Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ecotyping of Anaplasma phagocytophilum from Wild Ungulates and Ticks Shows Circulation of Zoonotic Strains in Northeastern Italy

Simple Summary Tick-borne infectious diseases represent a rising threat both for human and animal health, since they are emerging worldwide. Among the bacterial infections, Anaplasma phagocytophilum has been largely neglected in Europe. Despite its diffusion in ticks and animals, the ecoepidemiology of its genetic variants is not well understood. The latest studies identify four ecotypes of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Europe, and only ecotype I has shown zoonotic potential. The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic variants of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in wild ungulates, the leading reservoir species, and in feeding ticks, the main vector of infection. The analyzed samples were collected in northeastern Italy, the same area where the first Italian human cases of anaplasmosis in the country were reported. Using biomolecular tools and phylogenetic analysis, ecotypes I and II were detected in both ticks (Ixodes ricinus species) and wild ungulates. Specifically, ecotype II was mainly detected in roe deer and related ticks; and ecotype I, the potentially zoonotic variant, was detected in Ixodes ricinus ticks and also in roe deer, red deer, chamois, mouflon, and wild boar. These findings reveal not only the wide diffusion of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, but also the presence of zoonotic variants. Abstract Anaplasma phagocytophilum (A. phagocytophilum) is a tick-borne pathogen causing disease in both humans and animals. Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is an emerging disease, but despite the remarkable prevalence in European ticks and wild animals, human infection appears underdiagnosed. Several genetic variants are circulating in Europe, including the zoonotic ecotype I. This study investigated A. phagocytophilum occurrence in wild ungulates and their ectoparasites in an area where HGA has been reported. Blood samples from wild ungulates and ectoparasites were screened by biomolecular methods targeting the mps2 gene. The groEL gene was amplified and sequenced to perform genetic characterization and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 188 blood samples were collected from different wild ungulates species showing an overall prevalence of 63.8% (88.7% in wild ruminants and 3.6% in wild boars). The prevalence of A. phagocytophilum DNA in ticks (manly Ixodes ricinus), and keds collected from wild ruminants was high, reflecting the high infection rates obtained in their hosts. Among ticks collected from wild boars (Hyalomma marginatum and Dermacentor marginatus) no DNA was detected. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated the presence of ecotype I and II. To date, this is the first Italian report of ecotype I in alpine chamois, mouflon, and wild boar species. These findings suggest their role in HGA epidemiology, and the high prevalence detected in this study highlights that this human tick-borne disease deserves further attention.
Contrasting lexical biases in bilingual English–Mandarin speech: Verb-biased mothers, but noun-biased toddlers

Abstract Is noun dominance in early lexical acquisition a widespread or a language-specific phenomenon? Thirty Singaporean bilingual English–Mandarin learning toddlers and their mothers were observed in a mother-child play interaction. For both English and Mandarin, toddlers’ speech and reported vocabulary contained more nouns than verbs across book reading and toy playing. In contrast, their mothers’ speech contained more verbs than nouns in both English and Mandarin but differed depending on the context of the interaction. Although toddlers demonstrated a noun bias for both languages, the noun bias was more pronounced in English than in Mandarin. Together, these findings support early noun dominance as a widespread phenomenon in the lexical acquisition debate but also provide evidence that language specificity also plays a minor role in children's early lexical development.
Effects of a Protein-Rich, Low-Glycaemic Meal Replacement on Changes in Dietary Intake and Body Weight Following a Weight-Management Intervention—The ACOORH Trial

Although meal replacement can lead to weight reduction, there is uncertainty whether this dietary approach implemented into a lifestyle programme can improve long-term dietary intake. In this subanalysis of the Almased Concept against Overweight and Obesity and Related Health Risk (ACOORH) study (n = 463), participants with metabolic risk factors were randomly assigned to either a meal replacement-based lifestyle intervention group (INT) or a lifestyle intervention control group (CON). This subanalysis relies only on data of participants (n = 119) who returned correctly completed dietary records at baseline, and after 12 and 52 weeks. Both groups were not matched for nutrient composition at baseline. These data were further stratified by sex and also associated with weight change. INT showed a higher increase in protein intake related to the daily energy intake after 12 weeks (+6.37% [4.69; 8.04] vs. +2.48% [0.73; 4.23], p < 0.001) of intervention compared to CON. Fat and carbohydrate intake related to the daily energy intake were more strongly reduced in the INT compared to CON (both p < 0.01). After sex stratification, particularly INT-women increased their total protein intake after 12 (INT: +12.7 g vs. CON: −5.1 g, p = 0.021) and 52 weeks (INT: +5.7 g vs. CON: −16.4 g, p = 0.002) compared to CON. Protein intake was negatively associated with weight change (r = −0.421; p < 0.001) after 12 weeks. The results indicate that a protein-rich dietary strategy with a meal replacement can improve long-term nutritional intake, and was associated with weight loss.
On the Arnold cat map and periodic boundary conditions for planar elongational flow

In this paper we show that the periodic boundary conditions used to simulate planar elongational flow are closely related to the Arnold cat map. In particular the relationship between the Arnold cat map and the periodic boundary conditions devised by Kraynik and Reinelt [1992, Int. J. multiphase Flow, 18, 1045], the so-called K-R map, is demonstrated. It is shown that the family of lattices found by Kraynik and Reinelt corresponds to a subset of hyperbolic toral automorphisms. These lattices were previously found to be sufficient to enable molecular dynamics simulations of steady-state planar elongational flow of unrestricted duration. Within the frame of the cat map we provide a re-derivation for the set of eigenvalues, eigenvectors and orientation angles of the K-R map and find it to be considerably simpler than the original derivation provided by Kraynik and Reinelt.
(S)-4-(2-Methylbutyl)-4′-Cyanobiphenyl (5*CB) Glass Former: Are the Crystalline Polymorphs Ordered?

The studies performed for right-handed (S)-4-(2-methylbutyl)-4′-cyanobiphenyl glass former using calorimetry (down to 0.35 K) and spectroscopy methods are reviewed. The substance reveals isotropic and cholesteric liquid phases, glass of cholesteric phase and two crystalline polymorphs, one of which transforms to glass. Two anomalies in heat capacity below 5 K and their relation to ordering of the molecules in three solid phases are discussed.
Opportunistic Food Habits of the Raccoon Dog — A Case Study on Suwazaki Peninsula, Shikoku, Western Japan

Abstract. Despite of great variation of food habits of the raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) on the Japanese archipelago, information of the food habits of them in the warm temperate zone in southern Japan is limited. The food habits of them on Suwazaki Peninsula in western Shikoku Island, southwestern Japan, were studied using fecal analysis. The sampling period spanned May 2019 to April 2020. The point-frame method was adopted. Fruits (pericarp and pulp) were important, accounting for > 30% in autumn and > 20% in winter. The fruit of Aphananthe aspera was particularly important, but various fruits were eaten in seasonal succession, and many fleshy tree fruits in the warm temperate zone were utilized. Insects were also important, accounting for > 20% in spring, summer, and early winter. Mandarin oranges comprised about 40% of the diet in late winter. Mammals and birds were less utilized than in other areas. The food habits of raccoon dogs on Suwazaki Peninsula were characterized by the diverse fruits and insects of the warm temperate zone together with cultivated mandarin oranges. These results suggest the opportunistic food habits of the raccoon dog.
Sustained prothrombotic changes in COVID-19 patients 4 months after hospital discharge

Fien A. von Meijenfeldt, Sebastian Havervall, Jelle Adelmeijer, Annika Lundström, Maria Magnusson, Nigel Mackman, Charlotte Thalin,* and Ton Lisman* Surgical Research Laboratory, Department of Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences and Clinical Chemistry and Blood Coagulation Research, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery (MMK), and Division of Paediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; and UNC Blood Research Center, Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Chiral Scandium Catalysts for Enantioselective Michael Reactions of β-Ketoesters

A highly enantioselective Michael reaction of beta-ketoesters with alpha,beta-unsaturated ketones promoted by a chiral scandium catalyst has been developed. In the presence of Sc(OTf)3 and (S,S)-6,6'-bis(1-hydroxy-2,2'-dimethylpropyl)-2,2'-bipyridine, the desired Michael reactions proceeded smoothly in dichloroethane at 40 degrees C to afford the corresponding adducts in good to high yields with excellent enantioselectivities in most cases. It was found in this reaction that a lower concentration of the reaction mixture was key to attaining high enantioselectivities.
Remdesivir for the Treatment of COVID-19: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: The benefits of remdesivir in the treatment of hospitalized patients with Covid-19 remain debated with the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization providing contradictory recommendations for and against use. Methods: We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of remdesivir for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. The primary outcome was mortality, stratified by oxygen use (none, supplemental oxygen without mechanical ventilation, and mechanical ventilation). We conducted a frequentist random effects meta-analysis on the risk ratio (RR) scale and, to better contextualize the probabilistic benefits, we also performed a bayesian random effects meta-analysis on the risk difference scale. Results: We identified 8 randomized trials, totaling 9157 participants. The RR for mortality comparing remdesivir versus control was 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42-1.22; I2=0.0%) in the patients who did not require supplemental oxygen; 0.83 (95%CI 0.73-0.95; I2=0.0%) for nonventilated patients requiring oxygen; and 1.19 (95%CI 0.98-1.44 I2=0.0%) in the setting of mechanical ventilation. Using neutral priors, the probabilities that remdesivir reduces mortality were 74.7%, 96.9% and 8.9%, respectively. The probability that remdesivir reduced mortality by more than 1% was 88.1% for nonventilated patients requiring oxygen. Conclusion: Based on this meta-analysis, there is a high probability that remdesivir reduces mortality for nonventilated patients with COVID-19 requiring supplemental oxygen therapy.
Encapsulation of Methyl Red pH‐Indicator into a Sol‐Gel Matrix

Encapsulation of methyl red pH indicator into transparent monolithic silica matrices was made via the acid‐catalyzed sol‐gel reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate and methyl red indicator. The immobilized methyl red shows behavior similar to its solution counterpart. It retains its structure during the sol‐gel reactions in terms of response to pH. Polarized light microscopy and the surface morphology indicated that methyl red molecules are strongly interacted within the host silica network.
Machine Learning for the Built Heritage Archaeological Study

The presence of artificial intelligence in our lives is increasing and being applied to fields such as medicine, engineering, telecommunications, remote sensing and 3D visualization. Nevertheless, it has never been used for the stratigraphic study of historical buildings. Thus far, archaeologists and architects, the experts in archaeology of architecture, have led this research. The method consisted of visually—and, consequently, subjectively—identifying certain evidence regarding the elevations of such buildings that could be a consequence of the passage of time. In this article, we would like to present the results from one of the research projects pursued by our group, in which we automated the stratigraphic study of some historic buildings using multivariate statistic techniques. To this end, we first measured the building using surveying techniques to create a 3D model, and then, we broke down every stone into qualitative and quantitative variables. To identify the stratigraphic features on the walls, we applied machine learning by conducting different predictive and descriptive analyses. The predictive analyses were used to rule out any blocks of stone with different characteristics, such as rough stones, joint ashlars, and voussoirs of arches; these are irregularities that probably show building processes and whose identification is crucial in ascertaining the structural evolution of the building. In supervised learning, we experimented with decision trees and random forest—and although the results were good in all cases, we ultimately opted to implement the predictive model obtained using the last one. While identifying the evidence on the walls, it was also very important to identify different continuity solutions or interfaces present on them, because although these are elements without materiality, they are of great value in terms of timescale, because they delimit different strata and allow us to deduce the relationship between them.
NITD-688, a pan-serotype inhibitor of the dengue virus NS4B protein, shows favorable pharmacokinetics and efficacy in preclinical animal models

NITD-688, a pan-serotype dengue virus inhibitor, is effective in mice and is well tolerated with favorable pharmacokinetics in animal models. A versatile antiviral Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that lacks any effective antiviral treatments. There are four serotypes of DENV, all of which can cause disease, including dengue fever, dengue shock syndrome, or dengue hemorrhagic fever. Thus, an antiviral drug needs to be effective against all four serotypes. Here, Moquin et al. identify an inhibitor of the DENV protein NS4B that is effective against all four serotypes in vitro and against DENV-2 in vivo in mice. The authors show that the inhibitor, NITD-688, is well tolerated and has favorable pharmacokinetic properties in rats and dogs and decreased viremia in mice when treated up to 2 days after DENV infection. These findings suggest that NITD-688 is a promising candidate for a DENV antiviral drug. Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that poses a threat to public health, yet no antiviral drug is available. We performed a high-throughput phenotypic screen using the Novartis compound library and identified candidate chemical inhibitors of DENV. This chemical series was optimized to improve properties such as anti-DENV potency and solubility. The lead compound, NITD-688, showed strong potency against all four serotypes of DENV and demonstrated excellent oral efficacy in infected AG129 mice. There was a 1.44-log reduction in viremia when mice were treated orally at 30 milligrams per kilogram twice daily for 3 days starting at the time of infection. NITD-688 treatment also resulted in a 1.16-log reduction in viremia when mice were treated 48 hours after infection. Selection of resistance mutations and binding studies with recombinant proteins indicated that the nonstructural protein 4B is the target of NITD-688. Pharmacokinetic studies in rats and dogs showed a long elimination half-life and good oral bioavailability. Extensive in vitro safety profiling along with exploratory rat and dog toxicology studies showed that NITD-688 was well tolerated after 7-day repeat dosing, demonstrating that NITD-688 may be a promising preclinical candidate for the treatment of dengue.
One Size Does Not Fit All

Malware analysis is an essential task to understand infection campaigns, the behavior of malicious codes, and possible ways to mitigate threats. Malware analysis also allows better assessment of attackers’ capabilities, techniques, and processes. Although a substantial amount of previous work provided a comprehensive analysis of the international malware ecosystem, research on regionalized, country-, and population-specific malware campaigns have been scarce. Moving towards addressing this gap, we conducted a longitudinal (2012-2020) and comprehensive (encompassing an entire population of online banking users) study of MS Windows desktop malware that actually infected Brazilian banks’ users. We found that the Brazilian financial desktop malware has been evolving quickly: it started to make use of a variety of file formats instead of typical PE binaries, relied on native system resources, and abused obfuscation techniques to bypass detection mechanisms. Our study on the threats targeting a significant population on the ecosystem of the largest and most populous country in Latin America can provide invaluable insights that may be applied to other countries’ user populations, especially those in the developing world that might face cultural peculiarities similar to Brazil’s. With this evaluation, we expect to motivate the security community/industry to seriously consider a deeper level of customization during the development of next-generation anti-malware solutions, as well as to raise awareness towards regionalized and targeted Internet threats.
Structural Characterization of Selected Indian Coals by X-ray Diffraction and Spectroscopic Techniques

The structural parameters of three Indian coals were determined by X-ray diffraction, Raman, UV-Vis-NIR, FTIR spectroscopy and SEM-EDS. This study reveals that the coals contain crystalline carbon of turbo- stratic structure with some amount of amorphous carbon. The average lateral sizes (La), stacking heights (Lc) and interlayer spacing (d002) of the crystallite structures calculated from the X-ray intensities range from 28.15-38.43 A°, 22.64-20.16A° and 3.52-3.34 A°, respectively which is higher than that of pure graphite, suggesting a low degree of crystalline order in the studied sample. The decrease in La with rank shows that the carbon in coal is nano crystalline in structure. Raman spectroscopic study confirms the presence of multi layer formation of graphite layer. The defect band at 1355 cm-1 is due to benzene or condensed benzene rings present in amorphous carbon. The FTIR spectra of the coals show the presence of stretching vibrations of -OH bonds, aliphatic -CH, -CH2 and -CH3 absorptions, C = C and -CH of aromatic structure. The C-H bending frequencies have higher intensity than the C-H stretching band. This is due to the intense broad absorption produced in this region by graphite components. A strong linear relationship exists between the coal structural parameters (fa,d002,Lc) and the elemental carbon and volatile contents of the coal which reflects the dependency of the coals structure on their ranks. The SEM image shows the presence of layered structure on the surface. The EDS analysis confirms the presence of Carbon and Oxygen on the surface. The absorption maximum of benzene-oxygen system was found between 235-270 nm. The weak band at the 680 nm is attributed to the ∏-∏* electronic transitions of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons.
THE STEREOCHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF INTERSTITIAL COMPLEXES IN URANYL-OXYSALT MINERALS

The crystal structures and chemical compositions of uranyl-oxysalt minerals (primarily with sheet structural units) are interpreted in terms of the binary representation – bond-valence approach to the structure and chemistry of oxysalts. There is a coherent relation between the average basicity of the structural unit and [CN in ], the average number of bonds to oxygen atoms of the structural unit from the interstitial complex and adjacent structural units. This relation allows calculation of the range of Lewis basicity for specific structural units. The Lewis acidity of an interstitial complex is expressed graphically as a function of the amounts and coordination numbers of monovalent, divalent and trivalent interstitial cations and the amount of interstitial transformer (H 2 O) groups. The range in Lewis basicity for a specific structural unit may also be expressed graphically, and where there is overlap of the Lewis acidity and Lewis basicity, the valence-matching principle is satisfied, and the details of the possible interstitial complexes can be derived. There are three distinct types of interstitial (H 2 O) groups: transformer, non-transformer and inverse-transformer. Inverse-transformer (H 2 O) groups accept three bonds from cations, other (H 2 O) groups and (OH) groups of the structural unit. Their occurrence is rare and is limited to minerals with low bond-valence distribution factors. Detailed predictions of the number of transformer, non-transformer and inverse-transformer (H 2 O) groups in the minerals of the meta-autunite, uranophane, phosphuranylite, carnotite, zippeite and uranyl-hydroxy-hydrate groups (and synthetic analogues) are in good agreement with the observed chemical compositions.
Making Art Therapy Virtual: Integrating Virtual Reality Into Art Therapy With Adolescents

In recent years, the field of art therapy has sought to adapt traditional treatment approaches to today’s innovative technological environments when working with adolescent “digital natives. ” In their clinic, art therapists often struggle with lack of cooperation when treating adolescents during sessions. This article presents two case studies that explore how Virtual Reality (VR) technology can be combined with traditional art therapy to treat adolescents suffering from anxiety and social difficulties. It is suggested that this type of technology may lead to a better understanding of the needs of adolescents by adopting their vantage point and hence better outcomes.