Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morris water maze: a versatile and pertinent tool for assessing spatial learning and memory

Since its development about 40 years ago (1981–2021), Morris water maze has turned into a very popular tool for assessing spatial learning and memory. Its many advantages have ensured its pertinence to date. These include its effectiveness in evaluating hippocampal-dependent learning and memory, exemption from motivational differences across diverse experimental manipulations, reliability in various cross-species studies, and adaptability to many experimental conditions with various test protocols. Nonetheless, throughout its establishment, several experimental and analysis loopholes have galvanized researchers to assess ways in which it could be improved and adapted to fill this gap. Therefore, in this review, we briefly summarize these developments since the early years of its establishment through to the most recent advancements in computerized analysis, offering more comprehensive analysis paradigms. In addition, we discuss the adaptability of the Morris water maze across different test versions and analysis paradigms, providing suggestions with regard to the best paradigms for particular experimental conditions. Hence, the proper selection of the experimental protocols, analysis paradigms, and consideration of the assay’s limitations should be carefully considered. Given that appropriate measures are taken, with various adaptations made, the Morris water maze will likely remain a relevant tool to assess the mechanisms of spatial learning and memory.
Compare the Efficacy and Safety between Onlay Versus Sublay Mesh Repair for Para-Umbilical Hernia

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety between onlay mesh technique and sublay mesh technique in patients undergoing paraumbilical hernia repair. Study Design: Retrospective/Observational Place & Duration: In the department of surgery, Muhammad Teaching Hospital, Peshawar and Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi and conducted during the period from March 2021 to August 2021. Methods: A total of 166 patients with both genders having ages 18 to 65 years who were undergoing para-umbilical hernia repair were included. Patients demographic including age, gender were recorded after informed consent. Patients were equally divided into two groups Group O and Group S. Group O (83 patients) received onlay mesh technique and Group S (83 patients) received sublay technique. Outcomes such as post-operative pain, wound infection, seroma formation and hospital stay were recorded and compare the results between both groups. Results: In group O 48 (57.83%) patients and in group S 47 (56.63%) patients were females while 35 (42.17%) and 36 (43.37%) patients were males in group O and S. There was significant difference in term of post-operative pain 6.01+2.26 vs 3.58+1.44 (P-value <0.05). In group O 14 (16.87%) patients and in group S 4 (4.82%) patients had wound infection. 8 (9.64%) patients in Group O and 2 (2.40%) patients in Group S had seroma. Mean Hospital stay in days was high in Group O compared to Group B 5.32+1.74 vs 2.46+1.38 days (p=<0.05). There was a statistical significant difference regarding efficacy between both procedures with p-value 0.036. Conclusion: We concluded that sublay mesh technique for para-umbilical hernia repair was safe and effective with very low rate of complications as compared to onlay mesh procedure. Keywords: Paraumbilical Hernia Repair, Onlay Mesh Technique, Sublay Mesh Technique, Outcomes.
Early Pregnancy Serum Concentration of Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 4, Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 5, and Chemerin in Obese Women Who Develop Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether secreted frizzled-related protein 4 (sFRP4), secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (sFRP5), and chemerin serum concentrations in early pregnancy are associated with the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in an obese cohort. In previous studies, increased sFRP4 and chemerin, and decreased sFRP5 concentrations were associated with the development of GDM in normal and overweight women. Methods: In this exploratory case control study, sFRP4, sFRP5, and chemerin serum concentrations were determined by ELISA in 50 obese women who developed GDM and 100 uncomplicated control pregnancies. Serum samples were obtained between 15+0–18+6 weeks’ gestational age and based on a priori known associations with the development of GDM, body mass index (BMI) and maternal age were selected for adjustment in multivariate analyses. Results: In this obese cohort (median BMI 35.7 kg/m2, IQR 33.2–40.3 kg/m2), the biochemical markers showed no association with GDM: sFRP5 odds ratio (OR) 0.44 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01–23.18, p = 0.687), sFRP4 OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.09–3.52, p = 0.528), and chemerin OR 3.47 (95% CI 0.05–227.72, p = 0.560). Adjustment for BMI and maternal age did not influence the association. None of the markers were significantly correlated with insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). Conclusion: No association was found between sFRP4, sFRP5, or chemerin concentration and the development of GDM in a cohort of obese pregnant women. The absence of the association may indicate that these proteins play a lesser biological role in the pathophysiology of GDM in obese women.
Distribution of Black-breasted Button-quail Turnix melanogaster in the Great Sandy Region, Queensland and associations with vegetation communities

ABSTRACT The Black-breasted Button-quail is a threatened forest inhabiting button-quail endemic to the east coast of Australia. Their distribution in the largest undeveloped portion of littoral forest within their range has, until this study, remained unsurveyed. In addition, their use of littoral vegetation is poorly described. Here we present findings from targeted camera trapping surveys in the Great Sandy Region collectively; K’gari (Fraser Island), Cooloola and Inskip Peninsula, Queensland. We also review all published and unpublished reports of this species in this region, and assess their veracity. The associations of high veracity records with vegetation communities are presented. The species was most readily associated with littoral forest along the eastern coast of K’gari and Cooloola. Our findings reaffirm the distribution of Black-breasted Button-quail along the coast of K’gari, further they are distributed along the Cooloola coast and in a few isolated inland sites. This study addresses one of the persistent knowledge gaps documented in the 2010 and 2020 Action Plan for Australian Birds, pertaining to the species use and distribution in littoral vegetation of the Great Sandy Region. We anticipate the proposed distribution presented here will prove valuable in future surveys and research on this species in the Great Sandy region.
An analysis of pragmatic intent of written teacher feedback commentary on students’ project essays in Colleges of Education in Ghana

The study is aimed at finding out how teachers of St. John Bosco’s College of Education, Ghana focus the pragmatic intent of teacher written feedback comments on students’ project draft essays. Drawing on Ferris, Pezone, Tade, and Tinti (1997), Discourse Analytical Model for teacher written commentary and key concepts like “written feedback commentary” and “feedback,” the study, which was essentially a case study, and a descriptive survey, randomly and purposively focused on a sample of 336 comments from 21students’ project drafts of the 2012 academic year in St. John Bosco’s College of Education. The study revealed that teachers of St. John Bosco’s College of Education employed the pragmatic intent (directive type) of ‘make suggestion/request’, as a way of getting students to rework their project drafts. The study raises some implications for writing instruction, theory and analyses of teacher written feedback commentary.
Molecular genetic studies of primary open angle and angle closure glaucoma.

Glaucoma, a group of heterogeneous optic neuropathies characterized by progressive visual field loss, is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The condition has a substantial heritable basis, as illustrated by the numerous loci and genes identified to date, and the large proportion of patients having a family history. Categorized according to the anatomy of the anterior chamber angle, there are 2 main forms of glaucoma, primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG). The first half of the thesis describes the molecular genetic study of POAG, while the latter deals with PACG. Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) accounts for most glaucoma in Caucasian and Afro-Caribbean populations. The condition is classified according to the presence of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) into high- tension glaucoma (HTG) or normal tension glaucoma (NTG). OPAl, the gene responsible for autosomal dominant optic atrophy represents an excellent candidate gene for POAG (in particular NTG). Single nucleotide polymorphisms on intervening sequence (IVS) 8 of the 0/M7gene (genotype IVS 8 +4 C/T; +32 T/C) were found to be strongly associated with a fifth of NTG cases and may be a marker for disease association, providing the first evidence of an association between OPAl and NTG. However this OPAl genotype was not found to be significantly associated with HTG. Further work did not detect a significant difference in a range of phenotypic features in NTG patients with and without these OPAl polymorphisms, suggesting that these specific genetic variations do not underlie any major phenotypic diversity in NTG. Optineurin (OPTTN), in the GLC1E interval on chromosome 10p, was recently identified as the second gene underlying POAG, with a common mutation, E50K, being found in 13.5% of families, and a M98K variant identified as a significant risk-associated genetic factor for POAG. However when a large panel of 315 sporadic adult POAG subjects were examined for these 2 OPTN sequence variants, the E50K mutation was identified in only 1.5% of NTG subjects, making it an infrequent cause of sporadic NTG. The M98K variant was found to be associated specifically with NTG but not HTG, suggesting allelic heterogeneity between these 2 phenotypes. A characteristic NTG phenotype comprising a young-adult age of onset, advanced visual loss and progressive disease, has been described in individuals carrying the E50K OPTN mutation. Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is the main form of glaucoma in East Asian populations. Two large Singaporean PACG families were examined and the first locus for the disease was identified on chromosome 10 using linkage analysis. The disease interval was refined to 5.0 cM on chromosome 10qll flanked by the markers D10S225 and D10S568, with the maximum LOD score of 3.4 at 0=. 00 for D10S220. Several genes, GDF10, TIM23, SLC18A3 and ASAH2 were excluded as candidates for this condition. This molecular genetic study of both POAG and PACG has contributed to our knowledge of glaucoma.
Addressing Declining Female Labor Force Participation in India: Does Political Empowerment Make a Difference?

Abstract Despite income growth, fertility decline, and educational expansion, female labour force participation in rural India dropped precipitously over the last decade. Nation-wide individual-level data allow us to explore if random reservation of village leadership for females affected women’s access to job opportunities, their demand for participation in the labour force, and income as well as intra-household bargaining in the short-and medium term. Gender reservation of local leadership affected female but not male participation in public works and regular labour markets, their income, and their influence on key household decisions with a lag, suggesting that such reservation affected social norms and stereotypes.
VERIFICATION OF EUROPEAN WIND TURBINE DESIGN CODES

Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Westerduinweg 3, Petten, NL-1755 ZG, The Netherlands, Phone: +31 224 564115, Fax: +31 224 568214 Riso National Laboratory, P.O. Box 49, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark, Phone: +45 4677 5071, Fax: +45 4677 5083 Center for Renewable Energy Sources, CRES, 19th Km Marathon Avenue, Pikermi, Attiki, 19009 Greece, tel +30 1 6039900, fax +30 1 6039900 Garrad Hassan and Partners Ltd, St. Vincent’s House, Silverthorne Lane, Bristol, BS20QD, United Kingdom, Tel: +44117 979900, Fax: +44117 979901 Stork Product Engineering, SPE, P.O. Box 379, 1000 AJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Tel. +31205563452, Fax:+31205563556 Danish Technical University, DTU, Building403, DK-2800 Lyngby Denmark, Tel: +45 25 43 11, Fax: +45 45 930663 Teknikgruppen AB, P.O. Box 21, S-19121 Sollentuna, Sweden, Tel: +4684445120, Fax: +4684445129 National Technical University of Athens, P.O. Box 64070, 15710 Zografou, Athens, Greece, Tel. +3017721096, Fax +301 7721057 Lagerwey Windturbine B.V. , P.O. Box 279, NL-3770 AG Barneveld, Phone: +31 342 422724, Fax: +31 342 422861
Spontaneous locomotion of phoretic particles in three dimensions

The motion of an autophoretic spherical particle in a simple fluid is analyzed. This motion is powered by a chemical species which is absorbed or emitted by the particle and which diffuses and is advected in the surrounding fluid. The transition from the nonmotile to the motile state occurs if the Péclet number Pe (defined as the ratio of the solute emission rate over the solute diffusion rate) is sufficiently large. We first analyze the axisymmetric case (restricting the particle to a unique direction). In this case, we find that the motion of the particle transits from a motionless to a directed motion at a given critical Pe. Increasing Pe, we find a second critical value where the particle becomes stagnant in a symmetric flow. A further increase of Pe leads to a recovery of motile motion. When Pe is increased even further, the particle shows a periodic motion undergoing a subharmonic cascade before entering chaos. In this regime, the mean-square displacement behaves quadratically with time (a ballistic regime). When the axisymmetry constraint is relaxed, allowing the particle to freely move in three-dimensional space, we find that at a small Pe the particle moves in a straight manner. There exists a critical value where the particle exhibits an oscillatory motion with a meandering trajectory. Increasing Pe further leads to chaotic bursts for some time, before entering fully into chaos via the intermittency scenario at a critical Pe number. In this regime, the particle shows run-and-tumble–like dynamics: The trajectory is then characterized by a ballistic swimming nature at a short time and a diffusive nature at a long time.
Why Is the UAG (Amber) Stop Codon Almost Absent in Highly Expressed Bacterial Genes?

The genome hypothesis postulates that genes in a genome tend to conform to their species’ usage of the codon catalog and the GC content of the DNA. Thus, codon frequencies differ across organisms, including the three termination codons in the standard genetic code. Here, we analyze the frequencies of stop codons in a group of highly expressed genes from 196 prokaryotes under strong translational selection. The occurrence of the three translation termination codons is highly biased, with UAA (ochre) being the most prevalent in almost all bacteria. In contrast, UAG (amber) is the least frequent termination codon, e.g., only 321 occurrences (7.4%) in E. coli K-12 substr. W3110. Of the 253 highly expressed genes, only two end with an UAG codon. The strength of the selective bias against UAG in highly expressed genes varies among bacterial genomes, but it is not affected by the GC content of these genomes. In contrast, increased GC content results in a decrease in UAA abundance with a concomitant increase in UGA abundance. We propose that readthrough efficiency and context effects could explain the prevalence of UAA over UAG, particularly in highly expressed genes. Findings from this communication can be utilized for the optimization of gene expression.
Personalised Approach to Diagnosing and Managing Ischemic Stroke with a Plasma-Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor

Background: The increasing incidence of ischemic stroke has led to the search for a novel biomarker to predict the course of disease and the risk of mortality. Recently, the role of the soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) as a biomarker and indicator of immune system activation has been widely examined. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to assess the dynamics of changes in serum levels of suPAR in ischemic stroke and to evaluate the prognostic value of suPAR in determining mortality risk. Methods: Eighty patients from the Department of Neurology, diagnosed with ischemic stroke, were enrolled in the study. Residual blood was obtained from all the patients on the first, third and seventh days after their ischemic stroke and the concentrations of suPAR and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as the number of leukocytes and National Institute of Health’s Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores, were evaluated. Results: On the first day of ischemic stroke, the average suPAR concentration was 6.55 ng/mL; on the third day, it was 8.29 ng/mL; on the seventh day, it was 9.16 ng/mL. The average CRP concentration on the first day of ischemic stroke was 4.96 mg/L; on the third day, it was 11.76 mg/L; on the seventh day, it was 17.17 mg/L. The number of leukocytes on the first day of ischemic stroke was 7.32 × 103/mm3; on the third day, it was 9.27 × 103/mm3; on the seventh day, it was 10.41 × 103/mm3. Neurological condition, which was assessed via the NIHSS, on the first day of ischemic stroke, was scored at 10.71 points; on the third day, it was scored at 12.34 points; on the seventh day, it was scored at 13.75 points. An increase in the values of all the evaluated parameters on the first, third and seventh days of hospitalisation was observed. The patients with hypertension, ischemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes showed higher suPAR and CRP concentrations at the baseline as well as on subsequent days of hospitalisation. The greatest sensitivity and specificity were characterised by suPAR-3, where a value above 10.5 ng/mL resulted in a significant increase in mortality risk. Moreover, an NIHSS-1 score above 12 points and a CRP-3 concentration above 15.6 mg/L significantly increased the risk of death in the course of the disease. Conclusions: The plasma suPAR concentration after ischemic stroke is strongly related to the patient’s clinical status, with a higher concentration on the first and third days of stroke resulting in a poorer prognosis at a later stage of treatment. Therefore, assessing the concentration of this parameter has important prognostic value.
SiC Backside Via-hole Process For GaN HEMT MMICs Using High Etch Rate ICP Etching

We have demonstrated a SiC backside via-hole process for GaN HEMT MMICs using ICP etching at a high rate of about 2 μm/min, higher than any previously reported rate. We discuss pillars, microtrenches, RIE lag, loading effects and etch uniformity in high-rate ICP etching, which are significant issues related to the yield of via-hole fabrication. Finally, we describe the successful 3-inch backside via-hole process for GaN HEMT MMICs.
Factor Models: Testing and Forecasting

This dissertation focuses on two aspects of factor models, testing and forecasting. For testing, we investigate a more general high-dimensional testing problem, with an emphasis on panel data models. Specifically, we propose a novel technique to boost the power of testing a high-dimensional vector H : θ = 0 against sparse alternatives. Existing tests based on quadratic forms such as the Wald statistic often suffer from low powers, whereas more powerful tests such as thresholding and extreme-value tests require either stringent conditions or bootstrap to derive the null distribution, and often suffer from size distortions. Based on a screening technique, we introduce a “power enhancement component”, which is zero under the null hypothesis with high probability, but diverges quickly under sparse alternatives. The proposed test statistic combines the power enhancement component with an asymptotically pivotal statistic, and strengthens the power under sparse alternatives. As a byproduct, the power enhancement component also consistently identifies the elements that violate the null hypothesis. Next, we consider forecasting a single time series using many predictors when nonliearity is present. We develop a new methodology called sufficient forecasting, by connecting sliced inverse regression with factor models. The sufficient forecasting correctly estimates projections of the underlying factors and provides multiple predictive indices for further investigation. We derive asymptotic results for the estimate of the central space spanned by these projection directions. Our method allows the number of predictors larger than the sample size, and therefore extends the applicability of inverse regression. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the proposed method improves upon a linear forecasting model. Our results are further illustrated in an empirical study of macroeconomic variables, where sufficient forecasting is found to deliver additional predictive power over conventional methods.
Anonymous identity sampling and reusable synthesis for face camouflage

Abstract. An increasing amount of face images are being captured, shared, or applied in various applications. These images usually contain lots of sensitive information that may lead to privacy disclosure and misuse problems. Some pioneering works show that face image anonymization is one of the promising solutions. We present an innovative identity (ID) camouflage approach by synthesizing anonymous faces so that both artificial intelligence algorithms and humans are unable to recognize them and misuse them freely. Given a face image, our approach consists of two steps. First, we sample an anonymous ID feature point in the feature space. Then, we synthesize a camouflage face by training an anonymous deep generative adversarial network model. To reduce the risk of re-identification, we optimize our anonymous face generator based on the k-nearest neighbors to make a good balance between anonymity and utility of the original face image. The experimental results over the public dataset have verified the feasibility and state-of-the-art efficacy of our approach.
A Thermo‐Compositional Model of the African Cratonic Lithosphere

Recently, the continually increasing availability of seismic data has allowed high‐resolution imaging of lithospheric structure beneath the African cratons. In this study, S‐wave seismic tomography is combined with high resolution satellite gravity data in an integrated approach to investigate the structure of the cratonic lithosphere of Africa. A new model for the Moho depth and data on the crustal density structure is employed along with global dynamic models to calculate residual topography and mantle gravity residuals. Corrections for thermal effects of an initially juvenile mantle are estimated based on S‐wave tomography and mineral physics. Joint inversion of the residuals yields necessary compositional adjustments that allow to recalculate the thermal effects. After several iterations, we obtain a consistent model of upper mantle temperature, thermal and compositional density variations, and Mg# as a measure of depletion, as well as an improved crustal density model. Our results show that thick and cold depleted lithosphere underlies West African, northern to central eastern Congo, and Zimbabwe Cratons. However, for most of these regions, the areal extent of their depleted lithosphere differs from the respective exposed Archean shields. Meanwhile, the lithosphere of Uganda, Tanzania, most of eastern and southern Congo, and the Kaapvaal Craton is thinner, warmer, and shows little or no depletion. Furthermore, the results allow to infer that the lithosphere of the exposed Archean shields of Congo and West African cratons was depleted before the single blocks were merged into their respective cratons.