Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Feasibility of Ultrasonographic Diaphragmatic Excursion in Healthy Dogs: Effect of Positioning, Diaphragmatic Location, and Body Weight of Dogs

Diaphragmatic excursion (DE) has been utilized for detecting respiratory related problems in humans. However, several factors should be considered such as the ultrasound technique and factors intrinsic to patients. Nevertheless, knowledge of the effect of these factors on DE in dogs is still lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proper ultrasound technique by varying postures and diaphragmatic locations for DE measurement and to explore intrinsic factors such as diaphragmatic sides, sex, and body weight of dogs on DE. The prospective, analytic, cross-sectional study included 44 healthy dogs; 12 beagles and 32 dogs of other breeds. The experiment was divided into (i) an exploration of the proper ultrasound technique by varying postures (supine, standing, and recumbent in each of the right and left lateral positions), diaphragmatic locations (middle crus and proximal to the last rib), and diaphragmatic sublocations (xiphoid, mid, and proximal rib) for detection of DE and (ii) the evaluation of canine intrinsic factors affecting DE. The results show that the mid-diaphragmatic sublocation in the middle crus area in almost all positions revealed the highest percentage DE detection. However, DEs were revealed to be more accessible in the supine position. There was no significant difference in DE between the right and the left diaphragms or between the sexes of beagle dogs. However, body weight was significantly correlated with the DE among dogs of various sizes. In conclusion, the posture of the dogs and the diaphragmatic location can affect DE evaluation. Neither sex nor diaphragmatic side had an influence, but body weight was revealed as a major factor in DE in dogs.
Impact of Catastrophic Health Expenditures on Chinese Household Consumption

China has built a social medical insurance system that covers the entire population so as to reduce the impact of diseases on individuals and families. Although the decline in the incidence of catastrophic health expenditures (CHEs) in China is encouraging, this issue remains important. On the basis of considering selectivity bias and heterogeneity, we applied propensity score matching (PSM) to analyze the 2018 data from the China Family Panel Studies. We assigned CHE households and non-CHE households to the treatment group and the control group, respectively, and used non-random data to simulate a randomized trial to investigate the impact of CHE on household consumption in China. The results of this study indicate that, when the threshold is set at 40%, the consumption of households experiencing CHEs (CHE household) is significantly lower than that of households not experiencing CHEs (non-CHE households) and that CHEs have a significant negative impact on other household consumption and a significant impact on the household property and debt. This effect still exists when the threshold is set lower, with household essential consumption most affected. The occurrence of CHEs leads to a reduction in household consumption and a significantly worsening financial situation for the CHE households, impacting the basic quality of life of the families. Therefore, it is necessary to further reform the medical and health system to reduce the high medical expenses.
Optimal Detection of Fusion Pore Dynamics Using Polarized Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy

The fusion pore is the initial narrow connection that forms between fusing membranes. During vesicular release of hormones or neurotransmitters, the nanometer-sized fusion pore may open-close repeatedly (flicker) before resealing or dilating irreversibly, leading to kiss-and-run or full-fusion events, respectively. Pore dynamics govern vesicle cargo release and the mode of vesicle recycling, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. This is partly due to a lack of reconstituted assays that combine single-pore sensitivity and high time resolution. Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy offers unique advantages for characterizing single membrane fusion events, but signals depend on effects that are difficult to disentangle, including the polarization of the excitation electric field, vesicle size, photobleaching, orientation of the excitation dipoles of the fluorophores with respect to the membrane, and the evanescent field depth. Commercial TIRF microscopes do not allow control of excitation polarization, further complicating analysis. To overcome these challenges, we built a polarization-controlled total internal reflection fluorescence (pTIRF) microscope and monitored fusion of proteoliposomes with planar lipid bilayers with single molecule sensitivity and ∼15 ms temporal resolution. Using pTIRF microscopy, we detected docking and fusion of fluorescently labeled small unilamellar vesicles, reconstituted with exocytotic/neuronal v-SNARE proteins (vSUVs), with a supported bilayer containing the cognate t-SNAREs (tSBL). By varying the excitation polarization angle, we were able to identify a dye-dependent optimal polarization at which the fluorescence increase upon fusion was maximal, facilitating event detection and analysis of lipid transfer kinetics. An improved algorithm allowed us to estimate the size of the fusing vSUV and the fusion pore openness (the fraction of time the pore is open) for every event. For most events, lipid transfer was much slower than expected for diffusion through an open pore, suggesting that fusion pore flickering limits lipid release. We find a weak correlation between fusion pore openness and vesicle area. The approach can be used to study mechanisms governing fusion pore dynamics in a wide range of membrane fusion processes.
The Impact of Young Entrepreneurs’ Network Entrepreneurship Education and Management System Innovation on Students’ Entrepreneurial Psychology

The purpose of the study is to solve the problems existing in entrepreneurship education and management under computer technology. The teaching content of entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities is proposed. Since entrepreneurship education is practical, the auxiliary mechanism of entrepreneurship education also needs to be highly integrated with entrepreneurship practice. First, the network entrepreneurship teaching and management system is constructed, and students’ entrepreneurial creativity, communication ability, leadership ability, and qualities are taken as the research object. Second, the traditional teaching method, case study method, and scene simulation method are used to analyze and discuss the influence of the entrepreneurial teaching mode, entrepreneurial experience, and entrepreneurial ability on students’ entrepreneurial psychology. Finally, the questionnaire survey is used to conduct the relative sample t-test (Student’s t-test), and the influence of three teaching methods on students’ learning effects is analyzed. The influence of the three teaching methods on students’ entrepreneurial psychological states is further analyzed by the statistical method. The experimental results show that the test result of the scene simulation method and the traditional teaching method is 0.584, the test result of the scene simulation method and the case study method is 0.842, and the test result of the case study method and the traditional teaching method is 0.595. This shows that the scene simulation method has a significant impact on students’ entrepreneurial psychology and their entrepreneurial ability. In addition, students’ cognition of professional status significantly affects their entrepreneurial psychology and attitudes, and the correlation coefficient is 0.576. Therefore, it is suggested that colleges and universities should adopt the scene simulation method to improve the teaching quality of entrepreneurship education and strengthen students’ cognition of professional status and their entrepreneurial practice.
Promoting Stress Management and Wellbeing for Teachers, A Pilot Study

Objectives: Investigate the change in perceived stress, mindful attention awareness, subjective wellbeing and coping for pre-service teachers (PSTs) and the impact of a pilot 6-h Complementary Intervention (CI). Method: Phase One (N = 79) survey at two timepoints. Perceived Stress Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Personal Wellbeing Index and the Brief COPE scale. Phase Two CI pre- and post-program self-report measures (N = 20). Data analysis: Paired-sample and independent sample t-test. Results: The paired-samples t-test confirmed that perceived stress levels (p = 0.082) for PSTs remain elevated across the duration of the academic year. There was not a significant change for the MAAS and sub-scales of the Brief COPE. There was a significant decrease in PWI scores (p = 0.04). The participants in the CI experienced a significant decrease in perceived stress (p = 0.004) pre-program (M = 18.6, SD = 7.04) and post-program (M = 15.55, SD = 6.95), effect size (d = 0.48). Increase in mindful attention awareness (p = 0.019), pre-program (M = 3.49, SD = 0.59) and post-program (M = 3.94, SD = 0.85), effect size (d = −0.57). Conclusion: The findings suggest that perceived stress for PSTs are at above-average levels and a yoga-based CI may provide support for promoting wellbeing and stress management.
Oregano Essential Oils Promote Rumen Digestive Ability by Modulating Epithelial Development and Microbiota Composition in Beef Cattle

This study aimed to explore the effects of oregano essential oils (OEO) on the rumen digestive ability using multi-omics sequencing techniques. Twenty-seven castrated Pingliang red cattle were randomly separated into three groups (3 cattle/pen; n = 9) and fed on a daily basal diet supplemented with 0 (Con group), 130 mg (L group), and 260 mg (H group) OEO. The finishing trial lasted for 390 days, and all cattle were slaughtered to collect rumen tissue and content samples. We found that the rumen papillae length in the H group was higher than in the Con group. Amylase concentrations were decreased in the H group than the Con group, whereas the β-glucosidase and cellulase concentrations increased. Compared to the Con group, the relative abundance of propionate and butyrate in the H group was significantly higher. Higher relative abundance of Parabacteroides distasonis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron were observed with increasing OEO concentration. The function of rumen microbiota was enriched in the GH43_17 family, mainly encoding xylanase. Besides, metabolites, including heparin, pantetheine, sorbic acid, aspirin, and farnesene concentrations increased with increasing OEO dose. A positive correlation was observed between Parabacteroides distasonis, Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, and β-glucosidase, cellulase and propionate. The abundance of Parabacteroides distasonis and Parabacteroides_sp. _CAG:409 were positively correlated with sorbic acid and farnesene. In summary, OEO supplementation increased the rumen digestive ability by modulating epithelial development and microbiota composition in beef cattle. This study provides a comprehensive insight into the OEO application as an alternative strategy to improve ruminant health production.
Utilization of Soot and 210 Po-210 Pb Disequilibria to Constrain Particulate Organic Carbon Fluxes in the Northeastern South China Sea

Black carbon (BC) is believed to be refractory and thus affects the timescale of organic carbon conversion into CO2 and the magnitude of the sink of CO2. However, the fate of BC in the oceans remains poorly understood. Here, 210Po and 210Pb were measured to examine the export of soot in the northeastern South China Sea (SCS). Concentrations of soot decreased from 0.141 ± 0.021 μmol-C L–1 (mean ± SD) in the mixed layer (0–30 m) to 0.087 μmol-C L–1 at the euphotic base (150 m) due to potential photodegradation within the euphotic zone. In the twilight zone, however, the soot showed an increasing pattern along with the total particulate matter and total particulate organic carbon (POC) contents, corresponding to additions from the shelf/slope sediment resuspension through lateral transport. Using the deficits of 210Po, the export flux of soot from the euphotic zone was calculated to be 0.172 ± 0.016 mmol-C m–2 d–1 and increased with depth. Assuming that the soot is entirely refractory below the euphotic zone, the sediment-derived soot fluxes were estimated based on the increase in soot fluxes relative to the base of the euphotic zone, with values varying from 0.149 ± 0.030 to 0.96 ± 0.10 μmol-C L–1. This indicates that sediment resuspension is an important source of soot to the ocean interior in the SCS. Coupling the sediment-derived soot and 210Po-derived POC fluxes gave rise to a Martin Curve-like flux attenuation of local euphotic zone-derived POC in the twilight zone with b value of 0.70 ± 0.01. These results suggest that soot could be useful for constraining in situ POC fluxes and their transport.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection in One Cat and Three Dogs Living in COVID-19-Positive Households in Madrid, Spain

In this study, we describe SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in one cat and three dogs from households with confirmed human cases of COVID-19 living in the Madrid Community (Spain) at the time of expansion (December 2020 through June 2021) of the alpha variant (lineage B.1.1.7). A thorough physical exam and nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and rectal swabs were collected for real-time reverse-transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) SARS-CoV-2 testing on day 0 and in successive samplings on days 7, 14, 21, and 47 during monitoring. Blood was also drawn to determine complete blood counts, biochemical profiles, and serology of the IgG response against SARS-CoV-2. On day 0, the cat case 1 presented with dyspnea and fever associated with a mild bronchoalveolar pattern. The dog cases 2, 3, and 4 were healthy, but case 2 presented with coughing, dyspnea, and weakness, and case 4 exhibited coughing and bilateral nasal discharge 3 and 6 days before the clinical exam. Case 3 (from the same household as case 2) remained asymptomatic. SARS-CoV-2 detection by RT-qPCR showed that the cat case 1 and the dog case 2 exhibited the lowest cycle threshold (Ct) (Ct < 30) when they presented clinical signs. Viral detection failed in successive samplings. Serological analyses revealed a positive IgG response in cat case 1 and dog cases 3 and 4 shortly after or simultaneously to virus shedding. Dog case 2 was seronegative, but seroconverted 21 days after SARS-CoV-2 detection. SARS-CoV-2 genome sequencing was attempted, and genomes were classified as belonging to the B.1. 1.7 lineage.
The Effects of Orthographic Neighborhood Size and the Influence of Individual Differences in Linguistic Skills During the Recognition of Chinese Words

There are still inconsistencies as to whether frequency and orthographic neighborhood size affect the reading and recognition of Chinese words. In addition, research on Chinese reading still adheres to the view that “all skilled readers read in the same way” and pays little attention to the influence of individual differences in linguistic skills on word recognition. In this research, we studied the recognition of Chinese two-character words in a lexical decision task (LDT) by manipulating neighborhood size and word frequency and controlling the frequency of the initial constituent character. Individual differences in linguistic skills were assessed through tests of spelling and reading comprehension. The results showed that: (1) A larger orthographic neighborhood size of the initial character had a facilitative effect on Chinese word recognition. The orthographic neighborhood size effect is modulated by word frequency, but this modulation effect was not stable. (2) Spelling and reading comprehension skills are good indicators to assess individual differences in Chinese linguistic skills, and they are significantly correlated. (3) Individual differences in linguistic skills influence the neighborhood size effect, which is moderated by word frequency.
High Frequencies of Functional Virus-Specific CD4+ T Cells in SARS-CoV-2 Subjects With Olfactory and Taste Disorders

Olfactory and taste disorders (OTD) are commonly found as presenting symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with clinically mild COVID-19. Virus-specific T cells are thought to play an important role in the clearance of SARS-CoV-2; therefore the study of T cell specific immune responses in patients with mild symptoms may help to understand their possible role in protection from severe disease. We evaluated SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell responses to four different peptide megapools covering all SARS-CoV-2 proteins during the acute phase of the disease in 33 individuals with mild or no other symptom beside OTD and in 22 age-matched patients with severe infection. A control group of 15 outpatients with OTD and consistently negative nasopharyngeal SARS-CoV-2 RNA swabs and virus-specific IgG serology was included in the study. Increased frequencies of virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were found in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients with OTD compared with those with severe COVID-19 and with SARS-CoV-2 negative OTD individuals. Moreover, enhanced CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell activation induced by SARS-CoV-2 peptides was associated with higher interferon (IFN)γ production. Increased frequencies of Spike (S1/S2)-specific CD4+ T cells showing enhanced IFNγ secretion and granzyme B content were associated with serum spike-specific IgG in the OTD group. In conclusion, patients with SARS-CoV-2 induced OTD develop highly functional virus-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells during the symptomatic phase of the disease, suggesting that robust and coordinated T-cell responses provide protection against extension of COVID-19 to the lower respiratory tract.
Design Aspects of Urban Wetlands in an Earthquake-Prone Environment

Open-space networks in cities in disaster-prone environments can be designed to facilitate recovery. This study explores residents' perceptions of urban wetlands in earthquake-prone Concepción, Chile. Two scenarios were posed, one representing everyday life and a second representing life after an earthquake, in which wetlands were perceived in terms of their utility. Multivariate data analysis revealed the residents' cognitive structure underlying perception of the wetlands in each scenario. The cognitive structures, comprising objective biophysical attributes related to subjective utilitarian attributes, varied with context. These findings can inform the design of open space in disaster-prone cities to ensure their resilience.
Performance evaluation of a digital mammography unit using a contrast-detail phantom

The relation between image quality and mean glandular dose (MGD) has been studied for a Senographe 2000D mammographic unit used for research in our laboratory. The magnitudes were evaluated for a clinically relevant range of acrylic thicknesses and radiological techniques. The CDMAM phantom was used to determine the contrast-detail curve. Also, an alternative method based on the analysis of signal-to-noise (SNR) and contrast-to-noise (CNR) ratios from the CDMAM image was proposed and applied. A simple numerical model was utilized to successfully interpret the results. Optimum radiological techniques were determined using the figures-of-merit FOMSNR=SNR2/MGD and FOMCNR=CNR2/MGD. Main results were: the evaluation of the detector response flattening process (it reduces by about one half the spatial non-homogeneities due to the X- ray field), MGD measurements (the values comply with standards), and verification of the automatic exposure control performance (it is sensitive to fluence attenuation, not to contrast). For 4-5 cm phantom thicknesses, the optimum radiological techniques were Rh/Rh 34 kV to optimize SNR, and Rh/Rh 28 kV to optimize CNR.
WeLL-Unique Linked Employer-Employee Data on Further Training in Germany

This paper explains the main features of an innovative linked employer-employee data set with a particular focus on continuous training in Germany, called WeLL. The data set comprises establishment data that can be linked to longitudinal information on the associated employees. The employer survey and the first wave of the employee survey were conducted in 2007. Both surveys focus on the collection of training information together with a variety of employee and employer background characteristics. In addition, it is possible to link these data with other survey and administrative data for a large number of respondents.
On Theoretical Signal‐to‐Noise Ratios in F‐M Receivers: A Comparison with Amplitude Modulation

Signal‐to‐noise ratios at the output of an f‐m receiver are determined as functions of the input signal‐to‐noise ratio, clipping level, and i‐f and audio filter characteristics when random (fluctuation) noise accompanies the signal to be observed. Both narrow and broad band f‐m are examined. Specific calculations are made for sinusoidal frequency modulation, and it is indicated how data for this simple type of signal may be related to the more complex phenomenon of speech. The concept of the signal‐to‐noise ratio is redefined to describe more accurately the sensing of a signal in noise, since the conventional definition for f‐m proves inadequate and misleading, except for strong carriers. Extensive comparisons are made with a‐m reception employing a half‐wave linear rectifier, and it is found that for moderate and weak (<3 db) signals a‐m requires less input signal power against the same noise background than does f‐m to achieve the same desired output. This is particularly evident for weak signals. Only .
Whistleblowers: Broken Lives and Organizational Power

Alford's book about whistleblowers is written for people who are interested in examining the dark side of organizations and society. Although it appears to describe whistleblowers and explain why they are willing to expose organizational misconduct, it actually focuses on how organizations and society abuse people by violating their moral sensitivities and by driving them not just out of the organization, but out of society. This book contributes an important perspective to our understanding of the fate of whistleblowers and the devastating psychological consequences associated with the decision to expose organizational misconduct. More books are needed to help us understand why whistleblowers are needed, what happens to them, and what we can do to protect them.