Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Temperature and Salinity Fluctuation on the Early Life History Stages of Echinoid Echinoderms

Broadcast spawning is a common reproductive strategy in marine environments. While there are many advantages to this mode of reproduction, it has the drawback of leaving offspring exposed to environmental fluctuations. To study the effects of temperature and salinity fluctuations on development, I fertilized eggs of three different echinoid echinoderm species (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, Echinarachinus parma, and Lytechinus variegatus) under a range of conditions. In all three species, a novel response of embryonic twinning was seen under at least one combination of environmental conditions. Twinning percentages were variable among the three species with E. parma having the highest frequency. Significant variation in twinning frequency was also observed within species. In the most extreme cases up to 28% of embryos in a single treatment were observed to twin. To see how twinning affected development, we followed replicate pairs of E. parma larvae that were derived from twinning events. Twins were measured and compared to untwinned siblings. Overall, twins grew at a slower rate than untwinned siblings. In addition to reduced growth rates, twins were also delayed in reaching subsequent developmental stages. Other novel developmental abnormalities were observed in this study. Delay of hatching was seen frequently in E. parma embryos that had been exposed to reduced salinity and increased temperature. Prior to my study, environmentally cued hatching had been described in every deuterostome phyla except for echinoderms. The observation that it also occurs in echinoderms was an unexpected outcome. Normal hatching occurs at the blastula stage in echinoderms, but some embryos delayed hatching until shortly after gastrulation while others were four-arm larvae before hatching. The production of multiples and delays in hatching are both previously undocumented responses to environmental stress and their consequences for coastal populations should be explored further. Understanding how embryos and larvae respond to changes in temperature and salinity can help explain how these species persist in variable habitats and also how they may respond to future effects of climate change.
Parasitic zoonoses: survey in foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) in the northern Apennines / Zoonosi parassitarie: indagini in volpi ( Vulpes vulpes ) dell'Appennino settentrionale

Abstract A parasitological survey on 153 foxes was carried out in the northern Apennines, during the period 1984-1987. The following parasites were identified: Toxocara canis (46.4%), Taenia sp. (17%), Uncinaria stenocephala (11.8%), Mesocestoides lineatus (11.1%), Ancylostoma caninum (3.9%), Taenia hydatigena (3.3%), Trichuris vulpis (3.3%), Dipylidium caninum (2.6%), Taenia crassiceps (2%). All foxes were negative for Trichinella sp. A statistical analysis was performed to evaluate differences in the parasitic fauna according to the sex and age classes of the hosts. The role that the fox could have as a reservoir of helminthic zoonoses is discussed. The results are compared with those of similar studies carried out in Italy. Riassunto Nel periodo 1984-1987 e stata condotta un'indagine parassitologica su 153 volpi abbattute nell'Appennino romagnolo. Sono stati reperiti i seguenti parassiti: Toxocara canis (46,4%), Taenia sp. (17%), Uncinaria stenocephala (11,8%), Mesocestoides lineatus (11,1%), Ancylostoma caninum (3,9%), Taenia hydatigena (3,3%), Trichuris vulpis (3,3%), Dipylidium caninum (2,6%), Taenia crassiceps (2%). Tutte le volpi esaminate sono risultate negative per Trichinella sp. E stata effettuata l'analisi statistica dei dati per evidenziare eventuali differenze della fauna parassitaria in relazione al sesso e all'eta delle volpi. Sulla base dei dati ottenuti viene discussa l'importanza che la Volpe puo assumere come serbatoio di zoonosi elmintiche. I risultati acquisiti sono inoltre comparati con quelli ottenuti in analoghe ricerche condotte in Italia.
Secretome Biomarkers for the Identification and Differentiation of Enterohemorrhagic and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Strains

Abstract : The secreted proteins of the enterohemorrhagic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EHEC and EPEC) are the most common cause of hemorrhagic colitis, which is a bloody diarrhea with EHEC infection that can often lead to lifethreatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome. We are employing a metaproteomic approach as an effective and complementary technique to the current genomic-based approaches. This metaproteomic approach will evaluate the secreted proteins associated with pathogenicity and utilize their signatures as differentiation biomarkers between EHEC and EPEC strains. Analysis of extract from EHEC O104:H4 resulted in the identification of a multidrug efflux protein that belongs to the family of fusion proteins, which are responsible for cell transportation. The experimental peptides identified lie in the region of the HlyD hemolysin secretion protein-D, which is responsible for transporting the hemolysin A toxin. Moreover, the taxonomic classification of EHEC O104:H4 showed the closest match with E. coli E55989, which is in agreement with genomic-sequencing studies that were done extensively on the aforementioned strain. Comparative proteomic calculations showed separation between EHEC O157:H7 and O104:H4 in replicate samples using cluster analysis. There were no reported studies that addressed the characterization of secreted proteins in various enhanced-growth media and utilized them as biomarkers for strain differentiation.
Characterizing the role of CFL, OSR and SDR in the biosynthesis of the streptomyces scabies COR-like metabolites

Streptomyces is the largest genus of actinobacteria and consists of Gram-positive filamentous organisms that mainly inhabit soil environments. Some members of this genus have the ability to cause economically important crop diseases such as potato common scab (CS), which is characterized by the formation of superficial, raised or pitted corky-like lesions on the surface of potato tubers. Among the virulence factors produced by the best characterized CS-causing pathogen, S. scabies are the phytotoxic secondary metabolites called the COR-like metabolites, which resemble the coronatine (COR) phytotoxin produced by the plant pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas syringae. The objective of this study was to characterize the role of three S. scabies genes (cfl, oxr and sdr) in the biosynthesis of the COR-like metabolites by constructing gene deletion mutants and examining the effect of each mutation on metabolite biosynthesis and bioactivity. The results of this study indicate that all three genes are necessary for normal production of the COR-like metabolites in S. scabies, and possible roles for each gene in the biosynthetic pathway are discussed.
Erysiphe deutziae - a new epidemic spread in Europe.

Erysiphe deutziae (Bunkina) U. Braun & S. Takam. est un oidium actuellement en extension en Europe. Le stade anamorphe de cette espece a ete trouve en France, en Allemagne, en Pologne et en Suisse sur Deutzia sp. (cultive), Deutzia x magnifica (Lemoine) Rehder et Deutzia scabra Thunb. La morphologie, la taxinomie et la distribution mondiale d'Erysiphe deutziae sont decrites, illustrees et discutees.
Optimisation of cell growth and shelf life stability of Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 41125

Economic demands for milk and meat products force farmers to increase the carbohydrate content of grains fed to animals. One of the consequences of this intervention is the lactic acidosis condition in animals fed the high-concentrate diets, which is the accumulation of lactic acid in the rumen. Symptoms of the condition include lameness, bloatedness, epistaxis and dilated pupils. Methods such as ionophore antibiotics, gradual transition from high to low-concentrate diets and yeast cultures have in the past been used to avert this condition but all had their disadvantages. Microorganisms may develop resistance to the ionophore antibiotics; gradual transition time may be too long for production and yeast cultures have been reported to be ineffective when used alone. Megasphaera elsdenii, a major lactate utiliser of the rumen of animals, has been used as a direct-fed microbial in the management of lactic acid levels. Studies on M. elsdenii NCIMB 41125 have shown that the bacterium is an effective lactic acid utiliser. Megasphaera elsdenii NCIMB 41125 was cultured in a Biostat Braun B fermenter where growth yields were attempted to be optimised by using a pulse-and-shift method. A semi-defined lactate (SDL) and corn steep liquor (CSL) media, which contained reducing agents, to ensure anaerobiosis, were used in the optimisation
Birth weight and the rate of increase in the cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Consequences of birth weight for development, survival and fecundity were studied in the offspring of the alate morph Aphis craccivora (Koch), with the aim of testing the hypothesis that birth weight is near optimal. Aphids large at birth were found to mature sooner and achieve higher total reproduction than those born smaller.A bootstrapping procedure was used to estimate the correlation between birth weight and two measures of fitness (rm): one calculated from unadjusted life-table data, the other from life tables adjusted to correct for the trade-off between offspring weight and offspring number. The unadjusted data yield a highly significant positive correlation - large neonates are fitter than small ones. The correlation estimated from the adjusted life table is no longer significant - mothers producing large offspring are no fitter than those producing small ones.
Mécanismes moléculaires de la réponse des plantes aux radiations ionisantes. Exploration du rôle des glucosinolates dans la réponse antioxydante.

Les organismes terrestres sont exposes a des faibles doses de radiations ionisantes d'origine naturelle ou anthropique. Les effets majeurs de ces rayonnements sont dus aux dommages sur l'ADN et a la radiolyse de l'eau qui genere un stress oxydant via la production de radicaux libres. De part leur metabolisme secondaire developpe, les vegetaux sont utilises pour l'etude des effets des radiations ionisantes et pour la recherche de molecules antioxydantes. Cette these financee par la region Bretagne a donc caracterise la reponse physiologique et moleculaire de la plante modele Arabidopsis thaliana a des doses faibles (10 Gy) a moderees (40 Gy) de radiations ionisantes, ainsi que le role des glucosinolates, composes caracteristiques de la famille des Brassicaceae. Deux etudes globales en proteomique et en transcriptomique ont revelee : (1) une reponse commune aux deux doses concernant les mecanismes de reparation de l'ADN, la regulation du cycle cellulaire et la protection des structures cellulaires ; (2) Un ajustement du metabolisme energetique et une activation des voies metaboliques secondaires (i.e. glucosinolates et flavonoides) apres la dose 10 Gy ; (3) une induction du controle enzymatique des ROS, du recyclage des composes cellulaires et de la mort cellulaire programmee apres la dose 40 Gy. Le role protecteur des glucosinolates a ensuite ete explore. La capacite antioxydante in vitro de certains d'entre eux et de leurs derives a ete montree. Leurs effets modulateurs par rapport a l'irradiation ont ete testes in vivo sur des marqueurs physiologiques de croissance. L'importance de la teneur en glucosinolates pour avoir un effet positif ou negatif a ete mise en evidence.
Distal femoral morphology: The difference between genders

Abstract We measured 11 linear morphometric parameters of 100 human femurs of which 52 were male and 48 female, to ascertain the difference between male and female femora. The epicondylar width (EBW) mean was 82.65±3.96 mm in male and 72.47±3.49 mm in female samples (p<0.001). Intercondylar notch width (ICW) mean in males was 19.32±4.10 mm, in the females 18.04±3.40 mm (p<0.01). Intercondylar notch height (ICH) mean in males was 29.05±4.57 mm and in the females 26.85±4.10 mm (p<0.5). Maximal Medial Condylar Width (MCWmax) was 35.86±2.89 mm in males and 31.50±2.86 mm in females (p<0.001). Medial condylar width (MCW) was 26.73±2.77 mm in males and 23.81±3.01 mm in females (p<0.001). Maximal Lateral Condylar (LCWmax) width was 36, 05±2.68 mm in males and 31.70±2.03 mm in females (p<0.001). Lateral Condylar Width (LCW) was 28.11±2.71mm in males and 24.45±2.61 mm in females (p<0.001). Medial Condylar Height (MCH) in males was 38.40±3.91 mm and in females 33.02±4.01 mm (p<0.001). Lateral Condylar Height (LCH) was 39.25±3.54 mm in males and 32.83±3.54 mm in females (p<0.001). Medial Condylar Depth (MCD) was 61.88±4.04 mm in males and 54.45±3.59 mm in females (p<0.001). Lateral Condylar Depth (LCD) was 64.67±4.48 mm in males and 56.68±3.62 mm in females (p<0.001). The obtained information can be used for gender specific total knee protheses, understanding ACL rupture epidemiology and identifying the gender of skeletal remains. Keywords: Femur, Condyles, Arthroplasty, Endoprothetics, Anterior Cruciate Ligament
An optimized colony forming assay for low-dose- radiation cell survival measurement

The aim of this study is to develop a simple and reliable method to quantify the cell survival of low-dose irradiations. Two crucial factors were considered, the same number of cells plated in each flask and an appropriate interval between cell plating and irradiation. For the former, we optimized cell harvest with trypsin, diluted cells in one container, and directly seeded cells on the bottom of flasks in a low density before irradiation. Reproducible plating efficiency was obtained. For the latter, we plated cells on the bottom of flasks and then monitored the processing of attachment, cell cycle variations, and the plating efficiency after exposure to 20 cGy of X-rays. The results showed that a period of 4.5 h to 7.5 h after plating was suitable for further treatment. In order to confirm the reliability and feasibility of our method, we also measured the survival curves of these M059K and M059J glioma cell lines by following the optimized protocol and obtained consistent results reported by others with cell sorting system. In conclusion, we successfully developed a reliable and simple way to measure the survival fractions of human cells exposed to low dose irradiation, which might be helpful for the studiesmore » on low-dose radiation biology. « less
A dominant negative over expression model of mammalian MED12 function

Although schizophrenia has been shown to have a substantial component, there is a dearth of known risk alleles. Furthermore, all of the known risk genes are of small effect sizes. Previously it has been shown that a 12 base pair insertional polymorphism in the in the C-terminal, opposite paired (Opa) domain of the MED12 gene known as MED12 represents a small but significant risk for a positive syndrome psychosis. In addition, the MED12 polymorphism is found in approximately 1.6 percent of Xchromosomes of northern European decent. Studies in zebrafish show that alterations of MED12 reduce staining for monoaminergic neuronal populations, including dopaminergic and serotonergic populations. However, precise mechanisms through which these changes occur remain unknown. For this study PC6-3 cells were used as a mammalian, cell culture model for studying cellular and transcriptional effects of MED12 in a dopaminergic cell type. This approach was based on studies that have shown that overexpression of C-terminal MED12 proline, glutamine and leucine rich (PQL) and Opa domain constructs interact in a dominant negative manner with several transcriptional regulatory proteins that interact with MED12. GFP tagged PQL and Opa domain constructs were placed into a tetracycline inducible T-RExTM regulated expression vector and introduced into a previously generated PC6-3, TR156 cell line expressing the Tet-Repressor molecule. In this study, I report a selection bias against stably transfected cell lines strongly expressing constructs containing the two C-terminal PQL-Opa protein domains of MED12. I also show that the described low levels of induction of that construct are associated with small, but significant alterations in nuclear morphology, possibly due to nuclear reorganization. Induction of PQL-Opa domains increases in cell metabolism by an MTS, tetrazolium salt assay typically associated with increased proliferation compared to the Opa domain alone. Interestingly, the MTS results in the stable cell lines were not
Development of Computed Tomography Head and Body Phantom for Organ Dosimetry

Introduction: Quality assurance in Computed tomography (CT) centers in developing countries are largely hindered by the unavailability of CT phantoms. The development of a local CT phantom for the measurement of organ radiation absorbed dose is therefore requisite. Material and Methods: Local CT phantoms were designed to meet the standard criteria of 32 cm diameter for body, 16 cm diameter for head, and 14 cm in length respectively. The outer plastic shell was made using poly (methyl methacrylate [PMMA]) sheet. The developed CT phantoms were validated against a standard phantom. Radiation absorbed dose was determined by scanning the setup with the same protocol used for the standard phantom. The local phantoms were then verified for organ radiation absorbed dose measurement using bovine tissues. The set up was CT-scanned, and Hounsfield units (HU) for bovine tissues were obtained. Results: There was no significant difference between the local and standard head phantoms (P=0.060). Similarly, no difference was noted between the local and standard body phantoms (P=0.795). The percentage difference in volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) between the body (local and standard) phantoms was higher than that for the head phantoms. There were no significant differences in HU between bovine and human brain, liver, kidney and lung tissues (P=0.938). Conclusion: The local phantoms showed good agreement with the standard ones. The developed phantoms can be used for CT organ radiation absorbed dose measurement in radiology departments in Nigeria.
Variabilidade de atributos fsicos do solo determinados por mtodos diversos

The spatial variability of soil physical attributes has been the focus of many studies in the last few years. However, little has been discussed of differences of these attributes due to sampling methods. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variability of soil physical attributes sampled by different methods in Rhodic Eutrudox, in Campinas (SP, Brazil). Sampling was performed between January and May of 2005, at 302 points of a 10 x 10 m grid. Soil bulk density was measured by the volumetric soil core and the clod methods. Total soil porosity was estimated using the relation between soil bulk density and particle density 2,65 kg dm-3 described in scientific literature for mineral soil and 2,84 kg dm-3 found in the study area. Soil water content was measured by the volumetric core, gravimetric and TDR methods. Bulk density measured soil core presented the lesser value of coefficient of variation (CV) and effect nugget (C0), respectively 7,13% and 0,005. The measured total porosity is presented as the method most practical for determination of this attribute of the soil. The humidity sampling volumetric presented results close to the overall average comparative to the too much methods of sampling of the soil water content.
Incidence of deep vein thrombosis following shoulder replacement surgery: a prospective study

Background: The incidence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after shoulder replacement surgery is not well documented. Evidence that exists on thromboprophylaxis for upper limb surgery is based on level III and level IV studies. The hypothesis for the current study was that the incidence of DVT following shoulder replacement would be less than the published prevalence in hip and knee arthroplasties. Methods: All participants who received shoulder arthroplasty surgery at the institution from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2015 and who met the inclusion criteria were eligible for inclusion in the study. A duplex Doppler study was done on the affected limb of all participants on average ten days after the surgery. A study of all four limbs was done in selected participants. Results: Fifty-seven participants (28 males and 29 females) with 30 reverse shoulder replacements, 22 hemiarthroplasties, and five resurfacing shoulder replacements were included. The incidence of DVT was 12.3% (7/57). Two axillary vein and three brachial vein DVTs account for the upper limb DVTs. Two DVTs were reported in the lower limb. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that the incidence of DVT after shoulder replacement surgery was higher than anticipated and is similar to the DVT rates in lower limb arthroplasty. Level of evidence: Level 4
HUBUNGAN TINGKAT STRES DENGAN KEJADIAN KETOMBE PADA MAHASISWA FAKULTAS KEDOKTERAN UNIVERSITAS ANDALAS ANGKATAN 2017

Ketombe atau dandruff atau Pitiriasis sicca adalah kelainan kulit yang ditandai dengan adanya lapisan stratum korneum kulit kepala yang mengelupas, membentuk sisik tipis berwarna putih yang disertai rasa gatal. Terdapat beberapa etiologi dari ketombe dan salah satunya adalah jamur Malassezia sp. Kondisi ini banyak terjadi pada usia 19-22 tahun Terdapat beberapa faktor risiko yang diduga dapat menyebabkan ketombe diantaranya stres. Stress dapat mempengaruhi aktivitas kelenjar sebasea. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan tingkat stres dengan kejadian ketombe pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Andalas angkatan 2017. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian analitik dengan desain cross-sectional yang dilakukan pada mahasiswa Fakultas Kedokteran Universitas Andalas dari bulan Agustus 2017 sampai dengan Maret 2018. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan dengan teknik simple random sampling terhadap 107 sampel. Data didapatkan dengan wawancara menggunakan kuisioner dan pemeriksaan kulit kepala kemudian dilanjutkan analisis statistik univariat dan bivariat. Hasil analisis univariat didapatkan mahasiswa dengan tingkat stres ringan (35,5%), stres sedang (19,6%), stres berat (4,7%), dan stres sangat berat (1,9%). Mahasiswa dengan ketombe 83 orang (77,6%) dan yang tidak memiliki ketombe sebanyak 24 orang (22,4%). Hasil analisis bivariat menunjukan tidak terdapat hubungan bermakna antara tingkat stres dengan kejadian ketombe (p=0,622). Kesimpulan penelitian ini adalah tidak terdapat hubungan bermakna antara tingkat stres dengan kejadian ketombe. Saran penelitian ini adalah agar penelitian selanjutnya melakukan pengontrolan faktor perancu ketombe lebih baik dan melakukan penelitian multivariat agar mengetahui faktor apa saja yang mempengaruhi ketombe. Kata Kunci : ketombe, stres, mahasiswa kedokteran