Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of natural essential oil product in normal diet and high-fat-diet fed rats

Essential oil products are getting popular among the public as health supplements. Most of the products in the market are proclaimed to be effective against metabolic syndrome by improving lipid profile. The aim of this study is to investigate one of the essential oil products in Malaysia on its effect on normal-diet fed rats and high-fat-diet induced obese rats, mainly focusing on the metabolic syndrome and liver toxicity. The product is made of various natural plant oils. Two categories of male Sprague-Dawley rats the normal diet and high fat diet (HFD) fed categories, were put on a 7-day essential oil treatment. The weight, serum glucose level, lipid profile, liver function test and postmortem histology analysis were conducted for the evaluation of the product. Mean serum glucose level was insignificantly elevated in the essential oil fed groups of both categories. Lipid profile was insignificantly improved after essential oil treatment in both categories. Insignificant rises on the liver function tests were observed in the treatment group of both categories. The chosen essential oil product insignificantly improved lipid profile in normal diet and high fat diet fed rats, but at the same time it insignificantly deteriorated mean serum glucose level and added burden to the liver.
Functionalized Electrospun Nanofibers as a Versatile Platform for Colorimetric Detection of Heavy Metal Ions in Water: A Review

The increasing heavy metal pollution in the aquatic ecosystem mainly driven by industrial activities has raised severe concerns over human and environmental health that apparently necessitate the design and development of ideal strategies for the effective monitoring of heavy metals. In this regard, colorimetric detection provides excellent opportunities for the easy monitoring of heavy metal ions, and especially, corresponding solid-state sensors enable potential opportunities for their applicability in real-world monitoring. As a result of the significant interest originating from their simplicity, exceptional characteristics, and applicability, the electrospun nanofiber-based colorimetric detection of heavy metal ions has undergone radical developments in the recent decade. This review illustrates the range of various approaches and functional molecules employed in the fabrication of electrospun nanofibers intended for the colorimetric detection of various metal ions in water. We highlight relevant investigations on the fabrication of functionalized electrospun nanofibers encompassing different approaches and functional molecules along with their sensing performance. Furthermore, we discuss upcoming prospectus and future opportunities in the exploration of designing electrospun nanofiber-based colorimetric sensors for real-world applications.
STUDIES ON THE TOXIC PRINCIPLES FORMED BY THE CHRYSOMONAD PRYMINESIUM PARVUM CARTER *

Prymnesium parvum, a phytoflagellate of the Chrysomonadineae widely distributed in sea water, rock pools, and estuaries (Carter, 1937; Droop, 1954), a t times produces extensive blooms in sheltered brackish water lagoons (Liebert and Deerns, 1920; Otterstrgm and Steemann-Nielsen, 1939). This massive growth of P. parvum has often resulted in mass mortality of fish populations, due to a soluble toxin formed by the phytoflagellate. In Israel, where the phytoflagellate first appeared in 1947 and then quickly spread throughout the couiitry, mass growths of Prymnesium have become a constant problem and danger in the fish-breeding industry. The future survival and expansion of carp-breeding in brackish water areas now largely depend on the successful control of P. parvum. Studies of ecology, factors determining toxin production, control measures, and nature of the toxins formed by the phytoflagellate are thus of great economic importance. Furthermore, the possibility of the spread of P. parvum to new, as yet uninfected regions, has been recently underlined by the appearance of blooms and fish mortalities in southeastern Europe (A. Valkanov, personal communication, 1960). With the present great increase of fish-breeding in brackish water ponds in Asian countries it is clear that Prymnesium infections may yet assume a much wider than local significance. In addition to the economic aspect of the study of Prymnesium, this organism presents a good model for studies of toxin formation in algae. I ts usefulness as a research tool rests on the facts that pure, axenic cultures have been obtained (Droop, 1954a; Reich and Kahn, 1954), and that its nutritional requirements are known and can be satisfied in a simple, fully-defined medium (Droop, 1954b; Mclaughlin, 1956; Rotberg, 1958). The isolation of products is thus not beset by the difficulties encountered with some other algae, such as Gymnodinium, whose pure culture growth is difficult and with which toxin producing contaminants have been encountered (RIyers et al., 1959). A special property of P. parvum, its great sensitivity to lysis by ammonia or acetic acid, makes it a suitable model for study of the penetration of weak electrolytes in nucleated cells (Shilo and Shilo, 1953; 1955; 1960).
Zoopharmacology: A Way to Discover New Cancer Treatments

Zoopharmacognosy is the multidisciplinary approach of the self-medication behavior of many kinds of animals. Recent studies showed the presence of antitumoral secondary metabolites in some of the plants employed by animals and their use for the same therapeutic purposes in humans. Other related and sometimes confused term is Zootherapy, which consists on the employment of animal parts and/or their by-products such as toxins, venoms, etc., to treat different human ailments. Therefore, the aim of this work is to provide a brief insight for the use of Zoopharmacology (comprising Zoopharmacognosy and Zootherapy) as new paths to discover drugs studying animal behavior and/or using compounds derived from animals. This work is focused on the approaches related to cancer, in order to propose a new promising line of research to overcome multidrug resistance (MDR). This novel subject will encourage the use of new alternative prospective ways to find new medicines.
Transition Metal Dichalcogenides for the Application of Pollution Reduction: A Review

The material characteristics and properties of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDCs) have gained research interest in various fields, such as electronics, catalytic, and energy storage. In particular, many researchers have been focusing on the applications of TMDCs in dealing with environmental pollution. TMDCs provide a unique opportunity to develop higher-value applications related to environmental matters. This work highlights the applications of TMDCs contributing to pollution reduction in (i) gas sensing technology, (ii) gas adsorption and removal, (iii) wastewater treatment, (iv) fuel cleaning, and (v) carbon dioxide valorization and conversion. Overall, the applications of TMDCs have successfully demonstrated the advantages of contributing to environmental conversation due to their special properties. The challenges and bottlenecks of implementing TMDCs in the actual industry are also highlighted. More efforts need to be devoted to overcoming the hurdles to maximize the potential of TMDCs implementation in the industry.
EFFECT OF COMBINING ORGANIC RESIDUES WITH MINJINGU PHOSPHATE ROCK ON SORPTION AND AVAILABILITY OF PHOSPHORUS AND MAIZE PRODUCTION IN ACID SOILS OF WESTERN KENYA

Experiments were conducted in both the greenhouse and the field on highly weathered (Orthic Ferralsol) soils to evaluate the effect of combining on-farm organic residues (chicken manure, farmyard manure, sugar bagasse) with Minjingu phosphate rock (MPR) on soil pH, extractable (available) and sorbed phosphorus (P), and to assess the cost benefit for maize production. The greenhouse study results indicated that, in the first eight weeks of incubation, soil pH increased linearly with increase in MPR rates and decreased thereafter. The available P also increased linearly. Chicken manure and sugar bagasse were most and least effective respectively in reducing P sorption, while there was a significant negative relationship between P adsorption maxima and extractable P. The field experiment data showed that the available P values increased significantly above the control in all the treatments where MPR and organic materials were applied separately or combined. Treatment effects on Langmuir sorption maxima (Smax) in the field were variable. An increase in Smax with an increase in MPR rates was noted. However, there was a positive relationship between Smax and available P (r = 0.52 to 0.69), suggesting the diversity of factors affecting the complex nature of P dynamics under field conditions. MPR applied alone in the first season gave a significant residual positive effect on maize grain yield for two additional seasons. The economic analysis revealed that a single application of chicken manure (2 t ha−1) combined with MPR at 60 kg P ha−1 gave the highest incremental net benefit equivalent to US$ 657 ha−1 during the three maize cropping seasons.
NIIMBL-Facilitated Active Listening Meeting between Industry and FDA Identifies Common Challenges for Adoption of New Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Technologies

The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) piloted a forum to encourage an exchange of information between the biopharmaceutical industry and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To facilitate this exchange, NIIMBL conducted a survey of industry representatives around the perceived challenges associated with the adoption of new innovative technologies for biopharmaceutical manufacturing or for continuous improvement and then held an Active Listening session with industry and FDA stakeholders to share common themes. The scope was limited to biotechnology products regulated by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). This manner of exchange has not been tested before and led to meaningful dialog between industry and the Agency and valuable takeaways by all involved. One of the general findings and key points of discussion was around the perceived lack of a business case for adoption of new technology in the manufacture of monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins. Tight timelines were the primary constraints for hesitation around pre-approval implementation and the challenges associated with a global regulatory environment were the primary constraint around post-approval adoption of new technology. Mechanisms that would allow industry and regulatory scientists to develop a shared understanding of new technologies, outside of formal applications, could de-risk adoption of new technologies by the industry. The favorable response to this NIIMBL-facilitated exchange suggests that this format could be useful in establishing a more informal dialog between the FDA and industry on industry-wide challenges.
Cellular redox related transcription factor Nrf2 mediation of HaTrf response to host plant allelochemical 2-tridecanone in Helicoverpa armigera.

Despite a number of excellent studies in detoxification enzyme mediated the interaction between insect and plant allelochemical, there are no reports on the pathway of transferrin effect in insect response to host plant allelochemical. Our research indicates that Helicoverpa armigera transferrin (HaTrf) inhibited the apoptotic cell death treated by 2-tridecanone, a host plant allelochemical present in tomato species (Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum), by cellular redox-related transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 can defend organisms against the detrimental effects of oxidative stress, and play pivotal roles in preventing host plant allelochemical-related toxicity. This study explain how HaTrf inhibited the apoptotic cell death during exposure to host plant allelochemical 2-tridecanone, and provides a novel view on transferrin and its anti-apoptotic role in plant-insect interactions.
Collective Locomotion of Human Cells, Wound Healing and Their Control by Extracts and Isolated Compounds from Marine Invertebrates

The collective migration of cells is a complex integrated process that represents a common theme joining morphogenesis, tissue regeneration, and tumor biology. It is known that a remarkable amount of secondary metabolites produced by aquatic invertebrates displays active pharmacological properties against a variety of diseases. The aim of this review is to pick up selected studies that report the extraction and identification of crude extracts or isolated compounds that exert a modulatory effect on collective cell locomotion and/or skin tissue reconstitution and recapitulate the molecular, biochemical, and/or physiological aspects, where available, which are associated to the substances under examination, grouping the producing species according to their taxonomic hierarchy. Taken all of the collected data into account, marine invertebrates emerge as a still poorly-exploited valuable resource of natural products that may significantly improve the process of skin regeneration and restrain tumor cell migration, as documented by in vitro and in vivo studies. Therefore, the identification of the most promising invertebrate-derived extracts/molecules for the utilization as new targets for biomedical translation merits further and more detailed investigations.
Microbiome of the Queensland Fruit Fly through Metamorphosis

Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Queensland fruit fly, or “Qfly”) is a highly polyphagous tephritid fruit fly and a serious economic pest in Australia. Qfly biology is intimately linked to the bacteria and fungi of its microbiome. While there are numerous studies of the microbiome in larvae and adults, the transition of the microbiome through the pupal stage remains unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we used high-throughput Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to examine microbial communities at each developmental stage in the Qfly life cycle, targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS regions. We found that microbial communities were similar at the larval and pupal stage and were also similar between adult males and females, yet there were marked differences between the larval and adult stages. Specific bacterial and fungal taxa are present in the larvae and adults (fed hydrolyzed yeast with sugar) which is likely related to differences in nutritional biology of these life stages. We observed a significant abundance of the Acetobacteraceae at the family level, both in the larval and pupal stages. Conversely, Enterobacteriaceae was highly abundant (>80%) only in the adults. The majority of fungal taxa present in Qfly were yeasts or yeast-like fungi. In addition to elucidating changes in the microbiome through developmental stages, this study characterizes the Qfly microbiome present at the establishment of laboratory colonies as they enter the domestication process.
Robust bivariate random-effects model for accommodating outlying and influential studies in meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies

Due to the inevitable inter-study correlation between test sensitivity (Se) and test specificity (Sp), mostly because of threshold variability, hierarchical or bivariate random-effects models are widely used to perform a meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies. Conventionally, these models assume that the random-effects follow the bivariate normal distribution. However, the inference made using the well-established bivariate random-effects models, when outlying and influential studies are present, may lead to misleading conclusions, since outlying or influential studies can extremely influence parameter estimates due to their disproportional weight. Therefore, we developed a new robust bivariate random-effects model that accommodates outlying and influential observations and gives robust statistical inference by down-weighting the effect of outlying and influential studies. The marginal model and the Monte Carlo expectation-maximization algorithm for our proposed model have been derived. A simulation study has been carried out to validate the proposed method and compare it against the standard methods. Regardless of the parameters varied in our simulations, the proposed model produced robust point estimates of Se and Sp compared to the standard models. Moreover, our proposed model resulted in precise estimates as it yielded the narrowest confidence intervals. The proposed model also generated a similar point and interval estimates of Se and Sp as the standard models when there are no outlying and influential studies. Two published meta-analyses have also been used to illustrate the methods.
Characterization of the Physical Interaction between Estrogen Receptor α and JUN Proteins*

Activated estrogen receptor α (ERα) modulates transcription triggered by the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1), which consists of Jun-Jun homodimers and Jun-Fos heterodimers. Previous studies have demonstrated that the interference occurs without binding of ERα to DNA but probably results from protein·protein interactions. However, involvement of a direct interaction between ERα and AP-1 is still debated. Using glutathioneS-transferase pull-down assays, we demonstrated that ERα bound directly to c-Jun and JunB but not to FOS family members, in a ligand-independent manner. The interaction could occur when c-Jun was bound onto DNA, as shown in a protein-protein-DNA assay. It implicated the C-terminal part of c-Jun and amino acids 259–302 present in the ERα hinge domain. ERα but not an ERα mutant deleted of amino acids 250–303 (ER241G), also associated with c-Jun in intact cells, in the presence of estradiol, as shown by two-hybrid and coimmunoprecipitation assays. We also show that ERα, c-Jun, and the p160 coactivator GRIP1 can form a multiprotein complex in vitro and in intact cells and that the ERα·c-Jun interaction could be crucial for the stability of this complex. VP16-ERα and c-Jun, which both interact with GRIP1, had synergistic effect on GAL4-GRIP1-induced transcription in the presence of estradiol, and this synergistic effect was not observed with the ERα mutant VP16-ER241G or when c-Fos, which bound GRIP1 but not ERα, was used instead of c-Jun. Finally, ER241G was inefficient for regulation of AP-1 activity, and an ERα truncation mutant encompassing the hinge domain had a dominant negative effect on ERα action. These results altogether demonstrate that ERα can bind to c-Jun in vitro and in intact cells and that this interaction, by stabilizing a multiprotein complex containing p160 coactivator, is likely to be involved in estradiol regulation of AP-1 responses.
Seasonal differences in methyl farnesoate esterase activity in tissues of the spider crab Libinia emarginata

Summary Methyl farnesoate (MF), an unepoxidated form of insect JH III, is present in Crustacea. MF is synthesized by the mandibular organs and is degraded to fomesoic acid (FA) by peripheral tissues. In this study we investigated MF degradation by esterases in hepatopancreas, ovary, testes and hemolymph of the spider crab Libinia emarginata collected at different times of the year to determine seasonal differences. The conversion of MF to FA varied among the tissues. In the summer, the hepatopancreas showed the greatest esterase activity (52.8% conversion in females and 59.16% in males), and it was twice as high (28.86%) in ovaries than in the testes (12.16%), but was low in the hemolymph of both sexes (10.84% in males, and 6.97% in females). In the fall, the conversion of MF to FA was significantly reduced in all tissues (ovary 8.55%, testes 6.21%, hepatopancreas 10.22%, hemolymph 3.96%). Eyestalk ablation of animals in the fall restored MF esterase activity to summer levels. When tissues from these anim.
Gap junction proteins in inhibitory neurons of the adult barrel neocortex

Recent studies indicate that electrical coupling among cortical neurons may persist throughout development; electrophysiological recordings made in cortical slices from young rats reveal that numerous GABAergic neurons are electrically coupled. To determine whether these in vitro findings reflect an inhibitory neural circuit that could be functionally relevant in vivo in adult rodents, we sought to identify whether inhibitory, parvalbumin-containing neurons of the mature cortex express gap junction proteins. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the laminar distribution of the gap junction-forming proteins connexin 32 (Cx32), connexin 36 (Cx36) and connexin 43 (Cx43) in the somatosensory cortex of the adult mouse. Double labeling immunofluorescence identified Cx32, Cx36 and Cx43 in cortical neurons that were immunoreactive (-ir) for the neuronal markers neurofilament 145 kDa and neuronal nuclei (NeuN). Parvalbumin-ir neurons throughout the cortical laminae were labeled with Cx32-ir, Cx36-ir and Cx43-ir. Stereological methods were used to quantify the extent of parvalbumin colocalization with connexins. Analysis indicated that approximately 40% of parvalbumin-ir neurons were double labeled with either Cx32-ir or Cx43-ir, and approximately 50% of parvalbumin-ir neurons were double labeled with Cx36. These findings establish an anatomical substrate for widespread electrical coupling of neurons in somatosensory cortex and suggest that gap junctions among inhibitory interneurons may persist into adulthood, providing an important mechanism for neuronal communication.
Biologia reprodutiva de Elaenia chiriquensis (Lawrence) (Aves, Tyrannidae) em Cerrado do Brasil Central

Elaenia chiriquensis (Lawrence, 1865) is a very common passerine abundant during the reproductive season (September-December) in the cerrados of Central Brazil. Since its breeding biology is still poorly known, this study had the aim to describe several aspects of its reproduction. We conducted the study at the “Estacao Ecologica de Aguas Emendadas”, Federal District, Brazil, between August 2002 and December 2003. Birds were banded (n = 285) during this period. Nests (n = 110) found were monitored every 1-5 days. Clutch sizes had one (n = 14), two (n = 88) or three eggs (n = 1), which were pinkish with small reddish dots around the obtuse end. Nest characteristics were comparable to other records of this species. Breeding occurred between mid September to the end of December with two peaks of active nests, one in mid October and one in mid November. These two peaks may be explained by a second breeding attempt after a successful nest or a second breeding attempt after an unsuccessful first attempt. Thirty-two nests (30%) were successful, with most of the nests being depredated (n = 70%) and few abandoned (n = 4%). Egg success was of 28% and the hatching rate was 0.96 ± 0.02. Fledgling production was of 0.48 fledglings/nest and fecundity was 1.1 fledglings/female. All these values are similar to the ones already reported for this species and similar to other Neotropical passerines.