Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The CLOCK Gene and Mood Disorders: A Case-Control Study and Meta-analysis

The clock gene (CLOCK) is considered to be a good candidate gene for the pathophysiology of mood disorders, including bipolar disorder (BP) and major depressive disorder (MDD). rs1801260 (T3111C) has been detected at position 3111 in the CLOCK mRNA 3' untranslated region, and was reported to be associated with a substantial delay in preferred timing for activity and sleep in a human study. As for function, rs1801260 has been speculated to affect mRNA. Therefore, the authors investigated the association between the three tagging single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3736544, rs1801260, and rs3749474) in CLOCK and risk of BP (n = 867) and MDD (n = 139) compared to controls (n = 889) in the Japanese population. In addition, we also performed an updated meta-analysis of nine published, genetic association studies investigating the relationship between rs1801260 and mood disorder risk, comprising 3321 mood disorders cases and 3574 controls. We did not detect any associations between tagging SNPs in CLOCK and BP or MDD in the allele, genotype, or haplotype analysis (global pBP = .605 and global pMDD = .211). Moreover, rs1801260 was also not associated with BP, MDD, or any mood disorders in the meta-analysis. In conclusion, these data suggest that CLOCK does not play a major role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. (Author correspondence: tarok@fujita-hu.ac.jp)
Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation improves pain and descending mechanics among elderly with knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common disease that causes pain and limits functionality in the elderly during daily activities, especially during stair descent. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) practices promote multiple‐plane joint movements, which relieve pain and increase joint range of motion (ROM). This study aims to examine the effects of a 12‐week PNF intervention on pain relief, passive and active joint ROM, external knee adduction moment (KAM), and hip adduction moment (HAM) in the elderly with KOA during stair descent.
Effects of harvest date on certain chemical and physical characteristics of sweet potato grown in southwestern Ontario

Effects of harvest date on yield, concentration of selected minerals and carbohydrates of two sweet potato cultivars (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) grown in Southwestern Ontario, Canada were measured over 3 yr. Harvest date for maximum yield of table grade roots was found to be mid to late September. Mineral concentrations were not consistently affected by dates of harvest. The concentration of Na in the roots was found to be lower than values reported for other production regions for both cultivars. In 2 of 3 yr, sucrose and total sugars increased and starch, percent dry weight and root growth rate decreased as harvest date was delayed from 27 September to 11 October. These effects of delayed harvest date were attributed to low temperatures late in the normal harvest time period for this production area. Key words: yield, mineral, sugar, starch, Ipomoea batatas
Poria Cocos Ameliorates Bone Loss in Ovariectomized Mice and Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis In Vitro

Estrogen deprivation in postmenopausal women causes disruption of bone homeostasis, resulting in bone loss and osteoporosis. Conventional therapies can exert adverse effects. The sclerotum of Poria cocos has been used in traditional medicine and as a nutritional supplement and to treat various diseases. However, the effects of P. cocos on the bone remain largely undetermined. In this study, we examined the effects of P. cocos hydroethanolic extract (PC) on osteoclast differentiation and estrogen-deprivation-induced bone loss in an ovariectomized mouse model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. PC-mediated inhibition of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast formation and resorption activity suppressed RANKL-induced expression of nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), which is a crucial transcription factor for osteoclast differentiation. In ovariectomized mice, PC markedly alleviated trabecular bone loss and reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the bone marrow. We additionally identified ten triterpenoid constituents of PC using UPLC-MS/MS analysis. Our results indicate that PC negatively regulated osteoclast differentiation and function, and can potentially be used to manage postmenopausal osteoporosis.
Biology, Behaviour and Biocontrol Efficiency of a Reduviid Predator, Sycanus reclinatus Dohrn (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) from Southern India

Sycanus reclinatusDOHRN, a reduviid predator, inhabits tropical evergreen forests of southern India. Females lay clusters of brown coloured eggs 22 d after emergence. The eggs hatch in 14 to 23 d and the pale-ochraceous nymphs turn into deep-ochraceous within 1 h. Total stadial period from I instar to adult ranges from 61 to 90 d at 32 °C. The different nymphal instars are taxonomically described. Male and female longevities are 5 to 54 d and 5 to 50 d, respectively. The sex ratio is slightly male biased. The predatory and mating behaviours are described. The biocontrol efficiency of this reduviid is also dealt with.
Microclimate in forests with varying leaf area index and soil moisture: potential implications for seedling establishment in a changing climate

Forest microclimate is crucial for the growth and survival of tree seedlings and understorey vegetation. This high ecological relevance contrasts with the poor functional and quantitative understanding of how the properties of forest ecosystems influence forest microclimate. In a long‐term (1998–2011) trial, we investigated how temporal patterns of microclimate below sparse and dense forest canopy related to those of nearby open areas and how this relationship was influenced by soil moisture and seasonality. Air temperature (T), vapour pressure deficit (VPD), soil matrix potential and leaf area index (LAI) were measured in a unique set‐up of below‐canopy and open‐area meteorological stations at eleven distinct forest ecosystems, characteristic of subalpine and temperate climate zones. Data from these plots were analysed for the moderating capacity of the canopy, that is, the differences between below‐canopy and open‐area microclimate, with respect to (i) long‐term means, (ii) dynamics within homogeneous moist‐ vs. dry‐soil periods and (iii) diurnal patterns. The long‐term mean moderating capacity of the canopy was up to 3.3 °C for daily Tmax and 0.52 kPa for daily VPDmax, of which soil moisture status alone accounted for up to 1.2 °C (Tmax) and 0.21 kPa (VPDmax). Below dense canopy (LAI > 4), the moderating capacity was generally higher when soils were dry and increased during dry‐soil periods, particularly in spring and somewhat less in summer. The opposite pattern was found below sparse canopy (LAI < 4). At the diurnal level, moderating capacity below dense canopy was strongest in mid‐afternoon and during dry‐soil conditions, whereas peak moderation below sparse canopy occurred in mid‐morning and during moist‐soil conditions. Synthesis. Our results suggest a threshold canopy density, which is probably linked to site‐specific water availability, below which the moderating capacity of forest ecosystems switches from supportive to unsupportive for seedling establishment. Under supportive moderating capacity, we understand a stronger mitigation during physiologically most demanding conditions for plant growth. Such a threshold canopy density sheds new light on forest resilience to climate change. Climate change may alter forest canopy density in a way that precludes successful establishment of tree species and ultimately changes forest ecosystem structure and functioning.
Quantification and characterization of the municipal solid waste for sustainable waste management in newly formed municipalities of Nepal

This study was conducted to set up a new reference line for municipal solid waste quantification and characterization in the least urbanized cities of a developing nation. A survey was run to collect baseline data from 60 new municipalities of Nepal. The study covered a sample size of 3300 households, 600 institutions and 600 commercial establishments in those municipalities. The municipalities were further stratified according to geographical location, the degree of urbanization, household expenditure and population size to assess the influence on waste generation. The results indicated that the average per capita household waste generation is 115 g day-1 while the average total municipal waste generation was estimated to be 180 g day-1 per capita.The study also revealed that size of municipal population, geographic location, household expenditure and degree of urbanization were found to have a significant influence on the unit waste generation. The larger the size of municipal population the higher the per capita household waste generation, degree of urbanization and per capita waste production. Increasing household expenditure revealed an increase in the unit waste generation. The waste categories included organic waste, plastics, paper and paper products, textiles, rubber and leather, metals, glass, and others. The results indicated that organic waste dominated the characterization (62%), followed by plastics (12%) and paper/paper products (11%).
Fat necrosis with an associated lymphocytic infiltrate represents a histopathologic clue that distinguishes cellular dermatofibroma from dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans

Cellular dermatofibromas (CDFs) and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) can be challenging to differentiate from one another. Morphologically, both entities commonly extend into the subcutis, exhibit high cellularity with limited cytologic atypia and have a mixed fascicular‐to‐storiform growth pattern. We sought to evaluate the significance of fat necrosis with an associated lymphocytic infiltrate as a histopathologic clue for distinguishing CDFs from DFSP.
Local and landscape-level diversity effects on forest functioning

Research of the past decades has shown that biodiversity is a fundamental driver of ecosystem functioning. However, most of this biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) research focused on experimental communities on small areas where environmental context was held constant. Whether the established BEF relationships also apply to natural or managed ecosystems that are embedded in variable landscape contexts remains unclear. In this study, we therefore investigated biodiversity effects on ecosystem functions in 36 forest stands that were located across a vast range of environmental conditions in managed landscapes of Central Europe (Switzerland). Specifically, we approximated forest productivity by leaf area index and forest phenology by growing-season length and tested effects of tree species richness and land-cover richness on these variables. We then examined the correlation and the confounding of these local and landscape-level diversity effects with environmental context variables related to forest stand structure (number of trees), landscape structure (land-cover edge density), climate (annual precipitation) and topography (mean altitude). We found that of all tested variables tree species richness was among the most important determinants of forest leaf area index and growing-season length. The positive effects of tree species richness on these two ecosystem variables were remarkably consistent across the different environmental conditions we investigated and we found little evidence of a context-dependent change in these biodiversity effects. Land-cover richness was not directly related to local forest functions but could nevertheless play a role via a positive effect on tree species richness.
Tenofovir prodrugs potently inhibit Epstein–Barr virus lytic DNA replication by targeting the viral DNA polymerase

Significance Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-associated diseases represent a major cause of morbidity worldwide, accounting for at least 1.5% of the global cancer burden, and contributing to autoimmunity. Viral reactivation from latency is associated with an increased risk of EBV-driven cancers, and thus may be a target for disease prevention. Anti-EBV agents that are safe, effective, and suitable for continuous long-term treatment are needed to address questions of whether suppression of lytic reactivation can reduce the incidence of EBV-associated diseases. Here we report that tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and tenofovir alafenamide, drugs with excellent safety profiles used for HIV prophylaxis, are potent inhibitors of EBV. This study identifies compounds that enable clinical investigations of antiviral therapy for EBV in efforts toward disease prevention. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is a ubiquitous human γ-herpesvirus that establishes life-long infection and increases the risk for the development of several cancers and autoimmune diseases. The mechanisms by which chronic EBV infection leads to subsequent disease remain incompletely understood. Lytic reactivation plays a central role in the development of EBV-driven cancers and may contribute to other EBV-associated diseases. Thus, the clinical use of antivirals as suppressive therapy for EBV lytic reactivation may aid efforts aimed at disease prevention. Current antivirals for EBV have shown limited clinical utility due to low potency or high toxicity, leaving open the need for potent antivirals suitable for long-term prophylaxis. In the present study, we show that tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), drugs with excellent safety profiles used clinically for HIV prevention, inhibit EBV lytic DNA replication, with respective IC50 values of 0.30 μM and 84 nM. In a cell-based assay, TAF was 35- and 24-fold and TDF was 10- and 7-fold more potent than acyclovir and penciclovir, respectively, and TAF was also twice as potent as ganciclovir. The active metabolite of tenofovir prodrugs, tenofovir-diphosphate, inhibited the incorporation of dATP into a primed DNA template by the EBV DNA polymerase in vitro. In contrast to acyclovir, treatment of cells during latency for 24 h with TAF still inhibited EBV lytic DNA replication at 72 h after drug was removed. Our results suggest that tenofovir prodrugs may be particularly effective as inhibitors of EBV lytic reactivation, and that clinical studies to address critical questions about disease prevention are warranted.
Allocating Resources to Reproduction and DefenseNew assessments of the costs and benefits of allocation patterns in plants are relating ecological roles to resource use

M ost species of higher plants have qualitatively similar resource requirements for growth and reproduction (Chapin et al., p. 49, this issue). They differ, however, in the way they use resources to carry out three essential functions-reproduction, defense against herbivores, and growth. Each of these functions requires a complex set of resources, including carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, that make up the structures (leaves, stems, fruits, roots) associated with different functions. Variation in resource allocation occurs through differences in the chemical composition of structures, the relative mass of different structures or organs, and the relative numbers of different structures a plant produces. This variation occurs within individuals through time, within and among populations, and especially among species (Figure 1). Examinations of this variation cross many fields of ecology, including physiological studies of the relationship between structure and function in plants, biochemical studies of
Complex Reporting of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the Czech Republic: Use of an Interactive Web-Based App in Practice

Background The beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic dates back to December 31, 2019, when the first cases were reported in the People’s Republic of China. In the Czech Republic, the first three cases of infection with the novel coronavirus were confirmed on March 1, 2020. The joint effort of state authorities and researchers gave rise to a unique team, which combines methodical knowledge of real-world processes with the know-how needed for effective processing, analysis, and online visualization of data. Objective Due to an urgent need for a tool that presents important reports based on valid data sources, a team of government experts and researchers focused on the design and development of a web app intended to provide a regularly updated overview of COVID-19 epidemiology in the Czech Republic to the general population. Methods The cross-industry standard process for data mining model was chosen for the complex solution of analytical processing and visualization of data that provides validated information on the COVID-19 epidemic across the Czech Republic. Great emphasis was put on the understanding and a correct implementation of all six steps (business understanding, data understanding, data preparation, modelling, evaluation, and deployment) needed in the process, including the infrastructure of a nationwide information system; the methodological setting of communication channels between all involved stakeholders; and data collection, processing, analysis, validation, and visualization. Results The web-based overview of the current spread of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic has been developed as an online platform providing a set of outputs in the form of tables, graphs, and maps intended for the general public. On March 12, 2020, the first version of the web portal, containing fourteen overviews divided into five topical sections, was released. The web portal’s primary objective is to publish a well-arranged visualization and clear explanation of basic information consisting of the overall numbers of performed tests, confirmed cases of COVID-19, COVID-19-related deaths, the daily and cumulative overviews of people with a positive COVID-19 case, performed tests, location and country of infection of people with a positive COVID-19 case, hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19, and distribution of personal protective equipment. Conclusions The online interactive overview of the current spread of COVID-19 in the Czech Republic was launched on March 11, 2020, and has immediately become the primary communication channel employed by the health care sector to present the current situation regarding the COVID-19 epidemic. This complex reporting of the COVID-19 epidemic in the Czech Republic also shows an effective way to interconnect knowledge held by various specialists, such as regional and national methodology experts (who report positive cases of the disease on a daily basis), with knowledge held by developers of central registries, analysts, developers of web apps, and leaders in the health care sector.
The genus Akodon (Muroidea: Sigmodontinae) in Misiones, Argentina

Our understanding of the rodent diversity from the Argentinean Atlantic rainforest and its surrounding environments (Misiones Province) is still relatively poor. Here we present an update on the species inhabiting Misiones of the genus Akodon. Integrated analyses of morphology, chromosomal and molecular data allow us to document the existence of four species of Akodon in the province. One of these is apparently undescribed, and is known only from one locality in the ‘campos’ phytogeographic unit of southern Misiones. A second species, A. montensis, has a large distribution and is one of the dominant sigmodontine species in primary and secondary forest. Akodon sp. 2, previously reported as either A. serrensis and A. paranaensis, is known from only one locality at the northeast of the province, where it is sympatric with A. montensis. Also in sympatry with A. montensis at one locality in central Misiones there is a similar species with a gall bladder referred here to A. cursor. Finally, the previous reference of one specimen to A. serrensis must be discarded due to the referred specimen is lost, and the data at hand are insufficient to corroborate the identity of the specimen under question. As Misiones has the largest continuous patches of southern interior Atlantic rainforest remaining in Argentina we pose comments on the conservation significance of our study.
Plasmid Sequences of Four Large Plasmids Carrying Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Beef Cattle in Japan

Escherichia coli is a common reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes that can be easily transformed to possess multidrug resistance through plasmid transfer. To understand multidrug resistance plasmids, we report the plasmid sequences of four large plasmids carrying a number of genes related to antimicrobial resistance that were found in E. coli strains isolated from beef cattle. ABSTRACT Escherichia coli is a common reservoir for antimicrobial resistance genes that can be easily transformed to possess multidrug resistance through plasmid transfer. To understand multidrug resistance plasmids, we report the plasmid sequences of four large plasmids carrying a number of genes related to antimicrobial resistance that were found in E. coli strains isolated from beef cattle.
The effect of dietary treatment on meat quality and on consumer perception of sheep meat eating quality

The aim of this experiment was to test the effects of dietary treatment on sheep meat eating quality as perceived by untrained Australian consumers. Six-month-old Suffolk x Merino lambs (n = 192) were allocated to 1 of 4 nutritional treatments for 60-77 days and were fed: (i) an irrigated perennial ryegrass-clover-kikuyu sward; (ii) irrigated perennial ryegrass-clover-kikuyu pasture for 48-61 days then poor quality straw for the last 12-16 days; (iii) a mixed ration treatment consisting of a high-energy pelleted diet (40% barley grain, 30% wheat grain, 15% hay and 12% lupin grain); or (iv) irrigated pasture for 37-51 days followed by a moderate-energy pelleted diet (36% wheat grain, 35% hay and 24.5% lupin grain) for 23-26 days. The starting liveweight of lambs was 31.5-35.5 kg and the final hot carcass weight was 19-20 kg. The nutritional treatment finishing system employing straw feeding for the last 12-16 days was associated with a loss of liveweight during this period, a decreased tissue depth at the GR site and a decreased content of intramuscular fat and glycogen in muscle. Untrained Australian consumers were asked to rate samples (scale 0-100) of the M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL) from lambs for tenderness, liking of flavour, juiciness and overall liking and then classify the meat as unsatisfactory, good everyday or better than everyday. Straw feeding was also associated with significantly reduced consumer scores for juiciness (P<0.05) and liking of flavour (P<0.10) with no changes in tenderness and overall liking. There was no significant difference in the consumer acceptance of the LL obtained from lambs finished on pasture v. grain-based diets. It is concluded that nutritional finishing systems should be selected to prevent animals from losing weight pre-slaughter and that decisions on pasture v. grain based feeding systems be based on the cost of production.