Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of flooding on the exchange of the volatile C2-compounds ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid between leaves of Amazonian floodplain tree species and the atmosphere

Abstract. The effect of root inundation on the leaf emissions of ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid in relation to assimilation and transpiration was investigated with 2–3 years old tree seedlings of four Amazonian floodplain species by applying dynamic cuvette systems under greenhouse conditions. Emissions were monitored over a period of several days of inundation using a combination of Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) and conventional techniques (HPLC, ion chromatography). Under non-flooded conditions, none of the species exhibited measurable emissions of any of the compounds, but rather low deposition of acetaldehyde and acetic acid was observed instead. Tree species specific variations in deposition velocities were largely due to variations in stomatal conductance. Flooding of the roots resulted in leaf emissions of ethanol and acetaldehyde by all species, while emissions of acetic acid were only observed from the species exhibiting the highest ethanol and acetaldehyde emission rates. All three compounds showed a similar diurnal emission profile, each displaying an emission burst in the morning, followed by a decline in the evening. This concurrent behavior supports the conclusion, that all three compounds emitted by the leaves are derived from ethanol produced in the roots by alcoholic fermentation, transported to the leaves with the transpiration stream and finally partly converted to acetaldehyde and acetic acid by enzymatic processes. Co-emissions and peaking in the early morning suggest that root ethanol, after transportation with the transpiration stream to the leaves and enzymatic oxidation to acetaldehyde and acetate, is the metabolic precursor for all compounds emitted, though we can not totally exclude other production pathways. Emission rates substantially varied among tree species, with maxima differing by up to two orders of magnitude (25–1700 nmol m−2 min−1 for ethanol and 5–500 nmol m−2 min−1 for acetaldehyde). Acetic acid emissions reached 12 nmol m−2 min−1. The observed differences in emission rates between the tree species are discussed with respect to their root adaptive strategies to tolerate long term flooding, providing an indirect line of evidence that the root ethanol production is a major factor determining the foliar emissions. Species which develop morphological root structures allowing for enhanced root aeration produced less ethanol and showed much lower emissions compared to species which lack gas transporting systems, and respond to flooding with substantially enhanced fermentation rates and a non-trivial loss of carbon to the atmosphere. The pronounced differences in the relative emissions of ethanol to acetaldehyde and acetic acid between the tree species indicate that not only the ethanol production in the roots but also the metabolic conversion in the leaf is an important factor determining the release of these compounds to the atmosphere.
Design and Development of Cost-Effective Child Surveillance System using Computer Vision Technology

The project's primary goal is to ensure child surveillance, continuous monitor and alert system for safety. Pre-defined navigation is one of the primary challenges in the robotic industry. Many technologies have been developed to overcome these problems. The project utilizes a high-quality night vision camera that is installed on a navigation robot that moves in the pre-defined path. The night vision camera captures the image and video of child activity, and transmits the data to the main system. The navigation robot is also equipped with the passive infrared (PIR) sensor to monitor any unauthorized human face intervention for child abuduction, and sound sensor for cry detection. The sound sensor detects the crying of the child and gives alert to the parent for immediate assistance.re will be developed using Python in the Google Colab.
Antioxidant Properties of Sourdoughs Made with Whole Grain Flours of Hull-Less Barley or Conventional and Pigmented Wheat and by Selected Lactobacilli Strains

The use of sourdough fermentation and whole grain flours in baked goods manufacturing are known to enhance their functional and nutritional features. In this context, it is necessary to select the most suitable lactic acid bacteria strains and flour combination to achieve this goal. A characterization of 70 lactobacilli strains based on pro-technological and nutritional properties was carried out. The screening allowed the selection of 10 strains that were used to ferment sourdoughs made with two varieties of common wheat, the conventional red-grained cv Aubusson, a blue-grained variety rich in anthocyanins cv Skorpion, and a hull-less barley variety, cv Rondo. From each fermented sourdough, a water soluble extract was obtained and evaluated for its antioxidant activity performed on cultured cells (RAW 264.7 murine macrophage) by assaying Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) content. Sourdoughs made with pigmented wheat and barley, had an antioxidant activity greater than that recovered in those made with conventional wheat flour, in spite they have been inoculated with the same LAB strains. Results highlighted the interdependence between flour and the inoculated lactic acid bacteria that has to be taken into account for the development of healthy breads exploiting high functional value cereals through biotechnological processes.
Measuring Alphavirus Fidelity Using Non-Infectious Virus Particles

Mutations are incorporated into the genomes of RNA viruses at an optimal frequency and altering this precise frequency has been proposed as a strategy to create live-attenuated vaccines. However, determining the effect of specific mutations that alter fidelity has been difficult because of the rapid selection of the virus population during replication. By deleting residues of the structural polyprotein PE2 cleavage site, E3Δ56-59, in Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) TC-83 vaccine strain, non-infectious virus particles were used to assess the effect of single mutations on mutation frequency without the interference of selection that results from multiple replication cycles. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed a significantly lower frequency of transversion mutations and overall mutation frequency for the fidelity mutants compared to VEEV TC-83 E3Δ56-59. We demonstrate that deletion of the PE2 cleavage site halts virus infection while making the virus particles available for downstream sequencing. The conservation of the site will allow the evaluation of suspected fidelity mutants across alphaviruses of medical importance.
Physically Consistent Whole-Body Kinematics Assessment Based on an RGB-D Sensor. Application to Simple Rehabilitation Exercises

This work proposes to improve the accuracy of joint angle estimates obtained from an RGB-D sensor. It is based on a constrained extended Kalman Filter that tracks inputted measured joint centers. Since the proposed approach uses a biomechanical model, it allows physically consistent constrained joint angles and constant segment lengths to be obtained. A practical method that is not sensor-specific for the optimal tuning of the extended Kalman filter covariance matrices is provided. It uses reference data obtained from a stereophotogrammetric system but it has to be tuned only once since it is task-specific only. The improvement of the optimal tuning over classical methods in setting the covariance matrices is shown with a statistical parametric mapping analysis. The proposed approach was tested with six healthy subjects who performed four rehabilitation tasks. The accuracy of joint angle estimates was assessed with a reference stereophotogrammetric system. Even if some joint angles, such as the internal/external rotations, were not well estimated, the proposed optimized algorithm reached a satisfactory average root mean square difference of 9.7∘ and a correlation coefficient of 0.8 for all joints. Our results show that an affordable RGB-D sensor can be used for simple in-home rehabilitation when using a constrained biomechanical model.
Attitudes towards wild animal conservation: a comparative study of the Yi and Mosuo in China

Global wild animal resources are declining due to various pressures, which will greatly affect local biodiversity and ecosystem services. Understanding local people's attitudes towards wild animal conservation in high biodiversity areas is of major importance for conservation efforts. Sampling and questionnaire survey methods were employed to examine people's attitudes toward wild animal conservation in a comparative case study of two minority ethnic groups, the Mosuo (n = 91) and Yi (n = 169) in Ninglang, China. Attributes influencing people's attitudes (p < 0.05) include ethnicity, awareness, culture, level of education, religious beliefs and gender. The Mosuo are more positive towards wild animal conservation than the Yi. Women are more positive than men in both ethnic groups. Yi males and Mosuo females are more active in educating children. People with a higher level of education and a religion show more support for wild animal conservation in both ethnic groups. The results suggest that encouraging and reinforcing traditional culture and informal restrictions, strengthening understanding and recognising gender differences in wild animal conservation practices should be used to improve biodiversity conservation in Ninglang. Furthermore, the implications of enhancing local enforcement on the supervision of tourism and compensation schemes for human-wildlife conflicts are also discussed.
Zebrafish models of skeletal dysplasia induced by cholesterol biosynthesis deficiency

ABSTRACT Human disorders of the post-squalene cholesterol biosynthesis pathway frequently result in skeletal abnormalities, yet our understanding of the mechanisms involved is limited. In a forward-genetic approach, we have found that a late-onset skeletal mutant, named kolibernu7, is the result of a cis-acting regulatory mutation leading to loss of methylsterol monooxygenase 1 (msmo1) expression within pre-hypertrophic chondrocytes. Generated msmo1nu81 knockdown mutation resulted in lethality at larval stage. We demonstrated that this is a result of both cholesterol deprivation and sterol intermediate accumulation by creating a mutation eliminating activity of Lanosterol synthase (Lss). Our results indicate that double lssnu60;msmo1nu81 and single lssnu60 mutants survive significantly longer than msmo1nu81 homozygotes. Liver-specific restoration of either Msmo1 or Lss in corresponding mutant backgrounds suppresses larval lethality. Rescued mutants develop dramatic skeletal abnormalities, with a loss of Msmo1 activity resulting in a more-severe patterning defect of a near-complete loss of hypertrophic chondrocytes marked by col10a1a expression. Our analysis suggests that hypertrophic chondrocytes depend on endogenous cholesterol synthesis, and blocking C4 demethylation exacerbates the cholesterol deficiency phenotype. Our findings offer new insight into the genetic control of bone development and provide new zebrafish models for human disorders of the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Summary: Characterization of three new zebrafish mutants highlights the role of cholesterol biosynthesis genes in skeletogenesis and establishes zebrafish models for disorders of the post-squalene cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, including chondrodysplasia punctata.
Diversidade e distribuição espacial de artrópodes associados ao solo em agroecossistemas

ABSTRACT DIVERSITY AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF GROUND ARTHROPODS IN AGROECOSYSTEMS The knowledge of the diversity and distribution of ground arthropods contributes for thedevelopment of sustainable agricultural systems. This work was carried out at the Paulista State University,Jaboticabal campus, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, during the period from February to April 2004. The objectivewas to analyse the community of Carabidae, Staphylinidae, Formicidae e Araneae through faunistic indexes,to determine the spatial distribution and interespecific interactions of predominant species in soybean( Glycine max (L.) Merr. ), corn ( Zea mays L.) and rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.). The arthropodswere sampled by pitfall traps distributed each 10 m in two transects of 210 m which crossed the rubbertrees and advancing 60 m in the crop lines. The fauna was characterized by Shannon-Wiener diversityindex, evenness and Morisita similarity index. The differences among the occurrence of predominantspecies in the habitats were determined by variance analysis, and the interespecific interaction by Pearsoncorrelation. The soybean and corn under no-tillage system provided better structured carabids, ants andspiders communities than the rubber trees. Among 88 captured species, 20 species were predominantand the spatial distribution of them showed that
Winter ecology of the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Homo., Aphididae) and its parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hym., Braconidae: Aphidiidae)

Abstract: Flower strips near crops may stimulate natural enemies by the provision of nectar and hibernation sites. However, these habitats may also be beneficial for potential pest species. We investigated the dynamics of the cabbage aphid Brevicoryne brassicae (L.) (Homo., Aphididae) and its primary parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hym., Braconidae) in brussels sprout fields and adjoining flower plots in winter. A wide variety of 14 plant species were included in the study, each established as monoculture plots. Brussels sprout fields and flower plots were established at two sites. One site was located in an open agricultural landscape, the other in a landscape dominated by mixed forest. Brevicoryne brassicae and D. rapae were found on brussels sprout plants but not in the flower plots. Brevicoryne brassicae was initially more abundant in the open landscape, but as their densities declined rapidly in time, no living aphids were recovered at both sites by February. The density of aphids parasitized by D. rapae showed a similar trend, but densities of eight mummies per brussels sprout plant were still present by the end of February. These findings suggest that (i) flower species under investigation do not function as sources of B. brassicae and (ii) brussels sprout plants that are not harvested may not only harbour D. rapae populations that may sustain biological control, but are also likely to act as sources of B. brassicae infestation.
Synthesis of Polypyrrole/Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrids via Hydrothermal Treatment for Energy Storage Applications

Herein, we propose hydrothermal treatment as a facile and environmentally friendly approach for the synthesis of polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide hybrids. A series of self-assembled hybrid materials with different component mass ratios of conductive polymer to graphene oxide was prepared. The morphology, porous structure, chemical composition and electrochemical performance of the synthesized hybrids as electrode materials for supercapacitors were investigated. Nitrogen sorption analysis at 77 K revealed significant changes in the textural development of the synthesized materials, presenting specific surface areas ranging from 25 to 199 m2 g−1. The combination of the pseudocapacitive polypyrrole and robust graphene material resulted in hybrids with excellent electrochemical properties, which achieved specific capacitances as high as 198 F g−1 at a current density of 20 A g−1 and retained up to 92% of their initial capacitance after 3000 charge–discharge cycles. We found that a suitable morphology and chemical composition are key factors that determine the electrochemical properties of polypyrrole/reduced graphene oxide hybrid materials.
The complete mitochondrial genome of Acanthopagrus schlegelii (Perciformes: Sparidae) with phylogenetic consideration

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome of the Acanthopagrus schlegelii was presented in this study. The mitochondrial genome is 16,798 bp long and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and a control region. The gene order and composition of A. schlegelii mitochondrial genome was similar to that of most other vertebrates. The nucleotide compositions of the light strand in descending order is 28.04% of T, 27.94% of G, 27.87% of A and 16.15% of C. With the exception of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 6 (ND6) and 8 tRNA genes, all other mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy strand. The phylogenetic analysis by maximum-likelihood method shown that he A. schlegelii has the closer relationship to the Rhabdosargus sarba in the phylogenetic relationship.
Descriptions of one new and two known species of Panagrolaimoidea (Nematoda) from India

Two known species of the genus Propanagrolaimus Andrássy, 2005 and a new species of genus Plectonchus Fuchs, 1930 are described and illustrated. Propanagrolaimus filiformis de Man, 1880 is described with some additional features, namely presence of hypodermal glands; smaller intra-uterine eggs, relatively anterior vulva, rectum with expanded lumen and smaller tail. Propanagrolaimus hygrophilus (Bassen, 1940) is also described with minor variations. Plectonchus longevulvus sp. nov. is the first report of the genus from India collected from two different localities and characterized by thick cuticle; presence of crystalloids in pseudocoelom; indistinct lateral field; weakly sclerotized funnel-shaped stoma; posterior vulva; presence of ovoid glandular cells associated with dorsal and ventral uterine walls; spicules having prominent capitula and beak-like distal ends; lancet-shaped, proximally-hooked gubernaculum and seven pairs of caudal papillae in 1+1/1+P+1+2+1 configuration.
Molecular characterization and sequence analysis of trehalose biosynthesis genes in Escherichia coli from fish.

Trehalose, a non-reducing disaccharide is a major compatible solute, maintains fluidity of membranes and protects the biological structure of the organisms under stress. In this study, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (TPS) and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP) genes encoding for trehalose biosynthesis were PCR amplified from genomic DNA of Escherichia coli isolated from Rohu (Labeo rohita) collected from local fish market of Cochin, Kerala, India. The amplified genes were cloned and nucleotide sequences were determined. The sequencing results showed that (TPS) and (TPP) genes contain1,424 bp and 801 bp long ORF encoding 474 and 266 amino acids respectively. In silico sequence analysis revealed that the (TPS) and (TPP) sequences of E. coli were conserved in many eubacteria.
Towards Meaningful Software Metrics Aggregation

Aggregation of software metrics is a challenging task, it is even more complex when it comes to considering weights to indicate the relative importance of software metrics. These weights are mostly determined manually, it results in subjective quality models, which are hard to interpret. To address this challenge, we propose an automated aggregation approach based on the joint distribution of software metrics. To evaluate the eﬀective-ness of our approach, we conduct an empirical study on maintainability assessment for around 5 000 classes from open source software systems written in Java and compare our approach with a classical weighted linear combination approach in the context of maintainability scoring and anomaly detection. The results show that approaches assign similar scores, while our approach is more interpretable, sensitive, and actionable.
Nematoides fitoparasitas associados à mandioca na Amazônia brasileira

A cultura da mandioca (Manihot esculenta) tem importância socioeconomica no Brasil, no entanto ha ainda uma escassez de informacoes sobre a associacao de nematoides fitoparasitas, bem como ao comportamento de cultivares de mandioca ao parasitismo desses agentes. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi relatar a distribuicao geografica e novas ocorrencias das principais especies de nematoides encontradas associadas a mandioca em diferentes municipios dos estados do Acre, Amapa, Para e Rondonia. Alem disso, estudou-se, em casa de vegetacao, a reacao de algumas cultivares de mandioca ao parasitismo de Meloidogyne incognita raca 3, Pratylenchus brachyurus e P. zeae. Nematoides foram extraidos de 10 g de raizes ou 250 cm3 de solo e identificados sob microscopio de luz. A especie mais prevalente foi P. brachyurus, presente em 37,1% das amostras analisadas (n=35), seguida de M. incognita, encontrada em de 14,2% das amostras. Constituiram novas ocorrencias para mandioca no Brasil: Helicotylenchus erythrinae, M. enterolobii e Xiphinema longicaudatum. As cultivares de mandioca provenientes do Amapa (Amazonas, Colonia Matapi, Manteiga, Pretinha e Po-da-China) e as cultivares de mandioca Colonial e Caipora, provenientes do Acre, comportaram-se como suscetiveis a M. incognita raca 3. Por outro lado, as cultivares Caipora e Colonial comportaram-se como resistentes a P. brachyurus (fator de reproducao = 0,5 e 0,9, respectivamente) e imunes a P. zeae. Informacoes geradas neste estudo podem ser uteis para o manejo de areas cultivadas com mandioca e infestadas pelos nematoides das lesoes, P. brachyurus e/ou P. zeae.
Predicting spatial patterns of plant species richness: a comparison of direct macroecological and species stacking modelling approaches

Aim This study compares the direct, macroecological approach (MEM) for modelling species richness (SR) with the more recent approach of stacking predictions from individual species distributions (S‐SDM). We implemented both approaches on the same dataset and discuss their respective theoretical assumptions, strengths and drawbacks. We also tested how both approaches performed in reproducing observed patterns of SR along an elevational gradient.
Refined estimates of South African pelagic fish biomass from hydro-acoustic surveys: quantifying the effects of target strength, signal attenuation and receiver saturation

The biomass of small pelagic fish species off the coast of South Africa has been monitored since 1984 using hydro-acoustic survey techniques. These time-series of spawner biomass and recruitment estimates form the basis for management of both the South African sardine Sardinops sagax and anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus resources and are central to the setting of annual total allowable catch levels. However, these survey estimates have, for the most part, been treated as relative indices as there are several biases inherent in acoustic survey methodology that remain difficult to quantify. Advances in acoustic technology together with an improved understanding of the major sources of survey errors have enabled estimation of and correction for biases such as receiver saturation, acoustic signal attenuation and target strength. Incorporation of these corrections over the entire time-series has resulted in an improved accuracy of acoustic survey estimates and substantial changes to the biomass estimates of both species, without jeopardising the requirement that the time-series remains comparable throughout its duration. Furthermore, the resultant decrease in the level of uncertainty associated with these abundance estimates has rendered improved utilisation of these resources possible.