Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Current Progress in Understanding and Recovering the Wheat Genes Lost in Evolution and Domestication

The modern cultivated wheat has passed a long evolution involving origin of wild emmer (WEM), development of cultivated emmer, formation of spelt wheat and finally establishment of modern bread wheat and durum wheat. During this evolutionary process, rapid alterations and sporadic changes in wheat genome took place, due to hybridization, polyploidization, domestication, and mutation. This has resulted in some modifications and a high level of gene loss. As a result, the modern cultivated wheat does not contain all genes of their progenitors. These lost genes are novel for modern wheat improvement. Exploring wild progenitor for genetic variation of important traits is directly beneficial for wheat breeding. WEM wheat (Triticum dicoccoides) is a great genetic resource with huge diversity for traits. Few genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) for agronomic, quantitative, biotic and abiotic stress-related traits have already been mapped from WEM. This resource can be utilized for modern wheat improvement by integrating identified genes or QTLs through breeding.
Systematic Review: Effect of Health Education Intervention on Improving Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Adolescents on Malnutrition

Adolescence is a phase in the life cycle of human beings. Adequate knowledge, attitudes and practices towards malnutrition are necessary for proper growth and development and for their future children. This systematic review aimed to determine the effect of health education intervention to improve the knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescents on malnutrition. PubMed, Scopus, clinical trials, CINAHL, SAGE, Science Direct and Medline were searched according to Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meat-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to identified published studies from January 2013 to December 2019 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of eight studies were included in this review. Data extraction was done based on randomized controlled trial only. Three out of the eight studies had low risk of bias, the overall evidence of the study was moderate. Findings from this study suggest that health education intervention among adolescents have significantly improved their knowledge, attitudes and practices. More specific interventions should be conducted in low and middle income countries since they bear more of the burden of malnutrition globally.
Active Smoking Before Liver Transplantation in Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder: Risk Factors and Outcomes

Tobacco use is more prevalent among alcohol liver disease (ALD) transplant patients and exerts harmful effects to the patient and to the graft. The aims of this study were to examine the impact of smoking status (nonsmoker, ex-smoker, active smoker) on patient survival and clinical outcomes, and to assess risk factors for active smoking before and after liver transplant (LT). An observational retrospective cohort study with 314 ALD patients undergoing LT from January 2004 to April 2016. Recipients were followed until April 2017 or death. Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to assess risk of mortality according to smoking status before LT. Smokers had a 79% higher risk of dying than those who had never smoked or quit smoking before LT. Ex-smokers had a greater survival probability (96.2%, 93.8%, 86.9%, and 83.1% at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after LT) than active smokers until LT (96.0%, 85.6%, 80.0%, and 70.4%). Active smokers before LT with poor toxicity awareness had more than a twofold higher risk of mortality (Cox HR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.05–4.58, p = 0.04) than ex-smokers. Younger age (OR = 94), higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) (OR = 1.06), and comorbid substance use disorder (OR = 2.35) were predictors of smoking until LT. Six months or less of alcohol abstinence (OR = 3.23), and comorbid substance use disorder (OR = 4.87) were predictors of active smoking after LT. Quitting smoking before transplantation improved survival. Evidence based smoking cessation interventions should be offered before and after LT.
Oncological Outcomes of Metastasis-Directed Therapy in Oligorecurrent Prostate Cancer Patients Following Radical Prostatectomy

Several retrospective and a few prospective studies have shown that metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) could delay clinical progression and postpone the initiation of systemic treatment in oligorecurrent prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, these endpoints are strongly influenced by variables such as concomitant use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and follow-up imaging protocols. The aim of this manuscript was to assess palliative ADT- and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC)-free survival as long-term oncological outcomes in oligorecurrent PCa treated by MDT. We retrospectively identified consecutive post-prostatectomy oligorecurrent PCa patients treated by MDT (salvage lymphadenectomy, radiotherapy, or metastasectomy) at our tertiary referral center. Patients were eligible for inclusion if they developed recurrence following radical prostatectomy, had ≤5 metastatic lesions on imaging and had a serum testosterone >50 ng/dL or a testosterone suppression therapy-free interval of >2 years prior to the first MDT as an assumption of recovered serum testosterone (if no testosterone measurement available). Patients with castration-resistant or synchronous oligometastatic PCa at the time of first MDT were excluded. Repeated MDTs were allowed, as well as a period of concomitant ADT. Kaplan–Meier analyses were performed to assess palliative ADT-free and mCRPC-free survival. We identified 191 eligible patients who underwent MDT. Median follow-up from first MDT until last follow-up or death was 45 months (IQR 27–70; mean 51 months). Estimated median palliative-ADT free survival was 66 months (95% CI 58–164) and estimated median mCRPC-free survival was not reached (mean 117 months, 95% CI 103–132). In total, 314 MDTs were performed and 25 patients (13%) received ≥3 MDTs. This study demonstrated that (repeated) MDT is feasible and holds promise in terms of palliative ADT-free and mCRPC-free survival for patients with oligorecurrent PCa. However, these findings should be confirmed in prospective randomized controlled trials.
Acceptability of AAI from the Perspective of Elderly Clients, Family Members, and Staff—A Pilot Study

Although animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are increasingly part of comprehensive rehabilitation and many of its effects are already well described, the methodology for performing AAI depends on the specific patient, animal, and treatment objective. Acceptability of AAI from all involved members is a little explored area. Thus, 214 respondents (32 AAI clients, 146 family members, and 36 healthcare and social care workers; 98 males, 116 females; mean age 46.3 years (±16.5 SD)) completed a list of statements focused on AAI with a dog. This list was distributed directly in nursing homes, retirement homes, and in households with home hospice care. All statements were rated on a Likert scale of 0–3. The results show that AAI is generally very well received, with over 90% of respondents considering AAI to be beneficial. The perception of AAI and trusting the handler with their dog was evaluated very positively, as well as possible concerns about hygiene. The results were in many cases affected by demographic factors of the respondents (age, gender, role in AAI, education, and size of settlement). It seems appropriate in future studies to focus on the attitude of individual groups, and thus advance the methodology of implementing AAI.
Prognostic and Clinicopathological Significance of MiR-155 in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

There is an unmet need for novel non-invasive prognostic molecular tumour markers for breast cancer (BC). Accumulating evidence shows that miR-155 plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis. Generally, miR-155 is considered an oncogenic miRNA promoting tumour growth, angiogenesis and aggressiveness of BC. Therefore, many researchers have focused on its use as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. However, its prognostic value for BC patients remains controversial. To address this issue, the present systematic review aims to summarize the available evidence and give a picture of a prognostic significance of miR-155 in BC pathology. All eligible studies were searched on PubMed and EMBASE databases through various search strategies. Starting from 289 potential eligible records, data were examined from 28 studies, comparing tissue and circulating miR-155 expression levels with clinicopathological features and survival rates in BC patients. We discuss the pitfalls and challenges that need to be assessed to understand the power of miR-155 to respond to real clinical needs, highlighting the consistency, robustness or lack of results obtained to sate in translating this molecule to clinical practice. Our paper suggests that the prognostic role of miR-155 in the management of BC needs to be further verified.
Habitat profitability and choice in a sit-and-wait predator : juvenile salmon prefer slower currents on darker nights

1. The profitability of a foraging site for a sit-and-wait predator depends on the range at which food items can be detected, as well as their arrival rate. A simple model for drift-feeding fish shows that potential profitability is dependent on the interaction between current velocity and light level, so that the water velocity at which intake is maximized is predicted to decrease with decreasing light intensity due to changes in detection range. 2. Experimental tests with juvenile Atlantic salmon showed that there was no difference in foraging efficiency between fish held in high and low velocity water until light intensities dropped below 0.1 lx (similar to full moon with a clear sky); however, below this point fish were more efficient at intercepting food in slower flowing water. 3. When given a choice of foraging location, juvenile salmon exhibited the predicted shift towards slower velocity microhabitats as light level was reduced; the most profitable feeding habitat for the fish was therefore dependent on the night-time conditions (overcast vs. full moon). The results may explain why foraging juvenile salmonids have been observed to undertake diel habitat shifts, and indicate that habitat suitability assessments made only under daylight conditions may be inappropriate.
The Effect of High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity on the Expression of Nutrient Chemosensors in the Mouse Stomach and the Gastric Ghrelin Cell

The stomach is the primary source of the orexigenic and adiposity-promoting hormone, ghrelin. There is emerging evidence on the nutrient-mediated modulation of gastric ghrelin secretion. However, limited information is available on gastric nutrient-sensing mechanisms in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. This study investigated the impact of HFD-induced obesity on the expression of nutrient chemosensors in mouse stomach, particularly ghrelin cells. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed either a standard laboratory diet (SLD) or HFD for 12 weeks. The expression of ghrelin, enzymes involved in ghrelin production (PC1/3, GOAT) and nutrient chemosensors (CD36, FFAR2&4, GPR93, CaSR, mGluR4 and T1R3) was determined by quantitative RT-PCR in the mouse corpus and antrum. Immunohistochemistry assessed the protein expression of CaSR and ghrelin in the corpus and antrum. Antral mRNA levels of CaSR and PC1/3 were increased in HFD compared to SLD mice, while mRNA levels of all other nutrient chemosensors examined remained unchanged. CaSR immunolabelling was observed in the gastric antrum only. Nearly 80% of antral ghrelin cells expressed CaSR, with a similar cell density and co-expression in SLD and HFD mice. In conclusion, HFD-induced obesity increased CaSR mRNA expression in mouse antrum. However, the high antral co-expression of CaSR and ghrelin was unaltered in HFD compared to SLD mice.
HLA allele frequencies and susceptibility to COVID‐19 in a group of 99 Italian patients

With the aim to individuate alleles that may reflect a higher susceptibility to the disease, in the present study we analyzed the HLA allele frequency distribution in a group of 99 Italian patients affected by a severe or extremely severe form of COVID‐19. After the application of Bonferroni's correction for multiple tests, a significant association was found for HLA‐DRB1*15:01, ‐DQB1*06:02 and ‐B*27:07, after comparing the results to a reference group of 1017 Italian individuals, previously typed in our laboratory. The increased frequencies observed may contribute to identify potential markers of susceptibility to the disease, although controversial results on the role of single HLA alleles in COVID‐19 patients have been recently reported.
Avian reproductive output in European forest successions

Data on North American land bird communities have supported the prediction of traditional succession theory that annual reproductive output of organisms would decrease in the course of succession. To test the universality of this idea the average clutch size, brood number and egg production per season (both unweighted and weighted with species abundance) were calculated for 11 European forest successions (58 successional stages altogether). The average clutch size and egg production weighted with species abundance were observed to increase significantly in the course of succession; the other two were not significantly correlated with the successional age. Migratory habit (sedentary species, short-distance migrants and long-distance migrants were distinguished) explained 50% of the variation in egg production unweighted with species abundance and 60% in egg production weighted with species abundance. The pattern observed deviates from theoretical expectations and data from North America. The most probable reason for the between-continent difference is the habitat choice of tropical migrants, whose annual egg production is fairly low in both continents. In North America tropical migrants prefer mature forest (resulting in a low mean egg production there), but in Europe they inhabit early and intermediate successional stages (resulting in a low mean egg production there).
Beneficial Effects of Vitamin K Status on Glycemic Regulation and Diabetes Mellitus: A Mini-Review

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that is characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and dysfunctional insulin secretion. Glycemic control remains a crucial contributor to the progression of type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as the prevention or delay in the onset of diabetes-related complications. Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in the regulation of the glycemic status. Supplementation of vitamin K may reduce the risk of diabetes mellitus and improve insulin sensitivity. This mini-review summarizes the recent insights into the beneficial effects of vitamin K and its possible mechanism of action on insulin sensitivity and glycemic status, thereby suppressing the progression of diabetes mellitus.
Thermal and Mechanical Characterization of Banana Fiber Reinforced Composites for Its Application in Injection Molding

Several natural materials and vegetable waste have relevant mechanical properties, mainly in its fiber format. Particularly, banana fiber (BF) provides a close behavior to the widely spread glass fibers, which places it in an advantageous position for use as a reinforcing material in plastic composites. This work characterizes the behavior of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and high density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with short fibers of bananas from the Canary Islands for its application in molding processes. Several thermal analyses (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Melt Flow Index (MFI)) and mechanical tests (tensile, flexural, impact, and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)) were carried out in composites with different percentages of banana fiber. The thermal results show that the use of banana fiber is viable as a reinforcement in composites for injection molding processes and the mechanical tests indicate an increase in stiffness and an improvement in maximum flexural stress by increasing the fiber content in composites, so the banana fiber turns out to be a natural alternative for the reinforcement of injected plastic components.
Resting-State Isolated Effective Connectivity of the Cingulate Cortex as a Neurophysiological Biomarker in Patients with Severe Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia

Background: The neural basis of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) remains unclear. Previous neuroimaging studies suggest that aberrant connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and default mode network (DMN) may play a key role in the pathophysiology of TRS. Thus, we aimed to examine the connectivity between the ACC and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a hub of the DMN, computing isolated effective coherence (iCoh), which represents causal effective connectivity. Methods: Resting-state electroencephalogram with 19 channels was acquired from seventeen patients with TRS and thirty patients with non-TRS (nTRS). The iCoh values between the PCC and ACC were calculated using sLORETA software. We conducted four-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) for iCoh values with group as a between-subject factor and frequency, directionality, and laterality as within-subject factors and post-hoc independent t-tests. Results: The ANOVA and post-hoc t-tests for the iCoh ratio of directionality from PCC to ACC showed significant findings in delta (t45 = 7.659, p = 0.008) and theta (t45 = 8.066, p = 0.007) bands in the left side (TRS < nTRS). Conclusion: Left delta and theta PCC and ACC iCoh ratio may represent a neurophysiological basis of TRS. Given the preliminary nature of this study, these results warrant further study to confirm the importance of iCoh as a clinical indicator for treatment-resistance.
ROS Generation in Microglia: Understanding Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Neurodegenerative Disease

Neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are a global public health burden with poorly understood aetiology. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress (OS) are undoubtedly hallmarks of neurodegeneration, contributing to disease progression. Protein aggregation and neuronal damage result in the activation of disease-associated microglia (DAM) via damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). DAM facilitate persistent inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, the molecular mechanisms linking DAM activation and OS have not been well-defined; thus targeting these cells for clinical benefit has not been possible. In microglia, ROS are generated primarily by NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and activation of NOX2 in DAM is associated with DAMP signalling, inflammation and amyloid plaque deposition, especially in the cerebrovasculature. Additionally, ROS originating from both NOX and the mitochondria may act as second messengers to propagate immune activation; thus intracellular ROS signalling may underlie excessive inflammation and OS. Targeting key kinases in the inflammatory response could cease inflammation and promote tissue repair. Expression of antioxidant proteins in microglia, such as NADPH dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), is promoted by transcription factor Nrf2, which functions to control inflammation and limit OS. Lipid droplet accumulating microglia (LDAM) may also represent a double-edged sword in neurodegenerative disease by sequestering peroxidised lipids in non-pathological ageing but becoming dysregulated and pro-inflammatory in disease. We suggest that future studies should focus on targeted manipulation of NOX in the microglia to understand the molecular mechanisms driving inflammatory-related NOX activation. Finally, we discuss recent evidence that therapeutic target identification should be unbiased and founded on relevant pathophysiological assays to facilitate the discovery of translatable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
Clinical Decision Support and Implications for the Clinician Burnout Crisis

Summary Objectives: This survey aimed to review aspects of clinical decision support (CDS) that contribute to burnout and identify key themes for improving the acceptability of CDS to clinicians, with the goal of decreasing said burnout. Methods: We performed a survey of relevant articles from 2018-2019 addressing CDS and aspects of clinician burnout from PubMed and Web of Science™. Themes were manually extracted from publications that met inclusion criteria. Results: Eighty-nine articles met inclusion criteria, including 12 review articles. Review articles were either prescriptive, describing how CDS should work, or analytic, describing how current CDS tools are deployed. The non-review articles largely demonstrated poor relevance and acceptability of current tools, and few studies showed benefits in terms of efficiency or patient outcomes from implemented CDS. Encouragingly, multiple studies highlighted steps that succeeded in improving both acceptability and relevance of CDS. Conclusions: CDS can contribute to clinician frustration and burnout. Using the techniques of improving relevance, soliciting feedback, customization, measurement of outcomes and metrics, and iteration, the effects of CDS on burnout can be ameliorated.
Honey as a Source of Environmental DNA for the Detection and Monitoring of Honey Bee Pathogens and Parasites

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has been proposed as a powerful tool to detect and monitor cryptic, elusive, or invasive organisms. We recently demonstrated that honey constitutes an easily accessible source of eDNA. In this study, we extracted DNA from 102 honey samples (74 from Italy and 28 from 17 other countries of all continents) and tested the presence of DNA of nine honey bee pathogens and parasites (Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, Nosema apis, Nosema ceranae, Ascosphaera apis, Lotmaria passim, Acarapis woodi, Varroa destructor, and Tropilaelaps spp.) using qualitative PCR assays. All honey samples contained DNA from V. destructor, confirming the widespread diffusion of this mite. None of the samples gave positive amplifications for N. apis, A. woodi, and Tropilaelaps spp. M. plutonius was detected in 87% of the samples, whereas the other pathogens were detected in 43% to 57% of all samples. The frequency of Italian samples positive for P. larvae was significantly lower (49%) than in all other countries (79%). The co-occurrence of positive samples for L. passim and A. apis with N. ceranae was significant. This study demonstrated that honey eDNA can be useful to establish monitoring tools to evaluate the sanitary status of honey bee populations.