Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative genetics of the use of conspecific and heterospecific social cues for breeding site choice

Social information use for decision‐making is common and affects ecological and evolutionary processes, including social aggregation, species coexistence, and cultural evolution. Despite increasing ecological knowledge on social information use, very little is known about its genetic basis and therefore its evolutionary potential. Genetic variation in a trait affecting an individual's social and nonsocial environment may have important implications for population dynamics, interspecific interactions, and, for expression of other, environmentally plastic traits. We estimated repeatability, additive genetic variance, and heritability of the use of conspecific and heterospecific social cues (abundance and breeding success) for breeding site choice in a population of wild collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis. Repeatability was found for two social cues: previous year conspecific breeding success and previous year heterospecific abundance. Yet, additive genetic variances for these two social cues, and thus heritabilities, were low. This suggests that most of the phenotypic variation in the use of social cues and resulting conspecific and heterospecific social environment experienced by individuals in this population stems from phenotypic plasticity. Given the important role of social information use on ecological and evolutionary processes, more studies on genetic versus environmental determinism of social information use are needed.
Current Status and Prospects of Spontaneous Peritonitis in Patients with Cirrhosis

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) is a common cirrhotic ascites complication which exacerbates the patient's condition. SBP is caused by gram-negative bacilli and, to a lesser extent, gram-positive cocci. Hospital-acquired infections show higher levels of drug-resistant bacteria. Geographical location influences pathogenic bacteria distribution; therefore, different hospitals in the same country record different bacteria strains. Intestinal changes and a weak immune system in patients with liver cirrhosis lead to bacterial translocation thus causing SBP. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are important in SBP management. When the treatment effect is not effective, other rare pathogens should be explored.
Drug Discovery Strategies for SARS-CoV-2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 virus that was first detected in December of 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has rapidly spread worldwide. The search for a suitable vaccine as well as effective therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19 is underway. Drug repurposing screens provide a useful and effective solution for identifying potential therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. For example, the experimental drug remdesivir, originally developed for Ebola virus infections, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as an emergency use treatment of COVID-19. However, the efficacy and toxicity of this drug need further improvements. In this review, we discuss recent findings on the pathology of coronaviruses and the drug targets for the treatment of COVID-19. Both SARS-CoV-2–specific inhibitors and broad-spectrum anticoronavirus drugs against SARS-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2 will be valuable additions to the anti–SARS-CoV-2 armament. A multitarget treatment approach with synergistic drug combinations containing different mechanisms of action may be a practical therapeutic strategy for the treatment of severe COVID-19. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Understanding the biology and pathology of RNA viruses is critical to accomplish the challenging task of developing vaccines and therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. This review highlights the anti–SARS-CoV-2 drug targets and therapeutic development strategies for COVID-19 treatment.
Hydrogels as Durable Anti-Icing Coatings Inhibit and Delay Ice Nucleation

The accumulation of ice on surfaces brings dangerous and costly problems to our daily life. Thus, it would be desirable to design anti-icing coatings for various surfaces. We report a durable anti-icing coating based on mussel-inspired chemistry, which is enabled via fabricating a liquid water layer, achieved by modifying solid substrates with the highly water absorbing property of sodium alginate. Dopamine, the main component of the mussel adhesive protein, is introduced to anchor the sodium alginate in order to render the coating applicable to all types of solid surfaces. Simultaneously, it serves as the cross-linking agent for sodium alginate; thus, the cross-linking degree of the coatings could be easily varied. The non-freezable and freezable water in the coatings with different cross-link degrees all remain liquid-like at subzero conditions and synergistically fulfill the aim of decreasing the temperature of ice nucleation. These anti-icing coatings display excellent stability even under harsh conditions. Furthermore, these coatings can be applied to almost all types of solid surfaces and have great promise in practical applications.
The transluminal attenuation gradient does not add diagnostic accuracy to coronary computed tomography

Background A method for improving the accuracy of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) is highly sought after as it would help to avoid unnecessary invasive coronary angiographies. Measurement of the transluminal attenuation gradient (TAG) has been proposed as an alternative to other existing methods, i.e. CT perfusion and CT fractional flow reserve (FFR). Purpose To evaluate the incremental value of three types of TAG in high-pitch spiral CCTA with invasive FFR measurements as reference. Material and Methods TAG was measured using two semi-automatic methods and one manual method. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was made to determine the usefulness of TAG alone as well as TAG combined with CCTA for detection of significant coronary artery stenoses defined by an invasive FFR value ≤0.80. Results A total of 51 coronary vessels in 37 patients were included in this retrospective study. Hemodynamically significant stenoses were found in 13 vessels according to FFR. The ROC analysis TAG alone resulted in areas under the curve (AUCs) of 0.530 and 0.520 for the semi-automatic TAG and 0.557 for the manual TAG. TAG and CCTA combined resulted in AUCs of 0.567, 0.562 for semi-automatic TAG, and 0.569 for the manual TAG. Conclusion The results from our study showed no incremental value of TAG measured in single heartbeat CCTA in determining the severity of coronary artery stenosis degrees.
In Vitro Evaluation of Self-Nano-Emulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SNEDDS) Containing Room Temperature Ionic Liquids (RTILs) for the Oral Delivery of Amphotericin B

Amphotericin B (AmpB), one of the most commonly used agents in the treatment of severe fungal infections and life-threatening parasitic diseases such as visceral Leishmaniasis, has a negligible oral bioavailability, primarily due to a low solubility and permeability. To develop an oral formulation, medium chain triglycerides and nonionic surfactants in a self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) containing AmpB were combined with room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) of imidazolium. The presence of ionic liquids significantly enhanced the solubility of AmpB, exhibited a low toxicity and increased the transport of AmpB across Caco-2 cell monolayers. The combination of RTILs with a lipid formulation might be a promising strategy to improve the oral bioavailability of AmpB.
Urease Activity of the Cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica

SUMMARY: The cyanobacterium Anabaena cylindrica was found to have nickel-dependent urease activity. Addition of nickel to a nickel-free culture led to recovery of urease activity. This was not prevented by chloramphenicol. Cell-free extracts of nickel-depleted cells did not regain activity upon addition of Ni2+. Enzyme synthesis was constitutive; similar urease activities occurred in urea-, NO− 3- or NH3-grown cultures or those grown under N2-fixing conditions. The urease activity had hyperbolic kinetics, with an apparent K m with respect to urea of 1.3 ± 0.6 (SD) mM. Enzyme activity was enhanced up to two fold by MgSO4 and MnSO4 at pH 7.5. At 10 mM-urea, cells hydrolysed urea and excreted NH3 in excess of biosynthetic requirements.
Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy and Chronic Kidney Disease: A Scoping Study.

Sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity and elevated catecholamine levels are known features of chronic kidney disease (CKD). On the other hand, CKD itself is a high risk for Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and in fact most patients with CKD die before reaching dialysis. Furthermore, Many CKD risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes are also associated with sympathetic hyperactivity. Sympathetic hyperactivity and elevated catecholamine levels also play a key role in the pathogenesis of takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TKCM). Owing to the high sympathetic tone and elevated catecholamine levels in CKD/ESRD patients, an acute stress such as infection/sepsis or surgery makes these patients highly susceptible to TKCM. Multiple isolated case reports of TKCM in CKD/ESRD patients have been reported. We here present the first scoping study of such cases. The purpose of this review is to identify the characteristic features of ESRD/CKD who developed TKCM. Analysis of 30 cases of TKCM in CKD/ESRD primarily happens in women (87% of the cases) with a mean age of 64 ± 13 yrs (Median 63 yrs). Dyspnea (60%) was most presenting complaint, followed by chest pain (37%), fatigue (10%), lower limb edema (3%), seizures (3%) and confusion (3%). The majority of TKCM was noted after exposure to an acute physiological or psychological stressor. Physicians should have a high clinical suspicion for TKCM amongst other differential diagnosis in CKD/ESRD patients who present with chest pain or dyspnea in the setting of acute physiological or psychological stressor.
A model of lightness perception guided by probabilistic assumptions about lighting and reflectance

Lightness perception is the ability to perceive black, white, and gray surface colors in a wide range of lighting conditions and contexts. This ability is fundamental for any biological or artificial visual system, but it poses a difficult computational problem, and how the human visual system computes lightness is not well understood. Here I show that several key phenomena in lightness perception can be explained by a probabilistic graphical model that makes a few simple assumptions about local patterns of lighting and reflectance, and infers globally optimal interpretations of stimulus images. Like human observers, the model exhibits partial lightness constancy, codetermination, contrast, glow, and articulation effects. It also arrives at human-like interpretations of strong lightness illusions that have challenged previous models. The model's assumptions are reasonable and generic, including, for example, that lighting intensity spans a much wider range than surface reflectance and that shadow boundaries tend to be straighter than reflectance edges. Thus, a probabilistic model based on simple assumptions about lighting and reflectance gives a good computational account of lightness perception over a wide range of conditions. This work also shows how graphical models can be extended to develop more powerful models of constancy that incorporate features such color and depth.
Effective Zearalenone Degradation in Model Solutions and Infected Wheat Grain Using a Novel Heterologous Lactonohydrolase Secreted by Recombinant Penicillium canescens

This paper reports the first results on obtaining an enzyme preparation that might be promising for the simultaneous decontamination of plant feeds contaminated with a polyketide fusariotoxin, zearalenone (ZEN), and enhancing the availability of their nutritional components. A novel ZEN-specific lactonohydrolase (ZHD) was expressed in a Penicillium canescens strain PCA-10 that was developed previously as a producer of different hydrolytic enzymes for feed biorefinery. The recombinant ZHD secreted by transformed fungal clones into culture liquid was shown to remove the toxin from model solutions, and was able to decontaminate wheat grain artificially infected with a zearalenone-producing Fusarium culmorum. The dynamics of ZEN degradation depending on the temperature and pH of the incubation media was investigated, and the optimal values of these parameters (pH 8.5, 30 °C) for the ZHD-containing enzyme preparation (PR-ZHD) were determined. Under these conditions, the 3 h co-incubation of ZEN and PR-ZHD resulted in a complete removal of the toxin from the model solutions, while the PR-ZHD addition (8 mg/g of dried grain) to flour samples prepared from the infected ZEN-polluted grain (about 16 µg/g) completely decontaminated the samples after an overnight exposure.
When Mobile Apps Going Deep: An Empirical Study of Mobile Deep Learning

Deep learning (DL) is a game-changing technique in mobile scenarios, as already proven by the academic community. However, no prior literature has studied the adoption of DL in the mobile wild. To fill such gap, in this work, we carry out the first empirical study to demystify how DL is utilized in mobile apps. Based on static analysis technique, we first build a framework that can help accurately identify the apps with DL embedded and extract the DL models from those apps. We then perform comprehensive and in-depth analysis into those apps and models, and make interesting and valuable findings out of the analysis results. As one of the key observations, we find that DL is becoming increasingly popular on mobile apps, and the roles played by DL are mostly critical rather than dispensable. On the other side, however, the potential of DL is far from being fully utilized, as we observe that most in-the-wild DL models are quite lightweight and not well optimized. Our work also provides useful implications for researchers and developers on the related fields.
Effectiveness of school‐based interventions to prevent obesity among children aged 4 to 12 years old in middle‐income countries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Economic and accompanying nutrition transition in middle‐income countries is resulting in rapidly increasing childhood obesity prevalence, exceeding acceleration rates in the West. Previous school‐based obesity prevention reviews have mainly included studies from high‐income countries. This review aimed to summarize the evidence from randomized controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of school‐based interventions in preventing childhood obesity in middle‐income countries. Six electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, LILACS, IBECS and WPRIM. Eligibility criteria included middle‐income country setting, randomized/cluster‐randomized controlled trials, children aged 4–12 years and school‐based interventions targeting dietary intake and/or physical activity. Twenty‐one cluster‐randomized controlled trials, conducted in Asia (n = 10), South America (n = 4), North America (n = 4) and the Middle East (n = 3), were included. Fifteen studies reported a significant intervention effect on at least one adiposity‐related outcome. Characteristics of effective interventions included combined diet and PA interventions, school teacher‐delivery, duration of >8 months, parental involvement, education sessions and school food modifications. The risk of bias in these trials was mixed. The pooled estimate of the odds ratio for obesity in intervention versus control schools (nine studies) was 0.77; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.94; p = 0.009. In conclusion, there is some evidence to support school‐based interventions in preventing childhood obesity in middle‐income countries.
IL-28B genetic variation, gender, age, jaundice, hepatitis C virus genotype, and hepatitis B virus and HIV co-infection in spontaneous clearance of hepatitis C virus.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Spontaneous viral clearance observed in some patients is one of the variants of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection natural history. We aimed to look at the complexity of factors affecting the spontaneous clearance of HCV (SC HCV). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 357 anti-HCV positive patients (309 with chronic hepatitis C and 48 patients with SC HCV) were included into the study. We studied the effects of the interleukin-28B (IL-28B) gene polymorphism, gender, age, the routes of virus transmission, past hepatitis C with jaundice, HCV genotype, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) and HIV co-infection on the outcome of HCV infection. RESULTS Based on the study results, the SC HCV was found in 48 individuals (13.4%). The most significant positive factors affecting the SC HCV included IL-28B single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs12979860 (CC) and SNP rs8099917 (TT) (OR 4.03, p<0.001) and (OR 3.14, p<0.002), female gender (OR 2.72, p<0.001), young age (OR 2.30, p<0.008), and past history of jaundice (OR 5.12, p<0.001). The markers of a past HBV infection were found significantly more often in SC. CONCLUSION Positive predictors of the SC HCV include favorable IL-28B genotype, female gender, young age, a history of jaundice, markers of a past HBV infection, the absence of HIV infection, but not the viral genotype.
The use of anakinra in the treatment of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) can be familial or secondary, which is often triggered by infection or malignancy. HLH therapy includes dexamethasone and etoposide. However, therapy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Anakinra, a recombinant interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist, has been reported to treat macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), rheumatic sHLH. We report our experience with anakinra to treat patients with nonrheumatic secondary HLH (sHLH).
Helicobacter pylori and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Helicobacter pylori is the most prevalent infection worldwide, while non-alcoholic fatty liver disease emerged as the most frequent liver disease. The common occurrence can be either by chance or due to certain pathogenetic factors. Epidemiologic studies revealed that the risk of non-alcoholic liver disease is increased in patients infected with Helicobacter pylori. DNA fragments of Helicobacter pylori were rarely identified in human samples of liver carcinoma and fatty liver. Helicobacter pylori could influence the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver either by hormonal (ghrelin? gastrin? insulin? ), or by effect of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 1 and 8, tumor necrosis factor ɑ, interferon ɣ) and by changes of gut microbiome as well. Probiotic supplementation could improve some clinical parameters of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori. Regimens used for eradication can be safely administered, although non-alcoholic fatty liver increases the risk of drug-induced liver damage. Controlled studies of the effect of eradication on the development and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver are warranted.
Population structure and dynamics of Ankole cattle in Uganda: Implications for sustainable utilisation of the breed

This study aimed at determination of structure and dynamics of Ankole cattle herds in 248 farms in Kiboga, Mbarara, Mpigi and Sembabule districts of Uganda and was conducted using a pre-tested questionnaire, administered during one-to-one interviews. Farms were randomly sampled along transects originating from the headquarters of the 19 sub-counties studied. Results showed that Ankole cattle provide livelihood support to all households, with 60.9% relying solely on them. Most farms kept a mix of livestock species and breeds, though 44.5% of farms kept pure Ankole herds. Acquisition of cows across the year was mainly through birth (41.5%), gifts (38.7%) and purchase (33.8%), though the number of cattle removed from the herds exceeded the annual acquisitions. Avenues of cattle exit included sales (39.1%), donations (35.5%), death (31.1%), theft (30.5%) and slaughter for home use (30.2%). Conservation of the Ankole breed should involve empowering households who still maintain pure herds. Such households could be given elite bulls through a ‘cow for a bull’ exchange with the National Animal Genetic Resource Centre which currently operates a nucleus herd at Nshaara ranch. To sustain the relevance of various traits and the breed itself, controlled crossbreeding should be promoted in high milk and meat demand areas.
Life history of the spotfin killifish,fundulus luciae (pisces: cyprinodontidae), in Fox Creek Marsh, Virginia

Fundulus luciae was collected for a year at Fox Creek Marsh and, occasionally, at other salt marshes along the York River, Virginia. It occurred in high intertidal areas in brackish, sometimes oxygen deficient shallow ditches, mudholes and tidal rivulets located in stands ofSpartina alterniflora. Preserved specimens were examined to determine the reproductive season, fecundity, diet and associated metazoan parasites of the species. Developing ova were present from mid-April to mid-August and exhibited a broad size range; the number of large ova (>1.6 mm diameter) never exceeded 16 per female. Stomach contents consisted mainly of detritus, diatoms, ostracods, dipterans and copepods. All major metazoan parasite groups except Cestoda were represented onF. luciae; Monogenea were most numerous, with 57.2% incidence. Eggs and larvae were described. Preserved larvae ofF. luciae were distinguished from those ofF. heteroclitus by their dorsal pigmentation pattern. It was concluded thatF. luciae, a purportedly rare species, is not rare, but probably restricted to high intertidal salt marshes where it may have been previously overlooked.
Hippocampal blood–brain barrier of methamphetamine self‐administering HIV‐1 transgenic rats

Combined antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection reduces plasma viral load and prolongs life. However, the brain is a viral reservoir, and pathologies such as cognitive decline and blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption persist. Methamphetamine abuse is prevalent among HIV‐infected individuals. Methamphetamine and HIV toxic proteins can disrupt the BBB, but it is unclear if there exists a common pathway by which HIV proteins and methamphetamine induce BBB damage. Also unknown are the BBB effects imposed by chronic exposure to HIV proteins in the comorbid context of chronic methamphetamine abuse. To evaluate these scenarios, we trained HIV‐1 transgenic (Tg) and non‐Tg rats to self‐administer methamphetamine using a 21‐day paradigm that produced an equivalency dose range at the low end of the amounts self‐titrated by humans. Markers of BBB integrity were measured for the hippocampus, a brain region involved in cognitive function. Outcomes revealed that tight junction proteins, claudin‐5 and occludin, were reduced in Tg rats independent of methamphetamine, and this co‐occurred with increased levels of lipopolysaccharide, albumin (indicating barrier breakdown) and matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9; indicating barrier matrix disruption); reductions in GFAP (indicating astrocytic dysfunction); and microglial activation (indicating inflammation). Evaluations of markers for two signaling pathways that regulate MMP‐9 transcription, NF‐κB and ERK/∆FosB revealed an overall genotype effect for NF‐κB. Methamphetamine did not alter measurements from Tg rats, but in non‐Tg rats, methamphetamine reduced occludin and GFAP, and increased MMP‐9 and NF‐κB. Study outcomes suggest that BBB dysregulation resulting from chronic exposure to HIV‐1 proteins or methamphetamine both involve NF‐κB/MMP‐9.