Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Honeybee queen tergal gland secretion affects ovarian development in caged workers

Les ovaires des ouvrieres d'abeille (Apis mellifera L.) sont partiellement inhibes par les secretions de la glande mandibulaire de la reine. On a etudie au laboratoire, par un test biologique, les effets inhibiteurs de la secretion des glandes tergales de la reine sur le developpement ovarien des ouvrieres chez les races capensis et scutellata. Des leurres de reine en verre, realises a partir de pipettes Pasteur, ont ete traites quotidiennement et presentes a des groupes d'ouvrieres orphelines encagees. Les cagettes ont ete placees a l'obscurite dans des pieces a temperature controlee (27 °C). Les groupes experimentaux (n = 15) ont ete exposes a des extraits de glandes tergales de reines vierges correspondant a 0,05 equivalent reine. L'extrait a ete depose sur le leurre a l'aide d'une microseringue et on a laisse le solvant, du dichloromethane, s'evaporer avant d'introduire le leurre dans les cagettes. Les groupes temoins (n = 15) n'ont ete exposes qu'au solvant. On a finalement tue par le froid toutes les ouvrieres pour examiner leurs ovaires. Le degre de developpement ovarien a ete evalue et classe de 1 a 4. L'âge des ouvrieres des groupes temoins et des groupes traites n'etait pas significativement different (tableau I), que ce soit chez A. m. capensis ou A. m. scutellata (test de la mediane : p≥0,116). L'analyse par des modeles logarithmiques lineaires (tableau II) n'a pas montre d'interactions significatives (race × traitement × cage; race × traitement; race × cage; traitement × cage). Les principaux effets cage (p = 0,225) et race (p = 0,665) n'etaient pas statistiquement significatifs et le modele final qui convient le mieux comprenait l'effet traitement seul qui, lui, etait hautement significatif (X 2 = 8,28; df = 1; p = 0,004; tableau II, figure 1). Ces resultats montrent que la secretion des glandes tergales peut agir comme pheromone modificatrice mais qu'elle fonctionne vraisemblablement en synergie avec les secretions des autres glandes. Le maintien de la sterilite des ouvrieres est regule par de multiples facteurs et la reproduction est finalement regie par des facteurs physiologiques propres a l'ouvrieres consideree individuellement. Ce travail a montre que la secretion des glandes tergales de la reine peut influencer le developpement ovarien des ouvrieres qui y sont exposees.
THE SURVIVAL OF FUNGAL SCLEROTIA UNDER ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

1. Sclerotia have been found to survive under adverse environmental conditions for long periods. Their viability is retained at low and subzero temperatures, while it is progressively reduced at temperatures above about 15° C. Dry conditions and lack of competition from other organisms favour survival. Depletion of food reserves results in loss of resistance to environmental factors.
Efficacy and safety of flash glucose monitoring in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Flash glucose monitoring (FGM) is a factory-calibrated sensor-based technology for the measurement of interstitial glucose. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess its efficacy and safety in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Research design and methods PubMed, CENTRAL, Scopus and Web of Science were searched in July 2019. Twelve studies with a follow-up longer than 8 weeks, evaluating 2173 patients on prandial insulin, multiple daily insulin injections or continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion were included. The following data were extracted: HbA1c, time in range, time above 180 mg/dL, time below 70 mg/dL, frequency of hypoglycemic events, number of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) measurements, total daily insulin dose, patient-reported outcomes, adverse events, and discontinuation rate. A comparison with SMBG was conducted. Results FGM use was associated with a reduction in HbA1c (−0.26% (−3 mmol/mol); p=0.002) from baseline to the last available follow-up, which correlated with HbA1c levels at baseline (−0.4% (−4 mmol/mol) for each 1.0% (11 mmol/mol) of HbA1c above 7.2% (55 mmol/mol)). Also, a decrease in time below 70 mg/dL was found (−0.60 hours/day; p=0.04). Favorable findings in patient-reported outcomes and no device-related serious adverse events were reported. When compared with SMBG, FGM was characterized by no statistically different change in HbA1c (p=0.09), with lower number of SMBG measurements per day (−3.76 n/day; p<0.001) and risk of discontinuation (relative risk=0.42; p=0.001). A limited number of studies, with a heterogeneous design and usually with a short-term follow-up and without specific training, were found. Conclusions The present review provides evidence for the use of FGM as an effective strategy for the management of diabetes.
The effect of sacrospinous ligament fixation during vaginal hysterectomy on postoperative de novo stress incontinence occurrence: a prospective study with 2-year follow-up

Background/aim To investigate the risk of de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurrence in women who were treated for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) in addition to vaginal hysterectomy (VAH) and antero-posterior colporrhaphy (CAP) over a 24-month follow-up period. Materials and methods A prospective randomized study was designed. Women without occult or obvious SUI were randomized into either one of the study groups: Group 1: VAH + CAP, and Group 2: VAH + CAP + SSLF. Postoperatively, the patients were reevaluated for de novo SUI occurrence. Results A total of 150 women were analyzed [G1 = VAH + CAP (n: 77) and G2 = VAH + CAP + SSLF (n: 73)]. Mean age, parity, body mass index, menopausal status, and preoperative POP degree, grade 1 and grade 2-3 cystocele and rectocele frequencies were similar between the 2 groups. During follow-up period, de novo SUI developed in 7 patients (9.1%) of Group 1, and in 6 patients (8.2%) of Group 2 (P > 0.05). In Groups 1 and 2, POP recurrence occurred in 5 (6.4%) vs. 1 (1.3%) cases,respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusion In patients undergoing surgery for POP, the addition of SSLF did not result in an increased rate of de novo SUI. Careful patient selection, and informing the patients about the risks and benefits of the planned surgical procedure are essential steps in each case of POP.
Hybrid Unilamellar Vesicles of Phospholipids and Block Copolymers with Crystalline Domains

Phospholipid (PL) membranes are ubiquitous in nature and their phase behavior has been extensively studied. Lipids assemble in a variety of structures and external stimuli can activate a quick switch between them. Amphiphilic block copolymers (BCPs) can self-organize in analogous structures but are mechanically more robust and transformations are considerably slower. The combination of PL dynamical behavior with BCP chemical richness could lead to new materials for applications in bioinspired separation membranes and drug delivery. It is timely to underpin the phase behavior of these hybrid systems and a few recent studies have revealed that PL–BCP membranes display synergistic structural, phase-separation, and dynamical properties not seen in pure components. One example is phase-separation in the membrane plane, which seems to be strongly affected by the ability of the PL to form lamellar phases with ordered alkyl chains. In this paper we focus on a rather less explored design handle which is the crystalline properties of the BCP component. Using a combination of confocal laser scanning microscopy and X-ray scattering we show that hybrid membranes of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (mPEG-b-PCL) display BCP-rich and PL-rich domains when the BCP comprises crystalline moieties. The packing of the hydrophilic part of the BCP (PEG) favors mixing of DPPC at the molecular level or into nanoscale domains while semi-crystalline and hydrophobic PCL moieties bolster microscopic domain formation in the hybrid membrane plane.
Zinc supplementation improves markers of glucose homeostasis in thalassaemia

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Investigation on Inertial Sorter Coupled with Magnetophoretic Effect for Nonmagnetic Microparticles

The sizes of most prokaryotic cells are several microns. It is very difficult to separate cells with similar sizes. A sorter with a contraction–expansion microchannel and applied magnetic field is designed to sort microparticles with diameters of 3, 4 and 5 microns. To evaluate the sorting efficiency of the designed sorter, numerical simulations for calculating the distributions of microparticles with similar sizes were carried out for various magnetic fields, inlet velocities, sheath flow ratios and structural parameters. The numerical results indicate that micro-particles with diameters of 3, 4 and 5 microns can be sorted efficiently in such a sorter within appropriate parameters. Furthermore, it is shown that a bigger particle size and more powerful magnetic field can result in a greater lateral migration of microparticles. The sorting efficiency of microparticles promotes a lower inlet velocity and greater sheath flow ratios. A smaller contraction–expansion ratio can induce a greater space between particle-bands. Finally, the micro particle image velocity (micro-PIV) experiments were conducted to obtain the bandwidths and spaces between particle-bands. The comparisons between the numerical and experimental results show a good agreement and make the validity of the numerical results certain.
Topological constraints of RNA pseudoknotted and loop-kissing motifs: applications to three-dimensional structure prediction

Abstract An RNA global fold can be described at the level of helix orientations and relatively flexible loop conformations that connect the helices. The linkage between the helices plays an essential role in determining the structural topology, which restricts RNA local and global folds, especially for RNA tertiary structures involving cross-linked base pairs. We quantitatively analyze the topological constraints on RNA 3D conformational space, in particular, on the distribution of helix orientations, for pseudoknots and loop-loop kissing structures. The result shows that a viable conformational space is predominantly determined by the motif type, helix size, and loop size, indicating a strong topological coupling between helices and loops in RNA tertiary motifs. Moreover, the analysis indicates that (cross-linked) tertiary contacts can cause much stronger topological constraints on RNA global fold than non-cross-linked base pairs. Furthermore, based on the topological constraints encoded in the 2D structure and the 3D templates, we develop a 3D structure prediction approach. This approach can be further combined with structure probing methods to expand the capability of computational prediction for large RNA folds.
αvβ3 and αvβ5 Integrins Bind Both the Proximal RGD Site and Non-RGD Motifs within Noncollagenous (NC1) Domain of the α3 Chain of Type IV Collagen

The NC1 domains of human type IV collagen, in particular α3NC1, are inhibitors of angiogenesis and tumor growth (Petitclerc, E., Boutaud, A., Prestayko, A., Xu, J., Sado, Y., Ninomiya, Y., Sarras, M. P., Jr., Hudson, B. G., and Brooks, P. C. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 8051–8061). The recombinant α3NC1 domain contained a RGD site as part of a short collagenous sequence at the N terminus, designated herein as RGD-α3NC1. Others, using synthetic peptides, have concluded that this RGD site is nonfunctional in cell adhesion, and therefore, the anti-angiogenic activity is attributed exclusively to αvβ3 integrin interactions with non-RGD motifs of the RGD-α3NC1 domain (Maeshima, Y., Colorado, P. C., and Kalluri, R. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 23745–23750). This nonfunctionality is surprising given that RGD is a binding site for αvβ3 integrin in several proteins. In the present study, we used the α3NC1 domain with or without the RGD site, expressed in HEK 293 cells for native conformation, as an alternative approach to synthetic peptides to assess the functionality of the RGD site and non-RGD motifs. Our results demonstrate a predominant role of the RGD site for endothelial adhesion and for binding of αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins. Moreover, we demonstrate that the two non-RGD peptides, previously identified as the αvβ3 integrin-binding sites of the α3NC1 domain, are 10-fold less potent in competing for integrin binding than the native protein, indicating the importance of additional structural and/or conformational features of the α3NC1 domain for integrin binding. Therefore, the RGD site, in addition to non-RGD motifs, may contribute to the mechanisms of endothelial cell adhesion in the human vasculature and the anti-angiogenic activity of the RGD-α3NC1 domain.
ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION DISTANCES OF A GOMPHOCERINE GRASSHOPPER

ABSTRACT I studied in the laboratory and in the field the communication distance of the gomphocerine grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus, which lives close to the ground in stony, short grass habitats. Using sound measurements and behavioural tests, I examined the frequency dependent attenuation and temporal degradation of the song pattern. Sound measurements (2–40 kHz) in the field revealed that excess attenuation increases with increasing frequency. Close to the ground, excess attenuation reaches 18 dB/m. On the basis of (i) excess attenuations, (ii) tympanic receptor threshold curves and (iii) song spectra, perception distances of female tympanic receptors for male songs and vice versa were calculated. Behavioural tests revealed that, especially in short and stony grass vegetation, the typical habitat of Ch. biguttulus, the temporal song pattern is strongly degraded. Thus, in the laboratory and in tall grass vegetation, sound attenuation was found to limit the communication distance. In contrast, in short grass vegetation, degradation of the temporal pattern was found to limit the communication distance of males listening to female songs. I argue that the exploitation of fast amplitude modulations for song recognition restricts the acoustic communication of grasshoppers to short distances (1–2.2 m). In this respect it seems adaptive to stridulate at low intensities.
Tula and Puumala hantavirus NSs ORFs are functional and the products inhibit activation of the interferon‐beta promoter

The S RNA genome segment of hantaviruses carried by Arvicolinae and Sigmodontinae rodents encodes the nucleocapsid (N) protein and has an overlapping (+1) open reading frame (ORF) for a putative nonstructural protein (NSs). The aim of this study was to determine whether the ORF is functional. A protein corresponding to the predicted size of Tula virus (TULV) NSs was detected using coupled in vitro transcription and translation from a cloned S segment cDNA, and a protein corresponding to the predicted size of Puumala virus (PUUV) NSs was detected in infected cells by Western blotting with an anti‐peptide serum. The activities of the interferon beta (IFN‐β) promoter, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB)‐ and interferon regulatory factor‐3 (IRF‐3) responsive promoters, were inhibited in COS‐7 cells transiently expressing TULV or PUUV NSs. Also IFN‐β mRNA levels in IFN‐competent MRC5 cells either infected with TULV or transiently expressing NSs were decreased. These data demonstrate that Tula and Puumala hantaviruses have a functional NSs ORF. The findings may explain why the NSs ORF has been preserved in the genome of most hantaviruses during their long evolution and why hantavirus‐infected cells secrete relatively low levels of IFNs. J. Med. Virol. 79:1527–1536, 2007. © Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
First record of photosynthetic cyanobacterial symbionts from mesophotic temperate sponges

Cyanobacterial symbionts may enable sponges to play a critical role in bentho-pelagic coupling, recycling nutrients at the benthic surface and providing a key requirement for ecosystem function. This is the first study to investigate the depths to which these symbioses are viable and the first record of photosynthetic sponges (i.e. sponges having a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic cyanobacteria) from mesophotic temperate habitats. Sponges with high levels of photosynthetic cyanobacteria occurred at depths of up to 50 m, medium levels to 75 m and low levels to 150 m off south-western Australia. The proportion of sponges that showed no epifluorescence increased greatly with depth. Cyanobacterial symbionts sequenced from sponges at 40 and 50 m belonged to the genera Synechococcus and Synechocystis. Our results verify that the domain of photosynthetic sponges is not just tropical or shallow water temperate environments. Sponges made up the highest biomass of biota across all the sites we sampled from depths of 30–150 m and we hypothesise that photosynthetic cyanobacterial symbionts may be important in facilitating sponges to dominate habitats at these depths off Australia’s oligotrophic west coast.
DIURNAL ACTIVITY OF ADELIE PENGUINS PYGOSCELIS ADELIAE AT CAPE BIRD

SUMMARY Activity cycles of non-breeding Adelie Penguins were investigated at Cape Bird, Antarctica. There was continuous light during the observation period, but none the less regular fluctuations of light intensity and temperature were maintained. The penguins had no single period of rest, but were active throughout the 24 hours. However, there were statistically significant diurnal variations in the levels of certain activities among non-breeders, with an overall reduction in activity-levels in the middle of the day, especially on warm midsummer afternoons. It is suggested that this cyclic activity minimum may be associated with the low heat tolerance of Adelie Penguins.
Obstructive sleep apnea caused by acromegaly: Case report

ABSTRACT Background Acromegaly is an uncommon syndrome caused by growth hormone-producing pituitary adenoma or pituitary gland hypertrophy. Acromegaly is known to be characterized by progressive somatic disfigurement and a wide range of systematic manifestations. This case study describes a rare case of severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) caused by acromegaly. Clinical Presentation A female patient presented to the consultant clinic with the chief complaint of progressively worsening sleep and was diagnosed with severe OSA. Because of a peculiar facial appearance of the patient, acromegaly was suspected and confirmed by the findings of hormonal analysis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary adenoma, her OSA was almost cured, with residual AHI of 5.5. Conclusion This case highlights the importance of a comprehensive clinical examination of OSA patients. In every sleep-related breathing disorder case, sleep clinicians should be aware of alternate problems that could cause upper airway obstruction.
Unveiling the Lewis Acid Catalyzed Diels–Alder Reactions Through the Molecular Electron Density Theory

The effects of metal-based Lewis acid (LA) catalysts on the reaction rate and regioselectivity in polar Diels–Alder (P-DA) reactions has been analyzed within the molecular electron density theory (MEDT). A clear linear correlation between the reduction of the activation energies and the increase of the polar character of the reactions measured by analysis of the global electron density transfer at the corresponding transition state structures (TS) is found, a behavior easily predictable by analysis of the electrophilicity ω and nucleophilicity N indices of the reagents. The presence of a strong electron-releasing group in the diene changes the mechanism of these P-DA reactions from a two-stage one-step to a two-step one via formation of a zwitterionic intermediate. However, this change in the reaction mechanism does not have any chemical relevance. This MEDT study makes it possible to establish that the more favorable nucleophilic/electrophilic interactions taking place at the TSs of LA catalyzed P-DA reactions are responsible for the high acceleration and complete regioselectivity experimentally observed.
Petal Coloration and Pigmentation of Tree Peony Bred and Selected in Daikon Island (Shimane Prefecture)

Petal coloration and pigment constitution in 38 tree peony cultivars (cvs.) from Daikon Island in Shimane Prefecture were observed.Hues of flower color ranged from red through reddish purple to purple in most cvs. Chromas and values ranged from dull to deep or dark in red-flowered cvs. , very pale to dull in pink-flowered cvs. and deep to dark in purple-flowered cvs.As regards pigmentation, both 3, 5-diglucoside (3G5G) and 3-glucoside (3G) of pelargonidin (Pg) were dominant in almost all of the red-flowered cvs. Pink-flowered cvs. mainly contained the 3G5G of Pg or peonidin (Pn) but the amounts of anthocyanins were low. In purple-flowered cvs. , Pn3G5G was dominant but some deep-colored cvs. had a high Cy3G content. Furthermore, as the petal color became bluer, the Pg3G and Pg3G5G contents decreased and, conversely, the Pn3G and Pn3G5G contents increased.Based on the pigmentation in tree peony cvs. from Daikon Island, Pg3G-rich 'Hohki', 'Shin Shima no Kagayaki' and 'Kohki Jishi' are recommended as useful parental cvs. to obtain more vivid red colors, and 'Hohrei' with a high Pn3G5G content may be used as a parent to obtain bluer colors in future breeding.