Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acute Success and Long-term Follow-up of Catheter Ablation of Isthmus-dependent Atrial Flutter; A Comparison of 10 mm Tip Standard, 6 mm Tip Irrigated Radiofrequency, and Cryotherapy Catheters

Various catheter ablation technologies have evolved to improve the procedural success and safety of cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) block. Numerous studies have compared the different energy types, catheter tip sizes, and energy settings [1-3]. Irrigated or large-tip catheters have a theoretical advantage of creating wider and deeper lesions than the conventional catheters [4,5]. Disadvantageous aspects of radiofrequency (RF) energy include pain, overheating with popping, char formation, and a risk to the coronary arteries [6]. Cryoablation (CRYO) is a relatively recent addition to the transvenous ablation armamentarium and has been shown to be comparable to RF. The development of 10 mm tip RF (10RF), 4.0 mm open-irrigated-tip RF (IRRF), and 8 mm tip cryothermy ablation catheter has increased the interest in this technology for atrial flutter (AFL) ablation. There have been no randomized comparative studies published comparing CRYO, 10RF and IRRF. Abstract
The Invasive Vespidae in South Africa: Potential Management Strategies and Current Status

Vespula germanica (Fabricius) and Polistes dominula (Christ) are known to represent a significant threat to the biodiversity of ecosystems that they invade. Following their discovery in South Africa, there has been a lag in investigations into the presence and spread of both invasive wasp species in South Africa with limited action taken to address their expansion. Recent research indicated that populations of both species are still restricted to the Western Cape Region, where the Cape Fold Mountain Belt seems to serve as a barrier to further spread to the rest of South Africa. The limited distribution range creates a favourable scenario for management efforts and, if acted on rapidly, increases the possibility of successful control. Various control methods, including mechanical, chemical and biological control have been developed and implemented internationally in an effort to curb population expansion of social wasps. These methods, together with a summary of the initiatives that have been launched locally to control these wasp species, are discussed in this review.
Off-Target Movement of Diglycolamine Dicamba to Non-dicamba Soybean Using Practices to Minimize Primary Drift

Abstract Soybean with resistance to dicamba (DR soybean) and glyphosate and cotton with resistance to glyphosate, glufosinate, and dicamba were recently commercialized in the United States and have been readily adopted. To evaluate results of over-the-top application of dicamba in DR crops, field studies were designed to examine off-target movement using proposed sprayer setup recommendations. Association analysis and nonlinear regression techniques were used to examine the effects of 26 field-scale drift trials conducted in 2014 and 2015 during soybean reproductive development (R1 through R6). The greatest predictors (injury, height reduction) of soybean yield reduction generally occurred and had steeper relationships after drift events at the R1 growth stage than at later stages. Using non-DR soybean as an indicator, dicamba was documented to move as much as 152m from the application area (distance to 5% injury). Instances of height reduction (5%) differed among growth stages, with the greatest distance occurring at R1 (83.4 m). Soybean yield reduction was erratic, with the greatest distance to 5% loss in yield occurring at 42.8 m after an R1 drift event. Overall, the data suggest floweringstage soybean is more sensitive than later reproductive soybean to injury, height reductions, and yield loss. Average and maximum wind speeds did not account for the injury documented from dicamba, and it is hypothesized that other meteorological variables also play a notable role in dicamba off-target movement as well as growing conditions following exposure. With concerns surrounding off-target movement of dicamba, proper stewardship of this new technology will be key to its longevity. Nomenclature: dicamba; glufosinate; glyphosate; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. ; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.
Judge Bias in Labor Courts and Firm Performance

Does labor court uncertainty and judge subjectivity influence firms’ performance? We study the economic consequences of judge decisions by collecting information on more than 145,000 Appeal court rulings, combined with administrative firm-level records covering the whole universe of French firms. The quasi-random assignment of judges to cases reveals that judge bias has statistically significant effects on the survival, employment, and sales of small low-performing firms. However, we find that the uncertainty associated with the actual dispersion of judge bias is small and has a non-significant impact on their average outcomes.
The effect of dietary phytase and various available phosphorus levels on performance and egg quality in Japanese quail

SUMMARY Birds show poor utilization of phytic phosphorus in their diets because of the lack of endogenous enzymes to digest phosphorus and make it bioavailable. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate phytase supplementation in the diets of laying quails. Eighty quails were used in a completely randomized experimental design with five treatments and four replicates of four birds each. The treatments were as follows: 0.35% Pd; 0.20% Pd; 0.20% Pd + 500FTUs of phytase; 0.09% Pd; 0.09% Pd + 500 FTUs of phytase. The birds were housed in metallic batteries during a trial period of 21 days, for evaluation of egg production, egg weight, feed intake and feed conversion. After being collected, the eggs were sent to the nutrition laboratory of the department of zootechnics of the CEO/Udesc, where analyses of albumin, yolk and shell quality were performed. The results were subjected to analysis of variance, and the differences between the averages were compared using the Tukey test at 5% of significance. No differences (P> 0.05) were observed in terms of performance and egg quality parameters. We conclude that the inclusion of phytase in the diet of laying quails can be accomplished without compromising the performance and quality of the eggs. Additionally, 0.09% of 22 disponible phosphorus can be used to grant adequate performance for 21 days.
Federal Monitoring of Dietary Supplement Use in the Resident, Civilian, Noninstitutionalized US Population, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective This review summarizes the current and previous data on dietary supplement (DS) use collected from participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), describes the NHANES dietary supplement database used to compute nutrient intakes from DSs, discussed recent developments and future direction, and describes many examples to demonstrate the utility of these data in informing nutrition research and policy. Background and History Since 1971, NHANES, has been collecting information on the use of DSs from participants. These data are critical to national nutrition surveillance and have been used to characterize usage patterns, examine trends over time, assess the percentage of the population meeting or exceeding nutrient recommendations, and to help elucidate the sources contributing nutrients to the diet of the US population. Rationale Over half of adults and about one-third of children in the United States use at least one dietary supplement in the past 30 days. Dietary supplements contribute to the dietary intake of nutrients and bioactive compounds in the US and therefore need to be assessed when monitoring nutritional status of the population and when studying diet-health associations. Recent Developments With the recent development and availability of the Dietary Supplement Label Database (DSLD), a comprehensive DS database that will eventually contain labels for all products marketed in the US, NHANES DS data will be more easily linked to product information to estimate nutrient intake from DS. Future Directions Over time, NHANES has both expanded and improved collection methods. The continued understanding of sources of error in collection methods will continue to be explored and is critical to improved accuracy. Conclusions NHANES provides a rich source of nationally representative data on the usage of dietary supplements in the US.
Association study in different generations of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract Six generations (parents, first and second filial generations and two backcrosses) of two cross combinations of Maize (Zea mays L.) were studied for nature of gene action and correlated response for the five quantitative traits (viz., days to silking, days to maturity, ear height, cob weight per plant and grain yield per day). Significant role of dominance gene action was found for the inheritance of most of the traits. Additive gene action and epistatic interaction were also evident for the inheritance of different traits. A test of homogeneity of simple linear correlation coefficient from different generations revealed the existence of significantly different extent of association between the traits in different cross combinations. The significant correlations in parents were different from that of filial generations. Similarly, the expressivity of genes was found changed in segregating and non-segregating generations too for significantly associated traits. Based on the mode of inheritance and association of these traits, the choice of breeding procedures would be more effective for the improvement of parental material.
Applying CRISPR-based genetic screens to identify drivers of tumor-cell sensitivity towards NK-cell attack

Natural killer (NK) cells distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells using an array of germline-encoded receptors that interact with ligands expressed on target cells. A balance of inhibitory and activating signals transduced by these receptors regulate NK cell function to provide anti-tumor immunity while maintaining self-tolerance. However, knowledge of the spectrum of factors regulating NK-cell-mediated cytotoxicity, including the contribution of specific ligands and regulatory mechanisms for their expression on tumor cells, remains incomplete. Here, we apply a genome-wide loss-of-function screen in tumor cells using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to identify the factors that promote NK-cell cytotoxicity towards tumor cells. We established the drivers of tumor-cell sensitivity towards NK-cell attack (TuSeNKA) screening approach using the chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell line, K562. Interestingly, we identified B7H6, the ligand for the activating NK cell receptor NKp30, as the single factor whose loss resulted in increased resistance of K562 cells towards NK cells. Our study shows that combination of CRISPR-based genetic screens with NK-cell cytotoxicity assays is a valuable tool for identifying functionally relevant NK cell-tumor cell interactions, paving the way for further investigations that unravel the complexity of signals that promote NK-cell recognition of transformed cells and develop therapies that target these modes of tumor-cell killing.
Maternal RhD heterozygous genotype is associated with male biased secondary sex ratio

The results of previous studies overwhelmingly suggest that RhD positive heterozygotes express better health status than Rh positive homozygous, especially in RhD negative subjects. This also applies to pregnant women. According to the Trivers-Willard hypothesis, women in better physical condition should have a male-skewed sex ratio. The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that RhD positive heterozygous mothers give birth to more sons than daughters. In the present cross-sectional study, we analysed data from 5,655 women who have given birth in the General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic between 2008-2012. Clinical records comprised maternal weight before pregnancy, number of previous deliveries, sex of the newborn, maternal RhD phenotype, and RhD phenotype of the newborn. Secondary sex ratio was significantly higher (P=0.028) in RhD positive mothers who had RhD negative newborns, i.e. in heterozygotes (SR=1.23), than in RhD positive mothers who had RhD positive newborns, i.e. in a mixed population of heterozygotes and homozygotes (SR=1.00), especially in primiparous women (P=0.013; SR=1.37 and 0.99 resp.). In line with the Trivers-Willard effect, RhD maternal heterozygous genotype is associated with male biased secondary sex ratio. The results supported the hypothesis that RhD polymorphism may be maintained due to heterozygote health advantages.
Molecular and cytological evidences denied the immediate-hybrid hypothesis for Saxifraga yuparensis (sect. Bronchiales, Saxifragaceae) endemic to Mt. Yubari in Hokkaido, northern Japan

SAYA TAMURA, TOMOKO FUKUDA, ELENA A. PIMENOVA, EKATERINA A. PETRUNENKO, PAVEL V. KRESTOV, SVETLANA N. BONDARCHUK, OLGA A. CHERNYAGINA, YOSHIHISA SUYAMA, YOSHIHIRO TSUNAMOTO, AYUMU MATSUO, HAYATO TSUBOI, HIDEKI TAKAHASHI, KEN SATO, YOKO NISHIKAWA, TAKASHI SHIMAMURA, HIROKO FUJITA & KOH NAKAMURA An alpine plant Saxifraga yuparensis is endemic to a scree consisting of greenschist of Mt. Yubari in Hokkaido, Japan and it has been proposed as an immediate hybrid derived from two species of the same section Bronchiales based on morphological intermediacy: namely S. nishidae, a diploid species endemic to a nearby cliff composed of greenschist and tetraploid S. rebunshirensis comparatively broadly distributed in Japan and Russian Far East. Saxifraga yuparensis is red-listed and it is crucial for conservation planning to clarify whether this is an immediate hybrid and lacks a unique gene pool. The immediate-hybrid hypothesis was tested by molecular and cytological data. In nuclear ribosomal and chloroplast DNA trees based on maximum parsimony and Bayesian criteria, S. yuparensis and S. rebunshirensis formed a clade with several other congeners while S. nishidae formed another distinct clade. Genome-wide SNP data clearly separated these three species in principal coordinate space, placing S. yuparensis not in-between of S. rebunshirensis and S. nishidae. Chromosome observation indicated that S. yuparensis is tetraploid, not triploid directly derived from diploid-tetraploid crossing. Additionally, observation of herbarium specimens revealed that leaf apex shape of S. yuparensis fell within the variation of S. rebunshirensis. These results indicate that S. yuparensis is not an immediate hybrid of S. rebunshirensis and S. nishidae but a distinct lineage and an extremely narrow endemic species, that deserves for intensive conservation.
A Hierarchical Blockchain-Enabled Federated Learning Algorithm for Knowledge Sharing in Internet of Vehicles

Internet of Vehicles (IoVs) is highly characterized by collaborative environment data sensing, computing and processing. Emerging big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies show significant advantages and efficiency for knowledge sharing among intelligent vehicles. However, it is challenging to guarantee the security and privacy of knowledge during the sharing process. Moreover, conventional AI-based algorithms cannot work properly in distributed vehicular networks. In this paper, a hierarchical blockchain framework and a hierarchical federated learning algorithm are proposed for knowledge sharing, by which vehicles learn environmental data through machine learning methods and share the learning knowledge with each others. The proposed hierarchical blockchain framework is feasible for the large scale vehicular networks. The hierarchical federated learning algorithm is designed to meet the distributed pattern and privacy requirement of IoVs. Knowledge sharing is then modeled as a trading market process to stimulate sharing behaviours, and the trading process is formulated as a multi-leader and multi-player game. Simulation results show that the proposed hierarchical algorithm can improve the sharing efficiency and learning quality. Furthermore, the blockchain-enabled framework is able to deal with certain malicious attacks effectively.
Species in section Peltidea (aphthosa group) of the genus Peltigera remain cryptic after molecular phylogenetic revision

Abstract Closely related lichen-forming fungal species circumscribed using phenotypic traits (morphospecies) do not always align well with phylogenetic inferences based on molecular data. Using multilocus data obtained from a worldwide sampling, we inferred phylogenetic relationships among five currently accepted morphospecies of Peltigera section Peltidea (P. aphthosa group). Monophyletic circumscription of all currently recognized morphospecies (P. britannica, P. chionophila, P. frippii and P. malacea) except P. aphthosa, which contained P. britannica, was confirmed with high bootstrap support. Following their re-delimitation using bGMYC and Structurama, BPP validated 14 putative species including nine previously unrecognized potential species (five within P. malacea, five within P. aphthosa, and two within P. britannica). Because none of the undescribed potential species are corroborated morphologically, chemically, geographically or ecologically, we concluded that these monophyletic entities represent intraspecific phylogenetic structure, and, therefore, should not be recognized as new species. Cyanobionts associated with Peltidea mycobionts (51 individuals) represented 22 unique rbcLX haplotypes from five phylogroups in Clade II subclades 2 and 3. With rare exceptions, Nostoc taxa involved in trimembered and bimembered associations are phylogenetically closely related (subclade 2) or identical, suggesting a mostly shared cyanobiont pool with infrequent switches. Based on a broad geographical sampling, we confirm a high specificity of Nostoc subclade 2 with their mycobionts, including a mutualistically exclusive association between phylogroup III and specific lineages of P. malacea.
Balıkesir ve Çanakkale İllerinde Buğday Ürünü İçerisine Karışan Yabancı Ot Tohumlarının Belirlenmesi

Arastirma 2015 yilinda Balikesir ve Canakkale illerinde bugday urunune karisan yabanci ot tohumlarinin tur ve miktarlarini belirlemek amaciyla 93 farkli yerden alinan 1 kg’lik orneklerle yurutulmustur. Calisma sonunda 1 kg urune ortalama, Balikesir il genelinde 207 adet, agirlik olarak ise 3.06 g yabanci ot tohumunun karistigi, Canakkale il genelinde ise 181 adet ve 2.98 g yabanci ot tohumu karistigi hesaplanmistir. Her iki ilde de bugday urunu icerisine 15 familyaya ait 45 farkli yabanci ot tohumunun karistigi belirlenmistir. Balikesir il genelinde sayisal olarak en fazla karisan yabanci ot tohumunun Sinapis arvensis L. (77.,53 adet/kg) oldugu belirlenirken, agirlik olarak ise Hordeum vulgare L. (0.7034 g/kg) oldugu saptanmistir. Canakkale il genelinde bugday urunune karisan yabanci ot tohumlari incelendiginde; sayisal olarak Galium aparine L. ’nin (35.18 adet/kg) en fazla karisan yabanci ot oldugu, agirlik olarak ise H. vulgare (0.558 g/kg) en fazla bugday urunune karisan yabanci ot oldugu bulunmustur.
Multiphysical Time- and Frequency-Domain Fault Detection and Isolation Technique for Power-Electronic Converters in DFIG Wind Turbines

A multiphysical time- and frequency-domain fault detection and isolation method for power-electronic converters of wind turbines is presented in this article, with focus on open-circuit faults in doubly-fed induction generator drivetrain topology. In order to reduce the risk of false alarms, the proposed approach combines fault indicators based on a time- and frequency-domain analysis of electrical signals, as well as a frequency-domain analysis of vibration signals. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated via test bench data recorded under different healthy and faulty operating conditions.
Rice grain quality as affected by blast-causing agent (Pyricularia oryzae) along with a molecular analysis of blast resistance at Pi5 and Pi-ta loci

Blast disease is the most devastating disease of rice worldwide, which reduces both quantity and quality of rice production. To assess the effect of fungal agent of blast, Pyricularia oryzae, on some aspects of grain quality of rice, 31 rice cultivars (including 20 local landraces) were evaluated at seedling and post-harvest stages. The cultivars were grown in three replicates in a field surrounded by blast spreader cultivars and at appropriate times blast infection type, grain infection, 100-grain weight and grain quality traits (percentage of broken rice and number of chalky seeds per panicle) were evaluated. For tracking alleles of two major blast resistance genes (including Pi5 and Pi-ta) the respective primer pairs were applied in a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on DNA of the studied cultivars. Evaluation of blast infection type at seedling stage showed that four cultivars were completely resistant, 4 cultivars moderately resistant and 23 cultivars mainly consisted of local landraces were susceptible. Fungal treatment had significant effects on percentages of grain infection and broken rice and not on number of chalky seeds or 100-grain weight. Rice genotypes had significant differences in grain infection and also in 100-grain weight and in two quality traits including percentage of broken rice and number of chalky seeds. Most local landraces showed highest grain infection (14.4-17.6%) compared to improved modern varieties with lowest grain infection (1.3-2.7%). Results also showed that genotype by fungal treatment interaction were only significant for grain infection and broken rice. All susceptible cultivars had higher broken rice relative to resistant cultivars (10.5-13.3% vs. 2.1-4.6%) after blast infection. Molecular survey showed that most susceptible local landraces carry Pi5 dominant allele, while high-yielding modern cultivars don’t carry the allele, indicating that Pi5 does not play a significant role in blast resistance at this time. Furthermore, molecular survey showed that only three cultivars including a local cultivar (Tetep) and two modern ones (IR56, IR24) harbored Pi-ta allele, and Pi-ta explained a high part of variation of blast resistance (R 2 =53.7%). These results indicate the importance of Pi-ta gene for improving rice blast-resistance and grain quality at blast infection conditions.
The genome of the plague-resistant great gerbil reveals species-specific duplication of an MHCII gene

The great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) is a social rodent living in permanent, complex burrow systems distributed throughout Central Asia, where it serves as the main host of several important vector-borne infectious diseases and is defined as a key reservoir species for plague (Yersinia pestis). Studies from the wild have shown that the great gerbil is largely resistant to plague but the genetic basis for resistance is yet to be determined. Here, we present a highly contiguous annotated genome assembly of great gerbil, covering over 96 % of the estimated 2.47 Gb genome. Comparative genomic analyses focusing on the immune gene repertoire, reveal shared gene losses within TLR gene families (i.e. TLR8, TLR10 and all members of TLR11-subfamily) for the Gerbillinae lineage, accompanied with signs of diversifying selection of TLR7 and TLR9. Most notably, we find a great gerbil-specific duplication of the MHCII DRB locus. In silico analyses suggest that the duplicated gene provides high peptide binding affinity for Yersiniae epitopes. The great gerbil genome provides new insights into the genomic landscape that confers immunological resistance towards plague. The high affinity for Yersinia epitopes could be key in our understanding of the high resistance in great gerbils, putatively conferring a faster initiation of the adaptive immune response leading to survival of the infection. Our study demonstrates the power of studying zoonosis in natural hosts through the generation of a genome resource for further comparative and experimental work on plague survival and evolution of host-pathogen interactions.