Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moving to Keep Fit: Feeding Behavior and Movement of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Artificial Diet With Different Protein: Carbohydrate Ratios

Abstract Insect herbivores can modify their foraging behavior to obtain a balanced food intake, and they tend to move between food sources with different nutrient values. We investigated this movement in early instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) using a putative optimal artificial diet (OP) and high protein (HP) and high carbohydrate (HC) artificial diets based on protein (p) and carbohydrate (c) ratios. Larvae were allowed to choose between the same kind of diet cubes (effectively no-choice), or diet cubes with different p: c ratios. In no-choice tests, we found that first instar larvae remained longest on OP diet and spent the least time on HC diet, while third instar larvae remained longest on HC diet and spent least time on OP diet. First instar larvae moved the most when provided with HC diet, while third instar larvae moved most when provided with OP diet. However, both stages moved the least when allowed to choose between diet cubes with different p: c ratios. The relative growth rate decreased when larvae increased their movement, but this influence was not evident when larvae fed on HC diet. Larvae that fed only on HC diet had the highest relative growth rate, followed by larvae with access to all diets simultaneously, indicating a behavior to mix nutrient intake. We relate these findings to behavior of this major pest species under field conditions.
Using family network data in child protection services

Preventing child abuse is a unifying goal. Making decisions that affect the lives of children is an unenviable task assigned to social services in countries around the world. The consequences of incorrectly labelling children as being at risk of abuse or missing signs that children are unsafe are well-documented. Evidence-based decision-making tools are increasingly common in social services provision but few, if any, have used social network data. We analyse a child protection services dataset that includes a network of approximately 5 million social relationships collected by social workers between 1996 and 2016 in New Zealand. We test the potential of information about family networks to improve accuracy of models used to predict the risk of child maltreatment. We simulate integration of the dataset with birth records to construct more complete family network information by including information that would be available earlier if these databases were integrated. Including family network data can improve the performance of models relative to using individual demographic data alone. The best models are those that contain the integrated birth records rather than just the recorded data. Having access to this information at the time a child’s case is first notified to child protection services leads to a particularly marked improvement. Our results quantify the importance of a child’s family network and show that a better understanding of risk can be achieved by linking other commonly available datasets with child protection records to provide the most up-to-date information possible.
Minimally invasive surgery for laryngopharyngeal cancer: Multicenter feasibility study of a combination strategy involving transoral surgery and real‐time indocyanine green fluorescence‐navigated sentinel node navigation surgery

Sentinel node navigation surgery using indocyanine green (ICG‐SNNS) can be performed in the operation room. The combination of minimally invasive transoral surgery (TOS) with ICG‐SNNS can provide functional preservation options for both primary lesions and lymph node (LN) metastasis. This multicenter feasibility study of this strategy was conducted in Japan.
Human Endometrial Transcriptome and Progesterone Receptor Cistrome Reveal Important Pathways and Epithelial Regulators.

CONTEXT Poor uterine receptivity is one major factor leading to pregnancy loss and infertility. Understanding the molecular events governing successful implantation is hence critical in combating infertility. OBJECTIVE To define PGR-regulated molecular mechanisms and epithelial roles in receptivity. DESIGN RNA-seq and PGR-ChIP-seq were conducted in parallel to identify PGR-regulated pathways during the WOI in endometrium of fertile women. SETTING Endometrial biopsies from the proliferative and mid-secretory phases were analyzed. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Participants were fertile, reproductive aged (18-37) women with normal cycle length; and without any history of dysmenorrhea, infertility, or irregular cycles. In total, 42 endometrial biopsies obtained from 42 women were analyzed in this study. INTERVENTIONS There were no interventions during this study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Here we measured the alterations in gene expression and PGR occupancy in the genome during the WOI, based on the hypothesis that PGR binds uterine chromatin cycle-dependently to regulate genes involved in uterine cell differentiation and function. RESULTS 653 genes were identified with regulated PGR binding and differential expression during the WOI. These were involved in regulating inflammatory response, xenobiotic metabolism, EMT, cell death, interleukin/STAT signaling, estrogen response, and MTORC1 response. Transcriptome of the epithelium identified 3,052 DEGs, of which 658 were uniquely regulated. Transcription factors IRF8 and MEF2C were found to be regulated in the epithelium during the WOI at the protein level, suggesting potentially important functions that are previously unrecognized. CONCLUSION PGR binds the genomic regions of genes regulating critical processes in uterine receptivity and function.
Rapid Screening for α1-Antitrypsin Z and S Mutations,

α1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) is a serine protease inhibitor required for the prevention of proteolytic tissue damage, principally in the lung, by neutrophil elastase released by inflammatory cells (1). While severe A1AT deficiency is the major factor leading to emphysema and related pulmonary diseases, it is also associated with neonatal hepatitis and cirrhosis (1)(2). A1AT deficiency is an autosomal codominant disorder with a prevalence of about 1:3000 in Caucasians (3). The A1AT gene has 7 exons spanning ∼12 kb. The most common gene defect resulting in A1AT deficiency is that of a protease inhibitor (PI)-system Z mutation Glu342 to Lys, which is a single base substitution of G to A in exon 5 (4)(5). The S mutation, a Glu264 to Val change, is caused by an A to T substitution in exon 3 (6). Individuals with SS are unaffected, SZ may be symptomatic, and ZZ results in the most severe clinical symptoms. In Caucasians the prevalence of the S allele ranges from 5% to 10% and Z allele 2% to 5% depending on geographical location (7)(8). Although the frequencies are unknown in the Chinese, geographical variability of the A1AT alleles is evident by phenotypic analysis of the PI variants (9 …
Attentional Modulation of Vision Versus Proprioception During Action

Abstract To control our actions efficiently, our brain represents our body based on a combination of visual and proprioceptive cues, weighted according to how (un)reliable—how precise—each respective modality is in a given context. However, perceptual experiments in other modalities suggest that the weights assigned to sensory cues are also modulated “top-down” by attention. Here, we asked whether during action, attention can likewise modulate the weights (i.e., precision) assigned to visual versus proprioceptive information about body position. Participants controlled a virtual hand (VH) via a data glove, matching either the VH or their (unseen) real hand (RH) movements to a target, and thus adopting a ``visual'' or ``proprioceptive'' attentional set, under varying levels of visuo-proprioceptive congruence and visibility. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) revealed increased activation of the multisensory superior parietal lobe (SPL) during the VH task and increased activation of the secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) during the RH task. Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) showed that these activity changes were the result of selective, diametrical gain modulations in the primary visual cortex (V1) and the S2. These results suggest that endogenous attention can balance the gain of visual versus proprioceptive brain areas, thus contextualizing their influence on multisensory areas representing the body for action.
Personal trauma among healthcare providers: implications for screening practices

ABSTRACT Screening rates for trauma are low in health care settings. We examined the association between health care providers’ (HCPs) experience of physical or sexual trauma and their screening of female patients for trauma. HCPs at an urban academic medical institution were surveyed from September through November 2016. The Brief Trauma (BTQ) and Sexual and Physical Abuse History Questionnaires (SPAHQ) assessed their own experiences of trauma. The Screening Practices Questionnaire (SPQ) assessed HCPs trauma screening. Multiple regression analyses were performed. Among 212 respondents aged 22–67 years, most were female (78.3%) and white (76.1%). Nurses (41.0%) were the largest occupational group. Overall, 85.8% reported having experienced trauma. No significant difference was observed in median SPQ scores between HCPs who had experienced trauma (3.88 [Interquartile Range (IQR) 3.44–4.31]) and those who had not (4.00 [IQR 3.47–4.33], p = .645). In an adjusted model, screening policy awareness and having an obstetrics & gynecology or psychiatry specialty were associated with higher SPQ scores (p < .001). The prevalence of trauma experience in this sample was high, but not associated with screening. Screening policy awareness and practice specialty were associated with screening. HCP factors associated with greater trauma screening should be explored.
A meta-analysis of peripheral tocopherol levels in age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease

ABSTRACT Objectives: Findings from observational studies and clinical trials on the associations between vitamin E and dementia remain controversial. Here we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the difference in blood tocopherols levels between patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or age-related poor cognitive function and healthy controls. Methods: Standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated and entered into a random effects model. Study quality, heterogeneity and publication bias were also investigated. Results: Thirty-one articles were included in the meta-analysis, which included analyses for α-, β-, γ- and δ-tocopherols. These results indicated that individuals with AD or age-related cognitive deficits and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) had lower circulatory concentrations of α-tocophenol compared with healthy controls (AD: SMD = −0.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −1.27 to −0.68, Z = 6.45, P < 0.00001; age-related cognitive deficits and MCI: SMD = −0.72, 95% CI = −1.12 to −0.32, Z = −3., P < 0.0005). Levels of β-, γ- and δ-tocophenols did not significantly differ between groups of AD and age-related cognitive deficits compared to controls. Discussion: These results suggest that lower α-tocopherol levels have a strong association with AD and MCI supporting evidence for the role of diet and vitamin E in AD risk and age-related cognitive decline.
How to Treat Depression With Low-Intensity Virtual Reality Interventions: Perspectives on Translating Cognitive Behavioral Techniques Into the Virtual Reality Modality and How to Make Anti-Depressive Use of Virtual Reality–Unique Experiences

Depression is a common mental disorder with a large treatment gap. Low-intensity, automated virtual reality (VR) interventions (not requiring a therapist) is a scalable and promising solution now that VR is an accessible and mature, consumer technology. Yet unlike with phobias, there have been few attempts at translating evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapeutic (CBT) techniques for depression into the VR modality. In this paper, we discuss how specific CBT techniques can be made into VR experiences, including psychoeducation, behavioral activation, cognitive restructuring, and social skills training. We also discuss how VR-unique experiences, such as alternative embodiment and virtual pet interactions, can be made therapeutic. Creating a pre-clinical and clinical evidence base for these types of novel interventions should be considered a research priority, and high-quality development on par with other consumer VR applications will be essential to the success of any consumer-targeted intervention. If this is achieved, low-intensity VR interventions for depression have great potential to make an impact on public mental health.
A Multimodal Framework for State of Mind Assessment with Sentiment Pre-classification

In this paper, we aim at the AVEC2019 State of Mind Sub-Challenge (SoMS), and propose a multimodal state of mind assessment framework, for valence and arousal, respectively. For valence, sentiment analysis is firstly performed on the English text obtained via German speech recognition and translation to classify the audio visual session into positive/negative narrative. Then each overlapping 60s segment of the session is input into an audio visual SoM assessment model trained for positive/negative narratives. The mean prediction of all the segments is adopted as the final prediction of the audio visual session. For arousal, the first step of positive/negative classification is not performed. For the audio-visual SoM assessment models, we propose to extract the functional features (Function) and VGGish based deep learning features (VGGish) from speech, and the abstract visual features based on convolutional neural network (CNN) from the baseline visual features. For each feature stream, a long short term memory (LSTM) model is trained to predict the valence/arousal values of a segment, and a support vector regression (SVR) model is adopted for the final decision fusion. Experiments on the USoM dataset show that the model with Function, baseline ResNet features and baseline VGG features obtains promising prediction results for valence, with concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) up to 0.531 on the test set, which is much higher than the baseline result 0.219.
Relationship Between Plasma Concentrations and Clinical Effects of Cariprazine in Patients With Schizophrenia or Bipolar Mania

Population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling (via NONMEM) was used to describe longitudinal exposure‐response relationships for total cariprazine (sum of cariprazine and its major active metabolites) in 2,558 patients with schizophrenia or bipolar mania. Drug exposure metrics were explored for potential relationships with efficacy and safety end points. Total cariprazine exposures were significantly related to reductions in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) or Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) total scores in schizophrenia or bipolar mania, respectively, via a maximum effect (Emax)‐type relationship. Typical steady‐state plasma concentrations after 3 and 4.5 mg/day were associated with 50% of maximum typical reductions in PANSS and YMRS total scores, respectively. Time‐weighted cariprazine exposures had significant relationships with the probability of common adverse events (AEs). Dose increase was associated with increased efficacy but was also associated with an increase in AEs. Results of these pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analyses support that the recommended dose range (1.5–6 mg/day for schizophrenia and 3–6 mg/day for bipolar mania) provides an appropriate benefit‐risk balance between cariprazine efficacy and safety.
The Timely Open Communication for Patient Safety Project

Background: Concern is growing over increased numbers of adverse events experienced by patients when admitted to acute care hospitals in Canada due to breakdowns in communication. The purpose of the Timely Open Communication for Patient Safety (TOC) project was to create a culture of patient safety through enhanced interprofessional communication by developing resources for caregivers and patients. Methods and Findings: The research was framed by a mixed methods design that included pre- and post-surveys and focus groups, online educational modules, face-to-face activities, and the development of patient orientation materials. Three clinical sites participated in the study. The findings indicate that supporting healthcare teams to identify strengths, challenges, and future directions of communicating, clarifying roles, functioning, and collaborating, coupled with educational interventions that raise awareness of patient safety,may enhance patient safety. The study was limited by the absence of data regarding the incidence of adverse events during the research period. Conclusion: The data showed improvement in team members' perceptions of interprofessional collaborative practice within the participating Collaborative Learning Units (CLUs). If the CLU model of care is adopted within the healthcare system, the safety of patients/clients may improve.
How Can the Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa and the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa Programs Contribute to the Introduction of Typhoid Conjugate Vaccines?

Abstract Background The World Health Organization now recommends the use of typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) in typhoid-endemic countries, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, added TCVs into the portfolio of subsidized vaccines. Data from the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) program were used to contribute to TCV introduction decision-making processes, exemplified for Ghana and Madagascar. Methods Data collected from both countries were evaluated, and barriers to and benefits of introduction scenarios are discussed. No standardized methodological framework was applied. Results The Ghanaian healthcare system differs from its Malagasy counterpart: Ghana features a functioning insurance system, antimicrobials are available nationwide, and several sites in Ghana deploy blood culture–based typhoid diagnosis. A higher incidence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella Typhi is reported in Ghana, which has not been identified as an issue in Madagascar. The Malagasy people have a low expectation of provided healthcare and experience frequent unavailability of medicines, resulting in limited healthcare-seeking behavior and extended consequences of untreated disease. Conclusions For Ghana, high typhoid fever incidence coupled with spatiotemporal heterogeneity was observed. A phased TCV introduction through an initial mass campaign in high-risk areas followed by inclusion into routine national immunizations prior to expansion to other areas of the country can be considered. For Madagascar, a national mass campaign followed by routine introduction would be the introduction scenario of choice as it would protect the population, reduce transmission, and prevent an often-deadly disease in a setting characterized by lack of access to healthcare infrastructure. New, easy-to-use diagnostic tools, potentially including environmental surveillance, should be explored and improved to facilitate identification of high-risk areas.
Curation Technologies for Cultural Heritage Archives: Analysing and transforming a heterogeneous data set into an interactive curation workbench

We present a platform that enables the semantic analysis, enrichment, visualisation and presentation of a document collection in a way that enables human users to intuitively interact and explore the collection, in short, a curation platform or workbench. The data set used is the result of a research project, carried out by scholars from South Korea, in which official German government documents on the German re-unification were collected, intellectually curated, analysed, interpreted and published in multiple volumes. The documents we worked with are mostly in German, a small subset, mostly summaries, is in Korean. This paper describes the original research project that generated the data set and focuses upon a description of the platform and Natural Language Processing (NLP) pipeline adapted and extended for this project (e. g., OCR was added). Our key objective is to develop an interactive curation workbench that enables users to interact with the data set in several different ways that go beyond the current version of the published document collection as a set of PDF documents that are available online. The paper concludes with suggestions regarding the improvement of the platform and future work.
A Robust Objective Focused Algorithm to Detect Source Code Plagiarism

Detecting Source code plagiarism can be useful to properly assess students’ honest efforts and filter out suspiciously similar codes that indicate plagiarism. An automated source code plagiarism identifier tool can help reduce the effort required for manually checking each program and identifying suspicious subgroups. In this study, a robust and easily implementable but efficient approach has been proposed to measure the similarity between two source programs. The solution first converts the program into a simple data representation format based on the written code structure. Then it performs string matching over the compared source programs to maximize the amount of matching. The proposed solution also uses a weighted scoring mechanism to denote the amount of similarity found between two programs. From the experimental analysis, it can be observed that the designed solution can capture different types of plagiarism including function reordering, variable name changing, etc. Overall, it provides good precision(82%) and recall score(76%) compared to the prominent base algorithms and the usage of memory and time is quite satisfactory and does not create a bottleneck.
Differential deletion of GDNF in the auditory system leads to altered sound responsiveness

Glial‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) has been proposed as a potent neurotrophic factor with the potential to cure neurodegenerative diseases. In the cochlea, GDNF has been detected in auditory neurons and sensory receptor cells and its expression is upregulated upon trauma. Moreover, the application of GDNF in different animal models of deafness has shown its capacity to prevent hearing loss and promoted its future use in therapeutic trials in humans. In the present study we have examined the endogenous requirement of GDNF during auditory development in mice. Using a lacZ knockin allele we have confirmed the expression of GDNF in the cochlea including its sensory regions during development. Global inactivation of GDNF throughout the hearing system using a Foxg1‐Cre line causes perinatal lethality but reveals no apparent defects during formation of the cochlea. Using TrkC‐Cre and Atoh1‐Cre lines, we were able to generate viable mutants lacking GDNF in auditory neurons or both auditory neurons and sensory hair cells. These mutants show normal frequency‐dependent auditory thresholds. However, mechanoelectrical response properties of outer hair cells (OHCs) in TrkC‐Cre GDNF mutants are altered at low thresholds. Furthermore, auditory brainstem wave analysis shows an abnormal increase of wave I. On the other hand, Atoh1‐Cre GDNF mutants show normal OHC function but their auditory brainstem wave pattern is reduced at the levels of wave I, III and IV. These results show that GDNF expression during the development is required to maintain functional hearing at different levels of the auditory system.