Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary Encapsulated Essential Oils Improve Production Performance of Coccidiosis-Vaccine-Challenged Broiler Chickens

Simple Summary The in-feed antibiotics have been banned worldwide, and anticoccidial drugs are also expected to be removed from the formulated, complete feeds. Thus, looking for alternatives to anticoccidials has been on the increase. Essential oils are naturally derived substances containing the aromatic components of herbs and spices and exhibit antibacterial/anticoccidial, antioxidant, and immune modulating-effects, the properties in poultry. These beneficial biological properties of essential oils make them be considered potential anticoccidial agents. Forthermore, encapsulating essential oils is known to be an effective and efficient strategy to slowly release their active components upon passing the gastrointestinal tract. This study was conducted to examine the effects of encapsulated thymol- and carvacrol-based essential oils on productivity and gut health of chickens challenged with high dose of coccidiosis vaccine. Abstract The present study was conducted to evaluate the encapsulated essential oils (EEO) as an alternative to anticoccidials using a coccidiosis vaccine challenged model in broiler chickens. A total of 600 one-day-old male broiler chicks were provided with no added corn/soybean-meal-based control diet or diets that contained either salinomycin (SAL) or thymol- and carvacrol-based EEO at 60 and 120 mg per kg of diet. Before challenge at 21 days, each treatment had 10 replicates except for the no-added control group, which had 20 replicates. On day 21, half of the control groups were orally challenged with a coccidiosis vaccine at 25 times higher than the recommended vaccine dose. During 22 to 28 days (i.e., one-week post coccidiosis vaccine challenge), the challenged chickens had a decrease (P < 0.05) in body weight gain and feed intake but an increase in feed conversion ratio compared with the non-challenged, naïve control chickens. However, dietary EEO significantly counteracted (P < 0.05) coccidiosis-vaccine-induced depression in body weight gain and feed intake. Inclusion of dietary EEO linearly decreased (P < 0.05) the concentrations of the volatile fatty acids. Dietary SAL and EEO affected gut morphology in chickens at 20 days post-hatch. Dietary EEO linearly (P = 0.073) increased serum catalase activity as the inclusion level increased. Collectively, our study shows that dietary EEO increased coccidiosis-vaccine-induced growth depression and altered gut physiology in broiler chickens. Our study adds to the accumulating evidence that dietary EEO is proven to be an effective alternative to anticoccidials for broiler chickens.
Secular Seasonality and Trend Forecasting of Tuberculosis Incidence Rate in China Using the Advanced Error-Trend-Seasonal Framework

Objective Tuberculosis (TB) is a major public health problem in China, and contriving a long-term forecast is a useful aid for better launching prevention initiatives. Regrettably, such a forecasting method with robust and accurate performance is still lacking. Here, we aim to investigate its potential of the error-trend-seasonal (ETS) framework through a series of comparative experiments to analyze and forecast its secular epidemic seasonality and trends of TB incidence in China. Methods We collected the TB incidence data from January 1997 to August 2019, and then partitioning the data into eight different training and testing subsamples. Thereafter, we constructed the ETS and seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models based on the training subsamples, and multiple performance indices including the mean absolute deviation, mean absolute percentage error, root-mean-squared error, and mean error rate were adopted to assess their simulation and projection effects. Results In the light of the above performance measures, the ETS models provided a pronounced improvement for the long-term seasonality and trend forecasting in TB incidence rate over the SARIMA models, be it in various training or testing subsets apart from the 48-step ahead forecasting. The descriptive results to the data revealed that TB incidence showed notable seasonal characteristics with predominant peaks of spring and early summer and began to be plunging at on average 3.722% per year since 2008. However, this rate reduced to 2.613% per year since 2015 and furthermore such a trend would be predicted to continue in years ahead. Conclusion The ETS framework has the ability to conduct long-term forecasting for TB incidence, which may be beneficial for the long-term planning of the TB prevention and control. Additionally, considering the predicted dropping rate of TB morbidity, more particular strategies should be formulated to dramatically accelerate progress towards the goals of the End TB Strategy.
Effects of Monoterpenes of Trachyspermum ammi on the Viability of Spermatogonia Stem Cells In Vitro

Trachyspermum ammi (Apiaceae) plants have several medicinal and condimentary applications and are considered an aphrodisiac agent in Iranian Traditional Medicine. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the effects of oil from Iranian T. ammi plants on the viability of spermatogonial stem cells in vitro. The essential oil of T. ammi fruits was extracted by hydrodistillation, and the amount of thymol was calculated by a gas-chromatography method. Spermatogonial stem cells were isolated from the testes of mice using enzyme digestion. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to assess the gene expressions of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (Plzf), DNA-binding protein inhibitor (ID-4), tyrosine-protein kinase (c-Kit), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) and Bcl2-associated X protein (BAX). The number and diameter of colonies were also measured in the treated cells. The amount of thymol in the oil was 130.7 ± 7.6 µg/mL. Flow cytometry analysis showed that 92.8% of all cells expressed stimulated by retinoic acid 8 (Stra8), a spermatogonial stem cell marker. Expression of Plzf and ID-4 genes significantly increased in the treatment groups, while c-Kit and BAX decreased, and Bcl2 increased in the presence of essential oil. The numbers and diameters of cells were also improved by the application of the plant oil. These data indicated that monoterpenes from the oil of T. ammi improved the quality and viability of spermatogonia cells in the cell culture.
A pheromone antagonist liberates female sea lamprey from a sensory trap to enable reliable communication

Significance In many animals, males deceive females into mating using traits that mimic cues of food, predators, preferred habitats, or offspring in need of care. However, if and how these deceptive signals guide reliable communication without females confusing the mimic and the model remain unclear. We discovered that female sea lamprey discriminate a nonsexual cue of productive habitat from the deceptive male sex pheromone that mimics it and identify a pheromone antagonist as the underlying mechanism. Our results implicate a means by which females can detect and benefit from male deceit and could have applications for control of destructive populations of sea lamprey in the Laurentian Great Lakes. The evolution of male signals and female preferences remains a central question in the study of animal communication. The sensory trap model suggests males evolve signals that mimic cues used in nonsexual contexts and thus manipulate female behavior to generate mating opportunities. Much evidence supports the sensory trap model, but how females glean reliable information from both mimetic signals and their model cues remains unknown. We discovered a mechanism whereby a manipulative male signal guides reliable communication in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Migratory sea lamprey follow a larval cue into spawning streams; once sexually mature, males release a pheromone that mimics the larval cue and attracts females. Females conceivably benefit from the mimetic pheromone during mate search but must discriminate against the model cue to avoid orienting toward larvae in nearby nursery habitats. We tested the hypothesis that spawning females respond to petromyzonol sulfate (PZS) as a behavioral antagonist to avoid attraction to the larval cue while tracking the male pheromone despite each containing attractive 3-keto petromyzonol sulfate (3kPZS). We found 1) PZS inhibited electrophysiological responses to 3kPZS and abated preferences for 3kPZS when mixed at the same or greater concentrations, 2) larvae released more PZS than 3kPZS whereas males released more 3kPZS than PZS, and 3) mixtures of 3kPZS and PZS applied at ratios measured in larval and male odorants resulted in the discrimination observed between the natural odors. Our study elucidates how communication systems that arise via deception can facilitate reliable communication.
Chronic Stress and Cardiovascular Disease among Individuals Exposed to Lead: A Pilot Study

Chronic stress and cardiovascular disease risk were explored in a predominately middle-aged adult population exposed to elevated lead levels in this cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from the period 2007-2010. Elevated lead exposure was defined using the epidemiological threshold of a blood lead level (BLL) > 5 μg/dL as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Allostatic load (AL), a measure of chronic stress, was operationalized using 10 clinical markers. The geometric mean values for clinical cardiovascular disease risk markers of interest (a) Gamma glutamyl-transferase (GGT) (a marker of oxidative stress), and (b) non-HDL cholesterol (non-HDL-c) (a marker of cardiovascular disease risk) were explored among lead-exposed and less lead-exposed individuals with differential chronic stress (AL) levels. Associations between AL and GGT/non-HDL-C were analyzed using linear regression models. The likelihood of increased clinical markers in lead-exposed individuals with high compared to low AL was explored using binary logistic regression models. In analyzing lead-exposed as compared to less lead-exposed populations, the geometric mean of the variables of interest showed significant elevations among lead-exposed individuals as compared to less lead-exposed individuals. Simple linear regression revealed that AL was positively associated with the variables of interest among the lead-exposed. In binary logistic regression among the lead-exposed, those with high AL, as compared to those with low AL, had significantly higher odds of having elevated non-HDL-C. This study submits that those exposed to lead with increasing AL may experience adverse cardiovascular health outcomes.
Body Composition, Serum Concentrations of Androgens and Insulin Resistance in Different Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Phenotypes

Insulin resistance and hyperandrogenemia observed in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are associated with metabolic disturbances and could be connected with body composition pattern. To date, several studies defining the parameters of body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method in the group of PCOS patients have been published, however, without the analysis in different phenotypes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationships between serum androgens concentration, insulin resistance and distribution of fat mass using DXA method in various PCOS phenotypes according to the Rotterdam criteria. We examined 146 women: 34 (38%) had PCOS phenotype A, 20 (23%) phenotype B, 20 (23%) phenotype C and 15 (16%) phenotype D (with mean age of each phenotype 25 years), and 57 control subjects (mean age of 25.5 years). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. Serum concentrations of testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) were assessed and free androgen index (FAI) was calculated. In phenotypes A, B and C, we observed higher FAI in comparison to the control group (all p < 0.01). Serum concentrations of androstenedione and DHEA-S were higher in phenotypes A and C in comparison to the control group (all p < 0.01). However, only in phenotype A we found higher visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass and android/gynoid ratio (A/G ratio) in comparison to the control group (all p < 0.01). In phenotype A, we observed connection of VAT with FAI (r = 0.58, p < 0.01). Accordingly, A/G ratio was related with FAI in all phenotypes (all p < 0.05). Additionally, in phenotype C, A/G ratio was related to serum concentrations of DHEA-S and androstenedione (r = 0.46, p = 0.03; r = 0.53, p = 0.01, respectively). We also found connections of HOMA-IR with VAT and A/G ratio in all phenotypes (all p < 0.05). Women with phenotype A had higher amount of VAT and A/G ratio in comparison to the control group. Serum concentration of androgens and insulin resistance are connected with VAT and A/G ratio in normoandrogenic and hyperandrogenic PCOS phenotypes.
Tumor Suppressors in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: From Lost Partners to Active Targets

Tumor suppressors play an important role in cancer pathogenesis and in the modulation of resistance to treatments. Loss of function of the proteins encoded by tumor suppressors, through genomic inactivation of the gene, disable all the controls that balance growth, survival, and apoptosis, promoting cancer transformation. Parallel to genetic impairments, tumor suppressor products may also be functionally inactivated in the absence of mutations/deletions upon post-transcriptional and post-translational modifications. Because restoring tumor suppressor functions remains the most effective and selective approach to induce apoptosis in cancer, the dissection of mechanisms of tumor suppressor inactivation is advisable in order to further augment targeted strategies. This review will summarize the role of tumor suppressors in chronic lymphocytic leukemia and attempt to describe how tumor suppressors can represent new hopes in our arsenal against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Experimental Study on Shear Capacity of High Strength Reinforcement Concrete Deep Beams with Small Shear Span–Depth Ratio

This study aimed to investigate the shear capacity performance for eight deep beams with HTRB600 reinforced high strength concrete under concentrated load to enable a better understanding of the effects of shear span–depth ratio, longitudinal reinforcement ratio, vertical stirrup ratio and in order to improve design procedures. The dimension of eight test specimens is 1600 mm × 200 mm × 600 mm. The effective span to height ratio l0/h is 2.0, the shear span–depth ratio λ is 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9, respectively. In addition, the longitudinal reinforcement ratio ρs is set to 0.67%, 1.05%, 1.27%, and the vertical stirrup ratio is taken to be 0%, 0.25%, 0.33%, 0.5%. Through measuring the strain of steel bar, the strain of concrete and the deflection of mid-span, the characteristics of the full process of shear capacity, the failure mode and the load deflection deformation curve were examined. The test results showed that the failure mode of deep beams with small shear span–depth ratio is diagonal compression failure, which is influenced by the layout and quantity of web reinforcement. The diagonal compression failure could be classified into two forms: crushing-strut and diagonal splitting. With decreasing of shear span–depth ratio and increasing longitudinal reinforcement ratio, the shear capacity of deep beams increases obviously, while the influence of vertical web reinforcement ratio on shear capacity is negligible. Finally, the shear capacity of eight deep beams based on GB 50010-2010 is calculated and compared with the calculation results of ACI 318-14, EN 1992-1-1:2004 and CSA A23.3-04, which are based on strut-and-tie model. The obtained results in this paper show a very good agreement with GB50010-2010 and ACI 318-14, while the results of EN 1992-1-1:2004 and CSA A23.3-04 are approved to be conservative.
Comparative evaluation of four endodontic biomaterials and calcium hydroxide regarding their effect on fracture resistance of simulated immature teeth.

AIM Single-session apexification treatment with MTA is an alternative to the root-canal treatment of immature teeth. Since its results are far from ideal, research with MTA-derivative biomaterials continues; however, the number of studies is limited as of yet. This study aimed to compare the fragilities of in vitro-simulated immature teeth in single-session apexification with MTA and newly-developed calcium-silicate-based MTA derivatives. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two hundred seventy human permanent upper incisors were randomly divided into study (n = 180), positive control (Ca (OH)2) (n = 45), and negative control (NC-intact) (n = 45) groups. The study groups used ProRoot MTA (MTA-PR), MM-MTA, NeoMTA-Plus, and Biodentine (BD). Two-week, two-month, and one-year follow-ups data were recorded. A fracture resistance (FR) test was performed at the end of each period. The results of the biomaterials at the different follow-up timepoints were statistically analysed and compared. RESULTS The two-week FR medians were significantly lower in MM-MTA, NEO, MTA-PR, and Ca (OH)2 groups (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.003, and p<0.001. respectively), compared to NC. The two-month FR medians were significantly lower in BD, MM-MTA, NEO, MTA-PR, and Ca (OH)2, (p=0.005, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively) compared to NC. The one-year FR medians were significantly lower in the BD, MM-MTA, NEO, MTA-PR, and Ca (OH)2 groups (p=0.002, p<0.001, p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively) compared to NC. For all groups, FR at the one-year mark was significantly lower compared to the two-week and two-month marks (p<0.001, p<0.001). STATISTICS All groups were compared with each other regarding fracture resistance at two weeks, two months, and one year. Also, for each group follow-up data on fracture resistance were compared. CONCLUSIONS Since FR was significantly higher at the two-week and the two-month mark compared to the one-year mark for each material, filling the root canal completely with biomaterials used in our study leads to tooth denaturation over time, with effects like Ca (OH)2.
Suppression of HDAC by sodium acetate rectifies cardiac metabolic disturbance in streptozotocin–nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats

Diabetes mellitus, particularly type 2 occurs at global epidemic proportions and leads to cardiovascular diseases. Molecular studies suggest the involvement of epigenetic alterations such as histone code modification in the progression of cardiometabolic disorders. However, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are recognized as epigenetic modulators by their histone deacetylase inhibitory property. It is therefore hypothesized that cardiac histone deacetylase activity increases in type II diabetes and SCFA, acetate, would inhibit histone deacetylase with accompanying restoration of glucose dysregulation, cardiac lipid deposition, and tissue damage in male Wistar rats. Twenty-four male rats (240–270 g) were allotted into four groups (n = 6 per group) namely: vehicle-treated (p.o.), sodium acetate-treated (200 mg/kg), diabetic, and diabetic+sodium acetate-treated groups. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin 65 mg/kg after a dose of nicotinamide 110 mg/kg. The results showed that diabetic rats had, glucose dysregulation, elevated serum and cardiac triglyceride, malondialdehyde, alanine aminotransferase, histone deacetylase, serum aspartate transaminase, cardiac low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc), glutathione/glutathione disulphide ratio (GSH/GSSG), reduced serum and cardiac high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc), and serum GSH/GSSG. Histological analysis revealed disrupted cardiac fiber in diabetic rats. However, sodium acetate attenuated glucose dysregulation and improved serum and cardiac GSH/GSSG. Sodium acetate normalized cardiac triglyceride accumulation, malondialdehyde, serum aspartate transaminase levels and prevented cardiac tissue damage in diabetic rats. These effects were associated with suppressed histone deacetylase activity. Therefore, sodium acetate attenuated but failed to normalize glucoregulation. Nevertheless, it ameliorated oxidative stress- and lipid dysmetabolism-driven cardiovascular complications in diabetic rats by the suppression of histone deacetylase activity. Impact statement This study provides evidence that STZ-NA-induced diabetes mellitus is associated with cardiac triglyceride accumulation and tissue disruption with corresponding increase in cardiac HDAC activity. However, sodium acetate suppresses cardiac HDAC activity and normalizes cardiac triglyceride and tissue integrity in diabetic rats. Therefore, the study suggests that sodium acetate is beneficial for cardioprotection in diabetes mellitus.
Ganglioside GM3 Up-Regulate Chondrogenic Differentiation by Transform Growth Factor Receptors

Mesenchymal stem cells, also known as multipotent stromal progenitor cells, can differentiate into cells of mesodermal lineage. Gangliosides are sialic acid-conjugated glycosphingolipids that are believed to regulate cell differentiation and several signaling molecules. These molecules are localized in glycosphingolipid-enriched microdomains on the cell surface and are regulated by glycosphingolipid composition. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling plays a critical role in chondrogenic differentiation. However, the role of gangliosides in chondrogenesis is not understood. In this study, the relationship between the ganglioside GM3 and TGF-β activation, during chondrogenic differentiation, was investigated using an aggregate culture of human synovial membrane-derived mesenchymal stem cells. We showed that the gangliosides GM3 and GD3 were expressed after the chondrogenic differentiation of hSMSC aggregates. To test whether GM3 affected the chondrogenic differentiation of hSMSC aggregates, we used GM3 treatment during chondrogenic differentiation. The results showed that the group treated with 5 μM GM3 had higher expression of chondrogenic specific markers, increased toluidine blue, and safranin O staining, and increased accumulation of glycosaminoglycans compared with the untreated group. Furthermore, GM3 treatment enhanced TGF-β signaling via SMAD 2/3 during the chondrogenic differentiation of hSMSC aggregates. Taken together, our results suggested that GM3 may be useful in developing therapeutic agents for cell-based articular cartilage regeneration in articular cartilage disease.
Cell Progeny in the Olfactory Bulb after Targeting Specific Progenitors with Different UbC-StarTrack Approaches

The large phenotypic variation in the olfactory bulb may be related to heterogeneity in the progenitor cells. Accordingly, the progeny of subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitor cells that are destined for the olfactory bulb is of particular interest, specifically as there are many facets of these progenitors and their molecular profiles remain unknown. Using modified StarTrack genetic tracing strategies, specific SVZ progenitor cells were targeted in E12 mice embryos, and the cell fate of these neural progenitors was determined in the adult olfactory bulb. This study defined the distribution and the phenotypic diversity of olfactory bulb interneurons from specific SVZ-progenitor cells, focusing on their spatial pallial origin, heterogeneity, and genetic profile.