Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
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SIR, I am puzzled by the data of Drs Walton, Wyatt and Cunliffe' regarding acne in twins, and doubt the validity of their conclusions. Firstly, some of the acne grades stated in Table i and implicit in Figure 2 are inconsistent with the grading increments of the method quoted. ^ Figure 2 shows that acne grade in eight pairs of twins differed by only o-i grades, yet the smallest interval between grades used by Burke and Cunliffe (1984) was 0-25. The present authors do not indicate any modification of the original method or validate this degree of accuracy. Secondly, the population studied clearly did not suffer from acne. Although "16 out of 20 pairs in each group had evidence of acne", the median grade for all groups was 0-25 or less, on a scale of o-io where grades of less than i represent 'physiological' acne. ^ Table i shows that none of the 40 non-identical twins had greater than grade i acne (although Figure 2 mysteriously shows a female with acne i -4 grades worse than her non-identical twin sister). Given that the greatest difference in acne grade for any of the 40 pairs of twins was only i -4 (which must be close to the limits of accuracy), the real conclusion from this study must surely be that there is concordance for acne grade in all twins. Studying a population with acne grades clustered around zero makes it difficult not to show concordance: the authors give a false impression of discordance in Figure 2 by plotting the data on a scale of o-i -6 instead of o to 10, and failing to indicate realistic limits of observer error (the unexplained hatched area must have been unwittingly copied from Figure i). Discordance can be convincingly demonstrated only by including patients with severe acne. From the report of a left-right mosaic patient with worse acne and greater sebum excretion rate (SER) on one side of the back^ the probable answer is that acne severity, like SER, is genetically controlled and will show greater concordance in monothan di-zygotic twins.
The Effects of Larval Density on Selected Immature and Adult Attributes in Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles

When reared under crowded conditions, Culex tritaeniorhynchus larvae were found to take longer to develop and exhibited increased mortality. As expected, the amount of food needed to initiate and complete pupation increased with larval density; however, the efficiency of rearing (number of pupae per mg of food) was curvilinear with the optimum density at 1.0 larvae/m1 under the present dietary regimes. The adult sex ratio at emergence did not vary with density. The wing length of the first 5 males and females emerging decreased with increasing density, while those of the last 5 males and females remained unaltered. The wings of the males were consistently shorter than those of the females. Individuals emerging first had longer wings than those taking longer to develop. These phenomena were attributed to the effects of intraspecific competition for food and space.
Physiology of Two Species of Deep-Water Crabs, Chaceon Fenneri and C. Quinquedens: Gill Morphology, and Hemolymph Ionic and Nitrogen Concentrations

The general physiology of two species of deep-water crabs, Chaceonfenneri and C. quinquedens, found in thermally stable environments at moderate depths, was investigated. Structurefunction relationships of the gills indicate animals that are typical of environments characterized by high and stable salinity. The gill lamellae are composed entirely of respiratory epithelium; no ion-transporting "chloride cells" were observed. Carbonic anhydrase, a marker enzyme for ion transport in the gill, was present in very low levels of activity, and blood osmotic and ionic concentrations were not different from ambient at salinities of either 35 or 20 ppt. Animals failed to survive in salinities lower than 20 ppt. Oxygen uptake values were typical of coldwater, benthic species, regardless of habitat depth. Chaceon quinquedens appears to have both a higher rate of oxidative metabolism and a higher rate of protein metabolism than C. fenneri, which may be indicative of a higher rate of growth. Both species, however, appear to be
Threonine Phosphorylation Regulates Two-Component Systems Involved in Cell Wall Metabolism

Threonine Phosphorylation Regulates Two-Component Systems Involved in Cell Wall Metabolism Lindsie Goss Bacteria must be able to respond and rapidly adapt to their environment. Historically, this has been studied in the context of two-component systems (TCS). TCS are composed of a sensor histidine kinase that upon activation autophosphorylates a conserved histidine residue and then transfers this phosphate to a response regulator at a conserved aspartate residue. This phosphorylation event leads to dimerization of the response regulator and its subsequent activation, which in many cases, is transcriptional activation. In addition to this classical signaling paradigm, bacteria also contain eukaryoticlike serine/threonine kinases (eSTK). In the past decade these kinases and their partner eukaryotic-like phosphatases have been characterized. However, their in vivo substrates still remain largely unknown. My thesis project describes how eukaryotic-like serine/threonine kinases regulate classical twocomponent systems involved in cell wall metabolism. In my first project, the Bacillus subtilis eSTK PrkC phosphorylates the essential response regulator WalR. This modification enhances WalR activity and has pronounced transcriptional and physiological effects. I have also shown that this mechanism of regulation is conserved in the clinically relevant pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. My second project focuses on the role of Enterococcus faecalis eSTK IreK and its phosphorylation of the VanB-type vancomycin resistance histidine kinase VanS. My evidence suggests that threonine phosphorylation of IreK is required for full induction of the VanRS regulon genes and subsequently full vancomycin resistance. Together, these projects highlight how threonine phosphorylation of classical two-component systems is an important mechanism of regulation. Finally, I have done work with eSTKs from gram-negative bacteria and optimized conditions for their expression and activity in vitro.
THERAPEUTICS II

Folic acid antagonists have been used in the treatment of dermatological conditions since 1951 (Gubner et al.) Aminoj)terin was used initially but has been replaced by methotrexate which has greater stability and purity. It acts mainly by its ability to combine with the enzyme folic acid reductase which normally reduces folic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid before its conversion to citrovorum factor. In most dermatological conditions and certainly in psoriasis it acts mainly by reducing the rate of mitosis of epidermal cells, (Fry and MeMinn, 1966), Opinions of the value of methotrexate vary from that of Van Scott (1967) who considered it " the most effective remedy for psoriasis yet ", to those of dermatologists who will not prescribe it under any circumstances because they believe it to be unnecessary and dangerous. In Northern Ireland, with a population of 1,500,000 and an annual referral rate of about 800 new cases of psoriasis, methotrexate has been prescribed for only 17 patients who had not responded to other methods of treatment.
Social Organization of the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)

In microtine rodents, formation of communal groups often is associated with environmental stresses of winter or high population density. Social organization of the prairie vole ( Microtus ochrogaster ) consisted of communal groups formed by addition of philopatric young and unrelated adults to an original male-female pair or single-female breeding unit. Owing to high juvenile mortality during spring-early autumn, most social groups remained as male-female pairs or single females. Male-female pairs displayed behavioral traits associated with monogamy, including sharing a common nest and home range, mate guarding, dissolution of pairs by mortality, and low incidence of remating. Male-female pairs rarely involved related animals. Single-female breeding units were survivors of male-female pairs that had not formed a new pair; prevalence of single-female breeding units was not related to availability of unpaired males. When juvenile survival increased in late autumn, communal groups became the predominant social group. Formation of communal groups was unrelated to low temperatures and was not contingent upon the nonreproductive status of members. Although present at low population density, communal groups were the most common type of social group at high densities. We conclude that increased survival of juveniles in late autumn leads to the formation of communal groups and increases in population density.
Comparative Study of the Physicochemical Properties of Oils of Sheanut (Vitellaria paradoxa) and Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

This research work involves a study of the physico - chemical properties, fatty acid composition of oils of sheanut ( Vitellaria paradoxa ), cocoa ( Theobroma cacao ) and the effect of roasting on these properties. The data obtained were subjected to one - way analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) 15 and the means were separated using the New Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. The physicochemical properties of the extracted oils were quite comparable, with roasting having little or no effect on them. The oils were found to be composed of both saturated (palmitic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, lignoceric fatty acids) and unsaturated ( palmitoleic, oleic, linoleic) fatty acids. T he study showed that sheanut samples contained higher percentage of linoleic acid, (5.67 - 6.43%)
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BARNES, H. , GAYLARDE, P.M. , BROCK, A.P . & SARKANY, I. (1975) An improved method of assessing topical corticosteroid activity. British Journal of Dermatology, 92, 459. BURDICK, K.H. , PouLSEN, B. & PLACE, V.A. (1970) Extemporaneous formulation of corticosteroids for topical usage. Journal of the American Medical Association, 211, 462. COLDMAN, M.F. & LOCKERBIE, L . (1971) Placebo ointment response in the blanching test. British Journal of Dermatology, 85, 398. MARKS, R . , PONGSEHIRUN, D . & SAYLAN, T . (1973) A method for the assay of topical corticosteroids. British Journal of Dermatology, 88, 69. MCKENZIE, A . W . (1962) Percutaneous absorption of steroids. Archives of Dermatology, 86, 611. WoODFORD, R. & BARRY, B . W . (1973) The placebo response to white soft paraffin propylene glycol in the skin blanching test. British Journal of Dermatology, 89, 53.
Interplay between Cell-Surface Receptors and Extracellular Matrix in Skin

Skin consists of the epidermis and dermis, which are connected by a specialized basement membrane—the epidermal basement membrane. Both the epidermal basement membrane and the underlying interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM) created by dermal fibroblasts contain distinct network-forming macromolecules. These matrices play various roles in order to maintain skin homeostasis and integrity. Within this complex interplay of cells and matrices, cell surface receptors play essential roles not only for inside-out and outside-in signaling, but also for establishing mechanical and biochemical properties of skin. Already minor modulations of this multifactorial cross-talk can lead to severe and systemic diseases. In this review, major epidermal and dermal cell surface receptors will be addressed with respect to their interactions with matrix components as well as their roles in fibrotic, inflammatory or tumorigenic skin diseases.
Metabolomics in Radiation Biodosimetry: Current Approaches and Advances

Triage and medical intervention strategies for unanticipated exposure during a radiation incident benefit from the early, rapid and accurate assessment of dose level. Radiation exposure results in complex and persistent molecular and cellular responses that ultimately alter the levels of many biological markers, including the metabolomic phenotype. Metabolomics is an emerging field that promises the determination of radiation exposure by the qualitative and quantitative measurements of small molecules in a biological sample. This review highlights the current role of metabolomics in assessing radiation injury, as well as considerations for the diverse range of bioanalytical and sampling technologies that are being used to detect these changes. The authors also address the influence of the physiological status of an individual, the animal models studied, the technology and analysis employed in interrogating response to the radiation insult, and variables that factor into discovery and development of robust biomarker signatures. Furthermore, available databases for these studies have been reviewed, and existing regulatory guidance for metabolomics are discussed, with the ultimate goal of providing both context for this area of radiation research and the consideration of pathways for continued development.
Increased accuracy in discrimination between captured wild unmarked and released dye-marked adults in fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) sterile released programs

Decision making in large fruit fly sterile insect technique (SIT) programs, a process that involves massive releases of sterile flies, depends largely on a continuous feedback on the area-wide achievement of sterile to wild ratios. Uncertainties faced in these programs have often focused on the adequacy of the marking system and the availability of an accurate technique to discriminate between marked sterile and unmarked wild flies captured in monitoring traps. In the study described here, data were collected over several years by the Mexico! United States Mediterranean fruit fly eradication/containment program (Programa Moscamed) in southern Mexico and Guatemala, we compared the traditional system of detecting marked sterile flies with a UV lamp with a system based on fluorescent microscopy. Our results indicate that fluorescent microscopy is more accurate, faster, and less expensive than use of traditional UV light system. Numbers of sterile flies without discernible dye per million flies captured decreased by ≈75%, representing a 4-fold reduction in dissection costs. Use of fluorescent microscopy also reduced uncertainty due to unidentifiable flies and therefore reduced the potential of declared outbreaks that require disruptive and costly emergency action. Success in large scale SIT eradication/containment programs is ultimately determined by the detection of pockets of few remaining wild flies among thousands of recaptured mass released sterile flies. Thus use of fluorescent microscopy will allow for a more rapid and accurate diagnosis and results in a more effective reaction to real fly outbreaks in eradication or fly free zones.
Serum ZAG and Adiponectin Levels Were Closely Related to Obesity and the Metabolically Abnormal Phenotype in Chinese Population

Introduction To explore serum zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) and adiponectin in metabolically healthy non-obese (MHNO), metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), metabolically abnormal obesity (MAO) and metabolically abnormal diabetic obese (MADO) subjects and the relationship with metabolically phenotypes of obesity. Methods Two hundred twenty-five subjects including 32 with MHNO, 40 with MHO, 104 with MAO and 49 with MADO were enrolled. Baseline clinical data and biochemical variables were collected. Serum ZAG and adiponectin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Metabolically healthy (<3 metabolic abnormalities) or abnormal (≥3 metabolic abnormalities) subjects were classified based on the National Cholesterol Education Program–Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III) criteria. Obesity (body mass index ≥28 kg/m2) was recommended by China Obesity Task Force. Results Serum ZAG levels were higher in the MHO group, but were progressively lower in MAO and MADO groups (P all<0.05). In all subjects, total cholesterol, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose and homeostasis model assessment of adiponectin were independent variables to serum ZAG levels. Compared with subjects in the highest tertile of ZAG, the odds ratio (OR) of metabolically abnormal risks of subjects in the lowest and median tertiles of ZAG were higher both in a univariate and three adjustment models (P all<0.05). Serum ZAG could discriminate the metabolically abnormal phenotype with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area of 0.622 (95% CI, 0.539–0.706, P<0.05). Combination of ZAG and adiponectin had improved diagnosis value accuracy, with ROC curve area of 0.703 (95% CI, 0.629–0.776, P<0.05), and 62.7% sensitivity and 73.6% specificity. Conclusion Serum ZAG levels were higher in MHO subjects, but lower in MAO and MADO subjects. The decreased serum ZAG levels were closely related to the metabolically abnormal phenotype of obese patients. Serum ZAG, especially the combination with adiponectin might be the potential diagnostic biomarkers for metabolically abnormal obese patients.
A practical guide to preclinical systematic review and meta-analysis

Preclinical systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) are important research activities to address the translational challengesof pain research. Systematic reviews provide empirical evidence to gain knowledge, inform future research agendas, and grant applications concurrent to developing researchers’ professional skills. Systematic reviews are an effective approach to consolidating high-volume, rapidly accruing, and often conflicting research on a specific topic. Designed to address a specific research question, SRs use predefined methods to identify, select, and critically appraise all available and relevant literature to answer that question in an unbiased manner. This structured approach distinguishes SRs from narrative reviews. Where appropriate an MA can follow, whereby quantitative data are extracted and statistical techniques are used to summarise the outputs. Together, a SR and a MA can be conducted to assess the quality of experimental design, conduct, analysis and reporting and the reliability of the available and relevant data. Through decades of innovation by the Cochrane Collaboration and others, SRs and MAs now lie at the centre of clinical evidence. The information provided has fundamentally revolutionised clinical medicine at all levels, from informing policy and funding decisions to determining optimal treatments for individual patients. Before a clinical research project or funding application, it is best practise to conduct an SR to ascertain what is already known and to identify knowledge gaps. In the preclinical setting, SRs are relatively novel, partly because of inherent complexities and resource requirements for processing the large number and diverse preclinical publications, paradoxically a strong justification for SRs because they provide themeans to synthesise evidence fromheterogeneous studies. In some fields, they are gaining popularity (eg, stroke), and feasibility is improving with technical advances, for example, online review software, machine learning, and text mining. However, it is important to highlight that not all SRs require machine learning expertise: research questions can be defined based upon capacity, SR software are free andwidely accessible, and large-scale SRs constantly seek help from interested researchers who can learn as they participate. The aim of this review is to highlight the exciting possibilities a preclinical SR can bring to your research toolkit, demonstrate the importance of preclinical SRs in generating empirical evidence to aid robust experimental design, inform research strategy, and support funding applications. We provide guidance and signpost resources to conduct a preclinical SR.
Enhancing ZnO-NP Antibacterial and Osteogenesis Properties in Orthopedic Applications: A Review

Abstract Prosthesis-associated infections and aseptic loosening are major causes of implant failure. There is an urgent need to improve the antibacterial ability and osseointegration of orthopedic implants. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are a common type of zinc-containing metal oxide nanoparticles that have been widely studied in many fields, such as food packaging, pollution treatment, and biomedicine. The ZnO-NPs have low toxicity and good biological functions, as well as antibacterial, anticancer, and osteogenic capabilities. Furthermore, ZnO-NPs can be easily obtained through various methods. Among them, green preparation methods can improve the bioactivity of ZnO-NPs and strengthen their potential application in the biological field. This review discusses the antibacterial abilities of ZnO-NPs, including mechanisms and influencing factors. The toxicity and shortcomings of anticancer applications are summarized. Furthermore, osteogenic mechanisms and synergy with other materials are introduced. Green preparation methods are also briefly reviewed.
Noodles Made from High Amylose Wheat Flour Attenuate Postprandial Glycaemia in Healthy Adults

Previous research has not considered the effect of high amylose wheat noodles on postprandial glycaemia. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of consumption of high amylose noodles on postprandial glycaemia over 2-h periods by monitoring changes in blood glucose concentration and calculating the total area under the blood glucose concentration curve. Twelve healthy young adults were recruited to a repeated measure randomised, single-blinded crossover trial to compare the effect of consuming noodles (180 g) containing 15%, 20% and 45% amylose on postprandial glycaemia. Fasting blood glucose concentrations were taken via finger-prick blood samples. Postprandial blood glucose concentrations were taken at 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min. Subjects consuming high amylose noodles made with flour containing 45% amylose had significantly lower blood glucose concentration at 15, 30 and 45 min (5.5 ± 0.11, 6.1 ± 0.11 and 5.6 ± 0.11 mmol/L; p = 0.01) compared to subjects consuming low amylose noodles with 15% amylose (5.8 ± 0.12, 6.6 ± 0.12 and 5.9 ± 0.12 mmol/L). The total area under the blood glucose concentration curve after consumption of high amylose noodles with 45% amylose was 640.4 ± 9.49 mmol/L/min, 3.4% lower than consumption of low amylose noodles with 15% amylose (662.9 ± 9.49 mmol/L/min), p = 0.021. Noodles made from high amylose wheat flour attenuate postprandial glycaemia in healthy young adults, as characterised by the significantly lower blood glucose concentration and a 3.4% reduction in glycaemic response.