Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deflating the LLSVPs: Bundles of Mantle Thermochemical Plumes Rather Than Thick Stagnant “Piles”

Based on SEMUCB‐WM1 tomographic model, validated by other recent models, and fluid mechanics constraints, we show that the large low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) present at the base of the Earth's mantle beneath the Pacific and Africa do not extend as compact, uniform structures very high above the core‐mantle boundary. In contrast, they contain a number of well‐separated, low‐velocity conduits that extend vertically throughout most of the lower mantle. The conceptual model of compact piles, continuously covering the areal extent of the LLSVPs, is therefore not correct. Instead, each LLSVP is composed of a bundle of thermochemical upwellings probably enriched in denser than average material. It is only when the tomographic model is filtered to long wavelengths that the two bundles of plumes appear as uniform provinces. Furthermore, the overall shape of the LLSVPs is probably controlled by the distribution of subducted slabs, and due to their thermochemical nature, the position of both LLSVPs and individual upwelling dynamics should be time dependent. There is also evidence for smaller plumes originating near the CMB in the faster than average regions of the voting map of Lekic et al. (2012, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.09.014) as well as other, barely resolved, weaker plumes within the LLSVPs. These finer‐scale features are starting to be resolved tomographically owing to improvements in full waveform modeling of body waves, including diffracted S waves (Sdiff) and waves multiply reflected on the core‐mantle boundary (ScS) and their codas.
Nitric Oxide Alleviates Copper Toxicity in Germinating Seed and Seedling Growth of Lactuca sativa L.

Copper has many metabolic functions in the plants. However, it can be toxic to plants where it reaches the excess level. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the role of nitric oxide treatments on lettuce seed germination under copper stress. Thus a factorial laboratory experiment with a completely randomized design was carried out at the Ataturk University. Treatments include different doses of copper (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 µM of copper sulfate)and nitric oxide (0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 µM of sodium nitroprusside). The results of this study monitored that high concentration of copper (100, 200 and 300 µM) had a significant effect on the germination percentage, germination rate, mean period of ultimate germination, seed vigor index, seedling fresh weight and allometry coefficient, although the nitric oxide treatment (without copper) had not a significant effect on the seeds in comparing to the untreated ones. Copper treatment decreased the investigated parameters, but the simultaneous application of nitric oxide and copper had a positive impact. The results of this study suggested that nitric oxide treatments have been beneficial upon the seeds that treated with copper, but not upon the seeds that treated with water. In addition, the lower concentration of copper (50 µM) had a positive effect on the seed vigor index.
Rice Cookie Decreases Plasma and Hepatic Lipid Levels in High-Fat Diet-fed Mice: A Comparison Study with Traditional Western Style Cookies

The lipid-lowering and antioxidant effects of the traditional Korean rice cookie (KRC), dasik, were compared with those of a western style cookie (WSC) in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The KRC or WSC was supplemented to the HFD as 7% of the total calories. The experimental groups (n = 7) were the normal diet group, HFD group, HFD-KRC group, and HFD-WSC group. The plasma and hepatic triglyceride concentrations of the HFD-KRC group were found to be lower than those of the HFD-WSC group as a result of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 and fatty acid synthase expression downregulation, and concomitant peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha, carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1, and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 expression upregulation (p<0.05). The hepatic reactive oxygen species and peroxynitrite levels were also diminished in the HFD-KRC group of mice, whereas their catalase and glutathione peroxidase protein expression levels were higher than those in the HFD and HFD-WSC groups (p<0.05). In conclusion, the lipid-lowering effects and antioxidant property of the KRC were greater than those of the WSC in mice fed a HFD. Thus, the choice of KRCs as a snack would be preferable to choosing WSCs.
Heat shock factor 5 is conserved in vertebrates and essential for spermatogenesis in zebrafish

Heat shock factors (Hsfs) are transcription factors that regulate response to heat shock and to variety of other environmental and physiological stimuli. Four HSFs (HSF1-4) known in vertebrates till date, perform a wide variety of functions from mediating heat shock response to development and gametogenesis. Here, we describe a new yet conserved member of HSF family, Hsf5, which likely exclusively functions for spermatogenesis. The hsf5 is predominantly expressed in developing testicular tissues, in comparison to wider expression reported for other HSFs. HSF5 loss causes male sterility due to drastically reduced sperm count, and severe abnormalities in remaining few spermatozoa. While hsf5 mutant female did not show any abnormality. We show that Hsf5 is required for progression through meiotic prophase 1 during spermatogenesis. The hsf5 mutants indeed show misregulation of a substantial number of genes regulating cell cycle, DNA-damage repair, apoptosis and cytoskeleton proteins. We also show that Hsf5 physically binds to majority of these differentially expressed genes, suggesting its direct role in regulating the expression of many genes important for spermatogenesis.
ESTIMATING THE YIELD LOSS OF OIL PALM DUE TO Ganoderma BASAL STEM ROT DISEASE BY USING BAYESIAN MODEL AVERAGING

It is very crucial to planters to estimate the yield loss due to Ganoderma basal stem rot (BSR) disease in oil palm. However, currently there is a limited mathematical model available that can be used for that purpose. Therefore, this empirical study was conducted to build a mathematical model which can be used for yield loss estimation due to the disease. Three commercial oil palm plots with diferent production phases (i.e. steep ascent phase, plateau phase and declining phase) were selected as the study sites. The yield and disease severity of the selected palms in the three study sites were recorded for the duration of 12 months. Model averaging approach using Bayes theorem was used to build the model. This is also known as Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA). The BMA model revealed that planting preparation technique was the most important predictor of oil palm yield loss, followed by disease progress (measured using area under the disease-progress curve, AUDPC), disease severity, number of infected neighbouring palms, and two interaction terms. By using the developed BMA model, it was estimated that the economic loss can be up to 68% compared to the attainable yields of all the infected palms.
What are you actually measuring? A review of techniques that integrate the stress response on distinct time‐scales

Handling Editor: Frédéric Angelier Abstract 1. The field of stress physiology has rapidly expanded, particularly in those fields interested in identifying chronic stress in wild animals. Despite this expansion, stress remains difficult to assess and understand, due in large part to the temporal complexities of common stress measurement techniques. 2. While the stress response happens on a short time-scale, chronic stress results over longer time-scales. Therefore, the temporal dynamics of techniques used to assess ‘stress’ need to be fully understood in order to be applied correctly. 3. In this review, we provide information on 37 physiological and behavioural metrics that are commonly used to measure stress, especially in wild free-living vertebrates, with a particular focus on which time-scale they integrate stress. 4. We organize these metrics into seven broad categories based on which physiological system they are most closely associated with (glucocorticoids, sympathetic/ parasympathetic nervous system, immune, metabolic, cellular/molecular, tissue development and behaviour). 5. We conclude by summarizing which kind of biological questions and variation each technique is most suitable for. 6. This review will enable researchers to understand the temporal dynamics of stress measurement techniques for better design of future studies.
The effectiveness of using multi-sensory children’s stories on vocabulary development in young deaf and hard-of-hearing children

ABSTRACT Young deaf and hard-of-hearing children enrolling in school in Sri Lanka often display language delay due to limited amplification and limited language stimulation. The scarcity of speech and language therapy support within the educational context at present necessitates a rethink of service-delivery models to reach more children. Multi-sensory stimuli and traditional children’s stories have been used in speech and language therapy to promote vocabulary development in children experiencing language-learning difficulties. Fifteen deaf or hard-of-hearing children from three different educational contexts were offered a three week “Katha malu” multi-sensory children’s story programme through the class teacher. The programme focused on developing receptive and expressive vocabulary of a set of 30 target words. The programme was offered using a combination of Sri Lankan Sign Language and Spoken Sinhala. The participants' receptive and expressive vocabulary knowledge on the target words was assessed using a specially devised picture-based vocabulary assessment pre- and post-intervention. The results show positive gains at both group and individual levels on receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. There was a positive effect of familiarity with the story with the overall vocabulary gains more prominent for the older, more traditional story. The findings of this study highlight the possibility of offering access to language stimulation programmes at classroom-level facilitated by the class teacher, under the guidance of a speech and language therapist.
Lineage specific histories of Mycobacterium tuberculosis dispersal in Africa and Eurasia

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) is a globally distributed, obligate pathogen of humans that can be divided into seven clearly defined lineages. An emerging consensus places the origin and global dispersal of M.tb within the past 6,000 years: identifying how the ancestral clone of M.tb spread and differentiated within this timeframe is important for identifying the ecological drivers of the current pandemic. We used Bayesian phylogeographic inference to reconstruct the migratory history of M.tb in Africa and Eurasia and to investigate lineage specific patterns of spread from a geographically diverse sample of 552 M.tb genomes. Applying evolutionary rates inferred with ancient M.tb genome calibration, we estimated the timing of major events in the migratory history of the pathogen. Inferred timings contextualize M.tb dispersal within historical phenomena that altered patterns of connectivity throughout Africa and Eurasia: trans‐Indian Ocean trade in spices and other goods, the Silk Road and its predecessors, the expansion of the Roman Empire, and the European Age of Exploration. We found that Eastern Africa and Southeast Asia have been critical in the dispersal of M.tb. Our results further reveal that M.tb populations have grown through range expansion, as well as in situ, and delineate the independent evolutionary trajectories of bacterial subpopulations underlying the current pandemic.
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice toward COVID-19 among a Sample of Iranian General Population

BACKGROUND: The new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is rapidly spreading around the world. At present (up to July 11, 2020), 255,117 cases and 12,635 deaths due to this disease have been reported in Iran. Following the guidelines recommended for the prevention and control of the disease is the most important approach to combating this global threat. AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, practice, and fear of the Iranian people in relation to COVID-19. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 558 Iranian people who entered the study by convenience sampling method. The knowledge, attitude, practice, and fear of the Iranian general population toward COVID-19 were collected using an online 50-items questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, independent sample T-test, and bivariate Pearson’s correlation were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The studied subjects were mostly in urban area (81.0%), female (61.3%), and married (57.9%). The participants’ knowledge about personal hygiene (88.9%), using a facemask (82.2%), and the symptoms of the COVID-19 (76.8%) were adequate. However, their knowledge about contaminated surfaces disinfection procedure (41.8%), and the importance of using a facemask for healthy people (43.7%) was lower. The highest level of the subjects’ attitude was related to the role of social distancing (94.6%), staying at home (94.5%), and personal hygiene (91.2%). The low levels of attitude were also associated with access to personal protective equipment (84.1%) and the psychological effects of COVID-19 (65.3%). Furthermore, the highest levels of practices were related to avoiding hand shaking with others (91.5%) and washing hands frequently (88.8%). The practices such as following a healthy and nutritious diet (45.1%) and wearing gloves (51.4%) were reported to be less common. CONCLUSION: The results showed that about half of the subjects did not have enough knowledge about COVID-19. However, the attitude and practice of most of the participants toward COVID-19 were moderate or good. Nevertheless, the extensive health education interventions are needed to promote knowledge about COVID-19 and also to motivate people to do preventive behaviors.
Evaluation of Water Productivity and Agronomic Performance of Paddy Rice Through Water Saving Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilization

Tanzania with 945 million hectares of land area and annual rainfall of 300 mm on 67% of its territorial land is considered as a semi-dry region in the world. Rice production in Tanzania needs to be increased to feed a growing population, whereas water for irrigation is getting scarce. One way to decrease water consumption in paddy fields is to change the irrigation regime for rice production and to replace continuous flooding with alternate wetting and drying. In order to investigate the effect of different regimes of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer on yield and water productivity of hybrid rice, two greenhouse pot experiments comprising soils from upland and lowland production ecologies were conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania during crop seasons of 2019. The experiment was arranged in split plots based on randomized completely block design with 3 replications. Water regimes were the main factor comparing continuous flooding (CF) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) with nitrogen fertilizer levels as the sub-factor including absolute control , 0, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg/ha. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) improved water productivity in both upland and lowland production ecologies compared to CF. AWD increased yield under lowland production by 13.3% while in upland there was 18.5% decrease in yield. The average water use varied from 31.5 to 84 L pot-1 under upland trials, while in lowland trials it was 36 to 82.3 L. Higher yield and lower water application led to an increase in WP varying from 1.2 to 1.8 kg cm-3 under upland trials, and 0.6 to 1.5 kg cm-3 under lowland trials. The variation in water productivity among treatments was mainly due to the differences in the yield, water and nitrogen levels used in the production process. Both sets of trials recorded water saving up to 34.3% and 17.3% under lowland and upland trials, respectively. Under upland trials, the yield varied from 39.9 to 124.1 g pot-1 and in lowland trials yield ranged from 20.6 to 118.2 g pot-1 representing paddy rice. The measurements showed that less water can be used to produce more crops under alternative rice growing practices. The results are important for water-scarce areas, providing useful information to policy makers, farmers, agricultural departments, and water management boards in devising future climate-smart adaptation and mitigation strategies.
A Comparison of Forecasting Mortality Models Using Resampling Methods

The accuracy of the predictions of age-specific probabilities of death is an essential objective for the insurance industry since it dramatically affects the proper valuation of their products. Currently, it is crucial to be able to accurately calculate the age-specific probabilities of death over time since insurance companies’ profits and the social security of citizens depend on human survival; therefore, forecasting dynamic life tables could have significant economic and social implications. Quantitative tools such as resampling methods are required to assess the current and future states of mortality behavior. The insurance companies that manage these life tables are attempting to establish models for evaluating the risk of insurance products to develop a proactive approach instead of using traditional reactive schemes. The main objective of this paper is to compare three mortality models to predict dynamic life tables. By using the real data of European countries from the Human Mortality Database, this study has identified the best model in terms of the prediction ability for each sex and each European country. A comparison that uses cobweb graphs leads us to the conclusion that the best model is, in general, the Lee–Carter model. Additionally, we propose a procedure that can be applied to a life table database that allows us to choose the most appropriate model for any geographical area.
The Challenge of Transdisciplinary Research: A Case Study of Learning by Evaluation for Sustainable Transport Infrastructures

While transdisciplinary (TD) research is desired in order to solve real world sustainability issues, this may be challenging for both academic and non-academic participants. Supporting learning through evaluation, we analyzed a project aiming at sustainable transport infrastructures. After developing a TD research framework as a benchmark, two external independent evaluators interviewed all project researchers, representatives for end-users, and donors. The evaluators compared results with the framework, and evaluators and participants critically reflected on the results together. There were three inconsistencies relative to the framework: (1) limited understanding of TD research among project management, end-users, and most of the researchers; (2) no structured learning process among end-users; instead, they expressed very diverse opinions about what they expected from the project; (3) project leaders had limited understanding of the special challenges of TD research, did not fully understand the status of the project’s social system, and thus did not act as facilitators of the required collaborative learning process. Non-academic participants saw themselves as customers and not as partners in the knowledge production process. We conclude that TD problem-solving research requires much time and needs facilitation and training. A preparatory phase with a lower level of funding would be helpful in preparing for TD processes.
Compliance of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis practices in the departments of general surgery and orthopaedics at a tertiary care centre in India

Background: Antimicrobial (AM) prophylaxis is one of the major interventions to prevent surgical site infections. The guideline recommendations are meant for helping the surgeons to select the rationale and effective approach while. This study aimed to assess the compliance of surgical AM prophylaxis in terms of choice of antibiotic, duration and timing of administration using standard international and national guidelines. Methods: A prospective observational study was done in General Surgery and Orthopaedics over a period of one year. All the relevant data was collected and analysed. Results were then compared with standard Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGAS-2013 and ICMR-2017). Results: In terms of choice of AM, 31.32% of the cases from general surgery and 97.59% of the cases from orthopaedics according to ICMR 2017 guidelines; 28.91% of the cases from general surgery and none of the cases from orthopaedics according to CPGAS 2013 guidelines were found to be compliant. In terms of duration of prophylaxis, 28.91% and 22.89% of the cases from general surgery were found to be compliant to ICMR 2017 and CPGAS 2013 guidelines respectively; but none of the cases from orthopaedics were compliant to either of the guidelines. Timing of administration was found to be compliant with the guidelines in both the departments. Conclusions: Surgical prophylaxis practices were found to be partially compliant with the guidelines in the selected departments.
Assessment of Anti-Diabetic Medications Adherence among Diabetic Patients in Sana’a City, Yemen: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Lack of adherence to anti-diabetic medications use is linked with suboptimal glycemic control which in turn leads to increase rate of diabetic complications. The adherence to anti-diabetic medications among adult diabetic patients in Sana'a city has not been yet evaluated. Original Research Article Othman et al.; JPRI, 32(21): 114-122, 2020; Article no.JPRI. 59760 115 Objective: This study, therefore, assessed the extent to which diabetic patients are adherent to their antidiabetic medications and explored the factors underlying such adherence attitude in Sana’a City, Yemen. Methods: A cross-sectional method was conducted among a sample of 365 diabetic patients attending public and private hospitals from March to April 2017 in Sana'a City-Yemen. Random patients were selected and data regarding their treatment adherence were obtained using a questionnaire. Adherence to diabetes medications was measured using medication adherence index followed by structured interviews. Descriptive analysis was used to compare between different groups of diabetic patients. Bivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations between clinical variables. Results: The cross-sectional study included 365 patients (263 males; 102 females). A high level of medication adherence rate to anti-diabetic drugs in the present study was (70%). The adherence rate was not similar in both genders where males were more adherent than females. The most common reason for non-adherence was forgetfulness (n= 67; 61%). While the lowest factor for non-adherence was associated with ineffective (n= 7; 6%). Adherence was strongly associated with diabetes duration, monthly income, blood sugar monitoring, communication with physician, and patient’s knowledge regarding importance of medication use (p <0.05). Conclusions: The degree of adherence in patients with diabetes in Sana’a to anti-diabetic medication was shown to be mostly suboptimal. The medication adherence levels are still crucial strategy for optimal treatment against diabetes. However, additional studies on strategies to improve adherence rate and health care should be carried out in the future.