Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epigallocatechin gallate decreases plasma triglyceride, blood pressure, and serum kisspeptin in obese human subjects

Obesity is one of major risk factors increasing chronic diseases including type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and hypertension. The effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the major active compound in green tea, on reduced obesity and improved metabolic profiles are still controversial. Furthermore, the effects of EGCG on human adipocyte lipolysis and browning of white adipocytes have not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EGCG on obesity, lipolysis, and browning of human white adipocytes. The results showed that, when compared to the baseline values, EGCG significantly decreased fasting plasma triglyceride levels (P < 0.05), systolic blood pressure (P < 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05), and serum kisspeptin levels (P < 0.05) after 8 weeks of supplement. On the other hand, supplement of EGCG in obese human subjects for 4 or 8 weeks did not decrease body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, nor total body fat mass or percentage when compared to their baseline values. The study in human adipocytes showed that EGCG did not increase the glycerol release when compared to vehicle, suggesting that it had no lipolytic effect. Furthermore, treatment of EGCG did not enhance uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) mRNA expression in human white adipocytes when compared with treatment of pioglitazone, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) agonist, suggesting that EGCG did not augment the browning effect of PPAR-γ on white adipocytes. This study revealed that EGCG reduced 2 metabolic risk factors which are triglyceride and blood pressure in the human experiment. We also showed a novel evidence that EGCG decreased kisspeptin levels. However, EGCG had no effects on obesity reduction in humans, lipolysis, nor browning of human white adipocytes.
GENETIÈKI PREINAÈENI ORGANIZMI U HRANI - PROIZVODNJA, DETEKCIJA I MOGUÆE OPASNOSTI

Prva genetièki preinaèena (engl. genetically modified GM) biljka bio je duhan otporan na antibiotike. Dobiven je 1983. godine. No, tek 1996. godine genetièki preinaèena biljka prvi put se našla u slobodnoj prodaji. Rijeè je o rajèici s produljenim trajanjem. Godine 2003. više od 67 milijuna hektara obradivih površina bilo je zasijano GM usjevima. Da bi se proizvela takva biljka, potrebno je iz organizma donora izolirati gen za eljeno svojstvo. Tom genu potrebno je dodati promotorsku sekvencu, terminator i gen marker te dobiveni konstrukt ubaciti u biljnu stanicu. U specifiènim uvjetima uzgoja dobivene transformirane stanice potièu se na diobu i izrastaju u èitavu biljku koja u sebi nosi gen za eljeno svojstvo. U svrhu utvrðivanja prisutnosti GM organizama u hrani danas se najèešæe rabi tehnika lanèane reakcije polimerazom (engl. polimerase chain reaction PCR). No, da bi se ona mogla uspješno primijeniti, potrebno je toèno poznavati barem dio sekvence DNA koja je transformacijom ubaèena u novonastalu biljku, što katkada moe biti ozbiljan problem. Posljednjih dana svjedoci smo estokih sukobljavanja u vezi sa sigurnosti konzumacije proizvoda koji sadravaju genetièki preinaèene sastojke. Kao neki od razloga protiv navode se alergijske reakcije na GM sastojke, njihova toksiènost i opasnost GM organizama za biološku raznolikost i ravnoteu unutar ekosustava. Nedvojbeno je da bi vodeæu rijeè u ocjeni opasnosti GM organizama trebala imati znanost bazirana na èinjenicama, a što naalost nije uvijek sluèaj.
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression and its association with vascular endothelial growth factor, microvessel density and clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal carcinoma

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase type-2 (COX-2) and its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). COX-2 expression was detected by means of immunohistochemistry in a series of human tissue samples with CRC (n = 120), dysplasia tissue closely adjacent to carcinomas (n = 40) and normal colorectal mucosa (n = 40), and their expressions association with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), CD31-labeled micorvessel density(MVD) in CRC and other clinicopathologic characteristics were investigated. The expression of COX-2 in CRC tissues (78.3%) was obviously higher than that in adjacent tissue and normal mucosal tissue (p<0.01). COX-2 expression was correlated significantly with the grading, advanced cancer, Dukes stage and lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and VEGF (p<0.05). Our result demonstrates that COX-2 expression was significantly higher in earlier stages of CRC. It can be suggested that COX-2 expression may be important in the initial development of CRC. The findings of the present study suggest that COX-2 overexpression in CRC may be considered as a negative prognostic marker.
Culturing novel and abundant pelagiphages in the ocean.

Viruses play a key role in biogeochemical cycling and host mortality, metabolism, physiology and evolution in the ocean. Viruses that infect the globally abundant SAR11 bacteria (pelagiphages) were reported to be an important component of the marine viral communities. Our current knowledge of pelagiphages is based on a few studies and therefore is limited. In this study, 10 new pelagiphages were isolated and genomically characterized. These pelagiphages represent the first cultivated representatives of four viral lineages only found in metagenomic sequencing datasets previously. Many abundant environmental viral sequences i.e. single-virus vSAG 37-F6 and several Global Ocean Viromes (GOV) viral populations, are now further confirmed with these pelagiphages. Viromic read mapping reveals that these new pelagiphages are globally distributed in the ocean and can be detected throughout the water column. Remarkably, isolation of these pelagiphages contributed up to 12% of all viromic reads annotated in the analyzed viromes. Altogether, this study has greatly broadened our understanding of pelagiphages regarding their morphology, genetic diversity, infection strategies, and distribution pattern. The availability of these newly isolated pelagiphages and their genome sequences will allow us to further explore their infectivities and ecological strategies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Preclinical Activity of SAR408701: A Novel Anti-CEACAM5–maytansinoid Antibody–drug Conjugate for the Treatment of CEACAM5-positive Epithelial Tumors

Purpose: Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5) is a glycoprotein that has limited expression in normal adult tissues, but is overexpressed in carcinomas of the gastrointestinal tract, the genitourinary and respiratory systems, and breast cancer. As such, CEACAM5 is an attractive target for antibody-based therapies designed to selectively deliver cytotoxic drugs to certain epithelial tumors. Here, we describe preclinical data for a novel antibody–drug conjugate (ADC), SAR408701, which consists of an anti-CEACAM5 antibody (SAR408377) coupled to a maytansinoid agent DM4 via a cleavable linker. Experimental Design: The specificity and binding affinity of SAR408701 to human and cynomolgus monkey CEACAM5 were tested in vitro. The cytotoxic activity of SAR408701 was assessed in CEACAM5-expressing tumor cell lines and using patient-derived xenograft mouse models of CEACAM5-positive tumors. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic-efficacy relationships were established. SAR408701 toxicity was evaluated in cynomolgus monkey. Results: SAR408701 bound selectively to human and cynomolgus monkey CEACAM5 with similar apparent Kd values (0.017 nmol/L and 0.024 nmol/L, respectively). Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations showed that SAR408701 has cytotoxic activity, leading to in vivo efficacy in single and repeated dosing. Single doses of SAR408701 induced significant increases in the tumor expression of phosphorylated histone H3, confirming the tubulin-targeting mechanism of action. The overall toxicity profile of SAR408701 in cynomolgus monkey was similar to that observed after intravenous administration of DM4 alone. Conclusions: On the basis of these preclinical data, the ADC SAR408701 is a promising candidate for development as a potential treatment for patients with CEACAM5-positive tumors.
Incidence of hospital‐acquired pressure injury: A cohort study of adults admitted to public and private hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil

This study aimed to estimate the incidence of hospital‐acquired pressure injury (PI) and its risk factors in inpatient and intensive care units of five hospitals (two public and three private) in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. A 6‐month follow‐up prospective cohort study (n = 1937) was conducted from April to September 2013. Baseline and follow‐up measurements included demographic and care information, as well as risk assessments for both undernutrition (NRS‐2002) and PI (Braden scale). Poisson regression with robust variance was used for data analysis. A total of 633 patients (32.60%) showed risk for PI. The incidence rate of PI was of 5.9% (9.9% in public hospitals vs 4.1% in private hospitals) and was higher in intensive care units, compared to inpatient care units (10% vs 5.7%, respectively). Risk for PI increased with age (RR = 1.05; 95% CI 1.04‐1.07); was higher in in public hospitals, compared to private hospitals (RR = 4.39; 95% CI 2.92‐6.61); in patients admitted for non‐surgical reasons compared to those admitted for surgical reasons (RR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.12‐3.27); in patients with longer hospital stays (RR = 1.04; 95% CI 1.03‐1.06); high blood pressure (RR = 1.76; 95% CI 1.17‐2.64); or had a risk for undernutrition (RR = 3.51; 95% CI 1.71‐7.24). Higher scores in the Braden scale was associated with a decreased risk of PI (RR = 0.79; 95% CI 0.75‐0.83). The results of our study indicate that 5.9% of all patients developed PI and that the most important factors that nurses should consider are: patient age, care setting, length of hospitalization, comorbidities, reason for admission and nutrition when planning and implementing PI‐preventative actions.
9 Properties of the Heat Shock Proteins of Escherichia coli and the Autoregulation of the Heat Shock Response

I. INTRODUCTION The studies of bacteriophage λ/ Escherichia coli interactions, initiated more than 25 years ago, have resulted in the identification of a plethora of interesting and useful host functions (for summary, see Friedman et al. 1984; Georgopoulos et al. 1990). These bacterial functions are essential not only for bacteriophage λ growth and development, but for bacterial growth as well. The ability to study both λ-specific and host-specific phenotypes at nonpermissive temperatures was instrumental in the elucidation of the function of these bacterial genes. In many instances, these genetic studies identified a series of E. coli genes that are required for a specific step in λ development, strongly suggesting that their gene products act synergistically to carry out the particular λ developmental step. The availability of these genes on plasmids plus the large number of mutations in them was the starting block for the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of the action of their gene products. The best studied of these E. coli functions, namely, the NusA/NusB transcriptional antitermination system and the DnaK and GroEL chaperones, all turned out to be supramolecular machines made up of intimately interacting parts (Friedman et al. 1984; Das 1992; Georgopoulos 1992; Georgopoulos and Welch 1993). For the purpose of this particular volume, the most interesting E. coli functions are the DnaK chaperone machine, composed of the DnaK (the hsp70 homolog), DnaJ (the hsp40 homolog), and GrpE heat shock proteins, and the GroEL chaperone machine, composed of the GroES (the hsp10 homolog) and GroEL (the hsp60.
Staphylococcus borealis sp. nov., isolated from human skin and blood.

When analysing a large cohort of Staphylococcus haemolyticus, using whole-genome sequencing, five human isolates (four from the skin and one from a blood culture) with aberrant phenotypic and genotypic traits were identified. They were phenotypically similar with yellow colonies, nearly identical 16S rRNA gene sequences and initially speciated as S. haemolyticus based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and MALDI-TOF MS. However, compared to S. haemolyticus, these five strains demonstrate: (i) considerable phylogenetic distance with an average nucleotide identity <95 % and inferred DNA-DNA hybridization <70 %; (ii) a pigmented phenotype; (iii) urease production; and (iv) different fatty acid composition. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic results, we conclude that these strains represent a novel species, for which the name Staphylococcus borealis sp. nov. is proposed. The novel species belong to the genus Staphylococcus and is coagulase- and oxidase-negative and catalase-positive. The type strain, 51-48T, is deposited in the Culture Collection University of Gothenburg (CCUG 73747T) and in the Spanish Type Culture Collection (CECT 30011T).
Oxymatrine exerts anti-fibrotic effects in a rat model of hepatic fibrosis by suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress

Objective This study evaluated the anti-fibrotic effects of oxymatrine and the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in hepatic fibrosis (HF) in animal models. Methods The HF rat model was established by exposure to NaAsO2, followed by treatment with oxymatrine. Biomarkers of HF and ER stress were measured. The difference in protein expression between groups was evaluated using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) analysis. The mechanism by which oxymatrine modulated ER stress to alleviate arsenic-induced HF was evaluated using LX2 hepatic stellate cells in vitro. Results The rat model mimicked the pathological and physical phenotypes of HF including ER stress, oxidative stress, impaired liver function, and fibrosis. Treatment with oxymatrine suppressed these responses. Moreover, apoptosis, inflammation, and hepatic stellate cell activation were also inhibited by oxymatrine treatment. The differentially expressed proteins and pathways related to ER stress were identified in the HF and oxymatrine-treated groups via iTRAQ analysis combined with liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. LX2 cells were activated by NaAsO2 in vitro. Meanwhile, oxymatrine suppressed the activation of LX2 cells by alleviating ER stress and regulating cellular calcium homeostasis. Conclusions Oxymatrine could reverse NaAsO2-induced HF by alleviating ER stress.
Coincidental occurance of episodic ataxia and multiple sclerosis: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract Introduction Episodic ataxia is a clinical condition characterized by episodes of balance and coordination problems that last minutes to hours. It can be inherited or sporadic, and it can be seen sporadically in epilepsy, basilar migraine, multiple sclerosis, vertebrobasilar ischaemia, and labyrinth diseases. Methods In this article, we present a case of a patient who had a coincidental occurrence of episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2) and multiple sclerosis (MS) Results: The patient who had a previously unidentified heterozygous mutation in the calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha 1 A gene (CACNA1A). Conclusion There is no publication in the literature reporting the co-occurrence of MS and EA2. This combination may be coincidental in this patient, or it may be a relationship that has not yet been scientifically revealed.
Comparison of reverse puncture device and overlap in laparoscopic total gastrectomy for gastric cancer

Background: Intracorporeal oesophagojejunostomy is one of the key steps in laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG). At present, there is no widely accepted anastomosis technique in oesophagojejunostomy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied 63 patients with gastric cancer who underwent LTG. Two types of anastomosis techniques have been applied during LTG: the reverse puncture device (RPD) (28 patients) and overlap (35 patients). Results: A total of 63 patients (51 males and 12 females: mean age = 58 years and mean body mass index [BMI] = 26.3 kg/m2) were enrolled in this study. There were no significant difference in age, BMI, duration of surgery, duration of anastomosis, blood loss, post-operative hospital stay, tumour location, tumour size, degree of tumour differentiation, Borrmann type, total number of lymph nodes, number of positive lymph nodes, hospital stay, hospitalisation costs, intra-operative complications, post-operative complications and prognosis between the RPD group and the overlap group. RPD group showed a significant advantage in terms of the distance between the top border of tumours and the top resection margin (P < 0.001). We further found that the oesophageal lateral negative surgical margin distance of the upper gastric cancer in the RPD group was significantly longer than that in the overlap group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Both the RPD and overlap techniques are safe and applicable in LTG. However, RPD has the advantage of obtaining an adequate safe margin compared with that of overlap technique, especially in patients with gastro-oesophageal junction carcinoma.
Resting‐state connectome‐based support‐vector‐machine predictive modeling of internet gaming disorder

Internet gaming disorder (IGD), a worldwide mental health issue, has been widely studied using neuroimaging techniques during the last decade. Although dysfunctions in resting‐state functional connectivity have been reported in IGD, mapping relationships from abnormal connectivity patterns to behavioral measures have not been fully investigated. Connectome‐based predictive modeling (CPM)—a recently developed machine‐learning approach—has been used to examine potential neural mechanisms in addictions and other psychiatric disorders. To identify the resting‐state connections associated with IGD, we modified the CPM approach by replacing its core learning algorithm with a support vector machine. Resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired in 72 individuals with IGD and 41 healthy comparison participants. The modified CPM was conducted with respect to classification and regression. A comparison of whole‐brain and network‐based analyses showed that the default‐mode network (DMN) is the most informative network in predicting IGD both in classification (individual identification accuracy = 78.76%) and regression (correspondence between predicted and actual psychometric scale score: r = 0.44, P < 0.001). To facilitate the characterization of the aberrant resting‐state activity in the DMN, the identified networks have been mapped into a three‐subsystem division of the DMN. Results suggest that individual differences in DMN function at rest could advance our understanding of IGD and variability in disorder etiology and intervention outcomes.
Vacuolar Targeting of Cry1Ac and its Effects on Expression and Stability in Tobacco

Increasing heterologous expression of delta endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis in transgenic plants is being actively pursued as a means to increase their efficacy and to delay insect resistance. To examine if vacuoles could be used as alternate localization sites of delta endotoxins we developed binary vectors with a chimeric vacuole targeting signals and verified its localization efficiency by creating GFP fusions of Cry1Ac. Transgenic tobacco plants expressing Cry1Ac localized either to cytosol and vacuoles were generated and confirmed by PCR, QPCR and ELISA. Comparative protein expression analysis by quantitative ELISA showed that maximum, percentage total soluble protein of Cry1Ac was 0.64 and 1% in cytosol and vacuole targeted plants, respectively. However, detailed protein expression analysis showed that there are no significant differences in expression of Cry1Ac between cytosol and vacuole targeted plants. These results were further corroborated by immunoblot analysis as well as insect bioassays. Nevertheless, our study demonstrated that delta endotoxins could be targeted to vacuoles and expressed successfully which is of importance when gene stacking is being pursed where alternate localization sites are employed for different genes.
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes: Hope for spinal cord injury repair.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating medical condition with profound social and economic impacts. While research is ongoing, current treatment options are limited and do little to restore functionality. However, recent studies suggest that mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-exosomes) may hold the key to exciting new treatment options for SCI patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing multipotent stem cells with multi-directional differentiation and can secrete a large number of exosomes (vesicles secreted into the extracellular environment through endocytosis, called MSC-exosomes). These MSC-exosomes play a critical role in repairing SCI through promoting angiogenesis and axonal growth, regulating inflammation and the immune response, inhibiting apoptosis, and maintaining the integrity of the blood-spinal cord barrier. Further, they can be utilized to transport genetic material or drugs to target cells, and their relatively small size makes them able to permeate the blood brain barrier. In this review, we summarize recent advances in MSC-exosome themed SCI treatments and cell-free therapies to better understand this newly emerging methodology.
REMOVAL OF PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FROM SYNTHETIC WASTEWATERS BY ENZYMATIC TREATMENTS

Many industries generate phenolic pollutants during their manufacturing processes. Most of these compounds are toxic and have been classified as hazardous pollutants. Soybean peroxidase (SBP) catalyzes the oxidation and polymerization of phenolic compounds in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The polymerized products can easily precipitate and be filtered from the solution. In this study phenolic solutions such as synthetic wastewater containing phenol, o-cresol and m-cresol, were treated with soybean peroxidase (SBP). The effect of some parameters was investigated on the removal process. The results showed that, an increase in hydrogen peroxide up to the optimum amount leads to an elevated removal of phenolic compounds. Higher concentrations of H2O2 inhibited the reaction. Treatment in the presence of PEG (polyethylene glycol) as an additive increased the effect of enzymatic removal. Application of different concentrations of the enzyme in the reaction mixture showed positive regression between enzyme concentration and removal of phenols. Studies to determine the optimum pH for enzyme activity revealed that elimination of phenols was improved in neutral pH. In addition, this study revealed that intact soybean seed-hulls were effective on the elimination of phenolic compounds in synthetic wastewater; treatment time significantly affected the concentration of seed-hulls needed for removal of phenols.