关键词： chemical ecology   Ithomiini   Lepidoptera   longevity   mate choice   plant use   trade-off  

摘要： 1. Trade-offs between male mating success and survival are the basis of alternative male reproductive tactics. 2. Adult male Greta morgane butterflies acquire protective pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from plants and use PA-derived pheromones to attract females. Adult females acquire PAs from male spermatophores, thereby obtaining chemical defence against predation while avoiding costs of PA toxicity and sequestration. 3. We found that males that fed longer on PA-containing plants were more successful at mating, but males fed a diet containing PAs had a shorter lifespan than males fed a diet without PAs. Together, these results demonstrate a trade-off between survival and reproduction in relation to male feeding behaviour. 4. As predicted by the alternative reproductive tactics hypothesis, we found that some males fed preferentially on PA-containing plants while others specialised on PA-free plants.

关键词： urinary bladder neoplasms   follow-up studies   cystectomy   recurrence   suvival analysis  

摘要： Purpose: Presently, major guidelines do not provide specific recommendations on oncologic surveillance for patients who harbor variant histology (VH) bladder cancer (BCa) at radical cystectomy. We aimed to create a personalized followup scheme that dynamically weighs other cause mortality (OCM) vs the risk of recurrence for VH BCa, and to compare it with a similar one for pure urothelial carcinoma (pUC). Materials and Methods: Within a multi-institutional registry, 528 and 1,894 patients with VH BCa and pUC, respectively, were identified. The Weibull regression was used to detect the time points after which the risk of OCM exceeded the risk of recurrence during followup. The risk of OCM over time was stratified based on age and comorbidities, and the risk of recurrence on pathological stage and recurrence site. Results: Individuals with VH had a higher risk of recurrence (recurrence-free survival 30% vs 51% at 10 years, p < 0.001) and shorter median time to recurrence (88 vs 123 months, p < 0.01) relative to pUC. Among VH, micropapillary variant conferred the greatest risk of recurrence on the abdomen and lungs, and mixed variants carried the greatest risk of metastasizing to bones and other sites compared to pUC. Overall, surveillance should be continued for a longer time for individuals with VH BCa. Notably, patients younger than 60 years with VH and pT0/Ta/T1/N0 at radical cystectomy should continue oncologic surveillance after 10 years vs 6.5 years for pUC individuals. Conclusions: VH BCa is associated with greater recurrence risk than pUC. A followup scheme that is valid for pUC should not be applied to individuals with VH. Herein, we present a personalized approach for surveillance that may allow an improved shared decision.

摘要： Background Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is an emerging access method to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. Objectives To identify, in the early stages of research and development, the perceptions and considerations of interprofessional practice (IPP) team members regarding features and functions for an AAC-BCI device. Design Qualitative research methodology applying a grounded theory approach using focus groups with a follow-up survey of participants using NVivo analysis software supporting inductive coding of transcription data. Setting Focus groups held at university, clinic, and industry conference rooms. Discussion was stimulated by a 14-minute video on an AAC-BCI device prototype. The prototype hardware and electroencephalography (EEG) gel and dry electrode headgear were on display. Participants Convenience sample of practitioners providing rehabilitation or clinical services to individuals with severe communication disorders and movement impairments who use AAC and/or other assistive technology. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Descriptive statistics using thematic analysis of participants' opinions, input, and feedback on the ideal design for a noninvasive, EEG-based P300 AAC-BCI device. Results Interrater and interjudge reliability were at 98% and 100%, respectively, for transcription and researcher coding. Triangulation of multiple data sources supported theme and subtheme identification that included design features, set-up and calibration, services, and effectiveness. An AAC device with BCI access was unanimously confirmed (100%) as a desirable commercial product. Participants felt that the AAC-BCI prototype appeared effective for meeting daily communication needs (75%). Results showed that participants' preference on headgear types would change based on accuracy (91%) and rate (83%) of performance. A data-logging feature was considered beneficial by 100% of participants. Conclusions IPP teams provide

关键词： Feature selection   Recurrent neural networks   Neurodynamic optimization   Two-timescale neurodynamics  

摘要： Feature selection is a crucial step in data processing and machine learning. While many greedy and sequential feature selection approaches are available, a holistic neurodynamics approach to supervised feature selection is recently developed via fractional programming by minimizing feature redundancy and maximizing relevance simultaneously. In view that the gradient of the fractional objective function is also fractional, alternative problem formulations are desirable to obviate the fractional complexity. In this paper, the fractional programming problem formulation is equivalently reformulated as bilevel and bilinear programming problems without using any fractional function. Two two-timescale projection neural networks are adapted for solving the reformulated problems. Experimental results on six benchmark datasets are elaborated to demonstrate the global convergence and high classification performance of the proposed neurodynamic approaches in comparison with six mainstream feature selection approaches. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

关键词： antiphospholipid syndrome   antiphospholipid antibodies   cell-derived microparticles   thrombosis   blood coagulation disorders  

摘要： Antiphospholipid syndrome is an autoimmune disease characterized by the persistent presence of antiphospholipid antibodies, along with occurrence of vascular thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity. The variety of antiphospholipid antibodies and their related mechanisms, as well as the behavior of disease in wide groups of patients, have led some authors to propose a differentiation of this syndrome into two independent entities: vascular and obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome. Thus, previous studies have discussed whether specific autoantibodies may be responsible for this differentiation or, in contrast, how the same antibodies are able to generate two different clinical presentations. This discussion is yet to be settled. The capability of serum IgG from patients with vascular thrombosis to trigger the biogenesis of endothelial cell-derived microparticles in vitro is one of the previously discussed differences between the clinical entities of antiphospholipid syndrome. These vesicles constitute a prothrombotic mechanism as they can directly lead to clot activation in murine models and recalcified human plasma. Nevertheless, other indirect mechanisms by which microparticles can spread a procoagulant phenotype could be critical to understanding their role in antiphospholipid syndrome. For this reason, questions regarding the cargo of microparticles, and the signaling pathways involved in their biogenesis, are of interest in attempting to explain the behavior of this autoimmune disease.

关键词： Adaptation   Ecological Genetics   Fish   Transcriptomics  

摘要： Identifying the molecular mechanisms contributing to phenotypic variation in natural populations is a major goal of molecular ecology. However, the multiple regulatory steps between genotype and phenotype mean that many potential mechanisms can lead to trait divergence. To date, the role of transcriptional regulation in local adaptation has received much focus, as we can readily measure mRNA quantity and have a reasonable grasp of how variation in the expression of many protein-coding genes can influence phenotype. Thus, studying the evolution of protein-coding gene mRNA abundance in candidate tissues has led to successes in detecting the molecular mechanisms underlying local adaptation (reviewed by Hill et al., 2021). However, the contribution of differential splicing of precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) to adaptive differentiation, as well as the loci controlling this variation, remains largely unexplored in wild populations. In their "From the Cover'" article in this issue of Molecular Ecology, Jacobs and Elmer (2021) reanalyse muscle RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data to quantify the relative contributions of variation in mRNA quantity (differentially expressed "DE" genes) and splice variant identity (differentially spliced "DS" genes) to parallel divergence of wild "benthic" and "pelagic" ecotypes of a salmonid fish, the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). They found little overlap in the identity and biological functions of DE and DS genes, suggesting that these two regulatory mechanisms act on different cellular traits to complementarily alter organismal phenotype. Furthermore, many DE and DS genes could be mapped to cis-acting QTL, arguing that some of this regulatory divergence is genetically based. DE and DS genes were also more likely to be "hub genes" than their nondivergent counterparts, hinting that this regulatory variation may have a variety of phenotypic effects. The comparison of three independently evolved pairs of benthic and pelagic charr uncovered greater th

关键词： alginates   alternative   dextran   gelatin   honey   hydrogels   natural   phytochemicals   polymers   polyurethane   wound care  

摘要： Effective wound healing is achieved by well-timed host, cell, and environment interactions involving hemostasis, inflammation, formation of repaired dermal structures, and epithelialization, followed by months to years of scar remodeling. Globally, various natural or synthetic agents or dressings are used to optimize wound environments, prolong drug release, aid in fluid absorption, provide favorable healing environments, and act as a mechanical barrier against wound trauma. In this scoping review of evidence from the PubMed and *** databases, authors examined clinical study evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of selected phytochemicals, vehicles, polymers, and animal products considered "naturally derived" or "alternative" wound interventions to provide a summary of preclinical evidence. Agents with the most clinical evidence were honey, alginates, polyurethane, gelatin, and dextran. Practice implications are described in the context of the TIMERS clinical paradigm.

摘要： Background and aims IAD is an uncommon and underdiagnosed disease, the aim is to identify its pathophysiological mechanisms and possible alternative therapies. Methods Eight patients (pts.), referred to the Emergency Department with focal signs, w...

关键词： Butter catfish (O   pabda   Earthworm meal   Growth performance   Feed utilization   Hematology   Proximate chemical composition  

摘要： An experiment was carried out to determine the effect of replacing dietary fish meal protein with earthworm meal protein on growth performance, whole-body composition, and hematology of butter catfish (Ompok pabda). This experiment was conducted in 15 glass aquaria (200 L) with five treatments, each having three replications. Each of the aquaria was stocked with 40 fishes (average weight 0.62 g). The fish were fed with iso-nitrogenous diets having 35% protein (21% protein from fish meal and/or earthworm meal) twice a day up to satiation with the experimental diets, where fish meal protein was replaced by earthworm meal protein at 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% in the treatments E-0, E-25, E-50, E-75, and E-100, respectively. At the end of the 8-week rearing period, the best growth performances including weight gain (5.23 +/- 0.14 g), percent weight gain (844.15 +/- 6.38%), and specific growth rate (4.00 +/- 0.11% day(-1)), and best feed utilization parameters, viz., feed conversion ratio (1.57 +/- 0.03) and protein efficiency ratio (2.87 +/- 0.04), were found in treatment E-75, where 75% of fish meal protein in the diet was replaced with earthworm meal protein. The hematological parameters showed no abnormality due to supplementation of earthworm meal in the diets. At the end of the experiment, whole-body carcass composition, viz., protein, lipid, and ash contents (15.93 +/- 0.19%, 7.22 +/- 0.60% and 2.14 +/- 0.10%, respectively), of O. pabda was higher in treatment E-75 compared to control (14.8 2 +/- 0.34, 6.16 +/- 0.27, 1.89 +/- 0.10, respectively). The results imply that earthworm meal can be used as a protein-rich source to replace fish meal, the major protein source, in the diet of O. pabda up to 75% level without compromising growth, immunity, and body composition.

关键词： Baculovirus   BEVS   Bacmid   Insect cell   Protein expression  

摘要： Generating recombinant proteins in insect cells has been made possible via the use of the Baculovirus Expression Vector System (BEVS). Despite the success of many proteins via this platform, some targets remain a challenge due to issues such as cytopathic effects, the unpredictable nature of co-infection and co-expressions, and baculovirus genome instability. Many promoters have been assayed for the purpose of expressing diverse proteins in insect cells, and yet there remains a lack of implementation of those results when reviewing the landscape of commercially available baculovirus vectors. In advancing the platform to produce a greater variety of proteins and complexes, the development of such constructs cannot be avoided. A better understanding of viral gene regulation and promoter options including viral, synthetic, and insect-derived promoters will be beneficial to researchers looking to utilize BEVS by recruiting these intricate mechanisms of gene regulation for heterologous gene expression. Here we summarize some of the developments that could be utilized to improve the expression of recombinant proteins and multi-protein complexes in insect cells.