Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of the fish pathogen, Serratia liquefaciens, by an antibiotic‐producing isolate of Planococcus recovered from sea water

During 1988, Serratia liquefaciens was recognised as a pathogen of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. , in two marine cage sites within Scotland (Mclntosh & Austin 1990). The antagonistic interactions of the pathogen with native aquatic bacterial communities has been examined. From this study, inhibitory bacteria were recovered and the inhibitory mechanism(s) investigated. Approximately 10 1 of sea water, together with marine algae (namely Fueus and Laminaria) and sediment were collected during October 1988, at lm below the low tide mark, at South Queensferry which is located on the Firth of Forth, near Edinburgh, Scotland. The samples were returned to the laboratory and transferred to a 20-1 capacity glass tank equipped with an aeration system. At the time of sampling, the temperature and salinity of the water were 10°C and 29%o, respectively. A 20-cm length of 2-cm-wide dialysis tubing was filled with a suspension (10** cells/ml) in marine salts solution (MSS; Austin, Allen, Zachary, Belas & Colwell 1979) of S. liquefaciens (strain K2; Mclntosh & Austin 1990). This tubing was suspended in the glass tank containing the marine samples. Preliminary experiments indicated that this technique permitted metabolites to leach out from the organisms inside the dialysis tubing, attracting inhibitory members of the aquatic microbial community. These organisms colonized the outside wall of the dialysis tubing. Water was collected at intervals of 0, 24, 48 and 72 h from the wall and at 1and 30-cm distances from the dialysis tubing. The samples were diluted to lO"'* in MSS, and 0-1-ml volumes spread over the surface of triphcate plates of a basal marine agar (BMA; 0-1% [w/v] glucose, 4-0% [w/v] ammonium chloride, 2% [w/v] TRIS hydrochloride, 1% [w/v] agar No. 1 [Oxoid], prepared in MSS; pH 7-5) with incubation aerobically at 25''C for up to 7 days. Then, an assortment of colonies was picked randomly and examined for antagonism to S. liquefaciens. Thus, BMA plates were inoculated with two parallel streaks of the S. liquefaciens culture, approximately 10cm apart. These plates were incubated at 25°C for 1 h to allow the pathogen to stabilize with the new environment and to permit the surface of the medium to dry properly. Then, a total of 280 pure cultures, from the initial dilution plates, were streaked at right angles (10 colonies per plate) across the lines of inoculum of S. liquefaciens. Inoculated media were incubated at 25'̂ C for up to 72h, whereupon the interruption of growth of S. liquefaciens in the vicinity of the environmental isolates was scored as inhibition. Inhibitory
Pathogenic Biohacking: Induction, Modulation and Subversion of Host Transcriptional Responses by Listeria monocytogenes

During infection, the foodborne bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes dynamically influences the gene expression profile of host cells. Infection-induced transcriptional changes are a typical feature of the host-response to bacteria and contribute to the activation of protective genes such as inflammatory cytokines. However, by using specialized virulence factors, bacterial pathogens can target signaling pathways, transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms to alter host gene expression, thereby reprogramming the response to infection. Therefore, the transcriptional profile that is established in the host is delicately balanced between antibacterial responses and pathogenesis, where any change in host gene expression might significantly influence the outcome of infection. In this review, we discuss the known transcriptional and epigenetic processes that are engaged during Listeria monocytogenes infection, the virulence factors that can remodel them, and the impact these processes have on the outcome of infection.
The role of male nest building in post-mating sexual selection in the monogamous red-necked grebe

In monogamous birds, early male parental effort, such as nest building, may serve as a post-mating sexually-selected display allowing female assessment of male quality. We examined the functional significance of male nest building and the potential role of nest size as a sexually-selected signal in the red-necked grebe (Podiceps grisegena), a species with high mate fidelity. Time-activity budgets showed that no behaviour was performed exclusively by one sex in the pre-laying period, but males spent significantly more time nest building and were more often involved in aggressive intra- and interspecific interactions. Nest building in pairs attempting a second brood was also performed predominantly by males. Greater participation in nest construction by males allowed females to allocate more time to self-maintenance activities in the period prior to egg-laying. The positive relationship found between the relative contribution of males to nest building and later to brood provisioning indicates that male nest building is an honest indicator of future paternal effort. Males obtained copulations solicited by females proportionally to the time spent on nest building, and the extent of male participation in nest construction was of importance for explaining variation in clutch size. Nest size itself is not very likely to be sexually selected in red-necked grebes, as it was found to depend on nest site conditions such as water depth and exposure to wave action. We suggest that greater investment of males in energetically demanding pre-laying activities is functionally similar to post-mating courtship feeding; it constitutes males’ indirect contribution to clutch production and may help to negotiate the relative investment each sex makes in the different stages of the breeding cycle. The results support the idea that, in monogamous birds, naturally selected male characters related to parental care may evolve into important sexual signals to females, although not into extreme displays.
Use of ovitraps for the seasonal and spatial monitoring of Aedes spp. in an area endemic for arboviruses in Northeast Brazil.

INTRODUCTION Due to recent outbreaks of Dengue and Chikungunya and an absence of effective monitoring of the mosquito Aedes spp. in the municipality of São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, State of Maranhão, we aimed to demonstrate the potential of ovitraps used together with mathematical models and geotechnology to improve control of this mosquito. METHODOLOGY From January to December of 2017, ovitraps were set up in five different neighborhoods (Centro, Vila Cardoso, Nazaré, São José e São Francisco). Positivity indices were calculated for each ovitraps, besides the egg density and average number of eggs. Some of the eggs were used for species identification. Mathematical models of correlation and logistic regression were used to evaluate the influence of abiotic factors on egg distribution during each month. Spatial analysis was carried out using georeferencing. RESULTS A total of 4,453 eggs were counted, with A. aegypti and A. albopictus present in each month and neighborhood. The mathematical models show that rainfall can result in a significant increase in the number of eggs. Entomological calculation indicates that there is a high risk of dissemination of arboviruses in the area. Spatially, it was possible to indicate sites with the largest number of collected eggs, which may facilitate future interventions. CONCLUSIONS As such, ovitraps have proven to be an effective and low cost method for the monitoring of Aedes spp. , and that its use may help in arboviruses prevention campaigns.
Facts and numerical artefacts in modelling the dispersal of crown-of-thorns starfish larvae in the Great Barrier Reef

Existing models of the dispersal of crown-of-thorns starfish larvae in the Great Barrier Reef suffer from problems with numerical algorithms, unrealistic assumptions about open-boundary forcings, and unrealistic parameterization of dispersion processes in the presence of salient topography. These problems probably invalidate some of the published model results, and these models should probably not be used for management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Staphylococcus sciuri Strain LCHXa is a Free-Living Lithium-Tolerant Bacterium Isolated from Salar de Atacama, Chile

In addition to the industrial and biomedical applications of lithium, information on the tolerance of microorganisms to high Li concentrations in natural biological systems is limited. Strain LCHXa is a novel free-living Gram-positive, non-motile bacterium strain isolated from water samples taken at Laguna Chaxa, a non-industrial water body with the highest soluble Li content (33 mM LiCl) within the Salar de Atacama basin in northern Chile. Enrichment was conducted in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium supplemented with 1 M LiCl. Strain LCHXa was a Novobiocin-resistant and coagulase negative Staphylococcus. Phylogenetically, strain LCHXa belongs to the species Staphylococcus sciuri. Strain LCHXa grew optimally in LB medium at pH 6–8 and 37 °C, and it was able to sustain growth at molar Li concentrations at 2 M LiCl, with a decrease in the specific growth rate of 85%. Osmoregulation in strain LCHXa partially involves glycine betaine and glycerol as compatible solutes.
Decisional autonomy undermines advisees’ judgments of experts in medicine and in life

Significance The debate over whether people ought to be guided paternalistically or given full decisional autonomy has been raging for centuries. However, in many Western societies, autonomy has become the gold standard. The US medical system, in particular, has increasingly prioritized patient autonomy. The present research examines the important question of how patients and advisees broadly react to full decisional autonomy. We find that advisees making difficult decisions prefer paternalism to autonomy, but doctors do not anticipate this preference. We document this preference within medicine and within a range of other contexts characterized by adviser–advisee asymmetries in expertise. Our results suggest that advisees facing difficult decisions do not perceive autonomy as the gold standard. Over the past several decades, the United States medical system has increasingly prioritized patient autonomy. Physicians routinely encourage patients to come to their own decisions about their medical care rather than providing patients with clearer yet more paternalistic advice. Although political theorists, bioethicists, and philosophers generally see this as a positive trend, the present research examines the important question of how patients and advisees in general react to full decisional autonomy when making difficult decisions under uncertainty. Across six experiments (N = 3,867), we find that advisers who give advisees decisional autonomy rather than offering paternalistic advice are judged to be less competent and less helpful. As a result, advisees are less likely to return to and recommend these advisers and pay them lower wages. Importantly, we also demonstrate that advisers do not anticipate these effects. We document these results both inside and outside the medical domain, suggesting that the preference for paternalism is not unique to medicine but rather is a feature of situations in which there are adviser–advisee asymmetries in expertise. We find that the preference for paternalism holds when advice is solicited or unsolicited, when both paternalism and autonomy are accompanied by expert guidance, and it persists both before and after the outcomes of paternalistic advice are realized. Lastly, we see that the preference for paternalism only occurs when decision makers perceive their decision to be difficult. These results challenge the benefits of recently adopted practices in medical decision making that prioritize full decisional autonomy.
Computer-assisted photo-identié cation of individual marine vertebrates: a multi-species system

A computer program named ‘ Finscan’ was developed for identifying individual marine animals by comparing new photographic images with a collection of previously identie ed images. The matching process was based on the pattern of nicks and notches commonly found along the trailing edge of the dorsal e n of many delphinid species. The program also allowed the inclusion of other user-dee ned descriptive features, such as leadingedge notches and truncated or irregular shapes. The output of the system was a presentation of images selected from the database, shown in order of similarity to a query image, so that the user could cone rm the match. Two algorithms for representing notch patterns were tested and compared and the system was evaluated with dorsal e n images of several marine vertebrates, as well as e uke images for one species. Using a database of images that were previously identie ed by expert observers, the performance of the system was measured in terms of the number of incorrect matches that were o Vered before the correct match. Since in most cases the correct match was oVered as the e rst or one of the e rst suggestions, the program substantially reduced the amount of eVort required to perform photo-based matching.
European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) Position Statement on Dermatologic Ultrasound

Abstract Dermatologic ultrasound is a recent application of ultrasound for the evaluation of healthy skin and appendages and their diseases. Although the scientific literature regarding this application is still not sufficient for evidence-based guidelines, general recommendations issued by scientific societies are necessary. The EFSUMB (European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology) steering committee for dermatologic ultrasound has developed a series of consensus position statements regarding the main fields of dermatologic ultrasound (technical requirement, normal skin and appendages, inflammatory skin diseases, tumoral skin diseases, aesthetic dermatology and practice-training requirements). This document is the foundation for future evidence-based recommendations and guidelines for dermatologic ultrasound practice.
(-)-cis-Carveol, a Natural Compound, Improves β-Amyloid-Peptide 1-42-Induced Memory Impairment and Oxidative Stress in the Rat Hippocampus

Alzheimer's disease (AD) could be considered a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of the β-amyloid-peptide (Aβ) within the brain leading to cognitive deficits, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. The present work was carried out to investigate the neuroprotective effect of (-)-cis-carveol (1% and 3%, for 21 days) against the β-amyloid-peptide 1-42- (Aβ1-42-) induced AD. Twenty-five rats were divided into five groups (n = 5/group): the first group—control (sham-operated); the second group—Aβ1-42 (1 mM) that received donepezil treatment (5 mg/kg, as the positive reference drug in the Y-maze and the radial arm maze tests); the third group—Aβ1-42 (1 mM); the fourth and fifth groups—Aβ1-42 (1 mM) that received (-)-cis-carveol treatment groups (1% and 3%). The results of this study demonstrated that (-)-cis-carveol improved Aβ1-42-induced memory deficits examined by using Y-maze and radial arm maze in vivo tests. Also, the biochemical analyses of the hippocampus homogenates showed that (-)-cis-carveol reduced hippocampal oxidative stress caused by Aβ1-42. Our results suggested that the use of (-)-cis-carveol may be suitable for decreasing AD-related symptoms.
Treatment of stage I–III periodontitis—The EFP S3 level clinical practice guideline

Abstract Background The recently introduced 2017 World Workshop on the classification of periodontitis, incorporating stages and grades of disease, aims to link disease classification with approaches to prevention and treatment, as it describes not only disease severity and extent but also the degree of complexity and an individual's risk. There is, therefore, a need for evidence‐based clinical guidelines providing recommendations to treat periodontitis. Aim The objective of the current project was to develop a S3 Level Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for the treatment of Stage I–III periodontitis. Material and Methods This S3 CPG was developed under the auspices of the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP), following the methodological guidance of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). The rigorous and transparent process included synthesis of relevant research in 15 specifically commissioned systematic reviews, evaluation of the quality and strength of evidence, the formulation of specific recommendations and consensus, on those recommendations, by leading experts and a broad base of stakeholders. Results The S3 CPG approaches the treatment of periodontitis (stages I, II and III) using a pre‐established stepwise approach to therapy that, depending on the disease stage, should be incremental, each including different interventions. Consensus was achieved on recommendations covering different interventions, aimed at (a) behavioural changes, supragingival biofilm, gingival inflammation and risk factor control; (b) supra‐ and sub‐gingival instrumentation, with and without adjunctive therapies; (c) different types of periodontal surgical interventions; and (d) the necessary supportive periodontal care to extend benefits over time. Conclusion This S3 guideline informs clinical practice, health systems, policymakers and, indirectly, the public on the available and most effective modalities to treat periodontitis and to maintain a healthy dentition for a lifetime, according to the available evidence at the time of publication.
A Comparison of Two DNA Metagenomic Bioinformatic Pipelines While Evaluating the Microbial Diversity in Feces of Tanzanian Small Holder Dairy Cattle

Analysis of shotgun metagenomic data generated from next generation sequencing platforms can be done through a variety of bioinformatic pipelines. These pipelines employ different sets of sophisticated bioinformatics algorithms which may affect the results of this analysis. In this study, we compared two commonly used pipelines for shotgun metagenomic analysis: MG-RAST and Kraken 2, in terms of taxonomic classification, diversity analysis, and usability using their primarily default parameters. Overall, the two pipelines detected similar abundance distributions in the three most abundant taxa Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Within bacterial domain, 497 genera were identified by both pipelines, while an additional 694 and 98 genera were solely identified by Kraken 2 and MG-RAST, respectively. 933 species were detected by the two algorithms. Kraken 2 solely detected 3550 species, while MG-RAST identified 557 species uniquely. For archaea, Kraken 2 generated 105 and 236 genera and species, respectively, while MG-RAST detected 60 genera and 88 species. 54 genera and 72 species were commonly detected by the two methods. Kraken 2 had a quicker analysis time (~4 hours) while MG-RAST took approximately 2 days per sample. This study revealed that Kraken 2 and MG-RAST generate comparable results and that a reliable high-level overview of sample is generated irrespective of the pipeline selected. However, Kraken 2 generated a more accurate taxonomic identification given the higher number of “Unclassified” reads in MG-RAST. The observed variations at the genus level show that a main restriction is using different databases for classification of the metagenomic data. The results of this research indicate that a more inclusive and representative classification of microbiomes may be achieved through creation of the combined pipelines.
Precision Medicine in Interventional Cardiology

Precision medicine has recently become widely advocated. It revolves around the individual patient, taking into account genetic, biomarker, phenotypic or psychosocial characteristics and uses biological, mechanical and/or personal variables to optimise individual therapy. In silico testing, such as the Virtual Physiological Human project, is being promoted to predict risk and to test treatments and medical devices. It combines artificial intelligence and computational modelling to select the best therapeutic option for the individual patient.
Phalaris aquatica cv. 'Grasslands Maru'.

Abstract The roles of Phalaris aquatica L. in New Zealand farming and erosion control are briefly discussed, and also the need for a cultivar bred and readily available in this country. The breeding programme began with 2 spaced-plant projects which surveyed the genetic variation available and identified promising sources. The best lines were screened through mowing trials in a dry region, and 7 of them (received from Pergamino, Argentina) were chosen for further screening as spaced plants. Selection was aimed at improving establishment vigour, forage yield, palatability, seed yield, and uniformity. The resulting cultivar, ‘Grasslands Maru’, is based on 82 parent plants from 5 of the Pergamino lines. Its characteristics and suggested management are briefly described. It appears to have higher yields than the (then) available Australian cultivars, and has lower total alkaloid concentrations. Nevertheless, it may still cause phalaris staggers under long-term feeding to sheep. To help establishment, grazing .
Phylogenetic Relationships of Opsopoeodus emiliae, with Comments on the Taxonomic Implications of Discordance among Datasets

Mitochondrial (cyt b and ND2) and nuclear gene (S7 intron 1) sequences were generated to evaluate phylogenetic relationships and validity of the monotypic minnow genus Opsopoeodus. Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial markers resulted in largely unresolved relationships among ingroup taxa. Relationships recovered from the nuclear intron were well resolved and consistent with previously published morphological, chromosomal, and behavioral data that supported the recognition of Opsopoeodus as a genus. Although mitochondrial genes recovered species as strongly supported clades, they provided limited resolution of relationships among ingroup species and genera and showed high levels of saturation at inter-genus levels of divergence. These findings re-emphasize the importance of considering multiple datasets in making taxonomic decisions and caution against use of single gene trees alone.
The challenges of using the WebCAPE placement exam in an advanced Spanish grammar class

ABSTRACT This study attempts to ascertain if the WebCAPE placement exam can be used to measure improvement in an upper division grammar course. The WebCAPE online placement exam is a widely used instrument designed to help university language programs place students into the basic language course best corresponding to their proficiency level. This is done through computerized adaptive language testing optimized for students in the first four semesters of basic language instruction. In this study the researcher employed this placement exam in the context of an advanced Spanish grammar class. The study revealed that the WebCAPE produces statistically significant results when correlated to final grade, test average, and the second administration of the placement exam at the end of the semester. However, the effect sizes for the predictive elements were small. It was further observed that for participants who initially placed above the recommended cut-off for higher than third semester Spanish, there was a moderately negative correlation between initial placement score and class performance. It is speculated that the nature of the placement exam produces a ceiling effect that reduces its placement value for classes beyond basic Spanish.