Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soil Organic Carbon Stabilization: Influence of Tillage on Mineralogical and Chemical Parameters

The interaction of organic carbon (OC) with clay minerals and amorphous iron and aluminum oxides, especially in the finest soil fractions (<20 μm), represents a good method for its stabilization, and different tillage practices can improve or reduce the persistence of OC in soils. This study investigates the effects of conventional (CT) and no (NT) tillage and soil depth (0–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm) on the soil organic carbon (SOC) in four soil size fractions and its interactions with clay minerals and amorphous oxides. To identify the mineralogical composition of the four soil size fractions isolated from each soil, the X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) technique was used with near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, while the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique was used to determine the chemical composition of soil fractions. The higher OC content found in the finest soil fraction is related to its higher content of clay minerals and amorphous oxides. The SOC content is similar among CT and NT treatments as well as the mineralogical composition and the amount of amorphous oxides, suggesting that more than ten years of different tillage did not influence those parameters.
Scales of selection and perception: landscape heterogeneity of an important food resource influences habitat use by a large omnivore

Variation in food abundance and distribution influences animal foraging behavior, but response is contingent on the amount of resource heterogeneity detected, which is consistent with environmental ‘grain’ size. Large mammals presumably perceive their surroundings at broad spatial scales, but the importance of landscape-level food resource properties for habitat use is generally less understood. We evaluated the role of heterogeneity of Canada buffaloberry Shepherdia canadensis, defined by fruit distribution and variability in patch quality (fruit density), in grizzly bear Ursus arctos habitat selection by comparing patch- and landscape-level foraging strategies (resource use). Our objectives were to: 1) identify the spatial scale at which grizzly bears select buffaloberry fruit resources; 2) determine whether patch- or landscape-level foraging strategies explain resource use; and 3) assess the importance of resource heterogeneity in structuring habitat selection. Buffaloberry patch and landscape variables were combined with GPS radio-telemetry data from eight collared grizzly bears in west-central Alberta, Canada, to fit resource selection functions (RSFs). We found that a spatial scale of 1887 m, corresponding to an average travel distance for bears over 5.5 h, was the most supported scale for buffaloberry use. Landscape-level foraging strategies generally had more support than those of the patch-level, with spatial heterogeneity of buffaloberry patches best explaining grizzly bear selection for fruit resources. Bears selected for areas with a wider distribution of buffaloberry fruit and greater variability in patch quality, thus providing both a higher probability of shrub encounter and greater contrast between resource patches. A negative interaction between distribution and variability, however, indicated a tradeoff where use of areas with a more widespread fruit distribution decreased when variability in resource quality was high. These results demonstrate the influence of food resource heterogeneity on animal habitat use and emphasize the value in considering spatial scale in studies of animal—resource interactions.
A plant origin of Chinese propolis: Populus canadensis Moench

Honey bees make propolis from resins depending on resinous plants available in a particular environment. The aim of this work was to identify the plant origin of Chinese propolis. Through a combination of phytochemical analysis and behavior observation of worker bees, we find that worker bees collected resin on the bud surface of Populus canadensis Moench, and bud resin of P. canadensis presented high similarities between resin in worker bees’ corbiculae and propolis. The results reveal that P. canadensis, a hybrid variety of Populus nigra L. × Populus deltoides, is a plant origin of Chinese propolis. Characteristic components of Chinese propolis included benzyl caffeate, phenethyl caffeate, cinnamyl caffeate, cinnamyl p-cinnamate, pinobanksin-3-acetate, chrysin, pinocembrin, galangin, 5-methoxy pinobanksin, and pinobanksin. These compounds represented more than 80% of the total phenolic contents. This finding will help evaluate the quality and authenticity of poplar type propolis.
A fully Bayesian approach to sparse reduced-rank multivariate regression

In the context of high-dimensional multivariate linear regression, sparse reduced-rank regression (SRRR) provides a way to handle both variable selection and low-rank estimation problems. Although there has been extensive research on SRRR, statistical inference procedures that deal with the uncertainty due to variable selection and rank reduction are still limited. To fill this research gap, we develop a fully Bayesian approach to SRRR. A major difficulty that occurs in a fully Bayesian framework is that the dimension of parameter space varies with the selected variables and the reduced-rank. Due to the varying-dimensional problems, traditional Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods such as Gibbs sampler and Metropolis-Hastings algorithm are inapplicable in our Bayesian framework. To address this issue, we propose a new posterior computation procedure based on the Laplace approximation within the collapsed Gibbs sampler. A key feature of our fully Bayesian method is that the model uncertainty is automatically integrated out by the proposed MCMC computation. The proposed method is examined via simulation study and real data analysis.
DETERMINING THE EFFICACY OF ISOXYL, A MYCOLIC ACID INHIBITOR, IN VITRO AGAINST MYCOBACTERIA OTHER THAN MYCOBACTERIUM TUBERCULOSIS (MOTT) STRAINS

Mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MOTT) cause infections more commonly in the presence of predisposing factors and underlying diseases.They are also notably resistant to commonly used antituberculosis drugs. Total 11 clinical isolates MOTT were included in the study.Drug susceptibility testing of these isolates was performed by Resistant Ratio method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) pattern of these isolates of MOTT to mycelia acid synthesis inhibitors namely, Isoxyl(ISO) and Isoniazid (INH) were determined by agar dilution and broth dilution method. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) pattern of these isolates to ISO and INH werealso determined. Out of 11 MOTT isolates, 3 isolates were characterized as Mycobacteriumscrofulaceum, 3 isolates as Mycobacteriumfortuitum, 2 isolates as Mycobacteriumflavescens, 1 isolates as Mycobacterium terrae and 2 isolates as Mycobacteriumkansasi depending upon the results of biochemical tests.The MBC range of INH was found to be 0.025 to 6.4 μg/ml and of ISO was found to be 0.6 to 20 μg/ml. Bactericidal activity of ISO was 7.25 times lower than the activity of INH. It is well known that most MOTT species are more resistant to chemotherapeutic agents other than tubercle bacilli.The inhibitory activity of ISO was more to MOTT strains than Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains.There was low bactericidal activity of ISO to MOTT strains, but better than for Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. Article DOI: https://dx.doi. org/10.20319/lijshls.2015. s11.90107 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.
Visual Flow on Eye-Activity and Application of Learning Techniques for Visual Fatigue Analysis

All Smartphones have become a necessity rather than a utility. Not a single person can deny that our mobile phones go wherever we go. Phones were created as a means for more accessible communication over distance. The purpose of a phone has dramatically changed over the years by the technology advancement and the arrival of smartphones which provides many applications and make us stick to it. This study understands the correlation between the activity of eyes and flow level of the eye. Also, how the visual activity parameters are calculated will be discussed. This study enhances the understanding of visual fatigue caused due to the digital medium. Examine the subject’s eye flow level with smartphone and VDT utilisation. Besides, the application of learning algorithms, including machine learning/deep learning is massive with regards to analysing visual fatigue. The purpose of this study also going to discuss the application of both machine learning and deep learning on analysing visual fatigue caused by Digital Medium.
A trade-off between error and synchrony when using temporal codes

Neural oscillations can improve the fidelity of neural coding by grouping action potentials into synchronous windows of activity but this same effect can interfere with coding when action potentials become “over-synchronized”. Diseases ranging from Parkinson’s to epilepsy suggest such over-synchronization can lead to pathological outcomes, but the precise boundary separating healthy from pathological synchrony remains an open theoretical problem. In this paper, we focus on measuring the costs of translating from an aperiodic code to a rhythmic one and use the errors introduced in this translation to predict the rise of pathological results. We study a simple model of entrainment featuring a pacemaker population coupled to biophysical neurons. This model shows that “error” in individual cells’ computations can be traded for population-level synchronization of spike-times. But in this model error and synchronization are not traded linearly, but nonlinearly. The bulk of synchronization happens early with relatively low error. To predict this phenomenon we conceive of “voltage budget analysis”, where small time windows of membrane voltage in single cells can be partitioned into “oscillatory” and “computational”‘ terms. By comparing these terms we discover a set of inequalities that align with an inflection point in the curve of measured errors. In particular, when the entrainment and computational voltage terms are equal, the error curve plateaus. We show this point serves as a reliable natural boundary to define pathological synchrony in neurons. We also derive optimal algorithms for exchanging computational error with population synchrony. New and Noteworthy. We establish exact conditions for when rhythmic entrainment of precise spike-times in a neural population will improve or harm it’s ability to communicate.
Biochemical Quality Assessment of Fish Powder

The study carried out with a view to determining proximate and mineral composition of fish powder of five freshwater fish samples (Hypophthalmicthys molitrix, Labeo rohita, Cirrnina mrigala and Puntius sophore and small prawns). The samples collected from five local fish markets of Rajshahi city corporation were subjected to washing, gutting drying and grinding in order to make powder and homogenized sample which were preserved into plastic container for chemical analyses. All the activities were conducted in the laboratory of department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Major nutrient compositions of powder products such as protein, lipid, moisture, ash, carbohydrate, phosphorus, iron and calcium were estimated. Chemical compositions were found to vary among the species. The protein, lipid, moisture and ash content of five samples ranged from 54.31 (P. sophore) to 68.90% (small prawns), 13.33 (P. sophore) to 19.33% (L.rohita), 11.55 (L. rohita) to 13.95% (H. molitrix) and 0.16 (small prawns) to 0.44% (C. mrigala), respectively. The highest value of carbohydrate was 19.23% (P. sophore) and the lowest was 1.75% (C. mrigala). The calcium, iron and phosphorus content of the selected species varied from 2.49 (L. rohita) to 2.55g/kg (small prawns), 0.043 (H. molitrix and P. sophore) to 0.184g/kg (C. mrigala) and 0.94 (L. rohita) to 1.91g/kg (P.sophore), respectively.
Ovarian Metastasis as Initial Presentation of Primary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Introduction : Ovarian metastases from thyroid carcinoma are rare. It needs to be differentiated from malignancy occurring in the setting of struma ovarii as the management and prognosis of the two conditions are different. Case Report : A 50-year old lady presented with gradually increasing lower abdominal and low-back pain. Abdominal examination revealed a mass in the left lower quadrant. Histopathology examination of the resected thyroid specimen showed poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma with immunoreactivity for CK7 and TTF1 but not for CK20, Napsin or WT1. The patient received paclitaxel and carboplatin followed by palliative radiotherapy and I131 therapy. Conclusion : Ovarian metastases from thyroid carcinoma may pose a diagnostic dilemma. Histopathology and immunohistochemical studies are crucial in establishing the diagnosis and management planning.
Impact of sea spider parasitism on host clams: susceptibility and intensity-dependent mortality

Nymphonella tapetis (Pycnogonida, Ascorhynchidae) is an endoparasitic sea spider affecting bivalves. Recently, sea spiders have been found on a massive scale in the commercially important Manila clams (Veneridae, Ruditapes philippinarum) in Japan (Tokyo Bay). Simultaneously, mass mortality has occurred in this area. Local fishers assumed that this mass mortality was caused by the parasitic sea spider, despite the effect of the parasite and parasite intensity on the host being unknown. To evaluate the susceptibility of the Manila clam to sea spider infestation and the impact on mortality levels, we established six treatments at different infection intensities (density of newly hatched larvae of sea spiders) over a 6-month long laboratory experiment. We monitored mortality and three susceptibility indices (clearance rate, sand-burrowing speed and adductor muscle strength) under sufficient food conditions. Parasitization by sea spider affected clearance rate and sand-burrowing speed. The pattern of parasitic intensity effects on survival of Manila clam hosts was shown to be dependent on the levels of parasite numbers, i.e. clams with lower parasitic levels (total of <200 hatching larvae of sea spider given to a host) have a higher survival rate, and high mortality of host clams was shown in excessively higher parasitic densities (400–4000 individuals). Such pattern of parasitic effects on host survival might be one of the causes of mass mortality of Manila clams occurring in the field.
Adatok az Észak-Alföld vízibogár-faunájához (Coleoptera: Haliplidae, Dytiscidae, Noteridae, Gyrinidae, Spercheidae, Hydrochidae, Hydrophilidae) | Contribution to the water beetle fauna of north part of the Great Hungarian Plain (Coleoptera: Haliplidae, Dytiscidae, Noteridae, Gyrinidae, Spercheidae, 

Collecting data of 98 species of water beetles (11 Haliplidae, 51 Dytiscidae, 2 Noteridae, 3 Gyrinidae, 1 Spercheidae, 5 Hydrochidae, 25 Hydrophilidae) are given from 99 localities in north part of the Great Hungarian Plain. Ilybius crassus Thomson, 1856 is new to the fauna of Hungary.
Understanding the Role of the Constituting Elements of the AlCoCrFeNi High Entropy Alloy through the Investigation of Quaternary Alloys

Quinary AlCoCrFeNi high entropy alloy (HEA) is one of the most studied alloys in the recent decade due to its outstanding properties. However, it is still far from becoming an applicable industrial alloy. To our understanding, in order to promote this, the role of elements, constituting the quinary alloy, needs to be defined. Knowing the role of each element, modification of the quinary alloy toward minimization of its disadvantages will be possible. In the current research, we shed some light on this subject, presenting a thorough investigation of the microstructure (carried out using scanning and transmission electron microscopy) and mechanical properties, performed by microhardness and fractography post small punch test (SPT), of five equiatomic quaternary alloys, constituting the quinary system, namely: CoCrFeNi, AlCoFeNi, AlCoCrNi, AlCoCrFe, and AlCrFeNi. CoCrFeNi (i.e., w/o Al) was found to be Face Centered Cubic (FCC) solid solution, exhibiting relatively low micro-hardness and ductile fracture post SPT measurement. AlCoFeNi (i.e., w/o Cr) was essentially single phase B2. Other alloys had a mixed BCC + B2 dual phase content with variable microstructures and sizes of particles. The fine microstructure of the alloy without Ni implies eutectic solidification or spinodal decomposition. This fine microstructure imposed remarkable high hardness though the alloy was too brittle and unmachinable. Among the BCC/B2 mixture alloys, Fe and Co-less ones resembled the most quinary AlCoCrFeNi in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties.
Phenology of a dipterocarp forest with seasonal drought: Insights into the origin of general flowering

Our understanding of the factors that shape reproductive phenology in Southeast Asian tropical forests comes almost exclusively from studies of everwet, general flowering (GF) forests. Therefore, we examined the phenology of an evergreen dipterocarp forest in a climate exhibiting seasonal drought in Southeast Asia, with the aim of evaluating what evidence it brings to bear on the hypothesis that reproductive phenology in contemporary dipterocarp forests is the product of evolutionarily conserved responses to seasonal drought. We hypothesized that (1) dipterocarp forests that experience seasonal drought would exhibit annual reproduction and seasonality similar to that of forests with similar climates in other parts of the world, (2) within species, flowering frequency would be climate‐dependent, not a fixed trait, and (3) climatic events that cue flowering in everwet forests would also cue flowering in seasonally dry forests. From 2001 to 2009, we monitored flowering and fruiting monthly for 1,344 trees (>300 spp.) in a forest in Khao Chong (KC), Thailand that experiences an annual 2–4 month dry season, assessing frequency, duration, seasonality and synchrony of reproduction. We also examined phenological records for trees in three dipterocarp‐dominated forests in everwet climates. Reproductive phenology of the KC forest was more similar to tropical forests with similar rainfall seasonality in other parts of the world than it was to dipterocarp‐dominated forests in everwet regions of Southeast Asia. The forest exhibited annual reproduction, with peak flowering occurring at the end of the dry season and peak fruiting occurring early in the wet season. Approximately half of all species and individuals reproduced annually, including several species that are known to exhibit “general flowering” in everwet climates. Short dry spells appeared to cue flowering for early flowering species, while later flowering species may have responded to either low precipitation or temperature, consistent with data from everwet forests. GF behaviour also showed significant phylogenetic signal. Synthesis. Our results support the hypothesis that the phenological behaviour of both seasonal and everwet dipterocarp forests may have initially evolved in response to seasonal drought and that the general flowering phenomenon is a product of evolutionary conservatism.
Vascular bundle sheath and mesophyll regulation of leaf water balance in response to chitin

Plants can detect pathogen invasion by sensing pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). This sensing process leads to the induction of defense responses. Most PAMP mechanisms of action have been described in the guard cells. Here, we describe the effects of chitin, a PAMP found in fungal cell walls, on the cellular osmotic water permeability (Pf) of the leaf vascular bundle-sheath (BS) and mesophyll cells and its subsequent effect on leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf). The BS is a parenchymatic tissue that tightly encases the vascular system. BS cells have been shown to control Kleaf through changes in their Pf, for example, in response to ABA. It was recently reported that, in Arabidopsis, the chitin receptors chitin elicitor receptor kinase 1 (CERK1) and LYSINE MOTIF RECEPTOR KINASE 5 (LYK5) are highly expressed in the BS, as well as the neighboring mesophyll. Therefore, we studied the possible impact of chitin on these cells. Our results revealed that both BS cells and mesophyll cells exhibit a sharp decrease in Pf in response to chitin treatment. In addition, xylem-fed chitin decreased Kleaf and led to stomatal closure. However, an Atlyk5 mutant showed none of these responses. Complimenting AtLYK5 specifically in the BS cells (using the SCARECROW promoter) and transient expresion in mesophyll cells each resulted in a response to chitin that was similar to that observed in the wild type. These results suggest that BS and mesophyll cells each play a role in the perception of apoplastic chitin and in initiating chitin-triggered immunity. Significance Statement PAMP perception by plant receptors triggers various defense responses important for plant immunity. Here we provide new insights into a topic that has received a great deal of previous attention, revealing that a chitin immune response is present in additional leaf tissues other than the stomata. Chitin perception by the bundle sheath cells enwrapping the whole leaf vascular system decrease its cellular osmotic permeability and leaf hydraulic conductance. This in turn, leads to hydraulic signals being sent to the stomata and regulates whole-leaf water balance in response to chitin application and, perhaps, during fungal infection. Emphasizing the dynamic role of the BS in chitin-sensing and water balance regulation.
Identification of sequences of the interaction interface of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) and synthesis and characterization of IAPP-derived inhibitors of Aβ aggregation

Protein aggregation plays an important role in many cell degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). AD is associated with the self-assembly of the 40- 42 residue β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) whereas T2D is linked to the aggregation of the 37 residue long islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Both polypeptides Aβ and IAPP share in addition to their amyloidogenicity a high degree of sequence similarity. It has been previously shown that non-fibrillar and non-toxic Aβ and IAPP species bind each other with low nanomolar affinity and that Aβ-IAPP hetero-association suppresses cytotoxic self-association and amyloidogenesis by both peptides. In addition clinical and pathophysiological studies suggest that the two diseases might be linked to each other. Therefore, the characterization of the Aβ-IAPP interaction interface is an important task of biomedical research. The first aim of this thesis was to identify the regions that are involved in the Aβ-IAPP-cross- and self-interaction interfaces. The second goal of the thesis was the synthesis and biophysical as well as biochemical characterization of peptide inhibitors of Aβ aggregation.
The Role of Pre-mRNA Splicing and Splicing-Related Proteins in the Cold Acclimation Induced Adjustment of Photosynthesis and the Acquisition of Freezing Tolerance in Arabidopsis Thaliana

ii Résumé . iv Acknowledgements . vi Figure Legends . xiv Table Legends . xix List of Abbreviations . xxi Chapter 1: General introduction . 1 1.1 Transcriptional regulation of cold stress and acclimation . 1 1.1.1 CBF/DREB transcription factors . 5 1.1.2 CBF/DREB targets . 6 1.1.3 Effect of CBF/DREB overexpression . 7 1.1. 4 CBF-independent pathways . 9 1.1. 5 ABA-mediated regulation of cold acclimation . 11 1.2 Post-transcriptional regulation of cold stress/acclimation . 12 1.2. 1 Pre-mRNA splicing and plant stress responses . 13 1.2. 2 Serine/Arginine-rich proteins . 17 1.2. 3 Roles of SR proteins . 18 1.2. 4 Post-translational regulation of Serine/Arginine-rich proteins . 21 1.3 Physiological regulation of cold stress and acclimation . 29