Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Porter's Five Forces Analysis of the District Heat Sector

Continuous analysis of the corporate environment is key to executives with a strategic approach to companies. However, analysing the company's environment can not only be relevant to the individual entity but can also provide valuable information to researchers and professionals looking at the industry and the trends that can be observed there. The author's research focus is on district heat suppliers. The purpose of this study is to measure the new aspects of district heat suppliers' industry specificities with the application of Porter's five forces analysis and to gather the factors that may affect the asset, financial and income position of companies.
Late Pleistocene range expansion of North American topminnows accompanied by admixture and introgression

We used genome‐scale sampling to assess the phylogeography of a group of topminnows in the Fundulus notatus species complex. Two of the species have undergone extensive range expansions resulting in broadly overlapping distributions, and sympatry within drainages has provided opportunities for hybridization and introgression. We assessed the timing and pattern of range expansion in the context of late Pleistocene–Holocene drainage events and evaluated the evidence for introgressive hybridization between species.
Virtual Machines Performance Modeling with Support Vector Regressions

Virtualization is a key technology in cloud computing to render on-demand provisioning of virtual services. Xen, an open source paravirtualized virtual machine monitor (hypervisor), has been adopted by many leading data centers of the world today. A scheduler in Xen handles CPU resources sharing among virtual machines hosted on the same physical system. This study is focused on a scheduler in the current Xen release - the Credit scheduler. Credit uses two parameters (weight and cap) to fine tune CPU resources sharing. Previous studies have shown that these two parameters can impact various performance measures of virtual machines hosted on Xen. In this study, we present a holistic procedure to establish performance models of virtual machines. Empirical data of two commonly used measures, namely calculation power and network throughput, were collected by simulations under various settings of weight and cap. We then employed a powerful machine learning tool (multi-kernel support vector regression) to learn performance models from the empirical data. These models were evaluated satisfactorily by using established procedures in machine learning.
Relationship of Macrophyte Detritus to the Salt Marsh Periwinkle, Littorina Irrorata Say.

The relationship of macrophyte detritus to the salt marsh periwinkle (snail), Littorina irrorata, was investi­ gated, including aspects of feeding, ingestion, assimila­ tion, and egestion. The ingestion rate of Littorina was equivalent to 12% of the annual net production of Spartina alterniflora, and egestion rate was equivalent to 6%. Examination of feeding revealed that almost all of the energy flow through Littorina was from ingestion of detritus. The two primary food substrates, dead Spartina and marsh sediment, represent a significant source of carbon, nitrogen, and epiphytes potentially available to Littorina. Organic components ingested from food substrates include vascular plant particles and epiphytes. The latter are a selected component of the snail diet and are assimilated during gut passage. Plant particles ingested are egested practically unaltered in feces. From 30 to 64% of the or­ ganic matter in plant detritus is assimilated during passage through the snail. Animals on a plant detritus diet in the laboratory exhibited poor survival and no growth. However, these results are related to decreased feeding activity in the laboratory, and are not indicative of the nutritional value of detritus. Data from the present study demonstrate that
The Pleotropic Effect of Statin Therapy on Blood Pressure in Dyslipidemic Patients in University of Portharcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH)

Statins, are the most potent and most commonly prescribed hypolipidemic drugs worldwide, but are also reported to have pleiotropic effects, i.e. beneficial effects, other than their lipid lowering effects. This study aims to assess the pleotropic effects of statin therapy administered to dyslipidemic subjects in UPTH on their blood pressure values. This was a prospective cohort study carried out over a period of 9 months. 320 consecutive, consenting dyslipidemic subjects were recruited into the study. All subjects had a baseline fasting lipid profile and blood pressure measurement done. Test subjects had just commenced statins, while an equal number of age and sex matched control subjects were asked to make life style modifications (exercise and dietary) and were not exposed to statins. Both groups continued similar individualized drug therapies i.e. anti-hypertensive and oral hypoglycaemic agents. They were all followed up for a period of 3 months, after which fasting lipid profile and blood pressure were re-assessed. This study’s results indicated, a significant(p 0.05) indicating statins do not show added control of systolic or diastolic blood pressure and so suggest no added clinical benefits after 3 months of therapy. The results showed that statins in addition to their hypolipidemic actions in dyslipidemic subjects in UPTH, do not have a significant effect (p>0.05) after 3 months of therapy on SBP and DBP level/control.
Assessment of the Dynamic Response of Buildings: Experimental Monitoring and FEM Simulations

— Numerical analysis using FEM (Finite Element Method) simulations is part of the everyday routine in many academic centres and structural design. However, one of the main problems to do this task is related to the numerical modelling reliability, aiming to represent the investigated structure real behaviour. This way, in this investigation experimental methodologies allow characterizing the proposed physical structural model of a 19 story building, constructed in laboratory, based on the use of HDF (High Density Fibreboard). In sequence, aiming to validate the motion equations of the structural system, both numerical and experimental dynamic responses of the physical model were correlated. The results are presented in terms of modal parameters, frequency response functions (FRFs) and time history. The good agreement between the numerical and experimental results can corroborate the adequate use of the developed numerical model.
A mouse model of recurrent myocardial infarction reports diminished emergency hematopoiesis and cardiac inflammation

Recurrent MI is common in patients with coronary artery disease and associates with high mortality. Here we developed a surgical mouse model in which two subsequent MIs affect different left ventricular regions in the same mouse. Recurrent MI was induced by ligating the left circumflex followed by the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery. We characterized the resulting ischemia by whole-heart fluorescent coronary angiography after optical organ clearing and by cardiac MRI. We report that a first MI induces bone marrow “memory” via a circulating signal, thereby affecting hematopoietic factor expression in bone marrow macrophages. This altered the organism’s reaction to subsequent events. Inspite at least similar extent of injury reported by blood troponin, recurrent MI caused reduced emergency hematopoiesis and less leukocytosis than a first MI. Consequently, fewer leukocytes migrated to the ischemic myocardium. The hematopoietic response to lipopolysaccharide was also mitigated after a previous MI. Our data suggest that hematopoietic and innate immune responses are shaped by a preceding MI.
Methoden zur empirischen Analyse von Chunks beim Reproduzieren von Schachstellungen

Experten wird eine differenzierte, nach geeigneten bereichsspezifischen Kategorien strukturierte Organisation ihrer Wissensbestaende in Form von "Chunks" zugeschrieben. Am Beispiel der Reproduktion von Schachstellungen werden zwei Methoden zur empirischen Analyse von Chunks diskutiert, naemlich (1) die Betrachtung von Latenzzeiten und (2) clusteranalytische Auswertungen auf der Grundlage von Reproduktionshaeufigkeiten. Anhand von Daten, die aus Stichproben von je 40 Kindern und Erwachsenen, von denen jeweils die Haelfte Novizen bzw. Experten waren, stammen, wird gzeigt, dass Latenzzeiten keine weiterfuehrenden Aussagen ueber Inhalt, Form und Organisation der dem Reproduktionsprozess zugrundeliegenden Wissensbestaende erlauben, wohingegen solche Aussagen aufgrund von Clusteranalysen moeglich sind. Bei den Experten koennen die resultierenden Chunks als bereichsspezifische Tiefenstrukturen interpretiert werden. Die Chunks von Novizen sind staerker von wahrnehmungsmaessigen Besonderheiten gepraegt. (Zeitschrift/R.N. - ZPID) Notes that experts are attributed a differentially structured organization of their knowledge into chunks according to domain-specific categories. The example of recalling chess positions is used to discuss the following two methods for the empirical analysis of chunks: (1) the examination of interresponse latencies, and (2) cluster analysis based on reproduction frequencies. Data from samples of 40 children and 40 adults who were one-half novices and one-half experts were used to show that interresponse latencies did not permit any detailed conclusions on the content, form, and organization of the knowledge units underlying the reproduction process, whereas such claims could be obtained on the basis of cluster analysis. Among experts, the resulting chunks could be interpreted as domain-specific deep structures. Novices' chunks were more strongly influenced by perceptual features. (Journal/V.H. - ZPID)
MicroRNA Regulation of Helper T Cell Cytokine Production and Differentiation

Author(s): Steiner, David F. | Advisor(s): Ansel, Mark | Abstract: Helper T cells play a critical role in the maintenance and coordination of a healthy immune system. Upon stimulation, naive helper T cells transition into functional, effector cells that proliferate, migrate, and actively secrete cytokines to help direct an immune response. Importantly, programmed differentiation of helper T cells into unique subsets of effector cells allows for functionally different responses to different immune challenges. The actual process of helper T cell polarization involves many regulated changes in gene expression and represents both an important aspect of immune regulation and a useful system for studying cell differentiation in general. MicroRNA (miRNA)-deficient helper T cells exhibit abnormal differentiation, cytokine production and decreased proliferation. However, the contributions of individual miRNAs to this phenotype remain poorly understood. We developed and utilized a screening strategy to assay miRNA function in primary T cells and identified individual miRNAs that regulate the cytokine production and proliferation of these cells. We first focused on interferon (IFN)-gamma; production and found that microRNA-29 (miR-29) largely corrected the aberrant IFN-gamma; expression of miRNA-deficient cells. Repression of IFN-gamma; by miR-29 involved direct targeting of both T-bet and Eomes, two transcription factors known to induce IFN-gamma; production. These two transcription factors were elevated in miRNA-deficient cells and were also upregulated following miR-29 inhibition in wildtype cells. These results demonstrate that miR-29 regulates helper T cell differentiation by repressing multiple target genes, including at least two that are independently capable of inducing the Th1 gene expression program. Additional analyses of miRNA-mediated effects on other cytokines, including TNF, IL-4, and IL-13, revealed an ability of individual miRNAs to significantly influence the production of these cytokines as well. Notably, we found that miR-29 can promote TNF expression through effects that are dependent on the AU-rich element in the TNF 3'UTR. Taken together, these studies demonstrate the important role of individual miRNAs in cytokine regulation and raise intriguing possibilities for better understanding the gene expression networks that underlie immunity in health and disease.
Mimicking Indoor Climate Dynamics and Ammonia Emissions in a Pig Housing Compartment Using Artificial Pigs and an Automatic Urea Spraying Installation

The study aims to develop a test platform (TP) compartment that could mimic diurnal variations in indoor climate and NH 3 emission in a real pig compartment and to compare diurnal indoor climate and NH 3 production between two TP compartments and a real compartment. The objectives were achieved by using a real and TP compartment followed by an ad hoc test that used two TP compartments and another real compartment. The TP had two compartments equipped with mock-up pigs as heat source and automatic urea solution spraying installation to mimic pig urination at the pen floor. The study evaluated indoor climate and NH 3 production in a 4-day comparative test between a TP and a real compartment followed by a 3-day comparative test between two TP compartments and a real compartment where exhaust and slurry pit NH 3 concentrations, ventilation rate, indoor temperature and relative humidity were simultaneously measured. The TP reproduced comparable diurnal measured parameters in the real compartment. The TP compartment overestimated NH 3 emissions in the real compartment by 23% (R 2 = 0.27) in the first experiment. In the second experiment, the two TP compartments overestimated NH 3 emissions in the real compartment by 38% (R 2 = 0.36) and 44% (R 2 = 0.37). The overestimated NH 3 emission in the TP was probably due to differences in urea solution vs. pig urine chemistry and floor fouling characteristics. The two TP compartments when compared showed similar diurnal trends in NH 3 concentration and emission rate with hourly averages of 11.5 ± 4.1 vs. 11.6 ± 2.8 ppm and 13.2 ± 3.0 vs. 12.1 ± 2.9 g/h, respectively. The study shows the TP could simulate indoor climate dynamics and NH 3 emissions trends in a real compartment and therefore could be used to study NH 3 volatilization processes and emission reduction techniques studies on relative emission basis.
Cache-Timing Attacks and Shared Contexts ?

Cache-timing attacks recover algorithm state by exploiting the fact that the latency of retrieving data from memory is essentially governed by the availability of said data in the processor's cache. E- cient and eective countermeasures to these attacks are needed. A shared memory context is a mechanism for reusing dynamically allocated mem- ory. Focusing on public key cryptography within OpenSSL and its im- plementation of shared contexts, this paper examines the ability of a shared context to aid in mitigation of cache-timing attacks. The results are pessimistic towards this approach.
Motoneuron-derived Activinβ regulates Drosophila body size and tissue-scaling during larval growth and adult development

Correct scaling of body and organ size is crucial for proper development and survival of all organisms. Perturbations in circulating hormones, including insulins and steroids, are largely responsible for changing body size in response to both genetic and environmental factors. Such perturbations typically produce adults whose organs and appendages scale proportionately with final size. The identity of additional factors that might contribute to scaling of organs and appendages with body size is unknown. Here we report that loss-of-function mutations in Drosophila Activinβ (Actβ), a member of the TGF-β superfamily, lead to production of small larvae/pupae and undersized rare adult escapers. Morphometric measurements of escaper adult appendage size (wings, legs), as well as heads, thoraxes, and abdomens, reveal a disproportional reduction in abdominal size compared to other tissues. Similar size measurements of selected Actβ mutant larval tissues demonstrate that somatic muscle size is disproportionately smaller when compared to fat body, salivary glands, prothoracic glands, imaginal discs and brain. We also show that Actβ control of body size is dependent on canonical signaling through the transcription-factor dSmad2 and that it modulates the growth rate, but not feeding behavior, during the third instar period. Tissue and cell-specific knockdown and overexpression studies reveal that motoneuron derived Actβ is essential for regulating proper body size and tissue scaling. These studies suggest that, unlike in vertebrates where Myostatin, and certain other Activin-like factors act as systemic negative regulators of muscle mass, in Drosophila Actβ is a positive regulator of muscle mass that is directly delivered to muscles by motoneurons. We discuss the importance of these findings in coordinating proportional scaling of insect muscle mass to appendage size.
Nutritional Epidemiology Research in the Field of Autism Spectrum Disorders A Review

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a heterogeneous condition with a complex and unresolved epi-genetic etiology in which the contribution of maternal diet and children’s feeding problems raise increasing interest. Nutritional epidemiology research applied to ASD offers the perspective of a better understanding of its etiology and the possibility of implementing prevention strategies.
Relationship of Lateral Dentoskeletal Morphology to Dental Crowding in Patients With Class II Malocclusions

Aims: The aims of this study was to evaluate the relationship of lateral dentoskeletal morphology to the amount of dental crowding in patients with Class II malocclusion. Materials and Methods: Study models and lateral cephalometric radiographs of a Class II malocclusion of 62 Iraqi patients(18-25 years) lived in the center of Mosul City (30males and 32 females), were evaluated. The sample was divided into two groups according to severity of pretreatment mandibular crowding. Group 1 consisted of 30 patients and have crowding ≥ 3 mm. Group 2 have 32 patients and crowding <3 mm. Measurements were performed on pretreatment dental casts and lateral headfilms. Dental and skeletal (linear and angular) cephalometric measurements were used to determine the effect of these measurements on crowding. Results: Significant differences between crowding less than 3mm and crowding groups more than 3mm were seen in posterior facial height ( S-Go) , the angle between sella, nasion and occlusal plane line ( S-N-Ocp) and the angle between sella, nasion and the long axis of lower central incisor (S-NL1) in males, while in females, the significant differences were seen in the angle between sella, nasion and the long axis of lower central incisor (S-N-L1) and the angle between Sella–nasion line and mandibular plane(NSGoMe). The other parameters showed no significant differences. The correlation coefficients of the amount of crowding with all the measurements were studied. Some of them showed a positive correlation, while others showed a negative one. Conclusions: Subjects with Class II malocclusion and different amount of dental crowding have no significantly relation with skeletal parameters. Results suggest that dental crowding is independent of the skeletal measurements.
Estimation du Mouvement d'un Capteur de Vision en Lumiâ??re StructurÃ©e

Une etude sur l’estimation du mouvement d’un capteur de vision en lumiere structuree est proposee dans cet article. Dans un premier temps, les contraintes imposees par ce type particulier de capteur sont detaillees ; ensuite, un algorithme base sur la mise en correspondance temporelle des plans de la scene, adapte a ces contraintes, est propose. Nous expliquons egalement comment est effectuee la mise en correspondance et comment extraire les parametres du deplacement. Des resultats experimentaux, realises a partir de simulations, sont presentes et permettent d’evaluer l’efficacite de la methode.
Intestinal bile acid reabsorption in health and disease

Bile acids are produced by the liver and excreted in the intestine to aid the absorption of fat and fat soluble vitamins. Bile acids are reabsorbed at the end of the small intestine and reused by the liver. Recently, several new functions of bile acids have been discovered, including effects on gut health, hormones and energy metabolism. These functions have consequences for various disease conditions but also offer potential for development of new therapies. In this thesis we investigated the consequences of reabsorption of bile acids in both health and disease. In this regard, we studied cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease leading to formation of thick mucus in various organs including the lung, liver and intestine. CF patients have reduced ability to reabsorb bile acids. The exact cause, consequences and clinical implications of this problem are unknown. Based on assessment of current literature we found a potential relation of the malabsorption of bile acids in CF to other symptoms of CF. We show that treatment of CF patients with a drug directly targeting the defective CF protein, improves their bile acid reabsorption. In a pre-clinical setting bile acid reabsorption in CF could be improved using a commonly prescribed laxative. Conversely, we studied the induction of bile acid malabsorption by blocking the main uptake transport protein in the intestine as a strategy to treat different metabolic conditions. We found that inducing malabsorption of bile acids prevented obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hypercholesterolemia.
Automatic Tongue Tracking in X-Ray Images

X-ray imaging is an eﬀective technique toobtain the continuous motions of the vocal tract duringspeech, and Active appearance model (AAM) is a usefultool to analyze the X-ray images. However, for the task oftongue tracking in X-ray images, the accuracy of AAM ﬁtting is insuﬃcient. AAM aims to minimize the residual error between the model appearance and the input image. Itoften fails to accurately converge to the true landmarks. Toimprove the tracking accuracy, we propose a ﬁtting methodby combining Constrained local model (CLM) into AAM.In our method, we ﬁrst combine the objective functionsof AAM and CLM into a single objective function. Then,we project out the texture variation and derive a gradient based method to optimize the objective function. Ourmethod eﬀectively incorporates not only the shape priorand global texture, but also local texture around each landmark. Experiments demonstrate that the proposed methodsigniﬁcantly reduces the ﬁtting error. We also show that realistic 3D tongue animation can be created by using tonguetracking results of the X-ray images.
Predicting Students’ Grade Based on Social and Content Interactions

Predicting students’ grades is an interesting task that may be tackled using different information, like the students’ learningbackground or their previous and current performance. However, and with the widely use of the e-learning platforms, theinteraction of the students with the platforms constitutes a dynamic, huge, objective and reliable data source. Assumingthese interactions reflect the interest, feeling and way of study of each student, our proposal uses this information for theearly prediction of their performance (grades). Contrarily to other approaches, we do not use the same data analysis modelfor all the students, neither their census or learning background data. We previously define a classification scheme of fivedifferent profiles, which represent five different ways of learning and face the course. After that, a specifically created dataanalysis model is defined for each kind of student. The proposal is validated with undergraduate students of a blended-course for 3 consecutive academic years.