Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review on Viral Metagenomics and Its Future Perspective in Zoonotic and Arboviral Disease Surveillance

Viral metagenomics or full-length genome sequencing of enriched viral particle preparations has been frequently applied for viral discovery resulting in the genetic characterization of numerous human and animal viruses. The non- specific nature of viral metagenomics endows it with great potential as a unversal virus detection assay. Historical methods includes, electron microscopy, cell culture, inoculation in suckling mice and serology. Many viruses cannot be cultivated, excluding the use of cell line isolation and serologic techniques, and can only be characterized by molecular methods. The molecular-based techniques provide sensitive and rapid means of virus detection and identification. Most of these tests are designed to be virus-specific that makes them unsuitable for detection of unexpected and/or completely new viruses, as well as novel viral variants that poses great challenge due their re-emrgince property. The recently developed approaches of viral metagenomics provide an effective novel way to screen samples and detect viruses without previous knowlege of the infectious agent, thereby enabling a better diagnosis and disease control. The basic steps involved in viral metagenomics include preparation of viral nucleic acid that is free from host and contaminating nuceic acids, sequence-independent amplification of viral nucleic acid,sequencing and use of bioinformatics tools for analysis of sequnce generated. Viral metagenomics aims to provide the genetic composition of the complete viral population of a sample in an unbiased and culture-independent manner. Viral metagenomics has been successfully used to investigate viral populations in different environments such as seawater, gastreointestinal tracts, and respiratory samples and have demonstrated that there is a high diversity among viruses. Many potential emerging viruses of concern might already be infecting humans, domestic animals or wlidlife but awailt their detection by disease surveilla-nce which can be possible through application of viral metagenomics. This review aims to de-scribes the different possible steps of a viral metagenomics and its future application in viral zonootic and arboviral disease surveillance. Keywords : Arboviral disease, Bioinformatics, Emerging infectious disease, Sequencing, Surveillance, Viral metagenomics. Begna Bulcha
Perturbed Manipulability Optimization in a Distributed Network of Redundant Robots

For avoiding a singularity arising in the cooperative control of multiple redundant robot manipulators, an efficient way is to maximize the manipulability. In this article, by making progress along this direction, a distributed manipulability optimization scheme is proposed to maximize the manipulability of redundant robot manipulators in a distributed network with limited communication. With manipulability optimization incorporated in the proposed scheme, all the involved manipulators can be regulated to track their optimal configurations dynamically, in addition to the collaboration among them to complete the specified tasks. To do this, the distributed scheme is transformed into a dynamic quadratic programming (QP) problem by considering the time dependence of the parameters. Then, a generalized recurrent neural network (GRNN) is constructed and proposed to deal with the QP problem online with perturbations considered. Theoretical analysis is conducted, which confirms that the proposed GRNN is able to globally converge to the optimal solution to the dynamic QP problem in the presence of noises and perturbations. Finally, simulation results based on a distributed network of redundant robots are conducted and presented to verify the superior performance of the proposed distributed manipulability optimization scheme.
Six Reasons Why Adult Education Graduates Successfully Completed CNA Training: A Phenomenological Study.

The purpose of this study was to understand the behavioral and environmental influences on adult education graduates from central Connecticut, who successfully completed a postsecondary certified nursing assistant program in the state of Connecticut, and how those influences can contribute to the success of other adult education graduates. Eight adult education graduates from central Connecticut who had successfully completed postsecondary certified nursing assistant (CNA) programs were interviewed face-to-face in semi-structured, one-on-one interviews to gather data. Six themes emerged from the data: the participants perceived they were successful in completing a postsecondary CNA program because they loved helping others and were in it for the right reasons, (2) had matured and no longer acted like they were in high school, (3) found the structure of the program and the teachers helpful to their learning style, (4) had inner strength, (5) had support in or out of the classroom, and (6) wanted more or better for themselves.
A new Ordinal Regression procedure for Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding: the case of the space time model for a sustainable Ecovillage

In this paper, we present a methodology based on a multiobjective optimization suggesting which facility to implement, in which location, and at which time. In this context, we define a new elicitation procedure to handle Decision Makers (DMs) preferences with an intrinsic and more general interest that goes beyond the specific decision problem. In particular, the user's preferences are elicited by conjugating the deck of cards method with the ordinal regression approach allowing the DM to provide preference information in terms of ranking and pairwise comparing with regard to the intensity of preference of some solutions of the optimization problem. Then, the score of the reference solutions obtained through the deck of the cards method is used as a basis for an ordinal regression procedure that, to take into account interaction between criteria, represents DM's multicriteria preferences by means of a value function expressed in terms of a Choquet Integral. The obtained value function is then used to define a multiobjective optimization problem. The new feasible solutions obtained by the resolution of the optimization problem are proposed to the DM to verify his appreciation and collect further new preference information to iterate the interaction procedure ending when the DM is satisfied of the proposed solution. We apply our methodology to a real world problem to handle the planning procedure of a sustainable Ecovillage in the province of Turin (Italy). We consider a set of facilities to be distributed in a given space in a proper temporal sequence that we conveniently formulated in terms of the space time model introduced by Barbati et al. (2020). We interact with the President of the cooperative owning the Ecovillage to detail what facilities of the Ecovillage should be selected among the proposed ones, where they should be located, and when they should be planned.
Activation of enzymatic cascades by calcium transients in reconstructed hippocampal dendritic spines

The long-term goal of this project is to develop a model to explain the critical time window involved in the pairing protocol used for the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD). This requires a detailed analysis of dendritic Ca²⁺ dynamics in dendritic spines and an investigation of the Ca²⁺-mediated signal transduction cascades initiated by neural activity. The model drew upon experimental data from the literature and projects in this proposal concerning the biochemical reactions that occur in the spine following the influx of Ca²⁺. These measurements were incorporated into MCell, a Monte Carlo computer program that simulates sub-cellular signaling. MCell uses ray-tracing techniques to follow the random walk and interaction between diffusible molecules. The spatial profile of calcium-binding protein activation in hippocampal area CA1 dendritic spines of different shapes was studied using a 5 [Mu]m x 5 [Mu]m x 5 [Mu]m volume of hippocampal area CA1 neuropil from mouse that has been reconstructed to serve as the anatomical substrate of the simulations. This allowed simulations of neurotransmitter release and diffusion in the extracellular space as well as the ensuing influx of Ca²⁺ to be accurately modeled. The estimated [Ca²⁺] and Ca²⁺- bound CaM in small functional microdomains, such as in the postsynaptic density was also monitored in spines of varying shapes, sizes, and neck lengths. The model measured the response following an EPSP, an action potential, or combinations of both. Finally, the effects of pump localization on the shape and amplitude of calcium transients in dendritic spines were simulated, revealing that pump placement affects the decay time in spines
A Survey and Comparison of SDN Based Traffic Management Techniques

A distributed system can be viewed as an environment in which, number of computers/nodes are connected and resources are shared among these computers/nodes. But unfortunately, distributed systems often face the problem of traffic, which can degrade the performance of the system. Traffic management is used to improve scalability and overall system throughput in distributed systems using Software Defined Network (SDN) based systems. Traffic management improves system performance by dividing the work traffic effectively among the participating computers/nodes. Many algorithms were proposed for traffic management and their performance is measured based on certain parameters such as response time, resource utilization, and fault tolerance. Traffic management algorithms are broadly classified into two categories-scheduling and machine learning traffic management. This work presents the study of performance analysis of traffic management algorithms. This analysis can further help in the design of new algorithms. However, when multiple servers are assigned to compile the mysterious code, different kinds of techniques are used. One common example is traffic management. The processes are managed based on power efficiency, networking bandwidth, Processor speed. The desired output will again send back to the developer. If multiple programs have to be compiled then appropriate technique such as scheduling algorithm is used. So the compilation process becomes faster and also the other process can get a chance to compile. SDN based clustering algorithm based on Simulated Annealing whose main goal is to increase network lifetime while maintaining adequate sensing coverage in scenarios where sensor nodes produce uniform or non-uniform data traffic.
Determination of outdoor recreation potential: case of the city of Bartin and its environs, Turkey.

This study has been prepared to determine the importance of existing historical, cultural and natural resource values and outdoor recreation areas in the City of Bartin and its environs. Besides, it has been prepared to expose the ecologic and economic potential values of existing recreation resources. Also computer software, which determines the potential of outdoor recreation areas, has been developed to assist the healthy improvement of the city from the recreational point of view. The study takes place within the jurisdiction border of the Bartin Municipality. The study provides information about the definition, classification, etc of the recreation. After natural and cultural characteristics of recreation areas in the city limits have been inspected, existing and potential recreation resources have been determined. Depending on the results of survey, in the frame of protection and usage principles, the recreation resources have been evaluated in order to maintain their best usage, and usage values of these resources have been determined by using the method of Kiemstedt (1967) [27] that has been developed by Altan (1976) [28] and Gulez (1980) [8] for Turkish conditions. Furthermore, computer software has been created in this study, and this developed software puts into practice the method and determines the significance of outdoor recreation potential values quickly and accurately.
Development and Validation of Artificial Neural Network-Based Tools for Forecasting of Power System Inertia With Wind Farms Penetration

Increased penetration of power electronics interfaced renewable energy sources-based generation, for instance, wind farms, that displaces much of the conventional synchronous generation, has a profound effect on the inertia of modern/future power system networks. This article presents the development and validation of artificial neural network (ANN)-based tools, utilizing the power system variables measured by phasor measurement units through wide-area measurements systems, for estimation/forecasting of power system inertia with high penetration of wind farms. The development stage involves the correlation analysis to identify the best power system variables that can be nominated as inputs, and the training of the proposed inertia forecasting tools with the best-nominated inputs that are highly correlated with the power system inertia. Whereas, in the validation stage, the functionality of the trained ANN-based inertia forecasting tools have been validated using the hardware-in-the-loop testing facility developed at the University of Manchester. The development and validation procedures of the proposed inertia forecasting tools have been demonstrated on the IEEE 9-bus modified test system. The validation results revealed the effectiveness of the proposed inertia forecasting tools in estimating the inertia of modern/future power system networks with high penetration of wind farms.
Trophic structure of southern marine ecosystems: a comparative isotopic analysis from the Beagle Channel to the oceanic Burdwood Bank area under a wasp-waist assumption

Understanding the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems has become a critical issue to assess the potential shortand long-term effects of natural and anthropogenic impacts and to determine the knowledge needed to conduct appropriate conservation actions. This goal can be achieved in part by acquiring more detailed food web information and evaluating the processes that shape food web structure and dynamics. Our main objective was to identify largescale patterns in the organization of pelagic food webs that can be linked to a wasp-waist (WW) structure, proposed for the southwestern South Atlantic Ocean. We evaluated 3 sub-Antarctic marine areas in a regional context: the Beagle Channel (BC), the Atlantic coast of Tierra del Fuego (CA) and the oceanic Burdwood Bank area (BB). We used carbon and nitrogen isotopic information of all functional trophic groups, ranging from primary producers to top predators, and analyzed them through stable isotope-based Bayesian analyses. We found that BC and BB have a more pronounced WW structure compared to CA. We identified species at mid to low trophic positions that play a key role in the trophodynamics of each marine area (e.g. Fuegian sprat Sprattus fuegensis, longtail southern cod Pata go no tothen ramsayi and squat lobster Munida gregaria) and considered them as the most plausible WW species. The identification of the most influential species within food webs has become a crucial task for conservation purposes in local and regional contexts to maintain eco system integrity and the supply of ecosystem services for the southwestern South Atlantic Ocean. OPEN ACCESS The Southwestern Atlantic Ocean has a large number of species linked by an intermediate trophic level with a few biological components of ecological importance. Image: Luciana Riccialdelli
In vitro Reconstitution of DegP-Omp complexes from Escherichia coli

Ein wichtiger Prozess in zellularer Proteinqualitatskontrolle ist das Uberwachen von Faltungszustanden von Proteinen, da ent- oder fehlgefaltete Proteine Zellen durch die Bildung von potentiell giftigen Aggregaten gefahrden. Das bifunktionelle Hitzeschockprotein DegP, ein Mitglied der HtrA Familie, fungiert sowohl als Protease, als auch als Chaperon und hat eine Schlusselrolle in der Proteinqualitatskontrolle im Periplasma von E.coli inne. Zusatzlich ist DegP in der Biogenese von Ausenmembranproteinen (outer membrane proteins, Omps) impliziert. Gemeinsam mit den periplasmatischen Chaperonen Skp and SurA soll DegP Omps durch das wassrige Periplasma leiten, um schadliche Aggregation zu verhindern. Obwohl DegPs Funktion als Protease schon eingehend charakterisiert wurde, ist uber seine Funktion als Chaperon und seine Beteiligung in der Biogenese von Omps noch nicht viel bekannt. DegP muss in Komplexen mit gefalteten Substraten biochemisch und strukturell analysiert werden, um seine Rolle als Chaperon auf einem mechanistischen Level zu verstehen. In dieser Arbeit rekonstituierten wir Komplexe von DegP mit gefalteten und ungefalteten Substraten in vitro und gewannen biochemisch Einblicke in DegPs mogliche Rolle als Proteinfaltungsfaktor in der Biogenese von Omps. Wir beobachteten, dass DegP Komplexe mit ungefalteten OmpA und OmpC/F bildete, konnten aber keine Faltungsaktivitat nachweisen. Allerdings bindet und schutzt DegP gefaltete Omps, die aus der auseren Membran extrahiert wurden. Zusatzlich zu den DegP-Omp Komplexen generierten wir Komplexe aus den Chaperonen Skp und SurA mit OmpA und OmpC/F. Dabei fanden wir heraus, dass DegP die Porine OmpC und OmpF gegenuber dem Strukturprotein OmpA als Substrate bevorzugte, wahrend fur Skp und SurA das Umgekehrte galt. Wir untersuchten eine der potenziellen Rolle von DegP in einer zweiten Ablaufebene der Biogenese von Omps als Qualitatskontrollmechanismus, wobei wir allerdings keinen Transfer des Proteins OmpA von Skp/SurA zu DegP nachweisen konnten. Auserdem analysierten wir mutmasliche DegP Schnittstellen in OmpC/F Signalpeptiden und gewannen weitere Einblicke in DegPs Proteaseaktivitat. Die in dieser Arbeit prasentierten Daten unterstutzen eine Rolle von DegP als Faltungsfaktor in der Biogenese von Omps nicht, aber die stabile Assoziation von DegP und gefalteten Omps untermauert seine Rolle als wichtiger Qualitatskontrollfaktor. Die DegP-Omp Komplexe, die in dieser Arbeit generiert wurden, stellen eine wichtige Basis fur weitere strukturelle Untersuchungen von DegP-Omp Komplexen dar. Ausserden wurden Fortschritte, DegPs Funktion als Chaperon betreffend, gemacht und mogliche Substratspezifitaten von DegP, Skp und SurA aufgedeckt. Dies bietet eine experimentelle Basis fur die weitere Aufklarung des Chaperon-Netzwerks in der Biogenese von Omps.
Discerning the functional networks behind processing of music and speech through human vocalizations

Musicality refers to specific biological traits that allow us to perceive, generate and enjoy music. These abilities can be studied at different organizational levels (e.g., behavioural, physiological, evolutionary), and all of them reflect that music and speech processing are two different cognitive domains. Previous research has shown evidence of this functional divergence in auditory cortical regions in the superior temporal gyrus (such as the planum polare), showing increased activity upon listening to music, as compared to other complex acoustic signals. Here, we examine brain activity underlying vocal music and speech perception, while we compare musicians and non-musicians. We designed a stimulation paradigm using the same voice to produce spoken sentences, hummed melodies, and sung sentences; the same sentences were used in speech and song categories, and the same melodies were used in the musical categories (song and hum). Participants listened to this paradigm while we acquired functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI). Different analyses demonstrated greater involvement of specific auditory and motor regions during music perception, as compared to speech vocalizations. This music sensitive network includes bilateral activation of the planum polare and temporale, as well as a group of regions lateralized to the right hemisphere that included the supplementary motor area, premotor cortex and the inferior frontal gyrus. Our results show that the simple act of listening to music generates stronger activation of motor regions, possibly preparing us to move following the beat. Vocal musical listening, with and without lyrics, is also accompanied by a higher modulation of specific secondary auditory cortices such as the planum polare, confirming its crucial role in music processing independently of previous musical training. This study provides more evidence showing that music perception enhances audio-sensorimotor activity, crucial for clinical approaches exploring music based therapies to improve communicative and motor skills.
Food Science of Animal Resources

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a mixture of multi-strain probiotics and prebiotics on loperamide-induced constipation in Sprague-Dawley rats. A multi-strain probiotics alone (loperamide-induced group with multi-strain probiotics mixture group; Lop-Pro) and a mixture of multi-strain probiotics and prebiotics (loperamide-induced group with multi-strain probiotics and prebiotics mixture group; Lop-Pro/Pre) were administered orally after inducing constipation. The fecal water content was significantly higher (by 42%) in the Lop-Pro/Pre group (33.5%) than in the loperamide-induced group (Lop) (23.7%) (p<0.05). The intestinal mucosal thickness, crypt cell area, and interstitial cells of Cajal area were significantly higher in the Lop-Pro/Pre group compared to the Lop group by 16.4%, 20.6%, and 42.3%, respectively. Additionally, the total short-chain fatty acid content was significantly increased in the Lop-Pro and Lop-Pro/Pre groups by 56.4% and 54.2%, respectively, compared with the Lop group. The Lop-Pro and Lop-Pro/Pre groups recovered loperamide-induced alteration in Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia abundance among intestinal microbiota, whereas the Lop-Pro/Pre group recovered Akkermansia, Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Bacteroides, and Oscillibacter abundance. Moreover, the relative abundance of Oscillibacter and Clostridium was significantly different in the Lop-Pro/Pre group compared to the Lop group. Collectively, administration of synbiotics rather than multi-strain probiotics alone is effective in alleviating constipation.
Effect of an acoustic wave on the electron density and temperature in a nitrogen discharge

The effect of an acoustic wave directed along the positive column of a nitrogen discharge on the temperature and density of the electrons has been investigated experimentally. It is found that producing sound gives rise to an increase in the electron temperature and a decrease in the electron density in the axial region of the positive column. Modulations of the electron density and temperature by the sound wave are studied. It is shown that increasing the intensity of the sound and the gas pressure leads to an increase in the depth of modulation of these plasma variables. 13 refs., 4 figs.