Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family Conflict Associated With Intrinsic Hippocampal-OFC Connectivity in Adolescent Depressive Disorder

Background Family environment and life events have long been suggested to be associated with adolescent depression. The hippocampus plays a crucial role in the neural mechanism of major depressive disorder (MDD) through memory during stressful events. However, few studies have explored the exact neural mechanisms underlying these associations. Thus, the current study aimed to explore alterations in hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) in adolescent MDD based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and further investigate the relationship between hippocampal FC, environmental factors, and clinical symptom severity. Methods Hippocampal FC was calculated using the seed-based approach with the bilateral hippocampus as the seed for 111 adolescents with and without MDD; comparisons were made between participants with MDD and controls. We applied the Chinese version of the Family Environment Scale (FES-CV) and Adolescents Self-Rating Life Events Checklist (ASLEC) to evaluate family environment and life stress. Their relationship with hippocampal FC alterations was also investigated. Results We found that compared to controls, adolescents with MDD showed decreased connectivity between the left hippocampus and bilateral orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and right inferior temporal gyrus. In addition, the hippocampal-OFC connectivity was negatively correlated with conflict scores of the FES-CV in the MDD group and mediated the association between family conflict and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusion Our findings are novel in the field and demonstrate how family conflict contributes to MDD symptomatology through hippocampal-OFC connectivity; these findings may provide potential targets for personalized treatment strategies.
Educational Anomaly Analytics: Features, Methods, and Challenges

Anomalies in education affect the personal careers of students and universities' retention rates. Understanding the laws behind educational anomalies promotes the development of individual students and improves the overall quality of education. However, the inaccessibility of educational data hinders the development of the field. Previous research in this field used questionnaires, which are time- and cost-consuming and hardly applicable to large-scale student cohorts. With the popularity of educational management systems and the rise of online education during the prevalence of COVID-19, a large amount of educational data is available online and offline, providing an unprecedented opportunity to explore educational anomalies from a data-driven perspective. As an emerging field, educational anomaly analytics rapidly attracts scholars from a variety of fields, including education, psychology, sociology, and computer science. This paper intends to provide a comprehensive review of data-driven analytics of educational anomalies from a methodological standpoint. We focus on the following five types of research that received the most attention: course failure prediction, dropout prediction, mental health problems detection, prediction of difficulty in graduation, and prediction of difficulty in employment. Then, we discuss the challenges of current related research. This study aims to provide references for educational policymaking while promoting the development of educational anomaly analytics as a growing field.
Current Progress of Jatropha Curcas Commoditisation as Biodiesel Feedstock: A Comprehensive Review

This article looks at the national and global actors, social networks, and narratives that have influenced Jatropha’s worldwide acceptability as a biofuel crop. Jatropha Curcas is a genus of around 175 succulent shrubs and trees in the Euphorbiaceae family (some of which are deciduous, such as Jatropha Curcas L.). It’s a drought-tolerant perennial that thrives in poor or marginal soil and produces a large amount of oil per hectare. It is easy to grow, has a fast growth rate, and can generate seeds for up to 50 years. Jatropha Curcas has been developed as a unique and promising tropical plant for augmenting renewable energy sources due to its various benefits. It is deserving of being recognised as the only competitor in terms of concrete and intangible environmental advantages. Jatropha Curcas is a low-cost biodiesel feedstock with good fuel properties and more oil than other species. It is a non-edible oilseed feedstock. Thus it will have no impact on food prices or the food vs fuel debate. Jatropha Curcas emits fewer pollutants than diesel and may be used in diesel engines with equivalent performance. Jatropha Curcas also makes a substantial contribution to the betterment of rural life. The plant may also provide up to 40% oil yield per seed based on weight. This study looks at the features characteristics of Jatropha Curcas as biodiesel feedstock and performance, and emissions of internal combustion engine that operates on this biodiesel fuel.
Structural and Functional Coupling of Calcium-Activated BK Channels and Calcium-Permeable Channels Within Nanodomain Signaling Complexes

Biochemical and functional studies of ion channels have shown that many of these integral membrane proteins form macromolecular signaling complexes by physically associating with many other proteins. These macromolecular signaling complexes ensure specificity and proper rates of signal transduction. The large-conductance, Ca2+-activated K+ (BK) channel is dually activated by membrane depolarization and increases in intracellular free Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i). The activation of BK channels results in a large K+ efflux and, consequently, rapid membrane repolarization and closing of the voltage-dependent Ca2+-permeable channels to limit further increases in [Ca2+]i. Therefore, BK channel-mediated K+ signaling is a negative feedback regulator of both membrane potential and [Ca2+]i and plays important roles in many physiological processes and diseases. However, the BK channel formed by the pore-forming and voltage- and Ca2+-sensing α subunit alone requires high [Ca2+]i levels for channel activation under physiological voltage conditions. Thus, most native BK channels are believed to co-localize with Ca2+-permeable channels within nanodomains (a few tens of nanometers in distance) to detect high levels of [Ca2+]i around the open pores of Ca2+-permeable channels. Over the last two decades, advancement in research on the BK channel’s coupling with Ca2+-permeable channels including recent reports involving NMDA receptors demonstrate exemplary models of nanodomain structural and functional coupling among ion channels for efficient signal transduction and negative feedback regulation. We hereby review our current understanding regarding the structural and functional coupling of BK channels with different Ca2+-permeable channels.
Deafness And Music: Can Vibration Be Used When Playing Music Together?

Performing music or singing together provides people with great pleasure. But if you are deaf (or hard of hearing) it is not always possible to listen to other musicians while trying to sing or play an instrument. It can be particularly difficult to perceive different musical pitches with a hearing aid or other hearing-assistance device. However, the human body can transmit musical sounds to the brain when vibrations are applied to the skin. In other words, we can feel music. Our research has identified a safe way for deaf people to hear musical notes through the skin of their hands and feet. We have shown that vibration allows people to safely feel music on the skin. This approach allows people to identify a musical note as being higher or lower in pitch than other notes, and it helps musicians to play music together.
Salicylic Acid Is Involved in Rootstock–Scion Communication in Improving the Chilling Tolerance of Grafted Cucumber

Salicylic acid (SA) has been proven to be a multifunctional signaling molecule that participates in the response of plants to abiotic stresses. In this study, we used cold-sensitive cucumber and cold-tolerant pumpkin as experimental materials to examine the roles of SA in root–shoot communication responses to aerial or/and root-zone chilling stress in own-root and hetero-root grafted cucumber and pumpkin plants. The results showed that pumpkin (Cm) rootstock enhanced the chilling tolerance of grafted cucumber, as evidenced by the observed lower levels of electrolyte leakage (EL), malondialdehyde (MDA), and higher photosynthetic rate (Pn) and gene expression of Rubisco activase (RCA). However, cucumber (Cs) rootstock decreased the chilling tolerance of grafted pumpkins. Cs/Cm plants showed an increase in the mRNA expression of C-repeat-binding factor (CBF1), an inducer of CBF expression (ICE1), and cold-responsive (COR47) genes and CBF1 protein levels in leaves under 5/25 and 5/5°C stresses, or in roots under 25/5 and 5/5°C stresses, respectively, compared with the Cs/Cs. Chilling stress increased the endogenous SA content and the activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and the increase in SA content and activity of PAL in Cs/Cm plants was much higher than in Cs/Cs plants. Transcription profiling analysis revealed the key genes of SA biosynthesis, PAL, ICS, and SABP2 were upregulated, while SAMT, the key gene of SA degradation, was downregulated in Cs/Cm leaves, compared with Cs/Cs leaves under chilling stress. The accumulation of SA in the Cs/Cm leaves was mainly attributed to an increase in SA biosynthesis in leaves and that in transport from roots under aerial and root-zone chilling stress, respectively. In addition, exogenous SA significantly upregulated the expression level of cold-responsive (COR) genes, enhanced actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII), maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and Pn, while decreased EL, MDA, and CI in grafted cucumber. These results suggest that SA is involved in rootstock–scion communication and grafting-induced chilling tolerance by upregulating the expression of COR genes in cucumber plants under chilling stress.
Evaluating the Antibacterial Activity and Mode of Action of Thymol-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Against Plant Bacterial Pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris (Xcc) causes black rot disease in cruciferous crops, resulting in severe yield loss worldwide. The excessive use of chemical pesticides in agriculture to control diseases has raised significant concern about the impact on the environment and human health. Nanoparticles have recently gained significant attention in agriculture owing to their promising application in plant disease control, increasing soil fertility and nutrient availability. In the current study, we synthesized thymol-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (TCNPs) and assessed their antibacterial activity against Xcc. The synthesis of TCNPs was confirmed by using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed the functional groups, size, and shape of TCNPs, with sizes ranging from 54 to 250 nm, respectively. The antibacterial activity of TCNPs against Xcc was investigated in vitro by liquid broth, cell viability, and live dead staining assay, and all of them demonstrated the antibacterial activity of TCNPs. Furthermore, TCNPs were found to directly inhibit the growth of Xcc by suppressing the growth of biofilm formation and the production of exopolysaccharides and xanthomonadin. The ultrastructure studies revealed membrane damage in TCNP-treated Xcc cells, causing a release of intracellular contents. Headspace/gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS) analysis showed changes in the volatile profile of Xcc cells treated with TCNPs. Increased amounts of carbonyl components (mainly ketones) and production of new volatile metabolites were observed in Xcc cells incubated with TCNPs. Overall, this study reveals TCNPs as a promising antibacterial candidate against Xcc.
Multi Barcode Scanning and Decoding Technology Based on AR Smart Glasses

This research mainly develops the technology of multi barcode location, extraction and decoding on Android AR smart glasses, and realizes it with Python, OpenCV and Zbar. This technology can be applied to manufacturing industry, combining shop floor control system (SFCS) and execution manufacturing system (MES), to improve the production process and reduce the production cycle. In addition, due to the spread of COVID-19, in order to avoid infection of COVID-19, the business mode of unmanned shopping malls is getting highly valued. Our research result provides a feasible solution to unmanned shopping malls. © The Authors.
Building Resilient Value Chains After the Impact of the COVID-19 Disruption: Challenges for the Coffee Sector in Central America

Coffee is an important agricultural sector in Central American, directly employing over 1.2 million people in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Although export revenues from coffee trade have an overall positive effect on the gross domestic product (GDP) of these countries, poverty still prevails. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional pressure on the sector which is vulnerable to fluctuations in the international coffee prices, low productivity levels, and climate change effects and damages caused by pest and diseases. This paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and analyzes if the sector is resilient to withstand unexpected external shocks such as the pandemic and the hurricanes which impacted the region in the last months of 2020. The capacity to absorb, adapt, and/or transform to these shocks was assessed from the perspective of small-scale coffee farmers, traders, exporters and the entire sector in two time periods—immediately after the start of the pandemic and after the coffee harvest. Although the actors in the coffee value chain absorbed these shocks and could withstand them, adaptation to the disruptions has been challenging for small-scale farmers. Despite the vulnerability to unexpected external shocks, results indicate that a long-term transformation of the sector to build resilience is likely to be slow.
A Two-Person Neuroscience Approach for Social Anxiety: A Paradigm With Interbrain Synchrony and Neurofeedback

Social anxiety disorder has been widely recognised as one of the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders. Individuals with social anxiety disorder experience difficulties during social interactions that are essential in the regular functioning of daily routines; perpetually motivating research into the aetiology, maintenance and treatment methods. Traditionally, social and clinical neuroscience studies incorporated protocols testing one participant at a time. However, it has been recently suggested that such protocols are unable to directly assess social interaction performance, which can be revealed by testing multiple individuals simultaneously. The principle of two-person neuroscience highlights the interpersonal aspect of social interactions that observes behaviour and brain activity from both (or all) constituents of the interaction, rather than analysing on an individual level or an individual observation of a social situation. Therefore, two-person neuroscience could be a promising direction for assessment and intervention of the social anxiety disorder. In this paper, we propose a novel paradigm which integrates two-person neuroscience in a neurofeedback protocol. Neurofeedback and interbrain synchrony, a branch of two-person neuroscience, are discussed in their own capacities for their relationship with social anxiety disorder and relevance to the paradigm. The newly proposed paradigm sets out to assess the social interaction performance using interbrain synchrony between interacting individuals, and to employ a multi-user neurofeedback protocol for intervention of the social anxiety.
Nanoq: ultra-fast quality control for nanopore reads

Summary Nanopore sequencing is now routinely used in a variety of genomics applications, including whole genome assembly (Jain et al., 2018) and real-time infectious disease surveillance (Meredith et al., 2020). One of the first steps in many workflows is to assess the quality of reads, obtain summary statistics, and filter fragmented or low quality reads. With increasing throughput on scalable nanopore platforms like GridION or PromethION , fast quality con-trol of sequence reads and the ability to generate summary statistics on-the-fly are required. Benchmarks indicate that nanoq is as fast as seqtk for small datasets (100,000 reads) and ~1.5x as fast for large datasets (3.5 million reads). Without quality scores, computing sum-mary statistics is around ~2-3x faster than rust-bio-tools and seq-kit stats , 44x faster than seqtk , and up to ~450x faster than NanoStats (> 1.2 million reads per second). In read filtering applications, nanoq is considerably faster than other commonly used tools ( NanoFilt , Filtlong ). Memory consumption is consistent and tends to be lower than other applications (~5-10x). Nanoq offers nanopore-specific quality scores, read filtering options, and output compression. It can be applied to data from the public domain, as part of automated pipelines, in streaming applications, or to rapidly check progress of active sequencing runs.
The floatation mechanism under centrifuge field

Introduced two pulp flotation equipments-floatation cyclone and circular floatator,which separation process was under the centrifugal field.The main characteristic of those equipments is that pulp is sprayed into circular floatation unit by bubble generator under pressure and the mineralized froth are flowed out by the floating force under centrifugal,there are not motion parts in all equipments.The mineralizing process is a synthesize mineralizing process including hydrophobic-action mineralization,fine bubble separate-out mineralization etc.The floatation processing under the centrifuge field carried the advantages of good floatation selectivity,great unit volume treatment capability,fast floatation velocity,and shorten separation time.The research and development of the floatation equipments in the field of centrifugal force have provided a new filed of development for the separation of fine particle coal.
Enseigner la pensée informatique avec Kniwwelino : Étude exploratoire de terrain en milieu scolaire: Teaching Computational Thinking with Kniwwelino: Exploratory Field Study in School Settings

We are presenting the results of a study carried out with six primary and secondary schools in Luxembourg, pilots in introducing the Kniwwwelino Classroom kit (KCK) in their teaching of programming and computational thinking to children. The aim of the study was to explore: (1) how teachers appropriate this kind of tool for teaching computational thinking and programming, (2) whether the KCK is suitable for this purpose, and (3) the user experience of the KCK. To these ends, we used several data collection tools through a mainly qualitative exploratory approach: semi-guided interviews, diaries and several questionnaires. We have learned that: (1) the KCK is versatile enough to adapt to different environments, objectives and pedagogical approaches and thus offers a great deal of freedom to teachers, (2) the playful and tangible approach of the KCK seems more adapted to introducing programming and enables pupils to develop problem-solving, collaboration and creativity skills, and (3) if the user experience has been positive for both teachers and students, this first KCK prototype is still addressing intermediate computer-skilled teachers.
Stability Control of Propeller Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Based on Combined Sections Method

Abstract Learning from the motion principle of quadrotor, a symmetric propeller AUV, which has small size and low velocity is designed. Compared with the AUV equipped with rudders, it has better maneuverability and manipulation at low velocity. According to the Newton-Euler method, the 6 DOF kinematic model and dynamic model of the propeller AUV are established. A stability controller that consists of 3 different PID controllers is designed. It makes the depth and attitude angle as trigger conditions, and the relevant controller is chosen in different moving process. The simulation experiments simulate ideal motion state and disturbed motion state, and experiments results show that the stability controller based on combined sections method can make the best of mature technology of PID, and meet the control requirements in different stages. It has a higher respond speed and accuracy, improving the stability of the propeller AUV under the disturbance of complex ocean currents.
Transformers on-load exciting current Park`s vector approach as a tool for winding faults diagnostics

This paper presents the development of a new approach for diagnosing the occurrence of inter-turn short-circuits in the windings of three-phase transformers, which is based on the on-line monitoring of the on-load exciting current Park's Vector patterns. Experimental and simulated results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique for detecting winding inter-turn insulation faults in operating three-phase transformers.
Education for Apartheid

shows, suggests that collaboration between the state and the mining industry should not, in changing circumstances and other areas, be taken for granted. The susceptibility of the various states involved to conflicting class pressures, and even wider international or metropolitan interests, suggests that the ability of the mining industry to control continuously the process of proletarianization through these means or any other might be more questionable than Perrings suggests. Other problems originate in the nature of the task that the author originally set for himself. In his Introduction, Perrings justifies his concentration on the 'objective basis of proletarianization' on the grounds that the problem has not received adequate attention. Further, that it is a 'necessary preliminary to a study of the instruments of class consciousness' (p. 4). Despite problems with the role of the state, the need for an understanding of the material basis of proletarianization in the context of control over markets required by industrial capital is well demonstrated. Indeed, the current historiography demands such a critical appraisal. Yet can an understanding of the process of class formation, the avowed aim of the book, be satisfactorily completed without considering the impact of class consciousness upon class experience ? The historic process of class formation elsewhere suggests that it is in the complex and dynamic interaction between the objective economic conditions experienced by the workforce and their interpretation of those experiences that a fuller understanding of that process can be found. In Central Africa this is, in the nature of the evidence, particularly difficult, as Perrings observes, but other historians have shown that it is not impossible. By deliberately excluding this aspect from the book, Perrings has therefore truncated his study of the ' manner of class formation' in a way reminiscent of studies whose concentration is in the other direction. Not that this is to decry the whole aim of the book, for attention needed to be refocused on the material basis of class formation. It is rather to point out that there is a sense in which there is a gap between aim and result. The fact that this study raises some of the most intractable and intriguing problems of Marxist historiography is, of course, to acknowledge its importance. This, and its other many merits, will ensure it a central place in future discussions of the area that it covers.