Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in prey personality mediate trophic cascades

Abstract Functional trait approaches in ecology chiefly assume the mean trait value of a population adequately predicts the outcome of species interactions. Yet this assumption ignores substantial trait variation among individuals within a population, which can have a profound effect on community structure and function. We explored individual trait variation through the lens of animal personality to test whether among‐individual variation in prey behavior mediates trophic interactions. We quantified the structure of personalities within a population of generalist grasshoppers and examined, through a number of field and laboratory‐based experiments, how personality types could impact tri‐trophic interactions in a food chain. Unlike other studies of this nature, we used spatial habitat domains to evaluate how personality types mechanistically map to behaviors relevant in predator–prey dynamics and found shy and bold individuals differed in both their habitat use and foraging strategy under predation risk by a sit‐and‐wait spider predator. In the field‐based mesocosm portion of our study, we found experimental populations of personality types differed in their trophic impact, demonstrating that prey personality can mediate trophic cascades. We found no differences in respiration rates or body size between personality types used in the mesocosm experiment, indicating relative differences in trophic impact were not due to variation in prey physiology but rather variation in behavioral strategies. Our work demonstrates how embracing the complexity of individual trait variation can offer mechanistically richer understanding of the processes underlying trophic interactions.
Nosocomial Achromobacter xylosoxidans Infection Presenting as a Cavitary Lung Lesion in a Lung Cancer Patient

Achromobacter xylosoxidans is a Gram-negative bacillus that is known to cause nosocomial infections, primarily in patients with hematological malignancies. The most common primary manifestation is bacteremia. We report a novel case of primary A. xylosoxidans infection presenting as a cavitary lung lesion with associated pneumonia in a lung cancer patient who showed no evidence of malignant disease progression after radiation therapy. Our patient was initially admitted for acute hypoxic respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. Initial computed tomography (CT) revealed a cavitary lesion in the right upper lobe of the lung. Diagnostic bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed and was negative for infectious etiologies including tuberculosis (TB) and fungal infections. Cytology was also negative for malignancy. However, the bacterial culture grew A. xylosoxidans. Antimicrobial therapy was initiated based on culture susceptibilities and the patient showed significant improvement in oxygen requirements. Due to poor functional status, the palliative care route was pursued and mechanical ventilation weaning was not performed. Cavitary pulmonary infections secondary to A. xylosoxidans are rarely reported in the medical literature. After conducting a thorough PubMed database search of the medical literature, we believe this is the first case of A. xylosoxidans infection manifesting as a cavitary lung lesion with associated pneumonia in a lung cancer patient.
Crystal Guava (Psidium guajava L. “Crystal”): Evaluation of In Vitro Antioxidant Capacities and Phytochemical Content

Free radicals can cause many diseases, such as cancer. Antioxidant is a compound that could scavenge free radicals. One of the natural antioxidants is guava. The goals of this research were to investigate the antioxidant activity of leaves and fruit of crystal guava by determining the value of the Antioxidant Activity Index (AAI) using DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP; evaluate the total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC); analyse the correlation between the TPC and TFC with AAI DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP, and analyse the correlation between the 3 methods. Extraction was performed by the reflux method using n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol. Determination of AAI DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, the TPC, and the TFC was performed by UV-visible spectrophotometry. The correlation of the TPC and TFC with AAI DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP and, also, the correlation of the 3 methods were investigated by Pearson's method. The antioxidant activity of leaves and fruit extracts of crystal guava showed AAI DPPH in the range of 0.33–56.46, CUPRAC 0.20–7.31, and FRAP 1.65–59.89. The highest TPC was given by ethanol leaf extracts (49.55 ± 1.45 g GAE/100 g), while the highest TFC was for n-hexane leaf extracts (9.68 ± 0.210 g QE/100 g). The TPC of leaves extract had a significantly positive correlation with AAI DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP. AAI DPPH, AAI CUPRAC, and AAI FRAP of leaves and fruit extract of crystal guava showed a significantly positive correlation. In general, leaves extract had strong antioxidant activity by the three methods. For the highest antioxidant activity, ethanol was the best solvent for extraction leaves and ethyl acetate for extraction fruit of crystal guava. The TPC in leaves extract contributed to the antioxidant activity by DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP methods. The Antioxidant activity of leaves and fruit extracts of crystal guava was linear by the three methods.
Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Properties of Soils under Different Land Uses in the Tejibara Watershed, Ethiopia

Land use changes have long been considered among many factors responsible for physical and chemical soil degradation. This study was conducted to evaluate land use and land cover (LULC) changes and their cumulative effects over 30 years (from 1989 to 2019) on the current physical and chemical properties of soils in the Tejibara watershed, Ethiopia. Image analysis and LULC classifications were performed using ERDAS IMAGINE 2014 and ArcGIS 10.4 software, respectively. For the determination of soil properties, four land use types (natural forest, eucalyptus plantation, cultivated, and grazing lands) and two soil depths (0–20 and 20–40 cm) were used. Triplicate composite soil samples were collected from each land use type and soil depths. For the determination of physical (texture and bulk density) and chemical soil properties such as electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), and available phosphorus (AP), standard laboratory procedures were employed. The image analysis results for all of the years studied show that cultivated lands have increased in area at the expense of forest and grazing lands. Silt content, clay content, AP, and pH were significantly affected by land use as the main effect while the interaction effects of soil depth and land use were significant for total N and OM only. The highest (10.1 mg/kg) and the lowest (4.9 mg/kg) AP contents were observed in the forest and the grazing lands, respectively. Soil total N content was highest in the forest lands (0.32%) and lowest in cultivated lands (0.06%). Concerning OM content, the highest (11.0%) and the lowest (0.8%) values were recorded in the forest and cultivated lands, respectively. Generally, this study showed that land use changes have reduced the areal coverage by forest and grazing lands and have negatively affected the soil properties. This implies that land use change without soil fertility measures that are appropriate to the area could cause enhanced land degradation and thereby reduce the productivity of the study area soils.
Effects of thermal and oxygen conditions during development on cell size in the common rough woodlice Porcellio scaber

Abstract During development, cells may adjust their size to balance between the tissue metabolic demand and the oxygen and resource supply: Small cells may effectively absorb oxygen and nutrients, but the relatively large area of the plasma membrane requires costly maintenance. Consequently, warm and hypoxic environments should favor ectotherms with small cells to meet increased metabolic demand by oxygen supply. To test these predictions, we compared cell size (hindgut epithelium, hepatopancreas B cells, ommatidia) in common rough woodlice (Porcellio scaber) that were developed under four developmental conditions designated by two temperatures (15 or 22°C) and two air O2 concentrations (10% or 22%). To test whether small‐cell woodlice cope better under increased metabolic demand, the CO2 production of each woodlouse was measured under cold, normoxic conditions and under warm, hypoxic conditions, and the magnitude of metabolic increase (MMI) was calculated. Cell sizes were highly intercorrelated, indicative of organism‐wide mechanisms of cell cycle control. Cell size differences among woodlice were largely linked with body size changes (larger cells in larger woodlice) and to a lesser degree with oxygen conditions (development of smaller cells under hypoxia), but not with temperature. Developmental conditions did not affect MMI, and contrary to predictions, large woodlice with large cells showed higher MMI than small woodlice with small cells. We also observed complex patterns of sexual difference in the size of hepatopancreatic cells and the size and number of ommatidia, which are indicative of sex differences in reproductive biology. We conclude that existing theories about the adaptiveness of cell size do not satisfactorily explain the patterns in cell size and metabolic performance observed here in P. scaber. Thus, future studies addressing physiological effects of cell size variance should simultaneously consider different organismal elements that can be involved in sustaining the metabolic demands of tissue, such as the characteristics of gas‐exchange organs and O2‐binding proteins.
Clinical efficacy of tocilizumab treatment in severe and critical COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND The main pathophysiological basis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causing respiratory failure is a cytokine storm and interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important component of the COVID-19 cytokine storm. As a specific antagonist of IL-6, tocilizumab may block the cytokine storm of COVID-19. The Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines of New Coronavirus Pneumonia (7th Edition) includes tocilizumab as a recommended drug for immunotherapy in severe and critical COVID-19 patients. However, the specific clinical efficacy of tocilizumab in the treatment of COVID-19 patients is worth studying. AIM To determine the clinical efficacy of tocilizumab in inhibiting the cytokine storm in COVID-19. METHODS In total, 19 severe and critical COVID-19 patients were enrolled in this study, and were treated with tocilizumab in Optical Valley Campus of Hubei Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from February 20 to March 31, 2020. The imaging manifestations and clinical data before and after treatment were analyzed retrospectively, including routine peripheral venous blood tests, routine blood biochemical tests, coagulation test, C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, and arterial blood gas analysis. RESULTS Of the 19 patients in this group, 13 (68.4%) had significantly improved symptoms of COVID-19 (5 patients were discharged directly and 8 patients were transferred after improvement) following treatment. One case was invalid, 1 case was exacerbated, and 4 deaths (21.1%) were observed (all critical cases). The lymphocyte count, CRP, lactic acid, oxygenation index, fibrinogen (FIB) and IL-6 levels were significantly different in the improved group. CONCLUSION Tocilizumab treatment is effective against IL-6 in COVID-19 patients, but it does not completely inhibit the inflammation and cytokine storm in all patients with COVID-19.In the clinical treatment of COVID-19 patients, attention should be paid to the timing of drug administration and other adjuvant treatments.
Power of a dual‐use SNP panel for pedigree reconstruction and population assignment

Abstract The use of high‐throughput, low‐density sequencing approaches has dramatically increased in recent years in studies of eco‐evolutionary processes in wild populations and domestication in commercial aquaculture. Most of these studies focus on identifying panels of SNP loci for a single downstream application, whereas there have been few studies examining the trade‐offs for selecting panels of markers for use in multiple applications. Here, we detail the use of a bioinformatic workflow for the development of a dual‐purpose SNP panel for parentage and population assignment, which included identifying putative SNP loci, filtering for the most informative loci for the two tasks, designing effective multiplex PCR primers, optimizing the SNP panel for performance, and performing quality control steps for downstream applications. We applied this workflow to two adjacent Alaskan Sockeye Salmon populations and identified a GTseq panel of 142 SNP loci for parentage and 35 SNP loci for population assignment. Only 50–75 panel loci were necessary for >95% accurate parentage, whereas population assignment success, with all 172 panel loci, ranged from 93.9% to 96.2%. Finally, we discuss the trade‐offs and complexities of the decision‐making process that drives SNP panel development, optimization, and testing.
A comparison of compatible and annual growth models

Compatible growth and yield models are desirable because they provide the same growth estimates regardless of length of growth periods. However, the compatibility constraints restrict the number of possible models. This restriction might be overcome by using models that predict annual stand growth based on periodic measurements. The advantages of this approach are (1) the flexibility allowed in building annual growth models without constraints, and (2) the step-invariance property maintained by these models. An annual growth model was developed in this study that predicts yield based on information from the previous year. For 162 plots from the Southwide Seed Source Study of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.), the annual growth model provided better predictions of stand survival, basal area, and volume than two compatible growth models. FOR. SCI. 49(2):285-290.
Evaluation of indigenous and introduced bivoltine silkworm hybrids

The present investigation was carried out to evaluate thirty-one silkworm bivoltine hybrids including control by involving full diallel set of six bivoltine breeds (ND2, ND3, NSP, U1, CSR2 and JD6) in a complete randomized design (CRD) along with ruling bivoltine hybrid, CSR2 × CSR4. Thirty-one treatments including control were replicated thrice with 200 worms per replicate post III moult. Observations were made on fifteen economically important traits namely; fecundity, hatching percentage, brushing percentage, weight of 10 mature larvae, larval survival, cocoon yield per 10,000 larvae (by weight and by number), good cocoon, pupation, single cocoon weight, single shell weight, shell ratio, total filament length, non-breakable filament length and filament size. Based on the cumulative E.I. values for fifteen commercial characters, ranking of hybrids was conducted and eight hybrids viz. ND2 × CSR2, ND2 × NSP, ND3 × NSP, ND2 × ND3, ND3 × CSR2, NSP × JD6, ND3 × JD6 and NSP × CSR2 qualified E.I. value > 50. Three hybrids viz., ND2 × CSR2 ranked 1st (55.53) followed by ND3 × NSP (55.33) and ND2 × NSP (53.93) are recommended as promising and heterotic hybrids to be exploited at commercial level after multi location trials.
Fabrication and Characterization of Ag–Sr-Substituted Hydroxyapatite/Chitosan Coatings Deposited via Electrophoretic Deposition: A Design of Experiment Study

In this study, silver–strontium-doped hydroxyapatite (AgSr-HA)/chitosan composite coatings were deposited on a 316L stainless steel (SS) substrate via electrophoretic deposition (EPD). The Taguchi design of experiment (DoE) approach was used to optimize the EPD parameters such as the applied voltage, interelectrode spacing, and deposition time. Furthermore, the concentration of AgSr-HA particles in the suspension was also optimized via the DoE approach. DoE results demonstrated that the “homogeneous” coatings were obtained at the deposition time of 7 min, deposition voltage of 20 V, and at a concentration of 5 g/L AgSr-HA particles in the suspension. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), antibacterial studies, contact angle, and roughness measurements were performed to characterize the optimized coatings. SEM images confirmed the deposition of chitosan/AgSr-HA on the SS substrate. The wettability studies indicated the hydrophilic nature of the chitosan/AgSr-HA composite coatings, which confirmed that the developed coatings are suitable for biomedical applications, e.g., orthopedics. The average surface roughness of the chitosan/AgSr-HA composite coatings was in a suitable range used to attach the bone marrow stromal cells. Chitosan/AgSr-HA composite coatings showed an effective antibacterial effect against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, the coatings developed apatite crystals on their surface upon immersion in simulated body fluid.
Antibacterial activity of antimycotic miconazole against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Miconazole was estimated to have a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.78 ㎍/㎖ against the methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The antibacterial activity of miconazole against MRSA was bacteriostatic in cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth, but bacteriocidal in saline solution. The anti-MRSA activity of miconazole did not show a significant change under the susceptibility-testing conditions such as various inoculum sizes, pHs, or cations (Ca/sup ++/ or Mg/sup ++/) which was added to the medium. However, the anti-MRSA activity of miconazole was completely suppressed by lipophilic a-tocopherol (50 ㎍/㎖), but definitely not by water-soluble ascorbic acid.
Character association and path analyses in sponge gourd

Knowledge about the degree of association of yield with components and the interrelationships among them may prove useful in crop improvement. Correlation and path coefficient analyses were carried out for 13 characters of yield and its components. Character association indicated that fruit yield per plant and average fruit weight was positive and significantly correlated with number of fruits per plant at genotypic and phenotypic level. Path analysis indicated that number of fruits per plant had significantly positive, direct effect on fruit yield per plant at genotypic and phenotypic level. The remaining characters had negligible to low or moderate indirect effects through other component characters. The high direct effect of these traits appeared to be the main factors for their strong association with fruit yield. Therefore, maximum weight age should be given to these characters for improvement of yield in sponge gourd.
Evaluation of groundcovers under solar panels for weed control

The study was conducted to identify the best groundcover for growing under the solar panels for effective weed control. The experiment was laid out in Factorial randomized block design with two factors and three replications. Groundcovers were planted in plots of size 2.0 m ×1.8 m and one plot is left as a control in the experimental area. The study revealed that among the different groundcovers evaluated Sphagneticola trilobata (Singapore daisy) registered a greater weed control and the weed count number in the experimental plots at 120 days after planting in the open condition (3.54) and under solar panels (3.37) respectively. It is imperative from the results that the species Sphagneticola trilobata, Lantana sellowiana, Setcreasea purpurea may be recommended for the management of weeds. The results are in relation with the plant spread values and the highest plant spread at 120 days after planting in the EastWest (197cm) and (189.30 cm) was recorded by Sphagneticola trilobata in open and under panel conditions. The same treatment records the North-South spread (147.67cm) and (149.44cm) in open field and under panels at 120 days after planting. The physiological parameters recorded at 120 days after planting also reveals that the (T1) records the highest value than the other treatments and are highly suitable for growing in both the environments with greater weed control.
Spectacular HST observations of the Coma galaxy D100 and star formation in its ram pressure stripped tail

We present new HST F275W, F475W, and F814W imaging of the region of the Coma cluster around D100, a spiral galaxy with a remarkably long and narrow (60⇥1.5 kpc) ram pressure stripped gas tail. We find blue sources coincident with the H↵ tail, which we identify as young stars formed in the tail. We also determine they are likely to be unbound stellar complexes with sizes of ⇠ 50 100 pc, likely to disperse as they age. From a comparison of the colors and magnitudes of the young stellar complexes with simple stellar population models, we find ages ranging from ⇠ 1 50 Myr, and masses ranging from 103 to ⇠ 105 M . We find the overall rate and e ciency of star formation are low, ⇠ 6.0⇥ 10 3 M yr 1 and ⇠ 6⇥ 10 12 yr 1 respectively. The total H↵ flux of the tail would correspond to a star formation rate 7 times higher, indicating some other mechanism for H↵ excitation is dominant. From analysis of colors, we track the progression of outside-in star formation quenching in the main body of D100, as well as its apparent companion the S0 D99. Finally, we observe the dust extinction in the base of the tail has an outer envelope with remarkably smooth and straight edges, and linear filamentary substructure strongly suggestive of magnetic fields. These features and the small amount of tail broadening strongly suggest gas cooling restricting broadening, and the influence of magnetic fields inhibiting turbulence.
Exome sequencing identifies rare coding variants in 10 genes which confer substantial risk for schizophrenia

By meta-analyzing the whole-exomes of 24,248 cases and 97,322 controls, we implicate ultra-rare coding variants (URVs) in ten genes as conferring substantial risk for schizophrenia (odds ratios 3 - 50, P < 2.14 x 10^-6), and 32 genes at a FDR < 5%. These genes have the greatest expression in central nervous system neurons and have diverse molecular functions that include the formation, structure, and function of the synapse. The associations of NMDA receptor subunit GRIN2A and AMPA receptor subunit GRIA3 provide support for the dysfunction of the glutamatergic system as a mechanistic hypothesis in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. We find significant evidence for an overlap of rare variant risk between schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and severe neurodevelopmental disorders (DD/ID), supporting a neurodevelopmental etiology for schizophrenia. We show that protein-truncating variants in GRIN2A, TRIO, and CACNA1G confer risk for schizophrenia whereas specific missense mutations in these genes confer risk for DD/ID. Nevertheless, few of the strongly associated schizophrenia genes appear to confer risk for DD/ID. We demonstrate that genes prioritized from common variant analyses of schizophrenia are enriched in rare variant risk, suggesting that common and rare genetic risk factors at least partially converge on the same underlying pathogenic biological processes. Even after excluding significantly associated genes, schizophrenia cases still carry a substantial excess of URVs, implying that more schizophrenia risk genes await discovery using this approach.