Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elucidating the Aetiology of Human Campylobacter coli Infections

There has been little research on the determinants of Campylobacter coli infection, despite its contributing up to 10% of human Campylobacter infections. A case-control and two case-case study methods explored the aetiology of C. coli over a one year period across Scotland. The case-control multivariate model found an increased risk of C. coli infection in people older than 19 years (O.R. = 3.352), and during the summer months (O.R. = 2.596), while residing in an urban area decreased the risk (O.R. = 0.546). The first case-case study compared C. coli and C. jejuni cases and also showed a higher risk of C. coli during the summer (O.R. = 1.313) and in people older than 19 years (O.R. = 0.791). Living in an urban area was associated with a reduced risk of infection (O.R. = 0.769). Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) indicated that sheep and chicken C. coli sequence types (STs) were most frequently found in humans whilst those from cattle and pigs were rarer. MLST diversity was high in isolates from pigs and chicken, intermediate in human isolates, and low in ruminant isolates. The second case-case study used MLST data to ascribe putative sources of infection to the cases. The putative source for 40% of cases was chicken, with 60% acquired from other sources (ruminants 54% and pigs 6%). The case-case analysis also showed that female gender was a risk factor (O.R. = 1.940), which may be explained by females being more likely to prepare poultry in the home. These findings indicate differences between the aetiology of C. coli and C. jejuni infections: this should be taken into account by public health professionals when developing strategies to reduce the burden of human campylobacteriosis.
Oviposition of fruit flies ( Diptera : Tephritidae ) and its relation with the pericarp of citrus fruits

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) represent a threat to fruit growing worldwide, mainly the citrus culture, however, biological studies show that fruit flies are not perfectly adapted to this host. This study investigated oviposition of Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann, 1830) and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824) and its relation with the pericarp of citrus fruits. We evaluated the relationship between depth of oviposition of A. fraterculus and C. capitata and epicarp thickness of orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck)] ‘Navelina’ and tangerine [C. reticulata (L.)] ‘Clemenules’ and the influence of fruit mesocarp of tangerine ‘Clemenules’ on oviposition of these species. The study was conducted under controlled conditions of temperature (25 ± 2 °C), relative humidity (70 ± 10% RH) and photophase (12 h). A. fraterculus and C. capitata laid their eggs in the flavedo region of orange ‘Navelina’ and between the albedo and flavedo of tangerine ‘Clemenules’. When fruits with mesocarp exposed were offered, there was no oviposition by both fruit fly species. The results show that epicarp thickness of citrus fruits did not influence oviposition of A. fraterculus and C. capitata as oviposition did not occur only in the presence of the mesocarp, suggesting that other factors are involved in oviposition of these species.
Reactive animation: From piecemeal experimentation to reactive biological systems

Over the past decade, multi-level complex behavior and reactive nature of biological systems, has been a focus point for the biomedical community. We have developed a computational approach, termed Reactive Animation (RA) for simulating such complex biological systems. RA is an approach for describing the dynamic characteristics of biological systems based on facts collected from experiments. These data are integrated bottom-up by computational tools and methods for reactive systems development and are simulated concomitantly to a front-end user friendly visualization and reporting systems. Using RA, the experimenter may intervene mid-simulation, suggest new hypotheses for cellular and molecular interactions, apply them to the simulation and observe their resulting outcomes “on-line”. Several RA models have been developed including models of T cell activation, thymocyte development and pancreatic organogenesis, which are describe in the in this review.
A Comparison of Pathophysiology in Humans and Rodent Models of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) affects an estimated 30,000 people each year in the United States, with an overall mortality of ~30%. Most cases of SAH result from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm, require long hospital stays, and result in significant disability and high fatality. Early brain injury (EBI) and delayed cerebral vasospasm (CV) have been implicated as leading causes of morbidity and mortality in these patients, necessitating intense focus on developing preclinical animal models that replicate clinical SAH complete with delayed CV. Despite the variety of animal models currently available, translation of findings from rodent models to clinical trials has proven especially difficult. While the explanation for this lack of translation is unclear, possibilities include the lack of standardized practices and poor replication of human pathophysiology, such as delayed cerebral vasospasm and ischemia, in rodent models of SAH. In this review, we summarize the different approaches to simulating SAH in rodents, in particular elucidating the key pathophysiology of the various methods and models. Ultimately, we suggest the development of standardized model of rodent SAH that better replicates human pathophysiology for moving forward with translational research.
The Impact of Oversampling with SMOTE on the Performance of 3 Classifiers in Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes

Objective. To evaluate the impact of the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) on the performance of probabilistic neural network (PNN), naïve Bayes (NB), and decision tree (DT) classifiers for predicting diabetes in a prospective cohort of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS). Methods . Data of the 6647 nondiabetic participants, aged 20 years or older with more than 10 years of follow-up, were used to develop prediction models based on 21 common risk factors. The minority class in the training dataset was oversampled using the SMOTE technique, at 100%, 200%, 300%, 400%, 500%, 600%, and 700% of its original size. The original and the oversampled training datasets were used to establish the classification models. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, F-measure, and Youden’s index were used to evaluated the performance of classifiers in the test dataset. To compare the performance of the 3 classification models, we used the ROC convex hull (ROCCH). Results. Oversampling the minority class at 700% (completely balanced) increased the sensitivity of the PNN, DT, and NB by 64%, 51%, and 5%, respectively, but decreased the accuracy and specificity of the 3 classification methods. NB had the best Youden’s index before and after oversampling. The ROCCH showed that PNN is suboptimal for any class and cost conditions. Conclusions. To determine a classifier with a machine learning algorithm like the PNN and DT, class skew in data should be considered. The NB and DT were optimal classifiers in a prediction task in an imbalanced medical database.
The Flora of Greenland

IN 1891 Dr. William H. Burk accompanied, as botanist, the party which escorted Lieut. Peary to his winter quarters in McCormick Bay. A number of plants were collected and taken to America, but they had barely been determined before an expedition was organised to search for Lieut. Peary, and Mr. William G. Meehan was appointed botanist to it. This was just a year ago. Mr. Meehan was also fortunate enough to obtain specimens, and a catalogue of the plants collected in both cases was communicated to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia on April II. Some idea as to the character of the catalogue will be obtained from the following introduction to it:—
Adipokines: biological functions and metabolically healthy obese profile

Adipose tissue is an extremely active organ, and plays a fundamental role in the genesis of comorbidities associated with obesity. Since the discovery of leptin, an important focus has been assigned to adipose tissue as a key organ in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders. The influence on the genesis of comorbidities associated with obesity is directly related to the pattern of adipokine secretion, the bioactive molecules produced on adipose tissue. The imbalance of adipokines consequent to the expansion of adipose tissue has been implicated in the development of the low-grade chronic inflammation seen in obesity. Adipokines act in a paracrine, autocrine, and endocrine fashion, influencing cytokine and chemokine secretions and hormonal and growth factors, as well as interfering with actions of insulin and lipid and glucose metabolism. The main adipokines include leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumor-necrosis factor, interleukin 6, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2, interleukin 10, and transforming growth factor-β. The imbalance between pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines on adipose tissue results in insulin resistance and the development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, not all obese individuals develop these comorbidities or metabolic changes. Metabolically normal obese or metabolically healthy obese individuals have been the focus of research because of their absence of comorbidities. The profile of adipokines in adipose tissue of these individuals can be protective for the development of insulin resistance and metabolic disorders. This review emphasizes the roles of adipokines, the signaling pathways involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation and insulin resistance, and the profile found in metabolically healthy obese individuals.
Switched-Capacitor-Based Current Compensator for Mitigating the Effect of Long Cable Between PWM Driver and LED Light Source

It is sometimes unavoidable to have light-emitting-diode (LED) light sources and their pulsewidth modulation (PWM) drivers connected by long cables in large-scale illuminations. However, long-cable inductance delays the rate of rise of the driving current pulses and thus leads to the reduction of luminous flux output. It also causes the off-state voltage across the light sources negative, which would deteriorate the life expectancy of the LEDs. A switched-capacitor-based current compensator for correcting the wave shape of the driving current pulses is presented. The methodology is based on transferring the energy stored in the cable to a capacitor at the end of the current pulse and then momentarily boosting the voltage with the capacitor applying to the cable at the beginning of the next current pulse. Thus, the rise time of the current pulses can be shortened. The topological states and operations of the compensator will be described. A simplified design procedure will be given. A prototype for a 12-V, 3-A PWM driver has been built and evaluated. Performance comparisons between the proposed current compensator and prior art and between the systems with and without the compensators will be conducted.
Late Neogene and Early Quaternary Paleoenvironmental and Paleoclimatic Conditions in Southwestern Europe: Isotopic Analyses on Mammalian Taxa

Climatic and environmental shifts have had profound impacts on faunal and floral assemblages globally since the end of the Miocene. We explore the regional expression of these fluctuations in southwestern Europe by constructing long-term records (from ∼11.1 to 0.8 Ma, late Miocene–middle Pleistocene) of carbon and oxygen isotope variations in tooth enamel of different large herbivorous mammals from Spain. Isotopic differences among taxa illuminate differences in ecological niches. The δ13C values (relative to VPDB, mean −10.3±1.1‰; range −13.0 to −7.4‰) are consistent with consumption of C3 vegetation; C4 plants did not contribute significantly to the diets of the selected taxa. When averaged by time interval to examine secular trends, δ13C values increase at ∼9.5 Ma (MN9–MN10), probably related to the Middle Vallesian Crisis when there was a replacement of vegetation adapted to more humid conditions by vegetation adapted to drier and more seasonal conditions, and resulting in the disappearance of forested mammalian fauna. The mean δ13C value drops significantly at ∼4.2−3.7 Ma (MN14–MN15) during the Pliocene Warm Period, which brought more humid conditions to Europe, and returns to higher δ13C values from ∼2.6 Ma onwards (MN16), most likely reflecting more arid conditions as a consequence of the onset of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation. The most notable feature in oxygen isotope records (and mean annual temperature reconstructed from these records) is a gradual drop between MN13 and the middle Pleistocene (∼6.3−0.8 Ma) most likely due to cooling associated with Northern Hemisphere glaciation.
Lmx1b‐expressing cells in the mouse limb bud define a dorsal mesenchymal lineage compartment

The LIM‐homeodomain transcription factor lmx1b is a critical regulator of vertebrate dorsal–ventral limb patterning. In the mouse embryo, lmx1b is initially transcribed throughout most, if not all, limb bud cells at early stages, but then rapidly becomes restricted specifically to dorsal mesenchymal cells with a sharp boundary between the dorsal‐positive and ventral‐negative expression domains. How this expression pattern is initially established is not well understood, nor are mechanism(s) that maintain a sharp dorsal–ventral boundary between lmx1b expressing and nonexpressing cells. Here, we employ a genetic fate mapping approach to establish that the transition from a broad expression domain of lmx1b to a restricted dorsal domain of expression involves selective loss of lmx1b expression in presumptive ventral cells. In addition, we show that once lmx1b expression becomes restricted to dorsal mesenchyme cells, these cells form a lineage‐based compartment that prevents mixing between dorsal and ventral cells, consistent with recent fate mapping experiments carried out the chick and mouse (Pearse et al., 2007 , Dev Biol 310:388–400; Arques et al., 2007 , Development 134:3713–3722). Moreover, lmx1b activity is required to maintain, but not to establish the dorsal mesenchymal compartment likely through a mechanism involving differential cell adhesion. Taken together, our results indicate that lmx1b expressing cell define a dorsal limb bud mesenchymal lineage compartment and that maintenance of this compartment depends on lmx1b function. genesis 47:224–233, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Novel lncRNA Erbb4-IR Promotes Diabetic Kidney Injury in db/db Mice by Targeting miR-29b

Transforming growth factor-β/Smad signaling plays an important role in diabetic nephropathy. The current study identified a novel Smad3-dependent long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) Erbb4-IR in the development of type 2 diabetic nephropathy (T2DN) in db/db mice. We found that Erbb4-IR was highly expressed in T2DN of db/db mice and specifically induced by advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) via a Smad3-dependent mechanism. The functional role of Erbb4-IR in T2DN was revealed by kidney-specific silencing of Erbb4-IR to protect against the development of T2DN, such as elevated microalbuminuria, serum creatinine, and progressive renal fibrosis in db/db mice, and to block AGE-induced collagen I and IV expression in mouse mesangial cells (mMCs) and mouse tubular epithelial cells (mTECs). Mechanistically, we identified that the Erbb4-IR–microRNA (miR)-29b axis was a key mechanism of T2DN because Erbb4-IR was able to bind the 3′ untranslated region of miR-29b genomic sequence to suppress miR-29b expression at transcriptional level. In contrast, silencing of renal Erbb4-IR increased miR-29b and therefore protected the kidney from progressive renal injury in db/db mice and prevented mTECs and mMCs from AGE-induced loss of miR-29b and fibrotic response in vitro. Collectively, we identify that Erbb4-IR is a Smad3-dependent lncRNA that promotes renal fibrosis in T2DN by suppressing miR-29b. Targeting Erbb4-IR may represent a novel therapy for T2DN.
The effect of board size and composition on the financial performance of banks in Nigeria

This paper analyzed the effects of board size and board composition on the performance of Nigerian banks. The financial statements of five banks were used as a sample for the period of nine years and the data collected were analysed using the multivariate regression analysis. The paper found that board size has significant negative impact on the performance of banks in Nigeria. This signifies that an increase in Board size would lead to a decrease in ROE and ROA. On the other hand, board composition has a significant positive effect on the performance of banks in Nigeria. This signifies that an increase in Board composition would lead to a decrease in ROE and ROA. It is recommended that banks should have adequate board size to the scale and complexity of the organisation’s operations and be composed in such a way as to ensure diversity of experience without compromising independence, compatibility, integrity and availability of members to attend meetings. The board size should not be too large and must be made up of qualified professionals who are conversant with oversight function. The Board should comprise of a mix of executive and non-executive directors, headed by a Chairman. Key words: Board size, board composition, Nigerian banks and financial performance.
The crutch of context-dependency: Effects of contextual support and constancy on acquisition and retention

ABSTRACT Paired associates (Tagalog–English word pairs) were studied and practiced with pairs superimposed over pictorial contexts, and tested with no context cues. On every retrieval practice (RP) incidental or conceptually supportive contexts were repeatedly shown with the same pair (constant context condition), or else new contexts were shown on every RP trial (varied context condition). Incidental contexts in the constant condition and supportive contexts in both constant and varied context conditions facilitated practice scores, but left learning susceptible to forgetting when context cues were not provided. In contrast, varying incidental contexts during practice resulted in slower acquisition, but greater retention in the absence of context cues. The results show that varying incidental contexts during practice can be a desirable difficulty.
Female and Male Perspectives on the Neolithic Transition in Europe: Clues from Ancient and Modern Genetic Data

The arrival of agriculture into Europe during the Neolithic transition brought a significant shift in human lifestyle and subsistence. However, the conditions under which the spread of the new culture and technologies occurred are still debated. Similarly, the roles played by women and men during the Neolithic transition are not well understood, probably due to the fact that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y chromosome (NRY) data are usually studied independently rather than within the same statistical framework. Here, we applied an integrative approach, using different model-based inferential techniques, to analyse published datasets from contemporary and ancient European populations. By integrating mtDNA and NRY data into the same admixture approach, we show that both males and females underwent the same admixture history and both support the demic diffusion model of Ammerman and Cavalli-Sforza. Similarly, the patterns of genetic diversity found in extant and ancient populations demonstrate that both modern and ancient mtDNA support the demic diffusion model. They also show that population structure and differential growth between farmers and hunter-gatherers are necessary to explain both types of data. However, we also found some differences between male and female markers, suggesting that the female effective population size was larger than that of the males, probably due to different demographic histories. We argue that these differences are most probably related to the various shifts in cultural practices and lifestyles that followed the Neolithic Transition, such as sedentism, the shift from polygyny to monogamy or the increase of patrilocality.
Analysis of small sample size studies using nonparametric bootstrap test with pooled resampling method

Experimental studies in biomedical research frequently pose analytical problems related to small sample size. In such studies, there are conflicting findings regarding the choice of parametric and nonparametric analysis, especially with non‐normal data. In such instances, some methodologists questioned the validity of parametric tests and suggested nonparametric tests. In contrast, other methodologists found nonparametric tests to be too conservative and less powerful and thus preferred using parametric tests. Some researchers have recommended using a bootstrap test; however, this method also has small sample size limitation. We used a pooled method in nonparametric bootstrap test that may overcome the problem related with small samples in hypothesis testing. The present study compared nonparametric bootstrap test with pooled resampling method corresponding to parametric, nonparametric, and permutation tests through extensive simulations under various conditions and using real data examples. The nonparametric pooled bootstrap t‐test provided equal or greater power for comparing two means as compared with unpaired t‐test, Welch t‐test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and permutation test while maintaining type I error probability for any conditions except for Cauchy and extreme variable lognormal distributions. In such cases, we suggest using an exact Wilcoxon rank sum test. Nonparametric bootstrap paired t‐test also provided better performance than other alternatives. Nonparametric bootstrap test provided benefit over exact Kruskal–Wallis test. We suggest using nonparametric bootstrap test with pooled resampling method for comparing paired or unpaired means and for validating the one way analysis of variance test results for non‐normal data in small sample size studies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Controlling rectal and muscle temperatures: Can we offset diurnal variation in repeated sprint performance?

ABSTRACT The present study investigated whether increasing morning rectal temperatures (Trec) to resting.evening levels, or decreasing evening Trec or muscle (Tm) temperatures to morning values, would influence repeated sprint (RS) performance in a causal manner. Twelve trained males underwent five sessions [age (mean ± SD) 21.8 ± 2.6 yr, peak oxygen uptake ( peak) 60.6 ± 4.6 mL kg min−1, stature 1.78 ± 0.07 m and body mass 76.0 ± 6.3 kg]. These included a control morning (M, 07:30 h) and evening (E, 17:30 h) session (5-min warm-up), and three further sessions consisting of a warm-up morning trial (ME, on a motorised treadmill) until Trec reached evening levels; and two cool-down evening trials (in 16–17°C water) until Trec (EMrec) or Tm (EMmuscle) values reached morning temperatures, respectively. All sessions included a 3 × 3-s task-specific warm-up followed by 10 × 3-s RS with 30-s recoveries performed on a non-motorised treadmill. Trec and Tm measurements were taken at the start of the protocol and following the warm-up or cool-down period. Values for Trec and Tm were higher in the evening compared to morning values (0.45°C and 0.57°C, P < 0.05). RS performance was lower in the M for distance covered (DC), average power (AP) and average velocity (AV) (9–10%, P < 0.05). Pre-cooling Trec and Tm in the evening reduced RS performance to levels observed in the morning (P < 0.05). However, an active warm-up resulted in no changes in morning RS performance. Diurnal variation in Trec and Tm is not wholly accountable for time-of-day oscillations in RS performance on a non-motorised treadmill; the exact mechanism(s) for a causal link between central temperature and human performance are still unclear and require more research.