Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pre-service Special Education Teachers' Preparation for Inclusive Education in Bangladesh: An Action Research

This action research investigates the effectiveness of a supervised microteaching (simulation) program of a university for developing pre-service special education teachers’ competencies. Explicitly this paper explores the challenges of the pre-service teachers to teach students with hearing impairment (HI) during their practicum. Five Pre-service teachers (including one with Deafness) enrolled in a teacher education program were taught and supervised during their simulation semester in accordance with the university prescribed program. Classroom teaching of the pre-service teachers was observed during simulation and practicum semesters based on Kilic’s (2010) observation checklist. Further, the same participants were interviewed at the end of their practicum. The results revealed from the study indicate a gap between the nature of the supervised simulation program at the university and the characteristics of practicum at the real teaching situations. Pre-service teachers’ performances, especially in the areas of ‘communication’ and ‘classroom management’ declined significantly in practicum compared to simulation. Lack of experiential learning opportunities in supervised simulation is identified as the prime reason which hindered pre-service teachers from improving their inclusive teaching skills. Implications are discussed regarding pre-service teachers’ preparedness for better inclusive practices in regular classrooms. Keywords : Inclusive education, simulation, practicum, teacher, and hearing impairment.
Dejeto líquido de suínos: II - perdas de nitrogênio e fósforo por percolação no solo sob plantio direto

Swine production has great social and economical relevance in Southern Brazil. However, the use of wastes resulted from the production process, as a plant nutrient source may not be sufficient solution to treat pig slurry production. Application of pig slurry to crop fields may result in nitrogen and phosphorus losses, decreasing the plant uptake efficiency and increasing the risk of water contamination. The present work objective is to evaluate the percolation of nitrogen and phosphorus in soil after slurry application. The field work was developed at the Federal University of Santa Maria, from May 2000 to May 2002, in crop rotation using of black oat (Avena strigosa), corn (Zea mays) and oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus) were grown in plots amended with 0, 20, 40, and 80 m3 ha -1 pig slurry, spread onto soil surface before each seeding operation. Increase in nitrate in soil solution increases with the amount of slurry applied, mainly right after application, which coincides with the initial crop development. In spite of that, it was not detected increase on available phosphorus in soil solution. Losses of nitrogen and phosphorus are negligible as compared with the amount applied, although the nitrate concentration in soil solution at the loss peaks was above the recommended levels for water quality.
Wolf spiders of the Pacific region: the genus Zoica (Araneae, Lycosidae)

Abstract The wolf spider genus Zoica Simon 1898 is currently known only from the Indo-Australasian region, including India in the west to northern Western Australia and Papua New Guinea in the east. Here we extend the known distribution of the genus into the Pacific region by describing two new species, Z. carolinensis new species from the Caroline Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, and Z. pacifica new species from the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Religiosity, Values, and Acculturation: A Study of Turkish,

We address the understudied religious dimension of acculturation in acculturating adolescents who combine a religious Islamic heritage with a secularized Christian mainstream culture. The religiosity of 197 Turkish Belgian adolescents was compared with that of 366 agemates in Turkey (the heritage culture) and 203 in Belgium (the mainstream culture) and related to cultural values, acculturation orientations, and ethnic identification. Belgian adolescents showed lower and declining religiosity with age, whereas Turkish and Turkish Belgian adolescents were more religious regardless of age. Acculturating adolescents reaffirmed religion as compared with monocultural adolescents in Turkey. Religious reaffirmation was related to cultural values of interdependence, heritage culture maintenance, and ethnic identification.
DSF-NOMA: UAV-Assisted Emergency Communication Technology in a Heterogeneous Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) has significant importance in the beyond fifth generation (B5G) communication systems. However, the IoT is vulnerable to disasters because the network is mains powered and the devices are delicate. In this paper, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is utilized to assist with emergency communications in a heterogeneous IoT (Het-IoT) and a distributed nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme is proposed without the requirement of successive interference cancelation (SIC). In order to accommodate the communications of the surviving users and IoT devices efficiently, a multiobjective resource allocation (MORA) scheme is proposed for the UAV-assisted Het-IoT. At first, the original MORA problem is formulated and decoupled with the user power initialization. Then, based on a reweighted message-passing algorithm (ReMPA), the subchannels are assigned to the devices and the users in a stepwise manner. Finally, the transmitting power of the users and the devices is jointly fine-tuned using an iterative access control scheme. The simulation results confirm that the distributed SIC-free NOMA (DSF-NOMA) based on the MORA scheme provides satisfactory communication performances for the users and the devices with a tradeoff between the two subsystems. Compared with the traditional orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) scheme and the MORA scheme with random subchannel assignment, the proposed DSF-NOMA-based MORA scheme yields better performances in terms of the sum rate of the users and the access ratio of the devices.
Substrate inhibition kinetics of phenol degradation by binary mixed culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas fluorescence from steady state and wash- out data

Steady states of a continuous culture with an inhibitory substrate were used to estimate kinetic parameters under substrate limitation (chemo stat operation). Mixed cultures of an indigenous Pseudomonas fluorescence and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were grown in continuous culture on phenol as the sole source of carbon and energy at dilution rates of 0.01 – 0.20 h-1. Using different dilution rates several steady states were investigated and the specific phenol consumption rates were calculated. In addition, phenol degradation was investigated by increasing the dilution rate above the critical dilution rate (washout cultivation). The results showed that the phenol degradation by mixed culture of P. fluorescence and P. aeruginosa can be described by simple substrate inhibition kinetics under substrate limitation but cannot be described by simple substrate inhibition kinetics under washout cultivation. The phenol consumption rate (degradation rate) increased with increase in dilution rate. Fitting of the steady state data from continuous cultivation to six inhibition models resulted in the best fit for Haldane, Yano and Koga, Aiba et al. and Teissier models, respectively. The rsmax value of 0.322 mg/mg/h obtained from these model equations was comparable to the experimentally calculated rsmax value of 0.342 mg/mg/h obtained under washout cultivation.
Production of cytotoxin VT in enteropathogenic and non-enteropathogenic Eschericha coli strains of porcine origin

We have investigated the production of verotoxin (VT) in 55 enteropathogenic and 48 non-enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains of porcine origin, belonging to 48 serotypes. VT cytotoxin was only produced by seven out of the eight enteropathogenic strains with serotypes O138:K81, O139:K82, O141:K85ab and O141:K85ac. Five haemolytic non-enteropathogenic E. coli, four with serotypes O75:K-, O75:K95 and O2:K2, and one not typable, synthesized a new thermolabile product not related with enterotoxin (LT) or VT, and which induced the formation of multinucleate cells in Vero monolayers.
Relationships Between Saturation Deficit and The Survival and Distribution of Terrestrial Isopods

Equations are presented (1) to determine the specific gravity of a glycerol—water solution necessary to maintain a desired relative humidity in a small experimental chamber and (2) to predict the relative humidity which would be maintained by a given glycerol—water solution. The woodlouse, Tracheoniscus rathkei Brandt can survive its normal life span only if exposed to saturation deficits very near zero. In this species, as well as in 8 previously reported species, survival time is inversely related to saturation deficit rather than simply to the relative humidity. When equations for this relationship are compared for the various species, it is observed that those species whose survival times are decreased most by increases in saturation deficit are those which are normally found in wetter habitats. See full-text article at JSTOR
The Interaction of Heat and Smoke in the Release of Seed Dormancy in Seven Species from Southwestern Western Australia

Exposure to high temperatures (40–60 °C) over several days to months (simulating summer soil conditions) or to extremely high temperatures (80–120 °C) for periods ranging from minutes to several days (simulating the heat of an extreme fire) promoted germination in five (including one legume species) of the seven species tested from southwestern Australia. Heat, a collective term for high temperature (HT) and extremely high temperature (EHT), has previously been used to promote germination in species with impermeable seed coats (many of which are legumes). If heat is found to promote germination in species with permeable seed coats, it could be of use in the release of dormancy for commercial development of native plants. Here we report that elevated storage temperatures (50 °C for 45 and 90 d or 60 °C for 45 d) and EHT (100 °C for 3 h and 120 °C for 30 min) alone, and in addition to smoke, directly promote germination of the refractory species Actinotus leucocephalus, Anigozanthos manglesii, Gompholobium knightianum, Loxocarya striatus and Stylidium affine. Germination of Sowerbaea laxiflora seed was not improved with heat alone but was improved by the combination of heat and smoke. Seed of Schoenus unispiculatus did not germinate in response to any of the treatments. Interactions between the effect of temperature, the duration of heat exposure or smoke were detected in all species. Whilst most species demonstrated an interaction between heat and time, not all species were affected by smoke alone. This was illustrated by an interaction between smoke and HT found only in Actinotus leucocephalus, Anigozanthos manglesii and Stylidium affine or smoke and EHT in A. manglesii andS. affine . Smoke and exposure time to heat influenced the germination of Actinotus leucocephalus,Anigozanthos manglesii and L. striatus in response to HT and only S. affine appeared to demonstrate an interaction between smoke and EHT. The variations found in the interactions between treatments suggest that germination events occur over a range of conditions both spatially and temporally which may facilitate seedling survival and limit competition between emergents.
Design of a Multi-sensor and Re-configurable Smart Node for the IoT

The rapid deployment of the Internet of Things (IoT) is much dependent on the capacity of the IoT node to be able to self-adapt to the target application. With the increase of sensor networks and diversity of sensors available and with the increasing integration of multiple sensors in a sensor node, it is necessary to develop systems capable of handling all of these sensors with high level of flexibility. These may have different characteristics that provide quite distinct interface requirements, thus giving rise to the need for systems with re-configurable properties. With the implementation of sensor networks in places where energy supply is limited or non-existent, and in situations where technician intervention is expensive, there is a need to exchange conventional energy sources by methods of storage and harvesting of the energy present in the environment, where the sensor node is used (autonomous and renewable energy sources). This thesis will focus on the study and implementation of a family of re-configurable and multi-sensor IoT nodes with special emphasis on the energy storage and power management. It will also focus on the develop of a CAD tool in order to help in the design of CMOS circuits, for the purpose of integrating all the strategies here presented.
Improved temperature response functions for models of Rubisco‐limited photosynthesis

Predicting the environmental responses of leaf photosynthesis is central to many models of changes in the future global carbon cycle and terrestrial biosphere. The steadystate biochemical model of C3 photosynthesis of Farquhar et al . ( Planta 149, 78‐90, 1980) provides a basis for these larger scale predictions; but a weakness in the application of the model as currently parameterized is the inability to accurately predict carbon assimilation at the range of temperatures over which significant photosynthesis occurs in the natural environment. The temperature functions used in this model have been based on in vitro measurements made over a limited temperature range and require several assumptions of in vivo conditions. Since photosynthetic rates are often Rubisco-limited (ribulose, 1-5 bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) under natural steady-state conditions, inaccuracies in the functions predicting Rubisco kinetic properties at different temperatures may cause significant error. In this study, transgenic tobacco containing only 10% normal levels of Rubisco were used to measure Rubisco-limited photosynthesis over a large range of CO2 concentrations. From the responses of the rate of CO2 assimilation at a wide range of temperatures, and CO2 and O2 concentrations, the temperature functions of Rubisco kinetic properties were estimated in vivo. These differed substantially from previously published functions. These new functions were then used to predict photosynthesis in lemon and found to faithfully mimic the observed pattern of temperature response. There was also a close correspondence with published C3 photosynthesis temperature responses. The results represent an improved ability to model leaf photosynthesis over a wide range of temperatures (10‐40 °C) necessary for predicting carbon uptake by terrestrial C3 systems.
BGP Route Attestation: Design and Observation Using IPV6

This quasi-experimental before-and-after study examined the impacts of using IPv6 extension headers to carry cryptographic Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) route attestation information. Literature was assessed surrounding: the design of BGP, vulnerabilities in BGP, a survey of proposed route attestation solutions, IPv6 extension header design, overhead in cryptography, and factors influencing the adoption of proposed solutions. The literature surveyed showed a need to evaluate IPv6 and its role in helping secure the Internet’s routing protocol, BGP. The study resulted in statically significant figures representing the cost associated in an instantiation of using IPv6 extension headers to carry BGP route attestation information. Furthermore, future opportunities for research to improve upon overall BGP security and the inclusion of IPv6 in such models were discussed. The research performed revealed potential pathways for enhancing Internet routing as a whole.
The MediaMill TRECVID 2011 Semantic Video Search Engine Draft notebook paper

In this paper we describe our TRECVID 2011 video retrieval experiments. The MediaMill team participated in two tasks: semantic indexing, and multimedia event detection. The starting point for the MediaMill detection approach is our top-performing bag-of-words system of TRECVID 2010, which uses multiple color SIFT descriptors, sparse codebooks with spatial pyramids, and kernel-based machine learning. All supported by GPU-optimized algorithms, approximated histogram intersection kernels, and multi-frame video processing. This year our experiments focus on 1) the soft assignment of descriptors with the use of difference coding and 2) the utility of 1,346 concept detectors for event retrieval. The 2011 edition of the TRECVID benchmark has again been a fruitful participation for the MediaMill team, resulting in the runner-up ranking for concept detection in the semantic indexing task.
Analysis of the essential oil of Vetiveria nigritana (Benth.) Stapf root growing in Sudan

The volatile oil of the roots of Vetiveria nigritana (Benth.) Stapf was extracted by hydrodistillation for 36 h to yield 1.35%. The physical and chemical properties were determined according to international standards and were not compatible with published data. Analysis of the oil by gas liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (GLC-MS) technique revealed that the oil was composed of 50 compounds of which 9 compounds were not identified. The main constituents were longifolene D (25.1%), 2-hydroxycyperol (9.7%) and aromadendrene oxide (1) (8.8%). The different and extremely complex composition of vetiver oil from different geographic regions of the world prompted us to add that the Sudanese vetiver oil is also different and do not comply with the "finger print" of the oil in the literature (α- and β- vetivone plus khusimol). Key words: Vetiveria nigritana, essential oil, composition, gas liquid chromatography (GLC),mass spectrometry (MS).
Numerical estimation of propagation path loss for wireless link design of WAIC systems installed on outside aircraft cabin based on large-scale FDTD simulation

: The aim of this study is to develop an accurate and reliable method for estimating the propagation characteristics inside and outside aircraft cabins so as to advance the radio link design techniques for WAIC systems. This paper uses the FDTD method and large-scale parallel computing to conduct the world's first study on the propagation characteristics of signals emitted by a transmit antenna above the wing tip to WAIC antennas installed inside and outside the aircraft cabin (Airbus 320-200). EMF distributions created by a 4.4 GHz wireless transmitter inside the cabin are analyzed and propagation characteristics are determined from the analysis results.
Spatial dynamics in a metapopulation network: recovery of a rare grasshopper Stauvoderus scalaris from population refuges

A characteristic feature of the spatial distribution of many species is patchiness. This spatial patchiness may be generated by very different processes, e.g. fragmentation, succession and extinction-colonisation dynamics. In this study, we apply a spatial realistic metapopulation model to analyse the occupancy pattern of a rare and endangered grasshopper, Stauroderus scalaris. found in an extensive network of 158 patches. When the study was initiated in 1985 the regional occupancy was 9.3% declining down to 7.1% in 1989. Then there was a spatial expansion of the population and in 1993 as many as 27.3% of the patches were occupied and 32.9% in 1995. During this expansion phase, the dynamics obeyed metapopulation principles: large patches and less isolated ones were more likely to be colonised. In the beginning, local extinction risks were negatively related to patch size and positively influenced by isolation. However, later on neither area nor isolation affected extinction probabilities. Altogether, 20 extinctions and 56 colonisations were observed. The shift in regional occupancy, with a growth of ca 20%, coincides with perturbations to the patch network and the warmest summer in 140 yr. Our results suggest that S. scalaris persists on a dynamic habitat mosaic, where refuges are crucial during adverse periods, and stochastic environmental factors (disturbances and climate), that are correlated over large areas, are generating population dynamic patterns that are hard to predict using current modelling techniques.
Effect of age and sex on digestive tract morphometry of guinea fowl (Numida meleagris L.).

The compensation of cell motion is an important step in single-particle tracking analysis of live cells. This step is required in most of the cases, since the movement of subcellular foci is superimposed by the movement and deformation of the cell, while only the local motion of the foci is important to be analysed. The cell motion and deformation compensation is usually performed by means of image registration. There are a number of approaches with different models and properties presented in the literature that perform cell image registration. However, the evaluation of the registration approach quality on real data is a tricky problem due to the fact that some stable features in the images with a priori no local motion are needed. In this paper we propose a methodology for creating live cell nuclei image sequences with stable features imposed. The features are defined using the regions of fluorescence bleaching invoked by the UV laser. Data with different deformations are acquired and can be used for evaluation of the cell image registration methods. Along with that, we describe an image analysis technique and a metric that can characterize the quality of the method quantitatively. The proposed methodology allows building a ground truth dataset for testing and thoroughly evaluating cell image registration methods.
Cutting Edge: TLR4 Deficiency Confers Susceptibility to Lethal Oxidant Lung Injury1

TLRs have been studied extensively in pathogen-mediated host responses. We use a murine model of lethal oxidant-mediated injury to demonstrate for the first time that mammalian TLR4 is required for survival and lung integrity. Administering high levels of inspired oxygen, or hyperoxia, is commonly used as a life-sustaining measure in critically ill patients. However, prolonged exposures can lead to respiratory failure and death. TLR4-deficient mice exhibited increased mortality and lung injury during hyperoxia. The enhanced susceptibility of TLR4-deficient mice to hyperoxia was associated with an inability to up-regulate Bcl-2 and phospho-Akt. Restoration of Bcl-2 and phospho-Akt levels by the exogenous transfer of the antioxidant gene heme oxygenase-1 markedly attenuated hyperoxia-induced injury, apoptosis, and mortality in TLR4-deficient mice. Taken together, our results suggest a protective role of TLR4 in oxidant-mediated injury, providing novel mechanistic links among innate immunity, oxidant stress, and apoptosis.