Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological and genetic variation of Leptopelis brevirostris encompasses the little-known treefrogs Leptopelis crystallinoron from Gabon and Leptopelis brevipes from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

ABSTRACT The Central African treefrog Leptopelis brevirostris has a characteristically short and vertically truncated snout, a tooth-like process at the centre of the mandible, and unlike most species of Leptopelis, eats terrestrial gastropods. Two morphologically similar species (L. crystallinoron and L. brevipes) have been described in sympatry with L. brevirostris, each on the basis of a single female specimen and then provisionally synonymised with L. brevirostris by subsequent authors. Here we re-examine the holotypes of the three species and collect both genetic (mtDNA and 25 nuDNA loci) and morphological data across the range of L. brevirostris and its sister species L. notatus to test the hypothesis that L. brevirostris is comprised of more than one species. We found that the diagnostic characters for L. crystallinoron (lacking a visible tympanum and having larger vomerine teeth in contact) and L. brevipes (distinctive dorsal colouration) are also present in L. brevirostris and L. notatus. Furthermore, these characters vary among individuals that share the same mitochondrial haplotype and that occur within a single locality, including the type locality of L. crystallinoron. Although all samples from the type locality of L. crystallinoron form a distinct mitochondrial lineage relative to L. brevipes and L. brevirostris, our analysis of 25 nuclear loci does not support this relationship and instead suggests that this mitochondrial divergence reflects phylogeographic structure across the range of L. brevirostris, including samples from the type localities of L. crystallinoron and L. brevipes. By contrast, the mitochondrial divergence between L. notatus and L. brevirostris is strongly supported in the nuDNA dataset. Consequently, we recognise both L. brevipes and L. crystallinoron as synonyms of L. brevirostris. Given the extensive variation in the colour pattern, the tympanic membrane, and the size and shape of the vomerine teeth among L. brevirostris collected from one locality, variation in these traits should be interpreted with caution in taxonomic research on Leptopelis.
Alpha 6 integrins promote cytokinesis by regulating the expression of RSK2 and MKLP1

The integrin-mediated interaction of cells with components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates many cellular processes including cell division. Cytokinesis is the last step of cell division and is critical for normal development and tissue homeostasis as it ensures the proper segregation of genetic and cytoplasmic material between daughter cells. Cytokinesis failure leads to defects in development and tissue differentiation, as well as tumorigenesis. Abscission of intercellular bridge that connects presumptive daughter cells is the last step of cell division. The mitotic kinesin-like protein 1 (MKLP1) plays a central role in positioning the abscission machinery. Here, we show that α6 integrins promote successful cytokinesis in salivary gland epithelial cells by regulating the expression of MKLP1. RNAi-mediated depletion of α6 integrins inhibits cytokinesis and the expression of MKLP1 and p90 ribosomal-S6-kinase 2 (RSK2). Depletion of RSK2 results in similar defects in cytokinesis and also inhibits the expression of MKLP1, suggesting that the expression of RSK2 is required downstream of integrins to promote MKLP1 expression and successful cytokinesis. RNAi-mediated depletion of RSK2 in embryonic salivary glands in organ culture also results in the inhibition of cytokinesis and MKLP1 expression, indicating the physiological significance of this pathway.
Maternal and congenital infections arising from Zika, dengue and Chikungunya arboviruses in Salvador, Brazil.

BACKGROUND Salvador was one of the Brazilian cities most affected during the 2015 Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak. METHODS A cross-sectional study was performed with enrolment of parturients and their newborns. RESULTS Positive IgM antibodies for ZIKV, dengue (DENV) and Chikungunya (CHIKV) were present in 6.9, 11.9 and 22.8% of the parturients, and IgG antibodies were detected in 72.3, 92.3 and 38.6%, respectively. No cases of DENV congenital infection were identified. ZIKV and CHIKV congenital infections were observed in 16.5 and 13% of newborns, respectively. CONCLUSIONS High exposure rates to the three arboviruses and the identification of newborns with ZIKV and CHIKV congenital infections reinforces the necessity of ZIKV and CHIKV prenatal and neonatal screening in endemic regions.
Treatment of Osteoid Osteoma by Percutaneous Drill Resection with Computed Tomography Control: A Study of 12 Cases

Osteoid osteoma is a benign tumor requiring excision because of pain, usually severe and debilitating. A new method of treatment is reported involving interventional radiography under general anesthesia: after the lesion is localized by computed tomography (CT) scanning, it is approached through a very short skin incision and resected with special instruments. Twelve patients have been treated successfully. The technical procedure and indications are discussed.
Mind the Outgroup: Influence of Taxon Sampling on Total-Evidence Dating of Pimpliform Parasitoid Wasps (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)

Taxon sampling is a central aspect of phylogenetic study design, but it has received limited attention in the context of molecular dating and especially in the framework of total-evidence dating, a widely used dating approach that directly integrates molecular and morphological information from extant and fossil taxa. We here assess the impact of different outgroup sampling schemes on age estimates in a total-evidence dating analysis under the uniform tree prior. Our study group are Pimpliformes, a highly diverse, rapidly radiating group of parasitoid wasps of the family Ichneumonidae. We cover 201 extant and 79 fossil taxa, including the oldest fossils of the family from the Early Cretaceous and the first unequivocal representatives of extant subfamilies from the mid Paleogene. Based on newly compiled molecular data from ten nuclear genes and a morphological matrix that includes 222 characters, we show that age estimates become both older and less precise with the inclusion of more distant and more poorly sampled outgroups. In addition, we discover an artefact that might be detrimental for total-evidence dating: “bare-branch attraction”, namely high attachment probabilities of, especially, older fossils to terminal branches for which morphological data are missing. After restricting outgroup sampling and adding morphological data for the previously attracting, bare branches, we recover a Middle and Early Jurassic origin for Pimpliformes and Ichneumonidae, respectively. This first age estimate for the group not only suggests an older origin than previously thought, but also that diversification of the crown group happened before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Our case study demonstrates that in order to obtain robust age estimates, total-evidence dating studies need to be based on a thorough and balanced sampling of both extant and fossil taxa, with the aim of minimizing evolutionary rate heterogeneity and missing morphological information.
Differential Effects of Day/Night Cues and the Circadian Clock on the Barley Transcriptome1[OPEN]

Based on diel and circadian leaf transcriptomes in barley wild-type and clock mutant lines we predicted a structure of the barley circadian oscillator and interactions of its individual components with day/night cues. The circadian clock is a complex transcriptional network that regulates gene expression in anticipation of the day/night cycle and controls agronomic traits in plants. However, in crops, how the internal clock and day/night cues affect the transcriptome remains poorly understood. We analyzed the diel and circadian leaf transcriptomes in the barley (Hordeum vulgare) cultivar ‘Bowman’ and derived introgression lines harboring mutations in EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3), LUX ARRHYTHMO1 (LUX1), and EARLY MATURITY7 (EAM7). The elf3 and lux1 mutants exhibited abolished circadian transcriptome oscillations under constant conditions, whereas eam7 maintained oscillations of ≈30% of the circadian transcriptome. However, day/night cues fully restored transcript oscillations in all three mutants and thus compensated for a disrupted oscillator in the arrhythmic barley clock mutants elf3 and lux1. Nevertheless, elf3, but not lux1, affected the phase of the diel oscillating transcriptome and thus the integration of external cues into the clock. Using dynamical modeling, we predicted a structure of the barley circadian oscillator and interactions of its individual components with day/night cues. Our findings provide a valuable resource for exploring the function and output targets of the circadian clock and for further investigations into the diel and circadian control of the barley transcriptome.
Adult Muscle Stem Cell Self-Renewal Induced by Endurance Exercise is Mediated by Inhibition of Mitochondrial Oxygen Consumption

Skeletal muscle stem cells (satellite cells) are well known to participate in regeneration and maintenance of the tissue over time. Studies have shown increases in the number of satellite cells after exercise, but their functional role in endurance training remains unexplored. Here, we found that injured muscles from endurance-exercised mice display improved regenerative capacity, demonstrated through higher densities of newly formed myofibers compared to controls, as well as lower inflammation and fibrosis. Enhanced myogenic function was accompanied by an increased fraction of satellite cells expressing self-renewal markers. Control satellite cells had morphologies suggestive of early differentiation, while endurance exercise enhanced myogenic colony formation. The beneficial effects of endurance exercise were associated with satellite cell metabolic reprogramming, including reduced mitochondrial respiration (O2 consumption) under resting conditions (absence of muscle injury) and increased stemness. During proliferation or activated states (three days after injury), O2 consumption was equal in control and exercised cells. Surprisingly, inhibition of mitochondrial O2 consumption was sufficient to enhance muscle stem cell self-renewal characteristics in vitro. Moreover, transplanted muscle satellite cells from exercised mice or cells with reduced mitochondrial respiration promoted a significant reduction in inflammation compared to controls. We propose that endurance exercise promotes self-renewal and inhibits differentiation in satellite cells, an effect promoted by metabolic reprogramming and respiratory inhibition, and which is associated with a more favorable muscular response to injury.
Characterization extrinsic factors of immobilized cells thermoxilanolytic bacteria in producing xylanase

Enzyme is one of important commodity in industrial world. The majority of industrial enzymes are produced by microorganisms through fermentation. The use of enzymes is largely as a biocatalyst in chemical transformations. Currently there are about 400 known enzymes and about 200 are used commercially. The enzyme industry has grown rapidly and occupies an important position in the field of industry one of which is xylanase enzyme. Xylanase can be produced by molds and bacteria through a fermentation process. Groups of bacteria that are known to produce xylanase are Bacillus and Clostridium. In today’s microbial use of thermophilic bacteria has commercial value because it is able to produce stability of heat-resistant enzymes. In producing enzymes cell immobilization techniques are used to facilitate the purification of products, increase productivity and ease in controlling cell stability. The aim of this study was to Characterization Extrinsic Factors of Immobilized Cells Thermoxilanolytic Bacteria in Producing Xylanase. This research was conducted in June 2017- June 2018 in Laboratory of Microbiology FMIPA UNP. This research was using descriptive method. This research conclusion that temperature effect on xylanase activity with optimum temperature was 70°C and pH affects the xylanase activity with the highest pH was 7.5.
The population genomics of structural variation in a songbird genus

Structural variation (SV) accounts for a substantial part of genetic mutations segregating across eukaryotic genomes with important medical and evolutionary implications. Here, we characterized SV across evolutionary time scales in the songbird genus Corvus using de novo assembly and read mapping approaches. Combining information from short-read (N = 127) and long-read re-sequencing data (N = 31) as well as from optical maps (N = 16) revealed a total of 201,738 insertions, deletions and inversions. Population genetic analysis of SV in the Eurasian crow speciation model revealed an evolutionary young (~530,000 years) cis-acting 2.25-kb retrotransposon insertion reducing expression of the NDP gene with consequences for premating isolation. Our results attest to the wealth of SV segregating in natural populations and demonstrate its evolutionary significance.
Soil water stress ranges: water use efficiency and Chinese cabbage production in protected cultivation

ABSTRACT Water deficit or water excess can affect development and yield of vegetables. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different soil water stress ranges for Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis) in a protected cultivation. The researches were carried out at the Olericulture Sector of Universidade Federal Tecnologica do Paraná between April and July, 2015 and January and April, 2016. Two Chinese cabbage cultivars were analyzed (Eikoo and Kinjitsu) with four soil water stress range (13-17, 23-27, 33-37 and 43-47 kPa) moments of irrigation indicative parameters. The trial design was completely randomized, with four replications, in a factorial scheme. For head fresh mass, a soil stress range of 13-17 kPa resulted in higher yield (527.2 g/plant), in the first research. In the second one, ‘Eikoo’ showed higher productivity in the stress range 13-17 kPa (70.7 t ha-1). About water use efficiency, higher values were obtained, 42.1 kg m-³ in the first research and 47.3 kg m-³ in the second one with Kinjitsu and Eikoo cultivars, respectively, in the stress range 13-17 kPa. ‘Eikoo’ had a higher productivity than ‘Kinjitsu’ in the second research (summer), but in the first one (autumn-winter) these differences were not expressive. The use of stress ranges as indicative of irrigation return time between 13-17 kPa is suitable for Chinese cabbage crop.
Studi Kasus: Paralisis pada Anjing Shih-tzu yang Diduga Terinfeksi Virus Distemper Anjing

Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) merupakan virus RNA beramplop, genus Morbilivirus dari famili Paramyxoviridae. Anjing Shih-tzu yang dijadikan kasus berumur dua tahun, dilaporkan mengalami kelumpuhan sejak dua bulan yang lalu. Anjing pernah didiagnosis CDV dengan gejala letargi, anoreksia, demam, batuk, keluar eksudat berlebih dari hidung dan mata. Anjing tahan terhadap infeksi awal CDV, dan beberapa minggu setelah infeksi, anjing menunjukkan gejala saraf. Berdasarkan riwayat penyakit, tanda klinis dan pemeriksaan darah anjing kasus terindikasi mengalami leukopenia, limfopenia, dan anemia, hewan kasus didiagnosis mengalami paralisis akibat ikutan penyakit distemper anjing. Terapi yang diberikan berupa terapi simptomatis dan supportif dengan pemberian infus NaCl fisiologis sebanyak 870 ml/hari selama 3 hari, injeksi Neurotropic® dengan dosis 0,5 ml sekali pemberian, injeksi Amoxycillin 10% dosis 0,5 ml sekali pemberian, serta antibiotik tabur (Enbatic®) yang ditaburkan pada kulit yang mengalami ulserasi sekali sehari sampai sembuh. Anjing dievaluasi tujuh hari kemudian dan tidak ditemukan tanda-tanda pemulihan dari gejala saraf namun kulit yang mengalami ulserasi terlihat membaik. Evaluasi dihari ke-14 juga tidak banyak perubahan, bekas ulserasi kulit yang tampak memudar. Pada hari ke-28 hewan beberapa kali mengalami epistaksis kemudian mati di hari berikutnya.
Lis1 regulates Phagocytosis by co-localising with actin in the Phagocytic cup

Phagocytosis, the ingestion of solid particles by cells, is essential for nutrient uptake, innate immune response, antigen presentation and organelle homeostasis. Here we show that Lissencephaly-1 (Lis1), a well-known regulator of the microtubule motor Dynein, also co-localises with actin at the phagocytic cup in the early stages of phagocytosis. Both knockdown and overexpression of Lis1 perturbs phagocytosis, suggesting that an optimum level of Lis1 is required to regulate actin dynamics within the phagocytic cup during particle engulfment. This requirement of Lis1 is replicated in mouse macrophage cells as well as in the amoeba Dictyostelium, indicating an evolutionarily conserved role for Lis1 in phagocytosis. In support of these findings, a general role for Lis1 in regulating actin dynamics is suggested by observing defective migration of cells overexpressing Lis1. Taken together, Lis1 localises to the phagocytic cup and influences actin dynamics in a manner that is important for the uptake of solid particles in cells.
“Induction of pancreatic tumor-selective ferroptosis through modulation of cystine import”

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the third-leading cause of cancer mortality in the US and is highly resistant to classical, targeted, and immune therapies. We show that human PDA cells are dependent on the provision of exogenous cystine to avert a catastrophic accumulation of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) that, left unchecked, leads to ferroptotic cell death, both in vitro and in vivo. Using a dual-recombinase genetically engineered model, we found that acute deletion of Slc7a11 led to tumor-selective ferroptosis, tumor stabilizations/regressions, and extended overall survival. The mechanism of ferroptosis induction in PDA cells required the concerted depletion of both glutathione and coenzyme A, highlighting a novel branch of ferroptosis-relevant metabolism. Finally, we found that cystine depletion in vivo using the pre-IND agent cyst(e)inase phenocopied Slc7a11 deletion, inducing tumor-selective ferroptosis and disease stabilizations/regressions in the well-validated KPC model of PDA. One Sentence Summary Genetic and pharmacological targeting of cystine import induces pancreatic cancer-selective ferroptosis in vivo.
Lower levels of human disturbance correspond with longer-term persistence of Endangered Green Peafowl Pavo muticus populations

Summary Galliformes are one of the most threatened groups of birds in South-East Asia, with 27% of the species threatened with extinction. Long term population viability and extinction probability studies, at different levels of threat and management, are lacking due to weak life history data. This study aimed to define the long-term viability and extinction risk of two populations of the endangered Green Peafowl Pavo muticus, facing different threat and protection levels, using Bayesian Population Viability Analysis (BPVA), which requires less data than traditional methods. The results showed an increasing trend in the Green Peafowl population in HuaiKhaKhaeng Wildlife Sanctuary (western Thailand), with a high protection level and low disturbance and high probability of assuring persistence for the next 100 years. By contrast, the population in YokDon National Park (south-central Vietnam), with a high habitat disturbance level and significant hunting pressure, is predicted to decline and has a high probability (99%) of extinction by 2097. Also, the BPVA showed minimum viable population (MVP) estimates of 250 and 450 calling males for the HuaiKhaKhaeng and YokDon populations respectively, assuring high probabilities of long-term persistence if the minimum numbers of males are available. The population size of 219 calling males at YokDon during the 2013 survey is lower than the MVP threshold of 450 calling males, which suggests the species has a low probability of long-term persistence in the area. Despite limited life history and population data, BPVA predicted the future of this population under site-specific conditions, and the results could be used to promote better management and population restoration.
Regulation of nerve growth and patterning by cell surface protein disulphide isomerase

Contact repulsion of growing axons is an essential mechanism for spinal nerve patterning. In birds and mammals the embryonic somites generate a linear series of impenetrable barriers, forcing axon growth cones to traverse one half of each somite as they extend towards their body targets. This study shows that protein disulphide isomerase provides a key component of these barriers, mediating contact repulsion at the cell surface in half-somites. Repulsion is reduced both in vivo and in vitro by a range of methods that inhibit enzyme activity. The activity is critical in initiating a nitric oxide/S-nitrosylation-dependent signal transduction pathway that regulates the growth cone cytoskeleton. Rat forebrain grey matter extracts contain a similar activity, and the enzyme is expressed at the surface of cultured human astrocytic cells and rat cortical astrocytes. We suggest this system is co-opted in the brain to counteract and regulate aberrant nerve terminal growth.
Changes in spinal cord hemodynamic reflect modulation of spinal network with different parameters of epidural stimulation

In this study functional ultrasound (fUS) imaging has been implemented to explore the local hemodynamic response induced by electrical epidural stimulation and to study real-time in vivo functional changes of the spinal cord, taking advantage of the superior spatiotemporal resolution provided by fUS. By quantifying the hemodynamic and electromyographic response features, we tested the hypothesis that the transient hemodynamic response of the spinal cord to electrical epidural stimulation could reflect modulation of the spinal circuitry and accordingly respond to the changes in parameters of electrical stimulation. The results of this study for the first time demonstrate that the hemodynamic response to electrical stimulation could reflect functional organization of the spinal cord. Response in the dorsal areas to epidural stimulation was significantly higher and faster compared to the response in ventral spinal cord. Positive relation between the hemodynamic and the EMG responses was observed at the lower frequencies of epidural stimulation (20 and 40 Hz), which according to our previous findings can facilitate spinal circuitry after spinal cord injury, compared to higher frequencies (200 and 500 Hz). These findings suggest that different mechanisms could be involved in spinal cord hemodynamic changes during different parameters of electrical stimulation and for the first time provide the evidence that functional organization of the spinal cord circuitry could be related to specific organization of spinal cord vasculature and hemodynamic. Significance Statement Electrical epidural stimulation (EES) has been successfully applied to control chronic refractory pain and was evolved to alleviate motor impairment after spinal cord injury, in Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological conditions. The mechanisms underlying the EES remain unclear, and current methods for monitoring EES are limited in sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolutions to evaluate functional changes in response to EES. We tested the hypothesis that the transient hemodynamic response of the spinal cord to EES could reflect modulation of the spinal cord circuitry and accordingly respond to the changes in parameters of EES. The proposed methodology opens a new direction for quantitative evaluation of the spinal cord hemodynamic in understanding the mechanisms of spinal cord functional organization and effect of neuromodulation.