Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation and Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria Producing Bacteriocin like Inhibitory Substance (BLIS) from “Gappal”, a Dairy Product from Burkina Faso

Indigenous fermented foods are known for their nutritional and functional properties but they are often spoiled by pathogenic bacteria that can constitute a food safety problem. “Gappal” is a no-thermal treat food based on millet dough and milk and its production conditions can constitute a food safety problem. The aim of this study was to screen and identify LAB producing Bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances using a matrix similar to “Gappal”. The detection of potential BLIS was first performed using overlaid method after enrichment of samples in whey and millet dough. The isolates demonstrating inhibiting area were preselected, purified and tested for the presence of antibacterial properties using their neutralized cell-free culture supernatant and subsequently treated with catalase in combination with protease, pepsin or trypsin. The antimicrobial effect of two isolates (Gbf48 and Gbf50) after growth on MRS broth over 12 h at 30˚C were active against E. faecalis ATCC 19433, M. luteus ATCC 49732, S. aureus ATCC 2523, L. monocytogenes, B. megaterium, B. sphaericus and B. cereus with an activity of 2560 AU/mL. The 16S RNA gene sequencing identification indicated that these isolates are Pediococcus acidilactici. Gbf 48 and Gbf 50 could be used to improve preservative factors for a controlled fermentation of non thermal treatment fermented food for their potential of acidification adds to BLIS production.
Semantic mashup composition from natural language expressions: preliminary results

Despite an abundance of data available on the web today, satisfying users' complex information needs intelligently by automatically integrating and processing data from various sources remains challenging. In recent years, a large stream of research into mashups as a paradigm of end user development has emerged. These mashups foster combination and reuse of data and services and thereby allow end users to create novel applications. Developing such mashups efficiently and effectively, however, is still difficult for users that lack technical expertise. To address this issue, we extend a mashup platform with automatic mashup composition mechanisms and an agent that assists users in mashup design. To this end, we leverage semantics to simplify the mashup composition process on multiple levels. We associate each widget (i.e., mashup component) with a semantic model of inputs and outputs. These semantic models are helpful for identifying appropriate widgets in a given context and allow us to validate the links between widgets in a mashup. These validations provide the foundation for an advanced composition algorithm that automatically creates meaningful mashups from a given set of widgets. Finally, we develop an agent that leverages the semantic annotations to allow users to automatically compose mashups by entering natural-language text.
Histomorphometric and immunohistochemical assessment of RUNX2 and VEGF of Biogran™ and autogenous bone graft in human maxillary sinus bone augmentation: A prospective and randomized study

BACKGROUND Few studies have been conducted to assess new bone formation using Biogran, a bioactive glass, in maxillary sinus bone augmentation through a prospective and randomized evaluation. Moreover, there are no studies that evaluate cellular behavior by immunohistochemical assessment for osteoblastic and vascular activity during bone repair. PURPOSE The aim of this study is to compare new bone formation and cellular behavior with Biogran alone, a 1:1 combination of Biogran and autogenous bone graft, and autogenous bone graft alone in human maxillary sinuses. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ten maxillary sinuses were grafted with Biogran (Group 1), 10 grafted with Biogran added to autogenous bone graft in a 1:1 ratio (Group 2), and 10 grafted with autogenous bone graft alone (Group 3). After 6 months of bone healing, samples were obtained concurrent to the dental implants' placement to be evaluated by histomorphometric and immunohistochemical assessment for RUNX2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). RESULTS The amount of new bone formation in Group 1 was 42.0 ± 7.3% in the pristine bone region, 40.7 ± 14.0% in the intermediate region, and 45.6 ± 13.5% in apical region. In Group 2, for pristine bone, intermediate, and apical regions, new bone formation was 36.6 ± 12.9%, 33.2 ± 13.3%, and 45.8 ± 13.9%, respectively. Group 3 showed new bone formation of 37.3 ± 11.6%, 35.3 ± 14.7%, and 39.9 ± 15.8% in pristine bone, intermediate, and apical regions, respectively. The immunolabeling for RUNX2 showed low cellular activity in osteoblasts for all groups, and the VEGF assessment demonstrated moderate cellular activity in Groups 1 and 2; however, Group 3 presented with low activity in the pristine bone region, followed by moderate activity in the intermediate and apical region. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that Biogran and its combination with autogenous bone graft 1:1 are good bone substitutes due to their similarity to autogenous bone graft.
VMDFS: Virtual Memory based Mobile Distributed File System

The mobile computing paradigm is becoming a reality due to the advent of mobile devices such as, PDA and Smart Phones having wireless interface to WWW. As a result, the high-end applications related to mobile multimedia and distributed digital contents have gained much attention. However, the existing distributed and mobile file systems are not adequately suitable to support such applications handling the challenges offered by mobile computing systems. In this paper, the concept, design architecture and consistency model of Virtual memory based Mobile Distributed File System (VMDFS) are proposed based on thin-mobileclient/fat-server model. VMDFS creates the migrate-able virtual memory based mobile file system on top of the disk file systems of remote servers employing dynamic frame-lock to reduce network latency and to attain high-performance. An abstract mathematical model of VMDFS is constructed and associated properties are evaluated. The kernel-level implementation framework of VMDFS is illustrated based on Linux 2.4. 22. The network paging latencies for LAN, Wireless VPN and 2.5G GPRS are measured experimentally. The results indicate that VMDFS is realizable.
Hypercomplex Low Rank Matrix Completion with Non-negative Constraints via Convex Optimization

Expressing multidimensional information as a value in hypercomplex number systems (e.g., quaternion, octonion, etc.) has great potential, in data sciences, e.g., signal processing, to enjoy their nontrivial algebraic benefits which are not available in standard real or complex vector systems. Strategic utilizations of such benefits would include, e.g., hypercomplex singular value decomposition (SVD) and low rank approximation of matrices. In real world applications, e.g., representing color images, of hypercomplex number systems, all attributes are often restricted to be non-negative. In this paper, we formulate non-negative matrix completion problem in hypercomplex domain as a convex optimization problem in real domain. These formulation is based on algebraic translations of Cayley-Dickson (C-D) linear systems. We then derive an algorithmic solution to hypercomplex low rank matrix completion with non-negative constraint based on a proximal splitting technique. Numerical experiments are performed in a scenario of high-dimensional hypercomplex matrix completion problem and show that the proposed algorithm recovers much more faithfully the original information, masked randomly by noise, than a part-wise state-of-art algorithms.
Non(anti)commutative superspace, UV/IR mixing & open Wilson lines

We study quantum aspects of field theories defined on = 1/2 superspace, where both bosonic and fermionic coordinates are made non(anti)commutative. We compute the one-loop effective superpotential, and we find that planar and nonplanar contributions exhibit markedly different behavior. Planar diagrams yield an effective superpotential proportional to Nc(Φlog Φ). For nonplanar diagrams, we show that ultraviolet-infrared mixing takes place and explain why some nonplanar diagrams are ultraviolet-divergent when bosonic noncommutativity is turned off. Each nonplanar diagram is not expressible as a star product of background fields, but, once resummed appropriately, they are expressed as a star product involving open Wilson lines in superspace. The open Wilson lines are responsible for ultraviolet-infrared mixing. We comment on an intriguing relation of our result to the Dijkgraaf-Vafa correspondence between gauge theories and matrix models.
Scalable Reputation Management for P 2 P MMOGs

Networked virtual environments (VEs) such as Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) have become very popular in recent years. However, existing client-server architectures suffer from resource constrains when the number of concurrent users increases. Research on peer-to-peer virtual environments (P2P-VEs) thus tries to create more scalable and affordable VEs via the resource sharing of mutually cooperating clients. However, P2P approaches face the problem of client misbehavior where clients may not properly process the game rules. Without the monitoring and control from servers, the misbehavior could negatively affect a game’s normal operations. In this paper, we present REPS, a distributed reputation management system for P2P-based MMOGs that allows trustworthy clients be identified. Based on the mutual rating and reputation query among users, REPS provides a scalable and reliable reputation mechanism that helps users to estimate the trustworthiness of others, so that subsequent grouping, trading, or superpeer selection decisions are made more reliably.
Calcaneal Gait in spastic Diplegia After Heel Cord Lemgthening: A Study with Gait Analysis

Calcaneal gait or deformity can be significant complication after heel cord lengthenig. After heel cord lenghtening, 20 children wirh spastic deiplegia were evaluated by gait analysis to define calcaneal gait objectively and describe associated morbidity. Mean age 5 years 2 months (range 2 years 7 months to 8 years 2 months), and mean length of follow-up was 5 years 8 months (range 1 years 1 month 11 year 3 months). Calcaneal gait was defined as dirsuflexion 1 SD beyond the mean in the sagittal plane for all phases of stance. In creased ankle dorsiflexion during midstance most accurately predicts calcaneal gait. Through gait analysis, a 30% (6 of 20) prevalence of calcaneal gait suggests that an incresed incidence of caolcaneal fair may be present after heel cord incidence of calcaneal gait may be present after heel cord lengthening.
Extension Clustering Algorithm and Its Applications

To overcome the shortages of traditional clustering algorithms, a clustering algorithm based on extenics was proposed. First, the algorithms build the matter-element model of sample, calculate its correlation degree and then confirm the cluster for each sample. Through the experiments of UCI data clustering and Hydraulic system fault diagnosis, we proved that the suggested algorithm can solve the clustering problem effectively, an it is more practical for data clustering.
Endogenous Parties in an Assembly . The Formation of Two Polarized Voting Blocs

In this paper I show how members of an assembly form voting blocs strategically to coordinate their votes and affect the policy outcome chosen by the assembly. In a repeated voting game, permanent voting blocs form in equilibrium. These permanent voting blocs act as endogenous political parties that exercise party discipline. In a stylized assembly I prove that the equilibrium parties must be two small polarized voting blocs. In an empirical application of the model to the US Supreme Court, I again predict that the equilibrium outcome of strategic coalition formation in the Court would lead to the formation of two voting blocs, one at each side of the ideological divide. JEL: D71, D72. ∗I thank Francis Bloch, Anna Bogomolnaia, Matias Iaryczower, Matt Jackson, Andrea Mattozzi and Tom Palfrey for their comments and suggestions. I am grateful to Andrew Martin and Keith Poole for their generous help with the US Supreme Court data. †Email: eguia@nyu.edu. Mail: 19 West 4th Street, 2nd Floor, Dept. of Politics NYU. New York, NY 10012.
Sales pipeline win propensity prediction: A regression approach

Sales pipeline analysis is fundamental to proactive management of an enterprize's sales pipeline and critical for business success. In particular, win propensity prediction, which involves quantitatively estimating the likelihood that on-going sales opportunities will be won within a specified time window, is a fundamental building block for sales management and lays the foundation for many applications such as resource optimization and sales gap analysis. With the proliferation of big data, the use of data-driven predictive models as a means to drive better sales performance is increasingly widespread, both in business-to-client (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) markets. However, the relatively small number of B2B transactions (compared with the volume of B2C transactions), noisy data, and the fast-changing market environment pose challenges to effective predictive modeling. This paper proposes a machine learning-based unified framework for sales opportunity win propensity prediction, aimed at addressing these challenges. We demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed system using data from a top-500 enterprize in the business-to-business market.
The Integrated Language Database of 8th - 21st-Century Dutch

The Institute for Dutch Lexicology (INL) has a long-standing tradition in corpus-based lexicography. The results include electronic scholarly dictionaries of Dutch covering the vocabulary from 1200 up to 1976, linguistically annotated electronic text corpora of historical and present-day Dutch, and computational lexica. Added value to these data is given in an on-going long-term INL project, the Integrated Language Database of 8th–21st-Century Dutch (ILD). The aim is to create a flexible linguistic research instrument by linking the dictionaries, a balanced diachronic text corpus and lexica of historical and present-day Dutch. We will link part of our data with data collections stored at other institutes, creating a supra-institutional research instrument. The paper reports on the overall ILD design and the user's perspective. Focus is on the ILD prototype which, when finished, will function as a demonstration model to verify and assess user needs. It now functions to test the design empirically for its applicability to 'real data', as well as to obtain figures on workload, etc. The conclusion is that the latter function proved the prototype to be an indispensable pilot for the ILD.
Real-Time Model-Based Articulated Object Pose Detection and Tracking with Variable Rigidity Constraints

A novel model-based approach is introduced for real-time detection and tracking of the pose of general articulated objects. A variety of dense motion and depth cues are integrated into a novel articulated Iterative Closest Point approach. The proposed method can independently track the six-degrees-of-freedom pose of over a hundred of rigid parts in real-time while, at the same time, imposing articulation constraints on the relative motion of different parts. We propose a novel rigidization framework for optimally handling unobservable parts during tracking. This involves rigidly attaching the minimal amount of unseen parts to the rest of the structure in order to most effectively use the currently available knowledge. We show how this framework can be used also for detection rather than tracking which allows for automatic system initialization and for incorporating pose estimates obtained from independent object part detectors. Improved performance over alternative solutions is demonstrated on real-world sequences.
Smoothing for maneuvering target tracking

Smoothing algorithms for maneuvering target tracking with nonlinear target dynamic and measurement equations are described and investigated. Target motion is represented using a multiple model approach. Techniques based on the interacting multiple model filter (IMMF), hypothesis pruning and maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation of the maneuvering mode are described. All three techniques are based on the use of the unscented transformation with an augmented state model. A procedure for selecting the sigma points which exploits the partial lineairty of the augmented state model is used. The performances of the algorithms are analysed using a scenario involving a target which undergoes coordinated turn maneuvers. In this scenario, for a sufficiently large number of smoothing lags, the MAP approach and the pruning algorithm have almost equal performance and significantly superior performance to the augmented state IMMF. The MAP approach has the benefit of a reduced computational expense
Assessing models of speciation under different biogeographic scenarios; an empirical study using multi‐locus and RNA‐seq analyses

Abstract Evolutionary biology often seeks to decipher the drivers of speciation, and much debate persists over the relative importance of isolation and gene flow in the formation of new species. Genetic studies of closely related species can assess if gene flow was present during speciation, because signatures of past introgression often persist in the genome. We test hypotheses on which mechanisms of speciation drove diversity among three distinct lineages of desert tortoise in the genus Gopherus. These lineages offer a powerful system to study speciation, because different biogeographic patterns (physical vs. ecological segregation) are observed at opposing ends of their distributions. We use 82 samples collected from 38 sites, representing the entire species' distribution and generate sequence data for mtDNA and four nuclear loci. A multilocus phylogenetic analysis in *BEAST estimates the species tree. RNA‐seq data yield 20,126 synonymous variants from 7665 contigs from two individuals of each of the three lineages. Analyses of these data using the demographic inference package ∂a∂i serve to test the null hypothesis of no gene flow during divergence. The best‐fit demographic model for the three taxa is concordant with the *BEAST species tree, and the ∂a∂i analysis does not indicate gene flow among any of the three lineages during their divergence. These analyses suggest that divergence among the lineages occurred in the absence of gene flow and in this scenario the genetic signature of ecological isolation (parapatric model) cannot be differentiated from geographic isolation (allopatric model).
3D facial expression recognition using residues

In this paper, we propose an approach using spatial displacement (or residue) of facial points, for Facial Expression Recognition using 3D facial models. It is shown that residues of facial points, have more information about facial expressions than the static expressive face itself. This approach overcomes some of the inherent defects in just taking the expressive face as the basic model to work on. With the proposed approach, we get an average recognition rate of 91.7% for six expressions and the expression of surprise is recognized successfully a rate of 100%.
Self-Glycolipids Modulate Dendritic Cells Changing the Cytokine Profiles of Committed Autoreactive T Cells

The impact of glycolipids of non-mammalian origin on autoimmune inflammation has become widely recognized. Here we report that the naturally occurring mammalian glycolipids, sulfatide and β-GalCer, affect the differentiation and the quality of antigen presentation by monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). In response to sulfatide and β-GalCer, monocytes develop into immature DCs with higher expression of HLA-DR and CD86 but lower expression of CD80, CD40 and CD1a and lower production of IL-12 compared to non-modulated DCs. Self-glycolipid-modulated DCs responded to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by changing phenotype but preserved low IL-12 production. Sulfatide, in particular, reduced the capacity of DCs to stimulate autoreactive Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase (GAD65) - specific T cell response and promoted IL-10 production by the GAD65-specific clone. Since sulfatide and β-GalCer induced toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated signaling, we hypothesize that self-glycolipids deliver a (tolerogenic) polarizing signal to differentiating DCs, facilitating the maintenance of self-tolerance under proinflammatory conditions.
The Poreh Nonverbal Memory Test

Nonverbal memory focuses on the remembrance of information that cannot be described or put into a verbal component, such as remembering a person’s face, identifying abstract stimuli, or remembering objects. Because nonverbal memory focuses on the remembrance of things that cannot be put into words it is a difficult construct to measure accurately. One area that is of great importance in the assessment of nonverbal abilities is spatial memory (Reynolds & Coress, 2007, Foster, Drago, & Harrison, 2009). Most of the tasks that have been developed to assess this construct employ verbally mediated clues allowing the examinee to compensate for their performance using verbal strategies. These measures often rely on planning and organizational (executive) abilities, which should be viewed as a separate construct. One prime example of such a task is the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figure. This test requires grapho-motor skills, intact planning abilities, and it also allows for verbal mediation. The present study examined the utility and validity of a new novel spatial memory test, the Poreh Nonverbal Memory Test. The preliminary data shows that the test acts in a similar fashion as auditory verbal learning tests. Namely, during the repeated presentation of the test stimuli, examinees show a logarithmic learning curve. Additionally, the performance correlates with existing measures of visual spatial, supporting its validity in assessing the purported construct.
Design of a liver cancer-specific selector for the analysis of circulating tumor DNA

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has been frequently investigated to monitor tumor dynamics and measure tumor burden. This non-invasive method concerning ctDNA has been recognized as a promising biomarker. Recently, next generation sequencing has been used in ctDNA detection by researchers. However, those reports have been limited by modest sensitivity, and only a minority of patients with cancer were applicable. Additionally, a limited number of cases of liver cancer have been analyzed. A more precise method is required to be established to evaluate ctDNA noninvasively. In the present study, a novel method to design a liver cancer-associated chip region (spanning 211 kb, containing 159 genes) was performed with high specificity using International Cancer Genome Consortium datasets. Following evaluation with datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas and data from 3 patients with liver cancer, the selected regions were demonstrated to be beneficial to locate specific somatic mutations associated with liver cancer therapy and to monitor cancer dynamics in the plasma samples of the patients. In addition to establishing performance benchmarks supporting direct clinical use, the chip designed and the high-resolution sequencing analyses pipeline would allow the development a set of patient specific markers that could monitor the process of cancer with high accuracy and low cost. Furthermore, the present study is essential to understanding the dynamics and providing insight into the basic mechanisms of liver cancer.