Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Male and Female Alternative Reproductive Behaviors in Fishes: A New Approach Using Intersexual Dynamics

The study of alternative reproductive behaviors in fishes has contributed to our general understanding of reproductive strategies and mating systems. Despite extensive research on the mechanisms and patterns of alternatives, two important factors have not been addressed, and both may strongly influence the evolution of alternative reproductive behaviors. First, alternative female reproductive behaviors exist and should be considered in theoretical and empirical work. Second, interactions between the sexes will influence the evolution of alternative reproductive behaviors. In this review, we explore these two points and suggest the development of a more comprehensive theory of alternatives that will increase our ability to make predictions regarding the existence and expression of alternative reproductive behaviors in both sexes.
New Oral Agent for Treatment of Anemia in Patient with Chronic Kidney Disease: Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitor

Hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-stabilizers are being developed for the renal anemia treatment. This small molecules inhibit prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD)-containing enzymes, causing HIF activation instead of degradation under the state of normoxia, finally increase production of intrinsic erythropoiesis. Current treatment guidelines suggest that renal anemia should be treated mainly with iron and erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs). But there are several complications and concerns such as hypertension, ESA refractory anemia and increased cardiovascular mortality in using ESAs. Advantages of HIF stabilizers over ESAs are orally available, no dose-up requirement for inflammation. So far new HIF stabilizers showed efficacy and safety in renal anemia treatment. This new therapeutic agent may emerge as a standard treatment option for renal anmia treatment. (Korean J Med 2019;94:11-16)
An in-depth Comparison of the Pediatric and Adult Urinary N-glycomes

The urinary N-glycome can reflect systemic and urogenital physiology. We performed the first in-depth characterization and comparison of the pediatric and adult urinary N-glycomes. We identified 116 N-glycan compositions. The results showed significant quantitative changes between the pediatric and adult cohorts. Sex differences of N-glycans were much smaller in pediatric than in adult cohort. Adult males had a higher abundance of glycans than adult females. These findings highlight the importance of age-matching and adult sex-matching for urinary glycan studies. Graphical Abstract Highlights N-glycan patterns are distinct in pediatric and adult urine. Sex differences of N-glycans are much larger in adults. Pediatric urine has almost no sex differences in N-glycan levels. In adults, the majority of N-glycans were more abundant in males. We performed an in-depth characterization and comparison of the pediatric and adult urinary glycomes using a nanoLC-MS/MS based glycomics method, which included normal healthy pediatric (1–10 years, n = 21) and adult (21–50 years, n = 22) individuals. A total of 116 N-glycan compositions were identified, and 46 of them could be reproducibly quantified. We performed quantitative comparisons of the 46 glycan compositions between different age and sex groups. The results showed significant quantitative changes between the pediatric and adult cohorts. The pediatric urinary N-glycome was found to contain a higher level of high-mannose (HM), asialylated/afucosylated glycans (excluding HM), neutral fucosylated and agalactosylated glycans, and a lower level of trisialylated glycans compared with the adult. We further analyzed gender-associated glycan changes in the pediatric and adult group, respectively. In the pediatric group, there was almost no difference of glycan levels between males and females. In adult, the majority of glycans were more abundant in males than females, except the high-mannose and tetrasialylated glycans. These findings highlight the importance to consider age-matching and adult sex-matching for urinary glycan studies. The identified normal pediatric and adult urinary glycomes can serve as a baseline reference for comparisons to other disease states affected by glycosylation.
Comparative studies on the protein and mineral composition of some selected Nigerian vegetables

Twenty seven (27) vegetable plant parts usually included in daily schedule of diet in Nigeria were analyzed for their protein and mineral compositions to evaluate their importance in human nutrition. The results showed that almost all the vegetables contain appreciable amount of proteins and minerals. The protein content ranged from 0.04% in Sesanum indium leaf to 2.67% in Phaseolus vulgaris. Mineral contents in dry weight basis were found in different concentration in all vegetables. Calcium (Ca) was the most abundant mineral in all the vegetables followed by Potassium (K) and Magnesium (Mg). Some vegetables had appreciable amount of Na. All vegetables evaluated were found to be poor source of Cd, Ni and Pb. The total ash content ranged from 4% in Pterocarpus mildbraedii to 12.6% in Talinum triangulare leaf. The results obtained in this work clearly indicate that the vegetables could provide some amount of proteins and adequate minerals for consumers. Key words: Vegetables, minerals, Nigeria, protein.
Foraging-Niche Separation of Breeding Gentoo and Chinstrap Penguins, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Abstract. The realized niches of closely related species must differ if these species are to co-exist stably. The Gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and Chinstrap Penguins (P. antarctica) breed concurrently in the Scotia Sea and Antarctic Peninsula regions. To identify species- and site-specific foraging niches, we compared the two species' foraging niches, including diet and foraging locations, at two sites in the South Shetland Islands with contrasting marine habitats. Both species fed primarily on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), though fish was also a component of the Gentoo Penguin's diet. Gentoo Penguins foraged closer to shore than did Chinstrap Penguins. Gentoo Penguins foraged during the day, while Chinstrap Penguins foraged throughout the diel cycle, sometimes traveling farther from shore on overnight foraging trips. In most cases, these species-specific foraging patterns were consistent with trends seen elsewhere in the region. However, within each species, site-specific differences in foraging niches were still evident. Overall, we observed that Gentoo Penguins traveled within consistent and limited distances from their colonies, but their diets varied by site in both meal mass and content. Chinstrap Penguins, in contrast, had a uniform diet of krill at both sites but varied the distance from shore and times at which they foraged.
Drinking made easier: honey bee tongues dip faster into warmer and/or less viscous artificial nectar

ABSTRACT Optimal concentrations for nectar drinking are limited by the steep increase in the viscosity of sugar solutions with concentration. However, nectar viscosity is inversely related to temperature, which suggests there are advantages to foraging from flowers that are warmer than the surrounding air. The honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) dips nectar using a hairy tongue. However, the microscopic dynamics of the tongue while the bee ingests nectar of varying concentration, viscosity and temperature are unknown. In this study, we found that honey bees respond to the variation of nectar properties by regulating dipping frequency. Through high-speed imaging, we discovered that the honey bee traps warmer sucrose solutions with a quicker tongue. The honey bee dips the warmest and most dilute solution (40°C and 25% w/w sucrose) 1.57 times as fast as the coldest and thickest solution (20°C and 45% w/w sucrose). When the viscosity of different sucrose concentrations was kept constant by adding the inert polysaccharide Tylose, honey bees dipped nectar at constant frequency. We propose a fluid mechanism model to elucidate potential effects on sucrose intake and show that higher dipping frequency can increase the volumetric and energetic intake rates by 125% and 15%, respectively. Our findings broaden insights into how honey bees adapt to foraging constraints from the perspective of tongue dynamics, and demonstrate that elevated intrafloral temperatures and lower nectar viscosity can improve the volumetric and energetic intake rates of pollinators. Summary: Fluidic modelling and theoretical analysis of the honey bee feeding mechanism reveals an adaptation strategy in which bees respond to variation in nectar properties by regulating dipping frequency.
Gender Difference, Nutritional Supplements and Drug use in Sport to Enhancing Performance: an Italian Revision over the Last Decade

In last years, there has been a multitude of studies on doping, such as in recreational and in amateur sport. The extent of this phenomenon was clarified for special populations (like e.g. bodybuilders) and for special substances (mostly for anabolic steroids). Doping is present in sportsmen and women; the reasons why may be many and various. The aim of this study is to discover the gender disparity of drugs addiction as doping practice and breakdown by sport bodies and gender. The data show the anti-doping test took place on Italian professional athletes during the last years: from 2007 to 2017. Data showed are originated from the report commissioned by the Italian Ministry of Health. About checked doped athletes there are significant gender differences in doping attitude and/or in doping profiling. First of all, males seem to be more exposed to doping than females. The prohibited substances most frequently used by females athletes are diuretics and masking agents (10 athletes in 2014), cannabinoids (5 in 2007) and stimulants (5 in 2011) compared to males athletes who use mostly anabolic agents (27 in 2017), cannabinoids (20 in 2012) and diuretics and masking agents (17 in 2011 e 2014). The addiction of doping substances, depends on various factors related to gender, but what drives men and women is the sense of gratification and ego orientation. Nowadays a significant number of women joined official and Olympic competitions. Doping to enhance female sport performances took importance from the two last decades of the past century.
Cold acclimation in silver birch (Betula pendula). Development of freezing tolerance in different tissues and climatic ecotypes

A number of environmental cues including short day photoperiod (SD) and low temperature (LT) are known to interact in triggering growth cessation, cold acclimation and other adaptive responses in temperate-zone tree species. Proper timing of these responses is particularly important for survival of trees in the boreal and subarctic regions. Therefore, we used a northern tree species, silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) as an experimental model to investigate the effect of SD and LT on development of freezing tolerance and on levels of endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) in short-term experiments under controlled conditions. We characterized differences in SD and LT-induced cold acclimation between three different climatic ecotypes from southern, central and northern habitats. The results demonstrated that cold acclimation was rapidly triggered by exposing the plants to SD or LT, and that a combination of the different treatments had an additive effect on freezing tolerance. Freezing tolerance induction was not uniform in the different tissues, the buds and leaves developed freezing tolerance more rapidly than the stem, and the young leaves had a higher freezing tolerance than the old leaves. The ability of the leaves to respond to SD and LT and similarity of the bud and leaf responses indicate that birch leaves provide a rapid and convenient system for studies on molecular mechanisms of cold acclimation. Development of freezing tolerance was dependent on the climatic ecotype, the northern ecotype was clearly more responsive to both SD and LT than the two more southern ecotypes. Development of freezing tolerance induced by SD and LT was accompanied by transient changes in ABA levels. These alterations in ABA levels were ecotype-dependent, the northern ecotype reacting more strongly to the environmental cues.
Enhancing the Biological Activity of Nicosulfuron with pH Adjusters1

Adjuvants that increase the pH of the spray mixture and solubilize nicosulfuron can enhance biological activity under specific conditions. These conditions include high nicosulfuron rates, difficult-to-control weeds, low spray volumes, and initially acidic spray conditions. The most effective pH adjusters are tribasic potassium phosphate, sodium carbonate, and triethanolamine. In low spray volumes, these adjusters make the spray mixture alkaline and often enhance the activity of nicosulfuron on common cocklebur and large crabgrass. Alkaline conditions rapidly dissolve the sulfonylurea particles and enhance activity with crop oil concentrate, modified seed oil, and hydrophilic nonionic surfactants. pH adjusters did not enhance activity with lipophilic surfactants. Ammonium sulfate slightly increases the pH of spray mixtures and increases nicosulfuron activity depending on species, adjuvant type, and pH adjuster. These results generally support the concept that herbicide solubilization is necessary to maximize the foliar activity. Nomenclature: Nicosulfuron; common cocklebur, Xanthium strumarium L. #3 XANST; large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. # DIGSA. Additional index words: Adjuvant, basic blend, buffer, crop oil concentrate, fertilizer, formulation, hydrophilic–lipophilic balance, methylated seed oil, modified seed oil, nonionic surfactant, potassium phosphate, soda ash, sulfonylurea, triethanolamine, water-dispersible granule. Abbreviations: AMS, ammonium sulfate; COC, crop oil concentrate; HLB, hydrophilic–lipophilic balance; MSO, modified seed oil; NIS, nonionic surfactant; NPE, nonylphenol ethoxylate; TEA, triethanolamine; WDG, water-dispersible granule.
Quantifying and preventing Plasmodium vivax recurrences in primaquine-untreated pregnant women: An observational and modeling study in Brazil

Each year, 4.3 million pregnant women are exposed to malaria risk in Latin America and the Caribbean. Plasmodium vivax causes 76% of the regional malaria burden and appears to be less affected than P. falciparum by current elimination efforts. This is in part due to the parasite's ability to stay dormant in the liver and originate relapses within months after a single mosquito inoculation. Primaquine (PQ) is routinely combined with chloroquine (CQ) or other schizontocidal drugs to supress P. vivax relapses and reduce the risk of late blood-stage recrudescences of parasites with low-grade CQ resistance. However, PQ is contraindicated for pregnant women, who remain at increased risk of repeated infections following CQ-only treatment. Here we apply a mathematical model to time-to-recurrence data from Juruá Valley, Brazil′s main malaria transmission hotspot, to quantify the extra burden of parasite recurrences attributable to PQ ineligibility in pregnant women. The model accounts for competing risks, since relapses and late recrudescences (that may be at least partially prevented by PQ) and new infections (that are not affected by PQ use) all contribute to recurrences. We compare recurrence rates observed after primary P. vivax infections in 158 pregnant women treated with CQ only and 316 P. vivax infections in non-pregnant control women, matched for age, date of infection, and place of residence, who were administered a standard CQ-PQ combination. We estimate that, once infected with P. vivax, 23% of the pregnant women have one or more vivax malaria recurrences over the next 12 weeks; 86% of these early P. vivax recurrences are attributable to relapses or late recrudescences, rather than new infections that could be prevented by reducing malaria exposure during pregnancy. Model simulations indicate that weekly CQ chemoprophylaxis extending over 4 to 12 weeks, starting after the first vivax malaria episode diagnosed in pregnancy, might reduce the risk of P. vivax recurrences over the next 12 months by 20% to 65%. We conclude that post-treatment CQ prophylaxis could be further explored as a measure to prevent vivax malaria recurrences in pregnancy and avert their adverse effects on maternal and neonatal health.
On the Spatial Spread of Insect Pathogens: Theory and Experiment

The mathematical theory of animal diseases has seen explosive growth in the past decade, yet most of the existing theory examines only temporal disease spread, ignoring the effects of patchy host or pathogen spatial distributions. Here I present a model for the within—season spatial spread of insect pathogens that incorporates host movement in an otherwise conventional insect host—pathogen model. Mathematical analysis of the model reveals that the pathogen will spread through the host population in a moving wave front of disease, known as a "travelling wave. " This analysis shows how the spatial rate of spread of the pathogen depends upon the transmission rate of the disease, the rate of production of the pathogen by infected hosts, the initial population of the host, the decay rate of the pathogen, and the death rate of infected hosts. To test the predictions of the model, I performed a series of field experiments with the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) of Douglas—fir tussock moth, Orgyia pseudotsugata. First, I estimated each of the parameters of the model in the field with a series of small—scale experiments, and used the parameter estimates to predict the spatial rate of spread of the NPV through a population of tussock moth larvae (NPV diseases, like many insect pathogens, do not infect adults). To test this prediction, I then performed an experiment in which I measured the rate of spread of the NPV in an experimental population of tussock moth larvae on linear arrays of Douglas—fir seedlings. The model predicts the rate of spread of tussock moth NPV fairly accurately, suggesting that one can use this type of model to extrapolate individual behavior and localized transmission patterns to broader—scale spatial dynamics.
Identifying essential competencies for medical students

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify essential profession-related competencies, clinical knowledge and skills that medical students should develop in the early stages of their education for future professional practice. Design/methodology/approach A literature review and workshop resulted in a list of 46 crucial profession-related competencies. The first round of the modified Delphi survey (feedback questionnaire) involved experts who identified 26 items (via a Likert scale). The second round of the modified Delphi survey by faculty members highlighted ten items. Statistical analysis yielded four domains with items clustered as follows: interpersonal competencies (communication and collaboration), cognitive skills (problem solving, critical thinking and reflectivity), work-related skills (planning and time management) and professionalism (integrity, sense of responsibility, respect and empathy). Findings In conclusion, the results of this study provide insights and implications surrounding the competencies that are essential for assessment and facilitation in the early stages of a medical curriculum. The study also predicts the challenges of facilitating and assessing these competencies, as pointed out in recent literature. In general, outcomes of the study suggest that instead of categorizing the competencies, it is more meaningful to take a holistic and integrated approach in order to conceptualize, facilitate and assess these competencies in context of the complexities of real-life situations. Originality/value Ten items were identified as essential profession-related competencies that should be incorporated during the early stages of medical education. Six out of the ten items were agreed upon by all participants of the study: collaboration, communication, problem solving, integrity, responsibility and respect. This list aligns with the existing literature and graduate attributes internationally. Items related to planning and time management, critical thinking and reflectivity were regarded as specifically lacking and important areas of improvement for Arabic students. Divergence on items of empathy and medical ethics were observed among international and local panels, with the main concern, raised by medical faculty, being how to facilitate and assess these items. The competencies identified mandate reforms in the medical school curricula in an attempt to implement essential skills early in medical student’s career.
Local Differential Private Data Aggregation for Discrete Distribution Estimation

For the purpose of improving the quality of services, softwares or online services are collecting various of user data, such as personal information and locations. Such data facilitates mining statistical knowledge of users, but threatens users’ privacy as it may reveal sensitive information (e.g., identities and activities) about individuals. This work considers distribution estimation over user-contributed data meanwhile providing rigid protection of their data with local $\epsilon$ε-differential privacy ($\epsilon$ε-LDP), which sanitizes each user's data on the client's side (e.g, on the user's mobile device). Our privacy protection covers both qualitative data (e.g., categorical data) and discrete quantitative data (e.g., location data). Specifically, for categorical data, we derive an optimal $\epsilon$ε-LDP mechanism (termed as $k$k-subset mechanism) from mutual information perspective, and further show its optimality over existing approaches within the context of discrete distribution estimation; for discrete quantitative data that have arbitrary distance metric, we provide an efficient extension of $k$k-subset mechanism by proposing a variant of the popular Exponential Mechanism (EM) to tackle the asymmetry issue on the data domain. Experiments on real-world datasets and simulated scenarios show that our mechanism is highly efficient and reduces nearly a fraction of $\exp (-\frac{\epsilon }{2})$exp(-ε2) error for distribution estimation when compared to existing approaches.
Drug–drug and drug–food interactions in an infant with early‐onset SCN2A epilepsy treated with carbamazepine, phenytoin and a ketogenic diet

Sodium channel 2 subunit α (SCN2A) mutations cause difficult‐to‐treat early‐onset epilepsy. Effective treatment includes high‐dose phenytoin or carbamazepine ± ketogenic diet (KD). We describe an infant with early‐onset SCN2A‐epilepsy with subtherapeutic carbamazepine concentration during transition from phenytoin treatment to avoid long‐term neurotoxicity. The transition from high‐dose phenytoin (20 mg kg−1 d−1, concentration: ≥20 mg/L) with KD, to carbamazepine (50–75 mg kg−1 d−1, concentration: 9–12 mg/L) lasted 85 days, which we suspected was due to significant drug–drug and/or drug–food interactions. Model‐based analysis of carbamazepine pharmacokinetics quantified significant time‐ and dose‐dependent phenytoin‐mediated CYP3A4 induction and carbamazepine concentration‐dependent auto‐induction (apparent clearance increased up to 2.5/3‐fold). Lower carbamazepine concentrations under KD were modelled as decreased relative bioavailability (44%), potentially related to decreased fraction absorbed (unexpected for this lipophilic drug), increased intestinal/hepatic metabolism and/or decreased protein‐binding with KD. This suggests importance of carbamazepine‐concentration monitoring during KD‐introduction/removal and necessity of high carbamazepine doses to achieve therapeutic concentrations, especially in infants treated with high‐dose phenytoin.
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Functional Decline in Alzheimerʼs Disease and Lewy Body Dementia

Functional status is one of the most important markers of well‐being in older adults, but the drivers of functional decline in dementia are not well known. The aim of our work was to study the association of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) with functional decline over 5 years in newly diagnosed people with Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD).