Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Searching for external sources of the riboflavin stored in earthworm eleocytes

Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is essential to maintain immune potency in animals and plants. So far is accepted that animals cannot synthesise riboflavin; they rely on plant-sourced diets and intestinal bacteria for their supplies. A unique feature of earthworm ‘hepatocyte-like’ chloragocytes and chloragocyte-derived eleocytes floating in celomic cavity is the storage of riboflavin within intracellular granules. The hypothesis was that vegetarian food-deprivation or antibiotic/antifungal treatment inhibits riboflavin accumulation in eleocytes of Eisenia andrei. The 7-week starvation inhibited worm body weight gain and worm reproduction but had insignificant effects on celomocytes, both amoebocytes and eleocytes, and eleocyte riboflavin accumulation. The 1 week or 3 week antibiotic exposure had insignificant effects on worm coelomocytes and riboflavin content. Thus, a vegetarian diet and intestinal bacteria are not the exclusive or perhaps even the main sources of eleocyte riboflavin. The role of endosymbionts in earthworm flavonoid economy warrants targeted investigation. Moreover, the possibility of horizontal transfer of riboflavin biosynthesis genes from bacteria/fungi to earthworm genomes cannot be neglected.
Readmission Rates and Associated Factors Following Rib Cage Injury.

BACKGROUND There remains a lack of knowledge about readmission characteristics after sustaining rib fractures. We aimed to determine rates, characteristics, and predictive/protective factors associated with unexpected reevaluation and readmission after rib cage injury. METHODS A retrospective review was performed based on trauma patients evaluated at an urban level 1 trauma center from January 2014 to December 2016. Adult patients sustaining blunt trauma with >1 rib fracture or a sternomanubrial fracture were defined as having moderate to severe rib cage injury. Exclusion criteria included penetrating injury, death during initial hospitalization, and only 1 rib fracture. Reevaluation was defined as presenting at a hospital within 90 days of discharge urgently or emergently. Demographics, injury characteristics, comorbidities, complications, imaging, and readmission data were collected. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed with a significance of p<0.05. RESULTS During the study period, 11,667 patients underwent trauma evaluation, of which 1,717 patients were found to have a moderate to severe rib cage injury. Within 90 days, 397 (23.1%) of patients underwent reevaluation, while 177 (10.3%) required readmission. 142 (8.3%) patients were reevaluated specifically for chest related complaints and 55 (3.2%) required readmission. On univariate analysis, Injury Severity Score >15, hospital length of stay (LOS) >7 days, intensive care unit LOS >3 days, a worsened chest x-ray at discharge, a psychiatric comorbidity, a smoking comorbidity, deep vein thrombosis, unplanned readmission to the ICU, and unplanned intubation were higher in the overall reevaluation cohort. On multivariate analysis, age 15-35, Risk Assessment Profile score >8, hypertension, psychiatric comorbidity, current smoker, and unplanned return to the ICU on index admission were predictive of reevaluation of overall reevaluation. CONCLUSIONS Moderate to severe rib cage injury is associated with high rates of reevaluation and readmission. Younger patients who smoke and required a return to the ICU are at greater risk for readmission. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level IV, Retrospective Cohort, Prognostic and Epidemiologic.
A computerized analytical model for evaluating hydrocarbon fluids as natural alternative refrigerants

This paper describes a computer-based analytical model for evaluating the performance of natural hydrocarbonfluids as alternative refrigerants in vapour-compression refrigeration systems. To model the com- pression process that takes place in the superheated region, the model determines the compressor's discharge temperature from the entropy-temperature relationship. In this respect, the model departs from the common practice of representing this process by the polytropic relationship which introduces significant errors par- ticularly in the proximity of the saturated-vapour line. The paper demonstrates the improved accuracy of the present compression model compared to the polytropic model and verifies the self-supported, computer- based analytical model of the closed cycle by comparing its estimates for the key cycle parameters with those obtained from the published literature for R134a, R290, R600, and R600a.
Energy Efficient Cognitive Radio Hybrid VotingRule PSO

In this paper, a cooperative framework in cognitive radio networks is proposed. A Cognitive radio is an extension to SDR, where one allows the radio system to adapt to its environment through learning or artificial intelligence with the aim of increasing performance. Bit error rate and signal to noise ratio are used to check the efficiency. BER is defined by the number of inaccuracies per reassigned data for the time interval during which channel is active and signal to noise ratio is the power ratio between a signal (meaningful information) and the background noise (unwanted signal). In this research PSO techniques are used by which the results are optimized.
Forager polymorphism and foraging ecology in the leaf-cutting ant, Atta colombica

I compare forager size and foraging selectivity of the leaf-cutting ant Atta colombica and that of its close relative Atta cephalotes. In both species, larger foragers cut fragments of greater mass and area, and at vegetation sources of greater specific density (mass/area). However, the size-range of A. colombica foragers (1.5–56.8 mg) was wider than the range typical for A. cephalotes (1.4–32.1 mg). In A. colombica, the maxima workers (24–60 mg) commonly participate in foraging, making up 13% of all foragers in this study and in a previous study. In contrast, A. cephalotes maxima workers (24–100 mg) rarely forage (less than 1% of all foragers in two previous studies), but instead serve primarily as soldiers defending the nest. Thus, A. colombica maxima workers are smaller and do not appear to be so specialized as soldiers as are A. cephalotes maxima workers. The broader size-range of workers participating in foraging appears to allow A. colombica to exploit a wider range of resources than A. cephalotes, including tougher, denser vegetation and fallen fruits.
The jet and counterjet of 3C 270 (NGC 4261) viewed in the X-ray with Chandra

The radio source 3C 270, hosted by nearby elliptical galaxy NGC 4261, is the brightest known example of counterjet X-ray emission from a low-power radio galaxy. We report on the X-ray emission of the jet and counterjet from 130 ks of Chandra data. We argue that the X-ray emission is synchrotron radiation and that the internal properties of the jet and counterjet are remarkably similar. We find a smooth connecti on in X-ray hardness and X-ray to radio ratio between the jet and one of the X-ray components within the core spectrum. We observe wedge-like depressions in diffuse X-ray surface brightness surrounding the jets, and interpret them as regions where an aged population of electrons provides pressure to balance the interstellar medium of NGC 4261. About 20 per cent of the mass of the interstellar medium has been displaced by the radio source. Treating 3C 270 as a twin-jet system, we find an interesting agreement between the ratio of jet-to-counter jet length in X-rays and that expected if X-rays are observed over the distance that an outflow from t he core would have travelled in � 6 × 10 4 yr. X-ray synchrotron loss times are shorter than this, and we suggest that most particle acceleration arises as a result of turbulence and d issipation in a stratified flow. We speculate that an episode of activity in the central engine b eginning � 6 × 10 4 yr ago has led to an increased velocity shear. This has enhanced the ability of the jet plasma to accelerate electrons to X-ray-synchrotron-emitting energies, forming the X-ray jet and counterjet that we see today.
In vitro germination and acclimatization of Hamatocactus setispinus

Seed propagation preserves the population genetic variability and helps selecting desirable features. This study evaluated the in vitro germination of Hamatocactus setispinus in six different culture media, 1- MS basal medium full strength; 2- half-strength MS basal medium; 3- 1.0 g L-1 of Peter’s CalMag® 15-05-15 formulation; 4- 0.5 g L-1 of Peter’s CalMag® 15-05-15 formulation; 5- MS basal medium supplemented with 10% coconut water and; 6- water and agar, with and without activated charcoal, and the speed of germination index, the mean germination time and the germination rate, root length, shoot length and the number of roots were evaluate. The seedlings with superior development obtained from in vitro germination were acclimatized in two substrates: Biomix® Floreira; Biomix® Floreira + sand. Seedling survival, shoot length, shoot diameter, root length, root number, shoot fresh matter weight, root fresh matter weight, shoot dry matter weight and root dry matter weight were evaluated. Peter’s 1.0 g L-1 medium without activated charcoal led to the best results for root length (11.36 mm) and root number (3.84). There was 100% of seedling survival. Acclimatization substrates did not differ among themselves and, therefore, they did not affect seedling growth.
Climate uncertainty in flood protection planning

Technical flood protection is a necessary part of integrated strategies to protect riverine settlements from extreme floods. Many technical flood protection measures, such as dikes and protection walls, are costly to adapt after their initial construction. This poses a challenge to decision makers as there is large uncertainty in how the required protection level will change during the measure life time, which is typically many decades long. Flood protection requirements should account for multiple future uncertain factors: socio-economic, e.g. whether the population and with it the damage potential grows or falls; technological, e.g. possible advancements in flood protection; and climatic, e.g. whether extreme discharge will become more frequent or not. We focus here on the planning implications of the uncertainty in extreme discharge. We account for the sequential nature of the decision process, in which the adequacy of the protection is regularly revised in the future based on the discharges that have been observed by that point and that reduce uncertainty. For planning purposes, we categorize uncertainties as either visible , if they can be quantified from available catchment data, or hidden , if they cannot be quantified from catchment data and must be estimated, e.g. from literature. It is vital to consider the hidden uncertainty, since in practical applications only a limited amount of information (e.g. through projections, historic record) is available. We use a Bayesian approach to quantify the visible uncertainties and combine them with an estimate of the hidden uncertainties to learn a joint probability distribution of the parameters of extreme discharge. The methodology is integrated into an optimization framework and applied to a pre-alpine case study to give a quantitative, cost-optimal recommendation on the required amount of flood protection.
Primary Hypertrophic Osteoarthropathy Mimicking Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Novel SLCO2A1 Mutation and Imaging Findings

Primary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy (PHO), also known as pachydermoperiostosis, is a rare, multisystemic, autosomal recessive condition typically presenting with digital clubbing, osteoarthropathy, and various skin manifestations. Radiographs show distinctive periosteal reaction and thickening along the long bones. PHO is caused by homozygous mutations in the HPGD gene in chromosome 4q34.1 or the SLCO2A1 gene in 3q22.1q22. 2. Here, we report on a 20-year-old male with enlarged and swollen joints with arthralgia, palmoplantar hyperhidrosis, and large hands and feet with marked digital clubbing. We also present radiographic, MRI, and ultrasonographic features of the case. These clinical and imaging findings were compatible with the diagnosis of PHO, and a novel homozygous mutation, c.576C>G, p.Ile192Met, was found in SLCO2A1.
Serum D vitamin levels in children with immune thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired immuno-mediated disorder characterized by thrombocytopenia with an increased risk of bleeding. In recent years 1,25[OH]2D3 has been rediscovered as an immune modulator. We decided to evaluate serum D vitamin levels in a cohort of children with immune thrombocytopenia in order to discover if D vitamin concentrations may predict ITP duration. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty children were enrolled in this study (sixteen with chronic ITP and fourteen with newly diagnosed ITP) to assess serum D vitamin levels. RESULTS The results showed that 80% of the enrolled children presented a D hypovitaminosis status. Children with newly diagnosis ITP showed no statistically significant higher median values of D vitamin compared to chronic ITP. CONCLUSIONS Its, in our case, may suggest that D vitamin deficiency not represent a chronicity factor for ITP. However, further studies are needed to understand the role of D vitamin in ITP pathogenesis.
A Comparative Study of Strategy Instrument through Process vs. Product Writing on IELTS Writing Performance of Iranian EFL Learners

The present study attempted to investigate the writing performance of EFL learners through process vs. product writing on IELTS test. To do this, the researcher randomly selected 60 candidates who wanted to take the IELTS Test. They had already taken and passed several technical courses regarding the skills in that test. After they were divided into two experimental groups, they were given a writing pre-test. Then, each of the process and product strategies were practiced with the experimental groups. The feedback that was given for the process strategy focused on the steps of writings related to that specific task with little focus on grammatical and spelling mistakes. On the other hand, there were strict corrections on grammatical and spelling mistakes of the writing tasks in product strategy. The results revealed that there was a significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores of the process and product groups. Also, there was a significant difference between the process and product strategy which indicated that process strategy was more effective than the product strategy.
Towards a dynamic concept of alliance capability

This paper has a threefold purpose. First, we offer a literature review on alliance capability based on strategic and competence based management literature. Second, we extend existing literature on alliance capability by breaking this concept down into five sub capabilities, which are each linked to a stage of the alliance life cycle. Finally, we suggest how firms can support these capabilities through structural, technological and people-related tools and techniques. We argue that current literature has focused mainly on organization-wide characteristics, the general alliance function and alliance experience to explain the level of alliance capability. Although we acknowledge the importance of these elements, we stress that more attention needs to be given to the various stage-specific components, tasks and supportive mechanisms that can lead to improved alliance capability.
Diagnostic Value of Cerebrospinal Fluid Neurofilament Light Protein in Neurology: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Importance Neurofilament light protein (NfL) is elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of a number of neurological conditions compared with healthy controls (HC) and is a candidate biomarker for neuroaxonal damage. The influence of age and sex is largely unknown, and levels across neurological disorders have not been compared systematically to date. Objectives To assess the associations of age, sex, and diagnosis with NfL in CSF (cNfL) and to evaluate its potential in discriminating clinically similar conditions. Data Sources PubMed was searched for studies published between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2016, reporting cNfL levels (using the search terms neurofilament light and cerebrospinal fluid) in neurological or psychiatric conditions and/or in HC. Study Selection Studies reporting NfL levels measured in lumbar CSF using a commercially available immunoassay, as well as age and sex. Data Extraction and Synthesis Individual-level data were requested from study authors. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the fixed effects of age, sex, and diagnosis on log-transformed NfL levels, with cohort of origin modeled as a random intercept. Main Outcome and Measure The cNfL levels adjusted for age and sex across diagnoses. Results Data were collected for 10 059 individuals (mean [SD] age, 59.7 [18.8] years; 54.1% female). Thirty-five diagnoses were identified, including inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (n = 2795), dementias and predementia stages (n = 4284), parkinsonian disorders (n = 984), and HC (n = 1332). The cNfL was elevated compared with HC in a majority of neurological conditions studied. Highest levels were observed in cognitively impaired HIV-positive individuals (iHIV), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Huntington disease. In 33.3% of diagnoses, including HC, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer disease (AD), and Parkinson disease (PD), cNfL was higher in men than women. The cNfL increased with age in HC and a majority of neurological conditions, although the association was strongest in HC. The cNfL overlapped in most clinically similar diagnoses except for FTD and iHIV, which segregated from other dementias, and PD, which segregated from atypical parkinsonian syndromes. Conclusions and Relevance These data support the use of cNfL as a biomarker of neuroaxonal damage and indicate that age-specific and sex-specific (and in some cases disease-specific) reference values may be needed. The cNfL has potential to assist the differentiation of FTD from AD and PD from atypical parkinsonian syndromes.
Analysis of Host Responses to Hepatitis B and Delta Viral Infections in a Micro‐scalable Hepatic Co‐culture System

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major global health problem with 257 million chronically infected individuals worldwide, of whom approximately 20 million are co‐infected with hepatitis delta virus (HDV). Progress toward a better understanding of the complex interplay between these two viruses and the development of novel therapies have been hampered by the scarcity of suitable cell culture models that mimic the natural environment of the liver. Here, we established HBV and HBV/HDV co‐infections and super‐infections in self‐assembling co‐cultured primary human hepatocytes (SACC‐PHHs) for up to 28 days in a 384‐well format and highlight the suitability of this platform for high‐throughput drug testing. We performed RNA sequencing at days 8 and 28 on SACC‐PHHs, either HBV mono‐infected or HBV/HDV co‐infected. Our transcriptomic analysis demonstrates that hepatocytes in SACC‐PHHs maintain a mature hepatic phenotype over time, regardless of infection condition. We confirm that HBV is a stealth virus, as it does not induce a strong innate immune response; rather, oxidative phosphorylation and extracellular matrix–receptor interactions are dysregulated to create an environment that promotes persistence. Notably, HDV co‐infection also did not lead to statistically significant transcriptional changes across multiple donors and replicates. The lack of innate immune activation is not due to SACC‐PHHs being impaired in their ability to induce interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). Rather, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid exposure activates ISGs, and this stimulation significantly inhibits HBV infection, yet only minimally affects the ability of HDV to infect and persist. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that the SACC‐PHH system is a versatile platform for studying HBV/HDV co‐infections and holds promise for performing chemical library screens and improving our understanding of the host response to such infections.
Orbital cavity evaluation in a Brazilian population

Objective: The main objective is to analyze the differences between the orbital cavities according to age and sex in a population from the Northeast of Brazil and compare with a specific Chinese population. Methodology: Linear measurements on 8 points of the orbit were made in a sample of 113 patients, based on each sex and age range (<19, 20–39, 40–59 and ≥ 60 years old). The distances were orbital width, orbital height, medial orbital wall, lateral orbital wall, superior orbital wall, inferior orbital wall, interorbital width, and biorbital width. Results: It was noticed that the orbital cavities of men were higher in all measures than those of women (P < 0.001), except for the orbital height and the distance between the orbits. Younger patients showed a tendency to have smaller orbits. Comparing the measurements obtained for the Brazilian participants with those of Chinese, the orbits of Brazilians were significantly higher on all measures (P < 0.001), except for biorbital breath. Conclusion: There were significant differences between most measures of orbital cavities between men and women in the Brazilian population, while differences were seen in all measurements between Brazilian and Chinese population.
Validation of the RapidArc Delivery System Using a Volumetric Phantom as Per Task Group Report 119 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine

Aim: This study validated the RapidArc (RA) delivery using a volumetric ArcCHECK phantom as per the guidelines proposed in Task Group Report 119 from the American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task group 119 (AAPM TG 119). This study also investigated the impact of the Acuros XB (AXB) algorithm in comparison to analytical anisotropic algorithm (AAA) on the RA dose calculations in the homogeneous medium of the ArcCHECK phantom. Materials and Methods: A volumetric ArcCHECK phantom along with AAPM TG 119 tests was used to evaluate the RA plans and verify the dose delivery for photon beam of 6 MV energy. Results: The RA planning results were comparable and satisfied the planning criteria stated in the TG 119 report for all test cases. The average percentage gamma passing rates for the AAA-calculated plans were 98.5 (standard deviation [SD]: 0.6), 98.5 (SD: 1.3), and 98.1 (SD: 2.0) and for the AXB-calculated plans were 95.1 (SD: 1.8), 96.1 (SD: 1.3), and 94.0 (SD: 0.9) for the Clinac-iX (6 MV) and TrueBeam (TB)-STx (6 MV_filtered beam [FB] and 6 MV_flattening filter-free beam [FFFB]), respectively. For ion chamber measurements, the average percentage dose differences for the AAA-calculated plans were 1.5 (SD: 2.5), 2.7 (SD: 1.4), and 1.4(SD: 2.7) and for AXB-calculated plans were 2.3 (SD: 1.6), 3.2 (SD: 1.5), and 2.3 (SD: 2.0) for Clinac-iX (6 MV) and TB-STx (6 MV_FB and 6 MV_FFFB), respectively. Conclusion: Thus, the ArcCHECK can successfully be utilized for the validation of the RA delivery. The AXB has potential to perform dose calculations comparable to those of the AAA for RA plans in the homogeneous medium of the ArcCHECK phantom.