Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel algorithm based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition for non-invasive fetal ECG extraction

Non-invasive fetal electrocardiography appears to be one of the most promising fetal monitoring techniques during pregnancy and delivery nowadays. This method is based on recording electrical potentials produced by the fetal heart from the surface of the maternal abdomen. Unfortunately, in addition to the useful fetal electrocardiographic signal, there are other interference signals in the abdominal recording that need to be filtered. The biggest challenge in designing filtration methods is the suppression of the maternal electrocardiographic signal. This study focuses on the extraction of fetal electrocardiographic signal from abdominal recordings using a combination of independent component analysis, recursive least squares, and ensemble empirical mode decomposition. The method was tested on two databases, the Fetal Electrocardiograms, Direct and Abdominal with Reference Heartbeats Annotations and the PhysioNet Challenge 2013 database. The evaluation was performed by the assessment of the accuracy of fetal QRS complexes detection and the quality of fetal heart rate determination. The effectiveness of the method was measured by means of the statistical parameters as accuracy, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and F1-score. Using the proposed method, when testing on the Fetal Electrocardiograms, Direct and Abdominal with Reference Heartbeats Annotations database, accuracy higher than 80% was achieved for 11 out of 12 recordings with an average value of accuracy 92.75% [95% confidence interval: 91.19–93.88%], sensitivity 95.09% [95% confidence interval: 93.68–96.03%], positive predictive value 96.36% [95% confidence interval: 95.05–97.17%] and F1-score 95.69% [95% confidence interval: 94.83–96.35%]. When testing on the Physionet Challenge 2013 database, accuracy higher than 80% was achieved for 17 out of 25 recordings with an average value of accuracy 78.24% [95% confidence interval: 73.44–81.85%], sensitivity 81.79% [95% confidence interval: 76.59–85.43%], positive predictive value 87.16% [95% confidence interval: 81.95–90.35%] and F1-score 84.08% [95% confidence interval: 80.75–86.64%]. Moreover, the non-invasive ST segment analysis was carried out on the records from the Fetal Electrocardiograms, Direct and Abdominal with Reference Heartbeats Annotations database and achieved high accuracy in 7 from in total of 12 records (mean values μ < 0.1 and values of ±1.96σ < 0.1).
Involvement of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors in the Anticonvulsive Effects of Licofelone on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Clonic Seizure in Mice

Background and Purpose Licofelone is a dual 5-lipoxygenase/cyclooxygenase inhibitor, with well-documented anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which is used for treatment of osteoarthritis. Recent preclinical studies have also suggested neuroprotective and anti-oxidative properties of this drug in some neurological conditions such as seizure and epilepsy. We have recently demonstrated a role for nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the anti-epileptic activity of licofelone in two seizure models in rodents. Given the important role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) activation in the NO production and its function in the nervous system, in the present study, we further investigated the involvement of NMDAR in the effects of licofelone (1, 3, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]) in an in vivo model of seizure in mice. Methods Clonic seizures were induced in male NMRI mice by intravenous administration of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). Results Acute administration of licofelone exerted anticonvulsant effects at 10 (p<0.01) and 20 mg/kg (p<0.001). A combined treatment with sub-effective doses of the selective NMDAR antagonist MK-801 (0.05 mg/kg, i.p.) and licofelone (5 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly (p<0.001) exerted an anticonvulsant effect on the PTZ-induced clonic seizures in mice. Notably, pre-treatment with the NMDAR co-agonist D-serine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) partially hindered the anticonvulsant effects of licofelone (20 mg/kg). Conclusions Our data suggest a possible role for the NMDAR in the anticonvulsant effects of licofelone on the clonic seizures induced by PTZ in mice.
CASPredict: a web service for identifying Cas proteins

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and their associated (Cas) proteins constitute the CRISPR-Cas systems, which play a key role in prokaryote adaptive immune system against invasive foreign elements. In recent years, the CRISPR-Cas systems have also been designed to facilitate target gene editing in eukaryotic genomes. As one of the important components of the CRISPR-Cas system, Cas protein plays an irreplaceable role. The effector module composed of Cas proteins is used to distinguish the type of CRISPR-Cas systems. Effective prediction and identification of Cas proteins can help biologists further infer the type of CRISPR-Cas systems. Moreover, the class 2 CRISPR-Cas systems are gradually applied in the field of genome editing. The discovery of Cas protein will help provide more candidates for genome editing. In this paper, we described a web service named CASPredict (http://i.uestc.edu.cn/caspredict/cgi-bin/CASPredict.pl) for identifying Cas proteins. CASPredict first predicts Cas proteins based on support vector machine (SVM) by using the optimal dipeptide composition and then annotates the function of Cas proteins based on the hmmscan search algorithm. The ten-fold cross-validation results showed that the 84.84% of Cas proteins were correctly classified. CASPredict will be a useful tool for the identification of Cas proteins, or at least can play a complementary role to the existing methods in this area.
Potency of spirulina (Spirulina platensis) on arsenic-induced lipid peroxidation in rat

Objective: Natural substances found in dietary sources and medicinal plants have attracted considerable attention in recent years as chemopreventive agents. Spirulina is a blue-green alga that possesses chemopreventive properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of spirulina on rats with inorganic arsenic (As) [sodium arsenite (NaAsO2)]-induced lipid peroxidation. Materials and Methods: 120 rats were randomly assigned to 10 groups and designated T0, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8, and T9. One group was kept as a control (T0) that received no treatment. The seven groups received 3.0 mg of NaAsO2/kg body weight in drinking water and were given spirulina ad libitum. T1 was treated with NaAsO2 but not with spirulina. Two groups of rats (T2 and T3), on the other hand, were treated with spirulina without receiving any As (NaAsO2). T2 received agro-based spirulina (Ab-Sp; grown in 1.5% soybean meal media and harvested on day 12 of seed inoculation) at 2.0 gm/kg feed, whereas T3 received commercially available spirulina (Com-Sp) at 2.0 gm/kg feed. T4, T5, and T6 were concurrently treated with Ab-Sp at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 gm/kg of feed. On the other hand, T7, T8, and T9 induced by NaAsO2 were concurrently treated with Com-Sp at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 gm/kg feed. All groups received treatment for 90 days. Results: The efficacy of both spirulina in preventing lipid peroxidation caused by As was determined quantitatively by measuring the rats’ serum malondialdehyde (MDA). The results indicated that As supplementation increased serum MDA levels, whereas both types of spirulina significantly decreased them. The highest dose of Ab-Sp (2.0 gm/kg feed) was found to be the most effective in preventing lipid peroxidation in rats treated with inorganic As. Conclusion: Ab-Sp could be a natural, cost-effective, and safe measure to mitigate As toxicity.
High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy was effective for dysphagia associated with respiratory muscle paralysis due to cervical spinal cord injury

Abstract Rationale: Respiratory muscle paralysis due to low cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) can lead to dysphagia. Noninvasive positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy can effectively treat this type of dysphagia. High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) oxygen therapy can generate a low level of positive airway pressure resembling PAP therapy, it may improve the dysphagia. Patient concerns: The patient was an 87-year-old man without preexisting dysphagia. He suffered a CSCI due to a dislocated C5/6 fracture, without brain injury, and underwent emergency surgery. Postoperatively (day 2), he complained of dysphagia, and the intervention was initiated. Diagnosis: Based on clinical findings, dysphagia in this case, may have arisen due to impaired coordination between breathing and swallowing, which typically occurs in patients with CSCI who have reduced forced vital capacity. Interventions: HFNC oxygen therapy was started immediately after the surgery, and swallowing rehabilitation was started on Day 2. Indirect therapy (without food) and direct therapy (with food) were applied in stages. HFNC oxygen therapy appeared to be effective because swallowing function temporarily decreased when the HFNC oxygen therapy was changed to nasal canula oxygen therapy. Outcomes: Swallowing function of the patient improved and he did not develop aspiration pneumonia. Lessons: HFNC oxygen therapy improved swallowing function in a patient with dysphagia associated with respiratory-muscle paralysis following a CSCI. It may have prolonged the apnea tolerance time during swallowing and may have improved the timing of swallowing. HFNC oxygen therapy can facilitate both indirect and direct early swallowing therapy to restore both swallowing and respiratory function.
Metadehumanization and Self-dehumanization are Linked to Reduced Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy and Increased Anxiety and Depression Symptoms in Patients with Severe Alcohol Use Disorder

Metadehumanization, the perception of being treated as less than a human by others, is a pervasive phenomenon in intergroup relations. It is dissociated from stigmatization or stereotypes, and it has been recently identified as a critical process in severe alcohol use disorders (SAUD). Metadehumanization is associated with a wide array of negative consequences for the victim, including negative emotions, aversive self-awareness, cognitive deconstruction, and psychosomatic strains, which are related to anxiety and depression. This study aims to investigate if metadehumanization occurring among patients with SAUD is associated with clinical factors involved in the maintenance of the disease, namely symptoms of depression or anxiety and drinking refusal self-efficacy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 120 patients with SAUD. Self-reported questionnaires measured metadehumanization, self-dehumanization (i.e., the feeling of being less than a human), anxiety, depression, drinking refusal self-efficacy, and demographics. Metadehumanization was significantly associated with self-dehumanization, anxiety, depression, and drinking refusal self-efficacy. Additionally, path analyses showed that self-dehumanization mediated the links between metadehumanization and clinical variables. These results indicate that metadehumanization and self-dehumanization could be essential factors to consider during SAUD treatment, as they are associated with increased psychiatric symptoms and reduced drinking refusal self-efficacy.
Classic Visual Search Effects in an Additional Singleton Task: An Open Dataset

Visual search refers to our ability to find what we are looking for among many competing visual inputs. Here, we report the availability of a rich dataset that replicates key visual search effects and shows that these effects are robust to several changes to the experimental design. Experiment 1 replicates classic findings from an additional singleton visual search task. First, participants are captured by a salient but irrelevant color singleton, as indexed by slower response times when a color singleton distractor is present versus absent. Second, attentional capture by a color singleton is reduced when the visual search array contains heterogeneous shapes rather than homogenous shapes. Finally, attentional capture by a color singleton is reduced when the display colors are repeated rather than switched unpredictably from trial to trial. Experiment 2 demonstrates that these classic visual search effects are robust to small procedural changes such as task timing (i.e., a 2–8 second rather than ~1 second inter-trial interval). Experiment 3 demonstrates that these classic effects are likewise robust to changes to the distractor frequency (75% rather than 50%) and to fully blocking versus interleaving blocks of two task conditions. All told, this dataset includes 8 sub-experiments, 190 participants and >210,000 trials, and it will serve as a useful resource for power analyses and exploratory analyses of visual search behaviors.
Impact of both early-age acclimation and linseed dietary inclusion on fat deposition and fatty acids’ meat traits in heat-stressed broiler chickens

Objective: The purpose of this work was to investigate the combination of early-age acclimation and linseed dietary inclusion in enriching polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in broilers’ meat as a strategy to mitigate heat stress. Materials and Methods: A total of 400 broiler chicks were assigned to four experimental groups with four duplicates (25 animals each): C: control (basal diet), AC: early-age acclimated (basal diet), Cl: fed 5% ground linseed, and Acl: early-age acclimated and fed 5% ground linseed. The lipid and fatty acid contents of different parts (breast, thigh, liver, subcutaneous, and abdominal fat) of broilers were determined. Results: Low levels of lipids and unsaturated fatty acids have been found in the meat of acclimated broilers. Higher levels of linolenic acids were noted in Cl thigh meat compared to C (6% vs. 2.68%, respectively). The results showed that oleic and linoleic acids constitute a large part of the PUFAs of different meats. The most elevated levels of monounsaturated fatty acids were recorded in the breast meat of AcL animals. The highest content of omega-3 was recorded in the liver of AcL animals compared to that of C (14.98% vs. 7.8%, respectively). Conclusion: We suggest that the combination of treatments during hot conditions has led to the reversion of the environment-affected variables to accepted values, and yields better thermoresistance, PUFA-enriched meat, and safeguard animal health which conferred to birds’ better solutions to reduce fatigue and hypoxic activities, which induces a considerable consumption of oxygen.
Genome-wide association study and genomic selection for yield and related traits in soybean

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] is a crop of great interest worldwide. Exploring molecular approaches to increase yield genetic gain has been one of the main challenges for soybean breeders and geneticists. Agronomic traits such as maturity, plant height, and seed weight have been found to contribute to yield. In this study, a total of 250 soybean accessions were genotyped with 10,259 high-quality SNPs postulated from genotyping by sequencing (GBS) and evaluated for grain yield, maturity, plant height, and seed weight over three years. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using a Bayesian Information and Linkage Disequilibrium Iteratively Nested Keyway (BLINK) model. Genomic selection (GS) was evaluated using a ridge regression best linear unbiased predictor (rrBLUP) model. The results revealed that 20, 31, 37, and 23 SNPs were significantly associated with maturity, plant height, seed weight, and yield, respectively; Many SNPs were mapped to previously described maturity and plant height loci (E2, E4, and Dt1) and a new plant height locus was mapped to chromosome 20. Candidate genes were found in the vicinity of the two SNPs with the highest significant levels associated with yield, maturity, plant height, seed weight, respectively. A 11.5-Mb region of chromosome 10 was associated with both yield and seed weight. Overall, the accuracy of GS was dependent on the trait, year, and population structure, and high accuracy indicates that these agronomic traits can be selected in molecular breeding through GS. The SNP markers identified in this study can be used to improve yield and agronomic traits through the marker-assisted selection and GS in breeding programs.
Routine follow-up after surgical treatment of lung cancer: is chest CT useful?

ABSTRACT Objective: To report the experience of a routine follow-up program based on medical visits and chest CT. Methods: This was a retrospective study involving patients followed after complete surgical resection of non-small cell lung cancer between April of 2007 and December of 2015. The follow-up program consisted of clinical examination and chest CT. Each follow-up visit was classified as a routine or non-routine consultation, and patients were considered symptomatic or asymptomatic. The outcomes of the follow-up program were no evidence of cancer, recurrence, or second primary lung cancer. Results: The sample comprised 148 patients. The median time of follow-up was 40.1 months, and 74.3% of the patients underwent fewer chest CTs than those recommended in our follow-up program. Recurrence and second primary lung cancer were found in 17.6% and 11.5% of the patients, respectively. Recurrence was diagnosed in a routine medical consultation in 69.2% of the cases, 57.7% of the patients being asymptomatic. Second primary lung cancer was diagnosed in a routine medical appointment in 94.1% of the cases, 88.2% of the patients being asymptomatic. Of the 53 patients who presented with abnormalities on chest CT, 41 (77.3%) were diagnosed with cancer. Conclusion: Most of the cases of recurrence, especially those of second primary lung cancer, were confirmed by chest CT in asymptomatic patients, indicating the importance of a strict follow-up program that includes chest CTs after surgical resection of lung cancer.
Clinicopathological and bacteriological studies on lamb bacterial enteritis and monitoring the oregano oil and vitamins A,D3,E effect on its treatment

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the effect of A,D3,E (I/M) and oregano oil extract 15% on some clinicopathological parameters during lamb bacterial enteritis treatment. Materials and Methods: Sixty Barki lambs, 20 apparently healthy (control group) and, 40 suffered from bacterial enteritis [enteric group (EG)], were subdivided into four treated groups (TGs): antibiotic group (AG), antibiotic + A,D3,E group (A + A,D3,E), antibiotic + oregano oil (AOG), and oregano group (OG). Fecal swabs were collected from EG then aseptically cultured, isolated, phenotypically identified, genotypically confirmed, and sequenced by PCR 16srRNA. Paper disk diffusion test was used for estimation of oregano oil extract 15% antibacterial activity. After blood sample aspiration from all animals, they were clinicopathologically and statistically analyzed. Results: Escherichia coli, followed by Salmonella species and then Klebsiella species, was the main causative agents of lamb diarrhea and were susceptible to oregano oil extract 15%. A + A,D3,E and AOG showed significant (p < 0.05) enhancement of some clinicopathological parameters more than AG or OG. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC), yielded area under the curve, sensitivity, negative predictive value as 1, 100% and 100% respectively, were determined in both EG and TGs. Conclusion: Oregano oil extract 15% has good antibacterial properties against enteric bacteria in vitro and in vivo. The combination between antibiotic and antioxidant vitamins or oregano plant extract of 15% has a good impact on some clinicopathological alterations in lamb bacterial enteritis treatment. TAC, MMP-9, and MMP-2 may be good markers for the disease and its treatment follow-up.
Tailored Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanocrystals for Formation of Cuboid Mesocrystals

In this work, we systematically studied the shape- and size-controlled monodisperse synthesis of iron oxide nanocrystals (IONCs) for their use as building blocks in the formation of mesocrystals. For this aim, on understanding the influence of the oleic acid concentration, iron-oleate concentration, and heating rate on the synthesis of robust and reproducible IONCs with desired sizes and shapes, we synthesized highly monodisperse ∼11 nm sized nanocubes and nanospheres. Magnetic measurements of both cubic and spherical IONCs revealed the presence of mixed paramagnetic and superparamagnetic phases in these nanocrystals. Moreover, we observed that the magnetic moments of the nanocubes are more substantial compared to their spherical counterparts. We then demonstrated a simple magnetic-field-assisted assembly of nanocubes into three-dimensional (3D) cuboid mesocrystals while nanospheres did not form any mesocrystals. These findings indicate that small cubic nanocrystals hold great promise as potential building blocks of 3D magnetic hierarchical structures with their superior magnetic properties and mesocrystal assembly capability, which may have high relevance in various fields ranging from high-density data storage to biomedical applications.
Patients’ Satisfaction on the Service Quality of Upazila Health Complex in Bangladesh

This article attempts to measure the state of satisfaction of patients over the quality of health care as well as identify the crucial factors that affect the patients’ satisfaction in Upazila Health Complex (UHC). The quantitative approach was used following a structured questionnaire survey method. Four hundred visitors of 2 UHCs in Meherpur district were randomly selected as respondents for the study. The Statistical Package for Social Science IBM version 24 and R software (version 4.0.2) were used to run descriptive statistics, χ2 test, confirmatory factor analysis, and principal component analysis for quantitative data analysis. The data reveal that the overall satisfaction score is (2.75 ± 0.943). A 3-dimension model of service quality is found to have a significant relationship with patients’ satisfaction at the rural level. Care providers’ attitude and responsiveness in service delivery are found to be the most vital factor, while the tangibles and accessibility factors moderately influence the patient’s satisfaction on the service quality at UHCs.
Parents reinforce the formation of first impressions in conversation with their children

The tendency to form first impressions from facial appearance emerges early in development. One route through which these impressions may be learned is parent-child interaction. In Study 1, 24 parent-child dyads (children aged 5–6 years, 50% male, 83% White British) were given four computer generated faces and asked to talk about each of the characters shown. Study 2 (children aged 5–6 years, 50% male, 92% White British) followed a similar procedure using images of real faces. Across both studies, around 13% of conversation related to the perceived traits of the individuals depicted. Furthermore, parents actively reinforced their children’s face-trait mappings, agreeing with the opinions they voiced on approximately 40% of occasions across both studies. Interestingly, although parents often encouraged face-trait mappings in their children, their responses to questionnaire items suggested they typically did not approve of judging others based on their appearance.
Another polymorphic mitochondrial genome of Grampus griseus and phylogeny of family Delphinidae

Abstract Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus Cuvier, 1812) is the only species of genus Grampus and a cosmopolitan marine inhabitant. Here, we report a polymorphic complete mitochondrial genome of G. griseus. The size of the total mitochondrial genome was 16,386 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, and a control region. 37 single nucleotide polymorphic sites (SNPs) were identified compared to the references. Based on the available total mitochondrial dolphin genomes’ phylogenetics, G. griseus has formed a clade with 0.1415 distance, sister to the following species of the subfamily Globicephalinae and the taxonomy of Orcinus orca still needs further investigations.