Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Dual Coverage Monitoring of the Bile Acids Profile in the Liver–Gut Axis throughout the Whole Inflammation-Cancer Transformation Progressive: Reveal Hepatocellular Carcinoma Pathogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the terminal phase of multiple chronic liver diseases, and evidence supports chronic uncontrollable inflammation being one of the potential mechanisms leading to HCC formation. The dysregulation of bile acid homeostasis in the enterohepatic circulation has become a hot research issue concerning revealing the pathogenesis of the inflammatory-cancerous transformation process. We reproduced the development of HCC through an N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced rat model in 20 weeks. We achieved the monitoring of the bile acid profile in the plasma, liver, and intestine during the evolution of “hepatitis-cirrhosis-HCC” by using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometer for absolute quantification of bile acids. We observed differences in the level of primary and secondary bile acids both in plasma, liver, and intestine when compared to controls, particularly a sustained reduction of intestine taurine-conjugated bile acid level. Moreover, we identified chenodeoxycholic acid, lithocholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, and glycolithocholic acid in plasma as biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC. We also identified bile acid-CoA:amino acid N-acyltransferase (BAAT) by gene set enrichment analysis, which dominates the final step in the synthesis of conjugated bile acids associated with the inflammatory-cancer transformation process. In conclusion, our study provided comprehensive bile acid metabolic fingerprinting in the liver–gut axis during the inflammation-cancer transformation process, laying the foundation for providing a new perspective for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of HCC.
Daily NDVI Relationship to Cloud Cover

Abstract A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) cloud index (NCI) was derived from Pathfinder Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) daily NDVI data and compared with observed cloud amounts and a sunshine duration–cloud index (SCI) over an area of diverse land cover. Ground observations from 120 meteorological stations were significantly related to the daily NCI and the SCI, with R2 values of 0.41 and 0.50, respectively. The daily NCI and interpolated cloud indices derived from ground observations over the 776 900 km2 study area were compared. The correlation coefficient between the NCI and the observed cloud amount was less than 0.6 for less than 20% of the area. The correlation coefficient between the NCI and the observed sunshine duration index was less than 0.6 for less than 10% of the area and less than 0.7 for 41% of the area. There were strong correlations for high elevations in summer, and correlations for low elevations in winter were weaker. A frozen soil surface or snow cover.
Second Order Sufficient Conditions for Weak and Strict Constrained Minima

Sufficient conditions for a weak (nonisolated) local constrained minimum are obtained for the problem: minimize $f( x )$ subject to $g_i \leqq 0,i = 1, \cdots ,m$, and $h_j ( x ) = 0,j = 1, \cdots ,p$, assuming twice differentiability of the problem functions. The key requirement is positive semidefiniteness of the Hessian of the associated Lagrangian in a suitable feasible neighborhood of a candidate point. This is an extension of certain results obtained by McCormick for characterizing a strict minimum.
A Preliminary Longitudinal Study on Infant-Directed Speech (IDS) Components in the First Year of Life

Infant-directed speech (IDS) is an essential factor of mother–infant interaction and facilitates early language processing and word learning during dyadic interactions. This study aimed to longitudinally investigate emotional and prosodic components of IDS in the first year of life by analyzing children’s responses to the different prosodic trends that mothers use during the observation of mother–child interactions. Seventeen mothers and infants were recruited for this study during their first hospitalization. The study involved observing communication changes in face-to-face interactions between the mother and child at three, six, and nine months after the child’s birth. We analyzed the relationship between gaze direction, smiling, speech speed, and clarity. The results showed that the IDS differs in production when compared to the age of the child; at only nine months, there is high intensity. The same is evident from the results related to the elocution velocity. The verbal sensitivity of the mother and the ability to tune in to the affective states of the child, especially at nine months, can predict the child’s understanding of future language.
Inference on Regressions with Interval Data on a Regressor or Outcome

This paper examines inference on regressions when interval data are available on one variable, the other variables being measured precisely. Let a population be characterized by a distribution "P"("y", "x", "v", "v"-sub-0, "v"-sub-1), where "y" is an element of "R"-super-1, "x" is an element of "R-super-k", and the real variables ("v", "v"-sub-0, "v"-sub-1) satisfy "v"-sub-0≤"v"≤"v"-sub-1. Let a random sample be drawn from "P" and the realizations of ("y", "x", "v"-sub-0, "v"-sub-1) be observed, but not those of "v". The problem of interest may be to infer "E"("y"|"x", "v") or "E"("v"|"x"). This analysis maintains Interval (I), Monotonicity (M), and Mean Independence (MI) assumptions: (I) "P"("v"-sub-0≤"v"≤"v"-sub-1)e1; (M) "E"("y"|"x", "v") is monotone in "v"; (MI) "E"("y"|"x", "v", "v"-sub-0, "v"-sub-1)e"E"("y"|"x", "v"). No restrictions are imposed on the distribution of the unobserved values of "v" within the observed intervals ["v"-sub-0, "v"-sub-1]. It is found that the IMMI Assumptions alone imply simple nonparametric bounds on "E"("y"|"x", "v") and "E"("v"|"x"). These assumptions invoked when "y" is binary and combined with a semiparametric binary regression model yield an identification region for the parameters that may be estimated consistently by a "modified maximum score (MMS)" method. The IMMI assumptions combined with a parametric model for "E"("y"|"x", "v") or "E"("v"|"x") yield an identification region that may be estimated consistently by a "modified minimum-distance (MMD)" method. Monte Carlo methods are used to characterize the finite-sample performance of these estimators. Empirical case studies are performed using interval wealth data in the Health and Retirement Study and interval income data in the Current Population Survey. Copyright The Econometric Society 2002.
Riparian Freshwater Lens Response to Flooding

The freshwater lenses (“lenses” hereafter) within saline floodplain aquifers are sensitive to river flooding events. However, the effects of extensive floodplain inundation on saline aquifers are rarely considered and have not been examined previously under controlled laboratory conditions. We conducted laboratory experiments within a two‐dimensional (cross‐section) sand tank (i.e., representing a saline floodplain aquifer) and built both laboratory‐ and field‐scale numerical models to examine lens responses to flood events. Three sets of experiments were performed to explore different lateral extents of floodplain inundation. The temporal behavior of experimental lenses was quantified and compared to variable‐density numerical models that adopted calibrated laboratory parameters, showing good agreement. Results show that more extensive floodplain inundation leads to larger lenses (as expected). The sensitivity analysis was performed based on field‐scale numerical models, demonstrating that the floodplain inundation extent, hydraulic conductivity, and dispersivity are key factors controlling the post‐flood recession in lens extent and volume. In field‐scale simulations of floodplain inundation, the entire lens was significantly salinized during flood recession due to enhanced dispersion accompanying higher groundwater velocities, which may further split into several isolated freshwater bodies before eventually returning to steady‐state conditions. Importantly, field‐scale numerical results indicated that the salt load to the adjacent river increased immediately following the flood event, consistent with reporting of the River Murray (South Australia). These results provide critical new insights into relationships between flood events and the behavior of lenses, highlighting the significance of flooding events on both intermediate and long‐term conditions of saline floodplains.
Toward a secure protection scheme for visual secret sharing

Abstract Visual cryptography, proposed by Naor and Shamir in 1995, is a scheme which decodes messages by using human visual sensitivity. Cheating has been proved to be possible in visual cryptography. We propose a cheating prevention scheme which precludes members of a group from collusive cheating by using additional images for verification. In each pair of shared images, we detect cheating by mutually verification. The result of verification is clear and directly perceived by the senses. It is a practical technique using authenticating images while the structure of the secret is complex.
Single centre experience: Managing seasonal influenza without a point-of-care test

Background The use of point-of-care testing (POCT) for influenza is not routine in many hospitals in the United Kngdom and testing is currently by laboratory-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. This review aims to evaluate patients who were tested positive for influenza in the last winter season and project if future POCT usage at initial point of patient assessment could assist in better utilisation of healthcare resources. Methods Retrospective review in a district general hospital without POCT facility for influenza. Medical records of patients who tested positive for influenza during a 4-month period from 1 October 2019 to 31 January 2020 in the paediatric department were reviewed and analysed. Results Thirty patients had laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza of which 63% (n = 19) were admitted to the ward. 56% of patients were not isolated at first instance on admission and 50% (n = 9) of admitted patients did not require inpatient management which totalled up to 224 h length of stay in ward. Conclusions Routine POCT for influenza can potentially improve management of patients presenting with respiratory symptoms and allocation of healthcare resources. We recommend its use to be introduced in diagnostic pathways for acute respiratory illness in the paediatric population in the next winter season in all hospitals.
Co-inoculation of Bradyrhizobium and Phosphate Solubilizing Microbes on Growth Promotion of Groundnut Under Rain-fed Conditions

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) can improve plant development and protect plants from diseases and abiotic stresses. Plant-bacterial interactions in the rhizosphere are important factors in soil fertility and plant health. Symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria include the cyanobacteria of the genera Rhizobium, Bradyrhizobium, Azorhizobium, Allorhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Mesorhizobium. Therefore, to investigate the effect of co-inoculation of Bradyrhizobium and phosphate solubilizing microbes (PSM) on groundnut crop under field conditions using normal soil, divided into eight different study groups i.e., control (T1), Bradyrhizobium isolate -1 (T2), Bradyrhizobium isolate -2 (T3), Bradyrhizobium isolate -3(T4), Phosphate solubilizing microbe (PSM) (T5), T2 + PSM (T6), T3 + PSM (T7), T4 + PSM (T8). The results showed maximum groundnut pod yield (2428 kg ha-1) was obtained in treatment where inoculation with bacterial isolate-2 applied as compared to control. In case of plant height and shoot dry biomass, maximum response was observed in T7 (59.4 cm, 4733 kg ha-1) as compared to control i.e., 40.5 cm, 3156.7 kg ha-1 respectively. It was concluded that this technique might be useful and applicable to cut down the high input cost of phosphate fertilizers for the production of other crops also
An alternative approach to approximating the moments of least squares estimators

A new methodology is presented for approximating the moments of least squares coefficient estimators in situations where endogeneity and dynamics are present. The OLS estimator is the focus here, but the method, which is valid under a simple set of smoothness and moment conditions, can be applied to related estimators. An O(T−1) approximation is presented for the bias in OLS estimation of a general ARX(p) model.
circRNA from APP Gene Changes in Alzheimer’s Disease Human Brain

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of age-related dementia. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is the precursor of Aβ peptides, and its role in AD has been widely investigated. Recently, it has been reported that a circular RNA (circRNA) originated from APP gene can serve as a template for Aβ synthesis, postulating it as an alternative pathway for the Aβ biogenesis. Moreover, circRNAs play important roles in brain development and in neurological diseases. Therefore, our aim was to study the expression of a circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) and its linear cognate in AD human entorhinal cortex, a brain region most vulnerable to AD pathology. First, we confirmed the presence of circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) in human entorhinal cortex samples using RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing of PCR products. Next, a 0.49-fold decrease in circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) levels was observed in entorhinal cortex of AD cases compared to controls (p-value < 0.05) by qPCR. In contrast, APP mRNA expression did not show changes in the entorhinal cortex between AD cases and controls (Fold-change = 1.06; p-value = 0.81). A negative correlation was found between Aβ deposits and circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) and APP expression levels (Rho Spearman = −0.56, p-value < 0.001 and Rho Spearman = −0.44, p-values < 0.001, respectively). Finally, by using bioinformatics tools, 17 miRNAs were predicted to bind circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556), and the functional analysis predicted that they were involved in some pathways, such as the Wnt-signaling pathway (p = 3.32 × 10−6). Long-term potentiation (p = 2.86 × 10−5), among others, is known to be altered in AD. To sum up, we show that circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) is deregulated in the entorhinal cortex of AD patients. These results add to the notion that circAPP (hsa_circ_0007556) could be playing a role in the pathogenesis of AD disease.
On Registration of Uncertain Three-dimensional Vectors with Application to Robotics

Abstract In this paper we investigate the problem of finding a suitable roto-translation achieving the optimal matching between two uncertain three-dimensional vector sets. State-of-the-art approaches for vector registration are based on strict assumptions on the covariance matrices describing the uncertainty on the vectors, hence they can be too conservative or inaccurate when the actual uncertainty differs from the employed model. After discussing the problem we propose two iterative solutions for matching the 3D vectors, showing that a suitable uncertainty model allows reducing the estimation error while preserving the real-time nature of the computation. We further derive the covariance matrices for such estimates, evaluating their consistency through extensive numerical experiments. The results appear particularly suitable for robotic applications, since the vector sets constitute a natural representation of three-dimensional perception of a robot, interacting with complex non-planar environments.
Comprehensive molecular and morphological analysis of Brachystemmacalycinum and Stellariaovatifolia in the tribe Alsineae (Caryophyllaceae)

﻿Abstract Over the course of the recent decade, the composition of Alsineae has been drastically changed by means of molecular phylogeny. However, the genus Brachystemma has not been sampled in any of the previous studies, and its phylogenetic position is still pending. In addition, the related species Stellariaovatifolia, which has at times been placed in Brachystemma, Schizotechium, or Stellaria, has also not been sampled. Here, nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and four plastid regions (trnL-F, matK, rbcL, rps16) were used to conduct phylogenetic analyses within Caryophyllaceae and the tribe Alsineae. Ancestral characters (petal margin and number of seeds) were reconstructed in the tribe Alsineae based on the phylogenetic results. Our results indicate that Brachystemma is nested in the tribe Alsineae and forms a monophylum with S.ovatifolia, and apically lobed petals and numerous seeds may be the ancestral characters in the tribe Alsineae. Based on our study, Stellariaovatifolia should be considered within Brachystemma, and Brachystemma is clearly a separate genus and now includes two species.
Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum fermented Shenling Baizhu San on gut microbiota, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function of yellow-plumed broilers

The current study focused on the effects of Shenling Baizhu San (SLBZS) fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on gut microbiota, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal barrier function of yellow-plumed broilers. Our results showed that the content of ginsenoside Rb1 was the highest when SLBZS were inoculated with 3% L. plantarum and fermented at 28°C for 24 h. One-day-old male broilers were divided into five treatment groups. Treatment consisted of a basal diet as a control (Con), 0.1% unfermented SLBZS (U-SLBZS), 0.05% fermented SLBZS (F-SLBZS-L), 0.1% fermented SLBZS (F-SLBZS-M), and 0.2% fermented SLBZS (F-SLBZS-H). On days 14, 28, and 42, six chickens from each group were randomly selected for blood collection and tissue sampling. The results showed that the addition of 0.1% fermented SLBZS could significantly increase average daily feed intake (ADFI) and average daily gain (ADG), and decrease feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broilers. The addition of 0.1 and 0.2% fermented SLBZS significantly increased the lymphoid organ index of broilers on day 28 and 42. The addition of 0.1 and 0.2% fermented SLBZS could improve the antioxidant capacity of broilers. Moreover, the addition of 0.1 and 0.2% fermented SLBZS could significantly increase the villus height/crypt depth of the ileum, and significantly increase the expression of tight junction. In addition, fermentation of SLBZS increase the abundance of Coprococcus, Bifidobacterium and Bilophila in the gut of broilers. These results indicate that the supplementation of fermented SLBZS in the diet could improve the growth performance, lymphoid organ index, antioxidant capacity, and positively affect the intestinal health of broilers.
The Effects of Hemisphere Dome Orientation on the Structure of Diamond-like Carbon Film Prepared Using Ion Beam Assisted Deposition

Diamond-like carbon (DLC) has attracted significant attention in the recent decades because of its unique properties and applications. Ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) has been widely established in industry due to the advantages of easy handling and scalability. In this work, a hemisphere dome model is specially designed as a substrate. The influence of the surface orientation on the coating thickness, Raman ID/IG ratio, surface roughness and the stress of the DLC films are examined. The reduction in the stress in the DLC films reflects the lower energy-dependence in diamond due to the varied sp3/sp2 fraction and columnar growth pattern. The variation of the surface orientation provides an efficient means of tailoring the properties and microstructure of the DLC films.
A limit on the cosmological constant

The fraction of galaxies which are merging is a rapidly increasing function of redshift, which for z less than about 0.5 varies as (1 + z)exp m, where m is quite sensitive to both the density parameter, Omega, and the cosmological constant, Lambda. The index m has weak dependencies on the details of the mass and structure of the merging galaxies but does depend on the rate at which the mean velocity dispersion of the universe grows with time; however, these parameters are strongly constrained by current epoch observations. The current estimates of m from a variety of astronomical sources gives m about 4.5 + or {minus} 1. As a consequence, the current merger observations favor abs. value of Lambda less than about 1.5 H(0)-squared, Omega = 1 + or {minus} 0.5, in a zero curvature universe. The merger data is marginally incompatible with Omega = 0.1 and any Lambda. 39 refs.
A Multi-Resolution Approach to Point Cloud Registration without Control Points

Terrestrial photographic imagery combined with structure-from-motion (SfM) provides a relatively easy-to-implement method for monitoring environmental systems, even in remote and rough terrain. However, the collection of in-situ positioning data and the identification of control points required for georeferencing in SfM processing is the primary roadblock to using SfM in difficult-to-access locations; it is also the primary bottleneck for using SfM in a time series. We describe a novel, computationally efficient, and semi-automated approach for georeferencing unreferenced point clouds (UPC) derived from terrestrial overlapping photos to a reference dataset (e.g., DEM or aerial point cloud; hereafter RPC) in order to address this problem. The approach utilizes a Discrete Global Grid System (DGGS), which allows us to capitalize on easily collected rough information about camera deployment to coarsely register the UPC using the RPC. The DGGS also provides a hierarchical set of grids which supports a hierarchical modified iterative closest point algorithm with natural correspondence between the UPC and RPC. The approach requires minimal interaction in a user-friendly interface, while allowing for user adjustment of parameters and inspection of results. We illustrate the approach with two case studies: a close-range (<1 km) vertical glacier calving front reconstructed from two cameras at Fountain Glacier, Nunavut and a long-range (>3 km) scene of relatively flat glacier ice reconstructed from four cameras overlooking Nàłùdäy (Lowell Glacier), Yukon, Canada. We assessed the accuracy of the georeferencing by comparing the UPC to the RPC, as well as surveyed control points; the consistency of the registration was assessed using the difference between successive registered surfaces in the time series. The accuracy of the registration is roughly equal to the ground sampling distance and is consistent across time steps. These results demonstrate the promise of the approach for easy-to-implement georeferencing of point clouds from terrestrial imagery with acceptable accuracy, opening the door for new possibilities in remote monitoring for change-detection, such as monitoring calving rates, glacier surges, or other seasonal changes at remote field locations.