Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Social Network Sites on Knowledge and Information Sharing to Students in the Open Distance Learning Scheme

This study examines the impact of selected Social Network Platforms on the dissemination of knowledge and information for students of the National Open University of Nigeria. Three major social network platforms are considered in this study, they are: Facebook, Web-blogs and YouTube. Research questions were asked based on the objectives of this study and a number of hypotheses were formulated. The questionnaire used as the survey instrument was carefully designed and distributed to some students within the study domain. This comprised of the registered students for 2016/2017 Academic Session at the National Open University of Nigeria, Ilorin and Oshogbo Study Centres. Questionnaires were administered to a total of 600 students in the two centres. The data collected are analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings from this study show that, 80% of the respondents indicate the positive impact of the three social network platforms under study. The impacts of the three networks are also found to be significant. The study further reveals that, effective utilization of educational features of Social Network Platforms has a great and tremendous advantage to students if optimally put to use. It is recommended that students who find the use of Social Network Platforms distracting to academics, should reduce the time they dedicate to exploration of online resources and in particular on these platforms: Facebook, Web-blogs and YouTube.
Prenatal Attachment in Twin Pregnancy

Twin births are associated with several medical, healthcare, socio-emotional, psychologi- cal and developmental consequences for families. Parents generally describe twin pregnancies as physically and emotionally difficult. Moreover, compared to singleton pregnancies, twin pregnancies are reported to carry higher maternal as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this chapter is to review literature on twin pregnancy and to give a comprehensive framework about parents ’ experience of expecting twins. An important issue related to the psychological adjustment during twin pregnancies is pre- natal attachment. During pregnancy, mothers use to think about their child-to-be, and they start to create representation of themselves as mothers. Prenatal attachment in twin pregnancies may differ from that in singleton ones. During a twin pregnancy, the mother-to-be has to deal with an identification process with two children at the same time and have to create a mental space that allow her to make representation of both children. The monitoring of these pregnancies is important for the creation and the consolidation of these maternal representations: ultrasound examinations revealed the fetal gender that facilitates naming the unborn twins and thinking to them as individuals and this is particularly important in the case of complicated twin pregnancies.
Relation between polyphenols content and skin colour in sour cherry fruits

Fruit skin colour plays a major role in quality assessment of food, significantly determining consumer`s choice. Colour of sour cherries depends on anthocyanins which are phenolic compounds (flavonoids) present in high amounts in fruits. The aim of this study was to determine a possible relation between polyphenols (total phenolics and anthocyanins) and colour parameters of fruit skin of sour cherries. The plant material used in this study was twenty two sour cherry genotypes from an orchard of Agricultural Institute Osijek. Total phenolics and anthocyanins contents as well as colour parameters (L*, a*, b*, h and C) of fruit skin were determined. Variability between sour cherry genotypes in total phenolics and anthocyanins as well as in colour parameters was revealed. Total polyphenols content varied from 462.7 to 1049.0 mg GAE/100 g of fresh weight, while total anthocyanins ranged from 160.1 to 495.6 mg CGE/100 g of fresh weight. A significant positive correlation was found between polyphenols and anthocyanins content. Total phenolics content had a significant negative correlation with colour parameters b* and h, while anthocyanins content negatively correlated with colour parameters L*, b* and h. According to the obtained results, genotypes Maraska, Heimanns Konservenweichsel and Rexelle are the richest genotypes in polyphenols and anthocyanins content.
Time to tracheal intubation over a fibreoptic bronchoscope using a silicone left double-lumen endobronchial tube versus polyvinyl chloride single-lumen tube with bronchial blocker: a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial.

Background Direct insertion of a double-lumen endobronchial tube (DLT) over a fibreoptic bronchoscope (FOB) is considered more difficult and traumatic than that of a single-lumen tube (SLT). We hypothesized that time to intubation over an FOB using a silicone left DLT would be non-inferior to that using a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) SLT. Methods Eighty patients were enrolled in this open-label, randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial. Patients were randomly allocated to fibreoptic tracheal intubation with either a silicone DLT or PVC SLT (DLT and SLT groups, respectively). Time to tracheal intubation [time to insertion of FOB plus railroading (advancement over the FOB) time]; total time for correct tube and bronchial blocker positioning; difficulty of railroading; and the incidence of sore throat, swallowing difficulty, and hoarseness were compared between groups. Results The median time to intubation over the FOB was 20 s in the DLT group and 23 s in the SLT group. The upper limit of the confidence interval of this difference was below the non-inferiority margin of 10 s (median difference: -2 s; 95% confidence interval: -4 to 0 s). Railroading time was significantly shorter in the DLT group than in the SLT group (median time: 10 vs. 11 s; median difference: -1 s; 95% confidence interval: -3 to 0 s; P=0.03). Railroading over the FOB (rated on a four-point scale) was less difficult in the DLT group than in the SLT group (P<0.01). Conclusions Tracheal intubation using an FOB can be achieved at least as fast using the silicone DLT as using the PVC SLT. The silicone DLT exhibited superior railroading performance to the PVC SLT.
Reproductive biology of the genus Androcymbium (Colchicaceae) in western southern Africa

We characterized reproductive biology traits in 32 populations belonging to 17 western southern African taxa of the genus Androcymbium (Colchicaceae) using artificial pollination experiments conducted under homogeneous environmental conditions in a greenhouse. The species surveyed displayed differences in phenological periods between emergence, flowering and senescence. We observed three types of vegetative reproduction that give rise to (1) globose corms, (2) compressed corms, and (3) a dichotomous underground networking of corms that, unlike (1) and (2), entails the elongation of the stem. Seed germination was low in most of the populations. The artificial pollination experiments allowed us to recognize three reproductive systems: self-incompatible, preferentially self-incompatible and self-compatible. In most cases, the reproductive system inferred from the artificial pollination experiments disagreed with the classification according to the P/O ratio. The variability observed in nectar characteristics (odour, amount and moment of the day of nectar production) suggests different pollinators for the taxa surveyed. Based on these data, we inferred three reproductive strategies in Androcymbium that assure both species' survival and the maintenance of levels of genetic variability: (1) preferential selfincompatibility associated with morphological traits that favour the attraction of pollinators; (2) preferential self-incompatibility with high levels of vegetative reproduction; and (3) self-compatibility with high levels of seed production.
JUVENILE SPECIMENS OF THE PTEROSAUR GERMANODACTYLUS CRISTATUS, WITH A REVIEW OF THE GENUS

Abstract Two juvenile specimens of the pterodactyloid pterosaur Germanodactylus cristatus are identified from the Solnhofen Limestone of southern Germany. The specimens had been referred to the nominal species Pterodactylus kochi and P. micronyx. They have edentulous tips on the upper and lower jaws; their skulls are taller and less elongate and have fewer teeth than similarly sized specimens assigned to P. antiquus and P. micronyx; and they have tall neural spines on their cervical vertebrae. In addition, they exhibit a distinctive suite of skeletal proportions that distinguishes them from similarly sized specimens assigned to P. antiquus and P. micronyx. The specimens do not exhibit any trace of a cranial crest, which supports the interpretation that the cranial crest developed late in ontogeny, probably as the individual approached skeletal and/or sexual maturity. The taxonomy of Germanodactylus is reviewed and revised diagnoses are presented.
Influence of thermal conditions on successful ide (Leuciscus idus L.) artificial reproduction during spawning season

Two forms of ide Leuciscus idus (L.) spawners: wild-coloured and ornamental: yellow-coloured were kept at three various temperature regimes shortly before spawning at optimal temperature regimes (group 1), under natural temperature conditions (group 2) and in rapidly increasing temperature (group 3). The quality and quantity of collected semen, ovulation rate and survival rate of embryos to the eyed-egg-stage were recorded. The quality of semen from group 3 (where the temperature increased over the thermal spawning optimum) was the worst (46 and 51% motility of spermatozoa for the wild-coloured and yellow form, respectively). The quantity of collected semen also was the lowest in the same groups (1.1 and 1.0 cm3 kg−1 for the wild-coloured and yellow form, respectively). Increasing the temperature to 16°C also caused a decreasing percentage of ovulated females (70% and 60% of ovulation for wild-coloured and yellow form, respectively) and biological quality of eggs (48.9 and 47.8% embryo survival for wild-coloured and yellow form, respectively). Fluctuations of temperature at a level of 8–14°C (group 2) did not negatively affect spawning results, except for a longer latency time (over 44 hrs). The results suggest that the temperature regime shortly before controlled reproduction of ide plays an important role influencing reproductive success.
Degrees of Freedom of MIMO Wireless Networks with General Message Sets: Channel Decomposition, Message Splitting and Beamformer Allocation

The physical layer of a wireless network can be used in various settings distinguished by the specific set of messages transmitted in the network. In this thesis, rather than considering each setting in isolation as has been the traditional approach, we study the unified setting of general message sets in which any subset (including all) of messages can be transmitted simultaneously in a network. The total number of possible messages is exponential in the size of the network and the number of settings simultaneously studied is double-exponential. For this reason, the problem quickly would become difficult or even impossible to solve for large networks unless some structure is found in smaller network settings. In this thesis, we begin this journey by settling the approximate capacity regions in the form of exact degrees of freedom (DoF) or the linear DoF regions of selected small, but representative, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless broadcast and interference networks. The aim is to not only develop novel approaches to fully obtain the DoF-optimal solutions through tight inner and outer bounds but also to suggest approaches that could be potentially useful in generalizing the results herein to a broader class of problems that may include larger networks and/or channel uncertainty models. In developing novel achievable schemes, we propose a methodology that combines the idea of message splitting and channel decomposition , which notably simplifies the construction of the achievable region for the network. Using channel decomposition, the transmitter beamformer space is partitioned into several linearly independent subspaces, each of which has special properties and is easier to analyze. Message splitting involves expanding the number of message types beyond the original ones by splitting each message into several independent types according to their different impacts to the receivers or which beamformer subspaces they are transmitted through. This enlarges the dimensions needed to specify the achievable DoF region in split-message space. Interestingly though, it also simplifies the analysis and provides what is effectively a high-dimensional description of the achievable DoF region. When projected to the desired dimensions, the achievable region is specified.
A long‐term study of Pinus banksiana population dynamics

The long-term population dynamics of a pure, naturally-established stand of Pinus banksiana (jack pine) in southeastern Manitoba, Canada is described. The study was initiated at stand age 15, when all 468 trees in a plot were mapped and their trunk diameter at breast height (DBH) measured. The plot was remeasured eight times — every five years (six years in one case) — and mortality and DBH changes recorded. Total mortality over the 41-yr study period was ca. 84 %. Mortality was initially very low, increased once the stand entered the self-thinning stage from ages 25–46, and declined at ages 46–56. Mortality was restricted to the smallest size classes throughout. The stand reached the self-thinning line at ca. age 30. The self-thinning slope was significantly less steep than the theoretically expected value of −0.5. The distribution of DBH values was initially symmetric, showed increasing positive skewness during the period of highest mortality, and became symmetric again at later stages. Size (DBH) inequality was highest just prior to the onset of density-dependent mortality, and subsequently declined. Tree DBH values were positively autocorrelated both initially and at later stages of stand development, but were spatially independent during the period of highest density-dependent mortality. The stand initially had a strongly clumped pattern at all spatial scales. Patterns of mortality were non-random during stand development, however, resulting in increased spatial regularity over time. Mortality was initially restricted to high density patches of the stand, but occurred throughout the plot once the self-thinning line was reached. Mortality during the self-thinning stage deviated from random expectation at local spatial scales (1–2m radius), suggesting that individuals were competing with their immediate neighbours. It is argued that an integrated approach, incorporating both population size and spatial structures, is essential in improving our understanding of long-term plant population dynamics.
Temperature effects on forest herbs assessed by warming and transplant experiments along a latitudinal gradient

Slow‐colonizing forest understorey plants are probably not able to rapidly adjust their distribution range following large‐scale climate change. Therefore, the acclimation potential to climate change within their actual occupied habitats will likely be key for their short‐ and long‐term persistence. We combined transplant experiments along a latitudinal gradient with open‐top chambers to assess the effects of temperature on phenology, growth and reproductive performance of multiple populations of slow‐colonizing understorey plants, using the spring flowering geophytic forb Anemone nemorosa and the early summer flowering grass Milium effusum as study species. In both species, emergence time and start of flowering clearly advanced with increasing temperatures. Vegetative growth (plant height, aboveground biomass) and reproductive success (seed mass, seed germination and germinable seed output) of A. nemorosa benefited from higher temperatures. Climate warming may thus increase future competitive ability and colonization rates of this species. Apart from the effects on phenology, growth and reproductive performance of M. effusum generally decreased when transplanted southwards (e.g., plant size and number of individuals decreased towards the south) and was probably more limited by light availability in the south. Specific leaf area of both species increased when transplanted southwards, but decreased with open‐top chamber installation in A. nemorosa. In general, individuals of both species transplanted at the home site performed best, suggesting local adaptation. We conclude that contrasting understorey plants may display divergent plasticity in response to changing temperatures which may alter future understorey community dynamics.
Serum thymidine kinase 1 activity in healthy cats

Lymfom ar en av de vanligaste neoplastiska sjukdomarna hos domesticerade katter. Sjukdomen ar en utmaning for kliniker att diagnostisera och prognosticera pa grund av manga olika anatomiska variationer och ospecifika kliniska symptom. Det personliga vardet for katter som husdjur okar hos kattagare som da kraver en mer avancerad veterinarvard, vilket bidrar till en onskan om att forbattra diagnostiken och mojligheterna i vardandet av dessa katter. En biomarkor for att kunna upptacka sjukdomen i ett tidigare stadie, for att lattare differentiera lymfom fran andra sjukdomar med liknande kliniska symptom, for att kontrollera behandling och som en prognostisk faktor skulle vara till stor nytta inom veterinarmedicinen. Biomarkorer anvands i hog utstrackning inom humanmedicinen for dessa syften och aven till viss del inom veterinarmedicinen, da framforallt pa hundar. Tymidinkinas ar ett enzym som ar involverat i DNAsyntesen, och nivaerna av enzymet i serum ar korrelerade till cellproliferation, alltsa ar serumtymidinkinas (sTK)-nivaer hogre hos cancerpatienter pa grund av den snabba celldelningen hos cancerceller. Syftet med den har studien var att undersoka sTK1-aktivitetsnivaer hos friska katter for att berakna att referensvarde, samt undersoka om det forelag en individvariation beroende pa kon eller alder. Studiegruppen bestod av 35 friska katter av varierande alder, ras och kon. For att inkluderas i studien behovde katten klassas som frisk vid klinisk undersokning och pa blodprover (hematologi och flera olika kemianalyser). Resultaten av studien ledde till ett referensvarde pa <0,933 pmol/min/mL och visade att det inte finns nagon individvariation beroende pa kon eller alder. Resultaten utgor en bra utgangspunkt for framtida studier inom samma amne.
Long-Term Livestock Exclusion in an Arid Grassland Alters Vegetation and Soil

Abstract Changes in soil and vegetation due to livestock grazing are occurring in arid lands throughout the world. The most extreme cases result in desertification, which is seen as largely irreversible, because of altered soil properties. To understand better how long-term livestock removal affects soil properties and vegetation, we compared water-infiltration rates, soil bulk density, and perennial grass cover inside and outside a long-term livestock exclosure in an arid grassland site in southeastern Arizona, United States. The site had not been desertified at the time of this study. Exclusion of livestock for 40 yr was associated with lower bulk density and higher water infiltration in both the dry and wet seasons. Perennial grass cover was higher and two native grasses, Eragrostis intermedia and Bouteloua hirsuta were significantly more common (P < 0.05) in the ungrazed area. These findings parallel our results from a desertified site and suggest that changes in soil physical properties associated with long-term livestock removal are not an artifact of desertification and can take place in a system that has remained in a grassland state. Our data suggest that, although significant changes in species composition have occurred, this grassland is relatively resilient to substantial changes in soil physical properties.
A comparative study of internalized stigma and its correlates among different psychiatric disorders in remission

Introduction: Stigma is the negative stereotyping and bias a person with mental illness is subjected to. Internalized stigma is a part of personal stigma and occurs by internalizing the public stigma. There are a number of reported consequences of internalized stigma that play a role in recovery and rehabilitation. The commonly reported consequences are the loss of self-esteem and self-efficacy, disempowerment, demoralization, loss of income and non-adherence to medication Aims and Objectives:To study and compare the internalized stigma among patients with schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders in remission. To understand the clinical and sociodemographic correlates of the same. Materials and Methods:A total of 120 outpatients fulfilling criteria for the study were taken. Semi -structured proforma for sociodemographic and clinical variables and the internalized stigma of mental illness (ISMI) scale for internalized stigma were used. Results:60% showed stigma. 23% showed moderate stigma. Females and patients who were involuntarily admitted had significantly more stigma. Stigma however did not differ significantly among the various diagnostic groups. Conclusion: A significant number of females and involuntarily admitted patients irrespective of their diagnosis experienced internalized stigma. Keywords: Internalized stigma, Schizophrenia, Bipolar, anxiety