Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The nuclear hormone receptor E75A regulates vitellogenin gene (Al‐Vg) expression in the mirid bug Apolygus lucorum

Apolygus lucorum is the predominant pest of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in China. 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) plays a key role in the reproduction of this insect. To better understand the mechanism underlying 20E‐regulated reproduction, the nuclear hormone receptor E75 isoform‐A of Ap. lucorum (Al‐E75A) was cloned and its expression analysed. A 2241‐bp sequence of Al‐E75A cDNA encoded an open reading frame of a polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 69.04 kDa. Al‐E75A mRNA was detected in female adult stages of Ap. lucorum with peak expression in 7‐day‐old animals. Al‐E75A was also expressed in several tissues, particularly in the fat body and ovary. A 3.2 kb Al‐E75A mRNA was detected in all tissues by Northern blot. The fecundity and longevity were significantly decreased in female adults treated with Al‐E75A small interfering RNA. The rates of egg incubation rates were considerably lower in the RNA interference‐treated animals compared to the untreated controls. In order to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the effects described above, vitellogenin (Al‐Vg) was selected for further investigation. The expression pattern of Al‐Vg was similar to that of Al‐E75A and was up‐regulated by 20E. After knockdown of Al‐E75A, the expression profile of Al‐Vg and the protein levels were down‐regulated. These findings suggest that Al‐E75A plays a crucial role in the regulation of Al‐Vg expression in Ap. lucorum.
North American Blackout Time Series Statistics and Implications for Blackout Risk

We use North American Electric Reliability Corporation historical data to give improved estimates of distributions of blackout size, time correlations, and waiting times for the Eastern and Western interconnections of the North American grid. We then explain and estimate the implications of the power law region (heavy tails) in the empirical distribution of blackout size in the historical data for the Western interconnection. Annual mean blackout size has high variability and the risk of large blackouts exceeds the risk of medium size blackouts. Ways to communicate blackout risk are discussed.
Impact of diagnostic ureteroscopy on intravesical recurrence in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial cancer: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Aim of this study was to analyse the association between the use of diagnostic ureteroscopy (URS) and the development of intravesical recurrence (IVR) in patients undergoing radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) for high‐risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma. A systematic review of the published data was performed up to December 2016, using multiple search engines to identify eligible studies. A formal meta‐analysis was conducted of studies comparing patients who underwent URS before RNU with those who did not. Hazard ratios (HRs), with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), from each study were used to calculate pooled HRs. Pooled estimates were calculated using a fixed‐effects or random‐effects model according to heterogeneity. Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan, version 5. Seven studies were included in the systematic review, but only six of these were deemed fully eligible for meta‐analysis. Among the 2 382 patients included in the meta‐analysis, 765 underwent diagnostic URS prior to RNU. All examined studies were retrospective, and the majority examined Asian populations. The IVR rate ranged from 39.2% to 60.7% and from 16.7% to 46% in patients with and without prior URS, respectively. In the pooled analysis, a statistically significant association was found between performance of URS prior to RNU and IVR (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.33–1.88; P < 0.001). There was no heterogeneity in the observed outcomes, according to the I2 statistic of 2% (P = 0.40). Within the intrinsic limitations of this type of analysis, these findings suggest a significant association between the use of diagnostic URS and higher risk of developing IVR after RNU. Further research in this area should be encouraged to further investigate the possible causality behind this association and it potential clinical implications.
Stomatal Size in Fossil Plants : Evidence for Polyploidy in Majority of Angiosperms

Three published estimates of the frequency of polyploidy in angiosperms (30 to 35 percent, 47 percent, and 70 to 80 percent) were tested by estimating the genome size of extinct woody angiosperms with the use of fossil guard cell size as a proxy for cellular DNA content. The inferred chromosome numbers of these extinct species suggest that seven to nine is the primitive haploid chromosome number of angiosperms and that most angiosperms (approximately 70 percent) have polyploidy in their history.
Thermoelectric properties of stannite-phase CuZn2AS4 (CZAS; A=Al, Ga and In) nanocrystals for solar energy conversion applications

Abstract The current study aimed to comprehensively investigate structural, electronic, optical and transport properties of quaternary semiconductor CuZn2AS4 (CZAS; A=Al, Ga and In) nanocrystals (NCs). Based on energy considerations, the stannite structure (I-42m; No. 121) is found to be more stable than the kesterite (I-4; No.82) and wurtzite (P63mc; No.186) type structures. By means of hybrid functional calculations, these nanocrystals have direct band gap of 0.81–1.71 eV with a high absorption coefficient of >104 cm−1, which are well-suited for use in solar energy-conversion applications. Some of the latest advances in applications of these nanocrystals in thermoelectric applications are also highlighted in the current study. It is observed that transport coefficients of these materials are found to be nearly direction independent and isotropic. All three samples are p-type conductors at room temperature. Especially, the Seebeck coefficient of CuZn2AlS4 is even larger than that of CuZn2GaS4 and CuZn2InS4 under the studied carrier concentration and temperature region. The maximum figure of merit (ZT) reaches 0.982 (0.977), 0.984 (0.974) and 0.53 (0.955) for p-type (n-type) CuZn2AlS4, CuZn2GaS4, and CuZn2InS4, respectively, at 300 K. The high Seebeck coefficients, high figure of merit and low thermal conductivities make these systems good candidates for high-efficiency thermoelectric conversion applications.
Input image layers 10 s-100 s Annotated image

This article summarizes our recent work on value-based hardware accelerators for image classification using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). The presented designs exploit runtime value properties and that are difficult or impossible to discern in advance. These include values that are zero or near zero and that prove ineffectual, reduced yet variable precision needs, or ineffectual bits in values. The designs offer a spectrum of choices in terms of area cost, energy efficiency and relative performance covering embedded to server class installations.
Necrotizing fasciitis.

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a progressive, fulminant bacterial infection of subcutaneous tissue that spreads rapidly through the fascial planes causing extensive tissue destruction. NF can affect any part of the body and is the most serious presentation of necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI); it is a rare but potentially fatal condition. Prompt recognition and intervention is essential, as mortality is directly proportional to time to intervention. The UK incidence of reported NF is 500 new cases each year, although this is likely to be an underestimate. In Canada, it is estimated that 90–200 cases of NF occur each year in all age groups. The USA reports an annual age-adjusted incidence of 4.3 invasive infections per 100 000 of the population. In Australian studies, it is reported as a maximum yearly incidence of 3.8 cases per 100 000. Reported mortality in the literature varies widely with more recent studies reporting a mortality of around 25%.
Combined shear-compression test to characerize foams under oblique loading for bicycle helmets

Cyclists during bicycle traffic accidents, are pron e to oblique impact which leads to rotational accelerations. Rotational acceleration is known to cause significant brain injuries, and should be minimized. Foam materials inside bicycle helmets undergo a combination of shear and compression loads during oblique impact. Therefore, developing an apparatus and a test method which can apply a combination of shear and c ompression loads to the foam at the same time is of great importance. This testing meth od as a broad application which is not only limited to the foams for bicycle helmet applic ations but has general relevance to sandwich core materials in structural composites. I n this paper, the shear-compression behavior of different types of foams under differen t a gles, particularly 15 ͦ, 45 ͦ and 60 ͦ is investigated and compared to the standard EPS foam used in bicycle helmets. Shear stresses in anisotropic PES foams under different angles in the combined shear-compression test were lower than for standard EPS, which is favourable be cause they lead to high rotational acceleration. The peak rotational and translational accelerations of the PES prototype helmets were measured by a rotational impact test set-up an d showed a dramatic decrease of around 40% compared to the reference EPS helmet, however a t increased pulse duration.
Variations in carotid sinus anatomy and their relevance to carotid interventions.

BACKGROUND The carotid sinus (CS) is a dilatation in the carotid bifurcation usually at the origin of proximal internal carotid artery (ICA). It contains baroreceptors which influence blood pressure. Variations in the location of the CS are of importance as atheromatous plaque commonly forms in this area and procedures such as carotid endarterectomy are performed to reduce the risk of stroke. Inadvertent stimulation of the CS baroreceptors during interventions can have profound effects on the patient's haemodynamic status both intra- and postoperatively, causing serious complications. The aim of this study is to determine the inter- and intra-individual variations in the location of the CS. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eighty-two carotid arteries were dissected bilaterally from 41 cadavers. The locations of the CS were noted and divided into four potential sites. RESULTS The commonest site is the origin of the ICA (74.3%), but the CS can also be found in the distal part of the common carotid artery (CCA) inferior to the bifurcation (17.1%); at the bifurcation involving the distal CCA and origins of both the external carotid artery (ECA) and ICA (7.32%); and at the origin of the ECA (1.22%). In individual cadavers, the CS was located at the origin of the ICA in 97.6% on at least one side. The sites of the CS were asymmetrical in 34.1%. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians performing carotid interventions should be aware of these anatomical variations to avoid inadvertent stimulation of the CS which can cause profound bradycardia and hypotension.
Compact Real-time Avoidance on a Humanoid Robot for Human-robot Interaction

With robots leaving factories and entering less controlled domains, possibly sharing the space with humans, safety is paramount and multimodal awareness of the body surface and the surrounding environment is fundamental. Taking inspiration from peripersonal space representations in humans, we present a framework on a humanoid robot that dynamically maintains such a protective safety zone, composed of the following main components: (i) a human 2D keypoints estimation pipeline employing a deep learning based algorithm, extended here into 3D using disparity; (ii) a distributed peripersonal space representation around the robot's body parts; (iii) a reaching controller that incorporates all obstacles entering the robot's safety zone on the fly into the task. Pilot experiments demonstrate that an effective safety margin between the robot's and the human's body parts is kept. The proposed solution is flexible and versatile since the safety zone around individual robot and human body parts can be selectively modulated—here we demonstrate stronger avoidance of the human head compared to rest of the body. Our system works in real time and is self-contained, with no external sensory equipment and use of onboard cameras only.
ORIGINAL PAPER: Influence of the diluent on the effect of highly diluted histamine on basophil activation

Background: In modern pharmaceutical practice, it is common to use purified ethanol and purified water for the preparation of homeopathic dilutions. Hahnemann in 1827 recommended good brandy as a diluent. Brandy contains a lot of accompanying substances in addition to ethanol. Purpose of the study: The research question was whether different diluents influence the effectiveness of high dilutions, especially above Avogadro’s number. We compared two dilution media to investigate the diluent’s influence. Within the limitations of the test-system, the dilution media were as similar to good brandy as possible and like purified ethanol. Dilutions of histamine were prepared with both media. As test-system, we used modified basophil activation in an in vitro cell system. Basophils are activated by anti-immunoglobulin E (anti-IgE). The activation of basophils is inhibited by prior incubation with histamine. The reduction in activation was measured with different dilutions of histamine. The test system used a 3-colour flow cytometric method. The interleukin-3 (IL-3) receptor CD123 was used to identify basophils in the leukocyte mixture. The CD63 surface marker was used for quantification of activated basophils. Results: With higher concentrations of histamine, we observed inhibition on optimally anti-IgE-stimulated basophil activation with a clear concentration dependency. With low concentrations of histamine (up to 10), we also observed inhibition of IgE-mediated basophil activation. Differences were observed between the dilution media. Conclusion: The preliminary results support the hypothesis that the dilution medium may influence the effects of high dilutions. This could be of importance for homeopathic pharmaceutical practice as well as for ultra-high dilution experiments. The refined basophil test system proved to be highly sensitive and reliable. Further studies are needed. Homeopathy (2003) 92, 11–18.
A Matter of Perspective: A Discursive Analysis of the Perceptions of Three Stakeholders of the Mutianyu Great Wall

This study aims to investigate the different and competing perspectives of stakeholders of cultural heritage sites by examining the Mutianyu Great Wall in China. Literature review: Most studies focus on investigating the tourism destination image from the perspective of only one stakeholder, and only a small amount of research has attempted to integrate the perspectives of competing stakeholders into a single study. Research questions: 1. How did the business operator perceive the Mutianyu Great Wall? 2. How did UNESCO perceive the Mutianyu Great Wall? 3. How did international tourists on TripAdvisor perceive the Mutianyu Great Wall? 4. What are the dynamics among the three stakeholders' perceptions? 5. In those dynamics, what are the contested issues in the Great Wall's heritage preservation and tourism development? Methodology: The study adopts a discursive approach to social constructivism in examining the images of the site as perceived by the three important stakeholders. It incorporates qualitative thematic and multimodal discourse analysis with quantitative high-frequency word analysis, supplemented by an interview with the heritage site administrator and a field trip. Results: The business operator perceived the Mutianyu Great Wall as a scenic spot for modern rural tourism, UNESCO emphasized its historical and cultural significance, and international tourists perceived it as a hybrid image. Conclusions: The study identified a preservation-growth continuum and showed different and even competing perspectives. It also discussed two contested issues in the field. The study contributes to heritage studies by developing an interdisciplinary discursive framework and suggests practical implications to heritage management and professional communication.
Hardness of approximate nearest neighbor search

We prove conditional near-quadratic running time lower bounds for approximate Bichromatic Closest Pair with Euclidean, Manhattan, Hamming, or edit distance. Specifically, unless the Strong Exponential Time Hypothesis (SETH) is false, for every δ>0 there exists a constant ε>0 such that computing a (1+ε)-approximation to the Bichromatic Closest Pair requires Ω(n2−δ) time. In particular, this implies a near-linear query time for Approximate Nearest Neighbor search with polynomial preprocessing time. Our reduction uses the recently introduced Distributed PCP framework, but obtains improved efficiency using Algebraic Geometry (AG) codes. Efficient PCPs from AG codes have been constructed in other settings before, but our construction is the first to yield new hardness results.
The True Meshing Ratio of Skin Graft Meshers

Skin meshing is frequently used in the coverage of extensive burn injuries as well as other skin and soft tissue wounds. This technique allows coverage of more extensive areas with smaller donor sites and prevents fluid from collecting beneath the skin grafts. The devices used to achieve this expansion differ in their technology and the use of skin carriers. In addition, many of the devices permit meshing at single or multiple ratios depending upon the device chosen. Although commonly used, there have been few definitive studies analyzing the actual expansion ratios achieved by many of these devices. The purpose of this study was to measure the actual meshing ratios achieved using some of the most commonly used skin meshers. The authors used split-thickness cadaveric skin samples provided by the regional tissue bank to compare the area of skin both before and after meshing to determine the actual expansion ratio and compared that with the ratio claimed by the device manufacturer. For all ratios greater than 1:1, the extent of actual expansion was significantly less than that expected for each device (P < .001). In addition, using devices that claimed to yield increasingly greater expansion ratios resulted in increasingly greater discrepancies between the area predicted by the device manufacturer and the actual surface area of skin (P < .01). These findings suggest that there is great variability in the expected and observed expansion ratios achieved by skin graft meshing devices. This has significant applicability to practice as it is likely to affect surgical decisions related to estimating the extent of donor area needed to cover skin and soft tissue defects.
Fas ligand and lytic granule differentially control cytotoxic dynamics of natural killer cell against cancer target

Interaction dynamics between Natural Killer (NK) cells and cancer targets have been the topic of many previous investigations, but the underlying rate-limiting kinetics and heterogeneity remain poorly understood. In this study, using quantitative single cell microscopy assay, we elucidate the differential dynamic control of NK-cancer cell interaction by multiple cytotoxic pathways. We found primary human NK cell, unlike NK cell line, killed adherent cancer target mainly by lytic granule-independent mechanism, in particular through Fas ligand (FasL). And the distinct kinetics of FasL and lytic granule pathway resulted in significant cell-to-cell variability. Killing by FasL occurred slowly, requiring transient, often multiple NK-cancer cell conjugations that gradually activated caspase-8, while lytic granule triggered rapid cytotoxicity by a switch-like induction of granzyme-B upon a single, prolonged conjugation. Moreover, interleukin 2 was observed to enhance both cytotoxic mechanisms by promoting target recognition by NK cell and increasing NK-cancer cell interaction frequency. Our results not only identify the key points of variation in the rate-limiting kinetics of NK-cancer cell cytotoxic interaction but also point to the importance of non-lytic granule mechanism for developing NK cell therapy.
A Genetic Programming Framework for 2D Platform AI

There currently exists a wide range of techniques to model and evolve artificial players for games. Existing techniques range from black box neural networks to entirely hand-designed solutions. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility of a genetic programming framework using human controller input to derive meaningful artificial players which can, later on, be optimised by hand. The current state of the art in game character design relies heavily on human designers to manually create and edit scripts and rules for game characters. To address this manual editing bottleneck, current computational intelligence techniques approach the issue with fully autonomous character generators, replacing most of the design process using black box solutions such as neural networks or the like. Our GP approach to this problem creates character controllers which can be further authored and developed by a designer it also offers designers to included their play style without the need to use a programming language. This keeps the designer in the loop while reducing repetitive manual labour. Our system also provides insights into how players express themselves in games and into deriving appropriate models for representing those insights. We present our framework, supporting findings and open challenges.
Haptic-assistive technologies for audition and vision sensory disabilities

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this review is to analyze haptic sensory substitution technologies for deaf, blind and deaf–blind individuals. Method: The literature search has been performed in Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar databases using selected keywords, analyzing studies from 1960s to present. Search on databases for scientific publications has been accompanied by web search for commercial devices. Results have been classified by sensory disability and functionality, and analyzed by assistive technology. Complementary analyses have also been carried out on websites of public international agencies, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and of associations representing sensory disabled persons. Results: The reviewed literature provides evidences that sensory substitution aids are able to mitigate in part the deficits in language learning, communication and navigation for deaf, blind and deaf–blind individuals, and that the tactile sense can be a means of communication to provide some kind of information to sensory disabled individuals. Conclusions: A lack of acceptance emerged from the discussion of capabilities and limitations of haptic assistive technologies. Future researches shall go towards miniaturized, custom-designed and low-cost haptic interfaces and integration with personal devices such as smartphones for a major diffusion of sensory aids among disabled. Implications for rehabilitation Systematic review of state of the art of haptic assistive technologies for vision and audition sensory disabilities. Sensory substitution systems for visual and hearing disabilities have a central role in the transmission of information for patients with sensory impairments, enabling users to interact with the not disabled community in daily activities. Visual and auditory inputs are converted in haptic feedback via different actuation technologies. The information is presented in the form of static or dynamic stimulation of the skin. Their effectiveness and ease of use make haptic sensory substitution systems suitable for patients with different levels of disabilities. They constitute a cheaper and less invasive alternative to implantable partial sensory restitution systems. Future researches are oriented towards the optimization of the stimulation parameters together with the development of miniaturized, custom-designed and low-cost aids operating in synergy in networks, aiming to increase patients’ acceptability of these technologies.