Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New Perspectives in Tracing Vector-borne Interaction Networks

Disentangling trophic interaction networks in vector-borne systems has important implications in epidemiological and evolutionary studies. Molecular methods based on bloodmeal typing in vectors have been increasingly used to identify hosts. Although most molecular approaches benefit from good specificity and sensitivity, their temporal resolution is limited by the often rapid digestion of blood, and mixed bloodmeals still remain a challenge for bloodmeal identification in multi-host vector systems. Stable isotope analyses represent a novel complementary tool that can overcome some of these problems. The utility of these methods using examples from different vector-borne systems are discussed and the extents to which they are complementary and versatile are highlighted. There are excellent opportunities for progress in the study of vector-borne transmission networks resulting from the integration of both molecular and stable isotope approaches. Bloodmeal identification studies in vector-borne systems Approximately one-third of all infectious diseases are vector borne , including many emerging pathogens of global human health and economic concern [1]. Vector-borne pathogens are often maintained in complex enzootic cycles involving multiple reservoir vertebrate hosts and competent arthropod vectors. These multi-host pathogens represent a great challenge to the study of emerging diseases because different host and vector combinations might contribute to disease dynamics in a distinct manner [2]. In vector-borne systems disease transmission occurs when a vector feeds on a susceptible host after having previously fed on an infected host. For some vector–pathogen systems both vertical (e.g. transovarial) and horizontal (e.g. venereal) transmission of pathogens can also occur directly between vectors. Transmission dynamics critically depend upon the capacity of the arthropod vector to acquire, maintain and transmit the pathogen (i.e. the vector competence) and the potential of the vertebrate host as a reservoir. Consequently, vector feeding ecology and host community composition can have dramatic consequences for understanding patterns of transmission in nature [3] and pathogen spillover to humans (Boxes 1–3) [4,5]. Hematophagous arthropods are vectors for many pathogens , and bloodmeal identification studies have shed light on vector feeding patterns and thus on the transmission potential of different vector groups [6]. Molecular methods based on bloodmeal typing in a wide range of blood-feeding Opinion Glossary Discrimination or fractionation factor: is the difference in isotopic composition between an animal and its diet. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA): in the ELISA method enzymes are attached to either antigen or antibody. Upon linking the enzyme to the antigen or antibody, the complex retains both its immunological and …
Lower extremity strength and power asymmetry assessment in healthy and mobility-limited populations: reliability and association with physical functioning

Background and aims: This study assessed the reliability of evaluating asymmetrical strength and power deficits in the lower limbs of healthy middle-aged, healthy older and mobility-limited elders. We also explored the relationship between limb asymmetry and physical functioning. Methods: We evaluated baseline knee extension strength and power asymmetry data from a cohort of older adults (n=57; 74.2±0.9 yrs, 26 male) who participated in a lower body strength training study (TS) and from a cross-sectional study of community dwelling volunteers. Cross-sectional participants were recruited into: healthy middle-aged (MH) (n=31; 47.4±4.8 yrs, 14 male), healthy older (OH) (n=28; 74.0±3.6 yrs, 16 male) and mobility-limited older (OML) (n=34; 77.8±4.5 yrs, 16 male) groups. Knee extensor strength (1RM) and power asymmetry at 40% and 70% of 1RM were evaluated for test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results: Knee extension 1RM, and peak power at 40% and 70% asymmetry ICCs exhibited excellent to good reliability in the TS and OML groups (TS=0.8, 0.7 and 0.7, respectively; OML=0.7, 0.7, and 0.9, respectively) but not in the MH and OH groups. No consistent association between lower limb asymmetry and measures of physical functioning was observed. Conclusions: Assessment of lower limb strength and power asymmetry is more reliable in mobility-limited elders when compared to healthy middle-aged and older subjects. The relationship of lower limb asymmetry to physical functioning is poor, in contrast to associations between the absolute strength and power of the individual limbs and physical functioning.
Differential immune gene expression in sperm storage organs of leaf-cutting ants

ABSTRACT Leaf-cutting ant queens mate with multiple males during a single nuptial flight and store sperm for up to two decades. During mating, males transfer sperm from their accessory testes to the queen bursa copulatrix from where it enters the spermatheca, an insect sperm storage organ that has become highly specialized in long-lived ant queens who never re-mate later in life. Long-term storage without the possibility to obtain new sperm creates an immune defence dilemma, because recognition of non-self cells eliminates infections but may also target irreplaceable sperm and reduce lifetime reproductive success. We therefore hypothesized that non-specific immune responses, like pathogen melanization, should be silenced in the spermatheca, because they rely on general non-self recognition, and that specific responses such as antimicrobial peptides are activated instead as they specifically target pathogenic bacteria and/or fungi. The maintenance of uninfected sperm cells by males before mating is not constrained by non-self recognition, meaning immune regulation might be more liberal in male reproductive organs. To test this hypothesis, we measured gene expression of two antimicrobial peptides, abaecin and defensin, and prophenoloxidase, an important enzyme of the melanization pathway, in male accessory glands and testes and in queen bursae copulatrix and spermathecae of Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta colombica leaf-cutting ants. As expected, prophenoloxidase expression was low in reproductive organs that sustain prolonged contact with sperm, whereas antimicrobial peptides showed average to high expression, indicating that leaf-cutting ants invest in specific rather than generalist immune defences for pathogen protection in organs that store sperm. Highlighted Article: Leaf-cutting ants use specific rather than generalist immune defences in long-term sperm storage organs.
Impression formation and cooperative behavior

Two studies investigated how behavioral information about the morality or intelligence of another person influences impressions, expectations of cooperative behavior, and own cooperation in a mixed-motive interdependence situation. Consistent with the morality-importance hypothesis results revealed that morality information influenced impressions, expectations of other's cooperative behavior, as well as own cooperation more strongly than intelligence information, and led to greater confidence in expectations and better recall. Consistent with the negativity effect hypothesis negative information about morality and intelligence had more impact on impressions and interaction-relevant measures than positive information. An additional finding was that people overall expected more cooperation from others than they were willing to display themselves, and that this difference was especially pronounced for unintelligent and moral targets. Explanations and implications are discussed from a behavioral-adaptive perspective on impression formation. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Garlic and Chromium Picolinate Supplementation on Production Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Immunological Parameters of Guinea Fowls

A study was conducted on 120 guinea fowls to see the effect of garlic powder and chromium picolinate supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics and immunological parameters of guinea fowls. The birds were randomly divided into four treatment groups, having three replications consisting of ten birds each. The birds in the control group (T1) were not given any supplement, whereas, in treatments, birds were supplemented with garlic powder @ 1% of basal diet (T2), chromium picolinate @ 1500 ppb in drinking water (T3) and chromium picolinate @ 1000 ppb in drinking water plus garlic powder @ 0.5% of basal diet (T4) respectively. Results of trial indicated that both garlic and chromium picolinate supplementation improved body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (P<0.05) of Guinea fowls. Feed intake of birds was also found reduced (P<0.05) in all treatment groups in comparison to control. At the end of twelve week of age, the carcass traits-eviscerated weight with and without giblet and organ weights did not differ significantly between treatment groups. The abdominal fat expressed as percentage of live weight was significantly lower (P<0.05) in all treatment groups as compared to control group. Immune response as revealed by delayed type of hypersensitivity (measurement of skin thickness) and serum immunoglobulin were improved in all the three supplemented groups. Thus it can be concluded that both chromium and garlic supplementation can improve growth performance and immunity and thus can be used as growth promoters in poultry.
Stock Options as Lotteries

type="main"> We investigate the relationship between ex ante total skewness and holding returns on individual equity options. Recent theoretical developments predict a negative relationship between total skewness and average returns, in contrast to the traditional view that only coskewness is priced. We find, consistent with recent theory, that total skewness exhibits a strong negative relationship with average option returns. Differences in average returns for option portfolios sorted on ex ante skewness range from 10% to 50% per week, even after controlling for risk. Our findings suggest that these large premiums compensate intermediaries for bearing unhedgeable risk when accommodating investor demand for lottery-like options.
P2Y12 receptor inhibitors in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome in the real world: use, patient selection, and outcomes from contemporary European registries.

AIMS Non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) is present in about 60-70% of patients admitted with acute coronary syndromes in clinical practice. This study provides a 'real-life' overview of NSTE-ACS patient characteristics, dual antiplatelet therapy clinical practice, and outcomes at both the time of discharge from hospital and up to 1-year post-discharge. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 10 registries (documenting 84 054 NSTE-ACS patients) provided data in a systematic manner on patient characteristics and outcomes for NSTE-ACS in general, and 6 of these (with 52 173 NSTE-ACS patients) also provided more specific data according to P2Y12 receptor inhibitor used. Unadjusted analyses were performed at the study level, and no formal meta-analysis was performed due to large heterogeneity between studies in the settings, patient characteristics, and outcome definitions. All-cause death rates across registries ranged from 0.76 to 4.79% in-hospital, from 1.61 to 6.65% at 30 days, from 3.66 to 7.16% at 180 days, and from 3.14 to 9.73% at 1 year. Major bleeding events were reported in up to 2.77% of patients while in hospital (in seven registries), up to 1.08% at 30 days (data from one registry only), and 2.06% at 1 year (one registry). CONCLUSIONS There were substantial differences in the use of and patient selection for clopidogrel, prasugrel, and ticagrelor, which were associated with differences in short- and long-term ischaemic and bleeding events. In future registries, data collection should be performed in a more standardized way with respect to endpoints, definitions, and time points.
Cardiac vagal flexibility and accurate personality impressions: Examining a physiological correlate of the good judge.

OBJECTIVE Research has long sought to identify which individuals are best at accurately perceiving others' personalities or are good judges, yet consistent predictors of this ability have been difficult to find. In the current studies, we revisit this question by examining a novel physiological correlate of social sensitivity, cardiac vagal flexibility, which reflects dynamic modulation of cardiac vagal control. METHOD We examined whether greater cardiac vagal flexibility was associated with forming more accurate personality impressions, defined as viewing targets more in line with their distinctive self-reported profile of traits, in two studies, including a thin-slice video perceptions study (N = 109) and a dyadic interaction study (N = 175). RESULTS Across studies, we found that individuals higher in vagal flexibility formed significantly more accurate first impressions of others' more observable personality traits (e.g., extraversion, creativity, warmth). These associations held while including a range of relevant covariates, including cardiac vagal tone, sympathetic activation, and gender. CONCLUSION In sum, social sensitivity as indexed by cardiac vagal flexibility is linked to forming more accurate impressions of others' observable traits, shedding light on a characteristic that may help to identify the elusive good judge and providing insight into its neurobiological underpinnings.
Apparent low ability of liver and muscle to adapt to variation of dietary carbohydrate:protein ratio in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exhibits high dietary amino acid requirements and an apparent inefficiency to use dietary carbohydrates. Using this species, we investigated the metabolic consequences of long-term high carbohydrates/low protein feeding. Fish were fed two experimental diets containing either 20 % carbohydrates/50 % proteins (C20P50), or high levels of carbohydrates at the expense of proteins (35 % carbohydrates/35 % proteins – C35P35). The expression of genes related to hepatic and muscle glycolysis (glucokinase (GK), pyruvate kinase and hexokinase) illustrates the poor utilisation of carbohydrates irrespective of their dietary levels. The increased postprandial GK activity and the absence of inhibition of the gluconeogenic enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase activity support the hypothesis of the existence of a futile cycle around glucose phosphorylation extending postprandial hyperglycaemia. After 9 weeks of feeding, the C35P35-fed trout displayed lower body weight and feed efficiency and reduced protein and fat gains than those fed C20P50. The reduced activation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4-E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in the muscle in this C35P35 group suggests a reduction in protein synthesis, possibly contributing to the reduction in N gain. An increase in the dietary carbohydrate:protein ratio decreased the expression of genes involved in amino acid catabolism (serine dehydratase and branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase E1α and E1β), and increased that of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, suggesting a higher reliance on lipids as energy source in fish fed high-carbohydrate and low-protein diets. This probably also contributes to the lower fat gain. Together, these results show that different metabolic pathways are affected by a high-carbohydrate/low-protein diet in rainbow trout.
The small heat shock protein Hsp27 binds α-synuclein fibrils, preventing elongation and cytotoxicity

Proteostasis, or protein homeostasis, encompasses the maintenance of the conformational and functional integrity of the proteome and involves an integrated network of cellular pathways. Molecular chaperones, such as the small heat shock proteins (sHsps), are key elements of the proteostasis network that have crucial roles in inhibiting the aggregation of misfolded proteins. Failure of the proteostasis network can lead to the accumulation of misfolded proteins into intracellular and extracellular deposits. Deposits containing fibrillar forms of α-synuclein (α-syn) are characteristic of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Here we show that the sHsp Hsp27 (HSPB1) binds to α-syn fibrils, inhibiting fibril growth by preventing elongation. Using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF)–based imaging methods, we show that Hsp27 binds along the surface of α-syn fibrils, decreasing their hydrophobicity. Binding of Hsp27 also inhibits cytotoxicity of α-syn fibrils. Our results demonstrate that the ability of sHsps, such as Hsp27, to bind fibrils represents an important mechanism through which they may mitigate cellular toxicity associated with aberrant protein aggregation. Fibril binding may represent a generic mechanism by which chaperone-active sHsps interact with aggregation-prone proteins, highlighting the potential to target sHsp activity to prevent or disrupt the onset and progression of α-syn aggregation associated with α-synucleinopathies.
Chiral Light Design and Detection Inspired by Optical Antenna Theory

Chiral metallic nanostructures can generate evanescent fields which are more highly twisted than circularly polarized light. However, it remains unclear how best to exploit this phenomenon, hindering the optimal utilization of chiral electromagnetic fields. Here, inspired by optical antenna theory, we address this challenge by introducing chiral antenna parameters: the chirality flux efficiency and the chiral antenna aperture. These quantities, which are based on chirality conservation, quantify the generation and dissipation of chiral light. We then present a label-free experimental technique, chirality flux spectroscopy, which measures the chirality flux efficiency, providing valuable information on chiral near fields in the far field. This principle is verified theoretically and experimentally with two-dimensionally chiral coupled nanorod antennas, for which we show that chiral near and far fields are linearly dependent on the magnetoelectric polarizability. This elementary system confirms our concept to quantify chiral electromagnetic fields and paves the way toward broadly tunable chiral optical applications including ultrasensitive detection of molecular chirality or optical information storage and transfer.
Cold Temperatures Increase Cold Hardiness in the Next Generation Ophraella communa Beetles

The leaf beetle, Ophraella communa, has been introduced to control the spread of the common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, in China. We hypothesized that the beetle, to be able to track host-range expansion into colder climates, can phenotypically adapt to cold temperatures across generations. Therefore, we questioned whether parental experience of colder temperatures increases cold tolerance of the progeny. Specifically, we studied the demography, including development, fecundity, and survival, as well as physiological traits, including supercooling point (SCP), water content, and glycerol content of O. communa progeny whose parents were maintained at different temperature regimes. Overall, the entire immature stage decreased survival of about 0.2%–4.2% when parents experienced cold temperatures compared to control individuals obtained from parents raised at room temperature. However, intrinsic capacity for increase (r), net reproductive rate (R 0) and finite rate of increase (λ) of progeny O. communa were maximum when parents experienced cold temperatures. Glycerol contents of both female and male in progeny was significantly higher when maternal and paternal adults were cold acclimated as compared to other treatments. This resulted in the supercooling point of the progeny adults being significantly lower compared to beetles emerging from parents that experienced room temperatures. These results suggest that cold hardiness of O. communa can be promoted by cold acclimation in previous generation, and it might counter-balance reduced survival in the next generation, especially when insects are tracking their host-plants into colder climates.
New Insights in Thyroid Cancer and p53 Family Proteins

Thyroid cancers are common endocrine malignancies that comprise tumors with different clinical and histological features. Indeed, papillary and follicular thyroid cancers are slow-growing, well-differentiated tumors, whereas anaplastic thyroid cancers are undifferentiated neoplasias that behave much more aggressively. Well-differentiated thyroid carcinomas are efficiently cured by surgery and radioiodine, unlike undifferentiated tumors that fail to uptake radioactive iodine and are usually resistant to chemotherapy. Therefore, novel and more effective therapies for these aggressive neoplasias are urgently needed. Whereas most genetic events underlying the pathogenesis of well-differentiated thyroid cancers have been identified, the molecular mechanisms that generate undifferentiated thyroid carcinomas are still unclear. To date, one of the best-characterized genetic alterations leading to the development of poorly differentiated thyroid tumors is the loss of the p53 tumor suppressor gene. In addition, the existence of a complex network among p53 family members (p63 and p73) and their interactions with other factors that promote thyroid cancer progression has been well documented. In this review, we provide an update on the current knowledge of the role of p53 family proteins in thyroid cancer and their possible use as a therapeutic target for the treatment of the most aggressive variants of this disease.
Proteomic identification of galectin-11 and 14 ligands from Haemonchus contortus

Haemonchus contortus is the most pathogenic nematode of small ruminants. Infection in sheep and goats results in anaemia that decreases animal productivity and can ultimately cause death. The involvement of ruminant-specific galectin-11 (LGALS-11) and galectin-14 (LGALS-14) has been postulated to play important roles in protective immune responses against parasitic infection; however, their ligands are unknown. In the current study, LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 ligands in H. contortus were identified from larval (L4) and adult parasitic stages extracts using immobilised LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 affinity column chromatography and mass spectrometry. Both LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 bound more putative protein targets in the adult stage of H. contortus (43 proteins) when compared to the larval stage (two proteins). Of the 43 proteins identified in the adult stage, 34 and 35 proteins were bound by LGALS-11 and LGALS-14, respectively, with 26 proteins binding to both galectins. Interestingly, hematophagous stage-specific sperm-coating protein and zinc metalloprotease (M13), which are known vaccine candidates, were identified as putative ligands of both LGALS-11 and LGALS-14. The identification of glycoproteins of H. contortus by LGALS-11 and LGALS-14 provide new insights into host-parasite interactions and the potential for developing new interventions.
Thermal stability and partial dewetting of crystalline organic thin films: 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride on Ag(111)

The thermal stability and dewetting effects of crystalline organic thin films on inorganic substrates have been investigated for a model system for organic epitaxy, 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA) on Ag(111). The thin films deposited under a variety of growth conditions have been annealed stepwise and studied by in situ x-ray diffraction and noncontact atomic force microscopy. It has been found that comparatively smooth films deposited at temperatures Tg≲350 K are metastable, while films deposited at Tg≳350 K are stable against annealing on a time scale of several hours. The thermal expansion of thin PTCDA films and bulk samples has been determined.