Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemical Composition, Fatty Acid Profile and Sensory Characteristics of Chanco-Style Cheese from Early Lactation Dairy Cows Fed Winter Brassica Crops

Simple Summary Brassica crops such as kales and swedes can be supplied to cow diets during winter. Little is known about the effects of feeding those forage brassicas to lactating cows on cheese nutritional characteristics. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of including kale or swedes in the diet of pasture-fed lactating dairy cows on chemical composition, fatty acid (FA) profile and sensory characteristics of Chanco-style cheese. Kale or swedes can be used in the diet of pasture-fed lactating dairy cows without negative effects on milk production, milk composition and cheese composition. However, with regard to cheese FA profiles, those elaborated from milks from kale and swedes increased total contents of saturated fatty acids. Abstract Brassica crops such as kale and swede can be supplied to cow diets during winter, however little is known about the effects of feeding those forage brassicas to lactating cows on cheese nutritional characteristics of milk and cheese. This study evaluated the effect of including kale or swede in pasture-fed lactating dairy cow diets on chemical composition, fatty acid (FA) profile, and sensory characteristics of Chanco-style cheese. Twelve early-lactation cows were used in a replicated (n = 4) 3 × 3 square Latin square design. The control diet consisted of (DM basis) 10.0 kg of grass silage, 4.0 kg of fresh grass pasture, 1.5 kg soybean meal, 1.0 kg of canola meal, and 4.0 kg of cereal-based concentrate. The other treatments replaced 25% of the diet with swede or kale. Milk yield, milkfat, and milk protein were similar between treatments as were cheese moisture, fat, and protein. Swede and kale increased total saturated cheese FA while thrombogenic index was greater in swede, but color homogeneity and salty flavor were greater while ripe cheese aroma less than for kale. Kale or swede can be used in the diet of pasture-fed lactating dairy cows without negative effects on milk production, milk composition, or cheese composition. However, kale and swede increased total cheese saturated FA.
Triatomine Feeding Profiles and Trypanosoma cruzi Infection, Implications in Domestic and Sylvatic Transmission Cycles in Ecuador

Understanding the blood meal patterns of insects that are vectors of diseases is fundamental in unveiling transmission dynamics and developing strategies to impede or decrease human–vector contact. Chagas disease has a complex transmission cycle that implies interactions between vectors, parasites and vertebrate hosts. In Ecuador, limited data on human infection are available; however, the presence of active transmission in endemic areas has been demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of hosts that serve as sources of blood for triatomines in domestic, peridomestic and sylvatic transmission cycles, in two endemic areas of Ecuador (central coastal and southern highland regions). Using conserved primers and DNA extracted from 507 intestinal content samples from five species of triatomines (60 Panstrongylus chinai, 17 Panstrongylus howardi, 1 Panstrongylus rufotuberculatus, 427 Rhodnius ecuadoriensis and 2 Triatoma carrioni) collected from 2006 to 2013, we amplified fragments of the cytb mitochondrial gene. After sequencing, blood meal sources were identified in 416 individuals (146 from central coastal and 270 from southern highland regions), achieving ≥ 95% identity with GenBank sequences (NCBI-BLAST tool). The results showed that humans are the main source of food for triatomines, indicating that human–vector contact is more frequent than previously thought. Although other groups of mammals, such as rodents, are also an available source of blood, birds (particularly chickens) might have a predominant role in the maintenance of triatomines in these areas. However, the diversity of sources of blood found might indicate a preference driven by triatomine species. Moreover, the presence of more than one source of blood in triatomines collected in the same place indicated that dispersal of vectors occurs regardless the availability of food. Dispersal capacity of triatomines needs to be evaluated to propose an effective strategy that limits human–vector contact and, in consequence, to decrease the risk of T. cruzi transmission.
Structural and Biochemical Characterization of the Novel CTX-M-151 Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase and Its Inhibition by Avibactam

The diazabicyclooctane (DBO) inhibitor avibactam (AVI) reversibly inactivates most serine β-lactamases, including the CTX-M β-lactamases. Currently, more than 230 unique CTX-M members distributed in five clusters with less than 5% amino acid sequence divergence within each group have been described. ABSTRACT The diazabicyclooctane (DBO) inhibitor avibactam (AVI) reversibly inactivates most serine β-lactamases, including the CTX-M β-lactamases. Currently, more than 230 unique CTX-M members distributed in five clusters with less than 5% amino acid sequence divergence within each group have been described. Recently, a variant named CTX-M-151 was isolated from a Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis strain in Japan. This variant possesses a low degree of amino acid identity with the other CTX-Ms (63.2% to 69.7% with respect to the mature proteins), and thus it may represent a new subgroup within the family. CTX-M-151 hydrolyzes ceftriaxone better than ceftazidime (kcat/Km values 6,000-fold higher), as observed with CTX-Ms. CTX-M-151 is well inhibited by mechanism-based inhibitors like clavulanic acid (inactivation rate [kinact]/inhibition constant [Ki] = 0.15 μM−1 · s−1). For AVI, the apparent inhibition constant (Ki app), 0.4 μM, was comparable to that of KPC-2; the acylation rate (k2/K) (37,000 M−1 · s−1) was lower than that for CTX-M-15, while the deacylation rate (koff) (0.0015 s−1) was 2- to 14-fold higher than those of other class A β-lactamases. The structure of the CTX-M-151/AVI complex (1.32 Å) reveals that AVI adopts a chair conformation with hydrogen bonds between the AVI carbamate and Ser70 and Ser237 at the oxyanion hole. Upon acylation, the side chain of Lys73 points toward Ser130, which is associated with the protonation of Glu166, supporting the role of Lys73 in the proton relay pathway and Glu166 as the general base in deacylation. To our knowledge, this is the first chromosomally encoded CTX-M in Salmonella Choleraesuis that shows similar hydrolytic preference toward cefotaxime (CTX) and ceftriaxone (CRO) to that toward ceftazidime (CAZ).
Regorafenib inhibits migration, invasion, and vasculogenic mimicry of hepatocellular carcinoma via targeting ID1‐mediated EMT

Regorafenib is approved for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following sorafenib. However, the effect of regorafenib on HCC metastasis and its mechanism are poorly understood. Here, our data showed that regorafenib significantly restrained the migration, invasion and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) of HCC cells, and downregulated the expression of epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)/VM‐related molecules. Using RNA‐seq and cellular thermal shift assays, we found that inhibitor of differentiation 1 (ID1) was a key target of regorafenib. In HCC tissues, the protein expression of ID1 was positively correlated with EMT and VM formation (CD34−/PAS+). Functionally, ID1 knockdown inhibited HCC cell migration, invasion, metastasis, and VM formation in vitro and in vivo, with upregulation of E‐cadherin and downregulation of Snail and VE‐cadherin. Moreover, Snail overexpression promoted the migration, invasion, and VM formation of ID1 knockdown cells. Snail knockdown reduced the migration, invasion, and VM formation of ID1 overexpression cells. Finally, regorafenib suppressed VM formation and decreased the expression of ID1, VE‐cadherin and Snail in HCC PDX model. In conclusion, we manifested that regorafenib distinctly inhibited EMT in HCC cells via targeting ID1, leading to the suppression of cell migration, invasion and VM formation. These findings suggest that regorafenib may be developed as a suitable therapeutic agent for HCC metastasis.
Extra-Genital Testing for N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis in a large HIV clinic in the US South: Implementation and Epidemiology.

BACKGROUND Rectal and oral N. gonorrhoeae (GC) and C. trachomatis (CT) infections are common among people with HIV, especially men who have sex with men (MSM), however, GC/CT testing rates remain low in many HIV clinics. We evaluated the real-world implementation and results of extra-genital nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for GC/CT in an urban HIV clinic. METHODS Electronic health records were reviewed for all patients ≥18 years old with ≥ 1 outpatient visit to an HIV clinic in Dallas, TX from February 2016 to May 2019. Extra-genital NAAT testing became available in February 2017, which was followed by active interventions to increase testing. RESULTS Overall, 5,564 individual patients were included in the pre-intervention period (2/2016-1/2017), 5,067 in the intervention period (2/2017-8/2017) and 7,030 in the post-intervention period (9/2017-5/2018). Tailored education was provided to patients, nursing and medical providers and a self-collection protocol implemented beginning in spring 2017. A sustained increase in extra-genital GC/CT testing among MSM patients, from 70% to 87% (p < 0.1), was observed. Among MSM, overall GC positivity increased from 3.2% to 8.5% and CT positivity increased from 3.9% to 8.3%. GC/CT infections were highest among young (<35) MSM and approximately 50% of GC/CT infections diagnosed were detected by oral and rectal tests. CONCLUSIONS Clinic-wide education and self-collection of extra-genital specimens was associated with increased GC/CT testing and detection in a large HIV clinic.
Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Crohn’s Disease and the Interconnection with Immunological Response, Microbiota, External Environmental Factors, and Epigenetics

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a complex multifactorial disorder in which external and environmental factors have a large influence on its onset and development, especially in genetically susceptible individuals. Crohn’s disease (CD), one of the two types of IBD, is characterized by transmural inflammation, which is most frequently located in the region of the terminal ileum. Oxidative stress, caused by an overabundance of reactive oxygen species, is present locally and systemically in patients with CD and appears to be associated with the well-described imbalanced immune response and dysbiosis in the disease. Oxidative stress could also underlie some of the environmental risk factors proposed for CD. Although the exact etiopathology of CD remains unknown, the key role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of CD is extensively recognized. Epigenetics can provide a link between environmental factors and genetics, and numerous epigenetic changes associated with certain environmental risk factors, microbiota, and inflammation are reported in CD. Further attention needs to be focused on whether these epigenetic changes also have a primary role in the pathogenesis of CD, along with oxidative stress.
Functionally reversible impacts of disturbances on lake food webs linked to spatial and seasonal dependencies.

Increasing human impact on the environment is causing drastic changes in disturbance regimes and how they prevail over time. Of increasing relevance is to further our understanding on biological responses to pulse disturbances (short duration) and how they interact with other ongoing press disturbances (constantly present). Because the temporal and spatial contexts of single experiments often limit our ability to generalize results across space and time, we conducted a modularized mesocosm experiment replicated in space (5 lakes along a latitudinal gradient in Scandinavia) and time (2 seasons, spring and summer) to generate general predictions on how the functioning and composition of multi-trophic plankton communities (zoo-, phyto- and bacterio-plankton) respond to pulse disturbances acting either in isolation or combined with press disturbances. As pulse disturbance, we used short-term changes in fish presence and as press disturbance, we addressed the ongoing reduction in light availability caused by increased cloudiness and lake browning in many boreal and subarctic lakes. First, our results show that the top-down, pulse disturbance had the strongest effects on both functioning and composition of the three trophic levels across sites and seasons, with signs for interactive impacts with the bottom-up, press disturbance on phytoplankton communities. Second, community composition responses to disturbances were highly divergent between lakes and seasons: temporal accumulated community turnover of the same trophic level either increased (destabilization) or decreased (stabilization) in response to the disturbances compared to control conditions. Third, we found functional recovery from the pulse disturbances to be frequent at the end of most experiments. In a broader context, these results demonstrate that top down, pulse disturbances, either alone or with additional constant stress upon primary producers caused by bottom-up disturbances, can induce profound but often functionally reversible changes across multiple trophic levels, which are strongly linked to spatial and temporal context dependencies. Furthermore, the identified dichotomy of disturbance effects on the turnover in community composition demonstrates the potential of disturbances to either stabilize or destabilize biodiversity patterns over time across a wide range of environmental conditions.
Copeptin reliably reflects longitudinal right ventricular function

Background Data is limited evaluating novel biomarkers in right ventricular dysfunction. Normal right heart function improves the prognosis of patients with heart failure. Therefore, this study investigates the association between the novel biomarker copeptin and right heart function compared to NT-proBNP. Methods Patients undergoing routine echocardiography were enrolled prospectively. Right ventricular function was assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and further right ventricular and atrial parameters. Exclusion criteria were age under 18 years, left ventricular ejection fraction < 50% and moderate to severe valvular heart disease. Blood samples were taken for biomarker measurements within 72 h of echocardiography. Results Ninety-one patients were included. Median values of copeptin increased significantly according to decreasing values of TAPSE (P = 0.001; right heart function grade I: tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion; TAPSE > 24 mm: 5.20 pmol/L; grade II: TAPSE 18–24 mm: 8.10 pmol/L; grade III: TAPSE < 18 mm: 26.50 pmol/L). Copeptin concentrations were able to discriminate patients with decreased right heart function defined as TAPSE < 18 mm (area under the curves [AUC]: copeptin: 0.793; P = 0.001; NT-proBNP: 0.805; P = 0.0001). Within a multivariable linear regression model, copeptin was independently associated with TAPSE (copeptin: T: –4.43; P = 0.0001; NT-proBNP: T: –1.21; P = 0.23). Finally, copeptin concentrations were significantly associated with severely reduced right heart function (TAPSE < 18 mm) within a multivariate logistic regression model (copeptin: odds ratio: 0.94; 95% confidence interval: 0.911–0.975; P = 0.001). Conclusions This study demonstrates that the novel biomarker copeptin reflects longitudinal right heart function assessed by standardized transthoracic echocardiography compared with NT-proBNP.
Hope in end-of-life cancer patients: A cross-sectional analysis

Abstract Objective Hope promotes oncology patients’ adaptability to their illness, regardless of the stage of cancer. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hope in a sample of end-of-life patients and to investigate the possible relationships between hope and a set of clinical and psychosocial measures. Method Three hundred and fifty end-of-life oncology patients, with a presumed life expectancy of 4 months or less and a Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of 50 or lower, were administered the Italian validated versions of a set of rating scales during their first consultation with a psychologist. This included the Herth Hope Index (HHI), Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI), Demoralization Scale (DS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-Sp), and the Visual Analogue Scale for pain (VAS). Results On average, the sample scored between moderate and high on the HHI and the average level of spirituality was high. However, most patients had clinically relevant anxious and depressive symptomatology and high levels of demoralization. Other than the pain scale, the total HHI score significantly correlated with the total scores of all rating scales and their subscales, as well as with the measure of personal religious practice. The “Meaning” FACIT-Sp subscale was found to be the main predictor of hope. Significance of results Since hope represents a core need and a tool for patients dealing with their illness, it is essential to implement stage-specific and realistic hope-facilitating interventions and support patients in their search for meaning, which promotes spiritual well-being and appears relevant in fostering hope.
Physical performance and perception of foot discomfort during a soccer-specific match simulation. A comparison of football boots

ABSTRACT Football boots are marketed with emphasis on a single key performance characteristic (e.g. speed). Little is known on how design parameters impact players’ performance. This study investigated the impact of boot design on performance maintenance and perceived foot comfort during a 90-minute match simulation drill. Eleven male university football players tested two commercially available “sprint boots” known to generate significantly different plantar pressures (high=Boot H and low=Boot L) . Players completed a modified Soccer-specific Aerobic Field Test on a 3G pitch. Heart rate, rated perceived exertion and perceived foot discomfort were assessed for each 15-min interval. Power generation was assessed pre- and post-match simulation. A significantly higher mean heart rate was seen for Boot L in the 60th–75th and 75th–90th minute intervals (P = 0.017, P = 0.012 respectively). Perceived exertion did not differ between boots (P ≥ 0.302). Power generation significantly decreased in Boot H between pre- and post-match (P = 0.042). Both boots increased discomfort with significantly more plantar discomfort felt in the last 30 min in Boot H (75th min: P = 0.037; 90th min: P = 0.048). The results imply that a comfortable boot design may improve maintenance of performance during match-play.
Cyanomethylene Formation from the Reaction of Excited Nitrogen Atoms with Acetylene: A Crossed Beam and ab Initio Study

The reaction of excited nitrogen atoms, N(2D), with the simplest alkyne, C2H2, was investigated for the first time under single-collision conditions in crossed beam experiments with mass spectrometric detection. The experimental results combined with electronic structure calculations and RRKM predictions allow us to identify cyanomethylene (HCCN) as the main primary reaction product and to establish its formation dynamics. The identification of the N/H exchange channel suggests that the title reaction is a good candidate to explain formation of nitriles in the upper atmosphere of Titan.
Personality Determinants of Diet Quality among Polish and Spanish Physical Education Students

The aim of the study was to analyze the relationship between the Big Five personality traits and diet quality indexes among Polish and Spanish physical education students. The study was conducted among students from Poland (n = 219) and Spain (n = 280), using the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire and the NEO-FFI (NEO Five-Factor Inventory) questionnaire. Two indexes were used: the Pro-healthy Diet Index (pHDI-10) and the Non-healthy Diet Index (nHDI-14). For statistical analysis, the t-test with independent estimation of variance as well as both Spearman’s and Pearson’s correlation analysis and moderation analysis with simple slopes were used. Polish and Spanish physical education students demonstrated low levels of healthy (pHDI-10) and unhealthy (nHDI-14) diet indexes, with Polish students showing significantly higher intensities of both indicators (p < 0.001). As extraversion intensified, the levels of pHDI-10 and nHDI-14 increased (p < 0.05). The nHDI-14 index for all students decreased along with increasing openness to experiences (p < 0.01) and agreeableness (p < 0.05), and the pHDI-10 index increased with the rise in conscientiousness (p < 0.01). Analyses have indicated that the home country is an important moderator of personality relationships with the Non-healthy Diet Index (nHDI-14), which, along with the increase in conscientiousness, increased in students from Spain, while it decreased among students from Poland (p < 0.001). Polish and Spanish physical education students showed a low level of healthy (pHDI-10) and unhealthy (nHDI-14) diets depending on country of origin. Additionally, significant correlations were noted between the Big Five personality traits and pHDI-10 and nHDI-14 indexes, and a moderating impact was observed by the home country on the relationships of selected personality traits with the Non-healthy Diet Index (nHDI-14).
Sex differences in long-term clinical outcomes of acute myocardial infarction according to the presence of diabetes mellitus

Background/Aims This study compared long-term clinical outcomes between male and female acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods From November 2011 to December 2015, 13,104 patients with AMI were enrolled in the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry National Institutes of Health (KAMIR-NIH) (4,458 diabetic patients and 8,646 non-diabetic patients). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to reduce bias due to confounding variables. Following PSM, 2,046 diabetic patients, 1,023 males (69.8 ± 9.4 years) and 1,023 females (69.9 ± 9.4 years); and 3,412 non-diabetic patients, 1,706 males (70.0 ± 10.4 years) and 1,706 females (70.4 ± 10.8 years) were analyzed. Clinical outcomes were compared between male and female patients with and without diabetes over a 3-year clinical follow-up. Results In diabetic patients, mortality (21.1% vs. 21.5%, p = 0.813) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (30.6% vs. 31.4%, p = 0.698) were not significantly different between males and females. However, mortality (15.8% vs. 12.0%, p = 0.002) and MACE (20.8% vs. 15.6%, p < 0.001) were significantly higher in male non-diabetic patients than in female non-diabetic patients. The predictors of mortality for both males and females in the diabetic and non-diabetic groups were old age, heart failure, renal dysfunction, anemia, and no percutaneous coronary intervention. Conclusions The long-term clinical outcomes in AMI patients with DM did not significantly differ by sex. However, the mortality and MACE in non-diabetic male patients were higher than those in females.