Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evolution of territoriality in Hylinae treefrogs: Ecological and morphological correlates and lineage diversification

Given the diverse nature of traits involved in territorial defence, they may respond to different selective pressures and then exhibit distinct patterns of evolution. These selective pressures also may cause territorial behaviour to be associated with environmental and morphological variables. Such associations, however, have mostly been studied at the intraspecific level, being phylogenetic analyses of territoriality in a broad taxonomic framework rare in the literature. We used the anuran subfamily Hylinae to test (1) whether two territorial‐behaviour traits with different levels of aggression—territorial call and physical combat—are evolutionarily more labile than a morphological trait used in physical combat—the spine‐shaped prepollex; (2) whether reproduction in lentic waters and phytotelmata, as well as resource scarcity, might favour the occurrence of territoriality; (3) if physical combat is more important than territorial call for the evolution of body size and sexual size dimorphism and (4) the relationships between territorial‐behaviour traits and lineage diversification. We mainly used the literature to build two datasets with different levels of certainty. Territorial‐behaviour traits exhibited intermediate levels of phylogenetic signal in Hylinae, whereas the phylogenetic signal for the presence of the spine‐shaped prepollex was strong. We found support for the hypothesis that reproduction in lentic water favours the occurrence of territorial behaviour, because the expression of territorial‐behaviour traits was more associated with reproduction in lentic than in lotic waters. Territorial‐behaviour traits were not correlated with annual precipitation nor with habitat complexity. Body size and sexual size dimorphism were not correlated with the presence of territorial call nor with physical combat. We identified negative correlations between diversification rates and physical combat. Relationships of territorial call and physical combat with diversification rates suggest that these territorial behaviours influence evolutionary processes in different ways.
The integration of technology into a home-based visuo-cognitive training intervention for people with Parkinson’s: Is the future digital?

Background Mobile applications and technology (e.g., stroboscopic glasses) are increasingly being used to deliver combined visual and cognitive (termed visuo-cognitive) training that replaces standard pen and paper-based interventions. These ‘technological visuo-cognitive training’ (TVT) interventions could help address the complex problems associated with visuo-cognitive dysfunction in people with long term neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. As data emerges to support the effectiveness of these technologies, patient perspectives offer an insight into how novel TVT is received by people living with long term neurological conditions. Objective To explore experiences of people with Parkinson’s in using technology as part of a home-based visuo-cognitive training programme compared to traditional approaches to rehabilitation. Methods Eight people with Parkinson’s who took part in a pilot randomised cross-over trial, investigating the efficacy and feasibility of TVT compared to standard care, were interviewed to explore their experiences of each arm of the training they received. Integration of Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) into the analysis enabled examination of the potential to embed novel TVT into a home-based rehabilitation intervention for people with Parkinson’s disease. Results Three key themes emerged from the thematic analysis as factors influencing the implementation potential of TVT for people with Parkinson’s disease: perceived value of technology, perceived ease of use and support mechanisms. Further examination of the data through the lens of NPT revealed that the implantation and embedding of novel technology was dependent on positive user experience, individual disease manifestation and engagement with a professional. Conclusions Our findings provide insights into the challenges of engaging with technology-based interventions while living with a progressive and fluctuating disease. When implementing technology-based interventions for people with Parkinson’s, we recommend that patients and clinicians collaborate to determine whether the technology fits the capacity, preference, and treatment needs of the individual patient.
Diagnostic accuracy of a simple qualitative ultrasound assessment for the diagnosis of empty stomach in the adult: A supplementary analysis of a prospective observer‐blind randomized crossover study

It has been reported that qualitative ultrasound assessment performed in the semi‐upright position had high sensitivity to detect gastric fluid volume >1.5 mL.kg−1. Nevertheless, the diagnostic accuracy of qualitative assessment for the diagnosis of empty stomach (fluid volume <0.8 mL.kg−1) has not been assessed. We aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of simple qualitative ultrasound assessment with and without head‐of‐bed elevation to 45° for the diagnosis of an empty stomach. We also aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of a composite ultrasound scale and clinical algorithm.
Plasma Transport and Confinement Studies in Hanbit Mirror Device

A brief overview is presented on initial study results of plasma transport and confinement in HANBIT mirror device. The parallel confinement is calculated using a generalized Pastukhov's formula, and compared with some experimental estimates. It is shown that the confinement time is less than 1 ms in typical HANBIT discharges. Analysis and simulation study are also presented on HANBIT discharges, particularly, ting to clarify the plasma density jump phenomena, which was observed in HANBIT when the RF frequency ω becomes smaller than the ion cyclotron frequency ωci. It is shown that the jump in plasma density (and beta, as shown from recent measurements) might be explained mainly as due to the increase in the parallel confinement time by the onset of ICRH ion heating at ω < ωci. The long-pulse operation with high-density plasma, even with a small initial fueling, can be also explained as due to the strong wall-recycling by fast neutrals generated from the ICRH heated hot ion at ω< ωci.
Entropic Balance Theory and Variational Field Lagrangian Formalism: Tornadogenesis

AbstractThe entropic balance theory has been applied with outstanding results to explain many important aspects of tornadic phenomena. The theory was originally developed in variational (probabilistic) field Lagrangian formalism, or in short, variational formalism, with Lagrangian density and action appropriate for supercell-storm and tornadic phenomena. The variational formalism is broadly used in in modern physics, not only in classical mechanics, with Lagrangian density and action designed for each physical problem properly. The Clebsch transformation (equation) was derived in the classical variational formalism but has not been used because of the unobservable and nonmeteorological Lagrange multiplier. The entropic balance condition is thus developed from the Clebsch transformation, changing the unobservable nonmeteorological Lagrange multiplier to observable meteorological rotational flow velocity with entropy and making it applicable to tornadic phenomena. Theoretical details of the entropic balance.
Neurological Examination Frequency and Time-to-Delirium After Traumatic Brain Injury

BACKGROUND: Frequent neurological examinations in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupt sleep-wake cycles and potentially contribute to the development of delirium. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the risk of delirium among patients with TBI with respect to their neuro-check frequencies. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients presenting with TBI at a single level I trauma center between January 2018 and December 2019. The primary exposure was the frequency of neurological examinations (neuro-checks) assigned at the time of admission. Patients admitted with hourly (Q1) neuro-check frequencies were compared with those who received examinations every 2 (Q2) or 4 (Q4) hours. The primary outcomes were delirium and time-to-delirium. The onset of delirium was defined as the first documented positive Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit score. RESULTS: Of 1552 patients with TBI, 458 (29.5%) patients experienced delirium during their hospital stay. The median time-to-delirium was 1.8 days (IQR: 1.1, 2.9). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients assigned Q1 neuro-checks had the greatest rate of delirium compared with the patients with Q2 and Q4 neuro-checks (P < .001). Multivariable Cox regression modeling demonstrated that Q2 neuro-checks (hazard ratio: 0.439, 95% CI: 0.33-0.58) and Q4 neuro-checks (hazard ratio: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.34-0.68) were protective against the development of delirium compared with Q1. Other risk factors for developing delirium included pre-existing dementia, tobacco use, lower Glasgow Coma Scale score, higher injury severity score, and certain hemorrhage patterns. CONCLUSION: Patients with more frequent neuro-checks had a higher risk of developing delirium compared with those with less frequent neuro-checks.
Telehealth Delivery of Evidence-Based Intervention Within Older Adult Populations: A Scoping Review

Telehealth services enable individuals to participate in meaningful occupations; however, the evidence on this topic has not been synthesized in older adult populations. This scoping review synthesized the evidence on interventions delivered through telehealth (and the mode of delivery) in occupational therapy for older adult populations. A search for studies on occupational therapy, older adults, and telehealth was performed in six research databases, and identified 536 articles. Four reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts; and reviewed eligible full text. Ten articles were extracted into a table and summarized through narrative format. The studies focused on performance-based intervention (60%), cognition (10%), health (10%), occupation (10%), and the environment (10%) in older adult populations (N = 1 − 208); including those with Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, cancer, and stroke. The interventions were delivered through electronic audio-visual platforms (e.g., zoom) (80%) and teleconference platforms (e.g., phone calls) (20%).
Fault-tolerant computation using algebraic homomorphisms

Arithmetic codes are a class of error-correcting codes that are able to protect computation more efficiently than modular redundancy. In this thesis we consider the problem of designing an arithmetic code to protect a given computation. The main contributions are as follows: (1) The first constructive procedure, outside of modular redundancy, for generating arithmetic codes for a large class of operations. The approach is mathematically rigorous, based on group-theory, and fully characterizes the important class of systematic-separate codes. The results encompass computation that can be modeled as operations in an algebraic group, ring, field, or vector space. (2) A novel set-theoretic framework for characterizing the redundancy present in a system. We present a decomposition of a robust system into a cascade of three systems and determine general requirements for multiple error detection and correction. (3) We identify an important class of errors for which the redundancy present in a system may be completely characterized by a single integer, analogous to the minimum distance of a binary error-correcting code. (4) We unify the existing literature on arithmetic codes. A wide variety of seemingly unrelated codes are combined into a single general framework. (5) A large number of examples illustrating the application of our technique are presented. (6) Detailed analyses of two new and practical fault-tolerant systems: fault-tolerant convolution and A/D conversion. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
The high identity of the Trypanosoma cruzi Group‐I of trans‐sialidases points them as promising vaccine immunogens

Trans‐sialidase (TS) superfamily of proteins comprises eight subgroups, being the proteins of Group‐I (TS‐GI) promising immunogens in vaccine approaches against Trypanosoma cruzi. Strikingly, TS‐GI antigenic variability among parasite lineages and their influence on vaccine development has not been previously analyzed. Here, a search in GenBank detects 49 TS‐GI indexed sequences, whereas the main infecting human different parasite discrete typing units (DTU) are represented. In silico comparison among these sequences indicate that they share an identity above 92%. Moreover, the antigenic regions (T‐cell and B‐cell epitopes) are conserved in most sequences or present amino acid substitutions that scarcely may alter the antigenicity. Additionally, since the generic term TS is usually used to refer to different immunogens of this broad family, a further in silico analysis of the TS‐GI‐derived fragments tested in preclinical vaccines was done to determine the coverage and identity among them, showing that overall amino acid identity of vaccine immunogens is high, but the segment coverage varies widely. Accordingly, strong H‐2K, H‐2I, and B‐cell epitopes are dissimilarly represented among vaccine TS‐derived fragments depending on the extension of the TG‐GI sequence used. Moreover, bioinformatic analysis detected a set of 150 T‐cell strong epitopes among the DTU‐indexed sequences that strongly bind human HLA‐I supertypes. In all currently reported experimental vaccines based on TS‐GI fragments, mapping these 150 epitopes showed that they are moderately represented. However, despite vaccine epitopes do not present all the substitutions observed in the DTUs, these regions of the proteins are equally recognized by the same HLAs. Interestingly, the predictions regarding global and South American population coverage estimated in these 150 epitopes are similar to the estimations in experimental vaccines when the complete sequence of TS‐GI is used as an antigen. In silico prediction also shows that a number of these MHC‐I restricted T‐cell strong epitopes could be also cross‐recognized by HLA‐I supertypes and H‐2Kb or H‐2Kd backgrounds, indicating that these mice may be used to improve and facilitate the development of new TS‐based vaccines and suggesting an immunogenic and protective potential in humans. Further molecular docking analyses were performed to strengthen these results. Taken together, different strategies that would cover more or eventually fully of these T‐cell and also B‐cell epitopes to reach a high level of coverage are considered.
Reply to T. Schneider's comment on "Spatio-temporal filling of missing points in geophysical data sets"

First, we thank T. Schneider (TS hereafter) for his positive and constructive comments about Kondrashov and Ghil (2006) (KG hereafter). KG focused on exploiting temporal covariability in geophysical data sets, an idea that Schneider (2001; S01 hereafter) had suggested, but not applied to any data, synthetic or geophysical. Two unfortunate inaccuracies ‐ corrected in comments (iii) and (iv) of TS ‐ did crop up when KG described the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and its regularized version used by S01 for filling in missing data. We regret this slip, being thoroughly familiar with the general EM framework, which we used for probability density estimation when studying multiple weather regimes (Smyth et al. 1999; Kondrashov et al. 2004, 2006). We thus agree with TS that the regularized EM algorithm and KG’s method are both based on estimating mean and covariance components of the gappy data set under study [his comment (iii)], and that several gap-filling methods, including regularized EM and our own (multi-channel) singularspectrum analysis (M-)SSA, rely ‐ among many other assumptions ‐ also on the probability of a data point’s absence being independent of the missing value itself [his comment (iv)]. Singular-value decomposition (SVD; Golub and Van Loan, 1989) underlies both regression and principal components analysis, and thus represents a common basis for KG’s M-SSA as well as S01’s regularized EM method. In this reply, we concentrate on discussing several differences between our methods, which might look minor to TS, but lead to differences in computational performance and numerical results in practical applications. We have tried out, before submitting KG, the free gap-filling software kindly provided on TS’s personal website and plan to add KG’s gap-filling feature as soon as feasible to the SSA-MTM Toolkit, available for free at http://www.atmos. ucla.edu/tcd/ssa; see also Ghil et al. (2002). KG aim to fill the gaps with smooth information from an
Development of a rapid and sensitive real-time diagnostic assay to detect and quantify Aphanomyces invadans, the causative agent of epizootic ulcerative syndrome

The oomycete Aphanomyces invadans causes epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS), a World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH)-listed disease that has seriously impacted a wide range of fish worldwide. Currently, only three conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are recommended for the detection of A. invadans. The robust quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay has recently become more important due to its highly accurate nature and the applicability of qPCR-based environmental DNA (eDNA) detection in the monitoring of pathogens in aquatic environments. Therefore, in this study, we developed a novel TaqMan probe-based qPCR method to sensitively and quantitatively detect A. invadans. The assay limit of detection was determined using 10-fold serial dilutions of linearized A. invadans plasmid. Assay sensitivity was assessed in the presence of interfering substances and compared to three WOAH-listed primers using the mycelia and zoospores of A. invadans with and without fish muscle tissue. The assay specificity was also theoretically and experimentally assessed against other oomycetes, fish muscle tissue, and water samples. The assay’s repeatability and reproducibility were determined. In this study, the limit of detection of the developed assay was 7.24 copies of A. invadans genomic DNA per reaction (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.75 to 19.05 copies/reaction). The assay showed the same sensitivity in the presence of other substances. Compared to the WOAH-recommended PCR assays, this assay had 10-times higher sensitivity for all tested samples. There were no cross-reactions with other closely related oomycetes, fish muscle, or water samples, indicating that the assay was highly specific for A. invadans. The repeatability and reproducibility tests showed little variation, ranging from 0.1–0.9% and 0.04–1.1%, respectively, indicating the high consistency, repeatability, and reliability of the developed assay. This highly rapid, sensitive, specific, and consistent EUS qPCR assay would be of importance in transboundary disease management and the monitoring of pathogens in aquatic environments.
Virtual reality for pain reduction during intravenous injection in pediatrics: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials

Background Intravenous (IV) injections often cause pain, fear, and anxiety in pediatric patients. Virtual reality (VR) is a relatively new intervention that can be used to provide a distraction during or prepare patients for IV injections. Purpose To date, no meta-analysis has examined the evidence regarding the effectiveness of VR at reducing pain in pediatric IV injections. Methods The PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched for articles published through August 7, 2022. The methodological quality of the studies was measured using the Delphi checklist. The chi-square test and the I2 statistic were used to assess heterogeneity across studies. A summary measure of the mean difference in pain scores between the VR and control groups was obtained using a random effects model. All statistical analyses were set at a significance level of 0.05 using Stata 14. Results Nine studies were included in this meta-analysis of VR interventions used during IV injections in pediatric patients. The difference in mean pain score between the intervention and control groups showed significant reductions in the VR group (mean difference, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.3–0.65; I2=9.1%). No interstudy heterogeneity was observed. Conclusion Our results suggest that VR effectively reduces pain associated with IV injections in pediatric patients. No interstudy heterogeneity was noted among the analyzed studies. The Delphi checklist was used to assess methodological quality.
Italian translation and reliability of Fist-Sci scale for chronic paraplegic patients: first validation study

Background and aim of the work: Lack of trunk control following spinal cord injury implicates a worse quality of life and a higher dependence on caregivers. Physiotherapists, so, need reliable assessments to plan rehabilitation activities; literature proposes several evaluation scales to assess unsupported trunk control in this chronic condition, but studies show poor methodological quality. This study aimed to translate and explore the significance of the Italian version of the “Function in sitting test - spinal cord injury” scale for chronic spinal cord injury patients. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted at Fiorenzuola D’Arda Hospital. After a forward/backward translation of the “Function in sitting test - spinal cord injury” scale in Italian, content and face translational validity, inter-rater reliability was assessed. Patients were recruited by historical tracking of patients who received acute rehabilitation care at Villanova d’Arda Spinal Unit; we considered eligible to the study patients more than twenty years old, with diagnosis of chronic paraplegia, resident in Piacenza province and with Italian language comprehension. Two researchers administered the Function in sitting test - spinal cord injury scale to the same patients at follow-up. Results: Ten patients took part in the study; results showed that higher inter-rater correlation coefficient (Pearson’s R= 0.89, p= 0.01 Intra-class correlation coefficient= 0.94, p=0.000). Content validity was also excellent (Scale Content Validity Index = 0.91); some experts gave suggestion to better use and improve tool practice, with particular reference to movement quality evaluation. Conclusion: Italian “Function in sitting test - spinal cord injury” scale for assessing trunk control in chronic spinal patients appears to be an excellent assessment tool concerning inter-rater reliability. Content validity further confirms the validity of the instrument. (www.actabiomedica.it)