Laser Range Sensors

This paper presents the design aspects of laser range finders and proximity sensors beingdeveloped at IRDE for different applications. The principle used in most of the laser rangefinders is pulse echo or time-of-flight measurement. Optical triangulation is used in proximitysensors while techniques like phase detection and interferometry are employed in instrumentsfor surveying and motion controllers where high accuracy is desired. Most of the laser rangefinders are designed for ranging non-cooperative targets

Stability analysis for grain yield and some quality traits in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.

The present study was conducted to assess the genetic diversity and stability for grain yield (GY), 1000- grain weight (TGW), protein content (PC), grain iron (Fe) and grain zinc (Zn) concentration under three varied environmental locations using 28 diverse wheat genotypes (including three checks i.e., WH1105, DPW621-50, and HD2967 ). The material was sown at three locations during Rabi 2015-2016. Pooled analysis of variance revealed highly significant variance due to environments for all the traits studied indicating differential response of the genotypes. The genotype BWL 3584 exhibited stable performance across the environments for grain yield and grain zinc concentration under un-favorable environment also shows potential for high grain yield and high grain zinc concentration. After further confirmation, genotype BWL 3584 could be utilized as potential donor in hybridization programme to improve grain yield and grain zinc concentration. Further, genotype SABW 225 showed consistent performance across the environments for TGW and PC content. Whereas, PBW 744 was found to be suitable for GY (6142 kg/ha), coupled with PC (12.09%) and Zn (52.18ppm) across the locations followed by PBW 725 (6094, 12.26 and 46.96) and BWL 3584 (5219, 12.63 and 50.23) GY, PC and Grain Zn, respectively)and BWL 3584 (5219, 12.63 and 50.23) could be utilized as a donor in routine breeding programme to improve grain yield and quality traits in bread wheat

A Holistic Approach to Performance Prediction in Collegiate Athletics: Player, Team, and Conference Perspectives

Predictive sports data analytics can be revolutionary for sports performance. Existing literature discusses players\u27 or teams\u27 performance, independently or in tandem. Using Machine Learning (ML), this paper aims to holistically evaluate player-, team-, and conference (season)-level performances in Division-1 Women\u27s basketball. The players were monitored and tested through a full competitive year. The performance was quantified at the player level using the reactive strength index modified (RSImod), at the team level by the game score (GS) metric, and finally at the conference level through Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The data includes parameters from training, subjective stress, sleep, and recovery (WHOOP straps), in-game statistics (Polar monitors), and countermovement jumps. We used data balancing techniques and an Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) classifier to predict RSI and GS with greater than 90% accuracy and a 0.9 F1 score. The XGB regressor predicted PER with an MSE of 0.026 and an R2 of 0.680. Ensemble of Random Forest, XGB, and correlation finds feature importance at all levels. We used Partial Dependence Plots to understand the impact of each feature on the target variable. Quantifying and predicting performance at all levels will allow coaches to monitor athlete readiness and help improve training

Correlated two-electron transport: a principle for a novel charge pump

By considering a correlated two-electron transport process (TET) and using a diagrammatic analysis within the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function formalism, we discuss a novel charge pump by which carriers are pumped from a contact with low chemical potential to another contact with a higher potential. The TET process involves two correlated incident electrons scattering and exchanging energy with each other. The process can significantly affect charge current density and it involves high empty states and/or low filled states of the Fermi liquid of the leads.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, revte

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of Ms1 enables the rapid generation of male-sterile hexaploid wheat lines for use in hybrid seed production

The development and adoption of hybrid seed technology have led to dramatic increases in agricultural productivity. However, it has been a challenge to develop a commercially viable platform for the production of hybrid wheat (Triticum aestivum) seed due to wheat's strong inbreeding habit. Recently, a novel platform for commercial hybrid seed production was described. This hybridization platform utilizes nuclear male sterility to force outcrossing and has been applied to maize and rice. With the recent molecular identification of the wheat male fertility gene Ms1, it is now possible to extend the use of this novel hybridization platform to wheat. In this report, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate heritable, targeted mutations in Ms1. The introduction of biallelic frameshift mutations into Ms1 resulted in complete male sterility in wheat cultivars Fielder and Gladius, and several of the selected male-sterile lines were potentially non-transgenic. Our study demonstrates the utility of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for the rapid generation of male sterility in commercial wheat cultivars. This represents an important step towards capturing heterosis to improve wheat yields, through the production and use of hybrid seed on an industrial scale.Anzu Okada, Taj Arndell, Nikolai Borisjuk, Niharika Sharma, Nathan S. Watson‐Haigh, Elise J. Tucker, Ute Baumann, Peter Langridge, Ryan Whitfor

Identification of a novel stripe rust resistance gene from the European winter wheat cultivar ‘Acienda’: A step towards rust proofing wheat cultivation

All stage resistance to stripe rust races prevalent in India was investigated in the European winter wheat cultivar ‘Acienda’. In order to dissect the genetic basis of the resistance, a backcross population was developed between ‘Acienda’ and the stripe rust susceptible Indian spring wheat cultivar ‘HD 2967’. Inheritance studies revealed segregation for a dominant resistant gene. High density SNP genotyping was used to map stripe rust resistance and marker regression analysis located stripe rust resistance to the distal end of wheat chromosome 1A. Interval mapping located this region between the SNP markers AX-95162217 and AX-94540853, at a LOD score of 15.83 with a phenotypic contribution of 60%. This major stripe rust resistance locus from ‘Acienda’ has been temporarily designated as Yraci. A candidate gene search in the 2.76 Mb region carrying Yraci on chromosome 1A identified 18 NBS-LRR genes based on wheat RefSeqv1.0 annotations. Our results indicate that as there is no major gene reported in the Yraci chromosome region, it is likely to be a novel stripe rust resistance locus and offers potential for deployment, using the identified markers, to confer all stage stripe rust resistance

Boomerang: Rebounding the consequences of reputation feedback on crowdsourcing platforms

Paid crowdsourcing platforms suffer from low-quality workand unfair rejections, but paradoxically, most workers and requesters have high reputation scores. These inflated scores, which make high-quality work and workers difficult to find,stem from social pressure to avoid giving negative feedback. We introduce Boomerang, a reputation system for crowdsourcing that elicits more accurate feedback by rebounding the consequences of feedback directly back onto the person who gave it. With Boomerang, requesters find that their highly rated workers gain earliest access to their future tasks, and workers find tasks from their highly-rated requesters at the top of their task feed. Field experiments verify that Boomerang causes both workers and requesters to provide feedback that is more closely aligned with their private opinions. Inspired by a game-theoretic notion of incentive-compatibility, Boomerang opens opportunities for interaction design to incentivize honest reporting over strategic dishonesty

Risk Factors for Graft-versus-Host Disease in Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Using Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide

Post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) has significantly increased the successful use of haploidentical donors with a relatively low incidence of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Given its increasing use, we sought to determine risk factors for GVHD after haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (haplo-HCT) using PTCy. Data from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research on adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, or chronic myeloid leukemia who underwent PTCy-based haplo-HCT (2013 to 2016) were analyzed and categorized into 4 groups based on myeloablative (MA) or reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) and bone marrow (BM) or peripheral blood (PB) graft source. In total, 646 patients were identified (MA-BM = 79, MA-PB = 183, RIC-BM = 192, RIC-PB = 192). The incidence of grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD at 6 months was highest in MA-PB (44%), followed by RIC-PB (36%), MA-BM (36%), and RIC-BM (30%) (P =.002). The incidence of chronic GVHD at 1 year was 40%, 34%, 24%, and 20%, respectively (P <.001). In multivariable analysis, there was no impact of stem cell source or conditioning regimen on grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD; however, older donor age (30 to 49 versus <29 years) was significantly associated with higher rates of grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11 to 2.12; P =.01). In contrast, PB compared to BM as a stem cell source was a significant risk factor for the development of chronic GVHD (HR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.62; P =.01) in the RIC setting. There were no differences in relapse or overall survival between groups. Donor age and graft source are risk factors for acute and chronic GVHD, respectively, after PTCy-based haplo-HCT. Our results indicate that in RIC haplo-HCT, the risk of chronic GVHD is higher with PB stem cells, without any difference in relapse or overall survival