Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Brief Notes on the Meaning of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell

Reprogramming technology surprised many cell biologists at the beginning. Induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSCs) caused a real evolution in the cell biology; cells can be reprogrammed into their embryonic states whenever you need. The techniques are evolved enormously fast and today there are tremendous investments to develop robust and sensitive ways to generate ideal pluripotent cells. However, for obtaining the pluripotent lines, their subsequent differentiation and characterization, validated techniques and reagents in order to achieve high quality and safe progenitor cells must be conducted under controlled conditions. While those processes are helping a lot to solve the biggest problem of medicine, they are also pushing minds to think more deeply about health and treatment of illness. Yet, iPSCs would have profound implications for both basic research and clinical therapeutics by providing a patient-specific model system to study the disease pathway and test the effectiveness of pharmacological agents, as well as by providing an ample source of autologous cells that could be used for transplantation. This review act as a small note for the student and researcher beginner in understanding the meaning of stem cell and induced pluripotent stem cells.
METHODS FOR EFFICIENT CLASSIFICATION OF NETWORK TRAFFIC

Accurate classification of traffic flows is an essential step for administrators to detect intrusion or malicious attacks, forbidden applications, or simply new applications which may impact the future provisioning of network resources. In this work four major topics are considered in connection with traffic classification activities. First, a novel validation method is proposed for characterizing the accuracy and completeness of traffic classification algorithms. The main advantages of the new method are that it is based on realistic traffic mixtures, and it enables a highly automated and reliable validation of traffic classification. The validation method is used to create reference traces and the classification performance of the existing traffic classification methods is measured. Using this information a combined traffic classification method that includes the advantages of different approaches is introduced, in order to provide a high level of classification completeness and accuracy. The second part of our work focuses on gaming traffic. Gaming traffic depends on two main factors, the game protocol and the gamers’ behavior. By understanding the nature of the impact of the later one user behavior detection algorithms are introduced to grab specific events and states from passive traffic measurements. The algorithms focus on the characteristics of the traffic rate, showing what information can be gathered by observing only packet header information. In the third part of our work, a novel model and an algorithm are introduced to extend the Deep Packet Inspection traffic classification method with the analysis of non-fix byte signatures, which are not considered in current methods. Finally, we focus on the performance of traffic classification methods in terms of speed. To support high speed traffic classification the majority of the tasks are reformulated as parallel algorithms and pushed to the Graphical Processing Unit to offload the CPU, which then may serve other processing intensive tasks, e.g., traffic capture. The performance tests of the proposed methods showed that traffic classification is possible up to approximately 6 Gbps with a commodity PC.
Applying Engineering Models of Human Behavior to Space Flight Performance

Most complex human-device interactions that arise in realistic applied settings are heterogeneous along several dimensions that significantly restrict the scope and effectiveness of traditional modeling tools. In particular, different subcomponents of the same overall task may vary significantly with respect to practice level and speed-accuracy tradeoffs. The goal of this paper is to lay out the path toward a set of technologies and underlying psychological theory that will permit rapid modeling of such heterogeneous tasks, and therefore rapid evaluation of proposed interface and task structure designs. It will be critical to make progress toward the goal in three specific ways: (1) Development of simple, high-level languages that permit the rapid specification of new tasks composed hierarchically from existing task and cognitive architectural building blocks; (2) Development of the technology and underlying psychological theory that will permit the system engineers to specify the degree of learning or skill associated with separate subcomponents of the overall task, and derive the behavioral consequences of those skill assumptions without simulating the learning process itself; and (3) Develop the technology and theory that will permit the system designers and engineers to specify speed-accuracy tradeoffs separately for subcomponents of the overall task, and derive the behavioral consequences of those assumptions in concert with the skill assumptions. The outcome of such efforts will support the development of modeling tools and design guidelines for mission systems based on common skill sets and allow prediction of learning and performance time for such systems. Directly supporting two central Human-Systems Integration themes, this paper will focus on modeling tools and models needed to support prediction of degrading human performance over the duration of reference missions toward informing the design of systems to mitigate these effects.
Acute toxicity, cytotoxic, phytotoxic, muscle relaxant, analgesic, antispasmodic and antimicrobial potential of Cocculus pendulus

The present experimental studies describes the acute toxic, cytotoxic, phytotoxic potential, analgesic, GIT motility and antimicrobial activity of Cocculus pendulus. The pharmacological profile has been evaluated by conducting acute toxic, cytotoxic, phytotoxic potential, analgesic, GIT motility and antimicrobial potentials. The plant is unsafe for consumption at higher doses, while safe at lower doses. The plant showed significant cytotoxic potential of Cocculus pendulus crude stem extract (CSE) with 7.82 LD50 value and Cocculus pendulus crude root extract (CRE) with 4.18 LD50 value. Phytotoxic potential was also significant (CSE) with 32.32 FI50 value and (CRE) with 24.68 FI50 value. Muscle relaxant effect was significant at 90mg/kg both in CSE and CRE in traction and inclined tests which were 70%, 85%, 75% and 80% respectively. Analgesic activity were carried out via acetic acid induced writhing method while antispasmodic activity was done through charcoal motility method. C. pendulus stem extract (CSE), C. pendulus root extract (CRE) and isolated fractions showed highly significant (**P<0.01) analgesic effect at higher doses. CSE and CRE and isolated fractions at all doses reduced the motility of GIT in albino mice. CSE, CRE and their isolated fractions showed remarkable reduction in the zone amplitude against Proteus sp and Xanthomonas sp. These effects of crude and isolated fractions justify its use in folkloric medicines for cytotoxic, herbicidal, pain relief and various gastro-intestinal disorders.
Bioactive Substances in Trees and Shrubs of Central Europe

: Plants produce specific structures constituting a barrier hindering penetration of pathogens, while they also produce substances inhibiting pathogen growth . These compounds are secondary metabolites, such as phenolics, terpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, resins, tannins and alkaloids. Bioactive compounds are secendary metabolities from trees and shrubs are used in medicine, herbal medicine and cosmetology. To date fruits and flowers of exotic trees and shrubs have been primarily used as sources of bioactive compounds. In turn, search for new sources of bioactive compounds is currently focused on native plant species due to its availability. Application of such raw material needs to be based on knowledge of their chemical composition, particularly health-promoting or therapeutic compounds. Research conducted to date on European trees and shrubs has been scarce. This paper presents results of literature studies conducted to systematise knowledge on bioactive compounds found in trees and shrubs native to central Europe. The aim of this review providing available information on the subject is to indicate gaps in the present knowledge.
Gaze and Movement Assessment (GaMA): Inter-site validation of a visuomotor upper limb functional protocol

Background Successful hand-object interactions require precise hand-eye coordination with continual movement adjustments. Quantitative measurement of this visuomotor behaviour could provide valuable insight into upper limb impairments. The Gaze and Movement Assessment (GaMA) was developed to provide protocols for simultaneous motion capture and eye tracking during the administration of two functional tasks, along with data analysis methods to generate standard measures of visuomotor behaviour. The objective of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of the GaMA protocol across two independent groups of non-disabled participants, with different raters using different motion capture and eye tracking technology. Methods Twenty non-disabled adults performed the Pasta Box Task and the Cup Transfer Task. Upper body and eye movements were recorded using motion capture and eye tracking, respectively. Measures of hand movement, angular joint kinematics, and eye gaze were compared to those from a different sample of twenty non-disabled adults who had previously performed the same protocol with different technology, rater and site. Results Participants took longer to perform the tasks versus those from the earlier study, although the relative time of each movement phase was similar. Measures that were dissimilar between the groups included hand distances travelled, hand trajectories, number of movement units, eye latencies, and peak angular velocities. Similarities included all hand velocity and grip aperture measures, eye fixations, and most peak joint angle and range of motion measures. Discussion The reproducibility of GaMA was confirmed by this study, despite a few differences introduced by learning effects, task demonstration variation, and limitations of the kinematic model. The findings from this study provide confidence in the reliability of normative results obtained by GaMA, indicating it accurately quantifies the typical behaviours of a non-disabled population. This work advances the consideration for use of GaMA in populations with upper limb sensorimotor impairment.
Molecular Cloning and Expression Analysis of Interleukin-8 and -10 in Yellow Catfish and in Response to Bacterial Pathogen Infection

The yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) is an important economic freshwater aquaculture species in Asia. However, little is known about its immune response to bacterial pathogen infection. Here, two cytokines, the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10), were identified and characterized in the yellow catfish for the first time. We found that the full length of the IL-8 cDNA was 784 bp and contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 336 bp, while the IL-10 gene was 973 bp in length with a 549 bp of ORF. In addition, both the IL-8 and the IL-10 had similar tissue-specific expression patterns. They were more abundant in the spleen and lowest expressed in the liver. Furthermore, IL-10 but not IL-8 was significantly upregulated in the intestine of yellow catfish by feed supplementation of Clostridium butyricum (CB). More importantly, the expression levels of intestinal IL-10 and IL-8 were up- and downregulated by pathogen Aeromonas punctata stimuli with the presence of CB, respectively. Collectively, these results suggest that IL-10 and IL-8 mediate important roles in the immunity of yellow catfish, and feed supplementation of CB may able to reduce the intestinal inflammation caused by bacteria infections through regulating the expression of IL-10 and IL-8.
Factoring restoration practitioner perceptions into future design of mechanical direct seeders for native seeds

The methods used to distribute seeds influence the success of a restoration project. We surveyed 183 restoration practitioners from across the globe with the aim of identifying common limitations to the effective use of mechanical direct seeding in large‐scale restoration practice to highlight avenues for design improvement to mechanized seeding equipment. Results from this survey show that direct seeding methods are commonly used for ecological restoration and agree with other studies that suggest the method can achieve results much quicker and cheaper than the alternative of distributing nursery‐grown tube stock. However, this study indicates that current mechanical direct seeding methods lack adequate control of seed sowing depth and spatial distribution and highlight that the inability to sow seeds of varying morphology over complex topography are common limitations to direct seeding. To improve restoration success, engineering improvements to mechanical direct seeders used in large‐scale restoration should focus in particular on addressing issues of precision of delivery for diverse seed types and landscapes.
Effect of stocking density vis-à-vis dietary protein supply on growth performance, immune-competence and cost economics of growing turkey poults

A 10-week biological experiment was undertaken to evaluate the response of Beltsvilie Small White turkey poults to different floor space (0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 ft2/bird) and dietary protein levels (22%, 24% and 26% with similar dietary energy) in terms of growth performance, immune response, and serum biochemistry, following 3 × 3 factorial design. Each treatment was allocated 4 replicates out of which one replicate was maintained for the replacement of the dead birds, if any, to maintain the required stocking density. The body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and performance index (PI) of poults was significantly higher in 1.0 ft2 floor space during 0–4 weeks and 4–10 weeks of age. Similarly, higher BWG, FI, and PI were observed at 26% dietary protein level. The interaction effect between stocking density and protein levels during 0–4 week resulted in significantly higher FI at 0.8 ft2 floor space with 26% protein level and 1.0 ft2 floor space with 24% as well as 26% protein level. The feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality pattern, immune response and immune organ weights of poults did not reveal any significant treatment effect. The feed cost/bird increased linearly with increasing floor space, and feed cost/kg weight gain and feed cost/ kg meat increased linearly with increasing protein levels. However, profit potential per meter square decreased linearly with decreasing stocking density. The study concluded that increasing the stocking density and decreasing the dietary protein level decrease the performance of poults, but the profit potential per meter square increases with increasing stocking density. Thus, the study recommends either the floor space of 0.8 ft2/bird with 26% dietary protein level or the floor space of 1.0 sq2/bird with 24% dietary protein level for growing turkey poults.
Somatic mutations substantially increase the per‐generation mutation rate in the conifer Picea sitchensis

The rates and biological significance of somatic mutations have long been a subject of debate. Somatic mutations in plants are expected to accumulate with vegetative growth and time, yet rates of somatic mutations are unknown for conifers, which can reach exceptional sizes and ages. We investigated somatic mutation rates in the conifer Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. ) by analyzing a total of 276 Gb of nuclear DNA from the tops and bottoms of 20 old‐growth trees averaging 76 m in height. We estimate a somatic base substitution rate of 2.7 × 10−8 per base pair within a generation. To date, this is one of the highest estimated per‐generation rates of mutation among eukaryotes, indicating that somatic mutations contribute substantially to the total per‐generation mutation rate in conifers. Nevertheless, as the sampled trees are centuries old, the per‐year rate is low in comparison with nontree taxa. We argue that although somatic mutations raise genetic load in conifers, they generate important genetic variation and enable selection both among cell lineages within individual trees and among offspring.
A Secure Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Grids and Symmetric Polynomials

A scheme for WSNs(wireless sensor networks) security is given by dividing sensing circle into sections and using the symmetric polynomials in this paper. Ordinary sensor nodes and heterogeneous sensor nodes are distributed in the circle equally. The keys among sensor nodes are established by utilizing symmetric polynomials. Analysis and comparison demonstrate this scheme enhances the WSN security.
Classifying Mobile Services

Mobile services differ from traditional services in their ability to provide service offerings regardless of temporal and spatial constraints. They are also different from traditional interpersonal services that are delivered face-to-face, or from other types of e-services, such as wireless online services, where the service delivery is linked to a specific fixed local area network or specific location. Although an increasing number of academic studies are starting to focus on mobile services from a service management perspective, rather than a technology perspective, formal classifications or categorizations of mobile services are still scarce. The aim of the paper is to develop a conceptual classification for mobile services that depicts the special nature of mobile services and gives indications how to categorize services from a customer centric perspective. The classification is based on the type of consumption, the context, the social setting, and the relationship and it represents aspects that influence the overall value of mobile services. These issues are described more in detail by breaking them down into classification grids that differentiate mobile services from one another by describing the aspects in a twodimensional way. We provide examples of existing mobile services in each classification grid. The term mobile service denotes all services that can be used independently of temporal and spatial restraints, and that are accessed through a mobile handset (mobile phone, PDA, smart phone etc.). The proposed conceptual development is a contribution to service marketing research. The resulting classification gives implications for further empirical research in mobile area and helps managers and service developers to differentiate and group their mobile service offerings in a meaningful way that is especially useful for marketing purposes.
Effects of Pascal and FORTRAN Programming on the Problem-Solving Abilities of College Students

AbstractThe major purposes of this study were: (a) to determine if learning to program a computer in either Pascal or FORTRAN improves the problem-solving skills of students when compared to a control group and (b) to determine if learning to program a computer in Pascal is more effective than learning to program a computer in FORTRAN in the development of problem-solving abilities. Subjects were 58 college students enrolled in 15-week Pascal and FORTRAN computer programming classes. A 61-item problem-solving instrument was used as the pretest and posttest measure. Results indicated that learning to program in Pascal or FORTRAN does significantly improve problem-solving abilities of college level students, as measured by the instrument used, when compared to a group that receives no programming instruction. However, there was no significant difference in problem-solving ability between the Pascal group and the FORTRAN group.
A background based adaptive page segmentation algorithm

A novel page segmentation algorithm is provided in this paper. Based on the extraction of the background, it offers the benefit of being adaptive to the context of the document and to be insensitive to the orientation of the text blocks. It involves a two-dimensional isotropic structuring element used to characterized the white streams. This element is a disk approximated by a regular octagon which can be recursively generated. Another advantage of the proposed method is that a hierarchical segmentation can be derived from the image built upon the octagonal pattern. This tree allows to perform an isotropic multi-scale smearing, which leads to a physical segmentation. The algorithms are based on an input-time tracing principle and use a single scan of the image, they are very well suited to a real-time implementation.
Query expansion techniques for question answering

Query expansion is a technique used to boost performance of a document retrieval engine, such as those commonly found in question answering (QA) systems. Common methods of query expansion for Boolean keyword-based document retrieval engines include inserting query terms, such as alternate inflectional or derivational forms generated from existing query terms, or dropping query terms that are, for example, deemed to be too restrictive. In this thesis, I present a quantitative evaluation against a test collection of my own design of five query expansion techniques, two term expansion methods and three term-dropping strategies. I present results that show that there exist best-performing query expansion algorithms that can be experimentally optimized for specific tasks. My findings pose questions that suggest interesting avenues for further study of query expansion algorithms. Thesis Supervisor: Boris Katz Title: Principal Research Scientist
JOINT CONTROL FOR AN AUTONOMOUS HUMANOID ROBOT

This thesis describes the preliminary design, development and research of a joint control system for an autonomous bipedal humanoid robot. Motors controlling the various movements of the robot will track pre-specified joint trajectories and move to certain positions to achieve a good walking pattern. A combination of low-level control, results from simulation and results obtained from the actual motors will be presented. The latter objective is highly dependent on whether the electro-mechanical design will be built in time. Firstly, a SIMULINK model is developed to model each joint in the lower body and torso. This model is used to estimate the Proportional Integral (PI) control actions on each joint. The values obtained from the SIMULINK model will then be substituted into the DYNAMECHS simulator and tested for various movements to see whether each joint is reaching its desired position and whether the control action is improving steady state error. The DYNAMECHS simulator is the mobile robot’s test-bed in which all testing of the robot takes place. It is a software package with library files that enable complete dynamic simulation of robots with limbs or “branches”. The library files are based on recursive algorithms with an integration step size of 200 microseconds. Using the proportional integral values from the SIMULINK model, it was possible to reduce the position error of every joint and make sure that each joint is reaching its desired position. The upper body uses RC servo-motor joints with built in control, so they will not require any additional control actions.
A Survey of Various Techniques to Secure Cloud Storage

When it co mes to cloud data protection methods, no particularly new technique is required. Protecting data in the cloud can be similar to protecting data within a traditional data center. Authentication and identity, access control, encryption, secure deletion, integrity checking, and data masking are all data protection methods that have applicability in cloud co mputing. Th is paper will b riefly review few methods and will note anything that is particularly unique to when these are deployed in a cloud. Keywords-Cloud Computing, Cloud Security, Encryption, Role- based Access Control, etc.