Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nestedness of hoopoes' bacterial communities: symbionts from the uropygial gland to the eggshell

How microbial symbionts are established and maintain on their hosts is a leading question with important consequences for the understanding of the evolution and functioning of mutualistic relationships. The acquisition by hosts of mutualistic microbial symbionts can be considered as colonization processes of environments (i.e., host) by symbionts. Colonization processes can be explored by characterizing the nestedness of communities, but this approach has rarely been applied to communities of microbial symbionts. We used this approach here, and estimated the nestedness of bacterial communities of hoopoes (Upupa epops), a species with symbiotic bacteria in their uropygial gland that are expected to colonize eggshells where they protect embryos from pathogens. Bacterial communities were characterized by ARISA (Automated rRNA Intergenetic Spacer Region) and studied the nestedness characteristics of bacterial communities living in the uropygial secretion, bill, belly and eggshells of each sampled female hoopoes. We detected a consistent nested pattern of bacterial communities of hoopoes; from the uropygial gland to the eggshell. We also found evidence of study year and reproductive events influencing the level of nestedness of bacterial communities of hoopoes. These results indicate that bacterial communities of eggshells and body parts of female hoopoes are at least partially conditioned by the symbiotic community in the uropygial gland. We discuss the importance of these results for understanding this host–microbial mutualism functioning and evolution.
Vibration-guided mate searching in treehoppers: directional accuracy and sampling strategies in a complex sensory environment

ABSTRACT Animal movement decisions involve an action–perception cycle in which sensory flow influences motor output. Key aspects of the action–perception cycle involved in movement decisions can be identified by integrating path information with measurement of environmental cues. We studied mate searching in insects for which the primary sensory cues are mechanical vibrations traveling through the tissues of living plants. We mapped search paths of male thornbug treehoppers locating stationary females through an exchange of vibrational signals. At each of the males' sampling locations, we used two-dimensional laser vibrometry to measure stem motion produced by female vibrational signals. We related properties of the vibrational signals to the males' movement direction, inter-sample distance and accuracy. Males experienced gradients in signal amplitude and in the whirling motion of the plant stem, and these gradients were influenced to varying degrees by source distance and local stem properties. Males changed their sampling behavior during the search, making longer inter-sample movements farther from the source, where uncertainty is higher. The primary directional cue used by searching males was the direction of wave propagation, and males made more accurate decisions when signal amplitude was higher, when time delays were longer between the front and back legs, and when female responses were short in duration. The whirling motion of plant stems, including both the eccentricity and the major axes of motion, is a fundamental feature of vibrational environments on living plants, and we show for the first time that it has important influences on the decisions of vibrationally homing insects. Highlighted Article: Movement decisions of an insect homing in on plant-borne vibrations are influenced by the complex whirling motion of plant stems.
Millimeter-wave microstrip-to-groove gap waveguide transition for use in gap-waveguide-integrated grid amplifiers and antenna arrays

To realize next generation mm-wave wireless systems it is vitally important to utilize cost effective manufacturing technologies and to develop low-loss waveguides and transmission lines. Furthermore, being able to interface system components through contactless transitions is another key objective. In fact, recently, optical connections between chips through fibers is being researched heavily in the photonics science field, while the quasi-optical connection as proposed in this MSc thesis between chips through waveguides presents a similar breakthrough, albeit in the mm-wave range. The proposed contactless connection between a waveguide and chip obviates the need to use RF bond wires. Furthermore, the proposed solution is also compatible with the gap waveguide technology enabling the resonance-free electromagnetic packaging of the entire RF front end. There are numerous challenges to overcome to realize future mm-wave antenna systems. Standard waveguide components are rather low loss but are manufactured in split blocks which may lead to power leakage. Mechanical assembly of the two split blocks requires a very good electrical contact as well as precise alignment of the two blocks to achieve good electrical performance. Furthermore, the physical dimensions of the waveguide components decrease as the frequency of operation increases. This renders the manufacturing of conventional waveguide components more costly and time consuming, particularly at mm-wave frequencies. The gap waveguide structure has the advantage of reducing the manufacturing cost and time, because the gap waveguide structure can be realized without requiring any metal contact between the upper and the lower metal surfaces of the structure. Also, the Perfect Magnetic Conductor (PMC) condition realized by the lid of nails, parallel to a PEC surface, has the ability of suppressing unwanted parallel-plate modes between the two metal blocks and allows for the resonance-free packaging of RF electronics, thereby high isolation between the RF components can be achieved. At the same time a low-loss transition between the gap waveguide components and the active ICs, such as Monolithic Microwave/Millimeter Integrated circuits (MMIC), is neces-
Low Power High Speed 3-2 Compressor

This paper describes a new design of low power 3-2 compressor circuit for high speed multipliers. Power consumption of proposed 3-2 compressor circuit varies from 0.355 nW to 1.6964 nW and delay varies from 2.0390 ns to 2.0224 ns. Further, power delay product of proposed circuit varies from 7.23×10 -18 (J) to 34.30×10 -18 (J) with varying supply voltage from 1.8V to 3.3V. The proposed compressor circuit shows better performance in terms of power consumption, output delay and PDP as compared to previous reported 3-2 compressor circuits. Simulation has been carried out using 0.18-μm CMOS technology.
Distributed under Creative Commons Cc-by 4.0 a Glacial Survivor of the Alpine Mediterranean Region: Phylogenetic and Phylogeographic Insights into Silene Ciliata Pourr. (caryophyllaceae)

Silene ciliata Pourr. (Caryophyllaceae) is a species with a highly disjunct distribution which inhabits the alpine mountains of the Mediterranean Basin. We investigated the phylogeny and phylogeography of the species to (a) clarify the long-suggested division of S. ciliata into two subspecies, (b) evaluate its phylogenetic origin and (c) assess whether the species' diversification patterns were affected by the Mediterranean relief. For this purpose, we collected DNA from 25 populations of the species that inhabit the mountains of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece and studied the plastid regions rbcL, rps16 and trnL. Major intraspecific variation was supported by all analyses, while the possibility of the existence of more varieties or subspecies was not favoured. Plastid DNA (cpDNA) evidence was in accordance with the division of S. ciliata into the two subspecies, one spreading west (Iberian Peninsula and Central Massif) and the other east of the Alps region (Italian and Balkan Peninsula). This study proposes that the species' geographically disconnected distribution has probably derived from vicariance processes and from the Alps acting as a barrier to the species' dispersal. The monophyletic origin of the species is highly supported. cpDNA patterns were shown independent of the chromosome evolution in the populations and could have resulted from a combination of geographic factors providing links and barriers, climatic adversities and evolutionary processes that took place during Quaternary glaciations.
Adaptive Target Tracking by Noise-Estimated Particle filter

This paper proposes a new radar tracking filter named Noise-estimate Particle Filter (NPF). Kalman filter and particle filter are popular filtering techniques for target tracking. The tracking performance of the Kalman filter severely depends on the setting of several parameters such as system noise and observation noise. However, it is an open problem how to choose proper parameters for various scenarios, and they are often regulated in trial-and-error manner. The proposed filter estimates proper noise parameters of a Kalman filter on-line based on a scheme of particle filter. Simulation results show that the proposed filter has higher tracking performance in various scenarios than conventional Kalman filter and particle filter.
The α1,6-Fucosyltransferase Gene (fut8) from the Sf9 Lepidopteran Insect Cell Line: Insights into fut8 Evolution

The core alpha1,6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) catalyzes the transfer of a fucosyl moiety from GDP-fucose to the innermost asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine residue of glycoproteins. In mammals, this glycosylation has an important function in many fundamental biological processes and although no essential role has been demonstrated yet in all animals, FUT8 amino acid (aa) sequence and FUT8 activity are very well conserved throughout the animal kingdom. We have cloned the cDNA and the complete gene encoding the FUT8 in the Sf9 (Spodoptera frugiperda) lepidopteran cell line. As in most animal genomes, fut8 is a single-copy gene organized in different exons. The open reading frame contains 12 exons, a characteristic that seems to be shared by all lepidopteran fut8 genes. We chose to study the gene structure as a way to characterize the evolutionary relationships of the fut8 genes in metazoans. Analysis of the intron-exon organization in 56 fut8 orthologs allowed us to propose a model for fut8 evolution in metazoans. The presence of a highly variable number of exons in metazoan fut8 genes suggests a complex evolutionary history with many intron gain and loss events, particularly in arthropods, but not in chordata. Moreover, despite the high conservation of lepidoptera FUT8 sequences also in vertebrates and hymenoptera, the exon-intron organization of hymenoptera fut8 genes is order-specific with no shared exons. This feature suggests that the observed intron losses and gains may be linked to evolutionary innovations, such as the appearance of new orders.
Oral health and later coronary heart disease: Cohort study of one million people

Aims Systematic reviews report an association between poorer oral health and an increased risk of coronary heart disease. This contentious relationship may not be causal but existing studies have been insufficiently well powered comprehensively to examine the role of confounding, particularly by cigarette smoking. Accordingly, we sought to examine the role of smoking in generating the relationship between oral health and coronary heart disease in life-long non-smokers. Methods and results In the Korean Cancer Prevention Study, 975,685 individuals (349,579 women) aged 30–95 years had an oral examination when tooth loss, a widely used indicator of oral health, was ascertained. Linkage to national mortality and hospital registers over 21 years of follow-up gave rise to 64,784 coronary heart disease events (19,502 in women). In the whole cohort, after statistical adjustment for age, there was a moderate, positive association between tooth loss and coronary heart disease in both men (hazard ratio for seven or more missing teeth vs. none; 95% confidence interval 1.08; 1.02, 1.14; Ptrend across tooth loss groups <0.0001) and women (1.09; 1.01, 1.18; Ptrend 0.0016). Restricting analyses to a subgroup of 464,145 never smokers (25,765 coronary heart disease events), however, resulted in an elimination of this association in men (1.01; 0.85, 1.19); Ptrend 0.7506) but not women (1.08; 0.99, 1.18; Ptrend 0.0086). Conclusion In men in the present study, the relationship between poor oral health and coronary heart disease risk appeared to be explained by confounding by cigarette smoking so raising questions about a causal link.
The Cytochrome P450 Superfamily Complement (CYPome) in the Annelid Capitella teleta

The Cytochrome P450 super family (CYP) is responsible for a wide range of functions in metazoans, having roles in both exogenous and endogenous substrate metabolism. Annelids are known to metabolize polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and produce estrogen. CYPs are postulated to be key enzymes in these processes in annelids. In this study, the CYP complement (CYPome) of the annelid Capitella teleta has been robustly identified and annotated with the genome assembly available. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to understand the evolutionary relationships between CYPs in C. teleta and other species. Predictions of which CYPs are potentially involved in both PAH metabolism and steroidogensis were made based on phylogeny. Annotation of 84 full length and 12 partial CYP sequences predicted a total of 96 functional CYPs in C. teleta. A further 13 CYP fragments were found but these may be pseudogenes. The C. teleta CYPome contained 24 novel CYP families and seven novel CYP subfamilies within existing families. A phylogenetic analysis identified that the C. teleta sequences were found in 9 of the 11 metazoan CYP clans. Two CYPs, CYP3071A1 and CYP3072A1, did not cluster with any metazoan CYP clans. We found xenobiotic response elements (XREs) upstream of C. teleta CYPs related to vertebrate CYP1 (CYP3060A1, CYP3061A1) and from families with reported transcriptional upregulation in response to PAH exposure (CYP4, CYP331). C. teleta had a CYP51A1 with ∼65% identity to vertebrate CYP51A1 sequences and has been predicted to have lanosterol 14 α-demethylase activity. CYP376A1, CYP3068A1, CYP3069A1, and CYP3070A1 were the most appropriate candidates for steroidogenesis genes based on their phylogeny and warrant further analyses, though no specific aromatase (estrogen synthesis) candidates were found. Presence of XREs upstream of C. teleta CYPs may indicate a functional aryl hydrocarbon receptor in C. teleta and candidate CYPs for studies of PAH metabolism.
Extracting the elastic moduli of the constituent layers of a multilayered thin film from nanoindentation tests

Multilayer thin films have been widely used for their enhanced mechanical and tribological properties relative to the monolayers of equivalent thickness. However, the mechanical properties of the each constituent layer are rarely investigated due to the difficulty in separating the effects of the constituent layers. An inverse analysis method to identify the elastic moduli of the constituent layers of multilayer films is developed by fitting the finite element calculations with indentation measurements within the framework of numerical optimization. The method is verified against typical monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer film structures both numerically and experimentally. Uniqueness and substrate-independence of the extracted moduli are ensured by the multiple loading-unloading cycles of the indentation tests. The method provides a feasible way to characterize the intrinsic mechanical properties of the constituent layers of multilayered thin films and further to explore the dominant mechanism for the enhancement of their mechanical properties.
Depth and Transient Imaging with Compressive SPAD Array Cameras

Time-of-flight depth imaging and transient imaging are two imaging modalities that have recently received a lot of interest. Despite much research, existing hardware systems are limited either in terms of temporal resolution or are prohibitively expensive. Arrays of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) promise to fill this gap by providing higher temporal resolution at an affordable cost. Unfortunately SPAD arrays are to date only available in relatively small resolutions. In this work we aim to overcome the spatial resolution limit of SPAD arrays by employing a compressive sensing camera design. Using a DMD and custom optics, we achieve an image resolution of up to 800Ã—400 on SPAD Arrays of resolution 64Ã—32. Using our new data fitting model for the time histograms, we suppress the noise while abstracting the phase and amplitude information, so as to realize a temporal resolution of a few tens of picoseconds.
A relevance theoretic approach to relevance

This paper outlines a model of what a theory of mental representations (TMR) for reference resolution would be. Such a theory would be a specification of relevance theory on the specific point of referents attribution. Mental representations (MR) are conceived as a kind of hinge between referring expressions on the one hand and objects in the world on the other hand. The introduction defines reference and briefly describes the problem. The 2nd § describes the basics of TMR, while the 3rd § introduces the notion of differenciation as a condition for the construction of a MR. The 4th § proposes the notion of domain of reference (DR) as an alternative to Ariel's notion of accessibility. The 5th § shows how events and their consequences can be represented in TMR. The 6th paragraph shows how TMR can be used in reference resolution. The 7th paragraph is a conclusion, in which the proximity and compatiblity between TMR outlined here and relevance theory are pointed out.
Niacin Activates the PI3K/Akt Cascade via PKC- and EGFR-Transactivation-Dependent Pathways through Hydroxyl-Carboxylic Acid Receptor 2

Niacin has been demonstrated to activate a PI3K/Akt signaling cascade to prevent brain damage after stroke and UV-induced skin damage; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms for HCA2-induced Akt activation remain to be elucidated. Using CHO-K1 cells stably expressing HCA2 and A431 cells, a human epidermoid cell line with high levels of endogenous expression of functional HCA2 receptors, we first demonstrated that niacin induced a robust Akt phosphorylation at both Thr308 and Ser473 in a time-dependent fashion, with a maximal activation at 5 min and a subsequent reduction to baseline by 30 min through HCA2, and that the activation was significantly blocked by pertussis toxin. The HCA2-mediated activation of Akt was also significantly inhibited by the PKC inhibitors GF109203x and Go6983 in both cell lines, by the PDGFR-selective inhibitor tyrphostin A9 in CHO-HCA2 cells and by the MMP inhibitor GM6001 and EGFR-specific inhibitor AG1478 in A431 cells. These results suggest that the PKC pathway and PDGFR/EGFR transactivation pathway play important roles in HCA2-mediated Akt activation. Further investigation indicated that PI3K and the Gβγ subunit were likely to play an essential role in HCA2-induced Akt activation. Moreover, Immunobloting analyses using an antibody that recognizes p70S6K1 phosphorylated at Thr389 showed that niacin evoked p70S6K1 activation via the PI3K/Akt pathway. The results of our study provide new insight into the signaling pathways involved in HCA2 activation.
Sepsis in the older person: The ravages of time and bacteria

Department of Emergency Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Centre for Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Emergency Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Discipline of Emergency Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia, Department of Emergency Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Emergency Department, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Faculty of Health and Medicine, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, Emergency Department, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, School of Medicine, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Preparation and Characterization of ITO Thin Films Deposition by Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) thin films are prepared by ion-beam assisted deposition at room temperature. An assisting oxygen ion beam (ion energy Ei=0 eV-600 eV) directly bombards the substrate surface to modify the properties of the ITO thin films. The effects of assisting ion beam energy on the characteristics of ITO thin films were investigated based on transmission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. With an increasing assisting ion beam bombardment, the crystalline quality of the ITO films was improved and the oxygen vacancies were increased. SEM measurements showed that the film deposited at 300 eV had the characteristics of polycrystalline thin films with a larger grain structure than that of other conditions. The XRD spectra indicated that the ITO films that were produced in this study had polycrystalline structures. That means that surface ad atoms had enough mobility to migrate on the substrate with transferred kinetic energy by colliding secondary ions. However, too energetic secondary ion beam bombardments decreased grain size and also roughened surface morphology due to radiation damage. Optical transmittance of the ITO film in the visible region was related to the structural and surface morphological properties. In this study, the highest optical transmittance of 85% at a wavelength of 550 nm and the lowest resistivity of 3 × 10‒4 cm were obtained at the oxygen Ion Beam Energy 300 eV, respectively. †(Received September 4, 2013)
The Effect of Larval Diet on Adult Survival, Swarming Activity and Copulation Success in Male Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)

Abstract Control of Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae) populations is vital for reducing the transmission of several pervasive human diseases. The success of new vector control technologies will be influenced by the fitness of laboratory-reared transgenic males. However, there has been relatively little published data on how rearing practices influence male fitness in Aedes mosquitoes. In the laboratory, the effect of larval food availability on adult male fitness was tested, using a range of different fitness measures. Larval food availability was demonstrated to be positively correlated with adult body size. Larger males survived longer and exhibited greater swarming activity. As a consequence, larger males may have more mating opportunities in the wild. However, we also found that within a swarm larger males did not have an increased likelihood of copulating with a female. The outcome of the mating competition experiments depended on the methodology used to mark the males. These results show that fitness assessment can vary depending on the measure analyzed, and the methodology used to determine it. Continued investigation into these fitness measures and methodologies, and critically, their utility for predicting male performance in the field, will increase the efficiency of vector control programs.