Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Locomotor Behaviour and Clock Neurons Organisation in the Agricultural Pest Drosophila suzukii

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumara) also called Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), is an invasive pest species originally from Asia that has now spread widely across Europe and North America. The majority of drosophilids including the best known Drosophila melanogaster only breed on decaying fruits. On the contrary, the presence of a strong serrated ovipositor and behavioural and metabolic adaptations allow D. suzukii to lay eggs inside healthy, ripening fruits that are still on the plant. Here we present an analysis of the rhythmic locomotor activity behaviour of D. suzukii under several laboratory settings. Moreover, we identify the canonical clock neurons in this species by reporting the expression pattern of the major clock proteins in the brain. Interestingly, a fundamentally similar organisation of the clock neurons network between D. melanogaster and D. suzukii does not correspond to similar characteristics in rhythmic locomotor activity behaviour.
Ketamine: A Neglected Therapy for Alzheimer Disease

Most attempts to identify promising new areas of scientific investigation rely on emerging trends such as seminal publications that become highly cited, or the appearance of increasing numbers of further articles on the same topic (Chen, 2006). Such bibliometric techniques follow research advances, but it would be valuable to predict trends before they have appeared in the published literature. Because of the uneven diffusion of research advances throughout science, a breakthrough which emerges in one domain area may take months or years before it becomes explored or applied in other fields. Thus, one can identify an emerging trend in one domain, and seek to predict new fields that might benefit. Some breakthroughs (e.g., the polymerase chain reaction) are clearly of wide applicability. However, some findings appear to have features or restrictions that are specific to one domain, which discourages investigators in another domain from exploring them. Such expectations create a delay or state of neglect in the second domain, even when a lack of information per se does not exist. In this paper, I will examine a breakthrough which arose in the field of depression research, which has not yet been explored in the context of another neuropsychiatric disease, namely, Alzheimer disease.
Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Candidate Genes for Flowering Time Variation in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

The common bean is one of the most important staples in many areas of the world. Extensive phenotypic and genetic characterization of unexplored bean germplasm are still needed to unlock the breeding potential of this crop. Dissecting genetic control of flowering time is of pivotal importance to foster common bean breeding and to develop new varieties able to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Indeed, flowering time strongly affects yield and plant adaptation ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic control of days to flowering using a whole genome association approach on a panel of 192 highly homozygous common bean genotypes purposely developed from landraces using Single Seed Descent. The phenotypic characterization was carried out at two experimental sites throughout two growing seasons, using a randomized partially replicated experimental design. The same plant material was genotyped using double digest Restriction-site Associated DNA sequencing producing, after a strict quality control, a dataset of about 50 k Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs). The Genome-Wide Association Study revealed significant and meaningful associations between days to flowering and several SNP markers; seven genes are proposed as the best candidates to explain the detected associations.
Modeling Varicella Zoster Virus Persistence and Reactivation – Closer to Resolving a Perplexing Persistent State

The latent state of the human herpesvirus varicella zoster virus (VZV) has remained enigmatic and controversial. While it is well substantiated that VZV persistence is established in neurons after the primary infection (varicella or chickenpox), we know little of the types of neurons harboring latent virus genomes, if all can potentially reactivate, what exactly drives the reactivation process, and the role of immunity in the control of latency. Viral gene expression during latency has been particularly difficult to resolve, although very recent advances indicate that it is more restrictive than was once thought. We do not yet understand how genes expressed in latency function in the maintenance and reactivation processes. Model systems of latency are needed to pursue these questions. This has been especially challenging for VZV because the development of in vivo models of VZV infection has proven difficult. Given that up to one third of the population will clinically reactivate VZV to develop herpes zoster (shingles) and suffer from its common long term problematic sequelae, there is still a need for both in vivo and in vitro model systems. This review will summarize the evolution of models of VZV persistence and address insights that have arisen from the establishment of new in vitro human neuron culture systems that not only harbor a latent state, but permit experimental reactivation and renewed virus production. These models will be discussed in light of the recent data gleaned from the study of VZV latency in human cadaver ganglia.
Effects of Understory Vegetation Management on Plant Communities in Oil Palm Plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia

Oil palm plantations have expanded rapidly in recent decades, and are causing substantial impacts on tropical habitats and biodiversity. However, owing to its long lifespan (25-30 years), oil palm forms a much more varied and structurally-complex habitat than many other crops. This can include abundant understory vegetation and also epiphytes on palm trunks. However, the diversity of this plantation vegetation has been poorly studied, and there has been little consideration of the impacts of common plantation vegetation management practices on plant communities. We conducted a long-term vegetation management experiment that forms part of the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function in Tropical Agriculture (BEFTA) Programme in Riau, Indonesia. We manipulated herbicide and manual cutting regimes within mature oil palm plantations to create three different understory complexity treatments (Reduced, Normal, and Enhanced vegetation) across replicated sets of plots. Plant communities were surveyed before and after experimental understory vegetation treatments began in three different microhabitats: within the middle of the plantation block (core), on the road edge (edge) and on oil palm trunks (trunk). Part of the sampling was also conducted during a drought event. We recorded 120 plant species, which comprised a mixture of native, non-native, ‘beneficial’, and ‘problem’ species. We found substantial variation in plant communities between edge, core, and trunk microhabitats, indicating high levels of heterogeneity within the plantation. There were significant effects of varying understory treatment within both core and edge microhabitats, but no spillover of impacts into the trunk microhabitat. We also observed substantial impacts of drought on plant communities, with declines in either biomass, percentage cover, or richness seen across core, edge, and trunk microhabitats during low-rainfall periods. Our findings highlight the diversity of plant communities that can be supported within oil palm plantations, and the substantial impacts that management decisions, and also drought, can have on them. Given the role that diverse plant communities can have in supporting species in other groups, this is likely to have a significant impact on the wider plantation biodiversity. We suggest that plantation management strategies give greater consideration to within-plantation understory plant communities and choose more wildlife-friendly options where possible.
The Ecological Limits of Poverty Alleviation in an African Forest-Agriculture Landscape

Cocoa yields in Ghana remain low. This has variously been attributed to low rates of fertilizer application, pollinator limitation, and particularly dry growing conditions. In this paper we use an African forest-agriculture landscape dominated by cocoa (Theobroma cacao) to develop an ecological production function, allowing us to identify key ecological and management limits acting on cocoa yields simultaneously. These included more consistent application of fertilizers inter-annually, distributing rotting biomass throughout the farm and reducing the incidence of capsid attacks. By relaxing these limits, we estimate plausible increases in yields and, by extension, farm incomes. Our analysis reveals that resulting increases in cocoa yields requiring both ecological and intensive management interventions could be significant (113 ± 60%); however, benefits are disproportionately realized by the wealthiest households. We found that wealthier households benefited proportionally more from ecological intensification methods (e.g., leaving more rotting biomass in their farms) and the poorest households benefited proportionally more from capital-intensive intensification methods (e.g., pesticide and fertilizer applications). We treated poverty as multi-dimensional, and show that only certain dimensions of poverty (school attendance, assets, and food security) are significantly related to cocoa incomes, while several other dimensions (access to clean water, sanitation and electricity, and infant mortality) are not. We explore how increased household cocoa incomes could impact different dimensions of poverty. Our findings suggest, that if all households adopted the optimal level of each of these management options, and in so doing had similar poverty profiles to those households already managing optimally, we would see the community-averaged probability: a child of a household misses school decrease from 47 to 31%, a household would be able to acquire assets increase from 40 to 59% and a household would have access to an adequate amount of food increase from 62 to 79%.
ERβ Accelerates Diabetic Wound Healing by Ameliorating Hyperglycemia-Induced Persistent Oxidative Stress

Delayed wound healing in diabetic patients is a serious diabetic complication, resulting in major health problems as well as high mortality and disability. The detailed mechanism still needs to be fully understood. In this study, we aim to investigate potential mechanisms and explore an efficient strategy for clinical treatment of diabetic wound healing. Human umbilical endothelial cells were exposed to hyperglycemia for 4 days, then switched to normoglycemia for an additional 4 days. The cells were harvested for the analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, gene expression and VEGF signaling pathway. Furthermore, the diabetic wound model was established in rats for the evaluation of wound healing rates under the treatment of either ERβ agonist/antagonist or SOD mimetic MnTBAP. Our results show that transient hyperglycemia exposure results in persistent ROS overgeneration after the switch to normoglycemia, along with suppressed expression of ERβ, SOD2, and the VEGF signaling pathway. Either ERβ expression or activation diminishes ROS generation. In vivo experiments with diabetic rats show that ERβ activation or SOD mimetic MnTBAP diminishes ROS generation in tissues and accelerates diabetic wound healing. Transient hyperglycemia exposure induces ROS generation and suppresses ERβ expression, subsequently resulting in SOD2 suppression with additional elevated ROS generation. This forms a positive-feed forward loop for ROS generation with persistent oxidative stress. ERβ expression or activation breaks this loop and ameliorates this effect, thereby accelerating diabetic wound healing. We conclude that ERβ accelerates diabetic wound healing by ameliorating hyperglycemia-induced persistent oxidative stress. This provides a new strategy for clinical treatment of diabetic wound healing based on ERβ activation.
Ghrelin Plasma Levels After 1 Year of Ketogenic Diet in Children With Refractory Epilepsy

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low carbohydrate nutritional treatment adopted in several countries for refractory epilepsy. However, the use of KD is limited by adverse events including growth retardation. In a previous investigation, we demonstrated that ghrelin is reduced in children maintained on KD for 3 months. As ghrelin regulates growth hormone (GH) secretion, it can be hypothesized that growth retardation depends on the reduced ghrelin availability. To assess this hypothesis, in this study we evaluate ghrelin and growth during 1 year of KD. We examined a small cohort of 6 children (2 males and 4 females, age range 3–10.4 years) affected by refractory epilepsy, who received the KD as add-on treatment. All patients were on drug polytherapy. Endpoints of the study were: (i) ghrelin plasma levels at 0, 15, 30, 90, and 365 days from KD onset, (ii) growth, and (iii) seizure control by ketogenesis. Ghrelin levels were −53 and −47% of basal levels, respectively, at 90 and 365 days (P < 0.05 for both). Mean height index z scores were reduced, but not significantly, by comparing basal values with those at the end of observation. Instead, body mass index z scores slightly increased. Ketosis induced by the KD was within 2–5 mmol/L and satisfactorily reduced the seizure frequency (>50%) in all patients. We show that ghrelin plasma levels are consistently reduced in children with refractory epilepsy and maintained on the KD. This change was associated with low growth indexes in the majority of patients.
Use of Growth Hormone in the IVF Treatment of Women With Poor Ovarian Reserve

Growth hormone (GH) has been used as an adjunct in the field of female infertility treatment for more than 25 years, although, apart from treating women with GH deficiency its role has not yet been clarified. Contributing to this lack of clarity is that several underpowered studies have been performed on women undergoing IVF treatment, with a previous “poor response” to ovarian stimulation, which have suggested a favorable outcome. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials has demonstrated a benefit for the use of the adjunct growth hormone, in comparison to placebo; with reductions in the duration of ovarian stimulation required prior to oocyte retrieval, with a greater number of oocytes collected, and improvements in many of the early clinical parameters with the use of GH. However, no benefit of an increased chance of a live birth with the use of growth hormone for the “poor responding” patient has been determined. Consequently the role of GH to treat a woman with a poor response to ovarian stimulation cannot be supported on the basis of the available evidence. However, the place for GH in the treatment of women undergoing IVF may yet still be determined, as it is also used, without firm evidence of benefit; for women with poor embryonic development, poor endometrial development and for women who do not conceive despite multiple embryo transfers (recurrent implantation failure).
From Natural Killer Cell Receptor Discovery to Characterization of Natural Killer Cell Defects in Primary Immunodeficiencies

Alessandro Moretta was Professor of Histology at University of Brescia from 1994 to 1997. It was in that period that we met and started a collaboration that continued in the years to follow. He immediately involved us in the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that allowed the identification and fine characterization of novel receptor molecules that were able to activate or inhibit human Natural Killer cell function, including several antibodies specific for Natural Cytotoxicity Receptor (NCR) and Killer-cell Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) molecules. These reagents, generated in our laboratory in Brescia, contributed to complete the studies aimed to characterize innate lymphoid NK cells, that had been initiated by Alessandro and his brother Lorenzo in Genoa. Soon, we identified an anti-KIR3DL2 that was subsequently shown to be helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of various forms of cutaneous T cell lymphoma. While in Brescia, Alessandro established a partnership with those of us who were working in the Department of Pediatrics; together, in short time we tackled the goal of studying the role of NK cells in patients with primary immunodeficiencies. This collaboration led to novel discoveries that shed light on the critical role played by NK cells in the immune response against virus and tumors in humans, as best exemplified by our characterization of the molecular mechanisms of impaired control of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) infection in patients with X-linked lymphoproliferative (XLP) disease. After Alessandro left Brescia to return to Genoa, our collaboration continued with the same enthusiasm, and even from a distance he remained an extraordinary example of an inspirational and generous mentor. This review is a sign of our gratitude to a mentor and a friend whom we deeply miss.
Chromatin Remodeling Complex NuRD in Neurodevelopment and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex presents one of the major chromatin remodeling complexes in mammalian cells. Here, we discuss current evidence for NuRD’s role as an important epigenetic regulator of gene expression in neural stem cell (NSC) and neural progenitor cell (NPC) fate decisions in brain development. With the formation of the cerebellar and cerebral cortex, NuRD facilitates experience-dependent cerebellar plasticity and regulates additionally cerebral subtype specification and connectivity in postmitotic neurons. Consistent with these properties, genetic variation in NuRD’s subunits emerges as important risk factor in common polygenic forms of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and neurodevelopment-related psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). Overall, these findings highlight the critical role of NuRD in chromatin regulation in brain development and in mental health and disease.
The effect of alpha-lipoic acid on expression of VCAM-1 in type 2 diabetic rat

Macrovascular diabetes complications are generally caused by a process called atherosclerosis. Evidences suggest that to initiate atherosclerosis, oxidated low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) has to promote the expression of adhesion molecule. Several studies have evidenced the relevance of oxidative stress and atherosclerosis. However, the protective effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) at atherosclerosis still needs to be explored. This study is aimed at investigating the concentration of plasma oxLDL and the expression of adhesion molecule of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) using rat model. Eighteen male rats were segregated into three groups labeled as control group, DM group and DM+ALA group. Type 2 diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) followed by nicotinamide (110 mg/kg). ALA was administered at a dose of 60 mg/kg body weight/day throughout the feeding period of 3 weeks. Plasma oxLDL concentration was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) was measured by immunohistochemistry. Expression of abdominal aortic adhesion molecule was assessed by calculation with Adobe Photoshop CS3. Analysis of variance test was used to compare the concentration of plasma oxLDL and expression of adhesion molecule. A P-value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Plasma oxLDL was lower in diabetic rat+ALA compared with the diabetic rat. Percentage of area VCAM-1 in DM+ALA group was lower than DM group. There were no significant differences between groups in intensity of VCAM-1. In conclusion, ALA showed protective effects against early atherosclerosis in diabetic rats.
Clinical Characteristics, Intraoperative Findings, and Surgical Outcomes of Canalicular Laceration Repair with Monocanalicular Stent in Asia

Purpose To report the epidemiological and clinical data as well as surgical outcomes of canalicular lacerations with Mini-Monoka insertion at a tertiary center in Taiwan and to discuss differences in traumatic pattern, pathogenesis, and surgical outcomes between Taiwan and other countries. Methods From 2009 to 2018, all 48 patients who underwent canalicular laceration repair with Mini-Monoka stent at a tertiary center in Taiwan were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and clinical data and surgical outcomes were recorded. Results The mean age of the 48 patients was 38 years. Single lower canaliculus was involved in 37 (77.1%) patients, upper canaliculus in 10 (20.8%) patients, and both in 1 (2.1%) patient. The most common etiology was motorcycle accident (41.7%), and all traffic accident injuries accounted for 68.75% of cases. Subgroup classification revealed 64.6% of patients (n=31) were categorized in the deep laceration group, and lower anatomical and functional outcomes were noted in deep laceration. The mean follow-up time was 14.5 months. Overall, the anatomical success rate was 87.5%, and the functional success rate was 91.7% after stent removal. Conclusion Canalicular laceration caused by traffic accidents occurred with a relatively high frequency in Taiwan. Affected patients tended to be middle-aged, and deep laceration accounted for 64.6% of patients. These were contributed by the avulsive eyelid injury mechanism caused by traffic accidents. Furthermore, the deeper lacerated site was located, and the lower anatomical and functional success rates were observed. Early repair after trauma with Mini-Monoka stents achieved good eyelid position (100%) as well as good anatomical (87.5%) and functional (91.7%) success without serious complication.
A Novel Virtual Reality Technique (Cervigame®) Compared to Conventional Proprioceptive Training to Treat Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Despite the potential benefits of virtual reality technology in physical rehabilitation, only a few studies have evaluated the efficacy of this type of treatment in patients with neck pain. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of virtual reality training (VRT) versus conventional proprioceptive training (CPT) in patients with neck pain. Materials and Methods: Forty four participants with nonspecific chronic neck pain were randomly assigned to VRT or CPT in this assessor-blinded clinical trial. A novel videogame called Cervigame® was designed for VRT. It comprises of 50 stages divided into unidirectional and two-directional stages ordered from easy to hard. CPT consisted of eye-follow, gaze stability, eye-head coordination and position and movement sense training. Both groups completed 8 training sessions over 4 weeks. Visual analogue scale score, neck disability index and Y-balance test results were recorded at baseline, immediately after and 5 weeks post-intervention. Mixed repeated measure ANOVA was used to analyze differences between mean values for each variable at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: There were significant improvements in all variables in both groups immediately after and 5 weeks after the intervention. Greater improvements were observed in the visual analogue scale and neck disability index scores in VRT group, and the results for all directions in Y-balance test were similar in both groups. No side effects were reported. Conclusion: Improvements in neck pain and disability were greater in VRT than CPT group. Cervigame® is a potentially practical tool for rehabilitation in patients with neck pain.