Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigations on diet composition, litter quality and experimantal infection on the severity of foot pad dermatitis in young turkeys housed with or without floor heating

Actions concerning animal health in the turkey production are coming more and more to the fore. Foot pad dermatitis (FPD) is a common challenge to poultry production. FPD, also known as plantar pododermatitis, is basically a type of contact dermatitis affecting the plantar region of the feet, with lesions that begin as small scaly brown scabs on the surface of the metatarsal and digital pads, becoming cracked and eroded and progressively larger over the first few weeks of life along with acute inflammation, swelling, hyperplasia and necrosis of the epidermis with deep ulcers occurring in severe cases (GREENE et al., 1985; BREUER et al., 2006). The ulcers are often covered by crusts formed by exudates, faecal material and litter. Although there are various estimates of its prevalence, it is difficult to compare findings because the scoring systems used in different experiments are not the same. In a survey carried out by EKSTRAND and ALGERS (1997) 98 % of Swedish turkey poults had signs of FPD. BERG (1998) estimated the prevalence of FPD in Swedish turkeys to be 20 % for severe lesions (ulcers) and 78 % for mild lesions (discolouration, erosion). FPD can achieve a prevalence of 91-100 % in fattening turkeys (HAFEZ et al., 2004). Also, GROSSE LIESNER (2007) found that about 97 % of turkeys at slaughtering showed FPD lesions, but without any negative adverse effects on final body weight.
Object-oriented legacy system trace-based logic testing

When reengineering legacy systems, it is crucial to assess if the legacy behavior has been preserved or how it changed due to the reengineering effort. Ideally if a legacy system is covered by tests, running the tests on the new version can identify potential differences or discrepancies. However, writing tests for an unknown and large system is difficult due to the lack of internal knowledge. It is especially difficult to bring the system to an appropriate state. Our solution is based on the acknowledgment that one of the few trustable piece of information available when approaching a legacy system is the running system itself. Our approach reifies the execution traces and uses logic programming to express tests on them. Thereby it eliminates the need to programatically bring the system in a particular state, and handles the test-writer a high-level abstraction mechanism to query the trace. The resulting system, called Testlog, was used on several real-world case studies to validate our claims
Orofacial Symptoms Related to Temporomandibular Joint Arthritis in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Smallest Detectable Difference in Self-reported Pain Intensity

Objective. Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) may lead to mandibular growth disturbances and interfere with optimal joint and muscle function. Orofacial symptoms are common clinical findings in relation to TMJ arthritis in adolescence. Knowledge about their clinical manifestation is important for TMJ arthritis diagnosis, treatment choice, and outcome evaluation. The aim of our prospective observational study was to evaluate and describe the frequency, the main complaints, and the localization of TMJ arthritis-related orofacial symptoms. The smallest detectable differences (SDD) for minimal, average, and maximal pain were estimated. Methods. Thirty-three patients with JIA and arthritis-related orofacial symptoms in relation to 55 affected TMJ were included in our questionnaire study (mean age 14.11 yrs). Calculation of the SDD was based on a duplicate assessment 45 min after the first questionnaire was completed. Results. The majority of the patients had common orofacial symptoms during mastication and maximal mouth opening procedures. Persistent orofacial symptoms were rare. The TMJ area in combination with the masseter muscle region was the orofacial region where symptoms were most common. The SDD for minimal, average, and maximal pain were between 10 and 14 mm on a visual analog scale. Conclusion. Our study offers new knowledge about TMJ arthritis-related orofacial symptoms that may aid diagnosis and clinical decision-making. We suggest that TMJ arthritis-related orofacial symptoms could be understood as products of the primary TMJ inflammation in combination with secondary myogenic and functional issues.
Investigating Microbial Eukaryotic Diversity from a Global Census: Insights from a Comparison of Pyrotag and Full-Length Sequences of 18S rRNA Genes

ABSTRACT Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) approaches are rapidly surpassing Sanger sequencing for characterizing the diversity of natural microbial communities. Despite this rapid transition, few comparisons exist between Sanger sequences and the generally much shorter reads of NGS. Operational taxonomic units (OTUs) derived from full-length (Sanger sequencing) and pyrotag (454 sequencing of the V9 hypervariable region) sequences of 18S rRNA genes from 10 global samples were analyzed in order to compare the resulting protistan community structures and species richness. Pyrotag OTUs called at 98% sequence similarity yielded numbers of OTUs that were similar overall to those for full-length sequences when the latter were called at 97% similarity. Singleton OTUs strongly influenced estimates of species richness but not the higher-level taxonomic composition of the community. The pyrotag and full-length sequence data sets had slightly different taxonomic compositions of rhizarians, stramenopiles, cryptophytes, and haptophytes, but the two data sets had similarly high compositions of alveolates. Pyrotag-based OTUs were often derived from sequences that mapped to multiple full-length OTUs at 100% similarity. Thus, pyrotags sequenced from a single hypervariable region might not be appropriate for establishing protistan species-level OTUs. However, nonmetric multidimensional scaling plots constructed with the two data sets yielded similar clusters, indicating that beta diversity analysis results were similar for the Sanger and NGS sequences. Short pyrotag sequences can provide holistic assessments of protistan communities, although care must be taken in interpreting the results. The longer reads (>500 bp) that are now becoming available through NGS should provide powerful tools for assessing the diversity of microbial eukaryotic assemblages.
Complex Fault Geometry and Rupture Dynamics of the MW 6.5, 30 October 2016, Central Italy Earthquake

We study the 30 October 2016 Norcia earthquake (MW 6.5) to retrieve the rupture history by jointly inverting seismograms and coseismic Global Positioning System displacements obtained by dense local networks. The adopted fault geometry consists of a main normal fault striking N155° and dipping 47° belonging to the Mt. Vettore‐Mt. Bove fault system (VBFS) and a secondary fault plane striking N210° and dipping 36° to the NW. The coseismic rupture initiated on the VBFS and propagated with similar rupture velocity on both fault planes. Updip from the nucleation point, two main slip patches have been imaged on these fault segments, both characterized by similar peak‐slip values (~3 m) and rupture times (~3 s). After the breakage of the two main slip patches, coseismic rupture further propagated southeastward along the VBFS, rupturing again the same fault portion that slipped during the 24 August earthquake. The retrieved coseismic slip distribution is consistent with the observed surface breakages and the deformation pattern inferred from interferometric synthetic aperture radar measurements. Our results show that three different fault systems were activated during the 30 October earthquake. The composite rupture model inferred in this study provides evidences that also a deep portion of the NNE trending section of the Olevano‐Antrodoco‐Sibillini thrust broke coseismically, implying the kinematic inversion of a thrust ramp. The obtained rupture history indicates that in this sector of the Apennines, compressional structures inherited from past tectonics can alternatively segment boundaries of NW trending active normal faults or break coseismically during moderate‐to‐large magnitude earthquakes.
Cost-Effective Monitoring of Railroad Bridge Performance

The railroad network carries 40 % of the freight in the US. Railroad bridges are the most critical part of the network and they need to be properly maintained for safety of operations. Railroad managers inspect the bridges to assess their structural condition. Railroad managers are interested in measuring displacements under train crossing events to prioritize their bridge management and safety decisions. However, bridge displacements are difficult to collect in the field, because they require a fixed reference from where to measure. Accelerations can be used to estimate dynamic displacements but to this date, the pseudo-static displacements cannot be measured using reference-free sensors. This study proposes a method to estimate the total displacements of a railroad bridge under live train loads using acceleration and tilt data without a need for fixed reference. Researchers used real bridge displacement data representing different bridge
Aeolian saltation on Mars at low wind speeds

Laboratory experiments indicate that the fluid threshold friction speed, u*tf, required to initiate fully developed aeolian saltation is much higher on Mars than on Earth. A discrepancy exists between Mars climate models that do not predict winds this strong and observations that sand‐sized particles are indeed moving. This paper describes how wind friction speeds well below u*tf, but above the impact threshold, u*ti, required to sustain saltation, can initiate sustained saltation on Mars, but at relatively low flux. Numerical experiments indicate that a sand grain on Mars mobilized sporadically between u*ti and u*tf will develop, over fetch lengths longer than generally available within low‐pressure wind tunnels, trajectories capable of splashing grains that propagate saltation and collectively form a cluster of saltating grains that migrate downwind together. The passage of a saltation cluster should leave behind a narrow zone of affected surface grains. The cumulative effect of many clusters represents a low‐flux phenomenon that should produce slow changes to aeolian bedforms over periods in which winds remain close to u*ti and never or rarely reach u*tf. Field evidence from small impact ripples along rover traverses is consistent with effects of saltation at these low friction speeds, without obvious evidence for events ≥u*tf. The potential utility of this grain mobility process is that it can operate entirely at more common winds well below u*tf and so help explain widespread sand movements observed on Mars wherever evidence might be mostly absent for u*tf being exceeded.
Investigation of the effect of short-term supplementation with curcuminoids on circulating small dense low-density lipoprotein concentrations in obese dyslipidemic subjects: A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over trial

BACKGROUND Small dense low-density lipoprotein (sdLDL) is a sub-fraction of LDL considered to have the most atherogenic properties. The present trial aimed to assess changes in circulating sdLDL concentrations following supplementation with curcuminoids, polyphenolic compounds with diverse potential cardio-protective functions. METHODS This study was designed as a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over trial. A total of 30 obese dyslipidemic subjects were assigned to curcuminoids (1 g/day) or placebo for 4 weeks, followed by a 2-week washout and then treatment with the alternate for another 4 weeks. Serum sdLDL was measured at baseline and weeks 4, 6, and 10 of the trial. RESULTS Supplementation with curcuminoids (1 g/day) did not cause any significant alteration in serum sdLDL (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Four-week supplementation with curcuminoids was not associated with any significant alteration in circulating sdLDL concentrations.
Restenosis After Carotid Surgery: The Importance of Clinical Presentation and Preoperative Timing

Background and Purpose— Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) of stable atherosclerotic plaques is associated with an increased risk for restenosis. Patients with transient ischemic attack and patients with and stroke have relatively unstable atherosclerotic plaques. However, carotid plaques stabilize over time after a cerebrovascular event due to plaque repair after rupture. These findings raised 2 questions: (1) Is preoperative clinical presentation related to restenosis after CEA? (2) Does delayed revascularization result in a higher risk for restenosis compared with CEA in the short term after a cerebrovascular event? Methods— Between 2002 and 2009, 1203 patients undergoing CEA were included. The impact of clinical presentation on the occurrence of restenosis 1 year after CEA was investigated and corrected for cardiovascular risk factors, medication use, and type of arteriotomy closure. Patency was assessed with standardized duplex ultrasound imaging at 1 year after CEA. Restenosis was defined as recurrent luminal narrowing ≥50% at the endarterectomy site. Results— At 1 year of follow-up, restenosis was observed more frequently in asymptomatic patients than in patients with transient ischemic attack and patients with stroke. The adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for restenosis was 0.56 (0.35 to 0.89) for patients with transient ischemic attack and 0.49 (0.27 to 0.87) for patients with stroke compared with asymptomatic patients. Subgroup analysis showed an increased risk for restenosis if CEA was performed >30 days after stroke (adjusted OR, 2.23; 1.02 to 5.73). Conclusions— Asymptomatic patients have an increased risk for restenosis at 1 year after CEA compared with patients with transient ischemic stroke and patients with stroke. CEA within 30 days after stroke is associated with a decreased risk of restenosis, which supports the current strategy for early surgical intervention after stroke.
Experimental evolution of viruses: Microviridae as a model system

φX174 was developed as a model system for experimental studies of evolution because of its small genome size and ease of cultivation. It has been used extensively to address statistical questions about the dynamics of adaptive evolution. Molecular changes seen during experimental evolution of φX174 under a variety of conditions were compiled from 10 experiments comprising 58 lineages, where whole genomes were sequenced. A total of 667 substitutions was seen. Parallel evolution was rampant, with over 50 per cent of substitutions occurring at sites with three or more events. Comparisons of experimentally evolved sites to variation seen among wild phage suggest that at least some of the adaptive mechanisms seen in the laboratory are relevant to adaptation in nature. Elucidation of these mechanisms is aided by the availability of capsid and pro-capsid structures for φX174 and builds on years of genetic studies of the phage life history.
Simultaneous Urography and Determination of Glomerular Filtration Rate

The total plasma clearance of iohexol at urography and 51Cr-EDTA was compared in 31 patients with di- or tetraparesis. A reference 51Cr-EDTA clearance was also performed 24 hours prior to the urography. The GFR was calculated from one, 2 or 4 plasma samples collected 180, 210, 240 and 270 min after the injection. An X-ray fluorescence analyzer was used for the analysis of iohexol in plasma as well as the contrast medium clearance calculations. It was shown that single or multiple sample clearance of iohexol and 51Cr-EDTA were equivalent methods for measurement of the GFR. The GFR was not affected by iohexol in a dose routinely used for urography. It was concluded that the patient comfort is improved if 51Cr-EDTA clearance is replaced by contrast medium clearance in association with urography.
Solution of the general moment problem via a one-parameter imbedding

This paper presents a computational theory for the general scalar moment problem. The formalism is sufficiently general to encompass problems in sensor arrays with arbitrary geometry and dynamics, and in nonuniform multidimensional sampling. Given a finite set of moments, the theory provides a test for the existence of a positive measure which is consistent with such data. At the same time, the theory also provides a characterization of all such consistent positive measures. It should be noted that classical results (e.g., in the theory of the trigonometric moment problem, Hamburger, Stieljes, Nevanlinna-Pick interpolation, etc.) are not applicable to the general setting sought herein where there is no natural shift operator in the space spanned by the integration kernels. The centerpiece of the theory is a differential equation which depends on the given finite set of moments and on an arbitrary positive function /spl Psi/-which plays the role of a "free parameter. " The differential equation has an exponentially attractive point of equilibrium if and only if there exists a consistent positive measure. For each /spl Psi/, the fixed point determines a corresponding measure. Suitable choice of /spl Psi/ allows recovering any measure which is consistent with the data. The fixed point of the differential equation corresponds to an extremum of an entropy-like functional, and the differential equation is constructed via an appropriate homotopy that follows changes in the Lagrange multipliers from a convenient starting value to a value for the multipliers that corresponds to the given moments.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Thailand’s Public Health Emergency Management System: A Case Study

Purpose: This phenomenological qualitative research investigates Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) in response to COVID-19, with a specific focus on the case of Thailand’s Health Region 9 (Nakhon Ratchasima) and its program known as COVID-19 Back Home. Method: The study gathers data through in-depth interviews with four groups comprising a total of 112 individuals from three Thai provinces. The collected data is subjected to content analysis, and the findings are analyzed using a framework based on system theory. Results and conclusion: The successful management of subjects returning home is highlighted, resulting in saving numerous patients' lives. The study identifies various suggestions and success factors for each phase of the management process. The research sheds light on PHEM situations in response to COVID-19, specifically examining Health Region 9's COVID-19 Back Home program. Implications of the research: The study provides valuable insights into the inputs, activities, and processes involved in managing such situations, showcasing successful strategies, collaborative efforts, and behavioral changes. Originality/value: The identified suggestions and success factors can inform and improve future management approaches.
Learning Kernel Extended Dictionary for Face Recognition

A sparse representation classifier (SRC) and a kernel discriminant analysis (KDA) are two successful methods for face recognition. An SRC is good at dealing with occlusion, while a KDA does well in suppressing intraclass variations. In this paper, we propose kernel extended dictionary (KED) for face recognition, which provides an efficient way for combining KDA and SRC. We first learn several kernel principal components of occlusion variations as an occlusion model, which can represent the possible occlusion variations efficiently. Then, the occlusion model is projected by KDA to get the KED, which can be computed via the same kernel trick as new testing samples. Finally, we use structured SRC for classification, which is fast as only a small number of atoms are appended to the basic dictionary, and the feature dimension is low. We also extend KED to multikernel space to fuse different types of features at kernel level. Experiments are done on several large-scale data sets, demonstrating that not only does KED get impressive results for nonoccluded samples, but it also handles the occlusion well without overfitting, even with a single gallery sample per subject.
Label-Free Microcavity Biosensors: Steps towards Personalized Medicine

Personalized medicine has the potential to improve our ability to maintain health and treat disease, while ameliorating continuously rising healthcare costs. Translation of basic research findings to clinical applications within regulatory compliance is required for personalized medicine to become the new foundation for practice of medicine. Deploying even a few of the thousands of potential diagnostic biomarkers identified each year as part of personalized treatment workflows requires clinically efficient biosensor technologies to monitor multiple biomarkers in patients in real time. This paper discusses a critical component of a regulatory system, a microcavity optical biosensor for label-free monitoring of biomolecular interactions at physiologically-relevant concentrations. While most current biosensor research focuses on improving sensitivity, this paper emphasizes other characteristics a biosensor technology requires to be practical in a clinical setting, presenting robust microcavity biosensors which are easy to manufacture and integrate with microfluidics into flexible and redesignable platforms making the microcavity biosensors deployable for continuous monitoring of biomarkers in body fluids in the clinic, in dense 2D random arrays for high-throughput applications like drug-library screening in interactomics, and of the secretory behavior of single cells in the laboratory.
Oxidant Stress and Aspirin-Insensitive Thromboxane Biosynthesis in Severe Unstable Angina

BackgroundUnstable angina is associated with enhanced lipid peroxidation and reduced antioxidant defenses. We have previously reported aspirin failure in the suppression of enhanced thromboxane (TX) biosynthesis in a subset of episodes of platelet activation in this setting. We tested the hypothesis that the in vivo formation of the F2-isoprostane 8-iso-prostaglandin (PG)F2&agr;, a bioactive product of arachidonic acid peroxidation, is enhanced in unstable angina and contributes to aspirin-insensitive TX biosynthesis. Methods and ResultsUrine samples were obtained from patients with unstable angina (n=32), stable angina (n=32), or variant angina (n=4) and from 40 healthy subjects for the measurement of immunoreactive 8-iso-PGF2&agr; and 11-dehydro-TXB2. 8-Iso-PGF2&agr; excretion was significantly higher in patients with unstable angina (339±122 pg/mg creatinine) than in matched patients with stable angina (236±83 pg/mg creatinine, P =0.001) and control subjects (192±71 pg/mg creatinine, P <0.0001). In patients with unstable angina, 8-iso-PGF2&agr; was linearly correlated with 11-dehydro-TXB2 excretion (&rgr;=0.721, P <0.0001) and inversely correlated with plasma vitamin E (&rgr;=−0.710, P =0.004). Spontaneous myocardial ischemia in patients with variant angina or ischemia elicited by a stress test in patients with stable angina was not accompanied by any change in 8-iso-PGF2&agr; excretion, thus excluding a role of ischemia per se in the induction of increased F2-isoprostane production. ConclusionsThese findings establish a putative biochemical link between increased oxidant stress and aspirin-insensitive TX biosynthesis in patients with unstable angina and provide a rationale for dose-finding studies of antioxidants in this setting.