Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Poaceae with PGPR Bacteria and Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Partnerships as a Model System for Plant Microbiome Manipulation for Phytoremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons Contaminated Agricultural Soils

Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) are a persistent environmental organic contaminant. The possibility of obtaining synergistic effects between plants and microorganisms has further increased the possibility of alternative techniques for bioremediation. Oloptum miliaceum (L.) Röser & H.R. Hamasha and Pennisetum setaceum (Forssk.) Chiov. are, undoubtedly, good model plants for phytoremediation because they have large roots, leaf biomass, and a fast and effective renewal capacity, also, they have a great capacity to host endophytes in their roots. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) based on carbon fraction number was a basic technique used to determine the hydrocarbon degradation, and microorganism’s population was identified by high-throughput sequencing of 16s rRNA. The microbial consortium used allows the plant to increase overall biomass, adapt more in terms of redox biology (Superoxide dismutase SOD, catalase CAT, ascorbate peroxidase APX, guaiacol peroxidase GPX), and stress markers (Glutathione S-transferase GST, Phenylalanine Ammonia Lyase PAL, Proline content, and lipid peroxidation MDA). In addition, the photosynthetic efficiency and the soil dehydrogenase activity were monitored. After 240 days, the percentage of TPHs removed in Group 2 was 94%, whereas in Group 1, it was 78% in Oloptum miliaceum and Pennisetum setaceum. The removal of aliphatic hydrocarbons (C13–C36) was observed in Oloptum miliaceum and Pennisetum setaceum inoculated with the consortium of indigenous bacteria selected from rhizosphere soil and mycorrhizae strains. Our data demonstrate that, the Poaceae, in relation to its great ecological and vegetative potential, could be a great candidate for extensive remediation of soils contaminated by TPHs.
Winter mortality and the function of larval hibernacula during the 14-year life cycle of an arctic moth, Gynaephora groenlandica

Larvae of the arctic moth Gynaephora groenlandica stop feeding and spin silk hibernacula before the peak of summer season in the Canadian High Arctic Archipelago. This study examines the function of these hibernacula in relation to the biotic and abiotic mortality factors of parasitism and temperature. Winter mortality of 10% among larvae in cages on the tundra was compared with previous results on parasitism (56% mortality). Prior to winter, the cages were used to record larval behaviour and the location of hibernacula. The majority of the larvae (81%) spun hibernacula, most of which were concealed between the stems of arctic heather, Cassiope tetragona. Fewer hibernacula were found on the primary host plant, arctic willow, Salix arctica, than on C. tetragona or Dryas integrifolia, which formed the dominant plant cover. Nearly one-half of all the larvae that spun hibernacula made joint hibernacula with other larvae. Frequency of larvae sharing hibernacula declined with increasing numbers of larvae per ca.
Electro-Osmosis in Squid Axons

When electro-osmosis is observed through a substance (or tissue) certain inferences can be made about the fine structure of the substance. These include the presence of a zeta potential whose sign is the same as that of the electrode towards which water moves, and the presence of interstices or channels large enough to allow ions to move through them and to sweep along more water molecules than those carried as hydration shells. Channels too large may permit both positive and negative ions to move or at least allow a counter flow of water to reduce the net (observable) movement of water molecules.
Game Chromatic Number of Generalized Petersen Graphs and Jahangir Graphs

Let G � (V, E) be a graph, and two players Alice and Bob alternate turns coloring the vertices of the graph G a proper coloring where no two adjacent vertices are signed with the same color. Alice’s goal is to color the set of vertices using the minimum number of colors, which is called game chromatic number and is denoted by χg(G), while Bob’s goal is to prevent Alice’s goal. In this paper, we investigate the game chromatic number χg(G) of Generalized Petersen Graphs GP(n, k) for k≥ 3 and arbitrary n, n-Crossed Prism Graph, and Jahangir Graph Jn,m.
Long-term ruminal pH measurement using orally inserted sensors in calf.

| The objective of this study was to test oral insertion of sensors in calf, and to evaluate their accuracy to measure rumen pH for 28 days. Cannulated Holstein calf (5 mo; 200 kg BW) was used in this study. Four T9 data loggers sensors L1, L2, L3, and L4 were orally inserted into the rumen at d0, d7, d14, and d21 respectively to measure ruminal pH every 5 min. Calculated averages pH of 15 min were used to compare the 4 data loggers. Oral insertions of the data loggers were successfully performed. Data logger L1 was more accurate in the beginning of the experiment than at the end. However, the correlations between calculated pH mean at 15 min (L1 vs L2, L1 vs L3, and L1 vs L4) were consistent. Thus, the T9 data loggers can be used to monitor pH measurement for a long-term period of 28 days.
Performance limitations for discrete-time systems in the presence of multi-sinusoidal disturbance

Performance limitations for single-input single-output (SISO) linear discrete-time systems perturbed by multi-sinusoidal disturbance with additive Gaussian white noise are considered. A steady-state variance of the residual error input of the plant is used to measure the performance. Under the assumption that the disturbance frequency and plant model are known, the performance limitations are derived. Such limitations independent of the constant disturbance are then extended to the case of biased multi-sinusoidal disturbance.
Flowering and stem growth in the celery-leaved buttercup, Ranunculus sceleratus

The semiaquatic celery-leaved buttercup, Ranunculus sceleratus L. flowers under 18-h photoperiods (long days (LD)) but remains vegetative under 8-h photoperiods (short days (SD)). A minimum of 20-30 LD are required for floral bud initiation which occurs prior to the elongation of the flowering stalk. The effects of LD on flowering and the subsequent growth of the flowering stem can be mimicked with gibberellin (GA3) under SD. When plants which have been induced to flower by 28 LD are submerged, the flower stalk elongates rapidly over the next 48 h. Submergence effects can be mimicked by C2H4, but not by GA3 or indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) applications.
Understory prescribed burning in red pine and white pine

The alarming loss of forested areas containing red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) in eastern Canada is a situation that must be addressed promptly by changing management approaches. Since the ecological role of fire in the regeneration and perpetuation of these pines is well known, it makes sense to use fire to maintain pine ecosystems through forest management that uses an understory prescribed burn program. Fears of fire escape and a poor knowledge of applying fire correctly to these ecosystems are the result of poor training in the use of prescribed fire, which normally concentrates solely on post-harvest slash sites; this has prevented extensive use of understory prescribed burning in the past. However, research in Canada, principally using the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System coupled with the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System, allows forest managers to develop burning prescriptions that are safe and economical while meeting obje.
A Survey of Network Virtualization Techniques for Internet of Things Using SDN and NFV

Internet of Things (IoT) and Network Softwarization are fast becoming core technologies of information systems and network management for the next-generation Internet. The deployment and applications of IoT range from smart cities to urban computing and from ubiquitous healthcare to tactile Internet. For this reason, the physical infrastructure of heterogeneous network systems has become more complicated and thus requires efficient and dynamic solutions for management, configuration, and flow scheduling. Network softwarization in the form of Software Defined Networks and Network Function Virtualization has been extensively researched for IoT in the recent past. In this article, we present a systematic and comprehensive review of virtualization techniques explicitly designed for IoT networks. We have classified the literature into software-defined networks designed for IoT, function virtualization for IoT networks, and software-defined IoT networks. These categories are further divided into works that present architectural, security, and management solutions. Besides, the article highlights several short-term and long-term research challenges and open issues related to the adoption of software-defined Internet of Things.
A High Conversion Ratio and High-Efficiency Bidirectional DC–DC Converter With Reduced Voltage Stress

A dc–dc converter is proposed to achieve a high voltage conversion ratio for bidirectional power flow applications. The nonisolated topology is optimally designed to integrate both the switched capacitor and coupled inductor techniques for high efficiency. The windings of the coupled inductor are stacked at the low voltage source, which transfers any leakage energy of the coupled inductor directly into the output port and simplifies the clamping circuit. The optimal design keeps the voltage stress on the main switches low for the entire duty cycle operation. Thus, the converter demonstrates the advantage of wide-voltage gain based on common ground and low and steady voltage stress in both buck and boost modes of its operation. Furthermore, the converter can realize zero-voltage switching through the synchronous rectifiers without requiring extra hardware circuitry to enhance conversion efficiency. The operation principle, including the steady-state analysis, dynamic modeling, controller design, efficiency analysis, and optimization, are discussed in detail and verified by the experimental test. The prototype substantiates the theoretical analysis and soft-switching operation. The converter exhibits the capability for load and line regulation and demonstrates a peak efficiency of 96.38% in the boost mode and 95.61% in the buck mode of operation.
Morphological affinities between Jomon and Ainu: reassessment based on nonmetric cranial traits

This study reevaluates the relationship between the prehistoric Jomon and modern Ainu based on 18 nonmetric cranial traits. Although the two Ainu series from the northeast coast and central/southern regions of Hokkaido Island are always associated with Jomon, significant differences between the Ainu and Jomon were detected in the frequencies of seven traits: metopism, supraorbital foramen, ovale–spinosum confluence, hypoglossal canal bridging, jugular foramen bridging, biasterionic suture vestige, and occipitomastoid bone. Regarding these traits, the Ainu series are more similar to the Okhotsk than to the Jomon series. A broad comparison among pan-Pacific populations confirms the maintenance of distinctive morphologies in the remote regions of group ranges, as represented by the Jomon and to a lesser extent the recent Hokkaido Ainu. The Ainu occupies an intermediate position between Jomon and Northeast Asians on the one hand, and between Jomon and the Native Americans on the other. The pattern of temporal change between Jomon and Ainu, together with clinal variation among the three Ainu series from Sakhalin Island, the northeast Hokkaido coast, and central/south Hokkaido shown in the present study, indicate possible admixture between the ancestors of recent Ainu and northern groups such as the Okhotsk people in the post-Jomon periods.
Early inflammatory responses direct chronic autoimmunity development in the heart following coxsackievirus infection

Coxsackievirus infections are a major cause of chronic autoimmune myocarditis, a known precursor to dilated cardiomyopathy. Dilated cardiomyopathy leads to heart failure and is responsible for nearly half of all heart transplant cases. The induction of chronic autoimmunity following coxsackievirus infection is governed by the interplay of several genetic and immunological factors. In this review, we will focus on how the innate immune response to viral infection directs a cascade of events that ultimately results in chronic autoimmune heart disease.
The Molecular Mechanism Underlying TheLiver Mass Optimization Rule

Liver metabolizes food materials and chemicals, and delivers nutrients to every tissue of the body and, thus, is essential to life. Nature designs the architecture of the liver in a way that the activity of liver correctly meets the need of the body, being not beyond and below it. Thus, the weight of liver (Wliver) has a correlation with that of body (Wbody). The ratio (RL/B) of Wliver to Wbody is relatively constant among adults of a given mammalian species, indicating the presence of a “liver weight optimization rule (RuleLWO)”. Studies of RuleLWO have been undertaken as those to identify molecular signaling required for the termination of liver regeneration using partially hepatectomized rodents. Recently, we established a novel model for studying the rule, h-hep-mice bearing liver repopulated with human (h) hepatocytes. We compared the repopulation process of the xenogenic hepatocytes in h-hep-mice and r-hep-mice, the latter being the mice with rat (r) hepatocytes. r-Hepatocytes proliferated following RuleLWO. In contrast, RL/B of h-hep-mice increased during repopulation and 3 times exceeded the normal mouse RL/B at the end of repopulation. The results from h-hep-mice suggest that molecular signaling between hepatocytes and stellate cells plays a pivotal role under RuleLWO. The present study emphasizes the usefulness of h-hep-mice to examine the mechanism of RuleLWO and, thus, to design an artificial liver that best mimics the natural liver.
Improving Stagonospora nodorum resistance in wheat: A review

Stagonospora nodorum blotch (SNB) is a significant fungal disease of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) caused by Stagonospora nodorum, in which reduced grain yield is caused when the pathogen infects flag leaves and glumes at the critical time of grain filling. Wheat breeding programs have made limited progress in improving resistance to SNB due to the underlying complexity of the pathogen, host resistance, and their interactions. There has been an increase in knowledge of components of host-pathogen interactions in the past five decades, including pathogen diversity, biological factors contributing toward pathogen infection, environmental conditions favoring disease progression, and the genetics of host resistance. This review captures major outcomes and assesses different approaches and methodologies for improving resistance to SNB. The review concludes by proposing strategies for deploying, selecting, and combining gene and trait combinations in genetic backgrounds and improving methods for evaluation and selection of SNB resistance in wheat breeding.
On wings of lace: phylogeny and Bayesian divergence time estimates of Neuropterida (Insecta) based on morphological and molecular data

Neuropterida comprise the holometabolan orders Neuroptera (lacewings, antlions and relatives), Megaloptera (alderflies, dobsonflies) and Raphidioptera (snakeflies) as a monophyletic group sister to Coleoptera (beetles). The higher‐level phylogenetic relationships among these groups, as well as the family‐level hierarchy of Neuroptera, have to date proved difficult to reconstruct. We used morphological data and multi‐locus DNA sequence data to infer Neuropterida relationships. Nucleotide sequences were obtained for fragments of two nuclear genes (CAD, 18S rDNA) and two mitochondrial genes (COI, 16S rDNA) for 69 exemplars representing all recently recognized families of Neuropterida as well as outgroup exemplars from Coleoptera. The joint posterior probability of phylogeny and divergence times was estimated using a Bayesian relaxed‐clock inference method to establish a temporal sequence of cladogenesis for the group over geological time. Megaloptera were found to be paraphyletic with respect to the rest of Neuropterida, calling into question the validity of the ordinal status for Megaloptera as presently defined. Ordinal relationships were weakly supported, and monophyly of Megaloptera was not recovered in any total‐evidence analysis; Corydalidae were frequently recovered as sister to Raphidioptera. Only in relaxed‐clock inferences were Raphidioptera and a paraphyletic Megaloptera recovered with strong support as a monophyletic group sister to Neuroptera. A monophyletic Neuroptera diverged from a common Raphidioptera + ‘Megaloptera’ ancestor during the Late Carboniferous. Contrary to some previous hypotheses, Coniopterygidae, not Nevrorthidae, were recovered as sister to the rest of Neuroptera, with Nevrorthidae recovered with Osmylidae and Sisyridae. The monophyly of the universally recognized Myrmeleontiformia was confirmed, with an origin in the mid‐Triassic, but a monophyletic Hemerobiiformia was not recovered in any analysis. Dilaridae were not closely related to the clade comprising Mantispidae and Berothidae, and diverged earlier than proposed previously. The phylogenetic status and taxonomic composition of Polystoechotidae and Ithonidae are in need of re‐evaluation, as Oliarces Carpenter (presently Ithonidae) was placed well within the present circumscription of Polystoechotidae.
A Survey on Privacy-Preserving Data Mining Methods

In recent years, the increase in massive data in various fields has promoted the development of data mining. Still, the storage and mining of user data bring about the threat of privacy leakage. Researches on privacy-preserving data mining have become an increasingly significant research area. Focusing on the hidden dangers of privacy leakage in data mining methods, three leading privacy-preserving technologies came into being, which are data distortion technology, data encryption technology, and restricted publication technology. In this paper, we introduce and summarize the latest researches based on these privacy-preserving technologies. Besides, we describe the state-of-art research trends on privacy-preserving data mining methods in image processing and natural language processing.
Optogenetyka i inne metody kontroli aktywności komórek nerwowych

Controlling the electrical activity of selected and specific groups of nerve cells or even a single cell in the brain allows for understanding how neuronal networks process and code information. The ability to manipulate the activity of neurons is essential in studying the function and role of neuronal circuits in a healthy and diseased brain. Currently, there are many methods of nerve cell activity regulation based on various approaches and tools. These techniques differ greatly in cellular specificity, kinetics, and direction of action (activation/inhibition). In this article, we list various methods of nerve cell manipulation - since the 60? s of the past century and ending with the latest techniques of the present time. We devote the most space to the description of opsins and the development of methods for the application of optogenetics. A separate chapter is devoted to the characteristics of the methods developed in recent years which use nanoparticles and optical manipulation of DNA transcription.
Principal leadership and teacher professional learning in Turkish schools: examining the mediating effects of collective teacher efficacy and teacher trust

ABSTRACT The present study sought to contribute to the growing international knowledge base regarding the influence of school leadership on teacher learning by examining the relationship between principals’ instructional and transformational leadership types and teachers’ professional learning perceptions with the mediating effects of teachers’ perceptions of collective efficacy and trust. A cross-sectional survey design of the quantitative research method was employed using the data collected from a total number of 1,200 teachers in Turkey. Mediation analysis in structural equation modelling (SEM) with the bootstrapping method was used to analyse the structural relations among variables. The result showed that both principals’ instructional and transformational leadership types were significantly related to teacher professional learning, mediating by teacher trust and collective teacher efficacy. The study reconfirmed the results of the growing body of global literature on the relationship between principal leadership and teacher professional learning and practice.
Turning T‐cell receptor β recombination on and off: more questions than answers

Summary: Successful V(D)J recombination at the T‐cell receptor β (Tcrb) locus is critical for early thymocyte development. The locus is subject to a host of regulatory mechanisms that impart a strict developmental order to Tcrb recombination events and that insure that Tcrb recombination occurs in an allelically excluded fashion. Progress has been made in the understanding of the cis‐acting control of Tcrb locus chromatin structure and the extent to which such accessibility control can account for the developmental regulation of Tcrb recombination. However, recent studies in our laboratory and elsewhere have made it abundantly clear that accessibility control is only part of the story, and multiple additional mechanisms impact both the developmental activation and inactivation of locus recombination events. Here we evaluate our current understanding of developmental regulation at the Tcrb locus. We highlight the many unresolved issues and we discuss how recent concepts emerging from studies of other antigen receptor loci may (or may not) help to resolve these issues.
Effects of Particle Size and Forage Composition on Functional Specific Gravity

Abstract Functional specific gravity of forage particles influences the rate at which they pass from the rumen. Effects of forage constituents (neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, protein, fat, and ash) and particle size on change of functional specific gravity in vitro were investigated. Rate of change of functional specific gravity was higher in legumes than in grasses. Hay samples were ground through 1-, 2-, 4-, and 6-mm screens in a Wiley mill and immersed in water. Specific gravity measurements were at 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, and 48h. Specific gravities of samples with small particles were higher at all times than those of samples with large particles. Particle size influenced rate of change of specific gravity. Specific gravities of four hays that had been placed in the rumen in nylon bags for 1, 2, and 4h were measured by flotation technique. Prior to incubation in the rumen, approximately 80% of the particles were lighter than . 9 specific gravity in three of the forages. After 1h in the rumen, no more than 28% of any of the samples floated in the . 9 specific gravity solution. Specific gravity of ground forage samples changed rapidly in vivo.
Single-locus profiling reveals loss of variation in inbred populations of the red kite (Milvus milvus)

The genetic analysis of inbred populations has been facilitated by the development of Variable Number Tandem Repeat (VNTR) probes. We describe here the first use of a synthetic, concatenated simple sequence probe to detect a single VNTR locus and its use in differentiating populations of the red kite, one of Europe’s most threatened birds of prey. Numbering 11000-13000 pairs, this species is patchily distributed, comprising several populations, some of which have recently suffered major bottlenecks. By using the (CCAT)n probe we have examined variation within and among four of these. The levels of heterozygosity and allelic diversity reflect each population’s history but also reveal substructuring within the indigenous British population in Wales. Here a group of peripheral territories, which are amongst the most successful in the population, exhibit significantly lower heterozygosity than the main population, and appear to receive little genetic input from it.