Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A simple description of biological transmembrane potential from simple biophysical considerations: no equivalent circuits

Biological membranes mediate different physiological processes necessary for life. Ion movement around, into and out of cells, is arguably one of the most important of such processes, as it underlies electrical signalling and communication within and between cells. The difference between the electrical potentials inside and outside a biological membrane, called transmembrane potential, or membrane potential for short, is one of the main biophysical variables affecting ionic movement. Most of the equations that describe the change in membrane potential are based on analogies with resistive-capacitative electrical circuits, with conductance and capacitance proposed in classical studies as measures of the permeable and the impermeable properties of the membrane, respectively. However, the parts in ohmic circuits are not like the biological elements present in the spaces around and within biological membranes. This article presents a simple derivation for an equation describing local changes in transmembrane potential that is not based on electrical circuit analogies. In doing so, concepts like the so-called “membrane capacitance” are explained and generalized. Importantly, the classical model for the membrane potential based on an equivalent RC-circuit is recovered as particular case from the general derivation presented here. Modeling examples are presented to illustrate the use of the derivation and the effects of changing the way charges aggregate around the membrane as a function of the membrane potential.
The electrophysiological index of the central executive determines verbal working memory capacity

Working memory (WM) consists of two main components: sensory storage and central executive. We studied cortical oscillatory correlates of these two components in a large sample of 156 participants to assess separately the contribution of them to individual differences in WM. The participants were presented with WM tasks of above-average to high complexity. Some of the tasks required only storage in WM, others required storage and mental manipulations. Our data indicate a close relationship between frontal midline theta, central beta activity and the central executive component of WM. The oscillatory counterparts of the central executive determined individual differences in verbal WM performance. In contrast, alpha activity was not related to the individual differences. The results demonstrate that central executive component of WM, rather than sensory storage capacity, play the decisive role in individual WM capacity limits.
Plasticity, repeatability and phenotypic correlations of aerobic metabolic traits in a small estuarine fish

ABSTRACT Standard metabolic rate (SMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR), absolute aerobic scope (AAS) and critical oxygen tension (Pcrit) were determined for the Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, an ecologically dominant estuarine fish, acclimated to lowered salinity, elevated temperature and lowered oxygen concentration. Acclimation to low salinity resulted in a small, but significant, elevation of Pcrit (suggesting lower tolerance of hypoxia); acclimation to elevated temperature increased SMR, MMR, AAS and Pcrit; acclimation to low oxygen led to a small increase in SMR, but substantial decreases in MMR, AAS and Pcrit. Variation in these metabolic traits among individuals was consistent and repeatable when measured during multiple control exposures over 7 months. Trait repeatability was unaffected by acclimation condition, suggesting that repeatability of these traits is not context dependent. There were significant phenotypic correlations between specific metabolic traits: SMR was positively correlated with MMR and Pcrit; MMR was positively correlated with AAS; and AAS was negatively correlated with Pcrit. In general, within-individual variation contributed more than among-individual variation to these phenotypic correlations. The effects of acclimation on these traits demonstrate that aerobic metabolism is plastic and influenced by the conditions experienced by these fish in the dynamic habitats in which they occur; however, the repeatability of these traits and the correlations among them suggest that these traits change in ways that maintain the rank order of performance among individuals across a range of environmental variation. Summary: Aerobic metabolism of an ecologically dominant estuarine fish is influenced by acclimation to environmental changes without altering trait repeatability. Furthermore, specific metabolic traits are phenotypically correlated.
Sex-dependent effects of chronic intermittent voluntary alcohol consumption on attentional, not motivational, measures during probabilistic learning and reversal

Background Forced alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) exposure has been shown to cause significant impairments on reversal learning, a widely-used assay of cognitive flexibility, specifically on fully-predictive, deterministic versions of this task. However, previous studies have not adequately considered voluntary EtOH consumption and sex effects on probabilistic reversal learning. The present study aimed to fill this gap in the literature. Methods Male and female Long-Evans rats underwent either 10 weeks of voluntary intermittent 20% EtOH access or water only (H2O) access. Rats were then pretrained to initiate trials and learn stimulus-reward associations via touchscreen response, and subsequently required to select between two visual stimuli, rewarded with probability 0.70 or 0.30. In the final phase, reinforcement contingencies were reversed. Results We found significant sex differences on several EtOH-drinking variables, with females reaching a higher maximum EtOH consumption, exhibiting more high-drinking days, and escalating their EtOH at a quicker rate compared to males. During early abstinence, EtOH drinkers made more initiation omissions and were slower to initiate trials than H2O drinking controls, particularly during pretraining. EtOH drinking females were most affected. A similar pattern in trial initiations was also observed in discrimination, but not in reversal learning. EtOH drinking rats were unaffected in their reward collection and stimulus response times, indicating intact motivation and motor responding. Although there were sex differences in discrimination and reversal phases, performance improved over time. We also observed sex-independent drinking group differences in win-stay and lose-shift strategies specific to the reversal phase. Conclusions Females exhibit increased vulnerability to EtOH effects in early learning: there were sex-dependent EtOH effects on attentional measures during pretraining and discrimination phases. We also found sexindependent EtOH effects on exploration strategies during reversal. Future studies should aim to uncover the neural mechanisms for changes in attention and exploration in both acute and prolonged EtOH withdrawal.
Fast and accurate approximation of the joint site frequency spectrum of multiple populations

The site frequency spectrum (SFS) is a statistic that summarizes the distribution of derived allele frequencies in a sample of DNA sequences. The SFS provides useful information about genetic variation within and among populations and it can used to make population genetic inferences. Methods for computing the SFS based on the diffusion approximation are computationally efficient when computing all terms of the SFS simultaneously and they can handle complicated demographic scenarios. However, in practice it is sometimes only necessary to compute a subset of terms of the SFS, in which case coalescent-based methods can achieve greater computational efficiency. Here, we present simple and accurate approximate formulas for the expected joint SFS for multiple populations connected by migration. Compared with existing exact approaches, our approximate formulas greatly reduce the complexity of computing each entry of the SFS and have simple forms. The computational complexity of our method depends on the index of the entry to be computed, rather than on the sample size, and the accuracy of our approximation improves as the sample size increases.
Developmental stability in brown trout: are there any effects of heterozygosity or environmental stress?

We studied the developmental stability of brown trout, Salmo trutta L. , in 10 populations (five acidified, five control) in Norway, measured as fluctuating asymmetry (FA) and departure from the morphological norm. We measured four meristic and four morphometric characters, and scored the level of biochemical heterozygosity at 49 loci (20 polymorphic). We reared eggs of a single population in a hatchery using four different water qualities (three replicates of each treatment) to test the effect of acidification stress on developmental instability. There were no significant differences in the level of FA, in departure from the morphological norm between brown trout sampled from lakes with acidified or control water qualities, or in brown trout hatched at different water qualities. There was no correlation between level of heterozygosity and FA or departure from the morphological norm, either when tested within populations or among populations. There were no single-locus effects on developmental stability tested for 11 loci. We conclude that measures of developmental stability or morphological variability are not useful for detecting acidification stress in brown trout. Furthermore, we conclude that developmental stability in our material varies independently of heterozygosity.
Age, growth and cohort composition of 0+ carp in the River Murray, Australia

The age, growth and cohort composition of young-of-the-year (0+) carp, Cyprinus carpio from the River Murray in South Australia were investigated. Daily otolith microincrement formation was validated for the first 5 weeks of life in tetracycline-marked, laboratory-reared fish. Estimation of hatching dates from otolith microincrement counts corroborated the validation method and revealed two major peaks of spawning activity in October and in November. Two main cohorts of carp were distinguished, each consisting of several subcohorts showing variable growth rates. A simple linear regression and a logistic curve best described growth in length and weight, respectively, of wild larvae and juveniles. Two breakpoints, at 16·8 and 26·9 mm Ls, were identified in the length—weight relationship, depending on the procedure followed in fitting a piecewise regression model to the log-transformed variables. The insertion of an additional step of development in the larva period of the early ontogeny of carp is proposed.
PSGL-1 blocks SARS-CoV-2 S protein-mediated virus attachment and infection of target cells.

P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) is a cell surface glycoprotein that binds to P-, E-, and L-selectins to mediate the tethering and rolling of immune cells on the surface of the endothelium for cell migration into inflamed tissues. PSGL-1 has been identified as an interferon-γ (INF-γ)-regulated factor that restricts HIV-1 infectivity, and has recently been found to possess broad-spectrum antiviral activities. Here we report that virion incorporation of PSGL-1 on SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirions blocks S protein-mediated virus attachment and infection of target cells. These findings suggest that PSGL-1-imprinted non-infectious viral particles could serve as a live attenuated vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Studies on the Epidermal Structures of Birds

Studies on the development of feathers have as yet provided only inadequate answers to many fundamental problems. The evolution of feathers themselves and their relation to reptilian scales are still matters of hypothesis, and will remain so until more crucial information is forthcoming. Again, the phylogenetic sequence of events relating embryonic to definitive feathers is inconclusive, and it cannot be said with certainty whether the embryonic down feather is a secondary modification of the ordinary contour feather, or whether the latter has been evolved from a primitive down-like primary feather. Investigations upon the development of epidermal structures in general, and of feathers in particular, were favoured by workers in Germany during the last century, culminating in the classical work of Davies (1889) on the development of feathers in the pigeon. His views still form the accepted basis for work on plumage, but recent knowledge has necessitated a re-examination of them. (Lillie and Juhn, 1932.)
Isolating multiple formats of human monoclonal neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 by in vitro site-directed antibody screening

Neutralizing antibody is one of the most effective interventions for acute pathogenic infection. Currently, over three million people have been identified for SARS-CoV-2 infection but SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccines and neutralizing antibodies are still lacking. SARS-CoV-2 infects host cells by interacting with angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) via the S1 receptor-binding domain (RBD) of its surface spike glycoprotein. Therefore, blocking the interaction of SARS-CoV-2-RBD and ACE2 by antibody would cause a directly neutralizing effect against virus. In the current study, we selected the ACE2 interface of SARS-CoV-2-RBD as the targeting epitope for neutralizing antibody screening. We performed site-directed screening by phage display and finally obtained one IgG antibody (4A3) and several domain antibodies. Among them, 4A3 and three domain antibodies (4A12, 4D5, and 4A10) were identified to act as neutralizing antibodies due to their capabilities to block the interaction between SARS-CoV-2-RBD and ACE2-positive cells. The domain antibody 4A12 was predicted to have the best accessibility to all three ACE2-interfaces on the spike homotrimer. Pseudovirus and authentic SARS-CoV-2 neutralization assays showed that all four antibodies could potently protect host cells from virus infection. Overall, we isolated multiple formats of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies via site-directed antibody screening, which could be promising candidate drugs for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
A study of the red alga, Calonitophyllum medium (Hoyt) comb. Nov. [= Hymenena media (Hoyt) Taylor]

Ontogeny of the vegetative system and reproductive structures found in Hymenena media (Hoyt) Taylor (Delesseriaceae, Nitophylleae) indicates that the alga is similar to the Phycodrys group in its vegetative development, and to the Nitophyllum group in its female reproductive system. The vegetative system bears striking resemblance to the type species of a European genus, Radicilingua [R. thysanorhizans (Holm.) Papenf. ]. Reproductive structures of two other species of this genus, R. adriatica (Kylin) Papenf. and R. reptans (Zanard.) Papenf. and the type species are inadequately known. On the basis of several vegetative characters and the location and superficial organisation of the tetrasporangial sori, a new genus, Calonitophyllum, is proposed to contain our Western Atlantic plants. The new combination, Calonitophyllum medium (Hoyt) Aregood, thus replaces Hymenena media (Hoyt) Taylor.
Emergence depth of seeds of several weeds.

7種の雑草について, 土壌水分, 覆土量と発芽, 出芽との関係を調べ, 次のようなことが分かった。 1) 野生ヒエの3種は土壌水分が多いほど発芽が抑制され, 出芽深度が浅くなり, 湛水下の最大出芽深度はタイヌビエ約2cm, イヌビエ有芒種約1cmで, ヒメイヌビエは出芽が少なかった。 最適土壌水分下の最大出芽深度は, 3種ともおおよそ8cmであった。 2) コナギは湛水下のごく表層でのみ出芽し, 飽水ではほとんど出芽しなかった。 3) イヌホタルイは湛水下の最大出芽深度が約3cmで, 飽水では出芽は少なかった。 4) イボクサとオオイヌタデの適湿条件での最大出芽深度は約6cmであった。
Review of ‘The Plant List, a working list of all plant species’

The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/) is an on-line database of plant names that aims to be comprehensive for all described plant species. Version 1 of The Plant List includes 1 040 426 plant name records, of which 298 900 are accepted names. The Plant List is the product of a consortium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and the Missouri Botanical Garden. In this review, I evaluate the use of this plant taxonomic database for plant ecologists. The web interface of The Plant List allows a quick search for species names and corresponding synonyms. Moreover, users are able to download search or browse results to compile a customized checklist of plant names. The combination of a straightforward web design and the possibility to download search results provides a valuable resource of plant nomenclature information for a wide range of plant ecologists.
Stress and Coping Styles in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) require well-balanced care and a comprehensive therapeutic approach. Mental health problems often go unnoticed in mothers of children with ASD due to the focus on training for the children. The presence of stress and depressive symptoms in mothers can interfere with the quality of care and therapy given to the child. The present study aimed to assess the quality of life, coping styles, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress in mothers of children with ASD. Methods: This study recruited thirty mothers of children with ASD, to whom Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS 21), WHO Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF), and COPE Inventory were administered. Results: Results indicated the presence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and impaired quality of life among the mothers. Despite this, they exhibited positive coping styles. Conclusion: As part of a comprehensive intervention for children with ASD, there is also a need to address the psychological distress and coping styles of mothers.
Frequency and Duration of Course of ECT Sessions: An Appraisal of Recent Evidence

Aims and Method: This paper aims to review the recent literature regarding factors influencing the frequency and number of sessions during a course of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for different psychiatric disorders. We systematically reviewed English-language papers of clinical trials of ECT published since the year 2000 in terms of frequency and number of sessions of ECT. Results: None of the 30 studies meeting our inclusion criteria were specifically designed to study frequency or number of sessions of ECT. A preliminary inference may be drawn regarding the number of sessions from the information available in these papers. For depression, patients receiving brief-pulse ECT needed fewer sessions than those receiving ultra-brief ECT when these were delivered at 8-times the threshold with unilateral electrode placement or at 2.5-times the threshold with bilateral placement. For schizophrenia, those receiving bifrontal ECT and ECT at 4-times the threshold-level stimulus needed fewer sessions than those receiving bitemporal ECT and 2-times the threshold-level stimulus, respectively. There were no clinical trials of the frequency of ECT sessions.Clinical Implications: A s there is a dearth of studies specifically examining frequency and number of ECT sessions, broad recommendations from professional bodies should continue to guide practice.
THE PREDICTION OF BEEF CARCASS LEAN CONTENT BY AN ELECTRONIC PROBE, A VISUAL SCORING SYSTEM AND CARCASS MEASUREMENTS

Five hundred and thirty-one beef carcasses were used to establish if Hennessy Grading Probe (HGP) measurements provided a more accurate assessment of carcass lean content than a visual scoring system or linear carcass measurements. Carcasses were probed at the 5th/6th, 11th/12th, 12th/13th ribs, 2nd/3rd lumbar and sacral crest position (P8). Carcasses were then visually appraised for overall fat cover and muscle thickness. Following 24 h of cooling, the measurements by HGP and visual scores were repeated. Fat thickness and loin eye area were recorded at the 12th rib. Precision for the prediction of carcass lean by HGP was similar in warm or cold carcasses and the lowest error of prediction for the probe was associated with measurements made at the 12th/13th rib (RSD 31.8 g kg−1). A combined visual score for overall fat cover and muscle thickness was more precise (RSD 28.6 g kg−1) than probe measurements for predicting lean yield in warm and cold carcasses. Canada grade had the lowest precision (RSD 34.7 g.
Screening risk of dyslexia through a web-game using language-independent content and machine learning

Children with dyslexia are often diagnosed after they fail school even if dyslexia is not related to general intelligence. In this work, we present an approach for universal screening of dyslexia using machine learning models with data gathered from a web-based language-independent game. We designed the game content taking into consideration the analysis of mistakes of people with dyslexia in different languages and other parameters related to dyslexia like auditory perception as well as visual perception. We did a user study with 313 children (116 with dyslexia) and train predictive machine learning models with the collected data. Our method yields an accuracy of 0.74 for German and 0.69 for Spanish as well as a F1-score of 0.75 for German and 0.75 for Spanish, using Random Forests and Extra Trees, respectively. To the best of our knowledge this is the first time that risk of dyslexia is screened using a language-independent content web-based game and machine-learning. Universal screening with language-independent content can be used for the screening of pre-readers who do not have any language skills, facilitating a potential early intervention.
Age‐related dysfunction of the cellular powerplants

Mitochondrial dysfunction has long been postulated to play a major role in aging and in the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative diseases. Apart from conditions definitely caused by inherited mutations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), definitive evidence has been lacking to prove a relationship between progressive mitochondrial dysfunction and mtDNA mutations in these diseases. Two recent studies by Bender et al. and Kraytsberg et al. demonstrate compelling HotSpots
Identification of some major cytokinins in Phaseolus vulgaris and their distribution

The determination of the various endogenous cytokinins and their distribution among organs is important in understanding their role in growth and development in the intact plant. Cytokinins in young plants of Phaseolus vulgaris were purified by immunoaffinity chromatography and HPLC, and characterised by UV spectra. Zeatin nucleotide (zeatin riboside-5'-monophosphate) and isopentenyladenine nucleotide (isopentenyladenosine-5'-monophosphate) were the most abundant cytokinins in all organs. Their identities were confirmed by GC-MS. The levels of zeatin, zeatin riboside, isopentenyladenine and isopentenyladenosine never exceeded 5% of the nucleotides, as assessed by a methodology that preserves cytokinin nucleotides. Three extraction methods were compared with qualitatively similar results, though differing in their suppression of nucleotidase activity. Cytokinin nucleotide levels were greater in the stems and petioles than in the roots and leaves on a per gram fresh weight basis, and were greater in the stems than in the other organs on a per plant basis. Levels of the zeatin and isopentenyladenine nucleotides were about equal in the stems and leaves, but in the petioles the zeatin nucleotide levels were about twice the level of isopentenyladenine nucleotide, while in the roots they were about half the isopentenyladenine nucleotide level. The importance of considering the cytokinin form is emphasised.
Studies of cereal nematode populations and cereal yields under continuous or intensive culture

SUMMARY In a field experiment on infested sandland from 1955 to 1967, numbers of Heterodera avenae increased only in 1957 and then decreased under both continuous and rotational spring oats (1955-62) and subsequently under spring barley (1963-67). Fluctuations in numbers of Pratylenchus neglectus and Trichodorus primitivus were recorded from 1963 to 1967. Cereal grain yields were generally unsatisfactory, but were consistently higher for cereals grown in rotation rather than continuously. Extra nitrogen fertilizer gave slightly improved yields with higher post-cropping numbers of H. avenae.