Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Circular RNA circNRIP1 Sponges microRNA-138-5p to Maintain Hypoxia-Induced Resistance to 5-Fluorouracil Through HIF-1α-Dependent Glucose Metabolism in Gastric Carcinoma

Background Hypoxia-induced chemoresistance is recognized as a major obstacle to the successful treatment of gastric cancer (GC). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been proposed to implicate in resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. However, whether circNRIP1 is involved in the development of hypoxia-induced 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance remains largely unknown. Methods Gene expression was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. The impact of circNRIP1 on hypoxia-induced resistance to 5-FU was investigated by determining glucose consumption, lactate production and glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) levels. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolim bromide assay was performed to assess cell survival. Results circNRIP1 was upregulated in GC cells. Hypoxia induced the upregulation of circNRIP1 and reduced the sensitivity of GC cells to 5-FU, as evidenced by the increase in multidrug resistance 1 gene, P-glycoprotein, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and G6P levels, glucose consumption, lactate production, as well as cell survival. Silencing of circNRIP1 enhanced the sensitivity of GC cells to 5-FU under a hypoxic condition. microRNA (miR)-138-5p was confirmed as a downstream target gene of circNRIP1, and upregulation of miR-138-5p could reverse the effect of circNRIP1 on hypoxia-induced 5-FU resistance. Additionally, HIF-1α was a target gene of miR-138-5p. More significantly, the effect of circNRIP1 on hypoxia-induced 5-FU resistance was markedly blocked by 2-DG treatment. Conclusion circNRIP1 functioned as a miR-138-5p sponge to enhance hypoxia-induced resistance to 5-FU through modulation of HIF-1α-dependent glycolysis, which provides a novel potential approach to overcome hypoxia-induced 5-FU resistance in GC.
Effect of structure: A new insight into nanoparticle assemblies from inanimate to animate

Previous studies overlooked dynamic properties of NP assemblies; therefore, we highlight recent advances in animate properties. Nanoparticle (NP) assemblies are among the foremost achievements of nanoscience and nanotechnology because their interparticle interactions overcome the weaknesses displayed by individual NPs. However, previous studies have considered NP assemblies as inanimate, which had led to their dynamic properties being overlooked. Animate properties, i.e., those mimicking biological properties, endow NP ensembles with unique and unexpected functionalities for practical applications. In this critical review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of the properties of NP assemblies, particularly their animate properties. Key examples are used to illustrate critical concepts, and special emphasis is placed on animate property-dependent applications. Last, we discuss the barriers to further advances in this field.
Delayed Injection of a Physically Cross-Linked PNIPAAm-g-PEG Hydrogel in Rat Contused Spinal Cord Improves Functional Recovery

Spinal cord injury is a main health issue, leading to multiple functional deficits with major consequences such as motor and sensitive impairment below the lesion. To date, all repair strategies remain ineffective. In line with the experiments showing that implanted hydrogels, immunologically inert biomaterials, from natural or synthetic origins, are promising tools and in order to reduce functional deficits, to increase locomotor recovery, and to reduce spasticity, we injected into the lesion area, 1 week after a severe T10 spinal cord contusion, a thermoresponsive physically cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer hydrogel. The effect of postinjury intensive rehabilitation training was also studied. A group of male Sprague–Dawley rats receiving the hydrogel was enrolled in an 8 week program of physical activity (15 min/day, 5 days/week) in order to verify if the combination of a treadmill step-training and hydrogel could lead to better outcomes. The data obtained were compared to those obtained in animals with a spinal lesion alone receiving a saline injection with or without performing the same program of physical activity. Furthermore, in order to verify the biocompatibility of our designed biomaterial, an inflammatory reaction (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α) was examined 15 days post-hydrogel injection. Functional recovery (postural and locomotor activities and sensorimotor coordination) was assessed from the day of injection, once a week, for 9 weeks. Finally, 9 weeks postinjection, the spinal reflexivity (rate-dependent depression of the H-reflex) was measured. The results indicate that the hydrogel did not induce an additional inflammation. Furthermore, we observed the same significant locomotor improvements in hydrogel-injected animals as in trained saline-injected animals. However, the combination of hydrogel with exercise did not show higher recovery compared to that evaluated by the two strategies independently. Finally, the H-reflex depression recovery was found to be induced by the hydrogel and, albeit to a lesser degree, exercise. However, no recovery was observed when the two strategies were combined. Our results highlight the effectiveness of our copolymer and its high therapeutic potential to preserve/repair the spinal cord after lesion.
Plasmatic circRNA Predicting the Occurrence of Human Glioblastoma

Background Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant tumor in adult central nervous system and results in disappointing survival outcomes. Although the diagnosis and therapy approach have been developed recently, the prognosis of GBM remains poor. A novel, minimally invasive biomarker for GBM is necessary for early diagnosis or prognosis prediction. Methods All circRNAs were detected by qRT-PCR in GBM samples including training and validation sets. We used the risk score analysis to assume the diagnosis ability for GBM. The receiver operating characteristic curve was also employed. Results Among the 14 candidates, circRNA, circNT5E, circFOXO3, circ_0001946, circ_0029426, circ-SHPRH, and circMMP9 were detected with increased levels in the training set. Further investigation in the validation set indicated that circFOXO3, circ_0029426, and circ-SHPRH might be the fingerprints for GBM compared with controls. The risk score analysis revealed that the combination of three circRNAs could distinguish the GBM from healthy control with the area under curve value of 0.980 and 0.906, respectively. Conclusion The three circRNAs might be novel fingerprints for predicting the occurrence of GBM.
Proline accumulation in response to drought and heat stress in cotton.

Water and heat stress are the most important environmental variables affecting cotton growth and development. The main objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of water stress and a combination of water and heat stress on proline accumulation in six cotton cultivars (Gossypium hirsutum) and to determine the suitability of using this proline accumulation in a drought index. Drought and a combination of drought and heat stress were induced in three-week-old seedlings in the greenhouse. It was detected that with decreasing water content there was a progressive increase in free proline in all six cultivars, as well as differences in the proline level between the different cultivars. Maximum accumulation of free proline in drought stressed cotton occurred at 11 days without water. The combination of heat and drought stress exhibited an increase in proline concentrations in five cultivars. Different proline profiles were observed for the different treatments and different mechanisms for heat and drought are proposed for this phenomenon. Key Words: Drought stress, Gossypium hirsutum, proline (African Crop Science Journal 2000 8(1): 85-92)
Changes in the Th9 cell population and related cytokines in the peripheral blood of infants with recurrent wheezing

Introduction T helper type 9 (Th9) cells have been shown to play a key role in initiating allergic reactions and promoting airway inflammation. However, to the best of our knowledge, their role has not been analyzed in infants with recurrent wheezing. Material and methods We performed a case-control study including 34 infants with recurrent wheezing and the same number of healthy infants as controls; all subjects were aged 1- to 3-years-old. The Th9 cell populations in the peripheral blood of these subjects were analyzed using flow cytometry, along with the assessment of Th9- and Th2-related plasma cytokine levels, including interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A, and IL-33, and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) using a Luminex 200 immunoassay. Results Our results indicatedthat infants with recurrent wheezing had higher percentages of Th9 cells (median, 0.69%; range, 0.46-1.08%) as compared to healthy infants (median, 0.25%, range, 0.13-0.36%; p < 0.05). In addition, infants with recurrent wheezing also exhibited higher plasma levels of cytokines IL-4, IL-9, IL-10, IL-33, and TGF-β1. Furthermore, the percentage of Th9 cells was positively correlated with the levels of IL-4 (r = 0.408, p < 0.05) and IL-9 (r = 0.644, p < 0.05) in the peripheral blood of wheezing infants. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the percentage of Th9 cells is increased in infants with recurrent wheezing; thus, Th9 cells may play an important role in the pathogenesis of recurrent wheezing.
Understanding the early host immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Generation of immune response is a crucial activity of host defense against any microbial attack. When facultative organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) invades its host, various pathways are activated in the host to mount immune responses against invading pathogen for nullifying its actions. During this host-pathogen interaction, interplay of complex network of cytokines and chemokines, initiation of phagocytosis, and formation of granuloma play an important role in containing MTB infections at host side. Simultaneously, MTB also evolves a plethora of specialized mechanisms to evade the host’s killing cascades on other side, and during this bilateral cross-talk, many mycobacterial products play crucial role in survival of MTB inside the host. Hence, a better understanding of these phenomena is necessary not only for getting clear picture of pathogenesis of MTB, but also for developing effective, preventive, and therapeutic modalities against the pathogen. With some suggestions on future work, an insight into diversity of immune response of host against MTB was provided in the present review.
ATTRACTION OF DIAMONDBACK MOTHS, PLUTELLA XYLOSTELLA (L.) (LEPIDOPTERA: PLUTELLIDAE), BY VOLATILE COMPOUNDS OF CANOLA, WHITE MUSTARD, AND FABA BEAN

Abstract The olfactory responses of male and female diamondback moths (Plutella xylostella [L.]) to leaf extracts of the following plants were examined by behavioral and electrophysiological tests: white mustard (Brassica hirta cv. Ochre); Argentine canola (B. napus cv. Regent, B. napus cv. Westar); Polish canola (B. campestris cv. Tobin); and faba bean (Vicia faba). In behavioral tests both two-choice and four-choice situations were used. All extracts attracted more moths than the control except for Regent canola extract which attracted males only. White mustard extract was about twice as attractive as that of Regent or faba bean. White mustard and faba bean extracts appeared slightly more attractive to females than to males. Oviposition was greatly stimulated by white mustard extract, but other extracts had no significant effect. Electroantennogram (EAG) tests showed that both male and female moths perceived the plant extracts through antennal receptors. Antennae of females gave a stronger EAG response than those of males, especially to white mustard and faba bean extracts. Résumé On a étudié les réponses olfactives des mâles et femelles de la fausse-teigne des crucifères (Plutella xylostella [L.]) à des extraits du feuillage des plantes suivantes, à l’aide de tests comportementaux et électrophysiologiques : la moutarde rude (Brassica hirta cv. Ochre); des canolas argentins (B. napus cv. Regent, B. napus cv. Westar); un canola polonais (B. campestris cv. Tobin); et la gourgane (Vicia faba). On a fait usage de tests comportementaux à deux et à quatre choix. Tous les extraits se sont avérés plus attractifs que le témoin sauf celui du canola Regent auquel seuls les mâles répondaient. L’extrait de moutarde était environ deux fois plus attractif que celui du canola Regent ou de la gourgane. Les extraits de moutarde et de gourgane semblaient un peu plus attractifs pour les femelles que pour les mâles. La ponte fut stimulée fortement par l’extrait de moutarde, mais les autres extraits n’avaient pas cet effet. Les antennogrammes ont montré que les mâles et les femelles perçoivent les odeurs des extraits par des récepteurs antennaires. Les antennes de femelles répondaient plus que celles des mâles, surtout aux extraits de moutarde et de gourgane.
Biomarkers of Cellular Stress Do Not Associate with sCD14 in Progressive HIV and SIV Infections in Vivo

Background: Microbial translocation occurs after damage to the structural and/or immunological barrier of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract into circulation. Microbial components that trans-locate from the lumen of the GI tract directly stimulate the immune system and contribute to inflammation. When microbial translocation becomes chronic, the inflammation has detrimental consequences. Given that microbial translocation is an important phenomenon in many diseases, defining biomarkers that reliably reflect microbial translocation is critical. Measurement of systemic microbial products is difficult since: 1) robust assays to measure microbial antigens simultaneously are lacking; 2) confounding factors influence assays used to detect microbial products; and 3) biological clearance mechanisms limit their detection in circulation. Thus, host proteins produced in response to microbial stimulation are used as surrogates for microbial translocation; however, many of these proteins are also produced in response to host proteins expressed by dying cells. Methods: We measured plasma levels of biomarkers associated with GI tract damage, immune responses to microbial products, and cell-death in people living with HIV before and after antiretroviral administration, and in macaque nonhuman primates before and after SIV infection. Results: Proteins secreted during cellular stress (receptor for advanced glycation endproducts-RAGE and high motility group box 1-HMGB1), which can induce sCD14 production in vitro and in vivo, do not associate with elevated levels of biomarkers associated with microbial translocation in progressively HIV-infected individuals and SIV-infected NHPs. Conclusions: Bystander cell death and generalized inflammation do not contribute to elevated levels of sCD14 observed in HIV/SIV-infected individuals.
Development of vegetation indices for identifying insect infestations in soybean

Because of greater efficiency relative to conventional methods, interest has developed for using vegetation indices in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] for identifying areas in a field experiencing injury by defoliating insects. Vegetation indices can indicate leaf area index (LAI) and light interception levels, canopy parameters affected by defoliating insects. Our objectives were to determine the relative accuracy of three vegetation indices for predicting LAI and light interception, and to outline a method for using vegetation indices for identifying areas in a field experiencing insect injury. Several commercial soybean cultivars were planted on a Commerce silt loam soil (fine-silty, mixed, nonacid, thermic Aeric Fluvaquent) near Baton Rouge, LA (USA) (30° N lat) in May 2004 and June 2005. In 2004, differences in LAI and light interception were created by manual defoliation, whereas in 2005, LAI/light interception differences occurred because of cultivars and planting dates. Results indicated that across canopies ranging from very low LAI to canopy closure (95% light interception), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) most accurately predicted LAI and light interception (r 2 = 0.93-0.97). Light interception and LAI were linked to NDVI by strong linear regression models, and did not show the quadratic response reported by others. A proposed method for adopting NDVI to identify insect-infested areas is presented.
Targeted metabolomic analysis of serum phospholipid and acylcarnitine in the adult Fontan patient with a dominant left ventricle

Background: Patients with a Fontan circulation have altered cholesterol and lipoprotein values. We analysed small organic molecules in extended phopsholipid and acylcarnitine metabolic pathways (‘metabolomes’) in adult Fontan patients with a dominant left ventricle, seeking differences between profiles in baseline and Fontan circulations. Methods: In an observational matched cross-sectional study, we compared phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), and acylcarnitine metabolomes (105 analytes; AbsoluteIDQ® p180 kit (Biocrates Life Sciences AG, Innsbruck, Austria) in 20 adult Fontan patients having a dominant left ventricle with those in 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Results: Serum levels of total PC (q-value 0.01), total SM (q-value 0.0002) were significantly lower, and total acylcarnitines (q-value 0.02) were significantly higher in patients than in controls. After normalisation of data, serum levels of 12 PC and 1 SM Fontan patients were significantly lower (q-values <0.05), and concentrations of 3 acylcarnitines were significantly higher than those in controls (q-values <0.05). Conclusion: Metabolomic profiling can use small specimens to identify biomarker patterns that track derangement in multiple metabolic pathways. The striking alterations in the phospholipid and acylcarnitine metabolome that we found in Fontan patients may reflect altered cell signalling and metabolism as found in heart failure in biventricular patients, chronic low-level inflammation, and alteration of functional or structural properties of lymphatic or blood vessels. Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03886935
Spontaneous Rupture of Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon: Clinical and Occupational Implications, Treatment Approaches and Prognostic Outcome in Non-Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background Spontaneous rupture of extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon is a rare condition often found in patients actively having regular extensive use of hands and fingers especially the thumb. In this article, we report 7 cases of spontaneous rupture of EPL tendon and investigate the associated factors and treatment outcome. Methods Retrospectively, the databases for the 7 cases were retrieved and studied. These cases represent all cases of spontaneous rupture of EPL in our institution. Demographic data, clinical presentation, any history of trauma or steroid injection, laboratory and clinical findings suggestive for rheumatoid arthritis, co-morbidities and imaging findings were obtained. In addition, the operative technique and findings were retrieved. Moreover, histopathological studies and follow-up assessment were included. Results Six males and one female were included. The mean age was 45.2 years. No prior history of trauma, rheumatological disease or steroid use was detected in any patient. All patients experienced prodromal pain in the radial side. Clinical examination was the most effective diagnostic measure. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to confirm the diagnosis and to look for other abnormalities that may predispose to rupture. Five patients underwent extensor indicis proprius to EPL tendon transfer employing Pulvertaft weave technique and one patient underwent primary repair as there was a little gap in the tendon ends. In this study, one patient refused any treatment. All patients achieved a favorable outcome at the last follow﻿-up. Conclusion Diagnosis of spontaneous ruptures of EPL tendon can be confirmed through clinical examination and MRI for patients with restricted thumb movement even with the absence of any identifiable predisposing risk factor. During surgery, detailed attention must be drawn towards the tendon ends which can have unusual gaps and bone abnormalities.
PICOT: A Multidomain Protein with Multiple Functions

The PICOT protein possesses three highly conserved regions that include an aminoterminal thioredoxin-like homology domain and a tandem repeat of a carboxyterminal PICOT homology domain with an overall conformation that resembles a glutaredoxin homology domain. In contrast to the classical dithiol thioredoxins and glutaredoxins, PICOT possesses a single cysteine residue in each of its three domains and is therefore distinct from the classical thioredoxin and glutaredoxin redox enzymes. Recent studies demonstrated that PICOT is a prerequisite for mouse embryogenesis and participates in several independent biological systems in the adult. This paper examines advances made over the past few years in understanding the role of PICOT in various biological systems.
Morphological and life history responses to predators in larvae of seven anurans

Amphibian larvae often face two major sources of mortality: pond desiccation and predation. Tadpoles of seven anuran species with different preferences for type of breeding habitat, on a hydroperiod scale, were tested for responses to the presence of predators by raising them experimentally in the presence and absence of a separately caged invertebrate predator that was fed on conspecific tadpoles. The species typically breeding in temporary or semi-permanent ponds (Rana temporaria, Rana arvalis, Rana dalmatina and Hyla arborea) - where invertebrate predator populations are predicted to vary considerably spatiotemporally - all showed marked induced increases in tail fin depth in response to predator presence. These species also tended to respond by reduced growth rates. The representative of the most ephemeral habitats, Bufo calamita, did not respond in any of these traits. Its congeneric, Bufo bufo, a toxic inhabitant of permanent ponds and lakes, tended to respond to predator presence by reducing its growth rate, though not by a tail depth increase. I argue that the rather poor swimming performance in Bufo tadpoles may opt for defences other than locomotor ability. The palatable, permanent pond species Pelobates fuscus did not alter either its growth rate or tail morphology. Possible explanations for this result are discussed. (Less)