Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Susceptibility Testing of Eravacycline against Nontuberculous Mycobacteria

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are increasing worldwide. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and the M. abscessus species are the most commonly cultured NTM and treatment options are limited, especially for the M. abscessus species. In this study, the in vitro activity of eravacycline, a new tetracycline derivative, was tested against 110 clinical isolates of NTM. ABSTRACT Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) infections are increasing worldwide. Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) and the M. abscessus species are the most commonly cultured NTM and treatment options are limited, especially for the M. abscessus species. In this study, the in vitro activity of eravacycline, a new tetracycline derivative, was tested against 110 clinical isolates of NTM. MIC testing was performed as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute against 60 isolates of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM), of which ~70% were tetracycline resistant. These included M. abscessus subsp. abscessus (8 isolates), M. abscessus subsp. massiliense (5), M. chelonae (10), M. immunogenum (3), M. fortuitum group (20) including 12 doxycycline-resistant isolates, and M. mucogenicum group (10) including three doxycycline-resistant isolates. Due to trailing, eravacycline MICs were read at 80% and 100% inhibition. Eravacycline was active against all RGM species, with MIC50 ranges of ≤0.015 to 0.5 and ≤0.015 to 0.12 μg/mL for 100% and 80% inhibition, respectively. For M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, MIC50 values were 0.12 and 0.03 μg/mL with 100% and 80% inhibition, respectively. MICs for tigecycline were generally within 1 to 2 dilutions of the 100%-inhibition eravacycline MIC values. Fifty isolates of slowly growing mycobacteria (SGM) species, including 16 isolates of MAC, were also tested. While there was no trailing observed in most SGM, the eravacycline MICs were higher (MIC range of >8 μg/mL), except for M. kansasii and M. marinum which had MIC50 values of 1 μg/mL. This study supports further evaluation of eravacycline, including clinical trials for the development of RGM treatment regimens, especially for M. abscessus.
Human perceptual and metacognitive decision-making rely on distinct brain networks

Perceptual decisions depend on the ability to exploit available sensory information in order to select the most adaptive option from a set of alternatives. Such decisions depend on the perceptual sensitivity of the organism, which is generally accompanied by a corresponding level of certainty about the choice made. Here, by use of corticocortical paired associative transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol (ccPAS) aimed at inducing plastic changes, we shaped perceptual sensitivity and metacognitive ability in a motion discrimination task depending on the targeted network, demonstrating their functional dissociation. Neurostimulation aimed at boosting V5/MT+-to-V1/V2 back-projections enhanced motion sensitivity without impacting metacognition, whereas boosting IPS/LIP-to-V1/V2 back-projections increased metacognitive efficiency without impacting motion sensitivity. This double-dissociation provides causal evidence of distinct networks for perceptual sensitivity and metacognitive ability in humans.
P REDICTABILITY OF V OLATILITY OF C RYPTOCURRENCIES

Prices of cryptocurrencies have shown large ﬂuctuations. However, they have been progressively adopted as an asset class by ﬁnancial institutions. A question naturally arises: is the crypto class exceptional in terms of its volatility dynamics and predictability? In this study, we have selected instruments from a wide range of categories for comparison with cryptocurrencies. We show that from both the perspectives of persistence and mean reversion, cryptocurrencies is similar to instruments in other asset classes. We then examine volatility predictability using the heterogeneous autoregressive (HAR) model and Random Forests (RFs). In-sample and out-of-sample model performances are evaluated using the correlation coefﬁcient between observed and predicted. In both cases, the correlation decreases with increasing prediction horizon. The out-of-sample correlation drops more rapidly than the in-sample case, and the RF model in general outperforms the HAR model. From the correlation-prediction horizon curves, we see that the crypto asset class behaves in line with instruments in other asset classes. We conclude that the volatility of cryptocurrencies is on average as predictable as for other instruments.
C ONVERGENT LEARNING RATES FOR LINEAR SGD

This is known as the case of consistent equations, or learning in ”the interpolation regime. ” For low enough learning rate α, this algorithm produces a sequence of estimates w1, . , wk, . converging to the unique point w∗ which satisfies the constraint above 1. How low should α be? Consider the case of batch-size=1 (stochastic gradient descent) and batch-size=infinity (gradient descent) We are interested in the following thresholds:
A C++ GRAPHBLAS: SPECIFICATION, IMPLEMENTATION, PARALLELISATION, AND EVALUATION

The GraphBLAS is a programming model that expresses graph algorithms in linear algebraic terms. It takes an easy-to-use, data-centric view where algebraic operations execute over sparse or dense vectors and sparse matrices, parametrised in the algebra the computation should proceed with. We present a C++ GraphBLAS interface designed with both shared-and distributed-memory systems in mind. Our speciﬁcation employs STL-compatible generic programming principles. Templates and type traits allow for enhanced compile-time error handling and optimisation, even for user-deﬁned types and operators. Our speciﬁcation guides algorithm designers towards writing performant code by attaching performance semantics to each operation. Wedetailareference implementation that auto-vectorises and auto-parallelises user programs for sequential as well as shared-and distributed-memory parallel machines. We demonstrate the use of our API via two canonical graph algorithms, the k -nearest neighbourhood and PageRank. Weak and strong scaling experiments using real-world datasets with up to 42 billion edges show that the deﬁned performance semantics are achievable in practice and capture key performance characteristics of the two selected algorithms. Microbenchmarks and throughput estimates from the PageRank algorithm on real-world graphs furthermore show that our reference implementation can extract near peak performance on diﬀerent architectures.
A New Method to Measure and Assess Tooth Size and Tooth Size Discrepancy Via Circumferential Measurements using Stereomicroscope

An accurate evaluation of tooth size and tooth size discrepancy is critically important in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning. The purpose of this study was to establish a new method to measure and assess tooth size and tooth size discrepancy with accuracy and reproducibility, named as circumferential tooth size (CFT), circumferential anterior tooth size ratio (CAR), circumferential overall tooth size ratio (COR) respectively. Total 128 dental models were scanned via Hirox digital stereomicroscope for the fabrication of the digital models. Dental models were selected on the basis of inclusion criteria. All the measurements were obtained with the accuracy of 0.1×10-6 mm; the mean and the SD for the CFT, CAR and COR were calculated. The developed norms for the CFT, demonstrated significantly greater values for males in relation to females. More precisely, there were statistically significant differences observed in different variables (*p 0.05 to ***p 0.001). CAR and COR ratio show slight greater value for males without any statistically significant differences. The findings provide valuable information that CFT cover the tooth size in all dimensional aspects. For the prediction of ideal occlusion to be achieved at the finishing stage, orthodontist needs to evaluate CAR and COR ratios via proposed method.
Wide-band injection-locked frequency doubler

This letter proposes a dual-resonance CMOS LC-tank injection locked frequency doubler (ILFD) fabricated in the 0.18 μm CMOS process and describes the circuit design, operation principle and measurement results of the ILFD. The ILFD circuit is composed of a RLC dual-resonance first-harmonic injection-locked oscillator (ILO), a wide-band frequency doubler with differential-injection ports. The ILFD uses resistors to degrade the resonator quality factor and enhance the locking range. At the supply voltage of 1.65 V, the dc power consumption is 7.71 mW. At the incident power of 0 dBm, the ILFD has locking range from the incident frequency 3.9 GHz to 8.2 GHz.
Three‐dimensional multiscale finite element models for in‐service performance assessment of bridges

Accurate representation of the structural performance of civil engineering structures, specifically complex bridge structures, may be achieved through an efficient multiscale finite element (FE) model. Multiscale FE modeling couples multiple dimensions of elements in a single model. In this study, the selected existing multipoint constraint equations applied in planar coupling conditions are modified and refined for out‐of‐plane coupling conditions in a single three‐dimensional FE model. Also, the optimum location for the interface points of different elements is determined to improve the model's accuracy and efficiency. The present case study, the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth, NH, is a vertical lift bridge, which includes novel gusset‐less connections. These connections have complex geometries and therefore require finer dimension elements to represent the structural behavior, while the remainder of the structure is modeled with coarser dimension elements. To achieve an accurate and efficient multiscale model of the Memorial Bridge, multiple global FE models are developed and the predicted structural responses are verified with respect to the field‐collected structural responses of the bridge.
On Directed Lattice Paths With Additional Vertical Steps

The paper is devoted to the study of lattice paths that consist of vertical steps $(0,-1)$ and non-vertical steps $(1,k)$ for some $k\in \mathbb Z$. Two special families of primary and free lattice paths with vertical steps are considered. It is shown that for any family of primary paths there are equinumerous families of proper weighted lattice paths that consist of only non-vertical steps. The relation between primary and free paths is established and some combinatorial and statistical properties are obtained. It is shown that the expected number of vertical steps in a primary path running from $(0,0)$ to $(n,-1)$ is equal to the number of free paths running from $(0,0)$ to $(n,0)$. Enumerative results with generating functions are given. Finally, a few examples of families of paths with vertical steps are presented and related to {\L}ukasiewicz, Motzkin, Dyck and Delannoy paths.
A Statistical Metric for Stability in Instrumental Vibrato

When instrumentalists perform with vibrato, they add a quasi-periodic frequency modulation to the note. Although this modulation is rarely purely sinusoidal, many methods for vibrato parameterization focus exclusively on the rate and depth of the frequency modulation, with less attention given to measuring how a performer’s vibrato changes over the course of a note. In this paper, we interpret the vibrato trajectories as instantiations of a random process which can be characterized by an associated autocorrelation function and power spectral density. From these distributions, a coherence time can be estimated that describes the stability of the vibrato within a note. This metric can be used to characterize individual performers as well as for resynthesizing vibratos of different styles.
Analysis of consensus mechanism models in the application of industrial projects brought by blockchain technology

Based on ERC20 standard, industrial chain platform is developed, where numerical comparison of consensus mechanisms of POW and POS are analyzed and discussed. Besides, some basic concepts of block chain, such as its types, consensus mechanism and incentive mechanism were briefly introduced, combined with features of virtual users, the framework of industrial chain based on blockchain technology was developed. The technical realization of this framework was introduced, and the formulation of smart contract was added. Afterwards, specific applications of blockchain in dating scenario, transaction, settlement and physical constraints were illuminated. Challenges of blockchain’s application in dating platform were discussed. The industrial chain aims to do more research and investigation on the design and implementation of blockchain technique, including security investigation for blockchain, related application of blockchain, the security architecture comparison of both blockchain security system and traditional centralized modes. The summaries for the advantages and disadvantages of consensus mechanism models in the application of industrial chain project brought by blockchain technology, and more actual application scenarios are derived.
Holds enable one-shot reciprocal exchange

Strangers routinely cooperate and exchange goods without any knowledge of one another in one-off encounters without recourse to a third party, an interaction that is fundamental to most human societies. However, this act of reciprocal exchange entails the risk of the other agent defecting with both goods. We examine the choreography for safe exchange between strangers, and identify the minimum requirement, which is a shared hold, either of an object, or the other party; we show that competing agents will settle on exchange as a local optimum in the space of payoffs. Truly safe exchanges are rarely seen in practice, even though unsafe exchange could mean that risk-averse agents might avoid such interactions. We show that an ‘implicit’ hold, whereby an actor believes that they could establish a hold if the other agent looked to be defecting, is sufficient to enable the simple swaps that are the hallmark of human interactions and presumably provide an acceptable trade-off between risk and convenience. We explicitly consider the particular case of purchasing, where money is one of the goods.
Ageing desexualizes the Drosophila brain transcriptome

General evolutionary theory predicts that individuals in low condition should invest less in sexual traits compared to individuals in high condition. Whether this positive association between condition and investment also holds between young (high condition) and senesced (low condition) individuals is however less clear, since elevated investment into reproduction may be beneficial when individuals approach the end of their life. To address how investment into sexual traits changes with age, we study genes with sex-biased expression in the brain, the tissue from which sexual behaviours are directed. Across two distinct populations of Drosophila melanogaster, we find that old brains display fewer sex-biased genes, and that expression of both male-biased and female-biased genes converges towards a sexually intermediate phenotype owing to changes in both sexes with age. We further find that sex-biased genes in general show heightened age-dependent expression in comparison to unbiased genes and that age-related changes in the sexual brain transcriptome are commonly larger in males than females. Our results hence show that ageing causes a desexualization of the fruit fly brain transcriptome and that this change mirrors the general prediction that low condition individuals should invest less in sexual phenotypes.
Artificial light impacts the mate success of female fireflies

Anthropogenic light pollution is a novel environmental disruption that affects the movement, foraging and mating behaviour of nocturnal animals. Most of these effects are sublethal, and their net impact on reproductive fitness and population persistence is often extrapolated from behavioural data. Without dedicated tracking of wild individuals, however, it is impossible to predict whether populations in light-polluted habitats will decline or, instead, move to shaded refuges. To disentangle these conflicting possibilities, we investigated how artificial light affects mating and movement in North American Photinus, a genus of bioluminescent fireflies known to experience courtship failure under artificial light. The degree to which artificial light reduced mate success depended on the intensity of the light treatment, its environmental context, and the temporal niche of the species in question. In the laboratory, direct exposure to artificial light completely prevented mating in semi-nocturnal Photinus obscurellus. In the field, artificial light had little impact on the movement or mate success of local Photinus pyralis and Photinus marginellus but strongly influenced mate location in Photinus greeni; all three species are relatively crepuscular. Our nuanced results suggest greater appreciation of behavioural diversity will help insect conservationists and dark sky advocates better target efforts to protect at-risk species.
The ecological importance of the accuracy of environmental temperature measurements

The implications of logger accuracy and precision are rarely considered prior to their application in many ecological studies. We assessed the accuracy and precision of three temperature data loggers widely used in ecological studies (Hobo®, iButton® and TinyTag®). Accuracy was highest in TinyTags (95% of readings were within 0.23°C of the true temperature) and lowest in HOBOs and iButtons (95% of were readings within 0.43°C and 0.49°C of the true temperature, respectively). The precision (standard deviation of the repeat measurements) was greatest in TinyTags (0.04°C), followed by iButtons (0.17°C) and then HOBOs (0.22°C). As a case study, we then considered how modelled estimates of sea turtle hatchling sex ratios (derived from temperature), could vary as a function of logger accuracy. For example, at 29°C when the mean sex ratio derived was 0.47 female, the sex ratio estimate from a single logger could vary between 0.40 and 0.50 for TinyTags and 0.29 and 0.56 for both HOBOs and iButtons. Our results suggest that these temperature loggers can provide reliable descriptions of sand temperature if they are not over-interpreted. Logger accuracy must be considered in future ecological studies in which temperature thresholds are important.
Big brown bats experience slower epigenetic ageing during hibernation

Comparative analyses of bats indicate that hibernation is associated with increased longevity among species. However, it is not yet known if hibernation affects biological ageing of individuals. Here, we use DNA methylation (DNAm) as an epigenetic biomarker of ageing to determine the effect of hibernation on the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus. First, we compare epigenetic age, as predicted by a multi-species epigenetic clock, between hibernating and non-hibernating animals and find that hibernation is associated with epigenetic age. Second, we identify genomic sites that exhibit hibernation-associated change in DNAm, independent of age, by comparing samples taken from the same individual in hibernating and active seasons. This paired comparison identified over 3000 differentially methylated positions (DMPs) in the genome. Genome-wide association comparisons to tissue-specific functional elements reveals that DMPs with elevated DNAm during winter occur at sites enriched for quiescent chromatin states, whereas DMPs with reduced DNAm during winter occur at sites enriched for transcription enhancers. Furthermore, genes nearest DMPs are involved in regulation of metabolic processes and innate immunity. Finally, significant overlap exists between genes nearest hibernation DMPs and genes nearest previously identified longevity DMPs. Taken together, these results are consistent with hibernation influencing ageing and longevity in bats.
Investigation of hydraulic regime at middle part of the Loire River in context of floods and low flow events

Significant variability characterizes natural streams in space and time that describe hydraulic regime of the entire stream. In this paper, the importance of investigation and assessment of hydraulic system in the context of management of surface water resources is discussed. The objective of this study is to investigate hydraulic regime in the middle part of Loire River located in France. Loire River basin is the largest river basin in France and origin of many potential flood events. Investigation of a hydraulic regime of the Loire River is conducted using traditional hydraulic simulation model HEC-RAS. Hydraulic modeling of the river is carried out by considering two different datasets (i.e. flood and low flow events). A certain number of hydraulic structures, which have the significant effect on the hydraulic regime of the river, is considered as well. Through Froude number computation, it is noticed that middle part of the Loire River demonstrates subcritical regime. Accurate calibration and validation of the model are performed by changing Manning coefficient along the riverbed. Computation carried out for both data sets; show that there are no big differences between observed and simulated water levels, results obtained are satisfactory. Therefore, to get more accurate information about the hydraulic regime at the middle part at of Loire River, the further simulation needs to be done by considering an additional dataset of floods and low flow events.
Electoral competition and government health expenditure in electoral autocracies: A pessimistic view

Does electoral competition affect expenditures on the provision of public goods in electoral autocracies? Previous studies firmly agree that multiparty elections are critical to autocratic survival. Accordingly, studies argue that multiparty elections lead to an increase in health expenditure in electoral autocracies. In addition to the literature, less explored is the effect of electoral competition on the expenditure. If oppositions can run elections with a higher level of electoral competition and threaten the dictator's winning over elections, would autocrats provide more public goods to citizens? This paper raises a pessimistic view on this question and argues that the impact of electoral competition does not affect government health expenditure. Empirical findings with 291 cases of 70 electoral autocracies from 2000 to 2018 and an illustrative case study of Armenia demonstrate that autocrats are less likely to provide health and education expenditures to citizens even though they face higher competition during elections.