Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationships between Safe Pesticide Practice and Perceived Benefits and Subjective Norm, and the Moderation Role of Information Acquisition: Evidence from 971 Farmers in China

Improper use of pesticides among farmers has caused food safety issues which are serious threats to public health in China. A central question concerns how to motivate farmers to self-regulate their pesticide usage. The paper aims to identify the influence of an internal driving factor, i.e., perceived benefits, and an external driving factor, i.e., subjective norm, on farmers’ safe pesticide behaviors, and whether the two factors are moderated by the exposure to information on government policies and the market, based on a sample of 971 farmers selected from 5 Chinese provinces. The results revealed that farmers’ safe pesticide usage was predominately driven by perceived benefits whereas external pressure or subjective norm did not play much of a role. Interaction effects were found between the exposure to market information and perceived benefits, and also between subjective norm and exposure to government policy. Extensions agencies are recommended to effectively convey to farmers the benefits to follow safe pesticide practices. Meanwhile, surveillance and monitoring systems should be established so that the prices of their agricultural products are reflected by the quality of the products.
Asymptotic Analysis for Randomly Forced MHD

We consider the three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations in the presence of a spatially degenerate stochastic forcing as a model for magnetostrophic turbulence in the Earth's fluid core. We examine the multi-parameter singular limit of vanishing Rossby number $\epsilon$ and magnetic Reynold's number $\delta$, and establish that: (i) the limiting stochastically driven active scalar equation (with $\epsilon =\delta=0$) possesses a unique ergodic invariant measure, and (ii) any suitable sequence of statistically invariant states of the full MHD system converge weakly, as $\epsilon,\delta \rightarrow 0$, to the unique invariant measure of the limit equation. This latter convergence result does not require any conditions on the relative rates at which $\varepsilon, \delta$ decay. Our analysis of the limit equation relies on a recently developed theory of hypo-ellipticity for infinite-dimensional stochastic dynamical systems. We carry out a detailed study of the interactions between the nonlinear and stochastic terms to demonstrate that a Hormander bracket condition is satisfied, which yields a contraction property for the limit equation in a suitable Wasserstein metric. This contraction property reduces the convergence of invariant states in the multi-parameter limit to the convergence of solutions at finite times. However, in view of the phase space mismatch between the small parameter system and the limit equation, and due to the multi-parameter nature of the problem, further analysis is required to establish the singular limit. In particular, we develop methods to lift the contraction for the limit equation to the extended phase space, including the velocity and magnetic fields. Moreover, for the convergence of solutions at finite times we make use of a probabilistic modification of the Gronwall inequality, relying on a delicate stopping time argument.
Quasisymmetric Functions for Nestohedra

For a generalized permutohedron $Q$ the enumerator $F(Q)$ of positive lattice points in interiors of maximal cones of the normal fan $\Sigma_Q$ is a quasisymmetric function. We describe this function for the class of nestohedra as a Hopf algebra morphism from a combinatorial Hopf algebra of building sets. For the class of graph-associahedra, the corresponding quasisymmetric function is a new isomorphism invariant of graphs. The obtained invariant is quite natural as it is the generating function of ordered colorings of graphs and it satisfies the recurrence relation with respect to deletions of vertices.
Risk of Ischemic Stroke Associated With Calcium Supplements With or Without Vitamin D: A Nested Case‐Control Study

Background There is controversy surrounding the risk of ischemic stroke associated with the use of calcium supplements either in monotherapy or in combination with vitamin D. Methods and Results A nested case‐control study was performed with patients aged 40 to 89 years old, among whom a total of 2690 patients had a first episode of nonfatal ischemic stroke and for which 19 538 controls were randomly selected from the source population and frequency‐matched with cases for age, sex, and calendar year. Logistic regression provided the odds ratios while adjusting for confounding factors. A sensitivity analysis was performed by restricting to patients who were new users of calcium supplements as either monotherapy or with vitamin D. Calcium supplementation with vitamin D was not associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.67–1.08) in the population as a whole or under any of the conditions examined (dose, duration, background cardiovascular risk, sex, or age). Calcium supplement monotherapy was not associated with an increased risk in the population as a whole (odds ratio 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.86–1.61), although a significant increased risk at high doses (≥1000 mg/day: odds ratio 2.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.25–3.49; <1000 mg: odds ratio 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.45–1.26) compared with nonuse was observed. The sensitivity analysis did not affect the inferences, with similar results observed among new users as to the overall study population. Conclusions This study suggests that calcium supplements given as monotherapy at high doses may increase the risk of ischemic stroke, whereas their combination with vitamin D seems to offset this hazard.
Genetic Variation of the IL-28B Promoter Affecting Gene Expression

The current standard of care for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C is pegylated interferon-α (PEG-IFNα) and ribavirin (RBV). The treatment achieves a sustained viral clearance in only approximately 50% of patients. Recent whole genome association studies revealed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) around IL-28B have been associated with response to the standard therapy and could predict treatment responses at approximately 80%. However, it is not clear which SNP is most informative because the genomic region containing significant SNPs shows strong linkage disequilibrium. We focused on SNPs in close proximity to the IL-28B gene to evaluate the function of each and identify the SNP affecting the IL-28B expression level most. The structures of IL-28A/B from 5' to 3'-UTR were determined by complete cDNA cloning. Both IL-28A and 28B genes consisted of 6 exons, differing from the CCDS data of NCBI. Two intron SNPs and a nonsynonymous SNP did not affect IL-28B gene function and expression levels but a SNP located in the proximal promoter region influenced gene expression. A (TA) dinucleotide repeat, rs72258881, located in the promoter region was discovered by our functional studies of the proximal SNPs upstream of IL-28B; the transcriptional activity of the promoter increased gradually in a (TA)(n) length-dependent manner following IFN-α and lipopolysaccharide stimulation. Healthy Japanese donors exhibited a broad range of (TA) dinucleotide repeat numbers from 10 to 18 and the most prevalent genotype was 12/12 (75%), differing from the database (13/13). However, genetic variation of IL-28A corresponding to that of IL-28B was not detected in these Japanese donors. These findings suggest that the dinucleotide repeat could be associated with the transcriptional activity of IL-28B as well as being a marker to improve the prediction of the response to interferon-based hepatitis C virus treatment.
Evaluation of the Accelerate Pheno System for Fast Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing from Positive Blood Cultures in Bloodstream Infections Caused by Gram-Negative Pathogens

ABSTRACT Bloodstream infections (BSI) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Increasing rates of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens limit treatment options, prompting an empirical use of broad-range antibiotics. Fast and reliable diagnostic tools are needed to provide adequate therapy in a timely manner and to enable a de-escalation of treatment. The Accelerate Pheno system (Accelerate Diagnostics, USA) is a fully automated test system that performs both identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) directly from positive blood cultures within approximately 7 h. In total, 115 episodes of BSI with Gram-negative bacteria were included in our study and compared to conventional culture-based methods. The Accelerate Pheno system correctly identified 88.7% (102 of 115) of all BSI episodes and 97.1% (102 of 105) of isolates that are covered by the system's identification panel. The Accelerate Pheno system generated an AST result for 91.3% (95 of 104) samples in which the Accelerate Pheno system identified a Gram-negative pathogen. The overall category agreement between the Accelerate Pheno system and culture-based AST was 96.4%, the rates for minor discrepancies 1.4%, major discrepancies 2.3%, and very major discrepancies 1.0%. Of note, ceftriaxone, piperacillin-tazobactam, and carbapenem resistance was correctly detected in blood culture specimens with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (n = 7) and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 3) strains. The utilization of the Accelerate Pheno system reduced the time to result for identification by 27.49 h (P < 0.0001) and for AST by 40.39 h (P < 0.0001) compared to culture-based methods in our laboratory setting. In conclusion, the Accelerate Pheno system provided fast, reliable results while significantly improving turnaround time in blood culture diagnostics of Gram-negative BSI.
Molecular dynamics of interaction of Sesamin and related compounds with the cancer marker β-catenin: an in silico study

By virtue of their regulatory role in the biological process, certain protein–protein complexes form potential targets for designing and discovery of drugs. Alteration set in the controlled formation of such complexes results in dysregulation of several metabolic processes, leading to diseased condition. β-catenin/Tcf4 complex is one such protein–protein complex found altered in colorectal epithelial cells resulting in activation of target genes leading to cancer. Recently, certain lignans from seeds of the oil crop sesame were found inhibiting initiation and progression of this type of cancer. Molecular mechanism involved in the process, however, is not yet known. By an in silico study, we present here a possible mechanism of interaction between the sesame lignans and β-catenin leading to inhibition of formation of the said complex, thereby elevating some of these ligands as potential lead molecules in the development of drugs for treatment of colon cancer. To achieve this objective, we performed docking, molecular dynamics simulation, and binding free energy analysis of target–ligand complexes. Using computational alanine scanning approach, the key pocket residues of β-catenin that interact with Tcf4 in the formation of complex were identified. The test molecules were initially evaluated for their drug-like properties by application of Lipinski’s rule of five. Results of this study revealed that Sesamin, a furofuran lignan from sesame, has the highest affinity for β-catenin particularly with its residues that interact with Tcf4 and thus serving as a potential lead molecule for development of a drug for colon cancer.
Small-Scale Heterogeneity in Deep-Sea Nematode Communities around Biogenic Structures

The unexpected high species richness of deep-sea sediments gives rise to the questions, which processes produce and maintain diversity in the deep sea, and at what spatial scales do these processes operate? The idea of a small-scale habitat structure at the deep-sea floor provides the background for this study. At small scales biogenic structures create a heterogeneous environment that influences the structure of the surrounding communities and the dynamics of the meiobenthic populations. As an example for biogenic structures, small deep-sea sponges (Tentorium semisuberites Schmidt 1870) and their sedimentary environment were investigated for small-scale distribution patterns of benthic deep-sea nematodes. Sampling was carried out with the remotely operated vehicle Victor 6000 at the Arctic deep-sea observatory HAUSGARTEN. In order to investigate nematode community patterns sediment cores around three small sponges and corresponding control cores were analysed. A total of approx. 5800 nematodes were identified. The comparison of the nematode communities from sponge and control samples indicated an influence of the biogenic structure “sponge” on diversity patterns and habitat heterogeneity. The increased number of nematode species and functional groups found in the sediments around the sponges suggest that on a small scale the sponge acts as a gradient and creates a more divers habitat structure. The nematode community from the sponge sediments shows a greater taxonomic variance and species richness together with lower relative abundances of the species compared to those from control sediments. Obviously, the more homogeneous habitat conditions of the control sediments offer less micro-habitats than the sediments around the sponges. This seems to reduce the number of functional groups and species coexisting in the control sediments.
Impact of Using a Pedometer on Time Spent Walking in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of using a pedometer on time spent walking, in sedentary and overweight adults with type 2 diabetes participating in a coaching intervention. It was hypothesized that participants using a pedometer would spend more time walking than would nonpedometer participants. Method: A sample of 57 men and women with a mean age of 62 years participated in a randomized controlled trial in a community setting. Participants were allocated to either a pedometer and coaching (intervention) group or a coaching-only (control) group. Coaching for both groups involved education, goal setting, and supportive/motivational strategies to increase time spent walking. The duration of the study was 6 months, with blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, anthropometric, and fitness measurements assessed at baseline and at 3-month intervals. Results: A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated that the coaching-only group spent significantly more time walking than did the pedometer group. However, when an analysis of covariance with all the other variables as covariates was performed, group membership had no influence on time spent walking. Significant reductions in waist circumference and weight were achieved for both groups from baseline to 6 months. Cardiovascular fitness also increased significantly for both groups. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that previously sedentary older adults with type 2 diabetes, supported with a coaching intervention, were able to achieve the physical activity targets known to be beneficial to health. However, using a pedometer added no further benefit. Further research on the impact of specific coaching strategies in diabetes management is warranted.
Reactance and Public Health Messages: The Unintended Dangers of Anti-tobacco PSAs

This study examined smokersi¯ reactions to antismoking messages that emphasized either the harms of secondhand smoke or vulnerability to smoking addiction and framed the need for smoking cessation using either gain or loss message frames. One hundred fifty-four college smokers participated in a study that used a 2 x 2 factorial design crossing message type (secondhand smoke appeals, smoking addiction appeals) and message frame (gain, loss) with the addition of a control group. The primary outcomes assessed were participantsi¯ intentions to quit smoking and psychological reactance. Secondhand smoke appeals paired with a loss-framed smoking cessation message yielded greater reactance and lower intentions to quit compared to smoking addiction PSAs paired with a gain-framed smoking cessation message. Overall, loss framed smoking cessation messages elicited greater message reactance compared to gain framed smoking cessation messages.
Economic evaluation of exercise‐based cardiac rehabilitation in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome

Health care decision‐making requires evidence of the cost‐effectiveness of medical therapies. We evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of exercise‐based cardiac rehabilitation (ECR) implemented according to guidelines. All the patients (n = 204) had experienced a recent acute coronary syndrome and were randomized to a 1‐year ECR (n = 109) or usual care (UC) group (n = 95). The patients’ health‐related quality of life was followed using the 15D instrument and health care costs were collected from electronic health registries. The cost‐effectiveness of ECR was estimated based on intervention and health care costs and quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. The total average cost per patient was lower in ECR than in UC. The incremental cost was divided by the baseline‐adjusted incremental QALYs (0.045), yielding an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of −€24511/QALYs. A combined endpoint of mortality, recurrent coronary event, or hospitalization for a heart failure occurred for five patients in ECR and 16 patients in UC (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.4–10.6, P = 0.004, relative risk reduction 73%, number needed to treat eight). ECR is a dominant treatment option and decreases the occurrence of adverse cardiac events. These results are useful for decision‐making when planning optimal utilization of resources in Finnish health care.
The impact of sedation type on diagnostic yield of EBUS‐TBNA: Looking from another point of view

Dear Editor, We read with great interest and commendation the article by € Oztaş et al., a retrospective study investigating impact of sedation type, either propofol–midazolam or midazolam alone, used while performing endobronchial ultrasound guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) on diagnostic yield and complications. The authors concluded that EBUS-TBNA can be performed under conscious sedation with midazolam since the procedures performed under moderate sedation with midazolam and deeper sedation with midazolam–propofol had similar diagnostic yields and complication rates. Actually, data about diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA according to sedation type used during the procedure, are little and controversial. Yarmus et al. reported that EBUSTBNA performed under general anesthesia (GA) yielded more diagnostic efficacy. On the other hand, however, more recently, Casal et al. concluded in their article, which is consistent in part with the study of € Oztaş et al., that EBUSTBNA performed under either moderate sedation (MS) or GA had similar diagnostic yields. However, we suggest that the results of both studies, might not be necessarily generalized to all EBUS performers, as also indicated by Wahidi and Sterman in their editorial comment. There is another point of view, which we would like to bring attention to, is the differences in diagnostic efficacy of EBUS-TBNA in different disease groups. In a systematic review Varela-Lema et al. reported that the sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA for pathological confirmation of mediastinal lymphadenopathies in suspected or established diagnosis of lung cancer ranged 85%-100%. On the other hand, it has been noted that EBUS-TBNA has yielded 79% diagnostic efficacy in sarcoidosis, which is the most frequent benign mediastinal disease for which the procedure is performed. Lower diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA in sarcoidosis might be explained by need of more tissue sampling for pathological diagnosis of granulomatous inflammation. Based on our experience (unpublished data yet), EBUSTBNA performed under GA had more diagnostic yield than that of under MS, particularly in patients with sarcoidosis and other benign diseases (Table 1). Furthermore the MS group experienced more complications. To the best of our knowledge, no study has demonstrated the impact of sedation type on efficacy of EBUS-TBNA according to final diagnoses. We suggest that GA should not be disregarded yet as it has a positive impact on diagnostic yield of EBUSTBNA particularly in benign diseases, improves patient comfort and makes easy to perform the procedure for fellows, which facilitates their training. However, there is still lack of randomized multicenter studies and we need more to conclude definitely which provides the optimal sedation with the best diagnostic performance.
A 1/4-inch 3.9Mpixel low-power event-driven back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensor

Wireless products such as smart home-security cameras, intelligent agents, and virtual personal assistants, are evolving rapidly to satisfy our needs. Small size, extended battery life, transparent machine interfaces: all these are required of the camera system in these applications. These applications, in battery-limited environments, can profit from an event-driven approach for moving-object detection. This paper presents a 1/4-inch 3.9Mpixel low-power event-driven (ED) back-illuminated stacked CMOS image sensor (CIS) deployed with a pixel readout circuit that detects moving objects for each pixel under lighting conditions ranging from 1 to 64,000lux. Utilizing pixel summation in a shared floating diffusion (FD) for each pixel block, moving object detection is realized at 10 frames per second while consuming only 1.1mW, a 99% reduction in power from the same CIS at a full-resolution 60fps power of 95mW.
The Role of Late-Acting Self-Incompatibility and Early-Acting Inbreeding Depression in Governing Female Fertility in Monkshood, Aconitum kusnezoffii

Reduced seed yields following self-pollination have repeatedly been observed, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive when self-pollen tubes can readily grow into ovaries, because pre-, post-zygotic late-acting self-incompatibility (LSI), or early-acting inbreeding depression (ID) can induce self-sterility. The main objective of this study was to differentiate these processes in Aconitum kusnezoffii, a plant lacking stigmatic or stylar inhibition of self-pollination. We performed a hand-pollination experiment in a natural population of A. kusnezoffii, compared seed set among five pollination treatments, and evaluated the distribution of seed size and seed set. Embryonic development suggested fertilization following self-pollination. A partial pre-zygotic LSI was suggested to account for the reduced seed set by two lines of evidence. The seed set of chase-pollination treatment significantly exceeded that of self-pollination treatment, and the proportion of unfertilized ovules was the highest following self-pollination. Meanwhile, early-acting ID, rather than post-zygotic LSI, was suggested by the findings that the size of aborted selfed seeds varied continuously and widely; and the selfed seed set both exhibited a continuous distribution and positively correlated with the crossed seed set. These results indicated that the embryos were aborted at different stages due to the expression of many deleterious alleles throughout the genome during seed maturation. No signature of post-zygotic LSI was found. Both partial pre-zygotic LSI and early-acting ID contribute to the reduction in selfed seed set in A. kusnezoffii, with pre-zygotic LSI rejecting part of the self-pollen and early-acting ID aborting part of the self-fertilized seeds.