Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Localization of Phenolic Compounds in the Root Cap Columella of Six-year-old Dry Seeds of Brassica napus during Imbibition and Germination

Abstract In 6-year-old seeds of Brassica napus the columella cells have no necroses and resemble in structure the cells of the 2-year-old embryo. The outermost layer of the columella shows a structure similar to that of the lateral region of the root cap, as it contains protein bodies, rare in layers of the columella closer to the promeristem, which, in turn, contain numerous mitochondria and plastids. Phenolic compounds in the dry embryo are on the surface of the root cap in the space between the plasmalemma and the cell wall, and in small vesicles which presumably remained from degradation of ER. Imbibition promotes further extrusion of phenolics outside the plasma membrane. Long sheets of ER are visible after 9 h imbibition. After 24 h phenolics of more dense structure are localized in some dilated parts of the ER. This suggests that new production of defence compounds starts within 24 h in water, a few hours earlier than in 2-year-old seeds.
Diagnostic radiographic examinations in Saudi Arabia based on thermoluminescent dosimetery

This study was performed as part of a comprehensive project to establish national diagnostic reference levels (NDRLs), for the first time, in Saudi Arabia. The study consisted of 240 patients who were referred for x-ray examinations at King Khalid University Hospital (KKUH) in Saudi Arabia. Patients’ information and exposure parameters for eight of the common x-ray examinations (12 standard projections) were evaluated. The patient mean dose values recorded at KKUH were compared with the corresponding values at other national institutions (Security Forces Hospital and King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology). The patient exposure parameters of several radiographic projections [chest (posterior anterior), skull (anterior posterior/posterior anterior and lateral), cervical spine (anterior posterior and lateral) and lumbar spine (anterior posterior and lateral)] measured at KKUH were compared with their corresponding values at the International Hospitals (Iran, United Kingdom and Malaysia). We found that the patient mean dose values recorded at KKUH varied widely from those recorded at the other national institutions. In addition, the patient exposure parameters recorded at KKUH varied from those measured at the international hospitals. Variations in patient dose arising from a specific X-ray examination may emerge from complex causes, but in general, low peak kilovolt and high milli Amperes were associated with the higher doses. The results of this study will prove useful information for the formulation of NDRLs and also provide local diagnostic reference levels for several diagnostic x-ray examinations at KKUH, other national institutions and international hospitals. Key words : Harshaw 3500 reader, national hospitals, radiographic examinations, thermoluminescent dosimeters, x-rays.
Short-Term Load Forecasting Using AMI Data

Accurate short-term load forecasting (STLF) is essential for the efficient operation of the power sector. Forecasting load at a fine granularity such as hourly loads of individual households is challenging due to higher volatility and inherent stochasticity. At the aggregate levels, such as monthly load at a grid, the uncertainties and fluctuations are averaged out; hence predicting load is more straightforward. This article proposes a method called forecasting using matrix factorization (FMF) for STLF. FMF only utilizes historical data from consumers’ smart meters to forecast future loads (does not use any noncalendar attributes, consumers’ demographics or activity patterns information, etc.) and can be applied to any locality. A prominent feature of FMF is that it works at any level of user-specified granularity, both in the temporal (from a single hour to days) and spatial dimensions (a single household to groups of consumers). We empirically evaluate FMF on three benchmark data sets and demonstrate that it significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of load forecasting. The computational complexity of FMF is also substantially less than known methods for STLF, such as long short-term memory neural networks, random forest, support vector machines, and regression trees.
Directed Blocking of TGF-β Receptor I Binding Site Using Tailored Peptide Segments to Inhibit its Signaling Pathway

Background: TGF-β isoforms play crucial roles in diverse cellular processes. Therefore, targeting and inhibiting TGF-β signaling pathway provides a potential therapeutic opportunity. TGF-β isoforms bind and bring the receptors (TβRII and TβRI) together to form a signaling complex in an ordered manner. Objectives: Herein, an antagonistic variant of TGF-β (AnTβ) has been designed and prepared to inhibit the formation of signaling complex and consequently its signaling pathway. This TGF-β homodimeric variant contains intact TβRII binding sites and blocked TβRI binding sites by substituting three peptide segments. So, AnTβ could only bind to TβRII, but prevent binding and recruitment of TβRI to form a signaling complex. Materials and Methods: A reliable model of AnTβ was built and reﬁned using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, followed by investigating the interactions of AnTβ with the receptors using in silico docking studies. After expression of disulfide-linked AnTβ in a SHuffle strain and purification of the protein using affinity chromatography, its biological activity was evaluated using Mink lung epithelial cells (Mvl Lu). Results: No meaningful significant changes in AnTβ structure were observed when compared with the native protein. Based on the docking analysis, AnTβ binds to TβRII similar to TGF-β and its binding to TβRI was diminished considerably which was consistent with our design purpose. Cell-based bioassay indicated that AnTβ could modulate TGF-β-induced cell growth inhibition. Conclusions: Our analysis suggests that the antagonistic potency of AnTβ can be used as an anti-TGFβ signaling factor in the future perspectives.
Nutrient availability during the early stages of colonization of fresh forage by rumen micro-organisms

Kingston-Smith, A. H. , Bollard, A. L. , Thomas, B. J., Brooks, A. E. , Theodorou, M. K. (2003). Nutrient availability during the early stages of colonization of fresh forage by rumen micro-organisms. New Phytologist, 158, (1), 119-130. Sponsorship: BBSRC; DEFRA
Potential of pigeon pea as a trap crop for control of fruit worm infestation and damage to okra

The potential of perimeter trap cropping, using short and extra‐short duration pigeon pea (SD PP and ESD PP), sorghum and cotton, was evaluated in Niger as an agroecological alternative to pesticide application on okra for the management of the tomato fruit worm (TFW) Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner). In 2008, infestation by TFW and damage by fruit worms of unsprayed okra with SD PP borders was intermediate between cypermethrin‐sprayed and unsprayed pure okra crops. In 2009, the cypermethrin‐sprayed okra was significantly less damaged by fruit worms than in the unsprayed pure okra, as well as in the unsprayed okra crops with SD PP, sorghum and cotton borders. In 2010, the pure okra crop sprayed with cypermethrin was significantly less infested by TFW than the unsprayed pure okra crop and the unsprayed okra crop with SD PP borders. The unsprayed okra crop with ESD PP borders was intermediate between cypermethrin‐sprayed and unsprayed pure okra crops. The slightly lower TFW infestation of the unsprayed okra crop with ESD PP borders was a result of increased top‐down regulation by predator spiders, whose colonization was significantly higher on the unsprayed okra crop with ESD PP borders than on both (sprayed and unsprayed) pure okra crops.
SPINS: Security Protocols for Sensor Networks

Wireless sensor networks will be widely deployed in the near future. While much research has focused on making these networks feasible and useful, security has received little attention. We present a suite of security protocols optimized for sensor networks: SPINS. SPINS has two secure building blocks: SNEP and μTESLA. SNEP includes: data confidentiality, two-party data authentication, and evidence of data freshness. μTESLA provides authenticated broadcast for severely resource-constrained environments. We implemented the above protocols, and show that they are practical even on minimal hardware: the performance of the protocol suite easily matches the data rate of our network. Additionally, we demonstrate that the suite can be used for building higher level protocols.
Effortful Control Moderates the Relation Between Electronic-Media Use and Objective Sleep Indicators in Childhood

Electronic-media use is associated with sleep disruptions in childhood and adolescence, although research relies primarily on subjective sleep. Effortful control, a dimension of self-regulation, may mitigate this association by helping children disengage from and regulate responses to media. We examined associations between media use and multiple actigraph-measured sleep parameters at mean and day levels and tested children’s effortful control as a moderator of mean-level relations. We collected actigraph data and parents’ diary reports of children’s prebedtime television, video-game, laptop, desktop, cell-phone, and tablet use in 547 twin children (7–9 years old; 51.74% female). Mean-level media use was associated with bedtime and sleep duration. For the proportion of nights on which twins used media, but not the average number of media types, effortful control attenuated associations between media use and reduced sleep duration and efficiency. Day-level media use was related only to bedtime. Findings replicate and extend existing research and highlight self-regulation as a potential protective factor.
The importance of thiamine (vitamin B1) in plant health: From crop yield to biofortification

Ensuring that people have access to sufficient and nutritious food is necessary for a healthy life and the core tenet of food security. With the global population set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, and the compounding effects of climate change, the planet is facing challenges that necessitate significant and rapid changes in agricultural practices. In the effort to provide food in terms of calories, the essential contribution of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to nutrition is often overlooked. Here, we focus on the importance of thiamine (vitamin B1) in plant health and discuss its impact on human health. Vitamin B1 is an essential dietary component, and deficiencies in this micronutrient underlie several diseases, notably nervous system disorders. The predominant source of dietary vitamin B1 is plant-based foods. Moreover, vitamin B1 is also vital for plants themselves, and its benefits in plant health have received less attention than in the human health sphere. In general, vitamin B1 is well-characterized for its role as a coenzyme in metabolic pathways, particularly those involved in energy production and central metabolism, including carbon assimilation and respiration. Vitamin B1 is also emerging as an important component of plant stress responses, and several noncoenzyme roles of this vitamin are being characterized. We summarize the importance of vitamin B1 in plants from the perspective of food security, including its roles in plant disease resistance, stress tolerance, and crop yield, and review the potential benefits of biofortification of crops with increased vitamin B1 content to improve human health.
How well does TSTin3D predict risk of active tuberculosis in the Canadian immigrant population? An External Validation Study.

BACKGROUND TSTin3D, a tool for estimating risk of active tuberculosis (TB) in individuals with latent TB infection (LTBI), has been in use for over a decade, but its predictive performance has never been evaluated.Methods People with a positive skin test or interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) result from 1985 to 2015 were identified using a health administrative data linkage involving migrants to British Columbia, Canada. Comorbid conditions at time of LTBI testing (e.g., HIV, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, etc.) were identified from physician claims, hospitalization, vital statistics, outpatient prescription, kidney, and HIV databases. The risk of developing active TB within 2 and 5 years were estimated using TSTin3D and the discrimination and calibration of these estimates were evaluated through model-based performance indices and graphical methods. RESULTS A total of 37,163 individuals met study inclusion criteria; 10.4% were tested by IGRA. Generally, the TSTin3D algorithm assigned higher risks to demographic and clinical groups known to have higher active TB risks. Concordance estimates ranged from 0.66 to 0.68 in 2- and 5-year timeframes. Comparing predicted to observed counts suggests that TSTin3D overestimates active TB risks and that overestimation increases over time (with relative bias of 3% and 12% in 2- and 5-year periods, respectively). Calibration plots also suggest that overestimation increases towards the upper end of the risk spectrum. CONCLUSION TSTin3D can discriminate adequately between people who developed and did not develop active TB in this linked database of migrants with predominately positive skin tests. Further work may be needed to improve TSTin3D's calibration.
The Lingering Effects of Losing and Nonvoting on Institutional Trust: An Analysis of South Korea

To what extent do supporters of electoral losers and nonvoters maintain lower evaluations of institutions post-election? A sizable literature identifies a divergence in perceptions among winners and losers regarding democratic satisfaction, with few studies extending this to perceptions of other electoral and nonelectoral institutions nor to include nonvoters. The timing of the 2015 Asian Barometer survey in South Korea allows us to identify evaluation prior to Park Geun-Hye’s impeachment scandal. Analysis consistently finds that those who supported the losing presidential candidate in 2012 maintained lower evaluations of institutions, with inconsistent results regarding nonvoters.
Positive youth development as an improvement resource in odds-beating secondary schools

Abstract This multiple case study examines practices of educators in high schools called “odds-beaters”. These schools are exemplary in that they consistently achieve better-than-predicted graduation outcomes among economically disadvantaged, African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and English language learners. Findings from this study revealed that these schools are characterized in part by educators’ priorities for an interdisciplinary specialization known as positive youth development (PYD). These priorities are expressed in how educators talk about young people; their use of PYD practices as a school improvement resource; and their strategies for facilitating students’ engagement, agency, and identity development. The PYD practices evidenced in these schools offer insights for others and serve as a source for those struggling to improve college and career readiness among their diverse students.
Scaling up Grounded Theory: Problems, Implications and Options for Qualitative Researchers

The purpose of the grounded theory method is to develop a theory. While some grounded theories generated through the method have limited application because they tend to be grounded in the data of a single substantive area, if a substantive grounded theory is scaled up, it can be applied to more areas besides the substantive area from which it is derived. Therefore this paper outlines the options in scaling up a substantive grounded theory study.
Fraud and Market Participation: Social Relations as a Moderator of Organizational Misconduct

This paper extends organizational research on distrust to explain the effects of organizational misconduct on continued market participation after a fraud. I argue that social relations between fraud victims and perpetrators insulate against the formation and diffusion of distrust. Variation in market participation after a fraud occurs because victims who belong to the perpetrator’s social group are more likely to attribute blame to the organization that committed the fraud, while victims from social out-groups are more likely to generalize blame to the perpetrator’s social group and subsequently avoid other organizations and institutions governed by its members. The empirical setting is Kenya’s ethnically diverse Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), from which the country’s largest stockbrokerage was expelled in 2008 after defrauding one-quarter of its 100,000 clients. Analysis of NSE data on trades for victimized and non-victimized investors, as well as surnames that identify investors’ ethnicities, shows that clients from the same ethnic group as leaders of the corrupt brokerage are more likely than clients from rival ethnic groups to continue to participate in the market after a fraud and more likely to choose another intermediary operated by members of their ethnic group. But results also show that some victims invest more after the fraud and use less-trustworthy intermediaries to do so. This suggests that integrity-based trust may be a less effective coordination device in arm’s-length market transactions than in interpersonal transactions. A key implication is that misconduct does not simply reduce average participation in a market; it changes the market’s composition by filtering out diverse social groups that are more likely to demand stronger governance standards.
Dynamic Effect of Last Glacial Maximum Ice Sheet Topography on the East Asian Summer Monsoon

The effect of ice sheet topography on the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) during the Last Glacial Maximum is studied using CCSM3 in a hierarchy of model configurations. It is found that receding ice sheets result in a weakened EASM, with the reduced ice sheet thickness playing a major role. The lower ice sheet topography weakens the EASM through shifting the position of the midlatitude jet, and through altering Northern Hemisphere stationary waves. In the jet shifting mechanism, the lowering of ice sheets shifts the westerly jet northward and decreases the westerly jet over the subtropics in summer, which reduces the advection of dry enthalpy and in turn precipitation over the EASM region. In the stationary wave mechanism, the lowering of ice sheets induces an anomalous stationary wave train along the westerly waveguide that propagates into the EASM region, generating an equivalent-barotropic low response; this leads to reduced lower-tropospheric southerlies, which in turn reduces the dry enthalpy advection into East Asia, and hence the EASM precipitation.
Fatty Acids from Ganoderma lucidum Spores: Extraction, Identification and Quantification

Ganoderma lucidum is a rich and promising source of bioactive compounds capable of positively influencing the human health. For this reason, G. lucidum is the target of vigorous investigational activities, focusing on the extraction of substances with potential biomedical applications, as well as on the improvement of analytical methodologies for their screening. In the present study, three different extraction processes (i.e., extraction with n-hexane, in Soxhlet apparatus with n-hexane and reflux with chloroform) were employed to evaluate the lipid content of G. lucidum spores. The experimental data from the produced extracts were compared with ones from the commercial liquid extract obtained with supercritical CO2 extraction of G. lucidum spores. To achieve this goal, the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methodology was optimized for an accurate and reliable identification and quantification of fatty acids in triglycerides of G. lucidum spores. Significant amounts of oleic and palmitic acids were found in the examined extracts. In particular, our findings show that economical and convenient extraction procedures, which are simple, low cost and no need for expensive tools, allow to produce extracts with a lipid composition similar to the one obtained with hard strategies of extraction.
Predicting outcomes after acute reperfusion therapy for basilar artery occlusion

Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) leads to high rates of morbidity and mortality, despite successful recanalization. The discordance between flow restoration and long‐term functional status clouds clinical decision‐making regarding further aggressive care. We sought to develop and validate a practical, prognostic tool for the prediction of 3‐month favorable outcome after acute reperfusion therapy for BAO.
‘It’s Important for Us to Know How to Do Teamwork’: Perceptions of Chinese International Hospitality Students Regarding Teamwork Skills

ABSTRACT This article investigates the perceptions held by Chinese international students at one Australian university regarding the importance of teamwork skills for entry-level positions in the Chinese hotel industry and the development of these skills. The findings from 19 semi-structured interviews demonstrate that most respondents feel that it is crucial for Chinese international students to develop teamwork skills for the Chinese hotel industry. Even though some respondents reported positive experiences working on university assignments with other students of different nationalities, others felt that cross-cultural teamwork was challenging due to their perceived weak English language skills and lack of creative ideas. Some students also mentioned that they would like their university lecturers and tutors to assist them in the formation and facilitation of teams. The article recommends structured interventions regarding cross-cultural teamwork and continuous English language teaching to familiarize the Chinese international students with the challenges that they may face.
Younger age at diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemia is associated with better long‐term cognitive functioning

The evidence that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is highly effective in the induction of blast differentiation and its subsequent use in clinical practice induced a dramatic improvement in the outcome of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL), especially when associated with standard chemotherapy. Further advances have been made in the treatment of this disease with more recent arsenic trioxide (ATO)-based regimens. To illustrate, a recent update of the APL0406 Italian– German randomized trial showed that disease free survival at 72 months was 96-6% and 79-8% for patients treated with ATRA–ATO and ATRA chemotherapy, respectively. Given the notable therapeutic advances in this area, the number of APL survivors has substantially increased in recent years. However, little is known about the late effects of treatments and impact on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We aimed to examine long-term functional aspects and symptom burden, by age at diagnosis (<30 vs. ≥30 years) in APL patients. This age cut-off was based on previous AML studies indicating better clinical outcomes for younger patients compared to their older counterparts. We also investigated whether the impact of comorbidities on HRQOL outcomes varies by age at diagnosis.