Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Research on the Detection Method of HOG-SVM for Doping Modified Hardware Trojan

With the globalization of the IC industry, hardware security has become an important topic, especially hardware Trojans (HT) hidden in ICs. In this paper, we presented the method based on histogram of oriented gradient (HOG) and support vector machine (SVM) to detect doping modified HTs, which is generally inserted by modifying the layout of some standard cells and is very difficult to detect. In order to address this problem, this paper firstly takes the standard layout without changing the doping polarity as the Trojan free (TF) layout, and regards the modified layout with changing the doping polarity as the HT layout, and then classifies the experimental data set into HT or TF by extracting the HOG features and using SVM training classification method. Experimental results demonstrate that the experimental accuracy of this method can reach 92.8%.
Sweetpotato seed exchange systems and knowledge on sweetpotato viral diseases among local farmers in Acholi Sub Region-Northern Uganda

Viral infections greatly limit sweetpotato yields. Good farming practices are critical for effective disease management. 383 Ugandan farmers were surveyed to document symptom incidence, crop-management practices, and buyer preferences. Results showed that 89.27% farmers grow sweet potatoes yearly and 62.76% of these farmers were female. A total of 56.83% farmers obtained vine seeds from their previous gardens, 25.85% from neighbours, and 12.20% purchased. Only ~8% of sellers and ~4% of buyers were selected for disease-free materials. None of the farmers who used vine-cutting knives sterilised them. Almost half of farmers (47%) observed whitefly or aphids but most were unaware they are viral vectors. Most farmers (77%) observed viral symptoms, but few (<2%) recognised them as infections. Insufficient knowledge of sweetpotato viruses and their vectors is common and increases the risk of spread. Practices like vine selling, sharing of vines coupled with insufficient knowledge on sweet potato viruses and its vectors among farmers increase the risk of virus spread among different farms.
Assessment of Genetic Diversity in Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.2n =2x= 30) otherwise called as flax, belongs to family Linaceae and order Geranite. It is a resourceful crop, used for fiber as well as oil (Chauhan et al., 2009). Linseed a conventional oil seed crop has a great economic potential, used in various agro based industries to manufacture paints, varnishes, clothes, patent leathers, printer inks, enamels, stickers, tarpaulins, soaps, linen fabrics, linen threads, canvas bags, quality papers etc. (Savita, 2006). Linseed has numerous medicinal properties for which it is used in local medicines as demulcent, emollient and laxative and is taken orally in bronchial infection and diarrheal (Shafi, 1994). Due to its versatile use there is a high demand of linseed by various industries but International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 5 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Limited Impact of Business Development Programs on Profitability in the Presence of Ambiguity Aversion

This paper develops a theoretical framework to explain the limited effect of business development programs (BDPs) on entrepreneurs’ profits. We argue that a mismatch between a BDP’s narrow focus on business-promoting strategies and the wider context in which microentrepreneurs operate can limit the impact of business training. In our framework, entrepreneurs are ambiguity averse and have multiple sources of income (e.g., business and wage incomes). We show that for a sufficiently ambiguity-averse entrepreneur with multiple income sources, efficient training can result in a decline in expected profit. Notably, when the wider context (multiple income sources, ambiguity aversion) is considered, the business training impact is limited and can result in a posttraining expected profit decline. This limited impact is caused by the diversifying role that the business income plays in household finances.
Target Detection Method for SAR Images Based on Feature Fusion Convolutional Neural Network

For the image target of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), it is more difficult to detect targets in complex background, large scene and more clutter. This paper designs a less layer convolutional neural network (CNN), the complete data validates its feature extraction effect, as a basis for feature extraction networks. In the training dataset, it supplements the target training samples in complex large scene, meanwhile a multi-level convolution feature fusion network is designed to enhance the detection ability of small targets in large scene. After the joint training of the region proposal network (RPN) and the target detection network, a complete model for SAR image target detection in different complex large scenes is obtained. The experimental results show that the proposed method has a good result on SAR image target detection and has an average precision (AP) value of 0.86 in the validation dataset.
Indolergic receptors of the elephant mosquito Toxorhynchites amboinensis

The conservation of the mosquito indolergic receptors across the Culicinae and Anophelinae mosquito lineages, which spans 200 million years of evolution, is a testament to the central role of indolic compounds in the biology of these insects. Indole and skatole have been associated with the detection of oviposition sites and animal hosts. To evaluate the potential ecological role of these two compounds, we have used a pharmacological approach to characterize homologs of the indolergic receptors Or2 and Or10 in the non-hematophagous elephant mosquito Toxorhynchites amboinensis. We provide evidence that both receptors are narrowly tuned to indole and skatole like their counterparts from hematophagous mosquitoes. These findings indicate that indole and skatole are operating in a non-animal-host seeking context in Toxorhynchites and underscore the importance of understanding their roles in hematophagous mosquitoes.
A cross-organism framework for supervised enhancer prediction with epigenetic pattern recognition and targeted validation

Enhancers are important noncoding elements, but they have been traditionally hard to characterize experimentally. Only a few mammalian enhancers have been validated, making it difficult to train statistical models for their identification properly. Instead, postulated patterns of genomic features have been used heuristically for identification. The development of massively parallel assays allows for the characterization of large numbers of enhancers for the first time. Here, we developed a framework that uses Drosophila STARR-seq data to create shape-matching filters based on enhancer-associated meta-profiles of epigenetic features. We combined these features with supervised machine learning algorithms (e.g., support vector machines) to predict enhancers. We demonstrated that our model could be applied to predict enhancers in mammalian species (i.e., mouse and human). We comprehensively validated the predictions using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches, involving transgenic assays in mouse and transduction-based reporter assays in human cell lines. Overall, the validations involved 153 enhancers in 6 mouse tissues and 4 human cell lines. The results confirmed that our model can accurately predict enhancers in different species without re-parameterization. Finally, we examined the transcription-factor binding patterns at predicted enhancers and promoters in human cell lines. We demonstrated that these patterns enable the construction of a secondary model effectively discriminating between enhancers and promoters.
PROPRIETES DE TRANSPORT DE MICROSTRUCTURES ET NANOSTRUCTURES DE SILICIUM.

L’etude porte sur le transport, electronique et de spin, dans des microstructures et nanostructures a base de silicium, le materiau phare de l’industrie microelectronique. Nous avons etudie un procede de lithographie assistee par microscope a force atomique (AFM) pour fabriquer des nanofils sub-100-nm ultraminces (8 a 15 nm) de silicium, connectes a une structure de test sur silicium sur isolant (SOI). Les mesures electriques ont mis en evidence le comportement de transistor a effet de champ (FET) des nanocircuits. Le piegeage des electrons aux defauts d’interfaces et de l’oxyde, est la cause de la depletion cumulative des fils ultraminces au cours des mesures successives I(V). Le depiegeage peut etre controle par application d’une tension sur la grille du nanofil. Les fils ont ainsi revele un effet memoire (ecriture/lecture par piegeage/depiegeage sous tension de grille positive/negative). Nous avons par ailleurs etudie le transport du spin dans un canal de silicium. L’etude theorique a souligne la possibilite d’utiliser un faible champ magnetique pour manipuler le spin en obtenant des longueurs de precession et de diffusion de spin micrometriques, compatibles avec la technologie actuelle. L’injection et la collecte electriques ont ete realisees dans un dispositif memoire magnetique integree sur silicium (MEMIS), similaire a un SpinFET. Neanmoins, la qualite des jonctions hybrides metal ferromagnetique/isolant/silicium (FMIS) conditionnent l’efficacite d’injection et de collecte du spin et de l’effet de magnetoresistance ; dans ce sens, nous avons explore quelques techniques d’elaboration de jonctions Co/AlO/Si et Co/MgO/Si avec des oxydes minces de l’ordre du nanometre. Nous avons obtenu des jonctions FMIS avec une injection electrique par tunnel direct, ce qui presente une piste prometteuse pour l’injection coherente du spin. Nous avons egalement caracterise des jonctions redresseur semiconducteur ferromagnetique /semiconducteur (MSS) du type Ge3Mn5/Ge qui se sont averees tres interessantes pour l’injection du spin.
Cell-specific CRISPR/Cas9 activation by microRNA-dependent expression of anti-CRISPR proteins

The rapid development of CRISPR/Cas technologies brought a personalized and targeted treatment of genetic disorders into closer reach. To render CRISPR-based therapies precise and safe, strategies to confine the activity of Cas(9) to selected cells and tissues are highly desired. Here, we developed a cell type-specific Cas-ON switch based on miRNA-regulated expression of anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins. We inserted target sites for miR-122 or miR-1, which are abundant specifically in liver and muscle cells, respectively, into the 3’UTR of Acr transgenes. Co-expressing these with Cas9 and sgRNAs resulted in Acr knockdown and correspondingly in Cas9 activation solely in hepatocytes or myocytes, while Cas9 was efficiently inhibited in off-target cells. We demonstrate control of genome editing and gene activation using a miR-dependent AcrIIA4 in combination with different Streptococcus pyogenes (Spy)Cas9 variants (full-length Cas9, split-Cas9, dCas9-VP64). Finally, to showcase its modularity, we adapted our Cas-ON system to the smaller and more target-specific Neisseria meningitidis (Nme)Cas9 orthologue and its cognate inhibitors AcrIIC1 and AcrIIC3. Our Cas-ON switch should facilitate cell-specific activation of any CRISPR/Cas orthologue, for which a potent anti-CRISPR protein is known.
Evaluation of a toxoid fusion protein vaccine produced in plants to protect poultry against necrotic enteritis

Background Necrotic enteritis (NE) is caused by type A strains of the bacterium Clostridium perfringens. Total global economic losses to the poultry industry due to NE is estimated to be over two billion dollars annually. Traditionally, NE has been effectively controlled by inclusion of antibiotics in the diet of poultry. However, recent concerns regarding the impact of this practice on increasing antibiotic resistance in human pathogens have led us to consider alternative approaches, such as vaccination, for controlling this disease. NE strains of C. perfringens produce two major toxins, a-toxin and NetB. Immune responses against either toxin can provide partial protection against NE. Methods We have developed a fusion protein combining a non-toxic carboxyl-terminal domain of a-toxin (PlcC) and an attenuated, mutant form of NetB (NetB-W262A) for use as a vaccine antigen to immunize poultry against NE. We utilized a DNA sequence that was codon-optimized for Nicotiana benthamiana to enable high levels of expression. The 6-His tagged PlcC-NetB fusion protein was synthesized in N. benthamiana using a geminiviral replicon transient expression system, purified by metal affinity chromatography, and used to immunize broiler birds. Results Immunized birds produced a strong serum IgY response against both the plant produced PlcC-NetB protein and against bacterially produced His-PlcC and His-NetB. Immunized birds were significantly protected against a subsequent in-feed challenge with virulent C. perfringens when treated with the fusion protein. These results indicate that a plant-produced PlcC-NetB toxoid is a promising vaccine candidate for controlling NE in poultry.
The complete chloroplast genome of Zelkova schneideriana (Rosales: Ulmaceae), an Endangered species endemic to China

Abstract Zelkova schneideriana Hand. -Mazz. (Ulmaceae) is an endangered species endemic to China. In this study, we reported its complete chloroplast (cp) genome based on Illumina pair-end sequencing. The whole genome was 158,999 bp long, consisting of a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,427 bp, a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,397 bp and a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,748 bp. The cp genome contained 133 genes, including 88 protein-coding genes (80 PCG species), 37 tRNA genes (30 tRNA species), and eight rRNA genes (4 rRNA species). The overall G+C content of the whole genome was 35.6%, and the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions were 33.0, 28.3, and 42.4%, respectively. The maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis of 25 selected chloroplast genomes demonstrated that Z. schneideriana was closely related to Ulmus macrocarpa and Ulmus pumila.
A role for gut microbiota in m6A epitranscriptomic mRNA modifications in different host tissues

The intestinal microbiota modulates host physiology and gene expression via mechanisms that are not fully understood. A recently discovered layer of gene expression regulation is N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of mRNA. To unveil if this epitranscriptomic mark in part mediates the impact of the gut microbiota on the host, we analyzed m6A-modifications in transcripts of mice displaying either a conventional, or a modified, or no gut flora. We discovered that the microbiota has a strong influence on m6A-modifications in the cecum, and also, albeit to a lesser extent, in the liver. We furthermore show that a single commensal bacterium, Akkermansia muciniphila, can affect specific m6A modifications. Together, we report here epitranscriptomic modifications as an unexpected level of interaction in the complex interplay between commensal bacteria and their host.
Evaluation of aquifer parameters at regional scale by spectral analysis of discharge time series

<p>River stream is the result of several complex processes operating at basin scale. Therefore, the river catchment can be conceptualized as a series of interlinked compartments, which are characterized by their own response time to a rainfall event. Each compartment generates a flow component, such as the direct runoff, the interflow and the baseflow. The latter, typically generating from groundwater, is the slower portion of stream flow and plays a key role in studying the hydrological droughts. </p><p>In many catchment or large-scale hydrologic models, the groundwater dynamics are typically described by a linear reservoir model, which depends on the state of the reservoir and the parameter, known as recession coefficient or characteristic time. The characteristic time can be considered as the time needed until an aquifer reacts to a certain perturbation. So far, the characteristic time has been estimated by analyzing the slope of the recession (discharge) curve. However, as this method assumes that the recharge is zero within the basin, it may lead to inaccurate estimate when such a hypothesis is not fulfilled in reality. </p><p>The present work proposes to infer the characteristic time by using a stochastic approach based on spectral analysis. The catchment aquifer can be viewed as a filter, which modifies an input signal (e.g., rainfall or recharge) into an output signal (e.g., the baseflow or the hydraulic head). Since the transfer function, namely the ratio between the spectrum of baseflow and the spectrum of recharge, is dependent on the aquifer characteristics, it can be used to infer the aquifer parameters. In particular, the characteristic time is evaluated by fitting the spectrum and the variance of the measured baseflow with the analytical stochastic solutions for the linear reservoir. We compare six different methods for hydrograph separation, thereby highlighting a systematic uncertainty in determining the characteristic time due to the choice of filter used. To reduce the uncertainty in fitting, we will use the mesoscale Hydrological Model (mHM) (Samaniego et al., 2010; Kumar et al., 2013) to generate realistic time series for recharge. We apply the spectral analysis method to several river basins in Germany, with the goal to define a regionalization rule for characteristic time. </p><p>&#160;</p><p>References:</p><ul><li>Samaniego L. , R. Kumar, S. Attinger (2010): Multiscale parameter regionalization of a grid-based hydrologic model at the mesoscale. Water Resour. Res., 46, W05523, doi:10.1029/2008WR007327. </li> <li>Kumar, R. , L. Samaniego, and S. Attinger (2013): Implications of distributed hydrologic model parameterization on water fluxes at multiple scales and locations, Water Resour. Res., 49, doi:10.1029/2012WR012195</li> </ul>
Searching the Optimal Folding Routes of a Complex Lasso Protein

Understanding how polypeptides can efficiently and reproducibly attain a self-entangled conformation is a compelling biophysical challenge, which might shed new light on our general knowledge of protein folding. Complex Lassos, namely self-entangled protein structures characterized by a covalent loop sealed by a cysteine bridge, represent an ideal test system in the framework of entangled folding. Indeed, as cysteine bridges form in oxidizing conditions, they can be used as on/off switches of the structure topology, to investigate the role played by the backbone entanglement in the process. In the present work we have used molecular dynamics to simulate the folding of a complex lasso glycoprotein, Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, modeling both reducing and oxidizing conditions. Together with a well-established Gō-like description, we have employed the elastic folder model, a Coarse-Grained, minimalistic representation of the polypeptide chain, driven by a structure-based angular potential. The purpose of this study is to assess the kinetically optimal pathways, in relation to the formation of the native topology. To this end we have implemented an evolutionary strategy that tunes the elastic folder model potentials to maximize the folding probability within the early stages of the dynamics. The resulting protein model is capable of folding with high success rate, avoiding the kinetic traps that hamper the efficient folding in the other tested models. Employing specifically designed topological descriptors, we could observe that the selected folding routes avoid the topological bottleneck by locking the cysteine bridge after the topology is formed. These results provide valuable insights on the selection of mechanisms in self-entangled protein folding while, at the same time, the proposed methodology can complement the usage of established minimalistic models, and draw useful guidelines for more detailed simulations. Author summary We have investigated, by means of numerical methods, the folding mechanism of Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, a glycoprotein that handles a variety of functions in the human body. Our interest in this protein focuses on the self-entangled native state, which is classified as a so-called complex lasso. Complex lasso structures contain a backbone loop, closed by a cysteine bridge, which is pierced one or more times by the protein chain, resulting in an entangled conformation. Understanding how a polypeptide can encode into its sequence the capability of tying itself into such kind of structures would represent a major advancement in the comprehension of a crucial biological process such as protein folding. To study this folding mechanism we have employed molecular dynamics simulations, adopting both a well-known minimalistic model of the protein, and an alternative model, that was specifically proposed for unveiling the preferential pathways of entangled folding. Our calculations show how the protein can avoid the kinetic traps related to self-entanglement, managing to fold in a reproducible and efficient way.
Low-frequency earthquakes observed in close vicinity of repeating earthquakes in the brittle upper crust of Hakodate, Hokkaido, northern Japan

We conducted a detailed investigation of an earthquake cluster distributed from the lower crust to the upper crust beneath Hakodate, Hokkaido, which included both low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) and regular earthquakes. Relocated hypocentres clearly show that both the LFEs and regular earthquakes occurred close to each other in the brittle upper crust of this non-volcanic area, while only LFEs occurred in the lower crust. This observation indicates that LFEs can occur not only in the ductile lower crust, but also in the brittle upper crust, which suggests that LFEs can occur in an environment similar to that of regular earthquakes. Regular earthquakes that occur in close vicinity of LFEs have very similar waveforms and nearly overlapping source regions, which indicate that they reflect the repeated rupture of the same asperity patch on a fault. Temporally, the intervals between events in the repeating earthquake sequence were very short, thus suggesting that they were caused by a sudden increase in pore pressure. The cluster of LFEs and repeating earthquakes, which has a rod-like distribution extending from the bottom of the crust to the surface and tilted slightly eastward, might represent a pathway of aqueous fluid movement sourced from the subducting slab.
Acceptability, attitude, and satisfaction of online learning among nursing students during COVID-19 lockdown: a cross sectional study

Introduction: Due to the current Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic related lockdown in India, regular classes are suspended to maintain social distancing. Educational institutions are now opting for online learning to facilitate and continue with the academic schedule of students. Aim: To evaluate the acceptability, attitude, and satisfaction of online learning among nursing students during COVID-19 lockdown. Settings and design: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 193 nursing students of a nursing college attached to private medical college and hospital, through online Google Forms questionnaires. Materials: Semi-structured proforma for socio-demographic details, Social Presence Scale (SPS), and related Satisfaction Scale (SS) were used for evaluation. Statistical analysis: Sociodemographic details were mainly descriptive and categories compared using Pearson’s correlation test and ordinal variables using Spearman’s Rho correlation. Results: The mean age of 20.01 years (Standard Deviation (SD) = 1.42), the mean score of SPS was 44.75 (SD=5.89) and that of SS was 31.12 (SD=7.59). SPS and SS scores correlated significantly (P