Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
distributions: a case of biogeographical convergence in Pyrgus butterflies

Aim To study the biogeographical factors responsible for the current disjunct distributions of two closely related species of butterflies (Pyrgus cinarae and Pyrgus sidae, Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea). Both species have small populations in the Iberian Peninsula that are isolated by more than 1000 km from their nearest conspecifics. Because these species possess similar ecological preferences and geographical distributions, they are excellent candidates for congruent biogeographical histories. Location The Palaearctic region, with a special focus on the Mediterranean peninsulas as glacial refugia. Methods We integrated phylogeography and population genetic analyses with ecological niche modelling. The mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and the non-coding nuclear marker internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) were analysed for 62 specimens of P. cinarae and for 80 of P. sidae to infer phylogeography and to date the origin of disjunct distributions. Current and ancestral [Last Glacial Maximum using MIROC (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate) and CCSM (Community Climate System Model) circulation models] distribution models were calculated with Maxent. Using present climatic conditions, we delimited the ecological space for each species. Results The genetic structure and potential ancestral distribution of the two species were markedly different. While the Iberian population of P. cinarae had an old origin (c. 1 Ma), that of P. sidae was closely related to French and Italian lineages (which jointly diverged from eastern populations c. 0.27 Ma). Ecological niche modelling showed that minor differences in the ecological preferences of the two species seem to account for their drastically different distributional response to the last glacial to post-glacial environmental conditions. Although the potential distribution of P. cinarae was largely unaffected by climate change, suitable habitat for P. sidae strongly shifted in both elevation and latitude. This result might explain the early origin of the disjunct distribution of P. cinarae ,i n contrast to the more recent disjunction of P. sidae. Main conclusions We show that convergent biogeographical patterns can be analysed with a combination of genetic and ecological niche modelling data. The results demonstrate that species with similar distributional patterns and ecology may still have different biogeographical histories, highlighting the importance of including the temporal dimension when studying biogeographical patterns.
Retinal Oximetry and Vessel Diameter Measurements With a Commercially Available Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope in Diabetic Retinopathy

Purpose To test the hypothesis that retinal vascular diameter and hemoglobin oxygen saturation alterations, according to stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR), are discernible with a commercially available scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO). Methods One hundred eighty-one subjects with no diabetes (No DM), diabetes with no DR (No DR), nonproliferative DR (NPDR), or proliferative DR (PDR, all had photocoagulation) underwent imaging with an SLO with dual lasers (532 nm and 633 nm). Customized image analysis software determined the diameters of retinal arteries and veins (DA and DV) and central retinal artery and vein equivalents (CRAE and CRVE). Oxygen saturations of hemoglobin in arteries and veins (SO2A and SO2V) were estimated from optical densities of vessels on images at the two wavelengths. Statistical models were generated by adjusting for effects of sex, race, age, eye, and fundus pigmentation. Results DA, CRAE, and CRVE were reduced in PDR compared to No DM (P ≤ 0.03). DV and CRVE were similar between No DM and No DR, but they were higher in NPDR than No DR (P ≤ 0.01). Effect of stage of disease on SO2A differed by race, being increased relative to No DM in NPDR and PDR in Hispanic participants only (P ≤ 0.02). Relative to No DM, SO2V was increased in NPDR and PDR (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Alterations in retinal vascular diameters and SO2 by diabetic retinopathy stage can be detected with a widely available SLO, and covariates such as race can influence the results.
Candida albicans impairs macrophage function and facilitates Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in rat*

Objective:To determine whether Candida albicans airway colonization influences Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia prevalence in rats and by which mechanism. Design:Prospective, randomized, controlled animal study. Setting:Research laboratory of a university. Subjects:Male adult Wistar rats weighing 275–300 g. Interventions:In vivo: P. aeruginosa pneumonia was induced by bronchial instillation of P. aeruginosa in rats previously instilled or not with live or ethanol-killed C. albicans. In vitro: Alveolar macrophages were incubated with or without live or ethanol-killed C. albicans. Measurements and Main Results:Quantitative cultures of lung were done. Lung tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, and interleukin-6 levels were measured along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by alveolar macrophages. P. aeruginosa pneumonia prevalence was higher in rats given live but not ethanol-killed C. albicans. Instilling live C. albicans alone increased lung tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma but not interleukin-6, and was not associated with clinical or histologic signs of infection. These three cytokines were more abundant in lungs instilled with live C. albicans and P. aeruginosa than in those instilled with P. aeruginosa alone or with ethanol-killed C. albicans and P. aeruginosa. Alveolar macrophages incubated with live C. albicans had decreased ROS production. Conclusions:C. albicans impedes alveolar macrophage ROS production and is correlated with an increase of P. aeruginosa pneumonia prevalence in rats. These results highlight the previously overlooked impact of airway fungal colonization on lung bacterial infection, and indicate the need for studies on the potential for antifungal therapy to prevent the onset of ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by P. aeruginosa.
Postprandial cell inflammatory response to a standardised fatty meal in subjects at different degree of cardiovascular risk

Summary A fatty meal may represent a challenge of in vivo acute inflammatory reaction. We evaluated the acute effects of a standardised fatty meal administration on leukocytes and platelets and on their interactions on 61 subjects at different degree of cardiovascular risk, without any clinical event. Before and 2 hours after a fatty meal, blood cells were counted and markers of leukocyte (intracellular myeloperoxidase [MPO] and Mac-1) and platelet (P-selectin and microparticles) activation and mixed platelet-leukocyte conjugates measured by flow-cytometry. After the fatty meal, both white blood cell and platelet count significantly increased, more markedly in subjects with lower cardiovascular risk score. Mac-1 expression too increased (from 32.2 ± 27.2% to 45.6 ± 29.0%, p=0.0016), while MPO decreased (from 83.1 ± 16.3% to 64.5 ± 23.1%, p<0.0001). A trend for increased platelet activation and interaction with leukocytes was also observed. Women were more markedly susceptible to fatty meal challenge, as compared to men, while age did not seem to affect any cell response to fatty meal. Waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index influenced polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) degranulation and platelet count increase, respectively. Cellular responses to the fatty meal, in particular PMN degranulation, were attenuated in subjects at higher degree of cardiovascular risk, who showed a basal mild inflammatory activation status. In conclusion, a fatty meal consumption may represent a model of acute inflammatory response and appears to be modulated by different demographic and cardiovascular risk degree. This model could be applied to study the effect of food-derived antioxidants or nutritional supplements, but its relevance remains to be demonstrated.
Effect of obesity on dynamic lung volume and capacity in young adult males

Background & objectives: Obesity is a modern epidemic. It effects various body systems which is being well documented. There is a high likelihood that obesity can also effect lung function due to various reasons. The purpose of the present study is to deduct the effect of adiposity on dynamic lung function tests. Methods: 120 volunteer participated in this study (60 normal, BMI 18.5-22.9 kg/m2, 60 obese, BMI >25 kg/m2) based on their anthropometric profile. Both the groups were assessed for their parameters of obesity (BMI, waist hip ratio (WHR), and body fat % (BF) and dynamic lung volume (FEV1) and capacity (FVC) and FEV1/FVC ratio). Results: The measured pulmonary functions were impaired in the obese group when compared to non obese group. Statistical analysis revealed that the two groups differ significantly with obese people having lower FEV1 and FVC. The results showed a negative correlation of FEV1, FVC with BMI, WHR, and BF%. Conclusion: Obesity effects pulmonary function by both restricting and obstructing the lung parenchyma and conducting airways.
Network localizability with link or node losses

The ability to localize a sensor network is important for its deployment. A theoretical result exists defining necessary and sufficient conditions for network unique localizability (for inter-sensor range-based localization); it has its roots in Graph Rigidity Theory where sensors and links/measurements are modelled as vertices and edges of a graph, respectively. However, critical missions do require a level of robustness for localizability, ensuring that localizability is retained in the event of link (edge) losses and/or sensor (vertex) losses. This work characterizes this robustness through a novel notion of redundant localizability, which is backed by redundant rigidity. Analogously to two well-known types of result for rigidity characterization, similar results are developed for edge redundant rigidity; they are supplemented by rather fewer results dealing with vertex redundant rigidity. These preliminary results may shed a light for any further study of redundant localizability.
Multi-Task Learning by Deep Collaboration and Application in Facial Landmark Detection

Convolutional neural networks (CNN) have become the most successful and popular approach in many vision-related domains. While CNNs are particularly well-suited for capturing a proper hierarchy of concepts from real-world images, they are limited to domains where data is abundant. Recent attempts have looked into mitigating this data scarcity problem by casting their original single-task problem into a new multi-task learning (MTL) problem. The main goal of this inductive transfer mechanism is to leverage domain-specific information from related tasks, in order to improve generalization on the main task. While recent results in the deep learning (DL) community have shown the promising potential of training task-specific CNNs in a soft parameter sharing framework, integrating the recent DL advances for improving knowledge sharing is still an open problem. In this paper, we propose the Deep Collaboration Network (DCNet), a novel approach for connecting task-specific CNNs in a MTL framework. We define connectivity in terms of two distinct non-linear transformation blocks. One aggregates task-specific features into global features, while the other merges back the global features with each task-specific network. Based on the observation that task relevance depends on depth, our transformation blocks use skip connections as suggested by residual network approaches, to more easily deactivate unrelated task-dependent features. To validate our approach, we employed facial landmark detection (FLD) datasets as they are readily amenable to MTL, given the number of tasks they include. Experimental results show that we can achieve up to 24.31% relative improvement in landmark failure rate over other state-of-the-art MTL approaches. We finally perform an ablation study showing that our approach effectively allows knowledge sharing, by leveraging domain-specific features at particular depths from tasks that we know are related.
Methodological implementation of mixed linear models in multi-locus genome-wide association studies

&NA; The mixed linear model has been widely used in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS), but its application to multi‐locus GWAS analysis has not been explored and assessed. Here, we implemented a fast multi‐locus random‐SNP‐effect EMMA (FASTmrEMMA) model for GWAS. The model is built on random single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects and a new algorithm. This algorithm whitens the covariance matrix of the polygenic matrix K and environmental noise, and specifies the number of nonzero eigenvalues as one. The model first chooses all putative quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) with ≤ 0.005 P‐values and then includes them in a multi‐locus model for true QTN detection. Owing to the multi‐locus feature, the Bonferroni correction is replaced by a less stringent selection criterion. Results from analyses of both simulated and real data showed that FASTmrEMMA is more powerful in QTN detection and model fit, has less bias in QTN effect estimation and requires a less running time than existing single‐ and multi‐locus methods, such as empirical Bayes, settlement of mixed linear model under progressively exclusive relationship (SUPER), efficient mixed model association (EMMA), compressed MLM (CMLM) and enriched CMLM (ECMLM). FASTmrEMMA provides an alternative for multi‐locus GWAS.
Computer-mediated communication preferences predict biobehavioral measures of social-emotional functioning

ABSTRACT The use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) as a form of social interaction has become increasingly prevalent, yet few studies examine individual differences that may shed light on implications of CMC for adjustment. The current study examined neurocognitive individual differences associated with preferences to use technology in relation to social–emotional outcomes. In Study 1 (N = 91), a self-report measure, the Social Media Communication Questionnaire (SMCQ), was evaluated as an assessment of preferences for communicating positive and negative emotions on a scale ranging from purely via CMC to purely face-to-face. In Study 2, SMCQ preferences were examined in relation to event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with early emotional attention capture and reactivity (the frontal N1) and later sustained emotional processing and regulation (the late positive potential (LPP)). Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded while 22 participants passively viewed emotional and neutral pictures and completed an emotion regulation task with instructions to increase, decrease, or maintain their emotional responses. A greater preference for CMC was associated with reduced size of and satisfaction with social support, greater early (N1) attention capture by emotional stimuli, and reduced LPP amplitudes to unpleasant stimuli in the increase emotion regulatory task. These findings are discussed in the context of possible emotion- and social-regulatory functions of CMC.
Adaptive Reconfiguration of Natural Killer Cells in HIV-1 Infection

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) co-infection is highly prevalent within HIV-1 cohorts and is an important cofactor in driving ongoing immune activation, even during effective antiretroviral treatment. HCMV infection has recently been associated with expansion of adaptive-like natural killer (NK) cells, which harbor epigenetic alterations that impact on their cellular function and phenotype. The influence of HCMV co-infection on the considerable heterogeneity among NK cells and their functional responses to different stimuli was assessed in a cohort of HIV-1-infected individuals sampled during different stages of infection, compared with healthy subjects stratified according to HCMV serostatus. Our data demonstrate a reshaping of the NK cell pool in HIV-1 infection of HCMV-seropositive individuals, with an accentuated peripheral transition of CD56dim NK cells toward a mature CD57+ CD85j+ NKG2C+ NKG2A− phenotype. Lack of PLZF further distinguishes adaptive NK cells from other NK cells expressing CD57 or NKG2C. PLZF− NK cells from HIV-infected individuals had high expression of CD2, were Siglec-7 negative and exhibited downregulation of key signaling molecules, SYK and FcεRI-γ, overwhelmingly displaying features of adaptive NK cells that correlated with HCMV serum Ab levels. Notably this adaptive-like signature was detected during early HIV-1 infection and persisted during treatment. Adaptive-like NK cell subsets in HIV-1-infected individuals displayed enhanced IFN-γ production following Fc receptor triggering compared with their conventional NK cell counterparts, and their ability to produce TNF-α and degranulate was preserved. Together, these data suggest that HMCV infection/reactivation, a hallmark of HIV-1 infection, plays a role in driving a relative expansion of NK cells with adaptive features during HIV-1 infection. The identification of selective NK subsets with retained effector activity in HIV-1-infected subjects raises the possibility of developing therapeutic strategies that exploit specific NK subpopulations to achieve better HIV-1 control.
CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling-mediated ERK1/2 activation in spinal cord contributes to the pathogenesis of postsurgical pain in rats

Background It has been demonstrated that upregulation of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in spinal cord involves in the pathogenesis of neuropathic, inflammatory, and cancer pain. However, whether CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling contributes to postsurgical pain remains unknown. The aim of the present study is to investigate the role of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling in the genesis of postsurgical pain and the underlying mechanism. Results Plantar incision in rat hind paw resulted in increased expressions of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in spinal dorsal horn. Double immunofluorescence staining revealed that CXCL12 expressed in neurons and astrocytes, and CXCR4 exclusively co-localized with neuronal cells. Prior administration of AMD3100, a specific antagonist of CXCR4, or CXCL12 neutralizing antibody, intrathecally attenuated plantar incision-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Plantar incision also augmented the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in spinal cord. Pre intrathecal (i.t.) injection of PDTC, a specific NF-κB activation inhibitor, alleviated plantar incision-induced postsurgical pain and reduced the expression of CXCL12 in spinal cord. Correlated with the upregulation of CXCL12 and CXCR4, plantar incision also resulted in an increased phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and Akt in spinal cord. Prior i.t. administration of AMD3100 prevented extracellular signal-regulated kinase, but not Akt, activation in spinal cord. Rats when given a repetitive i.t. PD98059, a specific extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibitor, started 30 min before surgery also ameliorate plantar incision-induced mechanical and thermal pain hypersensitivity. Conclusion Our results suggests that plantar incision-induced activation of NF-κB signaling may mediate upregulation of CXCL12 in spinal cord, and CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling via extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation contributes to the genesis of postsurgical pain.
The influence of stunting on obesity in adulthood: results from the EPIPorto cohort

Abstract Objective To retrospectively investigate the association between short stature and increased sitting height ratio (SHR) – indicators of stunting – and obesity markers in adults. Design Cross-sectional evaluation of the EPIPorto cohort. Weight, height, sitting height and waist circumference were measured. Obesity was assessed for men and women through BMI and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Short stature (women, <152 cm; men, <164 cm) and high SHR (women, ≥54·05 %; men, ≥53·25 %) were taken as stunting measures. OR with 95 % CI were computed using logistic regression models. Setting Representative sample of adults from EPIPorto, an adult cohort study from Porto, Portugal. Subjects A sample of 1682 adults, aged 18–86 years, was analysed. Results Higher obesity prevalence was found among women (BMI≥30·0 kg/m2: 25·5 v. 13·3 %, P<0·001) and a higher proportion of men presented abdominal obesity (WHtR≥0·5: 80·1 v. 71·1 %, P<0·001). A positive association was found between short stature and obesity measures for women (multivariate-adjusted OR; 95 % CI: 1·75; 1·17, 2·62 for BMI≥30·0 kg/m2; 1·89; 1·24, 2·87 for WHtR≥0·5). Increased SHR was associated with higher likelihood of having BMI≥30·0 kg/m2 in both sexes (multivariate-adjusted OR; 95 % CI: 2·10; 1·40, 3·16 for women; 1·92; 1·07, 3·43 for men) but not with WHtR≥0·5. Conclusions Different growth markers are associated with obesity in adults. However, this association depends on the population and anthropometric measures used: short stature is associated with a higher risk of presenting excessive weight in women but not in men; SHR is more sensitive to detect this effect in both sexes.
Analgesia by deletion of spinal neurokinin 1 receptor expressing neurons using a bioengineered substance P-Pseudomonas exotoxin conjugate

Cell deletion approaches to pain directed at either the primary nociceptive afferents or second-order neurons are highly effective analgesic manipulations. Second-order spinal neurons expressing the neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor are required for the perception of many types of pain. To delete NK1+ neurons for the purpose of pain control, we generated a toxin–peptide conjugate using DTNB-derivatized (Cys0) substance P (SP) and a N-terminally truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE35) that retains the endosome-release and ADP-ribosylation enzymatic domains but with only one free sulfhydryl side chain for conjugation. This allowed generation of a one-to-one product linked by a disulfide bond (SP-PE35). In vitro, Chinese hamster ovary cells stably transfected with the NK1 receptor exhibited specific cytotoxicity when exposed to SP-PE35 (IC50 = 5 × 10−11 M), whereas the conjugate was nontoxic to NK2 and NK3 receptor-bearing cell lines. In vivo studies showed that, after infusion into the spinal subarachnoid space, the toxin was extremely effective in deleting NK1 receptor-expressing cells from the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The specific cell deletion robustly attenuated thermal and mechanical pain sensations and inflammatory hyperalgesia but did not affect motoric capabilities. NK1 receptor cell deletion and antinociception occurred without obvious lesion of non–receptor-expressing cells or apparent reorganization of primary afferent innervation. These data demonstrate the extraordinary selectivity and broad-spectrum antinociceptive efficacy of this ligand-directed protein therapeutic acting via receptor-mediated endocytosis. The loss of multiple pain modalities including heat and mechanical pinch, transduced by different populations of primary afferents, shows that spinal NK1 receptor-expressing neurons are critical points of convergence in the nociceptive transmission circuit. We further suggest that therapeutic end points can be effectively and safely achieved when SP-PE35 is locally infused, thereby producing a regionally defined analgesia.
Gallbladder stones and gallbladder polyps associated with increased risk of colorectal adenoma in men

Most cases of colorectal cancer develop via an adenoma to carcinoma sequence. Gallbladder polyps share some risk factors with colorectal polyps. Little is known about the relationship between gallbladder diseases and different status of colorectal polyps by gender. This study was to investigate the association of gallbladder stones and polyps with colorectal adenomas by gender in a Taiwanese population.