Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A role of ATP in modulating vasomotion during hypoxia in umbilical cord blood vessels

Previous studies have associated intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) oscillations in vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) with vasomotion in multiple species. In normal and pre-eclamptic pregnancies, there is strong evidence to suggest that the intrauterine environment is hypoxic. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ATP and [Ca2+]i oscillations play a role in modulating vasomotion during hypoxia in human umbilical blood vessels. The results obtained from in vitro studies using firefly luciferase assay and quinacrine staining indicated that human umbilical artery and vein endothelial cell (HUAEC, HUVEC respectively) constitutively released ATP and, in HUVEC at least, the release was accentuated by hypoxia (7.6 mmHg O2, 30 min). This release is dependent on the PI3K/ROCK pathway, and on normal vesicular transport. Further, application of ATP to human umbilical artery SMC induced dose-dependent [Ca2+]i oscillations, which was mediated by P2Y4 receptor. Moreover, ex vivo data from freshly isolated umbilical artery rings showed that acute hypoxia increased the frequency of vasomotion. It is therefore proposed that the findings of the present study is important in the understanding of the behaviour of human umbilical vessels in normal pregnancy, but may also have implications in the pathophysiology of complicated pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia.
Growth response and carcass characteristics of Japanese quail to Mentha piperita plant supplementation.

Introduction In general, the use of various plant materials as dietary supplements may positively affect poultry health and productivity. There are some important bioactive components such as alkaloids, bitters, flavonoids, bioflavonoids, glycosides, mucilage, saponins, tannins (Vandergrift 1998) phenols, guinones, coumarins, essential oils and polypeptides (Cowan 1999) in the structures of nearly all the medicinal plants. Mentha piperita plant (MPP) is one of the world’s oldest medicinal herbs and used in both Eastern and Western traditions. This plant is a perennial plant in Lamiaceae family and contains about 1.2-1.5% essential oils. The principal components of the oil are menthol (35-55%), menthone (20-30%) and menthyl acetate (3-10%) (Escop 2003). Supplementing diets with MPP addition basal requirements has been shown to enhance performance and primary immune responses by increasing number of antibody forming cells in broiler chicken. (Galib & Al-Kassie 2010; Abdulkarimi & Abdullahzadeh 2011). The immune system includes cell mediated and humoral immune responses, macrophage function and phagocytosis and improved resistance to disease (Finch & Turner 1996). In Japanese quail, as well as in chickens, medicinal plant supplementation in diet can be had effects on growth and performance. Therefore, the present study was conducted to elucidate the response of growing Japanese quail and carcass characteristics to Mentha piperita plant (MPP) supplementation.
Synergistic Effects of Leucine and its Metabolites with Polyphenols on Irisin in Myotubes and Diet‐induced Obese Mice

FNDC5 is a muscle membrane protein stimulated by PGC1‐α; when cleaved, it releases irisin, which stimulates UCP1 expression and browning of white adipose tissue. We recently found leucine (0.5 mM) and its metabolite, HMB (5 μM), to synergize with low‐dose polyphenols to activate sirtuin signaling, resulting in significant increases in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in adipocytes and myotubes. Here we report that treating adipocytes with conditioned media from myotubes treated with these combinations also results in increased FAO by 100–150% (p<0.05) via irisin. Resveratrol (200 nM)/leucine, resveratrol/HMB, cinnamic acid (1 μM)/HMB, chlorogenic acid (500 nM)/leucine, and chlorogenic acid/HMB stimulated significant increases in FNDC5 in myotubes (p<0.005), while the individual treatments exerted no effect. Irisin secretion was increased in response to resveratrol‐leucine (234%, p=0.008), resveratrol‐HMB (122.5%, p=0.00001), and cinnamic acid‐leucine (40%, p=0.0005) combinations. Supplementing diet‐induced obese mice with low‐dose resveratrol (12.5 mg/kg diet) and leucine (24 g/kg diet) for 6 weeks resulted in an 86% increase in plasma irisin (p=0.03), a two‐fold increase in PGC1‐α in white adipose tissue (p=0.04) and a 344% increase in UCP1 expression (p<0.05). These data demonstrate that leucine‐polyphenol combinations stimulate irisin release and browning of adipose tissue.
Facteurs de virulence et dissémination dans l'environnement via les effluents d'abattoirs d'animaux de boucherie d'Escherichia coli entérohémorragiques (EHEC)

Les Escherichia coli enterohemorragiques (EHEC) sont des pathogenes majeurs en sante publique. Les Shiga-toxines et l'intimine sont leurs principaux facteurs de virulence mais d'autres, comme Cif, pourraient intervenir. Les animaux de boucherie constituent un reservoir important d'EHEC et la contamination des effluents des abattoirs reste a determiner. Des souches d'EHEC potentielles ont ete isolees dans les effluents des abattoirs etudies. La diversite des facteurs de virulence detectes suggere que l'environnement interviendrait dans l'emergence de nouvelles souches EHEC. L'etude de la distribution, de la fonctionnalite et de l'organisation genetique de Cif a montre que cif est dissemine dans les populations d'E. Coli mais est souvent non fonctionnel. La caracterisation precise des souches devrait etre inclue dans l'estimation de la virulence des EHEC. L'adoption de mesures d'hygiene peut reduire le risque de transmission d'EHEC de l'animal a l'homme via les effluents des abattoirs.
Novel mechanisms involved with lipid metabolism in adipose tissue of dairy cows

Proper lipid metabolism is essential to the maintenance of milk production and fitness in the modern dairy cow. Little is known about the regulation of lipid metabolism in adipose tissue in dairy cattle, including the roles of adipokines and lipid droplet associated proteins. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to characterized changes in transcript abundances of adipokines during three different energy altering models, and lipid droplet associated proteins throughout the transition period and with leptin induced lipolysis. Transcript abundances of leptin decreased during feed restriction, while angiopoietin like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) increased during early lactation, feed restriction, and following growth hormone administration. Therefore, reduced lipid uptake by adipose tissue during declining energy balance may be due to ANGPTL4 inhibiting lipoprotein lipase. Phosphorylation of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and perilipin increased during early lactation, but protein abundance of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL), the rate limiting step in lipolysis, decreased. Unlike lipid catabolism during early lactation, leptin induced lipolysis was mild, and protein abundance of ATGL and phosphorylation of STAT3 increased. These responses were attenuated with the addition of a STAT3 inhibitor. Therefore, leptin increased ATGL protein abundance through STAT3. This novel regulation of ATGL by STAT3 demonstrates a potential mechanism that allows for the differential regulation of HSL and ATGL. In conclusion, this research identified two novel mechanisms of lipid metabolism in dairy cattle which may allow for the development of strategies to optimize lipid metabolism.
Integrin αvβ3 Antagonists for Anti-Angiogenic Cancer Treatment

Direct contact between cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins is necessary for a diverse array of physiologic processes including cellular activation, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. These direct interactions are modulated by cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) such as integrins, selectins, cadherins, and immunoglobulins. Integrin signaling also plays a key role in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Recent advances in the discovery and characterization of CAMs and their receptors, most notably integrin αvβ3, and the clarification of their roles in disease states have laid the groundwork for the development and clinical implementation of novel anti-cancer treatments. Integrin αvβ3 is a glycoprotein membrane receptor which recognizes ECM proteins expressing an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide sequence. The receptor is highly expressed on activated tumor endothelial cells, but not resting endothelial cells and normal organ systems, thus making αvβ3 an appropriate target for anti-angiogenic therapeutics. In addition, αvβ3 is also expressed on tumor cells, allowing for both tumor cell and tumor vasculature targeting of anti-integrin therapy. Throughout the past decade, numerous patents have been published and issued using αvβ3 antagonists for the prevention and/or treatment of cancer, with many antagonists demonstrating positive pre-clinical anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor results. This review will focus on the key points and distinguishing factors for patents which use antibodies, RGD peptides, non-RGD peptides, peptidomimetics, and amine salts as αvβ3 antagonists.
Evaluation of a national food and nutrition program in Ecuador on child growth and micronutrient status

Since 2000, the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador has targeted a national food and nutrition program (PANN 2000) to children 6–24 months living in poor communities. The goal is to prevent growth retardation and micronutrient deficiencies by simultaneously improving feeding behaviors and access to a nutrient‐dense complementary food (Mi Papilla). We used a longitudinal quasi‐experimental design to compare program (P) to control (C) children with respect to breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, diet, growth, micronutrient status, and morbidity. Among 171 P infants 6–12 mo followed for 13 mo, underweight remained the same (12%) but more than doubled among 150 C children, from 10% to 24% (p<0.001). Anemia fell from 76% to 27% among P children but fell to only 44% among C children (p<0.01). P children consumed significantly more energy, protein, fat, Fe, Zn, Ca, and vitamins C and A than C children because of their consumption of Mi Papilla, which they consumed 72% of the time. Mi Papilla did not replace energy or Fe from the diet but was an addition to usual intake. Mi Papilla, an instant product, did not result in increased diarrhea. Linear growth retardation, highly prevalent at baseline, was not affected by PANN 2000 nor were feeding behaviors. We conclude that the significant reduction in anemia and lack of further deterioration in underweight among P children were due to improved dietary intake because of Mi Papilla.
RASQL: A Powerful Language and its System for Big Data Applications

There is a growing interest in supporting advanced Big Data applications on distributed data processing platforms. Most of these systems support SQL or its dialect as the query interface due to its portability and declarative nature. However, current SQL standard cannot effectively express advanced analytical queries due to its limitation in supporting recursive queries. In this demonstration, we show that this problem can be resolved via a simple SQL extension that delivers greater expressive power by allowing aggregates in recursion. To this end, we propose the Recursive-aggregate-SQL (RASQL) language and its system on top of Apache Spark to express and execute complex queries and declarative algorithms in many applications, such as graph search and machine learning. With a variety of examples, we will (i) show how complicated analytic queries can be expressed with RASQL; (ii) illustrate formal semantics of the powerful new constructs; and (iii) present a user-friendly interface to interact with the RASQL system and monitor the query results.
Prevalence of drug therapy problems and determination of outcomes among patients attending medical outpatient clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital

U se d a ta f ro m t h e P a ti en t’ s fi le t o f il l in t h e fo ll o w in g t a b le . S o m e in fo rm a ti o n m a y b e g o tt en f ro m p a ti en t. C A U S E
Effect of yogurt with Bifidobacterium lactis LKM 512 in improving fecal microflora and defecation of healthy volunteers.

Effect of yogurt (LKM 512 yogurt) prepared Bifidobacterium lactis LKM 512, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus LKM 1759 and, Streptococcus thermophilus LKM 1742 on fecal microflora and properties in 30 volunteers (5 males and 25 females, average age 30.1 yr, defecation frequency<4times/week) given this yogurt 100g/day for 2 weeks were analyzed. During the consumption of LKM 512 yogurt, defecation frequency was significantly increased (p<0.05) and fecal water content tended to increase. LKM 512 yogurt contained 4.7•~108cfu/g of L. delburueckii subsp. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus and 5.2•~107 cfu/ g of B. lactis. At week 2 of the consumption, the number of bifidobacteria in the fecal bacteria increased significantly (p<0.05) and the proportion in the total fecal bacteria also increased significantly (p<0.05) from 6.6% to 17.0%. In contrast, the difference between before the yogurt consumption and during the placebo yogurt (contained 5.0•~108cfu/g of L. delburueckii subsp. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus) consumption was not significant, although the similar tendencies to LKM 512 yogurt were recognized in both the fecal microflora and defecation during the placebo yogurt consumption. The results in this study demonstrated that the consumption of LKM 512 yogurt was effective to increase the number of fecal bifidobacteria and to improve the fecal properties.
Seed Distribution and Burial Properties of Suaeda japonica in Tidal-flat

To clarify seed distribution in sediment and its burial properties of Suaeda japonica, the vertical and horizontal distribution of seeds, organic content of sediment, and sediment content delivered by crabs were studied in mud tidal-flat of Walgot-dong, Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, from March 1999 to October 2000. The 94% and 6% of S. japonica seeds were buried under and outside the maternal plant crown, respectively. Organic matter contents of sediment were higher at the area (17%) covered than at the one (8%) uncovered by S. japonica. In the area covered by S. suaeda, organic matter profiles of sediment showed vertical variation from 19% in surface (1 cm depth) to 14% in 6 cm depth. S. japonica seeds buried in sediment decreased from 45% in 2 mm depth to 0% in 12 mm depth. The density of crabs was higher in the vegetated area than in the non-vegetated one. Especially, the density of Cleistostoma was about 8 times higher in the former than in the latter In the vegetated area, the amount of sediment delivered by crabs was estimated to be 2,409 , and this could ascend the height of sediment to 2.4 mm. Consequently, it might be interpreted that plant debris (organic matters) of maternal plants and sediment delivered by crabs made the S. japonica seeds bury well. By relationship between crab distribution and vegetation, it was thought that crabs got a benefit from S. japonica.
STUDIES ON SULFHYDRYL GROUPS DURING CELL DIVISION OF SEA URCHIN EGG

Sea urchin egg proteins extracted with KCl are mostly TCA-soluble and, conversely, those extracted with TCA are KCl-soluble. Both groups are water-insoluble and show fluctuations in—SH content during the division cycle. The fluctuation of the—SH groups of the KCl-soluble protein of the whole egg is due to a —SH⇌—S—S— interchange within the freely reacting groups and not within the sluggish and masked —SH groups of the protein. The —SH content of the KCl-soluble protein of the egg cortex also fluctuates in a similar way.
Prostaglandin H synthase catalyzes the oxidation of 4-chlorobiphenyl metabolites, and the in vivo effects on prostaglandin production

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exert a broad range of toxicity via both parent compounds and their metabolites. Our previous study showed that hydroquinone (H2Q) metabolites of PCBs act as cosubstrates for prostaglandin H synthase (PGHS), and are oxidized by this enzyme to corresponding quinones (Q). The goal of this thesis is to illuminate the PGHS-mediated toxicity of lower chlorinated PCBs. It is hypothesized that PGHS catalyzes two sequential one-electron oxidations of PCB-H2Q to semiquinone (SQ), and Q that interact with biomolecules, such as amino acids, glutathione (GSH), protein, and DNA. In addition, the oxidation of H2Q by PGHS results in an elevation of downstream prostaglandin (PG) production in vivo. Employing 4-chlorobiphenyl-2’,5’-hydroquinone (4-CB-2’,5’-H2Q) as a model compound, I found that PGHS-2 catalyzes the one-electron oxidation of 4-CB-2’,5’-H2Q to SQ. An unusual electronically distorted SQ spectrum was observed as a result of the mixture of two different SQ species, a quartet and a doublet. Fate of 4-CB-2’,5’-SQ and/or Q in the presence of biomolecules was further investigated in the next study. 4-CB-2’,5’-SQ/Q reacts readily with the thiol-containing molecules, such as cysteine, and GSH. Oligonucleotides, and DNA did not form a covalent adduct with 4-CB-2’,5’-SQ but preferably stabilized 4-CB-2’,5’-SQ by πstacking interaction under the assay conditions. The in vivo study of downstream PG production in rats treated with 4-CB-2’,5’H2Q revealed that PGE2 was significantly elevated in rats’ kidneys at 24 h post intratracheal instillation. The increased PGE2 production was correlated with an elevation of alveolar macrophages. These findings suggest two possible mechanisms of enhanced PGE2 production: i) 4-CB-2’,5’-H2Q as a cosubstrate for PGHS in kidney, and 2) release of cytokines from macrophages, leading to stimulation of PGE2 production in other tissues but released and accumulated in kidney for excretion.
Screening of Bacillus isolates against Aspergillus niger causing collar rot of groundnut.

Plant diseases need to be controlled to maintain the quality and abundance of food, feed, and fiber produced by growers around the world. Different approaches may be used to Control plant diseases, Such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The environmental pollution caused by excessive use and misuse of agrochemicals some pest management have focused their efforts on developing alternative inputs to synthetic chemicals for controlling pests and diseases. Among these, alternatives are those referred to as biological control. Members of the U.S. National Research Council took into account modern biotechnological developments and referred to biological control as the use of natural or modified organisms, genes, or gene products, to reduce the effects of undesirable organisms and to favor desirable organisms such as crops, beneficial insects, and microorganisms”, but this definition spurred much subsequent debate and it was frequently considered too broad by many’ scientists who worked in the field (US Congress, 1995). The use of a grampositive Bacillus species as a biocontrol agent is relatively rare, and has received less intensive study than the use of gram-negative bacteria. The antagonists studied have been mainly Bacillus subtilis and occasionally B. megaterium, B. cereus, B. pumilus, and B. polymyxa (Utkhede, 1984). As Bacillus spp. have the characteristics of, being widely distributed in nearly all agricultural soils and in other environments, having high thermal tolerance, showing rapid growth in liquid culture, and readily form resistant spores. Moreover, they are considered safe biological agents, and their potential as Bio-control agents is considered to be high. However, the evaluation of bacteria has focused primarily on disease suppression (Siala and Gray, 1974). Bacillus spp. can be used as biological control agent for bacteria and fungal diseases like gray mold, powdery mildews, early and late blight, bacterial spot and walnut blight through production of antimicrobial proteins namely bacteriocin, chitinase, glucanase etc and antibiotics as well as antifungal synthesized by secondary metabolism pathways.
Proteome wide protein production

Protein production and analysis in a parallel fashion is today applied in laboratories worldwide and there is a great need to improve the techniques and systems used for this purpose. In order to save time and money, a fast and reliable screening method for analysis of protein production and also verification of the protein product is desired. Here, a micro-scale protocol for the parallel production and screening of 96 proteins in plate format is described. Protein capture was achieved using immobilized metal affinity chromatography and the product was verified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight MS. In order to obtain sufficiently high cell densities and product yield in the small-volume cultivations, the EnBase (R) cultivation technology was applied, which enables cultivation in as small volumes as 150 mu L. Here, the efficiency of the method is demonstrated by producing 96 human, recombinant proteins, both in micro-scale and using a standard full-scale protocol and comparing the results in regard to both protein identity and sample purity. The results obtained are highly comparable to those acquired through employing standard full-scale purification protocols, thus validating this method as a successful initial screening step before protein production at a larger scale.
Comparative Aspects of Osteosarcoma Pathogenesis in Humans and Dogs

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary and aggressive bone sarcoma affecting the skeleton of two principal species, human beings and canines. The biologic behavior of OS is conserved between people and dogs, and evidence suggests that fundamental discoveries in OS biology can be facilitated through detailed and comparative studies. In particular, the relative genetic homogeneity associated with specific dog breeds can provide opportunities to facilitate the discovery of key genetic drivers involved in OS pathogenesis, which, to-date, remain elusive. In this review, known causative factors that predispose to the development OS in human beings and dogs are summarized in detail. Based upon the commonalities shared in OS pathogenesis, it is likely that foundational discoveries in one species will be translationally relevant to the other and emphasizes the unique opportunities that might be gained through comparative scientific approaches.
Current trends in emergency and intensive caremedicine

S(+)-ketamine, the pure dextrorotatory enantiomer of ketamine has been available for clinical use in analgesia and anesthesia for more than 25 years. The main effects are mediated by noncompetitive inhibition of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor but S(+)-ketamine also interacts with opioid receptors, monoamine receptors, adenosine receptors and other purinergic receptors. Effects on α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR) and L-type calcium chanels have also been described. S(+)-ketamine stimulates the sympathetic nerve system, making it an ideal drug for analgosedation or induction of anesthesia in instable patients. In addition, the neuroprotective properties, bronchodilatory, antihyperalgesic or antiepileptic effects provide interesting therapeutic options. In this article we discuss the numerous effects of S(+)-ketamine under pharmacological and clinical aspects especially for typical indications in emergency medicine as well as intensive care.