Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theropod and ornithischian dinosaur track assemblages from Middle to ?Late Jurassic deposits of the Central High Atlas, Morocco

ABSTRACT Tridactyl theropod and ornithischian dinosaur tracks and trackways from Imilchil and Isli formations (Middle–? Late Jurassic, Bajocian–? ) of the central High Atlas region (Morocco) are described. The Imilchil Formationconsists of brackish marine-continental deposits, and the Isli Formation is a continental red-bed succession. Considering numerous new footprint discoveries, including recently described Polyonyx sauropod trackways, tridactyl dinosaur tracks from the Imilchil-Tounfite region are revised. Dominating are theropod footprints resembling the ichnogenus Changpeipus and known from Lower-Middle Jurassic deposits of China. Other theropod ichnotaxa are Trisauropodiscus isp. , cf. Wildeichnus isp. ,Carmelopodus isp. , Megalosauripus isp. , Kayentapus isp. and an indeterminate small grallatorid. Ornithischians are represented by small indeterminate ornithischian tracks, large ornithischian footprints cf. Stegopodus isp. and a large indeterminate ornithopod form. Makers of the small theropod trackswere small coelurosaurs or basal tetanurans, larger forms belong toceratosaurs, megalosauroids, allosauroids or tyrannosauroids. Ornithischian tracks suggest dryomorphs, iguanodontians and thyreophorans as producers. Together with crocodylomorph and pterosaur tracks, invertebrate traces and plants, the Imilchil and Isli formations document a flourishing ecosystem and dinosaur habitat. Remarkable is the presence of Changpeipus theropod tracks known from abundant occurrences in East Asia. This suggests an exchange of dinosaur faunas between this region and northern Africa during the Middle Jurassic.
Exogenous butyrate regulates lipid metabolism through GPR41-ERK-AMPK pathway in rabbits

Abstract Diets containing higher levels of fat can lead to obesity, which is potentially harmful to health. Endogenous butyric acid is produced by intestinal microbial fermentation and participates in lipid metabolism. However, there is less butyric acid produced in the body, butyric acid has a shorter half-life in the blood. We used intraperitoneal injection of sodium butyrate to study the mechanism of butyrate involved in body lipid metabolism. Triglycerides in adipose tissue and liver were significantly reduced by butyrate. The content of triglyceride in plasma in butyrate group was also significantly decreased. In adipose tissue, butyrate up-regulated gene expression of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), carnitine palmitoyl transferase (CPT)1 and CPT2, and increased protein expression of G protein-coupled receptor (GPR)41, phosphorylated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (P-ERK), adenosine 5’-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and P-AMPK. Gene expression of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), differentiation-dependent factor 1 (ADD1) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) was down-regulated. In liver, butyrate up-regulated protein expression of GPR41, ERK, P-ERK, P-AMPK. Gene expression of ADD1 and FAS was down-regulated. In muscle tissue, butyrate significantly up-regulated the expression of gene LPL, fatty acid transport protein (FATP) and fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) and protein GPR41, GPR43. Thus, butyrate is involved in body lipid metabolism mainly through the GPR41-mediated ERK-AMPK pathway. Inhibits lipid synthesis in adipose tissue and the liver and promotes lipolysis, avoiding obesity caused by diets with higher fat content. Highlights Butyrate affects lipid metabolism in the body by affecting lipid synthesis/decomposition in adipose tissue and liver. Butyrate mainly through GPR41-mediated ERK-AMPK pathway, inhibit lipid synthesis, promote lipid decomposition, and avoid a large amount of fat accumulation induced by higher-fat diet.
Investigating the Relations between Sexual Victimization, Substance Misuse, and Exposure to Community Violence

ABSTRACT Child sexual abuse (CSA) and substance misuse are established risk factors for adult sexual assault (ASA). Still, study of additional factors may enhance our understanding of ASA. Community violence (CV) exposure is a potential risk factor for ASA and has previously been tied to substance misuse. It is unclear if CV is related to sexual victimization, as well as if CV influences the association between CSA and ASA. This study aimed to (1) replicate the relations between victimization and substance misuse; (2) determine if CV is linked to CSA/ASA; and (3) investigate whether substance misuse and/or CV moderate the relation between CSA/ASA. This study included 525 students (Mage = 20.04, SD = 1.71; 82.1% female; 57.7% White). CSA and substance misuse were both related to ASA (b = .18; b = .02, respectively), as were CSA and CV (b = .15; b = .002, respectively). Unexpectedly, there were no significant interactions. Though substance misuse and CV were related to sexual victimization, these factors may not help explain this relationship. Longitudinal work is needed to more precisely examine the temporality of these variables, as there are implications based on whether these risk factors are occurring before, after, or concurrently with victimization.
Linguistic Features of Writing Quality and Development: A Longitudinal Approach

• Background: In terms of understanding writing through a linguistic lens, a number of recent studies have focused on assessing writing quality, likely because of rising interest in automated essay scoring, the availability of large corpora of scored essays, and the development of advanced natural language processing tools that can assess linguistic features in texts quickly and accurately. Fewer studies, however, have focused on investigating writing development in terms of linguistic features. Many of the studies that do investigate writing development use crosssectional data to better understand how writing changes as a function of age or grade level.
School Counselor Consultation Effects on Teachers’ Mindfulness, Stress, and Relationships

In this randomized controlled trial, we explored the effects of a combined mindfulness and social/emotional learning (SEL) school counselor consultation intervention. Participants included a diverse sample of 30 secondary educators teaching in Title 1 school districts. Participants received 5 weeks of consultation based on mindfulness and SEL. Results of hierarchical linear regressions revealed statistically significant improvement in teachers’ mindfulness disposition of acting with awareness. Further, results indicated a practically significant decrease in teacher-reported stress and conflict in the student–teacher relationship. We discuss implications for offering direct services to teachers through consultation with school counselors as a way of providing indirect services to students. Results of this study illustrate how teachers might benefit from school counselor consultation that supports their use of mindfulness strategies and SEL skills in coping with the demands of teaching and in building relationships with students.
Experimental investigation of using slag as an alternative to normal aggregates (coarse and fine) in concrete

These paper present results of experimental investigations carried out to evaluate effects of replacing aggregate (coarse and fine) with that of slag on various concrete properties. The basic objective of this study was to identify alternative source of good quality aggregates which is depleting very fast due to the fast pace of construction activities in India. Use of slag - a waste industrial byproduct of iron and steel production provides great opportunity to utilize it as an alternative to normally available aggregates (coarse and fine). In this study, concrete of M20, M30 and M40 grades were considered for a W/C ratio of 0.55, 0.45 and 0.40 respectively for the replacements of 0, 30, 50, 70 and 100% of aggregates (Coarse and Fine) by slag. Whole study was done in two phases, i.e. replacement of normal crushed coarse aggregate with crystallized slag and replacement of natural fine aggregate with granular slag. The investigation revealed improvement in compressive strength, split tensile and flexure strength over control mixes by 4 to 8 %. The replacement of 100 % slag aggregate (coarse) increased concrete density by about 5 to 7 % compared to control mix. Based on the overall observations, it could be recommended that slag could be effectively utilized as coarse and fine aggregates in all the concrete applications.
Transformation behaviors of vanadium and nickel during petroleum coke and coal co-gasification

Abstract The transformation behaviors of vanadium and nickel during petroleum coke co-gasification with coal may cause ash-related fouling, slagging, and corrosion problems. In this work, we investigated the evolution of occurrence modes, volatilization behaviors, and speciation of vanadium and nickel in the process of steam co-gasification of petroleum coke and coal over the temperature range of 1100–1500 °C. The results showed that the main chemical states of vanadium and nickel in raw petroleum coke were organic matter and “stable forms”, of which vanadium and nickel associated with organic matter were thoroughly converted into other chemical states. The volatilities of vanadium and nickel in petroleum coke increased slightly from 1100 °C to 1500 °C, however the addition of coal inhibited their volatilization behaviors. Moreover, residence time had little effect on the release of vanadium and nickel. The crystalline phases of vanadium-bearing species, i.e., vanadium trioxide and coulsonite, as well as those of nickel-bearing species, i.e., nickel sulfide and elemental nickel, were formed in high-temperature ash. In addition, the diffraction peaks corresponding to another vanadium species, calcium orthovanadate, were found in the high-temperature ash of SX40%/HB60% with a coal content of 60 wt. %.
The Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Longevity According to Lactation Period Using a Multiple Trait Animal Model in Korean Holstein Cows

Simple Summary South Korea dairy farmers are less interested in improving milk production-related traits for various reasons, including the milk production quota system. Consequently, they have become more interested in improving traits associated with longevity. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the culling patterns and survival rates of Korean Holstein cows and evaluate genetic characteristics related to parity and longevity of each lactation by using test data collected in South Korea. This study presents evidence that individuals’ genetic backgrounds differ with respect to differences in the individuals’ survival periods. Three lactation periods in each parity were split according to lactation days: 0–90 days (1), 91–299 days (2), and 300 days to the next calving (3). The heritability of the first, second, and third parities were 0.020, 0.028, and 0.039, respectively. In all parities, the heritability in late-lactation was higher than that in early- and mid-lactations. Most genetic correlations for survival in the first parity were higher than those in the second and third parities. The genetic correlation in the same lactation in the first and second parities were lower than those in the intervals in the second and third parities. The results of this study may serve as a basis for developing a more accurate model for evaluating longevity traits in South Korea. Abstract Longevity is closely related to the survival rate of dairy cattle and refers to the period during which the cow has economic value, from first calving to culling. The purpose of this study was to analyze the culling patterns and survival rates of Korean Holstein cows and evaluate genetic characteristics related to parity and longevity of each lactation by using the test day milk yield collected in South Korea. The performance data of the dairy cattle were collected from 2004 to 2019 by the Nonghyup Dairy Cattle Improvement Center. The collected 1,702,304 records were used as pedigree data through the Korea Animal Improvement Association. The lactation period was divided into early-lactation (0–90 days: L1.1, L2.1, and L3.1), mid-lactation (91–299 days: L1.2, L2.2, and L3.2), and late-lactation (300 days-next parity: L1.3, L2.3, and L3.3). The heritability of longevity for the first, second, and third parity was 0.020, 0.028, and 0.039, respectively. In all parities, the heritability in late-lactation was higher than that in early- and mid-lactation. Most genetic correlations for survival in the first parity were higher than those in the second and third parities. The results of this study may serve as a basis for developing a more accurate model for evaluating longevity traits in South Korea.
Learning from and through Virtual Worlds: a Pilot Study of Second Life

Abstract Planning has traditionally taught 3D visualisation as one of a number of technical tools that help equip students for the workplace. The aim of this paper is to explore how the learning possibilities of 3D visualisation can be extended through virtual worlds. In particular we detail the background and results of a study that examines how a unit on Sustainable Urban Regions used Second Life to teach students about urban accessibility through the framework of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design in 2009. Second Life was found to be useful to teach an aspect of planning that would normally not be accessible in a classroom. We propose that Second Life can be useful to help students question their assumptions about planning. The results also highlight some of the pitfalls that educators can avoid when teaching planning using virtual worlds and technology more generally.
Prevalence of Intestinal Protozoa and Soil Transmitted Helminths Infections among School Children in Jaragedo Town, South Gondar Zone of Ethiopia

Background Parasitism is a relationship where one, the parasite, harms the host or lives at the expense of the host. Intestinal parasites (protozoa and STHs-soil-transmitted helminths) cause gastrointestinal tract infection in humans and animals. Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) predominate the tropics and subtropics and affect poor countries, where school children suffer the most. To prevent and control these infections, local risk factors must first be identified. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated risk factors among school children in Jaragedo town schools, South Gondar Zone of Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to April 30, 2019, involving 396 students from one elementary and one secondary school. Stratified simple random sampling method was used. A questionnaire was prepared to collect sociodemographic and socioeconomic data of the study subjects. Stool samples were collected and examined using formalin-ether concentration technique. Data were analyzed using SAS software version 9.4. Descriptive statistics were used to give a clear picture of population characteristics. Logistic regression was also used to determine the relationship between dependent variables (primary infection) with independent (explanatory) variables using SAS software. Results Results showed that the overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was 65.4%. E. histolytica was the most prevalent intestinal parasite (12–14%) followed by G. lamblia (8–9%); other parasites could not infect more than 5% of the study subjects. Generally, parasitism did not vary between the sexes. The logistic regression analysis showed that grade, level of students, water source, habit of consuming raw meat, and level of income had a strong effect on intestinal parasitic infection (P < 0.05). Other explanatory variables were not significant (P > 0.05). High prevalence of parasites indicates improper disposal of waste, low socioeconomic level, low living standard, and poor water quality. Conclusion Therefore, short-term and long-term intervention strategies are required to minimize rates of infection.
Perception of violin performance expression through expressive musical terms

Expressive musical terms (EMTs) are often used in classical Western music as verbal instructions to performers to convey particular forms of expression. Recently, Sulem et al. (2019) analyzed the perception of EMTs by professional string players without reference to heard musical performances, defining four representative categories of EMTs located in the four quadrants of the two-dimensional model of affect whose parameters are valence and arousal. The present study focuses on listeners’ perceptions of musical expression in short excerpts from the violin repertoire, played according to the four representative categories and in a Neutral (i.e., non-expressive) manner. In Experiment 1, listeners’ perceptions of the performances were examined in terms of these five categories. In Experiment 2, listeners concentrated on the playing and sound characteristics of the performances, and paired-comparison analysis was used to estimate the perceived similarities between the performances in terms of their expression. The findings of the two experiments show that performances can be mapped in a three-dimensional perceptual space in which the valence and arousal dimensions are supplemented by a third dimension that can be associated with degree of expressiveness. This demonstrates the relevance of valence and arousal as fundamental parameters for characterizing the musical expression conveyed by the EMTs, as perceived by listeners, and introduces the concept of degree of expressiveness, reflecting the contrast between Neutral and expressive performances.
Characteristics, risk factors and management programs for vitality of newborn dairy calves

CHARACTERISTICS, RISK FACTORS AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS FOR VITALITY OF NEWBORN DAIRY CALVES Christine Murray Co-Advisors: University of Guelph, 2014 Dr. Todd Duffield Dr. Derek Haley This thesis was conducted to evaluate the effects of calving difficulty on newborn dairy calves and to relate these effects to easily observable or measurable signs of reduced vigor. These signs were evaluated for their use in predicting reduced passive transfer, health and growth. Furthermore, methods to reduce the pain, inflammation and acidosis resulting from dystocia were investigated to improve newborn calf vigor and long-term performance. Five independent research trials were conducted on various dairy farms in southern Ontario, as well as at the University of British Columbia’s Dairy Education and Research Center. The overall results of this thesis suggest that calves born from a difficult calving are more acidotic, have lower motivation to get up, weaker suckling responses and lower overall vigor. The administration of meloxicam following birth shows promise for the improvement of newborn vigor and suckling reflex. In addition, meloxicam treatment following a difficult calving may have long-term benefits such as improved pre-weaning milk intakes, weight gain and health. The supplementation of colostrum with sodium bicarbonate did not show any significant advantage. Furthermore, no association was found between calving difficulty, newborn vigor, meloxicam treatment or supplementation with sodium bicarbonate on the success of passive transfer. Calves with failure of passive transfer had higher odds of future disease and mortality. Moreover, the incidence of disease and mortality were greater in calves with high serum haptoglobin concentrations in their first week of life. Thus, measuring haptoglobin may be a useful biomarker for calves experiencing trauma or infection at or following calving. Identifying calves that require additional care may aid in the prevention of future health risks in calves up to 4 months of age.
Extraction of Fetal Cardiac Signals from an Array of Maternal Abdominal Recordings

Congenital heart defects are among the most common birth defects and the leading cause of birth defect-related deaths. Most cardiac defects have some manifestation in the morphology of cardiac electrical signals, which are recorded by electrocardiography and are believed to contain much more information as compared with conventional sonographic methods. Therefore, the noninvasive study of fetal cardiac signals can provide an effective means of monitoring the well-being of the fetal heart and may be used for the early detection of cardiac abnormalities. In previous studies, various methods have been developed for the processing and extraction of fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) signals recorded from the maternal body surface. However, due to the low signal-to-noise ratio of these signals, the application of fetal electrocardiography has been limited to heartbeat analysis and invasive ECG recordings during labor. In this research, the objective is to improve the signal processing aspects of fetal cardiography and to provide better insights of this problem, by developing new techniques for the modeling and filtering of fetal ECG signals recorded from an array of electrodes placed on the maternal abdomen. The basic idea behind the developed methods is to use a priori information about cardiac signals, such as their pseudo-periodic structure, to improve the performance of the currently existing techniques and to design novel filtering techniques that are customized for cardiac signals. Due to the overlap of the fetal signals and interferences/noises in different domains, the methods that use the information in only one of these domains do not usually succeed in extracting the fetal ECG. Therefore, we design methods that use the information from various domains, in order to improve the quality of the extracted signals. Theoretically, the proposed methods are combinations of morphological models of the ECG, ad hoc Bayesian filtering techniques based on estimation theory, and special classes of spatial filters adapted from the blind and semi-blind source separation context. It is shown that due to the generality of the proposed methods, the same procedures are also applicable to multichannel adult ECG recordings and can be used in real-time cardiac monitoring systems. Moreover, the developed methods are based on the cardiac signal morphology without going into the details of volume conduction theory and the conductivities of the propagation media. Hence, the same methods are applicable to other cardiac monitoring modalities such as the magnetocardiogram (MCG), which are morphologically similar to the ECG. We specifically present a case study on the extraction of twin fetal MCG signals. We also present an advanced deflation technique, which is able to separate subspaces of desired signals from degenerate mixtures of signal and noise. This idea has found various applications in other contexts.
Decisions Made on Construction Sites

The decision-making process is critical to the success of any construction project. Construction personnel have to make decisions on a daily basis and must be able to justify these decisions. Wrong decisions can be costly in terms of time, quality, cost and relationships. Effective time-management requires decisions to be assessed in terms of urgency and importance, and dealt with accordingly. This paper discusses the results of a survey that was undertaken to investigate the characteristics of decisions taken on construction sites in Hong Kong. The results demonstrated that important decisions were mainly concerned with technical, engineering and financial aspects. Experience and knowledge were found to be the main contributing factors behind taking decisions. The results also revealed that one third of decisions were made within an hour and another 40 % were made on the same day. Most of the important decisions taken had produced satisfactory results but these could have been improved if more time had been available for collecting relevant information or acquiring experience. However, over 40 % of these decisions could have been avoided through adequate preparatory work such as a complete design, better co-ordination and better planning.