Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salmonella Interacts With Autophagy to Offense or Defense

Autophagy is an important component of the innate immune system in mammals. Low levels of basic autophagy are sustained in normal cells, to help with the clearance of aging organelles and misfolded proteins, thus maintaining their structural and functional stability. However, when cells are faced with challenges, such as starvation or pathogenic infection, their level of autophagy increases significantly. Salmonella is a facultative intracellular pathogen, which imposes an economic burden on the poultry farming industry and human public health. Previous studies have shown that Salmonella can induce the autophagy of cells following invasion, which to a certain extent helps to protect the cells from bacterial colonization. This review summarizes the latest research in the field of Salmonella-induced autophagy, including: (i) the autophagy induction and escape mechanisms employed by Salmonella during the infection of host cells; (ii) the effect of autophagy on intracellular Salmonella; (iii) the important autophagy adaptors that recognize intracellular Salmonella in host cells; and (iv) the effect of autophagy-modulating drugs on Salmonella infection.
Nurse prescribers' exploration of diabetes patients' beliefs about their medicines

Evidence suggests that non-adherence to medicines is an ongoing problem for people with diabetes and can adversely affect mortality, morbidity and health outcomes. Recent evidence and national guidance has reported patients’ medicine beliefs as an important antecedent of non-adherence, however, a review of the entire medicine beliefs literature has yet to be conducted and no research has explored the experience of nurses and patients involved in an exploration of patients’ medicine beliefs in routine practice settings. Conclusions from chapters 2 and 3 indicated nurse prescribers’ are not, but should be, exploring patients’ medicines beliefs in routine practice to optimise adherence and health outcomes. A mixed methods concurrent triangulation design was used to (a) quantitatively observe and measure nurse prescribers’ exploration in routine consultations, (b) qualitatively investigate the barriers and facilitators to nurse prescribers’ exploration, and (c) qualitatively investigate diabetes patients’ perceptions of consultation discussion having participated in consultations whereby nurse prescribers’ explored diabetes patients’ medicine beliefs. Findings were integrated in order to develop additional inferences. Fourteen nurse prescribers’ audio-recorded 154 routine consultations with diabetes patients over several time-points and 620 instances of medicine discussion were observed. Medicine beliefs sub-concepts, concerns and necessity, were conceptually mapped to MEDICODE themes and the analysis indicated nurse prescribers’ were moderately exploring patients’ medicine beliefs. A thematic analysis of thirty interviews with nurse prescribers identified a range of nurse, patient, and contextual tensions that influenced nurses’ exploration attempts. These included patients’ willingness to engage, different exploration approaches by nurses, patient characteristics, and a wide range of contextual problems such as inadequate time, disruptive settings, and competing agendas. Thematic findings from 28 patient interviews also identified a range of perceptions about the experience of having their medicine beliefs explored. Nurse-patient rapport was considered vital for exploration by both nurses and patients. All three study components were integrated in the discussion and developed into a conceptual model of the perceptions and influences on patients’ medicine beliefs exploration by nurse prescribers. This thesis was the first attempt to understand the practical reality of this consultation activity. Exploration of patients’ medicine beliefs in routine practice settings was difficult and subject to a number of tensions, facilitators and barriers within the context of diabetes care. Importantly, future research can utilise these findings to develop strategies to support interventions
Ginsenoside Rg3 Alleviates ox-LDL Induced Endothelial Dysfunction and Prevents Atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− Mice by Regulating PPARγ/FAK Signaling Pathway

The initiation of atherosclerosis (AS) induced by dyslipidemia is accompanied by endothelial dysfunction, including decreased healing ability and increased recruitment of monocytes. Studies showed ginsenoside Rg3 has potential to treat diseases associated with endothelial dysfunction which can protects against antineoplastic drugs induced cardiotoxicity by repairing endothelial function, while the effect and mechanism of Rg3 on dyslipidemia induced endothelial dysfunction and AS are not clear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of Rg3 on oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) dysfunction and high-fat diets (HFD) induced atherosclerosis in ApoE−/− mice, as well as the mechanism. For in vitro assay, Rg3 enhanced healing of HUVECs and inhibited human monocytes (THP-1) adhesion to HUVECs disturbed by ox-LDL, down-regulated focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-mediated expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1); restrained the FAK-mediated non-adherent dependent pathway containing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/9 expression, activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), high mRNA levels of monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), besides Rg3 up-regulated peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs. GW9662, the PPARγ-specific inhibitor, can repressed the effects of Rg3 on ox-LDL-stimulated HUVECs. For in vivo assay, Rg3 significantly reduced atherosclerotic pathological changes in ApoE−/− mice fed with HFD, up-regulated PPARγ, and inhibited activation FAK in aorta, thus inhibited expression of VCAM-1, ICAM-1 in intima. We conclude that Rg3 may protect endothelial cells and inhibit atherosclerosis by up-regulating PPARγ via repressing FAK-mediated pathways, indicating that Rg3 have good potential in preventing dyslipidemia induced atherosclerosis.
Opposing Associations of Stress and Resilience With Functional Outcomes in Stroke Survivors in the Chronic Phase of Stroke: A Cross-Sectional Study

Stroke survivors report significant levels of psychological distress post stroke. To date, most studies conducted have focused on the relationship between psychological stress and functional outcomes in the acute phase of stroke. However, no studies had considered the role of stress over the chronic phase, where stress may continue to exert negative effects on cognitive and psychological processes. Further, the role of potentially modulatory variables, such as psychological resilience, on stroke outcomes has been understudied. The purpose of this study was to consider the relationships between stress and resilience with functional outcomes in long-term survivors of stroke. People (N = 70) who had experienced a stroke between 5 months and 28 years ago were included in the cross-sectional study, along with age-matched controls (N = 70). We measured stress using both the Perceived Stress Scale and biological markers, and resilience using both the Brief Resilience Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Stroke outcomes were assessed using the Stroke Impact Scale. We found that, compared with age-matched controls, stroke survivors reported greater levels of perceived stress, and lower levels of resilience. In stroke survivors, both perceived stress and resilience were independently associated with stroke outcomes in linear regression models. In particular, these relationships were observed for cognitive outcomes including mood, memory, and communication. The association between stress and stroke outcome did not differ across time post stroke. Given that resilience is a modifiable psychological construct, future research may consider whether strategies directed at enhancing resilience may improve recovery from stroke. Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12617000736347.
Coxiella-Like Endosymbiont of Rhipicephalus sanguineus Is Required for Physiological Processes During Ontogeny

Obligatory hematophagous arthropods such as lice, bugs, flies, and ticks harbor bacterial endosymbionts that are expected to complement missing essential nutrients in their diet. Genomic and some experimental evidence support this expectation. Hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are associated with several lineages of bacterial symbionts, and very few were experimentally shown to be essential to some aspects of tick’s fitness. In order to pinpoint the nature of interactions between hard ticks and their symbionts, we tested the effect of massive elimination of Coxiella-like endosymbionts (CLE) by antibiotics on the development and fitness of the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus). Administration of ofloxacin to engorged (blood fed) nymphs resulted in significant and acute reduction of their CLE loads – an effect that also persisted in subsequent life stages (aposymbiotic ticks). As a result, the post-feeding development of aposymbiotic female (but not male) nymphs was delayed. Additionally, aposymbiotic adult females needed a significantly prolonged feeding period in order to replete (detach from host), and had reduced engorgement weight and a lower capacity to produce eggs. Consequently, their fecundity and fertility were significantly reduced. Eggs produced by aposymbiotic females were free of CLE, and the resulting aposymbiotic larvae were unable to feed successfully. Our findings demonstrate that the observed fitness effects are due to CLE reduction and not due to antibiotic administration. Additionally, we suggest that the contribution of CLE is not mandatory for oocyte development and embryogenesis, but is required during feeding in females, when blood meal processing and tissue buildup are taking place. Presumably, under these extreme physiological demands, CLE contribute to R. sanguineus through supplementing essential micro- and macronutrients. Further nutrient complementary studies are required to support this hypothesis.
Phlorotannins as UV-protective substances in early developmental stages of brown algae

Phlorotannins are considered inter alia to act protective to a variety of stressors while lipids in spores are known to fuel various metabolic processes during spore release and settlement. Here, phlorotannin production in zoospores/ juvenile gametophytes in relation to lipid metabolism was investigated for the first time in order to study related metabolic costs. The experiment was carried out in NyAlesund (Svalbard, Arctic) within the development from spores to juvenile gametophytes of the brown alga Saccharina latissima over 20 days. In the release stage, the total phlorotannin content of single zoospores was 1.5 x 10 μg and 1.9 x 10 μg in the surrounding medium. Upon release, the total amount of lipids was 1.76 x 10 μg lipid zoospore containing the major fatty acids 16:0 and 18:0, 18:1(n-9), 18:2 (n-6), 18:3(n-3), 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3). During development from spores to gametophytes, a decrease in fatty acids was observed via electron microscopy and a decrease of the fatty acid 18:1(n-9) from 45 to 30 % was measured by gas chromatography in particular. While phlorotannin content within the spores remained stable, phlorotannins accumulated in the surrounding medium of gametophytes to 4.0 x 10 -7 μg phlorotannins spore indicating exudation processes. Results obtained support the key and multifunctional role of lipids in zoospore/gametophyte metabolism and may indicate that gametophytes of S. latissima need approximately 10 days to switch to photo-autotrophic strategies, becoming independent of storage lipids. In addition, fatty acids might represent an essential energy source to fuel adaptive responses.
Comparative study of off-clamp, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (OCLPN) and conventional hilar control, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (HCLPN) for renal tumors: One-year follow-up results of renal function change

Objectives: We designed the study to compare the oncologic and renal function outcomes of off-clamp, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (OCLPN) and conventional laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (HCLPN) for renal tumors. Methods: Between March 2008 and July 2015, 114 patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) of a renal neoplasm were studied. We performed LPN without hilar clamp on 40 patients (OCLPN, Group 1), and conventional LPN with hilar control and renorrhaphy on another 40 patients (HCLPN, Group 2). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of each patient’s age, sex, R.E. N.A. L. nephrometry score (RNS), operation time, complications, hospitalization period, tumor size, positive resection margin, histologic classification of tumor, pathologic stage, Fuhrman grade, estimated blood loss (EBL), warm ischemic time (WIT), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) before and one year after surgery. Results: There were no significant differences in age, sex, preoperative eGFR, EBL, surgical (anesthesia) time, and tumor size between the two groups. The mean eGFR was not significantly different between the OCLPN and HCLPN groups 1 month (95 and 86.2 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively; P = 0.106), 6 months (92.9 and 83.6 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively; P = 0.151) and 12 months (93.8 and 84.7 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively; P = 0.077) postoperatively. The change in eGFR after one year was 3.9% in the OCLPN group and -7.9% in the HCLPN group. Conclusions: OCLPN was superior to HCLPN in preserving renal function one year after surgery, and there was no statistically significant difference in tumor treatment results.
Syndecan-1 and Outcome of Ambulatory Patients with Stable Heart Failure

Background: Syndecan-1 is a major component of the glycocalyx, a carbohydrate-rich layer lining the vascular endothelium. Endothelial glycocalyx contributes to the permeability of the vascular endothelium and could be a biomarker of clinical utility in patients with heart failure. We sought to investigate the utility of blood levels of syndecan-1 in the prognostic assessment of stable heart failure patients. Methods: Ninety-five patients with stable heart failure (8 with preserved ejection fraction) and 24 matched controls were included. Blood concentrations of syndecan-1 were measured by ELISA. The end-point of the study was the combined of cardiovascular death and rehospitalization for heart failure. Syndecan-1 values were log2 transformed to obtain a normal distribution. Results: The patient group had higher levels of the biomarker: 3.74 (DE 1.53) ng/mL vs. 2.84 (DE 1.7) ng/mL, p=0.01. Log2 (syndecan-1) did not change in patients according to their functional class (p=0.543). Log2 (syndecan-1) was linearly related to some inflammatory cytokines: IL-1β (r=0.47, p=0.009) and IL-6 (r=0.44, p<0.001). After a follow-up of 544 days (interquartile range 285-688 days), we did not find differences in the end-point (p=0.857) by segregating patients into two groups (those with log2 (syndecan-1) above and below the median value). However, in a multivariate Cox proportional risk model, blood concentrations of log2 (syndecan-1) had a lower risk of mortality and rehospitalization: HR=0.64 (0.45-0.92), p=0.015. Conclusion: Higher blood levels of syndecan-1 are independently associated with a lower probability of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in the mid-term follow-up.
In praise of partially interpretable predictors

Often there is an uninterpretable model that is statistically as good as, if not better than, a successful interpretable model. Accordingly, if one restricts attention to interpretable models, then one may sacrifice predictive power or other desirable properties. A minimal condition for an interpretable, usually parametric, model to be better than another model is that the first should have smaller mean‐squared error or integrated mean‐squared error. We show through a series of examples that this is often not the case and give the asymptotic forms of a variety of interpretable, partially interpretable, and noninterpretable methods. We find techniques that combine aspects of both interpretability and noninterpretability in models seem to give the best results.
Factors associated with obesity in the Pharmacokinetic and Clinical Observations in People over Fifty (POPPY) cohort: an observational cross‐sectional analysis

The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence of obesity in the Pharmacokinetic and Clinical Observations in People over Fifty (POPPY) cohort, to identify demographic, clinical and HIV‐specific factors associated with obesity, and to characterize the association between obesity and sociodemographic, clinical and HIV‐specific factors and quality of life (QoL).
Effect of heat treatment on the survival of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 in raw milk

The survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in raw milk treated in experimental pasteurizer was investigated in the year 2010. Raw milk was inoculated with different initial concentrations of E. coli O157:H7 and heated for 15 seconds at temperatures ranging from 69OC to 73OC. E. coli O157:H7 cells were not isolated from the milk samples immediately after thermal treatment. They were however, isolated from 72% of heated samples after variable periods of storage at refrigeration temperature (4OC). The result suggests that a low number of E. coli O157:H7 survived some thermal treatment, but a cold storage in the refrigerator would have been responsible for repairing the thermally injured cells and thus detect this pathogen in milk. The results also revealed that the lower the initial counts of E. coli O157:H7 in raw milk samples the lower their percentage recovery from the heat treated milk. As the infectious dose of E. coli O157:H7 for human is very low, the presence of the organism in milk even in low numbers, is a potential risk for the consumers because this would lead to clinical infection associated with it.
Experience of sexual harassment in public transport among female health science students: A cross sectional study of Kathmandu, Nepal

Background: Sexual harassment on public transport is an everyday occurrence for millions of girls and women around the globe. With the skyrocketing population of Kathmandu valley public transport has been facing enormous pressure. The major victims of these harassments happens to be college going girls and working women as they tend to travel more in public transports. This study sought to determine the prevalence and factors responsible for sexual harassment in public transport among female health science students.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 396 female health science students studying in Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences using self-administered structured questionnaire. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling method.Results: The prevalence of sexual harassment among female health science students was found to be 79.6%. Physical harassment was the most prominent type of harassment (67.1%) followed by verbal (61.2%) and non verbal 34.6%. After the experience of sexual harassment, 44.6% scolded the harasser, 29.1% kept silent, 17.3% dropped at nearest bus station whereas remaining 9% reacted in other different ways. Overcrowding was considered as main reason for sexual harassment by 69.2% of the participants. 36.8% of female students didn’t use any precautionary methods whereas 32.6% avoided going out alone at night.Conclusion: The study reveals that the prevalence of sexual harassment is significantly high. With increasing population and limited vehicles people are left with no option rather than travelling in the overcrowded vehicles where the chances of experiencing various sorts of sexual harassments are very high. In order to address this emerging issue, prompt and appropriate intervention should be taken by government, public and especially the status of women must be raised in society.JMMIHS. 2018;4(1):20-32
Neuronal volume of the hippocampal regions in ageing

The hippocampal formation (HF) has an important role in different human capacities, such as memory processing and emotional expression. Both extensive changes and limited variations of its components can cause clinically expressed dysfunctions. Although there remains no effective treatment for diseases caused by pathological changes in this brain region, detection of these changes, even minimally, could allow us to develop early interventions and establish corrective measures. This study analysed the neuronal islands of layer II of the entorhinal cortex (EC), the neuronal clumps of the external principal layer of the presubiculum (PrS) and the dentate granule cells of the dentate gyrus (DG), which represent the prominent structural regions within the HF circuit. Subjects from two age groups (younger or older than 65 years) were studied and their neuronal size assessed by the point‐sampled intercepts stereological method. The quantitative v¯v(soma) estimate was a volume of roughly 8,500 µm3 for EC layer II neurons, and DG granule neurons and presubicular neurons were five and 10 times smaller, respectively. The older age group showed a v¯v(soma) increase of 2%, 18% and 28% with respect to the younger group in the PrS, DG and EC regions, respectively. None of these regions showed interhemispheric differences. This quantitative estimation is relevant because the observed variance in the v¯v(soma) estimates suggests that biological variation is the main contributory factor, with intercepts and measurements having a smaller impact. Therefore, we suggest that age has a limited influence on neuronal volume variation in these HF regions, which needs to be compared with similar measurements in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s.