Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Potential Impact of Saharan Dust and Polluted Aerosols on Microbial Populations in the East Mediterranean Sea, an Overview of a Mesocosm Experimental Approach

Recent estimates of nutrient budgets for the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) indicate that atmospheric aerosols play a significant role as suppliers of macro- and micro- nutrients to its Low Nutrient Low Chlorophyll water. Here we present the first mesocosm experimental study that examines the overall response of the oligotrophic EMS surface mixed layer (Cretan Sea, May 2012) to two different types of natural aerosol additions, “pure” Saharan dust (SD, 1.6 mg l-1) and mixed aerosols (A - polluted and desert origin, 1 mg l-1). We describe the rationale, the experimental set-up, the chemical characteristics of the ambient water and aerosols and the relative maximal biological impacts that resulted from the added aerosols. The two treatments, run in triplicates (3 m3 each), were compared to control-unamended runs. Leaching of approximately 2.1-2.8 and 2.2-3.7 nmol PO4 and 20-26 and 53-55 nmol NOx was measured per each milligram of SD and A, respectively, representing an addition of approximately 30% of the ambient phosphate concentrations. The nitrate/phosphate ratios added in the A treatment were twice than those added in the SD treatment. Both types of dry aerosols triggered a positive change (25-600% normalized per 1 mg l-1 addition) in most of the rate and state variables that were measured: bacterial abundance (BA), bacterial production (BP), Synechococcus (Syn) abundance, chlorophyll-a (chl-a), primary production (PP) and dinitrogen fixation (N2-fix), with relative changes among them following the sequence BP>PP≈N2-fix>chl-a≈BA≈Syn. Our results show that the ‘polluted’ aerosols triggered a relatively larger biological change compared to the SD amendments (per a similar amount of mass addition), especially regarding BP and PP. We speculate that despite the co-limitation of P and N in the EMS, the additional N released by the A treatment may have triggered the relatively larger response in most of the rate and state variables as compared to SD. An implication of our study is that a warmer atmosphere in the future may increase dust emissions and influence the intensity and length of the already well stratified water column in the EMS and hence the impact of the aerosols as a significant external source of new nutrients.
An Efficient Participant’s Selection Algorithm for Crowdsensing

With the advancement of mobile technology the use of Smartphone is greatly increased. Everyone has the mobile phones and it becomes the necessity of life. Today, smart devices are flooding the internet data at every time and in any form that cause the mobile crowdsensing (MCS). One of the key challenges in mobile crowd sensing system is how to effectively identify and select the well-suited participants in recruitments from a large user pool. This research work presents the concept of crowdsensing along with the selection process of participants from a large user pool. MCS provides the efficient selection process for participants that how well suited participant’s selects/recruit from a large user pool. For this, the proposed selection algorithm plays our role in which the recruitment of participants takes place with the availability status from the large user pool. At the end, the graphical result presented with the suitable location of the participants and their time slot.
The Na+/H+ exchanger is a major pH regulator in GABAergic presynaptic nerve terminals synapsing onto rat CA3 pyramidal neurons

The effects of pHi on GABAergic miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) were studied in mechanically dissociated CA3 pyramidal neurons, by use of ammonium prepulse and whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques, under the voltage‐clamp condition. NH4Cl itself, which is expected to alkalinize pHi, increased GABAergic mIPSC frequency in a concentration‐dependent manner. In contrast, NH4Cl decreased mIPSC frequency, either in the presence of 200 µm Cd2+ or in Ca2+‐free external solution, suggesting that intraterminal alkalosis decreased GABAergic mIPSC frequency while [NH4+] itself may activate Ca2+ channels by depolarizing the terminal. On the other hand, GABAergic mIPSC frequency was greatly increased immediately after NH4Cl removal, a condition expected to acidify pHi, and recovered to the control level within 2 min after NH4Cl removal. This explosive increase in mIPSC frequency observed after NH4Cl removal was completely eliminated after depletion of Ca2+ stores with 1 µm thapsigargin in the Ca2+‐free external solution, suggesting that acidification increases in intraterminal Ca2+ concentration via both extracellular Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ release from the stores. However, the acidification‐induced increase in mIPSC frequency had not recovered by 10 min after NH4Cl removal either in the Na+‐free external solution or in the presence of 10 µm 5‐(N‐ethyl‐N‐isopropyl)‐amiloride (EIPA), a specific Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) blocker. The present results suggest that NHEs are major intraterminal pH regulators on GABAergic presynaptic nerve terminals, and that the NHE‐mediated regulation of pHi under normal physiological or pathological conditions might play an important role in the neuronal excitability by increasing inhibitory tones.
Very Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Morphologic Classification of Erythrocytes.

BACKGROUND Morphologic profiling of the erythrocyte population is a widely used and clinically valuable diagnostic modality, but one that relies on a slow manual process associated with significant labor cost and limited reproducibility. Automated profiling of erythrocytes from digital images by capable machine learning approaches would augment the throughput and value of morphologic analysis. To this end, we sought to evaluate the performance of leading implementation strategies for convolutional neural networks (CNNs) when applied to classification of erythrocytes based on morphology. METHODS Erythrocytes were manually classified into 1 of 10 classes using a custom-developed Web application. Using recent literature to guide architectural considerations for neural network design, we implemented a "very deep" CNN, consisting of >150 layers, with dense shortcut connections. RESULTS The final database comprised 3737 labeled cells. Ensemble model predictions on unseen data demonstrated a harmonic mean of recall and precision metrics of 92.70% and 89.39%, respectively. Of the 748 cells in the test set, 23 misclassification errors were made, with a correct classification frequency of 90.60%, represented as a harmonic mean across the 10 morphologic classes. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that erythrocyte morphology profiles could be measured with a high degree of accuracy with "very deep" CNNs. Further, these data support future efforts to expand classes and optimize practical performance in a clinical environment as a prelude to full implementation as a clinical tool.
Noncardiac vascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis: increase in venous thromboembolic events?

OBJECTIVE To investigate the incidence of noncardiac vascular disease in a community-based incidence cohort of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and compare it to that in the general population and to investigate trends in the incidence of noncardiac vascular disease in patients with RA. METHODS A population-based inception cohort of patients with incident RA between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 2007 in Olmsted County, Minnesota and a cohort of non-RA subjects from the same population base was assembled and followed up until December 31, 2008. Venous thromboembolic, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial events were ascertained by medical record review. RESULTS The study population included 813 patients with RA with a mean±SD age of 55.9±15.7 years (68% women) and an average length of followup of 9.6±6.9 years. Compared to non-RA subjects of similar age and sex, patients diagnosed as having RA between 1995 and 2007 had a higher incidence (%) of venous thromboembolism (cumulative incidence±SE 6.7±1.7 versus 2.8±1.1, respectively; P=0.005) but similar rates of cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial events. Among patients with RA, the incidence of venous thromboembolic, cerebrovascular, and peripheral arterial events was similar in the 1995-2007 time period compared to the 1980-1994 time period. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that the incidence of venous thromboembolism is increased in patients with RA compared to non-RA subjects. The incidence of cerebrovascular events and peripheral vascular disease events is similar in patients with RA compared to non-RA subjects. Among patients with RA, the incidence of noncardiac vascular disease has remained stable in recent decades.
A Comparison of Animal Jaws and Bite Mark Patterns *

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to compare the jaw shapes and bite mark patterns of wild and domestic animals to assist investigators in their analysis of animal bite marks. The analyses were made on 12 species in the Order Carnivora housed in the Mammalian Collection at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. In addition to metric analysis, one skull from each species was photographed as a representative sample with an ABFO No. 2 scale in place. Bite patterns of the maxillary and mandibular dentition were documented using foamed polystyrene exemplars, which were also photographed. A total of 486 specimens were examined to analyze the jaw and bite mark patterns. A modified technique for measuring intercanine distances was developed to more accurately reflect the characteristics seen in animal bite marks. In it, three separate areas were measured on the canines, rather than just the cusp tip. This was to maximize the amount of information acquired from each skull, specifically to accommodate variances in the depth of bite injuries.
Theoretical and practical implications of the effects of hearing protection devices on localization ability.

Two experiments on human auditory localization were undertaken to try to discover why that ability is impaired when earmuffs are worn. In the first experiment 15 Ss heard tones and white noise while listening normally, while wearing standard ear-muffs and while wearing earmuffs modified to fit on the head independently of each other. No difference in performance was observed between standard and modified earmuffs. In the second experiment 15 5s listened to tones and white noise in both normal and standard earmuff and earplug conditions. Some impairment was observed while earplugs were worn as compared with normal conditions but not as much as in earmuff conditions. The theoretical implication of these findings is in support of a pinna function, but not wholly. The practical implication is in support of the use of earplugs rather than earmuffs for safe orientation in a noisy environment.
Treatment of septic shock with the tumor necrosis factor receptor:Fc fusion protein. The Soluble TNF Receptor Sepsis Study Group.

BACKGROUND A recombinant, soluble fusion protein that is a dimer of an extracellular portion of the human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor and the Fc portion of IgG1 (TNFR:Fc) binds and neutralizes TNF-alpha and prevents death in animal models of bacteremia and endotoxemia. METHODS To evaluate the safety and efficacy of TNFR:Fc in the treatment of septic shock, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. A total of 141 patients were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or a single intravenous infusion of one of three doses of TNFR:Fc (0.15, 0.45, or 1.5 mg per kilogram of body weight). The primary end point was mortality from all causes at 28 days. RESULTS There were 10 deaths among the 33 patients in the placebo group (30 percent mortality), 9 deaths among the 30 patients receiving the low dose of TNFR:Fc (30 percent mortality), 14 deaths among the 29 receiving the middle dose (48 percent mortality), and 26 deaths among the 49 receiving the high dose (53 percent mortality) (P = 0.02 for the dose-response relation). Baseline differences in the severity of illness did not account for the increased mortality in the groups receiving the higher doses of TNFR:Fc. CONCLUSIONS In patients with septic shock, treatment with the TNFR:Fc fusion protein does not reduce mortality, and higher doses appear to be associated with increased mortality.
Compensatory Drift and the Evolutionary Dynamics of Dosage-Sensitive Duplicate Genes

Dosage-balance selection preserves functionally redundant duplicates (paralogs) at the optimum for their combined expression. Here we present a model of the dynamics of duplicate genes coevolving under dosage-balance selection. We call this the compensatory drift model. Results show that even when strong dosage-balance selection constrains total expression to the optimum, expression of each duplicate can diverge by drift from its original level. The rate of divergence slows as the strength of stabilizing selection, the size of the mutation effect, and/or the size of the population increases. We show that dosage-balance selection impedes neofunctionalization early after duplication but can later facilitate it. We fit this model to data from sodium channel duplicates in 10 families of teleost fish; these include two convergent lineages of electric fish in which one of the duplicates neofunctionalized. Using the model, we estimated the strength of dosage-balance selection for these genes. The results indicate that functionally redundant paralogs still may undergo radical functional changes after a prolonged period of compensatory drift.
Eng1p, an Endo-1,3-β-Glucanase Localized at the Daughter Side of the Septum, Is Involved in Cell Separation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT ENG1 (YNR067c), a gene encoding a new endo-1,3-β-glucanase, was cloned by screening a genomic library with a DNA probe obtained by PCR with synthetic oligonucleotides designed according to conserved regions found between yeast exo-1,3-β-glucanases (Exg1p, Exg2p, and Ssg1p). Eng1p shows strong sequence similarity to the product of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ACF2 gene, involved in actin assembly “in vitro,” and to proteins present in other yeast and fungal species. It is also related to plant glucan-binding elicitor proteins, which trigger the onset of a defense response upon fungal infection. Eng1p and Acf2p/Eng2p are glucan-hydrolyzing proteins that specifically act on 1,3-β linkages, with an endolytic mode of action. Eng1p is an extracellular, heavily glycosylated protein, while Acf2p/Eng2p is an intracellular protein with no carbohydrate linked by N-glycosidic bonds. ENG1 transcription fluctuates periodically during the cell cycle; maximal accumulation occurs during the M/G1 transition and is dependent on the transcription factor Ace2p. Interestingly, eng1 deletion mutants show defects in cell separation, and Eng1p localizes asymmetrically to the daughter side of the septum, suggesting that this protein is involved, together with chitinase, in the dissolution of the mother-daughter septum.
Integrating sustainability education into existing and built environment curriculum

This working paper is one outcome of a project entitled Integrating sustainability education into engineering and built environment curriculum that operates under the auspices of the Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research Network (ProSPER.Net) at the United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS). The project is being undertaken under the leadership of the School of Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University. It is carried out in collaboration with academics from ProSPER.Net member institutions and other universities. The project also benefitted from the inputs of industry representatives who participated in the project’s activities. In summary, the aim of the project is to integrate sustainability thinking and practice into engineering and built environment curricula through a professional development programme for university academics. The primary output of the project is the development of a guide for university academics and curriculum developers in built environment disciplines, such as engineering and architecture at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The wider aim is to ultimately expand and develop further courses and offerings to students within this rapidly changing built environment sector. Wherever possible, this applied research project draws on links with industry, creating opportunities for networking and creating close links with academia and industry. This working paper seeks to inform the process of developing the framework for the curriculum guide and is organized as follows:  In Section 1, an overview of the project is discussed, with emphasis on the approach adopted for the project;  In Sections 2 and 3, as background work undertaken for the project, a review of the issues and the state of sustainability education in the engineering and built environment disciplines is reported;  In Section 4, discussions of the educational responses for the integration and innovation of sustainability education in built environment are offered;  In Section 5, a discussion of the development of the framework for the proposed Guide is presented; and  In Section 6, insights on the challenges and themes for further exploration are posed. 1. Project Overview Buildings and cities are measures of economic health in most developed and developing economies across the globe. The built environment is constantly changing, reflecting
Oral testosterone supplementation increases muscle and decreases fat mass in healthy elderly males with low-normal gonadal status.

BACKGROUND Loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) leads to frailty in older men. The decline in testosterone over the life span may contribute to this muscle loss. We studied the ability of oral testosterone to prevent muscle loss in older men over a 12-month period. METHODS A standard dose (80 mg twice daily) of testosterone undecanoate or placebo was administered for 1 year to 76 healthy men aged 60 years or older. All men had a free testosterone index of 0.3-0.5, which represents a value below the normal lower limit for young men (19-30 years), but remains within the overall normal male range. Measurements of body composition, muscle strength, hormones, and safety parameters were obtained at 0, 6, and 12 months. RESULTS Lean body mass increased (p =.0001) and fat mass decreased (p =.02) in the testosterone as compared with the placebo-treated group. There were no significant effects on muscle strength. There was a significant increase in hematocrit (0.02%) in the testosterone-treated group (p =.03). Plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were similar in both groups, but there was a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.1 mmol/L) at 12 months in the testosterone group as compared to the placebo group (p = 0.026). There were no differences in prostate-specific antigen or systolic or diastolic blood pressure between the groups. CONCLUSION Oral testosterone administration to older relatively hypogonadal men results in an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in body fat.
Licensing free choice items in hostile environments : The role of aspect and mood

Il est reconnu que les articles permettant un libre choix dans une classe d'individus se rencontrent typiquement dans des contextes modaux et generiques, mais jamais avec des temps episodiques, sauf dans certains contextes tels que John talked to any woman who came up to him (1). L'A. propose une discussion tres approfondie de ce type d'occurrence dans des environnements inattendus en s'appuyant sur une analyse de donnees catalanes correspondantes. L'A. defend l'idee selon laquelle les exemples tels que (1) constituent des contextes modaux impliquant une interpretation quantifiee faisant intervenir une lecture generique et non episodique comme cela est generalement avance dans la litterature
POTENCIAL ANTIOXIDANTE E ANTIBACTERIANO DO EXTRATO ETANÓLICO DE PLANTAS USADAS COMO CHÁS

Este trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o potencial antioxidante e antibacteriano do extrato etanolico de plantas usadas como chas. A pesquisa da atividade antioxidante foi pelos metodos de DPPH e FTC, alem da determinacao de compostos fenolicos pelo metodo do Follin. A atividade antibacteriana foi por meio de difusao em disco de papel. Os resultados mostram que o Cymbopogon citratus foi a planta que teve melhor percentual de atividade antioxidante pelo metodo DPPH alem da maior quantidade de compostos fenolicos. Quanto ao FTC nao houve diferenca significativa. Atividade antibacteriana a Mentha crispa L. foi a planta que apresentou bom resultado.
BITRU: Binary Version of the NTRU Public Key Cryptosystem via Binary Algebra

New terms such as closest vector problem (CVP) and the shortest vector problem (SVP), which have been illustrated as NP-hard problem, emerged, leading to a new hope for designing public key cryptosystem based on certain lattice hardness. A new cryptosystem called NTRU is proven computationally efficient and it can be implemented with low cost. With these characteristics, NTRU possesses advantage over others system that rely on number-theoretical problem in a finite field (e.g. integer factorization problem or discrete logarithm problem). These advantages make NTRU a good choice for many applications. After the adaptation of NTRU, many attempts to generalize its algebraic structure have appeared. In this study, a new variant of the NTRU public key cryptosystem called BITRU is proposed. BITRU is based on a new algebraic structure used as an alternative to NTRU-mathematical structure called binary algebra. This commutative and associative. Establishing two public keys in the proposed system has distinguished it from NTRU and those similar to NTRU cryptosystems. This new structure helps to increase the security and complexity of BITRU. The clauses of BITRU, which include key generation, encryption, decryption, and decryption failure, are explained in details. Its suitability of the proposed system is proven and its security is demonstrated by comparing it with NTRU.
Prevalence and risk factors of obesity in school children in Antalya, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and risk factors of obesity and to obtain the age and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) percentiles in a cohort of children aged 6-17 years, living in the province of Antalya, Turkey. METHODS The study included 15 schools throughout the city center of Antalya, Turkey during the period November 2002-March 2003. A total of 2465 school children (boys 1233, girls 1232) aged 6-17 years were chosen using a population based stratified cluster sampling method. We calculated the BMI (kg/m2) by measuring the weight and standing height. Overweight was defined as BMI between 85th and 95th percentile, and obesity as BMI above the 95th percentile. A questionnaire was distributed to the parents to determine obesity-related risk factors. RESULTS The overall prevalence of obesity was 3.6% while overweight was 14.3%. According to gender, the prevalence of obesity in boys was 3.9% and overweight was 12.8%, while in girls, obesity was 3.2% and overweight was 15.8%. We found that obesity might be related with some factors such as number of regular meals, number of siblings, high birth weight, having computer at home, skipping breakfast and high socioeconomic status of parents. CONCLUSION There is no difference in obesity prevalence among school children according to gender, but the mean BMI of girls is significantly higher than that of boys. Obesity prevalence among children in Antalya is very low compared to Europe and the United States.