Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Dynamic Interplay between Note-taking Strategies and Reading Comprehension Performance of Moroccan EFL Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Recently, at Moroccan tertiary level and in the area of student practices, little attention has been brought particularly to the skill of note-taking and active reading comprehension, and an insightful and in-depth understanding of how students learn from lectures could presumably be valuable in understanding and unravelling the intricacies of possible positive results of their note-taking behavior. The current study focuses mainly on the instruction of students into the systems of note-taking and how that affects their level of reading comprehension. Therefore, the effort reported here attempts to assess the students’ current systems of notetaking and how they contribute to reach a full understanding of reading comprehension texts. The participants were 94 Semester-One students at the department of the English Studies at Ibn Tofail University, School of Arts and Humanities in Kénitra, Morocco. The data of the present study were collected by means of a TOEFL iBT Reading Practice comprehension test (i.e., post-test), and strategy training equating note-taking schemas and reading comprehension texts. The findings have showcased that after having been instructed through many sessions of note-taking, students felt that their process of reading comprehension is enhanced as they were able to organize their ideas and information from the text, stay focused and engaged while reading, and keep a record of reading material to use it later. This is solid proof that they critically used and retained what they read.
Geo‐climatic factors drive diatom community distribution in tropical South American freshwaters

Patterns that maintain and generate biodiversity of macro‐organisms in the Neotropics are widely discussed in the scientific literature, yet the spatial ecology of micro‐organisms is largely unknown. The unique character of the tropical Andes and adjacent Amazon lowlands generates a wide gradient of environmental conditions to advance our understanding of what drives community assembly and diversity processes. We analysed the distribution patterns of benthic diatoms (unicellular siliceous algae) as a model group of microbial passive dispersers, including predictors that describe limnological and geo‐climatic gradients for a total of 113 waterbodies (0–28°S and 58–80°W), including lakes and streams. Complementary multivariate statistical analyses were performed to correlate (1) community composition and (2) diatom species richness with environmental and spatial factors to infer niche‐based and dispersal‐based assembly processes, respectively. Results showed that two gradients structured both diatom assemblages and waterbodies, namely climate and landscape configuration. Variance partitioning revealed that broadscale spatial variables (distance‐based Moran's Eigenvectors) outperformed the two environmental components (limnological and geo‐climatic), suggesting dispersal‐assembled communities. However, diatom assemblages were structured by geo‐climatic (regional) factors in certain lakes in the northern and central Andes, although their effects were partially manifested via local variables after the geographical distances were factored out. In a similar way, climatic and topographic structuring homogenized lake and stream communities within ecoregions, as indicated by the strong overlap between the two community types and the weak correlation between biota and limnological variables. Notably, a significant increase in diatom species richness was related to increased water connectivity, interpreted to indicate that a decrease in the remoteness of the system increase species number. Synthesis. We emphasize the strength of macroecological gradients (landscape configuration and climatic factors) in affecting both diatom diversity and community composition in the South American tropics. In this context, our results and the commonalities of ecoregion patterning with groups of macro‐organisms (vegetation) suggest the need to integrate microbial ecology into a macroecology framework to unravel mechanisms behind diversity gradients.
Using cell type specific transcriptomics to understand how Arabidopsis roots respond to Sinorhizobium meliloti.

Roots are key organs for the uptake of nutrients in plants. Leguminous plants form nodules, providing a niche for symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria, enabling plants to colonize nitrogen depleted soils. Lateral root formation shares genetic regulation, as well as developmental features, with nodulation. This led us to investigate whether shared genetic control can be revealed in lateral root development responses of Arabidopsis thaliana to rhizobia. The phenotypic response of Arabidopsis to Sinorhizobium meliloti was analyzed. Arabidopsis lateral root length was found to be shorter, indicating a potential link between bacterial perception and lateral root development, even in a non symbiotic host plant. To gain more insight, a transcriptome time series was carried out. The response of Arabidopsis to Sinorhizobium inoculation compared to the response of nitrogen treatment were analyzed. In order to identify highly localized, yet important minimal regulatory cues and maximize the spatial specificity of the data, this analysis was carried out in isolated cortical and pericycle cells. Combined, in response to the two treatments approximately a 20% of the Arabidopsis genome is differentially expressed during the first 48 hours. Bioinformatic tools (clustering and network inference) were used to obtain a chronology of different responses, highlighting which metabolic processes change over time and identify potential gene regulatory mechanisms. The data and approach presented here present a unique analysis of the response to Sinorhizobium and nitrogen treatment and open the way to further tissue specific analysis of transcriptional regulation in plants. The similarities and differences between the response to Sinorhizobium (a potentially neutral bacteria) and Ralstonia (a pathogen of Arabidopsis roots) were evaluated using an analysis of gene expression at two early time points after inoculation. There was significant overlap in transcriptional response to both treatments, as well as striking differences: we find pathogen defense genes in the response to Sinorhizobium, rather than Ralstonia. We also find a core of 11 auxin responsive genes that have similar differential expression between treatments. Our results show that Rhizobium has a distinct transcriptional and phenotypic effect on Arabidopsis roots that is distinct from a pathogenic interaction. Several network hub genes are proposed as potential targets for further studying this effect.
A new thylacosmilid (Mammalia, Metatheria, Sparassodonta) from the Miocene of Patagonia, Argentina

A new genus and species, Patagosmilus goini, of the family Thylacosmilidae (Mammalia, Metatheria, Sparassodonta) is described here. The new taxon is based on a single specimen collected from the west margin of the Rio Chico, in Rio Negro Province, Argentina, from the middle Miocene Colloncuran SALMA. Until now, two formally recognized species were encompassed in the family Thylacosmilidae: Thylacosmilus atrox, from the late Miocene-late Pliocene Huayquerian to Chapadmalalan SALMAof Argentina and probably Uruguay; and Anachlysictis gracilis, from the middle Miocene Laventan SALMA of Colombia. Recognition of the Patagonian taxon, Patagosmilus, provides new anatomical data, likely to be included in future phylogenetic analyses. The overall morphology of Patagosmilus suggests that it has a more generalized anatomy than Thylacosmilus. The dental morphology suggests the new Patagonian taxon was probably closer to Thylacosmilus than Anachlysictis. Saber-tooth thylacosmilids have several autapomorphic features in the skull that differentiate them from other sparassodonts, including the delayed replacement or non-replacement of the deciduous last premolar.
Fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination of stored sorghum grain as influenced by threshing methods

ABSTRACT Sanitation from harvest to storage is a key factor in eliminating sources of infection and reducing levels of mycotoxigenic fungal invasion, and thereby mycotoxin contamination. This study was conducted at Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia to investigate the effects of threshing methods on fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum grain. The methods included threshing on bare ground, cow-dung-painted ground, concrete asphalt and canvas. The threshed grain was kept separately in bags in three replications in a completely randomized design and stored for five months. The results revealed that all the sorghum grain samples taken from different threshing methods were contaminated with both Aspergillus and Fusarium species. There were variations in fungal invasion between samples taken immediately after threshing and stored samples. The level of Aspergillus spp. invasion was much higher in the latter in sorghum grain threshed on bare ground. The concentration of aflatoxin B1 was gradually increased, whereas the total fumonisin concentration was decreased with the storage duration both in 2013 and 2014. On stored sorghum grain, the highest (1.97 µg kg−1) and the lowest (0.70 µg kg−1) mean aflatoxin B1 concentrations were recorded from sorghum grains threshed on bare ground and on canvas, respectively. Sorghum grain obtained from canvas threshing method had significantly lower mean total fumonisin content (142.5, 54.9 µg kg−1) than grain from the other methods at threshing. The current work clearly demonstrated the effect that threshing might have on fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum grains.
Rethinking Screen Time during COVID-19: Impact on Psychological Well-Being in Physiotherapy Students

We do not just use technology; we live with it. Much more deeply than ever before, we are aware that interacting with technology involves us emotionally, intellectually, and sensually. As the popularity of the internet and digital devices grows so do concerns over their excessive use. This is worth drawing attention to, though, considering the widely established consequences excessive screen time can have on someone’s sleep, mental and physical health. This paper describes the pattern of screen use, sleep and psychological well being in physiotherapy students during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The study also throws light on the fact that physical exercises could be a mediating factor for effect on sleep pattern and overall perception of well-being. A representative sample of 150 Physiotherapy students was surveyed to assess technology use, sleep pattern, mental and physical health through a self-reported questionnaire. Around 52% students admitted that excessive screen use has affected their sleep quality and linked it to sleeping problems such as reduced sleep durations with mobile phone use-awakenings. 48% of the students believe that excessive hours spent in front of the screen has affected their physical well being and 28.7% of students reported negative effects on their mental health. 65.27% of the exercising participants experienced beneficial effects due to performance of physical exercises and reported decreased sleeping complaints or mental health issues. The present study strengthens the existing scientific evidence for the negative impact of excessive screen time on mental and physical health while providing new insights on the digital media use during pandemic situation. In addition, this study also attempts to determine the mediating effect of physical exercise on ill effects of screen use.
Race Diversity of Pyrenophora tritici-repentis in South Dakota and Response of Predominant Wheat Cultivars to Tan Spot

The fungus Pyrenophora tritici-repentis (Ptr) causing tan spot (TS) is an important pathogen of wheat in the US Northern-Great-Plains. Knowledge of physiological variation in the pathogen population is essential in the development of durable TS resistant cultivars. Eight Ptr races have been identified based on three host selective toxins (Ptr ToxA/Ptr ToxB/Ptr ToxC), which are associated with necrosis and chlorosis symptoms. The information about Ptr race structure and reaction of wheat cultivars grown in SD to tan spot is scarcely available. In this study, 569 isolates of Ptr collected from wheat were genotyped for Ptr ToxA and Ptr ToxB genes and a subset of 134 isolates were evaluated for their race identity on a wheat differential set. Ptr ToxA and Ptr ToxB genes were amplified in 89.6% and 0.4% isolates, respectively. The remaining 57 (10%) isolates lacked both toxins genes. The characterization of 134 isolates exhibited diverse race structure with 74.6%, 18.7%, 1.49% , and <1% isolates categorized as race 1, 4, 5, and 2, respectively. Another six (4.5%) isolates behaved like race 2 but lacked Ptr ToxA gene, hence could not fit under the currently known eight races. Our results determine the diversity of Ptr population that exists in SD and establish the presence of race 5 in SD for the first time. Since races 1 and 5 are most prevalent in the region, we screened 45 most predominant wheat cultivars against these races and Ptr ToxA. We observed eleven cultivars resistant or moderately resistant to both races, however, seven spring wheat cultivars showed susceptibility to both races 1 and 5. Continued cultivation of wheat cultivars susceptible to both races could play a role in the establishment and development of new races. Continuous germplasm enhancement and periodically monitoring Ptr population can help in better TS management.
LCFA Uptake and FAT/CD36: molecular cloning, tissue expression and mRNA expression responses to dietary oil sources in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)*

ABSTRACT The fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) plays an important role in trans-membrane uptake of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and has been identified and described in many organisms, while little is known about this gene in freshwater fish, and especially in the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). In this study, the uptake of LCFA in hepatocytes of C. idellus was firstly determined and then FAT/CD36 gene was cloned; then the gene was sequenced and mRNA levels from different tissues and the effect of dietary oils on its expression were determined. Present data showed that trans-membrane absorption of LCFA was related to the type and concentration of fatty acids (FAs) and it could be inhibited by specific membrane uptake inhibitors. The FAT/CD36 isolated from grass carp contained 1422 bp and the open reading frame was predicted to have 1403 bp (GenBank access number: KU361231.1). FAT/CD36 was highly expressed in the brain and its lowest expression was in the gills. FAT/CD36 expression in white muscle was up-regulated when fish were fed with groundnut oil, whereas it was down-regulated in fish fed fish and linseed oils, respectively. These results indicated n-3 PUFA might inhibit the FAT/CD36 mRNA expression and therefore the oxidation of FAs. Abbreviations: Docosahexaenoic acid: DHA; Fatty acid: FA; Fatty acid translocase: FAT/CD36; Fish oil: FO; eicosapentaenoic acid: EPA; Groundnut oil: GO; Linseed oil: LO; Peroxisome proliferator-activated nuclear receptor: PPARs; Polyunsaturated fatty acid: PUFA; Unsaturated long-chain fatty acids: LCFA; Olive oil: OO
Efficacy of dietary supplementation of nanoparticles-chromium, chromium-methionine and zinc-proteinate, on performance of Japanese quail under physiological stress

Abstract The effects of dietary Nanoparticles-Chromium, Chromium methionine, and Zinc-proteinate on performance, blood characteristics and meat quality of physiologically stressed quails were studied. The stress was induced by adding dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg BW) to diet when quails were between 17 and 22 days of age. Three hundred one-day chicks were randomly assigned to five groups comprising four replicates of 15 birds: negative control diet (no-stress, no-additive), positive control diet (stress, no-additive), and stress additive diets which included three diets containing 800 µg/kg of Nano-Cr, 800 µg/kg Cr-met, and 60 mg/kg Zn-pro. Performance and hematological parameters were affected by physiological stress (p < .05), but were not affected by dietary Nano-Cr, Cr-met or Zn-pro. During the stress period, feed consumption was improved by Zn-pro supplementation. By the end of the experiment, the ultimate pH value of the muscle in stressed birds, which were fed on the Cr-met diet, was higher than those treated with NC, but pH values were not affected by the treatments. Diets containing Nano-Cr and Zn-pro caused a reduction in malondialdehyde concentration in the thigh muscle. In summary, 800 µg/kg of Nano-Cr and 60 mg/kg of Zn-pro can reduce the negative effects of stress on meat quality. Highlights Dietary dexamethasone induced physiological stress in quails. The supplementation of 60 mg/kg of Zinc proteinate had positive effect on feed intake of birds under physiological stress. Dietary Zinc proteinate and Nanoparticles-Chromium increased meat oxidative stability in birds which experienced physiological stress.
Validation of new CMS5-VVER nuclear data library using critical experiments and X2 full-core benchmarkjh

Abstract Studsvik’s in-core fuel management code package CMS5- VVER, which includes the CASMO5-VVER lattice physics code and SIMULATE5-VVER three-dimensional nodal code, is currently in use for VVER-1000/1200 reactor analysis. Recently, a new commercially available CASMO5 nuclear data library has been generated based on the ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluation. The ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluation represents the state-ofthe- art in nuclear data and features new incident-neutron cross section evaluations from the CIELO project for 1H, 16O, 56Fe, 235U, 238U and 239Pu. A summary of the main features and validation of the new ENDF/B-VIII.0-based data library, referred to as E8R0 library, is presented in this work. Comparisons of predicted criticality and fission rate distributions to measurements from various hexagonal-lattice critical experiments, such as the ZR-6 (TIC) and P-Facility, show excellent agreement between the E8R0-based calculations and measurements. In addition, validation results are presented for CMS5-VVER using the new E8R0 library and the X2 VVER-1000 benchmark problem. These results indicate that the E8R0 library provides comparable accuracy to E7R1 results for the various reactor physics parameters such as critical boron concentration, temperature reactivity coefficients, and control rod worth.
Elucidating the pollution characteristics of nitrate, sulfate and ammonium in PM2.5 in Chengdu, southwest China, based on 3-year measurements

Abstract. Nitrate, sulfate and ammonium (NSA) are the main secondary inorganic aerosols of PM2.5 and play an important role in air pollution. In this study, a 3-year observational experiment was conducted from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017, in Chengdu, southwest China. NSA pollution characteristics, chemical conversion generation, emission reduction control sensitivity and pollutant regional transport characteristics were analyzed. NSA are the most important chemical compositions of particles with aerodynamic equivalent diameter ≤2.5 µm in ambient air ( PM2.5 ), and the contribution of nitrate to the accumulation of PM2.5 concentration is greater than that of sulfate and ammonium. NSA also have obvious characteristics of annual, monthly, seasonal, diurnal and weekly variations. Through observation data and model simulation, it was also found that the existence of an aerosol aqueous environment plays an important role in the formation and existence of NSA. Sensitivity analysis between NSA found that controlling NO 3 - and SO 4 2 - plays an important role in reducing the contribution of NSA to PM2.5 , which also implies that the current control of NOx and SO2 is important for improving air pollution. Combined with meteorological conditions and potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis, local emissions and regional emissions of pollutants are found to have important impacts on Chengdu's atmospheric environment. This research result not only provides an assessment of the current atmospheric emission reduction effect but also provides an important reference for atmospheric pollution control.
Coupling Nanostructured Microchips with Covalent Chemistry Enables Purification of Sarcoma‐Derived Extracellular Vesicles for Downstream Functional Studies

Tumor‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) play essential roles in intercellular communication during tumor growth and metastatic evolution. Currently, little is known about the possible roles of tumor‐derived EVs in sarcoma because the lack of specific surface markers makes it technically challenging to purify sarcoma‐derived EVs. In this study, a specific purification system is developed for Ewing sarcoma (ES)‐derived EVs by coupling covalent chemistry‐mediated EV capture/release within a nanostructure‐embedded microchip. The purification platform—ES‐EV Click Chip—takes advantage of specific anti‐LINGO‐1 recognition and sensitive click chemistry‐mediated EV capture, followed by disulfide cleavage‐driven EV release. Since the device is capable of specific and efficient purification of intact ES EVs with high purity, ES‐EV Click Chip is ideal for conducting downstream functional studies of ES EVs. Absolute quantification of the molecular hallmark of ES (i.e., EWS rearrangements) using reverse transcription Droplet Digital PCR enables specific quantification of ES EVs. The purified ES EVs can be internalized by recipient cells and transfer their mRNA cargoes, exhibiting their biological intactness and potential role as biological shuttles in intercellular communication.
Identification of Fungal Growth from the Internal Organs of Preserved Human Cadavers

Cadavers remain a principal teaching & research tool for anatomists and microbiologists. Infectious pathogens in preserved cadavers that present particular risks include Bacteria, Viruses and Prions such as Mycobacterium, hepatitis B and C, HIV and encephalopathies . It is often claimed that 10% formalin fixatives are effective in inactivation of these agents. The purpose of this study is to determine if anatomy preserved cadavers fixed in a formalin solution and internal organs are a possible source of introduction of microorganisms into the anatomy laboratory. Routinely preserved cadavers were sampled include Spinal cord, Brain and Lung. Using conventional microbiologic culture and identification methods, the research group was able to successfully recover and identify a variety of organisms from all samples includes surface and internal organs. Three different fungal species, Trichophyton spp, Aspergillus spp and Penicillium spp, were isolated from internal organs of preserved cadaver. The results indicate that preserved cadavers processed with 10% buffered formalin have viable organisms on their surfaces and internal organs that can be a source of contamination. In this brief review, we describe the infectious pathogens that can be detected in preserved internal organs from the cadavers and suggest safety guidelines including airborne precautions for the protection of all who handle and visit cadavers against infectious hazards in the anatomy lab. The results of this research support the use for further analysis to prevent infectious diseases in Anatomy lab who handle preserved cadavers and dissect internal organs.