Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated omics approach to understand Pistacia - aphid gall development

Background: Pistacia chinensis subsp. integerrima (J. L. Stewart ex Brandis) Rech. f. belongs to family Anacardiaceae, is well known for usage of galls in traditional medicine. The galls in the apical meristem of plants are induced by aphid Baizongia pistaciae L infestation. The Pistacia galls are used in Ayurvedic formulations for the treatment of cough and respiratory diseases, loss of appetite, dyspeptic vomiting and dysentery. The drastic decrease in the gall formation in recent decades is possibly due to climate change or human interventions, making it an important species from conservation point of view. There is not much work carried out at molecular level to understand the gall development. In this study, we obtained molecular insight on insect and plant through genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic approaches. Results: We sequenced the whole genome of Pistacia genome using Illumina sequencing platform. The assembly genome size of Pistacia was 549 Mb with 80688 scaffolds at N50 = 12607 nts. A total of 51290 genes were from Pistacia genome annotation. The transcriptome analysis revealed of 76186 and 46327 transcripts from gall and leaf, respectively. The ethylene responsive transcription factor families were induced abundantly in galls including GATA, bHLH, MYB, BZIP, Trihelix, MADS, B3 domain. In addition, we have also obtained highly expressed genes in gall for biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, plant-aphid interactions, stress responses, phytohormone signal transduction and terpene biosynthesis. We have identified 21 proteins against Cajanus cajan , 10 proteins against Arabidopsis thaliana and 14 proteins against Drosophila melanogaster . We also identified abundant peptides for actin and tubulin of aphid in the gall tissue. Conclusion: This study provides a basis for the understanding of the genes expressed in gall when compared to leaf and also genes required for gall induction and development. We hypothesed that actin and microtubule proteins are from aphids origin as we found that transcript TRINITY_DN180182_c0_g1_i1 mapped to Acyrthosiphon pisum tubulin beta-1 (Tub1), mRNA with 75 % homology.
Glass transition effects on milling yields in a cross-flow drying column

ABSTRACT Drying treatments were selected based on the glass transition temperature of rice kernels and applied in an experimentally simulated drying column. When kernels were dried in the glassy state, there was negligible head rice yield reduction (HRYR), regardless if samples had been tempered or not. But when kernels transitioned to the rubbery state during the initial stages of drying and subsequently developed sufficient intra-kernel material state gradients, significant HRYRs occurred, and HRYRs of tempered samples were significantly less than those of non-tempered samples throughout the column. Sample HRYRs near the heated-air plenum were much greater than those into the column.
Amino Acids in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy—Prospects for Precise Treatment of Malignant Brain Tumors

During the last 60 years, a great number of boron-containing compounds have been synthesized and designated as potential boron carriers for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of several types of cancer. Several of these putative boron carriers are derivatives of -amino acids (AAs). Despite sixty years of research, there are only two compounds used in the clinic including boronophenylalanine (BPA). Cancer cells have long been known to consume enormous amounts of nutrients such as AAs. Recent studies have revealed many mechanisms, through which they fulfill their demand for nutrients. The large amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) is an extensively studied transporter. Recent studies have expanded our knowledge and understanding of the structure of LAT1 and its mode of action. It has been demonstrated that BPA and some other AA-based boron carriers are transported by LAT1 into cancer cells. In summary, these advances have opened new prospects for designing novel LAT1-targeted AA-based boron carriers for malignant brain tumors.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Nurse Scheduling Problem by Modeling Teamwork and Decision Making Style

This study presents a multi-objective nurse scheduling model by considering and integrating teamwork and decision making styles in order to maximize job satisfaction. To achieve high job satisfaction, teamwork which minimizes incompatibility among team members is considered. Teamwork has sustainable impact on job satisfaction in healthcare. In this study, a new mathematical model is proposed for scheduling nurses based on teamwork. First, nursing teams are generated by considering decision making styles. Then, each team is assigned to work shifts in the planning horizon. The unique multi-objective mathematical model considers the inconsistency of nurses’ decision making styles, reliability of teams, allocation costs and penalty of violating soft constraints as the objective functions. A real case study is considered to show the applicability of the proposed model. Finally, the proposed multi objective model is solved using goal programming method. Sensitivity analysis shows the robustness of the proposed mathematical programming model and solution methodology.
Analysis of the Spatial Distribution of Aedes Albopictus by Indicator Kriging in an Urban Area of Shanghai, China

Background: Aedes albopictus is a well-recognized vector of major arboviral diseases and a primary pest in tropical and temperate regions of China. In the current monitoring system for the spread of Ae. albopictus based on the sub-district scale in most cities of China, spatial distribution has not been considered for the analysis of the density of species. So, the system is not accurate enough for epidemic investigations, especially in big cities like Shanghai.Methods: In this study, an improved surveillance program integrating the actual monitoring locations was used to investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of Ae. albopictus abundance in an urban area of Shanghai, China, from 2018 to 2019 by using the mosquito-oviposition trap (MOT) method. The study area of 14 sub-districts was divided into 133 grids. The vector abundance and spatial structure of Ae. Albopictus were predicted by the indicator Kriging based on eight MOTs in each grid. Meanwhile, the light trap (LT) method was also used for the analysis and compared with the MOT method.Results: A total of 8,192 MOTs were placed in the study area in 2018, and 7,917 (96.6%) were retrieved with a positive rate of 6.45%, while in 2019, 22,715 (97.0%) of 23,408 MOTs were recovered with a positive rate of 5.44%. When using the LT method, 273 (93.5%) and 312 (94.5%) adult female Ae. albopictus were gathered in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Ae. albopictus populations in the urban area of Shanghai increased slowly from May, reached a peak in July, and declined gradually from September. The MOT positivity index (MPI) showed a significant positive spatial autocorrelation across the study area, while LT collections indicated a non-significant spatial autocorrelation. The MPI was suitable for spatial interpolation by using the indicator Kriging and showed different hotspots in different years.Conclusions: The improved surveillance system integrating geographic information can help improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of Ae. albopictus in urban areas of Shanghai and could provide a practical method for decision-makers to implement vector control and management of mosquitoes.
An intelligent remote control system for ECEI on EAST

An intelligent remote control system based on a power distribution unit (PDU) and Arduino has been designed for the electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEI) system on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). This intelligent system has three major functions: ECEI system reboot, measurement region adjustment and signal amplitude optimization. The observation region of ECEI can be modified for different physics proposals by remotely tuning the optical and electronics systems. Via the remote adjustment of the attenuation level, the ECEI intermediate frequency signal amplitude can be efficiently optimized. The remote control system provides a feasible and reliable solution for the improvement of signal quality and the efficiency of the ECEI diagnostic system, which is also valuable for other diagnostic systems.
The Taxonomic Signal of the Internal Mosquito Wing Cells.

BackgroundPrevious publications revealed a clear taxonomic signal embedded in the external contour of the wings. Our study explored this signal also for internal cells of the wings, with the following question: do internal cells uniformly provide the same taxonomic information? MethodsOur study focused on four species, three of them of medical importance: Ae. aegypti, Ae. albopictus, Ae. scutellaris and Ve. dux, each of them represented by 30 female wings. Each cell was characterized for size and shape after an elliptic Fourier analysis. For each cell to be tentatively assigned to its respective species, i.e., to measure its amount of taxonomic information, we used the shape of the contour, not its size. ResultsWe showed that the taxonomic signal of shape was not uniformly spread among internal cells of the wing, ranging on average from 80% to 94%. Four internal cells out of six performed better than the external contour of the wing. The amount of taxonomic information of internal cells could not be related to their size nor to their shape complexity, but clearly depended on which species were compared. The closest species of our sample, Ae. albopictus and Ae. scutellaris, two species frequently found in the same water collections in Thailand, were almost perfectly separated (97%) by a single cell. ConclusionIt has already been said that the wing can be used for mosquito identification even if the whole body is not available, we showed that even partly damaged wings could contain extractable and more accurate taxonomic information.
Efficient perovskite photovoltaic devices using chemically doped PCDTBT as a hole-transport material

It is shown that by chemically doping the carbazole-based conjugated polymer PCDTBT using the molecular materials TBP, LiTFSI and FK209, its conductivity can be increased by a factor of 105 times. Such doped PCDTBT films are used as a hole transport material (HTM) for standard architecture (CH(NH2)2PbI3)0.85(CH3NH3PbBr3)0.15 perovskite solar cells (PSCs). We show that devices with optimised PCDTBT thickness and doping level achieve a peak power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.9%. We expect a number of related doped conjugated polymers to also be capable of acting as efficient HTMs for PSCs.
Association of XRCC1 rs1799782 and ERCC2 rs13181 Polymorphisms with Glioma Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BackgroundGliomas are the most common primary tumors of the central nervous system with unclear etiology, however hereditary factors may play important roles in the development of gliomas with mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) being prominent among the genetic changes. this systematic review and meta-analysis assess the association of XRCC1 (rs1799782) and ERCC2 (rs13181) gene polymorphisms and glioma risk.MethodsThis study included articles indexed in the PUBMED and EMBASE databases published during the past 15 years. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed. The PICOS model was used to develop the inclusion criteria and search terms. This review was recorded at PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews, ID 196173. The META-MAR V2.7. 0 meta-analysis calculator was used for the statistical analysis with p-values < 0.05 being considered statistically significant. Dichotomous data are presented as odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical heterogeneity was measured using the I2 test and I2 > 50% were regarded as high heterogeneity. Funnel plots, Begg (BT) and Egger Tests (ET) were used to assess publication bias (p<0.1). Results Literature review identified 10 articles on ERCC2 gene rs13181 variant and 11 on XRCC1 rs1799782. The meta-analysis identified a risk for gliomas for the TT genotype of the XRCC1 rs1799782 SNP in Asians (OR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.3-1.93; p=0.006; I2 13.1%). ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphisms identified as risks for gliomas were AC genotypes in Asians (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.75-1.42; p = 0.00057; I2 91.1%) and Caucasians (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.31; p = 0.02; I2 12.2%), and CC genotypes in Caucasians (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.75-1.42; p = 0.0001; I2 98.9%). Conclusions TT genotypes of the XRCC1 rs1799782 SNP in Asians, AC genotypes of ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphisms in Asians and Caucasians, and CC genotypes of ERCC2 rs13181 polymorphisms in Caucasians were associated with increased risk for gliomas that may benefit these patients with early diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Sequential Time Construal is Primary in Temporal Uses of Mandarin Chinese 前qian ‘front’ and 后hou ‘back’

This article addresses two previously unresolved puzzles regarding the relationship between temporal and spatial conceptualizations in Mandarin Chinese. First, apparently conflicting data have led to disagreement over whether temporal usages of the terms qian and hou, whose spatial meanings of ‘front’ and ‘back’ are often considered to be primary, are based on a canonical facing of Ego towards past or towards future. We argue that this issue can be resolved by positing invariant Sequential Time meanings of, respectively, EARLIER and LATER for these terms, with variable USES to refer to past and future events and perspectives in Deictic Time being secondary and contextually governed. Second, the question of which of the sagittal, vertical and lateral orientational axes are more fundamental in spatio-temporal language and cognition for Mandarin Chinese speakers has been much debated. We review these issues, propose analyses and report five experiments. Our findings are consistent with our analysis of the primacy in Mandarin Chinese of the invariant S-time construal of the terms qian ‘front’ (=EARLIER) and hou ‘back’ (=LATER) over their contextually governed D-time interpretations as referring to pastness and futurity. We find also that the preferred lexicalization of temporal relations between events by Mandarin speakers involves the sagittal axis terms qian and hou, but this does not mean that this linguistic conceptualization is also imposed by speakers as a preference for the sagittal axis for non-linguistic representations of event sequences. Finally, our data indicate that the temporal meanings of qian and hou (EARLIER and LATER) are more salient for speakers than their spatial meanings (front and back) in motion event conceptualizations.
Process Intensification for Enzyme Assisted Turmeric Starch Hydrolysis at Hydrotropic and Supercritical Condition

The turmeric rhizome (Curcuma longa) contains curcuminoids embedded in the starch matrix. It is important to target starch removal by hydrolysis to enhance the rate and extent of extraction of curcuminoids. Enzymes are green catalysts and their activity can be enhanced by working on certain parameters. In the case of starch hydrolysis, α- amylase is more efficient when the starch is in the gelatinized form than when it is in its natural form. α-Amylase activity improves under supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) conditions. Certain surfactants improve α- amylase activity. Hydrotropes are a mild form of the surfactants. However, there are no reports on hydrolysis of turmeric starch in hydrotropic or supercritical (SFC) conditions. The work in this report shows beneficial effect of hydrotrope on the enzymatic reactions. There is marked enhancement in the diffusion coefficient (De) for curcuminoid extraction. The increased starch hydrolysis also improves the solid filtration rates after hydrotropic extraction of the curcuminoids. In the case of hydrotropic extraction of curcuminoids alone otherwise the filtration rate decreases due to the sticky nature of the extraction mass, caused by swelling of the starch. The present work includes hydrolysis of turmeric starch in its natural and gelatinized forms using α-amylase in hydrotrope solution (HS) and scCO2.The starch hydrolysis parameters include α-amylase concentration, solid loading concentration, scCO2 flow rate, presence of modifier in scCO2, residence time and scCO2 backpressure. The optimum hydrolysis parameters are 200 IU.cm-3 of α-amylase, at 328 K, 10 % (w/w) of turmeric loading concentration, 6.5 reaction pH, 900 rpm agitation speed for hydrotropic hydrolysis while the optimum conditions are 5 % w/w turmeric loading concentration, 40 min of scCO2 residence time, 15 cm3 of scCO2 phase modifier and 15 MPa as the scCO2 backpressure. The De for hydrolysis in the HS for turmeric starch in gelatinized form (A) was 4.1 x 10-11 m2s-1 and De for starch hydrolysis methods including in HS for turmeric starch in natural state (B), SFC condition for turmeric starch in natural state (C) and SFC for turmeric starch in gelatinized (D) were approximately 4.1 x 10-12 m2s-1. De for native turmeric starch in the absence of hydrotrope and SFC (E), and in case of gelatinized turmeric starch hydrolysis in absence of SFC and hydrotrope were 4.1x 10-14 and 4.1x 10-13 m2s-1, respectively. The filtration rates for (A), (D), (B), (C), (E) were 2 x 10-4, 1.25 x 10-11, 1.4 x 10-11, 7.3 x 10-11, 8.2 x 10-11 kgm2s-1 respectively. The De and filtration rate were noted in order (A) > (D) > (B) > (C) > (E) > (F). The 2.5 h SFC and 2.15 h HS enzyme treated turmeric powder gave 6.56 and 2.44 x 106 times increased filtration rate for curcuminoid extraction compared to untreated turmeric powder.
Design, synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidinone coumarins as promising anti-inflammatory agents

ABSTRACT Pursuing our recent interest regarding antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of coumarin derivatives, we have synthesized a series of coumarin-linked pyridopyrimidinones by using Baylis Hillman adduct in aqueous condition with high purity. Pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidin-2-ones are important class of heterocyclic compounds because of their use in medicinal and agro chemistry as active agents. All these newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity. Coumarin pyridopyrimidinones showed excellent anti-inflammatory activity against both MMP-2 and MMP-9 gelatinase zymography, whereas considerable good activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains; however, antifungal activity observed in these series is more or less inactive. The active compounds of these series would be promising structural templates for the development of novel and more efficient anti-inflammatory agent. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
A race between Proactive and Reactive processes during perceptual decisions

Standard models of perceptual decision-making postulate that a response is triggered in reaction to stimulus presentation when the accumulated stimulus evidence reaches a decision threshold. This framework excludes however the possibility that informed responses are generated proactively at a time independent of stimulus. Here, we find that, in a free reaction time auditory task in rats, reactive and proactive responses coexist, suggesting that choice selection and motor initiation, commonly viewed as serial processes, are decoupled in general. We capture this behavior by a novel model in which proactive and reactive responses are triggered whenever either of two competing processes, respectively Action Initiation or Evidence Accumulation, reaches a bound. In both types of response, the choice is ultimately informed by the Evidence Accumulation process. By including the Action Initiation process, the model readily explains premature responses, urgency effects at long reaction times and the slowing of the responses as animals get satiated and tired during sessions. Moreover, it successfully predicts reaction time distributions when the stimulus was either delayed, advanced or omitted. Overall, these results fundamentally extend standard models of evidence accumulation in decision making by showing that proactive and reactive processes compete for the generation of responses.
An Experimental and Numerical Study of Heat Transfer and Pressure Loss in a Rectangular Channel With V-Shaped Ribs

An experimental and numerical study was conducted to determine the thermal performance of V-shaped ribs in a rectangular channel with an aspect ratio of 2:1. Local heat transfer coefficients were measured using the steady state thermochromic liquid crystal technique. Periodic pressure losses were obtained with pressure taps along the smooth channel sidewall. Reynolds numbers from 95,000 to 500,000 were investigated with V-shaped ribs located on one side or on both sides of the test channel. The rib height-to-hydraulic diameter ratios (e/Dh ) were 0.0625 and 0.02, and the rib pitch-to-height ratio (P/e) was 10. In addition, all test cases were investigated numerically. The commercial software FLUENT™ was used with a two-layer k-e turbulence model. Numerically and experimentally obtained data were compared. It was determined that the heat transfer enhancement based on the heat transfer of a smooth wall levels off for Reynolds numbers over 200,000. The introduction of a second ribbed sidewall slightly increased the heat transfer enhancement whereas the pressure penalty was approximately doubled. Diminishing the rib height at high Reynolds numbers had the disadvantage of a slightly decreased heat transfer enhancement, but benefits in a significantly reduced pressure loss. At high Reynolds numbers small-scale ribs in a one-sided ribbed channel were shown to have the best thermal performance.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Yield and yield-reduction in recent drought years in southern Tigray, northern Ethiopia: Implications on food security

The consequences of prolonged precipitation-deficient periods are primarily substantial water deficit, with the spatial characteristics of drylands and various socioeconomic factors worsening its impacts and deepening poverty among agrarian communities, with attendant food security implications. This study utilizes a combination of climate, remote sensing and field survey data. These data were used to obtain a first-hand information on the impacts of recent (2015 and 2017) droughts on crop yield in southern Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Annual and seasonal rainfall, annual and seasonal NDVI and Dev-NDVI, and monthly SPI-1, SPI-3 and SPI-12 (for June to October) were considered as likely factors that could relate with yield and yield loss in the area. Correlation and multiple linear stepwise regression statistical techniques were used to determine drought-yield relationships, and identify more accurate predictors of yield and yield losses in each of the drought years. The area witnessed a more widespread precipitation deficit in 2015 than in 2017, where the lowland area recorded entire crop losses. Also, droughts manifested spatiotemporal variations and impacts across the 3 different agroecologies – primarily reduction in vegetation amounts, coinciding with the planting and maturing stages of crops. Crop failures therefore translated to food shortages and reduced income of smallholders, which denotes food insecurity in the time of droughts. Seasonal rainfall and June Dev-NDVI predicted 66.9% of 2015 yield loss, while NDVI predicted 2017 sorghum yield by 96%. Spate irrigation should be further popularized in the low-lying areas of Raya Azebo to augment for future deficiencies in the kiremt rainfall.