Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An experimental test of how parasites of predators can influence trophic cascades and ecosystem functioning.

Parasites can shape the structure and function of ecosystems by influencing both the density and traits of their hosts. Such changes in ecosystems are particularly likely when the host is a predator that mediates the dynamics of trophic cascades. Here, we experimentally tested how parasite load of a small predatory fish, the threespine stickleback, can affect the occurrence and strength of trophic cascades and ecosystem functioning. In a factorial mesocosm experiment, we manipulated the density of stickleback (low vs. high), and the level of parasite load (natural vs. reduced). In addition, we used two stickleback populations from different lineages: an eastern European lineage with a more pelagic phenotype (Lake Constance) and a western European lineage with a more benthic phenotype (Lake Geneva). We found that stickleback caused trophic cascades in the pelagic but not the benthic food chain. Evidence for pelagic trophic cascades was stronger in treatments where parasite load of stickleback was reduced with an antihelmintic medication, and where fish originated from Lake Constance (i.e., the more pelagic lineage). A structural equation model revealed that differences in stickleback lineage and parasite load were most likely to impact trophic cascades via changes in the composition, rather than overall biomass, of zooplankton communities. Overall, our results provide experimental evidence that parasites of predators can influence the cascading effects of fish on lower trophic levels with consequences on ecosystem functioning.
Physical Performance in Memory Clinic Patients: The Potential Role of the White Matter Network

Memory clinic patients commonly also have declined physical performance. This may be attributable to white matter injury, due to vascular damage or neurodegeneration. Quantifying white matter injury is made possible by new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, including diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) of network connectivity. We investigated whether physical performance in memory clinic patients is related to white matter network connectivity.
The Role of Grandchildren’s Own Age-Related Communication and Accommodation From Grandparents in Predicting Grandchildren’s Well-Being

This study examined how the accommodative environments experienced from grandparents and grandchildren’s own age-related communication are indirectly associated with grandchildren’s life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and loneliness, via grandchildren’s self-efficacy with respect to aging. The communication experienced from grandparents was classified as accommodative, ambivalent, and mixed-accommodative chatter. Grandchildren were classified into engaged, disengaged, bantering, and disengaged-joking profiles based on their own age-related communication. Grandchildren who experienced accommodative chatter were likely to be engaged and disengaged communicators about age-related issues; grandchildren who experienced mixed-accommodative chatter were likely to be bantering communicators about age-related issues. Relative to engaged communicators, disengaged-joking communicators demonstrated lower life satisfaction, more depressive symptoms, and greater loneliness, via lower self-efficacy with respect to aging. Patterns of accommodation and nonaccommodation from grandparents may place grandchildren on specific trajectories for communicating about age, and grandchildren’s own communication may be consequential for well-being even at relatively young periods of the life span.
Oral magnesium supplementation in type II diabetic patients

Background: Magnesium is the second most abundant intracellular cation. It plays an important role in insulin homeostasis and glucose metabolism through multiple enzymatic reactions. With increasing data on magnesium deficiency in diabetic patients and epidemiological studies demonstrating magnesium deficiency as a risk factor for diabetes, it is logical to search for its possible beneficial effects on diabetes control and prevention. We aimed to determine whether oral magnesium supplementation improves metabolic control, lipid profile and blood pressure in patients with type II diabetes. Methods: Fifty four patients with type II diabetes were included in a randomized double blind placebocontrolled clinical trial.Patients received either placebo or 300 mg elemental magnesium (as magnesium sulfate -MgSo4-) daily, for 3 months. Metabolic control, lipid profile, blood pressure, magnesium status, hepatic enzymes, hemoglobin concentration, and anthropometric indices were determined in the beginning and at the end of the study. Results: Daily administration of 300 mg elemental magnesium for 3 months, significantly improved fasting blood glucose (183.9±15.43 to 125.8±6.52 vs. 196.5±28.12 to 136.5±7.94, p< 0.0001), 2-hour post prandial glucose (239.1±74.75 to 189.1±60mg/dl vs. 246.4±97.37 to 247.8±86.74mg/dl, p< 0.01), lipid profile, blood pressure and hepatic enzymes. Conclusion: Oral magnesium supplementation with proper dosage has beneficial effects on blood glucose, lipid profile, and blood pressure in patients with type II diabetes.
Cost of benign versus oncologic colon resection among fee‐for‐service Medicare enrollees

Reimbursement for colonic pathology by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are grouped in the Medicare Severity‐Diagnosis Related Groups (MS‐DRG). With limited available data, we sought to compare the relative impact of malignant vs benign colonic pathology on reimbursement under the MS‐DRG system.
Effects of microbial feed additives on feed utilization and growth performance in growing Barki lambs fed diet based on peanut hay

Abstract The effects of supplementing diet of growing lambs with microbial feed additive mixture (direct-fed microbial; DFM) based on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, lactic acid bacteria and exogenous enzymes on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilization, ruminal fermentation, blood chemistry and growth performance were studied. The study was a completely randomized design with 12 growing Barki lambs divided into two groups of six lambs per treatment. Lambs were offered a control diet of peanut hay and concentrates (1:1 dry matter (DM) basis) or the control diet supplemented with DFM at 0.5 g/day (Bactozyme treatment) for 16 weeks. There was no effect on feed efficiency but Bactozyme lambs had increased (p = 0.009) feed intake, average daily gain (p = 0.042) and final body weight (p = 0.047). Bactozyme treatment had greater neutral detergent fiber (p = 0.020) and acid detergent fiber (p = 0.034) digestibility compared with the control treatment. Metabolism experiment showed that the feed additive mixture increased (p<0.05) N intake and N retention. Bactozyme treatment had greater blood total protein (p = 0.027), and globulin (p = 0.025) concentrations compared with the control treatment. It is concluded that supplementing growing Barki lambs with DFM at 0.5 g daily enhanced final body weight gain and fiber digestion without affecting feed efficiency.
Simultaneous Alcohol and Marijuana Use Among College Students: Patterns, Correlates, Norms, and Consequences.

BACKGROUND Alcohol and marijuana users often engage in simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use (i.e., using the 2 substances together so that their effects overlap), which can result in more negative consequences than using either substance alone. Nevertheless, little is known about SAM use among contemporary college students to aid in the development of preventive interventions. This study examined SAM use patterns, demographic correlates of SAM use, and normative influences on SAM use and related negative consequences among college students. METHODS Students who had used alcohol and marijuana in the past year were recruited from 3 state universities in states with different laws regarding recreational marijuana use (N = 1,389). They completed an online survey, which assessed their own alcohol, marijuana, and SAM use and related consequences, their perceptions of the proportion of same-gender peers and close friends who engaged in SAM use, marijuana access, and demographic characteristics. RESULTS About three-fourths of participants reported at least 1 occasion of SAM use in the past year with an average frequency of twice per month among SAM users. There were significant differences in SAM use prevalence and frequency by sociodemographic characteristics controlling for past-year alcohol and marijuana frequency. Students in a state with decriminalized recreational marijuana use reported higher frequency of past-year SAM use than students in states with legalized or criminalized use. There were significant demographic differences in perceived norms regarding SAM use among close friends and same-gender peers. SAM users endorsed significantly higher perceived peer and friend norms than nonusers. Also, higher perceived norms predicted more frequent SAM use and more negative consequences of use. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate a need for prevention programs on college campuses that address SAM use. Interventions that use personalized normative feedback may be effective.
Microbiologic determinants of exacerbation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND The culture of bronchial secretions from the lower airway has been reported to be positive for potentially pathogenic microorganisms (PPMs) in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the determinants and effects of this bacterial load in the airway are not established. METHODS To determine the bronchial microbial pattern in COPD and its relationship with exacerbation, we pooled analysis of crude data from studies that used protected specimen brush sampling, with age, sex, smoking, lung function, and microbiologic features of the lower airway as independent variables and exacerbation as the outcome, using logistic regression modeling. RESULTS Of 337 study participants, 70 were healthy, 181 had stable COPD, and 86 had exacerbated COPD. Differences in the microbial characteristics in the participating laboratories were not statistically significant. A cutoff point of 10(2) colony-forming units (CFU) per milliliter or greater for the identification of abnormal positive culture results for PPMs was defined using the 95th percentile in the pooled analysis of healthy individuals. Bronchial colonization of 10(2) CFU/mL or greater by PPMs was found in 53 patients with stable COPD (29%) and in 46 patients with exacerbated COPD (54%) (P<.001, chi(2) test), with a predominance of Haemophilus influenzae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Higher microbial loads were associated with exacerbation and showed a statistically significant dose-response relationship after adjustment for covariates (odds ratio, 3.62; 95% confidence interval, 1.47-8.90), but P aeruginosa persisted as a statistically significant risk factor after adjustment for microbial load (odds ratio, 11.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-105.82). CONCLUSIONS One quarter of the patients with COPD are colonized by PPMs during their stable periods. Exacerbation is associated with the overgrowth of PPMs and with the appearance of P aeruginosa in the lower airway, which is associated with exacerbation symptoms independent of load.
Fuel alcohol production: effects of free amino nitrogen on fermentation of very-high-gravity wheat mashes

Although wheat mashes contain only growth-limiting amounts of free amino nitrogen, fermentations by active dry yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were completed (all fermentable sugars consumed) in 8 days at 20 degrees C even when the mash contained 35 g of dissolved solids per 100 ml. Supplementing wheat mashes with yeast extract, Casamino Acids, or a single amino acid such as glutamic acid stimulated growth of the yeast and reduced the fermentation time. With 0.9% yeast extract as the supplement, the fermentation time was reduced from 8 to 3 days, and a final ethanol yield of 17.1% (vol/vol) was achieved. Free amino nitrogen derived in situ through the hydrolysis of wheat proteins by a protease could substitute for the exogenous nitrogen source. Studies indicated, however, that exogenously added glycine (although readily taken up by the yeast) reduced the cell yield and prolonged the fermentation time. The results suggested that there are qualitative differences among amino acids with regard to their suitability to serve as nitrogen sources for the growth of yeast. The complete utilization of carbohydrates in wheat mashes containing very little free amino nitrogen presumably resulted because they had the "right" kind of amino acids.
Robust Discrete-Time Model Reference Sliding-Mode Controller Design With State and Disturbance Estimation

In response to a multi-input-multi-output discrete-time linear system with mismatched disturbance, an algorithm that is capable of performing estimated system state and disturbance is first proposed, followed by the design of the controller. Provided that the variation of disturbance in the two consecutive sampling instances is not significantly changed, both the system state and the disturbance can simultaneously be estimated by our proposed observer algorithm, with the estimation error being constrained in a small bounded region. Then, a method that utilizes a command generator tracker is designed to generate the reference model. The estimations of the system state and disturbance are then used in the sliding-mode controller, causing the tracking error to be constrained in a small bounded region with the guaranteed system stability. Finally, a numerical example is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed control scheme.
Diurnal variations of trace metals and heterotrophic bacterioplankton concentration in a small boreal lake of the White Sea basin

This work represents a concerted effort aimed at understanding the microbiological and chemical evolution of a small boreal lake during the diurnal cycle of photosynthesis. We studied diurnal variation of ∼40 dissolved macro- and trace elements, organic carbon and bacterial population dynamics in the surface and bottom water layer of the shallow Vilno Lake in the White Sea basin. Four-days continuous measurements with 6 h sampling steps both at the surface (0.5 m) and on the bottom (4.0 m depth) during no-bloom periods revealed constant concentrations (within ±20–30%) of all major elements (Na, Mg, Si, K, Ca), organic and inorganic carbon and most trace elements (B, V, Cr, Fe, Cu, Ga, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Sb, Cs, Ba, all REEs, Hf, Pb, Th, U). At the same time, the concentration of some biologically important trace metals (Mo, Mn, Co, Cd) was subjected to variations partially reflecting the change of bacterioplankton concentration. This work enables two types of element behavior to be distinguished during photosynthesis in the water column – constant concentration and sinusoidal variations – depending on their speciation in solution and their affinity to aquatic microorganisms.
A pragmatic effectiveness study of 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-T) for eating disorders: Targeting barriers to treatment provision.

OBJECTIVE Ten-session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-T) for transdiagnostic eating disorders targets several barriers to treatment, including cost, therapist expertise, and lengthy wait lists. METHOD We used a case series design to investigate the effectiveness of CBT-T delivered by trainee psychologists in a postgraduate training clinic. Participants were randomly allocated to commence treatment either immediately or after a 4-week waitlist period. CBT-T was delivered to 52 patients, by six different trainees under supervision. Measures of eating disorder cognitions and behaviours, quality of life, and general psychopathology were examined in completer and intention-to-treat analyses using multilevel modelling. Last observation carried forward was applied for abstinence, remission, and good outcome analyses to aid comparison with prior studies. RESULTS Significant improvements, associated with medium to large effect sizes, were found for eating disorder cognitions, behaviours quality of life, and negative affect from baseline to posttreatment, and at 1- and 3-month follow-up. Attrition (38.5%) was comparable with other treatment studies. CONCLUSION Results provide evidence for the effectiveness of CBT-T delivered by trainee psychologists for transdiagnostic eating disorder patients, thus tackling some important barriers for treatment. Longer follow-up, randomised controlled trial designs, and moderator analyses will provide more robust evidence about which patients do best with a shorter therapy.
Inactivation of Bacillus and Clostridium Spores in Coconut Water by Ultraviolet Light.

Bacterial spores are generally more resistant than vegetative bacteria to ultraviolet (UV) inactivation. The UV sensitivity of these spores must be known for implementing UV disinfection of low acid liquid foods. UV inactivation kinetics of bacterial spores in coconut water (CW) and distilled sterile water was studied. Populations of Bacillus cereus and Clostridium sporogenes dormant spores were reduced by more than 5.5 log10 at the UV-C photon fluence of 1142 μE·m-2 and 1919 μE·m-2 respectively. C. sporogenes spores showed higher UV-C resistance than B. cereus, with the photon fluence 300 μE·m-2 required for one log inactivation (D10) and 194 μE·m-2, respectively. No significant difference was observed in D10 values of spores suspended in the two fluid types (p > 0.05). The inactivation kinetics of microorganisms were described by log linear models with low root mean square error and high coefficient of determination (R2 > 0.98). This study clearly demonstrated that high levels of inactivation of bacterial spores can be achieved in CW. The baseline data generated from this study will be used to conduct spore inactivation studies in continuous flow UV systems. Further proliferation of the technology will include conducting extensive pilot studies.
Roles and regulation of Thy‐1, a context‐dependent modulator of cell phenotype

Thy‐1 or CD90 is a glycophosphatidylinositol‐linked glycoprotein expressed on the surface of neurons, thymocytes, subsets of fibroblasts, endothelial cells, mesangial cells and some hematopoietic cells. Thy‐1 is evolutionarily conserved, developmentally regulated, and often has dramatic effects on cell phenotype; however, the effects vary between and in some cases within cell types and tissues, and between similar tissues in different species, indicating that the biological role of Thy‐1 is context‐dependent. Thy‐1 exists in soluble form in some body fluids; however, the mechanisms of its shedding are unknown. In addition, Thy‐1 expression can be regulated by epigenetic silencing. Because Thy‐1 modulates many basic cellular processes and is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, it is important to better understand its regulation. © 2009 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
Obese women’s perceptions of weight gain during pregnancy: a theory-based analysis

Abstract Objective: Excess gestational weight gain (GWG) in obese women is linked to adverse maternal outcomes and is particularly pervasive among African Americans, who have the highest obesity rates in the USA. A better understanding of culturally relevant attitudes and perceptions of GWG is needed to develop targeted interventions to prevent excess GWG among this group. Design: Using the constructs of Social Cognitive Theory, we explored attitudes and perceptions surrounding diet and exercise among low-income obese African-American pregnant women in Baltimore. We conducted twenty-one semi-structured in-depth interviews with pregnant adult women. Setting: Participants were recruited from a referral clinic for obese pregnant women at a large urban hospital in Baltimore, MD, USA. Participants: Twenty-one low-income African-American adult females in the first two trimesters of pregnancy with BMI > 30·0 kg/m2. Results: Lack of knowledge was not the main obstacle to healthy behaviours during pregnancy. Rather, food cravings and fatigue, an unhealthy physical food environment, limited self-efficacy for controlling excessive GWG, and a lack of adequate emotional and informational support impacted women’s agency. While digital technology was discussed as a vehicle to promote maintenance of a healthy weight in pregnancy, further research is needed to test how it can be used to empower women to engage in healthy behaviours during pregnancy. Conclusion: Interventions to prevent excess GWG among African-American pregnant women should harness support from partners and family and must go beyond sharing of clinical knowledge to also include strategies that improve the food environment, diet quality and self-efficacy.
New perspectives in lung cancer. 4. Haematopoietic growth factors and lung cancer treatment.

Normal haematopoiesis calls for a complicated but integrated process of proliferation and differentiation, with about 7 x 109 granulocytes and 1 x 1010 erythrocytes replaced hourly. The haematopoietic colony stimulating factors (CSFs) are glycoproteins that were found to stimulate and promote the proliferation of granulocyte-monocyte progenitor cells on semi-solid media in clonogenic assays (table 1, fig 1). The diverse but ordered interactions of colony stimulating factors, target cells, and stroma are responsible for the complex process of haematopoiesis. The colony stimulating factors have effects other than proliferation and differentiation, including maintenance of cell viability, membrane integrity, and functional stimulation of mature cells-for example, granulocyte phagocytosis and superoxide production (table 2). '-' The growth factors have very different structures and specific receptors exist on target cells, though a target cell may possess many more than one type of colony stimulating factor receptor. Growth factors are also unusual in having very high biological activity and in being able to increase rapidly given appropriate stimuli. The production of growth factors from endothelial and stromal cells, fibroblasts, lymphocytes, and macrophages is controlled by a network of interactions between the various cell types and external stimuli, such as foreign antigen and endotoxin. In addition, we are becoming increasingly aware of important synergistic intereactions between growth factors, which again emphasise the complexity of the system and the potential difficulties of full clinical exploitation. 1-3 Various factors other than the colony stimulating factors, such as erythropoietin and the interleukins, cause proliferation and differentiation of cells, the latter on B and T lymphocytes. Some, such as interleukin-3 (IL-3) and IL-6, also have an effect on myeloid cells (table 1, fig 1). Growth factors such as IL-3 that act on multipotent progenitor cells of early lineage give rise to a range of mature cell types, including erythrocytes platelets, monocytes, and the various granulocytes. Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) stimulates production of granulocytes and monocytes and increases the levels of eosinophils and lymphocytes, and, in some cases, platelets and erythrocytes. G-CSF is much more lineage restricted and acts specifically on neutrophil granulocytes (table 1, fig 1). The genes coding for IL-3, GM-CSF, and monocyte (M) CSF are localised to a small area of chromosome 5, whereas the gene for G-CSF resides on chromosome 17 (table 1). Recombinant DNA technology has enabled these factors to be further examined both in vitro and in early clinical studies. Data are now available on erythropoietin, G-CSF, and GM-CSF and preliminary results will soon be available for IL-3, IL-4, and IL-6.