Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blood Glucose Prediction for Type 1 Diabetes Using Generative Adversarial Networks

Maintaining blood glucose in a target range is essential for people living with Type 1 diabetes in order to avoid excessive periods in hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia which can result in severe complications. Accurate blood glucose prediction can reduce this risk and enhance early interventions to improve diabetes management. However, due to the complex nature of glucose metabolism and the various lifestyle related factors which can disrupt this, diabetes management still remains challenging. In this work we pro-pose a novel deep learning model to predict future BG levels based on the historical continuous glucose monitoring measurements, meal ingestion, and insulin delivery. We adopt a modiﬁed architecture of the generative adversarial network that comprises of a generator and a discriminator. The generator computes the BG predictions by a recurrent neural network with gated recurrent units, and the auxiliary discriminator employs a one-dimensional convolutional neural network to distinguish between the predictive and real BG values. Two modules are trained in an adversarial process with a combination of loss. The experiments were conducted using the OhioT1DM dataset that contains the data of six T1D contributors over 40 days. The proposed algorithm achieves an average root mean square error (RMSE) of 18 . 34 ± 0 . 17 mg/dL with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 13 . 37 ± 0 . 18 mg/dL for the 30-minute prediction horizon (PH) and an average RMSE of 32 . 31 ± 0 . 46 mg/dL with a MAE of 24 . 20 ± 0 . 42 for the 60-minute PH. The results are compared for clinical relevance using the Clarke error grid which conﬁrms the promising performance of the proposed model.
Breeding Biology of the Australasian Gannet Morus Serrator (Gray) at Motu Karamarama, Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand II. Breeding Success and Chick Growth

Hatching and fledging success in the Atlantic, Cape and Australasian Gannets were found to be similar (74-82% and 92-97%) at colonies where human disturbance was minimal. Australasian Gannet chicks suffer most from bad weather when very young. They fledge at about 108 days compared with 97 days for Cape and 90 days for Atlantic Gannets. Age at fledging was found to decrease as the season progressed but this trend may be due to human disturbance. Chick weights and growth measurements of known-age chicks are given. Australasian Gannets reach peak weight later than the other two species, this is 132% of adult weight in Australasian and Atlantic Gannets and 124% in Cape Gannets. Plumage development is shown in photographs and described.
Presence of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts in drinking water supplies in northern Spain

We appreciate the interesting comments of Dr Gale (2007). By indicating the infectious doses (ID) for Giardia and Cryptosporidium we attempted to highlight the minimal amounts of (oo)cysts reported in human volunteer trials that are able to induce infection, without excluding the possibility that lower IDs achieve the same effect. The paper by DuPont et al. (1995) quoted in our study reports an ID50 of 132 oocysts for Cryptosporidium, with doses of 30 oocysts inducing infection in 20% of subjects (n 1⁄4 5). A lower ID50 of 83 oocysts has been found by Chappell et al. (2006) in a very recent study. Action level is by definition the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers a treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow. Action levels are widely used, providing water utilities and sanitary authorities with a practical reference limit for preventing the possibility of an outbreak. We agree with Dr Gale that spot sampling tends to underestimate the real prevalence of these micro-organisms in water. In fact, as many as 10 samples may be required to describe the range of (oo)cysts concentrations that a community is experiencing in its water supply (Wallis et al. 1996). However, it is important to take in consideration that the sample processing methodology used in our study is very laborious and time-consuming, allowing us to analyse only four water samples per week, with a time lag of 3 days between the sample collection and the test result. Because of these technical limitations the monitoring of events, where Cryptosporidium and Giardia were detected, was extremely difficult and, as a consequence, inaccurate. It should also be noted that risk assessment must not only considerer the efficiency of water treatment, but also other important factors including specificity and sensitivity of the diagnostic test, viability and infectivity of the (oo)cysts, immunological status of the host, hydrological features, soil conditions, local geology and others. Because risk assessment was not the aim of our study, most of these factors were not analysed and remain to be elucidated in further work. We also agree with Dr Gale that regular water quality monitoring in conventional water treatment facilities (CWTF) is a cornerstone in control programmes, especially considering that these facilities supply drinking water to the majority of the population. Dr Gale states that, in the event of a failure in treatment, residents in towns and cities supplied by CWTF are at high risk of illness because their lower levels of protective immunity. Despite the growing evidence suggesting that strong serological responses may be associated with a reduced risk of illness (Frost et al. 2005), it should be noted that this issue still remains controversial, and more research should be carried out to demonstrate this phenomenon. Given this situation, we strongly believe that special attention should be directed to those drinking water supplies more susceptible to be contaminated with these protozoan parasites, as explained in our study.
Soil inorganic P fractions in a long-term fertility experiment on the Loess Plateau of China

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for plant growth, so proper application of P fertilizers to farmland is necessary. High levels of P fertilization often cause P accumulation in soil and thereby increase P loss to the environment. The effect of long-term P fertilization on soil inorganic P (Pi) fractions and available P (Pa) stocks were investigated in order to provide a reference for rational management of P fertilization. A 27-year experiment was initiated in September 1984 in Changwu County on the southern part of the Loess Plateau, northern China. The experiment included five treatments of P fertilization: 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg P ha−1. With zero P application, soil Pi fractions decreased and were even depleted over time. In fertilized plots, soil Pi content in available and unavailable fractions increased over time, regardless of the application rate. P fertilization increased the content and change rate of soil Pi fractions between three sampling times (1991, 2001, and 2011). Soil Pa stocks and plant P uptake increased with increasing application rate of 20–60 kg P ha−1, indicating increased input and output of P in the soil–plant system. Higher application rates (≥60 kg P ha−1) did not change soil Pa stocks or plant P uptake but increased the annual change rate of Pi fractions, maintaining a balance between the supply and demand of P. This study has implications for reducing P fertilization level and decreasing associated environmental risks in agricultural soil on the Loess Plateau.
Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary field that blends computer science and biostatistics with biological and biomedical sciences such as biochemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, genomics, and physiology. An important goal of bioinformatics is to facilitate the management, analysis, and interpretation of data from biological experiments and observational studies. The goal of this review is to introduce some of the important concepts in bioinformatics that must be considered when planning and executing a modern biological research study. We review database resources as well as data mining software tools. J. Cell. Physiol. 213: 365–369, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Complex heterochrony underlies the evolution of hermaphrodite self-fertility and sex allocation in experimental C. elegans populations

Hermaphroditic organisms are common both in plants and animals, and have served as key models to study the evolution of sex allocation. Despite extensive past research, the specific developmental mechanisms by which hermaphrodite sex allocation can evolve remain largely unknown. To address this problem, we here use experimental evolution of Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite-male populations to directly quantify changes in germline and somatic development that underlie adaptive shifts in hermaphrodite sex allocation associated with the evolution of improved self-fertility. Specifically, we test whether the evolution of hermaphrodite sex allocation is due to heterochrony, i.e. evolutionary changes in the relative timing of developmental processes. We show that the experimental evolution of improved hermaphrodite self-fertility occurred through complex modification of a suite of developmental and reproductive traits: increased sperm production, accelerated oogenesis and ovulation rates, and increased embryo retention in utero. The experimental evolution of increased sperm production delayed entry into oogenesis – as expected, given the sequentially coupled production of spermatogenesis and oogenesis. Surprisingly, however, delayed oogenesis onset did not delay reproductive maturity, nor did it trade-off with gamete or embryo size. Comparing developmental dynamics of germline and soma indicates that the evolution of increased sperm production did not delay reproductive maturity due to a globally accelerated larval development during the period of spermatogenesis. We conclude that the integration of multiple heterochronic events in gametogenesis and soma can explain the experimental evolution of hermaphrodite sex allocation and self-fertility. Our results thus support the idea that heterochrony can represent a specific mechanism that explains the maintenance of partial selfing in natural populations with mixed reproduction modes and different forms of hermaphroditism. More generally, our results provide a quantitative perspective on how natural selection can operate on developmental characters – and their integration – during the evolution of life history at the population level.
Genetic analysis of 35 microsatellite loci in three miniature pig breeds

The polymorphism of 35 mcrosatellites in the three miniature pig breeds in China (Guizhou miniature pig, Guangxi Bama miniature pig, Banna miniature pig inbred) was analysed. Rates of homozygote for 35 microsatellite loci in three miniature pig breeds were calculated, and t-test for them were performed. Mean heterozygosity and polymorphism information content (PIC) were calculated for all breeds, and genetic distances between these breeds were estimated. The dendrograms were obtained based on genetic distances. The results suggest that rates of homozygote in the three breeds are all high, and that is the highest in Banna miniature pig inbred. The results also suggest that polymorphism information content and mean heterozygosity in all the three breeds are low, and the genetic relationship between Guizhou miniature pig and Guangxi Bama miniature pig is closer than their relationship with Banna miniature pig inbred.
Cyclic Irrigation Reduces Container Leachate Nitrate-nitrogen Concentration

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of cyclic irrigation on leachate NO3-N concentration, container leachate volume, total effluent volume, and growth of Ilex crenata Thunb. 'Compacta'. In Expt. 1, container leachate volume was reduced 34% when 13 mm of water was applied in three cycles compared to continuous irrigation of 13 mm per unit time. Forty-nine percent less container leachate volume was collected from a continuous application of 8 mm than from that of 13 mm water. In Expt. 2, container leachate volume was reduced 71% when 6 mm was applied in a single application over 30 minutes compared to 13 mm applied continuously for 1 hour. Total effluent was reduced by 14% and 10% in Expts. 1 and 2, respectively, when 13-mm irrigation was applied in three cycles compared to one continuous irrigation. Container leachate NO3-N concentrations from cyclic irrigation were generally less than leachate NO3-N concentrations from continuous irrigation treatments. The percentage of applied N leached as NO3-N ranged from 46% when 13-mm irrigation was applied in three cycles to 63% when 13-mm irrigation was applied in a single cycle. Leachate NO 3-N concentra- tion was reduced as irrigation volume was reduced from 13 to 6 mm in Expt. 2. Percentage of applied N leached as NO3-N was 63%, 56%, and 47% when 13-mm irrigation was applied in one, two, and three cycles, respectively, compared to 19%, 16%, and 15% when 6-mm irrigation was applied in one, two, and three cycles, respectively. 'Compacta' holly shoot and root growth were minimally affected by cyclic irrigation or irrigation volume.
SOME EFFECTS OF COLCHICINE UPON THE FIRST CLEAVAGE IN ARBACIA PUNCTULATA

The pioneer work of Hertwig and Hertwig (1887), Boveri (1897), Wilson (1902) and others on the effects of various environmental conditions upon the division mechanism of cells has stimulated numer ous workers to further study the effects of a wide variety of agents such as anaesthetics, poisons, injury, hypertonic and hypotonic solu tions, centrifuging, mechanical agitation and various types of radiation upon this interesting process. The recent advent of the use of colchicine (a narcotic alkaloid) to produce polyploidy in cells has led to numerous publications, mainly by cytogeneticists, on this general subject. However, few studies have been made in an effort to analyze the general effects of colchicine on the cell as a whole and particularly from the point of view of the mechanics of cell division. It was with these problems in mind that we undertook the present investigation.
Feeding Preference and Survival of Young Worker Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Fed Rape, Sesame, and Sunflower Pollen

Young worker honey bees, Apis mellifera L. , exhibited differences in feeding preferences and survival when fed pollen of rape, Brassica napus L. , sesame, Sesamum indicum L. , and sunflower, Helianthus annuus . Rape pollen was readily consumed and increased Longevity 2.5 times relative to the controls fed only sucrose water. Sunflower pollen was readily consumed with bees on average surviving 1.6 times longer than the controls. Sesame pollen was not readily consumed and bees survived 1.7 times longer than the controls. The results suggest that honey bees used to pollinate monoculture crops of either sunflowers or sesame, but not rape, will need to be provided alternate floral or nutritional supplements source to enrich their diets and maintain colony health.
Agricultural land use alters species composition but not species richness of ant communities.

Land-use change causes undesirable effects such as biodiversity decline, altered community structure and reduced ecosystem services. Changes in species composition and disrupted trophic interactions between pests and their natural enemies may also result causing decreased ecosystem services. We studied the effects of forest habitat transformation on the community structure of ants, which include major biological control agents. We focused on four types of land use around Harapan Forest (Harapan) and Bukit Duabelas Nation- al Park (BDNP), Jambi, Sumatra, Indonesia: forest, jungle rubber, rubber plan- tations and oil palm plantations. Four replicate patches of each land-use type were sampled, with plot sizes of 50 x 50 m at each of the 32 sites. Ants were collected by hand in combination with tuna and sugar baiting on three strata i.e. leaf litter, soil and tree. We found 104 ant species in total. Surprisingly, ant spe- cies richness per plot was not significantly different among land-use types, both in Harapan and BDNP. However, few ant species were shared among different land-use types. Forest and jungle rubber communities are relatively similar to each other (but still different), and distinct from communities in oil palm and rubber plantations. We conclude that conversion of remnant forested habitats to plantations would result in a net loss of ant species, even though ant species richness in plantations and forested habitats are similar.
Evaluation of salt resistance of cucumber at seed germination and rootstock-seedling stages

【Objective】Salt resistance ability screening of different genotypes of cucumber(scion)and rootstock is the basis research work for the evaluation of salt resistance ability of grafting cucumber plants. 【Method】Salt resistance of 20 cucumber cultivars at seed germination stage and 22 species of rootstocks at seedling stage were evaluated by using cluster analysis.Relative trend of germination,relative percentage of germination and relative germination index of cucumber seed and salt injury index of rootstock were used to detect the salt resistance of cucumber seeds and rootstock. 【 Result】Zaoduojia,Huazao 2,Zhongnong 8,Jinyu 1 and Jinyou 3 held high resistance to salt stress,whereas Jinguan 1,Xuyou 1,Jinchun 5,Jinchun 4,Dongfangmingzhu,Xiangzao 3,Tezao 1 and Jinyou 1 were moderately salt tolerant,but Baipihuanggua,Ningfeng 8,Meinong 4,Jinchun 3,Jinza 4,Jinza 2 and Jinchun 2 cucumber cultivars were sensitive to salt stress.Rootstocks could be clustered to two groups,Cucurbit pepo L.cv. Chunbaiyu,Zaoqingyidai and Jizao xiuyu,Cucurbita moschata Duch.cv. Tiejiangjun F1 were sensitive to salt stress whereas the other species of rootstocks were tolerant to salt stress,and salt resistant rootstocks could be clustered to three subgroups,Lagenaria siceraria Standl.var. clavata Makino cv.Xiaoganhugua,Tongxinhugua,Hanlongbiyu and Chaofeng8848 showed the highest salt resistance,Cucurbit ficifolia cv.Heizinangua exhibited tolerant,whereas the other thirteen species showed more salt resistance. 【Conclusion】Salt resistance ability varied with different genotypes of cucumber(scion)and rootstock,and the salt resistance ability of cucumbers and rootstocks could be screened at germination stage and seedling stage,respectively.
Contrasting population genetic structures in Amphipholis squamata, a complex of brooding, self-reproducing sister species sharing life history traits

Life history traits are among the major forces influencing the spatial organisation of biodiversity. Brooding species, lacking a planktonic larval phase, have a weak potential for dis - persal and are prone to displaying strong spatial genetic structures of their populations. Selfreproduction allows a single individual to establish a new population. Using nuclear markers to assign specimens to species (1004 specimens) and sequences of the 16S mitochondrial gene (for a subset of 479 specimens) to estimate genetic differentiation, we analyzed spatial and bathymetric sampling of 14 locations along the French Mediterranean coast in order to investigate the genetic effects of brooding and self-reproduction on the Amphipholis squamata species complex. The spatial organisation of the complex appeared chaotic, illustrating the random nature of dispersal in these brooding organisms. Bayesian dating confirmed the old age of the species complex (approximately 10 million yr). The different species displayed contrasted levels of genetic diversity and differentiation, despite their similar and extreme self-reproduction rates. This study illustrates the role of stochastic dispersal on species assemblages and genetic structure, and suggests a strong influence of past demographic history on population genetic structure of co-distributed species.
Metacommunity Structure of Small Mammals In Western Mexico: Is the San Pedro-Mezquital River a Biological Corridor?

Abstract We analyzed the metacommunity structure of volant and nonvolant small-mammal assemblages along the San Pedro-Mezquital River to provide insights on its role as a biological corridor connecting the eastern and western versants of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Because the river bed descends from 1,800 m to sea level, and from arid to tropical environments, we expected high species turnover and significant relationships of species composition with the vegetation and elevation. Different metacommunity structures were identified for volant (Gleasonian) and nonvolant (quasi-Gleasonian) mammals; i.e., species along the gradient replace each other, but replacement is not by groups but rather species respond idiosyncratically to local environment. We found no significant relationship between species composition and vegetation or elevation, likely because mammals that would otherwise be confined to one vegetation type can occur here in more than one, probably tracking specific resources along the elevation–vegetation gradient. Results support the hypothesis that it is not species richness in itself that accounts for the high biodiversity in Mexico but rather the high environmental heterogeneity that in turn produces high species turnover rates at relatively low scales.
ASBMR 31st Annual Meeting FR0001–FR0464

Clinical Correlates of Vertebral Fracture in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Kerry Siminoski*, Celia Rodd, Johannes Roth, Andy Ni, Nathalie Alos, Stephanie Atkinson, Robert Couch, Elizabeth Cummings, Francis H Glorieux, Jacqueline Halton, Brian Lentle, Mary-Ann Matzinger, Helen Nadel, Nazih Shenouda, Robert Stein, David Stephure, Shayne P Taback, Frank Rauch, Leanne M Ward, and the Canadian STOPP Consortium. University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Canadian Pediatric Bone Health Working Group, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
New Bird Host Records For Ornithoctona fusciventris (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) in Mexico

Abstract Louse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) are vectors of several blood-borne pathogens of wild birds, such as parasites of the genera Trypanosoma and Haemoproteus. We captured birds during the dry (March–April) and rainy (June–July) seasons in 2013 and 2014 using mist nets at five sites with different land-use types (urban and suburban forests, cattle ranch, shade coffee plantation, and well-preserved montane cloud forest). We thoroughly examined plumage of each captured bird to search for dipteran macroectoparasites. We used PCR to screen for haemosporidian parasites that could infect bird hosts parasitized by hippoboscids. The birds Chlorospingus flavopectus (prevalence: 0.6%, n = 150), Basileuterus rufifrons (1.8%, n = 56), and Sayornis nigricans (50%, n = 2) are first-time host records for the louse fly Ornithoctona fusciventris (Diptera: Hippoboscidae). We found a positive infection by Plasmodium/Haemoproteus parasites in C. flavopectus. This fly family includes many species that are vectors of bird pathogens; this has important implications for wild and domestic animal health.
Fair Integral Flows

A strongly polynomial algorithm is developed for finding an integer-valued feasible $st$-flow of given flow-amount which is decreasingly minimal on a specified subset $F$ of edges in the sense that the largest flow-value on $F$ is as small as possible, within this, the second largest flow-value on $F$ is as small as possible, within this, the third largest flow-value on $F$ is as small as possible, and so on. A characterization of the set of these $st$-flows gives rise to an algorithm to compute a cheapest $F$-decreasingly minimal integer-valued feasible $st$-flow of given flow-amount. Decreasing minimality is a possible formal way to capture the intuitive notion of fairness.