Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predator Control Needs a Standard of Unbiased Randomized Experiments With Cross-Over Design

Rapid, global changes, such as extinction and climate change, put a premium on evidence-based, environmental policies and interventions, including predator control efforts. Lack of solid scientific evidence precludes strong inference about responses of predators, people, and prey of both, to various types of predator control. Here we formulate two opposing hypotheses with possible underlying mechanisms and propose experiments to test four pairs of opposed predictions about responses of predators, domestic animals, and people in a coupled, dynamic system. We outline the design of a platinum-standard experiment, namely randomized, controlled experiment with cross-over design and multiple steps to blind measurement, analysis, and peer review to avoid pervasive biases. The gold-standard has been proven feasible in field experiments with predators and livestock, so we call for replicating that across the world on different methods of predator control, in addition to striving for an even higher standard that can improve reproducibility and reliability of the science of predator control.
Serum GAA as a Possible Biomarker of Exhaustive Exercise?

Exercise alters human homeostasis by differentmeans, with energymetabolism particularly affected by heavy and strenuous activities. From a substantial increase in an expenditure of cellular energy to an up-regulation of proteins involved in all aspects of energy turnover (Smiles et al., 2016), exhaustive exercise is consistently accompanied by considerable changes in various indicators of energy metabolism in the circulation and energy-demanding tissues, such as the brain, heart, or skeletal muscle (Kastellorizios and Burgess, 2015). Specifically, a plethora of blood-based biomarkers have emerged in recent years as effective screening tools used to monitor exhaustive exercise-induced changes in bioenergetics (Lee et al., 2017). At the same time, it remains puzzling why the indices of creatine metabolism in the blood are rarely used in routine screening during exercise, having in mind a fact that creatine utilization plays a major role during activities in which short bursts of intense energy are required (Wallimann et al., 2011). Besides other creatine-related compounds, guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), a direct endogenous precursor of creatine, might be particularly sensible to exhaustive exercise. This opinion paper summarizes the latest findings for advancing serumGAA as a possible innovative biomarker of exhaustive exercise, as well as explores the shortcomings and challenges that need to be addressed before the translation of its use in routine practice. We selected all human studies know to the authors that demonstrated notable changes in serum GAA after either aerobic or resistance exercise to exhaustion.
Psychobiology of Attachment and Trauma—Some General Remarks From a Clinical Perspective

Attachment refers to a psychobiological principle that is deeply rooted in evolutionary development; it is thought to contribute a major advantage in the survival of the social group. Within individual development it indicates a primary motivational system that guides the initial transactions between mother and baby and furthermore mediates affective attunement and regulation. Psychosocial learning, in close interaction with genetics and epigenetics, also develops a decisive foundation for further brain development of the infant. Finally, the attachment pattern established forms an enduring, relational context for later affective, cognitive, and social development of the child. As an unconsciously active matrix for future personal relationships it has a particular impact on the comprehensive psychological functions of empathy and mentalization. Early adverse and traumatic experiences or major emotional neglect may lead to different levels of security versus insecurity or disorientation-disorganization of the attachment pattern that corresponds to characteristic features of neurobiological regulation.
Let's Get It On: Dressing Skill Development in Children With Vision Impairment and Children With Down Syndrome

Dressing is a fundamental independent living skill often haphazardly acquired via visual observation. For children with vision impairment and children with Down Syndrome (where vision impairment is a component), dressing skill acquisition can be delayed due to a reduced/absent visual modality. Independent living skills is an aspect of habilitation practice and training, designed to maximise independence in children and young people with vision impairment and prepare them for adulthood. This paper, presented in two parts, first details a systematic (UK based) survey exploring fastening use across a clothing sample of birth-adult clothing (N=12,967). Study 1 presents a frequency distribution exploring types of fastenings used on clothing items from birth-adulthood. The data are fundamental in exploring the likelihood of fastening exposure across developmental phases. Further, Study 1 details the process behind developing a novel dressing skill intervention. Informed by Study 1, Study 2 qualitatively explored the effectiveness of an original resource/group-based intervention over a 10-week period. Eighteen children were recruited for the study, namely children with vision impairment (n=9) and children with Down Syndrome (n=9) aged 5-11 years. Collective and illustrative case studies are presented based on emergent themes from intervention observations. The findings reveal areas for consideration by Habilitation Specialists and the multidisciplinary team surrounding children with vision impairment and/or Down Syndrome as this may inform Habilitation Plans, and Educational Health Care Plan reports. The implications of this study extend beyond dressing skill development in children with vision impairment and/or Down Syndrome and inform resource development and subsequent practice when working with children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Effect of Indomethacin and Salt Depletion on Renal Proton MR Imaging

Blockade of the synthesis of vasodilating prostaglandins with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) renders the renal medulla susceptible to hypoxic injury with reduced renal function, especially in clinical conditions characterized by volume depletion. Alterations in renal hemodynamics and urine production may affect renal MR imaging under these circumstances. We injected salt-depleted and control rats undergoing proton MR imaging with indomethacin 10 mg/kg. Indomethacin abolished the cortico-medullary T2-gradient and markedly diminished the overall renal signal in salt-depleted rats only. These changes, which progressed over a period of 40 min after indomethacin was injected, probably result from renal oligemia and decreased urine production, with an associated decrease in T2-values. We suggest that a history of consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should be obtained and taken into account in the evaluation of renal proton MR imaging, especially in the presence of salt and volume depletion.
Visual Interpretation Compared with Caliper and Computerized Measurements in Experimental Vessel Stenosis

To explain visual interpretation errors on angiograms, visual interpretation, caliper measurement, and computerized measurement of cine film were compared using each of 10 graphic models and 10 acrylic models with “stenotic vessels”. Stenosis > 40% was overestimated and stenosis < 40% underestimated by visual interpretation. In caliper measurement, stenosis > 40% at exposure of 90 kV was greatly overestimated by a degree similar to the estimation by visual interpretation, and stenosis > 40% at exposures of 74 kV and 58 kV was slightly overestimated. In computerized measurement, the estimation was consistent with the actual degree of stenosis. Therefore, visual interpretation was not reliable for estimation, and computerized measurement was indispensable for estimation of vessel stenosis. Moreover, we consider the most common cause of error in visual interpretation to be optical illusions.
Results

Objective : To conduct a real-time audit to assess a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) activity to improve the quality of public health data in the Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) Public Health Unit during the first wave of COVID-19. Methods : A real-time audit of the Notifiable Conditions Information Management System was conducted for positive cases of COVID-19 and their close contacts from SLHD. After recording missing and inaccurate data, the audit team then corrected the data. Multivariable regression models were used to look for associations with workload and time. Results : A total of 293 cases were audited. Variables measuring completeness were associated with improvement over time ( p <0.0001), whereas those measuring accuracy reduced with increased workload ( p =0.0003). In addition, the audit team achieved 100% data quality by correcting data. Conclusion : Utilising a team, separate from operational staff, to conduct a real-time audit of data quality is an efficient and effective way of improving epidemiological data. Implications for public health : Implementation of CQI in a public health unit can improve data quality during times of stress. Auditing teams can also act as an intervention in their own right to achieve high-quality data at minimal cost. Together, this can result in timely and high-quality public health data.
Image Based Tumor Cells Identification Using Convolutional Neural Network and Auto Encoders

Received: 8 June 2019 Accepted: 22 September 2019 The convolutional neural network (CNN) and other neural networks (NNs) provide promising tools for robotized characterization of tumor cells. However, the tumor growth areas in ultrasound images are normally obscure, with uncertain edges. It is not acceptable to prepare ultrasound images straightforwardly with the CNN. To solve the problem, this paper puts forward a faster region-convolutional neural network (R-CNN) to identify tumor cells with the aid of auto encoders. Taking two fully-connected layers with dropout and ReLU enactments as the base, the proposed faster R-CNN adopts 3D convolutional and max pooling layers, enabling the user to extract features from potential tumor growth areas. In addition, the thin and deep layers of the network were connected to facilitate the identification of blurry or small tumor growth areas. Experimental results show that the proposed faster R-CNN with auto encoders outperformed traditional data mining and artificial intelligence (AI) methods in prediction accuracy of tumor cells.
Point Cloud Denoising with Principal Component Analysis and a Novel Bilateral Filter

Received: 19 March 2019 Accepted: 7 August 2019 This paper aims to remove the noises of different scales in point cloud data captured by 3D scanners, while preserving the sharp features (e.g. edges) of the model. For this purpose, the authors proposed a point cloud denoising method based on the principal component analysis (PCA) and a self-designed bilateral filter. First, the outliers in the point cloud were divided into isolated outliers and deviation outliers. The former was directly removed, while the latter was moved along the normal vector estimated by the PCA. Next, a bilateral filter was developed based on vertex brightness, vertex position and normal vector. During image processing, the grayscale of the current point was replaced with the weighted mean of the grayscales of its neighborhood points. The weight function is related to the distance and grayscale difference between the current point and neighborhood points. The effectiveness of our method was proved through experiments on actual point clouds. The results demonstrate that our bilateral filter can retain the sharp features of point cloud data, in addition to removing the small-scale noises.
Monitoring of Epileptical Patients Using Cloud-Enabled Health-IoT System

Received: 20 June 2019 Accepted: 26 August 2019 The health Internet of Things (IoT) lays the basis for emergency care for epileptic patients. The security of data transmission in the network calls for a robust monitoring technique. This paper proposes a monitoring model for epileptic patients, using a cloud-based health IoT system. To ensure the data security, watermarking was carried out through discrete wavelet transform-singular value decomposition (DWT-SVD), followed by short time Fourier transform (STFT). The proposed watermarking scheme, which is based on STFT and DWTSVD, was verified on electroencephalography (EEG) data of class Z and class S. The results show that our scheme achieved a good watermarking performance, with a peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 35.25 and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 31.32.
Exact geometry algorithms for robotic motion planning

The current generation of robotic motion planning algorithms is dominated by derivatives of the PRM and RRT algorithms. These methods abstract away all geometric information about the underlying problem into a collision checker. While this approach yields simple and general purpose algorithms, it often comes at the cost of theoretical guarantees and performance. In this thesis, we explore deterministic motion planning algorithms that have explicit knowledge of the geometry of the underlying problems. By exploiting this geometry, we give algorithms that can achieve stronger theoretical guarantees and better performance in some problems. This thesis is divided into two main sections comprising of two different motion planning scenarios. In the first case, we explore issues of decidability in task and motion planning by giving a decision procedure for prehensile task and motion planning. In the second section, we present a holonomic motion planning algorithm that can almost always identify the exact optimal solution as a system of differential equations, which can be numerically solved to produce an asymptoticallyoptimal solution.
Múltiple resistencia antibacterial en aislados de equinos Pura Sangre de carreras en el hipódromo "La Rinconada", Caracas, Venezuela

Se determino la resistencia multiple a los antibioticos en aislados bacteriales de caballos Pura Sangre en el Hipodromo «La Rinconada», Caracas, Venezuela durante el 2009. Se trabajo con una poblacion de 128 caballos, donde 12 no respondieron al tratamiento contra infecciones adquiridas, pese a ser tratados durante 7 dias con gentamicina (6 mg/kg), penicilina (22.000 UI/kg) y ceftiofur sodico (4 mg/kg). Se practico la necropsia y se tomaron muestras de tejido de abscesos en artritis septica (4), endocarditis con abscesos (1), esofagitis supurada (2), granuloma laringeo (1), neumonia (2), pielonefritis (1) y dermatitis (1). Las muestras se colocaron en medio de transporte Stuart y fueron cultivadas. Los aislados fueron sometidos a una prueba de susceptibilidad antibacterial. La bacteria E. coli fue aislada en 12 casos (75%), Proteus mirabilis en 2 (12.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa en 1 (6.25%) y Streptococcus equi subespecie zooepidemicus en 1 (6.25%). Los antibiogramas de los aislados bacterianos evidenciaron resistencia a gentamicina, ciprofloxacina, acido nalidixico, trimetropin, ampicilina y amikacina.
Differentiation of human cd T cells towards distinct memory phenotypes

Vc9/Vd2 T cells comprise a small population of peripheral T cells responding towards the low molecular weight antigen, (E)-4hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl-pyrophosphate (HMB-PP). HMB-PP-stimulated Vc9/Vd2 T cells proliferated, expressed CCL5/ RANTES, and upregulated markers like CD16, CD25, CD69, and CD94, in the presence of either IL-15 or IL-21. Vc9/Vd2 T cells grown in the presence of IL-15 differentiated into an effector/memory population characterized by production of TNF-a, expression of CD45RO and CCR5, and lack of CD62L, CD81, and CCR7. In contrast, Vc9/Vd2 T cells grown with IL-21 differentiated into putative central memory CD45ROþ T cells that did not produce TNF-a, IFN-c, or IL-4, and maintained expression of CD62L, CD81, and CCR7. 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Prä‐mRNA‐Splicing

In höheren Organismen enthält der Zwischenträger der Erbinformation, die mRNA, sinnlose Abschnitte, die den Leserahmen unterbrechen. Diese sinnlosen Abschnitte, Introns genannt, können sich an jeder beliebigen Stelle innerhalb der mRNA befinden und müssen erkannt und vollständig ausgeschnitten werden. Doch wie erfolgt die Erkennung der Introns? Wie werden sie ausgeschnitten und die entstehenden Fragmente der mRNA in richtiger Reihenfolge und mit richtigem Leserahmen wieder zusammengesetzt? Welche Faktoren sind in der Zelle an diesen Reaktionen beteiligt?
Bibliometrics-based decision trees (BBDTs) based on bibliometrics-based heuristics (BBHs): Visualized guidelines for the use of bibliometrics in research evaluation

Abstract Fast-and-frugal heuristics are simple strategies that base decisions on only a few predictor variables. In so doing, heuristics may not only reduce complexity but also boost the accuracy of decisions, their speed, and transparency. In this paper, bibliometrics-based decision trees (BBDTs) are introduced for research evaluation purposes. BBDTs visualize bibliometrics-based heuristics (BBHs), which are judgment strategies solely using publication and citation data. The BBDT exemplar presented in this paper can be used as guidance to find an answer on the question in which situations simple indicators such as mean citation rates are reasonable and in which situations more elaborated indicators (i.e., [sub-]field-normalized indicators) should be applied.
Rhinovirus 2A is the key protease responsible for instigating the early block to gene expression in infected cells

ABSTRACT Human rhinoviruses (HRVs) express 2 cysteine proteases, 2A and 3C, that are responsible for viral polyprotein processing. Both proteases also suppress host gene expression by inhibiting mRNA transcription, nuclear export and cap-dependent translation. However, the relative contribution that each makes in achieving this goal remains unclear. In this study, we have compared both the combined and individual ability of the two proteases to shut down cellular gene expression using a novel dynamic reporter system. Our findings show that 2A inhibits host gene expression much more rapidly than 3C. By comparing the activities of a representative set of proteases from the three different HRV species, we also find variation in the speed at which host gene expression is suppressed. Our work highlights the key role that 2A plays in early suppression of the infected host cell response and shows that this can be influenced by natural variation in the activity of this enzyme. Summary: Development of a ribozyme-destabilized nanoluciferase reporter to monitor changes in gene expression brought about by rhinovirus proteases 2A and 3C.
Effect of fibre sources on performance, serum parameters, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities and microbiota in weaned pigs

ABSTRACT This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of wheat bran (WB) as insoluble fibre source, and sugar beet pulp (SBP) as soluble fibre source, on performance, serum parameters and intestinal health in weaned pigs. A total of 90 weaned pigs (BW: 7.33 ± 1.24 kg) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: (1) a control diet (CON) based on corn and soybean meal; (2) CON + 6% WB; (3) CON + 6% SBP. Each treatment had five replicate pens with six pigs per pen. The experimental period was divided into two phases (d 0 to 14 and d 14 to 28). Pigs in group WB tended to have greater avarage daily gain than those in group SBP. Compared with CON, SBP reduced (p < 0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, organic matter (OM), gross energy and neutral detergent fibre on d 14 and 28, while WB decreased (p < 0.05) the ATTD of OM on d 28. Pigs in group SBP had higher (p < 0.05) glucagon-like peptide 1 concentration than the other groups on d 14 and 28. The villus height to crypt depth (V:C) ratio of duodenum and jejunum in pigs fed diet WB were greater (p < 0.05) than in group SBP. The WB increased (p < 0.05) the V:C ratio of ileum compared with CON or SBP. Compared with SBP, WB increased (p < 0.05) the sucrase activity in the duodenum. Moreover, pigs in WB had higher (p < 0.05) activities of maltase and sucrase in the jejunum compared with CON or SBP. The abundances of Ruminococcaceae and Prevotellaceae were increased (p < 0.05) in WB, while the Lachnospiraceae abundance was increased (p < 0.05) in SBP. WB increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of acetate, butyrate and total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), while SBP increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of acetate and total SCFA when compared with CON. In conclusion, WB was beneficial to performance in weaned pigs by improving morphology, enzyme activities and microbiota when compared with SBP, highlighting that effects of fibre depends on the fibre sources.
Scholarship Development Series Part I: Writing a Review of the Literature

As part of National Association of Hispanic Nurses’ Strategic Plan, our organization focuses on the development of scholarship in our members. Scholarship is what moves nursing science forward and includes not only research but also teaching/education and clinical practice. Part of scholarship is identifying what is in the literature or what is the “evidence” which is detrimental to identifying the best practices for our Latino communities. This article is part of a scholarship development series that will run in Hispanic Health Care International. The purpose of this first article is to provide a background on how to conduct a review of the literature. The objectives of the article are to (1) define what a review of the literature is, (2) discuss various types of review articles that can be used for research, practice, or education, (3) identify the process of synthesizing evidence, (4) present standardized formats that can be used in writing a review, and (5) provide steps to begin the process of writing a review.
First-in-Man Phase I Trial of the Selective MET Inhibitor Tepotinib in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors

Purpose: Tepotinib is an oral, potent, highly selective MET inhibitor. This first-in-man phase I trial investigated the MTD of tepotinib to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Patients and Methods: Patients received tepotinib orally according to one of three dose escalation regimens (R) on a 21-day cycle: R1, 30–400 mg once daily for 14 days; R2, 30–315 mg once daily 3 times/week; or R3, 300–1,400 mg once daily. After two cycles, treatment could continue in patients with stable disease until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was incidence of dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAE). Secondary endpoints included safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor effects. Results: One hundred and forty-nine patients received tepotinib (R1: n = 42; R2: n = 45; R3: n = 62). Although six patients reported DLTs [one patient in R1 (115 mg), three patients in R2 (60, 100, 130 mg), two patients in R3 (1,000, 1,400 mg)], the MTD was not reached at the highest tested dose of 1,400 mg daily. The RP2D of tepotinib was established as 500 mg once daily, supported by translational modeling data as sufficient to achieve ≥95% MET inhibition in ≥90% of patients. Treatment-related TEAEs were mostly grade 1 or 2 fatigue, peripheral edema, decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, and lipase increase. The best overall response in R3 was partial response in two patients, both with MET overexpression. Conclusions: Tepotinib was well tolerated with clinical activity in MET-dysregulated tumors. The RP2D of tepotinib was established as 500 mg once daily. MET abnormalities can drive tumorigenesis. This first-in-man trial demonstrated that the potent, highly selective MET inhibitor tepotinib can reduce or stabilize tumor burden and is well tolerated at doses up to 1,400 mg once daily. An RP2D of 500 mg once daily, as determined from translational modeling and simulation integrating human population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data in tumor biopsies, is being used in ongoing clinical trials.