Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Promiscuous feeding on multiple adult honey bee hosts amplifies the vectorial capacity of Varroa destructor

Varroa destructor is a cosmopolitan pest and leading cause of colony loss of the European honey bee. Historically described as a competent vector of honey bee viruses, this arthropod vector is the cause of a global pandemic of Deformed wing virus, now endemic in honeybee populations in all Varroa-infested regions. Our work shows that viral spread is driven by Varroa actively switching from one adult bee to another as they feed. Assays using fluorescent microspheres were used to indicate the movement of fluids in both directions between host and vector when Varroa feed. Therefore, Varroa could be in either an infectious or naïve state dependent upon the disease status of their host. We tested this and confirmed that the relative risk of a Varroa feeding depended on their previous host’s infectiousness. Varroa exhibit remarkable heterogeneity in their host-switching behavior, with some Varroa infrequently switching while others switch at least daily. As a result, relatively few of the most active Varroa parasitize the majority of bees. This multiple-feeding behavior has analogs in vectorial capacity models of other systems, where promiscuous feeding by individual vectors is a leading driver of vectorial capacity. We propose that the honeybee-Varroa relationship offers a unique opportunity to apply principles of vectorial capacity to a social organism, as virus transmission is both vectored and occurs through multiple host-to-host routes common to a crowded society.
Physicochemical models of protein–DNA binding with standard and modified base pairs

Significance The Watson–Crick sequence model enables a simplified representation of DNA, wherein four letters, A, C, G, and T, describe the chemical identities and orientations of all possible nucleotide pairs. In this coarse-grained model, each letter describes an assembly of over 60 atoms. However, the atomic composition of a nucleotide pair can be altered by chemical modifications, different base-pairing geometries, or mismatches. As only a few atoms contribute to binding specificity, we propose that compared to a sequence model, a chemistry-based model that directly encodes protein–DNA contacts may more robustly capture the chemical variations of DNA. We introduce models that directly and precisely represent physicochemical readout, which is, importantly, not restricted to standard Watson–Crick base pairs.
Gauge block measurements with nanometre uncertainty

A fringe-pattern analysing interferometer with a resolution of 1 × 10-9, stablility of readings of about 0.1 nm, and an uncertainty owing to optical effects of less than 1 nm, has been used to study some systematic effects in gauge block length measurements. Measurements on steel and quartz plates with sub-nanometre reproducibility are reported. An accuracy of about 1 nm is demonstrated for a combination of reproducible wringing and slave-block techniques. The limitations of the present definition of the length of a gauge block are highlighted. A double-sided method for length measurement of gauge blocks has been realized, the results of which are not affected by excessive thickness of the wringing film and which incorporate a correction on the interferometer optics.
Impact of new country, discrimination, and acculturation-related factors on depression and anxiety among ex-Soviet Jewish migrants: data from a population-based cross-national comparison study

Abstract Migration, displacement, and flight are major worldwide phenomena and typically pose challenges to mental health. Therefore, migrants’ mental health, and the factors which may predict it, have become an important research subject. The present population-based cross-national comparison study explores symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization, as well as quality-of-life in samples of ex-Soviet Jewish migrants settling in three new countries: Germany, Austria and Israel, as well as in a sample of non-migrant ex-Soviet Jews in their country of origin, Russia. In the current study, we investigate the relationship of perceived xenophobiа and antisemitism, acculturation attitudes, ethnic and national identity, as well as affiliation with Jewish religion and culture to the psychological well-being of these migrants. Furthermore, we consider xenophobic and antisemitic attitudes as well as the acculturation orientation of the new countries’ societies, assessed in the native control samples. Our data suggest that attitudes of the new country’s society matter for the mental health of this migrant group. We conclude that the level of distress among ex-Soviet Jewish migrants seems to depend, among other factors, on the characteristics of the new country and/or specific interactions of the migrant population with the society they are settling in.
Douching and Genital Talc Use: Patterns of Use and Reliability of Self-reported Exposure

Background: Feminine hygiene products contain chemicals that may be harmful to human health. Observational studies of the long-term health effects of such products largely rely on self-reported, recalled exposure. We sought to capture patterns of use over the life course and evaluate the reliability of self-reported data. Methods: We collected retrospective data on douching and genital talc use in the US-based Sister Study at two-time points and evaluated the consistency of reporting. At enrollment (2003–2009), participants were asked to report use in the last year and during ages 10–13. On a follow-up questionnaire (2017–2019), participants were asked about their use of douche or genital talc over their lifetimes. Results: Among 36,202 women who completed both questionnaires, 14% initially reported ever douching and 27% initially reported ever using genital talc. On the follow-up questionnaire, 51% of participants reported ever douching and 32% reported ever using genital talc. Comparisons across the two questionnaires for use in the year before enrollment showed good consistency, with 90% providing the same responses about douching and 87% providing the same responses about genital talc use. Reliability did not vary by cancer status, race and ethnicity, attained education, or age, though there was some evidence of recall bias for genital talc use among ovarian cancer survivors. Conclusions: Classification of ever use of feminine hygiene products may be recalled with good consistency, but agreement was lower for specific time periods and trends may vary by subgroup. These potential differences warrant careful consideration in future studies.
Occurrence and Severity of Suicidal Ideation in Adults With Neurofibromatosis Participating in a Mind–Body RCT

Background: Emotional distress can lead to suicidal ideation and potentially suicide completion, yet there is very little literature on suicidal ideation in individuals with a diagnosis of neurofibromatosis (NF; NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis). Objective: To examine the baseline occurrence, severity, and clinical correlates of suicidal ideation in adults with NF. Method: Individuals with NF (N = 220) completed assessments measuring depression (Patient Health Questionnaire–9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder–7), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale–10), pain (Graded Chronic Pain Scale and PROMIS Pain Interference Short Form 8a), and general quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life–Brief version) before beginning a two-arm, single-blind randomized control trial of a live-video mind–body program for stress management and resiliency. Results: Nineteen percent (n = 42) of the individuals experienced suicidal ideation (ie, >0; ideation present several days or greater). More individuals with NF2 experienced suicidal ideation compared with those with NF1 or schwannomatosis. All of the clinical variables except pain intensity were significantly correlated (P < 0.01) with greater suicidal ideation. Suicidal ideation in individuals with NF was comparable to or higher than that in other medical populations (eg, cancer, dermatological, neurologic). Depression and poor psychological quality of life significantly increased the risk for suicidal ideation. Conclusion: Suicidal ideation was relatively prevalent in individuals with NF seeking participation in a mind–body randomized controlled trial. NF clinicians should be prepared to discuss these concerns and provide resources when suicidal ideation is present. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT03406208).
Suppression of KSHV lytic replication and primary effusion lymphoma by selective RNF5 inhibition

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a rare aggressive B-cell lymphoma in immunosuppressed patients, is etiologically associated with oncogenic γ-herpesvirus infection. Chemotherapy is commonly used to treat PEL but usually results in poor prognosis and survival; thus, novel therapies and drug development are urgently needed for PEL treatment. Here, we demonstrated that inhibition of Ring finger protein 5 (RNF5), an ER-localized E3 ligase, suppresses multiple cellular pathways and lytic replication of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) in PEL cells. RNF5 interacts with and induces Ephrin receptors A3 (EphA3) and EphA4 ubiquitination and degradation. RNF5 inhibition increases the levels of EphA3 and EphA4, thereby reducing ERK and Akt activation and KSHV lytic replication. RNF5 inhibition decreased PEL xenograft tumor growth and downregulated viral gene expression, cell cycle gene expression, and hedgehog signaling in xenograft tumors. Our study suggests that RNF5 plays the critical roles in KSHV lytic infection and tumorigenesis of primary effusion lymphoma.
Association of Body Mass Index and Fracture Risk Varied by Affected Bones in Patients with Diabetes: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Background Body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for the type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and T2DM accompanies various complications, such as fractures. We investigated the effects of BMI and T2DM on fracture risk and analyzed whether the association varied with fracture locations. Methods This study is a nationwide population-based cohort study that included all people with T2DM (n=2,746,078) who received the National Screening Program during 2009–2012. According to the anatomical location of the fracture, the incidence rate and hazard ratio (HR) were analyzed by dividing it into four categories: vertebra, hip, limbs, and total fracture. Results The total fracture had higher HR in the underweight group (HR, 1.268; 95% CI, 1.228 to 1.309) and lower HR in the obese group (HR, 0.891; 95% CI, 0.882 to 0.901) and the morbidly obese group (HR, 0.873; 95% CI, 0.857 to 0.89), compared to reference (normal BMI group). Similar trends were observed for HR of vertebra fracture. The risk of hip fracture was most prominent, the risk of hip fracture increased in the underweight group (HR, 1.896; 95% CI, 1.178 to 2.021) and decreased in the obesity (HR, 0.643; 95% CI, 0.624 to 0.663) and morbidly obesity group (HR, 0.627; 95% CI, 0.591 to 0.665). Lastly, fracture risk was least affected by BMI for limbs. Conclusion In T2DM patients, underweight tends to increase fracture risk, and overweight tends to lower fracture risk, but association between BMI and fracture risk varied depending on the affected bone lesions.
Compositional mapping with the NEAR X ray/gamma ray spectrometer

The X ray/gamma ray spectrometer (XGRS) instrument on board the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft will map asteroid 433 Eros in the 0.7 keV to 10 MeV energy region. Measurements of the discrete line X ray and gamma ray emissions in this energy domain can be used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative elemental compositions with sufficient accuracy to enable comparison to the major meteorite typies. It is believed that Eros is an S-type asteroid, the most common of the near-Earth asteroids. The determination of whether Eros consists of either differentiated or undifferentiated materials is an important objective of this mission. Observations of Eros during the NEAR mission will contribute significantly to our understanding of the structure and composition of this asteroid. The NEAR spacecraft was successfully launched on February 17, 1996. The NEAR XGRS was turned on during the week of April 7, 1996, and all detector systems operated nominally. Background spectra have been obtained.
Mental health disorders and recidivism among incarcerated adult offenders in a correctional facility in South Africa: A cluster analysis

The contribution of mental illness, substance use, and appetitive aggression to recidivism has significant policy and practice implications. Offenders with untreated mental illness have a higher recidivism rate and a greater number of criminogenic risk factors than those without mental illness. Previous research has demonstrated that the likelihood of appetitive aggression increases in violent contexts where individuals perpetrate aggressive acts. Using the Ecological Systems Theory, this study investigated the association between mental health disorders and recidivism among incarcerated adult offenders in South Africa, and the intervening role of appetitive aggression and substance use. Using a cross-sectional quantitative research design, a sample of 280 incarcerated male and female adult offenders aged 18–35 with no known psychiatric disorders were sampled at a correctional facility in South Africa. The re-incarceration rate, mental health disorders, substance use, and appetitive aggression symptomology were assessed using the Hopkins symptoms checklist, the CRAFFT measure of substance use, and the appetitive aggression scale. Findings indicate a 32.4% recidivism rate (n = 82). Cluster analysis indicated that the combination of anxiety, depression, substance use, and appetitive aggression increased the likelihood of recidivism. Appetitive aggression median differences between clusters 2 and 3 played a key role in distinguishing recidivism risk among recidivist and non-recidivist participants. Chi-square analysis highlighted group differences in education levels among the established clusters [x2 (3, n = 217) = 12.832, p = . 005, which is < . 05] as well as group differences in the type of criminal offence [x2 (3, n = 187) = 24.362, p = . 000, which is < . 05] and cluster membership. Combined factors that increase the likelihood of recidivism provide a typology for classifying offenders based on particular recidivism risk determinants, which offers insights for developing tailored interventions that address a combination of factors.
Qutrit quantum computer with trapped ions

We study the physical implementation of a qutrit quantum computer in the context of trapped ions. Qutrits are defined in terms of electronic levels of trapped ions. We concentrate our attention on a universal two-qutrit gate, which corresponds to a controlled-NOT gate between qutrits. Using this gate and a general gate of an individual qutrit, any gate can be decomposed into a sequence of these gates. In particular, we show how this works for performing the quantum Fourier transform for n qutrits.
Analysis of occluding contour

Almost nothing can be deduced about a general three-dimensional surface given only its occluding contours in an image, yet contour information is easily and effectively used by us to infer the shape of a surface. Therefore, implicit in the perceptual analysis of occluding contour must lie various assumptions about the viewed surfaces. The assumptions that seem most natural are (a) that the distinction between convex and concave segments reflects real properties of the viewed surface; and (b) that contiguous portions of contour arise from contiguous parts of the viewed surface – i. e. there are no invisible obscuring edges. It is proved that, for smooth surfaces, these assumptions are essentially equivalent to assuming that the viewed surface is a generalized cone. Methods are defined for finding the axis of such a cone, and for segmenting a surface constructed of several cones into its components, whose axes can then be found separately. These methods provide one link between an uninterpreted figure extracted from an image, and the 3-D representation theory of Marr & Nishihara (1977).
Feasibility of a Low-Power, Low-Resolution Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Instrument for Analysis of Nickel Alloys: Quantification of the Major Alloying Elements and Classification

A simple cost-effective laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument was used for quantification of major elements in several nickel alloys and also sorting them. A compact low-power diode-pumped solid-state laser and a miniature low-resolution spectrometer were assembled for the LIBS instrument. Material properties of the nickel alloys depend mainly on the composition of the major elements, Ni, Cr, and Fe, ranging from a few to ∼60 wt%. The emission peaks at 547.7 nm, 520.4 nm, and 438.1 nm for Ni, Cr, and Fe, respectively, were chosen for this analysis. The analytical performance was found to be enough for the quantification of Ni, Cr, and Fe in the nickel alloys. Limits of detection and accuracy were estimated to be a few weight percent (wt%) and measurement precisions were less than 10% in terms of relative standard deviation. The calibration performance of this intensity-based method was compared with that of the “ratio method” which is used in conventional optical emission spectroscopy analyses. The comparison indicates that the intensity-based method is more appropriate with the low-performance LIBS instrument that detects emission peaks of only a few major elements. Also, multivariate modeling of the six different nickel alloy samples based on the emission peak intensities of Ni, Cr, and Fe was performed using k-nearest neighbors (KNN) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The KNN and ordinary LDA models showed 95.0% and 98.3% classification correctness for the separate test data set, respectively. To improve classification performance further, the two-step LDA model was trained. In this approach, the two closest sample classes responsible for the decrease in the classification correctness were separately modeled in the second step to exploit their difference effectively. The two-step LDA model showed 100% correctness in classifying the test objects. Our results indicate that such a low-performance LIBS instrument can be effectively utilized for quantitative analysis of the major elements in the nickel alloys and their rapid identification or sorting in combination with an appropriate multivariate modeling algorithm. Graphical Abstract This is a visual representation of the abstract.
A polygenic basis for birth weight in a wild population of red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Abstract The genetic architecture of traits under selection has important consequences for the response to selection and potentially for population viability. Early QTL mapping studies in wild populations have reported loci with large effect on trait variation. However, these results are contradicted by more recent genome-wide association analyses, which strongly support the idea that most quantitative traits have a polygenic basis. This study aims to re-evaluate the genetic architecture of a key morphological trait, birth weight, in a wild population of red deer (Cervus elaphus), using genomic approaches. A previous study using 93 microsatellite and allozyme markers and linkage mapping on a kindred of 364 deer detected a pronounced QTL on chromosome 21 explaining 29% of the variance in birth weight, suggesting that this trait is partly controlled by genes with large effects. Here, we used data for more than 2,300 calves genotyped at >39,000 SNP markers and two approaches to characterise the genetic architecture of birth weight. First, we performed a genome-wide association (GWA) analysis, using a genomic relatedness matrix to account for population structure. We found no SNPs significantly associated with birth weight. Second, we used genomic prediction to estimate the proportion of variance explained by each SNP and chromosome. This analysis confirmed that most genetic variance in birth weight was explained by loci with very small effect sizes. Third, we found that the proportion of variance explained by each chromosome was slightly positively correlated with its size. These three findings highlight a highly polygenic architecture for birth weight, which contradicts the previous QTL study. These results are probably explained by the differences in how associations are modelled between QTL mapping and GWA. Our study suggests that models of polygenic adaptation are the most appropriate to study the evolutionary trajectory of this trait.
PINK1 siRNA‐loaded poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) nanoparticles provide neuroprotection in a mouse model of photothrombosis‐induced ischemic stroke

PTEN‐induced kinase 1 (PINK1) is a well‐known critical marker in the pathway for mitophagy regulation as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. Evidence suggests that mitochondrial dynamics and mitophagy flux play an important role in the development of brain damage from stroke pathogenesis. In this study, we propose a treatment strategy using nanoparticles that can control PINK1. We used a murine photothrombotic ischemic stroke (PTS) model in which clogging of blood vessels is induced with Rose Bengal (RB) to cause brain damage. We targeted PINK1 with poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA)‐based nanoparticles loaded with PINK1 siRNA (PINK1 NPs). After characterizing siRNA loading in the nanoparticles, we assessed the efficacy of PINK1 NPs in mice with PTS using immunohistochemistry, 1% 2,3,5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, measurement of motor dysfunction, and Western blot. PINK1 was highly expressed in microglia 24 h after PTS induction. PINK1 siRNA treatment increased phagocytic activity, migration, and expression of an anti‐inflammatory state in microglia. In addition, the PLGA nanoparticles were selectively taken up by microglia and specifically regulated PINK1 expression in those cells. Treatment with PINK1 NPs prior to stroke induction reduced expression of mitophagy‐inducing factors, infarct volume, and motor dysfunction in mice with photothrombotic ischemia. Experiments with PINK1‐knockout mice and microglia depletion with PLX3397 confirmed a decrease in stroke‐induced infarct volume and behavioral dysfunction. Application of nanoparticles for PINK1 inhibition attenuates RB‐induced photothrombotic ischemic injury by inhibiting microglia responses, suggesting that a nanomedical approach targeting the PINK1 pathway may provide a therapeutic avenue for stroke treatment.
Adaptive robust control of chaotic oscillations in power system with excitation limits

With system parameters falling into a certain area, power system with excitation limits experiences complicated chaotic oscillations which threaten the secure and stable operation of power system. In this paper, to control these unwanted chaotic oscillations, a straightforward adaptive chaos controller based on Lyapunov asymptotical stability theory is designed. Since the presented controller does not need to change the controlled system structure and not to use any information of system except the system state variables, the designed controller is simple and desirable. Simulation results show that the proposed control law is very effective. This work is helpful to maintain the power system's security operation.