Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Assessment of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) in South Africa Confirms Endemic and Widespread Infection

Chytridiomycosis has been identified as a major cause of global amphibian declines. Despite widespread evidence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection in South African frogs, sampling for this disease has not focused on threatened species, or whether this pathogen poses a disease risk to these species. This study assessed the occurrence of Bd-infection in South African Red List species. In addition, all known records of infection from South Africa were used to model the ecological niche of Bd to provide a better understanding of spatial patterns and associated disease risk. Presence and prevalence of Bd was determined through quantitative real-time PCR of 360 skin swab samples from 17 threatened species from 38 sites across the country. Average prevalence was 14.8% for threatened species, with pathogen load varying considerably between species. MaxEnt was used to model the predicted distribution of Bd based on 683 positive records for South Africa. The resultant probability threshold map indicated that Bd is largely restricted to the wet eastern and coastal regions of South Africa. A lack of observed adverse impacts on wild threatened populations supports the endemic pathogen hypothesis for southern Africa. However, all threatened species occur within the limits of the predicted distribution for Bd, exposing them to potential Bd-associated risk factors. Predicting pathogen distribution patterns and potential impact is increasingly important for prioritising research and guiding management decisions.
Egg consumption and dyslipidemia in a Mediterranean cohort.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the association between egg consumption and dyslipidemia in a Mediterranean cohort. METHODS We followed-up 13,104 Spanish university graduates for a mean period of 8 years. Dietary habits at baseline were assessed using a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food-frequency questionnaire. Self-reported blood concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides were evaluated according to categories of egg consumption after 6 and 8 years of follow-up. We also assessed the association between baseline egg consumption and the incidence of hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-c concentrations and hypertriglyceridemia during follow-up. RESULTS We observed a significant inverse association for intermediate levels of egg consumption (2 to 4 eggs/week vs. less than 1 egg/week) and hypertriglyceridemia with OR = 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54 to 0.93, p < 0.05) in the multivariable-adjusted model. Using HDL-c values after 8-year follow-up, we found an association between higher egg consumption and lower HDL-c levels (p for trend = 0.02) with an adjusted difference of -4.01 mg/dl (-7.42 to -0.61) for > 4 vs. < 1 egg/week. Lower means of triglycerides were found in each of the three upper categories of egg consumption compared to the lowest category (< 1 egg/week) with significant results for some of these categories both after 6 and 8 year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Our data do not support that higher egg consumption was associated with abnormal blood levels of total cholesterol or triglycerides; an inverse association with HDL-c as a quantitative variable was found only in one of our analyses.
Baseline Amnestic Severity Predicts Progression From Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer Disease Dementia at 3 Years

Background: Given the long preclinical disease course of Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology, novel treatments may be more efficacious if administered before the emergence of dementia. Thus, accurate prediction of who will develop AD dementia is of key importance in selecting individuals for trials of treatment and may become crucial for future selection of patients for therapy. Methods: As part of the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing, 901 individuals who did not have dementia were recruited. We assigned individuals according to Petersen criteria and Winblad criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at baseline. We then stratified individuals with amnestic MCI into 2 groups according to the severity of their memory impairment on baseline neuropsychological assessment. Incident diagnosis of AD dementia was established by consensus of an expert panel at 36 months. Results: At 36 months, 725 (80.5%) participants were followed up, 54 (7.4%) of whom developed AD dementia. Subjects with amnestic MCI according to Petersen criteria were more likely to develop AD dementia [positive predictive value; PPV, 24.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 18.4-30.6] than healthy controls (PPV, 1.0%; 95% CI, 0.3-2.3). Winblad criteria were also effective, with multiple domain amnestic MCI being most accurate at predicting AD dementia (PPV, 47.3%; 95% CI, 33.7-61.2). Finally, more severe amnestic impairment below the median was useful for predicting the development of AD dementia in single domain amnestic MCI (PPV, 28.1%; 95% CI, 17.0-41.5) and in multiple domain amnestic MCI (PPV, 65.7%; 95% CI, 47.8-80.9). Conclusions: Memory impairment per se, impairment in multiple cognitive domains and severity of memory impairment were all associated with greater risk of developing AD dementia in this sample. Characterizing the severity of memory impairment may provide prognostic stratification within Petersen or Winblad taxonomies of amnestic MCI.
Investigation of photo-stability of acrylic polymer Paraloid B72 used for conservation

Photo-degradation of the Paraloid B72 has been monitored by means of attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared(ATR-FTIR)spectroscopy,diffuse reflectance spectroscopy(DRS),and by measnring its weight loss,hardness and re-dissolve parameters.According to the data of investigation,conclusion was put forward that the photo-stability of PB72 is to be improved.
Estimation and prediction of degradation of coating films by frequency at maximum phase angle

In real coating systems, the degradation of pigmented coating films was evaluated by the frequency at maximum phase angle (f θmax ) obtained from electrochemical impedance measurement. The f θmax anf film resistance (R f ) by electrochemical impedance measurement showed a linear relationship on a log-log plot. The degradation of coating films could be predicted by the determination of f θmax values. When the calculated values of f θmax and R f were corrected by phenomenological coefficient (β) in the range of 0 to 1, its linear relation was nearly consistent with that obtained in the measured values.
Integrating prospective and retrospective cues to the sense of agency: a multi-study investigation†

Abstract Sense of agency (SoA) refers to the experience of voluntary control over one’s own actions, and, through them, over events in the outside world. Recent accounts suggest that SoA involves an integration of various cues. These include prospective cues, for example, related to the fluency of action selection, and retrospective cues, linked to outcome monitoring. It remains unclear whether these cues may have independent effects on SoA, and, in particular, how their relative contributions may change during instrumental learning. In the present study, we explored these issues by conducting a multi-study analysis of seven published and unpublished studies on the role of prospective cues to the SoA. Our main question was how the effects of selection fluency on SoA might change as information about action–outcome contingencies is gathered. Results show that selection fluency can have a general and consistent influence on the SoA, independent of outcome monitoring. This suggests selection fluency is used as a heuristic cue, to prospectively inform our SoA. In addition, our results show that the influence of selection fluency on SoA may change systematically as action–outcome contingencies are gradually learned. We speculate that dysfluent selection may impair formation of mental associations between action and outcome.
Confidence and coverage for Bland–Altman limits of agreement and their approximate confidence intervals

Bland and Altman described approximate methods in 1986 and 1999 for calculating confidence limits for their 95% limits of agreement, approximations which assume large subject numbers. In this paper, these approximations are compared with exact confidence intervals calculated using two-sided tolerance intervals for a normal distribution. The approximations are compared in terms of the tolerance factors themselves but also in terms of the exact confidence limits and the exact limits of agreement coverage corresponding to the approximate confidence interval methods. Using similar methods the 50th percentile of the tolerance interval are compared with the k values of 1.96 and 2, which Bland and Altman used to define limits of agreements (i.e. d ¯ +/− 1.96Sd and d ¯ +/− 2Sd). For limits of agreement outer confidence intervals, Bland and Altman’s approximations are too permissive for sample sizes <40 (1999 approximation) and <76 (1986 approximation). For inner confidence limits the approximations are poorer, being permissive for sample sizes of <490 (1986 approximation) and all practical sample sizes (1999 approximation). Exact confidence intervals for 95% limits of agreements, based on two-sided tolerance factors, can be calculated easily based on tables and should be used in preference to the approximate methods, especially for small sample sizes.
[Wear test of 4-unit posterior resin bonded fixed partial dentures with non-rigid connector].

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the difference of fatigue longevity between the 4-unit posterior resin-bonded fixed partial dentures (RBFPD)with non-rigid connector and rigid connector,a wear test to stimulate masticatary function was used. METHODS Extracted intact human teeth were used to prepare specimens,a first premolar and a second molar as the abutment teeth with a space equivalent to a second premolar and a first molar. Ten specimens were seperated into two groups randomly. The control group was prepared to receive conventional RBFPDs; in the test group a non-rigid connector was used on the distal side of the first premolar. The specimens were put on the thermocycling and mechanical loading (TCML) chewing simulator until the prostheses were broken,and the loading times were recorded. RESULTS The loading times of the test group and the control group were respectively (134.34 ± 8.17) ten thousand and (92.58 ± 19.73) ten thousand, there was a significant difference between the test group and the control group (P<0.05) analyzed by independent-samples t test (α=0.05). So that the fatigue longevity of 4-unit posterior RBFPDs with non-rigid connector was greater than that of the rigid connector RBFPDs. CONCLUSION The non-rigid connector could allow independent movement between the two parts of RBFPD and to decrease the stress between the tooth and the wing, and thus increases the fatigue longevity of long-span RBFPDs.
Etude par analyse thermique et par RMN très haute température de 27Al de la solidification de Al2O3 en l'absence de nucléation hétérogène: effets de la température du liquide et de la pression partielle d'oxygène

En l'absence de nucleation heterogene, le degre de surfusion de spheres d'alumine liquide de dimensions millimetriques depend du potentiel d'oxyygene de l'atmosphere de traitement. Sous oxygene la surfusion est de l'ordre de 275°C, par contre sous argon elle varie entre 175 et 50°C selon la temperature du liquide. La surfusion, plus faible, observee sous argon est attribuee a l'existence d'aluminium Al 0 mis en evidence par RMN de 27 Al, dont la concentration croit avec la temperature, vers 2 350°C la population d'atomes d'aluminium metallique serait de l'ordre de 2,5% et ils joueraient le role d'agents de nucleation. La texturation des billes solidifiees depend egalement de l'atmosphere de fusion: billes poreuses avec une cristallisation de type dendritique sous oxygene, mais plus denses sous argon avec des cristaux de dimensions beaucoup plus grandes
Scenario-Based Programming, Usability-Oriented Perception

In this article, we discuss the possible connection between the programming language and the paradigm behind it, and programmers’ tendency to adopt an external or internal perspective of the system they develop. Based on a qualitative analysis, we found that when working with the visual, interobject language of live sequence charts (LSC), programmers tend to adopt an external and usability-oriented view of the system, whereas when working with an intraobject language, they tend to adopt an internal and implementation-oriented viewpoint. This is explained by first discussing the possible effect of the programming paradigm on programmers’ perception and then offering a more comprehensive explanation. The latter is based on a cognitive model of programming with LSC, which is an interpretation and a projection of the model suggested by Adelson and Soloway [1985] onto LSC and scenario-based programming, the new paradigm on which LSC is based. Our model suggests that LSC fosters a kind of programming that enables iterative refinement of the artifact with fewer entries into the solution domain. Thus, the programmer can make less context switching between the solution domain and the problem domain, and consequently spend more time in the latter. We believe that these findings are interesting mainly in two ways. First, they characterize an aspect of problem-solving behavior that to the best of our knowledge has not been studied before—the programmer’s perspective. The perspective can potentially affect the outcome of the problem-solving process, such as by leading the programmer to focus on different parts of the problem. Second, relating the structure of the language to the change in perspective sheds light on one of the ways in which the programming language can affect the programmer’s behavior.
New Metrics for Economic Evaluation in the Presence of Heterogeneity: Focusing on Evaluating Policy Alternatives Rather than Treatment Alternatives

Background. Cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) methods fail to acknowledge that where cost-effectiveness differs across subgroups, there may be differential adoption of technology. Also, current CEA methods are not amenable to incorporating the impact of policy alternatives that potentially influence the adoption behavior. Unless CEA methods are extended to allow for a comparison of policies rather than simply treatments, their usefulness to decision makers may be limited. Methods. We conceptualize new metrics, which estimate the realized value of technology from policy alternatives, through introducing subgroup-specific adoption parameters into existing metrics, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) and Incremental Net Monetary Benefits (NMBs). We also provide the Loss with respect to Efficient Diffusion (LED) metrics, which link with existing value of information metrics but take a policy evaluation perspective. We illustrate these metrics using policies on treatment with combination therapy with a statin plus a fibrate v. statin monotherapy for patients with diabetes and mixed dyslipidemia. Results. Under the traditional approach, the population-level ICER of combination v. monotherapy was $46,000/QALY. However, after accounting for differential rates of adoption of the combination therapy (7.2% among males and 4.3% among females), the modified ICER was $41,733/QALY, due to the higher rate of adoption in the more cost-effective subgroup (male). The LED metrics showed that an education program to increase the uptake of combination therapy among males would provide the largest economic returns due to the significant underutilization of the combination therapy among males under the current policy. Conclusion. This framework may have the potential to improve the decision-making process by producing metrics that are better aligned with the specific policy decisions under consideration for a specific technology.
Improving text recognition by distinguishing scene and overlay text

Video texts are closely related to the content of a video. They provide a valuable source for indexing and interpretation of video data. Text detection and recognition task in images or videos typically distinguished between overlay and scene text. Overlay text is artificially superimposed on the image at the time of editing and scene text is text captured by the recording system. Typically, OCR systems are specialized on one kind of text type. However, in video images both types of text can be found. In this paper, we propose a method to automatically distinguish between overlay and scene text to dynamically control and optimize post processing steps following text detection. Based on a feature combination a Support Vector Machine (SVM) is trained to classify scene and overlay text. We show how this distinction in overlay and scene text improves the word recognition rate. Accuracy of the proposed methods has been evaluated by using publicly available test data sets.
Information presentation format moderates the unconscious-thought effect: The role of recollection

ABSTRACT The unconscious-thought effect occurs when distraction improves complex decision-making. In two experiments using the unconscious-thought paradigm, we investigated the effect of presentation format of decision information (i) on memory for decision-relevant information and (ii) on the quality of decisions made after distraction, conscious deliberation or immediately. We used the process-dissociation procedure to measure recollection and familiarity. The two studies showed that presenting information blocked per criterion led participants to recollect more decision-relevant details compared to a presentation by option. Moreover, a Bayesian meta-analysis of the two studies provided strong evidence that conscious deliberation resulted in better decisions when the information was presented blocked per criterion and substantial evidence that distraction improved decision quality when the information was presented blocked per option. Finally, Study 2 revealed that the recollection of decision-relevant details mediated the effect of presentation format on decision quality in the deliberation condition. This suggests that recollection contributes to conscious deliberation efficacy.
Editorial of the Special Issue on Social Media in Crisis Management

Social media is gaining more and more importance in crisis management: “Social media continue to evolve, and so does their use in emergency and crisis events” (Reuter et al., 2018). Related research is sometimes called “crisis informatics” (Palen et al., 2009). This special issue was initiated based on the track “Social Media Studies” at previous ISCRAM (Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management) conferences. It is usually one of the tracks with the most submissions, however we (successfully) aimed to also invite scholars from other venues to contribute.
Particle size distribution effects on physical properties of injection molded HA/PLA composites

Effects of particle size distribution on physical properties such as viscosity, heat and mechanical properties of injection-molded hydroxyapatite (HA)/poly lactic acid (PLA) were investigated. The melting temperature of PLA was shifted to a lower temperature because of the dispersion of HA particles. However, the cold crystallization temperature shifted to a lower temperature at high HA composition, suggesting that HA particles acted as a nuclear agent. x c,PLA of the composites with bimodal particle size distribution showed the lowest of all three composites, suggesting that mobility of PLA polymer chain was reduced by bimodal particle size distribution, which means the increase of restriction at interface between polymer matrix and particle. Melt flow rate (MFR) increased because of dispersed HA particle. The reason was thought that hydrolysis degradation of PLA occurred during melt-mixing process is accelerated by HAp particle dispersion. The MFR of composites increased concomitantly with increased particle size. Mechanical properties such as flexural strength and the modulus of bimodal-HA/PLA composite with both 5 and 1 μm of representative size were higher than those of monomodal-HA/PLA composites with 5 or 1 μm of representative size within the range of the results of this paper. Fracture surfaces were affected by the particle size distribution. It was suggested for the reasons to relate the interparticle distance and restriction of the interface between the matrix and particles.
A Multidisciplinary Approach Providing New Insight into Fruit Flesh Browning Physiology in Apple (Malus x domestica Borkh.)

In terms of the quality of minimally processed fruit, flesh browning is fundamentally important in the development of an aesthetically unpleasant appearance, with consequent off-flavours. The development of browning depends on the enzymatic action of the polyphenol oxidase (PPO). In the ‘Golden Delicious’ apple genome ten PPO genes were initially identified and located on three main chromosomes (2, 5 and 10). Of these genes, one element in particular, here called Md-PPO, located on chromosome 10, was further investigated and genetically mapped in two apple progenies (‘Fuji x Pink Lady’ and ‘Golden Delicious x Braeburn’). Both linkage maps, made up of 481 and 608 markers respectively, were then employed to find QTL regions associated with fruit flesh browning, allowing the detection of 25 QTLs related to several browning parameters. These were distributed over six linkage groups with LOD values spanning from 3.08 to 4.99 and showed a rate of phenotypic variance from 26.1 to 38.6%. Anchoring of these intervals to the apple genome led to the identification of several genes involved in polyphenol synthesis and cell wall metabolism. Finally, the expression profile of two specific candidate genes, up and downstream of the polyphenolic pathway, namely phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), provided insight into flesh browning physiology. Md-PPO was further analyzed and two haplotypes were characterised and associated with fruit flesh browning in apple.
I am a "Smart" watch, Smart Enough to Know the Accuracy of My Own Heart Rate Sensor

With the wide-distribution of smart wearables, it seems as though ubiquitous healthcare can finally permeate into our everyday lives, opening the possibility to realize clinical-grade applications. However, given that clinical applications require reliable sensing, there is a need to understand how accurate healthcare sensors on wearable devices (e.g., heart rate sensors) are. To answer this question, this work starts with a thorough investigation on the accuracy of widely used wearable devices' heart rate sensors. Specifically, we show that when actively moving, heart rate readings can diverge far from the ground truth, and also show that such inaccuracies cannot be easily correlated, nor predicted, using accelerometer and gyroscope measurements. Rather, we point out that the light intensity readings at the photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor can be an effective indicator of heart rate accuracy. Using a Viterbi algorithm-based Hidden Markov Model, we show that it is possible to design a filter that allows smartwatches to self-classify measurement quality with ~ 98% accuracy. Given that such capabilities allow the smartwatch to internally filter misleading values from being application input, we foresee this as an essential step in catalyzing novel clinical-grade wearable applications.