Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Platelet distribution width in young patients with chronic venous insufficiency

Objective Platelet distribution width (PDW) has been reported in a wide range of pathological settings. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between PDW and lower extremity chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) by comparing the levels of PDW and other parameters derived from complete blood count (CBC) tests in young individuals with or without lower extremity CVI. Methods This prospective clinical study was conducted between January 2020 and December 2020. A total of 108 patients, 72 patients with lower extremity CVI (study group) and 36 healthy volunteers (control group) were enrolled from the Bursa Yuksek Ihtısas Educatıon Research Hospıtal and the Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Training and Research Hospital. The age range of the participants was between 18 and 50 years old. Participants’ baseline clinical features and CBC parameters including PDW, white blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, red cell distribution width, neutrophil, lymphocyte, platelet count, mean platelet volume, plateletcrit, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio were compared between the two groups. Results The groups were statistically similar in terms of baseline clinical features. The median PDW value was significantly higher for the CVI patients relative to the control group (17.6 vs 16.8; p < 0.001). In terms of other CBC parameters, there were no significant differences between the groups. According to ROC analysis, area under the curve of PDW was 0.749 (95% confidence interval: 0.653–0.846 and p < 0.001). If the value of PDW was accepted as 17, it could predict CVI with 76% sensitivity and 59% specificity, whereas a PDW value of 17.5 could predict CVI with 51% sensitivity and 81% specificity. Conclusion Platelet distribution width might be a useful marker to determine an increased inflammatory response and thrombotic status in young patients with CVI.
LEAP: Learning Articulated Occupancy of People

In this supplementary document, we first provide details about the proposed neural network modules (Sec. B) and their training procedure (Sec. C). Then, we present more qualitative and quantitative results that were not included in the paper due to the page limit (Sec. D). We also discuss the limitations of the proposed method (Sec. E). Lastly, we summarize the notations used in the paper to improve paper readability (Sec. F).
Effect of application methods of potassium and some micronutrients on yield and quality of potato

Two field experiments were carried out at Ali Moubark Agric. , Res. Station during two successive seasons 2007/2008and 2008/2009 on potato cv. Diamant to study the vegetative growth characters, tuber quality, tuber minerals content and total tuber yield as affected by the application methods of K-fertilizer (soil application, foliar application and soil + foliar application, either single and /or in combination with foliar application of zinc or manganese or boron) three times during plant growth i.e. at 45, 60 and 75 DAP. Almost all the parameters of the potato plants which received 50% soil application K-fertilizer + 50% foliar application significantly increased as compared with other application methods. On the other hand, most vegetative growth parameters were significantly increased by foliar spraying of potato plants with micronutrients and led to improve the tuber quality parameters i.e. all carbohydrate fractions, the protein of tuber, the tuber weight and total tuber yield as compared with the control. In general, application of K-fertilizer as 50% of the recommended rate used as soil application + 50 % of that added as foliar application in combination with foliar spray of micronutrients recorded maximum values of plant growth parameters, improved tuber quality characters and obtained highest tuber yield/fed. Therefore, this treatment could be recommended for raising potato yield and improving tuber quality and reducing the productive cost under similar conditions.
The Strength of Weak Ties Revisited: Further Evidence of the Role of Strong Ties in the Provision of Online Social Support

In this work, we challenge the assumption that weak ties play uniquely important social support roles on social network sites, particularly regarding informational support. To overcome methodological limitations of earlier research, we present a mixed-methods study. Forty-one participants were interviewed and asked to identify five weak, medium, and strong ties each and to report on perceived and actually received social support (emotional, informational, instrumental, and appraisal) associated with each. Complicating traditional understandings of “the strength of weak ties,” the qualitative analyses of actual support events show that both emotional and informational support is provided by strong ties. In an additional quantitative between-subjects study design, 352 participants were asked about various aspects of a weak, medium, or strong tie. These results indicate that participants valued their strong ties more regarding every form of support. Although there were only weak correlations between perceived and recalled actually received support, people also report actual support events with strong ties to be more helpful—overall suggesting the strength of strong ties.
Ko ngā kaumātua ngā poupou o tō rātou ao: kaumātua and kuia, the pillars of our understanding

This feasibility study examined innovations in kaupapa Māori (a Māori approach) research methods to explore kaumātua (older Māori men and women) understandings of ageing well. We designed a research pathway that brought together kaupapa Māori methods in the form of noho wānanga (a method of knowledge sharing) with kaumātua and researchers in Tutukaka in 2018. Kaumātua participants were invited as guests in a comfortable and congenial setting to share their experiences of growing older. Our engagement with kaumātua, and our data-gathering and analysis methods provided an effective method for understanding kaumātua well-being. We found that focusing directly on health did not resonate with participants. There was diffidence when kaumātua talked about their own personal health, when compared with their enthusiasm for other parts of their lives. They understood well-being as a holistic process connecting hinengaro (mental health), wairua (the spirit and spiritual health), tinana (physical health) and te taiao (natural environments).
The Manulua Framework: how combining multiple research methodologies and theoretical or conceptual frameworks strengthens research with Tongan participants

When researching with Moana (ocean) or Pacific peoples, a key research consideration is which methodological approach will best acknowledge, engage, and value what is shared. The Manulua (two birds) Framework explores the experiences of successful Tongan science learners in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Kingdom of Tonga. The Manulua Framework draws on four very different theoretical or conceptual frameworks and methods, complementing (1) Tongan and Moana or Pacific approaches to research with aspects of (2) critical realism, (3) relationality through vā (space), and the (4) multiscience framework. Epeli Hau’ofa’s seminal essay Sea of Islands, and the articles of support and critique found in A New Oceania helped situate Oceania as the context, connector, and source of my participants’ stories. This article describes how this combination acknowledged Moana or Pacific values, protocols, knowledge, and beliefs during data collection, analysis, and reflection, offering a way for researchers to consider how to draw upon multiple theoretical or conceptual frameworks and methods in their work.
The Institutional Impacts of Algorithmic Distribution: Facebook and the Australian News Media

Since changing its algorithm in January 2018 to boost the content of family and friends over other content (including news), Facebook has signaled that it is less interested in news. However, the field is still trying to understand the long-term impacts of this change for news publishers. This is a problem because policymakers and legislators across the world are becoming concerned about the relationship between platforms and publishers. In particular, there are worries that platforms’ ability to make unilateral decisions about how their algorithms operate may harm the economic sustainability of journalism. This article provides some clarity around the relationship between these two parties through a longitudinal study of the Australian news media sector’s relationship with Facebook from 2014 to 2020, with a particular focus on the January 2018 algorithm change. We do this by analyzing Facebook data (2,082,804 posts from CrowdTangle) and external traffic data from 32 major Australian news outlets. These data are contextualized by additional desk research. We identify a range of trends including the decline of news sharing, the collapse in the performance of “social news,” the variable position of social media as a source of referral traffic, and, most critically, the diffused nature of the 2018 algorithm change. Our approach cannot make direct causal inferences. We can only identify trends in on-platform performance and referral traffic, which we then contextualize with industry reportage. However, the data provide vital longitudinal insights into the performance and responses of individual media outlets, news categories, and the Australian media sector as a whole during a critical moment of algorithmic change.
3D Body Scan as Anthropometric Tool for Individualized Prosthetic Socks

Abstract Every year, approximately 3,000 people in Sweden undergo amputation of a body part. The use of a prosthesis can greatly improve the quality of life for these people. To improve the fit and comfort of a prosthesis, a sock is used as an interface between the prosthesis socket and the stump. A three-dimensional (3D) body scanner can be used to take measurements that are used to produce individualized socks that improve fit and comfort. The standardized method for taking measurements with a 3D body scanner often requires a standing position and hence a new scanning method is needed to improve the accessibility for 3D body scanning. This study aimed to create a scanning scenario and an algorithm for scanning amputation stumps for individualizing prosthesis socks for upper-body amputations. Vitronic VITUSSMART LC 3D Body Scanner was used in this study. The results show a seated position with arms slightly away from the body, scanned at 45° as the best. To measure the right upper arm and the left armpit, the best was to scan at a 315° angle. Paired t-tests showed no significant differences compared with the 3D body scanner of traditional manual measurements. The proposed method exhibited good relative reliability and potential to facilitate the customization of prosthetic socks for amputees.
Chiral separation and analysis of antifungal drugs by chromatographic and electromigration techniques: Results achieved in 2010–2020

Abstract The determination and separation of enantiomers is an interesting and important topic of research in various fields, e.g., biochemistry, food science, pharmaceutical industry, environment, etc. Although these compounds possess identical physicochemical properties, a pair of enantiomers often has different pharmacological, toxicological, and metabolic activities. For this reason, chiral discrimination by using chromatographic and electromigration techniques has become an urgent need in the pharmaceutical field. This review intends to offer the “state of the art” about the separation of chiral antifungal drugs and several related precursors by both liquid and gas chromatography, as well as electromigration methods. This overview is organized into two sections. The first one describes general considerations on chiral antifungal drugs. The second part deals with the main analytical methods for the enantiomeric discrimination of these drugs, including a brief description of chiral selectors and stationary phases. Moreover, many recent applications attesting the great interest of analytical chemists in the field of enantiomeric separation are presented.
Temporal and Spatial Niche Partitioning of Bumblebee Species (Apidae: Bombus) on a Himalayan Mountain

Background Bumblebees are essential pollinators in many ecosystems. To maintain such ecosystem functions, bumblebee diversity remains an important concern. We measured abundance and diversity of bumblebee species along an elevational gradient over three flowering seasons. We hypothesized that co-occurring bumblebees partition niches over time and space. Methods We sampled bumblebees at six different meadows along Yulong Snow Mountain (Yunnan, SW China), a region known for high bumblebee diversity, over summer months (2017 – 2019). We analyzed the standardized abundances of the workers from different bumblebee species over 11 weeklong periods. We also analyzed the standardized abundances of the workers of each species at each of the six different meadows. Results Clear patterns of temporal niche partitioning were most apparent for the two, dominant species, B. friseanus and B. lepidus. Spatial niche partitioning was evident for rarer species which tended to be most abundant at lower elevations. Conclusions Temporal and spatial niche partitioning are among two of the ways that bumblebee diversity is maintained on Yulong Snow Mountain. This has future implications if changing climate conditions disrupt partitioning leading to increased interspecific competition.
Accurate Detection of Convergent Mutations in Large Protein Alignments with ConDor

Evolutionary convergences are observed at all levels, from phenotype to DNA and protein sequences, and changes at these different levels tend to be highly correlated. Notably, convergent and parallel mutations can lead to convergent changes in phenotype, such as changes in metabolism, drug resistance, and other adaptations to changing environments. We propose a two-step approach to detect mutations under convergent evolution in protein alignments. We first select mutations that emerge more often than expected under neutral evolution and then test whether their emergences correlate with the convergent phenotype under study. The first step can be used alone when no phenotype is available, as is often the case with microorganisms. In the first step, a phylogeny is inferred from the data and used to simulate the evolution of each alignment position. These simulations are used to estimate the expected number of mutations under neutral conditions, which is compared to what is observed in the data. Next, using a comparative phylogenetic approach, we measure whether the presence of mutations occurring more often than expected correlates with the convergent phenotype. Our method is implemented in a standalone workflow and a webserver, called ConDor. We apply ConDor to three datasets: sedges PEPC proteins, HIV reverse transcriptase and fish rhodopsin. The results show that the two components of ConDor complement each other, with an overall accuracy that compares favorably to other available tools, especially on large datasets.
Harnessing the Power of Sex Differences: What a Difference Ten Years Did Not Make

Sex differences exist in many neurological and psychiatric diseases. Mandates have been initiated across funding agencies for research to include males and females. What has been lacking in the literature is a detailed assessment of how sex is incorporated into the design (e.g. balanced design) and into the analyses (e.g. covariate). We surveyed papers in 2009 and 2019 across six journals in Neuroscience and Psychiatry. There was a 30% increase in the percentage of papers that included both sexes to 68% in 2019. Despite this increase, in 2019 only 19% of studies used an optimal design for discovery of possible sex differences and only 5% analyzed sex as a discovery variable. Here we show that little progress has been made in harnessing the power that sex differences can afford in research for discovery and therapeutic potential for neurological and psychiatric disease to improve the health of men, women and gender diverse individuals. Highlights 68% of Neuroscience and Psychiatry papers reported the use of both sexes in 2019 Only 19% of studies in 2019 used sex consistently throughout the study analyses Of the studies that used males and females, 59% did not include sex in the analyses Only 5% of studies in 2019 used sex as a discovery variable in their analyses Male only papers were 8.4 times more prevalent than female-only papers
Reducing Movement Synchronization to Increase Interest Improves Interpersonal Liking

Synchronization has been identified as a key aspect of achieving mutual goals and enhancing social bonding. While synchronization could be maximized by increasing the predictability of an interaction, such predictability is in tension with individuals’ level of interest, which is tied to the interaction’s complexity and novelty. In this study, we tested the interplay between synchronization and interest. We asked 104 female dyads to play the Mirror Game, in which they were instructed to move their hands as coordinately as possible, and then report how much they liked each other. Utilizing information theory and video processing tools, we found that a combination of movement synchronization and complexity explained liking almost two times better than movement synchronization alone. Moreover, we found that people initiated novel and challenging interactions, even though they paid a price – being less synchronized. Examining the interactions’ dynamics, we found that people who liked each other moved in a more synchronized, complex, and novel manner during most of the interaction. This suggests that in addition to synchronization, maintaining interest may be critical for positive social bonding. Thus, we propose a new framework in which balancing synchronization and interest, rather than merely maximizing synchronization, optimizes the interaction quality.
Dental caries in wild primates: interproximal cavities on anterior teeth

Dental caries has been reported in a variety of primates, although is still considered rare in wild populations. In this study, 11 catarrhine primates were studied for the presence of caries. A differential diagnosis of lesions found in interproximal regions of anterior teeth was undertaken, since they had been previously described as both carious and non-carious in origin. Each permanent tooth was examined macroscopically, with severity and position of lesions recorded. Two specimens were micro-CT scanned to assess demineralization. The differential diagnosis confirmed the cariogenic nature of interproximal cavities on anterior teeth (ICAT’s). Overall results show 3.3% of teeth are carious, with prevalence varying among species from 0% to over 7% of teeth affected. ICAT’s occurred in Pan troglodytes (9.8%), Gorilla gorilla gorilla (2.6%), Cercopithecus denti (22.4%), Presbytis femoralis (19.5%) and Cercopithecus mitis (18.3%). They make up 87.9% of carious lesions on anterior teeth. These results likely reflect dietary and food processing differences among species, but also between the sexes (e.g., 9.3% of teeth of female chimpanzees were carious vs. 1.8% in males). Processing cariogenic fruits and seeds with the anterior dentition (e.g., wadging) likely contributes to ICAT formation. Further research is needed on living populations to ascertain behavioral/dietary influences on caries occurrence in primates. Given the constancy of ICAT’s in frugivorous primates, their presence in archaeological and paleontological specimens may shed light on diet and food processing behaviors in fossil primates.
Nanobodies restore stability to cancer-associated mutants of tumor suppressor protein p16INK4a

We describe the generation and characterization of camelid single-domain antibodies (nanobodies) raised against tumor suppressor protein p16INK4a (p16). p16 plays a critical role in the cell cycle by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6, and it is inactivated in sporadic and familial cancers. The majority of the p16 missense mutations cause loss of function by destabilizing the protein’s structure. We show that the nanobodies bind p16 with nanomolar affinities and restore the stability of a range of different cancer-associated p16 mutations located at sites throughout the protein. The nanobodies also bind and stabilize p16 in a cellular setting. The crystal structure of a nanobody-p16 complex reveals that the nanobody binds to the opposite face of p16 to the CDK-binding interface permitting formation of a ternary complex. These findings indicate that nanobodies could be used as pharmacological chaperones to determine the consequences of restoring the function of p16 in the cell. Highlights Describes a nanobody (single-domain antibody) capable of binding tumor suppressor protein p16 Nanobody binding can stabilise wild-type and cancer-associated p16 mutants Nanobody-p16 crystal structure reveals why nanobody binding is compatible with p16-CDK6 interaction
In vitro Evaluation of Lytic Phages for Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Isolates

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a dominate cause of sever community-acquired and nosocomial infections, specifically among immunocompromised individuals. The increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates has significantly impacted the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents. As we have entered the post antibiotic era, the use of bacteriophages to treat pathogenic bacterial infections is becoming revitalized. Elucidating molecular details of phage-bacteria interactions will provide insights into phage biology and better development of phage therapies. In this study, a total of 22 non-duplicate K. pneumoniae isolates were assessed for their genetic and phenotypic relatedness by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), endonuclease S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE) and in vitro antibiotic susceptibility testing. Further, the beta-lactamase gene (blaKPC) was characterized to determine the spread and outbreak of K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing enterobacterial pathogens. Three phages were isolated and characterized to evaluate the application of lytic phages against these 22 ST11 K. pneumoniae isolates. In vitro inhibition assays demonstrated the lytic potential of three relatively broad host-range phages, imposing strong selections for phage-resistant mutants. Comparative genomic sequence analyses revealed that phage-resistant mutants harbored mutations in gene wcaJ, which is essential for the biosynthesis of colanic acid. Together, this data suggests that in vitro characterization of phage-host interactions adds more comprehensive knowledge to known anti-phage defense strategies and further emphasizes their complexity and future challenges to overcome prior to using phages for controlling this important MDR bacterium.