Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian multi-level calibration of a process-based maize phenology model

Plant phenology models are important components in process-based crop models, which are used to assess the impact of climate change on food production. For reliable model predictions, parameters in phenology models have to be accurately known. They are usually estimated by calibrating the model to observations. However, at regional scales in which different cultivars of a crop species may be grown, not accounting for inherent differences in phenological development between cultivars in the model and the presence of model deficits lead to inaccurate parameter estimates. To account for inherent differences between cultivars and to identify model deficits, we used a Bayesian multi-level approach to calibrate a phenology model (SPASS) to observations of silage maize grown across Germany between 2009 and 2017. We evaluated four multi-level models of increasing complexity, where we accounted for different combinations of ecological, weather, and year effects, as well as the hierarchical classification of cultivars nested within ripening groups of the maize species. We compared the calibration quality from this approach to the commonly used pooled approach in which none of these factors are considered. Our approach proved successful in improving calibration quality by incorporating the hierarchical classification of cultivars within ripening groups of maize. Our findings have implications for regional model calibration and data-gathering studies, since it emphasizes that ripening group and cultivar information is essential. Furthermore, we found that if this information is not available, at least weather, ecological regions and year effects should be taken into account. Our results can facilitate model improvement studies since we identified possible model limitations related to temperature effects in the reproductive (post-flowering) phase and to soil-moisture. We demonstrate that Bayesian multi-level calibration of a phenology model facilitates the incorporation of hierarchical dependencies and the identification of model limitations. Our approach can be extended to full crop models at different spatial scales.
Parallel analysis of RNA ends reveals global microRNA‐mediated target RNA cleavage in maize

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous 20-to 24-nucleotide (nt) noncoding RNAs that play important regulatory roles in many biological processes in eukaryotes. miRNAs modulate the expression of target genes at the post-transcriptional level by transcript cleavage or translational inhibition. Identification of miRNA target genes have been extensively investigated in Arabidopsis and rice, but an in-depth global analysis of miRNA-mediated target regulation is still lacking in maize. Here, we report a transcriptome-wide identification of miRNA targets by analyzing Parallel Analysis of RNA Ends (PARE) datasets derived from nine different tissues at five developmental stages of the maize (Zea mays L.) B73 cultivar. 246 targets corresponding to 60 miRNAs from 25 families were identified, including transcription factors and other genes. In addition, PARE analysis revealed that miRNAs guide specific target transcript cleavage in a tissue-preferential manner. Interestingly, primary transcripts of MIR159c and MIR169e were found to be cleaved by mature miR159 and miR169, respectively, indicating a positive-feedback regulatory mechanism in miRNA biogenesis. Moreover, several new miRNA-target gene pairs involved in seed germination were identified and experimentally validated. Our PARE analyses generated a wide and detailed miRNA-target interaction atlas, which provides a valuable resource for investigating the roles of miRNAs and their targets in maize.
Evaluating colour preference of lighting with an empty light booth

In our recent work, the colour preference of several LED white lights with different correlated colour temperatures (CCT) was investigated with a wide selection of objects. The results highlighted the dominant effect of light itself on the colour preference of lighting. In this study, we similarly implemented two psychophysical experiments with the same lights but with nothing in the light booth. It was found that the subjective ratings for the lit environment of the empty booth were quite close to those of the previous studies that used various coloured objects. Such a finding corroborates our former conclusion that light dominates colour preference and we suspect that this finding can be attributed either to the colour memory of the observers or to the subconscious effect of human vision. Thus, it seems that for general multi-CCT conditions where the light sources do not have very different gamut shapes or object desaturation/oversaturation properties, the preferred white light could be determined by simply asking the observers to rate their preference for the lit environment of the empty light booth. To verify this wild and interesting conclusion and further clarify its applicability, follow-up studies are needed.
Title: Coagulation factor XII, XI, and VIII activity levels and secondary events after first ischemic stroke Authors:

Affiliations: Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Institute of Public Health, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Klinik für Neurologie, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung DZHK, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Insitute for Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 6 Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. Institute of Clinical Epidemiology and Biometry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. Clinical Trial Center Würzburg, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany. German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease DZNE, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. Excellence Cluster Neurocure, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
RESEARCH ON EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE YIELD AND QUALITY OF OIL FROM GAC ARIL (MOMORDICA COCHINCHINENSIS SPRENG L.)

1. INTRODUCTION Gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng L.) belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae is an indigenous Vietnamese fruit-bearing plant. Its fruit flesh contains 1 - 3 mm thick, red, soft, and sticky aril, which covers black seeds and makes up about 25% of the fruit weight [1]. Gac aril has an oil content of about 38% - 40% (as related to absolute dry matter). This oil is a rich source of beta-caroten and lycopen, containing 128 mg%, and 170 mg% of each, respectively. The alpha-tocopherol content in the pulp was found to be 76.3 mg/g [2]. Because of its valuable constituents as mentioned above, Gac fruit oil is studied and used to create functional food and pharmaceutical products. A 30-day controlled supplementation trial carried out in Vietnam found that daily consumption of ‘‘xoi gac’’, a traditional Vietnamese sticky rice dish containing Gac aril, signiﬁcantly improved plasma levels of retinol, alpha-caroten, beta-caroten, and lycopen in pre-school children [3]. Researchers also investigated the potential of Gac fruit to prevent and treat cancers and vitamin A deﬁciency, where by juice extracted from dried Gac was found to reduce the tumour weights in mice by 23.6% [4]. The content of lycopen in Gac pulp as reported by this study (408 mg/g) is much higher than that usually found in tomatoes (about 25 mg/g) [5]. Currently, Gac aril oil production is mainly carried out by traditional mechanical expression with a screw press, but this method gives low yield and quality (especially in regard to the content of beta-caroten and lycopen). This paper describes a new method to obtain Gac aril oil with high extraction yield and oil quality.
Decreased Plasma Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide as a Novel Biomarker for HIV-1 Disease Progression

HIV-1 mucosal transmission in genital epithelia occurs through infection of Langerhans cells and subsequent transinfection of CD4 T cells. We previously reported that the vasodilator neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), secreted upon activation of sensory peripheral neurons that innervate all mucosal epithelia, significantly inhibits transinfection. To investigate the association between CGRP and HIV-1 during infection, we evaluated circulating CGRP levels in HIV-1-infected patients. Plasma was obtained from combination antiretroviral therapy (cART)-naive or cART-treated patients with primary/acute (PHI) or chronic (CHI) HIV-1 infection, as well as from individuals who naturally control HIV-1 infection, namely exposed seronegatives (ESNs), elite controllers (ECs), and long-term nonprogressors (LTNPs). CGRP plasma levels were measured using an enzyme immunoassay. Compared with healthy HIV-1-negative controls, CGRP plasma levels significantly decreased in PHI patients and even further in CHI patients, but remained unchanged in ESNs, ECs, and LTNPs. Moreover, CGRP plasma levels were restored to baseline upon cART in both PHI and CHI. Finally, CGRP plasma levels directly correlated with CD4 T cell counts and inversely with viral loads. Altogether, CGRP could serve as a novel diagnostic plasma biomarker for progression of HIV-1 infection. Moreover, administration of CGRP to cARTnaive HIV-1-infected patients, to compensate for CGRP decline, could help controlling on-going HIV-1 infection.
Methodology for the design of rehabilitation robots: Application in an exoskeleton for upper limb rehabilitation

: This article presents a methodology for the design of rehabilitation devices that considers factors involved in a clinical environment. This methodology integrates different disciplines that work together. The methodology is composed by 3 phases and 13 stages with speciﬁc tasks, the ﬁrst phase includes the clinical context considering the requirements of the patient and therapist during the rehabilitation, the second phase is focused in engineering based on the philosophy of digital twin, and in the third phase is evaluated the device. This article explains the characteristics of the methodology and how it was applied in the design of an exoskeleton for passive rehabilitation of upper limb.
Rule-Based and Genetic Algorithm for Automatic Gamelan Music Composition

This research aims to develop a system of automatic gamelan music composition. Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java, Indonesia. The authors propose a model of automatic gamelan music composition which consists of knowledge, rules, and random generation. There are three types of knowledge, basic, construction, and melodic knowledge. The basic knowledge contains the general knowledge of gamelan music. The construction knowledge controls the components building a composition. The melodic knowledge controls quality of the sound. The knowledge is transformed into rules of notes arrangement used to produce the characteristic sound of gamelan music. Genetic algorithm is used to generate a composition. Gatra, the smallest unit in a composition that contains four beats (notes), is used as a variable to construct the genes of a chromosome. The fitness value is measured based on the weight of notes distribution, identical gatras and melodic features. The evaluation is conducted to measure the quality of sound of “ladrang laras slendro pathet manyura” composition created by the system. The evaluation is conducted based on Turing test which involves human experts to recognize the composition created by the system. The results show that the model of automatic gamelan music composition proposed in this research is effective. All the gamelan experts state that it is very difficult to find the differences between the composition created by the system when it is randomly arranged and other compositions created by humans. 4 out of 6 gamelan experts failed to recognize a composition created by the system.
Car-like Mobile Robots: Soon or Later a Reality on our Streets

Every year, traffic injured and fatality rates increase worldwide. The combination of negligent and imprudent drivers, adverse road and weather conditions produce tragic results with dramatic loss of life. In this scenario, the use of mobile robotics technology onboard vehicles could reduce these fatalities. Aiming to bring technologies and algorithms developed in the field of mobile robotics to commercial vehicles and passenger cars, this paper presents the state of art on car-like mobile robots and highlights some researches developed at the Autonomous Systems Lab at EPFL and ETHZ in Switzerland. In the end we concluded, presented and commented the results obtained up to now as well as the research outlooks. This research aims to contribute for investigations on assistive and autonomous technologies onboard vehicles.
Influence of Fungal Endophyte Infection on the Nutrient Content of Tall Fescue

Fungal endophytes infect several grass species. The fungus can alter the growth, physiological and morphological characteristics of the infected plant. A greenhouse experiment was designed to determine the effect of the fungal endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum on the nutrient content of a selected ecotype of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), when growing at two nutrient supply levels. Stem dry matter, averaged over all harvests and nutrient supply treatments, was higher in non-infected (E-) than in endophyte infected (E+) plants. We found a significant interaction between endophyte infection and nutrient supply level and/or harvest date on the N, P, Ca and Mg plant tissue concentrations. Only for Ca leaf concentrations the effect of infection status was not influenced by harvest date or nutrient supply treatment and Ca concentration was higher in Ethan in E+ plants. Differences between E+ and Eplants in P concentration were significant at the beginning of the experiment, and for N and Mg were observed at the end of the experiment (16-18 weeks). Endophyte infected plants had higher stem N and leaf Mg concentrations in the high nutrient supply but significantly lower concentrations at the low nutrient supply treatment. Phosphorus
Statistical Review and Match Analysis of Rugby World Cups Finals

Abstract The aim of this study was to describe the game related statistics and match analysis of rugby world cups finals from 1987 to 2015. Video recordings of all (n = 8 matches) rugby world cup finals were used for the purpose of this study. Games were analysed using the video analysis software (Sports code V8.9, Sportstec, Australia) and supplementary data were collected from the official reports published by the International Rugby Board and from webpages of Rugby World Cups. Magnitude of differences between the winners and losers was assessed mechanistically. Only 5 tries in total were scored in the last 8 rugby world cup finals. The main two modes of scoring points were penalty kicks and drop goals. Winning teams attempted more penalty kicks, yet seemed to miss more. The number of drop goals was similar between winning and losing teams. These findings highlight the significance of having an on form place-kicker and from a defensive perspective, conceding fewer penalties in kickable positions. Winners of the Rugby World Cup final won more scrums and lost few line-outs, emphasising the importance of winning the set-pieces. Further establishment of these variables and their influence on performance may be used to evaluate team performances and plan more effective tactical approaches to competition
p53 Gene Mutations in Barrett's Epithelium and Esophageal Cancer1

Genomic DNA was extracted from archival pathology specimens comprising 10 squamous and 14 adenocarcinomas, including 7 with Barrett's epithelium adjacent to tumor, and corresponding normal esoph agus from the resection margin. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify selected exons ofp53 which were analyzed for mutations using single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Mutations were lo calized to exon 8 for 1 adenocarcinoma and to exon 5 for 1 squamous tumor and 4 of 7 Barrett's specimens. Sequencing confirmed mutations at codons 273 (CGT-Â»CAT; adenocarcinoma) and 176 (TGC-Â»TTC; squamous) and in Barrett's epithelium at codons 152 (CCGâ€”Â»CTG), 155 (ACC-Â»GCC)and 175 (CGC-Â»CAC). Specimens of Barrett's epithelium from separate sites had identical p53 mutations suggesting a clonal origin. Cancers arising in mutant epithelium did not have mutations correspond ing to those found in the Barrett's specimens suggesting that other events are required for tumorigenesis.
Invited Review Control of Flowering and Runnering in Strawberry

1Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Latokartanonkaari 7, 00790 Helsinki, Finland 2Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 1, 00790 Helsinki, Finland 3NIAB EMR, Kent ME19 6BJ, United Kingdom 4Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya 321-8505, Japan
Review of:Comparison of gene expression profiles predicting progression in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen

of the original article: Background: Molecular signatures that predict outcome in tamoxifen-treated breast cancer patients have been identified. For the first time, we compared these response profiles in an independent cohort of (neo)adjuvant systemic treatment naı̈ve breast cancer patients treated with first-line tamoxifen for metastatic disease. Methods: From a consecutive series of 246 estrogen receptor (ER) positive primary tumors, gene expression profiling was performed on available frozen tumors using 44K oligoarrays (n 5 69). A 78-gene tamoxifen response profile (formerly consisting of 81 cDNA clones), a 21-gene set (microarray-based Recurrence Score), as well as the HOXB13-IL17BR ratio (Two-Gene Index, RT-PCR) were analyzed. Performance of signatures in relation to time to progression (TTP) was compared with standard immunohistochemical (IHC) markers: ER, progesterone receptor (PgR) and HER-2. Results: In univariate analyses, the 78-gene tamoxifen response profile, the 21-gene set and the HOXB13-IL17BR ratio were all significantly associated with TTP with hazard ratios of 2.2 (95% CI 1.3–3.7, P 5 0.005), 2.3 (95% CI 1.3–4.0, P 5 0.003) and 4.2 (95% CI 1.4–12.3, P 5 0.009), respectively. The concordance among the three classifiers was relatively low, they classified only 45–61% of patients in the same category. In multivariate analyses, the association remained significant for the 78-gene profile and the 21-gene set after adjusting for ER and PgR. Conclusion: The 78-gene tamoxifen response profile, the 21-gene set and the HOXB13–IL17BR ratio were all significantly associated with TTP in an independent patient series treated with tamoxifen. The addition of multigene assays to ER (IHC) improves the prediction of outcome in tamoxifen-treated patients and deserves incorporation in future clinical studies.
The upper layer of the Malvinas/Falkland current: Structure, and transport near 46∘S in January 2020

Detailed velocity structure of the Malvinas/Falkland Current (M/FC) was studied based on the high-resolution shipborne ADCP direct current observations. The measurements were carried out along the transect located between 58∘00′ W and 60∘22′ W. The M/FC total transport in the upper 500 meters layer was 22.8 Sv (1 Sv = 10 m s−1). The measurements show the separation of the current flow into two jets: the wide and high-velocity Main jet whose average speed was 0.52 m s−1 and also the narrow Onshore jet. The Main jet transport was more than 62% of the total current transport. The average speed of the Onshore jet was 0.36 m s−1 and its transport was only 1.4 Sv (about 6% of total current transport). The low velocity zone which separates the two jets contains residuary 32% of the total volume transport.
Control of Two Stage PV Power System under the Unbalanced Three-Phase Grid Voltages

This paper proposes a dynamic power decoupling (DPD) strategy for the three-phase grid-tied PV power system without increasing the dc-link capacitance. Under normal condition, the interleaved boost converter will extract the maximum power point (MPP) from the PV array and the threephase inverter will inject the power to the grid. During the unbalanced grid fault scenario, the input power and current of the interleaved boost converter will be controlled by the proposed DPD to achieve the power decoupling capability as well as to eliminate the dc-link voltage oscillation. The proposed work has been carried out in MATLAB, and the results are presented.
The Ba 10 S(VO 3 S) 6 Oxysulfide: 1D-Structure and Mixed Anion Chemical Bonding

The new oxysulfide Ba 10 V 6 S 7 O 18, that can be written as Ba 10 S(VO 3 S) 6 , was prepared by solid state reaction. It crystallizes in the non-centrosymmetric P 6 3 space group with the unit cell parameters a=18.3018(2) Å and c=8.6525(2) Å, R 1 = 3.21%. This original phase exhibits (VO 3 S) units separated by Ba 2+ cations, the later delimit 1D-hexagonal-like cavities filled by disordered sulfur S 2-anions and arranged into two kinds of sulfur-deficient 1D-channels. DFT calculations were employed to get insights into the chemical bonding and parameters ruling the structure, particularly the V-O vs . V-S bonding inside the mixed anion VO 3 S tetrahedra, and the contribution of the S 2-of the cavities. The title compound can be decomposed with three components mainly interacting by ionic bonds as follows, Ba 10 V 6 S 7 O 18 → [Ba 10 ] 20+ [S] 2-[(VO 3 S) 6 ] 18, this description may pave the way to the design of other phases related to this system with adjusted band gap features. In particular, the effect of the V(O,S) 4 /Ba ratio is discussed to emphasize the presence of the [S] 2-component, in comparison with related structures such as Ba 6 V 4 O 5 S 11 [Ba 6 (VO 2 S 2 ) 2 (VS 3 O)(VS 4 )], as it contributes strongly just below the fermi level with subsequent alteration of the band gap.
Title : Forms and methods for interferon ́ s encapsulation

Interferons (IFNs) are cytokines involved in the immune response that act on innate and adaptive immunity. These proteins are natural cell-signaling glycoproteins expressed in response to viral infections, tumors, and biological inducers and constitute the first line of defense of vertebrates against infectious agents. They have been marketed for more than 30 years with considerable impact on the global therapeutic protein market thanks to their diversity in terms of biological activities. They have been used as single agents or with combination treatment regimens, demonstrating promising clinical results, resulting in 22 different formulations approved by regulatory agencies. The 163 clinical trials with currently active IFNs reinforce their importance as therapeutics for human health. However, their application has presented difficulties due to the molecules’ size, sensitivity to degradation, and rapid elimination from the bloodstream. For some years now, work has been underway to obtain new drug delivery systems to provide adequate therapeutic concentrations for these cytokines, decrease their toxicity and prolong their half-life in the circulation. Although different research groups have presented various formulations that encapsulate IFNs, to date, there is no formulation approved for use in humans. The current review exhibits an updated summary of all encapsulation forms presented in the scientific literature for these cytokines IFNα, IFNß, and IFNγ, from the year 1996 to the year 2021, considering parameters such as: encapsulating matrix, route of administration, and encapsulation. Imagen abstract Created with BioRender.com Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 23 August 2021 doi:10.20944/preprints202108.0447. v1