Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increasing the content of physically effective fiber in high-concentrate diets fed to beef heifers affects intake, sorting behavior, time spent ruminating, and rumen pH.

The importance of fiber particle size in ruminal health is well known, but there are fewer studies to assess the requirements of physically effective neutral detergent fiber (peNDF) in beef cattle than in dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to establish the optimal peNDF proportion in high-concentrate diets fed to beef cattle, to reduce the risk of subacute ruminal acidosis. The experimental design was a replicated Latin Square 4 × 4, with 4 periods of 21 d. Treatments consisted of 4 diets with different peNDF proportions: 6.4%, 10.4%, 13.6%, and 15.4%, offered ad libitum as total mixed ration, and containing 15% barley straw and 85% concentrate. Diets, which differed in proportions of straw > 4 mm (considered peNDF) and straw < 4 mm, were manually mixed with concentrate. This concentrate was the same for all diets. A ruminal bolus was orally administered to each heifer for pH measurement. Intake, water consumption, intake by particle size, feed sorting, feeding behavior, behavioral activities, and rumen pH were recorded. Chemical composition and particle sizes of diets offered were assessed in the last wk of each period. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. Orthogonal contrasts determined the linear and quadratic effects of increasing peNDF proportion. T-test procedure determined if heifers carried out sorting behavior. Particles > 4 mm linearly increased (P = 0.001), and particles < 4 mm linearly decreased (P = 0.001) as peNDF increased. Water consumption and feeding behavior were unaffected by treatment. As peNDF increased, intakes of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber linearly decreased (P = 0.001), whereas peNDF intake increased (P = 0.001). Intake of particles > 4 mm linearly increased, whereas intake of particles < 4 mm linearly decreased (P = 0.001) as peNDF increased. Diet 6.4% performed sorting for particles > 4 mm (P < 0.01), and diets 13.6% and 15.4% against particles > 4 mm (P < 0.01). Diet 10.4% tended to sort against particles > 4 mm (P < 0.10). Time spent ruminating linearly increased (P = 0.001) as peNDF increased. Diets did not differ in mean and minimum rumen pH, but time under rumen pH thresholds (5.8, 5.7, 5.6 and 5.5) linearly decreased as peNDF increased (P < 0.05). The results suggested that the diet that best met the requirements of not compromising intake, limiting sorting behavior, and promoting time spent ruminating to reduce the number of hours under rumen pH thresholds, was the 10.4% diet.
A Robust Nonrigid Point Set Registration Method Based on Collaborative Correspondences

The nonrigid point set registration is one of the bottlenecks and has the wide applications in computer vision, pattern recognition, image fusion, video processing, and so on. In a nonrigid point set registration problem, finding the point-to-point correspondences is challengeable because of the various image degradations. In this paper, a robust method is proposed to accurately determine the correspondences by fusing the two complementary structural features, including the spatial location of a point and the local structure around it. The former is used to define the absolute distance (AD), and the latter is exploited to define the relative distance (RD). The AD-correspondences and the RD-correspondences can be established based on AD and RD, respectively. The neighboring corresponding consistency is employed to assign the confidence for each RD-correspondence. The proposed heuristic method combines the AD-correspondences and the RD-correspondences to determine the corresponding relationship between two point sets, which can significantly improve the corresponding accuracy. Subsequently, the thin plate spline (TPS) is employed as the transformation function. At each step, the closed-form solutions of the affine and nonaffine parts of TPS can be independently and robustly solved. It facilitates to analyze and control the registration process. Experimental results demonstrate that our method can achieve better performance than several existing state-of-the-art methods.
Groundnut pests and their control in the semi‐arid tropics

Abstract White grubs, termites, millipedes, wireworms and earwigs bore holes in developing groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) pods throughout the semi‐arid tropics. White grubs and termites also damage the roots. The above‐ground pests include Spodoptera litura Fab. and the groundnut leaf miner Aproaerema modicella Deventer in Asia. Aphids transmit a number of virus diseases. A thrips Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) is the vector of bud necrosis disease, which is a serious problem in Asia, southern USA and Australia. Jassids can cause much foliar damage, but their pest status is not certain, except as virus vectors. The pest control options lead away from insecticides, which are often available and are too expensive, towards exploiting host plant resistance and natural control and employing management techniques that restrict pest activity.
Only Children Were Associated with Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms among College Students in China

This study explored the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among college students and analyzed the associations between only children and anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students in China. A total of 645 college students, from three universities in Jinan, Shandong, China, were investigated by questionnaire. The self-designed general information questionnaire was used to collect the demographic information such as gender, age, only children or not and so on. The Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Self-rating Depression Scale were used to reflect the psychological state of college students. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to analyze associated factors of anxiety and depressive symptoms. We have found that there were 25.7% college students with anxiety symptom, 22.2% college students with depressive symptom, and 18.3% college students with a comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The prevalence of anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, and comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms in only children was higher than those among non-only children. There were no differences between males and females in anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, and comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms among all college students, only child college students and non-only child college students. Only children were associated with anxiety symptom, depressive symptom, comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms after adjusting potential important confounding factors, such as professional category, grade, parental relationship, parenting style, interpersonal relationship, activity participation enthusiasm, sleeping time, and eating habits. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among college students was high. We should pay more attention to the mental health of college students, especially that of only child college students.
Automated outbreak detection of hospital-associated pathogens: Value to infection prevention programs

Abstract Objective: To assess the utility of an automated, statistically-based outbreak detection system to identify clusters of hospital-acquired microorganisms. Design: Multicenter retrospective cohort study. Setting: The study included 43 hospitals using a common infection prevention surveillance system. Methods: A space–time permutation scan statistic was applied to hospital microbiology, admission, discharge, and transfer data to identify clustering of microorganisms within hospital locations and services. Infection preventionists were asked to rate the importance of each cluster. A convenience sample of 10 hospitals also provided information about clusters previously identified through their usual surveillance methods. Results: We identified 230 clusters in 43 hospitals involving Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and fungi. Half of the clusters progressed after initial detection, suggesting that early detection could trigger interventions to curtail further spread. Infection preventionists reported that they would have wanted to be alerted about 81% of these clusters. Factors associated with clusters judged to be moderately or highly concerning included high statistical significance, large size, and clusters involving Clostridioides difficile or multidrug-resistant organisms. Based on comparison data provided by the convenience sample of hospitals, only 9 (18%) of 51 clusters detected by usual surveillance met statistical significance, and of the 70 clusters not previously detected, 58 (83%) involved organisms not routinely targeted by the hospitals’ surveillance programs. All infection prevention programs felt that an automated outbreak detection tool would improve their ability to detect outbreaks and streamline their work. Conclusions: Automated, statistically-based outbreak detection can increase the consistency, scope, and comprehensiveness of detecting hospital-associated transmission.
The Effects of Eugenol, Trans-Cinnamaldehyde, Citronellol, and Terpineol on Escherichia coli Biofilm Control as Assessed by Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods

Bacterial biofilms contribute to problems with preserving food hygiene, jeopardizing any conventional intervention method used by the food industry. Hence, the approach of using essential oil (EO) compounds effective in biofilm control has considerable merit and deserves in-depth research. In this study, the effect of selected EO compounds (eugenol, trans-cinnamaldehyde, citronellol, and terpineol) was assessed on Escherichia coli biofilm control by plate count, resazurin assay, and Syto® 9/PI (-/propidium iodide) staining coupled with flow cytometry (FCM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). The selected EO compounds effectively inhibited the growth of planktonic E. coli at low concentrations of 3–5 mM, revealing a high antimicrobial activity. EO compounds markedly interfered with biofilms too, with trans-cinnamaldehyde causing the most prominent effects. Its antibiofilm activity was manifested by a high reduction of cell metabolic activity (>60%) and almost complete reduction in biofilm cell culturability. In addition, almost 90% of the total cells had perturbed cell membranes. Trans-cinnamaldehyde further impacted the cell morphology resulting in the filamentation and, thus, in the creation of a mesh network of cells. Citronellol scored the second in terms of the severity of the observed effects. However, most of all, it strongly prevented native microcolony formation. Eugenol and terpineol also affected the formation of a typical biofilm structure; however, small cell aggregates were still repeatedly found. Overall, eugenol caused the mildest impairment of cell membranes where 50% of the total cells showed the Syto® 9+/PI– pattern coupled with healthy cells and another 48% with injured cells (the Syto® 9+/PI+). For terpineol, despite a similar percentage of healthy cells, another 45% was shared between moderately (Syto® 9+PI+) and heavily (Syto® 9–PI+) damaged cells. The results highlight the importance of a multi-method approach for an accurate assessment of EO compounds’ action against biofilms and may help develop better strategies for their effective use in the food industry.
The pharmacotherapy team: A novel strategy to improve appropriate in‐hospital prescribing using a participatory intervention action method

Prescribing medication is a complex process that, when done inappropriately, can lead to adverse drug events, resulting in patient harm and hospital admissions. Worldwide cost is estimated at 42 billion USD each year. Despite several efforts in the past years, medication‐related harm has not declined. The aim was to determine whether a prescriber‐focussed participatory action intervention, initiated by a multidisciplinary pharmacotherapy team, is able to reduce the number of in‐hospital prescriptions containing ≥1 prescribing error (PE), by identifying and reducing challenges in appropriate prescribing.
New broad-spectrum antibiotics containing a pyrrolobenzodiazepine ring with activity against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria.

It is urgent to find new antibiotic classes with activity against multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative pathogens as the pipeline of antibiotics is essentially empty. Modified pyrrolobenzodiazepines (PBDs) with a C8-linked aliphatic-heterocycle, provide a new class of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents with activity against multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacteria, including WHO priority pathogens. The structure-activity-relationship established that the third ring was particularly important for Gram-negative activity. Minimum inhibitory concentrations for the lead compounds ranged from 0.125 - 2 mg/L for MDR Gram-negative, excluding Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and between 0.03 - 1 mg/L for MDR Gram-positive species. The lead compounds were rapidly bactericidal with >5-log reduction in viable count within 4 hours for Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The lead compound inhibited DNA gyrase in gel-based assays, with an IC50 of 3.16 +/- 1.36 mg/L. This study provides a new chemical scaffold for developing novel broad-spectrum antibiotics which can help replenish the pipeline of antibiotics.
PGC-1α-mediated regulation of mitochondrial function and physiological implications.

The majority of human energy metabolism occurs in skeletal muscle mitochondria emphasizing the importance of understanding the regulation of myocellular mitochondrial function. The transcriptional co-activator PGC-1α has been characterized as a major factor in the transcriptional control of several mitochondrial components. Thus, PGC-1α is often described as a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis as well as a central player in regulating the anti-oxidant defense. However, accumulating evidence suggests that PGC-1α is also involved in the complex regulation of mitochondrial quality beyond biogenesis, which includes mitochondrial network dynamics and autophagic removal of damaged mitochondria. In addition, mitochondrial ROS production has been suggested to regulate skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity, which may also be influenced by PGC-1α. This review aims to highlight the current evidence for PGC-1α-mediated regulation of skeletal muscle mitochondrial function beyond the effects on mitochondrial biogenesis as well as the potential PGC-1α-related impact on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Novelty: • PGC-1α regulates mitochondrial biogenesis, but also has effects on mitochondrial functions beyond biogenesis. • Mitochondrial quality control mechanisms, including fission, fusion and mitophagy, are regulated by PGC-1α. • PGC-1α-mediated regulation of mitochondrial quality may affect age-related mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin sensitivity.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: Screening and Selection to Choose the Optimal Donor

In the past decade, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has rapidly spread worldwide in clinical practice as a highly effective treatment option against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection. Moreover, new evidence also supports a role for FMT in other conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease, functional gastrointestinal disorders, or metabolic disorders. Recently, some studies have identified specific microbial characteristics associated with clinical improvement after FMT, in different disorders, paving the way for a microbiota-based precision medicine approach. Moreover, donor screening has become increasingly more complex over years, along with standardization of FMT and the increasing number of stool banks. In this narrative review, we discuss most recent evidence on the screening and selection of the stool donor, with reference to recent studies that have identified specific microbiological features for clinical conditions such as Clostridioides difficile infection, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and metabolic disorders.
Inheritance of resistance in two Triticum aestivum lines to Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae).

Studies were done to determine the inheritance of resistance in two wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) lines, PI 137739 and PI 262660, that were previously identified as resistant to Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), and to establish whether resistance was governed by the same or different genes. The resistant lines were crossed with the cultivars ‘Tugela’ and ‘Betta. ’ Resistance reactions of backcross, F2 and F3 seedlings in greenhouse tests indicated that resistance in each line is controlled by a single dominant gene and that these genes are independently inherited. The gene symbols Dn 1 and Dn 2 are recommended for the resistance genes in PI 137739 and PI 262660, respectively.
Evaluation of Filth Fly Species Composition and Abundance Using Two Monitoring Methods in Swine Confinement Housing

Abstract Concentrated swine production can produce large amounts of accumulated waste that may serve as development sites for pest flies. Filth flies are not only a nuisance but can also interfere with animal growth and production and are capable of mechanically transmitting many pathogens to swine on confinement facilities. In addition to production and health concerns, high populations of filth flies developing on concentrated animal facilities may subject producers to nuisance litigation. While litigation against livestock producers associated with pest filth flies has become more frequent and high profile, information on the filth fly fauna in swine facilities in the United States is limited. In this study, filth fly species diversity and population fluctuations were monitored with spot and sticky cards in one sow facility and two finishing facilities in North Carolina. House flies Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) were the dominant species followed by black dump flies Hydrotea (Ophyra) aenescens Weidemann (Diptera: Muscidae). A difference was seen in total spots on cards placed in more central barn locations than towards the outer walls in the sow facility but not the finishing facilities. Mean spots at only one of the finishing facilities exceeded the conventional control threshold of 100 spots/week, in May and June. Fly numbers decreased naturally in the following months, suggesting that standard control thresholds may not accurately inform filth fly control efforts in swine production. Due to their complementary nature, both spot and sticky cards placed in representative locations throughout barns are recommended. However, more swine-specific information is needed for optimizing monitoring methods.
A new method of metabarcoding Microsporidia and their hosts reveals high levels of microsporidian infections in mosquitoes (Culicidae)

DNA metabarcoding offers new perspectives, especially with regard to the high‐throughput identification and diagnostics of pathogens. Microsporidia are an example of widely distributed, opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms in which molecular identification is important for both environmental research and clinical diagnostics. We have developed a method for parallel detection of both microsporidian infection and the host species. We designed new primer sets: one specific for the classical Microsporidia (targeting the hypervariable V5 region of small subunit [ssu] rDNA), and a second one targeting a shortened fragment of the COI gene (standard metazoan DNA‐barcode); both markers are well suited for next generation sequencing. Analysis of the ssu rDNA data set representing 607 microsporidian species (120 genera) indicated that the V5 region enables identification of >98% species in the data set (596/607). To test the method, we used microsporidians that infect mosquitoes in natural populations. Using mini‐COI data, all field‐collected mosquitoes were unambiguously assigned to seven species; among them almost 60% of specimens were positive for at least 11 different microsporidian species, including a new microsporidian ssu rDNA sequence (Microsporidium sp. PL01). Phylogenetic analysis showed that this species belongs to one of the two main clades in the Terresporidia. We found a high rate of microsporidian co‐infections (9.4%). The numbers of sequence reads for the operational taxonomic units suggest that the occurrence of Nosema spp. in co‐infections could benefit them; however, this observation should be retested using a more intensive host sampling. Our results show that DNA barcoding is a rapid and cost‐effective method for deciphering sample diversity in greater resolution, including the hidden biodiversity that may be overlooked using classical methodology.
Trees from Languages and Genes are Very Similar

Tree diagrams have been used to rep? resent relationships among human popu? lations and among languages but only re? cently have the trees been compared (Fig. 1) and the claim made "of considerable parallelism between genetic and linguistic evolution" (Cavalli-Sforza et al., 1988:6002). In rejecting this claim, O'Grady et al. (1989) pointed out that the original study did not have an objective measure to support the conclusion of high similarity. However, the lack of an objective measure invalidates the denial (O'Grady et al., 1989) just as much as it invalidates the claim that the trees are
NLP-Based Approach for Predicting HMI State Sequences Towards Monitoring Operator Situational Awareness

A novel approach presented herein transforms the Human Machine Interface (HMI) states, as a pattern of visual feedback states that encompass both operator actions and process states, from a multi-variate time-series to a natural language processing (NLP) modeling domain. The goal of this approach is to predict operator response patterns for n−ahead time-step window given k−lagged past HMI state patterns. The NLP approach offers the possibility of encoding (semantic) contextual relations within HMI state patterns. Towards which, a technique for framing raw HMI data for supervised training using sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) deep-learning machine translation algorithms is presented. In addition, a custom Seq2Seq convolutional neural network (CNN) NLP model based on current state-of-the-art design elements such as attention, is compared against a standard recurrent neural network (RNN) based NLP model. Results demonstrate comparable effectiveness of both the designs of NLP models evaluated for modeling HMI states. RNN NLP models showed higher (≈26%) forecast accuracy, in general for both in-sample and out-of-sample test datasets. However, custom CNN NLP model showed higher (≈53%) validation accuracy indicative of less over-fitting with the same amount of available training data. The real-world application of the proposed NLP modeling of industrial HMIs, such as in power generating stations control rooms, aviation (cockpits), and so forth, is towards the realization of a non-intrusive operator situational awareness monitoring framework through prediction of HMI states.