Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Effects of an Educational Intervention Based on the Ottawa Nutritional Guideline on Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women with Nausea and Vomiting

Background & aim: Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) is among the most common problems in pregnant women. As explained in guidelines, combination of non-drug treatments, including nutritional modifications, lifestyle changes, and use of alternative medicine for the treatment of NVP has been less highlighted. The present study was performed with the aim of determining the effect of an educational intervention (based on the Ottawa nutritional guideline) on health-related quality of life in pregnant women with NVP. Methods: This single-blind clinical trial was performed on 60 pregnant women, referred to Daneshamouz and Ahmadi health centers in Mashhad, Iran in 2015. The intervention group received two 60-min training sessions based on the Ottawa nutritional guideline, while the control group received routine care. The data collection tools included the subject selection form, demographic and midwifery information form, health-related quality of life for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVPQOL) questionnaire, and the Ottawa guideline checklist. For data analysis, Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, Mann-Whitney test, independent t-test, paired t-test, and ANOVA were performed, using SPSS version 16. P-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The demographic characteristics of the subjects such as education, occupational status, age, gestational age, and body mass index were homogenous in the two groups. The mean NVPQOL score was significantly different between the intervention and control groups after the study (P<0.001). Also, the difference between the pre- and post-intervention scores was significant in the intervention group (P<0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings, training based on the Ottawa nutritional guideline could improve health-related quality of life in women with NVP; therefore, this type of training is recommended as an effective method.
Sub-acute toxicity assessment of Sapium ellipticum (Hochst) Pax ethanol leaf extract in Wistar rats

*Corresponding author: Osasenaga Ighodaro, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Lead CityUniversity, Ibadan, Nigeria. Tel: +2348023658692 E-mail: macigho@gmail.com All procedures for maintenance and sacrifice (care and use) of animals were carried out according to the criteria outlined by the National Academy of Science published by the National Institute of Health. The experiments were approved by the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Sciences, Lead City University. The journal implements double-blind peer review practiced by specially invited international editorial board members.
Woody Plant Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology in the Tropics: Perspectives from Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests

This review suggests that the ecology and patchy global distribution of seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) has distinctively structured the evolutionary history and biogeography of woody plant groups that are confined to it. SDTFs have few widespread woody plant species causing high β-diversity between separate areas of forests. These separate areas contain geologically old, monophyletic clades of endemic plant species that often have geographically structured intraspecific genetic variation. These patterns of diversity, endemism, and phylogeny indicate a stable, dispersal-limited SDTF system. SDTF species tend to belong to larger clades confined to this vegetation, exemplifying phylogenetic niche conservatism, and we argue that this is evidence that the SDTF is a metacommunity (biome) for woody plant clades. That phylogenetic, population genetic, biogeographic, and community ecological patterns differ in woody plants from tropical rain forests and savannas suggests a hypothesis that broad ecological s.
Observations of filamentary structures near the vortex edge in the Arctic winter lower stratosphere

Abstract. The CRISTA-NF (Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescope for the Atmosphere – New Frontiers) instrument is an airborne infrared limb sounder operated aboard the Russian research aircraft M55-Geophysica. The instrument successfully participated in a large Arctic aircraft campaign within the RECONCILE (Reconciliation of essential process parameters for an enhanced predictability of Arctic stratospheric ozone loss and its climate interactions) project in Kiruna (Sweden) from January to March 2010. This paper concentrates on the measurements taken during one flight of the campaign, which took place on 2 March in the vicinity of the polar vortex. We present two-dimensional cross-sections of derived volume mixing ratios for the trace gases CFC-11, O3, and ClONO2 with an unprecedented vertical resolution of about 500 to 600 m for a large part of the observed altitude range (≈ 6–19 km) and a dense horizontal sampling along flight direction of ≈ 15 km. The trace gas distributions show several structures, for example a part of the polar vortex and a vortex filament, which can be identified by means of O3–CFC-11 tracer–tracer correlations. The observations made during this flight are interpreted using the chemistry and transport model CLaMS (Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere). Comparisons of the observations with the model results are used to assess the performance of the model with respect to advection, mixing, and the chemistry in the polar vortex. These comparisons confirm the capability of CLaMS to reproduce even very small-scale structures in the atmosphere, which partly have a vertical extent of only 1 km. Based on the good agreement between simulation and observation, we use artificial (passive) tracers, which represent different air mass origins (e.g. vortex, tropics), to further analyse the CRISTA-NF observations in terms of the composition of air mass origins. These passive tracers clearly illustrate the observation of filamentary structures that include tropical air masses. A characteristic of the Arctic winter 2009/10 was a sudden stratospheric warming in December that led to a split of the polar vortex. The vortex re-established at the end of December. Our passive tracer simulations suggest that large parts of the re-established vortex consisted to about 45% of high- and mid-latitude air.
Spatial pattern evaluation of a calibrated national hydrological model – a remote-sensing-based diagnostic approach

Distributed hydrological models are traditionally evaluated against discharge stations, emphasizing the temporal and neglecting the spatial component of a model. The present study widens the traditional paradigm by highlighting spatial patterns of evapotranspiration (ET), a key variable at the land-atmosphere interface, obtained from two different approaches at the national scale of Denmark. The first approach is based on a national water resources model (DK-model), using the MIKE-SHE model code, and the second approach utilizes a two source energy balance model (TSEB) driven mainly by satellite remote sensing data. The main hypothesis of the study is that while both approaches are essentially estimates, the spatial patterns of the remote sensing based approach are explicitly driven by observed land surface temperature and therefore represent the most direct spatial pattern information of ET; enabling its use for distributed hydrological model evaluation. Ideally the hydrological model simulation and remote sensing based approach should present similar spatial patterns and driving mechanism of ET. However, the spatial comparison showed that the differences are significant and indicating insufficient spatial pattern performance of the hydrological model. The differences in spatial patterns can partly be explained by the fact that the hydrological model is configured to run in 6 domains that are calibrated independently from each other, as it is often the case for large scale multi-basin calibrations. Furthermore, the model incorporates predefined temporal dynamics of Leaf Area Index (LAI), root depth (RD) and Crop coefficient (Kc) for each land cover type. This zonal approach of model parametrization ignores the spatio-temporal complexity of the natural system. To overcome this limitation, the study features a modified version of the DK-Model in which LAI, RD, and KC are empirically derived using remote sensing data and detailed soil property maps in order to generate a higher degree of spatio-temporal variability and spatial consistency between the 6 domains. The effects of these changes are analyzed by using the empirical orthogonal functions (EOF) analysis to evaluate spatial patterns. The EOF-analysis shows that including remote sensing derived LAI, RD and KC in the distributed hydrological model adds spatial features found in the spatial pattern of remote sensing based ET.
Birds of prey and grouse in Finland : do avian predators limit or regulate their prey numbers?

Relationships between predators and prey may affect population dynamics of both parties. Predators may also serve as a link between populations of different prey, e.g., small game and small mammals. I used available data on the diet and reproduction of birds of prey (mainly common buzzards Buteo buteo and goshawks Accipiter gentilis) and video surveillance of their nests, as well as multiannual data on numbers of grouse and small mammals for studying food habits and population dynamics of raptors and their links with population fluctuations of voles and grouse (capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, black grouse Tetrao tetrix and hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia) in western Finland during 1980–1990s when grouse and vole numbers fluctuated in regular cycles. Microtus voles were the main prey of the buzzards which partly switched their diet to small game (juvenile grouse and hares) in years when vole numbers declined. The nesting rate of buzzards also correlated with vole abundance, but the productivity rate and brood size tended to lag behind the vole cycle. This mismatch between the buzzards' functional and numerical responses resulted in a fairly small impact of buzzards on juvenile grouse, which did not correlate with vole density. The productivity of goshawks followed the fluctuations of grouse density closely whereas the occupancy rate of goshawk territories did so with a two-year lag. The annual numerical ratio of goshawk to grouse was inversely related to grouse density, suggesting that this predator may be a destabilising factor for grouse population dynamics. However, the goshawks' kill rate of grouse showed no clear relations to grouse density. In June–July, these birds of prey (including hen harriers Circus cyaneus) usually killed a relatively small number of grouse chicks. Losses to raptors constituted up to one quarter of grouse juvenile mortality during the two months. We did not find a strong effect of avian predators on grouse juvenile mortality. In boreal forests, predators and other factors of grouse mortality do not operate as one, and there is probably no single factor responsible for the reproductive success of grouse.
Scientific diasporas as an option for brain drain: re-circulating knowledge for development

Emigration of highly skilled workers from the global South to the global North or brain drain is a major contributing factor to the increased economic and social disparities in the developing world. The role of skilled immigrants or diasporas in contributing to technological developments in their country of origin is still poorly understood and is particularly interesting given the importance of Science and Technology (S&T) in improving the human condition and economic development. This paper will highlight the role of scientific diasporas as significant partners in development cooperation. We begin by reviewing diasporas as a source of capital for development. We briefly examine a case where skilled diasporas played a role in the technological and economic development of their home country and emphasise the empirical gaps in knowledge on how to harness S&T diasporas' potential. In the last section of this paper, we discuss policy prescriptions for turning brain drain into brain circulation. As developed countries benefit from the brain drain, we suggest they have a responsibility to foster international partnerships between developing countries and their skilled diasporas and that developed countries should make the diaspora option an integral part of their international development policy.
A Review on the Comparative Advantage of Intercropping Systems

Mono-cropping style production has significant problems and that there exists a sufficient justification for studying intercropping approaches. Consequently, researchers have proposed general categories of benefits and utilities of intercropping. Benefits of intercropping are crop yield, productivity of various plant constituents, economic return, yield stability, social benefits, pest control, and fertilizer use efficiency. The most important advantage of intercropping systems includes both tall and short plant components for their potential complementarity in sunlight utilization for crop production. Because of these advantages intercropping is practiced in many parts of the world. Furthermore, because of some favorable exudates from the component legumes, greater land-use efficiency, greater yield stability and increased competitive ability towards weed, intercropping is advantageous over mono-cropping. This review summarizes the most important aspects of intercropping system comparative to mono-cropping system. The objectives of this review are therefore, (1) to assess the available literatures on the intercropping systems so as to indicate the system as an optional cropping system where it is required accordingly, (2) to show the scientific justifications on the advantages and disadvantages of the system in an attempt to provide the comparative advantages over the mono-cropping system for selection and its influence on food security and the economy of a country especially where there is no a problem of labor, and (3) to indicate as the system can allow more efficient uses of on farm resources like water in order to enable sustainable crop production for a nation. Keywords: competition, complementarity, intercropping, mono-cropping
Variations in leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and membrane potential of Medicago sativa root cortex cells exposed to increased salinity: The role of the antioxidant potential in salt tolerance

Paper description: Salinity is one of the most serious agricultural problems that adversely affects growth and productivity of pasture crops. The effects of salinity on some ecophysiological and biochemical criteria associated with salt tolerance were assessed in two Moroccan alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) populations, Taf 1 and Tata in a hydro-aeroponic system. The Tata population was more tolerant to high salinity (200 mM NaCl) and its tolerance was associated with the ability of plants to maintain adequate levels of the studied parameters and their ability to overcome oxidative stress by the induction of antioxidant enzymes, guaiacol peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. Abstract: Salinity is one of the most serious agricultural problems that adversely affects growth and productivity of pasture crops such as alfalfa. In this study, the effects of salinity on some ecophysiological and biochemical criteria associated with salt tolerance were assessed in two Moroccan alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) populations, Taf 1 and Tata. The experiment was conducted in a hydro-aeroponic system containing nutrient solutions, with the addition of NaCl at concentrations of 100 and 200 mM. The salt stress was applied for a month. Several traits in relation to salt tolerance, such as plant dry biomass, relative water content, leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, nutrient uptake, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes, were analyzed at the end of the experiment. The membrane potential was measured in root cortex cells of plants grown with or without NaCl treatment during a week. The results indicated that under salt stress, plant growth and all of the studied physiological and biochemical traits were significantly decreased, except for malondialdehyde and H 2 O 2 contents, which were found to be increased under salt stress. Depolarization of membrane root cortex cells with the increase in external NaCl concentration was noted, irrespective of the growth conditions. The Tata population was more tolerant to high salinity (200 mM NaCl) and its tolerance was associated with the ability of plants to maintain adequate levels of the studied parameters and their ability to overcome oxidative stress by the induction of antioxidant enzymes, such as guaiacol peroxidase, catalase and superoxide dismutase. https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS171019001F Received: October 19, 2017; Revised: December 1, 2017; Accepted: December 15, 2017; Published online: January 8, 2018 How to cite this article: Farissi M, Mouradi M, Farssi O, Bouizgaren A, Ghoulam C. Variations in leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and membrane potential of Medicago sativa root cortex cells exposed to increased salinity: The role of the antioxidant potential in salt tolerance. Arch Biol Sci. 2018;70(3):…
Conceptualizing Ethnicity and Acculturation of Second Generation Asian Indians in Britain

This paper presents a preliminary study of the ethnicity and acculturation of second generation Asian Indians from the Punjabi community. It considers the conditions that have affected the acculturation of Punjabis within British society, and aims to highlight some of the distinct factors that concern them in relation to their roles, values, identities and behavioral patterns. The paper explores existing propositions with regard to culture and acculturation and emotional situational ethnicity with a view to developing our understanding of second generation Asian Indians living in Britain today. The paper conceptualizes acculturation and ethnicity within a model framework before examining the issues developed in the model through primary research amongst young people in the Punjabi community. We discuss the results from this research under the areas of ‘Essential Ethnicity’ Emotional Situational Ethnicity’ ‘Enforced Ethnicity’ and ‘Ethnic Security’, and finally discuss some of the implications of this exploratory study.
Trend analysis of rainfall losses using an event-based hydrological model in eastern NSW

Climate change is likely to impact on the magnitude and frequency of extreme flow events. Whilst flood data have traditionally been assumed to remain stationary, this may no longer be the case due to the effects of climate change. A number of studies have demonstrated trends and variability in annual maximum flood data across Australia. These findings have been supported by Australian climate change studies, which predict increases in extreme rainfalls, increasing evaporation and changes to soil moisture conditions. However, what it is more uncertain is the magnitude of these changes, the specific changes at a regional scale and the impact on catchment characteristics at the local scale and how this affects catchment response when a hydrologic model is to be developed. This study investigates trends in loss parameters using an event-based rainfall-runoff model, for four catchments across eastern New South Wales. These catchments include the Orara River, Ourimbah Creek, Currambene Creek and Pambula River. The analysis explores three loss models, the initial loss-continuing loss (IL-CL) model, initial loss-proportional loss (IL-PL) model and Soil Water balance MODel (SWMOD). Trends were investigated for the loss parameters of all three loss models, including the initial loss (IL), continuing loss (CL), proportional loss (PL) and initial moisture (IM, from SWMOD). The relationship between trends in loss parameters and trends in the annual maximum flow series, antecedent precipitation index, annual runoff totals, annual rainfall totals, number of rainy days and inter-event duration are also examined. In this study, four tests were adopted to test for trends, namely the Mann-Kendall, linear regression, CUSUM and cumulative deviation tests. Results from the tests of change and visual analyses show that for two of the four catchments there is strong evidence of an upward trend in the IL data, strong evidence of a downward trend in the IM data and strong evidence of a downward trend in the API data (28 days). The changes in the initial condition for rainfall-runoff modelling (IL and IM) correspond well to the trends in the API, as surrogate for the antecedent moisture content. Only one of the catchments saw a change in the continuing loss measures (CL and PL), however, this is also the only catchment that shows evidence of trends in the annual flood series.
The Certification Role of Listings

The model developed in this paper shows that differences in incentives of firms to list can have an impact on the decision of exchanges concerning the level of listing requirements they set, and on the gains obtained by firms when they list on an exchange with stringent listing requirements. When firms bear listing costs that are uncorrelated with their quality, changing the level of listing requirements or introducing additional segments with different listing requirements changes the distribution of listed firms and affects thereby indirectly the values of listed firms. This indirect effect can either enforce or weaken the direct impact of more precise information on the value of firms. If the difference in the incentives to list among firms of the same quality is small, the exchange might be induced to set a high level of listing requirements, which leads to a high information efficiency in the economy. If these differences are large, the exchange never sets a high level of listing requirements and efficiency is impeded.
Water Surface Height Determination with a GPS Wave Glider: A Demonstration in Loch Ness, Scotland

AbstractA geodetic GPS receiver has been installed on a Wave Glider, an unmanned water surface vehicle. Using kinematic precise point positioning (PPP) GPS, which operates globally without directly requiring reference stations, surface heights are measured with ~0.05-m precision. The GPS Wave Glider was tested in Loch Ness, Scotland, by measuring the gradient of the loch’s surface height. The experiment took place under mild weather, with virtually no wind setup along the loch and a wave field made mostly of ripples and wavelets. Under these conditions, the loch’s surface height gradient should be approximately equal to the geoid slope. The PPP surface height gradient and that of the Earth Gravitational Model 2008 geoid heights do indeed agree on average along the loch (0.03 m km−1). Also detected are 1) ~0.05-m-sized height changes due to daily water pumping for hydroelectricity generation and 2) high-frequency (0.25–0.5 Hz) oscillations caused by surface waves. The PPP heights compare favorably (~0.02-m.
Incidence of Clostridium perfringens in Broiler Chickens in the Czech Republic

Svobodova I. , I. Steinhauserova, M. nebola: Incidence of Clostridium perfringens in broiler Chicken in the Czech republic. acta v et. brno 2007, 76: S25-S30. Clostridium perfringens is a causative agent of human and animal foodborne diseases. It is known as a normal inhabitant of the intestinal tract of chickens as well as a potential pathogen causing necrotic enteritis. the aim of the present study was to detect the incidence of C. perfringens in healthy broiler chickens. From May 2005 to September 2006, 609 samples of caecal content from broilers from 23 intensive poultry farms were analyzed. the samples were cultivated on TSC and blood agar, typical colonies were identified and biochemically confirmed. the total number of positive samples was 112 (18.39%). the samples were processed by the multiplex polymerase chain reaction method (PCr) for toxin genotyping. the presence of alpha, beta, beta2 and enterotoxin gene was detected. all C. perfringens isolates were classified as type