Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epistasis and Quantitative Resistance to Pyricularia oryzae Revealed by GWAS in Advanced Rice Breeding Populations

Rice blast caused by Pyricularia oryzae is a major rice disease worldwide. Despite the detailed knowledge on major resistance genes available to date, little is known about how these genes interact with quantitative blast resistance loci and with the genetic background. Knowledge on these interactions is crucial for assessing the usefulness of introgressed resistance loci in breeding germplasm. Our goal was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for blast resistance in rice breeding populations and to describe how they interact among each other and with the genetic background. To that end, resistance to blast was mapped by genome-wide association study (GWAS) in two advanced rice breeding subpopulations, one made of 305 indica type inbred lines, and the other of 245 tropical japonica inbred lines. The interactions and main effects of blast resistance loci were assessed in a multilocus model. Well known, major effect blast resistance gene clusters were detected in both tropical japonica (Pii/Pi3/Pi5) and indica (Piz/Pi2/Pi9) subpopulations with the GWAS scan 1. When these major effect loci were included as fixed cofactors in subsequent GWAS scans 2 and 3, additional QTL and more complex genetic architectures were revealed. The multilocus model for the tropical japonica subpopulation showed that Pii/Pi3/Pi5 had significant interaction with two QTL in chromosome 1 and one QTL in chromosome 8, together explaining 64% of the phenotypic variance. In the indica subpopulation a significant interaction among the QTL in chromosomes 6 and 4 and the genetic background, together with Piz/Pi2/Pi9 and QTL in chromosomes 1, 4 and 7, explained 35% of the phenotypic variance. Our results suggest that epistatic interactions can play a major role modulating the response mediated by major effect blast resistance loci such as Pii/Pi3/Pi5. Furthermore, the additive and epistatic effects of multiple QTL bring additional layers of quantitative resistance with a magnitude comparable to that of major effect loci. These findings highlight the need of genetic background-specific validation of markers for molecular assisted blast resistance breeding and provide insights for developing quantitative resistance to blast disease in rice.
Ag loaded flower-like BaTiO3 nanotube arrays: Fabrication and enhanced photocatalytic property

Flower-like BaTiO3 nanotube arrays (NTAs) were successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method using TiO2 NTAs as precursors. Ag-loaded BaTiO3 NTAs were formed by a photochemical reduction method. The samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS and UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The results show that Ag nanoparticles can be homogeneously dispersed on the surface of BaTiO3 NTAs. The loaded Ag exists in the form of a metal. The photocatalytic activity of Ag-BaTiO3 NTAs was evaluated from the analysis of the photodegradation of methyl orange (MO). It is found that the pH value strongly influences photocatalytic activity of the films, and Ag-BaTiO3 NTAs perform excellent photocatalytic activity at a low pH value. In addition, the effect of concentration of AgNO3 dipping solution on the photocatalytic degradation of MO was also studied.
Detection of genetically modified organisms in soy feed and food in Romania

The paper describes the diagnostic methods used in Romania to detect the genetically modified organisms in soy feed and food and the results recorded between 2013 and 2019. The retrospective analyses of surveillance and diagnostic methods (qualitative and quantitative PCR techniques) developed for the genetically modified organisms detection in soy feed and food and of the transgenic Roundup Ready soybean line event 40-3-2 in Romania covered a total of 687 tests between 2013 and 2019 and revealed 32/131 GM events in 2013, 25/142 GM events in 2014, 24/117 GM events in 2015, 16/115 GM events in 2016, 6/97 GM events in 2017, 8/53 GM events in 2018, and 2/32 GM events in 2019.
Equilibrium Partial Pressures, Thermodynamic Properties of Aqueous and Solid Phases, and Cl2 Production from Aqueous HCl and HNO3 and Their Mixtures

Equilibrium total pressures have been measured above aqueous HNO3 (for 7.82, 15.73, and 35.99 mol kg-1 solutions from 294.6 to 224.7 K) and aqueous HCl (9.45 and 10.51 mol kg-1, from 289.4 to 199.5 K) using a capacitance manometer. Equilibrium partial pressures of the acids have also been determined, by mass spectrometry, from 274.8 to 234.6 K for both HCl solutions, and from 265.0 to 240.1 K for 15.73 mol kg-1 HNO3. Results are generally consistent with model predictions, though with small (∼10%) systematic deviations for the total pressure measurements over aqueous HCl at about 220 K. Mixtures of HCl−HNO3−H2O composition yielded measured total pressures orders of magnitude greater than predicted for the gases H2O, HNO3, and HCl. Mass spectrometric determinations and equilibrium thermodynamic calculations suggest that Cl2 and NOCl were produced by the reaction: 4H+(aq) + NO3-(aq) + 3Cl-(aq) ⇌ NOCl(aq) + Cl2(aq) + 2H2O(l), which is known to occur in aqua regia (a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric and .
A Survey on Subsurface Signal Propagation

Wireless Underground Communication (WUC) is an emerging field that is being developed continuously. It provides secure mechanism of deploying nodes underground which shields them from any outside temperament or harsh weather conditions. This paper works towards introducing WUC and give a detail overview of WUC. It discusses system architecture of WUC along with the anatomy of the underground sensor motes deployed in WUC systems. It also compares Over-the-Air and Underground and highlights the major differences between the both type of channels. Since, UG communication is an evolving field, this paper also presents the evolution of the field along with the components and example UG wireless communication systems. Finally, the current research challenges of the system are presented for further improvement of the WUCs.
Microfabricated Liquid Junction Ag/AgCl Reference Electrode and Its Application to a One-Chip Potentiometric Sensor

A liquid-junction Ag/AgCl reference electrode was microfabricated. A silver thin-film pattern was covered with a polyimide protecting layer with a 50-μm-wide slit at the center of the pattern, and the AgCl layer was grown from there into the silver layer. A liquid junction was formed with a photocurable hydrophilic polymer. The electrolyte layer was formed by screen-printing a paste containing fine KCl powder. A silicone rubber passivation covered the entire area except for the pad and the end of the junction. The novel thin-film Ag/AgCl element could maintain its expected potential for longer than 30 h in a saturated KCl solution. The completed miniature liquid-junction reference electrode could maintain a stable potential level within ±1 mV for longer than 100 h with the aid of a poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) matrix in the electrolyte layer. Fluctuation of the potential was less than 0.1 mV at each moment. Dependency on external KCl concentration and pH was shown to be insignificant. The miniature refere.
Engineering education development – a business modelling approach

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to promote an innovative approach to education development projects by the application of business modelling tools and methods.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed method is based on tools and methods from the business modelling area, such as stakeholder mapping, SWOT analysis, business modelling canvas and scenario analysis. The applicability of the approach is illustrated by a case study conducted on an engineering programme, where qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through interviews, surveys and workshops.FindingsUtilising business modelling tools for development projects in higher education gives several benefits: (1) knowledge-informed decision making; the methods require good understanding of the current situation as well as possible strategies to be applied, that is data gathering is necessary before decision making; (2) structured decision making by applying a step-by-step approach for the development project; (3) including different stakeholder's perspectives in order to gain a holistic understanding and avoid sub optimisation.Originality/valueThe approach promotes innovation and action driven development rather than a bureaucratic and metric based improvement process. Tools and models from the business area have previously been applied for educational development. However, a holistic business modelling approach for educational development has not yet been applied.
Computer simulation and visualization of vacancy defects in MgSiO3 perovskite

We have performed the first-principles simulations within the local density and pseudopotential approximations to investigate the effects of pressure on the energetics and atomic and electronic structural behaviour of vacancy defects in MgSiO3 perovskite. The simulations use a supercell containing 160 atoms whose positions are fully optimized for each defective system. Schottky formation energy is shown to increase by a factor of 2.5 over the pressure regime (0 to 150 GPa) studied. The calculated three-dimensional datasets for atomic configuration and electron charge density are visualized in detail. It is shown that these point defects induce substantial distortions in the surrounding atomic and electronic structures, and these distortions remain nearly unchanged with pressure.
CULTIVATION OF THE SEAWEED Ulva spp. WITH EFFLUENT FROM A SHRIMP BIOFLOC REARING SYSTEM: DIFFERENT SPECIES AND STOCKING DENSITY

This work evaluated the use of effluent from a marine shrimp biofloc rearing system to cultivate the green seaweed Ulva. First, the growth of two Ulva species, U. ohnoi and U. fasciata, was evaluated. Second, the best-performing species was cultivated under two different stocking densities (2 g L-1 and 4 g L-1) to evaluate both growth and nutrient uptake rates, considering total ammonia nitrogen, nitrate, and orthophosphate. In both cases, environmental variables were monitored, and the cultivation medium, consisting of 25% biofloc water and 75% seawater, was exchanged weekly. U. ohnoi grew significantly better, considering all variables evaluated (p<0.05). The smaller stocking density produced a higher specific growth rate (p<0.05). Yield, however, was unaffected (p≥0.05). No significant differences in the nutrient uptake rates were observed (p≥0.05). Overall, this work highlights the importance of species selection for seaweed destined for aquaculture. Additionally, it also optimizes the cultivation of seaweeds, specifically U. ohnoi, using effluent from biofloc systems.
Exercise cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to assess dynamic right ventricular outflow tract obstruction in congenital heart disease: a case report

Abstract Background Right ventricular outflow tract obstruction in patients with congenital heart disease is usually assessed using echocardiographic peak instantaneous gradient at rest. Since right ventricular outflow tract obstruction may change during exercise (dynamic right ventricular outflow tract obstruction), we present a case emphasizing the potential use of exercise cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). Case summary We discuss a 15-year-old patient with repaired mid-ventricular sub-pulmonary stenosis type double-chambered right ventricle causing right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and symptoms on exertion. In this case, exercise CMR imaging provided additional information, allowing adequate surgical planning. Discussion The additional value of exercise CMR imaging in a case of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction was described. Although exercise cardiac magnetic resonance imaging did not show a significant increase in peak gradient across the right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, shifting and D-shaping of the interventricular septum with subsequent insufficient left ventricular filling (preload) was observed in the patient with recurrent double-chambered right ventricle. This case demonstrates how exercise CMR imaging can be helpful in the clinical decision beyond standard echocardiographic evaluation by providing additional evidence of adverse haemodynamics during exercise.
The Lean Six Sigma Algorithm—A Roadmap for Implementation

In competitive environments, such as batch manufacturing, Lean and Six Sigma offer the proper tools as a paramount advantage to the companies who choose to adopt their principles. With the main purpose of decreasing the failure rate of continuous improvement projects due to high abandon levels across the globe, a Lean Six Sigma algorithm has been generated, tested and validated in the pharmaceutical industry. The present paper will reveal the core implementation steps regarding the suggested algorithm, the critical tools used and results obtained through implementing the proposed roadmap.
Finite Element Modeling of Moisture Transfer During Storage of Mixed Multicomponent Dried Foods

A finite element model is described that can be used for predicting moisture transfer in mixed food products during storage. Two of three components (raisins, roasted peanuts, banana chips, and roasted almonds) were packed in a well sealed cup. The rate of moisture transfer between the components was assumed to be limited by the component with the Lowest effective diffusion coefficient divided by the square of half of smallest dimension (i.e., DeffLo2) value. The surface moisture content of the rate determining component was assumed to be in equilibrium with the other component(s) at all times. The mean error between the experimental and predicted moisture values with time ranged from 0.28% to 0.84% as a percentage of moisture content.
Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE) in the Headspace Analysis of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants

A new sampling technique, Headspace Sorptive Extraction (HSSE), is here applied for the first time to the headspace sampling of medicinal and aromatic plants. The analyte partition coefficient between HSSE-PDMS stir bar and sample headspace (K1), the concentration factor (CF), the reproducibility, and the minimum recoverable amount were determined by analyzing standard solution of high volatility C5–C7 compounds with different polarities and structures (cyclohexane, propyl acetate, hexanal, 1-hexen-3-ol, isoamyl acetate, and 2-heptanol). Four aromatic and medicinal plants, viz. rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), sage (Salvia officinalis L.), thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), and valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) were analyzed by HSSE-GC with PDMS stir bars, and their concentration capacity was compared with those of S-HS and HS-SPME with different fibers. HSSE showed very high concentration capability with both standard and real sample components.
Urban Riverway Extraction from High-Resolution SAR Image Based on Blocking Segmentation and Discontinuity Connection

An urban riverway extraction method is proposed for high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. First, the original image is partitioned into overlapping sub-image blocks, in which the sub-image blocks that do not cover riverways are regarded as background. Sub-image blocks covering riverways are then filtered using the iterative adaptive speckle reduction anisotropic diffusion (SRAD) that introduces the relative signal-to-noise ratio (RSNR). The filtered images are segmented quickly by the Sauvola algorithm, and the false riverway fragments are removed by the area and aspect ratio of the connected component in the segmentation results. Using the minimum convex hull of each riverway segment as the connection object, the seeds are automatically determined by the difference between adjacent pyramid layers, and the sub-image block riverway extraction result is used as the bottom layer. The discontinuity connection between river segments is achieved by multi-layer region growth. Finally, the processed sub-image blocks are stitched to get the riverway extraction results for the entire image. To verify the applicability and usefulness of the proposed approach, high-resolution SAR imagery obtained by the Gaofen-3 (GF-3) satellite was used in the assessment. The qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively and completely extract complex urban riverways from high-resolution SAR images.
Association between apolipoprotein E polymorphism and lipid profile in patients of myocardial infarction

Objective: To determine the effect of apo E polymorphism on lipid profile in patients of myocardial infarction as well as normal healthy controls. Subjects and Method: Total 100 acute myocardial infarction patients with age and gender matched controls, within age ranging from 25 to 80 years were included. Lipid profile levels of MI patients and controls were estimated by standard methods. DNA’s were extracted by salting out method and Genotypes for Apo-E were determined by Multiplex Amplification Refractory Mutation System PCR. Results: The total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, TC/HDL-C ratio, LDL-C/HDL-C ratio level was significantly increased (P < 0.01) in E4E4 allele than E3E3 allele. Analysis of variants has significant difference (P < 0.01) observed in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in all Apo E alleles of MI patients. Conclusion: Our results suggestive that the risk of myocardial infarction with Apo E4E4 alleles.
Review of Two-tier Tests in the Studies: Creating a New Pathway for Development of Two-tier Tests

One of the diagnostic tests which is very valuable and used in education frequently is two-tier test. Two-tier tests are used for different purposes such as determining misconceptions, determining the comprehension level of students and etc. Due to the wide and effective uses of two-tier tests, there are different studies in which twotier tests are developed in science education. The aim of the present study is to review the studies in which twotier tests are developed and used in different study and sample settings. Additionally, development steps of twotier tests have been examined in depth. Through this review study, samples and subjects‘ areas to whom and which two-tier tests are applied; the style of the two-tier tests and development process of the tests have been examined heedfully. As a result of in-depth examinations of the studies, a new and effective way for developing two-tier tests is proposed at the final phase of the study.
Contribution of international tourism to economic growth of Kerala: a subnational-level analysis in India

ABSTRACT The study attempts to understand the contribution of international tourism on economic growth at a sub-national level (i.e. for Kerala) of the Indian economy. By exercising Johansen cointegration test and Vector Error Correction Model on the annual data from 1980 to 2017, it reveals the existence of a positive long-run association between tourism and economic growth. It finds that an increase of Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTA) by 1% leads to almost a same percentage increase in Gross State Domestic Product (by 0.97%) in the long-run. Thus, it suggests that tourism has a significant potential of unleashing the economic growth of Kerala and this is found to be robust with the use of alternative econometric estimation methods.
Atomic structure of the (111) surface of the antiferromagnetic 1/1 Au-Al-Tb approximant

The recently discovered antiferromagnetic 1/1 Au–Al–Tb approximant exhibits a whirling spin order oriented along the [111] direction. Here, we report an investigation of the atomic structure of the (111) surface by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. STM reveals a Tb–terminated step–terrace morphology, with step heights appearing to minimize the number of ‘broken’ bulk icosahedra. The atomic structure of the terraces is bias dependent, with Tb atoms imaged under positive bias and Au/Al atoms under negative bias. The surface is found to reconstruct, with the Au/Al atoms producing a linear row structure, the ﬁrst example of a surface reconstruction in a Tsai–type system. These observations are conﬁrmed by DFT calculations.
A theoretical and experimental investigation of copper electrode erosion in electric arc heaters: I. The thermophysical model

A simple model is reported for copper electrode erosion in electric arc heaters as a result of electrode surface fusion by the action of the arc spot. In the analysis we substitute the real arc spot by an intensive moving surface heat source. The time evolution and the distribution of the electrode surface temperature within the arc spot is studied in coordinates coupled with the moving heat source. The electrode erosion is attributed in the model to the unbalance between the heat supply and the heat removal due to the development of an arc spot fusion zone. An erosion effective enthalpy is applied in the analysis, including all physical processes for the material transformation from the solid state into the plasma state under the action of the intensive heat flux. Formulae were obtained that enable one to calculate the electrode erosion as a function of arc velocity, electrode temperature, current, near-electrode thermal volt-equivalent, current density and electrode material properties. We show briefly that the theory agrees reasonably well with experimental results. The present model enables us to reveal the relative significance of the different parameters in the erosion process and to predict the erosion behaviour in copper electrode electric arc heaters.
Reaction of Gaseous Nitric Oxide with Nitric Acid on Silica Surfaces in the Presence of Water at Room Temperature

The reaction of gaseous NO with HNO3 on borosilicate glass in the presence of water was studied as a function of surface water coverage at 298 K and a total pressure of one atm in N2. The loss of gaseous NO and the formation of NO2 were measured in a long path cell using FTIR. The glass walls of the cell provided the surface upon which the chemistry occurred. Water coverages on thin glass cover disks were determined in a separate apparatus by measuring the intensity of the infrared band of liquid water at 3400 cm-1. Approximately one monolayer was present on the surface at 20% RH and 12 monolayers at 100% RH. The rate of the reaction of NO with HNO3 on the surface was the largest under conditions where approximately three surface monolayers of water were present on the surface. We propose a model for this reaction in which HNO3, added first to the dry cell, hydrogen-bonds to the silanol groups on the surface. The first step in the reaction is believed to be HNO3(surface) + NO(g) → HONO(surface) + NO2(g).
Study of a measurement system and a method for determining the distance between the grooves of a hydraulic valve

Hydraulic valves are critical control components of hydraulic systems. To ensure hydraulic control systems are accurate, the distance between the grooves of hydraulic valves should be measured. This distance critically impacts how much oil is fed. In previous measurements, a coordinate-measuring machine or a universal tool microscope were applied. However, these two methods exhibited low measuring precision in terms of center eccentricity, incorrect initial position, boresight error, etc. In the present study, a high-precision non-contact automatic instrument is developed that solves chord length and uses a machine-vision technique to determine distance. Besides, an angle-compensation method is proposed to remedy the boresight error attributed to motion control in a closed-loop system. Moreover, an eccentricity-correction method is put forward to correct the angular error attributed to the eccentricity of the measurement system, enhancing measurement precision. As revealed by the experimental results, the maximum limit error of a single measurement is less than 3.3 μ m , verifying the feasibility of the novel instrument.