Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent advances in human norovirus research and implications for candidate vaccines

ABSTRACT Introduction Noroviruses are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis worldwide. An estimated 21 million illnesses in the United States and upwards of 684 million illnesses worldwide are attributed to norovirus infection. There are no licensed vaccines to prevent norovirus, but several candidates are in development. Areas covered We review recent advances in molecular epidemiology of noroviruses, immunology, and in-vitro cultivation of noroviruses using human intestinal enteroids. We also provide an update on the status of norovirus vaccine candidates. Expert opinion Molecular epidemiological studies confirm the tremendous genetic diversity of noroviruses, the continuous emergence of new recombinant strains, and the predominance of GII.4 viruses worldwide. Duration of immunity, extent of cross protection between different genotypes, and differences in strain distribution for young children compared with adults remain key knowledge gaps. Recent discoveries regarding which epitopes are targeted by neutralizing antibodies using the novel in vitro culture of human noroviruses in human intestinal enteroids are enhancing our understanding of mechanisms of protection and providing guidance for vaccine development. A future norovirus vaccine has the potential to substantially reduce the burden of illnesses due to this ubiquitous virus.
Effects of low pH and low calcium concentration on the pulmonate snail Planorbella trivolvis: a laboratory study

Freshwater pulmonate snails (Planorbella trivolvis) were maintained in the laboratory in stream water with manipulated pH and Ca2+. Low pH treatments (4.6 and 4.7) resulted in significantly lower adult growth rates and reduced gross fecundity compared with circumneutral pH treatments (7.2 and 7.4) regardless of the Ca2+ level. None of the eggs laid in low pH treatments hatched, mostly because of developmental arrest (gastrula or earlier). Eggs in low Ca2+ treatments took longer to complete development and had a higher incidence of abnormality compared with eggs in the high pH, high Ca2+ treatment. Juveniles that successfully hatched from the low Ca2+ treatments grew very little and all died within 100 days whereas over 7.2% of those in the high Ca2+, circumneutral pH treatment were alive at day 100, some of which had become adults and were laying eggs. This study suggests that both low pH (4.6) and low Ca2+ (1–2 mg/L) are lethal to Planorbella trivolvis, with embryos and juveniles showing much greater sen.
Variation in canopy gap formation among developmental stages of northern hardwood stands

Trends in gap dynamics among pole, mature, and old-growth northern hardwood stands were investigated on eight sites in the Porcupine Mountains of western upper Michigan. Recent gaps (created between 1981 and 1992) were identified using permanent plot records of tree mortality, while older gaps (1940–1981) were identified using stand reconstruction techniques. Although canopy gaps were somewhat more numerous in pole and mature stands, gaps were 1.5 and were predominantly from the dominant canopy species. Even in old-growth forests, most gaps were small (me.
Plate Waste Generated by Spanish Households and Out-of-Home Consumption: Results from the ANIBES Study

Food waste is a major environmental issue that must be tackled in order to achieve a sustainable food supply chain. Currently, in Spain there are no studies that examine the amounts and sources of plate waste (PW) produced by both household and out-of-home consumption. The present study aims to provide this information from a representative sample from the Spanish population. A total of 2009 individuals aged 9–75 years, from the ANIBES study (“anthropometric data, macronutrients and micronutrients intake, practice of physical activity, socioeconomic data and lifestyles in Spain”), completed a three-day dietary record, collected by a tablet device. Photographs of all foods and beverages consumed both at home and outside were taken before and after meals. Median PW across the total population was 7.3 (0.0–37.3) g/day and was significantly higher in females than males (p < 0.05) and in children vs. adolescents, adults, and elderly (p < 0.01). Regarding meals, PW across all age groups was higher at lunch (40%), dinner (27%), and breakfast (11%). The highest PW was observed for bread (25%) main courses (16%), first and second courses (15%), vegetables and fruits (12%), ready-to-eat meals (10%), cereals and grains (10%), oils and fats (10%), pulses (10%), meat products (8%), sauces and condiments (8%), and starters (8%). Our results reinforce the need for new strategies to focus on reducing plate leftovers, which are crucial from a nutritional, economic, and environmental point of view. Additionally, this evidence is important for relying on more accurate information on actual intakes when using dietary surveys.
PYRROLIDINE DITHIOCARBAMATE AUGMENTS IL-10, INHIBITS TNF-α, MIP-1α, IL-12, AND NITRIC OXIDE PRODUCTION AND PROTECTS FROM THE LETHAL EFFECT OF ENDOTOXIN

ABSTRACT During endotoxemia, immune cells activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) produce various inflammatory mediators, including cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). The genes of several mediators are activated in part by the rapid binding of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-&kgr;B) to its promoter. The induction of this transcription factor can be blocked by a wide range of antioxidants, including pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC). Here we investigated in mice the effect of this compound on the plasma tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-1α (IL-1α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-12 (IL-12), macrophage inflammatory protein-1α (MIP-1α), and nitric oxide (NO) response to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of LPS. Pretreatment of animals with PDTC (10–100 mg/kg) 30 min prior to LPS challenge (4 mg/kg, i.p.) decreased plasma TNF-α, IL-12, MIP-1α, and nitrite/nitrate (breakdown products of NO) concentrations, but enhanced plasma levels of IL-10. Moreover, pretreatment of mice with PDTC (10–100 mg/kg, i.p.) did not alter LPS-induced (4 mg/kg) production of IL-1α, IL-6, and IFN-γ. Finally, PDTC (100 mg/kg) protected the mice against LPS (100 mg/kg)-induced lethality. These results indicate that blockade of the NF-&kgr;B pathway by PDTC has potent anti-inflammatory action in systemic inflammatory processes.
Effect of pre-incubation and incubation conditions on hatchability, hatch time and hatch window, and effect of post-hatch handling on chick quality at placement

The zootechnical performances of broilers at the end of the rearing period depend in part on the quality of day-old chicks at placement. The quality of day-old chicks is highly affected by the incubation conditions, by hatch time (which determines the time spent in the hatcher under high temperature and humidity), and by the handling of chicks after hatch. This article first presents an overview of the most relevant pre-incubation factors that affect chick quality: egg size, egg weight, quality of eggs, sex of embryos, age of breeders, and conditions and duration of egg storage. It then reviews the most important incubation factors that affect hatch time, hatchability and hatch window (temperature, humidity, turning, ventilation and concentration of gases). Finally, the effect of early post-hatch handling (including processing and especially transportation of chicks) as a possible source of stress influencing the quality of chicks at placement is discussed.
Sea urchin grazing and kelp re-vegetation in the NE Atlantic

Abstract Small-scale grazing events where sea urchins have grazed kelp forests to barren grounds have been reported all along the NE Atlantic coast. One large-scale event has been reported where kelp forests along the Norwegian and Russian coast were grazed by sea urchins during the early 1970s. The barren ground area has persisted since. Different theories to explain the grazing event have been presented. This paper seeks to sort and summarize earlier published papers and national reports and to critically examine the most important theories presented to explain the grazing event. The conclusion is that the reason for the event is unknown and it is too late to find causes 40 years after it took place. However, new data and new geographical analysis tools provide insight into the extent and consequences of this dramatic event, and show re-vegetation of kelp forests in the southernmost area. Emphasis in future studies should be given to understand the reasons for shifts between the two ecosystem states and take advantage of the ongoing shift. Such basic ecological knowledge could provide an important basis for better understanding the system and further, to understand the extent to which other observed large-scale changes (e.g. climatic changes, fish stock reductions) affect kelp forest–sea urchin interaction.
Potential roles for differential body size and microhabitat complexity in mediating biotic interactions within invasive freshwater amphipod assemblages

Cannibalism and intraguild predation (IGP) are common amongst freshwater amphipod crustacean as- wsemblages, particularly between individuals of different body size, with IGP of smaller by larger species. The decline of Gammarus tigrinus populations in mainland Europe has been accompanied by the arrival of the Ponto- Caspian invader Dikerogammarus villosus and previous studies have implicated IGP of G. tigrinus by the larger D. villosus, as the principal driving force in this replacement. We examined how factors such as microhabitat and body size may mediate both cannibalism within G. tigrinus populations and IGP by D. villosus and thus contribute to fi eld patterns of coexistence and exclusion. A fi eld survey of an invaded Dutch lake indicated that G. tigrinus and D. villosus differed in distribution, with D. villosus being the numerically dominant amphipod (80-96 %) on the rocky boulder substrate of the shoreline and G. tigrinus being the dominant amphipod (100 %) in the crushed shell/sand matrix immediately adjacent to this. Laboratory microcosm experiments indicated that G. tigrinus cannibalism, particularly of smaller by larger size classes, may be common. In addition, although D. villosus predation of all G. tigrinus size classes was extreme, the smallest size classes suffered the highest predation. Indeed, when exposed to D. villosus, predation of larger G. tigrinus was lowest when smaller G. tigrinus were also present. Increasing mi- crohabitat complexity from a simple bare substrate littered with Dreissena polymorpha zebra mussels to a crushed shell/sand matrix signifi cantly reduced both cannibalism and IGP. Our study emphasizes the need to consider both life history stages and habitat template, when considering the impacts of biotic interactions and it also emphasizes that complex, interacting factors may be mediating the range expansion of D. villosus.
Geriatric Health in Bangladesh during COVID-19: Challenges and Recommendations

ABSTRACT The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is impacting health globally, whereas older adults are highly susceptible and more likely to have adverse health outcomes. In Bangladesh, the elderly population has been increasing over the past few decades, who often live with poor socioeconomic conditions and inadequate access to healthcare services. These disparities are likely to increase amid COVID-19, which may result in high mortality and morbidity among Bangladeshi older adults. We recommend that multifaceted interventions should be adopted for strengthening social care and health systems approach to ensure wellbeing, promote preventive measures, and facilitate access to healthcare among older adults in Bangladesh. Such multipronged measures would require policy-level commitment and collaborative efforts of health and social care providers and institutions to protect health and wellbeing among this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Functional Heterogeneity of Mouse and Human Brain OPCs: Relevance for Preclinical Studies in Multiple Sclerosis

Besides giving rise to oligodendrocytes (the only myelin-forming cell in the Central Nervous System (CNS) in physiological conditions), Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells (OPCs) are responsible for spontaneous remyelination after a demyelinating lesion. They are present along the mouse and human CNS, both during development and in adulthood, yet how OPC physiological behavior is modified throughout life is not fully understood. The activity of adult human OPCs is still particularly unexplored. Significantly, most of the molecules involved in OPC-mediated remyelination are also involved in their development, a phenomenon that may be clinically relevant. In the present article, we have compared the intrinsic properties of OPCs isolated from the cerebral cortex of neonatal, postnatal and adult mice, as well as those recovered from neurosurgical adult human cerebral cortex tissue. By analyzing intact OPCs for the first time with 1H High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy, we show that these cells behave distinctly and that they have different metabolic patterns in function for their stage of maturity. Moreover, their response to Fibroblast Growth Gactor-2 (FGF-2) and anosmin-1 (two molecules that have known effects on OPC biology during development and that are overexpressed in individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)) differs in relation to their developmental stage and in the function of the species. Our data reveal that the behavior of adult human and mouse OPCs differs in a very dynamic way that should be very relevant when testing drugs and for the proper design of effective pharmacological and/or cell therapies for MS.
Potential indirect effects of shellfish culture on the reproductive success of benthic predators

Summary 1. Environmental assessments of coastal aquaculture are concerned mostly with direct impacts on natural assemblages in the vicinity of shellfish or fin-fish farms. As the size and density of farmed sea space increases, there is greater potential for indirect effects on food webs beyond the immediate culture area. 2. We investigated the potential indirect effects of long-line mussel Perna canaliculus farms on the demography of an important benthic predator, the sea star Coscinasterias muricata . Surveys beneath four active farms, an abandoned farm and three unfarmed areas of seabed in Pelorus Sound, New Zealand, described the direct effects of mussel culture on the distribution and abundance of sea stars and other benthic consumers. These data were used to calibrate a model that simulated the fertilization success of sea star populations in farmed and unfarmed areas of the bays. 3. Deposits of living mussels and mussel shells covered up to 55% of the seafloor beneath farm sites, but were absent from soft sediments at unfarmed sites. Mean densities of sea stars were up to 39 times larger at active farm sites than in unfarmed areas and were correlated with the abundance of living mussels on the seafloor. 4. Within individual farms, the distribution of sea stars was highly aggregated at small spatial scales, with most (63%) individuals occurring within 2 m of their nearest neighbour. In unfarmed areas, sea stars were widely dispersed (< 1 80 m − 2 ). 5. Our simulations indicate that, because of the extremely clumped distributions of sea stars, spawning individuals at farm sites would on average have substantially greater fertilization success ( c. 90% of eggs) than those foraging in areas where farms are absent (<< 2% of eggs), and total zygote production could be as much as 1500 times greater than in unfarmed areas. 6. Synthesis and applications . This study demonstrates the potential for significant bottom-up effects of aquaculture on surrounding ecological assemblages. If, as has been suggested, sperm limitation is a major constraint on recruitment of asteroids and other invertebrate predators, supplemental provisioning from increased farm development could result in occasional outbreaks of populations, over a broader area than the farmed location. Without appropriate monitoring such events are likely to be dismissed as rare, natural phenomena rather than a consequence of shellfish culture.
Lateral Plate Morph Genetics Revisited: Evidence for a Fourth Morph in Three-Spined Sticklebacks

1. The view that four (not three) lateral plate morphs exist in the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus is supported in this paper. The morphs are: trachura (= completely plated), semiarmata (= partially plated), leiura (= low plated), and leiura-with-keel (= low-plated-with-keel). 2. Two one-locus and four two-locus models of lateral plate morph inheritance are identified and reviewed. A new genetic model for a two-locus system comprising one major gene with three alleles and one dominance modifier gene with two alleles is advocated. 3. Predictions of different models are explicitly examined using the existent data. 4. Results of 10 new crosses that distinguished the form leiura-with-keel are presented. The segregation ratios obtained are best explained by the new model. 5. Adaptive value of plate morph differentiation is not clear. Different aspects of selection on the morphs are discussed.
Análise genética de características reprodutivas na raça Nelore

The objective of this paper was to estimate heritability coefficients for age at first calving, days to calving (DC), gestation length (GL) and scrotal circumference (SC) as well as genetic correlations between scrotal circumference and these reproductive traits measured in the females, in Nelore cattle. The age at first calving was evaluated in females mated for the first time around 14 months of age (AFC14) and in females mated for the first time around 26 months of age (AFC26). Datasets varying from 6,030 to 94,637 observations were analyzed. Analyses were processed using twotrait animal models. Heritability coefficients obtained for reproductive traits were: 0.19 (AFC14), 0.02 (AFC26), 0.07 (DC), 0.26 (GL), and 0.47 (SC). The genetic correlations were: -0.39 (SC and AFC14), -0.19 (SC and AFC26), 0.02 (SC and DC); and 0.02 (SC and GL). It was concluded that age at first calving may be used as a selection criterion for sexual precocity and that the selection of bulls for SC can result in daughters with decreased age at first calving. The low heritability obtained for DC, associated to its low genetic correlation with SC, suggest the need of studies on other traits to evaluate female fertility.
NUTRITION, FEEDING, AND CALVES Evaluation of Different Chromium-Mordanted Wheat Straws for Passage Rate Studies

Samples of untreated and arrunonia­ treated wheat straw were mordanted with sodium dichromate after being chopped, ground, or ground and washed in neutral detergent solution. The NDF content of the mordanted samples increased to 97 to 100% DM in those ground or ground and neutral detergent-washed, whereas the increase was lower (92% DM) in those chopped. Chromium content after mor­ danting was 4.0% DM in the samples washed in neutral detergent solution and 2.4 to 2.6% DM in those simply chopped or ground. There were no major differ­ ences due to ammonia treatment. Particle size distribution of ground samples showed significant differences in propor­ tions of particles larger than 1 nun with control samples less than ground and mordanted samples less than ground, neutral detergent-washed, and mordanted samples. There also were variable and significant effects of these treatments on functional specific gravity. Rumen DM disappearance after 48-h incubation in fiber bags was reduced greatly by mor­ danting but was negligible only with the previous neutral detergent treatment. The estimated rumen passage rates of mordanted samples of untreated straw differed significantly among treatments with chopped samples less than ground samples, which were less than ground and neutral detergent-washed samples, reflecting their differences in particle size and ftmctional specific gravity. It was concluded that the mordanting pro­ cedure can affect greatly the phys
EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION, FERTILIZATION AND DROUGHT ON THE OCCURRENCE OF LOPHODERMIUM PICEAE IN PICEA ABIES NEEDLES

Effects of irrigation, drought and fertilization on the frequency of the fungal endophyte Lophodermium piceae in green needles was assessed in a 30-year-old experimental stand of Picea abies in southern Sweden. Frequencies of needles with L. piceae were lower in irrigation and ammonium sulphate fertilization treatments than in the control. Drought treatment frequencies were similar to the control. Needles were susceptible to colonization for at least 3 years; colonization increased with needle age. The results indicate that the increased availability of water to the root system as well as ammonium sulphate fertilization indirectly delays colonization of needles by L. piceae.
Granular Properties of Different Starch Phosphate Monoesters

Different starch types (corn, rice, and potato starch, corn amylose and corn amylopectin) were phosphorylated by reaction with a mixture of mono and disodium phosphate at different molar ratios (mol phosphate/mol anhydrous glucose) under heat and vacuum. The starch granules of the modified and the native starches were microscopically examined for their sizes and morphology. The correlation between the variation in granular size of the modified starches with the extent of phosphorylation and some other physicochemical properties was studied. The granular size was generally increased while the iodine absorption capacity was decreased by phosphorylation. There were strong correlations between the variation in the starch granular size in dependence on phosphorylation and the corresponding changes in some physicochemical parameter of starch, e.g. solubility, swelling and paste clarity. This relationship was most evident in the case of phosphorylated corn amylopectin. Starch granular size can be taken as a quick indicator of the physicochemical properties of the native and modified starches.
The protozoan parasite Perkinsus atlanticus elicits a unique defensive response in the clam Tapes semidecussatus

The venerid clams, Tapes decussatus and T. semidecussatus, develop a singular defensive response to Perkinsus atlanticus infection. This reaction involves the redifferentiation of recruited granulocytes and the expression de novo of the polypeptide p225. To determine whether the association of this defensive process with the natural parasitism by P. atlanticus is unique, the inflammatory response elicited by inoculations of bacteria, algae and non-viable P. atlanticus pre-zoosporangia in the clam T. semidecussatus was shown. Inoculated areas were heavily infiltrated by granulocytes and delimited by myofibroblast-like cells and extracellular matrix. While bacteria and algae were phagocytosed by the infiltrated granulocytes, pre-zoosporangia were not. After 40 days, neither cell redifferentiation nor the expression of p225 was observed. These findings indicate that both redifferentiation and p225 expression are specifically associated with P. atlanticus infection. After 5-bromodeoxyuridine administration, only a few cells were labelled either in the inoculated zone or in the cellular reaction around P. atlanticus meronts. Significant differences between untreated and inoculated groups were observed in the epicardic connective tissue soon after injection. These results suggest that this anatomical region could be the main site of haemocyte proliferation stimulated after inoculation of foreign bodies in T. semidecussatus.