Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of in ovo administration of L-carnitine on hatchability performance, glycogen status and insulin-like growth factor-1 of broiler chickens

1. Eggs from a meat-type breeder flock (Ross) were used in two trials to study the effects of in ovo administration of L-carnitine (carnitine) on hatchability traits (hatchability percentage, embryo deaths, pipped with live or dead embryo), chick weight at hatch as an absolute value (CWT) or expressed as a percentage of egg weight (CWT%), hatching period, glycogen status (liver and pectoral muscle) and plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) of hatched chicks were investigated. There were 9 treatments with three replicates of each. Treatments were non-injected control (negative control), or injection with sterilised saline (0⋅9%, positive control), or sterilised saline with carnitine at 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 µg/egg. 2. In ovo carnitine treatment increased CWT, CWT%, glycogen in the liver and pectoral muscle, glycogen index and plasma IGF-1 of hatched chicks, and did not influence hatchability traits and hatching period. The glycogen index of hatched chicks of the in ovo carnitine treatments with values (500 > 400 = 300 > 200) was higher than that of the control and in ovo carnitine at 25, 50, and 100 µg/egg treatments. The nature of response to carnitine was cubic for CWT and CWT%, and linear for glycogen in the liver and pectoral muscle, glycogen index of hatched chicks when the negative control or positive control treatment was used as base line. 3. It was concluded that in ovo administration of carnitine at 25–500 µg/egg increased chick weight at hatch and IGF-1, and did not influence hatchability traits and hatching period of eggs. The linear relationship between in ovo administration of carnitine and glycogen status of hatched chicks indicated that increasing in ovo doses improved glycogen status of hatched chicks.
Nonlinear observers applied to fixed-wing UAVs

This paper presents a comparison of two types of robust observers algorithms: the sliding-mode observer (SMO) and the nonlinear extended state observer (NESO). For some controllers design, it is necessary the use of observers in order to estimate the states which are not directly available. We present several simulations for the sliding-mode observer and the nonlinear extended state observer. In order to validate the robustness of such observers, we have developed a fixed-wing UAV platform, and we have designed a Proportional-Derivative (PD) control law which uses the output signals of the observer as state feedback. The analyzed movements are the altitude, roll and yaw.
Experimental Study on Cerebral Hemodynamics during Observation of Plants

Psychological and physiological effects of plants were studied by investigating human responses while observing plants. Eighteen healthy adult male (aged between 19～25 years) participated in this study. Semantic differential method (SD method) and multi- channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) were used to survey verbal and non-verbal response, respectively. Cerebral hemodynamics as a new evaluation index of brain activity was recorded for right brain hemisphere where visual information is mainly delivered. Thirty seconds of cerebral blood flow in forty seven channels were calculated when watching five types of picture images with different rates of hedge against gray block wall; 0: 10, 3: 7, 5: 5, 7: 3, 10: 0. In the SD results, similar evaluations were found in all subjects. However, the change of cerebral hemodynamics as a non-verbal response varied among subjects. Largely two patterns of hemodynamics change were found with increasing plants rate in picture images; group A showed significant decreases of blood flow volume in many cortical regions, Group B had significant increase of blood flow volume in the occipital region for the scenes seen comparatively more plant. Our findings on the cerebral hemodynamics may indicate that there are two patterns of brain activity during observation of plants; group A in which brain areas associated with visual information and thinking work simultaneously to the visual stimuli; group B in which brain areas associated only with visual information work.
Glueball spectrum of pure Yang-Mills theory in 2+1 dimensions

We present details of the analytic computation of the spectrum of lowest spin glueballs in pure Yang-Mills theory in 2 + 1 dimensions. The new ingredient is provided by the conjectured new nontrivial expression for the (quasi)Gaussian part of the ground state wave functional. We show that this wave functional can be derived by solving the Schrodinger equation under certain assumptions. The mass spectrum of the theory is determined by the zeros of Bessel functions, and the agreement with available lattice data is excellent.
Correlations between physiology and lifespan – two widely ignored problems with comparative studies

Comparative differences between species provide a powerful source of information that may inform our understanding of the aging process. However, two problems regularly attend such analyses. The co‐variation of traits with body mass is frequently ignored, along with the lack of independence of the data due to a shared phylogenetic history. These problems undermine the use of simple correlations between various factors and maximum lifespan potential (MLSP) across different species as evidence that the factors in question have causal effects on aging. Both of these problems have been widely addressed by comparative biologists working in fields other than aging research, and statistical solutions to these issues are available. Using these statistical approaches, of making analyses of residual traits with the effects of body mass removed, and deriving phylogenetically independent contrasts, will allow analyses of the relationships between physiology and maximum lifespan potential to proceed unhindered by these difficulties, potentially leading to many useful insights into the aging process.
GNomon: Enabling Dynamic One-Switch Games for Children with Severe Motor Disabilities

Nowadays, video games represent one of the most popular forms of structured play. They allow children to enjoy very entertaining game mechanics, a variety of game genres and novel modes of interaction. However, this is not always the case for children with severe motor disabilities that rely on one-switch interfaces to access electronic devices. This work in progress presents GNomon, a framework based on the NOMON interaction modality which enables the creation of dynamic, entertaining and complex one-switch video games for children with severe motor disabilities. The framework was designed in close collaboration with a team of speech therapists, physiotherapists and psychologists from one of the Local Health Agencies in Turin, Italy. We also report the design and implementation of two GNomon-based games, which have already been accepted by the health agency experts to be tested with a group of their assisted children.
The creation of a reputation in an artificial society organised by a gift system

This paper describes simulations in an artificial society in which autonomous agents exchange gifts. In this society agents perform simple acts that are looked at by the others and are analysed so that a common image is created for each agent (a reputation). The model is based on numerous descriptions of non-merchant exchange systems, which are very interesting for ethnologists as well as for economists: they appear to be important for circulation of goods and to insure the reproduction of social links and values. In the system built the agents must make a gift at each time-step. There exist two kinds of gifts and two corresponding kinds of reputation: the agents either give to share or to be prestigious. Since gifts are received according to status, receiving a gift is as important for a reputation as making one. Each agent is characterised by its ''motivation'' to acquire the reputation of being a sharing agent or a prestigious agent. It is also characterised by its ''esteem'', to decide if it will be able to do the gift it wants to do for a time-step. These two characteristics of an agent can be stable during the simulation, but can also evolve according to its history. We study here the different patterns that can appear in the societies, in terms of generation of reputation, and of histories over time. A huge range of these patterns can be observed, depending on the choice made for the parameters. In some cases the agents cannot be individually distinguished, in other cases they can: but, in any case any individual behaviours that emerge have to be sustained by a collective specification that points out more or less the way agents value each reputation.
Tight bounds on information dissemination in sparse mobile networks

Motivated by the growing interest in mobile systems, we study the dynamics of information dissemination between agents moving independently on a plane. Formally, we consider <i>k</i> mobile agents performing independent random walks on an <i>n</i>-node grid. At time 0, each agent is located at a random node of the grid and one agent has a rumor. The spread of the rumor is governed by a dynamic communication graph process {<i>G<sub>t</sub></i>(<i>r</i>)|<i>t</i> ≥ 0}, where two agents are connected by an edge in <i>G<sub>t</sub></i>(<i>r</i>) iff their distance at time <i>t</i> is within their transmission radius <i>r</i>. Modeling the physical reality that the speed of radio transmission is much faster than the motion of the agents, we assume that the rumor can travel throughout a connected component of <i>G<sub>t</sub></i> before the graph is altered by the motion. We study the broadcast time <i>T<sub>B</sub></i> of the system, which is the time it takes for all agents to know the rumor. We focus on the sparse case (below the percolation point <i>r<sub>c</sub></i> ≈ √<i>n/k</i>) where, with high probability, no connected component in <i>G<sub>t</sub></i> has more than a logarithmic number of agents and the broadcast time is dominated by the time it takes for many independent random walks to meet one other. Quite surprisingly, we show that for a system below the percolation point, the broadcast time does not depend on the transmission radius. In fact, we prove that <i>T<sub>B</sub></i> = Θ(<i>n</i>/√<i>k</i>) for any 0 ≤ <i>r</i> < <i>r<sub>c</sub></i>, even when the transmission range is significantly larger than the mobility range in one step, giving a tight characterization up to logarithmic factors. Our result complements a recent result of Peres et al. (SODA 2011) who showed that above the percolation point the broadcast time is polylogarithmic in <i>k</i>.
Activity of the novel mTOR inhibitor Torin-2 in B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and its therapeutic potential to prevent Akt reactivation

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling cascade is a key regulatory pathway controlling cell growth and survival, and its dysregulation is a reported feature of B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-pre ALL). Torin-2 is a novel, second-generation ATP-competitive inhibitor that is potent and selective for mTOR with a superior pharmacokinetic profile to previous inhibitors. It has been shown that Torin-2 displayed dramatic antiproliferative activity across a panel of cancer cell lines. To investigate if Torin-2 could represent a new option for the treatment of B-pre ALL, we tested its activity on a panel of B-pre ALL cell lines. In all of them Torin-2 showed a powerful cytotoxic activity, inhibiting the growth of each cell line in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 in the nanomolar range. Torin-2 caused both apoptosis and autophagy, induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and affected both mTORC1 and mTORC2 activities as assessed by their specific substrate dephosphorylation. Torin-2 alone suppressed feedback activation of PI3K/Akt, whereas the mTORC1 inhibitor RAD001 required the addition of the Akt inhibitor MK-2206 to achieve the same effect. These pharmacological strategies targeting PI3K/Akt/mTOR at different points of the signaling pathway cascade might represent a new promising therapeutic strategy for treatment of B-pre ALL patients.
In vivo assessment of wall shear stress in the atherosclerotic aorta using flow‐sensitive 4D MRI

Our purpose was to correlate atherogenic low wall shear stress (WSS) and high oscillatory shear index (OSI) with the localization of aortic plaques. Flow‐sensitive four‐dimensional MRI was used to acquire three‐dimensional blood flow in the aorta of 62 patients with proven aortic atherosclerosis and 31 healthy volunteers. Multiplanar data analysis of WSS magnitude and OSI in 12 wall segments was performed in analysis planes distributed along the aorta. Disturbed WSS and OSI were defined as areas exposed to low WSS magnitude and high OSI beyond individual 15% thresholds. Planewise analysis revealed a good correlation (r = 0.85) of individual low WSS magnitude but not of high OSI with plaque distribution. Although plaques occurred only rarely in the ascending aorta, the incidence of low WSS magnitude and high OSI was similar to findings in other aortic segments where plaques occurred more frequently. Case‐by‐case comparisons of plaque location and critical wall parameters revealed a shift of atherogenic WSS magnitude (78% of all cases) and OSI (91%) to wall segments adjacent to the atheroma. Our results indicate that the predictive value of WSS for plaque existence depends on the aortic segment and that locations of critical wall parameters move to neighboring segments of regions affected by atherosclerosis. Magn Reson Med, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Adaptive two step method and its application in the interception of hypersonic random maneuvering target

The two step filter is suitable for the optimal estimation problem of systems with linear state function and nonlinear measurement function. This paper considered the problem of the interception of hypersonic random maneuvering target and for the special math model discussed, adaptive two step method was integrated with Fast MMAE method in order to detect and identify target maneuvering while filtering out the target acceleration information, needed for the implementation of the differential game guidance laws. Results from simulation verified the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive two step method.
WCET-centric software-controlled instruction caches for hard real-time systems

Cache memories have been extensively used to bridge the gap between high speed processors and relatively slower main memories. However, they are sources of predictability problems because of their dynamic and adaptive behavior, and thus need special attention to be used in hard real-time systems. A lot of progress has been achieved in the last ten years to statically predict worst-case execution times (WCETs) of tasks on architectures with caches. However, cache-aware WCET analysis techniques are not always applicable due to the lack of documentation of hardware manuals concerning the cache replacement policies. Moreover, they tend to be pessimistic with some cache replacement policies (e.g. random replacement policies). Lastly, caches are sources of timing anomalies in dynamically scheduled processors (a cache miss may in some cases result in a shorter execution time than a hit). To reconciliate performance and predictability of caches, we propose in this paper algorithm for software control of instruction caches. The proposed algorithms statically divide the code of tasks into regions, for which the cache contents is statically selected. At run-time, at every transition between regions, the cache contents computed off-line is loaded into the cache and the cache replacement policy is disabled (the cache is locked). Experimental results provided in the paper show that with an appropriate selection of regions and cache contents, the worst-case performance of applications with locked instruction caches is competitive with the worst-case performance of unlocked caches
The Octopus Approach in Time Management: Polychronicity and Creativity

The current study examined the associations among polychronicity, creativity and perceived time pressure in a military context. Polychronicity refers to an individual’s preference for working on many tasks simultaneously as opposed to 1 at a time. As hypothesized, polychronicity was negatively related to creativity. In addition, perceived time pressure moderated this relationship. Specifically, polychronic individuals exhibited less creativity when their perceived time pressure was high. The results underscore that, although today’s work environment encourages polychronic approach, it, when reinforced with perceived high time pressure, runs the risk of reducing creativity, which is a critical driver for the survival of organizations.
Incidence of BK with Tacrolimus Versus Cyclosporine and Impact of Preemptive Immunosuppression Reduction

Our purposes were to determine the incidence of BK viruria, viremia or nephropathy with tacrolimus (FK506) versus cyclosporine (CyA) and whether intensive monitoring and discontinuation of mycophenolate (MMF) or azathioprine (AZA), upon detection of BK viremia, could prevent BK nephropathy.
Energetics and mechanics of terrestrial locomotion. IV. Total mechanical energy changes as a function of speed and body size in birds and mammals.

This is the final paper in or series examining the link between the energetics and mechanics of terrestrial locomotion. In this paper the kinetic energy of the limbs and body relative to the centre of mass (EKE, tot of paper two) is combined with the potential plus kinetic energy of the centre of mass (ECM, tot of paper three) to obtain the total mechanical energy (excluding elastic energy) of an animal during constant average-speed locomotion. The minimum mass-specific power required of the muscles and tendons to maintain the observed oscillations in total energy, Etot/Mb, can be described by one equation: Etot/Mb = 0.478 . vg 1.53 + 0.685 . vg + 0.072 where Etot/Mb is in W kg-1 and vg is in m s-1. This equation is independent of body size, applying equally as well to a chipmunk or a quail as to a horse or an ostrich. In marked contrast, the metabolic energy consumed by each gram of an animal as it moves along the ground at a constant speed increases linearly with speed and is proportional to Mb-0.3. Thus, we have found that each gram of tissue of a 30 g quail or chipmunk running at 3 m s-1 consumes metabolic energy at a rate about 15 times that of a 100 kg ostrich, horse or human running at the same speed while their muscles are performing work at the same rate. Our measurements demonstrate the importance of storage and recovery of elastic energy in larger animals, but they cannot confirm or exclude the possibility of elastic storage of energy in small animals. It seems clear that the rate at which animals consume energy during locomotion cannot be explained by assuming a constant efficiency between the energy consumed and the mechanical work performed by the muscles. It is suggested that the intrinsic velocity of shortening of the active muscle motor units (which is related to the rate of cycling of the cross bridges between actin and myosin) and the rate at which the muscles are turned on and off are the most important factors in determining the metabolic cost of constant-speed locomotion. Faster motor units are recruited as animals increase speed, and equivalent muscles of small animals have faster fibres than those of larger animals. Also, the muscles are turned on and off more quickly as an animal increases speed, and at the same speed a small animal will be turning muscles on and off at a much higher rate. These suggestions are testable, and future studies should determine if they are correct.
Proteomic diversity of high density lipoproteins: our emerging understanding of its importance in lipid transport and beyond1

Recent applications of mass spectrometry technology have dramatically increased our understanding of the proteomic diversity of high density lipoproteins (HDL). Depending on the method of HDL isolation, upwards of 85 proteins have been identified, and the list continues to grow. In addition to proteins consistent with traditionally accepted roles in lipid transport, HDL carries surprising constituents, such as members of the complement pathway, protease inhibitors involved in hemostasis, acute-phase response proteins, immune function mediators, and even metal-binding proteins. This compositional diversity fits well with hundreds of studies demonstrating a wide functional pleiotrophy, including roles in lipid transport, oxidation, inflammation, hemostasis, and immunity. This review summarizes the progression of our understanding of HDL proteomic complexity and points out key experimental observations that reinforce the functional diversity of HDL. The possibility of specific HDL subspecies with distinct functions, the evidence supporting this concept, and some of the best examples of experimentally defined HDL subspecies are also discussed. Finally, key challenges facing the field are highlighted, particularly the need to identify and define the function of HDL subspecies to better inform attempts to pharmacologically manipulate HDL for the benefit of cardiovascular disease and possibly other maladies.
CORER: A New Rule Generator Classifier

Rule-based classifiers have been successfully applied in data mining applications. In this Paper, we have proposed a novel rule generator classifier called CORER (Colonial competitive Rule-based classifier) to improve the accuracy of data classification. The proposed classifier works based on CCA (Colonial Competitive Algorithm), a recently-developed evolutionary optimization algorithm. In order to approve the CORER capability in various domains, four different datasets from UCI machine learning database repository have been applied. To evaluate CORER performance, we compared our results with some other well-known classification methods, such as C4.5, CN.2, ID3 and naïve bayes which brings about superior results. Our findings lead us to believe that CORER may provide better performance for some critic domains which need more precise classifiers.
Neurogenic fever after traumatic brain injury: an epidemiological study

Objectives: To determine the incidence of neurogenic fever (NF) in a population of patients in the acute phase following severe traumatic brain injury (TBI); to identify factors associated with the development of NF following severe TBI in adults. Methods: Charts of patients admitted from 1996 to 1999 with severe TBI at a large, urban mid-Atlantic teaching hospital were retrospectively evaluated based on diagnostic criteria for each episode of hyperthermia to determine the diagnosis of NF. Data were collected regarding mechanism and area of injury, severity of injury, and demographic factors to determine potential predictors of NF. Results: Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) (OR 9.06, 95% CI 0.99 to 82.7) and frontal lobe injury of any type (OR 6.68, 95% CI 1.1 to 39.3) are independently predictive of an increased risk of development of NF following severe TBI. The presence of a skull fracture and lower initial Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) were individual predictors of development of NF, but did not contribute to the final model. Conclusions: These findings examine known and novel risk factors for this phenomenon in comparison to previously published literature on NF. A set of predictor variables was identified to help clinicians target patients at high risk for development of NF following severe TBI. It is hoped that earlier diagnosis and appropriate intervention for fever in the TBI patient will lead to improved outcomes.