Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Induction of apoptosis in human bladder cancer cells by triterpenoids isolated from Holarrhena antidysenterica through differential reactive oxygen species generation

Abstract A novel triterpenoid, holarol(1),3β-lup-20(31)-en-3,29,30-triol along with one seco-triterpenoid, dihydrocanaric acid(2) and one known pentacyclic triterpenoid, betulin(3) have been isolated from Holarrhena antidysenterica (L.)Wall. (Family: Apocynaceae). The structures of the compounds were elucidated by extensive IR, 1D, 2D NMR and mass spectrometric analysis. The optimised geometry of (1) was calculated by density-functional theory (DFT) using M06-2X hybrid functional and 6–31 G(D) basis set. The compounds showed differential cytotoxic activities in the cell lines-HeLa, EAC, Raji and T24. Seco-triterpenoid (2) showed highest sensitivity (IC50: 1.710 μg/mL) against the bladder cancer cell line T24 followed by (1) (IC50 9.698 µg/mL) and (3) (IC50 11.769 µg/mL). Compound (1) showed highest reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in T24 cell line followed by (3) and (2) resulting in induction of apoptosis through activation of caspase, cleavage of PARP and reduction of Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Thus compounds (1), (2) along with (3) could be potent anticancer agents. Graphical Abstract
Etiological diagnosis in limb reduction defects and the number of affected limbs: A population‐based study in the Northern Netherlands

Limb reduction defects (LRDs) that affect multiple limbs are considered to be more often heritable, but only few studies have substantiated this. We aimed to investigate if an etiological diagnosis (genetic disorder or clinically recognizable disorder) is more likely to be made when multiple limbs are affected compared to when only one limb is affected. We used data from EUROCAT Northern Netherlands and included 391 fetuses and children with LRDs born in 1981–2017. Cases were classified as having a transverse, longitudinal (preaxial/postaxial/central/mixed), intercalary, or complex LRD of one or more limbs and as having an isolated LRD or multiple congenital anomalies (MCA). We calculated the probability of obtaining an etiological diagnosis in cases with multiple affected limbs versus one affected limb using relative risk (RR) scores and Fisher's exact test. We showed that an etiological diagnosis was made three times more often when an LRD occurred in multiple limbs compared to when it occurred in one limb (RR 2.9, 95% CI 2.2–3.8, p < 0.001). No genetic disorders were found in isolated cases with only one affected limb, whereas a genetic disorder was identified in 16% of MCA cases with one affected limb. A clinically recognizable disorder was found in 47% of MCA cases with one affected limb. Genetic counseling rates were similar. We conclude that reduction defects of multiple limbs are indeed more often heritable. Genetic testing seems less useful in isolated cases with one affected limb, but is warranted in MCA cases with one affected limb.
Translation and Validation of the Danish Version of the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire

Study Design: Validation study. Objectives: To translate and validate the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ) into a Danish version of the disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), which assesses symptom severity, physical function, and satisfaction after surgery. Method: Translation into a Danish version of the original questionnaire by back- and forward-translating the questionnaire and finally transforming a prefinal test version into a final and cross-cultural adapted version. Validation was performed as a cohort study assessing floor-ceiling effects, internal consistency, test-retest reproducibility, criterion validity, discriminant validity, and responsiveness to change. Results: Fifty-three patients were consecutively included in the study, 53 healthy controls were matched. Floor effect was seen in the postoperative data. Internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha was good to excellent. Substantial test-retest reproducibility was found using Cohen’s weighted kappa. The Danish ZCQ showed moderate to strong association with similar domains of Oswestry Disability Index, Short Form 36, Euro QoL 5D, visual analogue scale–leg and back. The questionnaire showed significant responsiveness to change and a significant discriminant validity between LSS patients and healthy controls. Conclusion: This study shows the Danish translation of the original ZCQ to be well understood by Danish patients. The Danish version is furthermore a reliable and valid questionnaire, which is responsive to change.
Factors Affecting Daily Activity Budgets of South Georgian Shags during Chick Rearing at Bird Island, South Georgia

Radio telemetry was used to record daily activity budgets of 26 South Georgian Shags (Phalacrocorax georgianus) during the chick-rearing period at Bird Island, South Georgia. There was a significant sex difference in the timing of feeding, with the female making the first trip of the day in 93% of pairs (n = 15). On average, each shag made 2.3 trips/day and was absent for a total of 6.22 hr/day. The majority of time away from the colony was spent diving (86.7%), but long recovery periods on the surface between dives and time needed to travel to the seabed resulted in only 1.06 hr/day being potentially available for prey capture. Given that these activity data were collected during a season when feeding conditions were favorable, breeding shags at Bird Island appear to have little capacity to increase the time available for prey capture. We speculate that the population may be extremely sensitive to changes in food availability. Males spent more time flying and on the sea than did females. On average, birds with broods of two or three chicks spent more time diving (6.42 hr/day) than those with broods of one (4.74 hr/day) but there was no tendency for the amount of time spent diving to increase with chick age. Although South Georgian Shags exhibited the same sexually distinct foraging patterns as Antarctic Shags P. bransfieldensis at a colony on the Antarctic Peninsula, their activity budgets differed radically, with shags at Bird Island spending a much greater percentage of their time away diving (86.7% compared with 8.4%)
A meta-analytic test of multiplicative and additive models of job demands, resources, and stress.

Multiplicative and additive theoretical models have been proposed to explain how job demands and job resources (e.g., job control, social support) relate to strain. However, there has been mixed support for the multiplicative model, and there are questions about the generalizability of both models to strains varying in severity and type, and to different types of demands. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis of regression coefficients testing the multiplicative and additive models from 77 unique samples and over 141,505 participants, using raw data or correlation matrices supplied by study authors. Overall, we found weak support for the multiplicative model and some support for the additive model. We found that job demands and job control/social support were all weakly to moderately related to employee strain. However, neither the job demands-control nor job demands-social support interactions were meaningfully related to strain in almost all cases. The components of the additive model were more strongly related to primary and tertiary strain indicators than secondary indicators and were more strongly related to psychological strain than to physical or behavioral strain. Both the additive and multiplicative models were more strongly related to strain when demands are conceptualized as hindrances rather than challenges. Meta-analyses of the simple slopes showed that job control and social support generally buffered the effects of job demands on strain, but the effects were weak and not significantly different across different levels of control and support. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as future research directions, are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
A New Testudo from the Upper Pliocene of Kansas with Additional Notes on Associated Rexroad Mammals

From the beginning of his explorations of the Rexroad formation for vertebrate fossils, Dr. Claude W. Hibbard noted the presence of a very large tortoise in the fauna. For some years only fragments of the shell were found, chiefly from Rexroad localities (Nos, 2, 2a, 3, UM-K1-47), in Meade County (Hibbard 1950). In the summer of 1940 the plastron and fragments of the carapace of a large tortoise were collected by the field party of the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History at the type locality of the Rexroad formation south of locality No. 3. This specimen, No. 9399, remained unstudied at the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History until further material could be obtained.
The effect of prostaglandin and gonadotrophins (GnRH and hCG) injection combined with the ram effect on progesterone concentrations and reproductive performance of Karakul ewes during the non‐breeding season

Abstract The effect of prostaglandin and gonadotrophins (GnRH and hCG) combined with the ram effect on the progesterone (P4) concentrations and reproductive performance of Karakul ewes was investigated during non‐breeding season. Ewes (n = 93) received a male effect and were divided into two treatment groups including GnRH ‐ hCG (hCG, n = 32), GnRH ‐ GnRH (GnRH, n = 30) and a control (n = 31) group. This study was carried out from April (hormonal injection) to October (lambing). The first doses of GnRH (4.2 μg, Buserelin) were injected at the beginning of the study in treatment groups. These ewes were treated with hCG (250 IU) or the second GnRH dose five days later. All animals received two injections (ten days apart) of 150 μg PGF2α five days after the hCG or the second GnRH injection. Mating was initiated two days after the second prostaglandin injection and lasted for 34 days. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture on days −10, −5, 0 (first PGF2α injection), 17 and 30 during the study. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed through transabdominal ultrasonography on day 40 after the removing of ram. Conception rate was 93.8, 90 and 87.1% in the hCG, GnRH and control groups, respectively. Lambing rate tended to increase in the hCG group compared with the control group (87.1 versus 58.1%; p < .1). There was no significant difference in P4 concentrations among studied groups in identical sampling times (p > .05). In conclusion, the administration of prostaglandin and hCG in combination with the ram effect tended to decrease lambing period. In other words this protocol tended to increase lambing rate at the first cycle. Treatment with hCG or GnRH did not increase serum P4 concentrations of treated Karakul ewes during the non‐breeding season.
Ten-Year Differences in Women's Awareness Related to Coronary Heart Disease: Results of the 2019 American Heart Association National Survey: A Special Report From the American Heart Association.

BACKGROUND High awareness that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death (LCOD) among women is critical to prevention. This study evaluated longitudinal trends in this awareness among women. METHODS AND RESULTS Online surveys of US women (≥25 years of age) were conducted in January 2009 and January 2019. Data were weighted to the US population distribution of sociodemographic characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate knowledge of the LCOD. In 2009, awareness of heart disease as the LCOD was 65%, decreasing to 44% in 2019. In 2019, awareness was greater with older age and increasing education and lower among non-White women and women with hypertension. The 10-year awareness decline was observed in all races/ethnicities and ages except women ≥65 years of age. The greatest declines were among Hispanic women (odds ratio of awareness comparing 2019 to 2009, 0.14 [95% CI, 0.07-0.28]), non-Hispanic Black women (odds ratio, 0.31 [95% CI, 0.19-0.49]), and 25- to 34-year-olds (odds ratio, 0.19 [95% CI, 0.10-0.34]). In 2019, women were more likely than in 2009 to incorrectly identify breast cancer as the LCOD (odds ratio, 2.59 [95% CI, 1.86-3.67]), an association that was greater in younger women. Awareness of heart attack symptoms also declined. CONCLUSIONS Awareness that heart disease is the LCOD among women declined from 2009 to 2019, particularly among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black women and in younger women (in whom primordial/primary prevention may be most effective). An urgent redoubling of efforts by organizations interested in women's health is required to reverse these trends.
Left atrial appendage occlusion in recurrent ischaemic stroke, a multicentre experience

ABSTRACT Background Oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) remains the gold standard for ischaemic stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and elevated stroke risk. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as a potential alternative for stroke prevention in patients who cannot tolerate OAC. Although no randomized data is available, recurrent stroke in NVAF-patients, while on adequate OAC, is regarded as a treatment failure and therefore is considered as a potential indication for LAAO, based upon expert opinion. Methods/objectives A multicentre retrospective cohort study evaluating efficacy, safety and mortality of LAAO in NVAF-patients presenting with recurrent ischaemic stroke, after excluding other plausible causes. Results Fifteen LAAO have been performed in NVAF-patients with recurrent stroke despite ongoing OAC, after exclusion of other plausible causes. Mean age was 78.1 ± 5.8 years, mean CHA2DS2-VASc-score = 6 ± 1.2 and mean HAS-BLED-score = 5 ± 1.2. Successful implantation was achieved in all patients (73% Amplatzer device and 27% Watchman device), without any access-related complications and only one procedure/device-related complication (device embolization) was reported. In all but four patients, OAC was continued at long term after LAAO. No haemorrhagic strokes and only two ischaemic strokes were observed. During follow-up three patients died, all due to non-atrial fibrillation or non-device-related causes. Conclusions In NVAF-patients at high risk for stroke presenting with recurrent stroke despite adequate OAC, LAAO may be considered an adjunctive, but not alternative treatment to OAC with high feasibility and safety. Abbreviations: AF: atrial fibrillation; ESC: European Society of Cardiology; INR: international normalized ratio; LAA: left atrial appendage; LAAO: left atrial appendage occlusion; NOAC: non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants; NVAF: non-valvular atrial fibrillation; OAC: oral anticoagulation; RS: recurrent (ischaemic) stroke; SD: standard deviation; TIA: transient ischaemic attack; TOE: transoesophageal echocardiography; TTE: transthoracic echocardiography; VKA: vitamin K antagonists.
Ecological Study on Differences in COVID-19 Fatality among Wuhan, Rest of Hubei, and Rest of China

Background: China’s vigorous anti-COVID-19 campaign has been going on for three months since January 20, which has contained the spread of the virus across China. Objectives: Epidemiological investigations found that COVID-19 fatality rates in Wuhan, rest parts of Hubei province except Wuhan (Rest of Hubei) and rest parts of Mainland China except Hubei province (Rest of China) were different. An ecological study was conducted to analyze the reasons and provide the world with China’s anti-COVID-19 epidemic experiences. Methods: Infected cases from Mainland China were divided into three populations: Wuhan, Rest of Hubei and Rest of China. Methods were based on The Novel Coronavirus Infected Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Standards. Total confirmed cases, daily severe cases, total deaths from February 12 to April 20 were collected for statistical analysis. Results: 50,333 total confirmed cases in Wuhan made up the most substantial part by comparison with 17,795 in Rest of Hubei and 14,630 in Rest of China, respectively. In the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic, daily severe cases in Wuhan accounted for the majority, and as the epidemic controlled, severe cases in all three populations decreased. Total deaths in Wuhan constituted the most significant proportion, with the highest 3869 in contrast to 643 in Rest of Hubei and 120 in Rest of China. The fatality rates in Wuhan ranged from 2.82% to 7.69%, much higher than 1.80–3.61% in Rest of Hubei, and 0.49–0.88% in Rest of China. Pearson chi-square test for fatality rates in the three populations demonstrated significant differences (p < 0.01). Conclusion: The ecological comparison study among the three populations have proved that social distancing, quarantine, lockdown, cutting off sources of infection and transmission routes, early detection, early isolation, early treatment are all vital to control the epidemic by reducing COVID-19 confirmed cases, severe cases and the fatality rate.
Factors affecting variation in foraging and activity patterns of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) during the breeding season at Bird Island, South Georgia

(1) Radio-telemetry was used to study the activity patterns of gentoo penguins, Pygoscelispapua, at Bird Island, South Georgia, throughout the breeding season, to assess variation in foraging effort (foraging trip duration, frequency and proportion of time spent at sea per day). (2) Except during chick-brooding, more than 80% of foraging trips consisted of birds departing early in the morning (75%/o before 07.00 h, local time) and arriving back in the afternoon (90% after 12.00 h); 96%/o of all trips were completed in the same day. During brooding, 45%0, of all trips were started after 08.00 h, compared to only 6%0,, 10%0, and 12%OX for the pre-breeding, incubation and creche periods. (3) Only 4%/O of all trips were overnight, all during chick-rearing, but these accounted for about one-third of the total variation in trip duration. (4) Mean trip duration varied significantly between breeding periods, being shortest during brooding (6 96 h) and longest during incubation (10 5 h). Foraging trip frequency and time spent at sea increased throughout the season, being greatest during chick-rearing. (5) Trip duration did not vary significantly with sex or brood size, but decreased with departure time for all breeding periods. Trip duration increased with chick age throughout chick-rearing, probably because of increased food demand from the growing chick during brooding, and due to adult food requirements for moult during creching. (6) Differences between individual birds accounted for 9-13 0/ of total variation in trip duration. (7) The implications of these results for the use of penguin foraging trip duration as an environmental monitoring parameter are discussed, and examples of suitable sampling protocols suggested.
Identification of Human DHHC20 as a Transforming Palmitoyl Acyltransferase

Many important signaling proteins require the post-translational addition of fatty acid chains for their proper subcellular localization and function. One such modification is the addition of palmitoyl moieties by enzymes known as palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs). Substrates for PATs include C-terminally farnesylated proteins, such as Hand N-Ras, as well as N-terminally myristoylated proteins, such as multiple Src-related tyrosine kinases. Since many of these proteins are involved in intracellular signaling pathways that drive cellular survival and proliferation, and their activity is predicated on specific subcellular localizations, the enzymes that catalyze their posttranslational modifications are attractive drug targets. However, the primary focus of selective drug development in this arena has been on the process of farnesylation, partly because the farnesyltransferases have been cloned, characterized, and used in screens to develop inhibitors. In contrast, the identification and characterization of human PATs has been hindered by the lack of defined assays to characterize these enzymes, thus preventing the direct validation of the involvement of these enzymes in diseases such as cancer. Current assays to measure palmitoylation activity are functional; however, they employ fractionated cell lysates and are relatively low-throughput. These methods, though useful, are insufficient to directly measure PAT activity in intact cells, which would be useful in the identification of human PATs and studies of the regulation of these enzymes. Thus, we sought to develop quantitative and
Desiccation resistance in six sub-Antarctic weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): humidity as an abiotic factor influencing assemblage structure

On the usually wet, sub-Antarctic Marion Island, interspecific competition for refugia during low humidity or dry periods is thought to have been responsible for patterns of body-size and microhabitat distribution of the ectemnorhinine weevils inhabiting the cryptogam-dominated epilithic biotope, whereas this process is thought to be unimportant in the angiosperm-dominated vegetated biotope. Adults of the six weevil species indigenous to the island were tested in the laboratory for their ability to resist desiccation at 10°C and 5% r.h. , and to replenish lost water by drinking, and these results were compared with the body water content of field-collected individuals. Once corrected for body mass, no meaningful differences in maximum tolerable water loss were found between the species
North American Russulas of the Subsection Foetentinae

SUMMARYSpecies of Russula sect. Ingratae subsect Foetentinae (Agaricales) now reasonably well known from North America are R. amoenolens, R. cerolens sp. nov., R. fragrantissima, R. granulata, R. l.
What can Expeditions do for Students … and for Science? An Investigation into the Impact of University of Glasgow Exploration Society Expeditions

ABSTRACT The benefits of field courses for biological science students are well established, but field courses also have limitations: they are generally too brief to allow significant research and they are staff-designed and led, limiting the development of student autonomy. In contrast, the value of student-organised field expeditions has been little researched. Here, as a case history, we analyse students’ attitudes to their experience of being selected for and taking part in University of Glasgow Exploration Society expeditions. Students regarded taking part in an expedition as one of the best things they had done in their life thus far. Expeditions were excellent value for money, provided opportunities to develop transferable skills (fund-raising, budgeting, report production, composing and delivering oral and written presentations, team-working and leadership, negotiation with stakeholders from different cultures) and provided scope for fieldwork skill development and substantial, publishable research. Participants also believed the expeditions provided real benefits to the communities visited. Participation in expeditions can contribute to each student’s Higher Education Achievement Report.