. TVEO in combination with CTX showed a synergistic action against blaSHV-12 producing Escherichia coli (FICI 0.28) and an additive effect vs ESBL producing Enterobacter cloacae (FICI 0.987).
Effectiveness of omalizumab in chronic spontaneous urticaria assessed with patient‐reported outcomes: a prospective study

To examine the effectiveness of omalizumab (anti‐IgE) on symptoms and disease‐related quality of life in chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) and to identify possible patient‐specific factors associated with response to omalizumab in patients with antihistamine refractory CSU.
Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus-1 Antigen in Tissues of Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer is a common malignancy and a major cause of death in women. Many factors responsible for breast cancer such as viruses. Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), infection which has been implicated in pathogenesis of certain disease and some studies has been described the involvement of viruses in cancers. Aim: To determine the presence of HSV-1antigen in women presented with breast cancer. Methods: Twenty two formalin-fixed paraffin embedded breast tissue collected from the Al-Kadhimiya teaching hospital in Baghdad. Clinical data were analyzed from the medical records; in addition ten normal breast tissues used as control group. All samples were sectioned and examined by direct immunofluorescence for detection of HSV-1 antigen. Results: Detection of HSV-1 Ag in tissues patients with breast cancer was 31.8% (7 out of 22), where statistical significant was found between expression of HSV-1 and patients with breast cancer based on statistical analysis. While no significant correlation between HSV-1 and age, grade, type of tumor and lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: Based on the results of the current study, Herpes simplex virus-1 could be a co-factor in the oncogenesis of breast cancer or could infect cancer tissues opportunistically. Key Word: Breast cancer, Herpes simplex virus-1, direct immunofluorescence technique. Tumorgenesis. Department of Pathology / College of Dentistry / Baghdad University/ Baghdad / Iraq.
Phytotoxicity and microbial respiration of Ni‐spiked soils after field aging for 12 yr

To assess the impact of Ni toxicity in soils after long‐term field aging, a coarse‐textured soil was spiked with Ni salt at 100, 200, and 400 mg kg−1 Ni concentrations. These soils were aged in the field along with an unspiked (control) soil under natural conditions for 12 yr, after which total soil Ni was measured and tests of Ni extractability by 0.01 M CaCl2 and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) were done. Soybean assays and soil respiration tests were performed to determine residual Ni toxicity of the aged contaminated soils. The greatest loss of Ni after 12 yr of aging occurred from the soil spiked with the highest Ni level, but substantial loss of Ni occurred from the lower Ni levels as well. Loss was attributable to leaching as the fraction of readily extractable (by 0.01 M CaCl2) Ni diminished with long‐term aging. Readily extractable and DTPA‐extractable Ni increased with increasing soil spiking levels, but only the latter was linearly proportional to total Ni. Phytotoxicity to soybeans (Glycine max L.) in the field was initially high at all levels of added Ni but diminished over the 12 yr of aging. A greenhouse soybean assay with the 12‐yr aged soils confirmed toxicity to be statistically significant at all Ni addition levels and dose‐dependent, with 0.01 M CaCl2‐extractable Ni >5 mg kg−1 shown to be measurably phytotoxic to soybeans. Phytotoxicity may have been caused at least in part by the observed inhibition of Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn uptake by soil Ni. Soil respiration was increasingly inhibited as levels of added Ni increased from 100 to 400 mg kg−1. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1933–1939. © 2018 SETAC
OliveCan: A Process-Based Model of Development, Growth and Yield of Olive Orchards

Several simulation models of the olive crop have been formulated so far, but none of them is capable of analyzing the impact of environmental conditions and management practices on water relations, growth and productivity under both well-irrigated and water-limiting irrigation strategies. This paper presents and tests OliveCan, a process-oriented model conceived for those purposes. In short, OliveCan is composed of three main model components simulating the principal elements of the water and carbon balances of olive orchards and the impacts of some management operations. To assess its predictive power, OliveCan was tested against independent data collected in two 3-year field experiments conducted in Córdoba, Spain, each of them applying different irrigation treatments. An acceptable level of agreement was found between measured and simulated values of seasonal evapotranspiration (ET, range 393 to 1016 mm year-1; RMSE of 89 mm year-1), daily transpiration (Ep, range 0.14–3.63 mm d-1; RMSE of 0.32 mm d-1) and oil yield (Yoil, range 13–357 g m-2; RMSE of 63 g m-2). Finally, knowledge gaps identified during the formulation of the model and further testing needs are discussed, highlighting that there is additional room for improving its robustness. It is concluded that OliveCan has a strong potential as a simulation platform for a variety of research applications.
Prevalence, severity, and risk factors for acute exacerbations of nasal and sinus symptoms by chronic rhinosinusitis status

Nasal and sinus symptoms (NSS) are common to many health conditions, including chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Few studies have investigated the occurrence and severity of, and risk factors for, acute exacerbations of NSS (AENSS) by CRS status (current, past, or never met European Position Paper on Rhinosinusitis [EPOS] criteria for CRS).
Willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis among Black and White men who have sex with men in Atlanta, Georgia

PrEP willingness may be different among black and white men who have sex with men (MSM) given known disparities in HIV incidence, sociodemographic factors, and healthcare access between these groups. We surveyed 482 black and white HIV-negative MSM in Atlanta, GA about their willingness to use pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and facilitators and barriers to PrEP willingness. Overall, 45% (215/482) of men indicated interest in using PrEP. Engaging in recent unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) was the only factor significantly associated with PrEP willingness in multivariate analyses (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.13, 2.65). Willing men identified “extra protection” against HIV as the most common reason for interest in using PrEP, whereas unwilling men most commonly cited not wanting to take medication daily, and this reason was more common among white MSM (42.3% of white MSM vs. 28.9% of black MSM, p = 0.04). Most men indicated willingness to use PrEP if cost was <50 dollars/month; however, more black MSM indicated willingness to use PrEP only if cost were free (17.9% of white MSM vs. 25.9% of black MSM, p = 0.03). Overall, these data are useful to scale up PrEP interventions targeting at-risk MSM in Atlanta and highlight the need for implementation of low cost-programs, which will be especially important for black MSM.
Comorbid pathologies of neurodegenerative diseases Neuropathological comorbidity associated with argyrophilic grain disease

Osamu Yokota, Tomoko Miki, Chikako Ikeda, Shigeto Nagao, Shintaro Takenoshita, Hideki Ishizu, Takashi Haraguchi, Shigetoshi Kuroda, Seishi Terada and Norihito Yamada Department of Psychiatry, Kinoko Espoir Hospital, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry, Zikei Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Zikei Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization Minami-Okayama Medical Center, Okayama and Department of Neurology, Saiseikai Nakatsu Hospital and Medical Center, Osaka, Japan
Efficacy of technology-based interventions to increase the use of hearing protections among adolescent farmworkers

Abstract Objective: Adolescent farmworkers are exposed to loud noise during farm activities. We present a prospective study that evaluated the efficacy of low-cost, technology-based intervention approaches in high schools to enhance the use of hearing protection among adolescent farmworkers. Design: Six high schools in Iowa that agreed to participate in the study were divided into three equal groups through cluster-randomisation with each group receiving one of the three formats of hearing protection intervention: (a) classroom training, (b) classroom training coupled with smartphone app training and (c) computer training. Participants completed baseline (pre-training) and six-week post-intervention surveys for assessing hearing protection knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Study Sample: Seventy participants from six schools were initially enrolled but 50 completed both pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results: In most cases, all three groups showed significant improvement in hearing protection knowledge, attitude and frequency of use from pre- to post-intervention. However, changes between groups were statistically non-significant. Conclusions: Although all three formats led to improvements on hearing protection knowledge, attitude and behaviour, the findings of the study, perhaps due to the small sample size, did not allow us to detect whether technology-based hearing protection interventions were more effective than the traditional face-to-face training for adolescent farmworkers.
Interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 specifically increase the release of prostaglandin E2 from rat hypothalamic explants in vitro.

It has previously been shown that the cytokines interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-6 (IL-1 beta and IL-6) stimulate directly the release of corticotrophin-releasing-hormone-41 from the rat hypothalamus in vitro, while IL-1 beta can also stimulate the release of somatostatin. These effects can be antagonized by drugs which block prostaglandin (PG) synthesis. PGs are also involved in the control of hypothalamic neuropeptides by other neurotransmitters. In the present study, we have characterized the production of PGs from the rat hypothalamus in vitro, and investigated the effects of IL-1 beta and IL-6, as well as the neurotransmitters norepinephrine, acetylcholine and 5-hydroxytryptamine, on the acute release of PGs, using a well-validated acute hypothalamic incubation system. The rate of release of PGs [PGE2, PGF2 alpha, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (6KPGF1 alpha) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) in the medium was found to stabilize after 60 min of preincubation and thereafter remain constant, with TXB2 being the predominant species. Twenty-minute incubation in the presence of human recombinant IL-1 beta or IL-6, in the dose range 1-100 U/ml, had no effect on the release of PGF2 alpha, 6KPGF1 alpha or TXB2; however, the release of PGE2 was significantly increased by both IL-1 beta and IL-6. The effect of IL-1 beta was antagonized by both indomethacin and dexamethasone. None of the other neurotransmitters tested had any effect on the release of any of the PGs. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Afro‐derived Brazilian populations: Male genetic constitution estimated by Y‐chromosomes STRs and AluYAP element polymorphisms

The genetic constitution of Afro‐derived Brazilian populations is barely studied. To improve that knowledge, we investigated the AluYAP element and five Y‐chromosome STRs (DYS19, DYS390, DYS391, DYS392, and DYS393) to estimate ethnic male contribution in the constitution of four Brazilian quilombos remnants: Mocambo, Rio das Rãs, Kalunga, and Riacho de Sacutiaba. Results indicated significant differences among communities, corroborating historical information about the Brazilian settlement. We concluded that besides African contribution, there was a great European participation in the constitution of these four populations and that observed haplotype variability could be explained by gene flow to quilombos remnants and mutational events in microsatellites (STRs). Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The diagnostic role for susceptibility-weighted MRI during sporadic hemiplegic migraine

Background Hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine with aura that includes motor weakness. Diagnosis during the first episode can be difficult to make and costly, especially with the sporadic form. Cases Our study evaluates the ictal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of four sequential pediatric patients during a first-time, sporadic hemiplegic migraine. Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) revealed cerebral venous prominence and increased magnetic susceptibility affecting brain regions that corresponded with each patient’s neurologic deficits. Repeat MRI (performed in three patients) following migraine recovery demonstrated resolution of all susceptibility abnormalities. Conclusion When combined with conventional MRI sequences, SWI has diagnostic value in the acute setting of motor weakness and with clinical features consistent with hemiplegic migraine. The sequence may help to further characterize ictal cerebral blood flow changes during the hemiplegic migraine aura.
Characterization of pancreatic glucagon-producing tumors and pituitary gland tumors in transgenic mice overexpressing MYCN in hGFAP-positive cells

Amplification or overexpression of MYCN is involved in development and maintenance of multiple malignancies. A subset of these tumors originates from neural precursors, including the most aggressive forms of the childhood tumors, neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. In order to model the spectrum of MYCN-driven neoplasms in mice, we transgenically overexpressed MYCN under the control of the human GFAP-promoter that, among other targets, drives expression in neural progenitor cells. However, LSL-MYCN;hGFAP-Cre double transgenic mice did neither develop neural crest tumors nor tumors of the central nervous system, but presented with neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas and, less frequently, the pituitary gland. Pituitary tumors expressed chromogranin A and closely resembled human pituitary adenomas. Pancreatic tumors strongly produced and secreted glucagon, suggesting that they derived from glucagon- and GFAP-positive islet cells. Interestingly, 3 out of 9 human pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors expressed MYCN, supporting the similarity of the mouse tumors to the human system. Serial transplantations of mouse tumor cells into immunocompromised mice confirmed their fully transformed phenotype. MYCN-directed treatment by AuroraA- or Brd4-inhibitors resulted in significantly decreased cell proliferation in vitro and reduced tumor growth in vivo. In summary, we provide a novel mouse model for neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas and pituitary gland that is dependent on MYCN expression and that may help to evaluate MYCN-directed therapies.