Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Necessary Conditions for Reliable Representation of Asynchronous Spikes Through a Single-layered Feedforward Network

Reliable propagation of firing rate – specifically slow modulation of asynchronous spikes in fairly short time windows [20-500]ms across multiple layers of a feedforward network (FFN) receiving background synaptic noise has proven difficult to capture in spiking models. We, in this paper, explore how information of asynchronous spikes disrupted in the first layer of a typical FFN, and which factors can enable reliable information representation. Our rationale is that the reliable propagation of information across layers of a FFN is likely if that information can be preserved in the first layer of the FFN. In a typical FFN, each layer comprises a certain number (network size) of excitatory neurons – leaky integrate and fire (LIF) model neuron in this paper – receiving correlated input (common stimulus from the upstream layer) plus independent background synaptic noise. We develop a reduced network model of FFN which captures main features of a conventional all-to-all connected FFN. Exploiting the reduced network model, synaptic weights are calculated using a closed-form optimization framework that minimizes the mean squared error between reconstructed stimulus (by spikes of the first layer of FFN) and the original common stimulus. We further explore how representation of asynchronous spikes in a FFN changes with respect to other factors like the network size and the level of background synaptic noise while synaptic weights are optimized for each scenario. We show that not only synaptic weights but also the network size and the level of background synaptic noise are crucial to preserve a reliable representation of asynchronous spikes in the first layer of a FFN. This work sheds light in better understanding of how information of slowly time-varying fluctuations of the firing rate can be transmitted in multi-layered FFNs.
In model-based fMRI significant is less than specific

By comparing computational model output to BOLD signal changes model-based fMRI has the potential to offer profound insight into what neural computations occur when. If this potential is to be fully realized, statistically significant outcomes must imply specific outcomes. That is, we must have a clear idea of how often a model not present in the BOLD signal but present in the predictor set will reach significance. We ran Monte Carlo simulations of reinforcement learning to examine this kind of specificity, focusing in on two aspects. One, to what degree can we tell related but theoretically distinct predictors apart. About 40% of the time the studied predictors were indistinguishable. Two, how well can we separate out different parameterizations of the same reinforcement learning terms. Nearly all parameter settings were indistinguishable. The lack of specificity between models and between parameters suggests a uncertain relation between significance and specificity. Follow up analyses suggest the temporally slow and prototyped nature of the haemodynamic response (HRF) can substantially increase correlations, ranging from −0.16 to 0.73 with an average of 0.27. Though we focused on a single case study, i.e., reinforcement learning, specificity concerns are potentially present in any design which does not account for the slow prototyped nature of the HRF. We suggest more specific conclusions can be reached by moving from null hypothesis testing approach to a model selection or model comparison framework.
Effect of Sustainability Reporting on Relevance of Accounting Information of Deposit Money Banks Listed in Nigeria

The need for managers to prepare financial statements through sustainability report that possesses to a large degree the elements of quality cannot be over emphasized which have become a global concern and necessity. The quality of accounting information of any entity will affect the quality of its reports. The quality of reports to a large extent will determine investors decisions and financial managerial decisions but in most cases the decisions are lacking in quality as a result of the quality of the information contained in the reports. This paper investigated the effect of sustainability reporting on the relevance of accounting information of deposit money banks listed in Nigeria. The paper employed ex post facto research design. The population was 21 deposit money banks in Nigeria. The sample size consisted of 13 listed deposit money banks on the NSE for the 15-year period under study (2004 – 2018). Data was obtained from published annual reports of the sampled banks validated by certification of external auditors and CAMA. Descriptive and inferential (multiple regression) statistics were used to analyze the data. The paper found out that Sustainability reporting measures have significant and positive effect on relevance of accounting information (F – stat = 63.92, Adj. R2 = 0.694, p = 0.000 i.e. p<0.05); The paper concluded that sustainability reporting measures (Environmental and social risk management, environmental and social footprint, women economic empowerment, financial inclusion and reporting) have significant effect on quality of accounting information (relevance) of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. This paper therefore recommended that Banks should disclose environmental and risk management policies that are relevant in the financial statements for the users of accounting information.
Function of GATA Transcription Factors in Induction of Endothelial Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 by Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Abstract—Endothelial vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is expressed in response to cytokine stimulation and plays a critical role in inflammatory reactions. Previously, we developed a novel VCAM-1 inhibitor that acts through a mechanism independent of nuclear factor-κB activity. It suppresses the binding activity of GATA proteins in cytokine-stimulated endothelial cells, which may be related to the anti–VCAM-1 induction effect of this drug. In this study, we investigated the role of GATA proteins in the induction of VCAM-1 by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in human endothelial cells. The mRNA expression of GATA-6 was increased, whereas GATA-3 mRNA was decreased by TNF-α stimulation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed that TNF-α stimulation increased the DNA binding of GATA-6 but decreased that of GATA-3. Experiments using protein overexpression or antisense oligonucleotides revealed that GATA-6 potently acts as a positive regulator of VCAM-1 gene transcription. In contrast, overexpressi.
Evaluating support for rangeland‐restoration practices by rural Somalis: an unlikely win‐win for local livelihoods and hirola antelope?

In developing countries, governments often lack the authority and resources to implement conservation outside of protected areas. In such situations, the integration of conservation with local livelihoods is crucial to species recovery and reintroduction efforts. The hirola Beatragus hunteri is the world's most endangered antelope, with a population of <500 individuals that is restricted to <5% of its historical geographic range on the Kenya–Somali border. Long‐term hirola declines have been attributed to a combination of disease and rangeland degradation. Tree encroachment—driven by some combination of extirpation of elephants, overgrazing by livestock, and perhaps fire suppression—is at least partly responsible for habitat loss and the decline of contemporary populations. Through interviews in local communities across the hirola's current range, we identified socially acceptable strategies for habitat restoration and hirola recovery. We used classification and regression trees, conditional inference trees, and generalized linear models to identify sociodemographic predictors of support for range‐restoration strategies. Locals supported efforts to conserve elephants (which kill trees and thus facilitate grass growth), seed and fertilize grass, and remove trees, but were opposed to livestock reduction. Locals were ambivalent toward controlled burns and soil ripping (a practice through which soil is broken up to prevent compaction). Livestock ownership and years of residency were key predictors of locals’ perceptions toward rangeland‐restoration practices. Locals owning few livestock were more supportive of elephant conservation, and seeding and fertilization of grass, while longer term residents were more supportive of livestock reduction but were less supportive of elephant conservation. Ultimately, wildlife conservation outside protected areas requires long‐term, community‐based efforts that are compatible with human livelihoods. We recommend elephant conservation, grass seeding and fertilization, manual tree removal and resting range from livestock both to enhance the potential for hirola recovery and to build positive rapport with local communities in the geographic range of this critically endangered species.
External Fixator As A Definitive Treatment For Tibial Diaphyseal Fractures

Background: Precarious blood supply, subcutaneous nature and lack of soft-tissue cover of the shaft of the tibia make these fractures vulnerable to open fractures with high rate of nonunion and infection. External fixators have been used to treat these open tibial fractures as temporary mode of fixation. We evaluated the role of external fixator as a definitive treatment for tibial diaphyseal fractures. Materials & methods: 57 patients with open tibial diaphyseal fracture with various degree of soft tissues injuries, treated with external fixator as definitive fixation were included in the study. The outcome, rate of union and complications were assessed. Results: 57 patients with mean age 34.4 (range 18 to 59 years) were included. 45 were male while 12 were females. Mean duration of trauma to surgery interval 26.5 hrs. Mean time for dynamization was 7.44 weeks. 50 patients had union with mean time of union 22.4 weeks, while 7 patients had nonunion. 13 patients had pin tract infection, out of which 7 infections healed by oral antibiotics while 6 patients eventually had pin loosening requiring change of pin under local anaesthesia. One patient had malunion. Conclusion: External fixator is a very useful method for treatment of open tibial diaphyseal fractures which eliminates the need of second surgery and allows bone and soft tissue healing without increasing morbidity when applied properly.
Testing infrared camera surveys and distance analyses to estimate feral horse abundance in a known population

We tested the use of high-resolution infrared (IR) camera technology and distance sampling analyses to estimate abundance of feral horses (Equus caballus) during 2015–2016 in the McCullough Peaks Herd Management Area, Wyoming, USA. Infrared technology is becoming more common in ungulate population monitoring. The quality of IR cameras now allows ungulate species to be differentiated. Imperfect detection is a common problem in aerial surveys, so we tested the use of distance sampling analyses to account for imperfect detection probability. We conducted 2 aerial surveys in a sagebrush ecosystem with a demographically closed horse population. True abundance was known to within 4 animals as a result of intensive, ground-based monitoring of each animal, all of which are uniquely identifiable. After truncation of our data, the most supported detection function was a uniform function with a detection probability equal to 1.0 out to 255m. Our analyses yielded results that were within 10% of true abundance, but the coefficient of variation (CV) was large (36–58%) assuming a small sampling fraction. However, our truncated surveys covered approximately 95% of the herd management area. By including a finite population correction factor in our calculations of variance estimates, CVs (8–13%) were dramatically reduced.We found the combination of IR surveys and distance sampling analysis to be a useful method to estimate feral horse abundance in sagebrush vegetation type, which had limited cover to obscure horses. Repeated testing in sagebrush ecosystems as well as further testing in other habitat types and under differing conditions will inform how general our approach can be. 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Inter-individual differences in human brain structure and morphometry link to population variation in demographics and behavior

We perform a comprehensive integrative analysis of multiple structural MR-based brain features and find strong evidence relating inter-individual structural variations to demographic and behavioral variates across a large cohort of healthy human volunteers. In particular, our findings shed some light on functional & structural integration, as we find a mode of structural variation that relates to and extends the ‘positive-negative’ behavioral spectrum which was recently reported as being associated with variations in functional connectivity. Significance statement This work provides for the first-time strong evidence relating human brain structure variations to a wide range of demographic and behavioral measures. We show that several measures previously associated to variation in functional MRI connectivity are in fact already associated at the structural level, pointing towards structure-function integration.
Exigência de proteína bruta para juvenis de curimatã-pacu

RESUMO O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a exigência de proteína bruta (PB) de juvenis de curimatã-pacu (Prochilodus argenteus). O experimento foi conduzido por um período de 60 dias, utilizando um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos (dieta contendo 24,0; 28,0; 32,0 e 36,0% de PB) e cinco repetições cada, em que 100 juvenis (peso inicial de 0,33 ± 0,01g) foram distribuídos em 20 aquários experimentais com volume de 130L, sendo considerada como unidade experimental uma caixa com cinco peixes, sob recirculação de água. Avaliaram-se o desempenho produtivo, o crescimento heterogêneo, os parâmetros morfométricos, fisiológicos e a viabilidade econômica das rações em função do nível de PB. Pela análise de regressão, foi verificado um aumento linear nos parâmetros de desempenho, morfométricos e fisiológicos, com o aumento do nível proteico nas rações. Quando comparados pelo teste de Tukey, o melhor resultado (P>0,05) foi obtido com 36% de PB. Verificou-se menor heterogeneidade de crescimento dos peixes à medida que se aumentavam os níveis de PB na ração. Assim, considerando também a viabilidade econômica, recomenda-se a utilização de rações com 36% de proteína bruta para juvenis de curimatã-pacu.
Nematodes of the Genus Trichuris (Nematoda, Trichuridae), Parasitizing Sheep in Central and South-Eastern Regions of Ukraine

Abstract Abundance and distribution of nematodes of the genus Trichuris Schrank, 1788 parasitizing domestic sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) were studied in Poltava, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia Regions of Ukraine. Three species of Trichuris were found, Trichuris skrjabini Baskakov, 1924, Trichuris ovis Abildgaard, 1795 and Trichuris globulosa Linstow, 1901. Trichuris ovis and T. skrjabini were more common (54.9 and 35.7 %), whereas T. globulosa was relatively rare (9.4 %) in the studied material. New species-specific and sex-related morphological characters and metric indices were reviewed as useful in better identification of T. skrjabini, T. ovis and T. globulosa parasitizing sheep.
Seasonal and diurnal changes in aucubin, catalpol and acteoside concentration of plantain herbage grown at high and low N fertiliser inputs

ABSTRACT This experiment aimed to characterise the concentration of secondary compounds aucubin, catalpol and acteoside in plantain (Plantago lanceolata) herbage and determine if harvesting at different times or nitrogen (N) fertiliser inputs alter concentrations. Herbage of plantain was harvested each season over two years from plots fertilised at 180 or 450 kg N/ha/yr. At each harvest date, samples were taken in at 0700 h and 1600 h. The concentration of secondary compounds in plantain herbage was greatest for acteoside (range 1.77-36.0 mg/g DM), intermediate for aucubin (range 0.566–5.85 mg/g DM) and lowest for catalpol (<0.390 mg/g DM). Compound concentrations were unaffected by N fertiliser and showed limited diurnal fluctuation. There was a strong seasonal effect on all secondary compounds with peaks in concentration occurring in spring for aucubin and acteoside. This experiment suggests environmental factors other than soil N fertility and diurnal patterns influence the concentration of secondary compounds in plantain. Abbreviations: DR: digestibility-reducing; DM: dry matter; HPLC: High performance liquid chromatography; N: nitrogen; NH3: ammonia
Yield and decay of the hydrated electron from 100 ps to 3 ns

Energy is deposited by fast electrons in water in small localized volumes called spurs. The decay of the hydrated electron in a spur has been measured to be about 17 percent between 100 ps and 3 ns. Half of this decay occurs before 700 ps where previous techniques could not observe any decay. The principal reactions of the hydrated electron in the spur are presumed to be e/sup -//sub aq/ + e/sup -//sub aq/, e/sup -//sub aq/ + H/sup +/, and e/sup -//sub aq/ + OH. Scavengers for the hydrogen ion are about equally effective in slowing the decay as are scavengers for the hydroxyl radical except for OH/sup -/ which seems unusually effective. This suggests H/sup +/ and OH are distributed similarly with respect to e/sup -//sub aq/. Spur decay is also observed for the products of electron capture, Cd/sup +/ or RSSR/sup -/, where RSSR is cystamine. The observations reconcile different methods for measurement of the initial hydrated electron yield to 4.6 +- 0.2 molecules/100 eV, and combined with our earlier data, provide the major features of the history of e/sup -//sub aq/ in the spur from 100 ps to the achievement of a homogeneous distribution.
Upregulation of Nox4 by Hypertrophic Stimuli Promotes Apoptosis and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cardiac Myocytes

Rationale: NADPH oxidases are a major source of superoxide (O2−) in the cardiovascular system. The function of Nox4, a member of the Nox family of NADPH oxidases, in the heart is poorly understood. Objective: The goal of this study was to elucidate the role of Nox4 in mediating oxidative stress and growth/death in the heart. Methods and Results: Expression of Nox4 in the heart was increased in response to hypertrophic stimuli and aging. Neither transgenic mice with cardiac specific overexpression of Nox4 (Tg-Nox4) nor those with catalytically inactive Nox4 (Tg-Nox4-P437H) showed an obvious baseline cardiac phenotype at young ages. Tg-Nox4 gradually displayed decreased left ventricular (LV) function with enhanced O2− production in the heart, which was accompanied by increased apoptosis and fibrosis at 13 to 14 months of age. On the other hand, the level of oxidative stress was attenuated in Tg-Nox4-P437H. Although the size of cardiac myocytes was significantly greater in Tg-Nox4 than in nontransgenic, the .
Postharvest quality and nutrient contents of long sweet pepper enhanced by supplementary potassium foliar application

ABSTRACT Inadequate amounts of potassium uptake by plant roots, even if it is available in soil, can be due to soil pH, plant type, and plant growth stage. Quality and shelf-life of long sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) are affected by plant nutrition. To determine the suitable potassium source for foliar fertilization during plant growth, effects of supplementary foliar K sources (K-humate, KCl, and K2SO4) were evaluated on fruit quality, chemical composition, and postharvest behavior of long sweet pepper. Pepper fruit were stored for 28 days at 10°C. Fruit weight loss and decay were reduced, and total soluble solids were increased by supplementary K application; K2SO4 and KCl were the most effective sources. The L* and chrome values, as indicator for surface color, were enhanced by K foliar fertilizer. Chlorophyll a and b were increased by K treatments compared to control. Carotenoids were increased by KCl treatment; K2SO4 was the most effective source for enhanced total phenols. Total sugar and vitamin C were increased by K application, especially when K was added as KCl. Nitrogen and phosphorous contents in fruit were enhanced by K-humate and KCl treatments while potassium content was enhanced by all K treatments. The K2SO4 and KCl could be suitable K sources for foliar fertilizer during plant growth to enhance growth, yield, and quality of pepper fruit.
BIODIVERSITY ASSESSMENT OF MICROORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH TWO MARINE SPONGES (Haliclona oculata AND Amphius huxleyi) COLLECTED AT THE LANG CO BAY OF VIETNAM

Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are ancient sedentary and filter-feeding animals which harbour very diverse and abundant associated microbial community in their tissues with density up to 40–50% of sponge tissue volume. In this study, the diversity of associated microorganisms with two marine sponges Haliclona oculata and Amphius huxleyi collected at the Lang Co bay of Vietnam was assessed by analysis of hypervariable V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene using Illumina MiSeq system. The taxonomic diversity of sponge-associated microorganisms was classified to different taxonomic levels (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, and genus). Based on Bayesian classification method and reference sequences derived from Greengenes database, the associated microorganisms in studied sponges were assigned to 17 phyla (H. oculata) and 13 phyla (A. huxleyi). Many microbial taxa were detected in two sponge species, however, they were distinctive by the abundance. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum in both sponge species, and all of 4 classes Epsilonproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria were found in H. oculata and A. huxleyi.
Diversity of biochemical content in fruits of some indigenous mulberry genotypes

This research was carried out to assess the biochemical diversity of the fruits of mulberry genotypes grown in Mus Province in the eastern Anatolia region and to determine the genotypes available for breeding. Morphological and biochemical characteristics of 13 mulberry fruit genotypes, including 5 white (Morus alba) and 8 black (Morus nigra), were determined. Fruit antioxidant capacity was determined by Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay. Fruit weight, pH, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, vitamin C, and antioxidant capacity were 1.38-3.77 g, 4.77-6.79, 14.33%-23.50%, 0.53%-2.20%, 4.47-35.83 mg 100 g-1, and 4.33-13.63 µmol Trolox equivalent g, respectively, indicating enough diversity among genotypes for future breeding activities. Considering all genotypes, malic acid was dominant, and the highest malic acid content was detected in 4 Morus nigra genotypes as 8.546 mg g-1 fresh weight. Chlorogenic acid, rutin, and gallic acid were determined as the main phenolics among white and black mulberry genotypes. The highest chlorogenic acid, rutin, and gallic acid contents were found in black mulberry genotypes as 2.511 mg g-1 (Morus nigra 1), 1.285 mg g-1 (Morus nigra 1), and 1.162 mg g-1 (Morus nigra 3), respectively. In general, the genotypes sampled and used in the present study exhibited a broad range of variation.