Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathology related with "novel" emerging infectious agents in livestock.

Emergence of “novel” infectious agents with or without zoonotic potential continues to occur in livestock. Such events have many causes, some natural and a lot off are associate with human interference upon microorganisms or their environment. Animal world is hosting many more pathogens than those who are subject of current surveillance and/or diagnostic: some of them are endemic in limited ecosystems, and are usually defined as exotic pathogens by European countries (e.g., Hendra virus, Nipah virus, Akabane virus); others are not associated with collective or individual known pathology in them natural hosts (asymptomatic carriers) but can produce or can be involved in diseases of other domestic animals or humans (e.g. Hanta virus, Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus), or are just new discovered pathogens (e.g., Schmallenberg virus). It is difficult to accomplish, but it would be highly useful to investigate if these organisms, introduced in different populations other than the originating one, could generate pathology. Would be useful to map the distribution of these newly discovered agents whose potential pathogen is still unevaluated or even appear devoid of pathogenicity, to estimate their emerging potential in the case of contact with unusual hosts. The large number of pathogens, which are not subject to official notification, makes difficult their active surveillance by specific laboratory testing methods; the cost-effectiveness of active surveillance systems could not be accepted for the animal disease surveillance and the prompt reporting. However, the passive surveillance and the risk analysis (exposure assessment and risk characterization) can be perform using conventional or participatory epidemiology if the specialist or farmers are trained to identify the pathology that can be produced by these new pathogens. The aim of this review was to describe the main clinic pathological features generated in livestock by “novel” infectious agents: Schmallenberg virus, Hendra virus, Menangle virus, Nipah virus and Usutu virus. In our opinion, once emerged a new microorganism it is advisable to make investigation in similar ecosystems to check his presence.
Effectiveness of Toothpaste Containing REFIX Technology against Dentin Hypersensitivity: A Randomized Clinical Study.

AIM This clinical study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a toothpaste containing a proprietary REFIX technology (Regenerador + Sensitive DentalClean, Rabbit Corp) against dentin hypersensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty-three volunteers who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and signed the consent form were included. They were examined for dentin hypersensitivity. The participants received a 1-second blast of air, and the tooth sensitivity, from 0 to 10, was immediately evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS). Then, the participants brushed their teeth with the multifunctional toothpaste, and dentin hypersensitivity was tested a second time using the same scale. The participants continued to use the toothpaste three times a day for 1 week, after which dentin hypersensitivity was recorded for the third time. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). RESULTS The mean patient age was 40 years, and 70% of the 53 subjects were female. There was a significant reduction in dentin hypersensitivity immediately after using the toothpaste and after 1 week. The baseline mean patient-reported pain score was severe (6.5 ± 2.4). Immediately after the first use of the toothpaste, the mean reported pain significantly decreased to mild pain (2.5 ± 2.5) (p < 0.05). After 1 week of consistent use of the toothpaste, the pain score reduced significantly (0.7 ± 1.2) (p < 0.05), and most participants reported no pain, demonstrating the effectiveness of the REFIX technology against dentin hypersensitivity. CONCLUSION This clinical trial shows that the use of the phosphate-based desensitizing toothpaste containing REFIX technology significantly reduces dentin hypersensitivity after 1 week of consistent use. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The absence of pain, a desired clinical condition in patients with dentin hypersensitivity, was reached with the use of desensitizing toothpaste containing REFIX technology after 1 week of use. Such condition positively impacts quality of life, providing a healthier daily routine for patients.
Association of E-Selectin gene polymorphisms and serum E-Selectin level with risk of coronary artery disease in lur population of Iran

Abstract Background Adhesion molecules like E-selectin have important role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. C1901T and G98T polymorphisms of E-selectin gene and E-selectin serum level may affect the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods A total of 145 normal individuals and 154 patients diagnosed with CAD from the Lur population of Iran undergoing coronary angiography were enrolled. Genetic polymorphisms of E-selectin were determined using PCR-RFLP. Serum level of soluble E-selectin was measured using Elisa. Results T allele in C1901T polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis (P = 0.018). No significant association was observed for G98T polymorphism. The mean serum level of soluble E-selectin in the patient group was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusions Allele type in C1901T polymorphism plays a role in increasing the risk of developing CAD. Furthermore, since serum E-selectin level is associated with systemic inflammation, it contributes to the increased risk of the disease.
Peptide–Mineral Complexes: Understanding Their Chemical Interactions, Bioavailability, and Potential Application in Mitigating Micronutrient Deficiency

Iron, zinc, and calcium are essential micronutrients that play vital biological roles to maintain human health. Thus, their deficiencies are a public health concern worldwide. Mitigation of these deficiencies involves micronutrient fortification of staple foods, a strategy that can alter the physical and sensory properties of foods. Peptide–mineral complexes have been identified as promising alternatives for mineral-fortified functional foods or mineral supplements. This review outlines some of the methods used in the determination of the mineral chelating activities of food protein-derived peptides and the approaches for the preparation, purification and identification of mineral-binding peptides. The structure–activity relationship of mineral-binding peptides and the potential use of peptide–mineral complexes as functional food ingredients to mitigate micronutrient deficiency are discussed in relation to their chemical interactions, solubility, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and bioavailability. Finally, insights on the current challenges and future research directions in this area are provided.
Heterotrimeric G‐protein, Gi1, is involved in the regulation of proliferation, neuronal migration, and dendrite morphology during cortical development in vivo

Heterotrimeric G‐proteins are composed of α, β, and γ subunits, and function as signal transducers. Critical roles of the α‐subunits of Gi/o family heterotrimeric G‐proteins, Gαi2, and Gαo1, have so far been reported in brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, we tried to clarify the role of Gαi1, α‐subunit of another Gi/o family member Gi1, during corticogenesis, based on the recent identification of its gene abnormalities in neurodevelopmental disorders. In western blot analyses, Gαi1 was found to be expressed in mouse brain in a developmental stage‐dependent manner. Morphological analyses revealed that Gαi1 was broadly distributed in cerebral cortex with relatively high expression in the ventricular zone (VZ) at embryonic day (E) 14. Meanwhile, Gαi1 was enriched in membrane area of yet unidentified early mitotic cells in the VZ and the marginal zone at E14. Acute knockdown of Gαi1 with in utero electroporation in cerebral cortex caused cell cycle elongation of the neural progenitor cells and promoted their cell cycle exit. Gαi1‐deficient cortical neurons also exhibited delayed radial migration during corticogenesis, with abnormally elongated leading processes and hampered nucleokinesis. In addition, silencing of Gαi1 prevented basal dendrite development. The migration and dendritic phenotypes were at least partially rescued by an RNAi‐resistant version of Gαi1. Collectively, these results strongly suggest a crucial role of Gi1 in cortical development, and disturbance of its function may cause deficits in synaptic network formation, leading to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Sexual size dimorphism in snakes revisited

Published and original data on the degree of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) were collated for 374 species of snakes from eight families, to test for predicted associations between SSD and other aspects of reproductive biology. Data on the occurrence and form of male-male combat were also reviewed. Because phylogenetic conservatism was evident in most of the characteristics studied, the data were analyzed in two ways: (1) I looked for general patterns by treating each species as an independent unit; and (2) I superimposed the data onto a phylogenetic framework so that I could calculate independent contrasts within each lineage. Male-male combat has been reported in 124 species of snakes, and this combat takes many forms. For example, biting is common in nonvenomous species. Males grow larger, relative to conspecific females, in species with malemale combat than in species not recorded to show this behavior, and this association remains significant when analysis is restricted to independent phylogenetic contrasts. On a proximate level, the larger size of males in species with combat is due primarily to a prolongation of male growth after maturation. Fecundity advantages of larger body sizes in females may also influence SSD, because the degree of SSD correlates with the rate at which litter sizes increase with body size. The evolution of viviparity is associated with a consistent shift toward larger female size relative to male size. However, my analyses suggest that a previously documented correlation between SSD and geographic distribution is due to phylogenetic conservatism rather than to any functional relationship between the two variables.
Identification of Proteins for Salt Tolerance Using a Comparative Proteomics Analysis of Tomato Accessions with Contrasting Salt Tolerance

A BSTRACT . Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) has a wide variety of genotypes differing in their responses to salinity. This study was performed to identify salt-induced changes in proteomes that are distinguishable among tomatoes with contrasting salt tolerance. Tomato accessions [LA4133 (a salt-tolerant cherry tomato accession) and ‘Walter’ LA3465 (a salt-susceptible accession)] were subjected to salt treatment (200 m M NaCl) in hydroponic culture. Salt-induced changes in the root proteomes of each tomato accession were identiﬁed using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) method. In LA4133, 178 proteins showed signiﬁcant differences between salt-treated and non-treated control root tissues ( P £ 0.05); 169 proteins were induced (1.3- to 5.1-fold) and nine repressed (–1.7- to –1.3- fold). In LA3465, 115 proteins were induced (1.3- to 6.4-fold) and 23 repressed (–2.5- to –1.3-fold). Salt-responsive proteins from the two tomato accessions were involved in the following biological processes: root system development and structural integrity; carbohydrate metabolism; adenosine-5 # -triphosphate regeneration and consumption; amino acid metabolism; fatty acid metabolism; signal transduction; cellular detoxiﬁcation; protein turnover and intracellular trafﬁcking; and molecular activities for regulating gene transcription, protein translation, and post-translational modiﬁcation. Proteins affecting diverse cellular activities were identiﬁed, which include chaperonins and cochaperonins, heat-shock proteins, antioxidant enzymes, and stress proteins. Proteins exhibiting different salt-induced changes between the tolerant and susceptible tomato accessions were identiﬁed, and these proteins were divided into two groups: 1) proteins with quantitative differences because they were induced or repressed by salt stress in both accessions but at different fold levels; and 2) proteins showing qualitative differences, where proteins were induced in one vs. repressed or not changed in the other accession. Candidate proteins for tolerance to salt and secondary cellular stresses (such as hypo-osmotic stress and dehydration) were proposed based on ﬁndings from the current and previous studies on tomato and by the use of the Arabidopsis thaliana protein database. Information provided in this report will be very useful for evaluating and breeding for plant tolerance to salt and/or water deﬁcit stresses.
What are the risk factors and protective factors of suicidal behavior in adolescents? A systematic review.

PROBLEM Suicidal behavior is the third leading cause of death in adolescents in the world. Suicide behavior in adolescents can be prevented by recognizing risk factors and protective factors originating from themselves and the surrounding environment. This study aimed to identify risk factors and protective factors for adolescents who demonstrate suicidal behavior. METHODS A systematic search in four databases, including ScienceDirect, EBSCO, Direct Open Access Journal, and ProQuest, was performed using the terms "suicide," "risk," and "adolescent. " The search was limited to publications between 2015 and 2019. Articles were selected using PRISMA, a total of 66 articles were analyzed in the systematic review, all of which were quantitative studies. FINDINGS Based on the synthesis results, it was found that internal risk factors, external risk factors, and protective factors for adolescents who demonstrate suicidal behavior. CONCLUSION The results indicated that there are risk factors, both internal and external factors inhibiting suicide behavior in adolescents, which were rarely considered in the promotion and prevention effort of adolescent suicidal behavior.
Predicting miRNA‐lncRNA‐mRNA network in ultraviolet A‐induced human skin photoaging

Recent researches had reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) played a role in skin photoaging. Our previous study found that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression was changed in the UVA‐irradiated skin fibroblasts, but the regulating network of noncoding RNA in UV‐induced skin changes has not been elucidated well. Here, we investigated the interactions of miRNA‐lncRNA‐mRNAs in skin photoaging mechanisms.
Full-length TDP-43 and its C-terminal domain form filaments in vitro having non-amyloid properties

Abstract Accumulation of ubiquitin-positive, tau- and α-synuclein-negative intracellular inclusions of TDP-43 in the central nervous system represents the major hallmark correlated to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U). Such inclusions have variably been described as amorphous aggregates or more structured deposits having amyloid properties. Here we have purified full-length TDP-43 (FL TDP-43) and its C-terminal domain (Ct TDP-43) to investigate the morphological, structural and tinctorial features of aggregates formed in vitro by them at pH 7.4 and 37 °C. AFM images indicate that both protein variants show a tendency to form filaments. Moreover, we show that both FL TDP-43 and Ct TDP-43 filaments possess a largely disordered secondary structure, as ascertained by far-UV circular dichroism and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, do not bind Congo red and induce a very weak increase of thioflavin T fluorescence, indicating the absence of a clear amyloid-like signature.
Ubiquitin and Ubiquitin-Like Proteins Are Essential Regulators of DNA Damage Bypass

Simple Summary Ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins are conjugated to many other proteins within the cell, to regulate their stability, localization, and activity. These modifications are essential for normal cellular function and the disruption of these processes contributes to numerous cancer types. In this review, we discuss how ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins regulate the specialized replication pathways of DNA damage bypass, as well as how the disruption of these processes can contribute to cancer development. We also discuss how cancer cell survival relies on DNA damage bypass, and how targeting the regulation of these pathways by ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins might be an effective strategy in anti-cancer therapies. Abstract Many endogenous and exogenous factors can induce genomic instability in human cells, in the form of DNA damage and mutations, that predispose them to cancer development. Normal cells rely on DNA damage bypass pathways such as translesion synthesis (TLS) and template switching (TS) to replicate past lesions that might otherwise result in prolonged replication stress and lethal double-strand breaks (DSBs). However, due to the lower fidelity of the specialized polymerases involved in TLS, the activation and suppression of these pathways must be tightly regulated by post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination in order to limit the risk of mutagenesis. Many cancer cells rely on the deregulation of DNA damage bypass to promote carcinogenesis and tumor formation, often giving them heightened resistance to DNA damage from chemotherapeutic agents. In this review, we discuss the key functions of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like proteins in regulating DNA damage bypass in human cells, and highlight ways in which these processes are both deregulated in cancer progression and might be targeted in cancer therapy.
Production of Antioxidant Molecules in Polygonum aviculare (L.) and Senecio vulgaris (L.) under Metal Stress: A Possible Tool in the Evaluation of Plant Metal Tolerance

Plants growing on heavy metal (HM)-polluted soils show toxicity symptoms, such as chlorosis and growth reduction, and undergo oxidative stress due to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Plants overcome oxidative stress by producing a wide range of antioxidant molecules, such as polyphenols and flavonoids. The aim of the present work was to study the accumulation of these molecules in response to increasing concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn and to assess whether they can be used as a tool in assessing metal-related stress in Polygonum aviculare and Senecio vulgaris. On average, P. aviculare shoots accumulated lower amounts of metals than S. vulgaris shoots. The uptake of all six elements was correlated and proportional to their concentration in the nutrient solution (ρ > 0.9), with the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) being >1 for most of them. The present research demonstrated that 82% of the samples showed a good correlation (|ρ| > 0.5) between the level of polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity and the metal concentration in plant shoots, confirming that the metal stress level and production of phenolic compounds having antioxidant activity were strictly connected. Nonetheless, the mere quantification of these molecules cannot identify the type of metal that caused the oxidative stress, neither determine the concentration of the stressors. The five tested populations of each species did not show any specific adaptation to the environment of origin.
GENOTYPING OF CALGRANULIN A GENE IN MURRAH BUFFALOES BY PCR-RFLP

Calgranulin A (S100A8) gene affects the host disease resistance. S100A8 recruits neutrophils and monocytes and activates them to the site of infection to eliminate bacteria more effectively. Present study was undertaken with the objectives to identify polymorphism in Calgranulin A gene and to associate identified genetic variants with the incidence of clinical mastitis in Murrah buffaloes. Genomic DNA was isolated from 100 randomly selected lactating Murrah buffaloes by phenol-chloroform extraction method. Three set of primers targeting different regions were used to obtain PCR products at annealing temperatures of 58 o C, 63.8 o C and 51 o C and were of 514 bp, 557 bp and 323 bp respectively. PCR-RFLP analysis was carried out using restriction endonucleases: EcoO109I, PvuІІ and MboII for contig I, BsmFI and HaeIII for contig II and MboII for contig III. All the three contigs revealed monomorphism with frequency of the only prevailing A allele as 1.00. Since, no genetic variants were observed in the animals studied, it was not feasible to analyze for an association with the incidence of mastitis. However, selection favouring a particular allele and also highly conserved nature of the gene is evident.
Impaired integrity of commissural and association fibers in essential tremor patients:Evidence from a diffusion tensor imaging study

Background/aim The evolving understanding of essential tremors (ET) has led to a new definition of neurodegenerative disease, pointing to diffuse brain network involvement with a wide spectrum of associated motor and nonmotor symptoms. Considering the fact that white matter should also be affected by the nature of the disease, our study aimed to evaluate the integrity of white matter and its clinical correlations in ET patients. Materials and methods Approximately 40 patients diagnosed with ET and 40 age-and sex-matched control subjects (ranging between 18–80 years old) were included in the study. The sociodemographic characteristics and clinical features of the patients were recorded. Tremors were assessed using the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale (FTM-TRS). Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) was performed to evaluate the integrity of white matter. The selected white matter regions used for DTI assessment were the corpus callosum (CC) (i.e., the largest commissural tract in the human brain), the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) (i.e., the largest association fiber bundles). Results The mean age of the ET patients and control subjects was 44.23 ± 18.91 and 37.45 ± 10.95 years old (P = 0.542). The fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the CC body (P = 0.003), ILF (p = 0.016), average diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the CC body (p = 0.001), genu (P = 0.049), SLF (V < 0.001), and ILF (P < 0.001) differed between groups. After controlling for age and sex, there was no correlation between tremor severity and DTI parameters, but impaired integrity in the genu of CC FA (P = 0.035, r = 0.442) and the splenium of CC ADC (P = 0.007, r = 0.543) were related with a longer duration of tremor. Finally, positive family history was correlated with the splenium of CC FA and ADC (P = 0.008, r = 0.536; P = 0.027, r = 0.461) and ILF ADC (P = 0.011, r = –0.519). Conclusion In our study, major white matter structure changes were found in the ET patients. The results suggest that possible neurodegeneration also affects white matter structures in ET patients and that the duration of the tremor and family history are related with impaired integrity of white matter.
The presence of leukoaraiosis enhances the association between sTWEAK and hemorrhagic transformation

To investigate whether elevated serum levels of sTWEAK (soluble tumor necrosis factor‐like inducer of apoptosis) might be involved in a higher frequency of symptomatic hemorrhagic transformation (HT) through the presence of leukoaraiosis (LA) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (IS) undergoing reperfusion therapies.