Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Mechanisms Responsible for N Deficiency in Well-Watered Wheat Under Elevated CO2

Elevated CO2 concentration [e(CO2)] often promotes plant growth with a decrease in tissue N concentration. In this study, three experiments, two under hydroponic and one in well-watered soil, including various levels or patterns of CO2, humidity, and N supply were conducted on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to explore the mechanisms of e[CO2]-induced N deficiency (ECIND). Under hydroponic conditions, N uptake remained constant even as transpiration was limited 40% by raising air relative humidity and only was reduced about 20% by supplying N during nighttime rather than daytime with a reduction of 85% in transpiration. Compared to ambient CO2 concentration, whether under hydroponic or well-watered soil conditions, and whether transpiration was kept stable or decreased to 12%, e[CO2] consistently led to more N uptake and higher biomass, while lower N concentration was observed in aboveground organs, especially leaves, as long as N supply was insufficient. These results show that, due to compensation caused by active uptake, N uptake can be uncoupled from water uptake under well-watered conditions, and changes in transpiration therefore do not account for ECIND. Similar or lower tissue NO3--N concentration under e[CO2] indicated that NO3- assimilation was not limited and could therefore also be eliminated as a major cause of ECIND under our conditions. Active uptake has the potential to bridge the gap between N taken up passively and plant demand, but is limited by the energy required to drive it. Compared to ambient CO2 concentration, the increase in N uptake under e[CO2] failed to match the increase of carbohydrates, leading to N dilution in plant tissues, the apparent dominant mechanism explaining ECIND. Lower N concentration in leaves rather than roots under e[CO2] validated that ECIND was at least partially also related to changes in resource allocation, apparently to maintain root uptake activity and prevent more serious N deficiency.
Auxin-Glucose Conjugation Protects the Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Seedlings Against Hydroxyurea-Induced Phytotoxicity by Activating UDP-Glucosyltransferase Enzyme

Hydroxyurea (HU) is the replication stress known to carry out cell cycle arrest by inhibiting ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) enzyme upon generating excess hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in plants. Phytohormones undergo synergistic and antagonistic interactions with reactive oxygen species (ROS) and redox signaling to protect plants against biotic and abiotic stress. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the protective role of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in mitigating HU-induced toxicity in rice seedlings. The results showed that IAA augmentation improved the growth of the seedlings and biomass production by maintaining photosynthesis metabolism under HU stress. This was associated with reduced H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and improved antioxidant enzyme [superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)] activity that was significantly affected under HU stress. Furthermore, we showed that the HU stress-induced DNA damage leads to the activation of uridine 5′-diphosphate-glucosyltransferase (UGT), which mediates auxin homeostasis by catalyzing IAA-glucose conjugation in rice. This IAA-glucose conjugation upregulates the RNR, transcription factor 2 (E2F2), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), and cyclin (CYC) genes that are vital for DNA replication and cell division. As a result, perturbed IAA homeostasis significantly enhanced the key phytohormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), cytokinin (CTK), and gibberellic acid (GA), that alter plant architecture by improving growth and development. Collectively, our results contribute to a better understanding of the physiological and molecular mechanisms underpinning improved growth following the HU + IAA combination, activated by phytohormone and ROS crosstalk upon hormone conjugation via UGT.
Intensive Systolic Blood Pressure Lowering and Kidney Disease Progression in IgA Nephropathy: A Cohort Study

Background Hypertension has been shown to be an important risk factor in IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The 2021 the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Guideline proposes a target systolic blood pressure (SBP) of less than 120 mmHg in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) not receiving dialysis. However, whether lowering SBP from <140– <120 mm Hg is renoprotective is unknown. This study aims to evaluate the association of SBP and the progression of IgAN, then explore whether lowering SBP from <140– <120 mm Hg is renoprotective. Methods Overall, 2,240 patients with IgAN were enrolled in this study. Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic splines were used to estimate the associations between SBP and kidney failure events which are defined as 50% estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline or kidney failure. Results After a median follow-up of 30.05 months, 217 (9.69%) patients reached composite kidney failure events. The association of SBP and kidney failure events showed a linear relationship. The risk of kidney failure events was greater with higher SBP. Compared with SBP <120 mm Hg, the hazard ratio was 1.85 (1.16–2.97, p = 0.010) for SBP <140 mm Hg after adjustment for traditional risk factors. The renoprotective benefits of therapy targeting SBP <120 mm Hg from SBP <140 mm Hg was detectable within the subgroup with proteinuria >1.0 g/d, CKD 1-3a stage, but not those with proteinuria ≤ 1.0 g/d and CKD 3b-4 stage. Conclusions In patients with IgAN, SBP was independently associated with composite kidney failure events. Lowering SBP from <140– <120 mm Hg was renoprotective.
Selection and Warning of Evidence-Based Antidiabetic Medications for Patients With Chronic Liver Disease

The global prevalence of chronic liver disease and diabetes mellitus (DM) has gradually increased potentially due to changes in diet and lifestyle. The choice of antidiabetic medications for patients with coexisting DM and chronic liver disease is complicated. Severe liver injury may decrease the metabolism of antidiabetic medications, resulting in elevated drug concentrations and adverse effects. The choice of antidiabetic medications in patients with chronic liver disease has not been well studied. The long-term outcomes of antidiabetic medications in patients with chronic liver disease have gained attention recently. Herein, we reviewed relevant articles to extend our understanding on the selection and warning of antidiabetic medications for patients with chronic liver disease.
Orquestração Automatizada de Serviços de Rede em Ambientes Multi-nuvem

Em um ambiente multi-nuvem, a alocação de serviços virtuais precisa de critérios bem deﬁnidos para que as tomadas de decisões estejam alinhadas às necessidades do usuário ﬁnal e às restrições de nuvens heterogêneas. Entretanto, existe uma lacuna de trabalhos que explorem os mecanismos capazes de fornecer dinamicamente as entradas para os diversos modelos de otimização desenvolvidos para resolver o problema de alocação multi-nuvem e aplicar a saída desses modelos nas nuvens de forma automatizada. Este artigo, propõe um orquestrador que é capaz de coletar autonomamente métricas dos serviços e da infraestrutura multi-nuvem, disponibilizá-los para um otimizador e aplicar as decisões de alocação dinâmica usando plataformas de nuvem comerciais.
Aprimorando a Detecção de Ataques Automáticos através de Decomposição Espectral de Pacotes de Rede

A classiﬁcação de ﬂuxos para a identiﬁcação de ataques em redes de computadores por aprendizado de máquina utiliza características quantitativas que sintetizam as informações de pacotes pertencentes a um ﬂuxo. Entretanto, as características convencionais, como tamanho de pacote e número de bytes, geram redundâncias e não representam as correlações temporais entre os pacotes de um ﬂuxo. Ataques de rede automatizados geram padrões periódicos observáveis através da decomposição espectral, o que facilita a classiﬁcação. Este artigo propõe o FENED1, um método para extrair características de dados de rede considerando a ordem de chegada dos pacotes dentro de um mesmo ﬂuxo através da transformada rápida de Fourier para a classiﬁcação binária. O vetor de características proposto contém o módulo das componentes espectrais do ﬂuxo. Os resultados mostram que a proposta é melhor ou igual às propostas convencionais de extração de características que desconsideram a ordem de chegada dos pacotes em um ﬂuxo.
Customers’ Attitude towards E-commerce in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study on Some Selected B2C E-commerce Sites

This study aims at identifying salient attributes of e-commerce sites in Bangladesh. The study tries to assess the perception of customers about the performance of major-e-commerce sites on those attributes. Eighteen potential attributes are preliminarily selected, and after conducting a pre-test on 50 sample respondents eleven salient attributes are selected for the study. Finally 108 respondents are taken as the study sample. Mertin Fishbein’s multi-attribute attitude models adopted to measure the customers’ attitude. Respondents were asked their belief and evaluation towards some B2C ecommerce sites. The benchmark of positive belief is hypothesized as 4 in a 5 point scale. The significance of the difference between observed mean of customers’ belief and the predetermined benchmark is measured by left tailed Z statistic. It is found that the sample respondents believe that the performance of the B2C e-commerce sites in Bangladesh is up to the benchmark in teams of only two attributes among the eleven. The findings of this study may be used by the existing B2C e-commerce companies as well as by the future e-commerce entrepreneurs in Bangladesh to establish a quality and customer-driven B2C e-commerce industry. Even the customers will be benefitting if the industry considers the findings of the study. Journal of Business and Technology (Dhaka) Vol.10(1) 2015; 37-54
Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Strategic and Structural Model

There has been a going concern in the use of corporate entrepreneurship as a means for corporations to enhance the innovative abilities of their employees and increase in corporate success through the creation of new corporate ventures. However, the creation of corporate activity is difficult since it involves radically changing internal organizational behavior patterns. Recent studies examined the effect of a firm’s strategy, organization and external environment. It shows that the environment plays a profound role is influencing corporate entrepreneurship whereas there is consensus that the external environment is an important antecedent of corporate entrepreneurship. Looking at the environment, the literature highlights two research questions that deserve examination. First, how do firms that compete in different environments vary in the corporate entrepreneurship activities? Second, which corporate entrepreneurship activities are conductive to superior performance in different environments? This paper develops the theoretical foundation of theses questions also looking at the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and strategic management in an integrating model of corporate entrepreneurship, giving special attention to the strategic behavior and corporate context.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Its Minor Compounds Influence Apoptosis in Experimental Mammary Tumors and Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Simple Summary Breast cancer is a disease influenced by dietetic factors, such as the type and amount of lipids in a diet. In this work, we aimed to elucidate the different effects of two high-fat diets on the histopathological and molecular characteristics of mammary tumors in an experimental model. Animals fed with a diet high in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), compared to those fed with a diet high in seed oil, developed tumors with less aggressiveness and proliferation. Tumor molecular analyses of several cell death pathways also suggested an effect of EVOO in this process. In vitro experiments indicated the role of EVOO minor compounds on the effects of this oil. Obtaining insights into the influence and the mechanisms of action of dietary compounds are necessary to understand the relevance that dietetic habits from childhood may have on health and the risk of disease. Abstract Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. Modifiable factors such as nutrition have a role in its etiology. In experimental tumors, we have observed the differential influence of high-fat diets in metabolic pathways, suggesting a different balance in proliferation/apoptosis. In this work, we analyzed the effects of a diet high in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a diet high in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) on the histopathological features and different cell death pathways in the dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced breast cancer model. The diet high in n-6 PUFA had a stimulating effect on the morphological aggressiveness of tumors and their proliferation, while no significant differences were found in groups fed the EVOO-enriched diet in comparison to a low-fat control group. The high-EVOO diet induced modifications in proteins involved in several cell death pathways. In vitro analysis in different human breast cancer cell lines showed an effect of EVOO minor compounds (especially hydroxytyrosol), but not of fatty acids, decreasing viability while increasing apoptosis. The results suggest an effect of dietary lipids on tumor molecular contexts that result in the modulation of different pathways, highlighting the importance of apoptosis in the interplay of survival processes and how dietary habits may have an impact on breast cancer risk.
Reinforced Damage Minimization in Critical Events for Self-driving Vehicles

: Self-driving systems have recently received massive attention in both academic and industrial contexts, leading to major improvements in standard navigation scenarios typically identiﬁed as well-maintained urban routes. Critical events like road accidents or unexpected obstacles, however, require the execution of speciﬁc emergency actions that deviate from the ordinary driving behavior and are therefore harder to incorporate in the system. In this context, we propose a system that is speciﬁcally built to take control of the vehicle and perform an emergency maneuver in case of a dangerous scenario. The presented architecture is based on a deep reinforcement learning algorithm, trained in a simulated environment and using raw sensory data as input. We evaluate the system’s performance on several typical pre-accident scenario and show promising results, with the vehicle being able to consistently perform an avoidance maneuver to nullify or minimize the incoming damage.
Some Results of the EU Project FASTGRID

The EU FASTGRID project aimed at improving the REBCO conductor in order to enhance its economical attractiveness for the Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL). Two approaches were simultaneously investigated: i) the reduction of the tape length through the increase of the electric field during limitation, ii) the reduction of the tape cost through improved yield and higher critical current, including the lowering of the liquid nitrogen bath temperature to 65 K. We carried out a base line using an upgraded THEVA tape. Different approaches have been tried to improve the shunt layer, both with metallic and non-conductive materials. As a first solution, we developed and successfully tested a conductor with a Hastelloy shunt able to withstand 130 Vrms/m during 50 ms at 65 K and low prospective current faults. This conductor was used in two pancake coils. These have been successfully tested at IPH in Berlin. The second shunt solution developed consisted of a ceramic in epoxy matrix coating. Another significant improvement of the tape is the successful implementation of the Current Flow Diverter (CFD) concept with a simple sulfidation process or a deposition of an insulating yttria nanolayer by Inkjet Printing. An increase by one order of magnitude of the Normal Zone Propagation Velocity with respect to tapes without CFD has been measured. A low cost and fast hot spot detection system has also been developed. To reach much higher electric fields under limitation, the FASTGRID team also developed advanced tapes based on a sapphire substrate, which can tolerate ultra-high electric fields up to about 1 kV/m. Validated at laboratory scale, this game-changing technology needs to be implemented in long lengths with an industrial process. One pancake was integrated and tested with a low-cost optical fiber and fast hot spot detection system, developed and patented within the FASTGRID project. This manuscript will showcase most of these FASTGRID results.
Adaptive Regulation of Block-Oriented Nonlinear Systems Using Binary Sensors With Applications to Automotive Engine Control

In this article, adaptive regulation of block-oriented nonlinear systems, i.e., Hammerstein and Wiener systems, with binary-valued measurements of the regulation errors is considered. Compared with the classical framework for stochastic adaptive control, the new feature here is that only binary-valued observations of regulation errors are available to the controller. An adaptive regulator based on the stochastic approximation algorithm is proposed and it is proved that the regulator is optimal in the sense that it minimizes the long-run average of the squared regulation errors almost surely. Numerical examples as well as real applications of the proposed algorithms to automotive engine control are given.
Maternity pen design and management from the cow's perspective

The calving period is a critical time for dairy cows, as they are at high risk of disease soon after calving. Ensuring that these cows receive proper care is paramount to their welfare and to the overall profitability of the herd. Although we have clearly made progress in our understanding of production diseases, we are just now gaining an understanding of maternal behaviors before and after the calf is born. Here, we review the literature to date about behavioral changes during the peri-parturient period, and then discuss how this information can be applied to a commercial setting. Management and housing practices during the calving period is highly variable, especially during the peri-parturient period. To better understand the effect of calving management and housing on dairy cow behavior, we conducted a series of experiments
On the use of gamification tools for blended learning approaches in Thermodynamics courses

During the last year 2020, education in European universities has suffered a challenging transformation from an established pedagogical model to a digital one. The face-to-face formal lectures have been replaced to on-line sessions and blended learning approaches. The courses related to the Thermodynamics subject of two Bachelor of Science Degrees (Mechanical Engineering and Automatic and Industrial Electronic Engineering) have been also adapted to the blended learning approach, in this case combining the use of screencast videos, interactive slides with comments, synchronous on-line lectures and tutorials, and virtual laboratories. This recent methodology has been demonstrated to be effective due to its flexibility and ubiquitous characteristics. However, one of the difficulties is tracking the engagement and the evolution of the students due to the reduced direct interaction between them and the instructors. Among the technological tools that are used to benefit the learning process of students, gamification tools have been demonstrated to be effective and positive for academic performance. The aim of this study is to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of the gamification in the Thermodynamics courses where the proposed blended learning approach is used. One of the goals is to identify the specific competences acquired by the students after watching the audio-visual content (videos and slides). For this purpose, a Kahoot was played before starting the on-line lecture (synchronous), and according to the score, the instructor could recognize the level of understanding of the concepts. Based on the results, the instructor was able to focus more on the weaker learning objectives, capturing their attention during the session. At the end of the session the Kahoot was played again to recognize if the concepts were consolidated during the lesson. The results show that the use of this gamification tool achieved high levels of engagement and improved the attention and participation of the students.
Influence of a Lashing Strap Winding in Tensioning Ratchet on the Results of the Strength Tests and Cyclic Loading Tests According to the Standard EN 12 195-2

caused by other road traffic users. Moreover, traffic accidents of heavy vehicles affect and endanger other road traffic users severely [4]. Results of the tests performed by the University of Zilina point at the fact that not all lashing straps available This article is focused on the results of the testing of the complete web lashing and the cyclic loading tests of selected lashing straps of three various producers according to the standard EN 12 195-2. It analyses how the quantity of winding in tensioning ratchet affects the results of these tests, whereas it compares the results of the straps wound 2¼ times around the rotating axis (as is correct according to the standard) and those wound 1¼ times around the rotating axis (as is not enough quantity of a winding). The article concludes that the influence of the winding on elongation of straps as well as on operating life of the straps is strong. Damages on particular parts of complete lashing straps, which were found out within these tests, are also presented in the article.
Evaluation of a Local Descriptor for HDR Images

Feature point (FP) detection and description are processes that detect and extract characteristics from images. Several computer vision applications rely on the usage of FPs. Most FP descriptors are designed to support low dynamic range (LDR) images as input. However, high dynamic range (HDR) images can show details in bright and shadowed areas that LDR images can not. For that reason, the interest in HDR imagery as input in the detection and description processes has been increasing. Previous studies have explored FP detectors in HDR images. However, none have presented FP descriptors designed for HDR images. This study compares the FP matching performance of description vectors generated from LDR and HDR images. The FPs were detected and described using a version of the SIFT algorithm adapted to support HDR images. The FP matching performance of the algorithm was evaluated with the mAP metric. In all cases, using HDR images increased the mAP values when compared to LDR images.
Adsorption of Arsenic on Fe-Modified Biochar and Monitoring Using Spectral Induced Polarization

This work demonstrates the potential of Fe-modified biochar for the treatment of arsenic (As) simulated wastewater and the monitoring of adsorption in real-time. Specifically, we propose the utilization of date-palm leaves for the production of biochar, further modified with Fe in order to improve its adsorption function against inorganic pollutants, such as As. Both the original biochar and the Fe-modified biochar were used for adsorption of As in laboratory batch and column experiments. The monitoring of the biochar(s) performance and As treatment was also enhanced by using the spectral induced polarization (SIP) method, offering real-time monitoring, in addition to standard chemical monitoring. Both the original and the Fe-modified biochar achieved high removal rates with Fe-modified biochar achieving up to 98% removal of As compared to the 17% by sand only (control). In addition, a correlation was found between post-adsorption measurements and SIP measurements.