Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A PDLP-NHL3 complex integrates plasmodesmal immune signaling cascades

The plant immune system relies on the perception of molecules that signal the presence of a microbe threat. This triggers signal transduction that mediates a range of cellular responses via a collection of molecular machinery including receptors, small molecules, and enzymes. One response to pathogen perception is the restriction of cell-to-cell communication by plasmodesmal closure. We previously found that while chitin and flg22 trigger specialized immune signaling cascades in the plasmodesmal plasma membrane, both execute plasmodesmal closure via callose synthesis at the plasmodesmata. Therefore, the signaling pathways ultimately converge at or upstream of callose synthesis. To establish the hierarchy of signaling at plasmodesmata and characterize points of convergence in microbe elicitor-triggered signaling, we profiled the dependence of plasmodesmal responses triggered by different elicitors on a range of plasmodesmal signaling machinery. We identified that, like chitin, flg22 signals via RBOHD to induce plasmodesmal closure. Further, we found that PDLP1, PDLP5 and CALS1 are common to microbe- and SA-triggered responses, identifying PDLPs as a candidate signaling nexus. To understand how PDLPs relay a signal to CALS1, we screened for PDLP5 interactors and found NHL3, which is also required for chitin-, flg22- and SA-triggered plasmodesmal responses and PDLP-mediated activation of callose synthesis. We conclude that a PDLP-NHL3 complex acts as an integrating node of plasmodesmal signaling cascades, transmitting multiple immune signals to activate CALS1 and plasmodesmata closure. Significance Statement Plants close plasmodesmata to restrict cell-to-cell communication after pathogen perception and in response to a range of stresses. All these stimuli trigger callose deposition at the plasmodesmal neck, suggesting a convergence of signaling. We have defined the hierarchy of molecular components and signals required to mediate plasmodesmal closure in immune responses, identifying a PDLP-NHL3 complex as a critical node that integrates multiple signaling cascades to regulate plasmodesmata.
Critical role of growth medium for detecting drug interactions in Gram-negative bacteria that model in vivo responses

The rise in infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria has necessitated a variety of clinical approaches, including the use of antibiotic combinations. Antibiotic susceptibility is affected in part by the growth state of bacteria within various tissues. Here we tested the hypothesis that drug-drug interactions vary in different media, and hence, using a medium that reflects tissue environments will better predict in vivo outcomes. We systematically studied pair-wise antibiotic interactions in three different media (CAMHB, a urine mimetic, and a lung mimetic) using three Gram-negative ESKAPE pathogens, Acinetobacter baumannii (Ab), Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa). There were pronounced differences in responses to antibiotic combinations between the three bacterial species grown in the same medium. However, within species, Pa responded to drug combinations similarly when grown in all three different media, whereas Ab responded similarly when grown in CAMHB and a lung mimetic medium. By contrast, drug interactions in Kp were poorly correlated across three different media. To assess whether distinct media were predictive of antibiotic interactions in Kp in the lungs of mice, we developed a treatment strategy and tested three antibiotic combination pairs. Measurements obtained in vitro from lung mimetic medium, but not rich medium, predicted in vivo outcomes. This work demonstrates that antibiotic interactions are highly variable when comparing across three gram-negative pathogens and highlights the importance of growth medium by showing a superior correlation between in vitro interactions in a growth medium that resembles the tissue environment and in vivo outcomes.
Analytical scattering matrix of subwavelength infinitely conducting metallic gratings in TM polarization

We obtain in TM polarization an analytical expression of the scattering matrix of one infinitely conducting metallic lamellar grating with subwavelength slits. The theory is based on the Monomode Modal Method which consists in considering only one propagative mode in grating slits. Two expressions are exposed. The first one comes directly from the theory equations and the second one clearly reveals the Airy-like form of the scattering matrix terms. The theory is validated on a multi-grating object and the stability of the numerical results are shown at the same time. This work provides a basic and very efficient theoretical tool to calculate the diffraction by a stack of subwavelength metallic gratings.
Instabilities and propagation properties in two-component reaction-diffusion systems

This thesis deals with a detailed linear analysis for a two-component reaction-diffusion system with constant diffusion coefficients. A comprehensive linear stability analysis results in three types of instabilities: (1) stationary periodic instability, (2) oscillatory uniform and (3) stationary uniform. The first instability involves pattern formation and the other two do not. Precise parameter regimes are identified for each. Travelling wave analysis is performed for the system and a detailed and comprehensive analysis is undertaken of a linear mechanism governing the development and propagation of nonlinear patterns. This analysis focuses on a linear selection mechanism that gives some insights into the selected speed of invasion of an unstable state by a stable one, as described both by a fixed form of travelling wave and by a modulated travelling wave.
Adaptive input-output linearization of induction motors with magnetic saturation

The problem of controlling induction motor with magnetic saturation is addressed from an input-output feedback linearization perspective. The induction motor /spl pi/-model is considered. An adaptive input-output feedback linearizing controller is developed under the assumption of measurable states but unknown rotor resistance and load torque, which are both online estimated by the controller. Simulation results are provided for illustration.
On a Conjecture of Barbasch and Pandžić

Let G be a connected complex semisimple Lie group. Let J s be the irreducible (𝔤, K) module with Zhelobenko parameters (ρ c /2, − sρ c /2), where s ∈ W is an involution. A conjecture of Barbasch and Pand\v zić claims that the Dirac cohomology of any unitary J s is either zero or the trivial -type with multiplicity 2[l 0/2], where l 0 is the split rank of G. We prove this conjecture for J s in the good range.
The origin of dispersion in DLA metallicities.

Recent chemical abundance measurements of damped Ly-alpha absorbers (DLAs) revealed an intrinsic scatter in their metallicity of ~0.5 dex out to z~5. In order to explore the origin of this scatter, we build a semi-analytic model which traces the chemical evolution of the interstellar matter in small regions of the Universe with different mean density, from over- to underdense regions. We show that the different histories of structure formation in these regions, namely halo abundance, mass and stellar content, is reflected in the chemical properties of the protogalaxies, and in particular of DLAs. We calculate mean metallicity-redshift relations and show that the metallicity dispersion arising from this environmental effect amounts to ~0.25 dex and is an important contributor to the observed overall intrinsic scatter.
Improving the Reliability of the Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Test

The clinical applications of contrast sensitivity testing have been discussed in numerous reports, and a number of printed contrast sensitivity tests are commercially available. Some of these tests use letters as targets rather than sine or square wave gratings (Regan and Neima, 1983; Pelli et al., 1988). Letter contrast sensitivity charts have the advantage of being quick to administer and the nature of the task is familiar to both the patient and the practitioner. The letter identification task has the advantage of being a multiple-alternative forced-choice procedure that limits patient criterion effects (Vaegen and Halliday, 1983). The Pelli-Robson chart (Pelli et al., 1988) consists of sixteen triplets of letters, with each letter subtending 3 degrees at the recommended viewing distance of 1 meter. Within each triplet the letters have the same contrast and the contrast in each successive triplet decreases by a factor of 0.15 log units (√2). Pelli et al. recommend scoring contrast sensitivity as the lowest contrast level at which at least two of the triplet are identified correctly.
Initial Speaking Ability of English Education Department Freshmen of Universitas Nasional Karangturi

Future English teachers need to have excellent communication skills in English at all cost. One of the important skills to master is speaking because it often represents a teacher overall competence in the eye of the students. This research is aimed to identify the initial speaking ability of the future English teachers who were still in the first semester in their study. This study was designed using descriptive qualitative research method employing observation, questionnaires, students’ speaking assessment using IELTS speaking test format, as well as interview. The participants of this study were 8 freshmen of the English Education Department, Universitas Nasional Karangturi. The data analysis employed in this study was inductive analysis based on Burns (2010) and Hatch (2002). The results show that the majority of the students (75%) display low performance (basic user level) whereas only two of them (25%) had quite good results (independent user level). It was due to their lack of practice because they are still at the beginning stage in their English studies and have not been very mush exposed to natural English communication. Obviously, they need to have supportive environment to learn speaking and this is going to be a huge challenge for the lecturers in ensuring that by the time they graduate they have sufficient speaking competence to handle the teaching job. Second, based on the questionnaire, students do not think that their first language hinders their ability in learning English, rather, they are of the opinion that their experience in learning their first language actually helps them to learn English.
Evaluating Pre-training Objectives for Low-Resource Translation into Morphologically Rich Languages

The scarcity of parallel data is a major limitation for Neural Machine Translation (NMT) systems, in particular for translation into morphologically rich languages (MRLs). An important way to overcome the lack of parallel data is to leverage target monolingual data, which is typically more abundant and easier to collect. We evaluate a number of techniques to achieve this, ranging from back-translation to random token masking, on the challenging task of translating English into four typologically diverse MRLs, under low-resource settings. Additionally, we introduce Inflection Pre-Training (or PT-Inflect), a novel pre-training objective whereby the NMT system is pre-trained on the task of re-inflecting lemmatized target sentences before being trained on standard source-to-target language translation. We conduct our evaluation on four typologically diverse target MRLs, and find that PT-Inflect surpasses NMT systems trained only on parallel data. While PT-Inflect is outperformed by back-translation overall, combining the two techniques leads to gains in some of the evaluated language pairs.
The prevention of stroke by statins: A meta-analysis

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to determine the preventive effects of statins on stroke. Methods: The published randomized controlled trials of statins for stroke prevention were searched from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China Journal databases. We performed the meta-analysis via calculating the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to study the mortality rate, incidence, and recurrence rate of patients with stroke in the prevention group and the control group. Chi-square-based Q test and I2 statistics were performed to test the potential heterogeneity; we conducted the sensitivity analysis to assess the stability of our analysis. Moreover, we performed the Begg and Egger tests to assess the publication bias. Results: Nine studies were included to perform meta-analysis, which included 15,497 patients (prevention group [n = 4114]; control group [n = 11383]). We found that the statins were not associated with the patients with stroke in mortality rate (OR = 1.00, 95% CI [0.82, 1.23]) and incidence (OR = 0.94, 95% CI [0.46, 1.92]) between the 2 groups. However, there was a significant differences in recurrence rate between the 2 groups (OR = 0.31, 95% CI [0.19, 0.51]). Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the statins were associated with the patients with stroke in recurrence rate, but there was no significant correlation with the mortality and morbidity of patients with stroke.
MicroRNA34a is associated with chemotherapy resistance, metastasis, recurrence, survival, and prognosis in patient with osteosarcoma

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the primary malignant bone tumor that most commonly affects children, adolescents, and young adults. MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) is involved in tumor metastasis and may be a prognostic marker for patients with cancer. The aim of the present study was to explore the role of miR-34a in patients with OS. The underlying associations between miR-34a expressions and metastasis, recurrence as well as and prognosis were comprehensively analyzed in OS patients. Methods: Reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to investigate serum level of miR-34a between clinical OS patients (n = 162) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 162). Expression of miR-34a in OS tissues and adjacent tissues was analyzed using RT-qPCR. RT-qPCR was used to compare the serum level of miR-34a in patients with OS before and after chemotherapy. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis was used to analyze the association between serum level of miR-34a and chemotherapy resistance, overall survival, as well as recurrence and prognosis of OS patients. Five-year recurrence and survival were estimated using Kaplan–Meier curves. Results: Serum level of miR-34a was downregulated in OS patients (n = 86) compared to age-matched healthy controls (n = 86). Expression of miR-34a was downregulated in OS tissue compared to adjacent tissues in clinical patients. The expression of serum miR-34a before and after chemotherapy was positively correlated with the expression of miR-34a in the corresponding tissues. Expression of miR-34a was higher in the group where chemotherapy was effective than that patient where chemotherapy was ineffective. Expression of miR-34a was negatively associated with chemotherapy resistance of OS patients. High serum levels of miR-34a were associated with longer overall survival in OS patients and lower metastasis. Multivariate Cox-regression analysis identified miR-34a serum level with potential prognostic significance. Conclusion: The expression level of serum miR-34a in patients with OS is closely related to the chemotherapy resistance, metastasis, recurrence, and survival of osteosarcoma, which can be used as one of the potential biomarkers and prognosis for the treatment of OS patients. Therefore, miR-34a may be a potential molecular for prediction of the efficacy of chemotherapy and prognosis in OS patients.
Interprosthetic Femur Fractures

➢ The prevalence of interprosthetic femur fractures (IFFs) is rising with the aging population and increased prevalence of total joint arthroplasty. ➢ IFFs have high rates of complications and high associated morbidity and mortality. ➢ The main treatment methods available for IFFs include plate fixation, intramedullary nailing, combined plate fixation and intramedullary nailing, and revision arthroplasty including partial and total femur replacement. ➢ There have been several proposed classification systems and at least 1 proposed treatment algorithm for IFFs; however, there is no consensus. ➢ Whichever treatment option is chosen, goals of surgery should include preservation of blood supply, restoration of length, alignment, rotation, and sufficient stabilization to allow for early mobilization.
Typeable ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae strains in Tunisian’s children

Background: Here, we report the frequency of capsulated ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae strains isolated from children in Tunisia, particularly capsular serotype b, by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying ampicillin resistance. Methods: We considered 22 capsulated H influenzae strains selected from a series of 91 ampicillin-resistant H influenzae strains isolated from children between 2010 and 2011 in Tunisia. The capsular serotypes of these strains were identified by slide agglutination and PCR. Results: By PCR, 19 (20.88%) serotype b, 1 (1.1%) serotype a, 2 (2.2%) serotypes d and f and 69 (75.82%) non-typeable strains were found among the 91 ampicillin-resistant H influenzae strains. 100% of the assumption between the consequences of antigenic examinations and PCR was found. The serotype b strains showed biotypes I, II, III, IV, VI, and VIII. The other capsulated strains showed biotypes IV and VIII. Thirteen of the serotype b strains created β-lactamase (14.28%). The 19 serotype b ampicillin-resistant H influenzae strains were subdivided into 3 bunches as indicated: The gathering of the β-lactamase positive, ampicillin-resistant where 11 strains (57.89%) were β-lactamase positive blaTEM-1 (+) and ftsI (+). The second gathering of the β-lactamase negative, ampicillin-resistant strains, where 6 isolates (31.58%) were β-lactamase negative blaTEM-1 (−) and ftsI (−), and lastly, the gathering of the β-lactamase positive, amoxicillin-clavulanate resistant where 2 isolates (10.52%) were β-lactamase positive blaTEM-1 (+) and ftsI (−). Conclusion: PCR should be used in our country because it may contribute to decreasing the probability of transmission of these strains, especially those showing the two mechanisms of resistance among children in Tunisia.
Authors who contributed most to the fields of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis since 2011 using the hT-index: Bibliometric analysis

Background: The h-index does not take into account the full citation list of a researcher to evaluate individual research achievements (IRAs). As a generalization of the h-index, the hT-index takes all citations into account to evaluate IRAs. Compared to other bibliometric indices, it is unclear whether the hT-index is more closely associated with the h-index. We utilized articles published on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (HD/PD) to validate the hT-index as a measure of the most significant contributions to HD/PD. Methods: Using keywords involving HD/PD in titles, subject areas, and abstracts since 2011, we obtained 7702 abstracts and their associated metadata (e.g., citations, authors, research institutes, countries of origin). In total, 4752 first or corresponding authors with hT-indices >0 were evaluated. To present the author’s IRA, the following 4 visualizations were used: radar, Sankey, impact beam plot, and choropleth map to investigate whether the hT-index was more closely associated with the h-index than other indices (e.g., g-/x-indices and author impact factors), whether the United States still dominates the majority of publications concerning PD/HD, and whether there was any difference in research features between 2 prolific authors. Results: In HD/PD articles, we observed that (a) the hT-index was closer to and associated with the h-index; (b1) the United States (37.15), China (34.63), and Japan (28.09) had the highest hT-index; (b2) Sun Yat Sen University (Chian) earned the highest hT-index (=20.02) among research institutes; (c1) the authors with the highest hT-indices (=15.64 and 14.39, respectively) were David W Johnson (Australia) and Andrew Davenport (UK); and (c2) their research focuses on PD and HD, respectively. Conclusion: The hT-index was demonstrated to be appropriate for assessing IRAs along with visualizations. The hT-index is recommended in future bibliometric analyses of IRAs as a complement to the h-index.
EFFECTS OF SOWING DATES AND NITROGEN RATES ON YIELDS AND REVENUE OF WATERMELON ( Citrullus lanatus THUMB) IN JEMA’A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE

: A field experiment was conducted between September and December, 2015, in two sites at Katsit, suburb of Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The experiment was aimed at determining the appropriate planting date and nitrogen rate for optimum watermelon ( Citrullus lanatus Thumb) yield, quality and realisable revenue in the study area. The treatments consisted of three planting dates with four levels of nitrogen fertilizer and a control fitted in a Randomized Complete Block Design, replicated three times. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance; means of treatments significantly different were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5% level of significance. Economic returns were analyzed using the Gross margin. The results showed that there were significant difference among the treatments in number of fruits and yield per hectare. However, watermelons sown in the middle of September at 30 kg N ha -1 fertilizer level gave the highest yield of 36,000 kg ha -1 and also gave the highest gross margin of N180, 967.00 ha -1 . It is therefore recommended that farmers in the study area should plant watermelon in the second week of September and to apply 30 kg N ha -1 of fertilizer in order to make optimum profit.
Interactive effect of obesity and cognitive function decline on the risk of chronic kidney disease progression in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a 9.1-year cohort study

Background: Obesity and cognitive function decline are independent risk factors for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, few studies have examined the combined effects of obesity status and cognitive function on change in CKD risk. We aimed to evaluate the association between obesity status, cognitive function and CKD risk change in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Data on 3399 T2DM patients were extracted from a diabetes disease management program between 2006 and 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association between obesity, cognitive decline, and CKD risk change. Three indexes, including the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (API), and synergy index (SI), were used to analyze interactions. CKD risk was classified according to the KDIGO 2012 CKD definition. Results: In multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio (HR, 95%Cis) for CKD risk progression was 1.34 (1.12-1.61) times higher in the moderate and severely obese patients compared with the normal weight patients, and 1.34 (1.06-1.67) times higher in the patients with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≤18 compared to those with an MMSE score ≥24. There was a synergistic interaction between moderate and severe obesity and MMSE score ≤18 on CKD risk progression (SI=4.461; 95% CI: 1.998-9.962), and the proportion of CKD risk progression caused by this interaction was 52.7% (API=0.527; 95% CI: 0.295-0.759). However, normal weight and MMSE score ≥24 were not beneficial on CKD risk improvement in the patients with a moderate risk and very high-risk stage of CKD. Conclusion: There may be a synergistic interaction between obesity and cognitive function decline, and the synergistic interaction may increase the risk of CKD progression.