Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rapid Evaporative Ionization Mass Spectrometry: A Review on Its Application to the Red Meat Industry with an Australian Context

The red meat supply chain is a complex network transferring product from producers to consumers in a safe and secure way. There can be times when fragmentation can arise within the supply chain, which could be exploited. This risk needs reduction so that meat products enter the market with the desired attributes. Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) is a novel ambient mass spectrometry technique originally developed for rapid and accurate classification of biological tissue which is now being considered for use in a range of additional applications. It has subsequently shown promise for a range of food provenance, quality and safety applications with its ability to conduct ex vivo and in situ analysis. These are regarded as critical characteristics for technologies which can enable real-time decision making in meat processing plants and more broadly throughout the sector. This review presents an overview of the REIMS technology, and its application to the areas of provenance, quality and safety to the red meat industry, particularly in an Australian context.
Effectiveness of a Web-Based Intervention on Parental Psychological Flexibility and Emotion Regulation: A Pilot Open Trial

“Parenting Forest” is an informed contextual therapy parenting program for improving parental emotion regulation strategies and psychological flexibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of a self-guided web-based intervention of the Parenting Forest program. The intervention program consists of six self-applied sequential modules that use strategies from contextual therapies for providing a parenting style open to experience, mindful and committed to its actions. A pilot controlled open trial was conducted. Eligible parents (n = 12) enrolled in the web-based intervention completed baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2) assessment instruments. Parental psychological flexibility, avoidance, emotional regulation, parental stress, satisfaction with life, children’s psychological adjustment and client satisfaction were measured to assess the effects of the intervention. Mood, coping, and value-related actions were assessed as measures of progress. The results showed positive effects on the parents’ psychological flexibility and emotion regulation. Parents’ mood and coping skills improved throughout the intervention program. These results provide preliminary evidence of the web-based Parenting Forest’s efficacy, although further research is needed to assess its effectiveness for prevention and in clinical populations.
Phenotype of the Aging-Dependent Spontaneous Onset of Hearing Loss in DBA/2 Mice

Simple Summary In this study, we confirmed the changes in hearing function and inner ear structure over a long period of time in DBA/2 mice, a laboratory animal model suitable for studying hearing loss. We believe that our study is the first to report findings regarding hearing function and structural changes in DBA/2 mice aged ≥34 weeks. These results are of significance for researchers and the scientific community using laboratory animal models. Abstract DBA/2 mice are a well-known animal model for hearing loss developed due to intrinsic properties of these animals. However, results on the phenotype of hearing loss in DBA/2 mice have been mainly reported at an early stage in mice aged ≤7 weeks. Instead, the present study evaluated the hearing ability at 5, 13, and 34 weeks of age using DBA/2korl mice. Auditory brainstem response test was performed at 8–32 KHz at 5, 13, and 34 weeks of age, and hearing loss was confirmed to be induced in a time-dependent manner. In addition, histopathological evaluation at the same age confirmed the morphological damage of the cochlea. The findings presented herein are the results of the long-term observation of the phenotype of hearing loss in DBA/2 mice and can be useful in studies related to aging-dependent hearing loss.
Artificial Intelligence in Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis Using Clinical Data: Non-Invasive Approach

Colorectal cancer is the third most common and second most lethal tumor globally, causing 900,000 deaths annually. In this research, a computer aided diagnosis system was designed that detects colorectal cancer, using an innovative dataset composing of both numeric (blood and urine analysis) and qualitative data (living environment of the patient, tumor position, T, N, M, Dukes classification, associated pathology, technical approach, complications, incidents, ultrasonography-dimensions as well as localization). The intelligent computer aided colorectal cancer diagnosis system was designed using different machine learning techniques, such as classification and shallow and deep neural networks. The maximum accuracy obtained from solving the binary classification problem with traditional machine learning algorithms was 77.8%. However, the regression problem solved with deep neural networks yielded with significantly better performance in terms of mean squared error minimization, reaching the value of 0.0000529.
Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Status and Parental Endorsement Intentions among Undergraduate Student Nurses

We identified factors associated with student nurses’ Human Papillomavirus Vaccine (HPV) vaccination status and their intention to counsel parents on HPV vaccination. Undergraduate student nurses (N = 153) from a large university in the south participated. Descriptive statistics, chi-squared tests, and independent t-tests (p ≤ 0.05) were used to characterize the students’ vaccination status. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with vaccination status. HPV vaccination rates were low. Students who were older and married or living with a partner were less likely to have completed the HPV vaccine series. The most commonly cited reason for non-initiation and non-completion was the lack of provider endorsement. Vaccination status did not differ significantly according to race/ethnicity, religion, skills, or intention to counsel parents. While intentions to counsel parents on HPV vaccination are high among student nurses, interventions to improve vaccination rates among student nurses are needed.
The Phosphofructokinase Isoform AtPFK5 Is a Novel Target of Plastidic Thioredoxin-f-Dependent Redox Regulation

The chloroplast primary metabolism is of central importance for plant growth and performance. Therefore, it is tightly regulated in order to adequately respond to multiple environmental conditions. A major fluctuation that plants experience each day is the change between day and night, i.e., the change between assimilation and dissimilation. Among other mechanisms, thioredoxin-mediated redox regulation is an important component of the regulation of plastid-localized metabolic enzymes. While assimilatory processes such as the Calvin–Benson cycle are activated under illumination, i.e., under reducing conditions, carbohydrate degradation is switched off during the day. Previous analyses have identified enzymes of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway to be inactivated by reduction through thioredoxins. In this work, we present evidence that an enzyme of the plastidic glycolysis, the phosphofructokinase isoform AtPFK5, is also inactivated through reduction by thioredoxins, namely by thioredoxin-f. With the help of chemical oxidation, mutant analyses and further experiments, the highly conserved motif CXDXXC in AtPFK5 was identified as the target sequence for this regulatory mechanism. However, knocking out this isoform in plants had only very mild effects on plant growth and performance, indicating that the complex primary metabolism in plants can overcome a lack in AtPFK5 activity.
The ldhA Gene Encoding Fermentative l-Lactate Dehydrogenase in Corynebacterium Glutamicum Is Positively Regulated by the Global Regulator GlxR

Bacterial metabolism shifts from aerobic respiration to fermentation at the transition from exponential to stationary growth phases in response to limited oxygen availability. Corynebacterium glutamicum, a Gram-positive, facultative aerobic bacterium used for industrial amino acid production, excretes l-lactate, acetate, and succinate as fermentation products. The ldhA gene encoding l-lactate dehydrogenase is solely responsible for l-lactate production. Its expression is repressed at the exponential phase and prominently induced at the transition phase. ldhA is transcriptionally repressed by the sugar-phosphate-responsive regulator SugR and l-lactate-responsive regulator LldR. Although ldhA expression is derepressed even at the exponential phase in the sugR and lldR double deletion mutant, a further increase in its expression is still observed at the stationary phase, implicating the action of additional transcription regulators. In this study, involvement of the cAMP receptor protein-type global regulator GlxR in the regulation of ldhA expression was investigated. The GlxR-binding site found in the ldhA promoter was modified to inhibit or enhance binding of GlxR. The ldhA promoter activity and expression of ldhA were altered in proportion to the binding affinity of GlxR. Similarly, l-lactate production was also affected by the binding site modification. Thus, GlxR was demonstrated to act as a transcriptional activator of ldhA.
Advanced Killing Potential of Thymol against a Time and Temperature Optimized Attached Listeria monocytogenes Population in Lettuce Broth

Fresh vegetables and salads are increasingly implicated in outbreaks of foodborne infections, such as those caused by Listeria monocytogenes, a dangerous pathogen that can attach to the surfaces of the equipment creating robust biofilms withstanding the killing action of disinfectants. In this study, the antimicrobial efficiency of a natural plant terpenoid (thymol) was evaluated against a sessile population of a multi-strain L. monocytogenes cocktail developed on stainless steel surfaces incubated in lettuce broth, under optimized time and temperature conditions (54 h at 30.6 °C) as those were determined following response surface modeling, and in comparison, to that of an industrial disinfectant (benzalkonium chloride). Prior to disinfection, the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) of each compound were determined against the planktonic cells of each strain. The results revealed the advanced killing potential of thymol, with a concentration of 625 ppm (= 4 × MBC) leading to almost undetectable viable bacteria (more than 4 logs reduction following a 15-min exposure). For the same degree of killing, benzalkonium chloride needed to be used at a concentration of at least 20 times more than its MBC (70 ppm). Discriminative repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) also highlighted the strain variability in both biofilm formation and resistance. In sum, thymol was found to present an effective anti-listeria action under environmental conditions mimicking those encountered in the salad industry and deserves to be further explored to improve the safety of fresh produce.
Impact of Overuse and Sexually Transmitted Infections on Seminal Parameters of Extensively Managed Bulls

Simple Summary Natural service is currently the predominant method of breeding in extensively managed beef herds. In these herds, the importance of the bull has been largely overlooked, focusing instead on female fertility. However, the bull might be the most important factor in determining the reproductive performance of the herd, because one subfertile or infertile bull could mean a decrease of 25 to 40 calves per year. Thus, bull management is critical to increase herd fertility. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) are infections associated with reduced conception rates. In this study, we analyzed the effect of IBR, BVD, and bull: cow ratio on seminal parameters of the bull and herd fertility, finding a significant negative effect of BVD on sperm concentration and motility, and a negative correlation between the number of cows per bull and herd fertility. Our data suggest that serological control of BVD and sperm parameters, as well as including less than 40 cows per bull, could improve the reproductive efficiency of the herd in extensively managed herds. Abstract Natural service remains the main breeding method in extensively managed beef herds. Although the bull might be the most important factor in determining herd fertility, its importance has been largely overlooked, focusing instead on female fertility. Management of the bull is critical to maximize the opportunities for cow conception. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) and bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) are infections associated with reduced conception rates. This study aimed to determine the effect of both IBR and BVD infection, and bull: cow ratio on seminal parameters in the bull and herd fertility. The presence of antibodies to IBR and BVD, seminal parameters (volume, concentration, mass, and progressive motility), and herd fertility were analyzed in 158 extensively managed bulls. Sperm concentration and mass motility, as well as herd fertility, were significantly lower in BVD-positive bulls. No significant differences were found between IBR-positive and -negative bulls in any reproductive parameter. Sperm concentration was negatively affected by BVD infection in both Charolais and Limousin bulls, whereas mass motility and herd fertility were reduced in Limousin bulls only. No differences were observed in the cow: bull ratio between BVD+ and BVD- bulls. A significant negative correlation was detected between the number of cows per bull and herd fertility, which was negatively affected when herds had more than 40 cows per bull. In conclusion, BVD and bull overuse negatively affect the reproductive performance of the herd.
Suitable CO2 Solubility Models for Determination of the CO2 Removal Performance of Oxygenators

CO2 removal via membrane oxygenators during lung protective ventilation has become a reliable clinical technique. For further optimization of oxygenators, accurate prediction of the CO2 removal rate is necessary. It can either be determined by measuring the CO2 content in the exhaust gas of the oxygenator (sweep flow-based) or using blood gas analyzer data and a CO2 solubility model (blood-based). In this study, we determined the CO2 removal rate of a prototype oxygenator utilizing both methods in in vitro trials with bovine and in vivo trials with porcine blood. While the sweep flow-based method is reliably accurate, the blood-based method depends on the accuracy of the solubility model. In this work, we quantified performances of four different solubility models by calculating the deviation of the CO2 removal rates determined by both methods. Obtained data suggest that the simplest model (Loeppky) performs better than the more complex ones (May, Siggaard-Anderson, and Zierenberg). The models of May, Siggaard-Anderson, and Zierenberg show a significantly better performance for in vitro bovine blood data than for in vivo porcine blood data. Furthermore, the suitability of the Loeppky model parameters for bovine blood (in vitro) and porcine blood (in vivo) is evaluated.
The Environmental Spread of Aspergillus terreus in Tyrol, Austria

Fungal infections due to Aspergillus species have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. At the Medical University of Innsbruck, A. terreus and related species are the second most common causative agents of aspergillosis. In this one-year study we collected environmental samples to investigate (i) the environmental distribution, (ii) the ecological niche of A. terreus in Tyrol, (iii) the genetic relatedness of environmental and clinical isolates and the correlation between those two groups of isolates, and (iv) the antifungal susceptibility patterns. A. terreus was present in 5.4% of 3845 environmental samples, with a significantly higher frequency during winter (6.8%) than summer (3.9%). An increased A. terreus abundance in Tyrol’s Eastern part was detected which is in agreement with the proof of clinical cases. In total, 92% of environmental and 98% of clinical A. terreus isolates were amphotericin B resistant; 22.6% and 9.8% were resistant against posaconazole. Overall, 3.9% of clinical isolates were resistant against voriconazole. Short tandem repeat analysis identified three major genotypes persisting in Tyrol. Soil from agricultural cornfields seems to be an important source; the environmental frequency of A. terreus correlates with the high incidence of A. terreus infections in certain geographical areas.
An Update on Connexin Gap Junction and Hemichannels in Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the main causes of vision loss in the working age population. It is characterized by a progressive deterioration of the retinal microvasculature, caused by long-term metabolic alterations inherent to diabetes, leading to a progressive loss of retinal integrity and function. The mammalian retina presents an orderly layered structure that executes initial but complex visual processing and analysis. Gap junction channels (GJC) forming electrical synapses are present in each retinal layer and contribute to the communication between different cell types. In addition, connexin hemichannels (HCs) have emerged as relevant players that influence diverse physiological and pathological processes in the retina. This article highlights the impact of diabetic conditions on GJC and HCs physiology and their involvement in DR pathogenesis. Microvascular damage and concomitant loss of endothelial cells and pericytes are related to alterations in gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and decreased connexin 43 (Cx43) expression. On the other hand, it has been shown that the expression and activity of HCs are upregulated in DR, becoming a key element in the establishment of proinflammatory conditions that emerge during hyperglycemia. Hence, novel connexin HCs blockers or drugs to enhance GJIC are promising tools for the development of pharmacological interventions for diabetic retinopathy, and initial in vitro and in vivo studies have shown favorable results in this regard.
Moisture transport in shrinking gels during saturated drying

The transport of moisture in shrinking food gels during drying is studied based on a novel thermomechanical theory accounting for a structural transition in the material—from the rubbery to the galssy state—during drying. The proposed theory is applied to the drying of a model cylindrical starch–gluten gel system. The predicted drying characteristics depend on the Deborah number, a ratio of the characteristic relaxation time to the characteristic diffusion time. At low Deborah numbers, drying is Fickian. At intermediate and high Deborah numbers, however, drying is non-Fickian, leading to an apparent mass-transfer shutdown, which is a result of surface dryout and skin/shell formation. Based on a time-dependent surface boundary condition, the model proposes that surface drying is not only a function of the Biot number but also a function of the “Shell” number, a ratio of the Deborah and Biot numbers. The model is verified by comparing its predictions with experimental data from drying of starch–gluten gels at 22.5 and 40°C. The model predictions agree with experimental data and capture the observed sigmoidal shape of the experimental drying curves in the saturated flow regime. The predicted moisture profiles show shell formation and growth during drying, compatible with the experimental moisture profiles from the literature.
Light and CO2 Modulate the Accumulation and Localization of Phenolic Compounds in Barley Leaves

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) accumulates phenolic compounds (PhCs), which play a key role in plant defense against environmental stressors as antioxidants or UV screening compounds. The influence of light and atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on the accumulation and localization of PhCs in barley leaves was examined for two varieties with different tolerances to oxidative stress. PhC localization was visualized in vivo using fluorescence microscopy. Close relationships were found between fluorescence-determined localization of PhCs in barley leaves and PhC content estimated using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy detection. Light intensity had the strongest effect on the accumulation of PhCs, but the total PhC content was similar at elevated [CO2], minimizing the differences between high and low light. PhCs localized preferentially near the surfaces of leaves, but under low light, an increasing allocation of PhCs in deeper mesophyll layers was observed. The PhC profile was significantly different between barley varieties. The relatively tolerant variety accumulated significantly more hydroxycinnamic acids, indicating that these PhCs may play a more prominent role in oxidative stress prevention. Our research presents novel evidence that [CO2] modulates the accumulation of PhCs in barley leaves. Mesophyll cells, rather than epidermal cells, were most responsive to environmental stimuli in terms of PhC accumulation.
Immunogenic Cell Death by the Novel Topoisomerase I Inhibitor TLC388 Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Radiotherapy

Simple Summary This study aims to evaluate the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) for anticancer immunity by the novel topoisomerase I inhibitor lipotecan. These results show that lipotecan can remarkably elicit ICD and increase tumor immunogenicity, which promotes the therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy compared to conventional chemoradiotherapy in vivo. These results provide potential therapeutic strategies to improve the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC), which may increase the local control rate and decrease tumor relapse in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients who receive preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Abstract Rectal cancer accounts for 30–40% of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is the most common cancer-related death worldwide. The preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (neoCRT) regimen is the main therapeutic strategy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) to control tumor growth and reduce distant metastasis. However, 30–40% of patients achieve a partial response to neoCRT and suffer from unnecessary drug toxicity side effects and a risk of distant metastasis. In our study, we found that the novel topoisomerase I inhibitor lipotecan (TLC388) can elicit immunogenic cell death (ICD) to release damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), including HMGB1, ANXA1, and CRT exposure. Lipotecan thereby increases cancer immunogenicity and triggers an antitumor immune response to attract immune cell infiltration within the tumor microenvironment (TME) in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these results show that lipotecan can remodel the tumor microenvironment to provoke anticancer immune responses, which can provide potential clinical benefits to the therapeutic efficacy of neoCRT in LARC patients.