Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence, host specificity and impact on host fecundity of microparasites and epibionts in three sympatric Daphnia species

1. Recent reports indicate that microparasites might play an important role in the ecology and evolution of freshwater zooplankton. To quantify the impact of parasitism on Daphnia in natural populations we studied the microparasites of D. magna, D. pulex and D. longispina in three ponds in southern England for a 1-year period. Parasite prevalence and richness, epibiont prevalence and density of host food (planktonic algae) were quantified and their effect on host fecundity analysed. 2. Seventeen parasite species were detected, including eight microsporidia, one haplosporidium, one ameoba, three fungi, three bacteria and one unidentified parasite. The mean proportion of infected adults across the year and the three ponds was 84.7% for D. magna, 53.6% for D. pulex and 38.6% for D. longispina for the 11 most common parasites. Body size was generally positively correlated with parasite prevalence and richness. This relation was found both across and within host species. Multiple infections by different parasite species were common. 3. In all three Daphnia species, parasitism was associated with a reduction in fecundity. The small D. longispina was less affected per parasite compared to the two larger host species, D. magna and D. pulex. Clutch presence was more strongly reduced than clutch size, and the effect increased with parasite richness. The data suggest that parasites castrated their host completely, rather than reducing clutch size. 4. Host specificity varied between parasite species. Two parasite species infected only one or two of the three hosts investigated, and six parasite species showed differences in their specificity between ponds. 5. Four different epibiont groups were distinguished; algae, Protozoa, one fungus and one bacterium. Epibiont prevalence differed between ponds and species. Overall, epibionts were not host specific, but intensity of infection differed strongly between species and the three ponds. Epibiont infection was independent of parasite infection. The presence of epibiontic algae reduced clutch size in D. magna significantly. 6. Our results suggest that parasites can have important effects on Daphnia ecology and evolution. Differential susceptibility of the three host species to parasites suggests that parasites might play a role in determining competition and coexistence in our three study sites.
Effects of feeding diluted diets on growth performance and morpho- metric body parameters of exotic and improved local chicks

Two hundred chicks consisting of one hundred exotic layers and one hundred improved local chicks of local and exotic (LXE) genotypes were investigated to determine the effect of diet dilution on performance and growth traits of chicks for a period of twenty eight days. Standard chick’s diet was diluted with 20 percent wheat offal, palm kernel cake, baobab seed meal, respectively and fed to each chick’s type ad libitum throughout the trial period in a 2x4 factorial experimental design. Data collected included feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), body weight (BW) and morphometric body parameters such as body girth (BG), body length (BL), shank length (SL), shank diameter (SD), thigh length (TL), keel length (KL), wing length (WL) and drumstick (DL) and analyzed using one way analysis of variance of SAS statistical package. FI, WG, FCR, BW and all the morphometric body parameters were significantly (p<0.05) affected by genotype and diet dilution. Significant interaction existed between chicken genotypes and diets type for all the morphometric body parameters measured. Dilution of recommended diets should not be encouraged as the chicks fed diluted diets had poorer performance compared to those fed non-diluted standard diet during the experimental period. Therefore, small scale farmers are advised against such practice.
Biomonitoring Studies of Environmental Pollution in Egypt Using Crayfish and Mosquito-fish with Emphasis on Bacteriological, Parasitological and Heavy Metal Assay

The present study was conducted to biomonitor the water quality in Abu-Rawash, Giza, Egypt by comparing the health status of two different aquatic organisms, red swamp crayfish (Procambarusclarkii) and mosquito-fish (Gambusiaaffinis). Bacteriological, parasitological and histo-pathological studies were performed.Physiochemical parameters (pH, Electrical conductivity, phosphate, ammonia and nitrate) and some heavy metals [copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb)] were analyzed in water samples. Heavy metal concentrations were also examined in different crayfish tissues (muscle, exoskeleton and hepatopancreas) and mosquito-fish.Some pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacterial species were isolated from both crayfish and mosquito-fish represented by A. hydrophila, Ps. Fluorescens, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, E. coli, Citrobacter spp. , Enterobacter spp. , staph and micrococcus. No parasites were found out in crayfish, while mosquito-fish showed high gill infection with encysted metacercariea. High levels of heavy metals were detected in water, they follow the order of Ni>Pb>Cd, while Zn and Cu were in normal values. Ni showed the highest bioaccumulation factor in both crayfish and mosquito-fishtissues, while Zn was in high concentration in the muscles of crayfish.Crayfish and mosquito-fish are two different biomonitoring aquatic species that give an early warning of the water pollution to take the responsible steps and avoid water pollution for saving our aquatic environment.
Molecular Reexamination of the Taxonomy of Ochthebius (Calobius) (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae) from the Mediterranean and Macaronesian Regions

The classification of Ochthebius (Calobius) is revised using isozyme analysis combined with a preliminary morphological study of population samples from 69 Mediterranean and Macaronesian localities. Seven taxa are recognized, including 3 new taxa, provisionally designated as Ochthebius species A from Italy, O. heeri subspecies A from the western Canaries, and Ochthebius species B from Israel. Ochthebius heeri Wollaston, 1854 is raised from synonymy with O. quadricollis Mulsant, 1844. On the basis of the descriptors used, as well as on the absence of gene exchange in sympatric areas, specific rank is assigned to Ochthebius quadricollis, Ochthebius species A and O. brevicollis , whose ranges show overlapping areas. For the allopatric taxa Ochthebius heeri heeri and O. heeri A, Ochthebius species B, O. brevicollis brevicollis and O. brevicollis steinbuehleri , specific or subspecific ranks were assigned mainly on the basis of their degree of genetic differentiation. A biogeographical hypothesis on the origin of the 7 taxa is proposed.
CIA_A_248170 783..795

Agnieszka Sławuta 1 Polański Jacek Grzegorz Mazur 1 Beata Jankowska-Polańska 2 1Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, Hypertension and Clinical Oncology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland; 2Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and frailty syndrome (FS) are a part of the aging process. Both are still of great importance in the assessment of quality of life (QoL). There is definitely a lack of research clarifying the association between FS and QoL in AF patients. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of FS on QoL in AF patients. Materials and Methods: The retrospective and observational study included 158 inpatients with mean age 69.8±7.1 years, treated for AF in the cardiac department from 1 April 2019 to 31 June 2019. The following instruments were used: the Arrhythmia-Specific Questionnaire in Tachycardia and Arrhythmia (ASTA) and the Edmonton Frail Scale (EFS). Results: The mean level of frailty in the study group was 8.5±5.0. In 25.9% of patients, the level of frailty was mild, in 10.1% moderate, and in 17.1% severe. Patients were divided into two groups based on their frailty status. In comparative analysis of the QoL, there were significant differences between the groups: the frail group had more intense symptoms of arrhythmia than the non-frail group (14.9±4.1 vs 11.9±4.9; p<0.001). In the analysis of the total score impact of arrhythmia on QoL, the frail group had a significantly higher score than the non-frail group (23.5±5.2 vs 14.5±5.5), which confirmed the stronger negative impact of arrhythmia on QoL. In the regression coefficient analysis, the independent predictor of symptom severity and QoL was FS. However, we observed a negative impact of diabetes, which increased the impact of arrhythmia on QoL, and physical activity, which improved QoL and decreased the impact of symptoms on everyday life. Conclusion: Patients in the frail group have worse QoL and higher impact of arrhythmia on QoL in comparison to patients in the non-frail group. Frailty is an independent predictor of higher intensity of symptoms of arrhythmia and worse QoL. Diabetes and physical activity are predictors of QoL for patients with AF.
Title: A new method to measure flow in professional tasks-A FLOW-W

The aim of the article is to present a new Polish tool for measuring the flow experience in professional tasks – a FLOW-W Questionnaire. The questionnaire was inspired by Csikszentmihalyi’s (1990) flow theory and flow in Bakker’s work (2008). On its basis a set of positions was established, on which subsequently an exploratory (study 1, N = 101) and confirmatory (study 2, N = 275) factor analysis was conducted. The analysis showed the possibility of a unior bifactorial solution. After checking the theoretical and empirical validity of both solutions, the unifactorial solution was adopted. The validity of the questionnaire was examined, i.a. by correlations with theoretically related variables: work engagement with the UWES questionnaire (Szabowska-Walaszczyk, Zawadzka, Wojtaś, 2011) and affect at work (Zalewska, 2002). The studies showed a significant positive correlation between flow at work and work engagement (0.84) and between flow and positive affect (0.74). The reliability of the questionnaire is very high; α = 0.96. The tool has very good psychometric properties.
Seismic Properties of a Unique Olivine-Rich Eclogite in the Western Gneiss Region, Norway

Investigating the seismic properties of natural eclogite is crucial for identifying the composition, density, and mechanical structure of the Earth’s deep crust and mantle. For this purpose, numerous studies have addressed the seismic properties of various types of eclogite, except for a rare eclogite type that contains abundant olivine and orthopyroxene. In this contribution, we calculated the ambient-condition seismic velocities and seismic anisotropies of this eclogite type using an olivine-rich eclogite from northwestern Flemsoya in the Nordoyane ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) domain of the Western Gneiss Region in Norway. Detailed analyses of the seismic properties data suggest that patterns of seismic anisotropy of the Flem eclogite were largely controlled by the strength of the crystal-preferred orientation (CPO) and characterized by significant destructive effects of the CPO interactions, which together, resulted in very weak bulk rock seismic anisotropies (AVp = 1.0–2.5%, max. AVs = 0.6–2.0%). The magnitudes of the seismic anisotropies of the Flem eclogite were similar to those of dry eclogite but much lower than those of gabbro, peridotite, hydrous-phase-bearing eclogite, and blueschist. Furthermore, we found that amphibole CPOs were the main contributors to the higher seismic anisotropies in some amphibole-rich samples. The average seismic velocities of Flem eclogite were greatly affected by the relative volume proportions of omphacite and amphibole. The Vp (8.00–8.33 km/s) and Vs (4.55–4.72 km/s) were remarkably larger than the hydrous-phase-bearing eclogite, blueschist, and gabbro, but lower than dry eclogite and peridotite. The Vp/Vs ratio was almost constant (avg. ≈ 1.765) among Flem eclogite, slightly larger than olivine-free dry eclogite, but similar to peridotite, indicating that an abundance of olivine is the source of their high Vp/Vs ratios. The Vp/Vs ratios of Flem eclogite were also higher than other (non-)retrograded eclogite and significantly lower than those of gabbro. The seismic features derived from the Flem eclogite can thus be used to distinguish olivine-rich eclogite from other common rock types (especially gabbro) in the deep continental crust or subduction channel when high-resolution seismic wave data are available.
Growth of Juvenile Golden King Crabs Lithodes aequispinus in the Laboratory

Growth observations were made for juvenile male golden king crabs Lithodes aequispinus with carapace lengths (CL) of 2 to 35 mm to improve our understanding of the recruitment process. Gravid females were captured in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and juveniles were reared in the laboratory at 3°–10°C to obtain information on growth per molt and intermolt duration. The equation describing the increase in CL for crabs 2 to 35 mm CL was: New CL mm = Initial CL (1.25) + 0.14; r2 = 0.99, n = 76. The average increase in CL after molting was 28% (SD = 8%), and the corresponding value for chela height (CH) was 33% (SD = 17%). The intermolt duration, in units of degree days, of crabs 2 to 35 mm CL was described by the equation: Intermolt Duration = Initial CL mm (16.32) + 259; r2 = 0.76. The results from this study provide new insight into the growth patterns of this commercially important species. Authors: A. J. PAUL AND J. M. PAUL are marine biologists with the University of Alaska Institute of Marine Science, Seward Marine Center Laboratory, P. O. Box 730, Seward, AK 99664. E-mail: ffajp@uaf.edu Acknowledgments: Alaska Department of Fish and Game staff from Cordova and Homer collected the gravid females used in this study. This is contribution 2685 from the Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska. Project funding: Alaska Sea Grant College Program under grant number NA46RG0104 project number R/06-36 and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. INTRODUCTION Managers of crab fisheries use information on growth rates to anticipate recruitment to the fishery and understand the relative age structures of populations. In Alaska and other regions of the North Pacific, the golden king crab Lithodes aequispinus is harvested commercially, but there is little information on growth rates of the early benthic stages. There is some information on growth per molt and morphometric changes in adult golden king crabs (Koeneman and Buchanan 1985; Paul and Paul 1999a) and growth rates of larvae (Paul and Paul 1999b), but similar information for juveniles is not available. This species is often found in deep water, on untrawlable bottom, and in remote regions, so studying growth in situ is difficult. The objective of our study was to measure growth per molt of captive juvenile golden king crabs and to obtain information on their intermolt durations.
Asymmetric cell divisions promote Notch-dependent epidermal

Stem and progenitor cells use asymmetric cell divisions to balance proliferation and differentiation. Evidence from invertebrates shows that this process is regulated by proteins asymmetrically distributed at the cell cortex during mitosis: Par3–Par6–aPKC, which confer polarity, and Gai–LGN/AGS3–NuMA–dynein/dynactin, which govern spindle positioning. Here we focus on developing mouse skin, where progenitor cells execute a switch from symmetric to predominantly asymmetric divisions concomitant with stratification. Using in vivo skin-specific lentiviral RNA interference, we investigate spindle orientation regulation and provide direct evidence that LGN (also called Gpsm2), NuMA and dynactin (Dctn1) are involved. In compromising asymmetric cell divisions, we uncover profound defects in stratification, differentiation and barrier formation, and implicate Notch signalling as an important effector. Our study demonstrates the efficacy of applying RNA interference in vivo to mammalian systems, and the ease of uncovering complex genetic interactions, here to gain insights into how changes in spindle orientation are coupled to establishing proper tissue architecture during skin development.
A Quantitative Model for the Integrated Policy Framework

Many central banks have relied on a range of policy tools, including foreign exchange intervention (FXI) and capital flow management tools (CFMs), to mitigate the effects of volatile capital flows on their economies. We develop an empirically-oriented New Keynesian model to evaluate and quantify how using multiple policy tools can potentially improve monetary policy tradeoffs. Our model embeds nonlinear balance sheet channels and includes a range of empirically-relevant frictions. We show that FXI and CFMs may improve policy tradeoffs under certain conditions, especially for economies with less well-anchored inflation expectations, substantial foreign currency mismatch, and that are more vulnerable to shocks likely to induce capital outflows and exchange rate pressures.
Limitation of the Rate of Ribulosebisphosphate Carboxylase Activation by Carbamylation and Ribulosebisphosphate Carboxylase Activase Activity: Development and Tests of a Mechanistic Model

A mechanistically-based model of light-mediated activation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is developed. The model describes the kinetics of Rubisco activation following a relatively rapid increase in photon flux density (PPFD) from an initially low level. Underlying the model is the assumption that there are two slow processes that could potentially limit the rate of light-mediated Rubisco activation. These processes are the addition of the activator CO2 to the large subunit of Rubisco, which is accompanied by a conformational change in the enzyme (carbamylation), and activase-mediated removal of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate from the inactive form of the enzyme. The contribution of these slow processes to the overall activation kinetics of Rubisco was resolved by measuring Rubisco activation in whole spinach leaves using non-steady-state CO2 exchange. It was found that when the change in PPFD was relatively small and a correspondingly small proportion of the Rubisco pool was activated, the kinetics of activation were highly sensitive to the intercellular CO2 concentration (ci). The apparent rate constant for activation under these conditions was found to be similar to that for the carbamylation of purified spinach Rubisco. When the change in PPFD and the proportion of Rubisco activated was relatively large, however, the kinetics of Rubisco activation were almost completely CO2 insensitive and were consistent with those of an enzyme-catalysed reaction. It is suggested that (1) CO2-insensitive activation reflects the operation of Rubisco activase and (2) the increasing CO2 sensitivity seen as the change in PPFD decreases reflects a transition to limitation by carbamylation.
International Journal of Instruction

Citation: Francis, B. S. , Latib, A. A. , Amiron, E. , Subari, K. , & Kamin, Y. (2020). Measuring the Importance of Non-Technical Skills for Integration into Metalwork Technology Curriculum Using Structural Equation Modelling. International Journal of Instruction, 13(3), 317-328. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2020. 13322a Received: 16/06/2019 Revision: 20/01/2020 Accepted: 25/01/2020 OnlineFirst:23/04/2020
Readiness and Competence of New Teachers for Career as Professional Teachers in Primary Schools

This study aims at exploring the problem of the readiness and competence of new teachers to teach in primary schools. This study specifically focuses on identifying the readiness of new teachers to conduct teaching professionally, and analyzing their competence in conducting teaching. This study employs a mixed-method research design with data collected from two different approaches: a qualitative approach by conducting interviews and observation, and a quantitative approach by conducting a survey. The data were collected from lecturers, graduate teachers working as teachers, graduate teachers working not as teachers, and users of graduate teachers. The results of data collection and analysis were made into several themes. The results showed that the majority of graduates were ready to join the workforce as professional teachers with the risk that they had to accept the lack of welfare and legitimacy as unprofessional teachers because they had to attend further professional education programs. The education provided by the lecturers during their study in their institution in the aspects of knowledge and skills in the field of study and pedagogy became the foundation for new teachers in starting their careers as professional teachers in schools. A good educational process had produced teachers who have competencies with good categories in various aspects.
Morpho-functional patterns and zonation of South Chilean seaweeds: the importance of photosynthetic and bio-optical traits

We address the question of whether seaweed zonation can be characterized in terms of light absorption, pigmentation, photosynthetic parameters, photoinhibition, and thallus structure. Based on 32 seaweed species from the Pacific coast of southern Chile, intertidal assemblages exhib- ited higher light requirements for photosynthesis (Ek) and lower thallus light absorptances than sub- tidal algae. Ek values were lower than the highest measured irradiances at the corresponding natural depths, suggesting that photosynthesis in these organisms could potentially occur at lower depths. During summer, 1% of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) reached a depth of 23 m, while UV- B and UV-A wavelengths were completely attenuated at <3 and 6 m, respectively. Overall, the pho- tobiological adaptations were associated with depth, morphology, and taxonomic group. Photoinhibi- tion was similar in algae from different depths, although recovery was higher in upper littoral algae than in infra- and sublittoral species. The characteristics conferring competitive abilities in light use and light stress tolerance were not, or only partially, related to the classical Littler form-function model. The filamentous and foliose forms were able to acclimate rapidly to changing light and phys- ical stress in the supralittoral zone. For infralittoral kelps living in a highly dynamic environment, higher cross-sectional area and enhanced in vivo light absorption were coupled with morphological features (e.g. massive thallus) that are advantageous in withstanding e.g. water movement. By con- trast, the rapid physiological adjustments that allow algae to endure solar stress (e.g. photochemical down-regulation) were strongly dependent on the position on the shore but not on gross morphology.
A Functional Information Criterion for Region Selection in Functional Linear Models

To deal with the region selection problem in functional linear models, a functional information criterion is suggested to identify the null region where the functional predictor has no contribution to the response. It is shown that the null region identified by our proposal is asymptotically consistent under some mild conditions. In addition, we obtain the convergence rate of the length of the null region estimate, which has not been considered before. The procedure is easily implementable in practice. The finite sample performance is illustrated in applications to simulated and real data.