Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surveying while fishing in the slope areas off Brazil: direct assessment of fish stock abundance from data recorded during commercial trawl fishing operations

Estimating the total biomass of fish stocks available for fishing at any one time can highly improve the process of deciding upon sustainable fishing management measures. However, countries where fishing resources are not abundant or valuable can hardly justify a regular investment in costly direct stock assessment programs. One way of overcoming such difficulties is to use catch rate data recorded from monitored commercial fishing operations, usually made available through the implementation of less expensive Observers programs. However, this data is prone to overestimate biomass of targeted stocks, because fishermen tend to operate in high-density areas. This study addresses this issue by exploring the use of geostatistical models to estimate biomass of three slope fish stocks of the Brazilian EEZ: codling ( Urophycis mystacea ), hake ( Merluccius hubbsi ) and monkfish ( Lophius gastrophysus ). The analysis included 25,824 commercial trawls conducted off Brazil between 2000 and 2009. Global biomass tonnage estimations were: codling 16,402 ton in 2001 and 23,816 ton in 2002; hake 267,712 ton in 2001 and 233,107 ton in 2002; monkfish 51,947 ton in 2001 and 16,998 ton in 2002. Values exceeded those obtained by scientific surveys conducted in the same period and area, but an in-depth analysis of methods employed demonstrated that such overestimation was only significant in the case of hake, the main target of the trawl fleet during the study period. The study showed that geostatistical models are most effective in reducing bias introduced by fishermen behavior when some catches away from high density areas are available. Those tend to be rare in the case of major target-species.
Studies on the Protective Effects of Ginger Extract and in Combination with Ascorbic Acid against Aluminum Toxicity Induced Hematological Disorders, Oxidative Stress and Hepatorenal Damage in Rats

The present study was conducted to evaluate the protective effect of ginger extract and in combination vitamin C (AA) against the toxicity of aluminum chloride (AlCl3). Sixty rats were divided into 6 equal groups. Group 1( GP 1): served as control, GP 2 : treated with AlCl3 (150 mg/kg BW) , GP 3: treated with ginger (100 mg/kg BW), GP 4: treated with vitamin C (50 mg/kg BW), GP 5 : treated with AlCl3 & ginger , GP 6: treated with AlCl3 ,ginger & vitamin C with those a previous mentioned doses. Rats were orally treated daily for 4 weeks. Whole blood, serum samples and liver specimens were collected to evaluate hematological, biochemical alterations and hepatic antioxidant parameters. Our Result revealed that AlCl3 treatment induced a decrease in erythrocytes (RBCs) count, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and hematocrit (Hct) , meanwhile total leukocyte (TL) and neutrophil counts as well as liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP and LDH) activities , glucose, cholesterol , triglyceride (TG) levels and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) were elevated . In contrast hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were decreased. The ginger treatment improved the adverse effects induced by AlCl3, moreover coadministration with vitamin C upgrade action of ginger and ameliorate the toxic effect of AlCl3 on hematological, hepatorenal damage and antioxidant parameters. In conclusion, ginger showed an apparent protective effect against AlCl3 induced toxicity especially if in combination with vitamin C.
New Generation Surfactants, Are They A Hope For Better Outcomes?

Animal derived natural surfactants have been used in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome for nearly 25 years with great success, but new, better and cheap surfactants are still needed. THese new surfactants are mostly synthetic and some have been used clinically while some are still under review and have not been approved for use in infants. Recombinant SP-C, lucinactant, CHF5633, MINI-B and SP-C33 are some of the new generation synthetic surfactants which are disscussed in this review.
MAIN FEATURES OF A MODERN SCIENTIFIC SPORTS TRAINING THEORY

The aim of this article is to outline the main concepts of a modern scientific theory of sports training which takes into account both the recent findings in biological sciences and the requirements of elite sports. Before dealing with sports training theory the essence of the training process in sports is established; the causative factors, the mechanisms and the rules governing the acquisition of sports skills during training are explained, and the main requirements regarding the content and organization of the training process are determined. The continuous development of an athlete’s motor potential and of his or her eficiency in exploiting this potential is identified as the main constant in the training process, while the athlete’s ability to utilize this potential is regarded as a measure of training effectiveness. The question as to the content and the organization of all the training means and methods which are necessary to guarantee the required “real” work power for a given sports activity is dealt with. It turns out that a modern sports training theory depends on a thorough knowledge of the following aspects: (1) Rules governing the trend of the organism’s adaptation to an intense muscle workload under the conditions specific to a given sports discipline. (2) Specific rules governing the acquisition of sports skills for each sports discipline. (3) Rules governing the body’s morphological and functional specializationwhen training according to a plan covering several years. (4) Rules governing the acquisition of technical skills which are the basis for the acquisition of the movement pattern specific to the chosen discipline and for the acquisition of the skill that will allow the athlete to perfectly execute a certain movement pattern during training and during competition. (5) Rules governing the relations between the athlete’s functional condition during the longer phases of the training plan and stable workloads. These rules help to understand the trend of the adaptation process during a training cycle lasting one or several years. They are also very useful for the elaboration of the criteria for the organization of the training process.
Predicting invasion patterns in coastal ecosystems: relationship between vector strength and vector tempo

Oyster transports are among the leading anthropogenic vectors of coastwise introduction of non- indigenous species. Using the oyster industry of the Netherlands as a model system, we investigated the rela- tionship between vector strength (number of invasions) and vector tempo (magnitude and frequency of transport) in analyzing and predicting invasion patterns. We re- viewed literature on oyster-associated species introduc- tions, analyzed the scale of commercial oyster imports, and collected and identified epiflora from Pacific oyster shells. A total of 35 protist, algal, and invertebrate species have been introduced to the Netherlands with oysters, and we found 41 species of macroalgae on transported oysters. However, the number of introductions and quan- tity of oysters imported are not necessarily positively cor- related, particularly in the past 20 yr, when oyster imports decreased but the rate of introductions increased. The discrepancy between vector tempo and strength can be explained by unreported imports and vector characteris- tics: a single oyster may harbor a large number of species which are introduced with their substrate, thus facilitat- ing establishment. Further, the recently developed exten- sive Pacific oyster reefs in Dutch waters provide a suit- able substrate, enabling establishment even after low propagule pressure introduction events. Assumptions that are made about crucial parameters need to be recon- sidered: reported propagule pressure is not the same as actual propagule pressure; per-episode diversity of po- tential inoculants is not at a fixed level without episodic unpredictable spikes, and the recipient environment is not static. With increasing interest in predicting invasion patterns, caution must be taken in assuming that reduced propagule pressure will lead to reduced invasions.
Modeling the intraday return volatility process in the Australian equity market: An examination of the role of information arrival in S&P/ASX 50 stocks

This paper examines the intraday return volatility process in Australian company stocks. The data set employed consists of five-minute returns, trading volumes and bid-ask spreads over the period 31 December 2002 to 4 March 2003 for the fifty national and multinational stocks comprising the S&P/ASX 50 index. The GARCH and asymmetric GARCH namely Threshold ARCH (TARCH) processes are used to model the time-varying variance in the intraday return series and the inclusion of news arrival as proxied by the contemporaneous and lagged volume of trade and bid-ask spread together with day-of-week effects are used as exogenous explanatory variables. The results indicate strong persistence in volatility for the fifty stocks even with the day-of-week effects and contemporaneous and lagged volume of trade and bid-ask spread included as explanatory variables in the models. Overall, while there is much variation among the stocks included in terms of the role of the irregular arrival of new information in generating GARCH effects and the degree of persistence, all of the volatility processes are mean reverting.
LAND USE ANALYSIS ON LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE IN URBAN AREAS USING A GEOGRAPHICALLY WEIGHTED REGRESSION AND LANDSAT 8 IMAGERY, A CASE STUDY: TEHRAN, IRAN

Abstract. Due to urbanization and changes in the urban thermal environment and because the land surface temperature (LST) in urban areas are a few degrees higher than in surrounding non-urbanized areas, identifying spatial factors affecting on LST in urban areas is very important. In this regard, due to the unique properties of spatial data, in this study, a geographically weighted regression (GWR) was used to identify effective spatial factors. The GWR is a suitable method for spatial regression issues, because it is compatible with two unique properties of spatial data, i.e. the spatial autocorrelation and spatial non-stationarity. In this study, the Landsat 8 satellite data on 18 August 2014 and Tehran land use data in 2006 was used for determining the land surface temperature and its effective factors. As a result, R2 value of 0.765983 was obtained by taking the Gaussian kernel. The results showed that the industrial,military, transportation, and roads areas have the highest surface temperature.
The Impact of Downsizing on Survivor Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment at a Selected Timber Production Estate, South Africa

The objectives of this study were to identify the impact of downsizing on employee survivor’s job satisfaction and to determine whether a relationship exists between employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment. A questionnaire was administered to 123 randomly selected respondents. The data collected from the survey was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0 and presented in the form of descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment correlations. Results indicated that survivors were much more satisfied and committed to the organization after the downsizing process. Results further indicated that there is relationship between employee job satisfaction and organizational commitment among the survivors of the downsizing process. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n6p145
Self Report Measures of Mindfulness: A Review of the Literature

The aim of this review is to examine mindfulness measures and determine future directions for mindfulness assessment. Mindfulness has become established in clinical psychology as an intervention for many disorders including substance abuse and depression. Seven mindfulness measures were reviewed, including their development and normative sample psychometrics. Current mindfulness measures were found to be generally psychometrically sound and to assess some (albeit differing) aspects of the construct of mindfulness. A new five factor measure created from the amalgamation of several mindfulness measures was also reviewed of this scale appears to be the most inclusive assessment of mindfulness at present.
Tier 3 Intensified Intervention for Second Grade Students with Severe Mathematics Difficulties

Abstract A multiple baseline design was employed to examine the effects of an intensive mathematics intervention, which focused on early numeracy concepts and skills. Thirty-three second grade students participated in the study. Students attended five different schools in one school district and received the intervention in a total of 12 groups from mathematics interventionists. The intervention occurred for about 30 min per session, 5 days a week for 8 weeks with a maintenance phase two weeks later and generalization testing four weeks later. The intervention consisted of explicit instruction, strategies, and mathematics practices. Visual analyses of the data showed improvement for the majority of the groups. Effect size calculations showed no evidence of overlapping data between baseline and intervention for nine out of twelve groups. Maintenance data revealed positive results and five students had a posttest score at or above the 25th percentile on the generalization measure. Implications for practice with limitations and future research are discussed.
EUROPE: SEMI-DEPENDENT HOUSING ACROSS WELFARE REGIME AND HOUSING SYSTEM CONTEXTS

Transitions to adulthood not only represent a key period for individual development but also contribute to processes of social stratification. Growing evidence has pointed to increased complexity, postponement and individualization in transition dynamics. Previous research has focused on trends in school-to-work transitions and family formation; however, the central role of housing represents an interrelated process that is less understood. As pathways to adulthood have diversified, many young people experience partial independence in one sphere while continued dependence in others. Semi-dependent housing, either through parental coresidence or shared living, can be an important coping mechanism. Using the EU-SILC dataset, the research investigates the role that semi-dependent living plays within emerging adulthood across varied European contexts. The data suggests that the extent and type of semi-dependent housing varies substantially across EU15 countries. The findings indicate that levels of housing independence can be partly explained by welfare regime context while the propensity for shared living appears correlated with affordability in the rental market. Although socio-cultural and economic trends play an important and interrelated role, the study argues that housing dynamics of young adulthood and the role of semi-dependent living is fundamentally shaped by the context of the housing system and welfare regime. ARUNDEL & RONALD Shared Living across Europe February 2015
Attenuation of Oxidative Stress and Hepatotoxicity Induced By D–Galactosamine by a Polyherbal Formulation Ambrex–in vivo and in vitro Studies

Objective: To evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of Ambrex, a polyherbal formulation against D–galactosamine (D-GLN) induced hepatotoxicity in Swiss albino mice as well as in Chang liver cell lines. Materials and Methods: Ambrex was orally administered for a period of 7 days at dose levels of 250 and 500 mg/kg b.wt. D-GLN (250 mg/kg b.wt, i.p) was administered 24h prior to sacrifice the animals. The protective effect of Ambrex was evaluated by measuring plasma levels of aspartate transaminase (SGOT), alanine transaminase (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ–glutamyltransferase (γGT) and total bilirubin. Its effect on antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxide(LPO) was also determined. Histopathological evaluation of liver tissues was carried out. Results: Data revealed that Ambrex was able to restore the levels of antioxidants such as SOD, Catalase, and Glutathione to near normal and reduced the elevated plasma levels of SGOT, SGPT, ALP, γ – GT and total bilirubin. It also inhibited the formation of hepatic malondialdehyde induced by D GLN. In vitro studies revealed that Ambrex protected DGLN induced hepatotoxicity (30μM/ ml) at dose levels of 5, 50 and 500ng/ml. Further, mRNA expression also illustrated that Ambrex inhibited the over expression of Bax, Caspase 3, TNF–α, IL–2 and CYP–450. A substantial decrease in the mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic marker Bcl2 was also observed. Conclusion: Results suggest that Ambrex has appreciable hepatoprotective effect which was evident from both in vivo and in vitro results.
Bioaccumulation of Heavy Metals in Fish Sourced from Environmentally Stressed Axis of River Niger: Threat to Ecosystem and Public Health

Pollution of freshwater ecosystems is alarmingly becoming high in Nigeria with attendant public health effects on the dependent populations. Fish, a source of protein with pronounced placement on local food menu is now considered an important dietary threat of heavy metal toxicity via consumptions. Bioaccumulation of heavy metals (copper, zinc and lead) in Silver catfish (Schilbe intermedius) from River Niger was conducted. The Fish samples were collected from different sites of Onitsha axis of the River Niger owing to their environmental stresses. Samples were analyzed for heavy metal (copper- Cu, zinc- Zn, and lead- Pb) concentrations in muscle tissues using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) and compared with Food and Agriculture Organization safe limits. Margin of exposure (MOE) was estimated to measure the potential public health risk of consuming the contaminated fish. The concentrations of heavy metals (Cu- 8.92±4.748, Zn- 0.36±0.249, and Pb- 2.689±1.505) observed were significant (P Pb>Zn. Statistical Pearson moment correlation analysis showed that the concentrations of heavy metals detected were independent of the weight of sampled fish for zinc but was positively correlated for copper and lead. Relating the mean metal concentrations obtained in the study with Food and Agriculture Organization standard for fish muscles indicated that mean concentrations of copper, zinc and lead are far above safe margins for human consumption except the fish sourced from sites A4 and A9 for lead and zinc, respectively. Margin of exposure was below one and tentatively considered not to be of risk to public health. However, there is considerable contamination of the Silver catfish from the River Niger with heavy metals. It is recommended that substantial attention be paid to the heavy metal levels in freshwater fishes from the river. Measures should be put in place to regulate the indiscriminate dredging activities, discharge of raw sewage and industrial effluent into the river and regular public health check on the level of heavy metals among the populace in the communities that border the area should be employed.
Identifying the finite dimensionality of curve time series

The curve time series framework provides a convenient vehicle to accommodate some nonstationary features into a stationary setup. We propose a new method to identify the dimensionality of curve time series based on the dynamical dependence across different curves. The practical implementation of our method boils down to an eigenanalysis of a finite-dimensional matrix. Furthermore, the determination of the dimensionality is equivalent to the identification of the nonzero eigenvalues of the matrix, which we carry out in terms of some bootstrap tests. Asymptotic properties of the proposed method are investigated. In particular, our estimators for zero-eigenvalues enjoy the fast convergence rate n while the estimators for nonzero eigenvalues converge at the standard √n-rate. The proposed methodology is illustrated with both simulated and real data sets.
Systems Physiology – Immune Function FOUR WEEKS OF ACUPUNCTURE DOES NOT ALTER NATURAL KILLER CELL RESPONSE TO EXERCISE

Hutchison AT, Lewis DE, Bush JA, Strohacker K, Carpenter KC, McFarlin BK. Four weeks of acupuncture does not alter natural killer cell response to exercise. JEPonline 2008;11(5):42-50. Exercise may suppress natural killer cell activity (NKCA) for up to 24-h, creating an “open window” during which an individual may be more likely to get sick. Previous research has shown that acupuncture improves NKCA in animals and immuno-compromised humans. The purpose of the study was to determine whether 4-wks of acupuncture could prevent postexercise suppression of NKCA. Thirteen well-trained aerobic athletes were randomly assigned to either an acupuncture (ACU) or placebo (SHAM) group. All subjects completed two exercise sessions (60-min of cycling at 78% VO2peak): prior to and after 4-wks of ACU/SHAM. NK cell number (CD3/56) and activity (CD69 and CD107a) were quantified by flow cytometry before (PRE), immediately following (POST), and 2-h (2H) post exercise. Serum cortisol was determined by EIA. NK cell number, activity, and cortisol concentration were not altered by ACU. NK cell surface expression of CD107a was higher in the ACU group following 4-wks of acupuncture treatments (5.48 vs. 3.65 MFI, P = 0.022), however, this effect was abolished by exercise. In conclusion, ACU may alter selective aspects of resting NKCA; however, it does not appear to protect against the suppressive effects of strenuous aerobic exercise.
Thermodynamical and microscopic properties of turbulent transport in the edge plasma

Edge plasma turbulence modelled with 2D interchange is shown to exhibit convective transport at the microscale level. This transport property is related to avalanche like transport in such a flux-driven system. Correlation functions and source modulation are used to analyse the transport properties but do not allow one to recover the Fick law that must characterise the system at large scales. Coarse graining is then introduced to average out the small scales in order to recover the Fick law. One finds that the required space averaging is comparable to the system size while the time averaging is comparable to the confinement time. The system is then reduced to a single reservoir such that transport is characterised by a single scalar, either the diffusion coefficient of the Fick law or a characteristic evolution time constant.
Hard, soft or ambidextrous? Which influence style promotes managers’ task performance and the role of political skill

Abstract Ambidexterity at the manager level focuses on the crucial, but underexplored, role of managers’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors to address competing demands and promote organizational ambidexterity. As such, to successfully complete their assigned duties, managers need to employ the appropriate interpersonal style and calibrate their behavior to different contextual demands. This study highlights the role of the individual in the ambidexterity process by introducing the concept of influence tactic ambidexterity, to denote the frequent use of both hard and soft influence and investigating its role on task performance. Drawing on the literature on ambidexterity and HRM, we analyze data from a sample of 172 middle managers and their corresponding 68 supervisors working for multinational organizations, and provide evidence that influence tactic ambidexterity relates to higher levels and less variation in managers’ task performance compared to the sole use of either hard or soft tactics. Our findings also show that political skill positively moderates the relationship between influence tactic ambidexterity and a manager’s task performance. Therefore, this study suggests that influence tactic ambidexterity and political skill can be considered valuable HR assets for managers.