Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of growth performance traits in three strains of broiler chickens reared in derived savanna environment of Nigeria

ENGLISH/ ABSTRACT (ENGLISH/ ABSTRACT (ENGLISH/ ABSTRACT (ENGLISH/A A A ANGLAIS NGLAIS NGLAIS NGLAIS)) The evaluations of some growth performance traits on Ross, Anak and Marshall strains of broiler chickens were carried out. Data were obtained on growth performance traits (body weight, daily gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and phenotypic correlation coefficients of each strain of broiler used). There were significant (p < 0.05) strain differences for body weight, average daily gain, average feed intake and feed conversion ratio while Ross strain were more favoured for body weight and average daily gain but lower feed intake and feed conversion ratio. There were significant differences among the phenotypic Pearson's correlation coefficients for all growth performance traits for all strains. Strains of the bird showed highly significant ( p < 0.01) and positive correlation for body weight, daily gain feed intake and feed conversion ratio, while a very highly significant ( p < 0.001) and positively correlation exist between feed conversion ratio and feed intake. The positive relationship for all the growth performance traits measured was a good indicator and thus shows that the two strains can performed as expected with improve in other aspect of management
SCOPED: a set of design hypotheses targeting the visual perceptibility of interface items

Effective software use is mediated by the ability of users to perceive and interact with elements presented through the user interface. As user interfaces are frequently visual, it is unsurprising that prior research has often focused on optimising visual interfaces for user processing. However, this body of research is limited by the fact that it has largely ignored the biological mechanisms that enable such processing. We seek to address this deficiency by developing a set of design hypotheses that draw upon the neuroscience of visual perception to increase the visual perceptibility of interface items. This development takes place within a series of laboratory experiments involving over 500 participants. We conclude with five validated and complimentary design hypotheses, collectively given the title of shape, colour and position for effective decomposition' (SCOPED).
Carbonized Cotton Fabric for High‐Performance Wearable Strain Sensors

Recent years have witnessed the booming development of flexible strain sensors. To date, it is still a great challenge to fabricate strain sensors with both large workable strain range and high sensitivity. Cotton is an abundant supplied natural material composed of cellulose fibers and has been widely used for textiles and clothing. In this work, the fabrication of highly sensitive wearable strain sensors based on commercial plain weave cotton fabric, which is the most popular fabric for clothes, is demonstrated through a low‐cost and scalable process. The strain sensors based on carbonized cotton fabric exhibit fascinating performance, including large workable strain range (>140%), superior sensitivity (gauge factor of 25 in strain of 0%–80% and that of 64 in strain of 80%–140%), inconspicuous drift, and long‐term stability, simultaneously offering advantages of low cost and simplicity in device fabrication and versatility in applications. Notably, the strain sensor can detect a subtle strain of as low as 0.02%. Based on its superior performance, its applications in monitoring both vigorous and subtle human motions are demonstrated, showing its tremendous potential for applications in wearable electronics and intelligent robots.
Upregulation of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC-I) in Auditory Hair Cells Exposed To Interferon Alpha

1 Departement of Communication Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, USA. 2 Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag, Egypt. 3 Basic Research Laboratory, Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA. 4 Departement of Audiology, Eye & Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA. 5 Departement of Audiology and Speech Pathology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA.
Realization and Scalability of Release and Protected Release Consistency Models in NoC Based Systems

This paper studies the realization and scalability of release and protected release consistency models in Network-on-Chip (NoC) based Distributed Shared Memory (DSM) multi-core systems. The protected release consistency (PRC) model is proposed as an extension of the release consistency (RC) model and provides further relaxation in the shared memory operations. The realization schemes of RC and PRC models use a transaction counter in each node of the NoC based multi-core (McNoC) systems. Further, we study the scalability of these RC and PRC models and evaluate their performance in the McNoC platform. A configurable NoC based platform with 2D mesh topology and deflection routing algorithm is used in the tests. We experiment both with synthetic and application workloads. The performance of the RC and PRC models are compared using sequential consistency (SC) as the baseline. The experiments show that the average code execution time for the PRC model in 8x8 network (64 cores) is reduced by 30.5% over SC, and by 6.5% over RC model. Average data execution time in the 8x8 network for the PRC model is reduced by almost 37% over SC and by 8.8% over RC. The increase in area for the PRC of RC is about 880 gates in the network interface ( 1.7% ).
RESTful business process management in the cloud

As more and more business processes are migrated into cloud-based runtimes, there is a need to manage their state to provide support for quality attributes such as elasticity, scalability and dependability. In this paper we discuss how the REST architectural style provides a sensible choice to manage and publish service compositions under the Platform as a Service paradigm. We define the design principles of RESTful business process management in the cloud and compare several architectural alternatives to support elastic processes which can be monitored and dynamically adapted to workload changes.
Validity of the self-report on drug use by university students: correspondence between self-reported use and use detected in urine.

The purpose of this work was to determine the validity of a self-report on recent drug use (cocaine and cannabis) in a sample of university students of both sexes and to explore the role of attitudes toward substance use as related to this report. The subjects (506) were volunteers aged 17-35 years (who received an economic incentive) recruited at the University of Almería (Spain). The results were analyzed on the basis of correspondence between the self-report of recent use and a urine test. Three logistic regression analyses between self-reported use and attitudes toward drugs were also performed. The results show that the convergent validity of the self-report of drug use and the urine test is quite satisfactory, with percentages of agreement varying from . 89 to . 98 and Kappa of . 66 and . 56 for cannabis and cocaine, respectively. Sensitivity of the self-report is 57.1% (cocaine) and 91.8% (cannabis), and specificity is 99.4% (cocaine) and 89.6% (cannabis). The differences found in correspondence between the two substances are discussed with regard to self-reported attitudes on drug use.
The Analysis of Soft Error in C-Elements

Soft errors are a serious concern in state holders as it can cause temporarily malfunction of the circuit. C-element is one of the state holders that is used widely in the asynchronous circuit. In this paper, the investigation will focus on the vulnerability of two types of C-element towards soft errors. A framework has been proposed for the rate of error due to neutron spectrum energy that can cause failure in the state holder. Effective analysis has been conducted on two different C-elements at different nodes by using UMC90 nm technology and 180nm technology. Based on the vulnerability data, a method for assessing vulnerability on a different implementation of C-elements has been developed. From the obtained data, it can be concluded that SIL is more resistant towards soft errors.
Real-Time PCR Quantification of Human Adenoviruses in Urban Rivers Indicates Genome Prevalence but Low Infectivity

ABSTRACT Real-time PCR was applied to quantify the abundance of human adenoviruses in two southern California urban rivers, the San Gabriel and Los Angeles. A total of 114 river samples from five different locations were collected over a 1-year period and analyzed for human adenoviruses, along with fecal indicator bacteria and coliphages. Adenoviruses were detected by real-time PCR in ∼16% of the samples, with concentrations ranging from 102 to 104 genomes per liter. However, a plaque assay using two human tissue culture cell lines, HEK-293A and A549, yielded negative results, suggesting that adenoviruses detected by real-time PCR are likely noninfectious. Enterovirus genome was detected in ∼7% of the samples by reverse transcription-PCR. Analysis by Spearman's rho rank order correlation showed significant correlations between fecal indicator bacteria and indicator virus (total coliform, fecal coliform, enterococcus, and coliphage values). However, no significant correlations were found between human adenoviruses quantified by real-time PCR and culturable coliphages or fecal indicator bacteria. Kruskal-Wallis chi-square analysis showed significant seasonal variability of all fecal indicator bacteria and coliphages, while no significant variability was observed for adenoviruses or enteroviruses. This study presents the first quantitative measurement of human adenovirus genomes in urban rivers and their statistical relationship to fecal indicator bacteria and coliphages. The uncoupling between high-number genome copies of adenoviruses detected by real-time PCR and the absence of infectivity detected by tissue culture suggests that genome-based detection methods are inadequate for direct assessment of human health risk.
Insights into DNA substrate selection by APOBEC3G from structural, biochemical, and functional studies

Human apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing enzyme-catalytic polypeptide-like 3 (A3) proteins are a family of cytidine deaminases that catalyze the conversion of cytidine to uridine in single-stranded DNA (ssDNA). A3 proteins act in the innate immune response to viral infection by mutating the viral ssDNA. One of the most well-studied human A3 family members is A3G, which is a potent inhibitor of HIV-1. Each A3 protein prefers a specific substrate sequence for catalysis - for example, A3G deaminates the third cytidine in the CCCA sequence motif. However, the interaction between A3G and ssDNA is difficult to characterize due to poor solution behavior of the full-length protein and loss of DNA affinity of the truncated protein. Here, we present a novel DNA-anchoring fusion strategy, which we have used to capture an A3G-ssDNA interaction. We characterized an A3G-DNA binding pocket that is important for the enzyme to scan the DNA for its hotspot. The results provide insights into the mechanism by which A3G selects and deaminates its preferred substrates and help define how A3 proteins are tailored to recognize specific DNA sequences. This knowledge contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of DNA substrate selection by A3G, as well as A3G antiviral activity against HIV-1.
Synthesis of 2-Hydroxypropyl Trimethylammonium Chloride Chitosan and its Application in Bamboo Fiber Paper

To obtain a functional composite paper with antibacterial activity, 2-hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) was prepared and sprayed onto the surface of paper made of bamboo fiber. HACC was synthesized from chitosan with 2,3-epoxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride (GTAMC), and the optimal preparation conditions were selected by single-factor tests. The highest degree of substitution (DS) of HACC reached 0.868, when the ratio of chitosan to GTAMC was 1:4, and the water solubility was noticeably improved. The structural characterization demonstrated the successful modification on the original chitosan with a decrease in heat stability and the peak correlated with hydroxypropyl trimethylammonium chloride groups in FTIR. The addition of HACC in the bamboo fiber paper greatly increased the antibacterial activity, and water absorption was higher as well. These results may serve as a basis for the modification and the preparation of chitosan antibacterial agents.
Regulation of tooth number by fine-tuning levels of receptor-tyrosine kinase signaling

Much of our knowledge about mammalian evolution comes from examination of dental fossils, because the highly calcified enamel that covers teeth causes them to be among the best-preserved organs. As mammals entered new ecological niches, many changes in tooth number occurred, presumably as adaptations to new diets. For example, in contrast to humans, who have two incisors in each dental quadrant, rodents only have one incisor per quadrant. The rodent incisor, because of its unusual morphogenesis and remarkable stem cell-based continuous growth, presents a quandary for evolutionary biologists, as its origin in the fossil record is difficult to trace, and the genetic regulation of incisor number remains a largely open question. Here, we studied a series of mice carrying mutations in sprouty genes, the protein products of which are antagonists of receptor-tyrosine kinase signaling. In sprouty loss-of-function mutants, splitting of gene expression domains and reduced apoptosis was associated with subdivision of the incisor primordium and a multiplication of its stem cell-containing regions. Interestingly, changes in sprouty gene dosage led to a graded change in incisor number, with progressive decreases in sprouty dosage leading to increasing numbers of teeth. Moreover, the independent development of two incisors in mutants with large decreases in sprouty dosage mimicked the likely condition of rodent ancestors. Together, our findings indicate that altering genetic dosage of an antagonist can recapitulate ancestral dental characters, and that tooth number can be progressively regulated by changing levels of activity of a single signal transduction pathway.
On-shelf larval retention limits population connectivity in a coastal broadcast spawner

Broadcast-spawning marine organisms with long pelagic larval duration are often expected to be genetically homogeneous throughout their ranges. When genetic structure is found in such taxa, it may be in the form of chaotic genetic patchiness: i.e. patterns that might seem independent of any un- derlying environmental variation. The joint analysis of population genetic data and marine environmental data can elucidate factors driving such spatial genetic diversity patterns. Using meso-scale sampling (at a scale of 10s to 100s of km), microsatellite data and advection connectivity simulations, we studied the effect of temperate southern Australian ocean circu - lation on the genetic structure of the snail Nerita atramentosa. This species has a long pelagic larval duration and is represented as a single metapopula- tion throughout its ~3000 km range, but even so, we found that its dispersal potential is lower than ex- pected. Connectivity simulations indicate that this is a result of the larvae that remain on the continental shelf (where currents are erratic and often shoreward) re- turning to the coast in much larger numbers than lar- vae that become entrained in the region's shelf-edge boundary currents. Our study contributes to the growing evidence that departures from the expecta- tions of panmixia along continuous and environ - mentally homogeneous coastlines are not limited to low-dispersal species, and it identifies on-shelf larval retention as an important factor limiting dispersal.
Management of Cervically Fractured Central Incisors: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Introduction: Fracture of tooth structure at or below the gingival margin compromises rehabilitation and hampers esthetics and function. Management: Management of such cases by a post-core and crown restoration, or periodontal surgery or orthodontic extrusion alone may not always suffice in attaining a good result. Case Report: A multi-disciplinary approach which includes all of the above mentioned procedures helps in long term success. Conclusion: Careful case evaluation, treatment planning and meticulous attention to detail are the keys to the best treatment outcome.
An Image Processing and Genetic Algorithm-based Approach for the Detection of Melanoma in Patients

Summary Melanoma skin cancer is the most aggressive type of skin cancer. It is most commonly caused by excessive exposure to Ultraviolet radiation which triggers uncontrollable proliferation of melanocytes. Early detection makes melanoma relatively easily curable. Diagnosis is usually done using traditional methods such as dermoscopy which consists of a manual examination performed by the physician. However, these methods are not always well founded because they depend heavily on the physician’s experience. Hence, there is a great need for a new automated approach in order to make diagnosis more reliable. In this paper, we present a twophase technique to classify images of lesions into benign or malignant. The first phase consists of an image processing-based method that extracts the Asymmetry, Border Irregularity, Color Variation and Diameter of a given mole. The second phase classifies lesions using a Genetic Algorithm. Our technique shows a significant improvement over other well-known algorithms and proves to be more stable on both training and testing data.
Endothelial prostaglandin E2 regulates neuronal injury after seizure via activation of astrocytes

Astrocytes interact closely with neurons via glutamate; this astrocyteneuron circuit may play a pivotal role in synaptic transmission. In addition, astrocytes contact vascular endothelial cells (ECs) with their end-feet; therefore, ECs may have some role in regulating neuronal activity via astrocytes in the brain. In our studies, we found that kainic acid (KA) microinjection induced the expression of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES-1) in venous ECs and the expression of the prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) receptor EP3 on astrocytes. Moreover, endothelial mPGES-1 exacerbated KA-induced neuronal injury in the mouse brain. In in vitro experiments, mPGES-1 produced PGE2, which increased astrocytic Ca2+ levels and Ca2+-dependent glutamate release, thus aggravating neuronal injury. We found ECs had a role under pathological conditions and brain ECs are not merely a physiological barrier between the blood and brain; instead, they may also act as a signal transducer or amplifier. Moreover, the endotheliumastrocyte-neuron signaling pathway may be crucial for driving neuronal injury elicited by repetitive seizures and may be a new therapeutic target for epilepsy.
Correlation Matching Approaches for Blind OSTBC Channel Estimation

In this paper, the problem of blind channel estimation under orthogonal space-time block coded (OSTBC) transmissions is solved by minimizing some distance measure between the theoretical and estimated correlation matrices of the observations. Specifically, the minimization of the Euclidean distance and the Kullback-Leibler divergence leads, respectively, to the Euclidean correlation matching (ECM) and Kullback correlation matching (KCM) criteria. The proposed techniques exploit the knowledge of the source correlation matrix to unambiguously recover the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel. Furthermore, due to the orthogonality properties of OSTBCs, both the ECM and KCM criteria result in closed form solutions. In particular, the channel estimate is given by the principal eigenvector of a matrix, which is obtained from the estimated correlation matrix of the observations modified by the code matrices and a set of weights. In the ECM case, the weights are fixed and equal to the eigenvalues of the source correlation matrix, whereas the KCM weights depend on both the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the source eigenvalues. Additionally, we show that the proposed approaches are equivalent in the low SNR regime, whereas in the high SNR regime the KCM criterion is asymptotically equivalent to the relaxed blind maximum-likelihood (ML) decoder. Finally, the performance of the proposed criteria is illustrated by means of some numerical examples.
The SLC 3 and SLC 7 families of amino acid transporters q

a Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, and Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) TransCure, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland b Division of Bio-System Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan c Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, and Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain
Microbial colonisation of chasmoendolithic habitats in the hyper-arid zone of the Atacama Desert

Efforts in searching for microbial life in the driest part of Atacama Desert, Chile, revealed a small number of lithic habitats that can be considered as environmental refuges for life. In this study, we describe for the first time chasmoendolithic colonisation of fissures and cracks of rhyolite-gypsum and calcite rocks collected in the hyper-arid zone of the desert. The use of high-throughput sequencing revealed that the Atacama rock communities comprised a few dominant phylotypes and a number of less abundant taxa representing the majority of the total community diversity. The chasmoendolithic communities were dominated by Chroococcidiopsis species cyanobacteria and supported a number of heterotrophic bacterial lineages. Micro-climate data and geomorphic analysis of the mineral substrates suggested higher water availability in the calcite rocks in the form of enhanced water retention in the complex network of cracks and fissures of these rocks as well as increased occurrence of liquid water in the form of dewfall. These characteristics were associated with a diverse community of phototrophic and heterotrophic bacteria in the calcite chasmoendolithic ecosystem. This study is another example of the diversity of adaptive strategies at the limit for life and illustrates that rock colonisation is controlled by a complex set of factors.
Biological and geophysical feedbacks with fire in the Earth system

Roughly 3% of the Earth’s land surface burns annually, representing a critical exchange of energy and matter between the land and atmosphere via combustion. Fires range from slow smouldering peat fires, to low-intensity surface fires, to intense crown fires, depending on vegetation structure, fuel moisture, prevailing climate, and weather conditions. While the links between biogeochemistry, climate and fire are widely studied within Earth system science, these relationships are also mediated by fuels—namely plants and their litter—that are the product of evolutionary and ecological processes. Fire is a powerful selective force and, over their evolutionary history, plants have evolved traits that both tolerate and promote fire numerous times and across diverse clades. Here we outline a conceptual framework of how plant traits determine the flammability of ecosystems and interact with climate and weather to influence fire regimes. We explore how these evolutionary and ecological processes scale to impact biogeochemical and Earth system processes. Finally, we outline several research challenges that, when resolved, will improve our understanding of the role of plant evolution in mediating the fire feedbacks driving Earth system processes. Understanding current patterns of fire and vegetation, as well as patterns of fire over geological time, requires research that incorporates evolutionary biology, ecology, biogeography, and the biogeosciences.