Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scintillation and dosimetric properties of Tb-doped CaF2 translucent ceramics synthesized by the spark plasma sintering method

ABSTRACT CaF2 translucent ceramics with different concentrations of Tb were synthesized by the spark plasma sintering (SPS) method, and their photoluminescence, scintillation and dosimetric properties were characterized. The Tb-doped samples exhibited scintillation with several sharp peaks across the range from 365–630 nm due to 4 f-4 f transitions of Tb3+ and with a broad peak at approximately 300 nm due to self-trapped excitons. Among the sample investigated, the scintillation intensity in the 365–630 nm range was highest for the 0.5% Tb-doped sample. As a dosimetric property, the Tb-doped samples exhibited thermally-stimulated luminescence (TSL) with a glow peak at approximately 90°C, and with a TSL response in a linear relationship to the X-ray dose over the dose range from 0.001 to 1 mGy. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) due to the 4 f-4 f transitions of Tb3+ was detected in the Tb-doped samples, moreover and the lowest detectable limit of OSL was at most 100 mGy.
Inheritance of β-glucan content of oat grain

β-Glucan in oat (Avena sativa L.) grain is primarily responsible for the beneficial effect of oat fiber on lowering blood serum cholesterol levels in humans. Plant breeding programs designed to genetically alter the β-glucan contents of oat germplasm would benefit from information on the inheritance of this trait. Two experiments were conducted to study the inheritance of β-glucan. Generation means analysis of five populations derived from biparental crosses between high and low β-glucan lines and cultivars was used to determine the genetic effects controlling β-glucan content in these populations. Parent-offspring regression was performed by using β-glucan data collected from individual plants of 166 oat lines and cultivars and their selfed offspring, allowing estimation of broad-sense heritability for β-glucan content in a diverse sample of oat germplasm. Additive gene effects were more important, and dominant gene effects were detected in only two of five biparental populations. No evidence of epistatic gene effects was found. Broad-sense heritability was estimated as 0.55 on an individual plant basis. This estimate is based on the covariance of inbred parents and their selfed progeny, which involves twice the additive gene action of the reference noninbred population, as well as nonadditive genetic effects. Selection based on replicated progeny families would involve a higher heritability. A positive correlation between grain yield and β-glucan was observed in the generation means analysis. These results suggest that plant breeders should be successful in altering β-glucan in oat through direct selection for this genetically variable trait.
The regulation of proline biosynthesis in maize roots

Proline or the proline analogues hydroxy-L-proline and azetidine-2-COOH inhibit the formation of proline from acetate-2-14C or glutamate-UL-14C in the 5-mm maize root tip. The inhibition of the incorporation of acetate-derived proline into protein is more severe than the inhibition of the total biosynthesis (soluble plus insoluble proline-14C). The results suggest that a portion of the proline biosynthesis, which becomes more prominent as the cells mature, is refractory to end product inhibition. The results also show that simultaneous additions of glucose promote the incorporation of proline-UL-14C into protein, exaggerate its accumulation as soluble proline, and reduce its oxidation.
Bitter off-taste in stored cold-pressed linseed oil obtained from different varieties

Freshly pressed linseed oil shows a delicate nutty flavor. However, after only 1 day of storage, a bitter off-taste develops. It is caused mainly by the formation of a cyclic octa-peptide named cyclolinopeptide E (CLE) containing the oxidized amino acid methionine. A simple and fast determination by solid-phase extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection has been developed in order to measure the formation of this cyclic peptide during storage in correlation with the increasing bitter off-taste of the oil, which was determined by a sensory panel. The development of this bitter off-taste was analyzed in several oils prepared from linseed of a single variety from seeds obtained during a growing test. Highest bitterness was perceived in oil from the variety Eurodor, corresponding to CLE contents of 925 mg/kg, and lowest bitterness was perceived in oil from the variety Baladin, corresponding to a CLE content of 485 mg/kg. In some varieties, additional bitter compounds might be present in significant amounts.
Transcription-Based Solenoidal Model of Chromosomes

The organization of transcription within the eukaryotic nucleus or the prokaryotic nucleoid may be expected to both depend on and determine the structure of the chromosomes. In yeast and bacteria, genes that are controlled by the same sequence-specific transcription factor tend to be either clustered or regularly spaced along the chromosomes. The same spacing is found for most transcription factors within a chromosome. Furthermore, in bacteria, the gene encoding the transcription factor tends to locate at identical regular intervals from its targets. This periodicity is consistent with a solenoidal epi-organization of the chromosome, which would dynamically gather the interacting partners into foci. Binding at genuine regulatory sites on DNA would thus be optimized by locally increasing the concentration of transcription factors and their binding sites. As many transcription factors are simultaneously active and some share targets, the resulting collection of foci provides a potent self-organizational principle for the chromosome, and consequently for the functional nuclear architecture.
Climate-driven late Quaternary fan surface abandonment in the NW Himalaya

We defined the timing of surface abandonment for 10 alluvial and debris-flow fans across contrasting climatic settings in the NW Himalaya of northern India using cosmogenic 10Be surface exposure dating. Debris-flow fans in the Garhwal, Kullu, and Lahul-Spiti regions of the monsoon-influenced Greater Himalaya were largely abandoned during the Mid- to Late Holocene. Large alluvial fans and smaller debris-flow fans in the semiarid Ladakh region of the Greater and Tethyan Himalaya have surface ages that extend throughout the last glacial. Regional events of landform abandonment and incision were defined for the monsoon-influenced western Himalaya ranges and the semiarid western Himalaya ranges over the past ~120 k.y. In the monsoon-influenced and semiarid western Himalaya ranges, these regional events were limited to the Holocene and from ca. 40 ka, respectively. The timing of fan surface abandonment and regional landform abandonment events coincided with periods of weakening monsoon strength and cooling, and local and regional glacier advances. Regional incision events from the monsoon-influenced and semiarid western Himalaya regions were recognized across various climatic conditions due to the ubiquitous nature of erosion in mountain settings. This study showed that climate-driven processes and glaciation were important drivers in fan sedimentation, catchment sediment flux, and the topographic evolution of the NW Himalaya during the late Quaternary.
Responses of Ohio River and Lake Erie dreissenid molluscs to changes in temperature and turbidity

To predict possible effects of global climatic change (via changes in ambient water temperatures and suspended sediments) on two exotic bivalves (zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, and quagga mussel, Dreissena bugensis), we evaluated survival and growth at three temperatures (ambient, ambient + 2°C, and ambient + 4°C) and two turbidities (ambient and twice ambient) in outdoor tanks for approximately 3 months during both warm and cool seasons. We compared responses of zebra and quagga mussels from southwestern Lake Erie and zebra mussel from the Ohio River at Louisville, Kentucky. Experimental increases in temperature significantly enhanced growth rates in fall - early winter but not during summer - early fall. Elevated temperatures increased mortality in the warm season but not in the cool season. Zebra mussel survived better (especially the Ohio River population) than did quagga mussel at high temperatures. Inorganic turbidity had few detectable effects; relationships, where significant, varied with tem.
Iodine carry over in dairy cows: effects of levels of diet fortification and milk yield

Abstract Thirty multiparous lactating cows were divided in three groups based on milk yield: high (H), average (A) and low (L). Within each group, cows were randomly allotted to two levels of iodine inclusions into the diet and respectively: level 1 (1): base diet containing 1.55 mg/kg dry matter, level 2 (2): base diet plus 47.2 mg/d. Potassium iodide was used. Feeds, orts, drinking water and individual milk samples were collected and analysed for the iodine content. The iodine concentration and total excretion in milk were affected by the level of iodine supplementation (P<0.05). No effect on milk iodine concentration could be addressed either to the level of milk yield or to the milk yield x treatment interaction. The total amount of iodine excretion and carry over were affected (P<.05) by the level of milk yield.
Climate Change and North American Rangelands: Assessment of Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

Abstract Recent climatic trends and climate model projections indicate that climate change will modify rangeland ecosystem functions and the services and livelihoods that they provision. Recent history has demonstrated that climatic variability has a strong influence on both ecological and social components of rangeland systems and that these systems possess substantial capacity to adapt to climatic variability. Specific objectives of this synthesis are to: 1) evaluate options to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and future climate change; 2) survey actions that individuals, enterprises, and social organizations can use to adapt to climate change; and 3) assess options for system transformation when adaptation is no longer sufficient to contend with climate change. Mitigation for carbon sequestration does not appear economically viable, given the small and highly variable carbon dioxide fluxes of rangeland ecosystems and the high transaction costs that would be incurred. In contrast, adaptation strategies are numerous and provide a means to manage risks associated with climate change. Adaptation strategies are diverse, including altered risk perception by individuals, greater flexibility of production enterprises, and modifications to social organizations that emphasize climatic variability, rather than consistency. Many adaptations represent “no regrets” actions because their implementation can be justified without emphasis on pending climate change. Adaptations specific to livestock production systems can include flexible herd management, alternative livestock breeds or species, innovative pest management, modified enterprise structures, and geographic relocation. Social-ecological systems in which adaptation is insufficient to counter the adverse consequences of climate change might undergo transformative change to produce alternative ecosystem services, production enterprises, and livelihoods. The rangeland profession is in a pivotal position to provide leadership on this global challenge because it represents the intersection of management and scientific knowledge, includes diverse stakeholders who derive their livelihoods from rangelands, and interacts with organizations responsible for rangeland stewardship.
REPEAT AND SINGLE COPY SEQUENCES ARE DIFFERENTIALLY CONSERVED IN THE EVOLUTION OF KELP CHLOROPLAST DNA 1

A method for the isolation of total blade, chloroplast and nuclear DNAs from kelp is described. Total blade DNA was isolated from various kelp species at yields of about 1.0 μg. g−1 wet weight of tissue extracted. Purified chloroplast and nuclear DNAs were isolated from Macrocystis integrifolia at respective yields of about 0.05 μg. g−1 and 1.0 μg. g−1 wet weight of tissue extracted.
The role of nitrogen on the growth and colony development of Phaeocystis globosa (Prymnesiophyceae)

The effects of nitrate, ammonium and urea on the growth and colony formation of three strains of Phaeocystis globosa were investigated. Although ammonium and urea supported growth, nitrate was the favoured nitrogen source for the growth of solitary cells for all three strains. Phaeocystis globosa CCMP 1528 and 629 formed colonies in all cultures where nitrate was the sole nitrogen source, but only a few colonies were observed in ammonium and urea treatments. Ammonium and urea were far less effective in supporting growth, biomass generation and colony formation in all three strains. Once colonies developed, colonial cells accounted for at least 15% of the total cells when grown with nitrate; colonial chlorophyll also contributed up to 60% to the total chlorophyll. The growth rates of colonial cells when using nitrate were greater than solitary cells. Changes in colony size, colonial cell abundance and total P. globosa abundance as affected by the nitrogen source may influence the carbon flux within the pelagic food web.
Dual Stage Normalization Approach Towards Classification of Breast Cancer

ABSTRACT Breast cancer is a major concern among women that causes high risk of death. Early diagnosis of such cancer becomes challenging due to alterations in the color of the histopathological breast images. This study uses a publicly available dataset of breast cancer histopathology images. This paper introduces a dual stage normalization approach, to address the color variation problem of biopsy specimen collectively caused by incompatible staining in biopsy process and bizarre imaging quality. The dual stage normalization proposed here consists of a stain normalization unit and a light normalization unit. This system addresses the variations of both imaging and staining of specimen that are caused by a microscopic imaging setup. Later on, eight features have been extracted from the normalized images and used for the classification of breast cancer (benign and malignant). The overall accuracy of the back propagation algorithm (BPA) classifier is obtained as 81.8%. After comparison with other classifier accuracies, BPA classifier is found to be acceptable. Recall and precision values are approximately 89% and 90%, respectively, which is acceptable. The saturation-weighted hue statistics produces balanced and uniform color hues for stain normalization. This statistic is powerful against variations in model parameters and unsusceptible to image subjects and achromatic colors. This normalization technique retains all histological data with an enhanced performance.
Effects of monensin dose and treatment time on xenoma reduction in microsporidial gill disease in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

The objectives of the study were (1) to determine an acceptable dose of dietary monensin against microsporidial gill disease (MGD) of salmon caused by Loma salmonae and (2) to determine the life stage of L. salmonae at which the action of monensin was most effective at reducing clinical disease. Rainbow trout (RBT) were fed monensin diets at concentrations of 0, 10, 100, 1000 and 5000 ppm starting 1 week before per os exposure to L. salmonae infected gill material. Lethal sampling occurred at weeks 6, 7, 8 and 9 post-exposure (PE). The acceptable dose of dietary monensin was determined to be 1000 ppm because it was the lowest concentration that produced a significant and constant reduction in xenoma formation. RBT were fed monensin at 1000 ppm beginning at 0, 1, 2 and 3 weeks before exposure and at 1, 2 and 3 weeks after exposure and continuing until week 9 PE. Fish in which treatment was initiated at the time of exposure or 1 week before, showed the greatest reduction in xenoma production when compared with the untreated RBT.
Leadership Style, Employee Engagement, and Work Environment to Employee Performance in Manufacturing Companies

The fast changes in global order have to be anticipated by the company’s management in order to be able to compete. This change affects the organizational system and the company’s leadership style to improve their employees’ participation. Leadership style determines the level of employees’ participation and empowers them in reaching the targets that have been determined by the management. The data retrieval is using a questionnaire from the employees of an animal feed manufacturing company. The data retrieval technique is by using all the 50 employees of the company. The data analysis of this study is using partial least square (PLS). The result of this study is to find that leadership style has a significant influence on employee engagement and work environment. Employee engagement and work environment impact significantly toward the performance of the employees. The result of the study also shows that leadership style can not directly impact the performance of the employees, because leadership style is an interaction between top management with the employees so that it needs an intermediate variable in increasing the performance of employees.
An internet of things malware classification method based on mixture of experts neural network

With the rapid development of the internet of things (IoT) technology, IoT devices have brought great convenience to agriculture, industry, and our daily lives. However, there exist numerous vulnerabilities and lack of efficient protective measures in IoT, thus its devices can be easily infected by malware. It is of great importance to improve the accuracy of malware classification for detecting and preventing the IoT malware. In this article, we adopt the mixture of experts (MoE) neural network to analyze and classify the family of the IoT malware. A classification framework is proposed based on the MoE neural network which utilizes the multitask learning approach and is designed to train multiple neural networks, each of which is responsible for a set of data and tasks. The proposed framework contains three neural networks which are designed to analyze and classify the malware and benignware samples. Especially, an improved hierarchical softmax algorithm based on the MoE neural network is used to distinguish the malware from benignware and get its exact classification. Experiment results show that the presented MoE neural network model can effectively distinguish the malware and benignware. Besides, the MoE neural network is also effective for malware family classification. The comparison of experiment results with other literatures shows that the proposed classification method has better performance.
Discrimination of freshwater fish species by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization- Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS): a pilot study

In this study we discriminate three freshwater fish species (the shad Alosa agone Scopoli 1786, the whitefish Coregonus macrophthalmus Nusslin1882 and the roach Rutilus rutilus Linnaeus 1758) by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization- Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) using both muscle and liver tissues. The technology enables to analyze tissues after a simple single-step extraction procedure without any further purification. The molecular profile of muscle tissues showed the most intense peaks at m/z range of 11,354.0 (±2.0 SD) Da, 3508.5 (±1.5 SD) Da and 8567.2 (±1.1 SD) Da for the shad, the whitefish and the roach respectively. The molecular profiles of liver tissues exhibit most of the highest peak intensities in the range between 2000 and 6000 m/z values. The roach shows the clearest pattern with high intensities detected at mass ranges between 3000 and 3550 Da with maxima at m/z 3035.2 (±0.2) Da and 3468.7 (±0.3) Da. The shad shows a shared high peak at m/z 3429.0 (±0.3) Da. The whitefish shows a group of major peaks in the m/z range of 3000-3700 Da with the highest being at 3635 (±0.3) Da. The overall signal pattern generated is highly specific for each species and, according to cluster analyses based on the total number of peaks, we could discriminate the three species.
Whole Genome Resequencing of Heugu (Korean Black Cattle) for the Genome-Wide SNP Discovery

Heugu (Korea Black Cattle) is one of the indigenous cattle breeds in Korea; however there has been severe lack of genomic studies on the breed. In this study, we report the first whole genome resequencing of Heugu at higher sequence coverage using Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform. More than 153.6 Giga base pairs sequence was obtained, of which 97% of the reads were mapped to the bovine reference sequence assembly (UMD 3.1). The number of non-redundantly mapped sequence reads corresponds to approximately 28.9-fold coverage across the genome. From these data, we identified a total of over six million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), of which 29.4% were found to be novel using the single nucleotide polymorphism database build 137. Extensive annotation was performed on all the detected SNPs, showing that most of SNPs were located in intergenic regions (70.7%), which is well corresponded with previous studies. Of the total SNPs, we identified substantial numbers of non-synonymous SNPs (13,979) in 5,999 genes, which could potentially affect meat quality traits in cattle. These results provide genome-wide SNPs that can serve as useful genetic tools and as candidates in searches for phenotype-altering DNA difference implicated with meat quality traits in cattle. The importance of this study can be further pronounced with the first whole genome sequencing of the valuable local genetic resource to be used in further genomic comparison studies with diverse cattle breeds.
Short-Chain-Length Distribution in Debranched Rice Starches Differing in Gelatinization Temperature or Cooked Rice Hardness

Tropical nonwaxy and waxy rice starches differing in gelatinization temperature and previously characterized by high-performance gel permeation chromatography of debranched amylopectin were subjected to capillary electrophoresis of debranched starch to measure their amylopectin chain ratio (ACR, ratio A chains/A + B1 chains). The ACR data confirmed that low gelatinization temperature (GT) starch contained S-type (ACR ≥ 0.23) amylopectin and intermediate-high GT starch had L-type (ACR <0.20) amylopectin. ACR not only influenced GT, gelatinization enthalpy and ease of attack of starch granules by HCl and amylase, but affected also the extent of amylopectin staling of starch gels. Two japonica and two indica×japonica South Korean rices with low-amylose low-GT starch also contained S-type amylopectin.
Nonnative Fish Control in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona: An Effective Program or Serendipitous Timing?

Abstract The federally endangered humpback chub Gila cypha in the Colorado River within Grand Canyon is currently the focus of a multiyear program of ecosystem-level experimentation designed to improve native fish survival and promote population recovery as part of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program. A key element of this experiment was a 4-year effort to remove nonnative fishes from critical humpback chub habitat, thereby reducing potentially negative interactions between native and nonnative fishes. Over 36,500 fish from 15 species were captured in the mechanical removal reach during 2003–2006. The majority (64%) of the catch consisted of nonnative fish, including rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (19,020), fathead minnow Pimephales promelas (2,569), common carp Cyprinus carpio (802), and brown trout Salmo trutta (479). Native fish (13,268) constituted 36% of the total catch and included flannelmouth suckers Catostomus latipinnis (7,347), humpback chub (2,606), bluehead suckers Catostomus d.