Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae injected into Simulium species from Cameroon

Abstract. Microfilariae (mff) of the savanna and forest strains of Onchocerca volvulus (Leuckart) were injected intrathoracically into adult females of Simulium damnosum Theobald sensu stricto, S.sirbanum Vajime & Dunbar, S.squamosum Enderlein and S.mengense Vajime & Dunbar. Nine days post infection (pi) 27–29% of the savanna mff and 31–38% of the forest strain had developed to third‐stage larvae (L3), irrespective of the fly species, size or injection dose (5, 10 or 15 mff). Savanna flies supported the development of forest O. volvulus better than forest flies, in contrast to the results after per os infections. Therefore, in these four species of the S.damnosum complex from Cameroon, the peritrophic membrane is considered to be the main factor limiting the success rate of microfilarial development following the ingestion of blood infections, while the fly's haemolymph and intracellular environment play minor roles.
Qualitative and probabilistic uncertainty in reasoning about actions with sensing

We present the description logic PN-ALCK NF for reasoning about actions with sensing under qualitative and probabilistic uncertainty, which is an extension of the description logic ALCK NF by actions with nondeterministic and probabilistic effects. We define a formal semantics of PN-ALCK NF in terms of deterministic, nondeterministic, and probabilistic transitions between epistemic states, which are sets of possible states of the world. We introduce the notions of a conditional plan and its goodness under qualitative and probabilistic uncertainty. We then formulate the problem of conditional planning in this framework, and we present an algorithm for solving it. This algorithm is based on a reduction to reasoning in description logics, and is shown to be sound and complete in the sense that it generates all optimal plans. We also describe an application in a robotic-soccer scenario.
From action to language: comparative perspectives on primate tool use, gesture and the evolution of human language

The papers in this Special Issue examine tool use and manual gestures in primates as a window on the evolution of the human capacity for language. Neurophysiological research has supported the hypothesis of a close association between some aspects of human action organization and of language representation, in both phonology and semantics. Tool use provides an excellent experimental context to investigate analogies between action organization and linguistic syntax. Contributors report and contextualize experimental evidence from monkeys, great apes, humans and fossil hominins, and consider the nature and the extent of overlaps between the neural representations of tool use, manual gestures and linguistic processes.
Polynomial implementation structure for lagrange-type variable fractional delay filters

By investigating the coefficient matrix of Farrow structure based Lagrange-type variable fractional delay (VFD) FIR filters, a new implementation strategy is proposed for this type of VFD. Due to the dependence of coefficient values within each subfilter and between adjacent subfilters, the proposed technique reduces the number of independent coefficient values to be synthesized to 25% of that of the original one. Furthermore, all subfilter coefficients could be scaled to integers by a common factor. Thus, multiplierless filtering techniques could be used to synthesize the coefficient values without introducing any quantization errors and therefore reduce the implementation complexity further.
Non-Equilibrium Solidification in Cu-Mg-Sn Alloys for Tribological Applications

Mg-containing bronzes have received little attention in general technological applications due to their relatively complex processing conditions. However, Mg is one of the few metallic elements which may exhibit good tribological compatibility with iron and steel and as such is a possible candidate to replace lead in sliding bearing materials. This work describes the casting of such alloys in the form of thin ingots to produce cold rolled strip, as is done for commercial Al-Sn-based ductile triboalloys. Sound ingots could be produced with simple laboratory equipment, yielding slabs in the compositional range of Cu1Mg1Sn, Cu1Mg5Sn, Cu5Mg1Sn and Cu5Mg5Sn. Cooling curves were monitored by embedded thermocouples. Invariant points could be identified after appropriate filtering of the signal but did not correspond to the ternary equilibrium. Segregation and non-equilibrium phases were confirmed by metallography.
Telomere Transcripts Target Telomerase in Human Cancer Cells

Long non-coding transcripts from telomeres, called telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), were identified as blocking telomerase activity (TA), a telomere maintenance mechanism (TMM), in tumors. We expressed recombinant TERRA transcripts in tumor cell lines with TA and with alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to study effects on TMM and cell growth. Adeno- and lentivirus constructs (AV and LV) were established for transient and stable expression of approximately 130 units of telomere hexanucleotide repeats under control of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human RNase P RNA H1 (hH1) promoters with and without polyadenylation, respectively. Six human tumor cell lines either using telomerase or ALT were infected and analyzed for TA levels. Pre-infection cells using telomerase had 1%–3% of the TERRA expression levels of ALT cells. AV and LV expression of recombinant TERRA in telomerase positive cells showed a 1.3–2.6 fold increase in TERRA levels, and a decrease in TA of 25%–58%. Dominant-negative or small hairpin RNA (shRNA) viral expression against human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) results in senescence, not induced by TERRA expression. Population doubling time, cell viability and TL (telomere length) were not impacted by ectopic TERRA expression. Clonal growth was reduced by TERRA expression in TA but not ALT cell lines. ALT cells were not affected by treatments applied. Established cell models and tools may be used to better understand the role of TERRA in the cell, especially for targeting telomerase.
Open and regionalised spectrum repositories for emerging countries

TV White Spaces have recently been proposed as an alternative to alleviate the spectrum crunch, characterised by the need to reallocate frequency bands to accommodate the ever-growing demand for wireless communications. In this article, we discuss the motivations and challenges for collecting spectrum measurements in developing regions and discuss a scalable system for the crowds to gather and provide access to White Spaces information through open and regionalised repositories. We further discuss two relevant aspects. Firstly, we propose a cooperative mechanism for sensing spectrum availability using a detector approach. Secondly, we propose a strategy (and an architecture) on the database side to implement spectrum governance. Other aspects of the work include discussion of an extensive measurement campaign showing a number of white spaces in developing regions, an overview of our experience on low-cost spectrum analysers, and the architecture of Zebra−RFO, an application for processing crowd-sourced spectrum data.
Directed shift of vaginal flora after topical application of sucrose gel in a phase III clinical trial: a novel treatment for bacterial vaginosis.

BACKGROUND Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is one of the most common infectious diseases among sexually active women and is associated with the increased acquisition of a variety of sexually transmitted diseases. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of a non-antibiotic sucrose gel against an antibiotic metronidazole gel for the treatment of BV. METHODS A randomized, double-blinded, multi-center, parallel-group, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial was conducted at eight hospitals in China. A total of 560 subjects with clinically diagnosed BV were randomly assigned into three groups for vaginally receiving sucrose, metronidazole, and placebo gels, respectively, twice daily for five consecutive days. The efficacy of therapeutic cure, defined as an achievement of both microbiologic cure (a Nugent score of 3 or less) and clinical cure (a resolution of the clinical findings from the baseline visit), was evaluated at the 1st and 2nd test-of-cure (TOC) visits at 7-10 and 21-35 days after the start of treatment, respectively. RESULTS Therapeutic cure rates for sucrose, metronidazole, and placebo gel groups were 83.13%, 71.30% and 0.92%, at the 1st TOC, and 61.04%, 66.67% and 7.34%, at the 2nd TOC, respectively. While there was no significant difference between the sucrose and metronidazole gel groups at the 2nd TOC (P = 0.305), and sucrose gel was more effective than metronidazole gel at the 1st TOC (P = 0.009). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that sucrose gel restores normal vaginal flora more rapidly than metronidazole gel and can be used as a novel treatment for BV.
Bis[μ-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane-κ2 P:P′]bis[(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2 N,N′)copper(I)] bis(tetrafluoroborate)

The centrosymmetric title compound, [Cu2(C10H8N2)2(C25H22P2)2](BF4)2, consists of discrete dinuclear cations and tetrafluoroborate anions. The two CuI centers are bridged by the phosphine ligands to form an eight-membered ring. The CuI center exhibits a tetrahedral coordination as it is chelated by the N-heterocycle.
Prevalence, Clinical Profile, and Significance of Left Ventricular Remodeling in the End-Stage Phase of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Background— End stage (ES) is a recognized part of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) disease spectrum. Frequency, clinical profile and course, and treatment strategies in these patients remain incompletely defined. Methods and Results— Three HCM cohorts comprised 1259 patients, including 44 (3.5%) characterized as ES with systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction <50% at rest; range 15% to 49%). ES developed at a wide age range (14 to 74 years), with 45% of patients ≤40 years old. Although 29 patients (66%) died of progressive heart failure, had sudden death events, or underwent heart transplantation, 15 (34%) survived with medical management over 3±3 years. Duration from onset of HCM symptoms to ES identification was considerable (14±10 years), but ES onset to death/transplantation was brief (2.7±2 years). ES occurred with similar frequency in patients with or without prior myectomy (P=0.84). Appropriate defibrillator interventions were 10% per year in patients awaiting donor hearts. Most ES patients (n=23; 52%) showed substantial left ventricular (LV) remodeling with cavity dilatation. Less complete remodeling occurred in 21 patients (48%), including 5 with persistence of a nondilated and markedly hypertrophied LV. Pathology and magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive (transmural) fibrosis in 9 of 11 ES patients. At initial evaluation, patients who developed ES were younger with more severe symptoms, had a larger LV cavity, and more frequently had a family history of ES than other HCM patients. Conclusions— ES of nonobstructive HCM has an expanded and more diverse clinical expression than previously appreciated, including occurrence in young patients, heterogeneous patterns of remodeling, frequent association with atrial fibrillation, and impaired LV contractility that precedes cavity dilatation, wall thinning, and heart failure symptoms. ES is an unfavorable complication (mortality rate 11% per year) and a sudden death risk factor; it requires vigilance to permit timely recognition and the necessity for defibrillator implantation and heart transplantation.
Coexistence of Genotypic and Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination in Pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis

In this study, we examined whether a homolog of the master sex-determining gene amhy of Odontesthes hatcheri is present and plays any role in testis determination of pejerrey O. bonariensis, a species otherwise known for its strong temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Screening of wild and laboratory-reared pejerrey for amhy revealed a high, although not complete linkage with phenotypic sex. The sex ratio in an amhy +/−/amhy −/− full sibling progeny reared during the thermolabile period of sex determination at an intermediate temperature of 25°C was 68.7% male:31.3% female; all amhy +/− fish developed as males whereas about 2/3 and 1/3 of the amhy −/− were female and male, respectively. Expression analyses revealed that amhy transcription began during embryo stage and decreased by the end of sex determination period. The autosomal amha was present in all individuals regardless of amhy genotype; its expression increased significantly from the end of the same period in the gonads of all amhy+ /− but only in part of the amhy− /− animals. After histological gonadal differentiation, all gonads of amhy −/− animals with amha ISH signals were testes and those without it were ovaries. These results suggest that amhy is important for testicular differentiation in pejerrey, at least at intermediate temperatures. Thus, we hypothesize that amhy +/− animals differentiate as males by expression of either amhy alone or amhy and amha together whereas the amhy −/− probably rely solely on amha expression. These findings represent the first clear genomic evidence that genotypic and environmental sex determinants can coexist in species with marked TSD such as the pejerrey. The finding of amhy will make possible to monitor wild pejerrey populations for mismatches between genotypic and phenotypic sex and may prove instrumental for field studies addressing the effects of endocrine disruptors or abnormal temperatures on reproduction and the ecological relevance of TSD for this species.
Clonal origin, restricted natural distribution, and conservation of virulence factors in isolates of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli serogroup O126

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli serogroup O126 isolates have been isolated in Hong Kong since 1982 from sporadic cases of infantile diarrhea and from one outbreak in a neonatal ward. A 64-megadalton plasmid encoding colonization factor antigen I and heat-stable enterotoxin was identified in all 23 isolates. Enterotoxigenic E. coli strains producing heat-stable enterotoxin from different regions of Southeast Asia were collected and compared by biotyping, antibiotic resistance patterns, and plasmid profiles. Restriction endonuclease digestion of plasmids and subsequent Southern blot analysis with the heat-stable enterotoxin gene probe of representative strains showed a unique plasmid was harbored by all heat-stable enterotoxin-producing O126 strains tested. These results are consistent with conservative inheritance of enterotoxin plasmids within enterotoxigenic E. coli strains over a 2-year period in Hong Kong.
Quality of organically produced wheat from diverse origin

The health benefits of organically grown whole grain wheat are derived from various nutritional compounds such as dietary fibre, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals, while baking quality is influenced by the protein content and composition. Genetic improvement and production of wheat to increase the amounts of the nutritional compounds therefore enhance the health benefits. Also, the baking quality of organic wheat can be improved by increasing protein quality of the grain. This study screened a large collection of organically grown winter and spring wheat genotypes from six groups (selections, old landraces, primitive wheat, spelt, old cultivars and cultivars) for different nutritionally relevant compounds such as, minerals, tocochromanols (vitamin E) and heavy metals. The genotypes were also screened for protein quality related to bread-making performance. There was a wide variation in grain concentrations of minerals, total tocochromanols, heavy metals and protein fractions between the six genotype groups, indicating that there is a great potential to use genotypes for the production and the development of specific wheat genotypes with health-promoting and bread-making properties for future breeding programmes. Primitive wheat had higher amounts of most minerals studied, a higher percentage of tocotrienols in total tocochromanols (74%) and a lower amount of cadmium in the wheat grain than the other genotype groups. Around 70% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of most minerals and up to 24% of the RDI of vitamin E could be obtained by consuming the organically produced whole grain wheat genotypes tested. Tocochromanol content and vitamin E activity are known to be lowered by heating, so organically produced wheat might be a good source of minerals and tocochromanols since organically produced wheat is more commonly consumed as whole or sprouted grain as compared to conventionally produced wheat. There was also a wide variation in the amount and size distribution of polymeric proteins (ASPP), mixing parameters and structural properties between the six genotype groups investigated. Genotypes with a high protein concentration and a high percentage of unextractable polymeric proteins in total polymeric proteins (%UPP) might be helpful in improving the bread-making quality of organic wheat.
Distorted grid recognition with its application to microarray image analysis

In this paper, we address a novel automatic distorted grid recognition algorithm and its application to identify spots grid in microarray images. The proposed method contains two main steps. The first step is a top-down procedure which retrieves the global information, horizontal spacing, vertical spacing and rotation angle, of grid by utilizing Gaussian mixture model and document spectrum. The second step, which is bottom-up, rebuilds the grid structure with the aid of the data obtained in the first step. The estimation of global information is precise and the reconstruction progress is effective. The accuracy and efficiency of the approach are validated by applying it to synthesis images, real distorted grid and microarray images. Furthermore, our approach is automatic and insensitive to the absence of grid elements.
An Unusual Initial Presentation of Lupus Nephritis as a Renal Mass

Lupus nephritis is a frequent manifestation of systemic lupus erythematous. Lupus nephritis usually presents with abnormal urinalysis, proteinuria, and/or renal insufficiency. We report a case of a 48-year-old woman who underwent partial nephrectomy for a fortuitously discovered solid enhancing left kidney mass. No neoplastic cells were found in the biopsy specimen; however, the pathology findings were compatible with immune complex glomerulonephritis with a predominantly membranous distribution, a pattern suggestive of lupus nephritis. The mass effect was apparently due to a dense interstitial lymphocytic infiltrate resulting in a pseudotumor. Further investigation revealed microscopic hematuria with a normal kidney function and no significant proteinuria. Antinuclear antibodies were negative, although anti-DNA and anti-SSA/Rho antibodies were positive. A diagnosis of probable silent lupus nephritis was made and the patient was followed up without immunosuppressive treatment. After two years of follow-up, she did not progress to overt disease. To our knowledge, this represents the first case of lupus nephritis with an initial presentation as a renal mass.
A preliminary experimental comparison of recursive neural networks and a tree kernel method for QSAR/QSPR regression tasks

We consider two different methods for QSAR/QSPR regres- sion tasks: Recursive Neural Networks (RecNN) and a Support Vector Regression (SVR) machine using a Tree Kernel. Experimental results on two specific regression tasks involving alkanes and benzodiazepines are obtained for the two approaches.
Automatic Speed Graph Generation for Predefined Camera Paths

Predefined camera paths are a valuable tool for the exploration of complex virtual environments. The speed at which the virtual camera travels along different path segments is key for allowing users to perceive and understand the scene while maintaining their attention. Current tools for speed adjustment of camera motion along predefined paths, such as keyframing, interpolation types and speed curve editors provide the animators with a great deal of flexibility but offer little support for the animator to decide which speed is better for each point along the path. In this paper we address the problem of computing a suitable speed curve for a predefined camera path through an arbitrary scene. We strive at adapting speed along the path to provide non-fatiguing, informative, interestingness and concise animations. Key elements of our approach include a new metric based on optical flow for quantifying the amount of change between two consecutive frames, the use of perceptual metrics to disregard optical flow in areas with low image saliency, and the incorporation of habituation metrics to keep the user attention. We also present the results of a preliminary user-study comparing user response with alternative approaches for computing speed curves.
A Plasto-Hydrodynamic Analysis of the Lubrication and Coating of Wire Using a Polymer Melt during Drawing:

A study is undertaken of the lubrication of steel wire drawing using a Christopherson tube and a polymer melt as a lubricant. Primary objectives of the study are to determine the criteria under which a thin, well adhered coat of the polymer is deposited on the wire after drawing. An analysis determines these criteria and enables the polymer coat thickness to be obtained for given operating conditions. Several flow defects are observed and discussed.
Monitoring Protein‐Protein Interactions in Living Cells by Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET)

Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) allows monitoring of protein‐protein interactions in real time in living cells. One candidate interacting protein is fused to a luminescent energy donor, such as Renilla luciferase, and the other to a fluorescent energy acceptor, such the green fluorescent protein (GFP), and the two are then coexpressed in the same cells. If the two proteins interact, their close proximity allows nonradiative energy transfer (BRET) between the luciferase and the GFP. BRET does not occur if the two proteins are separated by more than 100 Å, making the technique ideal for monitoring protein‐protein interactions in biological systems. This unit describes the use of BRET to study constitutive and agonist‐promoted interactions among signaling molecules, as illustrated by the homodimerization of the CXCR4 receptor and the recruitment of β‐arrestin2 to agonist‐activated G‐protein‐coupled receptors. This noninvasive and homogeneous assay provides a robust and sensitive proteomic platform with applications for basic science research and drug discovery.
Metrics for the Case Management Modeling and Notation (CMMN) Specification

The Case Management Modeling and Notation (CMMN) specification, published by the Object Management Group (OMG) in 2014, describes a declarative style for modeling business processes. The declarative nature of CMMN is intended to supplement the procedural style of the Business Process Modeling and Notation (BPMN). Although multiple metrics have been developed and verified for BPMN, the authors are not aware of any metrics developed for CMMN. Being a relative new process specification the understanding of complexity metrics for CMMN ought to be beneficial for practitioners and researchers by providing a way to compare case management models. This study provides a formal description of CMMN and three metrics are defined, namely size, length, and complexity. The metrics are theoretically validated using the formal framework for software measurements defined by Briand et al. and the complexity metric is further validated using Weyuker's properties for software complexity measures.