Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Breast cancer risk factors in Iran: a systematic review & meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives Breast cancer is known as one of the deadliest forms of cancer, and it is increasing globally. There are a variety of proven and controversial risk factors for this malignancy. Herein, we aimed to undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis focus on the epidemiology of breast cancer risk factors in Iran. Methods We performed a systematic search via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Persian databases for identifying studies published on breast cancer risk factors up to March 2019. Meta-analyses were done for risk factors reported in more than one study. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a fixed/random-effects models. Results Thirty-nine studies entered into the meta-analysis. Pooling of ORs showed a significant harmful effect for risk factors including family history (OR: 1.80, 95%CI 1.47–2.12), hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) (OR: 5.48, 95%CI 0.84–1.74), passive smokers (OR: 1.68, 95%CI 1.34–2.03), full-term pregnancy at age 30 (OR: 3.41, 95%CI 1.19–5.63), abortion (OR: 1.84, 95%CI 1.35–2.33), sweets consumption (OR: 1.71, 95%CI 1.32–2.11) and genotype Arg/Arg (crude OR: 1.59, 95%CI 1.07–2.10), whereas a significant protective effect for late menarche (OR: 0.58, 95%CI 0.32–0.83), nulliparity (OR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.39–0.96), 13–24 months of breastfeeding (OR: 0.68, 95%CI 0.46–0.90), daily exercise (OR: 0.59, 95%CI 0.44–0.73) and vegetable consumption (crude OR: 0.28, 95%CI 0.10–0.46). Conclusions This study suggests that factors such as family history, HRT, passive smokers, late full-term pregnancy, abortion, sweets consumption and genotype Arg/Arg might increase risk of breast cancer development, whereas late menarche, nulliparity, 13–24 months breastfeeding, daily exercise and vegetable consumption had an inverse association with breast cancer development.
Assessment of heavy metals in Cypress (Thuja orientalis L.) in the Yazd Highway green belt

Dust storm is one of the criteria for air pollution, and pollution by Heavy Metal(HM) is one of the major environmental problems in the world. The objective of the present study was to assess some of HMs concentrations in the leaves and bark of cypress and atmospheric falling dust along the Yazd highway, Yazd Province, Iran. The total concentrations of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickle (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in the dust and plant samples were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry after digestion with acid. The results showed that the concentration of Zn and Cd metals in falling dust were the highest to the lowest, respectively. The distance from the highway significantly influenced the concentration of HMs in leaves and bark of the cypress tree. Moreover, the effect of HMs on the bark of this tree was higher than that of leaves, except for Cd, Co, Cu and Mn. Concentrations of Zn, Co, Ni and Fe increased with the increase in the distance from the highway due to multi-directional winds and the presence of other contaminants. The Pearson correlation analysis between the HMs found in the falling dust and Thuja orientalis L. showed that the input and controlling factors of these metals in the cypress tree were probably the same as the dust. The results further showed that the Thuja orientalis L. leaves with a metal accumulation index of 1973.16 mg/kg were more able to simultaneously absorb different metals. Therefore, since this green belt surrounds the Yazd urban area, it is expected that a significant amount of HMs will be absorbed by these trees.
Identification, Characterization and Redox Regulation of Carboxysomal Carbonic Anhydrases from Multiple Subtypes of the Cyanobacterial Bicarbonate Dehydration Complex

The photoautotrophic prokaryote, cyanobacteria possess a CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) necessary for growth. Carboxysomes are microcompartments essential for photosynthesis and the CCM in cyanobacteria. These organelles house Rubisco and carbonic anhydrase (CA) within a protein shell. In the cyanobacterium, Synechocystis PCC6803, CcaA is the functional CA and is complexed with two proteins, CcmM and CcmN–forming a HCO3 dehydration complex. CcmM acquires cytosolic HCO3 and delivers it to CcaA which catalyzes HCO3 dehydration within the carboxysome core. However, many -cyanobacterial strains such as Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1 lack a CcaA homolog. While the N-terminal region of CcmM is homologous to γ–CAs, this domain is inactive in Synechocystis. We identified and demonstrated that CcmM from T. elongatus, Nostoc PCC 7120, N.punctiforme, G.violaceus, Arthrospira and A.variabilis catalyzes 18 O exchange in CO2, a hallmark of all CAs. Using truncated forms of CcmM, biochemical analysis and homology modeling, we defined the minimal γ–CA catalytic domain of CcmM to encompass the N-terminal 201 amino acids. CcmM201 is active, suggesting an important stabilizing role for a C194-C200 disulfide bond, despite these residues playing no direct role in the catalytic mechanism. Consistently, cysteine substituted mutants were less active than the wildtype. In addition, reducing agents inhibited the γ–CA activity of Nostoc PCC 7120 suggesting that the C194-C200 disulfide bond is critical for the oxidative activation (and potentially regulation) of the enzyme.
The Influence of Recreational Substance Use in TMS Research

(1) Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) approaches are widely used to study cortical and corticospinal function. However, responses to TMS are subject to significant intra-and inter-individual variability. Acute and chronic exposure to recreational substances alters the excitability of the sensorimotor system and may contribute to the variability in TMS outcome measures. The increasing prevalence of recreational substance use poses a significant challenge for executing TMS studies, but there is a lack of clarity regarding the influence of these substances on sensorimotor function. (2) Methods: The literature investigating the influence of alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and cannabis on TMS outcome measures of corticospinal, intracortical and interhemispheric excitability was reviewed. (3) Results: Both acute and chronic use of recreational substances modulates TMS measures of excitability. Despite the abundance of research in this field, we identify knowledge gaps that should be addressed in future studies to better understand the influence of these substances on TMS outcomes. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the need for TMS studies to take into consideration the history of participant substance use and to control for acute substance use prior to testing.
Bioinspired Green Synthesis of Chitosan and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with Strong Antibacterial Activity against Rice Pathogen Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae

Bacterial leaf blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) is one of the most devastating diseases, resulting in significant yield losses in rice. The extensive use of chemical antibacterial agents has led to an increase the environmental toxicity. Nanotechnology products are being developed as a promising alternative to control plant disease with low environmental impact. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of biosynthesized chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) against rice pathogen Xoo. The formation of CSNPs and ZnONPs in the reaction mixture was confirmed by using UV-vis spectroscopy at 300–550 nm. Moreover, CSNPs and ZnONPs with strong antibacterial activity against Xoo were further characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Compared with the corresponding chitosan and ZnO alone, CSNPs and ZnONPs showed greater inhibition in the growth of Xoo, which may be mainly attributed to the reduction in biofilm formation and swimming, cell membrane damage, reactive oxygen species production, and apoptosis of bacterial cells. Overall, this study revealed that the two biosynthesized nanoparticles, particularly CSNPs, are a promising alternative to control rice bacterial disease.
Kortisolkonzentration bei Deutsch-Holstein-Kühen vor, während und nach der Klauenbehandlung im Durchtreibestand – Eignung verschiedener Matrizes

Zusammenfassung Ziel Überprüfung, ob sich die Änderung der Kortisolkonzentration im Blut (KoB) von Milchkühen während eines akuten Stressreizes durch die Kortisolkonzentration im Speichel (KoS), in der Tränenflüssigkeit (KoTr) und in der Milch (KoM) und die Kortisolmetabolitenkonzentration im Kot (KoK) nachvollziehen lässt. Material und Methoden Bei 10 gesunden Deutsch-Holstein-Kühen diente eine simulierte Klauenbehandlung (sKB) im Durchtreibestand als Modell für eine akute Stresssituation. KoB, KoS, KoTr, KoM sowie KoK wurden einmal täglich über 10 Tage gemessen. Bei der an Tag 4 durchgeführten sKB wurden die KoB und KoTr (Minute 0, 15, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80) und die KoK (Minute 480, 540, 600, 660) bestimmt. Ergebnisse Während der sKB stiegen die KoB und KoTr (Maximum zu Minute 60) und fielen anschließend ab. Nach der sKB kam es zu einem Anstieg der KoK (Maximum zu Minute 660). Während der sKB korrelierten KoB und KoTr sowie KoK und KoTr signifikant und KoK und KoB tendenziell. Im gesamten Verlauf der sKB (Area under the Curve [AUC], Minute 0–80) zeigten KoB und KoTr eine signifikante Korrelation (p = 0,04). Die KoB fiel von Tag 1 zu Tag 4 signifikant ab (p < 0,01). An Tag 5 waren KoB (p = 0,03) und KoK (p < 0,01) signifikant höher. Der Verlauf der KoS und KoTr (Tag 1–10) spiegelte den KoB-Verlauf gut wider. Der Verlauf der KoK wies Parallelen, der von KoM einige Unterschiede zum Verlauf der KoB auf. Deutlich positive Korrelationen ergaben sich für den Zeitraum Tag 1–10 im Vergleich von KoB und KoS (p = 0,002) sowie von KoB und KoTr (p = 0,002). Schlussfolgerungen und klinische Relevanz Die Gewinnung von Tränenflüssigkeit und Speichel stellt bei der Bestimmung der Kortisolkonzentration eine Alternative zur invasiven Blutentnahme dar. Ein ruhiger Umgang mit den Kühen führt zu einer geringeren Stressreaktion und kann somit das Tierwohl verbessern.
Where do we go from here: a forward-thinking vision for physiology undergraduate education.

Nancy Aguilar-Roca, Lisa Carney Anderson, Anne R. Crecelius, Michelle B. French, Kathryn M. S. Johnson, Jenny L. McFarland, Jennifer Rogers, Claudia I. Stanescu, and Erica A. Wehrwein Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Health and Sport Science, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Trail Build, LLC, East Troy, Wisconsin; Department of Biology, Edmonds College, Lynnwood, Washington; Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; Department of Physiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; and Department of Physiology, Minnesota State University, East Lansing, Michigan
Radiomic Immunophenotyping of GSEA-Assessed Immunophenotypes of Glioblastoma and Its Implications for Prognosis: A Feasibility Study

Simple Summary Characterization of immunophenotypes in GBM is important for therapeutic stratification and helps predict treatment response and prognosis. However, identifying immunophenotypes of patients with GBM requires multiple laboratory experiments and is time consuming. We developed a non-invasive method to evaluate enrichment levels of CTL, aDC, Treg, and MDSC immune cells to classify immunophenotypes of GBM tumor microenvironment with radiomic features of MR imaging. Five immunophenotypes (G1–G5) of GBM can be classified with specific gene set enrichment analysis. G2 had the worst prognosis and comprised highly enriched MDSCs and lowly enriched CTLs. G3 had the best prognosis and comprised lowly enriched MDSCs and Tregs and highly enriched CTLs. Moreover, the developed radiomics models can successfully identified these two groups by immune cell subsets enriched levels prediction. Therefore, it is possible to characterize immunophenotypes of GBM and predict patient prognosis with radiomics methods. Abstract Characterization of immunophenotypes in glioblastoma (GBM) is important for therapeutic stratification and helps predict treatment response and prognosis. Radiomics can be used to predict molecular subtypes and gene expression levels. However, whether radiomics aids immunophenotyping prediction is still unknown. In this study, to classify immunophenotypes in patients with GBM, we developed machine learning-based magnetic resonance (MR) radiomic models to evaluate the enrichment levels of four immune subsets: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), activated dendritic cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Independent testing data and the leave-one-out cross-validation method were used to evaluate model effectiveness and model performance, respectively. We identified five immunophenotypes (G1 to G5) based on the enrichment level for the four immune subsets. G2 had the worst prognosis and comprised highly enriched MDSCs and lowly enriched CTLs. G3 had the best prognosis and comprised lowly enriched MDSCs and Tregs and highly enriched CTLs. The average accuracy of T1-weighted contrasted MR radiomics models of the enrichment level for the four immune subsets reached 79% and predicted G2, G3, and the “immune-cold” phenotype (G1) according to our radiomics models. Our radiomic immunophenotyping models feasibly characterize the immunophenotypes of GBM and can predict patient prognosis.
Cholesterol homeostasis in the vertebrate retina: Biology and pathobiology.

Cholesterol is a quantitatively and biologically significant constituent of all mammalian cell membrane, including those that comprise the retina. Retinal cholesterol homeostasis entails the interplay between de novo synthesis, uptake, intra-retinal sterol transport, metabolism and efflux. Defects in these complex processes are associated with several congenital and age-related disorders of the visual system. Herein, we provide an overview of the following topics: a) cholesterol synthesis in the neural retina; b) lipoprotein uptake and intraretinal sterol transport in the neural retina and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE); c) cholesterol efflux from the neural retina and the RPE; and d) biology and pathobiology of defects in sterol synthesis and sterol oxidation in the neural retina and the RPE. We focus, in particular, on studies involving animal models of monogenic disorders pertinent to the above topics, as well as in vitro models using biochemical, metabolic, and omic approaches. We also identify current knowledge gaps as well as opportunities in the field that beg further research in this topic area.
Attitudes of Palestinian and Polish Medical Students Towards Death

Attitudes of students of health-related subjects towards the death are an important issue showing the behaviour and values that guide young people in everyday interactions. The study was conducted using the Questionnaire About Attitudes Against Death (DAP-R-PL) among 309 students, including 150 Palestinian from the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences and 159 Polish from the Faculty of Health Sciences. It was noticed that the attitude of Death Avoidance is higher in Palestinians than in Poles. The biggest difference between correlation indicators is for the factors fear of death and death avoidance (FD and DA). This value is positive for Palestinian respondents and negative for Polish respondents. The study confirms that the attitudes of students towards death from both universities in the perspective of 5 factors are positive and in future contacts with dying patients they will cope with this challenge.
Predictors of burnout of health professionals in the departments of maternity and gynaecology, and its association with personality factors: a multicentre study.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To analyse the prevalence, levels, and phases of burnout syndrome in midwives and obstetrics and gynaecology nurses, and to evaluate the relationship between burnout and sociodemographic, occupational, and psychological factors. BACKGROUND Burnout syndrome is a major problem in occupational health, characterized by feelings of exhaustion, depersonalisation, and a low sense of personal achievement that appears after long-term occupational stress. Recent research has found that burnout harms the physical and mental well-being of workers, and jeopardises the quality of care provided. The association between burnout and a risk profile in maternity wards has not previously been investigated but it deserves special attention since it is a highly stressful area to work in. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey design was selected. METHODS A total of 150 nurses and midwives at 18 hospitals participated in this study. The data were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, NEO Personality Inventory, and the Educational-Clinical Questionnaire: Anxiety and Depression. This study adhered to the STROBE guideline. RESULTS 17% of participants presented high levels of emotional exhaustion, 16.6% high depersonalisation, and 55.1% a sense of low personal accomplishment. The sociodemographic and occupational variables related to burnout were gender, marital status, and work shift. The three dimensions of the syndrome, emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and personal accomplishment were predicted by depression, neuroticism, agreeableness, and openness. CONCLUSIONS One third of the sample presented high levels of burnout, which was most strongly experienced as feelings of low personal accomplishment. Furthermore, personality factors play an important role in the development of burnout syndrome. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Managers and policy makers should promote strategies to reduce burnout. To prevent the syndrome, personality factors should be taken into account, for the early identification of a profile of professionals most at risk of developing burnout.
Use of Targeted Amplicon Sequencing in Peanut to Generate Allele Information on Allotetraploid Sub-Genomes

The use of molecular markers in plant breeding has become a routine practice, but the cost per accession can be a hindrance to the routine use of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) identification in breeding programs. In this study, we demonstrate the use of targeted re-sequencing as a proof of concept of a cost-effective approach to retrieve highly informative allele information, as well as develop a bioinformatics strategy to capture the genome-specific information of a polyploid species. SNPs were identified from alignment of raw transcriptome reads (2 × 50 bp) to a synthetic tetraploid genome using BWA followed by a GATK pipeline. Regions containing high polymorphic SNPs in both A genome and B genomes were selected as targets for the resequencing study. Targets were amplified using multiplex PCR followed by sequencing on an Illumina HiSeq. Eighty-one percent of the SNP calls in diploids and 68% of the SNP calls in tetraploids were confirmed. These results were also confirmed by KASP validation. Based on this study, we find that targeted resequencing technologies have potential for obtaining maximum allele information in allopolyploids at reduced cost.
Lipoprotein and metabolic profiles indicate similar cardiovascular risk of liver steatosis and NASH

Background and Aim: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects about 25% of the global population, with no reliable noninvasive tests to diagnose nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and to differentiate between NASH and nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) (steatosis alone). It is unclear if NAFL and NASH differ in cardiovascular risk for patients. Here, we compared obese NAFLD patients with a healthy cohort to test whether cholesterol compounds could represent potential noninvasive markers and to estimate associated risks. Method: Serum samples of 46 patients with histologically confirmed NAFLD (17 NAFL, 29 NASH) who underwent bariatric surgery were compared to 32 (9 males, 21 females) healthy controls (HCs). We analyzed epidemiological data, liver enzymes, cholesterol and lipid profile, and amino acids. The latter were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results: Total serum and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were significantly lower in the NAFLD group than in HCs, with a stronger reduction in NASH. Similar observations were made for sub-specification of HDL-p, HDL-s, SHDL-p, and LHDL-p cholesterols. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-s and LLDL-p cholesterol were significantly reduced in NAFLD groups. Interestingly, SLDL-p cholesterol was significantly higher in the NAFL group with a stronger elevation in NASH than in HCs. The amino acids alanine, leucin, and isoleucine were significantly higher in the NAFL and NASH groups than in HCs. Conclusion: We show in this study that cholesterol profiles, apolipoproteins, and amino acids could function as a potential noninvasive test to screen for NAFLD or even NASH in larger populations. However, few differences in cholesterol profiles were identified between the NAFL and NASH groups, indicating similar cardiovascular risk profiles.
Water Schedule of Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) under organic fertilization

ibiscus sabdariffa L. (Roselle) isaherbal medicineplant that has severaluses, i.e. as a food or a flavouring agent in the food industry, and also in hot and cold beverages. It is a cash crop in arid and semi-arid zones. The experiment was conducted to study the effect of irrigation and compost applicationon Roselle in Rasheed, Egypt. Water supplyfrequency was divided into three different timingsin 2, 4 and 6 days intervals. In addition to mineral fertilizers, soil media were supported with compost as a soil amendment at 5, 10 and 15 t fed-1. The positive effect of irrigation and compost application was monitored on plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, branches and fruits, dry weight of plantand calyx. Leaf chlorophyll contents and calyx anthocyanin composition were positively increased with the increase in interval and compost application.
Effect of dietary pine needles powder supplementation on growth, organ weight and blood biochemical profiles in broilers

ABSTRACT A total of eighty 21-days old broilers with similar body weight were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments with five replicates of four chickens per replicate. Birds were fed diets containing 0% PNP (Control, CT), 1% PNP (PNP1), 3% PNP (PNP3) and 5% (PNP5) respectively. The results showed that the final body weight and body weight gain had no significant differences between groups. The PNP supplementation increased the weight of gizzard and rectums, but decreased small intestine weight (P < 0.05). Overall the weight indices of gizzards and rectums increased in the PNP treatments, while the weight indices of small intestine decreased compared with the CT. Broilers receiving 3% PNP had higher serum superoxide dismutase activity compared with CT. The serum malondialdehyde content was lower in PNP5 treatment compared with CT. The serum triglyceride contents were lower in the PNP3 and PNP5 treatments compared with CT. Total serum cholesterol of PNP1 and PNP3 treatments was lower than CT. In conclusion, this study showed that PNP supplementation reduced the serum cholesterol and triglycerides in broilers and it may improve the development of the digestive tract and antioxidant functions of broilers without altering growth performance.