Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Containment control for multiple unknown second-order nonlinear systems under a directed graph based on neural networks

In this paper, we first study the distributed containment control problem for multiple second-order nonlinear systems with multiple leaders in the presence of unknown nonlinearities and external disturbances under a directed graph that characterizes the interaction among the leaders and the followers. A distributed adaptive control algorithm based on the approximation capability of neural networks is proposed. We present a necessary and sufficient condition on the directed graph such that the containment error can be reduced as small as desired. We then present a necessary and sufficient condition on leaderless consensus for multiple second-order nonlinear systems with unknown nonlinearities and external disturbances.
Diversity and distribution of floral scent

A list of 1719 chemical compounds identified from headspace samples of floral scent is presented. The list has been compiled from some 270 published papers, including analyses of 991 species of flowering plants and a few gymnosperms, a sample including seed plants from 90 families and 38 orders. The compounds belong to seven major compound classes, of which the aliphatics, the benzenoids and phenylpropanoids, and, among the terpenes, the mono- and sesquiterpenes, occur in most orders of seeds plants. C5-branched compounds, irregular terpenes, nitrogen-containing compounds, and a class of miscellaneous cyclic compounds have been recorded in about two-thirds of the orders. Sulfur-containing compounds occur in a third of the orders, whereas diterpenes have been reported from three orders only. The most common single compounds in floral scent are the monoterpenes limonene, (E)-β-ocimene, myrcene, linalool, α- and β-pinene, and the benzenoids benzaldehyde, methyl 2-hydroxybenzoate (methyl salicylate), benzyl alcohol, and 2-phenyl ethanol, which occur in 54–71% of the families investigated so far. The sesquiterpene caryophyllene and the irregular terpene 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one are also common and occur in more than 50% of the families. Orchidaceae are by far the best investigated family, followed by several families known to have many species with strongly scented flowers, such as Araceae, Arecaceae, Magnoliaceae, and Rosaceae. However, the majority of angiosperm families are still poorly investigated. Relationships between floral scent and pollination, chemistry, evolution, and phylogeny are briefly discussed. It is concluded that floral scent chemistry is of little use for phylogenetic estimates above the genus level, whereas the distribution and combinations of floral scent compounds at species and subspecific levels is a promising field of investigation for the understanding of adaptations and evolutionary processes in angiosperms.
3-D Correlation-Based Speckle Tracking

Widely-used 1-D/2-D speckle tracking techniques in elasticity imaging often experience significant speckle decorrelation in applications involving large elevational motion (i.e., out of plane motion). The problem is more pronounced for cardiac strain rate imaging (SRI) since it is very difficult to confine cardiac motion to a single image plane. Here, we present a 3-D correlation-based speckle tracking algorithm. Conceptually, 3-D speckle tracking is just an extension of 2-D phase-sensitive correlation-based speckle tracking. However, due to its high computational cost, optimization schemes, such as dynamic programming, decimation and two-path processing, are introduced to reduce the computational burden. To evaluate the proposed approach, a 3-D bar phantom under uniaxial compression was simulated for benchmark tests. A more sophisticated 3-D simulation of the left ventricle of the heart was also made to test the applicability of 3-D speckle tracking in cardiac SRI. Results from both simulations clearly demonstrated the feasibility of 3-D correlation-based speckle tracking. With the ability to follow 3-D speckle in 3-D space, 3-D speckle tracking outperforms lower-dimensional speckle tracking by minimizing decorrelation caused by pure elevational translation. In other words, 3-D tracking can push toward solely deformation-limited, decorrelation-optimized speckle tracking. Hardware implementation of the proposed 3-D speckle tracking algorithm using field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) is also discussed.
Rapid Identification of Dipeptidyl Peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) Inhibitory Peptides from Ruditapes philippinarum Hydrolysate

Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory peptides were rapidly identified from Ruditapes philippinarum hydrolysate. The hydrolysate was fractionated by ethanol precipitation and preparative reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The fraction which showed the highest DPP-IV inhibitory activity was then analyzed by a high-throughput nano-liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC ESI-MS/MS) method, and the sequences of peptides were identified based on the MS/MS spectra against the Mollusca protein data from the UniProt database. In total, 50 peptides were identified. Furthermore, molecular docking was used to identify potential DPP-IV inhibitors from the identified peptides. Docking results suggested that four peptides: FAGDDAPR, LAPSTM, FAGDDAPRA, and FLMESH, could bind pockets of DPP-IV through hydrogen bonds, π-π bonds, and charge interactions. The four peptides were chemically synthesized and tested for DPP-IV inhibitory activity. The results showed that they possessed DPP-IV inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 168.72 μM, 140.82 μM, 393.30 μM, and >500 μM, respectively. These results indicate that R. philippinarum-derived peptides may have potential as functional food ingredients for the prevention of diabetes.
Development and In Vitro Evaluation of Alginate Gel–Encapsulated, Chitosan-Coated Ceramic Nanocores for Oral Delivery of Enzyme

The successful administration of protein and peptide drugs by oral route maintaining their active conformation remains a key challenge in the field of pharmaceutical technology. In the present study, we propose the use of a nanosize ceramic core-based system for effective oral delivery of acid-labile model enzyme, serratiopeptidase (STP). Ceramic core was prepared by colloidal precipitation and sonication of disodium hydrogen phosphate solution and calcium chloride solution at room temperature. The core was coated with chitosan under constant stirring and Fourier-Transform Infra Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed phosphoric groups of calcium phosphate linked with ammonium groups of chitosan in the nanoparticles; then the enzyme was adsorbed over the preformed nanocore. Protein-loaded nanocore was further encapsulated into alginate gel for enzyme protection. Prepared system was characterized for size, shape, loading efficiency, and in vitro release profile (pH 1.2 and pH 7.4). The effect of processing variables on the size of the core was evaluated to form small, uniform, and discrete nanocores. Stability and integrity of enzyme during processing steps was assessed by in vitro proteolytic activity. The prepared system was examined to be spherical in shape with diameter 925 ± 6.81 nm using TEM. The in vitro release data followed the Higuchi model, showing a low amount (26% ± 2.4%) of diffusion-controlled drug release (R2 = 0.9429) in acidic buffer up to a period of 2 to 6 hours, signifying the integrity of alginate gel in acid. In the alkaline medium sustained and nearly complete first order release of protein was observed up to a 6 hours. It is inferred that the protein-loaded ceramic core acts as a reservoir of the adsorbed enzyme and alginate gel provides protection to STP for controlled release in intestinal pH when compared to the enzyme solution.
Identification of healed terminal DNA fragments in linear minichromosomes of Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The minichromosome Ch16 of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is derived from the centromeric region of chromosome III. We show that Ch16 and a shorter derivative, Ch12, made by gamma-ray cleavage, are linear molecules of 530 and 280 kilobases, respectively. Each minichromosome has two novel telomeres, as shown by genomic Southern hybridization with an S. pombe telomere probe. Comparison by hybridization of the minichromosomes and their chromosomal counterparts showed no signs of gross rearrangement. Cosmid clones covering the ends of the long arms of Ch16 and Ch12 were isolated, and subcloned fragments that contained the breakage sites were identified. They are apparently unique in the genome. By hybridization and Bal 31 digestion, the ends appear to consist of the broken-end sequences directly associated with short stretches (about 300 base pairs) of new DNA that hybridizes to a cloned S. pombe telomere. They do not contain the telomere-adjacent repeated sequences that are present in the normal chromosomes. The sizes of the short telomeric stretches are roughly the same as those of the normal chromosomes. Our results show that broken chromosomal ends in S. pombe can be healed by the de novo addition of the short telomeric repeats. The formation of Ch16 must have required two breakage-healing events, whereas a single cleavage-healing event in the long arm of Ch16 yielded Ch12.
Food access, local foods, and community health

Abstract In this analysis, we look for patterns in the relationship between food access, local foods, and community health at the US county level. We take an ecological approach using 2012 Census of Agriculture and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps data collected by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. We address a simple question: is access to local foods activity associated with public health? Results generally support the central premise, but the results are weak depending on the metrics of health and local foods activity chosen. In the end, we concluded that local foods are likely demand driven, and the mere presence of local foods activity is not sufficient to result in healthier community outcomes.
The hitchhiking effect on the site frequency spectrum of DNA polymorphisms.

The level of DNA sequence variation is reduced in regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome where the rate of crossing over per physical distance is also reduced. This observation has been interpreted as support for the simple model of genetic hitchhiking, in which directional selection on rare variants, e.g., newly arising advantageous mutants, sweeps linked neutral alleles to fixation, thus eliminating polymorphisms near the selected site. However, the frequency spectra of segregating sites of several loci from some populations exhibiting reduced levels of nucleotide diversity and reduced numbers of segregating sites did not appear different from what would be expected under a neutral equilibrium model. Specifically, a skew toward an excess of rare sites was not observed in these samples, as measured by Tajima's D. Because this skew was predicted by a simple hitchhiking model, yet it had never been expressed quantitatively and compared directly to DNA polymorphism data, this paper investigates the hitchhiking effect on the site frequency spectrum, as measured by Tajima's D and several other statistics, using a computer simulation model based on the coalescent process and recurrent hitchhiking events. The results presented here demonstrate that under the simple hitchhiking model (1) the expected value of Tajima's D is large and negative (indicating a skew toward rare variants), (2) that Tajima's test has reasonable power to detect a skew in the frequency spectrum for parameters comparable to those from actual data sets, and (3) that the Tajima's Ds observed in several data sets are very unlikely to have been the result of simple hitchhiking. Consequently, the simple hitchhiking model is not a sufficient explanation for the DNA polymorphism at those loci exhibiting a decreased number of segregating sites yet not exhibiting a skew in the frequency spectrum.
Tramadol added to mepivacaine prolongs the duration of an axillary brachial plexus blockade.

UNLABELLED Tramadol is an analgesic drug that is antagonized by alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonists, as well as opioid antagonists. We hypothesized that tramadol might produce effects on an axillary brachial plexus blockade similar to those of clonidine. We designed a prospective, controlled, double-blinded study to assess the impact of tramadol added to mepivacaine on the duration of an axillary brachial plexus blockade. After institutional approval and informed consent, 60 patients (ASA physical status I or II) scheduled for forearm and hand surgery after trauma under brachial plexus anesthesia were included in the study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either 40 mL of mepivacaine 1% with 2 mL of isotonic sodium chloride solution (Group A, n = 20); 40 mL of mepivacaine 1% with 100 mg of tramadol (Group B, n = 20); or 40 mL of mepivacaine 1% with 2 mL of isotonic sodium chloride solution and 100 mg of tramadol i.v. (Group C, n = 20). Sensory block, motor block, and hemodynamics were recorded before and 5, 10, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 360 min after local anesthetic injection. Duration of sensory and motor block was significantly longer (P < 0.01; P < 0.05) in Group B (299 +/- 84 and 259 +/- 76 min) than in Group A (194 +/- 35 and 181 +/- 24 min) and Group C (187 +/- 35 and 179 +/- 16 min). There was no difference in onset of sensory and motor blockade among groups. Hemodynamics remained unchanged in all patients throughout the study period. We conclude that the addition of tramadol prolongs the duration of brachial plexus block without side effects. Tramadol may be an alternative to epinephrine or clonidine as an adjuvant to local anesthesia for an axillary block. IMPLICATIONS This study demonstrates that the admixture of 100 mg of tramadol with mepivacaine 1% for brachial plexus block provides a pronounced prolongation of blockade without side effects. Our data support a specific analgesic effect of tramadol on peripheral nerves.
Comparative proteomics as a tool for identifying specific alterations within interferon response pathways in human glioblastoma multiforme cells

An acquisition of increased sensitivity of cancer cells to viruses is a common outcome of malignant progression that justifies the development of oncolytic viruses as anticancer therapeutics. Studying molecular changes that underlie the sensitivity to viruses would help to identify cases where oncolytic virus therapy would be most effective. We quantified changes in protein abundances in two glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell lines that differ in the ability to induce resistance to vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) infection in response to type I interferon (IFN) treatment. In IFN-treated samples we observed an up-regulation of protein products of some IFN-regulated genes (IRGs). In total, the proteome analysis revealed up to 20% more proteins encoded by IRGs in the glioblastoma cell line, which develops resistance to VSV infection after pre-treatment with IFN. In both cell lines protein-protein interaction and signaling pathway analyses have revealed a significant stimulation of processes related to type I IFN signaling and defense responses to viruses. However, we observed a deficiency in STAT2 protein in the VSV-sensitive cell line that suggests a de-regulation of the JAK/STAT/IRF9 signaling. The study has shown that the up-regulation of IRG proteins induced by the IFNα treatment of GBM cells can be detected at the proteome level. Similar analyses could be applied for revealing functional alterations within the antiviral mechanisms in glioblastoma samples, accompanying by acquisition of sensitivity to oncolytic viruses. The approach can be useful for discovering the biomarkers that predict a potential sensitivity of individual glioblastoma tumors to oncolytic virus therapy.
In situ hybridization analysis of osmotic stimulus‐induced changes in ribosomal RNA in rat supraoptic nucleus

A quantitative in situ hybridization analysis was used to investigate changes in levels of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in neurons of the supraoptic nucleus (SON) of rats stimulated osmotically by giving 2% NaCl as drinking solution for 0 (control rats), 1, 4, and 14 days. The quantitation was autoradiographically accomplished by in situ hybridization with a nick‐translated tritiated ribosomal DNA probe and with the use of computer‐based image analysis system. The mean number of grains per neuron in the ventral SON was significantly increased: 1.8‐fold for 1 day, 2.9‐fold for 4 days, and 1.7‐fold for 14 days of salt loading, whereas the mean number of grains per neuron in the dorsal SON was increased 1, 3‐fold for 1 day, 2.5‐fold for 4 days, and 1.7‐fold for 14 days. Kolmogorov‐Smirnov analysis of frequency histograms of grains per neuron indicated that the amount of rRNA in neurons in the ventral and dorsal SON was significantly increased by osmotic stimulation. These increases were accompanied by increases in cell size. The subcellular location of hybridizable rRNA in magnocellular neurons was altered by osmotic stimulation. Following 1–14 days of salt‐drinking, rRNAs appeared to be more unevenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm. These findings are consistent with the notion that hyperosmotic stimulation has a substantial effect on the expression of rRNA genes in neurons of both the ventral and dorsal SON.
Role of language models in spoken fluency evaluation

This paper addresses the task of automatic evaluation of spoken ﬂuency skills of a speaker. Speciﬁcally, the paper evalu-ates the role of language models built from ﬂuent and disﬂuent data in quantifying the ﬂuency of a spoken monologue. We show that features based on relative perplexities of the ﬂuent and the disﬂuent language models on a given utterance are indicative of the level of spoken ﬂuency of the utterance. The proposed features lead to a spoken ﬂuency classiﬁcation accuracy of 39.8% for 4-class and 68.4% for 2-class classiﬁcation. Combining these features with a set of prosodic features leads to further improvement in the classiﬁcation accuracy thus high-lighting the complementarity of the information they contribute compared to the low-level disﬂuency information captured by the prosodic features.
Remote sensing and the optical properties of the narrow cylindrical leaves of juncus roemerianus

To develop a more complete foundation for remote sensing of the marsh grass Juncus roemerianus, we measured the optical properties of its cylindrical leaves at sites of different canopy height, biomass composition and amount, and connectivity to ocean flushing. To measure the leaf optical properties, we adapted a technique used for conifer needles. After establishing the reliability and limits of the adapted technique to the wider J.roemerianus leaves, mean transmittance and reflectance spectra were compared to associated leaf diameters from two dates in 1999 and 2002 and at each site. Transmittance was inversely related to leaf diameter. Mean transmittance and reflectance generated from reoccupation of many field sites in 2002 indicated little or no difference in transmittance between years, a slight reflectance difference in the visible (<2%) and a slightly higher reflectance difference in the near infrared (NIR) (<4%). Site comparison indicated limited ability to separate leaf transmittance but not reflectance by marsh type (e.g., low, medium, high) or biomass. Excluding one outlier, we found leaf transmittances could be adequately represented as 1% /spl plusmn/ 0.2% in the visible and 9% /spl plusmn/ 1% in the NIR and leaf reflectances represented from 14% to 16% in the visible and 71% to 75% in the NIR (the reflectance ranges represent 1999 and 2002 means). Reflectance and transmittance spectra associated with the dead J. roemerianus leaves displayed a spectrally flat increase from the visible to the NIR wavelengths. In total, we documented the atypical optical properties of the cylindrical J. roemerianus leaves and showed that to a first approximation, single means could represent leaf transmittance and visible leaf reflectance across all marsh zones and, after accounting for sample standardization, possibly the NIR reflectance as well.
Determination of the design specifications of a powered humeral rotator for a myoelectric prosthesis

The University of Bologna and the INAIL Prosthesis Centre are collaborating to design new high-functionality prostheses for upper-limb amputees, with a high-level amputation, who are currently rehabilitated by inadequate commercial solutions. This study deals with the development of a new powered humeral rotator that should integrate the prosthesis previously developed by the research group, which is already provided with a terminal device, a wrist rotator, an elbow joint, and a prototype of shoulder articulation composed of two powered revolute joints. This paper focuses on the design methodology that was followed to retrieve the design input data necessary for the development of the humeral rotator. The methodology is mainly based on kinematic and kinetostatic analyses of multibody models of upper-limb prostheses. The kinematic simulations are used to define the ability of the arm models (that have less than the six degrees of freedom required for generically positioning and orienting the terminal device) satisfactorily to perform important activities of daily living, i.e. with an acceptable accuracy. Kinetostatic analyses are then performed to determine the loads acting on the humeral rotator when performing the mentioned activities, thus making it possible to define fundamental design guidelines and technical specifications.
Cap Completion and C-Terminal Repeat Domain Kinase Recruitment Underlie the Initiation-Elongation Transition of RNA Polymerase II

ABSTRACT After transcription initiation, RNA polymerase (Pol) II escapes from the promoter and recruits elongation factors. The molecular basis for the initiation-elongation factor exchange during this transition remains poorly understood. Here, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) to elucidate the initiation-elongation transition of Pol II in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We show that the early Pol II elongation factor Spt5 contributes to stable recruitment of the mRNA capping enzymes Cet1, Ceg1, and Abd1. Genome-wide occupancy for Cet1 and Ceg1 is restricted to the transcription start site (TSS), whereas occupancy for Abd1 peaks at ∼110 nucleotides downstream, and occupancy for the cap-binding complex (CBC) rises subsequently. Abd1 and CBC are important for recruitment of the kinases Ctk1 and Bur1, which promote elongation and capping enzyme release. These results suggest that cap completion stimulates productive Pol II elongation.