Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Large‐scale correlations between gamebird release and management and animal biodiversity metrics in lowland Great Britain

Abstract The ecological effects on populations of non‐game species driven by the annual release and management of tens of millions of gamebirds for recreational shooting are complex and relatively poorly understood. We investigated these effects at a national scale, considering multiple taxa simultaneously. We used records from the UK National Biodiversity Network Atlas to compare animal species and diversity metrics previously suggested to be affected by behaviors of the released birds, or because resources or habitats are influenced by game management or both processes. We contrasted records from 1 km grid squares where gamebirds were reported released in Great Britain, and control squares with similar land cover but where no releases were reported. There were more records overall reported from release grid squares (RGS) compared with controls (CGS), perhaps due to greater reporting effort or greater biological richness. We found fewer foxes in RGS and fewest in grid squares with largest releases, but more carrion crows in RGS. We found no consistent effects for buzzards, ravens, jays, or magpies. There were more rodents and gray squirrels reported from RGS but no differences for reptiles. There were more butterflies but fewer beetles reported from RGS but no consistent patterns for Orthoptera or ground beetles considered common gamebird prey. Farmland and woodland birds exhibited higher abundance, richness, and diversity in RGS when considering absolute records, but woodland bird abundance and richness were lower when correcting for the relative number of records. These nationwide results, despite crude data resolution, reveal diverse effects of gamebird release and management at a national scale and across trophic levels, increasing some non‐game animal populations while decreasing others. This should alert practitioners, opponents, and legislators that a focus on single taxa effects, either positive or negative, may obscure the simultaneous changes in other taxa.
The impact of procalcitonin in assessing outcomes in pediatrics severe trauma cases: A three-year experience from a tertiary hospital

Summary Background Although procalcitonin levels are raised in patients with systemic inflammation, its usage in pediatric patients, particularly those in the intensive care unit who are most susceptible to sepsis. Methods It is a retrospective research study that included pediatric patients aged more than two weeks who were brought to the King Fahd Hospital of the University’s PICU owing to serious trauma or post-acute postoperative occurrences from January 2017 to December 2019. At 24 h after admission, data such as age, gender, comorbidities, trauma severity as measured by the Injury Severity Score, and PRISM III score were collected. Results Following a surgery abscess, there were a total of 39 (15.9%) deaths. Patients who died during their hospital stay had significantly higher mean levels of biomarkers such as PRISM III, PCT at 24 h, PCT 48–72 h, and PCT at day 5 (p = 0.001). The area under the ROC curve for PCT level 48/72 h was 0.89 (% CI: 0.85–0.93), p = 0.001, indicating that PCT had highly significant predictive validity in predicting in-hospital mortality at the best cutoff point of >1.35 with a high level of accuracy and precision of 82.1% and 82.0%, respectively. Conclusion The serum procalcitonin level (PTCL) can help predict the in-hospital prognosis of pediatrics that has had surgery. A combined control system is designed based on PTC expression for the examination of a patient receiving medication over a longer length of time.
Candidate historical events for the emergence of Human Coronavirus OC43: A critical reassessment of the molecular evidence

The “Russian Influenza”-coronavirus theory (RICT) proposes that the pandemic of 1889–1892, conventionally regarded as an influenza pandemic, was caused by the emergence of human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) as a zoonosis of bovine coronavirus (BCoV). RICT is based on a Bayesian phylogenetic calculation of the date of the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of HCoV-OC43 and BCoV. The theory also draws on comparison of both symptoms and some epidemiological parameters of the best studied coronavirus pandemic, i.e. COVID-19, with those reported in 1889–1892. The case is completed with circumstantial evidence involving a panzoonotic among cattle in the decade prior to the “Russian Influenza”, with characteristics suggesting it may have been caused by BCoV. In this paper, we review the Bayesian phylogenetic evidence for RICT, replicating previous studies and adding our own, in each case critically reviewing the suitability of the datasets used and the parameters applied. We conclude that the most probable date for the MRCA of HCoV-OC43 and BCoV is 1898–1902. This is a decade too late for compatibility with RICT but happens to coincide with another serious outbreak of respiratory illness, reported in both the USA and the UK, in the winter of 1899–1900.
Noninvertibility and Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Misspecified ARMA Models

Recently Tanaka and Satchell [11] investigated the limiting properties of local maximizers of the Gaussian pseudo-likelihood function of a misspecified moving average model of order one in case the spectral density of the data process has a zero at frequency zero. We show that pseudo-maximum likelihood estimators in the narrower sense, that is, global maximizers of the Gaussian pseudo-likelihood function, may exhibit behavior drastically different from that of the local maximizers. Some general results on the limiting behavior of pseudo-maximum likelihood estimators in potentially misspecified ARMA models are also presented.
Antineutrino neutral current interactons in MiniBooNE

This dissertation reports the antineutrino-nucleus neutral current elastic scattering cross section on CH2 measured by the MiniBooNE experiment located in Batavia, IL. The data set consists of 60,605 events passing the selection cuts corresponding to 10.1×1020 POT, which represents the world’s largest sample of antineutrino neutral current elastic scattering events. The final sample is more than one order of magnitude lager that the previous antineutrino NCE scattering cross section measurement reported by the BNL E734 experiment. The measurement presented in this dissertation also spans a wider range in Q2, including the low-Q2 regime where the cross section rollover is clearly visible. A X2-based minimization was performed to determine the best value of the axial mass, MA and the Pauli blocking scaling function, that matches the antineutrino NCE scattering data. However, the best fit values of MA=1.29 GeV and K=1.026 still give a relatively poor X2, which suggests that the underlying nuclear model (based largely on the relativistic Fermi gas model) may not be an accurate representation for this particular interaction. Additionally, we present a measurement of the antineutrino/neutrino-nucleus NCE scattering cross section ratio. The neutrino mode NCE sample used in this study, corresponding to 6.4 × 1020 POT, is alsomore » the world’s largest sample (also by an order of magnitude). We have demonstrated that the ratio measurement is robust, as most of the correlated errors cancel, as expected. Furthermore, this ratio also proves to be rather insensitive to variations in the axial mass and the Pauli blocking parameter. This is the first time that this ratio has been experimentally reported. We believe this measurement will aid the theoretical physics community to test various model predictions of neutrino-nucleon/nucleus interactions. « less
Intonation and Focus in Nte?kepmxcin (Thompson River Salish)

In this dissertation, I examine the marking of focus and givenness in Nte? kepmxcin (Thompson River Salish). The focus is, roughly, the answer to a wh-question, and is highlighted by the primary sentential accent in stress languages like English. This has been formalized as the Stress-Focus Correspondence Principle. Given material is old information, and is de-accented in languages like English. Nte? kepmxcin is a stress language, but marks focus structurally. However, I argue that the structure has a prosodie motivation: the clause is restructured such that the focus is leftmost in the intonational phrase. It follows that Salish focus structures lack the special semantics that motivates the use of English structural focus (clefts). As a theoretical contribution, I show that the Stress-Focus Correspondence Principle does not account for focus marking in all stress languages, nor does the "distress-given" generalization account for the marking of given information. This is because focus surfaces leftmost, while the nuclear stress position is rightmost. Instead of "stress-focus", I propose that alignment with prosodie phrase edges is the universally common thread in focus marking. This mechanism enables listeners to rapidly recover the location of the focus, by identifying coarse-grained phonological categories (p-phrases and i-phrases). In Thompson River Salish, the focus is associated with the leftmost p-phrase in the matrix intonational phrase. The analysis unifies the marking of focus across languages by claiming that focus is always marked prosodically, by alignment to a prosodie category. The study combines syntactic analysis of focus utterances with their phonetic realization and semantic characteristics. As such, this dissertation is a story about the interfaces. This research is based on a corpus of conversational data as well as single sentence elicitations, all of which are original data collected during fieldwork. The second contribution of this dissertation is thus methodological: I have developed various fieldwork techniques for collecting both spontaneous and scripted conversational discourses. The empirical contribution that results is a collection of conversational discourses, to add to the single speaker traditional texts already recorded for Nte? kepmxcin.
Salmonella Enteritidis T1SS protein SiiD inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation via repressing the mtROS-ASC dependent pathway

Inflammasome activation is an essential innate immune defense mechanism against Salmonella infections. Salmonella has developed multiple strategies to avoid or delay inflammasome activation, which may be required for long-term bacterial persistence. However, the mechanisms by which Salmonella evades host immune defenses are still not well understood. In this study, Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) random insertion transposon library was screened to identify the key factors that affect the inflammasome activation. The type I secretion system (T1SS) protein SiiD was demonstrated to repress the NLRP3 inflammasome activation during SE infection and was the first to reveal the antagonistic role of T1SS in the inflammasome pathway. SiiD was translocated into host cells and localized in the membrane fraction in a T1SS-dependent and partially T3SS-1-dependent way during SE infection. Subsequently, SiiD was demonstrated to significantly suppress the generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), thus repressing ASC oligomerization to form pyroptosomes, and impairing the NLRP3 dependent Caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion. Importantly, SiiD-deficient SE induced stronger gut inflammation in mice and displayed NLRP3-dependent attenuation of the virulence. SiiD-mediated inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome activation significantly contributed to SE colonization in the infected mice. This study links bacterial T1SS regulation of mtROS-ASC signaling to NLRP3 inflammasome activation and reveals the essential role of T1SS in evading host immune responses.
Making the diagnosis in prosthetic joint infection: a European view

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) can be difficult to diagnose. Studies have shown that we are missing many infections, possibly due to poor diagnostic workup and the presence of culture-negative infection. PJI diagnosis requires a methodical approach and a standardised set of criteria. Multiple PJI definitions have been published with improved accuracy in recent years. The new European Bone and Joint Infection Society definition offers some advantages in clinical practice. It identifies more clinically important infections and accurately defines those with the highest risk of treatment failure. It reduces the number of patients with uncertain diagnoses. Classification of PJIs may offer a better understanding of treatment outcomes and risk factors for failure.
Variation of eGFR reporting and CKD equations used in the United Kingdom

Background UK Clinical laboratories have been routinely reporting an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on creatinine measurements using an eGFR equation since the early 2000s. Though there have been recommendations to use enzymatic based creatinine assays, and a recommendation of which equation to use, there still remains a high degree of variation in calculated eGFR results. Methods Data from the UK NEQAS for Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease Scheme have been reviewed to look at the CKD equations that are currently in use in the UK and the impact on eGFR results reported. The UK NEQAS for Acute and Chronic Kidney Disease has over 400 participants measuring creatinine across all major clinical biochemistry platforms. Results An audit of EQA registration against results returned showed that in February 2022 at most 44% of registered participants were correctly reporting the 2009 CKD-EPI equation. At higher creatinine concentrations (which give rise to lower eGFR results), the spread of eGFRs is tight and there is little difference between results from different method principles. However, at lower creatinine concentrations, where it is known that there is more variation in creatinine depending on method choice, both method principle and eGFR equation choice can influence calculated eGFR. In some cases, this can impact CKD Stage classification. Conclusions CKD is a serious public health issue that requires accurate assessment of eGFR. Laboratories should be in constant dialogue with their renal teams about their creatinine assay performance and impact on eGFR reporting across their service.
Great Plains American Indians' Perspectives on Patient and Family Needs Throughout the Cancer Journey.

PURPOSE To explore the perspectives on patient and family needs during cancer treatment and survivorship of American Indian (AI) cancer survivors, caregivers, Tribal leaders, and healers. PARTICIPANTS & SETTING 36 AI cancer survivors from three reservations in the Great Plains region. METHODOLOGIC APPROACH A community-based participatory research design was employed. Postcolonial Indigenous research techniques of talking circles and semistructured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. Data were analyzed using content analysis to identify themes. FINDINGS The overarching theme of accompaniment was identified. The following themes were intertwined with this theme: (a) the need for home health care, with the subthemes of family support and symptom management; and (b) patient and family education. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING To provide high-quality cancer care to AI patients in their home communities, oncology clinicians should collaborate with local care providers, relevant organizations, and the Indian Health Service to identify and develop essential services. Future efforts must emphasize culturally responsive interventions in which Tribal community health workers serve as navigators to accompany patients and families during treatment and in survivorship.
Clinical and genetic factors associated with post‐operative nausea and vomiting after propofol anaesthesia

The incidence of post‐operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) remains at about 30% despite all therapeutic efforts to reduce it. The clinical risk factors guiding the prophylactic treatment are well established, but genetic factors associated with PONV remain poorly known. The aim of this study was to explore clinical and genetic factors impacting PONV by performing a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) together with relevant clinical factors as covariates, and systematically attempt to replicate previously reported PONV associations. Relevant clinical factors are explored with logistic regression model.
Blow-up of solutions of non-linear equations of Kadomtsev–Petviashvili and Zakharov–Kuznetsov types

The Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation and Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation are important in physical applications. We obtain sufficient conditions for finite-time blow-up of solutions of these equations in bounded and unbounded domains. We describe how the initial data influence the blow-up time. To do this, we use the non-linear capacity method suggested by Pokhozhaev and Mitidieri and combine it with the method of test functions, which was developed in joint papers with Galaktionov. Note that our results are the first blow-up results for many equations in this class.
Estimation of parameters in a fin with temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and radiation

In this paper an inverse numerical study of a conductive, convective and radiative rectangular fin is carried out with temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. At first, an implicit Runge-Kutta method-based solution is obtained for calculating the temperature distribution, and then an inverse problem is solved for estimation of unknown thermo-physical properties. The convection–conduction parameter, variable conductivity parameter and radiative parameter have been simultaneously predicted for satisfying a prescribed temperature distribution. This is achieved by minimizing a least squares-based objective function using a hybrid differential evolution-nonlinear programming optimization algorithm. The results obtained from the forward method are compared with Adomian decomposition and homotopy analysis methods which are found to be satisfactory. It is observed that many feasible combinations of parameters exist which satisfy the same temperature distribution, thus providing an opportunity for selecting any combination from the available alternatives. The effect of convection–conduction parameter on the temperature distribution is observed to be more than other parameters. A case study of different fin materials is also carried out for demonstrating the application of the present methodology.
Extreme learning machine based approach for diagnosis and analysis of breast cancer

Due to the heterogeneous and complex nature of clinical data, the need to use sophisticated diagnosis techniques has increased significantly in recent years. The proposed approach for diagnosis of breast cancer exploits the potential of an extreme learning machine (ELM) and analyzes its performance after classification into benign and malignant cases. To optimize the ELM network in terms of computation time and memory resources, weight pruning is used without performance compromise. Using real data sets, numerical experiments have been conducted. With an accuracy of 93%, the optimum numbers of node layers for breast cancer diagnosis has been found to be 20. Comparative results demonstrate over-performance of the proposed ELM approach.
Effects of dietary supplementation of probiotic and Spirulina platensis microalgae powder on growth performance immune response, carcass characteristics, gastrointestinal microflora and meat quality in broilers chick

Abstract Background With the potential development of human pathogenic bacteria resistant to antibiotics, the use of antibiotics as growth promoter in poultry production was banned in different countries, and it has forced the poultry industry to consider ‘Biologically safer’ alternatives to antibiotics, among which the probiotics and microalgae can be mentioned. Objective Present study aimed to compare Spirulina platensis microalgae in combination with a native probiotic as an alternative to antibiotics. Methods 336 male broiler chicks were allotted into 7 treatments and 4 repetitions in a completely randomised design to evaluate chick's performance and immune response to different treatment based on indexes as feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, humoral immunity, carcass characteristics, thigh and breast pH, intestinal morphology and microbial population. European production efficiency coefficient was also reported. Results No significant difference was appeared in the pH of thigh and breast meat (p > 0.05). Supplementation of diets with SP0.3 revealed better villi height, villi length to crypt depth ratio and villi surface. With significant difference (p < 0.05), the highest and lowest colonies of Lactobacillus and E. coli were recorded for PR0.5SP0.3 treatments. Conclusions Supplementation of broilers diets either with probiotic prepared from the microorganism isolated of native birds (1 g/kg) or S. platensis (0.2 g/kg) alone and their combination (0.3 g/kg of S. platensis in combination with 0.5 g/kg of native probiotic) are promising and can be a good alternative to antibiotics, lead to progress of broiler's performance.
COVID‐19: The disease, the vaccine and the heart

Coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 has fundamentally affected the health, healthcare delivery and daily life in all populations and age groups in Australia. The aim of this report is to summarise how it has affected the paediatric population with an emphasis on, but not limited to, the cardiac manifestations. A literature review and appraisal of data relating to SARS‐CoV‐2 cardiac manifestations and vaccination in the paediatric population was undertaken.The majority of children with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection recover well. However, a very small proportion may develop severe acute disease. In the sub‐acute phase, children may also develop a Kawasaki like illness, Paediatric Inflammatory Multisystem Syndrome temporally associated with SARS‐CoV‐2. Whilst not directly cardiac in nature, SARS‐CoV‐2 also affected children in other profound ways. Public health measures with widespread lockdowns appeared to disproportionately affect the paediatric population causing physical deconditioning and psychological harm. Vaccination against SARS‐CoV‐2 has proven to be safe and effective, but the small rate of complications did disproportionately affect teenage children with risks of myocarditis and pericarditis. The long term outcomes following myocarditis related to SARS‐Cov‐2 vaccination are yet to be clarified. When treating children in the era of SARS‐CoV‐2, Paediatricians need to be well aware of the risks of infection in the acute and sub‐acute phases, have a good understanding of the well‐established recommendations for vaccination, and also be cognisant of psychological impacts.