Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physiological and Proteomic Responses of Contrasting Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Varieties to PEG-Induced Osmotic Stress

Drought severely limits global plant distribution and agricultural production. Elucidating the physiological and molecular mechanisms governing alfalfa stress responses will contribute to the improvement of drought tolerance in leguminous crops. In this study, the physiological and proteomic responses of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) varieties contrasting in drought tolerance, Longzhong (drought-tolerant) and Gannong No. 3 (drought-sensitive), were comparatively assayed when seedlings were exposed to -1.2 MPa polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) treatments for 15 days. The results showed that the levels of proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl free radical (OH•) and superoxide anion free radical (O2•-) in both varieties were significantly increased, while the root activity, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities, and the ratios of reduced/oxidized ascorbate (AsA/DHA) and reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) were significantly decreased. The soluble protein and soluble sugar contents, the total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) and the activities of peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) first increased and then decreased with the increase in treatment days. Under osmotic stress, Longzhong exhibited lower levels of MDA, H2O2, OH• and O2•- but higher levels of SOD, CAT, APX, T-AOC and ratios of AsA/DHA and GSH/GSSG compared with Gannong No.3. Using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ), 142 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) were identified from two alfalfa varieties, including 52 proteins (34 up-regulated and 18 down-regulated) in Longzhong, 71 proteins (28 up-regulated and 43 down-regulated) in Gannong No. 3, and 19 proteins (13 up-regulated and 6 down-regulated) shared by both varieties. Most of these DAPs were involved in stress and defense, protein metabolism, transmembrane transport, signal transduction, as well as cell wall and cytoskeleton metabolism. In conclusion, the stronger drought-tolerance of Longzhong was attributed to its higher osmotic adjustment capacity, greater ability to orchestrate its enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems and thus avoid great oxidative damage in comparison to Gannong No. 3. Moreover, the involvement of other pathways, including carbohydrate metabolism, ROS detoxification, secondary metabolism, protein processing, ion and water transport, signal transduction, and cell wall adjustment, are important mechanisms for conferring drought tolerance in alfalfa.
Orexin-A Infusion in the Locus Ceruleus Triggers Norepinephrine (NE) Release and NE-Induced Long-Term Potentiation in the Dentate Gyrus

The orexins (ORX-A/ORX-B) are neuroactive peptides known to have roles in feeding and sleep. Evidence of dense, excitatory projections of ORX-A neurons to the noradrenergic pontine nucleus, the locus ceruleus (LC), suggests ORX-A also participates in attention and memory. Activation of LC neurons by glutamate produces a β-adrenergic receptor-mediated long-term potentiation (LTP) of the perforant path-evoked potential in the dentate gyrus, a target structure of the LC that has been implicated in memory. We asked whether ORX-A also activates norepinephrine (NE)-induced LTP by initiating NE release in the hippocampus. Here, we show that ORX-A infusion (0.25-25 fmol) into the LC produces a robust, β-adrenergic receptor-dependent, long-lasting potentiation of the perforant path-evoked dentate gyrus population spike in the anesthetized rat. Pharmacological inactivation of the LC with an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, before ORX-A infusion, prevents this potentiation. Analysis of NE concentrations in the hippocampus after ORX-A infusion into the LC reveals a transient, but robust, increase in NE release. Thus, this study demonstrates that the dense orexinergic projection to the LC promotes the induction of NE-LTP in the dentate gyrus. ORX-A modulation of LC activity may provide important support for the cognitive processes of attention and memory.
Identification of Key Proteins and Networks Related to Grain Development in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by Comparative Transcription and Proteomic Analysis of Allelic Variants in TaGW2-6A

In wheat, coding region allelic variants of TaGW2-6A are closely associated with grain width and weight, but the genetic mechanisms involved remain unclear. Thus, to obtain insights into the key functions regulated by TaGW2-6A during wheat grain development, we performed transcriptional and proteomic analyses of TaGW2-6A allelic variants. The transcription results showed that the TaGW2-6A allelic variants differed significantly by several orders of magnitude. Each allelic variant of TaGW2-6A reached its first transcription peak at 6 days after anthesis (DAA), but the insertion type TaGW2-6A allelic variant reached its second peak earlier than the normal type, i.e., at 12 DAA rather than 20 DAA. In total, we identified 228 differentially accumulated protein spots representing 138 unique proteins by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and tandem MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS in these three stages. Based on the results, we found some key proteins that are closely related to wheat grain development. The results of this analysis improve our understanding of the genetic mechanisms related to TaGW2-6A during wheat grain development as well as providing insights into the biological processes involved in seed formation.
Influence of Slot Openings and Tooth Profile on Cogging Torque in Axial-Flux PM Machines

Slotted axial-flux machines have excellent power and torque densities. However, it is difficult to reduce their cogging torque due to the complexity associated with implementing classical techniques. In this paper, slot-opening widths and tooth profiles will be shown to be significant in mitigating cogging torque in these machines. In particular, varying the slot opening reduced it by 52%, whereas a parallel-tooth (rectangular) profile lowered it by 24%, when compared with a conventional trapezoidal-tooth profile. An analytical quasi-3-D analysis was formulated and used to analyze and determine cogging torque. It was validated numerically and experimentally. Its versatility is in its ability to analyze different shapes of poles and slot openings, which can be extended to model air-gap nonuniformity. This paper also presents cogging torque minimization techniques that maintain the ease of manufacture of the parallel-tooth stator. Experimental results showed 73% and 48% reduction in cogging torque, which are achieved by the use of alternating pole arcs and skewed poles.
Pattern and time course of rhodamine-actin incorporation in cardiac myocytes

Microinjection of skeletal actin labeled with rhodamine into cultured cardiac myocytes was followed by rapid incorporation of fluorescence into myofibrils of the cells. Myocytes examined as shortly as 5 min postinjection displayed fluorescent bands corresponding to the sarcomeres. By 10 min, distinct alternating wide and narrow bands of fluorescence were observed. The wide bands appeared to correspond to the full breadth of the I-bands, whereas the narrow bands of fluorescence corresponded to the M-lines. This pattern of fluorescence remained essentially unchanged for at least 15 h postinjection. The myofibrils of cardiac myocytes were functional after rhodamine-actin incorporation as judged by their ability to contract. The results of this study suggest that cardiac myofibrils are morphologically stable structures which, nonetheless, exhibit extensive exchange of actin subunits.
A diffusion reaction theory of morphogenesis in plants ( with CW

The lookaside buffer and multi-processors, while confirmed in theory, have not until recently been considered structur ed. In this work, we confirm the investigation of link-level acknowledgements. Our focus in this position paper is not on whether the little-known extensible algorithm for the synt hesis of systems by Lakshminarayanan Subramanian [114], [114], [188], [62], [70], [179], [68], [188], [114], [95], [54], [152], [188], [191], [59], [168], [95], [95], [148], [99] follows a Zipf-like distribution, but rather on exploring an analysi s of e-commerce (GLUER).
Modeling and visualization of leaf venation patterns

We introduce a class of biologically-motivated algorithms for generating leaf venation patterns. These algorithms simulate the interplay between three processes: (1) development of veins towards hormone (auxin) sources embedded in the leaf blade; (2) modification of the hormone source distribution by the proximity of veins; and (3) modification of both the vein pattern and source distribution by leaf growth. These processes are formulated in terms of iterative geometric operations on sets of points that represent vein nodes and auxin sources. In addition, a vein connection graph is maintained to determine vein widths. The effective implementation of the algorithms relies on the use of space subdivision (Voronoi diagrams) and time coherence between iteration steps. Depending on the specification details and parameters used, the algorithms can simulate many types of venation patterns, both open (tree-like) and closed (with loops). Applications of the presented algorithms include texture and detailed structure generation for image synthesis purposes, and modeling of morphogenetic processes in support of biological research.
A smile can reveal your age: enabling facial dynamics in age estimation

Estimation of a person's age from the facial image has many applications, ranging from biometrics and access control to cosmetics and entertainment. Many image-based methods have been proposed for this problem. In this paper, we propose a method for the use of dynamic features in age estimation, and show that 1) the temporal dynamics of facial features can be used to improve image-based age estimation; 2) considered alone, static image-based features are more accurate than dynamic features. We have collected and annotated an extensive database of face videos from 400 subjects with an age range between 8 and 76, which allows us to extensively analyze the relevant aspects of the problem. The proposed system, which fuses facial appearance and expression dynamics, performs with a mean absolute error of 4.81 (4.87) years. This represents a significant improvement of accuracy in comparison to the sole use of appearance-based features.
Changes in Mood States Are Induced by Smelling Familiar and Exotic Fragrances

Familiar fragrances usually induce positive mood states and elicit favorable evaluation. Relaxation is also widely thought to improve mood state. Yet experimental evidence on the effect of two different stimuli, fragrance smelling and breathing relaxation, on mood state, and fragrance evaluation is lacking. This study aimed to test (1) the effect of two familiar fragrances, lavender and myrtle, and two exotic fragrances, bergamot and ravensara, on perceived mood states before and after relaxation, (2) the effect of relaxation on perceived mood states for each fragrance, and (3) the effect of relaxation on fragrance evaluation as defined by adjectives. We hypothesized that mood states and assessment of the fragrances would differently be affected both in familiar vs. non-familiar fragrances and also before and after relaxation. Participants (n = 127) completed questionnaires on their mood states at baseline (T0). They were then presented with each of the four fragrances separately and asked to report on mood state and to assess the fragrances with adjectives before (T1) and after (T2) breathing relaxation. Analyses of the T0–T1 delta values of mood states by ANOVA repeated measures and post hoc comparisons showed that mood states were affected by fragrance smelling with no clear differences observed between familiar and exotic fragrances. The same analyses of T1–T2 values showed no differences in mood state after breathing relaxation and fragrance smelling. Fragrance assessment by adjectives indicated a non-conclusive trend for familiar and exotic fragrances. In sum, mood states induced by the fragrance smelling stimulus (T0–T1) were not changed by the addition of the second stimulus of relaxation (T1–T2), indicating that the former stimulus was stronger than the latter. On the other hand, the cognitive component represented by adjective-based assessment of fragrances was slightly modified by the relaxation stimulus.
Artificial Intelligence as a Positive and Negative Factor in Global Risk

By far the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it. Of course this problem is not limited to the field of AI. Jacques Monod wrote: "A curious aspect of the theory of evolution is that everybody thinks he understands it. " (Monod 1974.) My father, a physicist, complained about people making up their own theories of physics; he wanted to know why people did not make up their own theories of chemistry. (Answer: They do.) Nonetheless the problem seems to be unusually acute in Artificial Intelligence. The field of AI has a reputation for making huge promises and then failing to deliver on them. Most observers conclude that AI is hard; as indeed it is. But the embarrassment does not stem from the difficulty. It is difficult to build a star from hydrogen, but the field of stellar astronomy does not have a terrible reputation for promising to build stars and then failing. The critical inference is not that AI is hard, but that, for some reason, it is very easy for people to think they know far more about Artificial Intelligence than they actually do.
Description Logic Based Dynamic Systems: Modeling, Verification, and Synthesis

In this paper, we overview the recently introduced general framework of Description Logic Based Dynamic Systems, which leverages Levesque's functional approach to model systems that evolve the extensional part of a description logic knowledge base by means of actions. This framework is parametric w.r. t. the adopted description logic and the progression mechanism. In this setting, we discuss verification and adversarial synthesis for specifications expressed in a variant of first-order µ-calculus, with a controlled form of quantification across successive states and present key decidability results under the natural assumption of state-boundedness.
Natural Killer Cell Immunomodulation: Targeting Activating, Inhibitory, and Co-stimulatory Receptor Signaling for Cancer Immunotherapy

There is compelling clinical and experimental evidence to suggest that natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in the recognition and eradication of tumors. Efforts at using NK cells as antitumor agents began over two decades ago, but recent advances in elucidating NK cell biology have accelerated the development of NK cell-targeting therapeutics. NK cell activation and the triggering of effector functions is governed by a complex set of activating and inhibitory receptors. In the early phases of cancer immune surveillance, NK cells directly identify and lyse cancer cells. Nascent transformed cells elicit NK cell activation and are eliminated. However, as tumors progress, cancerous cells develop immunosuppressive mechanisms that circumvent NK cell-mediated killing, allowing for tumor escape and proliferation. Therapeutic intervention aims to reverse tumor-induced NK cell suppression and sustain NK cells’ tumorlytic capacities. Here, we review tumor–NK cell interactions, discuss the mechanisms by which NK cells generate an antitumor immune response, and discuss NK cell-based therapeutic strategies targeting activating, inhibitory, and co-stimulatory receptors.
Prevalence of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in a type 2 diabetic population of the North Catalonia diabetes study

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), and their control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at primary care settings from the North Catalonia Diabetes Study (NCDS). Data sources: In this multicentre cross‐sectional descriptive study, data were collected from a random sample of 307 patients with T2DM. The prevalence of CVD, CVRF, metabolic syndrome (MS), coronary heart disease (CHD) risk at 10 years (Framingham Point Scores), and CVRF control was evaluated. MS and lipid profiles were established according to Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. Conclusions: CVD prevalence was 22.0% (CHD: 18.9% and peripheral ischemia: 4.5%) and more frequent in men. The prevalence of selected CVRF was: hypertension: 74.5%; dyslipidemia: 77.7%; smoking: 14.9%; obesity 44.9%, and familial CVD: 38.4%. Three or more CVRFs, including T2DM, were observed in 91.3%. MS prevalence was 68.7%. Framingham score was 10.0%, higher in men than in women. CVD prevalence was related to: age, number of CVRFs, duration of diabetes, familial history of CVD, waist circumference, hypertension, lipid profile, kidney disease, and Framingham score, but not to MS by itself. Correct lipid profiles and blood pressure were only observed in 18.9% and 24.0%, respectively, whereas platelet aggregation inhibitors were only recorded in 16.1% of the patient cohort. MS presence was not an independent risk factor of CVD in our study. Implications for practice: The high prevalence of CVD and an inadequate control of CVRF, which were apparent in the NCDS population, would suggest that advanced practice nurses should consider incorporating specific cardiovascular assessment in their routine care of persons with T2DM.
Adaptive supply voltage technique for low swing interconnects

The increase in power consumption due to interconnects and the variation in delays (delay spread) among long interconnects are becoming important issues for design of high performance and low power circuits in scaled technologies. We propose an adaptive supply voltage technique for low swing interconnects. The proposed technique assigns different supply voltages to drive interconnects based on their delay. The voltage assignment is done only once during the initialization period of the circuit. Hence, there is no extra power consumption in the active mode. We also show that there is an optimum number of supply voltages required to achieve maximum power saving. Simulation results show that for a set of 64 buses we can achieve 42.8% and 55.9% reductions in the power consumption and delay spread, respectively.
Long-chain n−3 PUFA: plant v. marine sources

Increasing recognition of the importance of the long-chain n−3 PUFA, EPA and DHA, to cardiovascular health, and in the case of DHA to normal neurological development in the fetus and the newborn, has focused greater attention on the dietary supply of these fatty acids. The reason for low intakes of EPA and DHA in most developed countries (0·1–0·5 g/d) is the low consumption of oily fish, the richest dietary source of these fatty acids. An important question is whether dietary intake of the precursor n−3 fatty acid, α-linolenic acid (αLNA), can provide sufficient amounts of tissue EPA and DHA by conversion through the n−3 PUFA elongation–desaturation pathway. αLNA is present in marked amounts in plant sources, including green leafy vegetables and commonly-consumed oils such as rape-seed and soyabean oils, so that increased intake of this fatty acid would be easier to achieve than via increased fish consumption. However, αLNA-feeding studies and stable-isotope studies using αLNA, which have addressed the question of bioconversion of αLNA to EPA and DHA, have concluded that in adult men conversion to EPA is limited (approximately 8%) and conversion to DHA is extremely low (<0·1%). In women fractional conversion to DHA appears to be greater (9%), which may partly be a result of a lower rate of utilisation of αLNA for β-oxidation in women. However, up-regulation of the conversion of EPA to DHA has also been suggested, as a result of the actions of oestrogen on Δ6-desaturase, and may be of particular importance in maintaining adequate provision of DHA in pregnancy. The effect of oestrogen on DHA concentration in pregnant and lactating women awaits confirmation.
The Evolution of Sporting StrategiesSimon Raik and Bohdan DurnotaDepartment of Software

This paper describes C oac H, an evolutionary simulator developed to investigate strategies for teams in a competitive environment, and discusses some of the issues surrounding the evolution of cooperation among team members. As its title suggests, C oac H is a simulator of sporting environments, as these possess the required motivations for such behaviour and have the potential to beneet the real sporting world. In addition to describing C oac H, this paper describes two applications illustrating the potential and value of the system. It examines cooperation within a simpliied model of the game of volleyball in which cooperation emerged in the form of players passing the ball between them in order to control it for an eeective ooensive hit. Each player learnt a specialized skill which, in close harmony with the other team member's skills, provided the team with a strategy not unlike those used by real volleyball players. Some preliminary experiments were also carried out to investigate communication among team members.
Apolipoprotein E modifies the CNS response to injury via a histamine-mediated pathway

Abstract Recent evidence demonstrates that apolipoprotein E (apoE) influences the central nervous system (CNS) response to both acute and chronic injury. To address the mechanisms by which apoE influences neurological disease, we examined differential gene expression in the brains of apoE transgenic mice after closed head injury. Apart from confirming the knockout of apoE, the largest differential gene expression occurred for the interleukin-9 receptor (IL-9R), which was > 100-fold up-regulated in apoE-deficient versus wild-type mice. We observed a similar pattern of posttraumatic IL-9R up-regulation in APOE4 targeted replacement mice as compared with their APOE3 counterparts. This difference in gene expression was associated with increased neuronal protein expression of IL-9R in E4 animals compared with E3 as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. The consequence of IL-9R binding in mast cells is the induction of proliferation and differentiation. This indirectly favors degranulation and release of histamine and inflammatory mediators, which have previously been demonstrated to exacerbate secondary neuronal injury. We found that apoE-deficient animals had increased levels of systemic histamine after injury and that pre-treatment with antihistamines improved functional outcomes in apoE-deficient but not wild-type animals after head injury. These results suggest that apoE modifies secondary neuronal injury caused by histamine release and are consistent with previous observations that apoE affects the CNS inflammatory response in an isoform-specific manner.