Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salt stress tolerance in cowpea is poorly related to the ability to cope with oxidative stress

Abstract We have previously demonstrated that salt tolerance in cowpea could be associated with lesser impairments of the photosynthetic capacity. Taking into account that photosynthesis is the main sink for reducing power consumption, our central working hypothesis is that a salt-sensitive cultivar is more prone to suffer from oxidative stress. We analyzed the long-term effects of salt stress on oxidative damage and protection against reactive oxygen species in both leaves and roots of a salt-tolerant (Pitiúba) and a salt-sensitive (TVu) cowpea cultivar. Two salt treatments (0 and 75 mM NaCl) were applied to 10-day-old plants grown in nutrient solution for 24 days. Significant salt-induced oxidative damage as demonstrated via increases in malondialdehyde concentration were noted, particularly in leaves at the end of the experiment, although such damage was found earlier in Pitiúba. In salt-stressed plants, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased only in Pitiúba at 24 days from the start of salt additions (DSSA). In Pitiúba, catalase (CAT) was not significantly affected by the treatments, whereas in TVu its activity was dramatically lower in salt-stressed plants at 10DSSAonwards. In general salt stress led to significant increases, much more pronounced in ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), at the end of the experiment in both cultivars. In roots, salt-induced increases in enzyme activities were particularly noted at 24 DSSA, as found for SOD and APX in Pitiúba, CAT in TVu and GR and GPX in both cultivars. Therefore, in contrast to our expectations, the present results argue, to a great extent, against a functional link between salt stress tolerance and the expression of the antioxidant system. We also demonstrated that leaves and roots should be evaluated for a full assessment of whole plant acclimation to salt stress.
The role of social capital in the relationship between physical constraint and mental distress in older adults: a latent interaction model

ABSTRACT Objective: Building upon the widely known link between physical and mental health, the present study explored the buffering effects of social capital (indicated by social cohesion, social ties, and safety) in the relationship between physical constraint (indicated by chronic conditions and functional disability) and mental distress (indicated by symptoms of depression and anxiety). Method: Using data from 2,264 community-dwelling older adults in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) Wave 2 (Mage = 74.51, SD = 6.67), a latent interaction model was tested. The model of mental distress, including both the main effect of physical constraint and social capital and their latent interaction, presented an excellent fit. Results: The latent constructs of physical constraint (β = .54, p < .001) and social capital (β = –.11, p < .01) not only had a direct effect on mental distress, but their interaction was also significant (β = –.26, p < .001). Subgroup analysis showed that the group with a low level of social capital had a heightened vulnerability to mental distress when faced with physical constraint, whereas the group with a high level of social capital demonstrated resilience. Conclusion: Findings call attention to ways to enhance older individuals' social capital in efforts to promote their health and well-being.
Evolution towards oscillation or stability in a predator–prey system

We studied a prey–predator system in which both species evolve. We discuss here the conditions that result in coevolution towards a stable equilibrium or towards oscillations. First, we show that a stable equilibrium or population oscillations with small amplitude is likely to occur if the prey's (host's) defence is effective when compared with the predator's (parasite's) attacking ability at equilibrium, whereas large-amplitude oscillations are likely if the predator's (parasite's) attacking ability exceeds the prey's (host's) defensive ability. Second, a stable equilibrium is more likely if the prey's defensive trait evolves faster than the predator's attack trait, whereas population oscillations are likely if the predator's trait evolves faster than that of the prey. Third, when the adaptation rates of both species are similar, the amplitude of the fluctuations in their abundances is small when the adaptation rate is either very slow or very fast, but at an intermediate rate of adaptation the fluctuations have a large amplitude. We also show the case in which the prey's abundance and trait fluctuate greatly, while those of the predator remain almost unchanged. Our results predict that populations and traits in host–parasite systems are more likely than those in prey–predator systems to show large-amplitude oscillations.
Expressed sequence tags and proteomics of antennae from the tortricid moth, Epiphyas postvittana

Genomic and proteomic analyses of the antennae of the light brown apple moth, Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) were undertaken to identify genes and proteins potentially involved in odorant and pheromone binding and turnover. An EST approach yielded 5739 sequences, comprising 808 contigs and 1545 singletons. InterPro and Blast analyses revealed members of families implicated in odorant and pheromone binding (PBPs, GOBPs, ABPXs and CSPs) and turnover (CXEs, GSTs, CYPs). Of the three pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) identified, two were more highly expressed at the RNA and protein levels in adult male antennae (EpPBP1, EpPBP3), while a third was more highly expressed in female antennae (EpPBP2). To identify proteins involved in the detection of sex‐specific signals, differential 2D gel electrophoresis (pH 5–8) followed by mass spectrometry was conducted on antennal proteins from males versus females. Identified male‐biased proteins included a pheromone binding protein, a porin, a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase, and a member of the takeout family.
Mechanical properties of composite parts manufactured in FDM technology

Purpose This paper aims to study strength properties and accuracy of a new type of composites, in which matrix is manufactured additively, whereas infill is a polyurethane resin. The process of manufacturing these composites is invented and patented by authors. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a method of manufacturing composites, which was then used to build samples for tensile and bending tests (according to ISO 572 and ISO 178 standards), as well as measurements of accuracy. Findings It was found that the method of composite manufacturing designed by the authors allows obtaining both stronger and cheaper parts in comparison with the traditional acrylonitrile butadiene styrene FDM parts. Research limitations/implications The research was limited to static tests only, and no dynamic tests were performed on the manufactured samples. The accuracy analysis is only a basic one. Practical implications Developed method allows to shorten the FDM process with simultaneous decrease of costs (in professional processes) and increase of strength of obtained products. Originality/value Application of composite materials presented in the paper will significantly expand possibilities of using FDM method to manufacture functional, strong parts able to carry higher loads. Application of different combinations of thermoplastic matrix materials with different resin infills will allow to control properties of obtained composites. The solution is currently subject of a patent.
CALCULATING AVERAGE COLLOCATION FREQUENCY WITH THE ACFTOOL

In order to further research on the impact of collocations on readability, we have developed a software tool called ACFCalc. This tool calculates the Average Collocation Frequency for a sample text, based upon collocation frequency data from the sample text and from a reference corpus. The present paper describes the features of the ACFCalc application and details its requirements, in terms of Collocation Frequency Lists (CFLs).
Distributed algorithms for stable and secure network coordinates

Since its inception, the concept of network coordinates has been proposed to solve a wide variety of problems such as overlay optimization, network routing, network localization, and network modeling. However, two practical problems significantly limit the applications of network coordinates today. First, how can network coordinates be stabilized without losing accuracy so that they can be cached by applications? Second, how can network coordinates be secured such that legitimate nodes' coordinates are not impacted by misbehaving nodes? Although these problems have been discussed extensively, solving them in decentralized network coordinates systems remains an open problem. This paper presents new distributed algorithms to solve the coordinates stability and security problems. For the stability problem, we propose an error elimination model that can achieve stability without hurting accuracy. A novel algorithm based on this model is presented. For the security problem, we show that recently proposed statistical detection mechanisms cannot achieve an acceptable level of security against even simple attacks. We propose to address the security problem in two parts. First, we show how the computation of coordinates can be protected by a customized Byzantine fault detection algorithm. Second, we adopt a triangle inequality violation detection algorithm to protect delay measurements. These algorithms can be integrated together to provide stable and secure network coordinates.
Different Varieties of Uncertainty in Human Decision-Making

The study of uncertainty in decision-making is receiving greater attention in the fields of cognitive and computational neuroscience. Several lines of evidence are beginning to elucidate different variants of uncertainty. Particularly, risk, ambiguity, and expected and unexpected forms of uncertainty are well articulated in the literature. In this article we review both empirical and theoretical evidence arguing for the potential distinction between three forms of uncertainty; expected uncertainty, unexpected uncertainty, and volatility. Particular attention will be devoted to exploring the distinction between unexpected uncertainty and volatility which has been less appreciated in the literature. This includes evidence mainly from neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and electrophysiological studies. We further address the possible differentiation of cognitive control mechanisms used to deal with these forms of uncertainty. Finally, we explore whether the dual modes of control theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding the distinction between unexpected uncertainty and volatility.
The Transcription Factor THO Promotes Transcription Initiation and Elongation by RNA Polymerase I*

Although ribosomal RNA represents the majority of cellular RNA, and ribosome synthesis is closely connected to cell growth and proliferation rates, a complete understanding of the factors that influence transcription of ribosomal DNA is lacking. Here, we show that the THO complex positively affects transcription by RNA polymerase I (Pol I). We found that THO physically associates with the rDNA repeat and interacts genetically with Pol I transcription initiation factors. Pol I transcription in hpr1 or tho2 null mutants is dramatically reduced to less than 20% of the WT level. Pol I occupancy of the coding region of the rDNA in THO mutants is decreased to ∼50% of WT level. Furthermore, although the percentage of active rDNA repeats remains unaffected in the mutant cells, the overall rDNA copy number increases ∼2-fold compared with WT. Together, these data show that perturbation of THO function impairs transcription initiation and elongation by Pol I, identifying a new cellular target for the conserved THO complex.
Reliability of ratings of perceived exertion during progressive treadmill exercise.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the test-retest reliability (repeatability) of Borg's 6-20 rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale using a more appropriate statistical technique than has been employed in previous investigations. The RPE scale is used widely in exercise science and sports medicine to monitor and/or prescribe levels of exercise intensity. The "95% limits of agreement" technique has recently been advocated as a better means of assessing within-subject (trial to trial) agreement than traditional indicators such as Pearson and intraclass correlation coefficients. METHODS: Sixteen male athletes (mean (SD) age 23.6 (5.1) years) completed two identical multistage (incremental) treadmill running protocols over a period of two to five days. RPEs were requested and recorded during the final 15 seconds of each three minute stage. All subjects successfully completed at least four stages in each trial, allowing the reliability of RPE responses to be examined at each stage. RESULTS: The 95% limits of agreement (bias +/- 1.96 x SDdiff) were found to widen as exercise intensity increased: 0.88 (2.02) RPE units (stage 1), 0.25 (2.53) RPE units (stage 2), -0.13 (2.86) RPE units (stage 3), and -0.13 (2.94) RPE units (stage 4). Pearson correlations (0.81, 0.72, 0.65, and 0.60) and intraclass correlations (0.82, 0.80, 0.77, and 0.75) decreased as exercise intensity increased. CONCLUSIONS: These findings question the test-retest reliability of the RPE scale when used to monitor subjective estimates of exercise intensity in progressive (or graded) exercise tests.
Experimental investigation of the curing behaviour of fibre composite structures with snap-cure polymer systems

PurposeNovel snap-cure polymers (SCPs), as matrix systems for high-performance fibre composite materials, provide high potential for manufacturing of component families with small batch sizes and high variability. Especially, the processing of powdered SCP is associated with relatively simple and inexpensive tools. In addition, because of their curing behaviour, they allow short tooling times so that the production of small batch size components is possible in relatively short cycle times. To enable an efficient manufacturing process, an understanding of the curing process is necessary. An adjustment of the process parameters for a uniform design of the temperature field in the material during the manufacturing process is essential. The paper aims to discuss this issue.Design/methodology/approachFor this, a powder SCP resin system was investigated under process-specific conditions. An experimental test approach for determination of various thermal and kinetic material properties was developed. For the adjustment of the process parameters and monitoring of the curing state during the manufacturing process, a kinetic material model was determined. In the end, the validation of the determined model was performed. For this, the temperature distribution under process- specific conditions was measured in order to monitor the curing state of the material.FindingsThe experimental investigation showed an uneven temperature field in the material, which leads to an inhomogeneous curing process. This can lead to residual stresses in the structure, which have a critical impact on the material properties.Originality/valueThe determined kinetic model allows a prediction of the curing reaction and adjustment of the process parameters which is essential, especially for thick-walled components with SCPs.
Primal and polar approach for computing the symmetric diagonally dominant projection

We solve the problem of minimizing the distance from a given matrix to the cone of symmetric and diagonally dominant matrices with positive diagonal (SDD+). Using the extreme rays of the polar cone we project onto the supporting hyperplanes of the faces of SDD+ and then, applying the cyclic Dykstra's algorithm, we solve the problem. Similarly, using the extreme rays of SDD+ we characterize the projection onto the polar cone, which also allows us to obtain the projection onto SDD+ by means of the orthogonal decomposition theorem for convex cones. In both cases the symmetry and the sparsity pattern of the given matrix are preserved. Preliminary numerical experiments indicate that the polar approach is a promising one. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A supervised link prediction method for dynamic networks

Link prediction is an important sub-task in link mining area. This paper discusses link prediction in dynamic networks and proposes a new link prediction method which can learn from the long-term graph evolution of networks. The method first represents the variation of the structural properties in a dynamic network. Then, a classifier is trained for each property. It finally conducts link prediction process using an ensemble result of all the classifiers. Experiments in three realistic collaboration networks show that the evolution information of the network is beneficial for the improvement of link prediction performance and different structural property has different capability to describe dynamics of the network.
AMBIANT: automatic generation of behavioral modifications for testability

The paper discusses techniques that help a designer to consider testability features early in the design cycle. The behavioral specification of a design is used to perform high level testability analysis, based on which behavioral modifications for testability are suggested to the designer. Results show that the overhead for incorporating these modifications is minimal. <<ETX>>
Multislice T1‐prepared 2D single‐shot EPI: analysis of a clinical T1 mapping method unbiased by B0 or B1 inhomogeneity

Quantitative MR imaging is as sensitive in detecting lesions as qualitative imaging, but it is potentially more specific in differentiating disease. T1 mapping in particular might help to assess acute ischemic stroke, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease better. Thus, a rapid and robust clinical technique is vital. In 1990, Ordidge and colleagues developed the multislice T1‐prepared two‐dimensional (2D) single‐shot echo planar imaging technique. Subsequent studies demonstrated its clinical viability, but none performed an in‐depth analysis of the strengths and advantages of this T1 mapping method. Herein, theoretical and experimental evidence shows that the technique accounts for 2D slice profile effects and is unbiased by B0 or B1 inhomogeneity. This is verified explicitly by varying the linear shims, the T1 preparation flip angle and the excitation flip angle. Furthermore, it is shown that the repetition time (and hence scan time) can be reduced without a loss of T1 accuracy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of Immunoglobulin Gene Rearrangement in B Cell Neoplasias by Polymerase Chain Reaction Gene Amplification.

With the discovery that immunoglobulin (Ig) genes impart diversity in antigen recognition to Ig molecules through somatic rearrangement of separate gene segments in B cells’ came the realisation that Ig gene rearrangement could be exploited as a marker of cell lineage and clonality in the molecular pathology of B lymphoproliferative disorder^'. ^,^. Clonal analysis relies on the principle that the configuration of a somatically rearranged Ig gene is unique to a given B cell and to its clonal progeny. Following restriction enzyme digestion of genomic DNA from a malignant B cell population, clonally rearranged Ig genes can be readily detected by Southern hybridisation. Historically, this kind of ‘immunogenotypic’ analysis has been important for example in demonstrating the B cell origin of common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (CALL) and lymphoid blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)2*5*6. Nowadays, clonal analysis on the basis of Ig gene rearrangement status, often in conjunction with analysis of T cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement status, is widely used both as a research tool and as a diagnostic aid in the study of haemopoietic malignancies generally. The development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gene amplification technique7, facilitating the analysis of defined stretches of DNA, typically up to a few kbp in length without recourse to molecular cloning methods has had a major impact on the field of molecular pathology generally and neoplasms of the lymphoid system have proved to be no exception. In this review, we focus on some of the recent advances that have been made in the development and application of PCR methods for detection of Ig gene rearrangement in B cell neoplasia. Without doubt, a major impetus in these studies has been their potential application in detection of minimal residual disease and this is reflected in the emphasis we place on this subject. In this connection, we do not discuss the specific application of PCR detection of the t(14:18) translocation breakpoint involving the Ig heavy chain (IgH) and bcl-2 loci in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma since this subject has recently been reviewed elsewhere’. Finally, in the interests of clarity, we have omitted technical details concerning PCR methods for which the reader should refer -to original cited publications and to a published laboratory manual on the s ~ b j e c t ~ . ~ . Address for correspondence: Dr John D. Norton’, Paterson Institute for Cancer Research, Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 9BX, U.K.
Finite Element Analysis of Frictional Contacts

Friction is a complex process, involving the simultaneous appearance of several phenomena such as wear, thermal, etc. Seismic protection of structures using frictional passive energy dissipaters is being lately used. Given that the coupled phenomenon can influence the behaviour over time of tribological assemblies, a thorough study of their effects is necessary in order to ensure a proper operation of frictional devices. In this respect, a method of analysis, commonly used today, is the finite element method. As with any approximate methods of calculus, this leads, in some cases, to partially correct results. This paper analyses the frictional heating phenomenon using the finite element method. Stress and the overall temperature distribution are presented for a particular case, as well as their dependence on the coefficient of friction and the force normally acting to the contact surface. The errors caused by this type of analysis are discussed also. ANSYS software was used for the performed coupled analysis.
Concurrent brain responses to separate auditory and visual targets

In the attentional blink, a target event (T1) strongly interferes with perception of a second target (T2) presented within a few hundred milliseconds. Concurrently, the brain's electromagnetic response to the second target is suppressed, especially a late negative-positive EEG complex including the traditional P3 wave. An influential theory proposes that conscious perception requires access to a distributed, frontoparietal global workspace, explaining the attentional blink by strong mutual inhibition between concurrent workspace representations. Often, however, the attentional blink is reduced or eliminated for targets in different sensory modalities, suggesting a limit to such global inhibition. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we confirm that visual and auditory targets produce similar, distributed patterns of frontoparietal activity. In an attentional blink EEG/MEG design, however, an auditory T1 and visual T2 are identified without mutual interference, with largely preserved electromagnetic responses to T2. The results suggest parallel brain responses to target events in different sensory modalities.