Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of changing tillage practices on crop production

The most efficient and practical way of protecting the soil against wind and water erosion is with surface and anchored crop residues. The rate and extent of crop establishment is not adversely affected by conservation tillage provided shallow seeding is used and adequate seed-to-soil contact is achieved. Soil water conservation can be enhanced with conservation tillage systems and the amount conserved is directly influenced by the type and amount of crop residues present and the agro-ecological zone. Crop residue decomposition is 1.5× slower on the surface than when buried and the rate of decomposition can be explained almost entirely by the location and nitrogen content of the residues and growing degree days. Grain yield can be improved with conservation tillage and is directly related to the amount of extra water conserved, regardless of the crop. Crop establishment, which is critical in forage production, can be improved with conservation tillage. Removing forage stands with herbicides as opposed to .
Role of Cystic Fibrosis Bronchial Epithelium in Neutrophil Chemotaxis

A hallmark of cystic fibrosis (CF) chronic respiratory disease is an extensive neutrophil infiltrate in the mucosa filling the bronchial lumen, starting early in life for CF infants. The genetic defect of the CF Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) ion channel promotes dehydration of the airway surface liquid, alters mucus properties, and decreases mucociliary clearance, favoring the onset of recurrent and, ultimately, chronic bacterial infection. Neutrophil infiltrates are unable to clear bacterial infection and, as an adverse effect, contribute to mucosal tissue damage by releasing proteases and reactive oxygen species. Moreover, the rapid cellular turnover of lumenal neutrophils releases nucleic acids that further alter the mucus viscosity. A prominent role in the recruitment of neutrophil in bronchial mucosa is played by CF bronchial epithelial cells carrying the defective CFTR protein and are exposed to whole bacteria and bacterial products, making pharmacological approaches to regulate the exaggerated neutrophil chemotaxis in CF a relevant therapeutic target. Here we revise: (a) the major receptors, kinases, and transcription factors leading to the expression, and release of neutrophil chemokines in bronchial epithelial cells; (b) the role of intracellular calcium homeostasis and, in particular, the calcium crosstalk between endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria; (c) the epigenetic regulation of the key chemokines; (d) the role of mutant CFTR protein as a co-regulator of chemokines together with the host-pathogen interactions; and (e) different pharmacological strategies to regulate the expression of chemokines in CF bronchial epithelial cells through novel drug discovery and drug repurposing.
Production of CPG pathways for lower limbs with the ability to change routes online

The aim of this study is to provide a central pattern generator (CPG) method that can be used to control the lower limbs and use the exoskeleton robot. The generator is based on Winter book formulas and articles written in this field and created in some parts. In order to reproduce the correct rhythmic movements of the knee angles to the pelvis and the angles of the knees to the ankles and to help the rhythmic cycle of the healthy leg for the defective leg in the network (CPG) was calculated using nonlinear differential equations. Using a change in the parameters of the control system, he used it to control the lower limbs and help different types of anomalies in walking in patients with various motor disorders. (Using the data obtained from the pattern of the person with the insufficiency in one of the legs and using the healthy foot pattern of the same person, the walking simulation model / experimental data presented,) were developed and the simulation results Numbers can be suggested as tips to further improve the model and use it to control the lower limbs and exoskeleton robots. Rhythmic patterns may be used to plan the path of various robot systems, such as exoskeletons and animal robots, and other such robots.
Relaxin Can Mediate Its Anti-Fibrotic Effects by Targeting the Myofibroblast NLRP3 Inflammasome at the Level of Caspase-1

Introduction The NLRP3 inflammasome produces interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, which when chronically activated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, contribute to fibrosis. The recombinant form of the anti-fibrotic hormone, relaxin (RLX), suppresses the pro-fibrotic influence of TGF-β1 and toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 on NLRP3 inflammasome priming and activity in human cardiac myofibroblasts and mice with cardiomyopathy. However, whether RLX also modulates components of the myofibroblast NLRP3 inflammasome remains unknown. Methods and Results Stimulation of a human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cell line with TGF-β1 [5 ng/ml; to promote myofibroblast (HDMF) differentiation], LPS (100 ng/ml; to prime the NLRP3 inflammasome) and ATP (5 mM; to activate the NLPR3 inflammasome) (T+L+A) significantly increased NLRP3 inflammasome priming and activity after 8 and 72 h; and α-SMA expression (myofibroblast differentiation) and collagen-I deposition after 72 h. siRNA-induced knock-down of NLRP3 inflammasome priming components (NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1) in T+L+A-stimulated HDMFs for 24 h, completely knocked-down each component after 72 h. RLX (100 ng/ml) administration to T+L+A-stimulated HDMFs after control, NLRP3 or ASC siRNA transfection, equivalently suppressed IL-1β, pro-IL-18, α-SMA, and collagen-I protein levels (by 40%–50%; all p<0.05 vs. T+L+A) after 72 h, as determined by Western blotting. These RLX-induced effects were abrogated by siRNA knock-down of caspase-1. Conclusion The anti-fibrotic actions of RLX appear to require modulation of caspase-1 within the myofibroblast NLRP3 inflammasome.
Pose Estimation of Stacked Rectangular Objects from Depth Images

This paper addresses the task of six degrees of freedom (6-DoF) pose estimation of stacked rectangular objects from depth images. Object pose estimation is one of the key challenges for visual processing systems since it plays a vital role in many situations such as warehouse/factory automation, robotic manipulation, and augmented reality. Many recent approaches to object pose estimation use RGB information for detecting and estimating the pose of objects. However, in warehouse/factory automation, objects are often small, occluded, cluttered, and texture-less which makes it difficult to utilize RGB features for detection and pose estimation. In order to overcome this restriction, we use only the depth information (without RGB information) and its geometric features to segment each object and to estimate the 6-DoF (position and orientation) in a stacked scene. We segment the rectangular objects in each scene from the depth and surface normal discontinuities (geometric segmentation). From the geometrically segmented image, four object corner points can be estimated using the convex hull detection and the eight corner points, which are required for the 6-DoF pose estimation, can be calculated. To improve the accuracy of orientation estimation, we estimate four orientation candidates and select the best among them. Experimental results using two evaluation methods show that our method outperformed the baseline method.
Cytomegalovirus Infection in an Adult Patient With Neuromyelitis Optica and Acute Hemorrhagic Rectal Ulcer: Case Report and Literature Review

Background: Previous infectious or inflammatory events may be involved in the pathogenesis of neuromyelitis optica (NMO), potentially by triggering an autoimmune response. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-related NMO (CMV-NMO) is rarely reported. Acute hemorrhagic rectal ulcer (AHRU) is a rare disease with a largely unknown pathogenesis. Herein, we reported a co-NMO and AHRU case associated with CMV infection. In addition, we review previously reported cases of CMV-NMO and CMV-AHRU. Case presentation: A 40-year-old female diagnosed with aquaporin4 (AQP4)-IgG+ NMO and a poor response to high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone and immunoglobulin, followed by three rounds of plasma exchange was transferred to Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China. She developed repeated acute lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage from the third day of admission. Abdominal computed tomography angiography (CTA) and interventional angiography did not detect any bleeding vessel. Bedside colonoscopy revealed a large ulcer-like lesion at 10 cm above the anus. Rectal biopsy pathology confirmed a CMV infection on day 23 post-admission, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pathogen gene sequencing detected CMV gene copies on day 25 post-admission. After 2 weeks of treatment with ganciclovir and sodium phosphinate, the patient's lower gastrointestinal bleeding stopped, and her limb muscle strength and visual acuity gradually improved. After 4 weeks of antiviral therapy, colonoscopy showed that the intestinal wall of the original lesion was smooth. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of a biopsy specimen was negative for CMV, her right eye vision was normal, and limb muscle strength had recovered. Serum AQP4-IgG was negative, and lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) manifested shrinkage. Conclusions: The benefits of antiviral therapy remain unclear; however, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of CMV-related NMO, if NMO was refractory to high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone, immunoglobulin, and plasma exchange. Moreover, clinicians should consider the possibility of CMV-related AHRU when recurrent acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding occurs in a patient.
Colonization of Vitis vinifera L. by the Endophyte Trichoderma sp. Strain T154: Biocontrol Activity Against Phaeoacremonium minimum

Trichoderma strains used in biological control products usually exhibit high efficiency in the control of plant diseases. However, their behavior under field conditions is difficult to predict. In addition, the potential of indigenous strains has been poorly assayed as well as their possible behavior as endophytes. Hence, niche colonization is a key feature for an effective protection. In this study, we aimed to: (i) explore the possibility of using a new Trichoderma strain isolated from vine to control pathogens, (ii) study the in planta interaction with the pathogen Phaeoacremonium minimum W. Gams, Crous, M.J. Wingf. & L. Mugnai (formerly Phaeoacremonium aleophilum), a pioneer fungus involved in Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) such as esca. For this purpose, fluorescently tagged Trichoderma sp. T154 and a P. minimum strain were used for scanning electron microscopy and confocal scanning laser microscopy analyses. Data showed that the Trichoderma strain is able to colonize plants up to 12 weeks post inoculation and is located in xylem, fibers, as well as in parenchymatic tissues inside the wood. The beneficial fungus reduced colonization of the esca-related pathogen colonizing the same niches. The main observed mechanism involved in biocontrol of Trichoderma against the esca pathogen was spore adhesion, niche exclusion and only few typical hypha coiling was found between Trichoderma and the pathogen. These results suggest that the Trichoderma strain has potential for reducing the colonization of Phaeoacremonium minimum and thus, an inoculation of this biological control agent can protect the plant by limiting the development of GTD, and the strain can behave as an endophyte.
Hardware-in-the-loop based testing of wind turbine controllers for transient stability enhancement

Traditionally, electrical power systems have been based on fossil-fuel fired generation plants to satisfy the load demand. However, due to environmental targets for significant CO2 reduction, a gradual decommission of the aforementioned plants is observed whereas renewable energy sources are gaining gradually increasing momentum, which entails radical changes in the dynamic behavior of electrical power systems. Among the existing renewable energy technologies, variable speed wind generators which utilize full–scale power electronics units, are a preferred technological solution to tackle the variability of renewable energy. Increasing renewable power generation caused a reduction of system inertia and short circuit capacity. This reduction challenges the rotor angle stability of remaining synchronous generators when large disturbance occur. This paper presents a study on modifications of the outer control loops of the grid side converter of wind generators type IV to limit the magnitude of the first rotor angle swing while increasing the overall damping performance of a power system. The study includes a comparison between three different wind generation controllers. Namely, a basic Low Voltage Right Through (LVRT) with a post-fault ramp in the active power injection strategy, a voltage dependent active power injection scheme and a Supplementary Damping control (SDC) method are examined and tested through a power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) based test bench. It has been found that SDC supports quick damping of oscillations and high reduction of magnitude of the first swing with respect to the other two control schemes.
Tissue-on-a-Chip: Microphysiometry With Human 3D Models on Transwell Inserts

Microphysiometry has proved to be a useful tool for monitoring the energy metabolism of living cells and their interactions with other cells. The technique has mainly been used for monitoring two-dimensional (2D) monolayers of cells. Recently, our group showed that it is also possible to monitor the extracellular acidification rate and transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of 3D skin constructs in an automated assay maintaining an air–liquid interface (ALI) with a BioChip extended by 3D-printed encapsulation. In this work, we present an optimized multichannel intestine-on-a-chip for monitoring the TEER of the commercially available 3D small intestinal tissue model (EpiIntestinalTM from MatTek). Experiments are performed for 1 day, during which a 60 min cycle is repeated periodically. Each cycle consists of three parts: (1) maintain ALI; (2) application of the measurement medium or test substance; and (3) the rinse cycle. A cytotoxic and barrier-disrupting benchmark chemical (0.2% sodium dodecyl sulfate) was applied after 8 h of initial equilibration. This caused time-dependent reduction of the TEER, which could not be observed with typical cytotoxicity measurement methods. This work represents a proof-of-principle of multichannel time-resolved TEER monitoring of a 3D intestine model using an automated ALI. Reconstructed human tissue combined with the Intelligent Mobile Lab for In vitro Diagnostic technology represents a promising research tool for use in toxicology, cellular metabolism studies, and drug absorption research.
Insights Into Dynamics of Inhibitor and Ubiquitin-Like Protein Binding in SARS-CoV-2 Papain-Like Protease

Covid-19 is caused by a novel form of coronavirus for which there are currently no vaccines or anti-viral drugs. This virus, termed SARS-CoV-2 (CoV2), contains Papain-like protease (PLpro) involved in viral replication and immune response evasion. Drugs targeting this protease therefore have great potential for inhibiting the virus, and have proven successful in older coronaviruses. Here, we introduce two effective inhibitors of SARS-CoV-1 (CoV1) and MERS-CoV to assess their potential for inhibiting CoV2 PLpro. We ran 1 μs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of CoV2, CoV1, and MERS-CoV ligand-free PLpro to characterize the dynamics of CoV2 PLpro, and made comparisons between the three to elucidate important similarities and differences relevant to drug design and ubiquitin-like protein binding for deubiquitinating and deISGylating activity of CoV2. Next, we simulated the inhibitors bound to CoV1 and CoV2 PLpro in various poses and at different known binding sites to analyze their binding modes. We found that the naphthalene-based ligand shows strong potential as an inhibitor of CoV2 PLpro by binding at the putative naphthalene inhibitor binding site in both computational predictions and experimental assays. Our modeling work suggested strategies to improve naphthalene-based compounds, and our results from molecular docking showed that the newly designed compounds exhibited improved binding affinity. The other ligand, chemotherapy drug 6-mercaptopurine (6MP), showed little to no stable intermolecular interaction with PLpro and quickly dissociated or remained highly mobile. We demonstrate multiple ways to improve the binding affinity of the naphthalene-based inhibitor scaffold by engaging new residues in the unused space of the binding site. Analysis of CoV2 PLpro also brings insights into recognition of ubiquitin-like proteins that may alter innate immune response.
Effect of phosphorus supply on the formation and function of proteoid roots of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.)

We investigated (1) the effect of constant and altered inorganic phosphate (P i ) supply (1-100 mmol m -3 ) on proteoid root production by white lupin (Lupinus albus L.); and (2) the variation in citrate efflux, enzyme activity and phosphate uptake along the proteoid root axis in solution culture. Proteoid root formation was greatest at P i solution concentrations of 1-10 mmol m -3 and was suppressed at 25 mmol m -3 P i and higher. Except at 1 mmol m -3 P i , the formation of proteoid roots did not affect plant dry matter yields or shoot to root dry matter ratios, indicating that proteoid roots can form under conditions of adequate P supply and not at the expense of dry matter production. Plants with over 50% of the root system as proteoid roots had tissue P concentrations considered adequate for maximum growth, providing additional evidence that proteoid roots can form on P-sufficient plants. There was an inverse relationship between the P i concentration in the youngest mature leaf and proteoid root formation. Citrate efflux and the activities of enzymes associated with citric acid synthesis (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase) varied along the proteoid root axis, being greatest in young proteoid rootlets of the 1-3 cm region from the root tip. Citrate release from the 0-1 and 5-9 cm regions of the proteoid root was only 7% (per unit root length) of that from the 1-3 cm segment. Electrical potential and 32 P i uptake measurements showed that P i uptake was more uniform along the proteoid root than citrate efflux.
Characterization of Binding Properties of Individual Functional Sites of Human Complement Factor H

Factor H exists as a 155,000 dalton, extended protein composed of twenty small domains which is flexible enough that it folds back on itself. Factor H regulates complement activation through its interactions with C3b and polyanions. Three binding sites for C3b and multiple polyanion binding sites have been identified on Factor H. In intact Factor H these sites appear to act synergistically making their individual contributions difficult to distinguish. Recombinantly expressed fragments of human Factor H were examined using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for interactions with C3, C3b, iC3b, C3c, and C3d. Eleven recombinant proteins of lengths from one to twenty domains were used to show that the three C3b-binding sites exhibit 100-fold different affinities for C3b. The N-terminal site [complement control protein (CCP) domains 1-6] bound C3b with a Kd of 0.08 μM and this interaction was not influenced by the presence or absence of domains 7 and 8. Full length Factor H similarly exhibited a Kd for C3b of 0.1 μM. Unexpectedly, the N-terminal site (CCP 1-6) bound native C3 with a Kd of 0.4 μM. The C-terminal domains (CCP 19-20) exhibited a Kd of 1.7 μM for C3b. We localized a weak third C3b binding site in the CCP 13-15 region with a Kd estimated to be ~15 μM. The C-terminal site (CCP 19-20) bound C3b, iC3b, and C3d equally well with a Kd of 1 to 2 μM. In order to identify and compare regions of Factor H that interact with polyanions a family of 18 overlapping three domain recombinant proteins spanning the entire length of Factor H were expressed and purified. Immobilized heparin was used as a model polyanion and SPR confirmed the presence of heparin binding sites in CCP 6-8 (Kd 1.2 μM) and in CCP 19-20 (4.9 μM) and suggested the existence of a weak third polyanion binding site in the center of Factor H (CCP 11-13). Our results unveil the relative contributions of different regions of Factor H to its regulation of complement, and may contribute to the understanding of how defects in certain Factor H domains lead to disease.
Giant, unconventional anomalous Hall effect in the metallic frustrated magnet candidate, KV3Sb5

The anomalous Hall effect soars when Dirac quasiparticles meet frustrated magnetism. The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is one of the most fundamental phenomena in physics. In the highly conductive regime, ferromagnetic metals have been the focus of past research. Here, we report a giant extrinsic AHE in KV3Sb5, an exfoliable, highly conductive semimetal with Dirac quasiparticles and a vanadium Kagome net. Even without report of long range magnetic order, the anomalous Hall conductivity reaches 15,507 Ω−1 cm−1 with an anomalous Hall ratio of ≈ 1.8%; an order of magnitude larger than Fe. Defying theoretical expectations, KV3Sb5 shows enhanced skew scattering that scales quadratically, not linearly, with the longitudinal conductivity, possibly arising from the combination of highly conductive Dirac quasiparticles with a frustrated magnetic sublattice. This allows the possibility of reaching an anomalous Hall angle of 90° in metals. This observation raises fundamental questions about AHEs and opens new frontiers for AHE and spin Hall effect exploration, particularly in metallic frustrated magnets.
Q-Learning for Securing Cyber-Physical Systems : A survey

A cyber-physical system (CPS) is a term that implements mainly three parts, Physical elements, communication networks, and control systems. Currently, CPS includes the Internet of Things (IoT), Internet of Vehicles (IoV), and many other systems. These systems face many security challenges and different types of attacks, such as Jamming, DDoS.CPS attacks tend to be much smarter and more dynamic; thus, it needs defending strategies that can handle this level of intelligence and dynamicity. Last few years, many researchers use machine learning as a base solution to many CPS security issues. This paper provides a survey of the recent works that utilized the Q-Learning algorithm in terms of security enabling and privacy-preserving. Different adoption of Q-Learning for security and defending strategies are studied. The state-of-the-art of Q-learning and CPS systems are classified and analyzed according to their attacks, domain, supported techniques, and details of the Q-Learning algorithm. Finally, this work highlight The future research trends toward efficient utilization of Q-learning and deep Q-learning on CPS security.
An Improved Highly Efficient LLC Resonant Converter in DC Energy Conversion Systems with a Wide-Range Input Source

An improved highly efficient LLC resonant converter is proposed for use in an adjustable wide-range input source. The control characteristics of the LLC resonant converter are much better than those of the conventional series resonant converter (SRC). Another advantage of the improved LLC resonant converter over the conventional SRC is that it has lower component stresses. To achieve high energy conversion efficiency, a large value of inductor ratio is designed for the LLC resonant converter. The proposed topology was used to implement an adjustable wide-range input source (30–150 V DC) as a DC power supply. Experimental data were obtained using a laboratory prototype with an output voltage of 142 V, an output power of 600 W, and a switching frequency of 100 kHz. The measured maximum efficiency under a full load was 98.4 %. Therefore, the proposed converter has great potential for use in DC energy conversion systems.