Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zinc excess increases cellular demand for iron and decreases tolerance to copper in Escherichia coli

Transition metals serve as an important class of micronutrients that are indispensable for bacterial physiology but are cytotoxic when they are in excess. Bacteria have developed exquisite homeostatic systems to control the uptake, storage, and efflux of each of biological metals and maintain a thermodynamically balanced metal quota. However, whether the pathways that control the homeostasis of different biological metals cross-talk and render cross-resistance or sensitivity in the host-pathogen interface remains largely unknown. Here, we report that zinc (Zn) excess perturbs iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) homeostasis in Escherichia coli, resulting in increased Fe and decreased Cu levels in the cell. Gene expression analysis revealed that Zn excess transiently up-regulates Fe-uptake genes and down-regulates Fe-storage genes and thereby increases the cellular Fe quota. In vitro and in vivo protein-DNA binding assays revealed that the elevated intracellular Fe poisons the primary Cu detoxification transcription regulator CueR, resulting in dysregulation of its target genes copA and cueO and activation of the secondary Cu detoxification system CusSR-cusCFBA. Supplementation with the Fe chelator 2,2′-dipyridyl (DIP) or with the reducing agent GSH abolished the induction of cusCFBA during Zn excess. Consistent with the importance of this metal homeostatic network in cell physiology, combined metal treatment, including simultaneously overloading cells with both Zn (0.25 mm) and Cu (0.25 mm) and sequestering Fe with DIP (50 μm), substantially inhibited E. coli growth. These results advance our understanding of bacterial metallobiology and may inform the development of metal-based antimicrobial regimens to manage infectious diseases.
A Multi-Speaker System for Arabic Speech Perception

This paper presents a new generalized system for the Arabic speech recognition based on 3-layer integrated neural networks consisting of control network and several sub-networks. The segmentation technique is accounted to minimize the selected features, and consequently, the computational time effort. The back propagation and the linear predictive coding bases are considered in the tested multi-speaker system. The proposed concept is applied for words representing the digits. The recognition rate is quite accurate, and so it is recommended to be used in the software suitable for Arabic speech recognition. The multi-speaker signals are tested and trained for recognition. They were classified into three groups as male, female and children groups. The effect of number of nodes in the hidden layer of the neural network on the rate of recognition is investigated.
The Insect Circulatory System: Structure, Function, and Evolution.

Although the insect circulatory system is involved in a multitude of vital physiological processes, it has gone grossly understudied. This review aims to highlight this critical physiological system by detailing the structure and function of the circulatory organs, including the dorsal heart and the accessory pulsatile organs that supply hemolymph to the appendages. It also emphasizes how the circulatory system develops and ages and how, by means of reflex bleeding and functional integration with the immune system, it supports mechanisms for defense against predators and microbial invaders, respectively. Beyond that, this review details evolutionary trends and novelties associated with this system, as well as the ways in which this system also plays critical roles in thermoregulation and tracheal ventilation in high-performance fliers. Finally, this review highlights how novel discoveries could be harnessed for the control of vector-borne diseases and for translational medicine, and it details principal knowledge gaps that necessitate further investigation. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Entomology, Volume 65 is January 7, 2020. Please see http://www.annualreviews. org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
Pediatric ganglioglioma of the brainstem and cervicomedullary junction: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE Ganglioglioma is a low-grade central nervous system neoplasm with a pediatric predominance, accounting for 10% of all brain tumors in children. Gangliogliomas of the cervicomedullary junction (GGCMJs) and brainstem (GGBSs) present a host of management challenges, including a significant risk of surgical morbidity. At present, understanding of the prognostic factors-including BRAF V600E status-is incomplete. Here, the authors report a single-institution GGCMJ and GGBS experience and review the pertinent literature. METHODS A prospectively maintained neurosurgical database at a large tertiary care academic referral center was retrospectively queried for cases of GGCMJ pathologically confirmed in the period from 1995 to 2015; appropriate cases were defined by diagnosis codes and keywords. Secondary supplemental chart review was conducted to confirm or capture relevant data. The primary study outcome was treatment failure as defined by evidence of radiographic recurrence or progression and/or clinical or functional decline. A review of the literature was conducted as well. RESULTS Five neurosurgically managed GGBS patients were identified, and the neoplasms in 4 were classified as GGCMJ. All 5 patients were younger than 18 years old (median 15 years, range 4-16 years) and 3 (60%) were female. One patient underwent gross-total resection, 2 underwent aggressive subtotal resection (STR), and 2 underwent stereotactic biopsy only. All patients who had undergone STR or biopsy required repeat resection for tumor control or progression. Progressive disease was treated with radiotherapy in 2 patients, chemotherapy in 2, and chemoradiotherapy alone in 1. Immunostaining for BRAF V600E was positive in 3 patients (60%). All 5 patients experienced at least one major complication, including wound infection, foot drop, hemiparesis, quadriparesis, cranial neuropathy, C2-3 subluxation, syringomyelia, hydrocephalus, aspiration, and coma. Overall mortality was 20%, with 1 death observed over 11 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS GGBS and GGCMJ are rare, benign posterior fossa tumors that carry significant perioperative morbidity. Contemporary management strategies are heterogeneous and include combinations of resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The BRAF V600E mutation is frequently observed in GGBS and GGCMJ and appears to have both prognostic and therapeutic significance with targeted biological agents.
Kinetochore-associated Stu2 promotes chromosome biorientation in vivo

Accurate segregation of chromosomes to daughter cells is a critical aspect of cell division. It requires the kinetochores on duplicated chromosomes to biorient, attaching to microtubules from opposite poles of the cell. Bioriented attachments come under tension, while incorrect attachments lack tension and must be released to allow proper attachments to form. A well-studied error correction pathway is mediated by the Aurora B kinase, which destabilizes low tension-bearing attachments. We recently discovered that in vitro, kinetochores display an additional intrinsic tension-sensing pathway that utilizes Stu2. The contribution of kinetochore-associated Stu2 to error correction in cells, however, was unknown. Here, we identify a Stu2 mutant that abolishes its kinetochore function and show that it causes biorientation defects in vivo. We also show that this Stu2-mediated pathway functions together with the Aurora B-mediated pathway. Altogether, our work indicates that cells employ multiple pathways to ensure biorientation and the accuracy of chromosome segregation.
Analysing forward-looking statements in initial public offering prospectuses: a text analytics approach

ABSTRACT Forward-looking statements (FLSs) have informational value in applications such as predicting stock prices. Management Discussion & Analysis (MD&A) sections in initial public offering (IPO) prospectuses contain FLSs that provide prospective information about the company’s future growth and performance. This study focuses on evaluating the relationship between features extracted from FLSs and IPO valuation. To that end, we propose an analytical pipeline for identifying FLSs using machine learning techniques. The FLS classifier is built on the best performing deep learning architecture that outperforms extant methods reported in related studies. In order to demonstrate the value of identified FLSs, we conduct predictive analysis of pre-IPO price revisions and post-IPO first-day returns. We engineer a variety of linguistics features from FLSs including topics, sentiments, readability, semantic similarity, and general text features. The study finds that FLS features are more predictive for pre-IPO as compared to post-IPO valuation prediction. The analytical pipeline contributes to the text classification knowledge base while the findings from the predictive analysis shed light on understanding the underpricing phenomenon occurring in the IPO process.
Metodologías y herramientas emergentes para contribuir con la calidad del software

RESUMEN Este proyecto es una continuación de los proyectos F07-2009 y F10-2013, ambos enfocados en modelos, métodos y herramientas para la calidad del software. En esta propuesta se abordarán temas emergentes en el área de la calidad de software, en particular, aspectos vinculados con la gestión cuantitativa de proyectos y entrega continua en entornos ágiles buscando promover y/o generar métodos y herramientas que contribuyan a mejorar la calidad del proceso y del producto software. Una vía para la obtención de un producto software de calidad tanto en el desarrollo como en el mantenimiento es una apropiada gestión de la asignación de los pedidos de cambio al RRHH más apropiado. Si esto se combina con una medición de los atributos que permiten tener una medida de la calidad, es posible brindar a los responsables de los proyectos de desarrollo de software una poderosa herramienta para la mejora de la calidad del mismo. Por otro lado, se está trabajando en el desarrollo de procedimientos para la gestión de las actividades de prueba continua en la disciplina de entrega continua. Esto incluye el análisis comparado de las herramientas actuales de entrega continua y la evaluación de sus características. Se continúa con métodos cuantitativos para estimar esfuerzo de desarrollo y se atiende la problemática de la eficiencia de los sistemas en organismos públicos, mediante la trazabilidad y el enfoque de procesos de negocios. Palabras clave: calidad de software, gestión cuantitativa, entrega continua.
A Hardware-in-the-Loop Realization of a Robust Discrete-Time Current Control of PMa-SynRM for Aerospace Vehicle Applications

The hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) realization platform significantly supports the advance of control techniques in secure, precise, and low-cost design. Innovative control techniques are anticipated to ensure aerospace vehicle drive controllability. This paper presents a novel robust discrete-time (RDT) predictive current control (PCC) strategy of a permanent-magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance motor (PMa-SynRM) implemented using the HIL tool and the experimental setup. The proposed RDT controller has a discrete-time integral term added to the conventional deadbeat (DB) current predictive control to improve the robustness and stability of the current control. The PMa-SynRM mathematical model with parameter uncertainties is theoretically derived. Conventional PCC techniques are constructed utilizing the DB framework. Although this controller has a good dynamic response, it still suffers from unmodeled transient changes as well as parametric motor uncertainties. A 6-kW PMa-SynRM machine drive system is built and tested using DS1104 R&D Controller Board. Typhoon HIL is used to emulate the PMa-SynRM and the inverter connected to a dSPACE MicroLabBox. The performance of the proposed RDT technique is assessed and compared with traditional DB using the HIL and experimental results under different speed commands, electrical and mechanical motor parameters variations, and rated speed reversal conditions.
Physical activity of soldiers in the Polish Armed Force’s military administration units and special units

Summary Study aim: To determine physical activity levels of soldiers in military administration units and special units. Material and methods: The research included 58 military administration soldiers (male) and 45 special unit soldiers. The average age of the military administration soldiers was 45.2 ± 5.54 years, whereas in the case of special unit soldiers it was 31.4 ± 4.40 years. The research tool employed was the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), long version, last 7 days. Results: According to the adopted criteria, all special unit soldiers and 41.4% of the military administration soldiers were assigned a high level of physical activity (p<0.001). Of the researched soldiers in the military administrative units, 29.3% were assigned to the adequate level and 29.3% were assigned to the inadequate level. One in two soldiers from military administration units does not participate in mandatory physical education classes nor do they compensate for the shortage of physical activity in their leisure time. Conclusions: Definite steps should be taken regarding broadly based promotion of health and physical activity among Polish Armed Forces soldiers.
Use of Oral Corticosteroids and Risk of Fractures

Treatment with oral corticosteroids is known to decrease bone density but there are few data on the attendant risk of fracture and on the reversibility of this risk after cessation of therapy. A retrospective cohort study was conducted in a general medical practice setting in the United Kingdom (using data from the General Practice Research Database [GPRD]). For each oral corticosteroid user aged 18 years or older, a control patient was selected randomly, who was matched by age, sex, and medical practice. The study comprised 244,235 oral corticosteroid users and 244,235 controls. The average age was 57.1 years in the oral corticosteroid cohort and 56.9 years in the control cohort. In both cohorts 58.6% were female. The most frequent indication for treatment was respiratory disease (40%). The relative rate of nonvertebral fracture during oral corticosteroid treatment was 1.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29–1.38), that of hip fracture 1.61 (1.47–1.76), that of forearm fracture 1.09 (1.01–1.17), and that of vertebral fracture 2.60 (2.31–2.92). A dose dependence of fracture risk was observed. With a standardized daily dose of less than 2.5 mg prednisolone, hip fracture risk was 0.99 (0.82–1.20) relative to control, rising to 1.77 (1.55–2.02) at daily doses of 2.5–7.5 mg, and 2.27 (1.94–2.66) at doses of 7.5 mg or greater. For vertebral fracture, the relative rates were 1.55 (1.20–2.01), 2.59 (2.16–3.10), and 5.18 (4.25–6.31), respectively. All fracture risks declined toward baseline rapidly after cessation of oral corticosteroid treatment. These results quantify the increased fracture risk during oral corticosteroid therapy, with greater effects on the hip and spine than forearm. They also suggest a rapid offset of this increased fracture risk on cessation of therapy, which has implications for the use of preventative agents against bone loss in patients at highest risk.
Economic evaluation of drug resistance genotyping for the adaptation of treatment in HIV-infected patients in the VIRADAPT study.

BACKGROUND: Costs of antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected patients have increased at a time when most countries are attempting to contain health care costs. Part of this increase results from HIV drug resistance associated with virologic failure and a subsequent shift to more complex and costly therapies. Genotypic guided treatment is associated with better virologic outcome. However, it is not yet known whether it will be cost effective. METHODS: We present here an economic evaluation based on the results from the VIRADAPT study, a prospective, open-label, randomized trial comparing patients assigned to standard of care (n = 43), versus genotypic guided treatment (n = 64) for 6 months. Total follow-up for the extended trial was 1 year. Costs were computed from the viewpoint of the health care system. Hospitalization data were retrieved from the VIRADAPT study case report forms, costs were estimated from the cost of the corresponding diagnosis-related groups derived from the French national cost data base: these were actual costs and not charges. Data on the volume of tests prescribed, drugs, and clinic visits were retrieved from the VIRADAPT study database. The unit costs of tests and clinic visits were determined using the French national Social Security reimbursement price; costing of drugs used were based upon purchase price by either retail pharmacies or hospitals. Genotyping using TruGene HIV-1 assay was estimated at $500 per test from manufacturer's data (all figures in this paper are expressed in U.S. dollars). RESULTS: Total mean (standard deviation) yearly costs per patients were $20,412 (+/-$10, 129) in the standard of care group and $18,484 (+/-$9,652) in the genotyping group (p =.35). Drug costs represented 55% of total costs. There was a trend toward a decrease in drug costs in the genotyping arm (p =.07), the greatest reduction being in the decreased use of protease inhibitors in the genotyping arm. The additional expense of genotyping appeared to be offset by the savings obtained in drug costs. CONCLUSION: In our study, the cost of drug resistance testing is offset by a reduced use of protease inhibitors and their attendant costs. Although not reaching statistical significance, this trend in the reduction of drug costs and drug use presents a great interest for future trials.
Wafer Map-based Defect Detection Using Convolutional Neural Networks

The Electrical die sorting (EDS) test is performed to discriminate defective wafers for the purpose of improving the yield of the wafers during the semiconductor manufacturing process, and wafer maps are generated as a result. Semiconductor manufacturing process and equipment engineers use the patterns of the wafer map based on their knowledge to judge the defective wafer and estimate the cause. We use convolutional neural network which demonstrate good performance in the image classification. The convolutional neural network is used as a classification model of which the image of wafer map itself as input and whether the image is good or bad as output. While previous studies have used hand-crafted features for wafer map-based fault detection, the methodology used in this study is that the convolutional neural network learns the features useful for classification, it has the advantage of integrating knowledge. We show that the proposed classifier has better prediction accuracy than the conventional machine learning based techniques such as multilayer perceptron and random forest empirically by experiments on the data collected in the actual semiconductor manufacturing process. †
Idiopathic thrombocytopenia in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Objective To determine the prevalence of asymptomatic idiopathic macrothrombocytopenia in the population of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) in New South Wales (NSW) and to determine if it exhibits an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. We also aimed to determine if significant differences existed when counting platelets manually, by auto analyser or by blood smear estimation in CKCS and mixed breed dogs. Methods Blood was collected from 172 dogs (152 CKCS and 20 mixed breed) and placed into sodium-citrate anticoagulant. Platelet counts were performed manually, by auto analyser and by blood smear estimates in CKCS and mixed breed dogs. Blood smears were also examined for platelet clumping and erythrocyte, leukocyte and platelet morphology. Pedigree analysis was performed to determine if an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern was supported. Results A statistically significant difference was found in platelet counts between CKCS and mixed breed dogs (P < 0.0001). CKCS had a platelet count that was 32% that of the controls (95% confidence interval, 28 to 37%). There was no significant difference between methods used to count platelets. Thirty percent of CKCS had macrothrombocytes. Pedigree analysis and examination of obtained and expected segregation ratios from 17 CKCS families supported an autosomal recessive pattern of Mendelian inheritance. Conclusions A high prevalence of idiopathic macrothrombocytopenia exists in CKCS in NSW and automated or blood smear estimates are sufficient to count platelet numbers. Data supports an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern.
Intrastromal Corneal Foreign Body – Case Series and Discussion on the Physics of Injury

Traumatic injury to the eye can occur due to various causes, most of which are avoidable. Here we report three cases of intrastromal corneal foreign bodies (FB) which required surgical removal. Most corneal FBs are removed easily at the slit lamp, however, these cases required surgical intervention due to the mechanism of which the FB penetrated into the stroma. Although the mechanism of injury was similar, with all three cases occurring at high velocity, we observed that the entry and level of penetration differed in each case. In the first case, the corneal FB penetrated the cornea and was embedded in the anterior stroma, whereas in the second case, the FB was embedded in the posterior stroma, but with an intact endothelium. In the third case, the FB caused a full thickness, self-sealed laceration wound but remained embedded in the stroma. Through further evaluation, we noted that several factors contribute towards the severity of the injury, namely, anatomy of the cornea, area affected, shape, size, mass and velocity of the object. We speak in depth about the mechanism of injury and physics associated with these injuries and why the penetration differed in each case.
Design of low power DTMOS based FCS and its notch filter application for ECG signals

In this study, p-MOSFETs in floating current source circuit are converted to dynamic threshold voltage MOSFET structure and a second order notch filter application is carried out by using the DTMOS based FCS circuit. The proposed model is simulated in LTSPICE simulator by using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company 0,18μm CMOS technology. DTMOS structure allows the operation of the circuit at lower power about 4,95nW. Operating frequency of notch filter consisting of the DTMOS-FCS circuit is set up to suppress the undesirable effects of power-line interference on the electrocardiograph signals.
A GaN-Based Synchronous Rectifier with Reduced Voltage Distortion for 6.78 MHz Wireless Power Applications

The call for a larger degree of engineering innovation grows as wireless power transfer increases in popularity. In this thesis, 6.78 MHz resonant wireless power transfer is explained. Challenges in WPT such as dynamic load variation and electromagnetic interference due to harmonic distortion are discussed, and a literature review is conducted to convey how the current state of the art is addressing these challenges. A GaN-based synchronous rectifier is proposed as a viable solution, and a model of the circuit is constructed. The precisely derived model is compared to a linearized model to illustrate the importance of exactness within the model derivation. The model is then used to quantify the design space of circuit parameters Lr and Cr with regard to harmonic distortion, input phase control, and efficiency. Practical design decisions concerning the 6.78 MHz system are explained. These include gate driver choice and mitigation of PCB parasitics. The model is verified with open loop experimentation using a linear power amplifier, FPGA, electronic load, and two function generators. Current zero-crossing sensing is then introduced in order to achieve self-regulation of both the switching frequency and input phase. The details