Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Divergent mtDNA lineages of goats in an Early Neolithic site, far from the initial domestication areas

Goats were among the first farm animals domesticated, ≈10,500 years ago, contributing to the rise of the “Neolithic revolution. ” Previous genetic studies have revealed that contemporary domestic goats (Capra hircus) show far weaker intercontinental population structuring than other livestock species, suggesting that goats have been transported more extensively. However, the timing of these extensive movements in goats remains unknown. To address this question, we analyzed mtDNA sequences from 19 ancient goat bones (7,300–6,900 years old) from one of the earliest Neolithic sites in southwestern Europe. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that two highly divergent goat lineages coexisted in each of the two Early Neolithic layers of this site. This finding indicates that high mtDNA diversity was already present >7,000 years ago in European goats, far from their areas of initial domestication in the Near East. These results argue for substantial gene flow among goat populations dating back to the early neolithisation of Europe and for a dual domestication scenario in the Near East, with two independent but essentially contemporary origins (of both A and C domestic lineages) and several more remote and/or later origins.
A signal processing approach to bearing fault detection with the use of a mobile phone

According to statistics, bearings are the most often failing elements of low voltage motors. At the same time diagnostics of rolling element bearings constitutes a well-established part of the rotating machinery condition monitoring domain. In many cases however the cost of installing a high-end accelerometer based bearing condition monitoring system, which is currently the most common approach in the industry, might be difficult to justify on non-critical machinery due to potentially long payback period on the investment. This text investigates the possibility of performing condition monitoring of rolling element bearings based on acoustic signals recorded by a standard, easily accessible mobile phone. The main difficulty in using mobile phone-embedded microphone for rotating machinery diagnostic purposes is the fact that the frequency response of the mobile phone microphone is very poor below 200Hz. The results presented in this text seem to indicate that with an appropriate signal processing approach, it is possible to indicate the presence of faults in the bearings.
The IGF axis and hepatocarcinogenesis

Deregulation of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis, including the autocrine production of IGFs, IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), IGFBP proteases, and the expression of the IGF receptors, has been identified in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Characteristic alterations detected in HCC and hepatoma cell lines comprise the increased expression of IGF-II and the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), which have emerged as crucial events in malignant transformation and the growth of tumours. Alterations of IGFBP production and the proteolytic degradation of IGFBPs resulting in an excess of bioactive IGFs, as well as the defective function of the IGF degrading IGF-II/mannose 6-phosphate receptor (IGF-II/M6PR), may further potentiate the mitogenic effects of IGFs in the development of HCC.
TRANSIENT RESPONSE OF SLOSHING FLUID IN A THREE DIMENSIONAL TANK

Sloshing waves in moving tanks have been studied numerically, theoretically and experimentally in the past several decades. Most reported studies have been for tanks excited by forcing motion in a limited number of directions and with fixed excitation frequencies throughout the forcing. In the present study, a time-independent finite difference method is used to simulate fluid sloshing in the three-dimensional tanks with arbitrary depths and the tanks are subject to a range of excitation frequencies with motions that exhibit multiple degrees of freedom. The developed numerical scheme is verified by rigorous benchmark tests, and the advantage and efficiency of the method is also discussed. The wave motions that arise for a variety of water depths and a range of excitation frequencies are presented and discussed. The coupled motions of surge and sway are simulated with various excitation angles and frequencies. The ‘diagonal’, ‘single-directional’, ‘square-like’, ‘swirling’ and ‘chaotic’ waves are successfully obtained in this study and the transient response of sloshing waves in the tank is discussed in detail.
Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair in Women

Abstract The objective of this review is to establish the role of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) in women. A step by step approach is taken looking at sex and gender differences in epidemiology, pathogenesis and natural history. We then proceed to discuss the results from the three randomized controlled trials comparing EVAR to open repair. Finally, sex-specific secondary prevention, risk factor management and medication, is discussed. Women seem to have higher mortality and more complications after EVAR. Risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension are associated with worse outcome in women compared to men. The role of EVAR in women is poorly investigated and its definite role remains to be determined. Aggressive treatment of risk factors and the optimisation of medication in women are indicated and deserve more attention in clinical practice and future research.
Intelligent Model-Based Control of a Standalone Photovoltaic/Fuel Cell Power Plant With Supercapacitor Energy Storage

A renewable energy hybrid power plant, fed by photovoltaic (PV) and fuel cell (FC) sources with a supercapacitor (SC) storage device and suitable for distributed generation applications, is proposed herein. The PV is used as the primary source; the FC acts as a backup, feeding only the insufficiency power (steady-state) from the PV; and the SC functions as an auxiliary source and a short-term storage system for supplying the deficiency power (transient and steady-state) from the PV and the FC. For high-power applications and optimization in power converters, four-phase parallel converters are implemented for the FC converter, the PV converter, and the SC converter, respectively. A mathematical model (reduced-order model) of the FC, PV, and SC converters is described for the control of the power plant. Using the intelligent fuzzy logic controller based on the flatness property for dc grid voltage regulation, we propose a simple solution to the fast response and stabilization problems in the power system. This is the key innovative contribution of this research paper. The prototype small-scale power plant implemented was composed of a PEMFC system (1.2 kW, 46 A), a PV array (0.8 kW), and an SC module (100 F, 32 V). Experimental results validate the excellent control algorithm during load cycles.
The effect of ovariectomy at puberty on cell proliferation and differentiation in the endometrium of the aged mouse.

In order to determine whether the ovarian hormones influence aging in the mouse a study was undertaken to ascertain whether ovariectomy very early in life affects the onset of the aging process in the uterus. The effect of removing the ovaries from mice at 2 months of age on the subsequent aging changes in the uterus was investigated by means of 2 tests: 1) stromal cell proliferation in response to ovarian hormones and 2) the response of the uterus to a decidual stimulus (intraluminal arachis oil) after suitable hormone treatment. Entire animals of the same age and young animals were used as controls. The decline in the response to a decidual stimulus occurred at the same age in animals which had been ovariectomized at puberty as in those which had remained intact. In both groups at 15 months of age there was a significant decrease in the amount of decidual tissue formed in comparison with the young animals. The stromal cells however were still able to divide in response to ovarian hormones in both groups. It as concluded that as far as these tests could determine removal of ovaries early in life did not affect the onset of aging changes in the uterus.
Rate Based Feedback: Some Experimental Evaluation with NetFPGA

Transport protocols that use explicit rate feedback are a promising alternative to the algorithms which use implicit, packet loss based feedback. A key issue in the design of rate controlled communication networks is how new flows may be admitted at a fair and high starting rate. In this paper, for the management of new flows we present a modified NetFPGA Rate Control Protocol (RCP) implementation for a recently proposed admission management process at the routers. Using this implementation, we perform an evaluation of the admission of new flows in rate controlled networks. We conduct experimental tests across a range of bandwidth-delay product environments, and also deal with the arrival of a large number of flows. Our work serves to exhibit that the proposed admission management process appears to be an attractive method for dealing with the admission of new flows while maintaining small queues. Additionally, the algorithm allows the routers to maintain a specified target link utilisation. A consequence of such small queues is that buffers, in routers, may be dimensioned to be much smaller than the current, bandwidth-delay product, buffer sizing rule.
Mito-mice: animal models for mitochondrial DNA-based diseases.

We have successfully produced "Mito-mice" harbouring a pathogenic mtDNA mutation. We generated the mice by introducing mitochondria with a 4696 base-pair mtDNA deletion (Delta mtDNA4696) into mouse embryos. This deletion encompasses nucleotides 7759-12 454 and includes six tRNA genes and seven structural genes. In Mito-mice, the Delta mtDNA4696 is transmitted maternally, and induces mitochondrial dysfunction in various tissues. Most of the Mito-mice with high proportions of the Delta mtDNA4696 died at about age 6 months due to renal failure. Mito-mice are the first animal model for mtDNA-based diseases and will be valuable for studying pathogenesis and for identifying effective drug and gene therapies.
Association between sharing of toothbrushes, eating and drinking habits and the presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in Moroccan adolescents.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is frequently detected in dental plaque collected from Moroccan adolescents, and has been shown to be associated with clinical attachment loss in this population. The aim of this study was to assess whether behaviors such as the sharing of toothbrushes, and eating and drinking habits were associated with the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans in Moroccan adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 121 adolescents were clinically examined. Interviews regarding sharing of toothbrushes, eating and drinking habits were performed, and plaque samples were collected and analyzed for A. actinomycetemcomitans with different leukotoxin promoter types by polymerase chain reaction. Based on eating and drinking habits, the study population was divided in a low risk behavior group (LRB) and a high risk behavior group (HRB). RESULTS No association was found between the sharing of toothbrushes and the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans. The odds ratios between the HRB and LRB group for being positive for the JP2 type, for non-JP2 types, and for any type of A. actinomycetemcomitans were 4.74 (95% CI 0.55; 40.71), 2.49 (95% CI 1.03; 5.97), and 2.97 (95% CI 1.28; 6.91), respectively. The difference in the mean number of teeth with a clinical attachment loss of > or = 3 mm between the HRB and the LRB group was 0.91(95% CI 0.09; 1.72). CONCLUSION Sharing of toothbrushes does not seem to be associated with the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans in young Moroccans. Eating and drinking habits conducive to exchange of saliva are positively associated with presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans, and with a higher level of clinical attachment loss.
Neurocutaneous Melanosis: Report of Three Cases and Up-to-date Review

Neurocutaneous melanosis is a rare noninherited embryonic neuroectodermal dysplasia, which is observed sporadically and never affects the entire integument. The hallmark of neurocutaneous melanosis in the neonatal period is the presence of a large bilateral hairy dark nevus with satellite nevi over the trunk and neck. The diagnosis should be considered in neonates with large pigmented nevi and in those with more than 3 hairy dark nevi regardless of their size. Neonates with neurocutaneous melanosis are at risk of developing neurological problems. The most common neurological complications are hydrocephalus, seizures, cranial nerve dysfunction, and signs of spinal cord and root involvement. The authors report 3 cases of histologically confirmed neurocutaneous melanosis and describe the course of neurological symptoms and clinical findings including cognitive tests and neuroimaging. The case reports are complemented by an up-to date review on this clinical entity.
Assimilation of SMOS Soil Moisture for Quantifying Drought Impacts on Crop Yield in Agricultural Regions

This study investigates the effects of agricultural drought on crop yields, through integration of crop growth models and remote sensing observations. The soil moisture (SM) product from SM and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission obtained at 25 km was downscaled to a spatial resolution of 1 km, compatible with the crop models. The downscaling algorithm is based upon information theoretic learning and uses data-driven probabilistic relationships between high-resolution remotely sensed products that are sensitive to SM and in situ SM. The downscaled SM values are assimilated in the crop model using an Ensemble Kalman filter-based augmented state-vector technique that estimates states and parameters simultaneously. The downscaling and assimilation framework are implemented for predominantly agricultural region of the lower La-Plata Basin (LPB) in Brazil during two growing seasons. This rain-fed region was affected by agricultural drought in the second season, indicated by markedly lower precipitation compared to the first growing season. The downscaled SM was compared with the in situ SM at a validation site and the root mean square difference (RMSD) was 0.045 m3/m3. The crop yields estimated by the downscaling-assimilation framework were compared with those provided by the Companhia Nacional de Asastecimento (CONAB) and Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE). The assimilated yields are improved during both seasons with increased improvement during the second season that was affected by agricultural drought. The differences between the assimilated and observed crop yields were 16.8% during the first growing season and 4.37% during the second season.
Selection of Autoantibody Specificities in the Ly‐1 B Subset a

Our recent transfer experiments demonstrate distinctions in B-cell development between fetal and adult stages. The progeny of B cells established early in ontogeny are maintained throughout the animal’s lifetime, coexisting with B cells continually generated in the bone marrow of adult mice. One distinctive feature of fetal B cells is expression of the Ly-1 glycoprotein (CD5 in human), allowing us to resolve them as a Ly-l+ B-cell subset, which we term Ly-1 B, in adult mice. We summarize here our series of studies suggesting that the major mechanism for the persistence of this fetal B-cell progeny is antigenic selection. That is, certain germ-like encoded autoantibody specificities are preferentially selected and accumulate in the Ly1 B-cell population.
A narrative review of turning deficits in people with Parkinson’s disease

Abstract Purpose: Clinically, people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) demonstrate a loss of axial rotation of the spine often described as moving “enbloc”, with little dissociation between the head, trunk and lower limbs whilst turning. The purpose of this narrative review is to explore the behaviour and relationship of the reported deficits during whole body turning in people with PD, compared to controls. Better understanding of the relationship and impact of the deficits will permit the development of tailored and novel intervention strategies to improve functional performance in turning for people with PD. Methods: Four electronic databases with the search terms: Parkinson* and turn* were used. Results: Seventy-seven papers were reviewed. Turning deficits in people with PD were identified as originating from two hypothetical body segments – perpendicular (i.e. legs) or axial (i.e. head, trunk and pelvis) segments and the relationship between them discussed. Conclusion: Specific movement deficits in turning in people with PD can be categorised into axial and perpendicular deficits. Synthesis of the literature suggests the possibility of axial deficits driving secondary responses in the perpendicular segments. This should be explored when designing rehabilitation aimed at improving turning performance, as current therapy guidelines focus on exercises emphasising perpendicular aspects. Implications for Rehabilitation Turning performance is compromised in people with PD, which can lead to significant disability, falls and loss of function. Specific movement deficits can be categorised into perpendicular deficits (taking more steps and shorter steps and an altered turn strategy) and axial deficits (segment rigidity, altered segment co-ordination and timing, reduced segment rotation and the effects of altered posture). Axial deficits may drive secondary responses in the perpendicular segments during turning in people with PD. Therefore, specific focus should be made to the rehabilitation of the axial deficits alongside those of the perpendicular body segments in the design of multi-modal treatment strategies to improve turning performance.
Serum Progesterone Changes in Luteal Cyclicity and Duration of Estrous Cycle in Formosan Sika Deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) Hinds

Abstract A study was conducted to investigate the serum progesterone (SP4) profiles and duration of estrous cycles in the farmed Formosan sika deer (FSD; Cervus nippon taiouanus) during the major breeding season. Five parous, open and non-milking hinds were allotted to collect peripheral blood samples twice weekly for P4 measurement by radioimmunoassay beginning at the initiation of the rutting season indicated by rutting behaviors of the sexually mature stags. The hinds were polyestrous as proved by cyclic changes of SP4 levels. After the presumptive estrus shown by the lowest concentration of SP4 (0.20±0.01 ng/ml), this ovarian hormone markedly elevated on day 7 of the cycle (1.67±0.11 ng/ml), reached plateau (3.15±0.16 ng/ml, P<0.01) during days 11 to 18, and then declined to the basal levels in the subsequent estrus. It is concluded that mean duration of the estrous cycle in FSD during the major rutting season is 19.3 days with a range of 17 to 21 days, and that the patterns of circulating progesterone profiles during the estrous cycles of the FSD are similar to those of other deer species so far investigated.
The Cool Seal System: A Practical Solution to the Shaft Seal Problem and Heat Related Complications With Implantable Rotary Blood Pumps

A critical issue facing the development of an implantable, rotary blood pump is the maintenance of an effective seal at the rotating shaft. Mechanical seals are the most versatile type of seal in wide industrial applications. However, in a rotary blood pump, typical seal life is much shorter than required for chronic support. Seal failure is related to adhesion and aggregation of heat denatured blood proteins that diffuse into the lubricating film between seal faces. Among the blood proteins, fibrinogen plays an important role due to its strong propensity for adhesion and low transition temperature (approximately 50°C). Once exposed to temperature exceeding 50°C, fibrinogen molecules fuse together by multi-attachment between heat denatured D-domains. This quasi-polymerized fibrin increases the frictional heat, which proliferates the process into seal failure. If the temperature of the seal faces is maintained well below 50°C, a mechanical seal would not fail in blood. Based on this “Cool-Seal” concept, we developed a miniature mechanical seal made of highly thermally conductive material (SiC), combined with a recirculating purge system. A large supply of purge fluid is recirculated behind the seal face to augment convective heat transfer to maintain the seal temperature below 40°C. It also cools all heat generating pump parts (motor coil, bearing, seal). The purge consumption has been optimized to virtually nil (<0.5 cc/day). An ultrafiltration unit integrated in the recirculating purge system continuously purifies and sterilizes the purge fluid for more than 5 months without filter change. The seal system has now been incorporated into our intraventricular axial flow blood pump (IVAP) and newly designed centrifugal pump. Ongoing in vivo evaluation of these systems has demonstrated good seal integrity for more than 160 days. The Cool-Seal system can be applied to any type of rotary blood pump (axial, diagonal, centrifugal, etc.) and offers a practical solution to the shaft seal problem and heat related complications, which currently limit the use of implantable rotary blood pumps.
Estimation based on weighted channel variance for HTRCI‐MIMO/OFDM with QRM‐MLD and channel ranking under fast fading Channel

To achieve more high‐speed communication systems, multiple‐input multiple‐output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO/OFDM) is adopted in several standardisations. On the other hand, the conventional MIMO/OFDM requires many pilot signals to estimate the channel state information (CSI). To achieve an accurate CSI with the small number of pilot signals, high time resolution carrier interferometry (HTRCI) for MIMO/OFDM has been proposed. Moreover, QR decomposition with M‐algorithm maximum likelihood detection (QRM‐MLD) and channel ranking has been proposed to achieve both the reducing complexity and the improving system performance. However, the conventional HTRCI‐MIMO/OFDM with the QRM‐MLD and channel ranking did not consider the problem of the fast fading channel. In the fast fading environment, many errors are caused in the last part of the packet. To overcome this problem, the decision‐direct method has been proposed. However, it requires large complexity because of the iterative processing. Therefore, in this paper, we propose the non‐linear prediction method for an HTRCI‐MIMO/OFDM with the QRM‐MLD and channel ranking. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.