Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
First Report of Co-invasion by the Reptile Nematode Ozolaimus megatyphlon (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae) with Invasive Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) in the Asia–Pacific

Co-invasion of naïve ecosystems by non-native parasites is a serious threat to global biodiversity, though such events are difficult to detect early in the invasion process. Green iguanas (Iguana iguana) are an emerging invasive species and have colonised several countries in the Asia–Pacific. A survey was undertaken to determine whether parasites of the green iguana had co-invaded naïve ecosystems with their introduced host. Over a 10-month period, wild green iguanas were trapped and euthanised in Singapore. All animals were necropsied and sampled for parasites. Parasites were then identified morphologically and subsequently characterised molecularly at the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) locus. The reptile nematode Ozolaimus megatyphlon was found in 38% of the sampled green iguanas, with burdens of 100 + worms in all infected animals. This represents the first recorded co-invasion of this species with wild green iguanas in the Asia–Pacific. Based on the molecular characterisation of the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) locus, the first DNA barcode is provided for O. megatyphlon. For the first time, the reptile nematode Ozolaimus megatyphlon is shown to be invasive and to have colonised the Asia–Pacific region with its introduced host, the green iguana. The DNA barcode provided here will facilitate future monitoring programmes as O. megatyphlon invades new habitats and countries.
A Methodology for Preparing Pediatric Doses of Tc-99m MAA for Pulmonary Perfusion Studies

The use of Tc-99m labeled macroaggregated albumin (Tc-99m MAA) and human albumin microspheres (Tc99m HAM) for lung perfusion and other studies is well known (1-3). The potential consequences of too many or too few administered particles per study have been investigated and discussed in both normal and disease states (4,5). Webster eta! (6) have reviewed the diagnostic use of Tc-99m MAA in pediatrics as well as methodologies for determining the desired quantity of radioactivity to administer to infants and children. Heyman (7) and Davis and Taube (8) have addressed the toxicity and safety factors associated with lung perfusion studies using radiolabeled particles, specifically in regard to pediatric doses. They have suggested splitting vials ofTc-99m MAA while preparing doses of 17,000 and 21,000 particles, respectively, for the newborn. Once the desired number of albumin particles to administer for a study is chosen, package insert directions for preparing the radiopharmaceutical for infants and children in a reasonable volume of administration are not provided. It has been suggested (9) that the optimal number of particles to administer to the adult is in the range of 100,000-150,000 particles. For the newborn, the number should not exceed 50,000 particles. The one-year-old infant should not receive more than 165,000 particles if 500,000 particles are regarded as safe for the adult (7,8). We describe four possible methods for preparing Tc99m MAA. However, three of these four methods are unacceptable for preparing a pediatric lung perfusion dose because of unattainable specific activities (radioactivity I particle); volume limitations; and lack of package insert directions.
Whitening and Antierythemic effect of a cream containing Morus alba extract

Plan : To determine the effects of a newly formulated w/o emulsion (cream) of the ethanolic extract of mulberry fruits(Morus alba) with its vehicle (Base) as control on skin melanin, skin erythema and skin moisture content. Methodology: Concentrated 4% Mulberry fruit extract was entrapped in the inner aqueous phase of w/o emulsion. The newly formulated base and formulation were applied to the cheeks of undiseased human volunteers for a period of 8 weeks. Melanin, erythema and skin moisture were monitored every week and analyzed by Mexameter and Corneometer. Statistically the results of both base and formulation were compared by using ANOVA and Paired t test. Outcome: The base showed insignificant (p> 0.05) effects while the formulation showed statistically significant (p �0.05) decrease in melanin content. Both the base and formulation showed insignificant (p> 0.05) effects on skin moisture content. Skon erythema was significantly (p �0.05) reduced by the formulation.This formulation of cream containing 4% concentrated extract of mulberry can be used
EVALUATION OF ANTIULCER ACTIVITY OF BARK EXTRACT OF ALBIZZIA LEBBECK LINN

Antiulcer potential of ethanolic stem bark extract of A. lebbeck were determined using ethanol induced, aspirin induced, cold stress restraint and pylorus ligated ulcer in rats. The ethanol extract (100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly suppressed the peptic ulcer induced by ethanol. Ethanolic extract (500 mg/kg) showed promising activity. Hence, this dose was selected for the further evaluation of antiulcer studies. The ethanolic extract (500 mg/kg) showed significant (p< 0.05) reduction in gastric volume, free acidity, total acidity, ulcer index, protein and pepsin content and increase in mucus content as compared to control. The present study indicates that A. lebbeck bark extract have potential antiulcer activity in all models which might be due to its antisecretory activity and increased resistance to necrotizing agents, providing a direct, protective effect on the gastric mucosa.
Unusual infections in resected adenoid of children: PCR for C. pneumonia, M. pneumonia, H. pylori.

Abstract. Recurrent or chronic adenotonsillar infections mainly affect children.The possible role for infectious agents in adenoid hypertrophy have reported. Searching the DNAs (PCR) of M. pneumonia , C. pneumonia and H. pylori in resected adenoid of children with adenoid surgery. A cross-sectional study done in ENT and Pediatric Department of Rasul Akram Hospital during 2006-2008. 53 children with recurrent or chronic adenotonsillar infections candidate for adenoid surgery were selected . The resected adenoid tissues (1cm) during surgery removed by surgeon. The tissue samples were centrifuged and homogenized, DNAs were extracted and searched for DNAs of M. pneumonia , C. pneumonia and H. pylori by qualitative PCR. Mean age of cases was 8 ±1.9 years. 48% male; 51.9% female 23%. Most cases aged between 6-9 years (71.5%). Most adenoid surgery was done in winter (32%). M. pneumonia - DNA detected in 28%; C. pneumonia in 13.2%; H. pylori in 15% of tissue samples with no relation to sex and age of cases. Most positive PCR results for C. pneumonia and H. pylori (p=0.05; 0.02) were seen in spring and summer but not for M. pneumonia ( p=0.5) We could detect at least 1 of these 3 unusual infectious agents (M. pneumonia, C. pneumonia and H. Pylori ) in adenoid tissues of 60% cases. These unusual infections may have a relative role in etiology of adenoid hypertrophy. Chronic sinusitis and ear infection might be added to infected adenoid tissue as a reservoir for these unusual bacteria. The search by more specific method such as Real time-PCR; or specific culture may elucidate better the role of these unusual infections in adenoid hypertrophy in future. The decision for use of antibiotics to eradicate these unusual infections in recurrent or chronic adenotonsillar infections before adenoid surgery (with or without rhinosinusitis or chronic ear infection) needs Randomized Controlled Trial studies. Key words: Adenoid tissue; Adenoid hypertrophy; C. pneumonia; M. pneumonia; H. pylori
3D-Printed Graphene Electrodes Applied in an Impedimetric Electronic Tongue for Soil Analysis

The increasing world population leads to the growing demand for food production without expanding cultivation areas. In this sense, precision agriculture optimizes the production and input usage by employing sensors to locally monitor plant nutrient within agricultural fields. Here, we have used an electronic tongue sensing device based on impedance spectroscopy to recognize distinct soil samples (sandy and clayey) enriched with macronutrients. The e-tongue setup consisted of an array of four sensing units formed by layer-by-layer (LbL) films deposited onto 3D-printed graphene-based interdigitated electrodes (IDEs). The IDEs were fabricated in 20 min using the fused deposition modeling process and commercial polylactic acid-based graphene filaments. The e-tongue comprised one bare and three IDEs functionalized with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) solution/copper phthalocyanine-3,4′,4′′,4′′′-tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt (PDDA/CuTsPc), PDDA/montmorillonite clay (MMt-K), and PDDA/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) LbL films. Control samples of sandy and clayey soils were enriched with different concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) macronutrients. Sixteen soil samples were simply diluted in water and measured using electrical impedance spectroscopy, with data analyzed by principal component analysis. All soil samples were easily distinguished without pre-treatment, indicating the suitability of 3D-printed electrodes in e-tongue analysis to distinguish the chemical fertility of soil samples. Our results encourage further investigations into the development of new tools to support precision agriculture.
NCSbench: Reproducible Benchmarking Platform for Networked Control Systems

The evolution of the Internet of Things accelerated the development of Cyber-Physical Systems. Among them, Networked Control Systems (NCS) gained notable attention thanks to their application to industrial operations. Experimental NCS require expertise from control, computation, and communication disciplines. This requirement, together with the fragmentation of implementation platforms and experimental investigations, represents a challenge for the reproducibility and comparison of research results. In this paper, we tackle this problem by proposing a novel NCS benchmarking methodology that aids the reproducibility of NCS experiments. Relying on a novel approach to model the architectural elements and the delays of NCS, the methodology defines the experiment parameters and the relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that need to be observed during its execution. Furthermore, we detail the implementation of the first reproducible benchmarking platform for NCS. The proposed platform is open-source and designed to be easily reproducible and extensible by anyone. Finally, we replicate and evaluate the platform following the proposed NCS benchmarking methodology. The experimental results evaluate and compare the KPIs during the execution of the platform in different benchmarking scenarios, proving the validity of the proposed benchmarking methodology.
Misreporting , Investor Type and Financial Contracting

We examine corporate financial misreporting around PIPE issuance and investors’ reactions to misreporting in terms of deal screening and contracting. We show that there is significantly more misreporting around PIPE issuance than in non-issuance periods. Different types of investors react to misreporting distinctively. Venture capital and private equity funds purposely avoid investing in firms with known misreporting history and those that engage in misreporting activities immediately before PIPE issuance. In contrast, hedge funds request more contractual protections although they do not particularly exclude such firms.
The Art of Questioning of the Faculty in the College of Teacher Education in the University of Northern Philippines

Even with today’s modern educational practices, the art of questioning has remained one of the best tools in promoting effective learning. In fact, questioning continues to be an essential component of good teaching. Skillful questioning involves knowledge of the various uses of the question, the characteristics of a good question, the techniques of questioning, and the techniques of handling the learners’ responses. It is the aim of this study to determine the art of questioning of the faculty of the College of Teacher Education of University of Northern Philippines for School Year 2010-2011. Descriptive-correlational design was utilized and a total of 18 faculty and 97 students served as respondents. Results of the study revealed that the teachers always asked interesting, thought provoking, and challenging questions; used varied techniques in questioning; gave positive and encouraging remarks; and welcomed students’ questions graciously. Therefore, it is highly recommended that teachers master a great art of questioning to further encourage the students to answer questions and participate actively during class discussions; further enhancement of the art of questioning and varied techniques and dynamics in questioning should be developed; and an enhancement program should be provided to the teachers such as: seminars and training- workshops; respectively.
Molecular Carcinogenesis

Funding information National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: #81472821; LiaoNing Revitalization Talents Program, Grant/Award Number: #XLYC1807058; Education Department of Liaoning Province, Grant/Award Number: # LZD201904 Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a kind of malignant cancer with high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this study was to explore potential regulated key genes involved in CRC through bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification. The gene expression profile data were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and the differential expression genes were detected in cancerous and paracancerous samples of CRC patients, respectively. Then functional enrichment analysis, such as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis as well as the protein‐protein interaction network were constructed, and the highly related genes were clustered by Molecular COmplex DEtection algorithm to find out the core interaction in different genes' crosstalk. The genes affecting CRC prognosis were screened by the Human Protein Atlas database. In addition, the expression level of core genes was detected by GEPIA database, and the core genes' changes in large‐ scale cancer genome data set were directly analyzed by cBioPortal database. The expression of the predicted hub genes DSN1, AHCY, and ERCC6L was verified by reverse‐transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction in CRC cells. The gene function of DSN1 was analyzed by wound healing and colony formation assays. The results showed that silencing of DSN1 could significantly reduce the migration and proliferation of CRC cells. Further, BUB1B, the potential interacting protein of DSN1, was also predicted via bioinformatics analysis. Above all, this study shows that bioinformatics analysis combined with experimental method verification provide more potential vital genes for the prevention and therapy of CRC.
Movement , Spatial Distribution , and Mortality of Male and Female Dungeness Crab Cancer magister near Tofino , British Columbia

Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Biological Sciences Branch Pacific Biological Station, Nanaimo, British Columbia V9R SK6. Canada Movement, Spatial Distribution, and Mortality of Male and Female Dungeness Crab Cancer magister near Tofino, British Columbia Abstract. We studied movement of Dungeness crab Cancer magister near Tofino, British Columbia using four methodologies. By the first two methods, beam trawling and trap sampling at specific locations, we inferred that males retreated to deeper water in winter and returned to shallower water in spring. Maturing females tended to move from coastal inlets to the more exposed coast. By the third method, a simultaneous analysis of crab movement and mortality using mark-recovery and fishingeffort data, we showed that dispersal was not extensive. Although insensitive to seasonal movement patterns, results of this analysis suggested a pattern of female movement consistent with that inferred from the beam trawl and trap data. By the fourth method, acoustic tagging, we learned that crab movement rates are inconsistent, having observed both large daily displacements (up to 925 mlday) and days of no discernible movement. The latter two analyses suggested that females tended to move about more than males, with the acoustic tagging results indicating less movement by both sexes during winter. Annual instantaneous total mortality, which is composed predominantly of natural mortality, for tagged sublegal-sized males was estimated at 2.5 (95% CI of 2.3-2.8). This is moderately less than our original natural mortality estimate of 2.9-4.5 and confirms that this original estimate was not grossly aberrant due to the confounding of movement with mortality. We estimated annual instantaneous total female mortality, which is also composed predominantly of natural mortality, to be considerably lower than that of males at 1.3 (95% CI of 0.8-1.8).
SYNTHESIS OF QUANTUM DOTS BY MICROWAVE IRRADIATION

A microwave irradiation reduction way in an aqueous solution has been used for the synthesis of CdTe quantum dots using Na2TeO3 as the Te source and sodium borohydride as reduction agent. Quantum dots have been stabilized by mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA), where different amounts of added stabilizer have been studied. The synthesis parameters as power, reaction time, temperature and pH of the reaction solution have been optimized. According to reaction conditions size of prepared quantum dots can be tuned. Very short reaction time (10 – 15 min) and temperature from 50 to 130 oC suffice to prepare highly luminescence dots. Absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectra were measured to characterize prepared dots in water solution. The peak positions in the absorption spectra ranged from 470 nm to 652 nm and the photoluminescence emission peaks ranged from 500 nm to near infrared region (NIR) 720 nm.
CONDITIONING INFORMATION AND IDIOSYNCRATIC VOLATILITY PUZZLE

We argue that the idiosyncratic volatility (IV OL) puzzle documented in Ang et al. (2006) can partly be attributed to estimation bias that occurs when estimating systematic risk using information not in investor’s information set. We first analytically prove there exists a conditioning bias in IV OL estimates when β and IV OL are estimated using contemporaneous daily return data. To mitigate this estimation bias, we suggest using conditional factor model as in Avramov and Chordia (2006) to estimate the systematic risk and IV OL. Empirically, we find that using Q-theory based firm characteristics as the conditioning variables, such as size, book-to-market and operation leverage, the conditionally estimated IV OL does not command a negative return premium and the associated benchmark-adjusted abnormal return is also much smaller than that in the original IV OL puzzle. JEL Classification: C13, G12, G14.
Debt Dispersion, Creditor Conflicts, and Covenants in Corporate Loans

How do conflicts between different creditors affect debt contract terms? We study this question by examining the effect of dispersion in firms’ existing debt structures on the use of covenants in new corporate loans. We find that more covenants are included when firms’ existing debt is more dispersed. This effect is strongest for firms with high default risk and opaque accounting. Our findings suggests that covenants are not only used to address creditor-shareholder conflicts but also conflicts between creditors. Further, our results indicate a dynamic component missing from static debt structure models: Dispersion today entails constraints when issuing future debt. JEL classification: G32
Mandatory IFRS Adoption and Intra-industry Information Transfers

This paper examines the impact of widespread mandatory IFRS adoption in 2005 on intra-industry information transfers from earnings announcements. Using a sample of firms from 50 countries in 1999-2007, we find that, on average, investors of IFRS firms react more strongly to earnings releases of other IFRS firms in the same industry after 2005, consistent with externality gains from mandatory IFRS adoption. We also find that the increase in information transfers is greater when announcers are from countries with lower pre-adoption earnings quality and larger differences between their local standards and IFRS, suggesting that both increased financial reporting quality and improved information comparability contribute to the externality gains. Additional analysis restricting the sample to IFRS announcers provides supportive evidence on the role of quality and comparability. Taken together, our findings suggest that, after switching to IFRS, investors are more likely to use earnings information of industry peers for share valuation, and that both improved reporting quality and information comparability help explain this pattern.
USE OF TENSIOMETERS FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SOIL SUCTION

Tensiometers are electric transducers capable of measuring negative values of pore water pressure smaller than -100 kPa (i.e. capable of measuring soil suctions in excess of 100 kPa). Other common techniques such as the filter paper, the axis-translation and the psychrometer provide indirect measurements of suction and require more complex and lengthy procedures. Tensiometers provide a fast and direct measurement of suction in unsaturated soils and have been used for measuring soil suctions in the field and in the laboratory. This paper presents a new type of tensiometer developed by a collaboration between Durham University and the company Wykeham Farrance Ltd. The paper also focuses on the use of the tensiometer in different geotechnical engineering applications, such as the triaxial testing of unsaturated soils and the determination of the soil water retention curve.
Understanding the Idiosyncratic Jump Risk

Both the cross-section and time-series of idiosyncratic jump risk premiums contain important information about why idiosyncratic jump risks are priced. Using a simple measure of idiosyncratic jumps, we characterize the idiosyncratic jump risk premium of individual equities from 1996 to 2015. From the cross-sectional perspective, we find the idiosyncratic jump risk premium is significantly correlated with the firm size, idiosyncratic volatility, and stock liquidity. These evidence suggests the limits to arbitrage is an important channel through which the idiosyncratic jump risk is priced. From the time-series perspective, we find a strong co-jump factor governing the time-series of idiosyncratic jumps of individual firms. This co-jump factor affects the cross-section of stock returns but only weakly correlates with the market jump risk. JEL Classification: G12, G14