Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bone Marrow Is a Major Parasite Reservoir in Plasmodium vivax Infection

ABSTRACT Plasmodium vivax causes heavy burdens of disease across malarious regions worldwide. Mature P. vivax asexual and transmissive gametocyte stages occur in the blood circulation, and it is often assumed that accumulation/sequestration in tissues is not an important phase in their development. Here, we present a systematic study of P. vivax stage distributions in infected tissues of nonhuman primate (NHP) malaria models as well as in blood from human infections. In a comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of P. vivax and Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage parasites, we found a conserved cascade of stage-specific gene expression despite the greatly different gametocyte maturity times of these two species. Using this knowledge, we validated a set of conserved asexual- and gametocyte-stage markers both by quantitative real-time PCR and by antibody assays of peripheral blood samples from infected patients and NHP (Aotus sp.). Histological analyses of P. vivax parasites in organs of 13 infected NHP (Aotus and Saimiri species) demonstrated a major fraction of immature gametocytes in the parenchyma of the bone marrow, while asexual schizont forms were enriched to a somewhat lesser extent in this region of the bone marrow as well as in sinusoids of the liver. These findings suggest that the bone marrow is an important reservoir for gametocyte development and proliferation of malaria parasites. IMPORTANCE Plasmodium vivax malaria continues to cause major public health burdens worldwide. Yet, significant knowledge gaps in the basic biology and epidemiology of P. vivax malaria remain, largely due to limited available tools for research and diagnostics. Here, we present a systematic examination of tissue sequestration during P. vivax infection. Studies of nonhuman primates and malaria patients revealed enrichment of developing sexual stages (gametocytes) and mature replicative stages (schizonts) in the bone marrow and liver, relative to those present in peripheral blood. Identification of the bone marrow as a major P. vivax tissue reservoir has important implications for parasite diagnosis and treatment. Plasmodium vivax malaria continues to cause major public health burdens worldwide. Yet, significant knowledge gaps in the basic biology and epidemiology of P. vivax malaria remain, largely due to limited available tools for research and diagnostics. Here, we present a systematic examination of tissue sequestration during P. vivax infection. Studies of nonhuman primates and malaria patients revealed enrichment of developing sexual stages (gametocytes) and mature replicative stages (schizonts) in the bone marrow and liver, relative to those present in peripheral blood. Identification of the bone marrow as a major P. vivax tissue reservoir has important implications for parasite diagnosis and treatment.
Market Chain Analysis of Red Pepper: The Case of Abeshge District, Guragie Zone, South Ethiopia

The study was conducted at Abeshege Woreda to analyze the market chain of red pepper. The area is known for its surplus production of agricultural commodities. However, market chain of agricultural crops in general and red pepper in particular is not well understood. The study has duly focused on the structure and conduct, market participants and performance of red pepper markets. The data were generated by structured questionnaire, focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observation. This was augmented by secondary data collected from the BoARD, Woreda marketing agency reports and websites. Quantity of pepper passed through different marketing agents from farmers to consumers. The Farmers-Collectors-Wholesalers-Processors-Consumers channel carried the largest volume, which is 35.7% of the total volume followed by Farmers-Wholesalers-Processors-Consumers channel which carried about 27.6% of the total red pepper marketed. Structure of pepper market indicates four-firm Concentration Ratio (CR4), that is, the share of the largest four traders in the total volume of pepper purchased. The four largest traders handled 35.32% of the total volume of purchased pepper. This suggested that the pepper market in Abeshege Woreda shows a weak oligopolistic market. In relation to the conduct of pepper market, pricing mechanism of the farmers indicated that 13.29% of farmers set their selling price. Cheating was very common in pepper marketing by manipulating weighing scale and adulteration. Regarding payment strategy, about 74.68% of sample farmers sold their product on cash. Traders took a total of 61.3% out of the total profit margin. Red pepper producers added 38.7% of the total value of red pepper in the Woreda. The Total Gross Marketing Margin is highest in Farmers- processors- Consumers (62.1%) followed by Farmers-Retailer –processors- Consumers (55.4%). Therefore, the development of pepper producers’ bargaining power through cooperatives is the best measure that should target at reducing the oligopolistic market structure and increases pepper production in the Woreda pepper markets.
Sensemaking in Networks: Using Network Pictures to Understand Network Dynamics

The study here examines how business actors adapt to changes in networks by analyzing their perceptions or their network pictures. The study is exploratory or iterative in the sense that revisions occur to the research question, method, theory, and context as an integral part of the research process. Changes within networks receive less research attention, although considerable research exists on explaining business network structures in different research traditions. This study analyzes changes in networks in terms of the industrial network approach. This approach sees networks as connected relationships between actors, where interdependent companies interact based on their sensemaking of their relevant network environment. The study develops a concept of network change as well as an operationalization for comparing perceptions of change, where the study introduces a template model of dottograms to systematically analyze differences in perceptions. The study then applies the model to analyze findings from a case study of Norwegian/Japanese seafood distribution, and the chapter provides a rich description of a complex system facing considerable pressure to change. In-depth personal interviews and cognitive mapping techniques are the main research tools applied, in addition to tracer studies and personal observation. The dottogram method represents a valuable contribution to case study research as it enables systematic within-case and across-case analyses. A further theoretical contribution of the study is the suggestion that network change is about actors seeking to change their network position to gain access to resources. Thereby, the study also implies a close relationship between the concepts network position and the network change that has not been discussed within the network approach in great detail. Another major contribution of the study is the analysis of the role that network pictures play in actors' efforts to change their network position. The study develops seven propositions in an attempt to describe the role of network pictures in network change. So far, the relevant literature discusses network pictures mainly as a theoretical concept. Finally, the chapter concludes with important implications for management practice.
Quantitative photoacoustic image reconstruction for molecular imaging

Biomedical photoacoustic imaging produces a map of the initial acoustic pressure distribution, or absorbed energy density, in tissue following a short laser pulse. Quantitative photoacoustic imaging (QPI) takes the reconstruction process one stage further to produce a map of the tissue optical coefficients. This has two important advantages. Firstly, it removes the distorting effect of the internal light distribution on image contrast. Secondly, by obtaining images at multiple wavelengths, it enables standard spectroscopic techniques to be used to quantify the concentrations of specific chromophores, for instance, oxy and deoxy haemoglobin for the measurement of blood oxygenation - applying such techniques directly to "conventionally" reconstructed absorbed energy maps is problematic due to the spectroscopic 'spatial crosstalk' effects between different tissue chromophores. As well as naturally-occurring chromophores, dye-labelled molecular markers can be used to tag specific molecules, such as cell surface receptors, enzymes or pharmaceutical agents. In QPI, a diffusion-based finite element model of light transport in scattering media, with δ-Eddington scattering coefficients, is fitted to the absorbed energy distribution to estimate the optical coefficient maps. The approach described here uses a recursive algorithm and converges quickly on the absorption coefficient distribution, when the scattering is known. By adding an area of known absorption, an unknown constant scattering coefficient may also be recovered. With optical coefficient maps estimated in this way, QPI has the potential to be a powerful tool for quantifying the concentration of molecular markers in photoacoustic molecular imaging.
Speech intelligibility in deaf children after long-term cochlear implant use.

PURPOSE This study investigated long-term speech intelligibility outcomes in 63 prelingually deaf children, adolescents, and young adults who received cochlear implants (CIs) before age 7 (M = 2;11 [years;months], range = 0;8-6;3) and used their implants for at least 7 years (M = 12;1, range = 7;0-22;5). METHOD Speech intelligibility was assessed using playback methods with naïve, normal-hearing listeners. RESULTS Mean intelligibility scores were lower than scores obtained from an age- and nonverbal IQ-matched, normal-hearing control sample, although the majority of CI users scored within the range of the control sample. Our sample allowed us to investigate the contribution of several demographic and cognitive factors to speech intelligibility. CI users who used their implant for longer periods of time exhibited poorer speech intelligibility scores. Crucially, results from a hierarchical regression model suggested that this difference was due to more conservative candidacy criteria in CI users with more years of use. No other demographic variables accounted for significant variance in speech intelligibility scores beyond age of implantation and amount of spoken language experience (assessed by communication mode and family income measures). CONCLUSION Many factors that have been found to contribute to individual differences in language outcomes in normal-hearing children also contribute to long-term CI users' ability to produce intelligible speech.
L-lysine and L-arginine inhibit the oxidation of lipids and proteins of emulsion sausage by chelating iron ion and scavenging radical

Objective To evaluate the effects of L-lysine (Lys)/L-arginine (Arg) on lipid and protein oxidation of emulsion sausage during storage and its possible mechanism. Methods Four samples were prepared based on the presence or absence of additional sodium isoascorbate, Lys, or Arg: sample A (control), sample B (0.05 g of sodium isoascorbate), sample C (0.4 g of Lys), and sample D (0.4 g of Arg). Peroxide value (POV), thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyls and thiols were measured. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical-scavenging, ferrous ion-chelating ability were also measured. Results Compared with the control, the sample treated with sodium isoascorbate, Lys or Arg had significantly lower POV during the initial 20 days, TBARS during the initial 15 days. Protein carbonyls were significantly lower compared Sample B, C, and D with A during the later storage (10 to 25 days); basically, protein thiols became lower during storage when the samples were treated with sodium isoascorbate, Lys, or Arg. Both Lys and Arg had weak reducing power but strong ferrous ion-chelating activity and DPPH radical- and hydroxyl radical-scavenging activity. Conclusion Both Lys and Arg effectively inhibited the oxidation of lipids and proteins in emulsion sausage by scavenging free radicals and chelating ferrous ions. The results obtained may be favorable for the prevention of lipid and protein oxidation during processing and storage of meat products.
Selecting Directors Using Machine Learning

Can algorithms assist firms in their decisions on nominating corporate directors? Directors predicted by algorithms to perform poorly indeed do perform poorly compared to a realistic pool of candidates in out-of-sample tests. Predictably bad directors are more likely to be male, accumulate more directorships, and have larger networks than the directors the algorithm would recommend in their place. Companies with weaker governance structures are more likely to nominate them. Our results suggest that machine learning holds promise for understanding the process by which governance structures are chosen and has potential to help real-world firms improve their governance.
Race and Beta‐Blocker Survival Benefit in Patients With Heart Failure: An Investigation of Self‐Reported Race and Proportion of African Genetic Ancestry

Background It remains unclear whether beta‐blockade is similarly effective in black patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction as in white patients, but self‐reported race is a complex social construct with both biological and environmental components. The objective of this study was to compare the reduction in mortality associated with beta‐blocker exposure in heart failure and reduced ejection fraction patients by both self‐reported race and by proportion African genetic ancestry. Methods and Results Insured patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (n=1122) were included in a prospective registry at Henry Ford Health System. This included 575 self‐reported blacks (129 deaths, 22%) and 547 self‐reported whites (126 deaths, 23%) followed for a median 3.0 years. Beta‐blocker exposure (BBexp) was calculated from pharmacy claims, and the proportion of African genetic ancestry was determined from genome‐wide array data. Time‐dependent Cox proportional hazards regression was used to separately test the association of BBexp with all‐cause mortality by self‐reported race or by proportion of African genetic ancestry. Both sets of models were evaluated unadjusted and then adjusted for baseline risk factors and beta‐blocker propensity score. BBexp effect estimates were protective and of similar magnitude both by self‐reported race and by African genetic ancestry (adjusted hazard ratio=0.56 in blacks and adjusted hazard ratio=0.48 in whites). The tests for interactions with BBexp for both self‐reported race and for African genetic ancestry were not statistically significant in any model (P>0.1 for all). Conclusions Among black and white patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction, reduction in all‐cause mortality associated with BBexp was similar, regardless of self‐reported race or proportion African genetic ancestry.
Role of ischemia-modified albumin in the evaluation of oxidative stress in intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) level, and the IMA/albumin ratio (IMAR) in healthy pregnant women, and pregnant women with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). Material and method: This cross-sectional study included 53 women with ICP and 52 healthy pregnant women. Their serum IMA and albumin levels were analyzed, and the women were followed up to delivery. Results: No significant intergroup differences were identified in maternal age, body mass index, and gestational age at the time that the blood samples were taken. The gestational age at delivery and the serum albumin level was significantly lower (p = .002 and p < .0001, respectively) in the ICP group than in the healthy pregnant women. Although no differences in IMA levels were shown between the groups, IMA/albumin levels were higher in the ICP group than in the healthy pregnant women (p = .004). Conclusion: Serum IMA levels did not differ between pregnant women with ICP and healthy pregnant women, while the IMAR was significantly higher in the ICP group versus the healthy pregnant women.
Margins of discrete Bayesian networks

Bayesian network models with latent variables are widely used in statistics and machine learning. In this paper we provide a complete algebraic characterization of Bayesian network models with latent variables when the observed variables are discrete and no assumption is made about the state-space of the latent variables. We show that it is algebraically equivalent to the so-called nested Markov model, meaning that the two are the same up to inequality constraints on the joint probabilities. In particular these two models have the same dimension. The nested Markov model is therefore the best possible description of the latent variable model that avoids consideration of inequalities, which are extremely complicated in general. A consequence of this is that the constraint finding algorithm of Tian and Pearl (UAI 2002, pp519-527) is complete for finding equality constraints. Latent variable models suffer from difficulties of unidentifiable parameters and non-regular asymptotics; in contrast the nested Markov model is fully identifiable, represents a curved exponential family of known dimension, and can easily be fitted using an explicit parameterization.
Binge Eating Behaviors and Motoric, Attentional, and Nonplanning Impulsivity

This study investigated the relationship between three distinct types of impulsivity (motoric, attentional, and nonplanning) and binge eating behaviors in 76 adult women. The participants completed a binge eating measure (Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale) and an impulsivity measure (Barratt Impulsivity Scale). A significant difference was found between the impulsive behaviors of binge eaters and non-binge eaters, but binge eating alone was not significantly related to type of impulsivity. Post-hoc analysis demonstrated that binge eaters had significantly higher levels of attentional and nonplanning impulsivity than non-binge eaters. When we used participants’ scores from the extreme ends of the distribution, comparing binge eaters with non-binge eaters reporting no symptoms, the analysis demonstrated significantly higher levels of motoric impulsivity in addition to attentional and nonplanning impulsivity among binge eaters. The implications of these results are discussed, as are areas for future research.
Biophysical and photobiological basics of water-filtered infrared-A hyperthermia of superficial tumors

Abstract Thermography-controlled, water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) is a novel, effective and approved heating technique listed in the ESHO quality assurance guidelines for superficial hyperthermia clinical trials (2017). In order to assess the special features and the potential of wIRA-hyperthermia (wIRA-HT), detailed and updated information about its physical and photobiological background is presented. wIRA allows for (a) application of high irradiances without skin pain and acute grade 2–4 skin toxicities, (b) prolonged, therapeutically relevant exposure times using high irradiances (150–200 mW/cm2) and (c) faster and deeper heat extension within tissues. The deeper radiative penetration depth is mainly caused by forward Mie-scattering. At skin surface temperatures of 42–43 °C, the effective heating depth is 15 mm (T ≥ 40 °C) and 20 mm (T ≥ 39.5 °C). Advantages of wIRA include its contact-free energy input, easy power steering by a feed-back loop, extendable treatment fields, real-time and noninvasive surface temperature monitoring with observation of dynamic changes during HT, and – if necessary – rapid protection of temperature-sensitive structures. wIRA makes the compliant heating of ulcerated and/or bleeding tumors possible, allows for HT of irregularly shaped and diffusely spreading tumors, is independent of individual body contours, allows for very short ‘transits’ between HT and RT (1–4 min) or continuous heating between both therapeutic interventions. New treatment options for wIRA-HT may include malignant melanoma, vulvar carcinoma, skin metastases of different primary tumors, cutaneous T-and B-cell lymphoma, large-area hemangiomatosis, inoperable squamous cell, basal cell and eccrine carcinoma of the skin with depth extensions ≤20 mm.
Ensemble model for order priority in make-to-order systems under supply chain environment

How to tackle the order production priority in production scheduling is a key issue for make-to-order enterprises. Some approaches of determining the order production priority have been proposed from different perspectives such as linear programming, entropy weight, analytic hierarchy process. Nevertheless, under the supply chain environment, the determination of order production priority becomes a complex problem, traditional theories and approaches have their limitations. Hence, in this paper, a new evaluation index system for the order production priority is given under supply chain environment, and an effective approach based on ensemble meta-model is presented to determine the order production priority. To demonstrate the performance of proposed method, three other techniques, radial basis function (RBF), Kriging and support vector regression (SVR) are considered. Their results are compared by using an available dataset in make-to-order mechanical and electrical products. The computational results show the validation and reliability of our proposed model and indicate that our presented approach can extend the methods for order production priority.
Comparison of three instructional strategies in food and nutrition education: developing a diet plan for a diabetic case

ABSTRACT This study examines the performance of dietitians-in-training on developing a diet plan for a diabetic patient either independently or after peer discussion. Participants (n = 58) from an undergraduate program in food and nutrition were divided into two groups based on their prior knowledge before being randomly assigned into three conditions: (1) peer discussion with just-in-time information (JIT information), (2) peer discussion without JIT information), and (3) independent performers. The learners’ performance in the three conditions was analyzed. The results presented here describe the role of prior knowledge and JIT information across the conditions and the interaction of the two factors as well as the instructional implications of the findings.