Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Food Web Effects of Prey Size Refugia: Variable Interactions and Alternative Stable Equilibria

Predators can have highly variable effects on the abundance and composition of food webs, ranging from strong to weak effects of top predators. Typical food web models assume that individual prey are identical in their susceptibility to predators throughout their lives, but many prey species become less vulnerable to predators through ontogeny. A simple set of models is explored where prey must pass through a vulnerable stage prior to achieving a predator‐invulnerable size refuge. As productivity of the environment increases, the proportional impact of predators decreases because more individuals become and remain in the invulnerable adult stage. The addition of a competitor prey species that can not achieve size refuge results in contrasting outcomes. At low productivity, the small species wins in competition, and the system is strongly consumer controlled. At high productivity, the large species wins due to the presence of predators, and the system becomes less consumer controlled. At intermediate productivity, either the small or the large species can win depending on initial conditions, and the system can be either strongly or weakly consumer controlled. Such alternative stable equilibria derived from models with prey size refugia may help to explain many natural situations.
The Evolution of Plasticity and Nonplastic Spatial and Temporal Adaptations in the Presence of Imperfect Environmental Cues

A model for the evolution of plasticity is considered in which the phenotype, undergoing stabilizing selection, is modeled as a linear function of an environmental cue correlated with the phenotypic optimum, with the coefficients z0 and z1 evolving according to standard quantitative genetic theory. In contrast to previous theoretical models, as the rate of migration between demes or the rate of cyclic fluctuations in the optimum increases, the amount of plasticity \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$\overline{z}_{1}$$ \end{document} at equilibrium is shown to increase gradually, in part accounting for the effect of reduced nonplastic adaptation and reaching a maximum equal to the squared correlation between the environmental cue and the phenotypic optimum. Given that information available to the organism is limited, this bias of the expressed phenotype toward the global optimum is still optimal, however, in a certain decision‐theoretic sense. When genetic variation in the plastic component of the trait is small so that spatial or temporal differentiation in plasticity is small, the effect of plasticity on nonplastic adaptation is to reduce the effects of variation in the phenotypic optimum by a factor \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$1-\overline{z}_{1}$$ \end{document} only. Information acquisition costs and joint evolution of sensory systems are discussed.
Post-treatment control in an adult with perinatally acquired HIV following cessation of antiretroviral therapy.

We have previously reported on a sexually active promiscuous MSM receiving tenofovir disoproxil (TDF; 245 mg) as treatment against chronic hepatitis B infection [1]. Although we appreciate the comment by Fox et al. [2], we would like to highlight a few additional points for consideration. First, TDF therapy has been shown to be highly effective at inducing rapid and sustained suppression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) viral loads. The published case report by Fox et al. [3] suggests that even at lower levels, TDF is still able to suppress HBV viral loads below the limit of detection, which may be insufficient to prevent HIV infection. In addition, although national and international preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) guidelines suggest the use of TDF in combination with Emtricitabine (FTC), regular measurements of drug levels are neither recommended for HIV PrEP nor during chronic HBV therapy. Therefore, in most cases, reasons for PrEP failure cannot be fully investigated. In our case report, we had the unique opportunity to track the relative intake frequency of TDF using HBV viral loads as a surrogate marker. Although we pointed out the obvious lack of FTC as an additional barrier for HIV acquisition, the case nevertheless highlights the possibility of PrEP failure in spite of adherent behavior. Indeed, the prevalence of the K65R mutation in German cohorts has been reported to be 0.2–2.7% [4], indicating an individual has a probability to become infected with HIV after exposure even under optimal PrEP adherence. Although this probability is very low, we believe that individuals on PrEP should be aware of this rare but possible outcome. Furthermore, though we cannot exclude the possibility, a recent development of the K65R mutation in our individual is very unlikely. First, given that only 1–2 founder viruses are transmitted during sexual transmission, those viruses required a considerable amount of time in the absence of any TDF levels to seed, replicate and develop escape mutations. The absence of TDF would likely be noticeable in the HBV viral load levels. Second, in the unlikely event that HIV infection had been acquired soon after the last negative HIV test, a period of 3 months with viral loads around the limit of detection is a rather short amount of time to develop a K65R mutation. Taken together, although we know a protective barrier against HIV falls when a condom breaks, there are not any visible warning signs in the case of PrEP. However, we agree that PrEP is an important part of the prevention package and should be promoted.
Major health impact of accelerated aging in young HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy

Background: Aging among HIV-infected individuals on antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a significant clinical challenge; however, studies assessing multidimensional aspects of aging are lacking. We characterized 10 geriatric conditions encompassing multiple functional domains, its health impact and associated risk factors in HIV-infected and age-matched uninfected controls. Methods: HIV-infected individuals were recruited from the outpatient clinic in University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia and controls from the community. All participants were aged at least 25 years of age with no acute illness, and HIV-infected individuals were on stable ART. Geriatric conditions were assessed and the burden scored as a composite of geriatric conditions present in an individual (total score = 10). Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors and health impact associated with the burden of geriatric conditions. Results: We analyzed data from 336 HIV-infected individuals (total HIV+), of whom 172 were matched for age, sex, and ethnicity with 172 HIV-uninfected controls (matched subset). In the total HIV-positive cohort, median (interquartile range) age was 44 (38–51) years and CD4+ T-cell count was 562 (398–737) cells/&mgr;l. The burden of geriatric conditions was significantly higher in the HIV-infected group compared with controls (P < 0.001). With an increasing geriatric condition burden, quality-of-life scores were 2.2-times poorer, healthcare use five times greater, and mortality risk scores four times higher in the HIV-infected group compared with matched controls. Both sociobehavioural and HIV-related clinical factors were independently associated with an increasing burden of geriatric condition in HIV. Conclusions: A high burden of geriatric conditions with significant impact on health outcomes, including mortality risk scores are observed among HIV-infected individuals on ART in a resource-limited setting.
Children, Advertising, and Product Experiences: A Multimethod Inquiry

Although the prepurchase effects of advertising on children are well documented, little is known about advertising's impact in conjunction with children's product usage experiences. Two studies, one using experimentation and the other using depth interviews, were undertaken to examine this issue. In addition to informational effects, special emphasis was placed on the role affective constructs play in shaping children's impressions. Experimental results indicated that both product trial and advertising have influences, but also that the interplay of these influences differs between older children (10-11-year-olds) and younger children (seven-eight-year-olds). Depth interviews offered further insights into these age differences such that our overall understanding of how older and younger children relate to advertisements and product consumption has been advanced. Copyright 2000 by the University of Chicago.
Application of Gap Analysis to Education: A Case Study of the Food Safety and Quality Assurance Program at the University of Guelph.

ABSTRACT: This study was designed to identify the skills and knowledge deemed important for food safety professionals and the degree to which the Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) program at the Univ. of Guelph helps students to develop these skills. The research included 2 phases: interviews were conducted to identify these skill and knowledge items, and the content of the interviews was then used to develop the survey. Individuals in various food safety roles in Canada and stakeholders in the FSQA program were surveyed. Important skill gaps were also identified through survey results. Personal skills were considered more important than technical skills to food safety professionals. Technical and personal skills deemed important by these professionals could be enhanced within the industry and within the food safety and quality assurance program at the Univ. of Guelph.
Acute Parkinsonism in Uremia and its Prognosis

Basal ganglia lesions in uremic-diabetic patients may present with a favorable outcome along with a complicated clinical course and poor prognosis. In this report, we present a diabetic patient with uremia in whom acute Parkinsonism developed, associated with increase in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels. T2, flair, and diffusion-weighted scans of cerebral magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperintensity. Ten days after this clinical presentation, she developed acute abdominal pain and mesenteric artery occlusion. Surgical operation was performed to remove gangrenous intestine, but she died 5 days after the operation.
Walking the tightrope of a mental health act assessment

This article is an attempt to capture something of the atmosphere of a Mental Health Act assessment, and was inspired by a recent article by Professor Harry Ferguson on child protection (2010). Here, the focus is on adult mental health practice and, in particular, on Mental Health Act assessments which may take place in any location including police stations, hospital wards or care homes. The following article mainly concentrates on assessments that take place in the service user's home. The Mental Health Act 2007 replaced Approved Social Workers with Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) in England and Wales; prior to this change the role was, as the name stated, entirely performed by social workers and they remain the predominant profession within the ranks of AMHPs.
HHV8 and Kaposi's sarcoma: should we really give up protease inhibitors in all HIV-infected patients?

&NA; We describe the first case of a patient presenting Kaposi's sarcoma with human herpes virus 8 (HHV8) viremia after switching from a protease inhibitor to an integrase inhibitor-based combination antiretroviral therapy, followed by a rapid remission when resuming protease inhibitor. We suggest that the recent recommendations to switch all HIV patients to protease inhibitor-free regimens should be carefully re-evaluated especially in MSM HIV patients which are at higher risks of HHV8 infections and associated malignancies.
Why Alien Invaders Succeed: Support for the Escape‐from‐Enemy Hypothesis

Successful biological invaders often exhibit enhanced performance following introduction to a new region. The traditional explanation for this phenomenon is that natural enemies (e.g., competitors, pathogens, and predators) present in the native range are absent from the introduced range. The purpose of this study was to test the escape‐from‐enemy hypothesis using the perennial plant Silene latifolia as a model system. This European native was introduced to North America in the 1800s and subsequently spread to a large part of the continent. It is now considered a problematic weed of disturbed habitats and agricultural fields in the United States and Canada. Surveys of 86 populations in the United States and Europe revealed greater levels of attack by generalist enemies (aphids, snails, floral herbivores) in Europe compared with North America. Two specialists (seed predator, anther smut fungus) that had dramatic effects on plant fitness in Europe were either absent or in very low frequency in North America. Overall, plants were 17 times more likely to be damaged in Europe than in North America. Thus, S. latifolia's successful North American invasion can, at least in part, be explained by escape from specialist enemies and lower levels of damage following introduction.
Does Within‐Population Variation in Fish Egg Size Reflect Maternal Influences on Optimal Values?

Various models that assume correlations between maternal phenotype and offspring environment predict adaptive variation in egg size within populations. Here we conduct a comparative test of these models using published data on fish egg size. Intrapopulation variation in egg size was most pronounced in fish with demersal eggs and larvae (median coefficient of variation [CV] at family \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$\mathrm{level}\,=6.5\% $$ \end{document} ), where offspring environment is likely influenced by maternal phenotype, and least so in fish with pelagic eggs ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$\mathrm{CV}\,=3.6\% $$ \end{document} ), which experience a relatively stochastic spatial distribution during incubation. This difference was significant at various taxonomic levels, was robust to variation in mean egg size and habitat (i.e., freshwater or marine), and was mirrored in independent paired contrasts. Fish with demersal eggs and pelagic larvae were not significantly different from those with pelagic eggs ( \documentclass{aastex} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{bm} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{pifont} \usepackage{stmaryrd} \usepackage{textcomp} \usepackage{portland,xspace} \usepackage{amsmath,amsxtra} \usepackage[OT2,OT1]{fontenc} \newcommand\cyr{ \renewcommand\rmdefault{wncyr} \renewcommand\sfdefault{wncyss} \renewcommand\encodingdefault{OT2} \normalfont \selectfont} \DeclareTextFontCommand{\textcyr}{\cyr} \pagestyle{empty} \DeclareMathSizes{10}{9}{7}{6} \begin{document} \landscape $$\mathrm{CV}\,=3.8\% $$ \end{document} ), indicating that selection favoring within‐population variation in egg size occurs mainly posthatching and that any such selection occurring prehatching may be less intense. These results suggest that patterns of within‐population variation in egg size among fish taxa reflect adaptive processes and that maternal effects on the egg size–fitness function may explain apparent discrepancies from the single‐optima Smith‐Fretwell model.
Considering a New Structure: The Health Services Holding Company

A merican hospitals are in turmoil, experiencing declines in community esteem, reductions in Medicare payments, pressure for cost control by employers and insurers, and internal conflict between managements and medical staffs. Each of these conflicts is simply another facet of an overall problem: American society’s recently conceived notion that unlimited access to the best available health services constitutes a right. ’ Americans have adopted this idea, however, without considering the economic consequences in an environment of rapidly advancing technology and an aging population.2 Costs have escalated rapidly, reaching ten and one-half percent of the gross national product; the health services system is in strong competition with other important societal segments for scarce re~ources. ~ The money may not be running out, but a rather naive institution, the community hospital, has suddenly found itself in an environment for which it is ill-prepared. Governmental licensure of health professionals has a long history, but significant federal intervention in hospital financing did not begin until after World War I1 with the advent of the Hill-Burton program,’ which provided funds for hospital expansion. Medicare introduced federal payment for hospital care provided to the elderly and used formulas for cost reimbursement in 1966.5 These efforts to bring needed hospital beds to undersetved communities and to
The Evolution of Signal Design in Manakin Plumage Ornaments

Animal signals are characterized by two design components: efficacy (detectability) and content (message being conveyed). Selection for efficient signal perception should favor the evolution of traits that exhibit an optimal balance between these two design components. We examined the evolution of signal design in the colorful plumage ornaments of manakins (Aves: Pipridae). We used a model of avian color space to quantify how differences in plumage coloration would be perceived by a typical passerine bird and examined patterns of coloration across 50 species of manakin. Using phylogenetically independent contrasts, we show that plumage contrast against the background increases with sexual dichromatism in males but not females, suggesting that sexual selection has favored the evolution of male plumage ornaments that enhance signal efficacy. Plumage contrast within individuals also increased with dichromatism in males but not females. Finally, plumage colors produced by different mechanisms, which may reveal different aspects of quality, resulted in different degrees of contrast against the background. Our findings suggest that selection for signal efficacy and content may sometimes be opposing, creating a trade‐off between these two components of signal design. Manakins may mediate this trade‐off by combining multiple plumage ornaments that differ in efficacy and content.
HLA-DRB1*01 associated with cutaneous hypersensitivity induced by nevirapine and efavirenz

HLA typing, demographic and immunological risk factors for nevirapine and efavirenz reactions were studied in a French cohort of HIV patients. Cases with isolated rash were significantly associated with HLA-DRB1*01 allele. No liver toxicity was observed and no association was detected with the percentage of CD4 T-cells. This study suggests that HLA-DRB1*01 allele plays an important role in susceptibility to cutaneous reactions associated with nevirapine and efavirenz in HIV patients.
Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infection inhibits autophagy

Objectives:Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) induces a series of alterations in the host cell that modify the intracellular environment in favor of viral replication, survival and spread. This research examined the impact of HIV-1 infection on autophagy in HIV-1 infected cells. Methods:Protein extracts of HIV-1 infected and control CD4+ T-lymphocytes and U937 cells were semi-quantified by western blot. The autophagy-related protein Beclin 1, a Bcl-2 associated protein, and the 16 kD microtubule-associated protein (MAP) light chain three (LC3) which is essential for autophagy were quantified and validated using the intracellular protein GAPDH as an internal standard. Beclin 1 mRNA was quantified by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Autophagosomes were assessed by visualization under confocal microscopy following intracellular staining of the LC3 protein. Results:Following infection of human peripheral blood CD4+ T-cells or U937 cells with HIV-1 for 48 h, the autophagy protein Beclin 1 and LC3 II, which is essential for autophagy, were found to be markedly decreased. Beclin 1 mRNA expression was also reduced. Autophagosomes were reduced in HIV-1-infected cells. The reduction of autophagic protein expression and autophagosomes in HIV-1-infected cells could be overcome by amino acid starvation or rapamycin. Conclusions:These data demonstrate that HIV-1 infection can down-regulate autophagy in infected cells during acute infection, and provide new insights into HIV-1-induced cell death and disease-related pathogenesis.
A qualitative assessment of non-carious cervical lesions in extracted human teeth.

BACKGROUND Opinions vary about the causes of non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs). They have been attributed to toothbrush abrasion, acid corrosion (commonly termed dental erosion), and abfraction. The purpose of this study was to examine the microwear details of NCCLs in a collection of extracted human teeth using scanning election microscopy (SEM). METHODS Negative replicas of large NCCLs in 24 extracted human teeth were obtained in polyvinylsiloxane impression material (Light Body Imprint II, 3M ESPE) and viewed under SEM. RESULTS All NCCLs extended from the cemento-enamel junction to the root surface and they displayed a variety of wedge-shaped appearances. There was evidence of both abrasion and corrosion in 18 of the 24 teeth (75.0 per cent), abrasion only in one tooth (4.2 per cent) and corrosion only in five teeth (20.8 per cent). Horizontal furrows with smooth edges and minor scratch marks, characteristic of abrasion and corrosion, were noted in 13 teeth (54.2 per cent). CONCLUSIONS Based on microscopic assessment of a sample of extracted teeth, it appears that abrasion and corrosion are common associated aetiological factors in the formation of NCCLs.