Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive cycles of four species of Patella (Mollusca: Gastropoda) on the northern and central Portuguese coast

The reproductive cycles of four limpet species, Patella depressa, Patella ulyssiponensis, Patella vulgata and Patella rustica are described for several locations in northern and central Portugal. Patella depressa and P. ulyssiponensis displayed almost continual gonad activity, with two main spawning periods, September–January and March–June, and minor spawning events dispersed throughout the year. Patella vulgata and P. rustica exhibited highly synchronized reproductive cycles, with well-defined breeding and resting periods. Gonad development in P. vulgata started in September and spawning took place from November–December to March. In P. rustica development started in June and spawning occurred from September–October to December–January. Compared to the 1980s these results suggest that breeding periods are becoming longer in southern species and shorter in northern species.
Quality in primary care

Background: In the past few decades, global health research has grown incredibly quickly. The interest of scientists and medical professionals in evidence-based medicine (EBM), new drug and vaccine discovery are among the main reasons for the rapid increase of the scholarly literature in health research. The aim of this study is to analyse the scholarly literature published by researchers affiliated with the University of Rwanda (UR) and discover the achieve - ments and gaps in medical and surgical research in UR. Methods: The University of Rwanda was searched in Lens Scholarly Works, and all articles connected to the universi - ty were discovered. We filtered the initial results by field of study to locate materials that were published in medical and surgical fields. Except for co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence analysis which were done using VOSviewer software, all bibliometric analyses were carried out using Lens database. Results: For the initial search, University of Rwanda was associated with 2,821 articles. After careful assessment of publications based on their field of study, a total of 1,220 and 106 publications were found to be in the medical and surgical fields respectively. The analysis was based on the category of scholarly work, the chemicals of focus of the study, the authors, the funders, and the journal that published the study. Journal articles constitute a sizable fraction of these publications, whereas conference articles, book chapters, reprints, and reports make up a far smaller por - tion. By comparing the numbers of publications, authors, and funding in the surgical and medical field, many gaps are apparent in surgical than medical research field. Conclusion: Although there is an increase in number of publications in the University of Rwanda, the number of medical and surgical literature in UR is still low. Improving mentorship to students and involving them in ongoing research projects; not restricting them to only data collection but allow them to participate in peer-reviewed publi - cations are key measures to increase number of medical and surgical scholarly publications in University of Rwanda.
Results from the first year of the New Zealand cot death study.

New Zealand's high mortality rate from the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) prompted the development of the New Zealand cot death study. This report of the preliminary analysis of the first year of the data gives the major identified risk factors. One hundred and sixty-two infants who died from SIDS were compared with 589 control infants, who were a representative sample of all hospital births in the study region. Obstetric records were examined and parental interviews were completed in 96% and 89% of subjects respectively. Data were available for all the variables in this study in 95% of those interviewed, thus 128 cases and 503 controls make up the subjects of this report. As expected we confirmed many risk factors for SIDS including: lower socioeconomic status, unmarried mother, young mother, younger school leaving age of mother, younger age of mother at first pregnancy, late attendance at antenatal clinic, nonattendant at antenatal classes, Maori, greater number of previous pregnancies, lower birth weight, shorter gestation, male infant, admission to neonatal intensive care unit. In addition, however, we identified three risk factors which are potentially amenable to modification. These were the prone sleeping position of baby (odds ratio = 3.53, 95% confidence interval 2.26, 5.54), maternal smoking (1-9 cigarettes/day OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 0.98, 3.54; 10-19/day OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.47, 4.74; 20+/day OR = 5.06, 95% CI = 2.86, 8.95) and breast feeding (OR = 2.93, 95% CI = 1.84, 4.67). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Observations on the oxyntico-peptic cells in the proventricular mucosa of Gallus domesticus

1. The cells described contain two types of granule. One type colours with Bowie9s technique, the other is Bowie-negative. 2. Both types of granule are Altmann-positive. 3. Neither type of granule is preceded by a PAS-positive granule during development. 4. The Bowie-positive granules are discharged after eating and after injection of pilocarpine or histamine. 5. There is no evidence that any of the Bowie-negative granules are discharged. 6. The cytoplasm in the cells is rich in RNA, but this is absent from the granules. 7. No intracellular canals are seen in the cells. 8. An infranuclear Golgi network is present after 3 days9 starvation. After feeding it changes its form and position and may become paranuclear. After injection of histamine or pilocarpine similar though more marked changes occur and the network in a few cells assumes a supranuclear position. 9. A line of granules that colour densely with Sudan black in a sudanophil ‘lake’ is present at the luminal border of the cells. It has not yet been possible to decide on their exact nature.
When to promote, and when to avoid, a population perspective

Demography’s population perspective, and the sampling methods that help produce it, are powerful but underutilized research tools. The first half of this article makes the case for more vigorous promotion of a population perspective throughout the sciences. It briefly reviews the basic elements of population sampling and then provides examples from both developed and developing countries of how population sampling can enrich random-assignment policy experiments, multisite studies, and qualitative research. At the same time, an ill-considered application of a population perspective to the problem of causal inference can hinder social and behavioral science. The second half of the article describes the “slippery slope” by which some demographic studies slide from providing a highly useful description about the population to using regressions to estimate causal models for that population. It then suggests that causal modeling is sometimes well served by a highly selective look at small subsets of a population with interesting variability in independent variables of interest. A robust understanding of causal effects, however, rests on convergence between selective and population-wide perspectives.
Inhibition of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) Replication by HIV-1-Based Lentivirus Vectors Expressing Transdominant Rev

ABSTRACT Retrovirus vectors expressing transdominant-negative mutants of Rev (TdRev) inhibit human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication by preventing the nuclear export of unspliced viral transcripts, thus inhibiting the synthesis of Gag-Pol, Env, and genomic RNA. The use of HIV-1–based vectors to express TdRev would have the advantage of allowing access to nondividing hematopoietic cells. It would also provide additional levels of protection by sequestering the viral regulatory proteins Tat and Rev, competing for encapsidation into wild-type virions, and inhibiting reverse transcription. Here we describe HIV-1-based vectors that express TdRev. These vectors contain mutations in the splicing signals or replacement of the Rev-responsive element by the simian retrovirus type 1 constitutive transport element, making them less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of TdRev. In addition, overexpression of Rev and the use of an HIV-1 helper plasmid that drives high levels of Gag-Pol synthesis were used to transiently overcome the inhibition by TdRev of the synthesis of Gag-Pol during vector production. SupT1 cells transduced with these vectors were more resistant to HIV-1 replication than cells transduced with Moloney murine leukemia virus-based vectors expressing TdRev. Furthermore, we show that these vectors can be mobilized by the wild-type virus, reducing the infectivity of virions escaping inhibition and conferring protection against HIV-1 replication to previously untransduced cells.
Discrimination of Computer Generated versus Natural Human Faces

The development of computer graphics technologies has been bringing realism to computer generated multimedia data, e.g., scenes, human characters and other objects, making them achieve a very high quality level. However, these synthetic objects may be used to create situations which may not be present in real world, hence raising the demand of having advance tools for differentiating between real and artificial data. Indeed, since 2005 the research community on multimedia forensics has started to develop methods to identify computer generated multimedia data, focusing mainly on images. However, most of them do not achieved very good performances on the problem of identifying CG characters. The objective of this doctoral study is to develop efficient techniques to distinguish between computer generated and natural human faces. We focused our study on geometric-based forensic techniques, which exploit the structure of the face and its shape, proposing methods both for image and video forensics. Firstly, we proposed a method to differentiate between computer generated and photographic human faces in photos. Based on the estimation of the face asymmetry, a given photo is classified as computer generated or not. Secondly, we introduced a method to distinguish between computer generated and natural faces based on facial expressions analysis. In particular, small variations of the facial shape models corresponding to the same expression are used as evidence of synthetic characters. Finally, by exploiting the differences between face models over time, we can identify synthetic animations since their models are usually recreated or performed in patterns, comparing to the models of natural animations.
Isolation of Methylophaga spp. from Marine Dimethylsulfide-Degrading Enrichment Cultures and Identification of Polypeptides Induced during Growth on Dimethylsulfide

ABSTRACT Dimethylsulfide (DMS)-degrading enrichment cultures were established from samples of coastal seawater, nonaxenic Emiliania huxleyi cultures, and mixed marine methyl halide-degrading enrichment cultures. Bacterial populations from a broad phylogenetic range were identified in the mixed DMS-degrading enrichment cultures by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Sequences of dominant DGGE bands were similar to those of members of the genera Methylophaga and Alcanivorax. Several closely related Methylophaga strains were obtained that were able to grow on DMS as the carbon and energy source. Roseobacter-related populations were detected in some of the enrichment cultures; however, none of the Roseobacter group isolates that were tested were able to grow on DMS. Oxidation of DMS by Methylophaga sp. strain DMS010 was not affected by addition of the inhibitor chloroform or methyl tert-butyl ether, suggesting that DMS metabolism may occur by a route different from those described for Thiobacillus species and other unidentified marine isolates. Addition of DMS and methanethiol to whole-cell suspensions of strain DMS010 induced oxygen uptake when strain DMS010 was grown on DMS but not in cells grown on methanol. The apparent Kms of strain DMS010 for DMS and for methanethiol were 2.1 and 4.6 μM, respectively, when grown on DMS. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the biomass of strain DMS010 and analysis of peptide bands by mass spectrometry techniques and N-terminal sequencing provided the first insight into the identity of polypeptides induced during growth on DMS. These included XoxF, a homolog of the large subunit of methanol dehydrogenase for which a biological role has not been identified previously.
Variable density shallow flow model for flood simulation

Flood inundation is a major natural hazard that can have very severe socio-economic consequences. This thesis presents an enhanced numerical model for flood simulation. After setting the context by examining recent large-scale flood events, a literature review is provided on shallow flow numerical models. A new version of the hyperbolic horizontal variable density shallow water equations with source terms in balanced form is used, designed for flows over complicated terrains, suitable for wetting and drying fronts and erodible bed problems. Bed morphodynamics are included in the model by solving a conservation of bed mass equation in conjunction with the variable density shallow water equations. The resulting numerical scheme is based on a Godunov-type finite volume HLLC approximate Riemann solver combined with MUSCL-Hancock time integration and a non-linear slope limiter and is shock-capturing. The model can simulate trans-critical, steep-fronted flows, connecting bodies of water at different elevations. The model is validated for constant density shallow flows using idealised benchmark tests, such as unidirectional and circular dam breaks, damped sloshing in a parabolic tank, dam break flow over a triangular obstacle, and dam break flow over three islands. The simulation results are in excellent agreement with available analytical solutions, alternative numerical predictions, and experimental data. The model is also validated for variable density shallow flows, and a parameter study is undertaken to examine the effects of different density ratios of two adjacent liquids and different hydraulic thrust ratios of species and liquid in mixed flows. The results confirm the ability of the model to simulate shallow water-sediment flows that are of horizontally variable density, while being intensely mixed in the vertical direction. Further validation is undertaken for certain erodible bed cases, including deposition and entrainment of dilute suspended sediment in a flat-bottomed tank with intense mixing, and the results compared against semi-analytical solutions derived by the author. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the model in simulating a complicated variable density shallow flow, the validated numerical model is used to simulate a partial dam-breach flow in an erodible channel. The calibrated model predictions are very similar to experimental data from tests carried out at Tsinghua University. It is believed that the present numerical solver could be useful at describing local horizontal density gradients in sediment laden and debris flows that characterise certain extreme flood events, where sediment deposition is important.
Stratification of breast cancer risk in women with atypia: a Mayo cohort study.

PURPOSE Atypical hyperplasia is a well-recognized risk factor for breast cancer, conveying an approximately four-fold increased risk. Data regarding long-term absolute risk and factors for risk stratification are needed. PATIENTS AND METHODS Women with atypical hyperplasia in the Mayo Benign Breast Disease Cohort were identified through pathology review. Subsequent breast cancers were identified via medical records and a questionnaire. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated using standardized incidence ratios, comparing the observed number of breast cancers with those expected based on Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data. Age, histologic factors, and family history were evaluated as risk modifiers. Plots of cumulative breast cancer incidence provided estimates of risk over time. RESULTS With mean follow-up of 13.7 years, 66 breast cancers (19.9%) occurred among 331 women with atypia. RR of breast cancer with atypia was 3.88 (95% CI, 3.00 to 4.94). Marked elevations in risk were seen with multifocal atypia (eg, three or more foci with calcifications [RR, 10.35; 95% CI, 6.13 to 16.4]). RR was higher for younger women (< 45; RR, 6.76; 95% CI, 3.24 to 12.4). Risk was similar for atypical ductal and atypical lobular hyperplasia, and family history added no significant risk. Breast cancer risk remained elevated over 20 years, and the cumulative incidence approached 35% at 30 years. CONCLUSION Among women with atypical hyperplasia, multiple foci of atypia and the presence of histologic calcifications may indicate "very high risk" status (> 50% risk at 20 years). A positive family history does not further increase risk in women with atypia.
Tuning electronic correlations in transition metal pnictides: Chemistry beyond the valence count

The effects of electron-electron correlations on the low-energy electronic structure and their relationship with unconventional superconductivity are central aspects in the research on iron-based pnictide superconductors. Here we use soft x-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to study how electronic correlations evolve in different chemically substituted iron pnictides. We find that correlations are intrinsically related to the effective filling of the correlated orbitals, rather than to the filling obtained by valence counting. Combined density functional theory and dynamical mean-field theory calculations capture these effects, reproducing the experimentally observed trend in the correlation strength. The occupation-driven trend in the electronic correlation reported in our paper supports and extends the recently proposed connection between cuprate and pnictide phase diagrams.
Improving Adherence to Secondary Stroke Prevention Strategies Through Motivational Interviewing: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose— Stroke recurrence rates are high (20%–25%) and have not declined over past 3 decades. This study tested effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) for reducing stroke recurrence, measured by improving adherence to recommended medication and lifestyle changes compared with usual care. Methods— Single-blind, prospective phase III randomized controlled trial of 386 people with stroke assigned to either MI treatment (4 sessions at 28 days, 3, 6, and 9 months post stroke) or usual care; with outcomes assessed at 28 days, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post stroke. Primary outcomes were change in systolic blood pressure and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as indicators of adherence at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included self-reported adherence, new stroke, or coronary heart disease events (both fatal and nonfatal); quality of life (Short Form-36); and mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Results— MI did not significantly change measures of blood pressure (mean difference in change, −0.2.35 [95% confidence interval, −6.16 to 1.47]) or cholesterol (mean difference in change, −0.0.12 [95% confidence interval, −0.30 to 0.06]). However, it had positive effects on self-reported medication adherence at 6 months (1.979; 95% confidence interval, 0.98–3.98; P=0.0557) and 9 months (4.295; 95% confidence interval, 1.56–11.84; P=0.0049) post stroke. Improvement across other measures was also observed, but the differences between MI and usual care groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions— MI improved self-reported medication adherence. All other effects were nonsignificant, though in the direction of a treatment effect. Further study is required to determine whether MI leads to improvement in other important areas of functioning (eg, caregiver burden). Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.anzctr. org.au. Unique identifier: ACTRN-12610000715077.
Determination of free and total S-phenylmercapturic acid by HPLC/MS/MS in the biological monitoring of benzene exposure

Abstract Urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) is a biomarker suggested by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for assessing occupational exposure to benzene. A possible cause of the miscorrelation between environmental monitoring and biological monitoring for benzene exposure, which many authors complain about, is the existence of a urinary metabolite that turns into SPMA by acid hydrolysis. Forty urine samples were tested to determine which concentration value would correspond to the ACGIH Biological Exposure Index (BEI) of 25 µg g−1 creatinine if exposure assessment was based on the determination of SPMA after quantitative hydrolysis of its precursor. An aliquot of each sample was hydrolysed with 9 M H2SO4, a second one was brought to pH 2 and a third one was used as it was (free SPMA). SPMA was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric technique (HPLC/MS/MS) using an internal standard. The analytical method was validated in the range 0.5–50 µg l−1. The average SPMA in pH 2 samples is 45–60% of the total, while free SPMA varies from 1% to 66%. The hydrolysis of pre-SPMA reduces the likelihood of variability in the results by reducing pH differences in urine samples and increasing the amount of measured SPMA. The BEI limit value would be about 50 µg g−1 creatinine.
Where Do Tourists Go?: Visualizing and Analysing the Spatial Distribution of Geotagged Photography

Visualizing the geographical positions of photographs taken by tourists is a promising method to measure tourist activity in urban spaces. Most photo-sharing sites on the Internet offer the possibility of “geotagging” photos, resulting in geographical information retrievable by databases using the application programming interface (API) of such sites. These data sets can be visualized on maps or digital globes, which make the correlations of the photo density and the geographical objects of a given area expressive. It is possible to differentiate pictures taken by locals from those of visitors by examining the temporal distribution of a specific user’s photos. Resulting maps revealed interesting correlations between the tourist attractions of the area and the number of photos taken there. In the case study of Budapest tourists took photos only in the areas around main tourist attractions. In contrast, locals also photographed recreational spaces or interesting sights not advertised for tourists. The development of recreational infrastructure is also visible in the case of the most recent projects. La visualisation de la position géographique des photographies prises par des touristes constitue un moyen porteur de promesses de mesurer l’activité touristique en milieu urbain. La plupart des sites de partage de photos sur Internet offrent la possibilité de « géobaliser » les photos, ce qui produit de l’information géographique qu’il est possible d’extraire de bases de données en utilisant l’interface de programmation d’applications (API) des sites en question. Il est possible de visualiser ces ensembles de données sur des cartes ou des globes numériques, ce qui rend expressif l’établissement de liens entre la densité de la photo et les objets géographiques d’un secteur donné. Il est possible de distinguer les images prises par la population locale de celles que prennent les visiteurs en examinant la répartition dans le temps des photos d’un utilisateur en particulier. Les cartes ainsi produites ont révélé des liens intéressants entre l’offre touristique de la région et le nombre de photos qui y sont prises. Dans l’étude de cas portant sur Budapest, les touristes ont pris des photos seulement dans le voisinage des principales attractions touristiques. Par contre, la population locale a aussi photographié des espaces récréatifs ou des panoramas intéressants non annoncés aux touristes. La mise en valeur de l’infrastructure récréative est aussi visible dans le cas des projets les plus récents.