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- Bousquet, J, et al.
(author)
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Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19: time for research to develop adaptation strategies
- 2020
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In: Clinical and translational allergy. - : Wiley. - 2045-7022. ; 10:1, s. 58-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPARγ:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NFκB: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2α:Elongation initiation factor 2α). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT1R axis (AT1R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity.
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- Ertoprak, Aysegul, et al.
(author)
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Evidence for octupole collectivity in 172Pt
- 2020
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In: European Physical Journal A. - : Springer. - 1434-6001 .- 1434-601X. ; 56:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Excited states in the extremely neutron-deficient nucleus 172Pt were populated via 96Ru(78Kr,2p) and 92Mo(83Kr,3n) reactions. The level scheme has been extended up to an excitation energy of ~ 5 MeV and tentative spin-parity assignments up to Iπ = 18+. Linear polarization and angular distribution measurements were used to determine the electromagnetic E1 character of the dipole transitions connecting the positive-parity ground-state band with an excited side-band, firmly establishing it as a negative-parity band. The lowest member of this negative-parity structure was firmly assigned spin-parity 3-. In addition, we observed an E3 transition from this 3- state to the ground state, providing direct evidence for octupole collectivity in 172Pt. Large-scale shell model (LSSM) and total Routhian surface (TRS) calculations have been performed, supporting the interpretation of the 3- state as a collective octupole-vibrational state.
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- Liotta, G, et al.
(author)
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Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of the Short Functional Geriatric Evaluation (SFGE) to Assess the Multidimensionality of Frailty in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
- 2023
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In: International journal of environmental research and public health. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-4601. ; 20:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Short Functional Geriatric Evaluation (SFGE) is a multidimensional and short questionnaire to assess biopsychosocial frailty in older adults. This paper aims to clarify the latent factors of SFGE. Data were collected from January 2016 to December 2020 from 8800 community-dwelling older adults participating in the “Long Live the Elderly!” program. Social operators administered the questionnaire through phone calls. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was carried out to identify the quality of the structure of the SFGE. Principal component analysis was also performed. According to the SFGE score, 37.7% of our sample comprised robust, 24.0% prefrail, 29.3% frail, and 9.0% very frail individuals. Using the EFA, we identified three main factors: psychophysical frailty, the need for social and economic support, and the lack of social relationships. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.792, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity had a statistically significant result (p-value < 0.001). The three constructs that emerged explain the multidimensionality of biopsychosocial frailty. The SFGE score, 40% of which is social questions, underlines the crucial relevance of the social domain in determining the risk of adverse health outcomes in community-dwelling older adults.
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- Liotta, Melissa N., et al.
(author)
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Antagonistic selection on body size and sword length in a wild population of the swordtail fish, Xiphophorus multilineatus : Potential for intralocus tactical conflict
- 2021
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In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 11:9, s. 3941-3955
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) have provided valuable insights into how sexual selection and life history trade-offs can lead to variation within a sex. However, the possibility that tactics may constrain evolution through intralocus tactical conflict (IATC) is rarely considered. In addition, when IATC has been considered, the focus has often been on the genetic correlations between the ARTs, while evidence that the ARTs have different optima for associated traits and that at least one of the tactics is not at its optimum is often missing. Here, we investigate selection on three traits associated with the ARTs in the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus; body size, body shape, and the sexually selected trait for which these fishes were named, sword length (elongation of the caudal fin). All three traits are tactically dimorphic, with courter males being larger, deeper bodied and having longer swords, and the sneaker males being smaller, more fusiform and having shorter swords. Using measures of reproductive success in a wild population we calculated selection differentials, as well as linear and quadratic gradients. We demonstrated that the tactics have different optima and at least one of the tactics is not at its optimum for body size and sword length. Our results provide the first evidence of selection in the wild on the sword, an iconic trait for sexual selection. In addition, given the high probability that these traits are genetically correlated to some extent between the two tactics, our study suggests that IATC is constraining both body size and the sword from reaching their phenotypic optima. We discuss the importance of considering the role of IATC in the evolution of tactical dimorphism, how this conflict can be present despite tactical dimorphism, and how it is important to consider this conflict when explaining not only variation within a species but differences across species as well.
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| 7. |
- Liotta, Melissa N., et al.
(author)
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Evidence for genetic integration of mating behavior and morphology in a behaviorally plastic alternative reproductive tactic
- 2021
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In: Evolutionary Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0269-7653 .- 1573-8477. ; 35:44687, s. 723-737
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) often exhibit more than one mating behavior depending on social context (i.e., behavioral plasticity). It has been hypothesized that by constraining an ART from reaching optimal morphological states, intralocus tactical conflict could promote the maintenance of behavioral plasticity in ARTs, rather than the use of a fixed mating behavior to match an optimal morphological state. For selection on either behavior or morphology to influence one another, there would need to be genetic integration between these traits within the behaviorally plastic males. To examine this possibility, we compared the relationship between body shape, body size and propensity to use sneak-chase behavior across experienced wild-caught males and inexperienced lab reared males from the behaviorally plastic ART (sneaker males) of the swordtail fish Xiphophorus multilineatus. The smaller, more narrow-bodied sneaker males use both force copulatory sneak-chases and courtship behavior to access females, while the larger, deeper-bodied courter males are fixed in their use of courtship behavior. We detected similar relationships between body size and the propensity to use sneak-chase behavior within the sneaker males when they were alone with a female (no competitor present) for both experienced and inexperienced males, suggesting genetic integration between behavior and body size. Body shape, on the other hand, was more complex and suggested both genetic integration (more fusiform males from both groups were more likely to use sneak-chase), as well as learning depending on subtle differences in body shape. We discuss how intralocus tactical conflict on morphological traits that are genetically integrated with behaviors has the potential to maintain behavioral plasticity in the X. multilineatus sneaker males and influence the evolution of ARTs in general.
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| 8. |
- Macchiavelli, A. O., et al.
(author)
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"Piston" mechanism in a time-dependent two-level model
- 2021
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In: Physical Review C. - : American Physical Society (APS). - 2469-9985 .- 2469-9993. ; 104:6
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We analyze a recent study of the one-proton knockout reaction on N-19 in the framework of a time-dependent two-level model. Focusing on the specific case of C-18, we quantify the validity of the so-called "piston" mechanism in terms of the timescales involved in the process, namely, the reaction time, the period of oscillation between the mixed states, and the lifetime of the excited unbound state.
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| 9. |
- Zhang, Wei, et al.
(author)
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Lifetime measurements of excited states in 169,171,173Os : Persistence of anomalous B(E2) ratios in transitional rare earth nuclei in the presence of a decoupled i13/2 valence neutron
- 2021
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In: Physics Letters B. - : Elsevier BV. - 0370-2693 .- 1873-2445. ; 820
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Lifetimes of low-lying excited states in the νi13/2+ bands of the neutron-deficient osmium isotopes 169,171,173Os have been measured for the first time using the recoil-distance Doppler shift and recoil-isomer tagging techniques. An unusually low value is observed for the ratio B(E2;21/2+→17/2+)/B(E2;17/2+→13/2+) in 169Os, similar to the “anomalously” low values of the ratio B(E2;41+→21+)/B(E2;21+→0gs+) previously observed in several transitional rare-earth nuclides with even numbers of neutrons and protons, including the neighbouring 168,170Os. Furthermore, the evolution of B(E2;21/2+→17/2+)/B(E2;17/2+→13/2+) with increasing neutron number in the odd-mass isotopic chain 169,171,173Os is observed to follow the same trend as observed previously in the even-even Os isotopes. These findings indicate that the possible quantum phase transition from a seniority conserving structure to a collective regime as a function of neutron number suggested for the even-even systems is maintained in these odd-mass osmium nuclei, with the odd valence neutron merely acting as a “spectator”. As for the even-even nuclei, the phenomenon is highly unexpected for nuclei that are not situated near closed shells.
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