Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-Adoption Problem Behaviours in Adolescent and Adult Dogs Rehomed through a New Zealand Animal Shelter

Simple Summary Problem behaviours in dogs rehomed through animal shelters can jeopardise the long-term success of adoptions if not correctly managed. Data from 61 adolescent and adult dog adoptions that occurred through an animal shelter in Auckland, New Zealand, was analysed to identify the most common problem behaviours affecting adopted dogs and how concerned the new owners were about these problem behaviours. The majority of dogs had at least one reported problem behaviour; the most frequently reported problem behaviours were poor manners, destruction of household items, and excessively high energy. Very few dogs showed territorial aggression when objects or food items were removed, but aggression toward people or other dogs were both reported in nearly a fifth of dogs. The majority (87%) of adopters whose dog had some problem behaviours were not concerned at all or were a little concerned, and only three adopters were very concerned. Based on our interpretation of these findings, post-adoption support programmes targeted toward teaching adopters how to correctly train their dogs may be beneficial to increasing adoption satisfaction. Abstract Problem behaviours in dogs rehomed through animal shelters can jeopardise the long-term success of adoptions. In this study, data from 61 adolescent and adult dog adoptions that occurred through an animal shelter in Auckland, New Zealand, from 1 November 2015 to 31 July 2016 were analysed to describe the frequency of problem behaviours and level of adopter concern at different time points post-adoption. Amongst the 57 dogs with behavioural information available, 40 (70%) had at least one reported problem behaviour, and the most frequently reported problem behaviours were poor manners (46%), destruction of household items (30%), and excessively high energy (28%). Very few dogs showed territorial aggression when objects or food items were removed (2% and 4%, respectively). However, aggression toward people or other dogs was frequently reported (19% and 19%, respectively). Of the 54 adopters that provided a response about their level of concern over their dog’s problem behaviours, 24 (44%) were not concerned at all, 23 (43%) were a little concerned, 4 (7%) were moderately concerned, and 3 (6%) were very concerned. Based on our interpretation of these findings, post-adoption support programmes targeted toward teaching adopters how to correctly train their dogs may be beneficial to increasing adoption satisfaction.
Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Protects Retinal Ganglion Cell From Optic Nerve Injury Induced Apoptosis via Yes Associated Protein

Background: Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been used in clinical studies. But little is known about its effects on the central nervous system (CNS), or its mechanism of action. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are CNS neuronal cells that can be utilized as a classic model system to evaluate outcomes of LIPUS protection from external trauma-induced retinal injury. In this study, we aim to: (1) determine the pulse energy and the capability of LIPUS in RGC viability, (2) ascertain the protective role of LIPUS in optic nerve (ON) crush-induced retinal injury, and 3) explore the cellular mechanisms of RGC apoptosis prevention by LIPUS. Methods: An ON crush model was set up to induce RGC death. LIPUS was used to treat mice eyes daily, and the retina samples were dissected for immunostaining and Western blot. The expression of yes-associated protein (YAP) and apoptosis-related proteins was detected by immunostaining and Western blot in vitro and in vivo. Apoptosis of RGCs was evaluated by TUNEL staining, the survival of RGCs and retained axons were labeled by Fluoro-gold and Tuj1 antibody, respectively. Rotenone was used to set up an in vitro cellular degenerative model and siYAP was used to interfering the expression of YAP to detect the LIPUS protective function. Results: LIPUS protected RGC from loss and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. The ratio of cleaved/pro-caspase3 also decreased significantly under LIPUS treatment. As a cellular mechanical sensor, YAP expression increased and YAP translocated to nucleus in LIPUS stimulation group, however, phospho-YAP was found to be decreased. When YAP was inhibited, the LIPUS could not protect RGC from caspase3-dependent apoptosis. Conclusion: LIPUS prevented RGCs from apoptosis in an ON crush model and in vitro cellular degenerative model, which indicates a potential treatment for further traumatic ON injury. The mechanism of protection is dependent on YAP activation and correlated with caspase-3 signaling.
Phylogeographic and population genetic structure of bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) in North American deserts

Fossil data are ambiguous regarding the evolutionary origin of contemporary desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis subspecies). To address this uncertainty, we conducted phylogeographic and population genetic analyses on bighorn sheep subspecies found in southwestern North America. We analyzed 515 base pairs of mtDNA control region sequence and 39 microsatellites in 804 individuals from 58 locations. Phylogenetic analyses revealed 2 highly divergent clades concordant with Sierra Nevada (O. c. sierrae) and Rocky Mountain (O. c. canadensis) bighorn and showed that these 2 subspecies both diverged from desert bighorn prior to or during the Illinoian glaciation (∼315–94 thousand years ago [kya]). Desert bighorn comprised several more recently diverged haplogroups concordant with the putative Nelson (O. c. nelsoni), Mexican (O. c. mexicana), and Peninsular (O. c. cremnobates) subspecies. Corresponding estimates of effective splitting times (∼17–3 kya), and haplogroup ages (∼85–72 kya) placed the most likely timeframe for divergence among desert bighorn subspecies somewhere within the last glacial maximum. Median-joining haplotype network and Bayesian skyline analyses both indicated that desert bighorn collectively comprised a historically large and haplotype-diverse population, which subsequently lost much of its diversity through demographic decline. Using microsatellite data, discriminant analysis of principle components (DAPC) and Bayesian clustering analyses both indicated genetic structure concordant with the geographic distribution of 3 desert subspecies. Likewise, microsatellite and mitochondrial-based FST comparisons revealed significant fixation indices among the desert bighorn genetic clusters. We conclude these desert subspecies represent ancient lineages likely descended from separate Pleistocene refugial populations and should therefore be managed as distinct taxa to preserve maximal biodiversity.
Histidine-Tryptophan-Ketoglutarate Solution versus Blood Cardioplegia in Cardiac Surgery: A Propensity-Score Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND Choosing a cardioplegic solution is a significant issue in modern cardiac surgery. Although different options are available, the optimal strategy for myocardial protection has not been established. The aim of this study was to compare intraoperative and postoperative effects of histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) solution with those of standard blood cardioplegia with St Thomas No 2 solution. The study was conducted using a large cohort of adult patients undergoing complex cardiac surgery. METHODS This study was a single center retrospective review of prospectively collected data. Between January 2008 and December 2015, 4480 patients underwent cardiac surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cardioplegic arrest. Patients were divided into a blood cardioplegia group (n = 3852) and an HTK solution group (n = 628). Propensity score matching was used to adjust for differences between the two groups, and 292 matched pairs were identified. The primary end point was Intensive Care Unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS). Secondary end points included intraoperative changes in serum sodium concentration, readmission to ICU, transfusion of blood products, 30-day hospital readmission, 30-day mortality, and the incidence of major postoperative complications. Results: No significant differences were found between the matched groups with regard to baseline characteristics. Aortic cross-clamp and CPB times were longer for the blood cardioplegia (147.4 versus 132.8 min; P < .001). Administration of HTK solution was associated with acute and transient hyponatremia (141 versus 130 mmol/L; P < .001). ICU LOS was comparable between the groups (5.4 versus 5.4 days; P = .585). No significant differences were noted in any other secondary end point. CONCLUSIONS During complex cardiac surgery, both cardioplegia techniques were equivalent in terms of early clinical outcomes.
Is smartphone addiction really an addiction?

Aims In light of the rise in research on technological addictions and smartphone addiction in particular, the aim of this paper was to review the relevant literature on the topic of smartphone addiction and determine whether this disorder exists or if it does not adequately satisfy the criteria for addiction. Methods We reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies on smartphone addiction and analyzed their methods and conclusions to make a determination on the suitability of the diagnosis “addiction” to excessive and problematic smartphone use. Results Although the majority of research in the field declares that smartphones are addictive or takes the existence of smartphone addiction as granted, we did not find sufficient support from the addiction perspective to confirm the existence of smartphone addiction at this time. The behaviors observed in the research could be better labeled as problematic or maladaptive smartphone use and their consequences do not meet the severity levels of those caused by addiction. Discussion and conclusions Addiction is a disorder with severe effects on physical and psychological health. A behavior may have a similar presentation as addiction in terms of excessive use, impulse control problems, and negative consequences, but that does not mean that it should be considered an addiction. We propose moving away from the addiction framework when studying technological behaviors and using other terms such as “problematic use” to describe them. We recommend that problematic technology use is to be studied in its sociocultural context with an increased focus on its compensatory functions, motivations, and gratifications.
Doppler Reflectometry Simulations for ASDEX Upgrade

Doppler reflectometry is a microwave scattering diagnostic for measuring turbulent density fluctuations and poloidal flows in toroidal fusion experiments. The scattering process near the cutoff layer is investigated with the full­wave code IPF­FD3D 1,3 . It implements a synthetic diagnostic of the Doppler reflectometer, utilising the discharge equilibrium and density profiles from the corresponding experimental ASDEX Upgrade shots. One of the main goals of Doppler reflectometry is the measurement of the perpendicular wavenumber spectrum of the plasma density fluctuations. The sensitivity to fluctuations and the spatial localisation are determined by the path of the probing beam. This path is different for each wavenumber, as is the diagnostic sensitivity (instrument function). Since the real density fluctuations in the plasma are not known, but necessary for the reflectometry simulations, numerical turbulence from the gyro­kinetic code GENE 2 is used. The numerical simulations are carefully matched to the experimental conditions, producing time sliced 2D (poloidal­radial) maps of density fluctuations which are then used as the input to IPF­FD3D. From the known wavenumber spectrum of the GENE output and the resultant spectrum from IPF­FD3D, the instrument function can be estimated, and its reverse subsequently applied to the experimental results. This paper presents recent results of the application of the synthetic reflectometer to GENE
SUMO2 and SUMO3 redundantly prevent a noncanonical type I interferon response

Significance Type I interferons (IFNs) are cytokines that are essential for host defense against virus infection, but when they are inappropriately produced, they can cause severe autoimmune disease in humans. We have found that the sumoylation pathway of protein modification is essential for preventing an ectopic IFN response. Specifically, we have identified SUMO2 and SUMO3 as the two SUMO proteins that redundantly prevent IFN production. Remarkably, the potent IFN response caused by loss of SUMO2/3 is independent of all known inducers of the antiviral response, revealing a distinct mechanism of IFN production that has implications for our understanding of antiviral immunity. Detection of nucleic acids by innate immune sensors triggers the production of type I interferons (IFNs). While IFNs are essential for host defense against viral infection, dysregulated production of IFNs underlies numerous autoinflammatory diseases. We have found that the loss of sumoylation results in a potent, spontaneous IFN response. Vertebrates possess three small ubiquitin-like modifiers (SUMOs) that can be conjugated onto target proteins and alter protein function in diverse but still poorly characterized ways. We demonstrate that regulation of IFN by sumoylation is redundantly mediated by both SUMO2 and SUMO3, but not SUMO1, revealing a previously unknown function of SUMO2/3. Remarkably, this IFN response is independent of all known IFN-inducing pathways and does not require either of the canonical IFN-associated transcription factors IRF3 or IRF7. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that SUMO2 and SUMO3 are specific and essential negative regulators of a noncanonical mechanism of IFN induction.
Serum Zonulin and Endotoxin Levels in Exceptional Longevity versus Precocious Myocardial Infarction

Endotoxemia-induced inflammation has been associated with insulin resistance and atherosclerosis, ultimately increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Increased intestinal permeability is an important event leading to endotoxemia. This study aims to elucidate the possible association between endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) and zonulin (a biomarker of intestinal permeability) levels and the risk of coronary heart disease, and thus healthy aging. Serum levels of zonulin, lipopolysaccharide and soluble CD14 (a protein that binds lipopolysaccharide) were measured in disease-free centenarians, young healthy controls and patients with precocious acute myocardial infarction. Disease-free centenarians had significantly lower levels of serum zonulin (P<0.01) and lipopolysaccharide (P<0.001) than young patients with acute myocardial infarction, and had significantly lower concentrations of serum lipopolysaccharide than young healthy controls (P<0.05). No significant differences were found for soluble CD14 between groups. Our findings may stimulate further research into the role played by intestinal permeability and endotoxemia not only in coronary heart disease but also in lifespan modulation.
Three Lymphadenectomy Strategies in Low-Risk Endometrial Carcinoma: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-utility of three lymphadenectomy strategies in the management of low-risk endometrial carcinoma. METHODS A decision analysis model compared three lymphadenectomy strategies in women undergoing minimally invasive surgery for low-risk endometrial carcinoma: 1) routine lymphadenectomy in all patients, 2) selective lymphadenectomy based on intraoperative frozen section criteria, and 3) sentinel lymph node mapping. Costs and outcomes were obtained from published literature and Medicare reimbursement rates. Costs categories consisted of hospital, physician, operating room, pathology, and lymphedema treatment. Effectiveness was defined as 3-year disease-specific survival adjusted for the effect of lymphedema (utility=0.8) on quality of life. A cost-utility analysis was performed comparing the different strategies. Multiple deterministic sensitivity analyses were done. RESULTS In the base-case scenario, routine lymphadenectomy had a cost of $18,041 and an effectiveness of 2.79 quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). Selective lymphadenectomy had a cost of $17,036 and an effectiveness of 2.81 QALYs, whereas sentinel lymph node mapping had a cost of $16,401 and an effectiveness of 2.87 QALYs. With a difference of $1,005 and 0.02 QALYs, selective lymphadenectomy was both less costly and more effective than routine lymphadenectomy, dominating it. However, with the lowest cost and highest effectiveness, sentinel lymph node mapping dominated the other modalities and was the most cost-effective strategy. These findings were robust to multiple sensitivity analyses varying the rates of lymphedema and lymphadenectomy, surgical approach (open or minimally invasive surgery), lymphedema utility, and costs. For the estimated 40,000 women undergoing surgery for low-risk endometrial carcinoma each year in the United States, the annual cost of routine lymphadenectomy, selective lymphadenectomy, and sentinel lymph node mapping would be $722 million, $681 million, and $656 million, respectively. CONCLUSION Compared with routine and selective lymphadenectomy, sentinel lymph node mapping had the lowest costs and highest quality-adjusted survival, making it the most cost-effective strategy in the management of low-risk endometrial carcinoma.
Muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Various Clinical Subtypes of LMNA-Related Muscular Dystrophy

Background: LMNA-related muscular dystrophy can manifest in a wide variety of disorders, including Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD), limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD), and LMNA-associated congenital muscular dystrophy (L-CMD). Muscle magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a useful tool in the diagnostic workup of patients with muscle dystrophies. This study aimed to investigate whether there is a consistent pattern of MRI changes in patients with LMNA mutations in various muscle subtypes. Methods: Twenty-two patients with LMNA-related muscular dystrophies were enrolled in this study. MRI of the thigh and/or calf muscles was performed in them. The muscle MRI features of the three subtypes were compared by the Mann-Whitney U-test. The relationship between the clinical and MRI findings was also investigated by Spearman's rank analyses. Results: The present study included five EDMD, nine LGMD, and eight L-CMD patients. The thigh muscle MRI revealed that the fatty infiltration of the adductor magnus, semimembranosus, long and short heads of the biceps femoris, and vasti muscles, with relative sparing of the rectus femoris, was the predominant change observed in the EDMD, LGMD, and advanced-stage L-CMD phenotypes, although the involvement of the vasti muscles was not prominent in the early stage of L-CMD. At the level of the calf, six patients (one EDMD, four LGMD, and one L-CMD) also showed a similar pattern, in which the soleus and the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles were most frequently observed to have fatty infiltration. The fatty infiltration severity demonstrated higher scores associated with disease progression, with a corresponding rate of 1.483 + 0.075 × disease duration (X) (r = 0.444, P = 0.026). It was noteworthy that in six L-CMD patients with massive inflammatory cell infiltration in muscle pathology, no remarkable edema-like signals were observed in muscle MRI. Conclusions: EDMD, LGMD and advanced-staged L-CMD subtypes showed similar pattern of muscle MRI changes, while early-staged L-CMD showed somewhat different changes. Muscle MRI of L-CMD with a muscular dystrophy pattern in MRI provided important clues for differentiating it from childhood inflammatory myopathy. The fatty infiltration score could be used as a reliable biomarker for outcome measure of disease progression.
Universal test and treat is not associated with sub‐optimal antiretroviral therapy adherence in rural South Africa: the ANRS 12249 TasP trial

HIV treatment guidelines now recommend antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation regardless of CD4 count to maximize benefit both for the individual and society. It is unknown whether the initiation of ART at higher CD4 counts would affect adherence levels. We investigated whether initiating ART at higher CD4 counts was associated with sub‐optimal adherence (<95%) during the first 12 months of ART.
What’s in the box? Authentication of Echinacea herbal products using DNA metabarcoding and HPTLC

Background Differences in regulatory policies between countries as well as a lack of appropriate standardized methods for authentication and quality control of herbal products lead to concerns over quality and safety. Echinacea products are among the top selling herbal products in Europe and the United States with indications for broad range of ailments. Purpose This study approached the need for a novel analytical strategy in authentication of herbal products. Methods A combination of high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and DNA metabarcoding was employed. Fifty-three Echinacea herbal products marketed across Europe were tested to evaluate the accuracy of these methods in plant identification and their potential in detecting substitutes, adulterants and other unreported plant constituents. Results HPTLC provides a high resolution in detecting Echinacea phytochemical target compounds, but does not offer information on the other species within the product. Alternatively, we showed that the limitation of HPTLC to detect non-targeted species can be overcome through the complementary use of DNA metabarcoding. Using DNA metabarcoding, Echinacea species were detected in 34 out of the 38 retained products (89 %), but with a lack of discriminatory resolution at the species level due to the low level of molecular divergence within the Echinacea genus. All herbal products showed considerable discrepancies between ingredients listed on the label and the ones detected using DNA metabarcoding registering an overall ingredient fidelity of 43 %. Conclusion The results confirm that DNA metabarcoding can be used to test for the presence of Echinacea and simultaneously to detect other species present in even highly processed and multi-ingredient herbal products. Abbreviations EMA European Medicines Agency BLAST basic local alignment search tool FTIR Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy IR infrared spectrometry HPTLC high performance thin layer chromatography matK maturase K MS mass spectrometry MOTU molecular taxonomic unit nrITS nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer Ph.Eur. European Pharmacopoeia rbcL ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase TLC thin-layer chromatography UV-VIS ultraviolet-visible
Predicting Caller Type From a Mental Health and Well-Being Helpline: Analysis of Call Log Data

Background This paper presents an analysis of call data records pertaining to a telephone helpline in Ireland among individuals seeking mental health and well-being support and among those who are in a suicidal crisis. Objective The objective of our study was to examine whether rule sets generated from decision tree classification, trained using features derived from callers’ several initial calls, could be used to predict what caller type they would become. Methods Machine learning techniques were applied to the call log data, and five distinct patterns of caller behaviors were revealed, each impacting the helpline capacity in different ways. Results The primary findings of this study indicate that a significant model (P<.001) for predicting caller type from call log data obtained from the first 8 calls is possible. This indicates an association between callers’ behavior exhibited during initial calls and their behavior over the lifetime of using the service. Conclusions These data-driven findings contribute to advanced workload forecasting for operational management of the telephone-based helpline and inform the literature on helpline caller behavior in general.