Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Habitat Preference of Great-Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major Linnaeus, 1758) and Lesser-Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor Linnaeus, 1758) in the Presence of Invasive Plant Species - Preliminary Study

Abstract This study was carried out in Hungary, in an old, unmanaged, riparian poplar-willow forest, where two invasive tree species, the green ash and the boxelder maple are presented and reproduce more effectively therefore are more abundant than the native species in the study area. There are also invasive hybrid wild grapes to be found. These invasive plants cause widespread problems in floodplain forests in Central Europe. We studied Great-spotted and Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers. We investigated the following questions: Which tree species are preferred by the foraging birds? How are the foraging birds distributed spatially between the microhabitats? Are there any differences in terms of foraging niche utilization between the two studied species? We gathered our data through weekly standard observations throughout two whole years. Based on our findings we could determine that both species preferred the less abundant native trees rather than the invasive ash and maple trees, though Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers preferred hybrid wild grapes the most. Great-spotted Woodpeckers preferred the middle heights of the trees, they also moved mainly on trunks. Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers used the thinnest branches in the canopy. Based on our results we predict that the decrease of the native tree species may create a suboptimal habitat compared to the current situation. As the studied species are the major cavity excavators, the above mentioned changes will probably have significant effects on numerous cavity dependent species.
l-Arginine Inhibits Apoptosis of Ovine Intestinal Epithelial Cells through the l-Arginine-Nitric Oxide Pathway.

BACKGROUND In nonruminants, many of the biological roles of l-arginine (Arg) at the intestinal level are mediated through the Arg-nitric oxide (Arg-NO) pathway. Whether the Arg-NO pathway is involved in controlling the immune response and viability in ovine intestinal epithelial cells (IOECs) is unclear. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to examine the role of the Arg-NO pathway in apoptosis, antioxidant capacity, and mitochondrial function of IOECs. METHODS The IOECs were incubated in Arg-free DMEM supplemented with 150 μM Arg (CON) or 300 μM Arg (ARG) alone or with 350 μM Nw-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (l-NAME) (CON + NAME, ARG + NAME) for 24 h. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentration, antioxidant capacity, and cell apoptotic percentage were determined. RESULTS Arg supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) the ROS concentration (38.9% and 22.7%) and apoptotic cell percentage (57.2% and 54.8%) relative to the CON and CON + NAME groups, respectively. Relative to the CON and ARG treatments, the l-NAME administration decreased (P < 0.05) the mRNA abundance of superoxide dismutase 2 (32% and 21.3%, respectively) and epithelial NO synthase (36% and 29.1%, respectively). Arg supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) the protein abundance of apoptosis antigen 1 (FAS) (52.0% and 43.9%) but increased (P < 0.05) those of nuclear respiratory factor 1 (31.3% and 22.9%) and inducible NO synthase (35.2% and 41.8%) relative to the CON and CON + NAME groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The inhibition of apoptosis in IOECs due to the increased supply of Arg is associated with the mitochondria- and FAS-dependent pathways through the activity of the Arg-NO pathway. The findings help elucidate the role of the Arg-NO pathway in IOEC growth and apoptosis.
Epitopic peptides with low similarity to the host proteome: towards biological therapies without side effects

Background: A structured analysis of the literature indicates that a low level of sequence similarity to the host proteome modulates the B cell epitope pool in the humoral immune response toward protein antigens. From a clinical point of view, low-similarity peptides might have strong repercussions for the rational development of peptide-based treatments for cancer, autoimmunity and infectious diseases. The most attractive feature of the similarity concept is that it appears to guarantee the highest specificity and lowest cross-reactivity when designing effective, safe and theoretically infallible (immuno)therapeutic tools. Objective/methods: This review describes the research pathway from protein- to peptide-based therapies. Results/conclusions: Using the breast-cancer-associated BRCA2 protein as a model, the principle of sequence uniqueness is defined as the rationale for a pharmacological platform that might yield improved results in both patient survival and quality of life.
The ontogeny of leaf spines: progressive versus retrogressive heteroblasty in two New Zealand plant species

Most plants change shape as they grow. However, ontogenetic changes in morphology (i.e. heteroblasty) can differ markedly among species and the role that heteroblasty might play in plant defence is poorly resolved. We use a model selection approach to characterise heteroblasty in terminal leaf spines produced by two perennial plant species native to New Zealand. Aciphylla aurea (Apiaceae), a perennial herb that inhabits alpine scrublands, exhibited ‘progressive’ heteroblasty. Seedlings produced soft, entire leaves with sharpened tips. However, as plants matured they produced compound leaves with sharpened tips that were far more rigid, giving rise to a strong degree of spinescence at adulthood. By contrast, Podocarpus totara (Podocarpaceae), a tall tree inhabiting cool-temperate forests, exhibited ‘retrogressive’ heteroblasty. The size of terminal leaf spines decreased during development and leaf circularity increased. Furthermore, leaf rigidity peaked at intermediate heights resulting in a peak in terminal leaf spinescence at the sapling stage of development. These results indicate that the mode of spinescence heteroblasty varied between species in ways that appear to facilitate defence at life history stages when plants are most susceptible to attack from large herbivores (i.e. adult plants are better defended in scrublands while saplings are better defended in woodlands). However, results also showed that spinescence was reduced in very young plants, suggesting that the ontogenetic development of spinescence may be constrained at very early ontogenetic stages, perhaps because younger plants lack the energetic resources to structurally reinforce leaf spines.
The emerging risk of oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer in HPV-related subsites in young people in Brazil

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is responsible for the rise in the incidence of cancer in the oropharynx, tonsils, and base of the tongue (i.e., HPV-related subsites). HPV triggered the changes in the epidemiology of oropharyngeal and oral cavity cancer (OPC/OCC) in Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Hence, the incidence of cancer in HPV-related subsites is augmenting, while that in other HPV-unrelated subsites is decreasing. In South America, although the incidence of HPV-positive tumors has gradually increased, there is an atypically low prevalence of HPV in people with OPC/OCC. To clarify whether this dramatic shift in incidence trends also occurred in this population, we estimated the burden of HPV on the incidence trends of OPCs/OCCs in São Paulo city in Brazil. In this population-based study, we categorized OPCs/OCCs by HPV-related and HPV-unrelated subsites. We used Poisson regression to assess the age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) stratified by sex and age groups, as well as to examine the age-period-cohort effects. There were 15,391 cases of OPCs/OCCs diagnosed in HPV-related (n = 5,898; 38.3%) and HPV-unrelated (n = 9,493; 61.7%) subsites. Overall, the ASRs decreased for most subsites, for both sexes and for all age groups, except for HPV-related OPC/OCC in young males and females, which increased by 3.8% and 8.6% per year, respectively. In the birth-cohort-effect analysis, we identified an increasing risk for HPV-related OPC/OCC in both sexes in recent birth cohorts; however, this risk was sharply decreased in HPV-unrelated subsites. Our data demonstrate an emerging risk for HPV-related OPC/OCC in young people, which supports prophylactic HPV vaccination in this group.
Neutral community dynamics, the mid‐domain effect and spatial patterns in species richness

The mid-domain effect (MDE) aims to explain spatial patterns in species richness invoking only stochasticity and geometrical constraints. In this paper, we used simulations to show that its main qualitative prediction, a hump-shaped pattern in species richness, converges to the expectation of a spatially bounded neutral model when communities are linked by short-distance migration. As these two models can be linked under specific situations, neutral theory may provide a mechanistic population level basis for MDE. This link also allows establishing in which situations MDE patterns are more likely to be found. Also, in this situation, MDE models could be used as a first approximation to understand the role of both stochastic (ecological drift and migration) and deterministic (adaptation to environmental conditions) processes driving the spatial structure of species richness.
Development of a core outcome set for myelodysplastic syndromes – a Delphi study from the EUMDS Registry Group

Treatment options for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) vary widely, depending on the natural disease course and patient‐related factors. Comparison of treatment effectiveness is challenging as different endpoints have been included in clinical trials and outcome reporting. Our goal was to develop the first MDS core outcome set (MDS‐COS) defining a minimum set of outcomes that should be reported in future clinical studies. We performed a comprehensive systematic literature review among MDS studies to extract patient‐ and/or clinically relevant outcomes. Clinical experts from the European LeukemiaNet MDS (EUMDS) identified 26 potential MDS core outcomes and participated in a three‐round Delphi survey. After the first survey (56 experts), 15 outcomes met the inclusion criteria and one additional outcome was included. The second round (38 experts) resulted in six included outcomes. In the third round, a final check on plausibility and practicality of the six included outcomes and their definitions was performed. The final MDS‐COS includes: health‐related quality of life, treatment‐related mortality, overall survival, performance status, safety, and haematological improvement. This newly developed MDS‐COS represents the first minimum set of outcomes aiming to enhance comparability across future MDS studies and facilitate a better understanding of treatment effectiveness.
Effects of Cyclic High Ambient Temperature and Dietary Supplementation of Orotic Acid, a Pyrimidine Precursor, on Plasma and Muscle Metabolites in Broiler Chickens

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high ambient temperature (HT) and orotic acid supplementation on the plasma and muscle metabolomic profiles in broiler chickens. Thirty-two 14-day-old broiler chickens were divided into four treatment groups that were fed diets with or without 0.7% orotic acid under thermoneutral (25 ± 1 °C) or cyclic HT (35 ± 1 °C for 8 h/day) conditions for 2 weeks. The chickens exposed to HT had higher plasma malondialdehyde concentrations, suggesting an increase in lipid peroxidation, which is alleviated by orotic acid supplementation. The HT environment also affected the serine, glutamine, and tyrosine plasma concentrations, while orotic acid supplementation affected the aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and tyrosine plasma concentrations. Untargeted gas chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS)-based metabolomics analysis identified that the HT affected the plasma levels of metabolites involved in purine metabolism, ammonia recycling, pyrimidine metabolism, homocysteine degradation, glutamate metabolism, urea cycle, β-alanine metabolism, glycine and serine metabolism, and aspartate metabolism, while orotic acid supplementation affected metabolites involved in pyrimidine metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, the malate–aspartate shuttle, and aspartate metabolism. Our results suggest that cyclic HT affects various metabolic processes in broiler chickens, and that orotic acid supplementation ameliorates HT-induced increases in lipid peroxidation.
Adoption of Regulations for Cell Therapy Development: Linkage Between Taiwan and Japan

Although cell‐based therapy has become a promising treatment, its practice and evaluation process remain unstandardized. Therefore, Japan initiated a dual‐track regulatory framework for cell‐based therapy aiming to promote and regulate the therapies to ensure that patients can access safe and effective treatments. Influenced by such pathway, Taiwan adopted the framework and initiated its own cell‐based therapy regulation in 2018. This paper discusses how Japan has influenced Taiwan in developing regulations for cell‐based therapy.
Assessing New Tools for Management of the Pepper Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Greenhouse and Field Pepper Crops

Abstract The pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii Cano, is an economically important pest of field and greenhouse pepper crops in North America. In this study, a series of insecticides covering a broad-spectrum of insecticidal modes of action were assessed for their potential in managing the pepper weevil under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. To accomplish this, laboratory mini-spray tower and greenhouse cage trials were conducted that evaluated the efficacy of 16 conventional, reduced-risk, and microbial insecticides. In laboratory trials, adult weevils were sprayed with insecticides, placed on treated leaves within a cup cage, and were monitored for their survival over 10 d. Of the 16 insecticides tested, 8 provided greater than 60% weevil control, a threshold considered necessary for including products in further greenhouse testing. In greenhouse trials, adult weevil mortality, bud and foliar damage, bud and fruit abortion, and subsequent weevil offspring emergence were measured following each of three weekly insecticide applications. The most efficacious insecticides included kaolin clay and mineral oil, which performed as well as the thiamethoxam-positive control, and incurred 70 and 55% of adult weevil mortality, respectively. Additionally, kaolin clay and mineral oil reduced offspring weevil emergence by 59 and 54%, respectively, compared with untreated controls. Despite the clear challenge that controlling this pest represents, this study has identified useful new tools for the integrated management of the pepper weevil, which may accelerate the rate at which these become available for use in greenhouse and field pepper production.
Minor impact of constraint from perivascular flow probes on wave intensity analysis

Perivascular flow probes are considered the gold-standard for measuring volumetric blood flow in animal studies. Although flow probes are generally placed non-constrictively around the vessel of interest, pressure-elevating interventions performed during an experiment may lead to vessel expansion and some probe-vessel impingement, particularly in highly compliant vessels such as adult sheep aorta or major pulmonary arteries in fetus lambs. This study assessed to what extent such mild flow probe constraint may impact on wave intensity analysis. We also investigated whether errors arising from flow probe constraint could explain apparent pressure reflection indices (Rp > 1) that have been observed in fetus lamb pulmonary arteries under some experimental conditions. These questions were investigated with one-dimensional models of an adult sheep aorta and fetus lamb pulmonary artery, with a virtual flow probe incorporated as a non-linear external constraint term in the vessel constitutive equation. Model-derived flow and pressure were subjected to standard analysis procedures that would be applied experimentally (correcting for apparent velocity lags and calculating wave speed via the PU-loop method). For the adult sheep model, simulations covering a wide range of haemodynamic conditions revealed a mostly minor effect (<10%) of probe constraint on the intensity and pressure effects of the three major waves (forward compression wave, forward decompression wave, backward compression wave). Moreover, flow probe constraint had essentially no impact on Rp in the fetus lamb model, suggesting that such constraint is unlikely to be responsible for an observed Rp > 1. Mild flow probe constraint is likely to have little impact on wave intensity analysis.
Whole-Genome Sequences of Three Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Isolated from Solanum tuberosum L. Rhizosphere in Tanzania

We present here the complete genome sequences of plant growth-promoting Klebsiella sp. strain MPUS7, Serratia sp. strain NGAS9, and Citrobacter sp. strain LUTT5, isolated from rhizosphere soils and tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants growing in the northern and southern highlands of Tanzania. ABSTRACT We present here the complete genome sequences of plant growth-promoting Klebsiella sp. strain MPUS7, Serratia sp. strain NGAS9, and Citrobacter sp. strain LUTT5, isolated from rhizosphere soils and tubers of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants growing in the northern and southern highlands of Tanzania.
COVID-19 and ophthalmology: an underappreciated occupational hazard

Abstract The proximity required of a thorough biomicroscopic slit-lamp examination may put ophthalmologists at increased risk for respiratory-borne infection with SARS-CoV-2. Conjunctivitis has been described in a few patients with COVID-19 and other coronavirus syndromes. Although SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in the conjunctival secretions or tears of patients with COVID-19 and conjunctivitis, transmission of infection through respiratory droplets to ophthalmologists without eye protection or masks may be the bigger concern.
Potential interferences in photolytic nitrogen dioxide converters for ambient air monitoring: Evaluation of a prototype

ABSTRACT Mixing ratios of the criteria air contaminant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are commonly quantified by reduction to nitric oxide (NO) using a photolytic converter followed by NO-O3 chemiluminescence (CL). In this work, the performance of a photolytic NO2 converter prototype originally designed for continuous emission monitoring and emitting light at 395 nm was evaluated. Mixing ratios of NO2 and NOx (= NO + NO2) entering and exiting the converter were monitored by blue diode laser cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). The NO2 photolysis frequency was determined by measuring the rate of conversion to NO as a function of converter residence time and found to be 4.2 s−1. A maximum 96% conversion of NO2 to NO over a large dynamic range was achieved at a residence time of (1.5 ± 0.3) s, independent of relative humidity. Interferences from odd nitrogen (NOy) species such as peroxyacyl nitrates (PAN; RC(O)O2NO2), alkyl nitrates (AN; RONO2), nitrous acid (HONO), and nitric acid (HNO3) were evaluated by operating the prototype converter outside its optimum operating range (i.e., at higher pressure and longer residence time) for easier quantification of interferences. Four mechanisms that generate artifacts and interferences were identified as follows: direct photolysis, foremost of HONO at a rate constant of 6% that of NO2; thermal decomposition, primarily of PAN; surface promoted photochemistry; and secondary chemistry in the connecting tubing. These interferences are likely present to a certain degree in all photolytic converters currently in use but are rarely evaluated or reported. Recommendations for improved performance of photolytic converters include operating at lower cell pressure and higher flow rates, thermal management that ideally results in a match of photolysis cell temperature with ambient conditions, and minimization of connecting tubing length. When properly implemented, these interferences can be made negligibly small when measuring NO2 in ambient air. Implications: A new near-UV photolytic converter for measurement of the criteria pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in ambient air by CL was characterized. Four mechanisms that generate interferences were identified and investigated experimentally: direct photolysis of HONO which occurred at a rate constant 6% that of NO2, thermal decomposition of PAN and N2O5, surface promoted chemistry involving HNO3, and secondary chemistry involving NO in the tubing connecting the converter and CL analyzer. These interferences are predicted to occur in all NO2 P-CL systems but can be avoided by appropriate thermal management and operating at high flow rates.
Phased Diploid Genome Sequence for the Fast-Growing Microalga Picochlorum celeri

Picochlorum celeri is a fast-growing marine microalga with high biomass productivity. Here, we report the use of PacBio sequencing to assemble the phased diploid genome of P. celeri. ABSTRACT Picochlorum celeri is a fast-growing marine microalga with high biomass productivity. Here, we report the use of PacBio sequencing to assemble the phased diploid genome of P. celeri.
Characteristics of Endocrine Pancreas in Chronic Pancreatitis, as Revealed by Simultaneous Immunocytochemical Demonstration of Hormone Production

AbstractCells producing insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) were demonstrated by simultaneous immunocytochemical detection in human pancreatic sections of 3 patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP) and diabetes mellitus (DM), 2 patients with CP and normal glucose tolerance, and 2 patients with normal morphology (3 sections each). The triple and quadruple labeling protocol involved the sequential use of immunogold silver staining (IGSS), indirect immunoalkaline phosphatase (IAP), the indirect immunoperoxidase (IPO), and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) methods. This approach proved useful for the recognition of some topo-morphological features of the endocrine pancreas at a glance in normal and CP tissues.In the process of islet cell neoformation (ductoendocrine proliferation), the A cells seemed to occur first within the ducts and ductules, followed by the B and D cells. Additionally, in some islets of Langerhans damaged by intraislet peliosis in DM patients, the A cells wer.
Resistance to Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus from Reunion Island in Tomato Breeding Lines

Three tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) lines and a variety reported to be resistant to tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) in Cuba were tested against a TYLCV isolate from the Reunion Island (TYLCV-Mld [RE]) as well as an Israeli resistant line TY-172 and TYLCV-susceptible lines R-13 (Israel), 13–8–2 (Cuba) and cv. ‘Farmer. ’ Resistance was evaluated by using viruliferous whiteflies and virus-infected scions. The TYLCV-resistant lines: 13–8–1, LD 5, LD 6, TY-172 and cv. ‘Vyta’ did not show viral disease incidence and symptoms in the plants. On the contrary, the TYLCV-susceptible lines R-13, 13–8–2 and cv. ‘Farmer’ showed TYLCV-Mld [RE]-like strong symptoms after vector inoculation and grafting. The development of cultivars resistant to various TYLCV isolates present in different geographical areas should be possible by use of resistant germplasm.