Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gene duplicates cause hybrid lethality between sympatric species of Mimulus

Hybrid incompatibilities play a critical role in the evolution and maintenance of species. We have discovered a simple genetic incompatibility that causes lethality in hybrids between two closely related species of yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus and M. nasutus). This hybrid incompatibility, which causes one sixteenth of F2 hybrid seedlings to lack chlorophyll and die shortly after germination, occurs between sympatric populations that are connected by ongoing interspecific gene flow. Using complimentary genetic mapping and gene expression analyses, we show that lethality occurs in hybrids that lack a functional copy of the critical photosynthetic gene pTAC14. In M. guttatus, this gene was duplicated, but the ancestral copy is no longer expressed. In M. nasutus, the duplication is missing altogether. As a result, hybrids die when they are homozygous for the nonfunctional M. guttatus copy and missing the duplicate from M. nasutus, apparently due to misregulated transcription of key photosynthetic genes. Our study indicates that neutral evolutionary processes may play an important role in the evolution of hybrid incompatibilities and opens the door to direct investigations of their contribution to reproductive isolation among naturally hybridizing species. Author Summary Hybrid incompatibilities play an important role in speciation, because they act to limit gene flow between species. Identifying the genes that underlie these barriers sheds light on the evolutionary forces and genetic mechanisms that give rise to new species. We identified a reproductive barrier that causes lethality in the F2 offspring of sympatric species of yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus and M. nasutus). We show that lethality occurs in hybrids that lack a functional copy of the critical photosynthetic gene pTAC14. This gene was duplicated in M. guttatus, but the ancestral copy subsequently lost function. In M. nasutus, no duplication occurred. As a consequence, F2 hybrids that are homozygous for non-functional M. guttatus copies at one locus and missing M. nasutus duplicates at the other locus completely lack functional pTAC14 and die. Our data indicate that non-functionalization of ancestral pTAC14 in M. guttatus occurred via neutral evolutionary change. These results suggest that neutral evolutionary forces may play an important role in speciation.
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of some 1, 4-Benzothiazine Derivatives

Equimolar quantity of 2-aminothiophenol and ethylchloroacetate was condensed and the solid mass obtained was refluxed. The compound obtained was refluxed with 4-aminoacetophenone to produce 3(4'-acetylphenylamino) 1,4-benzothiazine. The 3(4'-acetylphenylamino)1,4-benzothiazine was reacted with corresponding aldehyde to give 3[4'-(3"-substituted-2"-propenone-1"-yl) phenylamino]1,4-benzothiazine. The above synthesized compounds and guanidine nitrate were refluxed to afford 3[4'(2"-amino-4"- substituted-phenyl)-pyrimidine-4"yl)phenylamino]1,4-benzothiazine. The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were elucidated on the basis of elemental analysis, FTIR and 1H-NMR and have been screened for antimicrobial activity.
Theoretical analysis of ridge gratings for long-range surface plasmon polaritons

Optical properties of ridge gratings for long-range surface plasmon polaritons (LRSPPs) are analyzed theoretically in a two-dimensional configuration via the Lippmann-Schwinger integral equation method. LRSPPs being supported by a thin planar gold film embedded in dielectric are considered to be scattered by an array of equidistant gold ridges on each side of the film designed for in-plane Bragg scattering of LRSPPs at the wavelength $\ensuremath{\sim}1550\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$. Out-of-plane scattering (OUPS), LRSPP transmission, reflection, and absorption are investigated with respect to the wavelength, the height of the ridges, and the length of the grating. Particular attention is paid to the fraction of the LRSPP power lost due to the OUPS. We find an asymmetry in the OUPS spectra in the vicinity of the band gap and relate this asymmetry to that observed in the transmission spectra. It is found that in order to maximize a reflection peak it is preferable to use longer gratings with smaller ridges compared to gratings with larger ridges, because the former result in a smaller OUPS from the grating facets than the latter. The theoretical analysis and its conclusions are supported with experimental results on the LRSPP reflection and transmission by ridge gratings. For comparison, a few calculations are also presented for surface plasmon polariton (SPP) scattering by ridge gratings, a configuration which corresponds to the LRSPP case with a very thick film. We found that, in this case, it is less attractive to use long gratings due to higher propagation loss and stronger confinement of SPPs in comparison with LRSPPs.
Translation to Polish, cross-cultural adaptation, and validation of the Bristol Stool Form Scale among healthcare professionals and patients

Introduction The seven-point Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), which refers to seven pictures of different forms of stool, is a commonly used instrument to assess stool consistency. Aim To translate, cross-culturally adapt, and validate the BSFS for its use in Poland. Material and methods The steps included forward translation, reconciliation, backward translation, comparison of the two English versions and validation of the translation, pilot testing, proofreading, approval of the final version of the target language BSFS, and validation. The latter process involved healthcare professionals (physicians and nurses), healthy adults, and adult patients with gastrointestinal disorders, who were asked to correlate images of seven types of stools with their descriptions. All available subjects were asked to repeat the survey to assess test-retest reliability. The primary outcome measures were validity (accuracy) and reliability (repeatability). Results A total of 320 subjects took part in the validation study (80/group). Overall, concordance between descriptions and pictures was 78.7%, and the overall κ index was good (0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.73 to 0.77). Test-retest assessment was performed in 170 (53.1%) subjects within a mean interval of 5.9 ±2.5 days. Overall, concordance between definitions and pictures for the re-testing phase was 90.7% with a κ index of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.87 to 0.91). Conclusions As a result of the translation and cultural adaptation process, a final Polish version of the BSFS was created. The substantial validity and reliability of this Polish version was demonstrated.
On tracking noise with linear dynamical system models

This paper investigates the use of higher-order autoregressive vector predictors for tracking the noise in noisy speech signals. The autoregressive predictors form the state equation of a linear dynamical system that models the spectral dynamics of the noise process. Experiments show that the use of such models to track noise can lead to large gains in recognition performance on speech compensated for the estimated noise. However, predictors of order greater than 1 are not observed to improve the performance beyond that obtained with a first-order predictor. We analyze and explain why this is so.
Adar3 Is Involved in Learning and Memory in Mice

The amount of regulatory RNA encoded in the genome and the extent of RNA editing by the post-transcriptional deamination of adenosine to inosine (A-I) have increased with developmental complexity and may be an important factor in the cognitive evolution of animals. The newest member of the A-I editing family of ADAR proteins, the vertebrate-specific ADAR3, is highly expressed in the brain, but its functional significance is unknown. In vitro studies have suggested that ADAR3 acts as a negative regulator of A-I RNA editing but the scope and underlying mechanisms are also unknown. Meta-analysis of published data indicates that mouse Adar3 expression is highest in the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala, and olfactory region. Consistent with this, we show that mice lacking exon 3 of Adar3 (which encodes two double stranded RNA binding domains) have increased levels of anxiety and deficits in hippocampus-dependent short- and long-term memory formation. RNA sequencing revealed a dysregulation of genes involved in synaptic function in the hippocampi of Adar3-deficient mice. We also show that ADAR3 transiently translocates from the cytoplasm to the nucleus upon KCl-mediated activation in SH-SY5Y cells. These results indicate that ADAR3 contributes to cognitive processes in mammals.
New species in Aspergillus section Terrei

Section Terrei of Aspergillus was studied using a polyphasic approach including sequence analysis of parts of the β-tubulin and calmodulin genes and the ITS region, macro- and micromorphological analyses and examination of extrolite profiles to describe three new species in this section. Based on phylogenetic analysis of calmodulin and β-tubulin sequences seven lineages were observed among isolates that have previously been treated as A. terreus and its subspecies by Raper & Fennell (1965) and others. Aspergillus alabamensis, A. terreus var. floccosus, A. terreus var. africanus, A. terreus var. aureus, A. hortai and A. terreus NRRL 4017 all represent distinct lineages from the A. terreus clade. Among them, A. terreus var. floccosus, A. terreus NRRL 4017 and A. terreus var. aureus could also be distinguished from A. terreus by using ITS sequence data. New names are proposed for A. terreus var. floccosus, A. terreus var. africanus, A. terreus var. aureus, while Aspergillus hortai is recognised at species level. Aspergillus terreus NRRL 4017 is described as the new species A. pseudoterreus. Also included in section Terrei are some species formerly placed in sections Flavipedes and Versicolores. A. clade including the type isolate of A. niveus (CBS 115.27) constitutes a lineage closely related to A. carneus. Fennellia nivea, the hypothesized teleomorph is not related to this clade. Aspergillus allahabadii, A. niveus var. indicus, and two species originally placed in section Versicolores, A. ambiguus and A. microcysticus, also form well-defined lineages on all trees. Species in Aspergillus section Terrei are producers of a diverse array of secondary metabolites. However, many of the species in the section produce different combinations of the following metabolites: acetylaranotin, asperphenamate, aspochalamins, aspulvinones, asteltoxin, asterric acid, asterriquinones, aszonalenins, atrovenetins, butyrolactones, citreoisocoumarins, citreoviridins, citrinins, decaturins, fulvic acid, geodins, gregatins, mevinolins, serantrypinone, terreic acid (only the precursor 3,6-dihydroxytoluquinone found), terreins, terrequinones, terretonins and territrems. The cholesterol-lowering agent mevinolin was found in A. terreus and A. neoafricanus only. The hepatotoxic extrolite citrinin was found in eight species: A. alabamensis, A. allahabadii, A. carneus, A. floccosus, A. hortai, A. neoindicus, A. niveus and A. pseudoterreus. The neurotoxic extrolite citreoviridin was found in five species: A. neoafricanus, A. aureoterreus, A. pseudoterreus, A. terreus and A. neoniveus. Territrems, tremorgenic extrolites, were found in some strains of A. alabamensis and A. terreus.
The expression change of RORγt, BATF, and IL‐17 in Chinese vitiligo patients with 308 nanometers excimer laser treatment

This study aims to explore the expression of RORγt, BATF, and IL‐17 in Chinese vitiligo patients with 308 nm excimer laser treatment. One hundred and sixty‐four vitiligo patients treated with 308 nm excimer laser were enrolled as Case group and 137 health examiners as Control group. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were conducted to detect the expressions of RORγt, BATF, and IL‐17. Expression of RORγt, BATF, IL‐17A, and IL‐17F were higher in Case group than Control group, with the diagnostic accuracy of 88.04, 87.38, 97.34, and 89.04%, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive correlation in RORγt, BATF, IL‐17A, and IL‐17F mRNAs in vitiligo patients. Moreover, their expressions were higher in active vitiligo patients than stable ones. Besides, the expressions of RORγt, BATF, IL‐17A, and IL‐17F in vitiligo skin were significantly higher than those in non lesional skin and normal controls. After treatment, their expressions were significantly decreased. Active vitiligo and the high expressions of RORγt, BATF, and IL‐17F were the independent risk factors for the ineffectiveness of 308 nm excimer laser treatment. The expressions of RORγt, BATF, IL‐17 were significantly enhanced in vitiligo patients, which were correlated with the activity of vitiligo and 308 nm excimer laser therapeutic effects.
Computational modeling and validation studies of 3-D structure of neuraminidase protein of H1N1 influenza A virus and subsequent in silico elucidation of piceid analogues as its potent inhibitors

Emergence of the drug resistant variants of the Influenza A virus in the recent years has aroused a great need for the development of novel neuraminidase inhibitors for controlling the pandemic. The neuraminidase (NA) protein of the influenza virus has been the most potential target for the anti-influenza. However, in the absence of any experimental structure of the drug targeting NA protein of H1N1 influenza A virus as zanamivir and oseltamivir, the comprehensive study of the interaction of the drug molecules with the target protein has been missing. Hence in this study a computational 3-D structure of neuraminidase of H1N1 influenza A virus has been developed using homology modeling technique, and the same was validated for its reliability by ProSA web server in term of energy profile & Z scores and PROCHECK program followed by Ramachandran plot. Further, the developed 3-D model had been employed for docking studies with the class of compounds as Piceid and its analogs. In this context, two novel compounds (ChemBank ID 2110359 and 3075417) were found to be more potent inhibitors of neuraminidase than control drugs as zanamivir and oseltamivir in terms of their robust binding energies, strong inhibition constant (Ki) and better hydrogen bond interactions between the protein-ligand complex. The interaction of these compounds with NA protein has been significantly studied at the molecular level.
A GA-based feature selection and parameters optimization for support vector regression

The regression analysis is a method in mathematical statistics to solve many practical problem. Support Vector Regression (SVR) is an effective method for resolving regression problem. However, the traditional SVR impose many of the limitations, the SVR parameters need optimizing, but there is not a mature theoretic for choosing the parameters of SVR, which causes much discommodity to the appliance of SVR. This paper proposes and investigates the use of a genetic algorithm approach for simultaneously select an optimal feature subset and optimize SVR parameters.
Notice of RetractionResearch and simulation of hybrid processing model based on scenes perceptual features

The scene perception is a process of getting content and meaning of scene from a group of objects that have specific spatial relationships. Therefore, the research of the processing based on the scene perceived features is essential for image understanding and scene recognition. Cognitive science research results show that the cognitive process of visual information processing using a bottom-up and top-down combination of mixed model. And The visual information during scene perception involves not only local features but also global features. Based on the above research, this paper established a bottom-up and top-down combination processing model, which co-existence of serial and parallel. We uses Fuzzy ARTMAP (Fuzzy adaptive resonance theory map) network to simulate the process model. Fuzzy ARTMAP is verified by experiment that the model is effective for classification of object in scenes.
Visualizing recommendations to support exploration, transparency and controllability

Research on recommender systems has traditionally focused on the development of algorithms to improve accuracy of recommendations. So far, little research has been done to enable user interaction with such systems as a basis to support exploration and control by end users. In this paper, we present our research on the use of information visualization techniques to interact with recommender systems. We investigated how information visualization can improve user understanding of the typically black-box rationale behind recommendations in order to increase their perceived relevance and meaning and to support exploration and user involvement in the recommendation process. Our study has been performed using TalkExplorer, an interactive visualization tool developed for attendees of academic conferences. The results of user studies performed at two conferences allowed us to obtain interesting insights to enhance user interfaces that integrate recommendation technology. More specifically, effectiveness and probability of item selection both increase when users are able to explore and interrelate multiple entities -- i.e. items bookmarked by users, recommendations and tags.
Preliminary evidence for an association between aggressive and hostile behaviour and 3 αα,, 5 αα -tetrahydroprogesterone plasma levels in schizophrenia

Objective: Because it has been suggested that agents acting on the γ -aminobutyric acid-A (GABA A ) receptor complex, such as the neuroactive steroid 3 α ,5 α -tetrahydroprogesterone (3 α ,5 α -THP), may be biologic modulators of aggression, we aimed to measure 3 α ,5 α THP plasma concentrations in subjects with schizophrenia in order to investigate a possible relation with aggressive and hostile behaviour. Methods: Eight outpatients with schizophrenia diagnosed according to the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , fourth edition (DSM-IV), were included. Aggression and hostility were assessed using the Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the paranoid/belligerence symptom cluster of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Plasma samples were obtained 1 hour before psychometric assessment and were quantified for 3 α ,5 α -THP using a highly sensitive and specific combined analysis by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Results: Increased aggressiveness and hostility were associated with increased 3 α ,5 α -THP plasma levels (Pearson r = 0.72, p = 0.043 and Pearson r = 0.72, p = 0.041, respectively). Conclusions: These preliminary results sug-gest that the neuroactive steroid 3 α ,5 α -THP may affect aggression and hostility in humans. à l’étude huit patients en service externe atteints d’une schizophrénie diagnostiquée en fonction des critères du Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , quatrième édition (DSM-IV). Nous avons évalué l’agressivité et l’hostilité en fonction de l’échelle modifiée d’agression manifeste et de la grappe de symptômes paranoïa/belligérance de l’échelle des syndromes positifs et négatifs. Nous avons prélevé, une heure avant l’évaluation psychométrique, des échantillons de plasma que avons soumis à une analyse quantitative pour déterminer la présence de 3 α ,5 α -THP par spectrométrie de masse et chromatographie en phase gazeuse combinées très sensibles et spécifiques. Résultats : Nous avons établi un lien entre l’agressivité et l’hostilité accrues et une élévation des concentrations plasmatiques de 3 α ,5 α -THP (Pearson r = 0,72, p = 0,043 et Pearson r = 0,72, p = 0,041, respectivement). Conclusions : Ces résultats préliminaires indiquent que le stéroïde neuroactif 3 α ,5 α -THP peut avoir un effet sur l’agression et l’hostilité chez les êtres humains. D’autres études s’imposent toutefois pour clarifier la signification fonc-tionnelle d’un tel lien.
Nodal structure of unconventional superconductors probed by angle resolved thermal transport measurements

Over the past two decades, unconventional superconductivity with gap symmetry other than s wave has been found in several classes of materials, including heavy fermion, high Tc, and organic superconductors. Unconventional superconductivity is characterized by anisotropic superconducting gap functions, which may have zeros (nodes) along certain directions in the Brillouin zone. The nodal structure is closely related to the pairing interaction, and it is widely believed that the presence of nodes is a signature of magnetic or some other exotic, rather than conventional phonon mediated, pairing mechanism. Therefore experimental determination of the gap function is of fundamental importance. However, the detailed gap structure, especially the direction of the nodes, is an unresolved issue for most unconventional superconductors. Recently it has been demonstrated that thermal conductivity and specific heat measurements under a magnetic field rotated relative to the crystal axes provide a powerful method for determining the shape of the gap and the nodal directions in the bulk. Here we review the theoretical underpinnings of the method and the results for the nodal structure of several unconventional superconductors, including borocarbide YNi2B2C, heavy fermions UPd2Al3, CeCoIn5, and PrOs4Sb12, organic superconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu(NCS)2, and ruthenate Sr2RuO4, determined through angular variation of the thermal conductivity and heat capacity.
The JAK2 GGCC (46/1) Haplotype in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms: Causal or Random?

The germline JAK2 haplotype known as “GGCC or 46/1 haplotype” (haplotypeGGCC_46/1) consists of a combination of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) mapping in a region of about 250 kb, extending from the JAK2 intron 10 to the Insulin-like 4 (INLS4) gene. Four main SNPs (rs3780367, rs10974944, rs12343867, and rs1159782) generating a “GGCC” combination are more frequently indicated to represent the JAK2 haplotype. These SNPs are inherited together and are frequently associated with the onset of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) positive for both JAK2 V617 and exon 12 mutations. The association between the JAK2 haplotypeGGCC_46/1 and mutations in other genes, such as thrombopoietin receptor (MPL) and calreticulin (CALR), or the association with triple negative MPN, is still controversial. This review provides an overview of the frequency and the role of the JAK2 haplotypeGGCC_46/1 in the pathogenesis of different myeloid neoplasms and describes the hypothetical mechanisms at the basis of the association with JAK2 gene mutations. Moreover, possible clinical implications are discussed, as different papers reported contrasting data about the correlation between the JAK2 haplotypeGGCC_46/1 and blood cell count, survival, or disease progression.