Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feeding structures in the ray-finned fish Eurynotus crenatus (Actinopterygii: Eurynotiformes): implications for trophic diversification among Carboniferous actinopterygians

ABSTRACT The Permo-Carboniferous eurynotiforms show conspicuous modifications to postcranial and cranial morphology relative to primitive actinopterygian conditions, and represent an important early example of functional experimentation within ray-finned fishes. Although eurynotiforms are represented by abundant articulated fossil material, the internal anatomy of the group is not well known. Microcomputed tomography (μCT) of Eurynotus crenatus from the early Carboniferous (Viséan) Wardie Shales Member of the Gullane Formation of Wardie, Scotland provides detailed information on the jaws, palate and dentition. The lower jaw is deep and bears a well-developed convex dental plate on the prearticular/coronoids. The dentary bears a dorsally directed posterior process and lacks any obvious marginal dentition. The prearticular bears a low coronoid process. Apart from the first and second dermopalatines, and a likely accessory vomer, bones of the palate are tightly sutured or fused. The upper dental plate comprises a longitudinal, concave horizontal dental surface that occludes with the convex lower toothplate, and a more vertical region consisting of anastomosing ridges. The parasphenoid has a narrow anterior corpus and a broad posterior stalk that bears a pronounced midline notch. The smooth, irregularly punctated surfaces of the dental plates are formed by closely packed teeth with conjoined crowns, providing clues to the evolution of the more monolithic toothplates of Amphicentrum from the peg-like teeth reported in the earliest and most anatomically generalised eurynotiforms. The feeding apparatus shows many qualitative and quantitative features consistent with the processing of hard prey items. Eurynotus and its relatives show the first clear example of jaw and dental structures consistent with durophagy among actinopterygians. The origin of the group in the early Carboniferous is suggestive of diversification into newly available ecological roles in the aftermath of the end-Devonian extinction.
The Effect of Prestrain and Water Soak on the Mechanical Performance of Crossplied Composites

Abstract : The mechanical performance of 0-90 degree crossplied glass-epoxy laminates is evaluated under static tensile loading along the longitudinal direction. The effects of both prestraining and water soaking are considered. Generally, the stress and strain associated with initial cracking increase with prestrain even in the presence of water. The ultimate stress and strain continuously decrease. However, under the most adverse conditions considered (greatest prestrain and water soak) this decrease is less than 20 percent. It is concluded that a reasonable static design limit stress would be 2/3 the ultimate tensile stress.
Reducing the effects of vegetation phenology on change detection in tropical seasonal biomes

Tropical seasonal biomes (TSBs), such as the savannas (Cerrado) and semi-arid woodlands (Caatinga) of Brazil, are vulnerable ecosystems to human-induced disturbances. Remote sensing can detect disturbances such as deforestation and fires, but the analysis of change detection in TSBs is affected by seasonal modifications in vegetation indices due to phenology. To reduce the effects of vegetation phenology on changes caused by deforestation and fires, we developed a novel object-based change detection method. The approach combines both the spatial and spectral domains of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), using a pair of Operational Land Imager (OLI)/Landsat-8 images acquired in 2015 and 2016. We used semivariogram indices (SIs) as spatial features and descriptive statistics as spectral features (SFs). We tested the performance of the method using three machine-learning algorithms: support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN) and random forest (RF). The results showed that the combination of spatial and spectral information improved change detection by correctly classifying areas with seasonal changes in NDVI caused by vegetation phenology and areas with NDVI changes caused by human-induced disturbances. The use of semivariogram indices reduced the effects of vegetation phenology on change detection. The performance of the classifiers was generally comparable, but the SVM presented the highest overall classification accuracy (92.27%) when using the hybrid set of NDVI-derived spectral-spatial features. From the vegetated areas, 18.71% of changes were caused by human-induced disturbances between 2015 and 2016. The method is particularly useful for TSBs where vegetation exhibits strong seasonality and regularly spaced time series of satellite images are difficult to obtain due to persistent cloud cover.
Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women and its Impact on Sexual Quality of Life

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in women aged 18 years and over, identify factors influencing UI, and explore its relationship with sexual quality of life. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 780 women. Sociodemographic Data Form, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and the Sexual Quality of Life - Female (SQOL-F) were utilized. Results: The mean age of the women was 37.2±10.8 years, with 76.7% being married. The prevalence rates were 29.2% for any UI, 12.3% for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), 7.8% for urge urinary incontinence (UUI), and 9.1% for mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). A higher incidence of UI was observed in women who were older, had a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), lower education levels, lower monthly income, were unemployed, suffered from chronic diseases, were married, had children, had a family history of UI, and had a history of giving birth to macrosomic babies. The presence of UI was 2.6 times higher (p=0.004) in women aged 50–64, 5.9 times higher (p<0.001) in women with a family history of UI, and 2.2 times higher (p=0.018) in women who had one child. The mean SQOL-F scale score for sexually active women was 84.3±19.2. Women with any UI had a lower SQOL-F scale mean score (p=0.002), indicating a negative impact of UI on the SQOL-F scale score (p=0.006). Conclusion: UI was found to be a common health problem among women, particularly in the older age groups, and it adversely affects sexual quality of life.
Remote Sensing of a Shallow, Fringing Reef Platform for Analysis of Island Sector Susceptibility and Development of a Coastal Vulnerability Index

ABSTRACT Moffitt, D.L. and Kumar, L. , 2018. Remote sensing of a shallow, fringing reef platform for analysis of island sector susceptibility and development of a coastal vulnerability index. Like many islands in middle latitudes, Pacific islands are often fringed by protective coral reefs that attenuate wave energy impacting the coastline. Measurement of the extent and distribution of shallow reef platforms by remote sensing of bathymetry enables an assessment of the relative exposure or protection of each part of an island. Fringing reefs are one of a number of physical variables relevant to the coastline's susceptibility to erosion and inundation resulting from extreme weather and conditions exacerbated by climate change and rising sea levels. In this research the extent of shallow reef platform around Lifuka Island, Tonga, was determined using a modified Stumpf band ratio method applied to Landsat 8 and high-resolution Quickbird satellite imagery, with aerial LIDAR data available for ground-truth purposes. The results indicate that both sets of satellite imagery provide a means of measuring the bathymetry to at least 15 m with a correlation (R2) value of 0.87 for Landsat 8 and to 15 m with a correlation (R2) value of 0.86 for Quickbird, when compared with the LIDAR survey. This article forms part of the research into the preparation of a coastal vulnerability index to inform decision-making and risk assessment for Pacific Island nations at the subisland scale. The mapping of the fringing reef by remote sensing allows its spatial distribution to be considered in the assessment of risk to coastal regions to inundation and erosion processes. Further, it demonstrates the value of freely available Landsat data for planning adaptation to climate change in developing nations at a level pertinent to local governance of villages and communities.
Impact of Row Spacing and Nitrogen Levels on Growth, Yield and Economics of Fodder Sorghum (Sorghum bicolour L. Moench)

The field experiment entitled “Impact of Row Spacing and Nitrogen Levels on Growth, Yield and Economics of Fodder Sorghum ( Sorghum bicolour L. Moench)” was conducted during the Kharif season of 2022 in the sandy loam soil at Crop Research Centre, ITM University, Gwalior (M.P.). The experiment was laid out in the RBD with three replications. The experiments included twelve treatments, consisting of three-row spacing i.e., 20cm, 30cm and 40 cm and four nitrogen levels viz., 0, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha -1 . The results revealed that the growth attributes such as plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of tillers per plant and leaf-stem ratio were found significantly higher in the wider row spacing of 40 cm over 20 and 30 cm. while the green fodder yield, dry fodder yield and total green and dry fodder yield was found higher at the row spacing of 30 cm as compared to 20 and 40 cm of row spacing. Results indicated that the application of various nitrogen levels had significant effects on plant growth such as plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of tillers per plant, leaf-stem ratio and dry matter percentage was found significantly higher with the application of nitrogen up to 120 kg ha -1 . Increased nitrogen levels considerably influenced the yield characters and maximum when nitrogen was applied 120 kg ha -1 ; The highest green (35.12 t ha -1 ) and dry fodder yield (7.52 t ha -1 ) was recorded at the tune of 35.12 t ha -1 and 7.52 t ha -1 , respectively with the application of 120 kg N ha-1 which was significantly higher over lower doses of nitrogen. Appreciably higher net return ( 49646.1) and B: Cratioof ( 2.0 re -1 invested) with a combination of 30 cm row apart.
Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2009

This report provides estimates of the number of unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States as of January 2009 by period of entry, region and country of origin, state of residence, age, and gender. The estimates were obtained using the “residual” methodology employed for estimates of the unauthorized population in 2008 (see Hoefer, Rytina, and Baker, 2009). The unauthorized resident population is the remainder or “residual” after estimates of the legally resident foreignborn population – legal permanent residents (LPRs), asylees, refugees, and nonimmigrants – are subtracted from estimates of the total foreign-born population. Data to estimate the legally resident population were obtained primarily from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) while the American Community Survey (ACS) of the U.S. Census Bureau was the source for estimates of the total foreign-born population.
Roles of nitrogen and zinc nutrition in biofortification of wheat grain

Deficiencies of zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) are widespread nutritional problems, caused mainly by low dietary intake. Biofortification of cereal grains with Zn and Fe in order to alleviate the health problems associated with these deficiencies is a global challenge. Based on the hypothesis that nitrogen (N) nutrition may affect the transporter proteins and other nitrogenous molecules which are involved in root uptake, root-to-shoot transport, remobilization, phloem transport and grain accumulation as well as grain localization of Zn and Fe, the potential of N fertilization in biofortification of wheat grain was investigated in this project. For this purpose, wheat plants were grown with different N and Zn treatments under greenhouse or growth chamber conditions. Increasing N application improved the grain Zn and Fe concentrations by up to 100%. This impact of N on grain Zn concentration disappeared at low Zn supply, whereas the combination of high N and Zn treatments gave rise to synergistic results. Under high Zn availability, higher N supply increased the shoot Zn and Fe contents by up to 300%, indicating a tremendous enhancement in root uptake. Higher N application also led to a 240% increase in Zn and 70% increase in Fe remobilization to grains. Improving the N nutrition enhanced the Zn and Fe concentrations not only in the whole grain but also the endosperm, the most widely consumed part of wheat grain. As an agronomic biofortification tool, optimized N applications may rapidly and effectively contribute to the mitigation of Zn and Fe deficiency problems in developing countries.
Screening of Adjuvants as Sunlight Protectant for NPV and Evaluation of Storage Conditions against Spodoptera litura

This experimental study evaluated the effect of adjuvant supplementation on larval mortality of nuclear polyhedrosis virus under sunlight. Study revealed that Tinopal @1% provided best protection from sunlight and retained viral efficacy up to 68.75 and 66.75% in SpltNPV (native) and SpltNPV (NIPHM) respectively, against third instar larvae of Spodoptera litura (F). However, all adjutants resulted in significantly higher larval mortality as compared to control (virus alone) under sunlight. SpltNPV viral formulations stored at different storage conditions recorded minimum reduction in larval mortality, when stored in amber coloured glass bottle at refrigeration temperature (4± 2°C).
Single institution series describing external ventricular drain (EVD) placement and short- and long-term complications related to placement accuracy

Background: The placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) for the treatment of acute hydrocephalus is one of the most common life-saving procedures that neurosurgeons perform worldwide. There are many well-known complications associated with EVD placement, including tract hemorrhages, intra-parenchymal and subdural hemorrhages, infection, and catheter misplacement. Given the variety of complications associated with EVD placement and the inconsistent findings on the relationship of accuracy to complications, the present study reviewed short- and long-term complications related to EVD placement at our institution. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted for all consecutive patients who underwent bedside EVD placement for any indication between December 2020 and December 2021. Collected variables included demographic information, etiology of disease state, pre-and post-operative head computed tomography measurements, and post-procedural metrics (immediate and delayed complications). Results: A total of 124 patients qualified for inclusion in our study. EVDs that were non-functioning/exchanged were not significantly related to age, accuracy, ventriculomegaly, sex, disposition, laterality, type of EVD used, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), etiology, or Kakarla Grade (KG) (all P > 0.17). The need for a second EVD was similarly not related to age, accuracy, ventriculomegaly, sex, disposition, location, laterality, type of EVD used, IVH, etiology, or KG (all P > 0.130). Patients who died, however, were significantly more likely to have a second contralateral EVD placed (18.2% vs. 4.9% P = 0.029). We also found that left-sided EVDs were significantly more likely to fail within seven days of placement (29.4% vs 13.3%, P = 0.037; relative risk (RR) 1.93, 95% confidence interval: 1.09-3.43), unrelated to age, sex, etiology, type of EVD, IVH, location of the procedure, or accuracy (all P > 0.07). This remained significant when using a binary logistic regression to control for ventriculomegaly, accuracy, mortality, age, sex, and etiology (P = 0.021, B = 3.43). Conclusion: In our cohort, although a clear relationship between inaccuracy and complication rates was not found, our data did demonstrate that left-sided EVDs were more likely to fail within the immediate postoperative time point, and patients who died were more likely to have a second, contralateral EVD placed.
Aquaculturists' Perceptions of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) has been proposed as a potential strategy to reduce negative impacts of traditional monoculture and improve the domestic seafood trade market in the US. Views from the aquaculture industry on incentives for IMTA adoption and continuation are crucial for understanding the likelihood of IMTA reaching a commercial scale; however, studies on aquaculturists’ perceptions of IMTA are limited. The objectives of this study are: 1) to explore different methods of IMTA being used in the US by aquaculturists; 2) to determine how US aquaculturists’ perceptions of IMTA affect the adoption and continuation of IMTA; and 3) to identify perceived economic, environmental, and social considerations that mediate commercialization of IMTA in the US. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore perceptions of eight US aquaculturists in Maine, Connecticut, and Washington state who have been introduced to and involved in IMTA pilot projects or research. All of the interviews were coded using NVivo 10 qualitative analysis software to identify and organize key themes in the data. Respondents identified perceived economic benefits as the major driving force for their initial adoption of IMTA; however, based on the interviews in this study, IMTA did not offer adequate financial returns for the majority of aquaculturists to continue using the method. Only two aquaculturists out of eight continued (or plan to continue) using IMTA after the initial trial period. In addition, respondents identified more economic considerations than environmental or social considerations. Product diversification was mentioned by the greatest number of respondents, and was considered a very promising aspect of IMTA. Furthermore, findings indicate that the use of IMTA as a marketing strategy to reach not only more, but also higher paying, customers might not be effective because there is no policy on the distinct requirements necessary to identify an IMTA facility. Findings from this study can be used to inform efforts to more effectively engage aquaculturists in IMTA.
Tourism grading as a marketing instrument in bed and breakfast establishments in the Durban metropolitan region : an entrepreneurial approach

This dissertation documents research that has been motivated by the growth in the bed and breakfast tourist accommodation sector as a result of the increasing number of visitors to and within South Africa and, particularly in the Durban region. In addition, the political and socio-economic transformation during the past decade has opened the way for entrepreneurs to develop alternative forms of tourist accommodation so that more people can benefit from tourism-generated income and contribute to the wealth of their communities. IV Urged on by large hotel companies and the government's aim to raise the quality standards of tourist facilities, the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) launched a new and voluntary star grading system in November 2001. While this still competes with other grading and quality assurance schemes, bed and breakfast (B&B) establishment owner-managers are becoming more familiar with the benefits of star grading, a process that plays an important role in the marketing of their facilities. The purpose of this study was to theoretically and empirically explore and evaluate the way that grading assists entrepreneurs to perform the marketing function of B&B establishments. It examines the opinions and perceptions of owner-managers who are members of the local KwaZulu-Natal Bed and Breakfast Associations (KWABABA) as well as a number of tourism personalities who, inter alia, are professionally involved in promoting the quality standards of accommodation establishments. The conclusions that have been drawn from the literature review, interviews and questionnaire surveys demonstrate that the majority of B&B owner-managers are somewhat familiar with the star grading system, though only a few have been graded while some still have negative perceptions of the scheme. In order to promote a positive stance it has been recommended that KWABABA and other associations, with whom the B&B hosts network, should become more involved in sharing information, training and assisting B&B employers and employees so that these can become more professional in marketing their products and services to meet the expectations of corporate and leisure tourist.
Drop-in Testing of Next-Generation R134a Alternates in a Commercial Bottle Cooler/Freezer

Next-generation refrigerants with lower Global Warming Potentials than traditional HFC’s are being commercially introduced. Drop-in performance tests were conducted in a commercial bottle cooler/freezer. Tests were conducted with R134a as a baseline and several next-generation refrigerants and blends. The tests were conducted in accordance with ASHRAE Standard 72 at -5.6°C and 3.3°C bottle cooler temperature setpoints. Two ambient conditions were tested, 23.9°C/55% relative humidity and 26.7°C/55% relative humidity. In addition to the ASHRAE test conditions, full pull-down and half pull-down tests were conducted in accordance with a soft-drink bottler’s specifications. Performance parameters such as discharge air temperatures, product simulator temperatures, suction pressure, discharge pressure, compressor mass flow rate, and compressor input power were measured and compared. With the exception of HFO1234ze(E), all the substitute refrigerants had similar performance as R134a. HFO1234ze(E) had lower density at compressor suction conditions and therefore resulted in longer compressor run times and longer pull-down times. A larger displacement compressor would likely bring HFO1234ze(E) to roughly the same performance as the other refrigerants.
Continuous Intraoperative Nerve Monitoring of a Non-Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve: Real-Life Data of a High-Volume Thyroid Surgery Center

Simple Summary This retrospective case series provides real-life data of patients with a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve who underwent surgery at a high-volume thyroid surgery center using continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring to prevent vocal cord palsy. The results emphasize the feasibility and usefulness of continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring in patients with a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve. Abstract Thyroid surgery is associated with a risk of injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, especially in the presence of anatomical variants such as a non-recurrent laryngeal nerve (NRLN). Injury to the nerve leads to transient or permanent vocal cord palsy (VCP). A novel method to prevent VCP is continuous intraoperative nerve monitoring (cIONM), but less is known about the applicability of this method in patients with NRLN. The aim of this study was to evaluate our own data regarding feasibility and detailed characteristics of cIONM in NRLN patients. We performed a monocentric retrospective cohort analysis including clinical data and intraoperative nerve monitoring data (measured by Inomed Medizintechnik GmbH, Emmendingen, ‘C2’ and ‘C2 Xplore’ device) of all thyroid surgery patients, showing NRLN between 2014 and 2022. Of 1406 patients who underwent thyroid surgery with cIONM between 2014 and 2022, 12 patients (0.9%) showed NRLN intraoperatively. Notably, cIONM was feasible in eight patients (67%). In all cases the onset latency of the right vagus nerve was shorter (<3.0 ms) than usually expected, suggesting that a short latency might be suitable to distinguish NRLN. None of the patients had a post-operative VCP. Overall, cIONM appears to be feasible and safe in NRLN patients and provides helpful information to prevent VCP.