Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Evanescent Bouquet of Individual Bear Fingerprint

Simple Summary The evanescent chemical communication is conveyed by peculiar signals, namely pheromones. These are produced by a particular gland and are mixtures of signals that are physiologically essential to life and together constitute characteristic signatures of both species and individuals. This communication is ancient, and is little studied in mammals, mainly due to the difficulty of identifying the molecules. In this study, we collected the entire bouquet of wild bear putative pheromones from all production sites and analyzed the entire raw extract to profile the individual, species, and sex fingerprint. Our study allowed us to take a step forward, compared with the few papers in the literature, in the study of the complexity of the chemical communication of a solitary endangered species. Abstract The evanescent and invisible communication carried by chemical signals, pheromones, or signature mixtures or, as we prefer, the pheromonal individual fingerprint, between members of the same species is poorly studied in mammals, mainly because of the lack of identification of the molecules. The difference between pheromones and the pheromonal individual fingerprint is that the former generate stereotyped innate responses while the latter requires learning, i.e., different receivers can learn different signature mixtures from the same individual. Furthermore, pheromones are usually produced by a particular gland, while the pheromonal individual fingerprint is the entire bouquet produced by the entire secreting gland of the body. In the present study, we aim to investigate the pheromonal individual fingerprint of brown bears in northern Italy. We collected the entire putative pheromone bouquet from all production sites in free-ranging bears and analyzed the entire crude extract to profile the individual fingerprint according to species-, sex- and subjective-specific characteristics. We were able to putatively characterize the brown bears’ pheromonal individual fingerprints and compare them with the partial pheromone identifications published by other studies. This work is a step forward in the study of the complexity of chemical communication, particularly in a solitary endangered species.
The Characteristics of Some Commercial Arabica Coffee Beans in Indonesia

Arabica coffee is one of the mainstay commodities in the Indonesian plantation sector. Geographical differences and the environment where coffee grow can affect the characteristic, phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of the beans. The aim of this study was to determine the phytochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of 10 items of commercial Arabica coffee beans in Indonesia. The extraction of 10 coffee beans was carried out by kinetic maceration in 1 hour with 70% ethanol, then evaporated. Each extract was examined for morphology, phytochemical screening, assay of caffeine content using HPLC method, levels of flavan-3-ol, total flavonoid content (TFC), total polyphenolic content (TPC), antioxidant determination using DPPH and FRAP methods. All bean samples showed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, triterpenoids, coumarins, and tannins. The chemical content determination showed caff eine content of 1.5-2.9%; flavan-3-ol content 4.85-12.38cat/g extract; TFC 9.71–23.67QE/g extract; and TPC 21.8–76.26GAE/g extract. Tests of antioxidant capacity using the DPPH reveal an inhibiting effect with varying IC₅₀ values from 19.49-81.41g/mL and using the FRAP method gave IC₅₀ values from 18.01-61.2g/mL. This study indicates that coffee samples have the same phytochemical characteristics and also have an important antioxidant activity, which justifies its potential to be developed into antioxidant nutraceuticals.
Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Current Situation and Screening in North and Central Asian Countries

The prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing in the past few decades. A significant proportion of this increase is from low to middle income countries (LMIC). CRC prevalence is also increasing in North and Central Asian Countries (NCAC). Screening for colorectal cancer has decreased CRC mortality but data regarding screening practices in NCAC is limited. A literature search was conducted in PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane for current colorectal cancer screening practices in NCAC. Incidence and mortality rates were derived from public health agency websites to calculate age-standardized CRC mortality-to-incidence ratios. Web-based online break-point testing defined as statistical major changes in CRC mortality trends was completed. Among the 677 screened studies, 37 studies met the criteria for inclusion for review. CRC screening in NCAC is not organized, although most countries have cancer registries. The data availability is scarce, and most data is prior to 2017. Most studies are observational. There is minimal data about colonoscopy preparations, adenoma detection and complications rates. The polyp detection rates (PDRs) and adenoma detection rates (ADRs) seem low to optimal in this region. Commonly measured outcomes include participation rate, fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) positivity rate and cost-benefit measures. Lower mortality-to-incidence ratios is seen in countries with screening programs. Kazakhstan and Lithuania with screening programs have achieved breakpoint suggesting major changes in CRC mortality trends. Data about CRC screening varies widely within NCAC. High human developmental index (HDI) countries like Lithuania and Estonia have higher incidence of CRC and mortality. Seven NCAC have CRC screening programs with most utilizing non-invasive methods for screening. Data collection is regional and not organized. The ADR and PDR are low to optimal in this region and cancer detection rates are comparable to other high-income countries (HIC). CRC detection rate is 0.05% for screening in Kazakhstan and 0.2% for screening in Lithuania. Very limited information is available on the actual cost and logistics of implementing a CRC screening program. All NCAC have a cancer registry, with some having a high-quality registry showing national coverage with good validity and completeness. Establishing guideline-based registries and increasing screening efficacy could improve CRC outcomes in NCAC.
A Real-Time Stereo Visual-Inertial SLAM System Based on Point-and-Line Features

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is widely used in various fields, such as unmanned driving, robotics, and VR. The SLAM system with multiple landmarks is also a research hotspot currently. In this study, a real-time stereo visual-inertial SLAM system based on point-and-line features is proposed; the system is studied based on VINS-fusion. It improves the front-end process of VINS fusion. First, we proposed an IMU-assisted hierarchical grid optical flow tracking method that can more accurately and quickly track points between frames. Second, we add line features on the basis of existing point features. To match line features in real time, we only select the best line features to participate in optimization. We combine line segments by their geometric relationship to reduce line segment splitting and representation redundancy in the LSD algorithm. We further predict line features by IMU-assisted optical flow tracking to achieve high precision matching. In the back-end optimization process, we used a redundant structure to avoid the failure of stereo constraints in a highly dynamic environment. The proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods (VINS-fusion and PL-VINS) on the EuRoC MAV dataset. The system also achieve good performance in a real environment.
The Majority of Patients Who Undergo ERCP When Large Duct Obstruction Is Evident on Liver Biopsy Have Biliary Findings Amenable to Endoscopic Intervention

(1) Background: Abnormal liver function tests are commonly encountered in clinical practice, often leading to additional workup to determine the underlying etiology of these abnormal laboratory studies. As part of this evaluation, if less invasive imaging studies are performed and are without evidence of biliary obstruction, liver biopsy may be performed, and the finding of large duct obstruction on liver biopsy is commonly encountered. The utility of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for evaluation and management of possible biliary obstruction in patients with large duct obstruction on liver biopsy has not been studied to date. (2) Methods: To assess the utility of ERCP in patients with large bile duct obstruction on liver biopsy, we retrospectively evaluated patients with large duct obstruction on liver biopsy from 2010–2019 at our tertiary care and transplant center. Demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated for all patients, with sub-group analysis for patients who underwent ERCP and those who had intervenable findings at the time of ERCP. Descriptive statistics with proportions, means, and standard deviations were performed for demographics and clinical variables using absolute standardized difference. (3) Results: During the study period, 189 liver biopsies with evidence of large duct obstruction were performed. After exclusion criteria were applied, 166 unique patients were eligible for the study. Ninety-one patients with evidence of large duct obstruction on liver biopsy underwent ERCP and 75 did not. Of the 91 patients who underwent ERCP, 76 patients (84%) had an intervenable finding at ERCP. Patients who underwent ERCP were overall more likely to have had a liver transplant (65% ASD 0.63), have previously undergone cholecystectomy (80%, ASD 0.56), and be immunocompromised (80%, ASD 0.56). (4) Conclusions: ERCP is high yield when large duct obstruction is apparent on liver biopsy, with the majority of patients (84%) who undergo ERCP in this clinical context having a biliary finding necessitating therapeutic endoscopic intervention.
Acoustically Induced Periodic Vortex Shedding At Sharp Edged Open Channel Ends: Simple Vortex Models

Abstract Simple flow models proposed by Howe [1975 Journal of Fluid Mechanics71 , 625-673] and Disselhorst and van Wijngaarden [1980 Journal of Fluid Mechanics99, 293-319] are used to describe the periodic vortex shedding induced at a two-dimensional channel end with infinitely thin, sharp edges by a harmonically varying acoustic flow with zero mean flow. For low Strouhal numbers a quasi-stationary theory can be used, while for high Strouhal numbers the problem can be simplified to that of vortex shedding at a semi-infinite plate. Our experiments show fair agreement with both limiting theories. A single vortex theory will be shown to be useful in the high Strouhal number limit, although a correction for the pressure force acting at a connecting line between the edge and the vortex is necessary when the vortex is increasing in strength. A correction in terms of a Magnus force applied to the single vortex does, however, influence the acoustic energy balance. A correction to the theoretical formula derived for a continuous distribution of vorticity due to the action of external forces is proposed. For intermediate Strouhal numbers, both the quasi-stationary and single vortex models fail to describe the flow at the channel end accurately. A single panel method proposed in this paper is a compromise between the single vortex description and the much more accurate but time-consuming panel method. The vortex shedding process described by the single panel method is compared with flow visualization experiments performed by Diselhorst and van Wijngaarden. Fair agreement between the single panel theory and experiments is obtained.
Viral Capsid Change upon Encapsulation of Double-Stranded DNA into an Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus-like Particle

In this study, we aimed to encapsulate the sizable double-stranded DNA (dsDNA, 3.9 kbp) into a small-sized infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus-like particle (IHHNV-VLP; T = 1) and compared the changes in capsid structure between dsDNA-filled VLP and empty VLP. Based on our encapsulation protocol, IHHNV-VLP was able to load dsDNA at an efficiency of 30–40% (w/w) into its cavity. Structural analysis revealed two subclasses of IHHNV-VLP, so-called empty and dsDNA-filled VLPs. The three-dimensional (3D) structure of the empty VLP produced in E. coli was similar to that of the empty IHHNV-VLP produced in Sf9 insect cells. The size of the dsDNA-filled VLP was slightly bigger (50 Å) than its empty VLP counterpart; however, the capsid structure was drastically altered. The capsid was about 1.5-fold thicker due to the thickening of the capsid interior, presumably from DNA–capsid interaction evident from capsid protrusions or nodules on the interior surface. In addition, the morphological changes of the capsid exterior were particularly observed in the vicinity of the five-fold axes, where the counter-clockwise twisting of the “tripod” structure at the vertex of the five-fold channel was evident, resulting in a widening of the channel’s opening. Whether these capsid changes are similar to virion capsid maturation in the host cells remains to be investigated. Nevertheless, the ability of IHHNV-VLP to encapsulate the sizable dsDNA has opened up the opportunity to package a dsDNA vector that can insert exogenous genes and target susceptible shrimp cells in order to halt viral infection.
Fast and Automatic Identification of Contours for Girth Measurement on 3D Human Models with Variant Postures

AbstractWe develop a novel method for fast and automatic identification of characteristic contours for measuring girths on digital 3D human models with various stable postures. For fast identification, the characteristic contours with salient topology and geometric features are selected among the multi-source geodesic iso-contours, which are constructed under a new Morse function as using multi-source points to compute geodesic distance instead of using solely one source point. The resulting iso-contours are stable in a wide range of postures due to the bending invariance of geodesic distance. Based on the characteristic contours, we develop an efficient algorithm to extract the contours for girth measurement. We present a number of experiments on 3D human body samples with variant postures to demonstrate the validity of our approach.
The Moments of the Distribution for Normal Samples of Measures of Departure from Normality

If x 1. x n are the values of a variate observed in a sample of n , from any population, we may evaluate a series of statistics ( K ) such that the mean value of k p will be the p th cumulative moment function of the sampled population; the first three of these are defined by the equations; k 1 = 1/ n S ( x ), k 2 = 1/ n -1 S ( x - k 1)2, k 3 = n /( n -1) ( n -2) S ( x - k 1)3; then it has been shown (fisher, 1929) that the cumulative moment functions of the simultaneous distribution, in samples, of k 1, k 2, k 3,. , may be obtained by the direct application of a very simple combination procedure. The simplest measure of departure from normality will the be γ = k 3 k 2-3/2, a quantity which is evidently independent of the units of measurements, and in samples from a symmetrical distribution will have a distribution symmetrical about the value zero. In testing the evidence provided by a sample, of departure from normality, the distribution of this quantity in normal samples is required.
Proposed Marketing Strategy for Sustainable Growth of Persib Official Store

PT Persib Bandung Bermatabat is in charge of the football club Persib Bandung, which is one of Indonesia’s teams. The Persib Official Store, located at Graha Persib, 3rd floor, Jalan Sulanjana No. 17 Bandung, is managed and sold by PT. Persib Bandung Bermatabat. The Persib Official Store sells merchandise divided into three product categories: Fashion, Jersey, and Accessories. The issue that arises in this business is that sales fluctuate from January to June 2022. As a result, the purpose of this study is to learn about Persib Official Store’s business situation and to recommend the best marketing strategy for increasing sales and becoming more competitive in the football merchandise industry’s development.The research method uses qualitative research methods. Qualitative methods are used to obtain primary data and make observations from in-depth interviews with Persib supporters. The data collection is then used to make internal and external analysis. Internal analysis is used to gather information about Persib Official Store’s internal conditions using Marketing Mix 4P analysis, STP, and VRIO analysis, while external analysis uses Porter’s five forces analysis, competitor analysis, and customer analysis to determine external factors from the football merchandise industry. Furthermore, after carrying out internal and external analysis, the researcher used SWOT analysis and found the company’s weaknesses, namely the lack of optimal marketing and social media strategies. Furthermore, after conducting a SWOT analysis, the researcher used TOWS analysis and found a solution to present a new marketing strategy by having a team digital marketing and optimizing their social media to increase customer awareness and purchase intention.
Pitch extraction by using autocorrelation function on the log spectrum

Extraction of fundamental frequency of the voice wave (pitch extraction) is needed in many areas of speech processing, but no established state-of-the-art algorithm exists at present. In this article, we propose a new algorithm of pitch extraction using the autocorrelation function of the log spectrum of the voice wave (ACLOS). The main point is to extract the fundamental frequency of the spectrum by calculation of the autocorrelation function of the log spectrum of the voice waves. The proposed method can improve the “gross pitch error” (a measure of pitch extraction error) compared to all other methods used. It can improve the gross pitch error by more than 3.4% to 7.2% compared with the simple autocorrelation method in the case of an SNR less than –5 dB and has been proved to be robust by experiments. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 83(1): 90–98, 2000
IL-27 limits neutrophil mediated pathology during pulmonary infection with Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic encapsulated fungus and a leading cause of fatal meningitis in immunocompromised individuals. IL-27 is a recently identified cytokine affecting both innate and adaptive immunity. Both proinflammatory and inhibitory functions on T cells by IL-27 have been reported in different disease models. Nevertheless, the effect of IL-27 during Cryptococcus infection has never been studied. In current study, IL-27 receptor alpha knockout mice (IL27R KO) was infected with a high virulent cryptococcal strain. We found that mice deficient in IL-27 signaling have significantly increased fungal burden in the lung and shortened survival time. Surprisingly, infected IL-27R KO mice showed unchanged Th1 and Th17 cytokines but significantly reduced Th2 cytokines including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. The reduced Th2 response is unlikely to be a cause of increase fungal burden since Th2 was generally known as detrimental during Cryptococcus infection. We next studied the immune cell composition by flow cytometry, no difference in cell number was found for all cell types except neutrophil which is increased during infection indicating more inflammation. The increase of neutrophils is associated with increased chemokines KC and MIP-2. Cryptococcus infection causes sustained production of TNF alpha, we next found that IL-27 suppressed the chemokine release by immune cells as a response to TNF-alpha. Lastly, depletion of neutrophils improved the outcome in infected IL-27R KO mice proving that immune pathology mediated by neutrophils can be detrimental during Cryptococcus infection.
Vitamin D Deficiency in Orthopedic Patients in Different Latitudes—First Study Comparing German and Greek Populations

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in calcium metabolism and bone mineralization. Sufficient vitamin D levels are important for the health and functionality of the musculoskeletal system. Hypovitaminosis D is a phenomenon affecting orthopedic patients worldwide. This study researched whether most orthopedic patients in two different cities of different countries had hypovitaminosis D, whether there was a correlation between sunshine hours and vitamin D serum levels, and whether hours of sunshine alone were enough to achieve vitamin D sufficiency among orthopedic patients regardless of their activities. The vitamin D serum levels of 500 orthopedic patients in Regensburg and 500 in Patras were assessed, in addition to their medical histories. The mean sunshine hours throughout the year were also calculated. Both the German and Greek groups showed hypovitaminosis D. Older patients were more affected. Although there were more hours of sunshine in Greece, Greek orthopedic patients also showed hypovitaminosis D. Hypovitaminosis D affects orthopedic patients independent of their latitude. Supplementation of vitamin D may be considered among orthopedic patients to achieve sufficient levels in serum. Sufficient vitamin D levels may be helpful for the treatment of orthopedic patients, reduce the negative effects of operations or postoperational settings.
A Distributed Real-Time Algorithm for Preference-Based Agreement

Abstract This paper studies a real-time distributed dual sub-gradient algorithm for multi-agent coordination. A finite-time optimal control problem with a terminal coupling consensus constraint is considered. The algorithm is shown to be equivalent to a linear time-varying (LTV) dynamical system with a distributed structure. The error between the multiplier values of the algorithm and the corresponding centralized solution is also given as an LTV system. This is used to derive an error bound for the terminal state of the algorithm to the optimal consensus value that is a function of the communication graph and the weights of each agents objective function.
High sensitivity femtosecond gas phase pump-probe experiments using a hollow waveguide: intramolecular redistribution processes in CH3I

Pump-probe experiments using a delay line are one important approach in the investigation of molecular dynamics on the femtosecond to picosecond time scale. As the pulse energies for femtosecond pulses are usually small, the measured signal has to be obtained from the overlap region of two focused laser beams. Due to the low density in the gas phase high sensitivity experiments are essential, particularly if one or both laser pulses are in the infrared (IR) or near-IR range with much smaller absorption cross-section as compared to the visible or ultraviolet. To increase the interaction volume between pump- and probe-pulse, the two laser beams can be focused into a hollow waveguide with an inner diameter dID = 100 to 500 &mgr;m. We have calculated the focusing condition for a near-IR pump- and an UV probe-beam to excite nearly exclusively the lowest HE11-mode within the waveguide. For molecular samples with a low absorption coefficient (alpha < 0.1 m-1 for the probe beam in the ultraviolet) an enhancement of the measured probe signal of a factor of 9-10, relative to a confocal arrangement in a cell, is calculated from the intensity distribution within a hollow waveguide with an inner diameter dID = 250 &mgr;m and length Lwg = 500 mm. The theoretical calculations were confirmed in pump-probe experiments of intramolecular vibrational energy redistribution (IVR) in CH3I vapour. In the experiments the first overtone of the CH-stretching vibration is excited with a near-IR pump-pulse and the redistribution of the vibrational energy to other vibrational degrees of freedom, especially to the CI-stretching vibration, is detected through a change of the UV-spectrum by a probe pulse around 310 nm.