Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cell therapy for the repair of the mammalian heart

II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . III TABLE OF CONTENTS . IV LIST OF TABLES. IX LIST OF FIGURES.XI LIST OF ACRONYMS . XIII LIST OF PUBLICATIONS ARISING FROM THIS THESIS . X VI
Comparative evaluation of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus for diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection during solid organ transplantation

Background The diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in solid organ transplantation (SOT) patients under lifelong immunosuppression has profound effects on preoperative and postoperative management. Interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) is widely used to screen LTBI before or after transplantation. Methods We evaluated the effect of posttransplantation immunosuppression on IGRA and influencing factors by measuring interval change of QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) between pretransplantation (pre-QFT-Plus) and posttransplantation (post-QFT-Plus) state in 20 patients who previously had reactive IGRA but not taken LTBI treatment. Results Eleven (55%) out of 20 pre-QFT-Plus reactive patients became nonreactive state in repeated QFT-Plus (post-QFT-Plus) at 194–413 days (median, 257 days) after transplantation (discordant group). Even in persistently reactive group (concordant group), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels after transplantation were decreased about 34% and 36% of their pretransplantation levels for TB1 and TB2, respectively. The only significant factors that affect interval change of QFT-Plus between pre- and post-SOT status were the concentrations of IFN-γ in pre-QFT-Plus (6.93 vs. 0.44 IU/mL in TB1 and 7.33 vs. 0.71 IU/mL in TB2). Conclusions The reactivity of QFT-Plus is significantly compromised by immunosuppressive therapy, which increase the risk of false negative, particularly in patients with low level of IGRA reactivity. Therefore, interpretation of IGRA under immunosuppressive treatment require a caution and eventually, more sensitive tuberculosis-specific cytokine markers might be needed.
Modeling stand basal area growth of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don under different planting densities in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Stand basal area (BA) is an important parameter, yet significantly influenced by initial planting density, in describing the developments of plantation forests. The effects of initial density on the growth of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don), an important plantation tree species in Taiwan, have seldom been studied. The goals of this study are to (1) model sugi stand BA growth under different initial densities, and (2) quantify model forecast accuracy. The data were from a spacing trial established in 1950 at the National Taiwan University Experimental Forest. The initial densities were 2500, 1111, 625, and 400 trees ha−1. Ten measurements were carried out up to stand age 65. Using a mixed-effects modeling approach, we fitted a Gompertz model with the initial density as the covariate to describe stand BA growth trends. Results showed that stand BA was the largest for stands with the highest initial density. The maximum current annual increment of the highest initial density was also the largest and reached earlier in stand development than that of the other spacings. Data up to stand age 60 were needed to yield a forecast accuracy within 6% for BA at stand age 65. This study showed that the fitted Gompertz model could adequately capture the general growth trends in stand BA despite unequal measurement intervals. The results agreed with other spacing trials in other regions and tree species, and the model accuracy was acceptable given the availability of data. The prediction accuracy results underlined the importance of long-term growth monitoring.
Do Contraceptive Rods Affect the Behaviour of African Lions (Panthera leo) in Captivity?

Surplus animals in zoos and wildlife parks are handled differently across Europe. Some zoos use the “Breed and Cull”-method where animals are allowed to reproduce, and surplus animals culled when the mature. Other zoos sterilize the animals or inject them with contraceptive rods to prevent reproduction. Naturally secreted hormones affect both behaviour and morphology, but the effect of the injected hormones has not been studied in lions. The aim of this observational study was to compare the behaviour in captive groups of female lions, that had either been injected with contraceptive rods or not. The study was made in eight different zoos in Denmark, Germany, Belgium and The Netherlands. We found no significant differences in the behaviour of the two groups (with and without rods), indicating that there was no effect of contraceptive rods. However, the small sample size, and unbalanced factors such as pride composition, age and weather could have blurred our results. In order to address the challenge of surplus animals, we suggest, future studies with a more optimal experimental design and larger sample sizes and the inclusion of physiological measurement in addition to quantitative behavioural recordings.
Semantic Labeling in Remote Sensing Corpora Using Feature Fusion-Based Enhanced Global Convolutional Network with High-Resolution Representations and Depthwise Atrous Convolution

One of the fundamental tasks in remote sensing is the semantic segmentation on the aerial and satellite images. It plays a vital role in applications, such as agriculture planning, map updates, route optimization, and navigation. The state-of-the-art model is the Enhanced Global Convolutional Network (GCN152-TL-A) from our previous work. It composes two main components: (i) the backbone network to extract features and ( i i ) the segmentation network to annotate labels. However, the accuracy can be further improved, since the deep learning network is not designed for recovering low-level features (e.g., river, low vegetation). In this paper, we aim to improve the semantic segmentation network in three aspects, designed explicitly for the remotely sensed domain. First, we propose to employ a modern backbone network called “High-Resolution Representation (HR)” to extract features with higher quality. It repeatedly fuses the representations generated by the high-to-low subnetworks with the restoration of the low-resolution representations to the same depth and level. Second, “Feature Fusion (FF)” is added to our network to capture low-level features (e.g., lines, dots, or gradient orientation). It fuses between the features from the backbone and the segmentation models, which helps to prevent the loss of these low-level features. Finally, “Depthwise Atrous Convolution (DA)” is introduced to refine the extracted features by using four multi-resolution layers in collaboration with a dilated convolution strategy. The experiment was conducted on three data sets: two private corpora from Landsat-8 satellite and one public benchmark from the “ISPRS Vaihingen” challenge. There are two baseline models: the Deep Encoder-Decoder Network (DCED) and our previous model. The results show that the proposed model significantly outperforms all baselines. It is the winner in all data sets and exceeds more than 90% of F 1 : 0.9114, 0.9362, and 0.9111 in two Landsat-8 and ISPRS Vaihingen data sets, respectively. Furthermore, it achieves an accuracy beyond 90% on almost all classes.
Re-description and new record of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) anatolicum excavatum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae) from new localities in Balochistan, Pakistan.

Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) anatolicum excavatum Koch, 1844 is re-described and recorded for the first time from new localities in Balochistan, Pakistan in detail with special reference to its capitulum, basis capituli, hypostome, palpi, scutum, genital aperture, adanal and plates subanal plates, anus and festoons. Taxonomic structures not discussed and not illustrated before are described and illustrated as additional information to facilitate zoologists and veterinarians in correct identification of female and male of this tick. A key is erected to Acari families and included genera highlighting the relationships. It is hoped that this paper will provide an anatomical base for future morphological studies. Kew words: Re-description, Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, Ixodidae, Balochistan, Pakistan.
Investigating school children’s behavioral and emotional problems using pediatric symptoms checklist-17 in a structural equation modeling framework

The Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 was originally used in primary care settings with parents to identify their children’s behavioral and emotional problems, but there has been some research supporting use of this scale in school settings. This study examined: (a) the factor structure and measurement invariance of the teacher-rated Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 and (b) complex relationships among demographic characteristics, behavioral and emotional problems, and learning outcomes using structural equation modeling in elementary schools. A sample of 508 children in grades one and two were rated by their teachers with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17. Measures of Academic Progress test was utilized to measure participants’ learning outcomes in reading and math. The results confirmed a three-factor structure of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 (internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and attention problems) and attested the measurement invariance across different demographic groups (i.e. gender, ethnicity, and grade levels). Boys were more likely to have severe attention problems which were associated with lower learning outcomes as seen by Measures of Academic Progress reading and math scores. Attention problems mediated the relationship between gender and learning outcomes. This study has implications for the use of the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17 in school-based settings. Additionally, it highlights the potential relationships among gender, attention problems, and learning outcomes.
Simulating the Hydraulic Heave Phenomenon with Multiphase Fluid Flows Using CFD-DEM

In geotechnical engineering, the seepage phenomena, especially regarding the hydraulic heave, is one of the most dangerous failure mechanisms related to infrastructural stability. Hence, a fundamental understanding of this occurrence is important for the design and construction of water-retaining structures. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver was developed and coupled with discrete element method (DEM) software to simulate the seepage failure process for the three phases of soil, water, and air. Specimens were constructed with two layers of gap-graded particles to give different permeability properties in the vertical direction. More significant heave failure was observed for the sample with higher permeability in the upper layer. Special attention was drawn to the particle-scale observations of the internal structure and drag force to study the erosion mechanism. The soil filled with air bubbles produced a higher drag force in the region below the retaining wall and showed a larger loss of fine particles than the saturated soil, particularly in the initial stages. The results indicate that the impact of air bubbles would accelerate the development of the heave or boiling phenomenon and influence the stability of the system at an early stage.
GENDER-RELATED DIFFERENCES IN SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION DEPEND ON WORKING CONDITIONS

The presented study examines differences in data sharing and scientific working behaviour between male and female researchers. To understand the context of our study, it has to be said that articles and data – as the raw material for non-theoretical publications – are crucial for an individual researcher’s career development. Examining the data sharing behaviour is therefore a good proxy to examine differences in male and female working behaviour in a competitive environment. Our study is based on a survey among 1321 (mainly German) researchers. Overall our results suggests that the working conditions in the form of gender distribution and relevance of research data in different scientific fields are better predictors for sharing behaviour than the gender of the individual researcher. Furthermore, the findings provide first insights in the complex underlying factors of gender equality in science that should be addressed by future research.
Safety and Tolerability of Cannabidiol in Parkinson Disease: An Open Label, Dose-Escalation Study.

Background: Cannabis is increasingly used in Parkinson disease (PD), despite little information regarding benefits and risks. Objectives: To investigate the safety and tolerability of a range of doses of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicating component of cannabis, and it's effect on common parkinsonian symptoms. Methods: In this open-label study Coloradans with PD, substantial rest tremor, not using cannabis received plant-derived highly purified CBD (Epidiolex®; 100 mg/mL). CBD was titrated from 5 to 20-25 mg/kg/day and maintained for 10-15 days. Results: Fifteen participants enrolled, two were screen failures. All 13 participants (10 male), mean (SD) age 68.15 (6.05), with 6.1 (4.0) years of PD, reported adverse events, including diarrhea (85%), somnolence (69%), fatigue (62%), weight gain (31%), dizziness (23%), abdominal pain (23%), and headache, weight loss, nausea, anorexia, and increased appetite (each 5%). Adverse events were mostly mild; none serious. Elevated liver enzymes, mostly a cholestatic pattern, occurred in five (38.5%) participants on 20-25 mg/kg/day, only one symptomatic. Three (23%) dropped out due to intolerance. Ten (eight male) that completed the study had improvement in total and motor Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale scores of 7.70 (9.39, mean decrease 17.8%, p=0.012) and 6.10 (6.64, mean decrease 24.7%, p=0.004), respectively. Nighttime sleep and emotional/behavioral dyscontrol scores also improved significantly. Conclusions: CBD, in the form of Epidiolex, may be efficacious in PD, but the relatively high dose used in this study was associated with liver enzyme elevations. Randomized controlled trials are needed to investigate various forms of cannabis in PD.
EVOLUÇÃO DA PRODUÇÃO E PREÇO DOS PRINCIPAIS PRODUTOS FLORESTAIS NÃO MADEIREIROS EXTRATIVOS DO BRASIL

This work analyzed the displacements of the supply and demand curves of some of the main non timber forest products. The direction of those displacements was identified through tendency models, which calculated the growth rates of the price and amount marketed in the period from 1982 to 2005. The evolution of the market for babacu, hevea, castanha de caju, cumaru, buriti was characterized by a displacement of the demand curve to the left side. For the palmito, castanha-do-para, licuri, jaborandi, sorva, angico, macaranduba, barbatimao, umbu, urucum, tucum, no-de-pinho and oiticica was verified a displacement of the supply curve to the left. In the case of piacava and pequi a price increase of those products was verified, with a displacement of the demand curve to the right side. For copaiba and erva-mate the demand is not accompanying the growth of the supply resulting in a price decrease of these products. For pinhao, acai, carnauba and mangaba were observed a relative stability of their market prices.
In-depth understanding of a nano-bio interface between lysozyme and Au NP-immobilized N-doped reduced graphene oxide 2-D scaffolds

In the present work, nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (NrGO) was synthesized via a hydrothermal treatment of graphene oxide (GO) in the presence of urea. Gold nanoparticles (Au(0) NPs) were immobilized over the surface of NrGO (Au(0)-NrGO). Characterization of the Au(0)-NrGO nanocomposite via FT-IR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, elemental mapping and XPS revealed the doping of N atoms during the reduction of GO. XRD and XPS studies confirmed the presence of Au(0) NPs and EDS analysis showed a 4.51 wt% loading of Au NPs in the Au(0)-NrGO nanocomposite. The morphology of Au(0)-NrGO was explored by SEM and TEM, which showed the presence of spherical Au metal NPs uniformly immobilized on the surface of NrGO. Further, studies on lysozyme (Lys) in the presence of Au(0)-NrGO by UV-visible, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed a conformational change in Lys and electrostatic interaction between Lys and Au(0)-NrGO. The DLS result showed an enhancement in the size of the Au(0)-NrGO and Lys conjugates. The Au(0)-NrGO-induced conformational changes in the structure of Lys resulted in a significant decrease in its activity at a certain concentration of Au(0)-NrGO. Moreover, the results showed that Lys favorably binds with the surface of Au(0)-NrGO, resulting in the formation of 2-D scaffolds possibly due to electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, H-bonding, and interactions between the AuNPs and sulfur-containing amino acid residues of Lys. SEM exhibited the formation of conjugates in the form of 2-D scaffolds due to the biomolecular interactions between Lys and Au(0)-NrGO. The TEM studies revealed that Lys agglomerated around the Au(0) NPs immobilized on the surface of NrGO, which suggests the formation of a protein corona (PC) around the AuNPs. Furthermore, the favorable Au(0) NP-sulphur (PC) interaction was confirmed by the disappearance of the S–S stretching band in the Raman spectra. Overall, the results obtained provide insight into the nano-bio interface and formation of Au(0) NP-PC, which can be used for bioinspired applications, such as biosensing and imaging and the development of advanced functional Au NPs.
Seasonal Population Fluctuations in Some Non-Passeriformes at Marala Head, Pakistan

Point count method was used to determine the relative abundance of non-passerine species at Marala wetlands (District Sialkot, Pakistan) during different calendar months between October, 2000 and September, 2001. Six species (Hoopoe, Lapwing, Spotted Owlet, Osprey, Indian Roller and Indian Nightjar) were recorded. Osprey and Spotted Owlet appearing in smaller numbers and Red Wattled Lapwing as a dominant resident. All the species were resident with some variation in population sizes during different seasons, though Osprey was a winter visitor.
Adaptive Normalization for Forecasting Limit Order Book Data Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Deep learning models are capable of achieving state-of-the-art performance on a wide range of time series analysis tasks. However, their performance crucially depends on the employed normalization scheme, while they are usually unable to efficiently handle non-stationary features without first appropriately pre-processing them. These limitations impact the performance of deep learning models, especially when used for forecasting financial time series, due to their non-stationary and multimodal nature. In this paper we propose a data-driven adaptive normalization layer which is capable of learning the most appropriate normalization scheme that should be applied on the data. To this end, the proposed method first identifies the distribution from which the data were generated and then it dynamically shifts and scales them in order to facilitate the task at hand. The proposed nor-malization scheme is fully differentiable and it is trained in an end-to-end fashion along with the rest of the parameters of the model. The proposed method leads to significant performance improvements over several competitive normalization approaches, as demonstrated using a large-scale limit order book dataset.
What’s in a name? : Sub-fractionation of common lymphoid progenitors

Deficiencies in the Il-7 signaling pathway result in severe disruptions of lymphoid development in adult mice. In order to understand how Il-7 deficiency impacts early lymphoid development we have investigated lineage restriction events within the CLP compartment of Il-7 knock out mice. This revealed that while Il-7 deficiency had a minor impact on the development and functional properties of LY6D- multipotent CLPs, the formation of the lineage restricted LY6D+ CLP population was dramatically reduced. This was reflected in a low level transcription of B-lineage genes as well as in a loss of functional B-cell commitment in developing progenitors. The defect could not be rescued by ectopic expression of Bcl-2 suggesting that the cytokine act in an instructive manner in early lymphoid development. This clarifies the role of Il-7 in early lymphoid development and puts emphasis on the relevance of the recently defined lineage restricted progenitor cells in lymphoid differentiation.
Characterization of genetic heterogeneity within accessions in the USDA soybean germplasm collection

Soybean breeding relies on the use of wild (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) and domesticated [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ] germplasm for trait improvement. Soybeans are self‐pollinating and accessions can be maintained as pure lines, however within‐accession genetic variation has been observed in previous studies of some landraces and elite cultivars. The objective of this study was to characterize within‐line variation in the accessions housed in the USDA Soybean Germplasm Collection. This collection includes over 20,000 accessions, each previously genotyped using the SoySNP50K Chip. Each SoySNP50K genotype was developed by pooling approximately three individuals per accession. Therefore, clusters of SNPs called as heterozygous within an accession can be inferred to represent putative regions of heterogeneity between the three individuals sampled. In this study, we found high‐probability intervals of heterogeneity in 4% of the collection, representing 870 accessions. Heterogeneous loci were found on every chromosome and, collectively, covered 98.4% of the soybean genome and 99% of the gene models. Sanger sequencing confirmed regions of genomic heterogeneity among a subset of ten accessions. This dataset provides useful information and considerations for users of crop germplasm seed banks. Furthermore, the heterogeneous accessions and/or loci represent a unique genetic resource that is immediately available for forward and reverse genetics studies.