Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of DNA damage in agricultural workers exposed to pesticides using single cell gel electrophoresis (comet) assay

BACKGROUND: Pesticides are used in agriculture to protect crops, but they pose a potential risk to farmers and environment. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relation between the occupational exposure to various pesticides and the presence of DNA damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples of 210 exposed workers (after a day of intense spraying) and 50 control subjects belonging to various districts of Punjab (India) were evaluated using Comet assay. Sixty workers who showed DNA damage were selected for follow up at 5-6 months after the first sampling during a low or null spraying period. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in DNA damage between freshly exposed workers and controls and freshly exposed and followed up cases. There was significant increase in the comet parameters viz. mean comet tail length and frequency of cells showing migration in exposed workers as compared to controls (72.22 ± 20.76 vs. 46.92 ± 8.17, P<0.001; 31.79 vs. 5.77, P<0.001). In the second samples, followed up cases showed significant decrease in frequency of damaged cells as compared to freshly exposed workers of first sampling (P<0.05). The confounding factors such as variable duration of pesticide exposure, age, smoking, drinking and dietary habits etc which were expected to modulate the damage, were instead found to have no significant effect on DNA fragmentation. CONCLUSION: The evidence of a genetic hazard related to exposure resulting from the intensive use of pesticides stresses the need for educational programs for agricultural workers to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture.
Growth suppression of Friend virus-transformed erythroleukemia cells by p53 protein is accompanied by hemoglobin production and is sensitive to erythropoietin

The murine allele temperature-sensitive (ts) p53Val-135 encodes a ts p53 protein that behaves as a mutant polypeptide at 37 degrees C and as a wild-type polypeptide at 32 degrees C. This ts allele was introduced into the p53 nonproducer Friend erythroleukemia cell line DP16-1. The DP16-1 cell line was derived from the spleen cells of a mouse infected with the polycythemia strain of Friend virus, and like other erythroleukemia cell lines transformed by this virus, it grows independently of erythropoietin, likely because of expression of the viral gp55 protein which binds to and activates the erythropoietin receptor. When incubated at 32 degrees C, DP16-1 cells expressing ts p53Val-135 protein, arrested in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, rapidly lost viability and expressed hemoglobin, a marker of erythroid differentiation. Erythropoietin had a striking effect on p53Val-135-expressing cells at 32 degrees C by prolonging their survival and diminishing the extent of hemoglobin production. This response to erythropoietin was not accompanied by down-regulation of viral gp55 protein.
Roughly Impedance-Matched Scatterers Constructed With Magnetodielectric Cells

The monostatic theorem of Weston states that a null radar cross section (RCS) will be observed for objects with rotational symmetry that are impedance matched to their host medium, i.e., that have their material parameters εr =ur. A study of the generalization of this result applied to heterogeneous magnetodielectric (MD) scatterers is presented. The entire object of interest is divided into a set of small cubical unit cells in a three-dimensional checkerboard format, i.e., two different materials are distributed alternately in lego-like designs. Numerical computations are presented to compare the RCS levels of perfectly impedance-matched scatterers and their lego-based equivalents. The degree of homogenization that can be attributed to these heterogeneous scatterers for a variety of double positive material choices, including extreme values, is addressed specifically in relation to their satisfaction of Weston's theorem.
Autonomic and behavioural thermoregulation in starved rats

1 We investigated the mechanism of starvation‐induced hypothermia in rats. 2 Threshold core temperatures (Tcor) for tail skin vasodilatation and cold‐induced thermogenesis were determined after a 3 day starvation using a chronically implanted intravenous thermode. Food deprivation significantly lowered the threshold Tcor for heat production, but did not affect the heat loss threshold. 3 Thermogenic response to a fall in Tcor below its threshold was enhanced by starvation. 4 Preferred ambient temperatures (Tpref) and Tcor were measured before and during a 3 day starvation in a thermal gradient. The 3 day starvation significantly lowered Tcor only in the light phase of the day. The level of hypothermia was the same throughout the fasting period, while Tpref gradually increased during the 3 days of starvation. 5 When rats were starved at a constant ambient temperature of 25°C (no thermal gradient), their Tcor levels were comparable with those of the rats kept in the thermal gradient. 6 The results suggest that, in rats, hypothermia caused by starvation was not due to a decrement in thermogenic capability, but was due to a decrease in the threshold for the activation of thermogenesis.
LC-MS-based metabolite profiling of methanolic extracts from the medicinal and aromatic species Mentha pulegium and Origanum majorana.

INTRODUCTION There has been increasing interest dedicated to the phenolic compounds with a view to their antioxidant and healthy properties. Recent studies have focused on plants from the Lamiaceae family with special interest in phenolic compounds antioxidant potential. OBJECTIVE The metabolite profile of methanolic extracts from two Lamiacea medicinal plants was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Mentha pulegium and Origanum majorana methanolic extracts were analysed using reversed-phase ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UHPLC) coupled to electrospray ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-QTOF-MS) detection in the negative ion mode. RESULTS A total of 85 metabolites were characterised from different families, such as organic acids and derivatives, amino acids and derivatives, nucleosides, phenolic compounds as well as other polar metabolites, by using the MS and MS/MS information provided by the QTOF-MS. However, the total phenols and flavonoids were also quantified spectrophotometrically and they registered higher amounts in Mentha pulegium than in Origanum majorana extract. Gallocatechin was the major compound in M. pulegium extract whereas quercetin dimethyl ether, jaceidin and dihydrokaempferide were the major ones in O. majorana extract. CONCLUSION The distribution of phenolic compounds in the methanolic extract showed a variation among studied plants. Mentha pulegium can be considered as a source of gallocatechin.
Informational Hold-Up and Performance Persistence in Venture Capital

Why don't successful venture capitalists eliminate excess demand for their follow-on funds by aggressively raising their performance fees? We propose a theory of learning that leads to informational hold-up in the VC market. Investors in a fund learn whether the VC has skill or was lucky, whereas potential outside investors only observe returns. This gives the VC's current investors hold-up power when the VC raises his next fund: Without their backing, he cannot persuade anyone else to fund him, since outside investors would interpret the lack of backing as a sign that his skill is low. This hold-up power diminishes the VC's ability to increase fees in line with performance. The model provides a rationale for the persistence in after-fee returns documented by Kaplan and Schoar (2005) and predicts low expected returns among first-time funds, persistence in investors from fund to fund, and over-subscription in follow-on funds raised by successful VCs. Empirical evidence from a large sample of U.S. VC funds raised between 1980 and 2006 is consistent with these predictions.
Silibinin and its 2,3‐dehydro‐derivative inhibit basal cell carcinoma growth via suppression of mitogenic signaling and transcription factors activation

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cancer worldwide, and its current treatment options are insufficient and toxic. Surprisingly, unlike several other malignancies, chemopreventive efforts against BCC are almost lacking. Silibinin, a natural agent from milk thistle seeds, has shown strong efficacy against several cancers including ultraviolet radiation‐induced skin (squamous) cancer; however, its potential activity against BCC is not yet examined. Herein, for the first time, we report the efficacy of silibinin and its oxidation product 2,3‐dehydrosilibinin (DHS) against BCC both in vitro and in vivo using ASZ (p53 mutated) and BSZ (p53 deleted) cell lines derived from murine BCC tumors. Both silibinin and DHS significantly inhibited cell growth and clonogenicity while inducing apoptosis in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner, with DHS showing higher activity at lower concentrations. Both agents also inhibited the mitogenic signaling by reducing EGFR, ERK1/2, Akt, and STAT3 phosphorylation and suppressed the activation of transcription factors NF‐κB and AP‐1. More importantly, in an ectopic allograft model, oral administration of silibinin and DHS (200 mg/kg body weight) strongly inhibited the ASZ tumor growth by 44% and 71% (P < 0.05), respectively, and decreased the expression of proliferation biomarkers (PCNA and cyclin D1) as well as NF‐κB p50 and c‐Fos in the tumor tissues. Taken together, these results provide the first evidence for the efficacy and usefulness of silibinin and its derivative DHS against BCC, and suggest the need for additional studies with these agents in pre‐clinical and clinical BCC chemoprevention and therapy models. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
[The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis. A study of histology, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy].

OBJECTIVE To study the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi disease, KD). METHODS Histologic analysis and immunohistochemical study (EnVision method) was carried out in 46 cases of KD, 5 cases of nonspecific lymphadenitis (NLD), 5 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), 5 cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HD), 5 cases of cat-scratch disease (CSD) and 5 cases of tuberculous lymphadenitis (TBL). Electron microscopy was also performed in 6 cases of KD and 2 cases of NHL. RESULTS Three histologic (proliferative, necrotizing and xanthomatous) patterns were noted in KD. In any of these patterns, there were some basic histologic findings: a wedge-shaped pale area at the edge of the lymph node or paracortical nodules associated with an increase in apoptotic cells or karyorrhectic debris, crescentic histiocytes, proliferative mononuclear histiocytes and absence of or very scanty neutrophils. Immunohistochemical study demonstrated focal occurrence of histiocytes expressing both CD68 and MPO. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of apoptotic bodies, proliferative mononuclear histiocytes, crescentic histiocytes and dispersed T cells in the lesional areas. CONCLUSIONS In general, there should not be much difficulty in differentiating KD from other types of lymphadenopathy. Sometimes, problems arise mainly because of the diversity of KD histology. Correct diagnosis can be made if one pays attention to the described characteristic morphology, peculiar immunophenotype of the histiocytes and possibly ultrastructural features.
Isolation of the Helicobacter pylori recA gene and involvement of the recA region in resistance to low pH

To understand the potential roles of the important DNA repair protein RecA in Helicobacter pylori pathogenesis, we cloned the recA gene from H. pylori 84-183. Degenerate PCR primers based on conserved RecA protein regions were used to amplify a portion of H. pylori recA, which was used as a probe to isolate the full-length recA gene from H. pylori genomic libraries. The H. pylori recA gene encoded a protein of 347 amino acids with a molecular mass of 37.6 kDa. As expected, H. pylori RecA was highly similar to other RecA proteins and most closely resembled that of Campylobacter jejuni (75% identity). Immediately downstream of recA was an open reading frame whose predicted product showed 58% identity to the Bacillus subtilis enolase protein. recA and eno were disrupted in H. pylori 84-183 by insertion of antibiotic resistance genes. Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that recA and eno were cotranscribed and that insertion of the kanamycin resistance gene into recA had polar effects on expression of the downstream eno. The H. pylori recA mutants were severely impaired in their ability to survive treatment with UV light and methyl methanesulfonate and with the antimicrobial agents ciprofloxacin and metronidazole. The eno mutant had sensitivities to UV light and metronidazole intermediate to those of wild-type and recA strains, suggesting that truncation of the recA-eno transcript resulted in lowered recA expression. For survival at low pH, a recA mutant was approximately 10-fold more sensitive than strain 84-183, while the eno mutant demonstrated intermediate susceptibility. This difference occurred in the presence or absence of urea, implying the involvement of a gene in the recA region in an acid resistance mechanism distinct from that mediated by urease.
Non‐word repetition and non‐word discrimination in Swedish preschool children

By looking at data on expressive phonology, non‐word repetition, non‐word discrimination and phonological sensitivity in two groups of Swedish children, the common basis for tasks tapping into different levels of phonological processing is discussed. Two studies were performed, one including children with language impairment (LI) and one including children with normal language development (NL). A discrimination task consisting of non‐word pairs differing in one phoneme was developed. In both groups there was a significant correlation between non‐word repetition and phoneme identification. In children with LI phoneme identification was significantly correlated with expressive phonology. In children with NL non‐word repetition correlated significantly with non‐word discrimination, which was linked both to rhyme recognition and phoneme identification. Non‐word discrimination might be equally useful as non‐word repetition as an early screening tool and would circumvent the confounding factor of an expressive phonological impairment as well as decrease the amount of complicating factors involved in scoring procedures.
Synapse loss in the temporal lobe in Alzheimer's disease

The temporal lobe is a well‐documented area showing neuropathological and neurochemical changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Autopsy tissue was obtained from the superior temporal (Brodmann area 22) and the middle temporal (Brodmann area 21) regions of the cortex from patients with AD (n = 10; postmortem time < 13 hr) and age‐matched control subjects (n = 10; postmortem time < 13 hr). Ultrastructural examination of the tissue revealed a highly significant AD‐related decline in synaptic numbers in lamina III abd V in both the superior and the middle temporal gyrus. Both normal control and AD tissue samples demonstrated a significant negative correlation between the number of synapses and the synapse size, as indexed by the length of the postsynaptic density. This change in synaptic size appears to compensate for the loss of synaptic numbers when viewed in terms of total synaptic contact area. Although the AD tissue showed an average 30% decline in synaptic numbers, the total synaptic contact area remained largely unchanged in both regions of the cortex. There were no significant correlations with age, postmortem time, or number of plaques observed in these areas. The loss of synaptic contacts in AD does not appear to be isolated to a particular cortical region or lamina.
The Association Between the Interleukin-1 Polymorphisms and Gastric Cancer Risk Depends on the Family History of Gastric Carcinoma in the Study Population

OBJECTIVES:The association between interleukin-1 polymorphisms, H. pylori and increased gastric cancer risk remains controversial.AIMS:To compare the prevalence of these polymorphisms in individuals with two mutually exclusive diseases connected with infection, gastric cancer, and duodenal ulcer.METHODS:121 gastric cancer and 119 duodenal ulcer patients. Genomic DNA was typed for polymorphisms at position −511, −31 in the interleukin-1β gene (IL-1 β) using primer extension and mass-spectrometry. Analysis of the variable number of tandem repeats in intron 2, in its receptor antagonist gene (IL-1RN) was performed by PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis.RESULTS:All subjects were successfully genotyped for the three gene loci. IL-1 β-511 was found to be in reverse linkage disequilibrium with IL-1 β-31. The differences between gastric cancer and duodenal ulcer patients concerned only heterozygous variant of IL-1β and were related to family history of gastric cancer, tumor stage, histology, site. Thus, CT carriers were found to have a higher risk of sporadic [OR 2.21 (95% CI, 1.22–3.99)], early [OR 2.81 (95% CI, 1.14–6.93)], diffuse [OR 2.48, (95% CI 1.21–5.09)] or non-cardia gastric cancer [OR 1.88 (95% CI 1.06–3.33)]. Furthermore, CT genotype was significantly more prevalent in gastric cancer patients with negative than in those with a positive family history (p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS:The association between the interleukin-1 polymorphisms and gastric cancer risk depends on the family history of gastric carcinoma in the study population. This phenomenon may be in part responsible for differences in results of interleukin-1 studies performed on populations with low and high gastric cancer prevalence.
Head circumference growth among extremely preterm infants in Denmark has improved during the past two decades.

INTRODUCTION Treatment of extremely preterm and low birth weight infants is still evolving and improving. In this study, we evaluated if growth has improved from birth to two years of corrected age (CA) among extremely low birth weight (BW) and preterm born infants in Denmark. METHODS This was an observational study with comparison of head circumference (HC), weight and length growth in two Danish cohorts of extremely preterm (gestational age (GA) < 28 weeks) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW with a BW < 1,000 g) infants (A: 1994-1995 and B: 2004-2008). RESULTS Infants in cohort A (n = 198) and B (n = 64) had a median GA and BW of 27 + 2 weeks and 948 g in A, and 27 + 3 weeks and 934 g in B. At discharge, infants in B compared with A had increased more in HC (p = 0.000), length (p = 0.008) and weight (p = 0.000). At two years CA, HC was still significantly larger in cohort B than A (p = 0.03), while no significant difference was recorded for length or weight. CONCLUSION Growth during hospitalisation seems to have improved among extremely preterm and low birth weight infants from 1994-1995 to 2004-2008. This may be a result of improved nutrition in combination with improved intensive care during hospitalisation. FUNDING Collection of data in the 2004-2008 cohort was supported by the Institute of Regional Health Services Research, the Egmont Foundation and the University of Southern Denmark. Collection of data from birth to two years of age in the 1994-1995 cohort was without financial support. TRIAL REGISTRATION For the 1994-1995 study, all eight regional Research Ethics Committees in Denmark at that time approved the study. The 2004-2008 study was approved by the Danish National Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics, and handling of data and registrations were approved by the Danish Data Protection Agency.
Delayed postoperative emptying after esophageal resection is dependent on the size of the gastric substitute.

BACKGROUND Delayed emptying of the gastric substitute is a common problem after resection and reconstruction of the esophagus. The occurrence of postoperative delayed gastric emptying in patients undergoing resection and reconstruction of the esophagus was studied with regard to the type and size of gastric substitute and the execution of a pyloroplasty. STUDY DESIGN From 1983 to 1994, one hundred fifty-five patients underwent resection of the esophagus, with a hospital mortality rate of 7 percent. The inability to resume a diet of solid food within one week after a normal esophagography was defined as delayed gastric emptying. One hundred forty patients were studied; group 1, substitution with whole stomach with (1a, n = 9) and without (1b, n = 31) pyloroplasty; group 2, substitution with distal two-thirds stomach with (2a, n = 20) or without (2b, n = 45) pyloroplasty; and group 3, tubulized stomach without pyloroplasty (n = 35). RESULTS Delayed gastric emptying was seen in 38 percent (15 of 40) of patients in group 1 (1a, 44 percent; 1b, 37 percent), in 14 percent (nine of 65) of patients in group 2 (1a, 10 percent; 2b, 15 percent), and in 3 percent (one of 35) of patients in group 3. The differences between patients in group 1 and group 2, and between patients in group 1 and group 3 were significantly different (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The type of gastric remnant used for reconstruction is an important determinant of postoperative gastric emptying. Pyloroplasty does not prevent delayed gastric emptying after esophageal substitution.
Attenuated herpes simplex virus 1 blocks arterial apoptosis and intimal hyperplasia induced by balloon angioplasty and reduced blood flow

Injury caused by distention of the arterial wall by balloon angioplasty can result in apoptosis and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. Here, we report that a brief exposure of the arterial lumen to a genetically engineered, attenuated herpes simplex virus 1 blocks activation of caspase 3-dependent apoptosis and MAPK-dependent cell proliferation induced by carotid artery balloon angioplasty and ligation to reduce blood flow. The procedure enables the restoration of the endothelial cell layer lining the lumen and prevents neointimal hyperplasia and restenosis. These findings have a broad application in prevention of balloon angioplasty-induced restenosis.
The effectiveness of nutritional information on foodservice companies’ corporate social responsibility

Abstract The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of nutritional information disclosure and healthful menu context in the relationship of nutritional knowledge and consumers’ perceived CSR toward a foodservice company. Furthermore, the relationship among CSR, brand image, attitude and purchase intention was investigated. The study was designed with scenario experimental questionnaires: 3 (different nutritional information levels: no information, calorie only and content with six segments of nutritional information) X 2 (menu context: healthy or unhealthy menu context). Confirmatory factor analyses, structural equation modelling and analysis of variance analysis were used in order to examine the study hypotheses. The results of this study indicate that consumers’ nutritional knowledge helps increase consumers’ perceived CSR which has an impact on brand image, attitude and behavioural intention, however, no moderating effects of nutritional knowledge and healthful menu context were found. Furthermore, purchase intention was significantly affected by CSR, attitude and brand image. Therefore, disclosure of nutritional information and offering healthful menu would help restaurants gain a positive CSR which also would help them to expect consumers’ favourable purchase intention.