Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of PEG mediated water stress on solute accumulation, relative water content, biomass and antioxidant enzymes in rice

In rice, several cultivated and upland varieties need to be assessed and analyzed for drought tolerance traits which could be used in screening and breeding programs for drought tolerance. Hence, the objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of water deficits in two rice cultivars and thereby analyze the role of several physiological traits useful in rice breeding programs for drought tolerance. The rice varieties Tellahamsa (TH) and N22 were screened for tolerance to drought. A comparative study was done subjecting them to PEG mediated water stress. Accumulation of solutes, i.e., proline, total free aminoacids and sugars; biomass production, Relative Water Content (RWC) and the levels of antioxidant enzymes, viz., Catalase (CAT), Ascorbate Peroxidase (APX), Glutathione Reductase(GR), and Superoxide Dismutase(SOD) were analyzed in response to water stress. Maximum proline accumulation was seen within 24hrs of stress, after 10 days TH decreased its proline to one-third, whereas in N22 doubled. Although amino acids doubled within 24hrs, gradually they depleted in N22. This may be due to conversion of aminoacids into proline which could be the most compatible solute. Sugars increased within 24hrs, but were depleted in 10days in both. In TH, the shoot and root biomass decreased, whereas in N22 there was a significant increase in root biomass. Shoot and root RWC of N22 was higher than TH under stress. GR increased in both TH and N22, APX and SOD increased only in N22. Proline accumulation, increase of root biomass and antioxidant enzymes such as APX or SOD during water stress are contributing to drought tolerance and could be used in screening for drought tolerance.
Computer Vision based Vehicle Recognition on Indian Roads

Feature extraction and classication are two most important modules for any vision-based object recognition system. In the case of vehicles, most of the methods in these modules found to be less accurate in recognition even though they work well for other objects. We are interested in recognition of vehicles on Indian roads. There are number of challenges in implementing vehicle recognition in Indian scenario like bad road conditions, trac rules violation and variance among vehicles, etc. In order to overcome these diculties, we implemented feature extraction module using bag of features (combination of Harris-corner detector and SIFT features), and classication is performed using Support vector machines (SVM). To validate our proposed method, we have introduced Indian Vehicle Database. The images in this database are extracted from daylight Indian urban trac scenes. Our proposed method achieves 40-45 percent improvement over the baseline methods.
Treatment Outcome of Tuberculosis Patients under Directly Observed Treatment of Short Course in Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia: Retrospective Cohort Study

A retrospective study was conducted to assess the treatment outcome of tuberculosis patients enrolled in Directly Observed Treatment Short Course (DOTS) program over the course of five year (2009-2013) in six selected institutions providing DOTS program in Nekemte Town, Western Ethiopia from April to August, 2014. A total of 1175 tuberculosis patients were involved in the study: 14.5% were cured, 56.3% treatment completed, 0.2% was treatment failure, 8.1% were died during follow-up, 7.1% were reported as defaulters and 13.8% were transferred out to another health institution. The overall treatment success rate was 70.8% and show progressive increases over the course of the study. The associated predictors were enrolment years, HIV co-infection, and sputum smear follow up in second, fifth and seven months. Thus, continues follow-up of patients during the course of treatment and providing early detection and follow up for HIV infection need to be strength for improving treatment outcome.
A pr 2 01 8 CERN-TH-2018-013 ON TOPOLOGICAL INVARIANTS OF ALGEBRAIC THREEFOLDS WITH ( Q-FACTORIAL ) SINGULARITIES

We study local, global and local-to-global properties of threefolds with certain singularities. We prove criteria for these threefolds to be rational homology manifolds and conditions for threefolds to satisfy rational Poincaré duality. We relate the topological Euler characteristic of elliptic Calabi-Yau threefolds with Q-factorial terminal singularities to dimensions of Lie algebras and certain representations, Milnor and Tyurina numbers and other birational invariants of an elliptic fibration. We give an interpretation in terms of complex deformations. We state a conjecture on the extension of Kodaira’s classification of singular fibers on relatively minimal elliptic surfaces to the class of birationally equivalent relatively minimal genus one fibered varieties and we give results in this direction.
Phenotypic characterization and susceptibility of gram negative bacteria from surgical site infections in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Gram negative bacteria are the common isolates among the cases of Surgical Site Infections (SSI). Resistant and specially Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) Gram negative isolates are a serious challenge for the treatment to clinicians. Present study was undertaken for phenotypic characterization and susceptibility pattern of Gram negative bacterial isolates from cases of surgical site infections in a tertiary care institute.Methods: This descriptive cross sectional hospital based study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of one and half year from January 2012 to June 2013. Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC) SSI case definitions were used to label a case as SSI. Only culture proven cases, out of clinically suspected was included in the study for evaluation.Results: During the study period a total of 5949 patients were operated and screened for SSI in the wards under surveillance. Out of which 556 were clinically suspected as a case of SSI. With 408 culture proven cases of SSI the rate of SSI in present study was (6.86%). Rates of SSI were more in dirty (22.54%) and contaminated (13.78%) type of wounds. Among Gram negative bacterial isolates (n=343) from SSI, E. coli (45.18%) was the commonest followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.03%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.42%). Unpleasant trend in antimicrobial resistance observed during study is a serious concern.Conclusions: The data presented in this study clearly indicate the continuous need of surveillance of SSI. This will clearly help health care personnel in curtailing down the incidences of SSI.
A worldwide phylogenetic classification of the Poaceae (Gramineae) II: An update and a comparison of two 2015 classifications

We present a new worldwide phylogenetic classification of 11 506 grass species in 768 genera, 12 subfamilies, seven supertribes, 52 tribes, five supersubtribes, and 90 subtribes; and compare two phylogenetic classifications of the grass family published in 2015 (Soreng et al. and Kellogg). The subfamilies (in descending order based on the number of species) are Pooideae with 3968 species in 202 genera, 15 tribes, and 30 subtribes; Panicoideae with 3241 species in 247 genera, 13 tribes, and 19 subtribes; Bambusoideae with 1670 species in 125 genera, three tribes, and 15 subtribes; Chloridoideae with 1602 species in 124 genera, five tribes, and 26 subtribes; Aristidoideae with 367 species in three genera, and one tribe; Danthonioideae with 292 species in 19 genera, and one tribe; Micrairoideae with 184 species in eight genera, and three tribes; Oryzoideae with 115 species in 19 genera, four tribes, and two subtribes; Arundinoideae with 40 species in 14 genera, two tribes, and two subtribes; Pharoideae with 12 species in three genera, and one tribe; Puelioideae with 11 species in two genera, and two tribes; and the Anomochlooideae with four species in two genera, and two tribes. We also include a radial tree illustrating the hierarchical relationships among the subtribes, tribes, and subfamilies. Newly described taxa include: supertribes Melicodae and Nardodae; supersubtribes Agrostidodinae, Boutelouodinae, Gouiniodinae, Loliodinae, and Poodinae; and subtribes Echinopogoninae and Ventenatinae.
X-ray backscatter radiography with lower open fraction coded masks

Single sided radiographic imaging would find great utility for medical, aerospace and security applications. While coded apertures can be used to form such an image from backscattered X-rays they suffer from near field limitations that introduce noise. Several theoretical studies have indicated that for an extended source the images signal to noise ratio may be optimised by using a low open fraction (<0.5) mask. However, few experimental results have been published for such low open fraction patterns and details of their formulation are often unavailable or are ambiguous. In this paper we address this process for two types of low open fraction mask, the dilute URA and the Singer set array. For the dilute URA the procedure for producing multiple 2D array patterns from given 1D binary sequences (Barker codes) is explained. Their point spread functions are calculated and their imaging properties are critically reviewed. These results are then compared to those from the Singer set and experimental exposures are presented for both type of pattern; their prospects for near field imaging are discussed.
Electrospinning of nanofibers for tissue engineering applications

Electrospinning is a method in which materials in solution are formed into nano- and micro-sized continuous fibers. Recent interest in this technique stems fromboth the topical nature of nanoscale material fabrication and the considerable potential for use of these nanoscale fibres in a range of applications including, amongst others, a range of biomedical applications processes such as drug delivery and the use of scaffolds to provide a framework for tissue regeneration in both soft and hard tissue applications systems. The objectives of this review are to describe the theory behind the technique, examine the effect of changing the process parameters on fiber morphology, and discuss the application and impact of electrospinning on the fields of vascular, neural, bone, cartilage, and tendon/ligament tissue engineering.
An Investigation on Kinetics of Photo Catalysis, Characterization, Antibacterial and Antimitotic Property of Electrochemically Synthesized ZnS and Nano Photocatalysts

Zinc sulphide is one of the commercially important II-VI semiconductors having a wide band gap, rendering it a very attractive material for optical application especially in nanocrystalline form. Nanocomposites of ZnS and ZrS2/ZnS were prepared by simple electrochemical method; their photocatalytic properties had been investigated. The structure, composition and optical property of the product were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FE-SEM (EDAX), UV-VIS and IR techniques. The UV-VIS spectra exhibited a blue-shift with respect to that of bulk material due to quantum confinement effect. Kinetics of photocatalytic degradation of Indigo Carmine dye has been studied. The photocatalytic decolourization of the dye follows first order kinetics. The antimitotic and antibacterial activity of these nanoparticles was investigated.
Interannual variability of the Kuroshio onshore intrusion along the East China Sea shelf break: Effect of the Kuroshio volume transport

The interannual variability of the Kuroshio onshore intrusion (KOI) across the East China Sea (ECS) shelf break and its response to the ECS Kuroshio volume transport (KVT) during 1993 approximate to 2010 are studied based on a high-resolution, real-time, and global ocean general circulation model. Since variability of KVT is mainly determined in the interior Pacific, it is rather a remote than a local factor for the local ECS KOI. On interannual time scales, KVT affects KOI not only in the net volume transport across the entire shelf break but also in the spatial pattern along the shelf break. When KVT increases, the intrusion decreases (increases) upstream (downstream) of the major intrusion region northeast of Taiwan, the retreating increases (decreases) upstream (downstream) of the main veering region southwest of Kyushu. These patterns are caused by cyclonic eddies induced by the seaward deflection of the Kuroshio axis from the shelf break, which ultimately results from the KVT increase. A diagnostic mechanism of KOI approximate to Msin? ()|delta h-1| is proposed, where h is the bottom depth, is the angle between isobaths and the vertically averaged current, and M is the absolute volume transport at the shelf break. is large in the major intrusion/retreating regions and stable on interannual time scales while M changes with opposite signs between upstream and downstream of the major intrusion/retreating regions. The mechanism explains well the relation of local KVT and the spatial pattern of KOI along the shelf break, in both the mean state and the interannual variations.
Tomographic local 2D analyses of the WISExSuperCOSMOS all-sky galaxy catalogue

The recent progress in obtaining larger and deeper galaxy catalogues is of fundamental importance for cosmological studies, especially to robustly measure the large scale density fluctuations in the Universe. The present work uses the Minkowski Functionals (MF) to probe the galaxy density field from the WISExSuperCOSMOS (WSC) all-sky catalogue by performing tomographic local analyses in five redshift shells (of thickness $\delta z = 0.05$) in the total range of $0.10 < z < 0.35$. Here, for the first time, the MF are applied to 2D projections of the galaxy number count (GNC) fields with the purpose of looking for regions in the WSC catalogue with unexpected features compared to $\Lambda$CDM mock realisations. Our methodology reveals 1 - 3 regions of the GNC maps in each redshift shell with an uncommon behaviour (extreme regions), i.e., $p$-value $<$ 1.4\%. Indeed, the resulting MF curves show signatures that suggest the uncommon behaviour to be associated with the presence of over- or under-densities there, but contamination due to residual foregrounds is not discarded. Additionally, even though our analyses indicate a good agreement among data and simulations, we identify 1 highly extreme region, seemingly associated to a large clustered distribution of galaxies. Our results confirm the usefulness of the MF to analyse GNC maps from photometric galaxy datasets.
Opioid Tolerance and Physical Dependence: Role of Spinal Neuropeptides, Excitatory Amino Acids and Their Messengers

Chronic opioid treatment results in the development of tolerance and physical dependence. The mechanisms underlying opioid tolerance and/or physical dependence are unclear. Recent studies suggest that opioid receptor or nociceptive, neural network-based adaptations contribute to this phenomenon. At the spinal level, the genesis of tolerance and physical dependence is associated with increased excitatory amino acid activity expressed through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the dorsal horn. However, recent evidence also implicates spinal neuropeptide transmitters such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P in the development of opioid tolerance. Long term spinal morphine treatment increases CGRP-like immunostaining in the dorsal horn, and coadministration of morphine with CGRP8-37, a competitive CGRP1 receptor antagonist, prevents this response as well as loss of the analgesic potency. CGRP8-37, like N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, has the potential to restore morphine potency in experimental animals who are already tolerant to the opioid agonist. Recent evidence suggests that the effects of excitatory amino acid and neuropeptide receptor activity may be expressed through the generation of messengers such as nitric oxide and prostanoids. Agents that inhibit the synthesis of nitric oxide and prostanoids have the potential to inhibit and reverse spinal opioid tolerance, suggesting that this phenomenon may be expressed through the activity of these mediators. Nociceptive transmission in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord also involves activity of a number of other mediators including morphine modulatory neuropeptides, neuropeptide FF and neuropeptide SF. The role of these mediators and their relationship with other factors implicated in tolerance remain to be determined.
Eosinophils in HIV Patients Co-Infected by HTLV-1 and/or StrongyloÃÂ¯desstercoralis: Protective or Harmful Depending on HIV Infection Stage

Polymorphonuclear eosinophils are source of chemokines such as RANTES and IL-16. These chemokines suppress the in vitro viral replication of HIV primary strains and so could contribute to the resistance of infection in HIV seronegative patients despite their belonging to risk groups. Hypothesis considering eosinophilia as a protective factor against HIV infection by overexposing RANTES was tested. Therefore we studied the impact of co-infections of human T lymphotropic virus-1 (HTLV-1) and Strongyloides stercoralis (Ss), infectious agents potentially eosinophylogenic, on the eosinophilic reaction in HIV patients and on the patients' survival. From 1983 to 1996, 445 HIV infected patients had a follow-up for at least one year of whom 52% developed AIDS, 13% presented with HTLV-1, 15% with Ss coinfection and 23% showed eosinophilia superior to 1.10x9/L. Our results indicate that eosinophilia provoked by Ss was not altered by HTLV-1. Furthermore the reactive ability of eosinophils was not affected by the drastic decrease of CD4-T observed in HIV patients. HIV patients co-infected by HTLV-1 presented higher amounts of CD4-T as compared to patients only infected by HIV, but no effect on CD8-T and eosinophils amount was observed. The median age superior in HTLV-1/Ss co-infected HIV patients suggested an asymptomatic period lengthened because of later diagnostic and a protective effect of these co-infections. However patients' survival in AIDS phase was neither changed by eosinophilia nor by the HTLV-1 and Ss co-infections.
Project evaluation and the depletion of natural capital : an application of the sustainability principle

In conventional economic analysis, the costs of natural capital are systematically underestimated due to individual short-term incentives of decision makers, the presence of externalities and the large uncertainties about the functioning of the biosphere. Inter-generational efficiency and justice require that future generations be actually, not only potentially, compensated for costs imposed on them by previous generations. To remedy the biases against proper valuation of natural capital and to reflect a cautious approach toward depletion of natural capital, the default value of natural capital should be shared equally with all future generations who need to be adequately compensated for depletion. Following from these considerations, this paper proposes a sustainability constraint on current economic activities. This constraint would require that the value of every group of functionally substituting types of natural and human-made capital be left intact. The sustainability constraint should be reflected in the shadow prices used to evaluate natural capital depletion. From the sustainability constraint, a sustainable supply rule is derived that is operational and can be applied to the depletion of non-renewable resources and the consumption of the biosphere's limited capacity to absorb waste products. This rule requires that a sustainable price, derived from a sustainable supply curve, be used for depletion of natural capital. The sustainable supply curve is constructed by dividing the economic rents from the depletion of natural capital into an income and a compensation component. The compensation component must be invested into the production of the closest sustainable substitute for the depleting natural resources. The compensation component should be sufficient to provide the same quality of the sustainable substitute at the sustainable price forever after depletion. The income component could then be sustained after depletion. While the approach has been developed for project analysis, it is easily extended to the determination of an appropriate resource tax. The analysis of several recently appraised World Bank projects shows a very low level of completeness and sophistication in the evaluation of environmental costs. In particular, most project analyses do not include a depletion premium for the extraction of a natural resource. Deficiencies are also prevalent in the determination of an opportunity cost for land and of the damage from air pollution generated by the project. The sustainable supply rule is applied to several of these World Bank projects and the impacts for the evaluation of the selected projects is shown.
Methodologies of safety-related Software development

Safety-systems mostly comprise hardware and software solutions. Until toda y, a lot of fixed wired systems are still operating without a microprocessor, i. e. without the assistance of software. Due to the increasing application of such complex hardware and software systems, the software systems have to be considered regarding safety as well as hardware systems. The development of a safety-relate d software system is similar to the development of a safety-related hardware system. However, the calculation of re liability and availability for safety-related software systems is far more complex. Mathematical approaches are deriv d from the models for safety-related hardware. Key–Words:software-development, safety-related systems
The Sperm DNA Damage after Cryopreservation of Boar Semen in Relation to Post-thawed Semen Qualities, Antioxidant Supplementation and Boars Effects

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the damage of DNA of the frozen-thawed (FT) boar spermatozoa and to investigate the effect of various concentrations of L-cysteine supplementation on the sperm DNA damage. A total of 104 cryopreserved semen samples from twenty-six ejaculates of 16 proven boars were analyzed. Of these samples, each semen sample contained a different concentration of L-cysteine i.e., 0 (n=41), 5 (n=41), 10 (n=11) and 15 (n=11) mM. All of the semen samples were cryopreserved by controlled-rate freezer. The semen was thawed at 50oC for 12 sec and the damage to the sperm DNA was determined using acridine orange (AO) staining. The results revealed that, on average, the DNA damage was observed in 0.5% of the FT boar spermatozoa. DNA damage varied among the boars from 0.0% to 4.0%. The levels of DNA damage were 0.6%, 0.4%, 0.5% and 0.9% in the extenders supplemented with 0, 5, 10 and 15 mM of L-cysteine, respectively (p>0.05). In conclusion, the DNA damage of the FT boar spermatozoa was relatively low. No adverse effect of L-cysteine supplementation up to 10 mM on the damage of the sperm DNA was found. Boar characteristic is the most important factor affecting the damage of the sperm DNA.