Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Further insights in the Tardigrada microbiome: phylogenetic position and prevalence of infection of four new Alphaproteobacteria putative endosymbionts

Data from a previous study showed that microbiomes of six tardigrade species are species-specific and distinct from associated environmental microbes. We here performed a more in-depth analyses of those data, to identify and characterize new potential symbionts. The most abundant bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) found in tardigrades are classified, and their prevalence in other environments is assessed using public databases. A subset of OTUs was selected for molecular phylogenetic analyses based on their affiliation with host-associated bacterial families in tardigrades. Almost 22.6% of the most abundant OTUs found do not match any sequence at 99% identity in the IMNGS database. These novel OTUs include four putative tardigrade endosymbionts from Alphaproteobacteria (Anaplasmataceae and Candidatus Tenuibacteraceae), which are characterized by 16S rRNA gene analysis and investigated for their infection rates in: Echiniscus trisetosus, Richtersisus coronifer and Macrobiotus macrocalix. These putative endosymbionts have an infection prevalence between 9.1% and 40.0%, and are, therefore, likely secondary symbionts, not essential for tardigrade survival and reproduction. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), we detected bacteria on the cuticle and within the ovary of E. trisetosus, suggesting possible vertical transmission. This study highlights the great contribution in biodiversity discovery that neglected phyla can provide in microbiome and symbiosis studies.
Analysis on the Influence of Empathy in Single-Player Video Games

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of empathy and relevant character information on a player’s emotional and critical reaction to a video game and its characters, as well as to determine its influence on a moral choice. A substantial amount of research regarding video games has focused on the negative effects they may have, which leaves much unknown on what the positive aspects they may have. Understanding how an individual relates to the characters they play as can help determine if video games can promote deep parasocial interactions, and even the relative success at helping people understand others situations and actions. In this study, participants watched one of two videos to provide different amounts of information on the world and player character, then read a passage to dispose them into either a low or high empathy state. They then played a segment from “The Wolf Among Us”, and then completed a questionnaire battery on how they felt while playing and their feelings towards their avatar. Results indicated that empathy has a positive effect on both positive and negative emotions, but a negative influence on their reaction on their ratings of the game quality, desire to play it, and willingness to recommend it to others. There were no significant differences caused by two groups receiving different amount of information on the game’s events, there was influence of empathy on participants’ investment in the main character and game world, and there were no significant interactions between information and empathy manipulations.
Development of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Multiple Myeloma (FACT-MM) Scale and Validation in the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Trial E1A05,

Abstract 4184 Introduction: FACT-MM was developed with the aim to create a disease-specific, patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measure as part of the FACT measurement system to assess multiple myeloma (MM)-related symptoms. Literature review identified 52 MM specific symptoms and concerns. 13 MM expert clinicians rated these 52 items on relevance to health-related quality of life (HRQL) for MM patients and added 11 items for comprehensive PRO assessment in MM. These 63 candidate items were rated by 13 MM patients recruited through the International Myeloma Foundation website. Disease-related symptoms and concerns were described and provided by patients through free-text comments. Information from both the MM expert clinician and MM patient surveys including free-text items was analyzed and 14 highest ranked items were selected for the FACT-MM. The FACT-MM subscale (score 0–56), the FACT-G physical and functional well-being subscales (score 0–28), and the FACT-Neurotoxicity (FACT-Ntx) subscale (score 0–44) was administered to 48 E1A05 participants to assess disease and treatment-related symptoms of patients with newly diagnosed MM receiving 8 cycles of VRd versus Vd. Methods: In this study, the first three of seven sequential assessments were evaluated: baseline, cycle 5 and end of treatment (after cycle 8 or early diconstinuation). Instruments were scored as per the FACT scoring guidelines. Descriptive statistics were provided for each timepoint and changes in scores from baseline. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to assess differences in scores by ISS stage and ECOG PS. Pearson correlation coefficients were obtained between the scores. Cronbach9s alpha was used to evaluate internal consistency of the FACT-MM. Results: At baseline and end of treatment, 46 and 41 patients, respectively, completed assessments. The FACT-MM demonstrated good to very good internal consistency (Cronbach alpha 0.79 – 0.89). The FACT-MM subscale was significantly correlated with the FACT physical and functional well-being subscales at baseline (r = 0.72), cycle 5 (r = 0.64; r = 0.49) and end of treatment (r = 0.72; r = 0.66). All scores declined modestly by cycle 5 and end of treatment from baseline. While sample size was limited, there appeared association with ECOG PS with higher scores for patients with PS 0 status. Conclusions: The 14-item FACT-MM scale is feasible for use to measure myeloma-related symptoms and has demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties based on findings from E1A05, an ECOG myeloma trial. Disclosures: Cella:Novartis: Research Funding. Fonseca:Consulting:Genzyme, Medtronic, BMS, Amgen, Otsuka, Celgene, Intellikine, Lilly Research Support: Cylene, Onyz, Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding.
Understanding the Relationship Between Breastfeeding-Related Pain and Mothering Using an Agency Framework

Motherhood represents the fusion of mother and woman wherein a mothering identity becomes central. Motherhood is often based on romanticized and/or negative ideologies that are impacted by experiences of being a mother. Using agency as a framework, women’s experiences of breastfeeding-related pain were explored in relation to context (iterational), thought patterns (projective), and decisions (evaluative). This case study, grounded in a feminist lens, we conducted in-depth interviews with 14 mothers (age range of 24 to 26 years) from an urban center in Southwestern Ontario, who had experienced breastfeeding-related pain. Using an agency framework, deductive thematic analysis was conducted resulting in the following themes: 1) iterational–which included peer groups, familiar experiences and societal pressures as the three main external forces that influenced a woman to breastfeed; 2) projective–women’s perceptions and evaluation of their mothering abilities were impacted by their context of breastfeeding-related pain resulting in feelings of guilt and frustration; and 3) evaluative–the strategies mothers developed to continue or discontinue breastfeeding (such as tangible-nipple shields, latch support clinics, and creams or intangible-social support options) as well as acceptance of their decision. The impact of the context of breastfeeding within a paternalistic medical context and the implications for practice as well as suggestions for empowerment are explored.
Análisis de la edad sobre la fiabilidad de pruebas fitness en mayores

The aim of this study was to analyze if age affects the reliability of some fitness test widely used in elderly adults. Participants were 135 elderly women aged between 60 and 90 years old distributed into 5 age groups. All participants performed twice a battery of fitness tests with an interval between measurements of 1 week. The reliability indexes obtained in the bi-handgrip tests and 6 minutes walking were excellent (ICC> 0.90), while the rest were good (ICC 0.70-0.89). No statistically significant differences were found in the measurement error of these tests between age groups. It is concluded that age does not significantly affect to the reliability of the analyzed fitness tests.
The 3-D visualization of the granular particle on various diameter porous surfaces

Granular particles have applications in various fields, one of which is the beauty industry. One crucial part of this industry is the character of powder-size interactions with skin-faces. The simulation of granular particles with a porous surface can model this interaction. The purpose of our simulation to visualize the process of granular attachment on a horizontal porous surface. This simulation is 3-dimensional visualization using unified particle physics solver method in uFlex assets on unity software. We generate the pores to three sizes. Each order is tested using five particle sizes. The results showed that the porous hole diameter and the granular restitution coefficient influenced the particles entering the porous surface system. In summary, the number of grains entering the pore is proportional to the diameter, but not linear.
Relation between Renal Length and Renal Volume with PatientÃ¢ÂÂs BMI: A CriticalAppraisal

In urological and nephrological practices, evaluation of kidney size imparts a valuable diagnostic parameter. Age, gender, body mass index, pregnancy and co-morbid conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension are supposed to affect the renal size. Measurements of renal dimensions can be carried out by using different modern techniques like ultrasonography, CT scan and MRI. On the other hand body mass index (BMI) provides information to know the patient’s obesity which is based on patient’s height and weight. Information available from one particular region may not satisfy the other region as renal parameters varies with different ethnic group and body size. In this prospective, reviewing literature of different studies evaluated so far to predict the relationship between renal dimensions and BMI is carried out. These studies revealed that most of renal parameters were positively correlated with body size of an individual, therefore they can be used to estimate the size and volume of kidney. Moreover, the standard normal reference ranges for renal volume and size can serve as gold standard and acts as an adjunct to judge the atrophic or hypertrophic condition of kidney. Hence, establishing relationship between measured renal dimensions and BMI will serve as a useful guideline for detection of diseased condition of kidney. This paper sets out to present published data on researches that has fortified knowledge and understanding of correlation between different renal parameters and BMI, keeping in mind different demographic background. Thus here we are putting a comprehensive account of the studies carried out globally to establish the inter-relationship between renal dimensions with BMI which definitely helps the nephrologists in early diagnosing the renal diseases.
Amphibious Vehicle Water Egress Modeling and Simulation Using CFD and Bekker’s Methodology

A significant challenge for wheeland propeller-driven amphibious vehicles during swimming operations involves the egress from bodies of water. The vehicle needs to be able to swim to the ramp of a vessel, and then propel itself up the ramp using water propellers and wheels simultaneously. To accurately predict the ability of the vehicle to climb the ramp, it is important to accurately model: (1) the interaction of the flow through the propellers, around the vehicle hull, and away from the ramp; (2) the wheel / ramp interaction; (3) the suspension system spring, damping, and motion-limiting forces, tire deformation and loading characteristics, and wheel and hull motions (both translation and rotation); and (4) the drivetrain power distribution to the wheels. Detailed modeling and simulation of these physics and processes -such as the wheel, hull, and suspension system motions and force interactions, propeller rotation and resulting flow, etc. -would be highly computationally expensive. Therefore, to make the water egress problem more tractable to solve, various modeling simplifications -such as the use of an actuator disc methodology for propeller flow modeling and Wong's terramechanics methodology for the wheel / ramp interaction -were introduced to facilitate rapid simulation. The integration of a customized six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) body dynamics solver with a multiphase Volume of Fluid (VOF) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver (STAR-CCM+) resulted in an efficient, robust, comprehensive methodology for modeling and simulating amphibious vehicle water egress for various environmental and vehicle characteristics and operational conditions. Citation: N. Tison, “Wheeled Amphibious Vehicle Water Egress M&S Using CFD and Simplified Vehicle Modeling Methodologies”, In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 13-15, 2019.
Role of interferons and immunotherapy in enhancing radiation treatment of cancer

Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatment modalities for many different types of solid tumors. Although a lot of research has been done in the past few decades to improve the efficacy of radiation therapy, a majority of the efforts were targeted at augmenting tumor cell-killing and minimizing exposure of surrounding tissue to radiation. Recent studies have provided mounting evidence that the immune system is involved in the capacity of radiation therapy to delay tumor progression. However, due to the complexity of interactions between immune components and the tumor microenvironment, the mechanisms by which radiation mediates tumor immunity have not been completely elucidated. Our lab has previously demonstrated that interferongamma (IFN-γ) is an important factor that contributes to radiation-mediated anti-tumor immunity. Here, we hypothesized that radiation induces production of type I IFNs, which synergistically enhance signaling pathways downstream of IFN-γ. Further, endogenous type I IFNs are essential for tumor control and the efficacy of radiation therapy. In particular, type I IFNs are required for the recruitment, activation and cytolytic function of CD8 + T cells. Therefore, we proposed that increasing intratumoral levels of IFN-α may further improve the capacity of radiation therapy to slow tumor progression. Using B16 cell line with inducible expression of IFN-α, we demonstrated that type I IFNs can indeed result in better tumor control than radiation or IFN-α treatment alone. Besides IFN-α therapy, a Listeria monocytogenes (Lm)-based cancer vaccine has been shown to generate strong antigen-specific immune responses against cancer. Here,
Does Geographic Proximity Matter in Active Monitoring? Evidence from Institutional Blockholder Monitoring of Corporate Governance in the Korean Market

ABSTRACT We examine institutional blockholders’ active monitoring influence using a proprietary corporate governance score (CGS) provided by the Korea Corporate Governance Service (KCGS). We find that institutional blockholders effectively exert monitoring influence to improve CSG scores of investee firms. The evidence of effective monitoring is particularly evident for domestic institutional blockholders and is strongest in the shareholder rights category of the CSG score. Consistent with domestic blockholders having an informational advantage over their foreign counterparts, the evidence of active monitoring is stronger (weaker) in firms with lower (higher) earnings management (higher information quality) and for firms with lower (higher) stock liquidity. Our robust findings shed light on the specific monitoring role of institutional blockholders in emerging markets, where sound corporate governance is essential to firms’ long-term sustainability.
Evaluación de un consorcio de Bacillus sp. sobre la fermentación de salvado de arroz y su efecto en el cultivo de camarón blanco Litopenaeus vannamei

"The accumulation of nitrogen waste in aquaculture production systems affects the health and survival of cultivated organisms. One of the alternatives to mitigate its effects is to introduce or promote the growth of organisms capable of using, transforming and / or eliminating harmful compounds. Various sources of carbon are commonly introduced into shrimp production, with the purpose of modulating the Carbon: Nitrogen (C: N) ratio and promoting the microbial fermentation of toxic nitrogen compounds; This is why it has been necessary to develop good practices for water quality management. For this purpose, the use of fermented rice bran has become an innovative technology with good results, which is based on the addition of carbohydrates to promote bacterial growth and, consequently, make the bioremediation process more efficient than other technologies and reduce operating costs. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the use of bacterial strains in the fermentation of rice bran and its effect on the cultivation of white shrimp. To achieve this, 27 bacterial strains were isolated from the digestive tract of shrimp, of which the antagonistic activity between them, the hemolytic capacity and their enzymatic profile was determined. The bacterial strains were identified by amplification of the 16S RNA ribosomal gene and incorporated into the bran of rice predigested with sodium hydroxide to increase its solubility in the water column and have a greater availability of nutrients. It was subsequently inoculated in saline solution at a bacterial concentration of 2 x 107. Finally, the ferment was evaluated in an experimental shrimp culture for 1 month. During this period zootechnical analyzes of the organisms and the evaluation of quality parameters of the culture water were performed, samples were also taken to determine the effect of the ferment on the microbiota of the culture water and digestive tract of the organisms by massive sequencing analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene; finally, histological sections of the hepatopancreas of the organisms subjected to the different treatments were carried out to determine the differences between the epithelial cells. "
A Long View of Southern California Water Supply: Perfect Droughts Revisited

The impact of drought on water resources in arid and semiarid regions can be buffered by water supplies from different source regions. Simultaneous drought in all major source regions — or perfect drought — poses the most serious challenge to water management. We examine perfect droughts relevant to Southern California (SoCal) water resources with instrumental records and tree‐ring reconstructions for the Sacramento and Colorado Rivers, and SoCal. Perfect droughts have occurred five times since 1906, lasting two to three years, except for the most recent event, 2012–2015. This number and duration of perfect droughts is not unusual in the context of the past six centuries. The modern period stands out for the relatively even distribution of perfect droughts and lacks the clusters of perfect drought documented in prior centuries. In comparison, perfect droughts of the 12th Century were both longer (up to nine years) and more widespread. Perfect droughts of the 20th and 21st Centuries have occurred under different oceanic/atmospheric patterns, zonal and meridional flow, and ENSO or non‐ENSO conditions. Multidecadal coherence across the three regions exists, but it has varied over the past six centuries, resulting in irregular intervals of perfect drought. Although the causes of perfect droughts are not clear, given the long‐term natural variability along with projected changes in climate, it is reasonable to expect more frequent and longer perfect droughts in the future.
A Predictive System Informed by Students’ Similar Behaviour

It is quite complex to adapt instruction to student needs in view of online education owing to the ensuing communication disconnection in such learning environments. Decision support schemes offer assistance by automatically gathering students’ data and forwarding them to the tutor in the appropriate perspective, in order to predict their behaviour and implement some action beforehand to avert or promote the final upshot. This study shows of a decision support scheme known as u-Tutor that is centred on the similarity computation between learners in the past, and how it was used in a real-case scenario. For this case study, this tool has been utilized by two real courses comprising of 392 learners alongside academic faculty, as of 2015 to 2019. The analysis offered focuses on 3 research areas: (1) perceived usefulness, (2) usability of the tool and (3) success rate of classification. From the acquired data, it can be seen that the teaching group managed to offer excellent approximations for those learners who eventually managed to pass the course, whereas u-Tutor seemed to be an early warning for learners at risk, indicating its capacity as a tutors’ supportive tool.
Multi-Modal Transfer Learning for Grasping Transparent and Specular Objects

State-of-the-art object grasping methods rely on depth sensing to plan robust grasps, but commercially available depth sensors fail to detect transparent and specular objects. To improve grasping performance on such objects, we introduce a method for learning a multi-modal perception model by bootstrapping from an existing uni-modal model. This transfer learning approach requires only a pre-existing uni-modal grasping model and paired multi-modal image data for training, foregoing the need for ground-truth grasp success labels nor real grasp attempts. Our experiments demonstrate that our approach is able to reliably grasp transparent and reflective objects. Video and supplementary material are available at https://sites.google. com/view/transparent-specular-grasping.
Dispersion engineering and measurement of whispering gallery mode microresonator for Kerr frequency comb generation

Abstract Designing and engineering microresonator dispersion are essential for generating microresonator frequency comb. Microresonator frequency combs (microcombs, Kerr frequency combs) offer the potential for various attractive applications as a new type of coherent light source that is power efficient and compact and has a high repetition rate and a broad bandwidth. They are easily driven with a continuous-wave pump laser with adequate frequency tuning; however, the resonators must have a high quality (Q) factor and suitable dispersion. The emergence of cavity enhanced four-wave mixing, which is based on third-order susceptibility in the host material, results in the generation of broadband and coherent optical frequency combs in the frequency domain equivalent to an optical pulse in the time domain. The platforms on which Kerr frequency combs can be observed have been developed, thanks to intensive efforts by many researchers over a few decades. Ultrahigh-Q whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonators are one of the major platforms since they can be made of a wide range of material including silica glass, fluoride crystals and semiconductors. In this review, we focus on the dispersion engineering of WGM microresonators by designing the geometry of the resonators based on numerical simulation. In addition, we discuss experimental methods for measuring resonator dispersion. Finally, we describe experimental results for Kerr frequency combs where second- and higher-order dispersions influence their optical spectra.