Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pig (sus scrof) decomposition in lotic and lentic aquatic systems as tool for determination a postmortem submersion interval in the andean amazon, Caquetá, Colombia

Objectives: Analyze the succession of insects associated with the decomposition of bodies in two aquatic ecosystems in the Andean Amazon. Scope: Provide information on the insects associated with bodies that decompose within aquatic habitats and the duration times of each decomposition phase as a tool for the determination of the post-mortem submerged interval (PMSI). Methodology: Three carcasses were placed in a stream and three in a lake, the sampling carried out every five hours, from the moment of death to its skeletonization. Main results: Total decomposition lasted for 14 days in the stream and 16 days in the lake. Six decomposition stages were observed: submerged fresh, early floating, floating decay, bloated deterioration, floating remains and sunken remains. A total of 1172 organisms were collected on the carcasses in the stream and 1585 in the lake. Trophic relationships identified were: Shredders, collectors, predators, necrophages, sarcosaprophages and incidentals. In the stream, the caddisfly shredders were the most representative organisms in the submerged fresh stage. In the lake, the mayfly shredders, and hemipterous and odonate predators, were the most representative organisms in the early floating stage. The necrophagous and sarcosaprophagous diptera were the most representative organisms in the stages exposed to the surface in both ecosystems. Conclusions: The PMSI for both carcasses was similar in the two habitats, each showing six stages of decomposition, confirming that decomposition in lotic and lentic ecosystems is different from that observed for terrestrial environments.
Development of a Method for Evaluating Quality of Education in Secondary Schools Using ML Algorithms

Machine learning algorithms may have very wide area of applications. In this paper we used machine learning algorithms to establish a method for evaluating the quality of education in secondary schools, depending on their past experience. The tool developed can be used for performance comparison between different schools and future score prediction. We collected and compared the results of almost 650 students from various regions of Nigeria to establish a relationship between their academic performance in internal and external exams. Internal exams are those conducted by their respective schools while external exams are those held by independent bodies, like WAEC and JAMB. We conducted a regression test on UTME (JAMB) scores and classification test on WASSCE (WAEC) scores. With simple but effective algorithms, we managed to reduce the mean squared error by %75 for regression model, and improved the prediction accuracy in classification by %35. Model development was done by using Python libraries. With a developed model, we compared performances of the schools from different regions in Nigeria. Results show that findings are acceptable and applicable for further use.
Comparing Growth and Development of Low and Normal Birth Weight Children at Age of 60 Months

Background: Low birth weight (LBW < 2500 g) is one of the most serious problems in today’s world. It is also a predictor for mortality and stunting. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the growth and development at the age of 60 months between children born with low and normal birth weight in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: This study is part of the Fars birth cohort (FBC) study with the data of children who were born in 2011. We called mothers and asked them to bring their children to the FBC clinic for further evaluation. We also determined the level of development at the age of 60 months for each child by using the Ages and Stages questionnaire (ASQ) for the children. Results: Of the children, 304 (51.4%) were girls. Most of them had normal birth weight (93.2%), had exclusive breastfeeding for five to six months (79.9%), and did not have any chronic diseases (77.8%). Growth indices at the age of 60 months were significantly higher in children with normal birth weight than in their LBW peers (P < 0.001). However, we found no significant difference in children’s development at the age of 60 months between normal and low birth weight children. Conclusions: Although growth indices of children at the age of 60 months were higher in children with normal birth weight, we found no significant difference in children’s development at the age of 60 months between normal and low birth weight children.
Stresses in a Cylindrical Wood Particle Undergoing Devolatilization in a Hot Bubbling Fluidized Bed

A mathematical model capable of estimating the temperature and stress distribution in a devolatilizing cylindrical wood particle is proposed. The model assumes wood as orthotropic and comprises a thermal submodel and a stress submodel. It takes into account the contributions to stress by the temperature rise, shrinkage during drying and devolatilization, and mechanosorption. The thermal submodel estimates the temperature distribution and shrinkage as a function of space and time to be used as inputs to the stress submodel. Calculations have been carried out for cylindrical wood particles of aspect ratio l/d = 1 and with dimensions of 10, 20, and 30 mm. The model predictions compared with the results of an available drying model are found to be satisfactory. During devolatilization of the wood particle, the model predicts high compressive stresses at the center while those at the surface are tensile in nature and moderate in magnitude. A modified von Mises criterion predicts failure at the axial center of .
PERFORMANCE OF ZSM-5 CATALYST IN THE DIMETHYL ETHER TO OLEFINS PROCESS

ABSTRACT The conversion of dimethyl ether (DME) to hydrocarbons is the latter step in the conversion of syngas to hydrocarbons via DME. The shape-selective ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst plays an instrumental part in this reaction in limiting the higher end of the product spectrum. This process, being of an exothermic nature, results in a temperature rise across the catalyst bed causing some hydrocarbons to be deposited on the catalyst as coke. The presence of water as a byproduct in the catalyst environment also enhances the catalyst deactivation. Deactivation of the ZSM-5 catalyst is studied in detail in terms of catalyst performance and life over a period of time. The conversion of DME and the hydrocarbon product distribution are studied as a function of time-on-stream The SiO2/Al2O3molar ratio of the ZSM-5 catalyst is regarded to be important in determining the degree of coke formation as well as the product distribution of the final hydrocarbon product. Catalysts used in aging experiments were studied as to .
Estimates of unknown transformation parameters in terrestrial measurements: one simulated problem

In connection with the expansion of 3D scanners, 3D object modeling has become highly studied in recent years. Many methods are currently available to solve the registration problem, whereby unknown transformation parameters need to be estimated when targeting a 3D object in multiple scans from different locations. Two different problems are encountered in the practice of targeting 3D objects in geodesy or construction. In the first variant, the measurement of the coordinates of the points of the 3D object is realized in several scans on tens of points marked with targets on a reflective surface. In the second variant, measurements of the coordinates of "clouds of hundreds or thousands of points" are available in several scans from different coordinate systems. In clouds it is necessary to find matching pairs of points, called identical points, based on their color match. In both versions, the coordinates of identical points from different coordinate systems must be recalculated to the selected coordinate system during data fusion. The problem leads to finding unknown shift and rotation transformation parameters. The aim of this article is to simulate the measurement of identical points in multiple scans. We will create a test task that can be used to test the methods proposed to solve the registration problem.
How to test for oscillatory modulation of neural function and behaviour

The question whether perception or other processes depend on the phase of neural oscillations is a research topic that is rapidly gaining popularity. Importantly however, it is unknown which methods are optimally suited to evaluate the hypothesized phase effect. Using a simulation approach, we here test the ability of different methods to detect such an effect and reject an absent one. We reveal optimal methods for different parameters that characterise the phase effect or depend on the experimental design to test for it. We demonstrate that permutation-based methods perform better than parametric ones for all of the simulated parameters. The identity of the optimal parametric method varies with several parameters, in particular with the number of phase bins chosen for the analysis and the width of the phase effect. In contrast, the identity of the best permutation-based method is unaffected by changes in the simulated parameters. In sum, our study lays a foundation for optimized experimental designs and analyses in future studies investigating the role of neural phase for behaviour and neural function. We supply MATLAB code that can be used to identify the ideal method (among all of the methods tested) for a specific scientific hypothesis and set of experimental parameters.
Voltammetric Determination of Dialifos in Soils with a Mercury Film Ultramicroelectrode

Abstract An extraction‐adsorptive stripping voltammetric procedure for the determination of the pesticide dialifos in soil samples using microwave‐assisted solvent extraction and a mercury film ultramicroelectrode was developed. The method is based on the use of hexane‐acetone solvent (1:1, v/v) and on controlled adsorptive accumulation of the insecticide at the potential of −0.10 V (versus Ag/AgCl) in the presence of Britton‐Robinson buffer (pH 2.0). Soil sample extracts were analyzed directly after drying and redissolution with the supporting electrolyte, but without other pre‐treatment. The limit of detection obtained for a 10 sec collection time was 2.0×10−8 mol L−1. Recovery experiments for the global procedure, at the 0.100 µg g−1 level, gave satisfactory average and standard deviation results for the two different soils tested.
Two polybasic domains of septin9 control septin filaments assembly and Golgi integrity

Septins are GTP-binding proteins involved in several membrane remodeling mechanisms. They associate with membranes, presumably by using a polybasic domain (PB1) that interacts with phosphoinositides (PIs). Membrane-bound septins assemble into microscopic structures that regulate membrane shape. How septins exactly interact with PIs, assemble, and shape membranes is weakly understood. Here, we found that septin 9 has a second polybasic domain (PB2) conserved in the human septin family. Similarly to PB1, PB2 binds specifically to PIs, and both domains are critical for septin filament formation. However, septin 9 membrane association does not depend on these PB domains but on putative PB-adjacent amphipathic helices. The presence of the PB domains guarantees the protein enrichment to PI-contained membranes, which is critical for PI-enriched organelles. In particular, we found that septin 9 PB domains control the assembly and functionality of the Golgi apparatus. Our findings bring novel insights into the role of septins in organelle morphology. Highlights Two polybasic domains mediate septin 9 interaction with PIs Human septins have amphipathic helices suitable for binding membrane Septin 9 polybasic domains mediate septin high order structure formation Mutation or depletion of septin polybasic domains induce Golgi fragmentation
Comprehensive genome-wide identification of angiosperm upstream ORFs with peptide sequences conserved in various taxonomic ranges using a novel pipeline, ESUCA

Background Upstream open reading frames (uORFs) in the 5′-untranslated regions (5′-UTRs) of certain eukaryotic mRNAs encode evolutionarily conserved functional peptides, such as cis-acting regulatory peptides that control translation of downstream main ORFs (mORFs). For genome-wide searches for uORFs with conserved peptide sequences (CPuORFs), comparative genomic studies have been conducted, in which uORF sequences were compared between selected species. To increase chances of identifying CPuORFs, we previously developed an approach in which uORF sequences were compared using BLAST between Arabidopsis and any other plant species with available transcript sequence databases. If this approach is applied to multiple plant species belonging to phylogenetically distant clades, it is expected to further comprehensively identify CPuORFs conserved in various plant lineages, including those conserved among relatively small taxonomic groups. Results To efficiently compare uORF sequences among many species and efficiently identify CPuORFs conserved in various taxonomic lineages, we developed a novel pipeline, ESUCA. We applied ESUCA to the genomes of five angiosperm species, which belong to phylogenetically distant clades, and selected CPuORFs conserved among at least three different orders. Through these analyses, we identified 88 novel CPuORF families. As expected, ESUCA analysis of each of the five angiosperm genomes identified many CPuORFs that were not identified from ESUCA analyses of the other four species. However, unexpectedly, these CPuORFs include those conserved in wide taxonomic ranges, indicating that the approach used here is useful not only for comprehensive identification of narrowly conserved CPuORFs but also for that of widely conserved CPuORFs. Examination of the effects of 11 selected CPuORFs on mORF translation revealed that CPuORFs conserved only in relatively narrow taxonomic ranges can have sequence-dependent regulatory effects, suggesting that most of the identified CPuORFs are conserved because of functional constraints of their encoded peptides. Conclusions This study demonstrates that ESUCA is capable of efficiently identifying CPuORFs likely to be conserved because of the functional importance of their encoded peptides. Furthermore, our data show that the approach in which uORF sequences from multiple species are compared with those of many other species, using ESUCA, is highly effective in comprehensively identifying CPuORFs conserved in various taxonomic ranges.
Single-cell heterogeneity in the chloroplast redox state mediates acclimation to stress in a marine diatom

Diatoms are photosynthetic microorganisms of great ecological and biogeochemical importance, forming vast blooms in diverse aquatic ecosystems. Current understanding of phytoplankton acclimation to stress is based on population-level analysis, masking cell-to-cell variability. Here we investigated heterogeneity within Phaeodactylum tricornutum populations in response to oxidative stress, which is induced by environmental stress conditions. We combined flow cytometry and a microfluidics system for live imaging to measure redox dynamics at the single-cell level using the roGFP sensor. Chloroplast-targeted roGFP exhibited a light-dependent, bi-stable oxidation pattern in response to H2O2, revealing distinct subpopulations of sensitive oxidized cells and resilient reduced cells. Subpopulation proportions depended on growth phase, linking the bi-stable phenotype to proliferation. Oxidation of chloroplast-targeted roGFP preceded commitment to cell death and was used as a novel cell fate predictor. We propose that light-dependent metabolic heterogeneity results in differential stress responses that regulate cell fate within diatom populations.
Evolution of multiple CDK1 paralogs towards specializations in late cell cycle events in a lineage with fast developing planktonic embryos.

The CDK1 kinase is required for most eukaryotic cell cycles. The active site is generated by essential, structural elements, among which the PSTAIRE motif in the critical C-helix, is universally conserved in metazoans. The CDK2 kinase, sharing the PSTAIRE, arose early in metazoan evolution and permitted subdivision of tasks along the S-M-phase axis. The marine planktonic chordate, Oikopleura dioica, is the only metazoan known to possess more than a single CDK1 ortholog, and all of its 5 paralogs show sequence divergences in the PSTAIRE. Through assessing CDK1 gene duplications in the rapidly evolving oikopleurid lineage, we show that the CDK1 activation loop substrate binding platform, ATP entrance site, hinge region, and main Cyclin binding interface, have all diversified under positive selection. Three of the 5 CDK1 paralogs, a, b and d, are required for embryonic divisions and knockdown phenotypes indicate further subdivision of functions along the S-M-phase axis. In parallel to the CDK1 gene amplification there has also been amplification in the Cyclin B complement. Among these, the CDK1d:Cyclin Ba pairing is required for completion of oogenic meiosis and early embryonic divisions and shows evidence of coevolution of an exclusive interaction. In an intriguing twist on the general rule that it is Cyclin B oscillations on a background of stable CDK1 levels that regulate M-phase MPF activity, it is the CDK1d protein levels that oscillate, rather than Cyclin Ba levels, to drive rapid, early embryonic cell cycles. Strikingly, the modified PSTAIRE of odCDK1d shows convergence over great evolutionary distance with plant CDKB, and in both O. dioica, and plants, these variants exhibit increased specialization to M-phase.
Mössbauer study of 57Fe ions implanted in Ti and TiN

Ti and TiN layers implanted with 57Fe ions were studied by conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy at 295 and 80 K. In as‐implanted Ti samples the local states of iron implants were assigned to α‐Ti(Fe) and β‐Ti(Fe). In TiN, about 68% of iron implants replace Ti atoms forming Fe2N and nonstoichiometric Fe–N complexes. The remaining Fe ions replace N atoms exhibiting α‐Ti(Fe) and β‐Ti(Fe) states. The protective properties of the TiN cover layer are discussed in terms of changes of the these states after subsequent annealing in air.
Effect of vaccinating health care workers to control Ebola virus disease: a modelling analysis of outbreak data

Background Health care workers (HCW) are at risk of infection during Ebola virus disease outbreaks and therefore may be targeted for vaccination before or during outbreaks. The effect of these strategies depends on the role of HCW in transmission which is understudied. Methods To evaluate the effect of HCW-targeted or community vaccination strategies, we used a transmission model to explore the relative contribution of HCW and the community to transmission. We calibrated the model to data from multiple Ebola outbreaks. We quantified the impact of ahead-of-time HCW-targeted strategies, and reactive HCW and community vaccination. Results We found that for some outbreaks (we call “type 1”) HCW amplified transmission both to other HCW and the community, and in these outbreaks prophylactic vaccination of HCW decreased outbreak size. Reactive vaccination strategies had little effect because type 1 outbreaks ended quickly. However, in outbreaks with longer time courses (“type 2 outbreaks”), reactive community vaccination decreased the number of cases, with or without prophylactic HCW-targeted vaccination. For both outbreak types, we found that ahead-of-time HCW-targeted strategies had an impact at coverage of 30%. Conclusions The optimal vaccine strategy depends on the dynamics of the outbreak and the impact of other interventions on transmission. Although we will not know the characteristics of a new outbreak, ahead-of-time HCW-targeted vaccination can decrease the total outbreak size, even at low vaccine coverage. summary Targeting health care workers for Ebola virus disease vaccination can decrease the size of outbreaks, and the number of health care workers infected. The impact of these strategies decrease depends on timing, coverage, and the dynamics of the outbreak.
Changes to the microbiome of the stomach and intestine of Threespine Sticklebacks 1 associated with infection by the cestode Schistocephalus solidus .

Helminth parasites are extremely diverse, prevalent, and infective of virtually all phyla. However, 17 until recently, parasitic helminth infections have been studied as interactions between the host and 18 the parasite, leaving out key players; microbes. Microbes play key roles in the biology of all living 19 organisms, and this concept is challenging our understanding of host and parasite interactions. 20 Because the microbiome controls many aspects of the physiology and behavior of their host, the 21 discovery that many helminths can disrupt their host microbiome, either deliberately or as a side 22 effect of infection, is of great significance. However, this phenomenon has been exclusively 23 studied in helminth parasites that inhabit the gut, and hence share the same environment as their 24 host microbiome. In this study we investigate the composition of the microbiome of threespine 25 sticklebacks infected by the cestode Schistocephalus solidus who grows in the sterile body cavity 26 of its intermediate host. Using a combination of qPCR and 16S sequencing approaches we show 27 that S. solidus infection is associated with a significant increase in bacterial load and changes in 28 diversity and composition of the microbiome of bpoth the stomach and intestine of sticklebacks. 29 We hypothesize that S. solidus interacts with host microbes either directly during the first 24 hours 30 of infection, or indirectly, through modulation of the host immune system. The role of the 31 stickleback microbiome in the outcome of S. solidus infection remains to be investigated. composition of the host gut microbiome. Our study reveals for the first time that a cestode 38 parasite, that grows within the body cavity of its host, could be responsible for changes in the 39 microbiome composition of its host. This suggests that the interplay between parasite and host 40 associated microbes may be due to indirect mechanism, such as modulation of the host immune 41 response. Functional studies are now necessary to determine the mechanisms behind parasite- 42 associated alterations of their host microbiomes.
EEG-based Identification of Evidence Accumulation Stages in Decision-Making

Dating back to the 19th century, the discovery of processing stages has been of great interest to researchers in cognitive science. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the validity of a recently developed method, hidden semi-Markov model multivariate pattern analysis (HsMM-MVPA), for discovering stages directly from EEG data, in contrast to classical reaction-time-based methods. To test the validity of stages discovered with the HsMM-MVPA method, we applied it to two relatively simple tasks where the interpretation of processing stages is straightforward. In these visual discrimination EEG data experiments, perceptual processing and decision difficulty were manipulated. The HsMM-MVPA revealed that participants progressed through five cognitive processing stages while performing these tasks. The brain activation of one of those stages was dependent on perceptual processing, whereas the brain activation and the duration of two other stages were dependent on decision difficulty. In addition, evidence accumulation models (EAMs) were used to assess to what extent the results of HsMM-MVPA are comparable to standard reaction-time-based methods. Consistent with the HsMM-MVPA results, EAMs showed that nondecision time varied with perceptual difficulty and drift rate varied with decision difficulty. Moreover, nondecision and decision time of the EAMs correlated highly with the first two and last three stages of the HsMM-MVPA, respectively, indicating that the HsMM-MVPA gives a more detailed description of stages discovered with this more classical method. The results demonstrate that cognitive stages can be robustly inferred with the HsMM-MVPA.