Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of a complex genetic network underlying Saccharomyces cerevisiae colony morphology

When grown on solid substrates, different microorganisms often form colonies with very specific morphologies. Whereas the pioneers of microbiology often used colony morphology to discriminate between species and strains, the phenomenon has not received much attention recently. In this study, we use a genome‐wide assay in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify all genes that affect colony morphology. We show that several major signalling cascades, including the MAPK, TORC, SNF1 and RIM101 pathways play a role, indicating that morphological changes are a reaction to changing environments. Other genes that affect colony morphology are involved in protein sorting and epigenetic regulation. Interestingly, the screen reveals only few genes that are likely to play a direct role in establishing colony morphology, with one notable example being FLO11, a gene encoding a cell‐surface adhesin that has already been implicated in colony morphology, biofilm formation, and invasive and pseudohyphal growth. Using a series of modified promoters for fine‐tuning FLO11 expression, we confirm the central role of Flo11 and show that differences in FLO11 expression result in distinct colony morphologies. Together, our results provide a first comprehensive look at the complex genetic network that underlies the diversity in the morphologies of yeast colonies.
High Speed, Low Memory Image Coding Using Zero blocks of Wavelet Coefficients

We propose a new high speed, low memory SPECK image coder based on the form of block-unit states, called LBUS-SPECK, which uses the form of block-unit states and the form of block exponents to substitute LIS and LSP of SPECK. A form of block-unit states is introduced to store the significance flag of coefficients and the value of the block-unit exponents. A form of block exponents is introduced to store the block exponents which are used to represent the max coefficient in a decomposed block. A new block depth-finding strategy is developed for searching insignificant sets at sorting stage. Experimental results show that the obtained PSNR values for the decoded images are very close to those of SPECK algorithm and the memory consumption is reduced by 9 times, the encoding timing is saved about 15%. Comparing with SPECK algorithm, this algorithm not only has better performance of the decoded images, but also is easy to implement, especially, it provides an efficient way for hardware implementation of wavelet embedded block coding.
Evaluation of the Relationship between the Incubation Time and Carotenoid Production in Rhodotorula Slooffiae and R. Mucilaginosa Isolated from Leather Tanning Wastewater

Objective(s): Carotenoids which are naturally synthesized by fungi such as yeasts can act as an antioxidant which is closely related to their ability to decrease the risk of a variety of degenerative diseases. In recent years, the increase of demand for carotenoids obtained from natural sources has promoted major efforts to improve carotenoid production from biological sources such as pigmented yeasts. The aim of this study was comparing incubation time and carotenoid production in Rhodotorula slooffiae and R. mucilaginosa isolated from leather tanning wastewater. Materials and Methods: To isolate the carotenoid pigment, cells were suspended in acetone and broken using a homogenizer, followed by centrifugation and separation of supernatant. In order to study the effect of incubation time, samples were held at 30 ˚С in a shaker at 150 rpm for 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hr. For analytical evaluation, pigments were measured spectrophotometrically at 450 nm using the extinction coefficient E1%450=2500. Results: The results showed that the content of total carotenoid in R. slooffiae was the highest when samples were incubated for 72 hr. Overall, R. mucilaginosa had more potential to produce carotenoid. The best incubation periods for R. slooffiae and R. mucilaginosa were 72 hr and 48 hr, respectively. Conclusion: It seemed that the maximum rate of total carotenoid was not directly associated with the maximum amount of cell biomass and the type of carotenoid and their relative amount may vary depending on genus of yeast.
Contraception for women taking antiepileptic drugs

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) that induce hepatic enzyme activity may alter the metabolism of most hormonal methods of contraception, and this may affect their contraceptive efficacy. There is also the potential for the hormonal method to affect the AED. Women may also be prescribed AEDs to treat conditions other than epilepsy, such as chronic pain and migraine. These effects should be considered in the choice of both the treatment of the epilepsy and the choice of contraceptive method. This review considers these interactions and offers advice about their management.
New early eocene anaptomorphine primate (Omomyidae) from the Washakie Basin, Wyoming, with comments on the phylogeny and paleobiology of anaptomorphines.

Recent paleontological collecting in the Washakie Basin, southcentral Wyoming, has resulted in the recovery of over 100 specimens of omomyid primates from the lower Eocene Wasatch Formation. Much of what is known about anaptomorphine omomyids is based upon work in the Bighorn and Wind River Basins of Wyoming. This new sample documents greater taxonomic diversity of omomyids during the early Eocene and contributes to our understanding of the phylogeny and adaptations of some of these earliest North American primates. A new middle Wasatchian (Lysitean) anaptomorphine, Anemorhysis savagei, n. sp. , is structurally intermediate between Teilhardina americana and other species of Anemorhysis and may be a sister group of other Anemorhysis and Trogolemur. Body size estimates for Anemorhysis, Tetonoides, Trogolemur, and Teilhardina americana indicate that these animals were extremely small, probably less than 50 grams. Analysis of relative shearing potential of lower molars of these taxa indicates that some were primarily insectivorous, some primarily frugivorous, and some may have been more mixed feeders. Anaptomorphines did not develop the extremes of molar specialization for frugivory or insectivory seen in extant prosimians. Incisor enlargement does not appear to be associated with specialization in either fruits or insects but may have been an adaptation for specialized grooming or food manipulation.
Investigation of Transformer Turns Ratio Between Feed and Slot of Aperture Coupled Slot Antenna by Using $S_{11}$ Parameter

This communication presents a simplified design approach to obtain the turns ratio nf which models the coupling between the microstrip feed and slot line of an aperture coupled slot antenna by using the S11 parameter. Equations are derived using S11 parameter to determine nf and simulations are carried out at 2 GHz using substrates of PCB FR4, Duroid 5870, and Duroid 6010. Results indicate nf is proportional to the slot length from 0 to 20 mm increasing rapidly with length. Over 20 mm slot length, the trend reduces and the value of nf tends towards 1. In addition, nf varies with the height of substrate but is little affected by dielectric constant of substrate which could therefore be ignored to simplify the design procedure. Measured results show good agreement with the theoretical model.
Secure Multiparty Computations on Bitcoin

Bit coin is a decentralized digital currency, introduced in 2008, that has recently gained noticeable popularity. Its main features are: (a) it lacks a central authority that controls the transactions, (b) the list of transactions is publicly available, and (c) its syntax allows more advanced transactions than simply transferring the money. The goal of this paper is to show how these properties of Bit coin can be used in the area of secure multiparty computation protocols (MPCs). Firstly, we show that the Bit coin system provides an attractive way to construct a version of "timed commitments", where the committer has to reveal his secret within a certain time frame, or to pay a fine. This, in turn, can be used to obtain fairness in some multiparty protocols. Secondly, we introduce a concept of multiparty protocols that work "directly on Bit coin". Recall that the standard definition of the MPCs guarantees only that the protocol "emulates the trusted third party". Hence ensuring that the inputs are correct, and the outcome is respected is beyond the scope of the definition. Our observation is that the Bit coin system can be used to go beyond the standard "emulation-based" definition, by constructing protocols that link their inputs and the outputs with the real Bit coin transactions. As an instantiation of this idea we construct protocols for secure multiparty lotteries using the Bit coin currency, without relying on a trusted authority (one of these protocols uses the Bit coin-based timed commitments mentioned above). Our protocols guarantee fairness for the honest parties no matter how the loser behaves. For example: if one party interrupts the protocol then her money is transferred to the honest participants. Our protocols are practical (to demonstrate it we performed their transactions in the actual Bit coin system), and can be used in real life as a replacement for the online gambling sites. We think that this paradigm can have also other applications. We discuss some of them.
Imprecise Probabilistic Beliefs

Imprecise probabilistic beliefs are modelled as incomplete comparative likelihood relations admitting a multiple-prior representation. We provide an axiomatization of such relations for the case in which the set of priors is “convex-ranged”, and show that the multiple-prior representation is unique whenever the set of priors is “almostconvex-ranged”. Such uniqueness ensures the adequacy of likelihood relations as models of imprecise probabilistic beliefs. In the final part of the paper, we formulate behaviorally general axioms relating preferences and probabilistic beliefs. If beliefs are almost-convex-ranged, these axioms imply that preferences can be represented in an Anscombe-Aumann-style framework.
Reprints Available Directly from the Publisher Photocopying Permitted by License Only Reconstitution Properties of Thymus Stem Cells in Murine Fetal Liver

Injection of day-12 murine fetal liver cells into thymus lobes of Thy-1 congenic adult recipients results in a wave of thymocyte development. The kinetics of repopulation by donor cells reaches a peak after 20-25 days. The frequency of thymic stem cells (TSC) in day-12 fetal liver was estimated, by limit dilution, as 1 in 4x104 cells. Within 8 hr of injection into a thymus lobe, fetal liver TSC commit to T-cell development, losing stem-cell activity. When fetal liver cells are maintained in culture for 7 days, with no exogenous cytokines added, and then injected intra-thymically (I.T.), thymus recolonization is not observed. However, TSC can be maintained in culture for 7 days with IL-1]/, IL-3, IL-6, or LIF added, alone or in combination, with steel factor (SLF). Poisson analysis of fetal liver cells cultured with SLF and IL-3 together revealed a precursor frequency of 1 in 1.8x 105 cells. In contrast, the frequency of TSC in adult bone marrow was estimated by limit dilution as 1 in 12,000 cells.
Correlation Between Average Tissue Depth Data and Quantitative Accuracy of Forensic Craniofacial Reconstructions Measured by Geometric Surface Comparison Method

Accuracy is the most important factor supporting the reliability of forensic facial reconstruction (FFR) comparing to the corresponding actual face. A number of methods have been employed to evaluate objective accuracy of FFR. Recently, it has been attempted that the degree of resemblance between computer‐generated FFR and actual face is measured by geometric surface comparison method. In this study, three FFRs were produced employing live adult Korean subjects and three‐dimensional computerized modeling software. The deviations of the facial surfaces between the FFR and the head scan CT of the corresponding subject were analyzed in reverse modeling software. The results were compared with those from a previous study which applied the same methodology as this study except average facial soft tissue depth dataset. Three FFRs of this study that applied updated dataset demonstrated lesser deviation errors between the facial surfaces of the FFR and corresponding subject than those from the previous study. The results proposed that appropriate average tissue depth data are important to increase quantitative accuracy of FFR.
Congenital heart disease and Down syndrome: various aspects of a confirmed association

Summary Background Congenital heart disease (CHD) is frequently described in patients with Down syndrome (DS) and is the main cause of death in this population during the first two years of life. The spectrum of CHD patterns in DS varies widely worldwide; this variation could be due to sociodemographic, genetic and geographic factors. Methods A six-year retrospective, descriptive study was carried out from December 2008 to October 2014, based on the Paediatric Unit CHD registry of Ibn Rochd University Hospital. Clinical, echocardiographic and outcomes data were collected and sorted according to confirmation of the syndrome. Results Among 2 156 patients with CHD, 128 were identified with Down syndrome. The genders were equally represented (gender ratio 1) and the median age at diagnosis was 9.5 months (2 days to 16 years). The median age of mothers at delivery was 39 years (16–47). Of the 186 CHD lesions reported, the most common was atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD, 29%), followed by ventricular septal defect (VSD,21.5%) and atrial septal defect (ASD, 19.9%). The most common associations of CHD were AVSD + ASD (10%) and VSD + ASD (7.8%). Surgery was the most common modality of treatment (54.3%). The overall mortality rate was 14.1%. Conclusion Our study confirmed that the profile and type of CHD in DS in the Moroccan setting exhibited slight differences in the distribution of these CHDs compared with European neighbours and other Western countries. Further studies are needed to determine which variables have an impact on these differences.
Sutures enriched with adipose-derived stem cells decrease the local acute inflammation after tracheal anastomosis in a murine model.

OBJECTIVES Local inflammatory reaction and tension are the main causes of postoperative complications after tracheal surgery. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are known to have immunomodulatory activity. The exact mechanism of this activity is not known, although it is possible that they modulate the function of different cells involved in the immune response. Little is known of their impact on acute inflammation, especially in the problematic tracheal area. We aimed to study the effect of ASCs applied locally in an animal model of tracheal resection and anastomosis. METHODS ASCs from the subcutaneous fat of BDIX rats were infected for expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) and were cultured with Polyglactin 910 sutures to obtain biosutures (ASC-coated sutures). After tracheal resection, 90 BDIX rats (syngeneic, autologous model) underwent anastomosis with biosutures (1.5 10(6) cells/biosuture [Group 1] or 0.5 10(6) cells/biosuture [Group 2]) or conventional sutures (Group 3). The animals were killed after 1, 4, 10, 30 or 60 days and histological and immunofluorescence studies were performed on the anastomotic areas. Inflammatory cell densities were graded semiquantitatively by the pathologist in a blinded fashion. RESULTS In the early period (1 and 4 days), the biosuture groups presented an atypical pattern of acute inflammation, characterized by the almost complete absence of neutrophils, and the presence of abundant lymphocytes and plasma cells, compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Moreover, abundant macrophages/monocytes were immunolocated around blood vessels near the biosutures and between biosuture threads 1 day after anastomosis, whereas the presence of macrophages/monocytes in animals treated with conventional sutures was discrete (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the later period. No side effects in the biosuture groups were found. CONCLUSIONS Biosutures are a comfortable way of stem cell delivery to the surgical field without modification of the operative protocol. ASCs suppress the local acute inflammatory reaction (increased macrophage migration and decreased neutrophil infiltration) in the tracheal anastomosis and cause an early switch from acute to chronic inflammation.
Author ' s personal copy Earthquake triggering of mud volcanoes

Mud volcanoes sometimes erupt within days after nearby earthquakes. The number of such nearly coincident events is larger than would be expected by chance and the eruptions are thus assumed to be triggered by earthquakes. Here we compile observations of the response of mud volcanoes and other geologic systems (earthquakes, volcanoes, liquefaction, ground water, and geysers) to earthquakes. The compilation shows a clear magnitude–distance threshold for triggering, suggesting that these seemingly disparate phenomena may share similar underlying triggering mechanisms. The compilation also shows that pre-existing geysers and already-erupting volcanoes and mud volcanoes are much more sensitive to earthquakes than quiescent systems. Several changes produced by earthquakes have been proposed as triggering mechanisms, including liquefaction and loss of strength, increased hydraulic permeability or removing hydraulic barriers, and bubble nucleation and growth. We present new measurements of the response of erupted mud samples to oscillatory shear at seismic frequencies and amplitudes, and find that loss of strength occurs at strain amplitudes greater than 10! 3. This is much larger than the peak dynamic strains associated with earthquakes that may have triggered eruptions or influenced already-erupting mud volcanoes. Therefore, we do not favor loss of strength as a general triggering mechanism. Mechanisms involving bubbles require significant supersaturation or incompressible mud, and neither condition is likely to be relevant. We analyze the response of the Niikappu group of mud volcanoes in Japan to several earthquakes. We find that this system is insensitive to earthquakes if an eruption has occurred within the previous couple of years, and that static strain magnitudes are very small and not correlated with triggering suggesting that triggering likely results from dynamic strain. Moreover, triggering may be frequency-dependent with longer period seismic waves being more effective at triggering. Available data are insufficient, however, to determine whether triggering characteristics at Niikappu are representative of triggered eruptions in general. Nor can we determine the exact mechanism by which dynamic (long-period) strains induce eruption, but given the apparent failure of all mechanisms except increasing permeability and breaching barriers we favor these. More observations and longer records are needed. In particular, gas measurements and broadband seismic data can be collected remotely and continuously, and provide key information about processes that occur during and immediately after the arrival of seismic waves. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Natural statistics of binaural sounds

Binaural sound localization is usually considered a discrimination task, where interaural time (ITD) and level (ILD) disparities at pure frequency channels are utilized to identify a position of a sound source. In natural conditions binaural circuits are exposed to a stimulation by sound waves originating from multiple, often moving and overlapping sources. Therefore statistics of binaural cues depend on acoustic properties and the spatial configuration of the environment. In order to process binaural sounds efficiently, the auditory system should be adapted to naturally encountered cue distributions. Statistics of cues encountered naturally and their dependence on the physical properties of an auditory scene have not been studied before. Here, we performed binaural recordings of three auditory scenes with varying spatial properties. We have analyzed empirical cue distributions from each scene by fitting them with parametric probability density functions which allowed for an easy comparison of different scenes. Higher order statistics of binaural waveforms were analyzed by performing Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and studying properties of learned basis functions. Obtained results can be related to known neuronal mechanisms and suggest how binaural hearing can be understood in terms of adaptation to the natural signal statistics.
Reported difficulties in access to quality care for children with asthma in the inner city.

OBJECTIVE To characterize perceived access and barriers to quality health care for asthma among the caregivers of children in the inner city. DESIGN Multicenter, cross-sectional survey. SETTING Eight sites in 7 major metropolitan US inner cities. PARTICIPANTS A systematic sample of children with asthma, aged 4 to 9 years, and their caregivers who resided in census tracts in which at least 30% of the households were below the 1990 federal poverty guidelines, recruited from 25 primary care clinics and 13 emergency departments (EDs) from November 1, 1992, through October 31, 1993. RESULTS Of the 1528 children enrolled, 1376 had physician-diagnosed asthma and form the basis of this report. This group was further divided into 284 children (20.6%) who met all recruitment criteria for severe asthma and 207 (15.0%) with mild asthma who met none. Of parents in the total sample, 95.6% reported a usual place for short-term asthma care for their child; 75.4% used the ED. Children with severe asthma were significantly more likely to use the ED than those with mild asthma (84.3% vs 63.0%; P<.01). A usual place for follow-up asthma care was reported by 96.7% of subjects. There were no differences in access or type of facility used by asthma severity. More than half the study group reported difficulty in accessing care for acute asthma attacks and for follow-up care with no differences by asthma severity. Among those with severe asthma, 47.5% used inhaled steroids or cromolyn, 52.8% used a spacer device if they had been prescribed a metered dose inhaler, and 21.2% of children older than 6 years were prescribed a peak flowmeter. Patients with mild asthma were significantly less likely to report use of all 3 items (steroids or cromolyn, 1.4%; spacer device, 15.4%; and peak flowmeter, 3.1%, respectively; P<.01). CONCLUSION Although access to asthma care among children in US inner cities appears adequate as determined by the traditional measure of reporting a regular source of care, barriers are frequently reported, as are deficiencies in the quality of medical care.
Heuristic Evaluation of an Institutional E-learning System: A Nigerian Case

Many African academic institutions have adopted the use of e-learning systems, since they enable students to learn at their own pace, time, and without restriction to the classroom. However, evidence of usability evaluation of e-learning systems in Africa is mostly lacking in the literature. This paper reports the experimental heuristic evaluation of the e-learning system of a Nigerian University. The objective is to demonstrate the application of expert-based usability evaluation techniques such as Heuristic evaluation for assessing the attributes of existing e-learning systems. The study revealed that while the e-learning systems has strong credentials in terms of support for Web 2.0 activities, good learning content and boasts of useful e-learning features, improvements are necessary in other areas such as interactive learning, assessment and feedback, and quality of learning content. The study adds to the body of extant knowledge in the area of usability evaluation of e-learning systems in African institutions.