Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic Soundscape Affect Recognition Using A Dimensional Approach

Soundscape affect recognition is essential for sound designers and soundscape composers. Previous work demonstrated the effectiveness of predicting valence and arousal of soundscapes in responses from one expert user. Based on this, we present a method for the automatic soundscape affect recognition using ground truth data collected from an online survey. An analysis of the corpus shows that participants have a high level of agreement on the valence and arousal of soundscapes. We generate a gold standard by averaging users’ responses, and we verify the corpus by training stepwise linear regression models and support vector regression models. An analysis of the models shows our system obtains better results than the previous study. Further, we test the correlation between valence and arousal based on the gold standard. Last, we report an experiment of using arousal as a feature for predicting valence and vice versa.
The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) Germany after 20 Years - Quality Assurance of Ultrasound Examinations during First Trimester Screening.

Affiliations 1 Centre for ultrasound and prenatal medicine, Frankfurt/ Main, Germany 2 amedes MVZ für Laboratoriumsmedizin, Göttingen, Germany 3 Amedes experts Barkhof, Germany 4 Institut für Laboratoriumsmedizin und Klinische Genetik, Essen, Germany 5 Centre for prenatal medicine, Leipzig, Germany 6 Ultraschall Freie Strasse Basel, Switzerland 7 FMF Audit Centre Germany, Adelebsen, Germany 8 Department of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics of the University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany 9 Department of Biostatistics, CIMH Mannheim, Mannheim Medical School of the University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany published online 2022
Fiber length fractionation of TMP using pressure screens

Pressure screens were used to divide a Norwegian spruce TMP furnish into fractions that corresponded in fiber length to Bauer-McNett classes. Two kinds of baskets were tested. Smooth-surface, drilled-hole baskets were tested for the effects of hole size, aperture velocity, reject rates, and screening configuration. Wedge wire baskets with profiled surfaces and narrow slots were tested for the effects of profile height, rotor speed, aperture velocity, reject rate, and screening configuration. A sharp fractionation was accompanied by a high degree of reject thickening and a propensity for screen plugging. To limit plugging, keep the accept rate high, and separate fibers sharply by length, the screening process was configured for multiple-stages. Application : operating conditions of pressure screens can be optimized to separate mechanical pulp fibers successfully into fiber length classes.
A model bridging waterlogging, stomatal behavior and water use in trees in drained peatland

Abstract Waterlogging causes hypoxic or anoxic conditions in soils, which lead to decreases in root and stomatal hydraulic conductance. Although these effects have been observed in a variety of plant species, they have not been quantified continuously over a range of water table depths (WTD) or soil water contents (SWC). To provide a quantitative theoretical framework for tackling this issue, we hypothesized similar mathematical descriptions of waterlogging and drought effects on whole-tree hydraulics and constructed a hierarchical model by connecting optimal stomata and soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance models. In the model, the soil-to-root conductance is non-monotonic with WTD to reflect both the limitations by water under low SWC and by hypoxic effects associated with inhibited oxygen diffusion under high SWC. The model was parameterized using priors from literature and data collected over four growing seasons from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees grown in a drained peatland in Finland. Two reference models (RMs) were compared with the new model, RM1 with no belowground hydraulics and RM2 with no waterlogging effects. The new model was more accurate than the RMs in predicting transpiration rate (fitted slope of measured against modeled transpiration rate = 0.991 vs 0.979 (RM1) and 0.984 (RM2), R2 = 0.801 vs 0.665 (RM1) and 0.776 (RM2)). Particularly, RM2’s overestimation of transpiration rate under shallow water table conditions (fitted slope = 0.908, R2 = 0.697) was considerably reduced by the new model (fitted slope = 0.956, R2 = 0.711). The limits and potential improvements of the model are discussed.
Rethinking Breast Cancer Chemoprevention: Technological Advantages and Enhanced Performance of a Nanoethosomal-Based Hydrogel for Topical Administration of Fenretinide

Herein, we developed an ethosomal hydrogel based on three types of ethosomes: simple, mixed (surfactant-based micelles and lipid vesicles) or binary (comprising two type of alcohols). Ethanol injection was employed for vesicles preparation, and sodium alginate, as gelling agent. We purposed the local-transdermal administration of the off-the-shelf retinoid fenretinide (FENR) for chemoprevention of breast cancer. Rheograms and flow index values for alginate dispersion (without ethosomes) and hydrogels containing simple, mixed or binary ethosomes suggested pseudoplastic behavior. An increase in the apparent viscosity was observed upon ethosome incorporation. The ethosomal hydrogel displayed increased bioadhesion compared to the alginate dispersion, suggesting that the lipid vesicles contribute to the gelling and bioadhesion processes. In the Hen’s Egg Test–Chorioallantoic Membrane model, few spots of lysis and hemorrhage were observed for formulations containing simple (score of 2) and mixed vesicles (score 4), but not for the hydrogel based on the binary system, indicating its lower irritation potential. The binary ethosomal hydrogel provided a slower FENR in vitro release and delivered 2.6-fold less drug into viable skin layers compared to the ethosome dispersion, supporting the ability of the gel matrix to slow down drug release. The ethosomal hydrogel decreased by ~ five-fold the IC50 values of FENR in MCF-7 cells. In conclusion, binary ethosomal gels presented technological advantages, provided sustained drug release and skin penetration, and did not preclude drug cytotoxic effects, supporting their potential applicability as topical chemopreventive systems.
Effects of left and right medial temporal lobe resections on hemodynamic correlates of negative and neutral scene processing

Enhanced visual cortex activation by negative compared to neutral stimuli is often attributed to modulating feedback from the amygdala, but evidence from lesion studies is scarce, particularly regarding differential effects of left and right amygdala lesions. Therefore, we compared visual cortex activation by negative and neutral complex scenes in an event‐related fMRI study between 40 patients with unilateral temporal lobe resection (TLR; 19 left [lTLR], 21 right [rTLR]), including the amygdala, and 20 healthy controls. We found preserved hemodynamic emotion modulation of visual cortex in rTLR patients and only subtle reductions in lTLR patients. In contrast, rTLR patients showed a significant decrease in visual cortex activation irrespective of picture content. In line with this, healthy controls showed small emotional modulation of the left amygdala only, while their right amygdala was activated equally by negative and neutral pictures. Correlations of activation in amygdala and visual cortex were observed for both negative and neutral pictures in the controls. In both patient groups, this relationship was attenuated ipsilateral to the TLR. Our results support the notion of reentrant mechanisms between amygdala and visual cortex and suggest laterality differences in their emotion‐specificity. While right medial temporal lobe structures including the amygdala seem to influence visual processing in general, the left medial temporal lobe appears to contribute specifically to emotion processing. Still, effects of left TLR on visual emotion processing were relatively subtle. Therefore, hemodynamic correlates of visual emotion processing are likely supported by a distributed cerebral network, challenging an amygdalocentric view of emotion processing.
Assessment of extracellular vesicle isolation methods from human stool supernatant

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are of growing interest due to their potential diagnostic, disease surveillance, and therapeutic applications. While several studies have evaluated EV isolation methods in various biofluids, there are few if any data on these techniques when applied to stool. The latter is an ideal biospecimen for studying EVs and colorectal cancer (CRC) because the release of tumour markers by luminal exfoliation into stool occurs earlier than vascular invasion. Since EV release is a conserved mechanism, bacteria in stool contribute to the overall EV population. In this study, we assessed five EV separation methods (ultracentrifugation [UC], precipitation [EQ‐O, EQ‐TC], size exclusion chromatography [SEC], and ultrafiltration [UF]) for total recovery, reproducibility, purity, RNA composition, and protein expression in stool supernatant. CD63, TSG101, and ompA proteins were present in EV fractions from all methods except UC. Human (18s) and bacterial (16s) rRNA was detected in stool EV preparations. Enzymatic treatment prior to extraction is necessary to avoid non‐vesicular RNA contamination. Ultrafiltration had the highest recovery, RNA, and protein yield. After assessing purity further, SEC was the isolation method of choice. These findings serve as the groundwork for future studies that use high throughput omics technologies to investigate the potential of stool‐derived EVs as a source for novel biomarkers for early CRC detection.
Perioperative management for people with kidney failure receiving dialysis: A scoping review

People with kidney failure receiving dialysis (CKD‐G5D) are more likely to undergo surgery and experience poorer postoperative outcomes than those without kidney failure. In this scoping review, we aimed to systematically identify and summarize perioperative strategies, protocols, pathways, and interventions that have been studied or implemented for people with CKD‐G5D.
Use of an intraoperative veno-venous bypass during liver transplantation: an observational, single center, cohort study.

BACKGROUND As previous studies demonstrated conflicting results, we investigated the hemodynamic and renal outcomes of the intra-operative use of a veno-venous bypass during liver transplantation. METHODS The intraoperative levels of mean artery pressure, cardiac index, inferior vena cava and renal perfusion pressures were compared in liver transplant patients receiving or not the bypass. RESULTS We enrolled 38 patients: 20 with the bypass and 18 without. No differences characterized the two groups regarding gender (p=0.95), age (p=0.32), BMI (p=0.09), liver disease indicating LT and preoperative serum creatinine levels. Patients with the bypass received more intraoperative fluids (crystalloids and colloids) but with no difference in terms of intraoperative blood products and vasopressors requirements (p= 0.33). After clamping of the inferior vena cava, patients with the bypass showed higher mean artery pressure. Simultaneously, pressure in the inferior vena cava below the clamp level sharply increased Vs baseline (p<0.0001) independently of the use of the bypass and remained high until clamp release. Consequently, renal perfusion pressure dropped abruptly (p <0.0001) after vena cava clamping and returned to baseline only upon clamp removal. Overall, 18 subjects developed post-operative acute kidney injury which was equally distributed between patients with (n=9) or without (n =8) the bypass. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that the use of a veno-venous bypass fails to release the increased renal venous backflow from inferior vena cava clamping resulting in renal congestion with reduced renal perfusion pressure.
PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN PERU: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Objective . To determine the prevalence and incidence of arterial hypertension, as well as the prevalence of previous diagnosis of arterial hypertension (self-reported) among the adult population of Peru. Materials and methods. Systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies available in LILACS, EMBASE, MEDLINE and Global Health. Studies were included if they followed a random sampling approach in adult population. Screening and assessment of manuscripts was carried out independently by two researchers. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to quantify the overall prevalence and incidence of hypertension. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias in the manuscripts. Results. A total of 903 papers were screened, and only 15 were included in the estimation of hypertension prevalence, 8 in the assessment of previous hypertension diagnosis, and 4 for incidence estimations. The pooled prevalence of hypertension was 22.0% (95% CI: 20.0% - 25.0%; I2=99.2%). This estimate was lower in national studies [20.0% (95% CI: 17.0% - 22.0%; I2=99.4%] than in sub-national studies [24.0% (95% CI: 17.0% - 30.0%; I2=99.2%]. The pooled prevalence of previous hypertension diagnosis was 51.0% (95% CI: 43.0% - 59.0%; I2=99.9%). The pooled incidence of hypertension was 4.2 (95% CI: 2.0 - 6.4; I2=98.6%) per 100 person-years. The included studies did not present high risk of bias. Conclusions. Our findings show that one in five Peruvians has hypertension, and that four new cases appear per 100 persons per year; in addition, only half of the subjects with hypertension are previously diagnosed. Motivation for the study: The available literature on hypertension is focused on prevalence, but not on the proportion of those with a previous diagnosis, much less on the incidence of this condition in Peru. Main findings: The aggregate prevalence of hypertension was 22.0%, slightly higher in males (24.0%) than in females (23.0%). This prevalence was 20.0% in national studies and 24.0% in subnational studies. The proportion of subjects with a previous diagnosis of hypertension was 51.0%. The incidence of hypertension was 4.2 per 100 person-years of follow-up. Implications: Our findings suggest the need for a hypertension surveillance and prevention system in Peru.
How children revise their beliefs in light of reasons.

We investigate how the ability to respond appropriately to reasons provided in discourse develops in young children. In Study 1 (N = 58, Germany, 26 girls), 4- and 5-, but not 3-year-old children, differentiated good from bad reasons. In Study 2 (N = 131, Germany, 64 girls), 4- and 5-year-old children considered both the strength of evidence for their initial belief and the quality of socially provided reasons for an alternative view when deciding whether to change their minds. Study 3 (N = 80, the United States, 42 girls, preregistered) shows that 4- and 5-year-old children also consider meta-reasons (reasons about reasons) in their belief revision. These results suggest that by age 4, children possess key critical thinking capacities for participating in public discourse.
The role of microRNA-4723-5p regulated by c-myc in triple-negative breast cancer

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of miRNA regulated by c-myc and its mechanism in three negative breast cancer (TNBC). We constructed MDA-MB-231 cell line with low expression of c-myc by lentivirus short hairpin RNA (shRNA), analyzed the miRNA expression profile of MDA-MB-231 cell line with different expression levels of c-myc by high-throughput sequencing technology, obtained differential miRNA by bioinformatics analysis and statistical analysis, and verified hsa-mir-4723-5p by Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction(QRT-PCR). The target gene of hsa-mir-4723-5p was analyzed by miRDB and miRWalk database. The results showed that there were significant differences in 126 miRNAs in c-myc knockdown cell lines compared with the control group, of which 84 were significantly up-regulated and 42 were significantly down regulated. According to the results of miRNA sequencing, the miRNA closely related to the expression of c-myc was hsa-mir-4723-5p. QRT PCR showed that the expression of hsa-mir-4723-5p was down regulated in TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 with low expression of c-myc, which was positively correlated with the expression. The target genes of hsa-mir-4723-5p were predicted according to mirdb and mirwalk database. A total of 112 target genes were obtained, and 107 target genes were related to hsa-mir-4723-5p. Through mirdb and mirwalk databases, it was found that the target gene TRAF4 of hsa-mir-4723-5p may be related to cancer pathway and affect tumor metastasis. In conclusion, the hsa-miR-4723-5p regulated by c-myc may be involved.
Abnormal functional connectivity of the striatum in first‐episode drug‐naive early‐onset Schizophrenia

Abnormal brain network connectivity is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The striatum, consisting of the caudate and putamen, is the major treatment target for antipsychotics, the primary treatments for schizophrenia; however, there are few studies on the functional connectivity (FC) of striatum in drug‐naive early‐onset schizophrenia (EOS) patients. We examined the FC values of the caudate nucleus and putamen with whole brain by resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS‐fMRI) and the associations with indices of clinical severity. Patients demonstrated abnormal FC between subregions of the putamen and both the visual network (left middle occipital gyrus) and default mode network (bilateral anterior cingulate, left superior frontal, and right middle frontal gyri). Furthermore, FC between dorsorostral putamen and left superior frontal gyrus correlated with both positive symptom subscore and total score on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). These findings demonstrate abnormal FC between the striatum and other brain areas even in the early stages of schizophrenia, supporting neurodevelopmental disruption in disease etiology and expression.
Development and Validation of a Dried Blood Spot Assay Using UHPLC-MS/MS to Identify and Quantify 12 Antihypertensive Drugs and 4 Active Metabolites: Clinical Needs and Analytical Limitations

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Purpose: As nonadherence to antihypertensive drugs (AHDs) can increase the risk of cardiovascular events, hospitalization, and higher costs, there is a need for a reliable, objective, and easy method to assess nonadherence in patients. The dried blood spot (DBS) sampling method used to measure drug concentrations meets these requirements. For detecting nonadherence, identification is more important than quantification. Owing to their use in clinical practice, it is important to measure multiple AHDs with a single method. Therefore, we developed and validated a single DBS method for 17 commonly used AHDs and 4 active metabolites using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Methods: Analytical validation of the DBS assay was performed in accordance with the guidelines on bioanalytical method validation of the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration as well as the International Association of Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Clinical Toxicology guidelines. Results: We validated 12 of the 17 AHDs according to the European Medicines Agency and Food and Drug Administration requirements for bioanalytical method validation. Eleven AHDs were validated for both identification and quantification of drug concentrations, whereas nifedipine was only validated for identification. However, 5 of the 17 AHDs were excluded due to suboptimal validation results. Lercanidipine was excluded due to nonlinearity, and all 4 AHDs measured in the negative mode of UHPLC-MS/MS were not in accordance with one or more of the acceptance criteria and were therefore excluded. Conclusions: The described method accurately measured AHDs in DBS and can be used to determine nonadherence in patients. However, method validation revealed a challenging balance between analytical limitations and clinical needs when analyzing multiple drugs using the same method.
Challenging the Constraints of Neoliberalism and Biomedicalism: Repositioning Social Work in Mental Health

This article explores the impact of neoliberalism and biomedicalism on social work mental health care practice through presenting the results of a Canadian provincial study which illustrates the experiences of social work service users, providers, and supervisors. While Canada has a universal health care program, the intensification of the free-market approach is evident in the shifts from public sector support to growing rationalization and marked cutbacks to the provision of social welfare services. The specific impact of neoliberal economic restraint on social justice in mental health services has pressured practitioners to adopt medicalized, short-term strategies, under efficiency-based models. The participants in this study reported significant co-occurring concerns with the state of mental health service delivery, and results suggest social work is increasingly co-opted by the conservative individualizing, pathologizing, and contextualizing dominant biomedical framework in the provision of mental health social services and lack of professional practice autonomy.
To drum or not to drum: Selectivity in tree buttress drumming by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea

Chimpanzees live in fission‐fusion social organizations, which means that party size, composition, and spatial distribution are constantly in flux. Moreover, chimpanzees use a remarkably extensive repertoire of vocal and nonvocal forms of communication, thought to help convey information in such a socially and spatially dynamic setting. One proposed form of nonvocal communication in chimpanzees is buttress drumming, in which an individual hits a tree buttress with its hands and/or feet, thereby producing a low‐frequency acoustic signal. It is often presumed that this behavior functions to communicate over long distances and is, therefore, goal‐oriented. If so, we would expect chimpanzees to exhibit selectivity in the choice of trees and buttresses used in buttress drumming. Selectivity is a key attribute of many other goal‐directed chimpanzee behaviors, such as nut‐cracking and ant dipping. Here, we investigate whether chimpanzees at the Seringbara study site in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea, West Africa, show selectivity in their buttress drumming behavior. Our results indicate that Seringbara chimpanzees are more likely to use larger trees and select buttresses that are thinner and have a greater surface area. These findings imply that tree buttress drumming is not a random act, but rather goal‐oriented and requires knowledge of suitable trees and buttresses. Our results also point to long‐distance communication as a probable function of buttress drumming based on selectivity for buttress characteristics likely to impact sound propagation. This study provides a foundation for further assessing the cognitive underpinnings and functions of buttress drumming in wild chimpanzees.