Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trichome production and variation in young plant resistance to the specialist insect herbivore Plutella xylostella among natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata

The strength of plant‐herbivore interactions varies spatially and through plant ontogeny, which may result in variable selection on plant defense, both among populations and life‐history stages. To test whether populations have diverged in herbivore resistance at an early plant stage, we quantified oviposition preference and larval feeding by Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on young (5–6 weeks old) Arabidopsis lyrata (L.) O'Kane & Al‐Shehbaz (Brassicaceae) plants, originating from 12 natural populations, six from Sweden and six from Norway. Arabidopsis lyrata can be trichome‐producing or glabrous, with glabrous plants usually receiving more damage from insect herbivores in natural populations. We used the six populations polymorphic for trichome production to test whether resistance against P. xylostella differs between the glabrous and the trichome‐producing morph among young plants. There was considerable variation among populations in the number of eggs received and the proportion of leaf area consumed by P. xylostella, but not between regions (Sweden vs. Norway) or trichome morphs. Rosette size explained a significant portion of the variation in oviposition and larval feeding. The results demonstrate that among‐population variation in resistance to insect herbivory can be detected among very young individuals of the perennial herb A. lyrata. They further suggest that trichome densities are too low at this plant developmental stage to contribute to resistance, and that the observed among‐population variation in resistance is related to differences in other plant traits.
Retributive Responses

Retributive responses play a role in human behavior. Are they triggered primarily by supposed intentions or by observed consequences of actions? Experimental studies were conducted of retributive responses in situations in which the individual actor may inflict harmful consequences without intending to and intend harmful consequences without inflicting them. Results indicate that retributive responses are more strongly influenced by observed consequences than ascribed intentions. However, individual retributive motivations seem to be overshadowed by concerns that are nonretributive altogether, in that they focus on end-state distributions independently of who brought them about.
Design of Identification Based Adaptive Control for Fermentation Process in Bioreactor

The biochemical technology has been developing extremely fast since the middle of the last century. The main reason for such development represents a requirement for large production of high-quality biologically manufactured products such as pharmaceuticals, foods, and beverages. The impact of the biochemical industry on the world economy is enormous. The great importance of this industry also results in intensive development in scientific disciplines relevant to the development of biochemical technology. In addition to developments in the fields of biology and chemistry, which enable to understand complex biochemical processes, development in the field of control theory and applications is also very important. In the paper, the control for the biochemical reactor for the milk fermentation was studied. During the fermentation process, the biophysical quantities must be precisely controlled to obtain the high-quality product. To control these quantities, the bioreactor’s stirring drive and/or heating system can be used. Available commercial biochemical reactors are equipped with open loop or conventional linear closed loop control system. Due to the outstanding parameters variations and the partial nonlinearity of the biochemical process, the results obtained with these control systems are not satisfactory. To improve the fermentation process, the self-tuning adaptive control system was proposed. The use of the self-tuning adaptive control is suggested because the parameters’ variations of the studied biochemical process are very slow in most cases. To determine the linearized mathematical model of the fermentation process, the recursive least square identification method was used. Based on the obtained mathematical model the linear quadratic regulator was tuned. The parameters’ identification and the controller’s synthesis are executed on-line and adapt the controller’s parameters to the fermentation process’ dynamics during the operation. The use of the proposed combination represents the original solution for the control of the milk fermentation process. The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the progress of the control systems for the biochemical reactors. The proposed adaptive control system was tested thoroughly. From the obtained results it is obvious that the proposed adaptive control system assures much better following of the reference signal as a conventional linear control system with fixed control parameters. Keywords—Adaptive control, biochemical reactor, linear quadratic regulator, recursive least square identification.
Drivers’ Performance Examination using a Personalized Adaptive Curve Speed Warning: Driving Simulator Study

ABSTRACT A great number of traffic accidents occur during curve negotiation maneuvers. Most of these accidents could be avoided if drivers are provided with information that better guide them through the maneuver. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as Curve Speed Warning (CSW) have shown to be effective to improve safety on curve maneuvers by warning drivers of the speed required to make a safe curve maneuver. The effectiveness of such warning systems can potentially improve if the warnings are not only adapted to road and traffic condition but also adapted to individual drivers’ behavior. In this study, an Adaptive Curve Speed Warning (ACSW) system is developed that presents drivers a two-level visual and audio warning considering the variation in individual drivers’ perception-reaction time (PRT). The warning timing is adjusted according to a reward/punishment function to reinforce safer actions while providing an individualized in-time warning. Next, within a driving simulator environment, drivers’ performance using ACSW is compared to a CSW that does not consider PRT variation among drivers. Further, variation in drivers’ performance on curve maneuvers is discussed with respect to drivers’ approaching speed, variation in PRT, and braking behavior. Results show that drivers’ interaction with warning systems varies significantly based on their age and gender. In addition, results show how drivers approaching speed to a curve varies significantly based on road characteristics such as curve advisory speed and curve direction. Results from this study contribute to the development of more intelligent ADAS that could improve drivers’ comfort and safety.
Evaluation for Protective Effect of Rutin, a Natural Flavonoid, against HCl/Ethanol-Induced Gastric Lesions

In this study we investigated the protective effects of rutin, a natural plant flavonoid, on HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesions in rats. Rutin showed the antioxidant activities, the acid-neutralizing capacities, and the inhibitory effects on the growth of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori.), which are equivalent to control compounds. In addition, rutin significantly inhibited HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesions. Antigastritic action of rutin may be associated with the antioxidant activities, acid-neutralizing capacities, anti-H. pylori action, and the stimulation of mucus secretion. From these results, we could suggest that rutin may be useful for the treatment and/or protection of gastritis.
Development and standardization of an indirect ELISA for the serological diagnosis of classical swine fever

An indirect enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA-I) was developed and standardized for the serological diagnosis of classical swine fever (CSF). For the comparison, nine hundred and thirty-seven swine serum samples were tested by serum neutralization followed by immunoperoxidase staining (NPLA), considered as the standard. Of these, 223 were positive and 714 negative for neutralizing antibodies to classical swine fever virus (CSFV). In relation to the NPLA, the ELISA-I presented a 98.2% sensitivity; 92.86% specificity, 81.11% positive predictive value, 99.4% negative predictive value and a 94.1% precision. Statistical analysis showed a very strong correlation (r=0,94) between both tests. When compared to a commercially available ELISA kit, the performance of both, in relation to the NPLA, was similar. It was concluded that the ELISA-I is suitable for large scale screening of antibodies to classical swine fever virus, although it does not distinguish antibodies to classical swine fever virus from those induced by other pestiviruses.
A coordinated DC voltage control strategy for cascaded solid state transformer with star configuration

Cascaded solid-state transformer (SST) can be directly connected to the high-voltage distribution grid, and it has broad applications in the future smart grid, traction locomotive, and renewable energy integration. However, the reliability of the cascaded SST is seriously influenced by the DC voltage and power imbalance issues with this configuration. This paper presents a coordinated DC voltage control strategy for cascaded SST with star configuration, in which the average DC voltage and the balancing DC voltage are controlled separately without current sensors in dual active bridge (DAB) modules. This strategy not only reduces the cost and the complexity of the control system but also realizes the unbalanced reactive compensation to some extent. Simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility and validity of the proposed method
Media optimization for extra cellular tannase production by Klebsiella pneumoniae MTCC 7162 using response surface methodology

Klebsiella pneumoniae MTCC 7162, isolated from tannery effluent was used for the production of extracellular tannase. Central composite design (for nutritional parameters) and Box Behnken design (for physicochemical parameters) were used to arrive at conditions for maximal tannase production. Box Behnken design was statistically significant and indicated that pH is a significant factor for tannase production. A 6.5 fold increase of extra cellular tannase (22.7 U / ml) production was observed at the optimized conditions. The yield of extra cellular tannase obtained in this study, from a bacterial source, is the highest compared to that of the earlier reports. Key words: Klebsiella pneumoniae, extra cellular tannase, central composite design, Box Behnken design, response surface methodology.
Electroconvulsive Therapy Induces Cortical Morphological Alterations in Major Depressive Disorder Revealed with Surface-Based Morphometry Analysis

Although electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the most effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD), the mechanism underlying the therapeutic efficacy and side effects of ECT remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated alterations in the cortical morphological measurements including cortical thickness (CT), surface area (SA), and local gyrification index (LGI) in 23 MDD patients before and after ECT. Furthermore, multivariate pattern analysis using linear support vector machine (SVM) was applied to investigate whether the changed morphological measurements can be effective indicators for therapeutic efficacy of ECT. Surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis found significantly increased vertex-wise and regional cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) in widespread regions, mainly located in the left insula (INS) and left fusiform gyrus, as well as hypergyrification in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) in MDD patients after ECT. Partial correlational analyses identified associations between the morphological properties and depressive symptom scores and impaired memory scores. Moreover, SVM result showed that the changed morphological measurements were effective to classify the MDD patients before and after ECT. Our findings suggested that ECT may enhance cortical neuroplasticity to facilitate neurogenesis to remit depressive symptoms and to impair delayed memory. These findings indicated that the cortical morphometry is a good index for therapeutic efficacy of ECT.
Bacterial carbon cycling in a subarctic fjord: A seasonal study on microbial activity, growth efficiency, and virus‐induced mortality in Kobbefjord, Greenland

In this seasonal study, we examined the environmental controls and quantitative importance of bacterial carbon consumption in the water column and the sediment in the subarctic Kobbefjord, Greenland. Depth‐integrated bacterial production in the photic zone varied from 5.0 ± 2.7 mg C m−2 d−1 in February to 42 ± 28 mg C m−2 d−1 in May and 34 ± 7 mg C m−2 d−1 in September, corresponding to a bacterial production to primary production ratio of 0.34 ± 0.14, 0.07 ± 0.04, and 0.08 ± 0.06, respectively. Based on measured bacterial growth efficiencies (BGEs) of 0.09–0.10, pelagic bacterial carbon consumption was 54 ± 59 mg C m−2 d−1, 1194 ± 329 mg C m−2 d−1, and 689 ± 115 mg C m−2 d−1 in February, May, and September, respectively, which corresponded to 367%, 71%, and 87% of pelagic primary production. The average annual sediment respiration corresponded to 121 mg C m−2 d−1 and accounted for 17% of total microbial respiration in the system. Concentration of bioavailable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) ranged from 144 ± 37 µg C L−1 in the riverine input to the fjord to a maximum of 341 ± 37 µg C L−1 in the surface waters in September. Parallel enrichment experiments showed that bacterial production and BGE were positively correlated with BDOC concentration, suggesting that organic carbon availability was limiting bacterial activity and carbon conversion efficiency. Viral production was low (0.8–1.8 × 104 viruses mL−1 h−1) as compared to low‐latitude environments, suggesting a relatively small effect of viruses on bacterial mortality (4–36% of cell production) and carbon cycling. Heterotrophic bacterial consumption was closely coupled with autochthonous BDOC production, and the majority of the primary production was consumed by pelagic bacteria at all seasons. The relatively low measured BGE emphasized the importance of solid on‐site BGE estimates for assessing carbon budgets in marine environments.
Nonparametric Identification in the Dynamic Stochastic Block Model

We show nonparametric identification of the parameters in the dynamic stochastic block model as recently introduced by Matias and Miele (2017) in the case of binary, finitely weighted, and general edge states. We formulate conditions on the true parameters, which guarantee actual point identification instead of mere generic identification, and which also lead to novel conclusions in the static case. In particular, our results justify in terms of the identification of the applications by Matias and Miele to finitely weighted edges with three edge states. We also give numerical illustrations via the variational EM algorithm in simulation settings covered by our identification analysis.
Electro-photonics: an emerging field for photonic integrated circuits

Electro-Photonics combines the best of both electronics and optics to tackle the challenges of next generation optical communication networks in terms of capacity, flexibility, and energy efficiency. The optimal sharing of the processing work load between the electrical and optical domain brings considerable benefits to communication system complexity, performance, and construction as well as operational cost. As a key technology, photonic integrated circuits (PICs) play a critical role for the implementation of signal processing in the optical domain, serving for signal generation, switching, and acquisition. PICs point to advancing of network devices such as transmitters, receivers, and switches with desirable features of large bandwidth, high stability, precise control, easy tuning, and potential for low-cost fabrication by enabling miniaturization of complex optical systems on a chip scale. In this paper, we review the PIC research progress of the Monash Electro-Photonics Laboratory and its major contributions to the fields of optical communications and microwave photonics. We focus on applications in optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (O-OFDM), Nyquist wavelength division multiplexing (N-WDM), optical pulse manipulation, and programmable optical processors. The results of these works underline not only hardware fabrication capability and performance improvement for electrophotonics, but, more importantly, a new engineering paradigm that stimulates innovations in information and communication technologies.
Physiological requirements of the nonmevalonate pathway for photo-acclimation in Arabidopsis

The nonmevalonate pathway produces isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) in plastids, as does the mevalonate pathway present in the cytosol in higher plants. IPP is a precursor of an abundant array of isoprenoids, including pigments essential for photosynthesis. Two high-chlorophyll-fluorescence mutants, isp1-1 and isp1-2, in which the ispD gene was partially inactivated, were characterzed. The ispD gene encodes 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol synthase, which functions in the third step of the nonmevalonate pathway in plastids. In mutant seedlings cultured at 50 mmol photons m � 2 s � 1 , the photosynthetic electron transport activity and chlorophyll content were reduced. The phenotype was partially suppressed in seedlings cultured at a relatively high light intensity of 300 mmol photons m � 2 s � 1 . These results suggest that the full activity of the nonmevalonate pathway is essential for photo-acclimation, particularly to low light conditions.
MwoI and SmaI RFLPs polymorphisms of porcine obese gene and their association with carcass and meat characteristics of heavy pigs

The obese gene encodes leptin, a 16-kDa protein involved in the regulation of fat deposition and energy consumption. Backfat is one of the peculiar characteristics of Italian ham, and represents a fundamental quality factor. Therefore, the obese gene can be considered as a candidate marker for determining economically important production traits such as backfat thickness, feed intake, and growth rate in swine. The aim was to investigate the relationship between obese gene polymorphisms and carcass and meat characteristics of pigs reared for ham production. In the present research, the analyses of three new RFLPs are reported. An MwoI polymorphism occurs at nucleotide 1792, within the intron. Pigs heterozygous at this position have heavier thighs with a thinner layer of fat. Two SmaI polymorphisms occur at nucleotides 5018 and 5410 within the 3́ UTR of the obese gene. Animals heterozygous at position 5410 have characteristics suitable for the production of San Daniele ham: lower backfat thickness and heavier thighs with a thinner fat layer, relative to other genotypes
Age-dependent breeding dispersal and adult survival within a metapopulation of Common Terns Sterna hirundo

Dispersal is increasingly recognized as a process of fundamental importance in population dynamics and other aspects of biology. Concurrently, interest in age-dependent effects on survival, including actuarial senescence, has increased, especially in studies of long-lived seabirds. Nevertheless, datasets necessary for studying dispersal and age-dependent effects are few, as these require simultaneous data collection at two or more sites over many years. We conducted a 22-year capture-mark-recapture study of Common Terns Sterna hirundo at three breeding colonies 10–26 km apart in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, USA. All birds in the study were of known age (range 2–28 years, median 7 years, n = 3290) and 77% were of known sex. Estimates of adult recapture, survival and breeding dispersal rates were obtained for all age-classes from 2 to 20 years. The model that acquired 100% of the QAICc (Akaike’s Information Criterion adjusted for small sample size and overdispersion) weight in our analysis included age-specificity in all parameters but no relationship with sex. Our study may be the first to demonstrate age-specificity in recapture, survival and breeding dispersal rates simultaneously, using a single model. Annual rates of breeding dispersal ranged from <0.01 to 0.27, with a population-weighted mean of 0.065; they decreased with increasing distance between colony sites and, unexpectedly, increased with age. Breeding dispersal did not increase consistently after years with predation on adults or after an attempt to displace birds from an oiled site. Survival rates did not vary among sites or years. Annual adult survival increased from 0.80 in 2-year-old birds to a maximum of approximately 0.88 around age 8 years and then declined to 0.76 at age 20 years, yielding strong evidence for actuarial senescence. The peak annual survival rate of 0.88 is at the low end of other estimates for Common Tern and in the lower part of the range recorded for other terns, but total numbers in the three colonies increased seven-fold during the study. This was part of a slower increase in the regional population, with net immigration into the study colonies. Our results demonstrate the biological significance of breeding dispersal in local population dynamics and agerelated effects on survival and dispersal from a metapopulation of a long-lived seabird.
APPROXIMATE STOCHASTIC TECHNIQUES FOR DIVERSE ENGINEERING DYNAMICS APPLICATIONS

Generally, deterministic approaches are used in practice to analyze dynamic systems. Variations in loading conditions and material properties are taken into account by either selecting high, low or average values. Consequently, the uncertainty inherent in almost every dynamic analysis is considered just intuitively. To realistically capture the behavior of a dynamic system the intrinsic randomness must be appropriately modeled requiring concepts and methods of mathematical statistics and probability theory, as well as, random vibration theory. Undeniably, stochastic dynamics based approaches provide a more realistic modeling of the dynamic response of engineered systems allowing for enhanced design solutions. The prevailing approach used in the industry is the Monte Carlo simulation method. However, a well-known shortcoming of the method is the extensive computational cost required. Further, the class of problems of nonlinear random vibrations that lend themselves to exact solutions (e.g., via the associated Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation) is extremely limited. Therefore, approximate approaches are desired for solving nonlinear stochastic dynamics problems. The current thesis seeks to exploit approximate stochastic dynamics tools to solve engineering dynamics problems encountered in practice. In particular, the primary focus is directed towards the recently developed Wiener path integral technique, which has been shown to poses certain advantages over alternative well-established solution methodologies, namely, computational efficiency and accuracy. Two applications are investigated: the stochastic response of nonlinear vibratory energy harvesters, and, the depth determination of ice gouging events. The accuracy/reliability of the approximate approaches is demonstrated via comparisons with pertinent Monte Carlo simulation data.