Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The use of eye-tracking in experimental approaches in second language acquisition research: the primary effects of Processing Instruction in the acquisition of the French imperfect

ABSTRACT Despite the ample database of research findings on the benefits of Processing Instruction (PI), research thus has primarily made use of offline measures to establish how L2 learners comprehend and process sentences. Using online methodology, such as eye-tracking, allows research to more directly measure implicit knowledge. The sensitivity of these measures requires meticulous design choices to ensure validity and replicability. This study provides an overview of the linguistic and physical design considerations necessary for creating eye-tracking materials in SLA research. The present study demonstrates the application of these design considerations in an eye-tracking study, comparing the changes in processing patterns between two types of instruction: PI and Traditional Instruction (TI) on low intermediate L2 adult learners’ acquisition of the French imperfect aspect. The results of the experimental study show beneficial gains made by L2 learners who received PI on the French imperfect tense, this was seen in both a significant increase in accuracy scores from pre-test to post-test and change in their cognitive processing as shown by eye-movement data. The present study emphasizes the need for future studies to consider methodological reflections and key design principles in eye-tracking research.
Changes in rearing conditions rapidly modify gut microbiota structure in Tenebrio molitor larvae

The gut microbiota of multicellular organisms has been shown to play a key role in their host biology. In mammals, it has an invariant component, responsible for establishing a mutualistic relationship with the host. It also contains a dynamic fraction which facilitates adaptation in response to changes in the environment. These features have been well described in mammals, but little is known about microbiota stability or plasticity in insects. We assessed changes in microbiota composition and structure in a reared insect after a change in rearing conditions. We reared Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera, Tenebrioninae) larvae for five days in soil samples from two river banks and analyzed their gut microbial communities by a metabarcoding technique, using the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene and the housekeeping gene gyrB. We found that soil-reared insects had a significantly more diverse microbiota than the control insects and that insects reared in soil from different sites had significantly different microbiota. We confirmed this trend by absolute quantification of the two mains fluctuating taxonomic groups: the Enterobacteriaceae family and the Pseudomonas genus, dominant in the soil-reared insects and in the control insects, respectively. Our results suggest the existence of a resident microbiota in T. molitor gut, but indicate that rearing changes can induce rapid and profound changes in the relative abundance of some of the members of this resident microbiota.
How does host quality affect oviposition rate and diapause in sexual and asexual Trichogramma brassicae

The egg parasitoids of the genus Trichogramma have become one of the most important economic insects, for they are widely used in biological control of Lepidopteran key pests. For that reason, all aspects of their mass production including diapause have been considered over the last few years. In this study, the effect of host quality on the diapause induction of sexual and asexual T. brassicae Bezdenko (Hym: Trichogrammatidae) have been investigated at two temperatures. Maternal generation developed at two distinct temperatures (14 and 20 °C) and they oviposited on four different qualities of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lep: Pyralidae) eggs including fresh eggs, frozen eggs, host eggs with developing embryo and low quality eggs. Data analysis revealed significant influence of temperature and host quality on diapause induction in both sexual and asexual strains. Maximum diapause happened in host eggs with developing embryo even though they were in fetal development. A higher level of diapause was observed in T. brassicae whose maternal generation had developed at 20 °C. The diapause induction in asexual T. brassicae was less than sexual wasps. The results imply that Wolbachia causes a disturbance in the diapause process. The outcomes of this study, which are new, indicate the complexity of diapause and the importance of factors such as host quality which have received less attention in diapause induction.
A comprehensive analysis of RNA sequences reveals macroscopic somatic clonal expansion across normal tissues

Cancer genome studies have significantly advanced our knowledge of somatic mutations. However, how these mutations accumulate in normal cells and whether they promote pre-cancerous lesions remains poorly understood. Here we perform a comprehensive analysis of normal tissues by utilizing RNA sequencing data from ∼6,700 samples across 29 normal tissues collected as part of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project. We identify somatic mutations using a newly developed pipeline, RNA-MuTect, for calling somatic mutations directly from RNA-seq samples and their matched-normal DNA. When applied to the GTEx dataset, we detect multiple variants across different tissues and find that mutation burden is associated with both the age of the individual and tissue proliferation rate. We also detect hotspot cancer mutations that share tissue specificity with their matched cancer type. This study is the first to analyze a large number of samples across multiple normal tissues, identifying clones with genomic aberrations observed in cancer.
Assessment of the likely sensitivity to climate change for the key marine species in the southern Benguela system

Climate change is altering many environmental parameters of coastal waters and open oceans, leading to substantial present-day and projected changes in the distribution, abundance and phenology of marine species. Attempts to assess how each species might respond to climate change can be data-, resource- and time-intensive. Moreover, in many regions of the world, including South Africa, species may be of vital socioeconomic or ecological importance though critical gaps may exist in our basic biological or ecological knowledge of the species. Here, we adapt and apply a trait-based sensitivity assessment for the key marine species in the southern Benguela system to estimate their potential relative sensitivity to the impacts of climate change. For our analysis, 40 priority species were selected based on their socioeconomic, ecological and/or recreational importance in the system. An extensive literature review and consultation with experts was undertaken concerning each species to gather information on their life history, habitat use and potential stressors. Fourteen attributes were used to estimate the selected species’ sensitivity and capacity to respond to climate change. A score ranging from low to high sensitivity was given for each attribute, based on the available information. Similarly, a score was assigned to the type and quality of information used to score each particular attribute, allowing an assessment of data-quality inputs for each species. The analysis identified the white steenbras Lithognathus lithognathus, soupfin shark Galeorhinus galeus, St Joseph Callorhinchus capensis and abalone Haliotis midae as potentially the most sensitive species to climate-change impacts in the southern Benguela system. There were data gaps for larval dispersal and settlement and metamorphosis cues for most of the evaluated species. Our results can be used by resource managers to determine the type of monitoring, intervention and planning that may be required to best respond to climate change, given the limited resources and significant knowledge gaps in many cases.
Responsible conduct of gambling study.

In New South Wales (NSW), the Gaming Machines Act 2001 and the Gaming Machines Regulation 2010 require venues to implement a minimum set of practices in the responsible conduct of gambling (RCG); and all managers of venues with gaming machines and all employees and club directors with gaming machine duties, must complete an accredited RCG training course. There has not been a recent comprehensive examination undertaken in NSW into the effectiveness of RCG programs and training in facilitating RCG in clubs and hotels. This research was conducted to assist in building an evidence-base with which to consider future options for enhancements to RCG requirements, practices and training. Its overarching objective was to contribute to the review and potential improvement of RCG practices in NSW venues. This study aims to contribute to the review and potential improvement of Responsible Conduct of Gambling (RCG) practices in NSW venues. Conducted by Central Queensland University, the research was commissioned by the NSW Office of Responsible Gambling and funded through the Responsible Gambling Fund.
Mutagenic Effects of Gamma-rays and EMS on M1 Population of Rice Bean (Vigna umbellata Thunb, Ohwi & Ohashi)

Rice bean (Vigna umbellata Thunb., Ohwi & Ohashi), a non-traditional and under-utilized legume crop of the world has drawn the attention of the researchers for its high nutritional values, multiple uses and adaptive polymorphism for diverse and extreme environments. In Asia, the crop is primarily grown for food purposes and to a limited scale as fodder. Its distribution is sporadic and is confined to North-Eastern hill regions and International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 7 Number 09 (2018) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas. com
Pathological and molecular detection of diseases of cattle at slaughter

Background: This study was carried out to identify important zoonotic diseases of beef cattle at slaughter in Bangladesh. Methods: A total of 20 slaughtered cattle of both sexes, different ages and breeds were taken under investigation from Nilphamari, Rajshahi and Mymensingh district, Bangladesh during July to October, 2017. Detailed ante-mortem and post-slaughter lesions were inspected and the tissues from the lungs, liver, kidney and spleen were collected aseptically for histopathological examination. The tissue sections were processed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, acid fast stain and Gram stain. To detect the presence of specific microorganism in the tissues, the genomic DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out. Results: Grossly, liver appeared as most affected organ followed by lungs, kidney and spleen. Wide spread necrosis and pipe steam liver due to fascioliasis (n=4), hydatidosis in lungs (n=3), congestion in the kidney (n=4) and petechial hemorrhage (n=2) in the spleen were the predominant lesions observed in the slaughtered cattle. H&E staining of tissue sections revealed granulomas in two liver and one lungs. Lung section stained with acid fast stain detected the acid fast bacilli in a case. Tissue sections stained with Gram stain showed cocci bacteria in the liver of two cattle. The PCR confirmed the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a cattle. Conclusions: Fascioliasis, hydatidosis and important zoonotic disease like tuberculosis are prevalent in the slaughtered cattle in Bangladesh. PCR technology appeared as a sensitive and specific screening test to diagnose tuberculosis. However, screening of large number of samples is necessary to detect the presence of important zoonotic diseases in cattle for safe beef production.
Single-cell transcriptomics identifies drivers of local inflammation in multiple sclerosis

Single-cell transcriptomics enables unbiased biological discovery and holds new promise for personalized medicine. However, its potential for understanding human diseases by comparing patient vs. control samples in a clinical setting remains largely unexplored. Here, we applied single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to rare cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens from well-characterized controls and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) – a prototypic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS). We thereby generated and validated the first transcriptional atlas of single CSF leukocytes in health and disease. In MS patients, we found an expansion of natural killer cells and late B cell lineages and based on these insights we developed a score with potential diagnostic relevance. Using this analytical approach, we identified and characterized activated phenotypes of MS-derived CSF leukocytes, including an enrichment in T follicular helper (TFH) cell transcriptional signatures. We validated the expansion of such B cell-helping TFH cells in MS patients and demonstrated that TFH cells exacerbate symptoms in an animal model of MS and promote B cell infiltration of the CNS. TFH-dependent B cell expansion may thus drive local CNS autoimmunity in MS. Our study demonstrates how single-cell transcriptomics can identify novel disease mechanisms in a clinically-relevant case-control study design. One Sentence Summary Unbiased single-cell transcriptomics re-defines the transcriptional landscape of cerebrospinal fluid leukocytes and identifies T follicular helper cells as essential drivers of local inflammation in multiple sclerosis.
Extraction of Chitin and Chitosan from Wild Type Pleurotus Spp and its Potential Application - Innovative Approach

Biopolymer of chitin and chitosan were extracted from the two Pleurotus spp. of P.floridanus and P.djamor. After the optimization, genomic DNA was isolated, and by using ITS 1 and ITS 4 primers molecular identification was carried out and the nucleotides were submitted to NCBI. The biopolymer have a great commercial importance now a days because of it high efficiency in all the field. The present study was focused on to extract the chitin and chitosan from the Pleurotus spp. and these polymer was subjected to analysis the total antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity against food borne pathogens of E.coli, B. cereus, S.aureus, A.niger and A.flavus. Cytotoxicity study against HeLa Cell Line was also performed to study the efficacy of the extracted polymer.
Non-cell-autonomous promotion of pluripotency induction mediated by YAP

While Yes-associated protein (YAP) antagonizes pluripotency during early embryogenesis, it has also been shown to promote stemness of multiple stem cell types, including pluripotent stem cells. Whether cellular context underlies these distinct functions of YAP in pluripotency remains unclear. Here, we establish that depending on the specific cells in which it is expressed, YAP exhibits opposing effects on pluripotency induction from somatic cells. Specifically, YAP inhibits pluripotency induction cell-autonomously but promotes it non-cell-autonomously. For its non-cell-autonomous role, YAP alters the expression of many secreted and matricellular proteins including CYR61, which recapitulates the promotional effect when added as a recombinant protein. Thus, we define a unique YAP-driven non-cell-autonomous process that enhances pluripotency induction. Our work highlights the importance of considering the distinct contributions from heterologous cell types in deciphering the mechanism of cell fate control and calls for careful re-examination of the co-existing bystander cells in complex cultures or tissues.
The Power of Campfire Spaces for Diversity Education: A Case Study Analysis of the Diversity and Inclusion adVenture Experience Program.

WILLIAMS, CHRISTOPHER NATHANIEL LANE. The Power of Campfire Spaces for Diversity Education: A Case Study Analysis of the Diversity and Inclusion adVenture Experience Program. (Under the direction of Dr. Joy Gaston Gayles). This qualitative case study explored the experiences of students and staff involved in the Diversity and Inclusion adVenture Experience program at a large, research-intensive, public university in the Southeastern U.S. This diversity-focused college outdoor adventure program annually takes a group of college student participants on a week-long outdoor adventure trip with social justice discussions and activities. This study used an embedded single-case design to explore the program under study from a number of different perspectives, including 33 previous program participants, six previous student trip leaders, the program’s founder, and the current program administrator. Semi-structured interviews, a focus group of past participants, and autoethnographic observations were used as the data collection methods. Findings included trying something new; powerful personal connections; group bonding through challenge and adversity; and campfire spaces creating context for discussions and connections. This study adds to the body of research on campus diversity interventions, as a number of studies have investigated campus diversity interventions from a quantitative perspective, but this study provides qualitative research into how college students experience diversity curriculum and interactions. This not only provides the diversity education field with information on a unique program design, it has theoretical implications for the fields of diversity research and outdoor adventure research and provides implications for practice to higher education professionals and administrators. © Copyright 2020 by Christopher Nathaniel Lane Williams All Rights Reserved The Power of Campfire Spaces for Diversity Education: A Case Study Analysis of the Diversity and Inclusion adVenture Experience Program. by Christopher Nathaniel Lane Williams A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Educational Leadership, Policy and Human Development Raleigh, North Carolina 2020
Revision of Undorosaurus, a mysterious Late Jurassic ichthyosaur of the Boreal Realm

Recent study of ophthalmosaurid ichthyosaurs has brought us a number of new taxa; however, the validity of several ophthalmosaurid taxa from the Volgian (Tithonian) of European Russia still remains unclear, complicating comparisons and in some cases affecting taxonomic decisions about new contributions. A revision of the type series of all three species of Undorosaurus, erected by Efimov in 1999, reveals the potential validity of two of them. This contradicts previous research, which concluded that only the type species, U. gorodischensis, is valid. Furthermore, examination of the holotype of Cryopterygius kristiansenae from coeval strata of Svalbard shows that it is synonymous with Undorosaurus gorodischensis, sharing all diagnostic features of the species, especially those related to forelimb morphology: humerus with extensive anteroposteriorly elongate proximal end, poorly pronounced trochanter dorsalis and reduced deltopectoral crest; and ulna proximodistally elongate and not involved in perichondral ossification on its whole posterior edge. This supports the idea of intensive exchange of ichthyosaurs between the Middle Russian Sea and other Boreal seas in the Late Jurassic. In order to resolve the phylogenetic position of Undorosaurus within Ophthalmosauridae as well as relationships of other ophthalmosaurids, a new data set including 33 taxa and 106 characters, 23 of which are new, was compiled. The results of this analysis challenge all previous phylogenetic hypotheses for Ophthalmosauridae in a number of aspects, including the fact that Undorosaurus spp. was recovered deeply nested within Platypterygiinae as a sister group to derived platypterygiines.
Assessing Clean Energy Opportunities Through Demand Aggregation in Bengaluru’s Apartment Buildings

CONTENTS Executive Summary . 1 List of Abbreviations.7 Introduction . 7 Approach and Methodology . 11 Findings and Observations . 15 Clean Energy Pathways for Common Area Energy Use in Apartment Complexes . 21 Stakeholder Engagement . 23 Conclusions . 25 Way Forward . 25 Appendices . 27 Endnotes . 37 References . 37 Acknowledgments. 39 About the Authors . 39 About the Knowledge Product Series . 40 About WRI India . 40 About TIDE . 40
The Influence of Bank-Based and Capital Market-Based Impact Investments on SME Financing in Ghana: Governance, Strategy Change and Impacts

Impact investing, defined as direct investments into funds, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and viable non-profit social enterprises with intentionality to simultaneously realise social impact and financial returns is increasingly attracting the attention of academics and industry practitioners. A contentious claim is that impact investment, as transformational in its approach to entrepreneurial financing, is a panacea to SME financing constraints and solutions to intractable societal problems, is contestable considering the myriad of developmental challenges in Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) communities in the developing world. Based on an empirical investigation of the influences of finance first and impact first investments into bank-based and capital market-based funds on SMEs in Ghana, this thesis interrogates this claim. Specifically, the thesis argues that though impact investing represents an innovation in private sector approaches to development, the extent to which it can achieve the much-hyped societal transformation in BoP communities cannot be substantiated. This research contributes to the above debate by critically investigating the influences of impact investment funds on investee SMEs through an integrated theoretical framework. The framework draws on the literature from different disciplines including impact investing, social entrepreneurship, strategic management, financial intermediation, economics, SME management and concepts of governance, strategy change and impacts, which was then applied within the research setting of Ghana. Empirically, the thesis develops two case studies of bank-based and capital market-based funds into SMEs, respectively. Qualitative research was employed with data collection comprising in-depth interviews, rapid participant observation complemented by documentary evidence. Findings reveal that the distinctiveness of finance and impact first investors reflect their choices of bank and capital market-based intermediary used resulting in pluralistic, entrepreneurial financing options for categories of SMEs targeted for social impact and financial returns. These findings have implication for fund managers, SME owner-managers and policymakers due to private sector-driven developmental model by impact investors.