Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical Outcomes of Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma on the Basis of the Histopathological Findings

Introduction Previous studies on the surgical outcomes of aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) patients were mainly based on the histopathological diagnosis of HE staining or adrenal venous sampling (AVS) instead of the functional pathology. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of APA patients based on the functional pathological diagnosis of APA according to HISTALDO (histopathology of primary aldosteronism) consensus. Methods Clinical data of 137 patients with suspected APA were analyzed retrospectively. All patients had hypertension and spontaneous hypokalemia. In all patients, CT showed a unilateral solitary hypodense adrenal lesion, and a contralateral adrenal gland of normal morphology. Tumors were removed and immunostained for CYP11B2, and their pathology were identified based on HISTALDO consensus. Patients were followed up 6 to 24 months after operation. Results Among 137 cases of presumptive APA diagnosed by CT, 130 (95%) cases were pathologically diagnosed with classical pathology, including 123 APA(90%) and 7 aldosterone-producing nodule (APN) (5%). 7 cases (5%) had non-functioning adenoma (NFA) with aldosterone-producing micronodule (APM) or multiple aldosterone-producing micronodule (MAPM) in the surrounding adrenal tissue. In all 137 patients, hypertension was complete or partial clinical success postoperatively. Complete clinical success was achieved in 73 (53%), and partial clinical success was achieved in 64 (47%) cases. Serum potassium level recovered to normal in all. In 123 patients with APA, complete clinical success was reached in 67 (54%), and partial clinical success was reached in 56 (46%) cases. Gender, duration of hypertension and the highest SBP were significant independent predictors for cure of APA after surgery. A multiple logistic regression model integrating the three predictors was constructed to predict the outcome, which achieved a sensitivity of 72.4% and a specificity of 73.1%. Conclusion The specificity of CT in the diagnosis of APA and APN patients with hypokalemia was 95%. All patients achieved complete or partial clinical success after surgery. Gender, duration of hypertension and the highest SBP were independent predictors for the postoperative cure of APA.
Developmental and environmental plasticity in opsin gene expression in Lake Victoria cichlid fish

In many organisms, sensory abilities develop and evolve according to the changing demands of navigating, foraging and communication across different environments and life stages. Teleost fish inhabit heterogeneous light environments and exhibit a large diversity in visual system properties among species. Cichlids are a classic example of this diversity, generated by different tuning mechanisms that involve both genetic factors and phenotypic plasticity. Here, we document the developmental progression of visual pigment gene expression in Lake Victoria cichlids and test if these patterns are influenced by variation in light conditions. We reared two sister species of Pundamilia to adulthood in two distinct visual conditions that resemble the two light environments that they naturally inhabit in Lake Victoria. We also included interspecific first-generation hybrids. We then quantified (using RT-qPCR) the expression of the four Pundamilia opsins (SWS2B, SWS2A, RH2A and LWS) at 14 time points. We find that opsin expression profiles progress from shorter-wavelength sensitive opsins to longer-wavelength sensitive opsins with increasing age, in both species and their hybrids. The developmental trajectories of opsin expression also responded plastically to the visual conditions. Finally, we found subtle differences between reciprocal hybrids, possibly indicating parental effects and warranting further investigation. Developmental and environmental plasticity in opsin expression may provide an important stepping stone in the evolution of cichlid visual system diversity. Research highlights In Lake Victoria cichlid fish, expression levels of opsin genes (encoding visual pigments) differ between developmental stages and between experimental light treatments. This plasticity may contribute to the evolution of cichlid visual system diversity.
Influence of Charring Methods on Surface Characteristics and Sorption Properties of Rice Straw Derived Biochars

Rice straw derived biochars were prepared by two different charring methods, in order to investigate effect of the preparation procedures on the sorption efficacy toward heavy metals from aqueous solutions. The preparations of the biochars were under limited oxygen conditions, including one step heating treatment at 450°C/60 min. (Char 450) and two steps heating treatment upto 700°C/60 min. (Char 700). Influences of the charring methods on the surface characteristics of the obtained biochars were examined via scanning electron microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X ray Spectrometry (SEM-EDAX) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The sorptive properties of Char 450 and Char 700 were evaluated according to their efficacy towards the removal of Cu ions from the aqueous solutions. The sorption isotherms of Cu onto the prepared biochars were analyzed by Freundlich and Langmuir models. Kinetic studies were also carried out. Enhancements of the porous structure and some elemental content were depicted in Char 700 compared with Char 450, indicating the remarkable effect of the charring methods on surface Original Research Article Mubarak; ARRB, 21(2): 1-11, 2017; Article no.ARRB. 38554 2 properties of biochars. Both sorbents were able to remove all the Cu ions at low initial sorbate concentrations and within 15 min. of contacting time. Further increase of the sorbate initial concentrations, Char 700 exhibited higher sorption efficiency than Char 450, achieving 66 and 55 % removal percentages, respectively. At 2.0x10 -3 M initial Cu 2+ concentration, two hours of contact time were enough for the sorption of 69 % of the total ions. Langmuir isotherm equation and pseudo second order kinetic models successfully describes the sorption of Cu 2+ onto the studied sorbents. Chemisorptions processes were assumed to be the domain sorption mechanisms. The study indicated the potential use of the rice straw derived biochar as low cost sorbent in the field of wastewater treatment, taken in consideration the role of preparation conditions.
A Comparison of Primers in 16S rRNA Gene Surveys of Bacteria and Archaea from Volcanic Caves

Abstract The construction of amplified 16S rRNA gene libraries has been a major methodology for bacterial/archaeal environmental community profiling for decades. Over the years, a variety of alternative primer sets targeting different portions of the rRNA gene have been used. Gradually a widespread collaborative effort, supported by the Earth Microbiome Project (EMP) and other community initiatives, has settled on primers targeting the V4 region (515F/806R) of the 16S rRNA gene, which amplifies both Archaea and Bacteria. Understudied volcanic cave ecosystems possess a high proportion of unclassified bacterial and archaeal lineages, highlighting the selection of optimal primers for community analysis in this environment. Therefore, we investigated the coverage of EMP and alternative archaea-specific (519F/1017R) and bacteria-specific (27F/515R) primers, using microbial and mineral deposits from two volcanic caves. In silico and sequencing analyses showed that the two bacterial primers captured similar amounts and types of Bacteria, while significant differences in the type and abundance of taxa detected between the EMP primers and archaea-specific primers were noted. Our results validate the use of V4 EMP primers for Bacteria in this cave ecosystem, but strongly suggest that Archaea diversity is better captured with the archaea-specific primer in the cave deposits studied.
Effects of Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsion Based on Sunflower Oil on the Quality of Farmed Sea Bass and Gilthead Sea Bream Stored at Chilled Temperature (2 ± 2°C)

ABSTRACT The influence of oil-in-water nanoemulsion on the sensory, chemical, and microbiological qualities of sea bream and sea bass fillets stored at 2 ± 2°C was investigated. The results showed that the use of nanoemulsion extended the shelf life of fish one or two days when compared with the control. Treatment with nanoemulsion significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the values of chemical parameters throughout the storage period. Bacterial growth was inhibited by the use of nanoemulsion. Nanoemulsion had an inhibitory effect on protein denaturation during refrigerated storage and microwave cooking. Based on the results, it can be concluded that sunflower oil-based nanoemulsion extended the shelf life and improved the quality of both sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets during storage.
Bone Marrow Macrophages Induce Inflammation by Efferocytosis of Apoptotic Prostate Cancer Cells via HIF-1α Stabilization

The clearance of apoptotic cancer cells by macrophages, known as efferocytosis, fuels the bone-metastatic growth of prostate cancer cells via pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive processes. However, the exact molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, single-cell transcriptomics of bone marrow (BM) macrophages undergoing efferocytosis of apoptotic prostate cancer cells revealed a significant enrichment in their cellular response to hypoxia. Here, we show that BM macrophage efferocytosis increased hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) and STAT3 phosphorylation (p-STAT3 at Tyr705) under normoxic conditions, while inhibitors of p-STAT3 reduced HIF-1α. Efferocytosis promoted HIF-1α stabilization, reduced its ubiquitination, and induced HIF-1α and p-STAT3 nuclear translocation. HIF-1α stabilization in efferocytic BM macrophages resulted in enhanced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine MIF, whereas BM macrophages with inactive HIF-1α reduced MIF expression upon efferocytosis. Stabilization of HIF-1α using the HIF-prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitor, Roxadustat, enhanced MIF expression in BM macrophages. Furthermore, BM macrophages treated with recombinant MIF protein activated NF-κB (p65) signaling and increased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Altogether, these findings suggest that the clearance of apoptotic cancer cells by BM macrophages triggers p-STAT3/HIF-1α/MIF signaling to promote further inflammation in the bone tumor microenvironment where a significant number of apoptotic cancer cells are present.
Tracking transitional probabilities and segmenting auditory sequences are dissociable processes in adults and neonates

Since speech is a continuous stream with no systematic boundaries between words, how do pre-verbal infants manage to discover words? A proposed solution is that they might use the transitional probability between adjacent syllables, which drops at word boundaries. Here, we tested the limits of this mechanism by increasing the size of the word-unit to 4 syllables, and its automaticity by testing asleep neonates. Using markers of statistical learning in neonates’ EEG, compared to adult’ behavioral performances in the same task, we confirmed that statistical learning is automatic enough to be efficient even in sleeping neonates. But we also revealed that: 1) Successfully tracking transition probabilities in a sequence is not sufficient to segment it 2) Prosodic cues, as subtle as subliminal pauses, enable to recover segmenting capacities 3) Adults’ and neonates’ capacities are remarkably similar despite the difference of maturation and expertise. Finally, we observed that learning increased the similarity of neural responses across infants, providing a new neural marker to monitor learning. Thus, from birth, infants are equipped with adult-like tools, allowing to extract small coherent word-like units within auditory streams, based on the combination of statistical analyses and prosodic cues.
Marked Seasonal Variation in Structure and Function of Gut Microbiota in Forest and Alpine Musk Deer

Musk deer (Moschus spp.) is a globally endangered species due to excessive hunting and habitat fragmentation. Captive breeding of musk deer can efficiently relieve the hunting pressure and contribute to the conservation of the wild population and musk supply. However, its effect on the gut microbiota of musk deer is unclear. Recent studies have indicated that gut microbiota is associated with host health and its environmental adaption, influenced by many factors. Herein, high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene was used based on 262 fecal samples from forest musk deer (M. berezovskii) (FMD) and 90 samples from alpine musk deer (M. chrysogaster) (AMD). We sought to determine whether seasonal variation can affect the structure and function of gut microbiota in musk deer. The results demonstrated that FMD and AMD had higher α-diversity of gut microbiota in the cold season than in the warm season, suggesting that season change can affect gut microbiota diversity in musk deer. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) also revealed significant seasonal differences in the structure and function of gut microbiota in AMD and FMD. Particularly, phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes significantly dominated the 352 fecal samples from captive FMD and AMD. The relative abundance of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes were significantly decreased in summer than in spring and substantially increased in winter than in summer. In contrast, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes showed opposite results. Furthermore, dominant bacterial genera and main metabolic functions of gut microbiota in musk deer showed significant seasonal differences. Overall, the abundance of main gut microbiota metabolic functions in FMD was significantly higher in the cold season. WGCNA analysis indicated that OTU6606, OTU5027, OTU7522, and OTU3787 were at the core of the network and significantly related with the seasonal variation. These results indicated that the structure and function in the gut microbiota of captive musk deer vary with seasons, which is beneficial to the environmental adaptation and the digestion and metabolism of food. This study provides valuable insights into the healthy captive breeding of musk deer and future reintroduction programs to recover wild populations.
Evaluation of rubber tree transcriptome and discovery of SNP and SSR from candidate genes involved in cellulose and lignin biosynthesis

Hevea brasiliensis (the rubber tree) is a well-known species with high economic value, and it is the primary source of natural rubber globally. Increasing demand for furniture and related industries has made rubberwood production as important as latex production. Molecular markers such as Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and Simple Sequence Repeats (SSRs) are widely used for Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) which can be detected in large quantity by transcriptome sequencing. MAS is thought to be a useful method for the development of new rubberwood clones for its shorter breeding cycle compared to a conventional breeding procedure. In this study we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on four H. brasiliensis clones (RRIM 712, RRIM 2025, RRIM 3001 and PB 314) from three tissues including bark, latex and leaf samples to identify SSRs and SNPs associated with wood-formation related genes. The RNA sequencing using the Illumina NextSeq 500 v2 platform, generated 1,697,491,922 raw reads. A total of 101,269 transcripts over 400 bp in size were obtained and similarity search of the non-redundant (nr) protein database returned 83,748 (83%) positive BLASTx hits. The transcriptome analysis was annotated using the NCBI NR (National Center for Biotechnology Information Non-Redundant), UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, gene ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. Differential expression analysis between later-timber rubber clone and non-later-timber rubber clone on wood-formation related genes, showed genes encoding phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) and cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) were highly up-regulated in a latex-timber rubber clone. In total, about 3,210,629 SNPs and 14,956 SSRs were detected with 1,786 SNPs and 31 SSRs were found for wood-formation biosynthesis of H. brasilensis from 11 lignin and cellulose gene toolboxes. After filtering and primer selection, 103 SNPs and 18 SSR markers were successfully amplified and could be useful as molecular tool for marker assisted breeding to produce new timber rubber clones.
What do we know about survival of Common cranes? An elementary introduction with Euring databank

The increase of the western populations of Common cranes (Grus grus) in the last five decades highlights the need to estimate survival rates. According to Euring databank (EDB), the oldest Common crane ever known was 27 years old in year 2017. This lifespan was obtained by means of 24,900 recoveries of 2,124 ringed cranes collected between years 1936 and 2017. Nearly all cranes were ringed and observed in the last 30 years, and therefore the elapsed time was not enough to reach the maximum longevity reported for the species in captivity (43 years, Mitchell 1911). Life expectancy was five years on average after the ring was attached. Here we provide some elementary analyses to calculate the annual apparent survival rate (ϕ = 0.85) and the annual encounter probability (p = 0.45) of Common cranes, as a first step to advance in the knowledge of the species’ population dynamics. The great increase of breeding and wintering crane populations in western Europe in the last decades remains largely unexplained.
Glypican 4 Regulates Aβ Internalization in Neural Stem Cells Partly via Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein 1

Neural stem cell (NSC) damage has been reported in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Intracellular Aβ plays a vital role in NSC damage. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are potent mediators of Aβ enrichment in the brain. We hypothesized the heparan sulfate proteoglycan glypican 4 (Gpc4) regulates Aβ internalization by NSCs. We evaluated Gpc4 expression in NSCs from P0–P2 generations using immunofluorescence. Adenovirus and lentivirus were used to regulate Gpc4 expression in NSCs and APP/PS1 mice, respectively. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to determine the relationship between Gpc4, Aβ, and low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1). Intracellular Aβ concentrations were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence. The role of Gpc4/LRP1 on toxic/physical Aβ-induced effects was evaluated using the JC-1 kit, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUPT nick end labeling, and western blotting. Gpc4 was stably expressed in NSCs, neurons, and astrocytes. Gpc4 was upregulated by Aβ in NSCs and regulated Aβ internalization. Gpc4 attenuation reduced Aβ uptake; Gpc4 overexpression increased Aβ uptake. Gpc4 regulated Aβ internalization through LRP1 and contributed to Aβ internalization and toxic/physical concentrations of Aβ-induced mitochondrial membrane potential and cell apoptosis, partly via LRP1. Therefore, Gpc4 is a key regulator of Aβ enrichment in NSCs. Inhibiting Gpc4 rescued the Aβ-induced toxic effect and attenuated the nontoxic Aβ enrichment into intracellular toxic concentrations. Gpc4 contributed to Aβ internalization and toxic/physical concentrations of Aβ-induced mitochondrial membrane potential damage and cell apoptosis, partly via LRP1. These findings suggest a potential role of Gpc4 in treating Alzheimer’s disease at an early stage, by targeting NSCs.
Cardiovascular Effects of Epinephrine During Experimental Hypothermia (32°C) With Spontaneous Circulation in an Intact Porcine Model

Aims: Rewarming from accidental hypothermia and therapeutic temperature management could be complicated by cardiac dysfunction. Although pharmacologic support is often applied when rewarming these patients, updated treatment recommendations are lacking. There is an underlying deficiency of clinical and experimental data to support such interventions and this prevents the development of clinical guidelines. Accordingly, we explored the clinical effects of epinephrine during hypothermic conditions. Materials and methods: Anesthetized pigs were immersion cooled to 32°C. Predetermined variables were compared at temperature/time-point baseline, after receiving 30 ng/kg/min and 90 ng/kg/min epinephrine infusions: (1) before and during hypothermia at 32°C, and after rewarming to 38°C (n = 7) and (2) a time-matched (5 h) normothermic control group (n = 5). Results: At 32°C, both stroke volume and cardiac output were elevated after 30 ng/kg/min administration, while systemic vascular resistance was reduced after 90 ng/kg/min. Epinephrine infusion did not alter blood flow in observed organs, except small intestine flow, and global O2 extraction rate was significantly reduced in response to 90 ng/kg/min infusion. Electrocardiographic measurements were unaffected by epinephrine infusion. Conclusion: Administration of both 30 ng/kg/min and 90 ng/kg/min at 32°C had a positive inotropic effect and reduced afterload. We found no evidence of increased pro-arrhythmic activity after epinephrine infusion in hypothermic pigs. Our experiment therefore suggests that β₁-receptor stimulation with epinephrine could be a favorable strategy for providing cardiovascular support in hypothermic patients, at core temperatures >32°C.
S0025315421000412jra 555..560

Asari clam (or Manila clam) Ruditapes philippinarum is an important bivalve for local fisheries. This species exhibits a large variation in shell morphology, and the shell roundness tends to be greater in more unsuitable habitats. To test whether the increments in shell size parameters (length, height and width) were affected solely by environmental conditions or by internal factors such as initial shell shapes or growth rate, a field caging experiment was conducted at two different sites of unsuitable and suitable habitats in Matsukawaura Lagoon, Japan, where shell shapes of wild clams were significantly different between the habitats. In the experiment, clams were released from the two sites to the same site or to the other site and were re-collected after 3, 6 and 12 months of caging. Caged clams originating from unsuitable habitats and released to suitable habitats showed a reduction in shell height relative to shell length, while clams from suitable habitats introduced to unsuitable habitats showed marked increases in both shell height and width. Generalized linear mixed models suggested that the increase in shell height was affected largely by the release habitat (environment) whereas the increase in shell width was affected largely by the individual growth rate. These results suggest that marginal growths in shell height and width respond differently to external and internal factors of clams, resulting in plasticity in their shell shapes according to the environments to which they are translocated.