Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heart Rate Estimation From Facial Videos Using a Spatiotemporal Representation With Convolutional Neural Networks

Remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) is a kind of noncontact technique to measure heart rate (HR) from facial videos. As the demand for long-term health monitoring grows, rPPG attracts much attention from researchers. However, the performance of conventional rPPG methods is easily degenerated due to noise interference. Recently, some deep learning-based rPPG methods have been introduced and they revealed good performance against noise. In this article, we propose a new rPPG method with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to build a mapping between a spatiotemporal HR feature image to its corresponding HR value. The feature map is constructed in a time-delayed way with noise-contaminated pulse signals extracted from existing rPPG methods. The CNN model is trained using transfer learning where images built from synthetic rPPG signals are taken to train the model first in order to generate initials for the practical one. The synthetic rPPG signals are interpolated from blood volume pulses or electrocardiograms through a modified Akima cubic Hermite interpolation. The proposed method is tested in both within-database and cross-database configurations on public databases. The results demonstrate that our method achieves overall the best performance compared to some other typical rPPG methods. The mean absolute error reaches 5.98 beats per minute and the mean error rate percentage is 7.97% in the cross-database testing on MAHNOB-HCI data set. Besides, some key factors that affect the performance of our method are also discussed which indicates potential ways for further improvements.
Sanctions, short‐term mindsets, and delinquency: Reverse causality in a sample of high school youth

Purpose. We question the commonly assumed view of a ﬁxed causal ordering between self-control, delinquency, and sanctions and test the hypothesis that experiencing sanctions may reduce levels of self-control, thereby increasing the risk of future delinquent behaviour. As a subsidiary goal, we argue for a parsimonious view of self-control that is limited to its key components, risk-taking, and impulsivity. Methods. We use three waves of data from the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood into Adulthood (z-proso), an ongoing prospective longitudinal study of Swiss urban youth ( N = 1,197), and include police contacts and school sanctions as predictors of delinquency. We test our hypothesis using path analysis and control for a series of potential confounders, including prior levels of self-control and earlier delinquency. Results. In line with our hypothesis, the results indicate that sanctioning reduces levels of self-control, net of prior levels of self-control, and earlier delinquency and that self-control mediates the relation between sanctioning and subsequent delinquency. Conclusions. We conclude that the relation between self-control and crime may be bi-rather than unidirectional with sanctions reducing levels of self-control, which in turn contributes to criminal behaviour. Implications for theory are discussed.
Triploidy appeared in the Back-Cross Offspring from Funa-Carp Crossing

Although a considerable work has so far been done on fish hybrids by a number of ichthyologists in both scientific and practical interest, knowledge has remained meagre on the cytogenetic problems. Analyses of genetic systems by means of experimental hybridization have proved important for the understanding of cytotaxonomic difference of related forms. On the other hand, significant co-relationships between the geographical distribution and chromosomal polymorphism or polyploidism have been announced in fishes. Importance of experimental hybridization in fishes has been increasing for the critical consideration of species differentiation. The genus Carassius known by a common name of the Funa is a member of the Cyprinidae distributing in Japan, and subdivided into 5 subspecies according to Nakamura (1969) : Carassius auratus subsp. ; C. a. buergeri ; C. a. grandoculis ; C. a. langsdorl i ; and C. a. cuvieri. Two types of reproduction have been suggested in these subspecies : bisexual and gynogenesis. Kobayashi (1970, 1972, 1973) reported three chromosomal polymorphisms characterized by diploid, triploid and tetraploid forms in C. a. langsdorii. Diploid and triploid forms have been noted in C. a. buergeri (Kobayashi 1975). It has been shown that in gynogenetic forms, triploid eggs are activated by sperm from bisexual species, and that the paternal genome does not participate in the fertilization. Then the offspring possess the maternal genome only. Implicated in speciation, polyploidism and reproduction of the genus Carassius, the present authors have been dealing with some cytogenetic investigations in intergeneric hybrids between the Funa (Carassius auratus cuvieri) and the Carp (Cyprinus carpio) produced by experimental way. Materials and methods. When kept under a confined condition, the Funa (~) and the Carp (~) mated and produced hybrids (F1). Reciprocal crosses were also possible with similar results. The hy-
Algal cover and sea urchin spatial distribution at Madeira Island (NE Atlantic)

This study describes sea urchin spatial distribution in relation to environmental factors, and the relationship between Diadema antillarum density and algal abundance. Twenty-three transects around Madeira Island were surveyed by scuba divers, and sea urchin density and algal cover were determined in situ. Sampling sites along these transects were characterised in terms of distance from the tide line, water depth, substratum type, bottom declivity and water turbulence. Diadema antillarum was the dominant sea urchin species. Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula occurred at shallower depths (2-6 m), contrasting with the distribution of Sphaerechinus granularis , which occurs among D. antillarum (4-20 m). Surveys found two alternative types of communities on rocky shores: 1) a community with high algal cover and low numbers of sea urchins, along the north and south-west coasts and; 2) a community with little algal cover and high densities of sea urchins, along the south-east coast. Macroalgal cover and D. antillarum densities were inversely correlated (adjusted R 2 =75.6%; n = 429; p D. antillarum on rocky substrates. We propose a multiple non-linear regression model (using backward stepwise analysis) to explain D. antillarum abundance on the rocky shores: D. antillarum/m 2 (? )= 0.121 - 0.209 distance from shore (in m) (? ) + 2.052 water depth (in m) (? ) - 1.778 water turbulence level (? ) - 0.007 water turbulence level4 (? ); where ? indicates data are square-root transformed (adjusted R 2 = 60.99%; n = 454; p< 0.05).
Cultivated Fruit Body of Phellinus baumii: A Potentially Sustainable Antidiabetic Resource

Previous studies have been reported that the fruit body of wild Phellinus baumii alleviates diabetes, and antioxidants are beneficial to diabetes by protecting the β-cell from damage due to oxidative stress. Large-scale cultivation of P. baumii fruit body has been successful in the past decade. This paper aimed to investigate whether the fruit body of the cultivated P. baumii has the same analogical effects as the wild. The cultivated P. baumii fruit body was extracted by 80% of ethanol extracts, and different fractions were obtained with the successive use of petroleum ether, ethyl acetate (EtOAc), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and water, which yielded 15.98 ± 1.56, 1.74 ± 0.34, 3.31 ± 0.41, 4.12 ± 0.37, and 1.38 ± 0.26% extract recovery, respectively. Results show that the EtOAc fraction exhibits the highest inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase activity (IC50 = 49.05 ± 3.14 μg mL–1), which is an order of magnitude higher than the positive control (acarbose, IC50 = 645.73 ± 7.86 μg mL–1). It was mainly composed of phenolic compounds with a purity of 79.45% and characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry as osmudacetone, hispidin, davallialactone, 2,5-bis(4,7-dihydroxy-8-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-3-yl)cyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione, hypholomin B, and inoscavin A. Furthermore, the EtOAc fraction increased the glucose consumption of insulin-resistant HepG2 cells at a concentration range of 25–100 μg mL–1. The EtOAc fraction also demonstrated antioxidant activities by scavenging 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt, and hydroxyl radicals. In conclusion, the EtOAc fraction of the cultivated P. baumii fruit body exerted effective antidiabetic effects, possibly due to the high content of selective phenolic compounds. Hence, the cultivated fruit body of P. baumii can be a sustainable resource for treating diabetes, and our work also shed some light on its future utilization.
A 45-2500 MHz high efficiency power amplifier with novel adaptive bias technique

The adaptive bias technique is the common technology for improving the power-added efficiency (PAE) of the power amplifier (PA). However, the performance of the adaptive bias technique is sensitive to the frequency variation. This paper presents a novel adaptive bias as the common-source bias of the 45-2500 MHz CMOS PA, which combines the subthreshold PD to decrease the effect on frequency of adaptive bias technique and a unity gain amplifier to increase the detection sensitivity, for improving the PAE at back-off mode over the wide bandwidth. The proposed PA provides a good performance from 45 MHz to 2500 MHz, while the peak of the saturation output power is 24.02 dBm over the frequency band. Moreover, the maximum PAE achieves 44.61 % at 500 MHz and the PAE is larger than 28.48 % at 3 dB back-off power. The chip size of the broadband PA achieves 1.87 mm 2 at TSMC 0.18 um technology process. It draws 200 mA from 3.3 V supply voltage.
Formation of the Primitive Streak and Mesoderm Cells in Mouse Embryos—Detailed Scanning Electron Microscopical Study

We describe morphological events of the mammalian gastrulation in pre‐ to middle‐primitive‐streakstage mouse embryos by using scanning electron microscopy. The first sign of the ingression of the mesodermal cells was disruption of the epithelial structure of ectoderm and the underlying basal lamina, thus forming a semicircular area of the presumptive primitive streak. Then, cells at periphery of the semicircular region spread on the basal lamina by extending many filopodia to it. The majority of the migrating cells formed a loosely arranged cell sheet. We found solitary cells and isolated small groups of cells migrating away from the periphery of the cell sheet. These cells were well spread on the basal lamina, and had large cell processes and many filopodia in the direction of cell migration. Filopodia of these cells were attached to the basal lamina or a meshwork of the extracellular fibrils. These observations suggest that the extracellular matrix serves as the substratum for cell adhesion and migration, and plays an important role in the mammalian gastrulation.
Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Growth Performance and Survival Rate in a Clonal Test of Peronema canescens

Quantitative genetic parameters were estimated for three characters that are important to timber production and survival of Peronema canescens planted in West Java and Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Significant clonal variation was detected for tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and survival rate among 150 clones of P . canescens by age of four years. Clonal survival rates were, on average, 47.8 % in West Java and 29.2 % in Central Kalimantan. The averages of tree height and DBH in Central Kalimantan were higher than those in West Java (4.71 m vs. 1.30 m in height and 8.73 cm vs. 1.72 cm in DBH). Tree height growth was significantly correlated with DBH growth whereas rank correlation of growth trait between sites was weak and non-significant. Highly significant differences in height, DBH growth and survival were observed among sites and between clones. The broad sense heritability was estimated separately in each site which was shown to be under moderate genetic control. Expected genetic response was estimated as a percentage of test mean in tree height and DBH growth after one generation of selection. The genetic response for tree height was expected to be 11.5 % in Java and 12.8 % in Kalimantan when the best 50% of superior clones were selected and used in a planting program. This result suggests that genetic improvement of growth traits through clone selection in P . canescens would be possible. The genetic gain could result in substantial returns if a large planting program would be developed.
Isolation of Neoanisatin Derivatives from the Pericarps of Illicium majus with Other Constituents.

Further studies on the constituents of Illicium majus have resulted in the isolation of five new neoanisatin derivatives and two known phytoquinoides together with two known neolignans. Two of the neoanisatin derivatives are 1-hydroxyl, which are the first examples isolated anisatin derivatives so far. Another one, 2-oxoneoanisatin, exhibited picrotoxin-like convulsions in mice, the same as anisatin. THe otehr two 3, 4-dehydroxy-2-oxoneoanisatin isomers could not be separated from each other, even with high performance liquid chromatography.
New Strawberry Cultivar ‘Yan Xiang’

‘Yan Xiang’is a new strawberry cultivar bred from the cross of ‘Nyoho’×‘Darselect’. The fruit is cone-shaped and uniform.The average fruit weight is 33 g and the largest fruit weight is 54 g. It has good color,excellent flavor,high firmness,bright luster,high yield and resistance to disease. And it's ripening dates is in early-mid Juanuary in the greenhouse.
Physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of bee pollen collected in Tuzla Canton (B&H)

The aim of this research was to evaluate bee pollen load samples collected in Tuzla Canton regarding physicochemical composition and antioxidant properties, with relation to collecting area and time of collection. Bee pollen load samples were collected in two periods: March/April and May/June at 13 locations, dried and analysed for protein, free fat, ash, moisture, total polyphenol and total flavonoid content, and antioxidant properties. The results showed that bee pollen collected in March/April had lower content of proteins, but higher content of total polyphenols and higher antioxidant activity, while total flavonoid content was not influenced by collection period. The location had significant influence on bee pollen properties.
Programmed death theory revised with artificial evolution

In this paper we revise the Weismann’s idea of aging and death as adaptive traits. First, we analyse the adaptation process to changing environment of isolated populations (species) having different lifetime and show, that short lifetime may have adaptive value at a population level. Next, we use a Markov chain to model a competition between individuals in a finite population. We derive a condition for equilibrium in the population and explain why the long-lived individuals usually dominate the population. As far as the model reflects reality, our conclusion is that though not impossible, it would require an extraordinary environment for programmed death to be stable adaptive trait.
Biocompatible conjugation for biodegradable hydrogels as drug and cell scaffolds

Abstract Biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogels have many different applications in the field of biomedicine. The hydrogels could be utilized as drug carriers and cell scaffolds for drug delivery and tissue engineering. The hydrogels are appealing scaffolds because they are structurally similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues, which can often be delivered in a minimally invasive manner. A major issue in the use of a hydrogel scaffold is that the establishment of a biomimic environment is necessary for engineered tissue survival. In tissue engineering, there is significant interest in exploiting biocompatible conjugation to construct mimics of ECM for cells culture applications. Recently, a variety of crosslinking strategies have been developed for the fabrication of hydrogels, which are based on an affinity interaction, ionic interaction, electrostatic interaction, hydrophobic interaction, hydrogen bonding, crystallinity and covalent conjugation. This review will discuss recent advances in the field of biodegradable hydrogels crosslinked via biocompatible conjugation, including both physical and covalent crosslinking, which can be potentially used as drug and cell scaffolds in regenerative medicine applications.
Phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant study of Magnolia vine, Muntingia calabura, and Alangium salviifolium fruits

Objective: This study was undertaken to investigate the antioxidant activity of methanolic extract of Schisandra (magnolia vine) (MEMV), Muntingia calabura (MEMC), and Alangium salviifolium (MEAS) fruits. Materials and Methods: Rindless fruits were subjected to treatment with pure methanol in a sufficient quantity at room temperature for a period of one week with intermittent shaking. The resultant extract then underwent double filtration, first through a cotton plug and then through Whatman filters paper No. 1. Evaporation under reduced pressure was carried out on the filtrate to get a dark green viscous mass which was stored till use at 4°C. Hydroxyl radical (OH) scavenging activity determination of reducing power, lipid peroxidation induced by carbon tetrachloride, and inhibitory test on protein oxidative modification were carried out for evaluation of the antioxidant activity of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS fruits generated methanolic extract. Results: The inhibitory ratio of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS on albumin oxidative modification was as high as 78.94 at a concentration of 1000μg/ml that showed an increasing proportionality trend with concentration. The reducing power of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS increased with increasing concentration of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS. Conclusion: All the tested concentrations of MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS showed significant (P < 0.001) activity than control, the MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS (at all tested doses 100 μg, 200 μg, and 300 μg) significantly (P < 0.001) showed scavenging activity on OHs, which were generated by the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/H2O2 system, in comparison to control. A similar increase in percent scavenging of OH radicals by MEMV, MEMC, and MEAS was observed with an increase in dose.
From the jungle fowl to highly performing chickens: are we reaching limits?

SUMMARY The cumulated effects of domestication and subsequent selection by humans have led to impressive diversification of the chicken at the phenotypic as well as the genome level. In theory, selection may reach a plateau when all favourable alleles have reached fixation. Yet, current data for poultry show that the selection response can still take place after 50 generations or more. The mechanisms maintaining selection response in closed populations may involve recombination, mutation and epistatic interactions. Furthermore, the continuous addition of new selection criteria can delay the possible limits associated to single trait selection. Selection response is mainly threatened by inbreeding, which occurs as a consequence of a narrow genetic base and/or a poor management of variability within the population. Biological limits are encountered when selection degrades fitness traits to a point that the survival of individuals is affected. Biological limits induced by extreme performance can be by-passed by adapting the breeding programme, introducing new selection criteria, changing the management or developing remedial technologies. Extreme situations affecting bird welfare raise ethical issues. Lameness in broilers or spontaneous bone breakage in layers is painful and one may question whether such pain is justified by the human need for protein consumption. Regulations or market requirements may be set up to limit the performance at a level, which is compatible with animal welfare, resulting in a voluntary limit to selection. Furthermore, highly performing animals need a well-controlled environment with high quality diets, which may divert food resources from humans and may not be sustainable. Breeding objectives have to integrate environmental impact and robustness towards the use of alternative feed sources, in addition to production level, product quality, health and welfare status.
Is competition between mesocarp cells of peach fruits affected by the percentage of wild species (Prunus davidiana) genome

The number of cells and the mean cell volume in the mesocarps of fruits from peach genotypes with dif- ferent percentages of the genome of Prunus davidiana ,a wild, related, species, were evaluated. The mesocarp mass varied greatly between the four groups of genotypes. The mean cell volume and the number of cells were negatively correlated within each group. This correlation can be interpreted as a relationship of competition between cells. In order to describe the type of competition in the different groups, we tried to adjust a model of competition for resources proposed by Lescourret and Genard (Ecoscience 10:334-341, 2003). To estimate the values of the three parameters of the model for the different groups, we applied model selection. Within nested models, we iden- tified a single best model with six parameter values. This model was roughly accurate, but it allowed us to describe the general relationship for each group. The parameter values revealed a strong and under-compensating density- dependence effect for all groups. The percentage of P. davidiana genome appeared to influence the maximal number of cells and the strength of the competition, but no effect was found on the maximal mean volume of cells.
PRODUCCIÓN CIENTÍFICA Y TECNOLÓGICA NACIONAL Y PRESENCIA WEB DE INSTITUCIONES ACADÉMICAS EN IBEROAMÉRICA

El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar tres aspectos diferentes de la realidad cientifica y tecnologica de los paises iberoamericanos: su produccion cientifica, en terminos de publicaciones cientificas; su produccion tecnologica, en terminos de solicitudes internacionales de patentes; y la presencia web de sus universidades y centros publicos de investigacion. Un primer analisis comparativo muestra que los paises mas productivos cientificamente suelen serlo tambien tecnologicamente. Sin embargo, por debajo de un cierto nivel de produccion cientifica y tecnologica no parece haber una relacion clara entre produccion nacional cientifico-tecnologica y presencia web de sus instituciones academicas. Se avanzan varias hipotesis para tratar de explicar estas diferencias
Quadratic Matrix Inequality Approach to Robust Adaptive Beamforming for General-Rank Signal Model

The worst-case robust adaptive beamforming problem for general-rank signal model is considered. This is a nonconvex problem, and an approximate version of it (obtained by introducing a matrix decomposition on the presumed covariance matrix of the desired signal) has been well studied in the literature. Different from the existing literature, herein however the original beamforming problem is tackled. Resorting to the strong duality of linear conic programming, the robust adaptive beamforming problem for general-rank signal model is reformulated into an equivalent quadratic matrix inequality (QMI) problem. By employing a linear matrix inequality (LMI) relaxation technique, the QMI problem is turned into a convex semidefinite programming problem. Using the fact that there is often a positive gap between the QMI problem and its LMI relaxation, an approximation algorithm is proposed to solve the robust adaptive beamforming in the QMI form. Besides, several sufficient optimality conditions for the nonconvex QMI problem are developed To validate our results, simulation examples are presented, which demonstrate the improved performance of the new robust beamformer in terms of the output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio.