Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
α-AMANITIN RESISTANCE IN THREE WILD STRAINS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Three wild strains of D. melanogaster have been identified which are resistant to normally lethal levels of the fungal toxin, α-amanitin. Dietary LD50s for Oregon-R, the reference strain, and Ama-KTT, Ama-MI and Ama-KLM, the resistant strains, are 1.2, 35, 30 and 10 μg α-amanitin/vial, respectively. Resistance in all three strains is a digenic trait, being determined by two independently acting dominant genes, Ama-1, Ama-2, either of which is sufficient to confer resistance and which are located at approximately 18.8 and 100.7, respectively, on chromosome 3. Resistance to α-amanitin in all three strains is apparently not mediated by modification of RNA polymerase form II nor by failure of toxin transport or by toxin inactivation.
Cholesterol requirement of subadult black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon (Fabricius)

The high cost of cholesterol used in aquaculture diets for shrimp makes it important to precisely define their requirement for this essential nutrient in order to avoid excess supplementation of the diet. Two experiments were carried out to determine the cholesterol requirement of subadult (about 3 g) Penaeus monodon (Fabricius). The growth response and survival of shrimp were compared following feeding for up to 8 weeks with diets in which the cholesterol content varied between 0.7 and 8.5 g kg−1. Feed intake was quantified and the retention of ingested cholesterol determined by whole body analysis. The cholesterol requirement of subadult P. monodon was found to be about 75 mg kg−1 body weight d−1. The optimum dietary cholesterol content was approximately 1.7 g kg−1 (dry matter), which is appreciably lower than the current recommendation of 2.5–4 g kg−1. In most practical shrimp diets, the endogenous cholesterol in the ingredients provides more than 1.7 g kg−1 of cholesterol. Hence, our research suggests that it may be unnecessary to add expensive, supplementary cholesterol to commercial shrimp diets.
The role of psychology in determining human–predator conflict across southern Kenya

Conflict between people and carnivores can lead to the widespread killing of predators in retaliation for livestock loss and is a major threat to predator populations. In Kenya, a large, rural, pastoralist population comes into regular conflict with predators, which persist across southern Kenya. We explored the social and psychological backdrop to livestock management practices in this area in a process designed to be easy to use and suitable for use across large areas for the study of conflict and transboundary implementation of wildlife conflict reduction measures, focusing on community involvement and needs. We carried out fully structured interviews of livestock managers with a survey tool that examined how social and psychological factors may influence livestock management behavior. We compared survey responses on 3 sites across the study area, resulting in 723 usable responses. Efficacy of individuals’ livestock management varied between and within communities. This variation was partially explained by normative and control beliefs regarding livestock management. Individual livestock managers’ self‐reported management issues were often an accurate reflection of their practical management difficulties. Psychological norms, control beliefs, and attitudes differed among sites, and these differences partially explained patterns associated with conflict (i.e., variation in livestock management behavior). Thus, we conclude that a one‐size‐fits‐all approach to improving livestock management and reducing human–predator conflict is not suitable.
Gonochoric sexual system in the caridean shrimps Processa riveroi and P. bermudensis (Decapoda: Processidae) inhabiting a tropical seagrass meadow

The sexual system of two caridean shrimps (Processa riveroi and P. bermudensis) was investigated, stimulated by reports of male to female sex change (protandry) in Processa edulis from European waters. Shrimps used in the study were obtained from monthly samples taken from March 1982 to February 1983 in a Thalassia–Syringodium seagrass meadow in Puerto Rico. Observations on size, sex, and reproductive condition were used to construct monthly size–frequency distributions and sex-ratios by size-class (SC). Males were smaller than reproductive females, but there was extensive overlap in size between males and immature females. A sex-ratio (SR) analysis by SC of the overall year-long population sample showed an equal or female-biased SR in the smallest SC, a male-biased SR in 1–3 intermediate SC, with larger SC dominated by females incubating embryos. Such a population structure might result from slower growth in males than females and higher mortality in larger males. Observations on and allometric analysis of sexual characters failed to identify transitional individuals (sex-changers) intermediate in reproductive morphology between males and females. Thus, a hypothesis of protandry is rejected, and that of gonochory (separate sexes) is accepted in these two Processa species, revealing possible variation in sexual systems among Processa species.
An Efficient Method for the Glycosylation of Isoflavones

The isoflavone phytoestrogens are still of current interest for their positive and negative health benefits. However, there are still many unanswered questions regarding their absorption, metabolism and bioavailability. Studies in this area require access to samples of both the isoflavone 7-O-glucosides, the form found in plants and the 7-O-glucuronides, which are important mammaliam metabolites. A new efficient, high-yielding glycosylation procedure is described for isoflavones, which employs 2,2,2-trifluoro-N-(p-methoxyphenyl)acetamidates as the glycosyl donors. This methodology was used to prepare the 7-O-glycosides of the three main isoflavones, daidzein, genistein and glycitein. The isoflavones were protected with hexanoyl groups which improved their solubility in organic solvents and improved the efficiency of the reaction. The same methodology was then adapted for the synthesis of the analogous 7-O-glucuronides. The new synthesis will provide access to large quantities of these compounds for further biological studies. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
The Effect of Extracellular Calcium Metabolism on Aldosterone Biosynthesis in Physiological and Pathological Status

Abstract Primary aldosteronism (PA) was reported to frequently harbor not only cardiovascular diseases but also some metabolic disorders including secondary calcium metabolic diseases. Recently, the potential association between aldosterone producing cells and systemic calcium metabolism has been proposed. For instance, PA is frequently associated with hypercalciuria or hypocalcemia, which subsequently stimulates parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. This altered calcium metabolism in PA patients could frequently result in secondary osteoporosis and fracture in some patients. On the other hand, extracellular calcium itself directly acts on adrenal cortex and has been also proposed as an independent regulator of aldosterone biosynthesis in human adrenals. However, it is also true that both PTH and vitamin D pathways stimulate endocrine functions of adrenal cortical adenomas to co-secret both aldosterone and cortisol. Therefore, it has become pivotal to explore the potential crosstalk between aldosterone and systemic calcium metabolism. We herein reviewed recent advances in these fields.
Identification of microRNAs associated with the survival of patients with gallbladder carcinoma

Objective This study investigated micro (mi)RNAs associated with the survival of patients with gallbladder carcinoma (GBC). Methods miRNA expression profiling was carried out of 40 cancerous tissues from GBC patients with long-term (n = 20) and short-term (n = 20) survival and eight healthy gallbladder tissues from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. miRNAs dysregulated in GBC patients with long-term or short-term survival were identified using GEO2R and VennDiagram packages, and analyzed by miRNA target prediction tools and the clusterProfiler package. Results Compared with healthy gallbladder tissues, 104 and 124 miRNAs were dysregulated in cancerous tissues of GBC patients with long-term survival and short-term survival, respectively. Two miRNAs (hsa-miR-142-5p and hsa-miR-146b-5p) and 22 miRNAs (such as hsa-miR-30a-3p, hsa-miR-660-5p, and hsa-miR-338-3p) were exclusively dysregulated in GBC patients with long-term and short-term survival, respectively. Enrichment analysis revealed that miRNAs exclusively dysregulated in GBC patients with short-term survival were involved in 46 biological processes, 10 cellular components, 11 molecular functions, and 44 pathways such as morphogenesis of an epithelium, response to transforming growth factor beta, heterochromatin, and phosphatase binding. Conclusion This study not only identified some promising biomarkers for predicting survival in GBC patients, but also contributed to our understanding of the pathogenesis and prognosis of GBC.
Exosomes and soluble secretome from hormone-treated endometrial epithelial cells direct embryo implantation.

A successful pregnancy requires a synchronous dialogue between endometrium and embryo within the endometrial milieu. The aim of this study was to assess the role in implantation of mediators in the endometrial milieu. Total secretome, soluble secretome and small extracellular vesicles (containing exosomes) were generated from hormonally-primed human endometrial epithelial cell culture medium. Human trophectoderm stem cell-derived spheroids were cultured with total secretome, soluble secretome or exosomes (30 µg/ml) on hormonally-primed epithelial cells, with exosomes significantly increasing cell adhesion and outgrowth. Further, F1 mouse 2-cell embryos were cultured in groups for 48h followed by culture with each secretome fraction (30 µg/ml) for 48h. Blastocyst cell number and hatching were quantified. Additionally, blastocysts were further cultured on a fibronectin matrix for 72h or transferred to recipient mice (with corresponding secretomes) with embryo implantation assessed after 6 days. Exosomes significantly increased total cell number in mouse embryos and complete hatching from zona pellucida, with both exosomes and soluble secretome significantly enhancing mouse embryo outgrowth. Importantly, exosomes increased the embryo implantation rate in comparison to other secretome fractions (normalized based on treatment amount) from the endometrial epithelia. This data indicates that endometrial epithelial exosomes support embryo growth, development and implantation while the soluble secretome has selective involvement specifically on mouse embryo outgrowth. This finding provides new insights into the molecular differences of endometrial secretome components in implantation and early embryo development, and may implicate endometrial exosomes in the pathophysiology of implantation failure in infertility.
An EGFR signature predicts cell line and patient sensitivity to multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors

EGFR is an oncogene with a high frequency of activating mutations in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). EGFR inhibitors have been FDA‐approved for NSCLC and have shown efficacy in patients with certain EGFR mutations. However, only 9% to 26% of these patients achieve objective responses. In our study, we developed an EGFR gene signature based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA‐seq data of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) to direct the preselection of patients for more effective EGFR‐targeted therapy. This signature infers baseline EGFR signaling pathway activity (denoted as EGFR score) in tumor samples, which is associated with tumor sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors and other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). EGFR score predicted sensitivity of lung cancer cell lines to Erlotinib, Gefitinib and Sorafenib. Importantly, EGFR score calculated from pretreated samples was associated with patient response to Gefitinib and Sorafenib in lung cancer. Additionally, integration of the EGFR signature with TCGA LUAD data showed that it accurately predicted functional effects of different somatic EGFR mutations, and identified other mutations affecting EGFR pathway activity. Finally, using cancer cell line and clinical trial data, the EGFR score was associated with patient response to TKIs in liver cancer and other cancer types. The EGFR signature provides a useful biomarker that can expand the application of EGFR inhibitors or other TKIs and improve their treatment efficacy through patient stratification.
Impact of an Antiresonant Oxide Island on the Lasing of Lateral Modes in VCSELs

Use of antiresonant structures is a proven, efficient method of improving lateral mode selectivity in VCSELs. In this paper, we analyze the impact of a low-refractive antiresonant oxide island buried in a top VCSEL mirror on the lasing conditions of lateral modes of different orders. By performing comprehensive thermal, electrical, and optical numerical analysis of the VCSEL device, we show the impact of the size and location of the oxide island on the current-crowding effect and compute threshold currents for various lateral modes. If the island is placed close to the cavity, the threshold shows strong oscillations, which for moderate island distances can be tuned to increase the side mode discrimination. We are therefore able to pinpoint the most important factors influencing mode discrimination and to identify oxide island parameters capable of providing single-lateral-mode emission.
A Herbal Mixture from Propolis, Pomegranate, and Grape Pomace Endowed with Anti-Inflammatory Activity in an In Vivo Rheumatoid Arthritis Model

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease characterized by the production of inflammatory factors. In order to overcome the side effects of currently used anti-inflammatory drugs, several attempts have been made to identify natural products capable of relieving RA symptoms. In this work, a herbal preparation consisting of propolis, pomegranate peel, and Aglianico grape pomace (PPP) extracts (4:1:1) was designed and evaluated for its effect on a murine collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Firstly, the chemical contents of four different Italian propolis collected in the Campania region (Italy) were here reported for the first time. LC-MS analyses showed the presence of 38 constituents, identified in all propolis extracts, belonging to flavonoids and phenolic acids classes. The Pietradefusi extract was the richest one and thus was selected to design the PPP preparation for the in vivo assay. Our results highlight the impact of PPP on RA onset and progression. By using in vivo CIA models, the treatment with PPP resulted in a delayed onset of the disease and alleviated the severity of the clinical symptoms. Furthermore, we demonstrated that early PPP treatment was associated with a reduction in serum levels of IL-17, IL-1b, and IL-17–triggering cytokines.
Intensity of nursing work in public hospitals*

Abstract Objective: to analyze the intensity of nursing work in public hospitals. Method: cross-sectional, quantitative study, carried out in 22 public hospitals. The sample was composed of 265 nurses and 810 nursing technicians and assistants. Data were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed with Exploratory Factor Analysis. The calculation of the distribution of the work intensity by category was done using a score ranging from -1 to +1 standard deviation of the data. Fisher’s exact test (0.05 <p≤0.10) was used to observe the significance between groups according to the employment bond. Results: work intensity contributed to the explanation of precarization of work, with a value of 13% for nurses and 51.2% for technicians and assistants. For the technicians and assistants, the variables with the highest factor loadings were ‘work requires more than she can do’ (0.6696) and ‘takes on multiple tasks due to staff shortages’ (0.6156). Among nurses, the highest factor loadings were observed in the variables ‘time pressure at work (0.6779) and ‘Work pace’ (0.6651). Conclusion: the variables analyzed indicate that work intensity occurs differently among nursing workers, and is revealed by the versatility, understaffing and flexibility of work.
High need for recovery from work and sleep problems are associated with workers’ unhealthy dietary habits

Abstract Objective: We aimed to examine the association of recovery from work and sleep with workers’ dietary habits. Design: Cross-sectional study. Need for recovery (NFR) from work was assessed with a validated questionnaire. Sleep was assessed with five questions from the Nordic Sleep Questionnaire and sleep quality question. Dietary habits were estimated using a validated sixteen food groups-containing questionnaire. Ordered logistic regression was used to explore the associations of NFR and sleep with dietary habits adjusted for age, education, marital status, work schedule, working full or part time and occupation. Setting: Follow-up visits of type 2 diabetes prevention study cohort in a Finnish airline company Participants: The study included 737 men and 605 women. Results: Poor recovery from work was associated with a higher eating frequency (OR = 1·03, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·06), higher intake of fast food (OR = 1·05, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·08) and sweets (OR = 1·05, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·08) as well as lower intake of vegetables (OR = 0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·98) and fruits (OR = 0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·98) among men. In women, poor recovery from work was associated with higher fast food (OR = 1·06, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·09) and desserts consumption (OR = 1·04, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·07). Among men and women, sleep problems were associated with higher eating frequency (men: OR = 1·04, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·07, women: OR = 1·06, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·11), consumption of fast food (men: OR = 1·07, 95 % CI 1·04, 1·11, women: OR = 1·06, 95 % CI 1·02, 1·10) and sweets (men: OR = 1·05, 95 % CI 1·01, 1·08, women: OR = 1·04, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·08). Conclusions: Poor recovery from work and sleep problems were associated with unfavourable dietary habits especially in men.
Effects of 120 g/h of Carbohydrates Intake during a Mountain Marathon on Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Elite Runners

Background—exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) and internal exercise load are increased after competing in ultraendurance events such as mountain marathons. Adequate carbohydrate (CHO) intake during exercise optimizes athletic performance and could limit EIMD, reduce internal exercise load and, thus, improve recovery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to research into and compare the effects of high CHO intake (120 g/h) in terms of CHO intake recommendation (90 g/h) and regular CHO intake performed by ultraendurance athletes (60 g/h) during a mountain marathon, on exercise load and EIMD markers (creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), urea and creatinine). Materials and Methods—a randomized trial was carried out on 20 male elite runners who had previously undertaken nutritional and gut training, and who consumed different CHO dosages according to experimental (EXP—120 g/h), control (CON—90 g/h) and low CHO intake (LOW—60 g/h) groups during a ~4000 m cumulative slope mountain marathon. EIMD markers were analyzed before the race and 24 h afterwards. Internal exercise load was calculated based on rate of perceived exertion (RPE) during and after the marathon event. Results—internal exercise load during the mountain marathon was significantly lower (p = 0.019; η2p = 0.471) in EXP (3805 ± 281 AU) compared to LOW (4688 ± 705 AU) and CON (4692 ± 716 AU). Moreover, results revealed that the EXP group evidenced significantly lower CK (p = 0.019; η2p = 0.373), LDH (p < 0.001; η2p = 0.615) and GOT (p = 0.003; η2p = 0.500) values 24 h after the mountain marathon race compared to LOW and CON. Along these lines, EIMD and exercise load evidenced a close correlation (R = 0.742; p < 0.001). Conclusion: High CHO intake (120 g/h) during a mountain marathon could limit the EIMD observed by CK, LDH and GOT and internal exercise load compared to CHO ingestion of 60 and 90 g/h.
Chromatin modified protein 4C (CHMP4C) facilitates the malignant development of cervical cancer cells

Despite improvements in prevention and treatment, cervical cancer (CC) still poses a serious threat to women’s health. CHMP4C (chromatin modified protein 4C) is a subunit of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport, which is expressed in both nucleus and cytoplasm. Here, we examined the effect of CHMP4C on the biological behavior of CC cells and the underlying mechanisms. We report that CHMP4C expression is higher in CC tissues, and high CHMP4C expression is associated with lower survival. Up‐regulation of CHMP4C in C‐33A cells accelerates cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas down‐regulation of CHMP4C in Ca Ski cells had the opposite effect. Moreover, overexpression of CHMP4C induced activation of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway, whereas depletion of CHMP4C inhibited activation. Our results suggest that CHMP4C contributes to the viability and motility of CC cells by modulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition and may facilitate the identification of novel biomarkers for CC therapy.
Hypogeusia as the initial presenting symptom of COVID-19

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first arose in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and has since been declared a pandemic. The clinical sequelae vary from mild, self-limiting upper respiratory infection symptoms to severe respiratory distress, acute cardiopulmonary arrest and death. Otolaryngologists around the globe have reported a significant number of mild or otherwise asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 presenting with olfactory dysfunction. We present a case of COVID-19 resulting in intensive care unit (ICU) admission, presenting with the initial symptom of disrupted taste and flavour perception prior to respiratory involvement. After 4 days in the ICU and 6 days on the general medicine floor, our patient regained a majority of her sense of smell and was discharged with only lingering dysgeusia. In this paper, we review existing literature and the clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 in relation to the reported symptoms of hyposmia, hypogeusia and dysgeusia.
Probing Nanoelectroporation and Resealing of the Cell Membrane by the Entry of Ca2+ and Ba2+ Ions

The principal bioeffect of the nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) is a lasting cell membrane permeabilization, which is often attributed to the formation of nanometer-sized pores. Such pores may be too small for detection by the uptake of fluorescent dyes. We tested if Ca2+, Cd2+, Zn2+, and Ba2+ ions can be used as nanoporation markers. Time-lapse imaging was performed in CHO, BPAE, and HEK cells loaded with Fluo-4, Calbryte, or Fluo-8 dyes. Ca2+ and Ba2+ did not change fluorescence in intact cells, whereas their entry after nsPEF increased fluorescence within <1 ms. The threshold for one 300-ns pulse was at 1.5–2 kV/cm, much lower than >7 kV/cm for the formation of larger pores that admitted YO-PRO-1, TO-PRO-3, or propidium dye into the cells. Ba2+ entry caused a gradual emission rise, which reached a stable level in 2 min or, with more intense nsPEF, kept rising steadily for at least 30 min. Ca2+ entry could elicit calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) followed by Ca2+ removal from the cytosol, which markedly affected the time course, polarity, amplitude, and the dose-dependence of fluorescence change. Both Ca2+ and Ba2+ proved as sensitive nanoporation markers, with Ba2+ being more reliable for monitoring membrane damage and resealing.