Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Studies on Maize (Zea mays) at Bunda, Malawi. IV. Further Investigations into the Effects of Planting Date

SUMMARY Late planting of a 136-day variety of maize led to reduced yields only when planting was later than about four weeks after the start of the main rains. The reductions were caused by drought at the end of the season and by high rainfall in the first 35 days after planting. Drought beginning 80–100 days after planting (DAP) reduced weight per seed but drought beginning earlier than 80 DAP reduced seed number per cob and increased the number of barren plants. Late showers alleviated the reduction in weight per seed but not the other symptoms of drought. High rainfall after planting was associated with reduced plant size at flowering and reduced seed number per cob at harvest.
CNS Intravascular Lymphoma: A Case Report

Intravascular lymphoma is a rare but well-described entity. The clinical manifestations are heterogeneous. We report a case of a 59-year-old woman who presented initially with syncope followed by subacute cognitive decline that progressed to minimally conscious state. Shortly after the transfer to our tertiary center the patient died. Brain autopsy disclosed the diagnosis of B-cell intravascular lymphoma. We speculate that syncope could be the first manifestation of central nervous system intravascular lymphoma and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of unexplained syncope. In addition, we stress the importance of early brain biopsy in unexplained white matter disease.
PathoSPOT genomic surveillance reveals under the radar outbreaks of methicillin resistant S. aureus bloodstream infections

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used to map the spread and transmission dynamics of human pathogens, especially in nosocomial settings. A limiting factor for more widespread adoption of WGS for infection prevention practices is the availability of standardized tools for genome analysis. Here we present PathoSPOT, which integrates genomic and electronic medical record (EMR) data for rapid detection of nosocomial outbreaks and analysis of epidemiological timelines. To demonstrate its capabilities we analyzed complete genomes obtained from long-read sequencing of 197 invasive MRSA (bacteremia) cases from two hospitals during a two-year period. PathoSPOT identified 8 clonal clusters that had not been identified by epidemiological data, encompassing 33 patients (16.8%). The largest cluster was consistent with an outbreak of a hospital-associated ST105 MRSA clone among 16 adult patients in multiple wards. Timeline and location data suggested that an early outbreak event led to infection and long-term colonization of multiple cases, followed by transmissions to other patients during subsequent hospitalizations. Overall, we find that PathoSPOT can detect outbreaks that are not readily apparent from epidemiological data and contribute to morbidity and mortality. When applied as part of comprehensive real-time sequencing-based surveillance, PathoSPOT may play an important role in understanding the complexities of pathogen transmission dynamics and enable timely interventions.
Onychomycosis in Psoriatic Patients with Nail Disorders: Aetiological Agents and Immunosuppressive Therapy

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic, relapsing, immune-based diseases. Psoriatic patients may have nail involvement in 50 to 80% of cases, and this may reach 85% in patients with joint disease, in spite of the fact that the relationship between psoriasis and onychomycosis is not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of onychomycosis in patients with nail disorders and diagnosis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. This was a cross-sectional study in which 38 patients diagnosed with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis were interviewed and had altered nail samples analysed by mycological and histopathological exams. Twenty-two (57.89%) patients had a confirmed diagnosis for onychomycosis. Seventeen (44.8%) had a positive direct mycological examination, 16 (42.1%) had positive cultures, and 12 (31.6%) were positive for fungi by histopathological examination. Dermatophytes were identified in nine (56.3%) cultures, and of these, eight were Trichophyton rubrum and one T. tonsurans. Yeasts were isolated in seven patients (43.75%), which included four Candida parapsilosis and three C. albicans. Six patients (15.78%) were not using immunosuppressive therapy, and the others were using methotrexate, etanercept, adalimumab, infliximab, secukinumab, or golimumab, in monotherapy or in combination with other drugs. The confirmed onychomycosis rate in patients using methotrexate alone was 92.8% (n = 13). We concluded that it is possible that there is a positive relationship between psoriatic disease and onychomycosis. And we highlight that it is also worth investigating in the future the possible role of immunosuppressive therapy (mainly methotrexate) as a predisposing factor for the development of fungal infections in psoriatic patients.
Exosomes as Mediators of Cell-to-Cell Communication in Thyroid Disease

Exosomes are a type of extracellular vehicle, formed by budding cell membranes, containing proteins, DNA, and RNA. Concentrated cargoes from parent cells are enveloped in exosomes, which are cell specific and may have functions in the recipient cell, reflecting a novel physiological and pathological mechanism in disease development. As a transmitter, exosomes shuttle to different cells or tissues and mediate communications among these organelles. To date, several studies have demonstrated that exosomes play crucial roles in disease pathogenesis and development, such as breast and prostate cancer. However, studies investigating connections between exosomes and thyroid disease are limited. In this review, recent research advances on exosomes in thyroid cancer and Graves' disease are reviewed. These studies suggest that exosomes are involved in thyroid disease and appear as impressive potentials in thyroid therapeutic areas.
Administration of enteral nutrition in the prone position, gastric residual volume and other clinical outcomes in critically ill patients: a systematic review

This systematic review of longitudinal studies aimed to evaluate the effect of enteral feeding of critically ill adult and pediatric patients in the prone position on gastric residual volume and other clinical outcomes. A literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Scopus and Embase using terms related to population and intervention. Two independent reviewers analyzed the titles and abstracts, and data collection was performed using a standardized form. Discrepancies were resolved by a third reviewer. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated considering the potential for systematic errors, and the data were qualitatively analyzed. Four studies with adult patients and one with preterm patients were included. The gastric residual volume was evaluated as the main outcome: three studies did not show differences in the gastric residual volume between the prone and supine positions (p > 0.05), while one study showed a higher gastric residual volume during enteral feeding in the prone position (27.6mL versus 10.6mL; p < 0.05), and another group observed a greater gastric residual volume in the supine position (reduction of the gastric residual volume by 23.3% in the supine position versus 43.9% in the prone position; p < 0.01). Two studies evaluated the frequency of vomiting; one study found that it was higher in the prone position (30 versus 26 episodes; p < 0.001), while the other study found no significant difference (p > 0.05). The incidence of aspiration pneumonia and death were evaluated in one study, with no difference between groups (p > 0.05). The literature on the administration of enteral feeding in the prone position in critically ill patients is sparse and of limited quality, and the results regarding gastric residual volume are contradictory. Observational studies with appropriate sample sizes should be conducted to support conclusions on the subject.
Comparison of Laparoscopy and Laparotomy in Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer: Early Experiences from a Developing Country

After minimally invasive surgery gained popularity in gynecology, laparoscopic operations became widespread among oncologic operations. However, more studies evaluating experiences of oncologic surgeons during the learning period of laparoscopy are needed. To compare the surgical outcomes and perioperative complications of laparoscopic surgery and laparotomy in the treatment of early-stage endometrioid endometrial cancer patients, we retrospectively investigated patients who underwent surgery due to endometrial cancer at our institution between 2014 and 2018. Early-stage (stage I) endometrioid endometrial cancer patients were included in the study. Operative times, length of hospital stay, extracted pelvic lymph nodes, perioperative complications, and blood loss were compared. A total of 128 patients were treated for stage I endometrial cancer during the study period. Sixty-two patients (48.4%) underwent laparoscopic surgery, and 66 (51.6%) patients underwent laparotomy. Median operation time and pelvic lymph node count in the laparotomy and laparoscopy groups did not demonstrate statistically significant differences. However, the length of hospital stay, estimated blood loss, and perioperative complication rate were lower in the laparoscopic surgery group. Laparoscopic surgery in early-stage endometrial cancer may be performed with less blood loss, shorter duration of hospital stays, and similar lymph node counts compared to laparotomic surgery.
The Interplay of Renin-Angiotensin System and Toll-Like Receptor 4 in the Inflammation of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious chronic kidney diseases and the major cause of end-stage renal failure worldwide. The underlying mechanisms of DN are complex and required to be further investigated. Both innate immunity and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) play critical roles in the pathogenesis of DN. Except for traditional functions, abnormally regulated RAS has been proved to be involved in the inflammatory process of DN. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is the most deeply studied pattern recognition receptor in the innate immune system, and its activation has been reported to mediate the development of DN. In this review, we aim at discussing how dysregulated RAS affects TLR4 activation in the kidney that contributes to the exploration of the pathogenesis of DN. Understanding the interplay of RAS and TLR4 in inducing the progression of DN may provide new insights to develop effective treatments.
The effects of glyphosate herbicide on food preference and consumption in black-tailed deer

The use of herbicides is an important part of forestry management practices in the Pacific Northwest because the regeneration of coastal forests is hampered by many species of deciduous shrubs and weeds. The herbicide glyphosate is used to control these undesirable species. Some effects of glyphosate on black-tailed deer have been investigated by analyzing food preference and consumption under simulated field conditions. Deer given a choice of control or glyphosate-treated alder and alfalfa browse showed no preference or ate more of the treated foliage. The ingestion of treated browse did not affect the consumption of laboratory chow by the deer. These results indicate that spraying with the herbicide glyphosate should not prevent deer from feeding on foliage in the affected area.
Use of An Internal Standard To Assay 6 Beta-hydroxycortisol in Urine

Abstract Currently 6 β-hydroxycortisol is assayed by radio-immunoassay or high performance liquid chromatography techniques. We have developed an HPLC method, utilizing gradient elution and an internal standard {a 4-pregnene-tetrol-3-one}. In this way, accuracy and sensitivity of the assay were greatly improved and allowed the application of this modified method for monitoring the time-course of hepatic microsomal enzyme activity.
In vivo strain in the humerus of pigeons (Columba livia) during flight

Longitudinal and principal strain recordings were made in vivo at three sites (dorsal, anterior, and ventral) on the humeral midshaft of pigeons executing five modes of free flight: Take‐off, level flight, landing, vertical ascent, and near‐vertical descent. Strains were also recorded while the birds flew carrying weights that were 33%, 50%, or 100% of their body weight. The relative distribution of strain measured at the three surface midshaft sites and across the bone's cortex was found to be similar for all flight modes. Principal strains recorded in the dorsal and ventral humerus indicated considerable torsion produced by aerodynamic loading of the wing surface posterior to the bone. Measured torsional shear strains (maximum: 2,700–4,150 μ ε during level flight) were 1.5 times greater than longitudinal strains. In addition to torsion, the humerus is also subjected to significant dorsoventral bending owing to lift forces acting on the wing during the downstroke. Analysis of the cross‐sectional distribution of longitudinal strains at the humeral midshaft cortex shows that the orientation of bending shifts in a regular manner during the downstroke, indicating that the wing generates progressively more thurst (vs. lift) later in the downstroke. This shift is less during take‐off and vertical ascent when greater lift is required. Peak principal and longitudinal strains increased by an average of only 50% from landing to vertical ascending flight and take‐off (e.g., dorsal humerus: −1,503 to −2,329 μ ε) and did not exceed −2,600 μ epsiv; at any site, even when the birds flew carrying twice their body weight. Strains recorded when birds flew at two times their body weight (100% BW load) were similar in magnitude to those recorded during vertical ascent and take‐off and likely represent those developed during maximal performance. Strains developed within the midshaft were maximal in the anterodorsal and posteroventral cortices, not at the dorsal, ventral, and anterior sites at which strain was recorded. Consequently, maximum strains experienced by the bone are probably 20–25% greater than those recorded (ca. 3,200 μ ε), indicating a safety factor of about 3.5 for compressive strain failure. The much higher shear strains, however, indicate a lower safety factor (1.9), in which the bone's torsional strength is its most critical design feature. Finally, the magnitude and distribution of strains developed in the humerus of pigeons are generally similar to those recorded in the humerus of large fruit‐eating bats during flight. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Information & Mutual Information Ratio for Counting Image Features and Their Matches

Feature extraction and description is an important topic of computer vision, as it is the starting point of a number of tasks such as image reconstruction, stitching, registration, and recognition among many others. In this paper, two new image features are proposed: the Information Ratio (IR) and the Mutual Information Ratio (MIR). The IR is a feature of a single image, while the MIR describes features common across two or more images. We begin by introducing the IR and the MIR and motivate these features in an information theoretical context as the ratio of the self-information of an intensity level over the information contained over the pixels of the same intensity. Notably, the relationship of the IR and MIR with the image entropy and mutual information, classic information measures, are discussed. Finally, the effectiveness of these features is tested through feature extraction over INRIA Copydays datasets and feature matching over the Oxford’s Affine Covariant Regions. These numerical evaluations validate the relevance of the IR and MIR in practical computer vision tasks.
The effects of starvation on plasma free amino acid and glucose concentrations in lake sturgeon

The effect of starvation on the metabolism of the lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens was examined by measuring haematocrit, plasma glucose concentrations, and plasma free amino acids. Plasma was sampled on day 0, 10, 20, 45 and 60 of a 60-day starvation period. Haematocrit was observed to decrease with starvation indicating a decreased oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. Plasma glucose levels differed only at day 10, with a decrease in blood glucose level in the starved group. No differences were detected between groups for alanine, aspartate, and serine, while elevated levels were observed for glutamine throughout the experiment. An increase in arginine, tyrosine, valine, methionine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, glutamate, glycine, isoleucine, histidine and leucine, concentrations were observed after 45 days of starvation. The maintenance, or increased plasma levels, of glucogenic amino acids in combination with the maintenance of blood glucose concentrations indicates active gluconeogenic processes in the liver supported by muscle proteolysis.
Topological 
Z2
 invariant in Kitaev spin liquids: Classification of gapped spin liquids beyond projective symmetry group

A projective symmetry group (PSG) has been regarded as a classification theory of spin liquids. However, it does not include a symmetry-protected topological order of fermionic spinon excitations, and thus the classification of gapped spin liquids is incomplete. We demonstrate the classification beyond PSG by utilizing the Kitaev model on the squareoctagon lattice, where two gapped spin liquids are distinguished by a topological $Z_2$ invariant. This $Z_2$ invariant can be defined purely by the time-reversal and translation symmetries on condition that the time-reversal symmetry is implemented projectively. Thus, it is a hidden class of topological Kitaev spin liquids with helical edge states, which has been ignored for a long time. This suggests that there exists an unknown classification scheme of gapped spin liquids beyond PSG.
Pinsker inequalities and related Monge-Ampere equations for log-concave functions

In this paper we further develop the theory of f-divergences for log-concave functions and their related inequalities. We establish Pinsker inequalities and new affine invariant entropy inequalities. We obtain new inequalities on functional affine surface area and lower and upper bounds for the Kullback-Leibler divergence in terms of functional affine surface area. The functional inequalities lead to new inequalities for L_p-affine surface areas for convex bodies.
Efficient iterative thresholding algorithms with functional feedbacks and convergence analysis

An accelerated class of adaptive scheme of iterative thresholding algorithms is studied analytically and empirically. They are based on the feedback mechanism of the null space tuning techniques (NST+HT+FB). The main contribution of this article is the accelerated convergence analysis and proofs with a variable/adaptive index selection and different feedback principles at each iteration. These convergence analysis require no longer a priori sparsity information $s$ of a signal. %key theory in this paper is the concept that the number of indices selected at each iteration should be considered in order to speed up the convergence. It is shown that uniform recovery of all $s$-sparse signals from given linear measurements can be achieved under reasonable (preconditioned) restricted isometry conditions. Accelerated convergence rate and improved convergence conditions are obtained by selecting an appropriate size of the index support per iteration. The theoretical findings are sufficiently demonstrated and confirmed by extensive numerical experiments. It is also observed that the proposed algorithms have a clearly advantageous balance of efficiency, adaptivity and accuracy compared with all other state-of-the-art greedy iterative algorithms.
Fragmentation Effects on Forest Birds: Relative Influence of Woodland Cover and Configuration on Landscape Occupancy

Abstract: Habitat fragmentation has been shown to influence the abundance, movements, and persistence of many species. We asked the following questions: (1) Do species respond mainly to habitat loss or to the changes in habitat configuration resulting from this loss? (2) Do species exhibit sharp thresholds in their response to forest cover or configuration? We compared the relative influence of forest cover and configuration on 15 bird species in 33 landscapes (6.25 km2) in eastern Ontario, Canada. Forest cover in these landscapes varied between 3.4% and 66.8%. The metrics we used to quantify forest configuration were correlated to forest cover, so we regressed these configuration metrics against cover and used the residuals in logistic regression models. Of the 15 forest bird species included in the analyses, the presence of only 3 (Downy Woodpecker [ Picoides pubescens], Brown Creeper [Certhia americana], and White‐breasted Nuthatch [ Sitta carolinensis]) was not significantly related to either cover or configuration of woodland. Forest cover and configuration each were significant predictors of the presence of 6 species in landscapes occupied in both years, and 3 species responded both to cover and configuration. Models based on single years showed variability in the landscape characteristics that were significant predictors of the presence of each species. These results indicate that (1) landscape structure was an important predictor of bird distribution, (2) both forest cover and configuration were important predictors of species presence, and (3) responses were species‐specific. Effects of forest cover and configuration on species presence generally were not characterized by sharp thresholds, preventing the application of simple management rules. Although forest cover is an important feature of landscape structure, our results indicate that woodland configuration is a far from negligible component that should also be incorporated in conservation strategies.
Climate change and abundance cycles of two sympatric populations of smelt (Osmerus mordax) in the middle estuary of the St. Lawrence River, Canada

Commercial catches of two ecologically distinct sympatric smelt (Osmerus mordax) populations segregated along the two shores of the St. Lawrence middle estuary exhibited inverse patterns with periodicities on the order of 30 years. The influence of water level in the St. Lawrence River and air temperature, chosen to reflect variations in hydrology and climate, differed markedly between the two populations. Analyses revealed that both water level and temperature were generally positively related with north-shore smelt landings and negatively related with south-shore smelt landings. For both populations, a number of significant climatic factors contributing to variance in smelt landings were lagged by one to three years relative to the year of landings, indicating that climatic variables influenced smelt recruitment. The contrasting role of hydroclimatic variables in driving these abundance cycles is likely related to differential exploitation of estuarine habitats; the south-shore population is associated .