Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bigger or long-winged male common crossbills exhibit redder carotenoid-based plumage coloration

Abstract Carotenoid-based ornaments are often considered reliable (honest) individual condition signals because their expression implies physiological costs unaffordable for low-quality animals (handicap signals). Recently, it has been suggested that efficient cell respiration is mandatory for producing red ketocarotenoids from dietary yellow carotenoids. This implies that red colorations should be entirely unfalsifiable and independent of expression costs (index signals). In a precedent study, male common crossbills, Loxia curvirostra, showing a red plumage reported higher apparent survival than those showing yellowish-orange colors. The plumage redness in this species is due to ketocarotenoid accumulation in feathers. Here, we correlated the male plumage redness (a 4-level visual score: yellow, patchy, orange, and red) and the body morphology in more than 1,000 adult crossbills captured in 3 Iberian localities to infer the mechanisms responsible for color evolution. A principal component analysis summarized morphometry of 10 variables (beak, wing, tarsus length, etc.). The overall body size (PC1) and the length of flight feathers regarding body size (PC3) showed significant positive relationships with plumage redness. Plumage redness was barely correlated with bill shape measures, suggesting no constraint in acquiring carotenoids from pine cones. However, large body sizes or proportionally long flying feathers could help carotenoid acquisition via social competition or increased foraging ranges. Proportionally longer flight feathers might also be associated with a specific cell respiration profile that would simultaneously favor flying capacities and enzymatic transformations needed for ketocarotenoid synthesis. Such a phenotypic profile would agree with the hypothesis of ketocarotenoid-based colors acting as individual quality index signals.
Assessment of the impact of window screens on indoor thermal comfort and energy efficiency in a naturally ventilated courtyard house

ABSTRACT The present paper assesses the contribution of window screens to the indoor thermal comfort in a vernacular courtyard house. The adaptive thermal comfort standard EN 15251 was adopted to carry out the evaluation of the case study which achieved accepted operative temperatures along the summer. The maximum indoor temperatures were reduced, in average of 5.5°C and 4.2°C below ambient for two different spaces. The window screens were then removed in the simulation model in TRNSYS, which resulted in increase of the indoor temperatures with an average of 2.4°C. The window screens were found to be efficient in reducing the cooling demand of 50% and 40% in two different spaces. However, considering the winter sun solstice, the absence of the window screens contributes to a slight increase of indoor temperature and hence decrease of the energy demand required for heating during winter time.
Metabolic Engineering and Regulation of Diol Biosynthesis from Renewable Biomass in Escherichia coli

As bulk chemicals, diols have wide applications in many fields, such as clothing, biofuels, food, surfactant and cosmetics. The traditional chemical synthesis of diols consumes numerous non-renewable energy resources and leads to environmental pollution. Green biosynthesis has emerged as an alternative method to produce diols. Escherichia coli as an ideal microbial factory has been engineered to biosynthesize diols from carbon sources. Here, we comprehensively summarized the biosynthetic pathways of diols from renewable biomass in E. coli and discussed the metabolic-engineering strategies that could enhance the production of diols, including the optimization of biosynthetic pathways, improvement of cofactor supplementation, and reprogramming of the metabolic network. We then investigated the dynamic regulation by multiple control modules to balance the growth and production, so as to direct carbon sources for diol production. Finally, we proposed the challenges in the diol-biosynthesis process and suggested some potential methods to improve the diol-producing ability of the host.
Backchannelling across Languages: Rate, Lexical Choice and Intonation in L1 Italian, L1 German and L2 German

Backchannel (BC) are short verbal and non-verbal signals of acknowledgments, whose realisations differ from language to language and between native (L1) and non-native (L2) speakers. Our study is the first comprehensive, cross-linguistic analysis of backchannels in L1 and L2 speakers. We recorded 20 dyads of Italian learners of German in both their L1 and L2 (9 beginner and 11 advanced) and 5 dyads of German native speakers performing a Map Task. We analysed backchannel rate, lexical type, function (marking passive recipiency, PR, or incipient speakership, IS) and prosodic realisation. BC rate was similar across languages in all groups and across proficiencies in L2 speech. Intonation was dependent on the lexical choice of BC and/or the function expressed. “Mm-hm” was mostly rising and marked PR. “Genau” was predominantly falling across functions. German “ja” and Italian “sì” were produced with more falling contours for IS and more rising contours for PR. Learners showed a high degree of variability overall, but clearly preferred German lexical BCs that were shared with their L1 Italian. Overall, we found a complex, non-arbitrary mapping between lexical type, function and intonation in both languages. For L2 speech, speaker-specific behaviour (across languages) had a stronger effect than level of proficiency.
DC/DC Stage Contribution to Bus Voltage in 1000- and 1500-V Grid-Connected Solar Inverters

Modern architectures of transformerless, three-phase-grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) inverter for 1000- and 1500-V commercial/residential applications are analyzed and compared from the point of view of the energy harvested during one year period, system efficiency, and power density. Scenarios for different ac grid voltage levels and inverters topologies are analyzed based on one- and two-stage solutions. The architectures with and without included dc/dc stage are compared from the point of view of the optimized power density. In the case of the two-stage PV inverter architecture, the mini-boost converter concept, presented in previous publications, is extended and the standard boost topology that employs 1200-V rated IGBTs and diodes is replaced by a multilevel, hybrid power converter topology that exhibits high efficiency due to the partial power processing and new classes of 900- and 650-V SiC and GaN devices employed. The inverter’s output filter design space (DS) has been researched from the point of view of the dc bus voltage variation. The cases are analyzed for fully controlled bus voltage at its minimum value and when allowed to vary in the full MPP range. Optimization results of the output filter DSs for the minimum and maximum operating dc bus voltage are compared in terms of the occupied volume in order to investigate whether it is possible to obtain more compact inverter stage by better control of dc bus voltage. The results show that in the case of controlled low dc bus voltage level, it is feasible to design a filter that occupies up to 50% less volume than the filter designed for the full MPP voltage variation. Even more, this can be achieved by maintaining the system efficiency. The simulation and experimental results complement the analysis of the 1000- and 1500-V grid-connected PV inverter systems.
Speech Emotion Recognition using Time-frequency Random Circular Shift and Deep Neural Networks

This paper addresses the problem of emotion recognition from a speech signal. Thus, we investigate a data augmentation technique based on circular shift of the input time-frequency representation which signiﬁcantly enhances the emotion prediction results using a deep convolutional neural network method. After an investigation of the best combination of the method parameters, we comparatively assess several neural network architectures (Alexnet, Resnet and Inception) using our approach applied on two publicly available datasets: eNTERFACE05 and EMO-DB. Our results reveal an improvement of the prediction accuracy in comparison to a more complicated technique of the state of the art based on Discriminant Temporal Pyramid Matching (DCNN-DTPM).
Effect of dietary supplemental wheat starch by-product on growth performance, carcass Traits and immune responses of broiler chickens.

This experiment was conducted to investigate effects of a wheat starch by-product (WSB) on growth performance, carcass traits and immune responses of broiler chickens. A total of 300 one-day old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to 5 dietary treatments and 5 replicates in a completely randomized design during 9 to 16, 17 to 25, 26 to 39, and 40 to 50 days of experiment. Dietary treatments included a basal diet without WSB supplementation (CTL) or graded levels of low (LSS; 100, 150, 200, and 250 g/kg), medium (MSS; 200, 250, 300, 350 g/kg), high (HSS; 300, 350, 400, 450 g/kg) and extra (ESS; 400, 450 500, and 550 g/kg) inclusion rates of wheat starch during the starter, growing, finisher 1, and finisher 2 periods, respectively. Dietary supplementation of WSB did not have adverse effect on growth and feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens across 9 to 25 days of age but compromised growth performance during finisher and the entire rearing periods ( P ˂ 0.05). Feeding diets containing WSB decreased carcass yield in broiler chickens ( P ˂ 0.05). Antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus decreased following dietary HSS and ESS supplementation ( P ˂ 0.05). Moreover, supplementation of LSS and ESS to the feed decreased relative weight of spleen ( P ˂ 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of WSB is recommended up to 450 g/kg across 9 to 25 days of age without any adverse effect on growth performance of broiler chickens. However, supplementation of WSB may impair immune responses of broiler chickens.
A techno-exchange engagement model of social Media engagement: A social exchange and engagement theoretical synthesis

This research aims to advance the literature by focusing on tourist engagement on travel social media sites (SNSs). Drawing on social exchange theory and engagement theory, it improvises the techno-exchange engagement model of SNS to highlight the role of trust induced from favorable (e.g. secondary control) and unfavorable (e.g. privacy violation) encounters as well as functional (e.g. perceived ease of use and usefulness) and affective (e.g. perceived enjoyment) technology usage experiences. Based on data acquired from a popular Chinese travel SNS, research findings point to a significant meditational mechanism in the techno-exchange engagement process leading to continuance usage and information sharing intentions. This research not only underscores the duality of the cyber trust-building process, but also showcases means to improve continuous usage of travel SNS through the proposed techno-exchange engagement model.
Interleaved Pro/Anti-saccade Behavior Across the Lifespan

The capacity for inhibitory control is an important cognitive process that undergoes dynamic changes over the course of the lifespan. Robust characterization of this trajectory, considering age continuously and using flexible modeling techniques, is critical to advance our understanding of the neural mechanisms that differ in healthy aging and neurological disease. The interleaved pro/anti-saccade task (IPAST), in which pro- and anti-saccade trials are randomly interleaved within a block, provides a simple and sensitive means of assessing the neural circuitry underlying inhibitory control. We utilized IPAST data collected from a large cross-sectional cohort of normative participants (n = 604, 5–93 years of age), standardized pre-processing protocols, generalized additive modeling, and change point analysis to investigate the effect of age on saccade behavior and identify significant periods of change throughout the lifespan. Maturation of IPAST measures occurred throughout adolescence, while subsequent decline began as early as the mid-20s and continued into old age. Considering pro-saccade correct responses and anti-saccade direction errors made at express (short) and regular (long) latencies was crucial in differentiating developmental and aging processes. We additionally characterized the effect of age on voluntary override time, a novel measure describing the time at which voluntary processes begin to overcome automated processes on anti-saccade trials. Drawing on converging animal neurophysiology, human neuroimaging, and computational modeling literature, we propose potential frontal-parietal and frontal-striatal mechanisms that may mediate the behavioral changes revealed in our analysis. We liken the models presented here to “cognitive growth curves” which have important implications for improved detection of neurological disease states that emerge during vulnerable windows of developing and aging.
A Structural Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease and Animal Coronaviral Main Protease Reveals Species-Specific Ligand Binding and Dimerization Mechanism

Animal coronaviruses (CoVs) have been identified to be the origin of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, and probably SARS-CoV-2 that cause severe to fatal diseases in humans. Variations of zoonotic coronaviruses pose potential threats to global human beings. To overcome this problem, we focused on the main protease (Mpro), which is an evolutionary conserved viral protein among different coronaviruses. The broad-spectrum anti-coronaviral drug, GC376, was repurposed to target canine coronavirus (CCoV), which causes gastrointestinal infections in dogs. We found that GC376 can efficiently block the protease activity of CCoV Mpro and can thermodynamically stabilize its folding. The structure of CCoV Mpro in complex with GC376 was subsequently determined at 2.75 Å. GC376 reacts with the catalytic residue C144 of CCoV Mpro and forms an (R)- or (S)-configuration of hemithioacetal. A structural comparison of CCoV Mpro and other animal CoV Mpros with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro revealed three important structural determinants in a substrate-binding pocket that dictate entry and release of substrates. As compared with the conserved A141 of the S1 site and P188 of the S4 site in animal coronaviral Mpros, SARS-CoV-2 Mpro contains N142 and Q189 at equivalent positions which are considered to be more catalytically compatible. Furthermore, the conserved loop with residues 46–49 in animal coronaviral Mpros has been replaced by a stable α-helix in SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. In addition, the species-specific dimerization interface also influences the catalytic efficiency of CoV Mpros. Conclusively, the structural information of this study provides mechanistic insights into the ligand binding and dimerization of CoV Mpros among different species.
COMBINATION OF TLS AND SLAM LIDAR FOR LEVEE MONITORING

Abstract. Monitoring of engineering structures is important for ensuring safety of operation. Traditional surveying methods have proven to be reliable; however, the advent of new point cloud technologies such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) have provided an unprecedented wealth of data. Furthermore, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is now able to facilitate the collection of registered point clouds on the fly. SLAM is most successful when applied to indoor environments where the algorithm can identify primitives (points, planes, lines) for registration, but it can be problematic in outdoor settings where there is absence of constructed features. This work includes the collection of SLAM-based LiDAR data along a levee for the purpose of inspection and monitoring. Due to the outdoor setting and absence of man-made features, the resulting point cloud was considerably distorted due to erroneous drift in sensor orientation. A correction algorithm is proposed that relies on reference TLS point cloud data to remove drift distortions identified in the SLAM LiDAR. Results indicate an alignment between the corrected SLAM LiDAR and TLS data of around ±10cm, which is sufficient for general inspection and multi-epoch monitoring of levees. The algorithm is based on common points identified in the TLS and SLAM data and necessitates that the SLAM LiDAR is collected in individual, one-way lines to allow correction of distortions as a function of distance from the starting point. This approach increases the efficiency of LiDAR-based levee monitoring by reducing the time required to survey the levees.
Physicochemical and Analytical Studies of Some Monomer and Polymer Complexes Derived from Selected Aroyl Hydrazone

New solid complexes derived from the reaction of aroyl hydrazones, 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde benzene sulphonyl hydrazone (HNB), and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde p-toluene sulphonyl hydrazone (HNT), with Co 2+ , Ni 2+ , and Cu 2+ salts have been isolated and characterized using elemental analyses, spectral (UV-vis., IR), molar conductivity and magnetic measurements. The modes of bonding as well as the stereochemistry of the isolated solid complexes were discussed. The results suggested that both HNB and HNT coor-dinated with the metal ions in a bidentate manner forming a polymeric chain in the case of HNB while monocular complexes were formed in the case of HNT. The amounts of solvent in the solid complexes were determined by TGA measurements. Also, spectral studies of HNT with Co 2+ and Fe 3+ ions in solution were carried and the ratio of complexes was determined by continuous variation, molar ratio, and slope ratio methods. Moreover, the results suggest the formation of 1:1 (M:L) for Co 2+ ions while three species with ratios of 1:1, 1:2, and 2:1 (M:L) have been observed in the case of Ni 2+ and Cu 2+ . Finally, conductance titration of HNB and HNT with Co 2+ ion elucidates the formation of two species with ratios 1:1 and 1:2 (M:L) in the case of the Co 2+ -HNB while 1:1 (M:L) belongs to the Co 2+ -HNT system.
Varactor-graphene-based multi-reconfigurable triplet filter with independent tuning of frequency and amplitude

In this paper, a multi-reconfigurable filter which consists of three identical varactor-graphene-loaded coaxial substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) resonators is presented. The center frequency and transmission amplitude of the proposed filter is independently reconfigurable by means of electrically controlling the values of the varactor capacitance and the graphene resistance, respectively. Tuners and their bias circuits are mounted on the surfaces of the SIW resonator to adjust the tuning of resonant frequency and unloaded quality factor, which enable to realize the frequency and amplitude of the presented multi-reconfigurable filter. In addition, the proposed filter applies a cascaded triplet topology to generate a transmission zero at the upper side in order to enhance skirt selectivity and out-of-band rejection. The circular shape of the resonator provides great flexibility and produces an additional compactness of the filter. The proposed multi-reconfigurable coaxial SIW filter is designed and fabricated, with high-Q varactors and graphene thin sheets as frequency and amplitude tuning elements, respectively, exhibiting the following reconfigurable characteristics: (a) a wide tuning range of 0.58–1.01 GHz with a constant 1 dB fractional bandwidth of 2 ± 0.2%. (b) A continuous tuning range of amplitude at any center frequency in the achievable frequency band. For instance, the proposed filter can be tuned with an amplitude range of 3.02–19.8 dB by varying the value of the graphene sheet resistance at 1.01 GHz. (c) Free combination of the arbitrary center frequency and attenuation level. The proposed filter with tunable filtering and attenuating responses has widely potential in reconfigurable wireless communication systems and radar systems due to its high integration and versatility.
Pipe Axial Flaw Failure Criteria (PAFFC): Version 1.0 user`s manual and software

This topical report is the technical manual and basis for delivery of the software tided Pipe Axial Flaw Failure Criterion. This criterion was developed under SI Task 1. 13 for the Line Pipe Research Supervisory Committee of the Pipeline Research Committee. This software has been given the acronym PAFFC, which follows from the underlined letters in the title for this code. The purpose of PAFFC is to determine the failure conditions associated with a single external axial flaw in a gas transmission pipeline. Failure is determined concurrently in terms of two independent failure processes - fracture and/or net-section (plastic) collapse of the ligament between the flaw and the inside surface of the pipe.
Cyclic Metronomic Chemotherapy for Pediatric Tumors: Six Case Reports and a Review of the Literature

We report a retrospective case series of six Hispanic children with tumors treated with metronomic chemotherapy. The six cases comprised one rhabdoid tumor of the kidney, one ependymoma, two medulloblastomas, one neuroblastoma, and a type II neurocytoma of the spine. Treatment included oral cyclophosphamide daily for 21 days alternating with oral etoposide daily for 21 days in a backbone of daily valproic acid and celecoxib. In one case, celecoxib was substituted with sulindac. Of the six patients, three showed complete responses, and all patients showed some response to metronomic therapy with only minor hematologic toxicity. One patient had hemorrhagic gastritis likely associated with NSAIDs while off prophylactic antacids. These data add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that continuous doses of valproic acid and celecoxib coupled with alternating metronomic chemotherapy of agents such as etoposide and cyclophosphamide can produce responses in pediatric tumors relapsing to conventional dose chemotherapy.
Advanced Crowdsourced Test Report Prioritization Based on Adaptive Strategy

Crowdsourced testing is an emerging trend in software testing, which takes advantage of the efficiency of crowdsourced and cloud platforms. Crowdsourced testing has gradually been applied in many fields. In crowdsourced software testing, after the crowdsourced workers complete the test tasks, they submit the test results in test reports. Therefore, in crowdsourced software testing, checking a large number of test reports is an arduous but unavoidable software maintenance task. Crowdsourced test reports are numerous, complex, and need to be sorted to improve inspection efficiency. There are no systematic methods for prioritizing reports in crowdsourcing test report prioritization. However, in regression testing, test case prioritization technology has matured. Therefore, we migrate the test case prioritization method to crowdsourced test report prioritization and evaluate the effectiveness of these methods. We use natural language processing technology and word segmentation to process the text in the test reports. Then we use four methods to prioritize the reports: total greedy algorithm, additional greedy algorithm, genetic algorithm, and ART. The results show that these methods all perform well in prioritizing crowdsourced test reports, with an average APFD of more than 0.8.