Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biological control of Fusarium wilt of potato (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tuberosi) by Trichoderma isolates under field condition and their effect on yield

Application of Trichoderma species is a harmless method in controlling soil borne plant diseases thus reducing hazardous pesticide use and environmental pollution. Some Trichoderma isolates performing proper inhibitory effect against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. tuberosi under laboratory and green house conditions were screened against wilt disease of potato caused by this pathogen under field condition in Shahrood Agricultural Research Center, Iran, during 2009-2010. Results of two years field studies indicated that T. virens (T7) followed by T. asperellum (T2) were superior to others in reducing the disease in comparison to infested control. In comparison to Fusarium infested plots, yield was higher in all plots treated with Trichoderma, but highest yields were obtained from plots in which T. virens (T7) and T. asperellum (T2) were involved respectively. It might be stated that isolates of T. virens and T. asperellum are among the effective biocontrol agents against Fusarium wilt disease of potato and can be used as formulated biofungicides in reducing this disease.
Evaluation of Electromagnetic Phenomena Induced by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

The electric current densities induced inside a human head by transcranial magnetic stimulations are evaluated through a hybrid finite-element-boundary-element method applied to an anatomical model based on voxel data set. The results of the computational procedure are first validated considering two model problems. Then, the induced E-field within the head of Duke model of the Virtual Family are simulated for two different transcranial magnetic stimulation coils, evaluating the impact of tissue properties variability and model resolution.
Better Practices in the Development and Validation of Recidivism Risk Assessments: The Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool–4

This study examines the development and validation of the Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool–4 (MnSOST-4) on a dataset consisting of 5,745 sex offenders released from Minnesota prisons between 2003 and 2012. Bootstrap resampling was used to select predictors, and k-fold and split-sample methods were used to internally validate the MnSOST-4. Using sex offense reconviction within 4 years of release from prison as the failure criterion, the data showed that 130 (2.3%) offenders in the overall sample were recidivists. Multiple classification methods and performance metrics were used to develop the MnSOST-4 and evaluate its predictive performance on the test set. The results from the regularized logistic regression algorithm showed that the MnSOST-4 performed well in predicting sexual recidivism in the test set, achieving an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.835. Additional analyses on the test set revealed that the MnSOST-4 outperformed the Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool–3 (MnSOST-3), Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool–Revised (MnSOST-R), and Static-99 in predicting sexual reoffending.
Assessment of the Stress Response in Columbian Ground Squirrels: Laboratory and Field Validation of an Enzyme Immunoassay for Fecal Cortisol Metabolites

Stress responses play a critical role in the ecology and demography of wild animals, and the analysis of fecal hormone metabolites is a powerful noninvasive method to assess the role of stress. We characterized the metabolites of injected radiolabeled cortisol in the urine and feces of Columbian ground squirrels and validated an enzyme immunoassay for measuring fecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) with a 5α‐3β,11β‐diol structure by stimulation and suppression of adrenocortical activity and by evaluation of the circadian pattern of FCM excretion. In addition, we also evaluated the impact of capture, handling, and acclimation to the laboratory on FCM. Cortisol is highly metabolized, with virtually none being excreted, and of the radiolabeled cortisol injected, 31% was recovered in urine and 6.5% in feces. The lag time between cortisol injection and its appearance in urine and feces was 4.5 ± 0.82 (SE) h and 7.0 ± 0.53 (SE) h, respectively. FCM levels varied over the day, reflecting circadian variation in endogenous cortisol. Dexamethasone decreased FCM levels by 33%, and ACTH increased them by 255%. Trapping and housing initially increased FCM levels and decreased body mass, but these reversed within 3–7 d, indicating acclimation. Finally, FCM levels were modestly repeatable over time (r = 0.57) in wild, livetrapped, nonbreeding animals, indicating that FCMs provide a measure of the squirrel's stress‐axis state. This assay provides a robust noninvasive assessment of the stress response of the Columbian ground squirrel and will facilitate an integration of its life history and physiology.
Logic-Based Semantic Query Optimization for Object Databases

We present a technique for semantic query optimization (SQO) for object databases. We use the ODMG standard languages ODL and OQL. The object schema and object query are translated into a Datalog representation. Semantic knowledge about the object model and the particular application is expressed as integrity constraints. SQO is performed in the Datalog representation and an equivalent logic query, and subsequently an equivalent object query, is obtained. SQO is based on the residue technique of 4]. We show that our technique generalizes previous research on SQO for object databases. It can also be applied to queries with methods and structure constructors and it can utilize access support relations.
The smartphone as enabler for road traffic information based on cellular network signalling

The higher penetration rate of GPS-enabled smartphones together with their improved processing power and battery life makes them suitable for a number of participatory sensing applications. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how GPS-enabled smartphones can be used in a participatory sensing context to build a radio map for RSS-based positioning, with a special focus on road traffic information based on cellular network signalling. The CEP-67 location accuracy achieved is 75 meters for both GSM and UMTS using Bayesian classification. For this test site, the accuracy is similar for GSM and UMTS, with slightly better results for UMTS in the CEP-95 error metric. The location accuracy achieved is good enough to avoid large errors in travel time estimation for highway environments, especially considering the possibility to filter out estimates with low accuracy using for example the posterior bin probability in Bayesian classification. For urban environments more research is required to determine how the location accuracy will affect the path inference problem in a dense road network. The location accuracy achieved in this paper is also sufficient for other traffic information types, for example origin-destination estimation based on location area updates.
The Role of the Right Pre-supplementary Motor Area in Stopping Action: Two Studies with 1 Event-related Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation 2 3

18 Rapidly stopping action engages a network in the brain including the right pre-supplementary 19 motor area (preSMA), the right inferior frontal gyrus and the basal ganglia. Yet the functional 20 role of these different regions within the overall network still remains unclear. Here we focused 21 on the role of the right preSMA in behavioral stopping. We hypothesized that the underlying 22 neurocognitive function of this region is one or more of setting up a stopping rule in advance, 23 modulating response tendencies (e.g. slowing down in anticipation of stopping), and 24 implementing stopping when the stop signal occurs. We performed two experiments with MRI-25 guided, event-related, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), during the performance of 26 variants of the stop-signal. In Experiment 1 we show that stimulation of the right preSMA vs. 27 vertex (control site) slowed the implementation of stopping (measured via stop signal reaction 28 time) but had no influence on modulation of response tendencies. In Experiment 2, we showed 29 that stimulation of the right preSMA slowed implementation of stopping in a mechanistically 30 selective form of stopping but had no influence on setting up stopping rules. The results go 31 beyond the replication of prior findings in showing that TMS of the right preSMA impairs the 32 stopping process, including a selective form of stopping, by specifically disrupting 33 implementation of the stop process. Future studies are required to establish whether this was 34 due to stimulation of the right preSMA itself or because of remote effects on the wider 35 stopping network.
Sermons, carrots or sticks? Explaining successful policy implementation in a low performance institution

Abstract This article explains how after 43 years of unsatisfactory outcomes, the Ministry of Education of Peru (MoE) suddenly ranked at the top of governmental performance tables. To do so, this study relies on implementation and major discussions of policy instrument theories to provide a comprehensive explanation of the reasons underlying the MoE’s improvements. Methodologically, this research employs the mixed research methods paradigm. It combines process-tracing and regression analysis. The analyses show that the MoE underwent three major events in its route to achieve policy success. First, the approval of a long-term policy plan (National Educative Plan to 2021); second, the contentious legitimisation of governmental policies against Peru’s teachers’ union and its eventual defeat; and, third, the recentralisation of historically dispersed control functions in the MoE. The results indicate that upon the occurrence of these reforms, MoE’s bureaucrats could gain teachers’ legitimacy and eventually achieve complementarity of policy tools. In fact, the multiple regression analysis suggests positive and significant interdependence between the set of tools employed by MoE officers: parents’ voluntary monetary contribution to schools (sermon), economic incentives to outperform schools (carrots) and trimestral oversight of schools’ performance (sticks). Results also show that MoE’s tools are positively associated with satisfactory student-learning outcomes.
PSO for feature construction and binary classification

In classification, the quality of the data representation significantly influences the performance of a classification algorithm. Feature construction can improve the data representation by constructing new high-level features. Particle swarm optimisation (PSO) is a powerful search technique, but has never been applied to feature construction. This paper proposes a PSO based feature construction approach (PSOFC) to constructing a single new high-level feature using original low-level features and directly addressing binary classification problems without using any classification algorithm. Experiments have been conducted on seven datasets of varying difficulty. Three classification algorithms (decision trees, naive bayes, and k-nearest neighbours) are used to evaluate the performance of the constructed feature on test set. Experimental results show that a classification algorithm using the single constructed feature often achieves similar (or even better) classification performance than using all the original features, and in almost all cases, adding the constructed feature to the original features significantly improves its classification performance. In most cases, PSOFC as a classification algorithm (using the constructed feature only) achieves better classification performance than a classification algorithm using all the original features, but needs much less computational cost. This paper represents the first study on using PSO for feature construction in classification.
Automatic planning of laser measurements for a large-scale environment using CPS-SLAM system

In recent years, several low-cost 3D laser scanners are being brought to the market and 3D laser scanning is becoming widely used in many fields. For example, 3D modeling of architectural structures or digital preservation of cultural heritages are typical applications for 3D laser scanning. Despite of the development of light-weight and high-speed laser scanners, however, the complicated measurement procedure and long measurement time are still a heavy burden for the widespread use of laser scanning. We have proposed a robotic 3D scanning system using multiple robots named CPS-SLAM, which consists of parent robots with a 3D laser scanner and child robots with target markers. In this system, a large-scale 3D model can be acquired by an on-board 3D laser scanner on a parent robot from several positions determined precisely by the localization technique using multiple robots named Cooperative Positioning System, CPS. Therefore, this system enables to build a 3D model without complicated post-processing procedures such as ICP. In addition, this system is an open-loop SLAM system and a quite precise 3D model can be obtained without closed loops. This paper proposes an automatic planning technique of a laser measurement for CPS-SLAM. By planning a proper scanning strategy depending on a target structure, it is possible to perform laser scanning efficiently and accurately even for a large-scale and complex environment. Proposed technique plans an efficient scanning strategy automatically by taking account of several criteria, such as visibility between robots, error accumulation, and efficient traveling. We conducted computer simulations and outdoor experiments to verify the performance of the proposed technique.
Corrective Bracing for Severe Idiopathic Scoliosis in Adolescence: Influence of Brace on Trunk Morphology

Aim. The aim of the work was to study whether wearing a corrective brace by adolescent girls with severe idiopathic scoliosis can influence external shape of the trunk. Methods. Comparison of clinical deformity of two groups of girls matched for age and Cobb angle: group (1) of 23 girls, aged 14.9 ± 1.3 years, Cobb angle 55.0° ± 6.8°, who refused surgical treatment and have been wearing Chêneau brace for more than 6 months, compared with group (2) of 22 girls, aged 14.1 ± 1.8 years, Cobb angle 59.7° ± 14.6° never treated with corrective bracing. Clinical deformity was assessed with the Bunnell scoliometer (angle of trunk rotation ATR) and surface topography (posterior trunk symmetry index POTSI and Hump Sum HS). Results. The ATR in the primary curvature was 11.9° ± 3.4° (5°–18°) in group 1 versus 15.1° ± 5.6° (6°–25°) in group 2 (P = 0.027). The HS was 16.8° ± 3.8 versus 19.2° ± 4.6, respectively, P = 0.07. The POTSI value did not differ between groups. Conclusion. Girls with Cobb angle above 45 degrees, who have been subjected to brace treatment, revealed smaller clinical deformity of their back comparing to nontreated girls having similar radiological curvatures.
CCL25/CCR9 Interactions Regulate the Function of iNKT Cells in Oxazolone-Induced Colitis in Mice

Background Natural killer T (NKT) cells share phenotypic and functional properties with both conventional natural killer cells and T cells. These cells might have an important role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). The interaction of chemokine ligand 25 (CCL25) with chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) is involved in gut-specific migration of leukocytes and induces regulatory T cells (Tregs) to migrate to the intestine in chronic ileitis. Methodology/Findings In UC patients, NKT receptor CD161, CCL25, and CCR9 expression levels were evaluated by qRT-PCR. A murine model of oxazolone-induced colitis was induced in BALB/c mice. The mRNA levels of NK1.1, CCL25 and CCR9, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in mice were evaluated. The CCR9 expression on Type I or invariant NKT (iNKT) cells, and the iNKT cells chemotaxis are observed according to flow cytometry. NKT receptor CD161, CCL25 and CCR9 expression levels were significantly increased in UC patients. And, the mRNA expression levels of NK1.1, CCL25 and CCR9 were increased in oxazolone-induced colitis in mice. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines was significantly increased, especially interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-10 and IL-13. We observed significantly increased CCR9 expression on iNKT cells. Furthermore, we found an increased iNKT population and enhanced chemotaxis during oxazolone-induced colitis. Conclusions/Significance Our study suggests that CCL25/CCR9 interactions may promote the induction and function of iNKT cells during oxazolone-induced colitis. These findings may have important implications for UC treatment and suggest a role for CCR9 inhibitors.
Export, Migration, and Costs of Market Entry: Evidence from Central European Firms

In this article I analyze the export behavior of firms located in different Central European countries (Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia) with respect to migration. Ever since the seminal article by Gould (1994) on immigrant links to their home country and due to empirical research following his contribution, it is a well established result that immigrants from a particular country spur exports to and imports from that destination. Chaney (2008) shows that a decrease in fixed costs of exporting increases the number of exporters (extensive margin), whereas a reduction in variable costs also increases the volume exported by each exporting firm (intensive margin). Empirical contributions using firm-level data focus on various aspects influencing costs of exporting (like spillover effects of nearby firms (Sinani and Hobdari, 2010; Silvente and GemA©nez, 2007) or financial factors (Berman and HA©ricourt, 2010)), but leave out the issue of migration. I combine detailed information coming from a questionnaire conducted among 8,300 firms on the export behavior to different countries with regional data on migration from the European Labor Force Survey (LFS). I find evidence that both the propensity to export and â€“ to a much smaller extent â€“ the volume of sales of exporting firms to a particular destination is higher for firms located in regions with a larger number of immigrants from that country. I conclude that migrants mainly reduce fixed costs of exporting.
Cloudy: heterogeneous middleware for in time queries processing

Parallel share-nothing architectures are currently used to handle large amounts of data arriving in real-time for processing. The continuous increase on data volume and organization, introduce several limitations to scalability and quality of service (QoS) due to processing requirements and joins. Parallelism may improve query performance, however some business require timely results (results not faster or slower than specified) which, even with additional parallelism and significant upgrade costs (both monetary and due to disturbance of normal operations), cannot be guaranteed. We propose a timely-aware execution architecture, Cloudy, which balances data and queries processing among an elastic set of non-dedicated and heterogeneous nodes in order to provide scale-out performance and timely results, nor faster or slower, using both Complex Event Processing (CEP) and database (DB). Data is distributed by nodes accordingly with their hardware characteristics, then a set of layered mechanisms rearrange queries in order to provide in timely results. We present experimental evaluation of Cloudy and demonstrate its ability to provide timely results.
Effects of Electroacupuncture at BL60 on Formalin-Induced Pain in Rats

Acupuncture was used to treat symptoms of pain in the ancient orient. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at the BL60 acupoint on male Sprague-Dawley rats. Each rat received EA at BL60 acupoint before formalin injection. Behavioral responses were recorded using a video camera and c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed thereafter. Treatment of EA at BL60 significantly inhibited flinching behavior and c-fos expression induced by formalin injection into the paw, compared to a control group. These results suggest that electroacupuncture at BL60 acupoint may be effective in relieving inflammatory pain.
NGSmethDB: a database for next-generation sequencing single-cytosine-resolution DNA methylation data

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) together with bisulphite conversion allows the generation of whole genome methylation maps at single-cytosine resolution. This allows studying the absence of methylation in a particular genome region over a range of tissues, the differential tissue methylation or the changes occurring along pathological conditions. However, no database exists fully addressing such requirements. We propose here NGSmethDB (http://bioinfo2.ugr.es/NGSmethDB/gbrowse/) for the storage and retrieval of methylation data derived from NGS. Two cytosine methylation contexts (CpG and CAG/CTG) are considered. Through a browser interface coupled to a MySQL backend and several data mining tools, the user can search for methylation states in a set of tissues, retrieve methylation values for a set of tissues in a given chromosomal region, or display the methylation of promoters among different tissues. NGSmethDB is currently populated with human, mouse and Arabidopsis data, but other methylomes will be incorporated through an automatic pipeline as soon as new data become available. Dump downloads for three coverage levels (1, 5 or 10 reads) are available. NGSmethDB will be useful for experimental researchers, as well as for bioinformaticians, who might use the data as input for further research.
Improving fMRI activation detection sensitivity using intervoxel coherence mapping

Spatiotemporal data coherence widely exists in fMRI data and can be potentially used to increase brain activation detection. To assess this possibility, a two‐stage fMRI data analysis method was presented in this work. Standard voxelwise general linear model (GLM) was used to first exclude voxels with low correlation to the functional design, and an intervoxel coherence map (ICM) was then calculated voxel by voxel to locate brain regions, which were most consistently activated during the functional experiment. Population inference about the detected effects was provided through random effect analysis or permutation testing. Evaluations using synthetic data and scene‐encoding memory task fMRI data both showed enhanced activation detection performance for the proposed method when compared with standard GLM. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 22, 33–36, 2012
O A ] 2 3 M ay 2 00 6 Bost-Connes type systems for function fields

We describe a construction which associates to any function field k and any place ∞ of k a C-dynamical system (Ck,∞, σt) that is analogous to the Bost-Connes system associated to Q and its archimedian place. Our construction relies on Hayes’ explicit class field theory in terms of signnormalized rank one Drinfel’d modules. We show that Ck,∞ has a faithful continuous action of Gal(K/k), where K is a certain field constructed by Hayes, such that k ⊂ K ⊂ k, where k is the maximal abelian extension of k that is totally split at ∞. We classify the extremal KMSβ states of (Ck,∞, σt) at any temperature 0 < 1/β < ∞ and show that a phase transition with spontaneous symmetry breaking occurs at temperature 1/β = 1. At high temperature 1/β > 1, there is a unique KMSβ state, of type IIIq−β , where q is the cardinal of the constant subfield of k. At low temperature 1/β < 1, the space of extremal KMSβ states is principal homogeneous under Gal(K/k). Each such state is of type I∞ and the partition function is the Dedekind zeta function ζk,∞. Moreover, we construct a “rational” ∗-subalgebra H, we give a presentation of H and of Ck,∞, and we show that the values of the low-temperature extremal KMSβ states at certain elements of H are related to special values of partial zeta functions.