Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suicide among university students: prevalence, risks and protective factors

ABSTRACT Background: Research evidence on suicide in Ghana so far has focused mostly on suicide in the adult population and less work on the younger population such as university students and other vulnerable groups such as children, youth and the aged. Aims: This study was conducted to determine lifetime and current prevalence of suicidal ideation or attempts and identify the associated risks and protective factors among university students in Ghana. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 1003 university students (507 males and 496 females) with a mean age of 20.5 years (SD = 5.95) were administered questionnaires that measured suicide, psychological distress, self-esteem and subjective wellbeing. Results: We found the following prevalence rates of suicidal behaviours: ideations 15.2%, attempted 6.3%, death wishes 24.3% and suicidal plan 6.8%. Psychological distress was a risk factor for both suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt. Subjective wellbeing was protective of suicide attempt while self-esteem was protective of suicidal ideation. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need for school-based mental health-promoting programmes that enhance young people’s self-esteem, reduce psychological distress and boost subjective wellbeing.
Sperm Production and Variance in Sperm Quality

An unusually high level of interand intraspecific variability in spermatozoa has been well documented. However, recent evidence indicates that the level of variation within spermatozoa differs markedly across taxa. In particular, it appears that the variability in spermatozoa tends to decrease across species as the risk of sperm competition increases. In this thesis, I present a model that explains how variability in spermatozoa may arise due to errors made during the sperm production process. In doing so, I also provide an explanation for why variability in sperm traits tends to decrease as the level of sperm competition experienced by males of a given species increases. The model presented in this study provides a novel perspective on spermatozoa and their production. While many sperm traits are thought to be selected upon, I suggest that variability in spermatozoa may also be the result of evolutionary forces such as sperm competition. Variability in spermatozoa, then, can be adaptive and can represent an optimal reproductive strategy.
Antioxidant profile in north eastern India: traditional herbs

Purpose – This study is designed to determine the antioxidant profile of the crude aqueous and organic (Ethyl acetate) extract of 11 plants. These plants are mainly distributed in north eastern (NE) zones of India. Extracts of the aerial and/or underground parts have been applied in traditional medicine for the treatment of different diseases hence they have gained sufficient importance in alternate medicinal therapy.Design/methodology/approach – The present study was carried out to evaluate the antioxidant activities of extracts NE in vitro systems to gain mechanistic insights.Findings – Results from antioxidant assays together with authentic antioxidant standards revealed that aqueous extract (AqEx) showed strong superoxide radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and ferrous ion‐chelating ability. The ranges of total phenolic contents was determined and found from 2.0860 to 7.1193 in aqueous extract and 1.7716 to 5.4330 mg (GAEq/100 g) in ethylacetate extract. The results revealed that total flavon.
Effect of replacing corn silage with whole crop rice silage in total mixed ration on intake, milk yield and its composition in Holsteins.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of replacing whole crop corn silage (WCCS) with whole crop rice silage (WCRS) in the total mixed ration (TMR) on nutrient intake, milk yield and its composition in Holstein cows. The Chucheong rice variety (Oryza sativa L. Japonica) and corn (Pioneer 32 P75) were harvested at yellow-ripe stage and were ensiled in round bales and in trench silos, respectively. Two TMR containing either WCCS or WCRS were prepared. These diets were randomly assigned to 16 midlactating Holstein cows (8 cows per treatment) and were fed for 120 days. The first 20 days were used for dietary adaptation and for the next 100 days daily feed intake, milk yield and its composition were recorded. The pH, lactic acid, NDF, ADF, CP, Ca and P contents were similar in WCRS and WCCS. The DM, ash and EE contents of WCRS were greater compared with WCCS. Nutrient (DM, NDF, TDN and CP) intakes were similar in cows fed WCCS- and WCRS-based TMR. Daily and 4% fat corrected milk yield were not affected by the treatments. Milk composition (percent milk fat, protein, lactose and total solids) was similar in cows fed either WCCS- or WCRSbased TMR. The concentration of milk urea N was greater in cows fed WCRS-based TMR than those fed WCCS-based TMR. In conclusion, round-baled WCRS can replace WCCS in the diet of mid- to late-lactating Holsteins without any deleterious effects on feed consumption, milk yield and its composition. The present findings raise the possibility that WCRS can be used as an alternative roughage source in the diets of dairy cows in countries with surplus rice production.
Accessing Information Asymmetry in Peer-to-Peer Lending by Default Prediction from Investors' Perspective

Recent a few years have witnessed the rapid expansion of the peer-to-peer lending marketplace. As a new field of investment and a novel channel of financing, it has drawn extensive attention throughout the world. Many investors have shown great enthusiasm for this field. However, investors are at the disadvantage of information asymmetry, which is a key issue in this marketplace that is unavoidable and can lead to moral hazard or adverse selection. In this paper, we propose an L 1 / 2 -regularized weighted logistic regression model for default prediction of peer-to-peer lending loans from investors’ perspective, which can reduce the impact of information asymmetry in the process of loan decision. Rather than solely focus on the accuracy of the prediction, we take into consideration the different risk preferences of different investors. We try to find a trade-off between the risk of losing principal and that of losing potential investment opportunities on the basis of investors’ risk preferences. Meanwhile, due to the nature of peer-to-peer lending loans, we add an L 1 / 2 -regularization term to reduce the chance of overfitting. Xu’s algorithm for L 1 / 2 -regularization problems is applied to solve our model. We perform training, in-sample test, and out-of-sample test with data from LendingClub. Numerical experiments demonstrate that regularization could enhance out-of-sample the area under the Precision–Recall curve (AUPRC). By applying the proposed model, the risk-averse investors could apply a higher penalty factor to lower the risk of losing principal at the cost of the loss of some potential investment opportunities according to their own risk preferences. This model can help investors reduce the impact of information asymmetry to a great extent.
DNA relatedness among the Streptomyces fulvissimus and Streptomyces griseoviridis phenotypic cluster groups

As a continuation of an ongoing study of DNA relatedness among red-spored streptomycetes, the homology between the four species comprising the Streptomyces fulvissimus phenotypic cluster (S. fulvissimus, Streptomyces aureoverticillatus, Streptomyces longispororuber and Streptomyces spectabilis) and the four species comprising the Streptomyces griseoviridis phenotypic cluster (S. griseoviridis, Streptomyces chryseus, Streptomyces daghestonicus and Streptomyces murinus) was measured spectrophotometrically from C0t05 determinations. All strains were also compared to 12 strains representing previously determined DNA-relatedness clusters in the Streptomyces lavendulae phenotypic cluster, including the type strain NRRL B-1230T. The strains segregated into 15 cluster groups at DNA relatedness >80%, including 10 single-membered clusters. S. griseoviridis and S. daghestonicus were synonymous, as were S. chryseus and S. longispororuber. S. spectabilis exhibited species-level homology with strain NRRL B-2402, which had been received as S. lavendulae. S. aureoverticillatus exhibited significant DNA relatedness to Streptomyces flavotricini. None of the strains from the S. fulvissimus or S. griseoviridis clusters exhibited significant homology to the type strain of S. lavendulae.
Antioxidant properties of silver nanoparticles biosynthesized from methanolic leaf extract of Blighia sapida

Synthesis of nanoparticles by biological methods using microorganisms, enzymes or plant extracts has been suggested as possible ecofriendly alternative to chemical and physical methods which involve the use of harmful reducing agents. In the current study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by green approach from methanolic leaf extract of Blighia sapida. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by UV-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The antioxidant activity was evaluated using DPPH radical scavenging assay, determination of total reductive potential, total phenolics content (TPC) and total flavonoids content (TFC) of the synthesized AgNPs. SEM analysis revealed that the size of the synthesized silver nanoparticles ranged from 50-70 nm with maximum UV-vis absorbance at 413 nm. DPPH radical scavenging activity, reducing power, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of the synthesized AgNPs increased in a dose dependent manner as compared to ascorbic acid the standard reference used. This result confirmed that Blighia sapida is a potential biomaterial for synthesizing AgNPs which can be exploited for its antioxidant activity.
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus and DNA Vaccines Expressing Zika Virus Nonstructural Protein 1 Induce Substantial but Not Sterilizing Protection against Zika Virus Infection

Most Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine research has focused on the E or prM-E proteins and the induction of high levels of neutralizing antibodies. However, these ZIKV neutralizing antibodies cross-react with other flaviviruses, which may aggravate the disease via an antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) mechanism. ZIKV NS1 protein may be an alternative antigen for vaccine development, since antibodies to NS1 do not bind to the virion, thereby eliminating the risk of ADE. Here, we show that recombinant VSV and DNA vaccines expressing NS1, alone, confer partial protection against ZIKV infection in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice, highlighting the value of NS1 as a potential vaccine candidate. ABSTRACT The nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of several flaviviruses, including West Nile, dengue, and yellow fever viruses, is capable of inducing variable degrees of protection against flavivirus infection in animal models. However, the immunogenicity of NS1 protein of Zika virus (ZIKV) is less understood. Here, we determined the efficacy of ZIKV NS1-based vaccine candidates using two delivery platforms, methyltransferase-defective recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (mtdVSV) and a DNA vaccine. We first show that expression of ZIKV NS1 could be significantly enhanced by optimizing the signal peptide. A single dose of mtdVSV-NS1-based vaccine or two doses of DNA vaccine induced high levels of NS1-specfic antibody and T cell immune responses but provided only partial protection against ZIKV viremia in BALB/c mice. In Ifnar1−/− mice, neither NS1-based vaccine provided protection against a lethal high dose (105 PFU) ZIKV challenge, but mtdVSV-NS1-based vaccine prevented deaths from a low dose (103 PFU) challenge, though they experienced viremia and body weight loss. We conclude that ZIKV NS1 alone conferred substantial, but not complete, protection against ZIKV infection. Nevertheless, these results highlight the value of ZIKV NS1 for vaccine development. IMPORTANCE Most Zika virus (ZIKV) vaccine research has focused on the E or prM-E proteins and the induction of high levels of neutralizing antibodies. However, these ZIKV neutralizing antibodies cross-react with other flaviviruses, which may aggravate the disease via an antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) mechanism. ZIKV NS1 protein may be an alternative antigen for vaccine development, since antibodies to NS1 do not bind to the virion, thereby eliminating the risk of ADE. Here, we show that recombinant VSV and DNA vaccines expressing NS1, alone, confer partial protection against ZIKV infection in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice, highlighting the value of NS1 as a potential vaccine candidate.
The parakeet Brotogeris tirica feeds on and disperses the fruits of the palm Syagrus romanzoffiana in Southeastern Brazil

Small psittacids remain unrecorded as dispersal agents of palm fruits in Brazil. I record here the plain parakeet (Brotogeris tirica), an Atlantic forest endemic, feeding on and dispersing the fruits of the palm Syagrus romanzoffiana at Ubatuba, northern coast of Sao Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. The birds removed the fruit and carried it away from the mother-tree in about 40% of the feeding records. While perched on trees and shrubs of the understorey, the parakeets removed and ingested most of the mesocarp, dropping the partly consumed fruit. As the parakeets damaged no the embryo and may feed at a distance from the mother-tree, they act as primary dispersal agents. This is the first substantiated record of a small Neotropical psittacid as a stomatochorous dispersal agent of palm fruits the size of A. romanzoffiana drupes.
Review. Articular cartilage chondrons: form, function and failure

The chondrocyte and its pericellular microenvironment together represent the chondron, historically considered the primary structural, functional and metabolic unit of articular and other hyaline cartilages. This review summarises research over the last 10 years to establish the molecular anatomy, functional properties and metabolic contribution of the chondron in articular cartilage homeostasis, and its failure during the initiation and progression of degenerative osteoarthritis.
Microbial communities and their responses to simulated global change fluctuate greatly over multiple years

We used microbial lipid analysis to analyze microbial biomass and community structure during 6 years of experimental treatment at the Jasper Ridge Global Change Experiment (JRGCE), a long‐term multi‐factor global change experiment in a California annual grassland. The microbial community fingerprint and specific biomarkers varied substantially from year to year, in both control and experimental treatment plots. Possible drivers of the variability included plant growth, soil moisture, and ambient temperature. Surprisingly, background variation in the microbial community was of a larger magnitude than even very significant treatment effects, and this variation appeared to constrain responses to treatment. Microbial communities were mostly not responsive or not consistently responsive to the experimental treatments. Both arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi biomarker abundance (16 : 1 ω5c) and the fungal to bacterial ratio were lower under nitrogen addition in most years. Bacterial lipid biomarker abundances (15 : 0 iso and 16 : 1 ω7c) were higher under nitrogen addition in 2002, the year of largest microbial biomass, suggesting that bacteria could respond more to nitrogen addition in years of better growth conditions. Nitrogen addition and warming led to an interactive effect on the Gram‐positive bacterial biomarker and the fungal to bacterial ratio. These patterns indicate that in California grassland ecosystems, microbial communities may not respond substantially to future changes in climate and that nitrogen deposition may be a determinant of the soil response to global change. Further, year‐to‐year variation in microbial growth or community composition may be important determinants of ecosystem response to global change.
Bacteria-Triggered pH-Responsive Osteopotentiating Coating on 3D-Printed Polyetheretherketone Scaffolds for Infective Bone Defect Repair

Biomaterial-enabled regeneration of the infected or contaminated bone defects remains one of the critical challenges in the development of new clinical treatments. Three-dimensional (3D) porous scaffolds, which can synchronously emulate the hierarchy of bone structures and additionally provide bactericidal and osteogenic features, offer a potential solution to tackle this issue. In this work, we construct hierarchical porous polyetheretherketone (PEEK) scaffolds via 3D printing, equipped with a pH-triggered osteopotentiating coating. In the design of the coating, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are trapped onto the first polydopamine (pDA) layer, and apatite is further anchored onto the second pDA layer. The unique "pDA-Ag-pDA" sandwich structure imparts bacteria-triggered pH-responsive ion-releasing behavior to the inert PEEK scaffolds, i.e., the liberation of Ag+ ions from the coating is augmented with decreasing pH value, which is associated with the metabolism of bacteria. These bioscaffolds exhibit excellent capability for eradicating bacteria, as well as harness acceptable cytocompatibility and protuberant osteogenetic potential of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Importantly, in vivo evaluation indicates that the Ag/apatite codecorated multifunctional bioscaffolds present appealing in vivo antibacterial efficacy and excellent bone ingrowth and osseointegration in an infected critical-sized bone defect. Accordingly, such "smart" pH-triggered osteopromotive PEEK implants demonstrate strong potential in the treatment of the complicated infective bone disorders.
Breeding biology of the red-capped robin

The breeding biology of the red-capped robin (Petroica goodenovii) (Petroicidae) was studied over two breeding seasons (2000–02) in Terrick Terrick National Park, Victoria. Breeding commenced in August and the last offspring fledged in January. Only females developed brood patches, built nests and incubated. However, both sexes fed the young. Clutch size ranged from one to three eggs, with a mean of 2.1, with clutches of three occurring relatively early in the season. For clutches of two, the period from laying of the first egg to hatching was 14 or 15 days, with a mean of 14.2. The time from hatching to fledging was 13–15 days, with a mean of 14. In all, 34% of nesting attempts successfully fledged offspring. On average, 0.62 fledglings were produced per nesting attempt, whilst 0.57 offspring reached independence. Nesting success peaked in October. Predation appears to be responsible for almost all nest failure, and predation rate varied over the season. Breeding pairs produced 0–3 broods per season (0–5 independent fledglings) and pairs that began nesting early in the season produced a greater number of independent offspring. Nestling weight was affected by both laying date and brood size. A comparative analysis within the Petroicidae, controlled for body size, revealed that species endemic to Australia have shorter incubation periods, and species from semi-arid and dry woodlands have longer incubation periods than other species. Findings from this study are discussed in relation to the breeding ecology of other members of the Petroicidae.
The risks and rewards of researching victims of crime

The concept of emotional labour is described as any effort, conscious or not, to change one’s feelings or emotions, thereby offering a useful framework for understanding the experiences of qualitative researchers working within so-called ‘sensitive topics’. Despite this, it has received little research attention in criminology and criminal justice compared to related concepts such as vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma refers to pervasive, cumulative and permanent changes that occur in a professional’s views of themselves, others and the world around them as a result of exposure to graphic and/or traumatic material. Conducting ‘sensitive topic’ research, such as with victims or offenders of crime, may expose researchers in this field to significant emotion work through engagement with potentially shocking and graphic experiences that are characteristic of serious trauma survivors. Victimisation is thought to be so disruptive because it challenges at a fundamental level our beliefs in a safe and benevolent world, and of ourselves as good (and hence undeserving) people. This article will draw on existing literature and the author’s extensive experiences of conducting in-depth interviews with victims of crime to explore the psychological impact of working closely with survivors of violent crimes. It will then show how the process of vicarious trauma mirrors that of trauma in victim/survivors. It will place this discussion against the backdrop of a rapidly changing and commercialising higher education sector and explore how the increasing pressures and reduced freedoms, in addition to the subject matter we study, require significant emotional labour and place us at a heightened risk for vicarious trauma. Finally, suggestions will be made regarding the best practice to avoid vicarious trauma and why, despite the risk, research in this area is still necessary and rewarding.
New Record for a Dinoflagellate Species (Citharistes regius Stein) in the Northern Levantine Basin (Eastern Mediterranean)

The presence of a dinoflagellate species, Citharistes regius Stein belonging to genus Citharistes Stein, is reported for the first time from the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey. This species is also a first report for all Turkish seas and the Levantine Basin. Morphological characteristics of this species are described in detail and information about its ecological distribution is given.
Male Movement and Body Size Affect Mate Acquisition in the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus Catenatus)

Abstract Knowledge of mating system characteristics can elucidate forces driving sexual selection. In male pitvipers, both male movement tactics and body size are predicted to be important determinants of reproductive success. We used radio telemetry to monitor free-ranging Sistrurus catenatus (Eastern Massasauga) from 2000 through 2002 to determine whether male movement tactics and body size affect mate acquisition. Reproductive behaviors peaked in late July to early August. Females were accompanied by multiple males per season (up to seven); however, male mate acquisition varied considerably with only three of 17 (18%) males located more than one female during a single mating season. During the mating season, male mean daily distance moved (21.8 m) and movement frequency (77%) were higher than during the nonmating season (13.3 m, 63%). Male movement rate and body mass were positively related to the number of females acquired, and heavier males were observed accompanying females as the mating season progressed. Our results indicate that both movement tactics and body size are important in the mating system of S. catenatus; however, direct measures of reproductive success will be necessary before assessing the intensity of sexual selection.
A review on nickel nanoparticles as effective therapeutic agents for inflammation

In recent years nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most recent active research fields in the area of science and technology. Nanotechnology possesses potential impact in solving many health related issues and extensive research has been carried out all over the world to explore its role in medicine. Development of cost-effective green processes for the synthesis of nanoparticles by using environmentally benign materials like plants and microorganisms offers huge benefits like biocompatibility and ecofriendliness especially in pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. Due to their rich diversity and innate potential, plants are considered as potential biofactories for the production of nanomaterials. This review highlights the anti-inflammatory efficacy of nickel nanoparticles synthesized by using Aegle marmelos correa aqueous leaf extract. It also summarizes the role of β-sitosterol in exerting its antioxidant defence system during inflammation.