Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Plasticity and Adaptation in the Incipient Speciation of a Fire Salamander Population

Phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation via genetic change are two major mechanisms of response to dynamic environmental conditions. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive, since genetic change can establish similar phenotypes to plasticity. This connection between both mechanisms raises the question of how much of the variation observed between species or populations is plastic and how much of it is genetic. In this study, we used a structured population of fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra), in which two subpopulations differ in terms of physiology, genetics, mate-, and habitat preferences. Our goal was to identify candidate genes for differential habitat adaptation in this system, and to explore the degree of plasticity compared to local adaptation. We therefore performed a reciprocal transfer experiment of stream- and pond-originated salamander larvae and analyzed changes in morphology and transcriptomic profile (using species-specific microarrays). We observed that stream- and pond-originated individuals diverge in morphology and gene expression. For instance, pond-originated larvae have larger gills, likely to cope with oxygen-poor ponds. When transferred to streams, pond-originated larvae showed a high degree of plasticity, resembling the morphology and gene expression of stream-originated larvae (reversion); however the same was not found for stream-originated larvae when transferred to ponds, where the expression of genes related to reduction-oxidation processes was increased, possibly to cope with environmental stress. The lack of symmetrical responses between transplanted animals highlights the fact that the adaptations are not fully plastic and that some level of local adaptation has already occurred in this population. This study illuminates the process by which phenotypic plasticity allows local adaptation to new environments and its potential role in the pathway of incipient speciation.
Stigmas toward psychosis‐related clinical features among the general public in Taiwan

Stigma can be a barrier to early intervention of severe mental illnesses, especially schizophrenia, which further leads to poor outcomes. Mental health campaigns were designed to educate the general public about signs for early identification of psychosis, but the line between schizophrenia and attenuated psychosis was not well demarcated. We wonder if people would generalize their stigmas towards schizophrenia to subjects with subthreshold psychotic symptoms.
Craniometry and Malocclusion in Mentally Disabled Subjects in India

Background: The study aims to determine variations in craniofacial regions in mentally challenged individuals and to determine prevalence of malocclusion in these individuals. Methods: The malocclusion was identified and craniometric measurements were obtained among patients attending a special education program in Faculty of Dentistry, India. Results: The prevalence of malocclusion in the study population was 83%. Craniometric analysis revealed that brachycephalic, mesocephalic and hyperbracycephalic head shapes in different groups. Conclusion: In India, mentally disabled individuals have a higher prevalence of malocclusion than the general population and assessment of cranial characteristics of these persons may be of help to clinicians and researchers
Systematic Development of Materials for Inviting Low Health-Literate Individuals to Participate in Preconception Counseling

In this study we aimed to systematically analyze problems in the recruitment of women with low health literacy for preconception counseling and to adapt and evaluate written invitations for this group. In a problem analysis (stage 1) we used structured interviews (n = 72) to assess comprehension of the initial invitations, perception of perinatal risks, attitude and intention to participate in preconception counseling. These outcomes were used to adapt the invitation. The adapted flyer was pretested in interviews (n = 16) (stage 2) and evaluated in structured interviews among a new group of women (n = 67) (stage 3). Differences between women in stages 1 and 3 regarding comprehension, risk perception, attitude and intention to participate in counseling were analyzed by linear regression analysis and chi-square tests. Women in stage 3 (who read the adapted flyer) had a more positive attitude towards participation in preconception counselling and a better understanding of how to apply for a consultation than women in stage 1 (who read the initial invitations). No differences were found in intention to participate in preconception counseling and risk perception. Systematic adaptation of written invitations can improve the recruitment of low health-literate women for preconception counselling. Further research should gain insight into additional strategies to reach and inform this group.
Food Safety through Natural Antimicrobials

Microbial pathogens are the cause of many foodborne diseases after the ingestion of contaminated food. Several preservation methods have been developed to assure microbial food safety, as well as nutritional values and sensory characteristics of food. However, the demand for natural antimicrobial agents is increasing due to consumers’ concern on health issues. Moreover, the use of antibiotics is leading to multidrug resistant microorganisms reinforcing the focus of researchers and the food industry on natural antimicrobials. Natural antimicrobial compounds from plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, algae and mushrooms are covered. Finally, new perspectives from researchers in the field and the interest of the food industry in innovations are reviewed. These new approaches should be useful for controlling foodborne bacterial pathogens; furthermore, the shelf-life of food would be extended.
The Effects of Moral Licensing on High-Cost and Low-Cost Helping Behaviors

Previous research on moral licensing demonstrates that individuals who behave morally are less willing to help in the future; but is this still the case when the cost of helping is low? The present thesis examined the effects of moral licensing on prosocial behavior that is high in cost-to-self and low in cost-to-self. Contrary to past literature, participants in the control condition did not rate themselves as more willing to help than participants who felt morally licensed. This presents a need for more thorough research on the mechanisms of moral licensing. Participants did, however, rate themselves as more willing to help when the cost-to-self was low than when the cost-to-self was high. These findings are important for understanding how moral licensing works, specifically with respect to cost of helping, to predict when people are likely or not likely to engage in moral behaviors.
Reducing risk in thiopurine therapy

Abstract The thiopurine drugs azathioprine and mercaptopurine are effective in the treatment of disorders of immune regulation and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Although developed in the 1950s, thiopurines remained relevant in the anti-tumour necrosis factor biologic era, finding widespread use as a co-immunomodulator. Step changes in the management of patients treated with thiopurines have reduced the incidence of severe, sometimes life-threatening toxicity. Testing for thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) deficiency directs a safe initial dose for therapy. The introduction of red cell thioguanine nucleotide (TGN) monitoring provides a basis for dose adjustment and the identification of patients with high levels of red cell methylmercaptopurine (MMP) and an increase in the MMP:TGN ratio. These patients are at risk for hepatotoxicity and where TGN levels are sub-therapeutic, non-response to therapy. Switching thiopurine hypermethylators to low-dose thiopurine and allopurinol combination therapy resolves hepatoxicity and increases sub-therapeutic TGN levels to regain clinical response. NUDT15 variants are a common cause of severe myelotoxicity in Asian populations where the frequency of TPMT deficiency is low. There is increasing evidence that testing for NUDT15 and TPMT deficiency in all populations prior to the start of thiopurine therapy is clinically useful and should be the first step in personalising thiopurine therapy.
Small Bowel In ammatory Involvement in Behçet ’ s Disease Associated Spondyloarthritis Is Di erent from Other Spondyloarthritides . A Prospective Cohort Study

Background & Aims: Behçet’s disease presents some similar clinical features with seronegative spondyloarthritides (SpA), raising the question whether a subgroup of patients with Behçet’s disease belong in fact to the latter. As the already known in ammatory involvement at the level of the small bowel in SpA patients could not be extrapolated for patients with Behçet’s disease associated SpA (BehSpA), the present study aims to investigate and compare it in these diseases. Methods: 54 consecutive patients with a form of SpA, and 7 patients with BehSpA were enrolled and submitted to videocapsule endoscopy (VCE) examination. A er reviewing the VCE ndings, calculation of the score of small bowel mucosal in ammatory change (Lewis) was performed for each patient. e comparison was made with a control group, sex and age-matched to the patients in the study groups. Results: e Lewis score di ered in the groups considered for analysis (mean of 439, 179 and 81 in the SpA, BehSpA and the control group, respectively, with p = 0.04 for the comparison SpA vs. BehSpA and 0.05 for the comparison BehSpA vs. controls). C reactive protein (CRP) level was markedly reduced in the BehSpA group vs. the other SpA group (2.08 and 14.02 mg/L, respectively; p = 0.053). Conclusion: e signi cant di erence in intestinal in ammatory involvement in BehSpA versus the other SpAs, as well as the signi cantly lower serum levels of CRP, as revealed by the present study, clearly draw a line between the two disease entities.
Aalborg Universitet Estimating auditory filter bandwidth using distortion product otoacoustic emissions

Citation for published version (APA): Rukjær, A. H. , Hauen, S. V. , Ordoñez Pizarro, R. E. , & Hammershøi, D. (2017). Estimating auditory filter bandwidth using distortion product otoacoustic emissions. In S. Santurette, T. Dau, J. Christensen-Dalsgaard, L. Tranebjærg, T. Andersen, & T. Poulsen (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research 6: Adaptive Processes in Hearing (pp. 263-270). The Danavox Jubilee Foundation . International Symposium on Auditory and Audiological Research (ISAAR). Proceedings. , No. 2017, Vol. 6
Diversification: A Value-Creating or Value-Destroying Strategy? Evidence from the Eurozone Countries

In this paper, we provide evidence on how diversification strategy impacts on excess value in a sample of Eurozone firms by using the data panel methodology. Specifically, we study the effect of the levels and types of the product diversification on the premium or discount that diversified firms trade at. Preliminary results are consistent with the value-destroying expectations and show that diversified companies trade at a discount in the Eurozone countries. However, a more accurate analysis reveals that the relation between diversification and excess value is non-linear; that is, diversification strategy first creates value and then, after a certain breakpoint, destroys it, giving rise to an optimal level of diversification, pointing out to both benefits and costs of this strategy. Moreover, our results show that related diversification is more value-creating than non-related diversification, and that non-related diversification is likely to turn into a value-destroying strategy at lower levels than related diversification.
First records of the genera Pseudopoda, Sinopoda , and Olios from Taiwan with descriptions of four new species (Araneae: Sparassidae)

Four new species of the spider family Sparassidae are described from Taiwan: Pseudopoda serrata sp. nov. (male and females), Pseudopoda recta sp. nov. (female), Sinopoda exspectata sp. nov. (male), and Olios scalptor sp. nov. (male). These represent first records of the three genera for Taiwan. A record of Heteropoda venatoria (Linne 1767) is also reported.
Integrating Multi-Omic Data With Deep Subspace Fusion Clustering for Cancer Subtype Prediction

One type of cancer usually consists of several subtypes with distinct clinical implications, thus the cancer subtype prediction is an important task in disease diagnosis and therapy. Utilizing one type of data from molecular layers in biological system to predict is difficult to bridge the cancer genome to cancer phenotypes, since the genome is neither simple nor independent but rather complicated and dysregulated from multiple molecular mechanisms. Similarity Network Fusion (SNF) has been recently proposed to integrate diverse omics data for improving the understanding of tumorigenesis. SNF adopts Euclidean distance to measure the similarity between patients, which shows some limitations. In this article, we introduce a novel prediction technique as an extension of SNF, namely Deep Subspace Fusion Clustering (DSFC). DSFC utilizes auto-encoder and data self-expressiveness approaches to guide a deep subspace model, which can achieve effective expression of discriminative similarity between patients. As a result, the dissimilarity between inter-cluster is delivered and enhanced compactness of intra-cluster is achieved at the same time. The validity of DSFC is examined by extensive simulations over six different cancer through three levels omics data. The survival analysis demonstrates that DSFC delivers comparable or even better results than many state-of-the-art integrative methods.
Humanely Ending the Life of Animals: Research Priorities to Identify Alternatives to Carbon Dioxide

Simple Summary Carbon dioxide is commonly used for stunning animals prior to killing. It allows several animals to be killed at once, reduces the need for handling, and is a reliable method. However, research in laboratory rodents, poultry, and pigs has indicated that it causes considerable aversion at concentrations above ambient conditions. Currently, there are no available alternatives with desirable characteristics. This manuscript describes a list of research priorities to find and implement the use of alternative methods or agents to improve animal welfare. Abstract The use of carbon dioxide (CO2) for stunning and killing animals is considered to compromise welfare due to air hunger, anxiety, fear, and pain. Despite decades of research, no alternatives have so far been found that provide a safe and reliable way to induce unconsciousness in groups of animals, and also cause less distress than CO2. Here, we revisit the current and historical literature to identify key research questions that may lead to the identification and implementation of more humane alternatives to induce unconsciousness in mice, rats, poultry, and pigs. In addition to the evaluation of novel methods and agents, we identify the need to standardise the terminology and behavioural assays within the field. We further reason that more accurate measurements of consciousness state are needed and serve as a central component in the assessment of suffering. Therefore, we propose a roadmap toward improving animal welfare during end-of-life procedures.
Prevalence of insulin resistance in cirrhosis of liver

Background: Liver plays a central role in glucose homeostasis. Chronic liver disease is associated with an increased incidence of insulin resistance (IR) and Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes that develops as a complication of cirrhosis of liver is known as ‘Hepatogenous diabetes (HD)’. This study was conducted to study the prevalence of insulin resistance in liver cirrhosis. Methods: One Hundered (100) non-diabetic patients of liver cirrhosis considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria and visiting both indoor and outpatient department of medicine, SGRDIMSAR were included in the study. All cirrhotic patients irrespective of etiology were subjected to fasting plasma glucose level and fasting plasma insulin levels and insulin resistance was calculated by HOMA-IR method. Study was statistically analyzed. Results: 79 out of 100 patients were found to have insulin resistance and increase in prevalence with grades of child pugh score were noted. Conclusions: Keeping in view the results of the study, we conclude that FPG and HbA1c are not sufficient in detecting glucose metabolism disorders in cirrhosis. As insulin resistance can be used as an important prognostic marker in patients with cirrhosis of liver, serum insulin levels can be recommended as routine investigation in these patients. Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of HCC in cirrhosis patients. So, by early detection of diabetes mellitus by calculating insulin resistance with HOMA-IR method we can prevent progression of disease to development into HCC.
Knowledge and attitudes of forestry students on nature and protected areas in Greece

The study and academic training of citizens in issues of forest and protected areas shapes the environmentally friendly attitudes to graduates. Attitudes include public beliefs and assessments of ecosystem management activities. In education it is necessary to redefine our values and ethical norms and obligations towards man and the natural environment. The field of study and gender have an impact on environmental attitudes and behaviors of students. The protected areas are subject to ample scientific research and have educational interest. The purpose of this research is to measure attitudes on Protected Areas (PA) of Forestry students in Greece. The questionnaire used as a research tool, based on the scale FVS (Forest Values Scale) which is suitably adapted for PA. Based on the results of this survey it was found that the majority of the sampled students showing more biocentric attitude to Protected Areas which is largely due to the subject of their studies. With regard to gender on the positive attitude towards the environment was found to be statistically significant in favor of women. Students largely support positive environmental attitudes and found that there is a relationship between the level of knowledge about protected areas and the attitude towards the environment.
DC Self-Field Critical Current in Superconductor/ Dirac-Cone Material/Superconductor Junctions

Recently, several research groups have reported on anomalous enhancement of the self-field critical currents, Ic(sf,T), at low temperatures in superconductor/Dirac-cone material/superconductor (S/DCM/S) junctions. Some papers attributed the enhancement to the low-energy Andreev bound states arising from winding of the electronic wave function around DCM. In this paper, Ic(sf,T) in S/DCM/S junctions have been analyzed by two approaches: modified Ambegaokar-Baratoff and ballistic Titov-Beenakker models. It is shown that the ballistic model, which is traditionally considered to be a basic model to describe Ic(sf,T) in S/DCM/S junctions, is an inadequate tool to analyze experimental data from these type of junctions, while Ambegaokar-Baratoff model, which is generally considered to be a model for Ic(sf,T) in superconductor/insulator/superconductor junctions, provides good experimental data description. Thus, there is a need to develop a new model for self-field critical currents in S/DCM/S systems.
Novel method of intraoperative liver tumour localisation with indocyanine green and near-infrared imaging.

INTRODUCTION Fluorescence imaging (FI) with indocyanine green (ICG) is increasingly implemented as an intraoperative navigation tool in hepatobiliary surgery to identify hepatic tumours. This is useful in minimally invasive hepatectomy, where gross inspection and palpation are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility, safety and optimal timing of using ICG for tumour localisation in patients undergoing hepatic resection. METHODS From 2015 to 2018, a prospective multicentre study was conducted to evaluate feasibility and safety of ICG in tumour localisation following preoperative administration of ICG either on Day 0-3 or Day 4-7. RESULTS Among 32 patients, a total of 46 lesions were resected: 23 were hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), 12 were colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) and 11 were benign lesions. ICG FI identified 38 (82.6%) lesions prior to resection. The majority of HCCs were homogeneous fluorescing lesions (56.6%), while CLRM were homogeneous (41.7%) or rim-enhancing (33.3%). The majority (75.0%) of the lesions not detected by ICG FI were in cirrhotic livers. Most (84.1%) of ICG-positive lesions detected were < 1 cm deep, and half of the lesions ≥ 1 cm in depth were not detected. In cirrhotic patients with malignant lesions, those given ICG on preoperative Day 0-3 and Day 4-7 had detection rates of 66.7% and 91.7%, respectively. There were no adverse events. CONCLUSION ICG FI is a safe and feasible method to assist tumour localisation in liver surgery. Different tumours appear to display characteristic fluorescent patterns. There may be no disadvantage of administering ICG closer to the operative date if it is more convenient, except in patients with liver cirrhosis.
Somali Dialects in the United States: How Intelligible is Af-Maay to Speakers of Af-Maxaa?

Somali Dialects in the United States: How Intelligible is Af-Maay to Speakers of Af-Maxaa? By Deqa M. Hassan M.A. English: TESL Minnesota State University, Mankato Mankato, Minnesota The objective of this study was to determine the degree of intelligibility of AfMaay to Somali university student speakers (n=21) of Af-Maxaa in the United States by implementing a perceived intelligibility test. The investigator aimed to test whether time spent in the United States, language contact with Af-Maay speakers, native Somali dialect, or the region of origin in Somalia affected the intelligibility of Af-Maay. The one-sample t-test showed that Af-Maay is partially intelligible to speakers of Af-Maxaa; t(21)=4.623, p=. 000. This appears to agree with Crystal‟s (1987) Type 5 languagedialect relationship category, where there is a partial intelligibility due to the overlapping history between Af-Maay and Af-Maxaa speakers. The results of the Pearson‟s correlation coefficient revealed statistically significant associations between the participants‟ level of understanding of Af-Maay and Standard Somali, their association with Af-Maay speakers, and their time spent in the United States. These results imply that there is a combination of linguistic and non-linguistic factors influencing the intelligibility of Af-Maay.