Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Formalin on Length and Weight of Fishes

Sockeye smolts, pink and chum fry, and pink and chum fingerlings (Oncorhynchus) were sequentially weighed and measured when alive and after death in water and after killing and storage in formalin up to 225 days. The fish shrank within 12 hours to 97% and by 30–40 days to 96% of live length. Further changes in length were not significant. These same relative changes were observed from fish of different sizes, and the values were not significantly different among groups preserved in formaldehyde solutions of fresh or sea water. In fresh water, fish gained weight while yet alive but under anaesthesia. In freshwater formalin, fish gained weight rapidly for 1 or 2 days, then lost weight at a decelerating rate to the time of last measurement. Fish killed and stored in salt water formalin lost weight for the first few days, then gained weight at a decelerating rate. Relative magnitudes and rates of change were inversely related to size of specimens contained in the sample. These changes had pronounced effects o.
Covid-19: England plan to ease lockdown is “confusing” and “risky,” say doctors

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s roadmap outlining how England will take its first steps out of lockdown, unveiled on 10 May, risks a second spike in cases, doctors have warned. More stringent lockdown measures will remain in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, where governments are setting slower routes out of lockdown and will retain the “stay at home” message being abandoned in England. Johnson said that, in England, there will be a change of emphasis from “only go to work if you must” to anyone who can’t work from home, for example, those in construction or manufacturing being “actively encouraged to go to work. ”1 Commuters should, however, avoid public transport if possible, he said, although pictures on Monday morning showed trains and tube stations packed with commuters attempting to get to work. From 13 May the public will be encouraged “to take more and even unlimited amounts of outdoor exercise” outside. They will be allowed to drive greater distances to take exercise, sunbathe in parks, and play sport with members of their household. The second phase of easing will be implemented from 1 June at the earliest and will include the phased …
Perceived Stress and Indicators of Burnout in Teachers at Portuguese Higher Education Institutions (HEI)

The aim of this study was to examine the phenomena of burnout and perceived stress in teachers at Higher Education Institutions, as this professional class is one of the most affected by high levels of stress. A sample of 520 university teachers was used, of which 339 (65.2%) were women. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout, and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to measure perceived stress. A sociodemographic data questionnaire produced by the authors was also applied, which consisted of questions about age, sex, experience in the teaching profession and the participants’ teaching areas. The results indicated that university teachers over 60 years old exhibited lower levels of perceived stress, as did teachers with more teaching experience (30 years or more), and those with less experience (less than 10 years). Women exhibited higher levels of perceived stress than men. Women also scored higher levels of Emotional Exhaustion in the burnout dimensions, whereas teachers will less experience (under 10 years) and teachers with more experience (more than 30 years) had the lowest scores in this dimension. Through an examination of the relation between perceived stress and the burnout dimensions, we concluded that perceived stress was directly proportional to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization; and was inversely proportional to personal accomplishment. A total of 31.3% of the variance in burnout was explained by perceived stress.
Interaction of Rhizobium and Pseudomonas with Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) in Potted Soil with or Without P2O5

The effect of inoculation of Rhizobium or Pseudomonas, or both, in the presence and absence of phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) fertilizer on wheat yield was tested. The experiment was conducted outdoors in potted soil during two consecutive years under natural conditions. Rhizobial strain (Thal 8-chickpea nodulating bacteria) and Pseudomonas strain (54RB), both indigenous P solubilizers were applied in broth culture at seedling stage. Fertilizer in the form of P2O5 was an additional treatment applied at sowing time. Results revealed that inoculation of Pseudomonas strain in presence of phosphorus (P) fertilizer increased yield up to 41.8% when it was compared with only P fertilizer applied. Co-inoculation of Rhizobium and Pseudomonas strains with the P2O5 treatment however resulted in increased grains yield by 10% over the P2O5 treatment alone. It is inferred that inoculation with Rhizobium and Pseudomonas combined with P2O5 is not only environmentally beneficial but also economically sound and productive, with wheat yield increases of 10% to 42%.
Mutation of PFN1 gene in an early onset, polyostotic Paget's-like disease.

CONTEXT Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a metabolic bone disease, whose genetic cause remains unknown in up to 50% of familial cases. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to investigate the underlying genetic defect in a large pedigree with a severe, early onset, autosomal dominant form of PDB across three generations. METHODS Whole exome sequencing was performed in affected and unaffected family members, and then mutation screening was replicated in a sample of PDB cases with early-onset, polyostotic PDB. RESULTS We identified a frameshift D107Rfs*3 mutation in PFN1 (encoding for profilin1, a highly conserved regulator of actin-polymerization and cell motility) causing the truncation of the C-terminal part of the protein. The mutation was also detected in a 17-yrs old asymptomatic family member that upon biochemical and radiological analyses was indeed found to be affected. Sequencing of the entire PFN1 coding region in unrelated PDB cases identified the same mutation in one patient. All mutation carriers had a reduced response to bisphosphonates, requiring multiple zoledronate infusions to control bone pain and achieve biochemical remission over a long term. In vitro osteoclastogenesis in PBMCs from mutation carriers showed a higher number of osteoclasts with PDB-like features. A similar phenotype was observed upon PFN1 silencing in murine bone marrow-derived monocytes, suggesting that the frameshift PFN1 mutation confers a loss of function in profilin 1 activity that induces PDB-like features in the osteoclasts, likely due to enhanced cell motility and actin ring formation. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that PFN1 mutation causes an early onset, polyostotic PDB-like disorder.
Assessment of the Piscine Micronucleus Test as an in situ Biological indicator of Chemical Contaminant Effects

The piscine micronucleus test was assessed for sensitivity and practicality as an in situ biological indicator of chemical contaminant exposure by an application to the peripheral blood of wild white croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) collected from polluted and reference areas along the California coast. The several types of variations from the usual erythrocyte nuclear morphology observed in the blood smears collected for this study were described and the frequencies were compared with measured levels of certain classes of contaminants in white croaker bile and liver, and in sediment collected at each site, in addition, the frequencies were also compared with the prevalence of idiopathic lesions in the livers of the croaker. However, the piscine micronucleus test appeared to lack sensitivity to the presence and effects of the measured contaminants because no association was detected between the frequencies of the erythrocyte nuclear variations and levels of chemical contamination, even though most of the obs.
Direct binding of salicylic acid to Pectobacterium N-acyl-homoserine lactone synthase.

Salicylic acid (SA) is a hormone that mediates systemic acquired resistance in plants. We demonstrated that SA can interfere with group behavior and virulence of the soft-rot plant pathogen Pectobacterium spp. through quorum sensing (QS) inhibition. QS is a population density-dependent communication system that relies on the signal molecule acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) to synchronize infection. P. parmentieri mutants, lacking the QS AHL synthase (expI-) or the response regulator (expR-), were used to determine how SA inhibits QS. ExpI was expressed in DH5α, QS negative strain of Escherichia coli, revealing direct interference of SA with AHL synthesis. Docking simulations showed SA is a potential ExpI ligand. This hypothesis was further confirmed by direct binding of SA to purified ExpI, shown by isothermal titration calorimetry and microscale thermophoresis. Computational alanine scanning was employed to design a mutant ExpI with predicted weaker binding affinity to SA. The mutant was constructed and displayed a lower affinity to the ligand in the binding assay and its physiological inhibition by SA was reduced. Taken together, these data support a likely mode of action and a role for SA as a potent inhibitor of AHL synthase and QS.
Ultrastructural evidence for the origin of the subretinal pigment shield in the compound eye of Drosophila melanogaster

Little morphological information is available about subretinal pigment shields in insect compound eyes, especially ultrastructural information. The latter is however needed in order to detect possible smallest projections that emanate from pigment‐granule‐bearing cells and pass through the basal matrix (BM), but that are not visible in light micrographs. Previous work on the subretinal pigment shield in Drosophila melanogaster suggests that the pigment cell population located below the BM is closely associated with secondary and tertiary pigment cells. Whether these cells stay in connection throughout life with the subretinal regions via thin projections that pass through the fenestrae of the BM, or whether the subretinal parts later become separated during eye development remained so far unknown. Our investigation of the periphery of the BM by three‐dimensional reconstruction based on serial‐sectioning transmission electron microscopy has revealed that the secondary and tertiary pigment cells possess thin projections that pass through the fenestrae of the BM and thus connect the cellular regions above and below the BM in the adult compound eye. The subretinal pigment shield of D. melanogaster is therefore of retinal origin and is not composed of additional subretinal pigment cells. The maintained bond allows the active displacement of pigment granules below the BM during the process of dark and light adaptation of the compound eye.
Chemical Composition of Wild Fallow Deer (Dama Dama) Meat from South Africa: A Preliminary Evaluation

Although fallow deer are abundant in South Africa, these cervids remain undervalued as a domestic protein source and little information exists on their meat quality. This study aimed to evaluate the proximate and mineral compositions of the meat from wild fallow deer (n = 6 male, n = 6 female) harvested in South Africa, as affected by sex and muscle. Proximate analyses were conducted on six muscles (longissimus thoracis et lumborum [LTL], biceps femoris [BF], semimembranosus [SM], semitendinosus [ST], infraspinatus [IS], supraspinatus [SS]), whereas mineral analyses were conducted on the LTL and BF. The proximate composition of the muscles ranged from 73.3–76.2% moisture, 20.4–23.1% protein, 2.2–3.2% fat, and 1.1–1.5% ash. Proximate composition was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced by muscle, but not by sex. The primary essential macro- and micro-minerals determined in the LTL and BF were potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and magnesium, as well as iron, zinc, and copper, with more variation in concentrations occurring with muscle than with sex. Minerals in the muscles contributing most notably to human recommended dietary requirements were potassium, iron, copper, and zinc. These findings indicate that wild fallow deer meat is a nutritious food source and should enhance utilisation of such products.
Evidence for macromolecular crowding as a direct apoptotic stimulus

ABSTRACT Potassium loss and persistent shrinkage have both been implicated in apoptosis but their relationship and respective roles remain controversial. We approached this problem by clamping intracellular sodium and potassium in HeLa or MDCK cells using a combination of ionophores. Although ionophore treatment caused significant cell swelling, the initial volume could be restored and further reduced by application of sucrose. The swollen cells treated with ionophores remained viable for at least 8 h without any signs of apoptosis. Application of sucrose and the resulting shrinkage caused volume-dependent intrinsic apoptosis with all its classical features: inversion of phosphatidylserine, caspase activation and Bcl-2-dependent release of cytochrome c from mitochondria. In other experiments, apoptosis was induced by addition of the protein kinase inhibitor staurosporine at various degrees of swelling. Our results show that: (1) persistent shrinkage can cause apoptosis regardless of intracellular sodium or potassium composition or of the state of actin cytoskeleton; (2) strong potassium dependence of caspase activation is only observed in swollen cells with a reduced density of cytosolic proteins. We conclude that macromolecular crowding can be an important factor in determining the transition of cells to apoptosis. Summary: Apoptosis was induced by osmotic shrinkage while keeping monovalent ions at fixed concentrations. It was found that shrinkage itself, rather than potassium loss or cytoskeleton-mediated effects, is responsible for apoptosis.
Prognostic Role of Androgen Receptor Expression in Surgically Resected Early Breast Cancer Patients

Purpose Endocrine therapy is a standard treatment for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, which accounts for 60%–75% of all breast cancer. Hormone receptor positivity is a prognostic and predictive biomarker in breast cancer. Approximately 50%–80% of breast cancer is also positive for androgen receptor (AR), but the prognostic and predictive value of AR expression in breast cancer is controversial. Here, we investigated AR expression and its prognostic value in patients with surgically resected breast cancer in Korea. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had surgically resected breast cancer to collect AR expression data and other clinicopathological data. The optimal cut-off for AR positivity was determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results We reviewed 957 patients with surgically resected breast cancer from June 2012 to April 2013. The median follow-up was 62 months, and relapse events occurred in 101 (10.6%) patients. Unlike the cut-off value of 1% or 10% in previous reports, 35% was determined to be best for predicting relapse-free survival (RFS) in this study. At the cut-off value of 35%, 654 (68.4%) patients were AR-positive. AR expression was more prevalent in luminal A (87.6%) and luminal B (73.1%) types than in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (56.2%) or triple-negative (20.6%) types. AR expression of ≥ 35% was significantly related to longer RFS in a multivariate analysis (hazard ratio, 0.430; 95% confidence interval, 0.260–0.709; p = 0.001). Conclusion We propose a cut-off value of 35% to best predict RFS in patients with surgically resected breast cancer. AR expression was positive in 68.4% of patients, and AR positivity was found to be an independent prognostic factor for longer RFS.
Tetranucleotide microsatellite loci from the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba Meyen, 1833)

Five tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated from the striped dolphin ( Stenella coeruleoalba ). Characterization of these loci revealed between three and 11 alleles at each locus and observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.192 to 0.775. All sets of primers amplified homologous loci when tested on four related species and showed polymorphisms in most locus–species combinations. A sixth microsatellite, which appeared to be monomorphic in the striped dolphin, was also shown to be polymorphic in three related species.
Investigation of the Predictors of Self-rated Health of Economically Disadvantaged African American Men and Women: Evidence for Sponge Hypothesis.

Background and aims According to the sponge hypothesis, compared to men's self-rated health (SRH), women's SRH is more likely to reflect conditions other than chronic medical conditions (CMCs) such as psychiatric disorders (PDs). As a result, poor SRH is a weaker predictive factor for mortality risk for women than men. Most of this literature, however, is done in samples that are predominantly middleclass White. To test the sponge hypothesis among economically disadvantaged African Americans (AAs), this study compared low-income AA men and women for the effects of the number of PDs and CMCs on SRH. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study recruited a non-random sample (n = 150) of economically disadvantaged AA adults with PD(s). Structured face-to-face interviews were used to collect data. SRH was measured using a single-item measure. PDs and CMCs were also self-reported. We applied linear regression models to test the interactions between SRH and the number of PDs and CMC as well as gender. Results The number of PDs and CMCs were associated with SRH in the pooled sample of low-income AA adults with PD(s). However, we found a significant interaction between the number of PDs and gender. This interaction suggested a stronger association between PDs and SRH for AA women than AA men. Gender did not alter the association between the number of CMCs and SRH. Conclusion The number of PDs is a determinant of SRH for low-income AA women but not AA men, supporting the sponge hypothesis.
What is resilience: an affiliative neuroscience approach

Resilience – a key topic in clinical science and practice – still lacks a clear conceptualization that integrates its evolutionary and human‐specific features, refrains from exclusive focus on fear physiology, incorporates a developmental approach, and, most importantly, is not based on the negation (i.e., absence of symptoms following trauma). Building on the initial condition of mammals, whose brain matures in the context of the mother's body and caregiving behavior, we argue that systems and processes that participate in tuning the brain to the social ecology and adapting to its hardships mark the construct of resilience. These include the oxytocin system, the affiliative brain, and biobehavioral synchrony, all characterized by great flexibility across phylogenesis and ontogenesis. Three core features of resilience are outlined: plasticity, sociality and meaning. Mechanisms of sociality by which coordinated action supports diversity, endurance and adaptation are described across animal evolution. Humans' biobehavioral synchrony matures from maternal attuned behavior in the postpartum to adult‐adult relationships of empathy, perspective‐taking and intimacy, and extends from the mother‐child relationship to other affiliative bonds throughout life, charting a fundamental trajectory in the development of resilience. Findings from three high‐risk cohorts, each tapping a distinct disruption to maternal‐infant bonding (prematurity, maternal depression, and early life stress/trauma), and followed from birth to adolescence/young adulthood, demonstrate how components of the neurobiology of affiliation confer resilience and uniquely shape the social brain.
Trial-and-error solving of a confinement problem by a jumping spider, Portia fimbriata

Portia is a genus of web-invading araneophagic jumping spiders known from earlier studies to derive aggressive-mimicry signals by using a generate-and-test algorithm (trial-and-error tactic). Here P. fimbriata 's use of trial-and-error to solve a confinement problem (how to escape from an island surrounded by water) is investigated. Spiders choose between two potential escape tactics (leap or swim), one of which will fail (bring spider no closer to edge of tray) and the other of which will partially succeed (bring spider closer to edge of tray). The particular choice that will partially succeed is unknown to the spider. Using trial-anderror, P.fimbriata solves the confinement problem both when correct choices are rewarded ( i.e. when the spider is moved closer to edge of tray) and when incorrect choices are punished ( i.e. when the spider gets no closer to edge of tray).
Cabozantinib as a second-line treatment option in hepatocellular carcinoma

ABSTRACT Introduction Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent tumors affecting the gastrointestinal tract and a universal cause of morbidity and mortality. Cabozantinib is a strong multi-inhibitor of receptor tyrosine kinases approved for renal cell carcinoma that could be useful also for the treatment of HCC. Areas covered This review describes the chemical structure, the pharmacologic properties and current knowledge of the efficacy of cabozantinib in the treatment of HCC based on data available from first phase and later phase clinical trials. The ongoing studies testing cabozantinib, either alone or in combination with other drugs, are also described. Expert opinion Despite the recent achievements in the use of cabozantinib for patients diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, data are still needed to allow clinicians to make better decisions on how to treat specific patient subgroups.
Preliminary validation of the Sexual Distress Scale-Short Form: Applications to Women, Men, and Prostate Cancer Survivors

Abstract The Sexual Distress Scale (SDS) can be used to assess sexual distress in women, men, and prostate cancer (PCa) survivors. Despite its strong psychometric properties, researchers and clinicians could benefit from a short form of the scale. Two studies were conducted to develop (Study 1) and validate (Study 2) a short form of the SDS (SDS-SF) using samples of women, men, and PCa survivors from previous studies. Results of Study 1 suggested a 5-item SDS-SF. Study 2 showed that the SDS-SF items clustered in one factor with good fit across the three samples and excellent reliability. Sexual distress was associated with higher sexual bother, and poorer sexual satisfaction, sexual function, and relationship quality. The SDS-SF discriminated participants with and without distressing sexual problems. The SDS-SF facilitates the assessment of sexual distress in clinical settings by providing a quick way of screening patients with high levels of sexual distress.
Influence of 38% silver diamine fluoride application on bond stability to enamel and dentin using universal adhesives in self-etch mode.

In order to evaluate the influence of 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) application on enamel and dentin bond stability of universal adhesives in self-etch mode, a 38% SDF and three universal adhesives were used in this study. Initial shear bond strength (ISBS), fatigue bond strength (FBS), and shear bond strength of survivors (SBSS) to enamel and dentin of universal adhesives in self-etch mode, with and without SDF application, were determined. SDF was applied to the polished enamel or dentin surface for 1 min, water-rinsed and air-dried for comparison with controls. The universal adhesives were applied to the prepared samples and composite resin was bonded using a mold-enclosed method. Enamel bond stability of universal adhesives with SDF (ISBS: 14.7-20.4 MPa; FBS: 5.5-7.4 MPa and SBSS: 14.4-21.5 MPa) was significantly weaker than those without SDF (ISBS: 28.0-29.2 MPa; FBS: 12.1-15.6 MPa and SBSS: 28.4-34.4 MPa). Dentin bond stability with SDF (ISBS: 14.8-20.9 MPa; FBS: 7.1-8.2 MPa and SBSS: 17.3-21.8 MPa) was also significantly weaker than without SDF (ISBS: 19.3-36.1 MPa; FBS: 11.0-13.7 MPa and SBSS: 22.2-34.6 MPa). The results suggest that SDF application on enamel and dentin reduces the bond stability of universal adhesives in self-etch mode.