Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Hierarchical Music Structures

Music has structure at many levels, from grand arrangements of verses and choruses down to patterns in small riffs and themes. A bracketed L-system — the SARAH language — is used to represent compositions in terms of these hierarchical structures, allowing genetic programming to meaningfully mutate and crossbred compositions at all levels of structure. Automated composition becomes possible, using evolution with human aesthetic judgment as a fitness function. SARAH is also human-readable and can be used as a human tool for rapid structural composition development; or as a semi-automated composition system, mixing human and evolved contributions. The system has bred pleasing compositions starting from basic musical materials and has also been used to crossbreed Bach with the Spice Girls: these examples are presented as audio files.
HRTF customization using multiway array analysis

Recently, Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) based techniques have been promising approaches for 3D sound synthesis. To ensure high quality of 3D sound synthesis, it requires to utilize personal HRTFs of the listener, which are usually obtained by a complicated and time consuming procedure. To personalize HRTFs, one possibility is to construct multiple linear regression models between anthropometric data and features of HRTFs. Due to high dimensionality of HRTF datasets, it is inefficient to use the original set for the purpose of personalization. To avoid such inefficiency, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) has been proposed to reduce dimensionality of HRTF datasets before customization. Based on the fact that HRTF datasets can be considered as three way data arrays, in this paper we propose three multi-way array analysis methods for HRTF customization. Performance of these three methods is compared with PCA based approaches by several experiments.
Pathology of Plasmodium chabaudi chabaudi Infection and Mortality in Interleukin-10-Deficient Mice Are Ameliorated by Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha and Exacerbated by Anti-Transforming Growth Factor β Antibodies

ABSTRACT Interleukin-10 (IL-10)-deficient (IL-10−/−) mice infected with Plasmodium chabaudi (AS) suffer a more severe disease and exhibit a higher rate of mortality than control C57BL/6 mice. Here, we show that a drop in body temperature to below 28°C and pronounced hypoglycemia of below 3 mM are reliable indicators of a lethal infection. Elevated inflammatory responses have been shown to accompany pathology in infected IL-10−/− mice. We show that neutralization of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in IL-10−/− mice abolishes mortality and ameliorates the hypothermia, weight loss, and anemia but does not affect the degree of hypoglycemia. These data suggest that TNF-α is involved in some of the pathology associated with a P. chabaudi infection in IL-10−/− mice but other factors play a role. IL-10−/− mice that survive a primary infection have been shown to control gamma interferon (IFN-γ) and TNF-α production, indicating that other cytokines or mechanisms may be involved in their down-regulation. Significantly higher levels of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), a cytokine with such properties, are present in the plasma of infected IL-10−/− mice at a time that coincides with the disappearance of IFN-γ and TNF-α from the blood. Neutralization of TGF-β in IL-10−/− mice resulted in higher circulating amounts of TNF-α and IFN-γ, and all treated IL-10−/− mice died within 12 days with increased pathology but with no obvious increase in parasitemia. Our data suggest that a tight regulation of the balance between regulatory cytokines such as IL-10 and TGF-β and inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and TNF-α is critical for survival in a mouse malaria infection.
Fluência em filtros cerâmicos de Al2O3

The creep behavior of solid ceramics is strongly affected by the microstructure. Fundamentally, there are three microstructural features which influence the creep behavior: the mineral content, the flux content and the apparent porosity. Additionally, the creep of cellular ceramics also depends on their macrostructure constituted by a tridimensional array of struts. Therefore, the creep analysis of these materials should consist of two stages. Firstly, identification of the macrostructure deformation mode and secondly, determination of the stress exponent (n) and the activation energy (Q). In this work the analysis of creep under compression of 0.034; 0.051 and 0.068 MPa at 1500, 1550 and 1600 oC in air was carried out in Al2O3 filters with 10 ppi. The results suggested that buckling of struts is an important factor to be considered, since it contributes to increase the deformation rate and, therefore, the values of n and Q. Besides the struts deformation mode, the way that the creep test is carried out (with or without load change) will influence the determination of n and Q values.
Mitotic cycle reactivation in terminally differentiated cells by adenovirus infection

Different cell types (e.g., neurons, skeletal and heart myocytes, adipocytes, keratinocytes) undergo terminal differentiation, in which acquisition of specialized functions entails definitive withdrawal from the cell cycle. Such cells are distinct from quiescent (reversibly growth‐arrested) cells, such as contact‐inhibited fibroblasts. Terminally differentiated cells can not be induced to proliferate by means of growth factor stimulation or transduction of cellular oncogenes. An important first step toward defining the molecular basis for such unresponsiveness is to find a practical means to overcome the proliferative block. Furthermore, determining whether terminally differentiated, postmitotic cells still retain a potential competence for proliferation that can be reactivated would have important theoretical and practical implications. To address these questions, we exploited the properties of adenoviruses. These viruses can infect postmitotic cells and express E1A, a powerful activator of proliferation in reversibly growth‐arrested cells. We infected terminally differentiated skeletal muscle cells and adipocytes with human adenovirus type 5 or 12, obtaining full reentry into the cell cycle, including DNA synthesis, mitosis, cytokinesis, and extended proliferation. Similar results were obtained with established cell lines and primary cells belonging to several species, from quail to humans. Genetic analysis indicated that the smaller splice product of E1A, E1A 12S, is sufficient to induce cell cycle reactivation in otherwise permanently nonmitotic cells. These results demonstrate that terminally differentiated cells retain proliferative potential and establish adenovirus as a convenient and powerful means to force such cells to reenter the cell cycle. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Water stress-induced xylem hydraulic failure is a causal factor of tree mortality in beech and poplar.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Extreme water stress episodes induce tree mortality, but the physiological mechanisms causing tree death are still poorly understood. This study tests the hypothesis that a potted tree's ability to survive extreme monotonic water stress is determined by the cavitation resistance of its xylem tissue. METHODS Two species were selected with contrasting cavitation resistance (beech and poplar), and potted juvenile trees were exposed to a range of water stresses, causing up to 100 % plant death. KEY RESULTS The lethal dose of water stress, defined as the xylem pressure inducing 50 % mortality, differed sharply across species (1·75 and 4·5 MPa in poplar and beech, respectively). However, the relationships between tree mortality and the degree of cavitation in the stems were similar, with mortality occurring suddenly when >90 % cavitation had occurred. CONCLUSIONS Overall, the results suggest that cavitation resistance is a causal factor of tree mortality under extreme drought conditions.
One-Year Outcome of Percutaneous Rotational Atherectomy with Aspiration in Infrainguinal Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease: The Multicenter Pathway PVD Trial

Purpose: To report a safety and efficacy study of a novel rotational atherectomy system with aspiration capabilities for the treatment of infrainguinal arterial lesions. Methods: From February 2006 to January 2007, 172 patients (88 women; mean age 72 years, range 51–93; 47% diabetics) with Rutherford class 1–5 lower limb ischemia were enrolled at 9 study sites. Inclusion criteria were atherosclerotic stenoses >70% and up to 10 cm long in the femoropopliteal segment or up to 3 cm long in the infrapopliteal vessels (reference vessel diameter 3.0–5.0 mm). In the study, 210 lesions (mean length 2.7 cm) were treated with the Pathway PV System, including total occlusions (31%), lesions with a moderate to high calcium score (51%), and post-angioplasty (non-stent) restenotic lesions (15%). The primary study endpoint was the 30-day major adverse event (MAE) rate. Results: Device success was 99% (208/210 lesions). MAE at 30 days was 1% (2 preplanned amputations). Clinically driven target lesion revascularization rates at 6 and 12 months were 15% (25/172) and 26% (42/162), respectively. The 1-year restenosis rate was 38.2% based on duplex imaging. The ankle-brachial index increased significantly from 0.59±0.21 at baseline to 0.82±0.27 (p<0.05) at 12 months. Mean Rutherford class improved from 3.0±0.9 at baseline to 1.5±1.3 at 1 year (p<0.05). Conclusion: The use of the Pathway PV System in atherosclerotic lesions appears to be safe and effective in improving stenosis severity, even in the presence of challenging lesion conditions. Vessel patency following intervention appears to be good up to 12 months, and these results translate into clinical benefit.
A Novel Feature Selection Based on One-Way ANOVA F-Test for E-Mail Spam Classification

Spam is commonly defined as unwanted e-mails and it became a global threat against e-mail users. Although, Support Vector Machine (SVM) has been commonly used in e-mail spam classification, yet the problem of high data dimensionality of the feature space due to the massive number of e-mail dataset and features still exist. To improve the limitation of SVM, reduce the computational complexity (efficiency) and enhancing the classification accuracy (effectiveness). In this study, feature selection based on one-way ANOVA F-test statistics scheme was applied to determine the most important features contributing to e-mail spam classification. This feature selection based on one-way ANOVA F-test is used to reduce the high data dimensionality of the feature space before the classification process. The experiment of the proposed scheme was carried out using spam base well- known benchmarking dataset to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed method. The comparison is achieved for different datasets, categorization algorithm and success measures. In addition, experimental results on spam base English datasets showed that the enhanced SVM (FSSVM) significantly outperforms SVM and many other recent spam classification methods for English dataset in terms of computational complexity and dimension reduction.
Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses: systematic review

Objective To systematically review evidence for the effectiveness of physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Data extraction Search strategy of the Cochrane Library, Medline, OldMedline, Embase, and CINAHL, without language restriction, for any intervention to prevent transmission of respiratory viruses (isolation, quarantine, social distancing, barriers, personal protection, and hygiene). Study designs were randomised trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and controlled before and after studies. Data synthesis Of 2300 titles scanned 138 full papers were retrieved, including 49 papers of 51 studies. Study quality was poor for the three randomised controlled trials and most of the cluster randomised controlled trials; the observational studies were of mixed quality. Heterogeneity precluded meta-analysis of most data except that from six case-control studies. The highest quality cluster randomised trials suggest that the spread of respiratory viruses into the community can be prevented by intervening with hygienic measures aimed at younger children. Meta-analysis of six case-control studies suggests that physical measures are highly effective in preventing the spread of SARS: handwashing more than 10 times daily (odds ratio 0.45, 95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.57; number needed to treat=4, 95% confidence interval 3.65 to 5.52); wearing masks (0.32, 0.25 to 0.40; NNT=6, 4.54 to 8.03); wearing N95 masks (0.09, 0.03 to 0.30; NNT=3, 2.37 to 4.06); wearing gloves (0.43, 0.29 to 0.65; NNT=5, 4.15 to 15.41); wearing gowns (0.23, 0.14 to 0.37; NNT=5, 3.37 to 7.12); and handwashing, masks, gloves, and gowns combined (0.09, 0.02 to 0.35; NNT=3, 2.66 to 4.97). The incremental effect of adding virucidals or antiseptics to normal handwashing to decrease the spread of respiratory disease remains uncertain. The lack of proper evaluation of global measures such as screening at entry ports and social distancing prevent firm conclusions being drawn. Conclusion Routine long term implementation of some physical measures to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses might be difficult but many simple and low cost interventions could be useful in reducing the spread.
Mapping the Sites of Interaction between SecY and SecE by Cysteine Scanning Mutagenesis*

In Escherichia coli, the SecYEG complex mediates the translocation and membrane integration of proteins. Both genetic and biochemical data indicate interactions of several transmembrane segments (TMSs) of SecY with SecE. By means of cysteine scanning mutagenesis, we have identified intermolecular sites of contact between TMS7 of SecY and TMS3 of SecE. The cross-linking of SecY to SecE demonstrates that these subunits are present in a one-to-one stoichiometry within the SecYEG complex. Sites in TMS3 of SecE involved in SecE dimerization are confined to a specific α-helical interface and occur in an oligomeric SecYEG complex. Although cross-linking reversibly inactivates translocation, the contact between TMS7 of SecY and TMS3 of SecE remains unaltered upon insertion of the preprotein into the translocation channel. These data support a model for an oligomeric translocation channel in which pairs of SecYEG complexes contact each other via SecE.
Newborn screening: a review of history, recent advancements, and future perspectives in the era of next generation sequencing

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to summarize the development and recent advancements of newborn screening. Recent findings Early initiation of medical care has modified the outcome for many disorders that were previously associated with high morbidity (such as cystic fibrosis, primary immune deficiencies, and inborn errors of metabolism) or with significant neurodevelopmental disabilities (such as phenylketonuria and congenital hypothyroidism). The new era of mass spectrometry and next generation sequencing enables the expansion of the newborn screen panel, and will help to address technical issues such as turnaround time, and decreasing false-positive and false-negative rates for the testing. Summary The newborn screening program is a successful public health initiative that facilitates early diagnosis of treatable disorders to reduce long-term morbidity and mortality.
Serial changes and prognostic implications of CT findings in combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: comparison with fibrotic idiopathic interstitial pneumonias alone

Background Although fibrotic idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) alone and those combined with pulmonary emphysema are naturally progressive diseases, the process of deterioration and outcomes are variable. Purpose To evaluate and compare serial changes of computed tomography (CT) abnormalities and prognostic predictive factors in fibrotic IIPs alone and those combined with pulmonary emphysema. Material and Methods A total of 148 patients with fibrotic IIPs alone (82 patients) and those combined with pulmonary emphysema (66 patients) were enrolled. Semi-quantitative CT analysis was used to assess the extents of CT characteristics which were evaluated on initial and follow-up CT images. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the effects of clinical and CT variables on survival. Results Significant differences were noted between fibrotic scores, as determined using initial CT scans, in the fibrotic IIPs alone (21.22 ± 9.83) and those combined with pulmonary emphysema groups (14.70 ± 7.28) (P < 0.001). At follow-up CT scans, changes in the extent of ground glass opacities (GGO) were greater (P = 0.031) and lung cancer was more prevalent (P = 0.001) in the fibrotic IIPs combined with pulmonary emphysema group. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed changes in the extent of GGO (hazard ratio, 1.056) and the presence of lung cancer (hazard ratio, 4.631) were predictive factors of poor survivals. Conclusion Although patients with fibrotic IIPs alone and those combined with pulmonary emphysema have similar mortalities, lung cancer was more prevalent in patients with fibrotic IIPs combined with pulmonary emphysema. Furthermore, changes in the extent of GGO and the presence of lung cancer were independent prognostic factors of poor survivals.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi respond to increasing plant diversity

The effect of plant diversity (1, 2, 8, or 16 species) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was assessed at the Cedar Creek Long-Term Ecological Research site at East Bethel, Minnesota, from 1997 to 1999. At each of the five samplings, AMF in 16-species plots produced from 30 to 150% more spores and from 40 to 70% greater spore volumes than AMF in one-species plots. Regressions of spore numbers and volumes with percent plant cover, plant di- versity, and soil NO3 as independent variables suggest that midsummer plot soil NO3 was the best single predictor of AMF spore production in these plots. Plant diversity influenced spore volume in four samplings and spore numbers in the first three samplings. Plant cover was predictive of spore volume throughout the experiment but of spore number only in the first year. Sporulation by larger-spored AMF species (Gigaspora spp. and Scutellospora spp.) increased sig- nificantly with increasing plant diversity, while sporulation of the smaller-spored species varied in response to host di - versity. Spore numbers of several AMF species were consistently negatively correlated and none positively correlated with midseason soil NO3 concentrations, demonstrating the adaptation of these AMF species to nitrogen-limited conditions.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Elastic Properties and Fracture Behavior of Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes with Vacancy and Stone–Wales Defect

Perfect carbon nanotubes are exceptionally strong nanostructures with fascinating mechanical characteristics. But the presence of crystal defects like Stone–Wales defects or vacancies degrade their mechanical properties to a large extent. The effects of the presence of a single Stone–Wales defect or a single vacancy defect on the elastic properties and the fracture pattern of a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) are investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. We considered three samples of SWCNT, one each of chiral, armchair and zigzag type. In all the three samples, significant changes are observed compared to a defect-free tube. A defective chiral (10,6) tube shows more stability under stretched condition compared to the armchair (7,7) or the zigzag (10,0) tube as revealed from the energy differences between defective and defect-free tubes at different stages of deformation. Fluctuation of energy differences for higher strain values for the same defect orientation is observed to be most pronounced in the case of a zigzag tube and hence shows a less stable configuration than the other two tubes. The fracture pattern in each case is modelled and shows that defects play a major role in the breaking mechanism of a SWCNT. Also the differences in fracture modes of chiral and achiral tubes prove the dependence of their mechanical behavior on chirality.
Regulation of the ESC transcriptome by nuclear long noncoding RNAs

Long noncoding (lnc)RNAs have recently emerged as key regulators of gene expression. Here, we performed high-depth poly(A)+ RNA sequencing across multiple clonal populations of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to comprehensively identify differentially regulated lncRNAs. We establish a biologically robust profile of lncRNA expression in these two cell types and further confirm that the majority of these lncRNAs are enriched in the nucleus. Applying weighted gene coexpression network analysis, we define a group of lncRNAs that are tightly associated with the pluripotent state of ESCs. Among these, we show that acute depletion of Platr14 using antisense oligonucleotides impacts the differentiation- and development-associated gene expression program of ESCs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Firre, a lncRNA highly enriched in the nucleoplasm and previously reported to mediate chromosomal contacts in ESCs, controls a network of genes related to RNA processing. Together, we provide a comprehensive, up-to-date, and high resolution compilation of lncRNA expression in ESCs and NPCs and show that nuclear lncRNAs are tightly integrated into the regulation of ESC gene expression.
Interleukin 10 Gene Polymorphisms and Development of Post Kala-Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis in a Selected Sudanese Population

Background: Post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a cutaneous form of disease that develops at variable times after individuals have received treatment for clinical visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The study aimed to investigate the possible role of interleukin 10 (IL-10) and development of PKDL. Methods: 77 families composed of 41 complete case-parent trios and 36 case-parent pairs from the Masalit ethnic group were genotyped for 3 IL10 promoter polymorphisms: -1082A/G, -819C/T and -592C/A. Results: Single point analysis using the transmission disequilibrium test showed no evidence of association between any of these IL10 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and development of PKDL. Haplotype analysis performed using TRANSMIT showed borderline significance between PKDL and the haplotype AA across -592C/A and -1082A/G (p = 0.053). Haplotypes GCC (0.33) and ATA (0.30) were the common haplotypes in this Sudanese population. Allele frequencies for the 3 SNPs differed significantly in Sudan compared to other African (Gambian, Malawian, YRI) populations. Conclusion: There is no evidence for an association between 3 SNPs in the IL10 gene promoter and susceptibility to PKDL in the Masalit ethnic group in Sudan, although some evidence for haplotype association was observed.