Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chapter 4 Role of Aquaporins in Breast Cancer Progression and Metastasis

There are various limitations regarding the current pharmacological options for the treatment of breast cancer in terms of efficacy, target selectivity, side effect profile and survival. Endocrine-based therapy for hormone-sensitive cancers such as that of the breast is one of the most effective and well-tolerated therapeutic options but is hampered by either intrinsic or acquired resistance, resulting in a more aggressive form of the disease. It is generally agreed that this process occurs in parallel with cellular transition from epithelial to mesenchymal phenotype (EMT), with consequent enhancement of proliferative capacity, migrative ability and invasive potential. Aquaporins (AQPs) represent a large family of water channel proteins which are widely distributed in various tissues and which play a role in the physiological maintenance of the extracellular environment particularly to regulate electrolyte-water balance. Accumulating evidence shows that expression of several AQPs is modulated in cancer tissues, and this correlates with tumor grade. AQPs 1 and 3–5 are also involved in breast cancer invasion, through modulating the activity of various growth factors, signaling molecules and proteolytic enzymes. We review current data on the involvement of these proteins in processes associated with malignant progression and discuss possible applications of AQP-based therapy as an effective means of inhibiting cancer cells from metastasizing.
Diversity Analysis and Physico-Morphlogical Characteritics of Indigenous Germplasm of Lablab Bean

Germplasm characterization is an important component of crop breeding program. In characterizing indigenous beans lablab which is used for vegetables as well pulses in Nepal. Twenty three lablab beans germplasm were evaluated for different qualitative and quantitive physico-morphological charecteristics for two years during 2011 and 2012 at Horticulture Research Station, Malepatan, Pokhara. The germplasm showed considerable variations in most of the qualitative and quantitative traits. Leaf size, vine color, flower color, pod color, pod shape, pod type and seed color varied among the genotypes. Variation was also observed in yield attributing characters eg, pod length and width, 10 fresh pod weight, seeds per pod and 100-seed weight. Days to 50% flowering ranged from 81 to 130 days indicating the presence of early varieties. Fresh pod weight of 10 pods was ranged from 45.0 g to 162.5 g. Multivariate analysis indicated four groups in these genotypes, among with ML-02 and ML-10 were distinct in comparioson with other genotypes. Simple selection may be considered to develop high yielding, early type varieties from these gentopypes.
Stratigraphy, paleoceanography, and evolution of Cretaceous Pacific guyots; relics from a greenhouse Earth

Many guyots in the north Pacific are built of drowned Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates that rest on edifice basalt. Dating of these limestones, using strontium- and carbon-isotope stratigraphy, illustrates a number of events in the evolution of these carbonate platforms: local deposition of marine black shales during the early Aptian oceanic anoxic event; synchronous development of oolitic deposits during the Aptian; and drowning at different times during the Cretaceous (and Tertiary). Dating the youngest levels of these platform carbonate shows that the shallow-water systems drowned sequentially in the order in which plate-tectonic movement transported them into low latitudes south of the Equator (paleolati- tude 0°-10° south). The chemistry of peri-equatorial waters, rich in upwelled nutrients and carbon dioxide, may have been a contributory factor to the suppression of carbonate precipitation on these platforms. However, oceanic anoxic events, thought to reflect high nutrient availability and increased produc- tivity of planktonic organic-walled and siliceous microfossils, did not occasion platform drowning. Neither is there any evidence that relative sealevel changes were the primary cause of platform drowning, which is consistent with the established resilience of shallow-water carbonate systems when influenced by such phenomena. Comparisons with paleotemperature data show that platform drowning took place closer to the Equator during cooler intervals, such as the early Albian and Maastrichtian, and farther south of the Equator during warmer periods such as Albian-Cenomanian boundary time and the mid-Eocene. Initiation of one carbon- ate platform relatively close to the Equator, at paleolatitudes more northerly than those where others drowned, took place during the cool early mid-Aptian. These correlations are in accord with an interpretation that excess warmth in shallow peri-equatorial waters proved inimical for many carbonate-secreting organisms living on the platforms, allowing subsidence or eustatic sealevel rise to outpace sedimentation and guyots to form. A parallel may be drawn with the recent phenomenon of coral and foraminiferal bleaching, whereby photosynthetic sym- bionts succumb to prolonged high temperatures (G30°C) and the host organism dies. The fact that most Cretaceous guyots reside in the north Pacific may not be solely related to the age-distribution pattern of ocean floor but to their having run the gauntlet of a difficult and dangerous passage across the Equator. North Pacific guyots are relics from the Cretaceous (and Eocene) ''greenhouse'' Earth.
The predictive potential of early life stage individual-based models (IBMs): an example for Atlantic cod Gadus morhua in the North Sea

Using a spatially explicit individual-based model (IBM), we examined the potential larval survival (PLS) and growth of early life stages of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua in the North Sea ecosystem in response to changes in physical and biological forcing. We employed a 3-dimensional coupled model system that includes a hydrodynamic model, a physiologically based IBM and the lower trophic level ecosystem model ECOSMO, to provide related prey fields. The statistical analysis of a long-term (1949 to 2008) hindcast integration and the comparison to a set of 30-yr-long scenario experiments revealed a strong impact of atmospheric forcing on changes in PLS, where variations in transport processes and in the prey field are equally as important as temperature-dependent processes. Furthermore, the scenario experiments show that the different impacting environmental factors interact non-linearly and are non-homogeneous in time and space. A correlation analysis between estimated PLS and observed Atlantic cod recruitment in the North Sea indicated that time periods of high correlation alternate with periods of low or negative correlation. In the 1960s and from the end of the 1980s onwards, we identified high correlations between estimated PLS and recruitment and concluded that the model exhibits a significant predictive potential for cod recruitment during these periods. However, we also identified contrasting periods, e.g. during the 1970s and 1980s, for which we conclude that recruitment variability during these periods was significantly influenced by alternative processes, such as top-down or bottom-up controls during post-larval life stages.
The scientific limits of understanding the (potential) relationship between complex social phenomena: the case of democracy and inequality

This paper outlines the methodological and empirical limitations of analysing the potential relationship between complex social phenomena such as democracy and inequality. It shows that the means to assess how they may be related is much more limited than recognised in the existing literature that is laden with contradictory hypotheses and findings. Better understanding our scientific limitations in studying this potential relationship is important for research and policy because many leading economists and other social scientists such as Acemoglu and Robinson mistakenly claim to identify causal linkages between inequality and democracy but at times still inform policy. In contrast to the existing literature, the paper argues that ‘structural’ or ‘causal’ mechanisms that may potentially link the distribution of economic wealth and different political regimes will remain unknown given reasons such as their highly complex and idiosyncratic characteristics, fundamental econometric constraints and analysis at the macro-level. Neither new data sources, different analysed time periods nor new data analysis techniques can resolve this question and provide robust, general conclusions about this potential relationship across countries. Researchers are thus restricted to exploring rough correlations over specific time periods and geographic contexts with imperfect data that are very limited for cross-country comparisons.
MONITORING OF MITOTIC INDEX AND FREQUENCY OF MICRONUCLEI IN EVALUATION OF GENOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF FUMAGILLIN (DICYCLOHEXYLAMINE) IN VIVO

Fumagillin (dicyclohexylamine) is a natural antibiotic, secreted by Aspergillus fumigatus. It is used in veterinary medicine against microsporidiosis in bees and fish, as well as in human medicine for the treatment of intestinal amebiasis, microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis and intestinal microsporidiosis due to Enterocytozoon bieneusi in patients with AIDS and other types of immunodeficiency. In this study, the genotoxicity of fumagillin was evaluated in mouse bone marrow cells using the mitotic index (MI) and micronucleus (MN) assay. Fumagillin was administered to BALB/c mice by gavage in doses of 25, 50, 75 mg/kg b.w. , repeated for 7 days at 24h intervals, with water-sugar syrup as the negative control and cyclophosphamide as the positive control (40 mg/kg b.w.) All experimental doses of fumagillin induced a significant decrease (p<0.001) in MI (3.47 ± 0.04%, 3.17 ± 0.01% and 2.27 ± 0.02%, respectively) in comparison with the negative control (6.00 ± 0.01%) and with the positive control (14.78 ± 0.09). Fumagillin significantly (p<0.001) increased the frequency of MN (4.98 ± 0.35, 8.45 ± 0.57 and 12.02 ± 0.37, respectively) over the negative control (1.04 ± 0.28). These results suggest that fumagillin (dicyclohexilamine) has an antiproliferative and genotoxic potential in mammal in vivo test.
African Journal of Neurological Sciences - 2009 Vol. 28 No 1

Résultats Sur 8676 admissions 740 patients (8.5%) ont reçu un diagnostic neurologique. Les troubles neurologiques les plus fréquents ont été les convulsions (26.6%) et les maladies infectieuses (18.1%). La mortalité globale de maladie neurologique a été de 21%. Des cas ont été regroupés en fonction de la certitude du diagnostic. Nous proposons trois grandes catégories de troubles neurologiques (groupe 1 = pas d’incertitudes diagnostiques; groupe 2 = incertitudes diagnostiques mineures; groupe 3 = incertitudes diagnostiques majeures) avec des implications en ce qui concerne la thérapie et le pronostic.
EFFECTS OF DENSITY‐DEPENDENT AND STOCHASTIC PROCESSES ON THE REGULATION OF COD POPULATIONS

We analyzed 136 time series (covering from 44 to 73 yr) of juvenile cod to estimate the level of direct and delayed density-dependent mortality (DDM) of 11 popu- lations from the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. The parameters were estimated using a mod- eling approach that explicitly incorporates observation errors, so that we could quantify the density-independent (stochastic) variation in the survival of juvenile cod. Moderate to strong levels of DDM (direct or delayed) were estimated in eight of the 11 populations. Variability in the 0-group (corrected for observation errors) appeared to be large for most of the populations. Substantial stochastic variability in postsettlement survival was also detected in some areas, indicating that stochastic factors are not only important for egg and larval stages, as stated by the match-mismatch hypothesis, but also for juveniles. We show that the variability in these coastal populations is not only regulated as a function of the strength of DDM processes, but also as an interaction between DDM processes and stochastic factors. We finally postulate that local and regional differences in the strengths of the density-dependent and stochastic processes are related to differences in the quantity and quality of the bottom flora coverage, which govern both food availability and shelter for juveniles.
Deletion of Shank 1 Has Minimal Effects on the Molecular Composition and Function of Glutamatergic Afferent Postsynapses in the Mouse Inner Ear

Shank proteins (1–3) are considered the master organizers of glutamatergic postsynaptic densities in the central nervous system, and the genetic deletion of either Shank1, 2, or 3 results in altered composition, form, and strength of glutamatergic postsynapses. To investigate the contribution of Shank proteins to glutamatergic afferent synapses of the inner ear and especially cochlea, we used immunofluorescence and quantitative real time PCR to determine the expression of Shank1, 2, and 3 in the cochlea. Because we found evidence for expression of Shank1 but not 2 and 3, we investigated the morphology, composition, and function of afferent postsynaptic densities from defined tonotopic regions in the cochlea of Shank1−/− mice. Using immunofluorescence, we identified subtle changes in the morphology and composition (but not number and localization) of cochlear afferent postsynaptic densities at the lower frequency region (8 kHz) in Shank1−/− mice compared to Shank1+/+ littermates. However, we detected no differences in auditory brainstem responses at matching or higher frequencies. We also identified Shank1 in the vestibular afferent postsynaptic densities, but detected no differences in vestibular sensory evoked potentials in Shank1−/− mice compared to Shank1+/+ littermates. This work suggests that Shank proteins play a different role in the development and maintenance of glutamatergic afferent synapses in the inner ear compared to the central nervous system.
Genetic Polymorphism of Prolactin, Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor 1B and Insulin- like Growth Factor 1 Genes in Two Selected Lines of Japanese Quail

Quail is the smallest avian species raised for meat and egg production. It has several advantages as a laboratory bird for biological and biomedical investigations. In this study, we performed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection in prolactin (PRL), Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor IB (BMPR-1B) and Insulin- like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) genes in egg and meat selected lines of Japanese quail. Meat line recorded significant superior body weight measurements at 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th and 6 th week of age (45.15, 85.64, 118.90, 164.22 and 176.67 g; respectively), compared those of egg line (36.72, 63.00, 84.36, 122.11 and 143.55 g; respectively). DNA was extracted from blood samples using commercial kits and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nucleotide polymorphisms between two selected lines were detected by DNA sequencing. Five nucleotide changes in PRL and BMPR-1B genes were identified and there was no nucleotide difference in IGF-1 gene between egg and meat selected lines. The further study was required to find mutation in other site of IGF-1 and the SNPs discovered in this study provided suitable markers for association studies of candidate genes with important economic traits in Japanese quail. (Mahmoud S. El-Tarabany, Ashraf Awad, and Khairy M. El-Bayomi. Genetic Polymorphism of Prolactin, Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor 1B and Insulin- like Growth Factor 1 Genes in Two Selected Lines of Japanese Quail. Life Sci J 2014;11(6):408-416) (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 58
ICHNOCARPUS FRUTESCENS : A VALUABLE MEDICINAL PLANT

Ichnocarpus frutescens R. Br (Family: Apocyanaceae) is an evergreen medicinal herb found almost throughout Asia and other regions. The whole part of Ichnocarpus was (root, flowers and leaves) reported to use for various medical illness such as, demulcent, syphilis, loss of sensation and hemiplegia, headaches fevers, wounds between fingers tonic, diaphoretic, diuretic, dyspepsia and skin troubles. It is mainly administered with milk for diabetes mellitus, excretion of the stone in the bladder and purification of blood. Phytochemical studies on the various parts of Ichnocarpus have revealed the presence of phenylpropanoids, phenolic acids, carbohydrates, saponins, proteins, aminoacids, coumarines, alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols and pentacyclic triterpenoids. Pharmacological investigations have demonstrated that Ichnocarpus possess antiinflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, membrane stabilizer, wound healing, anticancer, hepatoprotective, antiurolithiatic, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, antioxidant, antihyperlipidemic and cytoprotective activities. The major aim of this paper is to review the complete ethnoboanical, ethnomedical, ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, toxicological and pharmacological studies of various parts of Ichnocarpus frutescens.
Aflatoxin exposure among young children in urban low-income areas of Nairobi and association with child growth

Populations in tropical and subtropical developing countries are exposed to largely uncontrolled levels of aflatoxins through food. These countries (especially in Africa and Asia) also present a high prevalence of stunting. Studies have reported an association between aflatoxin exposure and growth impairment in children but there is not yet conclusive evidence that aflatoxins are a significant cause of stunting in children, thus further research is warranted. In this cross-sectional study, 204 low-income households were randomly selected in two low-income areas of Nairobi, Kenya. Korogocho is a higher population density area and Dagoretti a lower population density area. We asked questions about household demographics and a 24-hour dietary recall was conducted in children aged 1–3 years. Child anthropometric measurements were also conducted. Height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ), weight-for-age Z-scores (WAZ) and weight-for-height Z-scores (WHZ) were calculated for each child using World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards reference data. Samples of foods were taken from the household or from the retailer for analysis using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Laboratory results for aflatoxin levels in the food samples collected were used to calculate the daily aflatoxin intake, according to the results from the dietary assessment. The study found 41% of children sampled had stunted growth. Boys were more stunted than girls (p=0.057) and Korogocho had more stunted children than Dagoretti (p=0.041). In all, 98% of food samples collected tested positive for aflatoxin and there was an average exposure to aflatoxins of 21.3 ng/kg bodyweight per day. Exposure to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), location and sex were significantly associated with HAZ, with boys and children from Korogocho having lower HAZ, and AFM1 was negatively associated with HAZ (p=0.047), indicating that AFM1 was associated with stunting. There was no association between total aflatoxins (aflatoxin B [AFB] and aflatoxin G [AFG]) and HAZ, WAZ and WHZ. The study showed a high prevalence of malnutrition, especially stunting, in two low-income urban sites, and this was most pronounced in the high-density area. The reported association between AFM1 and stunted children indicates that more research is needed on the health impacts of this aflatoxin in growing children. Keywords: stunting, aflatoxin M1, contamination, exposure, mycotoxin, ELISA, aflatoxins, mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1
Characterization of lipase enzyme produced by hydrocarbons utilizing fungus Aspergillus terreus

Microbial lipase today occupies a place of prominence among biocatalysts owing to their ability to catalyze a wide variety of reactions in aqueous and non aqueous media. In this study, Aspergillus terreus showed high lipase production in submerged culture ( 15.463 ± 0.39 U/mg ). The optimum conditions for lipase production by A. terreus were pH range 7-9, a temperature of 30-45oC for a period of 6 days and ionic strength 60 mM NaCl. Lipase production was also detected when A. terreus was grown on different hydrocarbons, olive oil or tween 80 but not on sugars indicating that the enzyme is inducible by hydrocarbons as well as oils. The kinetics studies showed that the Km value for A. terreus was 8.12 µmol, the optimum pH for lipase activity was 6, the optimum temperature was 30 ± 1 o C and lipase activity could tolerate high levels of ionic strength; however the fungal growth and lipase productivity were very sensitive to increase ionic strength.
An investigation on the causes of Escherichia coli and coliform contamination of cheddar cheese and how to reduce the problem (A case study at a cheese manufacturing firm in Harare, Zimbabwe)

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of E. coli contamination of Cheddar cheese through the application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles. Cheese samples were analyzed for E. coli and coliforms after production, during the validation stage, as well as at the verification stage. Average E. coli and coliform counts were analyzed statistically using the t-test. Results showed that after the implementation of the corrective measures there was a decrease in E. coli and coliform counts at the 5% level of significance. Results presented in this study also show that manufacturing Cheddar cheese whole observing high standards of hygiene improves the reduces E. coli and coliform contamination of the product, even though the problem is not completely eliminated.
Seasonal microbial ribotype shifts

Spatio-temporal changes in two sulfurous lakes from the karstic area of Banyoles (Girona, Spain), holomictic lake Cisó and meromictic lake Vilar, were studied over one year. Samples were collected at different depths from the two lakes on the same days, during each of the four seasons, and several physico-chemical variables (temperature, light, pH, conductivity, sulfide, oxygen concentration, pigment concentrations, etc.) were measured. To fingerprint bacterial populations from each sample, DNA was extracted, bacterial 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR, and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses of the total bacterial 16S rDNAs were performed. Each 16S rDNA pool was independently digested with three restriction endonucleases (AluI, HinfI, and RsaI) and separated electrophoretically. More restriction fragments were obtained from the Lake Vilar samples than from the Lake Cisó samples. Moreover, intrasample and intersample differences were observed in each lake. RFLP patterns were compared by scoring similarities using the Jaccard coefficient and then building a multidimensional scaling (MDS) map from the resulting similarities matrix. In both lakes, results indicated that seasonality was mostly responsible for the observed fluctuations in the RFLP patterns, while the effect of stratification was less pronounced. [Int Microbiol 2005; 8(4):235-242]