Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Chromatin Structure at the MECP2 Gene and In Silico Prediction of Potential Coding and Non-Coding MECP2 Splice Variants

Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is an epigenetic reader that binds to methylated CpG dinucleotides and regulates gene transcription. Mecp2/MECP2 gene has 4 exons, encoding for protein isoforms MeCP2E1 and MeCP2E2. MeCP2 plays key roles in neurodevelopment, therefore, its gain- and loss-of-function mutations lead to neurodevelopmental disorders including Rett Syndrome. Here, we describe the structure, functional domains, and evidence support for potential additional alternatively spliced MECP2 transcripts and protein isoforms. We conclude that NCBI MeCP2 isoforms 3 and 4 contain certain MeCP2 functional domains. Our in silico analysis led to identification of histone modification and accessibility profiles at the MECP2 gene and its cis-regulatory elements. We conclude that the human MECP2 gene associated histone post-translational modifications exhibit high similarity between males and females. Between brain regions, histone modifications were found to be less conserved and enriched within larger genomic segments named as “S1–S11”. We also identified highly conserved DNA accessibility regions in different tissues and brain regions, named as “A1–A9” and “B1–B9”. DNA methylation profile was similar between mid-frontal gyrus of donors 35 days–25 years of age. Based on ATAC-seq data, the identified hypomethylated regions “H1–H8” intersected with most regions of the accessible chromatin (A regions).
A Physical Reservoir Computing Model Based on Volatile Memristor for Temporal Signal Processing

Reservoir computing has emerged as a practical paradigm of implementing neural network algorithms on hardware for high-efficient computing. With the concept of reservoir computing, various electronic' dynamics can be harvested as computational resources, which has received considerable attention in recent years. Volatile memristor is an emerging memristive device that exhibiting interesting biomimetic behaviours such as short-term memory. Moreover, its conductance state can be varied by historical stimulation. In this work, a reservoir computing model using TiOx-based volatile memristor as processing core is proposed. The volatile memristor is measured and characterised, followed by using the discrete model to approximate the behaviours of the volatile memristor. Finally, a parallel volatile memristor reservoir computer is simulated based on the volatile memristor model. This model is evaluated by a waveform classification. The results (normalized root mean square error is 0.15 when using 10 volatile memristors) indicate the feasibility of using the physical behaviours of volatile memristor for constructing reservoir computers.
Higher Order Variational Methods for Photoacoustic Tomography

The goal of this work is to model, implement and test higher order variational methods for photoacoustic tomography. Photoacoustic tomography is a novel imaging method, which is used in breast cancer and rheumatism diagnosis. The challenges in this tomography problem are the robust of handling noise and subsampling on the data and reconstructing difficult data structures. To address those the variational methods using Total Variation and Total Generalized Variation with Bregman iteration are implemented. Moreover, a preconditioned Primal-Dual Hybrid Gradient algorithm is derived to efficiently solve the non-smooth convex minimization problems introduced by these reconstruction models. To show the effectiveness of these methods a careful study is done on both synthetic and experimental data.
A Comparison of Hemodynamic Changes Between the Use of Etomidate and Propofol as Induction Agents for Anesthesia in Daycare Surgeries

Background and objective The development of modern anesthetic agents has made it possible to conduct pain-free surgical procedures. The role of the anesthetist in choosing a suitable anesthetic agent to provide a good anesthetic and sedative effect is very important in any surgical procedure. There is always a degree of risk involved as the hemodynamic parameters may be altered. This study aimed to compare the hemodynamic changes and respiratory effects between the use of etomidate and propofol for the induction of general anesthesia (GA) as well as to compare the side effects of both drugs in daycare surgeries. Methods The study was a parallel-design, randomized, double-blinded control trial conducted over a period of three years among patients undergoing elective daycare surgeries under GA. The patients were classified into two groups depending on the type of drug received: Group A or the propofol group and Group B or the etomidate group. Randomization was done by computer-generated random number generator software. A total of 174 patients were selected (87 in each group) at a ratio of 1:1. A baseline evaluation of the hemodynamic parameters was done followed by continuous monitoring. Results The age, weight, and gender distribution of the patients in both groups were comparable. Significant hemodynamic changes were observed following induction in Group A. The fall in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in Group A following induction was found to be statistically significant (p<0.00). The rise in heart rate was almost similar in both groups, with Group A demonstrating a slightly higher rate. There were fewer signs of respiratory depression in Group B. The major side effects observed after induction were myoclonus, which was more prevalent in Group B patients (21.84%), and pain at the injection site, which was observed more frequently in Group A (17.1%). Conclusion Based on our findings, etomidate is a drug with better hemodynamic stability and less pain at the site of injection compared to propofol. Hence, it may be a better induction agent in daycare surgeries.
Be My Eyes: An Aid for the Visually Impaired

The visually impaired face several difficulties in their daily lives which can be mitigated using technology. This paper proposes a three-part system that assists them in identifying people, locating obstacles and reading text. It allows the users to recognize their surroundings in real-time by providing vocal feedback. This approach is based on image processing and deep learning for detection. It does not rely on any external hardware and as a result, is feasible, practical and convenient.
A Novel Approach for Designing Network Intrusion Detection Systems Based on Hybrid Deep Learning Model CB-GRU

The widespread usage of computer networks has created new dangers, making it essential that security systems be made faster and more precise. In spite of the development of new security solutions, the rapid expansion of malicious activity poses a serious danger to network security. As an initial layer of protection, firewalls and other traditional security solutions are used. The use of firewalls, on the other hand, does not guarantee complete security against invasions. Such intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are highly relied upon by network managers. With machine learning (ML), it is possible to train an intrusion detection system to distinguish between normal and anomalous traffic based on historical data. It's still simpler for cybercriminals to infiltrate networks unnoticed to steal or damage information assets because of the tremendous traffic in current network infrastructures. In a real-time processing situation, classic network intrusion detection systems fail to match expectations in terms of speed and efficiency. These constraints in mind, we set out to develop new methods for designing as well as architecting network intrusion detection systems that make use of deep learning methods. Deep learning methods are the focus of this research. An intrusion detection system that uses the 1DCNN-Bi-GRU architecture as well as a KDD99 dataset will be developed based on these models' strengths in data collecting, preprocessing, extraction and classification. Model performance can be measured against the KDD99 dataset. When compared to current algorithms, the suggested 1DCNN-Bi-GRU algorithm's accuracy was 97 percent raised by roughly 15 percent, according to the testing data.
Vasorelaxant Mechanism of Herbal Extracts from Mentha suaveolens, Conyza canadensis, Teucrium polium and Salvia verbenaca in the Aorta of Wistar Rats

Mentha suaveolens (MS), Conyza canadensis (CC), Teucrium polium (TP) and Salvia verbenaca (SV) are used in Morocco to treat hypertension. Our aim was to characterize the composition and vasoreactivity of extracts of MS, CC, TP and SV. The chemical compositions of aqueous extracts of MS, SV and TP, and of a hydromethanolic extract of CC, were identified by HPLC-DAD. The vasoreactive effect was tested in rings of the thoracic aorta of female Wistar rats (8–14 weeks-old) pre-contracted with 10 µM noradrenaline, in the absence or presence of L-NAME 100 µM, indomethacin 10 µM or atropine 6 µM, to inhibit nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase or muscarinic receptors, respectively. L-NAME and atropine decreased the vasorelaxant effect caused by low concentrations of MS. Atropine and indomethacin decreased the vasorelaxant effect of low concentrations of SV. High concentrations of MS or SV and the effect of SV and TP were not altered by any antagonist. The activation of muscarinic receptors and NO or the cyclooxygenase pathway underlie the vasorelaxant effect of MS and SV, respectively. Neither of those mechanisms underlines the vasorelaxant effect of CC and TP. These vasorelaxant effect might support the use of herbal teas from these plants as anti-hypertensives in folk medicine.
Combined effects of CXCL8 (IL-8) and CXCR2 (IL-8R) gene polymorphisms on deregressed MACE EBV indexes of milk-related traits in Simmental bulls

Abstract CXCL8 (also known as IL-8) is a member of the CXC subfamily of chemokines that binds two of the seven transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), CXCR1 and CXCR2, to mediate and regulate leucocyte accumulation and activation at sites of inflammation. They are known to play a critical role in both disease susceptibility and infection outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the entire sequences of CXCL8 and CXCR2 genes in thirty-one Simmental sires to evaluate the effects of genomic variants on the indexes of the bulls for milk, fat and protein yields, and for somatic cell score (SCS). Five new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in CXCR2 gene. The analysis of association indicated that one SNP in CXCL8 and two in CXCR2 influenced the considered traits. To evaluate the existence of functional haplotypic effects, combinations among the three genomic variants (SNP 1 in CXCL8, SNP 6 and SNP 7 in CXCR2) were investigated. Four different haplotypic alleles were identified in the experimental population, one of which at a high frequency (61%). Bulls with Hap 4 (G-C-G at SNP 1, SNP 6, and SNP 7 respectively) had more favourable indexes for SCS (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the SNPs in CXCL8 and CXCR2 may be potential genetic markers to improve udder health in the Simmental breed.
COVID-19 risk factors specification using Decision Tree based on the degree of redundancy between features

Based on the latest diseases which spread in the whole world and need to be predicted and classified. In addition, when testing and examining the samples will be safer with far data collecting such as COVID-19 cases. Therefore; this research provides a safe and accurate data mining prediction system to make a decision with high performance to prevent this spread. Such a study prevents or at least reduces the effect of contacting suspicious patients with others by providing a discovery system to detect this disease in these samples. Also, this study will reduce the effects of COVID-19 on marketing, teaching, and other different business, which lead to holding this disease separated at home with high knowledge of some symptoms that will be studied to specify the most affected features on this classification. However, this study could provide some information about viruses moving and keeping away at home with an early prediction. In this study, three techniques are applied for 1486 patients after data preprocessing and preparing for the performance evaluation. Risk factors are determined using a features selector and study of the effect of these features before and after minimization on the whole proposed model. Differences and reasons are shown in this paper due to different results which occurred while omitting unnecessary data. All the proposed models showed an enhancement in their performances after selecting the most affected features. But, DT showed the best prediction accuracy with about 96% compared to other models. On the other hand, other parameters are explained and showen some more advanced in the DT model than in other models.
Creeping fat formation and interaction with intestinal disease in Crohn's disease

Abstract Creeping fat (CrF), also known as fat wrapping, is a significant disease characteristic of Crohn's disease (CD). The transmural inflammation impairs intestinal integrity and facilitates bacteria translocation, aggravating immune response. CrF is a rich source of pro‐inflammatory and pro‐fibrotic cytokines with complex immune microenvironment. The inflamed and stricturing intestine is often wrapped by CrF, and CrF is associated with greater severity of CD. The large amount of innate and adaptive immune cells as well as adipocytes in CrF promote fibrosis in the affected intestine by secreting large amount of pro‐fibrotic cytokines, adipokines, growth factors and fatty acids. CrF is a potential therapeutic target for CD treatment and a promising bio‐marker for predicting response to drug therapy. This review aims to summarize and update the clinical manifestation and application of CrF and the underlying molecular mechanism involved in the pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation and fibrosis in CD.
Post-Traumatic-Related Technical Errors in Orthopantomographic Imaging

Background: This study aimed at identifying errors encountered in orthopantomography (OPG) in post-traumatic patients caused by limitations in performing a correct technique. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed. Diagnosis, exposure/processing mistakes, positioning-related errors, and bimaxillary immobilization were evaluated. Results: Thirty panoramic radiographs with mandible fractures were examined. Twelve error types were encountered: errors in exposure or processing, air radiolucency in the palatoglossal space, errors in the alignment of the Frankfort horizontal plane: head in flexion, with a joyful expression or head extended, with a somber appearance, errors towards the mid-sagittal plane (lateral head inclination, deviation, or rotation), errors caused by the non-use of the bite-block or inappropriate position on the device, errors caused by positioning outside the focal plane, artifacts/shadow images produced by post-operative metal plates, and bimaxillary immobilization errors. The number of errors per radiograph ranged from two to a maximum of five. The most dominant ones were inappropriate alignment in the focal plane and lateral rotation of the head in over 70% of cases. Lateral deviation and palatoglossal air were present in more than 50% of images. Conclusions: In trauma cases, technical difficulties in obtaining a proper OPG image are common and often insurmountable, limiting the diagnosis.
A Wideband Magnetoelectric Dipole Antenna With Wide Beamwidth for Millimeter-Wave Applications

A wideband magnetoelectric (ME) dipole antenna with wide half-power beamwidth (HPBW) in both the E- and H-planes is investigated for millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications. This antenna mainly consists of a core ME dipole structure at the center and two parasitic Π-shaped patches at the two sides, and it is fed by a Γ-shaped probe. Compared with the traditional ME dipole antenna fed by an L-shaped probe, the proposed ME dipole shows a comparable impedance bandwidth of over 50%, but it exhibits a more simplified configuration and a smaller footprint due to the loading effect of the Γ-shaped feeding probe. Moreover, thanks to the supplementary effect of the end-fire radiation characteristics of the parasitic Π-shaped patches, the proposed antenna features much expanded beamwidths in both the E- and H-planes. The measured results indicate that this antenna with a footprint of 0. 442λ0 × 0. 268λ0 can obtain a −10 dB impedance bandwidth of 61.7% (21.4–40.5 GHz), a 3 dB gain bandwidth of 47.5% (23.9–38.8 GHz), and a 120°-HPBW pattern bandwidth (within the band, the HPBWs of the E- and H-planes are both over 120°) of 32.3% (26–36 GHz), showing merits of small size, wideband, and widebeam, which are very desirable for the mm-wave wireless communication systems and radar systems.
Dietary Antioxidants and Lung Cancer Risk in Smokers and Non-Smokers

Smoking is considered a major risk factor in the development of lung diseases worldwide. Active smoking and secondhand (passive) smoke (SHS) are related to lung cancer (LC) risk. Oxidative stress (OS) and/or lipid peroxidation (LP) induced by cigarette smoke (CS) are found to be involved in the pathogenesis of LC. Meta-analyses and other case-control/prospective cohort studies are inconclusive and have yielded inconsistent results concerning the protective role of dietary vitamins C and E, retinol, and iron intake against LC risk in smokers and/or non-smokers. Furthermore, the role of vitamins and minerals as antioxidants with the potential in protecting LC cells against CS-induced OS in smokers and non-smokers has not been fully elucidated. Thus, this review aims to summarize the available evidence reporting the relationships between dietary antioxidant intake and LC risk in smokers and non-smokers that may be used to provide suggestions for future research.
Stall feeding of sheep and goats: An alternative system to traditional grazing on community lands

Sheep and goats in the country are mostly raised on grazing resources. But these resources are gradually shrinking over the periods both in term of areas under them and also in yield and quality. On the contrary, populations of sheep and goat are increasing rapidly to meet the demand of meat. This is resulting in overstocking and overcrowding on available grazing lands and sharp deterioration of grazing resources. The intensive system (stall feeding) as an alternative to traditional grazing and semi-intensive system, may be useful to maintain pace with growing meat demand in the changing scenario of grazing resources in the country. Studies have shown that lambs and kids on stall feeding with adequate nutrition and management attain faster growth, attain slaughter weights at an early age and produce heavier carcass weights, more dressing yield and desirable lean, fat and bone contents. Although initially intensive system seems costly due to more feed cost and more capital investment, but this is justified by higher economic returns to farmers. Therefore, it can be concluded that intensive feeding system for sheep and goats is better than extensive system and at par or better than semi-intensive system for lamb and kid fattening purpose from 3â€“6 months of age. This review article also discusses the possibility of economic viability of sheep and goats rearing under stall feeding.
Artificial neural network based robust speed control of permanent magnet synchronous motors

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to find a simple structure of speed controller robust against drive parameters variations. Application of artificial neural network (ANN) in the controller of PI type creates proper non‐linear characteristics, which ensures controller robustness.Design/methodology/approach – The robustness of the controller is based on its non‐linear characteristic introduced by ANN. The paper proposes a novel approach to neural controller synthesis to be performed in two stages. The first stage consists in training the ANN to form the proper shape of the control surface, which represents the non‐linear characteristic of the controller. At the second stage, the PI controller settings are adjusted by means of the random weight change (RWC) procedure, which optimises the control quality index formulated in the paper. The synthesis is performed using simulation techniques and subsequently the behaviour of a laboratory speed control system is validated in the experimental set‐up. The control .
Reconstruction of river bed topography from free surface data using a direct numerical approach in one-dimensional shallow water flow

River bed topography is of paramount importance for the study of fluvial hydraulics, flood prediction and river flow monitoring. It is therefore important to develop fast, easy-to-implement and cost-effective methods to determine underwater river topography. This paper presents a new one-step approach for reconstructing the river bed topography from known free surface data. This problem corresponds to the inverse of the classical hydrodynamic problem where the shallow water equations provide the free surface profile for a given river bed. We show in this work that instead of treating this inverse problem in the traditional partial differential equation (PDE)-constrained optimization framework, we can conveniently rearrange the governing equations for the direct problem to obtain an explicit PDE for the inverse problem. This leads to a direct solution of the inverse problem. An interesting consequence of the analysis is that the equations governing the forward and inverse problems have a very similar form, and the same discretization technique, based on an upwind conservative numerical scheme, can be used. The proposed methodology is successfully tested on a range of benchmark problems for noisy and noiseless free surface data. It was found that this solution approach creates very little amplification of noise.
Real-time label-free biosensing with integrated planar waveguide ring resonators

We review the use of planar integrated optical waveguide ring resonators for label free bio-sensing and present recent results from two European biosensor collaborations: SABIO and InTopSens. Planar waveguide ring resonators are attractive for label-free biosensing due to their small footprint, high Q-factors, and compatibility with on-chip optics and microfluidics. This enables integrated sensor arrays for compact labs-on-chip. One application of label-free sensor arrays is for point-of-care medical diagnostics. Bringing such powerful tools to the single medical practitioner is an important step towards personalized medicine, but requires addressing a number of issues: improving limit of detection, managing the influence of temperature, parallelization of the measurement for higher throughput and on-chip referencing, efficient light-coupling strategies to simplify alignment, and packaging of the optical chip and integration with microfluidics. From the SABIO project we report refractive index measurement and label-free biosensing in an 8-channel slotwaveguide ring resonator sensor array, within a compact cartridge with integrated microfluidics. The sensors show a volume sensing detection limit of 5 x 10-6 RIU and a surface sensing detection limit of 0.9 pg/mm2. From the InTopSens project we report early results on silicon-on-insulator racetrack resonators.