Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Una interpretación de los cambios de uso del suelo desde el punto de vista del metabolismo social agrario. La comarca catalana del Vallès, 1853-2004

El paisaje puede ser visto como la expresion territorial del metabolismo que cualquier sociedad mantiene con los sistemas naturales que la sustentan. Uno de los caminos para comprender como y por que la intervencion humana cambia la configuracion del territorio consiste en analizar los flujos energeticos del intercambio metabolico de la economia con su entorno ambiental, y en identificar los impactos ecologicos que se imprimen en el. Este trabajo busca verificar, mediante la contabilidad del metabolismo social, y el empleo diacronico de diversos indices desarrollados por la ecologia del paisaje, que el enorme incremento de energia externa empleada por los sistemas agrarios tras la “revolucion verde”, y la drastica reduccion de su eficiencia, estan estrechamente relacionados con los cambios de uso del suelo que han degradado considerablemente los tradicionales paisajes agrarios en mosaico del Mediterraneo. El recurso a flujos biofisicos externos, y el abandono del manejo integrado del territorio, han comportado una perdida de la estructura funcional de la matriz territorial y de su conectividad ecologica. Los resultados obtenidos en cinco municipios de la comarca catalana del Valles corroboran la estrecha relacion existente durante los ultimos 150 anos entre la eficiencia energetica y territorial, y el estado ecologico del paisaje.
Penetration of the Human Pulmonary Epithelium by Aspergillus fumigatus Hyphae

Background The airway epithelium is the first barrier interacting with Aspergillus fumigatus conidia after their inhalation, suggesting that this structure functions as point of entry of this fungus to initiate pulmonary aspergillosis. Methods To study epithelial entry by A fumigatus, primary human reconstituted pseudostratified epithelium cultured in air-liquid interface as well as bronchial epithelial cell monolayers were infected with conidia. Results Under these experimental conditions, we found that A fumigatus hyphae traversed the bronchial epithelium through a mechanism involving the recruitment of actin, which formed a tunnel that allows hyphae to enter the cells without disturbing their integrity. Conclusions These findings describe a new mechanism by which A fumigatus hyphae penetrate the airway epithelial barrier and can infect its human host.
The Periplasmic Trehalase Affects Type 1 Fimbria Production and Virulence of Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain MT78

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is responsible for various infections outside the gastrointestinal tract in humans and other animals. ExPEC strain MT78 is invasive to various nonphagocytic cells and highly virulent in vivo. ABSTRACT Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) is responsible for various infections outside the gastrointestinal tract in humans and other animals. ExPEC strain MT78 is invasive to various nonphagocytic cells and highly virulent in vivo. To identify genes required for invasion of nonphagocytic cells by this strain, we applied signature-tagged mutagenesis to generate a library of mutants and tested them for invasion of avian fibroblasts. Mutants showing reduced cellular invasion included those with insertions in the fim operon, encoding type 1 fimbriae. Another attenuated mutant showed a disruption in the treA gene, which encodes a periplasmic trehalase. The substrate of TreA, trehalose, can be metabolized and used as a carbon source or can serve as an osmoprotectant under conditions of osmotic stress in E. coli K-12. We generated and characterized mutant MT78ΔtreA. In contrast to the wild type, MT78ΔtreA was able to grow under osmotic stress caused by 0.6 M urea but not in minimal M9 medium with trehalose as the only carbon source. It presented decreased association and invasion of avian fibroblasts, decreased yeast agglutination titer, and impaired type 1 fimbria production. In a murine model of urinary tract infection, MT78ΔtreA was less able to colonize the bladder. All phenotypes were rescued in the complemented mutant. Our results show that the treA gene is needed for optimal production of type 1 fimbriae in ExPEC strain MT78 and that loss of treA significantly reduces its cell invasion capacity and colonization of the bladder in a murine model of urinary tract infection.
Scintigraphic radioisotope counting in superior frontal part of cat ' s brain

The aim of recent study was to describe counting the radiopharmaceutical 99m TC-ECD uptake in the left and right superior frontal regions of cat's brain and show the symmetry between of them. One of diagnostic imaging technique is nuclear medicine that is used in animals. Brain scintigraphy is important in nuclear medicine. In this survey, scintigraphy has done in 20 healthy cats and amount of radioactive materials in necessary scans at special regions has counted. Scintigraphic scans are obtained 20 minutes after injection of 2milliCurie, TcECD from femoral vein in anaesthetized cats. In this research, we study accumulation of radioisotopes in superior frontal part of brain by drawing regions outlines interest (ROI). Average count of this radioisotope in right and left side superior frontal parts of brain were 38.4±2.70 and 38.2±2.74 Kcount respectively that show the symmetry between of them. [Gholamreza Assadnassab, Shahram Dabiri Oskoei, Babak Mahmoudian, Davoud Kazemi, Mohammadreza Valilou, Hossain Jodeiri, Solmaz Rahmanie Barouji. Scintigraphic radioisotope counting in superior frontal part of cat's brain. Life Sci J 2013;10(3s):22-24] (ISSN:1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 4
Calcium Oxalate Urolithiasis: A Case of Missing Microbes?

INTRODUCTION Urinary stone disease (USD) has known associations with the gut microbiota. Approximately 80% of kidney stones contain oxalate as a primary constituent and diverse oxalate-degrading bacteria exist within the human gut, which may protect against USD. Although bacteriotherapy represents a promising strategy to eliminate oxalate and reduce the risk of USD, oxalate-degrading probiotics have had limited success. To identify limitations of oxalate-degrading probiotics and refine development of bacteriotherapies to prevent USD, we review the literature associated with the gut microbiota and USD. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search was performed to identify publications that examine the role of oxalate-degrading bacteria or the whole gut microbiota in oxalate metabolism and the pathophysiology of USD. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies that examined the association of the whole gut microbiota with USD. In addition, we evaluated the gut microbiota of healthy individuals and those with comorbidities related to USD using publically available data from the American Gut Project (AGP). RESULTS Studies on Oxalobacter formigenes reveal that colonization by this species is not a good predictor of USD risk or urinary oxalate excretion. The species of oxalate-degrading bacteria used in probiotics and duration of administration do not impact efficacy or persistence. Studies focused on the whole gut microbiota reveal broad shifts in the gut microbiota associated with USD and a diverse microbial network is associated with oxalate metabolism. AGP data analysis demonstrated a strong overlap in microbial genera depleted in diseased individuals among USD and comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS The associations between the gut microbiota and USD extend beyond individual functional microbial species. Common shifts in the gut microbiota may facilitate the onset of USD and/or comorbidities. The successful development of bacteriotherapies to inhibit USD will need to incorporate strategies that target a broad diversity of bacteria rather than focus on a few specialist species.
Genetic structure of Lake Magadi tilapia populations

The control region of the mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies were significantly different among the two separate lagoon populations of Oreochromis alcalicus grahami in Lake Magadi and of O. a. alcalicus from lake Natron, and DNA fingerprint similarity indices were significantly higher for intra-population comparisons of the two Magadi lagoon populations and the Lake Natron population than the inter-population similarity indices among these populations. A modified Fst measure indicated population sub-division and the phylogeographic partitioning of the VNTR fragments observed were unique to specific populations further indicating substantial genetic differentiation. The lagoon populations within Lake Magadi demonstrated the same degree of genetic differentiation as either of these populations did to the outgroup (the Lake Natron population). There appears to be limited gene flow between Lake Magadi tilapia populations and this population structure has important implications for protecting locally adapted populations within this unique ecosystem.
How Do Spouses Share Their Full Income? Identification of the Sharing Rule Using Self-Reported Income

The paper applies the collective model to the analysis of intra-household inequality using self-reported income scales. Starting from a collective model including household production, our key assumption is that the income level that household members report corresponds to their true income sharing. Using Russian data (Rounds V to VIII of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey), we apply the results for couples who report the same level of income to identify the sharing rule for the whole sample. This method allows us to obtain not only the derivatives, but also the sharing rule itself. From simulations for an average couple with one child living in the Urals, we find that a full income share of 45% is allocated to the wife.
Character Association and Path Coefficient Analysis in Grain Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.)

Twenty-two genotypes of amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) were evaluated for 12 quantitative traits for two years and the pooled data was analyzed. The mean, range, genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, heritability in broad sense and genetic advance were calculated. Path coefficient analysis was carried out using correlation coefficients to know the yield-contributing traits having true associations with seed yield. The low differences between the phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variations indicated low environmental influences on the expression of the traits studied. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance for yield/day to maturity, yield/day to seed fill, harvest index, panicle girth and seed yield/plant was observed. All the traits except days to seed fill possessed positive association with grain yield. Harvest index was positively correlated with days to maturity. Harvest index, aerial biomass/plant and days to maturity also had high phenotypic and genotypic direct effects on seed yield/plant, revealing that indirect selection for these traits would be effective in improving seed yield.
Secukinumab in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: a multi-center, retrospective, real-life study up to 52 weeks observation

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate efficacy and safety of the anti-IL-17 drug secukinumab in a real-life large cohort of patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Central Italy. Methods: Multicenter, retrospective study with an observation period of up to 52 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score; clinical and laboratory examinations were performed at baseline and at weeks 4, 12, 24, 36, and 52. Results: A 90% and a 100% PASI score reduction (PASI90 and PASI100) were reported in 67.5% and 55% of patients at week 12, respectively. A rapid improvement of skin lesions was observed particularly in young patients and in patients naïve to biologics: at week 4, the achievement of PASI90 and PASI100 was higher in younger patients (odds ratio [OR] 0.95, and 0.95; p = 0.003, and 0.005, respectively); PASI90 was achieved by 42.0% of patients naïve to biologics and by 17.0% of patients with prior exposure to biologics (PBT) (OR 0.24; p = 0.001); and PASI100 was reached by 25.5% of naïve patients and 9.8% of PBT (OR 0.28; p = 0.015). The drug was well tolerated. Conclusion: Secukinumab was effective in this real-life analysis, with rapid clinical improvement and long-term maintenance of results.
Natural Compounds Tapinarof and Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate Downregulate IL-33 Expression via the AHR/IL-37 Axis in Human Keratinocytes

Interleukin (IL)-37 suppresses systemic and local inflammation. It is expressed in the epidermis, the external layer of the skin, and is decreased in inflammatory skin diseases including atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis. Therefore, an agent applied topically on the skin that can increase IL-37 could be promising for treating AD and psoriasis; however, the mechanism regulating IL-37 remains largely unknown. Given that IL-37 expression is induced in differentiated keratinocytes, a major component of the epidermis, and that activation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), a ligand-activated transcription factor, promotes keratinocyte differentiation, we hypothesized that AHR might be involved in the IL-37 expression in human keratinocytes. We analyzed normal epidermal human keratinocytes (NHEKs) treated with tapinarof and Galactomyces ferment filtrate (GFF), which are potent AHR modulators. We found that tapinarof and GFF upregulated IL-37 in NHEKs, which was canceled by the knockdown of AHR using siRNA transfection, indicating that AHR mediates IL-37 expression in NHEKs. Furthermore, we found that the knockdown of IL-37 resulted in the upregulation of IL-33, an alarmin cytokine with crucial roles in the pathogenesis of AD and psoriasis. These findings suggest that IL-37 negatively regulates IL-33 expression in NHEKs. Finally, we examined whether tapinarof and GFF treatment modulates IL-33 expression in NHEKs. Such treatment inhibited IL-33 expression, which was partially reversed by the knockdown of either AHR or IL-37. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence that tapinarof and GFF could have potential to prevent IL-33-overexpressing disorders such as AD and psoriasis via the AHR/IL-37 axis.
Screening Mammography Findings From One Standard Projection Only in the Era of Full-Field Digital Mammography and Digital Breast Tomosynthesis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to compare outcomes of findings seen on one view only from screening full-field digital mammography (FFDM) and FFDM plus digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT). MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective review was performed of 103,070 consecutive screening mammograms obtained from February 2011 through June 2014 at two community-based breast centers. Recalled findings prospectively seen on one view only were analyzed. Pearson chi-square test and Fisher exact test were performed, and 95% CIs were determined. RESULTS Mammograms were acquired using FFDM (n = 71,656) and FFDM-DBT (n = 31,414) during the study period, and 2213 FFDM (3.1%) and 433 FFDM-DBT (1.4%) mammograms were recalled for one-view-only findings (p < 0.0001). The final study population (1592 FFDM and 354 FFDM-DBT) was defined after 689 of these recalled FFDM and 92 of these recalled FFDM-DBT examinations were excluded for insufficient mammographic follow-up (< 24 months). Summation artifacts accounted for more one-view-only findings from FFDM (1067/1592; 67.0%) than FFDM-DBT (190/354; 53.7%) (p < 0.0001). In the FFDM cohort, 28 one-view-only findings proved malignant (24 invasive ductal carcinoma [IDC], one invasive lobular carcinoma [ILC], and three ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]). In the FFDM-DBT cohort, 14 one-view-only findings proved malignant (11 IDC, one ILC, and two DCIS). The positive predictive value (PPV) of a one-view-only finding was significantly lower for FFDM (1.8%) than for FFDM-DBT (4.0%) (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION One-view-only findings occur with both FFDM and FFDM-DBT and remain an important but uncommon sign of malignancy. They are more frequent, are more likely to represent summation artifacts, and have a lower PPV with FFDM than with FFDM-DBT.
Outcomes after use of covered stents to treat coronary artery perforations. Comparison of old and new‐generation covered stents

OBJECTIVES To compare outcomes in patients receiving polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyurethane (PL) covered stents (CS) after coronary artery perforation (CAP). BACKGROUND The prognosis of CAP has improved with the advent of CSs. Information is scarce about the outcomes of new-generation CSs. METHODS Sixty-one patients were treated with CSs in a 5-years period (age = 77 ± 8.75% males). Procedural and clinical data were retrospectively collected. The primary endpoint was procedural success. Secondary endpoints included death and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, target vessel, and lesion revascularization and need for surgical repair). RESULTS Twenty-two (36%) received PL-CSs and 39 (65%) PTFE-CSs. There were no differences in procedural success (86% vs 69%, P = 0.216). Time to deliver was shorter with PL-CS despite larger length of stents (8[11] vs 15[16] min, P = 0.001; 20[5] vs 16[3] mm, P < 0.001). This group had lower rate of pericardial effusion and cardiac arrest (41% vs 72%, P = 0.028; 5% vs 26%, P = 0.045). At 1-year follow-up, MACE rates were similar (58% vs 56%, P = 1.000) with atrend toward TVR in the PL-CS arm (21% vs 5%, P = 0.083). No differences were found in mortality (26% vs 41%, P = 0.385). Each group had 1 stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis trended higher in the PL-CS group (12% vs 3%, P = 0.223). CONCLUSIONS Time to deliver was shorter with the PL-CS and resulted in lower rate of pericardial effusion and cardiac arrest. However, there were no significant differences in procedural success and 1-year follow-up MACE in patients treated with PL-CS or PTFE-CS.
Learning Rich Features for Image Manipulation Detection

Image manipulation detection is different from traditional semantic object detection because it pays more attention to tampering artifacts than to image content, which suggests that richer features need to be learned. We propose a two-stream Faster R-CNN network and train it end-to-end to detect the tampered regions given a manipulated image. One of the two streams is an RGB stream whose purpose is to extract features from the RGB image input to find tampering artifacts like strong contrast difference, unnatural tampered boundaries, and so on. The other is a noise stream that leverages the noise features extracted from a steganalysis rich model filter layer to discover the noise inconsistency between authentic and tampered regions. We then fuse features from the two streams through a bilinear pooling layer to further incorporate spatial co-occurrence of these two modalities. Experiments on four standard image manipulation datasets demonstrate that our two-stream framework outperforms each individual stream, and also achieves state-of-the-art performance compared to alternative methods with robustness to resizing and compression.
Automatic detection of clustered microcalcifications in digital mammograms based on wavelet features and neural network classification

The appearance of clustered microcalcifications in mammogram films is one of the important early signs of breast cancer. This paper presents a new image processing system for the automatic detection of clustered microcalcifications in digitized mammogram films. The detection method uses wavelet features and feed forward neural network to find possible microcalcifications pixels and a set of features to locate individual microcalcifications.
Characterization of quinolone-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains isolated from poultry in Western Algeria: First report of qnrS in an Enterobacter cloacae

Aim Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae have frequently been reported, in both human and veterinary medicine, from different parts of the world as a consequence of antibiotic usage. However, there is a lack of published data regarding antimicrobial resistance in non-Escherichia coli (E. coli) Enterobacteriaceae from animals in Algeria. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of resistance to antibiotics with a focus on quinolones and to investigate the presence of qnr genes inEnterobacteriaceaeof poultry origin. Materials and Methods A total of 310 samples of poultry origin were collected from 2010 to 2014 from broiler and layer farms and hatcheries located in different geographic areas of Western Algeria (including Mostaganem, Oran, Mascara, Relizane, Chlef, Tiaret, and Tissemsilt). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using disc diffusion assay. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing accomplished the characterization of qnr genes (qnrA, qnrB, and qnrS). Results A total of 253 Enterobacteriaceaestrains were isolated in this study. These isolates exhibited high levels of resistance to quinolones and other families of antibiotics. All the strains isolated in this study were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Among them, 233 (92.09%) were considered MDR. Among the 18 randomly selected nalidixic acid (NA)-resistant Enterobacteriaceaeisolates, one E. coli and one Enterobacter cloacae were carrying qnrS1. By contrast, qnrA and qnrB were not detected in this study. Conclusion This is the first report on the identification of the qnrS gene in E. cloacae isolated from animal source in Algeria. Further studies have to be conducted to determine the real prevalence of qnr genes.
Efficient Real-Time Robot Navigation Using Incremental State Discovery Via Clustering

We consider the problem of robot path planning in an initially unknown environment where the robot does not have access to an a priori map of its environment but is aware of some common obstacle patterns along with the paths that enable it to circumnavigate around these obstacles. In order to autonomously improve its navigation performance, the robot should be able to identify significant obstacle patterns and learn corresponding obstacle avoidance maneuvers as it navigates through different environments in order to solve its tasks. To achieve this objective, we propose a novel online algorithm called Incremental State Discovery Via Clustering (ISDC) which enables a robot to dynamically determine important obstacle patterns in its environments and their best representations as combinations of initially available basic obstacle patterns. Our results show that ISDC when combined with our previously proposed navigation technique was able to identify significant obstacle patterns in different environments in a time effective manner which accelerated the overall path planning and navigation times for the robots.