Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Infestation Pattern and Population Dynamics of the Tropical Bed Bug, Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) Based on Novel Microsatellites and mtDNA Markers

The tropical bed bug, Cimex hemipterus (F.), has now emerged as an important public health pest in the tropics. Despite its alarming infestation rate, the information on its population genetics remains scarce. Here, we described the infestation structure and population dynamics of C. hemipterus in the tropics, especially Malaysia and Singapore, based on eight novel microsatellites and two mtDNA markers, including cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA genes. Across populations, microsatellite data revealed high genetic diversity with significant genetic differentiation and restricted gene flow. Analysis within populations revealed evidence of a recent bottleneck. Nonetheless, elevated genetic diversity in nearly all populations suggests that the propagule in C. hemipterus populations were much diverse, distantly related (mean r = 0.373), and not significantly inbred (mean FIS = 0.24) than that observed in Cimex lectularius from previous studies. We observed seven mtDNA haplotypes across the 18 populations studied (Hd = 0.593) and several populations displayed more than one matrilineal descent. The two markers were generally congruent in suggesting a common, genetically diverse (especially at the nuclear region) source population with possibilities of multiple introductions for the bed bug populations in the present study.
Provider perspectives on implementing a student health and counseling center intervention for sexual violence

Abstract Objective: To describe provider experiences with implementation of the GIFTSS (Giving Information for Trauma Support and Safety) intervention. Participants: Health and counseling center staff from participating campuses attended trainings between August 2015 and August 2016. Interviews were conducted between May and August 2017. Methods: Providers (n = 230) completed surveys prior to and six months following a 3-hour training on the intervention. Structured phone interviews were conducted with a purposively selected subset of 14 providers. Results: Overall, staff found the intervention acceptable. Implementation barriers noted were time and competing patient priorities. Providers noted variation based on patient and visit characteristics. Clinic commitment, particularly in adopting strategies for universal dissemination of the GIFTSS card, was seen as helpful. Conclusion: Implementation of a brief trauma-informed intervention in campus health and counseling centers was feasible and acceptable to most providers. Opportunities to change organizational culture regarding ensuring adequate time and safety for patients are discussed.
A novel application of a surface ElectroMyoGraphy-based control strategy for a hand exoskeleton system: A single-case study

Robotics is increasingly involving many aspects of daily life and robotic-based assistance to physically impaired people is considered one of the most promising application of this largely investigated technology. However, the World Health Organization reports that, so far, only 10% of people in need can get access to the so-called assistive technology also due to its high costs. This work aims to tackle the aforementioned point presenting an innovative control strategy for a low-cost hand exoskeleton system based on surface electromyography signals. Most of the activities of daily living are, in fact, carried out thanks to the hands while the exploitation of surface electromyography signals represents a non-invasive technique in straightforwardly controlling wearable devices. Although such approach results deeply studied in literature, it has not been deeply tested on real patients yet. The main contribution of this article is hence not only to describe a novel control strategy but also to provide a detailed explanation of its implementation into a real device, ready to be used. Finally, the authors have evaluated and preliminary tested the proposed technique enrolling a patient in a single-case study.
Market Segmentation Using High-dimensional Sparse Consumers Data

Abstract Good segmentation contributes towards a better understanding of the market and customer demands. This study aims to develop a new methodological approach, integrating “Recency, Frequency and Monetary” with the sparse K-means clustering algorithm of Witten and Tibshirani (2010). The proposed approach is suitable for handling large, high-dimensional and sparse consumer data. Drawing on the proposed methodology, alongside data collection from the Chinese mobile telecommunications market, and considering specific services, our treatment is further assessed empirically and appears to provide robust results when compared to the Dolnicar, Kaiser, Lazarevski and Leisch (2012) biclustering of customers method. Following the attainment of a clear and robust market segmentation structure, our theoretical treatment and its empirical analysis provide a useful tool and valid methodology for marketers, and decision makers in general, to accurately determine the most profitable market segments.
Deconstructing the Decentralization Trilemma

The vast majority of applications at this moment rely on centralized servers to relay messages between clients, where these servers are considered trusted third-parties. With the rise of blockchain technologies over the last few years, there has been a move away from both centralized servers and traditional federated models to more decentralized peer-to-peer alternatives. However, there appears to be a trilemma between security, scalability, and decentralization in blockchain-based systems. Deconstructing this trilemma using well-known threat models, we define a typology of centralized, federated, and decentralized architectures. Each of the different architectures has this trilemma play out differently. Facing a possible decentralized future, we outline seven hard problems facing decentralization and theorize that the differences between centralized, federated, and decentralized architectures depend on differing social interpretations of trust.
Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of the Pituitary Gland between Cattle Breeds Differing in Growth: Yunling Cattle and Leiqiong Cattle

Simple Summary Growth and development are very important in agricultural animals because they remarkably affect the value of the livestock. Although both Yunling cattle and Leiqiong cattle belong to the same subspecies, Bos taurus indicus (also known as the zebu cattle), they show extreme difference in growth rate from birth to adulthood. The pituitary gland is a key endocrine organ that regulates the secretion of growth-related hormones. To identify the core genes controlling growth by regulating the expression of hormones, in this study, the contents of six growth-related hormones were detected in the plasma of the two breeds, and transcriptome sequencing was performed to screen the differentially expressed genes related to the secretion of these hormones. Our study revealed that the overall gene expression levels are quite similar between the two breeds; eight new candidate genes were detected that may regulate the growth of cattle by regulating the secretion of growth-related hormones. Our findings will help researchers further understand the mechanism of the pituitary gland’s influence on growth and development in cattle. The results can contribute to the artificial selection and development of the beef cattle industry. Abstract The hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid (HPT) axis hormones regulate the growth and development of ruminants, and the pituitary gland plays a decisive role in this process. In order to identify pivotal genes in the pituitary gland that could affect the growth of cattle by regulating the secretion of hormones, we detected the content of six HPT hormones related to growth in the plasma of two cattle breeds (Yunling and Leiqiong cattle, both also known as the zebu cattle) with great differences in growth and compared the transcriptome data of their pituitary glands. Our study found that the contents of GH, IGF, TSH, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and insulin were significantly different between the two breeds, which was the main cause of the difference in growth; 175 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional association analyses revealed that DEGs were mainly involved in the process of transcription and signal transduction. Combining the enrichment analysis and protein interaction analysis, eight DEGs were predicted to control the growth of cattle by affecting the expression of growth-related hormones in the pituitary gland. In summary, our results suggested that SLC38A1, SLC38A3, DGKH, GNB4, GNAQ, ESR1, NPY, and GAL are candidates in the pituitary gland for regulating the growth of Yunling and Leiqiong cattle by regulating the secretion of growth-related hormones. This study may help researchers further understand the growth mechanisms and improve the artificial selection of zebu cattle.
DNA Electrochemical Biosensor Based on Iron Oxide/Nanocellulose Crystalline Composite Modified Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode for Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Death from tuberculosis has resulted in an increased need for early detection to prevent a tuberculosis (TB) epidemic, especially in closed and crowded populations. Herein, a sensitive electrochemical DNA biosensor based on functionalized iron oxide with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA-Fe3O4) nanoparticle and nanocellulose crystalline functionalized cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (NCC/CTAB) has been fabricated for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). In this study, a simple drop cast method was applied to deposit solution of MPA-Fe3O4/NCC/CTAB onto the surface of the screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). Then, a specific sequence of MTB DNA probe was immobilized onto a modified SPCE surface by using the 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) coupling mechanism. For better signal amplification and electrochemical response, ruthenium bipyridyl Ru(bpy)32+ was assigned as labels of hybridization followed by the characteristic test using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The results of this biosensor enable the detection of target DNA until a concentration as low as 7.96 × 10−13 M with a wide detection range from 1.0 × 10−6 to 1.0 × 10−12 M. In addition, the developed biosensor has shown a differentiation between positive and negative MTB samples in real sampel analysis.
Projected impact of a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption on diabetes and cardiovascular disease in Argentina: A modeling study

Background Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is associated with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. Argentina is one of the major consumers of SSBs per capita worldwide. Determining the impact of SSB reduction on health will inform policy debates. Methods and findings We used the Cardiovascular Disease Policy Model-Argentina (CVD Policy Model-Argentina), a local adaptation of a well-established computer simulation model that projects cardiovascular and mortality events for the population 35–94 years old, to estimate the impact of reducing SSB consumption on diabetes incidence, cardiovascular events, and mortality in Argentina during the period 2015–2024, using local demographic and consumption data. Given uncertainty regarding the exact amount of SSBs consumed by different age groups, we modeled 2 estimates of baseline consumption (low and high) under 2 different scenarios: a 10% and a 20% decrease in SSB consumption. We also included a range of caloric compensation in the model (0%, 39%, and 100%). We used Monte Carlo simulations to generate 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) around our primary outcome measures for each intervention scenario. Over the 2015–2024 period, a 10% reduction in SSBs with a caloric compensation of 39% is projected to reduce incident diabetes cases by 13,300 (95% UI 10,800–15,600 [low SSB consumption estimate]) to 27,700 cases (95% UI 22,400–32,400 [high SSB consumption estimate]), i.e., 1.7% and 3.6% fewer cases, respectively, compared to a scenario of no change in SSB consumption. It would also reduce myocardial infarctions by 2,500 (95% UI 2,200–2,800) to 5,100 (95% UI 4,500–5,700) events and all-cause deaths by 2,700 (95% UI 2,200–3,200) to 5,600 (95% UI 4,600–6,600) for “low” and “high” estimates of SSB intake, respectively. A 20% reduction in SSB consumption with 39% caloric compensation is projected to result in 26,200 (95% UI 21,200–30,600) to 53,800 (95% UI 43,900–62,700) fewer cases of diabetes, 4,800 (95% UI 4,200–5,300) to 10,000 (95% UI 8,800–11,200) fewer myocardial infarctions, and 5,200 (95% UI 4,300–6,200) to 11,000 (95% UI 9,100–13,100) fewer deaths. The largest reductions in diabetes and cardiovascular events were observed in the youngest age group modeled (35–44 years) for both men and women; additionally, more events could be avoided in men compared to women in all age groups. The main limitations of our study are the limited availability of SSB consumption data in Argentina and the fact that we were only able to model the possible benefits of the interventions for the population older than 34 years. Conclusions Our study finds that, even under conservative assumptions, a relatively small reduction in SSB consumption could lead to a substantial decrease in diabetes incidence, cardiovascular events, and mortality in Argentina.
Use of complementary and alternative medicine and low quality of life associate with the need for psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract Introduction Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) suffer from various symptoms, impairing their quality of life and often affecting psychosocial issues. This may lead to the need for additional psychological care. This study investigated patients' subjective need for integrated psychosomatic support and psychotherapy and indicators for it. Materials and methods This is a cross‐sectional multicentre study in Austrian IBD patients who were in routine care at 18 IBD outpatient clinics. Patients filled in an anonymous, validated questionnaire (Assessment of the Demand for Additional Psychological Treatment Questionnaire [ADAPT]) assessing the need for psychological care. The ADAPT gives two separate scores: the need for integrated psychosomatic support and for psychotherapy. In addition, health‐related quality of life and the use of complementary and alternative medicine as well as clinical and socio‐demographic variables were queried. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to estimate the effect of the previously mentioned variables on the need for additional psychological care. Results Of 1286 patients, 29.7% expressed a need for additional psychological care, 19.6% expressed a need for integrated psychosomatic support and 20.2% expressed a need for psychotherapy. In the multivariable analysis, the two strongest indicators for the need for both types of psychological care were the use of complementary and alternative medicine (for integrated psychosomatic support: odds ratio = 1.64, 95% confidence interval 1.13–2.39, p = 0.010; for psychotherapy: odds ratio = 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.20–2.53, p = 0.004), and a low health‐related quality of life score (for integrated psychosomatic support: odds ratio = 0.95, 95% confidence interval 0.94–0.96, p < 0.001; for psychotherapy: odds ratio = 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.94–0.97, p < 0.001). Discussion About 30% of the Austrian IBD patients expressed a need for integrated psychosomatic support and/or psychotherapy. The most important indicators for this need were the use of complementary and alternative medicine and low quality of life.
Media Studies and the Pitfalls of Publicity

For many academics, using social media has both drawbacks and advantages. Social media may allow connection with colleagues, scholarly promotion, and public engagement, and may also open researchers up to criticism and even possible harassment. This essay argues that we must think critically about logics of self-branding and attention-seeking given these two sides of the coin of social media publicity. First, publicity can easily be weaponized against scholars engaging in projects that may be socially or politically controversial by individuals or organizations who disagree with their premises. Universities are often unprepared to deal with this negative publicity and fail to protect researchers from the consequence. Second, self-branding may undermine one’s ability to be viewed as a serious scholar and requires rigorous self-censorship, particularly for those far from the white, male ideal of the professoriate. I conclude with some recommendations for academic social media use at different career stages.
Advances in Laser Ablation Synthesized Silicon-Based Nanomaterials for the Prevention of Bacterial Infection

Nanomaterials have unique properties and characteristics derived from their shape and small size that are not present in bulk materials. If size and shape are decisive, the synthesis method used, which determines the above parameters, is equally important. Among the different nanomaterial’s synthesis methods, we can find chemical methods (microemulsion, sol-gel, hydrothermal treatments, etc.), physical methods (evaporation-condensation, laser treatment, etc.) and biosynthesis. Among all of them, the use of laser ablation that allows obtaining non-toxic nanomaterials (absence of foreign compounds) with a controlled 3D size, has emerged in recent years as a simple and versatile alternative for the synthesis of a wide variety of nanomaterials with numerous applications. This manuscript reviews the latest advances in the use of laser ablation for the synthesis of silicon-based nanomaterials, highlighting its usefulness in the prevention of bacterial infection.
Growth of E. Coli W to high cell concentration by oxygen level linked control of carbon source concentration

The growth of E. coli W in a bench scale fermentor to high cell concentration is described. The method involves growth‐linked introduction of ammonia to the culture, sparging the culture with oxygen, and maintenance of aerobic conditions during the final growth phase by gradually and automatically decreasing the concentration of the carbon source, sucrose, in the culture. Thus, the oxygen demand is kept within the limits of the supply capacity, and a linear growth rate during the final phase of growth is obtained. A concentration of 42 g dry cell per liter was obtained. The yield constants for nitrogen and phosphorous were determined and were compared with those obtained using the temperature variation method.
Egyptian dermatologists attitude toward telemedicine amidst the COVID19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Telemedicine involves distant exchange of medical information between health providers and patients via a telecommunication device with/without the aid of an audiovisual interactive assistance. The current COVID 19 pandemic impact on health services mandated an utmost readiness to implement telemedicine which in part is dependent on health care providers willingness to adopt such platforms. Aim The aim of this cross sectional study was to assess knowledge and attitude toward telemedicine Egyptian dermatologists amidst the COVID 19 pandemic. Patients and methods A cross sectional study was designed and data were collected using structured self-administered online questionnaires. Results Dermatologists had a good knowledge about telemedicine (mean 4.17 ± 1.63; p < .05). Of those completing the questionnaire, 193 (68.9%) were familiar with the term ‘telemedicine’ and 164 (58.6%) were familiar with tools like teleconferencing. The majority of responding dermatologists 227 (81.1%) were confident that the COVID 19 pandemic is a good opportunity to start applying telemedicine protocols however the majority 234 (83.6%) preferred using it on trial basis at first before full implementation. Conclusion In conclusion an overall good attitude toward telemedicine was reported with a mean of 3.39 (p < .05). Further large scale studies are required to verify such findings.
Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) Chapter 8.1

A total of 19 alien longhorn beetle species have established in Europe where they presently account for ca. 2.8 % of the total cerambycid fauna. Most species belong to the subfamilies Cerambycinae and Laminae which are prevalent in the native fauna as well. Th e alien species mainly established during the period 1975–1999, arriving predominantly from Asia. France, Spain and Italy are by far the most invaded countries. All species have been introduced accidentally. Wood-derived products such as wood- packaging material and palettes, plants for planting, and bonsais constitute invasive pathways of increasing importance. However, only few species have yet colonized natural habitats outside parks and gardens. Present ecological and economical impacts, and future trends are discussed.
Estimating the Total Volume of Queries to Google

We study the problem of estimating the total volume of queries of a specific domain, which were submitted to the Google search engine in a given time period. Our statistical model assumes a Zipf's law distribution of the population in the reference domain, and a non-uniform or noisy sampling of queries. Parameters of the distribution are estimated using nonlinear least square regression. Estimations with errors are then derived for the total number of queries and for the total number of searches (volume). We apply the method on the recipes and cooking domain, where a sample of queries is collected by crawling popular Italian websites specialized on this domain. The relative volumes of queries in the sample are computed using Google Trends, and transformed to absolute frequencies after estimating a scaling factor. Our model estimates that the volume of Italian recipes and cooking queries submitted to Google in 2017 and with at least 10 monthly searches consists of 7.2B searches.
Future Generation Computer Systems

Cyberattackers,particularly financially-motivatedactors, can use common high-level attack patterns that evolve less frequently as compared to the low-level IOCs. To attribute cyber threats effectively, it is necessary to identify them based on the high-level adversary’s attack patterns (e.g. tactics, techniques and procedures - TTPs, software tools and malware) employed in different phases of the cyber kill chain. Identification of high-level attack patterns is time-consuming, requiring forensic investigation of the victim network(s) and other resources. In the rare case that attack patterns are reported in cyber threat intelligence (CTI) reports, the format is textual and unstructured typically taking the form of lengthy incident reports prepared for human consumption (e.g. prepared for C-level and senior management executives), which cannot be directly interpreted by machines. Thus, in this paper we propose a framework to automate cyber threat attribution. Specifically, we profile cyber threat actors (CTAs) based on their attack patterns extracted from CTI reports, using the distributional semantics technique of Natural Language Processing. Using these profiles, we train and test five machine learning classifiers on 327 CTI reports collected from publicly available incident reports that cover events from May 2012 to February 2018. It is observed that the CTA profiles obtained attribute cyber threats with a high precision (i.e. 83% as compared to other publicly available CTA profiles, where the precision is 33%). The Deep Learning Neural Network (DLNN) based classifier also attributes cyber threats with a higher accuracy (i.e. 94% as compared to other classifiers).