Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INDUCIBLE CHEMICAL RESISTANCE TO HERBIVORY IN THE BROWN SEAWEED ASCOPHYLLUM NODOSUM

Physical damage caused by herbivores or artificial clipping is known to induce responses in secondary chemistry as well as increased resistance to further grazing in a large number of terrestrial vascular plants, but this has only rarely been described for marine algae. In the present study, it was found that a few weeks of grazing by the gastropod Littorina obtusata can induce substantially increased concentrations of phlorotannins in the intertidal brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum.In contrast, grazing by the isopod Idotea granulosa and simulations of herbivory through momentary and continuous clipping caused no significant changes in phlorotannin levels. This indicates a high degree of specificity in the elicitation of chemical responses to physical damage, something which previously has been shown for terrestrial vascular plants but not for marine algae. Ascophyllum plants that had been grazed by L. obtusata were also less susceptible than undamaged plants to further grazing by gastropods, but no such induced resistance was found in the experiments with I. granulosa. Feeding experiments with undamaged Ascophyllum plants and artificial food containing different levels of phlorotannins provided further support for the sensitivity of the feeding behavior of L. obtusata, and the insensitivity of I. granulosa, to intraspecific variation in the phlorotannin content of Ascophyllum. Since L. obtusata is specialized to live and feed on a few fucoid species, including A. nodosum, the results imply that phlo- rotannins have an important mediating role in the interactions between these macroalgae and L. obtusata. The experimentally induced increase of phlorotannins was consistent with results from phlorotannin analyses of Ascophyllum individuals from natural populations, where plants that had been heavily grazed by L. obtusata contained significantly higher levels of phlorotannins compared to undamaged plants. A field survey of the distribution and abundance of L. obtusata revealed that the density of the gastropod is highly variable at the same spatial scale as the phlorotannin content of Ascophyllum in the study area. These results suggest that grazing by L. obtusata can be an important factor in explaining natural phenotypic variation in the phlorotannin content of Ascophyllum. Together with the results from a few other studies on the interactions between meso- herbivores and marine algae, the results of this study support the previously proposed hypothesis that it is feeding by relatively small, less mobile herbivores that is most likely to cue for induced production of defense chemicals in seaweeds. More studies on such interactions may reveal that the apparent rarity of inducible chemical defenses in seaweeds is misleading.
A Multi-Level Supervision Model: A novel approach for Thermal Image Super Resolution

This paper proposes a novel architecture for thermal image super-resolution. A very large dataset is provided by PBVS 2020 in their super-resolution challenge. This dataset contains the images with three different resolution scales(low, medium, high) [1]. This dataset is used to train the proposed architecture to generate the super-resolution images in x2, x3, x4 scales. The proposed architecture is based on the residual blocks as the base units of the network. Along with this, the coordinate convolution layer and the convolutional block attention Module (CBAM) are also used in the architecture. Further, the multi-level supervision is implemented to supervise the output image resolution similarity with the real image at each block during training. To test the robustness of the proposed model, we evaluated our model on the Thermal-6 dataset [13]. The results show that our model is efficient to achieve the state of art results on the PBVS’2020 dataset. Further the results on the Thermal-6 dataset show that the model has a decent generalization capacity.
Network Sharing for Reliable Networks: A Data-Driven Study

The next generation of mobile networks will bring an appetite for reliable communication, which enables emerging critical-communication services. In this paper, we present network sharing between operators as a way to provide increased reliability while using the already existing mobile network infrastructure. Our results indicate that network sharing significantly improves network performance during periods of connectivity shortfalls, benefiting the design of reliable networks. Our conclusions are drawn from a real-world dataset of signal quality indicators for three mobile operators in Dublin, Ireland.
Effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on mortality from lower respiratory infections and pneumonia among under-fives

ABSTRACT There is a well-known inverse association between mortality rate from infectious diseases and improvements in socioeconomic status, even though longer time-series are required to demonstrate this relationship. This general rule seems to apply to mortality from pneumonia in children in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) era. Two recent published secular trend studies spanning from about 30 years among Brazilians under the age of five show either no effect of PCV – not even death rate decline from pneumococcal meningitis – or a modest one (8% reduction). Time-series mortality studies from pneumonia are needed for both, developed and developing countries, those who have implemented PCV or not. Results from these studies would provide critical input and feedback to public health policy makers.
Multi-Label Neural Decoders for Block Codes

The problem of decoding an (n, k, d) error-correcting block code, where a k-bit message word is mapped to an n-bit codeword, can be cast as a single-label classification problem. While it has been observed that the performance of such single-label neural decoders closely approaches that of the corresponding maximum likelihood decoder (MLD), the number of output nodes increases exponentially with k, making it prohibitive to implement for large k. To address this issue, we explore classification based multi-label neural decoders, in which the number of output nodes increases linearly with k. We consider well-known linear and non-linear block codes, as well as concatenated block codes, which have applications in emerging wireless networks. Our study finds that (i) although the number of output nodes linearly increases with k in a multi-label decoder, it requires more hidden layers and nodes in each hidden layer than the corresponding single-label decoder to achieve its best performance, and (ii) although one can design a multi-label decoder with bit error rate matching that of the MLD, it leaves more blocks in error leading to a reduced performance in terms of block error rate. We also note that the performance of the proposed decoder for concatenated codes is at least as good as that of a natural decoding algorithm in which the inner code is first decoded using the MLD and then the outer code is decoded with a polynomial-time decoding algorithm.
Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Veterinarians Towards Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship in Nigeria

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern and the inappropriate use of antibiotics in animals and humans is considered a contributing factor. A cross-sectional survey to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of veterinarians regarding AMR and antimicrobial stewardship was conducted in Nigeria. A total of 241 respondents completed an online survey. Only 21% of respondents correctly defined the term antimicrobial stewardship and 59.8% were unaware of the guidelines provided by the Nigeria AMR National Action Plan. Over half (51%) of the respondents indicated that prophylactic antibiotic use was appropriate when farm biosecurity was poor. Only 20% of the respondents conducted antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) frequently, and the unavailability of veterinary laboratory services (82%) and the owner’s inability to pay (72%) were reported as key barriers to conducting AST. The study findings suggest strategies focusing on the following areas may be useful in improving appropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial stewardship among veterinarians in Nigeria: increased awareness of responsible antimicrobial use among practicing and newly graduated veterinarians, increased dissemination of regularly updated antibiotic use guidelines, increased understanding of the role of good biosecurity and vaccination practices in disease prevention, and increased provision of laboratory services and AST at affordable costs.
Use of a whole genome sequencing-based approach for Mycobacterium tuberculosis surveillance in Europe in 2017–2019: an ECDC pilot study

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) can be used for molecular typing and characterisation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains. We evaluated the systematic use of a WGS-based approach for MTBC surveillance involving all European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries and highlight the challenges and lessons learnt to be considered for the future development of a WGS-based surveillance system. WGS and epidemiological data of patients with rifampicin-resistant (RR) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) were collected from EU/EEA countries between January 2017 and December 2019. WGS-based genetic relatedness analysis was performed using a standardised approach including both core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based calculation of distances on all WGS data that fulfilled minimum quality criteria to ensure data comparability. A total of 2218 RR/MDR-MTBC isolates were collected from 25 countries. Among these, 56 cross-border clusters with increased likelihood of recent transmission (≤5 SNPs distance) comprising 316 RR/MDR-MTBC isolates were identified. The cross-border clusters included between two and 30 resistant isolates from two to six countries, demonstrating different RR/MDR-TB transmission patterns in Western and Eastern EU countries. This pilot study shows that a WGS-based surveillance system is not only feasible but can efficiently elucidate the dynamics of in-country and cross-border RR/MDR-TB transmission across EU/EEA countries. Lessons learnt from this study highlight that the establishment of an EU/EEA centralised WGS-based surveillance system for TB will require strengthening of national integrated systems performing prospective WGS surveillance and the development of clear procedures to facilitate international collaboration for the investigation of cross-border clusters. The implementation of a WGS-based surveillance system for monitoring the emergence of MDR-TB outbreaks in Europe is feasible and has the potential to provide supporting evidence to better elucidate cross-border transmission patterns https://bit.ly/2ZTnPjk
The DEAD-box RNA helicase CshA is required for fatty acid homeostasis in Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that can grow in a wide array of conditions: on abiotic surfaces, on the skin, in the nose, in planktonic or biofilm forms and can cause many type of infections. Consequently, S. aureus must be able to adapt rapidly to these changing growth conditions, an ability largely driven at the posttranscriptional level. RNA helicases of the DEAD-box family play an important part in this process. In particular, CshA, which is part of the degradosome, is required for the rapid turnover of certain mRNAs and its deletion results in cold-sensitivity. To understand the molecular basis of this phenotype, we conducted a large genetic screen isolating 82 independent suppressors of cold growth. Full genome sequencing revealed the fatty acid synthesis pathway affected in many suppressor strains. Consistent with that result, sublethal doses of triclosan, a FASII inhibitor, can partially restore growth of a cshA mutant in the cold. Overexpression of the genes involved in branched-chain fatty acid synthesis was also able to suppress the cold-sensitivity. Using gas chromatography analysis of fatty acids, we observed an imbalance of straight and branched-chain fatty acids in the cshA mutant, compared to the wild-type. This imbalance is compensated in the suppressor strains. Thus, we reveal for the first time that the cold sensitive growth phenotype of a DEAD-box mutant can be explained, at least partially, by an improper membrane composition. The defect correlates with an accumulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex mRNA, which is inefficiently degraded in absence of CshA. We propose that the resulting accumulation of acetyl-CoA fuels straight-chained fatty acid production at the expense of the branched ones. Strikingly, addition of acetate into the medium mimics the cshA deletion phenotype, resulting in cold sensitivity suppressed by the mutations found in our genetic screen or by sublethal doses of triclosan.
Development of the digestive tract of poultry

Hatching birds which have been dependent on the yolk for their energy supply during much of the embryonic period must undergo a rapid transition to utilising carbohydrate rich exogenous feed. This change is accompanied by the preferential growth of the small intestine and activation of digestive enzymes and absorption pathways. The ontogeny of these processes is described and includes the intense development immediately after hatching. The effect of delayed access to feed on intestinal development is also discussed.
In-Queue Observation and Abandonment

Problem Definition: Customers arriving at a service provider are faced with a queue. On joining the queue, they get to observe the service speed while waiting in the queue. They renege if the updated wait times are too long. When and how should a revenue-maximizing service provider share service information? How does information improve or destroy consumer welfare when customers may renege? Academic/Practical Relevance: Although reneging strategies are intuitive, a rational reneging model is highly non-trivial (Hassin 2016, pp. 299). This paper models customers’ rational reneging decisions in observable queues which is void in the extant literature. Broadly, the research contributes to informationstructural issues in service operations. Methodology: Our modeling framework employs a Markovian queue with two classes of customers. Results: We fully characterize queueing dynamics in the presence of reneging customers and population characteristics. We provide analytical characterization of when a service provider should reveal the service speed information to the customers, based on reneging actions. We show that failing to account for reneging can lead to a wrong decision, and hence a significant revenue loss for the server. Interestingly, providing more information does not always benefit the customers. A calibrated provision of service speed information can realign opposing incentives and help both the firm and customers. Managerial Implications: The server’s revenue decreases and consumer welfare increases with respect to how fast customers are able to observe the service speed in-queue, but the service provider may find it beneficial to reveal the service speed information depending on the patience threshold distribution of the customers who join the queue in the first place. When the patience threshold distribution is either low or highly dispersed, it creates a stronger incentive for the service provider to reveal the service speed information. This result holds for any patience threshold distribution.
Evaluation of sunflower cultivars for central Brazil

Despite a large availability of areas suitable for sunflower cropping in Central Brazil, few adapted cultivars are available in the market. The objective of this work was to select sunflower cultivars adapted to this important production region. Experimental data from 2000 to 2004 were obtained by the National Sunflower Trials, coordinated by Embrapa Soja. The evaluated traits were grain and oil yields. Two criteria were used for selection of cultivars: i) the general mean obtained from different environments; ii) partitioning of general mean in favorable and unfavorable environments. Partitioning of the general mean allowed to detect the specific environment indicated for each cultivar. For grain yield, the cultivar Helio 251 presented general indication, Milenio and CF 17 could be indicated for favorable environments and ACA 884, ACA 885 and ACA 872 for the unfavorable ones. For oil yield, CF 13, Milenio, DK 4030, Helio 250 and ACA 872 had general indication; AG 966, GH 12, GV 26043, CF 17 and VDH 93 could be indicated for favorable environments, while VDH 488, Helio 251, ACA 884 and ACA 885 for the unfavorable conditions. In 2002, the partition of the general mean was not carried out. In this year, general mean of cultivars Exp 37, AG 962, GV 26048 and AG 967 were overweight the controls for grain yield and the cultivars AG 962, AG 967, GV 26048, AG 972, BRS 191, Guarani were overweight the controls for oil yield.
Plaintext-Verifiably-Checkable Encryption and Its Extension in Dual-Server Setting

Plaintext-checkable encryption (PCE), first introduced by Canard <italic>et al.</italic>, allows users searching on encrypted data through plaintexts. It provides a useful primitive in the cloud computing security. However, existing PCE schemes could not guarantee verifiability to prevent from malicious adversaries. To concentrate with, we provide the notion of <italic>plaintext-verifiably-checkable encryption</italic> (PVCE). Our PVCE scheme could check that if a ciphertext is valid, even though it could pass the check procedure, to avoid malicious ciphertexts. Furthermore, we extend the work in dual-server setting, called <italic>dual-server plaintext-verifiably-checkable encryption</italic> (DS-PVCE), to resist offline message recover attack. We also give the security definition <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathsf{IND}}\text{-}{\mathsf{CCA}}\text{-}{\mathsf{FS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathsf{IND}}\text{-}{\mathsf{CCA}}\text{-}{\mathsf{BS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathsf{IND}}\text{-}{\mathsf{CCA}}\text{-}{\mathsf{II}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in standard model for DS-PVCE and prove that DS-PVCE is secure under these security notions. Then we give constructions of PVCE and DS-PVCE from <italic>pairing-friendly smooth projective hash function</italic> (PF-SPHF) and their instantiations based on <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathsf{MDDH}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> assumption. At the end of this paper, we provide implementation to compare existing PCE schemes and our schemes, which shows that DS-PVCE has very high check efficiency compared with other PCE schemes.
Cultivation in different growth media affects the expression of the cell surface hydrophobicity of bacteria

Environmental factors may greatly influence the expression of cell surface components of bacterial pathogens. Few studies have described the effect of growth conditions on the cell surface hydrophobicity of bacterial isolates of certain Gramnegative and Gram-positive bacteria. The present study describes the effects of CUltivation in four common liquid growth media on the cell surface hydrophobicity of non-clinical Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus using the microbial adhesion to hydrocarbon (MATH) test which assesses the partition of bacterial cells into a hydrocarbon phase. It was observed that growth in all the test media yielded cells with varying surface hydrophobicity increasing in the order: nutrient broth<tryptic soy broth<brain heart infusion broth<MacConkey broth, irrespective of the test strain. The changes were however, more pronounced in the Gram-positive strain. It was also observed that the surface of Staphylococcus aureus was more hydrophobic than that of Escherichia coli , irrespective of the cultivation media. The outcome of this work further point to the fact that environmental changes can influence cell surface hydrophobicity of bacteria which in turn can affect their adhesion to certain kinds of host targets through hydrophobic interactions. Key words : Hydrophobicity; Escherichia coli; Staphylococcus aureus; Growth media
Heuristic Algorithm for Gateway Location Selection in Large Scale LoRa Networks

The LoRa networks allow building low-cost long-range networks. The selection of LoRa access point locations in large scale networks requires taking into consideration the spatial distribution of clients, radio signal propagation and the limitation of the number of devices served by a single point of access. We propose a heuristic algorithm for the selection of access point locations within for a given set of candidate locations, based on gradient optimization. The proposed method allows selecting a sub-optimal set of locations which provide full coverage and take into consideration the capacity dimensioning based on spreading factor and expected channel utilization. The algorithm is evaluated in random topologies and in real-life scenario based on city-wide smart meters locations. The analysis shows that it outperforms a manual selection of access points locations, allowing to decrease the number of access points providing the full coverage.
Story Completion with Explicit Modeling of Commonsense Knowledge

Growing up with bedtime tales, even children could easily tell how a story should develop; but selecting a coherent and reasonable ending for a story is still not easy for machines. To successfully choose an ending requires not only detailed analysis of the context, but also applying commonsense reasoning and basic knowledge. Previous work [8] has shown that language models trained on very large corpora could capture common sense in an implicit and hardto-interpret way. We explore another direction and present a novel method that explicitly incorporates commonsense knowledge from a structured dataset [11], and demonstrate the potential for improving story completion.
Probiotics the Good Neighbor: Guarding the Gut Mucosal Barrier

Problem statement: The disruption of gut barrier function plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of not only gastrointestinal diseases, but also the diseases of liver and other organs. Mucosal protective factors that preserve the gut barrier integrity are beneficial in the prevention and treatment of such diseases. Probiotics is a group of helpful bacteria that protect the gastrointestinal mucosa from a variety of insults. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of probiotic-mediated protection of gut barrier function is an important area of investigation. Approach: Several studies had addressed the role of probiotics in the protection of gut barrier integrity. In a recent study, we investigated the role of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and two soluble proteins, p40 and p75, in the protection of gut barrier function in Caco-2 cell monolayer, a model of the intestinal epithelium. Results: Studies demonstrated that live or dead Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG prevents oxidative stress-induced disruption of tight junctions and barrier function in Caco-2 cell monolayers. The isolated soluble proteins of this probiotic, p40 and p75, also prevent hydrogen peroxide-induced tight junction disruption. This protective effect of probiotic proteins was mediated by the activation of ERK1/2 and protein kinase C isoforms, PKCβI and PKCe. Conclusion: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG prevent oxidative stress-induced disruption of intestinal epithelial tight junctions and barrier function, suggesting that preservation of epithelial barrier function is one of the mechanisms involved in the mucosal protective role of probiotics in the gut.