Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multidrug Resistance for Cancer Treatment: Delivery of Ursolic Acid and Caffeine by Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Nanoparticles

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer may be treated using combinations of encapsulated cytotoxic drugs or chemo sensitizers. To optimize for the effectiveness of this combinational approach poly (lactic-o-glycolic acid) nanoparticle formulations capable of delivering a cytotoxic drug or chemo sensitizers, ursolic acid (UA) and Caffeine (Caf) combination were prepared. The system can be used for targeting, controlled drug delivery and also imaging of cancer cells. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using DLS, TEM, XRD and FT-IR a studies. The drug loaded nanoparticles exhibited significant antitumor effects and high tumour targeting ability towards HT29 human colon cancer cells. The aforementioned results indicated that the drug loaded nanoparticle prepared in the study had a specific interaction with colon cells. Therefore, the prepared nanoparticle may be used as a potential drug delivery system for the targeted delivery to colon cancers. Page 2 of 8 Citation: Merlin JJP, Venkadesh B, Rajan SS, Subramanian P (2017) Multidrug Resistance for Cancer Treatment: Delivery of Ursolic Acid and Caffeine by Poly (Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Nanoparticles. J Gastrointest Cancer Stromal Tumor 2: 113 doi:10.4172/2572-4126.1000113 Volume 2 • Issue 2 • 1000113 J Gastrointest Cancer Stromal Tumor, an open access journal ISSN: 2572-4126 prepared by nanoprecitation method as previously described by Peltonen [21]. 0.1% of PVA was prepared by dissolving 100 mg of PVA in 100 ml distilled water in magnetic stirrer at 60oC. Organic solution of PLGA (100 mg) and UA/Caf (10 mg) in acetone (10 ml) was added to PVA solution (10 ml). The sample was sonicated at 25 watts for 2 min (Sonics VC-130, Sonics and Materials Inc. CT, USA) and kept the sample under magnetic stirrer at room temperature for 6 h. To remove the non-incorporated drug, the obtained Nano suspension was centrifuged and washed with distilled water twice at 14,000 rpm for 30 min. The supernatant containing the free drug was discarded and the pellet was freeze dried at -50 oC. Drug encapsulation efficiency Drug encapsulation efficiency was described by the method of Mathew [22]. Drug loaded nanoparticles were centrifuged at 14,000 rpm for 30 min. 3 ml of the supernatant obtained during the centrifugation was taken in a cuvette and the absorbance value at 266 nm was recorded with a UV spectrophotometer.
Explanatory histological findings for urinary protein and serum creatinine levels at renal biopsy in lupus nephritis: A cross-sectional study

Background To evaluate histological active and chronic lesions associated with proteinuria and serum creatinine (SCr) level as common clinical endpoints in many clinical trials for lupus nephritis (LN). Methods One hundred and nineteen patients from 1990 to 2015 with LN class III, IV, and V, as defined by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society classification, were enrolled. Multiple regression analysis was performed to explore semiquantitative histological variables related to urinary protein and SCr levels. Results The mean age of enrolled patients was 45 years and 79% were female. The mean SCr level was 0.87 mg/dl and mean urinary protein was 3.00 g/gCr at the time of the renal biopsy. Class IV (71%) was the most common type, followed by class III (17%) and class V (13%). Multicollinearity was confirmed between monocellular infiltration (variance inflation factor [VIF] = 10.22) and interstitial fibrosis (VIF = 10.29) and between karyorrhexis (VIF = 4.14) and fibrinoid necrosis (VIF = 4.29). After excluding fibrinoid necrosis and monocellular infiltration because of multicollinearity, only urinary protein level was correlated with wire loop (β−coefficient [β]: 1.09 and confidence interval [CI]: 0.35 to 1.83), and SCr level was correlated with glomerular sclerosis (β: 1.08 and CI: 0.43 to 1.74) by multiple regression analysis. Conclusion As urinary protein and SCr levels could not reflect active lesions quantitatively, they might be difficult to be evaluated for response to induction remission treatments in patients with LN.
Bra preferences of breast cancer survivors treated with mastectomy and prosthetic reconstruction

ABSTRACT One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime and the number choosing mastectomy in response to invasive breast cancer is rising. A survey of 62 survivors who have undergone double mastectomy with prosthetic reconstruction demonstrated that they have surgical and healing related side effects which create unique undergarment needs. Survey results were used to discern the needs and preferences of this group of survivors and provide functional design guidelines for future bra designers. Bra wing and underband comfort were found to be of critical importance. Adjustable straps and well-fitting cups that hide imperfections while providing insulation and moisture management were additional needs identified by these survivors.
Pacing Strategy Affects the Sub-Elite Marathoner’s Cardiac Drift and Performance

The question of cardiac strain arises when considering the emerging class of recreational runners whose running strategy could be a non-optimal running pace. Heart rate (HR) monitoring, which reflects exercise intensity and environmental factors, is often used for running strategies in marathons. However, it is difficult to obtain appropriate feedback for only the HR value since the cardiovascular drift (CV drift) occurs during prolonged exercise. The cardiac cost (CC: HR divided by running velocity) has been shown to be a potential index for evaluation of CV drift during the marathon race. We sought to establish the relationship between recreational marathoners’ racing strategy, cardiac drift, and performance. We started with looking for a trend in the speed time series (by Kendall’s non-parametric rank correlation coefficient) in 280 (2 h30–3 h40) marathoners. We distinguished two groups, with the one gathering the large majority of runners (n = 215, 77%), who had a significant decrease in their speed during the race that appeared at the 26th km. We therefore named this group of runners the “fallers. ” Furthermore, the fallers had significantly lower performance (p = 0.006) and higher cardiac drift (p < 0.0001) than the non-fallers. The asymmetry indicator of the faller group runners’ speed is negative, meaning that the average speed of this category of riders is below the median, indicating that they ran more than the half marathon distance (56%) above their average speed before they “hit the wall” at the 26th km. Furthermore, we showed that marathon performance was correlated with the amplitude of the cardiac drift (r = 0.18, p = 0.0018) but not with those of the increase in HR (r = 0.01, p = 0.80). In conclusion, for addressing the question of the cardiac drift in marathon, which is very sensitive to the running strategy, we recommend to utilize the cardiac cost, which takes into account the running speed and that could be implemented in the future, on mobile phone applications.
Yellow Fever Vaccination in a Mouse Model Is Associated With Uninterrupted Pregnancies and Viable Neonates Except When Administered at Implantation Period

The potential risk of yellow fever (YF) infection in unvaccinated pregnant women has aroused serious concerns. In this study, we evaluated the effect of the YF vaccine during gestation using a mouse model, analyzing placental structure, immunolocalization of the virus antigen, and viral activity at the maternal-fetal barrier and in the maternal liver and fetus. The YF vaccine (17DD) was administered subcutaneously at a dose of 2.0 log10 PFU to CD-1 mice on gestational days (gd) 0.5, 5.5, and 11.5 (n = 5–10/group). The control group received sterile saline (n = 5–10/group). Maternal liver, implantation sites with fetus, and placentas were collected on gd18.5. The numbers of implantation sites, reabsorbed embryos, and stillborn fetuses were counted, and placentas and live fetuses were weighed. Tissues (placenta, fetuses, and liver) of vaccinated pregnant mice on gd5.5 (n = 15) were paraffin-embedded in 10% buffered-formalin and collected in TRIzol for immunolocalization of YF vaccine virus and PCR, respectively. PCR products were also subjected to automated sequence analysis. Fetal growth restriction (p < 0.0001) and a significant decrease in fetal viability (p < 0.0001) occurred only when the vaccine was administered on gd5.5. In stillbirths, the viral antigen was consistently immunolocalized at the maternal-fetal barrier and in fetal organs, suggesting a transplacental transfer. In stillbirths, RNA of the vaccine virus was also detected by reverse transcriptase-PCR indicating viral activity in the maternal liver and fetal tissues. In conclusion, the findings of this study in the mouse suggest that vaccination did not cause adverse outcomes with respect to fetal development except when administered during the early gestational stage, indicating the implantation period as a susceptible period in which the YF vaccine virus might interfere with pregnancy.
Upregulation of PD-L1 Expression by Prostaglandin E2 and the Enhancement of IFN-γ by Anti-PD-L1 Antibody Combined With a COX-2 Inhibitor in Mycoplasma bovis Infection

Bovine mycoplasmosis caused by Mycoplasma bovis results in pneumonia and mastitis in cattle. We previously demonstrated that the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway is involved in immune dysfunction during M. bovis infection and that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) suppressed immune responses and upregulated PD-L1 expression in Johne's disease, a bacterial infection in cattle. In this study, we investigated the role of PGE2 in immune dysfunction and the relationship between PGE2 and the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in M. bovis infection. In vitro stimulation with M. bovis upregulated the expressions of PGE2 and PD-L1 presumably via Toll-like receptor 2 in bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PGE2 levels of peripheral blood in infected cattle were significantly increased compared with those in uninfected cattle. Remarkably, plasma PGE2 levels were positively correlated with the proportions of PD-L1+ monocytes in M. bovis-infected cattle. Additionally, plasma PGE2 production in infected cattle was negatively correlated with M. bovis-specific interferon (IFN)-γ production from PBMCs. These results suggest that PGE2 could be one of the inducers of PD-L1 expression and could be involved in immunosuppression during M. bovis infection. In vitro blockade assays using anti-bovine PD-L1 antibody and a cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor significantly upregulated the M. bovis-specific IFN-γ response. Our study findings might contribute to the development of novel therapeutic strategies for bovine mycoplasmosis that target PGE2 and the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.
Origins and insights into the historic Judean date palm based on genetic analysis of germinated ancient seeds and morphometric studies

Genetic and morphometric analysis of germinated ancient date seeds provide initial insights into origins of the Judean date palm. Germination of 2000-year-old seeds of Phoenix dactylifera from Judean desert archaeological sites provides a unique opportunity to study the Judean date palm, described in antiquity for the quality, size, and medicinal properties of its fruit, but lost for centuries. Microsatellite genotyping of germinated seeds indicates that exchanges of genetic material occurred between the Middle East (eastern) and North Africa (western) date palm gene pools, with older seeds exhibiting a more eastern nuclear genome on a gradient from east to west of genetic contributions. Ancient seeds were significantly longer and wider than modern varieties, supporting historical records of the large size of the Judean date. These findings, in accord with the region’s location between east and west date palm gene pools, suggest that sophisticated agricultural practices may have contributed to the Judean date’s historical reputation. Given its exceptional storage potentialities, the date palm is a remarkable model for seed longevity research.
The uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and glacial oscillations triggered the diversification of Tetraogallus (Galliformes, Phasianidae)

Abstract The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) plays an important role in avian diversification. To reveal the relationship between the QTP uplift and avian diversification since the Late Cenozoic, here, we analyzed the phylogenetic relationship and biogeographical pattern of the genus Tetraogallus (Galliformes, Phasianidae) and the probable factors of speciation in the period of the QTP uplift inferred from concatenated data of four nuclear and five mitochondrial genes using the method of the Bayesian inference. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that T. himalayensis had a close relationship with T. altaicus and conflicted with the previous taxonomy of dark‐bellied and white‐bellied groups. The molecular clock showed that the speciation of Tetraogallus was profoundly affected by the uplift of the QTP and glacial oscillations. Biogeographic analysis suggested that the extant snowcocks originated from the QTP, and the QTP uplift and glacial oscillations triggered the diversification of Tetraogallus ancestor. Specifically, the uplift of the mountain provided a prerequisite for the colonization of snowcocks Tetraogallus as a result of the collision between the Indian and the Arab plates and the Eurasian plate, in which ecological isolation (the glacial and interglacial periods alternate) and geographical barrier had accelerated the Tetraogallus diversification process. Interestingly, we discovered hybrids between T. tibetanus and T. himalayensis for the first time and suggested that T. tibetanus and T. himalayensis hybridized after a second contact during the glacial period. Here, we proposed that the hybrid offspring was the ancestor of the T. altaicus. In conclusion, the uplift of QTP and glacial oscillations triggered the snowcocks colonization, and then, isolation and introgression hybridization promoted diversification.
The effects of dietary linoleic acid and hydrophilic antioxidants on basal, peak, and sustained metabolism in flight‐trained European starlings

Abstract Dietary micronutrients have the ability to strongly influence animal physiology and ecology. For songbirds, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and antioxidants are hypothesized to be particularly important micronutrients because of their influence on an individual's capacity for aerobic metabolism and recovery from extended bouts of exercise. However, the influence of specific fatty acids and hydrophilic antioxidants on whole‐animal performance remains largely untested. We used diet manipulations to directly test the effects of dietary PUFA, specifically linoleic acid (18:2n6), and anthocyanins, a hydrophilic antioxidant, on basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR), and rates of fat catabolism, lean catabolism, and energy expenditure during sustained flight in a wind tunnel in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). BMR, PMR, energy expenditure, and fat metabolism decreased and lean catabolism increased over the course of the experiment in birds fed a high (32%) 18:2n6 diet, while birds fed a low (13%) 18:2n6 diet exhibited the reverse pattern. Additionally, energy expenditure, fat catabolism, and flight duration were all subject to diet‐specific effects of whole‐body fat content. Dietary antioxidants and diet‐related differences in tissue fatty acid composition were not directly related to any measure of whole‐animal performance. Together, these results suggest that the effect of dietary 18:2n6 on performance was most likely the result of the signaling properties of 18:2n6. This implies that dietary PUFA influence the energetic capabilities of songbirds and could strongly influence songbird ecology, given their availability in terrestrial systems.
Association between mandibular second molars calcification stages in the panoramic images and cervical vertebral maturity in the lateral cephalometric images

Background Determination of maturation and evaluation of growth potential is extremely important in clinical orthodontics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the mandibular second molar calcification stages for identification of growth phases. Material and Methods In this cross-sectional descriptive study, samples were derived from panoramic radiographs and lateral cephalograms of 125 subjects (61 males and 64 females) with age ranging from 8 to 17 years and estimates of dental maturity (Demirjian Index [DI]) and skeletal maturity (Cervical vertebral maturation indicators CVMI]) were made. Correlations between DI and CVMI were shown by Spearman’s correlation. The diagnostic performance of the DI for the identification of the growth phase were evaluated using positive likelihood ratios (LHRs), with a threshold of ≥10 for satisfactory performance. Results Correlations between second molar calcification and growth phase were 0.819 for females and 0.805 for males (P-value< 0.0001). LHR ≥10 was only observed for the identification of the post-pubertal growth phase for the H stage of the second molar. Conclusions In spite of the high correlation coefficients between mandibular second molar calcification stages and skeletal maturity, these stages are reliable only for the identification of the post pubertal growth phase. Key words:Skeletal maturation, demirjian Index, mandibular second molar.
Effects of climate change and crop planting structure on the abundance of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract The interactions between plants and insects play an important role in ecosystems. Climate change and cropping patterns can affect herbivorous pest insect dynamics. Understanding the reasons for population fluctuations can help improve integrated pest management strategies. Here, a 25‐year dataset on climate, cropping planting structure, and the population dynamics of cotton bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera) from Bachu County, south Xinjiang, China, was analyzed to assess the effects of changes in climate and crop planting structure on the population dynamics of H. armigera. The three generations of H. armigera showed increasing trends in population size with climate warming, especially in the third generation. The relative abundances of the first and second generations decreased, but that of the third generation increased. Rising temperature and precipitation produced different impacts on the development of different generations. The population numbers of H. armigera increased with the increase in the non‐Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton‐planted area. Asynchrony of abrupt changes existed among climate change, crop flowering dates, and the phenology of H. armigera moths. The asynchronous responses in crop flowering dates and phenology of H. armigera to climate warming would expand in the future. The primary factors affecting the first, second, and third generations of moths were T mean in June, the last appearance date of the second generation of moths, and the duration of the third generation of moths, respectively. To reduce the harm to crops caused by H. armigera, Bt cotton should be widely planted.
Full Transcriptomic Response of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to an Inulin-Derived Fructooligosaccharide

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an ubiquitous gram-negative opportunistic human pathogen which is not considered part of the human commensal gut microbiota. However, depletion of the intestinal microbiota (Dysbiosis) following antibiotic treatment facilitates the colonization of the intestinal tract by Multidrug-Resistant P. aeruginosa. One possible strategy is based on the use of functional foods with prebiotic activity. The bifidogenic effect of the prebiotic inulin and its hydrolyzed form (fructooligosaccharide: FOS) is well established since they promote the growth of specific beneficial (probiotic) gut bacteria such as bifidobacteria. Previous studies of the opportunistic nosocomial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 have shown that inulin and to a greater extent FOS reduce growth and biofilm formation, which was found to be due to a decrease in motility and exotoxin secretion. However, the transcriptional basis for these phenotypic alterations remains unclear. To address this question we conducted RNA-sequence analysis. Changes in the transcript level induced by inulin and FOS were similar, but a set of transcript levels were increased in response to inulin and reduced in the presence of FOS. In the presence of inulin or FOS, 260 and 217 transcript levels, respectively, were altered compared to the control to which no polysaccharide was added. Importantly, changes in transcript levels of 57 and 83 genes were found to be specific for either inulin or FOS, respectively, indicating that both compounds trigger different changes. Gene pathway analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEG) revealed a specific FOS-mediated reduction in transcript levels of genes that participate in several canonical pathways involved in metabolism and growth, motility, biofilm formation, β-lactamase resistance, and in the modulation of type III and VI secretion systems; results that have been partially verified by real time quantitative PCR measurements. Moreover, we have identified a genomic island formed by a cluster of 15 genes, encoding uncharacterized proteins, which were repressed in the presence of FOS. The analysis of isogenic mutants has shown that genes of this genomic island encode proteins involved in growth, biofilm formation and motility. These results indicate that FOS selectively modulates bacterial pathogenicity by interfering with different signaling pathways.
Improvement of cognitive and motor performance with mitotherapy in aged mice

Changes in mitochondrial structure and function are mostly responsible for aging and age-related features. Whether healthy mitochondria could prevent aging is, however, unclear. Here we intravenously injected the mitochondria isolated from young mice into aged mice and investigated the mitotherapy on biochemistry metabolism and animal behaviors. The results showed that heterozygous mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of both aged and young mouse coexisted in tissues of aged mice after mitochondrial administration, and meanwhile, ATP content in tissues increased while reactive oxygen species (ROS) level reduced. Besides, the mitotherapy significantly improved cognitive and motor performance of aged mice. Our study, at the first report in aged animals, not only provides a useful approach to study mitochondrial function associated with aging, but also a new insight into anti-aging through mitotherapy.