Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Building a light-sheet microscope to study the early development of the polyclad flatworm Maritigrella crozieri (Hyman, 1939)

The Lophotrochozoa is an evolutionary interesting clade comprising many and mostly marine phyla. Despite their diverse morphology, these animals often have a biphasic life-cycle in form of a free-swimming, ciliated larval stage, the trochophore, and seemingly retained a highly conserved developmental pattern called spiral cleavage. This opens the door for comparative studies to better understand the shared mechanisms of the spiralian developmental program, its deviations and the evolution of lophotrochozoan body plans. Here I studied the early development and larva formation in the polyclad flatworm Maritigrella crozieri and compared it with other members of this evolutionarily diverse group of animals. In order to conduct this research, I first built a light-sheet microscope (OpenSPIM) that would allow me to follow the development of the polyclad embryo from the zygote into the larval stage and to acquire sophisticated 3d-reconstructions of fixed embryonic stages. I then used this and other techniques to characterise in detail the early development of M. crozieri and its conserved spiral cleavage pattern. Precise volume measurements of 3d-reconstructed early blastomeres and the investigations of associated cleavage patterns indicate that this polyclad worm may not follow a strictly equal spiral cleavage type, as was previously thought. I investigated the cleavage pattern and fate of micromere 4d, which in M. crozieri gives rise to mesoderm and generates bilaterally symmetric embryos at a cellular level. A first cell lineage analysis of this organism involved long-term live imaging recordings and point to a conserved fate of blastomeres that, like in other spiral cleavers, give rise to ectodermally derived structures, specifically the larva’s locomotion system (ciliary band) and a sensory organ at the apical point (apical organ). These findings strengthen the idea that these structures may be homologous to those found in other trochophore larvae. This work increased the current knowledge of the early development of the polyclad flatworm M. crozieri, which facilitates evolutionary comparisons of the development of different flatworms and lophotrochozoans more broadly and can contribute to addressing the homology of marine larvae.
Deuterium and 37Chlorine Rich Fluids on the Surface of Mars: Evidence From the Enriched Basaltic Shergottite Northwest Africa 8657

Apatite, a major hydrous mineral in Martian meteorites, has the potential to reveal history of volatiles on Mars. Here we report the H and Cl isotopic systematics of apatite from the enriched basaltic shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 8657 to better understand the processes influencing volatiles at or near the Martian (sub)surface. The apatite in NWA 8657 has the highest reported δD value (up to 6,509‰) of any phosphates in Martian meteorites. The positive correlation between the H2O contents (72–2,251 ppm) and δD values (3,965–6,509‰) as well as between the Cl contents (1.28–6.17wt%) and δ37Cl values (−1.7–4.0‰) in NWA 8657 apatite are consistent with mixing between volatiles derived from the Martian mantle and meteoric water/fluid. The D‐ and 37Cl‐enrichment of apatite in NWA 8657 implies isotopic exchange with subsurficial fluids during postcrystallization hydrothermal event(s).
Assembly and phylogenetic analysis of complete chloroplast genome of a wild tobacco Nicotiana Attenuata

Abstract Nicotiana attenuata (N. attenuata) is an annual herb that induces nicotine, volatiles and phenolics in response to damage. In this study, we assembled the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of N. attenuata with the length of 155,886 bp, which was composed of a large single copy region (LSC) of 86,602 bp, a small copy (SSC) region of 18,518 bp and a pair of inverted repeats (IR) of 25,383 bp. This typical cp genome contains 112 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis of 32 plant cp genomes based on 76 conserved protein-coding genes shows that N. attenuata is evolutionarily close to N. tabacum, then Capsicum annuum. The complete cp genome sequence of N. attenuata may provide a crucial foundation for the study of evolution, molecular biology and genetic engineering in Nicotiana species.
A New Species of Ormocerus Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) from North America and a Range Expansion for Ormocerus latus Walker.

Abstract. Ormocerus dirigoius Morin & Gates, n. sp. is described and compared to the North American O. americanus Dzhanokmen and Grissell and European species O. latus Walker and O. vernalis Walker. A range expansion into the Nearctic is reported for O. latus, previously only known from the Palearctic. Specimens were collected in Harpswell, Maine during a study of the parasitic Hymenoptera community associated with Operophtera brumata Linnaeus (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), an invasive species. The species are keyed and illustrated using macrophotography and scanning electron microphotography.
A Cross-sectional Clinic-based Study Exploring whether Variants within Genes Coding for Enzymes of the Transmethylation and Trans-sulphuration Pathways Are Associated with Inter-individual Phenotypic Variation in Sickle Cell Anaemia in Jamaica

Objective: To explore potential associations between four biallelic variants within three genes that code for enzymes involved in either the transmethylation (methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR)) or trans-sulphuration (cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS)) metabolic pathways, and clinically relevant phenotypic measures in sickle cell anaemia [homozygous haemoglobin SS] (HbSS). Methods: A total of 371 participants with HbSS disease were recruited from the Sickle Cell Clinic of the Sickle Cell Unit at The University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Genotypes at four sites (MTHFR C677T, MTHFR A1298C, MTR A2756G and CBS 844ins68) within the three genes were determined using polymerase chain reaction-based assays. Results: Univariate regression analyses showed statistically significant associations between MTHFR C677T and red blood cell (RBC) count (p = 0.019) and between MTHFR C677T and mean corpuscular volume (p = 0.015). Multivariable regression analyses showed statistically significant associations between MTHFR C677T and packed cell volume values (p = 0.019), between MTHFR C677T and RBC count (p = 0.013), and between MTHFR A1298C and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (p = 0.026). Conclusion: This exploratory cross-sectional study has generated novel and informative genotype-phenotype estimates of association, but larger studies are needed to determine whether the specific variants within these genes underlying the transmethylation and trans-sulphuration pathways are related to inter-individual phenotypic variability in HbSS.
Impact of the effective refractive index in AlGaN-based mid-UV laser structures on waveguiding

The effective refractive index in optically-pumped 265 nm AlGaN-based lasers is assessed from the spacing of the longitudinal cavity modes in short laser cavities. It is found that the effective refractive index is significantly higher than the value estimated from the Sellmeier equation (n = 2.5) and reaches values of 2.9 and 3.2 for structures with 3 and 15 quantum wells, respectively. These results indicate that the Sellmeier equation underestimates the effective refractive index in AlGaN-based laser structures and that a different approach is needed for successful mid-UV laser modeling and design.
The role of experience during playing bullying prevention serious game: effects on knowledge and compassion

ABSTRACT In line with previous findings stressing the importance of the player experience for game effectiveness, the main aim of the study was to explore whether the experience while playing a serious digital game aimed at bullying prevention mediated the relationship between initial and postgame knowledge about appropriate reactions in bullying situations, and initial and postgame compassion for the victim. Participants were 12- to 14-year-old students from 10 European schools (N = 120; 51% boys). Students were assessed in schools, by an online survey, before and after gaming sessions, on measures of knowledge about appropriate reactions in bullying situations and compassion for the victim. Students’ experience during playing was also assessed. The proposed model showed a good fit to the data, but the mediation hypotheses were not supported. The results indicated that some aspects of the game experience could affect subsequent knowledge and compassion. Specifically, the challenge had a significant effect on knowledge about appropriate behaviour, while immersion had a significant effect on compassion. The model was tested on the wider sample including students who played the control game (N = 116; 46% boys). The results of moderated mediation analysis offer further support to this conclusion, as these effects were not significant in the control group.
Determination of Pharmaceuticals by UV-Visible Spectrophotometry

Pharmaceuticals are the chemical molecules which were invented to improve the life of living things through diagnosing, curing, treating, or preventing diseases. Pharmaceuticals can do their maximum function or work against disease or prevent from harmful effects of diseases only if they are free from impurities. The pharmaceutical analysis consists of different essential and important procedures to ascertain “identity, strength, quality and purity” of drug molecules. There are three different possibilities to originate impurities, which include (i) at the developmental stages of pharmaceuticals, (ii) at the time of transportation, and (iii) storage conditions. Therefore, the pharmaceuticals must be examined at all stages and the impurities should be discovered and quantified. The pharmaceutical analysis also admits that the analysis of intermediates and raw materials during the synthesis of drug molecules. Instrumentation is required to perform pharmaceutical analysis and methods can be developed to certain required levels. This review affords the basic theory of UV-Visible spectrophotometry and its applications, pharmaceutical method development and validation, and a list of some reported spectrophotometric methods, which are employed in pharmaceutical analysis from 2011 to 2020.
Characteristics of institutions with Learning Assistant programs: An equity investigation

Learning Assistant (LA) programs support instructors in transforming their courses to use evidence-based instructional strategies. We investigated the types of institutions that have LA programs to better understand how the distribution of those programs supports education across institutions. Using public websites and databases, we compared schools with and without LA programs, looking at a variety of institutional characteristics to determine whether the distribution of LA programs is equitable across different types of institutions. The results indicated that the majority of LA programs were at large-enrollment, public, research-intensive, four-year institutions. Minority serving institutions (MSIs) were equally well represented in the institutions with LA programs. MSIs with LA programs were, however, more likely than non-MSIs with LA programs to be teaching-intensive or two-year colleges. Further expanding the LA model into teaching-intensive and two-year colleges will more equitably share the benefits of the LA model with students from minoritized groups.
Simulation of Continental Shallow Cumulus Populations Using an Observation‐Constrained Cloud‐System Resolving Model

Continental shallow cumulus (ShCu) clouds observed on 30 August 2016 during the Holistic Interactions of Shallow Clouds, Aerosols, and Land‐Ecosystems (HI‐SCALE) field campaign are simulated by using an observation‐constrained cloud‐system resolving model. On this day, ShCu forms over Oklahoma and southern Kansas and some of these clouds transition to deeper, precipitating convection during the afternoon. We apply a four‐dimensional ensemble‐variational (4DEnVar) hybrid technique in the Community Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system to assimilate operational data sets and unique boundary layer measurements including a Raman lidar, radar wind profilers, radiosondes, and surface stations collected by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) atmospheric observatory into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to ascertain how improved environmental conditions can influence forecasts of ShCu populations and the transition to deeper convection. Independent observations from aircraft, satellite, as well as ARM's remote sensors are used to evaluate model performance in different aspects. Several model experiments are conducted to identify the impact of data assimilation (DA) on the prediction of clouds evolution. The analyses indicate that ShCu populations are more accurately reproduced after DA in terms of cloud initiation time and cloud base height, which can be attributed to an improved representation of the ambient meteorological conditions and the convective boundary layer. Extending the assimilation to 18 UTC (local noon) also improved the simulation of shallow‐to‐deep transitions of convective clouds.
GC–MS Analysis of Aqueous Extract of Unripe Fruit of Carica papaya

The present study was aimed to identify the likely phytocomponents present in Aqueous Extract of Unripe Fruit (AqEUF) of Carica papaya. The phytocomponents present in AqEUF of C. papaya was identified using GC–MS detection system. The results showed the presence of fifteen phytocomponents in AqEUF of C. papaya. The major phytocomponents present in AqEUF of C. papaya in terms of their relative abundance were octadecanoic acid, hexadecenoic acid, Z-11 and hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester, which corresponded to 23.84%, 19.17% and 18.25% respectively. The relative abundance of minor phytocomponents present in AqEUF of C. papaya was within a narrow range of 0.78-5.38%. The present investigation revealed that AqEUF of C. papaya was composed of variety of metabolites and therapeutic active substances as well as novel substances. These substances could be isolated and further empirically evaluated to confirm their biologic and medicinal activities as well as investigate their mechanism of action.
Research Progress on the Separation of Alkaloids from Chinese Medicines by Column Chromatography

Alkaloids have a variety of bioactivities and great development value in the fields of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and health food. Column chromatography is a common method for preparing alkaloids. In this paper, the research status of the separation and purification of alkaloids from Chinese medicines by column chromatography is reviewed, and the factors that influence the refining of alkaloids via a macroporous adsorption resin, ion exchange resin and silica gel are summarized. The thermodynamic and kinetic modeling methods for the static adsorption of adsorbents are also reviewed in this paper. It is suggested that the modeling method of the column chromatography process be deeply studied to establish a more stringent quality control method for sampling liquid and to strengthen the online detection of the chromatography process to improve the refining effect of alkaloids.
Power and shift invariant detection of dynamically coupled networks (PSIICOS) from non-invasive MEG data

MEG reflects electrical activity of neuronal assemblies that coalesce and decoalesce in time providing for massively parallel and dynamic flow of information exchange in the brain. There is a growing evidence that our behavior is mediated by simultaneous activity of several interacting and simultaneously active cortical networks. Not only the location of network nodes but also the temporal profiles of such interaction are of interest. The existing methods are primarily concerned with proposing novel measures of synchrony to be applied to the cortical region activity signals extracted from the MEG data using beamforming or other spatial filtering approaches. In this work we propose to render the task of estimating network topology and temporal profiles as a source estimation problem but in the space of interacting topographies. The proposed point of view has a number of benefits as it allows to use the wealth of techniques and intuition accumulated in the community when dealing with source estimation problems. Operating in the interacting topographies space we first propose subspace projection method to significantly reduce the spatial leakage effect in the cross-spectral matrix. We then use subspace matching metrics to extract a set of networks with their synchronicity profiles that explain the variance in the sensor space cross-spectral matrix, much like regular dipoles and their activations explain the variance in the regular evoked responses. The preliminary results of application of this method to a simple self-paced voluntary finger movement paradigm comparing allowed to observe functional coupling between primary motor and supplementary motor area and establish that this coupling can be characterized with near-zero phase delay between the oscillatory activity of these two regions. This observed synchrony pattern is physiologically plausible and is in agreement with the current hypothesis about the neural mechanics of the motor acts.
Gene Expression Changes in the Mushroom Body of Drosophila melanogaster During a Time Course of Long-Term Memory Formation and Maintenance

Long-term memory (LTM) requires gene transcription. However, there is still much to learn about which genes are transcriptionally regulated during LTM and the biological roles they play. Here, gene expression changes were characterized in Drosophila melanogaster over a time course of LTM formation and maintenance in neurons of the mushroom body (MB), a structure required for normal learning and memory. I identified 120 genes differentially expressed (q < 0.2, fold change > 1.3) 24h after LTM induction. Among these were 13 potential downstream targets for RNA localization by the known memory genes pumilo, staufen and oskar, several genes encoding chromatin regulators and seven genes with cAMP response elements (CRE) that may be regulated by cAMP response element binding (CREB)-mediated transcription. Taken together, the results of this study provide a rich data-set of transcriptionally-regulated LTM candidate genes for further study.
Job demands perceived by cabin crew in airline companies: a case in Turkey

Abstract Human factors are traditionally seen as a major contributor to critical aviation incidents and accidents. Approximately 80% of aviation accidents are caused primarily by a human error, whereas the remaining 20% almost always involve a component of human factors. Therefore, this study, which is expected to contribute to ensuring the person-job fit in the hiring processes and assessing the effects of job demands faced by cabin crew on safe flight, aims to determine the job demands perceived by cabin crew who play a critical role in airline companies. To this end, the qualitative data obtained through the semi-structured interview method from 14 flight attendants in a medium-sized airline operation were grouped into 17 categories, and subsumed under three themes as ‘Key Responsibilities’, ‘Passenger Demands’ and ‘Individual Factors’. It is believed that the results of this study can contribute to assessing the effects of job demands that cabin crew came across on flight safety, and in this context contribute to the achievement of person-job fit in management practices to helps the effectiveness of the organisation.
Estimating a Health Production Function for Brazil: Some New Evidence

This paper reports the impact of low-cost health centers on child mortality in Brazil. We use a comprehensive database to evaluate the impact of a change in Brazilian health policy from 2006 to 2009, when the number of health centers per capita increased significantly while hospitals per capita were reduced, indicating a focus on low-cost, low-complexity medical services. Unlike most empirical studies, our results indicate that additional health care decreases mortality. Increasing the number of health centers per capita decreases mortality through access to basic services and make high-complexity hospitals more effective, as they can focus on more serious conditions.
Strategies for Instilling Educational Values in Islamic Boarding School (IBS)

Indonesia's national education goals are to form intelligent, civilized, and dignified people to live in society and succeed in the future. Therefore, every educational institution in Indonesia must teach specific values that are believed to deliver its students to be the people they aspired. This study aims to describe the values of educational organizations embedded to students at Darussalam Islamic Boarding School (DIBS) in Indonesia and their cultivating strategies. The reason for choosing this institution to be researched is that it has a long experience and has created many qualified and successful people at both national and international levels—the survey conducted with a qualitative approach. Data are collected through observation, documentation, and interviews with several caregivers, teachers, students, and administrators of the institution. Before being analyzed, the interview data are transcribed, then read repeatedly to find the exact meaning behind the words. Data validation is done by triangulation techniques, both by source and method triangulation. This study found five values that serve as a foundation for the institution to carry out the entire process of organizational activities. These values are embedded with five strategies integrated into all students as members of the organization. This research contributes to finding values that should be instilled in students in educational institutions to become reliable and responsible individuals to succeed in the future. The strategy of instilling educational values found in this study also gives a new color in the world of education. It can become a role model for other institutions in inculcating educational values.
Critical Success Factors of Product Development Projects in the Automotive Industry

The objective of this study was to determine the critical success factors (CSFs), as well as respective best practices (BPs) associated with those factors, using a case survey of the employees of Ford Motor Company working in different development centers around the world. The company’s project managers were asked to respond to two structured questionnaires. The results confirm the study’s assumption that the order of importance of the CSFs of the automotive industry differ from those of other industries in general. The results also reflect the importance of the front end (FE) phase in the new product development process. Regional differences were also observed. Neglecting CSFs can lead to delayed decision-making, resulting in higher development costs or cancellations of projects.
Cotransporter Expressed in Thymic Cortical A Putative 12 Transmembrane Domain

We have isolated a full-length cDNA clone (thymic stromal origin (TSO)-1C12) from a SCID thymus library using a probe from a PCR-based subtractive library enriched for sequences from fetal thymic stromal cells. TSO-1C12 mRNA is expressed mainly in the thymic cortex and is highly enriched in SCID thymus. Expression per cell is highest during fetal thymus development and decreases after day 16. Antipeptide Abs immunoprecipitated a hydrophobic, plasma membrane glycoprotein (thymic stromal cotransporter, TSCOT) whose translated sequence has weak homology to bacterial antiporters and mammalian cation cotransporters with 12 transmembrane domains. TSCOT represents a new member of this superfamily that is highly expressed in thymic cortical epithelial cells. The Journal of Immunology, 2000, 164: 3185–3192.