Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weakly Supervised Emotion Intensity Prediction for Recognition of Emotions in Images

Recognition of emotions in images is attracting increasing research attention. Recent studies show that using local region information helps to improve the recognition performance. Intuitively, emotion intensity maps provide more detailed information than image regions. Inspired by this intuition, we propose an end-to-end deep neural network for image emotion recognition leveraging emotion intensity learning. The proposed network is composed of a first classification stream, an intensity prediction stream and a second classification stream. The intensity prediction stream is built on top of the feature pyramid network to extract multilevel features. The class activation mapping technique is used to generate pseudo intensity maps from the first classification stream to guide the proposed network for emotion intensity learning. The predicted intensity map is integrated into the second classification stream for final emotion recognition. The three streams are trained cooperatively to improve the performance. We evaluate the proposed network for both emotion recognition and sentiment classification on different benchmark datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed network achieves improved performance compared to previous state-of-the-art approaches.
Anatomy of the Annular Solar Eclipse of 26 December 2019 and Its Impact on Land– Atmosphere Interactions Over an Arid Region

The impact of 26 December 2019 annular solar eclipse (ASE) on meteorological conditions over the southeastern Arabian Peninsula is investigated. Observations sourced from the spinning enhanced visible and infrared imager (SEVIRI) and vertical temperature profiles measured by a microwave radiometer were used. The ASE, which began at 03:36:37.9 Universal Time Coordinated (UTC), that is, 31 m 29.9 s after sunrise, left a significant imprint on the land surface temperature (LST). In particular, in some regions, the LST dropped by more than 4 °C, in comparison to the previous day. In situ soil properties, in particular soil texture, were also found to have modulated the effects of the ASE, with loamy soils experiencing higher heating/cooling rates than sandy soils. Finally, the analysis of atmospheric profiles indicated that the eclipse influenced the flow throughout the atmospheric boundary layer, with a stable layer that was 45-min longer and 90-m deeper compared with the preceding day.
Transdiagnostic variations in impulsivity and compulsivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder and gambling disorder correlate with effective connectivity in cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuits

Background Individual differences in impulsivity and compulsivity is thought to underlie vulnerability to a broad range of disorders and are closely tied to cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical (CSTC) function. However, whether impulsivity and compulsivity in clinical disorders is continuous with the healthy population and explains CSTC dysfunction across different disorders remains unclear. Methods We characterized the relationship between CSTC effective connectivity, estimated using dynamic causal modelling of functional magnetic resonance imaging data, and dimensional phenotypes of impulsivity and compulsivity in two symptomatically distinct but phenotypically related disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and gambling disorder (GD). 487 online participants provided data for modelling of dimensional phenotypes. These data were combined with 34 OCD patients, 22 GD patients, and 39 healthy controls, who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results Three core dimensions were identified: disinhibition, impulsivity, and compulsivity. Patients’ scores on these dimensions were continuously distributed with the healthy participants, supporting a continuum model of psychopathology. Across all participants, higher disinhibition correlated with lower bottom-up connectivity in the dorsal circuit and increased bottom-up connectivity in the ventral circuit, and higher compulsivity correlated with reduced bottom-up connectivity in the dorsal circuit. Similar changes in effective connectivity were observed with increasing clinical severity that were not accounted for by phenotypic variation, demonstrating convergence towards behaviourally and clinically relevant changes in brain dynamics. Effective connectivity did not differ as a function of traditional diagnostic labels. Conclusions CSTC dysfunction across OCD and GD is better characterized by dimensional phenotypes than diagnostic comparisons, supporting investigation of quantitative liability phenotypes.
Generalized Approach to Analysis of Multifractal Properties from Short Time Series

—The paper considers a generalized approach to the time series multifractal analysis. The focus of research is on the correct estimation of multifractal characteristics from short time series. Based on numerical modeling and estimating, the main disadvantages and advantages of the sample fractal characteristics obtained by three methods: the multifractal fluctuation detrended analysis, wavelet transform modulus maxima and multifractal analysis using discrete wavelet transform are studied. The generalized Hurst exponent was chosen as the basic characteristic for comparing the accuracy of the methods. A test statistic for determining the monofractal properties of a time series using the multifractal fluctuation detrended analysis is proposed. A generalized approach to estimating the multifractal characteristics of short time series is developed and practical recommendations for its implementation are proposed. A significant part of the study is devoted to practical applications of fractal analysis. The proposed approach is illustrated by the examples of multifractal analysis of various real fractal time series.
QSAR Study of the Potential Clastogenic Activity of Phenolic Acids

Many phenolic acids are plant metabolites widely distributed throughout the vegetal kingdom. Recent interest in phenolic acids stems from their potential as bioactive constituents and their potential protective role, through ingestion of fruits and vegetables, against oxidative damage diseases like neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. This communication aims to identify structural alerts associated with clastogenic activity that may present the phenolic acids. It was performed a QSAR study (Quantitative structure-activity relationships) that allowed to use a structure vs clastogenic activity relationship model, which encodes topological information to a substructural level, according to the TOPS-MODE approach (Topological substructural molecular design). The predictions were made using the technique of linear discriminant analysis. The used software was STATISTIC and MODESLAB. The model has presented an adequate probability of good classification for the external prediction set. It has been identified the relevant structural features to the activity under study, such as: amount and position of hydroxyl and/or methoxy groups. These structural modifications represented an indicator of the toxicity of these compounds and provide a strategy for the design of new derivatives devoid of this activity. This study can be of interest to better understand the properties of natural substances in food, and also in the development of functional foods or nutraceuticals and drug design.
Variation in behavioural traits and their molecular basis in the globally invasive Argentine ant

A salient question in invasion biology is to elucidate what traits make some species invasive and not others. Recently, the introduction process has been hypothesised to function as a filter, selecting for traits that promote invasiveness in introduced populations. Behaviour has been increasingly recognised as a significant driver of animal invasions, but few studies focus on how the introduction process may affect behavioural variation across an invader’s range. This thesis aims at investigating the consequences of the introduction process on behavioural variation along an introduction pathway in the globally widespread Argentine ant. In Chapter I, I investigated transcriptome-wide variations associated with morphological caste as well as worker foraging propensity. I found a number of transcripts showed caste and behaviour-specific expression profiles, and that foraging workers exhibit higher expression of genes related to chemosensory receptors and neurological pathways known to be associated with foraging behaviour and aggression. In chapter II, I investigated octopamine-mediated modulation of foraging behaviour and aggression using pharmacological manipulations using synthetic octopamine (OA) and one of its antagonists. I found that OA was associated with colony-level foraging activity, but did not appear to similarly drive changes in individual behaviour. However, my results suggest that OA is associated with individual aggressiveness, and I also found an association between OA and foraging propensity. In chapter III, I tested the hypothesis that the introduction process selected for increased risk-taking behaviour along the Argentine ant introduction pathway. I used behavioural assays combined with OA diet supplementation in four regions along the introduction pathway, and showed that both behavioural variation and plasticity were consistent across the range, not in support of our hypothesis. Finally, in chapter IV I investigated transcriptome-wide expression profiles in workers along the introduction pathway and discovered distinct transcriptomic signatures associated with range. I found that specific immune and neural pathways were differentially regulated in the introduced range compared to the native range. Overall, my results contribute to a better understanding of caste differentiation and neuromodulation of key behaviours in invasive ants. While I did not find behavioural differentiation between native and invasive Argentine ant populations, I show that they are characterised by specific transcriptomic signatures perhaps underlying the ant’s invasion success. This is one of the first global and integrative studies to focus on changes associated with the introduction of invasive species, and may have important implications for the understanding of biological invasions.
Assessment of Prevalence and Associated Factors of Preterm Birth at St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background : Preterm birth has been referring to as babies born alive before 37 weeks’ births include medical conditions of the mother or completed weeks or 259 days of gestation of pregnancy are completed. Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Objective ; To assess prevalence and associated factor of preterm births among mother who gave birth at St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 2018. Methods : Institutional based quantitative cross-sectional study design was conducted in maternity ward and emergency gynecology-obstetrics outpatient department among mothers who gave birth from June 01 –June 20, 2018 at St. Paul’s hospital millennium medical college. Data was entered into Epi-info version7 and export into SPSS versions 23.0 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to identify predictors of maternal satisfaction towards childbirth service by considering p-value less than 0.05. Result : The study revealed that the prevalence of preterm birth at St. Paul’s hospital was 19.8%. The highest contributing maternal factor were history of pregnancy induced hypertension(PIH) and bleeding during pregnancy (AOR= 4.13 95%CI = 0.208,7.114) (AOR=4,001 95%CI 1.014,15.795) respectively; followed by urinary tract infection (UTI) (AOR=2.31195%CI 0.147,6.58) which all showed statistically significant association. Conclusion and recommendation : the higher prevalence of preterm birth of ~20 % was highly associated with most likely preventable or minimal complications causes with regular Antenatal follow up. Pregnant mothers should be regularly screen for PIH, bleeding, UTI & PROM as it was revealed by the study these factors increased the risk of preterm delivery. In addition, improving maternal healthcare, community health education and awareness campaigns for service utilization may decrease the rate of preterm birth and its consequence. Keywords: Preterm, Maternal, Fetal, neonatal, prevalence DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/79-02 Publication date: August 31 st 2020
Evaluations of short telomere risk-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms in telomerase reverse transcriptase gene on telomere length maintenance

Telomere biology disorders (TBDs) refer to a spectrum of tissue degenerative disorders caused by genetic mutations in telomere biology genes. Most patients with TBDs suffer from telomere maintenance defects secondary to telomerase deficiency. While the highly penetrant mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene that drive disease onset and progression of TBDs are relatively rare, there exist several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TERT that have been linked to various diseases in the TBD spectrum. In this study, we investigated the biochemical properties of five TERT variants. In an ex vivo cell model, we found that primary human fibroblasts expressing nonsynonymous TERT SNPs had comparable cell growth kinetics to primary cells expressing WT-TERT, while a parallel vector control expressing-cell line entered replicative senescence. At the molecular level, primary cells expressing the minor alleles of two of the five TERT variants (A279T, ΔE441) had replication-dependent loss of telomere length. In an in vitro primer extension assay, these two variants showed reduced telomerase nucleotide addition processivity. Together, our data suggested that selective, common TERT variants could be revealed to harbour telomere maintenance defects, leading to a plausible explanation for their observed associations to telomere biology disorders.
Evaluation of Isolates of Entomopathogenic Fungi in the Genera Metarhizium, Beauveria, and Isaria, and Their Virulence to Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae)

Abstract Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero and Dellapé, or bronze bug (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae), is a pest found in eucalyptus plantations worldwide. Use of entomopathogenic fungi has emerged recently as an alternative means of control for T. peregrinus. Here we report laboratory experiments conducted to select isolates of entomopathogenic fungi for use to control this pest. Seven isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), 3 of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschn.) Sorokīn (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), 2 of Metarhizium robertsii J.F. Bisch. , S.A. Rehner & Humber (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae), and 2 of Isaria fumosorosea Wize (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) at a concentration of 1 × 108 conidia per mL were assessed for their virulence to adults of T. peregrinus. In vitro growth and sporulation of the isolates also were evaluated through the analysis of colony development and conidia production in PDA culture medium, at 26 ± 1 °C, 70% RH, and a 12:12 h (L:D) photoperiod. All tested isolates were found to be pathogenic to T. peregrinus. The isolates Bb3, Bb4, Bb7, Ma1, Ma2, Mr2, and If1 exhibited significant virulence to the insect. The greatest growth (longest mean diam of colony) was for the isolate Ma2, whereas the highest sporulation rates were observed in the isolates If2 and Ma2. This study demonstrated that isolates of Beauveria, Metarhizium, and Isaria can cause infection in T. peregrinus. The Ma2 isolate of Metarhizium stood out for its pathogenic effect on the adult insect, as well as for its capacity to grow rapidly and produce large numbers of conidia on an artificial medium, indicating its potential for use as a microbial control agent for T. peregrinus, and its suitability for mass production.
Limnological Studies of Gombe Abba River, Dukku Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria

Phytoplankton and Zooplanktons species constitute an important step of food chain in Lake Ecosystem but the increase in the use of excessive agricultural chemical possess a thread to their availability. This thus necessitates the need to study the occurrence and distribution of plankton species in Gombe-Abba River with a view to determine their relationship with physicochemical parameters. Four sampling stations were chosen for the study. Phytoplankton and Zooplankton were sampled from the reservoir with the aid of plankton net. Physicochemical characteristics of the water were measured in situ fortnightly. These parameters include air Temperature, water temperature, pH, Electrical conductivity, Total dissolved solid, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen and their various results were found to be at ranged between 32.62-33.330C, 25.55-260C, 7.13-7.67, 114.3-116.6, 61.51-63.46mg/L, 5.01-5.27mg/L, 4.69-4.76mg/L respectively, while Biological oxygen Demand, Nitrates, and Phosphates ranged between 2.05-2.12, 14.73-15.19mg/L, 10.95-11.63 mg/L respectively. A total of 2546 phytoplankton were identified consisting of four genera which are Baccillariophyta Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Euglenophyta occurring as the dominant phytoplankton species observed during the study time. Baccillariophyta has 1037 individuals accounting for 40.73% of the total population of phytoplankton followed by Chlorophyta 28.40% Cyanophyta 19.17% Euglenophyta with 11.7%. The Simpson’s species diversity index for the four phytoplankton taxa Baccillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Euglenophyta were found to be 0.1658, 0.0805, 0.0367 and 0.0134 respectively while the Margalef indexes of genera richness were 6.3605, 4.2404, 3.5336 and 1.4134 respectively. A total of 1058 zooplankton encompass of 15 numbers of genera amongst the three zooplankton taxa of Cladocera, Copepoda and Rotifers were determined. The Rotifers were the most abundant zooplankton taxon comprising 43.67% of the zooplankton abundance followed by Copepoda with 31.29% and Cladocera with 25.05%. The Simpson’s species diversity index for the three zooplankton taxa of Cladocera, Copepoda and Rotifera were, 0.0626, 0.0977 and 0.1905 respectively while the Margalef index of genera richness of Cladocera, Copepoda and Rotifera were 2.5508, 2.5508 and 5.1016 respectively. Study of composition and abundance of plankton were found to vary with the variation in the physicochemical parameters suggesting that the river is moderately polluted.
Academic Procrastination of High School Students in East Java

This study aims to obtain a comprehensive view of academic procrastination carried out by students in terms of cognitive, affective, and behavior. This study used a survey research method. The population of this research is high school students in East Java and the research sample is 200 students spread over Malang, Blitar, Bangkalan, and Lamongan. The sampling technique used cluster random sampling and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor descriptions of students' academic procrastination were found. Counselors can use the findings of this study as the basis for developing BK services, especially in designing intervention strategies to reduce academic procrastination of high school students.
AWARENESS REGARDING PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT USE AMONG HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN VARIOUS TERTIARY HOSPITALS A CROSS PAKISTAN DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the awareness of personal protective equipment usage, among health care providers Study Design: Cross sectional survey Place and Duration of Study: Tertiary care hospitals across Pakistan, from 1 st May 2020 to 25 th May 2020 by convenient sampling method Methodology: A total of 74 responders from different health care setups completed a questionnaire-based survey on the knowledge and practice regarding personal protective equipment usage among healthcare providers The questionnaire was designed by the help of central disease control (CDC) guidelines and its reliability and validity check by SPSS Convenient sampling was used for data collection and frequencies and percentages were used to present distribution of responses WHO sample size calculator (2 2a for population proportions) was used for sample size calculation from previous study 23 Data was tabulated in excel and SPSS 17 was used for Descriptive Statistics Results: The overall awareness among healthcare providers about personal protective equipment use in COVID-19 was not satisfactory with 40 5% reported correct answers About 54 (75%) of responders had been in contact with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients Regarding kind of personal protective equipment use, 41 (58 6%) knew the correct sequence of donning as per central disease control guidelines and only 21(30%) knew the correct sequence of doffing Conclusion: The current survey concluded that although majority of responders had fair knowledge regarding COVID-19, yet many knowledge gaps were there, regarding proper donning and doffing technique of personal protective equipment Therefore continuous health education and training programs according to the recent guidelines by CDC and WHO, at all health care levels, regarding judicious use of personal protective equipment in COVID-19 is required
Dietary Preferences in Relation to Food Availability during Spring Season for the Cape Hare Lepus capensis in Arid Areas

Abstract. In Africa, the Cape hare (Lepus capensis) population is under threat from multiple stresses. For its efficient conservation planning, it is crucial to provide comprehensive information on various ecological aspects. To this end, we assessed the dietary composition of the Cape hare in relation to food availability in the North Sahara Desert. The investigation was conducted in spring in three Tunisian National parks (i.e., Bouhedma, Sidi Toui, and Jbil) with typical arid and desert ecosystems. Food availability was estimated using the quadrat point approach for each park while diet composition was assessed using microhistological analysis of faecal samples. Results revealed that 19 of 98 plant species were consumed by Cape hares. Poaceae family, present in all three parks, was the primary source of food. Asteraceae and Brassicaceae were the next most preferred diets. Woody species were eaten but their proportion in the diet depended on the availability of herbaceous plants. Our results tend to show that Cape hares select high quality diet depending on the availability of food, but further studies across four seasons at different spatial scales may eventually lead to further information about these issues.