Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and correction of genome mis-assemblies due to heterozygosity

Assembly tools are more and more efficient to reconstruct a genome from next-generation sequencing data but some problems remain. One of them corresponds to mis-assemblies due to heterozygosity. Indeed, the assembly of an heterozygous region for which there is a significant divergence between the two haplotypes, could lead to the construction of two different contigs, instead of one consensus sequence. This problem causes an assembly of an heterozygous genome larger than expected, and also a loss of information (heterozygous SNPs or indels cannot be found in the erroneous regions). We propose a strategy to detect and correct false duplications in assemblies based on several metrics. We identified two specific cases highlighting problems of heterozygosity. The first case involves scaffolds that are completely matching on another one. The second case corresponds to scaffolds matching together by their extremities. The two sequences involved in the match may actually correspond to two distinct alleles of a specific locus instead of two different locations in the genome. Ideally, an erroneous duplication would involve two divergent but similar assembly parts, not containing any heterozygous polymorphisms, and for which the merge of the two would lead to the expected read coverage for the resulting consensus sequence. As a consequence, to distinguish between true genomic duplications and alleles, we used various metrics : sequence similarity, length of the match, average read coverage, presence/absence of SNPs in the two concerned regions, number of mate pairs with expected (or not) insert size. As a result, selected allelic regions are used to construct a single sequence by removal of one of the two alleles or joining of scaffolds by their extremities. This allows to decrease redundancy in the genome assembly, to improve the scaffolding and then to increase the N50 statistic. We applied this method to a 526Mb highly heterozygous wild type insect genome assembly for which we expected a genome size around 400Mb only. A set of user-validated false duplications in this assembly enabled us to validate the method and to fit the set of criteria, in order to distinguish between true and artefactual duplications. We took advantage of this study to compare classical assemblers (Minia, Soap) with more recent tools that handle heterozygosity, such as Platanus. This highlighted the advantages of such new assemblers for diploid genomes. However, for already-built assemblies, we showed that our approach is a fast and easy way to discard as much as possible erroneous duplications, allowing their correction without resorting to a complete new assembly that would be more time-consuming.
EFFECTS OF PEBAX COATING CONCENTRATIONS ON CO2/CH4 SEPARATION OF RGO/ZIF-8 PES MEMBRANES

The biggest challenge surrounding application of polymeric membranes for gas separation is their trade–off between gas permeation and selectivity. Therefore, the use of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) comprising inorganic materials embedded into a polymer matrix can overcome this issue. In this work, PES flat sheet membrane and MMMs consists of 10 wt. % of rGO/ZIF-8 hybrid nanofillers were fabricated via dry/wet phase inversion process. Dip‐coating technique was then used to deposit PEBAX selective layer onto the surface of rGO/ZIF-8 PES support. The effects of PEBAX coating solution concentrations (2, 3 and 4 wt.%) on the permselectivity of CO2 and CH4 were investigated. The as-prepared rGO/ZIF-8 nanofillers and MMMs were characterized by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (SEM) prior to gas separation performance study. Gas permeation testing was carried out at operating pressure of 1, 3 and 5 bar using CO2 and CH4 gasses. It was observed that the prepared PES membranes and rGO/ZIF-8 PES MMMs did not have any selectivity towards the gases although their permeability was high. As the concentration of PEBAX coating solution increased, thicker coating layer was formed. Therefore, the permeability of CO2 rapidly dropped but the CO2/CH4 selectivity increased significantly up to 38.4. Results indicated that the use of 2 wt. % of PEBAX was not effective to form homogenous coating layers on PES membrane and to cover any defects on membrane surfaces, thus, possessing low selectivity of CO2/CH4. The high gas separation performances obtained in this work was due to the synergistic effect rGO and ZIF-8 crystals. In the rGO/ZIF-8 MMMs, the dispersibility are enhanced due to the presence of distorted rGO sheets, while the ZIF-8 component ensure the porosity of the nanofillers and permit gas interactions with the metallic sites and functional groups on the organic linker. These sites facilitate the reactive adsorption leading to enhanced CO2 adsorption as compared to CH4.
Optically Transparent 24 GHz Analog Front-End Based on Meshed Microstrip Lines for the Integration in a Self-Sufficient RFID Sensor Tag

This paper presents a 24 GHz Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) sensor tag including an optically transparent patch antenna and an RF circuit. These components are placed on a single efficient solar cell and the transparency is achieved by realizing metal patches and lines as grid structure. Since the analog front-end is implemented in the microstrip line technology, the impact of the grid structure on the characteristic impedance and the propagation constant of microstrip transmission lines is studied in detail. The knowledge derived are taken into account in the design process of the meshed patch antenna as well as the modulator and demodulator circuit. Furthermore, the influence of the solar cell on the characteristics of the analog front-end is investigated. The overall dimensions of the sensor tag are $13\times 13\times 4$ mm3 including the aforementioned components, a microcontroller, an acceleration sensor and an energy storage. The perforated analog front-end fabricated on quartz glass has an overall transparency of 75 % and an antenna efficiency of 49 %. The achieved sensitivity value of the developed RFID sensor tag is −36 dBm resulting in a maximum communication range of approximately 1.3 m.
Win Prediction in Multiplayer Esports: Live Professional Match Prediction

Esports are competitive videogames watched by audiences. Most esports generate detailed data for each match that are publicly available. Esports analytics research is focused on predicting match outcomes. Previous research has emphasized prematch prediction and used data from amateur games, which are more easily available than those from professional level. However, the commercial value of win prediction exists at the professional level. Furthermore, predicting real-time data is unexplored, as is its potential for informing audiences. Here, we present the first comprehensive case study on live win prediction in a professional esport. We provide a literature review for win prediction in a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) esport. This article evaluates the first professional-level prediction models for live DotA 2 matches, one of the most popular MOBA games, and trials it at a major international esports tournament. Using standard machine learning models, feature engineering and optimization, our model is up to 85% accurate after 5 min of gameplay. Our analyses highlight the need for algorithm evaluation and optimization. Finally, we present implications for the esports/game analytics domains, describe commercial opportunities and practical challenges, and propose a set of evaluation criteria for research on esports win prediction.
On ASER performance of higher order QAM schemes in two-way multiple-relay networks under imperfect CSI

In this study, the authors present an analytical approach to evaluate the performance of a two-way multi-relay system with direct link using a three-phase analogue network coding and opportunistic relay selection scheme. Herein, the imperfect channel state information is considered over independent and non-identically distributed Nakagami-m fading channels with integer-valued fading parameter. For analysis, initially, the closed-form expressions of cumulative distribution function and moment generating function (MGF) for the considered system are derived. Further, by using the MGF-based approach, generalised expressions of average symbol error rate (ASER) for higher-order quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) schemes such as hexagonal QAM, rectangular QAM, and cross QAM are derived. They then analyse the asymptotic behaviour of ASER expression to evaluate the system's diversity order. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the ASER performance for various QAM constellations is illustrated and impact of the number of relays, fading parameter, relay location, and channel estimation error are highlighted on the system's performance. Finally, all the analytical results are validated through Monte-Carlo simulations.
How Criminal Offenders Perceive Police Officers’ Appearance: Effects of Uniforms and Tattoos on Inmates’ Attitudes

ABSTRACT Both, the number of people wearing visible body modifications, e.g., tattoos, and their acceptance in society have been significantly increased. Thus, rules and regulations of German police officers’ appearance prohibiting to show tattoos during police services are challenged. Basically, such standards aim to minimize risk factors in police service and to maximize safety at work, thus fostering police operations and finally promoting a favorable image of the police organization. Within the scope of the “Police Officer Appearance”-project (2016–2018) of the Rhineland-Palatinate Police University, we aimed to answer the question how police officers in uniform with visible tattoos are evaluated by others. Within a sub-project, we focused on an important target group in police services: criminal offenders. While previous studies found evidence that wearing a uniform was associated with more favorable ratings of police officers as compared to people in civilian clothing (“uniform-effect”), showing a tattoo had a rather detrimental effect of attitudes toward police officers (“tattoo-effect”). In the present study, we investigate whether these effects transfer to the sub-population of criminal offenders. A total of N = 98 inmates of a correctional institution in Rhineland-Palatinate participated in the study. Inmates were presented pictures of police officers in police uniform or civilian clothing with or without visible tattoos. Results revealed the “uniform-effect” among inmates, i.e., a more positive evaluation of police officers wearing police uniform. However, the “tattoo-effect” was not present in this subgroup. Implications for theory, limitations and future research directions, as well as practical implications are discussed.
Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): New Forms of International and Cross-Industry Collaboration for Sustainable Growth and Development

Building on the tradition, promises, and advances brought by the historical Silk Road, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), launched by the Chinese government in 2013, has a profound impact on international business and the established forms of international collaboration. Exploiting the advantages of liberalization of trade in goods, services, capital, and public procurement, BRI will benefit the Chinese economy. At the same time, it will prompt substantial changes in the field of international business, e.g., by means of fostering business to business (B2B) and peer to peer (P2P) collaboration. It will also influence patterns of Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI). Geography plays a role in BRI; geopolitics is also in the cards. Given the profound implications BRI is likely to generate in the fields of businesses, economy, society, and politics, it is imperative to frame and streamline the discussion to identify the key mechanisms and causal relationships that it induces. This is precisely what this Special Issue sought to do.
Vegetation and seed bank dynamics highlight the importance of post-restoration management in sown grasslands

Sowing grass seeds generally supports the rapid development of a closed perennial vegetation, which makes the method universally suitable for fast and effective landscape-scale restoration of grasslands. However, sustaining the recovered grasslands, and increasing their diversity is a challenging task. Understanding the role of seed bank compositional changes and vegetation dynamics contributes to designating management regimes that support the establishment of target species and suppress weeds. Our aim was to reveal the effect of post-restoration management on the vegetation and seed bank dynamics in grasslands restored in one of the largest European landscape-scale restoration projects. Eight years after restoration we sampled the vegetation and seed bank in a total of 96 plots located in 12 recovered grasslands in the Great Hungarian Plain. In each recovered grassland stand we designated a mown (mown from Year 1 to Year 8) and an abandoned sample site (mown from Year 1 to Year 3 then abandoned from Year 4 to Year 8). Mown and abandoned sites showed divergent vegetation and seed bank development. Abandonment led to the decline of sown grasses and higher cover of weeds, especially in the alkaline grasslands. Our study confirmed that seed bank has a limited contribution to the maintenance of biodiversity in both grassland types. We found that five years of abandonment had a larger effect on the seed bank than on the vegetation. We stress that long-term management is crucial for controlling the emergence of the weeds from their dense seed bank in restored grasslands. Implications for practice Seed sowing of grass mixtures can be a feasible tool for restoring grasslands at large scales. However, the developed vegetation usually has low biodiversity and a high seed density of weeds is typical in the soil seed bank even several years after the restoration. Therefore, post-restoration management is necessary for suppressing weeds both aboveground and belowground. We recommend to design the long-term management of the sites subjected to grassland restoration already in the planning phase of the restoration projects and ensure that the management plan is ecologically and economically feasible. We recommend to complement the monitoring of vegetation with the analysis of soil seed bank for evaluating restoration success.
An Asymptomatic Gossypiboma: A Case Report

Gossypiboma is a term used to denote a mass of cotton material,usually, gauze, sponges and towels, inadvertently left in the body cavity at the end of a surgical operation [1],[2] Presenting here, the case of a 27 year old female who was operated for open cholecystectomy before 2 months and presented with a small sinus at the lateral end of her scar. A firm lump was palpated in right hypochondrium. Retained foreign body was detected radiologically and visualized by gastroscopy, and confirmed after laparotomy. Such retained foreign body should be considered as a differential diagnosis in any patient presenting with pain in abdomen, infection over suture line or palpable mass. KeywordsGossypiboma, retained foreign body, missing sponge, surgical complication INTRODUCTION The term is derived from a combination of Latin words ‘gossypium’ (cotton) and Swahili word ‘boma’ (place of concealment) [3] . It is a rare surgical complication but can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Gossypiboma was first described by Wilson in 1881. [4] Most gossypiboma cases are discovered during the first few days after surgery; however, they may remain undetected for many year. Two usual responses lead to the detection of a retained sponge. The first type is an exudative inflammatory reaction with the formation of an abscess and usually leads to early detection and surgical removal. The second type is aseptic with a fibrotic reaction to the cotton material and development of a mass. [5] In the abdomen the sponge can be surrounded by omentum and intestines, which attempt to encapsulate it. The exerted pressure and irritation on the bowel loops can lead to necrosis of the intestinal wall and the sponge erodes or entirely into the lumen of the bowel. This process can lead to obstruction or fistula. While it may remain asymptomatic; it can present in a wide range of clinical statuses such as www.jmscr. igmpublication.org Impact Factor 5.84 Index Copernicus Value: 83.27 ISSN (e)-2347-176x ISSN (p) 2455-0450 DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i6.118
Characterization of the solid residue generated in the detoxification step of sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate and behavior in agricultural soils

: Overliming is an effective way of neutralizing and reducing the toxicity of the hydrolysates generated from acidic pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for ethanol production and others biotechnological products. Overliming generates a solid residue whose inadequate disposal may represent an environmental problem. This work aimed at the chemical characterization of the solid residue generated during the detoxification of the sugarcane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate and evaluation of its behavior in soil. The solid residue was submitted to physicochemical and granulometric analysis and determination of the contents of sugars, metals and toxic compounds (acetic acid, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural and phenols). The potential of the residue as corrective of soil acidity was determined by analyzing the quality attributes of soil correctives (neutralizing power – NP, relative total neutralizing power – RTNP, Ca and Mg contents and granulometry). The residue was also evaluated for its influence on soil microbial communities and toxicity through bioassays with Lactuca sativa seeds. The residue contributed to the overall improvement of soil chemical attributes. The levels of Ca, Mg, C, OM and CEC were increased, nutrients such as Zn, Fe, Ni, Cr and Mn were detected, and microbial communities were stimulated. Besides, the residue showed no significant values of toxic compounds and no toxicity to L. sativa seeds. The residue was able to reduce the soil pH and to keep it stable throughout the study period. As a higher amount of the residue was necessary to reach pH 7 than limestone, it should be used as an auxiliary corrective of acidity.
A Machine Learning Recommender Model for Ride Sharing Based on Rider Characteristics and User Threshold Time

In the present age, human life is prospering incredibly due to the 4th Industrial Revolution or The Age of Digitization and Computing. The ubiquitous availability of the Internet and advanced computing systems have resulted in the rapid development of smart cities. From connected devices to live vehicle tracking, technology is taking the field of transportation to a new level. An essential part of the transportation domain in smart cities is Ride Sharing. It is an excellent solution to issues like pollution, traffic, and the rapid consumption of fuel. Even though Ride Sharing has several benefits, the current usage is significantly low due to limitations like social barriers and long rider waiting times. The thesis proposes a novel Ride Sharing model with two matching layers to eliminate most of the observed issues in the existing Ride Sharing applications like UberPool and LyftLine. The first matching layer matches riders based on specific human characteristics, and the second matching layer provides riders the option to restrict the waiting time by using personalized threshold time. At the end of trips, the system collects user feedback according to five characteristics. Then, at most, two main characteristics that are the most important to riders are determined based on the collected feedback. The registered characteristics and the two main determined characteristics are fed as the inputs to a Machine Learning classification module. For newly registering users, the module predicts the two main characteristics of riders, and that assists in matching with other riders having similar determined characteristics. The thesis includes subjecting the proposed model to an extensive simulation for measuring system efficiency. The model simulations have utilized the real-time New York City Cab traffic data with real-traffic conditions using Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API). Results indicate that the proposed Ride Sharing model is feasible, and efficient as the number of riders increases while maintaining the rider threshold time. The expected outcome of the thesis is to help service providers increase the usage of Ride Sharing, complete the pool for the maximum number of trips in minimal time and perform maximum rider matches based on similar characteristics, thus providing an energy-efficient and a social platform for Ride Sharing.
Clinical Application of Radioembolization in Hepatic Malignancies: Protocol for a Prospective Multicenter Observational Study

Background Radioembolization, also known as transarterial radioembolization or selective internal radiation therapy with yttrium-90 (90Y) resin microspheres, is an established treatment modality for patients with primary and secondary liver tumors. However, large-scale prospective observational data on the application of this treatment in a real-life clinical setting is lacking. Objective The main objective is to collect data on the clinical application of radioembolization with 90Y resin microspheres to improve the understanding of the impact of this treatment modality in its routine practice setting. Methods Eligible patients are 18 years or older and receiving radioembolization for primary and secondary liver tumors as part of routine practice, as well as have signed informed consent. Data is collected at baseline, directly after treatment, and at every 3-month follow-up until 24 months or study exit. The primary objective of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe Registry for SIR-Spheres Therapy (CIRT) is to observe the clinical application of radioembolization. Secondary objectives include safety, effectiveness in terms of overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), liver-specific PFS, imaging response, and change in quality of life. Results Between January 2015 and December 2017, 1047 patients were included in the study. The 24-month follow-up period ended in December 2019. The first results are expected in the third quarter of 2020. Conclusions The CIRT is the largest observational study on radioembolization to date and will provide valuable insights to the clinical application of this treatment modality and its real-life outcomes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02305459; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02305459 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/16296