Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of cutaneous ultraviolet light exposure on migrating ovine dendritic cells

The exposure of skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can have serious consequences which may include the down-regulation of cutaneous immunity and the generation of tumours. This study examined effects of such an exposure on the dendritic cells migrating from skin to the draining lymph node in a cannulated ovine pseudoafferent lymphatic vessel. These investigations have revealed that exposure of skin to UV light increased migration of Langerhans cells (LC) from the skin. Exposure of skin to a dose of 8.1 kJ/m 2 UVB caused a sustained increase in both the number and proportion of LC migrating towards the regional lymph node. Higher doses triggered nonspecific effects including increased lymph output and the increased migration of other lymphoid cells. This provides strong evidence that the depletion in LC numbers in the skin after UV exposure is partially due to the migration of these cells to the draining lymph node. In addition, a CD14 + DC population which parallels the immunosuppressive macrophages in human and murine models, was shown to be increased in ovine afferent lymph after UV exposure of the skin. Since DC are induced to migrate from UV exposed skin, the functional capability of these cells was analysed. Cutaneous exposure to 8.1 kJ/m 2 UVB was found to significantly reduce the capacity of migrating DC to present antigen to T cells. The same dose significantly impaired mitogen induced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), which were used to assess DC function. However, the differing time courses of these two effects indicates that the functional capability of both populations were impaired, thereby contributing to the overall down regulation of immune function after UV light exposure. To determine whether altered cytokine production may play a role in these events, supernatants from DC:PBMC co-cultures and lymph draining treated areas of skin were assayed for the presence of variety of soluble factors. It was found that after UV exposure of the skin increased prostaglandin E2 and IFNy production in culture supernatants, however the timing of this increase did not correlate with the reduced functional capacity of DC. A protein with the approximate molecular weight of IL-10 and IL-10-like activity was detected in lymph draining the UV exposed skin. This finding may help to explain the impaired functional ability of DC migrating from UV exposed skin. In summary, this study has shown that DC with impaired functional capacity were induced to migrate from UV exposed skin and this effect was associated with increased levels of IL-10.
Prevalence, Risk Factors and Consequences of Chronic Polyneuropathy : The Rotterdam Study

markdownabstractPolyneuropathy is a chronic disease characterized by symmetric tingling sensations, numbness and neuropathic pain in the hands and feet. There is a lack of knowledge about the prevalence and risk factors of this disease, especially on population level. Within the Rotterdam Study, a large population-based study, we employed an extensive polyneuropathy screening consisting of a symptom questionnaire, neurological examination and nerve conduction studies. With this screening we prospectively screened 1310 participants and found a definite polyneuropathy in 5.5% of persons above 45 years of age, and this percentage increased drastically with age. In 46% of persons with polyneuropathy, no established risk factor was present (chronic idiopathic axonal polyneuropathy), which highlights the need for further studies on risk factors for this disease. Aside from diabetes, which probably is the most important known risk factor for chronic polyneuropathy, we identified metabolic syndrome and especially (abdominal) obesity and dyslipidemia as potential risk factors for polyneuropathy. Importantly, these factors also associated with decreased peripheral nerve function in persons (yet) without signs or symptoms of polyneuropathy. This suggest that these factors have role in the pathophysiology of chronic axonal polyneuropathies, but longitudinal studies are required to confirm these associations. We also studied the effect of polyneuropathy on daily life and found that polyneuropathy associated with impairment in several basic activities of daily living, such as arising, dressing and grooming, eating and walking. Furthermore, persons with polyneuropathy have an increased risk of falling, and on the potential consequences of falling, such as head trauma and fractures. To conclude, polyneuropathy is a very common, often idiopathic, disabling disorder. More research is necessary to elucidate the pathophysiology of this multifactorial disease.
Management of periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is the most common pathological condition occurring in adult dogs and cats. This chapter covers the diagnosis and management of periodontal disease, providing detailed instruction on the use of a range of equipment, instruments and materials. Operative Techniques: Professional dental cleaning and closed periodontal therapy; Open periodontal therapy; Gingivectomy and gingivoplasty.
Daratumumab-based therapies in patients with AL amyloidosis.

8053Background: Treatment options for patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory (RR) AL amyloidosis are limited. Daratumumab (dara) has been approved as monotherapy (DMT) or combination therapy (DCT) for multiple myeloma (MM). Data for dara-based therapy (DBT) in AL are sparse. Methods: We studied pts with RR AL without coexisting MM seen at Mayo Clinic from 11/2015 to 02/2018 & treated with DBT. Hematologic response (HR) & organ response (OR) were defined per Consensus criteria. All time to event analyses were done from the time of DBT initiation. Pts with dFLC < 4 mg/dL at the time of start of DBT were considered non evaluable (NE) for HR other than disease progression. DCT included dara, pomalidomide & dexamethasone (dex) (35%), dara, lenalidomide & dex (26%), dara, bortezomib & dex (22%) & other DBT regimens (17%). Results: 45 pts (DMT, n = 22; DCT, n = 23) received DBT; median age at DBT initiation was 64 years (range: 46-82). Data for HR assessment were available in 44 pts & 31 were evaluable for HR.
Natural and induced genetic variation in the rat

The laboratory rat is one of the most studied model organisms for human heath and disease. Researchers have developed many inbred strains that specifically mimic aspects of human genetic disease, like hypertension, diabetes, and neurological disorders, like anxiety, schizophrenia, and many others. The development of such models largely depends on the amount of natural occurring variation. In this thesis, I describe a method to induce genetic variation in the rat and discover the newly induced mutations. Using this method, called target-selected mutagenesis or TILLING, we developed mutant rats and more importantly, knockout rats, harboring a mutation that abolishes gene function in a directed way. Besides inducing genetic variation, I also describe studies on naturally occurring genetic variation. Since inbred rat strains are specifically selected to mimic certain aspects of a human genetic disease, it is of importance to gain insight in the genetic variation that may cause this disease. Therefore, we sampled genetic variation in coding regions of over 50 rat genes in 96 commonly used inbred strains. In addition, we studied variation in wild rats, caught in The Netherlands and compared this to laboratory strains. We found that 84 percent of wild rat alleles was still represented in a set of 36 commonly used rat strains, illustrating that rat strains are descending from a limited founder population of domesticated wild rats relatively recently. Moreover, we postulate that wild rat-based shotgun sequencing is an efficient approach to discover novel genetic variation in the rat. Despite the advances reported in this thesis, we are still at the beginning of full understanding of the function of the mammalian genome. Even if we know the exact sequence variation in each rat model, we still don't know which of the sequence variants is functionally important for establishment of the disease. Therefore, the need for development of genetic experiments for the rat is inevitable, as described in the Introduction.
A nurse practitioner's tale: An autoethnographic interpretive study of the values of nurse practitioners, general practitioners and district nurses.

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Ecological speciation in Senecio lautus

Speciation with gene flow, or the evolution of reproductive isolation between interbreeding populations remains a controversial problem in evolution. This is because gene flow erodes the adaptive differences that selection creates between populations. Here, we use a combination of common garden experiments in the field and in the glasshouse to investigate what ecological and genetic mechanisms prevent gene flow and maintain morphological and genetic differentiation between coastal parapatric populations of the Australian groundsel Senecio lautus. We discovered that in each habitat extrinsic reproductive barriers prevented gene flow, whereas intrinsic barriers in F1 hybrids were weak. In the field, herbivores played a major role in preventing gene flow, but glasshouse experiments demonstrated that soil type also created variable selective pressures both locally and on a greater geographic scale. Our experimental results demonstrate that interfertile plant populations adapting to contrasting environments may diverge as a consequence of concurrent natural selection acting against migrants and hybrids through multiple mechanisms. These results provide novel insights into the consequences of local adaptation in the origin of strong barriers to gene flow in plants, and suggest that herbivory may play an important role in the early stages of plant speciation.
Body weight status is not a predictive factor of depressive symptoms in Polish adolescents aged 13-18 years

Abstract Depression and unhealthy weight status are among the most common concerns in adolescent boys and girls. Research results on the relationship between depression and weight status are contradictory. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between body weight status and depressive symptoms among Polish adolescent boys and girls. The cross-sectional survey was carried out on adolescents attending lower and higher secondary schools located in three medium-sized cities and one big agglomeration in Poland. Anthropometric measurements, such as body height and weight, were performed. Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was used to assess depressive symptoms. The total sample consisted of 624 boys and 910 girls aged 13-18 (the mean age was 16.4 ± 1.8) participated in the study. Of them, 73.3% had a healthy weight status, 12.9% were classified as thin, 11.4% were overweight and 2.5% were obese. The prevalence of depression based on BDI-II was 20.2% in boys and 34.9% in girls. The Kruskal–Wallis test revealed a lack of association between the body weight status and total scores of depressive symptoms after controlling for age (p=0.98 and p=0.4 for boys and girls, respectively). The multiple regression analysis revealed that gender and age differentiated the depressive symptoms (for gender: ß=0.19; SE=0.38; p<0.001 and for age: ß=0.05; SE=0.1; p<0.05). Age and gender explained 3.5% of the total variance of depressive symptoms. The study did not confirm the association between the body weight status and depression in adolescence.
PENGARUH TINGKAT RISIKO OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA TERHADAP PROBABILITAS TERJADINYA STROKE ISKEMIK PADA PENDUDUK DI KECAMATAN SEKARBELA MATARAM

Latar belakang: Stroke merupakan penyebab kecacatan tertinggi di Indonesia, dengan stroke iskemik sebagai jenis stroke dengan angka kejadian terbanyak. Kejadian stroke iskemik dapat diprediksi dengan menggunakan penilaian faktor risiko stroke iskemik berdasarkan Framingham Study. Selain faktor risiko yang telah dimasukkan sebagai komponen penilaian probabilitas stroke iskemik berdasarkan Framingham Study, stroke iskemik memiliki berbagai faktor risiko independen lain, salah satunya adalah obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Pengaruh OSA terhadap stroke iskemik belum diketahui secara pasti, hal ini karena penelitian mengenai hal tersebut masih sedikit. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh OSA terhadap probabilitas stroke iskemik. Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian non-eksperimental dengan pendekatan potong lintang. Pengambilan sampel penelitian dilakukan di Kecamatan Sekarbela Mataram. Pada tahap awal dilakukan wawancara singkat berdasarkan kriteria inklusi dan kriteria ekslusi, kemudian pada subjek penelitian yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi akan dilakukan wawancara dan pemeriksaan untuk penilaian tingkat risiko OSA berdasarkan STOP-Bang questionnaire dan pemeriksaan untuk penilaian probabilitas stroke iskemik berdasarkan Framingham Study. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan uji komparasi Mann-Whitney. Hasil: Sampel yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi dan kriteria ekslusi pada penelitian ini adalah 55 sampel, dengan 63.6% berisiko tinggi terhadap OSA dengan rerata probabilitas terjadi stroke iskemik 12.3% dan 36.4% berisiko rendah OSA dengan rerata probabilitas stroke iskemik 6.1%. Berdasarkan uji Mann-Whitney didapatkan hasil bahwa tingkat risiko OSA berpengaruh secara signifikan terhadap probabilitas terjadinya stroke iskemik (p=0.001). Kesimpulan: Terdapat pengaruh tingkat risiko OSA terhadap probabilitas terjadinya stroke iskemik pada penduduk di Kecamatan Sekarbela Mataram.
Impact of membrane transporters polymorphisms on nucleoside-derived drug bioavailability and action = Impacte dels polimorfismes en transportadors de membrana en la biodisponibilitat i acció de fàrmacs anàlegs de nucleòsids

Nucleoside-derived drugs are used for the treatment of haematological malignancies, viral infections and autoimmune or inflammatory diseases. These drugs require membrane transporters to be internalised and be active. Transporters implicated in nucleoside and nucleoside derivatives internalisation are concentrative nucleoside transporters (CNTs) encoded by SLC28 and equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENTs) encoded by SLC29. Other transporters such as organic cation transporters (OCTs) encoded by SLC22 have been implicated in the transport of some antiviral nucleoside derivatives, too. Nucleoside transporters as well as hOCT1 have been detected in immune cells, as well as in polarised epithelia where they are asymmetrically distributed mediating a net flux of the natural nucleoside or the derivative. Membrane transporters can present polymorphic variants which can alter its ability to interact with the substrate. Of all studied transporters, hOCT1 is the most polymorphic, being its polymorphic variants implicated in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of some drugs used in clinics such as metformine among others. In this thesis we show the importance polymorphic variants of hOCT1 have not only in lamivudine uptake but also in drug-drug interactions with other drugs co-administrated with lamivudine. Infected PBMCs showed an up-regulation of hOCT1 expression which would made it a better lamivudine target. We also discard the possibility that polymorphisms located at the extracellular loop might affect oligomerization. hOCT1 has been also identified as a bendamustine transporter and hOCT1 polymorphic variants modulated bendamustine sensitivity. Bendamustine sensitivity in CLL cells ex vivo can partially be explained by the hOCT1 polymorphic variants they are carrying. In case of DNMT inhibitors, nucleoside transporters are responsible for zebularine internalisation but not decitabine and mediate a apical-basolateral flux in polarised epithelia. hOCT1 can mediate zebularine efflux which is impaired by the presence of polymorphic variants. In this case polymorphic variants would confer sensitivity to zebularine treatment. In order to better understand the transporter-substrates interaction a hCNT3 model has been generated based on the recent crystallised V.cholerae nucleoside transporter. This model has been preliminary proved experimentally showing, so far, to be a good model. In summary, this thesis highlights the importance drug transporters and their polymorphic variants play in drug bioavailability and action
Preliminary Studies of Philippine Eucheuma Species (Rhodophyta) Part 1, Taxonomy and Ecology of Eucheuma arnoldii Weber-van Bosse

The fleshy, nonca1cified, red alga Eucheuma arnoldii Weber-van Bosse is unique in its often close resemblance to the habits of certain types of branched coelenterate corals. The present study of the alga in three Philippine areas attempts to clarify its taxonomic relationships and presents ecological data dealing with its depth distributions, substrata preferences, standing crops, and community associations. A new variety, E. arnoldii var. alcyonida, is described, and the previously described taxa E. cupressoideum Weber-van Bosse and E. cupressoidett1n var. verticillata Yamada are placed in synonomy with E. arnoldii var. arnoldii. Possible lines of more detailed, future research on this species are
Artificial rearing of bumble bees (Bombus terrestris) selects against heavy queens

SUMMARY When the bumble bee, Bombus terrestris, was reared under controlled conditions in the laboratory for many generations, queens with a wet weight of 1g or more were no longer produced after several generations. At present it is unknown what causes the disappearance of these heavier queens. In this paper three possible explanations are given: (1) inbreeding, (2) altered energy allocation strategy such that more but lighter queens are produced, (3) a gradual build—up of a deficiency of scarce nutrients. No proof was found for a negative effect of inbreeding on the weight of queens, and colonies did not produce more queens. This suggests that the disappearance of heavy queens is caused by a deficiency of scarce nutrients.
Study of Genes Relating To Degradation of Aromatic Compounds and Carbon Metabolism in Mycobacterium Sp. Strain KMS

Mycobacterium sp. strain KMS utilizes pyrene, a high-molecular weigh t polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), as a sole ca rbon source. Bioinformatic analysis of the genome of isolate KMS predicted 25 genes wit h the potential to encode seventeen pyrene-induced proteins identified by proteomics; t hese genes were clustered on both the chromosome and a circular plasmid. RT-PCR analysis of total RNA isolated from KMS cells grown with or without pyrene showed that the pr sence of pyrene increased the transcript accumulation of 20 of the predicted chro mosomal and plasmid located genes encoding pyrene-induced proteins. The transcribed g nes from both chromosome and circular plasmid were within larger regions contain ing genes required for PAH degradation constituting PAH-degrading gene islands Genes encoding integrases and transposases were found within and outside the PAHdegrading gene islands. The lower GC content of the genes within the gene island (6163 %) compared with the average ___________________________________________________________________ Coauthored by Dr. Anderson AJ. , Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading gene islands in five pyrenedegrading Mycobacterium isolates from different geographic locations, © 20 1 with permission from NRC Research Press.
Proteome Based Construction of the Lymphocyte Function-Associated Antigen 1 (LFA-1) Interactome in Human Dendritic Cells

The β2-integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) plays an important role in the migration, adhesion and intercellular communication of dendritic cells (DCs). During the differentiation of human DCs from monocyte precursors, LFA-1 ligand binding capacity is completely lost, even though its expression levels were remained constant. Yet LFA-1-mediated adhesive capacity on DCs can be regained by exposing DCs to the chemokine CCL21, suggesting a high degree of regulation of LFA-1 activity during the course of DC differentiation. The molecular mechanisms underlying this regulation of LFA-1 function in DCs, however, remain elusive. To get more insight we attempted to identify specific LFA-1 binding partners that may play a role in regulating LFA-1 activity in DCs. We used highly sensitive label free quantitative mass-spectrometry to identify proteins co-immunoprecipitated (co-IP) with LFA-1 from ex vivo generated DCs. Among the potential binding partners we identified not only established components of integrin signalling pathways and cytoskeletal proteins, but also several novel LFA-1 binding partners including CD13, galectin-3, thrombospondin-1 and CD44. Further comparison to the LFA-1 interaction partners in monocytes indicated that DC differentiation was accompanied by an overall increase in LFA-1 associated proteins, in particular cytoskeletal, signalling and plasma membrane (PM) proteins. The here presented LFA-1 interactome composed of 78 proteins thus represents a valuable resource of potential regulators of LFA-1 function during the DC lifecycle.
Social and Economic Development in Four Ladino Communities of Eastern Guatemala: A Comparative Description

This paper puts the four INCAP longitudinal study villages in their economic and social setting. Beginning with a short historical account of the formation of Ladino peasantries in Guatemala, it then recounts the particular history of each of the villages, describes their basic ecological features, and gives a more detailed description of the systems of production now found in each village. Differences related to the income-earning strategies available, to the allocation of household labour, and to the participation of women in income-earning activities are particularly examined. Differences are also noted in the infrastructures of the communities and their demographic features. All these differences may have important effects, either individually or interactively, on the nutrition of individuals. Additional research is needed to assess the magnitude of these effects on the nutrition status of the study participants.
Bottom Trawl Bycatch Assessment of the Shrimp Fishery in the Caribbean Sea off Colombia

Based on records by on board observers, bycatch composition, bycatch rates and total annual bycatch of the shrimp trawl fishery off Colombia, Caribbean Sea, were estimated. Estimates of annual bycatch were calculated based on bycatch rates and fishing effort information. Confidence intervals were calculated by bootstrap procedures. 185 taxa (January 2000 – June 2001), a bycatch to shrimp catch ratio of 16.6 (13.4 – 21.3, C.I. 95%) and an annual bycatch estimation of 4538 t (4114 - 5122, C.I. 95%) were computed in the northern fishing zone. In the southern fishing zone, 253 taxa (August 2004 - July 2005) were registered, a bycatch to shrimp catch ratio of 10.8 (9.8 – 11.8, C.I. 95%) and an annual bycatch of 2507 t (2118 – 2980, I.C. 95%) were estimated. Bycatch to shrimp catch ratios ranked among the highest in the world. Proliferation of benthic scavengers (Portunidae) could be attributed to the high levels of discards. Species contributing to habitat structure, like sponges, shown high catch rates. In summary, the results suggest a deteriorate condition in the ecosystem and stress the urgent need of mitigation measures if we are to maintain its functioning.