Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A close-up view of the mechanical design of arborescent plants at different levels of hierarchy - requirements and structural solutions

Arborescent plants are highly adapted to their terrestrial environment. In competition with other land plants for light, they gain advantage by managing to establish their photosynthesis units at remarkable heights above ground. For this benefi t arborescent plants have to transport water over long distances against gravity and internal friction and have to cope with high mechanical loads acting on their stems. Although faced by similar mechanical constraints, the growth strategies of arborescent plants belonging to different species and classes can vary largely. This shows that during evolution different growth concepts with different structural solutions have been successfully established. In this article, we review structurefunction relationships of trees and palms. The comparison is made along different levels of hierarchy, starting from the integral level of the stem down to the biochemical composition of the cell walls. Particular attention is paid to the close interdependencies between the structural levels and to the cell wall organisation of the different arborescent plants in terms of adjusting mechanical properties for the specifi c growth strategy.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF THE EPITHELIAL CELLS OF THE SCUTELLUM OF BARLEY II

During the germination of barley, the epidermal cells of the scutellum detach themselves from one another and grow to twice their former length. Aleuron proteins are dissolved in the first 3–4 days and subsequently the lipid contents of the spherosomes are digested. This coincides with the development and temporarily increased activity of all metabolic organelles, viz. endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, dictyosomes (Golgi apparatus) and leucoplasts. After ten days aqueous vacuoles have developed. After 21 days the cell organelles are smaller and fewer, though some spherosomes are still present.
Emerging Challenges of Managing Island Invasive Species: Potential Invasive Species Unintentionally Spread from Military Restructuring

Author(s): Pitt, William C. ; Stahl, Randal; Yoder, Christi | Abstract: The U.S. Department of Defense is in the process of restructuring military assets in the Pacific Basin that includes moving more troops to Guam. As a result of this process, the potential risk of vertebrate invasive species may increase across Micronesia. We identified the pathways through which goods and materials are moved throughout the Pacific basin and then developed a list of the most likely invasive vertebrates that could be moved in these pathways. We reviewed the available literature, interviewed experts, and evaluated pathways according to a fixed set of criteria to determine the risk of the pathway to transport invasive species. Some of the potentially high-risk pathways are military and commercial aircraft and vehicles, mail, shipping containers, and aquaculture. The following are species that may spread or become established in the Pacific without the implementation of measures to reduce risk: brown tree snake, habu, Asian beauty snake, common wolf snake, anole, gecko, coqui frog, cane toad, red-vented bulbul, Indian myna, and Indian mongoose.
Yabancı Yatırımcı Sahipliği Oranındaki Değişimin Getiri, Volatilite ve Likidite Üzerindeki Etkisi: BIST GYO Sektörü İçin Panel Veri Analizi

This study aims to test the validity of base broadening hypothesis for the impact of changes in foreign investors’ ownership on the return, volatility and liquidity of the shares of the real estate investment trusts (REITs) traded in Borsa Istanbul between 2010 and 2018 by panel regression analysis. Results show that a statistically significant relation exists between the sudden changes in the ownership of the foreign investors and the return, liquidity and volatility of the shares for a short term (up to 3 months). So, it has been seen that base broadening hypothesis is not valid for a long period of time. Even if it can be claimed that price pressure hypothesis could prevail looking at the statistically significant relationship for a short time, it has been considered that this case emerged thanks to the domestic investors paying more court to the market with trading more shares when they were informed about the changes in foreign investors’ ownership depending on its nature as information content, not as a result of the traded shares actually by the foreign investors.
Review on Activated Carbons by Chemical Activation with FeCl3

This study reviews the most relevant results on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of activated carbons obtained by novel chemical activation with FeCl3. The text includes a description of the activation mechanism, which compromises three different stages: (1) intense de-polymerization of the carbon precursor (up to 300 °C), (2) devolatilization and formation of the inner porosity (between 300 and 700 °C), and (3) dehydrogenation of the fixed carbon structure (>700 °C). Among the different synthesis conditions, the activation temperature, and, to a lesser extent, the impregnation ratio (i.e., mass ratio of FeCl3 to carbon precursor), are the most relevant parameters controlling the final properties of the resulting activated carbons. The characteristics of the carbons in terms of porosity, surface chemistry, and magnetic properties are analyzed in detail. These carbons showed a well-developed porous texture mainly in the micropore size range, an acidic surface with an abundance of oxygen surface groups, and a superparamagnetic character due to the presence of well-distributed iron species. These properties convert these carbons into promising candidates for different applications. They are widely analyzed as adsorbents in aqueous phase applications due to their porosity, surface acidity, and ease of separation. The presence of stable and well-distributed iron species on the carbons’ surface makes them promising catalysts for different applications. Finally, the presence of iron compounds has been shown to improve the graphitization degree and conductivity of the carbons; these are consequently being analyzed in energy storage applications.
Using non-statistical induction based techniques for financial forecasting

In this paper, we used data consisting of attributes containing financial performance information on failed and non-failed banks. We developed and tested several models using three induction-based machine learning techniques (C4.5, a backpropagation neural network and SX-WEB) and linear discriminant analysis. All models showed test set classification correctness under 74% when trained and tested with a data set containing all attribute values for the year prior to failure. We analyzed individual attribute predictiveness and developed models by using different combinations of the most predictive attributes. C4.5 and discriminant analysis showed higher test set classification correctness when trained with the most individually predictive attributes. We conclude this paper with directions for future work.
A point mutation uncouples transducin‐α from the photoreceptor RGS and effector proteins

A novel gain‐of‐function mutation, R243Q, has been recently identified in the Candida elegans Gqα protein EGL‐30. The position corresponding to Arg243 in EGL‐30 is absolutely conserved among heterotrimeric G proteins. This mutation appears to be the first gain‐of‐function mutation in the switch III region of Gα subunits. To investigate consequences of the R→Q mutation we introduced the corresponding R238Q mutation into transducin‐like Gtα* subunit. The mutant retained intact interactions with Gtβγ and rhodopsin but exhibited a twofold reduction in the kcat value for guanosine 5'‐triphosphate (GTP) hydrolysis. The GTPase activity of R238Q was not accelerated by the RGS domain of the visual GTPase‐activating protein, RGS9‐1. In addition, R238Q displayed a significant impairment in the effector function. Our data and the crystal structures of transducin suggest that the major reason for the reduced intrinsic GTPase activity of R238Q and the lack of RGS9 function is the break of the conserved ionic contact between Arg238 and Glu39, which apparently stabilizes the transitional state for GTP hydrolysis. We hypothesize that the R243Q mutation in EGL‐30 severs the ionic interaction of Arg243 with Glu43, leading to a defective inactivation of the mutant by the C. elegans RGS protein EAT‐16.
Safety and functional aspects of pre-selected pediococci for probiotic use in Iberian dry-fermented sausages

Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate pre-selected pediococci for potential probiotic use in Iberian dry-fermented sausages. A total of twelve strains isolated from Iberian dry-fermented sausages and pig faeces were evaluated according to safety and functional characteristics including biogenic amines and d-lactic acid production, antibiotic susceptibility, cell adhesion and antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens. The strain P. acidilactici SP979 was able to establish itself and compete with enteropathogens such as Salmonella choleraesuis on the intestinal epithelium and an inhibition of such pathogenic bacteria as Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. This strain was also considered safe to be used with regard to its void aminogenic potential, low d-lactic acid production and antibiotic resistance pattern; being identified as a potential probiotic meat starter culture suitable for manufacture of dry-fermented Iberian sausages.
Trends and Features of the Applications of Natural Language Processing Techniques for Clinical Trials Text Analysis

Natural language processing (NLP) is an effective tool for generating structured information from unstructured data, the one that is commonly found in clinical trial texts. Such interdisciplinary research has gradually grown into a flourishing research field with accumulated scientific outputs available. In this study, bibliographical data collected from Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases from 2001 to 2018 had been investigated with the use of three prominent methods, including performance analysis, science mapping, and, particularly, an automatic text analysis approach named structural topic modeling. Topical trend visualization and test analysis were further employed to quantify the effects of the year of publication on topic proportions. Topical diverse distributions across prolific countries/regions and institutions were also visualized and compared. In addition, scientific collaborations between countries/regions, institutions, and authors were also explored using social network analysis. The findings obtained were essential for facilitating the development of the NLP-enhanced clinical trial texts processing, boosting scientific and technological NLP-enhanced clinical trial research, and facilitating inter-country/region and inter-institution collaborations.
Cloning and phylogenetic analysis of low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit genes at Glu-B3 locus in common wheat relative species

The common wheat relative species are important germplasm for wheat breeding. In the present study, novel allelic variants at Glu-B3 locus were cloned to provide gene resources for wheat quality improvement. Four Glu-B3-locus specific primer sets LB1F/LB1R, LB2F/LB2R, LB3F/LB3R, and LB4F/LB4R were employed to isolate novel allelic variants of GluB3-1, GluB3-2, GluB3-3, and GluB3-4 from seven common wheat relative species, i.e., T. durum, T. dicoccum, T. dicoccoides, Aegilops longissima, Ae. searsii, Ae. Bicornis, and Ae. speltoides, and the software MEGA 4 was used to construct a phylogenetic tree. In total, 16 novel allelic variants of GluB3-1, GluB3-3, and GluB3-4 genes were isolated from the seven common wheat relative species, designated GluB3-16, GluB3-35, GluB3-36, GluB3-37, GluB3-46, GluB3-47, GluB3-48, GluB3-49, GluB3-410, GluB3-411, GluB3-412, GluB3-413, GluB3-414, GluB3-415, GluB3-416 and GluB3-417, respectively. In detail, GluB3-16 was cloned from T. dicoccoides with LB1F/LB1R, and the molecular weight of the de-duced amino acid was 39.2 kDa. GluB3-35, GluB3-36, and GluB3-37 were isolated from T. durum and T. dicoccum with the primer set LB3F/LB3R, and the molecular weights of their deduced peptides were 44.5 kDa (GluB3-36) and 44.6 kDa (GluB3-35 and GluB3-37). The molecular weight of deduced peptides of GluB3-4 ranged from 38.6 kDa (GluB3-414) to 42.5 kDa (GluB3-413). All the 16 new allelic variants showed a single open reading frame (ORF), and their deduced amino-acid sequences had a typical sequence structure of LMW-GS. The allelic variants at Glu-B3 locus identified in com-mon wheat relative species provide potential gene resources for wheat quality breeding and gene transformation. The results suggested that these Glu-B3 genes originated from different evolution processes.
Agritourism - A Potential Linkage Between Local Communities And Parks To Maintain Sustainability

This article focuses on agritourism as potential linkage between the national park administrations and the tourism industry that acts in the rural communities situated near the national parks, by investigating the level of development of the agritourism industry and by revealing tourists benefits after visiting the areas. The study was conducted in two national parks from Romania and the surrounding areas. Agritourism plays an important role for the rural communities located around the national parks since it is one of the main sources of revenues not only for guesthouse owners, but also for the whole community. Tourism indicators are determined to emphasize the evolution of the agritourism industry in both regions, while the contingent valuation technique was used to elicit information on touristsâ€™ hypothetical behaviour as regard to their visit to the national park and surrounding areas. The questionnaire was implemented during the summer of 2011 in Calimani National Park and Ceahlau National Park. Â The results indicate that agritourism can be considered as a potential linkage to maintain sustainability goals through a partnership between park managers and the tourism industry, in the case of the two analyzed national parks.
Felt Betrayed or Resisted? The Impact of Pre-Crisis CSR Reputation on Consumer Reactions to Brand Crises

By committing to corporate social responsibility(CSR) initiatives, a brand can develop a strong CSR reputation among consumers. However, would fashion brands’ efforts to build CSR reputations help even in brand crises? To answer this new research question, we developed and tested a model that illustrates the effects of pre-crisis CSR reputation on consumers’ perceived betrayal, resistance to negative information, and retaliatory behavioral intentions, accounting for two types of brand crises, corporate ability and corporate responsibility crises. After four preliminary studies, a main study was conducted through a survey with consumer data from 1,045 randomly selected adults nationwide in the U.S. The results from multi-group structural equation modeling showed that when pre-crisis CSR reputation is stronger,consumers are less likely to feel betrayed. A stronger pre-crisis CSR reputation also leads consumers to be more resistant to negative information about the brand. However, the two types of brand crises moderate the effects of pre-crisis CSR reputation on consumers’ reactions and their retaliatory behavioral intentions—support for punishment, negative word-of-mouth intention,and boycott intention. This research makes unique and significant contributions by providing theoretical and practical insights into how fashion brands can be more resilient to crisis situations through their CSR efforts.
Epigenetic role of N-Myc in Neuroblastoma

Childhood neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumour of infancy and highly refractory to therapy. One of the most powerful prognostic indicators for this disease is the N-Myc gene amplification, which occurs in approximately 25% of all neuroblastomas. N-Myc is a member of transcription factors belonging to a subclass of the larger group of proteins sharing Basic-Region/Helix–Loop–Helix/Leucin-Zipper (BR/HLH/LZ) motif. N-Myc oncoproteins may determine activation or repression of several genes thanks to different protein-protein interactions that may modulate its transcriptional regulatory ability and therefore its potential for oncogenicity. Chromatin modifications, including histone methylation, have a crucial role in transcription de-regulation of many cancer-related genes. Here, it was investigated whether N-Myc can functionally and/or physically interact with two different factors involved in methyl histone modification: WDR5 (core member of the MLL/Set1 methyltransferase complex) and the de- methylase LSD1. Co-IP assays have demonstrated the presence of both N-Myc-WDR5 and N-Myc-LSD1 complexes in two neuroblastoma cell lines. Human N-Myc amplified cell lines were used as a model system to investigate on transcription activation and/or repression mechanisms carried out by N-Myc-LSD1 and N-Myc-WDR5 protein complexes. qRT-PCR and immunoblot assays underlined the ability of both complexes to positively (N-Myc-WDR5) and negatively (N-Myc-LSD1) influence transcriptional regulation of crititical neuroblastoma N-Myc-related genes, MDM2, p21 and Clusterin. Ch-IP experiments have revealed the binding of the N-Myc complexes above mentioned to the gene promoters analysed. Finally, pharmacological treatment pointed to abolish N-Myc and LSD1 activity were performed to test cellular alterations, such as cell viability and cell cycle progression. Overall, the results presented in this work suggest that N-Myc can interact with two distinct histone methyl modifiers to positively and negatively affect gene transcription in neuroblastoma.
Decoupled Power Flow Of A Single Stage Grid Connected PV System With Multilevel Inverter

With the wide installation of solar PV array in respect of other renewable power generation, there is a scope of feeding the surplus power to grid for better and economic power utilization. This paper presents an independent control of active and reactive power flow of single stage grid connected PV system with multilevel inverter. Vector control scheme has been implemented in d-q reference frame which is synchronously rotating with the grid frequency. Two current control loop has been used, one for d-axis and other for q-axis to control the current injected into the grid such that it has low total harmonic distortion and in phase with the grid voltage. In addition to that, a DC voltage control loop has also been implemented to operate the inverter at the desired DC link voltage that is the DC voltage corresponding to maximum power, which is obtained by the MPPT algorithm. Grid-connected inverters have wide application in the field of distributed generation and power quality. The above scheme employs a three-phase three-level Diode clamped multilevel inverter to improve the current
Fungal Biofilms: Agents of Disease and Drug Resistance

Bacterial biofilms and their role in disease have been investigated in detail over 15 to 20 years, but research on fungal biofilms has traditionally lagged. Although other fungal species have been associated with biofilm formation, this chapter concentrates on Candida albicans since it is the fungal system that has received the most attention to date regarding its biofilm-forming ability. Different mechanisms may be responsible for the intrinsic resistance of biofilms to antimicrobials. These include (i) effects of the biofilm matrix on penetration of drugs; (ii) decreased growth rate and nutrient limitation; (iii) expression of resistance genes, particularly those encoding efflux pumps; and (iv) presence of “persister” cells. Several studies have examined the effects of growth rate and nutrient limitation in relation to drug resistance in C. albicans. In addition, an intriguing observation is that anaerobic growth leads to high levels of antifungal drug resistance in C. albicans; this could contribute to the intrinsic resistance in cells within the biofilms, where oxygen limitation may occur. Importantly, multiple antifungal agents can be substrates for some of these transporters, and thus their overexpression leads to cross-resistance among different drugs. The biofilm mode of growth results in antifungal drug resistance and protection from host defenses, which carry important clinical repercussions. In addition, it is likely that biofilm infections involve bacteria and various Candida species in a polymicrobial consortium. In these complex communities, cell-cell communication, across both kingdom and species, may modulate gene expression, including drug resistance mechanism.
Application of Supercritical Fluids in the Conservation of Bioactive Compounds: A Review

The precipitation from supercritical antisolvents (SASs) of natural compounds solutions has become an excellent alternative to improve the solubility and availability of poorly water-soluble compounds. In this technique, CO2 is used as a supercritical fluid that marks the processing as a green technology and is ideal for use in the food industry due to its nontoxicity, economy and easy separation of solutes. This article reviews the application of the SAS technique in the food industry and highlights the influential factors in the generation of micro- and nanoparticles.
Studies on Occurence of Listeria Monocytogenes and other Species in Milk and Milk Products in Retail Market of Jimma Town, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional experimental study was conducted in Jimma town from November 2010 to March 2011 with the objectives of studying Listeria monocytogenes and other Listeria species in milk and milk products. Samples were collected from cafes, milk product shopping and pastries . From total of 200 samples (milk, cottage cheese, ice cream and yoghurt) examined Listeria was isolated from 13(6.5%). The frequency of isolation and distribution of Listeria in different food samples was analyzed and the difference in prevalence among different food samples: was not statistically significant (P> 0.05). Prevalence of Listeria was higher 7 (14%) in milk samples followed by ice cream 3(6%), yoghurt 2(4%) and cottage cheese 1(2%). The study shows significant variation (P< 0.05) in distribution of Listeria species in food samples. The dominant Listeria species isolated was Listeria monocytogenes 8(4%) followed by Listeria innocua 3(1.5%) and Listeria seeligeri 2(1%).
Single Backlit Image Enhancement

Backlit images are from an excessive reflection of light being opposite to a capturing device. The existing image enhancement methods cannot be directly applied to the backlit images because they are not designed to enhance both broad light and dark regions simultaneously. Moreover, the techniques have several limitations about over-saturation or losing contrast. This paper presents a single backlit image enhancement method based on the novel full-piecewise non-linear automatic stretching, without input parameter provided by a user, e.g., gamma and so on. The computer simulation results confirm that the proposed approach can (i) undoubtedly reveal hidden details in the dark region; (ii) preserve features and color of common and light (over-brightness) regions, and (iii) increase a local contrast of dark areas. The proposed approach tested on Li’s backlit image database and several backlit images from commercial devices. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach and its advantages over the cutting-edge backlit image enhancement methods in perceptual quality.