Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation et comparaison de divers indicateurs des changements à long term dans les écosystèmes méditerranéens arides : application au suivi de la désertification dans le Sud tunisien

A l'instar des autres parcours du Bassin mediterraneen, les paysages steppiques de la zone aride tunisienne sont generalement consideres comme degrades, la dynamique de la vegetation etant affectee par des perturbations anthropiques ou non, et des stress a l'origine des processus de desertification. Dans ce contexte, les objectifs de cette recherche etaient d'identifier et de valider divers indicateurs des changements a long terme afin de fournir des informations pour une gestion des terres arides. L'etude porte sur la comprehension 1) de la structure et du fonctionnement des ecosystemes et 2) des changements qui s'y produisent en reponse a la degradation, dans le temps et dans l'espace. Les indicateurs ecologiques permettent de decrire divers niveaux d'organisation depuis l'espece et l'ecosysteme, au paysage. La comparaison diachromque des cartes de vegetation de 1975 et 2000 a permis d'etablir un diagnostic plus complet de l'evolution des ecosystemes et des paysages depuis 25 ans. Quelques indicateurs ecologiques ont aussi ete relies aux donnees teledetectees.
Rapid and sensitive detection of gram-negative bacteria using surface-immobilized polymyxin B

Although detection of gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in body fluids is important for clinical purpose, traditional gram staining and other recently developed methods have inherent limitations in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, and convenience. To overcome the weakness, this study proposed a method detecting GNB based on specific binding of polymyxin B (PMB) to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of GNB. Fluorescent microscopy demonstrated that surface immobilized PMB using a silane coupling agent was possible to detect fluorescent signal produced by a single Escherichia coli (a model GNB) cell. Furthermore, the signal was selective enough to differentiate between GNB and gram-positive bacteria. The proposed method could detect three cells per ml within one hour, indicating the method was very sensitive and the sensing was rapid. These results suggest that highly multifold PMB binding on each GNB cell occurred, as millions of LPS are present on cell wall of a GNB cell. Importantly, the principle used in this study was realized in a microfluidic chip for a sample containing E. coli cells suspended in porcine plasma, demonstrating its potential application to practical uses. In conclusion, the proposed method was accurate, sensitive, and convenient for detecting GNB, and could be applied clinically.
Validated Question Bank for Assessing Pilot Knowledge of Aviation Weather

The rate of weather-related accidents is decreasing at a rate 2.57 times slower than all general aviation (GA) accidents (Fultz and Ashley, 2006). This illustrates that despite there being projects aimed at addressing this accident rate, these interventions are not occurring fast enough. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found that 88% of all aviation weather-related accidents in the U.S. occurred among GA pilots (Federal Aviation Administration, 2010). From 2008 to 2019, there were 381 non-commercial fixed-wing GA aircraft accidents identified to be weather-related, and that resulted in at least one fatality (Air Safety Institute, 2022). This paper validates a set of weather product interpretation questions that can be used to measure a pilot’s understanding of weather. To address the gaps in a GA pilot’s understanding of the weather, the first step is assessing their current knowledge. Thus, this scale can be used as a metric for measuring a person’s understanding of weather and weather products. The assessment consists of 15 weather product interpretation topics which can be administered as a single 65-question survey or, as in the current study, two assessments of 33 and 32 questions each separated by topic. These questions may be used to identify areas of strength and weaknesses regarding a pilot’s understanding of weather. With this knowledge, pilots can better direct their studies to specific weather topics and fortify their understanding of weather and weather products. The long-term goal is for these questions to help address and fortify pilots’ weather knowledge and reduce the rate of GA weather-related accidents by promoting safe, informed weather-related decision-making.
HEISQUAL – ACSI – IPA – PGCV: Synthesis of higher education service satisfaction measurements

The current weakness of various dimensions of service quality measurement scales that have been adopted in measuring the level of student service satisfaction at HE is often an obstacle to understanding weaknesses in the quality of HE service. This study aims to investigate the level of student service satisfaction based on the HEISQUAL synthesis combined with the ACSI, IPA, and PGCV methods as a holistic approach to determine priorities for continuous improvement. The integration of these three methods is very appropriate to answer the needs of HE in improving the quality of its services. The data in this study were obtained by distributing questionnaires to respondents with a sample size of 320 students using a convenience sampling technique (non-probability sampling). The results of this study indicate that HE service satisfaction is in the satisfied criteria, where 6 sub-dimensions are in quadrant A, 5 sub-dimensions are in quadrant B, 1 sub-dimension is in quadrant C, and 4 sub-dimensions are in quadrant D. From this analysis, the priority order of improvement are 1) ET, 2) LWE, 3) LF, 4) ECA, 5) C&M, 6) BTS. Through the HEISQUAL – ACSI – IPA – PGCV synthesis, HE can understand and determine well-accelerated strategic and practical policies.
Developing brain under renewed attack: viral infection during pregnancy

Living in a globalized world, viral infections such as CHIKV, SARS-COV-2, and ZIKV have become inevitable to also infect the most vulnerable groups in our society. That poses a danger to these populations including pregnant women since the developing brain is sensitive to maternal stressors including viral infections. Upon maternal infection, the viruses can gain access to the fetus via the maternofetal barrier and even to the fetal brain during which factors such as viral receptor expression, time of infection, and the balance between antiviral immune responses and pro-viral mechanisms contribute to mother-to-fetus transmission and fetal infection. Both the direct pro-viral mechanisms and the resulting dysregulated immune response can cause multi-level impairment in the maternofetal and brain barriers and the developing brain itself leading to dysfunction or even loss of several cell populations. Thus, maternal viral infections can disturb brain development and even predispose to neurodevelopmental disorders. In this review, we discuss the potential contribution of maternal viral infections of three relevant relative recent players in the field: Zika, Chikungunya, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2, to the impairment of brain development throughout the entire route.
The predictors and patterns of the early recurrence of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma after pancreatectomy: the influence of pre- and postoperative adjuvant therapy: a single-center and retrospective analysis

Background The perioperative factors predicting or influencing early pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) recurrence are unclear. This study attempted to identify the predictive factors for early PDAC recurrence post-pancreatectomy and the influence of pre- and post- operative adjuvant therapy. Methods One hundred and fifteen patients undergoing curative resection for PDAC between 2000 and 2016 at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups: those who did and did not experience PDAC recurrence within 6 months postoperatively. Results Thirty-four (30%) patients experienced early recurrence. Multivariate analyses demonstrated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) de-normalization, no postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT), and serosal invasion were independent risk factors for early recurrence (P<0.001, P=0.001, and P=0.010, respectively). A subgroup analysis showed patients with (n=51) and without (n=64) preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) had different predictors. Although postoperative ACT was not a significant indicator in patients with preoperative CRT, CA19-9 de-normalization and no postoperative ACT were significant indicators in patients without preoperative CRT. Preoperative CRT strongly prevented early local recurrence while postoperative ACT prevented early distant recurrence. Conclusions Although postoperative ACT particularly distant a lack of ACT. Preoperative CRT These therapies could have
Understanding Resilience: Looking at Frameworks & Standards - A Systematic Study from Cyber Perspective

Resilience as a system attribute and concept has gained importance and relevance in recent years as the world becomes more complex and interdependent. Most of our so-called critical infrastructures require strong IT support and infrastructure, and our reliance on their continuous availability and quality of service, makes them significant, as even short outages might cause dramatic economic losses. The systems must able to cope up with unexpected disturbances and compensate for them adequately, thereby being resilient. We found that the term resilience is being used in vastly different fields ranging from social sciences, ecology, or economics to engineering disciplines. As a first step toward understanding resilience, its notions and contexts, how such systems can be built and so on, we conducted a systematic study from cyber perspective. In this paper we provide our methodology, brief highlights, excerpts, and inferences specifically on frameworks and standards, we drew from from our study.
Thermoregulatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular responses during 88 min of full-body ice immersion – A case study

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Self-Medication Practice and Associated Factors Among University of Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: Self-medication is the use of medicines by individuals to treat self-recognized illnesses or symptoms without any medical supervision. Such practices may cause antimicrobial resistance, which causes treatment failure, economic loss, serious health hazards, missed diagnosis, delayed appropriate treatment, drug dependency, and adverse drug effects. However, empirical evidence is limited to the current status of its practices and associated factors among university students. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of self-medication practices among medicine and health science students at the University of Gondar. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed from February to March 2017. A total of 792 randomly selected students were surveyed with a self-administered structured questionnaire. Epi Info version 7 and SPSS version 20 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed. In multivariable analysis, P-value <0.05 and adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to identify associated factors. Results: Self-medication practice was found to be 52.4% (95% CI: (49%, 56%)) among university students. For most students, the major reason for using self-medication was taking the illness as less serious (71.1%). Females (AOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.08–2.01), income category (USD 44.01–175.87) (AOR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.29–0.78), sixth year students (AOR: 8.71; 95% CI: 4.04–18.77) and health officer students (AOR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.20–4.63) were found to be significantly associated with self-medication practice. Conclusion: More than half of the students practiced self-medication, which is moderately higher than other findings. Gender, income, year of study, and field of study were the major factors that affected self-medication. Therefore, interventions that can halt the high magnitude of self-medication and factors associated with it are crucial. Special attention should be given to students who stay in the university for longer years.
Two New Matrix Classes Related to the CMP Inverse: CMP and Co-CMP Matrices

This paper focuses on two new matrix classes related to the CMP inverse of a square matrix, called the CMP and co-CMP matrices. Some of their characterizations are identified based on the core-EP decomposition and subspace operations. And, we show an equivalence relationship between the co-CMP matrix set and the intersection of the core matrix set and the co-EP matrix set. The nonsingularity of other matrices closely associated with the co-CMP matrices is considered, and their inverses are presented in a decomposition form.
Effect of sex of kids and Litter size on Taggar goat Kids performance

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of litter size on Taggar goat Kids performance. Sixty two (62) kids of Taggar goats which were divided into 3 groups according to sex and the number of kids born per doe (Litter size): Single Kids group (32), twin kids group (24) and triplet kids' groups (6). The results indicated that the birth weight on single kids' groups was 2.10±0.06 kg, the twin group was 2.05±0.05 kg and the triplet group 1.7±0.16 kg and there were no significant (p ≥0.05). The effects of litter size on weaning body weight at were 8.63±0.24 kg, 8.11±0.26 kg and 7.410. 51 kg. The effects of litter size on body weight gain of kids from birth to weaning were 6.53±0.22 BW/kg, 6.09±0.25 BW/kg and 5.62±0.48 BW/kg. The effect of little size on Body weight at puberty age was 14.16±0.34 kg, 13.55±0.29 kg and 11.66±0.43 kg. The effect of litter size on puberty age were 175.63±12.86 days, 195.31±9.94 days and 206.61±8.19 days and also at first kidding age was 358.10±15.01 days , 384.86±9.56 days and 387.81±11.60 days and there was no significant (p≥0.05) among the groups. From the study conclude that litter size has a positive effect single kids' group and has a negative effect on the triplet kids' group. Keywords: Taggar, goat, production, reproduction, concentrate ration, dry land, Sudan
Soil and geomorphic history in selected areas of the Cary till, Iowa

ed to obtain percent clay (<2y), geometric mean size for the range 2y to 2 mm. , using the Wentworth scale, standard deviation in phi units (Krumbein and Pettijohn, 1938, p. 245249), and percent >2 mm. The methods used for these analyses are described in Appendix B and the data are tabulated with the corresponding profile descriptions in Appendix A. To facilitate relating the soil data to established series and mapping units defined in this report, the sampled profiles have been listed in Table 11 with brief notes on the topography, mapping unit and series relationships. Data for miscellaneous profiles are listed in Appendix A. These include data for bog center profiles at McCulloch (M4), Woden (Wl) and Hebron (HI).
NAA is more effective than IBA for rooting stem cuttings of two Nyssa spp.

Abstract We conducted two experiments to determine whether Nyssa aquatica and Nyssa ogeche could be propagated from softwood cuttings. In the first experiment, two commercial auxin formulations were used, each at two concentrations. In the second study, we compared root formation among cuttings treated with 3000-ppm indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) in liquid or talc, 3000-ppm 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) in liquid, and a combination of 1500-ppm IBA and 1500-ppm NAA in liquid. Cuttings were taken from terminal and subterminal positions on juvenile stock plants and held under intermittent mist for six weeks. More terminal cuttings rooted than did subterminal cuttings. A liquid formulation of NAA or NAA and IBA was more effective than IBA at promoting root formation for both species. Up to 93% of cuttings rooted when treated with a solution containing NAA and IBA. Cuttings of N. aquatica treated with NAA in solution produced up to eight times more roots than cuttings treated with no auxin or IBA. For both speci.
Dietary diversity and nutritional status of adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria

Background/Objectives: Adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, such as Nigeria, are at increased risk of malnutrition, especially obesity, but there is limited data describing the risk. We assessed this risk by examining the nutritional status and associated factors such as dietary habits, dietary diversity, nutritional knowledge and sociodemographic characteristics among adolescents in Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study in which 682 adolescents were selected from their communities using a multistage sampling technique. Dietary habits were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary diversity was assessed through nonquantifiable 24-h diet recall. Anthropometric measurements were taken to determine nutritional status. Data were analyzed using Epi-Info software version 7.2.3.1. Nutritional status was evaluated using WHO AnthroPlus software. Chi-square was used to test for an association between categorical variables, and P values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of the adolescents was 13.6 ± 2.3 years, and only 47.4% of them had good nutritional knowledge. Dietary habits were poor and dietary diversity was low. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 13.4% and 7.0%. Eating dinner, dieting to control weight and daily consumption of foods outside the home were associated with overweight and obesity (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Dietary habits and diversity of the adolescents were poor, while overweight and obesity were high. Eating dinner and daily consumption of foods outside the home were factors associated with being overweight and obesity. Our findings emphasize the critical need for adolescent nutrition programs that address weight control, especially among those who eat outside their homes.
Investigation of Landsat satellite image change detection of snow and ice cover: A seasonal and multi annual time scale approach to evaluate this technique as a tool for water resource management

94 Landsat Satellite images were analyzed regarding snow cover and perennial snow or ice patches in the mountains close to Oppdal. Special attention was paid to the ablation period. The Landsat scenes were processed and analyzed with ERDAS Imagine. Detailed analysis was conducted in ESRI ArcGIS.The study aimed to analyze the temporal development of snow cover distribution in the study area. Of particular interest were perennial snow or ice patches as they might indicate climate change in the study area and because of their little researched character. The gathered infor-mation regarding the snow cover might be used to adjust existing management tools and strat-egies.The snow cover was detected with the normalized differential snow index (NDSI) and a fixed threshold. It was a goal to develop a robust process that had the potential to be applied auto-matically. For detailed analysis the binary snow cover map was further used in GIS. It was applied together with a digital elevation model (DEM) to increase the level of information.Landsat proved to be suitable to map the snow cover extent in the study area. The NDSI proved its reliability and it is possible to use it in an automated process.The analysis with change detection techniques revealed large losses in area covered by peren-nial snow patches. The average loss for selected snow patches was 55%. Snow patches are usually located on the east facing slope of mountains, with variations towards north- or south-east. Finally snow cover is disintegrating in a similar pattern each year.As a recommendation for water resource management in the area two things must be men-tioned: climate change is altering the snow cover towards the end of the ablation season and the snow cover is disintegrating in similar patterns. Therefore this information can be incorpo-rated in existing management tools.Keywords: Natural resource management; remote sensing; normalized differential snow in-dex, NDSI, Landsat, Oppdal, snow patch, ice patch, snow cover detection, change detection
Adropin attenuates pancreatitis-associated lung injury through PPARγ phosphorylation-related macrophage polarization

Acute pancreatitis (AP)-associated lung injury (ALI) is a critical complication of AP. Adropin is a regulatory protein of immune metabolism. The present study aimed to explore the immunomodulatory effects of adropin on AP-ALI. For this purpose, serum samples of patients with AP were collected and the expression levels of serum adropin were detected using ELISA. Animal models of AP and adropin knockout (Adro-KO) were constructed, and adropin expression in serum and lung tissues was investigated. The levels of fibrosis and apoptosis were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson's staining and immunohistochemistry of in lung tissue. M1/M2 type macrophages in the lungs were detected using immunofluorescence staining, western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. As shown by the results, adropin expression was decreased in AP. In the Adro-KO + L-arginine (L-Arg) group, macrophage infiltration, fibrosis and apoptosis were increased. The expression of peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor γ (PPARγ) was downregulated, and the macrophages exhibited a trend towards M1 polarization in the Adro-KO + L-Arg group. Adropin exogenous supplement attenuated the levels of fibrosis and apoptosis in the model of AP. Adropin exogenous supplement also increased PPARγ expression by the regulation of the phosphorylation levels, which was associated with M2 macrophage polarization. On the whole, the findings of the present study suggest that adropin promotes the M2 polarization of lung macrophages and reduces the severity of AP-ALI by regulating the function of PPARγ through the regulation of its phosphorylation level.