Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Veterinary Practitioners’ Intention to Intervene in Animal Abuse Cases in South Korea

Simple Summary In South Korea, from 2013–2018, the number of animal abuse crimes has increased by 3.3 times. Since veterinarians are at the forefront of witnessing and identifying such issues, we aimed to investigate the perceived barriers and factors that influence their intention toward reporting animal abuse cases and counseling animal owners in South Korea to develop insights into how they can be encouraged to engage in abuse prevention. We collected data regarding the number of cases witnessed, responses to these cases, barriers associated with reporting cases, belief in the link between animal abuse and human crimes and moral and legal obligations, and participant characteristics via a questionnaire. On analyzing the responses, we uncovered that 80% of the participants witnessed suspected animal abuse cases, and more than half of them were reluctant to report them to the authorities. We found that a “pro-animal” attitude and belief in the “link” between animal abuse and human abuse and moral and legal obligations toward animals are significantly associated with intervening in animal abuse cases. To reinforce these aspects, we recommend that veterinarians be trained in legal liability, moral responsibility, and veterinary forensic medicine. To overcome perceived barriers, legislation to protect victims and reporting veterinarians should be introduced. Abstract Due to their professional abilities, veterinarians have a duty to reduce animal abuse. Therefore, it is crucial to understand their attitude and behavior on encountering animal abuse cases. We analyzed the responses from completed questionnaires (n = 593) filled by small and large animal practitioners in South Korea. The majority (n = 513, 86.5%) of the respondents witnessed suspected animal abuse cases in their practice. The female participants, small animal practitioners, and younger veterinarians tended to report animal abuse cases more frequently. Based on a hierarchical regression model, moral obligation was the statistically significant predictor of intention toward counseling owners (F = 22.089, R2 = 0.232, p < 0.001) while “pro-animal” attitudes, belief in the “link” between animal and human crimes, and moral and legal obligation were significant predictors of intention to report (F = 22.877, R2 = 0.239, p < 0.001). The most frequent barrier in reporting abuse cases was the difficulty in assuring animal safety afterwards. Our findings revealed that individual characteristics (sex, age, practice type, pro-animal attitude) affect veterinarian sensitivity in recognizing animal abuse. Participants lacked self-efficiency in managing animal abuse cases. Therefore, strengthening professionalism and training veterinarians in identifying nonaccidental injuries caused by abuse are recommended to motivate them to intervene in abuse cases.
The Four-Kallikrein Panel Is Effective in Identifying Aggressive Prostate Cancer in a Multiethnic Population

Background: The four-kallikrein (4K) panel has been demonstrated to improve prediction of aggressive prostate cancer compared with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) among men with moderately elevated PSA levels. However, the development and testing of the 4K panel has been conducted primarily in White men, with limited data in African Americans and no studies in other racial and ethnic groups. Methods: We evaluated the 4K panel in a nested case–control study among African American, Latino, Japanese, Native Hawaiian, and White men in the Multiethnic Cohort. Prediagnostic blood levels of free, intact, and total PSA and human kallikrein-related peptidase 2 were measured among 1,667 incident prostate cancer cases and 691 controls with PSA ≥2 ng/mL. We evaluated the discriminative ability of the 4K panel within and across all racial/ethnic groups. Results: The 4K panel enhanced discrimination of overall prostate cancer compared with free plus total PSA and total PSA alone (AUC 0.748 vs. 0.711 and 0.669, respectively). Discrimination was further enhanced for Gleason 8+ prostate cancer, aggressive prostate cancer, and death due to prostate cancer, and to a lesser degree for nonaggressive prostate cancer. Improvement of the 4K panel over PSA was observed in each population. Adding a prostate cancer polygenic risk score slightly improved upon the discriminative ability of the 4K panel. Conclusions: The superior discriminative ability of the 4K panel over PSA for overall and aggressive prostate cancer across multiethnic populations indicates the broad clinical applicability of the 4K panel. Impact: Our multiethnic investigation suggests potential for the 4K panel to improve current prostate cancer screening practices.
Effect of seed size and defoliation at three development stages on root and shoot growth of seedlings of some common pasture species

Abstract Plants of perennial ryegrass and red clover grown from low-weight seeds were smaller and had shorter root lengths and slower root elongation rates than plants from medium- and high-weight seed. Both these species had higher root elongation rates than the smaller-seeded cocksfoot and white clover, which in turn had a greater seed size and elongation rate than timothy and browntop. Within the four grasses and two clovers, plant size and root length were related to seed size, but the clovers had lower relative values than the grasses. Removal of all laminae resulted in rapid reduction in root elongation followed by gradual recovery in all six species. Recovery was more rapid when plants were defoliated at 8 weeks than at 6 or 10 weeks, and was slowest in browntop and most rapid in white clover, cocksfoot, and perennial ryegrass. The maximum depression of root elongation was greater in the grasses than in the clovers. There was no difference according to the age at which defoliation occurred. The res.
Activation of CB1R Promotes Lipopolysaccharide-Induced IL-10 Secretion by Monocytic Myeloid-Derived Suppressive Cells and Reduces Acute Inflammation and Organ Injury

Key Points Δ9-THC increases IL-10 and reduces IL-6 and CCL2 in endotoxemic mice via CB1R. Δ9-THC decreases lung inflammation and organ injury in endotoxemic mice. Monocytic-MDSCs mediate Δ9-THC–induced IL-10 upregulation in endotoxemic mice. Visual Abstract Cannabis sativa and its principal components, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol, are increasingly being used to treat a variety of medical problems, including inflammatory conditions. Although studies suggest that the endocannabinoid system has immunomodulatory properties, there remains a paucity of information on the effects of cannabinoids on immunity and on outcomes of infection and injury. We investigated the effects and mechanism(s) of action of cannabinoid receptor agonists, including Δ9-THC, on inflammation and organ injury in endotoxemic mice. Administration of Δ9-THC caused a dramatic early upregulation of plasma IL-10 levels, reduced plasma IL-6 and CCL-2 levels, led to better clinical status, and attenuated organ injury in endotoxemic mice. The anti-inflammatory effects of Δ9-THC in endotoxemic mice were reversed by a cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1R) inverse agonist (SR141716), and by clodronate-induced myeloid-cell depletion, but not by genetic invalidation or blockade of other putative Δ9-THC receptors, including cannabinoid receptor type 2, TRPV1, GPR18, GPR55, and GPR119. Although Δ9-THC administration reduced the activation of several spleen immune cell subsets, the anti-inflammatory effects of Δ9-THC were preserved in splenectomized endotoxemic mice. Finally, using IL-10–GFP reporter mice, we showed that blood monocytic myeloid-derived suppressive cells mediate the Δ9-THC–induced early rise in circulating IL-10. These results indicate that Δ9-THC potently induces IL-10, while reducing proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and related organ injury in endotoxemic mice via the activation of CB1R. These data have implications for acute and chronic conditions that are driven by dysregulated inflammation, such as sepsis, and raise the possibility that CB1R-signaling may constitute a novel target for inflammatory disorders.
Chromosomal Characteristics of NORs and Karyological Analysis of Tokay Gecko, Gekko gecko (Gekkonidae, Squamata) from Mitotic and Meiotic Cell Division

1 Applied Taxonomic Research Center (ATRC), Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Muang, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand 2 Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, Nakhon Phanom University, Kamtao, Muang, Nakhon Phanom 48000, Thailand 3 Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen Universisty, Muang, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand 4 Department of Fundamental Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Surindra Rajabhat University, Muang, Surin 32000, Thailand
Assessment of the interaction of progesterone and estrogen administered intraperitoneally on food intake, water intake and body weight in ovariectomized albino rats

Background and Aim: The gonadal hormones like estrogen and progesterone play important role in the regulation of ingestive behaviors and body weight. Recent report from our laboratory indicates the inhibitory role of intraperitoneally injected estrogen on food intake in rats. However, the reports of progesterone, the other important female gonadal hormone on ingestive behaviors are not clearly elucidated. Moreover, the interaction of progesterone with estrogen in mediating ingestive behaviors is also not clear. Therefore in the present study, we have assessed the effects of progesterone injected alone and in combination with estrogen on ingestive behaviors and body weight in ovariectomized albino rats. Methods: Bilateral ovariectomy was performed in 24 rats, and postovariectomy basal food and water intake and body weight were recorded. The animals were divided into two groups: progesterone group ( n = 12) and estrogen-progesterone group ( n = 12). Three different dosages (5, 10 and 15 mg/ml) of progesterone were injected intraperitoneal (i.p.) separately and in combination with estrogen on 5 days, following which 24 h food and water intake and body weight were recorded for each injection. Results: It was observed that ovariectomy significantly increases food intake, water intake and body weight. I.p. injection of progesterone resulted in a dose-dependent increase in water intake without significant alteration in food intake and body weight. Anorectic effect of estrogen and dipsogenic effect of progesterone were prominent when estrogen and progesterone were injected combinely. Conclusion: It was concluded that estrogen inhibits food and water intake and progesterone facilitates water intake without affecting body weight. The effects of estrogen and progesterone are independent of each other.
Distinct iron homeostasis in C57BL/6 and Balb/c mouse strains

C57BL/6 (BL6) and Balb/c mice exhibit prototypical Th1‐ and Th2‐dominant immune predispositions, respectively. Iron is a proinflammatory metal ion; however, limited information is documented on the differences in iron homeostasis between BL6 and Balb/c strains. The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which strain‐level differences in these mice dictates the regulation of iron homeostasis during physiologic and inflammatory conditions. At basal levels, Balb/c mice displayed significantly higher levels of iron in systemic circulation and tissue compared to BL6 mice. Moreover, Balb/c mice had greater iron absorption as indicated by higher gene expressions of duodenal DcytB, DMT1, Fpn, SFT, and Heph. Similarly, hepatic Tf, TfR1, TfR2, and DMT1 expressions were augmented in Balb/c mice. Interestingly, there was no change in hepatic Hamp expression between the two strains, suggesting that the disparity in their maintenance of iron is independent of hepcidin. Additionally, the basal levels of intracellular labile iron pool in Balb/c intestinal epithelial cells, and bone marrow‐derived macrophages and neutrophils, were higher compared to BL6 mice. When mice were challenged with lipopolysaccharide, the acute inflammatory response in BL6 mice was more pronounced than in Balb/c mice, as indicated by the more rapid development of hypoferremia and upregulation of serum IL‐6 and TNF‐α levels in BL6 mice. In conclusion, this study underscores that iron homeostasis is distinct between BL6 and Balb/c strains under both physiologic and inflammatory conditions.
Crescimento do morangueiro: influência da cultivar e da posição da planta no canteiro

The aim of this research was to evaluate the growth of strawberry cultivars growing in organic crop system observing the influence of plant position in the bed on accumulated dry matter production and its partitioning among the aboveground plant organs. The experiment was conducted in Embrapa Clima Temperado, Estacao Experimental Cascata, Pelotas, RS. The treatments were compose by the combination of two experimental factors: cultivar ('Aromas', 'Albion', 'Camarosa' and 'Camino Real') and plant position in the bed (Central and Border). The experimental design used was randomized blocks with split-plots and four replications. 'Camarosa' cultivar presented highest dry mass production of aboveground organs (62.3; 27.5 and 88.0g plant-1 for leaves, crown and fruits, respectively), and together 'Aromas', highest yield (64.2 and 59.1Mg ha-1, respectively). 'Aromas' cultivar presented highest fruit dry mass contribution for the total aboveground dry mass production (60.6%) and the highest harvest index (88%). The plant position in the bed did not influence the growth and yield of the plants, which indicate no border effect for the 'Albion', 'Aromas', 'Camarosa' and 'Camino Real' strawberry cultivars.
Hydrodynamics of Manukau Harbour, New Zealand

Abstract A calibrated two‐dimensional finite‐element model, which handles flooding/drying of intertidal areas, complemented by field data, has produced information on tidal propagation in Manukau Harbour, New Zealand with reasonably good accuracy. Excluding the upper‐harbour inlets, c. 50% of both the amplification and phase lag in the dominant M2 tidal constituent occurs through the deep 10‐km‐long entrance channel to Puponga Point. The calculation of tidal residuals has isolated flood‐directed and ebb‐directed residual circulation respectively on either side of Puponga Point, which is a typical pattern for alternating flows around headlands. The model has established the dominance of tidal‐driven over wind‐driven circulation in most of the harbour except in the upper intertidal areas. Wind‐driven circulation in the inner Harbour is characterised by downwind flows over intertidal sand banks with pressure‐driven return flows (vertically averaged) in the deeper main channels. Tidal dissipation rates are su.
Vestigial-like family member 3 (VGLL3), a cofactor for TEAD transcription factors, promotes cancer cell proliferation by activating the Hippo pathway

Vestigial-like 3 (VGLL3) is a member of the VGLL family, whose members serve as cofactors for TEA domain–containing transcription factors (TEADs). TEADs promote tissue and tumor development together with the cofactors Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). Although VGLL3 is involved in tumor cell proliferation, its relationship with TEADs and YAP/TAZ remains largely unknown. To close this research gap, here we established tumor cells stably expressing VGLL3 and found that they exhibit enhanced proliferation. Notably, YAP and TAZ were inactivated in the VGLL3-expressing cells, coinciding with activation of the Hippo pathway, which suppresses YAP/TAZ activities. VGLL3 in combination with TEADs promoted expression of the Hippo pathway components large tumor suppressor kinase (LATS2) and angiomotin-like 2 (AMOTL2). VGLL3 was highly expressed in malignant breast tumor cells and osteosarcoma cells, and VGLL3 knockdown increased nuclear localization of YAP and TAZ. Knockdown of LATS2 or AMOTL2, as well as VGLL3 knockdown, repressed proliferation of breast tumor cells. Together, these results suggest that VGLL3 together with TEADs promotes cell proliferation by activating the Hippo pathway through LATS2 and AMOTL2, leading to YAP/TAZ inactivation.
Host preferences of bat flies: following the bloody path of stable isotopes in a host–parasite food chain

Almost all mammals are infested with ectoparasites, but even though parasites may have a strong impact on their host, their host specificity is often unknown. We studied the host preferences of two bat fly species, Strebla wiedemanni Kolenati, 1856 and Trichobius parasiticus Gervais, 1844, identified on the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810), using stable carbon isotopes. Since D. rotundus was part of the C4 food web and other bats sharing the roost with D. rotundus were part of the C3 food web, bat flies were exposed to two isotopically distinct potential hosts. The δ13C values of the two bat fly species collected from D. rotundus were similar (–11.5 ± 1.1 (mean ± SD) for S. wiedemanni and –12.4 ± 1.9 for T. parasiticus) and identified them as members of the C4 food web, although their δ13C value was significantly lower by –1.7 ± 2.6 than that of the corresponding host individual. The δ13C value of bat flies collected from Carollia perspicillata (L., 1758) sharing roosts with.
RACTK1: a putative inward rectifier potassium channel of the distal nephron. Investigation in Xenopus laevis oocytes

To date, cloning and examination of the functional properties of RACTK1, a K+ channel present in the distal nephron, have been performed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, but not using the oocyte expression system. We examined the expression and cytological localization of RACTK1 protein in Xenopus oocytes. In vitro transcribed cRNA of ROMK1, RACTK1, streptavidin‐tagged constructs of RACTK1 and ROMK1, alone or in concert, were injected into oocytes. Protein expression was evaluated by two‐electrode voltage clamp, followed by immunocytochemistry. ROMK1 and co‐injected oocytes (tagged and untagged) exhibited barium‐sensitive K+ conductances significantly greater than both RACTK1 (tagged and untagged) and water‐injected oocytes. Water‐injected oocytes failed to demonstrate protein expression. Expression of membrane protein was evident in ROMK1‐injected and RACTK1/ROMK1 co‐injected oocytes, but not in RACTK1‐injected oocytes. RACTK1 does not produce an extracellular membrane protein in oocytes. Therefore, this system is not suitable for further study or verification of the properties of RACTK1.
Cyanidin Attenuates Methylglyoxal-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in INS-1 Pancreatic β-Cells by Increasing Glyoxalase-1 Activity

Recently, the mechanisms responsible for anti-glycation activity of cyanidin and its derivatives on the inhibition of methylglyoxal (MG)-induced protein glycation and advanced glycation-end products (AGEs) as well as oxidative DNA damage were reported. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of cyanidin against MG-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in rat INS-1 pancreatic β-cells. Exposure of cells to cytotoxic levels of MG (500 µM) for 12 h caused a significant reduction in cell viability. However, the pretreatment of cells with cyanidin alone (6.25–100 μM) for 12 h, or cotreatment of cells with cyanidin (3.13–100 μM) and MG, protected against cell cytotoxicity. In the cotreatment condition, cyanidin (33.3 and 100 μM) also decreased MG-induced apoptosis as determined by caspase-3 activity. Furthermore, INS-1 cells treated with MG increased the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during a 6 h exposure. The MG-induced increase in ROS production was inhibited by cyanidin (33.3 and 100 μM) after 3 h stimulation. Furthermore, MG diminished the activity of glyoxalase 1 (Glo-1) and its gene expression as well as the level of total glutathione. In contrast, cyanidin reversed the inhibitory effect of MG on Glo-1 activity and glutathione levels. Interestingly, cyanidin alone was capable of increasing Glo-1 activity and glutathione levels without affecting Glo-1 mRNA expression. These findings suggest that cyanidin exerts a protective effect against MG-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells by increasing the activity of Glo-1.
The prognostic value of ephrin type-A2 receptor and Ki-67 in renal cell carcinoma patients

Abstract Patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the most common malignant renal epithelial tumor, usually present with advanced disease and unpredicted clinical behavior. The receptor tyrosine kinase, ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EphA2) was found to be overexpressed in several malignancies and its expression was found to be associated with poor prognostic features. Our study is an observational study with the aim of investigating the prognostic value of EphA2 in RCC patients and its association with clinicopathological parameters as well as Ki-67 expression, which is a well-known proliferative and prognostic marker in RCC. EphA2 and Ki-67 immunohistochemical staining was performed on whole sections representative of 50 patients diagnosed with primary RCC from 2013 to 2018. In addition, the association between EphA2 mRNA expression and clinicopathological parameters as well as the patients’ outcome was also evaluated using two large publicly available databases. Our results showed a significant association between EphA2 immunohistochemical expression and tumor size, nuclear grade, tumor stage, patients’ outcome and Ki-67 expression (P < .05 for all). The same trend was also observed with EphA2 mRNA expression using larger patients’ cohorts in 2 publicly available databases. Notably, EphA2 protein expression showed higher levels of co-expression with the proliferative marker Ki-67. Our results suggested that higher expression of EphA2 and Ki-67 in tumor tissues predicts a locally aggressive behaviour and poor outcome of patients with RCC. Moreover, our results give a rationale for the potential benefits of using novel therapeutic strategies with the aim of targeting EphA2 receptor in RCC patients that might help in improving their outcome.
The Impact of Human Milk on Necrotizing Enterocolitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Premature infants receiving breastfeed have a lower incidence of NEC than those fed preterm formula. This study aimed: (1) to update a systematic review and meta-analyses to evaluate the relationship between feeding and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in low weight premature infants; (2) to conduct meta-regression analyses by subgroups; (3) to describe geographical distribution of milk banks in the world. Methods. Papers included in the meta-analysis were updated as of June 2019. Relative risks were used as a measure of effect size. Random effect models were used to account for different sources of variation among studies. For milk banks, the data reviewed by the literature were integrated with the information collected from countries’ institutional sites and milk bank networks. Results. Thirty-two papers were included in meta-analysis: six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 26 observational studies (OS). The census has found 572 milk banks around in the world. Brazil has the most active milk banks. RCTs meta-analysis indicates a risk reduction of NEC using human milk respect to formula: Relative risk (RR) = 0.62 (0.42–0.93). Seven OS compared quantities lower than human milk or higher than the 50th quantile showing a risk reduction of NEC:RR = 0.51 (0.31–0.85); 3 OS that evaluated human milk versus mixed feeding showing that human milk has a protective role on the development of NEC:RR = 0.74 (0.63–0.91). Results of subgroups analysis show that the risk reduction is statistically significant only for studies in which premature infants are given both their own and donated breastmilk. Conclusions. The possibility of preserving human milk and promoting donations guarantees an improvement in the health of newborns.