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Detection of AI-generated content is a crucially important task considering the increasing attention towards AI tools, such as ChatGPT, and the raised concerns with regard to academic integrity. Existing text classification approaches, including neural-network-based and feature-based methods, are mostly tailored for English data, and they are typically limited to a supervised learning setting. Although one-class learning methods are more suitable for classification tasks, their effectiveness in essay detection is still unknown. In this paper, this gap is explored by adopting linguistic features and one-class learning models for AI-generated essay detection. Detection performance of different models is assessed in different settings, where positively labeled data, i.e., AI-generated essays, are unavailable for model training. Results with two datasets containing essays in L2 English and L2 Spanish show that it is feasible to accurately detect AI-generated essays. The analysis reveals which models and which sets of linguistic features are more powerful than others in the detection task.

We established a surveillance program to evaluate persistence of C. auris colonization among hospitalized patients. Overall, 17 patients (34%) had ≥1 negative result followed by a positive test, and 7 (41%) of these patients had ≥2 consecutive negative tests.

Pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum ) thrives in arid and nutrient-poor environments, establishing its role as a crucial cereal crop for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its remarkable adaptability, its yields remain below genetic potential, primarily due to limited water and nutrient availability. In this study, we conducted ionomic profiling and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in field conditions across two growing seasons to unravel the genetic basis of nutrient acquisition in pearl millet. Soil ion content analyses revealed significant differences in nutrient distribution between field sites, while certain ions, such as phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn), consistently displayed stratified accumulation patterns across years, suggesting stable depth-dependent trends. Evaluation of a genetically diverse panel of inbred lines revealed substantial variation in leaf ion concentrations, with high heritability estimates. Correlations between leaf ion content and root anatomical or agromorphological traits highlighted the intricate interplay between genetic and environmental factors shaping leaf ion accumulation. These analyses also uncovered potential trade-offs in nutrient acquisition strategies. GWAS identified genomic regions associated with leaf ion concentrations, and the integration of genetic and gene expression data facilitated the identification of candidate genes implicated in ion transport and homeostasis. Our findings provide valuable insights into the genetic regulation of nutrient acquisition in pearl millet, offering potential targets for breeding nutrient-efficient and climate-resilient varieties. This study underscores the importance of integrating genetic, physiological, and root architectural traits to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability in resource-constrained environments.

Hospital-acquired infections are emerging major concurrent conditions during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted a retrospective review of hospitalizations during March‒October 2020 of adults tested by reverse transcription PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We evaluated associations of COVID-19 diagnosis with risk for laboratory-confirmed bloodstream infections (LCBIs, primary outcome), time to LCBI, and risk for death by using logistic and competing risks regression with adjustment for relevant covariates. A total of 10,848 patients were included in the analysis: 918 (8.5%) were given a diagnosis of COVID-19, and 232 (2.1%) had LCBIs during their hospitalization. Of these patients, 58 (25%) were classified as having central line‒associated bloodstream infections. After adjusting for covariates, COVID-19‒positive status was associated with higher risk for LCBI and death. Reinforcement of infection control practices should be implemented in COVID-19 wards, and review of superiority and inferiority ranking methods by National Healthcare Safety Network criteria might be needed.

Phenotypic plasticity is a key mechanism by which crops adjust to fluctuating environmental conditions, yet its genetic basis under drought remains poorly characterized in barley (Hordeum vulgare). We hypothesized that phenotypic plasticity under drought is controlled by a distinct, trait-specific genetic architecture that can be detected using complementary plasticity metrics and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Here, we examined data from 1277 spring barley genotypes grown under well-watered and water-limited conditions to quantify plastic responses across two developmental traits (i.e., heading time, and maturity) and seven productivity-related traits (i.e., total dry matter, plant grain yield, grain number, grain weight, harvest index, vegetative dry weight, and grain-filling period). The experimental design, based on contrasting water regimes across a large diversity panel, allowed robust assessment of genotype-by-environment interactions. We combined five complementary plasticity estimators with four independent GWAS approaches to resolve the genomic architecture underlying trait-specific plasticity. Environmental effects dominated variation in yield-related traits, whereas developmental traits remained more genetically determined. The different plasticity metrics captured distinct but partially overlapping response dimensions, and their integration greatly increased the robustness of association signals. A total of 239 high-confidence SNPs obtained for top traits, those associated across metrics and methods, were enriched in coding regions and mapped to genes involved in osmoregulation, carbohydrate metabolism, hormonal pathways, and ion transport. A total of 27 high-confidence SNPs were located in coding regions, showing genotype-specific differences in the magnitude and even direction of phenotypic plasticity. These loci exhibited opposite allelic effects across water regimes, consistent with context-dependent antagonistic pleiotropy. The fact that candidate alleles for the plastic response modulate environmental sensitivity differently highlights that drought resilience arises from environment-contingent genetic architectures. Overall, these results provide a comprehensive framework for dissecting plasticity and identify concrete genomic targets for indirect selection targeting crop resilience with improved performance under increasingly variable water availability.

Background: Candida auris is often identified in healthcare settings through bilateral composite of axilla/groin skin swabs screening. Re-screening the same patient has demonstrated inconsistent results over time, complicating the understanding of longitudinal colonization and limiting confidence in negative Results: Previous studies have described identification of colonized patients using other anatomical sites. Here, we compare bilateral composite of nares/hands with bilateral composite of axilla/groin screenings in a cohort of hospitalized patients in Miami, Florida, to assess the use of screening other body sites for C. auris surveillance. Methods: This study took place in a 560-bed academic acute-care facility and included patients previously colonized with C. auris who were cohorted on a 30-bed unit. Bilateral composite samples from both the axilla/groin and nares/hands were obtained simultaneously. Swabs were collected at six different time points at biweekly intervals between March and May 2023 (Figure 1) and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing with culture and Real-time PCR-based methods. Results: A total of 102 swabs (51 from each swab type) were collected from 19 patients who were each sampled a median of twice (IQR: 1-5). Among the 102 swabs, 35 of 51 (69%) axilla/groin swabs were positive compared with 45 of 51 (88%) nares/hands swabs using culture (Figure 2). Furthermore, 48 of 51 (94%) swabs were positive by culture for both methods, with 15 positive from the nares/hands and one positive from the axilla/groin (Figure 3). Among 11 patients who were tested ≥2 times with nares/hands swabs, 9/11 (81%) tested positive on all sequential swabs via culture and 10/11 (90%) tested positive via PCR (Ct threshold < 3 6.9). Among the same 11 patients but using the axilla/groin swabs, 3/11 (27%) patients tested positive on all sequential swabs using culture, and 5/11 (45%) tested positive using PCR (Figures 2-4). On average, samples collected from nares/hands swabs had lower Ct values (mean=27) compared to axilla/groin swabs (mean=31) (p-value=< 0.001) (Figure 5). Discussion: Identifying the swab site with most consistent C. auris detection is important for surveillance purposes. In our study, there were more positives and consistent positivity for nares/hands by both culture and PCR-based methods, as well as lower Ct values, suggesting that these swabs provide more reliable detection of C. auris colonization. Alternative screening methods deserve consideration as CDC continues to explore whether swabbing of other body sites (e.g., nares, hands) would improve accuracy and consistency when identifying colonized patients.

Objective:Assess turnaround time (TAT) and cost-benefit of on-site C. auris screening and its impact on length of stay (LOS) and costs compared to reference laboratories.Design:Before-and-after retrospective cohort study.Setting:Large-tertiary medical center.Methods:We validated an on-site polymerase chain reaction-based testing platform for C. auris and retrospectively reviewed hospitalized adults who screened negative before and after platform implementation. We constructed multivariable models to assess the association of screening negative with hospital LOS/cost in the pre and postimplementation periods. We adjusted for confounders such as demographics and indwelling device use, and compared TATs for all samples tested.Results:The sensitivity and specificity of the testing platform were 100% and 98.11%, respectively, compared to send-out testing. The clinical cohort included 287 adults in the pre and 1,266 postimplementation period. The TAT was reduced by more than 2 days (3 (interquartile range (IQR): 2.0, 7.0) vs 0.42 (IQR: 0.24, 0.81), p < 0.001). Median LOS was significantly lower in the postimplementation period; however, this was no longer evident after adjustment. In relation to total cost, the time period had an effect of $6,965 (95% CI: −$481, $14,412); p = 0.067) on reducing the cost. The median adjusted total cost per patient was $7,045 (IQR: $3,805, $13,924) less in the post vs the preimplementation period.Conclusions:Our assessment did not find a statistically significant change in LOS, nevertheless, on-site testing was not cost-prohibitive for the institution. The value of on-site testing may be supported if an institutional C. auris reduction strategy emphasizes faster TATs.

Studying and understanding the evolution of relictual natural populations is critical for developing conservation initiatives of endangered species, such as management in situ and assisted migration. Recently, genomic and bioinformatics tools have promised a wide avenue for developing more efficient programs. Genomic prediction (GP) models are one of such tools; although, in trees, only some successful examples exit. They have mostly been used to increase predictive ability in commercial traits and reduce breeding cycle length. Thus, it remains to be tested whether GP can be extended for the management and conservation of natural small and secluded populations. Here, we explored such a possibility in a pilot study to predict the performance of introduced saplings in a managed population of sacred fir (Abies religiosa; Pinaceae) in central Mexico. We genotyped over 200 naturally re-generated and introduced individuals with 2286 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), derived from genotyping by sequencing, and used them to develop GP models for growth and physiological traits. After testing different training and validation datasets, and determining predictive ability of “across-groups” models with cross-validation techniques, acceptable predictive abilities (ry) were obtained for growth during the previous growing season, water potential, stem diameter, and aboveground biomass (0.36, 0.27, 0.26, and 0.24, respectively). The best models were always those built with natural saplings and used to predict the early performance of introduced individuals in the same environment, although fair predictabilities were also obtained when predicting performance between natural populations. Model fine-tuning resulted in reduced datasets of approximately 700 SNPs that helped optimizing phenotype predictability, particularly for water potential, for which ry was up to 0.28. These pilot-scale results are preliminary but encouraging and justify additional research efforts for implementing GP in small and secluded natural populations, particularly for endangered non-model species.

Genetic differentiations and phylogeographical patterns are controlled by the interplay between spatial isolation and gene flow. To assess the extent of gene flow across an oceanic barrier, we explored the effect of the separation of the peninsula of Baja California on the evolution of mainland and peninsular populations of the long-lived columnar cactus Stenocereus thurberi . We analyzed twelve populations throughout the OPC distribution range to assess genetic diversity and structure using chloroplast DNA sequences. Genetic diversity was higher ( H d = 0.81), and genetic structure was lower ( G ST = 0.143) in mainland populations vs peninsular populations ( H d = 0.71, G ST = 0.358 respectively). Genetic diversity was negatively associated with elevation but positively with rainfall. Two mainland and one peninsular ancestral haplotypes were reconstructed. Peninsular populations were as isolated among them as with mainland populations. Peninsular haplotypes formed a group with one mainland coastal population, and populations across the gulf shared common haplotypes giving support to regular gene flow across the Gulf. Gene flow is likely mediated by bats, the main pollinators and seed dispersers. Niche modeling suggests that during the Last Glacial Maximum (c. 130 ka), OPC populations shrank to southern locations. Currently, Stenocereus thurberi populations are expanding, and the species is under population divergence despite ongoing gene flow. Ancestral populations are located on the mainland and although vicariant peninsular populations cannot be ruled out, they are likely the result of gene flow across the seemingly formidable barrier of the Gulf of California. Still, unique haplotypes occur in the peninsula and the mainland, and peninsular populations are more structured than those on the mainland.

Underground mining development is directly related to face drilling rig performance. Reducing operating costs and improving productivity are current and crucial topics for mining projects around the world within the development phase. Unlike past approaches, this article is based on variations of equipment availability and utilisation, and their impact on development plans success and costs decrease. To assess the influence of these parameters, daily field data were collected to identify major downtimes in normal cycles and apply adequate corrective measures to mitigate them. Additionally, this article presents the reader with a graphic illustration of the correlation between utilisation and development, including historical data. This paper was developed from October 2017 to March 2018. The result of this study seeks to identify when projects generate profits by comparing four situations with constant productivity, but variables such as the possession rate, maintenance fee, production and utilisation. Finally, it is demonstrated that success in mining projects, related to equipment, is proportional to the utilisation of the fleet, with the correct management of productivities.