Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Semantic Information Influences Race Categorization From Faces

It is well established that low-level visual features affect person categorization in a bottom-up fashion. Few studies have examined top-down influences, however, and have largely focused on how information recalled from memory or from motivation influences categorization. Here, we investigated how race categorizations are affected by the context in which targets are perceived by manipulating semantic information associated with the faces being categorized. We found that presenting faces that systematically varied in racial ambiguity with race-congruent (vs. incongruent) semantic labels shifted the threshold at which perceivers distinguished between racial groups. The semantic information offered by the labels therefore appeared to influence the categorization of race. These findings suggest that semantic information creates a context for the interpretation of perceptual cues during social categorization, highlighting an active role of top-down information in race perception.
Semantic Clustering: an Attempt to Identify Multiword Expressions in Bengali

One of the key issues in both natural language understanding and generation is the appropriate processing of Multiword Expressions (MWEs). MWE can be defined as a semantic issue of a phrase where the meaning of the phrase may not be obtained from its constituents in a straightforward manner. This paper presents an approach of identifying bigram noun-noun MWEs from a medium-size Bengali corpus by clustering the semantically related nouns and incorporating a vector space model for similarity measurement. Additional inclusion of the English WordNet::Similarity module also improves the results considerably. The present approach also contributes to locate clusters of the synonymous noun words present in a document. Experimental results draw a satisfactory conclusion after analyzing the Precision, Recall and F-score values.
On the interplay between routing and signal representation for Compressive Sensing in wireless sensor networks

Compressive Sensing (CS) shows high promise for fully distributed compression in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In theory, CS allows the approximation of the readings from a sensor field with excellent accuracy, while collecting only a small fraction of them at a data gathering point. However, the conditions under which CS performs well are not necessarily met in practice. CS requires a suitable transformation that makes the signal sparse in its domain. Also, the transformation of the data given by the routing protocol and network topology and the sparse representation of the signal have to be incoherent, which is not straightforward to achieve in real networks. In this work we address the data gathering problem in WSNs, where routing is used in conjunction with CS to transport random projections of the data.We analyze synthetic and real data sets and compare the results against those of random sampling. In doing so, we consider a number of popular transformations and we find that, with real data sets, none of them are able to sparsify the data while being at the same time incoherent with respect to the routing matrix. The obtained performance is thus not as good as expected and finding a suitable transformation with good sparsification and incoherence properties remains an open problem for data gathering in static WSNs.
Population dynamics and diversity of phytoplankton, bacteria and viruses in a seawater enclosure

We now know that the abundance of free viruses in most marine environments is high. There is still, however, a lack of understanding of their occurrence and distribution and of in situ rela- tionships between viral and host communities in natural environments. This may be partly due to methodological limitations. Our main aim was therefore to perform a case study in which a variety of methods were applied in order to give an improved, high-resolution description of the microbial com- munities in a natural environment. In order to do this we combined light microscopy (LM), transmis- sion electron microscopy (TEM), flow cytometry (FCM), PCR denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and studied the diversity and succession of algae, bacteria and viruses in a nutrient enriched seawater enclosure. In the enclosure we experi- enced a situation where the development of the dominating algal population, which consisted of sev- eral flagellate species, was followed by proliferation of several different size-classes of viruses. The total bacterial number decreased markedly during the flagellate bloom but the community composi- tion was maintained and the diversity remained high. Our results indicate a close linkage between various algal, bacterial and viral populations and show that virioplankton do not necessarily termi- nate algal and bacterial blooms but that they keep the host populations at non-blooming levels.
Expansion and further delineation of the SETD5 phenotype leading to global developmental delay, variable dysmorphic features, and reduced penetrance

Diagnostic exome sequencing (DES) has aided delineation of the phenotypic spectrum of rare genetic etiologies of intellectual disability (ID). A SET domain containing 5 gene (SETD5) phenotype of ID and dysmorphic features has been previously described in relation to patients with 3p25.3 deletions and in a few individuals with de novo sequence alterations. Herein, we present additional patients with pathogenic SETD5 sequence alterations. The majority of patients in this cohort and previously reported have developmental delay, behavioral/psychiatric issues, and variable hand and skeletal abnormalities. We also present an apparently unaffected carrier mother of an affected individual and a carrier mother with normal intelligence and affected twin sons. We suggest that the phenotype of SETD5 is more complex and variable than previously presented. Therefore, many features and presentations need to be considered when evaluating a patient for SETD5 alterations through DES.
Heterogeneity-aware Energy-efficient Clustering (HEC) Technique for WSNs

Efficient energy consumption in WSN is one of the key design issues for improving network stability period. In this paper, we propose a new Heterogeneity-aware Energy-efficient Clustering (HEC) technique which considers two types of heterogeneity – network lifetime and of sensor nodes. Selection of cluster head nodes is done based on the three network lifetime phases: only advanced nodes are allowed to become cluster heads in the initial phase; in the second active phase all nodes are allowed to participate in cluster head selection process with equal probability, and in the last dying out phase, clustering is relaxed by allowing direct transmission. Simulation-based performance analysis of the proposed technique as compared to other relevant techniques shows that HEC achieves longer stable region, improved throughput, and better energy dissipation owing to judicious consumption of additional energy of advanced nodes. On an average, the improvement observed for stability period over LEACH, SEP, FAIR and HEC-with SEP protocols is around 65%, 30%, 15% and 17% respectively. Further, the scalability of proposed technique is tested by varying the field size and number of sensing nodes. The results obtained are found to be quite optimistic. The impact of energy heterogeneity has also been assessed and it is found to improve the stability period though only upto a certain extent.
Clinical evidence of traditional vs fast track recovery methodologies after total arthroplasty for osteoarthritic knee treatment. A retrospective observational study.

Background During the last years, programs to enhance postoperative recovery and decrease morbidity after total knee arthroplasty, have been developed across a variety of surgical procedures and referred to as "Fast-Track Surgery". In this study we aimed to find some answers in the management of osteoarthritic patients subjected to total knee arthroplasty, by using the Fast-Track methodology. To this purpose we evaluated parameters such as early mobilization of patients, better pain management, bleeding, possible complications, reduced hospitalization time, an overall improved recovery and patient satisfaction. Methods 132 patients were selected, of which, 95 treated with "Fast Track" method and 37 treated with traditional method (control group). All the patients were hospitalized and underwent the same rehabilitation program for the first three days after surgery. Results In both groups, the parameters of pain and deformity demonstrated the most rapid improvement, while those of function and movement were normalized as gradual and progressive improvement over the next 2 months. The different functional test used (Barthel, MRC, VAS) showed that the mean values were significantly greater in Fast Track group when compared to the control. Conclusion The results of the study confirm that the application of the Fast Track protocol in orthopaedics after total knee replacement results in rapid post-surgery recovery. Level of evidence IV. Case series, low-quality cohort or case-control studies.
Development of a Novel Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Platform That Mimics the Immature Form of Alphavirus

ABSTRACT Virus-like particles (VLPs) are noninfectious multiprotein structures that are engineered to self-assemble from viral structural proteins. Here, we developed a novel VLP-based vaccine platform utilizing VLPs from the chikungunya virus. We identified two regions within the envelope protein, a structural component of chikungunya, where foreign antigens can be inserted without compromising VLP structure. Our VLP displays 480 copious copies of an inserted antigen on the VLP surface in a highly symmetric manner and is thus capable of inducing strong immune responses against any inserted antigen. Furthermore, by mimicking the structure of the immature form of the virus, we altered our VLP's in vivo dynamics and enhanced its immunogenicity. We used the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) of the Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite as an antigen and demonstrated that our VLP-based vaccine elicits strong immune responses against CSP in animals. The sera from immunized monkeys protected mice from malaria infection. Likewise, mice vaccinated with P. yoelii CSP-containing VLPs were protected from an infectious sporozoite challenge. Hence, our uniquely engineered VLP platform can serve as a blueprint for the development of vaccines against other pathogens and diseases.
Decentralised Learning in Systems with Many, Many Strategic Agents

Although multi-agent reinforcement learning can tackle systems of strategically interacting entities, it currently fails in scalability and lacks rigorous convergence guarantees. Crucially, learning in multi-agent systems can become intractable due to the explosion in the size of the state-action space as the number of agents increases. In this paper, we propose a method for computing closed-loop optimal policies in multi-agent systems that scales independently of the number of agents. This allows us to show, for the first time, successful convergence to optimal behaviour in systems with an unbounded number of interacting adaptive learners. Studying the asymptotic regime of N-player stochastic games, we devise a learning protocol that is guaranteed to converge to equilibrium policies even when the number of agents is extremely large. Our method is model-free and completely decentralised so that each agent need only observe its local state information and its realised rewards. We validate these theoretical results by showing convergence to Nash-equilibrium policies in applications from economics and control theory with thousands of strategically interacting agents.
JU: A Supervised Approach to Identify Semantic Relations from Paired Nominals

This article presents the experiments carried out at Jadavpur University as part of the participation in Multi-Way Classification of Semantic Relations between Pairs of Nomi-nals in the SemEval 2010 exercise. Separate rules for each type of the relations are identified in the baseline model based on the verbs and prepositions present in the segment between each pair of nominals. Inclusion of WordNet features associated with the paired nominals play an important role in distinguishing the relations from each other. The Conditional Random Field (CRF) based machine-learning framework is adopted for classifying the pair of nominals. Application of dependency relations, Named Entities (NE) and various types of WordNet features along with several combinations of these features help to improve the performance of the system. Error analysis suggests that the performance can be improved by applying suitable strategies to differentiate each paired nominal in an already identified relation. Evaluation result gives an overall macro-averaged F1 score of 52.16%.
Mobile Antibiotic Resistance Encoding Elements Promote Their Own Diversity

Integrating conjugative elements (ICEs) are a class of bacterial mobile genetic elements that disseminate via conjugation and then integrate into the host cell genome. The SXT/R391 family of ICEs consists of more than 30 different elements that all share the same integration site in the host chromosome but often encode distinct properties. These elements contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in several gram-negative bacteria including Vibrio cholerae, the agent of cholera. Here, using comparative analyses of the genomes of several SXT/R391 ICEs, we found evidence that the genomes of these elements have been shaped by inter–ICE recombination. We developed a high throughput semi-quantitative method to explore the genetic determinants involved in hybrid ICE formation. Recombinant ICE formation proved to be relatively frequent, and to depend on host (recA) and ICE (s065 and s066) loci, which can independently and potentially cooperatively mediate hybrid ICE formation. s065 and s066, which are found in all SXT/R391 ICEs, are orthologues of the bacteriophage λ Red recombination genes bet and exo, and the s065/s066 recombination system is the first Red-like recombination pathway to be described in a conjugative element. Neither ICE excision nor conjugative transfer proved to be essential for generation of hybrid ICEs. Instead conjugation facilitates the segregation of hybrids and could provide a means to select for functional recombinant ICEs containing novel combinations of genes conferring resistance to antibiotics. Thus, ICEs promote their own diversity and can yield novel mobile elements capable of disseminating new combinations of antibiotic resistance genes.
Contributions au développement d'outils computationnels de design de protéine : méthodes et algorithmes de comptage avec garantie. (Contribution to protein design tools : counting methods and algorithms)

Cette these porte sur deux sujets intrinsequement lies : le calcul de la constante de normalisation d’un champ de Markov et l’estimation de l’affinite de liaison d’un complexe de proteines. Premierement, afin d’aborder ce probleme de comptage #P complet, nous avons developpe Z*, base sur un elagage des quantites de potentiels negligeables. Il s’est montre plus performant que des methodes de l’etat de l’art sur des instances issues d’interaction proteine-proteine. Par la suite, nous avons developpe #HBFS, un algorithme avec une garantie anytime, qui s’est revele plus performant que son predecesseur. Enfin, nous avons developpe BTDZ, un algorithme exact base sur une decomposition arborescente qui a fait ses preuves sur des instances issues d’interaction intermoleculaire appelees “superhelices”. Ces algorithmes s’appuient sur des methodes issuse des modeles graphiques : coherences locales, elimination de variable et decompositions arborescentes. A l’aide de methodes d’optimisation existantes, de Z* et des fonctions d’energie de Rosetta, nous avons developpe un logiciel open source estimant la constante d’affinite d’un complexe proteine proteine sur une librairie de mutants. Nous avons analyse nos estimations sur un jeu de donnees de complexes de proteines et nous les avons confronte a deux approches de l’etat de l’art. Il en est ressorti que notre outil etait qualitativement meilleur que ces methodes.
Primary Intestinal Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma in Taiwan Showed a Relative Higher Rate of Perforation and EBV Association

We retrospectively investigated 59 surgically resected primary intestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (PI-DLBCL) including 31 males and 28 females with a median age of 66. Eleven (19%) tumors were perforated at presentation; 8 (14%) were multicentric. Ileum (n=24; 43%) and ileocecum (n=17; 30%) were most frequently involved. Twenty-one (36%) patients did not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy including 6 with perforation and died in 0.2 to 7 months. The 1-, 2-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 68.4%, 56.5%, and 50.0%, respectively. Seven (12%) of 59 cases were positive for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) by in situ hybridization. IGH, BCL2, BCL6, and MYC foci were rearranged in 22%, 3%, 17%, and 7% cases, respectively, with 14% exhibiting gain/amplification at the MYC locus. Perforation (P=0.009), high ECOG PS (≥2) (P=0.018), and no adjuvant chemotherapy (P<0.001) were poor prognostic factors but not immunophenotype including co-expression of bcl-2 and myc, EBV status, or chromosomal aberrations. Perforation and chemotherapy remained significant by multivariate analysis. PI-DLBCL in Taiwan carried a relatively higher rate of perforation, lower frequency of germinal center B-cell phenotype, and higher EBV association as compared with studies from other geographic areas. Furthermore, perforation was a poor prognostic factor.
Probing Mixed-Genotype Infections I: Extraction and Cloning of Infections from Hosts of the Trypanosomatid Crithidia bombi

We here present an efficient, precise and reliable method to isolate and cultivate healthy and viable single Crithidia bombi cells from bumblebee faeces using flow cytometry. We report a precision of >99% in obtaining single trypanosomatid cells for further culture and analysis (“cloning”). In the study, we have investigated the use of different liquid media to cultivate C. bombi and present an optimal medium for obtaining viable clones from all tested, infected host donors. We show that this method can be applied to genotype a collection of clones from natural infections. Furthermore, we show how to cryo-preserve C. bombi cells to be revived to become infective clones after at least 4 years of storage. Considering the high prevalence of infections in natural populations, our method provides a powerful tool in studying the level and diversity of these infections, and thus enriches the current methodology for the studies of complex host-parasite interactions.
Preventing and controlling iron deficiency anaemia through primary health care: A guide for health administrators and programme managers

Many millions of people worldwide have iron deficiency anemia. Pregnant women and young children comprise the greatest proportion of those afflicted with iron deficiency anemia (51% and 43% respectively) especially those in developing countries. Supplementing their diet with medicinal iron prevents iron deficiency anemia. As cost benefit studies demonstrate iron supplementation yields an immediate increase in physical work output and lower morbidity and mortality. A 10% and 25% increase in hemoglobin levels brought about by iron supplementation yield annual per capita benefits of respectively $7 and $18 in Indonesia and $57 and $142 in Mexico (1980 data). This World Health Organization publication provides information on iron deficiency anemia that allows program managers to develop a sound strategy for the control of iron deficiency anemia. It examines the mechanism by which the body absorbs iron and the daily iron requirements of different population groups. The book also explains how relatively simple dietary changes could prevent anemia. Improved feeding of ill children distribution of iron tablets and control of microbial infections are other valuable interventions. The book describes current laboratory methods for detecting anemia and iron deficiency. It emphasizes that pregnant women almost always require medicinal iron so routine laboratory confirmation of iron deficiency anemia is unwarranted for them. The last section of the book presents guidelines on designing a proper control strategy and assigning responsibility for the various tasks involved.
Leishmaniasis Worldwide and Global Estimates of Its Incidence

As part of a World Health Organization-led effort to update the empirical evidence base for the leishmaniases, national experts provided leishmaniasis case data for the last 5 years and information regarding treatment and control in their respective countries and a comprehensive literature review was conducted covering publications on leishmaniasis in 98 countries and three territories (see ‘Leishmaniasis Country Profiles Text S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S11, S12, S13, S14, S15, S16, S17, S18, S19, S20, S21, S22, S23, S24, S25, S26, S27, S28, S29, S30, S31, S32, S33, S34, S35, S36, S37, S38, S39, S40, S41, S42, S43, S44, S45, S46, S47, S48, S49, S50, S51, S52, S53, S54, S55, S56, S57, S58, S59, S60, S61, S62, S63, S64, S65, S66, S67, S68, S69, S70, S71, S72, S73, S74, S75, S76, S77, S78, S79, S80, S81, S82, S83, S84, S85, S86, S87, S88, S89, S90, S91, S92, S93, S94, S95, S96, S97, S98, S99, S100, S101’). Additional information was collated during meetings conducted at WHO regional level between 2007 and 2011. Two questionnaires regarding epidemiology and drug access were completed by experts and national program managers. Visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis incidence ranges were estimated by country and epidemiological region based on reported incidence, underreporting rates if available, and the judgment of national and international experts. Based on these estimates, approximately 0.2 to 0.4 cases and 0.7 to 1.2 million VL and CL cases, respectively, occur each year. More than 90% of global VL cases occur in six countries: India, Bangladesh, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Brazil. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is more widely distributed, with about one-third of cases occurring in each of three epidemiological regions, the Americas, the Mediterranean basin, and western Asia from the Middle East to Central Asia. The ten countries with the highest estimated case counts, Afghanistan, Algeria, Colombia, Brazil, Iran, Syria, Ethiopia, North Sudan, Costa Rica and Peru, together account for 70 to 75% of global estimated CL incidence. Mortality data were extremely sparse and generally represent hospital-based deaths only. Using an overall case-fatality rate of 10%, we reach a tentative estimate of 20,000 to 40,000 leishmaniasis deaths per year. Although the information is very poor in a number of countries, this is the first in-depth exercise to better estimate the real impact of leishmaniasis. These data should help to define control strategies and reinforce leishmaniasis advocacy.
Nylon-MXD6 resins for food packaging

Abstract: This chapter reviews the properties and uses of Nylon-MXD6 as a high barrier polymer in food packaging applications. Nylon-MXD6 is a generic name given to a range of crystalline polyamides produced from meto-xylenediamine and adipic acid. Nylon-MXD6 has found widespread use in polymer blends and multilayer food packaging applications. Numerous examples of gas barrier performance are given, together with other properties such as aroma-retaining properties, mechanical properties and retortability. The chapter also discusses examples of commercially available systems employing Nylon-MXD6, including the use of oxygen scavenging systems and Nylon-MXD6 nanocomposites.