Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular Detection of Leishmania Infection in Phlebotomine Sand Flies from an Endemic Focus of Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Iran

Background: Due to the outbreak of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), a disease caused by Leishmania major and mainly transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi, in Damghan City, Semnan Province, the probable vectors of the disease were investigated in the city from 20 March 2016 to 20 January 2018. Methods: Sand flies were collected from indoors and outdoors biweekly by sticky traps in different parts of the city. The trapped sand flies were stored in 70% ethanol. They were identified and checked for Leishmania infections using nested-PCR method and specific primers; CSB1XR, CSB2XF, LiR, and 13Z. Results: Overall, 1862 phlebotomine sand flies of Ph. papatasi (48.8%), Ph. andrejevi (8.3%), Ph. caucasicus (7.7), Ph. mongolensis (2%), Ph. sergenti (1.2%), Ph. alexandri (0.7%), Sergentomyia murgabiensis sintoni (29.3%), and Se. sumbarica (2%) were collected indoors (31.1%) and outdoors (68.9%). The highest and lowest numbers of collected sand flies were belonging to Ph. papatasi (48.8%) and Ph. alexandri (0.7%) respectively. 2.2% of the examined sand flies were shown to be infected with L. major and all were belonging to Ph. papatasi. Conclusion: This study confirms the report of Ph. papatasi infection with L. major and also the existence of Ph. sergenti and Ph. alexandri, the potential vectors of L. tropica and L. infantum respectively, in Damghan City. According to the findings, it is necessary for health officials to plan and take action to prevent the occurrence of ZCL epidemic in the city as well as the occurrence of other forms of leishmaniasis.
Fast and slow stress evolution mechanisms during interruptions of Volmer-Weber growth

The evolution of mechanical stress during Volmer-Weber growth of thin films is complex, often including a reversible stress evolution during interruptions of film deposition. The underlying mechanism for stress evolution during growth interruptions has been extensively debated, but remains unclear. In this work, in situ measurements of stress evolution during growth interruptions of various time scales, film thicknesses, and substrate temperatures were made during deposition of gold and nickel films. It was found that at least two mechanisms lead to the observed stress evolution, one fast (time constant ∼102 s) and one slow (time constant ∼104 s). The fast process is reversible and weakly dependent on the film thickness, while the slow process is irreversible and strongly dependent on the film thickness. It is shown that grain growth during growth interruptions can account for a significant portion of the stress change associated with the slow process. The fast reversible process is likely to be associate.
Biomolecules Triggering Altered Food Intake during Pathogenic Challenge in Chicks

ABSTRACT Food intake is regulated by several complicated synergistic mechanisms that are affected by a variety of internal and external influences. Some of these factors include those that are released from pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and most of these factors are associated with suppression of the chick’s food intake. Although chicks are well-known to decrease their food intake when they experience a pathogenic challenge, the mechanisms that mediate this type of satiety are poorly understood. One of the goals of our research group has been to better understand these mechanisms in chicks. We recently provided evidence that pathogen-associated molecular patterns, which are recognized by pattern-recognition receptors such as Toll-like receptors, likely contribute to satiety in chicks that are experiencing a pathogenic challenge. Additionally, we identified several inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-like cytokine 1A, prostaglandins, and nitric oxide, that likely contribute to satiety during a pathogenic challenge. This review summarizes the current knowledge on pathogen-induced satiety in chicks mainly accumulated through our recent research. The research will give good information to improve the loss of production during infection in poultry production in the future.
Comparative genome analysis of the genus Shewanella unravels the association of key genetic traits with known and potential pathogenic lineages

Shewanella spp. are Gram-negative rods widely disseminated in aquatic niches that can also be found in human-associated environments. In recent years, reports of infections caused by these bacteria have increased significantly. Mobilome and resistome analysis of a few species showed that they are versatile; however, comprehensive comparative studies in the genus are lacking. Here, we analyzed the genetic traits of 144 genomes from Shewanella spp. isolates focusing on the mobilome, resistome, and virulome to establish their evolutionary relationship and detect unique features based on their genome content and habitat. Shewanella spp. showed a great diversity of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), most of them associated with monophyletic lineages of clinical isolates. Furthermore, 79/144 genomes encoded at least one antimicrobial resistant gene with their highest occurrence in clinical-related lineages. CRISPR-Cas systems, which confer immunity against MGEs, were found in 41 genomes being I-E and I-F the more frequent ones. Virulome analysis showed that all Shewanella spp. encoded different virulence genes (motility, quorum sensing, biofilm, adherence, etc.) that may confer adaptive advantages for survival against hosts. Our data revealed that key accessory genes are frequently found in two major clinical-related groups, which encompass the opportunistic pathogens Shewanella algae and Shewanella xiamenensis together with several other species. This work highlights the evolutionary nature of Shewanella spp. genomes, capable of acquiring different key genetic traits that contribute to their adaptation to different niches and facilitate the emergence of more resistant and virulent isolates that impact directly on human and animal health.
Survival Comparison of Incidentally Found versus Clinically Detected Thyroid Cancers: An Analysis of a Nationwide Cohort Study

Background The true benefit of thyroid cancer screening is incompletely understood. This study investigated the impact of ultrasound screening on thyroid cancer outcomes through a comparison with symptomatic thyroid cancer using data from a nationwide cohort study in Korea. Methods Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause and thyroid cancer-specific mortality. Considering the possible bias arising from age, sex, year of thyroid cancer registration, and confounding factors for mortality (including smoking/drinking status, diabetes, and hypertension), all analyses were conducted with stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) according to the route of detection. Results Of 5,796 patients with thyroid cancer, 4,145 were included and 1,651 were excluded due to insufficient data. In comparison with the screening group, the clinical suspicion group was associated with large tumors (17.2±14.6 mm vs. 10.4±7.9 mm), advanced T stage (3–4) (odds ratio [OR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.41), extrathyroidal extension (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.32), and advanced stage (III–IV) (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.35). In IPTW-adjusted Cox regression analysis, the clinical suspicion group had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.80) and thyroid cancer-specific mortality (HR, 3.07; 95% CI, 1.77 to 5.29). Mediation analysis showed that the presence of thyroid-specific symptoms was directly associated with a higher risk of cancer-specific mortality. Thyroid-specific symptoms also indirectly affected thyroid cancer-specific mortality, mediated by tumor size and advanced clinicopathologic status. Conclusion Our findings provide important evidence for the survival benefit of early detection of thyroid cancer compared to symptomatic thyroid cancer.
A Gini-based exact test for exponentiality against NBUE alternatives with censored observations†

The Gini methodology in statistical inference and related area has got much attention in recent years. In this paper, using a characterisation based on the Gini index we develop a nonparametric test for testing exponentiality against new better than used in expectation class. We derive the exact null distribution of the proposed test statistic and then calculate the critical values for different sample sizes. Asymptotic properties of the test statistic are discussed. The test is compared with some other test by evaluating Pitman's asymptotic efficacy. We also discuss how to incorporate right-censored observations in our study. A simulation study is presented to demonstrate the performance of the testing method. Finally, we illustrated our test procedure using two real data sets.
A Quantum-Classical Hybrid Solution for Deep Anomaly Detection

Machine learning (ML) has achieved remarkable success in a wide range of applications. In recent ML research, deep anomaly detection (AD) has been a hot topic with the aim of discriminating among anomalous data with deep neural networks (DNNs). Notably, image AD is one of the most representative tasks in current deep AD research. ML’s interaction with quantum computing is giving rise to a heated topic named quantum machine learning (QML), which enjoys great prospects according to recent academic research. This paper attempts to address the image AD problem in a deep manner with a novel QML solution. Specifically, we design a quantum-classical hybrid DNN (QHDNN) that aims to learn directly from normal raw images to train a normality model and then exclude images that do not conform to this model as anomalies during its inference. To enable the QHDNN to perform satisfactorily in deep image AD, we explore multiple quantum layer architectures and design a VQC-based QHDNN solution. Extensive experiments were conducted on commonly used benchmarks to test the proposed QML solution, whose results demonstrate the feasibility of addressing deep image AD with QML. Importantly, the experimental results show that our quantum-classical hybrid solution can even yield superior performance to that of its classical counterpart when they share the same number of learnable parameters.
Influence of Tooth Brushing and Previous Dental Visits on Dental Caries Status among Saudi Arabian Children

Objective: To evaluate the dental caries status and its association with tooth brushing frequency and previous dental visits among Arabian children. Methods: Arabian school children attend a specialty pediatric dental clinic at Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. Only children of Saudi origin with primary dentition were included in the study, and only one examiner was involved in the assessment and data collection. The parents of children completed a questionnaire to investigate possible explanatory variables for caries status, including tooth brushing frequency and previous dental visits. Dental caries were diagnosed according to the criteria recommended by the World Health Organization (2013). The comparison performed was based on sex, age, tooth brushing frequency, and previous dental visits. The descriptive statistics were carried out using SPSS (version 21.0) with a p-value of <0.05 significance. Results: The study involved 268 Saudi children with a mean age of 4.6 ± 1.1 years. The caries prevalence was 78.8%, and the mean dmft was 5.82 ± 4.48, while the overall mean scores for decayed, missing, and filled were 3.903 ± 3.69, 1.18 ± 1.69, and 0.73 ± 1.35, respectively. The mean dmft scores for the <3 years, 3.1–6 years, and >6 years old children were found to be 1.74, 6.58, and 4.58, respectively. Among the children, the females reported higher dmf scores (7.51 ± 4.18) compared to males (4.97 ± 4.39) with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001). Fifty percent of the children had tooth brushing habits of once daily, followed by never (22.4%), twice daily (15.7%), and rarely (11.2%) brushed their teeth. Statistically significant correlations were found between the children’s dental caries status, age, and dental visits, while sex and tooth brushing did not find a correlation. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries among Arabian preschool children was higher. Mandibular second molars were commonly affected by dental caries, while mandibular central incisors were less frequently affected. The child’s age and frequency of dental checkups were positively related to the prevalence of dental caries.
Interferometric investigation of a cablegun plasma injector

A two-beam interferometer operating in heterodyne mode was used to determine the velocity and electron number density of a plasma ejected from a cablegun identical to those in the plasma opening switch (POS) of the DECEDE pulsed power facility. Time-resolved data were processed via digital phase demodulation techniques to measure electron number density at the two beam locations. Cross-correlation analysis of the two signals provided objective estimates of the effective plasma velocity. Experiments were carried out in unobstructed vacuum and near a flat ungrounded conducting plate to examine the plasma in vacuum and its buildup against the POS cathode.
AUTOMORPHISMS OF BRAID GROUPS ON CLOSED SURFACES WHICH ARE NOT S2, T2, P2 OR THE KLEIN BOTTLE

Consider a surface braid group of n strings as a subgroup of the isotopy group of homeomorphisms of the surface permuting n fixed distinguished points. Each automorphism of the surface braid group (respectively, of the special surface braid group) is shown to be a conjugate action on the braid group (respectively, on the special braid group) induced by a homeomorphism of the underlying surface if the closed surface, either orientable or non-orientable, is of negative Euler characteristic. In other words, the group of automorphisms of such a surface braid group is isomorphic to the extended mapping class group of the surface with n punctures, while the outer automorphism group of the surface braid group is isomorphic to the extended mapping class group of the closed surface itself.
OSCILLATING RECTANGULAR AND OCTAGONAL PROFILES : INTERACTION OF LEADING- AND TRAILING-EDGE VORTEX FORMATION

Force measurements and flow visualization for transversely oscillating rectangular and octagonal profiles are presented. Flow fields are analysed, classified and related to the fluid forces and to the type of excitation of eventual fluid-elastic oscillations. The interaction of instability-induced and movement-induced excitation is shown, as well as the interaction of impinging leading-edge and trailing-edge vortices. The mechanisms leading to an energy transfer from the fluid to the body are associated with the phase shift of the fluctuating lift forces relative to the body oscillation. The abrupt change of phasing, observed within the range of synchronization of body motion and vortex shedding, is explained by an alteration of the timing in the formation of the synchronized vortices at the trailing-edge. Aspects of resonance and annihilation of lift forces are discussed with respect to the formation of vertical structures at the leading- and trailing-edge.
Diffusion equation derived from the space-time transport equation and light pulse propagation through thick clouds

The diffusion equation is derived from the ordinary space-time transport equation and is shown to be given necessarily in the first order in time, as in cases of the diffusion equations derived from the Fokker-Planck and Boltzmann equations. The systematic way of obtaining the higher-order diffusion equations also has been shown elsewhere. The boundary equations on the boundary of free space are obtained and applied to the light pulse propagation through thick clouds. The explicit expression is obtained for the pulse broadening and is found to be considerably affected by a slight absorption of the medium, especially when the diffusion distances are large. With the experimental value of absorption for stratocumulus clouds, as suggested by Danielson et al., the theoretical values of pulse broadening are compared to those of experiments observed by Bucher and Lerner to show a good agreement.
Direct Mechanical Thrombectomy vs. Bridging Therapy in Stroke Patients in A “Stroke Belt” Region of Southern Europe

The aim of this 4-year observational study is to analyze the outcomes of stroke patients treated with direct mechanical thrombectomy (dMT) compared to bridging therapy (BT) (intravenous thrombolysis [IVT] + BT) based on 3-month outcomes, in real clinical practice in the "Stroke Belt" of Southern Europe. In total, 300 patients were included (41.3% dMT and 58.6% BT). The frequency of direct referral to the stroke center was similar in the dMT and BT group, whereas the time from onset to groin was longer in the BT group (median 210 [IQR 160–303] vs. 399 [IQR 225–675], p = 0.001). Successful recanalization (TICI 2b-3) and hemorrhagic transformation were similar in both groups. The BT group more frequently showed excellent outcomes at 3 months (32.4% vs. 15.4%, p = 0.004). Multivariate analysis showed that BT was independently associated with excellent outcomes (OR 2.7. 95% CI,1.2–5.9, p = 0.02) and lower mortality (OR 0.36. 95% CI 0.16–0.82, p = 015). Conclusions: Compared with dMT, BT was associated with excellent functional outcomes and lower 3-month mortality in this real-world clinical practice study conducted in a region belonging to the “Stroke Belt” of Southern Europe. Given the disparity of results on the benefit of BT in the current evidence, it is of vital importance to analyze the convenience of its use in each health area.
Revisiting the Stress-Induced Birefringence in Polarization-Maintaining Fibers

Two conventional errors in the stress-induced birefringence (SIB) of polarization-maintaining fibers (PMFs) are revealed and corrected. The first issue refers to the fundamental expression and its calculation of the SIB, which depends on the selection of stress components. There were obvious inconsistencies in two pioneering reports, while both were widely applied in subsequent works. The second issue is the basic form of the Airy stress function (ASF) in the cross-section plane of the PMF, which dominates the complexity of the stress calculation for SIB. The ASFs in two early pioneering works were different, which led to two different expressions of SIB. Both expressions cannot be reproduced, and calculated results were just around 1/2 of the corresponding measurements. In this article, both issues have been fixed by revising the definition of SIB and proposing a new ASF form for PMFs. The developed theory is simple and does not have any mathematical contradiction in the calculation process, compare to reported works. Results of the revised SIB based on the developed theory achieve a good agreement with the practical experimental measurements.
Surface-Based Observations of Mesoscale Cumulus–Stratocumulus Interaction during ASTEX

Abstract Data obtained from the island of Santa Maria in the Azores, during the Atlantic Stratocumulus Transition Experiment (ASTEX) are used to describe cloud and boundary-layer structure for a 24-h period on 15 June 1992 over the east-central Atlantic (37°N, 25°10′W). The evolution of the mesoscale cloud structure during a 24-h period in the vertical column above the surface site was characterized using a 94-GHz radar, a laser ceilometer, 3-h radiosonde ascents, and surface micrometeorological instrumentation. Mesoscale circulations and drizzle were found to be key elements of the boundary-layer clouds observed in this region. During the late-night and predawn hours of the study period, a single layer of stratocumulus that averaged ∼200 m in thickness topped a well-mixed marine boundary layer. Mesoscale cellular convection (MCC), which had ascending regions with horizontal dimensions of ∼7 km, was observed during this period. At sunrise, decoupling was imposed on this MCC, and extreme mesoscale variatio.
Exploratory study of Google Nest Hubs in the long-term care setting in Manitoba – Canada

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many LTC facilities limited recreational and social activities to minimize the chances of an outbreak, leaving residents isolated. In response, we provided Google Nest Hub devices to 80 PCHs/supportive housing resi-dences as an on-demand engagement mechanism for the residents and staff. Objective : To evaluate the experiences in setting up and using Google Nest Hub devices in long-term care settings. Method : We employed an online survey that explored the challenges and benefits of setting up and using the devices, who was using the devices, and how the devices were used. We analyzed the frequencies of the close-ended responses, and manually coded the open-ended responses before again analyzing the frequencies. Results : Thirty staff members from facilities that received a device completed the survey. The majority (N = 25) had already set up a device, while a few (N =5) had not. The experiences reported by the participants were overwhelmingly positive. The devices were used most by recreation staff, residents, and nursing staff. The most common uses were music, weather forecasts, and videos. The majority of respondents reported that the use of these devices provided ongoing interactions, and nearly all agreed that the effort of using the devices was worth the value. A few issues were encountered, largely related to facilities’ Wi-Fi resources, and challenges surrounding speech as a means of using the devices. Many benefits were reported, and the use of the devices varied. Conclusion: Our initial analysis revealed a largely positive response to the varied use of these devices that may serve to help combat residents’ isolation and boredom in the long-term care setting and contribute to the resident’s quality of life.
Mixed integer parametric bilevel programming for optimal strategic bidding of energy producers in day-ahead electricity markets with indivisibilities

We address the problem of finding the optimal bidding strategy of an energy producer that participates in a single-period day-ahead electricity market, assuming full knowledge of the market’s parameters. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer bilevel optimization model, with the producer maximizing his individual profit, at the upper level, and an independent system operator clearing the market at the minimum total system bid-cost, at the lower level. The model utilizes discrete variables to represent the commitment of the production units, which prohibits the application of typical methodologies for finding its optimal solution, such as the substitution of the lower level problem by its first-order KKT optimality conditions. We develop an exact algorithm for the solution of the problem that utilizes important findings from the theory of parametric integer programming, and we report experimental results demonstrating its efficiency on random problem instances. We conclude with a discussion on several computational issues pertaining to the behaviour of this algorithm, and an outline of how the theory developed in the present work can be modified to fit alternative market designs.