Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Evaluation of Disubstituted Benzimidazole Derivatives as Potential Analgesic and Antidiarrheal Agents

The present study is aimed at the synthesis and biological evaluation of a variety of disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives. The disubstituted benzimidazoles, identified as 3a, 3b, 3c, and 3d were synthesized through condensation of o-phenylenediamine compounds with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of ammonium salt as a catalyst and characterized by infrared spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The compounds were screened for analgesic and antidiarrheal activities using acetic acid-induced writhing and castor oil-induced diarrhea models, respectively in Swiss mice. Compounds 3c, 3a, and 3b at a dose of 25 mg/kg decreased the number of writhes by 88.81, 69.40 and 64.93 %, respectively (P<0.05) as compared to standard aceclofenac (88.81 %). Derivatives 3d and 3a displayed promising antidiarrheal activity (P<0.05) at both 25 (inhibition of defecation 67.64 and 56.45 %, respectively) and 50 mg/kg dose levels (80.65 and 75.81% inhibition respectively) in comparison to standard loperamide (85.48% inhibition at a dose of 25 mg/kg). Among the synthesized derivatives, 3a emerged as the most effective analgesic and antidiarrheal agent, and it might be employed as a lead compound for future investigation.
Hull-less Barley Varieties: Storage Proteins and Amino Acid Distribution in Relation to Nutritional Quality

Abstract Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) has had an important impact on human nutrition. Hull-less barley is a genetically improved type that has been widely used in recent years. Six Brazilian hull-less barley varieties (IAC-IBON 214-82; IAC 8612-421; IAC 8501-31; IAC 8501-12; IAPAR 39-ACUMAI; IAC 8501-22) were analyzed for storage protein constituents, amino acid contents, and similarity among the hull-less barley varieties. Albumins, globulins, prolamins I and II, and glutelins were extracted and separated by SDS-PAGE. The total protein amino acid contents of the flour were also determined for each variety by TLC and HPLC. Variations in intensity and appearance and disappearance of protein bands were observed among the varieties suggesting genetic variability. However, the amino acid profile did not indicate any major variations in the amino acid concentrations. The high lysine and threonine total concentrations detected in the seeds of the hull-less barley varieties encouraged an investigation into the regulation of amino acid metabolism and storage protein synthesis.
Effects of feeding fresh citrus pulp to Merino wethers on wool growth and animal performance

Two studies were conducted to determine the effects of replacing lupins with fresh citrus pulp in Merino wethers diets: (i) an in vitro study, which measured ruminal fermentation; and (ii) an in vivo study in which 18 mature Merino wethers were fed dietary treatments (n = 3) over 56 days to evaluate effects on performance [i.e. DM intake, average daily gain and wool growth]. In both the in vitro and in vivo studies, the control treatment consisted (in diet DM) of lucerne chaff (69.9%), lupins (30.1%) and phosphate (0.3%), whereas the citrus pulp treatments (n = 2; replacing lupins on 20 and 30% DM basis, respectively) consisted of lucerne chaff (61.7 and 63.3%), lupins (18.5 and 6.3%), phosphate (0.34 and 0.33%) and fresh citrus pulp (19.5 and 30.1%). Data were analysed using the MIXED model of SAS and orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to determine linear (L) and quadratic responses to the level of citrus pulp. In the in vitro study, gas production, net total volatile fatty acid production as well as in vitro DM digestibility were similar (P > 0.05) among the dietary treatments. Ammonia production in citrus pulp treatments were twofold lower compared with the control (L, P 0.52). Wool production parameters including clean fleece weight, yield and staple length were not different between diets (P > 0.30). Hence, fresh citrus pulp can be included up to 30% on a DM basis replacing lupins without detrimental effects on wool production and animal performance.
Stress Sensitivity of Instantaneous Dynamic Triggering of Shallow Slow Slip Events

Dynamic triggering of large, detectable slow slip events (SSEs) is rarely observed, even though regional earthquakes often trigger tectonic tremors and very low frequency earthquakes. In this study, we investigate stress sensitivity of dynamic triggering of shallow SSEs in the Nankai Trough offshore of Kii Peninsula, Japan. We first identify additional shallow SSEs that have not been reported in previous studies and obtain a 15‐year‐long catalog of SSEs, some of which are triggered by passing seismic waves originating from large regional earthquakes. We then quantify dynamic and static stress perturbations on the plate interface induced by 19 candidate regional earthquakes using numerical simulations of seismic wave propagation. We find that SSE propensity to dynamic triggering depends mainly on the maximum Coulomb stress change and that relatively large dynamic stresses (>10–20 kPa) are needed to trigger a shallow SSE in the Nankai Trough. Regional earthquakes that can induce such large amplitude of dynamic stresses on the plate interface are relatively rare, which might explain the scarcity of dynamic triggering of large, detectable SSEs along the Nankai as well as other subduction zones. In addition, our analysis suggests that intraslab earthquakes can efficiently trigger SSEs in subduction zones via less‐attenuated, slab‐guided waves. Moreover, our results support the idea that an accretionary wedge in subduction zones promotes the dynamic triggering of shallow SSEs.
Osmotic and Salt Stress-Induced Alteration in Soluble Carbohydrate Content in Wheat Seedlings

The effect of drought and salt stresses on the water soluble carbohydrate content in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings was examined to characterize the involvement of major sugar components in the adaptive processes. Hydroponically grown seedlings of four wheat varieties differing in drought and salt tolerance were exposed to consecutive water (polyethylene glycol, PEG) and salinity (NaCI) stresses. Total water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC), glucose, fructose, sucrose, and fructan content of stems (non-photosynthetic tissue) were determined. Tolerant genotypes accumulated more soluble carbohydrate than did sensitive ones. Both ionic and non-ionic stresses increased the concentration of reducing sugars, sucrose, and fructans. Drought tolerant varieties accumulated sucrose to a significantly greater level than did sensitive ones under non-ionic stress condition. Changes in fructan content of plants after transfer from PEG to NaCI containing solutions were genotype dependent, increasing in salt tolerant and decreasing in salt sensitive cultivars. These results indicate that WSC might be a useful marker for selecting genotypes that are more drought or salt tolerant. The type of sugar comprising the increase in WSC appears to be a less reliable marker since the initial response was an increase in monosaccharides and the delayed response was an increase in fructan.
Modularized Morphing of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks: A Graph Approach

Network morphism is an effective learning scheme to morph a well-trained neural network to a new one with the network function completely preserved. However, existing network morphism scheme addresses only basic morphing types on the layer level. In this research, we address the central problem of network morphism at a higher level, i.e., how a convolutional layer can be morphed into an arbitrary module of a neural network. To simplify the representation of a network, we abstract a module as a graph with blobs as vertices and convolutional layers as edges. Based on this graph, the morphing process can be formulated as a graph transformation problem. Two atomic morphing operations are introduced to construct the graphs, based on which modules are classified into two families, i.e., simple morphable modules and complex modules. We present practical morphing solutions for both families, and prove that any module can be morphed from a single convolutional layer. Extensive experiments have been conducted based on the state-of-the-art ResNet on benchmarks to verify the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Influence of hedonic and utilitarian motivation on impulse and rational buying behavior in online shopping

Abstract This study investigates the impact of hedonic/utilitarian motivation on online shopping behavior in the city of Coimbatore with respect to individual facets. Various factors that comprise of online shopping namely social media, marketing efforts, technological factors, comfort of shopping etc. have been considered as the variables that influence the shopping motivation. These variable in turn have been used for determining shopping buying behavior of online shopping customers. The primary categories of shopping motivation are Hedonic and Utilitarian motivation which in turn have six categories for Hedonic and two for Utilitarian. These factors have helped in understanding the co-relation between motivation and buying behavior which is classified as Impulse and Rational. Online e-commerce websites have become the destination for companies to foray into markets with new innovative marketing strategies thereby reaching the homes of millions of people. In India, conventional shopping encouraged customers to reach out to the store which involved spending ample time making decisions and gave marketers the edge and relevant time to engage the customers make the sale. This has redefined the way customers indulge and engage with the product which allows minimum time frame for the customer’s choice of the product. The various factors that influence the customers and their relation to the shopping motives of the customers have been discussed in this paper. The shopping motives factors of Hedonic and Utilitarian have been utilized to conclude on the various effects of the online shopping behavior which has been broadly categorized as Impulse buying behavior and Rational buying behavior.
Inorganic carbon acquisition by Hormosira banksii (Phaeophyta: Fucales) and its epiphyte Notheia anomala (Phaeophyta: Fucales)

Abstract Measurements of parameters related to photosynthesis, with particular reference to the mechanism of inorganic C acquisition, were made on the obligate epiphyte Notheia anomala Harvey et Bailey (Phaeophyta: Fucales) and on its most usual basiphyte, Hormosira banksii (Turner) Decaisne (Phaeophyta: Fucales). The work on Hormosira banksii included a comparison of specimens which are normally emersed at low tide on rock platforms with specimens which are normally submersed in rockpools at low tide; the rockpool specimens are those which most commonly bear Notheia anomala. No significant differences were detected for any of the characteristics tested, i.e. photosynthetic rate as a function of incident photon flux density, external inorganic C concentration and plant N content; capacity to use HCO3−; diel changes in titratable acidity of cell contents (‘CAM-like’ behaviour); rates of dark 14C-inorganic C fixation; δ13C values of plant organic C. These data are consistent with there being no significant .
Temperature and Light Effects on the Germination of Seven Native Forbs.

Seeds of seven native herbaceous species common in natural grasslands and woodlands of south-eastern Australia were tested for germination over a range of alternating temperatures (15/5-35/25°C) with and without light. Seeds were also exposed to low (4°C) and high (50/40°C) temperatures and the addition of gibberellic acid. Tests were conducted on seeds stored for 0-15 months at room temperature. The optimum temperature for germination differed among species, with only Helipterum albicans germinating maximally over all temperatures. Germination of Bulbine bulbosa seed was the most strongly temperature-dependent. Light and cold treatments promoted germination in Helipterum albicans and Vittadinia muelleri only. Short-term dormancy (3-4 months) was shown to occur in fresh seeds of Stylidium graminifolium, Helichrysum apiculatum and Wahlenbergia stricta, but not in seeds of the other species; addition of gibberellic acid to seeds of the two last-named species did not overcome that dormancy. Seeds of all species remained germinable after 15 months of storage. Seeds of most species germinated maximally at 20/10°C. Storage at high alternating temperatures for 1 month inhibited subsequent germination at 30/20° in Leptorhynchos squamatus and S. graminifolium but increased it in V. muelleri, H. albicans and H. apiculatum. In the last species, exposure of 1-month-old seeds to high temperature broke dormancy. These results show that germination and dormancy of seeds of a range of native forbs vary with temperature and light regime; they provide an initial basis on which to test and interpret the effects of seasonal factors on germination and field establishment.
Performance of slope stabilization trials on the road network of Laos

Landslides pose significant hazards on the road network of Laos. These landslides frequently block access and occasionally result in the subsidence or loss of the carriageway. Several slope stabilization trials focusing on the use of bioengineering techniques and low-cost engineering measures were implemented in 2007 and 2008. Heavy rains in 2018 caused numerous landslides on the road network and a review was undertaken of the performance of the slope stabilization trial sites implemented ten years earlier. The outcome has proved very positive overall and vindicates the efforts made to understand the causes and mechanisms of the observed slope failures and the ground conditions that pertained. The outcomes of this research have been used to strengthen practice in Laos, and further afield, and to provide a valuable basis for future practice.
Zero-Voltage Zero-Current Transition Network for Dual-Phase Interleaved Converter

In this article, a zero-voltage zero-current transition scheme suitable for a family of dual-phase interleaved converters is proposed. The transition network consists of an auxiliary transformer, a switch, and a clamp diode. This network uses a low component count structure, and yet achieves effective soft-transitions (zero-voltage turn-ON as well as zero-current turn-OFF) for the main switches. It facilitates zero-current turn-OFF of all the diodes along with zero-current turn-ON of the auxiliary switch. Additionally, the auxiliary transformer self-adjusts the current in the auxiliary network depending upon the loading conditions and thus the reactive energy during the soft-switching is low for the entire range of loads. A detailed theoretical analysis is presented by considering a high step-up dual-phase interleaved boost converter as an example. The feasibility of the proposed soft-switching scheme is implemented on the same and its effectiveness is demonstrated through experimental results which are obtained on a 400-W converter prototype.
Potential predation of non-webbuilding spider assemblage on cotton pests Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract The relative feeding rates and preferences of a hunting-spider assemblage inhabiting southern Spanish cotton fields for two major cotton pests, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Spodoptera littoralis (Boisdubal) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were analyzed under laboratory conditions. First, a no-choice feeding test was used to determine relative feeding rates for hunting-spider families and species, offering a fixed number of 10 neonate larvae of H. armigera or S. littoralis and observing predation after 2 h, 4 h, 8 h, and 24 h. In a second test, Drosophila melanogaster, a very palatable alternative prey, was used to determine the degree of preference for cotton pest larvae. The mean number of first-instar lepidoptera larvae consumed by hunting spiders after 24 h was 8.57±0.25. As expected, spiders showed no preference for either of the two cotton pest species H. armigera and S. littoralis over the other. Results also showed that cursorial spiders of the families Miturigidae (represented here by Cheiracanthium pelasgicum) and Philodromidae consumed significantly higher percentages of larvae than crab spiders belonging to the Thomisidae family after 2 h and 24 h, respectively. In the prey choice test, Cheiracantium pelasgicum displayed a strong preference for cotton pest larvae while Thomisidae and Oxyopidae showed no significant preference. In addition, as the attack sequence progressed, Ch. pelasgicum showed a clear tendency towards the alternation of prey while Thomisidae, and more irregularly Oxyopidae, maintained their preference for D. melanogaster. These findings confirmed both the considerable potential value of some cursorial spiders (e.g. Ch. pelasgicum) in the biological control of lepidopteran cotton pests and the relatively low impact of other hunting spiders, e.g. Thomisidae, on pests of this kind.
Karyosystematic investigation of the genus Scorzonera L. s.l. (Lactuceae, Asteraceae)

SUMMARYSummarizing the results of our karyological investigation and the data in literature make it possible to speak about a considerable divergence within Scorzonera L. s.l. Generic independence of Podospermum DC. and Epilasia (Bunge) Benth. is confirmed by karyological data. The monotypic genus Takhtajaniantha Nazarova is singled out into an independent one and the question of the revision of taxonomic rank of the sections Pulvinares, Nervosae, Vierhapperia and Tuberosae is raised (by LIPSCHIZ system, 1935, 1939). The scheme of phylogenetic links within Scorzonera s.l. at the basis of primary basic chromosome numbers, x = 6 and 7 and secondary basic chromosome numbers, x = 12, 14 (amphiploid origin) is proposed. The role of structural rearrangements in the evolution of taxa is discussed.
Impacts of a small dam on macroinvertebrates: A case study in the Tinau River, Nepal

Macroinvertebrate composition, eco-morphological habitat descriptions and substrate composition were assessed above and below a small dam in the Tinau River, Nepal to explore the impact of the dam on biotic conditions. Four sites, one about 1.5 km above, one just above the dam site, one just below, and one about 2.5 km below the dam, were selected for qualitative and quantitative samplings of macroinvertebrates. The Nepalese Biotic Score method was used for the biological water quality assessment. The most abundant groups of macroinvertebrates among the total collection were of the family Chironomidae (53.5 percent) followed by Ephemeroptera (36 percent) and Trichoptera (5 percent). Only one of the dominant families, Baetidae, showed significant variability with substrate composition. The dam building had significant impacts on the macroinvertebrate composition just above the dam site, probably as a result of deposition of inorganic material within the small reservoir and changes in water speed. Damming of the Tinau River thus seems only to have a relatively minor impact on the river biota downstream of the dam site. The water quality of the river was assigned as Class II in all the stations, indicating its suitability for drinking after treatment.
Repeated Subsurface Thermal Profiling to Reveal Temporal Variability in Deep Groundwater Flow Conditions

Reliably quantifying groundwater fluxes to and from confined aquifers in sedimentary basins is increasingly recognized as a critical challenge that impedes sustainable groundwater management. One approach to quantify such fluxes is through the analysis of deep (e.g., >50 m) borehole thermal profiles penetrating through aquifer‐aquitard systems. Recently developed methods to interpret such data exploit the relationship between vertical groundwater flow and the downward propagation of surface temperature disturbances resulting from climate warming. In this note, we advance beyond prior studies that assumed steady‐state groundwater flow by demonstrating how hydrogeological regime shifts on decadal time scales can be quantitatively inferred from temperature‐depth profiles (TDPs). We use a set of repeated temperature‐depth profiles from one site in an unconsolidated sedimentary aquifer system, recorded in 1980 and 2016/2018 to tentatively infer a minimum of a threefold increase in groundwater downwelling to deeper aquifers (i.e., from 100 to 350 mm/year). The enhanced flux likely results from intensified, deep groundwater abstraction in the vicinity since the mid‐1980s. We reach this conclusion through analyzing the occurrence and downward propagation of the minimum temperature in the profiles as well as the temporal trend in deeper groundwater temperatures. We conclude that repeated temperature‐depth profiles can be suitable to archive hydrogeological changes. Our results provide the impetus for more systematic collection of present‐day TDPs to provide a historical benchmark from which to assess future groundwater flow alterations, especially in areas that lack traditional aquifer monitoring via hydraulic head measurements.
Outage-Constrained Rate of Skip-Sliding Window Codes

We propose the use of binary skip-sliding window (SSW) codes in the emerging area of simultaneous energy and information transfer, where the receiver uses the received signal for decoding information as well as for harvesting energy to run its circuitry. Binary SSW codes satisfy certain weight constraints over a skip-sliding window, and generalize both sliding window constrained (SWC) codes, as well as subblock energy constrained (SEC) codes. When using on-off keying, SSW constraints ensure sufficient energy content in the transmitted signal for real-time energy delivery. For a given energy requirement and battery size at the receiver, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for SSW codes to avoid energy outage at the receiver. These conditions are applied to derive the maximum achievable rate using outage avoiding SSW codes. We show SSW codes can outperform both SWC and SEC codes in terms of the outage-constrained rate, and hence are suitable candidates for simultaneous energy and information transfer.