Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nickel Homeostasis in Helicobacter Species

textabstractGastric Helicobacter species are adapted to colonize the acidic environment of the stomach. Colonization with H pylori is life long if untreated, and can lead to gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and eventually to gastric cancer. Although H pylori is sensitive to many antibiotics in vitro, only a limited number of antibiotics can be used in vivo while increasing resistance against these therapeutics significantly impairs the treatment of H pylori infection. Metals play an essential role in the metabolism of all living organisms, including gastric Helicobacter species, but can also be deleterious when metal availability is either too low or too high. Therefore cells need to maintain homeostasis of intracellular metal concentrations to allow survival and growth. A better understanding of metal homeostasis in gastric Helicobacter species may allow for the knowledge-led development of therapeutics which are based on disturbing the balance of the intracellular metal concentrations to either toxicity or restriction. The focus of this PhD-thesis is on nickel metabolism, since this metal is the cofactor of the urease enzyme and hydrogenase enzyme, both essential for colonization of gastric Helicobacter species. The high expression level of the urease enzyme mediates acid resistance in the presence of urea, but also necessitates the import of relatively high concentrations of nickel. Although transcriptional regulation by the nickel-dependent regulator NikR has been studied, relative little is known about which proteins are involved in actual transport of nickel. The genome era has opened the possibility of functional genomics investigations, using the information from the genomes of different Helicobacter species. Many of the genes of Helicobacter species do not yet have a predicted function, or have been assigned a putative function only based on homology with genes from other bacterial species. Comparison of the genomic content of different Helicobacter species and transcriptional and functional characterization of the genes putatively involved in nickel homeostasis, as presented in this thesis, will provide more insight in how these bacteria are able to acquire sufficient concentrations of nickel.
Where’s the roadmap? The transition from student to professional for new Master of Social Work graduates

In 2015, more than 25,000 Master of Social Work (MSW) students in the U.S. graduated and embarked on their career, and while some studies have discussed this transition for undergraduates, few studies have focused solely on the school to work transition for MSWs. This grounded theory study focused on the professional journey of 27 new MSWs employed for less than 18 months. A conceptual five-stage model called Riding the Waves is proposed, which captures the transition experience. Implications for social work students, educators, and employers are discussed, including better preparing students for the transition, improving orientation and supervision, and providing the support that these new professionals require and deserve.
Treatment with Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone Agonists in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients Receiving Cyclophosphamide: A Long-term Follow-up Study.

BACKGROUND Cyclophosphamide treatment has been associated with ovarian function impairment. Co-treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone-analogue (GnRH-a) seems to be able to prevent this complication. However, even though data are available on neoplastic patients, limited data have been published on systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) women cohorts. OBJECTIVES To evaluate GnRH-a efficacy on ovarian function preservation in SLE women receiving cyclophosphamide treatment. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective study including SLE women requiring cyclophosphamide treatment and compared those treated with and without GnRH-a (case and controls, respectively). All patients were evaluated before cyclophosphamide treatment and every 3 months in the following years. Ovarian function was evaluated using hormonal profiles. RESULTS The study comprised 33 SLE cyclophosphamide-treated women: 18 co-treated with triptorelin and 15 controls. The mean follow-up was 8.1 ± 5.1 years (range 4-11). Premature ovarian failure (POF) prevalence was significantly lower in SLE women treated by cyclophosphamide plus triptorelin compared to controls (11.1% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.0002). The occurrence of POF was significantly associated with higher age at the time of cyclophosphamide treatment (P = 0.008). Only patients in the GnRH-a treated group had successful pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS The study provides information about the efficacy of co-treatment with GnRH-a in SLE women receiving cyclophosphamide, as demonstrated by the lower POF incidence compared to untreated subjects, based on long-term follow-up. These results reinforce the use of GnRH-a for fertility preservation in premenopausal SLE patients treated by cyclophosphamide.
Shaping College Students’ Civic Attitudes Through Faculty Teaching Practices and Student-Faculty Interactions

Abstract Using data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education, this study examined the relationship between several faculty practices and interactions with students and students’ civic engagement attitudes. Several faculty practices were associated with positive civic attitudes, including frequency of student–faculty contact, use of cooperative learning classroom activities, use of course content that helps students see connections between intended careers and how they affect society, and use of course content that helps students understand the historical, political, and social connections of past events. Implications for institutional policy and practice are discussed.
Efficacy and Safety of Androgen-Deprivation Therapy Combined with Docetaxel Plus Prednisone in High-Burden Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hormonal and synchronous docetaxel plus prednisone (DocP) in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Methods One hundred fifty-one cases with high-burden mHSPC diagnosed at 1 single center from January 2014 to August 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 85 cases received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) within 3 months, along with 6 cycles of docetaxel + prednisone (treatment group), whereas 66 received ADT alone (control group). The primary end point was the median overall survival (OS), while the secondary outcomes included prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival (PFS), radiographic PFS, and the proportion of PSA falling to 0.2 ng/mL. Results A total of 151 patients were included and followed up for a median of 34 months in this study. The median OS time in the treatment group was unavailable, but it was remarkably longer than that of the control group (P<0.001). In addition, the PFS of PSA in the treatment group and control group was 17.9 months and 9.2 months, respectively (P<0.001). Meanwhile, the radiographic PFS was 43 months in the treatment group and 19.8 months in the control group, respectively (P<0.001). The proportions of PSA falling to 0.2 ng/mL were 53.7% and 23.3%, respectively (P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of ≥3 toxic side effects between these 2 groups (P=0. 21). Conclusion ADT combined with 6 cycles of docetaxel + prednisone chemotherapy benefits patients diagnosed with high-burden mHSPC in terms of the OS, PFS of PSA and radiographic, and the ratio of PSA falling to 0.2 ng/mL.
Tegumental glands in the paragnaths of Palaemon serratus (Crustacea: Natantia)

The three lobed paragnath of Palaemon serratus (Pennant) contains numerous rosette-type tegumental glands often arranged in clusters of up to ten glands. Each gland is made up of around ten cells most of which stain deeply with toluidine blue and whose contents have a reticulate appearance in electron micrographs. One, or occasionally two, cells stain faintly and have a fine granular appearance in electron micrographs. The central region of each gland contains the main drainage duct together with feeder canals from the vesicular storage areas. The actively secreting region of each cell is peripheral and typified by abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. There are nerves adjacent to the glands and their contents are probably discharged in response to a food stimulus. The structure and possible function of the glands are discussed in relation to those of other species The secretions could act as a lubricant and as a binding agent to aid in the ingestion of particulate food. There is no evidence for any direct digestive function.
Measuring mating competition correctly: available evidence supports operational sex ratio theory

Central to sexual selection theory is the question of when individuals should compete for mates. Theory predicts that the sex ratio of ready-to-mate individuals (operational sex ratio; OSR) affects male and female mating competition. In accordance with this, the strength of mating competition, measured by agonistic behaviors and courtship displays, has been found to co-vary with the OSR in field populations of several species. However, laboratory experiments have often produced results that seemingly contradict OSR theory, especially for courtship behavior. We argue that this may be because experiments typically measure frequencies of competitive behaviors. Frequencies of courtship and agonistic behavior are not only affected by the level of mating competition, but also by the number of potential mates or competitors encountered. In contrast, the propensity to behave competitively at a given encounter represents a behavioral response, and thus directly reflects mating competition. We show in 2 simple models that 1) courtship frequency can be expected to respond differently from courtship propensity to changes in OSR and 2) an increase in frequency of agonistic behaviors could occur even if the propensity is not affected by the OSR. In a meta-analysis of studies on courtship competition, we show that frequency measures produced largely opposite results to propensity measures, as predicted by our model. Moreover, courtship propensity increased when the OSR became more biased toward competitors. This presents strong evidence that the OSR affects competition, in the form of courtship, as predicted by OSR theory.
The role of methanol in promoting plant growth : A current evaluation

The biochemical responses of plants to methanol have become subjects of controversy since Nonomura and Benson (1992a, 1992b) reported remarkable growth enhancement of C3 plants treated with methanol. Despite the authors’ numerous positive findings, other researchers have had mixed results. Although some positive responses have been reported (Devlin et al., 1994; Hemming et al., 1995; Li et al., 1995; Nishio et al., 1994; Valenzuela et al., 1994), most publications report no evidence of gain in biomass in treated plants (Hartz et al., 1994; Mauney and Gerik, 1994; McGiffen et al., 1995; Mitchell et al., 1994). These contradictory results have left the efficacy of methanol treatments unresolved. Methanol metabolism in plants is poorly understood. Methanol is a naturally occurring, volatile organic compound emitted from the leaves of many plant species (MacDonald and Fall, 1993; Nemecek-Marshall et al., 1995), but the origin of emission is uncertain. Interestingly, leaves typically harbor methylotrophic bacteria capable of metabolizing methanol (Corpe and Rheem, 1989; Holland and Polacco, 1994), and these bacteria may be associated with leaf surface methanol emission. Methylotrophic yeast is also capable of metabolizing methanol. Since microorganisms have diverse pathways of methanol metabolism, it is not surprising that plants have several biochemical pathways for converting low levels of methanol into C1 metabolites (Cossins, 1964, 1980; Doman and Romanova, 1962). In this report, we discuss key similarities between pathways of methanol assimilation in microbes and those proposed in higher plants. We then review the findings on the effects of methanol on plant growth and development.
Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Rabbits Fed Oil Supplemented Diets

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of feeding different dietary fat supplements in the finisher rations of Baladi rabbits, including sesame oil (SO), olive oil sediments (OOS), and poultry grease (PG), in comparison to the traditional oil supplement, the soybean soap stock oil (SS), on growth performance, blood lipid profile, dressing percentage and carcass cut, and meat quality: water holding capacity (WHC) and cell forming unit (CFU). A total of 48 Baladi rabbits were used, with individual body weights (BW) of 519 ± 22 g at the beginning of the experiment. Rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups of 12, and those in each group were individually fed cereal grain-soybean meal (SBM) with a fixed amount ( i.e . 30 g/kg dry matter (DM)) of oil, being either soybean oil (SOY), olive oil sediments (OOS), recycled restaurant oil (RRO), or poultry grease (PG). All rations were isonitrogenous and contained iso-metabolizable energy (ME). At the end of the 44 day feeding trial, all animals were slaughtered. Rabbits fed a SOY supplemented diet consumed more (P < 0.05) feed than those fed the OOS, RRO, or PG supplemented diets. However, rabbits fed the SOY had a better (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio than rabbits fed the OOS, PG, or RRO diets. Oil source had no effect on carcass components weights. Liver was heavier (P < 0.05) in rabbits fed the SOY supplemented diet. However, the RRO fed rabbits had heavier (P < 0.05) small intestine, large intestine and cecum. In conclusion, the positive effects of the tested oil supplements ( i.e. RRO, OOS, PG) on the studied performance and carcass traits is encouraging, but more investigation is needed to identify the optimal levels for these supplements in various diets of local rabbits. doi: 10.14456/WJST.2016. 10
The developing role of clofarabine in acute leukemias

Nucleoside analogs count among the most active components of anticancer therapies.1,2 Through DNA incorporation and inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase (RnR), an enzyme involved in the recycling of the celluar nucleotide pool, their effects result in termination of DNA chain elongation, inhibition of DNA synthesis, interference with DNA repair mechanisms, and finally apoptosis.3,4 Several nucleoside analogs have become an integral part of treatment for a diverse range of malignancies. Cytarabine (1-β-D-arabinosylcytosine, ara-C) is used predominantly for therapy of patients with acute myeloid leukemias (AML) whereas the main spectrum of activity of gemcitabine (2’,2’-difluorodeoxycytidine), is in solid tumor malignancies.5,6 Fludarabine (9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-2-fluoro-adenine 5’-monophosphate) and cladribine (2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, 2-CdA) have been among the first clinically useful purine nucleoside analogs and both are highly active in indolent lymphoproliferative disorders.7 An intriguing aspect of nucleoside analogs thus remains how apparently minor alterations in structure can result in major differences with respect to pharmacology, metabolism, and spectrum of activity.
Longevity of a wild bat-eared fox

Longevity in wild bat-eared foxes ( Otocyon megalotis ) has never been reported. Long lifespans might be rare in most populations due to disease and predation from larger carnivores. While conducting ecological research on bat-eared foxes on private sheep farms near Kimberley, Northern Cape, we documented a wild bat-eared fox to be at least 9 years old. The unusually old age of this fox might have been due to lack of larger carnivores on the study site, including black-backed jackals ( Canis mesomelas ), which might normally predate on, or transmit diseases to, bat-eared foxes.
Biological and Descriptive Notes on Noctuid Larvae

These observations, dealing with noctuid larvae, were made while the writer was associated with the Canadian Forest Insect and Disease Survey. Twenty-four species have been examined: 9 in the Hadeninae, 10 in the Cucullinae, 3 in the Amphipyrinae, and 2 in the Catocalinae. The arrangement of the subfamilies follows that of McDunnough (1938). This material is being published because many of these species have not been included in Crumb (1956) and new data are presented on the species considered by him. The descriptions were made from living and preserved larvae. Notes on biologies, unless otherwise indicated, refer to those made by the writer in Manitoba and Alberta during the years 1944-1954. The hosts are those on which larvae have been reared to adults by the Forest Insect and Disease Survey, except in a few cases where the host is cited from the literature. “Free-living larvae”, are those that feed openly. When the number of instars is not known the larvae are described as antepenultimate, penultimate, and ultimate. In measurements, H.W. refers to head width, B.L. , to total larval length, and B.W. , to greatest larval width.
Serine/threonine-specific protein phosphatases and cancer

In a multicellular organism, the cell number depends on the balance between cell proliferation and programmed cell death or apoptosis. Human cancer is a disease that involves unrestrained cell cycle progression and/or a failure to undergo apoptosis. While we have identified the essential pathways controlling the cell number, we have realised that these two processes are regulated by protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation. Considerable effort is now being devoted towards testing and exploiting molecular targets that can improve the mostly frustrating results of present chemotherapy. Given that our understanding of protein phosphorylation is far better than that of protein dephosphorylation, it is not surprising that most of the work is currently focused on select protein kinases, their regulators and substrates. This review will discuss recent advances in the characterisation of protein phosphatases, which play a role in controlling the cell number and, at the same time, attempt to identify important areas for future research. While protein kinases in general function as positive regulators of cell cycle progression and cell survival, most, but not all, protein phosphatases have been shown to have the opposite effect. Several phosphatases decelerate or block cell cycle progression and/or facilitate cell death. Collectively, these findings raise the possibility that protein phosphatases are novel targets for significantly improved therapy of cancer. Specific approaches to exploit this potential will be discussed.
Seasonal Prevalence of Aedes aegypti in Semi-Urban Area of Yangon Region, Myanmar

Prevalence rate of Aedes aegypti was conducted in 20 houses from semi-urban areas of Yangon Region. Larval surveys were done at indoors and outdoors water containers of five types. Prevalence rate of larval density larvae was investigated monthly by standard indices. The highest infestation rate of the container index (CI) was in June 2018 (56.52%), the second highest was in July 2017 (48.36%) and the lowest rate was in April 2017 (5.07%); those of the Jar index (JI) was highest (36.49%) in June and second highest rate (23.8%) was in October 2017. Reasoning the Metal drum (MI) was highest (13.95%) in June 2018 and second highest (6.25%) was in July 2017. The larval infestation rate of Earthen pot (EI) was highest (42.1%) in July 2017. The larval incident rate in almost all indices showed that the highest rate was at the beginning of monsoon season, in June and July, while in the remaining months, the larval incident rate was found to decrease due to the application of insecticides in the study area by the Township Public Health Department. However, the application of insecticides did not cover all the breeding sites of the mosquitoes, the water puddles under their houses were left to apply the insecticides. The positive larval incident rate was assessed by Household (HI), Container index (CI), Breteau index (BI). The highest and second highest positive larval incident rates were all in June 2018 and July 2017 in all indices, HI (27.3% and 23.4%), CI (56.52% and 48.36%), BI (17.56% and 16.79%) and SI (28.49% and 24.38%) respectively. The lowest rate in all indices was 2.56% (HI), 5.07% (IC), 2.67% (BI) and 1.91% (SI) in April. In this study, the fluctuation of indices of infestation rates and positive larval index value was positively correlated in similar trends in the study months. The reason for difficult control measure depends on the water sources under their houses and remains stagnant throughout the year, even in the dry season. High incident and death rates of the children due to Dengue/Dengue Haemorrhagic fever patients in June and July could not be directly correlated with the prevalence of Aedes aegypti. The control measure is needed to wash out the water source under the houses and to apply the insecticides to the all breeding sites.
First isolation and identification of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from frozen and shock frozen dressed broiler chicken in Sudan.

Aim: To isolate and identify Listeria monocytogenes from frozen and shock frozen raw dressed broiler chicken in Khartoum State, Sudan. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum-North, Sudan, between July 2011 and June 2012. Methodology: Eight hundred samples were used in this the study. Five hundred frozen (-18o) raw dressed broiler chickens samples were collected from five station chicken abattoirs in Khartoum State. Three hundred samples were collected as fresh, -18oC and shock frozen (-40oC) raw dressed broiler chickens. Detection and isolation of L. monocytogenes was carried out using the conventional International Organization for Standardization method. Results: Out of the 500 samples, 195(39%) were found to be contaminated with Iisteria spp. ; L. monocytogenes 64(12.8%), Listeria ivanovii 97(19.4%), Listeria grayi 20(4%), Listeria seeligeri 5(1%), Listeria welshimeri 9(1.8%). Out of the 300 samples, 111(37%) Research Article British Microbiology Research Journal, 4(1): 28-38, 2014 29 were found to be contaminated with Iisteria spp. ; L. monocytogenes 39(13%), Listeria ivanovii 54(18%), Listeria grayi 11(3.6%), Listeria seeligeri 3(1%) and Listeria welshimeri 4(1.3%). Conclusion: The results presented in this study indicated that L. monocytogenes was found in frozen (-18oC) raw dressed broiler chicken and shock frozen (-40oC) raw dressed broiler chickens.
Identification of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in 5'-UTR of CYP11B1 Gene in Pakistani Sahiwal Cattle

A major goal in animal genetics is to understand the role of common genetic variants in diseases susceptibility and production traits. Sahiwal cattle can be considered as a global animal genetic resource due to its relatively high milk producing ability, resistance against tropical diseases and heat tolerant. CYP11B1 gene provides instructions for making a mitochondrial enzyme called steroid 11-beta-hydroxylase. It catalyzes the 11deoxy-cortisol to cortisol and 11deoxycorticosterone to corticosterone in cattle. The bovine CYP11B1 gene is positioned on BTA14q12 comprises of eight introns and nine exons and protein is associated with mitochondrial epithelium. The present study was aimed to identify the single-nucleotide polymorphisms in CYP11B1 gene in Sahiwal cattle breed of Pakistan. Four polymorphic sites were identified in exon one of CYP11B1 gene through sequencing approach. Significant finding was the incidence of the C→T polymorphism in 5'-UTR, causing amino acid substitution from alanine to valine (A30V) in Sahiwal cattle breed. That Ala/Val polymorphism may serve as a powerful genetic tool for the development of DNA markers that can be used for the particular traits for different local cattle breeds. Keywords—CYP11B1, single nucleotide polymorphism, sahiwal cattle, Pakistan.