Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive search for the +pentaquark on the lattice

We study spin 1/2 isoscalar and isovector, even and odd parit y candidates for theΘ+(1540) pentaquark particle using large scale lattice QCD simulati ons. Previous lattice works led to inconclusive results because so far it has not been possible to unambiguously identify the known scattering spectrum and tell whether additionally a genuin e pentaquark state also exists. Here we carry out this analysis using several possible wave funct io s (operators), including spatially non-trivial ones with unit orbital angular momentum. The cr oss correlator matrix we compute is 14×14 with 60 non-vanishing elements. We can clearly distingui sh the lowest scattering state(s) in both parity channels up to above the expected location of t he pentaquark, but we find no trace of the latter. We conclude that there are most probably no pen taquark bound states at our quark masses, corresponding to mπ=400–630 MeV. However, we cannot rule out the existence of a pentaquark state at the physical quark masses or pentaquark s with a more exotic wave function.
Geochemical Facies Analysis Using Unsupervised Machine Learning

This tutorial will demonstrate step-by-step how to build a practical geoscience machine learning workflow using Python and scikit-learn . The practice of extracting insights from large datasets has certainly caught mainstream attention in recent years. Software packages are emerging with multivariate statistics and machine learning algorithms built in to workflows. As this trend continues, it is important to understand how these algorithms work, know their strengths and limitations, and avoid treating them as a black box.
A posteriori error estimation and space-time adaptivity for a linear stochastic PDE with additive noise

We present a strong residual-based a posteriori error estimate for a finite element based space-time discretization of the linear stochastic convected heat equation with additive noise. This error estimate is used for an adaptive algorithm that automatically selects deterministic mesh parameters in space and time. For every n ≥ 0, we find a new time-step τn, a new spatial meshMn terminating within finitely many iterations, and a finite-element valued approximation Y n h on this spatial mesh, which then approximates strongly the solution of the SPDE within a prescribed tolerance.
Pruning Depthwise Separable Convolutions for Extra Efficiency Gain of Lightweight Models

Deep convolutional neural networks are good at accuracy while bad at efficiency. To improve the inference speed, two kinds of directions are developed, lightweight model designing and network weight pruning. Lightweight models have been proposed to improve the speed with good enough accuracy. It is, however, not trivial if we can further speed up these “compact” models by weight pruning. In this paper, we present a technique to gradually prune the depthwise separable convolution networks, such as MobileNet, for improving the speed of this kind of “dense” network. When pruning depthwise separable convolutions, we need to consider more structural constraints to ensure the speedup of inference. Instead of pruning the model with the desired ratio in one stage, the proposed multi-stage gradual pruning approach can stably prune the filters with a finer pruning ratio. Our method achieves 1.68 times speedup with neglectable accuracy drop for MobileNetV2.
In Vitro Antiproliferative Evaluation of Synthetic Meroterpenes Inspired by Marine Natural Products

Several marine natural linear prenylquinones/hydroquinones have been identified as anticancer and antimutagenic agents. Structure-activity relationship studies on natural compounds and their synthetic analogs demonstrated that these effects depend on the length of the prenyl side chain and on the type and position of the substituent groups in the quinone moiety. Aiming to broaden the knowledge of the underlying mechanism of the antiproliferative effect of these prenylated compounds, herein we report the synthesis of two quinones 4 and 5 and of their corresponding dioxothiazine fused quinones 6 and 7 inspired to the marine natural product aplidinone A (1), a geranylquinone featuring the 1,1-dioxo-1,4-thiazine ring isolated from the ascidian Aplidium conicum. The potential effects on viability and proliferation in three different human cancer cell lines, breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), pancreas adenocarcinoma (Bx-PC3) and bone osteosarcoma (MG-63), were investigated. The methoxylated geranylquinone 5 exerted the highest antiproliferative effect exhibiting a comparable toxicity in all three cell lines analyzed. Interestingly, a deeper investigation has highlighted a cytostatic effect of quinone 5 referable to a G0/G1 cell-cycle arrest in BxPC-3 cells after 24 h treatment.
The Salmonella type III effector SpvC triggers the reverse transmigration of infected cells into the bloodstream

Salmonella can appear in the bloodstream within CD18 expressing phagocytes following oral ingestion in as little as 15 minutes. Here, we provide evidence that the process underlying this phenomenon is reverse transmigration. Reverse transmigration is a normal host process in which dendritic cells can reenter the bloodstream by traversing endothelium in the basal to apical direction. We have developed an in vitro reverse transmigration assay in which dendritic cells are given the opportunity to cross endothelial monolayers in the basal to apical direction grown on membranes with small pores, modeling how such cells can penetrate the bloodstream. We demonstrate that exposing dendritic cells to microbial components negatively regulates reverse transmigration. We propose that microbial components normally cause the host to toggle between positively and negatively regulating reverse transmigration, balancing the need to resolve inflammation with inhibiting the spread of microbes. We show that Salmonella in part overcomes this negative regulation of reverse transmigration with the Salmonella pathogenicity island-2 encoded type III secretion system, which increases reverse transmigration by over an order of magnitude. The SPI-2 type III secretion system does this in part, but not entirely by injecting the type III effector SpvC into infected cells. We further demonstrate that SpvC greatly promotes early extra-intestinal dissemination in mice. This result combined with the previous observation that the spv operon is conserved amongst strains of non-typhoidal Salmonella capable of causing bacteremia in humans suggests that this pathway to the bloodstream could be important for understanding human infections.
The Occurrence of Multidrug Resistant Bacteria in the Urine of Healthy Dogs and Dogs with Cystitis

Simple Summary Antimicrobial resistance is a global health issue. The “One Health” concept describes animals and environments playing an important role in the resistance to antimicrobials. In this study, we survey healthy companion animals (dogs) as a potential source of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria, and compare them with dogs with cystitis. Both groups have a similar isolated genus profile and frequency of multidrug resistance. In our study, both healthy and cystitis animals were found to be carriers of MDR bacteria. Abstract The objectives of this study were to evaluate the occurrence of microorganisms, the antimicrobial susceptibility profile, and the presence of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacteria in the urine of clinically healthy dogs and dogs with cystitis. The urine was collected through cystocentesis. Subsequently, culture and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed. The isolates were classified based on their resistance profile, to evaluate the presence of MDR bacteria. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-squared or Fisher’s exact tests. Bacterial isolates were present in 24.39% of the dogs in the control group, and 60.27% of the dogs in the cystitis group. The cystitis group was associated with a higher risk of bacterial isolates than the control group (odds ratio = 7.5; 95% confidence interval = 2.81–22.40). The main isolates were Staphylococcus spp. , Escherichia coli, Proteus spp. , and Enterobacter spp. in both groups. A high percentage of isolates were resistant to ampicillin in both groups. The lowest resistance presented by the isolates in both groups was to meropenem. Only the resistance to quinolones was different between the groups. The proportions of MDR isolates were 70% (7/10) and 65.91% (29/44) in the control and cystitis groups, respectively. The results showed the presence of MDR bacteria in the urine of both the healthy dogs, and the dogs with cystitis. The drug resistance was high, reinforcing the importance of establishing an effective treatment approach against urinary tract infections in pets, to minimize the spread of bacterial resistance and its impact on public health.
Neurostructural correlates of optimism: Gray matter density in the putamen predicts dispositional optimism in late adolescence

Dispositional optimism reflects one's generalized positive expectancies for future outcomes and plays a crucial role in personal developmental outcomes and health (e.g., counteracting related mental disorders such as depression and anxiety). Increasing evidence has suggested that extraversion is an important personality factor contributing to dispositional optimism. However, less is known about the association between dispositional optimism and brain structure and the role of extraversion in this association. Here, we examined these issues in 231 healthy high school students aged 16 to 20 years (110 males, mean age = 18.48 years, SD = 0.54) by estimating regional gray matter density (rGMD) using a voxel‐based morphometry method via structural magnetic resonance imaging. Whole‐brain regression analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between dispositional optimism and the rGMD of the bilateral putamen after adjusting for age, sex, family socioeconomic status (SES), general intelligence, and total gray matter volume (TGMV). Moreover, prediction analyses using fourfold balanced cross‐validation combined with linear regression confirmed a significant connection between dispositional optimism and putamen density after adjusting for age, sex, and family SES. More importantly, subsequent mediation analysis showed that extraversion may account for the association between putamen density and dispositional optimism after adjusting for age, sex, family SES, general intelligence, TGMV, and the other four Big Five personality traits. Taken together, the current study provides new evidence regarding the neurostructural basis underlying dispositional optimism in adolescents and underscores the importance of extraversion as an essential personality factor for dispositional optimism acquisition.
Mercury Content in Central and Southern Adriatic Sea Sediments in Relation to Seafloor Geochemistry and Sedimentology

Mercury contents were determined in surface sediments from the Central and Southern Adriatic Sea to gain insight into the processes, factors, and variables affecting its distribution. Mercury concentration was measured by thermal decomposition amalgamation atomic absorption spectrometry in samples collected by box-corer from Ancona to Santa Maria di Leuca during the CNR-PERTRE cruise (16/9-4/10/2016). Sediments were also evaluated for chemical-physical parameters (pH, Eh), biogeochemical composition (total carbon, inorganic carbon, total organic carbon, organic matter) and grain size. The average mercury concentration in the Adriatic Sea sediment was 0.053 mg/Kg (d.w.), range 0.011–0.12 mg/Kg (d.w.). Mercury content was mainly affected by grain size and organic matter (OM) distribution, whereas anthropic factors exerted a limited influence. Concentrations followed the distribution of sediment types (clay > silt > sand) due to Adriatic Sea hydrodynamics and were well below the regulatory limits in all samples.
Dilated Skip Convolution for Facial Landmark Detection

Facial landmark detection has gained enormous interest for face-related applications due to its success in facial analysis tasks such as facial recognition, cartoon generation, face tracking and facial expression analysis. Many studies have been proposed and implemented to deal with the challenging problems of localizing facial landmarks from given images, including large appearance variations and partial occlusion. Studies have differed in the way they use the facial appearances and shape information of input images. In our work, we consider facial information within both global and local contexts. We aim to obtain local pixel-level accuracy for local-context information in the first stage and integrate this with knowledge of spatial relationships between each key point in a whole image for global-context information in the second stage. Thus, the pipeline of our architecture consists of two main components: (1) a deep network for local-context subnet that generates detection heatmaps via fully convolutional DenseNets with additional kernel convolution filters and (2) a dilated skip convolution subnet—a combination of dilated convolutions and skip-connections networks—that are in charge of robustly refining the local appearance heatmaps. Through this proposed architecture, we demonstrate that our approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on challenging datasets—including LFPW, HELEN, 300W and AFLW2000-3D—by leveraging fully convolutional DenseNets, skip-connections and dilated convolution architecture without further post-processing.
AbobotulinumtoxinA and rehabilitation vs rehabilitation alone in post-stroke spasticity: An cost-utility analysis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate costs and quality-adjusted life years of rehabilitation combined with abobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A; Dysport®) (rehab/aboBoNT-A) vs rehabilitation alone (rehab) in post-stroke spasticity in Italy. DESIGN Based on both Italian National Health Service and societal perspectives, a 2-year cost-utility analysis model was performed. Subject/patients: The cost-utility analysis model considered hypothetical patients. METHODS The cost-utility analysis model was populated with data concerning demographics, disease severity, healthcare and non-healthcare resource consumption. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered to 3 highly experienced Italian physiatrists (864 out of 930 post-stroke spasticity patients on rehab/aboBoNT-A in total). Costs are expressed in Euro (€) 2018. RESULTS The cost to society (rounded to the nearest whole €) was €22,959 (rehab/aboBoNT-A) vs €11,866 (rehab). Italian National Health Service-funded cost was €7,593 (rehab/aboBoNT-A) vs €1,793 (rehab). Over a period of 2 years rehab/aboBoNT-A outperforms rehab in terms of quality-adjusted life years gained (1.620 vs 1.150). The incremental cost-utility ratio was €12,341 (Italian National Health Service viewpoint) and €23,601 (societal viewpoint). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the baseline results. CONCLUSION Despite some limitations, the higher number of quality-adjusted life years gained vs rehab and the high probability of reaching a cost-utility ratio lower than the Italian informal acceptability range (€25,000-40,000) make rehab/aboBoNT-A a cost-effective healthcare programme for treating patients with post-stroke spasticity in Italy.
Outcomes after declining a steatotic donor liver for liver transplant candidates in the United States.

BACKGROUND Steatotic donor livers (SDL, ≥ 30% macrosteatosis on biopsy) are often declined, as they are associated with a higher risk of graft loss, even though candidates may wait an indefinite time for a subsequent organ offer. We sought to quantify outcomes for transplant candidates who declined or accepted an SDL offer. METHODS We used SRTR offer data from 2009-2015 to compare outcomes of 759 candidates who accepted an SDL to 13 362 matched controls who declined, and followed candidates from the date of decision (decline or accept) until death or end of study period. We used a competing risk framework to understand the natural history of candidates who declined, and Cox regression to compare postdecision survival after declining versus accepting (i.e. what could have happened if candidates who declined had instead accepted). RESULTS Among those that declined an SDL, only 53.1% of candidates were subsequently transplanted, 23.8% died, and 19.4% were removed from the waitlist. Candidates who accepted had a brief perioperative risk period within the first month posttransplant (adjusted HR [aHR]:2.493.494.89, p<0.001), but a 62% lower mortality risk (aHR:0.310.380.46, p<0.001) beyond this. Although the long-term survival benefit of acceptance did not vary by candidate MELD, the short-term risk period did. MELD 6-21 candidates who accepted an SDL had a 7.88-fold higher mortality risk (aHR:4.807.8812.93, p<0.001) in the first month posttransplant, whereas MELD 35-40 candidates had a 68% lower mortality risk (aHR:0.110.320.90, p=0.03). CONCLUSIONS Appropriately selected SDLs can decrease wait-time and provide substantial long-term survival benefit for liver transplant candidates.
Development and psychometric evaluation of the patient knowledge of, and attitudes and behaviours towards pressure ulcer prevention instrument (KPUP)

The Patient Knowledge of, and Attitude and Behaviour towards Pressure Ulcer Prevention Instrument (KPUP) was developed and validated using a two‐stage prospective psychometric instrument validation study design. In Stage 1, the instrument was designed, and it is psychometrically evaluated in Stage 2. To establish content validity, two expert panels independently reviewed each item for appropriateness and relevance. Psychometric evaluation included construct validity and stability testing of the instrument. The questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 200 people aged more than 65 years, living independently in the community; reliability and stability were assessed by test/retest procedures, with a 1‐week interval. Mean knowledge scores at ‘test’ were 11.54/20 (95% CI = 11.10‐11.99, SD: 3.07), and ‘retest’ was 12.24 (95% CI = 11.81‐12.66, SD: 2.93). For knowledge, correlation between the test/retest score was positive (r=. 60), attitude section‐inter‐item correlations ranged from r = −. 31 to r = . 57 (mean intraclass correlation coefficient of r = .42), and internal consistency for the retest was the same as the test (α = .41 for the eight items). For health behaviours, individual inter‐item correlations for test items ranged from r = −. 21 to r = . 41 for the 13 standardised items. Psychometric testing of the KPUP in a sample of older persons in the community provided moderate internal consistency and general high test‐retest stability.
Measurements of Oxidative Potential of Particulate Matter at Belgrade Tunnel; Comparison of BPEAnit, DTT and DCFH Assays

To estimate the oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter (PM), two commonly used cell-free, molecular probes were applied: dithiothreitol (DTT) and dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), and their performance was compared with 9,10-bis (phenylethynyl) anthracene-nitroxide (BPEAnit). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in which the performance of the DTT and DCFH has been compared with the BPEAnit probe. The average concentrations of PM, organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) for fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM10) particles were determined. The results were 44.8 ± 13.7, 9.8 ± 5.1 and 9.3 ± 4.8 µg·m−3 for PM2.5 and 75.5 ± 25.1, 16.3 ± 8.7 and 11.8 ± 5.3 µg·m−3 for PM10, respectively, for PM, OC and EC. The water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) fraction accounted for 42 ± 14% and 28 ± 9% of organic carbon in PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. The average volume normalized OP values for the three assays depended on both the sampling periods and the PM fractions. The OPBPEAnit had its peak at 2 p.m. ; in the afternoon, it was three times higher compared to the morning and late afternoon values. The DCFH and BPEAnit results were correlated (r = 0.64), while there was no good agreement between the BPEAnit and the DTT (r = 0.14). The total organic content of PM does not necessarily represent oxidative capacity and it shows varying correlation with the OP. With respect to the two PM fractions studied, the OP was mostly associated with smaller particles.
Undergoing repeated colonoscopies – experiences from patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract Background: Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) undergo repeated colonoscopies to monitor their lifelong disease. Objective: To describe experiences from repeated colonoscopies in patients with IBD. Methods: Within a qualitative design 33 patients with IBD who had undergone at least three colonoscopies were interviewed by telephone. Hermeneutic interpretation served as the framework of the analysis. Results: The colonoscopy procedure was explained as strenuous to undergo and interfered with daily life. It reminded patients of a lifelong disease, but the necessity of the colonoscopy, being life-saving, was highlighted. The colonoscopies entailed several unpredictable aspects – no control over pain, potential blame and unpredictable care. Shame, inferiority and uncertainty enhanced the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable. Conclusion: Repeated colonoscopies can be perceived as both an assurance of life and a reminder of a lifelong illness. Healthcare professionals need to provide support in terms of awareness of patients’ vulnerability, despite extensive experience of the colonoscopy procedure. For example, person-centred care and continuity in care are potential interventions based on the results of this study. Another important aspect of care is to minimise interference in everyday life to prevent feelings of loss of the healthy self, for example by self-administrated outpatient booking systems. Summarize the established knowledge on this subject. • Previous research in quality related to colonoscopy has mainly focused on technical and medical aspects. • Knowledge based on the patients’ perspective is rare and the few existing studies included mainly persons included in screening programs. What are the significant and/or new findings of this study? • Patients with IBD undergoing repeated colonoscopies express specific needs in several aspects related to the colonoscopy procedure: • Continuity and a person-centered approach from healthcare professionals. • Support to cope with feelings of shame and inferiority as well as pain.
New approach to simplifying and optimising acute malnutrition treatment in children aged 6–59 months: the OptiMA single-arm proof-of-concept trial in Burkina Faso

The Optimising treatment for acute MAlnutrition (OptiMA) strategy trains mothers to use mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) bracelets for screening and targets treatment to children with MUAC < 125 mm or oedema with one therapeutic food at a gradually reduced dose. This study seeks to determine whether OptiMA conforms to SPHERE standards (recovery rate > 75 %). A single-arm proof-of-concept trial was conducted in 2017 in Yako district, Burkina Faso including children aged 6–59 months in outpatient health centres with MUAC < 125 mm or oedema. Outcomes were stratified by MUAC category at admission. Multivariate survival analysis was carried out to identify variables predictive of recovery. Among 4958 children included, 824 (16·6 %) were admitted with MUAC < 115 mm or oedema, 1070 (21·6 %) with MUAC 115–119 mm and 3064 (61·8 %) with MUAC 120–124 mm. The new dosage was correctly implemented at all visits for 75·9 % of children. Global recovery was 86·3 (95 % CI 85·4, 87·2) % and 70·5 (95 % CI 67·5, 73·5) % for children admitted with MUAC < 115 mm or oedema. Average therapeutic food consumption was 60·8 sachets per child treated. Recovery was positively associated with mothers trained to use MUAC prior to child’s admission (adjusted hazard ratio 1·09; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·19). OptiMA was successfully implemented at the scale of an entire district under ‘real-life’ conditions. Programme outcomes exceeded SPHERE standards, but further study is needed to determine if increasing therapeutic food dosages for the most severely malnourished will improve recovery.