Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptations for matrotrophy in the female reproductive system in the pseudoscorpion Chelifer cancroides (Chelicerata: Pseudoscorpiones, Cheliferidae)

Pseudoscorpiones (pseudoscorpions, false scorpions) is an order of small terrestrial chelicerates. While most chelicerates are lecithotrophic, that is, embryos develop due to nutrients (mostly yolk) deposited in the oocyte cytoplasm, pseudoscorpions are matrotrophic, that is, embryos are nourished by the female. Pseudoscorpion oocytes contain only a small amount of yolk. The embryos develop within a brood sac carried on the abdominal site of the female and absorb nutrients by a pumping organ. It is believed that in pseudoscorpions nutrients for developing embryos are produced in the ovary during a postovulatory (secretory) phase of the ovarian cycle. The goal of our study was to analyze the structure of the female reproductive system during the secretory phase in the pseudoscorpion Chelifer cancroides, a representative of the family Cheliferidae, considered to be one of the most advanced pseudoscorpion taxa. We use diverse microscopic techniques to document that the nutritive fluid is produced not only in the ovaries but also by the epithelial cells in the oviducts. The secretory active epithelial cells are hypertrophic and polyploid and release their content by fragmentation of apical parts. Our observations also indicate that fertilization occurs in the oviducts. Moreover, in contrast to previous findings, we show that secretion of the nutritive material starts when the fertilized oocytes reach the brood sac and thus precedes formation of the pumping organ. Summing up, we show that C. cancroides exhibits traits of advanced adaptations for matrotrophy due to coordinated secretion of the nutritive fluid by the ovarian and oviductal epithelial cells, which substantially increases the efficiency of nutritive fluid formation. Since the secretion of nutrients starts before formation of the pumping organ, we suggest that the embryos are able to absorb the nutritive fluid also in the early embryonic stages.
Construction, Factor Structure, and Internal Consistency Reliability of the Hospital Physical Therapy Perceived Satisfaction Questionnaire (H-PTPS)

Patient satisfaction is a crucial aspect in the evaluation of the quality of health care provided by health services and units, especially in patients that require physical rehabilitation. This study aims to design and analyze the factor structure and internal consistency reliability of the Hospital Physical Therapy Perceived Satisfaction Questionnaire (H-PTPS) measuring the level of physical therapy patient satisfaction in hospital rehabilitation services. This study has a multicenter cross-sectional survey design. This study used the structural validity and internal consistency domains from COSMIN (consensus-based standards for the selection of health status measurement instruments) guideline. The H-PTPS questionnaire consists of 20 closed questions. A sample of 384 adult patients from physical therapy units from three Spanish public hospitals completed this questionnaire. A factor structure and internal consistency reliability analysis were performed. The factor analysis including the 20 items of the H-PTPS showed an adequacy index of 0.922 according to the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure and the Barlett test allowed us to reject the null hypothesis (p < 0.001). In the rotated component matrix, four specific factors were obtained, explaining 66.75% of the accumulated variance. All factors present satisfactory internal reliability, achieving Cronbach’s alpha indices and Omega coefficients higher than 0.74. The H-PTPS questionnaire has shown a four-factor solution with satisfactory reliability evaluating the satisfaction of Spanish patients treated in physical therapy units in the hospital rehabilitation services.
The effects of capital on bank lending of EU large banks – The role of procyclicality , income smoothing , regulations and supervision

This paper aims to find out what is the impact of bank capital ratios on loan supply in the EU and what factors explain potential diversity of this impact. Applying Blundell and Bond (1998) two step GMM estimator, we show that, in the EU context, the role of capital ratio for loan growth is stronger than previous literature has found for other countries. Our study sheds some light on whether procyclicality of loan loss provisions and income smoothing with loan loss provisions contribute to procyclical impact of capital ratio on loan growth. We document that loan growth of banks that have more procyclical loan loss provisions and that engage less in income smoothing is more sensitive to capital ratios. This sensitivity is slightly increased in this sample of banks during contractions. Moreover, more restrictive regulations and more stringent official supervision reduce the magnitude of effect of capital ratio on bank lending. Taken together, our results suggest that capital ratios are important determinant of lending in EU large banks.
The Effect of Supportive Implementation of Healthier Canteen Guidelines on Changes in Dutch School Canteens and Student Purchase Behaviour

We developed an implementation plan including several components to support implementation of the “Guidelines for Healthier Canteens” in Dutch secondary schools. This study evaluated the effect of this plan on changes in the school canteen and on food and drink purchases of students. In a 6 month quasi-experimental study, ten intervention schools (IS) received support implementing the guidelines, and ten control schools (CS) received only the guidelines. Changes in the health level of the cafeteria and vending machines were assessed and described. Effects on self-reported purchase behaviour of students were analysed using mixed logistic regression analyses. IS scored higher on healthier availability in the cafeteria (77.2%) and accessibility (59.0%) compared to CS (60.1%, resp. 50.0%) after the intervention. IS also showed more changes in healthier offers in the cafeteria (range −3 to 57%, mean change 31.4%) and accessibility (range 0 to 50%, mean change 15%) compared to CS (range −9 to 46%, mean change 9.7%; range −30 to 20% mean change 7% resp.). Multi-level logistic regression analyses on the intervention/control and health level of the canteen in relation to purchase behaviour showed no relevant relations. In conclusion, the offered support resulted in healthier canteens. However, there was no direct effect on students’ purchase behaviour during the intervention.
The effects of “Workplace Health Promotion Program” in nurses: A randomized controlled trial and one-year follow-up

Abstract In this study, the authors examined the effects of the “Workplace Health Promotion Program” (WHPP) on pain, fatigue, stress, professional quality of life (Pro-QoL), and coping skills for nurses. The authors conducted a randomized control trial in 30 nurses who agreed to participate in this study. Progressive relaxation training, posture and breath exercises, and ergonomic suggestions as a WHPP were applied to the intervention group (n = 15) during the five weeks. The intervention group showed decrease in pain (p = .001), fatigue (p = .001), and stress levels (p = .003) and increase in coping skills and Pro-QoL (p < .05). In contrast, the authors observed no improvement in the control group. The authors concluded at the end of the study that WHPP remains effective in nurses.
B Subunit Monomers of Cholera Toxin Bind G1 Ganglioside Class as Revealed by Chip-Nanoelectrospray Multistage Mass Spectrometry

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT The noncovalent interaction between the monomers (Ctb) of the B subunit (Ctb5) of cholera toxin from Vibrio cholerae and a native complex mixture of gangliosides extracted and purified from adult human cerebellum was studied using an analytical platform encompassing fully automated chip-nanoelectrospray ionization (nanoESI) on a NanoMate robot coupled to a high-capacity ion trap (HCT) mass spectrometer (MS). The interaction assay involved the incubation of Ctb5 and gangliosides dissolved in 10 mM ammonium acetate buffer at pH 5.8. This pH value enhanced the dissociation of the monomers constituting Ctb5 and allowed the direct interaction between the monomers and gangliosides. Aliquots of the reaction products were collected directly after 10, 30, and 60 min of incubation in the 96-well plate of the NanoMate robot and immediately submitted to MS analysis. Except for the Ctb envelope, positive ion mode chip-nanoESI mass spectra presented 25 signals corresponding to multiply protonated ions of the Ctb complexes with different gangliosides, all belonging to the G1 class. Certain complexes revealed Ctb interaction with G1 species of high sialylation degree or modified by fucosylation, which were not discovered in human cerebellum before. Multistage fragmentation carried out by electron transfer dissociation (ETD) followed by collision-induced dissociation (CID) on the Ctb complex with Fuc-GT1 (d18:1/18:0) provided data supporting the binding of the c isomer of Fuc-GT1 (d18:1/18:0) to histidine 14 (H14), most probably via Neu5Ac.
The Effect of Work Satisfaction and Work Spirituality on Performance through Organizational Commitments: a Quantitative Approach to College Lecturers in Ternate, Indonesia

The study aims to test the impact of job satisfaction on performance, the influence of workplace spirituality on performance and the implementation of organisational commitment integration on the effect of job satisfaction on performance as well as test the organisational commitment to the influence of workplace spirituality on performance. The object of this research is the teaching staff in the State College in Ternate City. Data collected using questionnaires, distributed to employees working at public universities in Ternate, namely IAIN and Unkhair. There were 340 questionnaires successfully collected and analysed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test the hypothesis with the AMOS application and to determine whether the influence of mediation was used using the Sobel Test. The results of this study show that job satisfaction does not affect performance while working spirituality has a positive effect on employee performance. organisational commitment to affect the positive influence of job satisfaction on employee performance and organisational commitments significantly metabolised the positive influence of working spirituality on employee performance.
Design of a long span Belfast truss using UK home-grown timber (ECCM –ECFD 2018 Conference)

1 Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Rd, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, cocis@napier.ac.uk www.napier.ac.uk 2 Edinburgh Napier University, Unit 1, 7 Hills Business Park, Bankhead Crossway South, Edinburgh EH11 4EP, R.Hairstans@napier.ac.uk www.napier.ac.uk 3 Edinburgh Napier University, Unit 1, 7 Hills Business Park, Bankhead Crossway South, Edinburgh EH11 4EP, A.Livingstone@napier.ac.uk www.napier.ac.uk
Population genetic structure and species displacement during range expansion of invasive geckos

iii Acknowledgments.vi List of Tables and Figures.viii Chapter 1: General Introduction.1 Chapter 2: Boldness underlies foraging success of invasive Lepidodactylus lugubris geckos in the human landscape (reprinted from Animal Behaviour with permission from Elsevier). 8 Chapter 3: Isolation and characterization of twelve polymorphic microsatellite markers in the tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) (reprinted from Molecular Ecology Resources with permission from John Wiley and Sons). 17 Chapter 4: Ephemeral fine-scale population structure during range expansion of an invasive gecko.20 Chapter 5: Genetic evidence for human-mediated dispersal during the range expansion of the tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia.49 Chapter 6: Rapid species replacement during the invasion of Florida by the tropical house gecko Hemidactylus mabouia.77 Chapter 7: General Conclusions.104
Effectiveness of price forecasting techniques for capturing asymmetric volatility for onion in selected markets of Delhi

Onion prices exhibit very high instability/volatility in all the selected markets of Delhi. The present study aimed to forecast the prices of onion for three markets of Delhi, viz. Azadpur, Keshopur and Shahdara using different foresting techniques. The study was based on times series secondary data on monthly wholesale price of onion from April 2005 to February 2015. After ensuring the stationarity of series after seasonal adjustment and differencing, the best ARIMA model was chosen for individual series. The residuals were checked for the presence of autocorrelation, it was found that the residuals are correlated implying improper specification of the models. Also, the plots of prices in the selected markets also exhibited nonlinearity in the series, which necessitated the application of non-linearmodels to the data. Considering this, squared residuals were checked for the presence of conditional heteroscedasticity. The presence of conditional heteroscedasticity was found in all the three price series. A significant ARCH-LM test and high value of skewness and kurtosis coefficients justify the selection of EGARCH models as the best fit models in these markets. The out-of-sample forecast of onion price has been carried out by using the best fitted EGARCH/GARCH model and it is projected that the prices of onion will be between rupees 1800-1950 per quintal in Azadpur and Shahdara market; while the prices will remain between rupees 2178 to 2413 per quintal in Keshopur market during March to July, 2015.
Assessing the genetic diversity of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] accessions from Sudan using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among 252 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.)Walp) accessions collected throughout the six geographical regions of Sudan were evaluated using simple sequence repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Eighteen (18) published primer pairs were selected based on their informativeness, out of which 16 primer pairs gave reproducible results among all of the cowpea accessions tested. A total of 129 alleles were detected from the 16 loci with an average of 8.1 alleles per locus. Heterozygosity values ranged from 0.01 to 0.13 with an average occurrence of 0.05 while the gene diversity ranged from 0.34 to 0.85 with an average of 0.60. The polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.33 to 0.83 with an average of 0.56. Sudanese Cowpea germplasm clustered into three main groups with control germplasm obtained from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) showing distribution along two groups. This study confirms earlier suggestions that cowpea was first introduced into Sudan from West African countries into western Sudan (Kordofan and Darfur) regions. Accession TVU 8812-IITA Benin was found to be the most divergent cowpea accession within the individuals followed by accession HSD 5738 Sudan-Blue Nile and HSD 6782 Sudan-South Kordofan. Key words: Simple sequence repeat, microsatellites, genetic diversity, cowpea.
Activity measurement in pediatric chronic fatigue syndrome

Objectives Individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) experience debilitating symptoms, including post-exertional malaise, an intensification of symptoms after physical or cognitive exertion. Previous studies found differences in the activity levels and patterns of activity among individuals with ME and CFS, compared to healthy controls; however, limited research exists on the activity levels of pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to examine differences in activity between healthy children and youth with ME and CFS. Methods The present study examines the objective (i.e., ActiGraphy) and self-reported levels of activity among children (ages 5 to 17) enrolled in a community-based study of pediatric CFS. Results Children with ME and CFS evidenced lower activity levels than healthy control children. Moreover, participants with ME and CFS evidenced increased nighttime activity and delayed initiation of daytime activity. Participants’ self-reported activity data significantly correlated with their ActiGraph data, suggesting that children with ME and CFS are able to accurately describe their activity level. Discussion This study highlights differences in activity level and diurnal/nocturnal activity patterns between healthy children and those with ME and CFS. These differences should be considered in identifying appropriate supports and accommodations for children with ME and CFS.
Behavioral Changes in Stem-Cell Potency by HepG2-Exhausted Medium

Wharton jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are able to differentiate into different cell lineages upon stimulation. This ability is closely related to the perfect balance between the pluripotency-related genes, which control stem-cell proliferation, and genes able to orchestrate the appearance of a specific phenotype. Here we studied the expression of stemness-related genes, epigenetic regulators (DNMT1, SIRT1), miRNAs (miR-145, miR-148, and miR-185) related to stemness, exosomes, the cell-cycle regulators p21 (WAF1/CIP1) and p53, and the senescence-associated genes (p16, p19, and hTERT). Cells were cultured in the presence or absence of the human hepatocarcinoma cell line HepG2-exhausted medium, to evaluate changes in stemness, differentiation capability, and senescence sensibility. Our results showed the overexpression of SIRT1 and reduced levels of p21 mRNA. Moreover, we observed a downregulation of DNMT1, and a simultaneous overexpression of Oct-4 and c-Myc. These findings suggest that WJ-MSCs are more likely to retain a stem phenotype and sometimes to switch to a highly undifferentiable proliferative-like behavior if treated with medium exhausted by human HepG2 cell lines.
Challenges and Sensitivities in the Modelling of Fukushima Unit 1 Unfolding with MELCOR 2 . 2

The Fukushima accident occurred in Japan on 11 March 2011 has revived the interest for the analysis of severe accidents. The scarce and sometimes unreliable data concerning boundary conditions, effectiveness of accident management measures and equipment performance, pose a tough challenge in modelling the Fukushima accident scenarios. Throughout an analysis of the challenges posed by the Fukushima Unit 1 data recorded, this paper describes the major postulates proposed by CIEMAT concerning the equipment and component responses, the effectiveness of accident management actions and the MELCOR model applied. Among most influencing assumptions are those related to the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) leaking pathways and failure mode, the water flow rate entering the reactor, the potential leaking pathways and failure mode and location from the primary containment vessel (PCV) to the reactor building, the corium relocation from RPV to the cavity and its distribution in the PCV, the potential stratification of the suppression pool and the hypotheses made a priori concerning fission product release and transport. Based on the postulated scenario and model, a remarkable agreement of the thermal footprints in terms of RPV and PCV pressures during 500 h has been achieved, in which the RPV and PCV leaks/failures as well as venting played a determining role in the short run of the accident and water injection heavily conditioned the long one. As for the scarce data related to fission products (FP), a consistent agreement is found in the suppression chamber, but estimates in the Dry-Well are about an order of magnitude below measurements despite showing the observed trend. A number of factors might affect FP comparisons to data, from the approximate method to derive dose rates (measurements) from FP masses (MELCOR results) to the RPV and PCV postulated failures. Anyway, based on the data available the set of hypotheses and approximations made seem to make up a defensible scenario for Fukushima-I Unit 1. The studies and results presented in this paper have been achieved under the frame of the OECD/BSAF projects through the CSN-CIEMAT collaboration agreement on severe accidents research.
Rhinomanometry Versus Computational Fluid Dynamics: Correlated, but Different Techniques

Background Past studies reported a low correlation between rhinomanometry and computational fluid dynamics (CFD), but the source of the discrepancy was unclear. Low correlation or lack of correlation has also been reported between subjective and objective measures of nasal patency. Objective: This study investigates (1) the correlation and agreement between nasal resistance derived from CFD (RCFD) and rhinomanometry (RRMN), and (2) the correlation between objective and subjective measures of nasal patency. Methods Twenty-five patients with nasal obstruction underwent anterior rhinomanometry before and after mucosal decongestion with oxymetazoline. Subjective nasal patency was assessed with a 0-10 visual analog scale (VAS). CFD simulations were performed based on computed tomography scans obtained after mucosal decongestion. To validate the CFD methods, nasal resistance was measured in vitro (REXPERIMENT) by performing pressure-flow experiments in anatomically accurate plastic nasal replicas from 6 individuals. Results Mucosal decongestion was associated with a reduction in bilateral nasal resistance (0.34 ± 0.23 Pa.s/ml to 0.19 ± 0.24 Pa.s/ml, p = 0.003) and improved sensation of nasal airflow (bilateral VAS decreased from 5.2 ± 1.9 to 2.6 ± 1.9, p < 0.001). A statistically significant correlation was found between VAS in the most obstructed cavity and unilateral airflow before and after mucosal decongestion (r = −0.42, p = 0.003). Excellent correlation was found between RCFD and REXPERIMENT (r = 0.96, p < 0.001) with good agreement between the numerical and in vitro values (RCFD/REXPERIMENT = 0.93 ± 0.08). A weak correlation was found between RCFD and RRMN (r = 0.41, p = 0.003) with CFD underpredicting nasal resistance derived from rhinomanometry (RCFD/RRMN = 0.65 ± 0.63). A stronger correlation was found when unilateral airflow at a pressure drop of 75 Pa was used to compare CFD with rhinomanometry (r = 0.76, p < 0.001). Conclusion CFD and rhinomanometry are moderately correlated, but CFD underpredicts nasal resistance measured in vivo due in part to the assumption of rigid nasal walls. Our results confirm previous reports that subjective nasal patency correlates better with unilateral than with bilateral measurements and in the context of an intervention.
Path analysis of genotype × environment interactions in rainfed durum wheat

Abstract This study was investigated to analyze genotype × environment (GE) interactions for grain yield and its components and to investigate the mechanism by which the stability of grain yield is achieved in rainfed durum wheat. Twenty-four durum wheat genotypes (breeding lines, old, and new varieties) along with one old bread wheat cultivar were tested in 21 diversified rainfed environments during 2010–2013 cropping seasons. The data were analyzed by path analysis model which is composed of a main effect and four multiplicative effects. The flowering time (X1), maturity time (X2), plant height (X3), and 1000-kernel weight (X4) were assumed to be sequential characters for the development of grain yield productivity (Y) in rainfed durum wheat. A high relationship (p < .01) between observed and expected yields of genotypes in different environments confirmed the validity of the causal scheme adopted in the analysis. Comparison the estimates of components provided information on the degree of response of each genotype to the environmental stresses. The results indicated that higher grain yields are associated with higher kernel weight (v4), which resulted from early flowering (v1), and so more emphasis should be given to these traits for the improvement of yield potential in durum wheat under highland rainfed conditions of Iran. Positive correlation of stability variance (σ2) with v4 component indicated that the kernel weight is the main contributor towards GE interaction for grain yield in rainfed durum wheat.