Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of stocking density on growth performance and profitability of Labeo bata fry reared in earthen ponds

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of stocking density on growth, production and profitability of farming Labeo bata fry in earthen rearing ponds for a period of 60 days. Labeo bata, fry (mean initial length, 3.42 ± 0.07cm and weight, 1.02 ± 0.06 g) were stocked at 750, 1000 and 1250 decimal-1 in treatment-1(T1), treatment-2 (T2) and treatment-3 (T3) respectively, each with two replicates. Growth performance in term of final length and weight, net length and weight gain, specific growth rate were significantly higher (P<0.05) in T1 than those of T2 and T3. Feed Conversion Ratio followed the opposite trends as specific growth rate. Production in terms of weight was found to be higher in T2 followed by T3 and T1, because of higher stocking density compare to T1 and higher weight gain in comparison to fish reared under T3 as well as insignificance variation in survival rate between T1 and T2. Consistently higher net benefits were found from treatment T2, which could be recommended to adopt. Moreover, further studies are also required to find out suitable culture technique that could enhance the production experimenting with different feeding frequencies as well as by manipulating culture systems.
Escherichia coli
 Modulator of Drug Activity B (MdaB) Has Different Enzymological Properties to Eukaryote Quinone Oxidoreductases

: Some quinone oxidoreductases exhibit negative cooperativity towards inhibitors. In human NQO1, this is mediated by flexibility around glycine-150. Here we investigated the eubacterial orthologue, Modulator of Drug Activity B (MdaB) to determine if it shows cooperativty towards substrates or inhibitors and to investigate molecular recognition of the inhibitor, dicoumarol. Like human NQO1, MdaB did not show cooperativity towards substrates. However, unlike NQO1, it was only weakly inhibited by dicoumarol. Alanine-127 in MdaB is the structurally equivalent residue to Gly-150 in human NQO1. With the intention of increasing protein flexibility in MdaB, this alanine was altered to glycine. This change did not increase cooperativity towards inhibitors or NADPH. Based on structural alignment to NQO1 in complex with dicoumarol, an asparagine in the active site was changed to alanine to reduce steric hindrance. This change resulted in enhanced inhibition by dicoumarol, but the inhibition was not cooperative. Both changes were then introduced simultaneously. However, the additional increase in flexibility afforded by the change to glycine did not enable negative cooperativity towards dicoumarol. These results have implications for the evolution of quinone oxidoreductases and their potential use as biocatalytsts.
Molecular characterization of a defender against apoptotic cell death 1 gene (CfDAD1) from the mollusk Chlamys farreri

The defender against apoptotic cell death 1 (DAD1) was a negative regulator to inhibit the apoptosis process. In the present study, a DAD1 gene (designated as CfDAD1) was identified in Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri. Its full-length cDNA sequence of CfDAD1 contained a 342 bp open reading frame (ORF), which encoded a mature protein of 113 amino acids. A DAD domain was revealed from the deduced protein sequence of CfDAD1. The mRNA transcripts of CfDAD1 could be detectable in all the investigated tissues, including hemocytes, muscle, mantle, gill, hepatopancreas and gonad, among which the maximum expression level were found in hemocytes. Being infected with Vibrio splendidus, Staphylococcus aureus or Yarrowia lipolytica, the mRNA expression levels of CfDAD1 in hemocytes were all significantly up-regulated. Moreover, the apoptosis level of CfDAD1-suppressed group was significant higher than those of control groups. All these results indicated that CfDAD1 was efficient negative regulator of apoptosis and involved in the innate immune responses of scallop.
Digital implementation of musical distortion circuits by analysis and simulation

In the field of music technology, certain products stand out as having unique and desirable characteristics. Musicians will go to great lengths to find an instrument or piece of equipment that produces a particular sound or feel. As technology progresses, products that may have been popular in the past become obsolete, yet musicians still demand them for a specific artistic purpose. This research is concerned with preserving the sound of classic musical electronics, namely guitar amplifiers and distortion circuits, through modeling the circuits and emulating their sonic characteristics using efficient techniques to simulate audio circuits. This work applies concepts from the field of physical modeling for musical synthesis, namely that of computing as much as possible beforehand to reduce the amount of work to be done in the time-critical runtime loop. This is done by an intricate understanding of the physics of the system, analyzing the system as much as possible beforehand, and simplifying the runtime computation to the bare minimum needed to recreate the behavior accurately. Specifically, this work introduces the use of circuit analysis to derive and emulate digitally the signal paths of guitar distortion effects circuits. This work also explores in depth the use of numerical methods to simulate nonlinear circuits for real-time audio processing as a recursive nonlinear filter and develops a systematic method for deriving the nonlinear filter corresponding to a circuit. Finally, this approach will be applied to some basic building blocks of guitar distortion circuits.
Space-time receiver for wideband BLAST in rich-scattering wireless channels

Previous results in information theory have demonstrated the enormous capacity potential of wireless communication systems with antenna arrays at both the transmitter and receiver. To exploit this potential, the Bell-laboratories LAyered Space-Time (BLAST) architecture was proposed. BLAST systems transmit parallel data streams, simultaneously and on the same frequency, in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) fashion. With rich multipath propagation, these different streams can be separated and recovered at the receiver. The analysis of BLAST presented thus far had always been strictly narrowband. In this paper, we extend the formulation by presenting a receiver devised for more general frequency-selective channels. This new receiver is evaluated-via simulation-in the context of a typical urban (TU) channel with excellent results.
Design and characterization of methods and biological components to realize synthetic neurotransmission

A major challenge in neuroscience research is to dissect the circuits that orchestrate behavior in health and disease. Proteins from a wide range of non-mammalian species, such as microbial opsins, have been successfully transplanted to specific neuronal targets to override their natural communication patterns. The goal of our work is to manipulate synaptic communication in a manner that closely incorporates the functional intricacies of synapses by preserving temporal encoding (i.e. the firing pattern of the presynaptic neuron) and connectivity (i.e. target specific synapses rather than specific neurons). Our strategy to achieve this goal builds on the use of non-mammalian transplants to create a synthetic synapse. The mode of modulation comes from pre-synaptic uptake of a synthetic neurotransmitter (SN) into synaptic vesicles by means of a genetically targeted transporter selective for the SN. Upon natural vesicular release, exposure of the SN to the synaptic cleft will modify the post-synaptic potential through an orthogonal ligand gated ion channel. To achieve this goal we have functionally characterized a mixed cationic methionine-gated ion channel from Arabidopsis thaliana, designed a method to functionally characterize a synthetic transporter in isolated synaptic vesicles without the need for transgenic animals, identified and extracted multiple prokaryotic uptake systems that are substrate specific for methionine (Met), and established a primary/cell line co-culture system that would allow future combinatorial testing of this orthogonal transmitter-transporter-channel trifecta. Synthetic synapses will provide a unique opportunity to manipulate synaptic communication while maintaining the electrophysiological integrity of the pre-synaptic cell. In this way, information may be preserved that was generated in upstream circuits and that could be essential for concerted function and information processing.
Nonlinear switched capacitor 'neural' networks for optimization problems

A systematic approach is presented for the design of analog neural nonlinear programming solvers using switched-capacitor (SC) integrated circuit techniques. The method is based on formulating a dynamic gradient system whose state evolves in time toward the solution point of the corresponding programming problem. A neuron cell for the linear and the quadratic problem suitable for monolithic implementation is introduced. The design of this neuron and its corresponding synapses using SC techniques is considered in detail. An SC circuit architecture based on a reduced set of basic building blocks with high modularity is presented. Simulation results using a mixed-mode simulator (DIANA) and experimental results from breadboard prototypes are included, illustrating the validity of the proposed techniques. >
Signaling Mechanisms Involved in the Induction and Maintenance of Secondary Cartilage on the Coronoid Process of the Mandible

Author(s): Woronowicz, Katherine C | Advisor(s): Schneider, Richard A | Abstract: How does form arise during development and change during evolution? How does form relate to function, and what enables structures of embryos to presage their later use in adults? To address these questions, we leverage the distinct functional morphology of the jaw in duck, chick, and quail. Duck develop secondary cartilage at the tendon insertion of their jaw adductor muscle on the mandible. An equivalent cartilage is absent in chick and quail. We hypothesize that species-specific jaw architecture and mechanical forces promote secondary cartilage in duck through differential regulation of FGF and TGFβ signaling. First, we examine the role of neural crest mesenchyme (NCM), which produces all jaw skeletal and connective tissues, in establishing species-specific pattern by transplanting NCM from chick to duck. Second, we investigate links between jaw architecture and mechanical forces by examining motility and by using finite element modeling. Third, we utilize loss-of-function approaches to determine whether candidate signaling mechanisms like voltage-gated ion channels and FGF or TGFβ signaling are required for secondary cartilage induction. Fourth, we perform gain-of-function experiments to determine whether FGF and TGFβ signaling are sufficient to induce chondrogenesis. Fifth, we quantified FGF and TGFβ pathway member expression in paralyzed and control samples to pinpoint potential mechanically regulated target genes. Our results provide insights on mechanisms linking musculoskeletal form and function during development, disease, and evolution.
Type-2-Diabetes Alters CSF but Not Plasma Metabolomic and AD Risk Profiles in Vervet Monkeys

Epidemiological studies suggest that individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a 2-4 fold increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), however the exact mechanisms linking the two disease is unknown. In both conditions, the majority of pathophysiological changes (including glucose and insulin dysregulation, insulin resistance, and AD-related changes in Aβ and tau) occur decades before the onset of clinical symptoms and diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the relationship between metabolic biomarkers associated with T2D and AD-related pathology, including Aβ levels, from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and fasting plasma of healthy, prediabetic (PreD), and T2D vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabeus). Consistent with the human disease, T2D monkeys have increased plasma and CSF glucose levels as they transition from normoglycemia to pre-diabetic and diabetic states. Although plasma levels of acylcarnitines and amino acids remained largely unchanged, peripheral hyperglycemia correlated with decreased CSF acylcarnitines and CSF amino acids, including branched chain amino acid (BCAA) concentrations, suggesting profound changes in cerebral metabolism coincident with systemic glucose dysregulation. Moreover, CSF Aβ40 and CSF Aβ42 levels decreased in T2D monkeys, a phenomenon observed in the human course of AD which coincides with increased amyloid deposition within the brain. In agreement with our previous studies in mice, CSF Aβ40 and CSF Aβ42 were highly correlated with CSF glucose levels, suggesting that glucose levels in the brain are associated with changes in Aβ metabolism. Interestingly, CSF Aβ40 and CSF Aβ42 levels were also highly correlated with plasma but not CSF lactate levels, suggesting that plasma lactate might serve as a potential biomarker of disease progression in AD. Moreover, CSF glucose and plasma lactate levels were correlated with CSF amino acid and acylcarnitine levels, demonstrating alterations in cerebral metabolism occurring with the onset of T2D. Together, these data suggest that peripheral metabolic changes associated with the development of T2D produce alterations in brain metabolism that lead to early changes in the amyloid cascade, similar to those observed in pre-symptomatic AD.
Operational and environmental evaluation of traffic movement on urban streets using GPS floating-car data

Evaluating traffic networks is vital for the management of traffic systems. Nowadays, Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, by independent GPS devices or GPS enabled cellular phones, is properly used in most vehicles, especially on urban streets, due to its cost effectiveness, ease of use, and real-time services. With its ability to detect the time position of the floating car, GPS devices introduces a new prospective to gather vehicle information. Collected information can be utilized for traffic management and for Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) to deduce evaluation indicators, and to achieve suitable measures. This paper brings up a framework for using real-time data collected by GPS-floating car technique for evaluating traffic conditions on urban streets. It utilizes GPS data of time, longitude, latitude to estimate evaluation indicators of street segments. This incorporates operational evaluation of street segment by characterizing Level of Service and level of congestion, and incorporates environmental evaluation by estimating the road-side concentration of pollutants emitted by traffic. Framework formation has been described. Different models used within every step of the framework have been investigated. Including models used in GPS data sample analysis, through models used to identify of street segments, and finally models used for street segments evaluation.
Prescribing Prevalence, Effectiveness, and Mental Health Safety of Smoking Cessation Medicines in Patients With Mental Disorders

Abstract Objective We conducted a prospective cohort study of the Clinical Practice Research Database to estimate rates of varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prescribing and the relative effects on smoking cessation, and mental health. Methods We used multivariable logistic regression, propensity score matched regression, and instrumental variable analysis. Exposure was varenicline or NRT prescription. Mental disorders were bipolar, depression, neurotic disorder, schizophrenia, or prescriptions of antidepressants, antipsychotics, hypnotics/anxiolytics, mood stabilizers. Outcomes were smoking cessation, and incidence of neurotic disorder, depression, prescription of antidepressants, or hypnotics/anxiolytics. Follow-ups were 3, 6, and 9 months, and at 1, 2, and 4 years. Results In all patients, NRT and varenicline prescribing declined during the study period. Seventy-eight thousand four hundred fifty-seven smokers with mental disorders aged ≥18 years were prescribed NRT (N = 59 340) or varenicline (N = 19 117) from September 1, 2006 to December 31, 2015. Compared with smokers without mental disorders, smokers with mental disorders had 31% (95% CI: 29% to 33%) lower odds of being prescribed varenicline relative to NRT, but had 19% (95% CI: 15% to 24%) greater odds of quitting at 2 years when prescribed varenicline relative to NRT. Overall, varenicline was associated with decreased or similar odds of worse mental health outcomes than NRT in patients both with and without mental disorders, although there was some variation when analyses were stratified by mental disorder subgroup. Conclusions Smoking cessation medication prescribing may be declining in primary care. Varenicline was more effective than NRT for smoking cessation in patients with mental disorders and there is not clear consistent evidence that varenicline is adversely associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Implications Patients with mental disorders were less likely to be prescribed varenicline than NRT. We triangulated results from three analytical techniques. We found that varenicline was more effective than NRT for smoking cessation in patients with mental disorders. Varenicline was generally associated with similar or decreased odds of poorer mental health outcomes (ie, improvements in mental health) when compared with NRT. We report these findings cautiously as our data are observational and are at risk of confounding.
Empirical Modeling of FinFET SEU Cross Sections Across Supply Voltage

At the 14-/16-nm FinFET technology node, experimental heavy-ion single-event upset (SEU) cross sections have been obtained for a D flip-flop (DFF) with variation in supply voltage over a wide range of particle linear energy transfer (LET). An empirical model for predicting the SEU cross section as a function of supply voltage based on experimental data has been developed and verified. The results are consistent with low-LET particle irradiation findings from previous works that have indicated a strong exponential increase in SEU cross section with supply voltage scaling for FinFET technologies. Furthermore, this paper reveals the impact of supply voltage variations on a sensitive area for high-LET particle irradiation. The increase in cross section from nominal (0.8 V) to a specific reduced supply voltage for high-LET particle irradiation is constant and has been observed through experimental results across the high-LET particle spectrum. The 3-D TCAD simulations are used to characterize sensitive area affecting high-LET supply voltage-dependent SEU cross sections in the FinFET technology. The developed model will allow circuit designers to predict changes in the SEU cross section due to supply voltage variation for the 14-/16-nm technology node without extensive testing.
Efficientand Quick Algorithm for Processor Allocation in Mesh Multi-Computers Network

Until now, several continuous and discontinuous techniques have been given for processor allocation in mesh multi- computers networks. Continuous allocation methods always try to allocate a free continuous sub-mesh with the same requested dimensional structure to the parallel input job. For this reason, it produces the internal fragmentation in the processors network. Discontinuous allocation algorithms were produced with the aim of removing processors fragmentation. In discontinuous allocation algorithms, message interference between different jobs and struggle to get communication resources increases network communication overheads due to the increase in path length passed by the message. This communication overhead is highly dependent on to the manner of free sub-meshes allocation and the manner of recording by the algorithm. my paper, a discontinuous allocation algorithm called Quick Non-Contiguous Allocation (QNA) has been presented for a two-dimensional mesh network with C programming language. The efficiency of this algorithm and continuous and discontinuous allocation algorithms is determined and compared via simulator tool ProcSimity . Simulation results indicate improved performance parameters in the given algorithm.
An Efficient Privacy-Preserving Rank Query over Encrypted Data in Cloud Computing

In cloud computing,for protecting the privacy of the sensitive cloud data,an effective methodology is to encrypt the data before outsourcing.However,data encryption makes data utilization,e.g.querying,a very challenging task.Though many solutions have been proposed,they are insufficient or even ineffective to achieve efficient multi-keyword rank query and flexible selective query authorization with multiple data owners while keeping strong privacy preserving.In this paper,we propose an efficient privacy-preserving rank query over encrypted data(RQED). Through the improved searchable public key encryption(PKES) with certificateless authentication,we establish the RQED framework.Based on the RQED framework,we design a more sound and privacy-preserving RQED rank function,and propose a hierarchical index based on dynamic Bloom filters.The theoretical analysis and experimental evaluation show that the proposed solutions indeed achieve powerful privacy guarantee,efficient query performance,low communication overhead and effective query authorization control.
Inhibition of colon carcinoma cell lines by treatment with crude spine venom from marine catfish Tachysurus dussumieri

Catfishes, come under the order Siluriformes, they represent as venomous fishes having venom glands in that dorsal and pectoral spines that are speared into place when threatened. The catfish, Tachysurus dussumieri spine venom is unsafe and having neuromuscular blocking activity, envenoms causes instant, local and intense pain, and a variable extent of bleeding. The present study was carried out in the histological section of spine and effect of spine venom on human colon cancer cell lines (HT 29 and COLO 320). Histology study of spine shows the presence of venom secretory cells. Venom was extracted from spines of catfish and the biochemical composition such as protein (1.020 mg/ml), lipid (0.955 mg/ml) and carbohydrate (0.313 mg/ml) was estimated. Protein profiles of Native and SDS page were indicating both high and low molecular weight of proteins. Toxicity on brine shrimp nauplii revealed the LC50 observed at 400 mg/ml. Result of spine venom on Vero cell line showed maximum cell viability up to 800 mg/ml. The cell viability on HT 29 and COLO 320 cell lines showed IC50 at a concentration of 300 mg/ml and 400 mg/ml, at the time of 24 h incubation. Significantly Propidium iodide staining method was observed to view damaged nucleus of cells. DNA fragmentation assay has confirmed DNA fragments due to the induction of apoptosis.
Identification of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 among Thinprep Samples from 11 Provinces of Iran

Introduction: The importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) in developing of cervical cancer has been proved. Among HPVs, human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) is accounted for in the first place in cervical cancer. So screening the human papillomavirus type 16 particularly is important. This study investigated the presence of HPV-16 in the ThinPrep samples collected from 11 provinces of Iran. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 108 ThinPrep samples which were included HPV DNA. The DNA of samples was extracted by Invitek kit. Then HPV-16 genome was sought using primers corresponding to the parts of the E6/E7 genome of HPV-16 by Nested PCR method. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 13. Results: 25 of samples (27 out of 108) were positive for HPV-16. Kerman province had the most rate of HPV-16 positive with having four HPV DNA positive samples and Qazvin province had the lowest rate of HPV-16 positive with having seven HPV DNA positive. Conclusion: HPV-16 is the most important and prevalent type of HPV among Iranian woman and identification of the other high-risk HPV types is highly recommended.