Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of maize chlorophyll content based on multispectral vegetation indices

In order to estimate the nutrient status of maize, the multi-spectral image was used to monitor the chlorophyll content in the field. The experiments were conducted under three different fertilizer treatments (High, Normal and Low). A multispectral CCD camera was used to collect ground-based images of maize canopy in green (G, 520~600nm), red (R, 630~690nm) and near-infrared (NIR, 760~900nm) band. Leaves of maize were randomly sampled to detect the chlorophyll content by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The images were processed following image preprocessing, canopy segmentation and parameter calculation: Firstly, the median filtering was used to improve the visual contrast of image. Secondly, the leaves of maize canopy were segmented in NIR image. Thirdly, the average gray value (GIA, RIA and NIRIA) and the vegetation indices (DVI, RVI, NDVI, et al.) widely used in remote sensing were calculated. A new vegetation index, combination of normalized difference vegetation index (CNDVI), was developed. After the correlation analysis between image parameter and chlorophyll content, six parameters (GIA, RIA, NIRIA, GRVI, GNDVI and CNDVI) were selected to estimate chlorophyll content at shooting and trumpet stages respectively. The results of MLR predicting models showed that the R2 was 0.88 and the adjust R2 was 0.64 at shooting stage; the R2 was 0.77 and the adjust R2 was 0.31 at trumpet stage. It was indicated that vegetation indices derived from multispectral image could be used to monitor the chlorophyll content. It provided a feasible method for the chlorophyll content detection.
Demonstrating Spoofability of an Originating Number when sending an SMS using SMPP

The short message service (SMS), a service for exchanging texts via mobile networks, has become a universal means of communication. SMS is a mechanism for sending a text message to a specific mobile phone number. Its protocol enables the sender to specify the destination phone number but not the originating number. However, the short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol, which forwards SMS messages, enables the sender to specify the originating number. If the SMPP protocol allows the sender to specify another person’s phone number as the originator, an attacker can use it to send a short message impersonating another person. In this study, short messages were sent from an SMPP gateway service with any phone number specified as the originator, and their delivery to the Japanese mobile network was verified. All the verified mobile network operators (MNOs) were able to spoof the origin to any international phone number, and one MNO was able to spoof it to any national phone number. The results of this study reveal that SMPP can potentially be exploited to spoof the originating number of an SMS. Furthermore, a threat scenario was devised using spoofing and mitigation measures.
Machine Translation for Historical Research: A case study of Aramaic-Ancient Hebrew Translations

In this article, by the ability to translate Aramaic to another spoken languages, we investigated Machine Translation (MT) in a cultural heritage domain for two primary purposes: evaluating the quality of ancient translations and preserving Aramaic (an endangered language). First, we detailed the construction of a publicly available Biblical parallel Aramaic-Hebrew corpus based on two ancient (early 2nd - late 4th century) Hebrew–Aramaic translations: Targum Onkelus and Targum Jonathan. Then using the Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) approach, which in our use-case significantly outperforms the Neural Machine Translation (NMT), we validated the excepted high quality of the translations. The trained model failed to translate Aramaic texts of other dialects. However, when we trained the same SMT model on another Aramaic-Hebrew corpus of a different dialect (Zohar - 13th century) a very high translation score was achieved. We examined an additional important cultural heritage source of Aramaic texts, the Babylonian Talmud (early 3rd - late 5th century). Since we do not have a parallel Aramaic-Hebrew corpus of the Talmud, we used the model trained on the Bible corpus for translation. We performed an analysis of the results and suggest some potential promising future research.
Using Functional Reactive Programming to Define Safe Actor Systems

Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) is a powerful abstraction for building deterministic concurrent systems. However, some programmers prefer a more imperative approach for certain tasks, and that approach is required to implement some imperative algorithms. The Actor Model provides an abstraction for building concurrent systems in a more imperative way without as much of the chaos typical of traditional shared-memory imperative concurrent programming. While the Actor Model offers more structure than other imperative approaches, it still suffers from nondeterminism due to message-ordering and processing times. That makes actor systems hard to reason about, limiting their effectiveness for critical tasks. We formally define an elegant multi-paradigm unification of event-driven FRP constructs and the Actor Model. Our unification enables an intuitive form of declarative programming that can integrate imperative and declarative code within each other. We use reference and object capabilities to tame imperative features: reference capabilities track aliasing and mutability, and object capabilities track I/O. Notably, in our system expressions with deeply immutable input behave deterministically. Additionally, capabilities provide a boundary to allow nondeterministic code to intermingle safely with deterministic code.
Towards Better Semantics Exploration for Browser Fuzzing

Web browsers exhibit rich semantics that enable a plethora of web-based functionalities. However, these intricate semantics present significant challenges for the implementation and testing of browsers. For example, fuzzing, a widely adopted testing technique, typically relies on handwritten context-free grammars (CFGs) for automatically generating inputs. However, these CFGs fall short in adequately modeling the complex semantics of browsers, resulting in generated inputs that cover only a portion of the semantics and are prone to semantic errors. In this paper, we present SaGe, an automated method that enhances browser fuzzing through the use of production-context sensitive grammars (PCSGs) incorporating semantic information. Our approach begins by extracting a rudimentary CFG from W3C standards and iteratively enhancing it to create a PCSG. The resulting PCSG enables our fuzzer to generate inputs that explore a broader range of browser semantics with a higher proportion of semantically-correct inputs. To evaluate the efficacy of SaGe, we conducted 24-hour fuzzing campaigns on mainstream browsers, including Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Our approach demonstrated better performance compared to existing browser fuzzers, with a 6.03%-277.80% improvement in edge coverage, a 3.56%-161.71% boost in semantic correctness rate, twice the number of bugs discovered. Moreover, we identified 62 bugs across the three browsers, with 40 confirmed and 10 assigned CVEs.
Leaderspeak – An Evolutionary Psychology Approach to Reducing Gaps in Strategic Communication

ABSTRACT The gaps that strategic communication has to bridge have widened due to competing values driven by self-interest versus superordinate organizational goals. We propose a higher-order comprehensive model, grounded in a) the social behavioral aspects of evolutionary psychology and strategic communication; b) evolutionary game theory reciprocity; and c) the niche construction of leadership. We offer the concept of ‘leaderspeak’, which brings into effect the concepts of collaborative and mutually beneficial relations, altruism, spite, and selfishness. In this paper, we seek to parse the role of reciprocity, altruism, and how receivers are motivated to respond to leader communication (leaderspeak, i.e., leader communication that considers all the multi-modal affordances of language, including non-verbal communication, to outline the intent of the leader). This is an initial attempt to delve deeper into the evolving human need while ensuring reciprocity between the sender and receiver. Our aim is to understand and address the attitude, “I hear you, and get what you want me to do for you, so what’s in it for me? ”
A Hard Sphere Model for Single File Water Transport Across Biological Membranes

We use Gürsey’s statistical mechanics of a one-dimensional fluid to find a formula for the Pf /Pd ratio in the transport of hard spheres across a membrane through a narrow channel that can accommodate only single file movement. Pf is the membrane permeability for osmotic flow, and Pd the permeability for exchange across the membrane in the absence of osmotic flow. The deviation of the ratio from unity indicates the degree of cooperative transport relative to ordinary diffusion of independent isolated molecules. In contrast to an early idea that Pf /Pd must be equal to the number of molecules in the channel, regardless of the physical nature of the interactions among the molecules, we find a functional dependence on the fractional occupancy of the length of the channel by the hard spheres. We also attempt a random walk calculation for Pd individually, which gives a result for Pf as well when combined with the ratio.
The single-molecule accessibility landscape of newly replicated mammalian chromatin

The higher-order structure of newly replicated (i.e. ‘nascent’) chromatin fibers remains poorly-resolved, limiting our understanding of how epigenomes are maintained across cell divisions. To address this, we present Replication-Aware Single-molecule Accessibility Mapping (RASAM), a long-read sequencing method that nondestructively measures genome-wide replication-status and protein-DNA interactions simultaneously on intact chromatin templates. We report that individual human and mouse nascent chromatin fibers are ‘hyperaccessible’ compared to steady-state chromatin. This hyperaccessibility occurs at two, coupled length-scales: first, individual nucleosome core particles on nascent DNA exist as a mixture of partially-unwrapped nucleosomes and other subnucleosomal species; second, newly-replicated chromatin fibers are significantly enriched for irregularly-spaced nucleosomes on individual DNA molecules. Focusing on specific cis-regulatory elements (e.g. transcription factor binding sites; active transcription start sites [TSSs]), we discover unique modes by which nascent chromatin hyperaccessibility is resolved at the single-molecule level: at CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) binding sites, CTCF and nascent nucleosomes compete for motifs on nascent chromatin fibers, resulting in quantitatively-reduced CTCF occupancy and motif accessibility post-replication; at active TSSs, high levels of steady-state chromatin accessibility are preserved, implying that nucleosome free regions (NFRs) are rapidly re-established behind the fork. Our study introduces a new paradigm for studying higher-order chromatin fiber organization behind the replication fork. More broadly, we uncover a unique organization of newly replicated chromatin that must be reset by active processes, providing a substrate for epigenetic reprogramming.
Scale-independent topological interactions drive the first fate decision in the Drosophila embryo

During embryogenesis, the earliest cell fate decision is often linked to nuclear positioning, whose control arises from the integration of the cell cycle oscillator and associated cytoskeletal dynamics. Yet, the mechanisms that ensure that the correct number of nuclei move to the appropriate place remain poorly understood. Here, using light sheet microscopy, we show that in Drosophila embryos spindle orientation controls which nuclei migrate towards the cortex and which remains inside the embryo, thereby determining nuclear fate and the number of cells undergoing development. Combining computational methods inspired by integral geometry and manipulations of cell cycle genes, we show that spindle orientation is controlled by topological spindle-spindle interactions and not by internuclear distance. Using arguments describing the behavior of space-filling systems, we develop a theory for topological dependency in microtubule structures. Our work shows how topological interplay of microtubule mechanics can ensure robust control of density and cell fate determination.
ECM-Focused Proteomic Analysis of Ear Punch Regeneration in Acomys Cahirinus

In mammals, significant injury is generally followed by the formation of a fibrotic scar which provides structural integrity but fails to functionally restore damaged tissue. Spiny mice of the genus Acomys represent the first example of full skin autotomy in mammals. Acomys cahirinus has evolved extremely weak skin as a strategy to avoid predation and is able to repeatedly regenerate healthy tissue without scar after severe skin injury or full-thickness ear punches. Extracellular matrix (ECM) composition is a critical regulator of wound repair and scar formation and previous studies have suggested that alterations in its expression may be responsible for the differences in regenerative capacity observed between Mus musculus and A. cahirinus, yet analysis of this critical tissue component has been limited in previous studies by its insolubility and resistance to extraction. Here, we utilize a 2-step ECM-optimized extraction to perform proteomic analysis of tissue composition during wound repair after full-thickness ear punches in A. cahirinus and M. musculus from weeks 1 to 4 post-injury. We observe changes in a wide range of ECM proteins which have been previously implicated in wound regeneration and scar formation, including collagens, coagulation and provisional matrix proteins, and matricryptic signaling peptides. We additionally report differences in crosslinking enzyme activity and ECM protein solubility between Mus and Acomys. Furthermore, we observed rapid and sustained increases in CD206, a marker of pro-regenerative M2 macrophages, in Acomys, whereas little or no increase in CD206 was detected in Mus. Together, these findings contribute to a comprehensive understanding of tissue cues which drive the regenerative capacity of Acomys and identify a number of potential targets for future pro-regenerative therapies.
Woolly mutation with Get02 locus overcomes the polygenic nature of trichome-based pest resistance in tomato

Type-IV glandular trichomes, which only occur in the juvenile phase of tomato development, produce acylsugars (AS) that broadly protect against arthropod herbivory. Previously, we introgressed the capacity to retain type-IV trichomes in the adult phase from Solanum galapagense into the cv. Micro-Tom (MT). The resulting MT-Get line contained five loci associated with enhancing the density of type-IV trichomes in adult plants. We genetically dissected MT-Get and obtained a sub-line containing only the locus on chromosome 2 (MT- Get02). This genotype displayed about half the density of type-IV trichomes compared to the wild progenitor. However, when we stacked the gain-of-function allele of WOOLLY, which codes for a HD-ZIP IV transcription factor, MT-Get02/Wo exhibited double the number of type-IV trichomes compared to S. galapagense. This discovery corroborates previous reports positioning WOOLLY as a master regulator of trichome development. AS levels in MT-Get02/Wo were comparable to the wild progenitor, although the composition of AS types differed, especially regarding less AS with medium-length acyl chains. Agronomical parameters of MT-Get02/Wo, including yield, were comparable to MT. Pest resistance assays showed enhanced protection against whitefly, caterpillar, and the fungus Septoria lycopersici. However, resistance levels did not reach that of the wild progenitor, suggesting the specificity of particulars AS types in the pest resistance mechanism. Our findings in trichome-mediated resistance advance the development of robust, naturally resistant tomato varieties, harnessing the potential of natural genetic variation. Moreover, by manipulating only two loci, we achieved exceptional results for a highly complex, polygenic trait, such as herbivory resistance in tomato.
Repetitive execution of a reach-and-lift task is associated with inter-trial changes in movement-related EEG features and their predictive power

Brain Machine Interfaces (BMIs) can help restore motor function to individuals with paralysis. These systems allow users to control an assistive device through the detection of movement-related brain activity. Such neural signatures are found through machine learning algorithms and training datasets that are generated from participants performing repetitive motor tasks. We anticipate that the movement-related brain waves of interest can attenuate over time due to neural efficiency, where the brain becomes more efficient with practice in a motor task. To explore this hypothesis, we used three open-access EEG datasets where participants performed a simple reach-and-lift task. From each trial, time windows associated with resting and movement periods were segmented. Alpha- and beta-band spectral power was estimated for each epoch, and event-related desynchronization (ERD) was estimated as the suppression in spectral power from rest to movement. These ERDs were compared between early and late trials in the dataset. We also used linear discriminant analysis to assess a machine learning algorithm’s accuracy in classifying whether the time windows belonged to rest or movement based on spectral power. In some cases, the ERDs were significantly different between earlier and later trials, and these differences led to changes in predicting the presence of movement from these ERDs. These results call for a reevaluation of BMI performance in datasets with numerous trials and an exploration of strategies that can compensate for longitudinal changes in movement-related brain activity used for BMIs.
Data Stream Management

In this lecture many applications process high volumes of streaming data, among them Internet traffic analysis, financial tickers, and transaction log mining. In general, a data stream is an unbounded data set that is produced incrementally over time, rather than being available in full before its processing begins. In this lecture, we give an overview of recent research in stream processing, ranging from answering simple queries on high-speed streams to loading real-time data feeds into a streaming warehouse for off-line analysis. We will discuss two types of systems for end-to-end stream processing: Data Stream Management Systems (DSMSs) and Streaming Data Warehouses (SDWs). A traditional database management system typically processes a stream of ad-hoc queries over relatively static data. In contrast, a DSMS evaluates static (long-running) queries on streaming data, making a single pass over the data and using limited working memory. In the first part of this lecture, we will discuss research problems in DSMSs, such as continuous query languages, non-blocking query operators that continually react to new data, and continuous query optimization. The second part covers SDWs, which combine the real-time response of a DSMS by loading new data as soon as they arrive with a data warehouse's ability to manage Terabytes of historical data on secondary storage. Table of Contents: Introduction / Data Stream Management Systems / Streaming Data Warehouses / Conclusions
The Association of the Evolution of Intraseasonal Oscillations to ENSO Phase

Abstract The Pacific Ocean intraseasonal Kelvin wave is a leading oceanic mode that links intraseasonal tropical atmospheric variations with interannual variations in the coupled ocean–atmosphere system. This study considers the premise that these waves may evolve differently with their associated weather patterns during different phases of El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). If atmospheric and oceanic intraseasonal modes interact and evolve differently during various stages of ENSO, this result may provide useful information with regard to the role of these intraseasonal processes in ENSO evolution. This work utilizes signals of the oceanic Kelvin wave as a statistical basis for a simple composite averaging technique that is applied during different phases of ENSO to objectively analyze the evolution of oceanic and the associated portions of atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations. Results confirm the above premise and suggest that coupling between Kelvin waves and atmospheric convection evolves differen.
Load-cast Structures: Their Relationship to Upper-Surface Structures and their Mode of Formation

Abstract The form and distribution of load-casts suggests a genetic connection with structures previously formed on the upper surface of the underlying bed. On analogy with salt-dome development, the growth of load-casts and associated flame-structures is attributed to the density contrast between upper and lower bands and differential loading caused by the projections and depressions formed by the upper-surface features. This hypothesis is the basis of a new classification of load-cast structures.
Impacts of Climate Change and the End of Deforestation on Land Use in the Brazilian Legal Amazon

AbstractClimate change scenarios vary considerably over the Amazon region, with an extreme scenario projecting a dangerous (from the human perspective) increase of 3.8°C in temperature and 30% reduction in precipitation by 2050. The impacts of such climate change on Amazonian land-use dynamics, agricultural production, and deforestation rates are still to be determined. In this study, the authors make a first attempt to assess these impacts through a systemic approach, using a spatially explicit modeling framework to project crop yield and land-use/land-cover changes in the Brazilian Amazon by 2050. The results show that, without any adaptation, climate change may exert a critical impact on the yields of crops commonly cultivated in the Amazon (e.g., soybean yields are reduced by 44% in the worst-case scenario). Therefore, following baseline projections on crop and livestock production, a scenario of severe regional climate change would cause additional deforestation of 181 000 km2 (+20%) in the Amazon an.