Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive Stage Drought Tolerance in Wheat: Importance of Stomatal Conductance and Plant Growth Regulators

Drought stress requires plants to adjust their water balance to maintain tissue water levels. Isohydric plants (‘water-savers’) typically achieve this through stomatal closure, while anisohydric plants (‘water-wasters’) use osmotic adjustment and maintain stomatal conductance. Isohydry or anisohydry allows plant species to adapt to different environments. In this paper we show that both mechanisms occur in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Wheat lines with reproductive drought-tolerance delay stomatal closure and are temporarily anisohydric, before closing stomata and become isohydric at higher threshold levels of drought stress. Drought-sensitive wheat is isohydric from the start of the drought treatment. The capacity of the drought-tolerant line to maintain stomatal conductance correlates with repression of ABA synthesis in spikes and flag leaves. Gene expression profiling revealed major differences in the drought response in spikes and flag leaves of both wheat lines. While the isohydric drought-sensitive line enters a passive growth mode (arrest of photosynthesis, protein translation), the tolerant line mounts a stronger stress defence response (ROS protection, LEA proteins, cuticle synthesis). The drought response of the tolerant line is characterised by a strong response in the spike, displaying enrichment of genes involved in auxin, cytokinin and ethylene metabolism/signalling. While isohydry may offer advantages for longer term drought stress, anisohydry may be more beneficial when drought stress occurs during the critical stages of wheat spike development, ultimately improving grain yield.
A systematic mapping study on the employment of neural networks on software engineering projects: Where to go next?

Deep learning has recently experienced explosive growth in use, largely due to advances in neural networks and the availability of large corpora of domain data. Project management activities generate and handle large volumes of data. Software engineering closely relates to project management, so software engineering projects must be prone to the use of neural networks. We seek to obtain an accurate vision of how neural networks are being used in software engineering projects through a systematic mapping study. We confirm that neural networks have already made their way into these projects; however, we show that their current uses are limited to certain repetitive and legacy tasks. Given uncovered ample room for expansion, we point out a few directions the industry and academy can lean toward to in the next years for taking better advantage of neural networks in software engineering projects and immediately advancing the field. We investigate if, how, and to what extent have neural networks been employed to the advancement of software engineering projects. As such, a systematic mapping study was conducted, which led to the conclusion that even though these algorithms have indeed been employed on several software engineering tasks, this employment so far has been shy, mostly relying on legacy types of neural networks. More modern variants, namely, deep learning algorithms, are slowly gaining momentum and should be the trend going forward.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Huberia peruviana Cogn. Methanol Extract by Inhibiting Src Activity in the NF-κB Pathway

There is a growing need to develop anti-inflammatory drugs to regulate inflammatory responses. An extract of Huberia peruviana Cogn. had the best inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in screening process undertaken in our laboratory. However, the anti-inflammatory effect of Huberia peruviana Cogn. methanol extract (Hp-ME) has not been studied. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effect of Hp-ME was assessed by using an NO assay, RT-PCR, luciferase reporter gene activity assay, western blotting assay, HCl/EtOH-induced acute gastritis model, and LPS-induced acute lung injury model. The phytochemical components of Hp-ME were determined through LC-MS/MS analysis. When RAW264.7 and HEK293T cells were treated with Hp-ME, NO production was decreased dose-dependently without cytotoxicity and the mRNA levels of iNOS, COX-2, and TNF-α were decreased. In a luciferase assay, the activity of transcription factors, NF-κB in TRIF or MyD88-overexpressing HEK293T cells was extremely reduced by Hp-ME. The western blotting analysis indicated that Hp-ME has anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation of Src. Hp-ME showed anti-inflammatory effects on in vivo models of HCl/EtOH-induced gastritis and LPS-induced acute lung injury. LC-MS/MS revealed that Hp-ME contains several anti-inflammatory flavonoids. The final findings of this study imply that Hp-ME could be used as an anti-inflammatory drug in several inflammatory diseases.
Numerical analysis of microchannels with internal longitudinal fins

This paper examines the thermal behaviour of fluid flow through a microchannel that incorporates four internal longitudinal rectangular fins. Three-dimensional numerical simulations are developed to investigate the laminar fluid flow and heat transfer characteristics in this modified microchannel geometry. Considering constant wall heat flux thermal boundary conditions, the overall performance of the microchannel is evaluated through computation of heat transfer rates and fluid velocity profiles. The degree of possible thermal enhancement is assessed by comparing the heat transfer rates in finned microchannels with those of identical, but unfinned channels. By varying the aspect ratio of the channel, and other pertinent fin parameters, the effects of internal fins on microchannel thermal performance are identified. A careful observation of the flow structures around fins is carried out to understand the effect of various parameters on the thermal performance characteristics of the microchannel.
Landing impact studies of a 0.3-scale model air cushion landing system for a Navy fighter airplane

An experimental study was conducted in order to determine the landing-impact behavior of a 0.3-scale, dynamically (but not physically) similar model of a high-density Navy fighter equipped with an air cushion landing system. The model was tested over a range of landing contact attitudes at high forward speeds and sink rates on a specialized test fixture at the Langley aircraft landing loads and traction facility. The investigation indicated that vertical acceleration at landing impact was highly dependent on the pitch angle at ground contact, the higher acceleration of approximately 5g occurring near zero body-pitch attitude. A limited number of low-speed taxi tests were made in order to determine model stability characteristics. The model was found to have good pitch-damping characteristics but stability in roll was marginal.
Development of a Communication System Following 802.11p and Wave Standards

This paper presents an IEEE 802.11p “full” stack prototype implementation to data exchange among vehicles and between vehicles and the roadside infrastructures. The prototype architecture is based on FPGAs for IF and base band purposes, using 802.11a based transceivers for RF to/from IF conversion. Power amplifiers were also addressed, by using commercial and in house solutions. This implementation aims to provide solutions for tolling or any other related services, problems caused by traffic congestion and a way to prevent or mitigate accidents by establishing a radio communication link among vehicles or between vehicles and infrastructure. The performance of the proposed scheme is tested under realistic urban and suburban driving conditions. Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment (WAVE) refers to a set of emerging standards for mobile wireless radio communications. WAVE or Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) 5.9GHz as is also known in USA, is part of the Federal Highway Authority’s Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) initiative and supports Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) and Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communications for emerging Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). WAVE systems will be used due to low latency and high data rate requirements in a high mobility environment. The WAVE standard is being developed by IEEE to respond at the necessity to solve a common problem of many worldwide cities, vehicular traffic and related e-safety. In Europe the European Commission has also allocated 5.9GHz band for priority road safety applications and inter-vehicle and infrastructure communications. The intention is to ensure the compatibility with IEEE standards even if the band is not exactly the same, but the frequencies will lie close enough apart to enable the use of the same RF components.
Acute Toxicity and Efficacy of Current Medical Countermeasures against VM in Guinea Pigs: A Comparison to VX and VR

Abstract : VX and Russian V-agent (VR) are the two most widely known V-agents; however, others also exist. One of these is o-ethyl S-[2-(diethylamino)-ethyl]methylphosphono-thioate, or VM. These studies investigated the lethality of VM in guinea pigs following subcutaneous challenge and determined the effectiveness of current U.S. medical countermeasures atropine sulfate, pralidoxime chloride (2PAM) and diazepam with and without pretreatment with pyridostigmine bromide. The 24 hr median lethal dose (MLD) of VM was determined using a sequential stage approach. The efficacy of medical countermeasures was determined against 3.5 or 5 times the MLD in saline- or PB-pretreated animals. Treatment with atropine + 2PAM + diazepam was administered i.m. 1 min after VM challenge. Survival was assessed at 24 hr. Efficacy studies were conducted also with VX and VR for comparison. The 24 hr MLD of VM was 14.9 ug/kg. Medical countermeasures were equally effective against VM and VX with 90-100% survival against 3.5 MLD VM, and 60-90% survival against 5 MLDs. Medical countermeasures were less effective against VR.
The Beneficial Effects of Essential Oils in Anti-Obesity Treatment

Obesity is a complex disease caused by an excessive amount of body fat. Obesity is a medical problem and represents an important risk factor for the development of serious diseases such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer. Not to be overlooked are the psychological issues that, in obese subjects, turn into very serious pathologies, such as depression, phobias, anxiety, and lack of self-esteem. In addition to modifying one’s lifestyle, the reduction of body mass can be promoted by different natural compounds such as essential oils (EOs). EOs are mixtures of aromatic substances produced by many plants, particularly in medicinal and aromatic ones. They are odorous and volatile and contain a mixture of terpenes, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, and esters. Thanks to the characteristics of the various chemical components present in them, EOs are used in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical fields. Indeed, it has been shown that EOs possess great antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor powers. Emerging results also demonstrate the anti-obesity effects of EOs. We have examined the main data obtained in experimental studies and, in this review, we summarize the effect of EOs in obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.
Developing a MOOC at Chalmers: Motivation and first experiences from a teacher’s perspective

An increasing number of universities around the globe produce and conduct Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Chalmers has followed this trend by starting to develop two MOOCs in 2014. While some research has attempted to assess the learners’ motivations to participate in MOOCs (e.g. Kizilcec et al. 2013), little is known about motivations, opportunities and challenges for teachers engaging in MOOC development. In this presentation, we will reflect upon this question drawing on the Chalmers MOOC “Sustainability in Everyday Life”. The MOOC aims to increase the learners’ capacity to appreciate the complexity of sustainability issues and to apply systems thinking and critical reflection on the information flow in public media. The pedagogical approach attempts to emphasize interactivity between learners with a minimum of teacher involvement. After brief introduction to MOOCs in general and at Chalmers in particular, the aim of this presentation is twofold: 1) from the teacher’s perspective, we share first experiences of developing a MOOC aimed at the general informed public, and 2) we identify issues with importance to pedagogical design, developing material and assessment. This is a first step in an action research program, which will be used to evaluate the benefits and challenges of MOOCs for teachers at Chalmers.
A New Outbreak in Sea Bass Farming in Turkey: Aeromonas veronii

Turkey produces most of the European sea bassin Europe and bacterial diseases are the main cause of economic loss during the production cycle. This research presents the first extended study of the Aeromonas veronii infection in sea bass on the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea. An outbreak was observed in three different sea bass farms and diseased fish with clinical symptoms were sampled. Abdominal distention, hemorrhages on the body and anus, enlarged spleen and liver, and hemorrhages in the internal organs were detected from clinical and pathological examinations. Biochemical and molecular identification confirmed the pathogen to be A.veronii. The histopathological observations demonstrated that the pathogen caused bacterial colonies in the fibrous connective tissue, granuloma, and vacuolar degeneration.The primary causes of the disease were proved through an infection experiment. 80% and 90% mortality were calculated in 0.85 x 108 CFU ml-1 and 1.28 x 108 CFU ml-1 experimentally infected groups with clinical and pathological signs of the disease respectively. Recently, the pathological symptoms of the disease had been confused with pasteurellosis infection in cage farms but the presence of A.veronii has been confirmed in the current study. A detailed study is needed to investigate the overall status of the disease in the Aegean Sea in order to design an appropriate preventive strategy.
The evaluation of the interface moisture conductivity between control volumes. Comparison between linear, harmonic and integral averaging

Advanced calculating models have become an essential tool in building physics practice for the prediction of thermal and hygric performance of building envelopes. Successful application of any simulation model is generally affected by the mathematical model on which it is based, the quality of the input data, and, finally, when sensitivity and efficiency of the calculations are to be investigated—the numerical method itself. Simulation of the rapid moisture transfer through a building envelope is a typical process that encounters numerical difficulties. The problem is mostly related to certain building materials, such as bricks, characterized by their low moisture capacity and high hydraulic conductivity in the moisture-saturated region. This paper investigates three numerical techniques for the estimation of the moisture transport coefficients during such processes. Two of them— the harmonic and the linear techniques—are widely used, whereas the integral one is not. It is shown that numerical difficulties can be overcome by choosing a suitable technique.
The expression, function, and utilization of Protamine1: a literature review

Objective Protamine 1 (PRM1) is specific in sperm and plays essential roles in fertilization, also a member of cancer testis antigen (CTA) family. This study aims to summarize the expression and function of PRM1 in spermatogenesis, and to broaden the current knowledge and inspire future development of PRM1-based therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment and nanomedicine. Background The protamine proteins, are characterized by an arginine-rich core and cysteine residues. Humans express two types of protamine: PRM1 and PRM2. The abnormal expression or proportion of PRM1 and PRM2 is known to be associated with subfertility and infertility, especially for PRM1 which is highly evolutionary conserved in mammalians and expressed in all vertebrates. Biological functions of PRM1 have been unveiled in diverse cellular processes, such as tumorigenesis, somatic cell nucleus transfer, and drug delivery systems. Moreover, PRM1 is identified as a CTA in chronic leukemia (CLL) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods Literature was obtained using PubMed and the keywords protamine 1, PRM1, or P1, from January 1, 1980, through July 20, 2021. We also collect the additional evidence through screening references of articles identified through the PubMed searches. Conclusions PRM1 is well-studied in male infertility, and further researches and attempts to develop PRM1 as novel tumor marker, as well as drug delivery vector, will be of important clinical significance.
Does childbirth affect paternal smoking?

Abstract While maternal smoking during and after pregnancy has been widely documented in the existing literature, paternal smoking behavior before and after childbirth has received relatively less attention by researchers. During pregnancy and childbirth, fathers may attempt to quit smoking because their spouse and newborn baby can be exposed to secondhand smoke. Using the panel data from 2009 to 2016 of the Korea Health Survey, we examined the changes in paternal smoking behavior before and up to two years after childbirth. Findings revealed that childbirth was associated with decreased participation in smoking behavior (OR = 0.599, p < 0.05) and reduction in daily cigarette consumption (IRR = 0.880, p < 0.05). However, the impact of childbirth on paternal smoking became non-significant during the first two years following the birth, which might imply a relapse in smoking cessation. Further, fathers were not likely to reduce or quit smoking during the pregnancy. In light of these findings, smoking cessation counseling during prenatal visits should involve fathers, and continued aids for smoking cessation should be available to parents after childbirth to prevent a relapse as well as support a new quit attempt.
Devising a product development curriculum to promote industry ready apparel graduates

Globalisation has continued to dominate the apparel industries worldwide accelerating at an ever changing pace. Many authors have acknowledged that it is not enough for graduates to have passed assessments they must have developed a high order of cognitive skills and enthusiasm for their selected career. The development of lifelong learning skills promotes metacognitive strategies which are essential for survival in the rapidly changing clothing industry. This paper presents the curriculum development for a new unit entitled Technologies for Specific Product Development. This newly designed unit focuses on the synthesis and critical evaluation of innovative technologies specific to the advanced sportswear market. It encompasses a variety of technologies including 3-D scanning and body morphology, material science and FAST objective testing, seam engineering, cutting technology and 3-D garment modelling (utilising V-stitcher). The teaching and learning strategies incorporate the principles of active learning to promote critical thinking, analytical and self development skills to ensure graduates are industry ready. Throughout the curriculum there is a strong focus on; technology (source novel, emerging and new technologies), the development of higher order cognitive skills (analysis, synthesis, and evaluate), and personal skill development, based on the generic knowledge and understanding, attributes and skills listed in the QAA (2008) subject benchmarking statements.
Robustness in Early Phase Software Development

Ensuring robustness in software is as important as ever, with the increasing significance of information technology in our lives. Users of any IT system expect and require a high level of uptime. The earlier a threat to robustness is discovered in the development of a system, the cheaper it is to handle. Allowing robustness to come into focus at an early stage of development has been the objective of this master thesis. This thesis is a continuation of the work that we did in the autumn 2007 (Skjervold and Haga 2007), where we created a requirement specification for a tool that can aid system developers in realizing robustness during their design. This requirement specification was based upon interviews with software development companies in Trondheim, one which we performed usability testing with in this thesis. We have developed a tool based upon the requirements from our previous work, along with some additional requirements in the early phases of this thesis. After developing a first version of the tool, a usability test was performed on 11 students. The feedback we got was evaluated and the implementation was updated correspondingly. A second test was performed, focusing on both the usability and the value of the tool, with four system developers from a software development company in Trondheim. The responses to the usability were divided, but mostly positive, and helpful. Some of the changes suggested were implemented, and the rest was inserted as further work. For the value of the tool, there were strong opinions amongst the four developers, as expected, followed by a constructive discussion. The consensus was that the tool had good potential, but the professional developers felt it needed some improvements and changes. Most of these suggested improvements were too time consuming to address in this thesis, and are therefore inserted as further work. This report consists of four parts. Part I describes the state of the art and requirement specification. In Part II the experiments that was run are described and evaluated, and finally the implementation of the tool is shown in Part III. In Part IV the bibliography and appendices are shown.
Wnt-Signaling Regulated by Glucocorticoid-Induced miRNAs

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are pleiotropic hormones which regulate innumerable physiological processes. Their comprehensive effects are due to the diversity of signaling mechanism networks. MiRNAs, small, non-coding RNAs contribute to the fine tuning of signaling pathways and reciprocal regulation between GCs and miRNAs has been suggested. Our aim was to investigate the expressional change and potential function of GC mediated miRNAs. The miRNA expression profile was measured in three models: human adrenocortical adenoma vs. normal tissue, steroid-producing H295R cells and in hormonally inactive HeLa cells before and after dexamethasone treatment. The gene expression profile in 82 control and 57 GC-affected samples was evaluated in GC producing and six different GC target tissue types. Tissue-specific target prediction (TSTP) was applied to identify the most relevant miRNA−mRNA interactions. Glucocorticoid treatment resulted in cell type-dependent miRNA expression changes. However, 19.5% of the influenced signaling pathways were common in all three experiments, of which the Wnt-signaling pathway seemed to be the most affected. Transcriptome data and TSTP showed similar results, as the Wnt pathway was significantly altered in both the GC-producing adrenal gland and all investigated GC target tissue types. In different cell types, different miRNAs led to the regulation of similar pathways. Wnt signaling may be one of the most important signaling pathways affected by hypercortisolism. It is, at least in part, regulated by miRNAs that mediate the glucocorticoid effect. Our findings on GC producing and GC target tissues suggest that the alteration of Wnt signaling (together with other pathways) may be responsible for the leading symptoms observed in Cushing’s syndrome.