Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fitness costs of resistance to Cry3Bb1 maize by western corn rootworm

Crops producing toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely planted to manage insect pests including western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), which is a significant pest of maize in the United States and Europe. However, the widespread use of Bt maize places intense selection pressure on pest populations to evolve resistance, and field‐evolved resistance to Bt maize by western corn rootworm has been documented in the United States. In conjunction with non‐Bt refuges, fitness costs of Bt resistance can delay resistance evolution. Fitness costs arise in the absence of Bt toxin when individuals with resistance alleles have lower fitness than Bt‐susceptible genotypes. We quantified the level of resistance and fitness costs of resistance for a strain of western corn rootworm with laboratory‐selected resistance to transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) producing Bt toxin Cry3Bb1. Survival to adulthood on Cry3Bb1 maize was more than twofold higher for resistant insects vs. susceptible insects, which is similar to the magnitude of resistance first observed in the field. Fitness costs were measured in two experiments; the first used maize hybrids and the second used inbred lines. The experiment with maize hybrids compared resistant and susceptible strains while the experiment with maize inbreds compared resistant, susceptible and heterozygous genotypes. The only non‐recessive fitness cost detected (i.e. cost affecting heterozygotes) was for adult size. Recessive fitness costs (i.e. costs affecting the resistant strain) were observed for developmental rate, female survival and egg viability. However, when reared on non‐Bt maize, the resistant strain also displayed higher fecundity, higher survival for males and greater adult longevity compared to the susceptible strain. These results suggest that resistance to Bt maize by western corn rootworm may not impose substantial fitness costs, and consequently, may evolve quickly and persist once present.
Validation of postoperative residual contrast-enhancing tumor volume as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma

Background In the current study, we pooled imaging data in newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients from international multicenter clinical trials, single institution databases, and multicenter clinical trial consortiums to identify the relationship between postoperative residual enhancing tumor volume and overall survival (OS). Methods Data from 1511 newly diagnosed GBM patients from 5 data sources were included in the current study: (i) a single institution database from UCLA (N = 398; Discovery); (ii) patients from the Ben and Cathy Ivy Foundation for Early Phase Clinical Trials Network Radiogenomics Database (N = 262 from 8 centers; Confirmation); (iii) the chemoradiation placebo arm from an international phase III trial (AVAglio; N = 394 from 120 locations in 23 countries; Validation); (iv) the experimental arm from AVAglio examining chemoradiation plus bevacizumab (N = 404 from 120 locations in 23 countries; Exploratory Set 1); and (v) an Alliance (N0874) phase I/II trial of vorinostat plus chemoradiation (N = 53; Exploratory Set 2). Postsurgical, residual enhancing disease was quantified using T1 subtraction maps. Multivariate Cox regression models were used to determine influence of clinical variables, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status, and residual tumor volume on OS. Results A log-linear relationship was observed between postoperative, residual enhancing tumor volume and OS in newly diagnosed GBM treated with standard chemoradiation. Postoperative tumor volume is a prognostic factor for OS (P < 0.01), regardless of therapy, age, and MGMT promoter methylation status. Conclusion Postsurgical, residual contrast-enhancing disease significantly negatively influences survival in patients with newly diagnosed GBM treated with chemoradiation with or without concomitant experimental therapy.
The QBFGallery 2014: The QBF Competition at the FLoC Olympic Games

The QBFGallery 2014 was a competitive evaluation for QBF solvers organized in the context of the FLoC 2014 Olympic Games of the Vienna Summer of Logic. Quantified Boolean formulas (QBF) extend formulas of propositional logic by existential and universal quantifiers over the propositional variables and, thus, lift the satisfiablity problem from NP to PSPACE. In consequence, there are many application problems from fields like verification, synthesis, and planning that can be encoded efficiently in QBF. This motivates the quest for efficient QBF solvers. The QBFGallery 2014 invited the developers of QBF solvers to submit their tools to a competitive evaluation in a uniform environment. Gold, silver, and bronze track medals were awarded to the solvers that solved the most formulas in each of three different tracks covering various kinds of benchmarks. Additionally, the three participants that were most successful overall were decorated with Kurt G odel medals, the official prizes of the Olympic Games. In this paper, we give an overview of the setup of the competition, we briefly review the participating solvers, and finally report on the results of the QBFGallery 2014.
Profiling extracellular vesicle release by the filarial nematode Brugia malayi reveals sex-specific differences in cargo and a sensitivity to ivermectin

The filarial nematode Brugia malayi is an etiological agent of Lymphatic Filariasis. The capability of B. malayi and other parasitic nematodes to modulate host biology is recognized but the mechanisms by which such manipulation occurs are obscure. An emerging paradigm is the release of parasite-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) containing bioactive proteins and small RNA species that allow secretion of parasite effector molecules and their potential trafficking to host tissues. We have previously described EV release from the infectious L3 stage B. malayi and here we profile vesicle release across all intra-mammalian life cycle stages (microfilariae, L3, L4, adult male and female worms). Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis was used to quantify and size EVs revealing discrete vesicle populations and indicating a secretory process that is conserved across the life cycle. Brugia EVs are internalized by murine macrophages with no preference for life stage suggesting a uniform mechanism for effector molecule trafficking. Further, the use of chemical uptake inhibitors suggests all life stage EVs are internalized by phagocytosis. Proteomic profiling of adult male and female EVs using nano-scale LC-MS/MS described quantitative and qualitative differences in the adult EV proteome, helping define the biogenesis of Brugia EVs and revealing sexual dimorphic characteristics in immunomodulatory cargo. Finally, ivermectin was found to rapidly inhibit EV release by all Brugia life stages. Further this drug effect was also observed in the related filarial nematode, the canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis but not in an ivermectin-unresponsive field isolate of that parasite, highlighting a potential mechanism of action for this drug and suggesting new screening platforms for anti-filarial drug development.
Meckel's diverticulitis due to an obstructing enterolith: ultrasound and CT appearances.

It has not been previously emphasized in the literature that Meckel’s diverticulitis in the presence of an obstructing enterolith results in a rounded structure with an air/fluid level, rather than a fluid-filled tubular structure reported in other cases without enteroliths. We report a case which illustrates the ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) appearances of Meckel’s diverticulitis due to an obstructing
Sn ion energy distributions of ns- and ps-laser produced plasmas

Ion energy distributions arising from laser-produced plasmas of Sn are measured over a wide laser parameter space. Planar-solid and liquid-droplet targets are exposed to infrared laser pulses with energy densities between 1 J cm−2 and 4 kJ cm−2 and durations spanning 0.5 ps to 6 ns. The measured ion energy distributions are compared to two self-similar solutions of a hydrodynamic approach assuming isothermal expansion of the plasma plume into vacuum. For planar and droplet targets exposed to ps-long pulses, we find good agreement between the experimental results and the self-similar solution of a semi-infinite simple planar plasma configuration with an exponential density profile. The ion energy distributions resulting from solid Sn exposed to ns-pulses agrees with solutions of a limited-mass model that assumes a Gaussian-shaped initial density profile.
Family history of psychiatric disorders and age at first contact in schizophrenia: An epidemiological study

Background The risk for schizophrenia has been associated with a family history of this and other psychiatric disorders. The relationship between age at first contact and family history of psychiatric illness is not certain. Aims To estimate the risks for schizophrenia associated with a range of psychiatric diagnoses in family members and to investigate the relationship between these risks and age at first contact for schizophrenia. Method A nested case–control study design was employed. Psychiatric admission data and socio-economic data were available for 7704 cases admitted between 1981 and 1998 in Denmark, 192 590 gender- and age-matched controls, and for the parents and siblings of all subjects. Results Controlling for socio-economic factors, risk for schizophrenia was associated with a family history of all psychiatric disorders except substance misuse and independently with a family history of suicide. The risk for schizophrenia associated with a family history of psychiatric disorders decreased as age at first contact increased. Conclusions Risk for schizophrenia is associated with a range of psychiatric disorders in family members and these risks are not constant across the risk period.
Approximate Bayesian Computation with Kullback-Leibler Divergence as Data Discrepancy

Complex simulator-based models usually have intractable likelihood functions, rendering the likelihood-based inference methods inapplicable. Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) emerges as an alternative framework of likelihood-free inference methods. It identifies a quasi-posterior distribution by finding values of parameter that simulate the synthetic data resembling the observed data. A major ingredient of ABC is the discrepancy measure between the observed and the simulated data, which conventionally involves a fundamental difficulty of constructing effective summary statistics. To bypass this difficulty, we adopt a Kullback-Leibler divergence estimator to assess the data discrepancy. Our method enjoys the asymptotic consistency and linearithmic time complexity as the data size increases. In experiments on five benchmark models, this method achieves a comparable or higher quasiposterior quality, compared to the existing methods using other discrepancy measures.
Natriuretic Peptide and Clinical Evaluation in the Diagnosis of Heart Failure Hemodynamic Profile: Comparison with Tissue Doppler Echocardiography

Background Physical examination and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) have been used to estimate hemodynamics and tailor therapy of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. However, correlation between these parameters and left ventricular filling pressures is controversial. Objective This study was designed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of physical examination, chest radiography (CR) and BNP in estimating left atrial pressure (LAP) as assessed by tissue Doppler echocardiogram. Methods Patients admitted with ADHF were prospectively assessed. Diagnostic characteristics of physical signs of heart failure, CR and BNP in predicting elevation (> 15 mm Hg) of LAP, alone or combined, were calculated. Spearman test was used to analyze the correlation between non-normal distribution variables. The level of significance was 5%. Results Forty-three patients were included, with mean age of 69.9 ± 11.1years, left ventricular ejection fraction of 25 ± 8.0%, and BNP of 1057 ± 1024.21 pg/mL. Individually, all clinical, CR or BNP parameters had a poor performance in predicting LAP ≥ 15 mm Hg. A clinical score of congestion had the poorest performance [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.53], followed by clinical score + CR (AUC 0.60), clinical score + CR + BNP > 400 pg/mL (AUC 0.62), and clinical score + CR + BNP > 1000 pg/mL (AUC 0.66). Conclusion Physical examination, CR and BNP had a poor performance in predicting a LAP ≥ 15 mm Hg. Using these parameters alone or in combination may lead to inaccurate estimation of hemodynamics.
Impact of antibiotic treatment on immune-checkpoint blockade efficacy in advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction Despite durable responses from immune-checkpoint blockade (ICB) in a subset of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the majority of patients do not derive benefit from this treatment. In this analysis we evaluated the impact of concomitant administration of antibiotics during initiation of ICB on clinical outcome. Methods Advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients receiving ICB as second- or later line between 2015 and 2017 at our tertiary cancer center in Salzburg (Austria) were included. Concomitant use of antibiotics was defined as administration of antibiotics within a time frame of one month before or one month after initiation of ICB (AB+-group). Results Of the 30 patients included, 11 (36.7%) received antibiotics one month before or one month after start of ICB (AB+-group). Median PFS on ICB was in favor of the AB--group (AB-: 3.1 months [95%CI: 3.0-16.3]; AB+: 2.9 months, [95%CI: 1.9-NA]; HR=0.46 [95%CI: 0.12-0.90], p=0.031). Furthermore, median OS was significantly longer in the AB--group (AB-: 15.1 months [95%CI: 11.1-NA]; AB+: 7.5 months [95%CI: 6.3-NA]; HR=0.31 [95%CI: 0.02-0.78], p=0.026). In a multivariate analysis, the antibiotic treatment status was identified as the only parameter statistically significantly associated with PFS (p=0.028) and OS (p=0.026). Conclusions Stratification of patients according to the antibiotic treatment status is warranted in future trials investigating ICB.
Efficient Computation of Collision Probabilities for Safe Motion Planning

We address the problem of safe motion planning. As mobile robots and autonomous vehicles become increasingly more prevalent in human-centered environments, the need to ensure safety in the sense of guaranteed collision free behaviour has taken renewed urgency. Achieving this when perceptual modules provide only noisy estimates of objects in the environment requires new approaches. Working within a probabilistic framework for describing the environment, we present methods for efficiently calculating a probabilistic risk of collision for a candidate path. This may be used to stratify a set of candidate trajectories by levels of a safety threshold. Given such a stratification, based on user-defined thresholds, motion synthesis techniques could optimise for secondary criteria with the assurance that a primary safety criterion is already being satisfied. A key contribution of this paper is the use of a `convolution trick' to factor the calculation of integrals providing bounds on collision risk, enabling an $O(1)$ computation even in cluttered and complex environments.
Pooling or Sampling: Collective Dynamics for Electrical Flow Estimation

The computation of electrical flows is a crucial primitive for many recently proposed optimization algorithms on weighted networks. While typically implemented as a centralized subroutine, the ability to perform this task in a fully decentralized way is implicit in a number of biological systems. Thus, a natural question is whether this task can provably be accomplished in an efficient way by a network of agents executing a simple protocol. We provide a positive answer, proposing two distributed approaches to electrical flow computation on a weighted network: a deterministic process mimicking Jacobi's iterative method for solving linear systems, and a randomized token diffusion process, based on revisiting a classical random walk process on a graph with an absorbing node. We show that both processes converge to a solution of Kirchhoff's node potential equations, derive bounds on their convergence rates in terms of the weights of the network, and analyze their time and message complexity.
Examining spectral variations in localized lunar dark mantle deposits

The localized lunar dark mantle deposits (DMDs) in Alphonsus, J. Herschel, and Oppenheimer craters were analyzed using visible‐near‐infrared spectroscopy data from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper. Spectra of these localized DMDs were analyzed for compositional and mineralogical variations within the deposits and were compared with nearby mare basalt units. Spectra of the three localized DMDs exhibited mafic absorption features indicating iron‐rich compositions, although the DMDs were spectrally distinct from nearby mare basalts. All of the DMDs contained spectral signatures of glassy materials, suggesting the presence of volcanic glass in varying concentrations across the individual deposits. In addition, the albedo and spectral signatures were variable within the Alphonsus and Oppenheimer crater DMDs, suggesting variable deposit thickness and/or variations in the amount of mixing with the local substrate. Two previously unidentified localized DMDs were discovered to the northeast of Oppenheimer crater. The identification of high concentrations of volcanic glass in multiple localized DMDs in different locations suggests that the distribution of volcanic glass across the lunar surface is much more widespread than has been previously documented. The presence of volcanic glass implies an explosive, vulcanian eruption style for localized DMDs, as this allows volcanic glass to rapidly quench, inhibiting crystallization, compared to the larger hawaiian‐style eruptions typical of regional DMD emplacement where black beads indicate a higher degree of crystallization. Improved understanding of the local and global distributions of volcanic glass in lunar DMDs will further constrain lunar degassing and compositional evolution throughout lunar volcanic history.
Data quality scoring system for microcosm and mesocosm studies used to derive a level of concern for atrazine

The US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has historically used different methods to derive an aquatic level of concern (LoC) for atrazine, though all have generally relied on an expanding set of mesocosm and microcosm (“cosm”) studies for calibration. The database of results from ecological effects studies with atrazine in cosms now includes 108 data points from 39 studies and forms the basis for assessing atrazine's potential to impact aquatic plant communities. Inclusion of the appropriate cosm studies and accurate interpretation of each data point—delineated as binary scores of “effect” (effect score 1) or “no effect” (effect score 0) of a specific atrazine exposure profile on plant communities in a single study—is critical to USEPA's approach to determining the LoC. We reviewed the atrazine cosm studies in detail and carefully interpreted their results in terms of the binary effect scores. The cosm database includes a wide range of experimental systems and study designs, some of which are more relevant to natural plant communities than others. Moreover, the studies vary in the clarity and consistency of their results. We therefore evaluated each study against objective criteria for relevance and reliability to produce a weighting score that can be applied to the effect scores when calculating the LoC. This approach is useful because studies that are more relevant and reliable have greater influence on the LoC than studies with lower weighting scores. When the current iteration of USEPA's LoC approach, referred to as the plant assemblage toxicity index (PATI), was calibrated with the weighted cosm data set, the result was a 60‐day LoC of 21.2 μg/L. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:489–497. © 2018 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC)
Management of atypical polypoid adenomyoma of the uterus

Abstract Atypical polypoid adenomyoma (APA) is a rare uterine lesion, which has a high rate of recurrence and malignant transformation. How to treat this disease is crucial for the prognosis, but there are few reports on it. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of all the patients diagnosed with APA after surgical therapy in our hospital. All the clinical information, pathological results, treatment, and outcome were retrieved from the clinical records. A total of 43 patients were diagnosed with APA. The median age was 56.0 years (range: 17–71 years). Primary treatments included hysteroscopic transcervical resection (TCR) of the lesions in 34 patients (79.1%), hysterectomy and bilateral salping-oophenrectomy in 5 (11.6%), hysterectomy in 1 (2.3%), and primary cytoreductive surgery for ovary cancer in 3. A total of 42 patients were followed up for a mean period of 26.9 months (range 2–57 months). Three of them recurred. One patient underwent hysterectomy after recurrence, and TCR was performed for the other 2. High-dose progestogen was given to the 2 recurrent patients after TCR. Hysterectomy is the primary therapeutic choice for postmenopausal patients with APA. Conservative treatment of APA with TCR is safe and efficient.
History of Mosquitoborne Diseases in the United States and Implications for New Pathogens

The introduction and spread of West Nile virus and the recent introduction of chikungunya and Zika viruses into the Americas have raised concern about the potential for various tropical pathogens to become established in North America. A historical analysis of yellow fever and malaria incidences in the United States suggests that it is not merely a temperate climate that keeps these pathogens from becoming established. Instead, socioeconomic changes are the most likely explanation for why these pathogens essentially disappeared from the United States yet remain a problem in tropical areas. In contrast to these anthroponotic pathogens that require humans in their transmission cycle, zoonotic pathogens are only slightly affected by socioeconomic factors, which is why West Nile virus became established in North America. In light of increasing globalization, we need to be concerned about the introduction of pathogens such as Rift Valley fever, Japanese encephalitis, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis viruses.
Growth Morphologies and Primary Solidification Modes in a Dissimilar Weld between a Low-Alloy Steel and an Austenitic Stainless Steel

Dissimilar welds close to the fusion boundary exhibit a variety of solidification microstructures that strongly impact their service behavior. Investigations were therefore undertaken to clarify the origins of the morphological and microstructural evolutions encountered in a 18MND5/309L dissimilar joint produced by submerged arc welding, using a combination of microstructural characterizations, thermodynamic computations, and solidification modelling. An unexpected evolution was observed in the solidification mode, from primary austenite towards primary ferrite with increasing growth rate. Solidification of austenite at the fusion boundary was assigned to its epitaxial growth on the metastable austenitic structure of the base metal resulting from an incipient melting mechanism. The evolution of the solidification mode toward primary ferrite was explained based on computations of the solute built up between austenite cells followed using the so-called “interface response function model”. Analyzing macro- and microstructural characteristic lengths with the published solidification model and data enabled evaluation of local values of the solidification rate, thermal gradient, and cooling rate close to the fusion boundary, thus providing useful data for numerical modelling of the submerged arc-welding process.