Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Micronutrient supplementation of lactating Guatemalan women acutely increases infants' intake of riboflavin, thiamin, pyridoxal, and cobalamin, but not niacin, in a randomized crossover trial.

BACKGROUND Maternal supplementation during lactation could increase milk B-vitamin concentrations, but little is known about the kinetics of milk vitamin responses. OBJECTIVES We compared acute effects of maternal lipid-based nutrient supplement (LNS) consumption (n = 22 nutrients, 175%-212% of the RDA intake for the nutrients examined), as a single dose or at spaced intervals during 8 h, on milk concentrations and infant intake from milk of B-vitamins. METHODS This randomized crossover trial in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala included 26 mother-infant dyads 4-6 mo postpartum who were randomly assigned to receive 3 treatments in a random order: bolus 30-g dose of LNS (Bolus); 3 × 10-g doses of LNS (Divided); and no LNS (Control), with control meals. Mothers attended three 8-h visits during which infant milk consumption was measured and milk samples were collected at every feed. Infant intake was assessed as $\mathop \sum \nolimits_{i\ = \ 1}^n ( {{\rm{milk\ volum}}{{\rm{e}}_{{\rm{feed\ }}n}} \times \ {\rm{nutrient\ concentratio}}{{\rm{n}}_{{\rm{feed}}\ n}}} )\ $over 8 h. RESULTS Maternal supplementation with the Bolus or Divided dose increased least-squares mean (95% CI) milk and infant intakes of riboflavin [milk: Bolus: 154.4 (138.2, 172.5) μg · min-1 · mL-1; Control: 84.5 (75.8, 94.3) μg · min-1 · mL-1; infant: Bolus: 64.5 (56.1, 74.3) μg; Control: 34.5 (30.0, 39.6) μg], thiamin [milk: Bolus: 10.9 (10.1, 11.7) μg · min-1 · mL-1; Control: 7.7 (7.2, 8.3) μg · min-1 · mL-1; infant: Bolus: 5.1 (4.4, 6.0) μg; Control: 3.4 (2.9, 4.0) μg], and pyridoxal [milk: Bolus: 90.5 (82.8, 98.9) μg · min-1 · mL-1; Control: 60.8 (55.8, 66.3) μg · min-1 · mL-1; infant: Bolus: 39.4 (33.5, 46.4) μg; Control: 25.0 (21.4, 29.2) μg] (all P < 0.001). Only the Bolus dose increased cobalamin in milk [Bolus: 0.054 (0.047, 0.061) μg · min-1 · mL-1; Control: 0.041 (0.035, 0.048) μg · min-1 · mL-1, P = 0.039] and infant cobalamin intake [Bolus: 0.023 (0.020, 0.027) μg; Control: 0.015 (0.013, 0.018) μg, P = 0.001] compared with Control. Niacin was unaffected. CONCLUSIONS Maternal supplementation with LNS as a Bolus or Divided dose was similarly effective at increasing milk riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxal and infant intakes, whereas only the Bolus dose increased cobalamin. Niacin was unaffected in 8 h. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02464111.
Identification of Fatty Acid, Lipid and Polyphenol Compounds from Prunus armeniaca L. Kernel Extracts

Apart from its essential oil, Prunus armeniaca L. kernel extract has received only scarce attention. The present study aimed to describe the lipid and polyphenolic composition of the dichloromethane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and ethanol extracts on the basis of hot extraction, performing analysis by gas chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. A total of 6 diacylglycerols (DAGs) and 18 triacylglycerols (TAGs) were detected as being present in all extracts, with the predominance of OLL (dilinoleyl-olein), OOL (dioleoyl-linolein), and OOO (triolein), with percentages ranging from 19.0–32.8%, 20.3–23.6%, and 12.1–20.1%, respectively. In further detail, the extraction with ethyl acetate (medium polarity solvent) gave the highest signal for all peaks, followed by chloroform and dichloromethane (more apolar solvent), while the extraction with ethanol (polar solvent) was the least efficient. Ethanol showed very poor signal for the most saturated TAGs, while dichloromethane showed the lowest percentages of DAGs. Accordingly, the screening of the total fatty acid composition revealed the lowest percentage of linoleic acid (C18:2n6) in the dichloromethane extract, which instead contained the highest amount (greater than 60%) of oleic acid (C18:1n9). Polyphenolic compounds with pharmacological effects (anti-tumor, anti-coagulant, and inflammatory), such as coumarin derivative and amygdalin, occurred at a higher amount in ethyl acetate and ethanol extracts.
Hemodynamic performance of a compact centrifugal left ventricular assist device with fully magnetic levitation under pulsatile operation: An in vitro study

Long-term using continuous flow ventricular assist devices could trigger complications associated with diminished pulsatility, such as valve insufficiency and gastrointestinal bleeding. One feasible solution is to produce pulsatile flow assist with speed regulation in continuous flow ventricular assist devices. A third-generation blood pump with pulsatile operation control algorithm was first characterized alone under pulsatile mode at various speeds, amplitudes, and waveforms. The pump was then incorporated in a Mock circulation system to evaluate in vitro hemodynamic effects when using continuous and different pulsatile operations. Pulsatility was evaluated by surplus hemodynamic energy. Results showed that pulsatile operations provided sufficient hemodynamic assistance and increased pulsatility of the circulatory system (53% increment), the mean aortic pressure (65% increment), and cardiac output (27% increment). The pulsatility of the system under pulsatile operation support was increased 147% compared with continuous operation support. The hemodynamic performance of pulsatile operations is susceptible to phase shifts, which could be a tacking angle for physiological control optimization. This study found third-generation blood pumps using different pulsatile operations for ventricular assistance promising.
Oral Regeneration Is the Default Pathway Triggered by Injury in Hydra

In animals capable of whole-body regeneration, a single bisection injury can trigger two different types of regeneration. Currently, it is not well understood how this adaptive response is transcriptionally regulated. We therefore comprehensively characterized transcript abundance and chromatin accessibility during two types of regeneration—oral and aboral regeneration—in the cnidarian Hydra vulgaris. We found that there was an initial generalized response to injury that was not dependent on the type of structure being regenerated. Canonical Wnt signaling, which specifies oral tissue in cnidarians, was activated during this generalized response, likely through the direct upregulation of Wnt ligands by conserved injury-responsive transcription factors. As regeneration progressed, transcription diverged and Wnt signaling became restricted to oral regeneration. We found that TCF, the transcription factor downstream of Wnt signaling, was required for the initiation of oral and aboral-specific transcription, suggesting that the Wnt pathway is important for both types of regeneration. Finally, we found that Wnt signaling was also activated by puncture wounds and that removing pre-existing organizers induced these injuries to undergo ectopic head regeneration. Our work suggests that injuries activate an oral regeneration program, and that other regeneration outcomes are caused by signals from the surrounding tissue. Furthermore, these findings suggest that Wnt signaling may be part of an ancient and conserved metazoan wound response program predating the split of cnidarians and bilaterians.
FIP200 organizes the autophagy machinery at p62-ubiquitin condensates beyond activation of the ULK1 kinase

Macroautophagy is a conserved degradation pathway, which mediates cellular homeostasis by the delivery of harmful substances into lysosomes. This is achieved by the sequestration of these substances referred to as cargo within double membrane vesicles, the autophagosomes, which form de novo. Among the many cargoes that are targeted by autophagy are condensates containing p62 and ubiquitinated proteins. p62 recruits the FIP200 protein to initiate autophagosome formation at the condensates. How FIP200 in turn organizes the autophagy machinery is unclear. Here we show that FIP200 is dispensable for the recruitment of the upstream autophagy machinery to the condensates, but it is necessary for phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate formation and WIPI2 recruitment. We further find that FIP200 is required for the activation of the ULK1 kinase. Surprisingly, ULK1 kinase activity is not strictly required for autophagosome formation at p62 condensates. Super-resolution microscopy of p62 condensates revealed that FIP200 surrounds the condensates where it spatially organizes ATG13 and ATG9A for productive autophagosome formation. Our data provide a mechanistic insight into how FIP200 orchestrates autophagosome initiation at the cargo.
FH through the retrospectoscope

After training as a gastroenterologist in the UK, the author became interested in lipidology while he was a research fellow in the USA and switched careers after returning home. Together with Nick Myant, he introduced the use of plasma exchange to treat familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) homozygotes and undertook non-steady state studies of LDL kinetics, which showed that the fractional catabolic rate of LDL remained constant irrespective of pool size. Subsequent steady-state turnover studies showed that FH homozygotes had an almost complete lack of receptor-mediated LDL catabolism, providing in vivo confirmation of the Nobel Prize-winning discovery by Goldstein and Brown that LDL receptor dysfunction was the cause of FH. Further investigation of metabolic defects in FH revealed that a significant proportion of LDL in homozygotes and heterozygotes was produced directly via a VLDL-independent pathway. Management of heterozygous FH has been greatly facilitated by statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors but remains dependent upon lipoprotein apheresis in homozygotes. In a recent analysis of a large cohort treated with a combination of lipid-lowering measures, survival was markedly enhanced in homozygotes in the lowest quartile of on-treatment serum cholesterol. Emerging therapies could further improve the prognosis of homozygous FH; whereas in heterozygotes, the current need is better detection.
Oxidative stress and the effect of riboflavin supplementation in individuals with uncomplicated malaria infection.

This study evaluated the effect of riboflavin supplementation in malaria patients. Fifteen patients (GpA) were given chloroquine tablets (25 mg/kg-body weight for three days, while 15 others (GpB) were given riboflavin tablets (300 mg per day for five days in addition to chloroquine). Twenty healthy individuals who were not given any drug served as control. Packed cell volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) levels in the patients were significantly lower (p erythrocytes. The results show that there is oxidative stress in malaria infection and that chloroquine supplementation with riboflavin could reduce lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes and improve the outcome of malaria.
Identification of alien chromosomes in a series of Allium fistulosum - A. cepa monosomic addition lines by means of genomic in situ hybridization

Genomic in situ hybridization (GISH) was used to identify alien chromosomes in a series of eight different Allium fistulosum – A. cepa monosomic addition lines. Biotin-labeled total genomic DNA from shallot (A. cepa L. Aggregatum group) was used as a probe together with an excess amount of unlabeled blocking DNA from the recipient plant, Japanese bunching onion (A. fistulosum L.). Probe hybridization sites were detected by FITC-conjugated avidin and anti-avidin antibody using an epifluorescence microscope. In each mitotic metaphase cell of all the eight types of monosomic addition lines, the alien chromosomes were successfully discriminated from other 16 A. fistulosum chromosomes. Furthermore, no clear exchanges of chromosome segments between A. cepa and A. fistulosum were observed. This finding indicates that in each addition line an entire (unrecombined) A. cepa chromosome is present in an integral diploid background of A. fistulosum.
THE FEEDING STUDY OF A Rana dalmatina POPULATION FROM CAREI PLAIN

The study was performed upon a Rana dalmatina population from the skirt of a forested area that is of conservative interest. We com- pared the food of the population between the adults and juveniles, and between the males and females. The signification test showed that the dif- ferences were significant. The most important preys were the caterpillars and spiders for the adults and the cicadas, collembolans and spiders for the juveniles. The adults and juveniles presented the highest differences, due to their different size. This factor restricted the juveniles to smaller- sized preys, such as cicada or collembolans. For these reasons their food was less diverse and the number of prey category was lower. The com- parison between the sexes indicated that they used the microhabitats from the level of the forest skirts in a different manner and that the fe- males fed more intensely. They hunted both in the grassy area as well as in the shrub zone. On the other hand, the males were mainly present in the grassy area, having a higher consumption frequency in the case of the caterpillars, and a lower one for the worms and snails that depend on the shadow and humidity given by the bushes. It can be said that the females had a higher ecologic plasticity than the males, connected with a higher mobility and feeding intensity.
Optimal Insurance Demand – Low Probability, High Consequence versus High Probability, Low Consequence

Contrary to expected utility theory empirical studies document a rather low insurance demand for rare catastrophic risks (LPHC – low probability high consequence) and a rather high insurance demand for small but frequent risks (HPLC – high probability low consequence). We explain this puzzle by mental accounting in a basic insurance model with two independent risks. To do so, we consider two optimization problems in which one risk (either LPHC or HPLC) is insurable while the other risk is seen as (uninsurable) background risk. We find that the optimal insurance demand against LPHC risks (HPLC is background risk) can be larger or smaller than the optimal insurance against HPLC risks (LPHC is background risk). This depends on, i.e. the risk preferences or initial wealth of the decision-maker. The loss probability affects this puzzle as well.
Can titanium elastic nail be safely used for paediatric subtrochanteric femur fractures?

In this study, we aimed to show that subtrochanteric femur fractures, an uncommon type of fracture in the paediatric age group, can be treated with titanium elastic nailing (TEN). We reviewed the patients treated with TEN in the paediatric age group with subtrochanteric femur fractures who had been treated at the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic of Izmir Tepecik Research and Training Hospital between January 2011 and December 2016 retrospectively. All fractures were fixed by retrograde nailing with supracondylar entry following reduction. Patients’ demographics as well as data such as fracture type, fracture level, time of operation, reduction type, time to union, shortness, additional fixation, duration of additional fixation, Flynn scores and reduction loss were evaluated. The 20 patients included in our study were followed up for at least 1 year, had an age range of 54–173 months (mean, 104 ± 31.82 months) and were operated within 2–11 days after fracture. All patients had fracture union and only three patients had union with an angulation of less than 5°. None of the patients had limb length inequality. Fourteen patients underwent reoperation, all of these were routine operations for implant removal and no patients required reoperation for complications. We think that paediatric subtrochanteric femur fractures can be treated by TEN fixation using the proper technique, with a limited invasive intervention.
BEHAVIOUR OF SOME IRIS CHRYSOGRAPHES GENOTYPES IN AGROBOTANICAL GARDEN USAMV CLUJ-NAPOCA

Diversification of the ornamental plants assortment with new species and genotypes that exhibit exceptional decorative characteristics has been a continuous preoccupation for specialists in Romania. The testing of these new species and genotypes in the conditions of our country as well as settling technical cultivation aspects are necessary prior to utilizing them for green spaces. Iris chrysographes is a species native to Asia that is highly appreciated for the dark violet color of the flowers. At the present time in various collections, for this species there are available hybrids, cultivated forms that often have been bred for darker shades and wild genotypes obtained from seeds collected in the native regions of the species. Cultivars of this species have been introduced and tested in the pedo-climatic conditions of Agrobotanical Garden of USAMV Cluj-Napoca. After two year observation period, has been concluded that accessions belonging to cultivated forms (Iris chrysographes â€œBlack Formâ€) present the best adaptability followed by the hybrid Iris chrysographes x forrestii.
Water Relations, Growth, and the Composition of `Braeburn' Apple Fruit under Deficit Irrigation

Three-year-old 'Braeburn' apple trees ( Malus domestica Borkh.) on MM106 rootstock were studied in a glasshouse to assess the effects of deficit irrigation on fruit growth, water relations, composition, and the vegetative growth of the trees. Trees were assigned to one of three treatments. The control (C) was fully watered. The first deficit treatment (D1) was deficit-irrigated from 55 days after full bloom (DAFB) until final harvest at 183 DAFB. The second deficit treatment (D2) was deficit-irrigated from 105 to 183 DAFB. Compared to C, the D1 and D2 trees developed a lower photosynthetic rate, leaf water potential ( Ψ l ), and stomatal conductance (g s ) during the stress period. Trunk-circumference growth was reduced in both D1 and D2 trees, but leaf area and shoot length were reduced in D1 only. Total soluble solids increased in both D1 and D2 fruit. Fructose, sorbitol, and total soluble sugar concentrations were higher in D1 fruit than in C and D2. Titratable acidity and K + levels were higher in D1 fruit than C and D2. For D1, lowering of fruit water potential (Ψ w ) was accompanied by a decrease in osmotic potential ( Ψ s ), and therefore turgor potential ( Ψ p ) was maintained throughout the sampling period. Regardless of fruit turgor maintenance, the weight of D1 fruit was reduced from 135 DAFB. Weight, sugar concentration, and water relations of D2 fruit were not affected by deficit irrigation. This indicates that fruit water relations and sugar concentration are modified if water deficit is imposed from early in the season. However, if water deficit is imposed later in the season it has less impact on the composition and water relations of the fruit.
Associations Between Northern Mockingbirds and the Parasite Philornis porteri in Relation to Urbanization

Abstract We investigated associations between Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) and the nest parasite Philornis porteri (Diptera: Muscidae), and how they vary with urbanization in northcentral Florida. Our goal was to ascertain if the ‘parasite-release’ hypothesis could contribute to high reproductive success of Northern Mockingbirds in urban areas. We collected 26 nests in 2007 and 73 in 2008 that had produced fledglings along an urbanization gradient, and measured the number of nests parasitized and the number of P. porteri in the nests. Habitats differed in prevalence of Philornis parasitism, but not directly in relation to urbanization. Parking lots and wildlife preserves had low levels of parasitism, whereas residential neighborhoods and pastures had significantly higher parasitism prevalence. Parasite prevalence was also significantly and positively affected by nest height and percentage of ground covered by buildings, trees, and open areas in the study site. Our findings do not offer strong support for the ‘parasite-release’ hypothesis in relation to urbanization, but suggest that vulnerability to parasites is habitat-specific.
Identification of Oxygen-Independent Pathways for Pyridine Nucleotide and Coenzyme A Synthesis in Anaerobic Fungi by Expression of Candidate Genes in Yeast

NAD (NAD+) and coenzyme A (CoA) are central metabolic cofactors whose canonical biosynthesis pathways in fungi require oxygen. Anaerobic gut fungi of the Neocallimastigomycota phylum are unique eukaryotic organisms that adapted to anoxic environments. ABSTRACT Neocallimastigomycetes are unique examples of strictly anaerobic eukaryotes. This study investigates how these anaerobic fungi bypass reactions involved in synthesis of pyridine nucleotide cofactors and coenzyme A that, in canonical fungal pathways, require molecular oxygen. Analysis of Neocallimastigomycetes proteomes identified a candidate l-aspartate-decarboxylase (AdcA) and l-aspartate oxidase (NadB) and quinolinate synthase (NadA), constituting putative oxygen-independent bypasses for coenzyme A synthesis and pyridine nucleotide cofactor synthesis. The corresponding gene sequences indicated acquisition by ancient horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events involving bacterial donors. To test whether these enzymes suffice to bypass corresponding oxygen-requiring reactions, they were introduced into fms1Δ and bna2Δ Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. Expression of nadA and nadB from Piromyces finnis and adcA from Neocallimastix californiae conferred cofactor prototrophy under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. This study simulates how HGT can drive eukaryotic adaptation to anaerobiosis and provides a basis for elimination of auxotrophic requirements in anaerobic industrial applications of yeasts and fungi. IMPORTANCE NAD (NAD+) and coenzyme A (CoA) are central metabolic cofactors whose canonical biosynthesis pathways in fungi require oxygen. Anaerobic gut fungi of the Neocallimastigomycota phylum are unique eukaryotic organisms that adapted to anoxic environments. Analysis of Neocallimastigomycota genomes revealed that these fungi might have developed oxygen-independent biosynthetic pathways for NAD+ and CoA biosynthesis, likely acquired through horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from prokaryotic donors. We confirmed functionality of these putative pathways under anaerobic conditions by heterologous expression in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This approach, combined with sequence comparison, offers experimental insight on whether HGT events were required and/or sufficient for acquiring new traits. Moreover, our results demonstrate an engineering strategy for enabling S. cerevisiae to grow anaerobically in the absence of the precursor molecules pantothenate and nicotinate, thereby contributing to alleviate oxygen requirements and to move closer to prototrophic anaerobic growth of this industrially relevant yeast.
Inductive Link Prediction for Nodes Having Only Attribute Information

Predicting the link between two nodes is a fundamental problem for graph data analytics. In attributed graphs, both the structure and attribute information can be utilized for link prediction. Most existing studies focus on transductive link prediction where both nodes are already in the graph. However, many real-world applications require inductive prediction for new nodes having only attribute information. It is more challenging since the new nodes do not have structure information and cannot be seen during the model training. To solve this problem, we propose a model called DEAL, which consists of three components: two node embedding encoders and one alignment mechanism. The two encoders aim to output the attribute-oriented node embedding and the structure-oriented node embedding, and the alignment mechanism aligns the two types of embeddings to build the connections between the attributes and links. Our model DEAL is versatile in the sense that it works for both inductive and transductive link prediction. Extensive experiments on several benchmark datasets show that our proposed model significantly outperforms existing inductive link prediction methods, and also outperforms the state-of-the-art methods on transductive link prediction.