Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Cover Crop Planting and Termination Dates on Arthropod Activity in the Following Corn

Abstract Relative to fallow-cash crop rotations, the addition of a cover crop can contribute to greater plant diversity and has the potential to conserve predatory arthropods. The transition of arthropods from a cover crop to a subsequent cash crop depends on several factors, such as cover crop biomass production and weather conditions. Information about the effect of cover crop planting and termination dates on arthropods in a subsequent corn system is limited. A two-year field study was conducted in Nebraska in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 to evaluate the impact of cover crop planting and termination dates as a source for arthropods in the subsequent corn. A total of 38,074 and 50,626 arthropods were collected in the first and second year, respectively. In both years, adding a grass cover crop increased predatory arthropods but reduced yield in follow corn crop. Of the arthropods collected, Carabidae and Araneae had greater activity with cover crop biomass increments, whereas Collembola and Acari activity only increased in treatments with little or no cover crop biomass. Insect pest pressure was not significant in any treatment for either year. A cover crop planted in mid- or late-September and terminated at corn planting was identified as the best management strategy to maximize cover crop biomass, increase predator activity, and modify predator-prey dynamics. The results of this study provide growers with a cover crop management strategy to maximize cover crop biomass, beneficial arthropod activity, and potentially minimize insect pest problems; however, corn Zea Mays (L.) grain yield was reduced as cover crop biomass increased.
Burden of organ donation after euthanasia in patients with psychiatric disorder

Organ donation after euthanasia (ODE) is rarely performed but the number has gradually increased over the years. It has been suggested that the preparatory investigations for organ donation parallel to the medical-legal procedures for euthanasia may be too much of a burden for the patients and their relatives. Furthermore, dying in an intensive care unit might contribute to this burden. Based on two patients who were granted euthanasia based on a psychiatric disorder, we show that the actual burden may be minimal for some patients and their relatives and may even be helpful in their process of euthanasia. Therefore, we propose that providing patients with information about donation of organs after euthanasia may be important to incorporate early in the medical-legal process of euthanasia instead of waiting for the patient to bring up organ donation, as currently advised in the Dutch guideline for ODE.
Coprinopsis afrocinerea (Agaricales, Psathyrellaceae): First record from Asia (Pakistan)

In this work, we introduced a new report, Coprinopsis afrocinerea, a coprinoid mushroom from Pakistan. This species was collected several times during the monsoon season; it was found growing on animal dung and on sandy soil mixed with wood chips and leaf litter. This taxon was identified through morphological (macro‐ and micromorphology) techniques and molecular (ITS‐region) markers. Results showed that Pakistani collection's macro‐ and micro‐morphological characters match the type specimen of Coprinopsis afrocinerea. In the phylogenetic tree, sequences of our collections fall within section Cinereae and are clustered with type sequences of Coprinopsis afrocinerea with strong statistical support. This species has already been reported from Africa and is described here for the first time from Asia. Previously, only seven species of Coprinopsis have been reported from Pakistan, and in this study, the number of known taxa has increased to eight. This paper provides a detailed morphological and molecular analysis of this species to differentiate it from closely related taxa.
Enhancing healthcare professional‐led sexual support in cancer care: Acceptability and usability of an eLearning resource and its impact on attitudes towards providing sexual support

Barriers to healthcare professional (HP) (HP)‐led sexual support in cancer care include lack of knowledge, skills and evidence‐based educational interventions, to equip HPs to address sexual challenges faced by patients and partners. Consequently, sexual support is often avoided. This study examined HPs' acceptability and usability of the Maximising Sexual Wellbeing: Cancer Care (MSW|CC) eLearning resource for HPs and evaluated its impact on HPs' sexual attitudes and beliefs to providing sexual support in cancer care.
Learning Feature Recovery Transformer for Occluded Person Re-Identification

One major issue that challenges person re-identification (Re-ID) is the ubiquitous occlusion over the captured persons. There are two main challenges for the occluded person Re-ID problem, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$i.e.$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the interference of noise during feature matching and the loss of pedestrian information brought by the occlusions. In this paper, we propose a new approach called Feature Recovery Transformer (FRT) to address the two challenges simultaneously, which mainly consists of visibility graph matching and feature recovery transformer. To reduce the interference of the noise during feature matching, we mainly focus on visible regions that appear in both images and develop a visibility graph to calculate the similarity. In terms of the second challenge, based on the developed graph similarity, for each query image, we propose a recovery transformer that exploits the feature sets of its <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-nearest neighbors in the gallery to recover the complete features. Extensive experiments across different person Re-ID datasets, including occluded, partial and holistic datasets, demonstrate the effectiveness of FRT. Specifically, FRT significantly outperforms state-of-the-art results by at least 6.2% Rank- 1 accuracy and 7.2% mAP scores on the challenging Occluded-Duke dataset.
Tough, aorta-inspired soft composites

Significance Biological composites have excellent fracture and fatigue properties that can be partially attributed to spatial variations of fiber alignment. We three-dimensionally print fiber-reinforced silicone composites with aorta-inspired fiber orientations and with a strengthened fiber–matrix bond to produce a composite with mechanical properties similar to those of skin. The materials are resistant to mechanical failure, even in the presence of large defects, including under cyclic loading.
Beneficial effects of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract on inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of the clinical trials

The beneficial effects of Ginkgo biloba on cardio‐metabolic markers have been reported. However, its effect on inflammation is not assessed in any meta‐analysis. We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract (GBLE) on serum C‐reactive protein (CRP), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) levels. A systematic search was performed on four databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, up to October 2021. After screening, 17 trials met our inclusion criteria. Trials were of 1–24 weeks of duration and included 1,104 participants. In the meta‐analysis, the weighted mean differences (WMD) in change for serum CRP were −1.5 mg/L (95% CI: −2.16, −0.85, p < 0.001). Moreover, WMD for serum IL‐6 and TNF‐α were in favor of the GBLE compared to the placebo [(−16.86 pg/mL, 95% CI: −19.38, −14.34, p < 0.001); and (−4.19 pg/mL, 95%CI: −5.14, −3.23, p < 0.001), respectively]. Subgroup analysis showed that GBLE has a beneficial effect on serum CRP at the baseline levels≥3 mg/L and doses<500 mg/day. This meta‐analysis showed that the GBLE could reduce serum inflammatory markers. Therefore, this medicinal herb might be a possible strategy for inflammation control.
Arterial input functions in dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) in longitudinal evaluation of brain metastases

Background Dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) could be helpful to separate true disease progression from pseudo-progression in brain metastases when assessing the need for retreatment. However, the selection of arterial input functions (AIFs) is not standardized for analysis, limiting its use for this application. Purpose To compare population-based AIFs, AIFs specific to each patient, and AIFs specific to every visit in the longitudinal follow-up of brain metastases. Material and Methods Longitudinal data were collected from eight patients before treatment (6 of 8 patients) and after treatment (6–17 visits). Imaging was performed using a 1.5-T MRI system. Lesions were segmented by subtracting precontrast images from postcontrast images. Cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were computed, and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients were calculated to evaluate similarity of DSC parameters dependent on various AIF choices across time. AIF shape characteristics were compared. Parameter differences between white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) were obtained to determine which AIF choice maximizes tissue differentiation. Results Although DSC parameters follow similar patterns in time, the various AIF selections cause large parameter variations with relative standard deviations of up to ±60%. AIFs sampled in one patient across sessions more similar in shape than AIFs sampled across patients. Estimates of rCBV based on scan-specific AIFs differentiated better between perfusion in WM and GM than patient-specific or population-based AIFs (P ≤ 0.02). Conclusion Results indicate that scan-specific AIFs are the best choice for DSC-MRI parameter estimations in the longitudinal follow-up of brain metastases.
Magnitude and determinants of SARS-CoV-2 household transmission: a longitudinal cohort study

Abstract Background Households have emerged as important venues for SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Little is known, however, regarding the magnitude and determinants of household transmission in increasingly vaccinated populations. Methods From September 2020 to January 2022, symptomatic non-hospitalized individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection by RNA detection were identified within 5 days of symptom onset; all individuals resided with at least one other SARS-CoV-2-uninfected household member. These infected persons (cases) and their household members (contacts) were subsequently followed with questionnaire-based measurement and serial nasal specimen collection. The primary outcome was SARS-CoV-2 infection among contacts. Results We evaluated 42 cases and their 74 household contacts. Among the contacts, 32 (43%) became infected, of whom 5/32 (16%) were asymptomatic; 81% of transmissions occurred by 5 days after the case’s symptom onset. From 21 unvaccinated cases, 14-day cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among contacts was 18/40 (45%; 95% CI: 29, 62), most of whom were unvaccinated. From 21 vaccinated cases, 14-day cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was 14/34 (41%; 95% CI: 25, 59) among all contacts and 12/29 (41%; 95% CI: 24, 61) among vaccinated contacts. At least one co-morbid condition among cases and 10 or more days of RNA detection in cases were associated with increased risk of infection among contacts. Conclusions Among households including individuals with symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, both vaccinated-to-vaccinated and unvaccinated-to-unvaccinated transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to household contacts was common. Because vaccination alone did not notably reduce risk of infection, household contacts will need to employ additional interventions to avoid infection.
Ultrasensitive Quantification of Multiple Estrogens in Songbird Blood and Microdissected Brain by LC-MS/MS

Abstract Neuroestrogens are synthesized within the brain and regulate social behavior, learning and memory, and cognition. In song sparrows, Melospiza melodia, 17β-estradiol (17β-E2) promotes aggressive behavior, including during the nonbreeding season when circulating steroid levels are low. Estrogens are challenging to measure because they are present at very low levels, and current techniques often lack the sensitivity required. Furthermore, current methods often focus on 17β-E2 and disregard other estrogens. Here, we developed and validated a method to measure four estrogens [estrone (E1), 17β-E2, 17α-estradiol (17α-E2), estriol (E3)] simultaneously in microdissected songbird brain, with high specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, and precision. We used liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and to improve sensitivity, we derivatized estrogens using 1,2-dimethylimidazole-5-sulfonyl-chloride (DMIS). The straightforward protocol improved sensitivity by 10-fold for some analytes. There is substantial regional variation in neuroestrogen levels in brain areas that regulate social behavior in male song sparrows. For example, the auditory area NCM, which has high aromatase levels, has the highest E1 and 17β-E2 levels. In contrast, estrogen levels in blood are very low. Estrogen levels in both brain and circulation are lower in the nonbreeding season than in the breeding season. This technique will be useful for estrogen measurement in songbirds and potentially other animal models.
Immunopathology and Trypanosoma congolense parasite sequestration cause acute cerebral trypanosomiasis

Trypanosoma congolense causes a syndrome of variable severity in animals in Africa. Cerebral trypanosomiasis is a severe form, but the mechanism underlying this severity remains unknown. We developed a mouse model of acute cerebral trypanosomiasis and characterized the cellular, behavioral, and physiological consequences of this infection. We show large parasite sequestration in the brain vasculature for long periods of time (up to 8 hr) and extensive neuropathology that associate with ICAM1-mediated recruitment and accumulation of T cells in the brain parenchyma. Antibody-mediated ICAM1 blocking and lymphocyte absence reduce parasite sequestration in the brain and prevent the onset of cerebral trypanosomiasis. Here, we establish a mouse model of acute cerebral trypanosomiasis and we propose a mechanism whereby parasite sequestration, host ICAM1, and CD4+ T cells play a pivotal role.
Electron probe microanalysis of the elemental composition of phytoliths from woody bamboo species

Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is promising for accurately determining elemental components in micro-areas of individual phytolith particles, interpreting compositional features and formation mechanisms of phytoliths in plants, identifying archeological and sedimental phytolith. However, the EPMA method of analyzing mounted slide phytoliths has not well been defined. In this study, we attempted different EPMA methods to determine the elemental compositions of phytoliths in mounted slides. Direct analysis of carbon (DAC) with other elements in phytolith could obtain abnormally high total values and carbon values. The method of carbon excluded in measuring elements (non-carbon analysis (NCA)) was feasible to obtain elemental compositions in phytolith. The NCA method was conducive to obtain the factual elemental compositions of an individual phytolith (morphotype) when the carbon content of phytolith was relatively low. The EPMA results of phytoliths from 20 bamboo species (three genera) showed that phytolith was dominantly composed of SiO2 but also included low contents of diverse other elements. The EPMA of phytoliths can provide the elemental composition of micro-areas of an individual phytolith particle. The elemental compositions of phytolith varied with their morphotypes, the genera and ecotype of bamboos. The EPMA of elemental compositions in phytoliths is a potential tool to study the formation mechanism of phytoliths, plant taxonomical identification, archaeological and paleoenvironmental reconstruction.
Mutation to ispA Produces Stable Small-Colony Variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa That Have Enhanced Aminoglycoside Resistance

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major pathogen in burn wound infections. We present one of the first reports of small-colony variant (SCV) emergence of P. aeruginosa, taken from a patient under aminoglycosides for a persistent burn wound infection. We confirm the causative role of a single ispA mutation in SCV emergence and increased aminoglycoside resistance. IspA is involved in the synthesis of ubiquinone, providing a possible link between electron transport and SCV formation in P. aeruginosa. ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major pathogen in burn wound infections. We present one of the first reports of small-colony variant (SCV) emergence of P. aeruginosa, taken from a patient under aminoglycosides for a persistent burn wound infection. We confirm the causative role of a single ispA mutation in SCV emergence and increased aminoglycoside resistance. IspA is involved in the synthesis of ubiquinone, providing a possible link between electron transport and SCV formation in P. aeruginosa.
A Noninvasive Method for Time-Lapse Imaging of Microbial Interactions and Colony Dynamics

Communication and interactions between single cells are continuously defining the structure and composition of microbial communities temporally and spatially. Methods routinely used to study these communities at the cellular level rely on sample manipulation which makes microscopic time-lapse experiments impossible. ABSTRACT Complex interactions between microbial populations can greatly affect the overall properties of a microbial community, sometimes leading to cooperation and mutually beneficial coexistence, or competition and the death or displacement of organisms or subpopulations. Interactions between different biofilm populations are highly relevant in diverse scientific areas, from antimicrobial resistance to microbial ecology. The utilization of modern microscopic techniques has provided a new and interesting insight into how bacteria interact at the cellular level to form and maintain microbial biofilms. However, our ability to follow complex intraspecies and interspecies interactions in vivo at the microscopic level has remained somewhat limited. Here, we detailed BacLive, a novel noninvasive method for tracking bacterial growth and biofilm dynamics using high-resolution fluorescence microscopy and an associated ImageJ processing macro (https://github.com/BacLive) for easier data handling and image analysis. Finally, we provided examples of how BacLive can be used in the analysis of complex bacterial communities. IMPORTANCE Communication and interactions between single cells are continuously defining the structure and composition of microbial communities temporally and spatially. Methods routinely used to study these communities at the cellular level rely on sample manipulation which makes microscopic time-lapse experiments impossible. BacLive was conceived as a method for the noninvasive study of the formation and development of bacterial communities, such as biofilms, and the formation dynamics of specialized subpopulations in time-lapse experiments at a colony level. In addition, we developed a tool to simplify the processing and analysis of the data generated by this method.
Impact of Sargassum Accumulations on Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) Hatchling Recruitment in SE Florida, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT Schiariti, J.P. and Salmon, M. , 2022. Impact of Sargassum accumulations on loggerhead (Caretta caretta) hatchling recruitment in SE Florida, U.S.A. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(4), 725–734. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Hatchling loggerhead turtles emerge from subsurface nests on oceanic beaches at night, then crawl toward and enter the sea. Recently, increases in a floating algae (Sargassum spp.) have been reported in the mid-Atlantic and Caribbean, resulting in large accumulation on Florida's beaches. The purpose of this study was to determine if, during the 2020 nesting season, these accumulations acted as a barrier that prevented the hatchlings from crawling to the sea. Seasonal changes in Sargassum density were recorded to determine when, and under what circumstances, hatchlings could cross the accumulated wrack. There was a significant overlap between when Sargassum accumulations peaked and when the turtles emerged, with the result that during the 2020 nesting season the number of hatchlings that entered the ocean was reduced by an estimated 22%. These results suggest that algal accumulations represent a significant threat that could potentially impede the recovery of loggerhead populations that currently are either threatened or endangered, worldwide.
Acute liver failure in dogs and cats

Objective To define acute liver failure (ALF), review the human and veterinary literature, and discuss the etiologies and current concepts in diagnostic and treatment options for ALF in veterinary and human medicine. Etiology In veterinary medicine ALF is most commonly caused by hepatotoxin exposure, infectious agents, inflammatory diseases, trauma, and hypoxic injury. Diagnosis A patient may be deemed to be in ALF when there is a progression of acute liver injury with no known previous hepatic disease, the development of hepatic encephalopathy of any grade that occurs within 8 weeks after the onset of hyperbilirubinemia (defined as plasma bilirubin >50 μM/L [>2.9 mg/dL]), and the presence of a coagulopathy. Diagnostic testing to more specifically characterize liver dysfunction or pathology is usually required. Therapy Supportive care to aid the failing liver and compensate for the lost functions of the liver remains the cornerstone of care of patients with ALF. Advanced therapeutic options such as extracorporeal liver assist devices and transplantation are currently available in human medicine. Prognosis The prognosis for ALF depends upon the etiology, the degree of liver damage, and the response to therapy. In veterinary medicine, the prognosis is generally poor.
An obstacle-avoiding and stiffness-tunable modular bionic soft robot

Abstract The aim of this work is to design and model a novel modular bionic soft robot for crawling and crossing obstacles. The modular bionic soft robot is composed of several serial driving soft modules, each module is composed of two parallel soft actuators. By analyzing the influence of working pressure and manufacturing size on the stiffness of the modular bionic soft robot, the nonlinear variable stiffness model of the modular bionic soft robot is established. Based on this model, the spatial states and design parameters of the modular bionic soft robot are discussed when the modular bionic soft robot can pass through the obstacle. Experiments show that when the inflation air pressure of the modular bionic soft robot is 70 kPa, its speed can reach 7.89 mm/s and the height of obstacles passed by it can reach 42.8 mm. The feasibility of the proposed modular bionic soft robot and nonlinear variable stiffness model is verified by locomotion experiments.
Validated Numerics: Algorithms and Practical Applications in Aerospace

My lecture will survey some classical and recent validated computing algorithms based on the theory of set-valued analysis, in suitable functional spaces, as well as by combining symbolic and numerical computations. These techniques are illustrated with some applications which appear in practical space mission analysis and design. This is only a short summary of the talk.