Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sediment Transport Model for Seepage Erosion of Streambank Sediment

Erosion by lateral, subsurface flow is known to erode streambank sediment in numerous geographical locations; however, the role of seepage erosion on mass failure of streambanks is not well understood. In the absence of an established sediment transport model for seepage erosion, the objectives of this research were to investigate the mechanisms of erosion due to concentrated, lateral subsurface flow and develop an empirical sediment transport model for seepage erosion of noncohesive sediment on near-vertical streambanks. Laboratory experiments were performed using a two-dimensional soil lysimeter of a reconstructed streambank profile packed with three different soil layers to mimic seepage erosion occurring at Little Topashaw Creek (LTC) in northern Mississippi. Soil samples from LTC streambanks indicated considerable hydraulic conductivity contrast between an overlying silt loam layer (SiL), highly permeable loamy sand, and confining clay loam layer. Lysimeter experiments were conducted with various ups.
In Vitro Activity of Pexiganan and 10 Comparator Antimicrobials against 234 Isolates, Including 93 Pasteurella Species and 50 Anaerobic Bacterial Isolates Recovered from Animal Bite Wounds

ABSTRACT Animal bite wounds affect more than 5 million Americans annually, resulting in 300,000 emergency department visits, 10,000 hospitalizations, and an untold number of physician office visits. Various forms of topical therapy are empirically self-employed by many patients prior to seeking medical attention. Pexiganan, a 22-amino-acid synthetic cationic analogue of the peptide magainin II, acts by selectively damaging bacterial cell membranes. We determined the MICs for pexiganan and other antimicrobial agents often used for treatment of bite wounds. Most isolates were from U.S. patients, and ∼10% were from European and Canadian patients. The comparator antimicrobials studied were penicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, piperacillin-tazobactam, meropenem, clindamycin, doxycycline, moxifloxacin, ceftriaxone, linezolid, and metronidazole. The MIC90s of pexiganan were 32 μg/ml (against Pasteurella multocida subsp. multocida), 16 μg/ml (P. multocida subsp. septica, Pasteurella canis, and Pasteurella dagmatis), 8 μg/ml (Pasteurella stomatis), 8 μg/ml (Eikenella corrodens), 2 μg/ml (Neisseria weaveri, Neisseria zoodegmatis, and Moraxella canis-Moraxella lacunata group), 16 μg/ml (Bergeyella zoohelcum), 64 μg/ml (Bacteroides pyogenes), 4 μg/ml (Fusobacterium russii), 32 μg/ml (Fusobacterium canifelinum), and 64 μg/ml (Prevotella heparinolytica). The concentration of pexiganan in the cream used was 8,000 μg/ml, more than 60 to 100 times the highest MIC obtained. Pexiganan exhibited a broad range of antimicrobial activity, showing potential for treating animal bite infections. A clinical trial seems warranted.
Pharmacotherapy for Depression Posttraumatic Brain Injury: A Meta-analysis

Objective:To examine the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy for the treatment of depression following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design:Systematic review and meta-analysis. Multiple electronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies examining effectiveness of pharmacotherapy for depression post-TBI. Clinical trials evaluating the use of pharmacotherapy in individuals with depression at baseline and using standardized assessments of depression were included. Data abstracted included sample size, antidepressant used, treatment timing/duration, method of assessment, and results pertaining to impact of treatment. Study quality was assessed using a modified Jadad scale. Results:Nine studies met criteria for inclusion. Pooled analyses based on reported means (standard deviations) from repeated assessments of depression showed that, over time, antidepressant treatment was associated with a significant effect in favor of treatment (Hedges g = 1.169; 95% confidence interval, 0.849-1.489; P < .001). Similarly, when limited to placebo-controlled trials, treatment was associated with a significant reduction in symptoms (standardized mean difference = 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.314-1.366; P = .002). Conclusion:Pharmacotherapy after TBI may be associated with a reduction in depressive symptomatology. Given limitations within the available literature, further well-powered, placebo-controlled trials should be conducted to confirm the effectiveness of antidepressant therapy in this population.
Early Postoperative Imaging of the Labyrinth by Cone Beam CT After Stapes Surgery for Otosclerosis With Correlation to Audiovestibular Outcome.

BACKGROUND Sensorineural complications of stapes surgery are rare but potentially serious. Imaging is usually performed to identify an underlying cause, such as excessive intravestibular penetration of the prosthesis or pneumolabyrinth suggesting perilymphatic fistula. Unfortunately, there is very little data in an unselected series of uneventful patients.The aim of this study was to analyze the depth of prosthesis penetration within the vestibule and the rate of pneumolabyrinth the day or the day after the procedure by performing a cone beam computed tomography of the temporal bone in a cohort of unselected patients, and to correlate imaging findings to clinical outcome. METHODS A prospective monocentric study was conducted in a tertiary referral medical center. A cone beam computed tomography was performed in 80 consecutive patients having undergone stapes surgery for otosclerosis, the day or the day after the procedure. Penetration length and location of the prosthesis within the vestibule, as well as presence or absence of a pneumolabyrinth, were recorded, and compared with clinical data (vertigo, nystagmus, hearing measurement). RESULTS Pneumolabyrinth was found in 15% of the patients. The mean penetration length of the prosthesis within the vestibule was 1 mm (0-1.9 mm). No serious complication occurred during the study period. No correlations were found when comparing imaging findings to clinical outcome. CONCLUSION Our results do not support empirically insights into detrimental effects of postoperative pneumolabyrinth or too long prosthesis after stapes surgery. Further studies are needed to better understand the causes of postoperative complications of stapes surgery.
Work-related experiences of head and neck cancer survivors: an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study

Abstract Purpose: This exploratory and descriptive study contributes to the growing knowledge about the return-to-work (RTW) experience of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors. Viewing RTW as a process, participants were asked to consider the work-related experience with HNC at different phases: (1) at diagnosis/pre-treatment, (2) working during treatment (if the respondent did not take a work disability leave), and (3) post-treatment/RTW (if the respondent took a work disability leave). Methods: Data were gathered in nine individual semi-structured in-depth interviews with patients receiving treatment at a quaternary cancer center’s HNC clinic in Ontario, Canada. Using a constant comparative method of theme development, codes were identified in and derived from the data. Codes with similar characteristics were grouped, used to develop overarching themes, and were organized according to the RTW factors identified in the literature. Results: Each phase has different barriers that are in turn addressed by different facilitators. As reflected in the literature, we found that RTW or the process of work continuation is complex. Many players and interactions contribute to the worker’s experience. Conclusions: By recognizing that work-related experiences differ by phases, clinicians and employers can better support HNC survivors depending on the phase of the RTW process. Implications for Rehabilitation Our findings suggest that when rehabilitation specialists are working with survivors to develop interventions, the return-to-work phase and work context rather than diagnosis should be considered as a starting point. At every phase, supportive and empathetic managers are a key to successful work experiences for people who have been diagnosed and are being treated for head and neck cancer. Rehabilitation specialists should help survivors to seek supportive interactions with the environment that are essential to enable the ability to work.
Trends in childhood leukemia incidence over two decades from 1992 to 2013

Incidence rates of childhood leukemia in the United States have steadily increased over the last several decades, but only recently have disparities in the increase in incidence been recognized. In the current analysis, Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) data were used to evaluate recent trends in the incidence of childhood leukemia diagnosed at age 0–19 years from 1992 to 2013, overall and by age, race/ethnicity, gender and histologic subtype. Hispanic White children were more likely than non‐Hispanic White, non‐Hispanic Black or non‐Hispanic Asian children to be diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) from 2009 to 2013. From 1992 to 2013, a significant increase in ALL incidence was observed for Hispanic White children [annual percent change (APC)Hispanic = 1.08, 95% CI: 0.59, 1.58]; no significant increase was observed for non‐Hispanic White, Black or Asian children. ALL incidence increased by about 3% per year from 1992 to 2013 for Hispanic White children diagnosed from 15 to 19 years (APC = 2.67; 95% CI: 0.88, 4.49) and by 2% for those 10–14 years (APC = 2.09; 95% CI: 0.57, 3.63), while no significant increases in incidence were observed in non‐Hispanic White, Black, or Asian children of the same age. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) incidence increased among non‐Hispanic White children under 1 year at diagnosis, and among Hispanic White children diagnosed at age 1–4. The increase in incidence rates of childhood ALL appears to be driven by rising rates in older Hispanic children (10–14, and 15–19 years). Future studies are needed to evaluate reasons for the increase in ALL among older Hispanic children.
Oxygen utilization and downward carbon flux in an oxygen-depleted eddy in
the eastern tropical North Atlantic

Abstract. The occurrence of mesoscale eddies that develop suboxic environments at shallow depth (about 40–100 m) has recently been reported for the eastern tropical North Atlantic (ETNA). Their hydrographic structure suggests that the water mass inside the eddy is well isolated from ambient waters supporting the development of severe near-surface oxygen deficits. So far, hydrographic and biogeochemical characterization of these eddies was limited to a few autonomous surveys, with the use of moorings, underwater gliders and profiling floats. In this study we present results from the first dedicated biogeochemical survey of one of these eddies conducted in March 2014 near the Cape Verde Ocean Observatory (CVOO). During the survey the eddy core showed oxygen concentrations as low as 5 µmol kg−1 with a pH of around 7.6 at approximately 100 m depth. Correspondingly, the aragonite saturation level dropped to 1 at the same depth, thereby creating unfavorable conditions for calcifying organisms. To our knowledge, such enhanced acidity within near-surface waters has never been reported before for the open Atlantic Ocean. Vertical distributions of particulate organic matter and dissolved organic matter (POM and DOM), generally showed elevated concentrations in the surface mixed layer (0–70 m), with DOM also accumulating beneath the oxygen minimum. With the use of reference data from the upwelling region where these eddies are formed, the oxygen utilization rate was calculated by determining oxygen consumption through the remineralization of organic matter. Inside the core, we found these rates were almost 1 order of magnitude higher (apparent oxygen utilization rate (aOUR); 0.26 µmol kg−1 day−1) than typical values for the open North Atlantic. Computed downward fluxes for particulate organic carbon (POC), were around 0.19 to 0.23 g C m−2 day−1 at 100 m depth, clearly exceeding fluxes typical for an oligotrophic open-ocean setting. The observations support the view that the oxygen-depleted eddies can be viewed as isolated, westwards propagating upwelling systems of their own, thereby represent re-occurring alien biogeochemical environments in the ETNA.
Common Neural Representations for Visually Guided Reorientation and Spatial Imagery

Abstract Spatial knowledge about an environment can be cued from memory by perception of a visual scene during active navigation or by imagination of the relationships between nonvisible landmarks, such as when providing directions. It is not known whether these different ways of accessing spatial knowledge elicit the same representations in the brain. To address this issue, we scanned participants with fMRI, while they performed a judgment of relative direction (JRD) task that required them to retrieve real‐world spatial relationships in response to either pictorial or verbal cues. Multivoxel pattern analyses revealed several brain regions that exhibited representations that were independent of the cues to access spatial memory. Specifically, entorhinal cortex in the medial temporal lobe and the retrosplenial complex (RSC) in the medial parietal lobe coded for the heading assumed on a particular trial, whereas the parahippocampal place area (PPA) contained information about the starting location of the JRD. These results demonstrate the existence of spatial representations in RSC, ERC, and PPA that are common to visually guided navigation and spatial imagery.
Product, Process and Organizational Innovation: Drivers, Complementarity and Productivity Effects

We propose a model where both R&D and ICT investment feed into a system of three innovation output equations (product, process and organizational innovation), which ultimately feeds into a productivity equation. We find that ICT investment and usage are important drivers of innovation in both manufacturing and services. Doing more R&D has a positive effect on product innovation in manufacturing. The strongest productivity effects are derived from organizational innovation. We find positive effects of product and process innovation when combined with an organizational innovation. There is evidence that organizational innovation is complementary to process innovation.
Meeting the needs of mobile users of information systems

In this paper, the information needs of mobile individuals are contrasted with those of their static (desktop) counterparts. The information needs of users of a mobile information system, implemented in an outdoor recreational area, are first investigated in a two-part user needs study, which finds a strong geographic component to their information needs have a strong geographic component. Next, four geographic post-query filters which are described which attempt to meet these needs. These filters are spatial proximity (distance in space), temporal proximity (travel time), speed-heading prediction surfaces (likelihood of visiting locations) and visibility (locations that can be seen). Two of these filters (spatial proximity and speed-heading prediction surfaces) are implemented in a mobile information system are evaluated with users in an outdoor setting. The results of evaluation suggest that information that to which post-query geographical filters have been applied is more relevant than unfiltered information, and that users find information sorted by spatial proximity to be more relevant than that sorted by a prediction surface of likely future locations. The paper closes by suggesting that one of the contributory factors to the failure of location-based services to become widely adopted, could be a neglect of the distinct information needs of mobile individuals.
Consistent Viewing and Interaction for Multiple Users in Projection‐Based VR Systems

In projection‐based Virtual Reality (VR) systems, typically only one headtracked user views stereo images rendered from the correct view position. For other users, who are presented a distorted image, moving with the first user's head motion, it is difficult to correctly view and interact with 3D objects in the virtual environment. In close‐range VR systems, such as the Virtual Workbench, distortion effects are especially large because objects are within close range and users are relatively far apart. On these systems, multi‐user collaboration proves to be difficult. In this paper, we analyze the problem and describe a novel, easy to implement method to prevent and reduce image distortion and its negative effects on close‐range interaction task performance. First, our method combines a shared camera model and view distortion compensation. It minimizes the overall distortion for each user, while important user‐personal objects such as interaction cursors, rays and controls remain distortion‐free. Second, our method retains co‐location for interaction techniques to make interaction more consistent. We performed a user experiment on our Virtual Workbench to analyze user performance under distorted view conditions with and without the use of our method. Our findings demonstrate the negative impact of view distortion on task performance and the positive effect our method introduces. This indicates that our method can enhance the multi‐user collaboration experience on close‐range, projection‐based VR systems.
Multicenter Assessment of Antibiotic Prophylaxis Spectrum on Surgical Infections in Head and Neck Cancer Microvascular Reconstruction

Objective To characterize and identify risk factors for 30-day surgical site infections (SSIs) in patients with head and neck cancer who underwent microvascular reconstruction. Study Design Cross-sectional study with nested case-control design. Setting Nine American tertiary care centers. Subjects and Methods Hospitalized patients were included if they underwent head and neck cancer microvascular reconstruction from January 2003 to March 2016. Cases were defined as patients who developed 30-day SSI; controls were patients without SSI at 30 days. Postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis (POABP) regimens were categorized by Gram-negative (GN) spectrum: no GN coverage, enteric GN coverage, and enteric with antipseudomonal GN coverage. All POABP regimens retained activity against anaerobes and Gram-positive bacteria. Thirty-day prevalence of and risk factors for SSI were evaluated. Results A total of 1307 patients were included. Thirty-day SSI occurred in 189 (15%) patients; median time to SSI was 11.5 days (interquartile range, 7-17). Organisms were isolated in 59% of SSI; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (6%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9%) were uncommon. A total of 1003 (77%) patients had POABP data: no GN (17%), enteric GN (52%), and antipseudomonal GN (31%). Variables independently associated with 30-day SSI were as follows: female sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.2), no GN POABP (aOR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.5-3.3), and surgical duration ≥11.8 hours (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.7). Longer POABP durations (≥6 days) or antipseudomonal POABP had no association with SSI. Conclusions POABP without GN coverage was significantly associated with SSI and should be avoided. Antipseudomonal POABP or longer prophylaxis durations (≥6 days) were not protective against SSI. Antimicrobial stewardship interventions should be made to limit unnecessary antibiotic exposures, prevent the emergence of resistant organisms, and improve patient outcomes.
The impact of doubling dairy or plant-based foods on consumption of nutrients of concern and proper bone health for adolescent females

Abstract Objective To determine the effects of increasing plant-based foods v. dairy foods on energy and nutrients of concern in adolescent females via diet modelling exercises. Design Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to compare nutrient intakes from usual diet with those from three dietary scenarios that increased current intakes by 100 % of the following: (i) plant-based foods; (ii) protein-rich plant-based foods; and (iii) milk, cheese and yoghurt. The first two scenarios had commensurate reductions in animal products. Setting What We Eat in America, NHANES 2007–2010. Subjects Female adolescents (n 1594) aged 9–18 years. Results When currently consumed plant-based foods were increased by 100 %, there were increases in dietary fibre, added sugar, vitamin E, Fe and folate intakes. These increases were accompanied by decreases in total fat, saturated fat, Zn, vitamin D, Ca and protein intakes. Protein-rich plant foods are consumed in very low quantities in this population such that doubling their intake resulted in no real nutritional impact. When dairy products were increased by 100 % there were increases in intakes of vitamin D, Mg, Zn, Ca, K, energy, saturated fat and protein. Conclusions Non-specific recommendations to increase plant foods can lead to unintended nutritional consequences. For adolescent girls, meeting the dietary recommendation of three daily servings of dairy improved the intake of the identified nutrients of concern while simultaneously providing adequate nutrients essential for proper growth and bone health critical during the adolescent phase.
Circulating ceramides are inversely associated with cardiorespiratory fitness in participants aged 54–96 years from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak) declines with age and is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality in older adults. Identifying biomarkers of low fitness may provide insight for why some individuals experience an accelerated decline of aerobic capacity and may serve as clinically valuable prognostic indicators of cardiovascular health. We investigated the relationship between circulating ceramides and VO2 peak in 443 men and women (mean age of 69) enrolled in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). Individual species of ceramide were quantified by HPLC–tandem mass spectrometry. VO2 peak was measured by a graded treadmill test. We applied multiple regression models to test the associations between ceramide species and VO2 peak, while adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure, serum LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and other covariates. We found that higher levels of circulating C18:0, C20:0, C24:1 ceramides and C20:0 dihydroceramides were strongly associated with lower aerobic capacity (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.018, and P < 0.001, respectively). The associations held true for both sexes (with men having a stronger association than women, P value for sex interaction <0.05) and were unchanged after adjusting for confounders and multiple comparison correction. Interestingly, no significant association was found for C16:0, C22:0, C24:0, C26:0, and C22:1 ceramide species, C24:0 dihydroceramide, or total ceramides. Our analysis reveals that specific long‐chain ceramides strongly associate with low cardiovascular fitness in older adults and may be implicated in the pathogenesis of low fitness with aging. Longitudinal studies are needed to further validate these associations and investigate the relationship between ceramides and health outcomes.