Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information structure in language acquisition. Production and comprehension of (in)definite articles by German-speaking children

Abstract The present study investigates the production and comprehension of indefinite and definite articles as markers of givenness by typically-developing German-speaking children, from the perspective of information structure theory. The study involves 93 typically-developing children aged four to seven years old with normal language-skills and 20 adults. The results of a story-narration task and a truth-value judgment task reveal that children have more problems with new than with given referents in production as well as comprehension suggesting a “given better than new”-pattern. These findings are explained in the context of perspective-taking capacities and cue weighting theory.
Physiological studies on xylose induction and glucose repression of xylanolytic enzymes in Aspergillus sydowii MG49

Synthesis of extracellular xylanase and intracellular β-xylosidase in Aspergillus sydowii is induced in the presence of both d- and l-xylose in addition to xylobiose and β-d-methyl xyloside. Glucose exhibits a transient catabolite repression which can be partially overcome by external addition of 100 μM dibutyryl 3′,5′-cAMP but not by that of cAMP itself. In the presence of xylose or other inducers this cyclic nucleotide stimulates the rate of xylanolytic enzyme synthesis by 85% and 129% for xylanase and β-xylosidase, respectively.
COVID‐19 under spotlight: A close look at the origin, transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of the 2019‐nCoV disease

Months after the outbreak of a new flu‐like disease in China, the entire world is now in a state of caution. The subsequent less‐anticipated propagation of the novel coronavirus disease, formally known as COVID‐19, not only made it to headlines by an overwhelmingly high transmission rate and fatality reports, but also raised an alarm for the medical community all around the globe. Since the causative agent, SARS‐CoV‐2, is a recently discovered species, there is no specific medicine for downright treatment of the infection. This has led to an unprecedented societal fear of the newly born disease, adding a psychological aspect to the physical manifestation of the virus. Herein, the COVID‐19 structure, epidemiology, pathogenesis, etiology, diagnosis, and therapy have been reviewed.
New information for Ilex phylogenetics based on the plastid psbA-trnH intergenic spacer (Aquifoliaceae).

The aim of the present work was to clarify the origin and phylogenetic position of the species belonging to the genus Ilex (Aquifoliaceae), especially the South American species. Phylogenetic relationships of the genus Ilex were investigated using the plastid psbA-trnH intergenic spacer and parsimony and Bayesian analyses. The psbA-trnH intergenic spacer was shown to evolve slowly within Ilex, but a major gap present in this region was useful in the phylogenetic study of the genus. To obtain more potentially parsimonious characters, atpB-rbcL intergenic spacer data were combined with those for psbA-trnH. Many gaps present in the psbA-trnH region were useful in the phylogenetic study of the genus Ilex. The topology of the trees showed that, in general, the clades are strongly related to geographical areas, a fact especially evident in certain different Asian lineages. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 159, 182–193.
Software-Defined Coexisting UAV and WiFi: Delay-Oriented Traffic Offloading and UAV Placement

Software-defined networking (SDN) is a cutting-edge technology, featuring a centralized control that facilitates, e.g., flexible deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). On the other hand, UAV-enabled communication is a promising technology due to its numerous traits such as the ability of on-demand deployment and the high likelihood of strong line-of-sight (LoS) communication links. However, UAV-enabled communication suffers non-perpetual nodes and intermittent communication links. Fortunately, SDN provisions an unparalleled global vision on such dynamic network architecture to overcome the challenges of loose links and disappearing nodes. On the other hand, there are catastrophic or remote regions where a UAV-mounted base station (BS) potentially functions without a terrestrial BS, albeit a WiFi access point (AP) may still exist. Therefore, this paper considers software-defined coexisting UAV-mounted BS (UBS) and WiFi AP, and investigates the queuing delay behavior via the UBS positioning and the AP traffic offloading. The subscribers (users) are divided into cellular subscribers (CSs) and WiFi subscribers (WSs). A CS is connected to the UBS and is possibly granted simultaneous access to the AP, leading to WiFi traffic offloading. Leveraging the software-defined global view, the objective of a software-defined controller (SDC) is to minimize the average M/M/1 queuing delay of the CSs, while guaranteeing the delay performance for the WSs, via optimizing the spectrum allocation, the UBS position, the CS association to the AP, and the CS traffic offloading. The optimization problem is non-convex, comprising binary variables, for which we use the block coordinate descent and successive convex approximation methods to find a high-quality solution. Numerical results verify that our solution achieves significant performance gains over benchmark schemes.
Adherence to a plant-based diet in relation to adipose tissue volumes and liver fat content.

BACKGROUND Better adherence to plant-based diets has been linked to lower risk of metabolic diseases but the effect on abdominal fat distribution and liver fat content is unclear. OBJECTIVES We aimed to examine the association between different plant-based diet indices and measures of abdominal fat distribution and liver fat content. METHODS In a population-based sample of 578 individuals from Northern Germany (57% male, median age 62 y), diet was assessed with a validated FFQ and an overall, a healthy, and an unhealthy plant-based diet index were derived. Participants underwent MRI to assess volumes of visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue and liver signal intensity (LSI), a measure of liver fat content. Fatty liver disease (FLD) was defined as log LSI ≥3.0. Cross-sectional associations of the plant-based diet indices with visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat volumes, LSI, and FLD were assessed in linear and logistic regression analyses. The most comprehensive model adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol, physical activity, energy intake, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and BMI. RESULTS Higher overall and healthy plant-based diet indices both revealed statistically significant associations with lower visceral and subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue volumes and with lower odds of FLD in multivariable-adjusted models without BMI. Upon additional adjustment for BMI, only the association of the healthy plant-based diet with visceral adipose tissue remained statistically significant (per 10-point higher healthy plant-based diet index, percentage change in visceral adipose tissue: -4.9%, 95% CI: -8.6%, -2.0%). None of the plant-based diet indices was associated with LSI. The unhealthy plant-based diet index was unrelated to any of the abdominal or liver fat parameters. CONCLUSIONS Adherence to healthy plant-based diets was associated with lower visceral adipose tissue. None of the other examined associations remained statistically significant after adjustment for BMI.
Cardiovascular outcomes, heart failure and mortality in type 2 diabetic patients treated with glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs): A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational cohort studies

Cardiovascular outcomes trials (CVOTs) have assessed the effects of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs) on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality in high cardiovascular (CV) risk populations. Observational research can provide complementary evidence about these effects in unselected populations.
Parasitismo de Acarophenax lacunatus (Cross & Krantz) (Prostigmata: Acarophenacidae) sobre Dinoderus minutus (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

Published information on biological control of stored product insects by mites is meagre, although these arthropods are frequently found in the grain mass. The experiment was carried out aiming to assess the parasitism of the biological control agent Acarophenax lacunatus (Cross & Krantz) on populations of Dinoderus minutus (Fabr.). The experimental units consisted of 1.7 L glass jars containing 100 g of dry cassava, infested with 20 adults of D. minutus. Three days afterwards, four female physogastric mites were inoculated on each experimental unit. Four replicates were used for each treatment. It was observed that the mite has higher biotic potential than the host D. minutus. The egg parasitism (%) showed a high efficiency of A. lacunatus as a biological control agent of D. minutus, what led to a significant decrease of beetle populations. There was also a decrease in cassava weight loss due to the mite presence. Up to this data, A. lacunatus was reported parasitizing only eggs of R. dominica, however this report broadens the possibility of using this mite species in integrated pest management programs in storage environments.
Evidence summaries and recommendations from the international evidence‐based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome: Lifestyle management

Lifestyle is fundamental in chronic disease prevention and management, and it has been recommended as a first‐line treatment in the Australian polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) guideline 2011. The first international evidence‐based guideline on PCOS was developed in 2018, which expanded the scope and evidence in the Australian guideline. This paper summarizes the lifestyle recommendations and evidence summaries from the guideline. International multidisciplinary guideline development groups delivered the International Evidence‐based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 2018. The process followed the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II and The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Extensive communication and meetings addressed six prioritized clinical questions through five reviews. Evidence‐based recommendations were formulated before consensus voting within the panel. Evidence shows the benefits of multicomponent lifestyle intervention, efficacy of exercise and weight gain prevention with no specific diet recommended. Lifestyle management is the first‐line management in the intervention hierarchy in PCOS. Multicomponent lifestyle intervention including diet, exercise and behavioural strategies is central to PCOS management with a focus on weight and healthy lifestyle behaviours. The translation programme optimizes reach and dissemination for health professionals and consumers.
Blockade of p38 kinase impedes the mobilization of protumorigenic myeloid populations to impact breast cancer metastasis

Patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) have limited therapeutic options and novel treatments are critically needed. Prior research implicates tumor‐induced mobilization of myeloid cell populations in metastatic progression, as well as being an unfavorable outcome in MBC; however, the underlying mechanisms for these relationships remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence for a novel mechanism by which p38 promotes metastasis. Using triple‐negative breast cancer models, we showed that a selective inhibitor of p38 (p38i) significantly reduced tumor growth, angiogenesis, and lung metastasis. Importantly, p38i decreased the accumulation of myeloid populations, namely, myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and CD163+ tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs). p38 controlled the expression of tumor‐derived chemokines/cytokines that facilitated the recruitment of protumor myeloid populations. Depletion of MDSCs was accompanied by reduced TAM infiltration and phenocopied the antimetastatic effects of p38i. Reciprocally, p38i increased tumor infiltration by cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the CD163+/CD8+ expression ratio inversely correlated with metastasis‐free survival in breast cancer, suggesting that targeting p38 may improve clinical outcomes. Overall, our study highlights a previously unknown p38‐driven pathway as a therapeutic target in MBC.
Identification of circRNA and mRNA expression profiles and functional networks of vascular tissue in lipopolysaccharide‐induced sepsis

Sepsis is the most common cause of death in intensive care units. This study investigated the circular RNA (circRNA) and mRNA expression profiles and functional networks of the aortic tissue in sepsis. We established a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced rat sepsis model. High‐throughput sequencing was performed on the aorta tissue to identify differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs and mRNAs, which were validated by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Bioinformatic analysis was carried out and coding and non‐coding co‐expression (CNC) and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks were constructed to investigate the mechanisms. In total, 373 up‐regulated and 428 down‐regulated circRNAs and 2063 up‐regulated and 2903 down‐regulated mRNAs were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of mRNAs showed that the down‐regulated genes were mainly enriched in the process of energy generation. CNC and ceRNA regulatory networks were constructed with seven DE circRNAs. The results of functional enrichment analysis of CNC target genes revealed the important role of circRNAs in inflammatory response. The ceRNA network also highlighted the significant enrichment in calcium signalling pathway. Significant alterations in circRNAs and mRNAs were observed in the aortic tissue of septic rats. In addition, CNC and ceRNA networks were established.
Learning Depth for Scene Reconstruction Using an Encoder-Decoder Model

Depth estimation has received considerable attention and is often applied to visual simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for scene reconstruction. At least to our knowledge, sufficiently reliable depth always fails to be provided for monocular depth estimation-based SLAM because new image features are rarely re-exploited effectively, local features are easily lost, and relative depth relationships among depth pixels are readily ignored in previous depth estimation methods. Based on inaccurate monocular depth estimation, SLAM still faces scale ambiguity problems. To accurately achieve scene reconstruction based on monocular depth estimation, this paper makes three contributions. (1) We design a depth estimation model (DEM), consisting of a precise encoder to re-exploit new features and a decoder to learn local features effectively. (2) We propose a loss function using the depth relationship of pixels to guide the training of DEM. (3) We design a modular SLAM system containing DEM, feature detection, descriptor computation, feature matching, pose prediction, keyframe extraction, loop closure detection, and pose-graph optimization for pixel-level scene reconstruction. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the DEM and DEM-based SLAM are effective. (1) Our DEM predicts more reliable depth than the state of the arts when inputs are RGB images, sparse depth, or the fusion of both on public datasets. (2) The DEM-based SLAM system achieves comparable accuracy as compared with well-known modular SLAM systems.
A Survey on Blockchain-Based Self-Sovereign Patient Identity in Healthcare

Convergence of physical and digital identity and integration of various individual records, such as patient data, into a united repository remains a serious challenge. On one hand, collecting relevant data can help clinicians, specialists and healthcare service providers to facilitate care for patients. On the other hand, Self-Sovereign identity and the right to control personal data comes into question, because patients do not handle their data explicitly. Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is a novel method which would allow to securely record time-stamped data and enable patient-driven health and identity records. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art in Blockchain (BC)-based self-sovereignty and patient data records in healthcare. Our motivation is to investigate the potential of BC technology for use in the patient data and identity management. As a distributed decentralized technology, BC can be very beneficial, giving patients control over their own data and self-sovereign identity. To the extent of our knowledge, there is no literature covering the same concerns. More specifically, the focus is on solutions that aim the realization of holistic BC-based Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Patient Health Records (PHR). EHR and PHR are used to record patient data, such as the doctor’s notes upon a visit and radiology images. Hence, they include critical information regarding patient’s privacy and identity. Therefore, development of pure decentralized Healthcare Information Systems (HIS) is a great challenge in terms of architectural and technical structure of the systems. Designing robust and reliable EHR and PHR, which represent the foundation of many other healthcare services, relies on carefully finding the balance in a trade-off between many factors, such as level of decentralization, privacy, scalability and data throughput. In this paper, we review the state-of-the-art and provide an analysis on the design trade-offs.
Transitions between community complexes: a case study analysing gradients through mountain ridges in south Hungary

Abstract The study of boundaries is a recurring theme in ecology. However, boundaries have been examined mainly on fine scales (between communities) and on coarse scales (between biomes), while boundaries of intermediate scales (e.g. between community complexes) are quite neglected. In this study, we analysed boundaries between mesic and xeric community complexes in a sub-Mediterranean karst area of South Hungary. We applied the moving split window (MSW) technique for boundary analysis. First, since the behaviour ofMSWconcerning complex vegetation patterns is not fully understood, we prepared artificial datasets (simulated communities) to test its capacities. Second, we established north-south oriented belt transects across mountain ridges of the Villány Mts, and investigated the transition between the community complexes of differently exposed slopes. UsingMSW, we were able clearly to distinguish between transitional zones and zones that do not represent real transitions: peaks in the Z-score profile of MSW merge only in the case of transitional zones. Moreover, we found that peaks merge depending on the independence (distinctness) of the transitional zone: when it is distinct, peaks merge only at the largest window widths. In the Villány Mts, transitions seem to occur mostly in the grasslands north of the ridges. We demonstrated that these grasslands can be regarded as boundaries between mesic and xeric complexes or as zones in their own right, with their own two boundaries. Interpretation depends upon the scale of observation.
Developmental Behaviour of Leaf Blight of Taro Caused by Phytophthora colocasiae

Phytophthora leaf blight is a major fungal disease of taro (Colocasia esculenta var. antiquorum) which infects the leaves, petioles and corms. The experiment was conducted to study the effect of different weather parameters viz., temperature, average relative humidity, cumulative rainfall and sunshine on the developmental behavior of Phytophthora leaf blight. The correlation studies indicated that maximum temperature, average relative humidity, cumulative rainfall and sunshine hours were positive but significantly correlated in all the genotypes in Kharif 2006 & 2007 respectively. However, the minimum temperature had a negative correlation with respect to disease development in all taro genotypes. The highest value of regression coefficient (97%) was recorded on genotype NDC-50, while the lowest regression coefficient was observed in genotype NDC-1 (80%) in both the years. The present investigation revealed that frequent rainfall, maximum temperature in the range of (21–32°C), high relative humidity (100%) and bright sunshine hours had a positive correlation on the development of disease in taro.
Daily Temperature and Bacillary Dysentery: Estimated Effects, Attributable Risks, and Future Disease Burden in 316 Chinese Cities

Background: Bacillary dysentery (BD) remains a significant public health issue, especially in developing countries. Evidence assessing the risk of BD from temperature is limited, particularly from national studies including multiple locations with different climatic characteristics. Objectives: We estimated the effect of temperature on BD across China, assessed heterogeneity and attributable risks across cities and regions, and projected the future risk of BD under climate change. Methods: Daily BD surveillance and meteorological data over 2014–2016 were collected from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the China Meteorology Administration, respectively. A two-stage statistical model was used to estimate city-specific temperature–BD relationships that were pooled to derive regional and national estimates. The risk of BD attributable to temperature was estimated, and the future burden of BD attributable to temperature was projected under different climate change scenarios. Results: A positive linear relationship for the pooled effect was estimated at the national level. Subgroup analyses indicate that the estimated effect of temperature on BD was similar by age (≤5y or >5y) and gender. At baseline, estimated attributable risks for BD due to average daily mean temperatures above the 50th percentile were highest for the Inner Mongolia (16%), Northeast China (14%), and Northern China (13%). Most of the individual cities in the same regions and most of the cities in the Northwest, Southern, and Southwest regions, had high attributable risks (≥5%). The Northern, Northeast, Inner Mongolia, Northwest, and Southern China regions were identified as high risk for future BD, with estimated increases by the 2090s compared with baseline of 20% (95% confidence interval: 11%, 27%), 15% (6%, 20%), 15% (−1%, 22%), 12% (1%, 19%), and 11% (5%, 15%), respectively, under Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5. Conclusions: The positive association between temperature and BD in different climatic regions of China, and the projection for increased risk due to climate change, support efforts to mitigate future risks. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5779
Hypertension in the elderly: recent developments and insights.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article will summarize the effects of more intensive blood pressure (BP) control on cardiovascular, cognitive, and renal outcomes among elderly (age ≥75 years) individuals at high risk for cardiovascular events. Subsets of patients who may not benefit and obstacles to implementation will be addressed. The authors' insights will conclude the review. RECENT FINDINGS A burst of new research regarding the effects of lower BP targets on cardiovascular, cognitive, and renal endpoints among the elderly has been published. Achieved values of 123 mmHg systolic in those without diabetes or prior stroke revealed striking declines in all-cause mortality, heart failure, and stroke. Although there was no benefit on the incidence of dementia, mild cognitive impairment was reduced. A trend towards modest declines in renal function and higher adverse event rates with normalization of BP were noted. Whether those with poor functional status or diastolic hypotension realize comparable gains remains unknown. SUMMARY Intensive BP control (systolic goal 120-130 mmHg systolic) results in lower rates of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac events. Elderly individuals with a good functional status and no history of diabetes or stroke are suitable candidates.