Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Phase I, Dose Escalation, Single Dose Trial of Oral Attenuated Salmonella typhimurium Containing Human IL-2 in Patients With Metastatic Gastrointestinal Cancers

Salmonella has been shown to preferentially colonize solid tumors. It is known that toxicity limits the systemic administration of immunomodulatory cytokines that have a significant anticancer effect. Therefore, we tested a unique cancer treatment strategy comprised of oral delivery of Saltikva, an attenuated strain of Salmonella typhimurium that contain the human gene for interleukin-2. In preclinical experimentation, a significant antitumor effect without toxicity was observed. A dose escalation, single dose, Phase I trial was conducted. Dose escalation (105 to 1010) while monitoring for dose limiting toxicity and response was performed. Flow cytometry was conducted to determine the immunologic effect. In total 22 patients were administered Saltikva. Eight patients did not complete the trial. No toxicity or adverse events were observed. There was no survival advantage. Flow cytometry demonstrated an increase in circulating natural killer (NK) cells and NK-T cells when comparing the prestudy period. The results of this phase I dose escalation study show that oral attenuated S. typhimurium containing the human interleukin-2 gene caused no significant toxicities up to doses of 1010 colony forming unit. There was no evidence of partial or complete response. All patients had progressive disease and eventually succumbed to their illness. Although no survival advantage was seen in this single dose study, the statistically significant increase in circulating NK and NK-T cell demonstrates an immunologic effect from this treatment regimen and suggest that a multiple dose study should be undertaken.
Molecular markers linked to resistance to the gall mite in blackcurrant

With 1 figure and 3 tables Abstract Gall mite (Cecidophyopsis ribis Westw.) is one of the most damaging pests of blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum L.) and is a vector of blackcurrant reversion virus. Ce and P genes provide resistance of blackcurrant to gall mite. A linkage map around the resistance locus controlled by predicted P gene was constructed. Forty-three amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and 19 microsatellite polymorphic markers obtained from analysis of the progeny obtained in cross with P gene donor ‘Dainiai’ were mapped. The obtained consensus map covers 691.196 cM, with an average marker spacing of 14.706 cM. AFLP fragment CTA-ACC-107 was closely linked to resistance to blackcurrant gall mite and was detected in the sixth linkage group. Screening of cultivars and hybrids with known resistance to gall mite confirmed that this dominant 107-bp AFLP marker is linked to gall mite resistance in a comprehensive range of available Ribes germplasm with different genetic background and it may be used for early diagnosis of resistant to gall mite hybrids.
Hyperuricemia and Hypertension, Coronary Artery Disease, Kidney Disease: From Concept to Practice

Since the publication of the Framingham Heart Study, which suggested that uric acid should no longer be associated with coronary heart disease after additional adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors, the number of publications challenging this statement has dramatically increased. The aim of this paper was to review and discuss the most recent studies addressing the possible relation between sustained elevated serum uric acid levels and the onset or worsening of cardiovascular and renal diseases. Original studies involving American teenagers clearly showed that serum uric acid levels were directly correlated with systolic and diastolic pressures, which has been confirmed in adult cohorts revealing a 2.21-fold increased risk of hypertension. Several studies involving patients with coronary artery disease support a role for serum uric acid level as a marker and/or predictor for future cardiovascular mortality and long-term adverse events in patients with coronary artery disease. Retrospective analyses have shown an inverse relationship between serum uric acid levels and renal function, and even a mild hyperuricemia has been shown to be associated with chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Interventional studies, although of small size, showed that uric acid (UA)-lowering therapies induced a reduction of blood pressure in teenagers and a protective effect on renal function. Taken together, these studies support a role for high serum uric acid levels (>6 mg/dL or 60 mg/L) in hypertension-associated morbidities and should bring awareness to physicians with regards to patients with chronic hyperuricemia.
An Exploration of Novice Nursing Student’s Experiences of Mentoring in Practice Placement Settings in the United Kingdom

This study focuses on the experience of new UK student nurses of being mentored in the workplace (placement) setting. There is only limited nursing literature that focuses on the experience of being mentored, whilst there is significant material that examines the role of the mentor. With half of the course being spent in the placement setting, the role of the mentor is pivotal in supporting the student and their learning. Adopting a qualitative design, data was collected through small-group interviews with a cohort of first-year nursing students. Data analysis followed in the form of standard thematic analysis. The Communities of Practice model developed by Lave & Wenger was applied as a theoretical lens. Two main themes emerged from the analysis process: the process of belonging; and that of developing identity as a learner. Whilst there was consensus with the literature in that it was felt that the mentor had a key role to play in supporting and facilitating learning, the participants also felt that the mentor supported them to settle into the team. Further, it was found that until the learner felt part of the wider placement clinical team, the process of learning may be hindered. An argument is presented advocating better preparation of students for learning in the workplace setting as this will enable them to assimilate better the learning offered by mentors and the wider healthcare team.
A mathematical method for estimating patterns of flower-to-flower gene dispersal from a simple field experiment

Summary 1Pollination is a principal means of gene dispersal in animal-pollinated plants. Theoretically, gene dispersal can be predicted from pollinator movements and their associated patterns of flower-to-flower gene dispersal, or paternity shadow, but quantifying the paternity shadow under field conditions is problematic. 2We developed a mathematical method to quantify the paternity shadow from a simple field experiment by initially stating the problem in matrix algebra, then using a least-squares regression to find the paternity shadow that best explained the observed spatial distribution of gene dispersal, given the observed pollinator movements. 3We applied the method to data on the dispersion of a marker gene along rows of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) pollinated by bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and thereby produced the first field-based paternity shadow. When coupled with observed movements of bumble bees, this paternity shadow explained virtually all (r2 = 90%) of the dispersion of the marker gene. 4Close similarity between our result and a paternity shadow obtained for B. napus in a separate laboratory experiment suggests that the paternity shadow is a fundamental attribute of the Bombus–B. napus interaction.
Carbon-loud SDSS BOSS type II quasars at z > 2: high-density gas or secondary production of carbon?

We study the ultraviolet (UV) emission-line ratios of a sample of 145 type II quasars (QSO2s) from Sloan Digital Sky Survey iii Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, and compare against a grid of active galactic nucleus (AGN) photoionization models with a range in gas density, gas chemical abundances, and ionization parameter. Most of the quasars are ‘carbon-loud’, with C iv/He ii ratios that are unusually high for the narrow-line region, implying higher than expected gas density (>106 cm−3) and/or significantly supersolar-relative carbon abundance. We also find that solar or supersolar nitrogen abundance and metallicity are required in the majority of our sample, with potentially significant variation between objects. Compared to radio galaxies at similar redshifts (HzRGs; z > 2), the QSO2s are offset to higher N v/He ii, C iv/He ii, and C iii]/He ii, suggesting systematically higher gas density and/or systematically higher C and N abundances. We find no evidence for a systematic difference in the N/C abundance ratio between the two types of objects. Scatter in the N iv]/C iv ratio implies a significant scatter in the N/C abundance ratio among the QSO2s and HzRGs, consistent with differences in the chemical enrichment histories between objects. Interestingly, we find that adopting secondary behaviour for both N and C alleviates the long-standing ‘N iv] problem’. A subset of the QSO2s and HzRGs also appear to be ‘silicon-loud’, with Si iii] relative fluxes suggesting Si/C and Si/O are an order of magnitude above their solar values. Finally, we propose new UV-line criteria to select genuine QSO2s with low-density narrow-line regions.
Optimization of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation parameters for sweet potato embryogenic callus using -glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation factors for sweet potato embryogenic calli were optimized using -glucuronidase (GUS) as a reporter. The binary vector pTCK303 harboring the modified GUS gene driven by the CaMV 35S promoter was used. Transformation parameters were optimized including bacterial concentration, pre-culture period, co-cultivation period, immersion time, acetosyringone (AS) concentration and mannitol treated time. Results were obtained based on the percentage of GUS expression. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105 at concentration OD600 nm = 0.8 showed the highest virulence on sweet potato embryogenic callus. Four days of pre-culture, four days of co-cultivation, 10 min of immersion, 200 M acetosyringone and 60 min of mannitol-treated embryogenic callus gave the highest percentage of GUS positive transformants.
Improvements of protoplast transformation in Staphylococcus carnosus

Protoplast transformation is so far the only method to transfer plasmids into Staphylococcus carnosus. However, the preparation of new protoplasts for each transformation is time-consuming and the quality of the protoplasts may also vary each time. An improved method is described which allows the storage of the protoplasts deep frozen (at − 70°C) for several months without affecting their transforming capability. The possibility of keeping protoplasts competent for a long period opens several advantages: the transformation can be carried out immediately, the transformation procedure is reduced to only a couple of minutes, and the protoplasts of one batch have the same quality, yielding a more constant transformation frequency.
Enabling enterprise risk management maturity in public sector organizations

IMPACT This article addresses an important public sector management issue—what and how organizational capabilities can be mobilized for effective deployment of enterprise risk management (ERM) in public sector organizations. The authors present a framework providing insights to public sector managers for enhancing risk management practices ABSTRACT Public sector reforms have led to risk management gaining prominence as a means for effective service delivery and a tool for accountability. The public sector has seen regulatory changes intended to empower managers to engage in appropriate risk management practices. The authors present a framework for effective enterprise-level risk management in public sector organizations. The framework includes three essential enablers of risk management and provides conceptualizations for guiding future empirical research.
Diet Composition in Two Sympatric Amphisbaenian Species (Amphisbaena ibijara and Leposternon polystegum) from the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract Amphisbaenians are important predators of tropical ecosystems, yet the ecology of most species is poorly known. We studied the reproduction and diet of two species of amphisbaenian from the Brazilian Cerrado. Also, we investigated whether snout–vent length is sexually dimorphic and whether differences existed in the soil depth at which the two species were found. Adults of Leposternon polystegum were larger than adults of Amphisbaena ibijara. Male L. polystegum were larger than females, but A. ibijara did not show sexual dimorphism. Amphsibaena ibijara individuals were encountered significantly closer to the surface than individuals of L. polystegum, although there was some overlap in the soil depth used between species. Termites and larvae Coleoptera predominated in frequency of occurrence and termites in number of prey in juveniles and adults of both sexes in A. ibijara. In the diet of juvenile L. polystegum individuals, there was no dominant prey group. In male L. polystegum, ants and earthworms occurred most frequently, and termites and ants were most important numerically. In females, earthworms and ants dominated in frequency of occurrence and in number of individuals, respectively. The mean number of prey items in stomachs of A. ibijara was high and did not differ either ontogenetically or sexually. In L. polystegum, the mean number of prey items in stomachs was low. We showed that the diet of A. ibijara at Urbano Santos did not differ between sexes or size classes, whereas in L. polystegum there is a small shift in these aspects.
Movement patterns and habitat use of rainforest stream frogs in northern Queensland, Australia: implications for extinction vulnerability

Amphibians are one of the most highly threatened groups of animals, but their effective conservation is hampered by a paucity of basic ecological knowledge, particularly for tropical stream-breeding species, in which declines have been most common and severe. We examined the movement patterns and habitat use of three stream-breeding frog species at five sites in northern Queensland, Australia. Movement and habitat use differed significantly among species. Litoria lesueuri moved more frequently and greater distances than did our other study species, and was often located away from streams, moving between intact rainforest and highly disturbed environments. Litoria genimaculata moved less frequently and shorter distances and was more restricted to stream environments compared with L. lesueuri, but was often located in the canopy. L. genimaculata occasionally moved large distances along and between streams, but was never located outside of intact rainforest. Litoria nannotis moved almost as frequently as the other species, but remained in streams during the day, did not move large distances along or between streams, and was always located within intact rainforest. Because of its sedentary behaviour, narrow habitat tolerance and affinity for stream environments, L. nannotis may be more vulnerable to extinction in human-modified landscapes compared with L. lesueuri and L. genimaculata.
Forest edges show contrasting effects on an austral mistletoe due to differences in pollination and seed dispersal

The alteration and transformation of the areas surrounding native forests due to anthropogenic disturbance can result in differences near this newly created boundary, termed ‘edge effects’. Our study describes the consequences of edge creation over two successive stages in the life cycle of a hemi‐parasitic mistletoe (Tristerix corymbosus), which determine its reproductive success, in temperate austral forests. We assessed how flower production and pollinator visits change with distance to the nearest forest edge and how these changes affect fruit set, fruit and seed size, and fruit removal by seed dispersers. Edge effects were dominated by fruit removal, which increased with the distance to the edge, height in the canopy and fruit availability. As a result, plant reproduction (in terms of seeds produced and fruits removed, which putatively leads to higher seed dispersal) decreased strongly near to forest edges. In contrast, visitation rates of the main pollinator (the hummingbird) were unaffected by edges, and their strong effects on fruit set (including the alleviation of quality pollen limitation arising in the forest interior) might be mitigating the decrease in bumblebee visitation near to forest edges. Synthesis. Our study shows clearly how secondary and tertiary responses to forest edges acted in opposite directions (increasing or decreasing plant reproductive performance), highlighting the need to study several successive processes that impact upon plant fitness under disturbance. Preserving relatively large patches of old‐growth forest with low perimeter/area ratios would be key to the habitat requirements of the main disperser and pollinator and thus for mistletoe reproductive performance.
ACCEPTED AUTHOR VERSION OF THE MANUSCRIPT: A new concept in minimally invasive embryo transfer

Considerable variation in embryo transfer (ET) catheter types, diverging opinions on their quality and functionality, complications following the insertion of catheters, low efficiency of the application of ET methods in humans, and their widely varying efficiency in animals demonstrate the need to improve ET methods and to look for new types of catheters. Such an opportunity is offered by the introduction of catheters made of new-generation biomaterials. This study was aimed to introduce a new generation of biomaterials into reproductive biotechnology. New-generation materials were compared with materials that have been used for many years, and the functionality of newly produced catheters was compared in vivo . Five types of biomaterials were tested: polycaprolactone (PCL), dibutyryl chitin (DBC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE) and polylactide (PLA). The study was carried out in two stages. Firstly, the basic utility parameters such as geometric stability, surface structure and catheter resistance were evaluated. Subsequently, the biocompatibility of selected biomaterials in embryo cultures was examined, and the development potential of the obtained blastocysts was evaluated. In the second stage, in in vivo with live animals, the biomaterials were tested for biocompatibility and the obtained catheters were examined for their ET functionality. Efficiency with the use of the newly produced catheters was determined, the quality of the blastocysts obtained after embryo culture in the uterus was assessed, and oviducts were subjected to histopathological examination after embryo transfer. Of the tested biomaterials, only polyethylene (PE) showed adequate biological and material properties and proved suitable for production of ET catheters.
Effect of Addition Molasses on the Degradability Kinetics, Net Energy for Lactation, In Vitro Dry Matter Digestibility and Metabolizable Energy of Potato Plant Silage in Ruminant Animals

The purpose of this research is to use green potatoes for animal feed, Which is considered as a waste at the farm level. This study was carried out to determine the chemical composition and estimation of effects four levels (0, 2, 4 and 6%) of Molasses on potato silage Males (PSM) degradability were studied by In Vitro gas producing techniques. Fermentation of PSM samples were carried out with rumen fluid obtained from three mature canulated steers (BW=550). The amount of gas production for PSM samples at 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours were measured. The results showed that the DM, Ash, crude protein (CP), natural detergent fiber (NDF) and Non fiber carbohydrate (NFC) were 27, 3.5, 10.2, 35 and 48.8 percent, respectively. Calculated amounts of In Vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD4 (M6%)), organic matter digestibility (OMDM6%), metabolizable energy (MEC), short chain fatty acid
Zonal Similarity of Long‐Term Changes and Seasonal Cycles of Baseline Ozone at Northern Midlatitudes

The lifetime of ozone in the troposphere is approximately 3 weeks. Prevailing westerly winds at northern midlatitudes can transport air around the globe in that time. Hence, within these latitudes zonal similarity is expected in long‐term changes and seasonal cycles of concentrations of baseline ozone. We quantify the degree of zonal similarity by examining eight in situ baseline ozone data sets near the west coasts of North America and Europe, that is, upwind of those continents and downwind of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, where the impacts of local and regional ozone sources have been largely mixed into the troposphere, giving the best‐defined baseline ozone signature. Zonal similarity is found in both long‐term changes and seasonal cycles. The decades‐long increase in Northern Hemisphere, midlatitude baseline mixing ratios (average ~0.60 ppb year−1 from 1980–2000), has ended, with a maximum reached in the mid‐2000s, followed by slow decrease (average = −0.09 ± 0.08 ppb year−1 from 2000 to the present). The year of the ozone maximum exhibits little if any statistically significant difference with location, altitude, or season. The ozone seasonal cycle differs markedly between sea‐level coastal stations representative of the marine boundary layer and the free troposphere sampled at elevated sites and by sondes and aircraft. However, within each of these broad tropospheric layers, the seasonal cycles are similar at all locations. Vertical profiles of the parameters that define the long‐term trends and the seasonal cycle are also similar between North America and Europe.
What gets in the way of working with clients who have been sexually abused? Heuristic inquiry

ABSTRACT This article presents the findings of a heuristic investigation of factors that may hinder therapeutic work with people who have been sexually abused. The aim of the researchers was to conduct a study by exploring therapists’ lived experience of what may get in the way of working with sexual abuse. For the purpose 8 therapists were interviewed and the collected data was analysed using Heuristic Inquiry. The heuristic inquiry was also based on one of the researchers’ personal experience. The study demonstrated that most common hindrances to working with sexually abused clients are therapists’ lack of awareness, unresolved personal conflicts or unprocessed traumatic experiences, issues around sex and sexuality, gender stereotypes, lack of experience and inadequate training and supervision. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for therapeutic work with sexually abused clients. Further research areas are suggested.