Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel rule induction algorithm with improved handling of continuous valued attributes

Machine learning programs can automatically learn to recognise complex patterns and make intelligent decisions based on data. Machine learning has become a powerful tool for data mining. A great deal of research in machine learning has focused on concept learning or classification learning. Among the various machine learning approaches that have been developed for classification, inductive learning from examples is the most commonly adopted in real-life applications. Due to non-uniform data formats and huge volume of data, it is a challenge for scientists across different disciplines to optimise the process of knowledge acquisition from data with naive inductive learning techniques. The overarching purpose of this research is to develop a novel and efficient rule induction algorithm a learning algorithm for inducing general rules from specific examples that can deal with both discrete and continuous variables without the need for data pre-processing. This thesis presents a novel rule induction algorithm known as RULES-8 which utilises guidelines for the selection of seed examples, together with a simple method to form rules. The research also aims to improve current pruning methods for handling noisy examples. Another major concern of the work is designing a new heuristic for controlling the rule formation and selection processes. Finally, it concentrates on developing a new efficient learning algorithm for continuous output using fuzzy logic theory. The proposed algorithm allows automatic creation of membership functions and produces accurate as well as compact fuzzy sets.
Myotube differentiation in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9-mediated MyoD knockout quail myoblast cells

Objective In the livestock industry, the regulatory mechanisms of muscle proliferation and differentiation can be applied to improve traits such as growth and meat production. We investigated the regulatory pathway of MyoD and its role in muscle differentiation in quail myoblast cells. Methods The MyoD gene was mutated by the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology and single cell-derived MyoD mutant sublines were identified to investigate the global regulatory mechanism responsible for muscle differentiation. Results The mutation efficiency was 73.3% in the mixed population, and from this population we were able to establish two QM7 MyoD knockout subline (MyoD KO QM7#4) through single cell pick-up and expansion. In the undifferentiated condition, paired box 7 expression in MyoD KO QM7#4 cells was not significantly different from regular QM7 (rQM7) cells. During differentiation, however, myotube formation was dramatically repressed in MyoD KO QM7#4 cells. Moreover, myogenic differentiation-specific transcripts and proteins were not expressed in MyoD KO QM7#4 cells even after an extended differentiation period. These results indicate that MyoD is critical for muscle differentiation. Furthermore, we analyzed the global regulatory interactions by RNA sequencing during muscle differentiation. Conclusion With CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genomic editing, single cell-derived sublines with a specific knockout gene can be adapted to various aspects of basic research as well as in functional genomics studies.
Relationship of Clinical Symptoms and Substance Use in Schizophrenia Patients on Conventional Versus Atypical Antipsychotics

A large body of research documents the high prevalence and devastating consequences of substance abuse among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. One prominent theory of the high rate of comorbidity between these disorders is that substance abuse in schizophrenia is an attempt to self‐medicate psychiatric symptoms including negative symptoms and depression as well as side effects including extrapyramidal reactions (EPR). Consistent with this notion, novel antipsychotic medications, which have been shown to reduce negative and depressive symptoms while exhibiting a lower propensity to cause EPR, have been associated with reduced substance abuse in patients with schizophrenia. To further explore the self‐medication hypothesis as it relates to the mechanism by which atypical antipsychotics reduce substance abuse, we compared schizophrenia patients with a history of substance abuse medicated with either conventional (n = 35) or atypical (n = 35) antipsychotics. Patients with schizophrenia who did not have a history of substance abuse who were on conventional (n = 23) vs. atypical antipsychotics (n = 29) were also examined. Assessments included the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Simpson–Angus, and Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale. Compared with conventional medications, atypical antipsychotic drugs were associated with reduced levels of substance use (primarily alcohol). Interestingly, however, in substance‐abusing patients there were no significant differences between patients on conventional vs. atypical agents with respect to positive or negative symptoms, depression, or EPR. These data suggest that theories related to self‐medication of symptoms and side effects do not appear to account for the difference in rates of substance use found in schizophrenia patients on atypical vs. conventional antipsychotic medications.
Reliability of goniometric measurements and visual estimates of hip ROM in patients with osteoarthrosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Range of motion (ROM) measurements have been included in several hip scores evaluating the results after hip surgery. The clinical procedures of performing these measurements vary and disagreement exists about the accuracy of visual estimatess compared to goniometer measurements. The purpose of this study was to study the reliability of goniometric measurements and visual estimates of hip ROM in patients with osteoarthrosis. METHOD Hip ROM measurements (abduction, adduction, extension, flexion and internal/external rotation) were recorded by four different teams on the same day and were repeated one week later. Teams 1, 2 and 3 consisted of physiotherapists using standardized goniometric measurements. Team 4 involved an experienced orthopaedic surgeon making the assessments from visual estimates only. Twenty-five patients (6 M, 19 F; mean age 68.5 years, range 46-76 years) with osteoarthrosis of the hip, verified both clinically and radiologically, participated in the study. RESULTS With the exception of abduction (p = 0.03), there were no significant differences between the measurements recorded on the first and the second occasions for the same teams. The coefficient of variance was 5.5% for flexion (lowest) and 26.1% for extension (highest). Reproducibility was best for flexion. There was also high reliability when all the arcs of motion were summed up (abuction + adduction + extension + flexion + internal/external rotation). With the exception of internal rotation, there were highly significant differences between the teams when two people performed the measurements compared to the values measured by a single individual. Concordance, expressed as the standardized agreement index, between visual estimates made by one individual (the orthopaedic surgeon) and goniometric measurements made by two experienced physiotherapists, were 0.77-0.83 which indicates good agreement. CONCLUSION The reproducibility of hip ROM measurements was highest for flexion. There was also high reliability when all the six arcs of motion were summed up. Concordance between visual estimates and goniometric measurements indicates good agreement.
Modeling Susceptibility to Periodontitis

Chronic inflammatory diseases like periodontitis have a complex pathogenesis and a multifactorial etiology, involving complex interactions between multiple genetic loci and infectious agents. We aimed to investigate the influence of genetic polymorphisms and bacteria on chronic periodontitis risk. We determined the prevalence of 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in immune response candidate genes and 7 bacterial species of potential relevance to periodontitis etiology, in chronic periodontitis patients and non-periodontitis control individuals (N = 385). Using decision tree analysis, we identified the presence of bacterial species Tannerella forsythia, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and SNPs TNF -857 and IL-1A -889 as discriminators between periodontitis and non-periodontitis. The model reached an accuracy of 80%, sensitivity of 85%, specificity of 73%, and AUC of 73%. This pilot study shows that, on the basis of 3 periodontal pathogens and SNPs, patterns may be recognized to identify patients at risk for periodontitis. Modern bioinformatics tools are valuable in modeling the multifactorial and complex nature of periodontitis.
Autophagy plays a critical role in kidney tubule maintenance, aging and ischemia-reperfusion injury

Autophagy is responsible for the degradation of protein aggregates and damaged organelles. Several studies have reported increased autophagic activity in tubular cells after kidney injury. Here, we examine the role of tubular cell autophagy in vivo under both physiological conditions and stress using two different tubular-specific Atg5-knockout mouse models. While Atg5 deletion in distal tubule cells does not cause a significant alteration in kidney function, deleting Atg5 in both distal and proximal tubule cells results in impaired kidney function. Already under physiological conditions, Atg5-null tubule cells display a significant accumulation of p62 and oxidative stress markers. Strikingly, tubular cell Atg5-deficiency dramatically sensitizes the kidneys to ischemic injury, resulting in impaired kidney function, accumulation of damaged mitochondria as well as increased tubular cell apoptosis and proliferation, highlighting the critical role that autophagy plays in maintaining tubular cell integrity during stress conditions.
Trabeculectomy Under Augmented Topical Anesthesia: Study on Pain Evaluation and Surgical Feasibility

PurposePerforming trabeculectomy under topical anesthesia using lignocaine jelly with intracameral anesthesia may offer painless surgery with immediate visual gain and avoid the increase in intraocular pressure associated with locally injected anesthesia. In this context, we evaluated topical anesthesia using 2% lignocaine jelly with intracameral 1.0% lignocaine for trabeculectomy in terms of pain during surgery and the surgeon’s experience. DesignThis was a tertiary care center–based interventional case series. MethodsPatients scheduled for trabeculectomy as the first surgery for medically controlled glaucoma underwent standard ab externo trabeculectomy under topical anesthesia. Pain evaluation was done using a visual analog scale with the modified Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale, within 1 hour after surgery. ResultsFifteen eyes of 14 patients were included in the study with a mean (SD, range) age of 61.3 (17.54, 40–90, distributed normally) years. Patients’ pain score analysis showed a mean (SD, range) visual analog scale score of 0.73 (0.59, 0–2) on a scale of 0 to 10. The mean (SD, range) surgeon’s satisfaction score was 3.2 (0.4, 3–4) on a scale of 3 to 9. The intraocular pressure of all patients was well controlled at 2 weeks [mean (SD, range), 9.2 (2.9, 4–16)] and at 4 weeks [mean (SD, range), 13.2 (1.2, 11–15)] postoperatively without any topical or systemic antiglaucoma medications. ConclusionsTrabeculectomy can be done under augmented topical anesthesia, which provides adequate analgesia for acceptable patient and surgeon comfort with favorable outcomes. Anesthesia provided by topical application of lignocaine 2% jelly and intracameral 1.0% lignocaine is sufficient for safe trabeculectomy surgery with acceptable discomfort to the patient.
Developmental Instability and Fitness in Periploca laevigata Experiencing Grazing Disturbance

We investigated the sensitivity of developmental instability measurements (leaf fluctuating asymmetry, floral radial asymmetry, and shoot translational asymmetry) to a long‐standing natural stress (grazing) in a palatable tannin‐producing shrub (Periploca laevigata Aiton). We also assessed the relationship between these measures of developmental instability and fitness components (growth and floral production). Developmental instability, measured by translational asymmetry, was the most accurate estimator of a plant’s condition and, consequently, environmental stress. Plants with less translational asymmetry grew more and produced more flowers. Plants from the medium‐grazed population were developmentally more stable, as estimated by translational and floral asymmetry, than either more heavily or more lightly grazed populations. Leaf fluctuating asymmetry was positively correlated with tannin concentration. The pattern of internode growth also responded to grazing impact. Plants under medium to heavy grazing pressure accelerated early growth and consequently escaped herbivory later in the season, i.e., at the beginning of the spring, when grazing activity was concentrated in herbaceous plants. Periploca laevigata accelerated growth and finished growing sooner than in the other grazing treatment. Thus, its annual growth was more mature and less palatable later in the season when grazers typically concentrate on shrubs. The reduction of developmental instability under medium grazing is interpreted as a direct effect of grazing and not as the release from competition.
A new preservation solution increases islet yield and reduces graft immunogenicity in pancreatic islet transplantation.

The aim of the study was to test a new preservation solution containing polyethylene glycol (S.C.O.T. solution) as pancreatic islet isolation medium both to increase the islet yield and to prolong the allograft survival. In a model of islet transplantation in diabetic mouse, islets were isolated with S.C. O.T. in experimental groups and with Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS) in control groups. The use of S.C. O.T. solution improved the islet yield (596+/-27 IEQ/pancreas) as compared to HBSS (456+/-11 IEQ/pancreas) (P<0.001). Allograft survival was prolonged in experimental group (17.3+/-4.3 days) versus controls (7.3+/-3.6 days) in a full mismatch combination (P<0.001) and in absence of recipient immunosuppression. The same prolongation (10 days) was also found in a strongly alloreactive transgenic combination. It is hypothesized that a transitory phenomenon of immunocamouflage of the graft surface antigens occurs, as shown by immunofluorescence studies. The use of this new solution could improve the results of islet transplantation in humans.
Unified solution of optimal active fault detection and optimal control

An optimal active fault detection problem and an optimal control problem are treated simultaneously and a unified solution of these problems is proposed. Design of an active detector and controller for generally nonlinear stochastic discrete-time system is based on minimization of an appropriate criterion which expresses requirements on decisions, state and input trajectories. Criterion minimization is solved using Bellman's principle of optimality that takes into account availability of future information. The time backward recursive equation shows that the optimal active detector and controller consists of an optimal passive detector and optimal dual controller.
Performance analysis of a blind HOS separation criterion

We analyze the performance of a blind multiuser detection criterion. Blind multiuser detection belongs to the general family of blind source separation problems and therefore the same method of analysis can be applied to a wide range of problems. We use Taylor series expansion to obtain error expressions for finite observation length. The results can be used to evaluate the separation criterion errors due to the different parameters of the problem including number of sources, channel gain, data length, etc. We verify the results by Monte-Carlo simulations and show remarkable agreement between theory and experiments.
Survival and expression of acid resistance genes in Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli acid adapted in pineapple juice and exposed to synthetic gastric fluid

The aim of this research was to determine the ability of non‐O157 Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups to survive with exposure to synthetic gastric fluid (SGF) after adaptation to pineapple juice (PJ) at room and refrigerated temperatures compared to E. coli O157:H7 and to examine the relative transcriptional expression of acid resistance (AR) genes, rpoS, gadA and adiA.
Possible variations in interplate coupling preceding the next Nankai Trough earthquake

Numerical simulation of earthquake cycles is a powerful tool to list the possible future earthquake scenarios, and to examine subsequent matters associated with scenarios. In the previous scenario of the Nankai Trough earthquake, ocean bottom observation networks deployed off the Kii peninsula are expected to detect the pre-seismic signals of the next earthquake. While, as a new Nankai Trough earthquake scenario recently proposed has a different hypocenter and occurrence pattern to those previously proposed, the expansion of the current ocean bottom observation network is indispensable for the disaster mitigation from the new scenario earthquake. To check the efficiency of the expansion of ocean bottom observation network against the new scenario, variations in interplate coupling and crustal deformation just before the occurrence of the scenario earthquake are carefully examined. The result shows that the significant crustal deformation is detectable enough earlier than the occurrence of scenario earthquake, if the pressure gauge sensor is installed on the ocean bottom just above the possible hypocenter.
Title Bifurcations and chaos in electrostatic vibration energyharvesters

In this paper, we present an analysis of an electrostatic vibration harvester operating in the constant-charge mode. The goal of the study is to bound regions of control parameters where the system displays steady-state harmonic oscillations as required for practical use. We show how the system can be presented as a nonlinear oscillator and analysed employing the multiple scales method, Floquet theory and Lyapunov exponents. We determine the conditions for the onset of steady-state oscillations, the period doubling bifurcation and transition to chaos. This allows us to bound regions of control parameters where the system displays desired regular oscillations and, therefore, to identify maximal harvestable power for a particular architecture.
Can 5-azacytidine convert the adult stem cells into cardiomyocytes? A brief overview

Abstract From the first report that bone marrow cells (BMC) have stem cells characteristics, several studies have debated the possibility of intervening in myocardial remodeling after injury, for example myocardial infarction, by using BMC. The goal of this paper is to review the concept of whether the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine influences the myogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived cells. The existing data seem to indicate that in vitro treatment with 5-azacytidine, even if not enough to generate mature CMC, promotes the in vivo and in vitro commitment of BMC into cells that express muscle-specific proteins and genes and, at a very low rate, show spontaneous contractions. It is probable this treatment makes the cells less responsive to other inductive factors secreted by the microenvironment that might modulate the differentiation. These data suggest that this approach may be used to prime cells prior to their transplantation in an injury area in the heart.
Glutamine Synthetase in the Phloem Plays a Major Role in Controlling Proline Production

To inhibit expression specifically in the phloem, a 274-bp fragment of a cDNA (Gln1-5) encoding cytosolic glutamine synthetase (GS1) from tobacco was placed in the antisense orientation downstream of the cytosolic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase promoter of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia. After Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, two transgenic N. tabacum lines exhibiting reduced levels of GS1 mRNA and GS activity in midribs, stems, and roots were obtained. Immunogold labeling experiments allowed us to verify that the GS protein content was markedly decreased in the phloem companion cells of transformed plants. Moreover, a general decrease in proline content in the transgenic plants in comparison with wild-type tobacco was observed when plants were forced to assimilate large amounts of ammonium. In contrast, no major changes in the concentration of amino acids used for nitrogen transport were apparent. A 15NH4+-labeling kinetic over a 48-hr period confirmed that in leaves of transgenic plants, the decrease in proline production was directly related to glutamine availability. After 2 weeks of salt treatment, the transgenic plants had a pronounced stress phenotype, consisting of wilting and bleaching in the older leaves. We conclude that GS in the phloem plays a major role in regulating proline production consistent with the function of proline as a nitrogen source and as a key metabolite synthesized in response to water stress.
Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals for evaluating H∞ performance of platoons of communicating vehicles

A time-domain analysis of robust string stability is carried out for finite length vehicular platoons, where disturbances and constant delays in the inter-vehicle communication are present. The goal of the paper is to compare and evaluate the accuracy and computational cost of several Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF)-based methods. The proposed approach can be extended to cope with time-varying delays, large scale systems, vehicle model uncertainties and platoon heterogeneity. Simple delay-independent, delay-dependent and discretized complete LKF-based performance criteria are presented and demonstrated on a platoon with predecessor and leader following control architecture.
Exercise and obesity: etiology, physiology, and intervention.

The relation between exercise and obesity is examined in terms of etiology, physiology, and treatment outcome. It was determined that the role of activity level and caloric intake in the development of obesity is currently unclear because of the methodological limitations of past research. Salutary physiological effects of exercise on caloric intake, metabolic rate, and body composition are noted, and it is concluded that these changes may significantly affect energy output. Methodological problems with past exercise treatment studies include failure (a) to use body composition measures as dependent variables, (b) to report specifics regarding exercise tasks and participation rates, and (c) to divide subjects into homogeneous populations based on qualitative aspects of body fat type. Specific treatment guidelines, based primarily on the physiological data, are provided, and implications for future research are discussed.