Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An integrated gene regulatory network inference pipeline

Rapidly accumulated gene expression data put forward the development of numerous methods for inferring gene regulatory networks and the efforts for critical performance assessment of these methods. In this paper, we propose an integrated pipeline for gene regulatory network inference motivated by the results and follow-up analysis of a blinded, community-wide challenge DREAM (Dialogue on Reverse Engineering Assessment and Methods) project. In particular, we categorize the gene expression data into three types, i.e., steady-state gene expression profile of knockout or knockdown experiments, steady-state gene expression profiles after multi-factorial perturbations, and time-series data after multi-factorial perturbations. Then we analyze the three types of gene expression data by using the combination of fold change and t-test, the path consistency algorithm based on conditional mutual information, and the ordinary differential equation model, respectively. Finally we integrate the three procedures to a pipeline for gene regulatory network inference by considering their complementarities. Performance for the network inference will be improved in the proposed pipeline by maximally utilizing information in the available data, emphasizing the knock-out and knock-down data, and differentiating the direct and indirect regulatory interactions.
MIMO Signaling for Low Rank Channels

Future Wireless LANs will consist of heterogeneous nodes and will require more than 1Gbps peak throughput between nodes. This makes spatial multiplexing (MIMO) technology indispensable to achieve the required bandwidth efficiency. Due to available spectrum future WLANs will operate beyond 2.4GHz. Increased path loss and poor scattering are major problems for MIMO beyond 2.4GHz. We discuss the basic tradeoffs and outline the paradigm shift from “rich scattering/poor array” to “poor scattering/rich array” as the carrier frequency increases. We show, that (i) a two-hop traffic pattern, which involves an access point with distributed antennas, solves the poor scattering/rich array problem and (ii) linear processing at the access point suffices in many practical cases. Finally some aspects of the source/destination antenna array design are addressed.
GRAPHENE-OXIDE-POLYMER COMPOSITES AS HIGH-PERFORMANCE SUPERCAPACITOR ELECTRODES

Introduction Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising precursor for making composite materials because of its rich surface chemistry and unique two dimensional layered structure [1,2]. In this work, GO produced by chemical exfoliation of graphite was modified with polymers using an one-step method. Conducting polymers with different morphologies were sandwiched between two layers of GO sheets. The GOpolymer composite materials were used as supercapacitor electrodes. Electrochemical data showed that the composite electrode exhibited an energy density as high as 70 Wh/kg at a power density of 200 W/kg with a good rate performance, showing that such composites are very promising electrode materials for supercapacitors and other energy storage and conversion devices. The facial method for the preparation of GO-polymer composites demonstrated in this work opens up a generalized route to making a wide range of GO-based composite materials for various applications.
Comparison of optimized long echo time STEAM and PRESS proton MR spectroscopy of lipid olefinic protons at 3 Tesla

To investigate the response of lipid olefinic protons (≈ 5.35 ppm) as a function of STEAM (Stimulated Echo Acquisition Mode) mixing time (TM), and echo time (TE), to find values that resolve the olefinic resonance from water in vivo while retaining sufficient olefinic signal.
The critical role of microgrids in transition to a smarter grid: A technical review

Recent economic incentives have resulted in the proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs). Microgrids are a promising solution to the problem of large-scale EV integration into the electric power system. Furthermore, advances in energy storage technologies have rendered grid energy storage economically viable. In this paper, we review the literature on microgrids, focusing on their role in the integration of EVs, and energy storage into the electricity grid. Commercial ventures in the development of Energy Management Systems are also reviewed. As microgrids become more prevalent, scenarios where multiple microgrids operate in a coordinated fashion may arise. We also review the literature on operation and control of multiple microgrids.
Study of Adenosine Deaminase Activity and Inflammatory Status in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE: To determine the serum levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and inflammatory marker in normal pregnancy, nonpregnant women and gestational diabetes. METHODS: 40pregnant women, 40 normal non-pregnant women, 40 gestational diabetes were recruited for the study. Serum adenosine deaminase enzyme (ADA) activity was measured by the Giusti and Galanti method and IL -6 by ELISA in all study subjects. RESULTS: The mean serum ADA level in the gestational diabetes was higher than that in the normal pregnant women . Correlation was found between insulin resistance with serum ADA and IL-6. CONCLUSION: Our study hypothesises that increased ADA activity may be due to altered immunity. Therefore, ADA may serve as an immunoenzyme marker in the aetio-pathology of Gestational diabetes.
URINARY INCONTINENCE IN DOGS UROLOGY/NEPHROLOGY

Primary Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence (PSMI) PSMI is the most common cause of urinary incontinence in adult female dogs seen in primary care practice. Incontinence in spayed female dogs previously was called hormone-responsive, or estrogen-responsive, incontinence. This occurs an average of 3 years after ovariohysterectomy in approximately 20 percent of female dogs neutered between their first and second heat cycles. In dogs spayed before their first estrus, the incidence is reported to be 9.7 percent. In another report, 5.1 percent of bitches were found to have spay-related urinary incontinence. No association of increased risk to develop urinary incontinence was shown in a case control study of 202 incontinent female dogs neutered between 3 and 6 months of age. Female dogs neutered before 3 months of age, however, were shown to have twice the risk to develop urinary incontinence before 6 years of age compared to neutering when older than 3 months. The main mechanism for the development of urinary incontinence with PSMI has traditionally been attributed to low urethral closure pressure, though some dogs have a bladder component to this form of urinary incontinence. Urethral closure pressure is decreased 12 to 18 months following spaying in normal dogs, and it is speculated that this pressure continues to decline with age.
Sources and sinks of dissolved phytochelatin in natural seawater

We modeled dissolved phytochelatin concentrations by studying its exudation from phytoplankton and its removal from seawater. Exudation rates were obtained from experiments in which a marine diatom, Thalassiosira pseudonana, was grown in Cd‐containing medium. Dissolved phytochelatin in the culture medium was measured as a function of time, and a first‐order model was fit to the data to derive exudation rate constants. A synthetic phytochelatin standard was used to study phytochelatin removal from natural seawater. The addition of Cd or Cu, as well as decreasing temperature, significantly decreased phytochelatin removal rates. An acclimation period followed by rapid removal was observed; subsequent incubations showed no acclimation. Using rate constants derived from these experiments and some assumptions regarding the particulate phytochelatin pool, we used a model to calculate the steady state concentration of dissolved phytochelatin in the field and obtained values that are close to field measurements of dissolved phytochelatin in the Elizabeth River estuary, Norfolk, Virginia, where metal concentrations are high.
COMENIUS UNIVERSITY IN BRATISLAVA FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS, PHYSICS AND INFORMATICS HANDWRITTEN CHARACTER RECOGNITION USING MACHINE LEARNING METHODS

The aim of this work is to review existing methods for the handwritten character recognition problem using machine learning algorithms and implement one of them for a user-friendly Android application. The main tasks the application provides a solution for are handwriting recognition based on touch input, handwriting recognition from live camera frames or a picture file, learning new characters, and learning interactively based on user's feedback. The recognition model we have chosen is a multilayer perceptron, a feedforward artificial neural network, especially because of its high performance on nonlinearly separable problems. It has also proved powerful in OCR and ICR systems [1] that could be seen as a further extension of this work. We had evaluated the perceptron's performance and configured its parameters in the GNU Octave programming language, after which we implemented the Android application using the same perceptron architecture, learning parameters and optimization algorithms. The application was then tested on a training set consisting of digits with the ability to learn alphabetical or different characters.
Analysis of a single soybean microtubule's persistence length

In this study, we have reported for the first time the persistence length of a single soybean microtubule in vitro. The measurement is based on analysis of thermal bending of a single soybean microtubule. Similar to mammalian microtubules, the length dependency of the persistence length was also observed for this species of plant microtubule. The identification of two intrinsic aspects of plant microtubules: the persistence length and the compositional structure in terms of variety of beta tubulin isotypes, and the potential correlation between these two factors, provides evidence for the functionality mechanism of plant microtubules. In this work, these two fundamental factors have been further discussed for our case study: single soybean microtubule.
Simulation of Shunt Active Power Filter using Hysteresis Current Control Technique

This paper presents a comprehensive design and simulation of three-phase shunt active power filter to compensate the harmonics of nonlinear loads. The paper describes the complete design aspects of power circuit elements and control circuit parameters. The process is based on sensing line currents, line voltages and DC side capacitor voltage to compensate the harmonics in the nonlinear load. In this paper, hysteresis current control band is used in order to obtain switching signals to compensate the harmonics. The graphical outcomes show that the active filter brings the THD of the system well below 15%, while it shows 30% THD without filter.
An Integrated System to approach the Programming of Humanoid Robotics

This paper describes a set of laboratory experiences focused on humanoid robots offered at the University of Padua. Instructors developed an integrated system through which students can work with robots. The aim is to improve the educational experience introducing a new learning tool, namely a humanoid robot, and the Robots Operating System (ROS) in a constructivist framework. This approach to robotics teaching lets students exploiting up-to-date robotic technologies and to deal with multidisciplinary problems, applying a scientific approach. By using humanoid robots, students are able to compare human movements to robot motion. The comparison brings out human/robot similarities, pushing students to solve complex motion problems in a more natural way while discovering robot limitations. In this paper, the learning objectives of the project, and the tools used by the students are presented. A set of evaluation results are provided in order to validate the authors’ purpose. Finally, a discussion about designed experiences and possible future improvements is reported, hoping to encourage further spread of educational robotics in schools at all levels.
Betahistine, its metabolites and vascular responses in the forelimb of the dog.

Betahistine, and two of its putative metabolites, 2-(2-aminoethyl) pyridine and 2-(2-hydroxyethyl) pyridine have been compared for effects (at constant blood-flow rate) on vascular resistance in the forelimb of the dog. Betahistine and its N-demethyl derivative, 2-(2-aminoethyl) pyridine, were of equal or similar potency in decreasing vascular resistance at a dose range of 0.22 to 2.2 µmol/min. In contrast, 2-(2-hydroxyethyl) pyridine at doses up to 22 µmol/min and 2-pyridylacetic acid, a urinary metabolite of betahistine in the dog, at doses up to 22 µmol/min produced no demonstrable change in vascular resistance. After p.o. administration of betahistine (15 mg/kg b.wt. for eight days) the urine of male mongrel dogs contained acidic metabolitea in amounts corresponding by spectrophotometricestimate to 45% of betahistine administered. The presence of 2-pyridylacetate in the acidic metabolic fraction was demonstrated by chemical preparation of methyl 2-pyridylacetate picrate, which was compared with an authentic sample of synthetic compound.
SIMULATION OF THE DIFFUSIVITY OF CEMENT PASTE SUBJECTED TO UNIAXIAL TENSILE LOAD BY A 3 D LATTICE APPROACH

On the basis of the microstructural change of cement paste during a virtual uni-axial tensile test, the diffusivity of cement paste is predicted by use of a 3D lattice approach in this study. Based on an original microstructure of cement paste generated by the HYMOSTRUC3D model, the fracturing process of cement paste during a virtual uni-axial tensile test is simulated and the creation of micro-cracks are captured by use of 3D lattice fracturing model. A 3D diffusive lattice network is generated from the cracked cement paste where the diffusion coefficient of crack phase is assumed to equal to that of pore phase. By simulation of a virtual steady-state chloride diffusion test on the diffusive lattice network, the diffusion coefficient of cement paste subjected to tensile load can be predicted. Simulations have shown that a sharp increase of diffusivity takes place after the maximum load is reached in the uni-axial tensile test.
Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Self-Efficacy Levels of Health Care Professionals Working at Primary Health Care Institutions

Objective: The present study was performed to identify the healthy lifestyle behaviors and self-efficacy levels of health professionals working at primary healthcare institutions. Method: The study was descriptive and relational. All health professionals working at various primary care units of a city were invited to the study (428 health professionals), and the study was conducted with 379 health professionals who accepted to participate (participation rate was 88.5%). Turkish version of The Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale which was validated and Self Efficacy Scale were used. Results: Of the health professionals, who were included in the study, 68.3% were women; mean age was 32.30±4.65 years, 33.2% were midwives; 23.7% were doctors; 22.2% were nurses; and 20.8% were from other professional groups. Average score of health personnel of The Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale was 128.55±21.3 and total average score of the Self Efficacy Scale was 66.53±14.80. Among the individuals included in the study, average scale scores were higher in those ≥35 years old, living in an extended family, working for at least 16 years, and not suffering from any chronic diseases. 1E-mail addres: nr.akgul@gmail.com *This research was presented as a poster proceeding in the 12th National Nursing Conference (October 20-24, 2009). Received Date: February 5, 2015 / Accepted Date: April 25, 2016 Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors and Self-Efficacy Levels of Health Care Professionals Working at Primary Health Care Institutions 15 Conclusion: It was determined that the scores of The Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale were higher and the score of Self Efficacy Scale were lower in primary care health professionals compared to some of the studies conducted in similar groups. According to the result, it is recommended that in-service training programs should be organized for health professionals to improve their self-efficacy levels.
M & As and the Value of Control

We propose a novel approach to study the value of corporate control based on the M&A of firms across business groups. Particularly, business groups often use some central firms to retain the control of others. When central firms become an M&A target, however, the buying business group may not obtain a same value of assets through control (VoC) as the selling group does. Based on a new dataset of worldwide ownership of private and publicly listed firms for the 2000-2010 period, we show that the buyer typically pays an acquisition premium when the VoC of the seller exceeds that of the buyer. The stock market, however, responds negatively to this VoC gap. The market is correct: M&As involving high VoC gap typically exhibit poorer long-term performance, suggesting that the buyer pays a price to buy out the control of the seller while failing to create a same degree of benefit for the target. Overall, our results confirm that corporate control is priced in M&As, whereas the transfer of control may not be value creating. JEL Classification: G12, G3, G32
EcoBotics: Advantages and challenges of building a bamboo robot arm

Sustainability and sustainable development concepts are frequently the driving force for research related to optimizing energy consumption and material use in order to reduce the carbon footprint for different products. EcoBotics aims to analyse the question of sustainability in the area of robotics. In this paper, as a first example of EcoBotics, it is examined what are the advantages and challenges of exchanging the aluminium structure of lightweight robot arms with a sustainable material. Bamboo is used in order to exemplify a sustainable material, but the challenges and the proposed solutions for open problems are valid for any material causing a robot structure with low stiffness.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Employer Reputation, and Social Media Capability: an Empirical Investigation

This study theorizes that firms engaging in socially responsible activities are more likely to be perceived as a more attractive employer, and this positive relationship may be amplified if firms have proficiency in leveraging social media platforms. This potential amplifier role may be explained through the greater social visibility enabled by social media. The proposed theory is tested using the structural equation modeling technique and the partial least squares method of estimation employing a secondary dataset on a sample composed of 100 large Spanish firms included in the Actualidad Economica’s Great Place to Work 2015. The empirical analysis supports our theory. This paper con-tributes to Information Systems research by theorizing and empirically demonstrating that social me-dia capability creates business value by maximizing the positive impact of firm’s implementation of corporate social responsibility activities on the building of firm’s employer reputation
Microarray Image Processing for Real Time Scanning with Reduced Dimensional Variables

The image processing of microarrays is like analyzing the arrays of gene fragments from the sampled images. In addition, microarrays provide the information about the detection of differences in genome sequences so that they can be used to detect and classify genetic characteristics very precisely. The experiments of microarray analyses can produce huge amounts of data because thousands of genes require to be processed in a single experiment. In order to obtain significant information from the various experiments of microarray, it is necessary to develop a compact and simpler technique, which can handle the large number of data. This paper provides a technique to perform the real time scanning of microarray images using embedded variables with applying multivariate analysis to reduce the dimension of the original images in vertically as well as horizontally.
AdS6 T-duals and $AdS_6$ × $S^2$ geometries in Type IIB

We summarise the recent results in [1], where the Type IIB AdS6 solutions T-dual to the Brandhuber-Oz solution to massive Type IIA supergravity are shown to fit within an extension to allow for delocalized 5and 7-branes of the global AdS6× S2 solutions constructed in [2, 3]. We show that the Abelian T-dual solution provides an explicit example of a Riemann surface with the topology of an annulus.
OCCURRENCE, DIAGNOSIS, AND STRAIN TYPING OF MYCOBACTERIUM AVIUM SUBSPECIES PARATUBERCULOSIS INFECTION IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIGHORN SHEEP (OVIS CANADENSIS CANADENSIS) IN SOUTHWESTERN ALBERTA

The role that wildlife may play in the transmission of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map), the causative agent of Johne’s disease (JD), and the potential consequences of infection in these populations are being given increasing consideration. A yearling male Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis canadensis) from southwestern Alberta, Canada, was found infected with Map in August 2009. Clinical signs of emaciation and diarrhea and histologic findings of diffuse granulomatous enteritis of the distal ileum, lymphadenitis of the mesenteric lymph nodes, and lymphangitis of the ileum were similar to previously described cases of JD in bighorn sheep. Infection with Map was confirmed by bacterial isolation through fecal culture, acid-fast staining, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of IS900. The Map1506 gene was sequenced, and the isolate was identified as a Cattle (Type II) strain. In a follow-up herd-level survey, three of 44 fecal samples (7%) from individual bighorn sheep from the same herd as the index case were PCR-positive and identified as Type II Map strains. Twenty-five samples from a distant bighorn population were negative. Additional strain typing of the isolates from the index case and the positive fecal samples was done by sequencing three discriminatory short sequence repeat (SSR) regions. All four SSR profiles differed from one another, suggesting multiple introductions or a long-existing circulation of Map within this bighorn population. Detailed molecular analyses are essential for understanding and managing diseases at the wildlife-livestock interface.
Electrical Impedance Tomography imaging using Gauss-Newton algorithm

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a noninvasive tomographic imaging modality, where cross-sectional images of conductivity and/or permittivity distribution inside of a volume are reconstructed. Electrical Impedance and Diffused Optical Reconstruction Software (EIDORS) is used in this tomographic imaging. In this paper, simulation is carried out in two different conditions and using simulated data images of change of conductivity distribution within the volume are generated with Gauss-Newton (GN) algorithm in EIDORS. Priors like Laplace, Tikhonov, Gaussian High Pass Filter (HPF) and NOSER prior are used in reconstructing images. The percentage of error in reconstructing conductivity and 1D conductivity profile are also calculated. The difference images thus obtained are compared with respect to shape, size, and spatial location of the impurity, calculated error and 1D profile to evaluate performance of GN algorithm with different priors. The comparison is done in noise free and noisy (SNR 30dB) case.
Analysis of micro-reflector 3D optical disc recording

In a volumetric optical disc medium, two counter-propagating light beams focusing to the same point create a diffraction-limited size micro-reflector. We propose a single-sided optical layout for a three-dimensional optical disc recording system using the micro-reflectors. Calculation results of readout signal characteristics, estimation of interlayer crosstalk noise, and recording density of Micro-Reflector three-dimensional optical disc recording are described.