Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cinnamon: Potential Role in the Prevention of Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes

Metabolic syndrome is associated with insulin resistance, elevated glucose and lipids, inflammation, decreased antioxidant activity, increased weight gain, and increased glycation of proteins. Cinnamon has been shown to improve all of these variables in in vitro, animal, and/or human studies. In addition, cinnamon has been shown to alleviate factors associated with Alzheimer's disease by blocking and reversing tau formation in vitro and in ischemic stroke by blocking cell swelling. In vitro studies also show that components of cinnamon control angiogenesis associated with the proliferation of cancer cells. Human studies involving control subjects and subjects with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and polycystic ovary syndrome all show beneficial effects of whole cinnamon and/or aqueous extracts of cinnamon on glucose, insulin, insulin sensitivity, lipids, antioxidant status, blood pressure, lean body mass, and gastric emptying. However, not all studies have shown positive effects of cinnamon, and type and amount of cinnamon, as well as the type of subjects and drugs subjects are taking, are likely to affect the response to cinnamon. In summary, components of cinnamon may be important in the alleviation and prevention of the signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular and related diseases.
Boosting immunity by antiviral drug therapy: A simple relationship among timing, efficacy, and success

Drug therapies against persistent human infections such as hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, and HIV fail to consistently eradicate the infection from the host. Hence, recent emphasis has shifted to the study of antiviral therapy aimed at boosting specific immune responses. It was argued that structured therapy interruptions were required to achieve this, because such regimes have shown promising results in early HIV infection. Using mathematical models, we show that, contrary to this notion, a single phase of drug therapy can result in the establishment of sustained immunity. We present a simple relationship between timing of therapy and efficacy of the drugs required for success. In the presence of strong viral suppression, we show that therapy should be stopped relatively early, and that a longer duration of treatment leads to failure. On the other hand, in the presence of weaker viral suppression, stopping treatment too early is detrimental, and therapy has to be continued beyond a time threshold. We discuss our modeling results primarily in the context of HCV therapy during chronic infection. Although the therapy regimes explored here also have implications for HIV, virus-mediated destruction of specific immune cells renders success unlikely during the chronic phase of the infection.
Une réponse négative à la conjecture de E. Tronci pour les systèmes numériques typés

A numeral system is a sequence of an infinite different closed normal $\lambda$-terms which has closed $\lambda$-terms for successor and zero test. A numeral system is said adequate iff it has a closed $\lambda$-term for predecessor. A storage operator for a numeral system is a closed $\lambda$-term which simulate ``call-by-value'' in the context of a ``call-by-name'' strategy. E. Tronci conjectured the following result : a numeral system is adequate if it has a storage operator. This paper gives a negative answer to this conjecture for the numeral systems typable in the J.-Y. Girard type system F. The E. Tronci's conjecture remains open in pure $\lambda$-calculus.
Rare Spontaneous Loss of Multiresistance Gene Carrying IncI/ST12 Plasmid in Escherichia coli in Pig Microbiota

ABSTRACT Resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs) is a matter of considerable concern for public health. Here, we studied the spontaneous loss of an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-encoding plasmid from a rifampin-resistant Escherichia coli isolate orally inoculated into pigs under controlled conditions. Fecal samples were collected and cultured on rifampin-supplemented medium, and the resistance of the E. coli isolates to ESCs was studied by phenotypic tests, PCR detection of plasmid genes, and complete sequencing. The results showed that only 3 out of 353 rifampin-resistant E. coli isolates were ESC susceptible, and PCR and bioinformatics analysis confirmed the loss of the plasmid. These in vivo experiments indicate that the loss of an ESBL-encoding plasmid seems a rare event in gut microbiota.
Fine Mapping and Candidate Gene Analysis of the Tiller Suppression Gene ts1 in Rice

Tiller number is one of the key factors that influences rice plant type and yield components. In this study, an EMS-induced rice tiller suppression mutant ts1 was characterized. Morphological and histological observations revealed that, in the ts1 plants, the tiller buds were abnormally formed and therefore cannot outgrow into tillers. With an F2 population derived from a cross between ts1 and an indica cultivar Wushansimiao, a major gene, tiller suppression 1 (ts1) was fine-mapped to a 108.5 kb genomic region between markers ID8378 and SSR6884 on the short arm of rice chromosome 2. Candidate gene analysis identified nineteen putative genes. Among them, ORF4 (LOC_Os02g01610) is a PPR gene which harbored a point mutation c. +733/C→T in ts1 mutant plants. A co-dominant SNP marker cd-733C/T was subsequently developed and the SNP assay demonstrated that the point mutation co-segregated with tiller suppression phenotype. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression level of ORF4 in ts1 plants was significantly lower than that in their wild plants, and the expression of rice tillering regulators MOC1 and HTD1 was also significantly decreased in ts1 plants. Our data indicated that ORF4 was a strong candidate gene for ts1 and ts1 might play a role in regulating rice tillering through MOC1 and HTD1 associated pathway. The results above provide a basis for further functional characterization of ts1 and will shed light on molecular mechanism of rice tillering. The informative SNP marker cd-733C/T will facilitate marker-assisted selection of ts1 in rice plant type breeding.
Real-Time Face Tracking and Replacement

In this paper we present an application on real-time face tracking and replacement. We implement this application through three sections: detection, tracking and replacement. For detection, we use haar features based cascade classifiers to detect the face, eyes and nose on both target and source images. Then face tracking is implemented by two distinct methods: CAMShift and Optical Flow. In cases users choose replacement, we cover the target face using a cartoon mask or blend it with a star face using Laplacian Pyramid Blending. To reduce the difference of skin colors between faces, we modify the Laplacian Pyramid Blending to better blend the target face with the source. The experiment shows that our methods lead to satisfactory tracking and replacement result, and our application works efficiently on mobile devices.
Rtos Implementation of non-linear System using Multi Tasking, Scheduling and Critical Section

RTOS based embedded systems are designed with priority based multiple tasks. Inter task communication and data corruptions are major constraints in multi-tasking RTOS system. This study we describe about the solution for these issues with an example Real-time Liquid level control system. Message queue and Mail box are used to perform inter task communication to improve the task execution time and performance of the system. Critical section scheduling is used to eliminate the data corruption. In this application process value monitoring is considered as critical. In critical section the interrupt disable time is the most important specification of a real time kernel. RTOS is used to keep the interrupt disable time to a minimum. The algorithm is studied with respect to task execution time and response of the interrupts. The study also presents the comparative analysis of the system with critical section and without critical section based on the performance metrics.
Applied anatomy of the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve in open inguinal herniorrhaphy.

OBJECTIVE To record the anatomical variations and clinical importance of the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve in the inguinal canal. DESIGN Neuropathology study. SETTING General hospital, Taiwan. SUBJECTS 58 cadavers. INTERVENTIONS 116 dissections findings of the genitofemoral nerve in the inguinal canal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Anatomical variations. RESULTS All the genital branches passed through the ventral aspect of the internal ring. Almost all these branches entered the ring and continued within the spermatic cord between the fibres of the cremaster and the internal spermatic fascia. In 59% the nerve was related to the inferior fibres and in 38% it was in relation to the lateral or medial fibres. In only 3% did the genital branch run outside the spermatic cord. CONCLUSION To avoid damage to the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve, suturing should be done over the dorsal aspect of the internal ring. The cremaster should be incised longitudinal rather than transversely and the genital branch of the genitofemoral nerve should be identified before repair of the posterior wall.
Models for On-line Social Networks

We present a deterministic model for on-line social networks (OSNs) based on transitivity and local knowledge in social interactions. In the Iterated Local Transitivity (ILT) model, at each time-step and for every existing node $x$, a new node appears which joins to the closed neighbour set of $x. $ The ILT model provably satisfies a number of both local and global properties that were observed in OSNs and other real-world complex networks, such as a densification power law, decreasing average distance, and higher clustering than in random graphs with the same average degree. Experimental studies of social networks demonstrate poor expansion properties as a consequence of the existence of communities with low number of inter-community edges. Bounds on the spectral gap for both the adjacency and normalized Laplacian matrices are proved for graphs arising from the ILT model, indicating such bad expansion properties. The cop and domination number are shown to remain the same as the graph from the initial time-step $G_0$, and the automorphism group of $G_0$ is a subgroup of the automorphism group of graphs generated at all later time-steps. A randomized version of the ILT model is presented, which exhibits a tuneable densification power law exponent, and maintains several properties of the deterministic model.
Multi-Agent System for Distributed Management of Microgrids

In market operations, distributed generators (DGs) and price-sensitive loads participate in a microgrid energy market implemented in JADE. Each DG and each price-sensitive load is represented by the respective agents which perform various functions such as scheduling, coordination and market clearing subject to system, DG and load constraints. Each agent is assigned to one of the several agent objectives which maximizes either DG or load surpluses or both. In simulated operation of a microgrid, hourly power reference signals and load control signals from JADE are passed to DG and load models developed in MATLAB/Simulink using MACSimJX. Simulated operation of DGs and loads are studied by performing simulations under different agent objectives. Results from simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of implementing multi-agent system (MAS) in the distributed management of microgrids.
Investigation of lignin deposition on cellulose during hydrothermal pretreatment, its effect on cellulose hydrolysis, and underlying mechanisms

In dilute acid pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass, lignin has been shown to form droplets that deposit on the cellulose surface and retard enzymatic digestion of cellulose (Donohoe et al., 2008; Selig et al., 2007). However, studies of this nature are limited for hydrothermal pretreatment, with the result that the corresponding mechanisms that inhibit cellulosic enzymes are not well understood. In this study, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and wet chemical analysis of solids formed by hydrothermal pretreatment of a mixture of Avicel cellulose and poplar wood showed that lignin droplets from poplar wood relocated onto the Avicel surface. In addition, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) showed higher S/G ratios in deposited lignin than the initial lignin in poplar wood. Furthermore, the lignin droplets deposited on Avicel significantly impeded cellulose hydrolysis. A series of tests confirmed that blockage of the cellulose surface by lignin droplets was the main cause of cellulase inhibition. The results give new insights into the fate of lignin in hydrothermal pretreatment and its effects on enzymatic hydrolysis. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 485–492. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
From Coin Betting to Parameter-Free Online Learning

In the recent years a number of parameter-free algorithms for online linear optimization over Hilbert spaces and for learning with expert advice have been developed. While these two families of algorithms might seem different to a distract eye, the proof methods are indeed very similar, making the reader wonder if such a connection is only accidental. In this paper, we unify these two families, showing that both can be instantiated from online coin betting algorithms. We present two new reductions from online coin betting to online linear optimization over Hilbert spaces and to learning with expert advice. We instantiate our framework using a betting algorithm based on the Krichevsky-Trofimov estimator. We obtain a simple algorithm for online linear optimization over any Hilbert space with $O(\norm{u}\sqrt{T \log(1+T \norm{u}}))$ regret with respect to any competitor $u$. For learning with expert advice we obtain an algorithm that has $O(\sqrt{T (1 + \KL{u}{\pi})})$ regret against any competitor $u$ and where $\KL{u}{\pi}$ is the Kullback-Leibler divergence between algorithm's prior distribution $\pi$ and the competitor. In both cases, no parameters need to be tuned.
A Bayesian model selection approach for identifying differentially expressed transcripts from RNA sequencing data

Recent advances in molecular biology allow the quantification of the transcriptome and scoring transcripts as differentially or equally expressed between two biological conditions. Although these two tasks are closely linked, the available inference methods treat them separately: a primary model is used to estimate expression and its output is post processed by using a differential expression model. In the paper, both issues are simultaneously addressed by proposing the joint estimation of expression levels and differential expression: the unknown relative abundance of each transcript can either be equal or not between two conditions. A hierarchical Bayesian model builds on the BitSeq framework and the posterior distribution of transcript expression and differential expression is inferred by using Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. It is shown that the model proposed enjoys conjugacy for fixed dimension variables; thus the full conditional distributions are analytically derived. Two samplers are constructed, a reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler and a collapsed Gibbs sampler, and the latter is found to perform better. A cluster representation of the aligned reads to the transcriptome is introduced, allowing parallel estimation of the marginal posterior distribution of subsets of transcripts under reasonable computing time. Under a fixed prior probability of differential expression the clusterwise sampler has the same marginal posterior distributions as the raw sampler, but a more general prior structure is also employed. The algorithm proposed is benchmarked against alternative methods by using synthetic data sets and applied to real RNA sequencing data. Source code is available on line from https://github.com/mqbssppe/cjBitSeq.
Location Aware Indexing

This project closely models a framework to process Generic Location-Aware Rank Queries. A restaurant-finder application has been created to demonstrate how a Generic Location-Aware Ranked Query (GLRQ) can be processed by deploying three data structures in sync with each other – the synopses tree, the R-tree and inverted files. The synopses tree, created using histograms, handles the numeric attributes. The R-tree filters results based on their location, while the inverted files filter according to specified keywords (eg: lunch, breakfast, italian, karaoke), if any. Existing methods of processing such queries perform the pruning of the search space in two stages – first according to location and keyword, and then according to specified predicates (or vice versa), which is usually not efficient. The method used here trumps the aforementioned because the pruning is carried out simultaneously. This is reasonably faster, especially when working with large datasets, which has been experimentally demonstrated. General Terms Query processing, spatial indexing
Hypo- and hyperglycemia in relation to the mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, and nature of the glucose distribution.

AIMS We describe a new approach to estimate the risks of hypo- and hyperglycemia based on the mean and SD of the glucose distribution using optional transformations of the glucose scale to achieve a more nearly symmetrical and Gaussian distribution, if necessary. We examine the correlation of risks of hypo- and hyperglycemia calculated using different glucose thresholds and the relationships of these risks to the mean glucose, SD, and percentage coefficient of variation (%CV). MATERIALS AND METHODS Using representative continuous glucose monitoring datasets, one can predict the risk of glucose values above or below any arbitrary threshold if the glucose distribution is Gaussian or can be transformed to be Gaussian. Symmetry and gaussianness can be tested objectively and used to optimize the transformation. RESULTS The method performs well with excellent correlation of predicted and observed risks of hypo- or hyperglycemia for individual subjects by time of day or for a specified range of dates. One can compare observed and calculated risks of hypo- and hyperglycemia for a series of thresholds considering their uncertainties. Thresholds such as 80 mg/dL can be used as surrogates for thresholds such as 50 mg/dL. We observe a high correlation of risk of hypoglycemia with %CV and illustrate the theoretical basis for that relationship. CONCLUSIONS One can estimate the historical risks of hypo- and hyperglycemia by time of day, date, day of the week, or range of dates, using any specified thresholds. Risks of hypoglycemia with one threshold (e.g., 80 mg/dL) can be used as an effective surrogate marker for hypoglycemia at other thresholds (e.g., 50 mg/dL). These estimates of risk can be useful in research studies and in the clinical care of patients with diabetes.
Design of synchronous action systems

The action systems framework has recently been applied to the area of synchronous VLSI design. In this paper we present a set of concepts necessary in the formal design of synchronous hardware, using synchronous action systems. These explicitly model synchronous two-phase behavior. They are developed using the refinement calculus in a usual manner. The fundamental idea of synchronous action systems is to make a formal description transparent in the sense that its hardware implementation can be obtained by direct mapping. The presented design methodology also allows a postponed decision on the final implementation aspects regarding the architecture (synchronous/asynchronous).
Photoresponsive wettability switching of TiO2-coated micropillar arrays with different geometries of overhang roofs

In this work, micropillar array structures with overhang roofs which increase the switching range of the TiO2 photoresponsive wettability, have been fabricated. The liquid droplet placed on the micropillar array exhibits the Cassie–Baxter superhydrophobic state because of the receding of the liquid–air interface to the pillar top, when its contact angle (θ TiO2) on the TiO2 surface exceeds than the geometrical angle (ψ) between the overhang roof and the vertical micropillar shaft. The Cassie–Baxter state can be transformed into the Wenzel state at a relatively large surface area of the micropillar array when the magnitude of θ TiO2 becomes smaller than ψ after ultraviolet irradiation due to the photoinduced superhydrophilicity of TiO2. The rutile TiO2-coated micropillar array with a small ψ exhibits faster reverse wettability transformation from the Wenzel state to the Cassie–Baxter state despite the relatively small θ TiO2 increase in the dark. In addition, the wettability reversal time was shortened from 180 to 6 min after decreasing ψ from 51° to 9°.
A Modified Algorithm for Generalized Discriminant Analysis

Generalized discriminant analysis (GDA) is an extension of the classical linear discriminant analysis (LDA) from linear domain to a nonlinear domain via the kernel trick. However, in the previous algorithm of GDA, the solutions may suffer from the degenerate eigenvalue problem (i.e., several eigenvectors with the same eigenvalue), which makes them not optimal in terms of the discriminant ability. In this letter, we propose a modified algorithm for GDA (MGDA) to solve this problem. The MGDA method aims to remove the degeneracy of GDA and find the optimal discriminant solutions, which maximize the between-class scatter in the subspace spanned by the degenerate eigenvectors of GDA. Theoretical analysis and experimental results on the ORL face database show that the MGDA method achieves better performance than the GDA method.
The Danger Theory and Its Application to Artificial Immune Systems

Over the last decade, a new idea challenging the classical self-non-self viewpoint has become popular amongst immunologists. It is called the Danger Theory. In this conceptual paper, we look at this theory from the perspective of Artificial Immune System practitioners. An overview of the Danger Theory is presented with particular emphasis on analogies in the Artificial Immune Systems world. A number of potential application areas are then used to provide a framing for a critical assessment of the concept, and its relevance for Artificial Immune Systems.
Shake and walk: Acoustic direction finding and fine-grained indoor localization using smartphones

We propose an accurate acoustic direction finding scheme, Swadloon, according to the arbitrary pattern of phone shaking in rough horizontal plane. Swadloon tracks the displacement of smartphone relative to the acoustic direction with the resolution less than 1 millimeter. The direction is then obtained by combining the velocity from the displacement with the one from the inertial sensors. Major challenges in implementing Swadloon are to measure the displacement precisely and to estimate the shaking velocity accurately when the speed of phone-shaking is low and changes arbitrarily. We propose rigorous methods to address these challenges, and apply Swadloon to several case studies: Phone-to-Phone direction finding, indoor localization and tracking. Our extensive experiments show that the mean error of direction finding is around 2.1° within the range of 32 m. For indoor localization, the 90-percentile errors are under 0.92 m. For real-time tracking, the errors are within 0.4 m for walks of 51 m.