Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of the Epidemiological Characteristics Between Influenza and COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective, Observational Cohort Study

Background and objective It is crucial to make early differentiation between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and seasonal influenza infections at the time of a patient's presentation to the emergency department (ED). In light of this, this study aimed to identify key epidemiological, initial laboratory, and radiological differences that would enable early recognition during co-circulation. Methods This was a retrospective, observational cohort study. All adult patients presenting to our ED at the Watford General Hospital, UK, with a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 (2019/20) or influenza (2018/19) infection were included in this study. Demographic, laboratory, and radiological data were collected. Binary logistic regression was employed to determine features associated with COVID-19 infection rather than influenza. Results Chest radiographs suggestive of viral pneumonitis and older age (≥80 years) were associated with increased odds of having COVID-19 [odds ratio (OR): 47.00, 95% confidence interval (CI): 21.63-102.13 and OR: 64.85, 95% CI: 19.96-210.69 respectively]. Low eosinophils (<0.02 x 109/L) were found to increase the odds of COVID-19 (OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.44-3.10, p<0.001). Conclusions Gaining awareness about the epidemiological, biological, and radiologic presentation of influenza-like illness can be useful for clinicians in ED to differentiate between COVID-19 and influenza. This study showed that older age, eosinopenia, and radiographic evidence of viral pneumonitis significantly increase the odds of having COVID-19 compared to influenza. Further research is needed to determine if these findings are affected by acquired or natural immunity.
Notes on some Late Neolithic and Bronze Age Events in Long Barrow Ditches in Southern and Eastern England

This note draws attention to similar sequences of archaeology and environment in three long barrow ditches on the Chalk of southern and eastern England. Although the data have already been, or will shortly be, published in individual site reports, the events warrant consideration as a group because they are of regional importance. They are significant specifically for the later Neolithic use of long barrows and more generally for the identification of areas of arable, pasture and abandoned land in the later Neolithic and Bronze Age. The state of the Bronze Age soils has implications for their later use. To start, the basic lithopedostratigraphy of a large ditch infilling on chalk (Evans 1972.) is iterated. There are four main stages: (1) Primary fill. Coarse rubble with finer layers and turves derived from the contemporary soil. Formed by high energy, but seasonally intermittent, processes of physical weathering and gravity. (2) Secondary fill. Loam, generally fining upwards and becoming increasingly humic as chemical weathering supersedes deposition. Formed by low energy processes of soil creep, rainwash of earthworm casts and others subsumed under the term colluviation; the details are unknown because such deposits have never been observed forming. (3) Soil. Formation of soil profile after the natural depositional processes have ceased. Essentially this involves the increasing humification and weathering of the deposits as infilling slows down and ultimately ceases, so there is a merging boundary between the secondary fill and the soil.
Significance of Finger Millet in Nutrition, Health and Value added Products: A Review

This review assesses the nutritional and health attributes of finger millet and its utilization in value added foods. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) ragi or mandua is one of the important millet grown extensively in various regions of India and Africa. With regard to protein (6-8%) and fat (1-2%) it is comparable to rice and with respect to mineral and micronutrient contents it is superior to rice and wheat. Nutritionally; it has high content of calcium (344 mg/100g), dietary fiber (15-20%) and phenolic compounds (0.3-3%). This minor millet contains important amino acids viz isoleucine, leucine, methionine and phenyl alanine which are deficient in other starchy meals. It is also known for several health benefits such as anti-diabetic, anti- tumerogenic, atherosclerogenic effects, antioxidant, which are mainly attributed due to its polyphenol and dietary fiber contents. Being indigenous minor millet it is used in the preparation of various foods both in natural and malted forms. Grains of this millet are converted into flours for preparation of products like porridge, puddings, pancakes, biscuits, roti, bread, noodles, and other snacks. Besides this it is also used as a nourishing food for infants when malted and is regarded as wholesome food for diabetic's patients.
The gastropods from the Barremian of Serre de Bleyton (Drôme, SE France)

A diverse gastropod fauna of 66 taxa is recorded from Barremian deposits of Serre de Bleyton, SW of the village of Arnayon (Department Drome, France). Due to the unfavourable preservation of most specimens, only 18 previously described species could be identified, while the major ity was named in open nomenclature. Newly described species are: Nummogaultina tricarinata, Pseudoliotina? parva, Brouzetdiscus? carinatus, Colpomphalus spiralocostatus, Costatomphalus moosleitneri and Bleytonella circumlata. Brouzetdiscus, Costatomphalus and Bleytonella were identified as new genera. Barremian gastropod faunas of south France described in the ear lier literature can be assigned to different facies. Accordingly, the great majority of taxa recorded from Serre de Bleyton inhabited shallow water environments of the outer platform. Only two taxa originate from inner platformlagoons. A single taxon of land snails has by-passed the shelf before it was deposited in basin floor fans of the Vocontian Trough.
Comparison of Fundamental Movement Skills and Physical Fitness in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Elementary School Children

Objective: Investigation of fundamental movement skills (FMS) and physical fitness differences among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White elementary school children. Materials and Methods: This study included 194 children aged between 4 and 11 in kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades. For evaluable participants, t-tests were used to test potential differences in fitness or fundamental movement skills. Results: There were significant group differences across the participants in terms of age, height, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, arm circumference, and waist circumference. In addition, there were significant differences between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White groups in terms of catching, running, dodging, punting, and two-hand striking (p’s < 0.05). Lastly, there were significant differences between Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White in pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups (p’s < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study shows Hispanic children have lower fundamental movement skills and physical fitness compared to their Non-Hispanic White peers. As poor fundament movement skills and physical fitness at such a young age may lead to adverse implications for their physical fitness and health in adulthood. Future studies should focus on increasing fitness, and FMS in Hispanic elementary school children.
Characteristics of Ice Drift in the Western Barents Sea Reconstructed by the Data of Ice Trackers Deployed on Drifting Ice of the Barents Sea in 2008 and 2010

Data of Iridium Ice tracking buoys Oceanetic Model 703 deployed on drifting ice in the marginal ice zone and on interior drift ice of the West Barents Sea are analyzed. Mean drift velocities are compared with mean wind velocities and prevailing sea currents in the region. Functions of distributions of absolute ice drift velocities, drift directions, volumetric and shear strain are constructed for different intervals of the ice trackers trajectories and analyzed. The trajectories of ice trackers are compared with ice drift trajectories reconstructed by satellite data provided by IFREMER.
Deep neuromuscular blocking and sugammadex reversing-drug is an efficient strategy permitting successful laparoscopic surgery under low insufflation pressure: Prospective multicenter study

ABSTRACT Objectives To compare using deep neuromuscular blockade during low abdominal insufflation pressure (DNMB/LAIP; n = 67) to conventional blockade and pressure (CNMB/CAIP; n = 68) for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and to evaluate the speed and efficacy of NMB recovery using sugammadex (SGX) as assessed by the Postoperative Quality Recovery Scale. Patients & Methods Rocuronium initiation and maintenance doses were 0.6 and 0.15 mg/Kg, respectively, and neostigmine or SGX was used as reverse agent for CNMB and DNMB, respectively. Abdominal insufflation was terminated at 15 and 8-mmHg, for CAIP and LAIP, respectively. The study outcome is the surgical feasibility under DNMB/LAIP, as judged by the frequency of shift-to-CAIP, surgical field visibility and operative time. Results The frequency of shift-to-CAIP was 2.9% due to surgeons’ inconvenience of LAIP. DNMB allowed significant control of intraoperative (IO) hemodynamic response to surgical manipulations. SGX allowed 3.2 times faster NMB-reversal with significantly higher percentages of patients returned to baseline physiologic statuses. The percentage of patients free of pain and nausea was significantly higher after DNMB/LAIP. At hospital discharge and day-7 PO, 86.6% and 98.5% of patients regained normalcy of their overall perspectives after DNMB/LAIP with a significant difference than after CNMB/CIAP. At 2-week PO, the frequency of shoulder-tip pain (STP) was significantly lower and surgeons’ satisfaction rate was significantly with DNMB/LAIP. Conclusion Laparoscopic cholecystectomy under DNMB/LAIP procedure is feasible and safe with lower incidence and severity of STP and high surgeons’ satisfaction. Sugammadex hastened the recovery of DNMB 3.2 times that of neostigmine-induced recovery of CNMB. Registration NO: RC.3. 9.2023
Visually induced motion sickness and presence in videogames: The role of sound

Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a well-known phenomenon in virtual environments, simulators, and videogames. We conducted an experiment to analyze the role of sound on the severity of VIMS and the feeling of presence in videogames. Thirty-two subjects first watched a pre-recorded sequence of the game “Mirrors Edge” and then played the game actively. Game-play sound was activated for half of the participants. VIMS was measured via the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire and the Fast Motion Sickness Scale, presence was captured using the Presence Questionnaire. Results showed severe VIMS in all participants during the passive video session, whereas active-play revealed only moderate VIMS. However, in both conditions sound turned out to have no effect, neither on the severity of VIMS nor on the amount of presence. We found a moderate negative correlation between VIMS and presence. The results indicate that sound is less important than often thought.
Responses of Nitrifying Bacteria to Aquaculture Chemotherapeutic Agents

As in any animal production industry, disease is inevitable; therefore, it is imperative that aquaculturists are able to effectively manage the disease and maintain their high production levels in an effort to bridge the gap between supply and demand in the seafood industry that has been caused in part by global over-fishing. This management responsibility lies not only in understanding the impact of the treatment on the cultured species, but also in understanding the impact of the treatment to the aquaculture system as an ecosystem. Currently, there is a narrow variety of chemicals approved by either the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the treatment of disease outbreaks and water quality issues in aquaculture. Approved chemotherapeutants include oxytetracycline, Romet-30®, copper, and formalin. Additionally, a number of chemicals, such as Chloramine-T and potassium permanganate, are used off-label for the treatment of aquaculture systems. In this research, these six more commonly used chemotherapeutants were analyzed for their impacts to the nitrifying bacteria in aquaculture systems. It was found that three of the chemotherapeutants: oxytetracycline, Romet-30®, and chelated copper caused inhibition to the nitrifying bacteria at the whole cell level as demonstrated in the results from water quality and specific oxygen uptake rate analyses. The nitrification process resumed once the chemotherapeutant was removed from the system, either by a mandatory water change or by natural degradation. The other three chemicals: formalin, Chloramine-T, and potassium permanganate did not result in any significant inhibition to the nitrification process. Experiments on laboratory-cultured nitrifying bacteria confirmed these findings. These experiments also resulted in the observation that the expression of amoA was upregulated by the copper exposure and inhibited by oxytetracycline and Romet-30®, but began to resume as the antibiotics degraded. Comprehensively, the findings of these analyses demonstrated that, although nitrifiers are well-known to be sensitive to their environment, the ability of nitrifying bacteria to continue their oxidative processes following exposure to chemical stress is inherent to the bacteria themselves rather than simply occurring under the protection of a biofilm community as has been suggested.
An Offshore Wind Resource Assessment and a Look into Model Errors in Wind Forecasts

This dissertation will look at 3 related, but different topics. The first, is a VHF wind profiler network in Southern Ontario and Quebec, the OQnet that provides real time wind measurements from 500m 12000m. This study will look at ways of validating the data from these profilers and comparing them to forecast models such as the Canadian GEM model in Chapter 2. The second part of this thesis will look at offshore wind resource assessment. Wind energy is a clean and viable alternative to burning fossil fuels for energy and is being expanded all over the world. Europe is a global leader when it comes to wind energy and they have expanded this industry to include many offshore wind farms. As Canada looks to accelerate their wind energy production, companies have begun to study the offshore wind resource in the Great Lakes. In 2010, Toronto Hydro started a 2 year wind resource campaign. The lidar installed by Toronto Hydro measured wind speed and direction up to hub height over a 2 year period but there were many gaps in the record. Other instruments, installed by the York
Experimental speculation on scour due to jet flow focusing on the soil particle and the soil element scale level

Scouring due to tsunami causes a decrease in the bearing capacity of structures. Disaster of the breakwater with scour due to tsunami overflow was occurred at Hachinohe-port in East Japan Great Earthquake. The present study attempted to explicate the scouring mechanism due to overflow focusing on the tractive force and the pore water pressure in the sediment ground by using two-type geomaterials that is different permeability. As a result, scour was occurred with tractive force. The scour profile had same profile as proposed by Yeh et al. when sandy soil used. However, we found that the excess pore water pressure was generated in the ground due to jet flow, and liquefaction was occurred. Therefore, we need to recognize that the liquefaction-layer is generated due to overflow.
Store-Operated Calcium Entry Increases Nuclear Calcium in Adult Rat Atrial and Ventricular Cardiomyocytes

Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) in cardiomyocytes may be involved in cardiac remodeling, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We hypothesized that SOCE may increase nuclear calcium, which alters gene expression via calcium/calmodulin-dependent enzyme signaling, and elucidated the underlying cellular mechanisms. An experimental protocol was established in isolated adult rat cardiomyocytes to elicit SOCE by re-addition of calcium following complete depletion of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) calcium and to quantify SOCE in relation to the electrically stimulated calcium transient (CaT) measured in the same cell before SR depletion. Using confocal imaging, calcium changes were recorded simultaneously in the cytosol and in the nucleus of the cell. In ventricular myocytes, SOCE was observed in the cytosol and nucleus amounting to ≈15% and ≈25% of the respective CaT. There was a linear correlation between the SOCE-mediated calcium increase in the cytosol and nucleus. Inhibitors of TRPC or Orai channels reduced SOCE by ≈33–67%, whereas detubulation did not. In atrial myocytes, SOCE with similar characteristics was observed in the cytosol and nucleus. However, the SOCE amplitudes in atrial myocytes were ≈two-fold larger than in ventricular myocytes, and this was associated with ≈1.4- to 3.6-fold larger expression of putative SOCE proteins (TRPC1, 3, 6, and STIM1) in atrial tissue. The results indicated that SOCE in atrial and ventricular myocytes is able to cause robust calcium increases in the nucleus and that both TRPC and Orai channels may contribute to SOCE in adult cardiomyocytes.
Exploring the interplay between Fusobacterium nucleatum with the expression of microRNA, and inflammatory mediators in colorectal cancer

Background Fusobacterium nucleatum has been recognized as an important key bacterium in the cause and spread of colorectal carcinogenesis. Nevertheless, the clinical relevance of F. nucleatum in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its effect on immune factors and the tumor microenvironment have not been fully elucidated. Materials and methods The frequency of F. nucleatum was measured in 100 paired tumor and normal tissue specimens by TaqMan quantification Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). The mRNA expression levels of cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, IL-12β, IL-17, TNF-α, TLR-2, and TLR-4), and miRNAs (miR-21, miR-31) were examined. Eventually, any potential correlations between the molecular and clinicopathological features of the neoplastic samples and the abundance of F. nucleatum were analyzed. Results The relative frequency of F. nucleatum was significantly increased in cancerous tissue compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, the high level of F. nucleatum was significantly associated with histological grade III and IV CRC tissues (P = 0.027 and P = 0.022, respectively) and perineural invasion-positive patients (P = 0.037). In addition, the expression levels of IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α,IL-12β, TLR-2, and TLR-4 as well as miR-21 and miR-31 showed a significant increase in the cancer group. A notable correlation was also observed between the high status of F. nucleatum and the expression of IL-6, TNF-α and miR-21. Conclusion Our results emphasize the importance of F. nucleatum and changes in the expression of genes involved in CRC. Studying the microbial profile and gene expression changes in CRC patients may be a promising approach to improve screening methods and provide therapeutic strategies.
Understanding impacts of water supplementation in a heterogeneous landscape

Artificial water provision is a contentious management issue in southern African savanna conservation areas. Supplementation of permanent water leads to higher herbivore population sizes which can generate greater profits. However, water supplementation can lead to detrimental effects on soils and vegetation surrounding waterpoints. Currently, the impact of artificial waterpoints across properties is understood in terms of the piosphere model: concentric circles with differing degradation levels, focused on waterpoints. Southern African savannas are highly heterogeneous so the suitability of a homogeneity based approach in management is questionable. Provision of water currently follows a relatively high degradation risk strategy on many properties so a sound basis for management is essential. This study assessed the general applicability of the piosphere model by testing the relationship between distance to water and ecological variables (soil functionality and herbaceous and woody vegetation). 23 variables were tested across 22 waterpoints from five properties within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area. Statistical approaches used matched those of previous piosphere studies but only 14% of tests were significant. Although utilisation gradients were found for some variables and some transects, there was no generally applicable pattern. This means that results from previous piosphere studies cannot be transferred to unsampled waterpoints or scaled up across properties. The level of heterogeneity in southern African savannas disrupts the piosphere pattern to such an extent that the model does not form an appropriate basis for management. In order to develop an alternative approach to understanding the functionality of properties which takes into account both water supplementation and heterogeneity, the influence of a range of environmental and management variables on degradation and species composition were tested using ordinations. The best explanation of variation was a combination of environmental and management variables. Broader scale variables such as natural and artificial water availability were more important than finer scale variables such as distance to water. These results were used to develop a basic approach to evaluating property functionality.
Seismites as indicators for Holocene seismicity in the northeastern Ejina Basin, Inner Mongolia

Abstract This paper contributes to the understanding of palaeoseismology in slowly deforming regions by demonstrating the interpretation of soft-sediment deformation to be a valuable tool in identifying palaeoseismicity where the present-day seismicity is low and the geomorphology initially does not indicate active tectonics by the presence of fault scarps, surface ruptures or diverted rivers. The Ejina Basin (also known as the Gaxun Nur Basin or Juyan Lake Basin) in Inner Mongolia exhibits highly variable endorheic lakes, such as the Late Quaternary Juyanze Palaeolake. We assessed the Holocene tectonic activity of the Western Juyanze Palaeolake Basin, situated within the Ejina Basin, by identifying seismites and a previously unknown normal fault. Deformation mechanisms other than earthquakes, such as landslides or cryoturbation in permafrost, can be excluded. Far-field and near-field seismic sources are considered to have generated the soft-sediment deformation structures. As the occurrence of seismites is restricted to the Western Juyanze Palaeolake Basin and there is Pleistocene–Holocene activity on the Tienehu Fault, a near-field source is most likely.