Oxytocin (OXT) is an important neuromodulator of social behaviors via activation of both oxytocin receptors (OXTR) and vasopressin (AVP) 1a receptors (AVPR1a). Marmosets are neotropical primates with ...a modified OXT ligand (Pro
-OXT), and this ligand shows significant coevolution with traits including social monogamy and litter size. Pro
-OXT produces more potent and efficacious responses at primate OXTR and stronger behavioral effects than the consensus mammalian OXT ligand (Leu
-OXT). Here, we tested whether OXT/AVP ligands show differential levels of crosstalk at primate AVPR1a. We measured binding affinities and Ca
signaling responses of AVP, Pro
-OXT and Leu
-OXT at human, macaque, and marmoset AVPR1a. We found that AVP binds with higher affinity than OXT across AVPR1a, and marmoset AVPR1a show a 10-fold lower OXT binding affinity compared to human and macaque AVPR1a. Both Leu
-OXT and Pro
-OXT produce a less efficacious response than AVP at human AVPR1a and higher efficacious response than AVP at marmoset AVPR1a. These data suggest that OXT might partially antagonize endogenous human AVPR1a signaling and enhance marmoset AVPR1a signaling. These findings aid in further understanding inconsistencies observed following systemic intranasal administration of OXT and provide important insights into taxon-specific differences in nonapeptide ligand/receptor coevolution and behavior.
The importance of hybridization in animal evolution has become controversial. Gene flow between divergent taxa can strongly influence processes of great interest to evolutionary biologists, such as ...speciation and adaptation. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) introgression is a commonly observed, yet particularly poorly understood consequence of hybridization between divergent taxa. Several known cases of mtDNA introgression exist that are heterogeneous in time and space, and it is unknown whether this represents the influence of extrinsic factors, such as selection and demographic fluctuation, or more intrinsic ones, such as cytonuclear interactions or the mosaic evolution of reproductive isolation. It is usually assumed, on the basis of the apparent lack of hybrids at zones of contact, that this phenomenon is unaccompanied by further admixture at nuclear loci, although this assumption rarely is tested. We present an analysis of population structure and gene flow across a zone of mitochondrial introgression between 2 nonsister species of chipmunk (Sciuridae: Tamias). We examined patterns of variation in 11 nuclear markers (10 microsatellites and 1 sequence-based marker) and compared them with previously identified patterns of mtDNA variation. We found little evidence of nuclear gene flow but some correspondence of introgression with microsatellite population structure. This work suggests that a complex interaction of ecological and genetic factors could have structured introgression of mtDNA in this system.
The importance of hybridization in animal evolution has become controversial. Gene flow between divergent taxa can strongly influence processes of great interest to evolutionary biologists, such as ...speciation and adaptation. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) introgression is a commonly observed, yet particularly poorly understood consequence of hybridization between divergent taxa. Several known cases of mtDNA introgression exist that are heterogeneous in time and space, and it is unknown whether this represents the influence of extrinsic factors, such as selection and demographic fluctuation, or more intrinsic ones, such as cytonuclear interactions or the mosaic evolution of reproductive isolation. It is usually assumed, on the basis of the apparent lack of hybrids at zones of contact, that this phenomenon is unaccompanied by further admixture at nuclear loci, although this assumption rarely is tested. We present an analysis of population structure and gene flow across a zone of mitochondrial introgression between 2 nonsister species of chipmunk (Sciuridae: Tamias). We examined patterns of variation in 11 nuclear markers (10 microsatellites and 1 sequence-based marker) and compared them with previously identified patterns of mtDNA variation. We found little evidence of nuclear gene flow but some correspondence of introgression with microsatellite population structure. This work suggests that a complex interaction of ecological and genetic factors could have structured introgression of mtDNA in this system.
Since several studies indicated that farmers and agricultural workers had an excess risk of brain cancer, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health initiated the Upper Midwest Health ...Study to examine risk of intracranial glioma in the non-metropolitan population. This population-based, case-control study evaluated associations between gliomas and rural and farm exposures among adults (ages 18 to 80) in four upper midwestern states (Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin). At diagnosis/selection, participants lived in non-metropolitan counties where the largest population center had fewer than 250,000 residents. Cases were diagnosed 1 January 1995 through 31 January 1997. Over 90% of 873 eligible ascertained cases and over 70% of 1670 eligible controls consented to participate. Participants and nonparticipants, evaluated for "critical questions" on main and refusant questionnaires, differed significantly in farming and occupational experience, ethnicity, education, and lifestyle. The 1,175 controls were more likely than the 798 cases to have reported ever drinking alcohol (77% vs. 73%, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0. 73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.59-0.92) and having had panoramic dental x-rays (34% vs. 29%, OR 0. 75, CI 0.61-0.92). Controls spent a greater percentage of their lives in non-metropolitan counties (78% vs. 75%, OR 0.81, CI 0.67-1.09). Among ever-farmers, controls were more likely to have had exposure to farm insecticides (57% vs. 50%, OR 0.75, CI 0.59-0.95) and farm animals (96% vs. 91%, OR 0.48, CI 0.25-0.90). Moving to a farm as an adolescent (ages 11 to 20) vs. as an adult was associated with a greater risk of glioma. In our study sample, farm or rural residence and summary farm exposures were associated with decreased glioma risk. However, nonparticipation by never-farming eligible controls could have affected results. Comparisons of farm chemical exposures may clarify associations between farming and glioma that others have reported.
Reservoir-assisted coherent control of a quantum dot spin Hansom, Jack; Schulte, Carsten H. H.; Le Gall, Claire ...
2014 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) - Laser Science to Photonic Applications,
2014-June
Conference Proceeding
We demonstrate all-optical coherent manipulation of a quantum dot spin through coherent population trapping with a sub-linewidth spin splitting, enabled by the hyperfine interaction with a mesoscopic ...nuclear spin ensemble.
Cracking the Black Box Sun, Xiangyu; Davis, Jack; Schulte, Oliver ...
Proceedings of the 26th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery & Data Mining,
08/2020
Conference Proceeding
Odprti dostop
This paper addresses the trade-off between Accuracy and Transparency for deep learning applied to sports analytics. Neural nets achieve great predictive accuracy through deep learning, and are ...popular in sports analytics. But it is hard to interpret a neural net model and harder still to extract actionable insights from the knowledge implicit in it. Therefore, we built a simple and transparent model that mimics the output of the original deep learning model and represents the learned knowledge in an explicit interpretable way. Our mimic model is a linear model tree, which combines a collection of linear models with a regression-tree structure. The tree version of a neural network achieves high fidelity, explains itself, and produces insights for expert stakeholders such as athletes and coaches. We propose and compare several scalable model tree learning heuristics to address the computational challenge from datasets with millions of data points.
Some studies of brain cancer have found an excess risk for farmers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health previously found no increased glioma risk for ever (vs. never) being ...exposed to pesticides on a farm among 798 cases and 1,175 population-based controls (adult (ages 18-80 years) nonmetropolitan residents of Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). For this analysis (1995-1998), 288 cases and 474 controls (or their proxies) who had lived on farms at age 18 years or after were asked about exposure to crops, livestock, and farm tasks. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios adjusted for age, age group, sex, state, and education. Never immediately washing up (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 3.08, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.78, 5.34) or changing clothes (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.04, 7.78) after applying pesticides was associated with increased glioma risk. Living on a farm on which corn, oats, soybeans, or hogs were raised was associated with decreased risk (corn-OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.20, 0.69; oats-OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40, 1.00; soybeans-OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.98; hogs-OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.93). Negative associations may be due to chance or a "healthy farmer" effect. Farmers' increased risk of glioma may be due to work practices, other activities, or an inverse association with allergies (reported by other investigators).
PDF
