Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation and characterization of a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter gene from Cucumis melo L.

We isolated a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter gene (CmNHX1) from melon using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends approach. Sequence analysis indicated that the full-length cDNA of CmNHX1 was 2534 bp, including an open reading frame (ORF) of 1659 bp, which encoded a deduced polypeptide of 553 amino acids. The deduced protein contained conserved structural domains and shared a high degree of homology with putative vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporters from other higher plants. Subcellular localization revealed that this protein located to the vacuolar membrane. These results indicated that, CmNHX1 is a vacuolar Na+/H+ antiporter. As shown by RT-PCR, expression of CmNHX1 was detected in roots, stems and leaves. In addition, the expression increased in the root but decreased in the leaves with increasing NaCl concentration. Similarly, expression increased with increasing time in plants treated with 100 mM NaCl. Expression of CmNHX1 in ATX3 yeast Na+/H+antiporter mutants showed functional complementation. No differences in yeast cell growth were detected in the presence or absence of CmNHX1 on a NaCl-free medium. However, control yeast growth was noticeably suppressed on medium containing NaCl, whereas, yeasts overexpressing CmNHX1 showed increased population growth rates. These results indicate that the CmNHX1 protein enhanced AXT3 salt tolerance. Keywords: Melon (Cucumis melo L.), Na+/H+ antiporter, salt tolerance, vacuolar membrane, yeast.
An UWB Antenna Array for Flexible IoT Wireless Systems

In this paper a flexible compact antenna array operating in the 3.213 GHz which covers the standard UltraWide Band (UWB) frequency range is presented. The design is aimed at integration within Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) based flexible electronics for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The proposed antenna is printed on a single side of a 50.8 μm Kapton Polyimide substrate and consists of two half-elliptical shaped radiating elements fed by two Coplanar Waveguide (CPW) structures. The simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna array achieves a broad impedance bandwidth with reasonable isolation performance (S12 < −23 dB) across the operating bandwidth. Furthermore, the proposed antenna exhibits a low susceptibility to performance degradation caused by the effect of bending. The system’s isolation performance along with its flexible and thin profile suggests that the proposed antenna is suitable for integration within flexible Internet of Things (IoT) wireless systems.
A STAKEHOLDER APPROACH TO RESPONSIVENESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS

The importance of non-profit organisations as providers of social services has grown in many countries during the past 15 to 20 years as governments have contracted out direct social service provision. Arguments in favour of social service provision by the non-profit sector can be grouped into three categories: effectiveness, cost and responsiveness to community needs – the last of which is the focus of this paper. If claims of greater responsiveness in non-profit organisations are valid, it might be expected that such responsiveness would be manifested in a high level of stakeholder awareness and engagement on the part of non-profit organisations. Stakeholder theory (developed in the for-profit sector) is used here in the case study of a small non-profit organisation, both to explore the issue of stakeholder awareness and engagement, and to test the applicability of stakeholder theory to the non-profit sector. Key findings of the study were: • Stakeholder theory could be meaningfully applied to the non-profit organisation under study. • The organisation had a strong sense of obligation to a number of groups it had identified as sharing its objectives, although the concept stakeholder was not used by the organisation. • It was possible to assess the organisation’s level of responsiveness to the various stakeholder groups and the factors that impinged on this level of responsiveness. Implications for accountability in non-profit organisations are also addressed.
Human Identification by Gait Using Corner Points

Recently human gait has become a promising and very important biometric for identification. Current research on gait recognition is usually based on an average gait image or a silhouette sequence, or a motion structure model. In this paper, the information about gait is obtained from the disparity on time and space of the different parts of the silhouette. This paper proposes a gait recognition method using edge detection, identification of corner points from edges, and selection of control points out of those corner points. Here, the images of moving human figures are subtracted from background by simple background modeling technique to obtain binary silhouettes. A gait signature of a person is taken as silhouette images of a complete gait cycle. A complete gait cycle is then divided into different frames in such a way that the information of the person’s gait style can be represented fully. One given unknown gait cycle is compared with stored gait cycles in terms of a cyclic distances between control points of an image of input gait cycle with that of corresponding image of the stored gait cycle. Experimental results show that our method is encouraging in terms of recognition accuracy.
Dynamic influence of pinning points on marine ice-sheet stability: a numerical study in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica

Abstract. The East Antarctic ice sheet is likely more stable than its West Antarctic counterpart because its bed is largely lying above sea level. However, the ice sheet in Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica, contains marine sectors that are in contact with the ocean through overdeepened marine basins interspersed by grounded ice promontories and ice rises, pinning and stabilising the ice shelves. In this paper, we use the ice-sheet model BISICLES to investigate the effect of sub-ice-shelf melting, using a series of scenarios compliant with current values, on the ice-dynamic stability of the outlet glaciers between the Lazarev and Roi Baudouin ice shelves over the next millennium. Overall, the sub-ice-shelf melting substantially impacts the sea-level contribution. Locally, we predict a short-term rapid grounding-line retreat of the overdeepened outlet glacier Hansenbreen, which further induces the transition of the bordering ice promontories into ice rises. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrated that the onset of the marine ice-sheet retreat and subsequent promontory transition into ice rise is controlled by small pinning points, mostly uncharted in pan-Antarctic datasets. Pinning points have a twofold impact on marine ice sheets. They decrease the ice discharge by buttressing effect, and they play a crucial role in initialising marine ice sheets through data assimilation, leading to errors in ice-shelf rheology when omitted. Our results show that unpinning increases the sea-level rise by 10 %, while omitting the same pinning point in data assimilation decreases it by 10 %, but the more striking effect is in the promontory transition time, advanced by two centuries for unpinning and delayed by almost half a millennium when the pinning point is missing in data assimilation. Pinning points exert a subtle influence on ice dynamics at the kilometre scale, which calls for a better knowledge of the Antarctic margins.
Optimal CO2 abatement and technological change : should emission taxes start high in order to spur R&D?

Many European politicians argue that since technological development is needed to solve the climate problem, the EU should take the lead and set tougher emission targets than what is required by the Kyoto protocol. Moreover, emission trading with other countries outside EU should be limited so as to keep emission quota prices high. However, the policy of spurring RD monopolistic pricing behavior, insufficient patent protection and dynamic knowledge spillovers. Our findings suggest that governments should under some circumstances set a higher carbon tax today if we have technological change driven by R&D than if we have pure exogenous technological change. Based on numerical simulations these circumstances are i) "a standing on shoulders" type of externality in R&D or ii) weak patent protection.
Historical changes in abundance and community structure of warmwater piscivore communities associated with changes in water clarity, nutrients, and temperature

In this study, we assess changes in the piscivore community of four large, shallow lakes in the Kawartha Lakes region of central Ontario, Canada, over the period from 1980 to 2003 and relate these changes to temporal trends in phosphorus concentration, water clarity, and temperature. Over the 24-year period of data collection, there has been a regional-scale decline in the relative abundance of walleye (Sander vitreus) and an increase in the relative abundance of bass (Micropterus spp.) species. These changes were associated with reductions in phosphorus concentration and increases in water clarity and summer temperature. Results of a comparative field study conducted on 13 regional lakes indicate significant positive associations between concentrations of total phosphorus and chlorophyll a and zooplankton and walleye density. These data suggest that bottom-up effects are limiting walleye abundance either directly or in combination with abiotic conditions that favour bass over walleye.
Fluxes and origin of halogenated organic trace gases from Momotombo volcano (Nicaragua)

In order to assess the contribution of quiescent degassing volcanoes to the global halo(hydro)carbon inventory, we have quantified volcanic fluxes of methyl halides (CH3Cl, CH3Br, and CH3I), ethyl halides (C2H5Cl, C2H5Br, and C2H5I), and higher chlorinated methanes (CH2Cl2, CHCl3, and CCl4). About every eight months over a 2‐year period (July 2001 to July 2003), gas samples were collected and analyzed from high‐temperature fumaroles (472°C–776°C) at the Nicaraguan subduction zone volcano Momotombo. Using a simultaneous record of trace and main compounds in fumarolic gases as well as SO2 fluxes of the plume, we were able to calculate halo(hydro)carbon fluxes for Momotombo and extrapolate our results to estimate halo(hydro)carbon fluxes for the whole Quaternary Nicaraguan volcanic arc and, in addition, for all volcanoes globally. The most abundant halohydrocarbon was CH3Cl with concentrations up to 19 ppmv. Further major halo(hydro)carbons were CH3Br, CH3I, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CCl4, C2H5Cl, C2H5Br, C2H5I, and C2H3Cl with an average concentration of 0.20 to 720 ppbv. Estimated mean halo(hydro)carbon fluxes from Momotombo were in the range of 630–5000 g/yr for methyl halides, 49–260 g/yr for ethyl halides, and 2.4–24 g/yr for higher chlorinated methanes. When the results for Momotombo are scaled up to SO2 fluxes of the Nicaraguan volcanic transect, fluxes of 1.7 × 105 g/yr CH3Cl and 82 g/yr CCl4 are attained for Nicaragua. Scaled up to the estimated global SO2 flux, this translates to hypothetical global fluxes of 5.6 × 106 g/yr CH3Cl and 2.7 × 103 g/yr CCl4. These volcanic fluxes are negligible compared to global anthropogenic and natural emissions of about 3 × 1012 g/yr CH3Cl and 2 × 1010 g/yr CCl4.
Low-Rank Representation for Incomplete Data

Low-rank matrix recovery (LRMR) has been becoming an increasingly popular technique for analyzing data with missing entries, gross corruptions, and outliers. As a significant component of LRMR, the model of low-rank representation (LRR) seeks the lowest-rank representation among all samples and it is robust for recovering subspace structures. This paper attempts to solve the problem of LRR with partially observed entries. Firstly, we construct a nonconvex minimization by taking the low rankness, robustness, and incompletion into consideration. Then we employ the technique of augmented Lagrange multipliers to solve the proposed program. Finally, experimental results on synthetic and real-world datasets validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Dynamic Error Analysis Method for Vibration Shape Reconstruction of Smart FBG Plate Structure

Shape reconstruction of aerospace plate structure is an important issue for safe operation of aerospace vehicles. One way to achieve such reconstruction is by constructing smart fiber Bragg grating (FBG) plate structure with discrete distributed FBG sensor arrays using reconstruction algorithms in which error analysis of reconstruction algorithm is a key link. Considering that traditional error analysis methods can only deal with static data, a new dynamic data error analysis method are proposed based on LMS algorithm for shape reconstruction of smart FBG plate structure. Firstly, smart FBG structure and orthogonal curved network based reconstruction method is introduced. Then, a dynamic error analysis model is proposed for dynamic reconstruction error analysis. Thirdly, the parameter identification is done for the proposed dynamic error analysis model based on least mean square (LMS) algorithm. Finally, an experimental verification platform is constructed and experimental dynamic reconstruction analysis is done. Experimental results show that the dynamic characteristics of the reconstruction performance for plate structure can be obtained accurately based on the proposed dynamic error analysis method. The proposed method can also be used for other data acquisition systems and data processing systems as a general error analysis method.
Optically Controllable Gray-Level Diffraction from a BCT Photonic Crystal Based on Azo Dye-Doped HPDLC

We investigated optically controllable gray-level diffraction from a body-centered tetragonal photonic crystal that was based on an azo-dye-doped holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystal. The sample is fabricated by use of two-beam interference with multi-exposure. Bichromatic pumping beams at various intensities were used to pump the sample to change the concentration of the cis isomer and, in turn, modulate the effective index of the photonic crystals as well as their diffraction intensity. Three pumping processes were utilized to produce gray-level switching of diffractive light. This study demonstrates the optimum gray-level to be 15-level of up-step and down-step. The simulation of the diffraction intensity under bichromatic pumping sources was also studied.
Identification of Genes Differentially Associated with Triple Negative Breast Cancers

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The precise mechanisms leading to breast cancers are unknown, however both environmental and genetic factors are known to be contributing factors. There are different types of breast cancers based on pathological and molecular characteristics. Experiments designed to characterize the molecular aspects of cancers have led to identification of therapeutic targets and a better understanding of the biology of the cancers.
Impaired Effects of a FANCC Splicing Isoform in FANC-BRCA DNA Repair Pathway

The integrity of the FANC gene family is essential for the proper reparation of DNA damages. Recently, different FANCC splice variants were identified. We characterized sequence variations and studied the impact of the alternative splicing event FANCCâ7 on DNA repair. The FANCCâ7 transcript is present in all breast cancer lines analyzed. Genomic and complementary DNA sequencing of non-BRCA1/2 individuals was performed to identify sequence variants and alternative transcripts of the FANCC gene. Ribosomal fractions allowed confirming the translation of FANCCâ7 into a functional protein. The variant protein seems to be secluded in the cytoplasm in transfected HEK293T cells following MMC treatments contrary to the FANCC protein that migrates to the nucleus. Performing localization studies, we observed evidences of colocalization of FANCC and FANCCâ7 with BRCA1 in centrosomes of cells. We demonstrated that FANCC deficient cells infected with FANCCâ7 cDNA show a blocking in G2/M in the presence of MMC. Finally, FANCCâ7 is unable to allow the monoubiquitination of FANCD2. This study unravels the incapability of the FANCCâ7 splicing event to permit the reparation of interstrand crosslinks induced by MMC. This work unravels a novel layer of complexity to the understanding of the fascinating FANC-BRCA DNA repair pathway.
Respiration in mixes of sandy and clay soils: influence of clay type and addition rate

Abstract In an incubation experiment, a sandy top soil was mixed with kaolinite- or smectite-rich clay soil at 15, 22.5 and 30% clay addition rates. Compared to sandy soil alone, smectite clay soil addition at 22.5 and 30% reduced cumulative respiration per g organic C whereas kaolinite clay soil addition had no effect. This can be explained by the higher surface area and cation exchange capacity of the smectite compared to kaolinite clay soil which protects native organic C from decomposition by binding. Keywords: Kaolinite, organic C sequestration, respiration, smectite. 1. Introduction Sandy soils have low water and nutrient retention capacity compared to finer textured soils. Addition of clay soils to sandy soil has been shown to increase water and nutrient retention and thereby plant growth ( Hall et al ., 2010). It could also increase organic C retention because binding to clay particles and occlusion within aggregates reduces organic C accessibility to decomposers ( 2007). It has been
Modelling Viscosities of CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 Molten Slags

A structurally-based viscosity model (using a few optimized parameters) is proposed to represent viscosity as functions of both temperature and composition for the CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2. The model represents the slag structure through the different types of oxygen ions formed in the melt. Approximate methods for calculating the concentrations of these different types of oxygen ions are proposed and are then used to describe the effect of melt structure on viscosity. The model provides a good description of the viscosity behavior varied with composition and temperature within the CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2 system. This includes pure systems: Al2O3 and SiO2; binary systems: CaO–SiO2, MgO–SiO2, Al2O3–SiO2 and CaO–Al2O3; ternary systems: CaO–MgO–SiO2, CaO–Al2O3–SiO2 and MgO–Al2O3–SiO2; quaternary system: CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2. The different roles of CaO and MgO on viscosity are also discussed; these tend to differ in melts with or without Al2O3. In the absence of Al2O3, CaO reduces the viscosity more than MgO. In contrast, when Al2O3 is present, the Ca2+ ions take priority over Mg2+ ions in the charge-compensation of Al3+ ions which leads to the formation of more stable Ca–AlO45– tetrahedral structures, which, in turn, results in an increase in viscosity. However, when there is enough basic oxide (CaO or MgO) present to generate non-bridging oxygens, CaO reduces the viscosity more effectively than MgO.
Non-Gaussian Cosmological Perturbations from Hybrid Inflation and Preheating

vii Acknowledgments . ix List of Publications . xi
Optimized Design of Magnetic Components in Plasma Cutting Power Supply Employing Buck DC-DC Converter

As for high air power plasma cutting power supply, the employed chopper type DC-DC converter needs to adopt two kinds of magnetic components, including mains frequency step-down phase-shifting transformer (Hereinafter referred to as power transformer ) and smoothing reactors. Because the power level is larger and the design needs to be optimized, the resultant total losses of magnetic components will reach several kilowatts or more, which seriously affects the overall conversion efficiency. The countermeasure is to select efficient magnetic materials and optimize design and manufacturing technique. Meanwhile, it is needed to modify the topology of chopper type DC-DC converter and design appropriate switching frequency multiplication modulation algorithm. In this paper, at first, a double Buck DC-DC converter in parallel with respective dual power switches is employed, in which by using the trapezoidal carrier phase shift driving, the output current ripple frequency multiplied by four times at any duty ratio can be obtained, thereby as can reduce the size and heating of smoothing reactors, leading to high precision cutting current and improved workpiece cutting quality. Secondly, the core losses of different magnetic materials are compared and analyzed, so are the structure of smoothing reactor and step-down phase-shifting transformer, winding arrangement and conductor type. On the above basis, the optimization design procedure of the power transformer and smoothing reactor is put forward, the optimal design is picked up from lots of candidates, which brings about less size and loss as well as high conversion efficiency of the plasma cutting power supply. Finally, a smoothing reactor with 1mH inductance and 20kHz switching frequency and a power transformer with thin oriented silicon steel sheet and flat aluminum wire and fabricated and tested within the production-ready plasma cutting machine, which features maximum output current of 270A, the output voltage of 150V and the maximum input power of 45kW. The measured results are satisfactory, including the quality of cutting current and the quality of the cut workpiece approaching the minimum level of laser cutting. it is proved that the proposed switching frequency multiplication modulation algorithm and magnetic design optimization method utilized in chopper type plasma cutting power supply are effective and feasible.
A Study of Task-based Approach: The Effects of Task- based Techniques, Gender, and Different Levels of Language Proficiency on Speaking Development

The present research was an attempt to provide new evidence for the efficacy of task-based techniques to speaking proficiency development. The primary focus of the study was to investigate the effects of task-based techniques on speaking proficiency development. In the second place, it tried to scrutinize the effect of gender on speaking proficiency development under task-based principles of language teaching. In better words, the study is an attempt to find out which gender group would become more proficient in speaking after the task-based course came to an end. The study also tried to put possible different effects of task-based approach on foreign language learners of different levels of language proficiency under focus. Accordingly, the participants were categorized into two categories of 81, as the control and the experimental groups of the study. In continuation, each category was divided into two groups of males and females and finally, each male and female group of each category was classified into two classes of intermediate and advanced. In this way, each of the control and the experimental group contained some intermediate and some advanced male and female language learners . In order to determine whether task-based techniques to teaching speaking were effective and also to figure out which gender and proficiency level had a higher degree of improvement in speaking under task-based approach, a set of independent sample t-tests were conducted. Furthermore, in order to comment on the possible interaction between gender and different levels of language proficiency, a two-way ANOVA (MANOVA) was also conducted. It was found that the students of the experimental group, who experienced task-based principles of teaching speaking, performed remarkably better than those of the control group on the final speaking post-test. It was also concluded that gender was not a determining factor in speaking development under task-based approach but difference in language proficiency levels was shown to be an influential factor in speaking development since advanced language learners of the experimental group had performed ostensibly better than those of intermediate learners of the same group on the final speaking post-test. Ultimately, it was deduced that there was not a meaningful interaction between gender and different levels of language proficiency for a better development of speaking ability. In other words, it was not possible to determine a specific pattern of interaction between them by their simultaneous presence in the study.