Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The regulation of leaf thickness in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract The regulation of leaf thickness in rice (Oryza sativa L.) S. Narawatthana One of the most important targets to improve crop yield is leaf photosynthetic capacity. Leaf thickness is one parameter closely associated with photosynthetic function and is strongly influenced by the level of irradiance. Generally, high light grown leaves are thicker, have higher light-saturated rates of photosynthesis, higher amounts of Rubisco and a higher chlorophyll a:b ratio than shade grown leaves. However, the developmental stage at which leaf thickness is set and how it is set are unclear. In this thesis I investigate the outcome on leaf thickness of changing irradiance level at specific points in the development of leaf 5 of rice plants via a series of transfer experiments from high light (HL) to low light (LL) at specific stages of leaf development. The results from these experiments show that the P2- to P4-stage of rice leaf development represents a developmental window during which final thickness can be altered via light regime. Analysis of photosynthetic capacity and gas exchange of the leaves from the transfer experiments indicated some correlation of leaf thickness with biochemical/physiological adaptation to the prevailing irradiance level. Interestingly, whilst HL induced the development of thicker rice leaves with a visibly larger mesophyll cell size, transferral of the leaves to LL conditions at any developmental stage led to a LL-acclimated photosynthetic response. To identify lead genes potentially involved in the growth response of young leaves to the prevailing light environment, I performed a microarray analysis of leaf primordia at P3-stage undergoing a leaf-thickness response to altered irradiance level. A number of lead genes were identified and a selection process based on independent expression analyses was performed to narrow the number of candidates for future functional analysis. An initial analysis of some of these genes is reported.
MicroRNAs in early embryonic development : dissecting the role of miR-290 through miR-295 in the mouse

MicroRNAs mediate developmental regulation of gene expression via translational repression of target mRNAs. Targeted deletion of the miRNA biogenesis machinery in the mouse has demonstrated essential roles for miRNAs during early development. In this thesis, I have examined the role of a family of miRNAs, miR-290 through miR-295 (miR-290 cluster), which are specifically expressed during early embryonic and germ cell development. This miRNA family is conserved only among mammals. miR-290 cluster miRNAs are transcribed and processed from a common capped and polyadenylated primary transcript in the mouse. Deletion of the miR-290 cluster in the mouse results in early embryonic lethality and misregulation of primordial germ cell migration, ultimately resulting in germ cell depletion, premature ovarian failure and infertility in the adult female. Loss of miR-290-295 mediated repression results in significant changes in the gene expression profile of embryonic stem cells, allowing for the accumulation and precocious expression of many developmental regulators involved in differentiation. As such, we have shown that the miR-290 cluster miRNAs are critical regulators of embryonic development. Thesis Supervisor: Rudolf Jaenisch Title: Professor of Biology
Utilization of Rice Straw Ensiling by Either Solution of Corn Steep Liquor or Urea to Ameliorate Productive Performance of Dairy Goats

This study investigated the effect of feeding ensiling rice straw (RS) by 3% urea or 20% corn steep liquor (CSL) solutions on chemical analysis of feeds, dry matter intake, kids' numbers and weight, suckling and lactation milk yield, some blood parameters and economic efficiency in goats. Trial conducted on twenty-four dairy Zaraibi goats (N=8/ group) with live body weight up to 37.22 kg and at the third parity of lactation. They randomly allocated to receive three trial rations as the following; D1 (60% concentrated feed mixture (CFM) 40% untreated RS) used as control, D2 (40% CFM + 60 % RS ensiling by urea) and D3 (40% CFM + 60 % RS by ensiling CSL) used as tested rations. Results indicated that ensiling RS with 3% urea or 20% CSL solutions improved (P<0.05) its chemical composition (especially crude protein, hemicellulose and cellulose contains) compare with untreated rice straw. Also, D2 and D3 groups had higher (P<0.05) values of NDF, ADF, ADL, daily dry matter intake, kids number and weight, higher milk amount (as suckling and lactation) and the highest net income than D1 group. However, no-significant differences found in blood parameters among D1, D2 and D3 goats. According to the results of this study, feeding lactating goats with ensiling RS by 3% urea or 20% CSL solutions has effect on production status and reducing CFM consumption up to 33.33% which reversing economic efficiency compared to untreated RS.
Environmental assessment for the Satellite Power System (SPS): studies of honey bees exposed to 2. 45 GHz continuous-wave electromagnetic energy

A system for small animal exposure was developed for treating honey bees, Apis mellifera L. , in brood and adult stages, with 2.45 GHz continuous wave microwaves at selected power densities and exposure times. Post-treatment brood development was normal and teratological effects were not detected at exposures of 3 to 50 mw/cm/sup 2/ for 30 minutes. Post-treatment survival, longevity, orientation, navigation, and memory of adult bees were also normal after exposures of 3 to 50 mw/cm/sup 2/ for 30 minutes. Post-treatment longevity of confined bees in the laboratory was normal after exposures of 3 to 50 mw/cm/sup 2/ for 24 hours. Thermoregulation of brood nest, foraging activity, brood rearing, and social interaction were not affected by chronic exposure to 1 mw/cm/sup 2/ during 28 days. In dynamic behavioral bioassays the frequency of entry and duration of activity of unrestrained, foraging adult bees was identical in microwave-exposed (5 to 40 mw/cm/sup 2/) areas versus control areas.
Measuring Mastery Behaviors at Scale: The Persistence, Effort, Resilience and Challenge-Seeking Task (PERC)

Mastery behaviours — seeking out challenging tasks and continuing to work on them despite difficulties — are integral to achievement but difficult to measure with precision. The current study reports on the development and validation of the computer-based persistence, effort, resilience, and challenge-seeking (PERC) task in two demographically diverse samples of adolescents (total N = 3,188). We present evidence for convergent validity with self-reported mastery behaviours and learning mindsets, discriminant validity from theoretically unrelated constructs, and incremental predictive validity for grade point average (GPA). Results suggest that the PERC task may be a useful tool for assessing mastery behaviours at scale.
Restoration of Degraded Lands through Plantation Forests

Degradation of soil is a matter of serious concern. Vast area of land all over the world has been converted into unproductive and degraded lands. Eco-restoration through plantation forests is the most effective technique to reclaim the degraded ecosystem. Six dominant species viz, Dalbergia sissoo, Pongamia pinnata, Tectona grandis, Gmelina arborea, Azadirachta indica and Cassia siamea were studied for restoration of degraded ecosystem. No amendment was given during plantations except farm yard manure (FYM), Urea and Aldrin as soil insecticide before planting the seedlings. The density of plants was 3333 ha-1. The present paper deals with the edaphic development of degraded coal mine spoil through establishment of six dominant tree species at Northern Coalfield Limited, Singrauli. The results indicated that the bulk density of the reclaimed sites was gradually reduced with the age of the plantations. The soil organic carbon, pH, EC, water holding capacity and nutritional status were found increasing with the age of the plantations. As regards the organic carbon in mine spoil under different tree cover, it was found improved to the maximum extent during 16 years interval in Dalbergia sissoo (358%) followed by Azadirachta indica (317.8%), Pongamia pinnata (273.8%), Tectona grandis (233.3%) and others. The similar increasing trend was found in pH. The electrical conductivity was the maximum in Tectona grandis followed by Azadirachta indica, Dalbergia sissoo, Gmelina arborea, Cassia siamea and Pongamia pinnata. There was gradual increase in microbial biomass from younger to older plantations in different dominant species. It ranged from 40.2 (2 years old plantation) to 51.5 mg kg-1 (18 years old plantation) in T. grandis, from 32.5 (2 years old plantation) to 66.6 mg kg-1 (18 years old plantation) in D. sissoo, from 21.2 (2 years old plantation) to 52.7 mg kg-1 (18 years old plantation) in A. indica, from 35.5 (2 years old plantation) to 50.3 mg kg-1 (19 years old plant
Effects of AIR pollution on cardiopuLmonary disEaSe in urban and peri-urban reSidents in Beijing: protocol for the AIRLESS study

Abstract. Beijing, as a representative megacity in China, is experiencing some of the most severe air pollution episodes in the world, and its fast urbanization has led to substantial urban and peri-urban disparities in both health status and air quality. Uncertainties remain regarding the possible causal links between individual air pollutants and health outcomes, with spatial comparative investigations of these links lacking, particularly in developing megacities. In light of this challenge, Effects of AIR pollution on cardiopuLmonary disEaSe in urban and peri-urban reSidents in Beijing (AIRLESS) was initiated, with the aim of addressing the complex issue of relating multi-pollutant exposure to cardiopulmonary outcomes. This paper presents the novel methodological framework employed in the project, namely (1) the deployment of two panel studies from established cohorts in urban and peri-urban Beijing, with different exposure settings regarding pollution levels and diverse sources; (2) the collection of detailed measurements and biomarkers of participants from a nested case (hypertensive) and control (healthy) study setting; (3) the assessment of indoor and personal exposure to multiple gaseous pollutants and particulate matter at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution with validated novel sensor technologies; (4) the assessment of ambient air pollution levels in a large-scale field campaign, particularly the chemical composition of particulate matter. Preliminary results showed that there is a large difference between ambient and personal air pollution levels, and the differences varied between seasons and locations. These large differences were reflected on the different health responses between the two panels.
The Cytoskeleton and Nuclear Disassembly during Germinal Vesicle Breakdown in Starfish Oocytes

In response to maturation‐inducing hormone, prophase‐arrested oocytes of the starfish Pisaster ochraceus resume meiosis and undergo nuclear disassembly during a process referred to as germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Time‐lapse video recordings of maturing oocytes reveal that the nucleus lengthens along the animal‐vegetal axis of the oocyte directly prior to GVBD. Neither taxol (10 μM) nor microtubule‐depolymerizing agents [colcemid (50 μM), colchicine (250 μM), or nocodazole (1 μM)] prevent the pre‐GVBD changes in nuclear shape from occurring, although correlative microscopical studies demonstrate that microtubules are nucleated (taxol) or depolymerized (colcemid, colchicine, nocodazole) at the concentrations listed above. The microtubule‐altering drugs also do not affect the time at which GVBD begins or ends. A 10 μM solution of the microfilament‐disrupting drug cytochalasin B (CB), on the other hand, essentially eliminates the pre‐GVBD elongation of the nucleus. CB also slightly delays the onset of GVBD and significantly lengthens the time required to complete GVBD. Such studies suggest that: (i) drug‐sensitive microtubules are not required for GVBD to proceed in a normal fasion; (ii) the pre‐GVBD changes in nuclear shape involve microfilament‐mediated events; and (iii) cytochalasin‐induced depolymerization of microfilaments retards the normal timing of GVBD.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Qercus pannosa

Abstract The first complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Quercus pannosa was determined from Illumina HiSeq pair-end sequencing data in this study. The cpDNA is 161,222 bp in length, contains a large single-copy region (LSC) of 90,522 bp and a small single-copy region (SSC) of 19,000 bp, which were separated by a pair of inverted repeats (IR) regions of 25,850 bp. The genome contains 130 genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 transfer RNA genes. Further phylogenomic analysis showed that Q. pannosa and Q. edithiae clustered in a unique clade in Quercus genus.
A polyA aptamer-based label-free colorimetric biosensor for the detection of kanamycin in human serum

A novel colorimetric assay for the sensitive detection of kanamycin (KAN) is described. In this study, for the first time, a polyA aptamer (polyA apt) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to construct a nano-bio platform for the detection of kanamycin. The polyA apt, adsorbed on the AuNPs, can bind to the analyte while inhibiting non-specific interactions. Poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride) (PDDA) is an aggregating agent that, in combination with the aptamer, hinders the aggregation of the AuNPs. Introduction of KAN into the assay solution liberates PDDA from the AuNPs and, as aggregation inhibition is no longer observed, the color of the bioassay solution changes from red to blue. In the absence and presence of KAN, significant and distinctive optical absorbance signals (measured at 520 and 690 nm) are produced in the assay solution. This bioassay does not require a lengthy preparation and can be implemented in a few minutes without the need for expensive instruments or a skilled user. The detection of KAN was linear in the concentration range of 1–300 nM with a limit of detection of 0.05 nM (S/N = 3). The obtained detection limit was significantly better than those of previously reported colorimetric aptasensors. The fabricated aptasensor can detect KAN selectively in the presence of other concomitant species in the complex matrix of human serum. Therefore, it can be used for the practical monitoring of KAN in clinical applications. This aptasensor can be used as a promising tool for accurately and reliably detecting the concentration of kanamycin in serum which is very important to prevent the toxic effects caused by its presence in animal-derived foods.
On the Introduction of Canny Operator in an Advanced Imaging Algorithm for Real-Time Detection of Hyperbolas in Ground-Penetrating Radar Data

This paper focuses on the use of the Canny edge detector as the first step of an advanced imaging algorithm for automated detection of hyperbolic reflections in ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data. Since the imaging algorithm aims to work in real time; particular attention is paid to its computational efficiency. Various alternative criteria are designed and examined, to fasten the procedure by eliminating unnecessary edge pixels from Canny-processed data, before such data go through the subsequent steps of the detection algorithm. The effectiveness and reliability of the proposed methodology are tested on a wide set of synthetic and experimental radargrams with promising results. The finite-difference time-domain simulator gprMax is used to generate synthetic radargrams for the tests, while the real radargrams come from GPR surveys carried out by the authors in urban areas. The imaging algorithm is implemented in MATLAB.
EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF PITHECELLOBIUM DULCE POD PULP EXTRACT

ABSTRACT Objective : Diseases due to pathogenic bacteria and fungi represent a critical problem to human health and they are the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Plants based antimicrobials are effective in the treatment of infectious diseases while simultaneously mitigating many of the side effects that are often associated with synthetic antimicrobials. In the series of medicinal plants, one such medicinal plant which has been widely used in traditional medicine but lacks scientific scrutiny is Pithecellobium dulce . The present study was aimed to investigate the antimicrobial properties of P.dulce pod pulp extract against common pathogenic gram positive, gram negative bacteria and fungi. Methods: Ethanolic extract was used for the study. Phytochemical screening, total phenolic and flavonoid content were determined. The antibacterial and antifungal activity of ethanolic extract of pod pulp was tested against clinically important Gram positive, Gram negative bacteria and pathogenic fungal strains. The inhibitory effect was assessed by well diffusion method. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) were also determined by serial dilution method. Results: Phytochemical analysis of the pulp extract revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, phytosterols, and triterpenoids. The pulp extract was found to contain significant amounts of total phenols and flavonoids. The pulp extract showed significant zone of inhibition in a dose dependent manner. The MIC and MBC values of the pulp extract against both Gram positive and Gram negative bacterial strains varies from 1mg to 5mg and the results are comparable with chloramphenicol. The MIC and MFC values of pod pulp extract against fungal strains varies from 1 mg to 7 mg and the results are comparable with Amphotericin B. Conclusion : It can be concluded that the pulp extract possesses potent bactericidal and fungicidal activity which in turn may be due to the presence of biologically active ingredients with antimicrobial activity in the pod pulp. Keywords : Pithecellobium dulce; Antibacterial; Antifungal; Minimum Inhibitory concentration
Are Civil Servants Involved in Their Work? An Investigation of Emotional Intelligence and Gender

The study examined emotional intelligence and gender as predictors of job involvement among civil servants in Anambra State. A total of 267 participants comprising of 140 males and 127 females aged 25-58 years with the mean age of 40.14 years and a standard deviation of 8.05 were used in the study. Two sets of instrument were used for the study: self-rated emotional intelligence questionnaire (SREIS) and job involvement scale (JIS). Two hypotheses were tested in the study, the first hypothesis which stated that emotional intelligence will significantly predict employee job involvement was accepted at r = (0.143) at p < 0.05. The second hypothesis which stated that gender will significantly predict job involvement among civil servants was also accepted at r (-.279) at p < 0.05. This means that males and females differed significantly, hence being a male or female determines how involved a worker will be in his or her job among civil servants in Awka, Anambra State. The study recommends that employers should consider employees who have high emotional intelligence to ensure effectiveness.
A case study on modularity violations in cyber‐physical systems

In recent years, cyber‐physical systems (CPS) have been widely used in different problem domains. The hardware and software components in a CPS are deeply intertwined at various levels of abstraction under changing contexts to achieve the desired goals. One way to manage this complexity is through the use of modular architecture that enables portions of a CPS to be upgraded, replaced, or fixed in a plug‐and‐play manner. In practice, nominally modular architectures depart from this ideal. Thus, there is a need to identify, measure, and understand the causes of these departures. Techniques have been developed to accomplish this for pure software systems, but can these techniques be adapted to infer hardware‐related modularity violations in a CPS? To investigate this question, we adapted methods from pure‐software systems and analyzed two open‐source CPS: OpenWrt and MD PnP. We found that the software architecture of these systems is well modularized. However, we were able to detect and measure modularity violations associated with hardware and other domain‐related concepts. Furthermore, software components related to hardware were more likely to change frequently compared to general software components. Together, these findings suggest that it is feasible to identify a subset of hardware‐driven modularity violations using techniques adapted from pure software systems.
Tribological behaviour of recursive friction stir processed AA7075

This study aims to investigate and present the tribological behaviour of recursively friction stir processed 7075 aluminium alloy. ,In this work, aluminium 7075 alloy is friction stir processed recursively by varying the tool rotational speed, traverse speed and the number of passes. Wear pins for testing were extracted from the processed zone and the surfaces were prepared. Wear tests were conducted as per the standard on a pin-on-disc wear testing machine at constant testing conditions and the corresponding tribological properties were analysed. The worn surface and the debris were analysed using a field-emission scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis and elemental mapping to identify the mode of wear mechanism. ,The experimental results indicate that the specimen fabricated at 1,150 rpm of tool rotation speed and 60 mm/min of traverse speed with 4 passes had the highest wear resistance and the minimum friction coefficient. ,This paper details the effect of recursive friction stir processing on the surface of AA 7075 to improve the tribological properties. ,The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-02-2020-0070/
Design of a double-optimized lattice structure using the solid isotropic material with penalization method and material extrusion additive manufacturing

The development of additive manufacturing technology has facilitated the production of cellular structures such as lattices. Topology optimization is a tool for computing the optimal geometry of an object within certain conditions, and it can be used to increase the stiffness and decrease the weight. In this study, a “double-optimized lattice structure” was designed by applying the solid isotropic material with penalization method for topology optimization twice, first to optimize the unit cell of the lattice and then to grade and insert the cells into a global model. This design was applied to a Messerschmitt–Bölkow–Blohm beam and produced via material extrusion additive manufacturing. Subsequently, it was evaluated by a three-point bending test, and the results indicated that the double-optimized lattice beam had a 1.6–1.9 fold greater effective stiffness and a 2 fold higher ultimate load than the values obtained for the beam designed with conventional methods. Thus, the double-optimized lattice structure developed herein can be an effective material with regard to its low weight and high stiffness. Contrarily, the penalty factor p of the solid isotropic material with penalization did not affect the properties. This finding suggests that p can control homogeneity while maintaining the strength of the structure.