Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Stability of Influenza Vaccination Behavior Over Time: A Longitudinal Analysis of Individuals Across 8 Years.

BACKGROUND Seasonal influenza vaccination is an important behavior with significant individual and public health consequences, yet fewer than half of individuals in the USA are vaccinated annually. To promote vaccination adherence, it is important to understand the factors that affect vaccination behavior. PURPOSE In this research, we focused on one such factor, an individual's vaccination history. We gathered longitudinal data to track and understand the relationship between an individual's vaccination history and their current behaviors. METHODS U.S. adults completed multiple surveys over an 8 year period, which asked about whether they had received the influenza vaccination during the previous flu season. We analyzed the data to determine the strength of the relationship between vaccination decisions across single-year and multiyear intervals. Additionally, we fitted two mathematical models to the data to determine whether individuals were better characterized as having a stable propensity to vaccinate or a stable propensity to repeat their previous decisions. RESULTS Individuals exhibited highly consistent behavior across adjacent years, yet, across the complete extent of the longitudinal study, they were far more likely to repeat the earlier decision to vaccinate. Surprisingly, the results of the mathematical model suggest that individuals are better characterized as having a stable propensity to repeat their previous decisions rather than a stable propensity to vaccinate per se. Although most individuals had an extremely strong tendency to repeat the previous decision, some had a far weaker propensity to do so. CONCLUSIONS This suggests that interventions intended to increase vaccination uptake might be most impactful for those individuals with only a weak tendency to vaccinate or not to vaccinate.
Arg-type dihydroflavonol 4-reductase genes from the fern Dryopteris erythrosora play important roles in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins

Dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), a key enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of anthocyanins, has been cloned from various species. However, little research has been conducted on this enzyme in ferns, which occupy a unique evolutionary position. In this study, we isolated two novel DFR genes from the fern Dryopteris erythrosora. In vitro enzymatic analysis revealed that DeDFR1 and DeDFR2 enzymes can catalyze dihydrokaempferol and dihydroquercetin but cannot catalyze dihydromyricetin. Amino acid sequence analysis showed that DeDFR1 and DeDFR2 have an arginine at the same substrate-specificity-determining site as that in the ferns Salvinia cucullata and Azolla filiculoides. Thus, we speculate that the Arg-type DFR is a new DFR functional type. To further verify the substrate preferences of the Arg-type DFR, an amino acid substitution assay was conducted. When N133 was mutated to R133, Arabidopsis DFR protein completely lost its catalytic activity for dihydromyricetin, as observed for DeDFR1 and DeDFR2. Additionally, heterologous expression of DeDFR2 in the Arabidopsis tt3-1 mutant resulted in increasing anthocyanin accumulation. In summary, DeDFR1 and DeDFR2 are considered to be a new type of DFR with unique structures and functions. The discovery of the Arg-type DFR provides new insights into the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in ferns.
Total Energy Expenditure, Body Composition, Physical Activity, and Step Count in Japanese Preschool Children: A Study Based on Doubly Labeled Water

Adequate energy intake is essential for the healthy development of children, and the estimated energy requirement of children is determined by total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and energy deposition for growth. A previous study in Japanese tweens indicated that TDEE could be estimated by fat-free mass (FFM) and step count. The aims of this study were to measure TDEE in Japanese preschool children and to confirm whether TDEE can be estimated by FFM and step count in preschool children. Twenty-one children aged 4–6 years old (11 girls and 10 boys; age, 5.1 (0.9) years; height, 107.2 (6.6) cm; weight, 17.5 (1.7) kg; BMI, 15.3 (1.3); mean (SD)) participated in this study. FFM and 7-day TDEE were obtained by doubly labeled water (DLW). Participants wore accelerometers during the DLW measurement period. No significant differences were observed in age-adjusted height, weight, BMI, FFM (13.0 (1.5) kg), or TDEE (1300 (174) kcal/day) between girls and boys. Girls had significantly higher percent fat and a lower daily step count than boys. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that FFM and step count were significant predictors of TDEE; TDEE (kcal/day) = 85.0 × FFM (kg) + 0.0135 × step count (steps/day). This accounted for 74% of TDEE variance. The current study confirmed that FFM and step count are major determinants of TDEE in Japanese preschool children as well as adolescents, although further research is needed to obtain precise equations.
Staling in Starch Breads: The Effect of Antistaling α‐Amylase

A novel starch bread that contained no gluten was found to firm at a rate comparable to a normal standard bread made from wheat flour. Treatment of both the starch and the standard bread with Novamyl, an antistaling enzyme mix, inhibited firming. 13C CP/MAS NMR studies showed that the decreased firming of the Novamyl-treated starch bread was correlated with decreased starch retrogradation. For the Novamyl-treated bread the increase in retrograded starch over six days following baking was about 11% compared to an increase of over 200% for the untreated bread. These results suggests that starch retrogradation is sufficient to cause bread firming.
Configuration optimization of bionic piezoelectric hair sensor for acoustic/tactile detection

Specialized sensory hairs are important biological sensors for arthropods to detect and recognize environmental conditions including acoustic, pressure and airflow signals. However, the present design methodology of such biomimic micro devices are mainly depending on shape mimicking, which greatly restricts their performance. In this paper, a novel genetic algorithm based optimization model for design of piezoelectric functional hair is developed for improving its acoustic pressure or tactile sensitivity. Furthermore, the sensing mechanism of axially polarized piezoelectric hair is explored and the main influencing factors on sensitivity including hair configuration and axial strain distribution are determined. Then, a series of optimized hair configurations are obtained in a specific frequency band from 1 Hz to 500 Hz, whose average sensitivity of 2.21 × 10−3 V Pa−1 is 10 times greater than that of the straight hair of 2.15 × 10−4 V Pa−1 with the same size. For tactile load detection, the output voltage of the optimized hair is about 1.5 times as much as that of the straight hair. The obtained hairs are similar with the spider’s trichobothria and tactile hair, which presents an explanation of biological hairs sensitive to dynamic and static loads.
Ketogenic low‐CHO, high‐fat diet: the future of elite endurance sport?

The ability of ketogenic low‐carbohydrate (CHO) high‐fat (K‐LCHF) diets to enhance muscle fat oxidation has led to claims that it is the ‘future of elite endurance sport’. There is robust evidence that substantial increases in fat oxidation occur, even in elite athletes, within 3–4 weeks and possibly 5–10 days of adherence to a K‐LCHF diet. Retooling of the muscle can double exercise fat use to ∼1.5 g min−1, with the intensity of maximal rates of oxidation shifting from ∼45% to ∼70% of maximal aerobic capacity. Reciprocal reductions in CHO oxidation during exercise are clear, but current evidence to support the hypothesis of the normalization of muscle glycogen content with longer‐term adaptation is weak. Importantly, keto‐adaptation may impair the muscle's ability to use glycogen for oxidative fates, compromising the use of a more economical energy source when the oxygen supply becomes limiting and, thus, the performance of higher‐intensity exercise (>80% maximal aerobic capacity). Even with moderate intensity exercise, individual responsiveness to K‐LCHF is varied, with extremes at both ends of the performance spectrum. Periodisation of K‐LCHF with high CHO availability might offer opportunities to restore capacity for higher‐intensity exercise, but investigations of various models have failed to find a benefit over dietary approaches based on current sports nutrition guidelines. Endurance athletes who are contemplating the use of K‐LCHF should undertake an audit of event characteristics and personal experiences to balance the risk of impaired performance of higher‐intensity exercise with the likelihood of an unavoidable depletion of carbohydrate stores.
Assessing Non-Invasive Liver Function in Patients with Intestinal Failure Receiving Total Parenteral Nutrition—Results from the Prospective PNLiver Trial

Liver abnormalities in intestinal failure (IF) patients receiving parenteral nutrition (PN) can progress undetected by standard laboratory tests to intestinal failure associated liver disease (IFALD). The aim of this longitudinal study is to evaluate the ability of non-invasive liver function tests to assess liver function following the initiation of PN. Twenty adult patients with IF were prospectively included at PN initiation and received scheduled follow-up assessments after 6, 12, and 24 months between 2014 and 2019. Each visit included liver assessment (LiMAx [Liver Maximum Capacity] test, ICG [indocyanine green] test, FibroScan), laboratory tests (standard laboratory test, NAFLD [non-alcoholic fatty liver disease] score, FIB–4 [fibrosis-4] score), nutritional status (bioelectrical impedance analysis, indirect calorimetry), and quality of life assessment. The patients were categorized post-hoc based on their continuous need for PN into a reduced parenteral nutrition (RPN) group and a stable parenteral nutrition (SPN) group. While the SPN group (n = 9) had significantly shorter small bowel length and poorer nutritional status at baseline compared to the RPN group (n = 11), no difference in liver function was observed between the distinct groups. Over time, liver function determined by LiMAx did continuously decrease from baseline to 24 months in the SPN group but remained stable in the RPN group. This decrease in liver function assessed with LiMAx in the SPN group preceded deterioration of all other investigated liver function tests during the study period. Our results suggest that the liver function over time is primarily determined by the degree of intestinal failure. Furthermore, the LiMAx test appeared more sensitive in detecting early changes in liver function in comparison to other liver function tests.
Altitudinal distribution of rodents (Muridae and Gliridae) on Mt Elgon, Uganda

Small mammals were surveyed along a transect in Mt Elgon National Park, Uganda, at altitudes from 2900 to 4300 m a.s. l. , with the main focus in the Afroalpine grasslands above 3500 m a.s. l. In this study, 13 species belonging to the Muridae were recorded, but only one species Lophuromys flavopunctatus Thomas 1888, occurred in all habitats. The highest species and individual numbers were found in richly structured vegetation in the Afro-alpine zone. Twenty-four species of Muridae and one Gliridae have been recorded from the Mt Elgon NP, Uganda (> 2000 m a.s.l.) so far, two more have been found on the Kenyan side and are likely to occur in Uganda. A total of 34 species of Muridae have been recorded on the whole range of Mt Elgon, two being endemic to the Afro-alpine zone, one listed as vulnerable and one as rare by the IUCN (LIDICKER 1985). The present distribution patterns and composition of the montane rodent communities are a result of different evolutionary histories mainly brought about by past changes in climate and vegetation. A number of montane rodents in Africa are relict forms, which declined due to habitat changes and competition from invading “modern” species.
Preclinical Study of the Pharmacokinetics of p75ECD-Fc, a Novel Human Recombinant Protein for Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease, in Sprague Dawley rats.

BACKGROUND p75ECD-Fc is a recombinant human protein that was recently developed as a novel therapy for Alzheimer's disease. Current studies showed that it is able to alleviate Alzheimer's disease pathologies in animal models of dementia. Thus, knowledge about the pharmacokinetic behavior and tissue distribution of this novel protein is crucial in order to better understand its pharmacodynamics and more importantly for its clinical development. METHODS The aim of this study is to characterize the pharmacokinetics of p75ECD-Fc after single intravenous and subcutaneous injection of 3mg/kg in Sprague Dawley rats. We calculated the bioavailability of the SC route penetrate the blood brain barrier. It showed high in-vitro stability in human plasma. and studied the distribution of that protein in different tissues, cerebrospinal fluid and urine using ELISA and immunofluorescence techniques. In-vitro stability of the drug was also assessed. Data obtained were analyzed with Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic method using R. RESULTS Results showed that the bioavailability of SC route was 66.15%. Half-life time was 7.5 ± 1.7 and 6.2 ± 2.4 days for IV and SC injection, respectively. Tissue distribution of p75ECD-Fc was modest with ability to penetrate the blood brain barrier. It showed high in-vitro stability in human plasma. CONCLUSION these acceptable pharmacokinetic properties of p75ECD-Fc present it as a potential candidate for clinical development for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Echocardiographic analysis of acute effects of percutaneous mitral annuloplasty on severity of secondary mitral regurgitation

Percutaneous mitral annuloplasty (PMA) represents a new treatment option for secondary mitral regurgitation (SMR) being associated with higher morbidity and mortality. The present study was aimed to evaluate whether or not acute effects on SMR severity can quantitatively be assessed after PMA.
19F NMR reveals the conformational properties of free thrombin and its zymogen precursor prethrombin-2

The conformational properties of trypsin-like proteases and their zymogen forms remain controversial because of a lack of sufficient information on their free forms. Specifically, it is unclear whether the free protease is zymogen-like and shifts to its mature form upon a ligand-induced fit or exists in multiple conformations in equilibrium from which the ligand selects the optimal fit via conformational selection. Here we report the results of 19F NMR measurements that reveal the conformational properties of a protease and its zymogen precursor in the free form. Using the trypsin-like, clotting protease thrombin as a relevant model system, we show that its conformation is quite different from that of its direct zymogen precursor prethrombin-2 and more similar to that of its fully active Na+-bound form. The results cast doubts on recent hypotheses that free thrombin is zymogen-like and transitions to protease-like forms upon ligand binding. Rather, they validate the scenario emerged from previous findings of X-ray crystallography and rapid kinetics supporting a pre-existing equilibrium between open (E) and closed (E*) forms of the active site. In this scenario, prethrombin-2 is more dynamic and exists predominantly in the E* form, whereas thrombin is more rigid and exists predominantly in the E form. Ligand binding to thrombin takes place exclusively in the E form without significant changes in the overall conformation. In summary, these results disclose the structural architecture of the free forms of thrombin and prethrombin-2, consistent with an E*–E equilibrium and providing no evidence that free thrombin is zymogen-like.
Resin acids as inducible chemical defences of pine seedlings against chewing insects

Inducibility of defences in response to biotic stimuli is considered an important trait in plant resistance. In conifers, previous research has mostly focused on the inducibility of the volatile fraction of the oleoresin (mono- and sesquiterpenes), leaving the inducibility of the non-volatile resin acids largely unexplored, particularly in response to real herbivory. Here we investigated the differences in the inducibility of resin acids in two pine species, one native from Europe (Pinus pinaster Ait.) and another from North America (Pinus radiata D. Don), in response to wounding by two European insects: a bark chewer, the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.), and a defoliator, the pine processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff.). We quantified the constitutive (control) and induced concentrations of resin acids in the stem and needles of both pine species by gas chromatography techniques. Both pine species strongly increased the concentration of resin acids in the stem after pine weevil feeding, although the response was greater in P. pinaster than in P. radiata. However, systemic defensive responses in the needles were negligible in both pine species after pine weevil feeding in the stem. On the other hand, P. radiata locally reduced the resin acid concentration in the needles after pine caterpillar feeding, whereas in P. pinaster resin acid concentration was apparently unaffected. Nevertheless, systemic induction of resin acids was only observed in the stem of P. pinaster in response to pine caterpillar feeding. In summary, pine induced responses were found highly compartmentalized, and specific to herbivore identity. Particularly, plant defence suppression mechanisms by the pine caterpillar, and ontogenetic factors might be potentially affecting the induced response of resin acids in both pine species.
Characterization of Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Revealed Increased Susceptibility to Cell Death upon ER Stress

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), such as embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), have a well-orchestrated program for differentiation and self-renewal. However, the structural features of unique proteostatic-maintaining mechanisms in hPSCs and their features, distinct from those of differentiated cells, in response to cellular stress remain unclear. We evaluated and compared the morphological features and stress response of hPSCs and fibroblasts. Compared to fibroblasts, electron microscopy showed simpler/fewer structures with fewer networks in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of hPSCs, as well as lower expression of ER-related genes according to meta-analysis. As hPSCs contain low levels of binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), an ER chaperone, thapsigargin treatment sharply increased the gene expression of the unfolded protein response. Thus, hPSCs with decreased chaperone function reacted sensitively to ER stress and entered apoptosis faster than fibroblasts. Such ER stress-induced apoptotic processes were abolished by tauroursodeoxycholic acid, an ER-stress reliever. Hence, our results revealed that as PSCs have an underdeveloped structure and express fewer BiP chaperone proteins than somatic cells, they are more susceptible to ER stress-induced apoptosis in response to stress.
Rapid and Label-Free Immunosensing of Shiga Toxin Subtypes with Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are responsible for gastrointestinal diseases reported in numerous outbreaks around the world as well as in the United States. Current detection methods have limitation to implement for rapid field-deployable detection with high volume of samples that are needed for regulatory purposes. Surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) has proved to achieve rapid and label-free screening of multiple pathogens simultaneously, so it was evaluated in this work for the detection of Shiga toxins (Stx1a and Stx2a toxoids were used as the less toxic alternatives to Stx1 and Stx2, respectively). Multiple antibodies (Stx1pAb, Stx1-1mAb, Stx1-2mAb, Stx1d-3mAb, Stx1e-4mAb, Stx2pAb, Stx2-1mAb, Stx2-2mAb, and Stx2-10mAb) were spotted one by one by programed microarrayer, on the same high-throughput biochip with 50-nm gold film through multiple crosslinking and blocking steps to improve the orientation of antibodies on the biochip surface. Shiga toxins were detected based on the SPRi signal difference (ΔR) between immobilized testing antibodies and immunoglobulin G (IgG) control. Among the antibodies tested, Stx1pAb showed the highest sensitivity for Stx1 toxoid, with the limit of detection (LOD) of 50 ng/mL and detection time of 20 min. Both Stx2-1mAb and Stx2-2mAb exhibited high sensitivity for Stx2 toxoid. Furthermore, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were used to amplify the SPRi signals of monoclonal antibodies in a sandwich platform. The LOD reached the level of picogram (pg)/mL with the help of GNP-antibody conjugate. This result proved that SPRi biochip with selected antibodies has the potential for rapid, high-throughput and multiplex detection of Shiga toxins.
GUEST EDITORIAL: PROTECTING WILD PRIMATES DURING THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND BEYOND

In ecology, the study of age-sex-class differences is useful for understanding foraging tactics of target species. However, few studies have addressed this in Asian colobines. In this study, we undertook a preliminary field survey over a period of two months in 2016 in the Pangandaran Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia, to compare the activity budget and dietary composition between different age-sex classes of wild West Javan Langur Trachypithecus mauritius (Griffith). Our results showed that the langurs spent more than half of the daytime resting. The adults spent a higher percentage of time resting and feeding, while the juveniles spent more time moving and other activities such as play. This could be attributed to age-sex differences in reproductive biology, parental investment, and development. Although the langurs fed on 51 plant species (65 items), a few plant species contributed most to their diet. The item-level dietary overlap (%) was low between adult males and other classes, which may be attributed to age-sex difference in nutritional requirements. There was no clear age-sex difference in the consumption of leaves and fruits.
Morphological characters of the tongue skeleton reveal phylogenetic relationships within the Corvidae (Oscines, Passeriformes)

Abstract Monophyly of the Corvidae is strongly supported by analyses based on DNA sequences, but traditional as well as current hypotheses on their interrelationships are contradictory. Some of these conflicts can be resolved by phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters of the tongue skeleton. The analysis presented here yields a set of derived characters that support a clade of core-group Corvidae comprising all corvid species studied with the exception of Palaearctic choughs (Pyrrhocorax). Additional characters support a clade within the core-group Corvidae comprising the Palaearctic jays (Garrulus andPerisoreus), crows and ravens (Corvus) and nutcrackers (Nucifraga). Dietary shifts are thought to be probable key innovations or ‘pacemakers’ for the observed character transformations.