Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CCN2, connective tissue growth factor, stimulates collagen deposition by gingival fibroblasts via module 3 and α6‐ and β1 integrins

CCN2, (connective tissue growth factor, CTGF) is a matricellular factor associated with fibrosis that plays an important role in the production and maintenance of fibrotic lesions. Increased collagen deposition and accumulation is a common feature of fibrotic tissues. The mechanisms by which CCN2/CTGF contributes to fibrosis are not well understood. Previous studies suggest that CTGF exerts some of its biological effects at least in part by integrin binding, though this mechanism has not been previously shown to contribute to fibrosis. Utilizing full length CCN2/CTGF, CCN2/CTGF fragments, and integrin neutralizing antibodies, we provide evidence that the effects of CCN2/CTGF to stimulate extracellular matrix deposition by gingival fibroblasts are mediated by the C‐terminal half of CCN2/CTGF, and by α6 and β1 integrins. In addition, a synthetic peptide corresponding to a region of CCN2/CTGF domain 3 that binds α6β1 inhibits the collagen‐deposition assay. These studies employed a new and relatively rapid assay for CCN2/CTGF‐stimulated collagen deposition based on Sirius Red staining of cell layers. Data obtained support a pathway in which CCN2/CTGF could bind to α6β1 integrin and stimulate collagen deposition. These findings provide new experimental methodologies applicable to uncovering the mechanism and signal transduction pathways of CCN2/CTGF‐mediated collagen deposition, and may provide insights into potential therapeutic strategies to treat gingival fibrosis and other fibrotic conditions. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 409–420, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Towards a behavioral network intrusion detection system based on the SVM model

A behavioral IDS (Intrusion Detection System) is an effective tool for the detection of computer network intrusions, especially the most recent ones. However, the behavioral IDS have a very high false alarm rate compared to traditional IDS that use a signature base for each intrusion. In this paper, we propose an original method of network intrusion detection using machine learning techniques. Our method is based on a behavioral IDS capable of identifying new attacks without using a signature database. We use the SVM (Support Vector Machine) classification model with two cores (Polynomial and Gaussian). This model is trained and tested with the UNSW-NB15 dataset. We have obtained interesting results in terms of detection rate (DR) in comparison with other classification models (ANN, RepTree, Random Forest, MLP).
Breeding ecology of an Australian estrildid, the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)

Abstract We studied the breeding ecology of the Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda) over three seasons between 2008 and 2010 in the Kimberley region, Western Australia. Breeding took place from February to September, with a peak in laying in March-April. Pairs produced up to three successful broods per season with a mean (±s.e.) clutch-size of 4.66 ± 1.13, mean broods of3.98 ± 1.10 young, and an average of3.87 ± 1.10 fledged young per successful nest. Nesting failure occurred frequently, with 66.2% of breeding attempts failing to fledge any offspring. In nests where at least one egg hatched (47% of nests), 87 ± 17% of the eggs hatched. In successful nests, 98 ± 9% of all nestlings fledged. Annual breeding success was relatively consistent over the three breeding seasons, with 26.8-40.8% of all eggs resulting in fledged young. Successful nesting attempts lasted an average of 39 ± 3.3 days, with both parents contributing to incubation (duration 13.6 ± 2.3 days) and brooding and feeding during the nestling period (duration 20.6 ± 2 days). Site-and mate-fidelity were high, with pairs staying together during and between breeding seasons and 60% of pairs breeding in the same area in a subsequent year.
Morphological heterogeneity of rat oligodendrocytes: Oligodendrocytes: Electron microscopic studies on serial sections

The microanatomy of ensheathing and early myelinating rat oligodendrocytes was analyzed through electron microscopic examination of serial sections. The study included cells in the spinal cord (SC) ventral funiculus and the corpus callosum (CC), containing early myelinating, prospective large axons and late myelinating, prospective small axons, respectively. The results show that ensheathment commences fetal day (F) 19 in the SC and 12 days postnatally (P12) in the CC. By then, multipolar SC and CC oligodendrocytes provide axons with uncompacted cytoplasmic sheaths. The average number of axons ensheathed by each such cell was 7 in the SC and 13 in the CC. The mean diameter of the ensheathed axons was 0.69 μm in the SC and 0.36 μm in the CC. The formation of compact myelin had clearly been initiated at birth in the SC and at P17 in the CC. At that stage, the mean number of myelinated axons per analyzed oligodendrocyte was 3 in the SC and 15 in the CC. The mean diameter of the myelinated axons was 1.02 μm in the SC and 0.54 μm in the CC. These observations show that myelin‐related rat oligodendrocytes are morphologically heterogeneous. It also seems that this heterogeneity is related to time of onset of myelination and prospective axon diameter. Further, the data suggest that some oligodendrocytes reduce the number of sheaths initially elaborated before formation of compact myelin. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
GANcon: Protein Contact Map Prediction With Deep Generative Adversarial Network

Accurate protein contact map prediction is essential for de novo protein structure prediction. Over the past few years, deep learning has brought a significant breakthrough in protein contact map prediction and optimized deep learning architectures are highly desired for performance improvement. As an emerging deep learning architecture, the generative adversarial network (GAN) has shown the powerful capability of learning intrinsic patterns, which inspires us to comprehensively exploit GAN for predicting accurate protein contact maps. In this study, we present GANcon, a novel GAN-based deep learning architecture for protein contact map prediction, which to the best of our knowledge is the first GAN-based approach in this field. Instead of using a single neural network, GANcon is composed of two competitive networks that are evolving through adversarial learning. The generator network employs a dedicated encoder-decoder architecture that can efficiently capture the underlying contact information from versatile protein features to generate contact maps, while the discriminator network learns the differences between generated contact maps and real ones and promotes the generator network to produce more accurate contact maps. Moreover, to deal with the imbalance problem and take into account the symmetry of contact maps, we also propose a novel symmetrical focal loss, which can further enhance the effectiveness of adversarial learning for better performance. The experimental results on several datasets demonstrate that GANcon outperforms many state-of-the-art methods, indicating the effectiveness of our method for predicting protein contact maps. GANcon is freely available at https://github.com/melissaya/GANcon.
STRUCTURE OF PHOTOSYSTEM I AND PHOTOSYSTEM II OF PLANT CHLOROPLASTS *, †, §

Abstract— The action of Triton X‐100 upon photosynthetic membranes which are devoid of carotenoids produces a small Photosystem I particle (HP700 particle) which is active in N ADP photoreduction and has a [Chl]/[P700] ratio of 30. The properties of the HP700 particle indicate that it is a reaction center complex which is served by an accessory complex containing the additional light‐harvesting chlorophyll of Photosystem I as well as the cytochromes and plastoquinone. When Photosystem II particles obtained by the action of Triton X‐100 are further washed with a solution 0.5 M in sucrose and 0.05 M in Tris buffer (pH 8.0), chlorophyll‐containing material is released. After centrifugation, the supernatant contains about 1 per cent of the chlorophyll and contains three types of particles which can be separated by sucrose density gradient centrifugation. One of these particles, designated TSF‐2b, has the same pigment composition as the original Photosystem II fragment, contains cytochrome 559, and shows Photosystem II activity (DCMU‐sensitive diphenylcarbazide‐supported photoreduction of 2,6‐dichlorophenolindophenol). The other two particles (TSF‐2a and TSF‐2a′) have a [Chl a]/[Chl b] ratio of 8, have a low concentration of xanthophylls, and show a [Chl]/[Cyt 5591 ratio of about 20. Only the TSF‐2a particle is active in the Photosystem II reaction described above. On the basis of these data, it is proposed that the Photosystem II unit consists of a reaction center complex which contains Chl a, Cyt 559, and an acceptor for the photochemical reaction. The reaction center complex would be served by an accessory complex which contains the light‐harvesting pigments, Chl a. Chi b, and xanthophyils.
Frangos de corte alimentados com dietas de diferentes densidades nutricionais suplementadas ou não com enzimas

A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of exogenous enzymes added to corn-soy diets with different nutritional levels. Four hundred and eight day-old COBB 500 male chicks were distributed in a randomly factorial experiment (2 x 2) with diets having two nutritional densities (standard and low), with or without a pool of enzymes (50g/ton of Rovabio®), six replicates of 20 birds each were randomly distributed in 1.5 x 1.5m floor pens. Nutritional density of the standard diet was: 22,00/3000; 19,80/3100 and 17,82/3200 of crude protein (%CP)/ Metabolizable energy (Kcal kg-1), respectively in the initial, grower and finisher phases. The low density diets had 2% less CP, lysine and methionine+cystine, and 65kcal of ME kg-1 of feed. Feed comsumption, body weight, feed conversion and index of bio economical feed efficiency were analized. Results showed there was no difference for the interaction between nutritional densities and the pool of enzymes in the initial phase. However a significative interaction for feed consumption and body weigh between standard and low density diets. The low density diets added with enzymes had higher body weight gain compared to the one without enzymes. Feed comsumption and body weight gain were higher for standard diets without enzymes compared to low density with or without enzymes, even though feed conversion was not significantly different among them. In conclusion the addition of the multienzymatic complex improves the performance of the birds fed diets of low density. However, they had lower performance than those fed standard diets, regardless the use of enzymes. Cost of production of broilers receiving diets with low density supplemented with enzymes was lower than those with standard diets, with the formulation cost used.
Regrowth Rates of Timothy and Meadow Fescue as Related to the Content of Remaining Water-soluble Carbohydrates and Non-elongated Tillers

The relationship between regrowth rates and the content of water-soluble carbohydrates in stubble (WSC) and percentage of non-elongated tillers (PNT) was studied in timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) cut at different phenological stages. Single plants were grown in pots and cut outdoors and then regrown under controlled climatic conditions. The data for the dry matter production during the following 3 weeks were fitted to an expolinear growth equation to determine an initial maximum relative regrowth rate (R m) and a daily maximum regrowth rate (C m). C m appeared to be positively correlated to PNT in both species, whereas R m was increased with increasing WSC. For regrowth after later cuts of meadow fescue there was a positive contribution to R m by PNT.
Alimentação de porcas gestantes e lactantes com dietas contendo saponinas

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of saponins on sows and their piglets performances. Thirty genetically homogeneous sows were distributed in two treatments: one control diet (CD) and a CD plus 160ppm of saponins. The experimental design was a completely randomized block. The studied variables in sows were feed supply, fecal characteristics (color and texture) and corporal score. In the piglets the studied variables were mummified fetuses, stillborn, born alive and total born, birth and weaning weights. Were not found differences in color in sows feces. The fecal texture for sows that received diets with saponins was about 11% more solid (P<0.05). In the end of nursing the sows fed with saponins presented a corporal score 12% higher (P<0.05), compared to the control females. The piglets of sows that received diets with saponins presented higher weights on birth (1.2 x 1.4kg) and at weaning (5.5 x 5.9kg) weights, both at P<0.05. Sows fed in the last 10 days of gestation and during the nursing period with diets containing 160ppm of saponins, had better corporal score in the end of nursing and their piglets had higher birth and weaning weights.
A DCNN-Based Fast NIR Face Recognition System Robust to Reflected Light From Eyeglasses

Due to an increasing need for face recognition under poor lighting conditions, near infrared (NIR) face recognition based on deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) has become an active area of research. However, in NIR face images of eyeglasses wearers, reflected light is generated around the eyes due to active NIR light sources, and it is one of the main contributors to performance degradation in NIR face recognition. In addition, there have to date been no attempts to lighten DCNN models for NIR face recognition. To solve these problems, we propose a DCNN-based fast NIR face recognition system which is robust to reflected light. This work has two main contributions: 1) We generated synthetic face images of individuals with and without eyeglasses using our proposed CycleGAN-based Glasses2Non-glasses (G2NG) data augmentation. We then constructed an augmented training database by adding the synthetic images, and the database helps to make the NIR face recognition system robust against reflected light. 2) A lightweight NIR FaceNet (LiNFNet) architecture was developed to reduce the computational complexity of the proposed system by adapting the depthwise separable convolutions and linear bottlenecks to VGGNet 16. The proposed architecture reduces the computation required, while improving the performance of NIR face recognition. Through the experiments reported in this paper, we verified that the proposed G2NG data augmentation improved the face recognition validation rate by 99.09% for NIR face images which have the reflected light from eyeglasses. Also, LiNFNet reduces the number of multiplication operations by $4.4\times 10 ^{9}$ compared with VGGNet 16.
Impact of a Photodiode’s Angular Characteristics on RSS-Based VLP Accuracy

Photodiode (PD)-based Visible Light Positioning (VLP)-based localisation systems seem propitious for the low-cost tracking and route-configurable navigation of automated guided vehicles, found in warehouse settings. Delivering the required high accuracy, currently necessitates measuring and fitting the received power - distance relation. This paper shows that accurately modelling the PD receiver’s angular characteristics obsoletes this calibrating fit, while still providing accurate positioning estimates. A new responsivity model <italic>Square (SQ)</italic> is proposed, which is a function of the square of the incidence angle rather than its cosine. Both its aptitude in matching real-life propagation and its associated localisation accuracy are verified using two extensive measurement sets, each detailing the propagation of a PD moving across a 2D plane 3 m below a 4-LED plane. <italic>SQ</italic> is compared to the responsivity and calibration fit models available in the literature. In conjunction with model-based fingerprinting positioning, <italic>SQ</italic> outscores the Lambertian and generalised Lambertian model in terms of the 90<sup>th</sup> percentile root-mean-square error (rMSE) <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$p_{90}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> by 45.36 cm (83.1%) and 0.84 cm (8.4%) respectively for the non-Lambertian-like receiver. <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$SQ$ </tex-math></inline-formula> exhibits an equivalent performance as the generalised Lambertian model for the Lambertian-like photodiode. Accounting for the appropriate receiver model can also boost trilateration’s rMSE. A 50<sup>th</sup> percentile rMSE reduction of respectively 1.87 cm and 2.66 cm is found in the setup.
Intelligent and Ubiquitous Positioning Framework in 5G Edge Computing Scenarios

The prosperity of artificial intelligence and 5G has continuously enhanced the capabilities of edge devices. Edge computing is one of the key technologies of 5G network in the future, and the positioning capabilities of edge devices can significantly expand application scenarios of edge computing. A series of new technologies introduced by 5G can not only meet the needs of communication but also improve the positioning accuracy and achieve ubiquitous positioning. However, 5G base stations and devices are far from popular, and the standards of 5G positioning has not fully formed. Thus, simulation is the main research method for studying 5G positioning. Accordingly, we propose a 5G positioning simulation experiment scheme. We mainly introduce the implementation ideas and the specific processes of the simulation experiment of three key parts including scene generation, signal propagation simulation and position estimation. Based on this, we conduct a preliminary study of integrated navigation of inertial measurement unit (IMU) and 5G positioning. Then, we verify the abilities of 5G simulation environment by experiments and discuss the results.
Development of a Decision Support System to Assess Farm Animal Welfare

The progress of a project aimed at developing a decision support system (DSS) for overall welfare assessment is described. We chose the pregnant sow as a 'case' to develop the assessment method. First, we designed and tested a very simple prototype DSS in order to examine several basic ideas as to how welfare can be assessed on a scientific basis. In this prototype welfare assessment was based on the needs of animals. The second version of the DSS, which extended the approach taken in the first, included a wider range of housing systems and an improved knowledge base. It used a rigid formal procedure to construct the model, moving directly from scientific statements into if-then rules. However, this extended version resulted in counter-intuitive scores for the seven main housing systems for pregnant sows. In the third version of the DSS the complexity of the model was reduced, if-then rules being excluded. It was based on more general biological considerations (needs and sub-needs) and produced scores which accorded better with expert opinion. Weighting was managed in a simplified, but procedural way. For improved welfare assessment we suggest that the method of 'reflective equilibrium' should be used.
Design of Galvanic Coupling Intra-Body Communication Transceiver Using Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Technology

Intra-body communication (IBC) uses the human body as the transmission medium for electrical signals, and it features the following advantages: low power consumption, strong anti-interference ability, high data security, and broad application scenarios. However, some technical issues still need to be addresses, such as the choice of the best modulation and demodulation scheme in different application scenarios, influence of human activity on IBC performance, variable signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and influence of transmission distance change on different modulation and demodulation methods. This paper adopts direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) communication and phase modulation to realize DSSS-differential phase shift keying (DPSK) and DPSK modulation transmission of baseband data. Moreover, the Costas loop method is employed to achieve reliable symbol recovery. Under the same conditions, in vivo experiments were conducted to compare the performance of DSSS-DPSK and DPSK galvanic coupling IBC transceivers. Notably, these transceivers are affected by the changes in SNR, transmission distance, and human activities. Results show that the bit error rate (BER) of the DPSK scheme is 40 times larger than the DSSS-DPSK scheme in a 30 cm channel length and different SNR experiments. When the BER performance changes from extremely poor (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.40\times 10 ^{-1}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) to excellent (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.51\times 10 ^{-6}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), the SNR of DSSS-DPSK scheme only needs to be improved by 16 dB. In contrast, when the BER performance changes from extremely poor (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.54\times 10 ^{-1}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) to good (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.65\times 10 ^{-5}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), the SNR of DPSK scheme needs to be improved by 25 dB. With a SNR of −5 dB, the BER ratios of the DPSK scheme is 7 times larger than the DSSS-DPSK scheme. Also, DSSS-DPSK scheme is more sensitive to changes in motion status than DPSK.
Scorzonera karabelensis (Compositae,) a new species from SW Anatolia, with a key to the subscapigerous Scorzonera species in Turkey

Abstract Parolly, G. & Kilian, N. : Scorzonera karabelensis (Compositae), a new species from SW Anatolia, with a key to the subscapigerous Scorzonera species in Turkey. — Willdenowia 33: 327–335. — ISSN 0511-9618; © 2003 BGBM Berlin-Dahlem. Scorzonera (sect. Nervosae) karabelensis, a subscapigerous, calcicolous perennial from the Karabel Geçidi in the Western Taurus range, SW Anatolia, Turkey, allied to S. pisidica and S. ulrichii, is described as a species new to science and illustrated. Its habitat conditions, conservation status and phytogeographic significance are considered. A key to all facultatively or consistently subscapigerous, entire-leaved Scorzonera species growing in the mountains of Turkey is provided. Critical comparison revealed that the recently described S. gokcheoglui and S. aytatchii are conspecific with S. ulrichii and S. rigida, respectively, and that the populations of S. pygmaea from the Çankırı and Zonguldak vilayets cannot be separated as a distinct subsp. nutans. Additional data on the conservation status of S. ulrichii are given.
Contribution à la connaissance des Cladocères néotropicaux : redescription de Leydigiopsis ornata Daday, 1905. (Crustacea, Cladocera).

La femelle parthenogenetique de Leydigiopsis ornata Daday, 1905 est redecrite. Des donnees morphologiques complementaires incluant l'etude detaillee des appendices thoraciques sont fournies. La femelle ephippiale et le mâle, inconnus jusqu'ici, sont egalement decrits. Les caracteres morphologiques differentiels des 4 especes du genre sont discutes.