Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised CT Metal Artifact Learning using Attention-guided beta-CycleGAN

Metal artifact reduction (MAR) is one of the most important research topics in computed tomography (CT). With the advance of deep learning technology for image reconstruction,various deep learning methods have been also suggested for metal artifact removal, among which supervised learning methods are most popular. However, matched non-metal and metal image pairs are difficult to obtain in real CT acquisition. Recently, a promising unsupervised learning for MAR was proposed using feature disentanglement, but the resulting network architecture is complication and difficult to handle large size clinical images. To address this, here we propose a much simpler and much effective unsupervised MAR method for CT. The proposed method is based on a novel beta-cycleGAN architecture derived from the optimal transport theory for appropriate feature space disentanglement. Another important contribution is to show that attention mechanism is the key element to effectively remove the metal artifacts. Specifically, by adding the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) layers with a proper disentanglement parameter, experimental results confirm that we can get more improved MAR that preserves the detailed texture of the original image.
Using Semantic Web Services for AI-Based Research in Industry 4.0

The transition to Industry 4.0 requires smart manufacturing systems that are easily configurable and provide a high level of flexibility during manufacturing in order to achieve mass customization or to support cloud manufacturing. To realize this, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) combined with Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods find their way into manufacturing shop floors. For using AI methods in the context of Industry 4.0, semantic web services are indispensable to provide a reasonable abstraction of the underlying manufacturing capabilities. In this paper, we present semantic web services for AI-based research in Industry 4.0. Therefore, we developed more than 300 semantic web services for a physical simulation factory based on Web Ontology Language for Web Services (OWL-S) and Web Service Modeling Ontology (WSMO) and linked them to an already existing domain ontology for intelligent manufacturing control. Suitable for the requirements of CPS environments, our pre- and postconditions are verified in near real-time by invoking other semantic web services in contrast to complex reasoning within the knowledge base. Finally, we evaluate our implementation by executing a cyber-physical workflow composed of semantic web services using a workflow management system.
The nervous system of Loligo IV. The peduncle and olfactory lobes

The paired peduncle lobes lie at the sides of the brain behind the optic tracts, partly embedded in the optic lobes. Each lobe comprises two regions: the basal zone, with medium to large cell bodies and fibres, and the spine, with small cells and fibres. The spine is remarkable for the presence of two banks of numerous, fine parallel fibres. Some of these are the processes of cells intrinsic to the spine but others derive from cells in the ipsilateral optic lobe and statocyst and from the contralateral peduncle lobe. The array of longitudinally running fibres, with efferents passing across them at right angles, gives the lobe a cerebellum-like appearance. The peduncle lobe receives a visual input from second and third order cells in the optic lobe, and a ‘labyrinthine’ input from cells in the statocyst. The opticopeduncular fibres preserve precise topological relations. The lobe projects widely to motor areas, including the basal lobes and the oculomotor centre in the lateral pedal lobe. It also sends fibres back to the ipsilateral optic lobe. There is a conspicuous peduncle commissure. The organization of the peduncle lobes is similar to that in the three main basal lobes, and must be considered part of the basal lobe system. The functional interpretation of the lobe is that it provides a region where visual and ‘labyrinthine’ information can interact to regulate motor programs controlled by the optic lobe. This involves fine adjustments particularly of the mobile eyes but also of the fins, funnel, head and arms, so that the animal can track visually and smoothly follow moving targets. Such regulation could be achieved by precise timing in a feed forward situation and this may be the function of the parallel fibre system. The olfactory lobe lies close to the peduncle lobe but is distinct in its connections and cyto-architecture. Its input derives from the olfactory organ and the optic lobe and its main projection is to an area of the posterior basal region that lies close to the optic gland. The cells are large and some are almost certainly secretory. The neuropil lacks any obvious spatial regularities. The nature of the olfactory system remains enigmatic but it may be involved in reproduction.
Deep Reinforcement Learning with Interactive Feedback in a Human-Robot Environment

Robots are extending their presence in domestic environments every day, it being more common to see them carrying out tasks in home scenarios. In the future, robots are expected to increasingly perform more complex tasks and, therefore, be able to acquire experience from different sources as quickly as possible. A plausible approach to address this issue is interactive feedback, where a trainer advises a learner on which actions should be taken from specific states to speed up the learning process. Moreover, deep reinforcement learning has been recently widely used in robotics to learn the environment and acquire new skills autonomously. However, an open issue when using deep reinforcement learning is the excessive time needed to learn a task from raw input images. In this work, we propose a deep reinforcement learning approach with interactive feedback to learn a domestic task in a Human–Robot scenario. We compare three different learning methods using a simulated robotic arm for the task of organizing different objects; the proposed methods are (i) deep reinforcement learning (DeepRL); (ii) interactive deep reinforcement learning using a previously trained artificial agent as an advisor (agent–IDeepRL); and (iii) interactive deep reinforcement learning using a human advisor (human–IDeepRL). We demonstrate that interactive approaches provide advantages for the learning process. The obtained results show that a learner agent, using either agent–IDeepRL or human–IDeepRL, completes the given task earlier and has fewer mistakes compared to the autonomous DeepRL approach.
Breakdown signatures of the phenomenological Lindblad master equation in the strong optomechanical coupling regime

The Lindblad form of the master equation has proven to be one of the most convenient ways to describe the impact of an environment interacting with a quantum system of interest. For single systems the jump operators characterizing these interactions usually take simple forms with a clear interpretation. However, for coupled systems these operators take significantly different forms and the full dynamics cannot be described by jump operators acting on the individual subsystems only. In this work, we investigate the differences between a common phenomenological model for the master equation and the more rigorous dressed-state master equation for optomechanical systems. We provide an analytical method to obtain the absorption spectrum of the system for both models and show the breakdown of the phenomenological model in both the bad cavity and the ultra-strong coupling limit. We present a careful discussion of the indirect dephasing of the optical cavity in both models and its role in the differences of their predicted absorption spectra. Our work provides a simple experimental test to determine whether the simpler phenomenological model can be used to describe the system and is a step forward toward a better understanding of the role of the coupling between subsystems for open-quantum-system dynamics.
Automated Formal Synthesis of Neural Barrier Certificates for Dynamical Models

We introduce an automated, formal, counterexample-based approach to synthesise Barrier Certificates (BC) for the safety verification of continuous and hybrid dynamical models. The approach is underpinned by an inductive framework: this is structured as a sequential loop between a learner, which manipulates a candidate BC as a neural network, and a sound verifier, which either certifies through algorithmic proofs the candidate's validity or generates counter-examples to further guide the learner. We compare the approach against state-of-the-art techniques, over polynomial and non-polynomial dynamical models: the outcomes show that we can synthesise sound BCs up to two orders of magnitude faster, with in particular a stark speedup on the verification engine (up to five orders less), whilst needing a far smaller data set (up to three orders less) for the learning part. Beyond the state of the art, we further challenge the (verification side of the) approach on a hybrid dynamical model.
Improvement in the nutritive quality of cassava and its by-products through microbial fermentation

A review of the extent of fermentation of cassava and its by-products was made in order to highlight the role played by fermentation on the bio-conversion of cassava and cassava by-products for improved nutrient quality. The reasons for cassava products fermentation mentioned were synonymous with the reasons canvassed generally for embarking on fermentation which include among others: biological enrichment of the substrate in terms of protein, vitamins, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids; impartation of good aroma, flavour and texture; preservation of the fermented products and decrease in cooking time and fuel requirement. The choice of the fermentation methods that have been employed was the next topic of this article with a dividing line drawn between the two most popular fermentation methods – submerged/liquid substrate fermentation and solid substrate fermentation in which the balance is greatly tilted in favour of the latter, especially in the developing countries because of its relatively low cost, ease of adaptability of local conditions and technologies, little or no effluent generation and a much reduced rate of environmental pollution. The array of some cassava products that have been fermented with their varied rate of success in terms of nutrient enhancement from diverse cultures and background together with animal trials conducted to validate the in vitro nutrient enhancement of these products was also highlighted.
Increases in soil organic carbon sequestration can reduce the global warming potential of long‐term liming to permanent grassland

The application of calcium‐ and magnesium‐rich materials to soil, known as liming, has long been a foundation of many agro‐ecosystems worldwide because of its role in counteracting soil acidity. Although liming contributes to increased rates of respiration from soil thereby potentially reducing soils ability to act as a CO2 sink, the long‐term effects of liming on soil organic carbon (Corg) sequestration are largely unknown. Here, using data spanning 129 years of the Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted (UK), we show net Corg sequestration measured in the 0–23 cm layer at different time intervals since 1876 was 2–20 times greater in limed than in unlimed soils. The main cause of this large Corg accrual was greater biological activity in limed soils, which despite increasing soil respiration rates, led to plant C inputs being processed and incorporated into resistant soil organo‐mineral pools. Limed organo‐mineral soils showed: (1) greater Corg content for similar plant productivity levels (i.e. hay yields); (2) higher 14C incorporation after 1950s atomic bomb testing and (3) lower C : N ratios than unlimed organo‐mineral soils, which also indicate higher microbial processing of plant C. Our results show that greater Corg sequestration in limed soils strongly reduced the global warming potential of long‐term liming to permanent grassland suggesting the net contribution of agricultural liming to global warming could be lower than previously estimated. Our study demonstrates that liming might prove to be an effective mitigation strategy, especially because liming applications can be associated with a reduced use of nitrogen fertilizer which is a key cause for increased greenhouse gas emissions from agro‐ecosystems.
Smoking, SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A review of reviews considering implications for public health policy and practice

INTRODUCTION There has been significant speculation regarding the association between the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pathogen, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and smoking. We provide an overview of the available literature regarding the association between smoking, risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and risk of severe COVID-19 and poor clinical outcomes, with the aim of informing public health policy and practice, particularly in England. METHODS Publications were identified utilising a systematic search approach on PUBMED and Google Scholar. Publications presenting a systematic review or meta-analysis considering the association between smoking and SARS-COV-2 infection or COVID-19 outcomes were included. RESULTS Eight studies were identified. One considered the relationship between smoking and the probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection, three considered the association between COVID-19 hospitalisation and smoking history, and six reviewed the association between smoking history and development of severe COVID-19. One study specifically investigated the risk of mortality. The studies considering risk of severe disease indicate that there is a significant association between COVID-19 and current or ever smoking. CONCLUSIONS This is a rapidly evolving topic. Current analysis remains limited due to the quality of primary data, although, early results indicate an association between smoking and COVID-19 severity. We highly recommend public health messaging to continue focusing on smoking cessation efforts.
Resistance distance, Kirchhoff index, and Kemeny's constant in flower graphs.

We obtain a general formula for the resistance distance (or effective resistance) between any pair of nodes in a general family of graphs which we call flower graphs. Flower graphs are obtained from identifying nodes of multiple copies of a given base graph in a cyclic way. We apply our general formula to two specific families of flower graphs, where the base graph is either a complete graph or a cycle. We also obtain bounds on the Kirchhoff index and Kemeny's constant of general flower graphs using our formula for resistance. For flower graphs whose base graph is a complete graph or a cycle, we obtain exact, closed form expressions for the Kirchhoff index and Kemeny's constant.
Fast Block Sequential Decoding of Polar Codes

A reduced complexity sequential decoding algorithm for polar (sub) codes is described. The proposed approach relies on a decomposition of the polar (sub) code being decoded into a number of outer codes, and on-demand construction of codewords of these codes in the descending order of their probability. Construction of such codewords is implemented by fast decoding algorithms, which are available for many codes arising in the decomposition of polar codes. Further complexity reduction is achieved by taking hard decisions of the intermediate LLRs, and avoiding decoding of some outer codes. Data structures for sequential decoding of polar codes are described. The proposed algorithm can be also used for decoding of polar codes with CRC and short extended BCH codes. It has lower average decoding complexity compared with the existing decoding algorithms for the corresponding codes.
Sexual Cycle of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii and Virulence of Congenic a and α Isolates

ABSTRACT Cryptococcus neoformans is a human-pathogenic fungus that has evolved into three distinct varieties that infect most prominently the central nervous system. A sexual cycle involving haploid cells of a and α mating types has been reported for two varieties (C. neoformans var. neoformans, serotype D, and C. neoformans var. gattii, serotypes B and C), yet the vast majority of infections involve a distinct variety (C. neoformans var. grubii, serotype A) that has been thought to be clonal and restricted to the α mating type. We recently identified the first serotype A isolate of the a mating type which had been thought to be extinct (strain 125.91). Here we report that this unusual strain can mate with a subset of pathogenic serotype A strains to produce a filamentous dikaryon with fused clamp connections, basidia, and viable recombinant basidiospores. One meiotic segregant mated poorly with the serotype A reference strain H99 but robustly with a crg1 mutant that lacks a regulator of G protein signaling and is hyperresponsive to mating pheromone. This meiotic segregant was used to create congenic a and α mating type serotype A strains. Virulence tests with rabbit and murine models of cryptococcal meningitis showed that the serotype A congenic a and α mating type strains had equivalent virulence in animal models, in contrast to previous studies linking the α mating type to increased virulence in congenic serotype D strains. Our studies highlight a role for sexual recombination in the evolution of a human fungal pathogen and provide a robust genetic platform to establish the molecular determinants of virulence.
Effect of Flavone Derivatives on Interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) mRNA Expression and IL‐1β Protein Synthesis in Stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages

It is known that the redox status of cells affects gene expression. Flavones, as natural antioxidants, efficiently modulate this status and may play a role in the regulation of inducible gene expression of inflammatory mediators. This study was designed to investigate the effect of five flavone derivatives variously substituted with hydroxyl groups (chrysin, galangin, kaempferol, quercetin and myricetin) on interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) gene expression in stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The cells were incubated with tested hydroxyflavones and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ). Then, the following were estimated: the level of IL‐1β mRNA in these cells and the concentration of IL‐1β protein in cell‐culture supernatants and cell lysates.
Multiplicity of Periodic Solutions for Dynamic Li\'enard Equations with Delay and Singular $\varphi$-laplacian of Relativistic Type.

We study the existence and multiplicity of periodic solutions for singular $\varphi$-laplacian equations with delay on time scales. We prove the existence of multiple solutions using topological methods based on the Leray-Schauder degree. A special case is the $T$-periodic problem for the forced pendulum equation with relativistic effects.
Complementary autophagy inhibition and glucose metabolism with rattle-structured polydopamine@mesoporous silica nanoparticles for augmented low-temperature photothermal therapy and in vivo photoacoustic imaging

Rattle-structured nanoparticles with movable cores, porous shells and hollow interiors have shown great effectiveness in drug delivery and cancer theranostics. Targeting autophagy and glucose have provided alternative strategies for cancer intervention therapy. Herein, rattle-structured polydopamine@mesoporous silica nanoparticles were prepared for in vivo photoacoustic (PA) imaging and augmented low-temperature photothermal therapy (PTT) via complementary autophagy inhibition and glucose metabolism. Methods: The multifunctional rattle-structured nanoparticles were designed with the nanocore of PDA and the nanoshell of hollow mesoporous silica (PDA@hm) via a four-step process. PDA@hm was then loaded with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) and conjugated with glucose consumer glucose oxidase (GOx) (PDA@hm@CQ@GOx), forming a corona-like structure nanoparticle. Results: The CQ and GOx were loaded into the cavity and decorated onto the surface of PDA@hm, respectively. The GOx-mediated tumor starvation strategy would directly suppress the expression of HSP70 and HSP90, resulting in an enhanced low-temperature PTT induced by PDA nanocore. In addition, autophagy inhibition by the released CQ made up for the loss of low-temperature PTT and starvation efficiencies by PTT- and starvation-activated autophagy, realizing augmented therapy efficacy. Furthermore, the PDA nanocore in the PDA@hm@CQ@GOx could be also used for PA imaging. Conclusion: Such a “drugs” loaded rattle-structured nanoparticle could be used for augmented low-temperature PTT through complementarily regulating glucose metabolism and inhibiting autophagy and in vivo photoacoustic imaging.
Gene differential expression of Phytophthora sojae during sporangium formation process

The gene differential expression of Phytophthora sojae during early stage (0 to 7 h) of sporangium formation was studied by differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) in the present study. Thirty out of 78 primer combinations were selected and 90 stable differential bands were obtained. Thirty-nine positive differential fragments were found in the experiments by using the reverse northern blot, in which 36 sequences of differential fragments were obtained after sequencing. Homology search and analysis were tested by BLASTX in the P. sojae genome database. The results showed that 23 fragments had significant similarities with proteins in P. sojaegenome database, 15 of which matched with the known functional proteins involved in metabolism, cellular processes, and signal transduction processes. Data mining and bioinformatics analysis on 4 fragments which redundancy was greater than 5 showed that sequence AR15-258 had a very high expression level in Phytophthora mycelium, which may be related to mycelium infection or hunger; AR10-263 and GR1-304 were only found in Phytophthora, which might be unique expression in this genus. The analysis and research on important regulatory genes controlling sporangium formation of P. sojae was a foundation for studying of key genes controlling growth and development of P. sojae. Key words: Phytophthora sojae, sporangium formation, mRNA differential display, differential fragments.
Proximate, Mineral and Biochemical Evaluation of the Haemolymph of Growing Snails Fed Fresh Lettuce Waste, Whole Lettuce, Pawpaw Leaves and Cabbage Waste

Disease states in experimental animals are usually accompanied by biochemical alterations. Thus a good working knowledge of reference values of some biochemical constituent of the haemolymph of snails (Archachatina marginata) is needed as reference point for future researchers on snail. It is also necessary to determine whether these values could be influenced by diets. Thirty six experimental snails of mean weight of 125.64±2.35g were randomly distributed into 4 dietary treatments of Pawpaw Leaves (PL), Whole Lettuce (WL), Lettuce Wastes (LW) and Cabbage Wastes (CW). Nine snails were used as control animals to determine the reference values. They were fed ad libitum for 60days. Parameters determined were, proximate composition, mineral profile, total protein , album in, globulin, albumin:globulin, alanine amino transferase (ALT) and aspartate amino transferase. There was significant (p<0.05) reduction in crude protein of haemolymph from 24.14 to 21.20% for snails fed LW. The increase in ash from 0.79 to 0.84 in snails fed LW was significant. There were significant increases in all the minerals analyzed in all the treatment groups with Calcium recording the highest concentration of 170 mg/mL. There was also signi ficant (p<0.05) decrease in albumin and albumin:globulin when snails were fed the experimental diets. Values obtained for the enzymes, ALT and AST between treatments were similar. The study established that the feedstuffs were safe for their consumption and could not lead to any tissue damage. Values of 165 unit/l for AST, 11 units/l for ALT, total protein, 7.1 g/dl, globulin, 3.9 g/dl, albumin, 3.2 g/dl, and albumin:globulin, 0.82 could serve as reference values.