Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Biological Significance of Morphological Characters in Marchantiales (Hepaticae)

Some morphological characters further biological functions in the Marchantiales but do not appear to be essential for survival, reproduction and dispersal. Some others, seemingly disadvantageous, do not prevent the continued existence of these plants. Adaptation to ecological niches is principally linked to biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell content that are not expressed in morphology. Our definition of biological significance will be the role of morphological characters in the various manifestations of life of an individual and its responses to the environment, thus including all phenomena that permit life in normal conditions, and survival when these conditions become difficult. To the morphological characters we assign not only variations in form and dimension of the different elements of the gametophyte and the sporophyte, but also of their structure. The Marchantiales include about thirty morphologically well-defined genera. Only two, Marchantia and Riccia, contain a large number of species, probably a hundred each. At least sixteen genera are monotypic. The others are small, with less than twenty species. The Marchantiales exist on all continents, under all climates, but the species, and to an even greater extent, the individuals, are especially well represented in areas with Med- iterranean or semi-arid climates. In the true Mediterranean, about 85% of the hepatic species belong to this group while about 12% of the local hepaticological flora in temperate Europe, 4-9% in the Arctic and Antarctic, and 2-3% in the humid tropics are Marchan- tiales. In those Mediterranean deserts in which mean annual rainfall reaches only 100-200 mm and in which no other hepatics can subsist, we still found thirteen Marchantialean species. They thus appear particularly well adapted to regions with a long, hot, dry season. The distribution areas of most of the species are restricted or disjunctive. Riccia som- mieri Lev. , for instance, seems to be limited to the Mediterranean. Riccia crustata Trab. inhabits this same area but also western Siberia and southeastern Australia-no interme- diate localities are known. Many species are rare: for Exormotheca pustulosa Mitt. , six localities are recorded in the Mediterranean area, including only one in France, there limited to less than a square meter. However, some cosmopolitan species found in many disrupted habitats exist among the Marchantiales, for instance, Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dum. and Marchantia polymorpha L. , but they are exceptions.
Value adding and processing of ratite meat: a review

Ratite meat is usually sold as fresh meat (steaks), with trimmings being processed into products such as burger patties and sausages. Most of the steaks are vacuum packed and exported. With the outbreak of Avian influenza, all fresh meat exports were halted from South Africa. However, if the meat has been exposed to an internal core temperature of 70°C, it may then be exported under the Meat Products Directive (EEC 2004) because it is assumed safe for human consumption; this placed an urgency in developing value-added meat products. These products are sold as vacuum packed and cooked ostrich steaks. Salt infusion is frequently used to improve water retention of these sous vide products. Other products that have been developed are functional foods, such as emu snack sticks (higher creatine levels) for athletes. The quality and composition of other more traditional meat products such as sausages, patties, salami and pâte have also been determined and are discussed. A strong emphasis has been to develop products that will enhance the healthy perception of ratite meat amongst consumers. These include the development of low-salt bacon, hams with lower levels of phosphates and polonies with olive oil replacing pork fat. The quality attributes of these products are also discussed as are future trends in the processing trade.
The Laminopathies and the Insights They Provide into the Structural and Functional Organization of the Nucleus.

In recent years, our perspective on the cell nucleus has evolved from the view that it is a passive but permeable storage organelle housing the cell's genetic material to an understanding that it is in fact a highly organized, integrative, and dynamic regulatory hub. In particular, the subcompartment at the nuclear periphery, comprising the nuclear envelope and the underlying lamina, is now known to be a critical nexus in the regulation of chromatin organization, transcriptional output, biochemical and mechanosignaling pathways, and, more recently, cytoskeletal organization. We review the various functional roles of the nuclear periphery and their deregulation in diseases of the nuclear envelope, specifically the laminopathies, which, despite their rarity, provide insights into contemporary health-care issues. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics, Volume 21 is August 31, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Integrated Immunomagnetic Bead-Based Microfluidic Chip for Exosomes Isolation

Exosomes are essential early biomarkers for health monitoring and cancer diagnosis. A prerequisite for further investigation of exosomes is the isolation, which is technically challenging due to the complexity of body fluids. This paper presents the development of an integrated microfluidic chip for exosomes isolation, which combines the traditional immunomagnetic bead-based protocol and the recently emerging microfluidic approach, resulting in benefits from both the high-purity of the former and the automated continuous superiority of the latter. The chip was designed based on an S-shaped micromixer with embedded baffle. The excellent mixing efficiency of this micromixer compared with Y-shaped and S-shaped micromixers was verified by simulation and experiments. The photolithography technique was employed to fabricate the integrated microfluidic chip, and the manufacturing process was elucidated. We finally established an experimental platform for exosomes isolation with the fabricated microfluidic chip built in. Exosomes isolation experiments were conducted using this platform. The distribution and morphology of the isolated exosomes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Quantitative size analyses based on transmission electron micrographs indicated that most of the obtained particles were between 30 and 150 nm. Western blot analyses of the isolated exosomes and the serum were conducted to verify the platform’s capability of isolating a certain subpopulation of exosomes corresponding to specified protein markers (CD63). The complete time for isolation of 150 μL serum samples was approximately 50 min, which was highly competitive with the reported existing protocols. Experimental results proved the capacity of the established integrated microfluidic chip for exosomes isolation with high purity, high integrity, and excellent efficiency. The platform can be further developed to make it possible for practical use in clinical applications as a universal exosomes isolation and characterization tool.
Molecular systematics of the Asian torrent minnows (Ostariophysi: Psilorhynchidae) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequence data

The phylogenetic relationships between members of the South Asian family Psilorhynchidae are investigated using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data. Phylogenetic hypotheses were derived from maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony analyses of a three gene concatenated data set, including cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (640 bp), cytochrome b (1140 bp) and exon 3 of the recombination-activating gene 1 (~1500 bp). Our investigation provides strong support for the monophyly of two species groups of Psilorhynchus (the P. balitora and P. nudithoracicus species groups) and corroborates previous hypotheses on the phylogenetic position of the Western Ghats species Psilorhynchus tenura based on morphology. Basal relationships within Psilorhynchus were poorly supported and are worthy of further investigation. A fossil calibrated relaxed molecular clock estimates the split between Psilorhynchus and its sister group to have occurred within the Eocene/Oligocene, with subsequent diversification in the Miocene.
“Assessment of oral health status among teaching and non-teaching employees of Maharishi Markandeshwar (deemed to be University) Mullana Ambala” – A cross-sectional study

Background: Oral diseases are identified as one of the most common of noncommunicable diseases affecting varied population. It is an important public health problem owing to the prevalence, socioeconomical aspect, expensive treatment, and lack of awareness. Aim: The aim of the study was to assess oral health status and treatment needs among teaching and nonteaching employees of a deemed university. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried among employees of the deemed university and systematic random sampling was employed for the selection of study participants. A total of 400 employees were included in the study. Demographic details along with medical history and history of deleterious habits were obtained from the participants by direct interview. Clinical examination was carried out according to the World Health Organization Oral Health Surveys 2013. Statistical Analysis: The data so collected were analyzed using SPSS Software Version 20.0 (Chicago, USA). Means and proportions were compared using Mann–Whitney U test and Chi-square test, respectively. Results: A total of 400 participants, 237 from teaching and 137 from nonteaching were included in the study. The prevalence of dental caries was 78.7% among teaching faculty and 86.1% among nonteaching staff. Of the total sample, 48.7% (195) and 48.0% (169) self-reported dental needs and need for dental treatment, respectively. Conclusions: From the present study, we conclude that a statistically significant difference in the prevalence of dental caries, intervention urgency, and utilization of dental services was observed among the teaching and nonteaching staff belonging to different socioeconomic status and educational qualifications from different institutes within the deemed university.
Indução de calo a partir de eixo embrionário de coqueiro (Cocos nucifera L.)

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a capacidade de formacao de calos a partir de tecidos originarios do eixo embrionario de embrioes zigoticos de coqueiro (Cocos nucifera L.) em diferentes concentracoes de 2,4-D. O experimento foi instalado em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 4x5 (4 concentracoes de 2,4-D x 5 segmentos do eixo embrionario). Os eixos embrionarios foram excisados longitudinalmente dos embrioes zigoticos e, em seguida, submetidos a assepsia com hipoclorito de sodio (0,2%) por dois minutos, lavados com agua destilada esteril e imersos por dois minutos em solucao de acido citrico esteril (100 mg.L-1). Os eixos embrionarios foram entao seccionados em cinco segmentos correspondentes as posicoes A, B, C, D e E, e transferidos para placas de Petri contendo meio de cultura Y3, suplementado com quatro concentracoes de 2,4-D (10-4; 1,36x10-4; 3,62x10-4 e 4,52x10-4 M), sacarose (50 g.L-1), carvao ativado (2,5 g.L-1) e vitaminas de Morel e Wetmore, mantidos em ambiente escuro, em temperatura de 25 ± 2oC. Apos 15 dias de inoculacao, os segmentos A e B apresentaram 97,5% de explantes com calos friaveis na concentracao de 10-4 M de 2,4-D, e 92,5% e 80%, respectivamente, na concentracao de 1,36x10-4 M. O segmento E, em ambas as concentracoes, apresentou 60% de calogenese. Apos 30 dias de inoculacao, os segmentos A e B apresentaram 100% e 97,5% de calogenese na concentracao de 10-4 M, e 90% e 80%, respectivamente, na concentracao de 1,36x10-4 M. Em ambas as concentracoes, o segmento E apresentou de 55 a 57,5% de formacao de calos. As concentracoes de 2,4-D que melhor induzem calogenese, sao as de 10-4 e 1,36x10-4 M. Os segmentos A, B e E apresentaram maior competencia para calogenese.
Trial Design and Endpoints in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: AASLD Consensus Conference

Proper trial design is critical for the success of clinical investigations. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease that has several unique properties. In 2008, after the approval of sorafenib, a panel of experts proposed guidelines for trial design and endpoints in HCC that have been instrumental during the last decade and provided a framework to allow an homogeneous analysis of reported investigations. Since then, several phase III studies have been reported and novel challenges have emerged. A panel of experts conveyed by AASLD organized a Special Topic Conference on trial design and endpoints to address those emerging challenges. This review summarizes the analysis and conclusions of those discussions and provides novel recommendations on the selection endpoints, stratification variables and targeted populations in the complex arena of HCC. We have covered the full spectrum of the disease, from surveillance/ chemoprevention, to neoadjuvant and adjuvant trials after curative therapies, and trials in intermediate and advanced stages of HCC. We explore the prospects for incorporating biomarkers and liquid biopsy into conventional clinical trials. In addition, we address the need for obtaining tissue and blood samples in all investigations and propose novel primary endpoints such as progression free survival with restrictive rules and patient reported outcomes. This up-dated set of recommendations is timely considering the advent of more potent combination therapies in all areas of HCC management, the increase in adverse events associated with those combinations, and the evidence that several lines of effective treatments will benefit a given patient. We herein articulate a framework to facilitate capturing the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies with the goal of improving the outcomes of patients suffering from this disease.
Macromolecular Crowding Affects Voltage-Dependent Alamethicin Pore Formation in Lipid Bilayer Membranes.

Macromolecular crowding is known to modulate chemical equilibria, reaction rates, and molecular binding events, both in aqueous solution and at lipid bilayer membranes, natural barriers which enclose the crowded environments of cells and their subcellular compartments. Previous studies on the effects that macromolecular crowding in aqueous compartments have on conduction through membranes have focused on single-channel ionic conduction through previously formed pores at thermodynamic equilibrium. Here, the effects of macromolecular crowding on the mechanism of pore formation itself were studied using the droplet interface bilayer (DIB) technique with the voltage-dependent pore-forming peptide alamethicin (alm). Macromolecular crowding was varied using 8 kDa molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG8k) or 500 kDa dextran (DEX500k) in the two aqueous droplets on both sides of the bilayer membrane. In general, voltage thresholds for pore formation in the presence of crowders in the droplets decreased compared to their values in the absence of crowders, due to excluded volume effects, water binding by PEG, and changes in the ordering of water molecules and hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the polar lipid headgroups. In addition, asymmetric crowder loading (e.g., PEG8k/DEX500k on either side of the membrane) resulted in transmembrane osmotic pressure gradients that either enhanced or degraded electric field induced insertion of alm monomers into the membrane and the subsequent formation of conductive pores.
Cytochrome P450 induction in Ictalurus punctatus following exposure to wastewater treatment plant effluent

Induction of the cytochrome P450 enzymes in fish, measured as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, has been extensively used as a biomarker in assessing exposures and responses of aquatic organisms to contaminants. This study focused on whether exposure to Troy (Alabama) wastewater treatment plant (TWWTP) effluent at the Walnut Creek mixing zone, induced transcription of mRNA for cytochrome P4501A1 enzyme production and increased EROD activity in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Water from Big Creek (Barbour County, AL), regarded as least impacted by pollutants, was used as a reference source for administration of a positive control chemical (PCB – Aroclor 1254). All water samples were transported from field sites to the Troy University laboratory for conducting the study. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) indicated the presence of compounds capable of inducing transcription of CYP1A1 mRNA in catfish liver. Increased transcription of mRNA for cytochrome P4501A1 enzyme production, confirmed by a 3-fold induction of EROD activity, was found in catfish exposed to water from the TWWTP mixing zone on Walnut Creek compared to catfish exposed to Walnut Creek Upstream. Catfish exposed to water from Big Creek treated with PCBs were found to have only slightly higher enzyme activities than those exposed to water from Big Creek Control, but a 2.7-fold EROD level was found in catfish exposed to Big Creek Control compared to Walnut Creek Upstream. Determining the induction of cytochrome P450 and subsequent enzymatic activity in catfish and other fish species common to this region could be useful early molecular warnings of possible pollution effects, beyond those methods typically used to characterize water quality.
An investigation of the resistance to cabbage aphid in brassica species

Summary Fifteen Brassica species and subspecies, as well as accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana and Eruca sativa, were evaluated for their resistance to the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae, in the field and laboratory at Horticulture Research International (HRI) Wellesbourne in 1992. In the laboratory, aphid performance was measured in terms of pre-reproductive period, reproductive period, population increase and insect survival. Using these parameters it was possible to identify brassicas possessing antibiosis resistance. In the field B. brassicae attack was assessed in terms of numbers of insects and it was possible to determine aphid preferences for alighting on different species. High levels of antixenosis and antibiosis resistance were discovered in accessions of Brassica fruticulosa and B. spinescens, in a Brassica juncea breeding line and in Eruca sativa. Partial resistance was found in several other Brassica species. The potential of these various sources as donors of resistance genes to be bred into cultivated brassicas is discussed.
Responses of West African Forest Tree Seedlings to Irradiance and Soil Fertility

1. The West African tree species Albizia zygia, Blighia sapida, Celtis mildbraedii, Chrysophyllum pruniforme, Cynometra ananta, Guarea cedrata, Heritiera utilis, Lophira alata, Mansonia altissima, Milicia excelsa, Pericopsis elata, Pterygota macrocarpa, Strombosia glaucescens, Terminalia ivorensis and Triplochiton scleroxylon, which represent different ecological guilds (pioneers, non-pioneer light-demanders and non-pioneer shade-bearers) and distributions on a rainfall and soil fertility gradient were tested for their response to differences in irradiance and soil fertility. 2. Seedlings were grown for 4 months at a common site on contrasting forest soils from a wet evergreen forest and a moist semi-deciduous forest and at five irradiances, which mimicked variation in irradiance from single tree falls to cleared land. 3. Pioneer species responded differently to irradiance by showing higher maximum relative growth rates (>30 mg g -1 day -1 ) and unit leaf rates (>3.0 g m -2 day -1 ) than non-pioneer shade-bearers ( 220 cm g -1 ) and specific leaf areas (>400 cm g -1 ) compared to shade-bearers. Non-pioneer light-demanders showed intermediate responses to differences in irradiance. 4. The soil from the wet evergreen forest was more acid (pH ≤ 4.87) than the soil from moist semi-deciduous forest (pH ≥ 6.12). It also had lower concentrations of total N and available P, K, Ca and Mn, particularly in the topsoil. Seedlings grown in wet evergreen forest soil showed reduced leaf foliar concentrations of P, Ca and Mg and to a lesser extent N, compared with those grown in moist semi-deciduous forest soil, but the response varied between species. Foliar nutrient concentrations, particularly of P and Mg, were lowest in species naturally restricted to wet evergreen forest. 5. The non-pioneer light-demander Mansonia altissima and the pioneer T. scleroxylon showed an increase of 300% and 100%, respectively, in maximum RGR when grown in the more fertile soil type. In contrast, RGR of the pioneer L. alata was increased by 80% in the less fertile soil. Species-specific differences in growth response, biomass allocation and foliar nutrient concentration may explain why some species are restricted to more fertile soils. Suggestions for further research are made.
Determinants of cesarean-related complications: high number of repeat cesarean, operation type or placental pathologies?

Abstract Background Cesarean delivery (CD) is one of the most common operations worldwide. Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) could be a solution to decrease increased CD rates. On the other hand, risks of VBAC on maternal and neonatal outcomes drifts physicians and patients to a scheduled CD. Successive CDs, especially after the 3rd operation, increase complications for the fetus and the mother. Operation type (emergency or elective CD) could be a risk factor of increased morbidities, like placental implantation anomalies. Evaluation of these conditions related to complications and morbidities were investigated. Material and methods: Women who underwent the fourth and more repeat CD in Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training Research Hospital between March 2016 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Pre-operative characteristics, per-operative and post-operative complications were reviewed. Patients were separated into groups as operational type, repeat cesarean number, and major morbidities. A comparison between groups was evaluated. Results: A total of 46.048 women gave birth, of which 17,721 underwent CDs with a rate of 38%. The rate of primary CD was 18%. The number of the fourth or more CD performed was 854. The number of patients who underwent fourth and fifth or more CD and of these operational data could be accessed was 599 and 145, respectively. The overall complications were detected as severe adhesions (n: 220), preterm delivery (n: 91), stillbirth (n: 9), admission to NICU (n: 98), bladder injury (n: 10), uterine scar dehiscence (n: 6), uterine rupture (n: 6), uterine atony (n: 26), blood transfusion requirement (n: 68), preterm delivery (n: 91), placenta previa totalis (n: 24), morbidly adherent placenta (n: 14), hysterectomy (n: 12), partial uterine resection (n: 2), uterus-conserving interventions (n: 26). The number of patients with major morbidity was 105. Emergency cesarean performed in 339 of 744 patients. A comparison of the emergency cesarean group with elective repeat cesarean group revealed no significant difference in operative adverse outcomes. Comparing patients between 4th repeat CD with 5th and more CD revealed a significant difference in severe adhesion, morbidly adherent placenta and hysterectomy. Previa totalis were detected in 24 patients. All of them experienced major morbidity with 12 of them underwent hysterectomy. The rest of them performed Uterus-conserving treatments (B-Lynch Suture, Bacri Balloon, Hypogastric artery ligation ) and a total of 51 units of packed red blood cells and 32 units of Fresh Frozen Plasma were transfused to 9 (37%) of 24 patients. Conclusion: The major risk factor of the morbidity is placenta previa whose incidence has dramatically increased after 3rd cesarean. Emergency cesarean did not increase the complication rate in the present study. Fourth and more repeat CDs ought to be performed by experienced obstetricians in high-equipped tertiary hospitals.