Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of an effective technique for callus formation from mature embryos of Triticum spelta L. and Triticum aestivum L

Purpose. Introducing in vitro culture and obtaining calluses from mature embryos of 3 samples of spelt wheat with further quantitative comparison of their callusogenesis with 2 samples of soft wheat. Methods. For this study, 5 samples of hexaploid wheat were taken: 3 spelt and 2 soft wheat. Grain sterilization was performed with 96% ethyl alcohol and 5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Mature embryos were taken as in vitro explants. For callusogenesis, three types of Murashige and Skoog (MS) nutrient media with different component composition were used. The explants were cultured in the dark along 21 days. Results. The optimal conditions for the induction of tissue culture of Triticum spelta L. and Triticum aestivum L. from mature embryos were developed. The callus, obtained from the different samples, grown on the three types of modified MS nutrient medium did not differ morphologically. The spices of ‘Europa’ spelt, ‘Bunchuk’ and ‘Elegiya Myronivska’ soft wheat, regardless of the medium composition, differ by high callus formation efficiency, while the explants of ‘Zorya Ukrainy’ spelt produce slow callus formation. Conclusions. Mature embryo explants formed tissue culture of 3 spelt specimens and of 2 soft wheat specimens. It was found that the most effective for callus formation from the explants of mature soft wheat and spelt germs was the MS nutrient medium with 3% sucrose, supplemented by 2 mg/l of 2,4-D and 10 ml/l of argentum nitrate. The efficiency of callusogenesis on the 21 day of cultivation, depending on the sample, varied between 80.2% and 100.0%. The tested samples differed in their ability to form calluses on nutrient media with different component composition. Keywods: spelt; soft wheat; in vitro culture; callus; explants.
Lasers, Birthmarks, and Sturge‐Weber Syndrome: A Pilot Survey

There is limited or no data on the experience of patients with Sturge‐Weber Syndrome (SWS) and/or their parents who seek out laser treatments for their port‐wine birthmark (PWB). Our study aimed to develop a survey to understand patient perspectives on laser therapy and subsequent behaviors while focusing on three elements of the health belief model: perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers.
Imidazothiazole-based potent inhibitors of V600E-B-RAF kinase with promising anti-melanoma activity: biological and computational studies

Abstract A series of imidazothiazole derivatives possessing potential activity against melanoma cells were investigated for molecular mechanism of action. The target compounds were tested against V600E-B-RAF and RAF1 kinases. Compound 1zb is the most potent against both kinases with IC50 values 0.978 and 8.2 nM, respectively. It showed relative selectivity against V600E mutant B-RAF kinase. Compound 1zb was also tested against four melanoma cell lines and exerted superior potency (IC50 0.18-0.59 µM) compared to the reference standard drug, sorafenib (IC50 1.95-5.45 µM). Compound 1zb demonstrated also prominent selectivity towards melanoma cells than normal skin cells. It was further tested in whole-cell kinase assay and showed in-cell V600E-B-RAF kinase inhibition with IC50 of 0.19 µM. Compound 1zb induces apoptosis not necrosis in the most sensitive melanoma cell line, UACC-62. Furthermore, molecular dynamic and 3D-QSAR studies were done to investigate the binding mode and understand the pharmacophoric features of this series of compounds. Graphical Abstract
Synergies with and Resistance to Membrane-Active Peptides

Membrane-active peptides (MAPs) have long been thought of as the key to defeating antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. Such peptides, however, may not be sufficient alone. In this review, we seek to highlight some of the common pathways for resistance, as well as some avenues for potential synergy. This discussion takes place considering resistance, and/or synergy in the extracellular space, at the membrane, and during interaction, and/or removal. Overall, this review shows that researchers require improved definitions of resistance and a more thorough understanding of MAP-resistance mechanisms. The solution to combating resistance may ultimately come from an understanding of how to harness the power of synergistic drug combinations.
Evaluation of an automated immunoturbidimetric assay for detecting canine C-reactive protein

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a major acute-phase protein, and it is produced by the liver in response to a pro-inflammatory stimulus. Given that human and canine CRP have a similar molecular structure, the assays used for human CRP detection have been used to measure CRP concentrations in dogs. We evaluated the use of a human CRP assay (Biotecnica CRP assay) and validated its application in dogs. We analyzed 91 canine serum samples with a fully automated analyzer. Our validation was based on the evaluation of imprecision, limits of linearity, limits of quantification, and an evaluation of interferences. The new assay was also compared with the Randox CRP assay, a validated assay for the measurement of CRP. Intra- and inter-assay repeatability were <8% and <11%, respectively. The tested assay proportionally measured canine CRP in an analytical range up to 60 mg/L; however, hemoglobin, triglycerides, and bilirubin interfered with the determination. Good agreement, with the presence of proportional systematic bias, was observed between Biotecnica and Randox assays. The Biotecnica CRP assay provides reliable measurement of CRP in canine serum, provided that samples are free of interferents.
Effect of Organic Fertilizers on Selected Health Beneficial Bioactive Compounds and Aroma Profile of Red Topepo Sweet Pepper

Phytochemicals and antioxidant properties of red sweet pepper cv Topepo grown in soil amended with different organic fertilizers were compared with that grown in unamended soil. Organic fertilizers are an environmentally friendly alternative to recovery infertile soils that resulted from the intensified agricultural practices in red Topepo production. The aim was to discriminate the effects of organic fertilizers one from each other on the quality of red Topepo to find out the better sustainable fertilization practice for its cultivation. Results showed that compost from vegetable residues (CV) enhanced the synthesis of total phenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids, anthocyanins, as well as carbohydrates, antioxidant activities, and aroma profiling, compared to horse manure (HD), compost from olive pomace (CO), and control (CTR). The results indicated a specificity between the quality of red Topepo and compost composition, highlighting that vegetable residues increased the synthesis of secondary metabolites, enhancing sustainably, the nutraceutical, sensorial, and economic value of red Topepo. The fertilizer composition resulted largely responsible for the synthesis of bioactive compounds, flavor, and aroma of this fruit.
Efficacy and Safety of Laser‐Assisted Combination Chemotherapy: An Explorative Imaging‐Guided Treatment With 5‐Fluorouracil and Cisplatin for Basal Cell Carcinoma

Rising incidences of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) have increased the need for effective topical therapies. By enhancing cutaneous uptake of the chemotherapeutic agents, cisplatin and 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), laser‐assisted delivery may provide a new combination treatment for BCC. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate tumor response, safety, and drug biodistribution in tumors and blood after topical laser‐assisted 5‐FU + CIS treatment in BCC patients.
Albanian Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery AJTES Official Publication of the Albanian Society for Trauma and Emergency Surgery -ASTES Chairman of the editorial board:

Aim: We aimed to put forward the efficacy of abdominal CT performed for patients diagnosed with acute abdomen and to share our clinical findings in that regard. Methods: 216 patients who had been hospitalized in general Surgery Department due to acute abdomen had been analyzed retrospectively between october 2018January 2019. abdominal computerized tomography (CT) results had been discussed in terms of diagnostic accuracy and clinical outcomes. Results: 171 (79.2%) patients (M/F:95/76 (55.6% / 44.4%)) had been evaluated by computerized tomography (CT) due to various causes of acute abdomen. Patients who had been scanned more than once (n=13 (7.6%)) during theirs’ hospitalization period had longer average length of stays compared to those whom had been scanned for only once (n=158 (92.4%)) (multiple scanned:17 days vs single scanned:3 days; p=0.000). Besides, single-scanned patients had showed higher clinical accuracy compared to those with multi-scans (80.4% vs 61.5%, p=0.126). 28 ileus (84.8%) patients had been scanned by non-enteral computerized tomography (CT), and 12 (36.4%) of them had been given false radiological reviews. Conclusion: improper and redundant use of computerized tomography (CT) may cause prolongation of stays at the hospital, besides performing unnecessary scans do not improve diagnostic accuracy.
Postmodification via Thiol-click Chemistry Yields Hydrophilic Trityl-nitroxide Biradicals for Biomolecular High-Field Dynamic Nuclear Polarization.

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is a powerful method to enhance nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal intensities, enabling unprecedented applications in life and material science. An ultimate goal is to expand the use of DNP-enhanced solid-state NMR to ultra-high magnetic fields where optimal spectral resolution and sensitivity are integrated. Trityl-nitroxide (TN) biradicals have attracted significant interest in high-field DNP, but their application to complex (bio)molecules has so far been limited. Here we report a novel postmodification strategy for synthesis of hydrophilic TN biradicals in order to improve their biomolecular applications. Initially, three TN biradicals (referred as to NATriPols 1-3) with amino-acid linkers were synthesized. EPR studies showed that the α-position of the amino-acid linkers is an ideal modification site for these biradicals since their electron-electron magnetic interactions are marginally affected by the substituents at this position. Based on this finding, we synthesized NATriPol-4 with pyridine disulfide appended at the α-position. Postmodification of NATriPol-4 via thiol-click chemistry resulted in various TN biradicals including hydrophilic NATriPol-5 in a quantitative manner. Interestingly, DNP enhancements at 18.8 T of NATriPols for 13C,15N-proline in a glycerol/water matrix are inversely correlated with their hydrophobicity. Importantly, applications of hydrophilic NATriPol-5 and NATriPol-3 to biomolecules including a globular soluble protein and a membrane targeting peptide reveal significantly improved performance compared to TEMTriPol-1 and AMUPol. Our work provides an efficient approach for one-step synthesis of new polarizing agents with tunable physicochemical properties, thus expediting optimization of new biradicals for biomolecular applications at ultra-high magnetic fields.
Age- and Sex-Related Differential Associations between Body Composition and Diabetes Mellitus

Background The age- and sex-related differences on the impacts of body composition on diabetes mellitus (DM) remain uncertain. Methods The fourth and fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included 15,586 subjects over 30 years of age who completed dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate whether muscle mass index (MMI), defined as appendicular skeletal muscle divided by body mass index (BMI), and fat mass index (FMI), defined as trunk fat mass divided by BMI, were differently associated with DM according to age and sex. Results In multivariate logistic regression, the risk for DM significantly increased across quartiles of FMI in men aged ≥70. Meanwhile, MMI showed a protective association with DM in men of the same age. The odds ratios (ORs) for the highest quartile versus the lowest quartile of FMI and MMI were 3.116 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.405 to 6.914) and 0.295 (95% CI, 0.157 to 0.554), respectively. In women, the ORs of DM was significantly different across FMI quartiles in those over age 50. The highest quartile of FMI exhibited increased ORs of DM in subjects aged 50 to 69 (OR, 1.891; 95% CI, 1.229 to 2.908) and ≥70 (OR, 2.275; 95% CI, 1.103 to 4.69) compared to lowest quartile. However, MMI was not significantly associated with DM in women of all age groups. Conclusion Both FMI and MMI were independent risk factors for DM in men aged 70 years or more. In women over 50 years, FMI was independently associated with DM. There was no significant association between MMI and DM in women.
PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTS OF A FLAPPING WING IN THREE-DEGREE-OF-FREEDOM MOTIONS

liminary water tunnel experiment was cted on an insect wing performing three -of-freedom (3DOF) motions. A bi-fold mponent strain-gauge balance has been ped to measure the aerodynamic behavior ct’s flapping wings. t has been found that at lowto mid-range of attack, the normal force and pitching nt of the wing increase as the angle of increases. While at high angles of attack, hase shift between the motion and the ynamic loads becomes obvious. The um normal force appears some distance of the maximum angle of attack and ses dramatically thereafter as the angle ses further. ntroducing second and third degrees of m motions could further increase the um normal force compared with one-of freedom motion, indicating possible d stall caused by the additional motion.
Why I'm not Answering: Understanding Determinants of Classification of an Abstaining Classifier for Cancer Pathology Reports

Safe deployment of deep learning systems in critical real world applications requires models to make few mistakes, and only under predictable circumstances. Development of such a model is not yet possible, in general. In this work, we address this problem with an abstaining classifier tuned to have $>$95% accuracy, and identify the determinants of abstention with LIME (the Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations method). Essentially, we are training our model to learn the attributes of pathology reports that are likely to lead to incorrect classifications, albeit at the cost of reduced sensitivity. We demonstrate our method in a multitask setting to classify cancer pathology reports from the NCI SEER cancer registries on six tasks of greatest importance. For these tasks, we reduce the classification error rate by factors of 2-5 by abstaining on 25-45% of the reports. For the specific case of cancer site, we are able to identify metastasis and reports involving lymph nodes as responsible for many of the classification mistakes, and that the extent and types of mistakes vary systematically with cancer site (eg. breast, lung, and prostate). When combining across three of the tasks, our model classifies 50% of the reports with an accuracy greater than 95% for three of the six tasks and greater than 85% for all six tasks on the retained samples. By using this information, we expect to define work flows that incorporate machine learning only in the areas where it is sufficiently robust and accurate, saving human attention to areas where it is required.
DocEng'2020 Time-Quality Competition on Binarizing Photographed Documents

Document image binarization is a key process in many document processing platforms. The DocEng'2020 Time-Quality Competition on Binarizing Photographed Documents assessed the performance of eight new algorithms and also 41 other "classical" algorithms. Besides the quality of the binary image, the execution time of the algorithms was assessed. The evaluation dataset is composed of 32 documents photographed using four widely-used mobile devices with the strobe flash on and off, under several different angles of capture.
I D EAS AND PERSPECT IVES Mixed biodiversity benefits of agri-environment schemes in five European countries

D. Kleijn,* R. A. Baquero, Y. Clough, M. Dı́az, J. De Esteban, F. Fernández, D. Gabriel, F. Herzog, A. Holzschuh, R. Jöhl, E. Knop, A. Kruess, E. J. P. Marshall, I. Steffan-Dewenter, T. Tscharntke, J. Verhulst, T. M. West and J. L. Yela Abstract Agri-environment schemes are an increasingly important tool for the maintenance and restoration of farmland biodiversity in Europe but their ecological effects are poorly known. Scheme design is partly based on non-ecological considerations and poses important restrictions on evaluation studies. We describe a robust approach to evaluate agri-environment schemes and use it to evaluate the biodiversity effects of agrienvironment schemes in five European countries. We compared species density of vascular plants, birds, bees, grasshoppers and crickets, and spiders on 202 paired fields, one with an agri-environment scheme, the other conventionally managed. In all countries, agri-environment schemes had marginal to moderately positive effects on biodiversity. However, uncommon species benefited in only two of five countries and species listed in Red Data Books rarely benefited from agri-environment schemes. Scheme objectives may need to differentiate between biodiversity of common species that can be enhanced with relatively simple modifications in farming practices and diversity or abundance of endangered species which require more elaborate conservation measures.
Enhanced Mask R-CNN for Chinese Food Image Detection

Food image detection plays an essential role in visual object detection, considering its applicability in solutions that improve people’s nutritional status and thus their health-care. At present, most food detection technologies are aimed at Western food and Japanese food, but few at Chinese foods. In this work, we exert effort to establish a Chinese food image dataset called CF-108 that can be used as an essential data basis for Chinese food image detection. The CF-108 dataset contains most Chinese dishes and covers large variations in presentations of the same category. In addition, we introduce a training architecture that replaces the traditional convolution in mask region convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) with depthwise separable convolution, namely, Mask R-DSCNN, to reduce the expensive computation cost. Experiments demonstrate that Mask R-DSCNN can significantly reduce resource consumption and improve Chinese food images’ detection efficiency without hurting too much accuracy.
SOME ASPECTS OF 3D FEATURE PROFILE EVOLUTION SIMULATION OF SIO2 ETCHING

The primary goal of this paper is to present a methodology for 3D feature profile evolution modelling during SiO2 etching in fluorocarbon plasma based on the sparse field method for solving level set equations. Etching velocities on the profile surface are determined using Monte Carlo method for the particle flux calculations. The model takes into account pure chemical and ion-enhanced chemical etching mechanisms.
Computational approaches to non-convex, sparsity-inducing multi-penalty regularization

In this work we consider numerical efficiency and convergence rates for solvers of non-convex multi-penalty formulations when reconstructing sparse signals from noisy linear measurements. We extend an existing approach, based on reduction to an augmented single-penalty formulation, to the non-convex setting and discuss its computational intractability in large-scale applications. To circumvent this limitation, we propose an alternative single-penalty reduction based on infimal convolution that shares the benefits of the augmented approach but is computationally less dependent on the problem size. We provide linear convergence rates for both approaches, and their dependence on design parameters. Numerical experiments substantiate our theoretical findings.
TQM in Higher Education: A Search for New Insight

The number of higher education institutions, particularly universities, both public and private, has been enormously increased in Bangladesh. Despite the significant growth in number, there is an increasing concern for quality education in these higher education institutions. In order to address this concern, a number of scholars believe that Total Quality Management (TQM) can be an effective solution. However, there is a doubt to the extent to which it (TQM) will be applicable in higher education as it was originally developed for the manufacturing sector. In due course of evolution, TQM is now a well-accepted philosophy in service organizations. Since education is within the service sector, therefore, it can be assumed that it could play a vital role in assuring quality in higher education. The prime objective of this paper is to assess the potentials of TQM in improving and assuring quality in higher education and to develop general guidelines by highlighting key issues for quality assurance. Data and information for this qualitative paper have been collected through literature search, policy document analysis, expert interview, and personal observation. It is expected that the findings of this study would be able to offer a thoughtful insight regarding the applicability of TQM in higher education in a developing country context like Bangladesh.
THERMODYNAMIC ASSESSMENT OF STEAM-ACCUMULATION THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE IN CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER PLANTS

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants are usually coupled with Thermal Energy Storage (TES) in order to increase the generation capacity and reduce energy output fluctuations and the levelized cost of the energy. In Direct Steam Generation (DSG) CSP plants, a popular TES option relies on steam accumulation. This conventional option, however, is constrained by temperature and pressure limits, and delivers saturated or slightly superheated steam at low pressure during discharge, which is undesirable for part-load turbine operation. However, steam accumulation can be integrated with sensible-heat storage in concrete to provide high-temperature superheated steam at higher pressures. The conventional steam accumulation option and the integrated concrete-steam option are presented, analysed and compared in this paper. The comparison shows that the integrated option provides more storage capacity by utilizing most of the available thermal power in the solar receiver. Further, the integrated option delivers higher power output with enhanced thermal efficiency for longer periods when the power plant is solely operating using the stored thermal energy. An application to the 50 MW Khi Solar One CSP plant, based on solar tower and in operation in South Africa, is proposed.
Fault Tolerant Operation of Three-Phase 3 Level T-Type qZS Inverters using Sliding Mode Current Controllers

Due to the boost characteristic and the several possible outputs of quasi-Z-source inverters (qZSI), these topologies can be valuable options to operate under fault conditions, provided the controller is able to take advantage of the available output states. Thus, the development of control systems to take advantage of the available outputs is needed. Hence, this paper focuses on the development of a control system to operate a three-phase three-level T-Type qZSI under fault tolerant conditions. The controller is based on a sliding mode current controller associated to a vectorial modulator selecting the available outputs. The proposed strategy for the controller and modulator is presented taking into consideration the normal and fault-tolerant requirements. The strategy also considers the balance of the capacitors under fault tolerant condition. The converter operating in both modes is tested through several simulation studies.