Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Population structure analysis and association mapping of seed antioxidant content in USDA cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) core collection using SNPs

Abstract: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is an important legume, and the antioxidant content in cowpea seeds has been recognized as a health-promoting compound for humans. The objectives of this study were to analyze the population structure of cowpea collections and to identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with the seed antioxidant content and seed coat colour. A set of 1047 SNPs were used to analyze a 369 cowpea core collection from 47 countries. Results indicated that: (1) there were three clusters in the 369 entries; and the germplasm collected from India, South Africa, and the US showed broader genetic diversity; (2) Scaffold7139_14363 and Scaffold29110_4657 were strongly associated with antioxidant content, and C35063613_1497, Scaffold81493_886, and Scaffold84620_6785 were strongly associated with seed coat colour across three models; (3) significant correlations were detected between the seed antioxidant content and black seed colour (r = 0.45) and between seed antioxidant content and red seed coat colour (r = 0.50); and (4) Scaffold42008_191 and C35082838_2258 were associated with both seed antioxidant content and seed coat colour. The SNP markers identified could potentially be used in marker-assisted breeding to accelerate genetic improvement of cowpea for higher seed antioxidant content.
Soft and Hard Piezoelectric Ceramics for Vibration Energy Harvesting

The question as to which piezoelectric composition is favorable for energy harvesting has been addressed in the past few years. However, discussion on this topic continues. In this work, an answer is provided through a feasible method which can be used in selecting piezoelectric material. The energy harvesting behavior of hard (P4 and P8) and soft (P5 and P5H) lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics was investigated. The results show that the maximum piezoelectric voltage coefficient g33 and transduction coefficient d33 × g33 were obtained in P5 ceramic. Meanwhile, the power generation characteristics at low frequencies were compared by the vibration energy harvester with a cantilever beam structure. The results indicate that the energy harvester fabricated by the P5 ceramic with the maximum d33 × g33 values also demonstrated the best power generation characteristics. The results unambiguously demonstrate that the power density and energy conversion efficiency of the energy harvesting devices are dominated by the d33 × g33 value of the piezoelectric materials.
Impact of Industry 4.0 on Environmental Sustainability

Industry 4.0 is a concept that originated from the German industry, and whose essence is the use of technology for efficient production. In business today, the emergence of Industry 4.0 for production, and its related technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber-physical systems, amongst others, have, however, a negative impact on environmental sustainability as a result of air pollution, the poor discharge of waste, and the intensive use of raw materials, information, and energy. The method used in this study is an analysis of a literature review of manuscripts discussing topics related to Industry 4.0 and environmental sustainability published between 2000 and 2020. There is currently a gap existing between the actual and the desired situation, in that production occurs in a weak sustainability model, and, therefore, this research debates the effects on environmental sustainability and the challenges facing Industry 4.0. Four scenarios are discussed: a deployment scenario, an operation scenario, integration and compliance with sustainable development goals, and a long-run scenario. The results indicate that there is a negative relationship related to the flow of the production process from the inputs to the final product, including raw materials, energy requirements, information, and waste disposal, and their impacts on the environment. However, the integration of Industry 4.0 and the sustainable development goals enhance environmental sustainability to create ecological support that guarantees high environmental performance with a more positive impact than before. This paper will help stakeholders and companies to provide solutions to the existing environmental challenges that can be mediated through adopting new technologies. The novelty of this study is its depiction of Industry 4.0 and its technologies integrated with sustainable development goals to create a sustainable Industry 4.0 combining environmental protection and sustainability.
Efficacy of avermectin B1a against microfilariae of Dirofilaria immitis.

: Avermectin B1a given at a dose level of 0.05 or 0.1 mg/kg of body weight caused rapid removal of Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae from the blood of dogs with heartworm infections. If the adult worms were also killed with an arsenical (melarsoprol), the removal of microfilariae was permanent.
Crossing Over: Majority Party Control Affects Legislator Behavior and the Agenda

Does majority party control cause changes in legislative policy making? We argue that majority party floor control affects legislator behavior and agenda control. Leveraging a natural experiment where nearly one tenth of a legislature’s members died within the same legislative session, we are able to identify the effect of majority party floor control on the legislative agenda and on legislator choices. Previous correlational work has found mixed evidence of party effects, especially in the mid-twentieth century. In contrast, we find that majority party control leads to (1) changes in the agenda and (2) changes in legislators’ revealed preferences. These effects are driven by changes in numerical party majorities on the legislative floor. The effects are strongest with Republican and nonsouthern Democratic legislators. The effects are also more pronounced on the first (economic) than the second (racial) dimension. Additional correlational evidence across 74 years adds external validity to our exogenous evidence.
The impacts of lead recycling activities to human health and environment in Dong Mai craft village, Hung Yen, Vietnam

Lead (Pb) recycling activities in Dong Mai village, Chi Dao commune, Van Lam district, Hung Yen province have been taking place for more than 30 years. The development of recycling activities contributed to the improvement of the local economics. However, along with economic development, Dong Mai craft village is facing to serious pollution. Soil, air and water polluted by lead (Pb) caused food containing Pb at higher levels than allowed limit from 20 to 40 times. The pollution had the bad effect on human health in this village. The investigation results showed that 100 % of em-ployee who participated on melting lead and 63.5 % of local children were poisoned by Pb. Besides, the local people got diseases relating to skin, eyes, etc. This situation requires the provincial authorities to find immediate solutions to reduce the impacts of Pb recycling activities to environment and human.
Use of Predictive Screening Parameters in Selected Common Bean Genotypes to assess their Salt Tolerance Ability using NaCl Concentration

Two common bean genotypes namely Mshindi and Kablanketi were tested in the screen-house under differing NaCl concentrations to assess their performance and tolerance or rather susceptibility to saline rich medium. The aim of this study was to compare and select salt tolerant bean genotype. The seeds of these genotypes were soaked in distilled water and pre-germinated in a wet mat and then grown in pots. After seedlings establishment, at 10 days of age, plants were thinned to 2 plants in a pot and administered with doses of saline solutions at varying concentrations of NaCl (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 mM). The predictive screening parameters which include number of leaves, change in leaf colour and levels of leaf injury, plant height, number and length of roots, total biomass, Na +
A NOTE ON FLOW CLASSIFICATION

Astarita (1979) proposed a local and objective criterion to classify flows. His criterion is not restricted to MWCSH, ans is essentially an attempt to quantify the stress-relieving rotation experienced by the flowing material. Huilgol (1980) analyzed Astarita ́s work and showed, through examples, some inconsistencies which rendered it useless as a general flow criterion. The present work revisits Huilgol ́s examples and discusses in detaile the underlying physics that make Astarita ́s criterion to fail for certain flows. This analysis leads to a new criterion for flow classification involving the concept of persistence of straining. A key kinematic entity introduced in the proposed criterion is the π-plane, a plane that is normal to the relative-rate-of-rotation vector. For a more comprehensive criterion, other parameters are needed in addition to a persistence-of-straining parameter. One of them is a measure of the deformation rate in the π-plane. Emphasis is given to isochoric motions. The proposed kinematic criterion is local, frame-indifferent and is not restricted to particular classes of flows. Its robustness is shown through detailed analyses of some examples of flows in the literature.
Adipocytokines as mediators of metabolic role of adipose tissue

: The discovery of adipocytokines, products of adipose tissue, has been a turning point in the understanding of metabolic disorders. Historically considered as a passive depot of energy, adipose tissue has become an important active participant and adipocytokines crucial mediators of its metabolic role. Among a number of adipose tissue products, leptin and adiponectin are exclusively secreted by adipocytes. Leptin regulates energy homeostasis and interferes with several neuroendocrine and immune functions. Adiponectin is an intriguing adipocytokine with its serum level inversely correlated with fatness. It has been related to enhanced insulin sensitivity, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic actions. Recent investigations have also emphasized the important role of resistin, visfatin, retinol binding protein 4, and of a whole list of cytokines like interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor a, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, or a chemokine, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. The fact that secretory balance of adipose tissue in obesity is shifted towards the proinflammatory spectrum has supported the hypothesis on the development of dysfunctional adipose tissue in these circumstances. It contributes to the state of chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, and it seems to be a fundamental link between obesity and atherosclerosis.
Coverage path planning algorithms for agricultural field machines

In this article, a coverage path planning problem is discussed in the case of agricultural fields and agricultural machines. Methods and algorithms to solve this problem are developed. These algorithms are applicable to both robots and human‐driven machines. The necessary condition is to cover the whole field, and the goal is to find as efficient a route as possible. As yet, there is no universal algorithm or method capable of solving the problem in all cases. Two new approaches to solve the coverage path planning problem in the case of agricultural fields and agricultural machines are presented for consideration. Both of them are greedy algorithms. In the first algorithm the view is from on top of the field, and the goal is to split a single field plot into subfields that are simple to drive or operate. This algorithm utilizes a trapezoidal decomposition algorithm, and a search is developed of the best driving direction and selection of subfields. This article also presents other practical aspects that are taken into account, such as underdrainage and laying headlands. The second algorithm is also an incremental algorithm, but the path is planned on the basis of the machine's current state and the search is on the next swath instead of the next subfield. There are advantages and disadvantages with both algorithms, neither of them solving the problem of coverage path planning problem optimally. Nevertheless, the developed algorithms are remarkable steps toward finding a way to solve the coverage path planning problem with nonomnidirectional vehicles and taking into consideration agricultural aspects. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Toxines bactériennes: outils pour l'étude des protéines G impliquées dans les mécanismes de l'exocytose dans les cellules neuroendocrines.

Dans les cellules neuroendocrines, l’exocytose est un mecanisme complexe impliquant le recrutement des granules de secretion, leur arrimage aux sites d’exocytose de la membrane plasmique, puis leur fusion avec la membrane plasmique permettant la liberation des produits de secretion dans l’espace extracellulaire. L'utilisation de toxines bacteriennes au spectre d’action selectif nous a permis de montrer que ces differentes etapes sont etroitement controlees par des proteines G monomeriques et trimeriques. Ainsi, la mobilisation des granules de secretion dans une cellule stimulee par un secretagogue necessite la reorganisation specifique du cytosquelette d’actine sous la membrane plasmique. Nos resultats suggerent que cette toile d’actine est en partie controlee par une proteine G trimerique de type Go, associee a la membrane des granules de secretion, et qui, par l’intermediaire de la GTPase RhoA couplee a une phosphatidylinositol 4kinase, peut stabiliser les filaments d’actine a la surface granulaire. De plus, les etapes d’arrimage et/ou de fusion des granules a la membrane plasmique requierent la participation de la GTPase Cdc42 dont la fonction serait d’assurer la mise en place de structures d’actine necessaires a l’exocytose. L’ensemble de nos travaux souligne l’importance du cytosquelette d’actine et revele le controle sequentiel exerce par les proteines G dans les etapes ultimes de l’exocytose. En outre, ces donnees illustrent l’interet potentiel des toxines bacteriennes pour dissequer les voies moleculaires de la secretion dans une cellule neuroendocrine.
Caractérisation Phénotypique et Fonctionnelle des trois Sous Populations de Monocytes dans le Cadre de l’Obésité chez l’Homme

Les monocytes detectent des signaux metaboliques circulants qu’ils traduisent en signaux immunologiques. ils infiltrent les tissus inflames et sont egalement les precurseurs des macrophages. Dans l’obesite, la frequence, le nombre, le phenotype et la fonctionnalite des sous populations de monocytes (CD14++CD16- [CM], CD14++CD16+ [IM] et CD14+CD16++ [NCM]) sont specifiquement modules. Le phenotype des monocytes est pro-inflammatoire avec une plus forte reponse a la stimulation de TLR4 et de TLR8. Nos travaux suggerent une capacite migratoire accrue des CM et des IM. La comparaison du transcriptome des sous populations chez des sujets obeses et des temoins, revele une signature specifique de chaque sous population montrant un plus fort impact de l’obesite sur les CM. Ils soutiendraient l’inflammation en modulant des genes impliques dans la signalisation cellulaire. Ils migreraient avec les IM vers les tissus inflames. Les NCM resteraient plus longtemps dans la circulation ou leur fonction de « patrouilleurs » serait accrue. Les genes les plus modules par les CM et les IM, respectivement Clusterine et CDGSH iron sulfur domain 1 sont des ponts entre la reponse immunitaire, le metabolisme et la reponse au stress. L’etude des « tops » genes dont l’expression est la plus fortement modulee et des fonctions les plus probablement modulees revele que le metabolisme des monocytes serait modifie dans l’obesite. Ce travail ouvre des perspectives concernant : 1) une eventuelle composante auto-immune de l’inflammation de bas grade et 2) des relations entre des modifications du metabolisme des monocytes et leur fonctionnalite.
Improving heat tolerance of Rhododendron by H2O2 pretreatment

To clarify the mechanism of H2O2-induced heat tolerance of Rhododendron, seedlings of three Rhododendron cultivars, R. obtusum ‘Yanzhi Mi’, R. ‘Hong Yue’ and R. ‘Hong Shan Hu’ were used as experimental materials to investigate effects of H2O2 pretreatment on heat resistance of Rhododendron seedlings and antioxidant defense system. The results showed that high temperature enhanced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (O2· and H2O2) and MDA. The degrees of membrane peroxidation damage of three cultivars were consistent with their heat injury indices, of which, the heat tolerance of R. ‘Hong Shan Hu’ was the worst, and membrane peroxidation damage was most seriously, followed by R. ‘Hong Yue’ and R. obtusum ‘Yanzhi Mi’. Exposed to high temperature stress, the activities of SOD and CAT and the content of non-enzymatic GSH in three R. cultivars increased significantly, but AsA content decreased. Compared with the treatment of heat stress, H2O2 pretreatment induced the increase of CAT activity and AsA content, however, reduced SOD activity and GSH level. H2O2 pretreatment inhibited the accumulation of MDA, O2· and H2O2, alleviated the symptoms of heat injury, and H2O2-induced heat tolerance was remarkable for R. ‘Hong Yue’ and R. ‘Hong Shan Hu’ seedlings with poor heat resistance. These results indicated that H2O2 pretreatment could improve the heat resistance of Rhododendron seedlings by regulating the antioxidant defense system and reducing the peroxidation damage under high temperature stress.
Feature Selection and Classification of Lung Ct Images Using Hybrid Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization

Lung diseases are the disorders that affect the lungs, the organs that allow us to breathe and it is the most common medical conditions worldwide especially in India. In this paper, an automated approach for feature selection and classification of the lung diseases using CT images is presented. The lung CT image is engaged as the input. Filters are used to remove unwanted noise. New feature selection technique that is hybridization of genetic and PSO is used to select features after extracting features using MAD technique. Once features has been selected then they are classified using MLP-NN classifier. Quantitative analysis suggests that this method can consistently classify lung CT images with high accuracy and efficiency.
Protein kinase Cɛ contributes to regulation of the sarcolemmal Na+-K+ pump

A reduction in angiotensin II (ANG II) in vivo by treatment of rabbits with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, captopril, increases Na+-K+ pump current (I p) of cardiac myocytes. This increase is abolished by exposure of myocytes to ANG II in vitro. Because ANG II induces translocation of the ɛ-isoform of protein kinase C (PKCɛ), we examined whether this isozyme regulates the pump. We treated rabbits with captopril, isolated myocytes, and measured I p of myocytes voltage clamped with wide-tipped patch pipettes. I p of myocytes from captopril-treated rabbits was larger thanI p of myocytes from controls. ANG II superfusion of myocytes from captopril-treated rabbits decreasedI p to levels similar to controls. Inclusion of PKCɛ-specific blocking peptide in pipette solutions used to perfuse the intracellular compartment abolished the effect of ANG II. Inclusion of ψɛRACK, a PKCɛ-specific activating peptide, in pipette solutions had an effect on I p that was similar to that of ANG II. There was no add.
Antibiotic sensitivity of Bacillus thuringiensis var. galleriae strains

Bacillus thuringiensis strains forming colonies of the S and R morphology were found to be susceptible to streptomycin, chloramphenicol, rifampicin, neomycin, lincomycin, monomycin, kanamycin, and resistant to ampicillin and polymyxin. The S strains were shown to be susceptible to tetracycline (Tets), whereas the R strains were either susceptible (Tets) or resistant (Tetr). The population of Tetr strains was heterogeneous in its resistance to tetracycline (the frequency of Tetr cells was from 10(-4) to 1). The incubation with a subinhibiting concentration of tetracycline (2 micrograms/ml) caused "induction", which decreased in the presence of chloramphenicol, in the Tetr strains. No "induction" was detected in Tets strains. No significant differences were found in the plasmid composition of the Tets and Tetr strains, and no correlation was established between the presence of plasmids and the resistance to tetracycline. It may be concluded therefore that determinants for the resistance to tetracycline are located in the chromosomes. Possible factors causing the resistance to tetracycline in B. thuringiensis are discussed.
Basal Metabolism and Serum Protein Bound Iodine and Characteristics of Their Seasonal Variations in Okinawa-Inhabitants

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and serum protein bound iodine (PBI) were measured on inhabitants of Okinawa in August and January during 1972-1974. Following findings were obtained; BMR in terms of kcal/m2/hr showed monthly change being higher in January than in August, and the level of mean in the both months of all 122 measured values was almost the same as the Standard BMR for Japanese (the Welfare Ministry). No significant difference of BMR was found between the subjects native of Okinawa and migrants from mainland of Japan. The variation index of BMR between the both months was almost the same as that in inhabitants of Nagasaki obtained before by our colleague, Dr. Chen. Climatic temperature in January of Okinawa is almost equvalent to that in April of spring and in October of autumn at Nagasaki, where BMR of inhabitants is very changeable in these seasons, thus BMR in Okinawa inhabitnats similarly increased in January. FBI values in Okinawa inhabitants showed smaller rate of increase from August toward January compared with those in inhabitants of Nagasaki. Tsuchimoto, our colleague pointed out already that PBI was higher in the cooling-down season of autumn than in the warmingup season of spring. Thus, it is thought that BMR is very variable due to the change in the temperature conditions of the seasonal climate, however increase rate of PBI, which is an index of secretion of thyroxin as a most important hormone controlling metabolism, depends upon the velocity of
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): A drought condition morphological, biochemical and molecular effect on vegetative and reproductive stage

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the most important cereal crop for the majority of world’s populations and staple food of about two billion people. Wheat is cultivated over a wide range of climatic conditions and wheat are exposed to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses which is of a significant effect on the growth, development and cause changes in the normal morphological, physiological, and molecular functions of the plants. Drought stresses are significant causes of crop loss. Drought stresses are often interconnected, and could induce similar cellular damage, plants must adapt to stressful conditions, and exercise specific tolerance mechanisms modification for enhanced tolerance is mostly based on the manipulation of genes that maintained and protect the structure, and function of cellular components. Present strategies rely on the transfer of one, or several genes that are either involved in signalling and regulatory pathways, or that encode enzymes present in pathways leading to the synthesis of functional and structural protestants or that encode stress-tolerance conferring proteins. Tolerance to abiotic stresses be a very complex due to intricate interactions between stress factors and various molecular, biochemical, and physiological phenomenon affecting plant growth and development.