Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A World Beyond Arabidopsis: Updates on Small RNAs in Plant Development

A wide range of developmental processes and stress responses involve negative regulation of coding genes by small RNAs, which are present in all plant transcriptomes (reviewed in Chen, 2009). Several types of small RNAs are distinguishable based on their modes of biogenesis and functions (reviewed in Axtell, 2013). All arise by the action of Dicer-like endonucleases on double-stranded regions of RNA; microRNAs (miRNAs) are generated from a single-stranded mRNA that has formed a hairpin structure, whereas short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are formed from duplexes of two strands of RNA, usually formed by the activity of an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Work in Arabidopsis thaliana has greatly advanced our understanding of small RNAs in plants. However, many small RNA regulatory target pairs are not conserved between species, and it is becoming clear that there can be large differences between species in terms of the types and functions of small RNAs. New reports from Thompson et al. (2014) and Arikit et al. (2014) herald exciting times for research on small RNAs in species beyond Arabidopsis.
PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF THE NUNAVUT ARCTIC COLLEGE PV SYSTEM : NINE YEARS OF RELIABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATION

A 3.2 kWp grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system was installed on the façade of the Nunavut Arctic College, Nunatta Campus in Iqaluit, Nunavut (63.4 °N) in 1995. The project has two main objectives: to gain experience in the construction, monitoring and maintenance of a northern gridconnected PV system, and to serve as a demonstrator of the use of PV in the far North. This paper summarizes nine years of monitoring results. The monitored data includes current from the PV array, array voltage, AC power delivered, horizontal and vertical irradiances (both measured with LiCor and Eppley pyranometers), ambient temperature, and array temperature. Climatic and solar radiation conditions at the site are reviewed, and the performance of the system is assessed from a component perspective (PV array, power conditioning unit) and from a global perspective (system efficiency, reliability, annual yield and performance ratio). The system has delivered on average 2,016 ± 200 kWh of electricity on an annual basis with no interruption of delivery. Thus, the system has demonstrated with success the reliability of grid-connected photovoltaics for the far North. INTRODUCTION The costs of PV systems have decreased dramatically in the last 20 years, primarily due to larger production volumes and technological advances. A recent world PV power market update reported that PV module factory prices continue to decline annually as the volume of sales worldwide grows at 30-40% per year [1]. In Canada, there has been a significant price decrease as well: from 11.09 CAD$/Watt in 1999, the average PV module price was 6.18 CAD$/Watt in 2003 [2]. The potential market for PV in the North is significant for Canada as none of the communities are currently tied to the North-American electrical grid. Instead, each community has its own local grid, usually relying on genset generators. Because of the remoteness of the sites and the high costs associated with transportation, diesel fuel can be extremely expensive. Thus, many of these applications could benefit from PV if it was proven to be a reliable and well performing technology under arctic conditions. In order to increase the visibility and study the performance of PV systems at high latitudes, Natural Resources Canada, in collaboration with local partners, supported the installation of a gridconnected PV system in Iqaluit, Nunavut [3]. The system has been running since summer 1995 and its performance monitored ever since. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the local climatic conditions and the PV system’s performance. * Paper based on the article “Performance Monitoring of the Nunavut Artic College 3.2 kWp Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System” presented at the SESCI 2004 conference.
Optical Characterization of a 1-D Nanostructure by Dark-Field Microscopy and Surface Plasmon Resonance to Determine Biomolecular Interactions

This paper presents a multifunctional imaging system that combines dark-field microscopy (DFM) with spectroscopy to image nanostructures and identify their optical properties from absorption spectra. The optical resolving power of this system is determined using a 1-D nanostructure with pitches of 120, 390, and 770 nm with four formats of optical disks. These pattern sizes are verified by atomic force microscopy (AFM) first. The results demonstrate that the resolving power of current system setup can down to 86 nm. The resultant DFM images appear to be slightly larger than the AFM images. A 50-nm-thick gold film was then deposited on top of these nanostructures, and their absorption spectra were obtained to elucidate its optical properties, enhanced by surface plasmon resonance. The immobilization of streptavidin on the surface of gold-coated nanostructure causes the absorption spectra to shift from 600 to 610 nm. A protein nanoarray with a dot size of 50 nm was also imaged by DFM, and can be implemented as a potential biochemical diagnostic system on an optical disk format. Specimens of adenocarcinoma cells and ovary cancer cells were also imaged using this DFM system, and the nuclei structure and some cellular organs can be recognized using a 100× objective oil lens.
Modeling Youth Leadership: An Integration of Personality Development Theories and Ethics

Although youth leadership has been well described within the literature, the dearth of theoretically derived models that specifically reflect ethics and comprehensive nature of youth development still remains. The purpose of this article is to synthesize the existing youth leadership research and theories of personality development to propose a model of youth leadership. The resulting model includes 5 major interconnected components, such as cognitive, socio-emotional, motivational, behavioral, and ethical. As part of the model, ethics is suggested as a core of youth leadership and its development. The model can be used to inform planning of contextually reflective leadership education, specific curriculum and developmental interventions.
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS AND QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION OF “ CURCUMIN ” IN A SIDDHA HERBO-MINERAL FORMULATION USING HIGH-PERFORMANCE THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY ( HPTLC )

Objective: To perform qualitative and quantitative estimation of „Curcumin‟ in a Siddha herbo-mineral formulation – „SanthaSanthrodayamMathirai (SSM)‟ using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). Method: Methanolic extracts of three samples of SSM (A, B, C) prepared using the traditional procedures described in Siddha literature. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography method was performed for quantification of curcumin in all the three samples by employing chloroform: methanol 9.5:0.5 (v/v) as a mobile phase. Results: Curcumin was identified at UV366 nm using the Retention factor (Rf) values in the three samples of SSM with reference to standard curcumin. The percentage of curcumin present in sample A, B and C is 0.6589, 0.6884 and 0.7104 respectively. Conclusion: Qualitative analysis and quantitative estimation of Curcumin content in SanthaSanthrodayaMathirai (SSM) was successfully done using High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC). These results suggest that quantification of Curcumin in SSM formulation can be helpful in quality control and the curcumin fingerprints obtained by HPTLC can be helpful in SSM standardization.
A Catchment-Based Approach to Modeling Land Surface Processes. Part 2: Parameter Estimation and Model Demonstration

The viability of a new catchment-based land surface model (LSM) developed for use with general circulation models is demonstrated. First, simple empirical functions -tractable enough for operational use in the LSM -are established that faithfully capture the control of topography on the subgrid variability of soil moisture and the surface water budget, as predicted by theory. Next, the full LSM is evaluated offiine. Using forcing and validation datasets developed for PILPS Phase 2c, the minimally calibrated model is shown t6 reproduce observed evaporation and runoff fluxes successfully in the Red-Arkansas River Basin. A complementary idealized study that employs the range of topographic variability seen over North America demonstrates that the simulated surface water budget does vary strongly with topography, which can, by itself, induce variations in annual evaporation as high as 20%.
Performance Analysis of a Parallel MIC ( 0 ) Preconditioning of Rotated Bilinear Nonconforming FEM Systems

A new parallel preconditioner for solution of large FEM linear systems is theoretically and experimentally studied. The considered second order elliptic problem is discretized by rotated bilinear nonconforming finite elements on quadrilaterals. The proposed algorithm is based on the modified incomplete Cholesky factorization MIC(0) applied to a locally constructed approximation of the original stiffness matrix. The obtained preconditioner has a special well parallelizable block structure preserving the robustness of the pointwise incomplete factorization. Theoretical estimates of the parallel times are derived. They are compared with the measured performance data on two Beowulf type Linux clusters. The related speed-up and efficiency are analyzed. A special attention is focused on the real distribution of computation and communication times. AMS Subj. Classification: 65F10, 65N30, 65Y05
Can a Computer Implementation Based on Set Grammars Allow Emergent Shapes?

In a previous paper, (Romão 2005) it was shown that a designer could create his own rules and combine them for application in a deterministic way using a computational device based on Set Grammars called SGtools. Using this device, the designer can assess the results in a visual manner and then change the rules without any knowledge of a programming language. This work examines whether SGtools can deal with emergence by coupling the representational abilities of Set Grammars with the search power of hybrid algorithm inspired on Genetic and Taboo search algorithms. The use of this search algorithm enhances the ability of the designer to explore solutions in practical time thereby enabling him/her to fi nd unexpected, emergent solutions.
N sources affect growth, nutrient content, and net photosynthesis in maté (Ilex paraguariensis St. Hil.)

A influencia de diferentes fontes de N sobre o crescimento de mudas de erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis St.Hil.) foi estudada, em casa de vegetacao. Todas as mudas receberam uma fertilizacao base de 10 mg N.kg-1 de solo na forma de NH4NO3, 60 mg P2O5.kg-1 e 40 mg K2O.kg-1 de solo na forma de KH2PO4 quinze dias antes da aplicacao dos tratamentos. Os tratamentos foram os seguintes: Controle, sem adicao extra de N; Ureia = 100 mg N.kg-1 de solo como Ureia; NO3- = 100 mg N.kg-1 de solo como Ca(NO3)2; e NH4+ = 100 mg N.kg-1 de solo como (NH4)2SO4. Concluiu-se que: 1) o aumento do conteudo de N nas folhas, por si, nao e capaz de promover ganhos na producao de biomassa em mudas de erva-mate; 2) mudas que receberam N-NH4 apresentaram maior acumulo de P e Mg na biomassa aerea; e 3) o aumento na absorcao de P e Mg coincidiu com um aumento na area foliar, no numero de folhas e na fotossintese liquida na fonte N-NH4.
Large infarct and high mortality by cerebral ischemia in mice carrying the factor V Leiden mutation

To cite this article: Kita T, Banno F, Yanamoto H, Nakajo Y, Iihara K, Miyata T. Large infarct and high mortality by cerebral ischemia in mice carrying the factor V Leiden mutation. J Thromb Haemost 2012; 10: 1453–5.
Predictors of antiretroviral treatment-associated tuberculosis in Ethiopia: a nested case-control study

Little is known about the predictors of antiretroviral treatment (ART)-associated tuberculosis (TB) in developing nations. The objective of this study was to determine predictors of ART-associated TB in adults with HIV infection at Jimma University Hospital, Ethiopia. A nested case-control study was conducted in October 2009. The study population consisted of adults with HIV infection (aged >14 years) who developed active TB in the first six months since ART initiation and controls that did not develop active TB. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire. Cox proportions hazards analysis was done to determine predictors of ART-associated TB. A total of 357 patients (119 cases and 238 controls) participated in the study. After six months of follow-up, cumulative incidence of ART-associated TB was 5.2% (123/2355). Forty (33.6%) cases were lost to follow-up after they developed ART-associated TB and 11 (9.2%) died. Fifty-one (21.4%) controls interrupted ART and 11 (4.6%) died. A CD4 lymphocyte count increase >0.5/μL/day (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 19.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.52, 41.12, P < 0.001), a base-line CD4 lymphocyte count <200 cells/μL (AHR = 9.59, 95% CI: 2.36, 39.04, P = 0.002), World Health Organization (WHO) clinical stage 3 or 4 (AHR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.62, 5.69, P < 0.001), night sweats during ART initiation (AHR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.06, 2.21, P < 0.001) and high ART adherence (AHR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.50, P < 0.001) were independent predictors of ART-associated TB. HIV-infected adults with these risk factors should be followed cautiously for the development of ART-associated TB. Good ART adherence and a good immunological response during ART were associated with ART-associated TB, most likely because of an immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome unmasking the TB.
Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil – Integrated Bridge System — Bid Price Analysis and Cost Comparisons with Alternative

In 2009, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) launched the Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative to identify and deploy innovations aimed at reducing the time it takes to deliver highway projects, reducing design and construction costs, enhancing safety, and protecting the environment (McAbee 2012). Because the Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil– Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) meets these criteria, it was selected for and promoted through the first three rounds of EDC. The design and construction methods for GRS-IBSs are outlined in FHWA guidance (Adams and Nicks 2018).
Geçmişten Günümüze Geçerlik Validity from Past to Present

The concept of test validity has gained importance since psychological tests have been used. Validity is related to the degree of measurement capability of a certain test, which intends to measure a desired property. However, from the years which the concept of validity emerged to the present day debates about definition and classification of validity and the interpretation of its results are on-going. In this study all debates about validity from the past to the present day are examined. Originally the classification of validity was the basis of criterion referenced validity, since then, the basic psychological structure has shifted to be associated with construct validity. In this approach all types of validity were unified under construct validity. Unified validity, as this approach is called, indicates that all evidence for validity of test data revealed construct validity. According to opponents of this view, construct validity, which is more a theoretical study, would not be sufficient to describe the actual validity of the tests used in education. Today their are views defending the unified validity approach as well as views against it and debates about the problems of holding onto content validity under the umbrella of construct validity still continue to this day. At the conclusion of all these debates, it seems that there is consensus that validity is an important evidence gathering process.
On Zudilin-like rational approximations to ζ(5)

In this paper we obtain two Zudilin-Like recurrence relations of third order for ζ(5), after applying Zeilberger’s algorithm of creative telescoping to some hypergeometric series. These recurrence relations do not supply diophantine approximations to ζ (5) that prove its irrationality, however it presents an algorithm for fast calculation of this constant. Moreover, we deduce a new continued fraction expansion for ζ (5) as a consequence.
Detection of hepatitis A virus in sewage sludge by antigen capture polymerase chain reaction

Antigen capture polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was tested as a sensitive and rapid method for detecting hepatitis A virus (HAV) in raw sewage sludge. The antigen capture PCR was performed both with and without solid-phase virus-catching monoclonal antibodies. Similar results proved that both methods were equally sensitive. Sewage sludge samples from different regions in Germany were examined for evidence of HAV contamination by antigen capture PCR. This method of detection was compared with that used in a previous study of these sewage sludge samples, in which the HAV was detected through indirect immunofluorescence after cell culture inoculation. The results obtained by antigen capture PCR matched those obtained in the earlier cell culture investigations, when HAV was detected in raw as well as digested sewage sludge samples. The advantage of the PCR method, however, lies in the fact that it needs only two days while the cell culture propagation of HAV takes about 8 to 10 weeks.
Anticancer cellular immunotherapies derived from umbilical cord blood

ABSTRACT Introduction: The lack of highly effective drugs in many malignancies has prompted scientific interest in the development of alternative treatment strategies. Cellular immunotherapy involving the adoptive transfer of immune cells that potently recognize and eliminate malignantly transformed cells has become a promising new tool in the anticancer armory. Studies suggest that the unique biological properties of umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells could precipitate enhanced anticancer activity; hence, UCB could be an optimal source for immunotherapy with the potential to provide products with ‘off-the-shelf’ availability. Areas covered: In this review, the authors summarize data on the transfer of naturally occurring or genetically modified UCB cells to treat cancer. The focus within is on the phenotypic and functional differences compared to other sources, the alloreactive and anticancer properties, and manufacturing of these products. Therapies utilizing cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells, natural killer (NK) cells and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells, are discussed. Expert opinion: The cellular immunotherapy field has become a growing, exciting area that has generated much enthusiasm. There is evidence that anticancer immunotherapy with UCB-derived products is feasible and safe; however, considering the limited number of clinical trials using UCB-derived products, further studies are warranted to facilitate translation into clinical practice.
Payment for Ecosystem Services and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Securing Resource Flows for the Affluent?

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is not only a prominent, globally promoted policy to foster nature conservation, but also increasingly propagated as an innovative and self-sustaining governance instrument to support poverty alleviation and to guarantee water, food, and energy securities. In this paper, we evaluate a PES scheme from a multi-scalar and political-ecology perspective in order to reveal different power dynamics across the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus perspective. For this purpose, we analyze the PES scheme implemented in the Hidrosogamoso hydropower project in Colombia. The paper shows that actors’ strongly divergent economic and political power is determinant in defining how and for whom the Nexus-related water, food, and energy securities are materialized. In this case, the PES scheme and its scalar politics, as fostered by the private/public hydropower alliance, are instrumental to guaranteeing water security for the hydropower scheme, which is a crucial building-block of Colombia’s energy security discourse. For this, the water and food securities of the adjacent, less powerful communities are sacrificed. Examining the on-the-ground politics of WEF Nexus is key to understanding their impact on equitable and sustainable governance of water, energy, and food in the everyday lives of millions of resource users. We conclude that politicizing the Nexus can help to trace both the flows of resources and the flows of power.
The Effects of Increasing Unsaturation in Palm Oil and Incorporation of Carbon Nanotubes on Resinous Properties

Considering palm oil as non-drying oil owing to its low iodine value, an attempt was taken to increase the unsaturation in the fatty acid chains of palm oil for the preparation of alkyds. To increase the unsaturation in the palm oil, sulphuric acid (SA) and para-toluene sulphonic acid (PTSA) was used prior to alcoholysis for the dehydration process. The iodine number of the oil samples was checked for the unsaturation measurement by Wijs method. Alkyd resin was prepared using the dehydrated palm oil by following alcoholysis and esterification reaction. To improve the film properties 0.5wt. % multi-wall carbon nano tubes (MWCNTs) were used to manufacture polymeric film. The properties of the resins were characterized by various physico-chemical properties such as density, viscosity, iodine value, saponification value, etc. Structural elucidation was confirmed by Fourier transform of infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance; surfaces of the films were examined by field-emission scanning electron microscope. In addition, pencil hardness and chemical resistivity was also measured by using standard methods. The effect of enhancement of the unsaturation in the fatty acid chain found significant and motivational. The resin prepared with dehydrated palm oil showed improved properties regarding hardness and chemical resistivity testing. The incorporation of MWCNTs enhanced the thermal stability and hardness of the films as well.
Test Case Selection using Software Complexity and Volume Metrics

Many software systems contain large number of classes which make software testing very difficult. As software systems evolve, test suites become very large. It is usually very expensive to execute the entire test suites. Therefore, focusing the testing on the more error-prone classes helps in reducing the testing cost. In this work, we propose an approach for test case selection using software metrics. We examine the ability of several complexity and volume metrics to find the most complex and error-prone classes. Testers can then run test cases that are associated with the complex classes only. We focus our experiments on systems written in Java and tested with the JUnit testing framework. The results reveal that the proposed approach significantly reduce the number of test cases needed while detecting most of seeded errors. keywords: Test Case Selection, Software Metrics, Unit Testing.
Rationalism versus Empirism

CLEMENS PAR has introduced inverse problems and invariants to the world of audio coding. ECMA-407 standardizes these results as the world’s first UHD 3D audio codec. Clemens Par is founder and CEO of Swissaudec, a young Swiss codec company located near Lausanne in the Canton of Vaud, highly active in international standardization at Ecma International and inside ISO/ MPEG. This publication is a tribute to professor RUDOLF E. KÁLMÁN as an ever-inspiring, foremost scientific character. Professor Kálmán received the National Medal of Science from U.S. President Barack Obama in 2008.