Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical period of weed control in spring canola

Abstract The critical period of weed control is the portion of the life cycle of a crop during which it must be kept weed-free to prevent yield loss due to weed interference. The advent of herbicide-resistant canola (Brassica napus L.) varieties in western Canada has meant that there are now more options for postemergence weed control in canola, and this has prompted increased interest in identifying the optimum timing for weed control in this crop. A critical period experiment was conducted at three locations in southern Manitoba in 1998 and 1999, and it consisted of two sets of treatments. In the first set of treatments, the crop was kept weed-free for increasing lengths of time to determine when emerging weeds would no longer reduce crop yield. In the second set of treatments, weeds were permitted to grow in the crop for increasing lengths of time to determine when weeds emerging with the crop began irrevocably to reduce crop yield. Results of the experiments indicated that canola must be kept weed-free in most cases until the four-leaf stage of the crop (17–38 days after crop emergence [DAE]) and, in one early-seeded experiment, until the six-leaf stage of the crop (41 DAE), in order to prevent >10% yield loss. After the four- to six-leaf stage of the canola crop, few weeds emerged, and late-emerging weeds accumulated little shoot biomass. Weeds needed to be removed by the four-leaf stage of the crop (17–38 DAE) to prevent >10% yield loss due to weed interference. In all but the early-seeded experiment, the critical weed-free period and the critical time of weed removal overlapped, such that a single weed removal at the four-leaf stage of the crop would have been sufficient to prevent >10% yield loss. This information will be useful for providing weed control recommendations to canola producers. Nomenclature: Diquat; glufosinate; glyphosate; terbufos; barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. ECHCG; canola, Brassica napus L. BRSNS, ‘Innovator’; common hempnettle, Galeopsis tetrahit L. GAETE; common lambsquaters, Chenopodium album L. CHEAL; common purslane, Portulaca oleraceae L. POROL; dandelion, Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers TAROF; field pennycress, Thlaspi arvense L. THLAR; green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. SETVI; quackgrass, Elytrigia repens (L.) Nevski AGRRE; redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. AMARE; roundleaved mallow, Malva pusilla Sm. MALPU; smartweed, Polygonum persecaria L. POLPE; volunteer barley, Hordeum vulgare L. HORVX; volunteer flax, Linum usitatissimum L. LINUS; volunteer wheat, Triticum aestivum L. TRZAS; wild buckwheat, Polygonum convolvulus L. POLCO; wild mustard, Brassica kaber (DC.) L. C. Wheeler SINAR; wild oat, Avena fatua L. AVEFA; yellow foxtail, Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem & Schult. SETLU.
Impact of Local Alloimmunity and Recipient Cells in Transplant Arteriosclerosis

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Rationale: Transplant arteriosclerosis is the major limitation to long-term survival of solid organ transplantation. Although both immune and nonimmune cells have been suggested to contribute to this process, the complex cellular heterogeneity within the grafts, and the underlying mechanisms regulating the disease progression remain largely uncharacterized. Objective: We aimed to delineate the cellular heterogeneity within the allografts, and to explore possible mechanisms underlying this process. Methods and Results: Here, we reported the transcriptional profiling of 11 868 cells in a mouse model of transplant arteriosclerosis by single-cell RNA sequencing. Unbiased clustering analyses identified 21 cell clusters at different stages of diseases, and focused analysis revealed several previously unknown subpopulations enriched in the allografts. Interestingly, we found evidence of the local formation of tertiary lymphoid tissues and suggested a possible local modulation of alloimmune responses within the grafts. Intercellular communication analyses uncovered a potential role of several ligands and receptors, including Ccl21a and Cxcr3, in regulating lymphatic endothelial cell-induced early chemotaxis and infiltration of immune cells. In vivo mouse experiments confirmed the therapeutic potential of CCL21 and CXCR3 neutralizing antibodies in transplant arteriosclerosis. Combinational use of genetic lineage tracing and single-cell techniques further indicate the infiltration of host-derived c-Kit+ stem cells as heterogeneous populations in the allografts. Finally, we compared the immune response between mouse allograft and atherosclerosis models in single-cell RNA-seq analysis. By analyzing susceptibility genes of disease traits, we also identified several cell clusters expressing genes associated with disease risk. Conclusions: Our study provides a transcriptional and cellular landscape of transplant arteriosclerosis, which could be fundamental to understanding the initiation and progression of this disease. CCL21/CXCR3 was also identified as important regulators of immune response and may serve as potential therapeutic targets in disease treatment.
Overview of Three-Stage Power Converter Topologies for Medium Frequency-Based Railway Vehicle Traction Systems

With new developments in power electronics and semiconductor devices, there has been an increasing interest in the adoption of power electronic traction transformer (PETT) topologies in railways, mainly for the purpose of mass and volume reduction against conventional topologies. Apart from traction transformers, examples include isolation circuits for on-board auxiliary power units (APU) and even 750 VDC, 110 VDC and lower voltage (e.g., 72 VDC) battery chargers. Special attention has been given to the more mature technology of three-stage (ac–dc–MFac–dc) configurations with intermediate medium frequency ac (MFac) links. In contrast to conventional architectures, it becomes difficult to select a suitable multistage topology of power electronics for the design of complex traction systems with advanced requirements. The power electronics utilized in different configurations have a significant effect on performance, efficiency, power quality (harmonics and stability), and cost indicators for the whole system, making the selection and design process more complex. The objective of this paper is to provide a clear overview of proposed topologies with special emphasis on the power electronic architectures utilized in three-stage PETT systems particularly for railway traction systems and on-board APUs. With regards to the listed range of possible architectures provided to the reader, key characteristics, such as total semiconductor (switches and diodes) count numbers per module per phase, input/output voltage levels, operating frequencies, and the most commonly used resonant networks, are summarized and discussed.
Phosphostim-Activated γδ T Cells Kill Autologous Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma1

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma, inherently resistant to conventional treatments, is considered immunogenic. Indeed, partial responses are obtained after treatment with cytokines such as IL-2 or IFN-α, suggesting that the immune system may control the tumor growth. In this study, we have investigated the ability of the main subset of peripheral γδ lymphocytes, the Vγ9Vδ2-TCR T lymphocytes, to induce an effective cytotoxic response against autologous primary renal cell carcinoma lines. These γδ T cells were expanded ex vivo using a Vγ9Vδ2 agonist, a synthetic phosphoantigen called Phosphostim. From 11 of 15 patients, the peripheral Vγ9Vδ2 T cells were amplified in vitro by stimulating PBMCs with IL-2 and Phosphostim molecule. These expanded Vγ9Vδ2 T cells express activation markers and exhibit an effector/memory phenotype. They display a selective lytic potential toward autologous primary renal tumor cells and not against renal NC. The lytic activity involves the perforin-granzyme pathway and is mainly TCR and NKG2D receptor dependent. Furthermore, an increased expression of MHC class I-related molecule A or B proteins, known ligands of NKG2D, are detected on primary renal tumor cells. Interestingly, from 2 of the 11 positive cultures in response to Phosphostim, expanded-Vγ9Vδ2 T cells present an expression of killer cell Ig-like receptors, suggesting their prior recruitment in vivo. Unexpectedly, on serial frozen sections from three tumors, we observe a γδ lymphocyte infiltrate that was mainly composed of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells. These results outline that Vγ9Vδ2-TCR effectors may represent a promising approach for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma.
B-type Protoconchs and All Three Modes of Larval Development in Eastern North American Boonea (Pyramidellidae)

Abstract: The genus Boonea Robertson (1978), ectoparasitic on mollusks, consistently has a B-type protoconch morphology thought by Thorson (1946) to indicate planktotrophy in other pyramidellid genera. Studies in the laboratory of the eggs and larval development of Boonea seminuda (C. B. Adams, 1839), the type species, B. bisuturalis (Say, 1822), and B. impressa (Say, 1822) on the eastern North American seaboard confirmed planktotrophy. The egg diameter range there was 68 to 80 µm. Boonea bisuturalis had been reared through metamorphosis using algal cultures (Robertson 1967; Leibowitz 1979 [unpublished]). The developmental stages are newly illustrated here. Boonea seminuda and B. bisuturalis have different teleoconch sculptures, similar but different spermatophores, and are closely related. Northern B. bisuturalis and southern B. impressa are allopatric and hybridize or intergrade conchologically in a cline between Long Island Sound and Chesapeake Bay. One population of B. “impressa” had been found to be lecithotrophic on the Texas coast, at Port Aransas (White et al. 1985). A second Texan population, at Galveston, is shown here consistently to undergo intracapsular metamorphosis. The eggs were reared to hatching crawlers in the laboratory. The Galveston protoconch sizes and morphologies are the same as at North Carolina, but eggs from Galveston were much larger (212 to 236 µm in diameter). Durations of intracapsular development through metamorphosis and the pelagic larval stage in laboratory B. bisuturalis were virtually the same (respectively 15 to 20 and 16 to 20 days). In the three species, egg sizes greatly affect oviposition to hatching times, hatching sizes, and whether or not there is planktotrophy. Egg sizes do not affect oviposition to metamorphosis times, or protoconch sizes. North Carolinian and Texan B. impressa teleoconch sculptures and spermatophore sizes differ slightly. There could be a wide and continuous intraspecific range of conchological and/or reproductive variation, or allopatric poecilogony, or a chemically-induced ecotype, or (as seems most likely) one or more as-yet unnamed sibling species in the Gulf of Mexico. Regardless, this appears to be the first known exception to the “shell apex theory” (Thorson 1950). Everywhere, B. “impressa” is a serious pest of Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791). Some new data on Boonea systematics, adult ecology, and life history are presented. “Boonea” scymnocelata Pimenta et al. (2009), from Brazil, is not a Boonea because it has a C-type protoconch; its teleoconch is convergent with that of B. seminuda.
Dysregulation in Akt/mTOR/HIF-1 signaling identified by proteo-transcriptomics of SARS-CoV-2 infected cells

ABSTRACT How severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections engage cellular host pathways and innate immunity in infected cells remains largely elusive. We performed an integrative proteo-transcriptomics analysis in SARS-CoV-2 infected Huh7 cells to map the cellular response to the invading virus over time. We identified four pathways, ErbB, HIF-1, mTOR and TNF signaling, among others that were markedly modulated during the course of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Western blot validation of the downstream effector molecules of these pathways revealed a dose-dependent activation of Akt, mTOR, S6K1 and 4E-BP1 at 24 hours post infection (hpi). However, we found a significant inhibition of HIF-1α through 24hpi and 48hpi of the infection, suggesting a crosstalk between the SARS-CoV-2 and the Akt/mTOR/HIF-1 signaling pathways. Inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway using Akt inhibitor MK-2206 showed a significant reduction in virus production. Further investigations are required to better understand the molecular sequelae in order to guide potential therapy in the management of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.
Cardiorespiratory fitness improves prediction of mortality of standard cardiovascular risk scores in a Latino population

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a powerful predictor of mortality. This study evaluated the predictive value of CRF for mortality in Chilean subjects without atherosclerotic disease compared with the Framingham, European Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), and 2013 ACC/AHA risk scores and determined the incremental predictive value of CRF when added to these scores.
Paternity in the classical polyandrous black coucal (Centropus grillii)—a cuckoo accepting cuckoldry?

In birds, a high degree of paternal care is expected to correlate with a relatively low frequency of extrapair paternity. If females seek extrapair copulations, they may lose fitness because their partners may reduce paternal care. Conversely, a high degree of paternal care might give females extra opportunities to pursue extrapair copulations, whereas their mates are occupied with offspring care. The aim of this study was to investigate paternity in the classically polyandrous African black coucal. In this sex-role reversed species, males intensively invest in offspring care of altricial young. However, the likelihood of extrapair fertilizations through stored sperm or extrapair copulations seems very high because females lay up to 3 clutches for up to 3 males each. Using 9 novel, highly polymorphic microsatellite loci developed for black coucals, we determined paternity of 127 chicks from 35 nests. Of these, 18 chicks (14.2%) from 13 broods (37.1%) were not fathered by the social male. Black coucals thus have the highest average rate of extrapair paternity reported for any classically polyandrous species. Extrapair young were the result from both extrapair copulations with males outside the female’s group of social mates and stored sperm from previous mates. We suggest that males were unable to effectively guard their females to prevent extrapair paternity due to 1) the dense habitat they live in and 2) the onset of incubation before clutch completion. Key words: African black coucal, home range, paternal care, paternity, polyandry, sex-role reversal. [Behav Ecol]
A Psychometric Network Analysis of OHIP-14 across Australian and Brazilian Populations

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the structural validity of the Oral Health Impact Profile–14 (OHIP-14) instrument in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations from Australia and Brazil using a network analysis approach. Methods: Cross-sectional data collected using OHIP-14 were obtained for Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations from Australia and Brazil. Networks were estimated using the Gaussian graphical model. Items of the OHIP-14 instrument are represented as nodes and the partial correlations between items as edges. Dimensionality was assessed using exploratory graph analysis. Structural consistency and item stability were computed using a bootstrap sampling method. Standardized node strength across each dimension was also calculated. Results: Four dimensions were identified across all samples, although the item arrangement of most dimensions presented variation. Similarities with the theoretical domains of the instrument were found. Items from the conceptually derived OHIP-14 domains formed separated clusters or blended with other items in a single dimension. Most dimensions across all samples showed an acceptable structural consistency. Item stability revealed some discrepancies among items of dimensions of both Indigenous networks. Conclusion: The psychometric network perspective adopted in this study provides validation of the OHIP-14 structure in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. The structural consistency and item stability analyses showed that both Indigenous networks present a higher number of cross-domain items and less defined boundaries between dimensions. These findings indicate that OHIP-14 does not measure attributes in the same extent among different cultures. Knowledge Transfer Statement This study demonstrates a new analytical framework from which to conceptualize and interpret the construct oral health–related quality of life using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Network graphs facilitate knowledge translation of findings to professionals with no expertise in psychometric methods. OHIP-14 is a valuable tool to oral health research and clinical practice. Differences in conceptions of health may influence the extent that the instrument measures oral health impacts. Consequently, dimension scores do not always provide appropriate measures and should be avoided in research reports and assessments of treatment outcomes.
Do phytoplankton communities correctly track trophic changes? An assessment using directly measured and palaeolimnological data

SUMMARY 1. Measurements of total phosphorus (TP) concentrations since 1975 and a 50-year time series of phytoplankton biovolume and species composition from Lake Mondsee (Austria) were combined with palaeolimnological information on diatom composition and reconstructed TP-levels to describe the response of phytoplankton communities to changing nutrient conditions. 2. Four phases were identified in the long-term record. Phase I was the pre-eutrophication period characterised by TP-levels of about 6 l gL )1 and diatom dominance. Phase II began in 1966 with an increase in TP concentration followed by the invasion of Planktothrix rubescens in 1968, characterising mesotrophic conditions. Phase III, from 1976 to 1979, had the highest annual mean TP concentrations (up to 36 l gL )1 ) and phytoplankton biovolumes (3.57 mm 3 L )1 ), although reductions in external nutrient loading started in 1974. Phases II and III saw an expansion of species characteristic of higher nutrient levels as reflected in the diatom stratigraphy. Oligotrophication (phase IV) began in 1980 when annual average TP concentration, Secchi depth and algal biovolume began to decline, accompanied by increasing concentrations of soluble reactive silica. 3. The period from 1981 to 1986 was characterised by asynchronous trends. Annual mean and maximum total phytoplankton biovolume initially continued to increase after TP concentration began to decline. Reductions in phytoplankton biovolume were delayed by about 5 years. Several phytoplankton species differed in the timing of their responses to changing nutrient conditions. For example, while P. rubescens declined concomitantly with the decline in TP concentration, other species indicative of higher phosphorus concentrations, such as Tabellaria flocculosa var. asterionelloides, tended to increase further. 4. These data therefore do not support the hypotheses that a reduction in TP concentration is accompanied by (i) an immediate decline in total phytoplankton biovolume and (ii) persistence of the species composition characterising the phytoplankton community before nutrient reduction.
Delay Minimization for Massive Internet of Things With Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) provides potential solutions for the stringent requirements of the Internet of Things (IoT) on low latency and high reliability. In this paper, we jointly consider user scheduling and power control to investigate the access delay minimization problem (ADMP) for the uplink NOMA networks with massive IoT devices. Specifically, the ADMP is formulated as a mixed-integer and non-convex programming problem with the objective to minimize the maximum access delay of all devices under individual data transmission demand. We prove that the ADMP is NP-hard. To tackle this hard problem, we divide it into two subproblems, i.e., the user scheduling subproblem (USP) and the power control subproblem (PCP), and then propose an efficient algorithm to solve them in an iterative manner. In particular, the USP is recast as a K-CUT problem and solved by a graph-based method. For the PCP, we devise an iterative algorithm to solve it optimally leveraging the standard interference function. Simulation results indicate that our algorithm has good convergence and can significantly reduce the access delay in comparison with other schemes.
Neuropathogenic human coronaviruses: A review

Human Coronaviruses (HCoVs) have long been known as respiratory viruses. However, there are reports of neurological findings in HCoV infections, particularly in patients infected with the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) amid Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to interpret the interaction of HCoVs and the nervous system and apply this understanding to the COVID‐19 pandemic. This review of the literature analyses how HCoVs, in general, and SARS‐CoV‐2, in particular, affect the nervous system, highlights the various underlying mechanisms, addresses the associated neurological and psychiatric manifestations, and identifies the neurological risk factors involved. This review of literature shows the magnitude of neurological conditions associated with HCoV infections, including SARS‐CoV‐2. This review emphasises, that, during HCoV outbreaks, such as COVID‐19, a focus on early detection of neurotropism, alertness for the resulting neurological complications, and the recognition of neurological risk factors are crucial to reduce the workload on hospitals, particularly intensive‐care units and neurological departments.
Wavenilm: A Causal Neural Network for Power Disaggregation from the Complex Power Signal

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) helps meet energy conservation goals by estimating individual appliance power usage from a single aggregate measurement. Deep neural networks have become increasingly popular in attempting to solve NILM problems; however, many of them are not causal which is important for real-time application. We present a causal 1-D convolutional neural network inspired by WaveNet for NILM on low-frequency data. We also study using various components of the complex power signal for NILM, and demonstrate that using all four components available in a popular NILM dataset (current, active power, reactive power, and apparent power) we achieve faster convergence and higher performance than state-of-the-art results for the same dataset.