Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TRPV4 and purinergic receptor signalling pathways are separately linked in airway epithelia to CFTR and TMEM16A chloride channels

Eact is a putative pharmacological activator of TMEM16A. Eact is strongly effective in recombinant Fischer rat thyroid (FRT) cells but not in airway epithelial cells with endogenous TMEM16A expression. Transcriptomic analysis, gene silencing and functional studies in FRT cells reveal that Eact is actually an activator of the Ca2+‐permeable TRPV4 channel. In airway epithelial cells TRPV4 and TMEM16A are expressed in separate cell types. Intracellular Ca2+ elevation by TRPV4 stimulation leads to CFTR channel activation.
Selecting and Performing Service-Learning in a Team-Based Learning Format Fosters Dissonance, Reflective Capacity, Self-Examination, Bias Mitigation, and Compassionate Behavior in Prospective Medical Students

More compassionate behavior should make both patients and their providers happier and healthier. Consequently, work to increase this behavior ought to be a major component of premedical and medical education. Interactions between doctors and patients are often less than fully compassionate owing to implicit biases against patients. Such biases adversely affect treatment, adherence, and health outcomes. For these reasons, we studied whether selecting and performing service-learning projects by teams of prospective medical students prompts them to write reflections exhibiting dissonance, self-examination, bias mitigation, dissonance reconciliation, and compassionate behavior. Not only did these students report changes in their behavior to become more compassionate, but their reflective capacity also grew in association with selecting and performing team service-learning projects. Components of reflective capacity, such as reflection-on-action and self-appraisal, correlated strongly with cognitive empathy (a component of compassion) in these students. Our results are, however, difficult to generalize to other universities and other preprofessional and professional healthcare programs. Hence, we encourage others to test further our hypothesis that provocative experiences foster frequent self-examination and more compassionate behavior by preprofessional and professional healthcare students, especially when teams of students are free to make their own meaning of, and build trust and psychological safety in, shared experiences.
Effects of Storage Time and Temperature on Lipid Oxidation and Protein Co-Oxidation of Low-Moisture Shredded Meat Products

Studies on the oxidative changes in meat-based, low-moisture, ready to eat foods are complicated due to complex food system and slow lipid-protein oxidative deterioration. The current study evaluates the oxidative changes over six months of storage on shredded beef and chicken products (locally known as serunding) for physicochemical analysis, lipid oxidation (conjugated dienes and malondialdehydes) and protein co-oxidation (soluble protein content, amino acid composition, protein carbonyl, tryptophan loss and Schiff base fluorescence) at 25 °C, 40 °C and 60 °C. The lipid stability of chicken serunding was significantly lower than beef serunding, illustrated by higher conjugated dienes content and higher rate of malondialdehyde formation during storage. In terms of protein co-oxidation, chicken serunding with higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) experienced more severe oxidation, as seen from lower protein solubility, higher protein carbonyl and Schiff base formation compared to beef serunding. To conclude, chicken serunding demonstrates lower lipid and protein stability and exhibits higher rate of lipid oxidation and protein co-oxidation than beef serunding. These findings provide insights on the progression of lipid oxidation and protein co-oxidation in cooked, shredded meat products and could be extrapolated to minimize possible adverse effects arising from lipid oxidation and protein co-oxidation, on the quality of low-moisture, high-lipid, high-protein foods.
Genome-Wide Distribution of Nascent Transcripts in Sperm DNA, Products of a Late Wave of General Transcription

Mature spermatozoa contain a whole repertoire of the various classes of cellular RNAs, both coding and non-coding. It was hypothesized that after fertilization they might impact development, a claim supported by experimental evidence in various systems. Despite the current increasing interest in the transgenerational maintenance of epigenetic traits and their possible determination by RNAs, little remains known about conservation in sperm and across generations and the specificities and mechanisms involved in transgenerational maintenance. We identified two distinct fractions of RNAs in mature mouse sperm, one readily extracted in the aqueous phase of the classical TRIzol procedure and a distinct fraction hybridized with homologous DNA in DNA-RNA complexes recovered from the interface, purified after DNase hydrolysis and analyzed by RNA-seq methodology. This DNA-associated RNA (D RNA) was found to represent as much as half of the cell contents in differentiated sperm, in which a major part of the cytoplasmic material has been discarded. Stable complexes were purified free of proteins and identified as hybrids (R-loops) on the basis of their sensitivity to RNase H hydrolysis. Further analysis by RNA-seq identified transcripts from all the coding and non-coding regions of the genome, thus revealing an extensive wave of transcription, prior to or concomitant with the terminal compaction of the chromatin.
Larval development and proteolytic activity of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) exposed to different soybean protease inhibitors.

Anticarsia gemmatalis represents a relevant factor for lowering soybean and other legume crop productivities. Protease inhibitors affect protein degradation and reduce the availability of amino acids, impairing the development and survival of insect pests. To evaluate the possible use of proteinaceous protease inhibitors in the management of this pest, the activities of midgut proteases and the growth and development of A. gemmatalis larvae exposed to soybean Bowman-Birk trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor (SBBI) and soybean Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (SKTI) were determined. The survival curves obtained using Kaplan-Meier estimators indicated that SKTI and SBBI stimulated larval survival. However, the development of A. gemmatalis was delayed, and prepupal weight decreased in the presence of both inhibitors. The results showed that SKTI and SBBI inhibited the trypsin-like and total proteolytic activities of larvae on the 12th day after eclosion. On the 15th day after eclosion, larvae exposed to SKTI increased the activities of trypsin and total proteases. Although SKTI and SBBI did not affect the survival of the insect, they had effects on midgut proteases in a stage wherein A. gemmatalis fed voraciously, increased the larval cycle, and decreased prepupal weight. These findings provide baseline information about the potential of proteinaceous protease inhibitors to manage the velvetbean caterpillar, avoiding chemical pesticides.
Gelatin and Antioxidant Peptides from Gelatin Hydrolysate of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) Scales: Preparation, Identification and Activity Evaluation

For full use of fish by-products, scale gelatin (TG) and antioxidant peptides (APs) of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) were prepared, and their properties were characterized using an amino acid analyzer, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrospray ionization mass spectrometers (ESI-MS), and radical scavenging assays. The results indicate that TG with a yield of 3.46 ± 0.27% contained Gly (327.9 ± 5.2 residues/1000 residues) as the major amino acid and its imino acid content was 196.1 residues/1000 residues. The structure of TG was more unstable than that of type I collagen from scales of skipjack tuna (TC) and TG was more suitable for preparation of hydrolysate by protease than mammalian gelatins. Therefore, TG was separately hydrolyzed under five proteases (pepsin, papain, trypsin, neutrase, and alcalase) and ten APs (TGP1–TGP10) were isolated from the alcalase-hydrolysate. Among them, TGP5, TGP7, and TGP9 with high antioxidant activity were identified as His-Gly-Pro-Hyp-Gly-Glu (TGP5), Asp-Gly-Pro-Lys-Gly-His (TGP7) and Met-Leu-Gly-Pro-Phe-Gly-Pro-Ser (TGP9), respectively. Furthermore, TGP5, TGP7, and TGP9 exhibited a high radical scavenging capability on 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical (EC50 values of 1.34, 0.54, and 0.67 mg/mL, respectively), hydroxyl radical (EC50 values of 1.03, 0.41, and 0.74 mg/mL, respectively), and superoxide anion radical (EC50 values of 1.19, 0.71, and 1.59 mg/mL, respectively). These results suggest that three APs (TGP5, TGP7, and TGP9), especially TGP7, have a strong antioxidant activity and could act as potential antioxidant ingredients applied in functional products.
Tissue-specific inactivation by cytosine deaminase/uracil phosphoribosyl transferase as a tool to study plant biology.

Recent advances in the study of plant developmental and physiological responses have benefited from tissue-specific approaches, revealing the role of some cell types in these processes. Such approaches have relied on the inactivation of target cells using either toxic compounds or deleterious genes. However, both tissue-specific and truly inducible tools are lacking in order to precisely target a developmental window or specific growth response. We engineered the yeast fluorocytosine deaminase (FCY1) gene by creating a fusion with the bacterial uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (UPP) gene. The recombinant protein converts the precursor 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into 5-fluorouracyl, a drug used in the treatment of a range of cancers, which triggers DNA and RNA damage. We expressed the FCY-UPP gene construct in specific cell types using enhancer trap lines and promoters demonstrating that this marker acts cell autonomously. We also showed that it can inactivate slow developmental processes like lateral root formation by targeting pericycle cells. It revealed a role for the lateral root cap and the epidermis in controlling root growth, a faster response. The 5-FC precursor acts systemically as demonstrated by its ability to inhibit stomatal movements when supplied to the roots in combination with a guard cell specific promoter. Finally, we demonstrate that the tissular inactivation is reversible and can therefore be used to synchronize plant responses or determine cell type specific functions during different developmental stages. This tool will greatly enhance our capacity to understand the respective role of each cell type in plant physiology and development.
HU-671, a Novel Oleoyl Serine Derivative, Exhibits Enhanced Efficacy in Reversing Ovariectomy-Induced Osteoporosis and Bone Marrow Adiposity

Oleoyl serine (OS), an endogenous fatty acyl amide (FAA) found in bone, has been shown to have an anti-osteoporotic effect. OS, being an amide, can be hydrolyzed in the body by amidases. Hindering its amide bond by introducing adjacent substituents has been demonstrated as a successful method for prolonging its skeletal activity. Here, we tested the therapeutic efficacy of two methylated OS derivatives, oleoyl α-methyl serine (HU-671) and 2-methyl-oleoyl serine (HU-681), in an ovariectomized mouse model for osteoporosis by utilizing combined micro-computed tomography, histomorphometry, and cell culture analyses. Our findings indicate that daily treatment for 6 weeks with OS or HU-671 completely rescues bone loss, whereas HU-681 has only a partial effect. The increased bone density was primarily due to enhanced trabecular thickness and number. Moreover, the most effective dose of HU-671 was 0.5 mg/kg/day, an order of magnitude lower than with OS. The reversal of bone loss resulted from increased bone formation and decreased bone resorption, as well as reversal of bone marrow adiposity. These results were further confirmed by determining the serum levels of osteocalcin and type 1 collagen C-terminal crosslinks, as well as demonstrating the enhanced antiadipogenic effect of HU-671. Taken together, these data suggest that methylation interferes with OS’s metabolism, thus enhancing its effects by extending its availability to its target cells.
Age-related changes in concentric and eccentric muscle strength in the lower and upper extremity: A cross-sectional study

Objective: To determine the influence of ageing on lean muscle area and isometric and concentric and eccentric muscle strength in the upper and lower extremity in a cross-sectional study design. Subjects and methods: Lean muscle area and maximal muscle strength (isometric and isokinetic, 60degrees and 120degrees/s) of both upper and lower extremity were assessed of 45 men and 56 women (20 to 89 years). Results: One-way variance analysis and regression analyses revealed a parallel decline with age in both sexes for maximal muscle strength. The decline in maximal muscle strength from age 60 was 34 to 45% in men and 11 to 32% in women in the arms and 40 to 47% in men and 37 to 45% in women in the legs. Isometric, concentric and eccentric contractions showed a similar decline in ageing in both sexes. There was a better maintenance with age of the strength in the arms than in the legs (p < 0.01) and at 120degrees/s than at 60degrees/s (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The present findings suggest a parallel decline in lean muscle area and strength and similar losses in isometric, concentric and eccentric strength with increasing age.
Phylogenetic Analyses of Xanthomonads Causing Bacterial Leaf Spot of Tomato and Pepper: Xanthomonas euvesicatoria Revealed Homologous Populations Despite Distant Geographical Distribution

Bacterial leaf spot of tomato and pepper (BLS), an economically important bacterial disease caused by four species of Xanthomonas (X. euvesicatoria (Xe), X. vesicatoria (Xv), X. gardneri (Xg), and X. perforans (Xp)), is a global problem and can cause over 50% crop loss under unfavorable conditions. Among the four species, Xe and Xv are prevalent worldwide. Characterization of the pathogens is crucial for disease management and regulatory purposes. In this study, we performed a multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) with six genes (hrcN, dnaA gyrB, gapA, pdg, and hmbs) on BLS strains. Other Xanthomonas species were included to determine phylogenetic relationships within and among the tested strains. Four BLS species comprising 76 strains from different serological groups and diverse geographical locations were resolved into three major clades. BLS xanthomonads formed distinct clusters in the phylogenetic analyses. Three other xanthomonads, including X. albilineans, X. sacchari, and X. translucens pv. undolusa revealed less than 85%, 88%, and 89% average nucleotide identity (ANI), respectively, with the other species of Xanthomonas included in this study. Both antibody and MLSA data showed that Xv was clearly separated from Xe and that the latter strains were remarkably clonal, even though they originated from distant geographical locations. The Xe strains formed two separate phylogenetic groups; Xe group A1 consisted only of tomato strains, whereas Xe group A2 included strains from pepper and tomato. In contrast, the Xv group showed greater heterogeneity. Some Xv strains from South America were closely related to strains from California, while others grouped closer to a strain from Indiana and more distantly to a strain from Hawaii. Using this information molecular tests can now be devised to track distribution of clonal populations that may be introduced into new geographic areas through seeds and other infected plant materials.
Troponine Ic et CK‐MB masse en chirurgie cardiaque sous circulation extracorporelle

1La troponine I cardiaque est un marqueur de choix pour le diagnostic d‘infarctus myocardique peri‐operatoire en chirurgie cardiaque. La valeur seuil pour un tel diagnostic varie d‘une etude a l‘autre et, ceci, avec la meme trousse de dosage. Le but de ce travail est d‘une part, d‘etablir le profil de liberation de la troponine Ic et de la CK‐MB masse au decours d‘une intervention cardiaque sous circulation extracorporelle et, d‘autre part, d‘etablir une valeur seuil de troponine Ic et de CK‐MB masse permettant le diagnostic d‘infarctus du myocarde peri‐operatoire. Chez les sujets n‘ayant pas presente de complications cardiaques post‐operatoires, les concentrations de troponine Ic sont maximales a la 24 e heure en cas de pontage coronarien et de remplacement valvulaire. De plus, la quantite de troponine Ic liberee dans les 3 heures suivant l‘intervention est 2,5 fois plus importante apres remplacement valvulaire. En ce qui concerne la CK‐MB, le pic de liberation est atteint des la 3 e heure dans les deux types d‘intervention chirurgicale. Chez ces patients, les concentrations de troponine Ic et de CK‐MB sont d‘autant plus importantes que la duree de clampage est longue. Chez les patients ayant presente un infarctus post‐operatoire, la concentration maximale est obtenue a la 24 e heure apres l‘intervention pour la troponine Ic et pour la CK‐MB. Le diagnostic d‘une telle pathologie peut etre etabli avec une sensibilite de 100 % a la 24 e heure avec des valeurs seuil de 32 µg\L pour la CK‐MB et de 7 µg\L pour la troponine Ic sur les analyseurs Stratus (Dade‐Behring) et Immulite (DPC).
Tumor phyllodes en una niña de 11 años: Comunicación de un caso

El tumor phyllodes de mama comprende menos del 1% de todos los tumores de mama y es muy raro en mujeres jovenes.Fue descripto por primera vez por Johannes Muller, en 1893,quien lo llamo asi por su aspecto de hoja (phyllon significa hojay eidos, aspecto). El objetivo es presentar el caso de una ninade 11 anos de edad con un tumor phyllodes de mama derecha.Al efectuar una revision bibliografica, hallamos solo dos casos publicados.
Population‐level predictors of changes in success rates of smoking quit attempts in England: a time series analysis

Abstract Aims To quantify associations between the success of smoking quit attempts and factors that have varied throughout 2007–2018 at a population level. Design time series analysis using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average with Exogeneous Input (ARIMAX) modelling. Setting and Participants Data were aggregated from 54 847 past‐year smokers taking part in the Smoking Toolkit Study which involves monthly repeated cross‐sectional household surveys of individuals aged 16+ in England. Measurements The input series were: (1) attempts at smoking reduction using (a) e‐cigarettes and (b) nicotine replacement therapy (NRT); (2) use during a quit attempt of (a) e‐cigarettes, (b) NRT over‐the‐counter, (c) medication on prescription and (d) face‐to‐face behavioural support; (3) use of roll‐your‐own tobacco; (4) prevalence of (a) smoking and (b) non‐daily smoking; (5) tobacco control mass media expenditure; (6) expenditure on smoking; (7) smoker characteristics in the form of (a) high motivation to quit, (b) average age, (c) socio‐economic status and (d) cigarette consumption; (8) implementation of tobacco control policies; and (9) quit attempt rate. Findings The licensing of NRT for harm reduction was associated with a 0.641% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.073–1.209, P = 0.027] increase in the mean point prevalence of the success rate of quit attempts. For every 1% increase in the mean point prevalence of e‐cigarette use and use of prescription medication during a quit attempt, the mean point prevalence of successful quit attempts increased by 0.106% (95% CI = 0.011–0.201, P = 0.029) and 0.143% (95% CI = 0.009–0.279, P = 0.038), respectively. For every 1% increase in the mean expenditure on tobacco control mass media, the mean point prevalence of successful quit attempts increased by 0.046% (95% CI = 0.001–0.092, P = 0.046). Other associations were not statistically significant. Conclusion In England between 2007 and 2018, licensing of nicotine replacement therapy for use in harm reduction, greater use of e‐cigarettes and prescription medications during a quit attempt and higher expenditure on tobacco control mass media were all associated with higher success rates of quit attempts.
Folsyre og medfødte misdannelser

SAMMENDRAG Folsyre, et B vitamin, er viktig for en normal utvikling av fosterets nervesystem. En rekke intervensjonsstudier har vist at forekomsten av nevralrorsdefekter og misdannelser i hjerne/ryggmarg, kan reduseres med opptil 70% dersom mor far folsyretilskudd (0,4 / 4,0 mg) fra minst en maned for befruktning til og med tredje svangerskapsmaned. Perikonsepsjonell bruk av multivitaminer er ogsa assosiert med reduksjon av andre medfodte misdannelser som leppe-/ganespalte, urinveis- og hjertemisdannelser og manglende eller misdannede lemmer hos fosteret. Bjorke Monsen A-L. Folic acid and fetal malformations . Nor J Epidemiol 1997; 7 (1): 19-22. ENGLISH SUMMARY Folic acid, a B vitamin, is essential for normal development of the central nervous system during the early weeks of gestation. Both observational and intervention studies have demonstrated that periconceptional administration of folate (0.4 / 4.0 mg) reduces the occurence and the recurrence rate of neural tube defects. Periconceptional multivitamin supplementation has also been associated with reduction of other congenital malformations like cleft lip/palate, urinary tract defects, cardiovascular defects and limb reductions.
Identification of protein changes in the blood plasma of lung cancer patients subjected to chemotherapy using a 2D-DIGE approach

A comparative analysis of blood samples (depleted of albumin and IgG) obtained from lung cancer patients before chemotherapy versus after a second cycle of chemotherapy was performed using two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE). The control group consisted of eight patients with non-cancerous lung diseases, and the experimental group consisted of four adenocarcinoma (ADC) and four squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients. Analyses of gels revealed significant changes in proteins and/or their proteoforms between control patients and lung cancer patients, both before and after a second cycle of chemotherapy. Most of these proteins were related to inflammation, including acute phase proteins (APPs) such as forms of haptoglobin and transferrin, complement component C3, and clusterin. The variable expression of APPs can potentially be used for profiling lung cancer. The greatest changes observed after chemotherapy were in transferrin and serotransferrin, which likely reflect disturbances in iron turnover after chemotherapy-induced anaemia. Significant changes in plasma proteins between ADC and SCC patients were also revealed, suggesting use of plasma vitronectin as a potential marker of SCC.
Tools for fundamental analysis functions of TCR repertoires: a systematic comparison

Abstract The full set of T cell receptors (TCRs) in an individual is known as his or her TCR repertoire. Defining TCR repertoires under physiological conditions and in response to a disease or vaccine may lead to a better understanding of adaptive immunity and thus has great biological and clinical value. In the past decade, several high-throughput sequencing-based tools have been developed to assign TCRs to germline genes and to extract complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) sequences using different algorithms. Although these tools claim to be able to perform the full range of fundamental TCR repertoire analyses, there is no clear consensus of which tool is best suited to particular projects. Here, we present a systematic analysis of 12 available TCR repertoire analysis tools using simulated data, with an emphasis on fundamental analysis functions. Our results shed light on the detailed functions of TCR repertoire analysis tools and may therefore help researchers in the field to choose the right tools for their particular experimental design.