Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive isolation between Zaluzianskya species: the influence of volatiles and flower orientation on hawkmoth foraging choices.

Floral trait differences between related species may play a key role in reproductive isolation imposed by pollinators. Volatile emissions can influence pollinator choice, but how they act in combination with traits such as flower orientation is rarely studied. We compared flower-opening patterns, morphology, colour, orientation and volatile emissions for two closely related species of Zaluzianskya and their natural hybrids. Hawkmoth pollinators were tested for preference between flowers of the two species, and between flowers with manipulations of volatiles or orientation. Flowers of Z. natalensis and Z. microsiphon open at night and day, respectively, but they overlap during early evening, when hawkmoths showed a strong preference for Z. natalensis. The species have similar flower size and colour, but Z. natalensis emits more floral volatiles in the evening and presents flowers vertically face-up as opposed to horizontally in Z. microsiphon, whereas natural hybrids are intermediate. Adding methyl benzoate and linalool to flowers of Z. microsiphon did not increase hawkmoth attraction, but re-orientation of flowers to face vertically increased attraction when scent cues were present, whereas re-orientation of Z. natalensis flowers to face horizontally decreased attraction. This study highlights the importance of flower orientation in imposing reproductive isolation.
The effects of a 30-min nap during night shift following a prophylactic sleep in the afternoon

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 30-min nap, during a simulated night shift environment, when a prophylactic daytime sleep was implemented prior to the night shift. A repeated-measures counterbalanced design was used which included two experimental conditions: a 30-min nap and a no nap control. In both conditions subjects obtained a 2-h sleep in the afternoon from 15.00–17.00 hours, which was followed by the night-time nap from 02.30–03.00 hours in a controlled laboratory environment. Post-nap testing was conducted from 03.10 to 07.00 hours. The participants included 22 adults aged from 18–35 years who were good sleepers and did not regularly nap. Subjective alertness (Stanford Sleepiness Scale, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, Visual Analog Scale), fatigue and vigor (Profile of Mood States), cognitive performance (psychomotor vigilance task, symbol-digit substitution task, letter cancellation task), and objective sleepiness were measured pre- and post-nap. The 30-min nap resulted in some impairment of subjective alertness for a brief period (up to 30 min) immediately following the nap when compared to the no nap condition. Following this brief period, alertness and performance were generally improved by the 30-min nap from 04.00 hours until the end of the testing period at 07.00 hours. The results of this study indicate that when a 2-h prophylactic sleep is implemented in the afternoon, a 30-min nap during the subsequent simulated night shift overall provides a significant countermeasure against sleepiness and performance impairment.
Women and War: Gender Identity and Activism in Times of Conflict

Women have played vital and sometimes pivotal roles in wars throughout recorded history, although societies tend to be selective in their memories of the extent and significance of women's participation in war. Most societies—and many women as well—are comfortable with the notion that women are inherently peace-loving and that they only come into contact with war either when they oppose it or become its victims. Women's relationships with war are far more complex, however. Women perform a wide range of roles in relation to war, from providing various forms of support for war economies, militaries, and militias to serving as combatants and war leaders. It would not be possible to wage war without the active involvement of women, but women's contributions to war are often viewed as fundamentally different from the wartime actions and responsibilities of men. This is the main reason why women's involvement in war has been relatively neglected by those who study wars and why it tends to be overlooked or downplayed by political leaders, popular culture, and ordinary citizens, especially in times of peace. The home and the family are often regarded as the appropriate and natural sphere of women's activities and the place where they make their contribution to society, through bearing and raising children and supporting their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons when they go to war. Wars and militaries, in the same way, are usually seen as the places where men demonstrate their masculinity by fighting to protect and defend their homeland and their families. When wars break out, however, societies often undergo a process of rediscovering and recognizing women's past wartime achievements. This serves the dual purpose of identifying those roles that might be appropriate for women to adopt in the current or coming conflict, as well as giving women permission to step outside their everyday activities and take on less conventional roles for the duration of the war. Keywords: feminism; war; women's history
Sex identification from the distal fibula

This study was designed to determine whether the fibula, which is one of the least studied long bones, can provide reliable information for sexing of human bones, provided that one condition is satisfied, namely, its distal end is available for measurement. The materials consisted of the dried fibulae of 71 Japanese males and 35 females whose names, ages and sex were known. The distal end of the fibula was measured with respect to five novel dimensions that are closely related to the soft tissues that had been attached to the bone surface. Highly significant sex differences were found when all parameters examined were considered together. The differences for separate items were not, however, sufficient for sex discrimination. Discriminant analysis was performed using the five parameters and yielded the correct sex with 90. 6 per cent accuracy for the entire group of specimens. This degree of accuracy suggests the utility of the present method for sexing human bones, in particular, in osteoarchaeological situations.
Hyperammonemia induces neuroinflammation that contributes to cognitive impairment in rats with hepatic encephalopathy.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Hyperammonemia and inflammation cooperate to induce neurological alterations in hepatic encephalopathy. Recent studies in animal models suggest that chronic hyperammonemia and neuroinflammation impair learning ability by the same mechanism. Chronic hyperammonemia might induce inflammatory factors in the brain that impair cognitive function. We sought to determine whether hyperammonemia itself induces neuroinflammation, whether ammonia-induced neuroinflammation mediates cognitive impairment, and whether neuroinflammation also occurs in rats with bile duct ligation (BDL rats)-a model of chronic liver injury that results in hyperammonemia and hepatic encephalopathy. METHODS Chronic moderate hyperammonemia was induced by feeding male Wistar rats an ammonium-containing diet or performing BDL. Rats that received a standard diet or a sham operation were used as controls. Neuroinflammation was assessed by measuring activation of microglia and inflammatory factors. Brain samples were collected from hyperammonemic and BDL rats; microglial activation was determined by immunohistochemistry and quantification of inflammatory markers (ie, inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-1beta, and prostaglandin E2). Learning ability and motor activity were assessed in hyperammonemic and BDL rats given ibuprofen as an anti-inflammatory agent. RESULTS Chronic moderate hyperammonemia or BDL activated the microglia, especially in cerebellum; increased inducible nitric oxide synthase, interleukin-1beta, and prostaglandin E2 levels; and impaired cognitive and motor function, compared with controls. Ibuprofen reduced microglial activation and restored cognitive and motor functions in the hyperammonemic and BDL rats. CONCLUSIONS Chronic hyperammonemia is sufficient to induce microglial activation and neuroinflammation; these contribute to the cognitive and motor alterations that occur during hepatic encephalopathy.
Effect of Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 in fermented milk on abdominal adiposity in adults in a randomised controlled trial

Consumption of fermented milk (FM) containing a probiotic, Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 (LG2055), previously showed a reduction in abdominal adiposity in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) using FM with 108 colony-forming units (cfu) of LG2055/g. However, whether the effectiveness is observed at lower concentrations, the recommended minimum or intermediate levels of probiotics (106 or 107cfu/g, respectively), remains to be examined. A multi-centre, double-blind, parallel-group RCT was conducted using 210 healthy Japanese adults with large visceral fat areas (80·2–187·8 cm2). They were balanced for their baseline characteristics and randomly assigned to three groups receiving FM containing 107, 106 or 0 (control) cfu LG2055/g of FM, and were asked to consume 200 g FM/d for 12 weeks. Abdominal visceral fat areas, which were determined by computed tomography, at week 12, changed from baseline by an average of − 8·5 % (95 % CI − 11·9, − 5·1; P< 0·01) in the 107 dose group, and by − 8·2 % (95 % CI − 10·8, − 5·7; P< 0·01) in the 106 dose group. Other measures including BMI, waist and hip circumferences, and body fat mass were also significantly decreased from baseline at week 12 in both groups; interestingly, the cessation of taking FM for 4 weeks attenuated these effects. In the control group, none of these parameters significantly decreased from baseline. These findings demonstrate that consumption of LG2055 at doses as low as the order of 108cfu/d exhibited a significant lowering effect on abdominal adiposity, and suggest that constant consumption might be needed to maintain the effect.
Host inflammatory response predicts survival of patients with Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare subtype of gastric carcinoma (GC) with a better survival rate than other GCs; most cases of LELC are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. We investigated whether the survival advantage of LELC is related to the EBV infection itself or to associated inflammatory immune responses. METHODS From 1994 to 2008, 123 EBV-associated GCs were identified and compared with 405 EBV-negative GCs. EBV-associated GCs were subclassified, based on the pattern of host inflammatory immune responses, into 3 histologic subtypes: typical LELC (n = 53, 43.1%), Crohn's disease-like lymphocytic reaction (CLR) (n = 52, 42.3%), and conventional adenocarcinoma (n = 18, 14.6%). Patients with curatively resected EBV-negative GC were controls. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used, with Bonferroni correction. RESULTS Patients with EBV-associated GC had tumors of proximal location, lower N stage (P < .0001), and lower T stage (P = .02) and were older than controls (P = .0003). Upon univariate analysis, patients with EBV-associated GC had longer survival times than controls (P < .004); this difference was not significant in a multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazards. Stratification of EBV-associated GCs by host cellular immune responses showed that patients with LELC and LELC+CLR have significantly longer overall survival time (hazard ratio, 0.09 and 0.42, respectively) and disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 0.05 and 0.46, respectively; P < .02). CONCLUSIONS Prognosis of EBV-associated GCs depends on the patient's inflammatory response. The definition of LELC should be expanded to include EBV-associated GCs with CLR because these have a prognosis similar to LELC.
Standards for Subcutaneous Fat in British Children

substance is produced in the skeletal muscle which overcomes the initial noradrenaline vasoconstriction. If smooth muscle responds in the same manner the uterine vasculature would become less sensitive-or even insensitive-to larger doses of noradrenaline given at a later stage of the infusion. Table II shows that bradycardia occurred more commonly after a single injection of noradrenaline than after a similar injection of adrenaline. Why this should happen is not certain, but it may possibly be due to the more constant general peripheral vasoconstricting effect of noradrenaline as compared with adrenaline. It is not possible altogether to exclude the direct action of maternal adrenaline and noradrenaline in the foetal circulation. In adult man a single intravenous injection of noradrenaline, and less commonly adrenaline, briefly slows the heart rate (Goodman and Gilman, 1955). This is a reflex response following the effect of a rise in peripheral arterial pressure acting on carotid sinus baroreceptors. There is no absolute evidence as yet that the foetus possesses this reflex. However, Dornhorst and Young (1952) and Adams et al. (1961) showed that the guinea-pigs and sheep foetal circulations do respond to noradrenaline, although they are relatively insensitive in comparison with the adult. Foetal Tachycardia. -Infusion of adrenaline, especially at the higher rates, commonly produced foetal tachycardia, extrasystoles, and cardiac irregularities. These changes are similar to those found in the adult circulation during infusion (Goodman and Gilman, 1955). It is not possible to determine, however, whether the adrenaline acting on the foetal circulation originates from the infusion or from endogenous foetal production as a response to placental ischaemia. Reynolds (1960) has suggested from animal studies that while sudden severe foetal hypoxia produces bradycardia, mild but prolonged hypoxia may result in a mass foetal sympathetic response with secretion of endogenous adrenaline, and foetal tachycardia. The findings of this study are broadly in agreement with those described by Dornhorst and Young (1952) and Martin and Young (1960). Until such time as an accurate method is available for measuring simultaneously in humans the changes in uterine blood flow, maternal and foetal blood oxygen tensions, no firm conclusions can be reached. The possibility of the transplacental passage of noradrenaline is being investigated at the moment.
A case series of gastric outlet obstruction secondary to tuberculosis: New diagnostic and treatment paradigm

Abstract Tuberculosis can involve any part of gastrointestinal tract. Gastro-duodenal involvement in tuberculosis is rare. We report four cases of gastric outlet obstruction due to tuberculosis. In all of these patients obstruction was due to extra-luminal compression from lymph-nodes. Clinical presentation was with epigastric pain and recurrent vomiting. Upper GI endoscopy revealed duodenal stricture without any active ulcer or mass. Computed tomography scan showed duodenal thickening along with abdominal lymph nodes. Diagnosis was confirmed with EUS guided FNAC. Antral dilatation using CRE can be used as first treatment option for obstruction in these patients. Patients non responsive to dilatation may require surgery.
Dietary and lifestyle characteristics associated with normal-weight obesity: the National FINRISK 2007 Study

The aim of the present study was to compare the lifestyle (leisure-time physical activity, smoking habits and alcohol consumption) and dietary (energy-yielding nutrients, dietary fibre and foods) factors of Finns with a new syndrome called normal-weight obesity (NWO) with those of lean and overweight Finns. The representative population-based study included 4786 participants (25–74 years) from the National FINRISK 2007 Study with a health examination and questionnaires. Food intake was assessed using a validated FFQ. NWO was defined to include those with a normal BMI ( < 25 kg/m2) but excessive body fat (for men ≥ 20 % and for women ≥ 30 %) according to WHO definitions. The proportion of participants with a normal BMI was 28 % in men and 42 % in women. Of these, 34 % of the men and 45 % of the women had the NWO syndrome (among all the participants, 10 and 19 %, respectively). The waist circumference of the NWO participants was between that of the lean and overweight participants. Some potential risk factors, such as physical inactivity, (ex)-smoking and alcohol consumption, were related to NWO. In general, the intakes of energy-yielding nutrients were not associated with NWO. Instead, some healthy dietary factors (e.g. low intakes of meat and soft drinks) as well as unhealthy factors (e.g. low intakes of root vegetables, cereals and fish and high intake of confectionery) were related to NWO. The findings might explain why the NWO participants were of normal weight, but had an excessive body fat percentage. In conclusion, the proportion of normal-weight participants with an excessive body fat percentage was surprisingly high. The identification of NWO people may be of importance because although they appear lean, they have some unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits related to obesity and overall health.
Imbalance of NKp44(+)NKp46(-) and NKp44(-)NKp46(+) natural killer cells in the intestinal mucosa of patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Mucosal natural killer (NK) cells that produce interleukin (IL)-22 mediate intestinal homeostasis and inflammation in mice. However, their role in the pathogenesis of human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) is not known. We investigated intestinal NK cells in intestinal mucosa samples of patients with Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS We isolated lamina propria NK cells from intestinal mucosal samples of patients with IBD and subjects without IBD (controls) and analyzed expression patterns of cell surface molecules and cytokine production. Interactions between lamina propria NK cells and intestinal macrophages were examined. RESULTS In intestinal mucosa samples from controls, NKp44 and NKp46 were expressed differentially on CD3(-)CD56(+) NK cells, NKp44(+)NKp46(-) (NKp44(+)) NK cells expressed CD127 and the transcription factor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor C (RORC) and produced IL-22 whereas NKp44(-)NKp46(+) (NKp46(+)) NK cells did not express CD127 or RORC and produced interferon (IFN)-gamma. NKp46(+) NK cells were predominant in intestinal mucosa of patients with CD compared with controls or patients with ulcerative colitis. Upon interaction with intestinal inflammatory macrophages NKp46(+), NK cells from patients with CD were activated via IL-23 and produced IFN-gamma; this activation required cell-to-cell contact. CONCLUSIONS The balance of NKp44(+)/NKp46(+) NK cells is disrupted in intestinal mucosa of patients with CD. NKp46(+) NK cells might mediate the pathogenesis of CD by producing IFN-gamma.
Effects of dietary plant meal and soya-saponin supplementation on intestinal and hepatic lipid droplet accumulation, lipoprotein and sterol metabolism in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) – CORRIGENDUM

Altered lipid metabolism has been shown in fish fed plant protein sources. The present study aimed to gain further insights into how intestinal and hepatic lipid absorption and metabolism are modulated by plant meal (PM) and soya-saponin (SA) inclusion in salmon feed. Post-smolt Atlantic salmon were fed for 10 weeks one of four diets based on fishmeal or PM, with or without 10 g/kg SA. PM inclusion resulted in decreased growth performance, excessive lipid droplet accumulation in the pyloric caeca and liver, and reduced plasma cholesterol levels. Intestinal and hepatic gene expression profiling revealed an up-regulation of the expression of genes involved in lipid absorption and lipoprotein (LP) synthesis (apo, fatty acid transporters, microsomal TAG transfer protein, acyl-CoA cholesterol acyltransferase, choline kinase and choline-phosphate cytidylyltransferase A), cholesterol synthesis (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase) and associated transcription factors (sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 and PPARγ). SA inclusion resulted in reduced body pools of cholesterol and bile salts. The hepatic gene expression of the rate-limiting enzyme in bile acid biosynthesis (cytochrome P450 7A1 ( cyp7a1 )) as well as the transcription factor liver X receptor and the bile acid transporter abcb11 (ATP-binding cassette B11) was down-regulated by SA inclusion. A significant interaction was observed between PM inclusion and SA inclusion for plasma cholesterol levels. In conclusion, gene expression profiling suggested that the capacity for LP assembly and cholesterol synthesis was up-regulated by PM exposure, probably as a compensatory mechanism for excessive lipid droplet accumulation and reduced plasma cholesterol levels. SA inclusion had hypocholesterolaemic effects on Atlantic salmon, accompanied by decreased bile salt metabolism.
Differential cellular uptake and metabolism of curcuminoids in monocytes/macrophages: regulatory effects on lipid accumulation

We have previously shown that curcumin (CUR) may increase lipid accumulation in cultured human acute monocytic leukaemia cell line THP-1 monocytes/macrophages, but that tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), an in vivo metabolite of CUR, has no such effect. In the present study, we hypothesised that the different cellular uptake and/or metabolism of CUR and THC might be a possible explanation for the previously observed differences in their effects on lipid accumulation in THP-1 monocytes/macrophages. Chromatography with tandem MS revealed that CUR was readily taken up by THP-1 monocytes/macrophages and slowly metabolised to hexahydrocurcumin sulphate. By contrast, the uptake of THC was low. In parallel with CUR uptake, increased lipid uptake was observed in THP-1 macrophages but not with the uptake of THC or another CUR metabolite and structurally related compounds. From these results, it is possible to deduce that CUR and THC are taken up and metabolised differently in THP-1 cells, which determine their biological activity. The remarkable differential cellular uptake of CUR, relative to THC and other similar molecules, may imply that the CUR uptake into cells may occur via a transporter.
Histidine supplementation alleviates inflammation in the adipose tissue of high-fat diet-induced obese rats via the NF-κB- and PPARγ-involved pathways

Obesity is considered to be accompanied by a chronic low-grade inflammatory state that contributes to the occurrence of many chronic diseases. Our previous study has demonstrated that histidine supplementation significantly ameliorates inflammation and oxidative stress in obese women. However, the in vivo potential mechanisms are not known. The present study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms underlying the effects of histidine on inflammation in a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced female obese rat model. An obese model was established in female Sprague–Dawley rats by HFD feeding for 8 weeks and followed by histidine supplementation for another 4 weeks. The results revealed that HFD-increased body weight and HFD-lowered serum histidine concentrations were significantly reversed by histidine supplementation (P< 0·05). In addition, the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, C-reactive protein (CRP) and malondialdehyde were significantly reduced and those of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly increased by histidine supplementation when compared with those in obese rats (P< 0·05). Correspondingly, the mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6 and CRP in the adipose tissue were significantly down-regulated and that of CuZnSOD was significantly up-regulated by histidine supplementation (P< 0·05). Histidine supplementation significantly reduced the HFD-induced translocation of NF-κB p65 into the nucleus (P= 0·032) by reducing the phosphorylation of the inhibitor of κBα in the adipose tissue. The results also revealed that the expression of adiponectin was markedly increased both in the serum and in the adipose tissue after histidine supplementation, accompanied by the activation of PPARγ (P= 0·021). These findings indicate that histidine is an effective candidate for ameliorating inflammation and oxidative stress in obese individuals via the NF-κB- and PPARγ-involved pathways.