Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Levels and volatility in daily relationship quality: Roles of daily sacrifice motives

Conflicts are inevitable in romantic relationships. Couples sometimes choose the pro-relationship strategy of relational sacrifice to address such conflicts. Previous research established that examining sacrifice motives (i.e., approach and avoidance) is meaningful in understanding relationship quality. Using interdependence theory and 14 days of diaries with 110 heterosexual couples, we extend previous research by testing how sacrifice motives predicted both mean levels and volatility of daily relationship quality (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, intimacy, passion, trust, and love). Specifically, we examined actor and partner reports of sacrifice motives as individuals’ average levels (trait; between-person differences) and daily levels of sacrifice motives on a specific day (state; within-person differences) in predicting relationship quality. When predicting mean levels of relationship quality, individuals’ own (actor) trait and state approach and avoidance motives predicted most relationship quality variables. Results were less robust for partner effects, especially for partner trait and state approach motives. When predicting volatility (within-person variability across 14 days) in relationship quality, patterns were more robust for both approach and avoidant motives and for both actor and partner effects. For approach sacrifices, and for all six relationship quality variables, individuals’ trait approach motives predicted lower volatility, whereas avoidance motives predicted higher volatility. For partner effects, individuals reported lower volatility in satisfaction, intimacy, passion, and trust when their partners were higher in approach motives, whereas they reported higher volatility in satisfaction, commitment, intimacy, and trust when their partners were higher in avoidance motives. We discuss the importance of studying dyads and testing the associations between sacrifice motives and daily relationship quality—both levels and volatility.
Coherence imaging for laser detection

The detection of lasers by means of coherence detection often uses interferometry in a one-dimensional manner such as with a Mach Zehnder interferometer. We are taking a two dimensional approach making use of a spatial light modulator and a camera to examine the results of binary holography in differentiating coherent and incoherent incoming light. A DMD micromirror array focusing light onto a CCD camera is presented as a method for determining the presence of coherent light, its wavelength and angle of arrival. We discuss the use of Zernike modes to overcome the aberrations inherent in the DMD device, thereby improving the focussing quality and improving the precision of wavelength determination.
Different effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis

Although insecure adult attachment is thought to be associated with depressive symptoms, results of research on the link between attachment dimensions (attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and depressive symptoms have been inconsistent. The aim of this study was to use meta-analysis to examine the strength of the correlations between the two attachment dimensions and depressive symptoms. A total of 64 papers and 78 independent samples were included in this meta-analysis. Results showed significant associations between both attachment dimensions and depressive symptoms. Additional analyses indicated that attachment anxiety was more strongly related to depressive symptoms, whereas attachment avoidance was weakly related to depressive symptoms. Cultural orientation and sex were found to moderate the relationship between attachment anxiety and depressive symptoms. Age was a significant moderator of the relationships between both attachment anxiety and avoidance and depressive symptoms. Results of the meta-analysis and the implications were discussed.
How Does News Affect Stock Return Volatility in a Frontier Market?

Many empirical studies have analysed the effect of good news and bad news on equity market return volatility using both developed and emerging markets data, with scant literature for frontier stock markets. This study evaluates how news affects stock market return volatility in a frontier market using Uganda data. It specifically analyses the reaction of stock return volatility to news filtering into a frontier market using the exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) model on daily data ranging from 1 September 2011 to 31 December 2017. Estimates of the shape parameter from generalized error distribution indicate the existence of leptokurtic return distribution. Results from the exponential GARCH model show that the effect of bad news and good news on the frontier market return volatility differs, thus suggesting existence of leverage effect in the period studied. Overall results from the study suggest that positive news impacts stock market returns volatility more than negative news of the same magnitude. An important implication of our results is that investors, analysts, brokers and dealers should be conscious of the nature of news filtering into the stock market as such information might improve their expected volatility forecast.
Integrative analysis of multi-omics data improves model predictions: an application to lung cancer

Background Cancer genomic studies often include data collected from several omics platforms. Each omics data source contributes to the understanding of the underlying biological process via source specific (“individual”) patterns of variability. At the same time, statistical associations and potential interactions among the different data sources can reveal signals from common biological processes that might not be identified by single source analyses. These common patterns of variability are referred to as “shared” or “joint”. To capture both contributions of variance, integrative dimension reduction techniques are needed. Integrated PCA is a model based generalization of principal components analysis that separates shared and source specific variance by iteratively estimating covariance structures from a matrix normal distribution. Angle based JIVE is a matrix factorization method that decomposes joint and individual variation by permutation of row subspaces. We apply these techniques to identify joint and individual contributions of DNA methylation, miRNA and mRNA expression collected from blood samples in a lung cancer case control study nested within the Norwegian Woman and Cancer (NOWAC) cohort study. Results In this work, we show how an integrative analysis that preserves both components of variation is more appropriate than analyses considering uniquely individual or joint components. Our results show how both joint and individual components contribute to a better quality of model predictions, and facilitate the interpretation of the underlying biological processes. Conclusion When compared to a non integrative analysis of the three omics sources, integrative models that simultaneously include joint and individual components result in better prediction of cancer status and metastatic cancer at diagnosis.
Enhancement of synaptic AMPA receptors depends mutually on Src and PSD-95

Synaptic incorporation and removal of AMPA receptors is highly regulated to modulate the strength of synaptic transmission for long-term synaptic plasticity during brain development and associative learning. PSD-93α2 and PSD-95α, two paralogs of the DLG-MAGUK protein family of signaling scaffolds govern the synaptic incorporation and stabilization of AMPA receptors opposingly, with PSD-95α promoting and PSD-93α2 inhibiting it. The associated signaling mechanisms that control the synaptic incorporation and stabilization remain elusive. Here, we used domain swapping between the antagonizing signaling scaffolds to identify the protein motifs responsible for enhancing synaptic AMPA receptors and the associated signaling protein. We narrowed down multiple motifs in the N-terminal domain that are principally responsible for governing the enhancement by Src. Specific activation and inhibiting peptides revealed continuous activity of Src. Together, the results depict a mutual dependence of Src and PSD-95α in enhancing and maintaining synaptic AMPA receptors.
Neuroprotective Effect of Optogenetics Varies With Distance From Channelrhodopsin-2 Expression in an Amyloid-β-Injected Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is the most common cause of dementia. Optogenetics uses a combination of genetic engineering and light to activate or inhibit specific neurons in the brain. Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the effect of activation of glutamatergic neurons in the hippocampus of mice injected with Aβ1-42 on memory function and biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neuroprotection in the brain to elucidate the clinical utility of optogenetic neuromodulation in AD. Methods: AAV5–CaMKII–channelrhodopsin-2 (CHR2)–mCherry (Aβ-CHR2 mice) or AAV5—CaMKII–mCherry (Aβ-non-CHR2 mice) was injected into the dentate gyrus (DG) of the bilateral hippocampus of an Aβ1-42-injected mouse model of AD. The novel object recognition test was used to investigate working memory (M1), short-term memory (M2), and long-term memory (M3) after Aβ1-42 injection. Hippocampus tissues were collected for immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Compared to controls, M1 and M2 were significantly higher in Aβ-CHR2 mice, but there was no significant difference in M3; NeuN and synapsin expression were significantly increased in the DG of Aβ-CHR2 mice, but not in CA1, CA3, the subventricular zone (SVZ), or the entorhinal cortex (ENT); GluR2 and IL-10 expressions were significantly increased, and GFAP expression was significantly decreased, in CA1, CA3, the DG, and the SVZ of Aβ-CHR2 mice, but not in the ENT. Conclusion: Activation of glutamatergic neurons by optogenetics in the bilateral DG of an Aβ-injected mouse model of AD improved M1 and M2, but not M3. A single-target optogenetics strategy has spatial limitations; therefore, a multiple targeted optogenetics approach to AD therapy should be explored.
Translational activity is uncoupled from nucleic acid content in bacterial cells of the human gut microbiota

Background Changes in bacterial diversity in the human gut microbiome, characterized primarily though DNA sequencing methods, have been associated with many different adverse health conditions. However, these changes do not always reflect changes in bacterial activity, and thus how the gut microbiome is implicated in disease is still not often understood. New methods that link together bacterial function to bacterial identity are needed to further explore the role of the gut microbiome in health and disease. We optimized bioorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) for the gut microbiota and combined it with fluorescently activated cell sorting and sequencing (FACS-Seq) to identify the translationally active members of the community. We then used this novel technique to compare and contrast to other methods of bulk community measurements of activity and viability: physiological staining of relative nucleic acid content and membrane damage. Relative nucleic acid content has previously been linked to metabolic activity, yet remains currently undefined for the human gut microbiota. Results Ten healthy, unrelated individuals were sampled to determine the proportion and diversity of distinct physiological fractions of their gut microbiota. The translationally active bacteria represent about half of the gut microbiota, and are not distinct from the whole community. The high nucleic acid content (HNA) bacteria also represent about half of the gut microbiota, but are distinct from the whole community and correlate with the damaged subset. Perturbing the community with xenobiotics previously shown to alter bacterial activity but not diversity resulted in stronger changes in the distinct physiological fractions than in the whole community. Conclusions BONCAT is a suitable method to probe the translationally active members of the human gut microbiota, and combined with FACS-Seq, allows for their identification. The high nucleic acid content bacteria are not necessarily the protein-producing bacteria in the community, and so further work is needed to understand the relationship between nucleic acid content and bacterial metabolism in the human gut. Taking into account physiologically distinct subsets of the gut microbiota may be more informative than relying on whole community profiling.
Acceptor plane expansion enhances horizontal orientation of thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters

An acceptor plane expansion approach is demonstrated to selectively improve horizontal dipole orientation of TADF emitters. Manipulating orientation of organic emitters remains a formidable challenge in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Here, expansion of the acceptor plane of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters was demonstrated to selectively modulate emitting dipole orientation. Two proof-of-the-concept molecules, PXZPyPM and PXZTAZPM, were prepared by introducing a planar 2-phenylpyridine or 2,4,6-triphenyl-1,3,5-triazine substituent into a prototypical molecule (PXZPM) bearing a pyrimidine core and two phenoxazine donors. This design approach suppressed the influence of substituents on electronic structures and associated optoelectronic properties. Accordingly, PXZPyPM and PXZTAZPM preserved almost the same excited states and similar emission characteristics as PXZPM. The expanded acceptor plane of PXZPyPM and PXZTAZPM resulted in a 15 to 18% increase in horizontal ratios of emitting dipole orientation. PXZPyPM supported its green device exhibiting an external quantum efficiency of 33.9% and a power efficiency of 118.9 lumen per watt, competitive with the most efficient green TADF OLEDs reported so far.
In vitro Propagation of Crassocephalum crepidioides—An Endangered African Traditional Leaf Vegetable and Molecular Analysis of Micropropagated Plants

ABSTRACT Crassocephalum crepidioides (Benth) S. Moore is an important African traditional leaf vegetable, but its production is very low and its existence threatened. An efficient and reproducible micropropagation protocol of C. crepidioides was developed from nodal stem segments of pot-grown plants. Shoot induction was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with benzineamino purine (BAP) alone and in combination with zeatin and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Elongated shoots successfully rooted on zeatin alone and in combination with indole butyric acid (IBA). Molecular stability of micropropagated plants was evaluated using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Survival of nodal segments in micropropagation medium was greater than 70% in all treatments. The presence of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in MS medium influenced shoot formation, rooting, and number of shoots and roots per explant. The best shoot formation frequency (88.7%), number of shoots per explant (3.7), and shoot length (30 mm) were from a medium containing MS supplemented with 10 mg·L−1 BAP, 15 mg·L−1 NAA, and 1.5 mg·L−1 zeatin. Frequency of root formation and survival of regenerated plants were greater on medium containing half-strength MS salt than medium fortified with full-strength MS salt. The best frequency of root formation (average 87.4%) and survival of regenerated plants (average 95.4%) were from media containing 6.0 mg·L−1 zeatin and 1.0–1.5 mg·L−1 IBA and half-strength MS salt. Micropropagated shoots with well-developed roots were acclimatized under greenhouse conditions in pots containing rich sandy loam soil (pH = 7.2). The RAPD amplification products were monomorphic in micropropagated plants and similar to those of the mother plant. No polymorphism was detected, indicating genetic uniformity of micropropagated plants. This is the first report of micropropagation of C. crepidioides, which will facilitate in vitro mass propagation, conservation, and germplasm exchange of this endangered African vegetable.
Transposon Insertion Sequencing in a Clinical Isolate of Legionella pneumophila Identifies Essential Genes and Determinants of Natural Transformation

Legionella pneumophila is the etiologic agent of a severe form of nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonia in humans. The environmental life traits of L. pneumophila are essential to its ability to accidentally infect humans. ABSTRACT Legionella pneumophila is a Gram-negative bacterium ubiquitous in freshwater environments which, if inhaled, can cause a severe pneumonia in humans. The emergence of L. pneumophila is linked to several traits selected in the environment, the acquisition of some of which involved intra- and interkingdom horizontal gene transfer events. Transposon insertion sequencing (TIS) is a powerful method to identify the genetic basis of selectable traits as well as to identify fitness determinants and essential genes, which are possible antibiotic targets. TIS has not yet been used to its full power in L. pneumophila, possibly because of the difficulty of obtaining a high-saturation transposon insertion library. Indeed, we found that isolates of sequence type 1 (ST1), which includes the commonly used laboratory strains, are poorly permissive to saturating mutagenesis by conjugation-mediated transposon delivery. In contrast, we obtained high-saturation libraries in non-ST1 clinical isolates, offering the prospect of using TIS on unaltered L. pneumophila strains. Focusing on one of them, we then used TIS to identify essential genes in L. pneumophila. We also revealed that TIS could be used to identify genes controlling vertical transmission of mobile genetic elements. We then applied TIS to identify all the genes required for L. pneumophila to develop competence and undergo natural transformation, defining the set of major and minor type IV pilins that are engaged in DNA uptake. This work paves the way for the functional exploration of the L. pneumophila genome by TIS and the identification of the genetic basis of other life traits of this species. IMPORTANCE Legionella pneumophila is the etiologic agent of a severe form of nosocomial and community-acquired pneumonia in humans. The environmental life traits of L. pneumophila are essential to its ability to accidentally infect humans. A comprehensive identification of their genetic basis could be obtained through the use of transposon insertion sequencing. However, this powerful approach had not been fully implemented in L. pneumophila. Here, we describe the successful implementation of the transposon-sequencing approach in a clinical isolate of L. pneumophila. We identify essential genes, potential drug targets, and genes required for horizontal gene transfer by natural transformation. This work represents an important step toward identifying the genetic basis of the many life traits of this environmental and pathogenic species.
In-operation calibration of clock-bias and intrinsic parameters for pan-tilt-zoom cameras based on keypoint tracking

We propose a method for jointly estimating intrinsic calibration and internal clock synchronisation for a pantilt- zoom (PTZ) camera using only data that can be acquired in the field during normal operation. Results show that this method is a promising starting point towards using software to replace costly timing hardware in such cameras. Through experiments we provide calibration and clock synchronisation for an off-the-shelf low-cost PTZ camera, and observe a greatly improved directional accuracy, even during mild manoeuvres.
The mTORC1-mediated activation of ATF4 promotes protein and glutathione synthesis downstream of growth signals

The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) stimulates a coordinated anabolic program in response to growth-promoting signals. Paradoxically, recent studies indicate that mTORC1 can activate the adaptive stress-responsive transcription factor ATF4 through mechanisms distinct from its canonical induction by the integrated stress response (ISR). However, how ATF4 functions in response to these distinct modes of regulation and its broader role as a downstream target of mTORC1 are unknown. Therefore, we directly compared ATF4-dependent transcriptional changes induced upon activation of mTORC1 or the ISR. The mTORC1-ATF4 pathway stimulated the expression of only a subset of the ATF4 target genes stimulated by the ISR, including genes involved in amino acid uptake, synthesis, and tRNA charging. We demonstrate that ATF4 is a metabolic effector of mTORC1 involved in both its established role in promoting protein synthesis and in a previously unappreciated function for mTORC1 in stimulating cellular cystine uptake and glutathione synthesis.
Validated B vitamin quantification from lentils by ultra-performance liquid chromatography selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry

A validated method for B vitamin separation and quantification using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-selected reaction monitoring mass spectrometry (UPLC-SRM MS) was reported. For B vitamin extraction from lentil seeds, the use of three enzymes (acid phosphatase, β-glucosidase, and rat serum) with a 4 h incubation was sufficient to convert bound B vitamins into their free forms. 20 B vitamers were selected and a 5-min UPLC-SRM MS method was optimized for rapid analysis. This method was applied to quantify B vitamin concentration during lentil seed germination. Total B vitamins increased up to 1.53-fold on day 5 (from 38.2 µg/g to 58.4 µg/g) comparing with dry seeds. Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) was the most abundant B vitamin in both dry seeds (32.7%) and in germinated seeds (16.5%-22.4% of total B vitamins), B8 (biotin) and B12 (cyanocobalamin) were not detected in lentil samples.
Tyramine receptor drives olfactory response to (E)-2-decenal in the stink bug Halyomorpha halys

In insects, the tyramine receptor 1 (TAR1) has been shown to control several physiological functions, including olfaction. We investigated the molecular and functional profile of the Halyomorpha halys type 1 tyramine receptor gene (HhTAR1) and its role in olfactory functions of this pest. Molecular and pharmacological analyses confirmed that the HhTAR1 gene codes for a true TAR1. The RT-qPCR analysis revealed that HhTAR1 is expressed mostly in adult brain and antennae as well as in early development stages (eggs, 1st and 2nd instar nymphs). In particular, among the antennomeres that compose a typical H. halys antenna, HhTAR1 was more expressed in flagellomeres. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigation revealed the type and distribution of sensilla on adult H. halys antennae: both flagellomeres appear rich in trichoid and grooved sensilla, known to be associated with olfactory functions. Through a RNAi approach, topically delivered HhTAR1 dsRNA induced a 50 % gene downregulation after 24 h in H. halys 2nd instar nymphs. An innovative behavioral assay revealed that HhTAR1 RNAi-silenced 2nd instar nymphs were less susceptible to the alarm pheromone component (E)-2 decenal as compared to control. These results provide critical information concerning the TAR1 role in olfaction regulation, especially alarm pheromone reception, in H. halys. Furthermore, considering the emerging role of TAR1 as target of biopesticides, this work paves the way for further investigation on innovative methods for controlling H. halys.