Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasmon induced modification of the transverse magneto‐optical response in Fe antidot arrays

In this Letter we present the effects that the excitation of plasmon‐like modes in periodically perforated Fe films have over the Transverse Magneto‐Optical Kerr Effect (TMOKE). The excitation of the modes gives rise to clear signatures in the TMOKE spectra. We analyze the spectral position of the structures as a function of both the polar and azimuth angle.
Complete Genome Sequence of Campylobacter hepaticus Strain UF2019SK1, Isolated from a Commercial Layer Flock in the United States

The thermophilic Campylobacter species Campylobacter hepaticus is the causative agent of spotty liver disease (SLD) in chickens. This announcement describes the complete genome sequence of C. hepaticus strain UF2019SK1, isolated from the liver of a commercial layer chicken with SLD in the United States. ABSTRACT The thermophilic Campylobacter species Campylobacter hepaticus is the causative agent of spotty liver disease (SLD) in chickens. This announcement describes the complete genome sequence of C. hepaticus strain UF2019SK1, isolated from the liver of a commercial layer chicken with SLD in the United States.
Geographic Variation of Bacterial Communities Associated with Cotton Fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus1

Abstract. Cotton fleahopper, Pseudatomoscelis seriatus (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae), is native to the southern United States and widespread throughout regions where cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is commercially grown. It is considered a major cotton pest only in certain cotton-growing regions, while in other areas it rarely reaches pest status. Bacterial symbionts associated with sucking insects have been linked to their pest status on their insect hosts. We tested whether variation in bacterial communities within P. seriatus correlated with pest status of the insect on cotton. We used 454 pyrosequencing of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene to characterize the bacterial microbiota associated with P. seriatus from eight cotton-growing regions in the United States. We found 65 bacterial taxa in the dataset, and three phyla, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidota, accounted for 78.5, 16.3, and 4.6% of the bacterial community. Overall bacterial composition and diversity did not correlate with P. seriatus pest status or geographical origin. However, abundances of three taxa, Spiroplasma sp. , Swaminathania, sp. , and Aureimonas sp. , were significantly different between regions in which P. seriatus occurs as major versus occasional pest. We found Pseudomonas spp. in all samples, with different strains/species in different samples, suggesting variant Pseudomonas could be a primary endosymbiont of P. seriatus. Characterization of the P. seriatus bacterial microbiota showed it was distinct from other well-characterized hemipteran herbivores. Whether variation in microbiota corresponds with variation in traits relevant to pest control warrants further investigation.
Seasonal Abundance of Heterotrioza chenopodii (Reuter, 1876) and Distribution of the Known Psylloid Species (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) in Egypt

Psylloids cause severe damages to their host plants and transmit serious plant diseases for several crops in different parts of the world. The species composition and geographical distribution of psylloids in Egypt were assessed. The abundance of Heterotrioza chenopodii (Reuter, 1876) on various host plants in different ecological zones and their monthly abundance in Wadi El-Natroun were monitored throughout three successive seasons. We used a sweep net and a mechanical aspirator to survey populations of Psylloidea species from 2014 to 2017. Twenty-six psylloid species belong to four families were recorded from six geographical zones. H. chenopodii was the most widely distributed psylloid species in Egypt. The total number of species collected per zone ranged from a minimum of two at Fayoum Basin (FB) to a maximum of 15 at Lower Nile Valley and Delta (LNVD). The highest number of psylloid species were sampled from the host plant Tamarix sp. (6 species) followed by Zygophyllum sp. (5 species). The negative binomial regression analysis showed that the abundance of H. chenopodii is more dependent on host plants (χ2 = 61.5, P < 0.001) than ecological zones (χ2 = 11.9, P = 0.018). Density of H. chenopodii in Wadi El-Natroun showed a bimodal seasonal pattern with two peaks of adult abundance: spring (April) and late autumn (December). Moreover, we recorded a drop in the psylloid densities during hot (summer) and cold (winter) seasons. Additional ecological and taxonomic studies on Psylloidea are needed to conduct integrated pest management against species with economic and pharmaceutical interests.
The Bio-Ecology of the Grapevine Leaf Miner, Holocacista capensis (Lepidoptera: Heliozelidae) in the Western Cape, South Africa

The lepidopteran leaf-mining larvae of Holocacista capensis were recorded on the outskirts of Paarl (Western Cape), South Africa, in 2012 for the first time. Thought to have local origins, the moth has been recorded on many grape varieties in South Africa since. In order to develop appropriate management strategies, aimed at maintaining effective control of the pest in commercial vineyards, various aspects of the pests′ ecology must be known. The current study provided morphological characteristics associated with wing and abdominal colouration, which can be used to discern between male and female moths using a stereo microscope. The seasonal cycle of larvae and adults throughout a grapevine growing season was established. The leaf miner was detected in the three grape areas surveyed (Berg River, Hex River and Olifants River). Areas in the grape producing regions of the Western Cape that are heavily impacted by the leaf miner include Paarl, Riebeeck Kasteel, Tulbagh, Piketberg and Wellington. Moth and larval abundances were observed to reach considerably high numbers in February. Live larval abundances decreased from the middle of March, whilst adult abundances were only seen to drop in early April. This study aimed to assist towards the development of appropriate management strategies against the pest.
Tussock Circumference, Land Use Type and Drought Variably Influence Spider Assemblages Associated with Hyparrhenia hirta Grass Tussocks

Many human activities have an impact on the fauna and flora of the South African Grassland Biome, including agriculture, fire and urbanisation. Disturbances in grassland habitats often result in Hyparrhenia hirta, a native pioneer grass species, establishing dense stands. Here the assemblage composition, species richness and abundance of spiders associated with H. hirta tussocks was investigated at three grassland sites (annually burnt, suburban local road traffic and undisturbed control) in the central Free State Province of South Africa during winter 2015 and 2016. Further, inter-annual differences during a period of intense drought were evaluated. An increase in spider species richness, abundance and different assemblage composition with increased tussock height and basal circumference was expected, and we predicted these effects would differ between land use types. Overall, Tibellus spp. immatures (Philodromidae) and Poachelas striatus Haddad & Lyle, 2008 (Trachelidae) were the most abundant spider species, while Philodromidae and Gnaphosidae were the most abundant spider families at all three sites during both years. The most species-rich families were Gnaphosidae, Salticidae and Thomisidae. Over the two-year sampling period there was a significant decline in overall spider abundance (58.09 %) and species richness (28.17 %), which could be explained by the cumulative effects of a severe drought experienced in central South Africa during 2015 and 2016. Species richness and assemblage composition were influenced by tussock basal circumference and disturbance effects, but not by tussock height. Several species were associated with the control site, while certain diversity metrics of the burnt and road verge sites were more stable, pointing to the importance of primary productivity in the former and water in the latter, for spider diversity. Trade-offs related to disturbance need to be carefully considered when developing management strategies for biodiversity.
OPPORTUNISTIC SURVEILLANCE OF CAPTIVE AND FREE-RANGING BIGHORN SHEEP (OVIS CANADENSIS) IN COLORADO, USA, FOR TRANSMISSIBLE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHIES

Abstract: Bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) are predicted to have a degree of susceptibility to the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) chronic wasting disease and scrapie. We opportunistically screened 127 captive bighorn sheep and 152 free-ranging bighorn sheep in Colorado, US for the presence of TSE over a period of 35 yr. None of the animals demonstrated clinical signs, gross pathology, histopathology, or immunohistochemical staining patterns suggestive of TSE.
Morphology, Genetics and Biology of Pterochloroides persicae Cholodkovsky (Hemiptera: Lachninae) and Their Effect on Pauesia antennata Mukerji (Hymenoptera: Aphidinae) Behaviour

Pauesia antennata Mukerji is a specific parasitoid of the brown peach aphid Pterochloroides persicae Cholodkovsky which causes severe damage on almond and peach in Tunisia. To control this pest, P. antennata was collected from Iran, introduced to Tunisia in 2011 and some of their biological parameters were studied in laboratory conditions. Therefore, in orchard, aphid population and sites/zones of Tunisia and aphid behaviour impact on the parasitoid have not been studied. Morphometric measurements, molecular analysis of P. persicae specimens collected from two Tunisian sites [(Akouda-Sousse (Site 1), Sfax (Site 2)] were studied and compared and aphid behaviour versus P. antennata was followed. Results demonstrated a significant difference of four morphological characters (body length, body width, total antennal length, hind femora length). Molecular analysis showed two haplotypes corresponding to the sites. For biological analysis, larval longevities were 14.3 ± 1.52 and 12.6 ± 2.08 days for Site 1 and Site 2, respectively. Fecundities were 20.2 ± 13.57 and 12.3 ± 11.06 larvae/day corresponding to Sites 1 and 2, respectively. A relationship between P. persicae specimens and behaviour versus P. antennata were explained.
Effects of Blood Sources and Artificial Blood Feeding Membranes on the Biological Parameters and Hepatitis C Virus Infectivity of Culex pipiens (Diptera: Culicidae)

Culex pipiens (L.) has a wide distribution worldwide and is the main vector of many diseases. Mass rearing of all target vector mosquito species is frequently required for public health research and vector control. Vector mosquito species are anautogenous, they need vertebrate blood for egg production. Therefore, female blood feeding is essential for colonisation. Various artificial feeding methods have been developed over the years but they lack consistency. Thus, we have developed an artificial feeding technique for rearing and infection experiments as an attempt to establish a practical guide for vector research. Culex mosquitoes were fed directly and artificially; four blood sources (human, cattle, rat and pigeon) and three different membranes (chick, sausage casing and Parafilm-M®) were assessed based on feeding rate, fecundity, oviposition, egg hatchability and infectivity. The chick membrane was considerably more efficient than sausage casing and Parafilm-M. Using the chick membrane with different blood sources, feeding rates (FR) were 89.60 %, 86.20 %, 61.60 %, 50.40 % for human, cattle, rat and pigeon blood, respectively. There was statistically no significant difference in FR between cattle and human blood. Hepatitis C virus infection was carried out successfully using the artificial feeding technique with chick membrane. RT-PCR readings proved that Culex pipiens can harbour this virus for five days through the midgut region. Cattle blood with chick membrane in mosquito rearing is a good substitute for human blood and live feeding for its availability and cost effectiveness. Overall, this method could be recommended in mosquito experimental infection, vectorial capacity and pathogen interactions studies.
Automatic tumor segmentation in 3D automated breast ultrasound using convolutional neural network

Automatic breast ultrasound (ABUS) imaging provides complementary information when other imaging modalities (i.e., mammography) are not conclusive in the task of tumor detection. It enables sectional plane visualization, simplified temporal comparison and coronal depiction, and features higher reproducibility than conventional ultrasound imaging. Although the 3D ABUS acquisition significantly reduces the acquisition time and cost, the manual segmentation of tumor on 3D ABUS could be time-consuming and labor-intensive due to its high slice number. This work aims to develop a deep-learning-based method to automatically segment the breast tumor on 3D ABUS. We integrated mask scoring-based self-correlation strategy into the R-CNN-based method to force the final segmented tumor contour to be more reasonable. We tested the performance of the proposed method using 3D ABUS of 40 patients who are confirmed with breast tumor through four-fold cross validation test. The comparison between our results and the ground truth contours was quantified by metrics including the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), Jaccard index (JAC), 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95). The mean DSC, JAC, and HD95 were 0.85 ± 0.10, 0.75 ± 0.14, and 1.65 ± 1.20 (mm), respectively.
Optimized source estimation for full waveform inversion in ultrasound computed tomography

In full waveform inversion (FWI) for ultrasound computed tomography (CT), choosing the right sound source is essential for generating high-resolution images. We developed an optimized source estimation method for FWI to efficiently reduce the value of any cost function and evaluated its performance using simulation data and measurement data. In our optimized source estimation method, we obtain the sound source as α(k)·f, where f is a sound source (an arbitrary complex value), coefficient α(k) is cos(θk)+i·sin(θk), k is integer (0, 1, ⋯, N-1), θk is 2π/N·k, and the integer value of N is 360. We then determine the coefficient α(k) that minimizes the value of the cost function. In contrast to conventional source estimation, which only minimizes the value of the L2 norm cost function, our proposed source estimation can minimize the values of any cost function, such as the L1 norm or a hybrid of L1 and L2 norms. The advantage of our method is that it can be easily applied to FWI with various cost functions. In this preliminary study, we implemented FWI with the L2 norm cost function and compared the performance of our proposed method with that of the conventional method. In the simulation study, FWI with both the conventional and proposed source estimation methods improved the contrasts of inclusions of a numerical phantom compared to FWI with no source estimation. They both also improved the contrasts of inclusions of a measured oil-gel-based phantom compared to a bent-ray reconstruction method. The absolute mean errors between ROI and true values were 39, 11, and 11 [m/s] for the bent-ray reconstruction method, FWI with the conventional method, and FWI with the proposed method, respectively. In addition, FWI with both the conventional and proposed methods improved the contrasts of a patient’s tumor compared to the bentray reconstruction method. These results demonstrate that FWI with the proposed source estimation method can provide the same contrast and quantitative accuracy as FWI with the conventional source estimation method.
A Survey of Computational Methods for Online Mental State Assessment on Social Media

Mental state assessment by analysing user-generated content is a field that has recently attracted considerable attention. Today, many people are increasingly utilising online social media platforms to share their feelings and moods. This provides a unique opportunity for researchers and health practitioners to proactively identify linguistic markers or patterns that correlate with mental disorders such as depression, schizophrenia or suicide behaviour. This survey describes and reviews the approaches that have been proposed for mental state assessment and identification of disorders using online digital records. The presented studies are organised according to the assessment technology and the feature extraction process conducted. We also present a series of studies which explore different aspects of the language and behaviour of individuals suffering from mental disorders, and discuss various aspects related to the development of experimental frameworks. Furthermore, ethical considerations regarding the treatment of individuals’ data are outlined. The main contributions of this survey are a comprehensive analysis of the proposed approaches for online mental state assessment on social media, a structured categorisation of the methods according to their design principles, lessons learnt over the years and a discussion on possible avenues for future research.
Risk Transmission of Commercial Banks under Economic Policy Uncertainty and its Dynamic Characteristics

Based on the quarterly data of China's listed commercial banks from 2007 to 2019, this paper conducts empirical research on the risk transmission channels of the banking industry under economic policy uncertainty. The results found that economic policy uncertainty has a fast transmission to the risk of the banking system, it is difficult for banks to adjust their credit and leverage structure in a short period of time. As a result, the risk of banks increases rapidly and the value of banks becomes unstable. The banking system is much sensitive to economic policy uncertainty and quickly adjust its own operating structure in the next few periods to reduce its own risk-taking. Different bank responds to economic policy uncertainty with different ranges. However, the response direction is generally the same. That means economic policy uncertainty is systematic. In short-term, banks under the impact of economic policy uncertainty are mainly manifested as increase of bankruptcy risk taking, passive risk taking and market value fluctuation, while reduction of proactive risk taking. From the sample in this paper, it is found that banks with different property rights still have similar risk response situations.
Synthesis of Porous NiO/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composites for Supercapacitors

This study developed a facile, one-pot chemical reduction method for fabricating nickel oxide (NiO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite materials. Electrochemical measurements illustrate that the NiO/rGO composite electrode with a weight ratio of 6 : 4 yields a maximum specific capacitance of 461 F g−1 and a high energy density of 36.0 Wh kg−1 at the discharge current of 0.21 A g−1 in 6 M KOH electrolyte. The composite materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy, which showed the formation of conducting matrix of rGO sheets in the NiO/rGO composites. The greatly enhanced total specific capacitance suggests the synergistic effects between NiO/rGO and highlights the importance of rational design in developing rGO-based composites for high energy storage applications.
European Stroke Organisation (ESO) guidelines on intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke

Intravenous thrombolysis is the only approved systemic reperfusion treatment for patients with acute ischaemic stroke. These European Stroke Organisation (ESO) guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations to assist physicians in their clinical decisions with regard to intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke. These guidelines were developed based on the ESO standard operating procedure and followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. The working group identified relevant clinical questions, performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the literature, assessed the quality of the available evidence, and wrote recommendations. Expert consensus statements were provided if not enough evidence was available to provide recommendations based on the GRADE approach. We found high quality evidence to recommend intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase to improve functional outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 h after symptom onset. We also found high quality evidence to recommend intravenous thrombolysis with alteplase in patients with acute ischaemic stroke on awakening from sleep, who were last seen well more than 4.5 h earlier, who have MRI DWI-FLAIR mismatch, and for whom mechanical thrombectomy is not planned. These guidelines provide further recommendations regarding patient subgroups, late time windows, imaging selection strategies, relative and absolute contraindications to alteplase, and tenecteplase. Intravenous thrombolysis remains a cornerstone of acute stroke management. Appropriate patient selection and timely treatment are crucial. Further randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to inform clinical decision-making with regard to tenecteplase and the use of intravenous thrombolysis before mechanical thrombectomy in patients with large vessel occlusion.
An NMR investigation on the phase structure and molecular mobility of the novel exfoliated polyethylene/palygorskite nanocomposites

Novel exfoliated polyethylene (PE)/palygorskite nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization are characterized by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The phase structure and molecular mobility are investigated by a combination of proton and carbon NMR. The results showed that incorporation of small amounts of palygorskite had great influence on the phase structure and molecular mobility. The incorporated palygorskite hindered the crystallization process and introduced motion-hindered chains in the NMR crystalline and amorphous phase. 13C cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning NMR revealed two orthorhombic crystalline phase with different line-width. The chain mobility of orthorhombic crystalline phase with broad resonance line is obviously hindered compared with the phase with narrow resonance line when the filler is introduced. Additionally, the results of pulsed field gradient NMR technique show those the tortuosities in the nanocomposites are much higher than that in the bulk PE. The self-diffusion process of probe molecules is also influenced by the palygorksite load. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1363–1371, 2010
Characteristics of Pulsed Blue and Green Light Stimulated Luminescence Signals of Quartz and Feldspars

Abstract The post-infrared (post-IR) pulsed blue light stimulated luminescence (PBLSL) signal has been employed to determine the equivalent dose (De) of feldspar contaminated quartz grains, but it sometimes suffers from the interference of feldspars. Since the green light stimulated luminescence (GLSL) signal of feldspars might be more reduced by a prior IR stimulation, we compared the characteristics of post-IR PBLSL and post-IR pulsed GLSL (post-IR PGLSL) signals of quartz and feldspars in this study to evaluate the feasibility of employing the green light for pulsed stimulation. We investigated the effect of the signal integration period, pulsed stimulation temperature, and prior IR stimulation temperature on the intensities of post-IR PBLSL and post-IR PGLSL of quartz and feldspars, and evaluated the potential feldspar interference on these two signals for the hypothetical and artificial quartz-feldspar mixture. The results demonstrate a lower feldspars contribution for the post-IR PGLSL signal. The feldspar interference only slightly increases with the increase of integration period for the post-IR PGLSL signal measured at low stimulation temperature, which permits a long integration period to be employed to enhance the signal to noise ratio. This study shows that the green light is a promising alternative for pulsed stimulation to suppress the feldspar contribution.