Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple trade‐offs regulate the effects of woody plant removal on biodiversity and ecosystem functions in global rangelands

Woody plant encroachment is a major land management issue. Woody removal often aims to restore the original grassy ecosystem, but few studies have assessed the role of woody removal on ecosystem functions and biodiversity at global scales. We collected data from 140 global studies and evaluated how different woody plant removal methods affected biodiversity (plant and animal diversity) and ecosystem functions (plant production, hydrological function, soil carbon) across global rangelands. Our results indicate that the impact of removal is strongly context dependent, varying with the specific response variable, removal method, and traits of the target species. Over all treatments, woody plant removal increased grass biomass and total groundstorey diversity. Physical and chemical removal methods increased grass biomass and total groundstorey biomass (i.e., non‐woody plants, including grass biomass), but burning reduced animal diversity. The impact of different treatment methods declined with time since removal, particularly for total groundstorey biomass. Removing pyramid‐shaped woody plants increased total groundstorey biomass and hydrological function but reduced total groundstorey diversity. Environmental context (e.g., aridity and soil texture) indirectly controlled the effect of removal on biomass and biodiversity by influencing plant traits such as plant shape, allelopathic, or roots types. Our study demonstrates that a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to woody plant removal is not appropriate, and that consideration of woody plant identity, removal method, and environmental context is critical for optimizing removal outcomes. Applying this knowledge is fundamental for maintaining diverse and functional rangeland ecosystems as we move toward a drier and more variable climate.
Patient/service user involvement in medical education: A best evidence medical education (BEME) systematic review: BEME Guide No. 58

Abstract Background: The extent to which patients and service users are involved in medical education varies widely. There is a need for an up to date systematic review of the literature that examines what involvement (description), the potential outcome of such involvement (justification) and ‘why’ such involvement impacts students (clarification). Methods: Systematic searches of four databases were undertaken. Citations were screened and consensus reached for inclusion/exclusion of studies. Quality of study design and interventional presentation were assessed. Results: Of the 39 studies included in the review, 4 studies were encounter based, 17 sharing experiences, 16 with patients involved in teaching, 2 studies describing consumers as tutors, and none with involvement at the institutional level. Outcomes in terms of benefits to learners included increased empathy and understanding of illness as experienced by patients, improved communication with patients and a greater understanding of patient–center care. Educational quality assessment showed specific weaknesses in theoretical underpinning, curriculum outcomes, content or pedagogy. Conclusions: Patients can enrich medical education by allowing learners to explore patient-centered perspectives in holistic care. For educators this review highlights the lack of an underpinning conceptual basis for which to translate theory into practice.
Diabetes coverage in Australian newspapers (2013-2017): A computer-based linguistic analysis.

ISSUE ADDRESSED This study analysed diabetes coverage in 12 Australian metropolitan/national newspapers over a period of five years (2013-2017). It aimed to describe quantitative tendencies in diabetes coverage (amount of articles per newspaper and over time) and to identify potential discrepancies between diabetes coverage and societal prevalence of diabetes. The study addressed the following research questions, with a focus on language use: How frequent are mentions of different types of diabetes? How are people with diabetes referred to? How frequent and how distributed are mentions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and matters? METHODS Data were collected in electronic format, manually classified, and processed using a specialised software program, with a focus on quantitative analysis. RESULTS 577 articles were classified as news and 117 were classified as 'non-news'. The Australian Financial Review published the fewest items, followed by the NT News, while the West Australian and the Advertiser published the most. References to "type 2" appear slightly more frequent and more distributed than to "type 1" diabetes. The labelling of people with the noun diabetic/s occurs in about a quarter of the dataset. References to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples or matters appear to be extremely rare in the analysed dataset. CONCLUSIONS Diabetes coverage does not fully align with incidence of diabetes among Australians, and problematic language practices such as the labelling of people as 'diabetics' continue to occur. SO WHAT? : Given the agenda-setting function of the news media, new strategies may be needed to change how Australian metropolitan and national newspapers cover diabetes, especially in relation to incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices and perspectives.
IL-37 Attenuates Lung Fibrosis by Inducing Autophagy and Regulating TGF-β1 Production in Mice

Key Points IL-37 is expressed in alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages. IL-37 levels are decreased in lung and blood obtained from IPF patients. IL-37 attenuates lung fibrosis by inducing autophagy and inhibiting TGF-β1 signaling. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and destructive lung disease with a poor prognosis resulting in a high mortality rate. IL-37 is an anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits innate and adaptive immunity by downregulating proinflammatory mediators and pathways. However, the exact role of IL-37 in lung fibrosis is unclear. In this study, we found that the IL-37 protein was expressed in alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and alveolar macrophages in healthy controls but significantly reduced in patients with IPF. IL-37 significantly inhibited oxidative stress–induced primary mouse AEC death in a dose-dependent manner, and knockdown of IL-37 significantly potentiated human lung cancer–derived AEC (A549 cells) death. IL-37 attenuated constitutive mRNA and protein expression of fibronectin and collagen I in primary human lung fibroblasts. IL-37 inhibited TGF-β1–induced lung fibroblast proliferation and downregulated the TGF-β1 signaling pathway. Moreover, IL-37 enhanced beclin-1–dependent autophagy and autophagy modulators in IPF fibroblasts. IL-37 significantly decreased inflammation and collagen deposition in bleomycin-exposed mouse lungs, which was reversed by treatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. Our findings suggested that a decrease in IL-37 may be involved in the progression of IPF and that IL-37 inhibited TGF-β1 signaling and enhancement of autophagy in IPF fibroblasts. Given its antifibrotic activity, IL-37 could be a therapeutic target in fibrotic lung diseases, including IPF.
Two-Source δ18O Method to Validate the CO18O-Photosynthetic Discrimination Model: Implications for Mesophyll Conductance1[OPEN]

A new isotopic method confirms mesophyll conductance estimates from the theory of CO18O-photosynthetic discrimination with some evidence for spatial variation in the isotopic composition of leaf water and unsaturation of the leaf internal airspace. Theoretical models of photosynthetic isotopic discrimination of CO2 (13C and 18O) are commonly used to estimate mesophyll conductance (gm). This requires making simplifying assumptions and assigning parameter values so that gm can be solved for as the residual term. Uncertainties in gm estimation occur due to measurement noise and assumptions not holding, including parameter uncertainty and model parametrization. Uncertainties in the 13C model have been explored previously, but there has been little testing undertaken to determine the reliability of gm estimates from the 18O model (gm18). In this study, we exploited the action of carbonic anhydrase in equilibrating CO2 with leaf water and manipulated the observed photosynthetic discrimination (Δ18O) by changing the oxygen isotopic composition of the source gas CO2 and water vapor. We developed a two-source δ18O method, whereby two measurements of Δ18O were obtained for a leaf with its gas-exchange characteristics otherwise unchanged. Measurements were performed in broad bean (Vicia faba) and Algerian oak (Quercus canariensis) in response to light and vapor pressure deficit. Despite manipulating the Δ18O by over 100‰, in most cases we observed consistency in the calculated gm18, providing confidence in the measurements and model theory. Where there were differences in gm18 estimates between source-gas measurements, we explored uncertainty associated with two model assumptions (the isotopic composition of water at the sites of CO2-water exchange, and the humidity of the leaf internal airspace) and found evidence for both. Finally, we provide experimental guidelines to minimize the sensitivity of gm18 estimates to measurement errors. The two-source δ18O method offers a flexible tool for model parameterization and provides an opportunity to refine our understanding of leaf water and CO2 fluxes.
Delayed Sleeve Gastrectomy Following Liver Transplantation: A 5‐Year Experience

Obesity has become an epidemic in the United States over the past decade, and recent studies have shown this trend in the liver transplantation (LT) population. These patients may be candidates for laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) to promote significant and sustained weight loss to prevent recurrence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. However, safety remains a concern, and efficacy in this setting is uncertain. A single‐institution database from 2014 to 2018 was queried for patients undergoing LSG following LT. The selection criteria for surgery were consistent with National Institutes of Health guidelines, and patients were at least 6 months after LT. A total of 15 patients (median age, 59.0 years; Caucasian, 86.7%; and female, 60%) underwent LSG following LT. Median time from LT to LSG was 2.2 years with a median follow‐up period of 2.6 years. The median hospital length of stay (LOS) was 2 days after LSG. Mortality and rate of liver allograft rejection was 0, and there was 1 postoperative complication (a surgical site infection). Following LSG, body mass index (BMI) decreased from 42.7 to 35.9 kg/m2 (P < 0.01), and in 12 patients with at least 1 year of follow‐up, the total body weight loss was 20.6%. Following LSG in patients with diabetes, the median daily insulin requirements decreased from 98 (49‐118) to 0 (0‐29) units/day (P = 0.02), and 60% discontinued insulin. Post‐LT patients had a similar decrease in BMI and reduction in comorbidities at 1 year compared with a matched non‐LT patient cohort. In the largest patient series to date, we show that LSG following LT is safe, effective, and does not increase the incidence of liver allograft rejection. Larger longer‐term studies are needed to confirm underlying metabolic changes following LSG.
EEG signals during mouth breathing in a working memory task

Abstract Background: Continuous mouth breathing results not only morphological deformations but also poor learning outcomes. However, there were few studies that observed correlations between mouth breathing and cognition. This study aimed at investigating the changes in brain activity during mouth breathing while the participant simultaneously performed a cognitive task using electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Twenty subjects participated in this study, and EEG electrodes (32 channels, 250-Hz sampling rate) were placed on their scalp. Brain waves during a resting state and n-back tasks (0-back and 2-back) and physiological parameters such as SpO2, ETCO2, and the airway respiratory rate were measured. The pre-processed EEG signals were analyzed based on their frequencies as delta waves (0.5 ∼ 4 Hz), theta waves (4 ∼ 8 Hz), alpha waves (8 ∼ 13 Hz), beta waves (13 ∼ 30 Hz) and gamma waves (30 ∼ 50 Hz) using fast Fourier transform (FFT). Results: When compared with nose breathing, theta and alpha powers were lower during mouth breathing at rest and alpha wave presented low power at 0-back and 2-back tasks. Furthermore, beta and gamma waves exhibited low powers at 2-back task. However, the behavioral results (accuracy and response time) have no significant difference between two breathing methods (mouth and nose). Mouth breathing showed different brain activity patterns, compared to nose breathing, and these changes are related to cognitive regions. Conclusion: The reason for this change seems to relate to the decreased oxygen saturation during mouth breathing, suggesting that when cognitive abilities are required, mouth breathing can act as one of the variables that cause different outcomes in brain activities.
KIR Polymorphism Modulates the Size of the Adaptive NK Cell Pool in Human Cytomegalovirus–Infected Individuals

Key Points KIR polymorphism crucially influences NK cell responses to HCMV. The size of NKG2C expansions correlates with loss of KIR repertoire diversity. These NKG2C expansions correlated with the HCMV-specific Ab concentration. Acute infection with human CMV (HCMV) induces the development of adaptive NKG2C+ NK cells. In some cases, large expansions of this subset, characterized by coexpression of HLA-C–specific KIR, are stably maintained during the life-long latent phase of infection. The factors that control these unusual expansions in vivo are currently unknown. In this study, the role of KIR polymorphism and expression in this process was analyzed. It is shown that strong NKG2C+ NK cell expansions are dominated by single KIR clones, whereas moderate expansions are frequently polyclonal (p < 0.0001). Importantly, the choice of KIR was not arbitrary but biased toward usage of HLA-C–specific KIR encoded by the centromeric part of group A (cenA) haplotypes. Consideration of KIR allelic variation and gene copy number revealed that the cenA effect was predominantly due to the HLA-C2–specific KIR2DL1 receptor; presence of KIR2DL1 on NKG2C+ NK cells led to significantly larger clonal expansions than the cenB-encoded KIR2DL2 (p = 0.002). Expansion of NKG2C+KIR2DL1+ NK cells was always accompanied by the cognate ligand HLA-C2. Moreover, in these donors the frequency of NKG2C+ NK cells correlated with the concentration of anti-HCMV IgG (r = 0.62, p = 0.008), suggesting direct relevance of NKG2C+KIR2DL1+ NK cells for virus control. Altogether, the study suggests that the homeostasis of NKG2C+ NK cells in HCMV infection is at least partly controlled by coexpression of cognate inhibitory KIR. In particular, the strong interaction of KIR2DL1 and HLA-C2 ligands seems to promote large and stable expansion of adaptive NK cells in HCMV infection.
The ClpX chaperone controls autolytic splitting of Staphylococcus aureus daughter cells, but is bypassed by β-lactam antibiotics or inhibitors of WTA biosynthesis

β-lactam antibiotics interfere with cross-linking of the bacterial cell wall, but the killing mechanism of this important class of antibiotics is not fully understood. Serendipitously we found that sub-lethal doses of β-lactams rescue growth and prevent spontaneous lysis of Staphylococcus aureus mutants lacking the widely conserved chaperone ClpX, and we reasoned that a better understanding of the clpX phenotypes could provide novel insights into the downstream effects of β-lactam binding to the PBP targets. Super-resolution imaging revealed that clpX cells display aberrant septum synthesis, and initiate daughter cell separation prior to septum completion at 30°C, but not at 37°C, demonstrating that ClpX becomes critical for coordinating the S. aureus cell cycle as the temperature decreases. FtsZ localization and dynamics were not affected in the absence of ClpX, suggesting that ClpX affects septum formation and autolytic activation downstream of Z-ring formation. Interestingly, oxacillin antagonized the septum progression defects of clpX cells and prevented lysis of prematurely splitting clpX cells. Strikingly, inhibitors of wall teichoic acid (WTA) biosynthesis that work synergistically with β-lactams to kill MRSA synthesis also rescued growth of the clpX mutant, as did genetic inactivation of the gene encoding the septal autolysin, Sle1. Taken together, our data support a model in which Sle1 causes premature splitting and lysis of clpX daughter cells unless Sle1-dependent lysis is antagonized by β-lactams or by inhibiting an early step in WTA biosynthesis. The finding that β-lactams and inhibitors of WTA biosynthesis specifically prevent lysis of a mutant with dysregulated autolytic activity lends support to the idea that PBPs and WTA biosynthesis play an important role in coordinating cell division with autolytic splitting of daughter cells, and that β-lactams do not kill S. aureus simply by weakening the cell wall.
Aberrant mitochondrial function in patient-derived neural cells from CDKL5 deficiency disorder and Rett Syndrome.

The X-linked neurodevelopmental diseases CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD) and Rett syndrome (RTT) are associated with intellectual disability, infantile spasms, and seizures. Although mitochondrial dysfunction has been suggested in RTT, less is understood about mitochondrial function in CDD. A comparison of bioenergetics and mitochondrial function between isogenic wild type and mutant neural progenitor (NPC) lines revealed increased oxygen consumption in CDD mutant lines, which is associated with altered mitochondrial function and structure. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differential expression of genes related to mitochondrial and REDOX function in NPCs expressing the mutant CDKL5. Furthermore, a similar increase in oxygen consumption specific to RTT-patient-derived isogenic mutant NPCs was observed, though the pattern of mitochondrial functional alterations was distinct from CDKL5-mutant-expressing NPCs. We propose that aberrant neural bioenergetics is a common feature between CDD and RTT disorders. The observed changes in oxidative stress and mitochondrial function may facilitate the development of therapeutic agents for CDD and related disorders.
A qualitative examination of drinking patterns among community college students

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to gain insight about patterns of alcohol use and related consequences among heavy drinking community college students. Participants: About 26 community college students (Mean age 22.3 years, 46% men, 69% White) participated in this study between January and April 2013. Methods: Five qualitative focus group discussions were conducted during formative research preceding a text message intervention; participants were asked about common drinking behavior patterns among community college students, as well as how age and gender affect drinking. Sessions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants also completed a brief quantitative survey about their drinking behavior and its consequences. Results: Qualitative data identified several themes: (1) reasons for drinking, (2) drinking occasions, (3) age- and experience-related differences in drinking, including patterns specific to community college students and women. Conclusion: Research is needed to develop innovative strategies to reduce alcohol harm in this understudied population.
The impact of team familiarity on surgical outcomes in gynaecological surgery

Complex surgery requires high level, interpersonal interactions from multidisciplinary team members in an operating room environment (Cohen and Bailey 1997). Team members need to work together and create a shared mental model of the knowledge and role of each person involved in surgery (Wegner 1995). A body of work exists that evidences the crucial importance of teamwork and communication in the operating theatre for patient safety (Leonard et al. 2004; Lingard et al. 2004). In a human factors-focused review of adverse events in the operating theatre, flow disruptions caused by impaired teamwork and communication failures were identified as the common root causes (Shouhed et al. 2012). Working with new or unfamiliar teams could significantly interrupt the flow of steps in a surgical procedure (Patterson et al. 2016; Henaux et al. 2019), and has been described as a key contributor to stress and burnout in surgery (Swendiman et al. 2019). Previous studies have shown reductions in the length of operating time when team familiarity is high and fewer complications towards the end of a training term (Kurmann et al. 2014). In colorectal cancer surgery, recovery was better for patients where the dedicated operating team was closely linked to an Enhanced Recovery after Surgery network (Grant et al. 2018). However, most of these previous assessments used indirect measures of the quality of team cohesiveness. This project evaluated the association of surgeons’ own rating of team familiarity with the risk of surgical complications in gynaecological surgery.
Multisite rate control analysis identifies ribosomal scanning as the sole high‐capacity/low‐flux‐control step in mRNA translation

Control of complex intracellular pathways such as protein synthesis is critical to organism survival, but is poorly understood. Translation of a reading frame in eukaryotic mRNA is preceded by a scanning process in which a subset of translation factors helps guide ribosomes to the start codon. Here, we perform comparative analysis of the control status of this scanning step that sits between recruitment of the small ribosomal subunit to the m7GpppG‐capped 5′end of mRNA and of the control exerted by downstream phases of polypeptide initiation, elongation and termination. We have utilized a detailed predictive model as guidance for designing quantitative experimental interrogation of control in the yeast translation initiation pathway. We have built a synthetic orthogonal copper‐responsive regulatory promoter (PCuR3) that is used here together with the tet07 regulatory system in a novel dual‐site in vivo rate control analysis strategy. Combining this two‐site strategy with calibrated mass spectrometry to determine translation factor abundance values, we have tested model‐based predictions of rate control properties of the in vivo system. We conclude from the results that the components of the translation machinery that promote scanning collectively function as a low‐flux‐control system with a capacity to transfer ribosomes into the core process of polypeptide production that exceeds the respective capacities of the steps of polypeptide initiation, elongation and termination. In contrast, the step immediately prior to scanning, that is, ribosome recruitment via the mRNA 5′ cap‐binding complex, is a high‐flux‐control step.