Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic, Epigenetic, Genomic and Microbial Approaches to Enhance Salt Tolerance of Plants: A Comprehensive Review

Simple Summary Globally, soil salinity, which refers to salt-affected soils, is increasing due to various environmental factors and human activities. Soil salinity poses one of the most serious challenges in the field of agriculture as it significantly reduces the growth and yield of crop plants, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Over the last few decades, several studies have been carried out to understand plant biology in response to soil salinity stress with a major emphasis on genetic and other hereditary components. Based on the outcome of these studies, several approaches are being followed to enhance plants’ ability to tolerate salt stress while still maintaining reasonable levels of crop yields. In this manuscript, we comprehensively list and discuss various biological approaches being followed and, based on the recent advances in the field of molecular biology, we propose some new approaches to improve salinity tolerance of crop plants. The global scientific community can make use of this information for the betterment of crop plants. This review also highlights the importance of maintaining global soil health to prevent several crop plant losses. Abstract Globally, soil salinity has been on the rise owing to various factors that are both human and environmental. The abiotic stress caused by soil salinity has become one of the most damaging abiotic stresses faced by crop plants, resulting in significant yield losses. Salt stress induces physiological and morphological modifications in plants as a result of significant changes in gene expression patterns and signal transduction cascades. In this comprehensive review, with a major focus on recent advances in the field of plant molecular biology, we discuss several approaches to enhance salinity tolerance in plants comprising various classical and advanced genetic and genetic engineering approaches, genomics and genome editing technologies, and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)-based approaches. Furthermore, based on recent advances in the field of epigenetics, we propose novel approaches to create and exploit heritable genome-wide epigenetic variation in crop plants to enhance salinity tolerance. Specifically, we describe the concepts and the underlying principles of epigenetic recombinant inbred lines (epiRILs) and other epigenetic variants and methods to generate them. The proposed epigenetic approaches also have the potential to create additional genetic variation by modulating meiotic crossover frequency.
Productivity paradox: worksettings for knowledge work

Looks at why investment in the work environment is important to the success of investment in information technology. Begins by looking at the history of the use of computers in the office environment, detailing in particular how the introduction of computers has altered office practices. Goes on to discuss the productivity paradox of knowledge workers, that is the ways in which management of the office environment enables productivity to increase.
Winning a battle against the odds: A cleaners’ campaign

This article analyses a campaign urging a British university to re-establish in-house cleaning services after years of outsourcing. The small independent union leading the campaign began from an extremely low level of power resources and managed to build enough associational and societal power to win the dispute on cleaners’ working conditions. The study is based on participant observation of the union’s activities, document analysis and interviews. The article argues that the strategy emerging from the study, centred around three key strategies (collectivization of individual grievances, education, and disruption of core business activities), can be articulated in a process following the main categories of Mobilization Theory: organization, mobilization and collective action. Additionally, the union managed to conciliate servicing and organizing strategies, as well as attention to class-oriented and migrant-specific issues.
A New Approach to the Determination of th Glottal Waveform

A new two-step procedure is proposed for the determina- tion of the glottal waveform. In the first step, the inverse filterd,(z), having zeros which correspond to the formant poles, is determined by applying the covariance method on the preemphasized Feech signal ? (IC). Deemphasizing and integrating the residual A,(z) S (z), the sig- nal u(k) is obtained. In the second step, the iterative inverse filtering algorithm is applied on the signal u(k) to obtain a glottal model HG(z). The response of the filter HG (2) to the impulse train input having a pe- riod T (pitch period), taken in the negative time direction, defines the glottal waveform. In both steps, the algorithms are applied pitch asyn- chronously. The analysis of a system simulating vowel "a," as well as the analysis of the five natural Serbian vowels, "a, e, i, 0, u," is per- formed. Temporal and spectral properties of the estimated glottal pulse shapes are presented and discussed.
A new application for food customization with additive manufacturing technologies

Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies have emerged as a freeform approach capable of producing almost any complete three dimensional (3D) objects from computer-aided design (CAD) data by successively adding material layer by layer. Despite the broad range of possibilities, commercial AM technologies remain complex and expensive, making them suitable only for niche applications. The developments of the Fab@Home system as an open AM technology discovered a new range of possibilities of processing different materials such as edible products. The main objective of this work is to analyze and optimize the manufacturing capacity of this system when producing 3D edible objects. A new heated syringe deposition tool was developed and several process parameters were optimized to adapt this technology to consumers' needs. The results revealed in this study show the potential of this system to produce customized edible objects without qualified personnel knowledge, therefore saving manufacturing costs compared to .
The Impact of Reactive Power From Wind Generation on Power System Stability

Wind generation in power systems is becoming an increasingly prevalent resource as the push to cut CO2 emissions and reduce fossil fuel dependency grows. To securely accommodate the growing penetration levels of wind generation into power systems, extensive stability studies must be completed. Power systems are complex non-linear systems that rely on the synchronism and control systems provided by conventional synchronous generators. As wind penetration increases, it will be the lack of control that will cause the most significant impact on power system stability. Wind generation presents challenges in that not only is it inherently variable and uncertain, but it also needs to be properly utilized from a mitigation perspective to maintain system stability as conventional generation is displaced. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a series of methodologies that will treat wind generation as an integral part of the power system, and to assess the stability impacts wind generation will have. By applying fundamental analysis techniques along with novel methodologies, the voltage stability and rotor angle stability of power systems with large penetrations of wind generation will be assessed. Traditionally, the voltage stability and rotor angle stability have been analyzed as separate and distinct issues. This is due to the presence of automatic voltage regulation in conventional synchronous generators. When synchronous generation is displaced by wind, the loss of this regulation capability will have significant impacts, particularly on the voltage stability of the system, which will directly impact the rotor angle stability of the remaining conventional synchronous units present in the system. This thesis will first show that the voltage stability of the power system can be significantly improved if reactive power control from wind generation is utilized to control the bus voltages of transmission systems. This control is adept at improving system voltage security when coupled with the variable and uncertain nature of the active power injections from wind generation. Next, it will demonstrate that by maintaining robust voltages, the rotor angle stability of conventional generators is improved. By achieving balanced scheduled voltages at buses across the system, the likelihood of under-excitation of a synchronous generator is greatly reduced. Consequently, when a contingency occurs, the field voltage of the machine is better supported and angular separation is minimized. This greatly
Reproductive biology of female blue swimmer crabs in the temperate estuaries of south-eastern Australia

The blue swimmer crab (BSC, Portunus armatus ) is an economically and culturally important species distributed throughout the coastal waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Reproduction of BSC is poorly understood in south-eastern Australia, a region that is experiencing substantial tropicalisation from global warming. We examined gonadal development, egg–mass relationships, and the influence of temperature on gonadal development and egg production within five different estuaries spanning , 2.5 8 of latitude. A negative correlation between the gonadosomatic index (GSI, an index of gonadal development and reproductive investment) and hepatosomatic index (HSI, an index of energy storage) was observed in only the final stages of ovarian development. The weight of the egg mass increased logarithmically with body mass, accounting for up to 55% of total body mass, which was significantly larger than observed in other studies. Thermal performance curves showed a peak in individual reproductive output at a mean monthly temperature of , 24 8 C, at which the individual egg mass weight reached a maximum and the HSI reached a minimum. Environmentally driven variation in BSC reproduction has implications for population productivity and inter-annual variation in recruitment.
Exploring the Potential Application of Brownfield Redevelopment in Dalian, China, Based on Municipal Experiences in Ontario, Canada

This study explores the potential of applying Canadian experiences of brownfield redevelopment to Chinese practices by investigating three cases: City of Kitchener, City of Hamilton and City of Dalian. Data collection methods in this research contain interviews, on-site observations and document collection and review. Both Kitchener and Hamilton have achieved considerable success in redeveloping brownfields largely due to government’s persistent commitment, various financial incentives through CIP, effective marketing efforts, and good public-private partnerships. These factors are regarded as successful municipal experiences based on the assumption that all municipal programs/approaches should be considered “successful” if the redevelopment occurs as opposed to the no-action alternative. Brownfields in Dalian are being formed, purchased and redeveloped in a different way from their Canadian counterparts. Dalian confronts different challenges such as high environmental risks and lacking detailed historic site information and community support. After comparing Canadian and Chinese practices, the study concludes that the successful municipal experiences of Kitchener and Hamilton are meaningful references to Dalian’s practice. Especially, public-private partnerships, marketing of brownfield programs and brownfield coordinators can help Dalian to create community support, improve the regulatory environment, and reshape the City’s public image. The SSRA approach used in Canada to develop appropriate clean-up criteria for a brownfield site may also be a useful technique for Dalian. Nevertheless, upper levels of Chinese government must take hard efforts in rule-making, regulating and planning in order to maintain economic growth while at the same time ensuring public safety/health in brownfield redevelopment. In addition, the researcher raises several constructive suggestions to China’s brownfield practice based on key findings from the field research.
Test-Bench for the Characterization of Flexion Sensors Used in Biomechanics

The design, prototyping and validation of an innovative test bench for the characterization and the hysteresis measurement of flexion sensors are presented in this paper. The device, especially designed to test sensors employed in the biomedical field, can be effectively used to characterize also sensors intended for other applications, such as wearable devices. Flexion sensors are widely adopted in devices for biomedical purposes and in this context are commonly used in two main ways: to measure movements (i) with fixed radius of curvature and (ii) with variable radius of curvature. The test bench has been conceived and designed with reference to both of these needs of use. The technological choices have been oriented towards simplicity of manufacture and assembly, configuration flexibility and low cost of realization. For this purpose, 3D printing technology was chosen for most of the structural components of the device. To verify the test bench performances, a test campaign was carried out on five commercial bending sensors. To characterize each sensor, the acquired measurements were analysed by assessing repeatability and linearity of the sensors and hysteresis of the system sensor/test bench. A statistical analysis was performed to study the positioning repeatability and the hysteresis of the device. The results demonstrate good repeatability and low hysteresis.
Programa de intervención breve basado en las terapias contextuales para mejorar el bienestar psicológico en el entorno organizacional

Introduction and aims: This study examines the efficiency and effectiveness of a brief program based on the two most representative contextual therapies in order to improve the general health and well-being at the workplace with employees of an agricultural cooperative. The pre-test evaluation was carried out with 25 employees from the same company, of whom 15 met the inclusion criteria with moderate scores for psychological distress as the cut-off point. The employees received an intervention based on a brief program combining of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and also Functional-Analytic Psychotherapy. Material and Methods: The employees received 3 sessions, 2 individual and 1 group session. They were assessed with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12); the Environmental Reward Observation Scale (EROS); and job satisfaction, which was evaluated with the job well-being subscale of the Psychological Well-being Scale (EBP). An intra-group design with pre and post intervention assessment was used. Results: Participants improved statistically in the variables analyzed: GHQ-12 (W = -3.34, gl = 14, p = .001), EROS (W = -3.05, gl = 14, p = .002) and EBP (W = -3.08, gl = 14, p = .002). Conclusions: The implications of the combination of both approaches that share philosophical and analytical roots based on functional contextualism are discussed. This treatment is proposed as an effective model to produce changes in workers’ health in short periods of time, in a fast and non-invasive way for employees and companies.
ROCKin' cGVHD treatment: has the time come?

lar disruptions that occur during VITT, the question remains; what is the best treatment for patients? Proposed therapeutics include IV immunoglobulin (IVIG) because of its success in treating autoimmune HIT, nonheparin anticoagulants, and plasmapheresis. A small body of evidence from nonrandomized trials and retrospective studies suggests that IVIG may be an effective treatment of VITT, although sometimes incomplete. The results of this study by Greinacher et al bring to light another potential therapeutic, the spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) inhibitor, fostamatinib that is currently used for the treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenia. Fostamatinib inhibits activation of Fc receptor by antigen/antibody complexes, and reduced NETosis and platelet activation in ex vivo COVID studies. In hospitalized patients with COVID, where circulating, prothrombotic antibodies that activate neutrophils, platelets, and endothelium have been identified, orally administered fostamatinib reduced adverse events and showed a trend toward clinical benefit. Although large, randomized trials are impractical in VITT given its low incidence, the FcgRIIAdependent signaling mechanism leading to platelet activation in VITT identified by Greinacher et al provides strong rationale to consider SYK inhibition in the limited therapeutic armamentarium of clinicians treating VITT and perhaps other forms of autoantibody-mediated thrombosis.
Adelante Ball: A Student-Developed Activity Designed to Increase Motivation and Participation

Physical education is the type of discipline which can be taught in a variety of settings. I have been fortunate to teach physical education in many settings, one of which was as a volunteer at an alternative middle school during my doctoral studies. The students enrolled had been unsuccessful in public school settings for a variety of reasons (e.g., lack of motivation, unwillingness to conform traditional school norms, etc.). While fitness was a principle component of daily instruction, various physical activities also served as the medium for teaching valuable life skills (Hellison, 2003), such as respect, communication, trust, problem solving, and selfdirection. In an effort to teach these skills, the affective domain was a focal point during much of the instructional planning. One of the biggest challenges educators face is helping students overcome a lack of self-direction and motivation. However, this is often misunderstood, because students are not always the problem. The problem often lies within the choices the teacher makes, which is evident in the selection and planning of activities and the corresponding mode of instruction – which is usually in the form of command (Mosston & Ashworth, 2002). Rather than being told what to do, sometimes students want opportunities to have a say in the selection of activities. If students can design activities that are unique to their interests, perhaps self-direction and motivation will increase. I found out the value of letting students design their activities first-hand when I was teaching. During one section where the students were playing team field sports (e.g., kickball, soccer, etc.), I noticed several negative indicators among the students. While many of the students appeared to be enjoying the activities, others appeared indolent and bored and did not want to continue participating. I asked what they wanted and they simply replied, “Something different! ” I suggested to the students that they develop a new game that included variations of team field sports, such as flag football, soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee, but something they would all enjoy playing. They jumped at this opportunity, and this is how a new game was born. While providing instructional direction for the development of this new game, no educational jargon entered into the discussion. However, I did provide students with specific guidelines for developing the game. These guidelines included portions of the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor learning domains (Rink, 2009) and the national standards for physical education (NASPE, 2004). The students worked with one another for one full class period developing this new game. Emerging from this group collaboration was an invasion game that looked very similar to a modified version of korfball (Stiehl, Morris, and Sinclair, 2008), which the students appropriately named Adelante Ball.
It's Not Denial, It's Stigma

Abstract Addictions nurses often encounter barriers to care for clients such as stigma, especially in settings outside addictions specialty care. This article utilizes a case-study format to show and discuss concepts related to client engagement in recovery and overcoming stigma. Laura, a 65-year-old woman, presents with a worsening of her alcohol use disorder in the setting of a recent retirement, worsening symptoms of major depressive disorder, and the stressors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. She presents with her depression and is reluctant to discuss her alcohol use, after a past experience in a program that utilized a confrontational approach. Her primary care provider describes her as “in denial,” but this case study will discuss elements including stigma, self-stigma, and the culture of addictions treatment and their impact on recovery. Finally, this presentation will describe how the addictions nurse can leverage a person-centered and recovery-oriented approach to promote engagement and positive problem solving with the client and the care team.
A probabilistic model of spectrum occupancy, user activity, and system throughput for OFDMA based cognitive radio systems

With advances in communications technologies, there is a constant need for higher data rates. One possible solution to overcome this need is to allocate additional bandwidth. However, due to spectrum scarcity this is no longer feasible. In addition, the results of spectrum measurement campaigns discovered the fact that the available spectrum is under-utilized. One of the most significant solutions to solve the underutilization of radio-frequency (RF) spectrum is the cognitive radio (CR) concept. A valid mathematical model that can be applied for most practical scenarios and also captures the random fluctuations of the spectrum is necessary. This model provides a significant insight and also a better quantitative understanding of such systems and this is the topic of this dissertation. Compact mathematical formulations that describe the realistic spectrum usage would improve the recent theoretical work to a large extent. The data generated for such models, provide a mean for a more realistic evaluation of the performance of CR systems. However, measurement based models require a large amount of data and are subject to measurement errors. They are also likely to be subject to the measurement time, location, and methodology. In the first part of this dissertation, we introduce cognitive radio networks and their role on solving the problem of under-utilized spectrum. In the second part of this dissertation, we target the random variable which accounts for the fraction of available subcarriers for the secondary users in an OFDMA based CR system. The time and location dependency of the traffic is taken into account by a non-homogenous Poisson Point Process (PPP). In the third part, we propose a comprehensive statistical model for user activity, spectrum occupancy, and system throughput in the presence of mutual interference
Logic Gates and Computation from Assembled Nanowire Building Blocks

I-CYP binding sites) was determinedafter 24 hours of isoproterenol treatment and ex-pressed as the percentage of receptor number as-sessed in nonstimulated cells. Where necessary,MG132 (20 mM) or lactacystin (20 mM) mixed inserum-free media was added to cells 1 hour beforestimulation.16. P. van Kerkhof, R. Govers, C. M. Alves dos Santos, G. J.Strous,
Complexification of the Exceptional Jordan Algebra and Its Application to Particle Physics

Recent papers contributed revitalizing the study of the exceptional Jordan algebra $\mathfrak{h}_{3}(\mathbb{O})$ in its relations with the true Standard Model gauge group $\mathrm{G}_{SM}$. The absence of complex representations of $\mathrm{F}_{4}$ does not allow $\Aut\left(\mathfrak{h}_{3}(\mathbb{O})\right)$ to be a candidate for any Grand Unified Theories, but the automorphisms of the complexification of this algebra, i.e., $\mathfrak{h}_{3}^{\mathbb{C}}(\mathbb{O})$, are isomorphic to the compact form of $\mathrm{E}_{6}$ and similar constructions lead to the gauge group of the minimal left-right symmetric extension of the Standard Model.