Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strong Spatial Influence on Colonization Rates in a Pioneer Zooplankton Metacommunity

The magnitude of community-wide dispersal is central to metacommunity models, yet dispersal is notoriously difficult to quantify in passive and cryptic dispersers such as many freshwater invertebrates. By overcoming the problem of quantifying dispersal rates, colonization rates into new habitats can provide a useful estimate of the magnitude of effective dispersal. Here we study the influence of spatial and local processes on colonization rates into new ponds that indicate differential dispersal limitation of major zooplankton taxa, with important implications for metacommunity dynamics. We identify regional and local factors that affect zooplankton colonization rates and spatial patterns in a large-scale experimental system. Our study differs from others in the unique setup of the experimental pond area by which we were able to test spatial and environmental variables at a large spatial scale. We quantified colonization rates separately for the Copepoda, Cladocera and Rotifera from samples collected over a period of 21 months in 48 newly constructed temporary ponds of 0.18–2.95 ha distributed in a restored wetland area of 2,700 ha in Doñana National Park, Southern Spain. Species richness upon initial sampling of new ponds was about one third of that in reference ponds, although the rate of detection of new species from thereon were not significantly different, probably owing to high turnover in the dynamic, temporary reference ponds. Environmental heterogeneity had no detectable effect on colonization rates in new ponds. In contrast, connectivity, space (based on latitude and longitude) and surface area were key determinants of colonization rates for copepods and cladocerans. This suggests dispersal limitation in cladocerans and copepods, but not in rotifers, possibly due to differences in propagule size and abundance.
Antimicrobial Actions of the Nadph Phagocyte Oxidase and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase in Experimental Salmonellosis. I. Effects on Microbial Killing by Activated Peritoneal Macrophages in Vitro

The contribution of the NADPH phagocyte oxidase (phox) and inducible nitric oxide (NO) synthase (iNOS) to the antimicrobial activity of macrophages for Salmonella typhimurium was studied by using peritoneal phagocytes from C57BL/6, congenic gp91phox −/−, iNOS −/−, and doubly immunodeficient phox −/−iNOS −/− mice. The respiratory burst and NO radical (NO·) made distinct contributions to the anti-Salmonella activity of macrophages. NADPH oxidase–dependent killing is confined to the first few hours after phagocytosis, whereas iNOS contributes to both early and late phases of antibacterial activity. NO-derived species initially synergize with oxyradicals to kill S. typhimurium, and subsequently exert prolonged oxidase-independent bacteriostatic effects. Biochemical analyses show that early killing of Salmonella by macrophages coincides with an oxidative chemistry characterized by superoxide anion (O2·−), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and peroxynitrite (ONOO−) production. However, immunofluorescence microscopy and killing assays using the scavenger uric acid suggest that peroxynitrite is not responsible for macrophage killing of wild-type S. typhimurium. Rapid oxidative bacterial killing is followed by a sustained period of nitrosative chemistry that limits bacterial growth. Interferon γ appears to augment antibacterial activity predominantly by enhancing NO· production, although a small iNOS-independent effect was also observed. These findings demonstrate that macrophages kill Salmonella in a dynamic process that changes over time and requires the generation of both reactive oxidative and nitrosative species.
Controlled In Meso Phase Crystallization – A Method for the Structural Investigation of Membrane Proteins

We investigated in meso crystallization of membrane proteins to develop a fast screening technology which combines features of the well established classical vapor diffusion experiment with the batch meso phase crystallization, but without premixing of protein and monoolein. It inherits the advantages of both methods, namely (i) the stabilization of membrane proteins in the meso phase, (ii) the control of hydration level and additive concentration by vapor diffusion. The new technology (iii) significantly simplifies in meso crystallization experiments and allows the use of standard liquid handling robots suitable for 96 well formats. CIMP crystallization furthermore allows (iv) direct monitoring of phase transformation and crystallization events. Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) crystals of high quality and diffraction up to 1.3 Å resolution have been obtained in this approach. CIMP and the developed consumables and protocols have been successfully applied to obtain crystals of sensory rhodopsin II (SRII) from Halobacterium salinarum for the first time.
Characterization of Culex pipiens Complex (Diptera: Culicidae) Populations in Colorado, USA Using Microsatellites

Mosquitoes such as those in the Culex pipiens complex are important vectors of disease. This study was conducted to genetically characterize Cx. pipiens complex populations in the state of Colorado, USA, and to determine the number of genetic clusters represented by the data. Thirteen populations located among four major river basins were sampled (n = 597 individuals) using a panel of 14 microsatellites. The lowest-elevation sites had the highest Expected Heterozygosity (HE) values (range 0.54–0.65). AMOVA results indicated the presence of statistically significant amounts of variation within each level when populations were analyzed as one group or when they were grouped either by river basin or by their position on the east or west side of the Rocky Mountains. Most pairwise FST values were significant via permutation test (range 0–0.10), with the highest values from comparisons with Lamar, in southeast CO. A neighbor joining tree based on Cavalli–Sforza and Edwards’s chord distances was consistent with the geographic locations of populations, as well as with the AMOVA results. There was a significant isolation by distance effect, and the cluster analysis resolved five groups. Individuals were also assayed with an additional microsatellite marker, Cxpq78, proposed to be monomorphic in Cx. pipiens but polymorphic in the closely related but biologically distinct species Cx. quinquefasciatus. Low frequencies (≤3%) of Cx. quinquefasciatus alleles for this marker were noted, and mostly confined to populations along the Interstate 25 corridor. Pueblo was distinct in that it had 10% Cx. quinquefasciatus alleles, mostly of one allele size. The degree of population genetic structure observed in this study is in contrast with that of Cx. tarsalis, the other major vector of WNV in the western U.S., and likely reflects the two species’ different dispersal strategies.
Quality Assessment of DIBR-Synthesized Images by Measuring Local Geometric Distortions and Global Sharpness

Depth-image-based rendering (DIBR) is a fundamental technique in free viewpoint video, which is widely adopted to synthesize virtual viewpoints. The warping and rendering operations in DIBR generally introduce geometric distortions and sharpness change. The state-of-the-art quality indices are limited in dealing with such images since they are sensitive to geometric changes. In this paper, a new quality model for DIBR-synthesized view images is presented by measuring LOcal Geometric distortions in disoccluded regions and global Sharpness (LOGS). A disoccluded region detection method is first proposed using SIFT-flow-based warping. Then, the sizes and distortion strength of local disoccluded regions are combined to generate a score. Furthermore, a reblurring-based strategy is proposed to quantify the global sharpness. Finally, the overall quality score is calculated by pooling the scores of local disoccluded regions and global sharpness. Experiments on four public DIBR-synthesized image/video databases show the superiority of the proposed metric over the state-of-the-art quality models. The proposed method is further adopted for boosting the performances of existing quality metrics and benchmarking DIBR algorithms, both achieving very promising results.
Evidence That Descending Cortical Axons Are Essential for Thalamocortical Axons to Cross the Pallial-Subpallial Boundary in the Embryonic Forebrain

Developing thalamocortical axons traverse the subpallium to reach the cortex located in the pallium. We tested the hypothesis that descending corticofugal axons are important for guiding thalamocortical axons across the pallial-subpallial boundary, using conditional mutagenesis to assess the effects of blocking corticofugal axonal development without disrupting thalamus, subpallium or the pallial-subpallial boundary. We found that thalamic axons still traversed the subpallium in topographic order but did not cross the pallial-subpallial boundary. Co-culture experiments indicated that the inability of thalamic axons to cross the boundary was not explained by mutant cortex developing a long-range chemorepulsive action on thalamic axons. On the contrary, cortex from conditional mutants retained its thalamic axonal growth-promoting activity and continued to express Nrg-1, which is responsible for this stimulatory effect. When mutant cortex was replaced with control cortex, corticofugal efferents were restored and thalamic axons from conditional mutants associated with them and crossed the pallial-subpallial boundary. Our study provides the most compelling evidence to date that cortical efferents are required to guide thalamocortical axons across the pallial-subpallial boundary, which is otherwise hostile to thalamic axons. These results support the hypothesis that thalamic axons grow from subpallium to cortex guided by cortical efferents, with stimulation from diffusible cortical growth-promoting factors.
Endophthalmitis prophylaxis in cataract surgery

Three seminal publications have influenced our current thinking of cataract surgery endophthalmitis reduction or management. They are Speaker and Menikoff’s study on povidone‐iodine preparation of the eye,[1] the Endophthalmitis Vitrectomy Study (EVS) guidelines for the management of infective endophthalmitis,[2] and the ESCRS study on intracameral cefuroxime for the prevention of endophthalmitis. [3] These three publications are cited 516 times, 665 times, and 519 times since their publications (as of October 31, 2017), respectively. Central to the recommendations are either use of antiseptic or intraocular antibiotics.
Experimental Characterization And Numerical Modeling Of The Three-dimensional Anisotropic Behavior Of A Thick Sheet Aluminum Alloy AA2024-T351 Using Multi-scale Approaches

The purpose of this work is to evaluate the anisotropic behaviour of an AA2024T351 thick plate using three different multi-scales approaches: a macroscopic unified model (based on HILL 48 yield loci), a multi-mechanisms model and a polycrystalline one. The experimental results obtained from uniaxial tensile tests are first described. Thereafter, theoretical formulations and identification of studied numerical elastoplastic models are presented. Finally, finite element simulations of tensile tests and analysis of drawing process are performed.
A Hybrid-Excited Flux-Switching Machine for High-Speed DC-Alternator Applications

This paper presents a new topology of hybrid-excited flux-switching machine with excitation coils located in stator slots (or inner dc windings). After describing the three-phase structure to be investigated, the working principle is discussed, and the main electromagnetic performances are simulated by finite-element (FE) analysis. It is demonstrated that the air-gap field can be easily controlled, which is interesting for variable-speed applications. Finally, a prototype having 12 stator poles and different rotor tooth numbers (10 or 14) was built. Experiments were performed, validating the FE simulations and the operation principle. Finally, the thermal behavior of the prototype machine is investigated through experiments. It is shown that, up to 12 000 r/min, the thermal stabilization is achieved, making this topology an excellent candidate for high-speed applications.
How dietary intake has been assessed in African countries? A systematic review

ABSTRACT Background: Dietary patterns are often considered as one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases worldwide. It is of utmost importance to study dietary habits in developing countries since this work is scarce. Objective: To summarize the most recent research conducted in this field in African countries, namely the most used methodologies and tools. Methods: A systematic review was conducted on MEDLINE®/PubMed, aiming to identify scientific publications focused on studies of dietary intake of different African populations, in a ten-year period. Papers not written in English/Portuguese/Spanish, studies developed among African people but not developed in African countries, studies aiming to assess a particular nutrient/specific food/food toxin and studies that assessed dietary intake among children were excluded. Findings: Out of 99 included studies, the 24-hour recall and the food-frequency questionnaire were the most used dietary intake assessment tools, used to assess diet at an individual level. It was also observed that often country-unspecific food composition databases are used, and the methodologies employed are poorly validated and standardized. Conclusions: There is an emergent need to improve the existing food databases by updating food data and to develop suitable country-specific databases for those that do not have their own food composition table.
Current use of intracoronary imaging in interventional practice - Results of a European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Interventions and Therapeutics (CVIT) Clinical Practice Survey.

AIMS This study evaluated the views of the cardiology community on the clinical use of coronary intravascular imaging (IVI). METHODS AND RESULTS A web-based survey was distributed to 31,893 individuals, with 1,105 responses received (3.5% response rate); 1,010 of 1,097 respondents (92.1%) self-reported as interventional cardiologists, 754 (68.7%) with >10 years experience. Overall, 96.1% had personal experience with IVI (95.5% with intravascular ultrasound [IVUS], 69.8% with optical coherence tomography [OCT], and 7.9% with near-infrared spectroscopy); 34.7% of respondents were from Europe and 52.0% were from Asia (45.4% from Japan). The most commonly reported indications for IVI were optimization of stenting (88.5%), procedural/strategy guidance (79.6%), and guidance of left main interventions (77.0%). Most respondents reported perceived equipoise regarding choice between IVUS and OCT for guidance of coronary intervention. High cost (65.9%) and prolongation of the procedure (35.0%) were the most commonly reported factors limiting use. IVI was used more frequently (>15% of cases guided by IVI) in Japan than Europe (96.6% vs. 10.4%, respectively; P<0.001) and by operators with longer interventional experience. CONCLUSIONS In a sample of predominantly experienced interventional cardiologists, there was a high rate of personal experience with IVI in clinical practice. The most commonly identified indications for IVI were optimization of stenting, procedural/strategy guidance, and guidance of left main interventions. Variability in practice patterns is substantial according to geographic region and interventional experience.
Secure IoT solution for wearable health care applications, case study Electric Imp development platform

Internet expansion affects currently diverse entities on the physical world and daily life. The democratization of the technology called Internet of Things (IoT) brings back many problems associated with the security of the transmitted data, autonomy, and ease of use, with the central constraint of gathering momentum. The use of an embedded development platform for IoT operating through Wi‐Fi and cloud technology is in our case the solution that fits the internet model objects for wearable health care application. This work involves the study and implementation of wearable IoT secure solution dedicated to health care devoted to old and dependent people. The proposed hardware, powered by solar cells, operate through smart sleep and wake up events. The relevant part of the developed IoT operating software exploits the multiagent behavior. Case study, based on the exploitation of the Electric Imp platform, is proposed.
8.3 A 200mA digital low-drop-out regulator with coarse-fine dual loop in mobile application processors

A modern mobile application processor (AP) requires a variety of power voltage levels, which increases the number of external capacitors around the mobile AP. This is because the supply PCB routes from the power management IC (PMIC) to the AP have parasitic inductors. The parasitic inductors introduce ripples on power voltage lines. Therefore, external capacitors are required on the PCB routes between the PMIC and the mobile AP. To reduce the number of external capacitors, one power voltage level from the PMIC is converted into a variety of power voltage levels inside the mobile AP. This both reduces external capacitors as well as the number of power pins on the mobile AP and simplifies PCB routes. For such reasons, integrated low-dropout regulators (LDOs) are preferred in mobile APs.
Second-order discrete Kalman filtering equations for control-structure interaction simulations

A general form for the first-order representation of the continuous, second-order linear structural dynamics equations is introduced in order to derive a corresponding form of first-order Kalman filtering equations (KFE). Time integration of the resulting first-order KFE is carried out via a set of linear multistep integration formulas. It is shown that a judicious combined selection of computational paths and the undetermined matrices introduced in the general form of the first-order linear structural systems leads to a class of second-order discrete KFE involving only symmetric, N x N solution matrix.
The Avidity Spectrum of  T Cell Receptor Interactions Accounts for T Cell Anergy in a Double Transgenic Model

The mechanism of self-tolerance in the CD4+ T cell compartment was examined in a double transgenic (Tg) model in which T cell receptor (TCR)-α/β Tg mice with specificity for the COOH-terminal peptide of moth cytochrome c in association with I-Ek were crossed with antigen Tg mice. Partial deletion of cytochrome-reactive T cells in the thymus allowed some self-specific CD4+ T cells to be selected into the peripheral T cell pool. Upon restimulation with peptide in vitro, these cells upregulated interleukin (IL)-2 receptor but showed substantially lower cytokine production and proliferation than cells from TCR Tg controls. Proliferation and cytokine production were restored to control levels by addition of saturating concentrations of IL-2, consistent with the original in vitro definition of T cell anergy. However, the response of double Tg cells to superantigen stimulation in the absence of exogenous IL-2 was indistinguishable from that of TCR Tg controls, indicating that these self-reactive cells were not intrinsically hyporesponsive. Measurement of surface expression of Tg-encoded TCR α and β chains revealed that cells from double Tg mice expressed the same amount of TCR-β as cells from TCR Tg controls, but only 50% of TCR-α, implying expression of more than one α chain. Naive CD4+ T cells expressing both Tg-encoded and endogenous α chains also manifested an anergic phenotype upon primary stimulation with cytochrome c in vitro, suggesting that low avidity for antigen can produce an anergic phenotype in naive cells. The carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester cell division profiles in response to titered peptide ± IL-2 indicated that expression of IL-2 receptor correlated with peptide concentration but not TCR level, whereas IL-2 production was profoundly affected by the twofold decrease in specific TCR expression. Addition of exogenous IL-2 recruited double Tg cells into division, resulting in a pattern of cell division indistinguishable from that of controls. Thus, in this experimental model, cells expressing more than one α chain escaped negative selection to a soluble self-protein in the thymus and had an anergic phenotype indistinguishable from that of low avidity naive cells. The data are consistent with the notion that avidity-mediated selection for self-reactivity in the thymus may lead to the appearance of anergy within the peripheral, self-reactive T cell repertoire, without invoking the induction of hyporesponsiveness to TCR-mediated signals.
A Randomized Clinical Trial of a Brief Internet-based Group Intervention to Reduce Sexual Transmission Risk Behavior Among HIV-Positive Gay and Bisexual Men.

Background HIV disproportionately affects sexual minority men, and developing strategies to reduce transmission risk is a public health priority. Purpose The goal was to empirically test a newly developed, Information, Motivation, Behavioral skills (IMB) theoretically derived, online HIV sexual risk reduction intervention (called HINTS) among a sample of sexual minority men living with HIV. Methods Participants were 167 men randomized to either the four-session online HINTS intervention or to a time-matched, online control condition. Participants were assessed at baseline and at 6-month follow-up for demographic, medical and psychosocial factors, and sexual risk behavior. Analyses examined group differences in incidence rates of condomless anal sex (CAS) at follow-up with all male sex partners and by partner serostatus, either seroconcordant or serodiscordant for HIV infection. Results Men assigned to the HINTS intervention reported decreased CAS with serodiscordant partners, a behavior that confers high risk of HIV transmission, compared to the control group. Men assigned to the HINTS intervention also reported increased CAS with seroconcordant partners, a behavior indicative of serosorting. Although the IMB model did not appear to mediate these intervention effects, some IMB components were associated with behavioral outcomes at 6-month follow-up. Conclusions A new group-based sexual risk reduction intervention conducted exclusively online was successful in reducing HIV transmission risk behavior in a sample of gay and bisexual men living with HIV. Future work should consider utilizing this intervention with other groups living with HIV, perhaps in combination with biomedical HIV prevention strategies.