Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Water Extractable Trace Elements in Poultry Litters and Granulated Products

SUMMARY Poultry litter contains many trace elements such as As, Cu, and Zn, and its land application may lead to the accumulation of these elements in soils, especially near the soil surface. The objectives of this study were to determine the total amount of trace elements and evaluate the effect of litter granulation and various litter to water extraction ratios on water extractable trace elements in 8 raw and granulated litter products. Granulated litters that contained urea, dicyandiamide, or hydrolyzed feathermeal had significantly lower contents of total As, B, Cu, Mn, and Zn than untreated litters because of the dilution of litters with additives. Trace element concentrations (mg/L) in the water extracts of the various poultry litters generally decreased when extraction ratios (litter to water) shifted from 1:10 to 1:250, or as the amount of poultry litter decreased with a constant water volume (200 mL). But, the water extractable content of trace metals (mg/kg) generally increased from an extraction ratio of 1:10 to 1:200, with values similar at 1:200 and 1:250 extraction ratios. Based on our results, we suggest using a 1:200 extraction ratio when evaluating water extractable As, Cu, and Zn in poultry litters. The estimated land application rates of trace metals, when poultry litter is applied on the basis of total P content, were considerably lower than the trace metal loadings allowable under the current environmental regulations governing biosolids and other materials with measurable amounts of trace metals. The laboratory water extractions of poultry litters and granulated products have increased our understanding of the potential risks to water quality posed by the land application of poultry litter and will contribute to the development of base knowledge needed to define land application practices that are protective of soil and water quality.
A Quality-Sensitive Method for Learning from Crowds

In real-world applications, the oracle who can label all instances correctly may not exist or may be too expensive to acquire. Alternatively, crowdsourcing provides an easy way to get labels at a low cost from multiple non-expert annotators. During the past few years, much attention has been paid to learning from such crowdsourcing data, namely Learning from Crowds (LFC). Despite their proper statistical foundations, the existing methods for LFC still suffer from several disadvantages, such as needing prior knowledge to select the expertise model to represent the behavior of annotators, involving non-convex optimization problems, or restricting the classifier type being used. This paper addresses LFC from a quality-sensitive perspective and presents a novel framework named QS-LFC. Through reformulating the original LFC problem as a quality-sensitive learning problem, the above-mentioned disadvantages of existing methods can be avoided. Further, a support vector machine (SVM) implementation of QS-LFC is proposed. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that QS-LFC can achieve better generalization performance and is more robust to the noisy labels, than the existing methods.
On the Generation of High-Frequency Acoustic Energy with Polyvinylidene Fluoride

Absrracr-The piezoelectric polymer polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF2) has recently shown great promise in medical imaging applications when combined with integrated circuit technology to form a broadband acoustic detector. The application of polyvinylidene fluoride as a generator of acoustic energy in the 1-10 MHz frequency range is considered. The acoustic response of rigidly backed PVFz to voltage and current-source electrical drive is analyzed, and the broadband nature of the response to current-source drive is demonstrated. Measured values of the dielectric parameters of PVFz are presented and used to calculate the effects arising from the frequency-dependent dielectric constant and associated dielectric loss. The multiple-layer stack, a mechanical transformer, is proposed as a method for increasing the available output power from a transducer. Experimental investigation of this theoretical modeling is described.
An AP2 Domain-Containing Gene, ESE1, Targeted by the Ethylene Signaling Component EIN3 Is Important for the Salt Response in Arabidopsis1[W][OA]

Accumulating investigations reveal that ethylene signaling is involved in the salt response in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), and it has been reported that overexpression of a number of ethylene response factor (ERF) genes enhances salt tolerance; however, transcriptional regulation of the ethylene signal component ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) in the salt response has not been clearly defined. Consulting microarray data and transcriptional confirmations showed that three of the ERF genes were ethylene and salt inducible, named ESE1 to ESE3. Additionally, the expression of one of the ESE genes (ESE1) was suppressed in ein2, ein3-1, eil1-3, and ein3 eil1 but enhanced in EIN3-overexpressing (EIN3ox) lines. Inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis, aminoethoxyvinylglycine, and ethylene action, AgNO3, reduced the expression of ESE1, while ethylene overproduction eto mutants enhanced the expression of ESE1, indicating that ESE1 is an ethylene-modulated gene downstream of EIN3/EIL1. Further analyses with biochemical and molecular approaches revealed that EIN3 physically binds to the ESE1 promoter, demonstrating that ESE1 was one target of EIN3. ESE1 in turn binds to promoters of salt-related genes, such as RD29A and COR15A. Moreover, either EIN3ox or ESE1ox was sufficient to enhance transcript levels of salt-related genes and salt tolerance. In addition, ESE1ox in ein3 enhanced the salt response during seed germination and seedling development, demonstrating that ESE1 is genetically downstream of EIN3. Thus, the evidence in this report reveals that the transcriptional complex of EIN3-ESE1 is a crucial event in the salt response, thereby connecting the transcriptional regulation of EIN3 and the downstream ERF protein ESE1 in the salt response.
Análisis del efecto del Parkinson en el temblor de la voz : envolvente espectral

El objetivo de este proyecto consiste en hacer un estudio del efecto del Parkinson en la frecuencia de modulacion del temblor de la voz. En este proyecto hemos utilizado la herramienta Matlab para el calculo de los diferentes parametros de la senal de voz. El proyecto se divide en tres partes. En la primera hemos explicado brevemente los conceptos basicos de la enfermedad del Parkinson, el proceso de produccion de la voz y las diferentes caracteristicas de senales de voz. Tambien hemos detallado los conceptos matematicos en los que se apoya la tecnica del analisis de la envolvente espectral, que es la tecnica que hemos empleado para el analisis de las senales de voz. En la segunda parte hemos llevado a cabo el desarrollo del codigo Matlab que hemos empleado para analizar las bases de datos de las grabaciones de voz de los pacientes. Por ultimo, hemos obtenido los resultados del analisis y hemos hecho una interpretacion de los mismos. ABSTRACT. The main purpose of this Project is studying the effect of Parkinson in voice tremor. To do this, we have used Matlab tool in order to calculate the different voice parameters. The Project is divided in 3 main parts. In the first one we have explained the key concepts of Parkinson disease, the process of speech production and the different characteristics of voice signal. We also have explained the mathematic concepts which is based the spectrum envelope technique. This technique is the one we have used to do the voice analysis. In second part we have programmed the Matlab code we have used to do the analysis of the patients’ database. Finally, we have obtained the results of the analysis and we have done an interpretation of them.
Gamma delta T cells down-regulate primary IgE responses in rats to inhaled soluble protein antigens.

The biologic role and repertoire of cells bearing the gamma delta T cell receptor has not been fully defined. However, their tropism for epithelial microenvironments is recognized and suggests an important role for these cells in immune defense at mucosal tissue surfaces. The study presented below utilizes an experimental model in which repeated exposure of Brown Norway rats to OVA by inhalation induces a state of Ag-specific, IgE isotype-specific "tolerance" via immune deviation. This process seems similar to oral tolerance in the gut. This form of tolerance was adoptively transferred to naive syngeneic recipients by i.p. injection of as few as 10(3) positively selected TCR-gamma delta+ cells from OVA-exposed rats. These TCR-gamma delta+ T-cells are demonstrated to produce high levels of INF-gamma in response to OVA stimulation, and this provides a potential mechanism for the inhibition of Th2 cell proliferation, resulting in suppression of IgE production. The unique potency of these cells in selective suppression of IgE Ab production in response to natural "mucosal" Ag exposure suggests a potentially important role in protection against primary allergic sensitization in vivo.
Game-Theoretic Patrolling with Dynamic Execution Uncertainty and a Case Study on a Real Transit System

Attacker-Defender Stackelberg security games (SSGs) have emerged as an important research area in multi-agent systems. However, existing SSGs models yield fixed, static, schedules which fail in dynamic domains where defenders face execution uncertainty, i.e., in domains where defenders may face unanticipated disruptions of their schedules. A concrete example is an application involving checking fares on trains, where a defender's schedule is frequently interrupted by fare evaders, making static schedules useless. To address this shortcoming, this paper provides four main contributions. First, we present a novel general Bayesian Stackelberg game model for security resource allocation in dynamic uncertain domains. In this new model, execution uncertainty is handled by using a Markov decision process (MDP) for generating defender policies. Second, we study the problem of computing a Stackelberg equilibrium for this game and exploit problem structure to reduce it to a polynomial-sized optimization problem. Shifting to evaluation, our third contribution shows, in simulation, that our MDP-based policies overcome the failures of previous SSG algorithms. In so doing, we can now build a complete system, that enables handling of schedule interruptions and, consequently, to conduct some of the first controlled experiments on SSGs in the field. Hence, as our final contribution, we present results from a real-world experiment on Metro trains in Los Angeles validating our MDP-based model, and most importantly, concretely measuring the benefits of SSGs for security resource allocation.
Mortality patterns in the accident and emergency department of an urban hospital in Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE The accident and emergency (A & E) department of any hospital provides an insight to the quality of care available in the institution. The University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) is a foremost institution in the South-South geopolitical region of Nigeria, servicing a core population of about 5 million people. The aim of this review was to highlight the demographic patterns of mortality, time spent before death in the emergency room. METHODS A 3 year retrospective review, covering April 2000 - March 2003, of patients attended to in the Accident & Emergency department of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital was carried out. Casualty records including attendance registers, Nurses' report books and death certificates were used to extract demographic indices, causes of death and time from arrival to death in the Accident and Emergency Unit. Multiway frequency tables were used for analysis. RESULTS Of the 22,791 patients seen during the study period, 446 died, giving a crude mortality rate of 2 percent. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1; the trauma subset and the non-traumatic subset being 4.6:1 and 1.2:1 respectively. Most of the cases were of non-traumatic origin (79.8%), with the 20-49 age group being the most affected when all the cases were taken into consideration. However, the overall mean age was 33+/-9.4 years. The peak age in trauma deaths was 20-29 year, while that in non-traumatic deaths was 40-49 years. Some of the deaths (3.4%) could not be traced to any cause. Probably due to incomplete records or ignorance to the cause of death. Road traffic accidents and assaults were the commonest causes of traumatic death, accounting for 57.8% and 11.1% respectively. Bulk of the non traumatic deaths (25.2%) was from cardiovascular diseases. Most of the patients (70.9%) died within six hours of arrival in the accident and emergency, while 3.6% (16) were dead on arrival. The average time in the casualty before death was about 22.0 hours. Contributing factors to theses deaths might include poor infrastructures on ground, inadequate transportation to hospital, delay in presentation and inadequate clinical exposure by the first line physicians in the accident and emergency department. CONCLUSION Improvement in management techniques might unravel the mysteries of death of unknown origin. Management of medical emergencies should be emphasized in the training of accident and emergency workers.
Isolation of Pichia pastoris PIR genes and their utilization for cell surface display and recombinant protein secretion

Proteins with internal repeats are highly conserved among budding yeasts. In this study, the isolation of two proteins with internal repeats (PIR) genes, i.e. PpPIR1 and PpPIR2, from the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has been reported. The PIR1 and PIR2 genes' open reading frames were found to contain 1068 and 972 bases, respectively. The sequence homology search showed a homologous conserved repeat of PIR yeast block (SQIGDGQIQATT) in both proteins. The PIR yeast block was present eight times in the PpPir1p and four times in the PpPir2p proteins. Both proteins showed conserved glutamine (Q) and aspartic acid (D) in the repeated sequences, indicating a possible alkali‐sensitive β1,3‐glucan ester linkage. The fusion constructs of PpPir1‐2p and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) were developed for yeast cell surface display. The immunofluorescence assay showed uniform localization of EGFP protein on the P. pastoris cell surface in all fusion constructs. Furthermore, new vectors were developed for recombinant protein secretion in P. pastoris, utilizing the pre‐pro signal of PpPir1p protein. Efficient processing of the signal sequence was observed from EGFP and human α1‐antitrypsin (AAT) fusion constructs and recombinant protein secretion was obtained in the culture supernatant. The DNA sequences of the P. pastoris PpPIR1 and PpPIR2 genes have been submitted to GenBank under Accession Nos HM446634 and HM446635, respectively. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Avoidance of routing loops

We introduce a new routing algorithm which can detect routing loops by evaluating routing updates more thoroughly. Our new algorithm is called Routing with Metric based Topology Investigation (RMTI), which is based on the simple Routing Information Protocol (RIP) and is compatible to all RIP versions. In case of a link failure, a network can reorganize itself if there are redundant links available. Redundant links are only available in a network system like the internet if the topology contains loops. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize and to prevent routing loops. A routing loop can be seen as a circular trace of a routing update information which returns to the same router, either directly from the neighbor router or via a loop topology. Routing loops could consume a large amount of network bandwidth and could impact the endtoend performance of the network. Our RMTI approach is capable to improve the efficiency of Distance Vector Routing.
Unshared Presuppositions and Assumptions in Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood

abstract:Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood depicts the leading character Hazel Motes’ frantic struggle to escape from his own Christian faith. Interactions between Hazel and other characters reveal that not only Hazel but also other characters are somewhat bound to and affected by Christian dogma. Still, these characters act according to their own peculiar sets of values, and communication between the characters often turns out to be quite unsuccessful. In order to highlight the troubling nature of their communication, which can be concurrently disturbing and intriguing to the reader, this article examines how the characters’ presuppositions are linguistically triggered and how they are exploited as prompts to the ensuing communication, through being ignored, dismissed, or accommodated by participants engaged in the confabulation.
Time-Resolved Immu nofluorometric Assay of Trypsi n-2 Complexed with a 1-Antitrypsin in Serum

We developed a sensitive time-resolved immunofluorometnc assay (IFMA) for trypsin-2complexedwith a1 -antitrypsin (AAT). We used a trypsin-2-specificmonoclonal anthody on the solid phase and a europium-labeled polyclonalantibodyto AAT as tracer. The detectionlimitis 0.05 g/L and the range of linearity extends to 100 ig/L. We compared the dinical utility of the trypsin-2-AAT assay with that of free trypsinogen-2 and amylase in serum by studying120 healthy subjects, 29 patients with acute pancreatitis, 11 with extrahepatic biliaryobstruction,and 34 with acute abdominal disordersof extrapancreaticorigin. In patientswith acute pancreatitis the median concentrationof trypsin-2AAT in serum was 59-fold that in healthy controls,42-fold that in patients with biliary obstruction,and 33-fold that in patients with acute abdominal disordersof extrapancreatic origin. These differences are greater than those for trypsinogen-2(19-, 20-, and 28-fold, respectively)and amylase (5.4-, 6.5-, and 5.4-fold, respectively). Compared with the assays of free trypsinogen-2and amylase, our assay of trypsin-2--MT improved the clinical specificity for acute pancreatitis by eliminatingfalse-positiveresults in our controlgroups. Increased concentrationsof trypsin-2-AAT and trypsinogen-2were also observed in patients with chronic renal failure undergoingdialysis.
A City Shape Explanation of Why Donald Trump Won

The paper introduces urban centrists (who embrace carbon taxes) and urban decentrists (who reject them). Its theoretical analysis solves linear programs that help estimate (unobservable) centrists and decentrists. Its empirical analysis computes these estimates for U.S. metro areas and applies them to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. This analysis suggests that Donald Trump's shift away from the traditional bipartisan consensus on global warming - wittingly or not - has gained him nearly 280,000 votes he else would not have enjoyed (in cities where decentrists were strong). U.S. city shapes have contributed to why Donald Trump won. If decentrists continue to gain in importance (not unlikely, given ongoing decentralization and suburbanization), we should expect the rift over global warming to play an even greater role in future elections.
Physicochemical Characterization and Acute Toxicity Evaluation of a Positively‐charged Submicron Emulsion Vehicle

Abstract— Fine, homogeneous, positively‐charged emulsions with a mean droplet size of 138 ± 71 nm and a zeta potential value of 41.06 mV were prepared using a combination of emulsifiers comprising phospholipids, poloxamer 188, and stearylamine. The pH of these emulsions decreased with time. However, the extent of decrease was dependent on the storage temperature. The mean droplet size of the emulsions that had been prepared with 1% poloxamer began to increase slightly after six months' storage, particularly when stored at 23 and 37°C. However, emulsions prepared with 2% poloxamer remained stable for at least 10 months at 4°C, suggesting that the poloxamer 188 concentration is critical for prolonged emulsion stability. The results of the ocular tolerance study in rabbit eye indicate that hourly administration of a positively‐charged emulsion vehicle was well tolerated without any toxic or inflammatory response to the ocular surface during the five days of the study. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a normal corneal surface, which was not different from that of the animals treated with physiological saline. No marked acute toxicity was observed when 0.6 mL of positively‐charged emulsion was injected intravenously to BALB/c mice. Furthermore, no difference was noted between this group of animals and the group injected with the marketed Intralipid emulsion. These results were further confirmed in a rat study where there were no deaths following intravenous injection of 3.3 mL per rat of the positively‐charged emulsion or Intralipid. Neither emulsion elicited any hepatotoxic or nephrotoxic effects. The overall results suggest that the novel positively‐charged emulsion is suitable for parenteral use, and for ocular application.
IMP2, a nuclear gene controlling the mitochondrial dependence of galactose, maltose and raffinose utilization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The IMP2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is involved in the nucleo‐mitochondrial control of maltose, galactose and raffinose utilization as shown by the inability of imp2 mutants of grow on these carbon sources in respiratory‐deficient conditions or in the presence of ethidium bromide and erythromycin. The negative phenotype cannot be scored in the presence of inhibitors of respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, indicating that the role of the mitochondria in the utilization of the above‐mentioned carbon sources in imp2 mutants is not at the energetical level.
Slow Feature Analysis for Multi-Camera Activity Understanding

Multi-camera activity analysis is a key point in video surveillance of many wide-area scenes, such as airports, underground stations, shopping mall and road junctions. On the basis of previous work, this paper presents a new feature learning method based on Slow Feature Analysis (SFA) to understand activities observed across the network of cameras. The main contribution of this paper can be summarized as follows: (1) It is the first time that SFA-based learning method is introduced to multi-camera activity understanding, (2) It presents an evaluation to examine the effectiveness of SFA-based method to facilitate the learning of inter-camera activity pattern dependencies, and (3) It estimates the sensitivity of learning inter-camera time delayed dependency given different training size, which is a critical factor for accurate dependency learning and has not been largely studied by existing work before. Experiments are carried out on a dataset obtained in a trident roadway. The results demonstrate that the SFA-based method outperforms the sate of the art.
Applying approximate linearization to the design of stable fuzzy controllers

Fuzzy systems have been successfully applied to the design of knowledge based controllers, yielding very good performance in many cases. However, fuzzy control still lacks general formal analysis and design techniques that allow the designer ensure a priori certain features of the closed-loop system, particularly stability. This article presents a simple systematic design procedure, based on approximate linearization, that guarantees closed-loop asymptotic stability. The method is applicable when a (nonfuzzy) plant model is available and a Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy controller is to be designed. The proposed design method is illustrated with an example and simulation results.