PARENTAGE OF OVERLAPPING OFFSPRING OF AN ARBOREAL-BREEDING FROG WITH NO NEST DEFENSE: IMPLICATIONS FOR NEST SITE SELECTION AND REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGY

Overlapping offspring occurs when eggs are laid in a nest containing offspring from earlier reproduction. To unveil the parentage between overlapping offspring and parents is critical in understanding oviposition site selection and the reproductive strategies of parents. Amplectant pairs of an arboreal-breeding frog, Kurixalus eiffingeri, lay eggs in tadpole-occupied nests where offspring of different life stages (embryos and tadpoles) coexist. We used five microsatellite DNA markers to assess the parentage between parents and overlapping offspring. Results showed varied parentage patterns, which may differ from the phenomenon of overlapping egg clutches reported earlier. Parentage analyses showed that only 58 and 25% of the tadpole-occupied stumps were reused by the same male and female respectively, partially confirming our prediction. Re-nesting by the same individual was more common in males than females, which is most likely related to the cost of tadpole feeding and/or feeding schemes of females. On the other hand, results of parentage analyses showed that about 42 and 75 % of male and female respectively bred in tadpole-occupied stumps where tadpoles were genetically unrelated. Results of a nest-choice experiment revealed that 40% of frogs chose tadpole-occupied bamboo cups when we presented identical stumps, without or with tadpoles, suggesting that the habitat saturation hypothesis does not fully explain why frogs used the tadpole-occupied stumps. Several possible benefits of overlapping offspring with different life stages were proposed. Our study highlights the importance of integrating molecular data with field observations to better understand the reproductive biology and nest site selection of anuran amphibians

PARENTAGE OF OVERLAPPING OFFSPRING OF AN ARBOREAL-BREEDING FROG WITH NO NEST DEFENSE: IMPLICATIONS FOR NEST SITE SELECTION AND REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGY

Overlapping offspring occurs when eggs are laid in a nest containing offspring from earlier reproduction. To unveil the parentage between overlapping offspring and parents is critical in understanding oviposition site selection and the reproductive strategies of parents. Amplectant pairs of an arboreal-breeding frog, Kurixalus eiffingeri, lay eggs in tadpole-occupied nests where offspring of different life stages (embryos and tadpoles) coexist. We used five microsatellite DNA markers to assess the parentage between parents and overlapping offspring. Results showed varied parentage patterns, which may differ from the phenomenon of overlapping egg clutches reported earlier. Parentage analyses showed that only 58 and 25% of the tadpole-occupied stumps were reused by the same male and female respectively, partially confirming our prediction. Re-nesting by the same individual was more common in males than females, which is most likely related to the cost of tadpole feeding and/or feeding schemes of females. On the other hand, results of parentage analyses showed that about 42 and 75 % of male and female respectively bred in tadpole-occupied stumps where tadpoles were genetically unrelated. Results of a nest-choice experiment revealed that 40% of frogs chose tadpole-occupied bamboo cups when we presented identical stumps, without or with tadpoles, suggesting that the habitat saturation hypothesis does not fully explain why frogs used the tadpole-occupied stumps. Several possible benefits of overlapping offspring with different life stages were proposed. Our study highlights the importance of integrating molecular data with field observations to better understand the reproductive biology and nest site selection of anuran amphibians

The number of tadpoles found in water pools of bamboo stumps.

<p>The number of tadpoles was counted when an egg clutch was deposited above the water line on the inner wall of the stump.</p

A set-up for a manipulated experiment on nest choice.

<p>Paired bamboo cups were attached to a stump which was covered by a plastic sheet.</p

Survey effort and frequency of egg clutches laid in empty or tadpole-occupied cups.

<p>Survey effort and frequency of egg clutches laid in empty or tadpole-occupied cups.</p

Gold/MnO2 particles decorated on electrodeposited polyaniline toward non-enzymatic electrochemical sensor for glucose

Gold nano-particles and MnO2 are decorated on polyaniline support to be used as the catalyst in non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of glucose. The polyaniline is prepared by electro-polymerization, and decoration of the gold nano-particles and MnO2 are conducted by direct-dropping KAuCl4 and KMnO4 solutions onto the polyaniline, respectively. The catalytic activity in glucose oxidation is evaluated by cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M KOH containing 0∼50 mM of glucose. The catalytic activity is found to be affected by the sequence of the decoration process. The catalytic activity is higher when the MnO2 decoration is conducted before the gold nano-particle decoration. The sensitivity was 13.1 μA/cm2·mM in a glucose concentration of 0.5 to 10.0 mM for an electrode comprised of gold nanoparticles-MnO2 on polyaniline

Effect of Different Nutritional Education Based on Healthy Eating Index for HemoDialysis Patients on Dietary Quality and Muscle Mass

Background: Hemodialysis patients are at high risk of muscle loss as a result of aging and disease, and combined with inadequate dietary intake. The Healthy Eating Index for HemoDialysis patients (HEI-HD) was developed to assess the dietary quality of hemodialysis patients. The purposes of this study were to examine the effects of different nutritional education models using HEI-HD-based education on dietary quality and muscle mass in hemodialysis patients. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from May 2019 to April 2021, with four groups, including no course for patients and nurses (Non-C), course for nurses (CN), course for patients (CP), and course for patients and nurses (CPN). The courses were delivered by registered dietitians. The data of 94 patients were collected and analyzed at baseline, after 2 months of intervention, and 2 months follow-up, including demographics, body composition, 3-day dietary records, and hemodialysis dietary knowledge. The HEI-HD index score was calculated. Results: Patients aged 58.3 ± 10.1 years. The dietary quality change in the CPN group was improved as compared with the Non-C group (−3.4 ± 9.5 vs. 3.0 ± 5.5, 0.04). The skeletal muscle mass of the Non-C group at intervention was also significantly lower than baseline, but the CPN group was not. Conclusions: The HEI-HD-based nutritional education for both patients and nurses showed a positive effect on improving the dietary quality and maintaining muscle mass in hemodialysis patients