Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation of antifungal activities of chitosans on plant pathogens

The effect of chitosan on the growth of plant pathogenic fungi was investigated. Chitosan solubilized in acetic acid showed much higher and more consistent antifungal activity than that solubilized in HCl. The antifungal activity was not significantly affected within a DA (degree of deacetylation) range of 57.3-99.2% tested. Water-soluble and low molecular weight chitosan (57.3% DA) against 6 plant pathogens showed that Monosporascus canonballus and Pythium irregulare were the most susceptible to the chitosan, while Fusarium oxysporum and F graminearum were the most resistant. At a concentration of 2.5 mg/ml, the growth of pathogens was completely inhibited except for F oxysporum. The MIC 50 values varied depending on both the DA of the chitosan and the plant pathogens. A chitosan with 57.3% DA exhibited the lowest MIC 50 (ranging <0.1-1.8 mg/ml) and that with 84.7% DA the highest MIC 50 (ranging <0.4-4.0 mg/ml) depending on the pathogen.
Amphibacillus jilinensis Y1T

College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405, United States State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China Ocean Research Center of Zhoushan, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, P.R. China
An Orthographic Effect in Phoneme Processing, and Its Limitations

In three phoneme goodness rating experiments, listeners heard phonetic tokens varying along a continuum centered on /s/, occurring finally in isolated word or non-word tokens. An effect of spelling appeared in Experiment 1: native English-speakers’ goodness ratings for the best /s/ tokens were significantly higher in words spelled with S (e.g., bless) than in words spelled with C (e.g., voice). Since the tokens were in fact identical in each word, this effect indicates less than optimal evaluation performance. No spelling effect appeared when non-native speakers rated the same materials in Experiment 2, indicating that the observed difference could not be due to acoustic characteristics of the S- versus C-words. In Experiment 3, native English-speakers’ ratings for /s/ did not differ in non-words rhyming with words consistently spelled with S (e.g., pless) or with words consistently spelled with C (e.g., floice); i.e., no effects of lexical rhyme analogs appeared. It is concluded that the findings are better explained in terms of phonemic decisions drawing upon lexical information where convenient than by obligatory influence of lexical knowledge upon pre-lexical processing.
Grassland invaders and their mycorrhizal symbionts: a study across climate and invasion gradients

Controlled experiments show that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase competitiveness of exotic plants, potentially increasing invasion success. We surveyed AMF abundance and community composition in Centaurea stoebe and Potentilla recta invasions in the western USA to assess whether patterns were consistent with mycorrhizal-mediated invasions. We asked whether (1) AMF abundance and community composition differ between native and exotic forbs, (2) associations between native plants and AMF shift with invading exotic plants, and (3) AMF abundance and/or community composition differ in areas where exotic plants are highly invasive and in areas where they are not. We collected soil and roots from invaded and native forb communities along invasion gradients and in regions with different invasion densities. We used AMF root colonization as a measure of AMF abundance and characterized AMF communities in roots using 454-sequencing of the LSU-rDNA region. All plants were highly colonized (>60%), but exotic forbs tended to be more colonized than natives (P < 0.001). We identified 30 AMF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) across sites, and community composition was best predicted by abiotic factors (soil texture, pH). Two OTUs in the genera Glomus and Rhizophagus dominated in most communities, and their dominance increased with invasion density (r = 0.57, P = 0.010), while overall OTU richness decreased with invasion density (r = −0.61, P = 0.006). Samples along P. recta invasion gradients revealed small and reciprocal shifts in AMF communities with >45% fungal OTUs shared between neighboring native and P. recta plants. Overall, we observed significant, but modest, differences in AMF colonization and communities between co-occurring exotic and native forbs and among exotic forbs across regions that differ in invasion pressure. While experimental manipulations are required to assess functional consequences, the observed patterns are not consistent with those expected from strong mycorrhizal-mediated invasions.
ENCORE 601: A phase II study of entinostat (ENT) in combination with pembrolizumab (PEMBRO) in patients with melanoma.

9529Background: Entinostat is an oral, class I selective histone deacetylase inhibitor shown preclinically to enhance immune checkpoint inhibitor activity by regulation of immune suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment. ENCORE 601 is designed to evaluate safety and efficacy of ENT in combination with PEMBRO. Phase 1b identified ENT 5 mg PO weekly and PEMBRO 200 mg IV every 3 weeks as the recommended Phase 2 dose for further investigation. Methods: Phase 2 of ENCORE 601 employs a Simon 2-stage design to assess activity across 3 cohorts: 1) NSCLC not previously treated with a PD-1/L1 blocking antibody, 2&3) NSCLC & melanoma previously progressing on or after a PD-1/L1 blocking antibody. Patients were enrolled irrespective of PD-L1 expression levels. The primary endpoint is ORR as assessed by irRECIST. Results of the first stage of Cohort 3 are reported. Criteria for advancing to Stage 2 are ≥2 responses out of 13 evaluable patients. Results: Stage 1 enrollment has been completed (n = 13). All patient.
Maternal Fish Consumption, Hair Mercury, and Infant Cognition in a U.S. Cohort

Fish and other seafood may contain organic mercury but also beneficial nutrients such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. We endeavored to study whether maternal fish consumption during pregnancy harms or benefits fetal brain development. We examined associations of maternal fish intake during pregnancy and maternal hair mercury at delivery with infant cognition among 135 mother–infant pairs in Project Viva, a prospective U.S. pregnancy and child cohort study. We assessed infant cognition by the percent novelty preference on visual recognition memory (VRM) testing at 6 months of age. Mothers consumed an average of 1.2 fish servings per week during the second trimester. Mean maternal hair mercury was 0.55 ppm, with 10% of samples > 1.2 ppm. Mean VRM score was 59.8 (range, 10.9–92.5). After adjusting for participant characteristics using linear regression, higher fish intake was associated with higher infant cognition. This association strengthened after adjustment for hair mercury level: For each additional weekly fish serving, offspring VRM score was 4.0 points higher [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3 to 6.7]. However, an increase of 1 ppm in mercury was associated with a decrement in VRM score of 7.5 (95% CI, –13.7 to –1.2) points. VRM scores were highest among infants of women who consumed > 2 weekly fish servings but had mercury levels ≤1.2 ppm. Higher fish consumption in pregnancy was associated with better infant cognition, but higher mercury levels were associated with lower cognition. Women should continue to eat fish during pregnancy but choose varieties with lower mercury contamination.
The Emergence of Hierarchical Structure in Human Language

We propose a novel account for the emergence of human language syntax. Like many evolutionary innovations, language arose from the adventitious combination of two pre-existing, simpler systems that had been evolved for other functional tasks. The first system, Type E(xpression), is found in birdsong, where the same song marks territory, mating availability, and similar “expressive” functions. The second system, Type L(exical), has been suggestively found in non-human primate calls and in honeybee waggle dances, where it demarcates predicates with one or more “arguments,” such as combinations of calls in monkeys or compass headings set to sun position in honeybees. We show that human language syntax is composed of two layers that parallel these two independently evolved systems: an “E” layer resembling the Type E system of birdsong and an “L” layer providing words. The existence of the “E” and “L” layers can be confirmed using standard linguistic methodology. Each layer, E and L, when considered separately, is characterizable as a finite state system, as observed in several non-human species. When the two systems are put together they interact, yielding the unbounded, non-finite state, hierarchical structure that serves as the hallmark of full-fledged human language syntax. In this way, we account for the appearance of a novel function, language, within a conventional Darwinian framework, along with its apparently unique emergence in a single species.
Pengaruh kadar ekstrak bawang merah (Allium cepa liliaceae) yang berbeda dengan pengencer Ringer’s dextrose terhadap kualitas semen kambing Peranakan Etawah (PE)

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of onion extract ( Allium cepa L ) diluted in Ringer’s Dextrose base extender on the semen quality of Peranakan Etawah (PE) buck. Fresh onion was grinded and filtered with filter paper. The filtrate was then inactivated by heating it at 56 o C for 10 min to avoid the negative or detrimental effect of its biological activity. The onion filtrate was added to the tube containing Ringer’s–dextrose solution with the concentration of 0%, 1%, 2% and 3% (v/v). Semen was collected with artificial vagina from a healthy selected PE buck reared at the Teaching Farm Laboratory of the Animal Husbandry Faculty Brawijaya University. The semen was diluted with prepared extender to rich the sperm concentration of 75x10 millions/ml. The semen parameters were observed after 1 and 2 hours during storage at room temperature. The results showed that concentration of onion extract (OE) affected the individual sperm motility (P 0.05) and sperm abnormality (P<0.05) during semen evaluation at 1 and 2 hours following the semen dilution time. The highest quality of semen following the dilution was shown by the dilution containing 2% of OE (2 ml/100 ml extender). It was concluded that it was possible to use the OE to improve the semen quality during storage at room temperature. A further study of the use of OE should be conducted to explore more positive effect of OE when it is used in combination with standard semen extender and other technique semen storage such as cold storage or freezing process. Keywords: semen quality, onion extract, Ringer’s dextrose
Dam methylation and putative fimbriae in Klebsiella pneumoniae

DNA adenine methyltransferase (Dam) plays an important role in different bacterial functions. It has been shown that Dam is required for regulation of bacterial replication initiation and is required for proofreading newly synthesized DNA through methylation directed mismatch repair. Dam is also involved in the regulation of different genes and is required for virulence in several different bacterial genera though its degree of importance depends on the specific bacteria being studied. During this work, a Damnegative strain (JSM1) was constructed in Klebsiella pneumoniae strain 43816 to ascertain its importance for K. pneumoniae viability and virulence. To test JSM1 for expression of fimbrial virulence factors, agglutinations were used to detect the presence of type three and type one fimbriae. No differences between 43816 and JSM1 were discernable. Similarly, JSM1 production of capsular material appeared to be unaltered. K. pneumoniae JSM1 virulence in a murine model was examined following intranasal or intraperitoneal inoculation, and it was determined that JSM1 is partially attenuated. Quantitative analysis of 43816 and JSM1 biofilm growth revealed only slight decreases in JSM1 biofilm mass and thickness, but live/dead staining of developed biofilms showed decreased JSM1 biofilm viability over time compared to 43816 biofilms. JSM1 was also examined for alterations in the frequency of spontaneous antibiotic resistance mutations and tested for increased susceptibility to various DNA damaging agents, and statistically significant differences were found for some of the spontaneous antibiotic resistance mutation frequencies tested. Fimbriae in K. pneumoniae are important virulence factors which facilitate respiratory and urinary tract infections in vivo. They also contribute to formation of biofilms which are believed to cause chronic infections and increased antibiotic resistance. Searches for homologous regions within the Klebsiella chromosome using the
Increasing number and heterogeneity of cancer genes

genes Recent advances in sequencing technologies and the launching of massive resequencing projects such as the Cancer Genome Project [1] have boosted the production of cancer genomics data. In the past few years, the entire repertoire of human exons has been sequenced in glio­ blastoma [2], pancreatic [3], breast and colorectal [4] cancers, and somatic mutations in selected genes have been mapped in multiple samples of renal [5] and lung [6] adenocarcinomas. In addition, the whole genomes of individuals affected by leukemia [7,8], melanoma [9], glioma [10], breast [11,12], and lung [13] cancers have been fully resequenced. All these studies have led to the identification of more than 1,000 potential cancer genes, and the list is likely to grow in the near future. This massive amount of information will have a huge impact on our understanding of cancer genetics, even more so considering that the biological role of most mutations is still obscure. These first unbiased screenings have led to the identification of novel and unsuspected determinants of cancer, such as the isocitrate dehydro­ genase enzyme genes IDH1 and IDH2, which have been found mutated in glioblastoma multiforme [2]. They have also started to question some cornerstones of cancer biology, such as the description of cancer as a unique disease driven by the somatic modification of a few key regulators. The progressive identification of novel mutated genes is expanding the ‘cast of actors’ [14] whose mutations might be causally involved in driving cancer. Moreover, given the high heterogeneity of genes mutated in different cancer types (Figure 1), the overall ‘plot’ is becoming more intricate. The emerging picture suggests that there may be distinct genetic routes to reach the common aftermath of all tumorigenic processes, which is uncontrolled cell proliferation. For example, as many as 12 core pathways are disrupted in the majority of pancreatic cancers through multiple somatic mutations [3]. This opens up an intriguing scenario where the deregulation of key pathways for tumorigenesis repre­ sents only the final step of a more general perturbation of cellular activity. The cell is seen as an integrated system in which all processes form a tightly interconnected network more than as an ensemble of independent pathways. In this context, the effect of somatic mutations occurring in the cancer genome should be interpreted in the light of their broader impact on the system’s equilibrium. Cancer is a disease of multicellular organisms, where each cell is integrated within the larger system of the whole organism. In a recent paper in BMC Biology, Domazet­Lošo and Tautz [15] trace the evolutionary origins of known cancer genes and find that in most cases the origins coincide with one of two pivotal events in evolution ­ the emergence of the first cell or the transition towards metazoan multicellularity.
Role of Dectin-2 for Host Defense against Systemic Infection with Candida glabrata

ABSTRACT Although Candida glabrata is an important pathogenic Candida species, relatively little is known about its innate immune recognition. Here, we explore the potential role of Dectin-2 for host defense against C. glabrata. Dectin-2-deficient (Dectin-2 −/−) mice were found to be more susceptible to C. glabrata infections, showing a defective fungal clearance in kidneys but not in the liver. The increased susceptibility to infection was accompanied by lower production of T helper 1 (Th1) and Th17-derived cytokines by splenocytes of Dectin-2−/− mice, while macrophage-derived cytokines were less affected. These defects were associated with a moderate yet significant decrease in phagocytosis of the fungus by the Dectin-2−/− macrophages and neutrophils. Neutrophils of Dectin-2−/− mice also displayed lower production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon challenge with opsonized C. glabrata or C. albicans. This study suggests that Dectin-2 is important in host defense against C. glabrata and provides new insights into the host defense mechanisms against this important fungal pathogen.
Statinler her derde deva m

Do statins work for every medical problem? Statins work through inhibition of the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase which is the rate limiting step for cholesterol synthesis. Up to now, it is well documented in many big clinical trials that statins reduce cardiovascular events and mortality. On the other hand, the favourable end-points reached with statins are not limited to the lipid lowering effects. This agents have antiinflammatory, antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects which is so called “pleiotropic effects” and work on many diseases related to different organ systems other than cardiovascular system.
Open Access Research

which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Research Mild therapeutic hypothermia alters neuron specific enolase as an outcome predictor after resuscitation: 97 prospective hypothermia patients compared to 133 historical non-hypothermia patients Abstract Introduction: Neuron specific enolase (NSE) has been proven effective in predicting neurological outcome after cardiac arrest with a current cut off recommendation of 33 μg/l. However, most of the corresponding studies were conducted before the introduction of mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH). Therefore we conducted a study investigating the association between NSE and neurological outcome in patients treated with MTH Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study the data of patients after cardiac arrest receiving MTH (n = 97) were consecutively collected and compared with a retrospective non-hypothermia (NH) group (n = 133). Serum NSE was measured 72 hours after admission to ICU. Neurological outcome was classified according to the Pittsburgh cerebral performance category (CPC 1 to 5) at ICU discharge. Results: NSE serum levels were significantly lower under MTH compared to NH in univariate analysis. However, in a linear regression model NSE was affected significantly by time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and ventricular fibrillation rhythm but not by MTH. The model for neurological outcome identified NSE, NSE*MTH (interaction) as well as time to ROSC as significant predictors. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed a higher cutoff value for unfavourable outcome (CPC 3 to 5) with a specificity of 100% in the hypothermia group (78.9 μg/l) compared to the NH group (26.9 μg/l). Conclusions: Recommended cutoff levels for NSE 72 hours after ROSC do not reliably predict poor neurological outcome in cardiac arrest patients treated with MTH. Prospective multicentre trials are required to re-evaluate NSE cutoff values for the prediction of neurological outcome in patients treated with MTH. Introduction Early prediction of neurological outcome in patients surviving cardiac arrest is a challenging problem. A combined approach using clinical assessment, electrophysiological studies and biochemical markers has
A genome-wide scan for common alleles affecting risk for autism

Although autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have a substantial genetic basis, most of the known genetic risk has been traced to rare variants, principally copy number variants (CNVs). To identify common risk variation, the Autism Genome Project (AGP) Consortium genotyped 1558 rigorously defined ASD families for 1 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and analyzed these SNP genotypes for association with ASD. In one of four primary association analyses, the association signal for marker rs4141463, located within MACROD2, crossed the genome-wide association significance threshold of P < 5 × 10−8. When a smaller replication sample was analyzed, the risk allele at rs4141463 was again over-transmitted; yet, consistent with the winner's curse, its effect size in the replication sample was much smaller; and, for the combined samples, the association signal barely fell below the P < 5 × 10−8 threshold. Exploratory analyses of phenotypic subtypes yielded no significant associations after correction for multiple testing. They did, however, yield strong signals within several genes, KIAA0564, PLD5, POU6F2, ST8SIA2 and TAF1C.
EVERYBODY HAS IT BUT NO ONE KNOWS MUCH ABOUT IT: HOW PATIENT-PROVIDER COMMUNICATION & HPV KNOWLEDGE IMPACT THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF HAVING HPV

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Many individuals, however, are misinformed about key aspects of the STI, negatively view the disease and those infected with it, and do not use preventive methods to protect themselves and others from transmission. For this study, I used in-person, semi-structured interviews to examine HPV knowledge among those with HPV and how this knowledge impacted individuals’ emotional state upon diagnosis. I also analyzed feelings of stigma among individuals with HPV and how these feelings and HPV knowledge impacted individuals’ motivations to disclose their status to others. I also examined status disclosure and sexual behavior among those with HPV and how HPV transmission knowledge impacted motivations and intentions to participate in prevention behaviors. I found that post-diagnosis many individuals were ill-informed about HPV transmission, dormancy, prevalence, clearance, impact on men, and association with cervical cancer. I also found that post-diagnosis many individuals were anxious and upset about their positive status and felt judged by some individuals in their lives. Confronting and
Cellular subversion: towards a complete repertoire of type-III secretion system effectors in enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7

Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a formidable pathogen that uses a type-III secretion system to inject bacterial ‘effector’ proteins directly into host cells. Most effectors that are encoded within the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) have been studied extensively. This study aimed to characterise a selection of recently discovered non-LEE-encoded effectors using a variety of model systems. Firstly, a β-lactamase translocation assay was used to demonstrate translocation of novel effectors into host cells. The localisation of selected effectors was then investigated using mammalian cells and a yeast cell model. The effector EspM2 was shown to induce the formation of actin stress fibres in transfected HeLa cells and caused growth retardation when expressed in yeast. A number of NleG effectors also caused growth retardation and morphological changes when expressed in yeast. Growth retardation caused by the effector NleG8-2 was shown to be dependent on three conserved cysteine, aspartic acid and histidine residues. Transcriptomics and a high copy yeast gene suppression screen revealed that NleG8-2 may disrupt yeast physiology by affecting the secretory pathway. This study confirms that the effector repertoire of EHEC O157:H7 is much larger than previously imagined and provides insight into the function of selected novel effectors.