Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN WATER AND SELECTED FISH SPECIES (TILAPIA, CAT FISH AND LUNG FISH) FROM LAKE BARINGO, KENYA

Elevated concentrations of heavy metals in water and sediments may be biomagnified along the aquatic food chains eventually affecting human health through the consumption of metal-contaminated water or fish from such water bodies. This study was carried out to assess the concentration levels of heavy metals in the tissues of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), Cat fish (Clarias gariepinus) and Lung fish (Protopterus aethiopicus) from Lake Baringo, Kenya. Water samples were collected from four selected sites while the fish samples were purchased directly from the fishermen carrying out fishing activities within the lake. Analysis of the heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Fe, Cd and Pb) in water and fish samples was done using the flame atomic absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS). From the results, the muscles always had lower concentration levels than the intestines in all the fish species for all the metals. In the muscles cat fish exhibited the highest levels of all the metals, followed by tilapia then lung fish. The pattern of the heavy metal concentration in tilapia muscles was Fe>Zn>Pb>Cu>Cd, that of cat fish muscles was Fe>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd, while that of lung fish muscles was Fe>Zn>Pb>Cd. The heavy metal concentration patterns in the cat fish and lung fish muscles were almost similar except that copper was not detected in lung fish. The levels of Cu and Zn were below the WHO recommended limits for surface water while the mean concentration level of Fe was slightly above the WHO maximum permissible limit. On the hand, the concentration levels of Cd and Pb were above the WHO recommended limits. In the muscles, the concentrations of Zn and Fe were below the WHO recommended limits. Hence these metals have no immediate threat on the health of the consumers of fish and fish products from the lake. Cu, Pb and Cd concentration levels in the muscle tissues of the fish exceeded the WHO limits, exposing the consumers of fish from Lake Baringo to health risks.
Nursing Assessment of Surgical and Obstetric Clinical Outcomes of Open Compared to Laparoscopic Appendectomy in Pregnant women

During the last years, laparoscopic appendectomy has been widely done in pregnant women in spite of the absolute or even relative contraindication of such surgeries during pregnancy. Few studies compared the outcomes of open versus laparoscopic appendectomy. Aim: This studyaimedto investigate the postoperative surgical and obstetricclinical outcomes of open compared to laparoscopic appendectomy in pregnant women. Methods: Non-experimental descriptive design was applied in conducting this research. Tools: two tools were used. Tool 1: Patient's interviewing questionnaire, post-operative clinical outcomes sheet. Results: The mean age of studied patient was 27. 08± 5.4 vs. 28.8±8.3 among LA vs. OA groups respectively. Number of CS among LA vs. OA was 17 vs. 21 respectively, with no statistically significant differences amongthe two groups in all bio-demographic data. There was highly statistically significant difference betweenthe two studied groups concerning postoperative hyperthermia, wound infection, hospital stay, time till first flatus (p<0.001). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant difference among both groups concerningwith abortion and delivery through cesarean section. Conclusion: post-operative surgical outcomes revealed that, patients of laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) group showed faster return of first flatus, shorter hospital stay, lesser wound infection and postoperative hyperthermia than patients of open appendectomy (OA) group. Maternal postoperative outcomes indicating that, patients of the OA group had more abortion, preterm labor, placenta abruption and cesarean section delivery than LA patients. Fetal and neonatal post-operative outcomes showing that, fetal death and prematurity, neonatal admission to NICN and neonatal death among LA group were little compared to the OA group. Recommendation: Nurses should pay more attention to the OA pregnant patients for early detection of bedpost operative complications.Fetuses and neonates of the OA mothers should be carefully monitored during and immediately after delivery.
Applications of simulation-based burn probability modelling: a review

Wildland fire scientists and land managers working in fire-prone areas require spatial estimates of wildfire potential. To fulfill this need, a simulation-modelling approach was developed whereby multiple individual wildfires are modelled in an iterative fashion across a landscape to obtain location-based measures of fire likelihood and fire behaviour (e.g. fire intensity, biomass consumption). This method, termed burn probability (BP) modelling, takes advantage of fire spread algorithms created for operational uses and the proliferation of available data representing wildfire patterns, fuels and weather. This review describes this approach and provides an overview of its applications in wildland fire research, risk analysis and land management. We broadly classify the application of BP models as (1) direct examination, (2) neighbourhood processes, (3) fire hazard and risk and (4) integration with secondary models. Direct examination analyses are those that require no further processing of model outputs; they range from a simple visual examination of outputs to an assessment of alternate states (i.e. scenarios). Neighbourhood process analyses examine patterns of fire ignitions and subsequent spread across land designations. Fire hazard combines fire probability and a quantitative assessment of fire behaviour, whereas risk is the product of fire likelihood and potential impacts of wildfire. The integration with secondary models represents situations where BP model outputs are integrated into, or used in conjunction with, other models or modelling platforms.
BATI KARADENİZ BÖLGESİNDE UZAMIŞ STİLOİD PROÇESİN KONİK IŞINLI BİLGİSAYARLI TOMOGRAFİ İLE DEĞERLENDİRMESİ Assessment of Elongated Styloid Process with Cone-Beam Computed Tomography in Western Part of the Black Sea Region

OZET Amac: Bu calisma Turk populasyonunda uzamis stiloid proces morfolojisini, prevalansinin cinsiyet ve yas ile iliskisini degerlendirmeyi amaclamistir. Gerec ve Yontem: 170 hastanin Konik Isinli Bilgisayarli Tomografi (KIBT) goruntuleri degerlendirildi. Calismaya dahil edilen hastalarin yas ve cinsiyetleri kaydedildi. Uzamis stiloid procesin morfolojisi analiz edildi ve prevalans belirlendi. Uzamis stiloid proceslerin ortalama uzunlugu olculdu. Bulgular: 170 hastanin (340 styloid proces) 68’inde (40%) uzamis stiloid proces gozlendi. Ortalama uzunluk 35.25 mm olarak bulundu. 170 hastanin 4’unde (2.4%) uzama sag tarafta, 28’inde (16.5%) sol tarafta, 36 (21.2%) hastada bilateral olarak goruldu. Calismamizda, en sik gorulen morfoloji Tip 1 olarak bulundu. En sik gorulen kalsifikasyon paterni ise Tip D olarak gozlendi. Sonuc: Bu calismada, KIBT, stiloid procesin degerlendirmesi ve olcumu icin panoramik radyograflara alternatif bir metod olarak sunuldu. Anahtar Kelimeler: Anatomik varyasyonlar; Konik isinli bilgisayarli tomografi; Uzamis stiloid proces ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and morphology of elongated styloid process and its relation to gender, age and location in Turkish population. Materials and Methods: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 170 patients were evaluated. Age and gender of the patients who were included in this study were recorded. Morphology of elongated styloid process was analyzed and prevalence was determined. Mean lengths of elongated styloid processes were measured. Results: Elongated styloid process was observed in 68 (40%) of 170 patients (340 styloid processes). Mean lengths of elongated SP were 35.25 mm. Elongation was observed in right side in 4 (2.4%) of 170 patients while was observed in left side in 28 (16.5%) patients and it was seen bilaterally in 36 (21.2%) patients. In our study, the most frequent morphology was observed as Type 1. The most common calcification pattern was Type D. Conclusion: In this study, CBCT was presented as an alternative method to panoramic radiographs for the measurement and the assessment of the styloid process. Keywords: Anatomic variations; Cone-beam computed tomography; Elongated styloid process
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Monetary policy shocks, expectations and information rigidities

This paper contributes to the literature by assessing expectation effects from monetary policy for the G7 economies. We consider a sample period running from 1995M1 to 2016M6 based on a panel VAR framework, which accounts for international spillovers and time-variation. Relying on a broad set of expectation data from Consensus Economics, we start by analyzing whether monetary policy has changed the degree of information rigidity after the emergence of the subprime crisis. We proceed by estimating potential effects of interest rate changes on expectations, disagreements and forecast errors. We find strong evidence for information rigidities and identify higher forecast errors by professionals after monetary policy shocks. Our results suggest that the international transmission of monetary policy shocks introduces noisy information and partly increases disagreement among forecasters.
Numerical Modeling of the Dynamics of Blood Flow through Thrombosis

Thrombosis not only helps of stopping excessive bleeding in case of trauma, but is also often associated with pathological conditions of blood that interferes with its flow. The study of thrombosis is crucial for understanding and developing new methods for treating deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, etc. For the last two decades, there has been an exponential growth in studies related to the formation of a blood clot using computational tools and experiments. Despite this growth, a full the mechanism of thrombus formation is not yet known. In this paper, we considered the mathematical model of blood flow through region with thrombus. Blood flow is modelled as homogeneous incompressible fluid by the two-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations, when the formation of the thrombus described by equations of main regulators of fibrin polymerization. The numerical algorithm of solution of the basic equations is based on t he immersed boundary method. It allows to take into account the moving thrombus. The presence of the immersed boundary is accomplished by adding a special function to the equations of motion, which make it possible to accurately represent the boundary of the streamlined region. In the present study, we analyze the effects of influence of various fluid parameters as Reynolds, Peclet numbers, gradient of pressure. It has been revealed that the increase of blood flow velocity leads to a change in the qualitative structure of the thrombus, that is, instead of simple form of thrombus appear thrombus with a complex f structure. Keywords— Navier-Stokes equations, incompressible fluid, the immersed boundary method, thrombus, activator and inhibitor.
Well-being and Stress Among Upper Secondary School Pupils in Sweden

BackgroundThe psychological health of young people in Sweden has declined since measurements began to be taken in 1985. The reasons for the increase in stress and decline in psychological well-being among adolescents have been de- bated during the past few years.ObjectiveThe aims of this study were to explore: 1) pupils’ experience of stu- dent health services, family, friends, recuperation and the learning environment; 2) whether there is a difference between introverted and extroverted pupils’ sense of well-being, perceived stress, views of the learning environment, and relation- ships with friends and family; and 3) the degree to which the different aspects of school life predict well-being and stress.DesignData were collected by means of a web survey in which 1045 respond- ents participated.ResultsThe results showed that there are significant differences in percep- tions of well-being and stress depending on gender and the type of study program pupils were enrolled in. The results also revealed significant differences between introverts’ and extraverts’ relationships with family and friends, experience of the learning environment, and reported well-being and stress. A series of hierarchical linear regressions revealed that there were several factors affecting pupils’ report- ed well-being and stress. The learning environment and relationships with family and friends were significant predictors for both outcome variables. Pupils’ ability to recuperate from their work was found to be the most impactful predictor for well-being and stress.ConclusionOur results suggest that the way in which teachers interact with pupils is an important factor influencing pupils’ experience of well-being and stress. Furthermore, our results suggest that pupils would benefit from student health services being made more visible and pro-active in their interaction with students. (Less)
THE IMPACT OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION ON VEGETATION DYNAMICS OVER EUROPE

Over the last two decades, the continuous monitoring of vegetation from space has prompted new studies aiming to relate the observed major changes in vegetation (e.g. variability, trends and extremes) with changes of surface climatic variables, such as temperature, precipitation and snow cover. In particular, several groups have shown that the observed rise of temperature in the northern latitudes by 0.8 oC in the last 25 years is linked to a longer active growing season as a consequence of an early spring and delayed autumn. The change has been shown to be associated with an increase on photosynthetic activity of vegetation as detected from observed trends in the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). Although no evidence has been given that the observed changes in NDVI are related to the recorded increase in atmospheric concentration of CO2 they have undoubtly affected the global carbon cycle and point out the strong need for long-term and large-scale studies aiming to assess the impact of atmospheric circulation variability on both surface climate and vegetation activity. We will assess the relationship of vegetation activity over the European region with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which is one of the major patterns of atmospheric variability in the Northern Hemisphere. For this purpose we will rely on monthly NDVI and Brightness Temperature data, at 8-km resolution, from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR), provided by the Global Inventory Monitoring and Modelling System (GIMMS) group as well as on monthly precipitation from the Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (GPCC), defined on a 0.5o latitude by 0.5o longitude grid. The study covers a 21-year long period from 1982 to 2002 and we will present evidence on the relationship between vegetation greenness and NAO over the European region. We will then characterise the distinct vegetation response to precipitation and temperature in two different sub-areas of Europe, located in north-eastern Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. Finally we will assess the impact of NAO on the vegetative cycle of the two sub-areas and relate it with the different nature of the land cover types.
Estimation of Large Frequency Offsets using 5 GHz WLAN Training Symbols

This paper discusses the estimation and correction of large frequency offsets in the context of OFDM based WLANs such as BRAN HIPERLAN/2 and IEEE802.11a. Several algorithms with different complexity/performance tradeoffs are proposed, all based on the exploitation of frequency domain properties of standard burst preambles: A correlation based approach leads to optimum performances at a moderately high cost while simple unitor zero-carrier detection will lead to sub-optimum, but very low-cost implementation schemes. In the framework of the IST BROADWAY project, this technique is used in order to keep compatibility to 5 GHz WLAN standards at a carrier frequency of 60 GHz where large frequency offsets occur. Simulation results prove that a 20 ppm offset at 60 GHz is detected at a high reliability.
THE IMPACT OF ADOPTING CSR AND CORPORATE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE. EVIDENCE FROM BSE

The present paper aims at analysing the link between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Financial Performance (CFP) in the case of Romanian listed companies. For accomplishing this, we will start from the existing literature and we will use data for period 2007-2015 (panel data) to which will apply a simple regression model. From the total number of companies listed on Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE), we selected 59 companies without being excluding from trading and for which financial data were available for the entire period. The results indicated increased financial performance for CSR companies (only 16 of 59 companies have CSR activities) compared with NON-CSR companies. This study has important implications for policy makers, managers, investors, stakeholders, in generally.
NUTRIENT FLUXES FROM SEDIMENTS OF THE NORTHERN GULF OF AQABA UNDER VARIOUS ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES

Fluxes of inorganic nutrients and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from the sediments to the water column was investigated in sites with various anthropogenic activities. Lab incubations of sediments collected from four different sites were carried out under controlled conditions. The sites were Marine Science Station (MSS), two industrial, Phosphate Loading Berth (PLB) and Industrial complex (IC) and one tourist site at Hotel Areas (H). Sediments at the MSS site were composed mainly of carbonates while at the other sites, silicate represented the dominant mineral. Fluxes of different solutes were estimated from linear regressions of concentrations over incubation time. Fluxes of ammonium, phosphate and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) were higher for MSS sediments compared to fluxes for H, PLB, and IC sediments (4.1, 1.7, 1.7 fold for ammonium, 3.3, 3.6, 1.6 fold for phosphate, and 1.2, 1.4, 1.2 fold for DIC respectively). This was interpreted by the high permeability and the carbonate content of the MSS sediments. Despite the higher organic content in the PLB sediments, lower flux rates were estimated. This was attributed to the refractory type (low degradable) of the organic matter in the PLB sediments compared to a labile (degradable) organic matter in the MSS sediments. These results demonstrated the probable importance of the sediments as a sink for organic material and as a suitable degradation environment for
The perceptions of clinical psychology : a focus on the different ethnic groups

Introduction: The under-representationo f minority ethnic staff groups within the clinical psychology profession has been a serious area of concern for some time. Central to these concerns has been the questionable ability of the profession to adequately address, provide for and meet the needs of an increasingly diverse multi-racial and multi-ethnic society, for whom the utilisation of clinical psychology services are extremely poor. Literature review: The literature review indicated that minority ethnic groups were generally marginalized and excluded from clinical psychology services on a number of different levels, due to a combination of referral conventions, professional misunderstandings of psychological distress, the limitations of conceptual frameworks and cultural factors. Research report: Given the profession's lack of success in attracting and recruiting staff from minority ethnic groups, this thesis was undertaken to: (a) explore the perceptions of clinical psychology held by different ethnic groups, using psychology undergraduates as the target population and (b) investigated their intention or otherwise to pursue a future career in clinical psychology, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a model. The results showed the TPB to be predictive of intention in all cases. However, for the minority ethnic groups, there were significantly more perceptions of disadvantage in pursing clinical psychology, as there were the factors that would deter them from entering the profession. Methodological limitations of the study, practical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Critical appraisal: An appraisal of the research process is presented, concluding with salient learning points for the future.
Neuroticism and compulsive overeating (A comparative analysis of the level of neuroticism and anxiety in a group of females suffering from psychogenic binge eating, and in individuals exhibiting no mental or eating disorders)

Bernadetta Izydorczyk: Department of Clinical and Forensic Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. Correspondence address: Bernadetta Izydorczyk, Department of Clinical and Forensic Psychology, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland. E-mail: b.izydorczyk@interia.pl This research has not been aided by any grant. Neuroticism and compulsive overeating (A comparative analysis of the level of neuroticism and anxiety in a group of females suffering from psychogenic binge eating, and in individuals exhibiting no mental or eating disorders)
"They Almost Become the Teacher": Pre-K to Third Grade Teachers’ Experiences Reading and Discussing Culturally Relevant Texts with their Students

This qualitative research study examined 13 preschool to third-grade teachers’ experiences reading and discussing culturally relevant texts (CRTs) with their students. Teachers worked at four schools in a large urban school district and with child populations from different sociocultural and linguistic backgrounds. We employed provisional and open-coding to analyze teacher interview data. Three salient themes emerged from the data: children’s identity investment in reading and discussing CRTs, children’s interest in CRTs, and children’s depth of comprehension when discussing CRTs. Findings from teacher observations suggest that reading and discussing CRTs with children from nondominant social backgrounds can tap into children’s capacities and experiential knowledge in ways that can promote reading engagement and comprehension development. When students have opportunities to share expertise on the topic of a text, teachers may be better able to understand and tap into the diverse range of knowledge and experiences that their students bring to the reading comprehension task.
OTT_A_209307 7877..7886

Department of Urology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310016, People’s Republic of China Purpose: To explore if bexarotene (BEX) synergistically enhances docetaxel (DTX) cytotoxicity in castration-resistant prostate cancer cell lines. Materials and methods: MTT assay was used to measure the cytotoxic effect of DTX and BEX on castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cell proliferation and the combination index (CI) values calculated to analyze the interaction between DTX and BEX. Flow cytometry and Western blot analysis identified the underlying mechanism for the synergistic effect of BEX and DTX. Results: When mitotic slippage happens, BEX can synergistically strengthen the antiproliferation of DTX in a way of significantly down-regulating cyclinB1 and CDK1 expression, and then arresting cells in G2 phase. Conclusion: Results from this study showed that BEX-induced G2 arrest and DTX-induced mitotic arrest probably contributed to the synergistic effect of BEX and DTX.
Rethinking the Bullet Theory in the Digital Age

A theory is an explanation of how a phenomenon works or is likely to work. Theories are used to understand how things are likely to happen. A theory provides explanations for understanding a phenomenon. It is a tested and testable concept used to explain an occurrence (Nwabueze, 2014). A theory explains realities based on objective and sustained observation, it simply says why things happen in certain ways (Nwodu, 2006). This underscores the pertinence of theoretical perspectives to the explanation of patterns of behaviour or attitude within and among people (Nwabueze, 2014).