Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No allelopathic effect of the dominant forest-floor lichen Cladonia stellaris on pine seedlings

Summary 1The lichen Cladonia stellaris forms dense mats and dominates the forest-floor vegetation in late-successional oligotrophic boreal forests. This lichen is rich in polyphenolic secondary compounds, and through allelochemical effects of these compounds the dense mat formed by C. stellaris is assumed to have negative effect on forest regeneration and soil microbial functioning. 2We examined the effect of C. stellaris and its secondary metabolite usnic acid on nutrient uptake and growth of pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings in symbiosis with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus variegatus and in non-symbiotic condition. 3Contrary to our expectations, usnic acid had no effect on nitrogen uptake and growth in pine seedlings. The addition of lichen fragments into the growth substrate significantly increased biomass accumulation in mycorrhizal pine seedlings and needle nitrogen acquisition in non-mycorrhizal seedlings. 4These results suggest that lichen mats do not have direct allelopathic effects on pine seedling nitrogen acquisition or growth.
Rural Population Aging and the Hospital Utilization in Cities: The Rise of Medical Tourism in China

The disparity of rural and urban hospital utilization has aroused much concern. With the improvement of their living standards, patients in rural areas have an emerging need for traveling across borders for better medical treatment in China. This paper reveals the medical tourism of rural residents towards urban hospitals driven by hospital needs and points out that such disparities may be caused by medical tourism. The ratio of people aged 65 and above in total rural populations was used to identify the potential target customers for medical tourism. Based on rural and urban datasets ranging from 2007–2017 on the provincial level, this paper presents a mobile treatment model and market concentration model with an ecological foundation. The feasible generalized least squared approach was used in the estimation of the fixed-effect regressions. The study found that there was a positive and significant relationship between rural old-age ratios and urban inpatient visits from different income groups. On average, a one percent rise in rural old-age ratio would increase the inpatient visits of urban hospitals by 138 thousand persons. There was also a positive and significant relationship between the rural old-age ratio and the market concentration of urban inpatient visits. It was found that the rural old-age ratio significantly influenced the market concentration of urban inpatient visits in the middle-high income regions. The research showed that each income group from the rural aged population had participated in medical tourism, traveled to urbanized regions and made inpatient visits to urbanized medical facilities. It was also indicated that the rural aged population, especially from the middle-high income groups had a positive and significant influence on the market concentration of urban inpatient visits in the province.
Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, Volume 9, 2004, List of contents

Investigating the stabilising and mobilising features of footedness George Grouios , Vassilia Hatzitaki , Nikolaos Kollias & Irene Koidou To cite this article: George Grouios , Vassilia Hatzitaki , Nikolaos Kollias & Irene Koidou (2009) Investigating the stabilising and mobilising features of footedness, Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 14:4, 362-380, DOI: 10.1080/13576500802434965 To link to this article: http://dx.doi. org/10.1080/13576500802434965
USPORE\IVANJE MOLEKULARNO GENETI^KIH SVOJSTAVA SJEMENSKIH PLANTA@A OBI^NOG BORA (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI COMPARISON OF MOLECULAR AND GENETIC PROPERTIES OF PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) SEED PLANTATIONS IN BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA

U radu je analizirana je geneti~ka struktura dvije sjemenske planta`e obi~nog bora (Pinus sylvestris L.) sa 40 klonova (Kozji grm) i 20 klonova ([amin gaj). Za analizu su uporabljeni izoenzimski biljezi, ukupno 9 enzimskih sustava, na ukupno 12 gen lokusa. Ukupno 55 alela, u obje klonske sjemenskim planta`e. U multiklonskoj planta`i ''Koziji grm'' registrirano 45, a u sjemenskoj planta`i ''[amin gaj'' 35 alela razli~itih alela. Geneti~ka raznolikost procijenjena je srednjim brojem alela po lokusu (A/L). Dobivena je vrijednost od 3,83 za sjemensku planta`u Kozji grm i 2,91 za planta`u [amin gaj. Srednji broj genotipova po lokusu (G/L) je iznosio 5,16 za sjemensku planta`u Kozji grm i 3,58 za sjemensku planta`u [amin gaj. Srednja stvarna heterozigotnost klonova u sjemenskoj planta`i Kozji grm iznosi 0,2833, a u sjemenskoj planta`i [amin gaj srednja heterozigotnost je 0,3166. Srednja teorijska heterozigotnost za planta`u Kozji grm iznosi 0,3366, a za sjemensku planta`u [amin gaj 0,3491.
Simple phenols and indoles in anaerobically stored piggery wastes

Phenol, p-cresol, 4-ethylphenol, indole and skatole, which contribute to a large extent to the bad smell of piggeries, were estimated in anaerobically stored piggery wastes. p-Cresol, indole and skatole were also found in freshly voided faeces. Phenol, p-cresol and 4-ethylphenol are present in the urine as their glucuronides. It was shown that upon contact of urine and faeces, the urinary glucuronides are hydrolysed almost instantly liberating phenols. This hydrolysis is caused by the high β-glucuronidase activity of faeces. Protein degradation followed by transformation of tyrosine and tryptophane were found to be additional processes contributing to the accumulation of phenol, p-cresol, indole and skatole during the anaerobic storage of piggery wastes.
Research Article Studies on isolation of Proteus mirabilis from urinary catheter biofilm

In the present study P. mirabilis was reported as a major biofilm forming dangerous bacterial cell that supplemented LB medium was sufficient to sustain cell growth. B iofilm formation was determined by Congo red agar method and tissue culture plate by using microplate reader (model 680, Bio-rad) at 595nm. The OD values were considered as an index of bacteria adhering to surface and forming biofilms. Biofilm formation is detected in many organisms synthesizing exopolysaccharides. Proteus mirabilis was grown to form biofilm for 24hrs in microtiter plate wells and then treated with varying concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Treatment for 2hrs with concentration of 50nM of silver nanoparticles resulted in a decrease of 95% and 98% of the biofilm formed and 10nM resulted in a 50% reduction in biofilm.
Pectenovarin, A New Ovarian Carotenoprotein from Japanese Scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis

The scallop Mizuhopecten yessoensis accumulates carotenoids in the ovary during the maturation stage. Its conspicuous pink color implies the presence of carotenoprotein. However, the carotenoprotein from the scallop ovary has never been isolated and characterized, probably due to its instability and complexity. Here, we developed an extraction and isolation procedure for the carotenoprotein by employing a basic buffer containing potassium bromide to facilitate its efficient extraction from the ovary, and we succeeded in obtaining the carotenoprotein, termed pectenovarin. The carotenoid composition of the pectenovarin was similar to that of the ovary. The N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of pectenovarin showed a high similarity to those of vitellogenin, the precursor of egg yolk protein under analysis.
Polyphenols: Potential Beneficial Effects of These Phytochemicals in Athletes

Regular intake of polyphenol-rich fresh foods, like red fruits, tea, and natural juices may have a beneficial effect on athletic performance. Abstract An athlete's dietary requirements depend on several aspects, including the environment, the sport, and the athlete's goals. Although it is recognized that regular exercise improves muscle performance and energy metabolism, unaccustomed or excessive exercise may cause cell damage and impair muscle function by triggering tissue inflammation and oxidative stress. Supplement use among athletes is widespread and recently new attention has been applied to polyphenols. Polyphenols are a class of organic chemical compounds, mainly found in plants, characterized by the presence of multiples of phenol structural units, and over recent decades, special attention has been paid to the healthy role of fruit-derived polyphenols in the human diet. This article will summarize latest knowledge on polyphenolic compounds that have been demonstrated both to exert an effect in exercise-induced muscle damage and to play a biological/physiological role in improving physical performance.
Integrated Genomic Analysis of Chromosomal Alterations and Mutations in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Reveals Distinct Genetic Profiles at Relapse

The clonal basis of relapse in B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL) is complex and not fully understood. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were carried out in matched diagnosis–relapse samples from 13 BCP-ALL patients to identify patterns of genetic evolution that could account for the phenotypic changes associated with disease relapse. The integrative genomic analysis of aCGH, MLPA and NGS revealed that 100% of the BCP-ALL patients showed at least one genetic alteration at diagnosis and relapse. In addition, there was a significant increase in the frequency of chromosomal lesions at the time of relapse (p = 0.019). MLPA and aCGH techniques showed that IKZF1 was the most frequently deleted gene. TP53 was the most frequently mutated gene at relapse. Two TP53 mutations were detected only at relapse, whereas the three others showed an increase in their mutational burden at relapse. Clonal evolution patterns were heterogeneous, involving the acquisition, loss and maintenance of lesions at relapse. Therefore, this study provides additional evidence that BCP-ALL is a genetically dynamic disease with distinct genetic profiles at diagnosis and relapse. Integrative NGS, aCGH and MLPA analysis enables better molecular characterization of the genetic profile in BCP-ALL patients during the evolution from diagnosis to relapse.
The New Proactive Approach and Precision Medicine in Crohn’s Disease

The proactive approach to Crohn’s disease (CD) management advocates moving toward algorithmic tight-control scenarios that are designed for each CD phenotype to guide remission induction, maintenance therapy, active monitoring, and multidisciplinary care to manage the complexities of each inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patient. This requires accurate initial clinical, laboratory, radiological, endoscopic, and/or tissue diagnosis for proper phenotypic stratification of each CD patient. A substantial proportion of patients in symptomatic remission have been reported to demonstrate evidence of active disease, with elevated fecal calprotectin(FC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels as a hallmark for mucosal inflammation. Active mucosal inflammation, and elevated CRP and fecal calprotectin (FC) have been shown to be good predictors of clinical relapse, disease progression, and complications in IBD patients. The next frontier of treatment is personalized medicine or precision medicine to help solve the problem of IBD heterogeneity and variable responses to treatment. Personalized medicine has the potential to increase the efficacy and/or reduce potential adverse effects of treatment for each CD phenotype. However, there is currently an unmet need for better elucidation of the inflammatory biopathways and genetic signatures of each IBD phenotype, so personalized medicine can specifically target the underlying cause of the disease and provide maximal efficacy to each patient.
Effects of the Level of Interactivity of a Social Robot and the Response of the Augmented Reality Display in Contextual Interactions of People with Dementia

The well-being of people with dementia (PWD) living in long-term care facilities is hindered due to disengagement and social isolation. Animal-like social robots are increasingly used in dementia care as they can provide companionship and engage PWD in meaningful activities. While most previous human–robot interaction (HRI) research studied engagement independent from the context, recent findings indicate that the context of HRI sessions has an impact on user engagement. This study aims to explore the effects of contextual interactions between PWD and a social robot embedded in the augmented responsive environment. Three experimental conditions were compared: reactive context-enhanced robot interaction; dynamic context-enhanced interaction with a static robot; a control condition with only the dynamic context presented. Effectiveness evaluations were performed with 16 participants using four observational rating scales on observed engagement, affective states, and apathy related behaviors. Findings suggested that the higher level of interactivity of a social robot and the interactive contextualized feedback helped capture and maintain users’ attention during engagement; however, it did not significantly improve their positive affective states. Additionally, the presence of either a static or a proactive robot reduced apathy-related behaviors by facilitating purposeful activities, thus, motivating behavioral engagement.
Analyzing zooplankton size distributions using high-frequency sound

A high-frequency, dual-beam acoustical technique for directly estimating the size distributions within zooplankton assemblages has been developed. In combination with data from echo integration, acoustical size distributions can be used to apportion zooplankton numerical density and biomass concentration into different size classes. Two major conclusions can be drawn from calibration experiments and preliminary field studies using the technique: the backscattering intensities from individual zooplankters increase proportionally with the cubes of their lengths; and the combination of dual-beam and echo-integration techniques has the potential to produce rapid, high-resolution, size-specific data on zooplankton distributions in the water column. In the late 1940s Johnson (1948) proposed that the ocean’s sound-scattering layers were likely to be biological in origin. At the same time, he suggested that such sound scattering or reverberation need not be treated strictly as noise, but could be used as a valuable tool in marine ecology. The subsequent development and refinement of acoustical techniques for analyzing lish distributions has received considerable attention (Venema 1985). In fact, such techniques have become the standard sampling procedures for many fishery assessment survey programs around the world (ICES in press). Lagging behind this work in fishery
Identification and Characterization of Hydrogen Peroxide-generating Lactobacillus fermentum CS12-1

Lactic acid bacteria were isolated from silage, which produce high level of hydrogen peroxide in cell culture supernatant. The 16S rDNA sequences of the isolate matched perfectly with that of Lactobacillus fermentum (99.9%), examined by a 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis and similarity search using the GenBank database, thus named L. fermentum CS12-1. L. fermentum CS12-1 showed resistance to low pH and bile acid. The production of hydrogen peroxide by L. fermentum CS12-1 was confirmed by catalase treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography. L. fermentum CS12-1 accumulated hydrogen peroxide in culture broth as cells grew, and the highest concentration of hydrogen peroxide reached 3.5 mM at the late stationary growth phase. The cell-free supernatant of L. fermentum CS12-1 both before and after neutralization inhibited the growth of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli K88 that causes diarrhea in piglets. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2005. Vol 18, No. 1 : 90-95)
Tumor-Targeting Glycol Chitosan Nanoparticles for Image-Guided Surgery of Rabbit Orthotopic VX2 Lung Cancer

Theranostic nanoparticles can deliver therapeutic agents as well as diverse imaging agents to tumors. The enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect is regarded as a crucial mechanism for the tumor-targeted delivery of nanoparticles. Although a large number of studies of the EPR effect of theranostic nanoparticles have been performed, the effect of the change in the body size of the host on the EPR effect is not fully understood. In this regard, comparative research is needed on the behavior of nanoparticles in large animals for developing the nanoparticles to the clinical stage. In this study, we prepared fluorophore (indocyanine green (ICG) or cyanine 5.5 (Cy5.5))–conjugated glycol chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) for comparing the tumor-targeting efficacy in VX2 tumor-bearing mouse and rabbit models. As expected, the CNPs formed nano-sized spherical nanoparticles and were stable for 8 days under aqueous conditions. The CNPs also exhibited dose-dependent cellular uptake into VX2 tumor cells without cytotoxicity. The half-life of the near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) signals in the blood were 3.25 h and 4.73 h when the CNPs were injected into mice and rabbits, respectively. Importantly, the CNPs showed excellent tumor accumulation and prolonged biodistribution profiles in both the VX2 tumor-bearing mouse and rabbit models, wherein the tumor accumulation was maximized at 48 h and 72 h, respectively. Based on the excellent tumor accumulation of the CNPs, finally, the CNPs were used in the image-guided surgery of the rabbit orthotopic VX2 lung tumor model. The lung tumor tissue was successfully removed based on the NIRF signal from the CNPs in the tumor tissue. This study shows that CNPs can be potentially used for tumor theragnosis in small animals and large animals.
Antibacterial Activity of Mecodium exsertum (Wall.ex Hook) Copel - A Rare Fern

Summary Antibacterial activity of Mecodium exsertum leaf extracts (alcoholic extract eight fractions) was studied against selected pathogenic strains of Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus subtilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes. Preliminary phytochemical tests revealed the vital information regarding the high level accumulation of alkaloids, flavanoids, glycosides and terpenoids and seldom availability of oils, sapanin and tannin. The observations of the present study correlate the use of plants of this kind formulation of several herbal medicines.
Optimal paramedic numbers in resuscitation of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A randomized controlled study in a simulation setting

Background The effect of paramedic crew size in the resuscitation of patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remains inconclusive. We hypothesised that teams with a larger crew size have better resuscitation performance including chest compression fraction (CCF), advanced life support (ALS), and teamwork performance than those with a smaller crew size. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled study in a simulation setting. A total of 140 paramedics from New Taipei City were obtained by stratified sampling and were randomly allocated to 35 teams with crew sizes of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (i.e. 7 teams in every paramedic crew size). A scenario involving an OHCA patient who experienced ventricular fibrillation and was attached to a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machine was simulated. The primary outcome was the overall CCF; the secondary outcomes were the CCF in manual CPR periods, time from the first dose of epinephrine until the accomplishment of intubation, and teamwork performance. Tasks affecting the hands-off time during CPR were also analysed. Results In all 35 teams with crew sizes of 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the overall CCFs were 65.1%, 64.4%, 70.7%, 72.8%, and 71.5%, respectively (P = 0.148). Teams with a crew size of 5 (58.4%, 61.8%, 68.9%, 72.4%, and 68.7%, P<0.05) had higher CCF in manual CPR periods and better team dynamics. Time to the first dose of epinephrine was significantly shorter in teams with 4 paramedics, while time to completion of intubation was shortest in teams with 6 paramedics. Troubleshooting of M-CPR machine decreased the hands-off time during resuscitation (39 s), with teams comprising 2 paramedics having the longest hands-off time (63s). Conclusion Larger paramedic crew size (≧4 paramedics) did not significantly increase the overall CCF in OHCA resuscitation but showed higher CCF in manual CPR period before the setup of the CPR machine. A crew size of ≧4 paramedics can also shorten the time of ALS interventions, while teams with 5 paramedics will have the best teamwork performance. Paramedic teams with a smaller crew size should focus more on the quality of manual CPR, teamwork, and training how to troubleshoot a M-CPR machine.
Eyes wide shut: How visual cues affect brain patterns of simulated gait

In the last 20 years, motor imagery (MI) has been extensively used to train motor abilities in sport and in rehabilitation. However, MI procedures are not all alike as much as their potential beneficiaries. Here we assessed whether the addition of visual cues could make MI performance more comparable with explicit motor performance in gait tasks. With fMRI we also explored the neural correlates of these experimental manipulations. We did this in elderly subjects who are known to rely less on kinesthetic information while favoring visual strategies during motor performance. Contrary to expectations, we found that the temporal coupling between execution and imagery times, an index of the quality of MI, was less precise when participants were allowed to visually explore the environment. While the brain activation patterns of the gait motor circuits were very similar in both an open‐eyed and eye‐shut virtual walking MI task, these differed for a vast temporo‐occipito‐parietal additional activation for open‐eyed MI. Crucially, the higher was the activity in this posterior network, the less accurate was the MI performance with eyes open at a clinical test of gait. We conclude that both visually‐cued and internally‐cued MI are associated with the neurofunctional activation of a gait specific motor system. The less precise behavioral coupling between imagined and executed gait while keeping eyes open may be attributed to the processing load implied in visual monitoring and scanning of the environment. The implications of these observations for rehabilitation of gait with MI are discussed.
Signaling Pathways That Control Muscle Mass

The loss of skeletal muscle mass under a wide range of acute and chronic maladies is associated with poor prognosis, reduced quality of life, and increased mortality. Decades of research indicate the importance of skeletal muscle for whole body metabolism, glucose homeostasis, as well as overall health and wellbeing. This tissue’s remarkable ability to rapidly and effectively adapt to changing environmental cues is a double-edged sword. Physiological adaptations that are beneficial throughout life become maladaptive during atrophic conditions. The atrophic program can be activated by mechanical, oxidative, and energetic distress, and is influenced by the availability of nutrients, growth factors, and cytokines. Largely governed by a transcription-dependent mechanism, this program impinges on multiple protein networks including various organelles as well as biosynthetic and quality control systems. Although modulating muscle function to prevent and treat disease is an enticing concept that has intrigued research teams for decades, a lack of thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways that control muscle mass, in addition to poor transferability of findings from rodents to humans, has obstructed efforts to develop effective treatments. Here, we review the progress made in unraveling the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulation of muscle mass, as this continues to be an intensive area of research.