Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sexual dimorphism in thick-billed murres, Uria lomvia

The pattern of sexual dimorphism in thick-billed murres, Uria lomvia, from the Lancaster Sound – Jones Sound region, Northwest Territories, was examined for weight and 21 skeletal characters. Univariate statistics (Bonferroni-corrected t-tests) indicated that males were significantly larger than females in 6 bill and skull characters. Multivariate statistics also indicated that males had larger bills and skulls than females (based on canonical discriminant analysis), but males were not larger than females in overall body size (as defined by the first principal-components axis). The direction and magnitude of dimorphism were consistent with a hypothesis based on sexual selection as the driving force. In particular, large bill and skull sizes in males are consistent with agonistic behaviours associated with male–male competition for breeding sites and mate guarding.
Changes in Fatty Acid Composition in Beef in Italy

Abstract Results from a study conducted in Italy concerning the updating of composition data of beef consumed in Italy are reported here. The study required a very wide sampling plan with regard to both animals and cuts to analyse. Data related to lipid composition of the most widely used type of beef consumed in Italy (young bull, 16–22 months old) show a reduction in total lipid content (which, according to the cuts, ranges between 1.8 and 10.2%) and a substantial change in fatty acid composition, with a high % of polyunsaturated fatty acids (mean 20% of total fatty acids). Such data have been confirmed by other studies conducted in Italy, and are in contrast with data reported in the tables of food composition from other countries, reporting a fatty acid composition characterized by a high fatty acid saturation degree. The occurrence of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid is probably due to the high ratio of phospholipids: triglycerides, occurring when the content in intramuscular lipid is very low; to the young age of animals; to the reduced activity of the rumen, where saturation of fatty acids occurs. It may be concluded that a fatty acid composition, which is particularly rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, seems typical for Italian products.
ATP sensitive potassium (KATP) channel inhibition: A promising new drug target for migraine

Background Recently, the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) sensitive potassium channel opener levcromakalim was shown to induce migraine attacks with a far higher incidence than any previous provoking agent such as calcitonin gene-related peptide. Here, we show efficacy of ATP sensitive potassium channel inhibitors in two validated rodent models of migraine. Methods In female spontaneous trigeminal allodynic rats, the sensitivity of the frontal region of the head was tested by an electronic von Frey filament device. In mice, cutaneous hypersensitivity was induced by repeated glyceryl trinitrate or levcromakalim injections over nine days, as measured with von Frey filaments in the hindpaw. Release of calcitonin gene-related peptide from dura mater and trigeminal ganglion was studied ex vivo. Results The ATP sensitive potassium channel inhibitor glibenclamide attenuated the spontaneous cephalic hypersensitivity in spontaneous trigeminal allodynic rats and glyceryl trinitrate-induced hypersensitivity of the hindpaw in mice. It also inhibited CGRP release from dura mater and the trigeminal ganglion isolated from spontaneous trigeminal allodynic rats. The hypersensitivity was also diminished by the structurally different ATP sensitive potassium channel inhibitor gliquidone. Mice injected with the ATP sensitive potassium channel opener levcromakalim developed a progressive hypersensitivity that was completely blocked by glibenclamide, confirming target engagement. Conclusion The results suggest that ATP sensitive potassium channel inhibitors could be novel and highly effective drugs in the treatment of migraine.
Phosphate and Nitrate Uptake Dynamics in Palmaria palmata (Rhodophyceae): Ecological and Physiological Aspects of Nutrient Availability

Uptake dynamics of dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) and dissolved inorganic nitrate (DIN) in young Palmaria palmata (n = 49), cultivated in a range of DIP concentrations (0.0–6.0 µmol · L−1) and nonlimiting DIN concentration (50 µmol · L−1) under fully controlled laboratory conditions, were quantified in a ‘pulse‐and‐chase’ approach over 5 weeks. Two different uptake rates were specified: (1) surge uptake (VS) after starvation and (2) maintenance uptake with filled nutrient pools (VM). VS for DIP of 1.57 ± 0.29 µmol · cm−2 · d−1 and DIN of 15.6 ± 4.3 µmol · cm−2 · d−1, as well as VM for DIP of 0.57 ± 0.22 µmol · cm−2 · d−1 and DIN of 5.6 ± 2.1 µmol · cm−2 · d−1 were calculated. In addition, an absolute size of the internal storage capacity (ISC) for DIP of 22 µmol · cm2 and DIN of 222 µmol · cm2 was determined. A DIP‐to‐DIN uptake ratio of 1:10 under VM showed a weekly rhythmic uptake pattern, highlighted by a high correlation between DIP and DIN uptake (R = 0.943). VS for DIN did not occur under DIP depletion, but uptake rates increased with increasing DIP availability. Hence, DIP availability limited access to DIN, which was also reflected by total dissolvable protein concentrations in sporophytes, which ranged from 10.2 ± 2.5% to 24.6 ± 8.0% dry weight depending on DIP availability. Similarly, total dissolvable carbohydrate concentration ranged from 22.1 ± 3.6% to 54.3 ± 12.3% dry weight. The data presented in this study open further insight into ecological and physiological aspects of nutrient availability in P. palmata and allow for an optimization in cultivation.
Factors affecting energy metabolism and evaluating net energy of poultry feed

Different energy evaluating systems have been used to formulate poultry diets including digestible energy, total digestible nutrients, true metabolizable energy, apparent metabolizable energy (AME), and effective energy. The AME values of raw materials are most commonly used to formulate poultry diets. The net energy (NE) system is currently used for pig and cattle diet formulation and there is interest for its application in poultry formulation. Each energy evaluating system has some limitations. The AME system, for example, is dependent on age, species, and feed intake level. The NE system takes AME a step further and incorporates the energy lost as heat when calculating the available energy for the production of meat and eggs. The NE system is, therefore, the most accurate representation of energy available for productive purposes. The NE prediction requires the accurate measurement of the AME value of feed and also an accurate measurement of total and fasting heat production using nutritionally balanced diets. At present, there is limited information on NE values of various ingredients for poultry feed formulation. The aim of this review is to examine poultry feed energy systems with the focus on the NE system and its development for chickens.
Laboratory and Field Evaluations of Biorational Insecticides Against the Mexican Rice Borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and a Parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

We compared laboratory and field efficacies of pyrethroid insecticides (Baythroid, ‘FCR 4545’ [both cyfluthrin], Karate [lambda cyhalothrin]) and insect growth regulators (Confirm [tebufenozide], ‘RH-2485’ [methoxyfenozide]) against the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), a key pest of sugarcane in south Texas. We also studied treatment effects on longevity and survivorship of its braconid parasitoid, Allorhogas pyralophagus Marsh. In the 1996 field season, Baythroid resulted in lower percentages of bored internodes compared with the other treatments. In the 1997 season, less borer damage was found in ‘FCR 4545’ (an isomer of Baythroid), relative to the other treatments. The differences may be partially attributed to the different application methods (tractor sprayer versus aerial). In both field seasons, no significant treatment effects could be found in any of the yield or juice quality measurements, suggesting that improvements must be made in application technology, or the biorational insecticides must be used in conjunction with other control agents, such as biological controls. Efficacy may be improved if applications can be timed to windows of susceptibility based on either plant phenology or pest lifecycle. Baythroid and FCR 4545 were generally most effective in reducing damage caused by E. loftini, although residual toxicity of Baythroid was higher than FCR 4545 against both E. loftini and A. pyralophagus. Comparisons between similar bioassays showed that Baythroid and tebufenozide were more toxic to E. loftini than to A. pyralophagus. Therefore, if A. pyralophagus or a similar parasitoid were to be used in conjunction with an insecticide, an effective approach may be to use a less toxic biorational, such as the insect growth regulator tebufenozide, or to time the release of the parasitoids after residual toxicity has declined in a biorational such as FCR 4545.
Explainable artificial intelligence models using real-world electronic health record data: a systematic scoping review

OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic scoping review of explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) models that use real-world electronic health record data, categorize these techniques according to different biomedical applications, identify gaps of current studies, and suggest future research directions. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched MEDLINE, IEEE Xplore, and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Digital Library to identify relevant papers published between January 1, 2009 and May 1, 2019. We summarized these studies based on the year of publication, prediction tasks, machine learning algorithm, dataset(s) used to build the models, the scope, category, and evaluation of the XAI methods. We further assessed the reproducibility of the studies in terms of the availability of data and code and discussed open issues and challenges. RESULTS Forty-two articles were included in this review. We reported the research trend and most-studied diseases. We grouped XAI methods into 5 categories: knowledge distillation and rule extraction (N = 13), intrinsically interpretable models (N = 9), data dimensionality reduction (N = 8), attention mechanism (N = 7), and feature interaction and importance (N = 5). DISCUSSION XAI evaluation is an open issue that requires a deeper focus in the case of medical applications. We also discuss the importance of reproducibility of research work in this field, as well as the challenges and opportunities of XAI from 2 medical professionals' point of view. CONCLUSION Based on our review, we found that XAI evaluation in medicine has not been adequately and formally practiced. Reproducibility remains a critical concern. Ample opportunities exist to advance XAI research in medicine.
Gluten‐free diet impact on dynamics of pancreatic islet‐specific autoimmunity detected at celiac disease diagnosis

Almost 6% of celiac disease (CD) patients at diagnosis are positive for at least one of the main pancreatic islet autoantibodies that characterize type 1 diabetes (T1D). Few information, dated back to almost two decades ago, exist as to whether a gluten‐free diet (GFD) could reduce the islet‐specific autoimmunity detected in patients at CD diagnosis. Aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of GFD on 31 patients who presented islet‐specific autoimmunity at CD diagnosis.
Uroglena dendracantha n. sp. (Chrysophyceae) from Central Småland, Sweden

In June 1991 a peculiar Uroglena species was found in two small ponds, the Ugglehult Ponds, situated close to Aneboda, central Smaland, Sweden. The colonies contained well-developed spiny stomatocysts. An EM investigation verified that this Uroglena was a new species which has here been given the name Uroglena dendracantha because of the conspicous tree-like spines.
Population Structure and Reproductive Aspects of the Freshwater Turtle, Phrynops geoffroanus, Inhabiting an Urban River in Southeastern Brazil

The population structure and reproductive aspects of P. geoffroanus (Chelidae) in an urban river at Ribeirão Preto city, São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, was studied by monthly captures and census from May 1997 to October 1998. A total of 247 turtles was sampled, 53 of them juveniles. Sex ratio was variable but never significantly different from 1 : 1. Captured turtles varied throughout the months but census indicated higher activity of turtles in spring, positively correlated to high air temperatures and negatively with rainfall. X-ray analysis of females revealed clutch sizes ranging between 8–20 and suggested that nesting occurred from February to August. Egg and clutch sizes were strongly correlated to female body size.
Trends, seasonality and the association between outpatient antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance among urinary bacteria in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVES To determine trends, seasonality and the association between community antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in urinary tract infections. METHODS We analysed Dutch national databases from January 2008 to December 2016 regarding antibiotic use and AMR for nitrofurantoin, trimethoprim, fosfomycin and ciprofloxacin. Antibiotic use was expressed as DDD/1000 inhabitant-days (DID) and AMR was expressed as the percentage of resistance from total tested isolates. Temporal trends and seasonality were analysed with autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. Each antibiotic use-resistance combination was cross-correlated with a linear regression of the ARIMA residuals. RESULTS The trends of DID increased for ciprofloxacin, fosfomycin and nitrofurantoin, but decreased for trimethoprim. Similar trends were found in E. coli and K. pneumoniae resistance to the same antibiotics, except for K. pneumoniae resistance to ciprofloxacin, which decreased. Resistance levels peaked in winter/spring, whereas antibiotic use peaked in summer/autumn. In univariate analysis, the strongest and most significant cross-correlations were approximately 0.20, and had a time delay of 3-6 months between changes in antibiotic use and changes in resistance. In multivariate analysis, significant effects of nitrofurantoin use and ciprofloxacin use on resistance to these antibiotics were found in E. coli and K. pneumoniae, respectively. There was a significant association of nitrofurantoin use with trimethoprim resistance in K. pneumoniae after adjusting for trimethoprim use. CONCLUSIONS We found a relatively low use of antibiotics and resistance levels over a 9 year period. Although the correlations were weak, variations in antibiotic use for these four antibiotics were associated with subsequent variations in AMR in urinary pathogens.
MONOTERPENES AND LIGNANS FROM MIKANIA SALTENSIS

l-he aerial parts of Mzkania saltensis yielded, in addition to common plant constituents, two menthane derivatives 1 and 2 new as natural products, pinoresinol, and a new lignan, (1R',2S+,5R*,bS1)-2-~4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-~3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,7-dioxabi- cyclo(3.3.O)octane 151.
Genetic variation of Populus tremuloides in ecophysiological responses to CO2 elevation

To investigate the genetic variation of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in ecophysiological responses to [CO2] elevation, 1-year-old seedlings of four provenances (three families per provenance) from northwestern Ontario were exposed to three [CO2] levels in the greenhouse: ambient (360 ppm), 1.5 × ambient (540 ppm), and 2 × ambient (720 ppm). Biomass and foliage gas exchange were examined after 60 d of treatment. [CO2] elevation significantly increased the rate of net CO2 assimilation and photosynthetic water use efficiency. The stimulation was generally greater in the 540 ppm [CO2] than in 720 ppm [CO2]. The 720 ppm [CO2] resulted in a 10% photosynthetic down-regulation, but no down-regulation was detected in the 540 ppm CO2 treatment. The 540 ppm [CO2] (but not the 720 ppm) treatment significantly decreased stomatal conductance and transpiration rate in the provenances from the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Region but not in those from the Boreal Region. The intercellular to ambient CO2 conce.
mTOR up-regulation of SNRPA1 contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma development

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Recent studies showed that snRNPs were implicated in human cancer development. The role of SNRPA1, which is a member of U2 snRNPs, in HCC, remains undocumented. Here, we found that SNRPA1 was highly expressed in HCC tissue compared with normal adjacent liver tissues. Up-regulation of SNRPA1 was correlated with the clinical stage of HCC and the overall survival of HCC patients. In vitro and in vivo results showed that knockdown of SNPRA1 inhibited the cell proliferation, colony formation and xenografted tumorigenesis of HCC cells. Apoptosis was induced by SNPRA1 down-regulation. Mechanistically, SNPRA1 was stimulated by mTOR activation. In addition, whole-genome microarray analysis identified that 262 genes were up-regulated and 462 genes were down-regulated by SNPRA1 knockdown in HCC cells. qPCR analysis suggested that the fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), β-catenin, Ki-67 and cyclin B1 were down-regulated and caspase 3, p53 as well as p21 were up-regulated after SNRPA1 knockdown. Taken together, our findings implicate that SNPRA1 functions as an oncogene in HCC.
COVID-19 as a cardiovascular disease: the potential role of chronic endothelial dysfunction

Group for Biomedical Research in Sepsis (BioSepsis), Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Salamanca (IBSAL), Paseo de San Vicente, 58-182, 37007 Salamanca, Spain; Hospital Universitario Rı́o Hortega de Valladolid. Calle Dulzaina, 2, 47012 Valladolid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomedica En Red-Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Av. de Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pneumology, Institut Clinic del Tórax, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona – Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona (UB) – SGR 911 – Carrer de Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Biochemistry Service. Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Mara~nón, Calle del Dr. Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Canadian Centre for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada; and Laboratory of Immunity Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xinling Rd, Jinping, Shantou, Guangdong, China
Small airways in children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis: the potential role of a multicomponent nutraceutical

Allergic rhinitis and asthma are closely linked. A progression from rhinitis to overt asthma is common. FEF25-75 is a spirometry parameter that could reflect small airways patency and could reliably predict early bronchial involvement in allergic rhinitis patients. MEF50 very strongly correlates with FEF25-75. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible spirometry change in two groups of children suffering from AR over time. The first group took a course of a nutraceutical (Lertal®) before the observation (active group, AG); a second one was considered as control (control group, CG). The children were visited at baseline, at the end of the nutraceutical course, and after 1 year. FEV1, FVC, and MEF50 were the primary outcomes. After one year, children in AG had significantly higher MEF50 than CG children (p=0.009). In conclusion, the present study showed that a course with a multicomponent nutraceutical could prevent the MEF50 decline in children with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Effects of shock wave therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Purpose To determine whether shock wave therapy could improve symptoms and hand function in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Materials and methods Medline, Embase, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, OpenGrey, CNKI, VIP, Wang Fang databases, and China Biological Medicine were searched, from inception to December 2019. Results Ten trials involving 433 patients (501 wrists) were included in this systematic review. The shock wave therapy was observed to have a significant effect on pain relief (MD: −0.60, 95% CI: −1.16 to −0.05, p = 0.03), syndrome alleviation (MD: −2.26, 95% CI: −3.24 to −1.27, p < 0.00001) and functional recovery (MD: −1.25 95% CI: −2.08 to −0.43, p = 0.003) among the carpal tunnel syndrome patients. As revealed by the subgroup analysis, radial shock wave therapy made a significant difference in pain relief, syndrome alleviation, and functional recovery (p < 0.05). Focused shock wave had no significant effect on pain relief, syndrome alleviation, and functional recovery (p > 0.05). Conclusion Shock wave therapy could be conductive to improve syndrome and hand function for carpal tunnel syndrome patients. Implications for rehabilitation Shock wave therapy is beneficial for alleviating syndrome and improving hand function of carpal tunnel syndrome patients. Radial shock wave therapy seems superior to focused shock wave therapy on syndrome alleviation and functional recovery of hand in carpal tunnel syndrome patients.
Long-Acting κ Opioid Antagonists Disrupt Receptor Signaling And Produce Noncompetitive Effects By Activating C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase*

Norbinaltorphimine (NorBNI), guanidinonaltrindole, and atrans-(3R,4R)-dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl) piperidine (JDTic) are selective κ opioid receptor (KOR) antagonists having very long durations of action in vivo despite binding non-covalently in vitro and having only moderately high affinities. Consistent with this, we found that antagonist treatment significantly reduced the subsequent analgesic response of mice to the KOR agonist U50,488 in the tail-withdrawal assay for 14–21 days. Receptor protection assays were designed to distinguish between possible explanations for this anomalous effect, and we found that mice pretreated with the readily reversible opioid antagonists naloxone or buprenorphine before norBNI responded strongly in the tail-flick analgesia assay to a subsequent challenge with U50,488 1 week later. Protection by a rapidly cleared reagent indicates that norBNI did not persist at the site of action. In vitro binding of [3H]U69,593 to KOR showed that Kd and Bmax values were not significantly affected by prior in vivo norBNI exposure, indicating that the agonist binding site was intact. Consistent with the concept that the long-lasting effects might be caused by a functional disruption of KOR signaling, both norBNI and JDTic were found to stimulate c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation in HEK293 cells expressing KOR-GFP but not in untransfected cells. Similarly, norBNI increased phospho-JNK in both the striatum and spinal cord in wild type mice but not in KOR knock-out mice. Pretreatment of mice with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 before norBNI attenuated the long acting antagonism. Together, these results suggest that the long duration KOR antagonists disrupt KOR signaling by activating JNK.