Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Carcass Characteristics and Primal Pork Cuts of Gilts, Boars, Immunocastrates and Barrows Using AutoFOM III Data of a Commercial Abattoir

Simple Summary Male piglets designated for pork production have been surgically castrated for centuries. The fattening of intact boars is more environmentally friendly due to anabolic effects, but entails a higher risk of aggressive and sexual behavior, and some boar carcasses may exhibit boar taint, which reduces pork quality. Immunocastration as a further alternative to surgical castration is considered as a reliable and animal welfare-friendly method, but currently still has a very small market share. A crucial factor for the period following surgical castration is that pork production, either with boars or immunocastrates, is competitive and produces valuable carcasses with regard to lean meat content and the respective amounts of primal pork cuts. In this study, we therefore evaluated AutoFOM III data from a commercial abattoir. The results show that carcasses from immunocastrates were of similar quality to those of barrows, with carcass characteristics that lay between the values of gilts and barrows. Boar carcasses are leaner in comparison to barrows, but produce the same amount of valuable pork per carcass. Boars and immunocastrates are therefore suitable for the processing industry and both techniques are able to compete with pork production with barrows in terms of carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts. Abstract The surgical castration of male piglets as a routine procedure in modern pig production is facing increasing societal criticism. Pork production with boars and immunocastrates are available alternatives, but both have low market shares as it is so far uncertain how the carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts of boars and immunocastrates will be estimated in comparison to barrows and gilts. This article therefore evaluates the impact of sex group (gilts, boars, immunocastrates and barrows) on carcass characteristics and primal pork cuts using AutoFOM III data from a commercial abattoir. In our study, weekly slaughter data from a total of n = 36,994 pigs between 2018 and 2019 were analyzed. The results show that gilts had the highest amount of pork per carcass of all sex groups, whereas non-significant differences between boars, immunocastrates and barrows could be observed. Boars had the highest lean meat content, followed by gilts, immunocastrates and finally barrows with the lowest lean meat content. These results suggest that both immunocastration and pork production with boars are sustainable techniques that can replace pork production with barrows without affecting carcass quality.
GUIDELINES FOR CONSIDERATION OF BATS IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF WIND FARMS IN BRAZIL: A COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE EXPERIENCE FROM RIO GRANDE DO SUL STATE

In recent years Brazil has become the third largest market for new investments in wind power in the world. Though a change in the national policy towards more sustainable energy sources is desirable, wind energy is not free from negative impacts. According to studies done in the temperate region, bats are negatively affected by wind farms, due to fatalities resulting from direct collision with the turbines or from barotrauma. If in many countries national and international laws follow guidelines for consideration of potential impacts of wind farms on bats, and even consider potential minimization and mitigation schemes, the Brazilian current normative for wind farm licencing presents vague approaches on this matter. With a few exceptions, states are the main responsible for the licencing processes. In this context, a joint initiative in Rio Grande do Sul, the state with the third highest wind power generation in Brazil, put together the Secretary of State for the Environment and Sustainable Development of Rio Grande do Sul, the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, and the Brazilian Society for the Study of Bats to set reference terms for consideration of bats in impact assessments of wind farms in the state. Consensus was built from a collaborative process resulting from a two-day workshop involving technicians and academics with expertise in bat biology, conservation and management. Guidelines were divided into pre-installation, construction, and operation phases, considering the decisions to make, potential impacts and relevant questions to answer, methodological and technical recommendations or constraints, and current gaps in knowledge. Here we describe this collaborative experience hoping it can be replicable in other Brazilian states and used by other potentially impacting sectors. With few adaptations and considering specificities in the regional bat fauna and environmental conditions, the proposed reference terms can be used elsewhere in Brazil.
Identification of Potential Core Genes Associated With the Progression of Stomach Adenocarcinoma Using Bioinformatic Analysis

Purpose Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world with both high mortality and high metastatic capacity. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate novel therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers that can be used for STAD treatment. Materials and Methods We acquired four original gene chip profiles, namely GSE13911, GSE19826, GSE54129, and GSE65801 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The datasets included a total of 114 STAD tissues and 110 adjacent normal tissues. The GEO2R online tool and Venn diagram software were used to discriminate differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) enriched pathways were also performed for annotation and visualization with DEGs. The STRING online database was used to identify the functional interactions of DEGs. Subsequently, we selected the most significant DEGs to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and to reveal the core genes involved. Finally, the Kaplan-Meier Plotter online database and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) were used to analyze the prognostic information of the core DEGs. Results A total of 114 DEGs (35 upregulated and 79 downregulated) were identified, which were abnormally expressed in the GEO datasets. GO analysis demonstrated that the majority of the upregulated DEGs were significantly enriched in collagen trimer, cell adhesion, and identical protein binding. The downregulated DEGs were involved in extracellular space, digestion, and inward rectifier potassium channel activity. Signaling pathway analysis indicated that upregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in receptor interaction, whereas downregulated DEGs were involved in gastric acid secretion. A total of 80 DEGs were screened into the PPI network complex, and one of the most important modules with a high degree was detected. Furthermore, 10 core genes were identified, namely COL1A1, COL1A2, FN1, COL5A2, BGN, COL6A3, COL12A1, THBS2, CDH11, and SERPINH1. Finally, the results of the prognostic information further demonstrated that all 10 core genes exhibited significantly higher expression in STAD tissues compared with that noted in normal tissues. Conclusion The multiple molecular mechanisms of these novel core genes in STAD are worthy of further investigation and may reveal novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers for STAD treatment.
Impact of Thrombocytopenia on Postoperative Bleeding Incidence in Patients Receiving Aspirin Following Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background: Early postoperative aspirin following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery has been shown to maintain bypass graft patency, reduce mortality, and prevent adverse cardiovascular events. Despite this known benefit, aspirin may be delayed due to thrombocytopenia and perceived higher bleeding risk. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of postoperative platelet count on bleeding in patients receiving aspirin after CABG. Methods: A retrospective analysis included all patients who underwent CABG surgery at our institution from April 2014 to June 2018 and received aspirin within 24 hours. The primary outcome was International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) major bleeding within 7 days (or up to discharge) following CABG surgery compared between patients with and without postoperative thrombocytopenia. Results: This study included 280 patients. Major bleeding occurred in 24.6% of the population, with no difference when stratified by the presence or absence of postoperative thrombocytopenia (27.3% versus 23.8%, p = 0.571). There was no significant difference in hemoglobin fall (13.6% versus 14%, p = 0.948), transfusion requirement (6.1% versus 4.2%, p = 0.531), or critical site bleeding (12.1% versus 7.9%, p = 0.298). Conclusion: In this single-center analysis of patients who received aspirin within 24 hours of CABG, postoperative thrombocytopenia was not associated with an increase in bleeding.
Trypanosoma brucei brucei Induces Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil Activation and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Release

Trypanosoma brucei brucei trypomastigotes are classical blood parasites of cattle, these stages might become potential targets for circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN). We here investigated NETs extrusion and related oxygen consumption in bovine PMN exposed to motile T. b. brucei trypomastigotes in vitro. Parasite exposure induced PMN activation as detected by enhanced oxygen consumption rates (OCR), extracellular acidification rates (ECAR), and production of total and extracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that co-cultivation of bovine PMN with motile trypomastigotes resulted in NETs formation within 120 min of exposure. T. b. brucei-induced NETs were confirmed by confocal microscopy demonstrating co-localization of extruded DNA with neutrophil elastase (NE) and nuclear histones. Immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated that trypomastigotes induced different phenotypes of NETs in bovine PMN, such as aggregated NETs (aggNETs), spread NETs (sprNETs), and diffuse NETs (diffNETs) with aggNETs being the most abundant ones. Furthermore, live cell 3D-holotomographic microscopy unveiled detailed morphological changes during the NETotic process. Quantification of T. b. brucei-induced NETs formation was estimated by DNA and nuclear area analysis (DANA) and confirmed enhanced NETs formation in response to trypomastigote stages. Formation of NETs does not result in a decrease of T. b. brucei viability, but a decrease of 26% in the number of motile parasites. Referring the involved signaling pathways, trypomastigote-induced NETs formation seems to be purinergic-dependent, since inhibition via NF449 treatment resulted in a significant reduction of T. b. brucei-triggered DNA extrusion. Overall, future studies will have to analyze whether the formation of aggNETs indeed plays a role in the outcome of clinical disease and bovine African trypanosomiasis-related immunopathological disorders, such as increased intravascular coagulopathy and vascular permeability, often reported to occur in this disease.
Metabolome analysis using multiple data mining approaches suggests luteolin biosynthesis in Physcomitrella patens.

The model land plant Physcomitrella patens synthesizes flavonoids which may act as protectant of ultraviolet-B radiation. We aimed to uncover its flavonoid profile, for which metabolome analysis using liquid chromatography coupled with Ion trap/Orbitrap mass spectrometry was performed. From the 80% methanol extracts, 661 valid peaks were detected. Prediction of the elemental compositions within a mass accuracy of 2 ppm indicated that 217 peaks had single elemental composition. A compound database search revealed 47 peaks to be annotated as secondary metabolites based on the compound database search. Comprehensive substituent search by ShiftedIonsFinder showed there were 13 peaks of potential flavonoid derivatives. Interestingly, a peak having m/z 287.0551, corresponding to that of luteolin, was detected, even though flavone synthase has never been identified in P. patens. Using P. patens labeled with stable isotopes (13C-, 15N-, 18O-, and 34S), we confirmed the elemental composition of the peak as C15H10O6. By a comparison of MS/MS spectra with that of authentic standard, the peak was identified as luteolin or related flavone isomers. This is the first report of luteolin or related flavones synthesis and the possibility of the existence of an unknown enzyme with flavone synthase activity in P. patens.
Consciousness as an Emergent Phenomenon: A Tale of Different Levels of Description

One of the biggest queries in cognitive sciences is the emergence of consciousness from matter. Modern neurobiological theories of consciousness propose that conscious experience is the result of interactions between large-scale neuronal networks in the brain, traditionally described within the realm of classical physics. Here, we propose a generalized connectionist framework in which the emergence of “conscious networks” is not exclusive of large brain areas, but can be identified in subcellular networks exhibiting nontrivial quantum phenomena. The essential feature of such networks is the existence of strong correlations in the system (classical or quantum coherence) and the presence of an optimal point at which the system’s complexity and energy dissipation are maximized, whereas free-energy is minimized. This is expressed either by maximization of the information content in large scale functional networks or by achieving optimal efficiency through the quantum Goldilock effect.
Spectral-luminescent and nonlinear properties of borogermanate glasses with perovskite nanocrystals

Perovskite quantum dots and nanocrystals have attracted enormous attention in recent years. They possess excellent luminescent properties as long as a possibility to tune them in a whole visible range. Perovskite quantum dots and nanocrystals are candidates for various lightning applications including light-emitting diodes and displays. The perovskite nanocrystals embedded into the borogermanate glass matrix to improve their stability were synthesized in this work and their spectral-luminescent properties were studied. The nonlinear optical properties of synthesized glasses and glass-ceramics were examined for the first time using the closed-aperture Z-scan technique. Luminescence of studied perovskite nanocrystals was shown to depend on the nanocrystals size and composition. The maximal luminescence quantum yield was equal to 12% and 19% for CsPbBr3 and CsPbI3 nanocrystals, respectively. The average nonlinear refractive index n2 of synthesized glasses was found to be around 3.4∙10-16 cm2/W not depending on the formation of the perovskite nanocrystals in the glass volume.
The Hospital-Community-Family–Based Telemedicine (HCFT-AF) Program for Integrative Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Pilot Feasibility Study

Background The potential effectiveness of integrated management in further improving the prognosis of patients with atrial fibrillation has been demonstrated; however, the best strategy for implementation remains to be discovered. Objective The aim of this study was to ascertain the feasibility of implementing integrated atrial fibrillation care via the Hospital-Community-Family–Based Telemedicine (HCFT-AF) program. Methods In this single-arm, pre-post design pilot study, a multidisciplinary teamwork, supported by efficient infrastructures, provided patients with integrated atrial fibrillation care following the Atrial fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway. Eligible patients were continuously recruited and followed up for at least 4 months. The patients’ drug adherence, and atrial fibrillation–relevant lifestyles and behaviors were assessed at baseline and at 4 months. The acceptability, feasibility, and usability of the HCFT-AF technology devices and engagement with the HCFT-AF program were assessed at 4 months. Results A total of 73 patients (mean age, 68.42 years; 52% male) were enrolled in November 2019 with a median follow up of 132 days (IQR 125–138 days). The patients’ drug adherence significantly improved after the 4-month intervention (P<.001). The vast majority (94%, 64/68) of indicated patients received anticoagulant therapy at 4 months, and none of them received antiplatelet therapy unless there was an additional indication. The atrial fibrillation–relevant lifestyles and behaviors ameliorated to varying degrees at the end of the study. In general, the majority of patients provided good feedback on the HCFT-AF intervention. More than three-quarters (76%, 54/71) of patients used the software or website more than once a week and accomplished clinic visits as scheduled. Conclusions The atrial fibrillation–integrated care model described in this study is associated with improved drug adherence, standardized therapy rate, and lifestyles of patients, which highlights the possibility to better deliver integrated atrial fibrillation management. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04127799; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04127799
Lifting News into a Journalistic Knowledge Platform

A massive amount of news is being shared online by individuals and news agencies, making it difficult to take advantage of these news and analyse them in traditional ways. In view of this, there is an urgent need to use recent technologies to analyse all news relevant information that is being shared in natural language and convert it into forms that can be more easily and preciselyprocessedbycomputers. KnowledgeGraphs(KGs)offerofferagoodsolutionforsuchprocessing. NaturalLanguage Processing (NLP) offers the possibility for mining and lifting natural language texts to knowledge graphs allowing to exploit its semantic capabilities, facilitating new possibilities for news analysis and understanding. However, the current available techniques are still away from perfect. Many approaches and frameworks have been proposed to track and analyse news in the last few years. The shortcomings of those systems are that they are static and not updateable, are not designed for large-scale data volumes, did not support real-time processing, dealt with limited data resources, used traditional lifting pipelines and supported limited tasks, or have neglected the use of knowledge graphs to represent news into a computer-processable form. Therefore, there is a need to better support lifting natural language into a KG. With the continuous development of NLP techniques, the design of new dynamic NLP lifters that can cope with all the previous shortcomings is required. This paper introduces a general NLP lifting architecture for automatically lifting and processing news reports in real-time based on the recent development of the NLP methods.
The Effects of Functionally Guided, Connectivity-Based rTMS on Amygdala Activation

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has fundamentally transformed how we treat psychiatric disorders, but is still in need of innovation to optimally correct dysregulation that occurs throughout the fronto-limbic network. rTMS is often applied over the prefrontal cortex, a central node in this network, but less attention is given to subcortical areas because they lie at depths beyond the electric field penetration of rTMS. Recent studies have demonstrated that the effectiveness of rTMS is dependent on the functional connectivity between deep subcortical areas and superficial targets, indicating that leveraging such connectivity may improve dosing approaches for rTMS interventions. The current preliminary study, therefore, sought to test whether task-related, fMRI-connectivity-based rTMS could be used to modulate amygdala activation through its connectivity with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). For this purpose, fMRI was collected on participants to identify a node in the mPFC that showed the strongest negative connectivity with right amygdala, as defined by psychophysiological interaction analysis. To promote long-lasting Hebbian-like effects, and potentially stronger modulation, 5Hz rTMS was then applied to this target as participants viewed frightening video-clips that engaged the fronto-limbic network. Post-rTMS fMRI results revealed promising increases in both the left mPFC and right amygdala, for active rTMS compared to sham. While these modulatory findings are promising, they differ from the a priori expectation that excitatory 5Hz rTMS over a negatively connected node would reduce amygdala activity. As such, further research is needed to better understand how connectivity influences TMS effects on distal structures, and to leverage this information to improve therapeutic applications.
Do State Earned Income Tax Credits Increase Participation in the Federal EITC?

In recent years, many states and some local governments implemented or expanded their own supplemental earned income tax credits (EITCs). The expansion of state EITCs may have stemmed in large part from wanting to provide a more generous program than the federal program because state EITCs increase transfer payments to low-income recipients who qualify. However, state and local governments can also benefit from maximizing participation of their constituents in the federal EITC, and there are several reasons why state or local EITCs could increase participation in the federal EITC program. We find some evidence suggesting that state EITCs may increase federal EITC program participation among low-skilled single filers with children.
A Racially Unbiased, Machine Learning Approach to Prediction of Mortality: Algorithm Development Study

Background Racial disparities in health care are well documented in the United States. As machine learning methods become more common in health care settings, it is important to ensure that these methods do not contribute to racial disparities through biased predictions or differential accuracy across racial groups. Objective The goal of the research was to assess a machine learning algorithm intentionally developed to minimize bias in in-hospital mortality predictions between white and nonwhite patient groups. Methods Bias was minimized through preprocessing of algorithm training data. We performed a retrospective analysis of electronic health record data from patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a large academic health center between 2001 and 2012, drawing data from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care–III database. Patients were included if they had at least 10 hours of available measurements after ICU admission, had at least one of every measurement used for model prediction, and had recorded race/ethnicity data. Bias was assessed through the equal opportunity difference. Model performance in terms of bias and accuracy was compared with the Modified Early Warning Score (MEWS), the Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II), and the Acute Physiologic Assessment and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE). Results The machine learning algorithm was found to be more accurate than all comparators, with a higher sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic. The machine learning algorithm was found to be unbiased (equal opportunity difference 0.016, P=.20). APACHE was also found to be unbiased (equal opportunity difference 0.019, P=.11), while SAPS II and MEWS were found to have significant bias (equal opportunity difference 0.038, P=.006 and equal opportunity difference 0.074, P<.001, respectively). Conclusions This study indicates there may be significant racial bias in commonly used severity scoring systems and that machine learning algorithms may reduce bias while improving on the accuracy of these methods.