Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal Motivation: Exploring the Roles of Prolactin and Pup Stimuli

Motherhood entails increased motivation for pups, which become strong reinforcers and guide maternal behaviours. This depends on steroids and lactogens acting on the brain of females during pregnancy and postpartum. Since virgin female mice exposed to pups are nearly spontaneously maternal, the specific roles of endocrine and pup-derived signals in the induction of maternal motivation remain unclear. This work investigates maternal motivation in dams and virgin female mice, using a novel variant of the pup retrieval paradigm, the motivated pup retrieval test. We also analyse the role of prolactin (PRL) and of stimuli derived from a litter of pups and its mother, in the acquisition of maternal motivation. Experimental design included female mice in 3 conditions: lactating dams, comothers (virgins housed and sharing pup care with dams) and pup-naïve virgins. Females underwent 3 motivated-pup-retrieval trials, with pups displaced behind a 10-cm-high wire-mesh barrier. Dams retrieved with significantly lower latencies than comothers or virgins, indicating that full maternal motivation appears only after pregnancy. Although initially comothers and virgins showed no retrieval, comothers significantly improved throughout the experiment, suggesting an induced sensitization process. Lengthening exposure of comothers to the dyad pups-dam (from 2 to 5 days at the beginning of testing) had no strong effects on maternal sensitization. PRL responsiveness was analysed in these animals using immunohistochemical detection of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (pSTAT5, PRL-derived signalling marker). As expected, dams showed significantly higher pSTAT5 expression in most of the analysed nuclei. Moreover, comothers displayed significantly higher PRL responsiveness than pup-naïve virgins in the medial preoptic nucleus, even if they display similar circulating PRL levels, which are significantly lower than those of dams. Given the instrumental role of this nucleus in the relay and integration of pup-derived stimuli to facilitate proactive maternal responses, this increase in PRL responsiveness likely reflects the mechanism underlying the maternal sensitization process reported in this work. Since the analyses of maternal motivation and PRL signalling in the brain were performed in the same animals, we were able to explore correlation between both set of data. The results shed light on the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying maternal motivation and other aspects of maternal behaviour.
Hepatitis B screening and vaccination status of healthcare providers in Wakiso district, Uganda

Background Screening and vaccination against Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the most effective intervention in curbing the disease. However, there is limited evidence on the factors associated with the uptake of these services in Uganda. This study determined the uptake of HBV screening and vaccination status, and associated factors among Healthcare Providers (HCPs) in Wakiso district, Uganda. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 306 HCPs, randomly selected from 55 healthcare facilities. Prevalence ratios (PR) were used to determine the factors associated with HBV screening and vaccination status of HCPs. Results Of the 306 HCPs, 230 (75.2%) had ever screened for HBV infection while 177 (57.8%) were fully vaccinated. Being male was positively associated with ‘ever been screened’ for HBV infection (Adjusted PR = 1.27, 95%CI 1.13–1.41). Working in a public healthcare facility (Adjusted PR = 0.78, 95%CI 0.68–0.90) was negatively associated with ever been screened. Male sex (Adjusted PR = 1.21, 95%CI 1.01–1.46), the belief that the HBV vaccine was safe (Adjusted PR = 1.72, 95%CI 1.03–2.89) and ever been screened (Adjusted PR = 2.28, 95%CI 1.56–3.34) were positively associated with being fully vaccinated. However, working in a public healthcare facility (Adjusted PR = 0.79, 95%CI 0.64–0.98), self-perceived risk of HBV infection (Adjusted PR = 0.72, 95% CI:0.62–0.84), and working in a healthcare facility with infection control guidelines (Adjusted PR = 0.79, 95%CI 0.66–0.95) were negatively associated with being fully vaccinated. Conclusion Three quarters of HCPs had ever been screened for HBV while slightly more than half were fully vaccinated. HBV screening and vaccination interventions need to consider the HCP sex, risk perception, attitude towards safety and efficacy of the hepatitis B vaccine, and healthcare facility characteristics such as ownership and availability of infection control guidelines, in order to be successful.
Resolution of portions of the kangaroo phylogeny (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) using DNA hybridization

We generated a DNA hybridization matrix comparing eleven ‘true’ kangaroos (Macropodinae) and two outgroup marsupials, the rufous rat-kangaroo Aepyprymnas rufescens (Potoroinae) and the brush-tailed phalanger Trichosurus vulpecula (Phalangeridae). A small matrix included additional species of the genus Macropus (large kangaroos and wallabies). The results indicate that the New Guinean forest wallaby Dorcopsulus vanheurni , and the quokka Setonix brachyurus, represent successively closer sister-groups of other macropodines. The remaining taxa examined form two clades: the tree kangaroo Dendrolagus matschiei with the pademelons Thylogale and rock wallabies Petrogale , and Macropus including the swamp wallaby Wallabia bicolor . The smaller matrix of five Macropus species and Wallabia (with Dorcopsulus as an outgroup) pairs the red-necked wallaby M. rufogriseus and Parry's wallaby M. parryi , with the eastern grey kangaroo M. giganteus as their nearest relative; and associates the red kangaroo M. rufus and wallaroo M. robustus , with Wallabia as their sister-taxon. In the larger study, we found that inclusion of both outgroups provided little resolution among the macropodines, judging by jackknife and bootstrap tests. When Aepyprymnus was deleted, the Dendrolagus-Thylogale-Petrogale association obtained; with Trichosurus eliminated instead, the Wallabia-Macropus group was recovered. Only analysis of the eleven ingroup taxa by themselves gave a topology which supported both major clades. Our findings suggest that, at least for DNA hybridization studies, when ingroup taxa are separated by very short internodes experimental error in outgroup-to-ingroup distances may seriously compromise determination of ingroup affinities as well as the position of the root. We recommend that in such cases separate analyses with the outgroups sequentially eliminated and rigorous validation of the topology at each step should be conducted.
The effect of phytate on the solubility of the sunflower seed proteins

11S protein of the sunflower seed is precipitated by phytate at pH 2.0, a protein-phytate complex being formed thereby. The number of the phosphate groups bound by the time the precipitation is completed is less than one half of that of the basic groups of the 11S protein. The insolubility of the complex formed interferes with the acid extraction of protein from the sunflower meal and solvent cake. The protein extractability increases sharply after the removal of the phytate.
Shade Avoidance Influences Stress Tolerance in Maize

Abstract Previous studies have suggested that the reduction in the root/shoot ratio that accompanies the shade avoidance response may reduce the tolerance of individuals to subsequent nutrient or moisture limitations. In this work, we examined the impact of the shade avoidance response on maize seedling growth and development and the response of these plants to a subsequent abiotic stress. Seedlings were grown in a field fertigation system under two light quality environments, ambient and a low red to far-red ratio, which were designed to simulate weed-free and weedy conditions, respectively. This system also enabled the controlled restriction of water and nutrients, which reduced the relative growth rate of the crop and created a secondary stress. Results of this study indicate that, while the shade avoidance response did reduce the root/shoot ratio in maize, this effect did not reduce plant tolerance to subsequent abiotic stress. Rather, the apparent additivity or synergism of shade avoidance and the secondary stressor on yield loss depended on whether the net effect of these two stressors was sufficiently large to shift the population toward the point where reproductive allometry was broken. Nomenclature: Maize, Zea mays L.
FEEDING AND ASSIMILATION OF MYSIS RELICTA1~2

Feeding habits and assimilation efficiencies wcrc studied for Mysis relicta from Char Lake, N.W. T. , and Stony Lake, Ontario. Stony Lake animals were rather voracious predators, feeding on Daphnia and other cladocerans during their vertical migration at night. Char Lake mysids fed primarily on diatoms and inorganic particles on a moss substrate. The gravimetric method showed an assimilation efficiency of 85% for Stony Lake mysids feeding on Daphnia pzhlex; the Conover ash-ratio method showed 52%. Results of the ashratio method corrected for ash assimilation, using the gravimetric data, gave an assimilation efficiency of 87%, indicating that ash assimilation can account for the difference between the two methods. A negative assimilation efficiency was obtained by the ash-ratio method for Char Lake mysids feeding on moss washings, suggesting that mysids may bc able to select organic material from the substrate. To determine the impact of a particular species on its community from the point of view of nutrient utilization, one must know its food and the intensity of its feeding. With this in mind, we detcrmincd the food supply and a measure of assimilation of different food materials for Mysis reZicta Lon this information was also used to construct the energy budgets of individual mysids from the two lakes (Lasenby and Langford 1972). We arc grateful to F. H. Rigler, I-1. E. Welch, and the members of the Char Lake project for their assistance throughout the study.
Three new taxa of the genus Paraphidnia (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Phaneropterinae) from French Guiana

The genus Paraphidnia Giglio-Tos, 1898 was recently reviewed by Cadena-Castañeda & Gorochov (2012). In this paper, Paraphidnia was divided into two subgenera: nominotypical one and Anaphidna Gorochov et Cadena-Castañeda, 2012. Also twelve new species were described from Neotropical region (only three species of this genus were previously described from the same region: Brunner-Wattenwyl, 1878; Giglio-Tos, 1898; Rehn, 1918). Some additional material studied by me shows that this genus is richer: three new taxa of the subgenus Anaphidna were found in the collection of the Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg (type material on these taxa is deposited at the same institution). DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW TAXA
Development of a method to remove cyanogen glycosides from flaxseed meal

Summary The use of flaxseed is increasing in foodstuffs; however, it contains a considerable amount of cyanogen glycosides. We have, therefore, developed a convenient method to remove cyanides from processed flaxseed, which involves the enzymic release of HCN from cyanogen glycosides and the steam-evaporation of HCN. Freshly ground flaxseed showed strong activity to transform cyanogen glycosides to HCN, while commercial enzymes, such as sweet almond β-glycosidase and butter bean linamarase, did not. To remove cyanides from flaxseed, 5% or 10% of freshly ground flaxseed by weight could be added to cold-pressed or heat-pressed flaxseed, respectively, with incubation at 30 °C for 18 h followed by steam heat to evaporate HCN. This simple method could remove cyanides from flaxseed up to the detection limit in commercial-scale treatment. The cyanide-free flaxseed meal retained the beneficial nutrients, protein, fat, fibre, and lignans at the same level as untreated flaxseed meal.
Potent and Specific Antibacterial Activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) of G17 and G19 Peptides Encapsulated into Poly-Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) Nanoparticles

Antimicrobial peptides constitute an excellent alternative against conventional antibiotics because of their potent antimicrobial spectrum, unspecific action mechanism and low capacity to produce antibiotic resistance. However, a potential use of these biological molecules as therapeutic agents is threatened by their low stability and susceptibility to proteases. In order to overcome these limitations, encapsulation in biocompatible polymers as poly-lactic-glycolic-acid (PLGA) is a promising alternative for increasing their stability and bioavailability. In this work, the effect of new synthetic antimicrobial peptides GIBIM-P5S9K (G17) and GAM019 (G19) encapsulated on PLGA and acting against methicillin resistant Staphylococus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 was studied. PLGA encapsulation allowed us to load around 7 µg AMPs/mg PLGA with an efficiency of 90.5%, capsule sizes around 290 nm and positive charges. Encapsulation improved antimicrobial activity, decreasing MIC50 from 1.5 to 0.2 (G17NP) and 0.7 (G19NP) µM against MRSA, and from 12.5 to 3.13 µM for E. coli O157:H7. Peptide loaded nanoparticles could be a bacteriostatic drug with potential application to treat these bacterial E. coli O157:H7 and MRSA infections, with a slow and gradual release.
ULTRASTRUCTURE OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN PHYTOPHTHORA INFESTANS AND LEAVES OF TWO CULTIVARS OF POTATO (SOLANUM TUBEROSUM L.) ORION AND MAJESTIC

Summary Electron microscopy was used to follow the course of infection of leaves of a susceptible (Majestic-r) and a resistant (Orion-R1) potato variety by Phytophthora infestans (race 4). Shortly after penetration, an infection vesicle was formed in both varieties but the subsequent stages of infection differed. In Majestic, hyphae spread both intra-and intercellularly and even 48 h after inoculation there were still juvenile-type hyphae inside mesophyll cells which appeared undamaged. In Orion juvenile parts of hyphae were not seen in or near intact cells later than 7–12 h after inoculation. Orion cells died at an early stage, but death of the fungus only occurred more than 12 h after inoculation. These results are discussed in relation to current hypotheses concerning hypersensitivity and it is suggested that a toxin is produced by the interaction of the fungus with Orion.
Trends in Nonfatal Falls and Fall-Related Injuries Among Adults Aged ≥65 Years — United States, 2012–2018

Falls are the leading cause of injury among adults aged ≥65 years (older adults) in the United States. In 2018, an estimated 3 million emergency department visits, more than 950,000 hospitalizations or transfers to another facility (e.g., trauma center), and approximately 32,000 deaths resulted from fall-related injuries among older adults. * Deaths from falls are increasing, with the largest increases occurring among persons aged ≥85 years (1). To describe the percentages and rates of nonfatal falls by age group and demographic characteristics and trends in falls and fall-related injuries over time, data were analyzed from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and were compared with data from 2012, 2014, and 2016. In 2018, 27.5% of older adults reported falling at least once in the past year, and 10.2% reported an injury from a fall in the past year. The percentages of older adults reporting a fall increased between 2012 and 2016 and decreased slightly between 2016 and 2018. Falls are preventable, and health care providers can help their older patients reduce their risk for falls. Screening older patients for fall risk, assessing modifiable risk factors (e.g., use of psychoactive medications or poor gait and balance), and recommending interventions to reduce this risk (e.g., medication management or referral to physical therapy) can prevent older adult falls (https://www.cdc.gov/steadi).
Foraging and pollination behavior of Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille (Hymenoptera, Apidae) on Brachiari brizantha (Hochst. Ex A. Rich.) Stapf. 1919 flowers at Dang (Ngaoundere- Cameroon)

To evaluate the Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) impact on fruit and seed yields of Brachiaria brizantha H. (1919) (Poaceae), A. m. adansonii workers foraging and pollinating activities were studied in Ngaoundere. From September to October 2010 and from September to October 2011, the experiments were carried out on 240 and 440 inflorescences divided in three lots: two lots differentiated according to the presence or absence of protection regarding A. m. adansonii and other insects visits; the third protected and uncovered when flowers were open, to allow insect visits. Worker’s seasonal rhythm of activity, its foraging behavior on flowers, its pollination efficiency, the fructification rate and the percentage of normal seeds were evaluated. Results show that A. m. adansonii foraged on B. Brizantha flowers throughout the whole blooming period. This bee intensely and preferably harvested pollen. The greatest mean number of individuals foraging simultaneously on 1000 flowers was 10 in 2010 and 625 in 2011. The mean duration of a visit per spikelet was 5.77  5.08 sec in 2010 and 4.94  3.44 sec in 2011. The mean foraging speed was 4.55 flowers/min in 2010 and 6.86 flowers/min in 2011. The fructification rate and the percentage of normal seeds of unprotected inflorescences were significantly higher than those of inflorescences protected from insects. Through its pollination efficiency, A. m. adansonii provoked a significant increment of the fructification rate by 37.70 % in 2010 and 34.75 % in 2011, as well as the percentage of normal seeds by 3.39 % in 2010 and 6.82 % % in 2011. The installation or conservation of A. m. adansonii nests close to B. brizantha fields could be recommended to increase seeds and fruits production in the region.
Effect of Indian mustard on feeding, larval survival and development of Plutella xylostella at constant temperatures

Feeding behavior of Plutella xylostella under optional to non‐optional conditions was studied at 10°C, 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C on Indian mustard, Brassica juncea. The study reveals that the variety Pusa Bahar was significantly less preferred by the larvae as compared with Pusa Bold and Varuna under optional to non‐optional conditions. Larvae of P. xylostella consumed more food at 25°C than 20°C, 15°C and 10°C. Larval survival was found to be highest on cabbage (control) as compared with Indian mustard and was found to vary with host plants and temperature. The larval survival decreased to 11.29% on Pusa Bahar at 10°C. Increasing the temperature from 10°C to 20°C, larval mortality resulted more on Varuna than Pusa Bahar and Pusa Bold. Developmental period was prolonged on Pusa Bold at 10°C while it was shortest on cabbage at 25°C. A total of 536.47 degree days were required to complete the development by immature stages on Varuna at 25°C and 421.64 degree days on cabbage.
Invasion of Varroa jacobsoni into honey bee brood cells: a matter of chance or choice?

SUMMARYInvasion of Varroa jacobsoni into honey bee (Apis mellifera) brood cells was studied in three initially mite-free colonies. Frames with emerging worker brood, heavily infested with mites, were introduced into each colony and removed the next day. During the experiments ample worker brood was available for the mites to invade. Invasions into brood cells started immediately after the introduction of the mite-infested combs, showing that mites do not necessarily have to have a period on adult bees before invading a cell. However, as most mites stayed on the bees for several days or even several weeks, the average rate of invasion was rather low. In addition, replicate experiments in the three colonies showed much variation: 50% of the mites invaded brood cells within 2.0 days in the first replicate, within 8.3 days in the second replicate and within 4.3 days in the third replicate. Possible causes for the low and variable invasion rates are discussed.
Birds of the Lobéké Faunal Reserve, Cameroon, and its regional importance for conservation

The Faunal Reserve of the Lobéké area of south-eastern Cameroon is an important area for forest conservation. One day, it is hoped, it will be part of an international unit, in association with two protected areas in neighbouring countries (Dzanga-Ndoki National Park, Central African Republic and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Congo). With a view to assessing the status of its avifauna in particular, 24 days were spent in three short surveys from 1997 to 1999. The main forest type is semi-evergreen, with an open canopy; the only natural savannas are small saline swamps. The total of 305 species of bird recorded includes a forest nightjar not yet identified (but more likely to be the rare Itombwe Nightjar Caprimulgus prigoginei than a new species) and the Dja River Warbler Bradypterus grandis. The latter is a species confined to Rhynchospora swamps and had not been re-located in Cameroon since it was first collected in 1914 west of the Dja river; the extent of suitable habitat in Lobéké makes this site the most important to date for its conservation. Other rare or little-known forest species recorded include Olive Ibis Bostrychia olivacea, Sandy Scops Owl Otus icterorhynchus, Zenker's Honeyguide Meligomon zenkeri, Tessmann's Flycatcher Muscicapa tessmanni and Yellow-capped Weaver Ploceus dorsomaculatus. Barred Owlet Glaucidium capense is locally common in open-canopy forest: this population was only recently discovered in central Africa and its taxonomic relationships have yet to be determined. We include a brief comparison with the avifauna of adjacent Dzangha-Ndoki National Park and Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park. A feature of the Lobéké avifauna is the presence of a few species normally associated with forest at higher altitudes (such as White-headed Wood Hoopoe Phoeniculus bollei, Uganda Woodland Warbler Phylloscopus budongoensis, Black-throated Apalis Apalis jacksoni), and perhaps absent from lower-lying Nouabalé-Ndoki.