Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Screening of brinjal (Solanum melongena) for resistance to major insect pests

A field experiment was conducted during 1991-92 and 1992-93 in a farmer', field of Siliguri in the foot-hill (tarai) region to evaluate the relative degree of resistance of fered by 41 cultivars of brinjal(Solanum meloangena L.) to major insect pests. The pests studied were the brinjal Shoot-and-fruitborer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guen.), cotton leaf hopper (Amrusca higuttula bioguttula (Ishida)], cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover) and the spotted leaf beetle (Epilachna vigintiopunctata Fabr.). The experimental plots were left for natural infestation and data on insect population and damages were recorded at 20-day intervals throughout the period of crop growth. Although the analysis of variance showed significant differences among the genotypes screened. no variety was found resistant to any of the 4 pests. However, the relative incidence of the pests showed that 'Nishchindipur Local','Muktajhuri', 'Shyamla Dhepa', 'Navkiran'. 'Banaras Long Purple' and 'BB 1 were tolerant to the shootborer L. orbonalis, whereas 'Shyamla Dhepa', 'Kalo Dhepa' lind 'Banaras Long Purple' were tolerant In the fruitborer L. orbonulis. 'Navkiran' showed tolerance whereas 'R 14' was highly susceptible to all the major pests or brinjal. Hence the varieties having tolerance or even multiple resistance, viz 'Shyamla Dhepa', 'Kalo Dhepa'. 'Improved Muktakeshi'. 'Banaras Long Purple and 'BB 1 could beused for incorporation in the breeding programme and integrated pest management
Combined Effects of Postural Education, Therapeutic Massage, Segmental Stretching, and Motor Control Exercise in a 19-Year-Old Male with Chronic Back Pain and Kypholordotic Posture: A Case Report

Introduction: Sagittal spine malalignment has been linked with a number of health consequences including pain, disability, and suboptimal quality of life. Case Presentation: We present a 19-year-old male with 3 years history of chronic back pain associated with kypholordotic posture. Upon examination, lumbar hyperlordosis and thoracic hyperkyphosis were mainly associated with muscular imbalance around thechest,upperback,andlumbopelvic-hipregion. Thepatientreceivedtreatmentcomprisingposturaleducation(PE),therapeutic massage (TM), segmental stretching exercise (SSE), and motor control exercise (MCE) twice a week for 8 weeks. The patient demon-strated a signiﬁcant improvement in lumbar lordotic (83.8 0 to 76.3 0 ) and thoracic kyphotic (65.2 0 to 60.6 0 ) curves as measured by ﬂexible ruler, back pain (7.0 cm to 1.0 cm) as measured by visual analogue scale, spine ranges of motion (ﬂexion: 5.2cm to 7.5cm; extension: 3.5cmto4.7cm)asmeasuredbymodiﬁedSchober’stest,andfunctionaldisability(46.7% to20.0%)asmeasuredbymodiﬁed Oswestry disability index. Conclusions: Theresultsshowedthatthecombinationof PE,TM,SSE,andMCEwaseﬀectiveinimprovingsagittalspinealignment, back pain, spine range of movement, and function.
Evaluation of the resistance against Phytophthora infestans of wild populations of Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme

Resumen El tizon tardio causado por Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) De Bary ha causado severas perdidas en la produccion de jitomate (Solanum lycopersicum) en zonas productoras como Sinaloa, donde se han reportado perdidas hasta de 100%. Las especies silvestres son fuentes de resistencia a enfermedades. En diferentes regiones de Mexico, como las planicies costeras del Golfo y del Pacifico y en valles intermontanos en altitudes cercanas a los 2 000 msnm se colectaron poblaciones silvestres de Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme, por lo que durante los ciclos agricolas 2008, 2009 y 2010 se evaluaron 19 poblaciones de esta variedad para determinar si presentan resistencia al patogeno. Se utilizo como testigo susceptible la variedad Rio Grande y como resistente la accesion LA2533 (S. pimpinellifolium). Se estimo la severidad de la enfermedad a traves de las variables: area bajo la curva de desarrollo de la enfermedad (AUDPC), AUDPC relativo, tiempo de aparicion de sintomas (TAS), tasa de desarrollo de la enfermedad (bi) y evaluacion final del dano (EF). Los resultados mostraron variacion en las poblaciones silvestres, desde susceptibilidad hasta resistencia a la enfermedad. La respuesta de resistencia al patogeno se mostro consistente a traves de anos de evaluacion en donde las poblaciones V115, 319, 327 y 330 se destacaron por presentar valores mas bajos de AUDPC, AUDPCr, bi y EF similares a LA2533 y los sintomas aparecieron 10 dias despues de las
Molecular Dynamics Studies of Interactions of Phospholipid Membranes with Dehydroergosterol and Penetrating Peptides

We have performed molecular modeling of membrane and peptide systems by employing the classical molecular dynamics method and force field parameterizations. In this thesis, our main interest is the interaction of sterols as well as peptides with membranes. The thesis consists of three related projects. The first project focuses on cholesterol (CHOL) and dehydroergosterol (DHE) interacting with palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) lipid bilayers. We study the effects of both sterols on the bilayer and compare them with each other. We first study the condensing and ordering effect of these sterols. Then, we study their orientations within the bilayer and relate them to their interactions with the bilayer. In the second project, we study the interaction of a cell-penetrating-peptide, namely transportan, with dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) lipid bilayers with the aim of understanding the physical mechanism of the penetration process. By analyzing 10 simulations, we shed light on the behavior of the peptide and membrane when they are associated with each other. We also analyze four simulations in which the peptide is directly inserted in the bilayer core so as to study the behavior of the peptide when it is deep in the bilayer. By using umbrella sampling method and performing 41 biased simulations, we also try to find the free energy profile of the system as a function of the distance between the peptide and the center of mass of the bilayer. In the third project, we study the interaction of another cell-penetrating peptide, namely penetratin, with DPPC lipid bilayers. In this research, the spontaneous binding of a penetratin peptide as well as the role of different residues in binding are investigated. The behavior of penetratin is then compared with that of transportan and important differences are highlighted.
Parasites and parasitic diseases of the Indian elephant,mithun and yak : An overview

The Indian elephant, mithun and yak are utility animals. Each of them is a valuable natural resource and important constituent of India’s unique biodiversity. However, their numbers have declined and their existence is facing several challenges, of which a major one is parasites and diseases caused by them. While much of the information on the parasites of Indian elephant dates back to the pre-mechanization British era, the setting up of dedicated Research Centres on Mithun and Yak by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, has resulted in generation of considerable research data and regular flow of information in recent years. The elephant is unique regarding most of its internal (and a few external) parasites not being shared with other livestock hosts. As per updated information, the Indian elephant is parasitized by 39 helminths, made up by 8 trematodes including the most pathogenic Fasciola jacksoni, 2 cestodes and 29 nematodes including 3 filariid worms; among protozoa, only Trypanosoma, Babesia and ciliates are known; arthropods include the stomach bot Cobboldia, the louse Haematomyzus and atleast 4 genera of ticks. The mithun, being phylogenetically related to cattle, seems to share the same set of internal and external parasites. To date 12 nematode genera, 6 trematode genera and 2 cestodes have been recorded; protozoa comprised coccidia (8 Eimeria species identified so far), Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Balantidium. In addition, serological evidence of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum exists. Of arthropods, only ticks are reported. The parasites of yak are not fully explored. So far 11 nematode genera, 7 trematode genera and 3 cestodes (2 of them only as cysts) are on record. Among protozoa, only Eimeria (2 species identified) and in arthropods, warbles (Hypoderma), 6 genera of ticks, louse, flea and biting flies have been reported in India.
Mental health in patients with advanced cancer at the end of life: evaluation of evidence and future directions

ABSTRACT Introduction: The mental health of patients with advanced cancer at the end of life is a strong contributor to suffering on the part of both the patient and family. A closer look is needed to address the complexity of psychological adaptation to provide a comfortable transition between life and death. Areas covered: This review describes patient related factors, interventions, and outcomes targeting maintaining and improving mental health for individuals with advanced cancer at the end of life. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses was used to review the state of the science and the evidence-based hierarchy provided a structure for ranking research quality. Expert commentary: Psychological adaptation for patients with advanced cancer is often comingled with physical symptoms to the extent that neither is distinct. Quality of life is essential in comfort care at end of life. All contributing factors must be considered including the often-missed spiritual needs, cultural factors, developmental issues, and communication relative to end of life. Discussed are both gaps in the science and interventions useful to enhancement of mental health comfort for patients with advanced cancer and their families at the end of life.
Lumbar stiffness and femoroacetabular impingement -A case control study

Introduction: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) may be aggravated by lumbar hyperlordosis and/or stiffness: those conditions may increase the frequency of contact between acetabulum and femur neck. Aim of this study is to evaluate lumbar hyperlordosis and range of motion in patients with arthroscopically treated FAI and to compare those results with healthy subjects. Materials and methods: 17 healthy volunteers (control group= CG) and 21 patients with surgically treated FAI (FAIG) were enrolled. Groups have been tested for heterogeneity of age and sex. Flexibility test (Sit and Reach test) and spine morphological analysis with Spinal Mouse were performed in both groups. Results were statistically analysed with descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA. Results: Two groups were comparable in terms of age, sex and BMI (all p values > 0.05). Lumbar ROM was significantly lower in FAIG (20.70 (SD 9.06) vs 27.77 (SD 9.95); p= 0.021), this group showed also significant higher values of lumbar stiffness (63.20 (SD 14.50) vs 72.62 (SD 11.87); p=0.040) and lower results at Sit and Reach tests (26,02 (SD 9,76) vs 33,48 (SD 9,81); p: 0,017). No other significant differences were found between the two groups (all p values >0.05). Conclusion: Patients with FAI do not show higher hyperlordosis angles when compared to healthy subjects but present lower flexibility in lumbosacral movement. Those results suggest to add rehabilitation programs focused on the spine mobility in the post-arthroscopy rehabilitation protocol.
Erythrocytes and Blood Coagulation

Summary The action of intact and hemolyzed red cells in in vitro clotting systems is analyzed against the background of the clinical manifestations of red cell procoagulants in incompatible transfusions and hemolytic anemias in man and in experimental animals. It is suggested that the nature of the lesion in the stroma may be of importance in determining the biological effects.
Recent Advances and Challenges in Adaptive Radiotherapy for Patients with Locally Advanced NSCLC

Patients with locally advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) often show significant tumor regression and anatomical changes during the course of radiation treatment. As reaction to these changes, planned treatment parameter will be modified multiple times so that the overall treatment can be optimized. This is termed as Adaptive Radiotherapy (ART). While significant progress has been made in the past few years for development of different ART techniques, challenges still exist in implementation of this treatment modality in clinic. In this topical review, techniques used in different ART components will be briefly reviewed, and strategies to maximize the efficacy of adaptive treatment will also be discussed.
The Effects of Age on Gait and Functional Movement Characteristics in an Older Adult Population

The maintenance of function in an ageing population is essential to ensure current and future health in older people. The ability to walk independently in a range of situations and environments is key to successful ageing. Age-related gait adaptations including spatial-temporal parameters, joint kinematics and kinetics have been identified to be a consequence of the ageing process. For example, reduced walking speed and increased pelvic tilt are suggestive of compensation strategies to minimise falls. The majority of research has compared young adults (20-40 yrs) to older adults (≥ 50 yrs), categorising older adults into a single group regardless of actual age. An alternative approach is to explore the effects of age on gait and functional movement characteristics within an older adult population. One-hundred and fifty-eight community-dwelling older adults, age range 55 to 86 years (65.7 ± 6.8 yrs) were recruited to create a new gait database. Three-dimensional motion analysis captured five walking tasks: normal walking (with and without force plate contact), manual dual task walking and walking with obstacle clearance (stepping onto, off and over an obstacle). Age-related adaptations to walking occurred from age 75 years by adopting a joint kinetic strategy (including reduced hip extension moment) and altering gait (including a reduced walking speed). Increasing the task complexity was associated with altered gait patterns for this older adult group including a reduction in toe-clearance during manual dual task walking (increasing the likelihood of tripping) and increased arm swing during obstacle clearance (potentially increasing stability). This work represents the creation of one of the largest databases of gait in older people including three-dimensional motion analysis for normal walking and three functional walking tasks for healthy high-functioning older adults. It has the potential to be used to identify factors that predispose older adults to falling or with previously unidentified pathological changes.
Development of a muscle progenitor cell-based therapeutic approach for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence

The urethra serves a dual function by maintaining continence during bladder filling and aiding the release of urine during micturition. Within the urethra, a sphincter region containing both smooth and striated muscle layers normally prevents involuntary leakage of urine. However, patients with stress urinary incontinence lose this ability upon sudden increases in intravesical pressure (i.e. from coughing, straining, etc.). This condition has been associated with a decline in striated muscle, which may be susceptible to direct muscle or associated nerve damage. Cellular uromyoplasty proposes to augment this muscle layer through the transplantation of myogenic progenitors. The goal of this work was to address current deficiencies regarding the isolation and identification of efficient progenitors, and the urethral biomechanical consequences of striated muscle restoration. Both issues are essential for effective clinical implementation of this therapeutic approach.The ability of various progenitor populations to regenerate skeletal (striated) muscle was assessed in a dystrophic mouse model. Both cell surface protein expression and behavioral characteristics were investigated for their potential use as indicators of regenerative efficiency. The results demonstrate the limited utility of surface proteins due to fluctuations in expression and lack of regenerative consistency between directly-isolated and cultured cell populations. Behavioral characteristics related to the ability of cells to maintain a proliferative phenotype under differentiation-inducing conditions appears more promising in this regard, and indicates that in vivo expansion of transplanted cells may be a critical variable in the regeneration process. A new ex vivo method to assess the regional biomechanical function of the intact urethra, under physiologic loading conditions, was introduced and validated. Quantitative characterization and comparison of tissue responses to applied intralumenal pressures was performed in the presence or absence of selected muscle activity. The dominant smooth muscle influence observed suggests that a large degree of striated regeneration may be necessary to impart functional changes in urethra mechanics. Importantly, these results also indicate that muscle fiber orientation may significantly impact urethra closure function. Together, this information will be useful in progressing uromyoplasty therapy toward clinical utility, and aid the broader scientific community investigating myogenic cell transplantation and lower urinary tract function.
Breijo Electrocardiographic Pattern

Breijo’s electrocardiographic model is becoming better known to cardiologists every day. The decrease in the PR interval, together with the decrease of the QTc interval in the same ECG tracing, is the main and only cardiac electrical feature on the same individual. It can often go unnoticed, but many problems could be avoided if it was previously diagnosed, including sudden death.
E-health in early cardiac rehabilitation : the role of anxiety and depression during cardiac treatment of patients who underwent open-heart surgery

Background: It is assumed that effective cardiac treatment after major cardiac incidents partly depends on mental health factors. Comorbid psychological distress, anxiety and depression, is likely to have adverse effects on physical outcomes of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Evidence suggest that early onset of exercise training is useful to increase patients’ exercise capacity and thereby to decrease symptoms of distress. This study tested whether an early, online intervention before onset of the traditional, center-based CR program has beneficial effects on patients’ exercise capacity and mental well-being. Further, it was tested whether severity of distress before the start of the online program impedes buildup of functional capacity. Methods: In a controlled clinical trial 88 cardiac surgery patients of the MST Enschede were assigned to intervention group (n= 46) and control group (n= 42). Patients in the intervention group received a personalized, online exercise program during home phase, patients of the control group received usual post-operative care. After home phase, both groups received traditional, center-based CR. Patients’ exercise capacity (measured by a six minutes walking test) and symptoms of distress (measured by the HADS) were assessed at baseline, after the online CR program, respectively usual care, and after traditional CR. Repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to test the effectiveness of the early, online training and possible moderation by anxiety or depression. Results: The increase rates in exercise capacity as well as the decrease rates of anxious and depressive symptoms within patients did not differ between groups. Also the effectiveness of the early, online program was not affected by severity of anxious or depressive symptoms at baseline. Conclusion: Somewhat surprising, no difference in exercise capacity and distress rates was found between treatment conditions, indicating that the early, online program had no effects on patients’ exercise capacity and perceived distress during the examined rehabilitation period. This study demonstrated that anxiety and depression do not play a rule during CR in relation to patients’ progress in exercise training. Consequently, future studies are needed to investigate which aspects of successfully undergoing exercise-based CR are negatively affected by patients’ distress.
Epidemiological Investigation of Human Brucellosis in Pakistan

Background: Human brucellosis is a neglected and zoonotic disease also known as Malta fever or undulant fever. Objectives: A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis and to access the role of risk factors associated with this disease in humans of Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: A total of 250 serum samples were collected and subjected to Rose Bengal Plate Test and Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay for screening of Brucella. A predesigned questionnaire was filled prior to sampling to collect data regarding socio - demographic and suspected risk factors of human brucellosis. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis was performed using the STATA software version 12. Results: The study showed 16% seroprevalence of brucellosis. The prevalence was statistically higher in males (24%), age group of 20 to 30 years (26.92%), rural residents, (23%) and individuals with animals at home (22.50%). Among the related risk factors, exposure to animals (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 0.9459, 3.6973) and consuming raw milk (OR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.1713, 4.7760) were strongly associated with the disease. Conclusions: Awareness programs in the rural population should be provided about the disease and its associated risk factors. Consuming unpasteurized milk and products should be avoided to control this disease.
Accordion maneuver: A bloodless tool in ilizarov

Purpose: Accordion maneuver (AM) is a “Bloodless Tool” to stimulate bone healing as described by Professor Ilizarov by a mechanism called transformation osteogenesis. It has been underdescribed in literature. Furthermore, there is lack of standard protocol for AM. We report our cases where this Bloodless Tool was used and discuss the strategies for its use in various conditions. Materials and Methods: We reviewed our cases that underwent AM during 1994−2015, through this retrospective study. In nonunion, initial compression or distraction was decided by the status of nonunion. In hypertrophic (stiff) nonunion, the first maneuver was distraction followed by compression in one cycle and the sequence was reversed in atrophic (mobile) nonunion. In hyporegenerate, distraction was discontinued, stability restored, and AM was performed with compression first. Results: Twenty-three patients were included. In 15 cases monofocal, 7 cases bifocal, and in 1 case trifocal osteosynthesis was done with Ilizarov. AM was done for hypertrophic nonunion in 6 cases, atrophic nonunion in 15 cases, and hyporegenerate in 5 cases. In 3 cases, AM was done for both hyporegenerate and docking site nonunion. In all the cases of nonunion, union was achieved and in all the cases of hyporegenerate, bone formation improved. Conclusions: Transformation osteogenesis with AM is a bloodless tool in Ilizarov. To achieve desired results, protocol for the maneuver should be based on type of pathology between the fragments.