Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structural weakening of the colonic mucus barrier is an early event in ulcerative colitis pathogenesis

Objective The colonic inner mucus layer protects us from pathogens and commensal-induced inflammation, and has been shown to be defective in active UC. The aim of this study was to determine the underlying compositional alterations, their molecular background and potential contribution to UC pathogenesis. Design In this single-centre case–control study, sigmoid colon biopsies were obtained from patients with UC with ongoing inflammation (n=36) or in remission (n=28), and from 47 patients without colonic disease. Mucus samples were collected from biopsies ex vivo, and their protein composition analysed by nanoliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Mucus penetrability and goblet cell responses to microbial stimulus were assessed in a subset of patients. Results The core mucus proteome was found to consist of a small set of 29 secreted/transmembrane proteins. In active UC, major structural mucus components including the mucin MUC2 (p<0.0001) were reduced, also in non-inflamed segments. Active UC was associated with decreased numbers of sentinel goblet cells and attenuation of the goblet cell secretory response to microbial challenge. Abnormal penetrability of the inner mucus layer was observed in a subset of patients with UC (12/40; 30%). Proteomic alterations in penetrable mucus samples included a reduction of the SLC26A3 apical membrane anion exchanger, which supplies bicarbonate required for colonic mucin barrier formation. Conclusion Core mucus structural components were reduced in active UC. These alterations were associated with attenuation of the goblet cell secretory response to microbial challenge, but occurred independent of local inflammation. Thus, mucus abnormalities are likely to contribute to UC pathogenesis.
Exploratory factor analysis of large data matrices

Nowadays, the most interesting applications have data with many more variables than observations and require dimension reduction. With such data, standard exploratory factor analysis (EFA) cannot be applied. Recently, a generalized EFA (GEFA) model was proposed to deal with any type of data: both vertical data (fewer variables than observations) and horizontal data (more variables than observations). The associated algorithm, GEFALS, is very efficient, but still cannot handle data with thousands of variables. The present work modifies GEFALS and proposes a new very fast version, GEFAN. This is achieved by aligning the dimensions of the parameter matrices to their ranks, thus, avoiding redundant calculations. The GEFALS and GEFAN algorithms are compared numerically with well‐known data.
The Swampland: Introduction and Review

The Swampland program aims to distinguish effective theories which can be completed into quantum gravity in the ultraviolet from those which cannot. This article forms an introduction to the field, assuming only a knowledge of quantum field theory and general relativity. It also forms a comprehensive review, covering the range of ideas that are part of the field, from the Weak Gravity Conjecture, through compactifications of String Theory, to the de Sitter conjecture.
Treatment of venous ulcers with growth factors: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To identify evidence about the effects of growth factor application on venous ulcer healing. METHOD Systematic review and meta-analysis, including Randomized Clinical Trials. Searches: Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane CENTRAL, LILACS, Web of Science, Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations; Google Scholar and list of references. RESULTS 802 participants were recruited from the 10 included studies: 472 in the intervention group (growth factors) and 330 as control. The relative risk for the complete healing outcome was 1.06 [95% CI 0.92-1.22], p = 0.41. Participants who received Platelet-Rich Plasma and Epidermal Growth Factor showed a slight tendency to achieve complete healing, but without statistical relevance (p <0.05). Most of the studies were classified as moderate risk of bias. CONCLUSION The effect of the application of growth factors for complete healing in venous ulcers is not clear, and clinical trials with methodological quality are required for more accurate recommendations.
Exploring the use of testers to maximize selection accuracy of partially inbred S3 popcorn progenies

The development of superior hybrid cultivars depends on the identification of lines with greater combining ability. This study compared the discrimination and combining ability of four testers when crossed with 43 partially endogamous S3 popcorn (Zea mays L. var. everta) progenies by the Residual or Restricted Maximum Likelihood and Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (REML/BLUP) approach. Yield and morphological components of genotypes were evaluated. The experiment was arranged in a complete block design with three replicates at two locations (in the North and Northwestern regions of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil). The REML/BLUP approach was able to efficiently discriminate and estimate the combining abilities for all traits assessed. Testers BRS-Angela and P2 had positive effects on all yield components, indicating their suitability as potential parents of hybrids in crosses with S3 progenies. The negative genotypic effects were the highest for the testers IAC 125 and UENF 14, indicating that they could be used to adequately identify the progenies with the highest potential among the evaluated genotypes. Overall, at both locations, tester IAC 125 was the best discriminator of the relative merits of S3 progenies, while BRSAngela was the tester with the best hybrid yield.
Milky Way globular clusters in γ-rays: analysing the dynamical formation of millisecond pulsars

Globular clusters (GCs) are evolved stellar systems containing entire populations of millisecond pulsars (MSPs), which are efficient γ-ray emitters. Observations of this emission can be used as a powerful tool to explore the dynamical processes leading to binary system formation in GCs. In this work, 9 yr of Fermi Large-Area Telescope data were used to investigate the γ-ray emission from all GCs in the Milky Way. Twenty-three clusters were found as γ-ray bright, with two of them never having been reported before. It was also found that magnetic braking probably has a smaller impact on the formation rate of binary systems in metal-rich GCs than previously suggested, while a large value for the two-body encounter rate seems to be a necessary condition. The influence of the encounter rate per formed binary was for the first time explored in conjunction with γ-ray data, giving evidence that if this quantity is very high, binary systems will get destroyed before having time to evolve into MSPs, thus decreasing the total number of MSPs in a GC. No extended emission was found even for clusters whose optical extent is ≈0.5°; all of them are point-like sources spatially in agreement with the optical cores of the GCs, supporting previous X-ray results of heavier objects sinking into the clusters’ cores via dynamical friction. The possibility of extrapolating these results to ultra-compact dwarf galaxies is discussed, as these systems are believed to be the intermediate case between GCs and dwarf galaxies.
Fair Odds for Noisy Probabilities

We suggest that one individual holds multiple degrees of belief about an outcome, given the evidence. We then investigate the implications of such noisy probabilities for a buyer and a seller of binary options and find the odds agreed upon to ensure zero-expectation betting, differ from those consistent with the relative frequency of outcomes. More precisely, the buyer and the seller agree to odds that are higher (lower) than the reciprocal of their averaged unbiased probabilities when this average indicates the outcome is more (less) likely to occur than chance. The favorite-longshot bias thereby emerges to establish the foundation of an equitable market. As corollaries, our work suggests the old-established way of revealing someone's degree of belief through wagers may be more problematic than previously thought, and implies that betting markets cannot generally promise to support rational decisions.
‘Bondslaves and Pagans shall our Statesmen be’: Interracial Marriage and Transgression in Othello

The representation of race, ethnicity and cultural difference has become a focal point in recent Shakespearean and early modern scholarship. Nevertheless, the issue of interracial marriage has not yet been given its due even though it unravels the most intimate and significant encounter with otherness, not only for the couple involved, but also with reference to their society at large. This essay explores the dynamics and politics of interracial marriage in Othello (1604). My main argument is that the Moor’s interracial marriage potentially guarantees a better integration in Venice for an outsider whose almost sole attachment to, and toleration in, that society is predicated on his usefulness to it.
Osteology of Klamelisaurus gobiensis (Dinosauria, Eusauropoda) and the evolutionary history of Middle–Late Jurassic Chinese sauropods

Fossil-rich deposits from the Middle and Late Jurassic of China have yielded a diverse array of sauropod dinosaurs, including numerous species referred to Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus. Despite an abundance of fossils and a proliferation of taxa, the anatomy of Middle–Late Jurassic Chinese sauropods remains poorly documented. Here, we comprehensively redescribe and illustrate Klamelisaurus gobiensis from the Middle–Late Jurassic Shishugou Formation of northwest China. Phylogenetic analyses conducted under parsimony and time-calibrated Bayesian optimality criteria consistently recover Klamelisaurus as a member of a predominantly Chinese radiation of exceptionally long-necked eusauropods that includes Mamenchisaurus spp. , Chuanjiesaurus, Qijianglong and Wamweracaudia. In most analyses, this lineage also includes Euhelopus, reviving a ‘traditional’ Euhelopodidae and calling into question the macronarian affinities of Euhelopus. Klamelisaurus shares several features with Euhelopus that are unique to a subset of East Asian taxa or rare among sauropods, including a convex ventral margin of the prezygodiapophyseal lamina in middle–posterior cervical vertebrae, a ventrally bifurcated postzygodiapophyseal lamina in posterior cervical vertebrae, and development of a rugose projection extending anteriorly from the epipophysis into the spinodiapophyseal fossa in most cervical vertebrae. Anatomical comparisons of the cervical vertebrae of Klamelisaurus to several other sauropodomorphs and insights from myological studies of extant archosaurs strongly suggest that this latter structure, often considered part of an epipophyseal-prezygapophyseal lamina, is an epaxial muscle scar that is distinct from pneumatic structures of the lateral surface of the neural spine. The phylogenetic and comparative anatomical data presented here provide a foundation for future revision of the taxonomy and systematics of sauropods from the Junggar and Sichuan basins.
Linkages between Financial Development and Economic Growth in the Middle-Income Countries of South Asia: A Panel Data Investigation

The present study intends to investigate the impact of financial sector development on GDP growth in the four middle-income countries of South Asia over the period of 1990–2016. Using pooled mean group (PMG) estimation, this study tries to examine whether in these developing countries, GDP growth has been influenced by size of market capitalization and size of market turnover in the long run which are used as proxy for stock market development. Similarly, domestic credit to private sector is used as proxy for banking sector development while assessing its long-run impact on GDP growth. Furthermore, by incorporating a dummy variable for the global financial crisis (2007–2008), this study investigates whether these economies are vulnerable to external shocks or not. The outcomes of this study find that relatively, the impact of banking sector on GDP growth has remained low in the region. Nevertheless, the development in both sectors has positively influenced economic growth in the long run. The outcomes of this study suggest that both, i.e. stock market and banking sector, are vital determinants of long-run economic growth in the South Asian countries. Therefore, to achieve the sustainable growth, policymakers need to adopt the global approach which can be ensured by improving the quality and scope of financial services in these countries.
A Comparative Study of Radon Levels in Federal Buildings and Residential Homes in Canada.

Shortly after revision of the Canadian radon guideline from 800 to 200 Bq m, Health Canada established the Federal Building Testing Program in 2007 to demonstrate federal leadership in raising awareness about radon risk and the need for testing. By the end of 2017, more than 7,600 federal workplaces had been tested for radon. As is the case in all radon surveys, radon levels vary widely; federal building results ranged from below the detection limit to more than 2,500 Bq m in a few rooms of a few buildings. Weighted by the population of federal public servants across Canada, the average radon distribution in federal workplaces has a geometric mean of 22.0 Bq m with a geometric standard deviation of 2.3. The population-weighted arithmetic mean is 34.3 Bq m, significantly lower than the population-weighted average radon concentration of 72.9 Bq m in residential homes across Canada. On average, 2% of federal workplaces have radon concentrations above 200 Bq m, which is also significantly lower than the 7% of residential homes that tested above 200 Bq m. This comparative study demonstrated clearly that radon education and awareness in Canada should focus more on residential testing and remediation actions to effectively reduce the burden of radon-induced lung cancer.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
The Africa-Dummy: Gone with the Millennium?

A fixed effects regression estimator is introduced that can directly identify and estimate the Africa-Dummy in one regression step so that its correct standard errors as well as correlations to other coefficients can easily be estimated. We can estimate the Nickel bias and found it to be negligibly tiny. Semiparametric extensions check whether the Africa-Dummy is simply a result of misspecification of the functional form. In particular, we show that the returns to growth factors are different for Sub-Saharan African countries compared to the rest of the world. For example, returns to population growth are positive and beta-convergence is faster. When extending the model to identify the development of the Africa-Dummy over time we see that it has been changing dramatically over time and that the punishment for Sub-Saharan African countries has been decreasing incrementally to reach insignificance around the turn of the millennium.
Sharp large time behaviour in $ N $-dimensional Fisher-KPP equations

We study the large time behaviour of the Fisher-KPP equation $\partial$ t u = $\Delta$u + u -- u 2 in spatial dimension N , when the initial datum is compactly supported. We prove the existence of a Lipschitz function s of the unit sphere, such that u(t, x) converges, as t goes to infinity, to U c * |x| -- c * t + N + 2 c * lnt + s $\infty$ x |x| , where U c * is the 1D travelling front with minimal speed c * = 2. This extends an earlier result of G{a}rtner.
Predicting "Design Gaps" in the Market: Deep Consumer Choice Models under Probabilistic Design Constraints

Predicting future successful designs and corresponding market opportunity is a fundamental goal of product design firms. There is accordingly a long history of quantitative approaches that aim to capture diverse consumer preferences, and then translate those preferences to corresponding "design gaps" in the market. We extend this work by developing a deep learning approach to predict design gaps in the market. These design gaps represent clusters of designs that do not yet exist, but are predicted to be both (1) highly preferred by consumers, and (2) feasible to build under engineering and manufacturing constraints. This approach is tested on the entire U.S. automotive market using of millions of real purchase data. We retroactively predict design gaps in the market, and compare predicted design gaps with actual known successful designs. Our preliminary results give evidence it may be possible to predict design gaps, suggesting this approach has promise for early identification of market opportunity.
Travel Demand and Emissions from Driving Dogs to Dog Parks

This paper reports on an intercept survey of dog park visitors in Seattle, U.S., which was combined with Google Maps and Google Popular Times data to develop estimates of the number of walking trips, vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with traveling to dog parks. It is estimated that approximately 1.6 million VMT and more than 700 tonnes CO2-equivalent are generated annually by driving dogs to dog parks in Seattle, representing approximately 0.07% of vehicle trips and 0.04% of GHG emissions from cars and light trucks in the city. Based on a stated choice exercise, it is estimated that allowing dogs off-leash in neighborhood parks could reduce these VMT and GHG emissions by 38% and 45%, respectively, while encouraging more than 39,000 additional walking trips annually. Even limiting such use to the hours of 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. would reduce VMT and GHGs by 24% and 28%, respectively, while encouraging 22,000 additional walking trips. Although less than 20% of survey respondents expressed an interest in replacing a trip to the dog park with a visit to a neighborhood park, those who did were likely to replace driving trips to the dog park with walking trips. Thus, allowing dogs off-leash in neighborhood parks, even for limited hours each day, could increase physical activity while reducing the vehicle travel and GHG emissions associated with driving dogs to dog parks.
Does intolerance of uncertainty mediate improvement in anger during group CBT for GAD? A preliminary investigation

Abstract Background: Individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have elevated intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anger, and IU mediates the relationship between GAD symptoms and anger. Aims: The current pilot study examined whether group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) improves anger in people with GAD, and the degree to which change in IU mediates improved anger. Method: Individuals diagnosed with GAD completed measures of worry, IU, and facets of anger, before and at the end of group CBT for GAD. Results: Worry, IU, and internally felt and outwardly expressed anger, reduced significantly over treatment, but anger control (inwardly and outwardly) did not. CBT for GAD led to improvement in both internally felt and outwardly expressed anger, even though anger is not directly targeted in this treatment. Improvement in IU significantly mediated improvement in internally felt and outwardly expressed anger. Conclusions: This preliminary study contributes to the literature on the importance of IU in understanding worry and other symptoms such as elevated anger, experienced by people with excessive worry.
Sun Protection Behaviors of State Park Workers in the Southeastern USA.

BACKGROUND Due to the nature of their work, state park workers receive substantial exposure to sunlight, putting them at an increased risk of developing skin cancer. Increased use of sun protection behaviors can reduce this risk. OBJECTIVES Using the health belief model (HBM) as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with sun protection behaviors among state-park workers. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of participants were recruited from 23 state parks in the Southeastern USA to complete a self-administered questionnaire based on the constructs of the HBM. RESULTS The sample comprised 310 state park workers. The majority of participants were non-Hispanic White (61.6%), male (63.5%), and were aged 39.56 (±13.97) years on average. The average duration of sun exposure during the workday was reported as 3.51 h (±1.88). Nearly 12% of the participants reported that their workplace had a sun-safety policy and ~10% reported receiving sun-safety training at their workplace. The majority of participants reported that they did not sufficiently use sun protection methods. Factors associated with sun protection behaviors included the HBM constructs of perceived benefits outweighing perceived barriers (standardized coefficient = 0.210, P = 0.001), self-efficacy (standardized coefficient = 0.333, P < 0.001), and cues to action (standardized coefficient = 0.179, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION Future research should explore the barriers to adopting and enforcing sun-safety policies in the workplace. HBM appears to be efficacious in explaining sun protection behaviors among state park workers. HBM constructs should be considered in future interventions aimed at increasing sun protection behaviors in this population.
COVID-19: A Multimodality Review of Radiologic Techniques, Clinical Utility, and Imaging Features

In this article we will review the imaging features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across multiple modalities, including radiography, CT, MRI, PET/CT, and US. Given that COVID-19 primarily affects the lung parenchyma by causing pneumonia, our directive is to focus on thoracic findings associated with COVID-19. We aim to enhance radiologists’ understanding of this disease to help guide diagnosis and management. Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2020
A possible alternative evaluation method for the non-use and nonmarket values of ecosystem services

Monetization of the non-use and nonmarket values of ecosystem services is important especially in the areas of environmental cost-benefit analysis, management and environmental impact assessment. However, the reliability of valuation estimations has been criticized due to the biases that associated with methods like the popular contingent valuation method (CVM). In order to provide alternative valuation results for comparison purpose, we proposed the possibility of using a method that incorporates fact-based costs and contingent preferences for evaluating non-use and nonmarket values, which we referred to as value allotment method (VAM). In this paper, we discussed the economic principles of VAM, introduced the performing procedure, analyzed assumptions and potential biases that associated with the method and compared VAM with CVM through a case study in Guangzhou, China. The case study showed that the VAM gave more conservative estimates than the CVM, which could be a merit since CVM often generates overestimated values. We believe that this method can be used at least as a referential alternative to CVM and might be particularly useful in assessing the non-use and nonmarket values of ecosystem services from human-invested ecosystems, such as restored ecosystems, man-made parks and croplands.