Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ribes fasciculatum Ameliorates High-Fat-Diet-Induced Obesity by Elevating Peripheral Thermogenic Signaling

Ribes fasciculatum has been consumed as a food and as a traditional medicine for treating autoimmune diseases and aging in diverse countries. A previous study showed that a mixture of Ribes fasciculatum and Cornus officinalis prohibited adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation in preadipocytes and suppressed diet-induced obesity. Nevertheless, the mechanism of R. fasciculatum to regulate energy homeostasis solely through thermogenic signaling remains unclear. Thus, we investigated its effects on energy homeostasis using R. fasciculatum fed to C57BL/6 mice with a 45% high-fat diet. Chronic consumption of R. fasciculatum decreased the body weight of obese mice with increasing food intakes and improved metabolic-syndrome-related phenotypes. Therefore, we further tested its thermogenic effects. Cold chamber experiments and qPCR studies indicated that R. fasciculatum elevated thermogenic signaling pathways, demonstrated by increased body temperature and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) signaling in the white and brown adipose tissues. Afzelin is one major known compound derived from R. fasciculatum. Hence, the isolated compound afzelin was treated with preadipocytes and brown adipocytes for cell viability and luciferase assay, respectively, to further examine its thermogenic effect. The studies showed that the response of afzelin was responsible for cell viability and the increased UCP1. In conclusion, our data indicated that R. fasciculatum elevated peripheral thermogenic signaling through increased UCP1 via afzelin activation and ameliorated diet-induced obesity.
C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio as Prognostic Marker in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Treated with Chemoradiotherapy

Despite the implementation of consolidative immune checkpoint inhibition after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT), the prognosis for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains poor. We assessed the impact of the C-reactive protein (CRP) to albumin ratio (CAR) as an inflammation-based prognostic score in patients with locally advanced NSCLC treated with CRT. We retrospectively identified and analyzed 52 patients with primary unresectable NSCLC (UICC Stage III) treated with definitive/neoadjuvant CRT between 2014 and 2019. CAR was calculated by dividing baseline CRP by baseline albumin levels and correlated with clinicopathologic parameters to evaluate prognostic impact. After dichotomizing patients by the median, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed. An increased CAR was associated with advanced T-stage (p = 0.018) and poor performance status (p = 0.004). Patients with pre-therapeutic elevated CAR had significantly lower hemoglobin and higher leukocyte levels (hemoglobin p = 0.001, leukocytes p = 0.018). High baseline CAR was shown to be associated with worse local control (LPFS, p = 0.006), shorter progression-free survival (PFS, p = 0.038) and overall survival (OS, p = 0.022), but not distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Multivariate analysis confirmed an impaired outcome in patients with high CAR (LPFS: HR 3.562, 95% CI 1.294–9.802, p = 0.011). CAR is an easily available and independent prognostic marker after CRT in locally advanced NSCLC. CAR may be a useful biomarker for patient stratification to individualize treatment concepts.
The Effects of Side-Chain Configurations of a Retro–Inverso-Type Inhibitor on the Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus (HTLV)-1 Protease

In this study, the effects of side-chain configurations of D-Ile residues of a retro–inverso (RI)-type inhibitor on the human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) protease containing a hydroxyethylamine dipeptide isostere were clarified. Prior to evaluation using the RI-type inhibitor, the effects of side-chain configurations of Ile residues of the substrate peptide on the HTLV-1 protease were examined to estimate the influence of side-chain configurations on enzyme activity. Based on the estimation of the influence of side-chain configurations on protease affinity, the RI-type inhibitors containing a D-allo-Ile residue in the corresponding substrate sequence, instead of a D-Ile residue, were synthesized via 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. Refolded recombinant HTLV-1 protease (1-116, L40I) was used for the simple and short evaluation of the inhibitory activities of the synthesized RI-type inhibitors. The results clearly indicated that mimicking the whole topology, comprising both the main- and side-chain structures of the parent inhibitor, is effective for the design of potent RI-modified protease inhibitors.
Terrain representation using orientation

ABSTRACT A terrain data model using orientation rather than elevation permits more efficient analysis and stores its data in a multi-band raster. Representation techniques from the computer graphics industry are readily adopted with this data model. A common data model for terrain surfaces–the raster digital elevation model (DEM)–carries with it limitations by emphasizing height. Derived products such as relief shading require additional processing to determine orientation, even though they are used more frequently than those relying on elevation (e.g. hypsometric tinting). We show some of the benefits of encoding and analyzing terrain based on surface orientation, an approach that uses normal vectors stored as multi-band raster, the data storage convention in the computer graphics industry. A change in the data model and the conceptualization of the surface’s defining characteristics allows relief shading methods to run faster than conventional tools. Processing efficiencies are especially useful for more advanced shading models that may employ hundreds of relief shading calculations. In addition, an orientation-focused approach to terrain permits cartographic techniques to parallel common computer graphics methods. This project explores one such method, normal-mapping, an effect that adds texture to conventional relief shading by perturbing surface normal vectors.
Generative Adversarial Network for the Segmentation of Ground Glass Opacities and Consolidations from Lung CT Images

The coronavirus disease 2019 is a global pandemic that threatens lives of many people and poses a significant burden for healthcare systems worldwide. Computerized Tomography can detect lung infections, especially in asymptomatic cases, and the detection process can be aided by deep learning. Most of the recent research focused on the segmentation of the entire infected region in a lung. To automate a more fine-grained analysis, a generative adversarial network, comprising two convolutional neural networks, was developed for the segmentation of ground glass opacities and consolidations from tomographic images. The first convolutional neural network acts as a generator of segmented masks, and the second as a discriminator of real and artificially segmented objects, respectively. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed network outperforms the baseline U-Net segmentation model on the benchmark data set of 929 publicly available images. The dice similarity coefficients of segmenting ground glass opacities and consolidations are 0.664 and 0.625, respectively.
Complexity of Critter Crunch

SUMMARY We study the computational complexity of the puzzle game Critter Crunch, where the player has to rearrange Critters on a board in order to eliminate them all. Smaller Critters can be fed to larger Crit-ters, and Critters will explode if they eat too much. Critters come in several di ﬀ erent types, sizes, and colors. We prove the NP-hardness of levels that contain Blocker Critters, as well as levels where the player must clear the board in a given number of moves (i.e., “puzzle mode”). We also characterize the complexity of the game, as a function of the number of columns on the board, in two settings: (i) the setting where Critters may have several di ﬀ erent colors, but only two possible sizes, and (ii) the setting where Crit-ters come in all three sizes, but with no color variations. In both settings, the game is NP-hard for levels with exactly two columns, and solvable in linear time for levels with only one column or more than two columns.
Identification of Candidate lncRNA and Pseudogene Biomarkers Associated with Carbon-Nanotube-Induced Malignant Transformation of Lung Cells and Prediction of Potential Preventive Drugs

Mounting evidence has linked carbon nanotube (CNT) exposure with malignant transformation of lungs. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and pseudogenes are important regulators to mediate the pathogenesis of diseases, representing potential biomarkers for surveillance of lung carcinogenesis in workers exposed to CNTs and possible targets to develop preventive strategies. The aim of this study was to screen crucial lncRNAs and pseudogenes and predict preventive drugs. GSE41178 (small airway epithelial cells exposed to single- or multi-walled CNTs or dispersant control) and GSE56104 (lung epithelial cells exposed to single-walled CNTs or dispersant control) datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Weighted correlation network analysis was performed for these two datasets, and the turquoise module was preserved and associated with CNT-induced malignant phenotypes. In total, 24 lncRNAs and 112 pseudogenes in this module were identified as differentially expressed in CNT-exposed cells compared with controls. Four lncRNAs (MEG3, ARHGAP5-AS1, LINC00174 and PVT1) and five pseudogenes (MT1JP, MT1L, RPL23AP64, ZNF826P and TMEM198B) were predicted to function by competing endogenous RNA (MEG3/RPL23AP64-hsa-miR-942-5p-CPEB2/PHF21A/BAMBI; ZNF826P-hsa-miR-23a-3p-SYNGAP1, TMEM198B-hsa-miR-15b-5p-SYNGAP1/CLU; PVT1-hsa-miR-423-5p-PSME3) or co-expression (MEG3/MT1L/ZNF826P/MT1JP-ATM; ARHGAP5-AS1-TMED10, LINC00174-NEDD4L, ARHGAP5-AS1/PVT1-NIP7; MT1L/MT1JP-SYNGAP1; MT1L/MT1JP-CLU) mechanisms. The expression levels and prognosis of all genes in the above interaction pairs were validated using lung cancer patient samples. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed the combination of four lncRNAs, five pseudogenes or lncRNAs + pseudogenes were all effective for predicting lung cancer (accuracy >0.8). The comparative toxicogenomics database suggested schizandrin A, folic acid, zinc or gamma-linolenic acid may be preventive drugs by reversing the expression levels of lncRNAs or pseudogenes. In conclusion, this study highlights lncRNAs and pseudogenes as candidate diagnostic biomarkers and drug targets for CNT-induced lung cancer.
Mineral Candidates for Planet Interiors

Ice planet. Simulations suggest that the magnetic fields of Neptune (shown) and Uranus could be generated by a current of protons in a silica-containing mineral in the planets’ icy mantles. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech team has discovered amagnesium silicate that could retain water in the core of the early Earth—possibly providing the source for our planet’s oceans [1]. The other team has theoretically plunged into the icy mantles of Uranus and Neptune and found newmineral candidates that could explain these planets’ magnetic fields [2].
An Unusual Presentation of Crohn’s Disease and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory gastrointestinal bowel disorders that may affect any part of the alimentary tract. Classically, these two diseases have hallmark associations, such as UC with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We present a case of a healthy 21-year-old white female with concomitant CD and PSC, complicated by a biliary stricture requiring stent placement. We discuss shared risk factors, disease pathogenesis, and hallmark pathological associations. To the best of our knowledge, there are a limited number of reported cases that demonstrate the dual phenotype of CD and PSC.
Ein parametrisches Modell für lineare zeitvariante Systeme / A parametric model for linear time-varying systems

An Einzeluntersuchungen, die sich nicht in diese Problemkreise einreihen lassen, seien erwähnt: Ein Verfahren zum Unempfindlichmachen von Regelkreisen von M. Lochmann und Untersuchungen zur modalen Entkopplung von 5. Köhle. Weitere Bemühungen des Instituts werden unter anderem folgenden Fragestellungen gewidmet sein: Steuerungsalgorithmen bei verteilten Systemen, Optimierung mittels der Butkowskijsdntn Integralgleichungen, Synthese von Mehrfachsystemen, Einzelprobleme bei nichtlinearen Näherungsverfahren. Der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft sei sehr herzlich für ihre Unterstützung gedankt, ohne die das Institut mehrere Forschungsvorhaben nicht hätte durchführen können, den Firmen AEG, Mannesmann und Siemens für die Zusammenarbeit bei verschiedenen Problemstellungen.
“How a Facebook Update Can Cost You Your Job”: News Coverage of Employment Terminations Following Social Media Disclosures, From Racist Cops to Queer Teachers

Social media posts and profiles have become a key part of hiring and firing processes, producing a “hidden curriculum of surveillance. ” When hiring, employers routinely engage in “cybervetting” job candidates, making judgments based on their social media presence (or absence), and so too can social media disclosures impact (positively and negatively) employment progression and even result in termination. Where is the line between personal social media use and professional identities? What is the difference between holding people in positions of power to account and invading the privacy of everyday people? What kinds of social media posts get people fired? In this article, we report on a study of 312 news media articles that document stories of people being fired because of a social media post. We divide the corpus into posts made by the individuals who are fired (“self-posts,” n = 264) and posts made by others that resulted in the subject of those posts losing their job (“third party,” n = 48). Racism was the most common reason people were fired in these news stories, followed by other forms of discriminatory behavior (such as queerphobia), offensive content, workplace conflict, political content, acts of violence, and abuse. We examine these narratives through the lens of what van Dijck describes as “professional value,” and ultimately seek to question how these stories normalize the “hidden curriculum of surveillance,” putting additional pressure on employees and young people who are called to act on social media through the prism of future employment.
Subjective evaluations of three-dimensional, surround and stereo loudspeaker reproductions using classical music recordings

: The present study subjectively evaluated loudspeaker reproductions of four diﬀerent classical recordings in 0+2+0 (stereo), 0+5+0 (surround), 4+5+0 (surround with four height channels), each of which was downmixed from the original 9+10+3 (i.e. NHK 22.2), in terms of four attributes: listener envelopment (LEV), presence (i.e. sense of being there), overall tonal quality (OTQ) and overall listening experience (OLE). Prior to the main experiment, the playback levels of the upper and bottom loudspeaker layers relative to the middle layer level were subjectively adjusted for each of the original 9+10+3 recordings. It was found that the preferred levels of the upper and bottom layers were around 4 dB and 6 dB lower than that of the middle layer, on average. From multiple comparison listening tests, the perceived degradation from the original 9+10+3 to 4+5+0 was found to be signiﬁcantly dependent on the recording technique used as well as the programme material. It was also found that 0+5+0 was not signiﬁcantly diﬀerent from 4+5+0 in general. Overall, LEV was most correlated with OLE, whilst Presence and OTQ tended to have a strong association.
Placentary Malaria, What Biological Diagnosis?

The consequences of malaria associated with pregnancy result from the placental inflammation responsible for the disruption of fetal maternal exchanges causing suffering, weight loss and miscarriages. Thus, the biological diagnosis of placental malaria becomes an essential tool in the prevention of the consequences of malaria during pregnancy. Direct diagnostic techniques are more reliable, but because of the unavailability of the placenta during pregnancy indirect techniques are useful. However, implementation and interpretation of the diagnosis indirect results still a controversial issue at present. Recent studies are moving towards the identification of determining cytokines at the peripheral level of a consequent placental inflammation of placental malaria.
Enhancing the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles using green Carbon quantum dots

1 Key Laboratory of East China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Shanghai 200090, China 2 Laboratory of Constitution and Reaction of Matter, UFR SSMT, Université Felix Houphouet Boigny, 22 BP 582 Abidjan 22, Cote d’Ivoire 3 Laboratory of Environmental Sciences and Technology, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, BP 150 Daloa, Cote d’Ivoire 4 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine (Academy of Forensic Science), Shanghai 200063, China
Novel green-fruit detection algorithm based on D2D framework

: In the complex orchard environment, the efficient and accurate detection of object fruit is the basic requirement to realize the orchard yield measurement and automatic harvesting. Sometimes it is hard to differentiate between the object fruits and the background because of the similar color, and it is challenging due to the ambient light and camera angle by which the photos have been taken. These problems make it hard to detect green fruits in orchard environments. In this study, a two-stage dense to detection framework (D2D) was proposed to detect green fruits in orchard environments. The proposed model was based on multi-scale feature extraction of target fruit by using feature pyramid networks MobileNetV2 +FPN structure and generated region proposal of target fruit by using Region Proposal Network (RPN) structure. In the regression branch, the offset of each local feature was calculated, and the positive and negative samples of the region proposals were predicted by a binary mask prediction to reduce the interference of the background to the prediction box. In the classification branch, features were extracted from each sub-region of the region proposal, and features with distinguishing information were obtained through adaptive weighted pooling to achieve accurate classification. The new proposed model adopted an anchor-free frame design, which improves the generalization ability, makes the model more robust, and reduces the storage requirements. The experimental results of persimmon and green apple datasets show that the new model has the best detection performance, which can provide theoretical reference for other green object detection. Novel green-fruit detection algorithm D2D framework.
Equality Constraints in Linear Hawkes Processes

Conditional independence is often used as a testable implication of causal models of random variables. In addition, equality constraints have been proposed to distinguish between data-generating mechanisms. We show that one can also ﬁnd equality constraints in linear Hawkes processes, extending this theory to a class of continuous-time stochastic processes. This is done by proving that Hawkes process models in a certain sense satisfy the equality constraints of linear structural equation models. These results allow more reﬁned constraint-based structure learning in this class of processes. Arguing the existence of equality constraints leads us to new identiﬁcation results for Hawkes processes. We also describe a causal interpretation of the linear Hawkes process which is closely related to its so-called cluster representation.
Priority-based parking system for university campus using IOT and CVRP

The significant increase of cars and the population growth due to urban area development are considered as a challenge for the smart city last years. Resulting to traffic congestion, especially in the parking lot. One of the city major impacted infrastructures is the university campus. A parking management system saves time and resolves the traffic congestion. However, the rapid growth inside the university is not taking into consideration by the current parking management system. Also, the universities and other institutions are a hierarchical organism and have a specific priority and roles to be respected for spaces which include parking lot. The current paper addresses the parking management system inside universities with respect of the requirements of institution and proposes architecture based on IoT system to insure the flowless of the traffic inside the university. Also, a hybrid VRP and MDVRP solution to provide a fair distribution of parking lots between different visitors while respecting the priorities.
Emissions of flue gas during pulverized combustion of coal and waste woody biomass

In this paper results of research of co-firing coals from Middle Bosnian basin with waste woody biomass are presented. The research was conducted in the laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Sarajevo. Tested fuels were subjected to pulverized combustion under various temperatures and various technical and technological conditions: different mass ratio of fuel components in the mixture, different coefficient of excess air for combustion, classic and staged air supply, and fuel staged into the reaction zone. The results are related to the emission of flue gas components with respect to the technological conditions of combustion. In addition to the valorization of the influence of the primary fuel composition and process temperature on the emission values of the flue gas components, it has been shown that the application of primary measures in the combustion chamber results in lower or higher positive effects in terms of reducing the emissions of individual components e.g. the NOx emission is reduced from 837 mg/mn in conventional combustion to 710 mg/mn using air staging, while during combustion with fuel staging, the NOx emission is reduced in proportion to the part of the fuel that is introduced into the reaction zone subsequently.
Hypersonic Focus Area in the DoD T&E/S&T Program *

Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) has, at the request of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Test Resource Management Center (OSD TRMC), been assigned as executing agent for the hypersonics test focus area under the Test & Evaluation/Science & Technology (T&E/S&T) program. In this role, AEDC routinely reviews test-and-evaluation enabling technology needs that address near- and long-term testing requirements. A yearly request of proposals is issued based on the technology shortfall findings, and proposals are received and evaluated based on prescribed review criteria. Subsequently, based on availability of funding, the proposals are funded, and the projects are continually evaluated for execution and relevance to T&E technology needs. This paper addresses the process in acquiring proposals and those technological areas defined as priorities for future hypersonic T&E. A summary of the goals of the hypersonic test program is given. Areas of particular interest to hypersonic T&E and how they relate to future hypersonic systems are presented. A brief description of the awarded efforts is also presented.