Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
γ-Oryzanol produces an antidepressant-like effect in a chronic unpredictable mild stress model of depression in Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) is a valid model for inducing depression-like symptoms in animal models, causing predictive behavioral, neurochemical, and physiological responses to this condition. This work aims to evaluate the possible antidepressant effect of γ-oryzanol (ORY) in the CUMS-induced depressive model in male Drosophila melanogaster. We will use the CUMS protocol to continue the study previously conducted by our research group, mimicking a depressive state in these insects. Male flies were subjected to various stressors according to a 10-day randomized schedule and concomitantly treated with ORY or fluoxetine (FLX). After the experimental period, in vivo behavioral tests were performed (open field, forced swimming, aggressiveness test, mating test, male virility, sucrose preference index and light/dark test) and ex vivo analyses measuring serotonin (5HT), dopamine (DA), octopamine (OCT) levels and body weight. We report here that ORY-treated flies and concomitant exposure to CUMS did not exhibit obvious behaviors such as prolonged immobility or increased aggressive behavior, reduced male mating and virility behavior, and anxiolytic behavior, in contrast to ORY, not altering sucrose preference and body weight flies exposed to CUMS. ORY effectively prevented 5HT and OCT reduction and partially protected against DA reduction. The data presented here are consistent and provide evidence for the use of ORY as a potential antidepressant compound. Lay Summary Flies treated with ORY and concomitant exposure to CUMS did not exhibit obvious depressive-like behaviors, such as prolonged immobility in the FST or increased aggressive behavior, or reduced mating behavior, male virility, or anxiolytic behavior. ORY did not change the preference for sucrose and body weight of flies, about the levels of monoamines in the heads of flies, ORY was effective in preventing the reduction of 5HT and OCT, and we had partial protection of ORY for reducing the levels of DA.
TP53 Mutation Analysis in Gastric Cancer and Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Metastatic Disease Treated with Ramucirumab/Paclitaxel or Standard Chemotherapy

Loss of p53 promotes vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A up-regulation and the angiogenic potential of cancer cells. We investigated TP53 somatic mutations in 110 primary gastric adenocarcinomas of two retrospective metastatic series including 48 patients treated with second-line Ramucirumab/Paclitaxel and 62 patients who received first-line chemotherapy with Cisplatin or Oxaliplatin plus 5-Fluorouracil. Missense mutations were classified by tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutant-specific residual transcriptional activity scores (TP53RTAS) and used to stratify patients into two groups: transcriptionally TP53Active and TP53Inactive. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). An additional analysis was addressed to measure VEGF/VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) expression levels in relation to the TP53RTAS. In the Ramucirumab/Paclitaxel group, 29/48 (60.4%) patients had TP53 mutations. Ten patients with TP53Inactive mutations showed better OS than carriers of other TP53 mutations. This effect was retained in the multivariate model analysis (Hazard Ratio = 0.29, 95% confidence interval = 0.17–0.85, p = 0.02). In the chemotherapy group, 41/62 (66%) patients had TP53 mutations, and the 11 carriers of TP53Inactive mutations showed the worst OS (Hazard Ratio = 2.64, 95% confidence interval = 1.17–5.95, p = 0.02). VEGF-A mRNA expression levels were significantly increased in TP53Inactive cases. Further studies are warranted to explore the effect of TP53Inactive mutations in different anti-cancer regimens. This information would lead to new tailored therapy strategies for this lethal disease.
Determinants of Copper Resistance in Acidithiobacillus Ferrivorans ACH Isolated from the Chilean Altiplano

The use of microorganisms in mining processes is a technology widely employed around the world. Leaching bacteria are characterized by having resistance mechanisms for several metals found in their acidic environments, some of which have been partially described in the Acidithiobacillus genus (mainly on ferrooxidans species). However, the response to copper has not been studied in the psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans strains. Therefore, we propose to elucidate the response mechanisms of A. ferrivorans ACH to high copper concentrations (0–800 mM), describing its genetic repertoire and transcriptional regulation. Our results show that A. ferrivorans ACH can grow in up to 400 mM of copper. Moreover, we found the presence of several copper-related makers, belonging to cop and cus systems, as well as rusticyanins and periplasmatic acop protein in the genome. Interestingly, the ACH strain is the only one in which we find three copies of copB and copZ genes. Moreover, transcriptional expression showed an up-regulation response (acop, copZ, cusA, rusA, and rusB) to high copper concentrations. Finally, our results support the important role of these genes in A. ferrivorans copper stress resistance, promoting the use of the ACH strain in industrial leaching under low temperatures, which could decrease the activation times of oxidation processes and the energy costs.
Regional-scale heterogeneity in primate community structure at multiple undisturbed forest sites across south-eastern Peru

Abstract: The forests of western Amazonia support high site-level biological diversity, yet regional community heterogeneity is poorly understood. Using data from line transect surveys at 37 forest sites in south-eastern Peru, we assessed whether local primate assemblages are heterogeneous at the scale of a major watershed. We examined patterns of richness, abundance and community structure as a function of forest type, hunting pressure, land-management regime and geographic location. The primate assemblage composition and structure varied spatially across this relatively small region of Amazonia (≈ 85 000 km2), resulting from large-scale species patchiness rather than species turnover. Primate species richness varied among sites by a factor of two, community similarity by a factor of four and aggregate biomass by a factor of 45. Several environmental variables exhibited influence on community heterogeneity, though none as much as geographic location. Unflooded forest sites had higher species richness than floodplain forests, although neither numerical primate abundance nor aggregate biomass varied with forest type. Non-hunted sites safeguarded higher abundance and biomass, particularly of large-bodied species, than hunted sites. Spatial differences among species assemblages of a relatively generalist taxon like primates in this largely undisturbed forest region imply that community heterogeneity may be even greater in more species-rich taxa, as well as in regions of greater forest habitat diversity.
Effects of wildfire and permafrost on soil organic matter and soil climate in interior Alaska

The influence of discontinuous permafrost on ground‐fuel storage, combustion losses, and postfire soil climates was examined after a wildfire near Delta Junction, AK in July 1999. At this site, we sampled soils from a four‐way site comparison of burning (burned and unburned) and permafrost (permafrost and nonpermafrost). Soil organic layers (which comprise ground‐fuel storage) were thicker in permafrost than nonpermafrost soils both in burned and unburned sites. While we expected fire severity to be greater in the drier site (without permafrost), combustion losses were not significantly different between the two burned sites. Overall, permafrost and burning had significant effects on physical soil variables. Most notably, unburned permafrost sites with the thickest organic mats consistently had the coldest temperatures and wettest mineral soil, while soils in the burned nonpermafrost sites were warmer and drier than the other soils. For every centimeter of organic mat thickness, temperature at 5 cm depth was about 0.5°C cooler during summer months. We propose that organic soil layers determine to a large extent the physical and thermal setting for variations in vegetation, decomposition, and carbon balance across these landscapes. In particular, the deep organic layers maintain the legacies of thermal and nutrient cycling governed by fire and revegetation. We further propose that the thermal influence of deep organic soil layers may be an underlying mechanism responsible for large regional patterns of burning and regrowth, detected in fractal analyses of burn frequency and area. Thus, fractal geometry can potentially be used to analyze changes in state of these fire prone systems.
Relationships between soil microbial diversity and plant community structure in seminatural grasslands

Although plants and soil biota have mutual functional links as producers and decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems, less is known about structural linkages between above-ground and below-ground communities. For this study, we examined whether plant species richness and soil microbial richness are related to each other, and how their richness is related to soil fertility and herbivore activity at 24 plots of the Shiriyazaki seminatural grassland in northern Japan. Prokaryote (bacterial) richness and eukaryote richness were evaluated by the band number of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) using 16S and 18S ribosomal DNA fragments. Plant species richness was negatively related to soil nitrogen availability and phosphorus content. Prokaryote richness showed a negative correlation with soil phosphorus contents and no significant correlation with vegetation structure (height, richness and functional type composition). Eukaryote (mainly fungi) richness showed significant positive correlations with plant species richness, community height and forb species composition. These results suggest that bacterial richness is influenced by soil properties, whereas eukaryote richness is associated closely with vegetation structure.
CLUSTERING OF WALL GEOMETRY FROM UNSTRUCTURED POINT CLOUDS

Abstract. The automated reconstruction of Building Information Modeling (BIM) objects from point cloud data is still ongoing research. A key aspect is retrieving the proper observations for each object. After segmenting and classifying the initial point cloud, the labeled segments should be clustered according to their respective objects. However, this procedure is challenging due to noise, occlusions and the associativity between different objects. This is especially important for wall geometry as it forms the basis for further BIM reconstruction. In this work, a method is presented to automatically group wall segments derived from point clouds according to the proper walls of a building. More specifically, a Conditional Random Field is employed that evaluates the context of each observation in order to determine which wall it belongs too. The emphasis is on the clustering of highly associative walls as this topic currently is a gap in the body of knowledge. First a set of classified planar primitives is obtained using algorithms developed in prior work. Next, both local and contextual features are extracted based on the nearest neighbors and a number of seeds that are heuristically determined. The final wall clusters are then computed by decoding the graph and thus the most likely configuration of the observations. The experiments prove that the used method is a promising framework for wall clustering from unstructured point cloud data. Compared to a conventional region growing method, the proposed method significantly reduces the rate of false positives, resulting in better wall clusters. A key advantage of the proposed method is its capability of dealing with complex wall geometry in entire buildings opposed to the presented methods in current literature.
A new approach to graphical analysis of feeding strategy from stomach contents data—modification of the Costello (1990) method

A modification of the graphical Costello method is proposed for the analysis of stomach contents data. The new method allows prey importance, feeding strategy and the interand intra-individual components of niche width to be explored using graphical presentation. The analysis is based on a two-dimensional representation of prey-specific abundance and frequency of occurrence of the different prey types in the diet. The paper describes the new method and the parameters therein, and also present some examples of the utilization of the method. The method may be particularly well-suited for the examination of predictions made from optimal foraging, competition and niche theories.
Endovascular treatment of complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms using TuBridge flow diverters

Background The safety and efficacy of the TuBridge flow diverter in treating middle cerebral artery aneurysms remains unknown. In this study, we report our preliminary experience treating complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms using the TuBridge flow diverter. Methods A prospectively maintained database of intracranial aneurysms treated with the TuBridge flow diverter was retrospectively reviewed, and patients with middle cerebral artery aneurysms were included in this study. Demographics, aneurysm features, complications, and clinical and angiographic outcomes were assessed. Evaluation of the angiographic results included occlusion grade of aneurysm (O’Kelly–Marotta grading scale), patency of jailed branch(es), and in-stent stenosis. Results Eight patients with eight middle cerebral artery aneurysms were included in this study. The mean aneurysm size was 11.8 ± 6.8 mm. There were no procedure-related complications and there was no morbidity or mortality at a mean follow-up of 11.3 ± 3.6 months. All patients had follow-up angiograms at a mean of 7.5 ± 4.0 months after surgery. Of the eight patients, there was 1 (12.5%) O’Kelly–Marotta grading scale A, 3 (37.5%) O’Kelly–Marotta grading scale B, 1 (12.5%) O’Kelly–Marotta grading scale C, and 3 (37.5%) O’Kelly–Marotta grading scale D. Of the seven patients with jailed branch, the blood flow of jailed branch was unchanged in 4 (57.1%), decreased in 2 (28.6%), and occluded in 1 (14.3%). In-stent stenosis was mild in 2 (25%) patients and moderate in 1 (12.5%) patient. Conclusion Midterm results suggest that endovascular treatment of middle cerebral artery aneurysms using the TuBridge flow diverter is safe and associated with good outcomes. The TuBridge flow diverter may be an option for complex middle cerebral artery aneurysms that are difficult to treat with either clipping or coiling.
The Effects of a Parenting Program on Maternal Well-Being: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract This paper evaluates how a light-touch parenting program for parents of children below school entry age affects maternal family well-being. We analyze data from a randomized controlled trial focusing on non-disadvantaged parents. Overall, results show no short-term effects but a relatively large positive effect of the intervention on maternal family well-being in the medium term. With a 20- to 30-percent standard deviation, the effects appearing three years after treatment are relatively large. Mechanisms such as improvements in child behavior are further explored.
Analysis of arbuscular mycorrhizas using symbiosis-defective plant mutants

Summary Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM), mutualistic plant–fungus symbioses formed on the majority of land plants, appear to play an important role in plant mineral nutrition, plant health, and might influence the structure of plant communities. Progress in understanding the genetic and molecular basis of this important symbiotic association has been hampered by the obligate biotrophy of the fungal partner, and by the lack of mycorrhiza formation on the plant model species Arabidopsis thaliana. Recently, legume plants, such as Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus, have been chosen as experimental systems for research of plant–microbe symbioses. The application of both reverse- and traditional forward-genetic approaches, in conjunction with genomics initiatives in model legumes, will rapidly increase our understanding of the plant-encoded genetic determinants of the arbuscular mycorrhiza. An essential step in this process has been the generation, isolation and analysis of mycorrhizal mutants. This review provides an introduction to existing plant mutants affected in AM formation.
Virus infection is controlled by hematopoietic and stromal cell sensing of murine cytomegalovirus through STING

Recognition of DNA viruses, such as cytomegaloviruses (CMVs), through pattern-recognition receptor (PRR) pathways involving MyD88 or STING constitute a first-line defense against infections mainly through production of type I interferon (IFN-I). However, the role of these pathways in different tissues is incompletely understood, an issue particularly relevant to the CMVs which have broad tissue tropisms. Herein, we contrasted anti-viral effects of MyD88 versus STING in distinct cell types that are infected with murine CMV (MCMV). Bone marrow chimeras revealed STING-mediated MCMV control in hematological cells, similar to MyD88. However, unlike MyD88, STING also contributed to viral control in non-hematological, stromal cells. Infected splenic stromal cells produced IFN-I in a cGAS-STING-dependent and MyD88-independent manner, while we confirmed plasmacytoid dendritic cell IFN-I had inverse requirements. MCMV-induced natural killer cytotoxicity was dependent on MyD88 and STING. Thus, MyD88 and STING contribute to MCMV control in distinct cell types that initiate downstream immune responses.
Species differences in ligand affinity at central A3‐adenosine receptors

Binding affinities of purine derivatives at A3 adenosine receptors in different species were compared. Binding was carried out using the novel high affinity agonist ligand [125I]AB‐MECA (3‐iodo‐4‐aminobenzyladenosine‐5′‐N‐methyluronamide) in the presence of 1.0 μM XAC (8‐[4‐[[[[(2‐aminoethyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl]oxy]phenyl]‐1,3‐dipropylxanthin), an A1‐ and A2a‐adenosine antagonist. XAC was added to eliminate binding to non‐A3 receptors. In rat brain membranes [125I]AB‐MECA exhibited saturable, specific binding with a Kd of 2.28 nM and a Bmax of 43 fmol/mg protein. The affinity of [125I]AB‐MECA at the gerbil and rabbit brain A3‐receptors was similar to the rat, suggesting that the affinity of this agonist is not highly species dependent. The affinity of various xanthine derivatives was measured in [125I]AB‐MECA competition binding assays. Gerbil and rabbit brain A3‐receptors were similar in the affinity of antagonists whose potency order in both species was: BWA522 ≥ CPX > XCC, XAC, SPX, BWA1433 > theophylline. The affinities of 8‐arylxanthines at the rat, rabbit, and gerbil brain A3 receptors were considerably less than the previously reported affinities at cloned sheep and human A3 receptors. Species differences in agonist affinity were assessed by comparing Ki values at cloned rat brain A3 receptors expressed in CHO cells with cloned sheep and human A3 receptors. Human and rat brain A3 receptors were highly similar in the relative affinities of agonists, and sheep brain A3 receptors were unlike either human or rat A3 receptors in agonist affinity. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Age, but not Sex or Genetic Relatedness, Shapes Raccoon Dominance Patterns

Raccoons are generally regarded as solitary, yet several studies have found that raccoons frequently form social affiliations. One benefit to sociality in many mammal species is that relatives and close associates can form coalitions against third parties during agonistic encounters. We tested whether raccoon dominance patterns were influenced by age, sex, genetic relatedness, and association patterns at two anthropogenic feeding stations in an urban forest. We found that genetic relatedness had no significant effect on patterns of agonism at one of the feeding stations. At the second feeding station, raccoons were more likely to act aggressively toward close relatives, which is opposite of the predicted pattern. However, when we controlled for the number of times raccoons arrived at feeding stations in close proximity, the effect of relatedness on dominance patterns was not significant at either feeding station. These results suggest that relatedness plays little or no role in shaping dominance patterns of raccoons. Older raccoons were ranked significantly higher in the dominance hierarchies regardless of sex. This pattern leads us to conclude that age is the primary factor driving the outcome of aggressive interactions in raccoons at our study site. Despite frequent social interactions at the study site, the patterns of raccoon dominance more closely resemble patterns found in solitary animals. To confirm the generality of these results and to better understand the evolution of raccoon social behavior, similar studies need to be undertaken in other raccoon populations.
Induction of Cell Death in the Human Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cell Line Reh by Infection with Rotavirus Isolate Wt1-5

Cancer is a major health problem that poses a great challenge to health care systems worldwide. Tools for cancer treatment have rapidly advanced in recent years, resulting in therapeutic strategies which are alternative and complementary to conventional treatment. To identify the cell surface receptors used by a tumor cell-adapted rotavirus and the cell death markers induced by its infection, we use Wt1-5, a rotavirus isolate recently adapted to tumor cells, to infect the human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line, Reh. The expression of cell surface receptors used by Wt1-5 was determined using flow cytometry and an antibody blocking assay to test for their implication in virus infection. Viral antigens and cell death markers induced by rotavirus infection were followed by flow cytometric analysis. The present study showed that rotavirus Wt1-5 was able to use cell surface proteins such as heat shock proteins (HSPs) 90, 70, 60 and 40, Hsc70, PDI and integrin β3. Rotavirus Wt1-5 induced cytotoxic effects including changes in cell membrane permeability, alteration of mitochondrial membrane potential, DNA fragmentation and activation of cell death signaling. Wt1-5 deserves to be further studied as a candidate oncolytic agent due to its ability to induce apoptosis in lymphoblastic leukemia-derived cells.
The evolution of sexually dimorphic cuticular hydrocarbons in blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are organic compounds found on the cuticles of all insects which can act as close‐contact pheromones, while also providing a hydrophobic barrier to water loss. Given their widespread importance in sexual behaviour and survival, CHCs have likely contributed heavily to the adaptation and speciation of insects. Despite this, the patterns and mechanisms of their diversification have been studied in very few taxa. Here, we perform the first study of CHC diversification in blowflies, focussing on wild populations of the ecologically diverse genus Chrysomya. We convert CHC profiles into qualitative and quantitative traits and assess their inter‐ and intra‐specific variation across 10 species. We also construct a global phylogeny of Chrysomya, onto which CHCs were mapped to explore the patterns of their diversification. For the first time, we demonstrate that blowflies express an exceptional diversity of CHCs, which have diversified in a nonphylogenetic and punctuated manner, are species‐specific and sexually dimorphic. It is likely that both ecological and sexual selection have shaped these patterns of CHC diversification, and our study now provides a comprehensive framework for testing such hypotheses.