Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Secure third‐party data clustering using SecureCL, Φ‐data and multi‐user order preserving encryption

Secure collaborative data clustering using SecureCL is presented. SecureCL is founded on the concept of Φ‐data implemented using Super Secure Chain Distance Matrices and encrypted using Multi‐User Order Preserving Encryption. The advantage offered, unlike comparable systems, is that SecureCL does not require any user participation once the Φ‐data proxy has been encrypted; it does not require recourse to Secure Multi‐Party Computation protocols or ‘secret sharing’ mechanisms. The utility of SecureCL is illustrated using Nearest Neighbour Clustering and Density‐Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise, although it can be applied to any data clustering algorithm that involves distance comparison. The reported experiments demonstrate that SecureCL can produce securely cluster configurations comparable to those produced using standard, non‐encrypted, approaches without entailing any significant computational overhead, thus indicating its suitability in the context of Data Mining as a Service.
Características clínicas y complicaciones de la cirrosis hepática en una población de altura (Huancayo, 3250 m s. n. m.)

Objective: Liver cirrhosis is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. This research aims to determine the clinical presentation, etiology and complications of patients with liver cirrhosis from a population living at a high altitude region in Peru. Materials and methods: A retrospective study of the clinical presentation and complications of liver cirrhosis was conducted. One hundred eight (108) medical records of patients with liver cirrhosis admitted to the Internal Medicine Service of the Hospital Nacional Ramiro Priale Priale, Huancayo,were evaluated between 2010 and 2012. Results: Patients’ mean age was 60.5 years (range: 12–82 years) and 62.9 % were males. The most common etiology was alcohol consumption (63 %), followed by chronic hepatitis B and C (7.4 % and 2.8 %, respectively). Fifty-eight point three percent (58.3 %) of the patients had a Child-Pugh class B score and 31.30 % of them had a Child-Pugh class C score. The most frequent clinical presentation was abdominal distension (87 %). The most common complications were ascites (56 %), hepatic encephalopathy (47.2 %) and hepatorenal syndrome (8.3 %). Conclusions: Alcoholic liver cirrhosis was the most common etiology. The most frequent complications were ascites and hepatic encephalopathy
Predators and pastoralists: how anthropogenic pressures inside wildlife areas influence carnivore space use and movement behaviour

Across the globe, wildlife populations and their behaviours are negatively impacted by people. Protected areas are believed to be an antidote to increasing human pressures but even they are not immune to the impact of anthropogenic activities. Areas that have been set aside for the protection of wildlife therefore warrant more attention when investigating the impact of anthropogenic pressures on wildlife. We use cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus as a case study to explore how a large carnivore responds to anthropogenic pressures inside wildlife areas. Using GPS‐collar data we investigate cheetah space use, both when moving and stationary, and movement parameters (speed and turn angles) in relation to human disturbance, distance to human settlement, livestock abundance and livestock site use inside wildlife areas. Space use was negatively influenced by human disturbance, resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation and potentially reducing landscape permeability between neighbouring wildlife areas. Cheetahs were also less likely to stop in areas where livestock numbers were high, but more likely to stop in areas that were frequently used by livestock. The latter could reflect that cheetahs are attracted to livestock however, cheetahs in the study area rarely predated on livestock. It is therefore more likely that areas that are frequently used by livestock attract wild herbivores, which in turn could influence cheetah space use. We did not find any effects of people and livestock on cheetahs’ speed and turn angles which might be related to the resolution of the data. We found that cheetahs are sensitive to human pressures and we believe that they could be an indicator species for other large carnivores facing similar challenges. We suggest that further research is needed to determine the levels of anthropogenic pressures needed to maintain ecological integrity, especially inside wildlife areas.
Hydrodynamic Performance of Autonomous Underwater Gliders with Active Twin Undulatory Wings of Different Aspect Ratios

The propulsive performance of a bio-inspired autonomous underwater glider (AUG) with active twin undulatory wings undergoing undulatory motion was investigated by numerically solving the viscous incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, coupled with the immersed boundary method. The aspect ratio (AR) effects of the undulatory wings were studied. The simulation results showed that with the increase of AR, the thrust force generated by the active twin undulatory wings showed a linear growth, while the propulsion efficiency of the AUG increased to the peak and then decreased. The optimum magnitude of AR around 2 was obtained in the current study. The vortex structures in the wake of the active twin wings are also presented and discussed. The conclusions acquired here could provide guidance for the new conceptual design of bio-inspired AUGs.
Antimicrobial profile of inducible clindamycin resistant strains of staphylococcus species

Introduction: The appearance of continuous resistant to multiple drugs among Staphylococci is a global burden due to its ability to cause severe infections. The selective use of drugs is necessary to overwhelm the situation. Taking in account present study was carried out to rule out true susceptibility of clindamycin towards staphylococcus species and its antimicrobial profile for judicial use of the drugs. Material and Methods: All the clinical samples received in the Department of microbiology were screened for Staphylococci as per standard guidelines which were further subjected to Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and D-test to detect MLSb phenotypes. Results: A total of 421 Staphylococcus species, 359(85.3%) were Staphylococcus aureus and 62(14.8%) were Coagulase negative Staphylococci; among them 42(10%) were Staphylococcus epidermidis& 20(4.8%) were Staphylococcus saprophyticus. D-test for S.aureus shows that 173(48.2%) inducible Clindamycin resistant, 113(31.5%) strains were constitutive MLSb phenotypes and 58(16.2%) strains shown to have MSb phenotypes. Among CoNS; among Staphylococcus epidermidis and S.saprophyticus 9.5% & 5% were Inducible Clindamycin resistance, 38.1% & 85% were constitutive MLSb phenotypes and 28.6%& 10% were MSb phenotypes respectively. All the isolates were sensitive to Linezolid, Vancomycin and Ceftaroline. Conclusion: Inducible clindamycin resistant strains of Staphylococci found to be among half of the strains, indicating that true susceptibility of clindamycin should be rule out on routine basis for proper institution of the therapy. Keywords: Staphylococci, MLSb phenotypes, AST.
Biophysical Mechanisms of Rhythm Generation in the Pre-Bötzinger Complex

The pre-Bötzinger complex (pre-BötC) is an essential rhythmogenic brainstem nucleus located in the ventrolateral medulla. Rhythmic output from the pre-BötC is relayed through premotor and motor neurons to the diaphragm and intercostal muscles to drive the active inspiratory phase of breathing. The specific biophysical mechanisms responsible for generating rhythmic bursting and network synchronization are not well understood and remain a highly debated topic within the field. Through extensive experimental and theoretical work two plausible rhythmogenic mechanisms have emerged. One mechanism is based on a slowly inactivating persistent sodium current (INaP) and the other on a calcium activated non-selective cation current (ICAN) that is coupled to intracellular calcium transients. Despite this effort, the specific role of these two mechanisms in rhythm generation and the source(s) of intracellular calcium transients remains unclear. This thesis addresses these challenges by first systematically investigating the role of INaP, ICAN and two general sources of intracellular calcium transients in a biophysically based model of pre-BötC neurons. The results show that simulated blockade of ICAN in a heterogeneous population of excitatory neurons produces a large reduction in network amplitude, when CaSyn is the primary source of intracellular calcium. Furthermore, activation of ICAN by CaSyn functions as a mechanism to amplify the inspiratory drive potential and recruit follower neurons. The results of these simulations are quantitatively consistent with experimental data. This study suggests that rhythm generation in the pre-BötC arises from a group of INaP dependent pacemaker neurons which form a rhythmogenic kernel. Output from these neurons triggers postsynaptic calcium transients, ICAN activation, and subsequent membrane depolarization, which drives bursting in follower neurons. The second part of this thesis explores the use of optogenetics to probe mechanisms of rhythm generation within the pre-BötC. This was accomplished by incorporating the light activated hyperpolarizing and depolarizing channels, Archaerhodopsin-3 and Channelrhodopsin-2, respectively, into the model developed in the first part of the thesis. The results of these simulations are consistent with available experimental data and provide testable mechanism-specific predictions to guide future optogenetic experiments.
SOIL LAYERS IN MIRES: FUNCTION AND TERMINOLOGY

Summary Two recent North American soil classification schemes embodying criteria for distinguishing layers in mire soils are criticised as being artificial and unrelated to function. In these soils, the most important functional processes are hydrological. The two-layer hypothesis of K. E. Ivanov, involving a set of hydrological differences and associated biological characteristics, is accordingly advocated as a basis for a natural scheme of layering, in which a surface layer, the ‘active layer’, is distinguished from the ‘inert layer’ below. Since both expressions are deemed inadmissible, it is suggested that the upper layer be termed the acrotelm and the lower layer the catotelm. A two-layered mire soil should be termed diplotelmic and one without an acrotelm, haplotelmic. Basic definitions for all 4 terms are provided. Possible applications to eroded or reclaimed mires are briefly discussed.
A single microRNA-Hox gene module controls complex movement in morphologically-distinct developmental forms of Drosophila

Movement is the main output of the nervous system. It emerges during development to become a highly coordinated physiological process essential to the survival and adaptation of the organism to the environment. Similar movements can be observed in morphologically-distinct developmental stages of an organism, but it is currently unclear whether these movements have a common or diverse molecular basis. Here we explore this problem in Drosophila focusing on the roles played by the microRNA (miRNA) locus miR-iab4/8 which was previously shown to be essential for the fruit fly larva to correct its orientation if turned upside down (self-righting) (Picao-Osorio et al., 2015). Our study shows that miR-iab4 is required for normal self-righting across all three Drosophila larval stages. Unexpectedly, we also discover that this miRNA is essential for normal self-righting behaviour in the Drosophila adult, an organism with radically different morphological and neural constitution. Through the combination of gene-expression, optical imaging and quantitative behavioural approaches we provide evidence that miR-iab4 exerts its effects on adult self-righting behaviour through repression of the Hox gene Ultrabithorax (Ubx) (Morgan, 1923; Sánchez-Herrero et al., 1985) in a specific set of motor neurons that innervate the adult Drosophila leg. Our results show that this miRNA-Hox module affects the function, rather than the morphology of motor neurons and indicate that post-developmental changes in Hox gene expression can modulate behavioural outputs in the adult. Altogether our work reveals that a common miRNA-Hox genetic module can control complex movement in morphologically-distinct organisms and describes a novel post-developmental role of the Hox genes in adult neural function.
PIK3CA in KrasG12D/Trp53R172H Tumor Cells Promotes Immune Evasion by Limiting Infiltration of T Cells in a Model of Pancreatic Cancer

The presence of tumor-infiltrating T cells is associated with favorable patient outcomes, yet most pancreatic cancers are immunologically silent and resistant to currently available immunotherapies. Here we show using a syngeneic orthotopic implantation model of pancreatic cancer that Pik3ca regulates tumor immunogenicity. Genetic silencing of Pik3ca in KrasG12D/Trp53R172H-driven pancreatic tumors leads to infiltration of T cells, complete tumor regression, and 100% survival of immunocompetent host mice. By contrast, Pik3ca-null tumors implanted in T cell-deficient mice progress and kill all of the animals. Adoptive transfer of tumor antigen-experienced T cells eliminates Pik3ca-null tumors in immunodeficient mice. Loss of PIK3CA or inhibition of its effector, AKT, increases the expression of MHC Class I and CD80 on tumor cells. These changes contribute to the increased susceptibility of Pik3ca-null tumors to T cell surveillance. These results indicate that tumor cell PIK3CA-AKT signaling limits T cell recognition and clearance of pancreatic cancer cells. Strategies that target this pathway may yield an effective immunotherapy for this cancer. SIGNIFICANCE PIK3CA-AKT signaling in pancreatic cancer cells limits T cell infiltration and clearance of tumors by suppressing the surface expression of MHC Class I and CD80. Targeting the PIK3CA-AKT pathway in tumor cells provides a new avenue for discovery of novel pancreatic cancer immunotherapies.
Evidence on search costs under hyperinflation in Brazil: The effect of Plano Real

Plano Real put an end to hyperinflation in 1994 and significantly altered price-setting behavior in Brazil. This paper investigates the impact of Plano Real on search frictions. We estimate a nonsequential search model for homogeneous goods to structurally retrieve consumers' search costs. The dataset comprises 11,673 store-level price quotes collected from 1993 to 1995 by FIPE to calculate the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the city of São Paulo. The strategy consists of using Plano Real as a structural breakpoint in the data. We estimate the model splitting the data into before (Jan-93 to Jun-94) and after (Aug-94 to Dec-95) the plan, and we find evidence on first-order stochastic dominance of the search-cost distribution of the former into the latter; that is, search costs are higher during hyperinflation. The majority of consumers search only once or twice before buying an item, but this share is marginally higher during hyperinflation (84% vs 79%). In addition, after Plano Real, a larger share of consumers are willing to quote prices in all stores before committing to a purchase. We also document evidence of the effect of the plan on shrinking price-cost margins. When searching is less costly, stores lose market power.
Estimación de parámetros entransformadores monofásicos empleandomedidas de tensión y corriente

En este artículo se presenta una metodología para la estimación de parámetros en transformadores de distribuciónconsiderando medidas de tensión y corriente mediante un modelo matemático de programación no lineal (PNL). Este modelo de programación es desarrollado a través de la aplicación de las leyes de Kirchhoff al modelo del circuitoequivalente del transformador. Para resolver el modelo de PNL resultante se emplea el sistema de modelado algebraicogeneral conocido como GAMS. La metodología de optimización propuesta se desarrolla a manera de tutorial conun ejemplo de implementación el cual corresponde a un transformador monofásico de 20 kVA y una relación detransformación de 8000/240 V. Los resultados numéricos muestran que la estimación paramétrica en transformadoresmediante el modelo de PNL propuesto representa adecuadamente el comportamiento eléctrico de estos dispositivosen relación consu funcionamiento para diferentes escenarios de carga a los que se encuentren sometidos. Todas lassimulaciones fueron realizadas con la versión 25.1. 3 de GAMS licenciado por la Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar
Level of stress hormones in American mink with an evaluated behavioral profile based on an empathic test

The aim of the study was to assess the level of stress hormones (cortisol and testosterone) in the blood of minks with a known behavioral profile based on the empathic test. The research was conducted on 100 one-year-old American mink (Neovison vison) females. The empathic test was performed according to the method described by Malmkvist and Hansen (2002) in triplicate with a two-week pause between tests. The test consisted of inserting a wooden stick into the living space of the animal. Animals were classified into four behavioral profiles: aggressive, curious, fearful and neutral. In the evaluation of stress level, the levels of testosterone and cortisol in postmortem blood were determined. Blood levels of testosterone (ng/ml) and cortisol (ng/ml) were determined by the ELFA method (Enzyme Linkes Fluorescent Assay). It has been shown that the behavioral profile of mink had no significant effect on the levels of testosterone and cortisol in the mink blood. Cortisol levels were similar in animals from all four behavioral profiles (40.6 to 46.0 ng / ml). The lowest level of testosterone was found in animals evaluated in the empathic test as aggressive and fearful (0.056 ng/ml and 0.071 ng/ml, respectively). Post mortem sampling reduces the effect of stress resulting from the blood collection itself, but the results of the study indicate that the determination of stress hormone levels in postmortem blood was a non-differentiating characteristic in the context of their behavioral profile.
Simulating interactions between topography, permafrost, and vegetation in Siberian larch forest

In eastern Siberia, topography controls the abundance of the larch forest via both drought and flooding stresses. For the reconstruction of these topographical effects, we modified a dynamic vegetation model to represent soil water relocation owing to within-grid heterogeneity of elevation, over-wet-kill of trees, and air temperature differences within-grid. After calibration, the model reasonably reconstructed the geographical distributions of observation-based-estimates of fundamental properties of plant productivity and thermo-hydrology. Thus, the model appropriately responded to environmental gradients in eastern Siberia. The modified model also partially reconstructed the topography control on tree abundance and thermo-hydrology status in eastern Siberia, although its geographical distribution was not always good. In the modified model, soil water redistribution increased the risk of over-wet-kill in lower elevation classes, whereas it reduced the risk of over-wet-kill for larch trees in higher elevation classes. We demonstrated that without considering the latter effect, forest collapse due to over-wet stress would happen throughout eastern Siberia under a forecasted climatic condition during the 21st century, which will deliver a much moister environment throughout eastern Siberia. Therefore, modeling the over-wet-kill of trees without considering topographical heterogeneity would result in the overestimation of forest collapse caused by the over-wet-kill of trees under an expected climate trend in eastern Siberia.
TiSr antisite: An abundant point defect in SrTiO3

We present a systematic study of the positron lifetime as a function of measurement temperature in strontium titanate ( SrTiO 3) single crystals grown in different conditions and by different synthesis methods. We combine our experimental results with state-of-the-art theoretical calculations of positron annihilation parameters. We find that the essentially omnipresent 180–190 ps lifetime component is most likely the Ti Sr antisite defect, possibly coupled with one or more oxygen vacancies, supporting the importance of the Ti Sr antisite related defects in SrTiO 3.
Effect of Nutrient Solution Concentration on Yield and Quality of Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii bolus ex hooker f.) under Polyhouse in Southern Hills (Shevaroy)

Gerbera is used as cut flower in many countries and has gained popularity as an ornamental flower and is in great demand in the floral industry. A polyhouse experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Yercaud during 2010–11 to assess the fertigation levels on cut Gerbera cv. Palm Beach along with micro nutrients and humic acid as foliar spray under in Shevaroy hills. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with two replications. The treatments consisted of three level of fertigation regimes (125, 100 and 75% of recommended dose of fertilizer), foliar spray of micronutrient mixture (0.004%) and humic acid (0.2%). The results revealed that the morphological parameters namely, plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, plant spread, suckers number and plant density had progressive increase at different stages of plant growth at 100% RDF + 0.004% MN Mixture + 0.2% humic acid (T11) while, the treatment T12 (75% RDF + 0.004% MN mixture + 0.2% humic acid) had induced the first flowering. The treatment T11 (100% RDF + 0.004% MN mixture + 0.2% humic acid) recorded the highest flower yield, longest flower stalk length, flower stalk girth and largest flower diameter. The outcome of the treatment may recommended for commercial cultivation of cut gerbera.
"Reflexões Biogeográficas acerca da origem, hipóteses, dispersão e distribuição dos Sars-CoV-2 (Corona Vírus)"

A presenca dos virus no Planeta Terra e anterior a nossa existencia. Virus sao seres parasitas, e sua sobrevivencia depende de outro ser vivo, como tambem sua dispersao so ocorre mediante a circulacao do hospedeiro. A Biogeografia e a ciencia que estuda a distribuicao dos seres vivos, no entanto, raros sao os estudos que vinculam esta ciencia com a dinâmica de difusao destes microrganismos. O presente artigo objetiva-se estabelecer uma reflexao acerca dos principais conceitos da Biogeografia, a fim de entender a pandemia do Sars-Cov-2, avancando a discussao para uma possivel “Biogeografia dos Virus”. A partir do metodo analitico descritivo, tres fases de disseminacao viral do Sars-Cov-2 sao discutidas, abrangendo origem, dispersao e distribuicao global, no periodo de dezembro de 2019 a maio de 2020. Primeira fase, Centro de Origem na China Continental com dispersao progressiva viral na Asia. Segunda fase, dada a rede fluxos globais (aviacao), ocorre a geracao de epicentros na Europa Ocidental e EUA, com ampla dispersao viral, iniciando a globalizacao do virus. Terceira fase, carater pandemico com distribuicao global, controle interno da China e dispersao terrestre a partir dos epicentros intercontinentais, na Europa, EUA, Oriente Medio, Brasil e Russia. A incorporacao da dinâmica viral na Biogeografia reforca o papel do homem como hospedeiro, pertencente a uma biocenose, que dita padroes de distribuicao espacial os quais associam a relacao homem e natureza, no contexto do avanco tecnologico.