Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Can a copper sulphate pulse below toxic threshold change plankton communities?

More field relevant ecological assessments, apart from single species tests using standard species, are needed to better predict agrochemical effects at higher ecosystems levels. Therefore, an experiment using a non-target aquatic community was used to test the hypothesis of the negative effect of a single pulse of copper sulfate on plankton abundance, structure, richness and diversity endpoints. Microcosms (20 l volume) were established during 21 days of experimentation, using six replicates for controls and with two concentrations of copper sulfate (High treatment, H: 20 µg Cu l−1; and Low treatment, L: 2 µg Cu l−1), both within the copper legal threshold following the Water Framework Directive (2000). The general lineal model found significant differences at the phytoplankton abundance endpoint at the end of the experiment, with an increase of phytoplankton abundance in L treatments dominated by the smaller cell size class. The principal response curve on zooplankton data, despite being insignificant, pointed out some dissimilarities in abundance and structure between treatments and controls: treatments showed lower abundances and were richer in cladocerans and copepods than the control microcosm where rotifers and nauplii were dominant. This indicated that trends change in community structure due to the effects of copper sulfate, and that even if the copper concentrations under study were within legal limits, they showed potential to induce changes in planktonic communities.
Life History Traits of the Liverwort Herbivore Scatopsciara cunicularius (Diptera: Sciaridae)

Abstract We studied the behavior, life cycle, and reproductive biology of the sciarid fly Scatopsciara cunicularius (Lengersdorf, 1943) under two constant temperatures. The sciarid was reared at 12.3 ± 0.6°C and 22 ± 1.7°C on its host, the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha L. Our results show that the sciarid fly is able to complete its life cycle with liverwort tissue as its only source of food. The egg-laying potential of the insect ranged from 70–174 eggs per female (mean 110 ± 31 eggs). Reproduction was digenic, meaning that one female can produce both male and female progeny. The overall sex ratio did not depart from 1:1, although the progeny sex ratio was highly variable. The developmental period of S. cunicularius was considerably longer in the colder than the warmer temperature. Mean development time of the egg, larva, and pupal stages, and adult longevity in the warm regime was 4, 20, 4, and 5 d, whereas mean development time of each juvenile stage and adult longevity in the cold regime was 13, 95, 11, and 8 d, respectively. The results suggest that the phenology of S. cunicularius is temperature dependent. Scatopsciara cunicularius could constitute a promising agent for biological control of M. polymorpha.
Genome Mining of the Genus Streptacidiphilus for Biosynthetic and Biodegradation Potential

The genus Streptacidiphilus represents a group of acidophilic actinobacteria within the family Streptomycetaceae, and currently encompasses 15 validly named species, which include five recent additions within the last two years. Considering the potential of the related genera within the family, namely Streptomyces and Kitasatospora, these relatively new members of the family can also be a promising source for novel secondary metabolites. At present, 15 genome data for 11 species from this genus are available, which can provide valuable information on their biology including the potential for metabolite production as well as enzymatic activities in comparison to the neighboring taxa. In this study, the genome sequences of 11 Streptacidiphilus species were subjected to the comparative analysis together with selected Streptomyces and Kitasatospora genomes. This study represents the first comprehensive comparative genomic analysis of the genus Streptacidiphilus. The results indicate that the genomes of Streptacidiphilus contained various secondary metabolite (SM) producing biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), some of them exclusively identified in Streptacidiphilus only. Several of these clusters may potentially code for SMs that may have a broad range of bioactivities, such as antibacterial, antifungal, antimalarial and antitumor activities. The biodegradation capabilities of Streptacidiphilus were also explored by investigating the hydrolytic enzymes for complex carbohydrates. Although all genomes were enriched with carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes), their numbers in the genomes of some strains such as Streptacidiphilus carbonis NBRC 100919T were higher as compared to well-known carbohydrate degrading organisms. These distinctive features of each Streptacidiphilus species make them interesting candidates for future studies with respect to their potential for SM production and enzymatic activities.
The RNA m6A reader YTHDF2 maintains oncogene expression and is a targetable dependency in glioblastoma stem cells.

Glioblastoma is a universally lethal cancer driven by glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Here, we interrogated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modifications in GSCs by methyl RNA-immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (meRIP-seq) and transcriptome analysis, finding transcripts marked by m6A often upregulated compared to normal neural stem cells (NSCs). Interrogating m6A regulators, GSCs displayed preferential expression, as well as in vitro and in vivo dependency, of the m6A reader, YTHDF2, in contrast to NSCs. While YTHDF2 has been reported to destabilize mRNAs, YTHDF2 stabilized MYC and VEGFA transcripts in GSCs in an m6A-dependent manner. We identified IGFBP3 as a downstream effector of the YTHDF2-MYC axis in GSCs. The IGF1/IGF1R inhibitor, linsitinib, preferentially targeted YTHDF2-expressing cells, inhibiting GSC viability without affecting NSCs and impairing in vivo glioblastoma growth. Thus, YTHDF2 links RNA epitranscriptomic modifications and GSC growth, laying the foundation for the YTHDF2-MYC-IGFBP3 axis as a specific and novel therapeutic target in glioblastoma.
Effect of Different LED Light-curing Units on Degree of Conversion and Microhardness of Bulk-fill Composite Resin.

AIM The aim of this study is to compare the effect of the use of second-generation and third-generation LED light-curing units (LCUs) on the degree of conversion (DC) and microhardness (VHN) of bulk-fill resin composites. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty cylindrical specimens (each n = 5) of Tetric N-Ceram Bulk-Fill, Filtek™ Bulk-Fill Posterior Restorative, and SDR flow were prepared in metal molds (5 mm in diameter and 4 mm in thickness) and cured with second-generation LED (SmartLite® Focus®, Dentsply Sirona) and third-generation LED (Bluephase® style, Ivoclar Vivadent) resulting in six groups. Degree of conversion was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and microhardness with Vickers microhardness tester. Data were statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA and least significance difference (LSD) test, and DC and microhardness were correlated using Pearson's correlation (α = 0.05). RESULTS There was a significant difference between DC and VHN between all groups of bulk-fill which were cured by second-generation LED curing light and third-generation LED curing light. Then there is no significant difference between DC of the three composite bulk-fill resins by (second-generation LED vs third-generation LED curing light). CONCLUSION The second-generation LED curing light can still be used to cure bulk-fill resin composites by increasing the duration of irradiation. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE In the microhardness test, there was a significant difference in the Filtek™ Bulk-Fill Posterior Restorative resin composites.
Suppression of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in ex‐vivo human lung tissues by targeting class III phosphoinositide 3‐kinase

The novel betacoronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) emerged at the end of 2019 and caused the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) pandemic due to its high transmissibility and early immunosuppression. Previous studies on other betacoronaviruses suggested that betacoronavirus infection is associated with the host autophagy pathway. However, it is unclear whether any components of autophagy or virophagy can be therapeutic targets for COVID‐19 treatment. In this report, we examined the antiviral effect of four well‐characterized small molecule inhibitors that target the key cellular factors involved in key steps of the autophagy pathway. They include small molecules targeting the ULK1/Atg1 complex involved in the induction stage of autophagy (ULK1 inhibitor SBI0206965), the ATG14/Beclin1/VPS34 complex involved in the nucleation step of autophagy (class III PI3‐kinase inhibitor VPS34‐IN1), and a widely‐used autophagy inhibitor that persistently inhibits class I and temporary inhibits class III PI3‐kinase (3‐MA) and a clinically approved autophagy inhibitor that suppresses autophagy by inhibiting lysosomal acidification and prevents the formation of autophagolysosome (HCQ). Surprisingly, not all the tested autophagy inhibitors suppressed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. We showed that inhibition of class III PI3‐kinase involved in the initiation step of both canonical and noncanonical autophagy potently suppressed SARS‐CoV‐2 at a nano‐molar level. In addition, this specific kinase inhibitor VPS34‐IN1, and its bioavailable analogue VVPS34‐IN1, potently inhibited SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in ex vivo human lung tissues. Taken together, class III PI3‐kinase may be a possible target for COVID‐19 therapeutic development.
Coffee Consumption and Its Inverse Relationship with Gastric Cancer: An Ecological Study

Coffee is the second most popular drink worldwide, and it has various components with antioxidant and antitumor properties. Due to its chemical composition, it could act as an antitumor substance in the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between coffee consumption and the incidence/mortality of stomach cancer in the highest-consuming countries. An ecological study using Spearman’s correlation coefficient was performed. The WorldAtlas’s dataset of coffee consumption and the incidence/mortality rates database of the International Agency for Research were used as sources of information. A total of 25 countries were entered to the study. There was an inverse linear correlation between coffee consumption in kg per person per year and estimated age-adjusted incidence (r = −0.5984, p = 0.0016) and mortality (r = −0.5877, p = 0.0020) of stomach cancer. Coffee may potentially have beneficial effects on the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer, as supported by the data from each country analyzed.
FTIR and UV-Visible Spectrophotometric Derivatization Studies of Artemether

This study was aimed at confirmation of the purity and identity of the artemether and development of an ultraviolet spectrophotometric method for the assaying of artemether utilizing p-nitroaniline as a derivatizing agent. Melting point and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) methods were used to confirm the purity and identity of the artemether used in the study. The derivatization process was carried out between 100 μg/ml of the artemether and 500 μg/ml of p-nitroaniline in different molarities (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5M) of HCl at 60oC for 45 mins. The melting point ranged between 86-89oC and the FTIR determination revealed a band at 3169.978 cm-1 due to O-H stretching vibration and C-H stretching at 2996.039 cm-1. There was no observed difference in wavelength between the p-nitroaniline spectrum and the spectra of the derivatized products in different molarities of HCl. p-nitroaniline may not be a proper derivatization reagent for the assay of artemether in pure or dosage form. Original Research Article Ugochukwu et al.; AIR, 21(10): 25-31, 2020; Article no.AIR. 61023 26
Transcranial Doppler and magnetic resonance angiography assessment of intracranial stenosis: An analysis of screening modalities

BACKGROUND: Time-of-flight (TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the head and transcranial Doppler (TCD) are used to diagnose intracranial stenosis, an important cause of ischemic stroke. We aimed to compare TCD findings with TOF-MRA results in a population of patients with symptoms of cerebrovascular disease in whom both tests were done within a short intervening period of each other. METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center study. Among adult patients referred for symptoms of cerebrovascular disease in both outpatient and inpatient settings, those who received a TCD with adequate insonation of all intracranial arteries and underwent MRA within 3 months intervals of TCD were included in this study. We evaluated the agreement between the results of these two modalities, and also assessed sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of TCD through receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, while MRA considered as a comparator. RESULTS: Among eighty included patients, 720 arteries were examined. An overall significant agreement of 96.5% was observed between TCD and MRA (Kappa = 0.377, P < 0.001). Compared to MRA, TCD had sensitivity of 42.1%, specificity of 99.6%, PPV of 72.7%, and NPV of 98.4% (ROC area: 0.708 [0.594–0.822]). TCD is specifically accurate in evaluating middle cerebral artery (MCA) (ROC area = 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: The high NPV of TCD in our study indicates the utility of TCD as a diagnostic test to exclude the presence of intracranial stenosis. This study supports TCD as a convenient, safe, and reproducible imaging modality applicable in the screening of intracranial stenosis, especially to evaluate MCA.
Presurgical assessment of alveolar ridge dimensions before dental implant procedures by OPG&CBCT – A comparative study based on fryback & thornbury model

Background and Aims: Replacing missing teeth is one of the most common challenges faced by the dental surgeon. The invention of dental implants has brought about a great change in successfully delivering a fixed prosthesis to the patient. Precise radiographic assessment of available alveolar bone is of prime importance for dental implant placement. Panoramic radiograph provides an overview of the jaw bones and is considered adequate in the initial evaluation of the implant site; however, they do not provide the buccolingual dimension of the implant site. CBCT provides volumetric imaging with the ability to visualize the imaged region in virtually any plane. The objective of this study was to compare panoramic radiography (OPG) with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for pre-surgical implant site evaluation. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 potential implant sites in 94 patients who were subjected to OPG and CBCT imaging previously were selected for the study. The height, width, and length of the available bone were measured for all the implant sites (except bone width which was measured on CBCT alone). Out of these, OPG & CBCT findings of 60 potential implant sites were evaluated by comparison with the surgical gold standard dimensions of actual dental implant placed. A comparison of all the values obtained with the two imaging modalities was done and the data was tabulated for statistical analysis. Results: The mean value of bone height using OPG and CBCT were found to be 12.15 mm and 11.99 mm, respectively. The mean value of the length of the edentulous jaw segment using OPG and CBCT was found to be 8.10 mm and 8.98 mm respectively. The mean value of the width of the crestal bone below the height of the crest using CBCT was found to be 5.46 mm. Conclusion: The overall results suggested that CBCT is better in depicting the bone height and bone width as compared to OPG; however, the length of the edentulous jaw segment is better depicted by OPG as compared to CBCT.
Significance of E-cadherin and KI67 expression in ovarian serous tumors

Background Ovarian serous carcinoma (OSC) is the most common subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer, accounting for ∼50–60% of all cases. The prognosis for OSC patients depends largely on tumor grade, stage, and prognostic markers such as E-cadherin and KI67. Aim To study the diagnostic and prognostic values of E-cadherin and KI67 expression in ovarian serous tumors. Materials and methods E-cadherin and KI67 immunostaining was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 50 ovarian serous tumors (12 cases benign, eight cases borderline, and 30 cases of OSC). Results E-cadherin was expressed in all benign ovarian serous tumors, whereas it was expressed in only six (75%) cases of borderline tumors and in eight (26.7%) cases of OSC. The proliferation rate evaluated by KI67 expression in the serous cells was found to be high in 21 (70%) cases of OSC compared with two (25%) cases of borderline tumors, whereas none of the benign tumors showed KI67 expression. When taken together, E-cadherin and KI67, statistically significant differences were documented between benign and malignant serous tumors, but this was not evident between borderline and the other two groups. For OSCs, a statistically significant decrease in E-cadherin expression was observed with an increase in tumor grade and advanced stage. Conversely, a statistically significant increase in KI67 expression was observed only with an increase of tumor grade. Conclusion Study of E-cadherin and KI67 expression can be of value in differentiating between benign and malignant ovarian serous tumors. The expression of both markers taken together may be of value in predicting the biologic behavior of the tumor.
The Relationship between Anxiety and Self-Esteem in Women Suffering from Breast Cancer

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide that has great impact on their lives. Women with breast cancer are at increased risk for anxiety and low self-esteem. Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between anxiety and self-esteem in women suffering from breast cancer. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive correlational study, all 261 women diagnosed with nonmetastatic breast cancer referred to cancer care clinics in winter 2016 were assessed. Data were gathered using demographic information inventory, Spielberger's State–Trait Anxiety Inventory and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and were analyzed using SPSS statistical software (version 22). Descriptive statistics, the t-test, ANOVA, the Pearson correlation and the Spearman's correlation were also used. Results: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of participants in the study was 48.33 ± 10.837 years. The mean score of state and trait anxiety was 46.29 ± 11.745 and 46.61 ± 10.936, respectively. The mean ± SD score of self-esteem was 18.38 ± 5.08. The study results show an indirect correlation between anxiety and self-esteem in women suffering from breast cancer (r = −0.690). Conclusions: According to the considerable influences of anxiety and self-esteem on other aspects of physical, psychological, and social health, it is suggested that health-care professionals pay more attention to the self-esteem and psychological state of women diagnosed with breast cancer besides other medical treatments. Screening strategies for detecting psychiatric disorders in breast cancer patients and planning of effective interventions to promote self-esteem and reduce anxiety and its consequences are recommended.
Mercury in Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) from the Canadian Arctic in Relation to Time and Climate Parameters

Mercury is found in Arctic marine mammals that are important in the diet of northern Indigenous peoples. The objectives of the present long‐term study, spanning a 45‐yr period, were to 1) investigate the temporal trends of total mercury (THg; muscle and liver) and selenium (Se; liver) in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from different regions of the Canadian Arctic; and 2) examine possible relationships with age, diet, and climate parameters such as air temperature, precipitation, climatic indices, and ice‐coverage. Ringed seals were collected by hunters in northern communities in the Beaufort Sea, Central Arctic, Eastern Baffin Island, Hudson Bay, and Ungava/Nunatsiavut regions (Canada) between 1972 and 2017. Mercury levels did not change through time in seal liver, but THg levels in muscle decreased in seals from Hudson Bay (−0.91%/yr) and Ungava/Nunatsiavut (−1.30%/yr). Carbon stable isotope values in seal muscle decreased significantly through time in 4 regions. Selenium‐to‐THg ratios were found to be >1 for all years and regions. Variation partitioning analyses across regions indicated that THg trends in seals were mostly explained by age (7.3–21.7%), climate parameters (3.5–12.5%), and diet (up to 9%); climate indices (i.e., Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations, Pacific/North American pattern) explained the majority of the climate portion. The THg levels had a positive relationship with Arctic Oscillation for multiple regions. Associations of THg with air temperature, total precipitation, and sea‐ice coverage, as well as with North Atlantic Oscillation and Pacific/North American pattern were found to vary with tissue type and geographical area. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2462–2474. © 2020 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Gaps in facilities available at Community Health Centers/Rural Hospitals as per Indian public health standards – Study from Western Maharashtra

Background: The launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) gives us the opportunity to review the functioning and bring up the Community Health Centers (CHC) services to the level of Indian Public Health Standards and thus improve the lives of citizens. Objectives: Assessment of the gaps in the facilities available at Community health centers/Rural hospitals as per Indian Public health standards. Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Satara district of Maharashtra. Results: This study in the majority showed that the gap in the delivery of healthcare according to IPHS. It was observed that the Funded CHCs had a better quality of services than the non-funded CHCs. The non-funded CHCs lacked essential emergency services. Along with ANC care, newborn care in the first few minutes of life is very crucial, but very little priority was given to the newborn care as those services were not as per norms. Specialists as well as paramedical and other support staff are deficient in both funded and non funded CHCs/rural hospitals (RHs). Conclusion: Standards were greatly influenced by funds delivered by IPHS itself. A staffing pattern is one of the important pillars in delivering various health services. A better salary, working place with continuous water supply, electricity, and cleanliness will improve the staffing pattern. Therefore, competent manpower and well-built infrastructure will help in the standard delivery of healthcare at CHC/RH and will thus serve the purpose of dispensing basic health services to every individual in the remotest areas.