Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phylogeny, biogeography and taxonomic re-assessment of Multifurca (Russulaceae, Russulales) using three-locus data

Multifurca is a small genus newly established to accommodate lactarioid and russuloid species with some characters reminiscent of corticoid members of Russulaceae. It shows an amphi-pacific distribution with strong preference for the tropical zone of the Northern Hemisphere and thus has particular significance for biogeographical study. Using worldwide samples and three loci (ITS, 28S rDNA and rpb2), we demonstrated that Multifurca is split into two highly supported major clades that are here recognized at the subgeneric level: subg. Furcata subg. nov. exclusively includes lactarioid species, while subg. Multifurca includes species with a russuloid habit. Using phylogenetic species recognition and comparison of genetic distances we recognize five new and six previously described species, almost double the known number of species before this study. Molecular dating using a Bayesian method suggested that Multifurca originated in early Paleocene and diversified in the Eocene. The most recent interspecific divergences occurred both in Asia and America, roughly at the same time around the Pliocene. Ancestral area reconstruction and comparisons of genetic distances and morphology suggested an early divergence within Australasia or tropical Asia. From the early Miocene to Pliocene, multiple dispersals/migrations to Australasia and North America by island hopping or land bridge likely happened. Vicariance at the late Tertiary might be the most likely mechanism accounting for the eastern Asia—southeastern North America and Australasia—tropical Asia disjunct distributions. The shared polymorphisms in the ITS alignment, numerous degenerated base pairs in the rpb2 sequences and weak conflict between the ITS and LSU genealogies of M. subg. Furcata suggest recent speciation. Host specificity of Multifurca species or species pairs is relatively low. Host shifts are believed to have aided establishment in new territories during the dispersals and migrations.
Clinical effect and safety of pulsed radiofrequency treatment for pudendal neuralgia: a prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial

Background Pudendal neuralgia is an intractable pain related to the pudendal nerve. The clinical effect and safety evaluation of pudendal neuralgia were investigated by pulse radiofrequency (PRF) treatment of pudendal nerve. Patients and methods Eighty patients who were diagnosed with pudendal neuralgia were randomly divided into PRF group (PRF and pudendal nerve block [NB]) and NB group. After surgery, the patients were followed up to evaluate the visual analog scale (VAS) score and the Patient Health Questionnaire score on the postoperative day and at 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months. Meanwhile, the patients’ efficacy assessment and the usage of pain medication were also recorded for 3 months during follow-up. All the surgical complications were recorded. Results A total of 77 patients were followed up, 38 in the PRF group and 39 in the NB group. On the postoperative day, the VAS scores was significantly decreased in both groups than before (P<0.01), whereas there was no statistical difference within the two groups (P>0.05). However, the VAS score of PRF group was significantly lower than that of NB group in 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months after surgery, respectively (P<0.01). In the meanwhile, the Patient Health Questionnaire score of PRF group was also significantly lower than that of NB group (P<0.01) in 3 months after the operation. The clinical effective rate of PRF group was 92.1% in 3 months after surgery, while this rate was only 35.9% in the NB group. The postoperative analgesic usage of PRF group was superior to that of NB group (P<0.01). No severe adverse events were observed in either group. Conclusion Compared with the single NB treatment, pudendal nerve PRF combined with NB therapy could provide more long-lasting relief from pain symptoms of pudendal neuralgia and improve the depression symptoms in patients.
Plasma exchange for heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia in patients on extracorporeal circuits: A challenging case and a survey of the field

Current management of heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) involves prompt discontinuation of all heparin products and concomitant initiation of a direct thrombin or anti‐Xa inhibitor for anticoagulation. In the setting of HIT complicated by an urgent need for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), the safety and the efficacy of short‐term heparin‐based anticoagulation after therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) have been previously demonstrated. Patients with HIT requiring TPE are frequently on extracorporeal circuits (either CPB, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation [ECMO] or external ventricular assist devices [VADs]). Performing TPE in parallel with these circuits involves additional consideration for circuit size, anticoagulant/citrate management, as well as flow rates, and risk of air embolus. We report a case of a patient with HIT on external biventricular assist device (BiVAD) requiring urgent CPB who experienced thrombotic and hemolytic complications related to anticoagulation management around apheresis line placement for TPE. We also present results from a national survey of academic apheresis services regarding specific practices in managing patients with HIT on extracorporeal circuits who require TPE. In addition, we demonstrate the utility of TPE in patients with HIT on extracorporeal circuits and the risks of this procedure and the need to develop practice guidelines.
A Biologically Plausible Learning Rule for Deep Learning in the Brain

textabstractResearchers have proposed that deep learning, which is providing important progress in a wide range of high complexity tasks, might inspire new insights into learning in the brain. However, the methods used for deep learning by artificial neural networks are biologically unrealistic and would need to be replaced by biologically realistic counterparts. Previous biologically plausible reinforcement learning rules, like AGREL and AuGMEnT, showed promising results but focused on shallow networks with three layers. Will these learning rules also generalize to networks with more layers and can they handle tasks of higher complexity? Here, we demonstrate that these learning schemes indeed generalize to deep networks, if we include an attention network that propagates information about the selected action to lower network levels. The resulting learning rule, called Q-AGREL, is equivalent to a particular form of error-backpropagation that trains one output unit at any one time. To demonstrate the utility of the learning scheme for larger problems, we trained networks with two hidden layers on the MNIST dataset, a standard and interesting Machine Learning task. Our results demonstrate that the capability of Q-AGREL is comparable to that of error backpropagation, although the learning rate is 1.5-2 times slower because the network has to learn by trial-and-error and updates the action value of only one output unit at a time. Our results provide new insights into how deep learning can be implemented in the brain.
Optimal Data Detection in Large MIMO

Large multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) appears in massive multi-user MIMO and randomly-spread code-division multiple access (CDMA)-based wireless systems. In order to cope with the excessively high complexity of optimal data detection in such systems, a variety of efficient yet sub-optimal algorithms have been proposed in the past. In this paper, we propose a data detection algorithm that is computationally efficient and optimal in a sense that it is able to achieve the same error-rate performance as the individually optimal (IO) data detector under certain assumptions on the MIMO system matrix and constellation alphabet. Our algorithm, which we refer to as LAMA (short for large MIMO AMP), builds on complex-valued Bayesian approximate message passing (AMP), which enables an exact analytical characterization of the performance and complexity in the large-system limit via the state-evolution framework. We derive optimality conditions for LAMA and investigate performance/complexity trade-offs. As a byproduct of our analysis, we recover classical results of IO data detection for randomly-spread CDMA. We furthermore provide practical ways for LAMA to approach the theoretical performance limits in realistic, finite-dimensional systems at low computational complexity.
Risk Factors for Sporadic Cryptosporidiosis in the Netherlands: Analysis of a 3-Year Population Based Case-Control Study Coupled With Genotyping, 2013–2016

Abstract Background In 2012, cryptosporidiosis cases increased in the Netherlands, but no single source was identified. In April 2013, we began a 3-year population-based case-control study coupled with genotyping to identify risk factors for sporadic cryptosporidiosis. Methods Cryptosporidium cases were laboratory confirmed (by microscopy or polymerase chain reaction), and the species (ie, C. hominis or C. parvum) was determined. We analyzed data by study year, combined and by species. We performed single-variable analysis, and variables with a P value of ≤ . 10 were included in a multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for age, sex, and season. Results The study included 609 cases and 1548 frequency-matched controls. C. parvum was the predominant species in the first 2 study years, shifting to C. hominis in the third year. Household person-to-person transmission and eating barbequed food were strongly associated with being a case. Eating tomatoes was negatively associated. When the analysis was stratified by study year, person-to-person transmission was an independent risk factor. Analysis by species identified different risk factors for cases infected with C. parvum and C. hominis. Conclusion This was the first case-control study examining risk factors for sporadic cryptosporidiosis in the Netherlands. Providing information about Cryptosporidium exposure during outdoor activities and improvements in hygiene within households could prevent future sporadic infections.
Strategies for first-line immunotherapy in squamous cell lung cancer: are combinations a game changer?

The initial treatment for metastatic squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) consists of platinum-based combination chemotherapy. The most commonly used regimens are carboplatin and paclitaxel, carboplatin and protein-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel), and cisplatin and gemcitabine.
Phylogenetic analysis of Uncaria species based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and ITS2 secondary structure

Abstract Context: The plant genus Uncaria (Rubiaceae), also known as Gouteng, is the source of an important traditional Chinese medicine. Misidentification and adulteration of Gouteng affect the safety and efficacy of the medication. Phylogenetic relationships among the species of this genus are unknown. Objective: The present study sought to detect the phylogenetic relationships based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of all 12 species of Uncaria recorded in the Flora of China. Materials and methods: Accession of seven species of Uncaria served as reference samples. ITS region was used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the reference samples representing 39 specimens. Distance analysis, species discrimination, and secondary structure of ITS2 were used to assess the ability of ITS sequence in authenticating. The phylogenetic relationships were detected using three methods: Bayesian inference (BI), maximum likelihood (ML), and neighbor joining (NJ). Results: Five species of traditional Chinese medicine Gouteng were well resolved in molecular phylogenetic tree. Besides, Uncaria lancifolia Hutch. was closer to U. rhynchophylloides F.C. How and U. sessilifructus Roxb. was closer to U. laevigata Wall. within the tree. Further, we also found that ITS2 secondary structure can be a candidate tool in distinguishing two closely related species U. yunnanensis K.C. Hsia and U. lanosa Wall. For accurate identification of different species of Uncaria based on species-specific nucleotide sites, a consensus sequences database with all 12 species is established. Discussions and conclusions: The results are able to discriminate Uncaria species and illustrate the phylogenetic relationships, which are essential for the investigation of adulterants and misidentifications of Uncaria.
Disableism and constrained computing: checking privilege and power in a future of limits

This paper reflects upon disableism and constrained computing by drawing on a recent multi-stage mixed methods research project that focused on a "public washrooms" open dataset released by the City of Vancouver. During that project, I encountered some of the ways that open data can be used to expose, reproduce, and transpose infrastructural inequalities related to disability. The project reminded me that many digital technologies and "sustainable practices" are disableist: they privilege certain ways of being that discriminate against the 'less able'. Examples can be readily found in online digital technologies that have only been designed for interaction through sight or sound, in the "sustainability"-driven outcry against pre-cut vegetables and fruit, or in calls for direct action that do not accommodate the diverse physical and cognitive abilities of relevant communities. Although surely of interest to many members of the LIMITS community, issues of ableism and disableism have yet to be explicitly addressed in our papers. My paper addresses this gap, and ends with a call for the LIMITS community to check our privilege(s), grapple explicitly with disableism, and imagine a more just, inclusive future.
Tweet Emoji Prediction Using Hierarchical Model with Attention

With the development of social media, a huge number of users are attracted by social platforms such as Twitter. Emojis are widely used by social network users when posting messages. Therefore, it is important to mine the relationships between plain texts and emojis. In this paper, we present a neural approach to predict multiple emojis evoked by plain tweets. Our model contains three modules, i.e., a character encoder to learn representations of words from original characters using convolutional neural network (CNN), a sentence encoder to learn representations of sentences using a combination of long short-term memory (LSTM) network and CNN, a multi-label classification module to predict the emojis evoked by a tweet. Besides, attention mechanism is applied at word-level to select important contexts. Our approach is self-labeling and free from expensive and time-consuming manual annotation. Experiments on real-world datasets show that our model outperforms several automatic baselines as well as humans in this task.
Aortic valve replacement with or without myocardial revascularization in octogenarians. Can minimally invasive extracorporeal circuits improve the outcome?

Objective: The positive impact of minimally invasive extracorporeal circuits (MiECC) on patient outcome is expected to be most evident in patients with limited physiologic reserves. Nevertheless, most studies have limited their use to low-risk patients undergoing myocardial revascularization. As such, there is little evidence to their benefit outside this patient population. We, therefore, set out to explore their potential benefit in octogenarians undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) with or without concomitant myocardial revascularization. Methods: Based on the type of the utilized ECC, we performed a retrospective propensity score-matched comparison among all octogenarians (n = 218) who received a primary AVR with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting in our institution between 2003 and 2010. Results: A MiECC was utilized in 32% of the patients. The propensity score matching yielded 52 matched pairs. The 30-day postoperative mortality (2% vs. 10%; p=0.2), the incidence of low cardiac output (0% vs. 6%; p=0.2) and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay (2.5 ± 2.6 vs. 3.8 ± 4.7 days; p=0.06) were all in favour of the MiECC group, but failed to reach statistical significance while the 90-day postoperative mortality did (2% vs. 16%; p=0.02). Conclusion: MiECCs have a positive influence on the outcome of octogenarians undergoing AVR with or without concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting. Their use should, therefore, be extended beyond isolated coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
Intangible commodities with free delivery: finding the limit in digitally mediated e-commerce and workforce injustice.

Increasingly digital technology is implicated in promoting ever more convenient access to products and services. At just a click, user interfaces promote 'instant gratification', deliberately leveraging human behaviours and addictions, to promote frequent interactions and drive consumer demand. Behind the friendly interface, digital services hide the complex impacts and externalities associated with products and services, which often involve human actors. The lack of attachment and transparency of the underlying actions and processes contributes towards a model in which consumerism is encouraged, and workforces can easily be marginalised as part of services that promote limitless growth in consumption. We use the example of 'free' parcel deliveries where digital services hide the true impact and costs of consumer actions. To help prompt discussion we focus on two main themes for further exploration: 1) the impact of e-commerce on the social justice of delivery workforces; and, 2) how we might find a limit in e-commerce to help curb limitlessness in the demand on energy intensive infrastructures and parcel delivery services.
Preliminary Study to Evaluate Marginal Bone Loss in Cases of 2- and 3-Implant-Supported Fixed Partial Prostheses of the Posterior Mandible.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate, by radiographic examinations, the marginal bone resorption around implants in cases of 2 and 3 implant-supported fixed partial prostheses (FPPs) at the posterior mandible. METHODS A retrospective study of 41 patients (23 males, 18 females) of an average age of 67 years (range, 53-85), with 2 and 3 implants-supported FPPs in the posterior mandible that were treated during 2006 to 2015. The mean follow-up time was 6.32 years (range, 2-10). Twenty-four patients had FPPs on 2 implants (a total of 48 implants). Seventeen patients had FPPs on 3 implants (a total of 51 implants). Clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations were performed. All radiographs were analyzed for changes in marginal bone height surrounding the implants. RESULTS The mean marginal bone loss around the most mesial implant was slightly higher in the 2-implant group (0.833 mm) compared with the 3-implant group (0.431 mm). The correlation between the mean marginal bone loss around the most mesial implant and the number of implants was of borderline value (P = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS Considering the limitations of this preliminary study, the authors found that the mesial implant in the 2-implant group is more susceptible to marginal bone loss.
Rosmarinic Acid Combined with Adriamycin Induces Apoptosis by Triggering Mitochondria-Mediated Signaling Pathway in HepG2 and Bel-7402 Cells

Background Hepatic carcinoma is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-tumor effects of rosmarinic acid (RosA) combined with Adriamycin (ADM) on proliferation and apoptosis of hepatic carcinoma cell lines. Material/Methods Human HepG2 and Bel-7402 cells were treated with RosA and ADM and divided into HepG2 or Bel-7402, 25 μg/ml, 50 μg/m, and 100 μg/ml RosA+0.4 μg/ml ADM groups, respectively. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to evaluate cell viability. Immunohistochemistry assay was used to examine B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X (Bax) expression. Cell cycle analysis was used to detect cell cycle distribution. Flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d-UTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay were utilized to evaluate apoptosis. Results RosA combined with ADM damaged cell morphology and decreased cell viability, and significantly decreased S-phase cell numbers compared to the HepG2 or Bel-7402 group (p<0.05). Apoptosis rates in the RosA combined with ADM group were significantly increased compared to the HepG2 or Bel-7402 group (p<0.05). TUNEL assay showed that RosA combined with ADM significantly induced DNA damage (TUNEL-positive staining) in the HepG2 and Bel-7402 groups (p<0.05). RosA combined with ADM significantly reduced Bcl-2 expression in HepG2 or Bel-7402 cells (p<0.05). RosA combined with ADM significantly increased Bax expression in HepG2 and Bel-7402 cells (p<0.05). Cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle, and Bcl-2 and Bax expression were changed with increased concentrations of RosA. Conclusions RosA combined with ADM damaged tumor cell morphologies, decreased cell viability, and induced apoptosis of HepG2 and Bel-7402 by triggering the mitochondria-mediated signaling pathway.
Fluoride retention in infants living in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas: effects of weaning

Abstract Limited knowledge is available on total fluoride exposure, excretion and retention in infants, despite the first year of human life being the critical period for dental development and risk of dental fluorosis. This study investigated total daily fluoride intake (TDFI), excretion (TDFE) and retention (TDFR) in infants living in fluoridated and non-fluoridated water areas at pre- and post-weaning stages of development. Healthy infants, aged 0–12 months, were recruited and their TDFI (mg/kg body weight (BW) per d), from diet and toothpaste ingestion, was assessed over a 3-d period using a dietary diary and tooth-brushing questionnaire. TDFE (mg/kg BW per d) was estimated by collecting 48-h urine and faeces. TDFR (mg/kg BW per d) was estimated by subtracting TDFE from TDFI. A total of forty-seven infants completed the study: sixteen at pre-weaning and thirty-one at post-weaning stages, with a mean age of 3·4 and 10·0 months, respectively. TDFI was lower in the non-fluoridated area (P<0·001) and at the pre-weaning stage (P=0·002) but higher in formula-fed infants (P<0·001). TDFE was mainly affected by type of feeding, with higher excretion in formula-fed infants (P<0·001). TDFR was lower in the non-fluoridated area (P<0·001) and at the pre-weaning stage (P<0·001) but higher in formula-fed infants (P=0·001). In conclusion, a relatively large proportion of fluoride intake is retained in the body in weaned infants. This is an important consideration in fluoride-based prevention programmes, with goals to maximise caries prevention while minimising the risk of dental fluorosis.