Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Native Wolbachia from Aedes albopictus Blocks Chikungunya Virus Infection In Cellulo

Wolbachia, a widespread endosymbiont of terrestrial arthropods, can protect its host against viral and parasitic infections, a phenotype called "pathogen blocking". However, in some cases Wolbachia may have no effect or even enhance pathogen infection, depending on the host-Wolbachia-pathogen combination. The tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus is naturally infected by two strains of Wolbachia, wAlbA and wAlbB, and is a competent vector for different arboviruses such as dengue virus (DENV) and Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Interestingly, it was shown in some cases that Ae. albopictus native Wolbachia strains are able to inhibit DENV transmission by limiting viral replication in salivary glands, but no such impact was measured on CHIKV replication in vivo. To better understand the Wolbachia/CHIKV/Ae. albopictus interaction, we generated a cellular model using Ae. albopictus derived C6/36 cells that we infected with the wAlbB strain. Our results indicate that CHIKV infection is negatively impacted at both RNA replication and virus assembly/secretion steps in presence of wAlbB. Using FISH, we observed CHIKV and wAlbB in the same mosquito cells, indicating that the virus is still able to enter the cell in the presence of the bacterium. Further work is needed to decipher molecular pathways involved in Wolbachia-CHIKV interaction at the cellular level, but this cellular model can be a useful tool to study the mechanism behind virus blocking phenotype induced by Wolbachia. More broadly, this underlines that despite Wolbachia antiviral potential other complex interactions occur in vivo to determine mosquito vector competence in Ae. albopictus.
A novel measure of target scattering randomness with application to polarimetric SAR image classification

A novel measure of target scattering randomness, called the average degree of randomness (ADoR), is introduced in this article. The proposed parameter ADoR is based on the degrees of polarization of the scattered waves using orthogonally polarized incident waves. Combining the ADoR and the Freeman decomposition, which is applied to discriminate the dominant scattering mechanism of the target, a new scheme for unsupervised classification of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images is designed. Considering that the preset intervals of the randomness measure may not fit the data distribution, an iterative classification method is developed. The effectiveness of the randomness measure and the proposed methods is demonstrated using a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) AIRborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) PolSAR image.
A general framework for using the rate law to simulate morphological response to disturbance in the fluvial system

A general framework for modelling morphological responses to perturbation is proposed, based on the underpinning principle that the rates of morphological response in alluvial channels are initially high and then decrease through time as the system relaxes following disturbance. The framework includes three morphological response models, each developed from the fundamental rate law, which has the form of an exponential decay function. These models consider the possibility that characteristic behaviours of the fluvial system, such as delayed response and/or cumulative effects, may affect morphological responses, making them capable of representing relaxation paths and times for a range of morphological response variables, whatever their initial states. To test their utility, the models in the framework were applied to simulate the sequence of geomorphological responses to disruption observed in selected rivers with well-documented histories of morphological perturbation, adjustment and recovery. The results demonstrate that the models in the general framework can successfully simulate temporal and spatial patterns of morphological response in the fluvial system under a range of different circumstances, while also indicating how their reliability could be further improved.
Parasitic effects on memristive logic architecture

The most of the memristor based applications which have been proposed so far have not considered the parasitic components. In this paper, we apply a generic memristor model which includes the parasitic effects to our proposed memristive logic architectures. First, we show that the current response of the memristor has the decaying oscillation when the unit step function is applied. Then we demonstrated that our specific memristive logic structure can almost eliminate those effects which are generated by the parasitic components of the memristor. In addition, the propagation delay and the variation of the memristive XOR gate are increased because of the parasitic components. With the delay analysis on cascaded memristive logic design, the experimental results show that our 3T-4M memristive XOR architecture can build the more robust delay based memristive physical unclonable function (PUF) comparing to the existing memristive PUF.
FT-IR Spectroscopic Imaging of Reactions in Multiphase Flow in Microfluidic Channels

Rapid, in situ, and label-free chemical analysis in microfluidic devices is highly desirable. FT-IR spectroscopic imaging has previously been shown to be a powerful tool to visualize the distribution of different chemicals in flows in a microfluidic device at near video rate imaging speed without tracers or dyes. This paper demonstrates the possibility of using this imaging technology to capture the chemical information of all reactants and products at different points in time and space in a two-phase system. Differences in the rates of chemical reactions in laminar flow and segmented flow systems are also compared. Neutralization of benzoic acid in decanol with disodium phosphate in water has been used as the model reaction. Quantitative information, such as concentration profiles of reactant and products, can be extracted from the imaging data. The same feed flow rate was used in both the laminar flow and segmented flow systems. The laminar flow pattern was achieved using a plain wide T-junction, whereas the segmented flow was achieved by introducing a narrowed section and a nozzle at the T-junction. The results show that the reaction rate is limited by diffusion and is much slower with the laminar flow pattern, whereas the reaction is completed more quickly in the segmented flow due to better mixing.
Centralized and distributed architectures of scalable video conferencing services

The Multipoint Control Unit-based centralized architecture and Application Layer Multicast-based distributed architecture are mainly used for data distribution in video conferencing services. With the contribution of Scalable Video Coding, the latest extension of Advanced Video Coding, video conferencing services are being further researched to support terminals' scalability. The main contribution of this research is to answer a fundamental question before a video conferencing service can actually been designed: which service architecture is more suitable for a SVC-based video conferencing service and in which condition? In order to do that, a framework for evaluating SVC-based video conferencing service has been built; intensive simulation results have been also obtained from simulation scenarios which have been designed from the analysis models of the two scalable video conferencing service architectures. The obtained results show that, with a much higher capacity of the MCU, the MCU-based architecture can only guarantee an almost similar video quality with the ALM-based architecture at a trade-off of at least three times higher end-to-end delay.
Cold acclimation induces zonal heterogeneity in gluconeogenic responses to glucagon in rat liver lobule.

The relationship between the enhanced responses of gluconeogenesis to norepinephrine (NE) and glucagon and its zonal distribution was studied in liver lobules of cold-exposed rats by examination of preparations enriched for periportal hepatocytes (PP-H) and for perivenous hepatocytes (PV-H) by the digitonin-collagenase perfusion technique. In the control group, gluconeogenesis from lactate (10 mM) plus pyruvate (1 mM) was higher in PP-H than in PV-H. NE (100 nM) and glucagon (100 nM) increased the rate of gluconeogenesis by 80 and 70%, respectively, in both PP-H and PV-H. Gluconeogenesis in PP-H was unchanged by cold exposure. The rate in PV-H increased to the rate in PP-H at 5 days after cold exposure, and then the rate returned to the control value at 20 days. The gluconeogenic response to the alpha-adrenergic action of NE in both PP-H and PV-H doubled after 5 days. The response to glucagon tripled in PP-H and was cut in half in PV-H after 20 days. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 1 microM), A-23187 (100 nM), and dibutyryl adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (DBcAMP; 1 mM) increased the rate of gluconeogenesis by 200, 100, and 80%, respectively, in both PP-H and PV-H from the control group. The responses to PMA and A-23187 were unchanged by exposure to cold. The response to DBcAMP was doubled in PP-H and was cut in half in PV-H after 20 days of cold exposure. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Radiative heating characteristics of Earth's cloudy atmosphere from vertically resolved active sensors

High vertical resolution CloudSat radar measurements, supplemented with cloud boundaries and aerosol information from the CALIPSO lidar, are used to examine radiative heating features in the atmosphere that have not previously been characterized by passive sensors. The monthly and annual mean radiative heating/cooling structure for a 4 year period between 2006 and 2010 is derived. The mean atmospheric radiative cooling rate from CloudSat/CALIPSO is 0.98 K d−1 (1.34 K d−1 between 150 and 950 hPa) and is largely a reflection of the Earth's mean water vapor distribution, with sharp vertical gradients introduced by clouds. It is found that there is a minimum in cooling in the tropical lower to middle troposphere, a cooling maximum in the upper‐boundary layer of the Southern Hemisphere poleward of −10° latitude, and a minimum in cooling in the lower boundary layer in the middle to high latitudes of both hemispheres. Clouds tops tend to strongly cool the upper‐boundary layer all year in the midlatitudes to high latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere (where peak seasonal mean winter cooling is 3.4 K d−1), but this cooling is largely absent in the corresponding parts of the Northern Hemisphere during boreal winter, resulting in a hemispheric asymmetry in cloud radiative cooling.
Recent Optimization Techniques and Applications to Customer Solutions 1

Companies operate by setting goals in various business fields, and then taking action to achieve those goals. Optimization techniques are one way to obtain operation (decision making) that will, to the extent possible, approach goals that have been set in response to a given problem. As a result, solutions such as designs for minimal operating cost, optimal product quality, smallest device size and the like can be realized. The development of optimization techniques began during World War II, when they were used to optimize the trajectory of missiles. Subsequently, mathematical programming has been developed to realize optimization through the application of mathematical techniques. Additionally, the optimization technique of meta-heuristics (MH), which imitates physical phenomena and the evolution of living organisms, has been developed since the 1970s. Furthermore, Fuji Electric has begun working to develop an optimization technique that is superior to conventional meta-heuristics. In the past, new optimization techniques had been developed in each era in order to realize customer solutions. But now, those optimization techniques are dated and new solutions are being realized. This paper introduces recent optimization techniques and their application to customer solutions.
No Evidence for Avoidance of Black Rat Scent by the Presumably Less Competitive Natal Multimammate Mouse in a Choice Experiment

In Africa, indigenous multimammate mice (Mastomys natalensis) only appear to live commensally in houses when invasive black rats (Rattus rattus) are absent, yet little is known about the underlying mechanism. Avoidance through smell may cause the absence of M. natalensis from areas occupied by R. rattus, but this hypothesis has not yet been tested. We conducted a Y-maze choice experiment where 15 M. natalensis were offered a choice between corridors containing conspecific scent, R. rattus scent and a control scent. Residence time in the R. rattus corridor was greater than that in the control corridor but equal to that in the M. natalensis corridor, suggesting that multimammate mice do not actively avoid the scent of their invasive competitor.
Information and Communication Technologies for Regional Development in the Czech Republic – Broadband Connectivity in Rural Areas

The present paper introduces chosen results of an ICT development survey in the regions of the Czech Republic. The survey was primarily focused on broadband connectivity and its adoption by agricultural enterprises operating in rural areas. The survey was conducted in the context of both the EU strategy "Digital Agenda for Europe" and the national program document "National Policy in Electronic Communications - Digital Czech Republic". It stems from the enquiries that the situation is not – in spite of a certain improvement – satisfactory and the digital divide remains highly topical in rural areas of the Czech Republic. Broadband connectivity reaches practically 100% in urban areas and more than 85% in suburban areas whereas the rural areas show only about 75% availability. In many parts of the Czech Republic, a high quality Internet connection is quite questionable and sometimes even unavailable until present.
How hydrological factors initiate instability in a model sandy slope

Knowledge of the mechanisms of rain‐induced shallow landslides can improve the prediction of their occurrence and mitigate subsequent sediment disasters. Here, we examine an artificial slope's subsurface hydrology and propose a new slope stability analysis that includes seepage force and the down‐slope transfer of excess shear forces. We measured pore water pressure and volumetric water content immediately prior to a shallow landslide on an artificial sandy slope of 32°: The direction of the subsurface flow shifted from downward to parallel to the slope in the deepest part of the landslide mass, and this shift coincided with the start of soil displacement. A slope stability analysis that was restricted to individual segments of the landslide mass could not explain the initiation of the landslide; however, inclusion of the transfer of excess shear forces from up‐slope to down‐slope segments improved drastically the predictability. The improved stability analysis revealed that an unstable zone expanded down‐slope with an increase in soil water content, showing that the down‐slope soil initially supported the unstable up‐slope soil; destabilization of this down‐slope soil was the eventual trigger of total slope collapse. Initially, the effect of apparent soil cohesion was the most important factor promoting slope stability, but seepage force became the most important factor promoting slope instability closer to the landslide occurrence. These findings indicate that seepage forces, controlled by changes in direction and magnitude of saturated and unsaturated subsurface flows, may be the main cause of shallow landslides in sandy slopes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Collision-free intersection crossing of mobile robots using decentralized navigation functions on predefined paths

This paper deals with the coordination of a group of mobile robots at an intersection. It focusses on decentralized navigation functions (DNFs) to achieve efficient traffic control. The main challenge is to define virtual potentials, which are used by decentralized navigation functions, such that traffic is both fluent and safe, while taking into account real-world limitations like acceleration, braking and speed limits. Our method consists in defining the navigation function with respect to the desired acceleration profile and is accompanied by a set of visibility conditions that increase the capacity of the intersection in terms of vehicle throughput. Priority conditions have been used to both avoid blockades of robots and to save energy by assigning higher priorities to robots with higher inertias.
High Entrainment Constrains Synaptic Depression Levels of an In vivo Globular Bushy Cell Model

Globular bushy cells (GBCs) located in the ventral cochlear nucleus are an essential part of the sound localization pathway in the mammalian auditory system. They receive inputs directly from the auditory nerve and are particularly sensitive to temporal cues due to their synaptic and membrane specializations. GBCs act as coincidence detectors for incoming spikes through large synapses—endbulbs of Held—which connect to their soma. Since endbulbs of Held are an integral part of the auditory information conveying and processing pathway, they were extensively studied. Virtually all in vitro studies showed large synaptic depression, but on the other hand a few in vivo studies showed relatively small depression. It is also still not well understood how synaptic properties functionally influence firing properties of GBCs. Here we show how different levels of synaptic depression shape firing properties of GBCs in in vivo-like conditions using computer simulations. We analyzed how an interplay of synaptic depression (0–70%) and the number of auditory nerve fiber inputs (10–70) contributes to the variability of the experimental data from previous studies. We predict that the majority of synapses of GBCs with high characteristic frequencies (CF > 500 Hz) have a rate dependent depression of less than 20%. GBCs with lower CF (<500 Hz) work also with strong depressing synapses (up to 50% or more). We also showed that synapses explicitly fitted to in vitro experiments with paired-pulse stimuli did not operate properly in in vivo-like conditions and required further extension to capture the differences between in vitro and in vivo experimental conditions. Overall, this study helps to understand how synaptic properties shape temporal processing in the auditory system. It also integrates, compares, and reconciles results of various experimental studies.
Inverted Mel Feature Set based Text-Independent Speaker Identification using Finite Doubly Truncated Gaussian Mixture Model

This paper provides an efficient approach for text-independent speaker identification using the Inverted Mel-frequency Cepstral Coefficients as feature set and Finite Doubly Truncated Gaussian Mixture as Model (FDTGMM). Over the years, Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC), modeled on the human auditory system, has been used as a standard acoustic feature set for speech related applications. Furthermore, it has been shown that the Inverted Mel-frequency Cepstral Coefficients (IMFCC) is also a useful feature set for Speaker identification, which contains information complementary to MFCC as, it covers high frequency region more closely. The performance of the developed model is studied through experimental evaluation with 45 speaker’s data base and identification accuracy.
A novel approach of low-frequency ultrasonic naked plasmid gene delivery and its assessment.

OBJECTIVE To deliver the naked genes into cells through the bioeffects of cell membrane porous produced by low-frequency ultrasound (US) and to investigate the safety by determining the threshold of cell damage and membrane permeability. METHODS The suspension of red cells from chickens, rabbits, rats, and S180 cells was exposed to calibrated US field with different parameters in still and flowing state. Laser scanning confocal microscopy, fluorescent microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, flow cytometry and spectrophotometry were used to examine cell morphology, membrane permeability, enzymes, free radicals, naked gene expression efficiency, threshold of cell damage and cell viability. RESULTS The plasmid of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter gene was delivered into S180 cells under optimal conditions without cell damage and cytotoxicity. The transfection rate was (35.83 +/- 2.53)% (n = 6) in viable cells, and the cell viability was (90.17 +/- 1.47)% (n = 6). Also, malondialdehyde, hydroxyl free radical, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase showed a S-shaped growth model (r = 0.98 +/- 0.01) in response to the permeability change and alteration of cell morphology. The constant E of energy accumulation in US delivery at 90% cell viability was an optimal control factor, and at 80% cell viability was the damage threshold. CONCLUSION US under optimal conditions is a versatile gene therapy tool. The intensity of GFP expression in US group has a higher fluorescent peak than that in AVV-GFP group and control group (P < 0.001). The optimal gene uptakes, expression of gene and safety depend on E, which can be applied to control gene delivery efficiency in combination with other parameters. The results are helpful for development of a novel clinical naked gene therapeutic system and non-hyperthermia cancer therapeutic system.
8q24 rs4242382 polymorphism is a risk factor for prostate cancer among multi-ethnic populations: evidence from clinical detection in China and a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND Evidence supporting an association between the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and prostate cancer (PCa) risk has been reported in North American and Europe populations, though data from Asian populations remain limited. We therefore investigated this association by clinical detection in China, and meta-analysis in Asian, Caucasian and African-American populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood samples and clinical information were collected from ethnically Chinese men from Northern China with histologically- confirmed PCa (n=335) and from age-matched normal controls (n=347). The 8q24 (rs4242382) gene polymorphism was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting analysis. We initially analyzed the associations between the risk allele and PCa and clinical covariates. A meta-analysis was then performed using genotyping data from a total of 1,793 PCa cases and 1,864 controls from our study and previously published studies in American and European populations, to determine the association between PCa and risk genotype. RESULTS The incidence of the risk allele was higher in PCa cases than controls (0.222 vs 0.140, P=7.3? 10-5), suggesting that the 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism was associated with PCa risk in Chinese men. The genotypes in subjects were in accordance with a dominant genetic model (ORadj=2.03, 95%CI: 1.42-2.91, Padj=1.1? 10-4). Presence of the risk allele rs4242382-A at 8q24 was also associated with clinical covariates including age at diagnosis ≥65 years, prostate specific antigen >10 ng/ml, Gleason score <8, tumor stage and aggressive PCa, compared with the non-risk genotype (P=4.6? 10-5-3.0? 10-2). Meta-analysis confirmed the association between 8q24 rs4242382-A polymorphism and PCa risk (OR=1.62, 95%CI: 1.39-1.88, P=1.0? 10-5) across Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. CONCLUSIONS The replicated data suggest that the 8q24 rs4242382-A variation might be associated with increased PCa susceptibility in Asian, Caucasian and African American populations. These results imply that this polymorphism may be a useful risk biomarker for PCa in multi-ethnic populations.