Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of current languages for developing distributed systems

—Nowadays we have various languages, framework and tools for speciﬁcation and implementation of distributed systems. Nevertheless, developing a robust distributed system still poses a challenging task. Starting from the deﬁnition that a distributed system is a system where networked components communicate via passing messages, we wanted to explore and analyse languages for specifying the architecture of such system (Architecture description languages - ADLs), as well as languages for specifying protocols for communication between system’s components. Our main focus was to ﬁnd out what are the main similarities and differences between different ADLs, and between languages for protocol speciﬁcation
Effect of eco-friendly pesticides on mortality, growth and development of Spodoptera litura (Fab.) in laboratory condition

The present experiments were conducted at IPM Laboratory, Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, to find out the efficacy and toxicity of some eco-friendly pesticides against cabbage borer, Spodoptera litura (Fab.). Among the treatments maximum mortality (91.25%) was noticed in diflubenzurn + deltamethrin 22% SC @ 0.022% at 7 day of observation but at par with that of (91.13%) abamectin 400FS@ 0.02%. The highest growth index (5.00) was noted in untreated control as compared to the lowest growth index (1.03) which was observed in diflubenzurn + deltamethrin 22% SC @ 0.01%. The lowest larval pupal index (1.24) and lowest survival index (0.33) of Spodoptera litura was obtained in case of Bacillus thuringiensis @ 0.1%. From this study it can be said that among five different pesticides, Bacillus thuringiensis, revealed higher susceptibility to Spodoptera on the basis of the percent pupation and adult emergence.
Microstrip Triplexer Design: A Review

Radio Frequency communication systems were developed in the past decades and many designs are involved in triplexer development. The previous designs focused on various purposes, new techniques, and applications in order to overcome the existing limitations. This manuscript presents several reviews for the past triplexer designs and techniques used in RF communication systems in order to propose a novel design and an improvement concept, and reduce limitation gaps of triplexer design for future research work.
Identification and functional analysis of a testis‑biased gene encoding serine/arginine‑rich protein in silkworm, Bombyx mori

Spermatogenesis is a fundamental process in sexual reproduction. In this study, we cloned a 716-bp cDNA of a testis-biased gene in Bombyx mori, named as BmRS-TS, which encodes a polypeptide of 164 amino acids, containing 26.7% arginine and serine residues. Sequence similarity analysis showed that BmRS-TS is a lepidopteran-specific gene. Results of RT-PCR and Western analysis revealed that BmRS-TS was expressed predominantly in the testis. Immunohistochemistry assay showed that the BmRS-TS protein was mostly located in primary spermatocytes. Moreover, knockdown of BmRS-TS by RNA interference (RNAi) showed that the morphology of the mature sperm was abnormal and that sperm bundles were broken up. Our results suggest that BmRS-TS plays an important role in silkworm spermatogenesis and provide some clues for understanding the mechanism that underlies spermatogenesis, which can be used as a reference for other lepidopterans.
Hyaluronic acid-modified mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery

Introduction: The targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs to tumor tissue has been recognized as a promising strategy to increase their therapeutic efficacy and reduce side effects. Mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NH2-MSNs), a kind of nanocarrier, can passively enter tumor tissues to enhance the permeability and retention of drugs. However, NH2-MSNs do not specifically bind to cancer cells. This drawback encouraged us to develop a more efficient nanocarrier for cancer therapy. Methods: Herein, we describe the development of an effective nanocarrier based on NH2-MSNs, which were modified with hyaluronic acid on their surface (HA-MSNs) and loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). We have successfully fabricated uniform spherical HA-MSNs nanocarriers. The targeting ability of this delivery system was evaluated through specific uptake by cells and IVIS imaging. Results: DOX-HA-MSNs nanocarriers displayed more dramatic cytotoxic activity against 4T1 breast cancer cells compared to GES-1 gastric mucosa cells. In vivo results revealed that once DOX-HA-MSNs nanocarriers are exposed to an external magnetic field, they could be rapidly attracted to the magnet and effectively cross the cytoplasmic membrane via CD44 receptor-mediated transcytosis. This allows them to access the cancer cell cytoplasm and release DOX based on changes in the physiological environment. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the HA-MSNs nanocarriers provided better therapeutic efficacy. Conclusion: The HA-MSNs nanocarriers represent an effective new paradigm to treat cancers due to active targeting to the tumor cells. Moreover, the specific uptake by the tumor effectively protects normal tissues to reduce off-target side effects. The reported findings support further investigation of HA-MSNs for cancer therapy.
Pervasive Differential Splicing in Marek’s Disease Virus Can Discriminate CVI-988 Vaccine Strain from RB-1B Very Virulent Strain in Chicken Embryonic Fibroblasts

Marek’s disease is a major scourge challenging poultry health worldwide. It is caused by the highly contagious Marek’s disease virus (MDV), an alphaherpesvirus. Here we show that, similar to other members of its Herpesviridae family, MDV also presents a complex landscape of splicing events, most of which are uncharacterised and/or not annotated. Quite strikingly, and although the biological relevance of this fact is unknown, we found that a number of viral splicing isoforms are strain-specific despite the close sequence similarity of the strains considered, virulent RB-1B and vaccine CVI-988. We validated our findings by devising an assay that discriminates infections caused by the two strains in chicken embryonic fibroblasts based on the presence of some RNA species. To our knowledge, this study is the first ever to accomplish such a result, emphasizing how important a comprehensive knowledge of the viral transcriptome can be to understand viral pathogenesis. Importance Marek’s disease virus (MDV) causes an agro-economically important disease of chickens worldwide. Although commercial poultry are vaccinated against MDV, it is not possible to achieve sterilising immunity, and available vaccines can only protect chickens against the symptoms of the disease. Vaccinated chicken often become superinfected with virulent strains, shedding virus into the environment. The most effective MDV vaccine strain, CVI-988, shares >99% sequence identity with the prototype virulent virus strain RB-1B. Interestingly, our work shows that despite their almost identical sequences MDV strains CVI-988 and RB-1B have significantly different splicing profiles, and hence transcriptomes. We independently validated this discovery by detecting with real-time PCR some splicing isoforms expressed by MDV strain CVI-988 and absent in the transcriptome of the RB-1B strain. These results indicate that the coding potential of MDV might be much larger than previously thought, and suggest a likely underestimation of the role of the viral transcriptome in the pathogenesis and prevention of MDV.
Just-in-time Analytics Over Heterogeneous Data and Hardware

Industry and academia are continuously becoming more data-driven and data-intensive, relying on the analysis of a wide variety of datasets to gain insights. At the same time, data variety increases continuously across multiple axes. First, data comes in multiple formats, such as the binary tabular data of a DBMS, raw textual files, and domain-specific formats. Second, different datasets follow different data models, such as the relational and the hierarchical one. Data location also varies: Some datasets reside in a central "data lake", whereas others lie in remote data sources. In addition, users execute widely different analysis tasks over all these data types. Finally, the process of gathering and integrating diverse datasets introduces several inconsistencies and redundancies in the data, such as duplicate entries for the same real-world concept. In summary, heterogeneity significantly affects the way data analysis is performed. In this thesis, we aim for data virtualization: Abstracting data out of its original form and manipulating it regardless of the way it is stored or structured, without a performance penalty. To achieve data virtualization, we design and implement systems that i) mask heterogeneity through the use of heterogeneity-aware, high-level building blocks and ii) offer fast responses through on-demand adaptation techniques. Regarding the high-level building blocks, we use a query language and algebra to handle multiple collection types, such as relations and hierarchies, express transformations between these collection types, as well as express complex data cleaning tasks over them. In addition, we design a location-aware compiler and optimizer that masks away the complexity of accessing multiple remote data sources. Regarding on-demand adaptation, we present a design to produce a new system per query. The design uses customization mechanisms that trigger runtime code generation to mimic the system most appropriate to answer a query fast: Query operators are thus created based on the query workload and the underlying data models; the data access layer is created based on the underlying data formats. In addition, we exploit emerging hardware by customizing the system implementation based on the available heterogeneous processors â CPUs and GPGPUs. We thus pair each workload with its ideal processor type. The end result is a just-in-time database system that is specific to the query, data, workload, and hardware instance. This thesis redesigns the data management stack to natively cater for data heterogeneity and exploit hardware heterogeneity. Instead of centralizing all relevant datasets, converting them to a single representation, and loading them in a monolithic, static, suboptimal system, our design embraces heterogeneity. Overall, our design decouples the type of performed analysis from the original data layout; users can perform their analysis across data stores, data models, and data formats, but at the same time experience the performance offered by a custom system that has been built on demand to serve their specific use case.
EVALUATING THE ESSENTIAL AND NON-ESSENTIAL METAL REMEDIATION EFFICIENCY OF Chlorella vulgaris, AND PHOTOSYNTHETIC GENE EXPRESSION LEVEL CHANGES DURING THE PROCESS

Algal populations hold great potential for encountering water pollution problem due to their remediation abilities. Thus, using them for removing the pollutants stands as a powerful approach. However, it is crucial to investigate the negative effects of these pollutants on algal populations as well as understanding the removal capacity of these populations in order to benefit their abilities. In the present study, Chlorella vulgaris was used as a candidate for metal removal. Besides the remediation capacity for certain essential (Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Co 2+ , Mn 2+ , Mo 6+ ) and non-essential (Cd 2+ , Pb 2+ , Sn 4+ , Ba 2+ , As 5+ ) metals, chlorophyll and carbohydrate contents, and photosynthetic gene (psaB, Photosystem I reaction center protein subunit B) expression levels were also evaluated. Results indicated that remediation efficiency of C. vulgaris for essential metals was Cu>Co>Zn>Mo>Mn and for non-essential metals was Sn>Pb>Ba>Cd>As, respectively. It was also observed that psaB expression was increased after the essential and non-essential metal treatment. It can be concluded that C. vulgaris can be used as a bioindicator for Mn and As while it is also suitable to be used for metal removal.
Uncovering the potential miRNAs and mRNAs in follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the Cancer Genome Atlas database

Background Understanding the molecule mechanism is a key step in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic measures of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. The objective of this study is to identify differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs, shedding light on the molecule mechanism of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma. Methods The data of miRNA, mRNA and DNA methylation were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differential analysis between the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma and controls was performed in terms of miRNA expression, mRNA expression and DNA methylation. The regulatory network between miRNAs and mRNAs was constructed followed by the functional analysis of these target mRNAs. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) was used to validate the expression of identified miRNAs and mRNAs. Results Totally, up to 8 differentially expressed miRNAs, 973 differentially expressed mRNAs and 146 differentially methylated mRNAs were identified. Hsa-mir-222 (degree =33), hsa-mir-221 (degree =29), hsa-mir-214 (degree =13), hsa-mir-138-2 (degree =11) and hsa-mir-34a (degree =4) were miRNAs that regulated the most target mRNAs (such as BCL2, BCL2L11 and PEG3, ALDH1A1, PLA2R1, TFCP2L1, RAB23, TK1 and CTSB). Focal adhesion, MAPK signaling pathway and p53 signaling pathway were three significantly enriched signaling pathways of target differentially expressed mRNAs in the functional analysis. The in vitro validation of hsa-mir-222 and hsa-mir-221, CTSB, TFCP2L1 and BCL2 was consistent with the bioinformatics analysis. Conclusions The identified altered miRNAs (hsa-mir-222, hsa-mir-221, hsa-mir-214, hsa-mir-138-2 and hsa-mir-34a) and their target mRNAs (BCL2, BCL2L11 and PEG3, ALDH1A1, PLA2R1, TFCP2L1, RAB23, TK1 and CTSB) may be helpful in understanding the molecule mechanism of follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
Sequential (two-stage) estimation of linear panel-data models

I present the new Stata command xtseqreg that implements sequential (two-stage) estimators for linear panel data models. In general, the conventional standard errors are no longer valid in sequential estimation when the residuals from the first stage are regressed on another set of (often time-invariant) explanatory variables at a second stage. xtseqreg computes the analytical standard-error correction of Kripfganz and Schwarz (ECB Working Paper 1838, 2015) that accounts for the first-stage estimation error. The command can be used to fit both stages of a sequential regression or either stage separately. OLS and 2SLS estimation are supported, as well as one-step and two-step "difference"-GMM and "system"- GMM estimation with flexible choice of the instruments and weighting matrix. Available postestimation statistics include the Arellano-Bond test for absence of autocorrelation in the first-differenced errors and Hansen's J-test for the validity of the overidentifying restrictions. While it is not intended to introduce xtseqreg as a competitor for existing commands, it can mimic part of their behaviour. In particular, xtseqreg can replicate results obtained with xtdpd and xtabond2. In that regard, I will illustrate some common pitfalls in the estimation of dynamic panel models.
Capture-recapture analyses of humpback population sizes and increase rates: breeding stocks C1-C3

Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian methodologies are developed to analyse the photo-ID and genotypic capture-recapture data available for the C1 and C3 breeding sub-stocks of humpback whales in the western Indian Ocean. A simple expone ntial growth population model is assumed, and estimates of annual growth rate and abundances det rmined. Maximum likelihood estimates of r are generally imprecise and often the point estima tes re demographically infeasible. The most reliable results are probably those from the B ayesian analyses with a prior for r of U[0; 0.106]. The data update this prior somewhat more fo C3 than for C1, with a median posterior estimate of 8.0% for the former. Posterior median e stimates of abundance for each sub-stock when analysed in isolation are both a little more than 6 500. An interchange model is developed to take account of photo-ID information on exchanges betwee n the C1 and C3 regions (only one such exchange has been recorded thus far). The results s how little difference between the combined abundances estimated for the two sub-stocks with su c interchange, compared to the sum of results for the two analysed in isolation; the post erior median annual probability of an animal from either sub-stock visiting the other’s region in any one year is a little more than 5%, with an upper 5%-ile of some 19%. It should be understood that th e results presented are intended to be illustrative, not definitive, having the purpose of facilitating further runs and refinements of the models during Scientific Committee discussions. Introduction This paper fits exponential growth models to both t he photo-ID and genotypic capture-recapture available for the C1 and C3 breeding sub-stocks of humpbacks in the western Indian Ocean. Both maximum likelihood and Bayesian estimation approach es are developed. The approaches are first applied treating the sub-stocks as completely separ ate, and then an interchange model is developed to analyse them jointly allowing for the possibilit y of animals from one sub-stock travelling in some years to the region in which the other sub-sto ck aggregates. The analyses presented are not intended to be defin itive but rather illustrative. Their purpose is to introduce the methodology and to provide a basis up on which to formulate alternative model runs and develop model refinements during discussions in the IWC Scientific Committee. Data The capture-recapture data used here are reported i n Cerchio et al. (2008a and b). These consist of both photo-ID and genotypic mark-recapture data fro m Antongil Bay (C3) (Cerchio et al. 2008a), as well as photo-ID mark-recapture data for C1 (Cer chio et al. 2008b). The data span the period 2000-2006 and are reproduced in Appendix 1.
Isotopic evidence of connectivity between an inshore vegetated lagoon (nursery habitat) and coastal artificial reefs (adult habitats) for the reef fish Lethrinus lentjan on the Terengganu coast, Malaysia

Stable isotope analyses of muscle tissue (δ13Cmuscle and δ15Nmuscle) and otoliths (δ13Cotolith and δ18Ootolith) were used to retrospectively track habitat uses of Lethrinus lentjan, and to determine any association between Setiu Lagoon (nursery habitat) and coastal artificial reefs (CARs; adult habitats) on the Terengganu coast, Malaysia. Muscle stable isotopes exhibited a spatial change from inshore to offshore habitats associated with growth, possibly related to the reef-ward movement of the fish. Otolith stable isotopes of adult fish from CARs were measured in juvenile (from outside the core to the first opaque zone of otolith) and adult (the edge of otolith) portions and were compared with those of juveniles from Setiu Lagoon, suggesting that the adult fish may not primarily use the lagoon as a nursery before ontogenetically migrating to CARs. The effects of coastal currents between monsoonal seasons could reorientate offshore juvenile migration; hence, adult cohorts in CARs may be replenished from various nursery habitats along the coast. Additionally, similarities in the δ18Ootolith values of juvenile and adult sections suggested that some individuals may not spend their juvenile phases in shallow estuarine habitats. Based on the findings of this study, we recommend that coastal conservation strategies take into account multiple nursery habitats rather than a single one.
Combined Exercise Training Performed by Elderly Women Reduces Redox Indexes and Proinflammatory Cytokines Related to Atherogenesis

Cardiovascular benefits for the general population of combined aerobic-resistance exercise training are well-known, but the impact of this exercise training modality on the plasma lipid, inflammatory, and antioxidant status in elderly women that are exposed to a great risk of developing ischemic cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases has not been well investigated. So, we aimed to evaluate the plasma lipids, oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokines in 27 elderly women (TRAINED group, 69.1 ± 8.1 yrs) that were performing moderate intensity combined aerobic-resistance exercise training (3 times/week for at least 18 months) and in 27 sedentary elderly women (SED group, 72.0 ± 6.4 yrs), not submitted to exercise training for at least 5 yrs. Our results showed that BMI was lower in the TRAINED group than in the SED group (25.1 ± 3.2 vs. 28.7 ± 5.1, p < 0.05). The TRAINED group had lower glycemia (92 ± 3 vs. 118 ± 12, p < 0.05), glycated hemoglobin (5.9 ± 0.1 vs. 6.4 ± 0.2, p < 0.05), and triglycerides (98 (75-122) vs. 139 (109-214), p < 0.01); equal total cholesterol (199 (175-230) vs. 194 (165-220)), LDL-cholesterol (108 (83-133) vs. 109 (98-136)), and non-HDL-cholesterol (54 (30-74) vs. 62 (26-80)); and also higher HDL-cholesterol (64 (52-77) vs. 52 (44-63), p < 0.01) and LDL-C/oxLDL ratio (13378 ± 2570 vs. 11639 ± 3113, p < 0.05) compared to the SED group. Proinflammatory cytokines as IL-1β (11.31 ± 2.4 vs. 28.01 ± 4.7, p < 0.05), IL-6 (26.25 ± 7.4 vs. 49.41 ± 17.8, p < 0.05), and TNF-α (25.72 ± 2.8 vs. 51.73 ± 4.2, p < 0.05) were lower in the TRAINED group than in the SED group. The TRAINED group had lower total peroxides (26.3 ± 7.4 vs. 49.0 ± 17.8, p < 0.05) and oxidized LDL (1551 ± 50.33 vs. 1773 ± 74, p < 0.02) and higher total antioxidant capacity (26.25 ± 7.4 vs. 49.41 ± 17.8, p < 0.001) compared to the SED group. In conclusion, in TRAINED women, BMI was lower, plasma lipid profile was better, plasma oxidative stress was diminished, and there was less expression of proinflammatory interleukins than in SED, suggesting that combined aerobic-resistance exercise training may promote the protection against the complications of ischemic cardio- and cerebrovascular disease in elderly women.
The Impacts of Two Protein Supplements on Commercial Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Colonies

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are pollinators of major importance for crop production. In recent years, colony management has become more difficult due to multiple problems such as pesticide exposure, exotic parasites, pathogens and nutritional deficiencies. The latter has incited beekeepers to provide protein supplements to their colonies to make up for the lack of pollen resources in the environment. However, their efficiency varies depending on their composition and the surrounding landscape. In this field study, we provided two different protein supplements (Global Patties® and Ultra Bee®) to colonies with either limited or unlimited access to natural pollen to assess their impacts on various colony and individual bee parameters. We used 50 colonies distributed among three sites in the Montérégie area, in Quebec, Canada. We found that supplemented colonies limited in pollen collection were able to raise the same amount of brood than control colonies. Nurse bees in supplemented colonies also had a higher protein content compared to control bees. However, bees from supplemented colonies displayed shorter lifespan, which casts a doubt on the suitability of these products for honey bee nutrition. The supplement containing natural pollen, Global Patties®, was the most consumed and the most beneficial of the two for the colonies. Finally, colonies from the apiary surrounded by the highest proportion of cultivated land in a 5-km radius performed better toward the end of the season, which could be due to the presence of nutritionally interesting plants specific to the agricultural landscape at that time of the year.