Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison and integration of four barley genetic maps.

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most extensively studied food crops in recent molecular research. More than 1000 molecular markers have been located on the barley genome by using five independent populations. For the present study, four segregation data sets, 'Proctor' x 'Nudinka', 'Igri' x 'Franka', 'Steptoe' x 'Morex', and 'Harrington' x TR306, were downloaded from the publicly available GrainGenes databank. Since 22% of the markers are common to at least two of the independent data sets, we were able to establish an integrated map using the computer package JOINMAP v2.0. The integrated map contains 898 markers, covers 1060 cM, and removes many large gaps present in the individual maps. Comparison of the integrated map with the individual maps revealed that the overall linear order of markers is in good agreement and that the integrated map is consistent with the component maps. No significant reordering of markers was found. This conservative property of the barley genome makes the integrated map reliable and successful. Except for chromosome 7 (5H), marker clustering was observed in the centromeric regions, probably owing to the centromeric suppression of recombination. Based on this integrated map, geneticists and breeders can choose their favourite markers in any region of interest of the barley genome. Key words : Hordeum vulgare, RFLP, integrated map.
Algorithms for the Constrained Perfect Phylogeny with Persistent Characters

The perfect phylogeny is one of the most used models in different areas of computational biology. In this paper we consider the problem of the Persistent Perfect Phylogeny (referred as P-PP) recently introduced to extend the perfect phylogeny model allowing persistent characters, that is characters can be gained and lost at most once. We define a natural generalization of the P-PP problem obtained by requiring that for some pairs (character, species), neither the species nor any of its ancestors can have the character. In other words, some characters cannot be persistent for some species. This new problem is called Constrained P-PP (CP-PP). Based on a graph formulation of the CP-PP problem, we are able to provide a polynomial time solution for the CP-PP problem for matrices having an empty conflict-graph. In particular we show that all such matrices admit a persistent perfect phylogeny in the unconstrained case. Using this result, we develop a parameterized algorithm for solving the CP-PP problem where the parameter is the number of characters. A preliminary experimental analysis of the algorithm shows that it performs efficiently and it may analyze real haplotype data not conforming to the classical perfect phylogeny model.
Communication Between Khepera Mini Robots For Cooperative Positioning

For implementing efficient cooperative behaviour strategies of a group of robots an appropriate communication system is needed. Depending on the robot’s task different communication techniques may be used. We have analyzed an ultrasonic detection and communication system, a communication technique that uses infrared transmitters and receivers and a radio based system using Bluetooth technology. In addition a passive vision system for cooperative robot recognition and positioning has been analyzed. For each system we have developed particular sensor and communication components, that can be used for experiments. As a platform for embedding and testing our hardware we use the mini robot Khepera.
A NEW MADM ALGORITHM BASED ON FUZZY SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE INTEGRATED WEIGHTS

In this paper, a new subjective and objective integrated approach is put forward that may be used to determine attribute weights in fuzzy multiple attribute decision making (FMADM) problems. It retains the merits of both subjective and objective approaches: to determine weights by solving math- ematical models automatically and at the same time take into consideration the decision maker's preferences. Finally, an example is used to illustrate the approach.
Pseudomonas type III effector AvrPtoB induces plant disease susceptibility by inhibition of host programmed cell death

The AvrPtoB type III effector protein is conserved among diverse genera of plant pathogens suggesting it plays an important role in pathogenesis. Here we report that Pseudomonas AvrPtoB acts inside the plant cell to inhibit programmed cell death (PCD) initiated by the Pto and Cf9 disease resistance proteins and, remarkably, the pro‐apoptotic mouse protein Bax. AvrPtoB also suppressed PCD in yeast, demonstrating that AvrPtoB functions as a cell death inhibitor across kingdoms. Using truncated AvrPtoB proteins, we identified distinct N‐ and C‐terminal domains of AvrPtoB that are sufficient for host recognition and PCD inhibition, respectively. We also identified a novel resistance phenotype, Rsb, that is triggered by an AvrPtoB truncation disrupted in the anti‐PCD domain. A Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 strain with a chromosomal mutation in the AvrPtoB C‐terminus elicited Rsb‐mediated immunity in previously susceptible tomato plants and disease was restored when full‐length AvrPtoB was expressed in trans. Thus, our results indicate that a type III effector can induce plant susceptibility to bacterial infection by inhibiting host PCD.
Mutagenesis of the human transferrin receptor: two cytoplasmic phenylalanines are required for efficient internalization and a second- site mutation is capable of reverting an internalization-defective phenotype

Site-specific mutagenesis has been used to define the sequences required for efficient internalization of the human transferrin receptor. It has previously been shown that the sole cytoplasmic tyrosine, at position 20, is required for efficient internalization. When two other cytoplasmic aromatic residues, the phenylalanines at positions 13 and 23, are substituted with alanines internalization is also reduced. The phenylalanine 23 mutation decreases the internalization rate constant approximately threefold, and mutation of phenylalanine 13 decreases it by approximately twofold. The mutation at position 23 has as serious an effect on internalization as substitution with a nonaromatic amino acid for the single tyrosine. These results demonstrate the importance of several aromatic amino acids in maintaining efficient internalization of the transferrin receptor. Substitution of a tyrosine at a second site, for a serine at position 34, within the cytoplasmic domain of a transferrin receptor with a nonaromatic amino acid at position 20, results in a complete reversion of the internalization-defective phenotype. This reversion is completely dependent upon a tyrosine, as phenylalanine substituted at position 34 does not revert the internalization-defective phenotype. This result demonstrates that a tyrosine placed outside of its native context can still function in the internalization of the transferrin receptor, suggesting a flexibility in surrounding sequences required for efficient internalization.
Statistical detection of abnormal ozone measurements based on Constrained Generalized Likelihood Ratio test

Monitoring ozone concentrations is an essential requirement due to the adverse environmental and health effects of abnormal ozone pollution. The objective of this paper is twofold: first, to model ground level ozone concentrations, and second, to detect abnormal ozone measurements. Towards this end, a multidimensional Seasonal AutoRegressive Moving Average with eXogenous variable (SARMAX) model has been developed to describe ground level ozone concentrations. The database used to fit the models consists of two data sets collected from Upper Normandy region, France, via the network of air quality monitoring stations. A good description of the ambient ozone pollution may be a tool for facilitating detection of abnormalities in ozone measurements. The overarching goal of this paper is to detect abnormal pollution measurements caused by air pollution anomalies or malfunctioning sensors in the framework of regional ozone surveillance network. The proposed Constrained Generalized Likelihood Ratio (CGLR) anomaly detection scheme is successfully applied to collected data. The detection results of the proposed method are compared to that declared by Air Normand air monitoring association.
Underwater place recognition in noisy stereo data using FAB-MAP with a multimodal vocabulary from 2D texture and 3D surface descriptors

One fundamental problem in Simultaneous Localization and Mapping is place recognition, used to create loop closures, necessary to improve map quality. Ideally, the sensor data alone should be used to detect loop closures, referred to as appearance-based methods. Such methods usually employ feature descriptors, especially popular in underwater research are 2D visual features, and the bag-of-words approach. Here we demonstrate the combined use of 2D visual and 3D surface features, which is specifically interesting in the context of 3D underwater mapping with stereo data. Different sensor and feature types excel at different situations, and thus would benefit from a joint treatment in a bag-of-words based place recognition method. Specifically, this paper presents a method to employ multiple dictionaries computed from different feature types, extracted from different raw data in a single FAB-MAP-based place recognition method. Experiments on an underwater dataset show an increase of performance of the method when using a combination of feature types instead of single feature types.
Investigation of Springback Angle in Single Point Incremental Forming Process on Explosive Welded Cu/St/Cu Multilaye

Nowadays, the role of light weight materials has grown up in important industries such as aerospace and biomechanics, but before the appliance, their strength should be increased. A modern way to increase this factor along with the lightweight factoris using bimetal sheets, hence, the design of multilayer sheets has been very much considered recently. In this study, explosive welded Cu/St/Cu multilayer sheets were used in the incremental forming process to determine the springback phenomenon on different layers. The results indicated that rotational speed, feeding rate, and vertical step parameters can affect spring back in single point incremental forming process (SPIF). Three levels of vertical step size, tool rotational speed, and feed rate have been considered as the input process parameters and spring back as the output.In order to design a better experiment and analyze the data, the Taguchi method was selected on the basis of DOEin Mini-Tab software andthe results have been analyzed by two states. In the first state,the value which was closest to the nominal value is considered to be the optimal result which obtained for spring back angles with parameters of 0.75 mm for the vertical step down, 200 rpm for the rotational speed and 500 and 1000 mm/min for the feeding rate. In the second state, the least amount is considered as the optimal result in which the values of 0.5 and 1 mm of the vertical step down, 150 and 100 rpm of the rotational speed, and 1500 and 500 mm/min of the feeding rate formed the optimal outcome.
The Major Issues and Future Direction of Community Development

As I look back over my years of research, study and fieldwork, my overall feeling is one of sadness that so much community development effort has, on the whole, resulted in relatively so little actual betterment and more especially for the poor and underprivileged people who need betterment most. I know, of course, that powerful minorities in every country often succeed in influencing development policies in their own interests at the expense of the mass of ordinary people, and I accept that as a fact of life we have to live with. What concerns me much more is that the well-intentioned efforts of so many planners, administrators and field workers who really want to promote betterment have, on the whole, so often fallen so far short of realising their full potential. To give but two examples: in India great dissatisfaction was expressed at the 1969 National Seminar on Panchayati Raj 'that the social and economic benefits (of rural development) have flown to the more affluent sections of the rural communities. The benefits it was expected to confer on the weaker and underprivileged sections of the rural population have not materialised in many cases'. Again, although the Basic Democracies Works Programme in East Pakistan has resulted in great physical improvements in drainage, flood control and transportation, it has also been heavily criticized as having mainly benefited the larger landowners, widened the pre-existing gap between rich and poor, enlarged the number of landless labourers and worsened their condition. *
Non-monotonic feature selection

We consider the problem of selecting a subset of m most informative features where m is the number of required features. This feature selection problem is essentially a combinatorial optimization problem, and is usually solved by an approximation. Conventional feature selection methods address the computational challenge in two steps: (a) ranking all the features by certain scores that are usually computed independently from the number of specified features m, and (b) selecting the top m ranked features. One major shortcoming of these approaches is that if a feature f is chosen when the number of specified features is m, it will always be chosen when the number of specified features is larger than m. We refer to this property as the "monotonic" property of feature selection. In this work, we argue that it is important to develop efficient algorithms for non-monotonic feature selection. To this end, we develop an algorithm for non-monotonic feature selection that approximates the related combinatorial optimization problem by a Multiple Kernel Learning (MKL) problem. We also present a strategy that derives a discrete solution from the approximate solution of MKL, and show the performance guarantee for the derived discrete solution when compared to the global optimal solution for the related combinatorial optimization problem. An empirical study with a number of benchmark data sets indicates the promising performance of the proposed framework compared with several state-of-the-art approaches for feature selection.
Motor unit activation and spinal excitability in young and elderly males during isometric and dynamic muscle actions

Kallio, Jouni Motor unit activation and spinal excitability in young and elderly males during isometric and dynamic muscle actions Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 201 , 65 p. (Studies in Sport, Physical Education and Health ISSN 0356-1070; 189) ISBN 978-951-39-5059-0 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-5060-6 (PDF) The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of muscle contraction type and age on motor unit (MU) control in the soleus muscle. The main purposes were to: 1) gain information about MU control in muscles and conditions more relevant to balance and locomotion by being able to record single MU firings in dynamic contractions of the soleus, 2) to examine the effects of aging and contraction type on H-reflex excitability and MU activation patterns in dynamic and isometric contractions, 3) to compare motor unit discharge rate (MUDR) and variations in both force and discharge rate in isometric contractions between the age-groups and 4) to investigate the age-related changes to MUDR of the soleus muscle in dynamic contractions and at high force levels. The current results showed a clear age-difference in the soleus MUDR in isometric contractions. The longer single muscle twitch duration in elderly subjects (OLD) suggests that the neuromuscular system may tune the discharge rate to match the changes in MU physiology. Differences in MUDR between both the age-groups and contraction levels were larger at forces close to MVC. It appears that coinciding changes in MU recruitment make the comparison of MUDR more difficult. This is supported by our analysis of MU pairs, which showed a steeper slope in MUDR with increasing force compared to a pooled analysis of all units. This may explain partially why no age-differences were found in dynamic contractions at the measured low force levels. Also the ability to hold a given isometric steady force-level was lower in OLD, but MUDR variation was not significantly different. Based on previous findings, it can be assumed that MUDR is only one of several factors that contribute to the lower steadiness in elderly. In line with previous literature, the H-reflex excitability was lower in OLD, which may be an indication of increased presynaptic inhibition. In dynamic measurements, concentric (CON) contractions always required a higher MUDR compared to eccentric or isometric muscle actions. The higher MUDR in CON can only partially be explained by the lower maximal force-capacity, since the MUDR was highest in CON even when muscle activation was matched between conditions. The present study displays age-related changes in the neuromuscular system at many functionally important levels. All these changes may affect balance control and thus the ability to avoid falling and injuries.
Accelerated MR diffusion tensor imaging using distributed compressed sensing

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is known to suffer from long acquisition time in the orders of several minutes or even hours. Therefore, a feasible way to accelerate DTI data acquisition is highly desirable. In this article, the feasibility and efficacy of distributed compressed sensing to fast DTI is investigated by exploiting the joint sparsity prior in diffusion‐weighted images.
Advanced Optical Diagnostics of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

Atmospheric-pressure plasma has been employed in various applications including bio-medicine, environmental pollution control, material processing. Diagnostic characterization of plasma sources is critical and indispensable for plasma control and achieving optimized treatment efficiency. In this chapter we will introduce several advanced optical techniques to visualize the detailed physicaland-chemical properties of atmospheric-pressure discharges. Non-invasive approaches of optical emission spectroscopy (OES), schlieren or shadowgraph, invasive methods of active laser spectroscopy including laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), laser or broadband absorption, cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS), and laser scattering are illustrated. Basic plasma parameters of gas temperature, electron density and temperature, electric field strength, and reactive chemical gaseous species (O, H, N, OH, NO, O3, etc.) are able to be monitored. Comparisons and comments of these approaches are provided depending on diagnostic purposes.
SORCS1 polymorphism and insulin secretion in obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract We investigated the influence of SORCS1 polymorphisms on insulin secretion in obese women with PCOS. Metabolic status was recorded in 50 clinically well characterized PCOS patients. Oral glucose tolerance test was performed and laboratory parameters of insulin resistance measured. All patients were genotyped for SORCS1 rs1358030, rs1416406 and rs11192966 polymorphisms. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney test. SORCS1 rs1416406 significantly influenced stimulated glucose plasma levels (p = 0.006) and increased glucose stimulated insulin secretion (p = 0.034). None of the polymorphisms influenced insulin resistance as measured by homeostatic model assessment. We report for the first time the relevance of SORCS1 polymorphisms for glycemic control and glucose stimulated insulin secretion in obese women with PCOS.
Molecular characterization of measles virus circulating in the Indian Ocean Islands during 2005–2006 and in France in 2006

Despite the availability of safe and immunogenic vaccines, measles still causes significant morbidity and mortality especially in Africa. In this study, two measles outbreaks in the Indian Ocean Islands; Mayotte in 2005–2006 and Seychelles in 2006 were studied. Nasopharyngeal swabs, urine and/or blood samples were collected from patients with clinically diagnosed measles. Measles viruses were isolated in four cases from patients in Mayotte. Measles strains circulating in both outbreaks were determined to be genotype D4 when compared to the WHO reference strains. During this time, measles virus was isolated from patients in France and they were also found to belong to the same genotype. The viruses clustered into two distinct D4 subgroups; The Indian Ocean strains were similar to the Montreal‐subgroup, whereas the French strains associated with the Johannesburg‐subgroup. The Indian Ocean strains formed a homogeneous group. They shared four specific amino acids in the 3′ region of the N gene and two amino acids in the H gene, which differed from other genotype D4 viruses. This suggests that the same measles lineage circulated in Mayotte and Seychelles. Sequence comparison of the French isolates with other measles strains showed that they were more closely related to strains circulating in Germany in 2005, which had their origin in Romania. This study provides the baseline for molecular epidemiology of measles virus in Mayotte and Seychelles. The knowledge of circulating measles virus will help in documenting measles elimination program. This report also highlights the fact that progress of measles elimination is blighted continually by the phenomenon of measles importation. J. Med. Virol. 79:1381–1387, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Crystal structure of (1Z,2E)-cinnamaldehyde oxime

The title compound, C9H9NO, crystallized with two independent molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit. The conformation of the two molecules differs slightly with the phenyl ring in molecule A, forming a dihedral angle of 15.38 (12)° with the oxime group (O—N=C), compared to the corresponding angle of 26.29 (11)° in molecule B. In the crystal, the A and B molecules are linked head-to-head by O—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming –A–B–A–B– zigzag chains along [010]. Within the chains and between neighbouring chains there are C—H⋯π interactions present, forming a three-dimensional structure.
The Emotional Significance of Color in Television Presentations

A within-subjects experiment was conducted to investigate the emotional effects of color in brief television presentations. The study involved obtaining physiological measures (skin conductance, heart rate, and facial electromyography) during the presentation of 54 short (6-sec) television clips to the study's 34 participants (16 women, 18 men). Self-report measures of the participants' emotional reactions were also obtained. Results indicate that the influence of color appears in the self-reports of emotional experience, but in none of the physiological measures. These results suggest that people feel, or consciously believe they feel, that color pictures are more pleasing and exciting than monochrome versions of the same images, yet there is no difference in their physiological responses. The implications of this dissociation of emotional responses are discussed.
Active spike responses of analog electrical neuron: Theory and experiments

Using an analog electrical FitzHugh-Nagumo neuron including complex threshold excitation (CTE) properties, we analyze its spiking responses under pulse stimulation corresponding to oscillating threshold manifold. The system is subjected to outside pulse stimulus and can generate nonlinear integrate-and-flre and resonant responses which are typical for excitable neuronal cells ("all-or-none"). The answer of the neuron strongly depends on the number and the characteristics of incoming impulses (amplitude, width, strength and frequency). For certain parameters range, there is a possibility to trigger a spiking sequence with a finite number of spikes in response of a single short stimulus pulse. Thus active transformation of N incoming pulses to M outgoing spikes is possible. The predicted theoretical results are found and observed in a nonlinear electrical circuit mimicking the CTE mode, which enlighten the robustness of these phenomena.