Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Signals in intra-sexual competition between ring-necked pheasant males

Abstract Many sexual ornaments are signals commonly used in both sexual selection contexts: mate choice and intra-sexual competition. Previous studies show that female choice in ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus , is influenced by features of some male ornaments. Experiments and correlational data were used in this study to investigate the role of male ornaments in male–male agonistic encounters. Some traits used by females in mate choice, namely tail length and black points in the wattle, had no effect in male–male competition, but the length of ear tufts had a role in both contexts. The most important traits appeared to be the head ornaments, which include ear tufts, but also wattle size. Head ornaments function as coverable signals that are displayed to rival males informing about readiness to fight, fighting ability and resource-holding power; and the total time spent displaying correlated with testosterone level, physical condition and rank. Thus, the costs of displaying head ornaments appear to be both inherent and target-receiver dependent.
Recent Decline in Extratropical Lower Stratospheric Ozone Attributed to Circulation Changes

The 1998–2016 ozone trends in the lower stratosphere are examined using the Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version 2 (MERRA‐2) and related National Aeronautics and Space Administration products. After removing biases resulting from step changes in the MERRA‐2 ozone observations, a discernible negative trend of −1.67 ± 0.54 Dobson units per decade (DU/decade) is found in the 10‐km layer above the tropopause between 20°N and 60°N. A weaker but statistically significant trend of −1.17 ± 0.33 DU/decade exists between 50°S and 20°S. In the Tropics, a positive trend is seen in a 5‐km layer above the tropopause. Analysis of an idealized tracer in a model simulation constrained by MERRA‐2 meteorological fields provides strong evidence that these trends are driven by enhanced isentropic transport between the tropical (20°S–20°N) and extratropical lower stratosphere in the past two decades. This is the first time that a reanalysis data set has been used to detect and attribute trends in lower stratospheric ozone.
Histopathological and Molecular Detection of Turkey Pox in Chittagong, Bangladesh

Aim: The objective of the present study was molecular revealing of turkey pox virus as well as identification of associated histopathological changes that was vindicating in skin lesions of infected Turkey. Methods: A presumptive diagnosis of turkey pox was done constructed on clinical signs and symptoms. A total of 12 cutaneous clinical specimens for histopathology and 40 nodular, as well as scab lesions, were collected from clinically suspected field cases for molecular detection of turkey pox. Histopathological examination and Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed as described by Bancroft and Gamble and, Lee and Lee respectively. Results: External gross lesions of infected turkey included nodular, papular, pustular, erosion and at recovery stages crust on around the eye, beak, head, snood, wattle, caruncles and neck. All histopathological observation includes marked thickening of epidermis layer and hemorrhage, necrosis as well as infiltration of inflammatory cells. The most pathognomonic histopathological lesions intracytoplasmic inclusions bodies (Bollinger bodies) were found in 75% samples. Out of 40 fields, clinical specimens only 32 (80%) samples gave positive PCR band during molecular detection of turkey pox virus. Conclusion: On the basis of clinical signs and symptoms and histopathological findings like cutaneous lesions, intracytoplasmic inclusion (Bollinger) bodies and molecular findings of the present study confirmed that the disease which was occurred in the flock was turkey pox.
Mate choice and mate guarding under the influence of a vertically transmitted, parasitic sex ratio distorter

Abstract We investigated the effects of a vertically transmitted, feminizing parasite on mate choice and precopula guarding in its crustacean host Gammarus duebeni . Males guard females in precopula for several days before mating at the time of egg laying. They choose females on the basis of size and time to laying. We investigated two alternative hypotheses. (1) The parasite manipulates host behaviour leading to increased pairing success for infected females. (2) Male G. duebeni avoid the costs of parasitism by mating selectively with uninfected females. We also compared the morphology and activity of uninfected and infected females. We found no evidence for parasite manipulation of host mating success. Pairing success did not differ between uninfected and infected females at the point of collection in the field. There was no difference in the morphology or activity of uninfected and infected females and infected females showed no changes in their response to male mate-guarding attempts. We also found little evidence for selective mating by males with uninfected females. Males showed no preference for uninfected versus infected mates in laboratory choice tests. However, males guarded uninfected females for longer in laboratory conditions, suggesting that males are willing to invest more in guarding uninfected mates. Our results are in accordance with previous predictions of reduced virulence for vertically transmitted parasites.
Comparative Gene Expression Analysis in WM164 Melanoma Cells Revealed That β-β-Dimethylacrylshikonin Leads to ROS Generation, Loss of Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, and Autophagy Induction

Skin cancer is currently diagnosed as one in every three cancers. Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, is responsible for 79% of skin cancer deaths and the incidence is rising faster than in any other solid tumor type. Previously, we have demonstrated that dimethylacrylshikonin (DMAS), isolated from the roots of Onosma paniculata (Boraginaceae), exhibited the lowest IC50 values against different tumor types out of several isolated shikonin derivatives. DMAS was especially cytotoxic towards melanoma cells and led to apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In this study, we performed a comprehensive gene expression study to investigate the mechanism of action in more detail. Gene expression signature was compared to vehicle-treated WM164 control cells after 24 h of DMAS treatment; where 1192 distinct mRNAs could be identified as expressed in all replicates and 89 were at least 2-fold differentially expressed. DMAS favored catabolic processes and led in particular to p62 increase which is involved in cell growth, survival, and autophagy. More in-depth experiments revealed that DMAS led to autophagy, ROS generation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in different melanoma cells. It has been reported that the induction of an autophagic cell death represents a highly effective approach in melanoma therapy.
A Potential Role for Interferon-α in the Pathogenesis of HIV-Associated Dementia

Abstract Previous studies in patients receiving interferon-α (IFN-α) therapy and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus have demonstrated that elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of IFN-α are associated with cognitive dysfunction. We measured IFN-α levels in CSF and blood by ELISA in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients with ( n = 21) and without ( n = 23) dementia and HIV-negative controls ( n = 48). IFN-α was significantly elevated in the CSF of HIV-positive patients with dementia compared to those without dementia and controls. An increasing amount of IFN-α in the CSF was correlated with the clinical parameter of increasing Memorial Sloan Kettering scores; although these correlations were not statistically significant, they further suggest an association of increased CSF IFN-α with neurocognitive dysfunction in AIDS. Immunocytochemical staining of brains demonstrated IFN-α-positive macrophages and astrocytes in frontal cortex and white matter and IFN-α mRNA was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, further indicating that IFN-α is made by cells within the brain and suggesting that the significant increases of IFN-α protein found in the CSF of patients with HIV-associated dementia complex are derived from intrinsic brain cells such as macrophages and astrocytes. Increased local production of IFN-α during HIV infection may contribute directly or indirectly to the pathogenesis of HIV-associated dementia.
A test of the hypothesis of mate choice based on heterozygosity in the spotless starling

The hypothesis of mate choice based on heterozygosity predicts that sexual traits will reach their extreme expression in males with the greatest average heterozygosity, and that both a male’s ornament expression and his mating success will correlate positively with degree of individual heterozygosity. In agreement with the first prediction, we found a negative correlation between degree of homozygosity and length of the throat feathers (a secondary sexual trait) in male spotless starlings, Sturnus unicolor. However, we found a quadratic relationship between degree of homozygosity and both mating success and mean number of young sired per year. Hence, males of intermediate heterozygosity were more successful in mating and reproduction than either more homozygous or more heterozygous males. These results do not support the hypothesis of mate choice based on heterozygosity.
Nuptial coloration in the sand lizard, Lacerta agilis: an intra-sexually selected cue to fighting ability

Abstract Abstract. In the sexually dichromatic sand lizard the area of the nuptial green coloration in males is allometrically related to body mass, and males with higher fighting ability have more saturated nuptial colours. Experiments in the laboratory showed that the extent of the bright nuptial coloration in males affects their contest behaviour; manipulated males with more colour were more likely both to initiate contests and to win. Further, when manipulated males had badges of unequal size the contests were settled more quickly than when the badges were the same size. This predicts that superior fighters with larger badges should have higher mating success; this was confirmed by field studies of a natural population.
The Mst1 Kinase Is Required for Follicular B Cell Homing and B-1 B Cell Development

The Mst1 and 2 cytosolic serine/threonine protein kinases are the mammalian orthologs of the Drosophila Hippo protein. Mst1 has been shown previously to participate in T-cell and B-cell trafficking and the migration of lymphocytes into secondary lymphoid organs in a cell intrinsic manner. We show here that the absence of Mst1 alone only modestly impacts B cell homing to lymph nodes. The absence of both Mst1 and 2 in hematopoietic cells results in relatively normal B cell development in the bone marrow and does not impact migration of immature B cells to the spleen. However, follicular B cells lacking both Mst1 and Mst2 mature in the splenic white pulp but are unable to recirculate to lymph nodes or to the bone marrow. These cells also cannot traffic efficiently to the splenic red pulp. The inability of late transitional and follicular B cells lacking Mst 1 and 2 to migrate to the red pulp explains their failure to differentiate into marginal zone B cell precursors and marginal zone B cells. Mst1 and Mst2 are therefore required for follicular B cells to acquire the ability to recirculate and also to migrate to the splenic red pulp in order to generate marginal zone B cells. In addition B-1 a B cell development is defective in the absence of Mst1.
Un'analisi territoriale degli esercizi di valutazione della ricerca italiana

This short essay seeks to contribute to the debate on the health condition of Italian University research by comparing the results of the two evaluations of research quality (the VQR 2004-2010 and the VQR 2011-2014) from a territorial point of view. In particular, we analyse whether and to what extent the quality of scientific production is homogeneous between the different areas of the country and whether there are significant differences in the performance of the Universities between the two evaluation exercises.
Single-molecule imaging of DNA gyrase activity in living Escherichia coli

Bacterial DNA gyrase introduces negative supercoils into chromosomal DNA and relaxes positive supercoils introduced by replication and transiently by transcription. Removal of these positive supercoils is essential for replication fork progression and for the overall unlinking of the two duplex DNA strands, as well as for ongoing transcription. To address how gyrase copes with these topological challenges, we used high-speed single-molecule fluorescence imaging in live Escherichia coli cells. We demonstrate that at least 300 gyrase molecules are stably bound to the chromosome at any time, with ∼12 enzymes enriched near each replication fork. Trapping of reaction intermediates with ciprofloxacin revealed complexes undergoing catalysis. Dwell times of ∼2 s were observed for the dispersed gyrase molecules, which we propose maintain steady-state levels of negative supercoiling of the chromosome. In contrast, the dwell time of replisome-proximal molecules was ∼8 s, consistent with these catalyzing processive positive supercoil relaxation in front of the progressing replisome.
Mineral Intake Ratios Are a Weak but Significant Factor in Blood Pressure Variability in US Adults

Abstract Background Hypertension contributes substantially to chronic disease and mortality. Mineral intakes can modify blood pressure. Objective Individual minerals and their intake ratios in US adults and their association with blood pressure were examined. Methods Regression models were used to examine the associations of sodium, potassium, and calcium intakes and their ratios from food and supplements with blood pressure in 8777 US adults without impaired renal function from the 2011–2014 NHANES. We evaluated men (n = 4395) and women (n = 4382) separately. Models for predicting blood pressure were developed using age, blood pressure medication, race, body mass index (BMI), and smoking as explanatory variables. Results Few adults met the recommended intake ratios for sodium:potassium (1.2% and 1.5%), sodium:calcium (12.8% and 17.67%), and sodium:magnesium (13.7% and 7.3%) for men and women, respectively. Approximately half of adults (55.2% of men and 54.8% of women) met calcium:magnesium intake ratio recommendations. In our regression models, the factors that explained the largest amount of variability in blood pressure were age, blood pressure medication, race/ethnicity, BMI, and smoking status. Together, these factors explained 31% and 15% of the variability in systolic blood pressure in women and men, respectively. The sodium:potassium (men and women), sodium:magnesium (women), and sodium:calcium (men) intake ratios were positively associated with systolic blood pressure, whereas calcium intake was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure in men only. When mineral intake ratios were added individually to our regression models, they improved the percentage of variability in blood pressure explained by the model by 0.13–0.21%. Conclusions Strategies to lower blood pressure are needed. Lower sodium:potassium intake ratios provide a small benefit for protection against hypertension in US adults.
Heterogeneity of Microbial Communities on Deep-Sea Ferromanganese Crusts in the Takuyo-Daigo Seamount

Rock outcrops of aged deep-sea seamounts are generally covered with Fe and Mn oxides, known as ferromanganese (Fe–Mn) crusts. Although the presence of microorganisms in Fe–Mn crusts has been reported, limited information is currently available on intra- and inter-variations in crust microbial communities. Therefore, we collected several Fe–Mn crusts in bathyal and abyssal zones (water depths of 1,150–5,520 m) in the Takuyo-Daigo Seamount in the northwestern Pacific, and examined microbial communities on the crusts using culture-independent molecular and microscopic analyses. Quantitative PCR showed that microbial cells were abundant (106–108 cells g−1) on Fe–Mn crust surfaces through the water depths. A comparative 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed community differences among Fe–Mn crusts through the water depths, which may have been caused by changes in dissolved oxygen concentrations. Moreover, community differences were observed among positions within each Fe–Mn crust, and potentially depended on the availability of sinking particulate organic matter. Microscopic and elemental analyses of thin Fe–Mn crust sections revealed the accumulation of microbial cells accompanied by the depletion of Mn in valleys of bumpy crust surfaces. Our results suggest that heterogeneous and abundant microbial communities play a role in the biogeochemical cycling of Mn, in addition to C and N, on crusts and contribute to the extremely slow growth of Fe–Mn crusts.
How the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Controls Affective Processing in Absence of Visual Awareness – Insights From a Combined EEG-rTMS Study

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a key role in the modulation of affective processing. However, its specific role in the regulation of neurocognitive processes underlying the interplay of affective perception and visual awareness has remained largely unclear. Using a mixed factorial design, this study investigated effects of inhibitory continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) of the right DLPFC (rDLPFC) compared to an Active Control condition on behavioral (N = 48) and electroencephalographic (N = 38) correlates of affective processing in healthy Chinese participants. Event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to passively viewed subliminal and supraliminal negative and neutral natural scenes were recorded before and after cTBS application. We applied minimum-norm approaches to estimate the corresponding neuronal sources. On a behavioral level, we found evidence for reduced emotional interference by, and less negative and aroused ratings of negative supraliminal stimuli following rDLPFC inhibition. We found no evidence for stimulation effects on self-reported mood or the behavioral discrimination of subliminal stimuli. On a neurophysiological level, rDLPFC inhibition relatively enhanced occipito-parietal brain activity for both subliminal and supraliminal negative compared to neutral images (112–268 ms; 320–380 ms). The early onset and localization of these effects suggests that rDLPFC inhibition boosts automatic processes of “emotional attention” independently of visual awareness. Further, our study reveals the first available evidence for a differential influence of rDLPFC inhibition on subliminal versus supraliminal neural emotion processing. Explicitly, our findings indicate that rDLPFC inhibition selectively enhances late (292–360 ms) activity in response to supraliminal negative images. We tentatively suggest that this differential frontal activity likely reflects enhanced awareness-dependent down-regulation of negative scene processing, eventually leading to facilitated disengagement from and less negative and aroused evaluations of negative supraliminal stimuli.
Social foraging and the finder's share in capuchin monkeys, Cebus apella


Abstract Group living can confer advantages to individuals, but it can also impose severe costs through resource competition. Kleptoparasitism is one example in which some individuals (joiners) can exploit the food discovered by other animals (finders). This type of social foraging has been modelled either as an information-sharing model or as a producer–scrounger game. An important variable in these models is the finder's advantage: the number of items obtained by the finder before the arrival of other individuals. In this study we describe how the spatial position and rank of individuals in a group of wild tufted capuchin monkeys affect their ability to discover and exploit new food sources. We also analyse the factors that affect the finder's share and the total amount of food obtained by the finder from a newly discovered resource. By placing platforms filled with bananas at novel locations in their home range, we show that animals in the leading edge of a foraging group have a higher probability of discovering new food sources than animals occupying other spatial positions. The alpha male and the alpha female, which tended to occupy central-forward positions, were able to monopolize newly discovered food sources and thus obtain a major share of them. The finder's share at the feeding platforms was smaller when there was more food on a platform, but increased with longer delays before the arrival of other individuals. The total amount of food obtained by the finder from the feeding platforms was larger when there was more food on the platform, when the finder was of higher social status, and when it took longer for other individuals to arrive. Animals can increase their finder's share and total amount consumed from a newly discovered resource by keeping large interindividual distances and by avoiding giving cues about the presence of food (such as food-associated vocalizations) to other animals.
The frontal aslant tract (FAT) and its role in speech, language and executive function

In this review, we examine the structural connectivity of a recently-identified fiber pathway, the frontal aslant tract (FAT), and explore its function. We first review structural connectivity studies using tract-tracing methods in non-human primates, and diffusion-weighted imaging and electrostimulation in humans. These studies suggest a monosynaptic connection exists between the lateral inferior frontal gyrus and the pre-supplementary and supplementary motor areas of the medial superior frontal gyrus. This connection is termed the FAT. We then review research on the left FAT’s putative role in supporting speech and language function, with particular focus on speech initiation, stuttering and verbal fluency. Next, we review research on the right FAT’s putative role supporting executive function, namely inhibitory control and conflict monitoring for action. We summarize the extant body of empirical work by suggesting that the FAT plays a domain general role in the planning, timing, and coordination of sequential motor movements through the resolution of competition among potential motor plans. However, we also propose some domain specialization across the hemispheres. On the left hemisphere, the circuit is proposed to be specialized for speech actions. On the right hemisphere, the circuit is proposed to be specialized for general action control of the organism, especially in the visuo-spatial domain. We close the review with a discussion of the clinical significance of the FAT, and suggestions for further research on the pathway. Highlights The frontal aslant tract (FAT) is a recently identified fiber pathway It connects inferior frontal gyrus with medial frontal motor areas The left FAT has been associated with speech and language function The right FAT has been associated with inhibitory control Both FAT pathways may function in sequential motor planning