Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Total Trihalomethane Levels in Major Watersheds across the United States

Trihalomethanes, such as chloroform, bromoform, dibromo(chloro)methane, and bromo(dichloro)methane, are present in the major watersheds across the United States. These chemicals play an important role in the development of cancer, have adverse reproductive outcomes, and were found to be present above the threshold established by the Environmental Protection Agency. To understand the impact of socioeconomic background on the quality of water and possible disparities, we have analyzed the levels of total trihalomethanes in the metropolitan areas in the major watersheds across the United States, in 2018, as they correlated to average household incomes. Our study found that Arkansas, Nevada, and Rhode Island demonstrated higher than federally mandated levels of total trihalomethanes in their watersheds. The median annual household and per capita incomes of the three states (Arkansas, Nevada, and Rhode Island) were lower than the national average. In addition, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin, which had higher median income levels, demonstrated the lowest total trihalomethane levels across the United States.
Identification of Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits of Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Using Genetic Markers

Abstract High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) of wheat are important factors in the determination of bread-making quality. They are responsible for elasticity and polymer formation of wheat dough. In the present study, 43 winter and 40 spring common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars originated from Estonia, Belarus, Finland, Denmark, France, Germany, the Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and New Zealand were characterised for Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 allelic composition using PCR method. Analyses were conducted with one DNA marker for identification of Glu-D1 allele encoding subunit Dx5, three DNA markers for Glu-A1 Ax1, Ax2* and AxNull subunits. It was determined that 32 (74.4%) winter and 35 (83.3%) spring cultivars had allele Glu-D1d, and 23 (53.5%) winter and 33 (78.6%) spring — Glu-A1a or Glu-A1b alleles, which have positive effect on dough properties. Polymorphism at Glu-A1 locus was detected in 15 cultivars, and 9 cultivars were polymorphic for locus Glu-D1. The obtained results were compared with published SDS-PAGE data. Complete or partial agreements were found for 78.1% of Glu-A1 and 70.6% of Glu-D1 alleles. Rapid and accurate identification of wheat Glu-1 alleles by molecular markers can be used for selection of wheat genotypes with good bread-making potential.
Predicting junglerice (Echinochloa colona L.) emergence as a function of thermal time in the humid pampas of Argentina

Abstract Junglerice (Echinochloa colona) is one of the most important annual weeds affecting crops in Argentina. A predictive seedling emergence model based on thermal time was developed and validated. Monitoring of seedling emergence was performed weekly during the growing season in a soybean field over four years. Cumulative thermal time, expressed in growing degree days (GDD), was used as the independent variable for predicting cumulative emergence. The variations in mean air temperature between late August and early September have determined a period with a conserved pattern over the years. That period had a close linear relationship (r2 = 0.99) with the beginning of seedling emergence. A double-logistic model fitted junglerice seedling emergence better than Gompertz, Logistic or Weibull functions. Model validation showed a good performance in predicting the seedling emergence (r2 = 0.99). Based on findings of this study it is possible to predict junglerice emergence by air temperature and, thus, to contribute reliably to the rational management of this weed.
Theoretical estimation of axial crushing behavior of multicell hollow sections

Abstract This research, which is a continuation of the previously published paper, develops the idea for estimating the behavior of axially crushed multicell thin walled structures. This approach employs new crushing mechanisms or simply crushing modes for different configurations of multiweb corner elements based on simulation, geometric, and kinematic observations. Furthermore, a new model is introduced named as “Induced Curvature Model” or ICM which includes the curvature of the sheet during progressive crumpling and also the hardening effect of the material under plastic deformation, instead of simple assumptions of perfect plastic material and hinge lines for the folds in case of previously offered plastic hinge model (PHM). Both ICM and PHM are employed to capture crushing properties based on the offered crushing modes and the results suggested by them are compared to each other. Different aspects of crushing behavior were studied and discussed. To show the validity of the proposed models, FE simulation studies were also conducted. Results show an average error around 7% which indicates a good agreement between theoretical and simulation findings and the applicability of the proposed novel model to a wide range of thin walled structures.
VALIDATION OF MOLECULAR MARKERS LINKED TO QUALITY TRAITS IN INDIAN MUSTARD (Brassica juncea L)

Present study consisted of parents and their generations viz; P1 (NRCHB-101, DRMR 150-35), P2 (PDZ-1, Heera and RLC-3), F 1’s (NRCHB-101xPDZ-1, NRCHB-101xHeera, NRCHB-101xRLC-3, DRMR-150-35xPDZ-1, DRMR-150-35xHeera and DRMR150-35xRLC-3), and their back crosses (BC 1 F 1 and BC 2 F 1 ) with a view to validate molecular markers linked to quality traits (low glucosinolate and erucic acid) in Indian mustard. The phenotyping of parents and backcross progenies was performed for estimation of total seed glucosinolate content and erucic acid content using UV-Vis spectrophotometer and Gas chromatography respectively. Parents were also validated for low erucic acid trait using set of two CAPS markers for FAE 1.1 gene and all parental genotypes under study generated fragments of expected size for each CAPS maker. The CAPS markers for FAE1.1 gene amplified 432 bp and 427 bp fragments for E1 marker and E2 marker respectively. Markers linked to low glucosinolate showed polymorphism among donor and recipient parents. The genotyping among backcross progenies revealed heterozygous banding pattern with markers linked to low glucosinolate and erucic acid traits. It was concluded that total glucosinolate content of most of the samples of backcross generations were in the range of 50-85 µmol/g defatted seed meal whereas erucic acid content ranged 10.75% to 33.18%. Validation of these molecular markers linked to quality traits can be used efficiently for MAS by mustard breeders for improvement of oil quality in breeding programme.
Why is Time Perspective Important for Emotion Regulation? The Role of Time Perspectives on Emotion Dysregulation among Young Adults

Genc yetiskinler arasindaki bireysel farkliliklar, duygu duzenlemedeki bozukluklar konusunun ele alinmasinda onemli bir rol oynamaktadir. Duygu duzenleme alanindaki bireysel farkliliklar uzerine bazi arastirmalar yapilmis olmasina ragmen, zaman perspektiflerinin duygu duzenleme eksikliklerindeki rolunu goz onunde bulundurmaya calisan tek bir calisma bulunmamaktadir. Bu calisma, duygu duzenleme eksiklikleri ile zaman odakli inanclar olarak tanimlanan bes zaman perspektifi arasindaki iliskileri aciklamayi amaclamaktadir. Veriler, yas ortalamasi 20.46 olan 192 universite ogrencisinden (146 kiz, 46 erkek) toplanmistir. En uygun model, Gecmis-Olumsuz, Gecmis-Olumlu, Şimdi-Kaderci ve Gelecek zaman perspektiflerinin duygu duzenleme eksikliklerindeki degisimin % 41'ini dogrudan acikladigini gostermistir. Standart katsayilara dayanarak, Gecmis-Olumsuz zaman profilinin, duygu duzenleme eksikliklerinin en guclu gostergesi oldugu gosterilmistir. Gecmis- Olumsuz ve ŞimdiKaderci gibi uyuma yonelik olmayan zaman perspektifleri, duygusal duzenlemeyi negatif yonde; Gecmis-Olumlu ve Gelecek gibi uyumlu olan perspektifleri ise duygu duzenlemeyi pozitif yonde yordamaktadir. Bu calisma, zaman perspektifinin, bir bireyin duygusal duzenleme eksikliklerini yapilandirmada rol aldigini gostermistir.Bulgular, bu calismanin zaman perspektifi ve duygu duzenleme alanina onemli bir katki sagladigini gostermektedir.
The genomic landscape of western South America: Andes, Amazonia and Pacific Coast

Studies of Native South American genetic diversity have helped to shed light on the peopling and differentiation of the continent, but available data are sparse for the major ecogeographic domains. These include the Pacific Coast, a potential early migration route; the Andes, home to the most expansive complex societies and to one of the most spoken indigenous language families of the continent (Quechua); and Amazonia, with its understudied population structure and rich cultural diversity. Here we explore the genetic structure of 177 individuals from these three domains, genotyped with the Affymetrix Human Origins array. We infer multiple sources of ancestry within the Native American ancestry component; one with clear predominance on the Coast and in the Andes, and at least two distinct substrates in neighboring Amazonia, with a previously undetected ancestry characteristic of northern Ecuador and Colombia. Amazonian populations are also involved in recent gene-flow with each other and across ecogeographic domains, which does not accord with the traditional view of small, isolated groups. Long distance genetic connections between speakers of the same language family suggest that languages had spread not by cultural contact alone. Finally, Native American populations admixed with post-Columbian European and African sources at different times, with few cases of prolonged isolation. With our results we emphasize the importance of including under-studied regions of the continent in high-resolution genetic studies, and we illustrate the potential of SNP chip arrays for informative regional scale analysis.
Spatial Survival Models for Analysis of Exocytotic Events on Human beta-cells Recorded by TIRF Imaging

Exocytosis on beta-cells is one of the fundamental cellular processes that releases insulin-containing secretory granules to blood through the plasma membrane due to stimulus. Studying survival of granules on the plasma membrane and their spatial correlation within cells during the exocytosis is of great interest to researchers in biological and medical area, as it is closely related to the regulation of insulin level in blood. Data are a collection of TIRF images recorded from 8 human beta-cells, containing granules and syntaxin information. One of the main objectives of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between the survival rates of granules and syntaxin levels, while adjusting for spatial correlation among granules within cells. To answer our specific biological problem, we propose a semiparametric proportional hazard model, where the baseline hazard function is estimated nonparametrically and a multivariate normal distribution is assumed for individual frailties. Hence, the clustering structure, as well as the spatial correlation between granules are modeled via the variance-covariance matrix of frailties. We firstly extend the penalized partial likelihood method and the Monte-Carlo EM method to estimate the parameters in the model. Then, we contribute a novel inferential approach based on pairwise likelihood, EM algorithm and quadrature approximation. We conduct simulations to validate and compare three approaches, hence the advantages and disadvantages for each approach are discussed. Finally, we apply our method to the exocytosis data and interpret the results.
Determination of the Radiological Risk from the Natural Radioactivity in Irrigation at Selected Areas of Peninsular Malaysia

This study involves a comprehensive analysis of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K concentration from irrigation water samples. Water samples were obtained, and the physical parameters were examined. Subsequently, the corresponding radiological risks to human health were estimated. The concentration levels of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in water samples amounted to 1.51 ± 0.30, 0.17 ± 0.09, and 7.67 ± 3.07 Bq L-1, respectively, which were within the concentration levels reported in the literature from Malaysia and other countries worldwide. Based on the food intake rate by MoH and UNSCEAR, the annual ingestion effective dose (ID) and the cancer risks corresponding to radionuclide intake in irrigation were below the recommended maximum values. Meanwhile, the average hazard indices and annual outdoor effective dose (ED) amounted to 0.01 and 1.39 mSv year-1, respectively. It was inferred from the findings of this study that the water used as the sample does not have any significant radiological impacts to human body and is safe to be used as irrigation in the related area.
Diet of Tadarida brasiliensis (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Northwestern Argentina

In Argentina, the study of feeding habits of bats was practically restricted to frugivorous species, whereas data on the insectivorous bat diet was scarce and anecdotal. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the diet of Tadarida brasiliensis along the Yungas Forest, Argentina, at sites with different degrees of disturbance. Through the analysis of feces, arthropod orders were identified, volume and frequency of occurrence were estimated for each food item, and the niche breadth was estimated for the species. Finally, the diet was compared between capture sites, sexes, and seasons; finding variations among sites and seasons. The diet of T. brasiliensis contains arthropods belonging to nine orders and one undetermined taxon. Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, and Coleoptera represent the highest volume proportions in the diet. The results add new and important information about the biology of T. brasiliensis in the southern part of its distribution.
Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Fermented Mucuna pruriens Leaf Meal on Growth and Feed Utilisation of Clarias gariepinus Fingerlings

Feeding trial was conducted in 18 plastic tanks (60 x 45 x 30 cm) to assess the performance of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings fed diets containing fermented Mucuna pruriens leaf meal as an alternative protein source to soya bean meal. Five isonitrogenous (crude protein-40%) diets were formulated containing fermented Mucuna leaf meal (FMLM) at A(100% FMLM), B(75% FMLM), C(50% FMLM), D(25% FMLM) and E(0% FMLM) and were fed at 5% body weight to triplicate groups of 10 fingerlings (initial mean weight ranged from 6.20± 1.96g – 6.80± 1.97 g) of C. gariepinus for a period of twelve (12) weeks. Growth performance and feed utilisation parameters indicate that E(0% FMLM) diet gave the highest weight gain (168.87± 3.97g) but did not significantly (P≥0.05) differ from D(25% FMLM), (161.30±6.12 g), and the lowest weight gain (89.70± 1.96 g) was recorded in A(100% FMLM). Similarly, the highest specific growth rate (3.79±0.03 g) was recorded in E(0% FMLM) followed by D(25% FMLM) (3.74±0.04 g), and the least value (3.10±0.02 g) was obtained in A(100% FMLM). However, feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and gross feed conversion efficiency (GFCE) were not significantly different (P≥0.05) among the dietary treatments. The highest (1.72±0.12) and least (1.50±0.02) FCR were obtained in A(100% FMLM) and E(0% FMLM) respectively. The result from this study indicates that fermented Mucuna leaf meal could replace soya bean meal up to 25% in the diets for C. gariepinus fingerlings without compromising growth and feed utilisation.
Recent advances in the biosorption of pollutants by fish scales: a mini-review

Abstract In the quest for environmental protection and sustainability, researchers have evaluated a variety of biomaterials for the remediation of polluted effluents. In this mini-review, the recent advances in biosorption of pollutants from aqueous solutions using fish scales was discussed. It was conducted to catalogue research progress, gain an understanding of the current research trend, isolate possible knowledge gaps, and elucidate potential future perspectives in the research area. Four (4) key stages are involved in the preparation methodology of biosorbents from fish scales: washing, drying, grinding, and sieving. Biosorbent from fish scales usually possess heterogeneous surfaces (and sometimes ridges). It was observed that about 65% of research studies have focused on heavy metals removal. Fish scale biosorption equilibrium was usually best fit to Langmuir or Freundlich isotherms and the biosorption kinetics was according to the pseudo-second-order model in most cases. Fish scale biosorption for metals was observed to be always spontaneous process. The current research trend in the area is on methods to improve the biosorbent via derivation of hydroxyapatite scaffolds, chemical impregnation, and other functionalization techniques.
Development of an Environmental DNA Assay for Eastern Massasauga

Utilizing environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection of species in the field is a potentially cost-effective and time-saving technology that may be useful in understanding the distribution and abundance of threatened or endangered species such as the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus). I describe the development of an eDNA assay for the species and evaluate its ability to detect eDNA in laboratory and field conditions. In the field samples, I also investigated the potential for abiotic conditions to influence eDNA detection. Species-specific primers and probe were designed to amplify a 152 bp segment of the massasauga COI gene. Target eDNA could be detected in samples containing as little as 100 copies of target DNA/μL. Water samples collected from laboratory housed snakes indicated that eDNA can be detected in water 56 days after massasauga removal. Field samples were taken from crayfish burrows, known overwintering habitat for the species, from four sites that vary in snake use as ascertained by traditional visual surveys. Of the 60 burrows sampled, seven had a positive detection for massasauga eDNA with no difference in detection rate between DNA extracted from burrow water and burrow sediment. Occupancy models fitted to burrow water indicated that larger amounts of total DNA in a sample may increase the probability of detection of a massasauga eDNA. Large confidence intervals in site occupancy (ѱ) and burrow detection (Θ) values suggest that a larger sample size is needed for more reliable occupancy models. Abiotic conditions within crayfish burrows varied among sites but correlation with eDNA detection was not supported. Estimates of qPCR detection within a burrow with eDNA (ρ) suggest that up to 10 qPCR replicates per burrow sample may be necessary. Further studies need to examine eDNA degradation in the field, improve upon the limit of detection, and sample a larger number of sites for eDNA sampling to be a stand-alone survey method for Eastern Massasaugas.
Special Education Administrators’ Knowledge of Adapted Physical Education: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Special education administrators have an influence over adapted physical education (APE) services, however little research to date has assessed special education administrators’ knowledge of APE services. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine special education administrators’ knowledge of APE services. Fifty-one special education administrators completed a 21-question content knowledge test about key areas within the field of APE. A series of exploratory t-tests were used to determine whether their overall test scores differed significantly by a variety of demographic variables (e.g., gender, prior APE training). In addition, a repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine whether there were any significant differences between the three subsections of the test. Participants’ overall test scores were approximately 40% (M = 8.41, SD = 2.28), which was similar to all three sub-sections within the test (‘federal laws and APE’ = 43%, M = 3.04, SD = 1.34; ‘best teaching practices in APE’ = 38%, M = 2.76, SD = 1.29; ‘inclusion and least restrictive environment and APE’ = 39%, M = 2.63, SD = 1.06). Test scores did not significantly differ by any of the demographic variables, p >. 05. Recommendations for future research and professional development are discussed.
Weakly Supervised Instance Segmentation of Electrical Equipment Based on RGB-T Automatic Annotation

To address the problem of weakly supervised instance segmentation for electrical equipment using only a red, green, and blue (RGB) camera, an automatic annotation of masks of samples (AAMS) method based on thermal image guidance is proposed in this article. With only image-level label supervision, we exploit foreground segmentation results of thermal images to guide the instance mask extraction of electrical equipment in RGB images through the heterogeneous pixel registration algorithm between RGB-thermal (RGB-T) image pairs. It is realized to automatically annotate instance masks, which greatly improves efficiency and decreases costs. In addition, we further propose a progressively optimized model (POM) for instance segmentation, which first utilizes the fully connected conditional random field (CRF) and the constrain-to-boundary loss to specify fine-detailed boundaries of each object and to solve the difficulty of segmenting electrical equipment with complicated structures. This model also explores the self-paced learning technology to solve the issue of resolution differences between RGB-T image pairs for improving the generalization ability. By comparison to the other state-of-the-arts, experimental results show that our method can obtain by far the better performance on the electrical equipment data set.
Experimental Validation of a Contactless Finger Displacement Measurement System Using Electrical Near-Field Sensing

This research investigates the potential of contactless finger motion measurement, focusing particularly on ease of use to improve the success of home-based hand rehabilitation exercises. Previously, a mathematical model was developed based on a finite-element method simulation. This article validates this model on multifinger noncontact measuring under laboratory conditions. Twenty-three healthy subjects with normal hand and finger functions participated. An independent near-field distance measurement was developed and compared with the output from an optical sensor. It was observed from the experiment that the prediction model worked well with the measuring system reported here. The average uncertainties of measurement using the prediction model are 0.68 and 0.55 mm, which are 3.5% and 2.7% of the full-scale range for the index finger and middle finger, respectively. The results from the experiment show that the reported system is capable of measuring the small movements of fingers. With the combination of the noncontact measuring feature and the lack of complicated setup, this system is easy-to-use as the basis of a home-based independent rehabilitation system.