Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative transcriptome analysis by Tilletia horrida infection in resistant and susceptible rice (Oryza sativa L.) male sterile lines reveals candidate genes and resistant mechanisms

Background Rice kernel smut (RKS), caused by the basidiomycete fungus Tilletia horrida , is one of the most devastating diseases affecting the production of male sterile lines of rice ( Oryza sativa ) worldwide. However, molecular mechanisms of resistance to T. horrida have not yet been explored.Results In the present study, analysis of the amount of T. horrida biomass in rice kernels and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of rice male sterile lines resistant and susceptible to RKS (Jiangcheng 3A and 9311A, respectively) were conducted after T. horrida infection. Transcriptomic analysis showed that 9, 840 and 7, 902 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in Jiangcheng3A and 9311A, respectively, after T. horrida inoculation, compared with the control. KEGG analyses of DEGs revealed that cutin, suberine and wax biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, tyrosine metabolism, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids were enriched by T. horrida inoculation in Jiangcheng 3A; however, not significantly enriched in 9311A. Furthermore, the DEGs related to plant-pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction, and transcriptional factor genes were identified in both rice male sterile lines.Conclusions This is the first comparative transcriptome analysis of two rice genotypes with different responses to T. horrida infection, revealing DEGs with potentially important roles in defense against T. horrida infection. Ours results will serve as a strong foundation for developing effective strategies for T. horrida -resistance breeding.
Effect of weak foundation on the seismic response of core wall type buildings

This paper investigates the seismic behaviour of a typical wall-type reinforced concrete building with a footing that is unable to develop the flexural wall capacity. Nonlinear dynamic analysis is used to determine the response of the structure under historical earthquakes representing design conditions for a seismic zone 4 in Canada. The analysis incorporates the nonlinear behaviour of the core, footing and soil, and also the uplift of the footing from the soil. Three different structural models are considered: (i) the core on a rigid foundation, (ii) the core on a flexible (rocking) foundation, and (iii) the core on a flexible foundation with the two lower levels connected to a parking structure. The results show that the weak footing does not have a great influence on the performance of the building considered. The parking structure and the rocking foundation cause a reversal and increase of the shear forces in the lower storeys. Also, the reduction of bending moments due to the core yielding is not pr.
Application of a Near Infrared Imaging System for Thermographic Imaging of the Space Shuttle during Hypersonic Re-Entry

High resolution calibrated near infrared (NIR) imagery was obtained of the Space Shuttle’s re-entry during STS-119, STS-125, and STS-128 missions. The infrared imagery was collected using a US Navy NP-3D Orion aircraft using a long-range infrared optical package referred to as Cast Glance. The slant ranges between the Space Shuttle and Cast Glance were approximately 26-41 nautical miles at point of closest approach. The Hypersonic Thermodynamic Infrared Measurements (HYTHIRM) project was a NASA Langley led endeavor sponsored by the NASA Engineering Safety Center, the Space Shuttle Program Office and the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate to demon-strate a quantitative thermal imaging capability. HYTHIRM required several mission tools to acquire the imagery. These tools include pre-mission acquisition simulations of the Shuttle trajectory in rela-tionship to the Cast Glance aircraft flight path, radiance modeling to predict the infrared response of the Shuttle, and post mission analysis tools to process the infrared imagery to quantitative temperature maps. The spatially resolved global thermal measurements made during the Shuttle’s hypersonic re-entry provides valuable flight data for reducing the uncertainty associated with present day ground-to-flight extrapolation techniques and current state-of-the-art empirical boundary-layer transition or turbulent heating prediction methods. Laminar and turbulent flight data is considered critical for the development of turbulence models supporting NASA’s next-generation spacecraft. This paper will provide the motivation and details behind the use of an upgraded NIR imaging system used onboard a Navy Cast Glance aircraft and describe the characterizations and procedures performed to obtain quantitative temperature maps. A brief description and assessment will be provided of the previously used analog NIR camera along with image examples from Shuttle missions STS-121, STS-115, and so-lar tower test. These thermal observations confirmed the challenge of a long-range acquisition during re-entry. These challenges are due to unknown atmospheric conditions, image saturation, vibration etc. This provides the motivation for the use of a digital NIR sensor. The characterizations performed on the digital NIR sensor included radiometric, spatial, and spectral measurements using blackbody radiation sources and known targets. An assessment of the collected data for three Space Shuttle at-mospheric re-entries, STS-119, STS-125, and STS-128, are provided along with a description of various events of interest captured using the digital NIR imaging system such as RCS firings and boundary layer transitions. Lastly the process used to convert the raw image counts to quantitative temperatures is presented along with comparisons to the Space Shuttle’s onboard thermocouples.
EMP susceptibility insights from aircraft exposure to lightning

Examines the interactions of natural lightning and the nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) with aircraft. The propositions that one can use normal exposure to lightning to provide information on EMP protection, and deliberate exposure to lightning to test EMP protection are evaluated. The rarity of encountering lightning, its random occurrence and variability (necessitating extensive onboard instrumentation), and its apparent deficiency in energy at the high frequencies make the use of lightning for an EMP surveillance or test impractical. >
Active Stabilization of Rotating Stall and Surge in a Transonic Single Stage Axial Compressor

Rotating stall and surge have been stabilized in a transonic single-stage axial compressor using active feedback control. The control strategy is to sense upstream wall static pressure patterns and feed back the signal to an annular array of twelve separately modulated air injectors. At tip relative Mach numbers of 1.0 and 1.5 the control achieved a 11% and 3.5% reduction in stalling mass flow respectively, with injection adding 3.6% of the design compressor mass flow. The aerodynamic effects of the injection have also been examined.At a tip Mach number, Mtip, of 1.0, the stall inception dynamics and effective active control strategies are similar to results for low-speed axial compressors. The range extension was achieved by individually damping the first and second spatial harmonics of the pre-stall perturbations using constant gain feedback.At a Mtip of 1.5 (design rotor speed), the pre-stall dynamics are different than at the lower speed. Both one-dimensional (surge) and two-dimensional (rotating stall) perturbations needed to be stabilized to increase the compressor operating range. At design speed, the instability was initiated by approximately 10 rotor revolutions of rotating stall followed by classic surge cycles. In accord with the results from a compressible stall inception analysis, the zeroth, first, and second spatial harmonics each include more than one lightly damped mode which can grow into the large amplitude instability. Forced response testing identified several modes traveling up to 150% of rotor speed for the first three spatial harmonics; simple constant gain control cannot damp all of these modes and thus cannot stabilize the compressor at this speed. A dynamic, model-based robust controller was therefore used to stabilize the multiple modes which comprise the first three harmonic perturbations in this transonic region of operation.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
A Change of Undrain Shear Strength of Soft Ground during Consolidation Process

The purpose of this study is to investigate the undrain shear strength increment during consolidation process of soft clayey soils. Thirty kinds of laboratory triaxial tests have been performed using undisturbed and remolded Ariake clay samples with different degree of consolidation and 5 kinds of confining pressure. Test results show that well known linear equation proposed by Yamanouchi et al.(1982) is overestimated the strength of undisturbed soft clay ground in the process of consolidation. A new simple and reasonable exponential equation proposed in this paper.
3D Audio Display for Pararescue Jumpers

Visual and audio navigations aids were compared in a virtual environment that depicted an urban combat search and rescue mission (CSAR). The participants' task was to rapidly move through a virtual maze depicted in a CAVE° to find a downed pilot, while dealing with automated hostile and friendly characters. The visual and audio displays were designed to present comparable information, which in separate conditions could be a simple realtime indication of the bearing to the pilot or to intermediate waypoints along the way. Auditory displays led to faster response times than visual displays (p = .011) and the waypoint display led to faster response times than the simple bearing display (p = .002). The results are considered in the context of the target CSAR application.
Sex Differences in the Association Between Liver Fibrosis and Clinical Outcomes in Acute Cardioembolic Stroke Population With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

Background: Liver cirrhosis is a confirmed risk factor for worse clinical outcomes of stroke, however the contribution of liver fibrosis to cardioembolic stroke (CES) and its short-term outcomes are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whether liver fibrosis is associated with more severe stroke, worse short-term clinical outcomes of acute CES, due to nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), as well as the impact of sex on the association. Methods: Using data of 522 patients with NVAF admitted within 48 hours after acute symptom of CES onset. We calculated Fibrosis-4 score (FIB-4) and defined liver fibrosis as: likely advanced fibrosis (FIB-4>3.25), indeterminate (FIB-4, 1.45-3.25), unlikely advanced fibrosis (FIB-4<1.45). We invested the impact of liver fibrosis degree on stroke severity on admission, major disability at discharge and all cause death at 90 days stratified by sex. Results: Among 522 acute CES patients with NVAF, the mean FIB-4 on admission reflected intermediate fibrosis, whereas liver enzymes were largely normal. After adjusting for possible confounders, multivariate analyses revealed that likely advanced liver fibrosis was associated with severe stroke (OR=2.21, 95% CI: 1.04-3.54), major disability at discharge (OR=4.59, 95% CI: 1.88-11.18), and 90-days mortality (HR=1.25, 95% CI: 1.10-1.56). Further grouped by sex, these associations were stronger in males but not significant in females.Conclusions: In patients with largely normal liver enzyme, likely advanced liver fibrosis is associated with severe stroke, major disability and all cause death after acute CES due to NVAF; the association unfolded more obvious in males, but not for females.
An approach to evaluate the service life of rubber springs used in rail vehicle suspensions

Abstract The stress-endurance (S-N) method has been widely used in metal fatigue in the railway industry over many years. However, when this method is applied to rubber-like materials, it seems not as successful as when it is applied to metallic materials. Recently, an integrated fatigue evaluation programme has been carried out with the aim of improving the design of anti vibration components in response to the increasing demands of the rail operating environment. This programme will also make simulations more reliable and relevant to industrial applications, especially for the fatigue design of rubber springs used in rail vehicle suspensions. The continuum mechanics (total life) approach has been used to characterize the fatigue life in terms of the cyclic stress range (S-N curve). It is suggested that the effective stress, at, can be used as a parameter (taking three principal stress ranges into consideration) to evaluate fatigue failure. The initial verification of this approach has been carried out on two types of rubber spring. The results have shown good agreement between the fatigue test of the components and the simulation based on this approach.
Project-Specific Web Sites: Friend or Foe?

Recent research has shown that one of the keys to project success is effective communication. Today, project communication is becoming increasingly complex, and the rapid transmission of project information is vital to project performance. Unfortunately, our current information network is based on project “push”—where information is moved sequentially to and from each member of the project team. The alternative to push communication is “pull” communication, where individuals access project information from a single central source. Project-specific Web sites (PSWSs) give construction personnel new ways of pulling the information needed to design and build today's complex projects. This paper will describe information push and pull, and discuss its applications in project-specific Web sites. Additionally, the paper will outline a case study approach that uses a social network analysis to study push/pull on three major construction projects. The research found that PSWSs can speed information flows on constr.
Investigation on behavior of the vibration-based piezoelectric energy harvester array in ultracapacitor charging

In this article, behaviors are investigated when the piezoelectric harvester array, consisting of four lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) circular diaphragms, charges ultracapacitors. It exhibits that V-I characteristic of the harvester array is approximately linear within 3RC, demonstrates that the array could be equivalent as the linear source. Relevant factors on ultracapacitor charging power P, including equivalent circuitry impedance R, charging capacitor C, operating frequency f, and connection patterns, are also studied. Meanwhile, interrelation between energy charging efficiency η and maximum charging power PMS is demonstrated, which is also used to find out the best condition for the harvester array's operation. It exhibits that PZT harvester array connected in pattern of rectifying-parallel will have higher charging efficiency.
Statistical Characterization of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Material Properties for Structural Design

A consistent basis for statistically reducing fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite material property test data for load and resistance factor design (LRFD) of composite structures is developed in this paper. A two-parameter Weibull probability distribution is recommended for modeling both strength and stiffness properties. Consistent with practice for other materials used in structural engineering applications, the 5-percentile value of strength of coupons and components, as well as modulus values, appropriately adjusted for the small size of typical data samples, is recommended for the nominal value of strength for LRFD applications. Statistical uncertainty due to small sample size in the data reduction process is accounted for through the use of a data confidence factor, which is the tolerance limit defined as the 80th percent lower confidence level of the 5-percentile value of the population. With the nominal values so determined, appropriate resistance factors for LRFD-based design codes can be de.
Hyperspectral remote sensing and radiative transfer simulation as a tool for monitoring coral reef health

Recent advances in the remote sensing of coral reefs include hyperspectral remote sensing and radiative transfer modeling. Hyperspectral data can be regarded as continuous and the derivative spectroscopy is effective for extracting coral reef components, including sand, macroalgae, and healthy, bleached, recently dead, and old dead coral. Radiative transfer models are effective for feasibility studies of satellite or airborne remote sensing. Using these techniques, we simulate and analyze the apparent reflectance of coral reef benthic features associated with bleaching events, obtained by hyperspectral sensors on various platforms (ROV, boat, airplane, and satellite), and suggest that the coral reef health on reef flats can be discriminated precisely. Remote sensing using hyperspectral sensors should significantly contribute to mapping and monitoring coral reef health.
Finite Element Simulation of Concrete-Filled Double-Skin Tube Columns Subjected to Postearthquake Fires

AbstractDetailed finite-element (FE) analyses were conducted using commercial software to simulate the behavior of concrete-filled double-skin tube (CFDST) columns subjected to postearthquake fires. The main goal of these simulations was to replicate results from a series of experiments that first subjected CFDST columns to different levels of seismic damage by applying cyclic lateral loading, and then fire testing of the same specimens in a furnace. The numerical simulations paralleled the experiments in the loading sequence. Different material models and modeling techniques were assessed in terms of reproducing experimental observations including local failure modes such as steel tube buckling. Results from the cyclic loading simulations including residual deformations were maintained as initial conditions for the subsequent thermal-stress analysis to simulate the fire testing phase of the experiments. A sequentially coupled nonlinear thermal-stress analysis was conducted on the models of CFDST columns .
Seismic Analysis of Conventional and Isolated LNG Tanks Using Mechanical Analogs

The seismic response of a conventional and an isolated vertical, cylindrical, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) tank is computed using a mechanical analog and a finite element code to judge the utility of the analog for preliminary design and of the effectiveness of seismic isolation. Data reported and statistically sorted include base shear, global overturning moment, and wave height in the tank. The results obtained from the two numerical models are in good agreement and demonstrate that the mechanical analog can be used with confidence for the preliminary analysis and design of conventional and isolated LNG tanks that have similar dimensions to the sample tank of this study. The base shear and overturning moment in the seismically isolated LNG tank are 10% to 15% of the values computed for the conventional tank; the wave heights are unaffected by the introduction of a seismic isolation system.
clathrate hydrates

Substantial volumes of methane gas are trapped below the seafloor and in permafrost by an ice-like solid called clathrate hydrate. Global estimates of the methane in clathrate hydrate may exceed 10 kg, which represents one of the largest sources of hydrocarbon on Earth. Speculations about large releases of methane from clathrate hydrate have raised serious but unresolved questions about its possible role in climate change. Progress in our understanding of clathrate hydrate has been made through integrated geophysical and geochemical surveys of known clathrate occurrences. Details from these surveys have motivated new investigations of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that contribute to growth and breakdown of clathrate hydrate in natural settings. In this article, I give an overview of recent advances and future challenges.
Analysis of Networked Event-Based Control with a Shared Communication Medium: Part I – Pure ALOHA

Abstract In recent control literature, it was shown that event-based control requires less samples than time-triggered control. Consequently, it is argued that event-based control is superior to time-triggered control for Networked Control Systems (NCS) because it reduces the network utilization. The aim of this work is to show that it is not that simple. Therefore, we compare event-based and time-triggered control for a NCS consisting of subsystems with integrator dynamics and a shared communication medium, where packets are only lost due to collisions. We show that packet losses due to collisions drastically reduce the performance of event-based control if packets are transmitted whenever the event-based control generates an event. In contrast to previous findings, it turns out that in this setup time-triggered control is superior to event-based control.
Thermal effect on energetic physiology in the ark shell Scapharca subcrenata

Background: Clams inhabiting temperate coastal zones are affected not only by seasonal thermal variation, but also by changes in the prevailing thermal regime of their habitats. Understanding the physiological processes required for adjusting the energy balance of the ark shell Scapharca subcrenata to varying thermal conditions is pivotal for predicting its growth and further phenology, and ultimately promoting successful aquaculture activity. Thermal effects on the physiological processes and the combined energetic physiology at the organism level of S. subcrenata were assessed over a temperature range corresponding to field conditions (3–28 °C). Results: Physiological rates of S. subcrenata were well correlated with its dry tissue weight, formalizing allometric relationships. Extremely low weight exponent values for filtration rate and metabolic rate were detected at lower (3–8 °C) compared to higher (8–28 °C) temperatures. In addition to marked reductions at 3 °C, weight exponents were identical and intercept estimates increased progressively with rising temperature over the temperature range (8–28 °C). Identical weight exponents and increasing intercept estimates for both feces production and excretion rates across the experimental temperatures indicated that energy losses by egestion and excretion increased gradually with rising temperature. Scope for growth and net growth efficiency showed relatively constant and positive values at 8–23 °C, suggesting an optimal temperature range for production, but dropped drastically to negative values at 3 and 28 °C, indicating thermal (both cold and heat) stress. The Q10 values revealed that the metabolic and filtration rates are more sensitive at 23–28 and 3–8 °C, respectively. Conclusions: Allometric size-scaling of physiological rates in S. subcrenata highlights species-specific responses to changes in temperature. The observed weight exponents and intercept estimates for filtration and metabolic rates reveal the variation of the thermal effects according to size as well as an incapability of acclimation to varying temperatures. Reversed thermal sensitivities in both components confirm that energy acquisition by feeding does not offset the metabolic energy cost outside the optimal thermal range. Our empirical analysis allowed further understanding of the seasonal energy dynamism and biological cycle of S. subcrenata in temperate habitats subject to highly variable thermal regimes.