Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Produção de biofilmes por Staphylococcus spp. em vacas com mastite tratadas com homeopatia.

No Brasil, a homeopatia e a principal forma de controle da mastite em rebanhos orgânicos. Entretanto, desconhece-se a capacidade desse tipo de tratamento de controlar bacterias patogenicas relevantes a saude animal e humana, como aquelas do genero Staphylococcus. Esses micro-organismos apresentam fatores de patogenicidade, como a producao de biofilmes e questiona-se a possibilidade de essas bacterias permanecerem na glândula mamaria de vacas tratadas com homeopatia, mesmo apos o uso destas terapias alternativas. Assim, buscou-se investigar Staphylococcus spp. em leite de vacas com tratamento homeopatico contra a mastite e a formacao in vitro de biofilmes por esses patogenos. As vacas lactantes foram divididas em dois grupos antes do inicio do experimento, com e sem tratamento homeopatico. A pesquisa de producao de biofilme foi feita pelo metodo de aderencia em placa de poliestireno, baseando-se na leitura da Densidade Optica (DO) do material aderente produzido pela bacteria. As amostras foram classificadas em tres categorias: Nao Aderente (NA); Fraco Aderente (FRA); Forte Aderente (FOA). Os resultados foram analisados com o uso do teste do Qui-quadrado para investigar a associacao entre o tratamento e a producao de biofilmes. A Odds ratio foi calculada para estabelecer se as chances de producao de biofilmes eram maiores em um ou em outro grupo de animais. A especie de maior ocorrencia nos grupos nao tratado e tratado do decorrer do estudo foi S. aureus, 42,5% e 31,9% respectivamente. No grupo nao tratado, duas (5%) especies isoladas apresentaram forte aderencia, S. epidermidis e S. warneri. Nos animais tratados com homeopatia, nove (13%) isolados foram classificados como forte-aderentes, destes, cinco (55,6%) eram S. epidermidis. As chances de aparecimento de biofilmes em Staphylococcus isolados em vacas tratadas foram maiores que no grupo nao tratado. A capacidade de producao de biofilmes permaneceu como um fator de patogenicidade nas cepas de Staphylococcus isoladas no leite de vacas com mastite subclinica tratadas com homeopatia
Horizon scanning for alien predatory crabs: insights from South Africa

Due to the presence of few dominant predators on South African rocky shores, this coastline could be vulnerable to invasion by predatory crabs. This study applied horizon scanning to create an ordered watch list of alien crab species that could establish along this coastline under present-day and future temperature scenarios. This was done by: (i) identifying the species with both an invasion history and a possible pathway to South Africa; (ii) comparing the temperature ranges of the species’ native and introduced distributions to those of each of the four South African ecoregions; and (iii) ranking the species based on their potential ecological impacts. Of the 56 alien predatory crab species known worldwide, 28 species have pathways to South Africa. Incompatible temperature ranges excluded only two species from each ecoregion. Negative ecological impacts in their invaded ranges placed Japanese shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, brush-clawed shore crab H. takanoi and Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis at the top of the watch list. This study highlights that many alien crab species have the potential to reach South Africa, with most likely to survive. This watch list should be used to support targeted monitoring and so facilitate early detection of these species, should they reach South Africa.
Histological Analysis of Bone Repair in Mandibular Body Osteotomy Using Internal Fixation System in Three Different Gaps without Bone Graft in an Animal Model

The aim was to analyze histologically the bone repair in a mandibular osteotomy model with different gaps between the segments. Nine male rabbits who underwent osteotomies on the mandibular body were fixed with a 1.5 system plate and no bone graft; group 1 (2 mm gap between segments), group 2 (5 mm gap between segments), and group 3 (8 mm gap between segments) were included. After 8 weeks they were euthanized and the sample was processed for histological analysis. Group 1 showed advanced bone repair with cartilaginous tissue and cancellous bone, showing osteoblasts and type III collagenous fibers. In group 2, a more delayed ossification was observed, with an extensive area of peripheral ossifying cartilage and chondrocytes in greater number at the center of the defect; group 3 showed no evidence of ossification with fibrous tissue, a very low level of chondrocytes, and some bone sequestrate. We can conclude that, in this animal model, 2 or 5 mm gap in the osteotomy could be repaired as bone when fixation is used. The size of the gap is an important factor for the use of bone grafts considering endochondral ossification. This model can be used for graft analysis and related technologies.
A lab‐on‐a‐chip model of glaucoma

We developed a glaucoma-on-a-chip (GOC) model to evaluate the viability of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) against high pressure and the potential effect of neuroprotection. A three-layered chip consisting of interconnecting microchannels and culture wells was designed based on simulation of physical parameters. The chip layers were fabricated from poly-methyl methacrylate sheets. Multiple inlet ports allow culture media and gas into the wells under elevated hydrostatic pressure (EHP). The bottom surface of the wells was modified by air plasma and coated with different membranes to model an extracellular microenvironment. The SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line served as model cells to determine the best supporting membrane which was revealed to be PDL/laminin. Thereafter, the study experiments were performed using RGCs obtained from postnatal 5-7 Wistar rats purified by magnetic assisted cell sorting. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry assays demonstrated 70% purification for RGCs. The cultured RGCs were exposed to normal (15 mmHg) or elevated pressure (33 mmHg) for 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours, with and without adding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or a novel BDNF mimetic (RNYK). RGC survival rates were 85, 78, 70, 67 and 61 percent under normal pressure versus 40, 22, 18, 12 and 10 percent under high pressure at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours, respectively (P <0.0001). BDNF and RNYK treatments induced separately an approximate two-fold decrease in the rate of RGC death under both normal and elevated pressures (p <0.01 to 0.0001). This GOC model recapitulated the effects of elevated pressure during relatively short time periods and demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of BDNF and RNYK.
Tendon versus Pyrocarbon Interpositional Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Trapeziometacarpal Osteoarthritis

Background Trapeziometacarpal (TMC) arthritis is treated with surgery when nonsurgical treatment fails. The best surgical option for improving pain relief, functional outcomes, and postoperative complications remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical and radiological outcomes and complications between trapezium excision with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition (LRTI) and pyrolytic carbon interpositional arthroplasty. Methods From March 2009 to August 2014, 37 patients (39 wrists) with Eaton-Littler stage II or III TMC arthritis underwent complete trapezium excision with LRTI (Group L, n=19) or pyrolytic interpositional arthroplasty (Group P, n=20). Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores; grip and pinch strength; Kapandji scores to quantify thumb opposition; and Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores were used to compare clinical outcomes between the two groups. Radiographic changes (metacarpal shortening, subluxation, and radiolucency) were evaluated on the radiographs of thumb basal joints. Results There were no differences in patient demographics, Eaton-Littler stage, preoperative outcome measures, or the duration of follow-up between the two groups. At the last follow-up, VAS pain scores, pinch and grip strengths, Kapandji scores, and DASH scores were significantly improved in both groups compared with preoperative scores. All follow-up measurements were similar between the two groups except pinch strength, which was 1.8 kg higher in Group P (p<0.001). Proximal metacarpal migration did not differ significantly between the groups. Periprosthetic lucency more than 1 mm was observed in 7 of 20 (35%) thumbs. Complication rates were similar between the two groups. Conclusions All subjective and objective outcomes were similar following LRTI and pyrolytic interpositional arthroplasty in patients with TMC arthritis, except pinch strength, which was more improved following pyrolytic interpositional arthroplasty. Longer follow-up is required to test adverse effects of high rates of periprosthetic lucency and prosthetic subluxation on clinical outcomes after PyroDisk interpositional arthroplasty.
CCDC42 Localizes to Manchette, HTCA and Tail and Interacts With ODF1 and ODF2 in the Formation of the Male Germ Cell Cytoskeleton

Terminal differentiation of male germ cells into functional spermatozoa requires shaping and condensation of the nucleus as well as the formation of sperm-specific structures. A transient microtubular structure, the manchette, is mandatory for sperm head shaping and the development of the connecting piece and the sperm tail. The connecting piece or head-to-tail coupling apparatus (HTCA) mediates the tight linkage of sperm head and tail causing decapitation and infertility when faulty. Using mice as the experimental model, several proteins have already been identified affecting the linkage complex, manchette or tail formation when missing. However, our current knowledge is far too rudimentary to even draft an interacting protein network. Depletion of the major outer dense fiber protein 1 (ODF1) mainly caused decapitation and male infertility but validated binding partners collaborating in the formation of sperm-specific structures are largely unknown. Amongst all candidate proteins affecting the HTCA when missing, the structural protein CCDC42 attracted our attention. The coiled-coil domain containing 42 (CCDC42) is important for HTCA and sperm tail formation but is otherwise largely uncharacterized. We show here that CCDC42 is expressed in spermatids and localizes to the manchette, the connecting piece and the tail. Beyond that, we show that CCDC42 is not restricted to male germ cells but is also expressed in somatic cells in which it localizes to the centrosome. Although centrosomal and sperm tail location seems to be irrespective of ODF1 we asked whether both proteins may form an interacting network in the male germ cell. We additionally considered ODF2, a prevalent protein involved in the formation of spermatid-specific cytoskeletal structures, as a putative binding partner. Our data depict for the first time the subcellular location of CCDC42 in spermatids and deepen our knowledge about the composition of the spermatid/sperm-specific structures. The presence of CCDC42 in the centrosome of somatic cells together with the obvious restricted male-specific phenotype when missing strongly argues for a compensatory function by other still unknown proteins most likely of the same family.
Non-apoptotic caspase-dependent regulation of enteroblast quiescence in Drosophila

Caspase malfunction in stem cells often instigates the appearance and progression of multiple types of cancer, including human colorectal cancer. However, the caspase-dependent regulation of intestinal stem cell properties remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that Dronc, the Drosophila ortholog of caspase-9/2 in mammals, limits the proliferation of intestinal progenitor cells and prevents the premature differentiation of enteroblasts into enterocytes. Strikingly, these unexpected roles of Dronc are non-apoptotic and have been uncovered under experimental conditions without basal epithelial turnover. A novel set of genetic tools have also allowed us to correlate these Dronc functions with its specific accumulation and transient activation in enteroblasts. Finally, we establish that the Dronc-dependent regulation of enteroblast quiescence, largely relies on the fine-tuning of the Notch and Insulin-TOR signalling pathways. Together, this data provides novel insights into the caspase-dependent but non-apoptotic modulation of enteroblast differentiation in non-regenerative conditions. These findings could improve our understanding regarding the origin of caspase-related intestinal malignancies, and the efficacy of therapeutic interventions based on caspase-modulating molecules.
NET4 Modulates the Compactness of Vacuoles in Arabidopsis thaliana

The dimension of the plants largest organelle – the vacuole, plays a major role in defining cellular elongation rates. The morphology of the vacuole is controlled by the actin cytoskeleton but the mechanistic connection between them remains largely elusive. Recently, the NETWORKED (NET) family of membrane-associated, actin-binding proteins has been identified and represent potential candidates to impact on vacuolar morphology. Here, we show that NET4A localizes to highly constricted regions in the vacuolar membrane and contributes to the compactness of the vacuole. Using genetic interference, we found that deregulation of NET4 abundance impacts on vacuole morphogenesis and overexpression leads to more compact vacuoles. We moreover show that the NET4A-induced changes in vacuolar shape correlates with reduced cellular and organ growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results demonstrate that NET4 modulates the compactness of vacuoles and reveal higher complexity in the regulation of actin-reliant vacuolar morphology.
Amplification of the V5 – V8 region of the 16S rRNA gene effectively speciates medically important genital tract Lactobacillus species in the upper female genital tract

Background The endometrial cavity is an upper genital tract site largely heralded as sterile, however, advances in culture-independent, next generation sequencing technology have revealed that this site harbours a rich microbial community which includes multiple Lactobacillus species. These bacteria are considered to be the most common non-pathogenic genital tract commensals. Next-generation sequencing of the female lower genital tract has revealed significant variation amongst microbial community composition with respect to Lactobacillus sp. in samples collected from healthy and diseased women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize genital tract lactobacilli to species-level taxonomy. Methods Samples were interrogated for the presence of microbial DNA using two-step next generation sequencing technology to exploit the V5–V8 regions of the 16S rRNA gene and compared to standard speciation using qPCR. Results The V5-V8 region of the 16S rRNA gene has sufficient sequence variation within frequently encountered genital tract lactobacilli to allow accurate determination of relative abundance within the community, and speciation for several key community members without completing additional experimentation. Conclusions Next-generation sequencing of clinical genital tract isolates is an effective method for high throughput identification to species-level of key Lactobacillus sp. IMPORTANCE Human microbiome experiments, including the low biomass organs such as the upper genital tract, require the development of consensus protocols to ensure accurate comparison between such studies and our data forms an important foundation for future protocols. This paper provides evidence to support the selection of the V5-V8 regions of the 16S rRNA gene improved Lactobacillus speciation using next generation sequencing technology. The choice of variable region for broad-range amplification in microbiome studies is important due to preferential primer binding associated with some genera based on nucleotide sequence patterns. By utilising the V5-V8 region, multiple species of Lactobacillus can be characterised with relative confidence.
Clonality of Fluconazole-Nonsusceptible Candida tropicalis in Bloodstream Infections, Taiwan, 2011–2017

Candida tropicalis is the leading cause of non–C. albicans candidemia in tropical Asia and Latin America. We evaluated isolates from 344 patients with an initial episode of C. tropicalis candidemia. We found that 58 (16.9%) patients were infected by fluconazole-nonsusceptible (FNS) C. tropicalis with cross resistance to itraconazole, voriconazole, and posaconazole; 55.2% (32/58) of patients were azole-naive. Multilocus sequence typing analysis revealed FNS isolates were genetically closely related, but we did not see time- or place-clustering. Among the diploid sequence types (DSTs), we noted DST225, which has been reported from fruit in Taiwan and hospitals in Beijing, China, as well as DST376 and DST505–7, which also were reported from hospitals in Shanghai, China. Our findings suggest cross-boundary expansion of FNS C. tropicalis and highlight the importance of active surveillance of clinical isolates to detect dissemination of this pathogen and explore potential sources in the community.
Hot and sick: impacts of warming and oomycete parasite infection on endemic dominant zooplankter of Lake Baikal

Climate warming impacts ecosystems through multiple interacting pathways, including via direct thermal responses of individual taxa and the combined responses of closely interacting species. In this study we examined how warming and infection by an oomycete parasite affect the dominant zooplankter of Russia’s Lake Baikal, the endemic cold-adapted stenotherm Epischura baikalensis (Copepoda). We used a combination of laboratory experiments, long-term monitoring data and population modeling. Experiments showed large thermal mismatch between host and parasite, with strong negative effects of warm temperatures on E. baikalensis survival and reproduction and a negative synergistic effect of Saprolegnia infection. However, Saprolegnia infection had an unexpected positive effect on E. baikalensis reproductive output, which may be consistent with fecundity compensation by infected females. Long-term monitoring data showed that Saprolegnia infections were most common during the warmest periods of the year and that infected individuals tended to accumulate in deep water. Population models, parameterized with experimental and literature data, correctly predicted the timing of Saprolegnia epizootics, but overestimated the negative effect of warming on E.baikalensis populations. Models suggest that diel vertical migration may allow E. baikalensis to escape the negative effects of increasing temperatures and parasitism and enable E. baikalensis to persist as Lake Baikal warms. Our results contribute to understanding of how multiple interacting stressors affect warming pelagic ecosystems of cold lakes and oceans and show that the population-level consequences of thermal mismatch between hosts and parasites can vary seasonally, interannual and spatially.
Intracellular enhancement of BMP signaling by LIM-domain protein FHL3 controls spatiotemporal emergence of the neural crest driven by WNT signaling

How multiple morphogen signals are coordinated in space and time to position key embryonic tissues remains elusive. During neural crest formation, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and WNT signaling cooperate by acting either on the paraxial mesoderm or directly on the neural border ectoderm, but how each tissue interprets this complex information remains poorly understood. Here we show that Fhl3, a scaffold LIM domain protein of previously unknown developmental function, is essential for neural crest formation by linking BMP and WNT signaling thereby positioning the neural crest-inducing signaling center in the paraxial mesoderm. During gastrulation, Fhl3 promotes Smad phosphorylation and Smad-dependent wnt8 activation specifically in the paraxial mesoderm, thus modifying the respective mesoderm or ectoderm cell response to the extracellular BMP gradient. This ensures neural border ectoderm specification by the underlying mesoderm via non-cell autonomous WNT signaling. During neurulation, neural crest inducers activate fhl3, promoting BMP/Smad-dependent WNT activity required for neural crest specification. Our findings highlight how Fhl3, acting cell-autonomously, ensures a fine spatial, temporal and germ layer-specific coordination of BMP and WNT signaling at several steps of neural crest development. Highlights: - FHL3 is a novel intracellular enhancer of BMP signaling during early development. - FHL3 ensures cross-talk between BMP and WNT signaling by Smad1-dependent wnt8 activation in the paraxial mesoderm. - FHL3 reiterated function in paraxial mesoderm and in neural border ectoderm is essential for neural crest development at the border of the neural plate.
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF C-PEPTIDE AND PROINSULIN: WE JIBE TOGETHER

Discovery of Insulin marked a paradigm shift in the management of diabetes patients. Over the years as research in different types of insulin advanced the management of diabetes improved. However there were still many unanswered question pertaining to the use of insulin and its precursors. One such intriguing compound is C-peptide. Recently the role of C-peptide has opened many avenues in the treatment of diabetes. Large number of studies has demonstrated that lack of C-peptide may exacerbate diabetes. In a large group of diabetes the replacement with Cpeptide, lead to marked amelioration of diabetes complications. Research has shown marked improvement in endoneural blood flow with C-peptide replacement. C-peptide previously was considered as an inert molecule, however with the discovery of large number of receptors of C-peptide the action of the hormones has turned out to b enigmatic. Further research is needed to ensure some of the question particularly the therapeutic implication of C-peptide is prevention of diabetes related complications. Mrinal Ranjan Srivastava, Farzana Mahdi*, Abbas Ali Mahdi*, Sharique Ahmad** and Anu Chandra* Department Of Community Medicine, Department Of Biochemistry*, Department Of Pathology** Era's Lucknow Medical College & Hospital, Sarfarazganj Lucknow, U.P., India-226003 ERA’S JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF C-PEPTIDE AND PROINSULIN: WE JIBE TOGETHER VOL.6 NO.1 Review Article Page: 103 ERA’S JOURNAL OF MEDICAL RESEARCH, VOL.6 NO.1 Dr. Anu Chandra Department Of Biochemistry Era’s Lucknow Medical College & Hospital, Lucknow-226003 Email: anuchandra24@mail.com Contact no: +91-8172857543 Address for correspondence Received on : 31-07-2018 Accepted on : 21-06-2019