Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Camellia (Camellia oleifera Abel.) seed oil promotes milk fat and protein synthesis‐related gene expression in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Abstract Camellia (Camellia oleifera Abel.) seed oil is a commonly used edible oil of China. In ancient Chinese literature, it is mentioned to be helpful for postpartum repair and lactation in women. Research on camellia seed oil (CO) as a feed additive for dairy cattle is less. We investigated the effect of CO on the expression of milk fat and protein syntheses‐related genes in differentiated bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC‐T) using soybean oil (SO) as the control. The results showed that CO increased the expression of genes related to de novo synthesis of fatty acids including sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1 (SREBP1), acetyl‐CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC), fatty acid synthase (FASN), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and stearoyl‐CoA desaturase (SCD) (p < .05). Among the milk protein genes analyzed, CO increased β‐casein mRNA expression (p < .05) and decreased αS1‐casein mRNA expression (p < .05) in MAC‐T cells. CO upregulated the pathways related to milk protein synthesis with increased mRNA levels of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K), RAC‐alpha serine/threonine‐protein kinase (AKT1), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) (p < .05) in MAC‐T cells. Ribosomal protein S6 kinase beta‐1 (S6K1) gene was upregulated, and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) gene (p < .05) was downregulated with CO treatment. The mRNA expression levels of janus kinase 2 (JAK2), activator of transcription 5‐β (STAT5‐β), and E74‐like factor 5 (ELF5) were elevated in MAC‐T cells treated with CO (p < .05). Meanwhile, the protein expression levels of S6K1, STAT5‐β, phosphorylated mTOR (p‐mTOR), p‐S6K1, and p‐STAT5‐β increased in MAC‐T cells treated with CO (p < .05). In summary, CO promoted β‐casein synthesis by regulating PI3K‐mTOR‐S6K1 and JAK2‐STAT5 signaling pathways and influenced fatty acid synthesis by regulating SREBP1‐related genes in MAC‐T cells. We need to further confirm the function of CO using in vivo models.
Flexible responses to stage‐specific offspring threats

Abstract When caring for their young, parents must compensate for threats to offspring survival in a manner that maximizes their lifetime reproductive success. In birds, parents respond to offspring threats by altering reproductive strategies throughout the breeding attempt. Because altered reproductive strategies are costly, when threats to offspring are limited, parents should exhibit a limited response. However, it is unclear if response to offspring threat is the result of an integrated set of correlated changes throughout the breeding attempt or if responses are a flexible set of dissociable changes that are stage‐specific. We test these hypotheses in a system where house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) compete for nesting cavities with Carolina chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) by usurping and destroying their nests during the early stage of the breeding attempt (the egg stage). Due to the specificity of the house wren threat, we can test whether parental responses to an offspring threat show flexibility and stage specificity or if parental strategies are an integrated and persistent response. We monitored nests in a natural population to compare life history traits of chickadees nesting in boxes that were in the presence of house wrens to chickadees nesting in boxes that did not overlap with house wrens. Carolina chickadees that nested near house wrens laid significantly smaller clutch sizes (early change in reproductive strategy) but did not alter nestling provisioning or nestling stage length (late change in reproductive strategy), suggesting that chickadees respond in a flexible and stage‐specific manner to the threat of house wrens. By responding only when a threat is highest, parents minimize the cost of antithreat responses. Our study suggests that parents can respond in subtle and nuanced ways to offspring threats in the environment and specifically alter reproductive behaviors at the appropriate stage.
Astragalus Polysaccharide Attenuates Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury by Suppressing Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapeutic drug in the treatment of various solid tumors. However, the cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury remains a disturbing complication, which still lacks effective prevention. Cisplatin-induced oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction are anticipated to be crucial in the occurrence of kidney injury. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) has been reported to possess multiple biological activities including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and mitochondria protection. In this study, we investigated the potentially protective effect of APS against cisplatin-induced kidney injury both in vivo and in vitro. We found that APS pretreatment attenuated the cisplatin-induced renal dysfunction and histopathological damage in mice; in addition, it also protected the viability of HK-2 cells upon cisplatin exposure. APS attenuated the cisplatin-induced oxidative damage by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and recovering the activities of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in mice kidney. In addition, electron microscope analysis indicated that cisplatin induced extensive mitochondrial vacuolization in mice kidney. However, APS administration reversed these mitochondrial morphology changes. In HK-2 cells, APS reduced the cisplatin-induced mitochondrial and intracellular ROS generation. Furthermore, APS protected the normal morphology of mitochondria, blocked the cisplatin-induced mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, and reduced the cytochrome c leakage. Subsequently, APS reduced the cisplatin-induced apoptosis in mice renal and HK-2 cells. In conclusion, our data suggested that APS pretreatment might prevent cisplatin-induced kidney injury through attenuating oxidative damage, protecting mitochondria, and ameliorating mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.
A Randomized Controlled Trial to Assess the Impact of Clinical Pharmacy Interventions on Treatment Outcomes, Health Related Quality of Life and Medication Adherence Among Hepatitis C Patients

Purpose The role of specialized pharmacy services remains unexplored in clinical practice for hepatitis C patients in Pakistan. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of clinical pharmacy interventions on treatment outcomes, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and medication adherence among hepatitis C patients. Methods A randomized control trial was conducted at two tertiary-care teaching hospitals in Pakistan. Hepatitis C patients who attended the outpatient clinics between October 2015 and September 2018 were randomized to two groups [usual care (UC) and pharmaceutical care (PC)] in a 1:1 ratio, applying simple envelope method. The PC group received pharmaceutical care led by a clinical pharmacist. The care that patients received included education and counseling on medication compliance, labeling of medication packs, and monitoring of adverse drug events, led by a qualified clinical pharmacist during the 15- to 20-minute monthly sessions, while the UC group received standard care at hospital, which did not involve clinical pharmacist input. Outcome measures, such as sustained virological response, HRQoL, and adherence rate (pharmacy data) were assessed at enrolment and distinct time intervals: 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and end of treatment. Results A total of 931 patients were included in the study (UC 466 and PC 465), with mean age 42.35±1.9 years. Sustained virological response at 12 weeks was achieved in 86.0% patients in the PC group, significantly (p<0.001) higher than the UC (69.3%) group. Fewer patients (9.9%) in the PC group reported mobility problems, significantly fewer (p<0.001) than the UC group (11.8%). Self-care, usual activity, pain, and depression were relieved significantly in the PC group compared to the UC group. The EuroQol visual analogue scale (baseline 56.1 of UC group versus 55.2 for PC group) was raised to 71.8 and 71.9 in the UC and PC groups, respectively. Medication adherence was significantly improved (p<0.001) in the PC group (88.6%) when compared to the UC group (77.9%, 95% CI 88.9%–91.9%). Conclusion Pharmacist-led clinical pharmacy interventions as part of multidisciplinary care had a significant impact on improving cure rates, HRQoL, and medication adherence for hepatitis C patients. This study suggests that clinical pharmacists should be incorporated into the multidisciplinary health-care team for care of hepatitis C patients.
Taxonomic studies of the ground beetle subgenus Falcinebria Ledoux & Roux, 2005 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Nebria) from Honshû, Japan

Abstract Nebria (Falcinebria) reflexa Bates (Carabidae), a Japanese endemic flightless ground beetle, is geographically polytypic and was thought to be composed of four subspecies (including nominotypical subspecies). Populations from Honshû recognized as three subspecies were taxonomically revised based primarily on the shape of the endophallus, a membranous inner sac everted from the aedeagus. Three known taxa, Nebria reflexa, Nebria niohozana Bates, and Nebria uenoi Nakane, are redefined based on endophallus morphology, and the latter two are described as distinct species rather than subspecies of N. reflexa. Seven new species are described: N. sagittatasp. nov., N. iidesanasp. nov., N. furcatasp. nov., N. pisciformissp. nov., N. kuragadakensissp. nov., N. dichotomasp. nov., and N. chugokuensissp. nov. Comparative morphology, primarily of the endophallus, indicated that N. furcata, N. pisciformis, N. kuragadakensis, and N. uenoi form basal lineages, and the remaining six species form a clade in which N. niohozana and N. dichotoma are sister taxa. Species phylogeny and known distributions suggest that the initial diversification of these species occurred in the western Chûbu and eastern Kinki regions of Japan.
The Relationship of Physical Activity and Obesity with the Incidence of Hypertension in Adults Aged 26-45 Years in Medan

BACKGROUND: The incidence rate of hypertension is increasing in Indonesia concerning unhealthy behaviours such as unhealthy physical activity and eating pattern which trigger obesity. In Indonesia, the prevalence of hypertension in > 18-year-old people was 34.1% in 2018. AIM: The objective of the research was to find out the relationship between physical activity and obesity with the incidence of hypertension in adults (26-45 years old) in Medan. METHODS: The research was done in Medan, using a case-control study design. The samples were 150 hypertension patients, taken by using proportional allocation: 75 of them were in the case group and the other 75 of them were in the control group. The data were gathered by conducting interviews, measurement, and questionnaires and analysed by using simple logistic regression test. RESULTS: The result of the research showed that there was significant relationship of physical activity (p = 0.000; OR = 3.6; 95% CI, 1.802-7.270) and obesity (p = 0.000; OR = 4; 95% CI, 2.030-7.900) with the incidence of hypertension in 26-45-year-old respondents. CONCLUSION: Make a habit of a healthy lifestyle in their daily life by doing physical activity regularly and good eating pattern to forestall hypertension.
Transcatheter Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI) Using Edwards SAPIEN 3 Prostheses in Patients at Very High or Prohibitive Surgical Risk: A Single-Center Experience

Background Mitral valve surgery in patients with failing bioprosthesis, annuloplasty rings, or in patients with advanced mitral annular calcification (MAC) is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Percutaneous antegrade transseptal transcatheter mitral valve implantation (TMVI) has recently successfully been performed in those patients at high or prohibitive surgical risk, but data on patients treated by TMVI are sparse. This study sought to evaluate short- and midterm outcomes of patients treated by TMVI at our site in clinical practice. Methods and Results From October 2016 to February 2018, seven patients (six women and one man) at high or prohibitive surgical risk underwent TMVI at our site. Three procedures were performed as TMVI in failed mitral valve bioprostheses (TMVI-VIV, “valve-in-valve”), one procedure was performed as TMVI in a failed mitral annuloplasty ring (TMVI-R), and three procedures were performed as TMVI in advanced native mitral annular calcification (TMVI-MAC). Mean age of the population treated was 77 ± 8.1 years, and mean log EuroScore I was 39 ± 0.12%. In all patients, an Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve was implanted under 3D-TOE and fluoroscopic guidance using a transvenous/transseptal access. Indication for TMVI was the presence of advanced heart failure symptoms in all patients (NYHA class III/IV). The predominant dysfunction of the mitral valve treated was severe regurgitation in 72% (n = 5) and severe stenosis in 29% (n = 2) of all patients. TMVI was technically successful in all procedures. Clinical success with functional improvement of at least one NYHA class after procedure compared with before procedure was also achieved in all patients. Median NYHA class improved significantly from 4 before procedure to 2 after TMVI (p=0.008). Mitral valve regurgitation was reduced to trace or mild in all but one patient, who showed moderate MR after TMVI-MAC. No patient-prosthesis mismatch or LVOT obstruction occurred after TMVI. Two patients underwent interventional ASD closure during the in-hospital course due to a large and persisting atrial septal defect after transseptal access. One patient underwent pacemaker implantation due to complete AV-block after TMVI. One patient died in hospital 12 days after the procedure due to severe hospital-acquired pneumonia and sepsis. In-hospital mortality rate was 14% (1/7) in this high-risk population. After hospital discharge, no death occurred and clinical improvement—according to NYHA functional class—remained stable during one-year follow-up. Conclusion In this small single-center series, TMVI appears promising for patients at high or prohibitive surgical risk with either failing mitral bioprostheses/annuloplasty rings or native mitral valve dysfunction in combination with advanced MAC. Gaining experience in TMVI and new valves will further improve safety and efficacy of this new treatment option.
Ecology of an ocelot population at the northern edge of the species’ distribution in northern Sonora, Mexico

We used data from eight years of camera trapping at Rancho El Aribabi, a cattle ranch and conservation property in northern Sonora, Mexico, to examine the ecology of the northern-most known breeding population of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis). Ocelots were found mostly in two discrete and disjunct areas: a riverine riparian canyon at just less than 1,000 masl elevation and along arroyos in an oak-mesquite savanna in the Sierra Azul at 1,266–1,406 masl. An ocelot was also detected at a site between those two areas, in an area of a Sonoran desertscrub-foothills thornscrub ecotone at 1,300 masl. At least 18 ocelots, both males and females, were detected during the 2007–2011 and 2014–2018 sampling periods. A female with a kitten was documented in 2011. No individual ocelots were photographed in both areas, which are separated by a minimum of 11.29 km, and no individuals were photographed in both time periods. In a binary logistic regression, key environmental variables predicting ocelot presence were, in order of importance, distance to a paved road, distance to human habitation, proximity to water, and an anthropogenic influences index that was dominated by cattle. Another analysis corroborated the finding regarding ocelot presence and cattle. Contrary to previous studies, ocelot presence was not tied to vegetation cover close to the ground. We present information about the types of habitats and sites ocelots used, short-term movements, daily and seasonal activity patterns, and behavior, including occurrence of different individuals at or near the same site over short periods of time. We discuss ocelot home range, density, and movements, but small sample sizes and study design problems limit the value of estimates derived from our work. Rancho El Aribabi is a private, conservation ranch for which the owners have made voluntary conservation commitments that provide habitat and protection for ocelots and other animals and plants. This northern-most known breeding population is a likely source of ocelots that are periodically detected in southeastern Arizona. Our results should help facilitate conservation of the ocelot in other semi-arid areas of northwestern Mexico and adjacent USA.
Omalizumab usage in chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis: data from South-East province of Turkey

Introduction Omalizumab is a current treatment option for IgE-associated dermatoses, such as urticaria and atopic dermatitis. Aim To evaluate the clinical and laboratory findings of patients with chronic urticaria and atopic dermatitis who received omalizumab. Material and methods This study was planned as a cross-sectional and retrospective one. One hundred forty-six cases were included in the study. Omalizumab at a dose of 300 mg for patients with chronic urticaria and 600 mg for patients with atopic dermatitis, was given every 4 weeks. The response to the given treatment and remission status of patients were investigated. Results Of 146 patients included in the study, 70.5% (n = 103) were female and their mean age was 42.3 ±13.8 (min.–max.: 14–85). Of the patients, 136 had chronic urticaria and 10 had atopic dermatitis. 29.9% (n = 26) of patients with chronic urticaria had a complete response to omalizumab treatment, whereas 40% (n = 4) of patients with atopic dermatitis had remission. Conclusions The decline of complaints with different treatment schemes in different patients suggests that treatment should be designed individually and that personal biomarkers playing a role in the effectiveness of the drug are important. Patients with the high IgE and eosinophil percentages and positive autologous serum test had a better treatment response to omalizumab treatment. Meanwhile, remission was found to be more frequent in atopic dermatitis patients with omalizumab treatment compared to the patients with urticaria. It may be more appropriate to choose patients based on certain criteria to ensure cost-effectiveness in omalizumab treatment.
Cataracts Risk Factors and Comparison of Blood Glucose Levels in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients towards the Occurrence of Cataracts

BACKGROUND: Cataracts are a multifactorial systemic disease that causes opacity of the optical lens. One aetiology of cataracts is chronic hyperglycemia, usually caused by uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. AIM: The objective of this study is to identify risk factors of cataracts and to analyse if there is a significant difference in blood glucose values between diabetic patients with cataracts and non-diabetic patients with cataracts. METHODS: This was an analytical case-control study with a sample size of 140 patients that were obtained via consecutive sampling of medical records. RESULTS: This study found that age, high body mass index and hypertension were the dominant risk factors of cataracts. The mean value of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients with cataracts is 195.58 ± 63.9 and 109.7 ± 26.4 in non-diabetic patients with cataracts. There was a significant difference between the blood glucose values of diabetic patients with cataracts and non-diabetic patients with cataracts (p < 0.001). The dominant risk factors of cataracts were old age, high body mass index and hypertension. The majority of hyperglycemic patients belong in the group of diabetic patients with cataracts. CONCLUSION: Chronic hyperglycemia can increase a patient’s risk of cataracts.
The effects of an educational program based on the health belief model on information-motivation-skill-behavioral skills among women living with human immunodeficiency virus

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a kind of behavioral disease in that adopting behavioral changes is the only way to control and stop the epidemic. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of education base on the health belief model (HBM) on health-seeking behavior among HIV-positive women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a paralleled, randomized controlled clinical trial done with control group among HIV-positive women who were registered at the voluntary and counseling testing center of Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran. Data were gathered by using information obtained from the Motivation-Skill-Behavior questionnaire and demographic data. The women were divided by permuted block and were randomized into two groups. Interventional group participated in six HBM educational classes and used routine counseling guidelines, but the control group used only routine counseling protocol. Data were collected before, immediately after, and 3 weeks after interference among all participants. Data were analyzed by using SPSS software version 16. RESULTS: According to the results and statistical test, before intervention, the mean score of knowledge was not significantly different in the two groups, but after intervention in the interventional group, test result and follow-up increased statistically significantly (P = 0.000). Both groups had increased mean score of knowledge, and there is significant trend in level of knowledge (interventional group 20.79 ± 1.88, control group: 17.36 ±2.44) and there was a significant increase in mean attitude follow-up score (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the result of the present study, counseling base on HBM by trained educator can increase information-motivation-skill-behavior among women living with HIV.
The 22 December 2018 tsunami from flank collapse of Anak Krakatau volcano during eruption

Rapid quantification of the Anak Krakatau landslide by regional seismic data could have aided in warning of the resulting tsunami. On 22 December 2018, a devastating tsunami struck Sunda Strait, Indonesia without warning, leaving 437 dead and thousands injured along the western Java and southern Sumatra coastlines. Synthetic aperture radar and broadband seismic observations demonstrate that a small, <~0.2 km3 landslide on the southwestern flank of the actively erupting volcano Anak Krakatau generated the tsunami. The landslide did not produce strong short-period seismic waves; thus, precursory ground shaking did not provide a tsunami warning. The source of long-period ground motions during the landslide can be represented as a 12° upward-dipping single-force directed northeastward, with peak magnitude of ~6.1 × 1011 N and quasi-sinusoidal time duration of ~70 s. Rapid quantification of a landslide source process by long-period seismic wave inversions for moment-tensor and single-force parameterizations using regional seismic data available within ~8 min can provide a basis for future fast tsunami warnings, as is also the case for tsunami earthquakes.