Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Comparison of Viral Genes Coding for Capsid Proteins of Ustilago maydis Virus

Summary Direct evidence linking the capsid protein to specific dsRNA segments from the three killer strains of Ustilago maydis virus (P1, P4, P6) is presented. The capsid proteins of the three strains cross-react immunologically, have similar mol. wt. and similar peptide maps after limited proteolysis. The capsid proteins from P1 and P4 were translated from their respective H2 dsRNA segments, whereas the capsid protein for P6 was translated from H1 dsRNA. These in vitro translation products were each precipitated by the antiserum to capsid proteins of all three strains, had similar mol. wt. and similar peptide maps. All in vitro translation products competed effectively with native capsid proteins of all of the three strains in immunocompetition assays. These results suggest that the three strains code for a similar capsid protein, and that the information for capsid protein resides in the H2 segment of strain P1 and P4, and in the H1 segment of strain P6.
Arabic Manuscript Content Based Image Retrieval: A Comparison between SURF and BRISK Local Features

Arabic manuscripts are worthy sources of knowledge that have been highly underutilized. Because, the vast content of the Arabic manuscript and the need of getting information from them, in a fast, efficient, and accurate way, it is essential to develop a system that supports the retrieval procedure from them. In this paper, a Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) system is proposed to retrieve the Arabic manuscript images. The system has three stages: Preprocessing, feature extraction, and feature similarity matching. The features extraction techniques are the effective step for the performance of CBIR system. For this reason, we propose to apply Binary Robust Invariant Scalable Key points (BRISK) and Speeded-up Robust Feature (SURF) as features extraction techniques. The Hamming distance with BRISK and Sum of square differences (SSD) with SURF are used at the matching stage. The results of proposed system show that for SURF the average Recall is 85% and average Precision is 77%. The average time is 207.3 seconds per image. For BRISK, the average Recall is 69% and average Precision is 68%. The average time is 256.7 seconds per image. The SURF features yield the best performance for Arabic manuscript retrieval. For better time performance of the system we propose to use parallel computing as a future work.
Effects of Reticuloendotheliosis Virus on the Viability and Reproductive Performance of Japanese Quail

Abstract The effects of reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) infection were studied using an experimental model in Japanese quail during 2 consecutive generations. The REV used in this study (APC-566) was isolated from Attwater's prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri). Tumors were induced by APC-566 as early as 6 wk of age. Mortality was significantly higher in groups of quail with a higher frequency of REV infection. Egg production, hatchability, and fertility rates decreased in infected quail as compared with uninfected control quail. The BW of infected quail were significantly reduced at 8 wk of age in the first generation of infected quail (breeders) and at 3 and 6 wk of age in the second generation (quail broilers) compared with uninfected quail.
Acceleration of Homomorphic Arithmetic Processing Based on the ElGamal Cryptosystem

In recent years, opportunities for using cloud services as computing resources have increased and there is a concern that private information may be leaked when processes data. The data processing while maintaining confidentiality is called secret computation. Cryptosystems can add and multiply plaintext through the manipulation of ciphertexts of homomorphic cryptosystems, but most of them have restrictions on the number of multiplications that can be performed. Among the different types of cryptosystems, fully homomorphic encryption can perform arbitrary homomorphic addition and multiplication, but it takes a long time to eliminate the limitation on the number of homomorphic operations and to carry out homomorphic multiplication. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an arithmetic processing method that can perform an arbitrary number of homomorphic addition and multiplication operations based on ElGamal cryptosystem. The results of experiments comparing with the proposed method with HElib in which the BGV scheme of fully homomorphic encryption is implemented showed that, although the processing time for homomorphic addition per ciphertext increased by about 35%, the processing time for homomorphic multiplication was reduced to about 1.8%, and the processing time to calculate the statistic (variance) had approximately a 15% reduction.
Development of a New England Salt Marsh

The salt marsh at Barnstable, Massachusetts, occupies an embayment into which it has spread during the past 4,000 years. It exhibits all stages of development from the seeding of bare sand flats through the development of intertidal marsh to the formation of mature high marsh underlain by peat deposits more than 20 ft deep. Observations and measurements of the stages of its formation are presented. The geomorphology of the marsh is considered in relation to the factors which have influenced its development, i.e., the ability of halophytes to grow at limited tide levels, the tidal regime, the processes of sedimentation, and the contemporary rise in sea level. The rates at which the early stage of development takes place have been determined by observations during a period of 12 years and the time sequence of later stages by radiocarbon analyses.
The uptake and flow of C, N and ions between roots and shoots in Ricinus communis L. IV. Flow and metabolism of inorganic nitrogen and malate depending on nitrogen nutrition and salt treatment

Ricinus plants were supplied with nutrient solutions containing different N-sources or different nitrate concentrations and were also exposed to mild salinity. Between 41 and 51d after sowing, the ratio of inorganic to total nitrogen in xylem and phloem saps, the content of inorganic nitrogen and malate in tissues, and nitrate reductase activities were determined. The flows of nitrate, ammonium, and malate between root and shoot were modelled to identify the site(s) of inorganic nitrogen assimilation and to show the possible role of malate in a pH-stat mechanism. Only in the xylem of nitrate-fed plants did inorganic nitrogen, in the form of nitrate, play a role as the transport solute. The nitrate percentage of total nitrogen in the xylem sap generally increased in parallel with the external nitrate concentration. The contribution of the shoot to nitrate reduction increased with higher nitrate supply. Under salt treatment relatively more nitrate was reduced in the root as compared with non-treated plants. Ammonium was almost totally assimilated in the root, with only a minor recycling via the phloem. Nitrate reductase activities measured in vitro roughly matched, or were somewhat lower than, calculated rates of nitrate reduction. From the rates of nitrate reduction (OH - -production) and rates of malate synthesis (2H + -production) it was calculated that malate accumulation contributed 76, 45, or 39% to the pH-stat system during nitrate reduction in plants fed with 0.2, 1.0 or 4.0 mM nitrate, malate flow in the phloem played no role. In tissues of ammonium-fed plants no malate accumulation was found and malate flows in xylem and phloem were also relative low.
Object Detection and Tracking for Traffic Surveillance

Traffic management is becoming one of the most important issues in rapidly growing cities. Due to bad traffic management a lot of man-hours are being wasted. Increasing congestion on highways and problems associated with existing detectors has generated an interest in vehicle detection technologies such as video image processing. Automated motion detection and tracking is a challenging task in traffic surveillance. In this paper, a system is developed to gather useful information from stationary cameras for detecting moving objects in digital videos. The moving detection and tracking system is developed based on optical flow estimation together with application and combination of various relevant computer vision and image processing techniques to enhance the process. To remove noises, median filter is used and the unwanted objects are removed by applying thresholding algorithms in morphological operations. Also the object type restrictions are set using blob analysis. The results show that the proposed system successfully detects and tracks moving objects in urban videos. Keywords—Optical flow estimation, moving object detection, tracking, morphological operation, blob analysis, MATLAB
Microbiological and Nutritional Qualities of Dairy Products: Nono and Wara

The microbiological and nutritional qualities of two fermented dairy products: nono and wara were investigated. Bacteria and fungi were isolated from both products. The bacteria isolated include Acinetobacter mallei,Alcaligenes faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Micrococcus spp, Serratia spp, Flavobacterium spp, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella licquifasciens. The fungal isolates were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium chrysogenum, Rhizopus spp, Fusarium moniliforme, and Trichoderma reesii. The mean total plate count of nono was 3.55x10 8 cfu/ml, while that of wara was 4.55x10 8 cfu/g. The mean coliform count was 4.25x10 was 12.9x10 6 cfu/ml for nono and 1.31x10 7 cfu/g for wara. The respective moisture content and total titratable acid were higher in nono (86.03%, 1.37%) than in wara (55.68%, 0.48%). Wara was of a higher pH (4.64), than nono (2.87). Wara had higher values respectively for fat, ash, and protein (18.55%, 1.5%, and 23%) than nono (3.68%, 0.97%, and 6.40%), while the carbohydrate level was lower in wara (1%) than in nono (2.9%). Nono and in particular, wara, are of good protein sources. However, the range of microorganisms isolated from both products pose serious threat to food safety, and the need to ensure the microbiological safety of these products can not be over emphasized. (Nature and Science. 2006;4(3):37-40).
Respiration acclimation contributes to high carbon‐use efficiency in a seasonally dry pine forest

Predictions of warming and drying in the Mediterranean and other regions require quantifying of such effects on ecosystem carbon dynamics and respiration. Long‐term effects can only be obtained from forests in which seasonal drought is a regular feature. We carried out measurements in a semiarid Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) forest of aboveground respiration rates of foliage, Rf, and stem, Rt over 3 years. Component respiration combined with ongoing biometric, net CO2 flux [net ecosystem productivity (NEP)] and soil respiration measurements were scaled to the ecosystem level to estimate gross and net primary productivity (GPP, NPP) and carbon‐use efficiency (CUE=NPP/GPP) using 6 years data. GPP, NPP and NEP were, on average, 880, 350 and 211 g C m−2 yr−1, respectively. The above ground respiration made up half of total ecosystem respiration but CUE remained high at 0.4. Large seasonal variations in both Rf and Rt were not consistently correlated with seasonal temperature trends. Seasonal adjustments of respiration were observed in both the normalized rate (R20) and short‐term temperature sensitivity (Q10), resulting in low respiration rates during the hot, dry period. Rf in fully developed needles was highest over winter–spring, and foliage R20 was correlated with photosynthesis over the year. Needle growth occurred over summer, with respiration rates in developing needles higher than the fully developed foliage at most times. Rt showed a distinct seasonal maximum in May irrespective of year, which was not correlated to the winter stem growth, but could be associated with phenological drivers such as carbohydrate re‐mobilization and cambial activity. We show that in a semiarid pine forest photosynthesis and stem growth peak in (wet) winter and leaf growth in (dry) summer, and associated adjustments of component respiration, dominated by those in R20, minimize annual respiratory losses. This is likely a key for maintaining high CUE and ecosystem productivity similar to much wetter sites, and could lead to different predictions of the effect of warming and drying climate on productivity of pine forests than based on short‐term droughts.
SCALE-DEPENDENT HABITAT USE OF ACADIAN FLYCATCHER (EMPIDONAX VIRESCENS) IN CENTRAL OHIO

Abstract We used a multiscale approach to examine use of riparian forests by Acadian Flycatchers (Empidonax virescens) at three distinct scales: microsite (nest or territory), local stand (3-ha patch of forest), and landscape (1-km-radius area). We examined the extent to which understory arthropod biomass, vegetation structure, and breeding productivity affected habitat use by Acadian Flycatchers across 36 mature riparian forests along an urbanization gradient in central Ohio, 2001–2002. Using an information-theoretic approach, we found that although vegetation structure and understory arthropod biomass were associated with nest and territory location at small spatial scales, they failed to explain habitat use across stands. Instead, percentage of urban cover in the landscape best explained variation in the abundance of Acadian Flycatchers among stands. In fact, Acadian Flycatchers were >3× more abundant in the most rural (≤1% urban) riparian forests than in the more urban (≥10% urban) riparian forests. Nest survival and productivity also declined as urban development increased within the landscape. We suggest that increased nest predation in urban riparian forests, coupled with either reduced productivity or site fidelity or both, may be an underlying mechanism of landscape-scale patterns. Results suggest that explicit consideration of multiple spatial scales, and especially landscape matrix composition, is critical for understanding habitat use. Uso del Hábitat Dependiente de la Escala por parte de Empidonax virescens en el Centro de Ohio
Sink‐limitation to yield and biomass: a summary of some investigations in spring wheat

Summary Yield potential can be expressed as a product of light interception, radiation use efficiency (RUE), and the partitioning of biomass to grain yield, or harvest index (HI). Traits related to early or late light interception have not been shown to be associated with genetic improvement of spring wheat yield in favourable environments. It is, however, well established that yield improvement is largely a result of increased HI, although the most recent studies comparing genetic progress in HI over time in spring wheat indicate that it has not made any additional progress since the mid 1980s. These observations suggest that future genetic progress in yield will most likely be achieved by focusing on constraints to RUE. Considering the possibility that RUE may be influenced indirectly by sink limitation, it is apparent that biomass may be increased by increasing grain number, for example. Experiments with high yielding spring wheat lines containing the alien translocation 7DL.7Ag showed increased grains m-2 (15%), yield (12%), and biomass (9%) compared with controls. The translocation was also associated with a larger investment in spike mass at anthesis (15%), more grains/spike (10%), and increased flag-leaf photosynthetic rate during grain-filling (20%). The data suggest that increased biomass in 7DL.7Ag lines was due to significantly increased RUE post-anthesis, as a result of a larger kernel number (sink) that increased the demand for photosynthesis during grain-filling. The hypothesis that increased photosynthesis and RUE may respond directly to a larger number of grains/spike was tested experimentally by imposing a light treatment during boot stage. The treatment was associated with a small increase (5%) in the proportion of biomass invested in spike mass at anthesis, reflected by on average three extra grains/spike at maturity. The treatment was associated with 25% more yield and 22% more biomass than controls, while carbon assimilation rate measured on flag-leaves during grainfilling was 10% higher than controls. The results suggest that RUE can be increased indirectly by increasing sink strength and that the current yield limiting process in spring wheat is the determination of kernel number. Experimental data are presented on how spike fertility may be increased through breeding, for example by introgression of the multi-ovary trait to increase grain number per spikelet. In addition, results of analysis of the physiological bases of genotype × year interaction in high yield environments are presented in the context of how such information can provide a focus for genetic studies of sink limitation.
Netzwerk zur Erhaltung der Anpassungsfähigkeit von Kulturpflanzen (NEA * -KULT), Teilvorhaben Wintergerste

Dieser Beitrag begrundet, weshalb das JKI ein Langzeitprojekt bei Wintergerste koordiniert und 32 genetisch verschiedene Wintergerstensorten nach dem Schema „Multi-parent Advanced Generation Intercross“ kreuzt. Im Jahr 2011 wurde die Erzeugung der zweiten Generation (G2) abgeschlossen. In der ersten Phase des Vorhabens entwickelte Verfahren zur Uberprufung des Kreuzungserfolges mit Mikrosatelliten-Markern sowie geplante Arbeiten werden beschrieben. Stichworter: Genetische Ressourcen, Anpassungsfahigkeit, MAGIC, Wintergerste Network for the maintenance of the adaptability of crops (NEA-KULT), sub-project winter barley Abstract This contribution states why the JKI is coordinating a winter barley long-term project and is performing crosses between 32 genetically distinct winter barley varieties according to the “Multi-parent Advanced Generation Intercross” schema. The production of the second generation (G2) was completed in the year 2011. Procedures developed during the first phase of the project suited for controlling the success of crosses with microsatellite marker as well as planed works are described. Keywords: Genetic resources, adaptability, MAGIC, winter barley
Adaptive Search and Information Updating in Sequential Mate Choice

Classical treatments of problems of sequential mate choice assume that the distribution of the quality of potential mates is known a priori. This assumption, made for analytical purposes, may seem unrealistic, opposing empirical data as well as evolutionary arguments. Using stochastic dynamic programming, we develop a model that includes the possibility for searching individuals to learn about the distribution and in particular to update mean and variance during the search. In a constant environment, a priori knowledge of the parameter values brings strong benefits in both time needed to make a decision and average value of mate obtained. Knowing the variance yields more benefits than knowing the mean, and benefits increase with variance. However, the costs of learning become progressively lower as more time is available for choice. When parameter values differ between demes and/or searching periods, a strategy relying on fixed a priori information might lead to erroneous decisions, which confers advantages on the learning strategy. However, time for choice plays an important role as well: if a decision must be made rapidly, a fixed strategy may do better even when the fixed image does not coincide with the local parameter values. These results help in delineating the ecological-behavior context in which learning strategies may spread.
Automatic segmentation algorithm and Texture Analysis for tumor tissues on Mammary Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MMRI)

The research activity of this thesis project has led to the development of a Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) system for the analysis of breast cancer lesions using Mammary Magnetic Resonance images. The main objective of this system is the tumor lesions segmentation and their characterization. The process consists of five main parts: image pre-processing, regions of interest contouring, lesions segmentations, heuristic analysis of the results and parametric characterization of the selected regions.A MATLAB algorithm was therefore created for:1. Image pre-processing, images loaded are processed to highlight lesions.2. Breast segmentation, the breasts are identified to prevent false positives (FP) due to structures such as heart and vessels that are not of clinical interest in this application.3. Contouring of the tumor lesions, a double-threshold segmentation algorithm was created.4. False positives reduction, the suspicious areas are analyzed and evaluated, if considered FP then they are discarded.5. Computation of lesion features, geometrical information and clinical features are extrapolated to characterize segmented regions.The algorithm was built on 5 patients and subsequently validated on a further 5 patients of which several post-treatment time scans were available, overall 20. The images used were provided by the Borgo Trento Hospital in Verona in collaboration with Tecnologie Avanzate S.r. l.
Linnaeus tercentenary and invertebrate taxonomy: an introduction*

Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) is the founding father of modern taxonomy. The binominal nomenclatural system for species and the principles of biological classification that he developed in the 18 th century provide the basis on which we name and group organisms today. The tenth edition of his monumental Systema Naturae (Linnaeus 1758) marks the beginning of zoological nomenclature (ICZN 1999) and zoology as a modern branch of the natural sciences. Linnaeus’ genius was to see and understand what others had not: the requirement for a simple, easily applied, and consistent system of classification. That the fundamental principles of his work have survived two and a half centuries of repeated challenges stands as a tribute to that genius.
Modeling Electric Vehicle Consumption Profiles for Short-Term Forecasting and Long-Term Simulation

The growing number of electric vehicles (EV) is challenging the traditional distribution grid with a new set of consumption curves. We employ information from individual meters at charging stations that record the power drawn by an EV at high temporal resolution (i.e. every minute) to analyze and model charging habits. We identify 5 types of battery that determine the power an EV draws from the grid and its maximal capacity. In parallel, we identify 4 main clusters of charging habits. Charging habits models are then used for two applications: short-term forecasting and long-term simulation. We start by forecasting day-ahead consumption scenarios for a single EV. By summing scenarios for a fleet of EVs, we obtain probabilistic forecasts of the aggregated load, and observe that our bottom-up approach performs similarly to a machine-learning technique that directly forecasts the aggregated load. Secondly, we assess the expected impact of the additional EVs on the grid by 2030, assuming that future charging habits follow curren behavior. Although the overall load logically increases, the shape of the load is marginally modified, showing that the current network seems fairly well-suited to this evolution.