Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cupriavidus sp. HN-2, a Novel Quorum Quenching Bacterial Isolate, is a Potent Biocontrol Agent Against Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

Diffusible signal factor (DSF) represents a family of widely conserved quorum sensing (QS) signals involved in the regulation of virulence factor production in many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. Quorum quenching, which disrupts QS either by degradation of QS signals or interference of signal generation or perception, is a promising strategy for prevention and control of QS-mediated bacterial infections. In this study, a novel DSF-degrading strain, HN-2, was isolated from contaminated soil and identified as Cupriavidus sp. The isolate exhibited superior DSF degradation activity and completely degraded 2 mmol·L–1 of DSF within 24 h. Analysis of the degradation products of DSF by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry led to the identification of trans-2-decenoic acid methyl ester as the main intermediate product, suggesting that DSF could be degraded by oxidation and hydroxylation. Moreover, this study presents for the first time, evidence that Cupriavidus sp. can reduce the black rot disease caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc). Application of the HN-2 strain as a biocontrol agent could substantially reduce the disease severity. These findings reveal the biochemical basis of a highly efficient DSF-degrading bacterial isolate and present a useful agent for controlling infectious diseases caused by DSF-dependent bacterial pathogens.
A Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial Assessing the Safety and Short-Term Effects of Walnut Consumption by Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

The aim of this study of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is to assess the safety of daily consumption of walnuts on the physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), and to assess the short-term benefits of this intervention on risk factors associated with cardiovascular events. This led us to perform a prospective, randomized, crossover, pilot clinical trial examined 13 patients with CKD. Subjects were randomly assigned to a diet of 30 g of walnuts per day or the control diet. After 30 days, each group was given a 30-day washout period, and then switched to the alternate diet for 30 days. Urinary and serum levels of phosphorous and potassium, multiple vascular risk factors, and urinary inositol phosphates (InsPs) were measured at baseline and at the end of the intervention period. Our results showed that the walnut dietary supplement led to reduced blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and albumin excretion, but had no effect on the physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, PTH, and FGF23. This is the first report to show that daily consumption of walnuts by patients with CKD does not alter their physiological levels of phosphorous, potassium, PTH, and FGF23 when included in a sodium-, protein-, phosphate-, and potassium-controlled diet, and it could be an effective strategy for reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with CKD.
Medullary thyroid carcinoma co‐existent with Hashimoto's thyroiditis diagnosed by a comprehensive cytological approach

Fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a preliminary test for the diagnosis of thyroid lesions. We hereby report a rare case of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) co‐existing with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). This case was substantiated with ancillary tests on cytology material to give a novel insight. A 60‐year‐old female presented clinically with diffuse enlargement of the thyroid, and right‐side nodule on ultrasonography. FNAC of the isthmic area showed features of HT, while cytology of right‐side nodule displayed sheets of plasmacytoid cells and frequent scattered large bizarre and pleomorphic cells, lymphoglandular bodies and pale eosinophilic material. The differential diagnosis of MTC with co‐existent HT or high‐grade lymphoma was considered. To establish the diagnosis, serum calcitonin and ancillary studies on aspirated material were carried out. High serum calcitonin (7251 pg/mL), Congophilia on smears, and CD 45−ve; CD56+ve expression of tumor cells on flowcytometric analysis established the diagnosis of MTC over lymphoma. This diagnosis was further confirmed upon histopathology. Ancillary studies on aspirated material established the diagnosis of MTC and excluded the diagnosis of lymphoma. Establishing the correct diagnosis was cardinal in such a scenario as these diseases have extremely diverse management.
An epidemiological study of visceral leishmaniasis in North East Ethiopia using serological and leishmanin skin tests

Background In Ethiopia, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is caused by Leishmania donovani. The estimated country-wide incidence of VL in Ethiopia is 3700–7400 cases/year. The balance between anthroponotic and zoonotic transmission is still unknown even though most authors believe that visceral leishmaniasis in East Africa is anthroponotic. Asymptomatic leishmania infections occur more frequently than clinically apparent visceral leishmaniasis cases. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic VL infection and assess the degree of exposure among residents in Raya Azebo Woreda villages where cases of VL were recently reported. Methods A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2013 between 1st of May and 25th of July. A total of 1099 individuals living in 314 households were included in the study. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected from each of the participants and venous blood was also collected for the detection of antibodies to visceral leishmaniasis using Direct Agglutination Test. Leishmanin skin test was performed to detect the exposure to the parasite. Data was entered into excel and exported to SPSS version 17 for statistical analysis. Chi-square and the corresponding p-values were used to determine the statistical significance of the proportions/ratios obtained from the cross tabulated data. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result A total of 1099 study subjects comprising 401 males and 698 females were included in the study. The overall positive leishmanian skin test and sero-prevalence rates respectively were 9.08% and 0.87%. The difference in LST positivity by age group and sero-prevalence by sex were statistically significant (P <0.01 and P<0.05 respectively). Out of the 9 sero-positive individuals, 7 had no history of travel to visceral leishmaniasis endemic areas out of Raya Azebo. Conclusion In general our results suggest occurrence of VL in the study area is, very low. Our survey also indicates that due to the low incidence of the disease, and lack of awareness, some patients remain under diagnosed.
Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy: A Review.

Importance Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) has undergone many technical developments over recent years, including changes in biopsy timings, methodology, and genetic analysis techniques. The evidence surrounding the efficaciousness of PGT-A is sporadic and inconsistent; as such, significant doubt and concern remain regarding its widespread implementation. Objective This review seeks to describe the historical development of PGT-A and to analyze and summarize the current published literature. Conclusions At times during its infancy, PGT-A failed to display conclusive improvements in results; with newer technologies, PGT-A appears to yield superior outcomes, including reductions in miscarriages and multiple gestations. Clinicians and patients should assess the use of PGT-A on a case-by-case basis, with laboratories encouraged to utilize blastocyst biopsy and next-generation sequencing when conducting PGT-A. Further studies providing cumulative live birth rates and time to live birth are required if PGT-A is to be proven as producing superior outcomes. Relevance PGT-A has the potential ability to impact in vitro fertilization success rates, and as it is increasingly adopted worldwide, it is crucial that clinicians are aware of the evidence for its continued use.
Influence of Personality Traits and Its Interaction with the Phenomenon of Bullying: Multi-Centre Descriptive Study

Bullying affects thousands of teenagers worldwide and has devastating consequences. Various studies suggest that the personality of teenagers is a risk profile for bullying. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the personality of teenagers aged 14 to 16 years from three education centres located in the province of Seville (Spain) and bullying in any of its victim or aggressor roles. A multi-centre cross-sectional observational descriptive study was conducted in three education centres in the province of Seville (Spain). The sample consisted of 93 students. In order to measure the two main variables, the Bull-S test was used for bullying, and the EPQ-J questionnaire was used for personality traits. A descriptive and correlation analysis was performed between variables. The results showed that 14% (n = 13) of the sample were detected as victims and another 14% (n = 13) were detected as aggressors. Statistically significant differences were found between neuroticism (p = 0.044; Phi = 0.615), sincerity (p = 0.016; V de Cramer = 0.474), and anti-social behaviour (p = 0.007; Phi = 0.620) with the variables victim/aggressor. Bullies are typically males who score high on neuroticism and anti-social behaviour, with a tendency towards social dissimulation.
Profiling Collapsing Half Marathon Runners—Emerging Risk Factors: Results from Gothenburg Half Marathon

Among several serious medical conditions, arrhythmia and heat stroke are two important causes of death during endurance races. Clinically, collapsing might be the first sign of these serious conditions and may mimic the more common and benign exercise-associated collapse. Several risk factors have been reported in the literature. We aimed to conduct a qualitative study to find a perceived risk profile among runners who collapsed and who were transported by ambulances to the nearest hospital during Gothenburg’s half marathon (2010–2017). Collapsing runners seem to lack the ability to make a decision to withdraw from the contest despite being exhausted. They feel the pain, but are unable to put meaning to their feeling, to adjust their pacing, and to handle other influences. Consequently, they do not overcome the problem or assess the situation. These individual mental characteristics may indicate a unique profile for collapsing runners. Pre-race health control and educational initiatives aiming at mental preparedness and information before endurance races might be a necessary step to avoid life-threatening complications.
Multimodal transcriptional control of pattern formation in embryonic development

Significance Predicting how the gene expression patterns that specify animal body plans arise from interactions between transcription factor proteins and regulatory DNA remains a major challenge in physical biology. We utilize live imaging and theoretical approaches to examine how transcriptional control at the single-cell level gives rise to a sharp stripe of cytoplasmic mRNA in the fruit fly embryo. While the modulation of transcriptional bursting has been implicated as the primary lever for controlling gene expression, we find that this alone cannot quantitatively recapitulate pattern formation. Instead, we find that the pattern arises through the joint action of 2 regulatory strategies—control of bursting and control of the total duration of transcription—that originate from distinct underlying molecular mechanisms. Predicting how interactions between transcription factors and regulatory DNA sequence dictate rates of transcription and, ultimately, drive developmental outcomes remains an open challenge in physical biology. Using stripe 2 of the even-skipped gene in Drosophila embryos as a case study, we dissect the regulatory forces underpinning a key step along the developmental decision-making cascade: the generation of cytoplasmic mRNA patterns via the control of transcription in individual cells. Using live imaging and computational approaches, we found that the transcriptional burst frequency is modulated across the stripe to control the mRNA production rate. However, we discovered that bursting alone cannot quantitatively recapitulate the formation of the stripe and that control of the window of time over which each nucleus transcribes even-skipped plays a critical role in stripe formation. Theoretical modeling revealed that these regulatory strategies (bursting and the time window) respond in different ways to input transcription factor concentrations, suggesting that the stripe is shaped by the interplay of 2 distinct underlying molecular processes.
Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main pharmacologically active phytocannabinoids of Cannabis sativa L. CBD is non-psychoactive but exerts a number of beneficial pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The chemistry and pharmacology of CBD, as well as various molecular targets, including cannabinoid receptors and other components of the endocannabinoid system with which it interacts, have been extensively studied. In addition, preclinical and clinical studies have contributed to our understanding of the therapeutic potential of CBD for many diseases, including diseases associated with oxidative stress. Here, we review the main biological effects of CBD, and its synthetic derivatives, focusing on the cellular, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties of CBD.
The properties and formation mechanism of oat β-glucan mixed gels with different molecular weight composition induced by high-pressure processing

High pressure, an emerging nonthermal technology has been widely applied in food product modifications. The effects of oat β-glucan concentration and pressure on the properties of mixed gels with the different ratios of varying molecular weight (MW) β-gulcan induced by HPP were investigated. The results showed that the lowest β-glucan concentration forming a gel was 15% at 200 MPa, while 8% β-glucan was required to form a gel at 500 MPa. The gel intensity and textural properties increased with elevating β-glucan total concentration and pressure. The characteristic compact and smooth mixed gel formed with 12% β-glucan at a ratio of 50:50 at 400 MPa for 30 min. Under this optimal parameters, the mixed solution showed a relatively lower particle size and turbidity, and the hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction played the main role during the gel formation process by high pressure. In addition, the core molecular structure of β-glucan was maintained in the mixed gel formed under the optimal parameters.
Who did it better? Gender differences in effects of a dietary self-management intervention for older community-dwelling adults

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine whether there were gender differences in the effectiveness of a 12-week dietary self-management program for older community-dwelling adults in northeast Taiwan. This was a secondary analysis of a previous study; participants (N = 58) were purposively sampled from two public health centers. Non-parametric models examined differences in outcome measures because of the small sample size; 20 males and 38 females completed the study. The results showed males scored significantly better than females for nutritional status, internal health locus of control, and responsibility for food preparation, which may have implications for older female adults’ nutritional health.
Sexually Dimorphic Response of Increasing Dietary Intake of High Amylose Wheat on Metabolic and Reproductive Outcomes in Male and Female Mice

High amylose wheat (HAW) has a higher resistant starch content and lower glycaemic index than standard amylose wheat (SAW), which may be associated with health benefits. This study aimed to determine the effects of replacing SAW with HAW on metabolic and reproductive parameters in male and female mice. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into groups (n = 8/group/sex) and fed either a SAW65 (65% SAW w/w; control), HAW35 (35% HAW w/w), HAW50 (50% HAW w/w) or HAW65 (65% HAW w/w) diet for eight weeks. In male but not female, the HAW65 group had a lower abdominal circumference, relative total fat mass, relative gonadal fat mass and plasma leptin concentration compared to the HAW35 group. There were no differences in fasting blood glucose concentrations or plasma concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides or non-esterified fatty acids between groups in either males or females. The HAW-fed males had a higher testicular weight and HAW-fed females spent less time in diestrus and a longer time in metestrus compared to the SAW-fed mice. Higher dietary intake of HAW appears to reduce abdominal fat deposition compared to the lower level of HAW in a sexually dimorphic manner. The impacts on reproductive parameters in the HAW-fed mice require further investigation.
Efficacy of Ruxolitinib in Patients With Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia and Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

PURPOSE Colony-stimulating factor-3 receptor (CSF3R)-T618I is a recurrent activating mutation in chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) and to a lesser extent in atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML) resulting in constitutive JAK-STAT signaling. We sought to evaluate safety and efficacy of the JAK1/2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in patients with CNL and aCML, irrespective of CSF3R mutation status. METHODS We conducted a phase II study of ruxolitinib in 44 patients (21 CNL and 23 aCML). The primary end point was overall hematologic response rate (ORR) by the end of 6 continuous 28-day cycles for the first 25 patients enrolled. We considered a response as either partial (PR) or complete response (CR). We expanded accrual to 44 patients to increase our ability to evaluate secondary end points, including grade ≥ 3 adverse events, spleen volume, symptom assessment, genetic correlates of response, and 2-year survival. RESULTS ORR was 32% for the first 25 enrolled patients (8 PR [7 CNL and 1 aCML]). In the larger cohort of 44 patients, 35% had a response (11 PR [9 CNL and 2 aCML] and 4 CR [CNL]), and 50% had oncogenic CSF3R mutations. The mean absolute allele burden reduction of CSF3R-T618I after 6 cycles was greatest in the CR group, compared with the PR and no response groups. The most common cause of death is due to disease progression. Grade ≥ 3 anemia and thrombocytopenia were observed in 34% and 14% of patients, respectively. No serious adverse events attributed to ruxolitinib were observed. CONCLUSION Ruxolitinib was well tolerated and demonstrated an estimated response rate of 32%. Patients with a diagnosis of CNL and/or harboring CSF3R-T618I were most likely to respond.
Evaluation of phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium content in commercially available foods formulated for healthy cats

Abstract Background High dietary phosphorus (P) and low calcium‐to‐phosphorus ratio (Ca:P) are associated with kidney damage in cats. There are no established guidelines for dietary P maximum for cats. Objectives To quantify crude protein, P, Ca, and magnesium (Mg) concentrations in cat foods and compare among food formats (dry, canned, raw), primary protein ingredients, protein concentrations (low, moderate, high), grain‐free versus grain‐containing foods, foods intended for adult maintenance versus all life stages, and cost. Samples Eighty‐two commercial nonprescription cat foods. Methods Descriptive study. Mineral concentrations were measured using inductively coupled argon plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy. Crude protein was measured using the Dumas nitrogen combustion method. Mineral and crude protein concentrations were compared among food categories. Results Twenty‐seven foods contained ≥3.6 g P/1000 kcal metabolizable energy (ME), of which 7 exceeded 4.8 g/1000 kcal ME. Thirteen foods had low Ca:P ratio (≤1.0). The low‐protein diet group had no products ≥3.6 g P/1000 kcal ME, which was significantly different compared to the high‐protein diet group (52% of products had ≥3.6 g P/1000 kcal ME; P = .01). No significant differences in P content and Ca:P ratio were found among other diet categories. Canned foods had significantly lower Mg compared to dry (P < .001) and raw (P = .007) foods. Declared minimum P and Ca were significantly lower than analyzed concentrations (P = .0005 and P = .003, respectively). Conclusions and Clinical Importance The high number of foods with high P and low Ca suggest that pet food regulatory reform should be considered.
Improving Proteomics Data Reproducibility with a Dual-Search Strategy.

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics is an invaluable tool for addressing important biological questions. Data dependent acquisition methods effectuate stochastic acquisition of data in complex mixtures, which results in missing identifications across replicates. We developed a search approach that improves the reproducibility of data acquired from any mass spectrometer. In our approach, a spectral library is built from the identification results from a database search, and then the library is used to re-search the same data files to obtain the final result. We showed that higher identification and quantification reproducibility is achieved with the dual-search approach than with a typical database search. Four datasets with different complexity were compared: 1) data from a cell lysate study performed in our lab, 2) data from an interactome study performed in our lab, 3) a publicly available extracellular vesicles dataset and 4) a publicly available phosphoproteomics dataset. Our results show that the dual-search approach can be widely and easily used to improve data quality in proteomics data.
Recombinant Human Interleukin-2, Recombinant Human Interferon Alfa-2a, or Both in Metastatic Renal-Cell Carcinoma

Background Recombinant human interleukin-2 (aldesleukin) and recombinant human interferon alfa can induce notable tumor regression in a limited number of patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma. We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial to determine the effect of each cytokine independently and in combination, and to identify patients who are best suited for this treatment. Methods Four hundred twenty-five patients with metastatic renal-cell carcinoma were randomly assigned to receive either a continuous intravenous infusion of interleukin-2, subcutaneous injections of interferon alfa-2a, or both. The main outcome measure was the response rate; secondary outcomes were the rates of event-free and overall survival. Predictive factors for response and rapid progression were identified by multivariate analysis. Results Response rates were 6.5 percent, 7.5 percent, and 18.6 percent (P<0.01) for the groups receiving interleukin-2, interferon alfa-2a, and interleukin-2 plus interferon alfa-2a, respectiv.
Efficacy and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection using a scissors‐type knife with prophylactic over‐the‐scope clip closure for superficial non‐ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors

This study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) using a scissors‐type knife with prophylactic closure using over‐the‐scope clip (OTSC) for superficial non‐ampullary duodenal epithelial tumors (SNADETs).