Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
hemostasis functional state of new-born calves with iron deficit

3 New-born calves are still often found with iron deficit. This state influences negatively on their growt, h 4 and development , to some extent due to hemostasiopathy development.Thereby,great scientific and 5 practical significance for veterinary science and physiology is given to the search of approaches to 6 effective correction of new-born calves’ hemostasiopathy in lack of iron conditions. It seemed to be 7 perspective to evaluate the influence degree of traditionally ferroglukinapplied at iron deficit in 8 combination with metabolism stimulators (fospreniland hamavit) on new-born calves’ hemostasis 9 system indices.During our research it was established that new-born calves with iron deficithavealso 10 decreased plasma antioxidant protect ability, intensification of lipids’ peroxidation processes, increase 11 of platelets’ hemostatic activityandblood coagulation systemalong with decrease of vascular wall’s 12 ability to bind it.In our study we found that combination of ferroglukin, fosprenil and hamavit given to 13 new-born calves with iron deficit showed improved plasma antioxidant and lipid peroxidation activity. 14 Normalization of thrombocyte activity, positive dynamics of hemostasis vascular and plasma 15 components were also observed. Iron deficit of new-born calves can be considered the model of 16 hemostasis abnormality. With its help we can try different means and their combinations to remove 17 hemostasiopathy. The obtained results allowed us to consider the usage of fosprenil and 18 hamavitcombinationon the background of ferroglukin to be unsufficientin orderto reduce the 19 hemostasiopathy in new-born calves with iron deficit. 20
Evidence for the natural occurrence of Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

Wolbachia, a Gram-negative bacterium, is widely known to be present in arthropods and nematodes. Of late, great impetus is given to employ this intracellular bacterium, as an alternative to conventional biocontrol agents for the control of mosquitoes because of its inherent ability to induce sperm-egg incompatibility, feminisation etc. By employing molecular tools, we have shown the presence of Wolbachia from Aedes aegypti mosquito population collected from Coimbatore, India by PCR amplifying the Ae. aegypti mosquito genome with Wolbachia specific 16S rRNA, wsp and ftsZ gene primers. The phylogenetic analysis of these gene sequences incorporating MLST and GenBank reference sequences has confirmed the occurrence of Wolbachia supergroup B in Ae. aegypti. In addition, qRT-PCR results have shown the dynamics of Wolbachia across the developmental stages of mosquito. The absence of Wolbachia in tetracycline-treated Ae. aegypti mosquitoes evidenced by transmission electron microscopy reinforced our finding conclusively. After confirming their persistence through generations, we have designated Wolbachia from Ae. aegypti as wAegB. In our considered view, wAegB could play a dynamic role in impeding mosquito multiplication and consequently impinging transmission of the dreadful dengue.
Calculation of Surrounding Rock Pressure of Undercut Subway Station Based on Multi-Factor Affecting Pressure Arch Theory

The formation mechanism of surrounding rock pressure in large-section tunnels of underground excavation is still unclear. The traditional methods for calculating surrounding rock pressure have certain limitations. Based on the theory of pressure arch and parameter sensitivity analysis, the internal and external boundaries of the pressure arch are solved by numerical simulation. The loose pressure is obtained according to the distance from the inner boundary to the inner wall of the tunnel. The pressure arch deformation is analyzed based on the Winkler model. The surrounding rock pressure is calculated, and the surrounding rock pressure based on the pressure arch theory is calculated. The calculation method of surrounding rock pressure based on the pressure arch theory large section tunnel is proposed. The orthogonal experimental design method was used to select four representative factors: tunnel depth H, span B, internal friction angle φ and rock weight γ. The calculation results of each group of experiments were compiled and multivariate linear regression was used. The method is statistically analyzed, and finally, the calculation formula of the surrounding rock pressure of the large-section tunnel affected by multiple factors is obtained and applied to the calculation of the surrounding rock pressure of the metro station.
Mapping Vegetation at Species Level with High-Resolution Multispectral and Lidar Data Over a Large Spatial Area: A Case Study with Kudzu

Mapping vegetation species is critical to facilitate related quantitative assessment, and mapping invasive plants is important to enhance monitoring and management activities. Integrating high-resolution multispectral remote-sensing (RS) images and lidar (light detection and ranging) point clouds can provide robust features for vegetation mapping. However, using multiple sources of high-resolution RS data for vegetation mapping on a large spatial scale can be both computationally and sampling intensive. Here, we designed a two-step classification workflow to potentially decrease computational cost and sampling effort and to increase classification accuracy by integrating multispectral and lidar data in order to derive spectral, textural, and structural features for mapping target vegetation species. We used this workflow to classify kudzu, an aggressive invasive vine, in the entire Knox County (1362 km2) of Tennessee (U.S.). Object-based image analysis was conducted in the workflow. The first-step classification used 320 kudzu samples and extensive, coarsely labeled samples (based on national land cover) to generate an overprediction map of kudzu using random forest (RF). For the second step, 350 samples were randomly extracted from the overpredicted kudzu and labeled manually for the final prediction using RF and support vector machine (SVM). Computationally intensive features were only used for the second-step classification. SVM had constantly better accuracy than RF, and the producer’s accuracy, user’s accuracy, and Kappa for the SVM model on kudzu were 0.94, 0.96, and 0.90, respectively. SVM predicted 1010 kudzu patches covering 1.29 km2 in Knox County. We found the sample size of kudzu used for algorithm training impacted the accuracy and number of kudzu predicted. The proposed workflow could also improve sampling efficiency and specificity. Our workflow had much higher accuracy than the traditional method conducted in this research, and could be easily implemented to map kudzu in other regions as well as map other vegetation species.
No . 19 / 02 Does transparency come at the cost of charitable services ? Evidence from investigating British charities by Canh Thien Dang and

Recent high-profile scandals related to misuse of funding and donations have raised the demand for scrutiny over financial transparency and operational activities of non-profit organizations in developed countries. Our analysis challenges the common practice in the sector of using programme ratios and overhead costs as indicators for non-profit accountability. Using Benford's Law to measure irregularities in financial data for a large sample of public charities we estimate that 25% of the sample potentially misreport their financial information. We show theoretically and empirically that charities with a higher programme ratio (their level of spending on charitable activities), will be less likely to misreport their financial information only when their overhead costs (spending on governing activities) are also sufficiently high. Tighter monitoring becomes ineffective in increasing the sectoral transparency and accountability unless accompanied by a sufficiently high charitable spending. JEL Classifications : L31; L44; D82; H83; H49
Putting Humans in a Scene: Learning Affordance in 3D Indoor Environments

Affordance modeling plays an important role in visual understanding. In this paper, we aim to predict affordances of 3D indoor scenes, specifically what human poses are afforded by a given indoor environment, such as sitting on a chair or standing on the floor. In order to predict valid affordances and learn possible 3D human poses in indoor scenes, we need to understand the semantic and geometric structure of a scene as well as its potential interactions with a human. To learn such a model, a large-scale dataset of 3D indoor affordances is required. In this work, we build a fully automatic 3D pose synthesizer that fuses semantic knowledge from a large number of 2D poses extracted from TV shows as well as 3D geometric knowledge from voxel representations of indoor scenes. With the data created by the synthesizer, we introduce a 3D pose generative model to predict semantically plausible and physically feasible human poses within a given scene (provided as a single RGB, RGB-D, or depth image). We demonstrate that our human affordance prediction method consistently outperforms existing state-of-the-art methods.
Animal Modeling of Pediatric Liver Cancer

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common pediatric liver malignancy. Management of HB requires multidisciplinary efforts. The 5-year overall survival of this disease is about 80% in developed countries. Despite advances in the care of these patients, survival in recurrent or treatment-refractory disease is lower than 50%. This is due to more complex tumor biology, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-like mutations and expression of aggressive gene signatures leading to chemoresistance, vascular invasion, and metastatic spread. The current treatment protocols for pediatric liver cancer do not incorporate targeted therapies, and the ability to test these therapies is limited due to the inaccessibility of cell lines and mouse models. In this review, we discuss the current status of preclinical animal modeling in pediatric liver cancer, primarily HB. Although HB is a rare cancer, the research community has worked together to develop a range of interesting and relevant mouse models for diverse preclinical studies.
Responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference of Modified Ashworth Scale in patients with stroke.

BACKGROUND Spasticity is a major problem in patients with stroke and influences their activities of daily living, participation, and quality of life. The Modified Ashworth Scale is widely used to assess spasticity. However, the responsiveness and minimal clinically important differences of the Modified Ashworth Scale in patients with stroke have not been explored. AIM This study aims to examine the responsiveness and minimal clinically important differences of the Modified Ashworth Scale in patients with stroke. DESIGN Longitudinal six-month follow-up study. SETTING Rehabilitation wards of a tertiary hospital. POPULATION One-hundred and fifteen patients with stroke were recruited. METHODS All patients underwent the assessment of Modified Ashworth Scale for the upper extremity (flexors of the elbow, wrist, and fingers) and the lower extremity (hip adductor, knee flexor, and ankle plantar flexor) at baseline and 6-month follow-up. The average Modified Ashworth Scale scores of the upper and lower extremity muscles were obtained for analysis. Responsiveness of the Modified Ashworth Scale was determined using standardized mean response, and the minimal clinically important differences were determined using a distribution-based approach with Effect Sizes of 0.5 and 0.8 standard deviations. RESULTS The responsiveness of the Modified Ashworth Scale in the upper and lower extremity muscles was marked (standardized response mean = 0.89-1.09). The minimal clinically important differences of the average Modified Ashworth Scale of Effect Sizes 0.5 and 0.8 standard deviations for the upper extremity muscles were 0.48 and 0.76, respectively, while those for the lower extremity muscles were 0.45 and 0.73, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The Modified Ashworth Scale was markedly responsive in detecting the changes in muscle tone in patients with stroke. The minimal clinically important differences of the Modified Ashworth Scale reported in this study can be used by researchers and clinicians in determining whether the observed changes are clinically meaningful post-treatment or at follow-up. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT The minimal clinically important differences of the Modified Ashworth Scale reported in this study will enable clinicians and researchers in determining whether changes in the muscle tone are true and clinically meaningful, and can be used as a reference for clinical decision-making.
Climate change and conservation in a warm North American desert: effect in shrubby plants

Background Deserts are biologically rich habitats with a vast array of animals and plants adapted to xeric conditions, and most deserts are among the planet’s last remaining areas of total wilderness. Among North American deserts, the Chihuahuan Desert has the highest levels of diversity and endemism. To understand the effect of future climate change on plants distributed in this arid land and propose effective conservation planning, we focused on five endemic shrubby species that characterize the Chihuahuan Desert and used an integrative approach. Methods Ecological niche-based modeling, spatial genetics and ecological resistance analyses were carried out to identify the effect of global warming on the studied five shrubby species. Key areas that need to be preserved were identified taking into account the existing protected areas within the Chihuahuan Desert. Results The extent of future distribution will vary among these species, and on average expansion will occur in the western part of the Chihuahuan Desert. For most species low environmental resistance to gene flow was predicted, while higher future resistance was predicted for one species that would lead to increased population isolation. The highest haplotype diversity was identified in three hotspots. Based on future suitability of habitat and in the haplotype diversity we suggest preserving two hotspots of genetic diversity in the Sierra Madre Oriental, located in areas without protection. The third hotspot was detected in the well preserved Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Man and Biosphere Reserve. Conclusion Global climate change will have an effect in arid adapted plants, favoring expansion in the western of the Chihuahuan Desert however negatively affecting others with high ecological resistance disrupting gene flow. Two hotspots of genetic diversity in the Sierra Madre Oriental should be protected.
The influence of nebivolol on the activity of BRL 37344 — the β3‐adrenergic receptor agonist, in the animal model of detrusor overactivity

The cardiotoxic effects of antimuscarinics constitute a significant restriction in their application in elderly people. Overactive bladder syndrome pharmacotherapy using compounds with cardioprotective properties would seem an ideal solution. The main goal of the study was to assess the impacts of nebivolol (NEB) on the activity of BRL 37344 — β3‐adrenergic receptor (β3AR) agonist, in the animal model of detrusor overactivity. As both these substances can impact on the cardiovascular system, their effect on the parameters of this system and diuresis was also examined.
Importance of Asphaltene Content in Petroleum III – New Criteria for Prediction of Incompatibility in Crude Oil Blends [a shortened version of the title: Importance of Asphaltene Content in Petroleum III]

Our previous results have shown that macroscopic properties of petroleum media may undergo abrupt changes caused by currently under-investigated microscopic phase transitions in asphaltene nanocolloids. In particular, native crudes of diverse origin exhibit sharp viscosity and density peaking at phase boundaries, defined by specific asphaltene contents. We suggest that when these asphaltene contents are approached in blends of several crude oils, severe incompatibility may be observed, e.g. massive appearance of solid sediments. New criteria for most incompatible and for most compatible blends are formulated in terms of g/L asphaltene concentrations.
When This Happens, You Want the Best Care: Players’ Experiences of Barriers and Facilitators of the Immediate Management of Rugby-Related Acute Spinal Cord Injury

Most contact sports, including rugby union, carry a risk of injury. Although acute spinal cord injuries (ASCIs) in rugby are rare, the consequences of such injuries are far-reaching. Optimal management of these injuries is challenging, and a detailed understanding of the different barriers and facilitators to optimal care is needed. In this study, we aimed to describe the perception of players, regarding factors related to the optimal immediate management of a catastrophic injury in a developing country with socioeconomic and health care inequities. The most frequently reported barriers were transportation delays after injury and admission to appropriate medical facilities. Other barriers included inadequate equipment, the quality of first aid care, and barriers within the acute hospital setting. Barriers were more prevalent in rural and lower socioeconomic areas. These findings are relevant for all rugby stakeholders and may help shape education, awareness, and future policy around the immediate management of ASCIs.
Asymptotic Properties of M-estimators with Finite Populations under Cluster Sampling and Cluster Assignment

When the sample is a relatively large proportion of the population, finite population inference serves as a more appealing alternative to the usual infinite population approach. Nevertheless, the finite population inference methods that are currently available only cover the difference-in-means estimator or independent observations. Consequently, these methods cannot be applied to the many branches of empirical research that use linear or nonlinear models where dependence due to clustering needs to be accounted for in computing the standard errors. In this paper, I establish asymptotic properties of M-estimators under finite populations with clustered data, allowing for unbalanced and unbounded cluster sizes. I distinguish between two situations that justify computing clustered standard errors: i) cluster sampling induced by random sampling of groups of units, and ii) cluster assignment caused by the correlated assignment of “treatment” within the same group. I show that one should only adjust standard errors for clustering when there is cluster sampling or cluster assignment, or both, for a general class of linear and nonlinear estimators. I also find the finite population cluster-robust asymptotic variance (CRAV) is no larger than the usual infinite population CRAV, in the matrix sense. Consistent with the theoretical implication, the finite population clustered standard errors are smaller than the usual infinite population clustered standard errors by up to 30% in an empirical application. JEL Classification: C18, C10 ∗Department of Economics, Michigan State University, Marshall-Adams Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. Email address: xuruonan@msu.edu. I am grateful to Jeffrey Wooldridge, Kyoo il Kim, Todd Elder, Timothy Vogelsang, and Anastasia Semykina for helpful comments and suggestions.
High prevalence of selected viruses and parasites and their predictors in Malawian children

Abstract Enteric pathogens have been related to child undernutrition. Whereas there are lots of data on enteric bacterial microbiota and infections, much less is known about the incidence of prevalence of intestinal colonisation with viruses or important parasitic species. This study assessed the presence of selected viruses and parasites in stools of 469, 354, 468 Malawian children at 6, 12 and 18 months. We also assessed environmental predictors of the presence of viruses and parasites among 6-month infants. Microbial presence was documented using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Enteroviruses were identified in 68%, 80% and 81% of the stool samples at 6, 12 and 18 months children, rhinovirus in 28%, 18% and 31%, norovirus in 24%, 22% and 16%, parechovirus in 23%, 17% and 17%, rotavirus in 3%, 1% and 0.6%, Giardia lamblia in 9.6%, 23.5% and 26%, and Cryptosporidium (spp.) in 6%, 8% and 2% of the 6, 12 and 18 months stool samples. Dry season (May–October) was associated with a low infection rate of enterovirus, norovirus and Cryptosporidium (spp.). Higher father's education level, less number of person in the household and higher sanitation were associated with a low infection rate of enterovirus, norovirus and rotavirus, respectively. The results suggest that the prevalence of asymptomatic viral and parasitic infections is high among Malawian children and that the family's living conditions and seasonality influence the rate of infections.
Bangla Handwritten Pin Code String Recognition for Indian Postal Automation

Indian pin code is a six-digit string. Because of the writing style of different individuals some of the digits in a pin code string may touch with its neighboring digits. Accurate segmentation of such touching components into individual digits is a difficult task. To avoid such segmentation, here we consider a pin code string as word and the pin code recognition problem is treated as lexicon free word recognition. In the proposed method, at first, binarization of the input document is done. Next, water reservoir concept is applied to pre-segment a pin code string into possible primitive components (individual digits or its parts). Pre-segmented components of the pin code are then merged into possible digits to get the best pin code. In order to merge these primitive components into digits and to find optimum segmentation, dynamic programming (DP) is applied using total likelihood of digits as the objective function. To compute the likelihood of a digit, modified quadratic discriminant function (MQDF) is used. The features used in the MQDF are based on the directional information of the components. Our system on handwritten Bangla pin code shows 99.08% reliability when rejection and error rates are 19.28% and 0.74%, respectively.
Predictors of low risk for dropout from the liver transplant waiting list for hepatocellular carcinoma in long wait time regions: Implications for organ allocation

All patients with hepatocellular carcinoma meeting United Network for Organ Sharing T2 criteria currently receive the same listing priority for liver transplant (LT). A previous study from our center identified a subgroup with a very low risk of waitlist dropout who may not derive immediate LT benefit. To evaluate this issue at a national level, we analyzed within the United Network for Organ Sharing database 2052 patients with T2 hepatocellular carcinoma receiving priority listing from 2011 to 2014 in long wait time regions 1, 5, and 9. Probabilities of waitlist dropout were 18.3% at 1 year and 27% at 2 years. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with a lower risk of waitlist dropout included Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease‐Na < 15, Child's class A, single 2‐ to 3‐cm lesion, and α‐fetoprotein ≤20 ng/mL. The subgroup of 245 (11.9%) patients meeting these 4 criteria at LT listing had a 1‐year probability of dropout of 5.5% vs 20% for all others (P < .001). On explant, the low dropout risk group was more likely to have complete tumor necrosis (35.5% vs 24.9%, P = .01) and less likely to exceed Milan criteria (9.9% vs 17.7%, P = .03). We identified a subgroup with a low risk of waitlist dropout who should not receive the same LT listing priority.