Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous 1.3-million-year record of East African hydroclimate, and implications for patterns of evolution and biodiversity

Significance Lake Malawi is one of the world’s oldest and deepest lakes, with >1,000 species of endemic cichlid fish; its water bottom anoxia prevents bioturbation of deep-water sediments, which preserve exceptional paleoclimate signals. The Lake Malawi Drilling Project recovered the first continuous 1.3-My record of past climates of the African interior. These sediments show that the catchment experienced 24 dry periods over that time, when lake levels dropped more than 200 m. After ∼800,000 years ago, the lake was commonly deeper and overflowing, indicating wetter conditions, but lowstand intervals became more prolonged and extreme. These changes promoted the evolution of the endemic cichlid fishes, through shifting of habitats, and through isolation and restriction of populations. The transport of moisture in the tropics is a critical process for the global energy budget and on geologic timescales, has markedly influenced continental landscapes, migratory pathways, and biological evolution. Here we present a continuous, first-of-its-kind 1.3-My record of continental hydroclimate and lake-level variability derived from drill core data from Lake Malawi, East Africa (9–15° S). Over the Quaternary, we observe dramatic shifts in effective moisture, resulting in large-scale changes in one of the world’s largest lakes and most diverse freshwater ecosystems. Results show evidence for 24 lake level drops of more than 200 m during the Late Quaternary, including 15 lowstands when water levels were more than 400 m lower than modern. A dramatic shift is observed at the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), consistent with far-field climate forcing, which separates vastly different hydroclimate regimes before and after ∼800,000 years ago. Before 800 ka, lake levels were lower, indicating a climate drier than today, and water levels changed frequently. Following the MPT high-amplitude lake level variations dominate the record. From 800 to 100 ka, a deep, often overfilled lake occupied the basin, indicating a wetter climate, but these highstands were interrupted by prolonged intervals of extreme drought. Periods of high lake level are observed during times of high eccentricity. The extreme hydroclimate variability exerted a profound influence on the Lake Malawi endemic cichlid fish species flock; the geographically extensive habitat reconfiguration provided novel ecological opportunities, enabling new populations to differentiate rapidly to distinct species.
Community-Based Recommender Systems: Analyzing Business Models from a Systems Operator's Perspective

Past research has shown that corporations benefit from using community-based recommender systems. Through them, they create digitized word-of-mouth that helps consumers make purchase decisions. While there exists much literature on the effects of recommender systems, to our knowledge, no prior studies have examined the underlying business models, nor have they considered the roles of system operators and the process for these recommender systems to achieve profitability. Based on our synthesis of relevant theory, we propose a framework for evaluating the value of recommender system business models from the viewpoint of system operators. We discuss patterns and situational characteristics that are associated with the business value of consumer-generated content and the concomitant profits of system operators.
Exploring emotions over time within the blogosphere

A lot of research efforts are going on in the area of mining emotions within the world wide web. The BlogIntelligence application is analyzing tons of blog posts and extracts emotions out of this big amount of data. Therefore we thought about how to visualize these emotions in a very meaningful way. While we applied a smart map as a proven technique, we overcame conceptual and technical challenges to provide a feasible utility.
Advances in enteropathogen control in poultry production

Poultry meat has been associated frequently and consistently with the transmission of enteric pathogens, including Salmonella and Campylobacter. This association has resulted in the development of HACCP‐based intervention strategies. These strategies (hurdles) begin with elite breeder flocks and filter down the production pyramid. These hurdles include those already established, such as biosecurity, vaccination, competitive exclusion, pre‐ and probiotics, feed and water control, and those more experimental, such as bacteriophage or immunoglobulin therapy. The reduction in enteropathogens entering the processing plant, which employs critical control points, further reduce the exposure of consumers to these organisms. The synergistic application of hurdles will result in an environment that is restrictive and detrimental to enteropathogen colonization and contamination.
A novel wayfinding system based on geo-coded qr codes for individuals with cognitive impairments

In this paper, we present a wayfinding prototype system based geo-coded QR codes for individuals with cognitive impairments. The design draws upon the cognitive models of spatial navigation and consists of wayfinding devices and a tracking system. Compared to the sensor network approach, it is easy to deploy because of low cost and short time frame. The prototype is tested with routes on a campus where a rehabilitation trained job coach oversees the process. The results show the prototype is user friendly and promising with high reliability.
Visual tracking using the harmony search algorithm

The harmony search algorithm is a meta-heuristic optimisation algorithm that mimics the improvisation process of musicians in a band or orchestra. A novel application of the harmony search algorithm is presented as it is applied to the visual tracking problem. A novel adaptation is made to the harmony search algorithm to improve performance under occlusion and is compared with a particle filter based implementation under the same conditions. Experimental results show that harmony search outperforms a particle filter implementation by maintaining a higher frame rate and producing a better estimate of the targetpsilas true position.
Response of broiler chickens fed wheat‐based diets to xylanase supplementation

&NA; The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of xylanase supplementation on performance, footpad score (FPS), nutrient digestibility, and intestinal morphometry in broiler chickens. Two‐hundred‐eighty‐eight Ross 308 broiler chicks (one d old) were placed in one of 3 experimental treatments: positive control (PC), negative control (NC) (−150 kcal/kg), and XYL (NC supplemented with xylanase). Each treatment had 8 replicates with 12 animals each. Starter (zero to 21 d) and grower (21 to 42 d) diets, based on wheat and soy‐bean meal, were available ad libitum. Body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake were measured, and mortality corrected feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. The relative weights of the empty gastrointestinal tract compartments and FPS were recorded on d 21 and d 42. On d 42, ileal contents were collected for nutrient digestibility determination. Statistical comparisons were performed using one‐way ANOVA (JMP Pro 12). The reduction of energy resulted in lighter birds at the end of the study (PC: 2,710 vs. NC: 2,546 g; P = 0.030) whereas xylanase supplementation numerically increased BWG by 84 g (P = 0.229) and improved FCR by 12 points (P = 0.145) compared with the NC. Significant differences in FPS were observed on d 21. Score 0 (no lessions) was predominant in PC and XYL treatments, while score 1 (mild lesions) had a higher frequency in NC birds. Xylanase supplementation numerically increased organic matter (5.9%) and energy (4.7%) utilization with values above those observed with the NC. No treatment effects were observed in any of the morphometric measurements, with the exception of the gizzard (P = 0.036) and the ileum (P = 0.088) on d 42. Xylanase resulted in higher relative gizzard weights compared to NC (P = 0.102). Supplementation of broiler diets with xylanase tended to influence performance, which may be due to a better utilization of nutrients. The increase in gizzard and ileum weights in birds 42 d but not 21 d of age suggests an adaptive response that takes time to develop.
Dilatation and curettage is more accurate than endometrial aspiration biopsy in early-stage endometrial cancer patients treated with high dose oral progestin and levonorgestrel intrauterine system

Objective To determine whether less invasive endometrial (EM) aspiration biopsy is adequately accurate for evaluating treatment outcomes compared to the dilatation and curettage (D&C) biopsy in early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) patients treated with high dose oral progestin and levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS). Methods We conducted a prospective observational study with patients younger than 40 years who were diagnosed with clinical stage IA, The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade 1 or 2 endometrioid adenocarcinoma and sought to maintain their fertility. The patients were treated with medroxyprogesterone acetate 500 mg/day and LNG-IUS. Treatment responses were evaluated every 3 months. EM aspiration biopsy was conducted after LNG-IUS removal followed D&C. The tissue samples were histologically compared. The diagnostic concordance rate of the two tests was examined with κ statistics. Results Twenty-eight pairs of EM samples were obtained from five patients. The diagnostic concordance rate of D&C and EM aspiration biopsy was 39.3% (κ value=0.26). Of the seven samples diagnosed as normal with D&C, three (42.8%) were diagnosed as normal by using EM aspiration biopsy. Of the eight samples diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma by using D&C, three (37.5%) were diagnosed with endometrioid adenocarcinoma by using EM aspiration biopsy. Of the 13 complex EM hyperplasia samples diagnosed with the D&C, five (38.5%) were diagnosed with EM hyperplasia by using EM aspiration biopsy. Of the samples obtained through EM aspiration, 46.4% were insufficient for histological evaluation. Conclusion To evaluate the treatment responses of patients with early-stage EC treated with high dose oral progestin and LNG-IUS, D&C should be conducted after LNG-IUS removal.
Vergence Variability: A Key to Understanding Oculomotor Adaptability?

Vergence eye movements were recorded from three different populations: healthy young (ages 18-35 years), adaptive presbyopic and non-adaptive presbyopic(the presbyopic groups aged above 45 years) to determine how the variability of the eye movements made by the populations differs. The variability was determined using Shannon Entropy calculations of Wavelet transform coefficients, to yield a non-linear analysis of the vergence movement variability. The data were then fed through a k-means clustering algorithm to classify each subject, with no a priori knowledge of true subject classification. The results indicate a highly significant difference in the total entropy values between the three groups, indicating a difference in the level of information content, and thus hypothetically the oculomotor adaptability, between the three groups.Further, the frequency distribution of the entropy varied across groups.
Vigabatrin for the Treatment of Infantile Spasms: Final Report of a Randomized Trial

A large randomized study was conducted in patients with newly diagnosed infantile spasms to compare 2 doses of vigabatrin in achieving spasm cessation. High (100-148 mg/kg/d) and low (18-36 mg/kg/d) oral doses of vigabatrin were evaluated in a randomized, single-blind study of 14 to 21 days with subsequent open-label treatment up to 3 years. Spasm cessation was defined as 7 consecutive days of spasm freedom beginning within the first 14 days, confirmed by video-electroencephalogram. A total of 221 subjects comprised the modified intent-to-treat cohort. More subjects in the high-dose group achieved spasm cessation compared with the low-dose vigabatrin group (15.9% [17/107] vs 7.0% [8/114]; P = .0375). During follow-up, 39 of 171 (23%) subjects relapsed; 28 of 39 (72%) regained spasm freedom. Adverse events were primarily mild to moderate in severity. Vigabatrin had a dose-dependent effect in spasm reduction. Spasm cessation occurred rapidly and was maintained in the majority of infants.
Alcohol and state-dependent learning.

This paper reviews several attempts to demonstrate state-dependent (St.D) effects from alcohol and reports a study in which the subject's state (sober or intoxicated) produces a 'dissociation' decrement in recall performance only when the drug state differed from that under which the original learning took place. Thirty-two subjects were used in a 2 x 2 design with moderate doses of alcohol (mean BAC = 81 mg/100 ml). In a second study, with 16 volunteers, alcohol was administered immediately after learning in order to distinguish between 'stimulus' and 'storage' hypotheses. Greater retention was found for those subjects whose drug states were the same in memory consolidation and retrieval. Thus, an alcohol state effective during the memory consolidation interval following acquisition appears to be a sufficient condition for producing St.D learning. In this context, St.D learning might be better termed state-dependent memory storage and retrieval. The implications of these results for the aetiology and treatment of alcohol dependence are discussed.
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for examining tumor biology

This paper reviews the potential of ultrasound for assessing the viability and biological behavior of tumors. Unlike color Doppler sonography, modern techniques for contrast-enhanced ultrasound permit the measurement of tissue perfusion irrespective of vessel size or flow velocity. Perfusion can also be assessed quantitatively, using replenishment kinetics or derivates thereof. The perfusion of tumors is a surrogate parameter of their viability and may mirror their response to therapy. Furthermore, the degree of vascularity in a tumor may express its aggressiveness and help to predict its response to treatment. In animal models, a decrease in blood flow has been shown to precede a shrinkage of tumors treated with anti-angiogenic compounds. In liver metastases, arterial and portal blood supply can be assessed separately, and a response to stereotactic radiotherapy was found to go along with a decrease in arterial perfusion. Moreover, a relatively high arterial perfusion of liver metastases may predict a response to chemotherapy. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound may be a potent tool for assessing the effects of anti-angiogenic treatment in patients.
Improving the Quantification of Highly Overlapping Chromatographic Peaks by Using Product Unit Neural Networks Modeled by an Evolutionary Algorithm

This work investigates the ability of multiplicative (on the basis of product units) and sigmoidal neural models built by an evolutionary algorithm to quantify highly overlapping chromatographic peaks. To test this approach, two N-methylcarbamate pesticides, carbofuran and propoxur, were quantified using a classic peroxyoxalate chemiluminescence reaction as a detection system for chromatographic analysis. The four-parameter Weibull curve associated with the profile of the chromatographic peak estimated by the Levenberg-Marquardt method was used as input data for both models. Straightforward network topologies (one output) allowed the analytes to be quantified with great accuracy and precision. Product unit neural networks provided better information ability, smaller network architectures, and more robust models (smaller standard deviation). The reduced dimensions of the selected models enabled the derivation of simple quantification equations to transform the input variables into the output variable. These equations can be more easily interpreted from a chemical point of view than those provided by sigmoidal neural networks, and the effect of both analytes on the characteristics of chromatographic bands, namely profile, dispersion, peak height, and residence time, can be readily established.
Neural dynamics of synchronous imitative interaction

Since 2002, a new neuroimaging technique called hyperscanning allows to record several participants simultaneously and thus to study social interaction in a reciprocal and spontaneous social context. Meanwhile, neurodynamics and sensorimotor theories suggested to understand social interaction in a more holistic approach by considering the two interacting individuals as a single system, and giving equal importance to behavior and brain activity. This thesis presents the study of pairs of participants recorded simultaneously during spontaneous imitation of the movement of their hands, by a dual-video combined with a hyperscanning-EEG setup. A fine grained video analysis identified the episodes of interactional synchrony and imitation, thus allowing the neurodynamic characterization of various aspects of the interaction, both at the inter- and intra-individual. The first study showed that episodes of interactional synchrony were accompanied by the emergence of inter-brain phase synchronizations in several frequency bands. The second study showed a neural differentiation between self- and other-attribution of action primacy, and found a signature of the co-ownership of the action in both partners during the spontaneous imitation. The third study validated the experimental measurements with biophysical simulations of pairs of human brains. It also showed the effects of anatomical connectivity on intra-individual neural dynamics and the facilitation of the inter-individual sensorimotor coupling.
Variations to the Cryptographics Algorithms AES and Twofish

The cryptographic algorithms AES and Twofish guarantee a high diffusion by the use of fixed 4×4 MDS matrices. In this article variations to the algorithms AES and Twofish are made. They allow that the process of cipher decipher come true with MDS matrices selected randomly from the set of all MDS matrices with the use of proposed algorithm. A new key schedule with a high diffusion is designed for the algorithm AES. Besides proposed algorithm generate new S box that depends of the key.
Social function evaluation of stroke

Social function evaluation of strok e plays significant role in field of r ehabilitation medicine.The determ ination of the social function of patients of stroke is to e valuate some aspects of objective conditions and variational factors,s uch as:the levels of disability,tre atment effects,living condition(life quality)and social life ability.The princip le of evaluation is emphasizing the h uman social function rather than physical function.The orientation ability to social life is a prerequis ite to prove the social function of patients of stroke and is correlative a nd interaction with life quality of patients.
Determination of the Relative Uptake of Ground vs. Surface Water by Populus deltoides During Phytoremediation

ABSTRACT The use of plants to remediate polluted groundwater is becoming an attractive alternative to more expensive traditional techniques. In order to adequately assess the effectiveness of the phytoremediation treatment, a clear understanding of water-use habits by the selected plant species is essential. We examined the relative uptake of surface water (i.e., precipitation) vs. groundwater by mature Populus deltoides by applying irrigation water at a rate equivalent to a 5-cm rain event. We used stable isotopes of hydrogen (D) and oxygen (18O) to identify groundwater and surface water (irrigation water) in the xylem sap water. Pretreatment isotopic ratios of both deuterium and 18O, ranked from heaviest to lightest, were irrigation water > groundwater > xylem sap. The discrepancy in preirrigation isotopic signatures between groundwater and xylem sap suggests that in the absence of a surface source of water (i.e., between rain events) there is an unknown amount of water being extracted from sources other than groundwater (i.e., soil surface water). We examined changes in volumetric soil water content (%), total hourly sapflux rates, and trichloroethene (TCE) concentrations. Following the irrigation treatment, volumetric soil water increased by 86% and sapflux increased by as much as 61%. Isotopic signatures of the xylem sap became substantially heavier following irrigation, suggesting that the applied irrigation water was quickly taken up by the plants. TCE concentrations in the xylem sap were diluted by an average of 21% following irrigation; however, dilution was low relative to the increase in sapflux. Our results show that water use by Populus deltoides is variable. Hence, studies addressing phytoremediation effectiveness must account for the relative proportion of surface vs. groundwater uptake.
A support system for finding lost objects using spotlight

We propose a support system for finding lost objects indoors. The system employs active RFID and ultrasonic position detection to detect the position of a lost object. The system illuminates the position by using Movinglight, which is normally employed in stage lighting. From an experiment, the way of notification by light is better than that by sound in some situations.
Impaired regeneration of monoglutamyl tetrahydrofolate leads to cellular folate depletion in mothers affected by a spina bifida pregnancy.

Periconceptional folate prevents neural tube defects (NTD) by a mechanism which is unclear. The present study found significant changes in the equilibrium of the homocysteine remethylation cycle in NTD affected mothers, possibly involving B12-dependent methionine synthase or 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. Data were consistent with impaired Hcy remethylation leading to poor regeneration of H4PteGlu1, the main intracellular precursor of all folates. This lesion leads to cellular folate deficiency indicated by a significantly lower radioassay RBC folate and 5CH3H4PteGlu4 in affected mothers. The drop in this tetraglutamate is associated with an increase in the abundance of longer chain oligo-gamma-glutamyl folate, again reflecting the underlying folate deficiency. This effect may compromise purine, DNA-thymine, and methionine production, particularly during embryogenesis when folate demand is high. At this time serine hydroxymethyltransferase may play a critical role in conserving H4PteGlu1 for purine synthesis. Many of these depletion effects were corrected with folate supplementation for 1 month.
Phylogenomics: evolution and genomics intersection

Phylogenomics is the analysis of genomes of a group of closely related species. Almost all functional prediction methods rely on the identification, characterisation and quantification of sequence similarity between the gene of interest and genes for which functional information is available. This is the new evolved branch that is developed from the ongoing genome sequencing projects that have led to a phylogenetic approach based on genome-scale data. The use of large data sets in phylogenomic analysis results in a global increase in resolution owing to a decrease in sampling error.