Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The reproductive cycle of some British freshwater Gammaridae

The general facts of the reproduction of Amphipoda have been described by various workers (e.g. Valle 1887-9; Haempel 1908; Embody 1911; Sexton & Matthews 1913; Sexton 1924; Heinze 1932; Le Roux 1933; Clemens 1950), and the sequence of events is now well understood. Briefly, the adult male takes hold of the female some time before she is ready to oviposit, and the pair remain together in precopula for a few days, until the female moults. Copulation proper then occurs, often several times. The male turns the female round and places his sperm on her ventral surface. The female then breaks away from the male, and before her cuticle hardens the eggs are laid into a brood-pouch made of four pairs of oostegites. The eggs are at first enclosed in a gelatinous . sac which slowly dissolves and at about this time fertilization takes place. Hatching occurs after some days and the young leave the mother's pouch after a day or two. She becomes attractive to males again at, or slightly before, the time of hatching of her eggs, and is often to be found in precopula while unhatched eggs remain in her pouch. In most species each female is capable of producing several batches of eggs in succession, and at each moult she grows slightly. The males moult at much longer intervals than the females. The number of eggs laid varies considerably, but on average in any one species larger females lay more eggs (Cheng 1942; Berg 1948; Heinze 1932; Kinne 1952a). In some genera it appears that copulation is not preceded by precopula (Watkin 1941). The young mature after a definite number of moults (Sexton 1924; Le Roux 1933; Kinne 1953a) which differs in each species. Several instars before maturity it is possible to distinguish the sexes because of the appearance in the male of the genital papillae, which have been figured for Gammarus pulex (L.) by Heinze (1932), and in the female of the oostegites, the first appearance of which has been noted in various species by several authors. These appear as small simple plates which enlarge at each moult, and which acquire serrated edges-at the last moult before maturity, at which stage the developing eggs in the ovaries are clearly visible. At maturity the oostegites become fringed by long bristles, which interlace with one another and form the brood pouch, figured by Heinze (1932). No breeding females are ever without these bristles. Legueux (1924) and Heinze (1932) noted, in Gammarus duebeni Lillj. and G. roeselii (Gervais) respectively, that breeding females can lose these bristles at a subsequent moult and return to the condition of serrated edges, although the oostegites remain larger than those of immature specimens. Le Roux (1933) further found that this effect could be produced by sterilization with radium, and was connected with ovarian activity. Kinne (1953b) has made a detailed
PET/CT Integrated With CT Colonography in Preoperative Obstructive Colorectal Cancer by Incomplete Optical Colonoscopy

Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate if integrating whole-body PET/CT with CT colonography (PET/CTC) improves the preoperative diagnosis of obstructive colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods We prospectively included 47 consecutive patients (18 women and 29 men; mean age, 71 ± 14 years) suspected of having CRC by optical colonoscopy, which was not completed due to obstructive masses. To perform PET/CTC, a small caliber Foley catheter was inserted to distend the colon with CO2 insufflations. Polyps measuring 10 mm or larger were considered as high risk of malignancy. All findings were histologically confirmed. Results Colorectal cancer was localized in the sigmoid (n = 21), rectum (n = 7), rectosigmoid junction (n = 5), ascending (n = 7), descending (n = 5), and transverse (n = 2) colon. All tumors showed FDG uptake (mean ± SD SUVmax, 20.02 ± 9.9) including one synchronic tumor (SUVmax, 10.46). Forty-seven polyps were histologically confirmed as smaller than 10 mm (n = 35) and 10 mm or larger (n = 12). All 12 polyps 10 mm or larger showed FDG uptake (SUVmax range, 3.08–19.5), but only one smaller than 10 mm could be identified by PET. Pathological lymph nodes were diagnosed in 17/47 cases after surgical removal with a sensitivity and specificity for CTC and PET/CTC of 71% and 97% and 59% and 100%, respectively. Liver metastases were confirmed in 9 patients and in 4/9 along with lung metastases (n = 2) or implants (n = 2), showing a sensitivity and specificity for CTC of 89% and 100% and both 100% for PET/CTC. Conclusions PET/CTC is a reliable technique for staging CRC and diagnosing synchronous tumors. In this series, PET/CTC was not able to identify small polyps but showed potential use for ruling out 10 mm or larger polyps at high risk of malignancy.
The Burden of Unnecessary Testing From a Regularly Ordered Laboratory Assay: Age-Adjusted d-Dimer Quality Improvement Study

Diagnosing acute pulmonary embolism (PE) involves clinical suspicion in combination with sequential diagnostic tests including d-dimer laboratory assays. Although the sensitivity of this assay is well validated and thoroughly tested, a false-positive result can lead to unnecessary and costly testing. The age-adjusted d-dimer (AADD) has been suggested in the literature to improve the usefulness of d-dimer cutoffs and safely decrease iodine and radiation exposure associated with definitively ruling out PE with computed tomographic angiography (CTA). 1 We present an internal retrospective review utilizing the novel AADD cutoff to rule out PE and evaluate the potential extent of unnecessary testing with CTA. Using the AADD cutoff would have led to a 21.2% reduction in computerized tomography pulmonary embolus protocol. This internal quality improvement study suggests that changing our institutional conventional d-dimer to the novel AADD would provide a superior quality and cost–benefit.
Prevalence and predictors of bone health among perinatally HIV-infected adolescents.

OBJECTIVES Long-term complications of HIV including low bone mineral density (BMD) remain a concern. We studied the prevalence and predictors of low BMD among South African perinatally HIV-infected adolescents (PHIVA) on ART. DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis. METHODS Bone health was evaluated by measuring the calcaneus stiffness index (SI) among PHIVA on ART. Low SI was defined as z-score < -2 standard deviation compared to age- and sex-matched HIV-uninfected adolescents (HIV-). RESULT Overall, 407 PHIVA (median age: 14 years; 50.4% female; median age at ART initiation: 4.2 years) and 92 HIV- (median age: 13.7 years; 54.4% female) were included. Median duration on ART was 9.8 years (IQR 6.8-11.5) with 38% initiating ART at ≤2 years of age. SI was lower in PHIVA (-0.19 vs. 0.43, p = <0.001) respectively. During puberty, mean SI increased with Tanner Stage in both PHIVA and HIV- but these increases were larger among HIV-; Tanner Stage II-III (96 vs 101, p = 0.009) and Tanner Stage IV-V (104 vs 112, p = 0.001). Among PHIVA, 52 (13%) had low SI. After adjusting for age, sex and Tanner stage, use of Lopinavir/Ritonavir (OR = 2.31, p = 0.012) and viral load >50 copies/ml (OR = 2.06, p = 0.023) were associated with increased risk of low SI, while use of Efavirenz (OR = 0.41, p = 0.009) was associated with decreased risk of low SI. CONCLUSION SI was a significantly lower in PHIVA than in HIV-, especially during puberty. Among PHIVA, detectable viral load and use of Lopinavir/Ritonavir were risk factors for low SI. Further longitudinal studies are important to determine the clinical implications.
Mental health and the wish to have a child: a longitudinal, cross-cultural comparison between Germany and China

Abstract Background The desire to have children has been declining globally, especially in industrialized nations. This study examines the physical health correlates, and positive and negative mental health correlates of the wish to have a child across time and in two countries. Method Questionnaire data were obtained from large-scale university samples of 12,574 participants in Germany and China. Results The wish to have a child (child wish) is related to positive and negative mental health in China and, to a lesser degree, in Germany. Child wish is positively related to some aspects of mental and somatic health for Chinese women and men, negatively to depression for Chinese and German men and Chinese women, and positively to stress for German men, with generally small effects. Effects hold when controlling for age, partnership status, and family affluence. Most relationships were almost equal between women and men (in both China and Germany), and between countries with the exception of two different paths in each gender group. That is, having a partner is associated with a higher child wish in both Chinese and German female students. In China, older female students are more likely to want to have a child, while older female students in Germany are less likely to want to have a child. Neither partnership nor age predict child wish for the next year. Conclusion In sum, Chinese students reported feeling more positively about having children when they were happy and healthy, with the exception that highly satisfied Chinese males report lower child wish in the next year. More depressed Chinese and German men and Chinese women reported lowered child wish, and stressed German men reported more child wish. Older students reported more (Chinese) or less (German) child wish depending on country.
Long distance dispersal of the beach strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis, from North America to Chile and Hawaii.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The beach strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis (L.) Duch, is found in a narrow coastal band from the Aleutian Islands to central California and then jumps thousands of kilometers all the way to Hawaii and Chile. Since it likely had a North American origin, it must have been introduced to the other locations by long distance dispersal. The aim of this study was to determine which agent carried the beach strawberry to its Pacific and South American locations. METHODS A deductive framework was constructed to separate between the possible modes of long distance dispersal involving animals, wind and ocean currents. Bird migration was subsequently identified as the most likely scenario, and then the routes, habitats, feeding preferences and flight distances of all the shore bird species were evaluated to determine the most likely carrier. KEY RESULTS Six species migrate between North America and Chile and feed on the beaches and rocky shores where F. chiloensis grows naturally - Black-bellied Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstones, Sanderlings, Whimbrels and Willets. Of these, only two eat fruit and migrate in long continuous flight - Ruddy Turnstones and Whimbrels. Two species travel between North America and Hawaii, eat fruit and forage on the beaches and rocky shores where F. chiloensis grows naturally - Pacific Golden-plovers and Ruddy Turnstones. Ruddy Turnstones eat far less fruit than Pacific Golden-plovers and Whimbrels, making them less likely to have introduced the beach strawberry to either location. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence that Fragaria chiloesis seeds were probably dispersed to Hawaii by Pacific Golden-plovers and to Chile by Whimbrels.
Hyphomycetous fungi spore release induced by air currents and aqueous solution

Hyphomycetous fungi originating from South Africa were morphologically characterised and ascribed to the genera Acremonium, Aspergillus and Penicillium, respectively. The primary means of spore dispersal employed by these isolates was investigated by quantifying colony forming units released into the air and into an aqueous solution. Measurement of spore liberation during humid aeration, revealed significant (P < 0.0001) differences among the hyphomycetous taxa investigated. Isolates of the genus Penicillium were more successful in releasing their spores than the Aspergilli and the Acremonium isolate. Spore liberation during desiccated aeration also showed a significant (P < 0.0001) difference between the respective isolates. Overall, isolates belonging to the genus Penicillium released more viable spores than Aspergillus spp. , which in turn released more spores than Acremonium. In support of the theory that splashing rain may dislodge and disperse microfungal propagules, washing respective cultures with physiological salt solution resulted in an immediate massive spore release. However, the taxa investigated did not differ. These differences in airborne spore release that were observed between the hyphomycetous genera may be a result of different strategies to disperse their spores in nature. This phenomenon should be investigated further in future and the challenge now is to find correlations between the conidiophore morphology of each fungus and characteristics of their niche. Key words: Acremonium, Aspergillus, Hyphomycetes, Penicillium, spore dissemination.
Effects of foam rolling on hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis: a retrospective propensity-matched cohort study

ABSTRACT Background Foam rolling is a self-applied massage using a foam roller that has gained popularity for treatment of muscle soreness. However, its efficacy for improving hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis remains unclear. Objective To investigate the effects of foam rolling on hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Methods In this retrospective propensity-matched cohort study, medical records of outpatients between January 2017 and March 2019 were reviewed. Of these, 115 patients with hip osteoarthritis were divided into foam rolling or non-foam rolling groups based on home exercises. Both groups were propensity-score matched (1:1) for age, sex, body mass index, Kellgren and Lawrence grade, and visual analog scale (VAS) of hip pain at baseline. The primary outcome was the hip pain-VAS. Effects of interventions on the hip pain-VAS were examined using a split-plot design variance analysis. Results After matching, both groups comprised 37 patients each. No significant differences were observed in baseline characteristics and outcome measurements between the matched groups. A statistically significant interaction was seen between the effects of time and group for hip pain-VAS (F [1, 72] = 31.874, interaction: P < .001, η2 = 0.307). Hip pain-VAS was improved more effectively in the foam rolling group than those in the non-foam rolling group (P < .001). Thirty-four (92%) patients in the foam rolling group, compared to 15 (41%) in the non-foam rolling group, showed a ≥ 32% (minimal clinically important difference) improvement in hip pain-VAS. Conclusion These results suggested that foam rolling was an effective intervention for improving hip pain in patients with hip osteoarthritis.
Major depression and clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Limited data have been published concerning about depression in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Besides, among HFpEF patients with depression, the efficacy of antidepressants is poorly defined. Therefore, our current study was aimed to examine the relationship between major depression and clinical outcomes in HFpEF patients and further address the effects of antidepressants on prognosis in patients with major depression and HFpEF.
Two‐part models for repeatedly measured ordinal data with “don't know” category

Ordinal data (eg, “low,” “medium,” “high”; graded response on a Likert scale) with an additional “don't know” category are frequently encountered in the medical, social, and behavioral science literature. The handling of a “don't know” option presents unique challenges as it often “destroys” the ordinal nature of the data. Commonly, nominal models are employed which ignore the partial ordering and have a complicated interpretation, especially in situations with repeatedly measured outcomes. We propose two‐part models that easily accommodate longitudinal partially ordered (semiordinal) data. The most easily interpretable formulation consists of a random effect logistic submodel for “don't know” vs all the other categories combined, and a random effect ordinal submodel for the ordered categories. Correlated random effects account for statistical dependence within individual. An extension allowing for nonproportionality of odds for the predictor effects in the ordinal submodel is also considered. Maximum likelihood estimation is performed using adaptive Gaussian quadrature in SAS PROC NLMIXED. A simulation study is performed to evaluate the performance of the estimation algorithm in terms of bias and efficiency, and to compare the results of joint and separate models of the two parts, and of proportional and nonproportional model formulations. The methods are motivated and illustrated on a dataset from a study of adolescents' perceptions of nicotine strength of JUUL e‐cigarettes. Using the proposed approach we show that adolescents perceive 5% nicotine content as relatively low, a misconception more pronounced among past month nonusers than among past month users of JUUL e‐cigarettes.
A Case-Control Study on the Therapeutic Effect of Mediastinoscope-Assisted and Thoracoscope-Assisted Esophagectomy

Objective. To compare the clinical efficacies of mediastinoscope-assisted and thoracoscope-assisted esophagectomy. Materials and Methods. Seventy-six patients with esophageal cancer who underwent minimally invasive esophagectomy at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University between June 2015 and January 2019 were retrospectively evaluated. Among them, 28 patients underwent mediastinoscope-assisted transhiatal esophagectomy (MATHE), and 48 received thoracoscope-assisted transthoracic esophagectomy (TATTE). The perioperative clinical data and follow-up data of the 2 groups were compared. Results. All operations were successful in both groups. MATHE was favorable in terms of operation time, intraoperative blood loss, drainage volume 3 days after surgery, postoperative hospital stay, and hypoproteinemia (P < .05). Lymph node dissections were less than those in the TATTE (P < .05). No significant differences in long-term postoperative complications and survival rate were found between the 2 groups (P > .05). Conclusion. MATHE has the advantages of minimal trauma, shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss, and faster recovery. More adequate tumor clearance in terms of lymph node dissection can be achieved with TATTE. However, the comparison of survival rates between the 2 groups is similar.
Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Patients Selected for Infra-Popliteal Bypass or Plain Balloon Angioplasty for Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia Between 2009 and 2013

Introduction: A published subgroup analysis of the Bypass versus Angioplasty in Severe Ischaemia of the Leg (BASIL)-1 trial suggests that, in patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) due to infra-popliteal (IP) disease, clinical outcomes are better following vein bypass surgery (BS) than after plain balloon angioplasty (PBA). The aim of the present study is to determine if clinical outcomes following IP revascularization in our unit are concordant with those found in BASIL-1. Methods: We analyzed prospectively gathered data pertaining to 137 consecutive CLTI patients undergoing IP PBA or BS between 2009 and 2013. We compared 30-day morbidity and mortality, days in hospital (index admission and out to 12-months), amputation free survival (AFS), overall survival (OS), limb salvage (LS), and freedom from arterial re-intervention (FFR). Patient outcomes were censored on 1 February 2017, providing a minimum 3 years follow-up. Results: Patients undergoing BS (73/137, 47%) tended to be younger, have less comorbidity, and were more likely to be on best medical therapy (BMT). BS patients spent more days in hospital during the index admission (median 9 vs 5, p = .003), but not out to 12 months (median 15 vs 13, NS). BS patients suffered more 30-day morbidity (36% vs 10%, p < .001), mainly due to infective complications, but not mortality (3.1% vs 6.8%, NS). AFS (p = .001) and OS (p < .001), but not LS or FFR, were better after BS. Conclusions: CLTI patients selected for revascularization by means of IP BS had better long-term outcomes in terms of AFS and OS, but not FFR or LS. Although we await the results of the BASIL-2 trial, current data support the BASIL-1 sub-group analysis which suggests that patients requiring revascularization for IP disease should have BS where possible and that PBA should usually be reserved for patients who are not suitable for BS.
What Is the General Factor of Psychopathology? Consistency of the p Factor Across Samples

Bifactor analyses have become a popular way to model a general psychopathology factor (or p factor) that accounts for correlations among higher order internalizing, externalizing, and thought-disorder dimensions. However, to advance dimensional nosology and construct validation of the p factor, this body of research needs to be synthesized. This study focuses on the p factor as a substantive construct by testing its consistency across samples and models. Bifactor analyses were run for three large epidemiological and clinical data sets: National Comorbidity Survey, Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys, and Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services. Despite generally good model fit and strong factor congruence, interpretation of the p factor varied across samples and methods. This limited consistency suggests a lack of clear, generalizable operationalization of the p factor for applications such as measure development. Results are interpreted in terms of implications for the p factor as a substantive construct.
Seleção de guanandi em plantios comerciais

O guanandi (Calophyllum brasiliense) é uma espécie arbórea nativa das Américas Central e do Sul, de madeira nobre para móveis, esquadrias e batentes, dentre outras aplicações. Sua madeira aresenta em árvores nativas amostradas sob condições ambientais e faixas etárias diversas, densidade entre 0,45 g cm3 e 0,65 g cm3 (CARVALHO, 2003). Essa espécie vem sendo plantada em monocultivo em diversos estados do Brasil, como São Paulo, Mato Grosso, Tocantins e Maranhão, não havendo, até o momento, registro de pragas ou doenças de expressão econômica.