Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in the composition of goat colostrum and milk fatty acids during the first month of lactation

Changes in the composition of colostrum and milk fatty acids during the first month of lactation of ten 3-years-old White Shorthaired goats fed a winter diet were investigated. Thirty-eight fatty acids (FAs) were identified in the milk fat. Saturated FAs accounted for 67.0% of the total determined FAs in colostrum and 62% at 30 days post partum. Monounsaturated FAs made up 28.2% of the total FAs in colostrum and increased with the progress of lactation at the expense of saturated FAs. The percentage of polyunsaturated FAs varied from 4.4 to 4.8%. The major FAs in colostrum and milk were palmitic and oleic acids, followed by stearic and myristic acids (30.1, 25.3, 11.8, 11.4% and 23.6, 30.3, 13.6, 8.6% in colostrum and milk 30 days post partum, respectively). The levels of palmitic and myristic acids in colostrum were higher than in mature milk, whereas the levels of capric, stearic and oleic acids were lower. The medium-chain FA (caprylic, capric, lauric) content increased from 8.7% of FAs in colostrum to 11.1% on the fourth day of lactation. These acids are efficient antimicrobials, thus may contribute to the protection of young goats from microbial pathogens.
Receptor Tyrosine Phosphatases Guide Vertebrate Motor Axons during Development

Receptor-type protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs) are required for appropriate growth of axons during nervous system development in Drosophila. In the vertebrate, type IIa RPTPs [protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)-δ, PTP-σ, and LAR (leukocyte common-antigen-related)] and the type III RPTP, PTP receptor type O (PTPRO), have been implicated in the regulation of axon growth, but their roles in developmental axon guidance are unclear. PTPRO, PTP-δ, and PTP-σ are each expressed in chick motor neurons during the period of axonogenesis. To examine potential roles of RPTPs in axon growth and guidance in vivo, we used double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) interference combined with in ovo electroporation to knock down RPTP expression levels in the embryonic chick lumbar spinal cord. Although most branches of the developing limb nerves appeared grossly normal, a dorsal nerve identified as the anterior iliotibialis was clearly affected by dsRNA knock-down of RPTPs. In experimental embryos treated with dsRNA targeting PTP-δ, PTP-σ, or PTPRO, this nerve showed abnormal fasciculation, was reduced in size, or was missing entirely; interference with PTPRO produced the most severe phenotypes. Control embryos electroporated with vehicle, or with dsRNA targeting choline acetyltransferase or axonin-1, did not exhibit this phenotype. Surprisingly, embryos electroporated with dsRNA targeting PTP-δ together with PTPRO, or all three RPTPs combined, had less severe phenotypes than embryos treated with PTPRO alone. This result suggests that competition between type IIa and type III RPTPs can regulate motor axon outgrowth, consistent with findings in Drosophila. Our results indicate that RPTPs, and especially PTPRO, are required for axon growth and guidance in the developing vertebrate limb.
Atomic Resolution Description of the Interaction between the Nucleoprotein and Phosphoprotein of Hendra Virus

Hendra virus (HeV) is a recently emerged severe human pathogen that belongs to the Henipavirus genus within the Paramyxoviridae family. The HeV genome is encapsidated by the nucleoprotein (N) within a helical nucleocapsid. Recruitment of the viral polymerase onto the nucleocapsid template relies on the interaction between the C-terminal domain, NTAIL, of N and the C-terminal X domain, XD, of the polymerase co-factor phosphoprotein (P). Here, we provide an atomic resolution description of the intrinsically disordered NTAIL domain in its isolated state and in intact nucleocapsids using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Using electron microscopy, we show that HeV nucleocapsids form herringbone-like structures typical of paramyxoviruses. We also report the crystal structure of XD of P that consists of a three-helix bundle. We study the interaction between NTAIL and XD using NMR titration experiments and provide a detailed mapping of the reciprocal binding sites. We show that the interaction is accompanied by α-helical folding of the molecular recognition element of NTAIL upon binding to a hydrophobic patch on the surface of XD. Finally, using solution NMR, we investigate the interaction between intact nucleocapsids and XD. Our results indicate that monomeric XD binds to NTAIL without triggering an additional unwinding of the nucleocapsid template. The present results provide a structural description at the atomic level of the protein-protein interactions required for transcription and replication of HeV, and the first direct observation of the interaction between the X domain of P and intact nucleocapsids in Paramyxoviridae.
Variability in Atmospheric Methane From Fossil Fuel and Microbial Sources Over the Last Three Decades

Atmospheric measurements show an increase in CH4 from the 1980s to 1998 followed by a period of near‐zero growth until 2007. However, from 2007, CH4 has increased again. Understanding the variability in CH4 is critical for climate prediction and climate change mitigation. We examine the role of CH4 sources and the dominant CH4 sink, oxidation by the hydroxyl radical (OH), in atmospheric CH4 variability over the past three decades using observations of CH4, C2H6, and δ13CCH4 in an inversion. From 2006 to 2014, microbial and fossil fuel emissions increased by 36 ± 12 and 15 ± 8 Tg y−1, respectively. Emission increases were partially offset by a decrease in biomass burning of 3 ± 2 Tg y−1 and increase in soil oxidation of 5 ± 6 Tg y−1. A change in the atmospheric sink did not appear to be a significant factor in the recent growth of CH4.
Streptococcal M protein extracted by nonionic detergent. II. Analysis of the antibody response to the multiple antigenic determinants of the M-protein molecule

Purified streptococcal M protein extracted by nonionic detergent was used in an RIA and a solid-phase radiocompetitive inhibition assay to determine the nature of the immune response in both human beings and hyperimmunized rabbits to this complex antiphagocytic antigen. Results indicate that a type-specific response to an M antigen with the development of opsonic antibodies is the result of antibodies directed against the majority of the antigenic determinants of the molecule. Cross-reactions between certain M types on the other hand, are represented by antibodies directed against only a small percentage of these antigenic determinants. Results also suggest that avidity may play a role in the action of opsonic antibodies. However, the data indicate that factors besides avidity (i.e. sites bound by the antibodies) also seem essential for opsonization.
Loss of transforming growth factor β signalling in the intestine contributes to tissue injury in inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract caused by an abnormal and uncontrolled immune response to one or more normally occurring gut constituents. AIM Given the effects of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) on both the immune system and extracellular matrix, we postulated that alterations in TGF-β signalling in intestinal epithelial cells may play an important role in the development of IBD. METHODS TGF-β signalling was inactivated in mouse intestine by expressing a dominant negative mutant form of the TGF-β type II receptor under the control of the mouse intestinal trefoil peptide (ITF)/TFF3 promoter. Transgenic mice (ITF-dnRII) developed spontaneous colitis presenting with diarrhoea, haematochezia, and anal prolapse when not maintained under specific pathogen free (SPF) conditions. Under SPF conditions we induced colitis by mixing dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) in drinking water to examine the significance of loss of TGF-β signalling in the pathogenesis of IBD. RESULTS Transgenic mice showed increased susceptibility to DSS induced IBD, and elicited increased expression of major histocompatibility complex class II, generation of autoantibodies against intestinal goblet cells, and increased activity of matrix metalloproteinase in intestinal epithelial cells compared with wild-type littermates challenged with DSS. CONCLUSIONS Deficiency of TGF-β signalling specifically in the intestine contributes to the development of IBD. Maintenance of TGF-β signalling may be important in regulating immune homeostasis in the intestine
Phototherapy with Narrowband UVB

Phototherapy with ultraviolet (UV) radiation of wavelengths between 280 and 320 nm (UVB) is a safe and effective treatment for a variety of diseases. In addition to standard broadband UVB (bUVB), narrowband phototherapy with fluorescent bulbs emitting near monochromatic UV around 311 nm (nUVB) has become an important treatment for diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and vitiligo. In addition to these indications, the number of diseases for which nUVB phototherapy is reported to be effective is continuously growing. The differential effects of nUVB phototherapy in comparison to other UV wavelengths as well as established and new indications for this treatment modality are reviewed.
Maternal Prepregnancy BMI and Risk of Cerebral Palsy in Offspring

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and risk of cerebral palsy (CP) in offspring. METHODS: The study population consisted of 188 788 children in the Mothers and Babies in Norway and Denmark CP study, using data from 2 population-based, prospective birth cohorts: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study and the Danish National Birth Cohort. Prepregnancy BMI was classified as underweight (BMI <18.5), lower normal weight (BMI 18.5–22.9), upper normal weight (BMI 23.0–24.9), overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9), and obese (BMI ≥30). CP diagnoses were obtained from the national CP registries. Associations between maternal prepregnancy BMI and CP in offspring were investigated by using log-binomial regression models. RESULTS: The 2 cohorts had 390 eligible cases of CP (2.1 per 1000 live-born children). Compared with mothers in the lower normal weight group, mothers in the upper normal group had a 40% excess risk of having a child with CP (relative risk [RR], 1.35; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–1.78). Excess risk was 60% (RR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.21–2.01) for overweight mothers and 60% (RR, 1.55; 95% CI 1.11–2.18) for obese mothers. The risk of CP increased ∼4% for each unit increase in BMI (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02–1.06). Estimates changed little with adjustment for mother’s occupational status, age, and smoking habits. CONCLUSIONS: Higher prepregnancy maternal BMI was associated with increased risk of CP in offspring.
Global snow zone maps and trends in snow persistence 2001–2016

Seasonal snow is a critical component of the surface energy balance and hydrologic cycle, yet global maps of seasonal snow boundaries are not readily available. Snow persistence (SP), the fraction of a year that snow is present on the ground, is an easily globally observed snow metric that can be used to map snow zones globally. Here we map snow zones across the globe using SP calculated from the MODIS10A2 product; evaluate how SP relates to precipitation, temperature, and climate indices; and examine trends in annual SP for 2001–2016. In the Northern Hemisphere, intermittent, seasonal, and permanent snow zones occupy a far greater percent (63%) of the land surface than in the Southern Hemisphere (<5%) where the low snow zone dominates (>95%). SP is most variable from year to year near the snow line, which has a relatively consistent decrease in elevation with increasing latitude across all continents. At lower elevations, SP is typically best correlated with temperature, whereas precipitation has greater relative importance for SP at high elevations. SP is best correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation in all continents except South America, where the Southern Annular Mode is a stronger influence, and Africa, where the strongest correlation is with the Oceanic Niño Index. Areas with decreasing SP trends cover 5.8% of snow zone areas, whereas those with increasing trends cover 1.0% of this area. The largest areas of declining SP are in the seasonal snow zones of the Northern Hemisphere. Trend patterns vary within individual regions, with elevation, and on windward‐leeward sides of the mountains. This study supplies a framework for comparing snow between regions, highlights areas with snow changes, and can facilitate analyses of why snow changes vary within and between regions.
Fungi of Biotechnological Interest in the Discoloration of Textile Effluents

The concern with the action of chemical dyes in human health is not only in Brazil, but throughout the world. One reason for the alert is due to recent results in European research related to the actions of dyes in baby foods, for example. However, the question of the risk of dyes has never been studied properly because of the assumption that these were harmless components. Several industries as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, printing and textile have widely used azo dyes. The textile industry is a substantial consumer of water and produces enormous volumes of contaminated water; the most important contaminants are azo dyes. The discharge of highly colored effluents affects water transparency, gas solubility in water bodies and may induce several human pathologies (carcinogenicity and toxicity). Therefore, new technologies using fungi to removal of such dyes before discharging them into environment is essential, mainly when related to human health.
DBatVir: the database of bat-associated viruses

Emerging infectious diseases remain a significant threat to public health. Most emerging infectious disease agents in humans are of zoonotic origin. Bats are important reservoir hosts of many highly lethal zoonotic viruses and have been implicated in numerous emerging infectious disease events in recent years. It is essential to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the genetic diversity of the bat-associated viruses to prevent future outbreaks. To facilitate further research, we constructed the database of bat-associated viruses (DBatVir). Known viral sequences detected in bat samples were manually collected and curated, along with the related metadata, such as the sampling time, location, bat species and specimen type. Additional information concerning the bats, including common names, diet type, geographic distribution and phylogeny were integrated into the database to bridge the gap between virologists and zoologists. The database currently covers >4100 bat-associated animal viruses of 23 viral families detected from 196 bat species in 69 countries worldwide. It provides an overview and snapshot of the current research regarding bat-associated viruses, which is essential now that the field is rapidly expanding. With a user-friendly interface and integrated online bioinformatics tools, DBatVir provides a convenient and powerful platform for virologists and zoologists to analyze the virome diversity of bats, as well as for epidemiologists and public health researchers to monitor and track current and future bat-related infectious diseases. Database URL: http://www.mgc. ac.cn/DBatVir/
Identification of objective pathological prognostic determinants and models of prognosis in Dukes' B colon cancer

Background and aims: There is a need for objective easily determined pathological prognostic parameters in Dukes' B colon carcinoma to allow selection of such patients for further treatment as the role of adjuvant chemotherapy for these patients remains unclear. This study was initiated to assess the influence of pathological factors on prognosis in an unselected prospective series of Dukes' B colonic cancer. Methods: The Gloucester Colorectal Cancer study, established in 1988, recruited more than 1000 cases. Meticulous pathological assessment of the 268 Dukes' B colonic cancer resections in this series included evaluation of all pathological factors that could influence staging and prognosis. All patients entered a comprehensive follow up system. Results: Four pathologically determined factors—peritoneal involvement, venous spread (both submucosal and extramural), spread to involve a surgical margin, and perforation through the tumour—were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. Combining these four factors into a simple cumulative scoring system generated clinically useful prognostic groups. Conclusions: The cumulative prognostic index allows apportionment of patients with Dukes' B colon cancer into defined prognostic groups, which in turn could allow more objective selection of patients for adjuvant therapy, especially as part of clinical trials.
Bleep bleep!: determining smartphone locations by opportunistically recording notification sounds

Every day, we carry our mobile phone in our pocket or bag. When arriving at work or to a meeting, we may display it on the table. Most of the time, we however do not change the ringtone volume based on the new phone location. This may result in embarrassing situations when the volume is too loud or missed calls and alarms when it is too low. In order to prevent such situations, we propose a non-intrusive opportunistic approach to determine the phone location and later adapt the ringtone accordingly. In our approach, we analyze the attenuation of the played ringtones to determine the nature of the surrounding elements. We evaluate our approach based on a prototypical implementation using different mobile phones and show that we are able to recognize the sole phone location with a precision of more than 94%. In a second step, we consider different surrounding environments and reach a precision of 89% for the phone position and 86% for the combination of the phone position and noise level of the environment, respectively.
Nutrition and diet for healthy lifestyles in Europe: the ‘Eurodiet’ Project

Abstract The aims of this project are to formulate a strategy and action plan for developing and implementing European dietary guidelines. The project is supported by DGV/F/3 and was initiated in October 1998. The work plan has entailed the formation of Working Parties composed of prominent experts from the member states to prepare consensus documents on the state of the art in Europe and the added value of European population-based guidelines. These groups are addressing 4 inter-linked components of the project: (1) evaluation of the role of diet and lifestyles in health & disease patterns in Europe; (2) the feasibility of developing an EU-wide framework for food-based dietary guidelines; (3) public health nutrition strategies for implementing FBDGs and for enhancing physically active lifestyles in Europe and (4) an evaluation of policy, trade, economic and technological aspects to improving nutritional status and lifestyles in the EU. Stakeholders from the spectrum of interests involved are invited to assess and debate the science and policy implications of these documents, which will be presented at a European Conference in May 2000. Recommendations in the form of a practical, evidence based policy document will be presented to the European Commission, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.
LogMap 2.0: towards logic-based, scalable and interactive ontology matching

In this paper we present a much improved version of LogMap, a highly scalable ontology matching system with 'built-in' reasoning and diagnosis capabilities. LogMap 2.0 is not only more scalable and robust than its predecessor, but it also provides the necessary infrastructure for domain experts to interactively contribute to the matching process.
Formation of 2-Hydroxydeoxyadenosine Triphosphate, an Oxidatively Damaged Nucleotide, and Its Incorporation by DNA Polymerases

We found that hydroxylation occurs at the C-2 position of adenine by oxygen radical treatment (Fe-EDTA) of dA, dATP, and single- and double-stranded DNA. This oxidatively damaged base, 2-hydroxyadenine, was produced 3-6-fold and 40-fold less than 8-hydroxyguanine when monomers and polynucleotides, respectively, were treated. To determine whether the damaged nucleotide, 2-hydroxydeoxyadenosine triphosphate (2-OH-dATP), is incorporated into a growing DNA, and to reveal the kinds of nucleotides opposite which 2-OH-dATP is incorporated, calf thymus DNA polymerase α and the Klenow fragment of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I were used in in vitro DNA synthesis in the presence of 2-OH-dATP. DNA polymerase α incorporated the nucleotide opposite T and C in the DNA template. On the other hand, in an experiment using the Klenow fragment, incorporation of 2-OH-dATP was observed only opposite T. Steady-state kinetic studies indicated that incorporation of 2-OH-dATP by DNA polymerase α opposite T was favored over that opposite C by a factor of only 4.5. These results indicate that 2-OH-dATP, an oxidatively damaged nucleotide, is a substrate for DNA polymerases and is incorporated incorrectly by the replicative DNA polymerase.
Stimulation of Melatonin Synthesis in Ovine Pineals In Vitro

Abstract: Static and superfused pineal slices (750 μm) have been used to study the control of melatonin synthesis by ovine pineals. Static incubates show a time‐dependent accumulation of melatonin in the medium; this is significantly increased by stimulation with norepinephrine (NE) (10−5M), reaching 300% above control levels after 4 h. Perifused pineal slices show a rapid rise in melatonin release within 12–18 min in response to NE stimulation. This reaches a 3.5–4.5‐fold increase in melatonin released within 30 min. Withdrawal of NE is associated with a rapid return to prestimulated levels within 12–18 min. These time‐course characteristics compare favorably to those changes seen in vivo. The formation of [14C]melatonin from [14C]‐tryptophan shows a linear increase with time. In the presence of NE (10−5M), the rate of synthesis is increased, albeit after an initial time lag of at least 30 min. The latter may reflect an N‐acetyltransferase‐independent mechanism of synthesis and release. In static incubations, propranolol (10−5M) inhibited NE‐induced melatonin production by about 60%. but prazosin (10−5M) had no effect. As dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10−3M) stimulated melatonin production, it is concluded that β‐receptors are of primary importance to the control of melatonin production, as in the rat. The role of α1‐receptors is less clear, but the stimulatory action of phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate on melatonin release implicates a receptor linked to phosphatidylinositol turnover.