Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Orbital forcing and its importance in understanding the warm Pliocene

The Pliocene is traditionally viewed as an epoch with a warm and stable climate. Data-Model comparisons for the mid-Pliocene (~3.3 – 3 Ma) have identified regions where models do not agree with geological proxies. Palaeoenvironmental syntheses used in these comparisons are time-averaged. It has been hypothesised that orbital cyclicity within the mid-Pliocene, not accounted for in previous model simulations or data syntheses, could contribute to data-model discord. Study of the Pleistocene (~11.7ka – 2.6 Ma) has established the importance of understanding climate variability and distinguishing the specific character of separate interglacial or glacial events. This thesis confirms such variability should be expected in the Pliocene. Using a climate model, two interglacials (MIS KM5c and K1) in the Pliocene are compared, and results demonstrate changes in the surface air temperatures (SATs) due to changes in orbital forcing can be substantial and differ between interglacials. A further two interglacials (G17 and KM3) are investigated, and changes in regional vegetation patterns and the summer Indian monsoon in response to orbital forcing over the four interglacial events are analysed. A notable vegetation response is seen in the continental interiors of North America and Eurasia, where forests are replaced by grassland and shrubland, and is most widespread for interglacials with the strongest orbital forcing (most different from present day). The Indian monsoon is slightly stronger than pre-industrial in KM5c (an interglacial with near-modern orbit), driven by higher CO2, and is significantly more intense in G17, K1 and KM3 than KM5c, due to orbital-driven increased seasonal SATs. Orbital forcing throughout Pliocene interglacials is found to have a significant effect on the simulation of regional climate, vegetation and the Indian monsoon system within the modelling framework used here. Time-averaged palaeoenvironmental synthesis therefore, cannot be expected to concur with climate model outputs using time specific orbital forcing.
Behavioral and Brain Functions

Background: The Iowa gambling task is a popular test for examining monetary decision behavior under uncertainty. According to Dunn et al. review article, the difficult-to-explain phenomenon of "prominent deck B" was revealed, namely that normal decision makers prefer bad final-outcome deck B to good final-outcome decks C or D. This phenomenon was demonstrated especially clearly by Wilder et al. and Toplak et al. The "prominent deck B" phenomenon is inconsistent with the basic assumption in the IGT; however, most IGT-related studies utilized the "summation" of bad decks A and B when presenting their data, thereby avoiding the problems associated with deck B. Methods: To verify the "prominent deck B" phenomenon, this study launched a two-stage simple version IGT, namely, an AACC and BBDD version, which possesses a balanced gain-loss structure between advantageous and disadvantageous decks and facilitates monitoring of participant preferences after the first 100 trials. Results: The experimental results suggested that the "prominent deck B" phenomenon exists in the IGT. Moreover, participants cannot suppress their preference for deck B under the uncertain condition, even during the second stage of the game. Although this result is incongruent with the basic assumption in IGT, an increasing number of studies are finding similar results. The results of the AACC and BBDD versions can be congruent with the decision literatures in terms of gain-loss frequency. Conclusion: Based on the experimental findings, participants can apply the "gain-stay, loss-shift" strategy to overcome situations involving uncertainty. This investigation found that the largest loss in the IGT did not inspire decision makers to avoid choosing bad deck B. Background Over the past few years, Damasio's [1] Somatic Marker Hypothesis (SMH) has become a central argument in affective neuroscience [2-7] and has also garnered increasing attention from neuroeconomists [8-10]. Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, and Anderson, [11] proposed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) as a means of sustaining the SMH. These studies of Iowa group claimed that the supePublished: 15 March 2007 Behavioral and Brain Functions 2007, 3:16 doi:10.1186/1744-9081-3-16 Received: 28 July 2006 Accepted: 15 March 2007 This article is available from: http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions. com/content/3/1/16 © 2007 Lin et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Promoting use of colorectal cancer screening tests. Can we change physician behavior?

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is underutilized despite evidence that screening reduces mortality. OBJECTIVE To assess the effect of an intervention targeting physicians and their patients on rates of CRC screening. DESIGN A randomized clinical trial of community physicians and their patients. PARTICIPANTS Ninety-four community primary care physicians randomly assigned to an intervention consisting of academic detailing and direct mailings to patients or a control group. Patients aged 50 to 79 years in the intervention group physicians received a letter from their physician, a brochure on CRC screening, and a packet of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) cards. MEASUREMENTS After 1 year we measured receipt of the following: (1) FOBT in the past 2 years, (2) flexible sigmoidoscopy (SIG) or colonoscopy (COL) in the previous 5 years, and (3) any CRC screening. We report the percent change from baseline in both groups. RESULTS 9,652 patients were enrolled for 2 years, and 3,732 patients were enrolled for 5 years. There was no increase in any CRC screening that occurred in the intervention group for patients enrolled for 2 years (12.7 increase vs 12.5%, P=.51). Similar results were seen for any CRC screening among patients enrolled for 5 years (9.7% increase vs 8.6%, P=.45). The only outcome on which the intervention had an effect was on patient rates of screening SIG (7.4% increase vs 4.4%, P<.01). CONCLUSION With the exception of an increase in rates of SIG in the intervention group, the intervention had no effect on rates of CRC screening. Future interventions should assess innovative approaches to increase rates of CRC screening.
Mechanism of Glycan Receptor Recognition and Specificity Switch for Avian, Swine, and Human Adapted Influenza Virus Hemagglutinins: A Molecular Dynamics Perspective

Hemagglutinins (HA’s) from duck, swine, and human influenza viruses have previously been shown to prefer avian and human glycan receptor analogues with distinct topological profiles, pentasaccharides LSTa (α-2,3 linkage) and LSTc (α-2,6 linkage), in comparative molecular dynamics studies. On the basis of detailed analyses of the dynamic motions of the receptor binding domains (RBDs) and interaction energy profiles with individual glycan residues, we have identified ∼30 residue positions in the RBD that present distinct profiles with the receptor analogues. Glycan binding constrained the conformational space sampling by the HA. Electrostatic steering appeared to play a key role in glycan binding specificity. The complex dynamic behaviors of the major SSE and trimeric interfaces with or without bound glycans suggested that networks of interactions might account for species specificity in these low affinity and high avidity (multivalent) interactions between different HA and glycans. Contact frequency, energetic decomposition, and H-bond analyses revealed species-specific differences in HA−glycan interaction profiles, not readily discernible from crystal structures alone. Interaction energy profiles indicated that mutation events at the set of residues such as 145, 156, 158, and 222 would favor human or avian receptor analogues, often through interactions with distal asialo-residues. These results correlate well with existing experimental evidence, and suggest new opportunities for simulation-based vaccine and drug development.
Exploring the Potential of Venom from Nasonia vitripennis as Therapeutic Agent with High-Throughput Screening Tools

The venom from the ectoparasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) contains at least 80 different proteins and possibly even more peptides or other small chemical compounds, demonstrating its appealing therapeutic application. To better understand the dynamics of the venom in mammalian cells, two high-throughput screening tools were performed. The venom induced pathways related to an early stress response and activated reporters that suggest the involvement of steroids. Whether these steroids reside from the venom itself or show an induced release/production caused by the venom, still remains unsolved. The proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β was found to be down-regulated after venom and LPS co-treatment, confirming the anti-inflammatory action of N. vitripennis venom. When analyzing the expression levels of the NF-κB target genes, potentially not only the canonical but also the alternative NF-κB pathway can be affected, possibly explaining some counterintuitive results. It is proposed that next to an NF-κB binding site, the promoter of the genes tested by the PCR array may also contain binding sites for other transcription factors, resulting in a complex puzzle to connect the induced target gene with its respective transcription factor. Interestingly, Nasonia venom altered the expression of some drug targets, presenting the venom with an exciting therapeutical potential.
Discussion Papers

We analyze voluntary coalition formation using a unique panel data for 1,056 municipalities in the French region of Brittany between 1995 and 2002. We use a control function approach to develop a binary discrete choice model with spatial interactions. We find that a municipality’s decision to cooperate over the provision local public goods depends on the decisions of its neighbours. Comparison with spatial econometrics models (SAR and Durbin) shows that the decision to cooperate is over estimated by these more traditional models. The results are in line with the recent applied spatial economics literature but are derived for a discrete choice model setting. Classificazione JEL: C3, H2, H4, H7
Mechanism of Honey Bacteriostatic Action Against MRSA and VRE Involves Hydroxyl Radicals Generated from Honey’s Hydrogen Peroxide

It has been recently reported that honey hydrogen peroxide in conjunction with unknown honey components produced cytotoxic effects resulting in bacterial growth inhibition and DNA degradation. The objective of this study was twofold: (a) to investigate whether the coupling chemistry involving hydrogen peroxide is responsible for a generation of hydroxyl radicals and (b) whether •OH generation affects growth of multi-drug resistant clinical isolates. The susceptibility of five different strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and four strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) isolates from infected wounds to several honeys was evaluated using broth microdilution assay. Isolates were identified to genus and species and their susceptibility to antibiotics was confirmed using an automated system (Vitek®, Biomérieux®). The presence of the mec(A) gene, nuc gene and van(A) and (B) genes were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that no clinical isolate was resistant to selected active honeys. The median difference in honeys MICs against these strains ranged between 12.5 and 6.25% v/v and was not different from the MIC against standard Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Generation of •OH during bacteria incubation with honeys was analyzed using 3′-(p-aminophenyl) fluorescein (APF) as the •OH trap. The •OH participation in growth inhibition was monitored directly by including APF in broth microdilution assay. The growth of MRSA and VRE was inhibited by •OH generation in a dose-dependent manner. Exposure of MRSA and VRE to honeys supplemented with Cu(II) augmented production of •OH by 30-fold and increased honey bacteriostatic potency from MIC90 6.25 to MIC90< 0.78% v/v. Pretreatment of honeys with catalase prior to their supplementation with Cu ions fully restored bacterial growth indicating that hydroxyl radicals were produced from H2O2 via the Fenton-type reaction. In conclusion, we have demonstrated for the first time that bacteriostatic effect of honeys on MRSA and VRE was dose-dependently related to generation of •OH from honey H2O2.
Combining the Predictions of Multiple Classifiers: Using Competitive Learning to Initialize Neural Networks

The primary goal of inductive learning is to generalize well - that is, induce a function that accurately produces the correct output for future inputs. Hansen and Salamon showed that, under certain assumptions, combining the predictions of several separately trained neural networks will improve generalization. One of their key assumptions is that the individual networks should be independent in the errors they produce. In the standard way of performing backpropagation this assumption may be violated, because the standard procedure is to initialize network weights in the region of weight space near the origin. This means that backpropagation's gradient-descent search may only reach a small subset of the possible local minima. In this paper we present an approach to initializing neural networks that uses competitive learning to intelligently create networks that are originally located far from the origin of weight space, thereby potentially increasing the set of reachable local minima. We report experiments on two real-world datasets where combinations of networks initialized with our method generalize better than combinations of networks initialized the traditional way.
Sequence Synopsis: Optimize Visual Summary of Temporal Event Data

Event sequences analysis plays an important role in many application domains such as customer behavior analysis, electronic health record analysis and vehicle fault diagnosis. Real-world event sequence data is often noisy and complex with high event cardinality, making it a challenging task to construct concise yet comprehensive overviews for such data. In this paper, we propose a novel visualization technique based on the minimum description length (MDL) principle to construct a coarse-level overview of event sequence data while balancing the information loss in it. The method addresses a fundamental trade-off in visualization design: reducing visual clutter vs. increasing the information content in a visualization. The method enables simultaneous sequence clustering and pattern extraction and is highly tolerant to noises such as missing or additional events in the data. Based on this approach we propose a visual analytics framework with multiple levels-of-detail to facilitate interactive data exploration. We demonstrate the usability and effectiveness of our approach through case studies with two real-world datasets. One dataset showcases a new application domain for event sequence visualization, i.e., fault development path analysis in vehicles for predictive maintenance. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of the proposed method based on user feedback.
Insights into Chemoresistance of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most prevalent malignancy among males in the western world. Though hormonal therapies through chemical or surgical castration have been proposed many years ago, heretofore, such mainstay for the treatment on advanced PCa has not fundamentally changed. These therapeutic responses are temporary and most cases will eventually undergo PCa recurrence and metastasis, or even progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) due to persistent development of drug resistance. Prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) are a small population of cells, which possess unlimited self-renewal capacities, and can regenerate tumorigenic progenies, and play an essential role in PCa therapy resistance, metastasis and recurrence. Nowadays advanced progresses have been made in understanding of PCSC properties, roles of androgen receptor signaling and ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 (ABCG2), as well as roles of genomic non-coding microRNAs and key signaling pathways, which have led to the development of novel therapies which are active against chemoresistant PCa and CRPC. Based on these progresses, this review is dedicated to address mechanisms underlying PCa chemoresistance, unveil crosstalks among pivotal signaling pathways, explore novel biotherapeutic agents, and elaborate functional properties and specific roles of chemoresistant PCSCs, which may act as a promising target for novel therapies against chemoresistant PCa.
Knowledge and perceptions of uterine fibroids: A descriptive cross-sectional survey among women of childbearing age in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Background Uterine fibroids are the leading cause of hysterectomies among women of childbearing age. This study aims to elicit the knowledge, attitude and perceptions of childbearing women towards uterine fibroids in order to provide empirical evidence informing relevant interventions oriented toward health promotion in this regard. Methods A quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive design was used and data were collected from a sample of 362 women of reproductive age residing in a selected township in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Durban University of Technologys Institutional Research Ethics Committee (IREC - Ref No. BIREC 014/21). A pre-tested survey was conducted to gather data on knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions concerning uterine fibroids. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, employing descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics were also conducted to examine associations between key variables and respondents who self-reported being diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Results Most participants, 73.8% (n=267), had no awareness of uterine fibroids. Participants also demonstrated poor knowledge regarding the aetiology and symptoms of the condition. However, most participants, 49.2% (n=178), perceived uterine fibroids to be of spiritual origin, citing evil spirits and witchcraft as the cause. Participants subsequently reported that treatment would require herbal approaches and consultation with spiritualists such as traditional healers and seers. In summary, the study highlights various factors influencing self-reporting behaviours, including age, education level, employment status, marital status, number of children, awareness of the condition, perception of requiring treatment, family history, and symptom severity. Discussion and conclusion The study findings seem to suggest that women in the selected township lack accurate knowledge about uterine fibroids. These insights are valuable for shaping targeted health interventions and policies. Recognizing the complexities of self-reporting is crucial for improving health outcomes through early detection and tailored interventions
Rapid Instructed Task Learning is impaired after stroke and associated with impairments in prepotent inhibition and processing speed.

Background: Motor rehabilitation is a central contributor to motor recovery after stroke. This process could be hampered by stroke-associated cognitive impairments, such as the capability to rapidly follow instructions (Rapid instructed task learning, RITL). RITL was never directly studied in old adults and subjects with stroke. The aim of this study was to assess RITL following stroke and its underlying cognitive determinants. Methods: 31 subjects with chronic stroke and 36 age-matched controls completed a computerized cognitive examination that included an anti-saccade task for measuring prepotent inhibition and processing speed and stimulus-response association task (NEXT) for measuring RITL and proactive inhibition. Results: RITL abilities were impaired after stroke, together with prepotent inhibition and processing speed. A correlation analysis revealed that RITL is associated with prepotent inhibition abilities and with processing speed. Conclusions: Subjects with stroke show impairments in the ability to follow instructions, that may be related to their impaired prepotent inhibition and processing speed. The causal effect of RITL impairments on the responsivity to rehabilitation and on motor recovery should be examined.
Health-Related Effects of Real-Time Circuit Tele-Training and Gym Resistance-Aerobic Training in Ambulatory Adults with Cerebral Palsy

Objective. To compare the impacts of gym training and circuit Zoom-tele-training on health parameters in ambulatory adults with spastic cerebral palsy. Methods. Participants were divided into three groups: The Gym-group that underwent resistance-and-aerobic training program (n=12), the Zoom-group that underwent a circuit Zoom-tele-training program (n=14), and the Control-group that was on a waitlist and underwent no training (n=14). The two training gropes exercised bi-weekly for 12-week. Measurements included blood pressure, waist circumference, BMI, 15-repetition maximum-strength tests, and a LALA aerobic shuttle test analyzed using a linear mixed model. Results. Weight circumference decreased in both the Gym and Zoom groups (P=.0202 and P=.0014 respectively). In addition, in both these groups systolic (P=.018, P=.0001 respectively) and diastolic (P=.086 -marginal significance, P<.0001 respectively) blood pressure decreased, with a more pronounced reduction in the diastolic blood pressure for the Zoom-group (P=.043). Maximum aerobic speed increased (P<.0001) in the Zoom-group, with the Gym-group achieving the same speed with a lower peak heart rate (P=.0144). Strength significantly improved in the Zoom group for row (P=.05) and knee-extension (P<.0001) exercises. The Gym group improved in all strength measures (Row P<.0001, Chest-press P<.0001, and Knee-extension P<.0001). The Gym-group gains were greater than the Zoom-group in the row (P<.0001) and knee-extension (P=.005) exercises. The Control-group experienced a rise in BMI (P=.0256), waist circumference (P=.056 marginal significance), and systolic blood pressure (P=.055 marginal significance). Conclusion. Both exercise programs effectively reduced health-risk factors. The Zoom-group excelled in improving aerobic capacity and diastolic blood pressure, while the Gym-group demonstrated superior strength gains. Not exercising was detrimental to body mass, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Impact. Exercise programs enhance long life heath and prevent health deterioration in adults with cerebral palsy. Results endorse using waist circumference and blood pressure measures as valuable clinical outcomes for adults with cerebral palsy.
Positive benefit of postnatal treatment in congenital toxoplasmosis.

We read the editorial of Gilbert and Desateux.1 In their analysis, they take into account some newborn screening programmes for congenital toxoplasmosis in developing countries such as Brazil and Mexico, with reported rates of up to a maximum of 20 cases/10 000 live births; however, they did not mention our recent report that found a prevalence of 0.5% in a reference hospital in Colombia.2 This study found one child who died 1 week after birth. As we had information only on the frequency of deaths in a reference hospital, we carried out a study in a representative sample of all newborns from Quindio and found nearly the same prevalence: 0.6% (see letter in Archives of Disease in Children in response to the paper …