Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Natural Plant Extracts and Microbial Antagonists to Control Fungal Pathogens and Improve the Productivity of Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) In Vitro and in Greenhouse

Background: Natural plant extracts and microbial antagonists have the potential for use in increasing the fungal resistance and productivity of horticulture plants. Methods: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of both natural plant extracts and microbial antagonists as a biotical control of some fungal pathogens, i.e., Fusarium ssp. , Exserohilum ssp. and Nigrospora ssp. , along with improving the growth and productivity performance of zucchini under greenhouse conditions. Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaf extract (LE), Citrus sinensis LE, Ficus benghalensis fruit extract (FE), and two microbial antagonists Pseudomonas fluorescens (accession no. MW647093) and Trichoderma viride (accession no. MW647090) were tested under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Through morphological characteristics and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, Fusarium solani (accession no. MW947256), F. oxysporum (accession no. MW947254), Exserohilum rostratum (accession no. MW947255), and Nigrospora lacticolonia (accession no. MW947253) were identified. HPLC analysis was used for the identification of phenolic compounds (PCs) and flavonoid compounds (FCs) in the extracts. Results: The highest inhibition percentage of fungal growth (IPFG) against F. oxysporum was obtained with P. fluorescens, T. viride, and E. camaldulensis LE (4000 mg/L); F. solani with P. fluorescens, T. viride, and C. sinensis LE (4000 mg/L); Exserohilum rostratum with P. fluorescens, Ficus benghalensis FE (4000 mg/L) and E. camaldulensis LE (4000 mg/L), and N. lacticolonia with P. fluorescens. Using HPLC analysis, the abundant PCs in E. camaldulensis LE were pyrogallol, and caffeic acid, those in C. sinensis LE were syringic acid and ferulic acid, and those in F. benghalensis FE were gallic acid and syringic acid. In addition, the abundant FCs in E. camaldulensis LE were kaempferol, and naringin, those in C. sinensis LE were hesperidin and quercetin, and those in F. benghalensis FE were kaempferol and quercetin. Under greenhouse experiments, T. viride and E. camaldulensis LE (4000 mg/L) followed by P. fluorescens + T. viride treatments gave the best results of zucchini plants in terms of leaf area, fruits number per plant, yield per plant, and total yield (marketable and non-marketable). Conclusions: Plant extracts and bioagents can be used to control some zucchini fungal pathogens and increase the productivity performance of zucchini plants.
Ozone Induces Distress Behaviors in Fig Wasps with a Reduced Chance of Recovery

Simple Summary Ecological interactions among organisms underpin the stability of ecological networks, which are responsible for species biodiversity in ecosystems. These interactions are currently threatened by environmental risks, mainly due to human activities, such as air pollution. Among air pollutants, tropospheric ozone (O3) is known to disrupt chemical communication between plants and their pollinators. Alarmingly, its concentration is likely to increase by two–four-fold in the next two decades. However, the direct effects of O3 on the behavior of pollinators themselves have not been investigated so far, even though insect behavior is key to their ecological interactions. In this study, we evaluated the potential effects of O3 at different field-realistic concentrations on the behavior of the fig wasp Blastophaga psenes, the exclusive pollinator of the Mediterranean fig species Ficus carica. We found that O3, even at low concentrations, induced abnormal motility in fig wasps, and that exposed individuals might only have a reduced chance of recovery. Overall, our findings indicate that O3 can affect pollinator behavior, which may have detrimental implications for pollination systems. Abstract Among anthropogenic environmental risks, air pollution has the potential to impact animal and plant physiology, as well as their interactions and the long-term survival of populations, which could threaten the functioning of ecosystems. What is especially alarming is that the concentration of tropospheric ozone (O3) has dramatically increased since pre-industrial times. However, the direct effects of O3 on the behavior of pollinators themselves have not been investigated so far even though insect behavior is key to their ecological interactions, which underpin the stability of ecological networks responsible for species biodiversity in ecosystems. In this study, we aim to determine the potential effects of O3 episodes at different field-realistic concentrations (0, 40, 80, 120, and 200 ppb for 60 min) on the behavior of the fig wasp Blastophaga psenes by monitoring exposed individuals hourly for 5 h after exposure. We found that ozone episodes induced major changes in insect behavior, which were already significant at 80 ppb with individuals displaying abnormal motility. The tracking over time clearly showed that exposed individuals might only have a reduced chance of recovery, with a decreasing proportion of active fig wasps despite the cessation of an O3 episode. These findings illustrate that O3 episodes can affect pollinator behavior, which may have detrimental implications for pollination systems. It is, therefore, of importance to assess the effects of O3 on insect behavior in order to predict how it could modify ecological interactions and species biodiversity in ecosystems.
Resource flexibility for lean manufacturing: SAP-LAP analysis of a case study

Purpose – Manufacturing industry is under pressure to improve productivity and reducing costs through minimization of wastage of resources. This paper aims to present case study of an automobile component manufacturing company to implement lean manufacturing through resource flexibility and also demonstrate the various areas of future scope for improving lean manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach – The case study has been conducted using the flexible system methodology framework. For measuring resource (labor and machine) flexibility and lean manufacturing, various parameters contributing towards labor flexibility, machine flexibility and lean manufacturing are identified. To determine their relative weights, analytical hierarchy process has been employed. A specially designed questionnaire is used to collect the information during case study on different aspects of resource flexibility and lean manufacturing. SAP-LAP analysis has also been carried out, to look into the ways the company is building u.
Application of amplitude transformation for compensation of comb decimation filters

The design of compensation filters for comb decimators using amplitude transformation is introduced. It is shown that the transformation of cosine-squared filters provides good compensation characteristics. For a first-degree polynomial, the slope of the transformation line is explicitly set as the unique compensator's multiplierless coefficient. This coefficient changes proportionally with the increase of the comb passband droop. Thus, the proposed approach provides an intuitive and easy way of designing compensation filters.
Knee Extensor Strength in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient Individuals Following Normal and Modified Squats: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract Jean, LMY, Gross, DP, and Chiu, LZF. Knee extensor strength in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient individuals following normal and modified squats: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 36(1): 47–54, 2022—Training with barbell squats, which load the quadriceps, increases knee extensor strength. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury results in a quadriceps avoidance substitution strategy, which may impair the efficacy of barbell squat training. Modified squats to promote quadriceps loading have been proposed to facilitate restoring knee extensor strength and function. This research compared resistance training using traditional squats (TRAD) versus traditional plus modified squats (EXP) in ACL-deficient individuals. Thirty-seven ACL-deficient individuals were randomly assigned to TRAD or EXP. Knee extensor function was assessed using maximum isometric strength testing and 3D motion analysis of sit-to-stand. Effect sizes for minimum meaningful improvement were established (d = 0.28–0.47). There were no significant differences between TRAD and EXP for knee extensor strength before, in response to, or after the training interventions (p > 0.05). Involved limb knee extensor strength increased at 15° (95% CI [0.09, 0.27] N·m·kgBM−1, d = 0.60), 30° (95% CI [0.25, 0.48] N·m·kgBM−1, d = 0.82), 45° (95% CI [0.32, 0.58] N·m·kgBM−1, d = 0.78), and 75° (95% CI [0.18, 0.46] N·m·kgBM−1, d = 0.54) knee flexion. Involved limb knee extensor net joint moment work in sit-to-stand (95% CI [0.034, 0.135] J·kgBM−1, d = 0.48) increased in both groups. Squat training was effective for increasing involved limb isometric knee extensor strength and knee extensor work performed in the sit-to-stand. Modified squats do not seem to provide additional benefit.
Security Assessment Simulation Toolkit (SAST) Final Report

The Department of Defense Technical Support Working Group (DoD TSWG) investment in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Security Assessment Simulation Toolkit (SAST) research planted a technology seed that germinated into a suite of follow-on Research and Development (R&D) projects culminating in software that is used by multiple DoD organizations. The DoD TSWG technology transfer goal for SAST is already in progress. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the Defense-wide Information Assurance Program (DIAP), the Marine Corps, Office Of Naval Research (ONR) National Center For Advanced Secure Systems Research (NCASSR) and Office Of Secretary Of Defense International Exercise Program (OSD NII) are currently investing to take SAST to the next level. PNNL currently distributes the software to over 6 government organizations and 30 DoD users. For the past five DoD wide Bulwark Defender exercises, the adoption of this new technology created an expanding role for SAST. In 2009, SAST was also used in the OSD NII International Exercise and is currently scheduled for use in 2010.
Mathematical Modelling to Evaluate the Superplastic Material Constants by Bulge Test

The mechanical behaviour of a superplastic material is often modelled by the power law relationship between the equivalent flow stress, the equivalent strain and the equivalent strain-rate at least over a limited range of strain rates. This paper introduces an original mathematical modelling to determine the superplastic material constants m, n and K by means of experimental tests carried out using a standard forming die geometry.
The Impact of Multivesicular Release on the Transmission of Sensory Information by Ribbon Synapses

The statistics of vesicle release determine how information is transferred at the synapse but the classical Poisson model of independent fusion does not hold at the first stages of vision and hearing. There, ribbon synapses encoding analogue signals can coordinate the release of two or more vesicles as a single event. The implications of such multivesicular release (MVR) for spike generation are not known. Here we investigate the hypothesis that MVR might provide advantages over Poisson synapses. We used leaky integrate-and-fire models incorporating the statistics of release measured experimentally from glutamatergic synapses of retinal bipolar cells and compared these with models assuming Poisson inputs constrained to operate at the same average rates. We find that MVR can increase the number of spikes generated per vesicle while reducing interspike intervals and latency to first spike. The combined effect was to increase the efficiency of information transfer (bits per spike) over a range of conditions mimicing retinal ganglion cells of different size. MVR was most advantageous in neurons with short time-constants and reliable synaptic inputs, when a lower degree of convergence was required to trigger spikes. In the special case of a single input driving a neuron with short time-constant, as occurs at the first synapse in hearing, MVR increased information transfer whenever spike generation required more than one vesicle. This study demonstrates how presynaptic integration of vesicles by MVR has the potential to compensate for less effective summation post-synaptically to increase the efficiency with which sensory information is transmitted.
Automatic Classification of COVID-19 using CT-Scan Images

Medicine and engineering sciences have been working in close contact for common purposes. Machine learning algorithms are used in the medical field for early diagnosis prediction. The major aim of this study is to evaluate machine learning algorithms and deep learning algorithms using computed tomography scan (CT-scan) images for automated detection of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. We obtained seven hundred and fifty-seven (757) CT-scan images from a public platform. We applied four automated traditional classification methods to predict COVID-19 using deep learning and machine learning. These algorithms are SVM, AdaBoost, NASNetMobile, and InceptionV3. Comparative analyses are presented among the four models by considering metric performance factors to find the best model. The results show that the InceptionV3 model achieves better performance in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, Cohen’s kappa, F1- score, root mean squared error (RMSE), and receiver operating characteristic- area under the curve (ROC-AUC), in comparison with the other Covid-19 classifiers. Accordingly, the InceptionV3 approach is recommended for the automatic diagnosis of Covid-19 and assessments. This research can present a second point of view to medical experts and it can save time for researchers as the performance of standard machine learning methods in detecting COVID-19 is evaluated.
Finite Element Study of the Effect of Canal Diameter on the Stress Distributions in Post-Core Restored Endodontically Treated Maxillary Incisor

In this study, 3D finite element models were developed to evaluate the effect of canal diameter on the stress distributions of post and dentin in post-core restored endodontically treated maxillary incisor under various static loads. The results show that the posts with large diameters support more of the load, but cause high stress concentrations at the apical portion of the root, which is not desirable.
Identification of Aggravation-Predicting Gene Polymorphisms in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Patients Using a Candidate Gene Approach Associated With Multiple Phase Pathogenesis: A Study in a Japanese City of 1 Million People

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. IMPORTANCE: The pathology caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 is mediated by host-mediated lung inflammation, driving severity, and mortality. Polymorphisms in genes encoding host inflammation and immune-related molecules may be associated with the development of serious pathologies, and identifying such gene polymorphisms may lead to the identification of therapeutic targets. OBJECTIVES: We attempted to identify aggravation-predicting gene polymorphisms. DESIGN: We use a candidate gene approach associated with multiple phase pathogenesis in coronavirus disease 2019 patients among a cohort in Hiroshima, a city with a population of 1 million, in Japan. DNA samples from the study populations were genotyped for 34 functional polymorphisms from 14 distinct candidate genes, which encode proteins related to viral cell entry, regulation of viral replication, innate immune modulators, regulatory cytokines, and effector cytokines. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Three core hospitals providing different services for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 under administrative control. A total of 230 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 were recruited from March 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021. MAIN RESULTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Among the 14 genes, we found rs1131454 in OAS1 and rs1143627 in IL1B genes as independent genetic factors associated with disease severity (adjusted odds ratio = 7.1 and 4.6 in the dominant model, respectively). Furthermore, we investigated the effect of multiple phase pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 with unbiased multifactor dimensionality reduction analysis and identified a four-gene model with rs1131454 (OAS1), rs1143627 (IL1B), rs2074192 (ACE2), and rs11003125 (MBL). By combining these polygenetic factors with polyclinical factors, including age, sex, higher body mass index, and the presence of diabetes and hypertension, we proposed a composite risk model with a high area under the curve, sensitivity, and probability (0.917, 96.4%, and 74.3%, respectively) in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: We successfully identified significant genetic factors in OAS1 and IL1B genes using a candidate gene approach study as valuable information for further mechanistic investigation and predictive model building.
Systematic video recording of seated athletes during the shot-put event at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games

The purpose of this paper is to share useful and practical information coming out of the first experience of systematic video recording of seated shot-putters during the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. It is anticipated that this paper will provide valuable information to sport scientists facing the challenge of conducting performance analysis of able-bodied or disabled athletes, such as seated shot-putters, during world-class competitive events. More specifically, this paper provides (1) the practical aspects of the cameras’ setup used during this systematic video recording, (2) the number and usability of attempts recorded, taking into consideration the impact of uncontrollable perturbing factors, and (3) recommendations to improve the video recording procedure in such conditions. Two operators recorded each put using two compact, high-speed digital video cameras placed in different locations such as right, left or front of the shot-putter. In this study, 15% of the attempts were not recorded, 72% were recorded and fully available for analysis, 10% were incomplete and 2% were obstructed (as a percentage of expected attempts). This study suggests that the increase of the number and usability of the attempts recorded relies on the number and position of cameras and the operators as well as on other facilitating actions.
Automatic interplanetary trajectory generation for electric propulsion trade studies

This thesis is dedicated to Elena Spatoulas for showing me that the beauty in life is in the things we do everyday. I love you. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the NASA GSRP program and Celeste Satter for providing funding for this research and allowing me to pursue a few tangents. I would like to thank my research advisors Daniel Scheeres, Thomas Zurbuchen, and Alec Gallimore for giving me the freedom to try, fail, and succeed. Alec I want to thank you for asking me to take this journey, as I did not believe this was the path for me. Thomas, I want to thank you for showing me that research is more than a set of equations, its value is the story it tells. Dan thank you for keeping me on track and forcing me to document my work. Without you I'm sure I would never have gotten to this point. Dan you have shown me the beauty and elegance of math and how a solid theory does more then a bunch of pretty pictures. Mom, dad, and sis you have supported me and let me go down my own road, for which I can never thank you enough. Bill I need to thank you for keeping me sane and continuously motivating me, you have been a great friend.
Dualband Wearable UHF RFID Antenna

Based on a system study of the ability to use a commercial RFID system operating in 869 MHz band for the identification of moving sportsmen [1], TAG antennas has been recognized as one of the most sensitive component that affect the proper function of the whole system, especially in case when TAG antenna has to operate in the close vicinity of human body. Single and dual-band weareable patch antenna to cover European (869.5 - 869.7 MHz) and US (902- 930 MHz) RFID bands that are not affected by the presence of human body has been designed, manufactured and measured. The specifics of the design are complex conjugate input impedance to the impedance of the chip used, application of technique to extent the operating band, using of the foam dielectric and conductive cloth. The properties of developed TAG antennas has been compared with meander dipole and patch test antennas in free space as well as in the close vicinity to the human phantom. (5 pages)
Wideband 3‐dB broadside‐coupled CPW coupler with ACPW and DGS for directivity enhancement

Phase velocity compensation technologies using asymmetric coplanar waveguides (ACPW) with or without defected ground structures (DGS) are proposed to enhance the directivity of wideband 3‐dB broadside‐coupled coplanar waveguide (BC CPW) couplers. First, even‐ and odd‐mode analyses of BC CPW couplers with four shunt capacitors are performed to obtain closed‐form design formulas. Then, ACPW instead of the shunt capacitors are inserted to the input and output ports of the coupler to improve the directivity. Lastly, DGS combining with ACPW are applied to further improve the directivity and broaden the bandwidth. The measured results show that only using ACPW, the bandwidth for the directivity of better than 20 dB is 44.2% with a maximum directivity of 42.6 dB. When both ACPW and DGS are used, the bandwidth for the directivity of better than 20 dB is 63.3%, and that for the directivity of better than 30 dB is enhanced to 21.3% with a maximum directivity of 55.9 dB, which is more than 10 dB over the existing BC CPW couplers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 24:59–67, 2014.
Trajectory Optimization via Simulation Using Incremented Genetic Algorithms

In this paper, a new method for the numerical calculation of optimal, or nearly optimal, solutions to trajectory problems is presented. This method, which is applicable to a large category of problems, is based on a modified genetic algorithm that is an optimum-seeking method that attempts to apply the rules of biological evolution, mutation, and selection to technical optimization problems. The modification is achieved by repeatedly applying a global optimization genetic algorithm method while incrementing the number of design variables (i.e., increasing the size of the chromosomes). The trajectory data used for the optimization process are produced via simulation of the equations of motion using numerical integration techniques. The trajectory optimization technique is tested on a supersonic missile moving in the vertical plane but it is equally applicable to three-dimensional trajectories with minimum formulation time and effort, and ideally suited for parallel computing. The results show the successful application of the incremented genetic algorithm to trajectory problems and its superiority over the fixed chromosome-size genetic algorithm technique.