Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Importance of Pancreatic Duct Stenting and Enteral Feeding in Treatment Algorithm of Pancreatic Fluid Collections

253 Despite advancements in the treatment of acute pancreatitis, early treatment remains a challenge, as mortality can reach up to 30% in severe cases. The Atlanta Classification for assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis was revised by international consensus in 2012. A critical aspect of pancreatitis treatment is the appropriate management of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs). Acute pancreatitis-associated PFCs are classified as acute peripancreatic fluid collection, pancreatic pseudocyst (PP), acute necrotic collection (ANC), and walled-off necrosis (WON), based on the duration and presence or absence of necrosis. Particularly, disconnected pancreatic duct syndrome (DPDS) is linked with complications accompanied by ANC and WON, and characterized by stricture and discontinuity of pancreatic duct (PD) in PD injury. However, the guidelines for management of DPDS are not well established. The 2013 the International Association of Pancreatology (IAP)/the American Pancreatic Association (APA) evidence-based guidelines suggested an intervention (either radiological, endoscopic, or surgical) if pain or obstruction is present in DPDS with sterile necrotizing pancreatitis, but there was no recommendation for the optimal timing of PD stenting. However, the 2013 American College of Gastroenterology guideline, and the 2015 revised Japanese guideline mentioned the role of PD stent for preventing post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis. In the 2018 American Gastroenterological Association Institute guideline, the indication for ERCP only deals with acute biliary pancreatitis with no guidance on the timing of PD stenting. A study conducted by Xu et al. demonstrated the importance of PD stenting in acute pancreatitis-associated PFCs. The study included a total of 108 patients treated for acute pancreatitis-associated PFCs between September 2011 and October 2017. ERCP was performed on 74 patients (68.5%) with suspected PD injury by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) before PFCs drainage. PD stent was placed in 53 (72%) of 74 patients for treatment and in 19 (26%) patients for prophylaxis. In their case, PD cannulation failed in 2 (3%) patients. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis the authors reported that, “after adjusting for the presence of PD leak, PFC type, necrosectomy, and enteral feeding, PD stenting was almost five times (odds ratio [OR], 4.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–12.2) more likely to achieve resolution within 90 days (p=0.0069)”. As 53 (49%) out of the 108 patients received PD stenting for therapeutic purposes and the incidence of PD injury was found to be similar to that in previous studies on acute pancreatitis-associated PFCs, PD stenting can be considered as one of the important treatment strategies for acute pancreatitis-associated PFCs. COMMENTARY
Honeydew as a source of host-searching kairomones for the aphid parasitoid Aphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae)

The parasitoid Aphidius nigripes spent more time searching on potato plants previously infested with aphids than on fresh plants, suggesting the presence of searching stimulants on infested plants. Water extracts of aphid honeydew applied to the surface of foliage or to filter paper discs increased searching time and affected the locomotory behavior of parasitoids. When crossing a honeydew-treated area on filter paper, female parasitoids exhibited arrestment, antennal examination, abdominal protraction, reduced walking speed, and increased turning. Upon losing contact with honeydew-contaminated substrate, parasitoids often exhibited a klinotactic response which drove them back to the treated area. The time spent by individual parasitoids within a honeydew-treated area on filter paper decreased with successive visits, but the initial response level was restored when the insect was prevented from contacting honeydew for 1 h. The retention response exhibited by parasitoids contacting a honeydew-treated area .
Varied development of trunk segmentation in three related Upper Devonian phacopine trilobites

In many arthropods, the development of the trunk region is a complex part of post-embryonic development. Consideration of fossil ontogeny provides an additional source of data and a broader evolutionary perspective on the evolution of arthropod body patterning. Here, I examine the development of the thoraco-pygidial exoskeleton of three related phacopine trilobites from the Upper Devonian according to the integrated ontogenetic scheme proposed by Hughes et al. Pygidial shields assigned to three ontogenetic series gave us the opportunity to further explore the evolutionary pattern of the trilobite segmentation. The analysis showed a different mode of development in two of three species and thus reveals variability between the related taxa. Comparison of the boundaries of different aspects of ontogenesis ratifies the diversity of the segmentation process among trilobites and even among related phacopine species. Results include (i) in a synarthromeric trunk condition recorded to date, there has consistently been a preceding ‘equilibrium’ phase for the late meraspid pygidium and (ii) two developmental modes, i.e. both hypoprotomeric development and synarthromeric development, occur contemporaneously in closely related taxa. Such developments suggest that aspects of segmental development such as segment accretion and segment articulation were able to vary in a labile manner.
Philopatry, Dispersal, and Habitat Saturation in the Banner-Tailed Kanagaroo Rat, Dipodomys Spectabilis

We report natal dispersal distances for 331 banner—tailed kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spectabilis) at high and low population density. The data were collected in 29 censuses of marked individuals in two populations over 8 yr. One population underwent four—fold variation in density. The other was consistently at high density. Because the number of burrow systems (i.e., breeding sites) remained fairly constant, we interpret changes in density as changes in degree of habitat saturation. Dispersal distances were shorter and the proportion of philopatric young (moving less than a home range diameter) was greater at high density than at low density. This result does not conform to models of dispersal based on studies of cycling small mammals or to a simple competition model of dispersal. All data are consistent with a habitat saturation model, which holds that high—density saturated conditions favor philopatric tendencies in offspring. See full-text article at JSTOR
Exploiting endophytic bacteria for the management of sheath blight disease in rice

Sheath blight of rice caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn is an important soil-borne disease throughout the rice-producing areas of the world. Twenty-nine bacterial endophytes were isolated from different plant sources and tested for their efficacy against R. solani inciting sheath blight in rice. Bacillus subtilis var. amyloliquefaciens (FZB24) caused a maximum 36% inhibition of R. solani over the control in vitro. Rice plants (cv. ADT 39) treated with FZB24, in combination with seed treatment @ 4 g kg− 1, seedling dip @ 4 g l− 1, soil application @ 500 g ha− 1 and foliar application @ 500 g ha− 1, gave the lowest severity of sheath blight (33%) with around 55% reduction over the control under glasshouse conditions. In addition, the B. subtilis (FZB24) treated rice plants showed higher induction of defence-related enzymes, peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and resulted in higher accumulation of total phenols than in the untreated control plants. The endophyte-treated rice plots had a significantly lower intensity of sheath blight than untreated control plots and also recorded a higher grain and straw yield.
Estimation of the head elevation angle that causes clinically important venous air embolism in a semi-sitting position for neurosurgery: a retrospective observational study

Abstract Introduction: The benefits of a sitting position for neurosurgery involving the posterior fossa remain controversial. The main concern is the risk of venous air embolism (VAE). A recent study showed that the rate of VAE was higher when the head was elevated to 45° than when it was elevated to 30°. However, the degree of head elevation that causes clinically important VAE is unclear. The purpose of this study was to estimate the head elevation angle at which the probability of VAE is 50% by using EtCO2 monitoring to detect of VAE. Methods: The anesthesia records of 23 patients who underwent neurosurgery in a sitting position were reviewed retrospectively. Intraoperative ventilation was set to maintain EtCO2 at approximately 38-42 mmHg. The head elevation angle in each case was determined from a photograph taken by the anesthesiologist or brain surgeon. Nineteen of the 23 cases had photographs available that contained a horizontal reference in the background. Seven cases were treated as VAE during the operation. Six of these cases met the criteria for VAE in this study. Data analysis was performed on a total of 18 patients. The angle between the line connecting the hip joint and the shoulder joint and the horizontal reference was obtained by ImageJ software. Logistic regression was performed using the Python programming language to determine the head elevation angle at which the probability of air embolism was 50%. Results: The decision boundary in the logistic regression was 35.7°. This head elevation angle was the boundary where the probability of VAE was 50%. Conclusion: The angle of head elevation that caused clinically important VAE was estimated to be 35.7°.
Track and field injuries resulting in emergency department visits from 2004 to 2015: an analysis of the national electronic injury surveillance system

ABSTRACT Objectives Determine national estimates of injuries, mechanisms of injury (MOI), and injury severity among men and women engaging in track and field activities in the United States (U.S.), aged 18 years and older, who present to emergency departments (ED). Methods Retrospective analyses of injury narratives were conducted using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), comprising individuals 18 and older presenting to U.S. EDs from 2004 to 2015, with injuries associated with track and field, applying the NEISS product code 5030 and patient narratives. National injury estimates were calculated using sample weights. National injury incidence rates were determined using U.S. census estimate data (denominator), and comparisons of categorical variables by gender were made using a chi-squared test, and associated p-values. Results Estimated 42,947 ED visits among individuals 18 and older presented for track and field-related injuries in the U.S. from 2004 to 2015, consisting of 23,509 incidents among men, and 19,438 among women. The highest rates of injury occurred in 2010 among men, and 2011 among women, with 3.47, and 2.70 injuries per 100,000 U.S. population, respectively. No statistically significant differences (α = 0.05) were found between genders for injury severity (p = 0.32), injury diagnosis (p = 0.30), and body region (p = 0.13), but there was a significant difference overall between genders for mechanism of injury (p = 0.01). Conclusions To develop appropriate injury preventive interventions for track and field athletes, additional studies exploring associations between injury characteristics, namely the mechanisms of injury, and gender, are necessary.
A probabilistic risk assessment of the effects of methylmercury and PCBs on mink and kingfishers along East Fork Poplar Creek, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA

Over fifty years of operations, sorage, and disposal of wastes from the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) Y‐12 nuclear weapons facility at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, has resulted in the contamination of water, sediment, biota, and floodplain soils of East Fork Poplar Creek. A preliminary assessment revealed that methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were the contaminants of most concern. Because these contaminants are persistent, accumulate in tissues, and biomagnify up the food chain, piscivorous wildlife are the biota at greatest risk of exposure. The objective of this study was to estimate the risks posed by methylmercury and PCBs to two piscivorous species: mink and belted kingfishers. We conducted Monte Carlo simulations to estimate total daily intakes of each contaminant by each species and then integrated the resulting distributions with their respective dose–response curves to estimate risks. The results indicate that methylmercury poses a moderate risk to female mink (24% probability of at least 15% mortality) and kingfishers (50% probability of at least a 12–28% decline in fecundity depending on location). The PCBs pose a very serious risk to mink (52% probability of at least a 50% decline in reproductive fecundity), a species known to be especially sensitive to the effects of organochlorine substances, but little risk to kingfishers (<5% probability of a decline in reproductive fecundity greater than 10% at any location).
Childhood abuse and neglect are prospectively associated with scripted attachment representations in young adulthood

Abstract Waters, Ruiz, and Roisman (2017) recently published evidence based on the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA) that sensitive caregiving during childhood is associated with higher levels of secure base script knowledge during the Adult Attachment Interview (AAIsbs). At present, however, little is known about the role of variation in atypical caregiving, including abuse and/or neglect, in explaining individual differences in AAIsbs. This study revisited data from the MLSRA (N = 157) to examine the association between experiencing abuse and/or neglect in the first 17.5 years of life and secure base script knowledge measured at ages 19 and 26 years. Several aspects of abuse and/or neglect experiences were assessed, including perpetrator identity, timing, and type. Regressions revealed that childhood abuse and/or neglect was robustly associated with lower AAIsbs scores in young adulthood, above and beyond previously documented associations with maternal sensitivity and demographic covariates. Follow-up analyses provided evidence that the predictive significance of abuse for secure base script knowledge was specific to perpetration by parental figures, rather than non-caregivers. Exploratory analyses indicated that abuse and/or neglect: (a) in middle childhood and adolescence (but not infancy and early childhood) and (b) physical abuse (but not sexual abuse or neglect) were uniquely associated with lower AAIsbs scores.
Salinity Tolerance in Brassica Oilseeds

Brassica oilseed species now hold the third position among oilseed crops and are an important source of vegetable oil. The most common Brassica oil-seed crops grown for commercial purposes are rape seeds, (Brassica campestris L. and B. napus L.) and mustards (B. juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss. and B. carinata A.Br. ). The other Brassica species such as B. nigra (L.) Koch and B. tournefortii Gouan are grown on a very small scale. Brassica napus, B. juncea, and B. carinata are amphidiploids, whereas B. campestris and B. nigra are diploid. Most of the Brassica species have been categorized as moderately salt tolerant, with the amphidiploid species being the relatively salt tolerant in comparison with the diploid species. Due to the higher salt tolerance of the amphidiploids, it has been suggested that their salt tolerance has been acquired from the A (B. campestris) and C (B. oleracea L.) genomes. However, significant inter- and intraspecific variation for salt tolerance exists within brassicas, which can be exploited through selection and breeding for enhancing salt tolerance of the crops. There are contrasting reports regarding the response of these species to salinity at different plant developmental stages, but in most of them it is evident that they maintain their degree of salt tolerance consistently throughout the plant ontogeny. The pattern of uptake and accumulation of toxic ions (Na+ and Cl−), in tissues of plants subjected to saline conditions appears to be mostly due to mechanism of partial ion exclusion (exclusion of Na+ and/or Cl−) in most of the species, although ion inclusion in some cases at intraspecific levels has also been observed. Maintenance of high tissue K+/Na+ and Ca2 +/Na+ ratios has been suggested as an important selection criterion for salt-tolerance in brassicas. Osmotic adjustment has also been reported in Brassica plants subjected to saline conditions, but particularly to a large extent in salt-tolerant species or cultivars. The roles of important organic osmotica such as total soluble sugars, free amino acids, and free proline, which are central to osmotic adjustment, have been discussed. In canola, B. napus, no positive relationship has been observed between salt tolerance and erucic acid content of seed oil in different cultivars. Furthermore, glucosinolate content of the seed meal in canola generally increases with an increase in salt level of the growth medium. This review highlights the responses of potential Brassica crops to soil salinity from the whole plant to the molecular level. It also describes the efforts made during the past millennium in uncovering the mechanism(s) of salinity tolerance of these crops both at the whole plant and cellular levels. The important selection criteria, which are used by researchers to enhance the degree of salinity tolerance in brassicas, are summarized. In addition, the vital role of genetic engineering and molecular biology approaches to the improvement of salt tolerance in brassicas is emphasized.
Rényi Generative Adversarial Networks

We propose a loss function for generative adversarial networks (GANs) using Renyi information measures with parameter $\alpha$. More specifically, we formulate GAN's generator loss function in terms of Renyi cross-entropy functionals. We demonstrate that for any $\alpha$, this generalized loss function preserves the equilibrium point satisfied by the original GAN loss based on the Jensen-Renyi divergence, a natural extension of the Jensen-Shannon divergence. We also prove that the Renyi-centric loss function reduces to the original GAN loss function as $\alpha \to 1$. We show empirically that the proposed loss function, when implemented on both DCGAN (with $L_1$ normalization) and StyleGAN architectures, confers performance benefits by virtue of the extra degree of freedom provided by the parameter $\alpha$. More specifically, we show improvements with regard to: (a) the quality of the generated images as measured via the Frechet Inception Distance (FID) score (e.g., best FID=8.33 for RenyiStyleGAN vs 9.7 for StyleGAN when evaluated over 64$\times$64 CelebA images) and (b) training stability. While it was applied to GANs in this study, the proposed approach is generic and can be used in other applications of information theory to deep learning, e.g., AI bias or privacy.
Shifts in activity patterns of Microtus gregalis: a role of competition or temperature?

Abstract Although temporal partitioning has long been viewed as a valid mechanism in reducing competition, direct field evidence is rare, and the temporal niche is often considered less important than other factors in promoting coexistence. Furthermore, the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping diel activity patterns of animals is poorly understood. We conducted controlled experiments in a little-studied area (Hulunbuir meadow steppe, China) to explore the effects of presence of a larger species, Spermophilus dauricus, and ambient temperature in shaping diel activity patterns of Microtus gregalis. Our results suggest that although interference competition existed between S. dauricus and M. gregalis, the presence of S. dauricus did not significantly affect the diel activity patterns of M. gregalis (P > 0.05). Timing of activity of M. gregalis, however, was always significantly correlated with ambient temperature (P < 0.001). As winter approached, ambient temperature appeared to be a major factor in shaping activity patterns of M. gregalis. To our knowledge, this is the 1st experimental study conducted in an East Asian steppe to integrate the roles of both biotic and abiotic factors in shaping rodent activity patterns.
A sampling design and model for estimating abundance of Nile crocodiles while accounting for heterogeneity of detectability of multiple observers

As part of the development of a management program for Nile crocodiles in Lake Nasser, Egypt, we used a dependent double-observer sampling protocol with multiple observers to compute estimates of population size. To analyze the data, we developed a hierarchical model that allowed us to assess variation in detection probabilities among observers and survey dates, as well as account for variation in crocodile abundance among sites and habitats. We conducted surveys from July 2008–June 2009 in 15 areas of Lake Nasser that were representative of 3 main habitat categories. During these surveys, we sampled 1,086 km of lake shore wherein we detected 386 crocodiles. Analysis of the data revealed significant variability in both inter- and intra-observer detection probabilities. Our raw encounter rate was 0.355 crocodiles/km. When we accounted for observer effects and habitat, we estimated a surface population abundance of 2,581 (2,239–2,987, 95% credible intervals) crocodiles in Lake Nasser. Our results underscore the importance of well-trained, experienced monitoring personnel in order to decrease heterogeneity in intra-observer detection probability and to better detect changes in the population based on survey indices. This study will assist the Egyptian government establish a monitoring program as an integral part of future crocodile harvest activities in Lake Nasser. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Microbial characteristics of Palau Jellyfish Lake

Microbiological examinations of total bacterial population, culturable aerobic heterotrophs, photosynthetic bacteria, and particulate DNA were carried out in Palau Jellyfish Lake. A 2 m thick bacterial plate layer at 13–15 m depth consisting of various components of microbes was observed in Jellyfish Lake. Photosynthetic bacteria, as seen by flow cytometry, were concentrated at 14–15 m depths with a maximal count of 2.2 × 105 cells∙mL−1 and microscopic analysis confirmed that these purple bacteria were Chromatium sp. Peaks in total bacterial counts (8.3 × 106 cells∙mL−1; 13 m), in the Synechococcus spp. population (2.4 × 106 cells∙mL−1; 13 m), in culturable heterotrophs (105 colony-forming units∙mL−1; 15 m), and in particulate DNA (17.8 μg∙L−1; 10 m) were observed either at the bacterial plate layer that was rich in nutrients or just above this layer in the oxic zone. Bacteriochlorophyll and chlorophyll a exhibited peaks at the photosynthetic bacterial plate (14–15 m). A high concentration of particulate .