Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selection of Expression Reference Genes with Demonstrated Stability in Barley among a Diverse Set of Tissues and Cultivars

Reference genes are selected based on the assumption of temporal and spatial expression stability and on their widespread use in model species. They are often used without validation in the studied species. For barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), previous reference gene validation studies have been limited by the number of tissues, cultivars, and/or reference gene candidates assayed. Publically available bioinformatic resources are now available that enable efficient assessment of much larger numbers of candidate genes than is possible with empirical approaches. Expression sequence tag profile viewer data from the UniGene library were used to predict the expression stability of 655 barley genes. The expression profiles of 20 gene candidates predicted to be stable across tissue types were evaluated in eight tissues of the cultivar ‘Conlon’ by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The five most stable genes were then tested in the barley cultivars ‘Golden Promise’ and ‘Harrington’ and (to test potential applicability to other Poaceae species) in the oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar ‘Hifi’. The traditional reference gene actin and the candidate genes elongation factor EF-2 and malate dehydrogenase demonstrated the most stable expression. The predictive capacity of bioinformatics to identify suitable reference genes was demonstrated. Four genes with better stability than all except one traditionally used reference gene were discovered. M. Gines, P.J. Maughan, and E.N. Jellen, Dep. of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT; T. Baldwin, P. Bregitzer, and K. Esvelt Klos, National Small Grains Germplasm Research Facility, USDA-ARS, Aberdeen, ID; A. Rashid, Dep. of Entomology Plant Pathology and Weed Science, New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces, NM. Received 24 July 2017. Accepted 24 Oct. 2017. *Corresponding author (Kathy.klos@ars.usda.gov). Assigned to Associate Editor Candice Hirsch. Abbreviations: cDNA, complementary DNA; Cq, quantification cycle; Ct, threshold cycle; DPA, days postanthesis; EST, expression sequence tag; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; RT-qPCR, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction; TPM, transcripts per million. Published in Crop Sci. 58:332–341 (2018). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2017.07. 0443 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Published online January 15, 2018
Assessment of a miniature four-roll mill and a cross-slot microchannel for high-strain-rate stagnation point flows

Stagnation point flows have been widely used to study the deformation and break-up of objects in two-dimensional pure straining flows. Here, we report a systematic study of the characterisation of stagnation point flows in two devices, a miniature Taylor’s four-roll mill and a cross-slot microchannel. The aim of the study is to find the best platform suitable for investigating the effect of strain rate on the mechanical properties of waterborne microorganisms. Using micro-PIV, the velocity field and the strain rates in both devices were measured at different flow rates and compared with an ideal hyperbolic stagnation point flow. The cross-slot microchannel was found to be a better experimental device than the miniature four-roll mill for the purpose of confining micron-sized objects in a controlled stagnation point flow. This is mainly due to the difficulty of maintaining a fixed location for the stagnation point within one micron in the miniature four-roll mill and achieving high strain rates beyond 10 s−1. However, with no moving parts, the cross-slot microchannel was found to maintain a steady flow, with the stagnation point varying less than one micron at a cross-junction of 400×400 μm2, and was able to reach uniform strain rates up to 140 s−1.
Effects of Rising Temperature on Secondary Compounds of Yeheb (Cordeauxia edulis Hemsley)

The effects of temperature on net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, emission of foliar volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and phenolics were investigated after exposing Cordeauxia edulis seedlings to control (27/19°C) and three levels of elevated (32/23, 37/27, or 42/31°C) day/night temperature regimes in controlled growth chambers. Emissions of foliar VOC were measured on 7th and 14th day (d) of exposures, whereas net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were measured on the 8th and 15th d. Net photosynthesis and stomatal conductance were not significantly affected by elevated temperatures. Emission rate of isoprene increased by 4-fold with 10°C rise from the control on 7th d of exposure. Emission rates of monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and total isoprenoids increased to 2-5-fold higher than that of control plants with 5°C rise. Foliar isoprene emission peaked at daytime maximum of 37°C and the mono- and sesquiterpenes at 32°C. Few individual foliar phenolics, and total foliar phenolics showed significant concentration differences between treatments. Although high VOC emissions under warming appeared to help plants to sustain abiotic stresses, arid/semi-arid species might substantially release highly reactive compounds that affect atmospheric chemistry. Hence, more studies are required on plant species of arid/semi-arid ecosystems of Africa to estimate the emission patterns and their role in atmospheric chemistry under the predicted future atmospheric warming.
Technology-Design C Array for Acceler

Technology-design co-optimizat of the resistive cross-point array are proposed the machine learning algorithms on a chip. write scheme is designed to accelerate the train realizes fully parallel operations of the weig weight update. Furthermore, technology and of the resistive cross-point array are co-optimi learning accuracy, latency and energy con contrast to the conventional memory design scaling rules is proposed on the resistive cr achieve high learning accuracy. These inclu width to reduce the IR drop on interconnects the learning accuracy; 2) use of multiple cel element to alleviate the impact of the device affordable expense of area, energy and laten resistive cross-point array with periphe implemented at the 65 nm node. Its performan for handwritten digit recognition on the MNI gradient-based sparse coding. Compared software approach running on CPU, it achie and >106 energy efficiency improvement, e image feature extraction and learning. Keywords—machine learning; neuromorphi point array; resistive memory; synaptic device
Avaliação do equilíbrio corporal e da marcha: estudo comparativo entre surdos e ouvintes em idade escolar

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o equilibrio corporal e a marcha de escolares surdos e ouvintes e comparar os dados entre os grupos, considerando o sexo e a faixa etaria da amostra. METODOS: Estudo de corte transversal que avaliou 44 escolares surdos e 44 ouvintes, na faixa etaria de sete a 17 anos. A avaliacao do equilibrio e das caracteristicas da marcha foi realizada por meio da Escala de Equilibrio e Mobilidade de Tinetti, e a velocidade da marcha, pelo teste Timed Up and Go. Para a analise dos dados foram utilizadas duas abordagens estatisticas: para o equilibrio (teste t de Student) e para a marcha (teste do qui-quadrado ou exato de Fisher). RESULTADOS: A avaliacao do equilibrio nao demonstrou diferencas significativas entre os grupos, os sexos e as faixas etarias, apesar de os escolares surdos apresentarem menor desempenho clinico nas categorias avaliadas. Na avaliacao das caracteristicas da marcha, os resultados apontaram diferencas significativas entre os grupos (p<0,001), os sexos (p<0,001) e todas as faixas etarias: 7-10 anos (p=0,022) e 11 - 17 anos (p<0,001). Com relacao a velocidade da marcha, os resultados demonstraram diferencas entre os grupos apenas para o sexo feminino (p=0,027) e na faixa etaria entre 7 - 10 anos anos (p<0,001). CONCLUSOES: Escolares surdos apresentaram alteracoes na marcha e maior risco para quedas quando comparados aos ouvintes.
MIDI Keyboard Defined DJ Performance System

This paper explores the use of the ubiquitous MIDI keyboard to control a DJ performance system. The prototype system uses a two octave keyboard with each octave controlling one audio track. Each audio track has four two-bar loops which play in synchronisation switchable by its respective octave’s first four black keys. The top key of the keyboard toggles between frequency filter mode and time slicer mode. In frequency filter mode the white keys provide seven bands of latched frequency filtering. In time slicer mode the white keys plus black B flat key provide latched on/off control of eight time slices of the loop. The system was informally evaluated by nine subjects. The frequency filter mode combined with loop switching worked well with the MIDI keyboard interface. All subjects agreed that all tools had creative performance potential that could be developed by further practice.
Annual cycles are the most common reproductive strategy in African tropical tree communities

We present the first cross‐continental comparison of the flowering and fruiting phenology of tropical forests across Africa. Flowering events of 5446 trees from 196 species across 12 sites and fruiting events of 4595 trees from 191 species across 11 sites were monitored over periods of 6 to 29 years and analyzed to describe phenology at the continental level. To study phenology, we used Fourier analysis to identify the dominant cycles of flowering and fruiting for each individual tree and we identified the time of year African trees bloom and bear fruit and their relationship to local seasonality. Reproductive strategies were diverse, and no single regular cycle was found in >50% of individuals across all 12 sites. Additionally, we found annual flowering and fruiting cycles to be the most common. Sub‐annual cycles were the next most common for flowering, whereas supra‐annual patterns were the next most common for fruiting. We also identify variation in different subsets of species, with species exhibiting mainly annual cycles most common in West and West Central African tropical forests, while more species at sites in East Central and East African forests showed cycles ranging from sub‐annual to supra‐annual. Despite many trees showing strong seasonality, at most sites some flowering and fruiting occurred all year round. Environmental factors with annual cycles are likely to be important drivers of seasonal periodicity in trees across Africa, but proximate triggers are unlikely to be constant across the continent.
Classi fi cation images : A review

Classification images have recently become a widely used tool in visual psychophysics. Here, I review the development of classification image methods over the past fifteen years. I provide some historical background, describing how classification images and related methods grew out of established statistical and mathematical frameworks and became common tools for studying biological systems. I describe key developments in classification image methods: use of optimal weighted sums based on the linear observer model, formulation of classification images in terms of the generalized linear model, development of statistical tests, use of priors to reduce dimensionality, methods for experiments with more than two response alternatives, a variant using multiplicative noise, and related methods for examining nonlinearities in visual processing, including secondorder Volterra kernels and principal component analysis. I conclude with a selective review of how classification image methods have led to substantive findings in three representative areas of vision research, namely, spatial vision, perceptual organization, and visual search.
Beam stability and warm-up effects of Nd:YAG lasers used in particle image velocimetry

The characteristics and causes of Nd:YAG laser warm-up transients and steady state beam stability effects are investigated in this study. Dynamic laser performance has a particularly noticeable impact on particle image velocimetry (PIV) and other laser-based flow visualisation techniques, where changes in beam pointing can influence the overlap between laser light sheets and thereby degrade the correlation of PIV image pairs. Despite anecdotal knowledge or experience of laser warm-up effects, they have not been formally documented or quantified to date for PIV applications. In this study, the nature of these laser transients are analysed and compared among a selection of typical PIV laser equipment. An investigation into the cause of these transients during the laser warm-up sequence is also presented. Furthermore, the degree of dual cavity transient coupling within a PIV laser system is analysed to determine a practical limit to the laser light sheet overlap that can be expected from PIV experiments. Finally, the results from this study inform a series of recommendations for PIV best practice, which aim to minimise the impact of laser transients on experimental data.
Students ' Autonomy , Relatedness and English Language Competencies in Their Cognitive Domains

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationships between some variables relevant to EFL and the basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness). Additionally, gender differences in EFL variables and the three basic needs were investigated. The sample consisted of 155 Turkish students (90 females and 65 males) in different departments of a public university. English skills and knowledge, as well as participants' level of English competencies, were in positive relationships with these needs. Turkish and English grammar difficulty was in negative relationships with the basic psychological needs. There were no statistically significant gender differences either in EFL variables or in the basic needs. Students found English grammar more difficult to use and learn compared to Turkish grammar. Further research suggestions and practical implications were discussed.
Novel inexact memory aware algorithm co-design for energy efficient computation: algorithmic principles

It is increasingly accepted that energy savings can be achieved by trading the accuracy of a computing system for energy gains---quite often significantly. This approach is referred to as inexact or approximate computing. Given that a significant portion of the energy in a modern general purpose processor is spent on moving data to and from storage, and that increasingly data movement contributes significantly to activity during the execution of applications, it is important to be able to develop techniques and methodologies for inexact computing in this context. To accomplish this to its fullest level, it is important to start with algorithmic specifications and alter their intrinsic design to take advantage of inexactness. This calls for a new approach to inexact memory aware algorithm design (IMAD) or co-design. In this paper, we provide the theoretical foundations which include novel models as well as technical results in the form of upper and lower bounds for IMAD in the context of universally understood and canonical problems: variations of sorting, and string matching. Surprisingly, IMAD allowed us to design entirely error-free algorithms while achieving energy gain factors of 1.5 and 5 in the context of sorting and string matching when compared to their traditional (textbook) algorithms. IMAD is also amenable to theoretical analysis and we present several asymptotic bounds on energy gains.
Rupture recurrence after surgical repair of a postinfarction ventricular septal rupture in the reperfusion era

The patient is a 63-year-old male with a past medical history significant for hypertension and hypercholesterolemia who presented to the emergency room with a chief complaint of shortness of breath and chest pain. The chest pain began two days prior and was associated with nausea. The patient proceeded to have increasing shortness of breath over the subsequent two days which brought him to the emergency room for evaluation.
Opportunities and challenges for big data ornithology

ABSTRACT Recent advancements in information technology and data acquisition have created both new research opportunities and new challenges for using big data in ornithology. We provide an overview of the past, present, and future of big data in ornithology, and explore the rewards and risks associated with their application. Structured data resources (e.g., North American Breeding Bird Survey) continue to play an important role in advancing our understanding of bird population ecology, and the recent advent of semistructured (e.g., eBird) and unstructured (e.g., weather surveillance radar) big data resources has promoted the development of new empirical perspectives that are generating novel insights. For example, big data have been used to study and model bird diversity and distributions across space and time, explore the patterns and determinants of broad-scale migration strategies, and examine the dynamics and mechanisms associated with geographic and phenological responses to global change. The application of big data also holds a number of challenges wherein high data volume and dimensionality can result in noise accumulation, spurious correlations, and incidental endogeneity. In total, big data resources continue to add empirical breadth and detail to ornithology, often at very broad spatial extents, but how the challenges underlying this approach can best be mitigated to maximize inferential quality and rigor needs to be carefully considered.
Working methods and instrument design for cross-adaptive sessions

This paper explores working methods and instrument design for musical performance sessions (studio and live) where cross-adaptive techniques for audio processing are utilized. Cross-adaptive processing uses feature extraction methods and digital processing to allow the actions of one acoustic instrument to influence the timbre of another. Even though the physical interface for the musician is the familiar acoustic instrument, the musical dimensions controlled with the actions on the instrument have been expanded radically. For this reason, and when used in live performance, the cross-adaptive methods constitute new interfaces for musical expression. Not only do the musician control his or her own instrumental expression, but the instrumental actions directly influence the timbre of another instrument in the ensemble, while their own instrument’s sound is modified by the actions of other musicians. In the present paper we illustrate and discuss some design issues relating to the configuration and composition of such tools for different musical situations. Such configurations include among other things the mapping of modulators, the choice of applied effects and processing methods.
A deconvolution approach to estimation of a common shape in a shifted curves model

This paper considers the problem of adaptive estimation of a mean pattern in a randomly shifted curve model. We show that this problem can be transformed into a linear inverse problem, where the density of the random shifts plays the role of a convolution operator. An adaptive estimator of the mean pattern, based on wavelet thresholding is proposed. We study its consistency for the quadratic risk as the number of observed curves tends to infinity, and this estimator is shown to achieve a near-minimax rate of convergence over a large class of Besov balls. This rate depends both on the smoothness of the common shape of the curves and on the decay of the Fourier coefficients of the density of the random shifts. Hence, this paper makes a connection between mean pattern estimation and the statistical analysis of linear inverse problems, which is a new point of view on curve registration and image warping problems. We also provide a new method to estimate the unknown random shifts between curves. Some numerical experiments are given to illustrate the performances of our approach and to compare them with another algorithm existing in the literature.
Individual Fabrication of Cymbals using Incremental Robotic Sheet Forming

Incremental robotic sheet forming is used to fabricate a novel cymbal shape based on models of geometric chaos for stadium shaped boundaries. This provides a proof-ofconcept that this robotic fabrication technique might be a candidate method for creating novel metallic ideophones that are based on sheet deformations. Given that the technique does not require molding, it is well suited for both rapid and iterative prototyping and the fabrication of individual pieces. With advances in miniaturization, this approach may also be suitable for personal fabrication. In this paper we discuss this technique as well as aspects of the geometry of stadium cymbals and their impact on the resulting instrument.
Successful Teacher Teams in Change: The Role of Collective Efficacy and Resilience.

Teachers’ competence in launching and managing pedagogical change collaboratively is crucial for the continuous development of their work as well as for meaningful student learning. However, research on how teachers can thrive in their profession in the changing higher education environment is limited. This study investigated the experiences of teachers in managing pedagogical innovation when working as a team and implementing integrated competence-based learning modules. Strengthfocused concepts like collective efficacy and resilience were used to extend the understanding of the phenomenon. Five teacher teams were analyzed in relation to the change itself, as well as to protective and risk factors that had an impact on teachers’ collective efficacy and resilience to the change. The data consisted of group interviews and individual questionnaires collected during the process. The findings indicate that stronger collaboration creates significant changes in teachers’ work and students’ learning, and success is based on teacher teams’ capacity to craft their common work practices.
o puting finite abstractions ith robustness argins via local reachable set over-approxi ation

This paper proposes a method to compute finite abstractions that can be used for synthesizing robust hybrid control strategies for nonlinear systems. Most existing methods for computing finite abstractions utilize some global, analytical function to provide bounds on the reachable sets of nonlinear systems, which can be conservative and lead to spurious transitions in the abstract systems. This problem is even more pronounced in the presence of imperfect measurements and modelling uncertainties, where control synthesis can easily become infeasible due to added spurious transitions. To mitigate this problem, we propose to compute finite abstractions with robustness margins by over-approximating the local reachable sets of nonlinear systems. We do so by linearizing the nonlinear dynamics into linear affine systems and keeping track of the linearization error. It is shown that this approach provides tighter approximations and several numerical examples are used to illustrate of effectiveness of the proposed methods.