Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Signaling in the Mammalian Vomeronasal Organ

Pheromones are chemical signals which provide conspecifics information about gender, dominance and reproductive status [1]. They elicit innate and stereotypical reproductive and social behaviors, along with neuroendocrine and physiological changes. The vomeronasal organ, as part of the accessory olfactory system, is the site for pheromone binding to specific receptors, thus initiating a signal transduction pathway leading from the vomeronasal neurons to the hypothalamuspituitary axis, via the medial amygdale [2]. Molecular evidence has led to the isolation of three independent families of vomeronasal receptor genes (VR) known as V1Rs [3], V2Rs [4-6], and V3rs (Pantages and Dulac [7]) that encode putative pheromone receptors. Vomeronasal neurons are classified based on the vomeronasal receptor type and the G-protein to which they are coupled. Vomeronasal receptor neurons with cell bodies in the apical half of the sensory epithelium express the G-protein alpha subunit Gαi2 and project to the anterior part of the Anterior Open Bite (AOB), whereas neurons in the basal regions of the Vomeronasal organ (VNO) neuroepithelium express the G protein alpha subunit Gαo and project to the posterior regions of the AOB [810]. More recent studies have introduced the formyl peptide receptor (FPR) as a possible chemosensory receptor [11]. FPRs are selectively expressed in the neuroepithelium, express either Gαi2 or Gαo, and are highly dispersed throughout the neuroepithelium [12]. Possible roles for the FPRs include the assessment of conspecifics or other species, based on variability in normal bacterial or mitochrondrial proteins [13]. Recently, it has also been shown that the two classes of vomeronasal receptors V1Rs and V2Rs use different strategies to encode chemosensory information [14].
An Ensemble based System for Detection of Retinal Microaneurysms and Diabetic Retinopathy Miss

Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes and major cause of blindness. Therefore early detection through regular screening will be highly beneficial in effectively controlling the progress of the disease. Microaneurysms are the early signs of Diabetic retinopathy and appear as mall red dots. The number of microaneurysms gives the severity of the disease. Early microaneurysm detection can help to reduce the incidence of blindness. We propose an ensemble-based system to improve microaneurysm detection. We propose a system that combine the internal components of microaneurysm detectors, namely preprocessing methods and candidate extractors.
3 Multispecies considerations for the central Baltic stocks : cod in Subdivisions 25 – 32 , herring in Subdivisions 25 – 29 and 32 , and sprat in Subdivisions 22 – 32

ICES intends to provide multispecies advice on fisheries for some ecosystems (see Section 1.2) and encourages managers to apply such an approach to the central Baltic Sea. The present section may serve as a starting point for a dialogue between ICES and managers to foster the development of a multispecies management system for the Baltic. This text uses implicit management objectives and risk tolerance that need to be validated by managers. If managers decide to adopt a multispecies management approach a transition period from the present management will be required. As this work is mostly illustrative, ICES focuses on the most obvious interactions between commercially exploited fish stocks in the area and does not attempt to provide a full foodweb model.
Fast gap‐free enumeration of conformations and sequences for protein design

Despite significant successes in structure‐based computational protein design in recent years, protein design algorithms must be improved to increase the biological accuracy of new designs. Protein design algorithms search through an exponential number of protein conformations, protein ensembles, and amino acid sequences in an attempt to find globally optimal structures with a desired biological function. To improve the biological accuracy of protein designs, it is necessary to increase both the amount of protein flexibility allowed during the search and the overall size of the design, while guaranteeing that the lowest‐energy structures and sequences are found. DEE/A*‐based algorithms are the most prevalent provable algorithms in the field of protein design and can provably enumerate a gap‐free list of low‐energy protein conformations, which is necessary for ensemble‐based algorithms that predict protein binding. We present two classes of algorithmic improvements to the A* algorithm that greatly increase the efficiency of A*. First, we analyze the effect of ordering the expansion of mutable residue positions within the A* tree and present a dynamic residue ordering that reduces the number of A* nodes that must be visited during the search. Second, we propose new methods to improve the conformational bounds used to estimate the energies of partial conformations during the A* search. The residue ordering techniques and improved bounds can be combined for additional increases in A* efficiency. Our enhancements enable all A*‐based methods to more fully search protein conformation space, which will ultimately improve the accuracy of complex biomedically relevant designs. Proteins 2015; 83:1859–1877. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Androgen Concentrations in Umbilical Cord Blood and Their Association with Maternal, Fetal and Obstetric Factors

The aim of this study was to measure umbilical blood androgen concentrations in a birth cohort using a highly specific liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay and assesses the effects of sex, labor, and gestational age on fetal androgen levels at birth. We performed a prospective cohort study of androgen concentrations in mixed arterial and venous umbilical cord serum from 803 unselected singleton pregnancies from a general obstetric population in Western Australia. Total testosterone (TT), Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were extracted from archived cord serum samples and measured using LC-MS/MS. SHBG was measured by ELISA; free testosterone (FT) and bioavailable testosterone (BioT) values were also calculated. Median values for all three androgens were generally lower than previously published values. Levels of TT, FT, BioT, and SHBG were significantly higher in male verses female neonates (P<0.0001), while dehydroepiandrosterone levels were higher in females (P<0.0001). Labor was associated with a significant (∼15–26%) decrease in median cord blood TT and FT levels (both sexes combined), but a modest (∼16–31%) increase in SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations. TT and FT were significantly negatively correlated with gestational age at delivery, while SHBG, Δ4-androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone were positively correlated. Antenatal glucocorticoid administration also had a significant effect in the multiple regression models. This is the first study to report umbilical cord androgen levels in a large unselected population of neonates using LC-MS/MS. Our findings suggest that previous studies have over-estimated cord androgen levels, and that fetal, maternal, and obstetric factors influence cord androgen levels differentially. Caution should be exercised when interpreting previously-published data that have not taken all of these factors into account.
Accuracy of path length estimation via network distance based coordinate systems

Network distance estimation via Euclidean coordinate system has been widely studied over the past decade. Basically, each node in the Internet is assigned a set of coordinates and the network distances such as round trip time can be estimated by the Euclidean distances among the nodes. The accuracy of the Euclidean coordinate systems is usually measured with various performance metrics such as relative errors. It is well known that the estimation has intrinsic errors due to the triangle inequality violations among the network distances. Since there have been abundant analysis on the accuracy of the direct distance estimation, i.e., the network distance between two nodes, in this paper, we turn our focus to the path length estimation. Basically, for an overlay path with multiple links, the path length is the sum of the distances of the links along the path. Accurate path length estimation can be exploited for many path selection problems in the peer to peer systems. For example, selecting one hop relay node can be easily implemented via the Euclidean coordinate systems. In this paper, we present a rigorous mathematical analysis on the estimation accuracy especially of the path lengths. We consider the errors as random variables and show that the path length estimation is much more accurate than the direct distance estimation through a rigorous statistical analysis. We also provide simulation results that conform to the mathematical analysis.
Nonintrusive techniques of inspections during the pre-launch phase of space vehicle

As missions expand to a sustainable presence in the Moon, and extend for durations longer than one year in lunar outpost, the effectiveness of the instrumentation and hardware has to be revolutionized if NASA is to meet high levels of mission safety, reliability, and overall success. This paper addresses a method of non-intrusive local inspection of surface and sub-surface conditions, interfaces, laminations and seals in both space vehicle and ground operations with an integrated suite of imaging sensors during pre-launch operations. It employs an advanced Raman spectrometer with additional spectrometers and lidar mounted on a flying robot to constantly monitor the space hardware as well as inner surface of the vehicle and ground operations hardware. A team of micro flying robots with necessary sensors and photometers is required to internally and externally monitor the entire space vehicle. The micro flying robots should reach an altitude with least amount of energy, where astronauts have difficulty in reaching and monitoring the materials and subsurface faults. The micro flying robots have an embedded fault detection system which acts as an advisory system and in many cases micro flying robots act as a `Supervisor' to fix the problems. The micro flying robot uses contra-rotating propellers powered by an ultra-thin, ultrasonic motor with currently the world's highest power weight ratio, and is balanced in mid-air by means of the world's first stabilizing mechanism using a linear actuator. The essence of micromechatronics has been brought together in high-density mounting technology to minimize the size and weight. Each robot can take suitable payloads of photometers, embedded chips for image analysis and micro pumps for sealing cracks or fixing other material problems. This paper also highlights advantages that this type of non-intrusive techniques offer over costly and monolithic traditional techniques.
Child Anxiety and Parental Anxiety Sensitivity are Related to Parent Sick Role Reinforcement

SYNOPSIS Objective. Parents can facilitate offspring anxiety in response to bodily arousal via “sick role reinforcement,” a process that may be important during adolescence. Although a sizeable body of work has examined the role of parent behavior in this process, no study to date has examined child-driven effects on parental sick role reinforcement. Furthermore, little work has examined whether parental factors are related to sick role reinforcement, including anxiety sensitivity. Design. The current study investigated the associations among these variables using a set of vignettes in which 225 parents were asked to imagine their adolescent offspring describing somatic sensations in either an anxious or non-anxious manner. Results. Effects of offspring descriptions, parental AS, and an interaction between the two emerged on parental sick role reinforcement behavior. Conclusions. These findings lay the groundwork for future work targeted at improving our understanding of the unique and interactive roles parents and offspring play in the sick role reinforcement process.
Sustainability of Social Housing in Asia: A Holistic Multi-Perspective Development Process for Bamboo-Based Construction in the Philippines

This paper highlights the need for a more inclusive and sustainable development of social housing in rapidly developing countries of Asia, Latin America, and Africa. At the example of the Philippines, a multi-perspective development process for a bamboo-based building system is developed. Sustainability Assessment Criteria are defined through literature review, field observations and interviews with three stakeholder clusters: (1) Builders and users of traditional bamboo houses in the Philippines; (2) Stakeholders involved in using forest products for housing in other countries around the world; and (3) Stakeholders in the field of social housing in the Philippines. Through coding and sorting of data in a qualitative content analysis, 15 sustainability assessment criteria are identified clustered into the dimensions society, ecology, economy, governance, and technology. Guided by the sustainability criteria and four implementation strategies: (A) Research about and (B) Implementation of the building technology; (C) Participation and Capacity Building of Stakeholders; and (D) Sustainable Supply Chains, a strategic roadmap was created naming, in total, 28 action items. Through segmentation of the complex problem into these action items, the paper identifies one-dimensional methods leading to measurable, quantitative endpoints. In this way, qualitative stakeholder data is translated into quantitative methods, forming a pathway for a holistic assessment of the building technologies. A mid-point, multi-criteria, or pareto decision-making method comparing the 28 endpoints of the alternative to currently practiced conventional solutions is suggested as subject for further research. This framework paper is a contribution to how sustainable building practices can become more inclusive, incorporating the building stock of low-income dwellers. It bridges the gap between theoretical approach and practical applications of sustainability and underlines the strength of combining multi-dimensional development with stakeholder participation.
Semi-automated Handling of Manhole Covers for Tank Wagon Processing Using Industrial Robots

In this paper a solution for the handling of tank wagon manhole covers using industrial robots is presented, which will be used in automated loading stations for flammable liquids. Currently only the actual loading process is automated, leaving the operator with a number of unergonomic and hazardous tasks. The main obstacle for the automation of the process is the heterogeneity of the processed tank wagons and manhole covers. The presented approach supplies a procedure for identification of key geometric features of the wagons and a mechanical setup providing the required flexibility for the actual handling process. Additionally a suitable control structure and Human-Machine-Interface for the station had to be developed, as the facility operators have no robotic experience but frequently have to interfere with the system to verify and adapt the targets given to the robot system. The developed system has been validated in a prototype setup and is currently transferred to the actual industrial facility.
New Algorithm for the Design of Topology Aware Hypercube in Multi-hop Ad Hoc Networks

Securing group communications in resource constrained, infrastructure-less environments such as Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) has become one of the most challenging research directions in the areas of wireless network security. MANETs are emerging as the desired environment for an increasing number of commercial and military applications, addressing also an increasing number of users. Security on the other hand, is an indispensable requirement of modern life for such applications. The inherent limitations of MANETs impose major difficulties in establishing a suitable secure group communications framework. This is even more so for the operation of Key Agreement (KA), under which all parties contribute equally to the group key. The logical design of efficient KA protocols has been the main focus of the related research. Such a consideration however, gives only a partial account on the actual performance of a KA protocol in a multi-hop network as protocols have been evaluated only in terms of the key related messaging in isolation from network functions that interact with the logical scheme (i.e. routing). In recent work, we contributed towards the latter by efficiently extending a number of Diffie-Hellman group KA protocols in wireless multi hop ad hoc networks. In this work, we are extending a scheme that was left out in our previous work: Hypercube. Through analysis and simulations we demonstrate the superiority of the new, enriched H-Cube that takes into account the underlying routing by the use of a topologically aware communications schedule.
Improved language support for Verilog elaboration in Odin II and FPGA architecture benchmarking in the VTR CAD tool

Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are integrated circuits that can be designed or configured after manufacturing. They are used in many disciplines to create prototypes of hardware or in applications where hardware functionality needs to be changed more frequently. Design of new FPGA architectures requires tools that allow developers to create new structures and test those structures in order to compare the results to already established solutions. Boolean circuits, implemented on the FPGAs are compiled using hardware description languages such as Verilog or VHDL. The VTR (Verilog to Routing) CAD (Computer Aided Design) tool, compiles Verilog source code that targets specific hardware resources as FPGAs and ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits). The VTR CAD tool consists of three tools: Odin II, for elaboration from Verilog to a netlist, ABC, for logic synthesis, and VPR, for physical synthesis and analysis. Odin II currently supports only a sub-set of constructs in Verilog language. This paper describes improved and expanded language support for Verilog elaboration introduced in Odin II, in order to provide developers with a tool set to assist in modern FPGA research. With this enhanced language support, a subsequent evaluation of the performance characteristics of VTR flow with a set of benchmarks that are supported by VTR is performed.
A thermal model for electrothermal simulation of power modules

A thermal model of power modules based on the physical dimension and thermal properties is proposed in this paper. The heat path in the power module is considered as a one-dimensional heat transfer in the model. The method of the parameters extraction for the model is given in the paper. With high speed and accuracy, the thermal model is suit for electrothermal simulation. The proposed model is verified by experimental results.
Relevance as an enhancer of votes on Twitter

This research work has been partially funded by the University of Alicante, Generalitat Valenciana , Spanish Government, Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte and ASAP - Ayudas Fundacion BBVA a equipos de investigacion cientifica 2016(FUNDACIONBBVA2-16PREMIO) through the projects, TIN2015- 65100-R, TIN2015-65136-C2-2-R, PROMETEOII/2014/001, GRE16- 01: “Plataforma inteligente para recuperacion, analisis y representacion de la informacion generada por usuarios en Internet” and “Analisis de Sentimientos Aplicado a la Prevencion del Suicidio en las Redes Sociales” (PR16_SOC_0013).
Large-Scale Structure in the Distribution of Galaxies as a Probe ofCosmological

The last 20 years have seen an explosion in our understanding of the large-scale distribution and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The eld has moved from a largely qualitative, morphological description of the structures seen in the galaxy distribution, to a rich and increasingly rigorous statistical description, which allows us to constrain cosmological models. New surveys just now getting underway will be unprecedented in their uniformity and volume surveyed. The study of the evolution of large-scale structure with time is now becoming feasible.
Speaker dependent expression predictor from text: Expressiveness and transplantation

Automatically generating expressive speech from plain text is an important research topic in speech synthesis. Given the same text, different speakers may interpret it and read it in very different ways. This implies that expression prediction from text is a speaker dependent task. Previous work presented an integrated method for expression prediction and speech synthesis which can be used to model the diverse expressions in human's speech and build speaker dependent expression predictors from text. This work extends the integrated method for expression prediction and speech synthesis into a framework for speaker and expression factorization. The expressions generated by the speaker dependent expression predictors can be represented in a shared expression space, and in this space the expressions can be transplanted between different speakers. The experimental results indicate that based on the proposed method, the expressiveness of the synthetic speech can be improved for different speakers. Furthermore this work also shows how important the speaker specific information is for the performance of the expression predictor from text.
Enhanced two stage heuristics algorithm for VM scheduling

In cloud data center deployment of Virtual Machine (VM) reduces the active number of Physical Servers. An efficient VM Scheduling scheme requires to reduce the energy consumption as well as to improve the network performance. In contrast to the existing solution, VM placement and VM migration is proposed in this work. In VM placement Physical Machine (PM) resources are formulated as Bin Packing Problem (BPP), and network traffic as Quadratic Assignment Problem (QAP). Both the BPP and QAP are NP hard problem, so the greedy approach is taken to solve the problem. After the successful VM placement the VM migration scheme analyzes the Maximum Link Utilization (MLU), Round Trip Time (RTT) and Loss Rate (RT). The design of CloudSim simulator to implement the greedy approach is presented and simulations are run over data center resources and network elements. The simulation results when compared with existing algorithms show remarkable improvements.
Telomere length and telomerase activity in malignant lymphomas at diagnosis and relapse

Telomere length maintenance, in the vast majority of cases executed by telomerase, is a prerequisite for long-term proliferation. Most malignant tumours, including lymphomas, are telomerase-positive and this activity is a potential target for future therapeutic interventions since inhibition of telomerase has been shown to result in telomere shortening and cell death in vitro. One prerequisite for the suitability of anti-telomerase drugs in treating cancer is that tumours exhibit shortened telomeres compared to telomerase-positive stem cells. A scenario is envisioned where the tumour burden is reduced using conventional therapy whereafter remaining tumour cells are treated with telomerase inhibitors. In evaluating the realism of such an approach it is essential to know the effects on telomere status by traditional therapeutic regimens. We have studied the telomere lengths in 47 diagnostic lymphomas and a significant telomere shortening was observed compared to benign lymphoid tissues. In addition, telomere length and telomerase activity were studied in consecutive samples from patients with relapsing non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Shortened, unchanged and elongated telomere lengths were observed in the relapse samples. The telomere length alterations found in the relapsing lymphomas appeared to be independent of telomerase and rather represented clonal selection random at the telomere length level. These data indicate that anti-telomerase therapy would be suitable in only a fraction of malignant lymphomas. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign