Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection and determination of stability of the antibiotic residues in cow’s milk

In the present study, antibiotic residues were detected in milk samples collected from the dairy herds located in Karnataka, India, by microbiological assay. Subsequently, the detected antibiotics were identified as azithromycin and tetracycline, by high-performance liquid chromatography, further both the antibiotics detected in the cow milk samples were found to be at high concentration (9708.7 and 5460 μg kg-1, respectively). We then investigated the effects of temperature and pH on the stabilities of azithromycin and tetracycline to determine the degradation rate constant k using first-order kinetic equation. Results indicated that significant reduction in stability and antibacterial activity of azithromycin solution when subjected to 70 and 100°C for 24 h. While stability of tetracycline was significantly reduced when subjected to 70 and 100°C for 24 h. However no significant reduction in antibacterial activity of tetracycline was observed at respective temperatures when compared with that of control. In addition, the stabilities of azithromycin and tetracycline were found to be decreased in acidic pH 4–5. The results of the present study revealed the high risk of contamination of milk sample with veterinary antibiotics and also demonstrated the effect of temperature and pH on stability of antibiotics. Therefore the study suggest that the qualitative and quantitative screening of milk for the presence of antibiotics need to be strictly performed to ensure safe drinking milk for consumers.
G-Protein-Coupled Receptor-Membrane Interactions Depend on the Receptor Activation state

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of human membrane proteins and serve as primary targets of ∼1/3 of currently marketed drugs. In particular, adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR) is an important therapeutic target for treating cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injuries, neuropathic pain and renal diseases. As a prototypical GPCR, the A1AR is located within a phospholipid membrane bilayer and transmits cellular signals by changing between different conformational states. It is important to elucidate the lipid-protein interactions in order to understand the functional mechanism of GPCRs. Here, all-atom simulations using a robust Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) method were performed on both the inactive (antagonist bound) and active (agonist and G protein bound) A1AR, which was embedded in a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) lipid bilayer. In the GaMD simulations, the membrane lipids played a key role in stabilizing different conformational states of the A1AR. Our simulations further identified important regions of the receptor that interacted distinctly with the lipids in highly correlated manner. Activation of the A1AR led to differential dynamics in the upper and lower leaflets of the lipid bilayer. In summary, GaMD enhanced simulations have revealed strongly coupled dynamics of the GPCR and lipids that depend on the receptor activation state.
Carotenoids of Capsicum Fruits: Pigment Profile and Health-Promoting Functional Attributes

Pepper of the Capsicum species is a common ingredient in various food preparations by different cultures worldwide. The Capsicum is recognised by its five main domesticated species, namely Capsicum annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens and C. pubescens. The genetic diversity in Capsicum offers fruits in wide ranges of morphology and carotenoid profile. Carotenoids enhance the value of pepper from a nutritional standpoint, despite being commonly prized for the pharmacologically active pungent capsaicinoids. Carotenoids of pepper comprise mainly of the unique, powerful and highly stable capsanthin and capsoroubin, together with β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin and violaxanthin. These carotenoids are present at diverse profile and varying levels, biosynthetically connected to the fruit maturity stages. This review describes the health-promoting functional attributes of the carotenoids that are mainly associated with their excellent role as lipophilic antioxidants. Capsicum as a great source of carotenoids is discussed in the aspects of main domesticated species, biosynthesis, pigment profile, antioxidant activity and safety. Findings from a number of in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies provided appreciable evidence on the protective effects of pepper’s carotenoids against degenerative diseases. Hence, pepper with its functional carotenoids might be recommended in health-promoting and disease preventing strategies.
A Digital Intervention for Australian Adolescents Above a Healthy Weight (Health Online for Teens): Protocol for an Implementation and User Experience Study

Background More than one-fourth of Australian adolescents are overweight or obese, with obesity in adolescents strongly persisting into adulthood. Recent evidence suggests that the mid-teen years present a final window of opportunity to prevent irreversible damage to the cardiovascular system. As lifestyle behaviors may change with increased autonomy during adolescence, this life stage is an ideal time to intervene and promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors, well-being, and self-esteem. As teenagers are prolific users and innate adopters of new technologies, app-based programs may be suitable for the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors and goal setting training. Objective This study aims to explore the reach, engagement, user experience, and satisfaction of the new app-based and Web-based Health Online for Teens (HOT) program in a sample of Australian adolescents above a healthy weight (ie, overweight or obese) and their parents. Methods HOT is a 14-week program for adolescents and their parents. The program is delivered online through the Moodle app–based and website-based learning environment and aims to promote adolescents’ lifestyle behavior change in line with Australian Dietary Guidelines and Australia’s Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Young People (aged 13-17 years). HOT aims to build parental and peer support during the program to support adolescents with healthy lifestyle behavior change. Results Data collection for this study is ongoing. To date, 35 adolescents and their parents have participated in one of 3 groups. Conclusions HOT is a new online-only program for Australian adolescents and their parents that aims to reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors. This protocol paper describes the HOT program in detail, along with the methods to measure reach, outcomes, engagement, user experiences, and program satisfaction. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000465257; https://www.anzctr. org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx? id=374771 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/13340
Deciphering molecular heterogeneity of Indian families with hereditary spherocytosis using targeted next‐generation sequencing: First South Asian study

Defects in various erythrocyte membrane proteins genes (ankyrin, band‐3, β‐ and α‐spectrin and protein 4·2) can cause hereditary spherocytosis (HS). This molecular heterogeneity of HS, together with co‐inherited genetic modifiers, results in marked phenotypic variability among patients. We studied the molecular spectrum and genotype‐phenotype correlations in 73 families (with 113 patients) with HS. Deleterious variants including nonsense (42%), deletions (18%), splice site (20%), missense (10%) and duplication/insertion (10%) were found in 47 patients. The variants detected included sporadic and dominantly‐inherited defects in ANK1 (53·2%), SPTB (36·2%) and SLC4A1 (4·2%). Compound heterozygous variants in SPTA1 (6·4%) showed autosomal recessive inheritance. Alpha‐spectrin variants were associated with severe anaemia and splenectomy alleviated symptoms. Co‐inherited glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency was found in 15%. G6PD variants (n = 5) led to greater transfusion requirements (1‐8 times) in males with HS. Homozygosity (41%) for the promoter variant of UGT1A1 (Gilbert syndrome) led to a significantly higher mean bilirubin level (126·54 µmol/l) with a higher frequency of cholelithiasis (30%) (P < 0·001). This first‐ever south Asian study on the molecular spectrum of HS found ANK1 and SPTB genes variants to be the commonest with inheritance being sporadic/dominant. Next‐generation sequencing provided a relatively sensitive and rapid tool for molecular diagnosis with a diagnostic yield of 64·4%.
A national survey of videolaryngoscopes and alternative intubation devices in Hungary

Introduction Videolaryngoscopy (VL) as a new airway management technique has evolved in recent decades, and a large number of videolaryngoscopes are now available on the market. Most recent major guidelines already recommend the immediate availability and use of VL in difficult airway management scenarios. However, national data on the availability of VL, introduction into practice and patterns of use are rarely published. Therefore, the current study aimed to provide data on VL in Hungary. Materials and methods An electronic survey was designed and popularized with the help of the Hungarian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy to explore the availability, use, and practice of and attitudes toward VL among Hungarian anesthesiologists. The survey was conducted between 01.01. 2018 and 31.12. 2018. Results In total, 324 duly completed forms were returned and analyzed. Responders were mainly males (58%), specialists (80%) and those involved mainly in anesthesia practice (68%) in the public sector. Two hundred and ten (65%) responders had access to various videolaryngoscopes and were mainly from surgery, intensive care and traumatology units. No responders reported the availability of eight videolaryngoscopes out of the eighteen listed devices, and 32% of the responders had never used any videolaryngoscope in clinical settings. The most commonly available devices were KingVision, MacGrath Mac and Airtraq. Most of the responders reported using videolaryngoscopes mainly for difficult airway management and reported using a fiberscope as the first alternative device. Popular methods for selecting videolaryngoscopes included the following: short clinical trial (n = 67/324), decision of the departmental lead (n = 65/324) and price (n = 54/324). The majority of responders had some training prior to clinical application, but training was mainly voluntary. Overall, 98% of the responders considered videolaryngoscopes beneficial. Conclusions Approximately two-thirds of Hungarian anesthesiologists have immediate access to videolaryngoscopes, which are used mainly for difficult airway management. The overall attitude towards VL is positive, and many videolaryngoscopes are known and have been used by Hungarian anesthesiologists. However, only a few devices on the market are used commonly. Based on the results, further improvement might be recommended regarding VL training and availability.
Asymmetrically Branched Precision Glycooligomers Targeting Langerin.

Asymmetrically branched precision glycooligomers are synthesized by solid-phase polymer synthesis for studying multivalent carbohydrate-protein interactions. Through the stepwise assembly of Fmoc-protected oligo(amidoamine) building blocks and Fmoc/Dde protected lysine, straightforward variation of structural parameters such as the number and length of arms, as well as the number and position of carbohydrate ligands is achieved. Binding of 1-arm and 3-arm glycooligomers towards lectin receptors Langerin and Concanavalin A (ConA) was evaluated where the smallest 3-arm glycooligomer shows the highest binding towards Langerin and stepwise elongation of one, two or all three arms leads to decreased binding. When directly comparing binding towards Langerin and ConA, we find that structural variation of the scaffold affects glycomimetic ligand binding differently for the different targets, indicating the potential to tune such ligands not only for their avidity but also for their selectivity towards different lectins.
No distinct microbiome signature of irritable bowel syndrome found in a Swedish random population

Objective The ethiopathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is unknown. While a link to the gut microbiome is postulated, the heterogeneity of the healthy gut makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. We aimed to describe the faecal and mucosa-associated microbiome (MAM) and health correlates on a community cohort of healthy and IBS individuals with no colonoscopic findings. Design The PopCol study recruited a random sample of 3556 adults; 745 underwent colonoscopy. IBS was defined by Rome IV criteria and organic disease excluded. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was conducted on sigmoid biopsy samples from 376 representative individuals (63 IBS cases) and faecal samples from 185 individuals (32 IBS cases). Results While sigmoid MAM was dominated by Lachnospiraceae, faeces presented a higher relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae. Microbial richness in MAM was linearly correlated to that in faeces from the same individual (R²=0.255, p<3E-11) as was diversity (R²=0.06, p=0.0022). MAM diversity decreased with increasing body mass index (BMI; Pearson’s r=−0.1, p=0.08) and poorer self-rated health (r=−0.15, p=0.007), but no other health correlates. Faecal microbiome diversity was correlated to stool consistency (r=−0.16, p=0.043). Several taxonomic groups were correlated to age, BMI, depression and self-reported health, including Coprococcus catus associated with lower levels of depression (r=−0.003, p=0.00017). The degree of heterogeneity observed between IBS patients is higher than that observed between healthy individuals. Conclusions No distinct microbial signature was observed in IBS. Individuals presenting with low self-rated health or high BMI have lower gut microbiome richness.
Surpassing the subitizing threshold: appetitive–aversive conditioning improves discrimination of numerosities in honeybees

ABSTRACT Animals including humans, fish and honeybees have demonstrated a quantity discrimination threshold at four objects, often known as subitizing elements. Discrimination between numerosities at or above the subitizing range is considered a complex capacity. In the current study, we trained and tested two groups of bees on their ability to differentiate between quantities (4 versus 5 through to 4 versus 8) when trained with different conditioning procedures. Bees trained with appetitive (reward) differential conditioning demonstrated no significant learning of this task, and limited discrimination above the subitizing range. In contrast, bees trained using appetitive–aversive (reward–aversion) differential conditioning demonstrated significant learning and subsequent discrimination of all tested comparisons from 4 versus 5 to 4 versus 8. Our results show conditioning procedure is vital to performance on numerically challenging tasks, and may inform future research on numerical abilities in other animals. Highlighted Article: Appetitive–aversive differential conditioning enables honeybees to learn discrimination of quantities 1–10; however, classic appetitive conditioning does not allow bees to learn this same numerical task.
Attribution of lake warming in four shallow lakes in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River basin.

Many physical, chemical and biological processes in lakes depend on lake water temperature. However, attribution of warming rate in shallow lake is not well understood yet. Here, we evaluated a one-dimensional lake model FLake by observed daily lake surface water temperature (LSWT) at four typical lakes in the Middle and Lower Yangtze River basin, and then attributed LSWT warming to climate variables during the period 1979-2017. We found that FLake could capture-well the seasonal/interannual variation of observed LSWT. During the 39-year study period, LSWT significantly warms at a rate of 0.26-0.28°C per decade, 24-35% slower than that of air temperature. Increased solar radiation and air temperature contributed most (>80%) of LSWT warming. The warming trend of LSWT in spring is the largest among the four seasons, 2-4 times of the warming rate of the other seasons. Brightening in spring contributes 50-64% of the largest spring warming. The future air warming plus the brightening trend with clean air act in China would amplify LSWT warming, and thus advance and/or deteriorate algae blooms, especially in spring.
Alterations of signaling pathways in response to chemical perturbations used to measure mRNA decay rates in yeast

Assessing variations in mRNA stability typically involves inhibiting transcription either globally or in a gene-specific manner. Alternatively, mRNA pulse-labeling strategies offer a means to calculate mRNA stability without inhibiting transcription. However, key stress-responsive cell signaling pathways, which affect mRNA stability, may themselves be perturbed by the approaches used to measure mRNA stability, leading to artifactual results. Here, we have focused on common strategies to measure mRNA half-lives in yeast and determined that commonly used transcription inhibitors thiolutin and 1,10 phenanthroline inhibit TORC1 signaling, PKC signaling, and partially activate HOG signaling. Additionally, 4-thiouracil (4tU), a uracil analog used in mRNA pulse-labeling approaches, modestly induces P-bodies, mRNA–protein granules implicated in storage and decay of nontranslating mRNA. Thiolutin also induces P-bodies, whereas phenanthroline has no effect. Doxycycline, which controls “Tet On/Tet Off” regulatable promoters, shows no impact on the above signaling pathways or P-bodies. In summary, our data argues that broad-acting transcriptional inhibitors are problematic for determining mRNA half-life, particularly if studying the impacts of the TORC1, HOG, or PKC pathway on mRNA stability. Regulatable promoter systems are a preferred approach for individual mRNA half-life studies, with 4tU labeling representing a good approach to global mRNA half-life analysis, despite modestly inducing P-bodies.
Determination of Antidepressants and Antipsychotics in Dried Blood Spots (DBSs) Collected from Post-Mortem Samples and Evaluation of the Stability over a Three-Month Period

An LC-MS/MS method for the identification and quantification of antidepressants and antipsychotics was developed on dried blood spots (DBSs). Moreover, analyte stability on DBSs within a 3-month period was monitored. Aliquots of 85 µL of blood from autopsy cases were pipetted onto DBS cards, which were dried and stored at room temperature. DBSs were analyzed in triplicate immediately, within the following 3 weeks, and after 3 months. For each analysis, a whole blood stain was extracted in phosphate buffer and purified using Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) cartridges in order to avoid matrix effects and injected in the LC-MS/MS system. Thirty-nine molecules were screened. Limits of detection (LODs) ranged between 0.1 and 3.2 ng/mL (g) and 0.1 and 5.2 ng/mL (g) for antidepressants and antipsychotics, respectively. Limits of quantification (LOQs) varied from 5 to 10.0 ng/mL for both. Sixteen cases among the 60 analyzed resulted positive for 17 different analytes; for 14 of these the method was fully validated. A general good agreement between the concentrations on DBSs and those measured in conventional blood samples (collected concurrently and stored at −20 °C) was observed. The degradation/enhancement percentage for most of the substances was lower than 20% within the 3-month period. Our results, obtained from real post-mortem cases, suggest that DBSs can be used for routine sample storage.
Predictors of Care Gaps in Home Dialysis: The Home Dialysis Virtual Ward Study

Background: Home dialysis patients may be at an increased risk of adverse events after transitional states. The home dialysis virtual ward (HDVW) trial was conducted in Canadian dialysis centers and aimed to evaluate potential care gaps and patient satisfaction during the HDVW. Methods: The HDVW was a multicenter single-arm trial including peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis patients after 4 different events (hospital discharge, medical procedure, antibiotics, completion of training). Telephone-led interviews using a standardized assessment tool were performed over a 2-week period to assess a patient’s care and adjust treatment as required. Upon completion, patients were surveyed to evaluate their perceived impact on domains of care using a rating scale; 1 not satisfied to 10 completely satisfied. Results: The HDVW trial included 193 patients with a median number of potential care gaps/interventions of 1 (0–2) per patient. Patients admitted to the HDVW after hospital discharge were at a higher risk of potential gaps in care (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.29–3.62), while longer dialysis vintage was associated with a lower number of gaps/interventions (OR 0.97 per year, 95% CI 0.95–0.98). A total of 105/193 (54%) patients completed satisfaction surveys. Patients were highly satisfied with the HDVW (median rating scale score 8, IQR 2) and felt it had a positive impact (rating scale score ≥7) on their overall health, understanding of treatment and access to a nephrologist. Conclusion: The HDVW was effective at identifying several potential care gaps, and patients were satisfied across several domains of care. This intervention may be valuable in supporting home dialysis patients during care transitions.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 improves Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival in tomato plants.

Recently, outbreaks of food-borne diseases linked to fresh produce have been an emerging public health concerns worldwide. Previous research has shown that when human pathogens co-exist with plant pathogens, they have improved growth and survival rates. In this study, we have assessed whether Escherichia coli O157:H7 benefits in the existence of a phytopathogenic bacterium and the underlying mechanisms were further investigated. When Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000) and E. coli O157:H7 were co-inoculated by either dipping or infiltration methods, the populations of E. coli O157:H7 increased; however, no effect was observed when type three secretion system (T3SS) mutants were used instead, suggesting that E. coli O157:H7 benefits from the presence of Pst DC3000. In addition, this study confirmed that the E. coli O157:H7 populations increased when they occupied the tomato leaf intercellular space; this colonization of the interior of the leaves was possible due to the suppression of the PAMP triggered immunity (PTI) by Pst DC3000, in particular with the AvrPto effector. In conclusion, our data supports a plausible model that E. coli O157:H7 benefits from the presence of Pst DC3000 via AvrPto suppression of the PTI resistance.