Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement and Calibration of Plant-Height from Fixed-Wing UAV Images

Continuing population growth will result in increasing global demand for food and fiber for the foreseeable future. During the growing season, variability in the height of crops provides important information on plant health, growth, and response to environmental effects. This paper indicates the feasibility of using structure from motion (SfM) on images collected from 120 m above ground level (AGL) with a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to estimate sorghum plant height with reasonable accuracy on a relatively large farm field. Correlations between UAV-based estimates and ground truth were strong on all dates (R2 > 0.80) but are clearly better on some dates than others. Furthermore, a new method for improving UAV-based plant height estimates with multi-level ground control points (GCPs) was found to lower the root mean square error (RMSE) by about 20%. These results indicate that GCP-based height calibration has a potential for future application where accuracy is particularly important. Lastly, the image blur appeared to have a significant impact on the accuracy of plant height estimation. A strong correlation (R2 = 0.85) was observed between image quality and plant height RMSE and the influence of wind was a challenge in obtaining high-quality plant height data. A strong relationship (R2 = 0.99) existed between wind speed and image blurriness.
A Fully Printed Switch Based on VO2 Ink for Reconfigurable RF Components

Recently, vanadium dioxide (VO2) has emerged as an attractive phase change material which can be used for reconfigurable or switchable RF components. However, at present, VO2 is deposited by expensive and complex thin film microfabrication techniques. With the surge in low cost, additively manufactured or printed components, it will be beneficial to print phase change materials or switches as well. The issue is there are no such functional inks available in the market. In this work, we present, for the first time VO2 based ink that changes its conductive properties based on temperature. Precisely, it displays insulating properties at room temperature (resistance of $\sim 5\mathrm{K}\Omega$ in the off-state), but becomes conductive when heated around 70°C (resistance of $\sim 10\Omega$ in the on-state). Based on this VO2 ink and a custom silver-organo-complex (SOC) ink, we demonstrate a fully printed thermally controlled RF switch in this work. In a CPW based shunt configuration, the fully printed switch provides more than 15 dBs of isolation (in the off state) and a 0.5-2 dB of insertion loss (in the on state) from 100 MHz to 30 GHz frequency band. To demonstrate its application, a fully printed frequency reconfigurable planar inverted F antenna (PIFA) has also been demonstrated in this work.
CSF progranulin increases in the course of Alzheimer's disease and is associated with sTREM2, neurodegeneration and cognitive decline

Progranulin (PGRN) is predominantly expressed by microglia in the brain, and genetic and experimental evidence suggests a critical role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We asked whether PGRN expression is changed in a disease severity‐specific manner in AD. We measured PGRN in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in two of the best‐characterized AD patient cohorts, namely the Dominant Inherited Alzheimer's Disease Network (DIAN) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). In carriers of AD causing dominant mutations, cross‐sectionally assessed CSF PGRN increased over the course of the disease and significantly differed from non‐carriers 10 years before the expected symptom onset. In late‐onset AD, higher CSF PGRN was associated with more advanced disease stages and cognitive impairment. Higher CSF PGRN was associated with higher CSF soluble TREM2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2) only when there was underlying pathology, but not in controls. In conclusion, we demonstrate that, although CSF PGRN is not a diagnostic biomarker for AD, it may together with sTREM2 reflect microglial activation during the disease.
Physicians' Knowledge and Perception of Antimicrobial Resistance: A Survey in Khartoum State Hospital Settings

Aims: To assess physicians' knowledge and perception regarding antimicrobial resistance and current antibiotic practices at the three main hospitals at Khartoum StateSudan. Study Design: A cross- sectional survey. Place and Duration of Study: Physicians from the three main Khartoum state teaching hospitals (Khartoum, Omdurman and Khartoum North) had been surveyed between October 2011 and March 2012. Methodology: A total of 350 Physicians identified from different departmental specialties were interviewed using a 40 item, self-administered questionnaire. Results: Of physicians surveyed 38.0% considered antibiotic resistance were very important in their hospitals, 41.7% nationally and 44.3% globally. The majority of respondents (47.5%) perceived the problem of antibiotic resistance as sever problem in their hospitals. Factors identified as important in producing resistance include, widespread antibiotic use (54.3%), poor access to local antibiograms (47.4%), inappropriate course duration (46.3%), and inappropriate empiric choice (44.9%). The respondents were less likely to perceive patient's demand and role of pharmaceutical companies' promotion of antibiotics as very important factors (19.1% and 18.3% respectively). The intervention considered very useful by the largest percentage of physicians was "educational programs" (45.7%) followed by "updating about local antibiotic resistance pattern" (37.4%) and "access to current antibiogram" (35.2%). Antibiotic restriction programs were Research Article
A Novel Role for the Klebsiella pneumoniae Sap (Sensitivity to Antimicrobial Peptides) Transporter in Intestinal Cell Interactions, Innate Immune Responses, Liver Abscess, and Virulence

Abstract Klebsiella pneumoniae is an important human pathogen causing hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections. Systemic K. pneumoniae infections may be preceded by gastrointestinal colonization, but the basis of this bacterium’s interaction with the intestinal epithelium remains unclear. Here, we report that the K. pneumoniae Sap (sensitivity to antimicrobial peptides) transporter contributes to bacterial–host cell interactions and in vivo virulence. Gene deletion showed that sapA is required for the adherence of a K. pneumoniae blood isolate to intestinal epithelial, lung epithelial, urinary bladder epithelial, and liver cells. The ΔsapA mutant was deficient for translocation across intestinal epithelial monolayers, macrophage interactions, and induction of proinflammatory cytokines. In a mouse gastrointestinal infection model, ΔsapA yielded significantly decreased bacterial loads in liver, spleen and intestine, reduced liver abscess generation, and decreased mortality. These findings offer new insights into the pathogenic interaction of K. pneumoniae with the host gastrointestinal tract to cause systemic infection.
Implication of Fast Activities of Spectral Analysis in Subjective Sleep Complaints of Elderly Women

Objective: In elderly patients, women have better qualities of sleep than men in objective parameters; however, women subjectively complain more about sleep disturbances than men. We performed visual scoring and spectral analysis of sleep electroencephalograms to explain these gender differences in the degree of arousal, the most representative marker in insomnia. Methods: A total of 354 participants (≥60 years old) were recruited from a Korean community underwent nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG). A Fast Fourier transform was used for the spectral analysis of the NPSG data. Relative power was calculated as absolute power of each band divided by total absolute power. Difference in total sleep time (D_TST) is obtained by subtracting the total sleep time reported in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) from the TST measured by the NPSG. Results: A total of 75 participants (women, 51) were finally analyzed. Women had higher PSQI, longer sleep latencies, sleep inefficiencies, and daytime dysfunctions compared to men. The percentage of stage 1 sleep was higher in men versus in women, whereas percentage of stage 3 sleep was higher in women than in men (P = .001; P = .001). Women had higher relative alpha and beta powers than men during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep (P = .017; P = .015). During NREM sleep, beta power was negatively correlated with D_TST (R = −0.250, P = .033), and relative alpha power in stage 3 sleep was positively correlated with sleep latency in PSQI (R = 0.267, P = .022). Conclusion: Spectral analysis showed that women had more disturbed sleep than men. The result from the spectral analysis may explain hyperarousal in elderly women.
Mode of care delivery in stroke rehabilitation nursing: a development of Kirkevold’s Unified Theoretical Perspective of the role of the nurse

Abstract The literature related to the nursing interventions in stroke care has been primarily concerned with the identification of tasks that taken together can be considered as a distinctive nursing role. Kirkevold’s unified perspective of the nurse’s role reflects this general trend. This article will argue that whilst Kirkevold’s perspective portrays a complete picture of the nurse’s role in terms of tasks in stroke rehabilitation, it fails to deliver a complete picture of the nurse’s role as it does not address the manner in which these tasks are delivered. Results from a recent study of nurses’ and patients’ perceptions of the nursing care in stroke units will be used to demonstrate the distinctive mode of delivery of care that is required for the nurse’s rehabilitative function to be fulfilled. The results will demonstrate that the mode of care takes two forms, facilitative interventions that assist the patients and the process of non-intervention, which limit the nurse’s intervention. The rationale for these approaches is defined and the implications discussed in terms of both a more complete definition of the role of the nurse when the mode of care is added to Kirkevold’s perspective and also the inherent implications for the clinical practice.
Adjuvant Letrozole and Tamoxifen Alone or Sequentially for Postmenopausal Women With Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: Long-Term Follow-Up of the BIG 1-98 Trial.

PURPOSE Luminal breast cancer has a long natural history, with recurrences continuing beyond 10 years after diagnosis. We analyzed long-term follow-up (LTFU) of efficacy outcomes and adverse events in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 study reported after a median follow-up of 12.6 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS BIG 1-98 is a four-arm, phase III, double-blind, randomized trial comparing adjuvant letrozole versus tamoxifen (either treatment received for 5 years) and their sequences (2 years of one treatment plus 3 years of the other) for postmenopausal women with endocrine-responsive early breast cancer. When pharmaceutical company sponsorship ended at 8.4 years of median follow-up, academic partners initiated an observational, LTFU extension collecting annual data on survival, disease status, and adverse events. Information from Denmark was from the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group Registry. Intention-to-treat analyses are reported. RESULTS Of 8,010 enrolled patients, 4,433 were alive and not withdrawn at an LTFU participating center, and 3,833 (86%) had at least one LTFU report. For the monotherapy comparison of letrozole versus tamoxifen, we found a 9% relative reduction in the hazard of a disease-free survival event with letrozole (hazard ratio [HR], 0.91; 95% CI, 0.81 to 1.01). HRs for other efficacy end points were similar to those for disease-free survival. Efficacy of letrozole versus tamoxifen for contralateral breast cancer varied significantly over time (0- to 5-, 5- to 10-, and > 10-year HRs, 0.62, 0.47, and 1.35, respectively; treatment-by-time interaction P = .005), perhaps reflecting a longer carryover effect of tamoxifen. Reporting of specific long-term adverse events seemed more effective with national registry than with case-record reporting of clinical follow-up. CONCLUSION Efficacy end points continued to show trends favoring letrozole. Letrozole reduced contralateral breast cancer frequency in the first 10 years, but this reversed beyond 10 years. This study illustrates the value of extended follow-up in trials of luminal breast cancer.
A temporal shift in trophic diversity among a predator assemblage in a warming Arctic

Climate change is leading to northward shifts in species distributions that is altering interspecific interactions at low- and mid-trophic levels. However, little attention has been focused on the effects of redistributions of species on the trophic ecology of a high trophic-level predator assemblage. Here, during a 22-year period (1990–2012) of increasing sea temperature (1.0°C) and decreasing sea ice extent (12%) in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut, Canada, we examined the trophic structure of a near-apex predator assemblage before (1990–2002) and after (2005–2012) an increase in the availability of capelin—generally an indicator species in colder marine environments for a warming climate. Stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) were used in a Bayesian framework to assess shifts in diet, niche size and community-wide metrics for beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), ringed seals (Pusa hispida), Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and anadromous Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). After 2005, consumption of forage fish increased for all predator species, suggesting diet flexibility with changing abiotic and biotic conditions. An associated temporal shift from a trophically diverse to a trophically redundant predator assemblage occurred where predators now play similar trophic roles by consuming prey primarily from the pelagic energy pathway. Overall, these long-term ecological changes signify that trophic shifts of a high trophic-level predator assemblage associated with climate change have occurred in the Arctic food web.
High-Grade Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Carcinoma Management and Outcomes: A National Cancer Database Study.

BACKGROUND High-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas are rare in the gastrointestinal tract. However, treatment patterns and outcomes have not been well described. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS The National Cancer Database was analyzed. The primary objective was to describe the clinical outcomes and identify prognostic factors. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to identify factors associated with patient outcome. RESULTS A total of 1,861 patients were identified between 2004 and 2013. The mean age was 63 years (standard deviation ±13). The majority of the patients (78.1%) were non-Hispanic whites. The most common primary sites were pancreas (pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor [PNET] = 19.4%), large intestine (18.1%), esophagus (17.8%), and rectum (15.5%). Stage at presentation was I (6.6%), II (10.5%), III (18%) and IV (64.6%). Only 1.6% of the patients had brain metastases. Surgical resection was the primary therapy in 27.9%, and their median overall survival (OS) was 13.3 months. Patients treated with palliative chemotherapy had a median OS of 11.2 months, compared with 1.7 months for untreated patients. The median OS for high-grade PNET was 6 months, compared with 9.9 months for other high-grade gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas (HG GI NEC). On univariable analysis, age < 65 years (hazard ratio [HR] 0.72; 0.66-0.8; p < .001) and treatment at an academic center (HR 0.88; 0.79-0.99; p < .034) were associated with improved survival. Multivariable analysis confirmed prognostic advantage of treatment at an academic center. CONCLUSION This is the largest series of HG GI NEC. Most patients present with metastatic disease, and overall survival remains poor. Treatment at an academic center, younger age, and use of chemotherapy were associated with improved survival. Multiagent chemotherapy was found to be associated with superior survival compared with single-agent chemotherapy, which was superior to no chemotherapy. Temporal sequences of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation administration were not found to be associated with survival differences on multivariable analysis. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Management of patients with high-grade gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinomas (HG GI NEC) is based on experience with small-cell lung cancer. In this retrospective review, most patients had advanced disease and pancreatic primary had worse outcomes. Treatment at an academic center, younger age, and use of chemotherapy are associated with improved survival. Patients with early-stage disease treated with resection alone had inferior outcomes compared with patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy, suggesting that micrometastases contribute to poor surgical outcomes. The relatively high proportion of positive surgical margin favors downstaging with neoadjuvant therapy to improve resection and lower the risk of systemic recurrence.
Idealhalers Versus Realhalers: Is It Possible to Bypass Deposition in the Upper Respiratory Tract?

This review discusses how advances in formulation and device design can be utilized to dramatically improve lung targeting and dose consistency relative to current marketed dry powder inhalers (DPIs). Central to the review is the development of engineered particles that effectively bypass deposition in the upper respiratory tract (URT). This not only reduces the potential for off-target effects but it also reduces variability in dose delivery to the lungs resulting from anatomical differences in the soft tissue in the mouth and throat. Low-density porous particles are able to largely bypass URT deposition due to the fact that both the primary particles and their agglomerates are respirable. The low-density particles also exhibit dose delivery to the lungs that is largely independent of inspiratory flow rate across a range of flow rates that most subjects achieve with portable DPIs. Coupling this with delivery devices that are breath actuated, simple to operate (open-inhale-close), and have adherence-tracking capability enables drug delivery that is largely independent of how a subject inhales, with a user experience that is close to that of an "idealhaler. "
Servant Leadership, Organisational Citizenship Behavior and Creativity: The Mediating Role of Team-Member Exchange

Using a multi-source field study design with 184 unique triads of employees-supervisor dyads, this paper examines whether servant leaders install a serving attitude among employees. That is, servant leaders aim to encourage employees to take responsibility, to cooperate and to create high quality interactions with each other (team-member exchange; TMX). We hypothesise that servant leadership will have an influence on Organisational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and creativity through team-member exchange. Two facets of OCB are distinguished: organisational citizenship behaviour towards individuals (OCBI), on the one hand, and taking up extra tasks that benefit the organisation (OCBO), on the other hand. The results show that servant leadership is positively related to team-member exchange, and that team-member exchange is positively related to OCBI, OCBO and creativity. The bootstrapping estimates indicated significant indirect effects of servant leadership on the three target variables through team-member exchange. The study’s findings add to the body of literature on servant leadership, OCB and creativity at the workplace, and underline the importance of creating favourable working conditions that foster positive and high quality team-member exchange. This study also broadens our understanding on the importance of co-workers on the relation between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and creativity.
Targeting Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels with Pregabalin Exerts a Direct Neuroprotective Effect in an Animal Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Background/Aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prototypical autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disease. Particularly progressive forms of MS (PMS) show significant neuroaxonal damage as consequence of demyelination and neuronal hyperexcitation. Immuno-modulatory treatment strategies are beneficial in relapsing MS (RMS), but mostly fail in PMS. Pregabalin (Lyrica®) is prescribed to MS patients to treat neuropathic pain. Mechanistically, it targets voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels and reduces harmful neuronal hyperexcitation in mouse epilepsy models. Studies suggest that GABA analogues like pregabalin exert neuroprotective effects in animal models of ischemia and trauma. Methods: We tested the impact of pregabalin in a mouse model of MS (experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, EAE) and performed histological and immunological evaluations as well as intravital two-photon-microscopy of brainstem EAE lesions. Results: Both prophylactic and therapeutic treatments ameliorated the clinical symptoms of EAE and reduced immune cell infiltration into the CNS. On neuronal level, pregabalin reduced long-term potentiation in hippocampal brain slices indicating an impact on mechanisms of learning and memory. In contrast, T cells, microglia and brain endothelial cells were unaffected by pregabalin. However, we found a direct impact of pregabalin on neurons during CNS inflammation as it reversed the pathological elevation of neuronal intracellular Ca2+ levels in EAE lesions. Conclusion: The presented data suggest that pregabalin primarily acts on neuronal Ca2+ channel trafficking thereby reducing Ca2+-mediated cytotoxicity and neuronal damage in an animal model of MS. Future clinical trials need to assess the benefit for neuronal survival by expanding the indication for pregabalin administration to MS patients in further disease phases.
An Optimized Multiple Semi-Hidden Markov Model for Credit Card Fraud Detection

The credit card payment system is a widespread usable system which provides the easiest way of payment to the customers, but some of them misuse another individual's credit card for personal reasons. So, in order to provide credit card fraud detection, Multiple Semi-Hidden Markov Model is suggested to gather multiple observations and the detection phase is executed. It is significant to compute the good model parameters because it impacts the detection performance in the Multiple Semi-Hidden Markov Model. So, in this manuscript an innovative technique is introduced which is called Optimized Multiple Semi-Hidden Markov Model (OMSHMM) which is used for optimizing the model parameters. The Multiple Semi-Hidden Markov Model is used for detecting fraudulent users and for optimizing training values Cuckoo Search algorithm is proposed. The main intent of this research is automating the use of Multiple Semi-Hidden Markov Model, by liberating customers from the necessity of statistical knowledge. The number of states and also its model parameters are decided by the Cuckoo Search algorithm. An experimental result shows that when compared to the existing research there is high accuracy in the proposed research.