Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stray cats and dogs carrying zoonotic Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotype D in China: a public health concern

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is reported to be a common microsporidian of humans and animals in various countries. However, scarce information on E. bieneusi has been recorded in cats (Felis catus) and dogs (Canis familiaris) in China. As such, we undertook molecular epidemiological investigation of E. bieneusi in cats and dogs in Shanghai, China. A total of 359 genomic DNAs were extracted from individual faecal samples from cats (n = 59) and dogs (n = 300), and then tested using a nested PCR-based sequencing approach employing internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA as the genetic marker. Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in 34 of all 359 (9.5%) faecal samples from cats (32.2%; 19/59) and dogs (5.0%; 15/300), including 24 stray cats and dogs (22.6%; 24/106), as well as ten household/raised cats and dogs (4.0%; 10/253). Correlation analyses revealed that E. bieneusi positive rates were significantly associated with stray cats and dogs (P < 0.05). The analysis of ITS sequence data revealed the presentation of five known genotypes CD7, CHN-HD2, D, PtEb IX and Type IV and two novel genotypes D-like1 and PtEb IX-like1. Zoonotic genotype D was the predominant type with percentage of 61.8 (21/34). Phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequence data sets showed that genotypes D, D-like1 and Type IV clustered within Group 1, showing zoonotic potential. The others were assigned into Group 10 with host specificity. These findings suggested that cats and dogs in Shanghai harbor zoonotic genotype D of E. bieneusi and may have a significant risk for zoonotic transmission. Further insight into the epidemiology of E. bieneusi in animals, water and the environment from other areas in China will be important to have an informed position on the public health significance of microsporidiosis caused by this microbe.
Detection of Spatially Localized Sounds Is Robust to Saccades and Concurrent Eye Movement-Related Eardrum Oscillations (EMREOs)

Hearing is an active process, and recent studies show that even the ear is affected by cognitive states or motor actions. One example are movements of the eardrum induced by saccadic eye movements, known as “eye movement-related eardrum oscillations” (EMREOs). While these are systematically shaped by the direction and size of saccades, the consequences of saccadic eye movements and their resulting EMREOs for hearing remain unclear. We here studied their implications for the detection of near-threshold clicks in human participants. Across three experiments, sound detection was not affected by their time of presentation relative to saccade onset, by saccade amplitude or direction. While the EMREOs were shaped by the direction and amplitude of the saccadic movement, inducing covert shifts in spatial attention did not affect the EMREO, suggesting that this signature of active sensing is restricted to overt changes in visual focus. Importantly, in our experiments, fluctuations in the EMREO amplitude were not related to detection performance, at least when monaural cues are sufficient. Hence, while eye movements may shape the transduction of acoustic information, the behavioral implications remain to be understood. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Previous studies suggest that oculomotor behavior may influence how we perceive spatially localized sounds. Recent work has introduced a new perspective on this question by showing that eye movements can directly modulate the eardrum. Yet, it remains unclear whether this signature of active hearing accounts for behavioral effects. We here show that overt but not covert changes in visual attention modulate the eardrum, but these modulations do not interfere with the detection of sounds. Our results provide a starting point to obtain a deeper understanding about the interplay of oculomotor behavior and the active ear.
Neural speech tracking benefit of lip movements predicts behavioral deterioration when the speaker’s mouth is occluded

Observing lip movements of a speaker is known to facilitate speech understanding, especially in challenging listening situations. Converging evidence from neuroscientific studies shows enhanced processing of audiovisual stimuli. However, the interindividual variability of this visual benefit and its consequences on behavior are unknown. Here, we analyzed source-localized magnetoencephalographic (MEG) responses from normal-hearing participants listening to audiovisual speech with or without an additional distractor speaker. Using temporal response functions (TRFs), we show that neural responses to lip movements are, in general, enhanced when speech is challenging. After conducting a crucial control for speech acoustics, we show that lip movements effectively contribute to higher neural speech tracking, particularly when a distractor speaker is present. However, the extent of this visual benefit varied greatly among participants. Probing the behavioral relevance, we show that individuals who benefit more from lip movement information in terms of neural speech tracking, show a stronger drop in performance and an increase in perceived difficulty when the mouth is occluded by a surgical face mask. By contrast, no effect was found when the mouth was not occluded. We provide novel insights on how the benefit of lip movements in terms of neural speech tracking varies among individuals. Furthermore, we reveal its behavioral relevance by demonstrating negative consequences for behavior when visual speech is absent. Our results also offer potential implications for future objective assessments of audiovisual speech perception.
A data fusion algorithm based on the Kalman filter to estimate leaf area index evolution in durum wheat by using field measurements and MODIS surface reflectance data

ABSTRACT The use of leaf area index (LAI) is essential in ecosystem and agronomic studies since it measures energy and gas exchanges between vegetation and atmosphere. In the last decades, LAI values have widely been estimated from passive remotely sensed data although estimated results were often affected by noise and measurement uncertainties. In this article, we propose a Kalman filter algorithm in order to estimate the time evolution of LAI by combining field-measured and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance data. The scalar equation of the dynamic LAI model (state transition model) was derived by the field-measured data while the MODIS red, near-infrared and shortwave infrared reflectance data were used to implement the observation model. The reflectance data were linked to LAI by using the reduced simple ratio. The method was tested in an experimental field located in the north-western part of the Apulia region (Italy). The results showed a good agreement between the LAI estimated through the algorithm and the LAI derived from field data, with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.96 and a corresponding root mean square error of 0.124.
Topographical analysis of immune cell interactions reveals a biomechanical signature for immune cytolysis

Immune cells live intensely physical lifestyles characterized by structural plasticity, mechanosensitivity, and force exertion. Whether specific immune functions require stereotyped patterns of mechanical output, however, is largely unknown. To address this question, we used super-resolution traction force microscopy to compare cytotoxic T cell immune synapses with contacts formed by other T cell subsets and macrophages. T cell synapses were globally and locally protrusive, which was fundamentally different from the coupled pinching and pulling of macrophage phagocytosis. By spectrally decomposing the force exertion patterns of each cell type, we associated cytotoxicity with compressive strength, local protrusiveness, and the induction of complex, asymmetric interfacial topographies. These features were further validated as cytotoxic drivers by genetic disruption of cytoskeletal regulators, direct imaging of synaptic secretory events, and in silico analysis of interfacial distortion. We conclude that T cell-mediated killing and, by implication, other effector responses are supported by specialized patterns of efferent force.
On a multivariate generalization of the covariance

ABSTRACT Hoeffding’s lemma provides a representation of the covariance of two random variables in terms of the difference between the joint and marginal distributions. This article proposes a multivariate generalization of the covariance between functions of bounded variation in the semialgebra of rectangles on . Some applications include the covariance inequality among functions where the variables are positive orthant dependent.
Bitesize bundles F-actin and influences actin remodeling in syncytial Drosophila embryo development

Actin networks undergo rearrangements that influence cell and tissue shape. Actin network assembly and organization is regulated in space and time by a host of actin binding proteins. The Drosophila Synaptotagmin-like protein, Bitesize (Btsz), is known to organize actin at epithelial cell apical junctions in a manner that depends on its interaction with the actin-binding protein, Moesin. Here, we showed that Btsz functions in actin reorganization at earlier, syncytial stages of Drosophila embryo development. Btsz was required for the formation of stable metaphase pseudocleavage furrows that prevented spindle collisions and nuclear fallout prior to cellularization. While previous studies focused on Btsz isoforms containing the Moesin Binding Domain (MBD), we found that isoforms lacking the MBD also function in actin remodeling. Consistent with this, we found that the C-terminal half of BtszB cooperatively binds to and bundles F-actin, suggesting a direct mechanism for Synaptotagmin-like proteins regulating actin organization during animal development.
Single-Nucleus Profiling Identifies Accelerated Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cell Senescence in a Mouse Model of Down Syndrome

Abstract Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, is associated with lifelong cognitive deficits. However, the mechanisms by which triplication of chromosome 21 genes drive neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction are poorly understood. Here, using the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS, we performed an integrated single-nucleus ATAC and RNA-sequencing (snATAC-seq and snRNA-seq) analysis of the adult cortex. We identified cell type-specific transcriptional and chromatin-associated changes in the Ts65Dn cortex, including regulators of neuroinflammation, transcription and translation, myelination, and mitochondrial function. We discovered enrichment of a senescence-associated transcriptional signature in Ts65Dn oligodendrocyte (OL) precursor cells (OPCs) and epigenetic changes consistent with a loss of heterochromatin. We found that senescence is restricted to a subset of OPCs concentrated in deep cortical layers. Treatment of Ts65Dn mice with a senescence-reducing flavonoid rescued cortical OPC proliferation, restored microglial homeostasis, and improved contextual fear memory. Together, these findings suggest that cortical OPC senescence may be an important driver of neuropathology in DS.
Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Ferroelectric Phase Transition in KH2AsO4

Effect of hydrostatic pressure on the ferroelectric phase transition in KH 2 AsO 4 is studied by dielectric measurements. The temperature at which the dielectric constant e C takes a peak value decreases with increasing pressure, and no peak is observed at 15.0 kbar. The anomaly of e C becomes broader with pressure. The transition temperature determined from the peak of e C is well represented by the equation T C = B ( p C - p ) 1/2 which is one of the manifestation of quantum ferroelectricity. Here, the critical pressure p C is determined to be 14.8 kbar. Another critical behavior for the quantum ferroelectricity near the critical pressure ( e C - e C ∞ ) -1 = D T 2 is examined. It is found that e C at 14.5 kbar well represents this relationship.
Anomalous x-ray scattering study of the growth of inverted quantum hut structures in a Si-Ge superlattice emitting strong photoluminescence

The growth process of germanium inverted quantum hut (IQH) structures, which are embedded in a silicon lattice, has been studied using anomalous x-ray scattering techniques. These self-assembled IQH structures exhibit strong photoluminescence (PL) although the number density of the huts is rather small. We show here that these IQH structures form by the intermixing of germanium with previously deposited silicon producing an intriguing composition variation that keeps the out-of-plane lattice parameter of the alloy almost constant. We have identified a zero strain cubic structure, which extends towards the tip of these IQHs to accommodate large-scale interdiffusion of germanium in silicon lattice. A substantial increase in intensity of the PL peak at around 0.8 eV as the temperature is lowered from 70 to 10 K and a corresponding activation energy of 49 meV indicates that photon induced carriers are predominantly captured at the tip of the embedded quantum hut structures.
Feeding with resistant maltodextrin suppresses excessive calorie intake in a high-fat diet, mediated by changes in mouse gut microbiota composition, appetite-related gut hormone secretion, and neuropeptide transcriptional levels

Consuming resistant maltodextrin (RMD) decreases food intake and increase appetite-related gut hormones, but the underlying mechanisms have remained unknown. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the effects of RMD feeding on food intake (appetite) using Institute of Cancer Research male mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD-cellulose group) or HFD in which cellulose was replaced with RMD (HFD-RMD group). Feeding mice with an HFD-RMD for approximately 8 weeks inhibited excessive calorie intake and altered the gut microbiota composition. Excessive calorie intake was inhibited for several days in mice fed only with an HFD-cellulose and transplanted with fecal microbiota from the HFD-RMD group (FMT-HFD-RMD group). Moreover, in the HFD-RMD and FMT-HFD-RMD groups, serum active glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) levels were significantly higher, and appetite-related neuropeptide gene transcription in the hypothalamus were significantly altered, compared with the HFD-cellulose and FMT-HFD-cellulose groups. These results suggested that the long-term RMD intake changed the gut microbiota composition, increased the GLP-1 and PYY secretion, and altered the appetite-related neuropeptide gene transcription in the hypothalamus, leading to suppressed excessive calorie intake in an HFD.
Quantitative optical coherence microscopy of neuron morphology in human entorhinal cortex

Introduction The size and shape of neurons are important features indicating aging and the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the significant advances of optical microscopy, quantitative analysis of the neuronal features in the human brain remains largely incomplete. Traditional histology on thin slices bears tremendous distortions in three-dimensional reconstruction, the magnitude of which are often greater than the structure of interest. Recently development of tissue clearing techniques enable the whole brain to be analyzed in small animals; however, the application in the human remains challenging. Methods In this study, we present a label-free quantitative optical coherence microscopy (OCM) technique to obtain the morphological parameters of neurons in human entorhinal cortex (EC). OCM uses the intrinsic back-scattering property of tissue to identify individual neurons in 3D. The area, length, width, and orientation of individual neurons are quantified and compared between layer II and III in EC. Results The high-resolution mapping of neuron size, shape, and orientation shows significant differences between layer II and III neurons in EC. The results are validated by standard Nissl staining of the same samples. Discussion The quantitative OCM technique in our study offers a new solution to analyze variety of neurons and their organizations in the human brain, which opens new insights in advancing our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases.
Stabilizationwithdata-rate-limitedfeedback: tightestattainablebounds

This paper investigates the stabilizability of a linear, discrete-time plant with a real-valued output when the controller, which may be nonlinear, receives observation data at a known rate. It is rst shown that, under a nite horizon cost equal to the mth output moment, the problem reduces to quantizing the initial output. Asymptotic quantization theory is then applied to directly obtain the limiting coding and control scheme as the horizon approaches innity. This is proven to minimize a particular innite horizon cost, the value of which is derived. A necessary and sucient condition then follows for there to exist a coding and control scheme with the specied data rate that takes the mth output moment to zero asymptotically with time. If the open-loop plant is nite-dimensional and time-invariant, this condition simplies to an inequality involving the data rate and the unstable plant pole with greatest magnitude. Analagous results automatically hold for the related problem of state estimation with a nite data rate. c 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Clinical analysis of 173 pediatric patients with antibody-mediated autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system: a single-center cohort study

Background Antibody-mediated disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) have seen a gradual rise in their incidence and prevalence. This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and short-term prognosis of children with antibody-mediated CNS autoimmune diseases at Hunan Children’s Hospital. Methods We collected the clinical data of 173 pediatric patients diagnosed with antibody-mediated CNS autoimmune diseases between June 2014 and June 2021 and analyzed their demographics, clinical features, imaging and laboratory data, treatment, and prognosis. Results A total of 187 patients tested positive for anti-neural antibodies and 173 patients were finally diagnosed with antibody-mediated CNS autoimmune diseases after excluding the 14 false-positive cases through clinical phenotypic evaluation and follow-up of treatment outcomes. Of the 173 confirmed patients, 97 (56.06%) were positive for anti-NMDA-receptor antibody, 48 (27.75%) for anti-MOG antibody, 30 (17.34%) for anti-GFAP antibody, 5 (2.89%) for anti-CASPR2 antibody, 3 (1.73%) for anti-AQP4 antibody, 2 (1.16%) for anti-GABABR antibody, and 1 (0.58%) for anti-LGI1antibody. Anti-NMDAR encephalitis was the most commonly seen among the patients, followed by MOG antibody-associated disorders and autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy. Psycho-behavioral abnormalities, seizures, involuntary movements, and speech disorder were the most common clinical presentations of anti-NMDAR encephalitis, while fever, headache, and disturbance of consciousness or vision were the most seen among patients with MOG antibody-associated disorders or autoimmune GFAP astrocytopathy. The coexistence of multiple anti-neural antibodies was detected in 13 patients, among which 6 cases had coexistent anti-NMDAR and anti-MOG antibodies (including 1 case with anti-GFAP antibody also), 3 cases had coexistent anti-NMDAR and anti-GFAP antibodies, 3 cases had coexistent anti-MOG and anti-GFAP antibodies, 1 case had coexistent anti-NMDAR and anti-CASPR2 antibodies, and 1 case had coexistent anti-GABABR and anti-CASPR2 antibodies. All the survivors were followed up for at least 12 months; 137 recovered completely, 33 had varying sequelae, and 3 died; 22 had one or more relapses. Conclusion Antibody-mediated CNS autoimmune diseases occur in children of all ages. Most such pediatric patients have a good response to immunotherapy. Despite the low mortality rate, some survivors have a non-negligible risk of developing relapses.
Changes in drought characteristics over China during 1961–2019

Drought is extremely complex and can be influenced by various factors. This study uses Penman-Monteith (PM) method to calculate the potential evapotranspiration and get the monthly drought metric of Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) across China during the period of 1961–2019. Results show that the regions of the west of Northwest China (WNWC), Northeast China (NEC), and South China (SC) are reported to experience a wetting trend, while the droughts in the regions of the east of Northwest China (ENWC), North China (NC), and Southwest China (SWC) deteriorated over the past decades. Seasonally, the significant wetting trends mainly occurred in summer, autumn, and winter for WNWC, while mainly in winter for the region of NEC. Additionally, the droughts in China show an obvious interdecadal variability, with more severe droughts for the periods of 1961–1979 and 2000–2019, but with relatively fewer events in the period of 1980–1999. During the 1960 s and 1970 s, droughts in China are observed to mainly happen in summer and winter, while the droughts mainly occurred in autumn and winter during the 1980 s and 1990 s. Since the early 21st century, both the frequency and intensity of spring droughts have increased obviously and played a dominant role in seasonal droughts. Further studies indicate that the drought changes in southern China are mainly affected by the precipitation anomalies, while that in northern China are mainly influenced by the temperature and wind speed anomalies. Hence, our analyses provide theoretical basis for further understanding the drought changes and the prevention control of drought disasters in China.
Correlates of physical activity habits in adolescents: A systematic review

Physical activity habits are crucial for the physical and mental wellbeing of adolescents (individuals aged 10–19 years). However, few studies over the last two decades have systematically aggregated the influential factors of physical activity habits for adolescents. Five online databases (EBSCOhost (Eric), Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) were searched for relevant studies published before 14 August 2022. Our systematic review indicated the following: 1) boys performed more physical activity habits than girls, whereas girls preferred to engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity; 2) physical activity in adolescents decreased with age; 3) African American adolescents performed significantly more habitual physical activities than white adolescents; 4) adolescents with higher literacy had better physical activity habits; 5) support from parents, teachers, friends, and others helped adolescents in developing physical activity habits; 6) adolescents who spent less time participating in habitual physical activity had a higher body mass index; 7) adolescents who reported higher levels of self-efficacy and satisfaction with school sports tended to have stronger physical activity habits; 8) sedentary behavior, smoking, drinking, prolonged screen time, negative emotions, and excessive use of media technology were correlated with reduced habitual physical activity in adolescents. These findings could help develop interventions to motivate adolescents and promote physical activity habits among them.