Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated Cellular and Ad Hoc Relaying Systems: Analysis of Call Blocking Probability & Performance

— iCAR is a modern wireless technology. It is based on dividing the network area into some cells (areas) and integrating the cells. In iCAR, Ad-hoc networks are dynamically distributed and self-organized cellular systems. It allows internetwork communication between the topologies without infrastructure. The main purpose of iCAR is to present new architectures to address congestion in cellular systems due to unbalanced traffic. It can effectively increase system’s capacity and also can add interoperability between different networks. Here, we try to analyze whether the increasing traffic loads between the internetworking cells and limited capacity of the systems can be effectively balanced by the new architectures or not. We also interrogate how limited number of ARS stations is used for balancing congestion. We also evaluate the performance of iCAR in terms of ARS coverage.
Development of ambient marine standards using long-term data: An example from Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, has a coastline that occupies 76% of the country's Arabian Gulf coastline. The pressures accompanying the economic development that the country is undergoing ultimately affected the marine ecosystem including water and sediment quality. In order to protect the marine ecosystem and public health, the Environment Agency- Abu Dhabi developed ambient marine water and sediment quality standards using the long-term data collected along the coast of Abu Dhabi. Along with the data collected on 39 marine water quality and sediment parameters (hydrography, nutrients, and heavy metals), a review of best practices from jurisdictions whose approach was scientifically based and whose physical conditions were as similar as possible to those found in Abu Dhabi were used for the establishment of marine water and sediment quality limits. These promulgated ambient limits were then used to develop the marine water and sediment regulation that establish two uses of marine waters (protected and general) and an anti-degradation policy. In addition, the ambient water and sediment limits provide a bench mark to both assess trends that may indicate stress to marine flora and fauna and support the work of environmental permitting and enforcement.
New Boston marriages : news representations, respectability, and the politics of same-sex marriage

In 2006, Mariane Valverde announced the birth of what she called, “a new type in the history of sexuality” (155), the Respectable Same-Sex Couple. This work analyzes newspaper coverage of same-sex couples during the Massachusetts campaign for marriage equality to explore the content of and contours around that new socio-sexual category. The processes involved in the incorporation of lesbians and gay men into the governing relations of American society are used to explain the development of this type, and its replacement of the pathological Homosexual. The manufacture of respectability by movement activists is explored via the selection of “public face couples” as a framing strategy that links the lives of these couples to marriage itself and the hardships they suffer due to their inability to marry. The respectability of these couples and their incorporation as economic citizens is also linked to representations of professional status, upward mobility, economic success, and the creation of identity-based markets through entrepreneurial and consumptive practices. Boundaries around this respectability are evident in stories of failure, either to remain together as couples or to act in accordance with marital normative standards, while the boundaries between Heterosexuality and Homosexuality, and among and between same-sex and different-sex couples, are also being re-drawn as marriage becomes available. The broader historical transformation of lesbian and gay life is discusses in the development of new life-scripts becoming available. While these transformations have led to greater possibilities for the living of gay and lesbian lives, the absorption of these lives into governing relations also erases and expels other queer life practices and reinforces other forms of social inequality and
Amylase production potentials of bacterial isolates obtained from cassava root peels.

The amylase producing potentials of bacterial isolates associated with cassava peels obtained from five different locations within Delta State, Nigeria was investigated. The bacterial isolates were Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus sp. , Corynebacterium kutseri, Lactobacillus fermenti, Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens. Amylase producing ability was screened for, using nutrient agar supplemented with 1%(w/v) starch. Results obtained revealed that B. subtilis, B. megaterium, C. kutseri and L. fermenti had α – amylase producing ability. Amylase activity increased progressively with increase in incubation duration and decreased as incubation temperature increased. Highest amylase activities were obtained at 25 minutes of incubation and at temperatures that ranged from 26 to 37 o C. Amylase activity reduced from 940 - 2.35 unit/ml (B. substilis), 535.8 – 2.35 unit/ml (B. megatarium), 211.5 – 2.35 unit/ml (C. kutseri) and 446.5 – 23.5 unit/ml (L. fermenti) as incubation temperature increased from 26 - 60 o C. Cassava peels regarded as waste can therefore be explored as source of amylase producing bacteria which could thus be applied in the production of
Contribution de l'effectome et de l'effecteur de type 3 XopAC de Xanthomonas campestris pv. Campestris à l'agressivité sur A. Thaliana

Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) est un pathogene vasculaire bacterien responsable de la nervation noire des Brassicacees. Afin de coloniser ses plantes hotes, Xcc utilise un systeme de secretion de type 3 permettant d'injecter des proteines de virulence bacteriennes appelees effecteurs de type 3 (ET3) directement a l'interieur des cellules hotes. Les ET3 manipulent alors le metabolisme de la cellule hote et suppriment les defenses vegetales pour favoriser la multiplication de la bacterie. Dans le but d'identifier des ET3 associes a un changement d'agressivite sur deux ecotypes d'Arabidopsis thaliana (Kashmire et Columbia-0), une etude de genetique d'association (GWA) a ete mise au point en utilisant les ET3 variables de Xcc. L'etude de GWA et la mutagenese des ET3 de la souche 8004 ont permis d'identifier 9 ET3 associes a un changement differentiel d'agressivite de Xcc entre les deux ecotypes d'A. thaliana. Parmi eux, xopAC a ete identifie comme un gene majeur d'avirulence sur l'ecotype Col-0 tandis que xopAM est un gene mineur d'avirulence sur cette meme plante. L'analyse fonctionnelle de xopAC montre que les deux domaines de la proteine (LRR et Fic) sont necessaires a sa fonction d'avirulence sur l'ecotype Col-0 ainsi qu'a l'induction de necrose chez des plantes non hotes. Le domaine LRR est egalement requis pour la localisation membranaire de XopAC in planta. Enfin, la recherche des proteines vegetales cibles de XopAC a permis d'identifier deux Receptor-Like Cytoplasmic Kinases, RIPK et PBL2, requis pour la reconnaissance de la souche 8004 de Xcc chez Col-0. Ce travail pose les bases genetiques de la dissection de l'immunite des Brassicacees a Xcc.
Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia, A Review

The objective of the current review was to provide available information about the status and economic importance of contagious caprine Pleuropneumonia. Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is a highly contagious infectious disease of goats that causes inflammation of the lungs and accumulation of fluid in the chest cavity. It is a serious OIE -list B disease affecting goats in the Middle East, north and east Africa and Asia. Typical cases of CCPP are characterized by extreme fever (40.5-41.5°C), high morbidity and mortality rates in susceptible herds affecting all ages and both sexes and abortions in pregnant goats. It is transmitted via the respiratory route (infective aerosol) and is spread by close contact between goats. CCPP was thought to be highly specific to goats and is not zoonotic. The diagnosis is hampered by the fastidiousness of the causative mycoplasma but molecular-based tests like PCR have greatly improved detection. Rapid latex agglutination tests that can be performed at the pen side are also available for antibody detection. Clinically affected animals respond to a range of antibiotics although it is unlikely that this results in the complete elimination of the mycoplasma. Vaccines consisting of saponized organisms are protective but the quality and efficacy may be variable.
Dry root rot of chickpea: An overview

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is affected by several seed, soil and air borne diseases which are responsible for lowering its yield. Looking at present the area expandingin south zone; cropping system and the changing climate scenario, dry root rot of chickpea (Rhizoctonia balaticola (Taub.) Butler is becoming more severe in central and southern part of India where the crop is mostly grown under rainfed condition as soybean-chickpea or rice-chickpea/wheat. On the basis of current knowledge, an attempt has been made to present an overview of dry root rot of chickpea pertaining to basic, strategic and applied aspects of the disease viz., knowledge gaps, historical, occurrence and losses, effect of climate change on disease development, disease diagnostics, taxonomy, pathogen, histopathology, variability in pathogen and advances made so far to fill up the gaps in our knowledge to manage the disease by the means of host resistance, cultural control, biological control and chemical control.
Pincher-generated Nogo-A signalosomes mediate growth cone collapse and retrograde transport

The ability of adult CNS neurons to successfully regenerate their axons upon injuries such as stroke and spinal cord injury is very limited. Over the last two decades researches have focused on the challenging question of how to overcome this regenerative failure. The identification of the myelin associated neurite outgrowth inhibitor Nogo-A shed light on the inhibitory nature, compared to the PNS, of CNS myelin. Subsequent Nogo-A neutralization experiments led to successful CNS regeneration in animal models of spinal cord injury. The first part of Chapter 1 summarizes important findings regarding Nogo-A function as a neurite outgrowth inhibitor and gives insight into emerging roles of Nogo-A during development and disease. Nogo-A contains two inhibitory regions for neurite outgrowth inhibition: the Nogo66 region, also common to Nogo-B and Nogo-C, and the Nogo-A specific region, NogoΔ20. Whereas the signaling mechanisms of the Nogo66 region are well characterized, comparatively little is known about the signaling complex of NogoΔ20. Since blocking of the Nogo66 receptor complex does not completely abolish myelin inhibition of neurite outgrowth, it is of great importance to elucidate the Nogo66 receptor independent mechanism of Nogo-A signaling. Over the last few years it has become clear that endocytosis plays an active role during cellular communication. A number of surface ligandreceptor complexes are known to internalize into cells and signal from endosomes. The second part of Chapter 1 introduces endocytosis as a possible mechanism for NogoΔ20 signaling and reviews the known endocytic pathways. In Chapter 2 we find that the soluble, active NogoΔ20 fragment is internalized into neuronal cells. The internalization into early endosomes does not follow a conventional clathrin-and dynamin dependent route, it rather depends on the Pincher protein and the small GTPase Rac. This Pincher-mediated macroendocytosis of NogoΔ20 results in the formation of NogoΔ20 signalosomes that direct RhoA activation and growth cone collapse. In compartmentalized chamber cultures, NogoΔ20 is endocytosed into neurites and retrogradely transported to the cell bodies of DRG neurons, triggering RhoA activation en route and decreasing pCREB levels in cell bodies. The decrease of pCREB points towards an antagonistic regulation of the growth machinery by Nogo-A and neurotrophins. Taken together, the findings of the present thesis suggest that Pincher-dependent macroendocytosis may lead to the formation of a Nogo-A signaling endosome that is retrogradely transported from the axons to the cell body thus suppressing the neuronal growth program. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-005960506 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-32013 Dissertation Originally published at: Joset, A. Pincher-generated Nogo-A signalosomes mediate growth cone collapse and retrograde transport. 2009, University of Zurich / ETH Zurich, Faculty of Medicine. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-005960506
Sonochemical synthesis of polyoxometalate-stabilized gold nanoparticles for point-of-care determination of acetaminophen levels: preclinical study in an animal model

The aim of this study is the accurate and rapid detection of acetaminophen (AP) for point-of-care (POC) clinical diagnosis. Acetaminophen overdose causes acute liver failure and currently there is a lack of rapid quantitative detection methods for this drug in the emergency room. Here, low-frequency sonication (20 kHz) in the presence of phosphomolybdic acid (PMo12) was used to reduce Au3+ to Au0 and stabilize the resulting spherical Au0 nanoparticles (herein AuNPs). These AuNPs@PMo12 were used as nano-probes for the selective detection of acetaminophen in the presence of other commercial drugs. The optical sensing method we describe is based on the aggregation of AuNPs@PMo12 in the presence of acetaminophen, which produces a red-shift in the absorption spectrum of the AuNPs@PMo12, which is characterised by a color change from red to purple that is visible to the naked eye. Furthermore, the quantitative determination of acetaminophen concentrations can be carried out using the eyedropper function in Microsoft's PowerPoint or open access ImageJ software, using RGB (red, green, and blue) values. To prove the feasibility of this novel nanosensor, the concentration of acetaminophen was measured in over-the-counter pharmaceutical tablets and in serum samples taken from mice. This simple sensing approach offers high stability, selectivity, rapid detection time, and cost saving compared to other detection methods, which therefore opens the way for the development of quantitative POC acetaminophen detection using polyoxometalate-stabilized metal nanoparticles.
Teamwork Behavior in Relation to Teacher, Student, Curriculum, and Learning Environment in Iranian Agricultural Higher Education System

This study adopted a survey approach to address and determine the effects of educational system components on strengthening the teamwork behavior of students in the agricultural higher education system of Iran. The statistical population consisted of all agricultural students in five universities of Iran. A sample of 291 students was selected using random stratified sampling method with proportional allocation. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were analyzed by structural simulation technique using Smart PLS software. The results showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between teamwork behavior of students and the components of the higher education system, which included the teacher, student, curriculum, and the learning environment. The results also showed that the curriculum component had the most impact compared to other components. Also, the presented Applied Structural Equation Model is a strong theoretical model for predicting the teamwork behavior of the
Essential oil of Aloysia triphylla in Nile tilapia: anaesthesia, stress parameters and sensory evaluation of fillets

The optimum concentration of anaesthetic used to facilitate fish handling can be determined based on induction and recovery time, among other factors. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the essential oil of Aloysia triphylla (EOAT) as an anaesthetic in the handling of Nile tilapia juveniles. Nile tilapias exemplars were immersed at 0 (control group), 10, 20, 30, 40, 80, 150, 300 and 450 μL L−1 EOAT to evaluate sedation, anaesthesia and recovery time. The stress response was evaluated by the determination of plasma glucose, cortisol, lactate and paraoxonase levels in anaesthetized (300 μL L−1 EOAT) and non-anaesthetized fish. Fillets from both groups were evaluated for organoleptic characteristics (taste and odour). Concentrations of 80–450 μL L−1 EOAT were effective in inducing anaesthesia. There was a significant reduction in plasma cortisol levels one hour after handling in individuals anaesthetized with 300 μL L−1 EOAT compared to the control group. Tasters did not detect differences in fillet taste and odour between fish exposed and not exposed to EOAT. A concentration of 300 μL L−1 EOAT is recommended for handling Nile tilapia because it presents good anaesthetic induction and recovery times, causes a reduction in plasma cortisol levels one hour after handling and does not affect the taste or odour of the fillets.
Estimation of the essential inorganic constituents of commercial toothpastes

Commercial toothpastes, randomly sampled from the open market were analyzed for fluoride, phosphate, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, moisture content and pH. Colorimetry was used to determine the levels of fluoride using the SPADNS-zirconyl chloride method and phosphate using the phosphovanadomolybdate method. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer was used to determine the levels of calcium and magnesium, while Flame Photometry was used for sodium and potassium determination. Moisture content was 20-39%, with 85% of the samples having water levels > 29 wt %. The pH of the toothpastes ranged from 4-8, with 60% of them having a neutral pH. The levels of constituents depend on the method of solubilization of toothpaste, with concentrated nitric acid digestion giving the best results. The concentrations were: fluoride, 1.0-1.55; phosphate, 3-20; calcium, 0.04-1.26; sodium, 12-38; potassium, 0.01-0.99; and magnesium, 0.1-2.3 mg/g. The health implications for tooth care and of assimilation of the elements during the mouth cleansing process, especially when present at unacceptable levels, was discussed.
Influence of Urea on Butanol Production from Sugarcane Juice by Clostridium beijerinckii TISTR 1461

Nitrogen is the key factor influencing for butanol production. To improve the butanol production efficiency, the urea concentration was investigated for butanol production from sugarcane juice by Clostridium beijerinckii TISTR 1461. The addition of nutrients from P2 medium (excluding glucose) resulted in a butanol (9.29 g l) and acetonebutanol-ethanol (ABE) (12.27 g l) concentrations higher than the fermentation without supplemented with those in the sugarcane juice (butanol; 3.31 and ABE; 5.43 g l). The result suggested that some nutrients in P2 medium might be necessary for butanol production. Due to the high cost of yeast extract, urea was used as the nitrogen source in subsequent experiments. The juice supplemented with P2 medium (excepted glucose and yeast extract) and varied urea concentrations ranged from 0.27-1.35 g l were used as butanol production media. The results showed that the butanol and ABE concentrations were increased with increasing the urea concentration from 0.27-0.81 g l. The highest butanol (9.41 g l) and ABE (11.78 g l) concentrations were observed at 0.81 g l of urea concentrations and showed 0.30 of butanol yield and 0.20 g l h of productivity. The results concluded that urea promotes butanol production efficiency and suitable for instead of yeast extract.
Effects of species diversity on fine root productivity in diverse ecosystems: a global meta‐analysis

Aim Positive relationships between plant species diversity and above-ground productivity have been observed across a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems. Despite a critical contribution of below-ground productivity to overall terrestrial productivity, no consensus exists about the nature of the relationship between species diversity and below-ground productivity. Location Global. Methods We collected data from published studies conducted in natural and planted forests and experimental grassland, crop and pot systems that were purposely implemented to isolate the effects of plant species diversity from other factors, such as soil conditions and topographic features. We conducted meta-analyses of 170 observations for root biomass and 23 observations for root production, derived from 48 published studies, using weighted linear modelling with bootstrap procedures to reconcile the effects of diversity on fine root productivity. Results We found that species mixtures had, on average 28.4% higher fine root biomass and 44.8% higher annual production than monocultures. Higher fine root biomass in species mixtures than in monocultures was consistent across natural forests, planted grasslands, croplands and pot systems, except for young planted forests. Transgressive overyielding was only evident for planted grasslands. The log response ratio of fine root biomass in species mixtures to that in respective monocultures increased with species richness across all ecosystem types, and also increased with experiment age in grasslands. Main conclusions Our meta-analysis reveals positive effects of species diversity on below-ground productivity. Despite profound differences in environments among terrestrial ecosystems, our analysis demonstrated that below-ground productivity responds similarly to variations in species richness. Furthermore, our study also reveals shifts in the effects of diversity over time in both forests and grasslands. Future efforts are needed to further understand below-ground productivity–diversity relationships.
EXPERIMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF IN-DUCT MODAL CONTENT OF FAN BROADBAND NOISE VIA ITERATIVE BAYESIAN INVERSE APPROACH

Next generation of ultra-high-bypass-ratio (UHBR) engines are associated with an increase in fan diameter, a reduction of the exhaust jet speed and shorter intake and exhaust ducts. A direct impact is that the fan module is expected to be the major noise source of commercial aircrafts. It is estimated that the broadband part of fan noise contribution fluctuates about 80-90% in approach conditions and about 40% at take-off. Within this context, an experimental campaign to characterize fan broadband noise has been conducted in the framework of the European project TurboNoiseBB. The experiment has been carried out at the UFFA fan test rig operated by AneCom AeroTest. Different configurations of fan/outlet guide vanes (OGV)-spacing at different working lines have been tested. The radiated noise has been measured by in-duct microphone arrays located at the intake, interstage and downstream of the fan module. A main goal was to assess the modal content of fan broadband noise and further estimate the associated sound power levels. This is done in the present work via an iterative Bayesian Inverse Approach (iBIA). One outcome of this approach is an algorithm allowing to control the sparsity degree of the modal content. Thus, different sparsity levels may be tailored to specific noise components (e.g. tonal and broadband contributions) based on a priori knowledge. Other advantages are that no assumption regarding inter-modal correlation is necessary and no parameter has to be tuned manually by the end-user.