Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Co-benefits of global, domestic, and sectoral greenhouse gas mitigation for US air quality and human health in 2050

Reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can bring ancillary benefits of improved air quality and reduced premature mortality, in addition to slowing climate change. Here we study the co-benefits of global and domestic GHG mitigation on US air quality and human health in 2050 at fine resolution using dynamical downscaling of meteorology and air quality from global simulations to the continental US, and quantify for the first time the co-benefits from foreign GHG mitigation. Relative to the reference scenario from which Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 (RCP4.5) was created, global GHG reductions in RCP4.5 avoid 16 000 PM2.5-related all-cause deaths yr−1 (90% confidence interval, 11 700–20 300), and 8000 (3600–12 400) O3-related respiratory deaths yr−1 in the US in 2050. Foreign GHG mitigation avoids 15% and 62% of PM2.5-and O3-related total avoided deaths, highlighting the importance of foreign mitigation for US health. GHG mitigation in the US residential sector brings the largest co-benefits for PM2.5-related deaths (21% of total domestic co-benefits), and industry for O3 (17%). Monetized benefits for avoided deaths from ozone and PM2.5 are $137 ($87–$187) per ton CO2 at high valuation and $45 ($29–62) at low valuation, of which 31% are from foreign GHG reductions. These benefits likely exceed the marginal cost of GHG reductions in 2050. The US gains significantly greater air quality and health co-benefits when its GHG emission reductions are concurrent with reductions in other nations. Similarly, previous studies estimating co-benefits locally or regionally may greatly underestimate the full co-benefits of coordinated global actions.
Generalized RF Time-Domain Imaging Technique for Moving Objects on Conveyor Belts in Real Time

In this paper, an attractive time-domain RF imaging technique is proposed for online monitoring of moving objects over conveyor belts. The proposed technique combines the strength of the time-domain approach and the Riccati equation-based ultrawideband reconstruction method in order to image the stratified lossy dielectric medium. The applicability of the proposed method is first tested under stationary condition by reconstructing the permittivity and conductivity image of the target area comprising of various standard samples placed in free space. For moving objects under real-world scenario, two antenna arrays comprised of ultra-wideband Vivaldi elements are designed and tested. These arrays are then employed to produce the 2-D microwave image of various wooden-based samples and human mannequins carrying metal object concealed behind the cloth. The obtained real-time microwave image of the test medium shows that the proposed RF imaging technique is best suited for online monitoring of stationary as well as moving targets, where the structural as well as the electrical properties of the test medium can be obtained through a nondestructive process without using any iterative scheme.
Achievement Gains from Attendance at Selective High Schools

Selective high schools are a polarizing topic in education policy, despite only having a small presence in some Australian states. These schools perform exceptionally well when their students’ educational and career outcomes are considered, but this is perhaps unsurprising because admission is based on academic performance. This paper asks whether academically selective schools improve their students’ university entrance results beyond what they would have achieved otherwise. Following a cohort of students through high school from an anonymized Australian state, we estimate the selective school effect via two methods: propensity score matching, which compares students of similar background and prior achievement, and regression discontinuity (RD), which compares marginal selective and non-selective students on the basis of the entrance exam. Our results point to small effects in terms of university entrance ranks, which is consistent with findings from similar studies in the UK, the USA, and other Australian research. Overall, the small selective school effect appears to reflect the high levels of educational aspiration of both selective students as well as applicants who attended other schools. Both groups of students appear to be among the most driven and motivated, being disproportionately from immigrant and socio-economically advantaged backgrounds, and having implicitly signaled an aspirational intent by applying to the schools.
Policy Framework for Inclusion of Technology in Preschool Education in Kenya: Stakeholders’ Views

Inclusion of Information and communications technology, (ICT) in preschool education through formal policy framework forms a foundation for ensuring effective introduction and implementation into educational institutions. Effective policy frameworks convey meaningful relationships between objectives and organizational functions therefore discouraging divergence from planned courses of action. In countries where policy priorities in ICT exists in early childhood education (ECE) sector, learning through web use plays a crucial role in attaining knowledge, educational success, and social equity. However, in Kenya, policy and curriculum support for development of ICT in ECE sector has lagged behind. With inadequate policy frameworks and support, early childhood educators are likely to make own decisions about the nature and extent of ICT use in children’s learning. This study examined policy frameworks for inclusion of technology in preschool education. A critical case sampling strategy was employed to select 10 key ECE policy stakeholders. Interviews for policy stakeholders and questionnaires for preschool teachers were used as instruments for data collection. Qualitative data were analyzed through transcription process, and theme identification. The study revealed that there are no institutionalized policy, curriculum guidelines and resources on integration of ICT in ECE programmes. Most of the participating stakeholders 90% felt that there was need for a national policy to guide inclusion of technology in ECE programmes, while100% of the participants felt that inclusion of technology in ECE programmes require adequate infrastructure including electricity, classrooms, ICT resources funds and manpower. The study recommends the Ministry of Education and policy makers to come out strongly to support curriculum guidelines for integration of ICT in preschool education. Key words: Inclusion, Information and communications technology, preschool, policy frame work
In vitro germination and axillary shoot propagation of Centaurea zeybekii

In vitro culture is an important aid for ex situ conservation of rare, endemic or threatened plants. In this work, we establish an efficient method for the seed germination, seedling development, and axillary shoot propagation of Centaurea zeybekii Wagenitz. The seeds, collected from a wild population, were surface sterilised and cultured on various in vitro germination media. The effects of photoperiod and temperature on seed germination were also investigated. Germinations were obtained after 6 weeks in culture and the radicle emergence was evaluated as a main indicator. A high frequency of germination was obtained on distilled water supplemented with vitamines and 1 mg/L GA3. Although the seed germination frequencies were not affected by photoperiod, the highest germination frequency was obtained at 24 ± 2°C. A high frequency of axillary shoot proliferation was produced on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/L BA. Then, the axillary shoots were separated and transferred to MS medium with or without plant growth regulators for rooting. Rhizogenezis was promoted after 6 weeks only in MS and 1/2 MS media containing 0.5 mg/L IBA. The rooting process was very slow and the percentage of shoot rooting was also very low (15%). The present study not only enables reinforcement of wild plant populations using ex situ growth of individuals, but it also helps to large number of aseptic seedling to use it in clonaly micropropagation studies.
Seasonality of meningitis in Africa and climate forcing: aerosols stand out

Bacterial meningitis is an ongoing threat for the population of the African Meningitis Belt, a region characterized by the highest incidence rates worldwide. The determinants of the disease dynamics are still poorly understood; nevertheless, it is often advocated that climate and mineral dust have a large impact. Over the last decade, several studies have investigated this relationship at a large scale. In this analysis, we scaled down to the district-level weekly scale (which is used for in-year response to emerging epidemics), and used wavelet and phase analysis methods to define and compare the time-varying periodicities of meningitis, climate and dust in Niger. We mostly focused on detecting time-lags between the signals that were consistent across districts. Results highlighted the special case of dust in comparison to wind, humidity or temperature: a strong similarity between districts is noticed in the evolution of the time-lags between the seasonal component of dust and meningitis. This result, together with the assumption of dust damaging the pharyngeal mucosa and easing bacterial invasion, reinforces our confidence in dust forcing on meningitis seasonality. Dust data should now be integrated in epidemiological and forecasting models to make them more realistic and usable in a public health perspective.
Consolation in the aftermath of robberies resembles post-aggression consolation in chimpanzees

Post-aggression consolation is assumed to occur in humans as well as in chimpanzees. While consolation following peer aggression has been observed in children, systematic evidence of consolation in human adults is rare. We used surveillance camera footage of the immediate aftermath of nonfatal robberies to observe the behaviors and characteristics of victims and bystanders. Consistent with empathy explanations, we found that consolation was linked to social closeness rather than physical closeness. While females were more likely to console than males, males and females were equally likely to be consoled. Furthermore, we show that high levels of threat during the robbery increased the likelihood of receiving consolation afterwards. These patterns resemble post-aggression consolation in chimpanzees and suggest that emotions of empathic concern are involved in consolation across humans and chimpanzees.
Single muscle fibre contractile properties differ between body‐builders, power athletes and control subjects

What is the central question of this study? Do the contractile properties of single muscle fibres differ between body‐builders, power athletes and control subjects? What is the main finding and its importance? Peak power normalized for muscle fibre volume in power athletes is higher than in control subjects. Compared with control subjects, maximal isometric tension (normalized for muscle fibre cross‐sectional area) is lower in body‐builders. Although this difference may be caused in part by an apparent negative effect of hypertrophy, these results indicate that the training history of power athletes may increase muscle fibre quality, whereas body‐building may be detrimental.
Subcellular compartment‐specific molecular diversity of pre‐ and post‐synaptic GABAB‐activated GIRK channels in Purkinje cells

Activation of G protein‐gated inwardly‐rectifying K+ (GIRK or Kir3) channels by metabotropic gamma‐aminobutyric acid (B) (GABAB) receptors is an essential signalling pathway controlling neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in the brain. To investigate the relationship between GIRK channel subunits and GABAB receptors in cerebellar Purkinje cells at post‐ and pre‐synaptic sites, we used biochemical, functional and immunohistochemical techniques. Co‐immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated that GIRK subunits are co‐assembled with GABAB receptors in the cerebellum. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that the subunit composition of GIRK channels in Purkinje cell spines is compartment‐dependent. Thus, at extrasynaptic sites GIRK channels are formed by GIRK1/GIRK2/GIRK3, post‐synaptic densities contain GIRK2/GIRK3 and dendritic shafts contain GIRK1/GIRK3. The post‐synaptic association of GIRK subunits with GABAB receptors in Purkinje cells is supported by the subcellular regulation of the ion channel and the receptor in mutant mice. At pre‐synaptic sites, GIRK channels localized to parallel fibre terminals are formed by GIRK1/GIRK2/GIRK3 and co‐localize with GABAB receptors. Consistent with this morphological evidence we demonstrate their functional interaction at axon terminals in the cerebellum by showing that GIRK channels play a role in the inhibition of glutamate release by GABAB receptors. The association of GIRK channels and GABAB receptors with excitatory synapses at both post‐ and pre‐synaptic sites indicates their intimate involvement in the modulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the cerebellum.
Development of Flexible Cotton-Polystyrene Sensor for Application as Strain Gauge

A smart sensing thread based on a cotton substrate and coating realized from polystyrene and carbon nanoparticles has been developed. Manufacturing method used is an innovative extru-coating procedure developed especially for the purpose. The strain response of the smart sensing thread has been recorded. It has been observed that the sensing thread has a heterogeneous structure along the cross section. This is because of the fact that most of the coating material is deposited at the surface and the sub-surface layer. The core receives the least amount of absorbed solution. This has been confirmed by SEM image analysis and visual analysis of the fracture specimens as well. The dynamic range of the sensor was found to be 11%, while the sensitivity value was calculated to be 15.5. The smart sensing threads are able to detect strains as the electrical resistance changes with strain with a rather high gauge factor and can be used for various sensing applications as strain gauges and flexible sensors.
Activity of the Rhodopseudomonas palustris p-Coumaroyl-Homoserine Lactone-Responsive Transcription Factor RpaR

ABSTRACT The Rhodopseudomonas palustris transcriptional regulator RpaR responds to the RpaI-synthesized quorum-sensing signal p-coumaroyl-homoserine lactone (pC-HSL). Other characterized RpaR homologs respond to fatty acyl-HSLs. We show here that RpaR functions as a transcriptional activator, which binds directly to the rpaI promoter. We developed an RNAseq method that does not require a ribosome depletion step to define a set of transcripts regulated by pC-HSL and RpaR. The transcripts include several noncoding RNAs. A footprint analysis showed that purified His-tagged RpaR (His6-RpaR) binds to an inverted repeat element centered 48.5 bp upstream of the rpaI transcript start site, which we mapped by S1 nuclease protection and primer extension analyses. Although pC-HSL-RpaR bound to rpaI promoter DNA, it did not bind to the promoter regions of a number of RpaR-regulated genes not in the rpaI operon. This indicates that RpaR control of these other genes is indirect. Because the RNAseq analysis allowed us to track transcript strand specificity, we discovered that there is pC-HSL-RpaR-activated antisense transcription of rpaR. These data raise the possibility that this antisense RNA or other RpaR-activated noncoding RNAs mediate the indirect activation of genes in the RpaR-controlled regulon.
Communicating Biotechnology: Relationships Between Tone, Issues, and Terminology in U.S. Print Media Coverage

As part of a nationwide study on the public acceptability of agricultural biotechnology, researchers performed a content analysis on two years of print news coverage of biotechnology (2000-2002). Qualitative analysis methods included examining text from selected national newspapers, regional newspapers, and trade publications for common issues, tone, and terminology. A team of three coders, trained to an acceptable level of agreement (Cohen’s K = .80), examined and coded the articles. The relationship between the tone of the article and the terminology used in reference to biotechnology (e.g., “genetically engineered,” “genetically modified,” or “biotechnology”) has practical applications for both public relations practitioners and communication researchers. “Biotechnology” was associated with the largest percentage of articles with positive tones. “Genetically modified” was associated with more neutral articles. “Genetically engineered” was the term of choice for authors of physical science articles, which were mostly positive. Understanding these relationships may help communication practitioners choose their terminology to achieve their communication goals, as well as opinion researchers, who, in developing survey instruments, may wish to choose a term that carries the least amount of bias. Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. This research is available in Journal of Applied Communications: http://newprairiepress.org/jac/vol87/iss3/3
Retired African American Female Urban Middle SchoolScience Teachers Beliefs and Practices

The purpose of this paper is to give a voice to a dedicated group of professionals who unselfishly labored twenty-five plus years educating the children of America’s poorest taxpaying citizens. These retired African American female urban middle school science teachers (RAAFUMSST) explain the experiences that gave them the fortitude to stay in the urban school system until their retirement. The goal is to give you a glimpse into the distractions, challenges, and victories the teachers encountered as they strove to teach science in an overcrowded, underserviced, and depressed urban school district of a major city. Most times sacrificing self for service, the participants of this study held fast to their beliefs that all of America’s children, regardless of their parents’ socioeconomic status, deserve a quality education. It is through individual interviews that the five retired science teachers of this project share their reflections on the events and circumstances that altered their labor of love. Critical Race Theory (CRT) serves as the theoretical frame for this study. v Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 Background . 1 Urban Experiences . 5 Urban Schoolteachers . 11 Problem Statement . 13 Research Question . 15 Purpose and Scope of Study . 16 Rationale . 17 Critical Race Theory . 19 Definition of Terms . 23 Delimitations . 24 Reason of the Study . 25 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE . 27 Introduction . 27 Advantages of Experienced Teachers . 27 Social Experiences of the Retired Science Teachers . 29 Strategies Used in Student Engagement . 30 Critical Race Theory (CRT) . 32 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY . 34 Introduction . 34 Research Question . 35 Population and Sample . 35 Ethical Considerations . 37 Data Analysis . 39 Limitations . 39 CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS . 41 Introduction . 41 Demographics . 41 Changes in Educational Strategies . 42 System Barriers in Science . 43 Myths about Black Teachers/Students . 44 Motivational Factors/ Influences . 45 Administrative Support or Lack Thereof . 45 PARTICIPANT 1: Georgia . 46 Setting: . 46 Participant’s Background: . 46 Changes in Educational Strategies: . 48 System Barriers in Science: . 50 Myths about Black Teachers/Students: . 51 vi Motivational Factors/Influences: . 52 Administrative Support or Lack Thereof: . 53 PARTICIPANT 2: Delores . 54 Setting: . 54 Participant’s Background: . 55 Changes in Educational Strategies: . 56 System Barriers in Science: . 59 Myths about Black Teachers/Students: . 61 Motivational Factors/Influences: . 62 Administrative Support or Lack Thereof: . 63 PARTICIPANT 3: Shirley . 64 Setting: . 64 Participant’s Background: . 65 Changes in Educational Strategies: . 66 System Barriers in Science: . 68 Myths About Black Teachers/Students: . 69 Motivational Factors/Influences: . 70 Administrative Support or Lack Thereof: . 71 PARTICIPANT 4: Vivian . 72 Setting: . 72 Participant’s Background: . 72 Changes in Educational Strategies: . 73 System Barriers in Science: .
OASIS: an assessment tool of epidemiological surveillance systems in animal health and food safety

SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to develop a standardized tool for the assessment of surveillance systems on zoonoses and animal diseases. We reviewed three existing methods and combined them to develop a semi-quantitative assessment tool associating their strengths and providing a standardized way to display multilevel results. We developed a set of 78 assessment criteria divided into ten sections, representing the functional parts of a surveillance system. Each criterion was given a score according to the prescription of a scoring guide. Three graphical assessment outputs were generated using a specific combination of the scores. Output 1 is a general overview through a series of pie charts synthesizing the scores of each section. Output 2 is a histogram representing the quality of eight critical control points. Output 3 is a radar chart representing the level reached by ten system attributes. This tool was applied on five surveillance networks.
Possible relationship between amino acids, aggression and psychopathy

Abstract Objective: Aggressive behaviour is associated with reduced serotonin metabolism in the brain, but there is not enough knowledge on potential changes of the serotonin precursor levels among violent offenders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationships among the tendency of psychopathy, anger and the basic amino acids. Methods: Fifty-two young adult male patients with antisocial personality disorder (APD) and 30 healthy men included the study. Serum amino acid levels were measured by HPLC method. Aggression questionnaire and Hare Psychopathology Scale were used for all participants. Results: Blood levels of phosphoserine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, aminoadipic acid and 1-methylhistidine in group of patients with APD were significantly higher than the control group. Blood levels of TRP, asparagine, citrulline, cystine, isoleucine, tyrosine, histidine, hydroxylysine, lysine, ethanolamine and arginine in the group of patients were found lower than the control group. A significant positive correlation between anger scores and histidine, methionine and GABA was found. GABA and methionine showed a significant correlation with the indirect aggression score. Conclusion: Our study showed a relationship between serum amino acid levels and the scores of aggression and psychopathy. We think that this is a productive research area for understanding the relationship among biochemical factors, aggression and psychopathy.