Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tetanus Toxin Synthesis is Under the Control of A Complex Network of Regulatory Genes in Clostridium tetani

Clostridium tetani produces a potent neurotoxin, the tetanus toxin (TeNT), which is responsible for an often-fatal neurological disease (tetanus) characterized by spastic paralysis. Prevention is efficiently acquired by vaccination with the TeNT toxoid, which is obtained by C. tetani fermentation and subsequent purification and chemical inactivation. C. tetani synthesizes TeNT in a regulated manner. Indeed, the TeNT gene (tent) is mainly expressed in the late exponential and early stationary growth phases. The gene tetR (tetanus regulatory gene), located immediately upstream of tent, encodes an alternative sigma factor which was previously identified as a positive regulator of tent. In addition, the genome of C. tetani encodes more than 127 putative regulators, including 30 two-component systems (TCSs). Here, we investigated the impact of 12 regulators on TeNT synthesis which were selected based on their homology with related regulatory elements involved in toxin production in other clostridial species. Among nine TCSs tested, three of them impact TeNT production, including two positive regulators that indirectly stimulate tent and tetR transcription. One negative regulator was identified that interacts with both tent and tetR promoters. Two other TCSs showed a moderate effect: one binds to the tent promoter and weakly increases the extracellular TeNT level, and another one has a weak inverse effect. In addition, CodY (control of dciA (decoyinine induced operon) Y) but not Spo0A (sporulation stage 0) or the DNA repair protein Mfd (mutation frequency decline) positively controls TeNT synthesis by interacting with the tent promoter. Moreover, we found that inorganic phosphate and carbonate are among the environmental factors that control TeNT production. Our data show that TeNT synthesis is under the control of a complex network of regulators that are largely distinct from those involved in the control of toxin production in Clostridium botulinum or Clostridium difficile.
Comparing Image Segmentation Techniques for Determining 3D Orbital Cavernous Hemangioma Size on MRI

Purpose: To measure orbital cavernous hemangioma size using 3 segmentation methods requiring different degrees of subjective judgment, and to evaluate interobserver agreement using these methods. Methods: Fourteen patients with orbital cavernous hemangiomas were included in the study. Pretreatment T2-weighted MRIs were analyzed by 2 observers using 3 methods, including 1 user-dependent image segmentation method that required high degrees of subjective judgment (ellipsoid) and 2 parameter-dependent methods that required low degree of subjective judgment (GrowCut and k-means clustering segmentation). Interobserver agreement was assessed using Lin’s concordance correlation coefficients. Results: Using the ellipsoid method, the average tumor sizes calculated by the 2 observers were 1.68 ml (standard deviation [SD] 1.45 ml) and 1.48 ml (SD 1.19 ml). Using the GrowCut method, the average tumor sizes calculated by the 2 observers were 3.00 ml (SD 2.46 ml) and 6.34 ml (SD 3.78 ml). Using k-means clustering segmentation, the average tumor sizes calculated by the 2 observers were 2.31 ml (SD 1.83 ml) and 2.12 ml (SD 1.87 ml). The concordance correlation coefficient for the ellipsoid, GrowCut, and k-means clustering methods were 0.92 (95% CI, 0.83–0.99), 0.12 (95% CI, –0.21 to 0.44), and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.90–0.99), respectively. Conclusions: k-means clustering, a parameter-dependent method with low degree of subjective judgment, showed better interobserver agreement compared with the ellipsoid and GrowCut methods. k-means clustering clearly delineated tumor boundaries and outlined components of the tumor with different signal intensities. k-means clustering, a parameter-dependent image segmentation method with low degree of subjective judgment, showed better interobserver agreement compared with user-dependent image segmentation methods when measuring orbital cavernous hemangioma tumor size.
Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation in Temporomandibular Disorder-Related Pain Using a 635 nm Diode Laser: A Randomized, Blinded, and Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of photobiomodulation (PBM), using an 635 nm diode laser, to provide pain relief for temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Background data: TMD involves a set of multiple clinical manifestations where pain is prevalent. Treatment ideally should be noninvasive and innocuous such as PBM. Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinically blinded trial was performed on 42 patients with painful TMD diagnosed according the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders. They were randomly placed into two groups: an intervention group (n = 22) subjected to the application of a 635 nm wavelength diode laser (using a 8-mm diameter handpiece in contact mode, delivering 8 J/cm2 over a period of 20 sec applied over the sensitive points where the pain was reported by the participants) and a placebo group (n = 20) following the same protocol but without laser activation. All patients received four sessions of treatment over 4 weeks. Personal pain perception, nonassisted pain-free maximum mouth opening and tenderness elicited during palpation of muscles were used as primary outcomes, evaluated at baseline and at follow-up 1 month later by blinded, calibrated evaluators. Results: There was a significant reduction in the degree of pain recorded in the laser group after treatment (0.63 ± 0.36) compared with the baseline evaluation (4.59 ± 2.36; p < 0.001), which was not observed in the placebo group. Reduction of pain during palpation of most masticatory muscles was significant following treatment in the intervention group. A significant increase in the nonassisted painless mouth opening was observed after treatment (42.14 ± 5.8 mm) compared with baseline values (36.73 ± 9.91 mm) only among the laser group (p = 0.007). There were no reported adverse events or side effects among the patients in the intervention group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PBM using a 635 nm laser was effective on the remission of painful TMD, without complications.
A theme issue on the biology and biodiversity of 'Allogromiid' foraminifera

Species with delicate organic tests often constitute a substantial component of benthic foraminiferal assemblages. These morphologically simple, usually single-chambered (monothalamous) organisms are allogromiids (Order Allogromiida) in the traditional sense (Loeblich and Tappan, 1992; Sen Gupta, 1999). They formed the starting point for the First International Workshop on Allogromiid Foraminifera, which met at the end of August at the Tjano Marine Biological Laboratory of the University of Goteborg, on the west coast of Sweden. The workshop was organized by Tomas Cedhagen and brought together some 23 scientists, who included biologically-inclined micropalaeontologists, biologists and protozoologists, from 12 different countries. It consisted of a mixture of lectures, discussions, sampling and practical work for which the Tjano laboratory provided an ideal and tranquil setting. One central theme of the Workshop was the question: “what are allogromiids? ” Recent work on molecular genetics clearly demonstrates that the organic-walled allogromiids referred to above do not form a coherent taxonomic group but are scattered amongst monothalamous agglutinated Foraminifera currently accommodated within the Order Astrorhizida (Pawlowski and others, 2002, this volume). According to the molecular evidence, these Foraminifera can be arranged into a series of distinct evolutionary lineages which cut across traditional taxonomic boundaries. Together, they form an exceptionally diverse grouping that is difficult to encapsulate within a simple definition. This grouping includes species with agglutinated and organic tests, as well as a few “naked” amoeboid forms in which a test is entirely absent. All, however, possess the key foraminiferal attribute, a system of granuloreticulopodia. Most testate species are monothalamous but a few are polythalamous (although …
An investigation of the relationship between new fasting hormone asprosin, obesity and acute–chronic exercise: current systematic review

Abstract The purpose of this study was to reveal the relationship between new fasting hormone asprosin, obesity, and acute–chronic exercise. The prisma guidelines were followed in forming the methodological model of this review. The articles between 2016 and 2020 (including March) were identified by scanning Google Scholar, Pub Med, and Science Direct databases. Thirty-five articles were defined from 188 articles. Three cross-sectional, and 1 prospective cohort design studies in adults, and 3 cross-sectional studies in children were found. Three randomised-control group designed studies which examined the effect of acute exercise on serum asprosin levels in obese individuals. Asprosin may be a new therapeutic biomarker to be considered in the development, but long-term and deep-rooted researches are needed, and increasing the number of studies examining the effect of exercise on asprosin in the future might help us to identify the mechanisms underlying the decrease or increase in asprosin after exercise.
Protein-Amino Acid Evaluation of Steam-Processed Feather Meal

Abstract Five chick bioassays were carried out to evaluate the protein quality of a commercially available, steam-processed feather meal. The meal was assayed and found to contain 86.8% CP, . 45% methionine, 4.19% cystine, 1.72% lanthionine, and 1.45% lysine. Fed as the sole source of protein, methionine and lysine were first- and second-limiting amino acids, respectively; histidinc and tryptophan were equally third limiting. Two assays conducted to establish bioavailable cystine concentrations yielded values of 2.92% in one assay and 2.89% in the other. Based upon the total sulfur amino acid concentration as determined chromatographically and, converting methionine and lanthionine to cystine equivalents, a bioavailability of 52% was calculated. With methionine-fortified corn-soybean meal diets it was shown that at least 10% of the dietary crude protein (24%) could be provided as feather meal. With methionine and lysine supplementation, up to 40% of the dietary crude protein could be supplied by feather meal with little depression in chick rate and efficiency of weight gain.
Disease-modifying treatments and cognition in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Objective Disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) are the gold standard for slowing disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), but their effects on cognitive impairment, a key symptom of the disease, are mostly unknown. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the differential effects of DMTs on cognitive test performance in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Methods PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies reporting longitudinal cognitive performance data related to all major DMTs. The standardized mean difference (Hedges g) between baseline and follow-up cognitive assessment was used as the main effect size measure. Results Forty-four studies, including 55 distinct MS patient samples, were found eligible for the systematic review. Twenty-five studies were related to platform therapies (mainly β-interferon [n = 17] and glatiramer acetate [n = 4]), whereas 22 studies were related to escalation therapies (mainly natalizumab [n = 14] and fingolimod [n = 6]). Reported data were mostly confined to the cognitive domain processing speed. A meta-analysis including 41 studies and 7,131 patients revealed a small to moderate positive effect on cognitive test performance of DMTs in general (g = 0.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.21–0.33]), but no statistically significant differences between platform (g = 0.27, 95% CI = [0.18–0.35]) and escalation therapies (g = 0.28, 95% CI = [0.19–0.37]) or between any single DMT and β-interferon. Conclusions DMTs are effective in improving cognitive test performance in RRMS, but a treatment escalation mainly to amend cognition is not supported by the current evidence. Given the multitude of DMTs and their widespread use, the available data regarding differential treatment effects on cognitive impairment are remarkably scant. Clinical drug trials that use more extensive cognitive outcome measures are urgently needed.
Effects of surface disturbance and light level on seedling emergence in a Japanese secondary deciduous forest

The effects of soil surface disturbance and light level on seedling emergence were examined by creating experimental conditions differing in soil surface treatment and light level in a temperate deciduous broadleaved secondary forest in central Japan. The results of MANOVA showed that soil surface disturbance exerted a favourable influence upon the seedling emergence of many species. Effect of soil disturbance on total density and number of emerged species was greater than that of a high light level. The interaction between soil surface disturbance and light level revealed significant positive effects for seedling emergence, especially for small-seeded species. The relationship between the percentage of emerged seedlings and seed weight was significantly negative in the soil-surface disturbed and high light level condition, suggesting that minute-seeded species largely depend on both factors for seedling emergence. Both soil surface disturbance and high light level had a positive effect on the number of emerged species, suggesting that these factors contributed to species richness at the stage of seedling emergence.
Submerged citric acid fermentation of beet molasses in tank‐type fermenters

Ferrocyanide‐treated beet molasses was fermented in fully baffled mechanically agitated, 2.5‐liter, tank‐type fermenters using pellets of Aspergillus niger grown in shake flasks as an inoculum. The object of the study was to adapt the fermentation method previously developed in an unstirred tower‐type fermenter to a conventional tank‐type fermenter. Under selected conditions of stirring (agitator speed 400–700 rpm) and sparging (medium porosity sintered disk), high yields of citric acid (8.6% citric acid, 70% conversion of available sugar) were obtained in 140 hr. of fermentation. There was little relation between citric acid yield and aeration conditions in the fermenter as judged by mash viscosity measurements and sulfite oxidation studies.
Nutraceutical Activity in Osteoarthritis Biology: A Focus on the Nutrigenomic Role

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease associated to age or conditions that precipitate aging of articular cartilage, a post-mitotic tissue that remains functional until the failure of major homeostatic mechanisms. OA severely impacts the national health system costs and patients’ quality of life because of pain and disability. It is a whole-joint disease sustained by inflammatory and oxidative signaling pathways and marked epigenetic changes responsible for catabolism of the cartilage extracellular matrix. OA usually progresses until its severity requires joint arthroplasty. To delay this progression and to improve symptoms, a wide range of naturally derived compounds have been proposed and are summarized in this review. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies have provided proof of principle that many of these nutraceuticals are able to exert pleiotropic and synergistic effects and effectively counteract OA pathogenesis by exerting both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and by tuning major OA-related signaling pathways. The latter are the basis for the nutrigenomic role played by some of these compounds, given the marked changes in the transcriptome, miRNome, and methylome. Ongoing and future clinical trials will hopefully confirm the disease-modifying ability of these bioactive molecules in OA patients.
Porous Activated Carbon from Lignocellulosic Agricultural Waste for the Removal of Acetampirid Pesticide from Aqueous Solutions

A facile eco-friendly approach for acetampirid pesticide removal is presented. The method is based on the use of micro- and mesoporous activated carbon (TPAC) as a natural adsorbent. TPAC was synthesized via chemical treatment of tangerine peels with phosphoric acid. The prepared activated carbon was characterized before and after the adsorption process using Fourier- transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size and surface area. The effects of various parameters on the adsorption of acetampirid including adsorbent dose (0.02–0.2 g), pH 2–8, initial adsorbate concentration (10–100 mg/L), contact time (10–300 min) and temperature (25–50 °C) were studied. Batch adsorption features were evaluated using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The adsorption process followed the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 35.7 mg/g and an equilibration time within 240 min. The adsorption kinetics of acetamiprid was fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetics model. From the thermodynamics perspective, the adsorption was found to be exothermic and spontaneous in nature. TPAC was successfully regenerated and reused for three consecutive cycles. The results of the presented study show that TPAC may be used as an effective eco-friendly, low cost and highly efficient adsorbent for the removal of acetamiprid pesticides from aqueous solutions.
Composition of the lipopolysaccharide from different capsular serotype strains of Haemophilus influenzae.

Summary: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from all six serotype strains of Haemophilus influenzae was similar in composition. The oligosaccharide, of each LPS, was composed of glucose, galactose, heptose and 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonic acid. The lipid A was composed of glucosamine, phosphate and the fatty acids 14:0 and 3-OH 14:0. Each LPS also contained ethanolamine and ethanolamine phosphate, and the oligosaccharides from two strains additionally contained small amounts of glucosamine. Although the LPS was similar in composition, different serotypes had quantitative differences, especially in the galactose content, which correlated with the antigenic specificity of their homologous antisera and with their mobility on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A survey by SDS-PAGE showed that LPS from strains of the serotypes a, c and d was characteristically of lower Mr than the LPS from most (80%) serotype b strains.
Environmentally induced spatio-temporal variations in the fecundity of brown trout Salmo trutta L.: trade-offs between egg size and number

1. Resident brown trout Salmo trutta in the Esva River basin (north Spain) live in a patchy environment with tracts of riparian forest or meadow along stream banks. This study assessed whether the reproductive traits of brown trout from four contrasting sites reflected site-specific factors. 2. Length at maturity (10.5–11 cm of 1 + individuals) was the same in the four sites examined but slowest growers in slow-growing sub-populations delayed maturity for 1 year relative to fast-growing fish. The analysis of monthly variations in egg size and number suggest that two ‘decisions’ in two consecutive years are required to complete spawning. The first concerns the number of eggs, determined when trout are still 0 +, and the second concerns egg size. 3. At three sites, egg size and number did not differ significantly between years but highly significant interannual variations were apparent at another site. Fish length was the major determinant of egg size and number at all sites but for any given length, brown trout at sites where the fish exhibited higher growth rates spawned more, but smaller, eggs than those at slow-growing sites. This spatial pattern was identical to the temporal pattern exhibited by trout at another site. The combination of temporal (year-to-year) and spatial (between rivers) variations in egg size and number showed a significant negative correlation, supporting the operation of a trade-off between these two traits. 4. The trade-off between egg size and number seems to be determined by site-specific factors, with slow-growing trout at sites which are fully covered by canopy spawning fewer, but larger, eggs than fast-growers in unshaded sites.
The Effect of Wolf Predation and Snow Cover on Musk-Ox Group Size

I examined the pattern of seasonal and regional differences in musk-ox group size with respect to the costs and benefits of avoiding predation and acquiring food. In winter, group sizes were about 1.7 times larger than in summer. Variation in group size among areas was related to wolf densities in both seasons. Seasonal differences in group sizes were related to winter snow cover probably because snow renders feeding sites less abundant, increasingly patchy, and more ephemeral. Group size appears to be a trade-off between increasing per capita benefits of decreased predation risks in larger groups at higher wolf densities, lower per capita benefits of group foraging in summer than in winter, and higher per capita crowding costs as group size increases. The musk-ox breeding system does not influence group size but simply makes do with group sizes determined by ecological factors.
BIOCHEMICAL DIFFERENCES IN SOCKEYE SALMON THAT ARE OCEAN FEEDING AND ON THE SPAWNING GROUNDS

Various biochemical parameters measured in sockeye salmon, Oncorhynchus nerka, feeding in the Gulf of Alaska in July during the maturation process were contrasted with those obtained from mature sockeye salmon in Steep Creek, a small salmon stream near Juneau, Alaska. Degenerative changes in muscles, such as decrease in total lipid and protein contents in mature salmon were attributed both to the progressed activation of lipid hydrolytic enzymes and to autolytic activity, in addition to the inactivation of lipid and protein syntheses in muscle and liver. The depletion of lipid is associated with the energy utilization for migration and gonadal maturation as a result of the cessation of feeding.