Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coupled oscillators and activity waves in ant colonies

We investigated the phenomenon of activity cycles in ants, taking into account the spatial structure of colonies. In our study species,Leptothorax acervorum, there are two spatially segregated groups in the nest. We developed a model that considers the two groups as coupled oscillators which can produce synchronized activity. By investigating the effects of noise on the model system we predicted how the return of foragers affects activity cycles in ant colonies. We tested these predictions empirically by comparing the activity of colonies under two conditions: when foragers are and are not allowed to return to the nest. The activity of the whole colony and of each group within the colony was studied using image analysis. This allowed us to reveal the spatial pattern of activity wave propagation in ant colonies for the first time.
Insecticide Use and Breast Cancer Risk among Farmers’ Wives in the Agricultural Health Study

Background: Some epidemiologic and laboratory studies suggest that insecticides are related to increased breast cancer risk, but the evidence is inconsistent. Women engaged in agricultural work or who reside in agricultural areas may experience appreciable exposures to a wide range of insecticides. Objective: We examined associations between insecticide use and breast cancer incidence among wives of pesticide applicators (farmers) in the prospective Agricultural Health Study. Methods: Farmers and their wives provided information on insecticide use, demographics, and reproductive history at enrollment in 1993–1997 and in 5-y follow-up interviews. Cancer incidence was determined via cancer registries. Among 30,594 wives with no history of breast cancer before enrollment, we examined breast cancer risk in relation to the women’s and their husbands’ insecticide use using Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: During an average 14.7-y follow-up, 39% of the women reported ever using insecticides, and 1,081 were diagnosed with breast cancer. Although ever use of insecticides overall was not associated with breast cancer risk, risk was elevated among women who had ever used the organophosphates chlorpyrifos [HR=1.4 (95% CI: 1.0, 2.0)] or terbufos [HR=1.5 (95% CI: 1.0, 2.1)], with nonsignificantly increased risks for coumaphos [HR=1.5 (95% CI: 0.9, 2.5)] and heptachlor [HR=1.5 (95% CI: 0.7, 2.9)]. Risk in relation to the wives’ use was associated primarily with premenopausal breast cancer. We found little evidence of differential risk by tumor estrogen receptor status. Among women who did not apply pesticides, the husband’s use of fonofos was associated with elevated risk, although no exposure–response trend was observed. Conclusion: Use of several organophosphate insecticides was associated with elevated breast cancer risk. However, associations for the women’s and husbands’ use of these insecticides showed limited concordance. Ongoing cohort follow-up may help clarify the relationship, if any, between individual insecticide exposures and breast cancer risk. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1295
Toward a Multisubject Analysis of Neural Connectivity

Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) and associated probability models are widely used to model neural connectivity and communication channels. In many experiments, data are collected from multiple subjects whose connectivities may differ but are likely to share many features. In such circumstances, it is natural to leverage similarity among subjects to improve statistical efficiency. The first exact algorithm for estimation of multiple related DAGs was recently proposed by Oates, Smith, Mukherjee, and Cussens (2014). In this letter we present examples and discuss implications of the methodology as applied to the analysis of fMRI data from a multisubject experiment. Elicitation of tuning parameters requires care, and we illustrate how this may proceed retrospectively based on technical replicate data. In addition to joint learning of subject-specific connectivity, we allow for heterogeneous collections of subjects and simultaneously estimate relationships between the subjects themselves. This letter aims to highlight the potential for exact estimation in the multisubject setting.
RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SOLVENT STRUCTURE OF POLYSACCHARIDE HYDROGELS STUDIED BY MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS

One important class of hydrogels based on natural polymers is the Glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-based hydrogels. In hydrogels biomaterial science, the mathematical modeling and computer simulation plays a complementary interpretative role in deciphering the complex physical/chemical and biological properties of this class of substances. Aim: the molecular modeling studies presented here aimed the information gathering regarding the particular molecular interactions responsible for rheological properties of this class of biomaterials. Methods: the methods included molecular dynamics simulations in t he NPT ensemble for polysaccharidic matrices, radial function analysis for the solvent and viscosity calculations using periodic strain non-equilibr ium molecular dynamics. All this methods were applied to models of 10 0%, 66% and 33% of maximum hydration compared to pure solvent simulations as control. Results and conclusions: decreasing the water content of the polymer matrix drastically affects the conformational flexibility of the polymer chains, the solvent percolation and viscosity coefficient of the biomaterials studied. The obtained viscosity coefficients were: �H2O = 0.982×10 -3 kg/(ms); �100% = 1.520×10 -3 kg/(ms); �66% = 1.862×10 -3 kg/(ms); �33% = 2.602×10 -3 kg/(ms). The findings are useful for polysaccharidic hydrogel materials science as t he rheological and sol vent structuralisation can dramatically influence the physical stability of e ventual macromolecular bioactive agents (e.g. therapeutic proteins) when they are loaded into such matrices for controlled delivery, especially during the storage period when the material is kept in lyophilised conditions.
Atomic resolution structure of CAG RNA repeats: structural insights and implications for the trinucleotide repeat expansion diseases

CAG repeats occur predominantly in the coding regions of human genes, which suggests their functional importance. In some genes, these sequences can undergo pathogenic expansions leading to neurodegenerative polyglutamine (poly-Q) diseases. The mutant transcripts containing expanded CAG repeats possibly contribute to pathogenesis in addition to the well-known pathogenic effects of mutant proteins. We have analysed two crystal forms of RNA duplexes containing CAG repeats: (GGCAGCAGCC)2. One of the structures has been determined at atomic resolution (0.95 Å) and the other at 1.9 Å. The duplexes include non-canonical A–A pairs that fit remarkably well within a regular A-helix. All the adenosines are in the anti-conformation and the only interaction within each A–A pair is a single C2-H2···N1 hydrogen bond. Both adenosines in each A–A pair are shifted towards the major groove, although to different extents; the A which is the H-bond donor stands out more (the ‘thumbs-up’ conformation). The main effect on the helix conformation is a local unwinding. The CAG repeats and the previously examined CUG structures share a similar pattern of electrostatic charge distribution in the minor groove, which could explain their affinity for the pathogenesis-related MBNL1 protein.
ID-NAC: Identity-based network access control for MANETs

Security in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is an active research topic. Bulks of prior work focused on key management and secure routing without addressing an important pre-requisite: network access control, the problem of admission and revocation of ad hoc nodes. In this paper, we present ID-NAC, identity-based network access control for MANETs. In ID-NAC each node in the network maintains a profile table, which contains information about the behavior of the nodes in the MANET. It is used to assign a quantitative value for the trustworthiness of a node. Since, there is no observation about the behaviors of prospective members at first; they are admitted to the network tentatively. Then, their behaviors are monitored in the network and if they behave well, they can obtain an identity-based membership tokens based on their trustworthiness. In addition, using profile tables provide protection against wrongful revocation of membership tokens through malicious accusations. The feasibility of ID-NAC was verified by simulation.
An Anonymous Social Network Site to Share Pictures

A Social Network Site (SNS) is a Web 2.0 software application used by many Internet users. These types of networks have their advantages and disadvantages. The main advantage is the degree of communication that they can bring among users. This can improve the work environment, the productivity and also the educational environment. The negative point of these networks is communication misuse. Sometimes, users can share private information that can lead them to trouble. In order to solve these problems two options could be used: (a) create a closed platform, which only feasible in working and educational environments, or (b) use a web platform, where the data about users are anonymous. In this latter case, we present a platform to share pictures based on the Web 2.0, where user information is anonymous. In this platform, in addition to sharing photos, we can create groups, introduce comments, etc. The platform is based on PHP and MySQL. We present the evaluation of this SNS in a real environment during a month. The parameters measured show that the SNS is working fine. Nobody has measured the same parameters as the ones studied in this paper.
Toward the Secondary Bar: Gas Morphology and Dynamics in NGC 4303

We report on the molecular gas properties in the central kiloparsec of the almost face-on double-barred galaxy NGC 4303 (M61), using the 12CO 1-0 line emission observed with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) millimeter interferometer. The bulk of the molecular line emission comes from two straight gas lanes that run north-south along the leading sides of the large-scale primary bar. Velocity deviations of up to 90 km s-1 from the mean rotational velocity are associated with these gas lanes. Inside a radius of ~5'' (~400 pc) the molecular gas forms a spiral pattern that, for the northern arm, can be traced to the nucleus. The high angular resolution of our OVRO data (2′′ ~ 150 pc), together with archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) data, allows for a comparison with dynamical models of gas flow in the inner kiloparsec of single- and double-barred galaxies. We find that the observed global properties of the molecular gas are in agreement with models for the gas flow in a strong, large-scale bar, and the two-arm spiral structure seen in 12CO in the inner kiloparsec can already be explained by a density wave initiated by the potential of that bar. Only a weak correlation between the molecular gas distribution and the extinction seen in the HST V-H map is found in the inner 400 pc of NGC 4303: The innermost part of one arm of the nuclear 12CO spiral correlates with a weak dust filament in the color map, while the overall dust distribution follows a ring or single-arm spiral pattern well correlated with the UV continuum. This complicated nuclear geometry of the stellar and gaseous components allows for two scenarios: (1) A self-gravitating m = 1 mode is present, forming the spiral structure seen in the UV continuum. In this case, the gas kinematics would be unaffected by the small (~4'') inner bar. (2) The UV continuum traces a complete ring that is heavily extincted north of the nucleus. Such a ring forms in hydrodynamic models of double bars, but the models cannot account for the UV emission observed on the leading side of the inner bar. Comparison with other starburst ring galaxies where the molecular gas emission and the star-forming clusters form a ring or tightly wound spiral structure suggests that the starburst ring in NGC 4303 is in an early stage of formation.
Aquaporin 2 Mutations in Trypanosoma brucei gambiense Field Isolates Correlate with Decreased Susceptibility to Pentamidine and Melarsoprol

The predominant mechanism of drug resistance in African trypanosomes is decreased drug uptake due to loss-of-function mutations in the genes for the transporters that mediate drug import. The role of transporters as determinants of drug susceptibility is well documented from laboratory-selected Trypanosoma brucei mutants. But clinical isolates, especially of T. b. gambiense, are less amenable to experimental investigation since they do not readily grow in culture without prior adaptation. Here we analyze a selected panel of 16 T. brucei ssp. field isolates that (i) have been adapted to axenic in vitro cultivation and (ii) mostly stem from treatment-refractory cases. For each isolate, we quantify the sensitivity to melarsoprol, pentamidine, and diminazene, and sequence the genomic loci of the transporter genes TbAT1 and TbAQP2. The former encodes the well-characterized aminopurine permease P2 which transports several trypanocides including melarsoprol, pentamidine, and diminazene. We find that diminazene-resistant field isolates of T. b. brucei and T. b. rhodesiense carry the same set of point mutations in TbAT1 that was previously described from lab mutants. Aquaglyceroporin 2 has only recently been identified as a second transporter involved in melarsoprol/pentamidine cross-resistance. Here we describe two different kinds of TbAQP2 mutations found in T. b. gambiense field isolates: simple loss of TbAQP2, or loss of wild-type TbAQP2 allele combined with the formation of a novel type of TbAQP2/3 chimera. The identified mutant T. b. gambiense are 40- to 50-fold less sensitive to pentamidine and 3- to 5-times less sensitive to melarsoprol than the reference isolates. We thus demonstrate for the first time that rearrangements of the TbAQP2/TbAQP3 locus accompanied by TbAQP2 gene loss also occur in the field, and that the T. b. gambiense carrying such mutations correlate with a significantly reduced susceptibility to pentamidine and melarsoprol.
Low-Complexity Robust Adaptive Beamforming Algorithms Exploiting Shrinkage for Mismatch Estimation

This paper proposes low-complexity robust adaptive beamforming (RAB) techniques based on shrinkage methods. We firstly briefly review a Low- Complexity Shrinkage-Based Mismatch Estimation (LOCSME) batch algorithm to estimate the desired signal steering vector mismatch, in which the interference-plus-noise covariance (INC) matrix is also estimated with a recursive matrix shrinkage method. Then we develop low complexity adaptive robust version of the conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm to both estimate the steering vector mismatch and update the beamforming weights. A computational complexity study of the proposed and existing algorithms is carried out. Simulations are conducted in local scattering scenarios and comparisons to existing RAB techniques are provided.
Usual Alcohol Consumption and Risks for Nonfatal Fall Injuries in the United States: Results From the 2004–2013 National Health Interview Survey

ABSTRACT Background: Acute alcohol consumption is known to be a risk factor for fall injuries. Objective: The study sought to determine whether usual alcohol consumption increases the risk for nonfatal fall injuries. Method: Data from 289,187 sample adults in the 2004–2013 U.S. National Health Interview Surveys were analyzed. Of these, 3,368 (∼1%) reported a total of 3,579 fall-injury episodes requiring medical consultation in the past 3 months. Latent class analysis based on four contextual indicators identified four ecological subtypes of fall injury within two age groups (18–49 and 50+). Five drinking patterns (i.e., lifetime abstainer, former drinker, low-risk drinker, increased-risk drinker, and highest-risk drinker) were categorized according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) low-risk drinking guidelines. Controlling for potential confounders, negative binomial regression estimated the adjusted rates of any type and subtypes of fall injury, by gender, for each drinking pattern relative to lifetime abstainer. Results: Compared with lifetime abstainers, the adjusted rate of any fall injury for adults ages 18–49 was significantly higher among highest-risk drinkers (men: incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.60, 4.20]; women: IRR = 1.90, 95% CI [1.24, 2.91]) and increased-risk drinkers (men: IRR = 1.94, 95% CI [1.25, 3.00]; women: IRR = 1.51, 95% CI [1.11, 2.07]). Furthermore, highest-risk drinkers had higher adjusted rates of either leisure- or sports-related fall injuries than lifetime abstainers. Conclusions: Alcohol consumption exceeding NIAAA's low-risk drinking guidelines is associated with elevated rates of nonfatal fall injuries. Findings underscore the importance of adhering to these recommendations.
Effects of lateral viscosity variations on the geoid

We investigate the effects of lateral viscosity variations (LVVs) on mantle circulation model predictions of the global geoid. The present study is motivated in part by earlier findings that LVVs due to stiff slabs in the lower mantle have a strong influence on the geoid, and that slabs in the lower mantle are perhaps no stronger than the ambient mantle. However, more recently, it has been argued based on global seismic tomography models that LVVs are a minor effect on the geoid. In the light of these seemingly contradictory results, we re‐visit the problem of slab strength in the lower mantle. We substantiate that the geoid calculated from tomography is hardly affected by the presence of LVVs, whereas the geoid computed from global slab models yields a poor fit to the observed geoid when LVVs are considered. However, this degradation of fit only occurs for very long wavelengths of flow, indicating inherent differences between the slab and tomography models. We also investigate the effects on the geoid due to weak plate boundaries, strong cratonic keels, and a low viscosity region in the D″ layer due to post‐perovskite. In addition to the geoid, we attempt to fit plate motions with a circulation model that has prescribed weak zones at plate boundaries. Motions are matched well and, taking into account LVVs, the geoid with appropriate surface velocity boundary conditions agrees with the observed geoid as well as for free slip cases.
Hiding Local State in Direct Style: A Higher-Order Anti-Frame Rule

Separation logic involves two dual forms of modularity: local reasoning makes part of the store invisible within a static scope, whereas hiding local state makes part of the store invisible outside a static scope. In the recent literature, both idioms are explained in terms of a higher-order frame rule. I point out that this approach to hiding local state imposes continuation-passing style, which is impractical. Instead, I introduce a higher-order anti-frame rule, which permits hiding local state in direct style. I formalize this rule in the setting of a type system, equipped with linear capabilities, for an ML-like programming language, and prove type soundness via a syntactic argument. Several applications illustrate the expressive power of the new rule.
Using Shannon Entropy as EEG Signal Feature for Fast Person Identification

Identication accuracy and speed are important factors in automatic person identication systems. In this paper, we propose a feature extraction method to extract brain wave features from dierent brain rhythms of electroencephalography (EEG) signal for the purpose of fast, yet accurate person identication. The proposed feature extraction method is based on the fact that EEG signal is complex, non-stationary, and non-linear. With this fact, non-linear analysis like entropy would be more appropriate. Shannon entropy (SE) based EEG features from al- pha, beta, and gamma wave bands are extracted and evaluated for person identication. Experimental results show that SE features provide high person identication rates yet with a low feature dimension, thus better performance.
Hypertension Persisting after Pre-Eclampsia: A Prospective Cohort Study at Mulago Hospital, Uganda

Background Pre-eclampsia/eclampsia usually resolves after delivery but sometimes hypertension persists and cardiovascular disease develops later. Our objective was to determine the incidence and maternal socio-demographic and obstetric risk factors for persistence of hypertension in women with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Methods This was a prospective cohort study conducted from July 2009 to June 2011 at Mulago Hospital labour ward and postnatal clinics. We followed up 188 women admitted with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia until 3 months after delivery. Data was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires, examination of participants and review of medical records. Stata (version12) software was used for data analysis. Univariable analysis was used to compute the relative risk of persistent hypertension at the 95% confidence level. This was followed by multivariable logistic regression analysis to determine factors independently associated with persistence of hypertension. Results 64 (34%) out of the 188 women analysed had persistent hypertension three months after delivery. Maternal age, gestational age at delivery and parity were predictors of persistent hypertension. Conclusion The proportion of women with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia at risk of persistent hypertension at three months after delivery was high, with nearly one of three mothers remaining hypertensive. Follow up of mothers who develop pre-eclampsia is important so that early diagnosis and management of chronic hypertension can be made to avoid long term morbidity and mortality.
Durability of cervical disc arthroplasties and its influence factors

Background: The durability of cervical disc arthroplasties (CDA) may vary significantly because of different designs and implanting techniques of the devices. Nevertheless, the comparative durability remains unknown. Objectives: We aimed to assess the durability of CDAs in at least 2-year follow-up. We analyzed the classifications and causes of secondary surgical procedures, as well as the structural designs of the devices that might influence the durability. Methods: PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from the inception of each database to September 2015 using the following Keywords: “cervical disc replacement” OR “cervical disc arthroplasty” AND “randomized controlled trial (RCT). ” Publication language was restricted to English. The primary outcome was the rate of secondary surgical procedures following CDA or anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF). Pairwise meta-analysis and a Bayesian network meta-analysis were carried out using Review Manager v5.3. 5 and WinBUGS version 1.4. 3, respectively. Quality of evidence was appraised by Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Results: Twelve RCTs that met the eligibility criteria were included. Follow-up ranged from 2 years to 7 years. A total of 103 secondary surgical procedures were performed. The most frequent classification of secondary surgical procedures was reoperation (48/103) and removal (47/103). Revision (3/103) and supplementary fixation (2/103) were rare. Adjacent-level diseases were the most common cause of reoperations. The rates of secondary surgical procedures were significantly lower in Mobi-C, Prestige, Prodisc-C, Secure-C group than in ACDF group. No significant difference was detected between Bryan, PCM, Kineflex-C, Discover, and ACDF. Mobi-C, Secure-C, and Prodisc-C ranked the best, the second best, the third best, respectively. Conclusions: We concluded that Mobi-C, Secure-C, and Prodisc-C were more durable than ACDF. Precise selection of device size and proper surgical techniques are implicated to be crucial to enhance the perdurability. Device design should concentrate on the imitation of biomechanics of normal cervical disc, and semi-constrained structural device is a better design to make CDA more durable.