Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Farm animal welfare research in interaction with society

Summary Over the last 30 years concern about farm animal welfare has increased and has become a public issue in the Netherlands. Public discussion has stimulated research in this field, financed by both government and industry. Dutch society in general and consumers of animal products in particular, want to see high standards of welfare for production animals. Good animal welfare has gradually gained more impact in the total quality concept of the product. This will encourage scientists to continue to analyse the welfare status of animals and to come up with innovative solutions for the remaining problems. At ID‐Lelystad much effort is put into farm animal welfare research. This research includes for example, the development of behavioural tests for quantifying and interpreting fear in cattle, investigations into the effects of dietary iron supply and a lack of roughage on behaviour, immunology, stress physiology, and pathology in veal calves, studies of the ontogeny of tail biting in finishing pigs and feather pecking in laying hens as well as evaluation of the welfare effects of automatic milking in dairy cows. The results of these projects contribute to concrete improvements in animal husbandry and expertise and support policy making and legislation. The animal industry as well as retailers should aim at the further implementation of this knowledge and to specify welfare standards to guarantee consumer acceptance of animal production.
Pregnancy and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

There have been conflicting reports on, and no plausible biologic explanation for, a protective effect of oral contraceptive (OC) use on the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, we investigated aspects of behavior related to OC use that could explain the preventive effect of OC on the onset of RA. In the present case-control study, past pregnancy, age at first pregnancy, and pregnancies with adverse outcome were studied as possible risk factors for RA. Interview information on reproductive variables was obtained from 135 young adult women with confirmed definite or classic RA of recent onset, and from 378 control patients with soft tissue rheumatic disorders or osteoarthritis. All patients had at least 2 years of followup to confirm the consistency of the diagnosis. We found a decreased risk of RA in women who had been pregnant. The risk of RA in women who had ever been pregnant compared with women who had never been pregnant was 0.49 (95% confidence interval 0.27-0.91). The earlier the first pregnancy, the lower the risk of RA. Pregnancy with adverse outcome (i.e., gestation less than 25 weeks) did not substantially change the risk of RA (relative risk 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.50-1.07). The protective effect of pregnancy was independent of OC use, the presence of HLA-DR4, or a family history of RA. Immune modulation by female hormonal influences could be an explanation for the results of the present study.
Computational prediction of manually gated rare cells in flow cytometry data

Rare cell identification is an interesting and challenging question in flow cytometry data analysis. In the literature, manual gating is a popular approach to distill flow cytometry data and drill down to the rare cells of interest, based on prior knowledge of measured protein markers and visual inspection of the data. Several computational algorithms have been proposed for rare cell identification. To compare existing algorithms and promote new developments, FlowCAP‐III put forward one computational challenge that focused on this question. The challenge provided flow cytometry data for 202 training samples and two manually gated rare cell types for each training sample, roughly 0.02 and 0.04% of the cells, respectively. In addition, flow cytometry data for 203 testing samples were provided, and participants were invited to computationally identify the rare cells in the testing samples. Accuracy of the identification results was evaluated by comparing to manual gating of the testing samples. We participated in the challenge, and developed a method that combined the Hellinger divergence, a downsampling trick and the ensemble SVM. Our method achieved the highest accuracy in the challenge. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Outcomes of upper arm arteriovenous fistulas for maintenance hemodialysis access.

HYPOTHESIS Radiocephalic fistulas for maintenance hemodialysis access are not feasible in all patients with end-stage renal disease. Our aim was to review our experience with 3 types of upper arm arteriovenous fistula (AVF) to ascertain whether they are reasonable alternatives to radiocephalic fistulas and which, if any, have superior performance. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patient medical records were retrospectively reviewed. The main outcomes were maturation rate, time to maturation, assisted maturation rate, complication rates, reintervention rates, primary and assisted primary patency rates, and effects of comorbidities. RESULTS Eighty-six patients with end-stage renal disease underwent creation of a brachiocephalic, brachiobasilic, or brachial artery-to-median antecubital vein AVF. Overall, 80% matured, with 23% requiring an intervention to achieve maturity. The mean time to maturation was 3.8 months; 47% had a complication (inability to access, thrombosis, and so on), and 43% required additional interventions. The overall primary patency and assisted primary patency rates at 12 months were 50% and 74%, respectively. Brachiobasilic AVFs not superficialized immediately often needed a second operation. There were no significant differences in patency rates among the 3 AVF types. The AVFs in patients with diabetes took 2 months longer to mature than did those in patients without diabetes. CONCLUSIONS An upper arm AVF is a reasonable alternative for maintenance hemodialysis access when a radiocephalic AVF is not possible. There are 3 valid options from which to choose to best accommodate each patient's antecubital anatomy. Diabetes may adversely affect outcomes. Our data suggest that brachiobasilic AVFs should be superficialized at the initial procedure, if feasible.
Predictions of Patterns of Response to Artificial Selection in Lines Derived From Natural Populations

The pattern of response to artificial selection on quantitative traits in laboratory populations can tell us something of the genetic architecture in the natural population from which they were derived. We modeled artificial selection in samples drawn from natural populations in which variation had been maintained by recurrent mutation, with genes having an effect on the trait, which was subject to real stabilizing selection, and a pleitropic effect on fitness (the joint-effect model). Natural selection leads to an inverse correlation between effects and frequencies of genes, such that the frequency distribution of genes increasing the trait has an extreme U-shape. In contrast to the classical infinitesimal model, an early accelerated response and a larger variance of response among replicates were predicted. However, these are reduced if the base population has been maintained in the laboratory for some generations by random sampling prior to artificial selection. When multiple loci and linkage are also taken into account, the gametic disequilibria generated by the Bulmer and Hill-Robertson effects are such that little or no increase in variance and acceleration of response in early generations of artificial selection are predicted; further, the patterns of predicted responses for the joint-effect model now become close to those of the infinitesimal model. Comparison with data from laboratory selection experiments shows that, overall, the analysis did not provide clear support for the joint-effect model or a clear case for rejection.
Trend analysis of major hydroclimatic variables in the Langat River basin, Malaysia

Trend analyses of monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall, air temperature, and streamflow were performed using Mann‐Kendall test within the Langat River basin to identify gradual trends and abrupt shifts for 1980 − 2010. Annual rainfall showed an increasing trend in upstream flow, a combination of decreasing and increasing trends in middle stream flow, and a decreasing trend in downstream flow. Monthly rainfall in most months displayed an insignificant increasing trend upstream. Stations with significant increasing trends showed larger trends in summer than those of other seasons. However, they were similar to the trends observed in annual rainfall. Annual minimum air temperature showed a significant decreasing trend upstream and significant increasing trends in the middle stream and downstream areas. Annual maximum air temperature portrayed increasing trends in both upstream and middle stream areas, and a decreasing trend for the downstream area. Both monthly and seasonal maximum air temperatures exhibited an increasing trend midstream, whereas they demonstrated trends of both decreasing and/or increasing temperatures at upstream and downstream areas. Annual streamflow in upper, middle and lower catchment areas exhibited significant increasing trend at the rates of 0.036, 0.023 and 0.001 × 103 m3/y at α = 0.01, respectively. Seasonal streamflow in the upstream, midstream and downstream areas displayed an increasing trend for spring (0.55, 0.33 and 0.013 m3/y respectively) and summer (0.51, 0.37, 0.018 m3/y respectively). The greatest magnitude of increased streamflow occurred in the spring (0.54 m3/y). Significant increasing trends of monthly streamflow were noticed in January and August, but insignificant trends were found in May, September and November at all stations. Annual streamflow records at the outlet of the basin were positively correlated with the annual rainfall variable. This study concludes that the climate of the Langat River basin has been getting wetter and warmer during 1980‐2010.
Formal Ontology Generation by deep machine learning

An ontology is a taxonomic hierarchy of lexical terms and their syntactic and semantic relations for representing a framework of structured knowledge. Ontology used to be problem-specific and manually built due to its extreme complexity. Based on the latest advances in cognitive knowledge learning and formal semantic analyses, an Algorithm of Formal Ontology Generation (AFOG) is developed. The methodology of AFOG enables autonomous generation of quantitative ontologies in knowledge engineering and semantic comprehension via deep machine learning. A set of experiments demonstrates applications of AFOG in cognitive computing, semantic computing, machine learning and computational intelligence.
Frequent mining of subgraph structures

In recent years, frequent graph pattern mining has raised great interest in the data mining community and has been applied to bioinformatics, web exploration, etc. The difficulty is that the search of possible subgraph patterns is combinatorially explosive. Many researchers proposed methods to resolve this problem, such as FSG, gSpan, and CloseGraph. But we discovered that the result set generated by these methods contains many repetitive structures. In this article, we propose a new method called Frequent Structure Mining Algorithm (FSMA) to find frequent structure in graph database, and prove corresponding theoretics to guarantee the accuracy of FSMA. The power of FSMA comes from the resolution of finding different structures and the storage of the graph set; it guarantees the completeness of mining results.
Carbon Monoxide Dilates Cerebral Arterioles by Enhancing the Coupling of Ca2+ Sparks to Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels

Abstract— Carbon monoxide (CO) is generated endogenously by the enzyme heme oxygenase. Although CO is a known vasodilator, cellular signaling mechanisms are poorly understood and are a source of controversy. The goal of the present study was to investigate mechanisms of CO dilation in porcine cerebral arterioles. Data indicate that exogenous or endogenously produced CO is a potent activator of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (KCa) channels and Ca2+ spark–induced transient KCa currents in arteriole smooth muscle cells. In contrast, CO is a relatively poor activator of Ca2+ sparks. To understand the apparent discrepancy between potent effects on transient KCa currents and weak effects on Ca2+ sparks, regulation of the coupling relationship between these events by CO was investigated. CO increased the percentage of Ca2+ sparks that activated a transient KCa current (ie, the coupling ratio) from ≈62% in the control condition to 100% and elevated the slope of the amplitude correlation between these events ≈2.6-fold, indicating that Ca2+ sparks induced larger amplitude transient KCa currents in the presence of CO. This signaling pathway for CO is physiologically relevant because ryanodine, a ryanodine-sensitive Ca2+ release channel blocker that inhibits Ca2+ sparks, abolished CO dilation of pial arterioles in vivo. Thus, CO dilates cerebral arterioles by priming KCa channels for activation by Ca2+ sparks. This study presents a novel dilatory signaling pathway for CO in the cerebral circulation and appears to be the first presents of a vasodilator that acts by increasing the effective coupling of Ca2+ sparks to KCa channels.
BRIDGING AUTHENTIC LEARNING TASK INTO TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTED TRANSFORMATIVE PEDAGOGY IN FINNISH TEACHER TRAINING

The goal of the Finnish teacher training is to educate autonomous teachers, who have pedagogical competence and theoretical understanding about using ICT in teaching and learning. In this study, we describe teacher students’ pedagogical ICT competence as designers of technology supported learning tasks. The study is based on Hughes’ RAT model, which is a framework for assessing technology integration. The theoretical definition of RAT model is technology as a) replacement, b) amplification or c) transformation. To define this there are three systematical dimensions to analyze a particular technology use: Instructional Methods, Student learning processes and Curriculum Goals. The data consist of student groups’ learning tasks (N=11). Results indicated that technology supported pedagogy as transformation is challenging for most teacher students. The results of the study state that the learning tasks included all three levels of RAT model integration.
Opposite Aftereffects for Chinese and Caucasian Faces are Selective for Social Category Information and not Just Physical Face Differences

Opposite changes in perception (aftereffects) can be simultaneously induced for faces from different social categories—for example, Chinese and Caucasian faces. We investigated whether these aftereffects are generated in high-level face coding that is sensitive to the social category information in faces, or in earlier visual coding sensitive to simple physical differences between faces. We caricatured the race of face stimuli and created face continua ranging from caricatured Caucasian faces (SuperCaucasian) to caricatured Chinese faces (SuperChinese). Participants were adapted to oppositely distorted faces that were a fixed physical distance apart on the morph continua. Larger opposite aftereffects were found following adaptation to faces from different race categories (e.g., contracted Chinese and expanded Caucasian faces), than for faces that were the same physical distance apart on the morph continua, but were within a race category (e.g., contracted SuperChinese and expanded Chinese faces). These results suggest that opposite aftereffects for Chinese and Caucasian faces reflect the recalibration of face neurons tuned to high-level social category information.
Various Language Choice Factors on Local Language Directive Speech Acts at University in Centralof Sulawesi

The use of language in a communication is influenced by the participants’ culture. The language used in spoken communication reflects belief system and norm developed in a certain society. Different dialects acquired by people cause different ways of using language as communication media, including local language, to convey purpose and meaning communicatively to the participants. There are specific forms used by speaker and listener having two different dialects. This research uses ethnography of communication involving speech aspects to elaborate various factors that influence language choices. It is simply reveals in the research findings that language choices are used (1) to explain certain meaning that has no translational equivalence in Indonesian Language, (2) to create more intimate atmosphere among the graduates, (3) to exclude or minimalize the lecturer’s power restriction, (4) to convey particular implication of a speech act, (5) to show the degree of rejection and/or acceptance towards something and to show sympathy or empathy by using certain vocative, (6) and to create conducive classroom atmosphere. Furthermore, the factors of local language choice used in higher education academic discourse context are influenced by the participants’ culture, academic background, intimacy, social status, family environment, age, and gender. Keywords—Language choice factors, directive speech act, local language.
Shift in body fluid compartments after dehydration in humans.

To investigate the influence of [Na+] in sweat on the distribution of body water during dehydration, we studied 10 volunteer subjects who exercised (40% of maximal aerobic power) in the heat [36 degrees C, less than 30% relative humidity (rh)] for 90-110 min to produce a dehydration of 2.3% body wt (delta TW). After dehydration, the subjects rested for 1 h in a thermoneutral environment (28 degrees C, less than 30% rh), after which time the changes in the body fluid compartments were assessed. We measured plasma volume, plasma osmolality, and [Na+], [K+], and [Cl-] in plasma, together with sweat and urine volumes and their ionic concentrations before and after dehydration. The change in the extracellular fluid space (delta ECF) was estimated from chloride distribution and the change in the intracellular fluid space (delta ICF) was calculated by subtracting delta ECF from delta TW. The decrease in the ICF space was correlated with the increase in plasma osmolality (r = -0.74, P less than 0.02). The increase in plasma osmolality was a function of the loss of free water (delta FW), estimated from the equation delta FW = delta TW - (loss of osmotically active substance in sweat and urine)/(control plasma osmolality) (r = -0.79, P less than 0.01). Free water loss, which is analogous to "free water clearance" in renal function, showed a strongly inverse correlation with [Na+] in sweat (r = -0.97, P less than 0.001). Fluid movement out of the ICF space attenuated the decrease in the ECF space. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Bacteria, molds, and toxins in water-damaged building materials

Microbial toxins and eukaryotic cell toxicity from indoor building materials heavily colonized by fungi and bacteria were analyzed. The dominant colonizers at water-damaged sites of the building were Stachybotrys chartarum (10(3) to 10(5) visible conidia cm-2), Penicillium and Aspergillus species (10(4) CFU mg-1), gram-negative bacteria (10(4) CFU mg-1), and mycobacteria (10(3) CFU mg-1). The mycobacterial isolates were most similar to M. komossense, with 98% similarity of the complete 16S rDNA sequence. Limulus assay of water extracts prepared from a water-damaged gypsum liner revealed high contents of gram-negative endotoxin (17 ng mg-1 of E. coli lipopolysaccharide equivalents) and beta-D-glucan (210 ng mg-1 of curdlan equivalents). High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of the methanol extracts showed that the water-damaged gypsum liner also contained satratoxin (17 ng mg-1). This methanol-extracted substance was 200 times more toxic to rabbit skin and fetus feline lung cells than extract of gypsum liner sampled from a non-water-damaged site. The same extract contained toxin(s) that paralyzed the motility of boar spermatozoa at extremely low concentrations; the 50% effective concentration was 0.3 microgram of dry solids per ml. This toxicity was not explainable by the amount of bacterial endotoxin, beta-D-glucan, or satratoxin present in the same extract. The novel in vitro toxicity test that utilized boar spermatozoa as described in this article is convenient to perform and reproducible and was a useful tool for detecting toxins of microbial origin toward eukaryotic cells not detectable in building materials by the other methods.
A neighborhood connectivity-based trust scheme to identify active black hole attacks

Active black hole attack is one of the most severe security threats that can be easily employed against normal routing in mobile ad hoc networks. In order to intrude into routing path, attacker always deceiving others that it has the shortest path to the destination. Once the attacker successfully intrudes into routing path, it can disrupt all data transmission. Most of the existing defense schemes are not effective for the internal attackers that know how the scheme works. In this paper, we propose a neighborhood connectivity based trust scheme that can detect the presence of the attackers during route discovery and quarantine them. The most attractive features of our scheme are 1) Its ability to against two forms of active black hole (active forward and active drop) attacks without relying on any extra hardware or computational intensive cryptographic mechanism. 2) Even the internal attackers that know the scheme or imitating others' identities cannot benefit them to launch the attacks. 3) Colluded active black hole attackers can also be identified.
Dyskinetic cerebral palsy: a population‐based study of children born between 1991 and 1998

The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology, aetiology, and clinical findings in dyskinetic cerebral palsy (CP)in a population‐based follow‐up study of children born between 1991 and 1998. Age range at ascertainment was 4 to 8 years and prevalence was 0.27 per 1000 live‐births. Forty‐eight children were examined (27 males, 21 females; mean age 9y, range 5‐13y). Thirty‐nine had dystonic CP and nine a choreo‐athetotic subtype. Primitive reflexes were present in 43 children and spasticity in 33. Gross Motor Function Classification System levels were: Level IV, n= 10 and Level V, n= 28. The rate of learning disability (n= 35) and epilepsy (n= 30) increased with the severity of the motor disability. Thirty‐eight children had anarthria. Peri‐ or neonatal adverse events had been present in 34 of 42 children born at ≥34 weeks’ gestation. Motor impairment was most severe in this group. Placental abruption or uterine rupture had occurred in 8 participants and 19 of the 42 near‐term/term children required assisted ventilation, compared with 1% and 12% respectively in other CP types. Neuroimaging in 39 children born at ≥34 weeks revealed isolated, late third trimester lesions in 24 and a combination of early and late third trimester lesions in seven. Dyskinetic CP is the dominant type of CP found in term‐born, appropriate‐for‐gestational‐age children with severe impairments who have frequently experienced adverse perinatal events.