Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structure of microbial communities in activated sludge: potential implications for assessing the biodegradability of chemicals.

Various methods used to assess the biodegradability of chemicals often employ activated sludge as an inoculum since chemicals that ultimately enter the environment are often discharged through wastewater. Differences in the structure and function of activated sludge microbial communities that may complicate interpretation of biodegradation tests could arise from differences in wastewater composition, wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operation, or manipulations done after collection of the activated sludge. In this study, various methods were used to characterize the structure of microbial communities found in freshly collected activated sludge from WWTPs in Japan, Europe, and the United States, as well as sludge that had been continuously fed either sewage or a glucose-peptone mixture for several weeks after collection. Comparisons of biomass levels, whole-community substrate utilization (determined using Biolog GN and GP plates), and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles indicated there were both geographical and temporal differences among freshly collected activated sludge samples. Moreover, marked shifts in the structure of activated sludge microbial communities occurred upon continuous cultivation in the laboratory for 5 weeks using a glucose-peptone feed. These shifts were evident from whole-community substrate utilization and PLFA profiles as well as differences in the profiles of 16S rDNA genes from numerically dominant populations obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and terminal restriction fragment analyses. Further studies are needed to better define the variability within and between activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants and laboratory reactors and to assess the impact of such differences on the outcome of biodegradability tests.
Multifunctional food: medical evidence and methodological notes on substantiating health claims

In nutritional research, a specific issue is about understanding how to provide a clear and solid proof of the health effects of each functional food. The problems range from regulatory perspectives down to very basic methodological issues. In addition, when multi-functionality comes into play, then several additional problems are posed in terms of the methodological appropriateness of research done. In this review, a focus is provided on some methodological issues related to (i) the general concepts of ‘proving’ effects in a methodological perspective and (ii) the difficulties of specifically proving functional effects of food. A specific attention is dedicated on the characteristic problems which, from a methodological perspective, arise when multi-functionality is the matter of the proof.
Comparison of two host cell range variants of feline immunodeficiency virus

Two molecular clones of feline immunodeficiency virus were compared. The first clone, 34TF10, was from a Petaluma, Calif. , isolate; the second, PPR, was isolated from a cat in the San Diego, Calif. , area. The cats from which the isolates were obtained suffered from chronic debilitating illnesses. The two molecular clones differed in their in vitro host cell range. The 34TF10 clone infected the Crandall feline kidney and G355-5 cell lines, but replicated less efficiently on feline peripheral blood leukocytes. In contrast, the PPR clone productively infected the primary feline peripheral blood leukocytes but not Crandall feline kidney or G355-5 cells. The 34TF10 and PPR clones had an overall sequence identity of 91%. The env gene was the least conserved (85% at the amino acid level). Additionally, the potential open reading frame for a Tat-like protein, ORF 2, contained a stop codon in the 34TF10 isolate which was not found in the PPR clone. This truncation did not prevent in vitro or in vivo replication of 34TF10. Two splice acceptor sites were identified in the 34TF10 clone. One was 5' to the beginning of the putative tat open reading frame, and the other was 5' to the putative vif product. Both of these acceptor sites were conserved in the PPR clone. The long terminal repeats of the viruses were 7% divergent between the two clones, with a lack of conservation in putative NF-kappa B, LBP-1, and CCAAT enhancer-promoter sites.
Properties and solutions of a class of stochastic programming problems with probabilistic constraints by Kunikazu Yoda

OF THE DISSERTATION Properties and solutions of a class of stochastic programming problems with probabilistic constraints by Kunikazu Yoda Dissertation Director: András Prékopa We consider two types of probabilistic constrained stochastic linear programming problems and one probability bounding problem. The first type involves a random left-hand side matrix whose rows are independent and normally distributed. The quasi-concavity of the constraining function needed for the convexity of the problem is ensured if the factors of the function are uniformly quasi-concave. A necessary and sufficient condition is given for that property to hold. We show practical application in optimal portfolio construction. The second type is the stochastic multidimensional knapsack problem which involves a random left-hand side matrix with independent components and 0-1 decision variables. We show that the problem is convex, under some condition on the parameters, for special continuous and discrete distributions: gamma, normal, Poisson, and binomial. Numerical experiments suggest that the problem can be solved as efficiently as its deterministic version for moderate sized instances. In the last problem, we formulate the linear programming problems that give improved lower and upper bounds on the probability of the union of events when the probabilities of some individual or intersections of events in a first few terms of the inclusion-exclusion principle are 0 or very small.
Research directions on decision support in disaster relief logistics

Disaster situations lead to a high number of critical and complex decisions regarding disaster relief logistics, which need to be made under dynamic and often unknown circumstances. As this puts decision-makers under high pressure, there is a great need for high-quality decision support. Due to the specific characteristics of disaster relief logistics, standard decision support systems are not capable of depicting the needed complexity. Therefore, research has started to develop approaches specifically tailored to these situations. This paper uses a structured literature review to provide an overview on the so far gained knowledge and to reveal implications for future research. The results show that most of the work in this field focuses on individual, isolated problems and applies optimization techniques to solve them. Nonetheless, the question on whether this is the most suitable way to support decision-makers has been raised. It is therefore proposed to put a focus on integrated decision problems as well as on simulation as an alternative to optimization techniques in research regarding decision support in disaster relief logistics.
FEMALE FACULTY AT GREEK COMPUTING DEPARTMENTS: 2003-2012

This study investigates the representation of female faculty in Computing departments in Greek Universities and Engineering schools during the decade 2003-2012. The data, the number and the percentage of female faculty members are derived from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL.STAT). These data refer to faculty members of all ranks, (professors, associate professors, assistant professors and lecturers) in: (a) every department of University and Engineering school in Greece, and (b) in 14 Computing University departments and 8 Electrical & Computer Engineering Schools, in Greece, which have been characterized as Computing departments according to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) developed by Unesco. The analysis of the data shows that: (a) female faculty members in every department of Universities & Engineering Schools in Greece are less prevalent than male in every rank, (b) female faculty members in every department of Universities & Engineering Schools are better represented at the rank of lecturer, followed by the rank of assistant professor, associate professor and professor, (c) female faculty members in Computing departments are less prevalent than male at every rank, (d) female faculty members in Computing departments are better represented at the rank of lecturer, followed by the rank of assistant professor, associate professor and professor, (e) female faculty in every department of Universities & Engineering Schools are better represented compared to female faculty members in Computing departments at every rank, (f) the female representation at every rank, both in every University department & Engineering School and in Computing departments, appears an ascending trend, through the decade, and (g) there are Computing departments where there are no female faculty members.
Impact of HIV care facility characteristics on the cascade of care in HIV-infected patients in the Netherlands

Objective:Successful treatment of people infected with HIV requires that patients are retained in HIV care, use combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) and ultimately reach and sustain viral suppression. Our aim was to identify health facility characteristics associated with these steps in the cascade of HIV care. Design:Retrospective cohort study. Methods:We included data from all adult HIV-1-infected patients who entered care in the Netherlands between 2007 and 2013 (N = 7120). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the associations between health facility characteristics and the outcomes ‘currently in care’, ‘initiated cART’, and ‘viral suppression’. Results:The proportion of patients ‘currently in care’ was high in all 26 treatment centres. cART initiation was positively associated with the accreditation of the health facility [OR (odds ratio): 1.62; 95% CI (confidence interval): 1.18–2.23] and the performance of an internal audit in the preceding 3 years (OR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.02–1.81). The odds of cART initiation were higher in middle-sized (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.25–3.21) and large HIV treatment centres (OR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.14–2.84) compared with small centres (<300 HIV-infected patients). Viral suppression was negatively associated with the presence of a social worker in the HIV treatment team (OR: 0.62; 95% CI: 0.43–0.91). Conclusions:Our results confirm that appointing expert HIV treatment centres facilitates retention in care and that a minimum volume requirement may be desirable. Our findings suggest that quality assessment through accreditation and the measurement of performance benefits the delivery of HIV care.
Distributed path planning for multi-robot teams based on Artificial Bee Colony

In this paper, we propose a distributed planner method for multi-robot systems based on Swarm Intelligence. The method uses a distributed version of a priority based planner to compute coordinated motions of multiple robots in parallel. The Artificial Bee Colony algorithm is used to find velocity profiles that avoid collisions between robots and that minimize the time of the path execution. The proposed planner is tested in some transportation problems with scenarios as warehouses, offices, etc. We compare the proposed method to a classic priority method that uses the proposed coordination scheme to observe the advantages of our distributed method.
The Region Comprising Amino Acids 100 to 255 of Neisseria meningitidis Lipoprotein GNA 1870 Elicits Bactericidal Antibodies

ABSTRACT GNA 1870 is a novel surface-exposed lipoprotein, identified by genome analysis of Neisseria meningitidis strain MC58, which induces bactericidal antibodies. Three sequence variants of the protein were shown to be sufficient to induce bactericidal antibodies against a panel of strains representative of the diversity of serogroup B meningococci. Here, we studied the antigenic and immunogenic properties of GNA 1870, which for convenience was divided into domains A, B, and C. The immune responses of mice immunized with each of the three variants were tested using overlapping peptides scanning the entire protein length and using recombinant fragments. We found that while most of the linear epitopes are located in the A domain, the bactericidal antibodies are directed against conformational epitopes located in the BC domain. This was also confirmed by the isolation of a bactericidal murine monoclonal antibody, which failed to recognize linear peptides on the A, B, and C domains separately but recognized a conformational epitope formed only by the combination of the B and C domains. Arginine in position 204 was identified as important for binding of the monoclonal antibody. The identification of the region containing bactericidal epitopes is an important step in the design of new vaccines against meningococci.
A castration parasite of an ant–plant mutualism

Exploring the factors governing the maintenance and breakdown of cooperation between mutualists is an intriguing and enduring problem for evolutionary ecology, and symbioses between ants and plants can provide useful experimental models for such studies. Hundreds of tropical plant species have evolved structures to house and feed ants, and these ant–plant symbioses have long been considered classic examples of mutualism. Here, we report that the primary ant symbiont, Allomerus cf. demerarae, of the most abundant ant–plant found in south–east Peru, Cordia nodosa Lam. , castrates its host plant. Allomerus workers protect new leaves and their associated domatia from herbivory, but destroy flowers, reducing fruit production to zero in most host plants. Castrated plants occupied by Allomerus provide more domatia for their associated ants than plants occupied by three species of Azteca ants that do not castrate their hosts. Allomerus colonies in larger plants have higher fecundity. As a consequence, Allomerus appears to benefit from its castration behaviour, to the detriment of C. nodosa. The C. nodosa–ant system exhibits none of the retaliatory or filtering mechanisms shown to stabilize cheating in other cooperative systems, and appears to persist because some of the plants, albeit a small minority, are inhabited by the three species of truly mutualistic Azteca ants.
Applicability of white-noise nonlinear system analysis to the peripheral auditory system.

A functional series is capable of describing the input-output relationship of a general class of systems, linear or nonlinear. Wiener and his associates demonstrated methods by which these functionals could be measured from the response of the system to white noise. This paper is a critique of the application of this functional series approach to the measurement of the input-output relationship of the peripheral auditory system. The Wiener functionals are shown to be dependent on the parameters of the white noise used to measure them. The approximation of the output of a system by a truncated Wiener series is shown to have unpredictable error properties when inputs other than white Gaussian noise are used. Estimates of the Wiener functionals using the white-noise approach do not converge when the system has a point process output (e.g., spike train output).
Interpreting IgE sensitization tests in food allergy

ABSTRACT Food allergies are increasing in prevalence, and with it, IgE testing to foods is becoming more commonplace. Food-specific IgE tests, including serum assays and prick skin tests, are sensitive for detecting the presence of food-specific IgE (sensitization), but specificity for predicting clinical allergy is limited. Therefore, positive tests are generally not, in isolation, diagnostic of clinical disease. However, rationale test selection and interpretation, based on clinical history and understanding of food allergy epidemiology and pathophysiology, makes these tests invaluable. Additionally, there exist highly predictive test cutoff values for common allergens in atopic children. Newer testing methodologies, such as component resolved diagnostics, are promising for increasing the utility of testing. This review highlights the use of IgE serum tests in the diagnosis of food allergy.
Dynamics of predicting temperature-humidity index and power consumption in small-scale system utilizing Bayesian inference via the EAP estimation

By making use of environmental quantities, such as temperature and relative humidity, we search optimal conditions on thermal index called as the temperature-humidity index (THI) at each sampling point and power consumption due to air conditioning, both of which are estimated by repeating the Bayesian inference using the EAP estimation with an increase in the ratio of the coefficient of the model prior as to that of the likelihood. Then, we estimate static property of the Bayesian inference and dynamic property of the iterative method by making use of numerical calculations for several cases. Numerical results show that the iterative method succeeds in searching the optimal conditions on the environmental variables, if we increase the ratio up to its optimum respective of the choice of observed variables. These results are confirmed by the mean-field theory for the full-connected model.
Spatial Structure, Dispersal, and Management of a Recovering Raptor Population

The recovery of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum) in California has taken place amid strong geographical differences in habitat quality, potentially creating a sink population in the southern coastal habitat and source populations in the northern interior and urban habitats. We analyzed long‐term monitoring data to investigate the mechanisms and consequences of spatial structuring for the recovery of this set of nonstable subpopulations. Dispersal rates between habitats were asymmetric, with extremely limited dispersal out of the interior habitat and a strong tendency for birds in the southern coast to disperse to the urban habitats. We used these dispersal estimates and habitat‐specific productivity rates to build a set of regional population models that describe population growth within and dispersal between each subpopulation. We tested for the existence of habitat‐specific survival and territory acquisition rates by comparing model projections with the number of breeding pairs censused annually in each subpopulation. Our analyses indicate a high rate of survival for interior birds and suggest that both the interior and urban subpopulations were regulated by territory availability over the study period. The inherent spatial structure of this regional peregrine falcon population has had a considerable influence on its recovery and management.
Divide and conquer based non-dominated sorting for parallel environment

Many of the real-life problems involve simultaneous optimization of multiple objectives. In recent years there is an enormous increase in the number of multi-objective optimization problems related to different real-life domains. Evolutionary algorithms are the most popular in solving these types of problems. The non-dominating sorting is one of the steps of any multiobjective evolutionary algorithms. This is used mostly to select the non-dominated set of solutions from a given population. In the past various efficient approaches are proposed in the literature to reduce the complexity of this step. As the evolutionary algorithms inhibit parallelism in it. But not all the existing non-dominating sorting approaches have the parallelism property. So in this paper, we have proposed a new approach named as DCNS (Divide and Conquer based Non-dominating Sorting) which inhibits parallelism in it. It has been shown theoretically and empirically that the proposed approach is computationally efficient than existing state-of-the-art methods.
Molecular Identification of Leuconostoc mesenteroides as a Cause of Brain Abscess in an Immunocompromised Patient

ABSTRACT Leuconostoc species are emerging pathogens that can cause severe infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. Using molecular methods, we identified Leuconostoc mesenteroides as the cause of a brain abscess which was successfully treated by surgery and antimicrobial treatment. This is the first report of brain abscess caused by this species.
Middle turbinate flap for skull base reconstruction: Cadaveric feasibility study

Surgical resection of intradural pathology through an endonasal corridor creates defects that communicate the subarachnoid space with the sinonasal tract. Reconstruction of these defects with vascularized tissue is superior to any other method. The purpose of this study is to describe a novel vascularized pedicled flap from the middle turbinate (MT) mucosa and to assess its feasibility using a cadaveric model.
Drawing Features of 3D Meshes in Pencil-drawing Style

We present a feature-guided salient rendering a 3D triangular mesh. For this, we compute directions on the vertices of the mesh and distribute noise on the faces of the mesh. After projecting the direction and noise into image space, we execute a convolution algorithm to render the mesh. We use three directions in this paper: a principal direction, the tangent direction of an isocurve of view-dependent features, and the tangent direction of an isocurve of luminance. By controlling the noise, we produce several artistic effects including pencil drawing and hatching.
Self Enforcing Voting in International Organizations

Some international organizations are governed by unanimity rule, some others by a majority system. Still others have moved from one system to the other over time. The existing voting models, which generally assume that decisions made by voting are perfectly enforceable, have a difficult time explaining the observed variation in governance mode, and in particular the widespread occurrence of the unanimity system. We present a model whose main departure from standard voting models is that there is no external enforcement mechanism: each country is sovereign and cannot be forced to follow the collective decision, or in other words, the voting system must be self-enforcing. The model yields unanimity as the optimal system for a wide range of parameters, and delivers rich predictions on the variation in the mode of governance, both across organizations and over time.
Impact of strain on the performance of high-k/metal replacement gate MOSFETs

This paper presents a simulation study of the impact of strain on scaled high performance pMOSFETs. The gate-last strain enhancement technique is employed in high-k/metal gate technology to fortify strain, and the underlying strain enhancement mechanism is studied. The strain contribution to performance improvement is differentiated from that due to the other beneficial aspects of the metal gate. Finally, the factors affecting device performance enhancement due to the scaling process are explored.