Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Museomics and protein-encoding ultraconserved elements illuminate the evolution of life history and phallic morphology of flesh flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

Background: The common name of the Flesh flies (Sarcophagidae) usually relates them with organisms feeding on decomposing organic matter, although the biology of one of the largest radiations among insects also includes predation, coprophagy, and even kleptoparasitism. The question of whether the ancestor of all sarcophagids was a predator or a decomposer, or in association to which host have sarcophagids evolved, has thus always piqued the curiosity of flesh fly specialists. Such curiosity has often been hindered by both the impossibility of having a well-supported phylogeny of Sarcophagidae and its sister group to trace live habits and the scarcity of information on the biology of the group. Using a phylogenomic dataset of ultraconserved elements from nearly all lineages of Sarcophagidae, a robust phylogenetic framework and timescale are generated to understand flesh fly systematics and the evolution of their life histories. Results: The evolutionary history for Sarcophagidae reconstructed here differs considerably from previous hypotheses. Within subfamily Sarcophaginae, a group of predatory flies, including genera Lepidodexia and Boettcheria, emerged as sister-group to the rest of Sarcophaginae. The genera Oxysarcodexia, Ravinia, and Tricharaea, long considered archaic and early-branching coprophagous and sarcosaprophagous lineages, were found nested well within the Sarcophaginae as sister-group to the sarcosaprophagous Microcerella. Predation on invertebrates is suggested as the ancestral and dominant strategy throughout the early evolution of flesh flies. Several switches from predation to sarcosaprophagy occur across the sarcophagid phylogenetic tree, in contrast with almost no switches from sarcosaprophagy or coprophagy to predatory habits. Regarding the morphological evolution of flesh flies, there might a concerted evolution of male genitalia traits, such as the phallotrema position and the juxta, or the vesica and the folding of the phallotrema. One diversification rate shift was inferred in the evolution of sarcophagids, which is associated with the genus Sarcophaga. Conclusions: This study has a significant impact on understanding sarcophagid evolution and highlights the importance of having a robust phylogenetic framework. I discuss the evolution of life histories of the family in relation to their hosts or substrates and outline how sarcosaprophagy, coprophagy, and kleptoparasitism behavior on various hosts may have evolved from predation on invertebrates. This study has established the framework for further physiological and comparative genomic work between predatory, sarcosaprophagous, coprophagous, and kleptoparasitic lineages, which could also have significant implications for the evolution of diverse life histories in other Diptera.
“We Do This at Dancing Rabbit”: Recruitment and Collective Identity Processes in the Ecovillage

This article outlines the various ways members of an intentional community erect barriers to entry in their village and lifestyle, and how they use boundary maintenance tactics to both protect their own personal spheres as well as the integrity of their mission and vision. Members of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage (“DR”) seek to create an alternative model for a more just and sustainable world. They face twin challenges in seeking to expand that model through recruitment to their community and retaining the integrity of their unique lifestyle that makes it possible and enjoyable. DR utilizes processes of recruitment and retention to construct and defend a collective identity based in accommodating for personal and political concerns, one characterized specifically by the values of egalitarianism and environmentalism as focal points for their shared lifestyle. Yet they also erect barriers to keep out potential recruits who may compromise that identity.
TOLL LIKE RECEPTOR-4 GENE ASPARTATE 299 GLYCINE POLYMORPHISM IN SUDANESE PATIENTS WITH MYCETOMA

Background: Mycetoma is a neglected tropical disease characterized by deformity and disabilities with various medical, health, and socioeconomic impacts on the affected communities. The etiological factors associated with Mycetoma have not been fully understood, however genetic predisposition and inflammation are considered as Mycetoma risk factors. Toll like receptors (TLRs) are key players in the innate immune response and play a great role in immune-surveillance and inflammation. This study was conducted to investigate the potential role of TLR4 polymorphism (Asp299Gly) as a risk factor for development of Mycetoma. Objectives: To determine the presence of TLR4 polymorphism (Asp299Gly) in Sudanese Mycetoma patients as well as measuring allele frequency and genotype distribution of this mutation among Mycetoma patients and healthy controls. Material and Methods: The current study included ninety five (95) subjects, of whom fifty (50) were confirmed Mycetoma patients and forty five (45) were healthy volunteer controls. It was conducted at the Institute of Endemic Diseases and Mycetoma Research Centre; University of Khartoum in the period, from June 2015 to June 2016. DNA was isolated from blood samples of study subjects and TLR-4 gene polymorphism Asp299Gly was determined using PCR-RFLP with Nco1 restriction enzyme. Genotypes distribution and allele frequencies in the two groups were measured. Results and conclusion: There was insignificant difference in allele distribution of TLR4 (Asp299Gly) A/G (rs 4986790) in Mycetoma patients compared with the healthy controls. TLR4 (Asp299Gly) polymorphism (rs 4986790) was found in twenty(20) out of fifty (50) Sudanese patients with Mycetoma , that is forty percent (40%) and twenty seven (27) out of forty five (45) healthy control, that is sixty percent (60%). Further studies are needed in a large and ethnically diverse population to determine the impact of the TLR-4 polymorphism in the susceptibility to Mycetoma.
INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF NATURAL NIGERIAN CALCIUM BENTONITE ON HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF WISTAR ALBINO RATS

Bentonite clay is widely distributed all over the world and it has been consistently used for its healing properties. In this study, the in vivo effect of natural Nigerian calcium bentonite clay on haematological parameters of wistar albino rat were investigated. The rats were fed for a total period of 28 days with varying concentrations of the bentonite clay. The haemoglobin count, packed cell volume, total white blood cell count, red blood cell count, platelet count, neutrophil and lymphocyte count were assayed. Test results showed that the bentonite had a lowering effect on haematological parameters studied in a concentration and time dependent manner with differences in concentration and time at 95 % confidence levels (P< 0.05). The highest decrease of 12.60 ± 0.36 vs control 14.35 ± 0.00 (g/dl) was obtained for Hb at the highest concentration of 0.07g at 28 days duration. PCV, WBC, RBC, platelet, neutrophil and lymphocyte analysis also showed highest decrease at 28 days duration at 0.07g/100g body weight. The results showed that using bentonite in small amounts for a short period of time had little effect. However, it is imperative that anyone intending to take large amounts of bentonite for long periods of time to undergo blood tests from time to time.
The Determination of 10 Compounds of GuiZhi Decoction in Rat Plasma after Oral Administration by HPLC-MS/MS and its Application to a Pharmacokinetic Study

Background: Guizhi Decoction (GZD), a traditional Chinese medical formula, has been commonly used to treat fever, sweating, and cold in China. Methods: The high performance liquid chromatography -tandem mass spectrometry ( HPLC-MS/MS ) method was established for the determination of 10 compounds, including cinnamic acid , paeoniflorin, albiflorin, liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid, and 6-gingerol. And the specificity, linearity, lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), lower limit of detection (LLOD), precision and accuracy, recovery, matrix effect, and stability were used to verify the HPLC-MS/MS method. This validated method was successfully applied for pharmacokinetic study of the 10 compounds in rat plasma after oral administration of GZD in three doses (40 g crude drug·kg −1 , 20 g crude drug·kg −1 , 10 g crude drug·kg −1 ) and intravenous injection of GZD extraction at a dose of 2.0 g crude drug·kg −1 . The measurements of pharmacokinetic parameters including AUC 0–∞ , T 1/2 , T max , C max , Vz_F, Cl_F, and MRT, were performed using a non-compartmental model with Winnonlin 8.1 software. Results: The results showed that 10 compounds were detected in plasma after oral administration of GZD. the compounds (except for glycyrrhetinic acid) reached the maximum blood concentration quickly, whose Tmax was about 0.1-0.2 min. And a total of 9 compounds were detected after intravenous injection of GZD. The plasma concentration-time curve of these compounds declines rapidly at the beginning, and then decreased slowly, indicating that the plasma concentration-time curves were double exponential function curves. Conclusions: In this study, the developed method was suitable for pharmacokinetic analysis of the main compounds of GZD in rat plasma, and may reveal the pharmacodynamic material basis of GZD and provide a reference for the rational use of GZD in the clinic.
Diversity of the Madden–Julian Oscillation: Initiation Region Modulated by the Interaction between the Intraseasonal and Interannual Variabilities

As one of the aspects of the diversity of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO), the modulation of initiation regions of the boreal-winter MJO is studied in terms of the relationship between intraseasonal and interannual variabilities. MJOs are categorized as those initiating in the Indian Ocean (IO), Maritime Continent (MC), and western Pacific (WP), referred to herein as IO-MJOs, MC-MJOs, and WP-MJOs, respectively. The composite analyses for each MJO category using observational data reveal that the diversity of MJO initiation regions directly results from the modulation of areas where horizontal advective premoistening efficiently occurs via intraseasonal/synoptic-scale winds. This is supported by the difference in the zonal location of equatorial intraseasonal circulations established before MJO initiation, which is related to a spatial change in background convection and associated Walker circulations forced by interannual sea surface temperature (SST) variability. Compared to IO-MJOs (favored in the climatological background on average), MC-MJOs tend to be realized under the eastern-Pacific El Niño–like condition, as a result of eastward-shifted intraseasonal convection and circulation patterns induced by background suppressed convection in the eastern MC. WP-MJOs are frequently initiated under the central-Pacific El Niño–like and positive IO dipole–like conditions, in which the WP is selectively moistened with the aid of background enhanced (suppressed) convection over the WP (the southeastern IO and the central-to-eastern Pacific). This major tendency derived from sample-limited observations is verified by a set of 15-yr numerical experiments with a global nonhydrostatic MJO-permitting model under a perpetual boreal-winter condition where observation-based SSTs are prescribed.
Measuring the relationship between workplace opportunities and motivation among women in the technology industry

The issue of gender imbalance is one that affects almost all industries but is particularly prevalent within technology and engineering. Just 14.4% of the overall science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) workforce in the UK are female (ONS, 2015), and with many years of government efforts having been made to increase the interest of school age girls in STEM subjects, it would be thought that the figures in the workplace would be balancing out. This does not appear to be the case, however. This paper looks into the reasons women are still not choosing engineering and technology careers and the reasons why the women who have broken through into the industry are leaving by examining the opportunities they are offered as well as their motivation at work. The research carried out in this paper acknowledges that psychological differences between men and women mean motivators differ and observes that STEM roles tend not to cater to women’s motivational needs. An example supported in this paper is the notion that women find motivation from a good work life balance and that this is generally not accommodated well within STEM roles. The online questionnaire carried out in this study draws concepts from literature to further investigate the opinions of women who are currently working in STEM roles within the UK. The survey is comprised of seventeen questions and relies upon levels of experience and levels of education to analyse. Overall, ninety-nine women took
Bacterial Colonization of Intensive Care Unit Environment and Healthcare Workers in A Tertiary Care Hospital in Kolar Region, India

Direct shedding of microbes by patients and health care workers results in contamination of Intensive care unit environment. Intensive care unit acquired infections due to microbial contamination is a major concern because the patient’s immunity is already compromised. To determine the rate of bacterial contamination on environmental surfaces of Intensive care unit and health care workers and to determine the antibiogram of the isolates. Air samples and swabs from healthcare workers, their accessories, surrounding environmental surfaces were collected randomly over a period of 2 months in Adult Intensive care units. Bacterial isolates were identified by standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic sensitivity testing was performed by Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method and data analyzed by Statistical Product and Service Solutions 22 version software. A total of 208 samples were randomly collected over 2 months, of which 56 samples yielded positive bacterial growth. Of 56 growth, 12 isolates were detected from air sampling method and 44 isolates from swabs. Among 44 isolates identified from swabs, 10 were isolated from healthcare workers, 4 from health care worker’s accessories and 30 from environmental surfaces. Six different bacterial isolates were identified, Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (24) and Micrococcus (15) were the major isolates followed by Non fermenters (6), Staphylococcus aureus(4), Bacillus species(4) and diphtheroids (3) The antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of these bacterial isolates were sensitive to commonly used antibacterial agents. Study results showed Intensive care unit staff and environmental surfaces as probable sources of bacterial contamination. Study highlights the importance of cleaning and disinfection process and educate the health care workers about the possible sources of infections within Intensive care unit.
Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Some Gilaburu (Viburnum Opulus L.) Genotypes

Gilaburu is an important fruit species in terms of healthy effects, having potential for use as alternative medicine and suitable for industrial product processing. In this context, physico-chemical characteristics of three different gilaburu (Viburnum opulus L.) genotypes grown under the ecological conditions of Kayseri, Turkey were determined. In addition, correlations among the investigated characteristics were calculated and their potential to be handled together was revealed. According to results, Fruit width, fruit length and fruit weight characteristics varied between 7.40-7.95 mm, 7.65-8.81 mm and 0.30-0.37 g, respectively. Genotype 3 showed the highest values in terms of pomological characteristics, while the lowest values were obtained from Genotype 1. Among the chemical properties; pH, soluble solid content (SSC) and titratable acidity (TA) values ranged from 3.53 (Genotype 1) to 3.97 (Genotype 2), 10.46 (Genotype 1) to 12.72 (Genotype 2) and 1.56 (Genotype 2) to 2.16 (Genotype 1), respectively. A high level of positive correlation was found between fruit width and fruit length (r = 0.73 ***). Also, these properties have been found to increase fruit weight. While a highly negative correlation was found between titratable acidity and pH (r = -0.95 ***), it was determined that the increase in fruit size and weight decreased dry matter accumulation.
Motivating Students to Learn AI Through Social Networking Sites: A Case Study in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, after-school activities have long been used to foster friendships and to allow students to pursue their interests in an informal setting. This case study reports on a three-phase action research process in which information technology teachers delivered after-school activities focused on artificial intelligence during the COVID-19 transition to remote learning. Using semi-structured interviews, a motivational questionnaire, and lesson observations, this study describes how extracurricular activities were delivered online using social networking sites and how students perceived the new experience. Our results suggest that, in order to deploy meaningful activities via social media, teachers need to build collaborative environments that facilitate social engagement among students. These findings have implications for new practices in social media and other blended technologies, and can help students strike a healthy balance between their academic and non-academic life during this challenging period.
The Role of Assumptions in Ohlson Model Performance: Lessons for Improving Equity-Value Modeling

In this paper, we test whether the short-run econometric conditions for the basic assumptions of the Ohlson valuation model hold, and then we relate these results with the fulfillment of the short-run econometric conditions for this model to be effective. Better future modeling motivated us to analyze to what extent the assumptions involved in this seminal model are not good enough approximations to solve the firm valuation problem, causing poor model performance. The model is based on the well-known dividend discount model and the residual income valuation model, and it adds a linear information model, which is a time series model by nature. Therefore, we adopt the time series approach. In the presence of non-stationary variables, we focus our research on US-listed firms for which more than forty years of data with the required cointegration properties to use error correction models are available. The results show that the clean surplus relation assumption has no impact on model performance, while the unbiased accounting property assumption has an important effect on it. The results also emphasize the uselessness of forcing valuation models to match the value displacement property of dividends.
Ssrp1 Promotes Lung Cancer Progression By Blocking The Wnt Pathway and Is Negatively Regulated By Mirna-28-5p

Background: Structure-specific recognition protein 1 (SSRP1) plays important roles in the development of various tumors. Numerous reports have described the effects of microRNAs (miRNAs) on lung cancer apoptosis, metastasis and proliferation. However, the relationship between SSRP1 and miRNAs in the development of lung cancer remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to explore the functions of SSRP1 in the occurrence and development of lung cancer.Methods: First, we analyzed the expression of SSRP1 in human lung cancer tissues and normal tissues, and the relationship between SSRP1 gene expression and overall survival through the UALCAN and GEPIA browsers. Second, we conducted experiments in vivo and vitro to demonstrate the roles and mechanisms of SSRP1 in the occurrence and development of lung cancer and its relationship with miR-28-5p.Results: Our study demonstrated over-expression of SSRP1 in tissue sections from patients with lung cancer and in lung cancer cell lines, as validated by bioinformatics analysis. The over-expression of SSRP1 was found to be associated with lung cancer development and low overall survival rates. Silencing of SSRP1 by siRNA inhibited lung cancer proliferation, migration and invasion by blocking the WNT signaling pathway in vitro and vivo. We also verified SSRP1 was negatively regulated by miR-28-5p，as predicted by a variety of miRNA-related databases. Further studies showed that miR-28-5p mediated suppression of SSRP1 inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation.Conclusion: Therefore, our data suggested that SSRP1 promotes lung cancer progression by blocking the WNT pathway and is negatively regulated by miRNA-28-5p.
Characterizing Spatial and Temporal Variability of Lightning Activity Associated with Wildfire over Tasmania, Australia

Lightning strikes are pervasive, however, their distributions vary both spatially and in time, resulting in a complex pattern of lightning-ignited wildfires. Over the last decades, lightning-ignited wildfires have become an increasing threat in south-east Australia. Lightning in combination with drought conditions preceding the fire season can increase probability of sustained ignitions. In this study, we investigate spatial and seasonal patterns in cloud-to-ground lightning strikes in the island state of Tasmania using data from the Global Position and Tracking System (GPATS) for the period January 2011 to June 2019. The annual number of lightning strikes and the ratio of negative to positive lightning (78:22 overall) were considerably different from one year to the next. There was an average of 80 lightning days per year, however, 50% of lightning strikes were concentrated over just four days. Most lightning strikes were observed in the west and north of the state consistent with topography and wind patterns. We searched the whole population of lightning strikes for those most likely to cause wildfires up to 72 h before fire detection and within 10 km of the ignition point derived from in situ fire ignition records. Only 70% of lightning ignitions were matched up with lightning records. The lightning ignition efficiency per stroke/flash was also estimated, showing an annual average efficiency of 0.24% ignition per lightning stroke with a seasonal maximum during summer. The lightning ignition efficiency as a function of different fuel types also highlighted the role of buttongrass moorland (0.39%) in wildfire incidents across Tasmania. Understanding lightning climatology provides vital information about lightning characteristics that influence the probability that an individual stroke causes ignition over a particular landscape. This research provides fire agencies with valuable information to minimize the potential impacts of lightning-induced wildfires through early detection and effective response.