Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enteral Pancreatic-like Enzymes of Microbial Origin affect Insulin Release during an Intravenous Glucose Tolerance Test

We have previously shown that the presence of pancreatic enzymes in the gut lumen of exocrine pancreatic insufficient pigs influences blood glucose and insulin levels during an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). The present study aims to highlight the effects of orally applied pancreatic-like enzymes on blood glucose and plasma insulin levels during an IVGTT in young intact pigs. Five, 7-week old pigs were fed with pancreatic-like enzymes of microbial origin, a proteinase (from Aspergillus melleus), α-amylase (from Aspergillus oryzae) or lipase (from Burkholderia cepacia) alone or in combination with the Ca/Na salts of α-ketoglutaric acid (AKG). One hour following administration of the various supplements an IVGTT was performed. Blood samples were withdrawn during the 2 hours of IVGTT for glucose and insulin analyses. Blood glucose during the IVGTT was identical following administration of all combinations of the various enzymes or enzyme mixtures. Enteral loading of amylase or any amylase containing mixture resulted in reduced insulin secretion while administration of proteinase or any proteinase containing mixture resulted in enhanced insulin secretion during IVGTT, as compared to the control water vehicle. Lipase or AKG and lipase or AKG containing mixtures did not affect insulin secretion. Thus, it can be suggested that host amylase/protease ratio and their amount in pancreatic juice can participate in regulation of insulin release, thus, possibly affecting development of obesity and diabetes type 2.
Distinct patterns of microbial metabolism associated to riverine dissolved organic carbon of different source and quality

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in rivers contains a wide range of molecules that can be assimilated by microbes. However, there is today no integrated understanding of how the source and composition of this DOC regulate the extent to which the DOC can support microbial growth and respiration. We analyzed patterns in microbial metabolism of DOC from different streams and rivers in Québec, by combining short‐term bacterial production and respiration measurements with long‐term DOC loss and analyses of bacterial use of different single substrates. We show that distinct metabolic patterns indeed exist across catchments, reflecting the varying nature and sources of the DOC. For example, DOC from forest headwaters systematically supported the highest bacterial growth efficiency (BGE) that was recorded, while in contrast DOC in peat bog drainage was used with significantly lower BGE. The carbon consumption in clear mountain rivers, possibly represented by autochthonous algal DOC, supported the highest bacterial respiration rates and the highest long‐term DOC losses. By using principle component analysis, we demonstrate how the major axes of variation in all of the measured metabolic responses are tightly connected to spectrofluorometrical DOC composition indicators and to isotopic indicators of DOC source. If causality is assumed, our results imply that changes in DOC supply from different sources, for example, caused by land use or climate change, should result in dramatic changes in the patterns of aquatic microbial metabolism and thus in altered aquatic ecosystem functioning, with likely consequences for food‐web structures and greenhouse gas balances.
Automated image stitching for enhanced visual inspections of nuclear power stations

In the UK, visual inspection of the fuel channels of the Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor (AGR) nuclear power stations forms an integral part of understanding the health of the reactor cores. During a statutory outage, video footage of the inside of selected fuel channels is recorded. Features of interest and anomalies are manually identified by an expert who extracts frames from the video to create a composite image for the feature of interest. This is a laborious and time consuming process which can be costly to station operators who must produce these images before returning the station to service. This paper describes an automatic technique capable of generating a 2D image of the entire internal bore of the channel. The technique uses the position of the camera coupled with advanced image processing techniques to generate a high-resolution image of the whole channel. This allows surface details to be viewed in relation to each other, and the rest of the channel, while facilitating a direct comparison of any anomalies over time. In addition, the time taken by this automated technique to produce a full core image is a fraction of that taken to manually stitch an image for a much smaller area.
A NOTE ON QUENCHED MODERATE DEVIATIONS FOR SINAI'S RANDOM WALK IN RANDOM ENVIRONMENT

We consider the continuous time, one-dimensional random walk in random environment in Sinai's regime. We show that the probability for the particle to be, at time t and in a typical environment, at a distance larger than ta (0 ) from its initial position, is exp{-Const ⋅ ta /[(1 - a) lnt](1 + o (1))}.
The Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction in Banking Sector of Karachi

In Pakistan, the banking sector after privatization and liberalization of the economy has become highly competitive. It has become dijjicult for banks to retain existing customers and attract new ones. By providing a quality service, banks can have a satisﬁed consumer base. Thus, this study aims to measure the effect of tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, empathy and assurance on customer satisfaction in the extended the SERVQUAL model for meeting th banking sector of Karachi. This research has e research objectives. The population for this study are the customers in the banking sector and the sample size consists of 403 respondents. After pilot testing, questionnaires were administered to the respondents through the mall intercept method. The model explained the eﬁect of service parameters on customer satisfaction. The study finds that the strongest predictor of customer satisfaction was responsiveness ( R2 =.53) followed by reliability (R2 =.5l), tangibility (R2 =.48), assurance (R2 =.44) and empathy (R2 =39). Keywords: Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction, Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness Empathy, Assurance.
Leaf gas exchange physiology in rice genotypes infected with bacterial blight: An attempt to link photosynthesis with disease severity and rice yield

Bacterial blight (BB) of rice caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo), is one of the most devastating disease of rice causing significant yield reduction under serious infestations in many rice growing countries. BB interferes with leaf CO2 exchange processes, enhances leaf senescence and reduces CO2 assimilation. In the present study, 14 rice genotypes were initially studied to understand genotypic variability for resistance against infection by Xoo . Further, to assess the effect of BB on photosynthetic functions, three rice genotypes [O. longistaminata; O. sativa cv. IRBB21 and Pusa Basmati 1 (PB1)] possessing varied levels of resistance/susceptibility to BB were selected. IRBB21 and PB1 were also analyzed to study the effect of bacterial blight on grain yield. Exposure of plants to BB led to significant reductions in net photosynthetic rate (PN), stomatal conductance to CO2 (gs), instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi), and leaf transpiration rate (E) in susceptible genotype PB1 when compared to resistant IRBB21 and highly resistant O. longistaminata. Under BB infection, O. longistaminata showed highest PN (7.18 μmol CO2 m-2s-1) compared to IRBB21 (4.35 μmol CO2 m-2s-1) and PB1 (0.74 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1), on 216 h of post infection. Due to infection, gs was strongly reduced to 0.046 mmol m-2s-1 on 216 h in PB1 followed by IRBB21 (0.16 mmol m-2 s-1 on 216 h), whereas O. longistaminata maintained highest gs of 0.22 mmol m-2 s-1 on 216 h, indicating better CO2 exchange capacity and resistance against bacterial blight. Regression plots showed significantly positive relationships between PN vs gs and PN vs Ci for all the tested genotypes. Down-regulation in leaf CO2 assimilation physiology as well as loss in photosynthetically active leaf tissue was observed with increment in disease severity, which resulted in substantial yield loss (61.75%) in susceptible genotype PB1. Yield loss was mostly attributed to reduced productive tillers, less number of seeds per panicle, decreased panicle weight and less number of filled grains. Relatively less variation in yield traits was recorded in resistant IRBB21.
Correlates between morphology, diet and foraging mode in the Ladder Snake Rhinechis scalaris (Schinz, 1822)

In many vertebrates, foraging mode (active versus sit-and-wait) is tied to some traits of their natural history such as morphology, type of prey, rate of food acquisition, and survival rate. We explore the correlates between some morphological traits of a Mediterranean colubrid and its feeding ecology and the predation risk, by comparing data on teeth number, tail damage, and diet. A large sample (n = 368) of the Ladder Snake, Rhinechis scalaris is used. The species feeds almost exclusively on endotherms, mainly mammals (nearly 95% of the diet in mass), which set R. scalaris among the most stenophagous snakes in the western Palaearctic. There is also a high percentage of motionless prey in the diet (up to 50% in prey mass), such as nestling birds, mammals and bird eggs. The species is so canalised to a diet based on endotherms that it does not follow the general rule in medium-sized snakes of an ontogenetic dietary shift from ectothermic to endothermic prey; juveniles consumed the smallest endothermic animals: nestling small-mammals. The number of maxillary teeth (mean 15.1), the lowest within the former and large genus Elaphe, is likely related to its trophic specialization. Rhinechis scalaris also faces an elevated risk of predation, something general in active searcher snakes compared to ambush foragers, as revealed by many individuals with damaged tails (19.9%), the highest within the Iberian community of snakes. We conclude from indirect evidence (high predation on stationary prey, many individuals with damaged tails) that the species is an active searcher and that this foraging mode infl uences other natural-history traits (i.e. reproductive habits).
Beyond Purity 1 Beyond Purity : Moral Disgust toward Bad Character

Previous studies support a link between moral disgust and impurity, while anger is linked to harm. We challenge this strict correspondence, and show that disgust is sensitive to information about moral character, even for harm violations. By contrast, anger is sensitive to information about actions, including their moral wrongness and consequences. Study 1 examined disgust and anger toward an action that indicates especially bad moral character (animal cruelty) versus an action that is more wrong (domestic abuse). Animal cruelty was associated with more disgust, whereas domestic abuse was associated with more anger. Studies 2 and 3 manipulated character by varying the agent’s desire to cause harm, and also varied the action’s harmful consequences. Desire to harm predicted only disgust (controlling for anger), while consequences were more closely related to anger (controlling for disgust). Taken together, these results indicate disgust responds to evidence of bad moral character, not just to impurity.
The relationship between galaxy and dark matter halo size from z ∼ 3 to the present

We explore empirical constraints on the statistical relationship between the radial size of galaxies and the radius of their host dark matter haloes from z similar to 0.1-3 using the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) and Cosmic Assembly Near Infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS) surveys. We map dark matter halo mass to galaxy stellar mass using relationships from abundance matching, applied to the Bolshoi-Planck dissipationless N-body simulation. We define SRHR equivalent to r(e)/R-h as the ratio of galaxy radius to halo virial radius, and SRHR lambda equivalent to r(e)/(lambda R-h) as the ratio of galaxy radius to halo spin parameter times halo radius. At z similar to 0.1, we find an average value of SRHR similar or equal to 0.018 and SRHR. similar or equal to 0.5 with very little dependence on stellar mass. Stellar radius-halo radius (SRHR) and SRHR lambda have a weak dependence on cosmic time since z similar to 3. SRHR shows a mild decrease over cosmic time for low-mass galaxies, but increases slightly or does not evolve formoremassive galaxies. We find hints that at high redshift (z similar to 2-3), SRHR. is lower for more massive galaxies, while it shows no significant dependence on stellar mass at z less than or similar to 0.5. We find that for both the GAMA and CANDELS samples, at all redshifts from z similar to 0.1-3, the observed conditional size distribution in stellar mass bins is remarkably similar to the conditional distribution of lambda R-h. We discuss the physical interpretation and implications of these results.
University of Groningen A systematic review of factors related to first-year students’ success in Dutch and Flemish higher education

This systematic review presents an overview of factors which play an important role in explaining first-year grade point average (GPA), the number of obtained credits (EC), and persistence in Dutch and Flemish higher education. Thirty-nine peer-reviewed articles were included, mostly Dutch studies using samples of university students. We found that ability factors, prior education characteristics, learning environment characteristics and behavioural engagement indicators were most successful in explaining success. While prior education and behavioural engagement were related to GPA, EC and persistence, the results differed depending on which outcome variable was used in the other predictor categories. Ability and learning environment mattered most as GPA and EC predictors. Personality characteristics, motivational factors, and learning strategies were mainly important for GPA. Demographic factors mattered most for EC, and psychosocial factors for EC and persistence. Recommendations for future research are provided based on this review’s results.
Metallicity gradients in Local Universe galaxies: time evolution and effects of radial migration

Our knowledge of the shape of radial metallicity gradients in disc galaxies has recently improved. Conversely, the understanding of their time evolution is more complex, since it requires analysis of stellar populations with different ages, or systematic studies of galaxies at different redshifts. In the Local Universe, Hii regions and planetary nebulae (PNe) are important tools to investigate it. We present an in-depth study of all nearby spiral galaxies (M33, M31, NGC300, and M81) with direct-method nebular abundances of both populations. For the first time, we also evaluate the radial migration of PN populations. We analyse Hii region and PN properties to: determine whether oxygen in PNe is a reliable tracer for past interstellar medium (ISM) composition; homogenise the published datasets; estimate the migration of the oldest stellar populations; determine the overall chemical enrichment and slope evolution. We confirm that oxygen in PNe is a reliable tracer for the past ISM metallicity. We find that PN gradients are flatter than or equal to those of Hii regions. When radial motions are negligible, this result provides a direct measurement of the time evolution of the gradient. For galaxies with dominant radial motions, we provide upper limits on the gradient evolution. Finally, the total metal content increases with time in all target galaxies, with early morphological type having a larger increment Delta(O/H) than late-type galaxies. Our findings provide important constraints to discriminate among different galactic evolutionary scenarios, favouring cosmological models with enhanced feedback from supernovae. The advent of extremely large telescopes will allow us to include galaxies in a wider range of morphologies and environments, thus putting firmer constraints to galaxy formation and evolution scenarios.
Assessing Employability Skills of Technical-Vocational Students in Malaysia

Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVE) system plays important role in providing highly skilled workforce to fulfill the needs of industries. An empirical research of TVE system is necessary to identify effective TVE system to successfully equip students with technical skills that would enable them to fulfill the current work demands and professional expectations. The objective of this paper is to present the findings of TVE system implementation in one of the technical training institution in Malaysia. Research sample has been selected using a simple random method from the third year students. A total of 162 students participated in this research. The result shows that mean score for overall employability skills was quite high. Two aspects of the employability skills, namely, thinking skills and resource management competence and system & technology competence were slightly lower than the mean score. Respondents have slightly higher than the mean scores on basic informational competence interpersonal competence. The mean score of personal quality is the highest among all the aspects of variables of employability skills.
Alternative Discounting Beyond Missing Information: Effects of Confidence in Evaluating

Missing information (MI), if detected, often leads to alternative discounting. However, inferences reduce uncertainty of MI and thus reduce discounting. This paper suggests that discounting results not only from uncertainty of MI, but from consumer's overall "confidence in evaluating" (CE). Confidently held inferences help resolve MI uncertainty, improve CE and attenuate discounting. This mediating role of CE suggests discounting/evaluation effects could also be observed in 'non-MI' contexts involving other types of uncertainty detection and resolution. An experiment demonstrates the role of CE, and a model proposes interactive effects of sources of uncertainty, and uncertainty detection and resolution on overall CE and discounting. The model extends the long observed discounting effect of MI to broader situations and highlights roles of ambiguity detection/resolution in evaluation effects.
A Systematic Review of Central Coherence in Young People with AnorexiaNervosa

Objectives: It is hypothesised that Weak Central Coherence (superior attention to detail with poorer bigger picture thinking) is a possible endophenotype for Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Currently the neuropsychological profile of children and adolescents with AN in unclear. The present review aimed to summarise the available literature with regards to the central coherence abilities of children and adolescents with AN, and clarify their neuropsychological profile. Method: The search found seven eligible studies. Meta-analyses were not possible due the variation in tasks used. Results: Evidence of less efficient global processing in children with AN was observed in a number of studies. The strongest evidence was observed from studies using the Rey Osterrieth Complex Figures Test (ROCFT). A visual comparison of ROCFT from child and adult AN studies highlighted similarities in global processing profiles. Conclusions: Evidence of inefficient global processing was observed across a number of studies. However methodological flaws in the current literature were highlighted and made interpretation difficult. These are discussed and recommendations for future research are made.
Hop " eld neural networks for optimization : study of the di ! erent dynamics

In this paper the application of arbitrary order Hop"eld-like neural networks to optimization problems is studied. These networks are classi"ed in three categories according to their dynamics, expliciting the energy function for each category. The main problems a! ecting practical applications of these networks are brought to light: (a) Incoherence between the network dynamics and the associated energy function; (b) Error due to discrete simulation on a digital computer of the continuous dynamics equations; (c) Existence of local minima; (d) Convergence depends on the coe$cients weighting the cost function terms. The e! ect of these problems on each network is analysed and simulated, indicating possible solutions. Finally, the called continuous dynamics II is dealt with, proving that the integral term in the energy function is bounded, in contrast with Hop"eld's statement, and proposing an e$cient local minima avoidance strategy. Experimental results are obtained solving Diophantine equation, Hamiltonian cycle and k-colorability problems. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Lean construction as a strategic option : testing its suitability and acceptibility in Sri Lanka

Lean Construction is a concept still new to many construction industries in the world. According to Ballard and Howell (2003) countries such as UK, Australia, USA and Brazil have gained significant benefits by adoption of Lean Construction concepts. However, this concept is still new to the Sri Lankan construction industry. Lean Construction can be argued as a strategic option when implementing in a new setting, where certain tests such as its suitability and acceptability needs to be done prior to its implementation. Hence, this study aimed to explore the suitability and acceptability of Lean Construction in Sri Lanka. The study adopted an opinion survey using Delphi Method to collect empirical data. The findings reveal frequent flow activities that generate waste and their causes in the Sri Lankan construction industry. The research further finds that the domestic construction industry workforce is ignorant of these flow activities that create waste and their causes. When tested majority accept the core principles of Lean Construction and are having a Kaizen mentality, which is central to lean thinking. Thus, the study concludes that Lean Construction is suitable and acceptable in the Sri Lankan context. Overall, the study offers an approach to test Lean Construction in a new construction industry using an opinion survey.
Tissue Engineering in Lower Urinary Tract Reconstruction

Urology diseases and disorders are often diagnosable by special clinical symptoms. Congenital disorders, iatrogenic injuries, inflammatory diseases, infections, tumors, cancers and other conditions of the genitourinary system are in this category. The treatment of these disorders usually involve classical surgeries including organ transplant from deceased or other methods, which are associated with transplant related side effects and complications. Tissue engineering is a rapidly expanding, promising field which addresses tissue and organ failure and organ reconstruction. A myriad of Clinical and preclinical studies have been conducted on different treatment methods and tissue engineering in the field of urology, which have been reviewed in our present study.