Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phylogenomic analysis of the APETALA2 transcription factor subfamily across angiosperms reveals both deep conservation and lineage‐specific patterns

Summary The APETALA2 (AP2) subfamily of transcription factors are key regulators of angiosperm root, shoot, flower and embryo development. The broad diversity of anatomical and morphological structures is potentially associated with the genomic dynamics of the AP2 subfamily. However, a comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of the AP2 subfamily across angiosperms is lacking. We combined phylogenetic and synteny analysis of distinct AP2 subclades in the completed genomes of 107 angiosperm species. We identified major changes in copy number variation and genomic context within subclades across lineages, and discuss how these changes may have contributed to the evolution of lineage‐specific traits. Multiple AP2 subclades show highly conserved patterns of copy number and synteny across angiosperms, while others are more dynamic and show distinct lineage‐specific patterns. As examples of lineage‐specific morphological divergence due to AP2 subclade dynamics, we hypothesize that loss of PLETHORA1/2 in monocots correlates with the absence of taproots, whereas independent lineage‐specific changes of PLETHORA4/BABY BOOM and WRINKLED1 genes in Brassicaceae and monocots point towards regulatory divergence of embryogenesis between these lineages. Additionally, copy number expansion of TOE1 and TOE3/AP2 in asterids is implicated with differential regulation of flower development. Moreover, we show that the genomic context of AP2s is in general highly specialized per angiosperm lineage. To our knowledge, this study is the first to shed light on the evolutionary divergence of the AP2 subfamily subclades across major angiosperm lineages and emphasizes the need for lineage‐specific characterization of developmental networks to understand trait variability further.
The distribution of breeding dippers (Cinclus cinclus (L.); Aves) in relation to stream acidity in upland Wales

SUMMARY. 1. The distribution of breeding dippers was assessed in 1984 over seventy-four sites on soft-water streams throughout mid and north Wales. 2. Sites without breeding dippers had significantly higher mean concentrations of filterable aluminium, lower mean pH, fewer trichopteran larvae and ephemeropteran nymphs, and were on rivers with more conifer afforestation on their catchments, than sites where dippers were present. 3. We speculate that influences which increase the acidity of soft-water streams could be detrimental to their populations of dippers, although further data are required on causative mechanisms.
Assessing the virulence of ophiostomatoid fungi associated with the pine-infesting weevils to scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings

The pine-infesting weevils are known to be effective vectors of ophiostomatoid fungi. To understand more about fungal virulence of these fungi, inoculation studies were conducted on Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.). Two-year-old seedlings were wound-inoculated with one of eleven ophiostomatoid fungi associated with pine-infesting weevils. After 11 weeks, a darkened lesion, extending from the point of inoculation, was observed in all species, except for Ophiostoma cf. abietinum Marm. & Butin, Ophiostoma quercus (Georgev.) Nannf. , and Sporothrix inflata de Hoog. Seedling mortality was observed in seedlings inoculated with Leptographium truncatum (M.J. Wingf. & Marasas) M.J. Wingf. , Leptographium lundbergii Lagerb. & Melin , Leptographium procerum (W.B. Kendr.) M.J. Wingf. , Grosmannia radiaticola (J.J. Kim, Seifert & G.H. Kim) Zipfel, Z.W. de Beer & M.J. Wingf. , Ophiostoma floccosum Math.-Kaarik, Ophiostoma minus (Hedgc.) Syd. & P. Syd. , and Ophiostoma piliferum (Fr.) Syd. & P. Syd. Ophiostoma minus and L. truncatum caused the largest lesions and sapwood blue-stain in Scots pine. Grosmannia radiaticola, Ophiostoma piceae (Munch) Syd. & P. Syd. , O. floccosum , O. piliferum, L. lundbergii ,and L. procerum produced significantly smaller lesions and sapwood blue-stain than O. minus and L. truncatum , while O . cf. abietinum , O. quercus and S. inflata did not cause any lesions.
Current Evidence for Minimally Invasive Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Risk Mitigation Strategies

Objective: Our objective was to review the literature surrounding the risks of viral transmission during laparoscopic surgery and propose mitigation measures to address these risks. Summary Background Data: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused surgeons the world over to re-evaluate their approach to surgical procedures given concerns over the risk of aerosolization of viral particles and exposure of operating room staff to infection. International society guidelines advise against the use of laparoscopy; however, the evidence on this topic is scant and recommendations are based on the perceived most cautious course of action. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of the existing literature surrounding the risks of viral transmission during laparoscopic surgery and balance these risks against the benefits of minimally invasive approaches. We also propose mitigation measures to address these risks that we have adopted in our institution. Results and Conclusion: While it is currently assumed that open surgery minimizes operating room staff exposure to the virus, our findings reveal that this may not be the case. A well-informed, evidence-based opinion is critical when making decisions regarding which operative approach to pursue, for the safety and well-being of the patient, the operating room staff, and the healthcare system at large. Minimally invasive surgical approaches offer significant advantages with respect to both patient care, and the mitigation of the risk of viral transmission during surgery, provided the appropriate equipment and expertise are present.
Sex‐dimorphic effects of biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelles complex‐1 deficiency on mouse perinatal brain development

The function(s) of the Biogenesis of Lysosome‐related Organelles Complex‐1 (BLOC‐1) during brain development is to date largely unknown. Here, we investigated how its absence alters the trajectory of postnatal brain development using as model the pallid mouse. Most of the defects observed early postnatally in the mutant mice were more prominent in males than in females and in the hippocampus. Male mutant mice, but not females, had smaller brains as compared to sex‐matching wild types at postnatal day 1 (P1), this deficit was largely recovered by P14 and P45. An abnormal cytoarchitecture of the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus was observed in P1 pallid male, but not female, or juvenile mice (P45), along with severely decreased expression levels of the radial glial marker Glutamate‐Aspartate Transporter. Transcriptomic analyses showed that the overall response to the lack of functional BLOC‐1 was more pronounced in hippocampi at P1 than at P45 or in the cerebral cortex. These observations suggest that absence of BLOC‐1 renders males more susceptible to perinatal brain maldevelopment and although most abnormalities appear to have been resolved in juvenile animals, still permanent defects may be present, resulting in faulty neuronal circuits, and contribute to previously reported cognitive and behavioral phenotypes in adult BLOC‐1‐deficient mice.
Steep Declines in Pediatric AIDS Mortality in South Africa, Despite Poor Progress Toward Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment Targets

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background: Few attempts have been made to monitor progress toward HIV diagnosis and antiretroviral treatment (ART) coverage targets in children, and the impact that ART and prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs have had on pediatric HIV incidence and mortality. Methods: A multiparameter evidence synthesis approach was adopted to integrate South African pediatric HIV data sources. A previously developed model of HIV in South Africa was calibrated to household survey HIV prevalence data, routine antibody testing data, data on numbers and ages of children on ART, vital registration data and data on HIV diagnosis at death. The impact of ART and PMTCT was estimated by comparing validated model outputs against model predictions of the trends that would have been expected in the absence of ART and PMTCT. Results: By mid-2018, the model estimated that 75.2% (95% CI: 73.9%–76.8%) of HIV-positive children were diagnosed, substantially lower than the corresponding estimates in HIV-positive adults (91.0%). ART coverage in children in 2018 (51.2%, 95% CI: 49.4%–52.7%) was also lower than that in adults (62.0%). In 2017–2018, the numbers of new cases of mother-to-child transmission and pediatric AIDS deaths were reduced by 84% and 94%, respectively, relative to what would have been expected in the absence of interventions, but reductions in mortality were driven largely by PMTCT. Conclusions: Although levels of AIDS mortality in children have declined dramatically in South Africa, this has mostly been due to successful PMTCT programs, and progress toward the 90-90-90 targets appears relatively poor when compared with that in adults.
OsPP2C09, a negative regulatory factor in abscisic acid signaling, plays an essential role in balancing plant growth and drought tolerance in rice.

Plants maintain a dynamic balance between plant growth and stress tolerance to optimize their fitness and ensure survival. Here, we investigated the roles of a clade A type 2C protein phosphatase (PP2C)-encoding gene, OsPP2C09, in regulating the trade-off between plant growth and drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa). The OsPP2C09 protein interacted with the core components of abscisic acid (ABA) signaling and showed PP2C phosphatase activity in vitro. OsPP2C09 positively affected plant growth but acted as a negative regulator of drought tolerance through ABA signaling. The transcript and protein levels of OsPP2C09 were rapidly induced by exogenous ABA treatments, which suppressed excessive ABA signaling and plant growth arrest. OsPP2C09 transcript levels in roots were much higher than those in shoots under normal conditions. After ABA, polyethylene glycol, and dehydration treatments, the accumulation rate of OsPP2C09 transcripts in roots was more rapid and greater than that in shoots. This differential expression between the roots and shoots may increase the plant's root-to-shoot ratio under drought-stress conditions. This study shed new light on the roles of OsPP2C09 in coordinating plant growth and drought tolerance. In particular, we proposed that OsPP2C09-mediated ABA desensitization contributes to root elongation under drought-stress conditions in rice.
A Combination of Self-debriefing and Instructor-led Debriefing Improves Team Effectiveness in Health Science Students

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Background Debriefing is considered a critical component of simulation-based learning, but the differences between different debriefing methods remain unclear. Purpose The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the debriefing assessment, problem-solving process, and team effectiveness among students who received instructor-led debriefing, self-debriefing, and combined debriefing. Methods An experimental design was conducted with 250 students (nursing, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy). Differences in the Debriefing Experience Scale (DES), Problem Solving Inventory (PSI), and Communication and Teamwork Skills (CATS) assessment between the groups were measured. Results In nursing students, the combined debriefing group had the highest scores for the CATS assessment (P < .001) and for the coordination (P < .001), cooperation (P = .012), and communication (P = .002) categories. No significant differences were observed between debriefing groups for DES or PSI. Conclusions Combined debriefing improves communication and team skills in students. Educators might promote combined debriefing after simulation sessions as it seems to improve team effectiveness.
Long-term studies of vertebrate communities

Introduction to Long-Term Community Ecological Studies. On the Structure and Dynamics of Temperature Reef Fish Assemblages: Are Resources Tracked? Long-Term Studies of Northern Temperature Freshwater Fish Communities. Structure and Dynamics of Reef Fish Communities: A Biogeographical Comparison. Dynamic Diversity in Fish Assemblages of Tropical Rivers. Structure and Dynamics of a Turtle Community Over Two Decades. Predation and Competition in Salamander Communities. Long-Term Changes in Lizard Assemblages in the Great Victoria Desert: Dynamic Habitat Mosaics in Response to Wildfires. Structure and Dynamics of an Amphibian Community: Evidence from a 16-Year Study of a Natural Pond. Role of the Sibling Species in the Dynamics of the Forest-Birds Communities in M'Passa (Northeastern Gabon). Bird Communities in the Central Rocky Mountains. Finch Communities in a Climatically Fluctuating Environment. Waterfowl Communities in the Northern Plains. Small Mammal Community Patterns in Old Fields: Distinguishing Site-Specific from Regional Processes. Long-Term Studies of Small-Mammal Communities from Disturbed Habitats in Eastern Australia. Organization, Diversity, And Long-Term Dynamics of a Neotropical Bat Community. Desert Rodents: Long-Term Responses to Natural Changes and Experimental Manipulations.
Income dividends and subjective survival in a Cherokee Indian cohort: a quasi-experiment

ABSTRACT Persons with high temporal discounting tend to value immediate gratification over future gains. Low self-reported lifespan (SRL)―an individual’s assessment of a relatively short future lifespan―concentrates in low-income populations and may reflect high temporal discounting. We use casino-based cash dividends among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) as a quasi-experiment to test whether large income gains among EBCI members translate into increased SRL. We used SRL data for EBCI and White youth, aged 19 to 28, participating in two waves of the Life Time Trajectory of Youth (LTI-Y) survey from 2000 to 2010. We controlled for unobserved confounding across individuals, time, and region through a longitudinal design using a difference-in-difference analytic approach (N = 294). We conducted all analyses separately by gender and by quartile of socioeconomic status. Cash dividends correspond with a 15.23 year increase in SRL among EBCI men below the lowest socio-economic quartile at baseline relative to Whites (standard error = 5.39, p < .01). Results using other socio-economic cut-points support improved SRL among EBCI men (but not women). The large magnitude of this result among EBCI men indicates that a non-trivial cash dividend to a low-income population may confer long-term benefits on perceptions of future lifespan and, in turn, reduce temporal discounting. Abbreviations: EBCI: Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; SES: Socioeconomic Status; LTI-Y: Life Trajectory Interview for Youth; GSMS: Great Smoky Mountains Study; SRL: Self-Reported Lifespan; SSS: Subjective Social Status
Patterns of Procambial Development in Rachilla and Floret of Muhlenbergia torreyana (Gramineae, Chloridoideae)

Procambial development has been followed in serial transections of spikelet primordia of Muhlenbergia torreyana. An isolated procambial strand differentiates in the node subjacent to the site of the median region of the lemma primordium. Distal to the lemma median procambial strand, two pairs of procambial lemma laterals differentiate to join it. Acropetal differentiation of the lemma lateral procambia is distracted from the lemma toward other floret organs by the latters' procambial strands. The actual connection of the lemma marginal lateral traces with the margins of the lemma is achieved by capturing bundles originating near the lemma margins. The procambial lemma intermediate lateral traces never reach the lemma. Therefore, a developmental explanation is furnished for the three-nerved lemma characteristic of many chloridoid and arundinoid genera. Comparisons of procambial development among genera of the subfamilies of grasses may help reveal phylogenetic relationships.
Soy isoflavones improve the oxidative stress induced hypothalamic inflammation and apoptosis in high fat diet-induced obese male mice through PGC1-alpha pathway

Obesity is a common metabolic disorder that increases the risk of many diseases, such as type II diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease. Hypothalamus plays a very important role in the progression of obesity, and many studies reveal that hypothalamic injures are implicated in obesity processes. Here, we describe that the consumption of soy isoflavones, with a structural similarity to that of estradiol, could mitigate obesity through improving the hypothalamic inflammation and apoptosis, which are induced by oxidative stress. Also, our in vitro studies demonstrate that daidzein and genistein, common ingredients of soy isoflavones, could protect hypothalamic N42 cells against palmitic acid induced oxidative stress and apoptosis. Moreover, the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1-alpha), which plays a role in oxidative defense, is increased after soy isoflavone treatment in vivo and in vitro, suggesting an improved effect of soy isoflavones on hypothalamic antioxidant defense is mediated by PGC-1α. Our study reveals a potential mechanism of soy isoflavones regulating oxidative stress induced hypothalamic inflammation and cellular apoptosis, which will be important for obesity treatment.
Clinical advances in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a position statement by the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders

In this position statement, developed by The International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders, a group of international experts responds to recent developments in the evidence-based management of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The article presents those selected therapeutic advances judged to be of utmost relevance to the treatment of OCD, based on new and emerging evidence from clinical and translational science. Areas covered include refinement in the methods of clinical assessment, the importance of early intervention based on new staging models and the need to provide sustained well-being involving effective relapse prevention. The relative benefits of psychological, pharmacological and somatic treatments are reviewed and novel treatment strategies for difficult to treat OCD, including neurostimulation, as well as new areas for research such as problematic internet use, novel digital interventions, immunological therapies, pharmacogenetics and novel forms of psychotherapy are discussed.
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as game‐changing tools in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease: Mirage or reality?

Based on investigations, there exist tight correlations between neurodegenerative diseases' incidence and progression and aberrant protein aggregreferates in nervous tissue. However, the pathology of these diseases is not well known, leading to an inability to find an appropriate therapeutic approach to delay occurrence or slow many neurodegenerative diseases' development. The accessibility of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in mimicking the phenotypes of various late‐onset neurodegenerative diseases presents a novel strategy for in vitro disease modeling. The iPSCs provide a valuable and well‐identified resource to clarify neurodegenerative disease mechanisms, as well as prepare a promising human stem cell platform for drug screening. Undoubtedly, neurodegenerative disease modeling using iPSCs has established innovative opportunities for both mechanistic types of research and recognition of novel disease treatments. Most important, the iPSCs have been considered as a novel autologous cell origin for cell‐based therapy of neurodegenerative diseases following differentiation to varied types of neural lineage cells (e.g. GABAergic neurons, dopamine neurons, cortical neurons, and motor neurons). In this review, we summarize iPSC‐based disease modeling in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. Moreover, we discuss the efficacy of cell‐replacement therapies for neurodegenerative disease.
Elephant populations and CITES trade resolutions

SUMMARY The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) relies on the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS) and Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants Programme (MIKE) monitoring systems and trends in elephant numbers and the illegal killing of elephants to put resolutions forward to the Conference of Parties. Imprecision in elephant estimates and trends, as well as the spatial reality of elephant dynamics constrain CITES resolutions. Clusters of populations should instead serve as management units and demographic profiling predicting future population trends may complement existing approaches to inform CITES decisions.
Chinese parents’ comparisons of siblings and adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems

Abstract Parents’ comparisons of siblings have been understudied among sibling research, especially in Chinese societies where the government recently relaxed its one-child policy. This study, using a two-wave longitudinal design, explored how parents’ comparisons of siblings were associated with adolescents’ internalizing and externalizing problems. Study participants were 260 Chinese adolescents who had siblings and completed questionnaires that assessed their internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as their perceptions of parents’ critical comparisons of siblings. Cross-lagged modeling analysis showed that parents’ comparisons of siblings predicted more internalizing and externalizing problems in adolescents 6 months later. Moreover, adolescents’ externalizing problems but not internalizing problems predicted more parents’ comparisons of siblings over time. These findings underscore the importance of reciprocal relations between parents’ comparisons of siblings and adolescents’ externalizing problems and the implication of cultural context in understanding associations between parental practices and adolescents’ adjustment.
SDF‐1α‐mediated modulation of synaptic transmission in rat cerebellum

The functional expression of the seven‐transmembrane domain G protein‐coupled chemokine receptor CXCR‐4/fusin in rat nerve cell was demonstrated by staining with a polyclonal anti‐CXCR‐4 Ab, and by evaluating the calcium responses to the physiological agonist stromal‐derived cell factor‐1α (SDF‐1α) in both cerebellar granule cells in culture and Purkinje neurons (PNs) in cerebellar slices. Cerebellar glial, granule and Purkinje cells showed a pronounced staining for CXCR‐4. Furthermore, cultured granule cells exhibited Ca2+ transients elicited by the application of SDF‐1α, both in cell bodies and in neuronal processes. Whole‐cell patch‐clamped PNs in cerebellar slices responded to SDF‐1α application by a slow inward current followed by an increase of both intracellular Ca2+ level and spontaneous synaptic activity. In particular, the SDF‐1α‐induced slow inward current was considerably reduced by ionotropic glutamate receptor blockers, but developed fully in a medium in which synaptic transmission was inhibited, indicating that this current might be, at least in part, mediated by extrasynaptic glutamate, possibly released from the surrounding glial and/or nerve cells. Taken together, these findings indicate a functional involvement of CXCR‐4 in the modulation of synaptic transmission, adding another member to the repertoire of the chemokine receptors exerting a neuromodulatory role in the cerebellum.