Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Heavy Metals Concentration in Water and Edible Tissues of Nile Tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) from two Fish Farms Irrigated with Different Water Sources , Egypt

Concentrations of some heavy metals namely; manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were measured in water and dorsal muscle of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) from two aquaculture fish farms irrigated with agriculture and sewage drainage water at Al-Abbassa and Shader Azzam, Egypt, respectively, during April 2013 – March 2014 to assess the contamination by metals in these farms. There was a significant (P<0.05) difference among seasons and farms for all studied metals concentrations in both water and fish muscle tissues. Iron (Fe) had the highest mean concentration in water and Cd exhibits the lowest one. The mean metals concentration in the fish muscle tissues decreased in the order: Zn > Fe > Cu > Mn > Pb > Cd. Mean concentrations of Cu, Cd and Pb in muscle tissues showed higher (P<0.05) concentrations in Shader Azzam fish farm. The concentrations of all metals in water (except Fe in both farms) and edible part of fish were found below the notified permissible limits. It is recommended that further studies should carry out for a continual assessment on the levels of pollutants in these areas.
Color Doppler Ultrasound Examination Of The Main Portal Vein And Inferior Vena Cava In Normal Malaysian Adult Population: A Fasting And Post Prandial Evaluation

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate hemodynamic changes in the main portal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC) in adult population after liquid meal ingestion. Methods: Color Doppler was used to measure hemodynamic changes in the main portal vein and IVC in response to meal ingestion and posture changing, in 48 healthy adults (23 males and 25 females), which consists of three ethnics groups (Malay, Chinese and Indian). Results: Mean blood velocity portal vein was significantly increased from a baseline value of 21.17±8.15 cm/s to a maximum value of 28.48±7.79 cm/s, 30 minutes after a meal (p<0.05). No significant changes were found in diameter and venous pulsatility index for main portal vein and diameter, velocity and venous pulsatility index for inferior vena cava (IVC). There are also no significant differences between sex, age and ethnic groups except venous pulsatility index of main portal vein, which found to be higher in males (3.08±4.25) (p<0.05). Posture change from supine to sitting significantly reduced portal venous velocity (16.87±5.54cm/s) from the baseline value (21.17±8.15cm/s) (p<0.05), while others parameter changes were not statistically significant. Conclusions: There was no evidence of a prandial effect in healthy adults on diameter, flow velocity and pulsatility index for IVC. No significant differences were found in the diameter and flow velocity between sex, age, ethnic groups and posture changing. Venous pulsatility index was higher in males than in females, whereas velocity of portal vein was decreased after posture changing from supine to sitting.
ON THE SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR AND BIRTH SEASONALITY OF PROBOSCIS MONKEY ( Nasalis larvatus ) ALONG THE LOWER KINABATANGAN RIVER , NORTHERN BORNEO

Sexual behaviour of Proboscis Monkey Nasalis larvatus was observed along the Lower Kinabatangan River in eastern Sabah, Bornean Malaysia, during a two-year field study. Eight sexual mounts and two non-sexual mounts in one-male groups were recorded using scan sampling and event sampling. All observed copulations comprised single mounts, with copulatory bouts averaging 25 seconds. The adult female was the solicitor when solicitations were observed with certainty. Sexual harassment by older infants and young juveniles of copulating pairs was also observed. Nasalis larvatus infants were observed almost throughout the study. No correlation could be established between birth dates and environmental parameters, although there appeared to be more births during the wet season.
Alpha Phase Synchronization of Parietal Areas Reflects Switch-Specific Activity During Mental Rotation: An EEG Study

Action selection is typically influenced by the history of previously selected actions (the immediate motor history), which is apparent when a selected action is switched from a previously selected one to a new one. This history dependency of the action selection is even observable during a mental hand rotation task. Thus, we hypothesized that the history-dependent interaction of actions might share the same neural mechanisms among different types of action switching tasks. An alternative hypothesis is that the history dependency of the mental hand rotation task might involve a distinctive neural mechanism from the general action selection tasks so that the reported observation with the mental hand rotation task in the previously published literature might lack generality. To refute this possibility, we compared neural activity during action switching in the mental hand rotation with the general action switching task which is triggered by a simple visual stimulus. In the experiment, to focus on temporal changes in whole brain oscillatory activity, we recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) signals while 25 healthy subjects performed the two tasks. For analysis, we examined functional connectivity reflected in EEG phase synchronization and analyzed temporal changes in brain activity when subjects switched from a previously selected action to a new action. Using a clustering-based method to identify functional connectivity reflected in time-varying phase synchronization, we identified alpha-power inter-parietal synchronization that appears only during switching of the selected action, regardless of the hand laterality in the presented image. Moreover, the current study revealed that for both tasks the extent of this alpha-power inter-parietal synchronization was altered by the history of the selected actions. These findings suggest that alpha-power inter-parietal synchronization is engaged as a form of switching-specific functional connectivity, and that switching-related activity is independent of the task paradigm.
Developments in Digestive Tract Neuroendocrine Tumours and Pheochromocytomas/Paragangliomas – A Narrative Review

Digestive neuroendocrine tumors (carcinoids) derive from serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells. Biochemical screening (and follow-up) is performed with measurements of 5-hydroxyindoloacetic acid in urine. Other markers are also useful. Most digestive neuroendocrine tumors are better localized with functional imaging, i.e. nuclear medicine, compared with other modalities. The treatment of choice is surgical; non-resectable tumors are treated with somatostatin analogs (unlabelled and for more advanced disease radiolabelled) or chemotherapy. Most pheochromocytomas/paragangliomas are sporadic, however, and genetically caused tumors are much more common than previously thought. Biochemical proof of disease is best carried out with measurement of plasma metadrenaline. Imaging with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) should be followed by functional imaging. Chromaffin tumor-specific methods are preferred. 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-DOPA PET) should be used in patients with succinate-dehydrogenase-B-related metastatic pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma. 18F-DOPA PET may become a modality of choice for the localization of head and neck paragangliomas. If possible, treatment is surgical. For non-operable disease, other options are available and new drugs are under investigation or in clinical trials.
Using art to assess environmental education outcomes

Construction of developmentally appropriate tools for assessing the environmental attitudes and awareness of young learners has proven to be challenging. Art-based assessments that encourage creativity and accommodate different modes of expression may be a particularly useful complement to conventional tools (e.g. surveys), but their efficacy and feasibility across diverse contexts has not been adequately explored. To examine the potential utility of integrating art into evaluations of environmental education outcomes, we adapted an existing drawing prompt and corresponding grading rubric to assess the environmental attitudes and awareness of children (ages 6–12) at summer camps in Athens, GA, USA (n = 285). We then compared children’s drawings with scores on a more typical survey instrument that measured similar outcomes, the Children Environmental Perception’s Scale. Results showed that a drawing prompt was a practical and unique learner-centered tool for measuring distinct components of environmental attitudes and awareness. Findings also revealed different response patterns across the two instruments, highlighting the value of using multiple approaches (e.g. art-based and survey-based) to assess cognitive and affective aspects of children’s environmental orientations.
Metabolic Profiling of Human Eosinophils

Immune cells face constant changes in their microenvironment, which requires rapid metabolic adaptation. In contrast to neutrophils, which are known to rely near exclusively on glycolysis, the metabolic profile of human eosinophils has not been characterized. Here, we assess the key metabolic parameters of peripheral blood-derived human eosinophils using real-time extracellular flux analysis to measure extracellular acidification rate and oxygen consumption rate, and compare these parameters to human neutrophils. Using this methodology, we demonstrate that eosinophils and neutrophils have a similar glycolytic capacity, albeit with a minimal glycolytic reserve. However, compared to neutrophils, eosinophils exhibit significantly greater basal mitochondrial respiration, ATP-linked respiration, maximum respiratory capacity, and spare respiratory capacity. Of note, the glucose oxidation pathway is also utilized by eosinophils, something not evident in neutrophils. Furthermore, using a colorimetric enzymatic assay, we show that eosinophils have much reduced glycogen stores compared to neutrophils. We also show that physiologically relevant levels of hypoxia (PO2 3 kPa), by suppressing oxygen consumption rates, have a profound effect on basal and phorbol–myristate–acetate-stimulated eosinophil and neutrophil metabolism. Finally, we compared the metabolic profile of eosinophils purified from atopic and non-atopic subjects and show that, despite a difference in the activation status of eosinophils derived from atopic subjects, these cells exhibit comparable oxygen consumption rates upon priming with IL-5 and stimulation with fMLP. In summary, our findings show that eosinophils display far greater metabolic flexibility compared to neutrophils, with the potential to use glycolysis, glucose oxidation, and oxidative phosphorylation. This flexibility may allow eosinophils to adapt better to diverse roles in host defense, homeostasis, and immunomodulation.
Typed First-Class Traits

Many dynamically-typed languages (including JavaScript, Ruby, Python or Racket) support first-class classes, or related concepts such as first-class traits and/or mixins. In those languages classes are first-class values and, like any other values, they can be passed as an argument, or returned from a function. Furthermore first-class classes support dynamic inheritance: i.e. they can inherit from other classes at runtime, enabling programmers to abstract over the inheritance hierarchy. In contrast, type system limitations prevent most statically-typed languages from having first-class classes and dynamic inheritance. This paper shows the design of SEDEL: a polymorphic statically-typed language with first-class traits, supporting dynamic inheritance as well as conventional OO features such as dynamic dispatching and abstract methods. To address the challenges of type-checking first-class traits, SEDEL employs a type system based on the recent work on disjoint intersection types and disjoint polymorphism. The novelty of SEDEL over core disjoint intersection calculi are source level features for practical OO programming, including first-class traits with dynamic inheritance, dynamic dispatching and abstract methods. Inspired by Cook and Palsberg's work on the denotational semantics for inheritance, we show how to design a source language that can be elaborated into Alpuim et al.'s F_{i} (a core polymorphic calculus with records supporting disjoint polymorphism). We illustrate the applicability of SEDEL with several example uses for first-class traits, and a case study that modularizes programming language interpreters using a highly modular form of visitors.
High Rates of Bacteria Isolates of Neonatal Sepsis with Multidrug Resistance Patterns in Jos , Nigeria

The era of multiple antibiotic resistances in bacteria causing infections have led to increased morbidity and mortality and has posed huge therapeutic challenges to clinicians. Consequently, we determined the presence of these resistance patterns in the common bacterial isolates of neonatal sepsis in a tertiary care hospital. A total of 75 non duplicate bacteria isolates from 218 neonates with suspected sepsis were analyzed by standard methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out by Kirby Bauer’s disc diffusion method and specific multidrug resistance patterns
Conductive Polymer Based on Polyaniline-Eggshell Powder ( PANI-ESP ) Composites

In this study, we analysed the characteristics of eggshell powder (ESP)-filled polyaniline (PANI) composites. Raw material eggshells were dried in an oven and blended into a powder. 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone was added to PANI powder to produce a PANI solution, and activated charcoal powder was then added. The solution was placed into a heating mantle with a controlled temperature until a uniform solution was produced. The resultant conductive polymer was then analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Brunauer, Emmett and Teller (BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of these analyses show that PANI-ESP did not undergo a chemical structural change. The only interaction that occurred was between the filler reinforced with carbon black (CB) and the matrix. The structure of the composite was a face centred cubic (FCC) structure with an average lattice parameter of 0.72 nm. The surface morphology of the composites shows that agglomeration occurred to complete the connection of the conductive path, thus improving the conductivity behaviour. The conductivity of the PANI-ESP composite was also studied and measured in situ during the mixing process.
An ERP study on the executive ability of youths served in plateau.

The study focuses on whether the executive control ability of people is affected by a certain period of stay in plateau. As is known, N2 and LPC (late positive component) time domain reflects people’s performance on the conflict detection and response organization. Our study adopts the ERP tech using the Stroop task to examine whether there are differences between people who stay for a certain period in plateau with group in ordinary plain environment. Two groups were tested: the plateau group (n=14) and the plain group (n=14). The electroencephalogram (EEG) continuously recorded at FCz, Cz and CPz sites with the NeuroLab amplifier. We recorded the signal of the FCZ, CZ and CPZ of N2 and P3 wave amplitude and latency. Compared with the plain environment, both the N2 and LPC elicited by stimuli was prolonged significantly (p<0.05) under the plateau environment than that in the plain, indicating the executive control is impaired in plateau environment.
The evolution of diapause in Rivulus (Laimosemion)

Annual killifish that are adapted to life in aquatic habitat that dries seasonally have evolved desiccation-resistant eggs capable of undergoing diapause, i.e. developmental arrest, at specific stages during embryology. Although noted for their remarkable ability to live at the land–water interface, species in the genus Rivulus are considered to be nonannual killifish that exhibit typical teleost developmental patterns and no embryonic diapause. Here, we combine a molecular phylogeny with an embryological study in order to demonstrate an independent origin of mid-embryonic diapause within a clade of Rivulus (subgenus Laimosemion) that inhabits small streams or savannah pools. We also observed that some of these species exhibit a short dispersed cell phase separating epiboly and the formation of the embryo axis, which is a feature of development observed only in annual killifish. Lastly, we incubated embryos of Laimosemion species and outgroup taxa in both water and peat moss and observed that on peat moss the embryos of all species are capable of delaying hatching for > 10 days, but when water incubated there are significant differences among species in the duration of this delay before hatching. We hypothesize that the preferred microhabitat of this clade of killifish exposes their embryos to periodic desiccation, creating selection in favour of embryonic diapause.
Photoacclimation and photoregulation strategies of Corallina (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) across the NE Atlantic

ABSTRACT This study characterizes the photoacclimation and photoregulation mechanisms that allow calcified macroalgae of the genus Corallina (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) to dominate rock pool habitats across the NE Atlantic despite the highly variable irradiance regimes experienced. Rapid light curves (RLCs) were performed with pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry in situ across a full seasonal cycle in the UK intertidal with C. officinalis and C. caespitosa. Latitudinal comparisons were performed across the full extent of C. officinalis’ range in the NE Atlantic (Iceland–northern Spain), and for C. caespitosa in northern Spain. Ex situ RLCs with dark recovery were further employed to assess the optimal, as compared with actual, photophysiology across seasons and latitudes. Corallina species were shown to photoacclimate at seasonal timescales to changing irradiance, increasing light-harvesting during low-light autumn/winter periods and protecting photosystems during high-light summer conditions. Seasonal photoacclimation was achieved through alteration in the number of photosystem (PS) units (PSII and light harvesting antennae) over time. Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) served as an important photoregulation mechanism utilized by Corallina to prevent or minimize photoinhibition over shorter time scales (seconds–hours), though the efficiency of NPQ was dependent on the seasonal-acclimated state. With increasing latitude the efficiency of photoregulation decreased, representing potential differential photoadaptation of Corallina across species ranges in the NE Atlantic. In contrast, highly conserved inter-specific patterns in photophysiological responses to irradiance were apparent. This study demonstrates the photophysiological mechanisms allowing Corallina to optimize use of the variable irradiance conditions apparent in rock pool environments, when and how they are employed, and their limitations.
Autorregulação da aprendizagem: abordagens e desafios para as práticas de ensino em contextos educativos

Este artigo busca conceituar e explicar o construto da autorregulacao da aprendizagem, entendida como o controle e a regulacao do proprio estudante sobre seus pensamentos, cognicao, afeto, motivacao, comportamento e a imbricacao deste construto na formacao de professores. A pesquisa apresentada e resultado da analise de tres investigacoes que mostram a atuacao estrategica de professores como aprendentes e ensinantes. Analisa-se o enfoque teorico-metodologico das intervencoes realizadas e, ao final, pontuam-se os resultados encontrados nas referidas pesquisas, explicitando as articulacoes feitas entre elas e os resultados emergidos desses estudos. Palavras-chave : Ensino. Estrategias de aprendizagem. Formacao de professores.
Harvesting changes mating behaviour in European lobster

Removing individuals from a wild population can affect the availability of prospective mates and the outcome of competitive interactions, with subsequent effects on mating patterns and sexual selection. Consequently, the rate of harvest‐induced evolution is predicted to be strongly dependent on the strength and dynamics of sexual selection, yet there is limited empirical knowledge on the interplay between selective harvesting and the mating systems of exploited species. In this study, we used genetic parentage assignment to compare mating patterns of the highly valued and overexploited European lobster (Homarus gammarus) in a designated lobster reserve and nearby fished area in southern Norway. In the area open to fishing, the fishery is regulated by a closed season, a minimum legal size and a ban on the harvest of egg‐bearing females. Due to the differences in size and sex‐specific fishing mortality between the two areas, males and females are of approximately equal average size in the fished area, whereas males tend to be larger in the reserve. Our results show that females would mate with males larger than their own body size, but the relative size difference was significantly larger in the reserve. Sexual selection acted positively on both body size and claw size in males in the reserve, while it was nonsignificant in fished areas. This strongly suggests that size truncation of males by fishing reduces the variability of traits that sexual selection acts upon. If fisheries continue to target large individuals (particularly males) with higher relative reproductive success, the weakening of sexual selection will likely accelerate fisheries‐induced evolution towards smaller body size.
Edge Intelligence: On-Demand Deep Learning Model Co-Inference with Device-Edge Synergy

As the backbone technology of machine learning, deep neural networks (DNNs) have have quickly ascended to the spotlight. Running DNNs on resource-constrained mobile devices is, however, by no means trivial, since it incurs high performance and energy overhead. While offloading DNNs to the cloud for execution suffers unpredictable performance, due to the uncontrolled long wide-area network latency. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose Edgent, a collaborative and on-demand DNN co-inference framework with device-edge synergy. Edgent pursues two design knobs: (1) DNN partitioning that adaptively partitions DNN computation between device and edge, in order to leverage hybrid computation resources in proximity for real-time DNN inference. (2) DNN right-sizing that accelerates DNN inference through early-exit at a proper intermediate DNN layer to further reduce the computation latency. The prototype implementation and extensive evaluations based on Raspberry Pi demonstrate Edgent's effectiveness in enabling on-demand low-latency edge intelligence.
RISE: Randomized Input Sampling for Explanation of Black-box Models

Deep neural networks are being used increasingly to automate data analysis and decision making, yet their decision-making process is largely unclear and is difficult to explain to the end users. In this paper, we address the problem of Explainable AI for deep neural networks that take images as input and output a class probability. We propose an approach called RISE that generates an importance map indicating how salient each pixel is for the model's prediction. In contrast to white-box approaches that estimate pixel importance using gradients or other internal network state, RISE works on black-box models. It estimates importance empirically by probing the model with randomly masked versions of the input image and obtaining the corresponding outputs. We compare our approach to state-of-the-art importance extraction methods using both an automatic deletion/insertion metric and a pointing metric based on human-annotated object segments. Extensive experiments on several benchmark datasets show that our approach matches or exceeds the performance of other methods, including white-box approaches. Project page: this http URL