Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human MAIT cells are devoid of alloreactive potential: prompting their use as universal cells for adoptive immune therapy

Background Mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells are semi-invariant T cells that recognize microbial antigens presented by the highly conserved MR1 molecule. MAIT cells are predominantly localized in the liver and barrier tissues and are potent effectors of antimicrobial defense. MAIT cells are very few at birth and accumulate gradually over a period of about 6 years during the infancy. The cytotoxic potential of MAIT cells, as well as their newly described regulatory and tissue repair functions, open the possibility of exploiting their properties in adoptive therapy. A prerequisite for their use as ‘universal’ cells would be a lack of alloreactive potential, which remains to be demonstrated. Methods We used ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo models to determine if human MAIT cells contribute to allogeneic responses. Results We show that recovery of MAIT cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recapitulates their slow physiological expansion in early childhood, independent of recovery of non-MAIT T cells. In vitro, signals provided by allogeneic cells and cytokines do not induce sustained MAIT cell proliferation. In vivo, human MAIT cells do not expand nor accumulate in tissues in a model of T-cell-mediated xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease in immunodeficient mice. Conclusions Altogether, these results provide evidence that MAIT cells are devoid of alloreactive potential and pave the way for harnessing their translational potential in universal adoptive therapy overcoming barriers of HLA disparity. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT02403089.
Resolving the Obscure Identity of Steironotus arenarius Tschudi, 1845 and Tropidurus tschudii Roux, 1907 (Squamata: Tropiduridae)

Abstract. The taxonomic history of Steironotus arenarius Tschudi, 1845 is one of the most problematic among all tropidurids. The species was originally described supposedly based on four specimens collected in Peru and deposited by J.J. von Tschudi at the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Neuchâtel, Switzerland. However, the syntypes were not re-examined until Roux (1907: Rev. Suisse Zool. 15:293–303) performed a revision of Tschudi's Peruvian collection. Fritts (1974: Mem. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 7:1–89) revised the taxonomy of Stenocercus and endorsed Roux's allocation of Steironotus arenarius in Tropidurus Wied, 1825, although he never analyzed Tschudi's types. Ortiz (1989: Bull. Soc. Neuchâtel. Sci. Nat. 112:47–64) was the first contemporary systematist to re-analyze Tschudi's specimens for his catalogue of the lizard types of the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Neuchâtel. His compilation attempted to clarify the number, location, and identity of the types of Steironotus arenarius found at the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Neuchâtel and Naturhistorisches Museum Basel. Subsequent authors overlooked or opted for not following Ortiz and endorsed the allocation of Steironotus arenarius in Tropidurus. Although Ortiz was the only one to re-analyze the types of Steironotus arenarius after Roux, he never provided full morphological descriptions or detailed comparative notes to support his taxonomic conclusions. Herein, I clarify the taxonomic history of Steironotus arenarius Tschudi, 1845 and Tropidurus tschudii Roux, 1907, and confirm that Tschudi's syntypic series is a composite of two genera, i.e., Microlophus Duméril and Bibron, 1837 and Stenocercus Duméril and Bibron, 1837. I ultimately designate a new lectotype for Steironotus arenarius Tschudi, 1845 and provide recommendations for correcting uncorroborated taxonomic arrangements, bringing stability to tropidurid taxonomy.
Two new common, previously unrecognized species in the Sticta weigelii morphodeme (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae)

Abstract: Sticta is a subcosmopolitan genus most diverse in the tropics. Traditionally, many taxa were considered to be widespread and morphologically variable, following broadly circumscribed morphodemes. Among these is the S. weigelii morphodeme, characterized by a cyanobacterial photobiont and rather narrow, flabellate to truncate or tapering lobes producing predominantly marginal isidia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses focusing on the ITS fungal barcoding marker revealed that this morphodeme represents several species, some of which are only distantly related to each other. Here we describe two species and one subspecies of this morphodeme as new to science, based on analysis of 400 specimens, for 344 of which we generated ITS barcoding data. The two new species, S. andina and S. scabrosa, are broadly distributed in the Neotropics and also found in Hawaii, where the latter is represented by the new subspecies, S. scabrosa subsp. hawaiiensis; in the case of S. andina, the species is also found in the Azores. Sticta andina exhibits high phenotypic variation and reticulate genetic diversification, whereas the phenotypically rather uniform S. scabrosa contains two main haplotypes, one restricted to Hawaii. Sticta andina occurs in well-preserved montane to andine forests and paramos, whereas the two subspecies of S. scabrosa are found in tropical lowland to lower montane forests, tolerating disturbance and extending into anthropogenic habitats. Citation: Moncada B. , Mercado-Díaz J. A. , Smith C. W. , Bungartz F. , Sérusiaux E. , Lumbsch H. T. & Lücking R. 2021: Two new common, previously unrecognized species in the Sticta weigelii morphodeme (Ascomycota: Peltigeraceae). – Willdenowia 51: 35–45. Version of record first published online on 24 February 2021 ahead of inclusion in April 2021 issue.
Photonic circuits written by femtosecond laser in glass: improved fabrication and recent progress in photonic devices

Abstract. Integrated photonics is attracting considerable attention and has found many applications in both classical and quantum optics, fulfilling the requirements for the ever-growing complexity in modern optical experiments and big data communication. Femtosecond (fs) laser direct writing (FLDW) is an acknowledged technique for producing waveguides (WGs) in transparent glass that have been used to construct complex integrated photonic devices. FLDW possesses unique features, such as three-dimensional fabrication geometry, rapid prototyping, and single step fabrication, which are important for integrated communication devices and quantum photonic and astrophotonic technologies. To fully take advantage of FLDW, considerable efforts have been made to produce WGs over a large depth with low propagation loss, coupling loss, bend loss, and highly symmetrical mode field. We summarize the improved techniques as well as the mechanisms for writing high-performance WGs with controllable morphology of cross-section, highly symmetrical mode field, low loss, and high processing uniformity and efficiency, and discuss the recent progress of WGs in photonic integrated devices for communication, topological physics, quantum information processing, and astrophotonics. Prospective challenges and future research directions in this field are also pointed out.
Taking silicon photonics modulators to a higher performance level: state-of-the-art and a review of new technologies

Abstract. Optical links are moving to higher and higher transmission speeds while shrinking to shorter and shorter ranges where optical links are envisaged even at the chip scale. The scaling in data speed and span of the optical links demands modulators to be concurrently performant and cost-effective. Silicon photonics (SiPh), a photonic integrated circuit technology that leverages the fabrication sophistication of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology, is well-positioned to deliver the performance, price, and manufacturing volume for the high-speed modulators of future optical communication links. SiPh has relied on the plasma dispersion effect, either in injection, depletion, or accumulation mode, to demonstrate efficient high-speed modulators. The high-speed plasma dispersion silicon modulators have been commercially deployed and have demonstrated excellent performance. Recent years have seen a paradigm shift where the integration of various electro-refractive and electro-absorptive materials has opened up additional routes toward performant SiPh modulators. These modulators are in the early years of their development. They promise to extend the performance beyond the limits set by the physical properties of silicon. The focus of our study is to provide a comprehensive review of contemporary (i.e., plasma dispersion modulators) and new modulator implementations that involve the integration of novel materials with SiPh.
Scaling of multi-core quantum architectures: a communications-aware structured gap analysis

In the quest of large-scale quantum computers, multi-core distributed architectures are considered a compelling alternative to be explored. A crucial aspect in such approach is the stringent demand on communication among cores when qubits need to interact, which conditions the scalability potential of these architectures. In this work, we address the question of how the cost of the communication among cores impacts on the viability of the quantum multi-core approach. Methodologically, we consider a design space in which architectural variables (number of cores, number of qubits per core), application variables for several quantum benchmarks (number of qubits, number of gates, percentage of two-qubit gates) and inter-core communication latency are swept along with the definition of a figure of merit. This approach yields both a qualitative understanding of trends in the design space and companion dimensioning guidelines for the architecture, including optimal points, as well as quantitative answers to the question of beyond which communication performance levels the multi-core architecture pays off. Our results allow to determine the thresholds for inter-core communication latency in order for multi-core architectures to outperform single-core quantum processors.
Exploring Officer-Involved Shootings With Interaction Effects: A Deeper Understanding of How Race/Ethnicity Interacts With Other Factors in the Use of Deadly Force

There has been a substantial body of research examining the reasons behind the police officers’ use of deadly force. Little research has been done to examine how race and ethnicity interact with other factors in the use of deadly force. With data collected in Dallas, Texas, the present study examines the influence of individual, situational, and neighborhood characteristics on officers’ decision to use deadly force. The present study also provides an alternative approach to logistic regression models by estimating predictive probabilities of officers shooting at citizens. The results show that when officers make decisions to shoot at citizens, situational factors are more important than demographic and neighborhood factors. Interactive effects constructed based on the race/ethnicity of the police officer and citizen showed almost no influence on the decision to shoot at a citizen. Finally, the present study concludes with a discussion of implications for policy development and future research.
Desempenho de plantas de cobertura sob níveis de compactação em Latossolo Vermelho de Cerrado

Objetivou-se, com este trabalho, avaliar o desempenho de plantas de cobertura em um Latosso Vermelho de cerrado sob niveis de compactacao. O delineamento experimental foi o de blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 4 x 5, compostos de quatro plantas de cobertura (Urochloa brizantha; Pennisetum glaucum cv. ANM 17; Crotalaria ochroleuca e Eleusine coracana cv. ANPG 207) e cinco niveis de densidade do solo (1,1; 1,3; 1,5; 1,7 e 1,9 Mg m-3), com quatro repeticoes. Para U. brizantha; P. glaucum; C. Ochroleuca os maiores valores de altura, diâmetro do caule, numero de folhas e area foliar foram verificados nas densidades de 1,3 a 1,5 Mg m-3. Os maiores valores de fitomassa seca da parte aerea e fitomassa seca da raiz foram verificados para E. coracana e U. Brizantha nas densidades de ate 1,62 e 1,54 Mg m-3 respectivamente. Considerando o volume relativo de 90%, E. coracana e U. Brizanthase desenvolvem normalmente com densidade de ate 1,65 Mg m-3. A distribuicao percentual de raiz de E. coracanaabaixo da camada compactada aumenta com o incremento nos niveis de densidade. E. coracana e U. brizantha se destacam como plantas com potencial de reduzir a compactacao do solo.
Has the Economic Lockdown Following the Covid-19 Pandemic Changed the Gender Division of Labor in Israel?

The economic shutdown and national lockdown following the outbreak of COVID-19 have increased demand for unpaid work at home, particularly among families with children, and reduced demand for paid work. Concurrently, the share of the workforce that has relocated its workplace to home has also increased. In this article, we examine the consequences of these processes for the allocation of time among paid work, housework, and care work for men and women in Israel. Using data on 2,027 Israeli adults whom we followed since the first week of March (before the spread of COVID-19), we focus on the effect of the second lockdown in Israel (in September) on the gender division of both paid and unpaid work. We find that as demand for housework caused by the lockdown increases, women—especially with children—increase their housework much more than men do, particularly when they work from home. The consequences of work from home and other flexible work arrangements for gender inequality within the family are discussed.
Physiological characterization of grapevine rootstocks grown in soil with increasing zinc doses

Objetivou-se, neste trabalho, avaliar o crescimento de porta-enxertos (PEs) de videira cultivados em niveis crescentes de Zn no solo e identificar variaveis fisiologicas que possam ser indicadoras do excesso de Zn no solo. Os PEs SO4, Paulsen1103, IAC572, IAC313 e 420A foram cultivados em vasos contendo solo e submetidos a adicao de 0, 20, 40, 80 e 160 mg kg-1 de Zn. Avaliaram-se a materia seca (MS), o teor de Zn na parte aerea e raizes, o indice de clorofila, a fluorescencia minima (Fo), a fluorescencia maxima (Fm), o rendimento quântico maximo do fotossistema II (Fv/Fm), o rendimento quântico efetivo (Y-II) e a dissipacao nao fotoquimica (NPQ). O aumento da concentracao de Zn no solo reduziu a MS em todos os PEs sendo que o IAC572 foi superior aos demais. A variacao dos indices de clorofilas a e b foi pouco expressiva em relacao aos niveis de Zn no solo mas permitiu identificar que o Paulsen 1103, 420A e SO4 sao sensiveis a toxicidade de Zn e que o IAC572 e IAC313 nao apresentaram sensibilidade nos niveis testados. Com a analise de fluorescencia observou-se que o teor de Zn interfere negativamente sobre as variaveis Fo, Fm, Y-II e NPQ em todos os PEs, mostrando serem boas indicadoras para caracterizar a fitotoxidez do Zn.
Brain‐computer interfaces and plasticity of the human nervous system

A brain-computer interface (BCI) is a system that processes signals associated with brain activity, such as EEGs, in order to control external devices, such as robotic assistance, without the use of nerves or muscles (Vidal, 1973). Development of BCIs has been addressed from multiple perspectives as several disciplines are relevant for this technology. In this special issue of The Journal of Physiology , we have focused attention on the physiological knowledge needed to further advance BCI technology in relation to the changes induced by BCIs on the central nervous system (CNS). Understanding the physiological mechanisms of plasticity induced by BCI systems is the basis of effective design of clinically viable therapeutic approaches. BCIs have been classically developed as means to re-establish communication or to restore movements in severely paralysed individuals, with a main focus on decoding user intention. Since the early developments of these approaches, it has become evident that the use of a BCI corresponds to learning a new motor or cognitive task and is therefore associated with learning and plasticity of the CNS. The neurophysiological bases of learning are, for example, the foundation of co-adaptation of the user with the machine learning algorithms developed to decode brain activity. Most BCI systems require extensive training by the user which follows the mechanisms of learning by the CNS. The crucial
Graphical structure of extended b-metric spaces: an application to the transverse oscillations of a homogeneous bar

Abstract The purpose of this article is to present the notion of graphical extended b-metric spaces, blending the concepts of graph theory and metric fixed point theory. We discuss the structure of an open ball of the new proposed space and elaborate on the newly introduced ideas in a novel way by portraying suitably directed graphs. We also provide some examples in graph structure to show that our results are sharp as compared to the results in the existing state-of-art. Furthermore, an application to the transverse oscillations of a homogeneous bar is entrusted to affirm the applicability of the established results. Additionally, we evoke some open problems for enthusiastic readers for the future aspects of the study.
Guidance by followers ensures long-range coordination of cell migration through α-Catenin mechanoperception

Morphogenesis, wound healing and some cancer metastases depend upon migration of cell collectives that need to be guided to their destination as well as coordinated with other cell movements. During zebrafish gastrulation, extension of the embryonic axis is led by the mesendodermal polster that migrates towards the animal pole, followed by axial mesoderm that undergoes convergence and extension. We here investigate how polster cells are guided towards the animal pole. Using a combination of precise laser ablations, advanced transplants and functional as well as in silico approaches, we establish that each polster cell is oriented by its immediate follower cells. Each cell perceives the migration of followers, through E-Cadherin/α-Catenin mechanotransduction, and aligns with them. Directional information therefore propagates from cell to cell over the whole tissue. Such guidance of migrating cells by followers ensures long-range coordination of movements and developmental robustness.
Geraniol Enhances Inhibitory Inputs to Paraventricular Thalamic Nucleus and Induces Sedation in Mice

Geraniol (GE), a plant-derived acyclic monoterpene, shows a wide variety of beneficial effects. Notably, recent studies have reported the potential sedative effects of GE in fish and rats. However, the mechanisms of GE in sedation remain elusive. Here, we found that GE reduced locomotion, relieved pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures, altered the electroencephalogram (EEG), and facilitated general anesthesia in mice. Meanwhile, GE decreased c-Fos expression and suppressed the calcium activity in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT). Microinjection of GE into the PVT reduced locomotion and facilitated propofol-induced anesthesia. Furthermore, the electrophysiology results showed that GE-induced dramatic membrane hyperpolarization and suppressed the neuronal activity of PVT neurons, mainly by prolonging spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents and inducing tonic inhibitory currents via GABAA receptors. Our study revealed that GE enhances inhibitory inputs to PVT neurons and induces sedation in mice. These findings provide a potential candidate for further development of sedatives and anesthetics. Graphic Summary
Cooperation enhances structural stability in mutualistic systems

Dynamical systems on graphs allow to describe multiple phenomena from different areas of Science. In particular, many complex systems in Ecology are studied by this approach. In this paper we analize the mathematical framework for the study of the structural stability of each stationary point, feasible or not, introducing a generalization for this concept, defined as Global Structural Stability. This approach would fit with the proper mathematical concept of structural stability, in which we find a full description of the complex dynamics on the phase space due to nonlinear dynamics. This fact can be analyzed as an informational field grounded in a global attractor whose structure can be completely characterized. These attractors are stable under perturbation and suppose the minimal structurally stable sets. We also study in detail, mathematically and computationally, the zones characterizing different levels of biodiversity in bipartite graphs describing mutualistic antagonistic systems of population dynamics. In particular, we investigate the dependence of the region of maximal biodiversity of a system on its connectivity matrix. On the other hand, as the network topology does not completely determine the robustness of the dynamics of a complex network, we study the correlation between structural stability and several graph measures. A systematic study on synthetic and biological graphs is presented, including 10 mutualistic networks of plants and seed-dispersal and 1000 random synthetic networks. We compare the role of centrality measures and modularity, concluding the importance of just cooperation strength among nodes when describing areas of maximal biodiversity. Indeed, we show that cooperation parameters are the central role for biodiversity while other measures act as secondary supporting functions. Author summary We introduce the concept of Global Structural Stability as a proper mathematical concept to fully understand biodiversity in some ecological systems. Our concept retakes the definitions in the classical works of R. Thom [1] and Andronov-Pontryagin [2]. Moreover, there exists a close relation between the structure of a complex network, described as a graph, and its associated dynamics. Mutualistic networks introduce cooperation links between two groups of species, as plant and pollinators or seed-dispersal. The understanding of organizational aspects leading to maximizing biodiversity is one of the more important research areas in Theoretical and Applied Ecology. In this work we introduce a systematic study on different graph measures in order to identify optimal organization for maximal biodiversity (defined as structural stability). Our results conclude that, for mutualistic systems, the strength in cooperation parameters are the core fact, i.e., cooperation is the real fact optimizing biodiversity among other possible structural configurations.