Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Can We Introduce ART into Wild Felid Conservation in Practice? Joint Experience in Semen Collection from Captive Wild Felids in Europe

Simple Summary Artificial reproductive techniques (ART), such as cryopreservation of sperm cells and artificial insemination, are useful tools for species conservation. However, there is relatively little information published about their introduction into clinical practice for wild felids. The aim of this paper was to describe how those techniques were applied by three European teams in various species of wild felids. In total, this article presents 22 semen collection attempts in 12 species of wild felids, 15 of which were successful and resulted in the collection of at least one million spermatozoa. The failures in obtaining spermatozoa were most probably due to (1) male infertility, (2) wrong age/non-breeding season, or (3) recent multiple copulations. The cases presented in the article confirm that although ART have been introduced into clinical practice, they are mostly used in cases of infertility, not as routine breeding tools. Greater involvement of zoological gardens and private breeders is required, as many chances for preservation of valuable material are lost. Abstract Although artificial reproductive techniques (ART) are considered to be a valuable tool for species conservation, information about their introduction into clinical practice for wild felids is limited. The aim of this paper was to jointly describe cases of non-experimental sperm collection from males of various species of wild felids, performed by three European centers focused on feline reproduction. In total, the article presents 22 attempts of semen collection in 12 species of wild felids. The reasons for semen collection were: fertility assessment (10 cases), artificial insemination (5 cases), sperm rescue (postmortem collection for cryopreservation, 5 cases), and sperm banking (in vivo collection for cryopreservation, 2 cases). Semen collection was successful (defined as at least 1 × 106 spermatozoa) in 15 cases. The failures in obtaining spermatozoa were most probably due to (1) male infertility, (2) wrong age/non-breeding season, or (3) recent multiple copulations. The cases presented here confirm that although ART have been introduced into clinical practice, they are mostly used in cases of infertility, not as routine breeding tools. Higher involvement of zoological gardens and private breeders is required, as many chances for preservation of valuable material are lost.
Combined Treatment of Salinity Stress and Fruit Thinning Effect on Tomato

This was an experimental investigation of the combined treatments of salinity (SAL) stress and fruit thinning (FT) on the growth, yield, fruit quality, and water use efficiency (WUE) of tomatoes with non-soil cultivation. The experiment was carried out in a plastic tunnel, Japan. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) cv. Momotaro seedlings were transplanted in a randomized complete block (RCB) manner with six plants/treatment, and an overall 36 plants in 18 pots (2 plants/pot). The experiment involved varying SAL treatment (no-SAL, moderate SAL, and serious SAL, with electroconductivity of 0.8, 3.0, and 4.5 dS m−1, separately) and FT treatment (NT: no thinning and 3FT: three-fruit treatment). The tomato growth, yield, and WUE were significantly suppressed with increasing SAL. In comparison, FT treatment had less effect on tomato growth and water consumption. Either SAL stress or FT treatment significantly improved fruit quality. The combined treatment proved better than single treatment of either SAL stress or FT, avoided the subsize fruit following SAL stress treatment, reduced fruit cracking found with FT treatment, and greatly improved fruit quality. The SAL thresholds of WUEs in relation to biomass, yield, and marketable yield were approximately 3.0 dS m−1 under these soilless conditions. Path analysis showed that biomass and water consumption were important indexes affecting yield. Logistic equation fitting showed that SAL stress tended to inhibit and delay plant growth; however, FT tended to advance and shorten the period of plant growth.
The spectrum of tuberculosis in BCG-vaccinated and unvaccinated children

Introduction: Tuberculosis remains a very important communicable disease in many parts of the world and a major health problem in developing countries. The international controversy surrounding the use and effectiveness of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine. The aim the study is to evaluate the spectrum of tuberculosis among Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccinated and non-vaccinated children’s. Method: A retrospective study depending on data from flow sheet of each patient which include: age, sex, weight, residence, date of diagnosis, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination status ,the presence of scar or not, intra or extra familial contact, pattern of disease (pulmonary or extra pulmonary), investigations and associated risk factors. Results: 74 (46.8%) patients were males and 84 (53.2%) were females, they were divided into 2 groups: - group 1 those equal or less than 5 years old who 70 (44.3%) patients, and group 2 those more than 5 year old who 88 (55.7%) patients. The BCG vaccinated patients were 124 (78.5%),9 (7.3%) of them were not developed scar. Distribution of total 158 of TB patients according to the years as following: in 2007 were 46 (29.1%) patients, in 2008 were 51 (32.3%) patients, and in 2009 were 61 (38.6%) patients. 60 (38%) patients, Hashimiyah 43 (27.2%) patients.
Urinary Phthalate Levels in Relation to Obesity among a Sample of Egyptian Children

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is considered a risk factor for chronic diseases later in life. Phthalates (phthalate acid esters), predominant constituents of plasticizers, are well-thought-out global environmental contaminants. AIM: This study aims to investigate the relationship between obesity and urinary phthalates in Egyptian children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 210 children; 71 children were obese. Age ranged between 8.8 and 16 years with a mean of 12.93 ± 1.29 years. Sociodemographic data were collected. Clinical examination included measuring body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences (WC and HC), and calculation of body mass index (BMI). The lipid profile was analyzed. Urine samples were tested for phthalates levels using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Urinary phthalates metabolites mono benzyl (MBzP), monobutyl (MBP), monoethyl (MEP), and mono (2ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) were detected in all urinary samples with varying levels. The median concentrations of MBzP, MEHP, MBP, and MEP were 1.4, 54.5, 29.9, and 490 (ng/ml), respectively. In obese children, urinary MBP, MEP, and MEHP demonstrated significantly higher mean levels than in non-obese children. Physical indicators of obesity as body weight, BMI, WC, and HC were significantly positively correlated with urinary levels of MEHP and MEP, while urinary MBzP demonstrated a significant positive association with serum triglycerides levels. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests an association between phthalates exposure and childhood and adolescent adiposity.
Academic procrastination and cyberloafing behavior: A case study of students in Indonesia

Internet is a tool widely used by students to advance online and offline learning, especially during the Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, overdependence on internet use in the learning process may negatively affect the academic progress of students. Some students delay submitting academic assignments without tangible reasons. Students often use the internet for activities unrelated to academics. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between cyberloafing behavior and academic procrastination of Indonesian students during Covid-19 pandemic. The effect of self-regulated learning in explaining the relationship between cyberloafing behavior and academic procrastination was also discussed. This study used a descriptive study. The data collection technique was the survey method with the help of questionnaires. Sample size for this research was 732 students drawn from both the state and private universities in Indonesia. The results of the study showed that cyberloafing significantly affects students’ academic procrastination. Moreover, the relationship between these two variables was moderated by self-regulated learning. This research is expected to provide input to all parties involved in the student learning process and help develop information technology integration in the learning process. Keywords: academic, internet, cyberloafing, procrastination, regulation, technology
Leptin Levels of the Perinatal Period Shape Offspring’s Weight Trajectories through the First Year of Age

Background: Leptin is a hormone regulating lifetime energy homeostasis and metabolism and its concentration is important starting from prenatal life. We aimed to investigate the association of perinatal leptin concentrations with growth trajectories during the first year of life. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal study, measuring leptin concentration in maternal plasma before delivery, cord blood (CB), and mature breast milk and correlating their impact on neonate’s bodyweight from birth to 1 year of age, in 16 full-term (FT), 16 preterm (PT), and 13 intrauterine growth-restricted (IUGR) neonates. Results: Maternal leptin concentrations were highest in the PT group, followed by IUGR and FT, with no statistical differences among groups (p = 0.213). CB leptin concentrations were significantly higher in FT compared with PT and IUGR neonates (PT vs. FT; IUGR vs. FT: p < 0.001). Maternal milk leptin concentrations were low, with no difference among groups. Maternal leptin and milk concentrations were negatively associated with all the neonates’ weight changes (p = 0.017 and p = 0.006), while the association with CB leptin was not significant (p = 0.051). Considering each subgroup individually, statistical analysis confirmed the previous results in PT and IUGR infants, with the highest value in the PT subgroup. In addition, this group’s results negatively correlated with CB leptin (p = 0.026) and showed the largest % weight increase. Conclusions: Leptin might play a role in neonatal growth trajectories, characterized by an inverse correlation with maternal plasma and milk. PT infants showed the highest correlation with hormone levels, regardless of source, seeming the most affected group by leptin guidance. Low leptin levels appeared to contribute to critical neonates’ ability to recover a correct body weight at 1 year. An eventual non-physiological “catch-up growth” should be monitored, and leptin perinatal levels may be an indicative tool. Further investigations are needed to strengthen the results.
The Impact of on the Job Training on Employee’s Performance: The case of Secondary School Teachers in Songea Municipality

This study was designed to investigate on the impact of on the job training on employee’s performance in secondary schools of the Songea Municipality in the Ruvuma region. It was about on-work training among teachers in Songea’s Secondary Schools. The sample selected for the impact study of training was sixty four (64), of which we had thirty three (33) male teachers and thirty one (31) female teachers. This study has revealed that trained employees are more willing to continue working in the same organization after being trained than those who are not yet trained. One big result is that having Mastery Specific Skills one needs to successfully perform the tasks related to his/her present job after training and seeing a Career Path in one’s Present Job are strongly correlated. Hence, we confirm that on-work training is a key factor to good performance, career path and job security. Once an employee is trained, he gains opportunity to enhance his performance, his current job has direct impact on achieving the organizational objectives, his job performance outcomes are consistent with the goals of the organization and his good performance on his job gives him/her formal appreciation by the higher ups. The implications of the distinctive effect of employee training and other human resource practices on job performance measures and employee’s carer path were found remarkable. Generally, the findings of this study were found reliable with the studies conducted by other researchers on the contribution of human resource practices related to the job performance and employee’s career.
Visual Tract Degradation in Bilateral Normal-Tension Glaucoma—Cortical Thickness Maps and Volumetric Study of Visual Pathway Areas

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the central visual pathways during the early and advanced stages of bilateral normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Methods: The studied groups constituted patients with bilateral normal-tension glaucoma of the same stage (n = 45) and age-matched healthy volunteers (n = 17). All patients underwent ophthalmic examination and examination on a 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Scanner (Optima 360, GE Healthcare). Volume and cortical thickness analyses were performed using the open-source automated software package FreeSurfer. Results: There was a significant difference in lateral geniculate nuclei volume between the control and advanced glaucoma groups in the right hemisphere (p = 0.03) and in the left hemisphere between the early and advanced glaucoma patients (p = 0.026). The optic chiasm volume differed significantly between the control and advanced NTG groups (p = 0.0003) and between early and advanced glaucoma patients (p = 0.004). Mean cortical thickness analysis revealed a significant increase in values in the advanced glaucoma group in the right Brodmann area 17 (BA17) (p = 0.007) and right BA18 (p = 0.049) as compared to early NTG. In the left BA18 area, the mean thickness of the cortex in the early glaucoma group was significantly lower than in the control group (p = 0.03). Conclusions: The increase in the grey matter thickness in the V1 region with more-advanced glaucoma stages may reflect compensatory hypertrophy. Additionally, the regions of the brain early affected during glaucoma with reduced thickness were the right lateral occipital gyrus and left lingual gyrus. The most prominent change during the course of glaucoma was the increase in grey matter thickness in the right cuneus.
Outcomes of perceived supervisor support for wood production employees

Wood manufacturers would benefit from an increased understanding of how production supervisors affect the performance and attitudes oftheir subordinates. This research used leader-member exchange theory to examine the effects of the employee-supervisor relationship on important job-related outcomes in a sample of wood manufacturing employees. Employee perceptions of their relationship with their supervisor were evaluated and compared using a measure of perceived supervisor support for production employees at three wood manufacturers. Findings indicate that employees who perceive themselves to be in a supportive relationship with their supervisor tend to have higher performance, job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
Perceptions of Importance and Reported Frequency of Instruction of Self-Determination by Teaching Assistants in New South Wales Schools

Abstract Self-determination skills, including competencies such as decision-making, are regarded by parents and teachers as important for students with special needs. Although not necessarily regarded as appropriate, teaching assistants often take substantial responsibility for delivering educational programs to students and little is known about their perspectives on self-determination. Perspectives of teaching assistants may impact on their support of programs to enhance self-determination that are developed by teachers. Teaching assistants in New South Wales mainstream schools (N = 320) were surveyed regarding their views on the importance and frequency of instruction of seven competencies related to self-determination of students with special needs. Consistent with previous research, assistants rated all the competencies highly in terms of importance, but frequency of implementation was more variable. Moderate correlations were found between ratings of importance and frequency of implementation, suggesting that greater instructional time was devoted to competencies viewed as more important. Limited differences were found between assistants working at primary and secondary levels. Although features of the interactions of teaching assistants that can inhibit self-determination have been often identified in previous research, it is argued that, paradoxically, assistants may be well positioned to facilitate the development of self-determination with appropriate training and supervision. Directions for future research are identified.
Application of Machine Learning Algorithms to Predict Acute Kidney Injury in Elderly Orthopedic Postoperative Patients

Objective There has been a worldwide increment in acute kidney injury (AKI) incidence among elderly orthopedic operative patients. The AKI prediction model provides patients’ early detection a possibility at risk of AKI; most of the AKI prediction models derive, however, from the cardiothoracic operation. The purpose of this study is to predict the risk of AKI in elderly patients after orthopedic surgery based on machine learning algorithm models. Methods We organized a retrospective study being comprised of 1000 patients with postoperative AKI undergoing orthopedic surgery from September 2016, to June, 2021. They were divided into training (80%;n=799) and test (20%;n=201) sets.We utilized nine machine learning (ML) algorithms and used intraoperative information and preoperative clinical features to acquire models to predict AKI. The performance of the model was evaluated according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC), sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Select the optimal model and establish the nomogram to make the prediction model visualization. The concordance statistic (C-statistic) and calibration curve were used to discriminate and calibrate the nomogram respectively. Results In predicting AKI, nine ML algorithms posted AUC of 0.656–1.000 in the training cohort, with the randomforest standing out and AUC of 0.674–0.821 in the test cohort, with the logistic regression model standing out. Thus, we applied the logistic regression model to establish nomogram. The nomogram was comprised of ten variables: age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists, hypoproteinemia, hypertension, diabetes, anemia, duration of low mean arterial pressure, mean arterial pressure, transfusion.The calibration curves showed good agreement between prediction and observation in both the training and test sets. Conclusion By including intraoperative and preoperative risk factors, ML algorithm can predict AKI and logistic regression model performing the best. Our prediction model and nomogram that are based on this ML algorithm can help lead decision-making for strategies to inhibit AKI over the perioperative duration.
Characterization of Silver Resistance and Coexistence of sil Operon with Antibiotic Resistance Genes Among Gram-Negative Pathogens Isolated from Wound Samples by Using Whole-Genome Sequencing

Purpose Due to the extensive consumption of silver-containing compound, silver resistance spreads among gram-negative pathogens and is regarded as a great public problem. In this study, we investigated silver resistance mechanisms and antibiotic resistance genes co-harbored with sil operon among gram-negative pathogens isolated from wound samples. Methods A total of 193 strains of gram-negative pathogens were collected from wound samples between 2018 and 2020 in Xiangya hospital. Silver resistance was obtained by broth microdilution method. The silver resistance mechanisms and the prevalence, genetic environments, and coexistence with antibiotic resistance genes of sil operon were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and whole genome sequencing (WGS). Results Among 193 strains, nine strains (4.7%) were resistant to Ag+ and assigned to the following species: Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 5) and Enterobacter hormaechei (n = 4). WGS confirmed that 24 strains carried the entire sil operon, including the four Ag+-resistant E. hormaechei and 20 Ag+-susceptible strains, while PCR failed to detect some sil genes, especially silE, due to sequence variations. In seven strains, Tn7 transposon was identified in the upstream of sil operon. Spontaneous mutants resistant to Ag+ were induced in 15 out of 20 Ag+-susceptible strains, including K. pneumoniae strains belonged to high-risk groups (ST11 and ST15). The sil-positive strains harbored various antibiotic resistance genes, including blaESBL and blaApmC. WGS revealed that a single mutation in cusS gene and loss of major porins conferred silver resistance in the five K. pneumoniae strains. Conclusion Our findings emphasize the cryptic silver resistance is prevalent among Enterobacteriaceae with sil operon or with the combination of cus operon and major porin loss and increase the understanding of the prevalence of sil operon with antibiotic resistance genes, especially blaESBL and blaApmC.
Automated Acceptance Testing Tool For Requirements Validation

Requirements validation is an important process that determine the client-stakeholders’ needs and expectation of a product are sufficiently correct and complete. Various requirements validation techniques such as requirements review, prototyping, model-based and testing-based requirements validation can help to evaluate the correctness and quality of requirements. Yet, most of these techniques are tedious, expensive and time consuming. As a result, most project participants sometimes are reluctant to invest time and effort in the requirements validation process. Moreover, there is also lack of tool support that promotes the effective collaboration among client-stakeholders in the process. Motivated from these conditions, we have developed a lightweight approach for requirements validation with automated acceptance testing tool. We have evaluated the tool’s usability via substantial usability study, expert review and comparative studies. The results were positive and demonstrate that our tool is able to facilitate the requirements validation process, and establish client-stakeholders collaboration in order to get the right requirements at the earlier stage of software development project.