Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Protein Concentration in Rice Grain Using UAV Imagery Together with Agroclimatic Data

Global warming and climate change can potentially change not only rice production but also rice nutrient content. To adapt a rice-dependent country’s farming to the impacts of climate change, it is necessary to assess and monitor the potential risk that climate change poses to agriculture. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between rice grain protein content (GPC) and meteorological variables through unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing and meteorological measurements. Furthermore, a method for GPC estimation that combines remote sensing data and meteorological variables was proposed. The conclusions of this study were as follows: (1) The accuracy and robustness of the GPC estimation model were improved by evaluating the nitrogen condition with the green normalized difference vegetation index at the heading stage (GNDVIheading) and evaluating photosynthesis with the average daily solar radiation during the grain-filling stage (SRgrain-filling). GPC estimation considering SRgrain-filling in addition to GNDVIheading was able to estimate the observed GPC under the different conditions. (2) Increased temperature from the transplantation date to the heading stage can affect increased GPC when extreme temperature does not cause the heat stress.
Plastic and Superionic Helium Ammonia Compounds under High Pressure and High Temperature

Both helium and ammonia are main components of icy giant planets. While ammonia is very reactive, helium is the most inert element in the universe. It is of great interest whether ammonia and helium can react with each other under planetary conditions, and if so, what kinds of structures and states of matter can form. Here, using crystal structure prediction methods and first-principles calculations, we report three new stable stoichiometries and eight new stable phases of He-NH 3 compounds under pressures up to 500 GPa. These structures may exhibit perovskitelike structures for HeNH 3 and He 2 NH 3 , and a host-guest crystal structure for He ð NH 3 Þ 2 . Superionic states are found in all these He-NH 3 compounds under high pressures and temperatures in which the hydrogen atoms are diffusive while the nitrogen and helium atoms remain fixed. Such dynamical behavior in helium ammonia compounds is quite different from that in helium water compounds, where weakly interacting helium is more diffusive than stronger bound hydrogen. The low-density host-guest phase of space group I 4 cm is found to be stable at very low pressures (about 3 GPa) and it enters into a plastic state, characterized by freely rotating ammonia molecules. The present results suggest that plastic or superionic helium ammonia compounds may exist under planetary conditions, and helium contributes crucially to the exotic physics and chemistry observed under extreme conditions.
Measuring local CD uniformity in EUV vias with scatterometry and machine learning

A methodology of obtaining the local critical dimension uniformity of contact hole arrays by using optical scatterometry in conjunction with machine learning algorithms is presented and discussed. Staggered contact hole arrays at 44 nm pitch were created by EUV lithography using three different positive-tone chemically amplified resists. To introduce local critical dimension uniformity variations different exposure conditions for dose and focus were used. Optical scatterometry spectra were acquired post development as well as post etch into a SiN layer. Reference data for the machine learning algorithm were collected by critical dimension scanning electron microscopy (CDSEM). The machine learning algorithm was then trained using the optical spectra and the corresponding calculated LCDU values from CDSEM image analyses. It was found that LCDU and CD can be accurately measured with the proposed methodology both post lithography and post etch. Additionally, since the collection of optical spectra post development is non-destructive, same area measurements are possible to single out etch improvements. This optical metrology technique can be readily implemented inline and significantly improves the throughput compared to currently used electron beam measurements.
The characterisation and partial sequencing of the grapevine chloroplast genome

A number of proteins essential for the survival of a plant are encoded by the chloroplast genome. The characterization and sequencing of a number of algal and plant chloroplast genomes has facilitated researchers understanding of cellular functions and metabolism. Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) has also been used to determine interand intraspecies evolutionary relationships and this organelle offers an alternative means of expressing foreign genes. Although a number of species' chloroplast genomes have been characterized and sequenced, no previous attempts of this kind have been made for a chloroplast genome of the family Vitaceae. In this study, attempts were made to characterize and partially sequence the chloroplast genome of Vilis vinifera. Chloroplast DNA was isolated from the Sultana and Sugra 1 cultivars and digested with restriction enzymes that produced cpDNA fragments of a suitable size for cloning. The fragments were shotgun-cloned into a plasmid vector and white colonies were screened by means of PCR and colony blotting. Three EcoRI-digested clones and one PstI-digested clone were obtained in this manner. Walking outwards from a previously sequenced grapevine rrn 16 gene region by means of PCR also allowed us to sequence a further -3310 bp region of the Sultana chloroplast genome. BAC clones containing V. vinifera cv L. Cabernet Sauvignon cpDNA inserts became available later in the project. It was decided to use these clones for further library construction instead of isolated cpDNA. The 5' and 3' end sequences of seven of the 24 BAC clones were obtained. These were compared to sequences found in the NCBI database to find homologous chloroplast regions and determine the size of each BAC insert. One clone appeared to contain the entire grapevine chloroplast genome, apart from a 500 bp region. This clone was selected for further analysis. The BAC clone DNA was isolated and restriction-digested fragments were shotgun-cloned into a plasmid vector. White colonies were screened by isolating the plasmid DNA and digesting it with appropriate restriction enzy~es. The 5' and 3' ends of putative positive clones were sequenced and mapped onto the Atropa belladonna chloroplast genome. A total of 15 clones were obtained in this project. Five of these contain cpDNA isolated from grapevine leaves and 10 contain fragments sub-cloned from the BAC clone. The biggest Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
Rôle du Liver X Receptor dans la régulation transcriptionnelle de la lipogenèse

Chez les mammiferes, la lipogenese ou synthese de novo des acides gras joue un role essentiel a l'homeostasie energetique. Elle est particulierement active dans le foie. Le Liver X Receptor (LXR) est un recepteur nucleaire de classe II qui est implique dans la regulation de l'expression de genes importants dans cette voie metabolique. Au niveau hepatique, LXR regule directement l'expression de certains genes de la lipogenese et aussi l'expression des facteurs de transcription SREBP-1c et ChREBP intervenant respectivement dans la reponse hepatique a l'insuline et au glucose. Les ligands naturels de LXR sont les oxysterols, des derives oxygenes du cholesterol. Aussi, LXR est avant tout considere et connu comme un senseur du cholesterol. Au cours de ces travaux nous nous sommes interesses in vivo au role de LXR dans la regulation transcriptionnelle de la lipogenese hepatique en fonction de differents stimuli: pharmacologiques, inflammatoires et nutritionnels. Par une approche pharmacologique, nous avons etudie la regulation croisee avec entre LXR et le recepteur active par les proliferateurs de peroxisome (PPAR . Nous avons aussi montre que l'inflammation intestinale est un puissant inhibiteur de la lipogenese hepatique. Enfin, nous avons mis en evidence le role de LXR dans la regulation de la lipogenese en reponse a une carence en acides gras essentiels et a un regime riche en fructose.
Predicting the number of reported and unreported cases for the COVID-19 epidemic in South Korea, Italy, France and Germany

We model the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic in South Korea, Italy, France, and Germany. We use early reported case data to predict the cumulative number of reported cases to a final size. The key features of our model are the timing of implementation of major public policies restricting social movement, the identification and isolation of unreported cases, and the impact of asymptomatic infectious cases.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and gastroprotection in primary health care users

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of gastroprotection and identify the main factors that influence the taking of protective drugs by the adult population treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). Methods This study was cross-sectional, conducted by including a contingent of 800 users of primary health care services (n=369, 46% males and n=431, 54% females). Included in the study were individuals of both genders aged 18+ who sought counselling or treatment during the three-month period. The data collection of this study was based on the completion of a structured questionnaire, which included questions related to the use of NSAIDs, the way these drugs were prescribed and administered and the simultaneous taking of gastroprotective drugs. Results The prevalence of the gastroprotective drugs use was higher among the elderly, individuals living in urban areas, those with higher education, those with daily use of NSAID, individuals receiving prescriptions from their own doctors, and those suffering from side effects from the use of NSAID, as well as subjects that had a longer duration of NSAID use. Diclofenac was the most prescribed NSAID. Gastric pain and dizziness were the most experienced side effects. Conclusion This paper demonstrates the need to improve the quality of primary health care service through informing and educating patients regarding the need to take gastro-protective drugs for those at high risk of adverse effects manifested by the use of NSAIDs.
Middle Triassic horseshoe crab reproduction areas on intertidal flats of Europe with evidence of predation by archosaurs

A systematically excavated track site in a 243.5 Myr old Middle Triassic (Karlstadt Formation, Pelsonian, middle Anisian) intertidal carbonate mud-flat palaeoenvironment at Bernburg (Saxony-Anhalt, central Germany) has revealed extensive horseshoe crab trackways attributable to the KouphichniumNopsca, 1923 ichnogenus. The exposed track bed of a Germanic Basin-wide spanned intertidal megatrack site is a mud-cracked biolaminate surface on which detailed tracks have been preserved because of rapid drying and cementation as a result of high temperatures, followed by rapid covering with a protective layer of arenitic storm or tsunami sediments. The different trackway types and their orientations have allowed a tidal sequence to be reconstructed, with the initial appearance of swimming horseshoe crabs followed by half-swimming/half-hopping limulids under the shallowest water conditions. The Bernburg trackways, which have mapped lengths of up to 40 m, were all produced by adult animals and exhibit a variety of shapes and patterns that reflect a range of subaquatic locomotion behaviour more typical of mating than of feeding activities. The closest match to the proportions and dimensions of the horseshoe crab tracks at Bernburg is provided by the largest known Middle Triassic limulid Tachypleus gadeai, which is known from the north-western Tethys in Spain. The horseshoe crab body fossils recognized in the German Mesozoic intertidal zones, instead, are from juveniles. The uniformly adult size indicated by the trackways therefore suggests that they may record the oldest intertidal reproductive zones of horseshoe crabs known from anywhere in the world, with the track-makers having possibly migrated thousands of kilometres from shallow marine areas of the north-western Tethys to reproduce in the intertidal palaeoenvironments of the Germanic Basin. Chirotherium trackways of large thecodont archosaurs also appeared on these flats where they appear to have fed on the limulids. With the tidal ebb, smaller reptiles such as Macrocnemus (Rhynchosauroides trackways) appeared on the dry intertidal flats, probably feeding on marine organisms and possibly also on horseshoe crab eggs. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 103, 76–105.
Maxpolynomial Division with Application To Neural Network Simplification

In this work, we further the link between neural networks with piecewise linear activations and tropical algebra. To that end, we introduce the process of Maxpolynomial Division, a geometric method which simulates division of polynomials in the max-plus semiring, while highlighting its key properties and noting its connection to neural networks. Afterwards, we generalize this method and apply it in the context of neural network minimization, for two-layer networks used for binary classification problems, attempting to reduce the size of the hidden layer before the output. A tractable method to find an appropriate divisor and perform the division is introduced and evaluated in the IMDB Movie Review and MNIST datasets, with preliminary experiments demonstrating a capacity of this method to reduce the size of the network, without major loss of performance.
Genetic diversity of Indian isolates of rice blast pathogen (Magnaporthe grisea) using molecular markers

Magnaporthe grisea, the rice blast fungus is one of the main pathological threats to rice crop worldwide. The genetic relatedness and the probable mechanisms of genetic variation among the Indian isolates of rice blast pathogen were studied. A total of 171 polymorphic markers were scored using 33 select ed random decamer primers. The isolates exhibited an overall polymor- phism of about 64%. The similarity degree value for the isolates ranged from 0.76 to 0.92. The high pol y- morphism could be explained by natural and stress- induced transposition and horizontal gene transfer. Understanding the source of pathogen variation will aid in designing improved methods for management of the rice blast disease.
Design of narrow transition band variable bandwidth digital filter

This study presents a novel implementation technique for linear phase variable bandwidth finite impulse response (FIR) filters with a noticeable reduction in transition bandwidth as well as hardware complexity. In this proposition, concept of Farrow structure based design technique is effectively utilised; whereas the fixed sub-filters are constructed from a generalised interpolated bandpass method based low-pass FIR filter by means of different techniques such as interpolation, up-sampling and masking. Simulation results have shown the frequency response characteristics of several variable bandwidth FIR filters, designed with the help of the proposed architecture. Simulation results have shown a drastic reduction of transition bandwidth resulting from the proposed variable bandwidth FIR filters of up to ∼70–80%, when compared with other state-of-the-art filtering techniques, with a significant reduction in hardware complexity of up to ∼50%.
THE EFFECT OF OVERMINUS PRESCRIPTION ON POSITIVE FUSIONAL VERGENCE VALUE AND ACCOMMODATION AMPLITUDE AFTER WATCHING VIDEO AT 6 METRE

Introduction: The study aimed to investigate the effect -1.00 DS overminus prescription on positive fusional vergence (PFV) and accommodation amplitude (AA) after watching video at 6m. Method: Thirty normal participants without binocular vision anomalies (23.50 Â± 1.50 years) were involved in this quasi-experimental study. All subjects wore additional -1.00 DS on the spectacle prescription for 15 minutes while watching video at 6m. The distance (6m) and near (40cm) PFV and AA were measured before and after 15 minutes watching video at 6m with the overminus prescription. Results: The result demonstrated the right eye (RE) AA reduced significantly (p 0.05). The changes of near and distance PFV was found insignificant (p> 0.05) after 15 minutes watching video at 6m with overminus prescription. Conclusion: Overminus prescription of -1.00DS for 15 minutes at distance fixation that presented in this study reduced the ability of accommodation. There were no changes in vergence system after intervention of -1.00 DS overminus prescription for 15 minutes at 6m.
Meat of Tambaqui from fish farming leads the popular preference when compared to wild specimens (Rondônia - Brasil)

The purpose of this paper was evaluate the palatability of the meat of tambaqui of different ages and environments, both from natural and cultivated systems. In order to carry out the consumers’ acceptability test concerning the tambaqui meat from different feeding, 14 wild fish and 14 cultivated ones were used, with average weight ranging from 0.8 to 8.5 kg, already killed, cut and fresh. The samples were separated according to the environment (wild and cultivated), stored in thermal box and processed as standard fried ribs. The total of 200 untrained tasters of both genders was consulted, with the intention of finding the common public’s opinion. The evaluated items were: flavor, color, smell and texture. The samples from pisciculture obtained better acceptability results regarding young fish’s meat (63.5%), and the adult’s (78.0%), as compared to the same age groups for the natural environment fish with 49.7% and 61.0% of the total evaluated, respectively. Thus, the sensorial analysis demonstrated a greater preference for cultivated tambaqui’s meat, with emphasis on the items flavor and texture, which can be attributed to feeding quality (fish food with 28% of crude protein) and husbandry employed in the farming system e adultos (78,0%), em comparação aos mesmos grupos de idades para os peixes de ambiente natural com 49,7% e 61,0% do total avaliado, respectivamente. Dessa forma, a análise sensorial mostrou maior preferência pela carne do tambaqui de cultivo, com destaque para os itens sabor e textura, o que podem ser atribuídos a qualidade alimentar (ração com 28% de proteína bruta) e ao manejo empregados nos sistemas de criação.
Lymph Node Metastasis and Extrathyroidal Extension in Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma in Cyprus: Suspicious Subcentimeter Nodules Should Undergo FNA When Multifocality is Suspected

Objective To determine the prevalence of lymph node (LN) metastasis and extrathyroidal extension (ETE) in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) in Cyprus and to evaluate the role of preoperative ultrasound (U/S) examination. Methods A retrospective study of 102 patients who underwent thyroidectomy for PTMC in a 2-year period. Preoperatively, all patients had a thyroid and neck U/S examination with LN mapping. Tumor size according to the largest diameter, number of foci, LN metastasis, and ETE data was collected from the histopathological report and was compared to the preoperative U/S reports. Results LN metastasis was present in 23.5% of patients. 15.7% had central, 3.9% had lateral, and 3.9% had both central and lateral LN metastasis. ETE was present in 27.5% of patients. 21.6% had multifocal disease, and in this group, 40.9% had LN metastasis and 36.4% had ETE. Multifocality (p = 0.03), size of tumor (p = 0.05), and ETE (p ≤ 0.001) were significantly associated with LN metastasis. The prevalence of LN metastasis in multifocal PTMC ≤5 mm was the same with multifocal PTMC >5 mm. The preoperative U/S sensitivity for the suspicious lateral neck and central LN was 100%, and the specificity was 100%. The preoperative U/S sensitivity for nodules suspicious for ETE was 53.6%, and the specificity was 100%. Conclusion The presence of LN metastasis and ETE in our PTMC patients in Cyprus is frequent. Neck U/S mapping is a highly reliable and accurate tool in identifying metastatic nodes. LN metastasis is associated with ETE and multifocality. Suspicious subcentimeter nodules should undergo FNA irrespective of size when multifocality is suspected.
Multi‐temporal distribution modelling with satellite tracking data: predicting responses of a long‐distance migrant to changing environmental conditions

Summary 1. Despite the wealth of data available from satellite tracking (ST) studies, such data have rarely been used to model species distributions. Using a novel method, we show how to exploit satellite data to analyse whether and how a migratory species responds to fluctuating environmental conditions in its wintering area. This is particularly crucial for establishing comprehensive conservation measures for rare species in areas that are threatened by increasing land use and climate change. 2. We use ST data of Eleonora’s falcon Falco eleonorae, a long-distance migratory raptor that winters in Madagascar, and assess the performance of static species distribution models (SDM) as well as multi-temporal models. ST data were derived from seven falcons tracked during three consecutive wintering periods and for a total of 2410 bearings, of which 512 locations were used in SDMs. We employed environmental predictors (climate, topography and land cover) with a spatial resolution of 30 arc seconds (c. 1 km2) to match rigorously filtered ST data with an accuracy of ≤1 km. 3. We first created a model with low temporal but high spatial resolution (half-year). To predict suitable habitat for each month of the wintering season, we took advantage of the high temporal resolution inherent in ST data and employed temporally corresponding remote sensing data [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) 10-day composites] together with other variables to create monthly models. 4. We show that ST data are suited to build robust and transferable SDMs despite a low number of tracked individuals. Multi-temporal SMDs further revealed seasonal responses of the study species to changing environmental conditions in its wintering area. 5. Synthesis and applications. We present a transferable approach to predict the potential distribution of organisms as well as their dynamic response to changing environmental conditions. Future conservation management plans could include the prediction of a species’ reaction to changing land-use practices or climate change based on the methodology proposed here. This would provide an early warning system for the decline of populations wintering in remote areas that underlie strong climatic fluctuations.