Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the suitability of six drought indices in naturally growing, transitional vegetation zones in Inner Mongolia (China)

Naturally growing vegetation often suffers from the effects of drought. There exists a vast number of drought indices (DI’s) to assess the impact of drought on the growth of crops and naturally occurring vegetation. However, assessing the fitness of these indices for large areas with variable vegetation cover is often problematic because of the absence of adequate spatial information. In this study, we compared six DI’s to NDVI (the normalized difference vegetation index), a common indicator of vegetation occurrence and health based on satellite-acquired reflectance data. The study area covers an aridity gradient from forests to deserts along a 2,400-km-long section across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. On an annual timescale, standardized precipitation index (SPI) was the most appropriate in assessing drought in steppes and deserts. On a seasonal timescale, the self-calibrated Palmer drought severity index (scPDSI) displayed the greatest sensitivity during the summer, but not during the other seasons. On a monthly timescale, scPDSI demonstrated the greatest sensitivity to the various vegetation zones (i.e., forests, steppes, and deserts) in June and July. Further analysis indicated that summer drought had a lag-effect on vegetation growth, which varied from one to six months according to the specific vegetation cover. The mixed response of DI’s to NDVI and the lag-effect in transitional vegetation on annual, seasonal, and monthly timescales were ascribed to differences in DI definition and the dominant plant species within the transitional cover. The current study has the potential to inform the drafting of selection criteria of DI’s for the study of drought-related impact on naturally growing vegetation at timescales from month to year.
Will the Current COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Long-Term Cannabis Buying Practices?

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and the response to have resulted in an increase in sales activity levels on darknet markets during the first three months of 2020, mainly related to cannabis products. One key question is whether more people will become used to this form of purchasing their drugs and will they continue with it post COVID-19 lockdown. As one-to-one encrypted communication services or social media apps are increasingly being used, monitoring and interdiction will become much more challenging.
Phalanx Orientation in Feeding Behavior of the Little Tuna, Euthynnus alletteratus

Abstract In September 1964 observations on the feeding behavior of little tuna (Euthynnus alletteratus) were made at Cannouan Island, Grenadine Islands, Lesser Antilles. The observations took place at night during a night-light station in shallow water. Little tuna were observed to form a phalanx-like orientation while apparently feeding on a large aggregation of dwarf herring (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) directly under the floating night-light. Similar behavior patterns have not been reported on previously.
CHIRONOMID (DIPTERA) BIOCOENOSES IN SCANDINAVIAN GLACIER BROOKS

Abstract Glacier brooks in Northern Scandinavia have been investigated for the occurrence of chironomid larvae and pupae. In the uppermost zone of glacier brooks with a very narrow temperature amplitude, Diamesa lindrothi is the most abundant species. In a lower zone with a wide diurnal temperature amplitude during summer months, the simuliid Prosimulium macropyga is more abundant, along with other species of Diamesa. Lacking any primary organic production, the diptera larvae living here feed on particles drifted up on the glacier surface, conserved there and released into the glacier brook by the melting of the ice. The larvae of Diamesa lindrothi have developed adjustments to obviate the strong water current and the instability of the benthic substratum: The mature larvae spin nets over small stone cavities where they live, and thus prevent the pupal stage from being washed downstream. The Diamesa associations in glacier brooks have to be regarded as distinct freshwater biocoenoses. They have to be considered as belonging to the biocoenosis type kryon, and the brooks themselves according to the biotope type kryal. They differ from the krenal and rhithral biotope types by both abiotic and biotic peculiarities, and from the equivalent biocoenosis types by their characteristic life forms and animal associations.
Brain Function Differences in Children With Type 1 Diabetes: A Functional MRI Study of Working Memory

Glucose is a primary fuel source to the brain, yet the influence of dysglycemia on neurodevelopment in children with type 1 diabetes remains unclear. We examined brain activation using functional MRI in 80 children with type 1 diabetes (mean ± SD age 11.5 ± 1.8 years; 46% female) and 47 children without diabetes (control group) (age 11.8 ± 1.5 years; 51% female) as they performed a visuospatial working memory (N-back) task. Results indicated that in both groups, activation scaled positively with increasing working memory load across many areas, including the frontoparietal cortex, caudate, and cerebellum. Between groups, children with diabetes exhibited reduced performance on the N-back task relative to children in the control group, as well as greater modulation of activation (i.e., showed greater increase in activation with higher working memory load). Post hoc analyses indicated that greater modulation was associated in the diabetes group with better working memory function and with an earlier age of diagnosis. These findings suggest that increased modulation may occur as a compensatory mechanism, helping in part to preserve working memory ability, and further, that children with an earlier onset require additional compensation. Future studies that test whether these patterns change as a function of improved glycemic control are warranted.
Characterization and clinical course of 1000 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in New York: retrospective case series

Abstract Objective To characterize patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (covid-19) in a large New York City medical center and describe their clinical course across the emergency department, hospital wards, and intensive care units. Design Retrospective manual medical record review. Setting NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a quaternary care academic medical center in New York City. Participants The first 1000 consecutive patients with a positive result on the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) who presented to the emergency department or were admitted to hospital between 1 March and 5 April 2020. Patient data were manually abstracted from electronic medical records. Main outcome measures Characterization of patients, including demographics, presenting symptoms, comorbidities on presentation, hospital course, time to intubation, complications, mortality, and disposition. Results Of the first 1000 patients, 150 presented to the emergency department, 614 were admitted to hospital (not intensive care units), and 236 were admitted or transferred to intensive care units. The most common presenting symptoms were cough (732/1000), fever (728/1000), and dyspnea (631/1000). Patients in hospital, particularly those treated in intensive care units, often had baseline comorbidities including hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. Patients admitted to intensive care units were older, predominantly male (158/236, 66.9%), and had long lengths of stay (median 23 days, interquartile range 12-32 days); 78.0% (184/236) developed acute kidney injury and 35.2% (83/236) needed dialysis. Only 4.4% (6/136) of patients who required mechanical ventilation were first intubated more than 14 days after symptom onset. Time to intubation from symptom onset had a bimodal distribution, with modes at three to four days, and at nine days. As of 30 April, 90 patients remained in hospital and 211 had died in hospital. Conclusions Patients admitted to hospital with covid-19 at this medical center faced major morbidity and mortality, with high rates of acute kidney injury and inpatient dialysis, prolonged intubations, and a bimodal distribution of time to intubation from symptom onset.
The effect of exposure to fiction on attributional complexity, egocentric bias and accuracy in social perception

We investigated the effects of long-term exposure to literary and popular fiction on attributional complexity, egocentric bias and accuracy. Results of a pre-registered study showed that exposure to literary fiction is positively associated with scores on the attributional complexity scale. Literary fiction is also associated with accuracy in mentalizing, measured via the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, and with accuracy in predicting average social attitudes. The predicted negative association between literary fiction and egocentric bias emerged only when education and gender were controlled for–a covariance analysis that was not pre-registered. Exposure to popular fiction is associated solely with attributional complexity, but negatively. We discuss the significance of these findings in the context of the emerging literature regarding the relationship between fiction and social cognition.
Effectiveness and Safety of Intrathecal Ziconotide: Final Results of the Patient Registry of Intrathecal Ziconotide Management (PRIZM).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The Patient Registry of Intrathecal Ziconotide Management evaluated the long-term effectiveness and safety of intrathecal ziconotide. METHODS The study was a prospective, multicenter observational study of intrathecal ziconotide in US clinical practice. Patients were adults with severe chronic pain that warranted intrathecal therapy. Ziconotide was initiated as the single agent in the pump; however, other intrathecal medications were permitted. The primary efficacy outcome was ≥30% reduction in numeric pain rating scale score from baseline at week 12. A secondary outcome was patient global impression of change. Adverse events were solicited at each visit. RESULTS The registry enrolled 93 patients. Seventy-four and 28 patients completed 12 weeks and 18 months of treatment, respectively. In the overall patient population, 17.4% had ≥30% pain reduction from baseline at week 12, with a mean reduction in pain of 10.9%. At month 18, 38.5% of patients had ≥30% pain reduction from baseline, with a mean pain reduction of 24.7%. Patient-rated improvement was reported in 67% of patients at week 12 and 71% at month 18. Almost all patients experienced adverse events, the most common of which were nausea (25.8%), confusional state (22.6%), and dizziness (20.4%). CONCLUSIONS Final study analyses showed that intrathecal ziconotide provided clinically meaningful pain relief in 17.4% and 38.5% of patients at week 12 and month 18, respectively. At these same time points, patient-rated improvement was reported in at least two-thirds of patients. The safety profile was consistent with that listed in the ziconotide prescribing information.
PHYLOGENY OF THE LONCHOPHYLLINI (CHIROPTERA: PHYLLOSTOMIDAE)

Abstract A combination of 1,140 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of Platalina, Lionycteris, and several species of Lonchophylla (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) with 150 morphological, sex chromosome, and restriction site characters were used in an attempt to resolve relationships among the lonchophylline taxa. In addition, the monophyly of Lonchophylla was tested, particularly with respect to Platalina. The most parsimonious hypothesis of relationships using all available characters was (L. mordax ((L. chocoana (L. robusta, L. handleyi))(L. thomasi (Lionycteris, Platalina)))). Lonchophylla appears to be paraphyletic, but this arrangement is not well supported. Our analyses suggest that Platalina is not simply a large Lonchophylla, as had been suggested by previous morphological analyses. The low support values for basal relationships found in this study are probably caused by saturation in cytochrome b 3rd positions. Additionally, 2 alternative explanations are viable (if improbable): unsampled lonchophyllines are necessary to confidently resolve relationships at the base of the group, or the lack of resolution at the base of the lonchophylline phylogeny might be explained by rapid speciation following the separation from other glossophagines. Future work examining the phylogenetic relationships of lonchophylline bats should focus on describing new taxa, obtaining tissue samples from unsequenced representatives, and adding nuclear loci to this mitochondrial DNA data set.
Electromagnetic Wave Absorption Properties of Structural Conductive ABS Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling

To obtain excellent electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorption materials, the design of microstructures has been considered as an effective method to adjust EMW absorption performance. Owing to its inherent capability of effectively fabricating materials with complex various structures, three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has been regarded as a powerful tool to design EMW absorbers with plentiful microstructures for the adjustment of EMW absorption performance. In this work, five samples with various microstructures were prepared via fused deposition modeling (FDM). An analysis method combining theoretical simulation calculations with experimental measurements was adopted to investigate EMW absorbing properties of all samples. The wood-pile-structural sample possessed wider effective absorption bandwidth (EAB; reflection loss (RL) <−10 dB, for over 90% microwave absorption) of 5.43 GHz and generated more absorption bands (C-band and Ku-band) as compared to the honeycomb-structural sample at the same thickness. Designing various microstructures via FDM proved to be a convenient and feasible method to fabricate absorbers with tunable EMW absorption properties, which provides a novel path for the preparation of EMW absorption materials with wider EAB and lower RL.
Utility of Postoperative Prophylactic Antibiotics in Prepectoral Breast Reconstruction

Background Immediate tissue expander placement remains a preferred method for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. The use of prophylactic postoperative antibiotic administration is thought to reduce rates of surgical site infection and reconstructive failure, but has not been studied in patients undergoing reconstruction in the prepectoral plane. Methods We retrospectively identified all patients undergoing immediate prepectoral tissue expander placement after mastectomy by a single plastic surgeon from 2015 to 2018. We identified 2 cohorts of patients: one group that received prophylactic antibiotics at the time of discharge and one group that did not. We collected treatment and outcomes data to compare rates of postoperative complications between cohorts. Results We identified 69 patients with 115 breasts who received discharge antibiotics and 63 patients with 106 breasts who did not. The antibiotic cohort had significantly lower rates of tissue expander loss (4.3% vs 17.0%, P = 0.003), unplanned operation (10.4% vs 24.5%, P = 0.007), and infection (7.0% vs 24.5, P < 0.001). Conclusions The use of prophylactic postoperative antibiotics in prepectoral breast reconstruction is associated with significantly lower rates of postoperative complications. Further randomized controlled studies are warranted to explore the effect of antibiotic therapy on outcomes and to determine what the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy may be.
Origin of Bannerman's Turaco Tauraco bannermani in relation to historical climate change and the distribution of West African montane forests

We determined the systematic relationships and approximate divergence time of Bannerman's Turaco Tauraco bannermani and used this information to test whether the origin and distribution of this species and its closest relatives are associated with the effects of historical climate change on forest habitats in West Africa. We collected mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data for T. bannermani and combined this with previously published data to (1) generate a phylogeny for 22 of the 23 turaco species and (2) estimate approximate divergence times among species. The mtDNA data provide strong support for a clade comprising T. bannermani, the morphologically similar T. erythrolophus, and T. leucolophus. Genetic distances suggest that the mitochondrial lineages of these species diverged in the late Pliocene concomitant with increasingly arid and variable palaeoenvironmental conditions. We suggest that palaeoclimate change sundered a more widespread ancestral population associated with montane forests, giving rise to three allopatric species. More recent forest contraction during the past 100 000 years has likely led to increasingly restricted ranges for T. bannermani and T. erythrolophus. In contrast, T. leucolophus has maintained a much larger range, perhaps by adapting to savanna and submontane habitats. Finally, we suggest that the current dependence of Bannerman's Turaco on montane forests and its restricted range in Cameroon are largely the result of drier conditions in the late Pleistocene. The fragmented modern population is now highly vulnerable to extinction due to ongoing habitat loss.
Legionnaires' Disease in Pediatric Patients, Control Measures and 5-Year Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND Legionnaires' disease (LD) occurs predominantly in adults and elderly people. Its incidence in Europe has been increasing in recent years. It is rare in younger age groups and prone to be reported as healthcare-associated infection with a higher risk of fatal outcome. Hospital-acquired LD is mostly associated with a colonized hospital water system. We describe 5 LD cases in a children's hospital in Slovakia, subsequent environmental investigation, control measures, and 5-year monitoring of Legionella colonization in hospital's water system. METHODS In 2014-2019, we tested clinical specimens from 75 hospitalized patients. Respiratory samples were cultured for Legionella, patient's urine was tested for Legionella urinary antigens, and the microagglutination test was used for serologic testing. Samples of water were collected in 2015-2019 and processed according ISO11731. RESULTS We identified 5 Legionella infections in 2014-2015. Median age of patients was 15 years. All were high-risk patients hospitalized for their underlying diseases. All patients required admission to intensive care unit, and artificial ventilation due to general deterioration and respiratory failure. Legionella pneumophila was isolated from 72% of water samples. Chlorine dioxide dosing into water system above 0.3 ppm caused significant decrease of Legionella concentration in water samples. Samples taken from outlets with antimicrobial filter installed were legionellae-negative. CONCLUSIONS Control measures led to decreased risk of infection, but not to eradication of Legionellae. It is necessary to extend the diagnostics for Legionella infection in hospitalized children with pneumonia, especially in hospitals with colonized water system.
Proximate Causes of Sexual Size Dimorphism in Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus) of the Delaware Bay

ABSTRACT The unresolved status of the proximate cause for sexual size dimorphism in horseshoe crabs has practical consequence, because harvest recommendations rely on assumptions about sex-specific growth and maturity. We propose and evaluate competing hypotheses for the proximate cause of sexual size dimorphism in horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) by comparing size and estimated age frequencies from spring-captured juveniles (n = 9,075) and adults (n = 36,274) to predictions from the competing hypotheses. We found that the number of identifiable juvenile size distributions was greater for females than males and the probability of remaining a juvenile was higher for females than males among older juveniles. These findings are consistent with males maturing earlier than females. Molt increments and mean sizes were similar for male and female juveniles, which is not consistent with differential growth. Among adults, one size distribution accounted for ≥90% of females regardless of carapace wear. Also, size ratio of adult females to males was 1.26, and size ratio of the largest adult to largest juvenile female was 1.28. These observations are not consistent with females continuing to molt as adults. Differential-maturity is the most parsimonious explanation for sexual size dimorphism in Delaware Bay horseshoe crabs. In addition, because of a low frequency of juvenile females >195 mm relative to adult females and male-biased sex ratios starting at 105 mm, we hypothesize that females, more than males, migrate as older juveniles and mature in the ocean. Management implications include that (1) minimum size limits, as previously suggested, would not allocate harvest to older adults as intended because size does not indicate age among adult horseshoe crabs in the Delaware Bay population, and (2) the Shuster Horseshoe Crab Reserve, which has reduced harvest on the continental shelf, could be protecting older juveniles and newly mature females from harvest prior to their first spawn.
The subclavian artery and its branches in the ground squirrel, Citellus citellus

The subclavian artery (a. subclavia) is the intrathoracic portion of the parent vessel to each thoracic limb in the ground squirrel. It arises on the left side from the arch of the aorta (a. subclavia sinistra) and on the right side subclavia dextra) as a terminal branch of the innominate artery (a. anonyma) not far from the thoracic inlet. Before they leave the thoracic cavity and continue as the axillary arteries (a. axillaris) each subclavian artery forms the following branches: The internal thoracic artery (a. thoracica interna) with its branches (a. musculophrenica, a. epigastrica cranialis, ramus intercostalis and ramus sternalis) supplies the diaphragm the last eight intercostal muscles, the abdominal and intercostal muscles and the thoracic mammary gland with blood. The supreme intercostal artery (a. intercostalis suprema) with its branches (a. intercostalis I, II, III and IV and truncus bronchoesophagicus of the right supreme intercostal artery) supplies the first four intercostal muscles, esophagus, lung and mediastinum. The vertebral artery (a. vertebralis) is the main vessel which supplies the brain. Its branches (rami spinales, a basilaris, a. ethmoidea interna, a. cerebelli nasalis, a. cerebri profunda, a. cerebri media and a. corporis callosi) supply the spinal cord, medulla oblongata, pons, cerebellum, caudal colliculi, mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, mesencephalon, diencephalon cerebral hemispheres and corpus callosum and hemisphere. The omocervical trunk (truncus omocervicalis) is a strong vessel, which with its branches (ramus descendens, a. cervicalis ascendens, a. transversa scapulae and cervicalis superficialis) supplies the deep ventral cervical muscles with associated brown fat tissue and lymphonodes as well as the subscapular and supraspinatus muscles. The transverse colli artery (a. transversa colli) branches into the extrinsic muscle of the shoulder. The deep cervical artery (a. cervicalis profunda) conveys blood to the dorsal cervical muscles. The axillary artery (a. axillaris) is a continuation of the subclavian artery. Its branches (a. thoracoacromialis, a. thoracica externa, a. profunda brachii) supply the lateral and medial shoulder muscles and dorsal antebrachium muscles. The brachial artery (a. brachialis) is a continuation of the axillary artery. Its branches (rami musculares, a. bicipitalis, a. collateralis ulnaris, a. nutritia humeri, a. collateralis radialis proximalis and a. collateralis radialis distalis) conveys blood to the triceps and biceps muscles, humerus and flexor muscle of the antebrachium. The median artery (a. mediana) is a continuation of the brachial artery. Its branches (rami musculares, a. interossea communis, a. radialis and a. ulnaris) supply the flexor and extensor digit muscles.