Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Planning Training Workload in Football Using Small-Sided Games' Density.

Sangnier, S, Cotte, T, Brachet, O, Coquart, J, and Tourny, C. Planning training workload in football using small-sided games density. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-To develop the physical qualities, the small-sided games' (SSGs) density may be essential in soccer. Small-sided games are games in which the pitch size, players' number, and rules are different to those for traditional soccer matches. The purpose was to assess the relation between training workload and SSGs' density. The 33 densities data (41 practice games and 3 full games) were analyzed through global positioning system (GPS) data collected from 25 professional soccer players (80.7 ± 7.0 kg; 1.83 ± 0.05 m; 26.4 ± 4.9 years). From total distance, distance metabolic power, sprint distance, and acceleration distance, the data GPS were divided into 4 categories: endurance, power, speed, and strength. Statistical analysis compared the relation between GPS values and SSGs' densities, and 3 methods were applied to assess models (R-squared, root-mean-square error, and Akaike information criterion). The results suggest that all the GPS data match the player's essential athletic skills. They were all correlated with the game's density. Acceleration distance, deceleration distance, metabolic power, and total distance followed a logarithmic regression model, whereas distance and number of sprints follow a linear regression model. The research reveals options to monitor the training workload. Coaches could anticipate the load resulting from the SSGs and adjust the field size to the players' number. Taking into account the field size during SSGs enables coaches to target the most favorable density for developing expected physical qualities. Calibrating intensity during SSGs would allow coaches to assess each athletic skill in the same conditions of intensity as in the competition.
How do horizontal cells ‘talk’ to cone photoreceptors? Different levels of complexity at the cone–horizontal cell synapse

The first synapse of the retina plays a fundamental role in the visual system. Due to its importance, it is critical that it encodes information from the outside world with the greatest accuracy and precision possible. Cone photoreceptor axon terminals contain many individual synaptic sites, each represented by a presynaptic structure called a ‘ribbon’. These synapses are both highly sophisticated and conserved. Each ribbon relays the light signal to one ON cone bipolar cell and several OFF cone bipolar cells, while two dendritic processes from a GABAergic interneuron, the horizontal cell, modulate the cone output via parallel feedback mechanisms. The presence of these three partners within a single synapse has raised numerous questions, and its anatomical and functional complexity is still only partially understood. However, the understanding of this synapse has recently evolved, as a consequence of progress in understanding dendritic signal processing and its role in facilitating global versus local signalling. Indeed, for the downstream retinal network, dendritic processing in horizontal cells may be essential, as they must support important functional operations such as contrast enhancement, which requires spatial averaging of the photoreceptor array, while at the same time preserving accurate spatial information. Here, we review recent progress made towards a better understanding of the cone synapse, with an emphasis on horizontal cell function, and discuss why such complexity might be necessary for early visual processing.
Routing in Optical Mesh Networks - A QoS Perspective

Wireless Ad-Hoc Mesh Networks are characterized by static nodes connected in a mesh topology. A routing protocol discovers and maintains the route for successful transmission of data in a network. The routing protocol should also provide load balancing and fault tolerance for improved network performance. In Free Space Optical networks (FSO) line of sight (LOS) should be maintained between the two communicating nodes. In a multihop scenario maintaining LOS during routing is a challenge. In this paper we propose a routing protocol Quality of Service-Directional Routing Protocol (QDRP) which assures a certain level of performance to a data flow in terms of delay and implemented on FSO MANET. Through simulations it is observed that QDRP chooses the path with the least delay and performs satisfactorily under varying node densities and transmission rates achieving end to end delay of . 14 s and packet delivery percentage of 96% when simulated for an area of 1300 m *1300 m for 100 nodes. This work explores the potential of the proposed routing protocol for free space optical mesh networks. QDRP is compared with ORRP (Orthogonal Rendezvous Routing Protocol) and AODV (Ad-Hoc on Demand Distance Vector), a reactive protocol which is also implemented in free space optical environment. We support our conclusions that QDRP gains in terms of packet delivery percentage, end to end delay and goodput.
Preliminary Survey on the Information-Providing Method in the Music Industry According to the Levels of SNS Media

In order to verify the effectiveness of the information-providing method for individual artists according to the levels of Social Networking Service (SNS) media, we conducted a preliminary survey of musical artists. The preliminary survey technique was as follows: (1) one of the authors gave lectures to the participating artists, (2) individual artists used the information-providing method according to each level of SNS media in order to deliver information, (3) artists performed a concert, and (4) we conducted interviews with the artists and evaluated the method. We found that our proposed method was effective in shortening the distance between artists and users, and the participating artists were aware of the effects of the method. We also found that it was necessary to select the appropriate information provided via each SNS due to artists' concerns. In addition, shifting users' media from participating media to continuation media and from experience, participating, and continuation media to purchase media, our preliminary survey showed the effectiveness of the method. In this survey, we conducted interviews with guitarists, who served as the information providers. We also need to focus on users and their information-seeking behavior, which served to define information access. We plan to conduct additional interviews with users and to evaluate our proposed method in detail using quantitative evaluation methods, such as tracing the timeline of each SNS media source as well as the number of comments and individual accesses.
Prediction intervals for random-effects meta-analysis: A confidence distribution approach

Prediction intervals are commonly used in meta-analysis with random-effects models. One widely used method, the Higgins–Thompson–Spiegelhalter prediction interval, replaces the heterogeneity parameter with its point estimate, but its validity strongly depends on a large sample approximation. This is a weakness in meta-analyses with few studies. We propose an alternative based on bootstrap and show by simulations that its coverage is close to the nominal level, unlike the Higgins–Thompson–Spiegelhalter method and its extensions. The proposed method was applied in three meta-analyses.
Searching for a Potential Algorithm for Clostridium difficile Testing at a Tertiary Care Hospital: Does Toxin Enzyme Immunoassay Testing Help?

ABSTRACT Clostridium difficile is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States. Methods for identifying the organism in stool include molecular platforms, enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for toxin, and culture. Controversy persists over whether molecular tests are too sensitive at identifying C. difficile, and there are questions about how additional laboratory information could inform clinical management and reduce over treatment. The aim of this study was to assess whether clinical factors are related to the toxin status of patients and whether information about toxin status could potentially inform clinical management of patients. A total of 201 PCR-positive C. difficile stool samples from adult patients at our institution underwent EIA toxin testing. Clinical and laboratory data were collected, and the percentage of PCR-positive/EIA-positive (PCR+/EIA+) patients and PCR+ and EIA-negative (PCR+/EIA−) patients was calculated. Of the 201 samples, 47% were EIA positive and 53% were EIA negative. Although PCR+/EIA+ patients were more likely to have had a prior C. difficile infection (P = 0.015), there was no statistical difference between the additional data collected that correlated with a positive EIA result. We were unable to show that patients with an EIA+ result had worse clinical parameters than those with EIA− results and concluded that establishing a testing algorithm that included both PCR and EIA testing would not change the clinical management of patients at our hospital.
Single-Cell Genomics Reveals Hundreds of Coexisting Subpopulations in Wild Prochlorococcus

Cyanobacterial Diversity What does it mean to be a global species? The marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus is ubiquitous and, arguably, the most abundant and productive of all living organisms. Although to our eyes the seas look uniform, to a bacterium the ocean's bulk is a plethora of microhabitats, and by large-scale single-cell genomic analysis of uncultured cells, Kashtan et al. (p. 416; see the Perspective by Bowler and Scanlan) reveal that Prochlorococcus has diversified to match. This “species” constitutes a mass of subpopulations—each with million-year ancestry—that vary seasonally in abundance. The subpopulations in turn have clades nested within that show covariation between sets of core alleles and variable gene content, indicating flexibility of responses to rapid environmental changes. Large sets of coexisting populations could be a general feature of other free-living bacterial species living in highly mixed habitats. Covariation between the core alleles and flexible gene content of a marine cyanobacterium underpins vast diversity. [Also see Perspective by Bowler and Scanlan] Extensive genomic diversity within coexisting members of a microbial species has been revealed through selected cultured isolates and metagenomic assemblies. Yet, the cell-by-cell genomic composition of wild uncultured populations of co-occurring cells is largely unknown. In this work, we applied large-scale single-cell genomics to study populations of the globally abundant marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus. We show that they are composed of hundreds of subpopulations with distinct “genomic backbones,” each backbone consisting of a different set of core gene alleles linked to a small distinctive set of flexible genes. These subpopulations are estimated to have diverged at least a few million years ago, suggesting ancient, stable niche partitioning. Such a large set of coexisting subpopulations may be a general feature of free-living bacterial species with huge populations in highly mixed habitats.
Strong and Efficient Cache Side-Channel Protection using Hardware Transactional Memory

Cache-based side-channel attacks are a serious problem in multi-tenant environments, for example, modern cloud data centers. We address this problem with Cloak, a new technique that uses hardware transactional memory to prevent adversarial observation of cache misses on sensitive code and data. We show that Cloak provides strong protection against all known cache-based side-channel attacks with low performance overhead. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by retrofitting vulnerable code with Cloak and experimentally confirming immunity against state-of-the-art attacks. We also show that by applying Cloak to code running inside Intel SGX enclaves we can effectively block information leakage through cache side channels from enclaves, thus addressing one of the main weaknesses of SGX.
The foraging behavior of Japanese macaques Macaca fuscata in a forested enclosure: Effects of nutrient composition, en- ergy and its seasonal variation on the consumption of natu- ral plant foods

In the wild, primate foraging behaviors are related to the diversity and nutritional properties of food, which are af- fected by seasonal variation. The goal of environmental enrichment is to stimulate captive animals to exhibit similar foraging be- havior of their wild counterparts, e.g. to extend foraging time. We conducted a 12-month study on the foraging behavior of Japa- nese macaques in a semi-naturally forested enclosure to understand how they use both provisioned foods and naturally available plant foods and what are the nutritional criteria of their consumption of natural plants. We recorded time spent feeding on provi- sioned and natural plant foods and collected the plant parts ingested of their major plant food species monthly, when available. We conducted nutritional analysis (crude protein, crude lipid, neutral detergent fiber-'NDF', ash) and calculated total non-structural carbohydrate - 'TNC' and total energy of those food items. Monkeys spent 47% of their feeding time foraging on natural plant species. The consumption of plant parts varied significantly across seasons. We found that leaf items were consumed in months when crude protein, crude protein-to-NDF ratio, TNC and total energy were significantly higher and NDF was signifi- cantly lower, fruit/nut items in months when crude protein and TNC were significantly higher and crude lipid content was sig- nificantly lower, and bark items in months when TNC and total energy were higher and crude lipid content was lower. This pre- liminary investigation showed that the forested enclosure allowed troop members to more fully express their species typical flexi- ble behavior by challenging them to adjust their foraging behavior to seasonal changes of plant item diversity and nutritional con- tent, also providing the possibility for individuals to nutritionally enhance their diet (Current Zoology 56 (2): 198-208, 2010).
Gaps within the Biomedical Literature: Initial Characterization and Assessment of Strategies for Discovery

Within well-established fields of biomedical science, we identify "gaps", topical areas of investigation that might be expected to occur but are missing. We define a field by carrying out a topical PubMed query, and analyze Medical Subject Headings by which the set of retrieved articles are indexed. Medical Subject headings (MeSH terms) which occur in >1% of the articles are examined pairwise to see how often they are predicted to co-occur within individual articles (assuming that they are independent of each other). A pair of MeSH terms that are predicted to co-occur in at least 10 articles, yet are not observed to co-occur in any article, are "gaps" and were studied further in a corpus of 10 disease-related article sets and 10 related to biological processes. Overall, articles that filled gaps were cited more heavily than non-gap-filling articles and were 61% more likely to be published in multidisciplinary high-impact journals. Nine different features of these "gaps" were characterized and tested to learn which, if any, correlate with the appearance of one or more articles containing both MeSH terms within the next five years. Several different types of gaps were identified, each having distinct combinations of predictive features: a) those arising as a byproduct of MeSH indexing rules; b) those having little biological meaning; c) those representing "low hanging fruit" for immediate exploitation; and d) those representing gaps across disciplines or sub-disciplines that do not talk to each other or work together. We have built a free, open tool called "Mine the Gap! " that identifies and characterizes the "gaps" for any PubMed query, which can be accessed via the Anne O'Tate value-added PubMed search interface (http://arrowsmith.psych.uic.edu/cgi-bin/arrowsmith_uic/AnneOTate.cgi).
Fecal microbiota transplantation in refractory or recurrent Clostridium difficile infection: a real-life experience in a non-academic center.

AIM this study aimed to describe the efficacy and safety of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) for the treatment of refractory and recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). METHODS this was an observational study of patients with refractory or recurrent CDI treated with FMT between June 2014 and January 2017. Primary and secondary outcomes were the resolution of diarrhea without CDI recurrence within two months after one or more FMT. A descriptive analysis was performed. RESULTS thirty-four FMT were performed in 28 patients, 88.2% (n = 30) using an upper route with a gastroscopy and 11.8% (n = 4) with colonoscopy; 50% (n = 17) of FMT were due to recurrent CDI and 50% (n = 17) were due to refractory CDI. The overall cure rate of upper FMT was 87.5% (21/24) and 100% (4/4) when colonoscopy was performed. A cure was achieved after one FMT in 88% (22/25) of cases and after two or more FMT in 8% (2/25) of cases, resulting in an overall cure rate of 96% (24/25). No severe adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION FMT constitutes an effective and safe approach for the management of refractory and recurrent CDI, with an overall cure rate of 96% and no reported severe adverse events.
Domestication affects exploratory behaviour of pikeperch (Sander lucioperca L.) during the transition to pelleted food

Genetic selection for body size during domestication of animal species can inadvertently affect a number of physiological and behavioural traits. The pace-of-life syndrome (POLS) hypothesis predicts that domestication in an artificial environment lacking predators and providing abundant resources prefers proactive individuals with strong feeding motivation, high levels of aggression and risk taking, with low hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis responsiveness. In the present experiment we weaned fingerling pike-perch from live feed and habituated them to formulated feed. We recorded the number of weeks needed for the fish to accept pellets, their body length at the age of 100 days, their boldness in a novel object test and their HPI axis responsiveness. Individuals accepting the artificial feed within the first week grew larger than fish habituating later; therefore early weaners would be kept and bred in routine aquaculture procedures. Contrary to predictions of POLS hypothesis, fish weaning earlier and thus growing faster were less bold and had higher HPI axis responsiveness than fish accepting the pellets later or never. As live feed is preferred to artificial pellets, less competitive individuals may switch to pellets earlier. Inadvertent selection for stress sensitive fish may have an effect on production in aquaculture as well as on natural population after intensive restocking.
Web-Based Patient Education in Orthopedics: Systematic Review

Background Patients with orthopedic conditions frequently use the internet to find health information. Patient education that is distributed online may form an easily accessible, time- and cost-effective alternative to education delivered through traditional channels such as one-on-one consultations or booklets. However, no systematic evidence for the comparative effectiveness of Web-based educational interventions exists. Objective The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effects of Web-based patient education interventions for adult orthopedic patients and to compare its effectiveness with generic health information websites and traditional forms of patient education. Methods CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PUBMED, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched covering the period from 1995 to 2016. Peer-reviewed English and Dutch studies were included if they delivered patient education via the internet to the adult orthopedic population and assessed its effects in a controlled or observational trial. Results A total of 10 trials reported in 14 studies involving 4172 patients were identified. Nine trials provided evidence for increased patients’ knowledge after Web-based patient education. Seven trials reported increased satisfaction and good evaluations of Web-based patient education. No compelling evidence exists for an effect of Web-based patient education on anxiety, health attitudes and behavior, or clinical outcomes. Conclusions Web-based patient education may be offered as a time- and cost-effective alternative to current educational interventions when the objective is to improve patients’ knowledge and satisfaction. However, these findings may not be representative for the whole orthopedic patient population as most trials included considerably younger, higher-educated, and internet-savvy participants only.
Clinical Severity and Tear Biomarkers, Eosinophil Cationic Protein and CCL23, in Chronic Allergic Conjunctival Diseases

ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between clinical severity and tear levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and CC chemokine ligand 23 (CCL23) in patients with chronic allergic conjunctival disease (cACD). Subjects and methods: This clinical study included 21 patients with cACD, including atopic keratoconjunctivitis and vernal keratoconjunctivitis, and 14 subjects as controls. The clinical severity score was determined by objective findings. Tear ECP grade was evaluated using tear ECP levels determined by enzyme immunoassay. CCL23 expression in tears was also determined by enzyme immunoassay. Results: In the cACD group, tear ECP grade was significantly correlated with the clinical severity score. Clinical severity scores and tear ECP grades in the CCL23-positive subgroup were significantly higher than those in the CCL23-negative subgroup. Conclusion: We have confirmed the value of tear ECP grade and CCL23 expression in tears as a severity grading system in patients with cACD.
Efficacy of parenteral vaccination against tuberculosis with heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis in experimentally challenged goats

Tuberculosis (TB) in animals is a re-emerging disease with a wide range of hosts that causes large economic losses in livestock. Goats are particularly susceptible to TB and, in endemic areas, vaccination may be a valuable measure to control the disease. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of parenteral vaccination of goats with a heat-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis (HIMB) vaccine, and compare it to M. bovis Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Twenty-four goat kids were divided in 3 groups as following: HIMB vaccinated group (n = 8), BCG vaccinated group (n = 8) and unvaccinated group (n = 8). Afterwards, goats were experimentally challenged with Mycobacterium caprae by the endobronchial route. Antigen specific interferon-γ release assays and serology were performed after vaccination and challenge. Pathological and bacteriological parameters were evaluated after necropsy at 9 weeks post-challenge (p.c.). HIMB vaccine showed similar levels of protection to BCG in terms of volume reduction of thoracic TB lesions, presence of extra-pulmonary lesions, as well as a slight reduction of bacterial load in pulmonary lymph nodes. Moreover, HIMB vaccine did not induce interferences on the interferon-γ release assay based on reagents previously developed to differentiate infected from BCG vaccinated individuals. The results indicate that HIMB is a suitable vaccine candidate for further larger-scale trials under field conditions in goats.
Stacking Classifiers for Early Detection of Students at Risk

A stacked ensemble is a machine learning method that involves training a second stage learner to find the optimal combination of a collection of based learners. This paper provides a methodology to create a stacked ensemble of classifiers to perform early detection of academically at-risk students and shows how to organize the data for training and testing at each stage of the stacked ensemble architecture. Experimental tests are carried out using college-wide data, to demonstrate how the stack can be used for prediction.