Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stress‐induced cortisol modulates the control of memory retrieval towards the dorsal striatum

Stress can modulate the recruitment of multiple memory systems during learning, favouring dorsal striatal “habit” learning over hippocampal “cognitive” learning. Here, we tested whether stress may also bias the engagement of “cognitive” and “habit” systems during retrieval and thereby affect the nature of remembering. To this end, participants first performed a probabilistic classification learning task that can be solved by both the “cognitive” and the “habit” system. Twenty‐four hours later, participants underwent either a stress manipulation or a non‐stressful control procedure before they completed a retention test for the previously learned task in the MRI scanner. During this retention test, stress‐induced cortisol levels were linked to a relative bias towards behavioural strategies indicative for the “habit” system. At the neural level, stress led to increased dorsal striatal activity during retrieval. Elevated cortisol levels were directly correlated with increased activity in the dorsal striatum and further linked to reduced functional connectivity between the hippocampus and the amygdala, which is assumed to orchestrate the stress‐related shift from “cognitive” to “habitual” control. Together, our data suggest that stress may bias the contributions of multiple memory systems also at retrieval, in a manner that promotes dorsal striatal “habit” processes and most likely driven by cortisol.
Cell Models for Birth Defects Caused by Chloroethylnitrosourea-induced DNA Lesions.

Birth defects have been linked to administration of alkylating agents during pregnancy. The anti-tumor efficacy of alkylating agents correlate with their ability to induce DNA lesions, especially interstrand crosslinks (ICLs). Yet the role of DNA damages in birth defects remains to be clarified, owing, in part, to a lack of cell models. Here we generate DNA lesions in NIH/3T3 cells to mimic defects in fetus triggered by 3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU, carmustine). CCK-8 assay suggests that BCNU-induced cell death was dose-dependent. Alkaline comet tests and γ-H2AX staining confirm DNA ICLs and other forms of DNA damages caused by BCNUs. The cell cycle analysis shows cells arrest in G2/M phase until crosslinks repair is complete. Taken together, all these experiments demonstrate we have successfully established normal cell models for birth defects caused by BCNU-mediated DNA damages. The model can not only guide the development of effective and low-toxicity anticancer drugs, but also be of great significance for the study of neonatal malformation triggered by BCNUs.
Graph theory illustrates spatial and temporal features that structure elephant rest locations and reflect risk perception

Understanding the spatial structuring of animal behaviors and how they link landscapes can be critical for conservation management. This emerging field has been greatly facilitated by technologically advanced acquisition and analysis of data on animal movements. The framework of graph theory, which directly quantifies network connectivity properties, provides a useful addition to this tool set. Using a novel application of graph theory, we investigate the structure and patterning of African elephant Loxodonta africana rest sites, a potentially critical feature structuring spatial properties of animal populations. Elephants in the study rested intermittently and for short durations (1–3 rests d–1, lasting 3–5 h total). They switched circadian rest patterns according to landscape attributes, resting more during the day and further from permanent water in areas with high human density outside protected areas. Within protected areas and during the dry season, elephants showed clustering and sequential use of rest nodes (repeated motifs). Repeated use of specific rest nodes (self-looping) was more frequent than expected if rest nodes were chosen at random, particularly when outside protected areas further from water, indicating the importance of preferred rest sites. Our results suggest that elephants adjust resting behavior when in human-dominated areas, using preferred resting sites presumably in locations that reduce the risk of interactions. This study demonstrates how graph theory may be used practically to gain novel insight into behaviours, such as resting, that are discrete in time and space. Furthermore, analysis of the spatial and network properties of rest sites, given an individual's susceptibility when engaged in rest behavior, allowed characterization of spatio-temporal risk perception, providing a powerful behavioral based means to quantify the landscape of fear.
Characterizing Vocal Fold Injury Recovery in a Rabbit Model With Three‐Dimensional Virtual Histology

In animal studies of vocal fold scarring and treatment, imaging‐based evaluation is most often conducted by tissue slicing and histological staining. Given variation in anatomy, injury type, severity, and sacrifice timepoints, planar histological sections provide limited spatiotemporal details of tissue repair. Three‐dimensional (3D) virtual histology may provide additional contextual spatial information, enhancing objective interpretation. The study's aim was to evaluate the suitability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), microscale computed tomography (CT), and nonlinear laser‐scanning microscopy (NM) as virtual histology approaches for rabbit studies of vocal fold scarring.
A new cave species of Deuteraphorura (Collembola: Onychiuridae) and redescription of four species of the genus from Italy

The description of a new species and the redescription of four species of the genus Deuteraphorura are given. Deuteraphorura caprelleana sp. nov. is characterized by the peculiar distribution of dorsal (32/033/33354) and ventral (3/011/3212) pseudocelli that allow to recognize it from the other congeneric species. Furthermore, four species, Deuteraphorura apuanica (Dallai, 1970), D. pseudobosnaria (Dallai, 1970), D. pseudoinsubraria (Dallai, 1970) and D. pseudoghidinii (Dallai, 1969), are redescribed based on type and new topotypic material to furnish the description of some characters, especially concerning the chaetotaxy, not considered in the original description. A proposed key to the italian species is also reported.
Single-Base Genome Editing in Corynebacterium glutamicum with the Help of Negative Selection by Target-Mismatched CRISPR/Cpf1

CRISPR/Cpf1 has emerged as a new CRISPR-based genome editing tool because, in comparison with CRIPSR/Cas9, it has a different T-rich PAM sequence to expand the target DNA sequence. Single-base editing in the microbial genome can be facilitated by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis (ODM) followed by negative selection with the CRISPR/Cpf1 system. However, single point mutations aided by Cpf1 negative selection have been rarely reported in Corynebacterium glutamicum. This study aimed to introduce an amber stop codon in crtEb encoding lycopene hydratase, through ODM and Cpf1-mediated negative selection; deficiency of this enzyme causes pink coloration due to lycopene accumulation in C. glutamicum. Consequently, on using double-, triple-, and quadruple-basemutagenic oligonucleotides, 91.5–95.3% pink cells were obtained among the total live C. glutamicum cells. However, among the negatively selected live cells, 0.6% pink cells were obtained using single-base-mutagenic oligonucleotides, indicating that very few single-base mutations were introduced, possibly owing to mismatch tolerance. This led to the consideration of various targetmismatched crRNAs to prevent the death of single-base-edited cells. Consequently, we obtained 99.7% pink colonies after CRISPR/Cpf1-mediated negative selection using an appropriate singlemismatched crRNA. Furthermore, Sanger sequencing revealed that single-base mutations were successfully edited in the 99.7% of pink cells, while only two of nine among 0.6% of pink cells were correctly edited. The results indicate that the target-mismatched Cpf1 negative selection can assist in efficient and accurate single-base genome editing methods in C. glutamicum.
Development of a dot blot technique for rapid identi®cation of Botrytis cinerea, the causal organism of grey mould in greenhouse tomatoes

Summary A dot blot assay, based on the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal region, was developed for rapid diagnosis and identification of Botrytis cinerea, the causal agent of grey mould of greenhouse tomatoes. In this assay, DNA from fungal cultures and diseased plant tissue were amplified by PCR using primers specific to septate fungi, fixed to nylon membranes, and hybridized with digoxigenin-d-UTP labelled oligonucleotides specific to B. cinerea. The hybridized probes were detected by chemiluminescence. Six isolates of B. cinerea, four isolates of Botrytis species, one isolate each of B. fabae, B. squamosa, B. streptothrix, B. allii, B. porri, and B. tulipae and some common greenhouse pathogens were tested using this assay. Of four probes screened, probe Bot1 gave a positive reaction with all isolates of B. cinerea and with fresh or frozen plant tissue affected with grey mould from research centres and commercial greenhouses. All other greenhouse fungi tested negative with probe Bot1. This dot blot diagnoses infection by B. cinerea in large numbers of samples rapidly and reliably and distinguishes isolates of B. cinerea from other epiphyte fungi found on greenhouse crops.
Liquid biopsy with cell free DNA: new horizons for prostate cancer

Abstract Although prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common tumors in European males, the only minimally invasive diagnostic tool in PCa setup is the determination of PSA in serum. Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) has been demonstrated to be helpful for PCa diagnosis but has not yet been integrated into the clinical setting. This review aims to provide a systematic update of cfDNA and its fragmentation patterns in PCa reported in literature published over the last twenty years. Due to the high variability of the scientific methods adopted and a lack of standardized median cfDNA levels, results fluctuate across different studies. These differences may be due to the cfDNA source, the quantification method, or the fragmentation pattern. Blood plasma is the most frequently analyzed biological fluid, but seminal plasma has been reported to contain higher cfDNA concentration due to its vicinity to the tumor origin. CfDNA has been shown to be composed of single-stranded (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), so the total cfDNA concentration should be preferred as it corresponds best to the tumor mass. Fluorometry and capillary electrophoresis (CE) may be quick and cost-effective tools for cfDNA assessment in a clinical setting. The greatest future challenge is the elaboration of common guidelines and standardized procedures for diagnostic laboratories performing cfDNA analysis. A multiparametric approach combining the analysis of total cfDNA (both ssDNA and dsDNA), cfDNA fragment length, and specific genetic mutations (ctDNA assessment) is required for optimal future applications of liquid biopsy.
Control of degreening by sucrose laurate ester and heat treatment of Citrus nagato-yuzukichi fruit

Summary The influence of sucrose laurate ester (SLE) and heat treatments on degreening of fruit of Nagato-yuzukichi (Citrus nagato-yuzukichi), a kind of highly flavoured,acidic, green citrus, was determined. The fruit, which were treated with hot water at 50°C or water at ambient temperature (control) for 3 min or with SLE solution at ambient temperature or at 50°C for 3 min, were placed into a perforated polyethylene-fllm bag and stored at 20°C for two weeks. The level of the Hue angle (surface colour) in SLE-treated fruit at 50°C decreased slightly by 5% in accordance with the suppression of degreening in the flavedo, whereas those in both the hot-water treated fruit and the control decreased by 20% during storage. The level of the Hue angle in SLE-treated fruit at ambient temperature also decreased slightly by about 3% for the flrst 6 d of storage. Internal O2 and CO2 concentrations of the fruit treated with SLE at 50°C decreased to half and increased 2.8-fold after 7 d of storage, respectively. Of the chemical components, the total sugar and citric acid contents decreased by about 20% during storage, regardless of treatment, but any differences were barely perceptible. The ascorbic acid content, however, remained almost unchanged during storage in fruit of all treatments. The enchancement of chlorophyll-degrading peroxidase activity of SLE-treated fruit at 50°C was more suppressed than any other treatment during storage. These results suggest that SLE treatment at 50°C could effectively reduce degreening of green Nagato-yuzukichi fruit.
Isoenzyme patterns of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Naegleria spp. using agarose isoelectric focusing.

: Using agarose isoelectric focusing, the isoenzyme patterns of 7 different enzymes were compared in 52 Naegleria strains. The pathogenic N. fowleri was found the most homogeneous species. N. lovaniensis seems to be constituted of different types which form nevertheless a cohesive group. Within N. gruberi, large interstrain band variations were found in almost all enzyme systems. A re-examination of the taxonomic position of this species may therefore be taken into consideration. High temperature strains from Australia were confirmed to be different from N. lovaniensis. Members of a new pathogenic Naegleria sp. , N. australiensis, seem to occur in Europe. Large thermophilic strains with many large pores in the cysts show identical zymograms and may constitute a new species or genus.
Association of insularity and body condition to cloacal bacteria prevalence in a small shorebird

Do islands harbour less diverse disease communities than mainland? The island biogeography theory predicts more diverse communities on mainland than on islands due to more niches, more diverse habitats and availability of greater range of hosts. We compared bacteria prevalences of Campylobacter, Chlamydia and Salmonella in cloacal samples of a small shorebird, the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) between two island populations of Macaronesia and two mainland locations in the Iberian Peninsula. Bacteria were found in all populations but, contrary to the expectations, prevalences did not differ between islands and mainland. Females had higher prevalences than males for Salmonella and when three bacteria genera were pooled together. Bacteria infection was unrelated to bird’s body condition but females from mainland were heavier than males and birds from mainland were heavier than those from islands. Abiotic variables consistent throughout breeding sites, like high salinity that is known to inhibit bacteria growth, could explain the lack of differences in the bacteria prevalence between areas. We argue about the possible drivers and implications of sex differences in bacteria prevalence in Kentish plovers.
Development syndromes in New World temperate and tropical songbirds

We studied avian development in 49 to 153 species of temperate and tropical New World passerine birds to determine how growth rates, and incubation and nestling periods, varied in relation to other life-history traits. We collected growth data and generated unbiased mass and tarsus growth rate estimates (mass n = 92 species, tarsus n = 49 species), and measured incubation period (n = 151) and nestling period (n = 153), which we analyzed with respect to region, egg mass, adult mass, clutch size, parental care type, nest type, daily nest predation rate (DMR), and nest height. We investigated covariation of life-history and natural-history attributes with the four development traits after controlling for phylogeny. Species in our lowland tropical sample grew 20% (incubation period), 25% (mass growth rate), and 26% (tarsus growth rate) more slowly than in our temperate sample. Nestling period did not vary with respect to latitude, which suggests that tropical songbirds fledge in a less well-developed state than temperate species. Suboscine species typically exhibited slower embryonic and post-embryonic growth than oscine passerines regardless of their breeding region. This pattern of slow development in tropical species could reflect phylogenetic effects based on unknown physiological attributes. Time-dependent nest mortality was unrelated to nestling mass growth rate, tarsus growth rate, and incubation period, but was significantly associated with nestling period. This suggests that nest predation, the predominant cause of nest loss in songbirds, does not exert strong selection on physiologically constrained traits, such as embryonic and post-embryonic growth, among our samples of temperate and lowland tropical songbird species. Nestling period, which is evolutionarily more labile than growth rate, was significantly shorter in birds exposed to higher rates of nest loss and nesting at lower heights, among other traits. Differences in life-history variation across latitudes provide insight into how unique ecological characteristics of each region influence physiological processes of passerines, and thus, how they can shape the evolution of life histories. While development traits clearly vary with respect to latitude, trait distributions overlap broadly. Life-history and natural history associations differ for each development trait, which suggests that unique selective pressures or constraints influence the evolution of each trait.
Spermathecal Variation in Temperate Opiliones

Synopsis Most arachnid fertilization occurs internally, allowing for a variety of post-copulatory mechanisms to take place. Females are expected to exert some level of control over sperm fate when (1) the point of gametic fusion is particularly distant from the point of oogenesis, (2) the time of syngamy is significantly later than the time of mating, (3) sperm are non-motile, and/or (4) the morphology of females allows for selective containment of sperm. Many of these conditions are met in Opiliones (a.k.a. “harvesters,” “harvestmen,” or “daddy-longlegs”), where we have evidence of sexual antagonism, multiple mating, and delayed oviposition for a number of species. We used confocal laser scanning microscopy to capture and analyze images of harvester spermathecae, structures within the genitalia of female arthropods that store and maintain sperm after copulation. Spermathecal morphology may have critical function in controlling seminal movement. We anticipated that species with previously identified traits associated with sexual antagonism would also have thicker and/or relatively more complex spermathecae. We examined spermathecal morphology in 13 species of Leiobunum and 1 species of Hadrobunus, which were collected from North America and Japan. Our results show that eight species had structures consisting of a single chamber with no or partial invagination, and the remainder had multiple cuticular invaginations producing 2–3 lumina within the spermathecae. Using phylogenetic multivariate comparative methods, we estimated a trend toward cross-correlation between conflict and spermathecal traits. Some, but not all, of the species with thicker, more complex spermathecae had morphological traits associated with sexual conflict (larger body size, thicker genital muscle). In conclusion, we discuss methods to elucidate spermathecal mechanism and sperm precedence in these species. Confocal microscopy allowed us to visualize internal structures difficult to interpret with two-dimensional brightfield microscopy, a technique that could be applied to the characterization of internal reproductive structures in other arthropods.
A Novel Solid Artificial Diet for Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae) Larvae With Fitness Parameters Assessed by Two-Sex Life Table

Abstract The melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), is a serious pest of many fruits and vegetables throughout the world. Here we have developed an easy and quick-to-prepare solid medium with multiple benefits including reductions in post-rearing waste, storage space, and labor for rearing Z. cucurbitae larvae. The development time from egg to pupa was 19.11 d when larvae were reared on the artificial diet, slightly longer than 17.73 d on pumpkin and 17.13 d on cucumber. Zeugodacus cucurbitae achieved higher values of pupal weight, length, and width on the artificial diet than two natural diet controls. The rates of pupation and adult emergence of Z. cucurbitae grown on the solid medium were comparable with those on pumpkin and cucumber. Furthermore, determined by age-specific two-sex life table method, the age-specific survival rate of Z. cucurbitae was higher on the artificial diet than cucumber but lower than pumpkin. The reproductive ability and population dynamics of Z. cucurbitae were not significantly affected on the solid medium compared with those on the two natural diets. The results suggest that our solid artificial diet is excellent for rearing Z. cucurbitae larvae in laboratory and may be used for its mass rearing, therefore facilitating its research and control.
Clinal size variation in Canada geese affects morphometric discrimination techniques

We evaluated morphometric discrimination models designed to use skull length to differentiate between giant Canada geese (Branta canadensis maxima) and interior Canada geese (B. c. interior). We found significant differences in mean skull lengths of interior Canada geese from 3 areas in James Bay (Duncan's multiple range test, P < 0.05). Geese decreased in size with increasing latitude, but those from Akimiski Island did not fit this pattern, and were smaller than those from the adjacent mainland. Morphometric discrimination techniques appeared to work adequately in northwest James Bay and on Akimiski Island, but were less reliable in southern James Bay, where the largest interior Canada geese were found. Molt migrant giant Canada geese were apparent in all areas, but most were distinguishable by morphometric methods from interiors at all sites except southern James Bay. Detailed knowledge of geographic variation in body size will improve the usefulness of morphometric discrimination techniques for Canada goose research and management. We recommend the skull length models developed by Moser and Rolley (1990) for use in differentiating giant from interior Canada geese in much of the Mississippi Flyway, except where southern James Bay mainland geese occur. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 61(1):183-190