Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Color Doppler Evaluation of Cerebral-Umbilical Pulsatility Ratio and its Usefulness in the Diagnosis of Intrauterine Growth Retardation and Prediction of Adverse Perinatal Outcome

The purpose of this study is Evaluation of cerebral umbilical pulsatility ratio by color Doppler and to estimate the value of pulsatility index ratio of cerebral umbilical vessels in the diagnosis of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses and in the prediction of adverse perinatal outcome . Validity of the test were confirmed by determining sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, negative predictive value. The study population comprised 40 pregnancies of 30-41 weeks gestation that had been diagnosed clinically as intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) over a period of 1 year. The cerebral umbilical pulsatility ratio (C/U ratio) were calculated. The pregnancies were followed up and the final perinatal outcome of each case were noted. Various intraparum and neonatal indicators were used to assess the outcome, with an adverse outcome being defined as the presence of one or more of these indicators. The most common adverse perinatal outcome was birth asphyxia, low apgar score, stay at NICU, still birth and caesarean section for fetal distress. Of the 40 pregnancies in the study, 30 (75%) showed abnormal C/U ratio. Among these, 32 (80%) were SGA and 32 (80%) had adverse perinatal outcome. Of the 30 out of 40 pregnancies that showed abnormal C/U ratio (<1.08), all 30 (80%) were SGA and had adverse perinatal outcome. The results were correlated with parameters of fetal outcome. Inferences drawn from the study was that C/U ratio is a tools for prediction of SGA fetuses and adverse perinatal outcome.
ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST FOUR FOOD-BORNE FUNGAL STRAINS

Uleiurile esenţiale (EOs) obţinute din plante au fost utilizate de secole ca agenţi antimicrobieni. Cresterea rezistenţei bacteriilor la antibiotice precum si eforturile de a obţine conservanţi naturali in fabricarea produselor alimentare au crescut interesul pentru posibile aplicaţii ale Eos. Scopul acestui studiu este de a determina activitatea antimicrobiană a patru uleiuri esenţiale impotriva unor tulpini de microorganisme ca Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Monascus purpureus si Penicillium hirsutum care alterează frecvent produsele alimentare.
Encouraging Teachers’ and Students’ Innovation with the Support of Teacher Learning Communities

The purpose of this paper is to share knowledge generated through the implementation of “Teaching Innovation Teams” as a strategy for teachers’ professional development and innovation at the University of Alcala (Spain). We analyse the contributions of this strategy to the facilitation of curriculum innovation in higher education and reflect on some of theachievements and results of the activities carried out by these teams, identifying the dilemmas and difficulties that teachers experienced and that hinder the development of curriculum innovations. Finally, we outline some educational contributions of Teaching Innovation Teams understood as a collaborative and formative strategy to facilitate educational change.
Feedback and gestural behaviour in a conversational corpus of Danish

Proceedings of the 3rd Nordic Symposium on Multimodal Communication. Editors: Patrizia Paggio, Elisabeth Ahlsen, Jens Allwood, Kristiina Jokinen, Costanza Navarretta. NEALT Proceedings Series, Vol. 15 (2011), 33–39. © 2011 The editors and contributors. Published by Northern European Association for Language Technology (NEALT) http://omilia.uio. no/nealt . Electronically published at Tartu University Library (Estonia) http://hdl.handle. net/10062/22532 .
On the niteness of rational curves on quintic threefolds

© Foundation Compositio Mathematica, 1986, tous droits réservés. L’accès aux archives de la revue « Compositio Mathematica » (http: //http://www.compositio.nl/) implique l’accord avec les conditions générales d’utilisation (http://www.numdam.org/legal.php). Toute utilisation commerciale ou impression systématique est constitutive d’une infraction pénale. Toute copie ou impression de ce fichier doit contenir la présente mention de copyright.
Information Technology Competency of Registered Nurse Undergraduates at the Completion of IT Preparatory Course in Bsc Nursing Degree at a Selected Private University in Sri Lanka

Information technology (IT) has slowly been implemented in many health-care organizations (i.e. hospitals). The use of computers has advanced to home care and long-term facilities. Consequently, it is important that nurses are able to demonstrate competence and feel confident in the use of IT. This study was conducted to determine the self-satisfactory level of IT competency and to compare the relationship between self-satisfactory level and the actual performance of IT competencies of undergraduate Nursing students. A qualitative descriptive study design focused with convenience sampling technique was used. Data were collected on the starting day of the class for the pretest through a written survey distributed, and it was completed by 90 Nursing students in batch 6c and 60 Nursing students participated in the posttest after completion of the course. The final results of a set of 56 students in the final examination were collected. Data were analyzed in terms of descriptive statistics, t-test, and regression analysis. It was noticed that nursing students acquired more competence and satisfaction after the completion of IT preparatory course. Therefore, they performed well in their final examination. Finally, we concluded that Nursing students need an IT preparatory course before starting their nursing degree since it will help them to adapt to further education and nursing informatics field in the future.
Proximate Composition and Heavy Metal Analysis of Three Aquatic Foods in Makoko River, Lagos, Nigeria

Three aquatic products, tilapia fish, lobster and crab, were collected from the landing site of fishermen in Makoko, a fishing suburb in Lagos State, Nigeria. They were analyzed for their proximate composition, and concentration of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, and Pb) was also measured in them. The nutrient values varied among the three organisms. The lobsters and crabs had higher protein values while tilapia was richer in lipid and moisture content. In most cases, these differences were not significant. The concentration of heavy metals also differed in the three organisms. All organisms had high concentrations of the three heavy metals analyzed. The heavy metal load as observed in this study is consistent with some previously reported values in literature. Plausible reasons for these differences were discussed in light of size, trophic level, choice of food of the organisms, and anthropogenic activities. It may be advisable that heavy metal concentrations are regularly monitored in edible aquatic food products so that human health is not at risk.
CAPTURE OF TROJANS BY JUMPING JUPITER

Jupiter Trojans are thought to be survivors of a much larger population of planetesimals that existed in the planetary region when planets formed. They can provide important constraints on the mass and properties of the planetesimal disk, and its dispersal during planet migration. Here, we tested a possibility that the Trojans were captured during the early dynamical instability among the outer planets (aka the Nice model), when the semimajor axis of Jupiter was changing as a result of scattering encounters with an ice giant. The capture occurs in this model when Jupiter's orbit and its Lagrange points become radially displaced in a scattering event and fall into a region populated by planetesimals (that previously evolved from their natal transplanetary disk to ∼5 AU during the instability). Our numerical simulations of the new capture model, hereafter jump capture, satisfactorily reproduce the orbital distribution of the Trojans and their total mass. The jump capture is potentially capable of explaining the observed asymmetry in the number of leading and trailing Trojans. We find that the capture probability is (6–8) × 10−7 for each particle in the original transplanetary disk, implying that the disk contained (3–4) × 107 planetesimals with absolute magnitude H < 9 (corresponding to diameter D = 80 km for a 7% albedo). The disk mass inferred from this work, Mdisk ∼ 14–28 MEarth, is consistent with the mass deduced from recent dynamical simulations of the planetary instability.
Late Pleistocene and Holocene Vegetation, Climate Dynamics, and Amazonian Taxa in the Atlantic Forest, Linhares, SE Brazil

Analysis of biological proxies in lake sediment and geochemical analysis of soil profiles reveal natural vegetation dynamics, with climate inferences, since the late Pleistocene in a fragment of the pristine lowland Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Carbon isotopes from soil organic matter and 14C ages from the humin fraction indicate the dominance of C3 plants since ∼17,000 cal BP. Palynological analysis of a sediment core indicates the presence of Atlantic Forest vegetation since 7700 cal BP. Changes in the relative abundance of tree ferns and palms suggest the predominance of a humid period from ∼7000–4000 cal BP and establishment of the modern seasonal climate at ∼4000 cal BP. Data indicate maintenance of the regional forest coverage since the late Pleistocene, corroborating previous suggestions that this region was a forest refuge during less humid periods of the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Some plant taxa with currently divided distributions between Amazonia and the Atlantic Forest colonized the region since at least 7500 cal BP, indicating an earlier connection between Amazonia and Atlantic Forest.
Retinol Binding Protein 4 in Relation to Diet , In fl ammation , Immunity , and Cardiovascular Diseases 1 , 2

Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), previously called retinol binding protein (RBP), is considered a specific carrier of retinol in the blood. It is also an adipokine that has been implicated in the pathophysiology of insulin resistance. RBP4 seems to be correlated with cardiometabolic markers in inflammatory chronic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It has recently been suggested that inflammation produced by RBP4 induces insulin resistance and CVD. The clinical relevance of this hypothesis is discussed in this review. Knowledge concerning the association of RBP4 with inflammation markers, oxidative stress, and CVDs as well as concerning the role of diet and antioxidants in decreasing RBP4 concentrations are discussed. Special attention is given to methodologies used in previously published studies and covariates that should be controlled when planning new studies on this adipokine. Adv Nutr 2015;6:748–62.
Graphic analysis of trait relations of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) landraces using the biplot method.

SABAGHNIA NASER, BEHTASH FARHAD, JANMOHAMMADI MOHSEN. 2015. Graphic Analysis of Trait Relations of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Landraces Using the Biplot Method. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 63(4): 1187–1194. Interest in growing spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) in Iran is increasing due to its potential returns relative to other leafy vegetable crops. An experiment was conducted to examine the infl uencing characters on spinach by using 54 spinach landraces with application of the biplot methodology in visualizing research data. The study revealed that genotype by trait (GT) biplot can graphically display the interrelationships among traits and facilitate visual comparison of genotypes. The fi rst two principal components (PC1 and PC2) of the site regression model accounted for 66% of the total variation in 54 landraces and accounted for 78% of the total variation in 16 clusters which are generated from cluster analysis of above landraces. The polygon view of GT biplot suggested seven sections for the 54 landraces and suggested four sections for the 16 clusters. The vertex landrace G38 had longest days to fl owering and the vertex landrace G20 had most values for the other measured traits. The other vertex genotypes were not good in any traits. The vertex clusters were C1, C4, C8, and C14 which cluster C8 had the highest values of fl owering period, leaf length and petiole diameter while, cluster C14 had the highest values for the other traits. The results can be used to design effi cient breeding strategies in spinach.
A Survey of Private Equity Investments in Kenya

Private equity investments in the recent past have been very strong and using leverage to make deals has accelerated sharply as well in both developed and emerging economies. Therefore, private equity is a suitable alternative in financing organizations at their various stages of growth. Hence, this study uses an exploratory approach to establish the extent to which private equity investments are adopted by firms, the forms of private equity mostly applicable and the exit strategies of private equity funds. Primary data was collected using a questionnaire as the main primary data collection tool. The findings show that banks and development financial institutions are the top investors in private equity funds and large corporate companies are the top clients in adoption of private equity followed by SMEs while listed companies are the lowest adopters of private equity. Key words : Private equity, venture capital, private equity investments, exit strategies.
Food Security, Fertility Differentials and Land Degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Framework

We study the impact of differential fertility levels for the food-insecure and food-secure population on the long-run values of the population distribution and resources in a descriptive model where the food security states are determined by a historically given food distribution and the endogenous food production with resources and labour as inputs. Furthermore, we assume that the resource stock is reduced by poverty-driven environmental degradation. Moreover, we incorporate nutritional effects on labour productivity and mortality. By applying local bifurcation theory, we show that the model may exhibit multiple equilibria. Furthermore, the orbits of resources and the population distribution may be characterised by quasi-periodic behaviour. Sustainable development in terms of approaching a steady state with positive values of resources and food-secure population is only promoted by low fertility levels of the food-insecure and food-secure population.
Inadequate Taxonomy and Highly Divergent COI Haplotypes in Laboratory and Field Populations of Earthworms used in Ecotoxicology. A Case Study

DNA barcoding was used to investigate the phylogenetic delimitations of Eisenia sp. populations used in ecotoxicological research in South Africa. A total of three focal groups (used in published works) and two non-focal groups were assessed. These focal groups, including two laboratory cultures and one field population, have been referred to as Eisenia fetida in the literature. A previous molecular study had already helped to establish that one of the two laboratory groups was a population of E. fetida's sister species E. andrei. In the present contribution, analyses of the COI gene revealed that the taxonomy of the remaining laboratory and field populations had also been incorrectly assigned since all the generated sequences grouped unequivocally with published sequences of E. andrei. Very high sequence divergence (>25% K2P) found within E. andrei could signal the occurrence of hitherto undescribed cryptic species. These findings are discussed with an emphasis on the possible consequences of using poorly identified earthworms or specimens with high molecular divergence in ecotoxicological bioassays. It is not clear whether unbeknownst to the researchers, the use of cryptic species in bioassays could jeopardise the quality of ecotoxicological investigations. Early evidence suggests that cryptic oligochaete species may respond differently to metal toxicity. The need for comparative ecotoxicological studies between E. andrei and E. fetida is also evidenced, especially in the light of recent numerous reports of cryptic oligochaete species. Ecotoxicologists are consequently encouraged, whenever possible, to make use of available genomic technologies to screen their laboratory stocks and available field populations for any molecular distinctiveness.
Strategic Oil Dependence

In the oil market large sellers and their cartel communicate like central bankers, emphasizing credibility and security of supply. Why is this? We analyze sellers' supply policies when future demand is intertwined with consumers' interest in ending the relationship. We show that strategic sellers maintain resource­dependence by increasing supplies from declining reserves. When the size of the remaining resource is only privately observed, policies of secure supply can exploit buyers' imperfect information and imply a risk of future supply shock. This suggests a new perspective to sellers' strategic behavior in the oil market.
Role of Age Hardening Heat Treatment on the Hardness Values of 93.95 Al-5 Zn-1.05 Sn/5 Al2o3- Sio2 Particulate Composite

Abstract - The effect of age hardening heat treatment on the hardness values of 93.95Al-5Zn-1.05Sn/5Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 particulate composite has been studied. The data used for the work was generated at the National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos Foundry shop, where the composite was developed. The composite was developed using the stir cast method. The result of the work has shown that the composite has a response to age hardening heat treatment with the optimum hardness value occurring at 2 hours of age hardening. A model was developed for the relationship between age hardening time and hardness of the composite. It was tested, and the product moment of correlation and the coefficient of correlation values attested to the degree of correlation existing between the two variables.
Development of a Spatial Hydrologic Soil Map Using Spectral Reflectance Band Recognition and a Multiple-Output Artificial Neural Network Model

Abstract. Soil type is important in any civil engineering project. Thorough and comprehensive information on soils in both the spatial and temporal domains can assist in sustainable hydrological, environmental and agricultural development. Conventional soil sampling and laboratory analysis are generally time-consuming, costly and limited in their ability to retrieve the temporal and spatial variability, especially in large areas. Remote sensing is able to provide meaningful data, including soil properties, on several spatial scales using spectral reflectance. In this study, a multiple-output artificial neural network model was integrated with geographic information system, remote sensing and survey data to determine the distributions of hydrologic soil groups in the Horan Valley in the Western Desert of Iraq. The model performance was evaluated using seven performance criteria along with the hydrologic soil groups developed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). On the basis of the performance criteria, the model performed best for predicting the spatial distribution of clay soil, and the predicted soil types agreed well with the soil classifications of the USGS. Most of the samples were categorized as sandy loam, whereas one sample was categorized as loamy sand. The proposed method is reliable for predicting the hydrological soil groups in a study area.
Monitoring Avian Migration with Dedicated Vertical-looking Radar

Bird migrations occurs on an intercontinental scale. An estimated 2.1 billion birds move between Europe and Africa annually but recording this migration can be extremely difficult. Much of this migration is nocturnal and takes place at high altitudes making it difficult to quantify migration by observation and understand fully the flight characteristics of migratory birds. Here we describe a new application of vertical-looking radar technology dedicated to ornithology. The novel system is the first dedicated bird radar to utilise a nutating beam to continuously record: height, speed, direction, size and wingbeat frequency of targets. This system can then automatically record and classify the flight types of targets to a relatively low taxonomic level, in detail without the need for constant operator supervision. We discuss what the user can achieve with the system’s features as well as its limitations and suggest how this can be applied to the study of avian movements.
Cytosolic phospholipase A2 S-nitrosylation in ghrelin protection against detrimental effect of ethanol cytotoxicity on gastric mucin synthesis ——Ghrelin in gastric mucosal protection

Ghrelin, a peptide hormone produced mainly in the stomach, has emerged recently as an important regulator of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme systems, the products of which play direct cytoprotective function in the maintenance of gastric mucosal integrity. In this study, using gastric mucosal cells, we report on the role of ghrelin in countering the cytotoxic effect of ethanol on mucin synthesis. We show that the countering effect of ghrelin on mucin synthesis was associated with the increase in NO and PGE2 production, and characterized by a marked up-regulation in cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) activity. The ghrelin-induced up-regulation in mucin synthesis, like that of cPLA2 activity, was subject to suppression by Src inhibitor, PP2 and ERK inhibitor, PD98059, as well as ascorbate. Moreover, the loss in countering effect of ghrelin on the ethanol cytotoxicity and mucin synthesis was attained with cNOS inhibitor, L-NAME as well as COX-1 inhibitor SC-560. The effect of L-NAME was reflected in the inhibition of ghrelin-induced mucosal cell capacity for NO production, cPLA2 S-nitrosylation and PGE2 generation, whereas COX-1 inhibitor caused only the inhibition in PGE2 generation. Our findings suggest that the activation of gastric mucosal cPLA2 through cNOS-induced S-nitrosylation plays an essential role in the countering effect of ghrelin on the disturbances in gastric mucin synthesis caused by ethanol cytotoxicity.
Plio-Pleistocene Crocodylus (Crocodylia) from southwestern Costa Rica

Abstract Mammal and reptile fossils were observed as a lag deposit along a 50 m stretch of a small creek in the Puntarenas Province of southwestern Costa Rica. The fossil deposit, known as El Indio, dates to the late Pliocene – early Pleistocene. Skeletal elements of a crocodylian have characteristics that indicate they belong to a species of Crocodylus (Reptilia, Crocodylia). Crocodylian remains were common and recovered with turtles and extinct forms of gomphothere proboscideans, horse, camel, ground sloth (Eremotherium), and pampatheres (extinct giant armadillos, Holmesina and Pampatherium). The record of the crocodylian from El Indo indicates the importance of this new fossil locality and presents the first reported Plio-Pleistocene remains of Crocodylus from Costa Rica. Although Crocodylus is known to inhabit much of the coastal and large riverine systems of Costa Rica today, the remains from El Indio are the first evidence to indicate that this crocodylian has at least a two million year record in Central America and this important corridor between North and South America.