Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling Training Loads and Injuries: The Dangers of Discretization

Purpose To evaluate common modeling strategies in training load and injury risk research when modeling continuous variables and interpreting continuous risk estimates; and present improved modeling strategies. Method Workload data were pooled from Australian football (n = 2550) and soccer (n = 23,742) populations to create a representative sample of acute:chronic workload ratio observations for team sports. Injuries were simulated in the data using three predefined risk profiles (U-shaped, flat and S-shaped). One-hundred data sets were simulated with sample sizes of 1000 and 5000 observations. Discrete modeling methods were compared with continuous methods (spline regression and fractional polynomials) for their ability to fit the defined risk profiles. Models were evaluated using measures of discrimination (area under receiver operator characteristic [ROC] curve) and calibration (Brier score, logarithmic scoring). Results Discrete models were inferior to continuous methods for fitting the true injury risk profiles in the data. Discrete methods had higher false discovery rates (16%–21%) than continuous methods (3%–7%). Evaluating models using the area under the ROC curve incorrectly identified discrete models as superior in over 30% of simulations. Brier and logarithmic scoring was more suited to assessing model performance with less than 6% discrete model selection rate. Conclusions Many studies on the relationship between training loads and injury that have used regression modeling have significant limitations due to improper discretization of continuous variables and risk estimates. Continuous methods are more suited to modeling the relationship between training load and injury. Comparing injury risk models using ROC curves can lead to inferior model selection. Measures of calibration are more informative judging the utility of injury risk models.
Know Your Options –Analyzing Human Decision Making in Dynamic Task Environments with State-Space Methods

A recurring problem when trying to analyze human decisions in dynamic task environments is that decisions are evaluated with an incomplete understanding of available choices. While simulators can be used to record actions actually taken by the operator, adequate information on available alternative strategies is often missing. Especially the consequences, costs and utilities of different “what-if” solutions remain unknown. This complicates the analysis of human performance in various ways, particularly the understanding of human errors (asking why a decision did in fact make sense to the operator at the time of operation) and the judgement of operators’ situation awareness in terms of ability to predict the possibly upcoming system states. To deal with these problems the contribution introduces state-space based methods which evaluate human decisions in relation to the specific solution spaces. An application example and empirical data from an air traffic control simulation is investigated where subjects have to avoid traffic conflicts with appropriate control clearances. The analysis reveals for each dynamic situation, which traffic conflicts were solvable with which solution strategies (e.g. changes of speed, direction or altitude for one or more aircraft) and what was actually implemented. Situation Awareness tests are used to find out which of the potential solutions are correctly identified by the individual operators.
Hypothalamic KiSS1/GPR54 Gene Expressions and Luteinizing Hormone Plasma Secretion in Morphine Treated Male Rats

Background: The inhibitory effects of morphine and the stimulatory influence of kisspeptin signaling have been demonstrated on gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH)/luteinizing hormone (LH) release. Hypothalamic kisspeptin is involved in relaying the environmental and metabolic information to reproductive axis. In the present study, the role of kisspeptin/ GPR54 signaling system was investigated on relaying the inhibitory influences of morphine on LH hormone secretion. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 55 wistar male rats weighing 230-250 g were sub-grouped in 11 groups (in each group n=5) receiving saline, kisspeptin (1 nmol), peptide234 (P234, 1 nmol), morphine (5 mg/kg), naloxone (2 mg/kg), kisspeptin/P234, morphine/naloxone, kisspeptin/morphine, kisspeptin/naloxone, P234/morphine or P234/naloxone respectively. Blood samples were collected via tail vein. Mean plasma (LH) concentrations and mean relative KiSS1 or GPR54 mRNA levels were determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectivwely. Results: Morphine significantly decreased mean plasma LH concentration and mean relative KiSS1 gene expression compared to saline; while it did not significantly decrease mean relative GPR54 gene expression compared to saline. Naloxone significant increased mean LH level and mean relative KiSS1 gene expression compared to saline; while it did not significantly increase mean relative GPR54 gene expression compared to saline. Injections of kisspeptin plus morphine significantly increased mean LH concentration compared to saline or morphine, while simultaneous infusions of them significantly declined mean plasma LH level compared to kisspeptin. In kisspeptin/naloxone group mean plasma LH level was significantly increased compared to saline or naloxone. Co-administration of P234/morphine significantly decreased mean LH concentration compared to saline. Conclusion: Down regulation of KiSS1 gene expression may be partly involved in the mediating the inhibitory effects of morphine on reproductive axis.
Activation of ERBB4 in Glioblastoma Can Contribute to Increased Tumorigenicity and Influence Therapeutic Response

Glioblastoma (GBM) is often resistant to conventional and targeted therapeutics. ErbB2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase 4 (ERBB4) is expressed throughout normal brain and is an oncogene in several pediatric brain cancers; therefore, we investigated ERBB4 as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in GBM. Using RT-qPCR, we quantified mRNA encoding total ERBB4 and known ERBB4 variants in GBM and non-neoplastic normal brain (NNB) samples. Using immunohistochemistry, we characterized the localization of total and phosphorylated ERBB4 (p-ERBB4) and EGFR protein in archived GBM samples and assessed their association with patient survival. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of ERBB4 phosphorylation on angiogenesis and tumorigenicity in GBM xenograft models. Total ERBB4 mRNA was significantly lower in GBM than NNB samples, with the juxtamembrane JM-a and cytoplasmic CYT-2 variants predominating. ERBB4 protein was ubiquitously expressed in GBM but was not associated with patient survival. However, high p-ERBB4 in 11% of archived GBM samples, independent of p-EGFR, was associated with shorter patient survival (12.0 ± 3.2 months) than was no p-ERBB4 (22.5 ± 9.5 months). Increased ERBB4 activation was also associated with increased proliferation, angiogenesis, tumorigenicity and reduced sensitivity to anti-EGFR treatment in xenograft models. Despite low ERBB4 mRNA in GBM, the functional effects of increased ERBB4 activation identify ERBB4 as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target.
Postpartum outcomes in women with gestational diabetes and their offspring: POGO study design and first-year results.

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a risk factor for mothers to develop type 2 diabetes (T2D) postpartum, and for their children to develop obesity. The aim of the ongoing POGO study is to identify long-lasting changes in the maternal and fetal metabolism and microbiome, after GDM, which contribute to subsequent development of T2D and obesity. METHODS Women screened for GDM are asked to attend a postpartum study visit together with their offspring. At the visit, demographic, nutritional, and anthropometric data are recorded. Additionally, data about physical activity, metabolism, and genetic susceptibility are collected using accelerometers, breath gas analyses, 75g oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT), and bio-samples such as blood and stool. RESULTS To date, 121 women (median follow-up time postpartum: 5.5 years) have been enrolled together with 133 index children. GDM has been diagnosed using OGTT in 105 women (and 117 children). It showed that 47 mothers had abnormal glucose tolerance, including 19 cases of impaired glucose tolerance, 19 of impaired fasting glucose, eight with T2D, and one with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The prevalence of obesity in the offspring of GDM mothers was 5.1%. Of 61 children tested by OGTT, three were diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance, another three with impaired fasting glucose, and none with T1D or T2D. CONCLUSIONS The POGO study will contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of T2D and obesity after GDM, and will thus help to develop appropriate prevention and intervention strategies. This article presents the first results of the ongoing study, which are looking promising.
Clinical results with acid-etched implants in edentulous patients : a prospective multicenter study

Zielsetzung der vorliegenden prospektiven Studie war die Evaluation klinscher Parameter von geätzten Implantaten nach einjähriger funktioneller Belastung. Untersucht wurden 135 wi.tal Implantate, die bei 27 zahnlosen Patienten im Ober-und Unterkiefer inseriert wurden. Die Einheilzeit der Implantate im Oberkiefer betrug zwölf Wochen, die im Unterkiefer acht Wochen. Unter Verwendung der Erfolgskriterien nach Buser wurden diese nach definierten Zeitabständen nachuntersucht und klinische Parameter wie mPII, mBI und Taschentiefen erhoben. Die radiologischen Nachuntersuchungen hinsichtlich des periimplantären Knochenabbaus erfolgten an standardisierten Orthopantomogrammen, die postoperativ, bei Belastung, nach sechs und zwölf Monaten angefertigt wurden. Insgesamt wurden 69 Implantate in den Oberkiefer und 66 in den Unterkiefer inseriert. Innerhalb des Nachuntersuchungszeitraumes wurde ein Verlust von drei Implantaten dokumentiert, somit ergab sich eine Erfolgsrate nach zwölf Monaten von 97,7 % für den Oberkiefer und 100 % für den Unterkiefer. Schlussfolgernd ist zu sagen, die Erfolgsraten nach einem Jahr Nachbeobachtung decken sich mit den in der Literatur beschriebenen. Die periimplantären Knochenabbauraten liegen im Bereich etablierter Erfolgskriterien. Weiterführende Untersuchungen sind notwendig, um den Langzeitverlauf beurteilen zu können.
Comparison of Methods for Evaluating Stability and Maturity of Biosolids Compost

Compost stability/maturity has become a critical issue for land application of compost because immature compost can be detrimental to plant growth and the soil environment. We compared several methods of evaluating the stability/maturity of biosolids compost: chemical properties, microbial respiration activity (CO₂ evolution), seed germination tests, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) as determined by its concentration and mass-specific absorbence (MSA) at 420 nm. Two to five biosolids compost samples were collected during compost curing stages from three full-scale composting facilities in Florida. The compost samples from two facilities were in the stabilization/maturation process. With curing time, electrical conductivity (EC), DOC concentration, and CO₂ evolution rate decreased, whereas pH, seed germination rate, and the MSA of DOC increased in these samples. Compost samples from the third facility exhibited distinctly different behavior. Relatively high seed phytotoxicity, with no consistent trends of other parameters, suggested that these samples may have not been in a real curing process, despite the generally low CO₂ evolution rate and DOC content. Based on these results, we concluded that pH, EC, CO₂ evolution rate, seed germination rate, and DOC (concentration and MSA) could be used to monitor stabilization and maturation processes. Compost stability and maturity are different characteristics and both are needed for compost quality control. Dissolved organic carbon analysis is promising as a simple but comprehensive index for compost stability/maturity. Approved for publication as Florida Agricultural Experiment Station Journal Series No. R-07121.
Ecosystem feedbacks from subarctic wetlands : vegetative and atmospheric CO2 controls on greenhouse gas emissions

Wetland vegetation provide strong controls on greenhouse gas fluxes but impacts of elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels on greenhouse gas emissions from wetlands are poorly understood. This study aims to investigate if elevated atmospheric CO 2 enhance methane (CH 4 ) emissions from subarctic wetlands and to determine if responses are comparable or species specific within the Cyperaceae, an important group of artic wetland plants. To achieve this we carried out a combined field and laboratory investigation to measure of CO 2 and CH 4 fluxes. The wetland was a CH 4 source with comparable fluxes from areas with and without vegetation and across the different sedge communities. In contrast, the net ecosystem exchange of CO 2 differed with sedge species. Within the laboratory experiment plants grown at double ambient (800 ppm) CO 2 , total biomass of Eriophorum vaginatum and Carex brunnescens increased, whereas the total biomass of E. angustifolium and C. acuta decreased, compared to the control (400 ppm CO 2 ). These changes in biomass were associated with corresponding changes in CH 4 flux. E. vaginatum and C. brunnescens mesocosms produced more CH 4 when grown in 800 ppm atmospheric CO 2 when compared to 400 ppm CO 2 with E. angustifolium and C. acuta producing less. Additionally, redox potential and carbon substrate availability in the pore water differed among the plant treatments and in response to the elevated CO 2 treatment. Together, this suggests species specific controls of CH 4 emissions in response to elevated CO 2 , which facilitate differential plant growth responses and modification of the rhizosphere environments. Our study highlights species composition as an important control of greenhouse gas feedbacks in a CO 2 rich future, which need to be considered in models aiming to predict how ecosystems respond to climate change.
Cell clustering mediated by the adhesion protein PVRL4 is necessary for α6β4 integrin–promoted ferroptosis resistance in matrix-detached cells

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of programmed cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid-targeting reactive oxygen species that kill cells by damaging their plasma membrane. The lipid repair enzyme GSH peroxidase 4 (GPX4) protects against this oxidative damage and enables cells to resist ferroptosis. Recent work has revealed that matrix-detached carcinoma cells can be susceptible to ferroptosis and that they can evade this fate through the signaling properties of the α6β4 integrin, which sustains GPX4 expression. Although these findings on ferroptosis are provocative, they differ from those in previous studies indicating that matrix-detached cells are prone to apoptosis via a process referred to as anoikis. In an effort to reconcile these discrepant findings, here we observed that matrix-detached epithelial and carcinoma cells cluster spontaneously via a mechanism that involves the cell adhesion protein PVRL4 (also known as Nectin-4). We found that this clustering process allows these cells to survive by stimulating a PVRL4/α6β4/Src signaling axis that sustains GPX4 expression and buffers against lipid peroxidation. In the absence of α6β4, PVRL4-mediated clustering induced an increase in lipid peroxidation that was sufficient for triggering ferroptosis. When the clustering was inhibited, single cells did not exhibit a significant increase in lipid peroxidation in the absence of α6β4, and they were more susceptible to apoptosis than to ferroptosis. These results indicate that ferroptosis induction depends on cell clustering in matrix-detached cells that lack α6β4 and imply that the fate of matrix-detached cells can be determined by the state of their cell–cell interactions.
Models Used in Clinical Decision Support Systems Supporting Healthcare Professionals Treating Chronic Wounds: Systematic Literature Review

Background Chronic wounds such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, and pressure ulcers are a massive burden to health care facilities. Many randomized controlled trials on different wound care elements have been conducted and published in the Cochrane Library, all of which have only a low evidential basis. Thus, health care professionals are forced to rely on their own experience when making decisions regarding wound care. To progress from experience-based practice to evidence-based wound care practice, clinical decision support systems (CDSS) that help health care providers with decision-making in a clinical workflow have been developed. These systems have proven useful in many areas of the health care sector, partly because they have increased the quality of care, and partially because they have generated a solid basis for evidence-based practice. However, no systematic reviews focus on CDSS within the field of wound care to chronic wounds. Objective The aims of this systematic literature review are (1) to identify models used in CDSS that support health care professionals treating chronic wounds, and (2) to classify each clinical decision support model according to selected variables and to create an overview. Methods A systematic review was conducted using 6 databases. This systematic literature review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement for systematic reviews. The search strategy consisted of three facets, respectively: Facet 1 (Algorithm), Facet 2 (Wound care) and Facet 3 (Clinical decision support system). Studies based on acute wounds or trauma were excluded. Similarly, studies that presented guidelines, protocols and instructions were excluded, since they do not require progression along an active chain of reasoning from the clinicians, just their focus. Finally, studies were excluded if they had not undergone a peer review process. The following aspects were extracted from each article: authors, year, country, the sample size of data and variables describing the type of clinical decision support models. The decision support models were classified in 2 ways: quantitative decision support models, and qualitative decision support models. Results The final number of studies included in the systematic literature review was 10. These clinical decision support models included 4/10 (40%) quantitative decision support models and 6/10 (60%) qualitative decision support models. The earliest article was published in 2007, and the most recent was from 2015. Conclusions The clinical decision support models were targeted at a variety of different types of chronic wounds. The degree of accessibility of the inference engines varied. Quantitative models served as the engine and were invisible to the health care professionals, while qualitative models required interaction with the user.
Mannan Oligosaccharides (MOS) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Broilers: Effects on Performance and Blood Biochemistry*

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mannan oligosaccharides (MOSs), which are commonly used as alternatives to antibiotics, on the growth performance and some blood parameters in broiler chickens. The study included 120 Ross 308 male broiler chicks (1-day-old at the beginning of the study). There were 4 treatment groups, each consisting of 3 replicates. MOSs were added at the level of 0.05%, 0.10%, and 0.15% to the starter and finisher diets. The experiment lasted 42 days. Body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between MOS treatment groups during the experimental period (0-6 weeks). Serum triglyceride level was not influenced by dietary treatment (P > 0.05). However, the addition of MOSs significantly decreased AST (the highest level, P < 0.05) and ALT (all levels, P < 0.01) activity in the blood. Mean total cholesterol was significantly lower in the 0.05% MOS-fed group (P < 0.05) when compared to the remaining MOS treatment groups.
Sex ratios of American alligators (Crocodylidae): male or female biased?

Recent theoretical papers on temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles are based on the assumption that crocodilian populations, particularly adults, are markedly female biased. While there is evidence that some crocodile populations may conform to this expectation, there is no compelling evidence that American alligator populations are female biased anywhere in the species’ range. Previous data had indicated that some populations of juvenile and/or adult alligators were significantly male biased. However, these studies were criticized for sampling errors. Adult males typically occupy a different habitat from that of females, and males frequent areas where they are more likely to be caught. In contrast, in juveniles, both sexes occupy the same habitat. We determined the sex ratios of c. 3000 juvenile alligators collected from 11 sites over 6 years in south Louisiana. Our results indicate a significant sex bias (58% male), but variation was evident among samples. Sex ratios varied by year and site, and the interaction of these factors was significant. At one site in one year, there was a female bias (71%), but in no year was there an overall female bias across sites. From this study and earlier reports, we conclude that there is no evidence at present of female-biased sex ratios in the juvenile and/or adult alligator populations, and consequently, that certain models of temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles require reevaluation. Furthermore, our data suggest a pattern of differential mortality of females vs males during the first years of life, a pattern consistent with a key prediction of several differential fitness models for the adaptive significance of temperature-dependent sex determination in reptiles.
3D sketching for interactive model retrieval in virtual reality

We describe a novel method for searching 3D model collections using free-form sketches within a virtual environment as queries. As opposed to traditional sketch retrieval, our queries are drawn directly onto an example model. Using immersive virtual reality the user can express their query through a sketch that demonstrates the desired structure, color and texture. Unlike previous sketch-based retrieval methods, users remain immersed within the environment without relying on textual queries or 2D projections which can disconnect the user from the environment. We perform a test using queries over several descriptors, evaluating the precision in order to select the most accurate one. We show how a convolutional neural network (CNN) can create multi-view representations of colored 3D sketches. Using such a descriptor representation, our system is able to rapidly retrieve models and in this way, we provide the user with an interactive method of navigating large object datasets. Through a user study we demonstrate that by using our VR 3D model retrieval system, users can perform search more quickly and intuitively than with a naive linear browsing method. Using our system users can rapidly populate a virtual environment with specific models from a very large database, and thus the technique has the potential to be broadly applicable in immersive editing systems.