Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Citizen knowledge of and attitudes toward black-tailed prairie dogs: completion report

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards. Any use of trade product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The analysis and recommendations in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies of the U.S. Geological Survey or Department of the Interior.
Managing Emerging Risks and Liabilities in Data-Enabled Solutions

This paper addresses emerging liability concerns in new data analytic and IoT solutions. It reviews recent examples in which related technology industries have suffered major liability exposures or failed to fulfill expected service agreements and proposes ways to mitigate this. It also identifies each of the different components of new analytics solutions and explore these for potential risk and liability exposures. This include components such as data privacy across different regions, networking stacks, advanced algorithms for decision making, cloud computing as infrastructure, open source software for rapid prototyping and deployment, the IoT platform for seamless configurability and a stack of intermediate technology partners for viable product development. We prescribe methodologies for limiting liabilities from these exposures.
Pattern of circadian rhythm of blood pressure in acute stroke

Background and Purpose: Circadian rhythm in blood pressure (BP) has been recognized as a prognostic marker in hypertensive patients. We embarked on this study to establish the pattern of circadian rhythm of BP in our stroke patients and to compare this with results elsewhere. Methods: Of the 61 patients with acute stroke, 34 met the inclusion criteria of presenting within 72 hours of stroke onset and were included in the study. BP was recorded manually every 2 hours with a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. Daytime BPs was recorded from 8:00 a.m to 7:59 p.m while the night time BPs was recorded from 8:00 p.m to 7:59 a.m. Results: The mean age of the studied population was 65±11years. The risk factors identified for acute stroke were hypertension, diabetes and smoking. The mean daytime, nighttime and 24 hours BP were higher in the heamorrhagic than in the ischaemic stroke group. Twenty two of the patients were nondippers while twelve were dippers. Admission mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was found to be higher in patients with haemorrhagic stroke compared to those with ischaemic stroke, p value= 0.003. About 65% of the patients were non dippers and had < 10% drop in nighttime BP. Conclusions: The findings here showed a reduced circadian BP variation after stroke. It also showed a higher mean admission, daytime, nighttime and 24 hour BP in patients with haemorrhagic stroke compared to those with ischaemic stroke. It equally showed a statistically significant difference in BP in both dippers and non-dippers (p < 0.05).
Large Scale Explorative Oligonucleotide Probe Selection for Thousands of Genetic Groups on a Computing Grid: Application to Phylogenetic Probe Design Using a Curated Small Subunit Ribosomal RNA Gene Database

Phylogenetic Oligonucleotide Arrays (POAs) were recently adapted for studying the huge microbial communities in a flexible and easy-to-use way. POA coupled with the use of explorative probes to detect the unknown part is now one of the most powerful approaches for a better understanding of microbial community functioning. However, the selection of probes remains a very difficult task. The rapid growth of environmental databases has led to an exponential increase of data to be managed for an efficient design. Consequently, the use of high performance computing facilities is mandatory. In this paper, we present an efficient parallelization method to select known and explorative oligonucleotide probes at large scale using computing grids. We implemented a software that generates and monitors thousands of jobs over the European Computing Grid Infrastructure (EGI). We also developed a new algorithm for the construction of a high-quality curated phylogenetic database to avoid erroneous design due to bad sequence affiliation. We present here the performance and statistics of our method on real biological datasets based on a phylogenetic prokaryotic database at the genus level and a complete design of about 20,000 probes for 2,069 genera of prokaryotes.
“We work by the second !” Piecework remuneration and occupational health and safety from an ethnicity- and gender-sensitive perspective

Few qualitative studies have described the mechanisms by which piecework influences health. We present the results of 25 interviews conducted between 2004 and 2006 in a large garment factory in Montreal. We describe the workforce, made up in large part of women and immigrants, the requirements and constraints of production, workers’ strategies favouring production and those favouring health, and the management and impact of the health problems experienced by workers. In addition, we compare the experience of piecework to its representation by various stakeholders (employers, workers, decision-makers, doctors) as reported in 62 decisions regarding compensation claims for work-related health problems rendered by the Commission des lesions professionnelles (C.L.P.) between 2000 and 2007, decisions pertaining to the garment industry and mentioning piecework. We examine the causes and discuss the implications of our results.
Estimating peer similarity using distance of shared files

Peer-to-Peer (p2p) networks are used by millions of users for sharing content. As these networks become ever more popular, it becomes increasingly difficult to find useful content in the abundance of shared files. Modern p2p networks and similar social services must adopt new methods to help users efficiently locate content, and to this end approximate meta-data search and recommendation systems are utilized. However, meta-data is often missing or wrong, and recommender systems are not fitted to handle p2p networks due to inherent difficulties such as implicit ranking, noise in user generated content and the extreme dimensions and sparseness of the network. This paper attempts to bridge this gap by suggesting a new metric for peer similarity, which can be used to improve content search and recommendation in large scale p2p networks and semi-centralized services, such as p2p IPTV. Unlike commonly used vector distance functions, which is shown to be unfitted for p2p networks due to low overlap between peers, this work leverages a file similarity graph for estimating the similarity between peers that have little or no overlap of shared files. Using 100k peers sharing over 500k songs in the Gnutella network, we show the advantages of the proposed metric over commonly used geographical locality and vector distance measures.
Minimal surfaces bounded by elastic lines

In mathematics, the classical Plateau problem consists of finding the surface of least area that spans a given rigid boundary curve. A physical realization of the problem is obtained by dipping a stiff wire frame of some given shape in soapy water and then removing it; the shape of the spanning soap film is a solution to the Plateau problem. But what happens if a soap film spans a loop of inextensible but flexible wire? We consider this simple query that couples Plateau's problem to Euler's Elastica: a special class of twist-free curves of given length that minimize their total squared curvature energy. The natural marriage of two of the oldest geometrical problems linking physics and mathematics leads to a quest for the shape of a minimal surface bounded by an elastic line: the Euler–Plateau problem. We use a combination of simple physical experiments with soap films that span soft filaments and asymptotic analysis combined with numerical simulations to explore some of the richness of the shapes that result. Our study raises questions of intrinsic interest in geometry and its natural links to a range of disciplines, including materials science, polymer physics, architecture and even art.
Teaching Professional Ethics in a Faith-Based Doctoral Program: Pedagogical Strategies

Teaching professional ethics in faith-based doctoral programs is similar to teaching this subject in secular programs, with some exceptions. Defining what is meant by “faith-based program,” this article discusses unique issues relevant to teaching Christian psychologists in training, as well as two specific pedagogical strategies: inviting students to assess their ethical decision-making heritage, and creative use of vignettes.
Zika virus and microcephaly

Before 2015, Zika virus, a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus endemic to Africa and Southeast Asia, was thought to cause only a mild, self-limiting dengue-like illness. First discovered in 1947 in Uganda, the virus became epidemic in the Pacific islands 10 years ago. Several countries throughout South
The Functional Effect of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: Signal Suppression or Neural Noise Generation?

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a popular tool for mapping perceptual and cognitive processes in the human brain. It uses a magnetic field to stimulate the brain, modifying ongoing activity in neural tissue under the stimulating coil, producing an effect that has been likened to a virtual lesion. However, research into the functional basis of this effect, essential for the interpretation of findings, lags behind its application. Acutely, TMS may disable neuronal function, thereby interrupting ongoing neural processes. Alternatively, the effects of TMS have been attributed to an injection of neural noise, consistent with its immediate and effectively random depolarization of neurons. Here we apply an added-noise paradigm to test these alternatives. We delivered TMS to the visual cortex and measured its effect on a simple visual discrimination task, while concurrently manipulating the level of image noise in the visual stimulus itself. TMS increased thresholds overall; and increasing the amount of image noise systematically increased discrimination thresholds. However, these two effects were not independent. Rather, TMS interacted multiplicatively with the image noise, consistent with a reduction in the strength of the visual signal. Indeed, in this paradigm, there was no evidence that TMS independently added noise to the visual process. Thus, our findings indicate that the virtual lesion produced by TMS can take the form of a loss of signal strength which may reflect a momentary interruption to ongoing neural processing.
The work project survey: Consumer perspectives on work

Abstract.Objective: Mentalhealthconsumers atanurban mentalhealthcenterweresurveyed abouttheirmotivations forworkingand perceived barriers to employment.Design: A survey was developed and administered by a consumer-led research team to 389 persons receiving case managementand outpatient services.Results: Most consumers were either working (16%; n =59) or reported a desire to work (46%; n = 170). The latter groupconstituted 55% of the 310 respondents who were not working at the time of the study. The most common perceived barrier wasthe fear of losing Social Security beneﬁts. Consumers also reported concerns about receiving low pay and being ashamed of theirjob histories. Among the 38% of the total sample who expressed a reluctance or unwillingness to work, two-thirds ( n =58)indicated that, if they did not have to worry about losing their Social Security beneﬁts while working, they would try to obtainemployment. A total of 179 (49%) respondents expressed a preference for receiving vocational services at their clinical sites,versus at a clubhouse location.Conclusions: Most consumers in this study were working or wanted to work. Consumers’ motivations for work can be increased,especially if key barriers to work are described as removable. Preferences for types and locations of vocational services need tobe considered in planning services.Keywords: Consumers, work, barriers to employment, survey, work motivation
New insights into establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation imprints in mammals

Fundamental to genomic imprinting in mammals is the acquisition of epigenetic marks that differ in male and female gametes at ‘imprinting control regions’ (ICRs). These marks mediate the allelic expression of imprinted genes in the offspring. Much has been learnt about the nature of imprint marks, the times during gametogenesis at which they are laid down and some of the factors responsible especially for DNA methylation. Recent work has revealed that transcription and histone modifications are critically involved in DNA methylation acquisition, and these findings allow us to propose rational models for methylation establishment. A completely novel perspective on gametic DNA methylation has emerged from epigenomic profiling. Far more differentially methylated loci have been identified in gametes than known imprinted genes, which leads us to revise the notion that methylation of ICRs is a specifically targeted process. Instead, it seems to obey default processes in germ cells, giving rise to distinct patterns of DNA methylation in sperm and oocytes. This new insight, together with the identification of proteins that preserve DNA methylation after fertilization, emphasizes the key role played by mechanisms that selectively retain differential methylation at imprinted loci during early development. Addressing these mechanisms will be essential to understanding the specificity and evolution of genomic imprinting.
Activity Change of Sphingomyelin Anabolic Enzymes during Dimethylnitrosamine-induced Hepatic Fibrosis in Rats

In the present study, we investigated activity change of sphingomyelin anabolic enzymes such as sphingomyelin synthase and ceramide synthase. Sprague-Dawley male rats treated with 10 mg/kg of DMN intraperitoneally were used as a hepatic fibrosis model. Sphingomyelin synthase and ceramide synthase activ- ities were measured in 1-week, 2-week, 3-week and 4-week DMN-treated rats along with respective control group rats. We found the increased sphingomyelin synthase activity in 4-week DMN-treated liver but not in kid- ney. Ceramide synthase activity was significantly increased in DMN-treated kidney after 2-week treatment and in DMN-treated liver after 3-week treatment. Although further investigation is necessary to elucidate meanings of sphingolipid metabolites during the liver fibrosis, activity change of sphingolipid anabolic enzymes may imply that sphingolipid metabolism and sphingolipid metabolites could be involved in liver fibrosis especially under oxi- dative stress.
Ageing with joy or resigning to old age : Older people's experiences of the quality of life in old age

Within nursing and health care research, an increasing amount of work on quality of life is being conducted. The purpose has, however, been mainly to survey or measure health-related quality of life. Today there is a need for a comprehensive approach to quality of life in older people who are living in their own homes, as well as for a more diversified picture of ageing. The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning that older people give to their experiences of being old related to their quality of life. A sample of 30 senior citizens, who were 82-92 years old, was selected from a longitudinal project in Sweden. In-depth interviews were carried out and analysed using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method. Six dimensions were found to be important to these older people's experiences of ageing and quality of life: relationships, activities, health, philosophy of life, the person's past and present lives, and future perspectives. Five pattems emerged relating to the meaning ascribed to the experiences of quality of life. These were: successful ageing, a good old age, a comparatively good life in old age, bad ageing, and a miserable life in old age. The findings demonstrated a diversity of experience within a 'good life', which was inconsistent with the stereotypical picture of old people as a homogeneous group. A negative picture of life in old age, as held by some persons, was also found; however, the older persons' ways of responding to experiences of misery in life varied. The results also indicate that the concept of a good life is in some ways a more useful way of describing a good quality of life in old age.
The Politics of Socio-technical Intervention: An Interactionist View

In this article, we apply concepts from symbolic interactionism - a well-established tradition of interpretivist sociology - to investigate the social and political processes involved in a sociotechnical intervention. The intervention was designed to elicit operator involvement in an experimental trial of an advanced manufacturing system at an industrial site in Australia. The interactionist concepts of social worlds, boundary objects and trajectories are used to explore the interrelationships among the theoretical, practical and contextual elements of intervention. We believe that these concepts are flexible intellectual resources that can extend and enrich our understanding of the politics involved in the shaping of work and technology. Such an understanding is necessary if the fields of user participation and sociotechnical design are to move beyond the production of normative discourses and methods into effective interventions in the complex social environments in which technical decisions are made.
Repurposing Drugs in Oncology (ReDO)—clarithromycin as an anti-cancer agent

Clarithromycin (CAM) is a well-known macrolide antibiotic available as a generic drug. CAM is traditionally used for many types of bacterial infections, treatment of Lyme disease and eradication of gastric infection with Helicobacter pylori. Extensive preclinical and clinical data demonstrate a potential role for CAM to treat various tumours in combination with conventional treatment. The mechanisms of action underlying the anti-tumour activity of CAM are multiple and include prolonged reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, autophagy inhibition, and anti-angiogenesis. Here, we present an overview of the current preclinical (in vitro and in vivo) and clinical evidence supporting the role of CAM in cancer. Overall these findings justify further research with CAM in many tumour types, with multiple myeloma, lymphoma, chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), and lung cancer having the highest level of evidence. Finally, a series of proposals are being made to further investigate the use of CAM in clinical trials which offer the greatest prospect of clinical benefit to patients.
Some Ethical Considerations Regarding Scholarly Communication

THIS ARTICLE DISCUSSES academic in tolerance, peer review suppression, and resulting de facto academic library censorship. Included are some ethical considerations regarding scholarly communication (and scholarly excommunication), academic librarianship, and academic whistle-blowing. One of higher education’s most deeply rooted ethical tenets is a commitment to the search for truth. However, the truth is often upsetting (to say the least) to powerful academic leaders, as the history of science, for example, has made obvious. In tolerance toward, and suppression of, truthful ideas of a scholarly nature, can lead to de facto academic library censorship, even though academic librarians may not be aware that they are involved. Historically, peer review authorities in academia have been the enemies in intellectual matters of academic whistle-blowers. Ethical conflicts arise when reliance and deference in regard to peer review authorities lead to suppression of ideas, unwittingly or otherwise, by academic librarians. To the extent that true ideas are suppressed and censored throughout the scholarly communication system, that system might also accurately be called a system of scholarly excommunication. Without compromising their neutrality, academic librarians, by giving access to ideas and information on all sides of academic questions and controversies, can serve as illuminators of the truth for scholars seeking the truth. A proposal is made for the institution of intellectual freedom (IF) committees and groups within academic libraries and academic
A Critical Evaluation of Migraine Trigger Site Deactivation Surgery

Migraine headache trigger site deactivation surgery is a term that encompasses 4 different surgical procedures that are performed based on headache onset location for the preventative treatment of migraine headaches. Multiple studies have demonstrated some efficacy of these procedures, but closer evaluation of the methodology of these studies reveals major flaws in study design. In this article, the author provides an overview of the procedures and presurgical screening tools, as well as a critical evaluation of 2 of the major studies that have been published. In addition, the author provides his opinion on future study designs that may help to better determine the potential efficacy of these experimental procedures and potential headache subtypes (contact point headache, supraorbital neuralgia, and occipital neuralgia) that may respond to peripheral decompression surgery.
Performance of a rapid diagnostic test for the detection of visceral leishmaniasis in a large urban setting.

INTRODUCTION Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) may improve the early detection of visceral leishmaniasis (VL), but their real-world performance requires additional study. Therefore, we evaluated the performance of an rK39-based RDT (Kalazar Detect™) for the detection of VL in an endemic, large urban area. METHODS Data were collected from a registry of rK39 RDT performed at 11 emergency care units in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and from a national database of reportable communicable diseases of the Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação (SINAN). RESULTS The rapid rK39 test was performed in 476 patients, with 114 (23.9%) positive results. The analysis of rK39 RDT performance was based on 381 (80%) cases reported to the SINAN database, of which 145 (38.1%) were confirmed cases. Estimates for sensitivity and specificity were 72.4% (95% CI: 64.6-79%) and 99.6% (95%CI: 97.6-99.9%), respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were estimated at 99.1% (95%CI: 94.9-99.8%) and 85.5% (95%CI: 80.8-89.1%), respectively. In addition, close agreement between the rK39 RDT and indirect immunofluorescence was observed. CONCLUSIONS In summary, the rK39 RDT showed a high specificity but only moderate sensitivity. In endemic areas for VL, treatment may be considered in cases with clinical manifestations and a positive rK39 RDT, but those with a negative test should be subjected to further investigation.
Assessment of Scales of Disability and Handicap for Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose The purpose of the study is to compare the reliability of the Barthel activities of daily living score, which assesses disability, with the Rankin scale, which assesses handicap, and to determine their mutual agreement Methods Fifty patients with stroke of varying severity were identified by a community-based stroke register and interviewed by two of three research nurses on two occasions that were 2–3 weeks apart. Results There was no evidence of a systematic difference between the first and second measurements. Repeatability was assessed using a k statistic with quadratic disagreement weights (κw) to take account of extreme differences. This measure was very good for both Barthel (κw=0.98) and Rankin (κw=0.95) scales. There was also excellent agreement between raters for the Barthel scale (κw≥0.88), but some indication of disagreement (κw=0.75) between raters for the Rankin scale. Analysis of variance confirmed these findings. A conversion from the Barthel to the Rankin scale can be derived by assigning the most common Rankin score for the subjects with a given Barthel score, producing a κw of 0.91 for agreement Conclusions The Barthel scale is a more reliable and less subjective scale for assessing disability, from which a Rankin handicap score can then be derived to enable those managing stroke patients to assess aspects of handicap as well as disability.