Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of sialic acid on the success of poultry spermatozoa cryopreservation

Title of Document: THE EFFECT OF SIALIC ACID ON THE SUCCESS OF POULTRY SPERMATOZOA CRYOPRESERVATION. Lisa Diane Tucker, Master of Science, 2014 Directed By: Dr. Tom E. Porter, Department of Animal and Avian Sciences and Dr. Julie A. Long, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center Avian semen cryopreservation is an invaluable reproductive strategy for conserving desirable genetic traits for commercial poultry production and endangered species conservation. Here we provide the effects of including sialic acid (SA) in the cryodiluent for tom and rooster sperm cryopreservation. Tom and rooster (n=6 males/treatment) semen was incubated at 25oC or 4oC with (0, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, or 240 μg/mL, depending on the species) SA for up to 2 h. At 30 min intervals, sperm viability and SA uptake were evaluated. Turkey and chicken (n=6 females/treatment) hens were inseminated with frozen/thawed semen treated with SA either pre-freeze only or pre-freeze/post-thaw (0, 20, 40, 80, 120, 160, or 240 μg/mL, depending on the species) and percent total fertility was evaluated. Our results demonstrate that the optimal SA incubation conditions for improved fertility with frozen/thawed sperm occurs with 160 μg/mL SA prefreeze for turkey and 120 μg/mL SA pre-freeze for chicken (P<0.05). However, differences were observed between the two species with respect to the optimal temperature for SA incubation. THE EFFECT OF SIALIC ACID ON THE SUCCESS OF POULTRY SPERMATOZOA CRYOPRESERVATION.
Baseballs or Cricket Balls: On the Meanings of Bullying and Harassment

This article introduces the use of semantic analysis as a technique for uncovering how the terms bullying and harassment are used. We infer the latent meanings from the titles and abstracts of all articles in the Social Science Citation Index as of September 2016 using Symphony Content Analysis Software. That software applies rigorous techniques to qualitative input to obtain relationships among words and phrases. Content analysis is an empirically based, exploratory methodology. Results suggest that when improper behavior is directed toward children, it is usually identified as bullying. When it involves sexual content, it is sexual harassment. When it is more physical, it may more likely be termed bullying. When it involves name calling or related actions, it is labeled harassment. More importantly, the results show that all these forms of improper behavior are so similar that the distinctions may really involve intentions or impacts rather than the actions, actors, or targets. Suggestions are made about further research applications to better understand terms used in describing dysfunctional behavior.
Effects of applause magnitude and musical style on listeners’ evaluations of choral performances

Applause, an overt expression of approval from audience to performer, is one of the most common forms of audience response to live musical performances. In this study, we examined the effects of applause magnitude (high, low, or no applause) and musical style (motet or spiritual) on listeners’ ratings of choral performances. A secondary area of interest was the degree to which these effects might differ between music majors and non-music majors. University singers (N = 117) listened to six excerpts recorded by a university choral ensemble and rated the performance quality of each excerpt. Across these recordings, they heard three identical recordings of a motet and three identical recordings of a spiritual with unique applause conditions attached. Listeners’ ratings were influenced by the magnitude of audience applause to a limited degree, but this effect interacted with musical style and presentation order. We observed no differences between the ratings of music and non-music majors, however. Results are interpreted in light of previous research on majority effects, and implications of these results regarding performance evaluation and concert programming are discussed.
Adaptation to Climate Change in Swedish Forestry

Adaptation to climate change in forestry has become a growing concern, in part due to the impact of storms and other events that have raised the awareness of such risks amongst forest owners. Sweden is one of Europe's most densely-forested countries, with this sector playing a major role economically. However adaptation has, to a large extent, been limited to the provision of recommendations to forest managers, most of which have only been partially implemented. This paper summarizes research with direct implications for adaptation to climate change within the forestry sector in Sweden. The focus is based in particular on providing examples of adaptations that illustrate the specific Swedish orientation to adaptation, in line with its relatively intensive forest management system. The paper thus illustrates a specific Swedish orientation to adaptation through active management, which can be contrasted with approaches to adaptation in other forestry systems, in particular those with limited management or management based on maintaining natural forests in particular.
Non-existence of positive stationary solutions for a class of semi-linear PDEs with random coefficients

We consider a so-called random obstacle model for the motion of a hypersurface through a field of random obstacles, driven by a constant driving field. The resulting semi-linear parabolic PDE with random coefficients does not admit a global nonnegative stationary solution, which implies that an interface that was flat originally cannot get stationary. The absence of global stationary solutions is shown by proving lower bounds on the growth of stationary solutions on large domains with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Difficulties arise because the random lower order part of the equation cannot be bounded uniformly.
Designing privacy-aware online social networks-A reflective socio-technical approach

Current empirical studies of online social networks comprehensively describe users’ experiences with interactional privacy management but provide only little concrete software design assistance to address identified privacy issues. We argue that the scarceness of practical guidelines to tackle privacy issues through software design might be due to the research approach. We suggest focusing more on the interplay between user and technology to understand the design options we actually have. In this contribution we first present our research concept based on the mapping of relations between users and technology, and we then describe the challenges for privacy frameworks and privacy metrics involved in this approach.
A foreign exchange market trading system by combining GHSOM and SVR

There are many researches aimed to predict times series of various financial markets. Some of these papers have shown that it is possible to obtain satisfactory results, thereby contradicting the theory that financial time series follow a random walk model. This study applies an architecture based on two stages for trading with two of the most traded foreign exchange rates (forex), the EUR/USD and GBP/USD. It also proposes a trading system to evaluate the model under a financial perspective, both in terms of profitability and risk, and to compare the application of the model in different timeframes (daily or intraday). The architecture consists of a GHSOM network, whose goal is to divide the dataset into regions with similar statistical distribution in order to circumvent the problem of nonstationarity, and a support vector regression machine (SVR), to make forecasts for the regions defined by GHSOM. We report on experiments that the SVR+GHSOM architecture performance is far superior compared to a model based solely on SVR. The comparison considered performance measures such as profitability (ROI) and the maximum drawdown (MD) and has shown that the best results are obtained in daily timeframe. The experiments have also shown that it is possible to increase profit by adjusting the risk parameter (number of lots), at the expense of increasing the risk. Furthermore, the proposed model proved to be much more profitable than a buy-and-hold model using the same time series (EUR/USD and GBP/USD); it also outperformed buy-and-hold with the Dow Jones in the same period.
Trade and Migration: A Production-Theory Approach

This paper integrates the production-theory approach to import determination and the production-theory approach to immigration. The aggregate technology is described by a four-input translog cost function, from which the demand for imports and the demand for foreign labour services can be jointly derived. Empirical estimates are reported for Switzerland. Special care is taken to describe the substitution and complementarity relationships between the four inputs under alternative hypotheses. The issue of flexibility with respect to time is also examined.
SENSORLESS SPEED ESTIMATION OF INDUCTION MOTOR IN A DIRECT TORQUE CONTROL SYSTEM

Fast and robust torque control in a very wide range of speed is very needed by various industrial AC drive applications. Therefore, since 1986 (1), direct torque control (DTC) has been introduced to satisfy this desire. In order to achieve more economical control, conventional speed sensor has been replacing by sensorless speed estimation. The sensorless schemes are used to improve reliability and decrease maintenance requirements. In this paper, concerned sensorless techniques of induction machine controlled by DTC algorithm are open- loop estimators and MRAS schemes (2), (3). To demonstrate clearly the advantages and disadvantages between two kinds of sensorless techniques, obtained simulation results are compared. By enhancing speed estimation, the pure integrator is replaced by a low-pass filter to avoid DC drift and saturation problems (2). Nowadays, comparing with the field oriented control (FOC), direct torque control (DTC) is known as a simpler and easier scheme to perform (2), (4), (5). With DTC technique, the instantaneous values of flux and torque are estimated from the stator voltages and currents in order to comparing with the command values. Residual results are used to determine the optimum inverter switch states through a look-up table to supply for induction motor. As a result, torque can be controlled directly. The stator voltage being used for the estimation is obtained from DC link voltage the switching states of the inverter (The inverter is assumed to be supplied from an ideal AC-DC converter which takes AC voltage from the AC grid and provides the inverter a constant DC input). The switching states of the inverter is controlled directly by the central processor, therefore, the On-Off states of the transistors in the inverter are available to the processor. From the pre-defined value of DC link voltage, the processor can determine the stator phase voltage space vectors corresponding to those switching states. The stator phase currents are obtained from current sensors. In conventional speed control of DTC the actual value of rotor speed is required. The controller receives the signals of rotor speed from the speed sensors. Unfortunately, the accuracy of the control system will decrease with the appearance of noises, causing low reliability. Furthermore, the conventional sensors make the higher cost, increase the complexity of the systems because of noise filtering. The filtering will help to improve the quality of feedback speed, however, additional digital filters require higher computing capacities for faster signal processing and transmission. Therefore, they mount additional costs on the overall systems. Recently, many researches have been carried out for the design of speed sensorless control schemes (2), (3). In these new schemes the speed is obtained from the determined stator voltages and measured stator currents instead of using a sensor. In this paper, two sensorless techniques are presented, an open loop and a close-loop (MRAS) scheme, which can overcome the necessity of the speed sensor.
The Validity of Models the Nature of Biofilm

—The ubiquity of biofilm and its classification as a microbial aggregate is discussed. Investigations into any microbial ecological problem operate at four levels: (i) in situ investigations, (ii) the use of microcosms, (iii) experimental model systems, and (iv) mathematical models. Each of these is defined and their use in biofilm research illustrated. It is concluded that all these approaches are valid and that scientific research in general and biofilm research in particular must profit by the use widely different methods if a complete understanding of a system is to be achieved. A ny conceptualization of biofilms is clearly less complete than reality, and hence is a model in the abstract sense. The issue is to determine what particular model is most useful for the problem at hand and to characterize its utility. " Before considering the topic of models, let us define what we mean by 'biofilm'. The ability of microbes to associate with phase boundaries and proliferate at these positions has led to a wide range of microbial ecosystems that can be broadly included in any definition of a biofilm. Each class of phase interface includes examples of microbial communities that can colonize them. Where air and liquids meet, pellicles of bacterial film can form. A particular example of this is neuston, which is a thin microbial layer associated with ponds, lakes, and oceans. At gas-solid interfaces, biofilm communities are found as long as there is some water available for some of the time. Groups and even monolayers of viable bacteria can be found on food-processing equipment, and bacteria can form coherent film on animal and plant material. The preferred site for biofilm formation is at liquid-solid junctions. Examples include epilithon growing on rocks in streams, and microbial corrosion cells forming on marine installations or on the inside of water pipes and conduits. More relevant to this meeting is the formation of oral films growing on different surfaces in the mouth. Even here, the types of biofilm formed are highly dependent on actual position in the mouth, with fissure and subgingival plaque being thicker and more anaerobic than smooth-surface plaque which, in turn, is quite different from films forming on soft tissue. A good generalization is that a biofilm will form on any surface that is exposed to microbes, water, and a small amount of nutrient. Developments in biofilm research have significantly altered the view as to what constitutes a …
Alterations in Cortical Thickness and White Matter Integrity in Mild-to-Moderate Communicating Hydrocephalic School-Aged Children Measured by Whole-Brain Cortical Thickness Mapping and DTI

Follow-up observation is required for mild-to-moderate hydrocephalic patients because of the potential damage to brain. However, effects of mild-to-moderate hydrocephalus on gray and white matter remain unclear in vivo. Using structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), current study compared the cortical thickness and white matter integrity between children with mild-to-moderate communicating hydrocephalus and healthy controls. The relationships between cortical changes and intelligence quota were also examined in patients. We found that cortical thickness in the left middle temporal and left rostral middle frontal gyrus was significantly lower in the hydrocephalus group compared with that of controls. Fractional anisotropy in the right corpus callosum body was significantly lower in the hydrocephalus group compared with that of controls. In addition, there was no association of cortical thinning or white matter fractional anisotropy with intelligence quota in either group. Thus, our findings provide clues to that mild-to-moderate hydrocephalus could lead to structural brain deficits especially in the middle temporal and middle frontal gyrus prior to the behavior changes.
Black holes in asymptotically Lifshitz spacetime

A model of 3+1 dimensional gravity with negative cosmological constant coupled to abelian gauge fields has been proposed as a gravity dual for Lifshitz like critical phenomena in 2+1 dimensions. The finite temperature behavior is described by black holes that are asymptotic to the Lifshitz fixed point geometry. There is a one-parameter family of charged black holes, where the magnitude of the charge is uniquely determined by the black hole area. These black holes are thermodynamically stable and become extremal in the limit of vanishing size. The theory also has a discrete spectrum of localized objects described by non-singular spacetime geometries. The finite temperature behavior of Wilson loops is reminiscent of strongly coupled gauge theories in 3+1 dimensions, including screening at large distances.
Innovative molecular diagnosis of T richinella species based on β‐carbonic anhydrase genomic sequence

Trichinellosis is a helminthic infection where different species of Trichinella nematodes are the causative agents. Several molecular assays have been designed to aid diagnostics of trichinellosis. These assays are mostly complex and expensive. The genomes of Trichinella species contain certain parasite‐specific genes, which can be detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. We selected β‐carbonic anhydrase (β‐CA) gene as a target, because it is present in many parasites genomes but absent in vertebrates. We developed a novel β‐CA gene‐based method for detection of Trichinella larvae in biological samples. We first identified a β‐CA protein sequence from Trichinella spiralis by bioinformatic tools using β‐CAs from Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. Thereafter, 16 sets of designed primers were tested to detect β‐CA genomic sequences from three species of Trichinella, including T. spiralis, Trichinella pseudospiralis and Trichinella nativa. Among all 16 sets of designed primers, the primer set No. 2 efficiently amplified β‐CA genomic sequences from T. spiralis, T. pseudospiralis and T. nativa without any false‐positive amplicons from other parasite samples including Toxoplasma gondii, Toxocara cati and Parascaris equorum. This robust and straightforward method could be useful for meat inspection in slaughterhouses, quality control by food authorities and medical laboratories.
NeuroPG: open source software for optical pattern generation and data acquisition

Patterned illumination using a digital micromirror device (DMD) is a powerful tool for optogenetics. Compared to a scanning laser, DMDs are inexpensive and can easily create complex illumination patterns. Combining these complex spatiotemporal illumination patterns with optogenetics allows DMD-equipped microscopes to probe neural circuits by selectively manipulating the activity of many individual cells or many subcellular regions at the same time. To use DMDs to study neural activity, scientists must develop specialized software to coordinate optical stimulation patterns with the acquisition of electrophysiological and fluorescence data. To meet this growing need we have developed an open source optical pattern generation software for neuroscience—NeuroPG—that combines, DMD control, sample visualization, and data acquisition in one application. Built on a MATLAB platform, NeuroPG can also process, analyze, and visualize data. The software is designed specifically for the Mightex Polygon400; however, as an open source package, NeuroPG can be modified to incorporate any data acquisition, imaging, or illumination equipment that is compatible with MATLAB’s Data Acquisition and Image Acquisition toolboxes.
Cell nucleus and DNA fragmentation are not required for apoptosis

Apoptosis is the predominant form of cell death and occurs under a variety of physiological and pathological conditions. Cells undergoing apoptotic cell death reveal a characteristic sequence of cytological alterations including membrane blebbing and nuclear and cytoplasmic condensation. Activation of an endonuclease which cleaves genomic DNA into internucleosomal DNA fragments is considered to be the hallmark of apoptosis. However, no clear evidence exists that DNA degradation plays a primary and causative role in apoptotic cell death. Here we show that cells enucleated with cytochalasin B still undergo apoptosis induced either by treatment with menadione, an oxidant quinone compound, or by triggering APO-1/Fas, a cell surface molecule involved in physiological cell death. Incubation of enucleated cells with the agonistic monoclonal anti-APO-1 antibody revealed the key morphological features of apoptosis. Moreover, in non-enucleated cells inhibitors of endonuclease blocked DNA fragmentation, but not cell death induced by anti-APO-1. These data suggest that DNA degradation and nuclear signaling are not required for induction of apoptotic cell death.
Low Dimensional Explicit Feature Maps

Approximating non-linear kernels by finite-dimensional feature maps is a popular approach for speeding up training and evaluation of support vector machines or to encode information into efficient match kernels. We propose a novel method of data independent construction of low dimensional feature maps. The problem is cast as a linear program which jointly considers competing objectives: the quality of the approximation and the dimensionality of the feature map. For both shift-invariant and homogeneous kernels the proposed method achieves a better approximations at the same dimensionality or comparable approximations at lower dimensionality of the feature map compared with state-of-the-art methods.
Generating Explanations for Support Vector Machine Classification Results Insu

An explanation capability is crucial in securitysensitive domains such as medical applications. Although support vector machines (SVMs) have shown superior performance in a range of classification and regression tasks, SVMs like artificial neural networks (ANNs) lack an explanatory capability. There is a significant literature on obtaining human-comprehensible rules from SVMs and ANNs in order to explain “how” a decision was made or “why” a certain result was achieved, and this paper proposes a novel approach for SVM classifiers. The experiments describe a first attempt to generating explanations to “why” certain text contents are depressing or funny using a decompositional approach. Learned model parameters are analysed to select informative feature components and apply filtering to select subsets of more relevant components.
Content based image retrieval based on BEMD: Use of curvelet transform coefficients distribution and Gabor wavelets

In this paper, we present a new method for content based images retrieval. We propose to characterize images without extracting local features, by using global information extracted from the image Bidimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition (BEMD). This method decomposes image into a set of functions named Bidimensional Intrinsic Mode Functions (BIMF) and a residue. Image feature based on curvelet transform and Gabor wavelet, are then calculated. Our system was tested on Brodatz database. Retrieval efficiency and accuracy combining image decomposition model, and both curvelet method and Gabor wavelet based features are found to be superior to other existing methods.