Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Different Triathlon on Weight, Sodium and Hematological Changes

This study examined how differing triathlon durations effect weight, serum sodium concentration, and hematological levels, and investigated relationships between these variables and finishing time as well as between body weight changes and serum sodium following Ironman distance triathlons (IDT) and Olympic distance triathlons (ODT). All eight athletes successfully completed ODT and IDT. We found that the mean body weight decreased following both IDT and ODT and that serum sodium was significantly (p＜0.05) increased immediately after IDT. RBC, Hb, Hct, and MCH were significantly (p＜0.05) increased immediately after IDT. Hct was significantly (p＜0.05) decreased immediately after ODT. MCHC was significantly (p＜0.01) increased immediately after ODT. In IDT, the percentage of change in body weight correlated to the percentage of change in serum sodium concentrations (r=0.75, p=0.05). In conclusion, our study showed that serum sodium concentraion increased in IDT and maintained in ODT, despite significant body weight loss during the races. The percentage of change in body weight was related to serum sodium concentration but unrelated to performance in the triathlon. The changes of RBC, Hb, and Hct values from two different length triathlons were depending on race distance.
Stochastic population dynamics and time to extinction of a declining population of barn swallows

Summary 1 Time to extinction was predicted for a declining population of barn swallow Hirundo rustica in Denmark, using a model that includes demographic as well as environmental stochasticity and that takes the uncertainties in the parameter estimates into account. 2 We apply the concept of population prediction interval (PPI), which is a stochastic interval that includes the unknown variable that may be the extinction time or the population size at some future point of time, with a given probability (1 − α). 3 The lower bound of the upper one-sided prediction interval for the extinction time for α = 0·10 was 22 years. 4 Ignoring uncertainties in the parameter estimates led to a 41% increase in this statistic. 5 Although the estimate of the demographic variance was small compared to other passerines (σd2 = 0·180), a sensitivity analysis showed that it strongly influenced the predicted time to extinction compared to the model ignoring demographic stochasticity. A similar effect on the prediction of the time to extinction was found for the environmental variance σe2. In addition, choosing σe2 = 0 strongly reduced the width of the prediction interval. 6 This demonstrates that reliable population projections require modelling of the environmental as well as the demographic stochasticity, and that the uncertainty in the estimates of the model parameters must be taken into account.
Contrasting effects of water stress on wetland‐obligated birds in a semi‐natural Mediterranean wetland

This study evaluated the effects of seasonal water level changes on two foraging guilds of water-related bird species in a remnant coastal wetland of central Italy. Data were obtained by point count method. During the seasonal water-level decrease in wetland channels, the Diversity Index and Species Richness of the entire assemblage dropped significantly between May and July. A significant decrease in the number of species was observed in the middle of May, attributed to decreasing water levels related to natural (climatic) and anthropogenic (local fish farming) causes, and the subsequent drying of surrounding marshes and meadows. A first phenological threshold was observed in May, when the water level decreased to 70 cm in channels. A high species turnover occurred in the entire assemblage during this period. The herbivorous-omnivorous species (Anatidae and Rallidae) and zoophagous species (Ardeidae and Podicipedidae) during the study period exhibited opposite trends in the diversity index values. The diversity index progressively decreased for the herbivorous-omnivorous species in the late spring, while increasing for the zoophagous species, due to a greater availability of food (increased fish density due to decreased water level). These contrasting results are a consequence of ecological and phenological (sedentary vs. migrants) traits of the species belonging to these guilds. These data represent useful information for elaborating management strategies focused on the water level regime in Mediterranean small wetlands in which fish-farming activities also occur.
KOALA-F: A Resource Manager for Scheduling Frameworks in Clusters

Due to the diversity in the applications that run in clusters, many different application frameworks have been developed, such as MapReduce for data-intensive batch jobs and Spark for interactive data analytics. A framework is first deployed in a cluster, and then starts executing a large set of jobs that are submitted over time. When multiple such frameworks with time-varying resource demands are presentin a single cluster, static allocation of resources on a per-framework basis leads to low system utilization and resource fragmentation. In this paper, we present koala-f, a resource manager that dynamically provides resources to frameworks by employing a feedback loop to collecttheir possibly different performance metrics. Frameworks periodically -- not necessarily with the same frequency -- report the values of their performancemetrics to koala-f, which then either rebalances their resources individuallyagainst the idle-resource pool, or, when the latter is empty, rebalances their resources amongst them. We demonstrate the effectiveness of koala-f with experiments in a real system.
Evaluation of oxidative stability of sunflower oil at frying temperature in presence of butylated hydroxytoluene and methanolic extracts of medicinally important plants of Pakistan.

An experimental study was carried out regarding oxidative stability of refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) sunflower oil (SFO) at 180 ± 2.0oC to evaluate the antioxidant potential of methanolic extracts of Althea rosea L, Chenopodium album L, Cichorium intybus L and Fumaria indica L in camparison with butylated hydtoxytoluene (BHT). Initial screening of all plant extracts was carried out by DPPH assay on TLC. Peroxide value (PV), Iodine value (IV), conjugated diene (CD), conjugated triene (CT) and P-anisidine value of SFO were determined to analyze the extent of oxidation in comparison with blank SFO and BHT containing SFO. Plant extract of Fumaria indica L was found to be most potent source of natural antioxidants by extensive inhibition of lipid oxidation parameters. Total flavonoid and phenolic contents of all plants were also determined.
On The Purchasing Power Parity in Turkey: The Role of Structural Changes

Turkey as an emerging country and one of the fastest growing economies during the last decade has been implementing the trade-oriented growth model since 1980. The exchange rate policy in that respect is at the center of trade and monetary policies. Given the importance of constructing fundamental equilibrium exchange rates, the long-run PPP hypothesis has been empirically investigated during the last decade. We re-examine the purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis for Turkey with her ten major trading partners and find out that when the structural shifts are taken into account, there is a strong evidence in favor of the validity of PPP hypothesis. An interesting finding also is that the PPP hypothesis seems to hold for the European Union countries.
The neoliberal turn in Chilean social work: frontline struggles against individualism and fragmentation

ABSTRACT In Chile, the right-wing dictatorship (1973–1990) implemented the first neoliberal ‘experiment’ in the world, affecting the development of social work in a traumatic way. More than 40 years after the coup, the inheritance from the dictatorship appears to still be blocking discussion and implementation of critical perspectives in social work. The inception of the Social Protection System in 2000 has contributed to reinforcing depoliticised and individually oriented approaches of social workers’ interventions. However, practices of resistance to this apparent hegemonic order can also be detected and identified within social work. Drawing upon preliminary findings of an exploratory-sequential study, this article analyses the way in which neoliberal ideology has impacted contemporary Chilean social work and illuminates strategies employed by many in the profession to defy such constraining rationality.
School Psychologists as Health-Care Providers in the 21st Century: Conceptual Framework, Professional Identity, and Professional Practice

Abstract As we enter the 21st Century, school psychologists are in a key position to participate in comprehensive health care of children and adolescents. For the most part, however, school psychologists have persisted in the conduct of traditional psychoeducational assessment as a primary function. Presented here is a model for thinking about school psychology in which practitioners assume an active role in addressing the health and mental health needs of children and adolescents. Comprehensive health care is defined as an integrated system of culture-specific services ranging from prevention to treatment directed toward health, mental health, and related needs of students and their families. The model is rooted in developmental-ecological theory and action research methodology and embodies a participatory approach in which caregivers, stakeholders, and professionals work together to design, implement, and evaluate interventions. Realizing a role in health care requires changes in the conceptual framework and professional identity characterizing school psychology.
Gene Flow and Natural Selection in Atlantic Salmon

Laboratory studies on associations between disease resistance and susceptibility and major histocompatibility (MH) genes in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar have shown the importance of immunogenetics in understanding the capacity of populations to fight specific diseases. However, the occurrence and virulence of pathogens may vary spatially and temporally in the wild, making it more complicated to predict the overall effect that MH genes exert on fitness of natural populations and over several life-history stages. Here we show that MH variability is a significant determinant of salmon survival in fresh water, by comparing observed and expected genotype frequencies at MH and control microsatellite loci at parr and migrant stages in the wild. We found that additive allelic effects at immunogenetic loci were more likely to determine survival than dominance deviation, and that selection on certain MH alleles varied with life stage, possibly owing to varying pathogen prevalence and/or virulence over time. Our results highlight the importance of preserving genetic diversity (particularly at MH loci) in wild populations, so that they have the best chance of adapting to new and increased disease challenges as a result of projected climate warming and increasing aquaculture.
CURRENT APPROACHES IN TARGETING CANCEROUS CELLS AND NOVEL ANTICANCER DRUG DESIGNING

This review describes the current approaches in targeting cancerous cells and novel anticancer drug designing highlighting the identification and characterization of the biologically important lesions produced on DNA by important DNA-reactive drugs, molecular strategies to improve the sequence selectivity of existing groups of DNA-reactive drugs. The design of mechanism-based screens to identify new classes of drugs that react with DNA and associated targets the design of new drug classes based upon the identification of pharmacologically selective receptors on, or associated with DNA have also been described.
On the causal relationship between participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging

ABSTRACT It is often theoretically argued that participation in national commemorations increases feelings of national belonging. Previous studies have also empirically demonstrated that participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging are positively related. We are uncertain, however, about the direction of this relationship. Does participating in national commemorations increase feelings of national belonging (increase hypothesis) or do people who attend such ceremonies feel a greater sense of national belonging compared to people who not attend (selection hypothesis)? Using an innovative research design, this study sheds more light on the direction of the relationship between participation in national commemorations and feelings of national belonging. We collected data from respondents before (n = 469), during (n = 50) and after (n = 226) the national ceremony on Remembrance Day in 2015 in the Netherlands. In this study, we found support for the selection hypothesis, but not for the increase hypothesis.
Efficiency on the Implementation of Structural Funds by European Regions: An Analysis of the Objective 1 Regions over the Period 2000–2006

Given the large volume of resources employed in policies financed by the Structural Funds and the importance of the Objectives pursued, this paper seeks to perform an analysis of the efficiency of the application of these resources to increase productivity and employment by those regions classified as Objective 1 over the period 2000–2006. In the first place we are going to identify which are the most efficient regions by calculating both the level of efficiency according to the results obtained from the resources used (pure technical efficiency (PTE)) and the degree of efficiency according to their optimum production capacity (scale efficiency (SE)) and we have determine the “Reference Set” for inefficient regions. Finally, we will analyse the extent to which certain factors have repercussions on the efficiency such as country, geographical location and contribution of agriculture of GDP. The result indicates that the PTE of the regions are higher level although it does operate on an optimum scale. Furthermore, the country, geographical location and contribution of agriculture of GDP have significantly influences of PTE and SE.
Entwicklung eines stringent kontrollierbaren Toxingensystems zur Analyse degenerativer Prozesse im Nervensystem der Maus

To analyse molecular events in pathological processes and cell interactions underlying degenerative diseases, a genetic approach of conditional cell ablation is desirable. In my thesis, conditional cell ablation was optimized for applications in post-mitotic and slowly proliferative cells by modification of the tetracycline (tet)-dependent expression system in combination with the bacterial ribonuclease barnase. The regulated barnase expression and the cytotoxicity of the gene product were examined in cell culture, in primary cells of transgenic mice and in the nervous system of transgenic mice. Taken together the analysis of this cell ablation approach demonstrates that in cell culture and to a limited extent in transgenic mice, a conditional cell ablation is feasible. By its universal application, e.g. by crossing barnase-transgenic mice with cell-specific transactivator mice, this system represents an alternative to existing methods for the investigation of pathomechanisms of degenerative diseases, also in the CNS.
Control of Penicillium decay on citrus fruit using essential oil vapours of thyme or clove inside polyethylene and nano-clay polyethylene films

Summary The activity of some essential oils against the common citrus moulds, Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum, was evaluated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Direct contact and vapour phase methods were used to test the anti-fungal activities of four essential oils. Thyme and clove oils inhibited the growth of P. digitatum and P. italicum completely when added to the culture medium at 600 µl l−1, or by using their volatiles at 24 µl per 8 cm-diameter Petri dish. Sage and fennel oils did not show any inhibitory activity against either fungus. In in vivo experiments, direct contact using thyme or clove oil at 200, 400, or 600 µl l−1 at two temperatures (25ºC or 7ºC) had no inhibitory activity against either fungus. Conversely, in vapour phase experiments at 25ºC, thyme or clove oil at 100, 200, 400, or 800 µl l−1 applied to the outer surface of oranges in polyethylene film bags (HD00H and HD75L) effectively reduced both diseases. HD75L film (polyethylene with nano-clay particles) appeared to be more effective than HT00H film (polyethylene without nano-clay particles). However, a sensory evaluation experiment indicated that HD75L film altered the taste of fruit, substantially, compared to HD00H film and that this effect was correlated with oil concentration.
Acute skeletal muscle wasting in the critically ill

Introduction: Critical illness survivors demonstrate skeletal muscle wasting with associated functional impairment. I prospectively characterised this process, and defined the pathogenic roles of altered protein synthesis and degradation. Methods: Critically ill patients (n=63, 59% male, age 54.7±18.0 years, APACHE II score 23.5±6.5) were recruited <24 hours following intensive care admission. Muscle loss trajectory was determined through serial ultrasound measurement of rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RFCSA) and, in a subset, quantification of myofibre area (FibreCSA) and protein/DNA ratio. Histopathological analysis was performed. Muscle protein synthesis and breakdown rates were determined and respective signalling pathways examined. Results: RFCSA decreased significantly, (-17.7±12.1%, [p 50% (20/37) of subjects. Protein synthesis was depressed to levels observed in fasted controls (0.035±0.018%/hr vs. 0.039±0.011%/hr, p=0.57), and increased by day 7 (0.076±0.066%/hr, p=0.03) to levels associated with fed controls (0.065+0.018%/hr, p=0.30,) independent of nutritional load. Protein breakdown remained elevated throughout (8.5±5.7 to 10.6±5.7mmol phe/min/IBW, p=0.4). Principal component analysis of intracellular signalling supported a programme of increased breakdown (r=-0.83, p=0.005) and depressed synthesis (r=-.69, p=0.041). Conclusions: Early rapid skeletal muscle wasting occurs in critical illness, is greatest in those with multi-organ failure, and results from suppression of protein synthesis and increases in catabolism. These effects are independent of feeding and are commonly associated with myonecrosis.
Cultural concerns: How valuing social-image shapes social emotion

ABSTRACT I present a conceptual and methodological approach that views emotion as immersed in culture and driven by cultural concerns. These cultural concerns include a desire for positive social-image (e.g., honor), as well as values regarding preferred relations between the individual and the group (e.g., vertical individualism and horizontal collectivism). The research I present covers a wide range of emotions about being valued (e.g., pride and happiness) and devalued (e.g., sadness, fear, and shame) by others in a wide range of cultures, with a special focus on understudied populations in psychology (e.g., Pakistanis; Turkish, Moroccan, and Bangladeshi cultural minorities in Europe; and Muslim minorities in the U.S. and Europe). This research also covers diverse aspects of emotions, including appraisal, motivations, and actions.
Sorption and Leaching Potential of Acidic Herbicides in Brazilian Soils

Abstract Leaching of acidic herbicides (2,4-D, flumetsulam, and sulfentrazone) in soils was estimated by comparing the original and modified AF (Attenuation Factor) models for multi-layered soils (AFi). The original AFi model was modified to include the concept of pH-dependence for K d (sorption coefficient) based on pesticide dissociation and changes in the accessibility of soil organic functional groups able to interact with the pesticide. The original and modified models, considering soil and herbicide properties, were applied to assess the leaching potential of selected herbicides in three Brazilian soils. The pH-dependent K d values estimated for all three herbicides were observed to be always higher than pH-independent K d values calculated using average K oc data, and therefore the original AFi model overestimated the overall leaching potential for the soils studied.
The Assessment of Patient Clinical Outcome: Challenges, Methods, andConceptual Limitations

The patient clinical outcome assessment is a very important factor in order to guarantee the patient safety. It is the assessment of patient outcome in respect of mental status, symptoms, or impact of ill health on how the patient functions. This assessment aims to improve the quality of health care in general by predicting the performance of any therapeutic option in terms of benefits or harms. Due to the importance of this field, an in-depth review of current issues regarding the assessment of patient clinical outcome should be carried out. Accordingly, this paper go over three main points: 1) the challenges involved in the assessment of patient clinical outcome; 2) a number of the existing methods for patient clinical outcome assessment; and 3) a discussion of the general conceptual limitations and difficulties of patient outcome quantitative assessment. This paper will advance the understanding of the assessment of patient clinical outcome field in regards to its challenges, methods and conceptual limitations.
The Nexus Between STEM Qualifications and Graduate Employability: Employers’ Perspectives

A science education is an important element of a literate, advanced and modern society, and the teaching of science is mandatory through to mid-secondary schooling. Despite this, and notwithstanding the range of skills and capabilities provided by a science degree, a straight bachelor’s degree (BSc) does not guarantee a science-related career. In fact, recent evidence indicates that only a moderate proportion of BSc graduates obtain science-related employment immediately upon leaving university. Reasons for this include the general nature of a science degree and the diversity of jobs possible for such graduates. A considerable gap in the literature pertaining to science graduate employability is the lack of employer perspectives on the comparative value of various tertiary qualifications (e.g. BSc, Masters, PhD). Insight into such perspectives, and the linking of this to the skill sets provided by different qualifications, may provide a basis to better inform students about their study choices and considerations regarding postgraduate study, framed against their longer-term career aspirations. This information can also enable university educators to refine science curricula to better inculcate the skills most highly valued by employers, thus providing greater leverage for students as they progress through their university studies. This paper reports on such a study, and articulates the potential synergies that may arise from strengthening the dialogue and collaboration between science educators and STEM graduate employers.