Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thermal Adaptation and Diversity in Tropical Ecosystems: Evidence from Cicadas (Hemiptera, Cicadidae)

The latitudinal gradient in species diversity is a central problem in ecology. Expeditions covering approximately 16°54′ of longitude and 21°4′ of latitude and eight Argentine phytogeographic regions provided thermal adaptation data for 64 species of cicadas. We test whether species diversity relates to the diversity of thermal environments within a habitat. There are general patterns of the thermal response values decreasing in cooler floristic provinces and decreasing maximum potential temperature within a habitat except in tropical forest ecosystems. Vertical stratification of the plant communities leads to stratification in species using specific layers of the habitat. There is a decrease in thermal tolerances in species from the understory communities in comparison to middle level or canopy fauna. The understory Herrera umbraphila Sanborn & Heath is the first diurnally active cicada identified as a thermoconforming species. The body temperature for activity in H. umbraphila is less than and significantly different from active body temperatures of all other studied species regardless of habitat affiliation. These data suggest that variability in thermal niches within the heterogeneous plant community of the tropical forest environments permits species diversification as species adapt their physiology to function more efficiently at temperatures different from their potential competitors.
Effect of Afyon diatomite addition on the properties of fired clay brick

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of diatomite addition on the properties of fired clay brick. Diatomite and clay were taken from the province of Afyon, Turkey. Diatomite was added into the brick clay up to 60 % by weight. Six different mixtures of unperforated cubic test samples (dimensions of 10x10x10 cm) were produced by an extrusion process. The samples were fired at 900 °C. Thermal insulation properties of the fired samples were significantly improved by the diatomite addition. Compressive strength and apparent porosity were increased by increasing the diatomite addition. It was concluded that, reactive amorphous silicate layer over the individual diatomite particles enhance the sintering action locally and gives better strength behaviour.
Using Morphological, Molecular and Climatic Data to Delimitate Yews along the Hindu Kush-Himalaya and Adjacent Regions

Background Despite the availability of several studies to clarify taxonomic problems on the highly threatened yews of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) and adjacent regions, the total number of species and their exact distribution ranges remains controversial. We explored the use of comprehensive sets of morphological, molecular and climatic data to clarify taxonomy and distributions of yews in this region. Methodology/Principal Findings A total of 743 samples from 46 populations of wild yew and 47 representative herbarium specimens were analyzed. Principle component analyses on 27 morphological characters and 15 bioclimatic variables plus altitude and maximum parsimony analysis on molecular ITS and trnL-F sequences indicated the existence of three distinct species occurring in different ecological (climatic) and altitudinal gradients along the HKH and adjacent regions Taxus contorta from eastern Afghanistan to the eastern end of Central Nepal, T. wallichiana from the western end of Central Nepal to Northwest China, and the first report of the South China low to mid-elevation species T. mairei in Nepal, Bhutan, Northeast India, Myanmar and South Vietnam. Conclusion/Significance The detailed sampling and combination of different data sets allowed us to identify three clearly delineated species and their precise distribution ranges in the HKH and adjacent regions, which showed no overlap or no distinct hybrid zone. This might be due to differences in the ecological (climatic) requirements of the species. The analyses further provided the selection of diagnostic morphological characters for the identification of yews occurring in the HKH and adjacent regions. Our work demonstrates that extensive sampling combined with the analysis of diverse data sets can reliably address the taxonomy of morphologically challenging plant taxa.
The polo-like kinase 1 inhibitor volasertib synergistically increases radiation efficacy in glioma stem cells

Background Despite the availability of hundreds of cancer drugs, there is insufficient data on the efficacy of these drugs on the extremely heterogeneous tumor cell populations of glioblastoma (GBM). Results The PKIS of 357 compounds was initially evaluated in 15 different GSC lines which then led to a more focused screening of the 21 most highly active compounds in 11 unique GSC lines using HTS screening for cell viability. We further validated the HTS result with the second-generation PLK1 inhibitor volasertib as a single agent and in combination with ionizing radiation (IR). In vitro studies showed that volasertib inhibited cell viability, and high levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL expression were highly correlated with volasertib resistance. Volasertib sensitized GSCs to radiation therapy by enhancing G2/M arrest and by inducing apoptosis. Colony-formation assay demonstrated that volasertib plus IR synergistically inhibited colony formation. In intracranial xenograft mouse models, the combination of volasertib and radiation significantly inhibited GSC tumor growth and prolonged median survival compared with radiation treatment alone due to inhibition of cell proliferation, enhancement of DNA damage, and induction of apoptosis. Conclusions Our results reinforce the potential therapeutic efficacy of volasertib in combination with radiation for the treatment of GBM. Methods We used high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify drugs, out of 357 compounds in the published Protein Kinase Inhibitor Set, with the greatest efficacy against a panel of glioma stem cells (GSCs), which are representative of the classic cancer genome atlas (TCGA) molecular subtypes.
Multi-Hypothesis Visual-Inertial Flow

Estimating the correspondences between pixels in sequences of images is a critical first step for a myriad of tasks including vision-aided navigation (e.g., visual odometry (VO), visual-inertial odometry (VIO), and visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM)) and anomaly detection. We introduce a new unsupervised deep neural network architecture called the Visual Inertial Flow (VIFlow) network and demonstrate image correspondence and optical flow estimation by an unsupervised multi-hypothesis deep neural network receiving grayscale imagery and extra-visual inertial measurements. VIFlow learns to combine heterogeneous sensor streams and sample from an unknown, un-parametrized noise distribution to generate several (4 or 8 in this work) probable hypotheses on the pixel-level correspondence mappings between a source image and a target image . We quantitatively benchmark VIFlow against several leading vision-only dense correspondence and flow methods and show a substantial decrease in runtime and increase in efficiency compared to all methods with similar performance to state-of-the-art (SOA) dense correspondence matching approaches. We also present qualitative results showing how VIFlow can be used for detecting anomalous independent motion.
Early structural and functional plasticity alterations in a susceptibility period of DYT1 dystonia mouse striatum

The onset of abnormal movements in DYT1 dystonia is between childhood and adolescence, although it is unclear why clinical manifestations appear during this developmental period. Plasticity at corticostriatal synapses is critically involved in motor memory. In the Tor1a+/Δgag DYT1 dystonia mouse model, long-term potentiation (LTP) appeared prematurely in a critical developmental window in striatal spiny neurons (SPNs), while long-term depression (LTD) was never recorded. Analysis of dendritic spines showed an increase of both spine width and mature mushroom spines in Tor1a+/Δgag neurons, paralleled by an enhanced AMPA receptor (AMPAR) accumulation. BDNF regulates AMPAR expression during development. Accordingly, both proBDNF and BDNF levels were significantly higher in Tor1a+/Δgag mice. Consistently, antagonism of BDNF rescued synaptic plasticity deficits and AMPA currents. Our findings demonstrate that early loss of functional and structural synaptic homeostasis represents a unique endophenotypic trait during striatal maturation, promoting the appearance of clinical manifestations in mutation carriers.
A 65nm 1Mb nonvolatile computing-in-memory ReRAM macro with sub-16ns multiply-and-accumulate for binary DNN AI edge processors

Many artificial intelligence (AI) edge devices use nonvolatile memory (NVM) to store the weights for the neural network (trained off-line on an AI server), and require low-energy and fast I/O accesses. The deep neural networks (DNN) used by AI processors [1,2] commonly require p-layers of a convolutional neural network (CNN) and q-layers of a fully-connected network (FCN). Current DNN processors that use a conventional (von-Neumann) memory structure are limited by high access latencies, I/O energy consumption, and hardware costs. Large working data sets result in heavy accesses across the memory hierarchy, moreover large amounts of intermediate data are also generated due to the large number of multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operations for both CNN and FCN. Even when binary-based DNN [3] are used, the required CNN and FCN operations result in a major memory I/O bottleneck for AI edge devices.
Coincident signals from GPCRs and receptor tyrosine kinases are uniquely transduced by PI3Kβ in myeloid cells

PI3Kβ mediates synergistic signaling upon costimulation of GPCRs and receptor tyrosine kinases in immune cells. Mediating synergistic signaling Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) family members contain one of four different catalytic subunits and generate the second messenger PIP3 in response to stimulation. Whereas some PI3K isoforms mediate signaling from receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and one isoform mediates signals from GPCRs, PI3Kβ transduces signals from both receptor types. Houslay et al. generated knock-in mice expressing a mutant PI3Kβ unable to transduce GPCR signals and measured the PIP3 responses of macrophages and neutrophils to RTK and GPCR agonists individually or in combination. Of all the PI3K isoforms, PI3Kβ uniquely induced synergistic increases in PIP3 concentration in response to simultaneous stimulation of both receptor types. Furthermore, effective responses of neutrophils to inflammatory stimuli depended on the ability of PI3Kβ to activate G proteins. Class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) catalyze production of the lipid messenger phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate (PIP3), which plays a central role in a complex signaling network regulating cell growth, survival, and movement. This network is overactivated in cancer and inflammation, and there is interest in determining the PI3K catalytic subunit (p110α, p110β, p110γ, or p110δ) that should be targeted in different therapeutic contexts. Previous studies have defined unique regulatory inputs for p110β, including direct interaction with Gβγ subunits, Rac, and Rab5. We generated mice with knock-in mutations of p110β that selectively blocked the interaction with Gβγ and investigated its contribution to the PI3K isoform dependency of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and G protein (heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide–binding protein)–coupled receptor (GPCR) responses in primary macrophages and neutrophils. We discovered a unique role for p110β in supporting synergistic PIP3 formation in response to the coactivation of macrophages by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and the complement protein C5a. In contrast, we found partially redundant roles for p110α, p110β, and p110δ downstream of M-CSF alone and a nonredundant role for p110γ downstream of C5a alone. This role for p110β completely depended on direct interaction with Gβγ, suggesting that p110β transduces GPCR signals in the context of coincident activation by an RTK. The p110β-Gβγ interaction was also required for neutrophils to generate reactive oxygen species in response to the Fcγ receptor–dependent recognition of immune complexes and for their β2 integrin–mediated adhesion to fibrinogen or poly-RGD+, directly implicating heterotrimeric G proteins in these two responses.
Organ sculpting by patterned extracellular matrix stiffness

How organ-shaping mechanical imbalances are generated is a central question of morphogenesis, with existing paradigms focusing on asymmetric force generation within cells. We show here that organs can be sculpted instead by patterning anisotropic resistance within their extracellular matrix (ECM). Using direct biophysical measurements of elongating Drosophila egg chambers, we document robust mechanical anisotropy in the ECM-based basement membrane (BM) but not in the underlying epithelium. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) on wild-type BM in vivo reveals an anterior–posterior (A–P) symmetric stiffness gradient, which fails to develop in elongation-defective mutants. Genetic manipulation shows that the BM is instructive for tissue elongation and the determinant is relative rather than absolute stiffness, creating differential resistance to isotropic tissue expansion. The stiffness gradient requires morphogen-like signaling to regulate BM incorporation, as well as planar-polarized organization to homogenize it circumferentially. Our results demonstrate how fine mechanical patterning in the ECM can guide cells to shape an organ. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.24958. 001
Bone-anchored prostheses in patients with traumatic bilateral transfemoral amputations: rehabilitation description and outcome in 12 cases treated with the OPRA implant system

Abstract Purpose: To describe the rehabilitation experience and outcome of treatment with bone-anchored prostheses in individuals with bilateral transfemoral amputations (TFAs) treated in Sweden over a period of 25 years. Method: Hospital records were reviewed for all patients with traumatic bilateral TFAs treated until 2015. The use of prostheses, walking aids and wheelchairs was noted. Results: The cohort comprised 12 patients (nine men and three women with a mean age 35 years at treatment) and the median follow-up time was seven years (1–20). At baseline, 9/12 used prostheses and 3/12 did not. The main means of locomotion was in a wheelchair without wearing prostheses (n = 8/12) or in a wheelchair in combination with prosthetic walking supported by walking aids (n = 4/12). All prosthetic users had problems with sitting comfort. At follow-up, 11/12 patients used prostheses, while one did not. The means of locomotion was prosthetic walking in 3/12 cases, a combination of a wheelchair and prosthetic walking in 4/12, a wheelchair while wearing prostheses but not walking in 4/12 and a wheelchair without wearing prostheses in 1/12. Three patients walked unsupported by walking aids. Seven patients had no problem with prosthetic sitting comfort (n = 3 had small problems). Conclusions: Bone-anchored prostheses in patients with bilateral TFAs resulted in more prosthesis use during everyday locomotion, due hypothetically to improved comfort while wearing prostheses. The results further underline the importance of other assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walking aids used in combination with prostheses in this group of patients facing severe functional limitations. Implications for Rehabilitation This study provides an insight into the details of the rehabilitation and outcome in patients with traumatic bilateral transfemoral amputations treated with bone-anchored prostheses in Sweden. The treatment can lead to a large amount of prosthetic use, but most patients will also use a range of assistive devices including full-length prostheses, stubbies, walking aids and wheelchairs after treatment. The importance of sitting in comfort while wearing prostheses should not be underestimated in patients with bilateral transfemoral amputations.
Educational Gamification Based on Personality

Gamification in education is gaining an increasing attention, since it enhances the learner's engagement and motivation. While carrying a big promise, prior research offers little guidance regarding how learners with different personalities may react to game elements in a gamified learning environment. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between the learner's personality to be distinguished on an introvert/extrovert dimension and the attitude of preferring to use game elements. In this context, a gamified online Moodle Learning Management System was developed where fifty seven learners used it to learn "Object Oriented Design Methodology" course. These learners then answered two questionnaires about preferences on game elements and personality. Data gathered from the instruments was analyzed using the statistical ChiSquare test. The obtained results highlighted that the learner's personality can affect the attitude of preferring to use a particular game element. These findings can be exploited by researchers and practitioners to provide personalized and gamified learning experiences based on personality. They also can be used by designers by providing design guidelines for targeting specific learners based on personality.
Coexistence of Insect Species Competing for a Pulsed Resource: Toward a Unified Theory of Biodiversity in Fluctuating Environments

Background One major challenge in understanding how biodiversity is organized is finding out whether communities of competing species are shaped exclusively by species-level differences in ecological traits (niche theory), exclusively by random processes (neutral theory of biodiversity), or by both processes simultaneously. Communities of species competing for a pulsed resource are a suitable system for testing these theories: due to marked fluctuations in resource availability, the theories yield very different predictions about the timing of resource use and the synchronization of the population dynamics between the competing species. Accordingly, we explored mechanisms that might promote the local coexistence of phytophagous insects (four sister species of the genus Curculio) competing for oak acorns, a pulsed resource. Methodology/Principal Findings We analyzed the time partitioning of the exploitation of oak acorns by the four weevil species in two independent communities, and we assessed the level of synchronization in their population dynamics. In accordance with the niche theory, overall these species exhibited marked time partitioning of resource use, both within a given year and between different years owing to different dormancy strategies between species, as well as distinct demographic patterns. Two of the four weevil species, however, consistently exploited the resource during the same period of the year, exhibited a similar dormancy pattern, and did not show any significant difference in their population dynamics. Conclusions/Significance The marked time partitioning of the resource use appears as a keystone of the coexistence of these competing insect species, except for two of them which are demographically nearly equivalent. Communities of consumers of pulsed resources thus seem to offer a promising avenue for developing a unifying theory of biodiversity in fluctuating environments which might predict the co-occurrence, within the same community, of species that are ecologically either very similar, or very different.
The Effect of Electrical Stimulation in Improving Muscle Tone (Clinical)

Electrical stimulation (ES) and also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) involves the use of electrical current to stimulate the nerves or nerve endings that innervate muscle beneath the skin. Electrical stimulation may be applied superficially on the skin (transcutaneously) or directly into a muscle or muscles (intramuscularly) for the primary purpose of enhancing muscle function. The basic theoretical premise is that if the peripheral nerve can be stimulated, the resulting excitation impulse will be transmitted along the nerve to the motor endplates in the muscle, producing a muscle contraction. In this work, the effect of mere electrical stimulation to the muscle bulk and strength are tested. This paper explains how electrical stimulation can affect the muscle bulk, muscle size, muscle tone, muscle atrophy and muscle strength. The experiment and data collection are performed on 5 subjects and the results obtained are analyzed. This research aims to understand the full potential of electrical stimulation and identifying its possible benefits or disadvantages to the muscle properties. The results indicated that electrical stimulation alone able to improve muscle properties but with certain limits and precautions which might be useful in rehabilitation programme.
Male Genital Morphology and Its Influence on Female Mating Preferences and Paternity Success in Guppies

In internally fertilizing species male genitalia often show a higher degree of elaboration than required for simply transferring sperm to females. Among the hypotheses proposed to explain such diversity, sexual selection has received the most empirical support, with studies revealing that genital morphology can be targeted by both pre-and postcopulatory sexual selection. Until now, most studies have focused on these two episodes of selection independently. Here, we take an alternative approach by considering both components simultaneously in the livebearing fish, Poecilia reticulata. We allowed females to mate successively (and cooperatively) with two males and determined whether male genital length influenced the female's propensity to mate with a male (precopulatory selection, via female choice) and whether male genital size and shape predicted the relative paternity share of subsequent broods (postcopulatory selection, via sperm competition/cryptic female choice). We found no evidence that either episode of sexual selection targets male genital size or shape. These findings, in conjunction with our recent work exposing a role of genital morphology in mediating unsolicited (forced) matings in guppies, further supports our prior speculation that sexual conflict may be an important broker of genital evolution in this species.
Interactions between patients' experiences in mental health treatment and lay social network attitudes toward doctors in recovery from mental illness

Abstract Research in the area of social networks and health has demonstrated that lay social network members play a critical role in the early stages of the illness career, influencing key decisions and pathways to formal care. Here, we revisit and extend this body of work, examining how the lay social network context can moderate the influence of treatment experiences on recovery outcomes as the illness career unfolds. To achieve this goal, we address two research questions, drawing on a longitudinal sample of people making their initial contact with the mental health treatment system: First, we explore how treatment experiences, lay social network characteristics, and recovery outcomes change over 2 years, beginning with the point of entry into treatment. Second, we examine whether the relationship between perceived treatment experiences and recovery outcomes is contingent on characteristics of the lay network context in which clients are socially embedded, focusing on the network's cultural orientation toward medical professionals. We find that positive treatment interactions facilitate improved self-esteem, mastery, role functioning, recovery optimism, and global functioning when the lay network culture is pro-medical, but largely have null effects on the recovery process when the lay network is more hostile to medical professionals.