Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dynamic Yield Response Factor of Alfalfa Improves the Accuracy of Dual Crop Coefficient Approach under Water and Salt Stress

The accurate quantification of crop water use or evapotranspiration (ET) under water and salt stress is needed for efficient water management and precision irrigation in water scarce regions. However, few studies were examined on alfalfa water use and its components under water and salt stress. We carried out two field experiments to quantify alfalfa water use through setting up different water and salt gradients, including two irrigation levels (full and deficit irrigation) and four soil salinity levels (0, 2‰, 4‰ and 6‰ salt of mass ratio) in an arid region of Northwest China. Electrical conductivity of soil saturation extract (ECe), soil water content (SWC), leaf area index (LAI) and soil evaporation (E) were measured. The SIMDualKc model, which uses the FAO56 dual Kc approach, was calibrated and validated using measured SWC and E. Model results show a good agreement between observed and simulated SWC and E without stress. The depletion fraction for no stress (p) and the percent yield reduction per unit increase in soil salinity (b) were 0.50 and 6.0%/(dS m−1), respectively, slightly lower than those of FAO-56 (0.55 and 7.3%/(dS m−1)). The difference indicates that alfalfa has a lower capacity of water use but a greater tolerance to salt stress after soil salinity reached its sensitivity threshold in the arid region. The model performed a reduced accuracy under water and salt stress and the differences tended to increase as stress increased, which was partly attributed to constant yield response factor (Ky) under different soil water and salt stress. The key parameter Ky dynamically increased with the increased degree of stress. Compared to constant Ky, the simulations of SWC and E showed improved accuracy with dynamic Ky. These results suggested that the response and acclimation of alfalfa to stress might be incorporated into the dual Kc model through the diversity of Ky.
A compact multiband dielectric resonator antenna for wireless communications

A compact multiband rectangular dielectric resonator antenna (RDRA) is proposed in this study for worldwide interoperability for microwave access, wireless local area network, and fifth‐generation applications. The dielectric resonator antenna is fed by a 2‐slot etched coplanar waveguide with a conformal strip feed, a dielectric resonator with a dielectric constant of 37 is used and embedded into the substrate, and a foam substrate is used as a holder. The RDRA exhibits multiband and omnidirectional radiation patterns by generating a monopole mode as well as the typical TEδ11x and TEδ31x modes, which provides impedance bandwidths (|S11| < −10 dB) of 29.0% at the first band, 15.1% at the second band, and 6.2% at the third band. Additionally, the RDRA achieves a maximum total efficiency of 94.4% at 4.8 GHz and an overall total efficiency of 70% at the desired frequency bands.
Occurrence of the Asiatic cyprinid Pseudorasbora parva in England

Pseudorasbora parva has demonstrated, in less than four decades, its invasive potential by colonizing much of continental Europe. Established populations of P. parva have now been found in the wild, in large numbers, at several locations across England. At present, only one deliberate introduction is known to have taken place during the mid-1980s at Crampmoor Fisheries, Hampshire.
Época de sobressemeadura de gramíneas anuais de inverno e de verão no capim-tifton 85: valor nutritivo

Conduziu-se o experimento na UNESP-Jaboticabal, no periodo de inverno-primavera-verao de 2001-2002, objetivando determinar os teores de proteina bruta (PB), parede celular (FDN, FDA, lignina, celulose e hemicelulose) e a digestibilidade in vitro da materia orgânica (DIVMO) no capim-Tifton 85 exclusivo e sobressemeado com aveia preta, milheto e sorgo-sudao. Os tratamentos testados foram: milheto+aveia preta; AG2501C+aveia preta, sobressemeados nas areas de Tifton-85, em 19-06 ou 02-07-2002, e capim-Tifton 85 (Testemunha). O delineamento experimental foi de blocos casualizados, com tres repeticoes. Os teores de PB foram maiores na primeira avaliacao quando comparada as demais. Observou-se aumento nos teores de FDN, FDA e lignina, e comportamento inverso nos valores de DIVMO, em relacao aos periodos de crescimento, nas duas epocas de semeadura. Os teores avaliados de PB, parede celular e DIVMO apresentaram variacao em funcao da composicao botânica e morfologica, no decorrer das avaliacoes e epocas de semeadura.
Cutadapt removes adapter sequences from high-throughput sequencing reads

When small RNA is sequenced on current sequencing machines, the resulting reads are usually longer than the RNA and therefore contain parts of the 3' adapter. That adapter must be found and removed error-tolerantly from each read before read mapping. Previous solutions are either hard to use or do not offer required features, in particular support for color space data. As an easy to use alternative, we developed the command-line tool cutadapt, which supports 454, Illumina and SOLiD (color space) data, offers two adapter trimming algorithms, and has other useful features. Cutadapt, including its MIT-licensed source code, is available for download at http://code.google. com/p/cutadapt/
Role of insulin in Alzheimer's disease:approaches emerging from basic animal research and neurocognitive studies in humans

Pancreatic insulin is transported across the blood–brain barrier to bind to central neurons receptors that can mediate actions of the hormone on cognitive function. In different animal models as well as in healthy humans, a beneficial influence of insulin on sensory processing, learning, and memory has been recently demonstrated. Additional support for this view derives from the investigation of the neuronal mechanisms of memory function. Recent findings of decreased levels of insulin in cerebrospinal fluid and a disturbance of insulin signaling in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have raised interest in the role of insulin for cognitive impairment. Moreover, findings in cultured neurons hint at an influence of insulin on those cellular and molecular processes supposed to underlie AD pathology. Here, we briefly review the literature suggesting a link between disturbed insulin action in the brain and the development and progress of cognitive dysfunction as well as of neuropathological lesions in AD. Additionally, the potential therapeutic use of insulin in AD patients is discussed. Drug Dev. Res. 56:511–525, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Physical property of 3D-printed sinusoidal pattern using shape memory TPU filament

This study has investigated the physical properties of 3D-printable shape memory thermoplastic polyurethane (SMTPU) filament and its 3D-printed sinusoidal pattern obtained by fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology. To investigate 3D filaments, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and SMTPU filament were examined by conducting infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and a tensile test. Then, to examine the 3D-printed sinusoidal samples, a sinusoidal pattern was developed and 3D-printed. Those samples went through a three-step heating process: (a) untreated state; (b) 5 min heating at 70°C, cooling for 30 min at room temperature; and (c) a repeat of step 2. The results obtained by the three different heating processes of the 3D-printed sinusoidal samples were examined by XRD, DMTA, DSC and the tensile test to obtain the effect of heating or annealing on the structural and mechanical properties. The results show significant changes in structure, crystallinity and thermal and mechanical properties of SMTPU 3D-printed samples due to the heating steps. XRD showed the increase in crystallinity with heating. In DMTA, storage modulus, loss modulus and the tan σ peak position also changed for various heating steps. The DSC result showed that the Tg for different steps of the SMTPU 3D-printed sample remained almost the same at around 51°C. The tensile property of the TPU 3D-printed sinusoidal sample decreased in terms of both load and elongation with increased heating processes, while for the SMTPU 3D-printed sinusoidal sample, the load decreased but elongation increased about 2.5 times.
Variations in the middle ear of the Mammalia

The comparative morphology of mammalian middle ear structures has been studied by examining the histological sections of the ears of 144 specimens of mammals which had been collected, with a few exceptions, in two expeditions to the Caribbean area. Fifty-four species of six orders of mammals were represented. Sixteen structural features or relationships were specifically studied and the bearing of taxonomic groupings on the variability was analysed. A taxonometric analysis using these middle ear features indicated that Microdipodops may lie nearer to Dipodomys than to Perognathus. A table presenting the detailed results has been deposited with the British Museum (Natural History).
Instability in a marginal coral reef: the shift from natural variability to a human‐dominated seascape

As global climate change drives the demise of tropical reef ecosystems, attention is turning to the suitability of refuge habitat. For the Great Barrier Reef, are there historically stable southern refugia where corals from the north might migrate as climate changes? To address this question, we present a precise chronology of marginal coral reef development from Moreton Bay, southeast Queensland, Australia. Our chronology shows that reef growth was episodic, responding to natural environmental variation throughout the Holocene, and that Moreton Bay was inhospitable to corals for about half of the past 7000 years. The only significant change in coral species composition occurred between ~200 and ~50 years ago, following anthropogenic alterations of the bay and its catchments. Natural historical instability of reefs, coupled with environmental degradation since European colonization, suggests that Moreton Bay offers limited potential as refuge habitat for reef species on human time scales.
The rates of fungal development and lesion formation in leaves of Vicia faba during infection by Botrytis cinerea and Botrytis fabae

SUMMARY Loss of the water droplet above inoculation sites during the first day after inoculation inhibited lesion formation by Botrytis cinerea and prevented the development of spreading lesions of B. fabae. With droplets present two general patterns of infection by B. cinerea were determined; in one, few or no symptoms were produced and in the other, limited lesions developed with marked browning of the inoculation site. Where few or no symptoms were produced, germination and germ-tube growth were inhibited on the leaf surface. B. cinerea was inhibited within the leaf at sites bearing limited lesions; invading hyphae were restricted to brown epidermal cells. Fungal growth on the leaf surface was greatest at sites with most browning beneath the droplet area. Variation in lesion development by B. cinerea could not be related to droplet position or leaf damage during normal preparation for inoculation. Plants differed in their susceptibility to lesion formation by B. cinerea. B. fabae, with droplet present, was not inhibited on the leaf surface and spread inter- and intra-cellularly beneath the inoculum drop and then into surrounding tissues. Delay in spread until the inoculation site was completely necrotic and colonized suggested that B. fabae is partially inhibited during the initial phase of infection. The rate of lesion spread varied in different plants and was most rapid in the youngest leaves.
Molecular diversity of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in three different agricultural regions of Turkey

Abstract Little is known about the distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, phylum Glomeromycota) in the Turkish arable soils. In this study, we investigated AM fungal phylotype composition in the roots of 13 different plant samples from one site each of the East Black Sea, Mediterranean, and Central Anatolian regions of Turkey. Fifty-seven distinguished operational taxonomic units at 97% nucleotide sequence identity were recorded among 424 partial sequences of the nuclear ribosomal large subunit (LSU) RNA genes determined. Most of the new sequences were clustered within 10 well-resolved phyloclades of the order Glomerales. About half of the newly determined sequences lacked similar sequences in the public databases. In particular, all sequences from Camellia sinensis collected in the East Black Sea region had only 83–97% sequence similarity to known AMF species. The findings suggest that novel and endemic AMF species may exist in Turkish agricultural soils. The AM fungal community composition in the East Black Sea region was relatively simple and completely differed from those in the other two regions, presumably due to the low soil pH and host specificity. The AM fungal community compositions of the Mediterranean and Central Anatolian samples were broadly similar; however, some sequences related to Rhizophagus were found only in the Mediterranean samples. This reflects the trend that more diverse AM fungal communities are established in the Mediterranean region than the Central Anatolian region.
Secondary aerenchyma formation in hypocotyl in summer leguminous crops

The secondary aerenchyma formation in hypocotyl just below the soil surface was investigated by using the young seedings of wild soybean and six summer leguminous crops grown under upland and excessive moisture conditions for 14 days. Under the upland conditions, secondary aerenchyma was scarcely observed in any species. Under the excessive moisture conditions, however, there was an interspecific difference in the secondary aerenchyma formation. The area of secondary aerenchyma per transverse section of hypocotyl under the excessive moisture conditions was largest in soybean 'Asoaogari' (9.77mm2), followed by soybean 'Akisengoku' (7.80mm2), wild soybean 'D5' (4.37mm2), cowpea 'Sanjyakusasage' (2.63mm2), mung bean 'Bundomame' (1.97mm2) and mung bean 'Acc. 7703' (1.52mm2), those in the other crops were less than 1 mm2. The ratio of secondary aerenchyma area to stele area was largest in wild soybean, followed by soybeans, suggesting that the ability of secondary aerenchyma formation in soybean was almost equivalent to that in wild soybean. Since a significant positive correlation at the 1% level was found between dry weight ratio (the ratio of dry weight of the aerial part under the excessive moisture conditions to that under the upland conditions) and the area of secondary aerenchyma under the excessive moisture conditions (r=0.738), it is suggested that the ability of secondary aerenchyma formation is related to the wet endurance in leguminous crops.
NOx Emission Reduction and Recovery during COVID-19 in East China

Since its first confirmed case at the end of 2019, COVID-19 has become a global pandemic in three months with more than 1.4 million confirmed cases worldwide, as of early April 2020. Quantifying the changes of pollutant emissions due to COVID-19 and associated governmental control measures is crucial to understand its impacts on economy, air pollution, and society. We used the WRF-GC model and the tropospheric NO2 column observations retrieved by the TROPOMI instrument to derive the top-down NOx emission change estimation between the three periods: P1 (January 1st to January 22nd, 2020), P2 (January 23rd, Wuhan lockdown, to February 9th, 2020), and P3 (February 10th, back-to-work day, to March 12th, 2020). We found that NOx emissions in East China averaged during P2 decreased by 50% compared to those averaged during P1. The NOx emissions averaged during P3 increased by 26% compared to those during P2. Most provinces in East China gradually regained some of their NOx emissions after February 10, the official back-to-work day, but NOx emissions in most provinces have not yet to return to their previous levels in early January. NOx emissions in Wuhan, the first epicenter of COVID-19, had no sign of emission recovering by March 12. A few provinces, such as Zhejiang and Shanxi, have recovered fast, with their averaged NOx emissions during P3 almost back to pre-lockdown levels.
A Novel Approach against Sun Glare to Enhance Driver Safety

The automotive industry is developing continuously, trying to improve, among others, the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Using modern technology, the dangers caused by weather hazards like rain, snow, fog, or glare were identified and reduced. This paper presents an anti-glare solution using existing technologies that can be found already in a high-end car like the driver’s eyes tracking systems, light intensity sensors, or head-up displays. In addition to the existing elements, a sun tracking sensor is required to detect the point where the sun light has the maximum intensity on the windshield surface. Knowing the driver’s position and the point on the windshield where the sunlight has a high intensity, a dark spot can be created on the windshield in order to reduce the discomfort created by glare. Depending on the intensity of the light and taking into consideration the traffic safety laws, the spot’s transparency can vary between certain limits. Therefore, the dangers caused by glare will be diminished and the risks of not observing pedestrians, other traffic participants, traffic signs, or sudden curves will be considerably lower. Another advantage of using a digital sunshade based on smart glass or in-glass transparent displays, instead of a regular sunshade, is that the whole windshield can be protected against glare not just the top of it. The results were verified and highlighted using computer simulations done via a MATLAB environment.
Gender Fluidity and Nonbinary Gender Identities Among Children and Adolescents

— A growing number of children and adolescents report having gender identities or expressions that differ from their birth-assigned gender or from social and cultural gender norms. Some identify as transgender, whereas others consider themselves nonbinary or gender ﬂuid . Nonbinary and gender ﬂuid youth are distinct from transgender youth in that they typically report that their gender identity (i.e., their internal sense of gender) or their gender expression (i.e., their public presentation of their gender through appearance, dress, and behavior) fall outside the traditional male – female binary. For example, nonbinary youth may identify as both male and female or neither male nor female. In this article, I discuss what we know about nonbinary forms of gender identity and expression among children and adolescents, and how these experiences converge and diverge from binary forms of the transgender experience. I also identify the most important priorities for fostering well-being among all youth.
Selective inhibition of NF-κB activation by a peptide that blocks the interaction of NEMO with the IκB kinase complex

Activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)–κB by proinflammatory stimuli leads to increased expression of genes involved in inflammation. Activation of NF-κB requires the activity of an inhibitor of κB (IκB)-kinase (IKK) complex containing two kinases (IKKα and IKKβ) and the regulatory protein NEMO (NF-κB essential modifier). An amino-terminal α-helical region of NEMO associated with a carboxyl-terminal segment of IKKα and IKKβ that we term the NEMO-binding domain (NBD). A cell-permeable NBD peptide blocked association of NEMO with the IKK complex and inhibited cytokine-induced NF-κB activation and NF-κB–dependent gene expression. The peptide also ameliorated inflammatory responses in two experimental mouse models of acute inflammation. The NBD provides a target for the development of drugs that would block proinflammatory activation of the IKK complex without inhibiting basal NF-κB activity.
High-Accuracy Distributed Bend Sensor Eligible for High-Curvature Structures Based on Brillouin Optical Correlation Domain Analysis

We present a high-accuracy distributed bend sensor suitable for high-curvature structures based on Brillouin frequency measurement using a multi-fiber probe. Brillouin optical correlation domain analysis (BOCDA) with differential measurement is adopted for distributed strain sensing with a cm-order spatial resolution (minimum 1 cm), and a specially designed sensing probe embedding three optical fibers is used to enhance the minimum measurable bending radius and accuracy of bend sensing. Analysis on the reconstruction accuracy is performed for various spatial resolutions (10, 20, 30, 40 mm) and steps (1, 5, 10, 15, 20 mm) of the BOCDA system. Our results show that the maximum measurable curvature of three-dimensional bending is 143 m−1, which is the highest curvature so far measured by Brillouin sensors in three-dimensional space, with about 0.7% of tip position error. Additionally, both pseudo-discrete sensing and fully distributed sensing are performed together to analyze the relation between the methods of sensing (discrete or distributed) and the accuracy of probing multi-bend curvatures according to the measurement step.
Trends and emissions of six perfluorocarbons in the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere

Abstract. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are potent greenhouse gases with global warming potentials up to several thousand times greater than CO2 on a 100-year time horizon. The lack of any significant sinks for PFCs means that they have long atmospheric lifetimes of the order of thousands of years. Anthropogenic production is thought to be the only source for most PFCs. Here we report an update on the global atmospheric abundances of the following PFCs, most of which have for the first time been analytically separated according to their isomers: c-octafluorobutane (c- C4F8 ), n-decafluorobutane (n- C4F10 ), n-dodecafluoropentane (n- C5F12 ), n-tetradecafluorohexane (n- C6F14 ), and n-hexadecafluoroheptane (n- C7F16 ). Additionally, we report the first data set on the atmospheric mixing ratios of perfluoro-2-methylpentane (i- C6F14 ). The existence and significance of PFC isomers have not been reported before, due to the analytical challenges of separating them. The time series spans a period from 1978 to the present. Several data sets are used to investigate temporal and spatial trends of these PFCs: time series of air samples collected at Cape Grim, Australia, from 1978 to the start of 2018; a time series of air samples collected between July 2015 and April 2017 at Tacolneston, UK; and intensive campaign-based sampling collections from Taiwan. Although the remote “background” Southern Hemispheric Cape Grim time series indicates that recent growth rates of most of these PFCs are lower than in the 1990s, we continue to see significantly increasing mixing ratios that are between 6 % and 27 % higher by the end of 2017 compared to abundances measured in 2010. Air samples from Tacolneston show a positive offset in PFC mixing ratios compared to the Southern Hemisphere baseline. The highest mixing ratios and variability are seen in air samples from Taiwan, which is therefore likely situated much closer to PFC sources, confirming predominantly Northern Hemispheric emissions for most PFCs. Even though these PFCs occur in the atmosphere at levels of parts per trillion molar or less, their total cumulative global emissions translate into 833 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent by the end of 2017, 23 % of which has been emitted since 2010. Almost two-thirds of the CO2 equivalent emissions within the last decade are attributable to c- C4F8 , which currently also has the highest emission rates that continue to grow. Sources of all PFCs covered in this work remain poorly constrained and reported emissions in global databases do not account for the abundances found in the atmosphere.