Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal hierarchical decompositions for congestion minimization in networks

Hierarchical graph decompositions play an important role in the design of approximation and online algorithms for graph problems. This is mainly due to the fact that the results concerning the approximation of metric spaces by tree metrics (e.g. [10,11,14,16]) depend on hierarchical graph decompositions. In this line of work a probability distribution over tree graphs is constructed from a given input graph, in such a way that the tree distances closely resemble the distances in the original graph. This allows it, to solve many problems with a distance-based cost function on trees, and then transfer the tree solution to general undirected graphs with only a logarithmic loss in the performance guarantee. The results about oblivious routing [30,22] in general undirected graphs are based on hierarchical decompositions of a different type in the sense that they are aiming to approximate the bottlenecks in the network (instead of the point-to-point distances). We call such decompositions cut-based decompositions. It has been shown that they also can be used to design approximation and online algorithms for a wide variety of different problems, but at the current state of the art the performance guarantee goes down by an O(log2n log log n)-factor when making the transition from tree networks to general graphs. In this paper we show how to construct cut-based decompositions that only result in a logarithmic loss in performance, which is asymptotically optimal. Remarkably, one major ingredient of our proof is a distance-based decomposition scheme due to Fakcharoenphol, Rao and Talwar [16]. This shows an interesting relationship between these seemingly different decomposition techniques. The main applications of the new decomposition are an optimal O(log n)-competitive algorithm for oblivious routing in general undirected graphs, and an O(log n)-approximation for Minimum Bisection, which improves the O(log1.5n) approximation by Feige and Krauthgamer [17].
Soft Microfluidic Assemblies of Sensors, Circuits, and Radios for the Skin

Wearable Monitors Advances in microelectronics have yielded high-quality devices that allow for intensive signal collection or transmission. S. Xu et al. (p. 70) show how to make a soft wearable system that is constructed like a stretchable circuit board, where the electronic components are bridged electrically by thin, meandering conducting traces that float in a highly visco-elastic polymer. A complete soft circuit capable of multisignal physiological sensing on skin was created, with potential for use in health monitoring or neonatal care. Flexible skin-integrated electronic sensors enable continuous, wireless health monitoring. When mounted on the skin, modern sensors, circuits, radios, and power supply systems have the potential to provide clinical-quality health monitoring capabilities for continuous use, beyond the confines of traditional hospital or laboratory facilities. The most well-developed component technologies are, however, broadly available only in hard, planar formats. As a result, existing options in system design are unable to effectively accommodate integration with the soft, textured, curvilinear, and time-dynamic surfaces of the skin. Here, we describe experimental and theoretical approaches for using ideas in soft microfluidics, structured adhesive surfaces, and controlled mechanical buckling to achieve ultralow modulus, highly stretchable systems that incorporate assemblies of high-modulus, rigid, state-of-the-art functional elements. The outcome is a thin, conformable device technology that can softly laminate onto the surface of the skin to enable advanced, multifunctional operation for physiological monitoring in a wireless mode.
PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING OF SIX MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

Objective: Preliminary screening of phytochemicals is a valuable step, in the detection of the bioactive principles present in medicinal plants and subsequently may lead to drug discovery and development. In the present study, chief phytoconstituents of the six selected medicinal plants of different families were identified in order to relate their presence with bioactivities of the plants. Methods: Screening of six selected medicinal plants was performed for the presence of tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, steroids, phlobatannins, carbohydrates, glycosides, coumarins, alkaloids, proteins, emodins, anthraquinones, anthocyanins and leucoanthocyanins using standard methods. Results: All the selected medicinal plants were found to contain tannins and flavonoids. Moreover, terpenoids were also present in all the selected plants except P. dactylifera . except P. dactylifera . On the other hand, saponins and steroids were absent in all plants except S. chirata and phlobatannins were absent in all plants except R. sativus . In addition, carbohydrates, glycosides and coumarins were present in all the selected plants except P. dactylifera and R. sativus . Alkaloids were present in all the selected plants except F. religiosa, P. dactylifera and R. sativus . Proteins were present only in F. religiosa and S. chirata . Whereas emodins, anthraquinones, anthocyanins and leucoanthocyanins were absent in all the selected six plants. Conclusion: It is evident from the study that S. chirata is of highest therapeutic efficacy possessing majority of phytochemical classes of compounds and P. dactylifera is of lowest therapeutic potential due to the absence of majority of phytoconstituents.
HNF4 factors control chromatin accessibility and are redundantly required for maturation of the fetal intestine

ABSTRACT As embryos mature, cells undergo remarkable transitions that are accompanied by shifts in transcription factor regulatory networks. Mechanisms driving developmental transitions are incompletely understood. The embryonic intestine transitions from a rapidly proliferating tube with pseudostratified epithelium prior to murine embryonic day (E) 14.5 to an exquisitely folded columnar epithelium in fetal stages. We sought to identify factors driving mouse fetal intestinal maturation by mining chromatin accessibility data for transcription factor motifs. ATAC-seq accessible regions shift during tissue maturation, with CDX2 transcription factor motifs abundant at chromatin-accessible regions of the embryo. Hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 (HNF4) transcription factor motifs are the most abundant in the fetal stages (>E16.5). Genetic inactivation of Hnf4a and its paralog Hnf4g revealed that HNF4 factors are redundantly required for fetal maturation. CDX2 binds to and activates Hnf4 gene loci to elevate HNF4 expression at fetal stages. HNF4 and CDX2 transcription factors then occupy shared genomic regulatory sites to promote chromatin accessibility and gene expression in the maturing intestine. Thus, HNF4 paralogs are key components of an intestinal transcription factor network shift during the embryonic to fetal transition. Summary: A shift in transcription factor regulatory networks accompanies transition of the mouse embryonic intestine to its mature form, with HNF4 paralogs required to drive expression of differentiation genes.
A Passive-Blind Forgery Detection Scheme Based on Content-Adaptive Quantization Table Estimation

In this paper, we propose a passive-blind scheme for detecting forged images. The scheme leverages quantization table estimation to measure the inconsistency among images. To improve the accuracy of the estimation process, each AC DCT coefficient is first classified into a specific type; then the corresponding quantization step size is measured adaptively from its energy density spectrum (EDS) and the EDS's Fourier transform. The proposed content-adaptive quantization table estimation scheme is comprised of three phases: pre-screening, candidate region selection, and tampered region identification. In the pre-screening phase, we determine whether an input image has been JPEG compressed, and count the number of quantization steps whose size is equal to one. To select candidate regions for estimating the quantization table, we devise a candidate region selection algorithm based on seed region generation and region growing. First, the seed region generation operation finds a suitable region by removing suspect regions, after which the selected seed region is merged with other suitable regions to form a candidate region. To avoid merging suspect regions, a candidate region refinement operation is performed in the region growing step. After estimating the quantization table from the candidate region, an maximum-likelihood-ratio classifier exploits the inconsistency of the quantization table to identify tampered regions block by block. To evaluate the scheme's performance in terms of tampering detection, three common forgery techniques, copy-paste tampering, inpainting, and composite tampering, are used. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can estimate quantization tables and identify tampered regions effectively.
Interconnect analysis: from 3D structures to circuit models

In this survey paper we describe the combination of: discretized integral formulations, sparsification techniques, and Krylov-subspace based model-order reduction that has led to robust tools for automatic generation of macromodels that represent the distributed RLC effects in 3D interconnect. A few computational results are presented, mostly to point out the problems yet to be addressed.
Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory in Healthy Young and Older Adults: Differential Age Effects on Components of the Capture and Rumination, Functional Avoidance, and Impaired Executive Control (CaRFAX) Model

The CaRFAX model (Williams et al., 2007) has been used to explain the causes of overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM; the difficulty to retrieve specific autobiographical memories), a cognitive phenomenon generally related with different psychopathologies. This model proposes 3 different mechanisms to explain OGM: capture and rumination (CaR), functional avoidance (FA) and impaired executive functions (X). However, the complete CaRFAX model has not been tested in nonclinical populations. This study aims to assess the usefulness of the CaRFAX model to explain OGM in 2 healthy samples: a young sample and an older sample, to test for possible age-related differences in the underlying causes of OGM. A total of 175 young (age range: 19–36 years) and 175 older (age range: 53–88 years) participants completed measures of brooding rumination (CaR), functional avoidance (FA), and executive tasks (X). Using structural equation modeling, we found that memory specificity is mainly associated with lower functional avoidance and higher executive functions in the older group, but only with executive functions in young participants. We discuss the different roles of emotional regulation strategies used by young and older people and their relation to the CaRFAX model to explain OGM in healthy people.
Pain, Opioids, and Addiction

TO THE EDITOR: I applaud Gregg (1) for her frank analysis of the problem of pain and addiction. However, I am concerned that the neurobiological explanation for chemical dependence and abuse has led to an errant conclusion about the patient's moral agency. I have attended 3 conferences last year wherein speakers instructed us to inform patients that their addiction "is not their fault. " It is not logically necessary that a scientific explanation and moral responsibility be mutually exclusive. Both may be true and not violate the law of noncontradiction. Indeed, the diagnostic criteria for these disorders include behaviors that are fundamentally moral. Medical advances alone will be insufficient to address the moral component of this problem. Gregg rightly observes persons "drowning" in a "dysfunction" that transcends the medical sphere. As our scientific understanding increases along with treatment options, I would argue that the patient's moral responsibility is heightened rather than lessened. Any model that views persons as enslaved to their biology is dehumanizing. Moral agency is a unique human attribute that transcends the physical. I believe that the future success of treating pain and addiction must fully emphasize both aspects of this tragic human condition. This will necessitate embracing care outside of organized medicine that faith and religion have traditionally provided. Secular humanism has failed in this regard.
GridOrbit: an infrastructure awareness system for increasing contribution in volunteer computing

The success of a volunteer computing infrastructure depends on the contributions of its users. An example of such an infrastructure is the Mini-Grid, a local peer-to-peer system used for computational analysis of DNA. The speed of analysis increases as more users join the Mini-Grid. However, the invisible nature of such an infrastructure hinders adoption, as it is difficult for users to participate in an infrastructure they are not aware of. This paper introduces GridOrbit, a system designed to increase user awareness, fostering contributions to this infrastructure. We designed GridOrbit using a participatory design process with biologists, and subsequently deployed it for use in a biology laboratory. Our results indicate that the number of contributors to the Mini-Grid increased with the use of awareness technologies. In addition, our analysis presents their motives and behaviors. Finally, a characterization of user interaction with GridOrbit emerged, which enabled us to understand how awareness systems can be better designed. We see GridOrbit as an example of a broader class of technologies designed to create "Infrastructure Awareness" as a means to increase the contributions to technological infrastructures.
Foraging ecology of sperm whales at Kaikōura

The submarine canyon of Kaikōura, New Zealand, is a foraging ground for male sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). The abundance of whales feeding in this area during summer has almost halved over the last three decades, for reasons that are unknown. The decline may reflect a shift in distribution away from the area, possibly caused by underlying oceanographic or ecological changes. It is therefore important to understand what sustains the whales’ diet and what environmental factors drive their distribution. First, I examined the whales’ food web using stable isotope analyses. Isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen were measured in samples of sloughed whale skin, potential prey and primary producers. Generalised additive models suggested that occasional visitors to Kaikōura had more diverse and lower isotope ratios than more frequent visitors (by c. -1‰ δ13C and -2‰ δ15N, n = 90), likely reflecting a range of foraging areas further south and/or offshore. The ultimate contribution of pelagic phytoplankton vs coastal macroalgae to the whales’ food web could not be determined precisely, but there was strong support for it being sustained mostly by pelagic production. Whales appeared to feed on a mixture of squid and demersal fish, and differences in the whales’ isotope ratios between summer and winter suggested seasonal variability in diet. Summer food resources were likely to comprise a high proportion of squid. Surveys of foraging whales (n = 334) in conjunction with in situ oceanographic sampling (n = 486) were carried out over three years. I used species-distribution models to investigate the topographic and oceanographic characteristics that determine good foraging habitat. Physical factors that may contribute to aggregating prey seemed particularly important; these included strong thermal stratification in the water column, steep slopes, and slope orientations likely to concentrate food resources through the interaction with local currents. Habitat preferences differed between summer and winter, consistent with stable isotope ratios and previously recorded patterns in diving behaviour, suggesting seasonal fluctuations in targeted prey. An evaluation of the overlap between foraging habitat and the recently established Hikurangi Marine Reserve suggested little meaningful protection for sperm whales from the potential impacts of fishing. The importance of thermal stratification for foraging habitat in summer suggested that whales may be susceptible to changes in
Contamination profile of heavy metals in marine fish and shellfish

Rapid industrialization along with advanced agricultural activities led to the contamination in aquatic environment with heavy metals. Heavy metals ultimately pass into human body through having aquatic animals like fish, prawn and crab. In this study, accumulation of heavy metals (zinc, copper, iron, cadmium and lead) in various organs of four commonly consumed fish (Euthynnus affinis, Pampus argenteus, Descapterus macrosoma, and Leiognathus daura), prawn (Fenneropenaeus indicus) and crab (Portunus pelagicus) of Tok Bali Port, Kelantan, Malaysia were determined. Health risk was assessed using estimated daily intake and target hazard quotients. Although the concentrations of all the heavy metals in all fish, prawn and crab species were lower as per Malaysian Food Act, but the concentrations showed remarkable differences among the species and organs. The concentration of heavy metals in the gill was the highest of all fish species followed by in the liver and flesh. The total accumulation of heavy metals was maximum in Euthynnus affinis followed by Leiognathus daura, Descapterus macrosoma and Pampus argenteus of the fish species. However, the highest concentrations (µg/g) was for Zn (72.97±2.75), followed by Fe (4.309±0.68), Cd (1.189±0.78), Cu (1±0.87) and Pb (0.41±0.19) among all the heavy metal contents of fish. No significant variation (P<0.05) of the heavy metal concentration in prawn and crab species was observed. The investigation indicated that the fish, prawn and crab species of this port were safe for human consumption but the safe disposal of various wastes should be practiced to control the heavy metal accumulation in future.
Cellular Localization of Membrane-type Serine Protease 1 and Identification of Protease-activated Receptor-2 and Single-chain Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator as Substrates*

Membrane-type serine protease 1 (MT-SP1) was recently cloned, and we now report its biochemical characterization. MT-SP1 is predicted to be a type II transmembrane protein with an extracellular protease domain. This localization was experimentally verified using immunofluorescent microscopy and a cell-surface biotinylation technique. The substrate specificity of MT-SP1 was determined using a positional scanning-synthetic combinatorial library and substrate phage techniques. The preferred cleavage sequences were found to be (P4-(Arg/Lys)P3-(X)P2-(Ser)P1-(Arg)P1′-(Ala)) and (P4-(X)P3-(Arg/Lys)P2-(Ser)P1(Arg) P1′(Ala)), whereX is a non-basic amino acid. Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) and single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator are proteins that are localized to the extracellular surface and contain the preferred MT-SP1 cleavage sequence. The ability of MT-SP1 to activate PARs was assessed by exposing PAR-expressingXenopus oocytes to the soluble MT-SP1 protease domain. The latter triggered calcium signaling in PAR2-expressing oocytes at 10 nm but failed to trigger calcium signaling in oocytes expressing PAR1, PAR3, or PAR4 at 100 nm. Single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator was activated using catalytic amounts of MT-SP1 (1 nm), but plasminogen was not cleaved under similar conditions. The membrane localization of MT-SP1 and its affinity for these key extracellular substrates suggests a role of the proteolytic activity in regulatory events.
Natural and Sexual Selection Giveth and Taketh Away Reproductive Barriers: Models of Population Divergence in Guppies

The standard predictions of ecological speciation might be nuanced by the interaction between natural and sexual selection. We investigated this hypothesis with an individual‐based model tailored to the biology of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). We specifically modeled the situation where a high‐predation population below a waterfall colonizes a low‐predation population above a waterfall. Focusing on the evolution of male color, we confirm that divergent selection causes the appreciable evolution of male color within 20 generations. The rate and magnitude of this divergence were reduced when dispersal rates were high and when female choice did not differ between environments. Adaptive divergence was always coupled to the evolution of two reproductive barriers: viability selection against immigrants and hybrids. Different types of sexual selection, however, led to contrasting results for another potential reproductive barrier: mating success of immigrants. In some cases, the effects of natural and sexual selection offset each other, leading to no overall reproductive isolation despite strong adaptive divergence. Sexual selection acting through female choice can thus strongly modify the effects of divergent natural selection and thereby alter the standard predictions of ecological speciation. We also found that under no circumstances did divergent selection cause appreciable divergence in neutral genetic markers.
Correlation between tobacco smoking and dental caries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION Tobacco is responsible for infaust oral conditions and many oral diseases. Dental caries is one of the most prevalent oral diseases. The association between tobacco smoking and dental caries has become an important recent topic of research. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the association between tobacco smoking and dental caries. METHODS A literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed, EMBASE, Medline and Cochrane, up to December 2018. Original observational articles that estimated relevance between tobacco smoking and dental caries in adults were included. Caries were determined by measurements of decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT), or decayed, missing or filled surface (DMFS), or caries-related microflora levels. Trials did not include a non-smoking group, exposure to smokeless tobacco products, or participants under 16 years old. Also, literature reviews, comments, case reports and letters to the editor were not considered. Both methods of systematic review and meta-analysis were adopted. Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the methodological quality of all the included studies. RESULTS Ten out of eleven of the included studies indicated a positive association between tobacco smoking and dental caries. Two meta-analyses were performed: one included five studies using DMFT as an outcome; the other included two studies of DMFS. A random effects model was used. Both were highly heterogeneous (I2=93%, chi-squared p<0.00001; I2=70%, chi-squared p=0.07, respectively) and statistically significant (mean difference, MD=1.20, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.40–2.00, z-test p=0.003; MD=1.88, 95% CI: 0.99–2.77, z-test p<0.0001, respectively). The quality scores of all varied from 7 to 9. CONCLUSIONS There is a correlation between tobacco smoking and an increased risk of dental caries. However, the overall representativeness of the studies is not good. More prospective and extensive research on this topic is needed to get validation. Even so, it is imperative that people quit tobacco smoking.