Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a Salmonella Strain Isolated from Honeybee Gut as a Potential Live Oral Vaccine Against Lethal Infection of Salmonella Typhimurium

Abstract In this research, Salmonella species were isolated from the animal, insect and human enteric sources in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. These species were characterized by different microbiological and molecular techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by amplification of the 16S rRNA gene. Furthermore, sequencing of the amplicons confirmed all ten isolates as Salmonella strains. The antigenic cross-reactivity was found maximum between the HB1 (strain isolated from honeybee) antiserum and its antigen with an antibody titer of 1:128, while the HB1 antiserum showed a cross-reactive titer range of 1:8 to 1:64. On the basis of the highest geometric mean titer (GMT) shown by the antiserum of the HB1 antigen, it was selected as the best candidate for a cross-reactive live Salmonella oral antigen. Moreover, the HB1 antigen was used a live oral antigen (1 × 1010 CFU/ml) in a safety test in rabbits and proved to be avirulent. During the animal trial, three different oral doses of the HB1 live oral antigen were evaluated in four different rabbits’ groups (R1, R2, R3, and R4). The dose number 2 of 0.5 ml (two drops orally and repeated after one week) gave the best GMT measured by indirect hemagglutination (IHA) as compared to the other two doses, while R4 group was kept as control. Results of the challenge protection test also validated the efficacy of the double dose of the HB1 live vaccine, which gave the highest survival percentage. Results of this study lay the foundation for a potential cross-reactive live oral Salmonella vaccine that has proved to be immunogenic in rabbits.
Directly observed therapy prior to ambulatory blood pressure measurement (DOT-HTN) in uncontrolled hypertensive patients - Effect on blood pressure, safety and patient perception

Abstract Aims: Non-adherence to medication is a key challenge in treatment of hypertensive patients. Directly Observed Therapy prior to ambulatory blood pressure measurement (DOT-HTN) is relatively new in hypertension research and knowledge about its use and patients’ perception of such control is warranted. We aimed to investigate DOT-HTN in relation to blood pressure control, procedural safety and patients’ perception. Methods and results: Twenty patients with uncontrolled hypertension (daytime systolic ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) ≥135 mm Hg) were randomized to intervention with DOT-HTN and a visual analogue scale (VAS) assessment if they found DOT-HTN problematic (10 cm = very problematic), or to standard ABPM. They were followed for 2–4 weeks. There were no differences in baseline characteristics. Despite no difference in daytime systolic ABPM (p = 0.67) two patients were suggested to be non-adherent after DOT-HTN with reductions in daytime systolic ABPM of 18 and 22 mm Hg, respectively. No post DOT-HTN adverse reactions were reported. VAS assessment indicated that the patients had no problem being controlled (VAS median 0.30 cm (0.0–2.6)), however interesting comments and observed behaviour questioned the reliability of the patient-reported VAS in 38% of patients. Conclusions: Two of eight patients seemed to be non-adherent after DOT-HTN. Descriptive findings suggested reluctance towards control with DOT-HTN not captured by the VAS assessment. No DOT-related medical adverse-effects were reported.
Do neighborhood social processes moderate the etiology of youth conduct problems?

Abstract Background Prior work has robustly suggested that social processes in the neighborhood (i.e. informal social control, social cohesion, norms) influence child conduct problems (CP) and related outcomes, but has yet to consider how these community-level influences interact with individual-level genetic risk for CP. The current study sought to do just this, evaluating neighborhood-level social processes as etiologic moderators of child CP for the first time. Methods We made use of two nested samples of child and adolescent twins within the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR): 5649 families who participated in in the Michigan Twins Project (MTP) and 1013 families who participated in the Twin Study of Behavioral and Emotional Development (TBED-C). The neighborhood social processes of informal social control, social cohesion, and norms were assessed using neighborhood sampling techniques, in which residents of each twin family's neighborhood reported on the social processes in their neighborhood. Standard biometric GxE analyses evaluated the extent to which they moderated the etiology of CP. Results The ‘no moderation’ model provided the best fit to the data in nearly all cases, arguing against neighborhood social processes as etiologic moderators of youth CP. Conclusions The neighborhood social processes evaluated here do not appear to exert their effects on child CP via etiologic moderation. The documented links between neighborhood social processes and child CP are thus likely to reflect a different etiologic process. Possibilities include environmental main effects of neighborhood social processes on child CP, or genotype-environment correlations.
Redox Regulation in the Base Excision Repair Pathway: Old and New Players as Cancer Therapeutic Targets.

BACKGROUND Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are by-products of normal cellular metabolic processes, such as mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. While low levels of ROS are important signalling molecules, high levels of ROS can damage proteins, lipids and DNA. Indeed, oxidative DNA damage is the most frequent type of damage in the mammalian genome and is linked to human pathologies such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Although oxidative DNA damage is cleared predominantly through the base excision repair (BER) pathway, recent evidence suggests that additional pathways such as nucleotide excision repair (NER) and mismatch repair (MMR) can also participate in clearance of these lesions. One of the most common forms of oxidative DNA damage is the base damage 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), which if left unrepaired may result in G:C to A:T transversions during replication, a common mutagenic feature that can lead to cellular transformation. OBJECTIVE Repair of oxidative DNA damage including 8-oxoG base damage, involves the functional interplay between a number of proteins in a series of enzymatic reactions. This review describes the role and the redox regulation of key proteins involved in the initial stages of BER of 8-oxoG damage, namely apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1), human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (hOGG1) and human single-stranded DNA binding protein 1 (hSSB1). Moreover, the therapeutic potential and modalities of targeting these key proteins in cancer are discussed. CONCLUSION It is becoming increasingly apparent that some DNA repair proteins function in multiple repair pathways. Inhibiting these factors would provide attractive strategies for development of more effective cancer therapies.
What is the best catheter lock solution in preventing catheter-related blood infections? A protocol for a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Introduction Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is a major complication after central venous catheter insertion, which is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and additional medical costs. Many lock solutions for CRBSI have been evaluated. However, using traditional pairwise meta-analyses to summarise the evidence does not allow the inclusion of data from treatments that have not been compared head to head, which could impact the precision of pooled estimates in a meta-analysis. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of the different lock solutions for CRBSI through a network meta-analysis. Methods and analysis The primary outcome of this network meta-analysis is the CRBSI. The secondary outcomes are exit-site infection and catheter-related thrombosis. We will search the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases for recent relevant meta-analysis and their reference lists to include randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared lock solutions for CRBSI prevention. Two individuals will independently extract data from each included RCT according to a predesigned Excel spreadsheet and will assess the methodological quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We will analyse the data using WinBUGS (V.1.4.3) and Stata (V.15.0). We will also estimate the pooled direct and indirect effects for all lock solutions using the network meta-analysis. Ethics and dissemination As the present meta-analysis is performed based on previous published studies, no ethical approval and patient safety considerations are required. This study commenced on 18 January 2019, and its expected completion date is 1 December 2019. We will disseminate the results of our network meta-analysis through an international peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration number CRD42019121089.
Synthesis, Characterization and Fabrication of Graphene/Boron Nitride Nanosheets Heterostructure Tunneling Devices

Various types of 2D/2D prototype devices based on graphene (G) and boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) were fabricated to study the charge tunneling phenomenon pertinent to vertical transistors for digital and high frequency electronics. Specifically, G/BNNS/metal, G/SiO2, and G/BNNS/SiO2 heterostructures were investigated under direct current (DC-bias) conditions at room temperature. Bilayer graphene and BNNS were grown separately and transferred subsequently onto the substrates to fabricate 2D device architectures. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the bilayer graphene structure and few layer BNNS sheets having a hexagonal B3-N3 lattice. The current vs voltage I(V) data for the G/BNNS/Metal devices show Schottky barrier characteristics with very low forward voltage drop, Fowler-Nordheim behavior, and 10−4 Ω/sq. sheet resistance. This result is ascribed to the combination of fast electron transport within graphene grains and out-of-plane tunneling in BNNS that circumvents grain boundary resistance. A theoretical model based on electron tunneling is used to qualitatively describe the behavior of the 2D G/BNNS/metal devices.
Dynamic Programming Solution for Query Optimization in Homogeneous Distributed Databases

Due to new distributed database applications such as huge deductive database systems, the search complexity is constantly increasing and we need better algorithms to speedup traditional relational database queries. Now a days distributed database applications are applied on Heterogeneous distributed database systems and developing Homogeneous distributed databases. The “multiple query optimization” (MQO) tries to reduce the execution cost of a group of queries by performing common tasks only once, whereas traditional query optimization considersa single query at a time An optimal dynamic programming method for such high dimensional queries has the big disadvantage of its exponential order and thus we are interested in semi-optimal but faster approaches. In this work we present a multiple query optimization on homogeneous distributed database application through dynamic programming for semi optimal solution.
Correction: Single cell analysis of adult mouse skeletal muscle stem cells in homeostatic and regenerative conditions (doi: 10.1242/dev.174177)

There was an error published in Development (2019) 146, [dev174177][1] ([doi:10.1242/dev.174177][2]). On p. 6, the definition of TA was given incorrectly. Corrected: Tibialis anterior (TA) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles of two 3-month-old C56BL/6J mice were injured with the myotoxic
Consistent Associations between Body Size and Hidden Contrasting Color Signals across a Range of Insect Taxa

While there have been a number of recent advances in our understanding of the evolution of animal color patterns, much of this work has focused on color patterns that are constantly displayed. However, some animals hide functional color signals and display them only transiently through behavioral displays. These displays are widely employed as a secondary defense following detection when fleeing (flash display) or when stationary (deimatic display). Yet if displays of hidden colors are so effective in deterring predation, why have not all species evolved them? An earlier study suggested that the hidden antipredatory color signals in insects are more likely to have evolved in species with large size because either (or both) (i) large cryptic prey are more frequently detected and pursued or (ii) hidden color signals in large prey are more effective in deterring predation than in small prey. These arguments should apply universally to any prey that use hidden signals, so the association between large size and hidden contrasting color signals should be evident across diverse groups of prey. In this study, we tested this prediction in five different groups of insects. Using phylogenetically controlled analysis to elucidate the relationship between body size and color contrast between forewings and hind wings, we found evidence for the predicted size-color contrast associations in four different groups of insects, namely, Orthoptera, Phasmatidae, Mantidae, and Saturniidae, but not in Sphingidae. Collectively, our study indicates that body size plays an important role in explaining variation in the evolution of hidden contrasting color signals in insects.
Relationship between BRAF V600E and clinical features in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Objective To investigate the mutant status of BRAF gene and analyze its relationship to epidemiological risk factors and clinical outcomes among patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in the largest, single-institution Chinese cohort to date. Methods The medical records of 2048 PTC patients were reviewed in this retrospective study. Single-factor and multiple logistic regression analyses were applied to identify risk factors for BRAF V600E mutation. Survival outcomes including distant metastatic and persistent or recurrent PTC were examined, with a mean follow-up time of 23.4 (5–47) months. Results The BRAF V600E mutation was present in 83.7% of patients (1715 of 2048). Correlation was found between BRAF V600E mutation and several epidemiological features, including age, concomitant hypertension and Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). For the clinicopathological features, BRAF V600E was significantly associated with bilateral multifocality (odds ratio (OR) 1.233, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.063–1.431, P < 0.01) and less lateral lymph node metastases (OR 0.496, 95% CI 0.357–0.689, P < 0.01). Smaller tumor size and advanced disease stage were significant in single-factor analyses but became insignificant after multivariate adjustment. No association was found between BRAF V600E mutation and extrathyroidal invasion, distant metastatic and disease persistence or recurrence. Conclusion Part of epidemiological features are independent risk or protective factors for BRAF V600E mutation. The presence of BRAF V600E mutation is not an aggressive prognosis on poor clinical outcomes in PTC. However, the high prevalence of BRAF V600E may provide guidance for surgery strategy and opportunity for targeted treatment in recurrent and advanced stage disease.
Studies on Relevant Document Retrieval and Summarization

The goal of this dissertation is to develop methods for supporting and enhancing intellectual activities. For this purpose, firstly, we propose a method for retrieving relevant documents. Secondly, we propose a summarization method for multiple articles. Thirdly, we investigate a method of acquiring case frames from monolingual corpora. And, we present a word-sense disambiguation method required for acquisition of sequences of case elements. A great deal of information can be acquired nowadays thanks to the recent drastic progress of computer and network technologies. On the other hand, human physical abilities of information processing have been hardly augmented since the dawn of its history. Therefore, efficient and effective retrieval of information which we need from a great deal of information, and its quick understanding of the retrieved information, which may be realized by summarization, are quite important to make critical decisions in this information-oriented society. There are some kinds of information(documents, speech, images and video etc.). Among them, documents are quite important as the basis for intellectual activities. Most of earlier information retrieval studies suppose query-based systems, and they proposed language-independent methods. On the other hand, a different approach is possible by using the document itself as a query and by searching similar documents for the query. Some methods have been proposed for such retrieval, however, there have been few studies to investigate what unit of index terms should be employed for Japanese documents. Thus, in this dissertation, we propose a method of employing connections of morphemes as the unit of index
Factors Associated With Mental Health Status Among Older Primary Caregivers in Japan

This study aimed to elucidate factors affecting the mental health status of older primary caregivers. Participants comprised 81 pairs of home care recipients aged ≥65 years and primary caregivers aged ≥65 years who were caring for the recipients. We used an individual interview method, which covered basic attributes, activities of daily living by Barthel Index, mental health status by Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), sense of coherence (SOC), and sense of care burden by Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (J-ZBI). The score for the comprehensibility subscale of the SOC was significantly higher for the old-old caregivers compared with the young-old caregivers (P < .01). A significant positive correlation between the number of years of caregiving and the score for the SOC meaningfulness subscale was seen for the young-old caregivers (P < .05). For the old-old caregivers alone, negative correlations were seen between the CES-D score and the scores for all the SOC items. Multiple linear regression analysis using CES-D as the dependent variable showed a significant positive relationship to J-ZBI in all caregivers (P < .01). In contrast, a significant negative relationship was seen with meaningfulness, an SOC subscale only for the old-old caregivers. Meaningfulness as well as J-ZBI was extracted as a factor affecting the mental health status of the old-old caregivers, suggesting that higher SOC relates to lower stress levels with a remarkable decline in physical condition. Meaningfulness, an SOC subscale, is an important factor for improving the mental health of old-old caregivers.
Meta‐analysis of human connection to nature and proenvironmental behavior

Understanding what drives environmentally protective or destructive behavior is important to the design and implementation of effective public policies to encourage people's engagement in proenvironmental behavior (PEB). Research shows that a connection to nature is associated with greater engagement in PEB. However, the variety of instruments and methods used in these studies poses a major barrier to integrating research findings. We conducted a meta‐analysis of the relationship between connection to nature and PEB. We identified studies through a systematic review of the literature and used Comprehensive Meta‐Analysis software to analyze the results from 37 samples (n = 13,237) and to test for moderators. A random‐effects model demonstrated a positive and significant association between connection to nature and PEB (r = 0.42, 95% CI 0.36, 0.47, p < 0.001). People who are more connected to nature reported greater engagement in PEB. Standard tests indicated little effect of publication bias in the sample. There was significant heterogeneity among the samples. Univariate categorical analyses showed that the scales used to measure connection to nature and PEB were significant moderators and explained the majority of the between‐study variance. The geographic location of a study, age of participants, and the percentage of females in a study were not significant moderators. We found that a deeper connection to nature may partially explain why some people behave more proenvironmentally than others and that the relationship is ubiquitous. Facilitating a stronger connection to nature may result in greater engagement in PEB and conservation, although more longitudinal studies with randomized experiments are required to demonstrate causation.
Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor stimulates prolactin expression in primary culture of the mouse pituitary gland

The roles of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the regulation of prolactin (PRL) gene expression in the normal pituitary gland remain poorly understood. In the present study, the effects of EGF and an inhibitor of the EGF receptor, erlotinib, on PRL gene expression were examined both in the pituitary tumour cell line GH3 and in a primary culture of the mouse pituitary gland under similar experimental conditions. The results showed that EGF stimulated PRL expression in GH3 cells, but not in normal cells. Erlotinib was found to counteract EGF in GH3 cells inhibiting the PRL expression enhanced by EGF. By contrast, erlotinib induced an elevation in the PRL mRNA levels in the primary culture of the adult pituitary gland and the initiation of PRL production in the culture of the foetal pituitary gland in which PRL production had not yet occurred. Western blot analyses showed that EGF induced and erlotinib inhibited the activation of extracellular regulated protein kinase equally in GH3 and normal cells. These results suggest that the consequences of EGF receptor activation in normal PRL cells contradict those in adenomatous PRL cells.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Empowering Tendon Regenerative Therapies

Tendon tissues have limited healing capacity. The incidence of tendon injuries and the unsatisfactory functional outcomes of tendon repair are driving the search for alternative therapeutic approaches envisioning tendon regeneration. Cellular therapies aim at delivering adequate, regeneration-competent cell types to the injured tendon and toward ultimately promoting its reconstruction and recovery of functionality. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) either obtained from tendons or from non-tendon sources, like bone marrow (BM-MSCs) or adipose tissue (ASCs), have been receiving increasing attention over the years toward enhancing tendon healing. Evidences from in vitro and in vivo studies suggest MSCs can contribute to accelerate and improve the quality of tendon healing. Nonetheless, the exact mechanisms underlying these repair events are yet to be fully elucidated. This review provides an overview of the main challenges in the field of cell-based regenerative therapies, discussing the role of MSCs in boosting tendon regeneration, particularly through their capacity to enhance the tenogenic properties of tendon resident cells.