Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The use of plant wax alkanes as marker substances in studies of the nutrition of herbivores: a review

This review discusses the potential use of plant wax components, especially n-alkanes, as markers for estimating herbage intake, estimating the botanical composition of consumed herbage and studying digesta kinetics. Previous approaches to making these measurements are discussed briefly. Attention is drawn to the fact that current methods for estimating intake do not adequately allow for differences between individual animals. It is also suggested that the markers currently used to estimate botanical composition or study digesta kinetics are inadequate. The nature of the chemical constituents of plant waxes is briefly discussed and the concept of using alkanes to estimate intake is introduced. Particular emphasis is given to the fact that although the recovery of alkanes in faeces is not complete, intake can still be estimated using a pair of alkanes (one natural, one dosed) provided these have similar faecal recoveries. The accuracy of estimation of intake is discussed in terms of: obtaining a representative sample of herbage; alkane dosing and faecal sampling procedures; validity of the assumption of similar recoveries for the natural and dosed alkanes; sample preparation and analysis. Published comparisons of estimated and actual intakes are presented, with the conclusion that satisfactory results are obtained if intake is estimated using natural C33 alkane and dosed C32 alkane. The use of the different patterns of alkanes in herbage species, as a means of estimating botanical composition, is then discussed. Results are presented showing this can be done successfully with herbage mixtures or oesophageal extrusa. Procedures are then described for making the corrections for incomplete faecal alkane recovery, necessary to estimate the botanical composition of the herbage consumed by the free-grazing animal. This allows the quantification of the intake of individual plant species by individual animals, and it is suggested that this can be achieved without the need for oesophageally-fistulated (OF) animals. Differences in alkane levels between plant parts within a species are then discussed. It is suggested that these can lead to error in the estimation of intake, if OF animals should consume plant parts different from those consumed by the test animals. However, it is also suggested that differences in alkane levels between plant parts can be used to quantify the intake of these parts, in a manner analogous to the estimation of the intake of individual plant species. The usefulness of alkanes in studies of digesta kinetics is then discussed, principally in relation to the natural alkanes, which remain intimately associated with plant particles in the gut. It is suggested that natural alkanes could prove excellent markers for studies of particle breakdown and digesta flow. The preparation of natural 14C-labelled alkane, for use as a pulse dose in mean retention time studies, is also discussed.
Dietary Intake of Homocysteine Metabolism-Related B-Vitamins and the Risk of Stroke: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Studies

ABSTRACT Observational studies regarding the putative associations between dietary intake of homocysteine metabolism-related B-vitamins (vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin B-12) and stroke risk have yielded inconsistent results. Thus, we conducted a systematic meta-analysis of prospective studies in order to examine the relation between the dietary (from diet and supplements) intake of these B-vitamins and the risk of stroke. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant articles published through to 25 February, 2020, and RR of stroke in relation to dietary intake of vitamin B-6, folate, and vitamin B-12 were pooled using a random-effects model. Eleven publications of 12 prospective studies comprising 389,938 participants and 10,749 cases were included in the final analysis. We found that dietary intake of vitamin B-6 and folate were associated with a reduced risk of stroke, and this inverse association remained significant in studies with >10 y of follow-up periods and among participants without a pre-existing stroke event. A dose-response analysis revealed a linear inverse association between folate and vitamin B-6 intake and the risk of stroke, with a pooled RR of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.90–0.98) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89–0.99) for each 100 μg/d increment in folate intake and 0.5 mg/d increment in vitamin B-6 intake, respectively. In contrast, we found no significant association between dietary vitamin B-12 intake and the risk of stroke, with an RR of 1.01 (95% CI: 0.97–1.06) per 3 μg/d increase. In conclusion, our findings suggest that increased intake of vitamin B-6 and folate is associated with a reduced risk of stroke, supporting the notion that increasing habitual folate and vitamin B-6 intake may provide a small but beneficial effect with respect to stroke.
Performance of a spring‐feeding moth in relation to time of oviposition and bud‐burst phenology of different host species

Abstract. 1. As a spring‐feeding moth committed to immature foliage, the autumnal moth Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) must have egg hatch synchronised with the bud‐burst of its host plants. Due to large individual variation in the length of the pupal period, however, E. autumnata populations exhibit a prolonged period of flight and oviposition. Because the timing of oviposition in autumn is associated with the timing of egg hatch in the following spring, the time window for egg hatch expands and more potential hosts may become attainable. This suggestion was evaluated under field conditions by rearing E. autumnata eggs and larvae on four different hosts.
A 40‐year, continent‐wide, multispecies assessment of relevant climate predictors for species distribution modelling

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used to address numerous questions in ecology, biogeography, conservation biology and evolution. Surprisingly, the crucial step of selecting the most relevant variables has received little attention, despite its direct implications for model transferability and uncertainty. Here, we aim to address this with a continent‐wide, evaluation of which climate predictors provided the most accurate SDMs for bird distributions.
Job Demands and the Effects on Quality of Life of Employed Family Caregivers of Older Adults With Dementia: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background Employed family caregivers are affected by job demands, which can affect quality of care provided to recipients. However, it is important to understand how job demands and the ability to reconcile employment and caregiving influence family caregivers’ quality of life. Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which job demands influenced quality of life for employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia in Taiwan. Methods This cross-sectional study analyzed secondary data from self-completed questionnaires collected from December 2010 to December 2011. Participants were 214 employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia in Taiwan. How job demands and caregiving influence quality of life was determined with hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Job demands included working hours, workplace inflexibility, work inefficiency, and difficulty in reconciling work and family caregiving. Results After controlling for demographics, caregiving resources, and caregiving role demands, employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia with fewer working hours and greater work efficiency reported significantly better quality of life (β = −.130, p = .049; β = −.263, p < .001) than those with more working hours and less work efficiency. Conclusions/Implications for Practice Employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia who had more working hours and less work efficiency had a greater likelihood of poorer quality of life than other employed family caregivers. Clinicians could use these findings to identify groups at high risk for poor quality of life. We suggest developing policies and interventions to help employed family caregivers of older adults with dementia to reduce working hours and improve work efficiency in order to improve quality of life, which could also improve quality of care for recipients.
SUSCEPTIBILIDAD DE TETRANYCHUS URTICAE KOCH (ACARI: TETRANYCHIDAE) A LOS PLAGUICIDAS CLORFENAPIR Y ABAMECTINA EN CONDICIONES DE LABORATORIO

Se evaluo la eficiencia de control del Clorfenapir y Abamectina sobre una poblacion de Tetranychus urticae bajo condiciones de laboratorio (27 ± 2 oC, 70 ± 10% de H.R.). La poblacion del acaro fue colectada en plantas de tomate (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) en la poblacion de “Guadalupe”, Municipio Jimenez, Estado Lara. En el laboratorio se evaluo el efecto de diferentes concentraciones de Clorfenapir (37, 75, 150, 300, 600, 1200 y 2400 ppm) y Abamectina (1,6; 2,3; 3,2; 4,5; 6,3; 8,8 y 12,4 ppm) usando la tecnica de inmersion del disco de hoja. Las CL50 estimadas para Clorfenapir y Abamectina fueron 59,34 y 1,50 ppm, respectivamente y son menores a la dosis recomendada para las aplicaciones en campo. El Clorfenapir mostro ser mas efectivo en el control de T. urticae, sin embargo su efecto sobre la fauna benefica debe ser evaluado. Es necesario realizar estudios de campo para validar los resultados obtenidos en la presente investigacion.
Genetic Connectivity among Populations of the Threatened Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) and the Need for a Regional Approach to Turtle Conservation

The threatened Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii) is considered among the most sedentary of turtles, yet with population sizes generally below 50 individuals, gene flow among populations is clearly necessary to maintain healthy levels of genetic diversity. Therefore, designing effective reserve networks for this species will require clarification of the rates of among-population gene flow over several spatial scales. We obtained genetic samples from a complex of 11 Bog Turtle populations within the Berkshire-Taconic region of Massachusetts and New York, and all individuals (n = 234) were genotyped across 15 microsatellite loci. Average multi-generation dispersal rates were inferred from population-level differences in allele frequencies using an approximate-likelihood approach, and recent dispersal rates were inferred using genetic assignment algorithms. Over small geographic distances (average inter-fen distance of ca. 1 km), among-population dispersal rates historically averaged between 0.25 and 0.5 effective migrants per population per year (ca. 1% of each population dispersing each year), and these dispersal rates appear to have persisted in recent decades. Over larger geographic distances (≥10 km), we infer that Bog Turtle populations in the Berkshire-Taconic region have experienced low rates of gene flow among populations according to a “stepping-stone” model. We conclude that (1) Bog Turtle populations with nearest-neighbor distances of <2 km should be managed as inter-connected demographic units, (2) dispersal movements among adjacent populations may enhance regional population stability, and (3) gene flow over larger spatial and temporal scales probably requires dispersal among “stepping stone” habitats that may not harbor viable populations. Regional conservation planning for these and other small-bodied, endangered turtles should focus on establishing and maintaining networks of loosely connected population complexes to mimic historical connectivity patterns.
Liver fibrosis in HIV-Hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection before and after sustained virologic response: what is the best non-invasive marker for monitoring regression?

BACKGROUND Noninvasive markers of liver fibrosis such as aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio (APRI) and transient elastography (TE) have largely replaced liver biopsy for staging hepatitis C virus (HCV). As there is little longitudinal data, we compared changes in these markers before and after sustained virologic response (SVR) in HIV-HCV coinfected patients. METHODS Participants from the Canadian Coinfection Cohort study who achieved SVR after a first treatment with either interferon/ribavirin or direct acting antivirals (DAAs), with at least one pre- and post-treatment fibrosis measure were selected. Changes in APRI or TE (DAA era only) were modelled using a generalised additive mixed model, assuming a gamma distribution and adjusting for sex, age at HCV acquisition, duration of HCV infection, and time-dependent BMI, binge drinking and detectable HIV RNA. RESULTS Of 1981 patients, 151 achieved SVR with interferon and 553 with DAAs; 94 and 382 met inclusion criteria, respectively. In the DAA era, APRI increased (0.03 units/year; 95% credible interval (CrI): -0.05, 0.12) before, declined dramatically during, and then changed minimally (-0.03 units/year; 95% CrI: -0.06, 0.01) after treatment. TE values, however, increased (0.74 kPa/year; 95% CrI: 0.36, 1.14) before treatment, changed little by the end of treatment, and then declined (-0.55 kPa/year; 95% CrI: -0.80, -0.31) after SVR. CONCLUSIONS TE should be the preferred non-invasive tool for monitoring fibrosis regression following cure. Future studies should assess the risk of liver-related outcomes such as hepatocellular carcinoma according to trajectories of fibrosis regression measured using TE to determine if and when it will become safe to discontinue screening.
Escherichia coli with a Tunable Point Mutation Rate for Evolution Experiments

The mutation rate and mutations’ effects on fitness are crucial to evolution. Mutation rates are under selection due to linkage between mutation rate modifiers and mutations’ effects on fitness. The linkage between a higher mutation rate and more beneficial mutations selects for higher mutation rates, while the linkage between a higher mutation rate and more deleterious mutations selects for lower mutation rates. The net direction of selection on mutations rates depends on the fitness landscape, and a great deal of work has elucidated the fitness landscapes of mutations. However, tests of the effect of varying a mutation rate on evolution in a single organism in a single environment have been difficult. This has been studied using strains of antimutators and mutators, but these strains may differ in additional ways and typically do not allow for continuous variation of the mutation rate. To help investigate the effects of the mutation rate on evolution, we have genetically engineered a strain of Escherichia coli with a point mutation rate that can be smoothly varied over two orders of magnitude. We did this by engineering a strain with inducible control of the mismatch repair proteins MutH and MutL. We used this strain in an approximately 350 generation evolution experiment with controlled variation of the mutation rate. We confirmed the construct and the mutation rate were stable over this time. Sequencing evolved strains revealed a higher number of single nucleotide polymorphisms at higher mutations rates, likely due to either the beneficial effects of these mutations or their linkage to beneficial mutations.
Impacts of Primary Care Physician System on Healthcare Utilization and Antibiotic Prescription: Difference-in-Differences and Causal Mediation Analyses

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: The overutilization of healthcare and overuse/misuse of antibiotics in Japan are responsible for the increase in healthcare expenditure and the development of antimicrobial resistance. The Japanese government started paying incentives to medical facilities for primary care physician registrations, but the impact of this new policy is still unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study for all pediatric outpatients from April 2015 to December 2016 in Japan, targeting 1.4 million children under 2 years of age. We investigated the effects of primary care physician registration on physician visits, total antibiotic use and admission rates using difference-in-differences (DID) and causal mediation analyses. Results: DID analyses showed that primary care registration policy contributed to increases in total physician visits, total and broad-spectrum antibiotic use and radiologic study utilization, but reduced out-of-hour visits and did not affect hospitalization rates. Similar results were obtained when we adjusted for and matched on potential confounders. Causal mediation analyses found that the greatest pathway was controlled by direct effects of 53.2 DOTs per 1000 person-months (95% CI: 29.1–77.2), indicating that the effect of new health policy that did not mediate increased outpatient visits mostly contributed to the excess use of antibiotics. Conclusions: The health policy further increased antibiotic use. On April 2018, a new health policy of paying incentives for not prescribing antibiotics to children with respiratory infection or gastroenteritis was initiated. Further studies are needed whether this new health policy can mitigate the overutilization of healthcare and antibiotic use.
Proteins and Molecular Pathways Relevant for the Malignant Properties of Tumor-Initiating Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), a small subset of the tumor bulk with highly malignant properties, are deemed responsible for tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and relapse. In order to reveal molecular markers and determinants of their tumor-initiating properties, we enriched rare stem-like pancreatic tumor-initiating cells (TICs) by harnessing their clonogenic growth capacity in three-dimensional multicellular spheroid cultures. We compared pancreatic TICs isolated from three-dimensional tumor spheroid cultures with nontumor-initiating cells (non-TICs) enriched in planar cultures. Employing differential proteomics (PTX), we identified more than 400 proteins with significantly different expression in pancreatic TICs and the non-TIC population. By combining the unbiased PTX with mRNA expression analysis and literature-based predictions of pro-malignant functions, we nominated the two calcium-binding proteins S100A8 (MRP8) and S100A9 (MRP14) as well as galactin-3-binding protein LGALS3BP (MAC-2-BP) as putative determinants of pancreatic TICs. In silico pathway analysis followed by candidate-based RNA interference mediated loss-of-function analysis revealed a critical role of S100A8, S100A9, and LGALS3BP as molecular determinants of TIC proliferation, migration, and in vivo tumor growth. Our study highlights the power of combining unbiased proteomics with focused gene expression and functional analyses for the identification of novel key regulators of TICs, an approach that warrants further application to identify proteins and pathways amenable to drug targeting.
Effect of cinnamaldehyde on Cav-1 and Survivin expression in epilepsy

Abstract Background: This systematic review aims to assess the effect of cinnamaldehyde on Cav-1 and Survivin expression in epilepsy. Methods: We will search Cochrane Library, PUBMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PsycINFO, WANGFANG, VIP, CBM, and CNKI from their inceptions to the March 31, 2020, without language restrictions. Two authors will independently carry out searching literature records, scanning titles and abstracts, full texts, collecting data, and assessing risk of bias. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis. Results: This systematic review will investigate whether cinnamaldehyde is effective on Cav-1 and Survivin expression in epilepsy. Conclusion: Its findings will provide helpful evidence for the effect of cinnamaldehyde on Cav-1 and Survivin expression in epilepsy. Systematic review registration: INPLASY202040152.
CobT and BzaC catalyze the regiospecific activation and methylation of the 5-hydroxybenzimidazole lower ligand in anaerobic cobamide biosynthesis

Vitamin B12 and other cobamides are essential cofactors required by many organisms and are synthesized by a subset of prokaryotes via distinct aerobic and anaerobic routes. The anaerobic biosynthesis of 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB), the lower ligand of vitamin B12, involves five reactions catalyzed by the bza operon gene products, namely the hydroxybenzimidazole synthase BzaAB/BzaF, phosphoribosyltransferase CobT, and three methyltransferases, BzaC, BzaD, and BzaE, that conduct three distinct methylation steps. Of these, the methyltransferases that contribute to benzimidazole lower ligand diversity in cobamides remain to be characterized, and the precise role of the bza operon protein CobT is unclear. In this study, we used the bza operon from the anaerobic bacterium Moorella thermoacetica (comprising bzaA-bzaB-cobT-bzaC) to examine the role of CobT and investigate the activity of the first methyltransferase, BzaC. We studied the phosphoribosylation catalyzed by MtCobT and found that it regiospecifically activates 5-hydroxybenzimidazole (5-OHBza) to form the 5-OHBza-ribotide (5-OHBza-RP) isomer as the sole product. Next, we characterized the domains of MtBzaC and reconstituted its methyltransferase activity with the predicted substrate 5-OHBza and with two alternative substrates, the MtCobT product 5-OHBza-RP and its riboside derivative 5-OHBza-R. Unexpectedly, we found that 5-OHBza-R is the most favored MtBzaC substrate. Our results collectively explain the long-standing observation that the attachment of the lower ligand in anaerobic cobamide biosynthesis is regiospecific. In conclusion, we validate MtBzaC as a SAM:hydroxybenzimidazole-riboside methyltransferase (HBIR-OMT). Finally, we propose a new pathway for the synthesis and activation of the benzimidazolyl lower ligand in anaerobic cobamide biosynthesis.
Breast Cancer Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Observational Clinical Study of the Breast Surgery Clinic at Ospedale Policlinico San Martino - Genoa, Italy.

BACKGROUND COVID-19 pandemic required a marked re-allocation of healthcare resources, including at Breast Units. A patient-tailored program was developed to assess its efficacy regarding prevention of COVID-19 infection among patients with breast cancer undergoing surgery and healthcare workers (HCWs). PATIENTS AND METHODS From March 9th to April 9th 2020, 91 patients were selected for elective surgery by means of: i) Pre-hospital screening aimed at avoiding hospitalization of symptomatic or suspicious COVID-19 patients, and ii) prioritisation of surgical procedure according to specific disease features. RESULTS Eighty-five patients (93.4%) were fit for surgery, while five patients (5.5%) were temporarily excluded through 'telephone triage'; another two patients were excluded at in-hospital triage. A total of 71 out of 85 patients (83.5%) were diagnosed with invasive cancer, most of whom were undergoing breast-conserving surgery (61 out of 85 patients, 71.8%). The mean in-hospital stay was 2.2 days (SD=0.7 days). After hospital discharge, no patient needed re-admission due to post-operative complications; moreover, no COVID-19 infection among patients or HCWs was detected. CONCLUSION Safe breast cancer surgery was accomplished for both patients and HCWs by means of a careful preoperative selection of patients and in-hospital preventative measures. This screening program can be transferred to high-volume Breast Units and it may be useful in implementing European Community recommendations for prevention of COVID-19 infection.