Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the Early CT findings and Clinical Features of 12 Patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in China

Background: Regarding the outbreak of highly contagious the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in various countries and regions, data have been needed on the early chest CT images and clinical characteristics of the affected patients. Objectives: To explore the early clinical and computed tomography (CT) characteristics of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) patients to improve the diagnostic level of this contagious respiratory disease. Methods: An analysis retrospectively was implemented on the radiological features and clinical characteristics of 12 patients with COVID-19 who had undergone chest CT scanning in the designated hospital from Jan 23, 2020, to Feb 18, 2020. The clinical data on general information, epidemiological, cardinal symptoms, blood test, and CT imaging characteristics were obtained. Results: According to the relevant diagnostic criteria, the patients were divided into two groups: mild (2 cases), and ordinary type (10 cases). The main symptoms of 2019-nCoV pneumonia were fever (9/12) and cough (8/12) with or without respiratory and other systemic symptoms. The blood test of the patients showed that most of the white blood cell count was normal (10/12), decreased lymphocyte count (6/12), and increased hypersensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) (5/12). In the early stage of COVID-19, the chest CT images showed patchy mixed ground-glass opacity (GGO) (8/12), mainly distributed in the periphery and posterior part of both lungs. The internal density of image lesion area was uneven, and lesions primarily manifested as "crazy-paving pattern" (8/12), with grid-like, interlobular septal thickening, thickened bronchovascular bundle and air bronchus sign and multiple fibrosis. A few cases showed pulmonary atelectasis (1/12), bilateral pleural effusion (1/12), no mediastinal or bilateral hilar lymph node enlargement. Conclusions: The clinical characteristics of 2019-nCoV pneumonia are similar to those of common viral pneumonia. The chest CT images may be helpful for the early detection of novel coronavirus pneumonia.
The origin of high-density dislocations in additively manufactured metals

ABSTRACT The origin of dense dislocations in many additively manufactured metals remains a mystery. We here employed pure Cu as a prototype and fabricated the very challenging high-purity (>99.9%) bulk Cu by laser powder-bed-fusion (L-PBF) technique. We found that high-density dislocations were present in the as-built samples and these high-density dislocations were introduced on the fly during the L-PBF process. A newly developed multi-physics modeling was further employed to interpret the origin of these pre-existing dislocations, demonstrating that the compression-tension cycles rendered by the localized heating/cooling heterogeneity upon laser scanning are responsible for the residual high-density dislocations. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT IMPACT STATEMENT The origin of dense dislocation structures in many as-built additively manufactured metals, which incurs a long-standing dispute, was found to be inherent to the additive manufacturing process.
Resistance responses induced by the plant growth retardant prohexadione-Ca in apple against scab infections

The efficacy of the dioxygenase inhibitor prohexadione-Ca (ProCa) as an inducer of resistance responses against apple scab (Venturia inaequalis/Spilocaea pomi) was evaluated in two sets of experiments under glasshouse conditions. ProCa (200 ppm) was applied on seedlings of open-pollinated Malus domestica L. cv. Golden Delicious, and 10 days after application, a group of seedlings was inoculated with a conidial suspension of S. pomi. Total RNA was extracted from leaf samples collected at different times from both inoculated and noninoculated seedlings, and expression of the pathogenesis-related proteins PR-1, PR-2, PR-5, PR-8, PR-10 and chitinase was studied by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Northern blot hybridisation. Disease severity was significantly lower on seedlings treated with ProCa than on the water-treated control seedlings. ProCa triggered a general increase in gene expression of almost all the PR genes; only the level of chitinase and PR-10 did not show a detectable increase. A strong upregulation of all the assayed genes was observed in leaves of apple seedlings first treated with ProCa and then inoculated with the pathogen, whereas no expression and/or a constitutive signal was found in samples from the control seedlings.
Do patterns of intra-specific variability and community weighted-means of leaf traits correspond? An example from alpine plants

Intraspecific variability of the traits is usually less than interspecific, but directions of inter-and intraspecific variation along environmental gradients are not well studied. For 17 alpine species we test a hypothesis that the direction of intraspecific variation in leaf traits among different communities along an environmental gradient coincides consistently with community weighted mean (CWM) trait variation at the community level along the same gradient. We obtained two groups of leaf traits according to their response to CWM and topographic (snow depth and snow melt) gradients. For leaf mass and area intraspecific variation corresponded to CWM variation among communities. SLA, water content and leaf thickness patterns within species changed directly among communities according to the toposequence (snowmelt gradient). These results are well expressed for forbs, but mostly they were not significant for graminoids. For leaf area we obtained opposite response of forbs and graminoids to snowmelt gradient. Forbs increased, but graminoids decreased leaf area when snow depth increased. Intraspecific trait variation across natural gradients does not necessarily follow that for interspecific or community-level variation.
Efficient Regeneration from Hypocotyl Cultures of Betalain Forming Plant, Portulaca sp. cv. ‘Jewel’: Stimulatory Effect of Thidiazuron

An efficient and simple in vitro regeneration protocol has been successfully developed from three inbred lines of Portulaca sp. cv. ‘Jewel’ that contain a lot of betalain. The present report describes the effect of thidiazuron [N-phenyl-N'(-1, 2, 3-thidiazol-5-yl) urea] (TDZ) on in vitro shoot regeneration from intact hypocotyl explant of seedlings. The optimum level of TDZ supplementation to the culture medium was 5μM for a 3 week-induction period followed by subculture of hypocotyl-derived callus on MS basal medium (MSO). Hypocotyls excised from 7 day-old seedling gave significantly higher number of regenerated shoots than those from 14 or 21 day-old seedling. The efficacy of thidiazuron was compared with N6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and N6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN) (purine based cytokinins) on in vitro organogenesis. TDZ was found to be more effective than BAP and KIN as an inductive signal of regeneration. TDZ-supplemented medium with indole-3-acetic acid was not effective for the regenerative response. Transfer of the TDZ-stimulated shoots to growth regulator free MSO medium containing 3% sucrose resulted in the rapid and prolific growth of plantlets. In vitro shoots were rooted after culture on half-strength MS medium without growth regulator or in the presence of 2.5 or 5. 0μM NAA and successfully acclimatized in greenhouse condition. The procedure developed in this study may be useful toward improvement and development of betalain through genetic manipulation.
Ontological mingling and mapping: Chinese tourism researchers’ experiences at international conferences

Abstract Within tourism studies, the ‘critical turn’ has evoked growing reflective and critical perspectives on the role of the researcher in producing knowledge. This has also led to calls for building an inclusive research community, particularly through including non-Western and non-positivist methodologies. While it is noted that non-Western scholarship has gained more visibility in the international tourism research community through publications in prestigious academic journals, few studies discuss non-Western scholars’ interactions with other scholars in a qualitative and individual manner. Based on in-depth interviews with nineteen Chinese tourism scholars, we explore how their experiences at international conferences have shaped their positionality as ‘Chinese researchers’ in the international scientific community and thus contributed to their knowledge making. A process of mingling and mapping is shown in the narratives, where Chinese scholars attempt to find meanings of being at an academic conference and to understand the relations embedded in the conference space. Dynamics and reflexivity are seen in terms of how one goes around certain constructed binaries, such as ‘Western/non-Western’, ‘male/female’ and ‘junior/senior’. Finally, such a process of mingling and mapping affects the participants’ views on who will make the non-Western knowledge and how. With these voices from Chinese tourism scholars, we therefore contribute to the discourse of non-Western knowledge-making.
Economic Analysis of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Production in Tanzania

In Tanzania, Nile tilapia culture is a promising aquaculture enterprise. Information on production costs could assist fish farmers in economic and financial planning. Economic profitability of small-scale Nile tilapia production in Tanzania is analyzed using a model that simulates individual fish growth and takes into account fish population dynamics in the pond. The results suggest that the current practiced mixed-sex tilapia culture without predation is not economically sustainable. Extension efforts should be geared toward developing a Nile tilapia production system that is based on a hand-sexed all-male tilapia. Meanwhile catfish can be introduced in ponds to control overcrowding in mixed-sex tilapia culture without predation. Studies to determine optimal pond sizes, availability of feed, and a quality fingerling supply chain are also fundamental for developing a sustainable Nile tilapia production system in Tanzania. Under improved Nile tilapia production systems, returns are high enough to justify investment through borrowed capital from formal institutions.
Influence of the heating temperature on the fat composition of milk fat with emphasis on cis-/trans-isomerization

Milk fats from barn and pasture feeding (WMF and SMF) were analysed for changes in the content of fatty acids, triglycerides and cholesterol after 15-minute heating at 200, 225, 250, 275 and 300 C. respectively. The lower temperatures of 200 and 225°C are realistic in cooking and frying processes, whereas temperatures of 250 to 300 C were chosen to show the effects of overheating the fat. The main focus was put on identification and quantitation of individual isomers of C18:1 (trans A4, A5 to A16, cis A9 to A15) as well as of C18:2 including the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomer cis A9, trans Δ11. The trans isomers among these fatty acids are of great importance as regards nutritional physiology. Furthermore, determinations of the content of α-tocopherol and of free fatty acids as well as of the iodine and peroxide value were performed. Primarily, with rising temperature there was an increase of the elaidic acid (trans A9) content from 0.3% to 0.5% (WMF) and from 0.2% to 0.7% (SMF) between the base fat and 300°C, whereas in this range the vaccenic acid (trans Δ11) content decreased from 1.1% to 0.9% (WMF) and from 3.8% to 3.4% (SMF). The other trans-C18:1 isomers as well as the cis isomers Δ1 to Δ15 exhibited no general trend at these temperatures. The content of oleic acid strongly decreased with the WMF (max. 2.90%), whereas there was no comparable decrease with the SMF (max. 0.48% ). This effect possibly was attributable to the content of α-tocopherol being higher by relatively 71% in the SMF. At the higher temperatures particularly strong decreases (base fat → 300'C) were found for cis Δ9, cis Δ12, trans Δ11, cis Δ15, cis A9, trans Δ1 (CLA) and linoleic acid (WMF: 1.55 → 0.67%, 0.17 → 0.09%, 0.50 → 0.03%, 0.42 → 0.06%; SMF: 1.05 → 0.67%, 0.54 → 0.38%, 1.71 → 0.35%, 0.61 → 0.17%). All together, absolute losses of fatty acids amounted to max. 4.6% and 6.5% (SMF and WMF, resp.). As losses of linoleic and linolenic acids were not compensated by formation of isomerization products, formation of oxidation products possibly having a high health-threatening potential must have taken place to a greater extent. On the other hand. a great part of these oxidation products are volatile and their amount in the remaining fat was not recorded by the analytical method applied. Anyway, isomerization and oxidation are low at 200 C, but these undesirable effects strongly increase with higher temperatures.
Distinct diagnostic and prognostic values of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor family genes in patients with colon adenocarcinoma

In the present study, the significance of GABAA genes in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) were investigated from the view of diagnosis and prognosis. All data were achieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Overall survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox regression model and the hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval were calculated for computation. The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery, and the Biological Networks Gene Ontology (BiNGO) softwares were applied to assess the biological processes and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was used for pathway analysis to predict the biological function of GABAA genes. The associated Gene Ontology and KEGG pathways were conducted by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). From receiver operating characteristics curves analysis, it was found that the expression of GABR, γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor GABRA2, GABRA3, GABRB2, GABRB3, GABRG2, GABRG3, GABRD, GABRE were correlated with COAD occurrence [P<0.0001, area under the curve (AUC)>0.7]. The low expression of the GABRB1, GABRD, GABRP and GABRQ in genes after tumor staging adjustment were positively correlated with the overall survival rate [P=0.049, hazard ratio (HR)=1.517, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.001–2.297; P=0.006, HR=1.807, 95% CI=1.180–2.765; P=0.005, HR=1.833, 95% CI=1.196–2.810; P=0.034, HR=1.578, 95% CI=1.036–2.405). GSEA showed enrichment of cell matrix adhesion, integrin binding, angiogenesis, endothelial growth factor and endothelial migration regulation in patients with COAD with GABRD overexpression. GABRB1, GABRD, GABRP and GABRQ were associated with the prognostic factors of COAD. The expression levels of GABRA2, GABRA3, GABRB2, GABRB3, GABRG2, GABRD and GABRE may allow differentiation between tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues.
Redefining the ecological niche of a tropical rain forest canopy tree species using airborne imagery: long-term crown dynamics of Toona ciliata

Past controlled growth experiments indicate that the seedling and sapling responses of the tropical rainforest canopy tree species Toona ciliata are most consistent with a light-demanding, early successional pioneer. This ecological niche assignment was tested in the mature stage of its life cycle after it achieves a position in the upper canopy. Mortality, survivorship and crown growth rates over the 18-y period 1976–1994 were measured using co-registered repeat airborne stereophotographic coverage of a representative forest stand in northeast Queensland, Australia, where T. ciliata had the fourth highest relative importance in a population of 46 co-occurring canopy tree species. The airborne re-inventory was conducted in a 3.6-ha sample area and limited to only canopy trees. The results were compared with a ground-based inventory of both canopy and subcanopy trees ≥10 cm dbh in a 0.5-ha permanent plot. Over the period 1976–1994, there was no mortality and no evidence of decline among T. ciliata conspecifics having crown areas >60 m2 and trunk diameters >30 cm. In the 3.6-ha airborne sample area, more than 85% of T. ciliata survivors experienced positive crown growth, in contrast to only 57% of the other co-occurring canopy trees. Toona ciliata's crown growth rates were highest in the 60–80-m2 crown size class. Upon reaching an upper canopy position, T. ciliata not only persisted as a dominant canopy tree species, but it also achieved some of the largest crown areas (>100 m2). Toona ciliata mortality in the ground-based plot involved mainly subcanopy trees of 10 – 30 cm dbh that had not yet assumed a canopy position and were not detectable in the aerial stereopairs. Both the crown and dbh growth rates of T. ciliata indicate enhanced vigour in the later stage of its life cycle. Its long-term survivorship and growth patterns are indicative of a persistent canopy tree species that fits the niche of a long-lived, shade-intolerant pioneer. These results demonstrate the usefulness of a long-term airborne database on the life-histories of canopy tree crowns for more clearly defining their ecological niches.
Relationship between oil tocopherol concentration and oil weight per grain in several crop species

The objectives of this work were (i) to analyse the effect of intercepted solar radiation (ISR) per plant during grain filling on oil tocopherol concentration in soybean, maize and rape and (ii) to investigate in these species if variations in oil tocopherol concentration are well accounted for by variations in oil weight per grain. Field experiments were conducted with genotypes of soybean, maize and rape. A genotype of sunflower was included as ‘control species’ as its behaviour was known from previous works. ISR was modified during grain filling by shading or thinning plants. Plants were harvested at physiological maturity and oil tocopherol concentration was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Samples from other field or growth chamber experiments were also processed. In the four species, increasing radiation increased the oil and tocopherol weight per grain. Increasing ISR reduced oil tocopherol concentration in sunflower, soybean and rape but not in maize. The oil tocopherol concentration would be reduced by ISR in those species, with high oil contents in their grains, where the oil synthesis is more increased than tocopherol synthesis. The variations in oil tocopherol concentration were accounted for by variations in oil weight per grain only in those species with high and variable oil concentration.
Enabling Sustainable Underwater IoT Networks With Energy Harvesting: A Decentralized Reinforcement Learning Approach

In this article, we study an energy sustainable Internet-of-Underwater Things (IoUT) network with tidal energy harvesting. Specifically, an analytical model is first developed to analyze the performance of the IoUT network, characterizing the stochastic nature of energy harvesting and traffic demands of IoUT nodes, and the salient features of acoustic communication channels. It is found that the spatial uncertainty resulting from underwater acoustic communication may cause a severe fairness issue. As such, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize the network throughput under fairness constraints, by tuning the random access parameters of each node. Given the global network information, including the number of nodes, energy harvesting rates, communication distances, etc., the optimization problem can be efficiently solved with the Branch and Bound (BnB) method. Considering a realistic network where the network information may not be available at the IoUT nodes, we further propose a multiagent reinforcement learning approach for each node to autonomously adapt the random access parameter based on the interactions with the dynamic network environment. The numerical results show that the proposed learning algorithm greatly improves the throughput performance compared with the existing solutions, and approaches the derived theoretical bound.
Spatial Ecology, Survival and Cause-Specific Mortality of Gray Foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in a Longleaf Pine Ecosystem

Abstract Gray fox ecology is poorly understood within the longleaf pine ecosystem, despite the importance of these landscapes to conservation and biological diversity. During 2002–2006, we radio-monitored 42 gray foxes and estimated space use, habitat selection and survival within a managed longleaf pine forest. Sizes of home ranges and core areas were greater in winter than during other seasons, but were similar between males and females. Industrial agriculture field and residential areas were important to foxes when selecting home ranges, but hardwood forest stands were selected when establishing core areas and were consistently used more than other habitats. Despite being captured within the longleaf pine community, most foxes either consistently were found outside of this system in other habitats, or used habitats along the periphery of the longleaf pine system. Mean annual survival was 0.61, and human-induced factors (vehicle collisions and trapping) accounted for most (63%) fox mortalities. Longleaf pine forests did not appear to be important to gray foxes in this study, which is significant because natural ecosystems are often important for predator species. We provide evidence that sources of gray fox mortality are influenced by habitat selection patterns.
Histochemistry of simple hairs from the foliar cavities of Azolla filiculoides

Abstract The foliar cavities of the water fern Azolla filiculoides have as many as 20 – 25 simple hairs (SH) protruding from the epidermal cells that delimit the cavity. These SH have a transfer-like ultrastructure normally associated with secretion of metabolites. The aim of this study was the chemical characterization of the compounds that accumulated in the SH of the zones F1-12 (from 1st to 12th leaves) and F13 (from 13th until the end of the sporophyte) throughout the seasons during a 1-year study. The histochemical tests show that the vacuoles of simple hairs contain a mixture of lipids, unsaturated lipids, polysaccharides, polyphenols (o-dihydroxyphenols, phenols with free ‒OH groups and tannins) and alkaloids or alkaloid-like compounds. These substances do not show seasonal variation, having been present throughout the one-year study. The histochemical analysis demonstrated that the SH always have a variety of metabolites. The function within the Azolla-Anabaena symbiosis is not known.
Informative value of canker morphology on the presence or absence of virus infection in chestnut blight cankers

Summary Chestnut blight destroyed the native chestnut forests in North America and also severely affected the European chestnut trees after its introduction in the 20th century. The ascomycete fungus Cryphonectria parasitica is responsible for this serious disease and causes lethal bark cankers on susceptible chestnut trees. In Europe, however, an infection of C. parasitica with Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV-1) causes hypovirulence in C. parasitica and reduces the severity of the disease. Hypovirulence biologically controls chestnut blight in many regions to date. In this study, our goal was to determine morphological canker characteristics that are indicative of virus presence or absence in C. parasitica. We investigated 677 chestnut blight cankers from seven different geographic locations across Europe. For each canker, we assessed canker length, stem encircling, canker depth, presence of sporulation, canker activity and virus infection. We statistically analysed the informative value of these morphological characteristics for the presence or absence of CHV-1. However, we did not find reliable indicators. Our logistic regression analysis revealed that virus infection of C. parasitica is not clearly related to canker morphology. This implies that fungal isolations from chestnut blight cankers and assessments in the laboratory are required to determine infection with CHV-1 unequivocally.