Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Turgor-Volume Regulation and Cellular Water Relations of Nicotiana tabacum Roots Grown in High Salinities

Nicotiana tabacum plants were grown in solution culture with salinity treatments of 1, 100 and 200 mol m-3 [NaCl], in Hoagland solution. After several weeks, solute concentrations and osmotic pressure of cell sap from the roots were measured. Increases in cellular [Na+] and [Cl-] and a smaller reduction in [K+] accounted for the difference in sap osmotic pressure between the 200 mol m-3 and 1 mol m-3 treatments. Turgor pressure (P) of fully expanded cortex cells measured with the pressure probe were 0.48 MPa in 1 mol m-3, 0.24 MPa in 100 mol m-3, 0.20 MPa in 200 mol m-3, and these values agreed with those calculated by difference between internal and external osmotic pressure. Low values of volumetric elastic modulus (e), ranging from 1.2 MPa to 3.0 MPa at P = 0.42 MPa were obtained, which accounted for long equilibration times to changes in water potential. There was no effect of high salinities on e after accounting for the fact that e was a function of P and neither was there an effect on hydraulic conductivity (Lp), which ranged between 1.9 × 10-8 and 24.1 × 10-8 m s-1 Mpa-1. At 200 mol m-3 [NaCl]o, and to a lesser degree at 100 mol m-3 [NaCl]o, root hairs became deformed to resemble spherical bladders (mean diameter = 88 µm) which displayed similar P and water relations to other epidermal cells and cortex cells. In other experiments the response to a sudden reduction in [NaCl], from 200 to 1 mol m-3 was studied. P of cortex cells first rapidly increased from about 0.15 MPa to 0.53 MPa and then slowly declined with a half time of about 35 min to a new steady state of 0.3 MPa. This level was maintained in intact roots for at least 48 h. The rate of the initial increase in P is limited by water flow into the cells while the slow decline is limited by solute efflux from the cells with water following osmotically. The efflux was mainly in response to reduced external osmotic pressure rather than [NaCl]o. Efflux of Na+, K+ and Cl- accounted for the decrease in internal osmotic pressure but it is possible that the membrane also became more permeable to sugars. With the exception of bladder hairs, the overall integrity of the cell membrane was maintained since Lp did not increase and P declined smoothly to the new level with no evidence of rupture and resealing of the membrane. It is argued that the loss of solutes after the step down in external osmotic pressure consists of turgor or volume regulation in which solute permeability increases steeply as turgor or volume goes above a threshold.
Remote sensing and image analysis in plant pathology

La teledetection de la vegetation et des plantes en stress inclut diverses methodes non-destructives d'analyse spectrale a distances, allant de satellites jusqu'aux plates-formes sur le terrain. A partir d'images multi-spectrales, on peut poursuivre des analyses non-destructives de plantes, de maladies et d'agents pathogenes aux echelles macroscopique, microscopique et ultramicroscopique. On passe en revue dans cet article les techniques et les methodes de radiometrie multispectrale, de photographie, de videographie, de thermographie infra-rouge, d'analyse multispectrale d'images, et de resonnance magnetique nucleaire, avec exemples d'applications en phytopathologie et en phytopathometrie. Bien qu'on ne puisse encore identifier des maladies ou des stress specifiques par la teledetection, il est neammoins possible de les deceler et d'en mesurer l'intensite. Ceci facilite, rationalise et augmente la precision de la recherche en phytopathologie et donne plus d'interet et de valeur a la recherche.
Using Active Learning, Group Formation, and Discussion to Increase Student Learning: A Business Intelligence Skills Analysis

This paper describes the process used to integrate active learning, group formation, and classroom discussion in a college-level business intelligence class. To assess the impact of active learning and discussion on learning outcomes, we captured student performance on their final data challenge term project across increasingly collaborative and discussion-based sections. To stimulate reflective discussion and to promote cooperative and collaborative teamwork during in-class assignments, we established small groups based on an incoming business intelligence-related skills self-assessment. Our regression results indicate that a skills-based group formation approach enabled an enhanced level of in-class assignment completion and promoted reflective discussion in the classroom. We also find that active learning and discussion increased appropriation of business intelligence concepts and analytical tools. The inherent nuances of business intelligence education, as well as the implications and strategies for improved classroom discussion in a technology class setting, are reviewed.
10 Storm Runoff Generation at La Cuenca

Dynamic, spatially-explicit models of storm runoff generation are needed to underpin the prediction of particulate and solute movement through catchments. When such runoff models are applied to these problems, the spatial pattern, frequency and magnitude of overland flow must be simulated faithfully. Remarkably, there are few studies reported in the literature that compare model predictions and field observations of overland flow patterns at the catchment scale. This seems to be partly due to the fact that overland flow within catchments is notoriously variable in time and space, and is thus problematic to measure. However, it is also true that model predictions of overland flow patterns are rarely flattering when compared to reality, and this partly explains why few studies have reported such results. In this chapter we illustrate that part of the key to getting good spatial predictions of overland flow is properly representing spatial variability in soil hydraulic properties. There is considerable debate in the literature regarding the need and manner in which to represent spatial variability of soil properties in runoff models. Smith and Hebbert (1979) compared storm runoff generation on a simple plane in which saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) values were either held uniform in space, systematically distributed or randomly distributed. The various parameter sets they compared produced very different results, though they noted some situations where a uniform Ks value produced similar runoff results as a randomly allocated log-normal distribution of Ks values. Binley et al. (1989) also found that runoff predictions were affected by soil property representation in their model, though they emphasised that the differences were only significant for low-permeability soils, dominated by surface runoff processes. Grayson et al. (1992a) detected only minor differences in discharge hydrographs on a catchment dominated by saturated source area runoff when uniform and randomly distrib-
Graph-based Total Variation for Tomographic Image Reconstruction

—In this short abstract we introduce a novel method for tomographic reconstructions from low-dose data which is usually noisy and has missing information. Our method is a generalization of sparsity exploiting image reconstruction methods which employ Total Variation (TV) as an additional sparsifying transform. Similar to state-of-the-art Non-local TV (NLTV) method our proposed method goes beyond spatial similarity between different regions of an image being reconstructed by establishing a connection between similar regions in the image regardless of spatial distance. However, it involves updating the graph prior during every iteration and is computationally more efﬁcient as compared to adaptive NLTV.
Native trees of Mexico: diversity, distribution, uses and conservation

Background Mexico is one of the most floristically rich countries in the world. Despite significant contributions made on the understanding of its unique flora, the knowledge on its diversity, geographic distribution and human uses, is still largely fragmented. Unfortunately, deforestation is heavily impacting this country and native tree species are under threat. The loss of trees has a direct impact on vital ecosystem services, affecting the natural capital of Mexico and people’s livelihoods. Given the importance of trees in Mexico for many aspects of human well-being, it is critical to have a more complete understanding of their diversity, distribution, traditional uses and conservation status. We aimed to produce the most comprehensive database and catalogue on native trees of Mexico by filling those gaps, to support their in situ and ex situ conservation, promote their sustainable use, and inform reforestation and livelihoods programmes. Methods A database with all the tree species reported for Mexico was prepared by compiling information from herbaria and reviewing the available floras. Species names were reconciled and various specialised sources were used to extract additional species information, i.e. endemic status, threat status, availability in seed collections, reports on plant uses and conservation actions currently in place. With this information, a comprehensive catalogue of native trees from Mexico was redacted. Available georeferenced records were used to map each species distribution and perform spatial analyses to identify gaps of information and priority areas for their conservation and exploration. Results Mexico has at least 2,885 native tree species, belonging to 612 genera and 128 families. Fabaceae is the most represented family and Quercus the most represented genus. Approximately 44% of tree species are endemic to the country. The southern part of the country showed the highest values of species richness. Six hundred and seventy-four species have at least one documented human use. In terms of conservation assessment, ca. 33% of species have been assessed by either the IUCN Red List (919) or the National protection catalogue “NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-059” (29) or both (45). Additionally, 98 species have been included in the CITES listing for protection. In terms of existing conservation efforts, 19% of species have ex situ protection in seed banks, while protected areas overlap with all the identified peaks of species richness, except for those in the states of Veracruz and Chiapas. This work constitutes a key milestone for the knowledge, management, and conservation of the Mexican native trees. The two areas with high density of tree species identified in Veracruz and Chiapas represent two priority areas for tree conservation in Mexico, where integrated in situ and ex situ conservation efforts should be focused.
Bacterial flora and identification of dominated spoilage organisms on cultured Pseudosciaena crocea at chilled storage

Bacterial flora and identification of dominated spoilage organisms on cultured Pseudosciaena crocea at the end of shelf life during storage at 0 ℃ and 5 ℃ were qualitatively and quantitatively investigated,based on the colony and cellular morphology,biochemical and physiological characteristics as well as whole-cell fatty acid composition,and applied with Sensititre,BioFosun,MIDI bacteria identification systems. The dominated bacteria of Shewanella putrefaciens were 75.5% and 59.6% at the end of shelf life at 0 ℃ and 5 ℃,and its colonies on nutrition agar and trypticase soy broth agar were global apophysis,trim side,smooth clarity,achromatism to pink.The cells were gram negative rod[(0.6-0.9) μm×(1.5-3.3) μm] and motile by means of polar flagellum,the optimum growth occurred at 25-35 ℃ and pH 7-9.Strains were positive for oxidation,H_2S,TMAO,gelatin and Tween 40.Strains utilized N-acetyl-D-glucosamine,ect.The dominant fatty acids were 16∶1ω8c,iso-15∶0,17∶1ω8c,16∶0,mean contents were 21.31%,13.63%,9.82%,9.76%,respectively.Results from tested strains were compared with database values in the bacterial identification systems,indicating the dominated spoilage organisms were Shewanella putrefaciens.
Assessing the effects of four SUDS scenarios on combined sewer overflows in Oslo, Norway: evaluating the low-impact development module of the Mike Urban model

Paved surfaces, increased precipitation intensities in addition to limited capacity in the sewer systems, cause a higher risk of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) offer an alternative approach to mitigate CSO by managing the stormwater locally. Seven SUDS scenarios, developed based on the concept of effective impervious area reduction, have been implemented in the Grefsen catchment using the Mike Urban model. This study evaluated the hydrological performance of two SUDS controls (i.e. green roof (GR) and rain garden (RG)) modules of the model and the effect of the SUDS scenarios on the CSOs using event-based and continuous simulations. The Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) along with flow duration curves (FDCs) has been used for evaluating the model performance. Event-based evaluations revealed the superior performance of the RG in reducing CSOs for larger precipitation events, while GRs were proven to have beneficial outcomes during smaller events. The study illustrated another way of assessing the continuous simulations by employing the FDCs. The FDCs were assessed against a discharge threshold at the outlet (which authorities can set as design criteria) of the catchment in terms of the extent, each scenario reduced occurrence and duration of outflow that invokes flow in the overflow pipe.
Production of cellulase by Microbulbifer hydrolyticus through co-fermentation of glucose and xylose from lignocellulose

Cellulase is a compound enzyme that catalyzes cellulose into monosaccharides or oligosaccharides. Large amounts of cellulase are needed with the development of the lignocellulose processing industry, which necessitates faster methods to produce cellulase. In this work, the marine bacterium Microbulbifer hydrolyticus IRE-31-192 was selected to produce cellulase, due to its fast growth rate and short high space-time yield. Co-fermentation of glucose and xylose to produce cellulase was investigated on the basis of previous work. When the ratio of glucose/xylose was 2:1 (w/w), 294 U/L cellulase activity with highest space-time yield of 12.2 U/L h was obtained. The hydrolytic liquid of lignocellulose prepared from dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) with the similar ratio of glucose/xylose was used as medium to produce cellulase. The efficiency of cellulase production from processed and unprocessed hydrolysates of DDGS was compared. Unprocessed hydrolysates were more beneficial for the production of cellulase, such that its activity was 261 U/L with a space-time yield of 14.5 U/L h. Thus, commonly used pure glucose and xylose could be replaced by hydrolysates of DDGS, and marine bacteria has potential application for cellulase production.
Blockchain for Academic Records

—The blockchain technology has been changing how information is shared and stored. It introduced a decentralized system for networks of trustless nodes to communicate and reach agreement without the need for an intermediary. In the educational sector, universities and institutes are responsible for the issuing and validation of academic certiﬁcates, such as diplomas. The current approach relies on the institutes constant availability to perform this validation, when requested by external entities such as employers. The blockchain technology can workaround the time constraints associated with the current approach by providing a decentralized supply and validation of issued certiﬁcates, that overcomes delaying issues and time consumption for the issuing entity, while guaranteeing immutability, resilience to tampering, as well as the persistence of data. This project proposes a solution to integrate this technology in the academic world and in particular, in the management and issuing of academic certiﬁcates.
Decolorization of Malachite Green by Newly Isolated Bacillus Strain MTCC -3330

A isolated bacterium species was studied for its degradation /biodegradation potential using Malachite Green (MG) as a model dye pollutant. MG (0.02 mM) was completely decolorized within 30 h by isolated bacterium sp. in the culture medium. The decolorization was confirmed by UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The initial dye solution showed high peak at the wavelength of 617 nm (max of the dye). The decolorized dye showed disappearance of peak, which indicated that the decolorization is due to dye degradation. The result of morphological, physiological biochemical test and list of carbohydrates supporting the growth of the isolated bacterium have been mentioned.
Screening of Maize Doubled Haploid Derived Hybrids at Flowering Stress and Optimal Condition

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 9 Number 5 (2020) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com Two field experiments were conducted at Hyderabad and Aurangabad in India under water stress at flowering and well watered condition during the rabi season (2018). The objective of the study was to assess the drought tolerance traits in maize DHL’s x Tester (Top cross hybrids). Three hundred top crosses developed from crossing between 150 DHL’s and tester from heterotic group A similarly another 150 DHL’s and tester from heterotic group B along with four checks were evaluated under two watering treatments, i.e. well watering (WW) and water stress at flowering (WSF) using augmented complete block design. The effect due to genotypes x location was highly significant for all drought tolerance parameters studied. The drought stress at flowering stages of maize results in a drastic reduction in grain yield by 41.34 percent when compared to optimal condition.DSI had a significant and negative correlation coefficient with grain yield (-0.852), chlorophyll content (-0.622), ear height (-0.348) and plant height (-0.253) under WSF condition. Moreover, DSI had bigger in-magnitude, but highly significant and positive correlation coefficient with days ASI (0.745) tassel sterility (0.785) and tassel blast (0.771). Therefore, based on drought susceptible index, the top 34 hybrids have been shortlisted.The secondary drought traits play an important role which could be used for selection and improving grain yield and facilitate further efforts in maize breeding programs. K e y w o r d s Correlation coefficient, Drought susceptible index, Drought, Top crosses, Maize (Zea mays L). Accepted: 18 April 2020 Available Online: 10 May 2020 Article Info Int.J.Curr.Microbiol. App.Sci (2020) 9(5): 2620-2629
A Genetic Neural Network based Application for Improving Software Development Effort Estimation

: Software Project effort estimation provides the estimation of various resources, effort and time vitally required to complete a project. Accurateness in effort estimation is significant for developers and clients.The present study proposes to develop a machine learning based model to predict Software Project effort estimation.Paper attempts to evaluate the training of Artificial Neural Network using population based Genetic Algorithm. The code is generated in MATLAB for training artificial neural network of 22 input features of COCOMO dataset and single target feature. The COCOMO I, NASA98 data sets; and four project data from a software company were used in the evaluation of the proposed neuro Genetic COCOMO II (GANN-COCOMO II). The assessment of the attained results, using Mean of Magnitude of Relative Error (MMRE) and PRED(25%) evaluation methods, indicate that the GANN-COCOMO II produced the MMRE less than the original COCOMO and the value of PRED(25%) in the GANN-COCOMO II is higher than the original COCOMO. In addition, the GANN-COCOMO II showed improvement in terms of estimation accuracy using MMRE when compared with the original COCOMO
University of Birmingham LeiA: A Lightweight Authentication Protocol for CAN

Recent research into automotive security has shown that once a single vehicle component is compromised, it is often possible to take full control of the vehicle. This paper proposes LeiA , a lightweight authentication protocol for the Controller Area Network (CAN). This protocol allows critical vehicle Electronic Control Units (ECUs) to au-thenticate each other providing compartmentalisation and preventing a number of attacks e.g., where a compromised CD player is able to accelerate the vehicle. LeiA is designed to run under the stringent time and bandwidth constraints of automotive applications and is backwards compatible with existing vehicle infrastructure. The protocol is suitable to be implemented using lightweight cryptographic primitives yet providing appropriate security levels by limiting the usage of every key in the sys-tem. The security of LeiA is proven under the unforgeability assumption of the MAC scheme under chosen message attacks ( uf-cma).
Mechano‐Synthesis of Lead–Magnesium–Niobate Ceramics

The synthesis of Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 (PMN) with high-energy milling was studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) using the Rietveld-refinement method. The results are discussed in terms of the qualitative and quantitative composition of the crystalline and amorphous phases as a function of milling time. The mechano-synthesis of PbO, Nb 2 O 5 , and MgO leads to the formation of perovskite PMN. In the initial stage of milling, particle size reduction and a high degree of amorphization were observed, together with the simultaneous formation of perovskite and pyrochlore-type structures. A mechanism for the formation of PMN by the mechano-synthesis route is proposed.
Analyzing Convolutional Neural Networks Through the Eyes of Sparsity

—It is becoming increasingly difﬁcult to ignore the remarkable results of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and the need for its theoretical analysis. In this work, we aim to alleviate this gap by proposing a novel model – the multi-layer convolutional sparse coding (ML-CSC). This deﬁnes a set of signals for which the forward pass of CNN is nothing but a thresholding pursuit. Leveraging this connection, we are able to attribute to the CNN architecture theoretical claims such as uniqueness of the representations (feature maps) throughout the network and their stable estimation, all guaranteed under simple local sparsity conditions. Sitting on these theoretical grounds, we propose a better pursuit that is shown to be theoretically superior to the forward pass.
Braided magnetic fields: equilibria, relaxation

We examine the dynamics of magnetic flux tubes containing non-trivial field line braiding (or linkage), using mathematical and computational modelling, in the context of testable predictions for the laboratory and their significance for solar coronal heating. We investigate the existence of braided force-free equilibria, and demonstrate that for a field anchored at perfectly-conducting plates, these equilibria exist and contain current sheets whose thickness scales inversely with the braid complexity—as measured for example by the topological entropy. By contrast, for a periodic domain braided exact equilibria typically do not exist, while approximate equilibria contain thin current sheets. In the presence of resistivity, reconnection is triggered at the current sheets and a turbulent relaxation ensues. We finish by discussing the properties of the turbulent relaxation and the existence of constraints that may mean that the final state is not the linear force-free field predicted by Taylor’s hypothesis.
Performance history of thermal-sprayed aluminum coatings in offshore service

In 1984, the Hutton TLP was installed with a sealed thermal-sprayed aluminum (TSA) coating. After eight years of service, the TSA coating on the production risers and tethers was still in good condition. The condition in the splash zone was indistinguishable from other inspected components. However, there were notable differences between the production risers and the tethers. The tethers, having a vinyl sealer, showed a blistered surface, while the risers, with n silicone sealer, did not show any blistering. No corrosions has beens observed underneath any of the blisters. The importance of adequate sealers in connection with blistering has been documented by testing. The excellent performance of TSA coating in the splash zone is further documented by field studies published in the last few years