Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Lethal Concentration of Commercial Gasoline on Caspian Roach ( Rutilus caspicus )

In this study, the mortality effects of commercial gasoline at different tested concentrations were evaluated on the common roach (Rutilus caspicus) and LC50 values for each time period (24, 48, 72, and 96 hours) have been determined. Roach with an average weight of 3.1 ± 0.45 g and lengths of 4 ± 0.25 cm were used in this study. After transferring the 200 fish to the laboratory, they were kept in tanks of 100 liters for one week to adapt them to the experimental conditions. After the adaptation period, 100 fish were selected randomly and divided into 14 treatments (0, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 100 ppm commercial gasoline). The treatments were completed in triplicate. The results of this study show that the 96-hour LC50 of commercial gasoline is 600.2 ± 0.44 ppm and the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) is 60.02 mg/L. The study demonstrates the deadly effects of commercial gasoline on the Caspian roach. Spillage of diesel and gasoline fuels from transport tankers can enter rivers and eventually the marine ecosystem, and reach nursery and spawning areas where it can become a serious threat to fish survival.
Text Localization and Recognition in Natural Scene Images

The extraction of text in an image is a classical problem in the computer vision. With the increasing popularity of practical vision system text recognition in natural scenes becomes a critical task. Text data present in images and video contain useful information for automatic annotation, image indexing. But as natural scene images contain complex background, multiple fonts and orientations, and different alignments make the problem of automatic text extraction extremely challenging. This paper proposes the approach for automatic detection of text from images and explains the methodology to extract and recognize multi-oriented text in natural scene images.
Non-goblet columnar epithelium in the distal esophagus: review of recent advances in understanding the origin and neoplastic potential

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with the replacement of normal squamous epithelium with columnar epithelium in the distal esophagus increasing adenocarcinoma (AC) risk. Two types of metaplastic epithelia have been identified: goblet-cell columnar epithelium (GCE), and non-goblet-cell columnar epithelium (NGCE). GCE, also called barrett’s esophagus (BE), has been associated with an increased risk for neoplasia. Alternatively, few studies have discussed AC risk in NGCE. Some have argued that squamous epithelium transforms to NGCE, which gives rise to GCE. Accordingly, NGCE and GCE may represent different stages in the metaplastic spectrum. Moreover, histological examination of mucosa immediately adjacent to esophageal AC, and molecular findings in NGCE provide additional evidence that this epithelial type may carry a similar risk for developing neoplasia when compared to Barrett epithelium. Therefore, identification of goblet cells, currently a prerequisite for the diagnosis of BE, might not be a sensitive indicator for the evaluation of neoplasia risk in these patients, and a search for more appropriate markers is warranted.
Police stations for instant reaction: a maximal homicide coverage location problem

Abstract. The probability of facing prison is one of the major factors that deters individuals from committing crimes. The degree of impact of this variable is affected both by the severity of penalties, and by the probability of being caught, which largely depends on the level of police coverage in the jurisdiction. Thus, we consider a maximal covering location problem where the objective is to provide maximal coverage of weighted potential homicide spots through the construction of police stations for instant reaction, subject to a budget constraint. Our empirical application is performed in Medelĺın (Colombia), one of the cities with the highest homicide rate in the World. Specifically , we call the Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API) to estimate average travelling time between police stations and criminal spots, then we use a Simulated Annealing algorithm to find the best feasible allocation of stations subject to a set of suggested budgets. We confirm that the maximum coverage follows a diminishing marginal process over the budget.
Application of Inorganic Fertilizers and Organic Manures on the Production of Autotrophic Plankton in Madhupur Tract Soil Contained Miniature Tank

Appropriate fertilizer and their impact on physico-chemical parameters of water and productivity is very important for aquaculture and ecology. Optimum fertilizer dose can help in fish farmer as well as aquaculture sector. From the study it was found that the total physicochemical parameters of water were suitable for aquaculture, drinking water, irrigation and domestic use. The average water temperature was 26.45±2.75 o C; 26.50±3.24 o C; 25.83±4.08 o C; 26.57±3.02 o C and 26.53±2.93 o C for MCRT-1 to 5 gradually. Water pH in an average was 7.37±0.61; 7.44±0.55; 7.25±0.58; 7.33±0.54 and 7.47±0.49 for Minature Circular Research Tank (MCRT)-1 to 5 respectively. Average water DO were 6.98±1.05 mgl -1 ; 6.75±1.53 mgl -1 ; 6.90±1.64 mgl -1 ; 6.59±1.19mgl-1 and 6.77±1.60mgl -1 for MCRT-1 to 5 respectively. Average water hardness were 71.88 ± 20.47 mgl -1 ; 60.5 ±2 1.25 mgl -1 ; 83.38 ± 23.39 mgl -1 ; 59.13 ± 25.57 mgl -1 and 52.63 ± 7.92 mgl -1 for MCRT-1 to 5 gradually. Average water total phosphorus were 0.77 ± 0.18 mgl -1 ; 0.83 ± 0.19 mgl -1 ; 0.78 ± 0.21 mgl -1 ; 0.84 ± 0.17 mgl -1 and 0.84 ± 0.16 mgl -1 for MCRT-1 to 5 gradually. From planktonic study it was found that the highest phytoplankton and Zooplankton were in MCRT-3. Phytoplanktons were under 27 no. of genera. Their groups were Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Euglenophyceae and Hepatecae.Zooplankton were five major taxa and they were Protozoa, Rotifera, Cladocera, Copepod and Ostracoda respectively. J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 10(1): 9-14 2017
A Method to Make Classification of the Heat Treatment Processes Performed on Bronze Using Incomplete Knowledge

The article describes the problem ofselection ofhea t treatment parametersto obtainthe requiredmechanic al propertiesin heat- treated bronzes.Amethodology for the construction ofa class ificationmodelbased onrough settheory is presented. A modelof this type allowsthe construction ofinference rulesalso in thecase when ourknowledge of theexisting phenomenais incomplete, and this is situation commonly encounteredwhen new materials enter the market. Inthe case of new testmaterials, such asthe grade of b ronze describedinthisarticle, we still lackfull knowledge and the choice of heat tre atmentparameters is based ona fragmentaryknowledge resulting fromexperimental studies.The measurement resultscan be useful in bui lding of a model, this model, however, cannot bedet erministic, but can only approximatethe stochasticnature ofphenomena.The use ofrough set theoryallows for efficientinferenceals oin areasthat are not yetfully explored.
Assessments of Mediterranean precipitation changes for the 21st century using statistical downscaling techniques

Statistical downscaling techniques are used to assess Mediterranean precipitation changes for the period 1990–2100 under increased greenhouse warming conditions from climate model output of large‐scale predictor changes. Analyses are carried out on a monthly basis for the main rainy season from October to May. Results of two statistical techniques, multiple regression analysis, and canonical correlation analysis, are compared. Furthermore, differences which arise from the use of different combinations of the predictor variables, such as geopotential heights, humidity, and sea surface temperatures are discussed. Predictor output from seven different AOGCM runs (two ECHAM4/OPYC3 runs, four ECHO‐G runs including a three‐member ensemble, and one HadCM3 run) is used to assess Mediterranean precipitation changes in the 21st century. Five of the AOGCM runs were forced with B2 scenario assumptions according to the special report on emission scenarios (SRES), one with SRES‐A2 scenario assumptions, and one with the former IS92a scenario. Using 1000 hPa‐/500 hPa‐geopotential heights and 1000 hPa‐specific humidity as large‐scale predictors, a shorter but wetter wet season is evident for the western and northern Mediterranean regions including precipitation increases in winter and decreases in the transitional seasons for the period 2071–2100 compared to 1990–2019. The eastern and southern parts of the Mediterranean area exhibit mainly negative precipitation changes from October to May for an increased greenhouse gas forcing. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Determinants of full vaccination status in a rural community with accessible vaccination services in South-South Nigeria

Background: Immunization promotes child survival. Low vaccination coverage in rural areas in Nigeria is associated with vaccination posts being too far, but other determinants exist. Objective: To assess the proportion and determinants of full vaccination of children in a rural community with accessible immunization services. Methods: A cross-sectional house-to-house survey was conducted in a rural community in Edo State, Nigeria. The community has two readily accessible vaccination posts. Using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, data on the vaccination status of 12-to-59 month-old children and other variables related to the child were collected from their mothers. Fisher's exact test and odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to explore factors associated with full vaccination. Results: A total of 305 mothers were interviewed and 299 (98.0%) reported that their children received at least one of BCG, OPV, DPT and measles vaccine. Fully vaccinated children were 246 (80.7%). A child's birth in a health facility (P < 0.001; OR = 0.15, 95%CI = 0.07-0.33), mother's knowledge of the benefits of immunization (P = 0.001; OR = 0.21, 95%CI = 0.08-0.60) a mother being employed (P = 0.003; OR = 2.48, 95%CI =1.32-4.68) and a high birth order (P = 0.002) were significantly associated with full vaccination. Conclusion: Birth and maternal factors facilitate full vaccination in rural areas, especially where vaccination posts are readily accessible. Knowledge and behavioural gaps should be corrected using health education. Qualitative studies are required to better understand the behavioural determinants of full vaccination. Keywords: Full Vaccination, Immunization Coverage, Child Survival, Rural Area, Nigeria
R&D Activity and Operating Performance of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs): The Case of a Small Open Economy

The paper investigates the impact of R&D activity on operational performance of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Prior studies have indicated that R&D activity improves market performance of large listed companies in advanced economies. We extend the research objective on the operational performance of SMEs in the small open Greek economy in which SMEs are normally not listed companies operating in a “bank-driven” financial system. The empirical results highlight the positive role of R&D investment in the performance improvement of SMEs, especially in the increase of operating cash flows and gross profit margins. Furthermore, the results indicate that the performance impact of R&D activity is moderated by the life cycle and firm size, but it does not depend on the technological intensity of the industry. Overall, the findings suggest that R&D activity may be a positive factor in the enhancement of operational performance of SMEs.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of environmental damages through instauration and registers of lawful documents

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the environmental damages occurrences was conducted through the lawful documents established for charging at the State Prosecution Service of Sao Carlos city, State of Sao Paulo, during 1991 - 2000, to understand the relationship between environmental problems and the current development actions. The environmental damage identified were grouped into nine classes, where deforestation was prevailing in each year along the period of study. Of the total number of deforestation occurrences, 180 was related to areas smaller than 5 ha. It corresponded to 110.35 ha of the total deforested area. The other 37 were associated with areas higher than 5 ha, equivalent to 1,013.27 ha. The registers of environmental damages in the period in a rough estimate, corresponded to a mediam loss of 5.91 ± 4.14 ha/occurrence and of 112.36 ± 91.73 ha/year of deforested area.
New constraints on the star formation history of the star cluster NGC 1856

We use the Wide Field Camera 3 onboard the Hubble Space Telescope to obtain deep, high-resolution photometry of the young (age ∼ 300 Myr) star cluster NGC 1856 in the Large Magellanic Cloud. We compare the observed colour-magnitude diagram (CMD), after having applied a correction for differential reddening, with Monte Carlo simulations of simple stellar populations (SSPs) of various ages. We find that the main-sequence turn-off (MSTO) region is wider than that derived from the simulation of a single SSP. Using constraints based on the distribution of stars in the MSTO region and the Red Clump, we find that the CMD is best reproduced using a combination of two different SSPs with ages separated by 80 Myr (0.30 and 0.38 Gyr, respectively). However, we cannot formally exclude that the width of the MSTO could be due to a range of stellar rotation velocities if the efficiency of rotational mixing is higher than typically assumed. Using a King-model fit to the surface number density profile in conjunction with dynamical evolution models, we determine the evolution of cluster mass and escape velocity from an age of 10 Myr to the present age, taking into account the possible effects of primordial mass segregation. We find that the cluster has an escape velocity Vesc ≃ 17 km s−1 at an age of 10 Myr, and it remains high enough during a period of ≃100 Myr to retain material ejected by slow winds of first-generation stars. Our results are consistent with the presence of an age spread in NGC 1856, in contradiction to the results of Bastian & Silva-Villa.
Factors associated with utilization of institutional delivery care and postnatal care services in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries with high maternal mortality rate due to complication of delivery. Institutional delivery care and postnatal care are key health services that can reduce maternal mortality. The main objective of this study was to identify factors affecting utilization of institutional delivery and postnatal care services. The data for this study were obtained from the 2014 EDHS which is a national representative of women aged 15-49 years. The total number of women included in the study was 3710. Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression model were used to analyze the data. The descriptive results showed that about 26.2 and 23.6% of women used institutional delivery and postnatal care services, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the effect of each predicator variable on the use of institutional delivery and postnatal care among women. Accordingly, educational level, place of residence, sex of household head, wealth index, region and ANC visits were found to be significant determinants of utilizing both institutional delivery and postnatal care at 5% level of significance. Number of living children was also found to be a significant predictor of institutional delivery use. Women who reside in rural areas were less likely to use maternity health care services than those who live in urban areas. Education and wealth index were found to be statistically significant in the use of IDC and PNC. Thus, great attention should be given to women who are living in rural areas, in low wealth index and in illiterate group. Key words: Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS), Ethiopia, Institutional Delivery Care (IDC), postnatal care (PNC), logistic regression model.
Faunal turnover of arthropod assemblages along a wide gradient of disturbance in Gabon

We examined the results of a study in Gamba, Gabon, focusing on the impacts of disturbance on arthropods, including more than 400 000 individuals, from which 21 focal taxa were separated into 1534 morphospecies by parataxonomists. Replication included the understorey of three sites in each of four different stages of forest succession and land use (= ‘habitats’) after logging (old and young forests, savanna and gardens), surveyed over a whole year with three sampling methods. Generally, there was a good correspondence between the number of species sorted by taxonomists and the number of morphospecies sorted by parataxonomists. Despite higher taxonomic groups being present in most habitats, a large proportion of insect species was site- or habitat-specific. Anthropogenic modification of habitats did not result in a monotonic decline of abundance and diversity, as many herbivore pests and their associated predators and parasitoids invaded gardens, where plant productivity was kept artificially high year-round through watering and crop rotation. Because gardens were colonized mostly by invasive crop pests with little relation with the forest fauna, these results emphasize the concept of maintenance of ‘quality biodiversity’ and the value of considering other variables than species richness alone in conservation studies. Further, several lines of evidence indicated that savanna habitats at Gamba supported a species-poor arthropod fauna distinct from that in nearby habitats. It is therefore questionable whether in Africa insect assemblages of savanna represent a smaller subset of their neighboring forest fauna.
Professional Development in Integrating Technology Into Teaching and Learning: Knowns, Unknowns, and Ways to Pursue Better Questions and Answers

The literature base on technology professional development for teachers reveals that there is a long way to go in understanding methods of effective practice with respect to the various impacts of these activities on teaching and learning. In the No Child Left Behind era, with programs like Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology, the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education, and E-rate (the schools and library portion of the Universal Service Fund) that have been targeted as No Demonstrated Results, we need to move to a more systematic study of how technology integration occurs within our schools, what increases its adoption by teachers, and the long-term impacts that these investments have on both teachers and students. In addition to the findings of a comprehensive literature review, this article also articulates a systematic evaluation plan that, if implemented, will likely yield the information needed to better understand these important educational issues.
Natural Selection Influences the Reactions of Children to Potentially Dangerous Animals

Certain animals have represented a danger to humans in terms of a predation and pathogen threat over our evolutionary history. It is therefore adaptive for people to respond to a potential threat faster than to harmless events. Using simple choice tasks, the reaction time of children to predators, disease carriers and aposematically coloured animals were investigated. Children reacted the fastest to predators, followed by disease carriers and finally aposematically coloured animals. Furthermore, children manifested the highest accuracy when distinguishing predators from non-predators, followed by disease carriers and harmless animals, with the most errors occurring when identifying the aposematically coloured from non-aposematically coloured animals. Importantly, children more vulnerable to infectious diseases responded to disease carriers faster than healthier children. These results suggest that children are skilled in distinguishing potential danger from non-danger and that the behavioural immune system influences reaction times in visual contact with the pathogen threat.
Healthy and Affordable Food in Low-Income Neighborhoods: A Community Food Security Assessment of Smith Hill

Community food security refers to a situation where all residents in a community can access affordable and nutritionally adequate foods. When a community has difficultly accessing healthy and affordable food, it is an issue of community food insecurity; lowincome and urban communities experience this problem greatly. Key indicators of food insecurity include households with incomes below the poverty line, minority households, female-headed households, households with children, a lack of a supermarket and lack of adequate transportation. This study examined the issue of community food security in the Smith Hill neighborhood of Providence, RI. It was hypothesized that the Smith Hill community, as a low-income, urban neighborhood, would experience a moderate level of community food insecurity, as it would experience the various factors and barriers noted in the literature that contribute to problems accessing healthy and affordable food. The various factors of food availability and affordability were hypothesized to be the most problematic for the community and its residents. To understand this problem, a small-scale community food security assessment of the Smith Hill neighborhood in Providence, RI was completed and evaluated. This assessment included both descriptive data about the community, as well as interviews with four key stakeholders in the community who work in areas related to food access. Results of the study supported the hypothesis in some areas, but not in others. Assessment and interview results indicated that the Smith Hill community experiences some food access and food insecurity problems, as a result of many residents living below the poverty level and experiencing other factors akin to food insecurity, but the existence of food pantries, federal food assistance programs and the new supermarket do a great deal to alleviate these problems. Limitations of the study and implications for social work practice, policy and research are also discussed.
Experimental Study on Fatigue Behaviour of BFRP-Concrete Bond Interfaces under Bending Load

Basalt fiber reinforced polymer (BFRP) composites are increasingly being used to retrofit concrete structures by external bonding. For such strengthened members, the BFRP-concrete interface plays the crucial role of transferring stresses. This study aims to investigate the fatigue behaviour of the interface under bending load. A series of tests were conducted on BFRP-concrete bonded joint, including static, fatigue, and postfatigue loading. The fatigue failure modes, the development of deflection, the evolution of BFRP strains, and the propagation of interfacial cracks were analysed. In addition, the debonding-induced fatigue life of BFRP-concrete bonded joints was studied. Finally, a new model of fatigue life was proposed by defining the effective fatigue bond stress. The results showed that the fatigue experience has a significant effect on the BFRP strength especially near the root of concrete transverse crack and on the bond performance of the adhesive near the interface crack tip. There are two main fatigue failure modes: BFRP rupture and BFRP debonding. The fatigue damage development of the bond interface has three stages: rapid, stable, and unstable growth. The proposed model for the debonding-induced fatigue life is more conservative for the BFRP-concrete bonded joints under pure shear load than for those under bending load.