Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Climate Variability and Livelihood Strategies Pursued by the Pastoral Community of the Karrayu People, Oromia Region, Central Ethiopia

Abstract: Variability in seasonal rainfall and precipitation as a result of climate change has been threatening the already fragile livelihoods of pastoral communities in Ethiopia. The current study was conducted to elucidate climate variability, perception, and livelihood strategies in the Karrayu pastoral area of Fenatale district, in the Oromia region of the country. A semi-structured questionnaire, key informant interviews, focus group discussions were used to elicit data climate variability and livelihood strategies in the community. One hundred twenty randomly selected sample respondents were used for the study. Assessment of the climate variability was based on reports of Metehara (1968-1984) and Awash (1985-2007) Stations of the National Meteorological Service Agency and primary data collected from the area. Rainfall coefficient (RC), least square regression models (rho), standardized rainfall anomalies (SRA) and coefficient of variation (CV) were used for analysis of the data. The findings identified eight rainy months and four dry months with rainfall coefficients of > 0.6 and 2.0). There was an increase in the maximum and annual average temperature and a decline in the minimum annual temperature from 1965-2007, which was also augmented by the perception of 66% of the respondents. The seasonal rainfall variability was significantly higher (CV ranged from 0.25 to 0.80) than the annual rainfall variability (CV = 0.18). Thus, a large proportion of Karrayu pastoralists perceived less water and food (76%), migrated to other areas (73%), became dependent on Participatory Safety Net Program (72%), and eked out a living by collecting and selling firewood and charcoal (57%) as major livelihood strategies. In conclusion, the results of this study have revealed that there have been such persistent increments in temperature and seasonal rainfall variability that the pastoralist community in the area has been markedly resorting to various livelihood strategies to adapt to climate variability and change. However, to complement the community efforts, integrated livelihood development mechanisms better be devised with active involvement of different stakeholders for sustainable development of the pastoral and agropastoral communities of the Karrayu including early warning systems, collection of reliable climate data, disaster risk reduction and risk sharing strategies to avert the risk of vulnerable groups of the community from the hazards of climate variability in particular and change in general. Likewise, further critical studies are recommended regarding trend analysis and variability of rainfall of the study area using other parameters to substantiate these findings. Keywords: Climate Variability; Karrayu ; Livelihood Strategies; Pastoral Community
Dependence of seismicity on depth

Earthquake sequences modeled as a multi-dimensional stochastic point process show a significant change of the time rate of earthquake clustering around 60- to 70-km depth. Sequences in the depth range, 70 to 140 km, have a rate of clustering that is smaller by a factor of about 10 compared with shallow earthquakes. The branching rate for events deeper than 140 km is at least 10 times smaller than the rate for shallow earthquakes; this rate may be close to zero. These results are consistent with models of time- and space-rate processes that are scale-independent.
Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria Enhance Survival, Growth, and Nutritional Content of Sugarcane Propagated through Pre-Sprouted Seedlings under Water Deficit

Sugarcane plays a crucial role in global sugar and ethanol production. Conventionally, sugarcane propagation involves planting billets. However, Brazilian researchers have introduced the innovative pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS) method, widely used in the MEIOSI (Simultaneously Occurring Interrotational Method) system. Although PSS has several advantages over the conventional method, its sensitivity to water scarcity is a challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the survival and growth of PSS inoculated with Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis (PGPB) under different water regimes. The experiment was conducted in the field in a randomized block in strips (split-block) using a 2 × 4 factorial scheme consisting of two inoculation conditions (with and without PGPB) and four water regimes (WR) (0%, 33%, 66%, and 100% of the ideal irrigation). PGPB increased PSS survival (4.17%) and water use efficiency (185.10% under the 0% WR). In addition, inoculation increased root (12.5%, 7.7%, and 16.2% for surface area, area projection, and root volume, respectively) and shoot growth. PGPB also increased nutrient uptake, such as N (60.8% and 18.3% under 0% and 66% WR), P (on average 11.7%), Mn (27.6% and 28.7% under 66% and 100% WR), Zn (111.4% under 0% WR), and Cu accumulation (27.17%), which provided a higher number of stalks per meter and, therefore, a higher multiplication rate in the MEIOSI system. Inoculation proved to be a promising alternative for PSS establishing under water restriction.
Quality of life of professional athletes and physically active peers: A comparative study

Quality of life (QoL) is defined as individuals' perceptions of their position in life in the context of the culture and the value systems in which they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards, and concerns. It is a multidimensional concept that represents an individual's overall satisfaction with his or her life and general sense of well-being. Regular physical activity, i.e. sport offers numerous health benefits and research has demonstrated that individuals can benefit from it whether they participate in vigorous exercise or some type of moderate health-enhancing physical activity, and thus enhance their QoL. The main objective of this research was to examine and compare the QoL of 23 male professional soccer players and 26 male PE students, aged 17-35. Their baseline characteristics (age, body height and mass, and body mass index) were established, as well as their QoL (all of four domains: 1. physical health, 2. psychological health, 3. social relationships, and 4. environment) which was assessed by WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. The data were analyzed (descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, independent samples t-test) using SPSS 21.0, and the obtained results showed the absence of statistically significant between-group differences (p>0.05). However, slightly higher QoL values (domain 1: 17.44 vs 16.9; domain 2: 16.98 vs 16.44; domain 4: 16.04 vs 15.56) were recorded in professional soccer players; only in the case of domain 3 (social relationships) PE students scored better (16.5 vs 16.17). Overall, both samples are satisfied with their QoL and general health (soccer players: 16.61, PE students: 16.46), which could indicate once more indisputable benefits of sport and physical activity in general.
Observations and simulations of midlatitude ionospheric and thermospheric response to the January 2013 stratospheric sudden warming event

Using observations from midlatitudes, we examine the ionospheric and thermospheric responses to the 2013 stratospheric sudden warming event by comparing data with four simulations performed by the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model eXtended (WACCM‐X), Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIMEGCM), and Thermosphere‐Ionosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIEGCM). The WACCM‐X simulation was nudged by the GEOS‐5 data. The two TIMEGCM simulations were nudged by the Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications data and by the aforementioned WACCM‐X outputs, respectively. The standard TIEGCM simulation was also performed. These four simulations were compared with Millstone Hill (42.6°N, 71.4°W) incoherent scatter radar data, Millstone Hill and Boulder (40.1°N, 105.2°W) upper and lower thermospheric wind data. The meteor radar data from Collm (51.3°N, 13°E) were also used to examine the zonal wave number of the semidiurnal tide (SD). We evaluate the model simulations of the mesospheric and thermospheric responses to the 2013 SSW. The TIMEGCM simulation nudged with the WACCM‐X output has suitable stratospheric input and ionospheric dynamics and can reproduce a sharp rise of hmf2 on January 12 observed by the Millstone Hill radar. The comparison of different models with the lower thermospheric SD tide yielded mixed results. The SD tide maintained mostly as a migrating tide for most of the time and matched the TIEGCM simulation very well. The WACCM‐X appeared to perform better when the observed SD tide displays the large phase shift. It also has larger and more variable SD tide amplitude. The two TIMEGCM simulations have smaller SD amplitudes in general. Observations showed complex SD tide patterns after 20 January, which was difficult to characterize as a migrating tidal mode.
Investigation of the anti-salmonellal and antiplasmodial properties of leaf extracts of Rourea coccinea Beninese medicinal plant

Rourea coccinea, also called Byrsocarpus coccineus is a medicinal plant widely used in primary health care in West Africa and in this case in Benin. In the present study, the hydroethanolic extract of these leaves was investigated for its anti-salmonella and antiplasmodial properties. The evaluation of anti-salmonella activity was carried out by the micro dilution method associated with resazurine while that of antiplasmodial activity by method described by Syber Green. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the hydroethanolic extract against Salmonella strains were higher than 2000 μg/mL. This extract was active against multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains (PfDd2) with an inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 32.26 μg/mL. These works on Rourea coccinea justify that the plant has a clearly remarkable antiplasmodial activity rather than anti-salmonella one and its use in traditional medicine to treat malaria in Benin.
Microangiopathy associated with poor outcome of immunoglobulin A nephropathy: a cohort study and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Background Microangiopathy (MA) lesions are not rare in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and have been suggested to have a potential role in increasing risk in renal function decline. However, this suggestion has not been universally accepted. We aimed to investigate its role in our cohort and in multiple studies through a systematic meta-analysis. Methods This cohort study included 450 IgAN patients, confirmed by renal biopsy, at Tongji Hospital, China, from January 2012 to December 2016. Clinical data were collected and analysed. We systematically searched PubMed and Web of Science for studies investigating the association between MA lesions and IgAN. Results In our cohort, IgAN patients with MA were significantly older and had higher blood pressure, more proteinuria, worse kidney function and increased uric acid levels compared with patients without MA. When comparing pathological features with the non-MA group, the MA group exhibited more global glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy. MA lesions were independently associated with a composite kidney outcome in IgAN patients {adjusted hazard ratio 2.115 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.035–4.320], P = . 040}. Furthermore, this relationship was validated in a meta-analysis involving 2098 individuals from five independent cohorts. The combined data showed a 187% adjusted risk of poor renal outcome in IgAN patients with MA compared with patients without MA [adjusted risk ratio 2.87 (95% CI 2.05–4.02; I2 = 53%). Conclusion MA lesions could serve as a valuable predictor for disease progression in patients with IgAN, extending beyond the widely recognized Oxford MEST-C score.
Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers, the Sierra Barrier Jet, and Extreme Daily Precipitation in Northern California’s Upper Sacramento River Watershed

AbstractThe upper Sacramento River watershed is vital to California’s water supply and is susceptible to major floods. Orographic precipitation in this complex terrain involves both atmospheric rivers (ARs) and the Sierra barrier jet (SBJ). The south-southeasterly SBJ induces orographic precipitation along south-facing slopes in the Mt. Shasta–Trinity Alps, whereas landfalling ARs ascend up and over the statically stable SBJ and induce orographic precipitation along west-facing slopes in the northern Sierra Nevada. This paper explores the occurrence of extreme daily precipitation (EDP) in this region in association with landfalling ARs and the SBJ. The 50 wettest days (i.e., days with EDP) for water years (WYs) 2002–11 based on the average of daily precipitation from eight rain gauges known as the Northern Sierra 8-Station Index (NS8I) are compared to dates from an SSM/I satellite-based landfalling AR-detection method and dates with SBJ events identified from nearby wind profiler data. These 50 days with .
Use of video-electroencephalography as a first-line examination in veterinary neurology: development and standardization of electroencephalography in unsedated dogs and cats

Objective To assess the feasibility and validate the use of video-electroencephalography (EEG) in conscious dogs and cats and to propose guidelines of routine EEG in veterinary clinical practice. Design Prospective clinical study. Data One hundred and fifty EEG recordings were carried out to validate the clinical adding-value, reproducibility, and guidelines on 140 owned animals. One hundred and one EEGs were performed on dogs and 49 on cats. Procedures We compared recordings performed with 8 EEG unwired stud Ag/AgCl electrodes held by elastic straps and 8 EEG wired cup Ag electrodes held by a tailor-made manufactured headset combined with a wired video-EEG device. Electrodes placement was determined according to previously published animal EEG protocols. Physiological sensors, such as electrocardiography, electromyography, and respiratory sensors were added. Stimulation protocols were tested. Quality and interpretability were evaluated. Results Headsets and recording procedures appeared suitable for all skull shapes and sizes. Video-EEG recordings were successfully performed without tranquilization or anesthesia except for 9 animals. Median EEG recordings time was 40 min. Impedance remained below 20 kΩ in 99% of dog EEGs and 98% of cat EEGs. Isosynchrony was reported in 6% of the channels. Seventy-five percent of dog EEGs and 83% of cat EEGs were readable for more than 50% (to 100%) of their duration. Successful discrimination of vigilance states from rhythm analysis (wakefulness, drowsiness, and sleepiness) was possible in 99% of dog EEGs and 91% of cat EEGs. Photic driving responses during photic stimulations were observed in 11% of dog EEGs and 85% of cat EEGs. Electroencephalography recordings were directly informative in 32% of the examinations: in 25% EEG abnormalities were associated with clinical signs and 7% concerned EEG abnormalities without clinical symptoms during recording. Thirteen percent of dogs subjected to photic stimulation exhibited epileptic anomalies. Among 9 EEGs with other history-based stimulations, three displayed epileptic graphoelements. Conclusions We have developed a standardized unanesthetized video-EEG procedure easily performed and reproducible in dogs and cats. Qualitative and quantitative technical and medical criteria were evaluated and were in accordance with human EEG recommendations. Moreover, we have demonstrated its relevance and accuracy for diagnostic purposes, providing further arguments for the use of EEG as a first-line neurological functional exploration test.
CADFA: A Clock Skew-Based Active Device Fingerprint Authentication Scheme for Class-1 IoT Devices

The Class-1 Internet of Things (IoT) device is difficult to protect because of the lack of minimal hardware and extension support. Researchers have proposed several remote attestation schemes to protect IoT devices. However, hardware-assisted remote attestation methods require the support of minimal hardware, which is not suitable for Class-1 IoT devices. And regular software-based methods can only verify the integrity rather than the identity of devices. In this article, we propose a new identity authentication scheme for Class-1 IoT devices based on clock skew, achieving not only identity authentication but also device integrity verification. The formal verification results by employing the Tamarin tool show that our protocol achieves mutual authentication, man-in-the-middle attack resistance, replay attack resistance, and counterfeit attack resistance. And the proposed authentication protocol is evaluated on a small cluster of Arduino Mega boards, achieving 100% accuracy of identification. Our work combines remote attestation and device fingerprint and is fit for Class-1 IoT devices.
Effect of different cultivation measures on soil temperature in dry areas of west Heilongjiang

Experiments were conducted to study soil temperature in dry areas of west Heilongjiang field under four cultivation treatments and inter-tillage.The result show that:No tillage and loosening method regulate soil temperature effectively.They increase soil temperature by 0.5～1℃ in the morning when air temperature was low,but reduced the rate of temperature increment in the afternoon when temperature was higher.Inter-tillage increases soil temperature by 1～2℃ when temperature is high,but also increases the rate of temperature decrement.Therefore no tillage and loosening method without inter-tillage could keep the stability of soil temperature and is beneficial for the crop growth in dry areas of west Heilongjiang,while rotary tillage and inter-tillage are unsuitable for farming in the area.
Obtaining High Quality SCAL Data: Combining Different Measurement Techniques, Saturation Monitoring, Numerical Interpretation and Continuous Monitoring of Experimental Data

SCAL parameters (i.e., Relative Permeability and Capillary Pressure curves) are key inputs to understand and predict reservoir behavior in all phases of development. Techniques to measure relative permeability and capillary pressure have been well established and applied to a wide variety of core samples both from sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. On the other hand, we frequently encounter quality compromised data due to challenges in experimental procedures, lack of understanding of measurement techniques, and poor quality of raw data. As a result, relative permeability is often viewed as a parameter with large uncertainties and a ﬁtting parameter in history matching. A special core analysis program was recently carried out on selected core samples from a deep-water sandstone reservoir in the Gulf of Mexico. In this frontier, relative permeability has been ranked among the top subsurface uncertainties. It greatly impacts the production forecast and ﬁeld development plan. However, due to the high temperature, high salinity and ﬂuid compatibility issues, the core measurements faced very speciﬁc challenges and a good relative permeability dataset has not been obtained in the past for this area. In this work, we demonstrate that a quality set of relative permeability data can be obtained through close collaboration across disciplines, a properly designed protocol, adequate engagement with the laboratory, timely QA/QC of experimental raw data, and appropriate interpretation incorporating numerical simulations. Well-deﬁned and constrained relative permeability curve shave been derived with the combination of steady state and centrifuge techniques. The average trend can be described by a residual oil saturation of 22%, end-point relative permeabilities of 0.6 and 0.2 to oil and water, respectively and Corey exponents between 2 and 3.
Competitive Inhibition of Mammalian Hyaluronidase by Tomato Saponin, Esculeoside A

Esculeoside A, a glycoside of spirosolane-type, is identified as a major component in ripe tomato fruits. Our previous study showed that esculeoside A inhibited hyaluronidase activity in vitro and ameliorated experimental dermatitis in vivo. The aim of this present study is to investigate the inhibition mode on mammalian hyaluronidase by esculeoside A. Measured by a modified Morgan-Elson method, the present kinetic analysis of the hydrolysis reaction using hyaluronic acid revealed that no significant difference was observed in velocity maximum Vmax, and Michaelis-Menten constant Km was shown as 0.74 mM in the absence of esculeoside A, was increased as 1.32 and 1.98 mM with 3 and 30 μM of esculeoside A, respectively. Thus suggested that the inhibition mode on hyaluronidase by esculeoside A was competitive. This competitive inhibition on hyaluronidase activity may become valuable in the amelioration of mice experimental dermatitis by esculeoside A.
Distributed Dynamic Event-Triggered Control to Leader-Following Consensus of Nonlinear Multi-Agent Systems with Directed Graphs

This paper investigates achieving leader-following consensus in a class of multi-agent systems with nonlinear dynamics. Initially, it introduces a dynamic event-triggered strategy designed to effectively alleviate the strain on the system’s communication resources. Subsequently, a distributed control strategy is proposed and implemented in the nonlinear leader-follower system using the dynamic event-triggered mechanism, aiming to ensure synchronization across all nodes at an exponential convergence speed. Thirdly, the research shows that under the dynamic event-triggered strategy the minimum event interval of any two consecutive triggers guarantees the elimination of Zeno behavior. Lastly, the validity of the calculation results is verified by a simulation example.
The Effect of Job Rotation on Employee Performance with Motivation as a Mediating Variable

The research aims to provide empirical evidence of the influence of job rotation and motivation on employee performance. Further empirical evidence with motivation as a mediating variable between job rotation and employee performance. The research data is primary data with a research sample of 80 respondents. Data analysis using path analysis and has met classical assumption testing. The research results indicate that job rotation has no effect on employee performance, while motivation has a significant effect on employee performance. Furthermore, it was found that motivation did not mediate the effect of job rotation on employee performance. Job rotation for employees is not a factor that can improve performance so it is unable to motivate KPP Pratama Sidoarjo Selatan employees.
Divergence between the COI-5P gene regions in the Iberian and European lineages of the Eurasian Green Woodpecker Picus viridis

In terms of morphology, the Iberian lineage Picus viridis sharpei of the Eurasian Green Wood-pecker has long been known to be significantly different from the nominate subspecies Picus viridis viridis . Various mitochondrial DNA-based studies of this species have highlighted the possibility of elevating the Iberian lineage to species level ( Picus sharpei ), a status that has been adopted by certain taxonomies. Recent research has shown that there is reduced gene flow between these two lineages in the areas where they coincide, thereby providing further support for their treatment as separate biological species. In this study we investigated whether or not the divergence in the COI-5P region, a mtDNA marker widely used for species diagnosis, be-tween these taxa fits the divergence rate expected between species. We used the Generalized Mixed Yule-Coalescent (GMYC) method for species delimitation to investigate species limits within this group. Our results revealed great divergence (2.04–2.61%) between the studied mtDNA regions of these two lineages; furthermore, the GMYC analysis consistently separated the Iberian lineage into two separate species. These findings match what is expected to occur between different species. Thus, taking into account these results, along with those of previous studies, we support the specific separation of the Iberian Green Woodpecker.