Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Omega-6 Fatty Acids: A Sustainable Alternative to Improve Beef Production Efficiency

Simple Summary The global beef industry is currently challenged with improving production efficiency while fostering judicious use of limited natural resources. Sustainable management systems are warranted to ensure that worldwide demands for beef and ecological stewardship are met. Supplementing cattle with omega-6 fatty acids is a nutritional intervention shown to sustainably enhance productivity across different sectors of the beef industry. The purpose of this review is to discuss recent research that describes the advantages of supplementing omega-6 fatty acids on traits that are critical to beef production efficiency, including reproduction, immunocompetence, growth, and quality of carcass and beef products. Abstract Global beef production must increase in the next decades to meet the demands of a growing population, while promoting sustainable use of limited natural resources. Supplementing beef cattle with omega-6 fatty acids (FAs) is a nutritional approach shown to enhance production efficiency, with research conducted across different environments and sectors of the beef industry. Omega-6 FA from natural feed ingredients such as soybean oil are highly susceptible to ruminal biohydrogenation. Hence, our and other research groups have used soybean oil in the form of Ca soaps (CSSO) to lessen ruminal biohydrogenation, and maximize delivery of omega-6 FA to the duodenum for absorption. In cow–calf systems, omega-6 FA supplementation to beef cows improved pregnancy success by promoting the establishment of early pregnancy. Cows receiving omega-6 FA during late gestation gave birth to calves that were healthier and more efficient in the feedlot, suggesting the potential role of omega-6 FA on developmental programming. Supplementing omega-6 FA to young cattle also elicited programming effects toward improved adipogenesis and carcass quality, and improved calf immunocompetence upon a stress stimulus. Cattle supplemented with omega-6 FA during growing or finishing periods also experienced improved performance and carcass quality. All these research results were generated using cattle of different genetic composition (Bos taurus and B. indicus influenced), and in different environments (tropical, subtropical, and temperate region). Hence, supplementing omega-6 FA via CSSO is a sustainable approach to enhance the production efficiency of beef industries across different areas of the world.
Potential of Antifungal Proteins (AFPs) to Control Penicillium Postharvest Fruit Decay

Penicillium phytopathogenic species provoke severe postharvest disease and economic losses. Penicillium expansum is the main pome fruit phytopathogen while Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum cause citrus green and blue mold, respectively. Control strategies rely on the use of synthetic fungicides, but the appearance of resistant strains and safety concerns have led to the search for new antifungals. Here, the potential application of different antifungal proteins (AFPs) including the three Penicillium chrysogenum proteins (PAF, PAFB and PAFC), as well as the Neosartorya fischeri NFAP2 protein to control Penicillium decay, has been evaluated. PAFB was the most potent AFP against P. digitatum, P. italicum and P. expansum, PAFC and NFAP2 showed moderate antifungal activity, whereas PAF was the least active protein. In fruit protection assays, PAFB provoked a reduction of the incidence of infections caused by P. digitatum and P. italicum in oranges and by P. expansum in apples. A combination of AFPs did not result in an increase in the efficacy of disease control. In conclusion, this study expands the antifungal inhibition spectrum of the AFPs evaluated, and demonstrates that AFPs act in a species-specific manner. PAFB is a promising alternative compound to control Penicillium postharvest fruit decay.
Breeding for Virus Resistance and Its Effects on Deformed Wing Virus Infection Patterns in Honey Bee Queens

Viruses, and in particular the deformed wing virus (DWV), are considered as one of the main antagonists of honey bee health. The ‘suppressed in ovo virus infection’ trait (SOV) described for the first time that control of a virus infection can be achieved from genetically inherited traits and that the virus state of the eggs is indicative for this. This research aims to explore the effect of the SOV trait on DWV infections in queens descending from both SOV-positive (QDS+) and SOV-negative (QDS–) queens. Twenty QDS+ and QDS– were reared from each time four queens in the same starter–finisher colony. From each queen the head, thorax, ovaries, spermatheca, guts and eviscerated abdomen were dissected and screened for the presence of the DWV-A and DWV-B genotype using qRT-PCR. Queens descending from SOV-positive queens showed significant lower infection loads for DWV-A and DWV-B as well as a lower number of infected tissues for DWV-A. Surprisingly, differences were less expressed in the reproductive tissues, the ovaries and spermatheca. These results confirm that selection on the SOV trait is associated with increased virus resistance across viral genotypes and that this selection drives DWV towards an increased tissue specificity for the reproductive tissues. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying the interaction between the antiviral response and DWV.
Clinical Work and Life of Mid-Career Male Nurses: A Qualitative Study

In Korea, about 3000 qualified male nurses enter the clinical nursing field annually; however, they face challenges in long-term job retention in general hospitals. Therefore, this study characterized the work and life experiences of mid-career male nurses engaged in clinical nursing care. Participants were nine registered nurses with a minimum of five years’ work experience in a general hospital in Korea. Data were collected through face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. A phenomenological qualitative design was used with Colaizzi’s data analysis method. Three categories, eight theme clusters, and seventeen themes were revealed. The three categories were “limitations and adaptation to work performance”, “interpersonal difficulties and coping”, and “facing reality and preparing for the future”. Findings suggested that mid-career male nurses were considering transitioning to other job roles. These findings help clarify the clinical work experience of mid-career male nurses and their difficulties with job retention. The results provide basic data that may inform the design of policies to practically support male nurses in preserving their careers.
High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment Ensures the Microbiological Safety of Human Milk Including Bacillus cereus and Preservation of Bioactive Proteins Including Lipase and Immuno-Proteins: A Narrative Review

Breast milk is the nutritional reference for the child and especially for the preterm infant. Breast milk is better than donated breast milk (DHM), but if breast milk is not available, DHM is distributed by the Human Milk Bank (HMB). Raw Human Milk is better than HMB milk, but it may contain dangerous germs, so it is usually milk pasteurized by a Holder treatment (62.5 °C 30 min). However, Holder does not destroy all germs, and in particular, in 7% to 14%, the spores of Bacillus cereus are found, and it also destroys the microbiota, lipase BSSL and immune proteins. Another technique, High-Temperature Short Time (HTST 72 °C, 5–15 s), has been tried, which is imperfect, does not destroy Bacillus cereus, but degrades the lipase and partially the immune proteins. Therefore, techniques that do not treat by temperature have been proposed. For more than 25 years, high hydrostatic pressure has been tried with pressures from 100 to 800 MPa. Pressures above 400 MPa can alter the immune proteins without destroying the Bacillus cereus. We propose a High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) with four pressure cycles ranging from 50–150 MPa to promote Bacillus cereus germination and a 350 MPa Pressure that destroys 106 Bacillus cereus and retains 80–100% of lipase, lysozyme, lactoferrin and 64% of IgAs. Other HHP techniques are being tested. We propose a literature review of these techniques.
Wide Spectrum Analysis of Human Papillomavirus Genotypes in External Anogenital Warts

External anogenital warts (EGW) are primarily associated with the low-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 6 and 11, though coinfection with other low-risk and oncogenic high-risk HPV genotypes also occurs. Although there have been many studies on HPV-associated disease, the prevalence of HPV genotypes associated with EGW is not well characterized. The objective of our retrospective study was to determine the prevalence of HPV genotypes among patients diagnosed with EGW in the south-west of Hungary. Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 94 patients were processed in our study. HPV genotypes were determined, applying HPV Direct Flow CHIP test. The overall prevalence of HPV DNA in the EGW samples was 100%, yielding 131 infections among the 94 samples. Of these cases, 72.3% were mono while 27.6% were multi-infections. Out of the 131 infections, the cumulative prevalence of HPV 6 and 11 was 71%. A total of 98.9% of the samples were carrying at least one of these genotypes, while 19.1% of the cases occurred with at least one high-risk genotype. Data from our study could provide invaluable information concerning the prevalence of HPV types among patients with EGW, enabling improved assessment of the actual and future efficacy of vaccination programs, vaccine development, and forecast changes in infection patterns.
Preparation and Properties of Electrospun Phenylethynyl—Terminated Polyimide Nano-Fibrous Membranes with Potential Applications as Solvent-Free and High-Temperature Resistant Adhesives for Harsh Environments

High-temperature-resistant polymeric adhesives with high servicing temperatures and high adhesion strengths are highly desired in aerospace, aviation, microelectronic and other high-tech areas. The currently used high-temperature resistant polymeric adhesives, such as polyamic acid (PAA), are usually made from the high contents of solvents in the composition, which might cause adhesion failure due to the undesirable voids caused by the evaporation of the solvents. In the current work, electrospun preimidized polyimide (PI) nano-fibrous membranes (NFMs) were proposed to be used as solvent-free or solvent-less adhesives for stainless steel adhesion. In order to enhance the adhesion reliability of the PI NFMs, thermally crosslinkable phenylethynyl end-cappers were incorporated into the PIs derived from 3,3’,4,4’-oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA) and 3,3-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]phthalide (BAPPT). The derived phenylethynyl-terminated PETI-10K and PETI-20K with the controlled molecular weights of 10,000 g mol−1 and 20,000 g mol−1, respectively, showed good solubility in polar aprotic solvents, such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The PI NFMs were successfully fabricated by electrospinning with the PETI/DMAc solutions. The ultrafine PETI NFMs showed the average fiber diameters (dav) of 627 nm for PETI-10K 695 nm for PETI-20K, respectively. The PETI NFMs showed good thermal resistance, which is reflected in the glass transition temperatures (Tgs) above 270 °C. The PETI NFMs exhibited excellent thermoplasticity at elevated temperatures. The stainless steel adherends were successfully adhered using the PETI NFMs as the adhesives. The PI NFMs provided good adhesion to the stainless steels with the single lap shear strengths (LSS) higher than 20.0 MPa either at room temperature (25 °C) or at an elevated temperature (200 °C).
Effects of Phthalate Esters (PAEs) on Cell Viability and Nrf2 of HepG2 and 3D-QSAR Studies

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are a widespread environmental pollutant, and their ecological and environmental health risks have gradually attracted attention. To reveal the toxicity characteristics of these compounds, ten PAEs were selected as research objects to establish a cell model. CCK-8 was used to determine cell viability, Western blots were used to determine the content of Nrf2 in HepG2, and the LD50 collected for the 13 PAEs administered to rats. On this basis, 3D-QSAR models of IC50, LD50 and Nrf2 were established. The experimental results showed that as the time of PAEs exposure increased (24, 48 and 72 h), cell viability gradually decreased. The test concentration (62.5 /125/250 μM) of PAEs exposed for 48 h could significantly increase the content of Nrf2, and the 1000 μM PAEs could inhibit the content of Nrf2. The model is relatively stable and predicts well that the introduction of large and hydrophobic groups may significantly affect the toxic effects of PAEs on cells. The present study provided a potential tool for predicting the LD50 and Nrf2 of new PAEs, and provide a reference for the design of new less toxic PAEs in the future.
Investigation of Post Vaccination Reactions of Two Live Attenuated Vaccines against Lumpy Skin Disease of Cattle

Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) causes an economically important disease in cattle. The only method for successful control is early diagnosis and efficient vaccination. Adverse effects of vaccination such as local inflammation at the injection site and localized or generalized skin lesions in some vaccinated animals have been reported with live vaccines. The aim of this work was to compare the safety of two lumpy skin disease (LSD) vaccine strains, Kenyan (Kn) Sheep and Goat Pox (KSGP O-240) and LSDV Neethling (Nt) strain, and to determine the etiology of the post-vaccination (pv) reactions observed in cattle. Experimental cattle were vaccinated under controlled conditions with Nt- and KSGP O-240-based vaccines, using two different doses, and animals were observed for 3 months for any adverse reactions. Three out of 45 cattle vaccinated with LSDV Nt strain (6.7%) and three out of 24 cattle vaccinated with Kn strain (12.5%) presented LSD-like skin nodules, providing evidence that the post-vaccination lesions may not be strain-dependent. Lesions appeared 1–3 weeks after vaccination and were localized in the neck or covering the whole body. Animals recovered after 3 weeks. There is a positive correlation between the vaccine dose and the appearance of skin lesions in vaccinated animals; at the 105 dose, 12% of the animals reacted versus 3.7% at the 104 dose. Both strains induced solid immunity when protection was measured by neutralizing antibody seroconversion.
Sarcopenia and Appendicular Muscle Mass as Predictors of Impaired Fasting Glucose/Type 2 Diabetes in Elderly Women

Elderly women exhibit a high risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but no definitive data exist about the possible role of postmenopausal increases in visceral adiposity, the loss of lean body mass, or decreases in the sum of the lean mass of arms and legs (appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM)). This retrospective, longitudinal study investigated whether body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis) predicted the development of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) or T2D in a cohort of 159 elderly women (age: 71 ± 5 years, follow-up: 94 months) from southern Italy (Clinical Nutrition and Geriatric Units of the “Mater Domini” University Hospital in Catanzaro, Calabria region, and the “P. Giaccone ”University Hospital in Palermo, Sicily region). Sarcopenia was defined in a subgroup of 128 women according to the EWGSOP criteria as the presence of low muscle strength (handgrip strength <16 kg) plus low muscle mass (reported as appendicular skeletal muscle mass <15 kg). Participants with a low ASMM had a higher IFG/T2D incidence than those with a normal ASMM (17% vs. 6%, p-adjusted = 0.044); this finding was independent of BMI, fat mass, waist circumference, and habitual fat intake (OR = 3.81, p = 0.034). A higher incidence of IFG/T2D was observed in the subgroup with sarcopenia than those without sarcopenia (33% vs. 7%, p-adjusted = 0.005) independent of BMI and fat mass (OR = 6.75, p = 0.007). In conclusion, this study demonstrates that elderly women with low ASMM had a higher probability of developing IFG/T2D. Further studies are needed to confirm these results in men and in other age groups.
Implications of Oxidative Stress in Glioblastoma Multiforme Following Treatment with Purine Derivatives

Recently, small compound-based therapies have provided new insights into the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by inducing oxidative impairment. Kinetin riboside (KR) and newly designed derivatives (8-azaKR, 7-deazaKR) selectively affect the molecular pathways crucial for cell growth by interfering with the redox status of cancer cells. Thus, these compounds might serve as potential alternatives in the oxidative therapy of GBM. The increased basal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in GBM support the survival of cancer cells and cause drug resistance. The simplest approach to induce cell death is to achieve the redox threshold and circumvent the antioxidant defense mechanisms. Consequently, cells become more sensitive to oxidative stress (OS) caused by exogenous agents. Here, we investigated the effect of KR and its derivatives on the redox status of T98G cells in 2D and 3D cell culture. The use of spheroids of T98G cells enabled the selection of one derivative—7-deazaKR—with comparable antitumor activity to KR. Both compounds induced ROS generation and genotoxic OS, resulting in lipid peroxidation and leading to apoptosis. Taken together, these results demonstrated that KR and 7-deazaKR modulate the cellular redox environment of T98G cells, and vulnerability of these cells is dependent on their antioxidant capacity.
Differences in Life History Traits in Rural vs. Urban Populations of a Specialist Ground Beetle, Carabus convexus

Simple Summary Urbanization is an important driver of global change, with negative consequences for biodiversity. Specialist species living in isolated urban forest fragments may be the most impacted by urbanization-driven environmental modifications. We compared various life history parameters of a forest specialist ground beetle in its original forest habitat and in urban forest fragments. Abundance was more than five times higher in the rural forest stands than in the urban forest fragments. We found no significant differences in body size or condition between the rural and urban individuals of either sex. Despite higher temperatures in urban habitats, the beginning of the reproductive period did not start earlier in the urban than the rural habitat. The number of ripe eggs was significantly higher in urban than rural females. The urban environmental conditions, however, seemed to cause high mortality of the immature stages, preventing the growth of urban populations. Abstract Urbanization is increasing worldwide and causes substantial changes in environmental parameters, generating various kinds of stress on arthropods, with several harmful consequences. We examined a forest specialist ground beetle, Carabus convexus, in forested habitats to evaluate the changes in four important life history traits between rural and urban populations. Analyzing beetles from the overwintered cohort in their first breeding season, we found no significant differences in body length or body mass between the rural and urban individuals. Body condition, judged by fat reserve scores, was similarly poor in both habitats, indicating that beetles were not able to accumulate substantial fat reserves at either habitat. Females with ripe eggs in their ovaries were first captured at the same time in both areas. The number of ripe eggs, however, was significantly higher in females of the low-density urban population (6.13 eggs/female) than in those of the high-density rural population (4.14 eggs/female), indicating density-dependent fecundity. Altered environmental and habitat conditions by urbanization, however, seemed to cause high mortality during egg hatching and/or larval development, preventing the growth of the urban population to the level of rural one.
Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Concomitant and Tailored Therapy for Eradication of Helicobacter pylori Infection

As high clarithromycin resistance (>20%) in the Split-Dalmatia region of Croatia hinders the treatment of H. pylori infection, the primary objective of this study was to compare concomitant quadruple with the tailored, personalized therapy as first-line eradication treatment of H. pylori. In an open-label, randomized clinical trial, 80 patients with H. pylori infection were randomly assigned to either concomitant (esomeprazole 40 mg, amoxicillin 1 gr, metronidazole 500 mg, clarithromycin 500 mg, twice daily for 14 days) or tailored therapy in accordance with the results of the antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Eradication status was assessed 4 weeks after treatment. Eradication rates were significantly higher in tailored group than in concomitant group both in intention-to-treat (70 vs. 92.5%, p = 0.010) and per-protocol (87.5 vs. 100%, p = 0.030) analysis in the setting of increasing antibiotic resistance (clarithromycin 37.5%, metronidazole 17.5%, dual resistance 10%). Adverse effects were more frequent in the concomitant group (32.5 vs. 7.5%, p = 0.006). Tailored therapy achieves higher eradication with a lower adverse events rate. With the increasing resistance of H. pylori strains to antibiotic treatment, eradication regimes with such characteristics should be strongly considered as a reasonable choice for first-line treatment.
Integrative Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Distinctive Molecular Traits and Novel Subtypes of Collecting Duct Carcinoma

Simple Summary The treatment of collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) remains unsatisfactory since this highly aggressive kidney cancer has an unfavorable clinical behavior. Due to the rarity of CDC a complete biological characterization of this disease is still lacking. The aim of our study is to provide new insights into the molecular biology of CDC leveraging newly generated and publicly available gene expression profiles of CDC tumors. We identified unique gene expression programs and pathways that distinguished CDC from other renal malignancies. The CDC-specific expression signature predicted in vitro sensitivity to several small molecule inhibitors screened in cancer cell lines from multiple cancer types. Finally, we proved that CDC is a molecularly heterogeneous disease made up of at least two subtypes distinguished by cell signaling, metabolic and immune-related alterations. Altogether, these findings pave the way for future investigations with meaningful clinical implications aimed at improving the management of CDC patients. Abstract Collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) is a rare and highly aggressive kidney cancer subtype with poor prognosis and no standard treatments. To date, only a few studies have examined the transcriptomic portrait of CDC. Through integration of multiple datasets, we compared CDC to normal tissue, upper-tract urothelial carcinomas, and other renal cancers, including clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe histologies. Association between CDC gene expression signatures and in vitro drug sensitivity data was evaluated using the Cancer Therapeutic Response Portal, Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer datasets, and connectivity map. We identified a CDC-specific gene signature that predicted in vitro sensitivity to different targeted agents and was associated to worse outcome in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. We showed that CDC are transcriptionally related to the principal cells of the collecting ducts providing evidence that this tumor originates from this normal kidney cell type. Finally, we proved that CDC is a molecularly heterogeneous disease composed of at least two subtypes distinguished by cell signaling, metabolic and immune-related alterations. Our findings elucidate the molecular features of CDC providing novel biological and clinical insights. The identification of distinct CDC subtypes and their transcriptomic traits provides the rationale for patient stratification and alternative therapeutic approaches.