Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Machine-Learning Approach to Application of Intelligent Artificial Reverberation

We propose a design of an adaptive digital audio effect for artificial reverberation, controlled directly by desired reverberation characteristics, that allows it to learn from the user in a supervised way. The user provides monophonic examples of desired reverberation characteristics for individual tracks taken from the Open Multitrack Testbed. We use this data to train a set of models to automatically apply reverberation to similar tracks. We evaluate those models using classifier f1-scores, mean squared errors, and multi-stimulus listening tests.
Sex Differences in Stroke Recovery

Introduction This study examined differences between men and women in the ability to perform basic activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, and higher physical functioning after stroke. The objective of the study was to determine whether sex differences in stroke recovery can be explained by depressive status beyond older age, stroke severity, prestroke physical functioning, and other medical comorbidities. Methods A total of 459 stroke patients were recruited from acute and subacute facilities in an urban midwestern community. These patients were followed prospectively from stroke onset until 6 months poststroke. All study participants were assessed using standardized stroke outcome measures, including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, the Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index, the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale, and the SF-36 Health Survey physical functioning scale. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to assess depressive status. Each outcome was measured at baseline (within 2 weeks of stroke onset), as well as 1, 3, and 6 months poststroke. Prestroke physical functioning, stroke characteristics, and comorbidities were also assessed at baseline. Results Female patients in the study were older than male patients, with a mean age of 71 years for women vs 69 years for men. Female patients reported lower prestroke physical functioning than their male counterparts. Six months after stroke, women in the study were less likely than the men to achieve a score of ? 95 on the Barthel Activities of Daily Living Index (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52–0.90), carry out eight of nine instrumental activities of daily living without assistance (HR = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.30–0.68), and score ? 90 on the SF-36 Health Survey physical functioning scale (HR = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.28–1.01). When age, prestroke physical functioning, stroke severity, and depressive status at baseline were controlled in the analysis, women in the study continued to be less likely (HR = 0.51; 95% CI, 0.32–0.79) than men in the study to be able to carry out eight of nine instrumental activities of daily living completely without assistance, but there were no observed sex differences in achievement of independence in basic activities of daily living or higher physical functioning. Conclusion Prestroke physical functioning and depressive symptoms are important factors in the investigation of sex differences in stroke recovery. Lower recovery of activities of daily living and physical functioning in women after stroke may be due to multifactorial effects of older age, poor physical function prior to stroke onset, and depressive status after stroke.
Cardiomyocyte GTP Cyclohydrolase 1 and Tetrahydrobiopterin Increase NOS1 Activity and Accelerate Myocardial Relaxation

Rationale: Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) is an essential cofactor of nitric oxide synthases (NOS). Oral BH4 supplementation preserves cardiac function in animal models of cardiac disease; however, the mechanisms underlying these findings are not completely understood. Objective: To study the effect of myocardial transgenic overexpression of the rate-limiting enzyme in BH4 biosynthesis, GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1), on NOS activity, myocardial function, and Ca2+ handling. Methods and Results: GCH1overexpression significantly increased the biopterins level in left ventricular (LV) myocytes but not in the nonmyocyte component of the LV myocardium or in plasma. The ratio between BH4 and its oxidized products was lower in mGCH1-Tg, indicating that a large proportion of the myocardial biopterin pool was oxidized; nevertheless, myocardial NOS1 activity was increased in mGCH1-Tg, and superoxide release was significantly reduced. Isolated hearts and field-stimulated LV myocytes (3 Hz, 35°C) overexpressing GCH1 showed a faster relaxation and a PKA-mediated increase in the PLB Ser16 phosphorylated fraction and in the rate of decay of the [Ca2+]i transient. RyR2 S-nitrosylation and diastolic Ca2+ leak were larger in mGCH1-Tg and ICa density was lower; nevertheless the amplitude of the [Ca2+]i transient and contraction did not differ between genotypes, because of an increase in the SR fractional release of Ca2+ in mGCH1-Tg myocytes. Xanthine oxidoreductase inhibition abolished the difference in superoxide production but did not affect myocardial function in either group. By contrast, NOS1 inhibition abolished the differences in ICa density, Ser16 PLB phosphorylation, [Ca2+]i decay, and myocardial relaxation between genotypes. Conclusions: Myocardial GCH1 activity and intracellular BH4 are a limiting factor for constitutive NOS1 and SERCA2A activity in the healthy myocardium. Our findings suggest that GCH1 may be a valuable target for the treatment of LV diastolic dysfunction.
Characterization of pectinase activity for enology from yeasts occurring in Argentine Bonarda grape

Pectinolytic enzymes are greatly important in winemaking due to their ability to degrade pectic polymers from grape, contributing to enhance process efficiency and wine quality. This study aimed to analyze the occurrence of pectinolytic yeasts during spontaneous fermentation of Argentine Bonarda grape, to select yeasts that produce extracellular pectinases and to characterize their pectinolytic activity under wine-like conditions. Isolated yeasts were grouped using PCR-DGGE and identified by partial sequencing of 26S rRNA gene. Isolates comprised 7 genera, with Aureobasidium pullulans as the most predominant pectinolytic species, followed by Rhodotorula dairenensis and Cryptococcus saitoi. No pectinolytic activity was detected among ascomycetous yeasts isolated on grapes and during fermentation, suggesting a low occurrence of pectinolytic yeast species in wine fermentation ecosystem. This is the first study reporting R. dairenensis and Cr. saitoi species with pectinolytic activity. R. dairenensis GM-15 produced pectinases that proved to be highly active at grape pH, at 12 °C, and under ethanol and SO2 concentrations usually found in vinifications (pectinase activity around 1.1 U/mL). This strain also produced cellulase activity at 12 °C and pH 3.5, but did not produce β-glucosidase activity under these conditions. The strain showed encouraging enological properties for its potential use in low-temperature winemaking.
INVESTIGATION OF THE BULK, SURFACE AND TRANSFER PROPERTIES OF CHLORINE BLEACHED DENIM APPAREL AT DIFFERENT CONDITION

Oxidizing bleaching agent (calcium hypochlorite or bleaching powder) is widely used in the apparel washing plant as a color removing and cost effective finishing chemical. As the faded denim or old look denim is preferred by the today’s youth it has become a crucial issue for the technologists to modify denim apparel to fulfill the demand of existing trend. Calcium hypochlorite (Ca(OCl)Cl) fades the denim effectively but a significant changes are happened in the properties of the denim apparel. The main objective of this paper was to investigate the changes of bulk, surface and transfer properties of denim apparel after the chlorine bleach action at varying length of washing time (10,15 and 30 min) with fixed concentration and temperature (50°C). These properties are related to the performance of the end product. 100% cotton indigo dyed 2/1 twill denim apparel was treated with 5gm/l (Ca(OCl)Cl). To determine the end use performance of the modified denim the changes of tensile strength, stiffness, dimensional stability (bulk properties), hand roughness, rubbing fastness (surface properties), air permeability, water repellency (transfer properties) of the modified denim apparel were evaluated. It has been monitored from the experimental data that the bulk properties play down but the surface properties have a noticeable improvement after the chlorine bleach action. It is also noticed that washing time has a significant effect on air permeability of the treated denim apparel.
Degradation signals for ubiquitin system proteolysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Combinations of different ubiquitin‐conjugating (Ubc) enzymes and other factors constitute subsidiary pathways of the ubiquitin system, each of which ubiquitinates a specific subset of proteins. There is evidence that certain sequence elements or structural motifs of target proteins are degradation signals which mark them for ubiquitination by a particular branch of the ubiquitin system and for subsequent degradation. Our aim was to devise a way of searching systematically for degradation signals and to determine to which ubiquitin system subpathways they direct the proteins. We have constructed two reporter gene libraries based on the lacZ or URA3 genes which, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, express fusion proteins with a wide variety of C‐terminal extensions. From these, we have isolated clones producing unstable fusion proteins which are stabilized in various ubc mutants. Among these are 10 clones whose products are stabilized in ubc6, ubc7 or ubc6ubc7 double mutants. The C‐terminal extensions of these clones, which vary in length from 16 to 50 amino acid residues, are presumed to contain degradation signals channeling proteins for degradation via the UBC6 and/or UBC7 subpathways of the ubiquitin system. Some of these C‐terminal tails share similar sequence motifs, and a feature common to almost all of these sequences is a highly hydrophobic region such as is usually located inside globular proteins or inserted into membranes.
Interference Channels With Correlated Receiver Side Information

The problem of joint source-channel coding in transmitting independent sources over interference channels with correlated receiver side information is studied. When each receiver has side information correlated with its own desired source, it is shown that source-channel separation is optimal. When each receiver has side information correlated with the interfering source, sufficient conditions for reliable transmission are provided based on a joint source-channel coding scheme using the superposition encoding and partial decoding idea of Han and Kobayashi. When the receiver side information is a deterministic function of the interfering source, source-channel separation is again shown to be optimal. In addition to these source-channel coding problems, a new channel model that generalizes the classical interference channel is introduced: the interference channel with message side information. Achievable rate regions are given and a single letter characterization of the capacity region for a special class of Z-interference channels is provided. Using this capacity result and the optimality of source-channel separation, we demonstrate that our sufficient conditions for reliable transmission when each receiver has side information correlated with the interfering source are also necessary for some special cases. As a by-product, the capacity region of a class of Z-channels with degraded message sets is also provided.
Strongyloides myopotami (Secernentea: Strongyloididae) from the Intestine of Feral Nutrias (Myocastor coypus) in Korea

Surveys on helminthic fauna of the nutria, Myocastor coypus, have seldom been performed in the Republic of Korea. In the present study, we describe Strongyloides myopotami (Secernentea: Strongyloididae) recovered from the small intestine of feral nutrias. Total 10 adult nutrias were captured in a wetland area in Gimhae-si (City), Gyeongsangnam-do (Province) in April 2013. They were transported to our laboratory, euthanized with ether, and necropsied. About 1,300 nematode specimens were recovered from 10 nutrias, and some of them were morphologically observed by light and scanning electron microscopies. They were 3.7-4.7 (4.0±0.36) mm in length, 0.03-0.04 (0.033) mm in width. The worm dimension and other morphological characters, including prominent lips of the vulva, blunted conical tail, straight type of the ovary, and 8-chambered stoma, were all consistent with S. myopotami. This nematode fauna is reported for the first time in Korea.
1H NMR metabolic profiling of cod (Gadus morhua) larvae: potential effects of temperature and diet composition during early developmental stages

ABSTRACT Marine aquaculture offers a great source of protein for the increasing human population, and farming of, for example, Atlantic salmon is a global industry. Atlantic cod farming however, is an example of a promising industry where the potential is not yet realized. Research has revealed that a major bottleneck to successful farming of cod is poor quality of the larvae and juveniles. A large research program was designed to increase our understanding of how environmental factors such as temperature and nutrition affects cod larvae development. Data on larvae growth and development were used together with nuclear magnetic resonance. The NMR data indicated that the temperature influenced the metabolome of the larvae; differences were related to osmolytes such as betaine/TMAO, the amino acid taurine, and creatine and lactate which reflect muscle activity. The larvae were fed Artemia from stage 2, and this was probably reflected in a high taurine content of older larvae. Larvae fed with copepods in the nutrition experiment also displayed a high taurine content, together with higher creatine and betaine/TMAO content. Data on the cod larvae metabolome should be coupled to data on gene expression, in order to identify events which are regulated on the genetic level versus regulation resulting from temperature or nutrition during development, to fully understand how the environment affects larval development. Summary: Metabolomic ‘snapshots’ from developing cod larvae reflect the temperature and diet experienced from hatching to juvenile and provide insight into how important processes such as osmoregulation and muscle development might be affected.
Determination of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines Optimal Configuration through CFD Simulations

Using vertical axis wind turbines at buildings seems favorable due to the fact that they do not suffer from frequent wind direction changes, have a design simply integrate with building architecture and they have better response in turbulence wind flow which is common in urban areas. This paper presents a computational and experimental study into the aerodynamics and performance of small scale Darrieus-type straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbines and describes the effect of some design parameters including number of blades, airfoil type and turbine solidity on the performance of them. K-e turbulence model is chosen to perform the transient simulations and multiple reference frame(MRF) model capability of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver is used to express the dimensionless form of power output of the wind turbine as a function of the wind freestream velocity and the rotor's rotational speed.The results show that the optimized turbine experienced maximum power coefficient of 0.36 and 0.32 in tip speed ratio of 3.5 for CFD simulations and wind tunnel test respectively.
The Cytoplasmic Tail of L-selectin Interacts with Members of the Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin (ERM) Family of Proteins

L-selectin regulates the recruitment of naive lymphocytes from the bloodstream to secondary lymphoid organs, mediating their initial capture and subsequent rolling along high endothelial cell surface-expressed ligands in peripheral lymph nodes.In vivo, distribution of L-selectin and cell surface levels determine the tethering efficiency and rolling velocity of leukocytes, respectively. Treatment of naive lymphocytes with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) induces rapid ectodomain proteolytic down-regulation (shedding) of surface L-selectin via a protein kinase C (PKC)-dependent pathway. In an attempt to isolate proteins that are involved in regulating L-selectin expression, an affinity column was constructed using the 17-amino acid cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin. Affinity purification of extracts from lymphocytes, pre-treated with or without PMA, allowed identification of proteins that interact with the affinity column under one condition but not the other. By using this approach, members of the Ezrin-Radixin-Moesin family of proteins were found to interact specifically with the cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin. Moesin from PMA-stimulated lymphocytes, but not from unstimulated lymphocytes, bound to L-selectin tail. In contrast, ezrin from unstimulated or PMA-stimulated lymphocytes associated with L-selectin tail with equal affinity. Furthermore, the PKC inhibitor Ro 31-8220 significantly reduced the interaction of moesin, but not ezrin, with L-selectin. Alanine mutations of membrane-proximal basic amino acid residues in the cytoplasmic domain of L-selectin identified arginine 357 as a critical residue for both ezrin and moesin interaction. Finally, BIAcore affinity analysis confirmed that N-terminal moesin interacts specifically with L-selectin cytoplasmic tail, with relatively high affinity (K d ≈40 nm). Based on these findings, although moesin and ezrin bind to a similar region of the cytoplasmic tail of L-selectin, moesin binding is dependent on PKC activation, which suggests that ezrin and moesin are regulated differently in lymphocytes.
Xiro, a Xenopus homolog of the Drosophila Iroquois complex genes, controls development at the neural plate

The Drosophila homeoproteins Ara and Caup are members of a combination of factors (prepattern) that control the highly localized expression of the proneural genes achaete and scute. We have identified two Xenopus homologs of ara and caup, Xiro1 and Xiro2. Similarly to their Drosophila counterparts, they control the expression of proneural genes and, probably as a consequence, the size of the neural plate. Moreover, Xiro1 and Xiro2 are themselves controlled by noggin and retinoic acid and, similarly to ara and caup, they are overexpressed by expression in Xenopus embryos of the Drosophila cubitus interruptus gene. These and other findings suggest the conservation of at least part of the genetic cascade that regulates proneural genes, and the existence in vertebrates of a prepattern of factors important to control the differentiation of the neural plate.
Lysosomal response of earthworm (Eisenia fetida) coelomocytes to the fungicide copper oxychloride and relation to life‐cycle parameters

Juvenile specimens of the earthworm species Eisenia fetida Savigny, 1826, were exposed in the laboratory to a range of concentrations of the fungicide copper oxychloride. After an eight‐week exposure period, the neutral‐red retention (NRR) times were measured in the coelomocytes of all the worms that had matured. Life‐cycle traits (survival, biomass change, cocoon production, cocoon mass, hatching of cocoons, number of hatchlings) were also monitored. Dose‐related effects on NRR times, maturation, growth, and reproduction parameters were determined (one‐way analysis of variance, p < 0.05). The lowest effect concentration for substrate copper (Cu) measured for the NRR time was 8.9 mg/kg (dry wt). Growth was severely affected at the highest exposure concentration (330 mg/kg substrate dry wt), at which no worms matured and no NRR times could be measured. Negative linear correlations (p < 0.05) were apparent between the NRR times and substrate and body Cu concentrations. Positive linear relationships were found between the NRR times and some life‐cycle parameters (p < 0.05). This study showed that the NRR assay can indicate toxic stress due to Cu exposure at an early stage, and that NRR times can be linked to effects on certain life‐cycle traits.
Birefringence and Bragg grating control in femtosecond laser written optical circuits

In this thesis, femtosecond lasers are explored for the fabrication of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) in suspended core fibers (SCFs) as well as direct writing of integrated optical devices in bulk fused silica glass. The FBGs fabricated in suspended core fibers with different core geometries were demonstrated with femtosecond laser exposure through a Talbot interferometer. In this case, the use of a femtosecond laser system was crucial as it eliminates the need for the use of photosensitive fibers, which is the case for SCFs, while the Talbot interferometry setup provided flexibility in the definition of the grating periodicity, while simultaneously protecting the optical components used in the fabrication process from the high intensities reached during exposure in the proximity of the fibers. These Bragg gratings were employed to show simultaneous strain and temperature sensing. Using a femtosecond laser direct writing system, novel point-by-point fabrication arrangements, with detailed attention to the computer controlled laser beam modulation, were developed in order to correctly introduce modulation of the refractive index profile during the waveguide fabrication process. This technique enabled the development of phase and frequency control required for advanced Bragg grating waveguide (BGW) fabrication and arbitrary spectral shaping. Procedures were demonstrated for the fabrication of chirped and phased shifted BGWs for applications in temporal pulse shaping and spectral shaping that showed significantly improved feature resolutions for sensing applications. The BGWs were used as a practical sensitive tool to determine and study the waveguide birefringence inherent to the nonlinear absorption processes typical of femtosecond laser-material interaction. The control of form and stress birefringence was developed in order to accomplish the fabrication of integrated optical components for polarization control, like guided wave retarders and polarization beam splitters. Tuning of this waveguide birefringence was achieved by the introduction of stress inducing laser
Deficit in visual temporal integration in autism spectrum disorders

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are superior in processing local features. Frith and Happe conceptualize this cognitive bias as ‘weak central coherence’, implying that a local enhancement derives from a weakness in integrating local elements into a coherent whole. The suggested deficit has been challenged, however, because individuals with ASD were not found to be inferior to normal controls in holistic perception. In these opposing studies, however, subjects were encouraged to ignore local features and attend to the whole. Therefore, no one has directly tested whether individuals with ASD are able to integrate local elements over time into a whole image. Here, we report a weakness of individuals with ASD in naming familiar objects moved behind a narrow slit, which was worsened by the absence of local salient features. The results indicate that individuals with ASD have a clear deficit in integrating local visual information over time into a global whole, providing direct evidence for the weak central coherence hypothesis.