Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Capital and income breeding as alternative tactics of resource use in reproduction

In order to compensate for the resource demands of reproduction, organisms usually increase the amount of total food resources available. This may be achieved by different tactics of resource use that also include foraging decisions. Two such general tactics are discussed in this paper under the concepts of capital and income breeding. These are defined mainly from the temporal distribution of resource acquisition relative to resource use. A capital breeder acquires its resources in advance and store them endogenously or exogenously until they are needed to supply aspects of offspring production. An income breeder, on the other hand, adjusts its food intake concurrently with breeding, without reliance on stores. In a perfectly predictable environment without limited resources, income breeding is the best option since capital breeders may have to pay a number of energetic and demographic costs for their stored resources. However, under unpredictable food conditions, food/time limitations, and risky foraging conditions, capital breeding offers many benefits. The costing systems (pre- or postbreeding costs) induced by capital and income breeding will largely influence the opportunity for these energetic tactics to evolve. While capital and income breeders may potentially experience both pre- and postbreeding costs, capital breeders may be more exposed to prebreeding costs due to predation in connection with acquisition and carriage of stores.
Chemical Modification of Aptamers for Increased Binding Affinity in Diagnostic Applications: Current Status and Future Prospects

Aptamers are short single stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that can recognize analytes with extraordinary target selectivity and affinity. Despite their promising properties and diagnostic potential, the number of commercial applications remains scarce. In order to endow them with novel recognition motifs and enhanced properties, chemical modification of aptamers has been pursued. This review focuses on chemical modifications, aimed at increasing the binding affinity for the aptamer’s target either in a non-covalent or covalent fashion, hereby improving their application potential in a diagnostic context. An overview of current methodologies will be given, thereby distinguishing between pre- and post-SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment) modifications.
Oceanographic features that define the habitat of Pacific ocean perch, Sebastes alutus

This study investigates the possibility that oceanographic features could have effects on the variations observed in the apparent abundance of a demersal rockfish, Pacific ocean perch, Sebastes alutus. Simultaneous monitoring of physical variables and indices of fish abundance was achieved by attaching oceanographic equipment to the fishing gear of commercial vessels and sampling the fish catch. It was found that perch prefer a temperature range from at least 4.8dC to 6.7dC and that their movement patterns are linked to the movement of these temperatures by coastal wind patterns. Perch prefer areas with steep bathymetry, characterized by turbulent activity due to interactions between the local bathymetry and tidal currents.
Genetic Control of Muscle Diversification and Homeostasis: Insights from Drosophila

In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the larval somatic muscles or the adult thoracic flight and leg muscles are the major voluntary locomotory organs. They share several developmental and structural similarities with vertebrate skeletal muscles. To ensure appropriate activity levels for their functions such as hatching in the embryo, crawling in the larva, and jumping and flying in adult flies all muscle components need to be maintained in a functionally stable or homeostatic state despite constant strain. This requires that the muscles develop in a coordinated manner with appropriate connections to other cell types they communicate with. Various signaling pathways as well as extrinsic and intrinsic factors are known to play a role during Drosophila muscle development, diversification, and homeostasis. In this review, we discuss genetic control mechanisms of muscle contraction, development, and homeostasis with particular emphasis on the contractile unit of the muscle, the sarcomere.
Separable EEG Features Induced by Timing Prediction for Active Brain-Computer Interfaces

Brain–computer interfaces (BCI) have witnessed a rapid development in recent years. However, the active BCI paradigm is still underdeveloped with a lack of variety. It is imperative to adapt more voluntary mental activities for the active BCI control, which can induce separable electroencephalography (EEG) features. This study aims to demonstrate the brain function of timing prediction, i.e., the expectation of upcoming time intervals, is accessible for BCIs. Eighteen subjects were selected for this study. They were trained to have a precise idea of two sub-second time intervals, i.e., 400 ms and 600 ms, and were asked to measure a time interval of either 400 ms or 600 ms in mind after a cue onset. The EEG features induced by timing prediction were analyzed and classified using the combined discriminative canonical pattern matching and common spatial pattern. It was found that the ERPs in low-frequency (0~4 Hz) and energy in high-frequency (20~60 Hz) were separable for distinct timing predictions. The accuracy reached the highest of 93.75% with an average of 76.45% for the classification of 400 vs. 600 ms timing. This study first demonstrates that the cognitive EEG features induced by timing prediction are detectable and separable, which is feasible to be used in active BCIs controls and can broaden the category of BCIs.
Autonomous Road Roundabout Detection and Navigation System for Smart Vehicles and Cities Using Laser Simulator–Fuzzy Logic Algorithms and Sensor Fusion

A real-time roundabout detection and navigation system for smart vehicles and cities using laser simulator–fuzzy logic algorithms and sensor fusion in a road environment is presented in this paper. A wheeled mobile robot (WMR) is supposed to navigate autonomously on the road in real-time and reach a predefined goal while discovering and detecting the road roundabout. A complete modeling and path planning of the road’s roundabout intersection was derived to enable the WMR to navigate autonomously in indoor and outdoor terrains. A new algorithm, called Laser Simulator, has been introduced to detect various entities in a road roundabout setting, which is later integrated with fuzzy logic algorithm for making the right decision about the existence of the roundabout. The sensor fusion process involving the use of a Wi-Fi camera, laser range finder, and odometry was implemented to generate the robot’s path planning and localization within the road environment. The local maps were built using the extracted data from the camera and laser range finder to estimate the road parameters such as road width, side curbs, and roundabout center, all in two-dimensional space. The path generation algorithm was fully derived within the local maps and tested with a WMR platform in real-time.
Lack of Evidence for an Association between IL-17F Rs763780 Polymorphism and Pulmonary Tuberculosis

ABSTRACT The relationship between the interleukin-17F (IL-17F) rs763780 polymorphism and tuberculosis (TB) has been a source of debate. The potential association between the IL-17F rs763780 polymorphism and TB was investigated using a meta-analysis of case-control studies, which were obtained using the EMBASE, PubMed, CNKI, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated, and summary odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed to estimate a summary effect size using either a fixed-effects or random-effects model. Eight eligible studies comprising nine comparisons for the IL-17F rs763780 polymorphism (3824 cases and 3787 controls) were obtained for this meta-analysis. Although a significant relationship between IL-17F rs763780 and TB susceptibility was observed using the allele genetic model (odds ratio = 1.34, 95% confidence interval = 1.04–1.74), there was high heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 79%, P=0.0001). The stratified analyses by race, type of tuberculosis, and Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium suggested that the IL-17F rs763780 polymorphism was not associated with risk of pulmonary tuberculosis and the heterogeneity disappeared. Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium is the main cause of the heterogeneity. No evidence was found through this meta-analysis that suggested an association between the IL-17F rs763780 polymorphism and risk of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Regulation of the Ocular Cell/Tissue Response by Implantable Biomaterials and Drug Delivery Systems

Therapeutic advancements in the treatment of various ocular diseases is often linked to the development of efficient drug delivery systems (DDSs), which would allow a sustained release while maintaining therapeutic drug levels in the target tissues. In this way, ocular tissue/cell response can be properly modulated and designed in order to produce a therapeutic effect. An ideal ocular DDS should encapsulate and release the appropriate drug concentration to the target tissue (therapeutic but non-toxic level) while preserving drug functionality. Furthermore, a constant release is usually preferred, keeping the initial burst to a minimum. Different materials are used, modified, and combined in order to achieve a sustained drug release in both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. After giving a picture of the different strategies adopted for ocular drug release, this review article provides an overview of the biomaterials that are used as drug carriers in the eye, including micro- and nanospheres, liposomes, hydrogels, and multi-material implants; the advantages and limitations of these DDSs are discussed in reference to the major ocular applications.
A Modified Generalized Orthogonal Matching Pursuit Method for Compressed Sensing

An improved greedy algorithm was proposed in order to improve the reconstruction performance of the Generalized Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (GOMP) for sparse signals. In each iteration, the GOMP algorithm identiﬁes multiple columns from the sensing matrix, in accordance with their matching degree with the residual . The indices of the columns are added to an estimated support set to reconstruct a sparse signal through solving a least-squares problem. The numbers of selected indices within each iteration are a ﬁxed constant in the GOMP; however, the ﬁxed constant is not suit to all iterations. Incorrect indices are selected when the ﬁxed constant is larger than the number of the correct indices. Those selected incorrect indices thus reduce the reconstruct speed and accuracy, particularly when the ﬁxed constant is much larger than the number of the correct indices. In order to mitigate weakness found within the GOMP, the proposed method ﬁrstly perform the primary election to the candidates with a specially chosen threshold. If the number of the candidates through the primary election is more than S, the proposed method will select S candidates from the candidate pool through the primary election and add their indices to the estimated support set. If the number of the candidates through the primary election is less than S, the proposed method will directly add the indices of all the candidates through the primary election to the estimated support set. The proposed method reduces the probability of selecting incorrect indices. The simulation results demonstrated the proposed algorithm has a better recovery performance than the original algorithm both in the probability of exact reconstruction and the time of, particularly in large signal problems.
BlindReader: An Assistant System to Support Text Reading for The Visually Impaired People

Accessing printed text is a great challenge for the visually impaired people. Therefore, in this paper, we introduce a visual assistant system, BlindReader, that assists visually impaired people to read printed text. Some computer vision algorithms are introduced to adjust the intensity and orientation of captured document images in preprocessing stage. Using the system, the low-vision users can read the text more clearly just like the way people use the magnifying glass and the blind users can hear the recognized words synthesized to audio speech for the whole text or the single text line. Finally, the system is evaluated in terms of text recognition accuracy and user feedback to determine the usability of the BlindReader.
Identification of Sarcopenia Components That Discriminate Slow Walking Speed: A Pooled Data Analysis

The Sarcopenia Definitions and Outcomes Consortium (SDOC) sought to identify cut points for muscle strength and body composition measures derived from dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) that discriminate older adults with slow walking speed. This article presents the core analyses used to guide the SDOC position statements.
Impact of metal nanoparticles on the mechanical, barrier, optical and thermal properties of biodegradable food packaging materials

Abstract New food packaging materials provide an attractive option for the advancement of nanomaterials. The poor thermal, mechanical, chemical, and physical properties of biopolymers and their inherent permeability to gases and vapor have increased this interest. Polymeric materials (matrix) in modern technologies require a filler, which can react/interact with the available matrix to provide a new formulation with improved packaging properties including oxygen permeability, moisture permeability, crystalline structure, barrier properties, morphology, thermal stability, optical properties, anti-microbial characteristics, and mechanical properties. The performance of nanocomposite films and packaging is dependent on the size of the nanofillers used and the uniformity of the nanoparticles (NPs) distribution and dispersion in the matrix. Advancement in nanocomposite technologies is expected to grow with the advent of sustainable, low price, environmentally friendly materials with an enhanced performance. The current review addresses advances in the biopolymeric nanocomposites as alternatives to petroleum plastics in the food packaging industry. It also provides a brief description of biopolymer nanocomposite films and gives general information about different metal NPs with an emphasis on their influence on the emerging characteristics of biodegradable films. The results of recent reports provide a better understanding of the influence of metal NPs in food packaging. Graphical abstract
Responses of peach trees to modified pruning 1. Vegetative growth

Abstract An experiment on 5‐year‐old ‘Qing‐feng’ and 6‐year‐old ‘Yan‐hong’ peach trees (Prunus persica L.) compared a dormant “long pruning” (LP) treatment with a traditional “short pruning” (SP) treatment near Beijing, China. The responses of tree vegetative growth were studied on length and number of new shoots, seasonal evolution of leaf number, distribution and general growth evolution of new shoots along 1 ‐year‐old wood, and rejuvenation of wood older than 1‐year‐old. Results showed that LP had several advantages over SP: moderate vegetative growth of tree, resulting in reduced average length of new shoots and total growth of new shoots per tree; more rapid foliage development in the early growing season; and enhanced capacity for shoot rejuvenation, i.e., more new shoots occurring from wood older than 1 year. Moreover, in contrast to the SP trees, the longest new shoots on LP trees occurred at the basal position of 1‐year wood. The LP method for pruning peach trees may therefore be superior to than.
Problematic social media use and mental health (depression, anxiety, and insomnia) among Lebanese adults: Any mediating effect of stress?

PURPOSE To examine the association between problematic social media use with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and stress in a sample of young Lebanese adults. METHODS This cross-sectional study was achieved between January and May 2019; 466 out of 600 adults completed the questionnaire. RESULTS Higher problematic social media use was significantly associated with higher depression, anxiety, and insomnia, but not stress. Stress mediated the relation between depression, anxiety, insomnia, and problematic social media use. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS This study showed that problematic social media use was associated with psychological disorders. Additional research is needed to identify and describe the potential causality between the use of social media and various mental health issues and the interplay between the social media network and other mental health factors.
Relationships between age and biomass of individual plants and seed production in two grazed tropical legumes. 2. Validation of models

Relationships predicting legume seed production from total legume biomass and from age and biomass of individual legume plants in a grazing trial at CSIRO Narayen Research Station, in south-eastern Queensland, were compared with observed soil seed measurements over 9 years. This was part of a larger project to develop a demographic model of tropical perennial forage legumes in grazed pastures. Suitable data were available from Chamaecrista rotundifolia–Cenchrus ciliaris pastures stocked at 0.54 and 1.09 head/ha and from Stylosanthes scabra– C. ciliaris pastures at 1.09 head/ha. Use of legume plant age and biomass, in conjunction with grass biomass (C. rotundifolia) or kg legume/head (S. scabra), to predict soil seed accounted for 87% (C. rotundifolia) and 77% (S. scabra) of the variation in observed values, and gave accurate and unbiased predictions. Prediction of soil seed from total legume biomass was better correlated with observed values for S. scabra (r2 = 0.72) than for C. rotundifolia(r2 = 0.63), but over-predicted values for S. scabraand under-predicted those for C. rotundifolia. The results highlight that, with C. ciliaris, the grass biomass needs to be kept below 3000 kg/ha to maintain a C. rotundifolia population. Similarly, the results indicate that biomass of S. scabra may need to be kept below 400 kg/head to avoid the possibility of S. scabra dominance, depending on the companion grass. Application of the seed production models in assessing the agronomic adaptation of these legumes and in predicting persistence of legumes and other species (e.g. weeds) is discussed.
Impact of Lipid Sources on Quality Traits of Medical Cannabis-Based Oil Preparations

The feasibility of the use of two lipid sources and their impact on the cannabinoid profile, terpene fingerprint, and degradation products in medical cannabis oil preparations during 3 months of refrigerated storage time were investigated. LCHRMS-Orbitrap® and HS-SPME coupled to GC-MS for the investigation of targeted and untargeted cannabinoids, terpenes, and lipid degradation products in Bedrocan® and Bediol® macerated oils were used as analytical approaches. As regards the cannabinoid trend during 90 days of storage, there were no differences between PhEur-grade olive oil (OOPH) and medium-chain triglycerides oil (MCT oil) coupled to a good stability of preparations for the first 60 days both in Bedrocan® and Bediol® oils. MCT lipid source extracted a significant concentration of terpenes compared to olive oil. Terpenes showed a different scenario since MCT oil displayed the strongest extraction capacity and conservation trend of all compounds during the shelf life. Terpenes remained stable throughout the entire storage period in MCT formulations while a significant decrease after 15 and 30 days in Bediol® and Bedrocan® was observed in olive oil. Therefore, MCT oil could be considered a more suitable lipid source compared to olive oil involved in the extraction of medical cannabis for magistral preparations.
A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Hypertension is a common chronic disease and poses a huge burden to health care systems. Recent studies have shown that gastrodin injection (GI) has a potential supplementary therapeutic effect on hypertension. Objectives: To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of GI in treatment of hypertension. Methods: Systematic search was conducted on 7 databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Wanfang database, China biomedical literature service system, VIP Chinese Sci-tech journal database and China national knowledge internet). The retrieval time was from the establishment of database to February 15, 2020. Two researchers independently selected literature, extracted data and evaluated the risk of bias in the study. The methodological quality was evaluated with Cochrane handbook. The meta-analysis was performed with Stata 14.0 software. Results: Thirteen studies were included in this study involving 1525 patients. Compared with using conventional therapy alone, GI combined with conventional therapy can decrease systolic blood pressure (weighted mean difference [WMD] 6.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.30, 3.04. number of estimates [k] = 9, I=89.3%), diastolic blood pressure (WMD 4.52, 95% CI: 7.79, 1.26. k=9, I=92.3%), and improve the clinical efficacy (relative risk [RR] 1.18, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.26. k=6, I=12.6%). Conclusions: The current evidence showed that GI combined with conventional therapy can improve systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and clinical efficacy. GI can become a supplementary treatment for hypertension. Abbreviations: ACEI = angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, ALD = aldosterone, Ang II = angiotension II, AT1R = angiotensin type 1 receptor, BP = blood pressure, CI = confidence interval, DBP = diastolic blood pressure, ET = endothelin, GI = gastrodin injection, k= number of estimates, NO= nitric oxide, PP= pulse pressure difference, RAAS= renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, RCTs = randomized controlled trials, RR = relative risk, SBP = systolic blood pressure, TCM = traditional Chinese medicine, WMD = weighted mean difference.
Breast Cancer Primary Prevention and Diet: An Umbrella Review

Introduction: Many studies have been published, but none have pooled the useful evidence available in the literature to produce guidelines and health policies promoting healthy eating styles to prevent breast cancer (BC). The present study aimed to summarize the evidence produced to date, taking a judicious, critical approach to the quality of the studies analyzed. Methods: An umbrella review method was adopted, which is a systematic review of second-level studies, meta-analyses and literature reviews. Results: In all, 48 studies were considered: 32 meta-analyses, 4 pooled analyses, 5 systematic reviews, and 7 qualitative reviews. A higher intake of total meat, or red or processed meats, or foods with a high glycemic index, or eggs would seem to be associated with a higher risk of BC. Some foods, such as vegetables, would seem instead to have an inverse association with BC risk. One meta-analysis revealed an inverse association between citrus fruit and mushroom consumption and BC. Some nutrients, such as calcium, folate, vitamin D, lignans and carotenoids, also seem to be inversely associated with BC risk. The evidence is still conflicting as concerns exposure to other dietary elements (e.g., polyunsaturated fatty acids, dairy foods). Conclusion: Nutrition is one of the most modifiable aspects of people’s lifestyles and dietary choices can affect health and the risk of cancer. Overall, adhering to a healthy eating style may be associated with a significant reduction in the risk of BC.